Letter to Zoe

Dear Zoe,

I know things have been hectic since Mommy has gone back to work. I’ve tried with all my might to make the transition as smooth as possible but I know it’s been hard on you. You ask me all the time why I go to work, well, the reason I went back to work was because it was time for Mommy to get back into the work force. Words cannot describe how grateful I am I was able to stay home with you for all those years. From the second you were born, I knew I wanted to be with you every single minute of every single day. I didn’t want to miss one milestone. I struggle daily with the decision to go back to work.

To be honest, Mommy is also trying to adjust. Every morning when I drop you off at school and pull out of the parking lot, my heart is heavy. It’s been 6 months that I’ve been back to work but it never gets easier to leave you and I pretty much run red lights to get to you after work. The time we have now is so limited but we are making the best of it and I love you so much. You are turning out to be a strong, independent, and compassionate little girl and it makes me so proud to be your Mommy. Not too much gets you down and you give me the strength I need to keep going when I feel like I have nothing else to give.

Mimi and I love you very much and nothing will ever change that. Sometimes are schedules are crazy and I know you don’t always understand ‘grown-up’ stuff but, what you should know is that I love and miss you when we are not together and I look at your pictures and talk about you all day long while I’m at work. You’re my everything.

I always look forward to and treasure the nights we lay on the couch and watch 'Dancing with the Stars', or when we paint our toes and have girl talk. I also love when we lie in bed and laugh about absolutely nothing. All those times mean the world to me. You’re the most important person in my life and without you I wouldn’t be complete. You have brought so much joy to my life. I honestly feel like I carried you in my tummy.

I want you to know how proud I am