Happy Mother's Day

I want to say how grateful I am for my mother. She has done so much for me, tirelessly, and for many years she was all alone in doing it. And she never once threatened to give me away to the gypsies.

My favorite memories of her are not big moments, but little things we often did that were just so special. Going to the beach, making homemade play-dough, decorating for Christmas, working of homework, baking cookies and various shapes out of leftover pie crust. Simple things, but they are my favorite things to think about.

Today she and my brother spoke at church about the power of prayer in their lives. I wish I could have been there. My mom is a gentle, sweet, soft-spoken person, but I'm sure her testimony had a whollop of an impact on everyone in service today.

I am also so blessed to have my mother-in-law. She is absolutely devoted to us and everything she does has an extra-special touch.

She has this tape of songs that all her kids listened to when they were little. It is all these sweet songs about family: brothers, sisters, grandparents. We've heard it numerous times when we were up in Yuba City, as she plays it for her grandchildren.

Well she put them on a CD for Marlo for her birthday, and gave her a little boombox to play it on. Marlo loves to hear that music and we play it all the time. I listen to it and think of little DeWitt kids singing along. Marlo does her best too: she spreads her arms out and sings "My sister..." It brings tears to my eyes.

A few weeks ago, Marlo was sick with a high fever. I was up with her all night. I tried to put her in her crib, but she'd wake up and say, "Mommy, hold you."

So I just held her hot little body for hours, looking at her sweet face as she slept, sometimes feeling the baby on the way moving around.

And I thought about motherhood...how of course I would hold Marlo all night, and this new one on the way would someday go through the same thing, how I could care less about sleeping because even if there were a hundred people that would want to hold her all night, I would want to be the one to do so because I am her mother.

Occassionally she would stir and just look up at me, making sure I was there, and then fall back asleep. And I thought, "How can I make her understand that I will always be there?"

There isn't a way to put that into words, especially for a two-year-old. The only answer is to be there for her, without fail, each and every time she needs me.

Two birthday parties in one day

one pool

one hot tub

one jumpy

one cupcake

two sunscreen applications

one piece of pizza

two pinatas

two lollipops

one lifejacket

one inner tube

one cut foot

two blow up kiddie pools

one ice cream

one game of hot potato

=

one happy (and tired) little girl

Quick thinking...

So we are working on potty training. Don't ask, because we haven't gotten anywhere.

The other day, I left her sitting on the toilet when I went to answer the phone. I came back in and she had a huge pile of toilet paper in her lap, after being told not to play with it.

Seeing my expression, and knowing she was in trouble, she quickly covered her tracks. She grabbed up all the paper, brought it to her nose, and said, "Achoo!"

A new favorite

thanks Jeff, Lindsay & Talan!

The bash

Marlo's party was so much fun. There were tons of people, pizza and cake, and a clown with balloons and bubbles. It was 100 degrees, Marlo had soap in her eye and a heat rash. But she could have cared less because she had the time of her life!

She's still singing "Happy Birthday" to herself.