we both cried.

Brie, A few days ago I was kneeling by my bed praying to start my day.  I was asking what things would be most important to be focusing on.  The thought came to my mind that my concentrated time with you was quickly coming to a close as school approached.  I got up and started making a bucket list of things to do together during mother-daughter time.  Thinking of you, my little girl, being gone at Kindergarten all day made me emotional.  As soon as 7am came, I hurried into your room to greet you with a big hug.  I pulled you up on my lap so I could hold you and through tears told you the thought that had come to me while praying.  Letting out a big sob you replied, "I'm going to miss you so much too!"  For a minute or two we both sat there, you in my arms, and we cried.  (I knew how much I was going to miss you, but didn't know you felt the same way.)  All of a sudden you blurted out, "Mom you can come help in my class, don't forget!"  I think I am going to arrange it with Dad so I can come help every week or so.  That'll be great.  How grateful I am for you dear Brie.  My days are not going to be the same with you gone.  But, you will undoubtedly love school...and you can't stay small forever.  I love you, Bug.

255 days and counting...

(8 Jan.) 218 days:  OK, I haven't documented mother-daughter time for over a month, so let's just say Brie was often my helper with Christmas projects, dinners, and packing.  I'm sure a few fun things were thrown in there too.  As for our time in Utah, I tried to seize little moments to give her a big hug, read her a book, snuggle next to her while watching a movie in Bompa & Mémé's play room.  I was feeling bad about not having daily mother-daughter time, but then I realized that trips to Utah are for spending time with out-of-town family...it's prime time for the kids to be with their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  There will be lots more opportunities for me & Brie time.  In any case, here I am getting back to our daily documenting, and hoping that my count isn't way too far off ;0)

(16 Jan.) 210 days: Well, still haven't starting daily documenting again.  Maybe I just check in now and then.  This week Brie and I have been busy dreaming about our future house.  We haven't picked one out yet, nor do we even know if we'll be able to buy a home, BUT we're still dreaming :0)  She has requested several times to sit on my lap and help me design printouts for hers and the boys' rooms.  I've loved having her sit with me, having her input...and I LOVE that she enjoys design.  She's also been my organizing and packing helper.  I figure if there are stacks of clutter around the house we might as well pack them and have stacks of boxes/bins instead :0)  She loves to organize and pack, so it's been the perfect mother-daughter activity.  Today she helped me to make blondie & brunette cookies.  That was a fun change of pace and treat :0)

(20 Feb.) OK, I've officially lost track of the days.  BUT, I feel like we've been spending more time together than ever.  One of the most exciting and fun activities as of late has been sewing together!  She has done a little bit of sewing by hand and yesterday had her first go at the sewing machine, threading it and all.  She LOVES it and I've loved discovering sewing together.  Today the house was a wreck (after a holiday weekend then a couple of days of me & Elijah being sick) so she suggested that we mop.  She thoroughly swept the entire kitchen, moving furniture and all then helped me to scrub it clean.  What five year old does that?  My five year old.  Maybe God knew our house would be much cleaner if He sent Brie to us ;0)  Aside from sewing and cleaning Brie often plays at nurse.  Yesterday she delivered my baby girl, Oinky.  I was so impressed with how observant she is and how much information she retains.  As she talked to me, the patient, she sounded so official.  Outside of our playing doctor I asked her what she wants to be when she grows up.  She replied, "an ambulance driver, then when I get to the hospital I want to be a nurse that delivers babies."  I could totally see her rocking that :0)  It dawned on me that maybe she has a gift with babies, she sure loves them.  Maybe she will someday deliver babies or be a nurse, or be a mom.  It's fun to see those divine gifts start to shine through.

On Tuesday, while I was in bed all day sick with a fever and a terrible cold, it struck me again that this season with Brie is unique.  Never again will we have such concentrated and uninterrupted daily mother-daughter time.  I'm grateful for it and am trying to make the most of it.  The more time we spend together the more I realize that Brie is one of my best friends.  I'm grateful to be her Mom.

(8 March) For the last couple of months Bry works from home (at least) once a week so that Brie & I can run errands during the boys' afternoon nap.  We always run to Aldi to get groceries for the week and have often been stopping at the Buder Library to check out books.  Sometimes we go to the Dollar Tree and the other day we even went into Ross and the neighboring baby store (Brie insisted and I obliged, knowing that she'd be in heaven and we'd both warm up a little bit from the bitter cold!  She can't get enough of all things baby.)  It's fun to go on outings, just the two of us.

She's been my helper on various sewing projects, including a little stuffed dino for Lij.

Yesterday I was in a bad mood and was wanting some time to myself.  I put Alex down for his nap then had Brie & Lij play in their room.  Several minutes later Brie came down and told me that she wanted to help with my sewing project.  As I was sewing and she was color coordinating the sewing pins she asked, "Mom, are we going to be friends?"  "What do you mean?"  I replied.  She went on to say something about me not being nice, then stopped and said, "but you're a nice mom...you're a great mom!"  I knew what she was getting at.  We'd had so many great mother-daughter moments lately and had become good friends, but I sure wasn't acting that way and she could tell.  Her words stung (in a hard and humbling but I-want-to-be-better way) and I realized that I need to work harder at being loving with my kids even if I'm not in the mood, it affects them more than I know and undermines my positive efforts.  In any case, I'm grateful for all of the GOOD times Brie and I have had lately.  I'm loving this time with my sweet girl.

281 days.

281 days (7 november): playing airplane with Brie and her stuffed animal friends
280 days: Hmm, can't remember...
279 days: en route to Springfield, MO
278 days: en route to Stillwater, OK
277 days: watched Food Network tucked in to Brie's hotel bed (while the boys napped) and shared a Twix.
276 days: en route to Joplin, MO
275 days: en route to St. Louis!
274 days: rubbed Brie's feet while we looked through a Paris study abroad photo album and told stories.  Dressed Elmo up in some of Alex's retired clothes.
273 days: played airplane, made M & M cookies and chased a giggling Lij down the hall :0)
272 days: ran errands while Bry stayed with the napping boys at home.  Brie did such a great job keeping up with my pace as we had a lot to get done.  AND she is such a great helper when I shop, rarely complaining or asking to buy things.
271 days: looked at pictures together.  LOVE having church at 10AM now!
270 days: at the Hintze's for a playdate/sleepover while Bry was in Georgia for his last job interview.
269 days: read books together while everyone else was napping at the Hintze's
268 days: tea party (hot chocolate and candy canes) with Laura & Hannah (and Adam ;0))
267 days: Brie cleaned the kitchen while I worked on Christmas present projects then she was my helper.  Love working together!!
266 days: Bry & I were at the temple (finalizing our decision on which job to pick) during naps.
265 days: (22 November) Christmas present projects, take 2.
264 days: Daddy-Daughter time while I finished up my talk on Gratitude.
263 days: watched some great, inspiring clips on the Mormon Channel.
262 days: Brie helped me get snack & activity packs ready for our Thanksgiving road trip.
261 days: en route to St. George, KS
260 days: at Kate & Steve's
259 days: at Kate & Steve's (I need to be better at doing mother-daughter time, even when we're on vacation.  We did get some snuggle time in while watching shows and building block towers together.)
258 days: at Kate & Steve's
257 days: en route back home to St. Louis
256 days: the boys & I weren't feeling well, so not much mother-daughter time going on :0(
255 days: (2 December) Brie helped me to get our Christmas cards ready.
254 days: Brie helped me make homemade chocolate hazelnut pudding (delicious way to use a lot of milk before it goes bad ;0)), had a little tea party (Happiest: Having clothes, Hardest: Seeing Alex sick.), sorted scrapbook letters alphabetically for future projects.
253 days: We worked on Christmas present projects, particularly painting projects for a few of her friends.  ALMOST DONE getting presents ready to take!



252 days: We dipped and decorated cookies.
251 days: We played airplane then Brie was my AWESOME helper to get things ready for our little family's Christmas Eve.  She helped clean (gave the chair cushions a big scrub), get the food put together and the house straightened.
250 days: I went visiting teaching during naps and while Brie & Bry had some daddy-daughter time.
249 days: We put together snack packs for our flight to SLC!!  Yahoo :0)  And looked at pictures & watched videos from all of the Christmases we've celebrated with her.

318 days.

318 days: white crayon + water color cards for new babies Violet and Kyle :0)
317 days: finished cards for Violet and Kyle, got them and other post cards ready to mail.
316 days: fed Snickers. Made gluten-free PB chocolate chip cookies.  Taught Brie about criss-crossing PB cookies :0) She figured out why you use a cooling rack.  More Tangled packet fun. (10/4)
315-305 days: time with Aunt Emmie
304 days: made cards for Mémé and Bry's campus visits
303 days: Looked through highlight pictures from phone to music (instant video :0)).
302-296 days: Mémé was in town!
295 days: got ready for trip
294-292 days: trip to Bloomington Normal, IL.

26 October 2013
Wow, it's been SO busy lately!  I can't believe we're already in the 200s.  Between getting sick, Bry being out of town, two visitors and a road trip to Illinois, Brie and I haven't had much one-on-one time lately :0(  I'll need to remedy that.  No need to dwell on it, but want to do better...

291 days: Unusual Sunday, went visiting teaching with Lij while Brie spent time with her day.  That's a rare occasion.
290 days: At the Hintze's.
289 days: At a Halloween music time with the Hintze's and Shop 'n Save during nap time.
288 days: Brie dressed up in some of my clothes then we played "airplane" (sat on the "plane", had snacks and watched a few short shows on PBSKIDS.org)
287 days: Washi tape {mini} pumpkin decorating and getting ready for our Halloween dinner :0)
286 days: Little stroll (while the boys & Bry stayed at home) to the Leasing Office, getting October birthday cards ready.  Better late than never?!
285 days: We all took naps after church.  Daylight Savings messes with our sleeping schedule.
284 days: Getting apples ready for FHE dessert tonight (Caramel {Snickers} Apples) and putting together quote hand outs.  And watched this scarf tying tutorial...love that Brie's a girly girl with me :0)
283 days: "Tea party" in a blanket fort in Brie's room--strawberry cookies, snuggling and listening to opera :0)  Hardest: Dad gone a lot traveling. Happiest: doing our tea party together.

282 days: Putting together snack packs for our upcoming road trip.  Personalizing each ziplock bag with shapes and colored markets ("Mom you always make things so special."  That sweet girl!).  Reading stories together on the couch from the Friend November 2013.

329 days.

329 days: Brie & Victor (an honorary member of mother-daughter time for the day ;0)) and I did our own version of the story telling bag.
328 days: made Lemon Crinkle Cookies for Sarah's baptism today!
327 days: not officially a mother-daughter activity, but snuggled on couch while watching pictures of Bry as a little boy :0)
326 days: More Tangled packet fun.
325 days: Tea Party Tuesday & card making with Katlyn (our great next door neighbor, must follow in Kate's footsteps ;0)).
324 days: played ambulance with Brie's teething baby, Elijah ;0)  Then watched several of these Oh Joy videos.  Brie liked the flower one best.
323 days: Ed & Ruth Anne visited during nap time...great to see them!
322 days: Cinderella Saturday :0)  Picked up the living room and scrubbed the kitchen floor while listening to Cinderella music then watched part of the Disney movie.
321 days: Sunday.
320 days: Brie helped me clean the kitchen.  She is getting to be such a great cleaner and loves to help.  Win-win!
319 days: mini tea party (with an addition of playdoh cookies), looked at pictures from our Christmas Bahamas cruise in 2010 and took a nap together on the couch.

341 days.

341 days: Painting with Brie and making her silhouette.
340 days: I was sick, so nothing :0(
339 days: doing a pretend birthday party with the CUTE rainbow playdo cake she made me :0)
338 days: making a welcome home card for Katlyn, Brie coloring a picture for Snickers. Tea Party (What was the hardest thing this week? Thunderstorm.  Alex not sharing and hitting me :0(  The best thing? This tea party.  When Alex is happy.).  Playing grocery store.
337 days: Brie helping me make dinner (chicken divan) and cards for Nicole & Hubby and new baby.
336 days: reading library books snuggled up on the couch.
335 days: making cards for Hannah & Laura, read "the Bear who Shares" (CUTE book!)
334 days: Mother-Daughter outing with Laura & Hannah to Sisters' Tea House for High Tea :0)  Chilling out in a tent on back patio, listening to our Disney Pandora station.
333 days: Sunday.
332 days: white crayon + water color fun  :0)
331 days: Tea Party Tuesday with our version of Peach Lemonade
330 days: making Pear Purée (for Lij's baby food) and Pear Pie Filling (for a future making of chocolate pear cheesecake bars). Piggy Banks for the beginning of $ management. (9/18)

354 days.

354 days: printed and cut out strips for our Sunday Can.
353 days: Talked about the letter A in our Sticker book, talked about Armadillos (watched some youtube videos--they're amazing creatures) and did an armadillo coloring page.
352 days: a tea party with cream (whole milk), sugar, ginger herbal tea, some of our tea cookies and brownies (from Katelyn our neighbor :0)).  Letter B in book.  Youtube video (1, 2) about butterflies.
351 days: no mother-daughter time, but Brie having a PJ Party with Hannah over at the Hintze's during naps.
350 days: making cards for Heather & Dahlia.
349 days: no mother-daughter time, but for good reason, it was our anniversary getaway.
348 days: Brie helping me make strawberry lemonade (she washed and hulled the strawberries and juiced the lemons) and making cards for Sam's 1st birthday.
347 days: Sunday--Kirks were in town and had church.  Still need to figure out Sundays.
346 days: Brie helping me to make and deliver dinner to Heather & fam.
345 days: Brie & I dressing up in our fancy dresses and having a tea party.  Brie trying on my clothes while I sorted and organized my closet.
344 days: Making our own version of "Magnet People"



343 days: Feeding our neighbor's guinea pig Snickers and reading library books.
342 days: Feeding Snickers and reading books, take 2.  Then both of us napping in the living room, not really mother-daughter time, but nice nonetheless ;0)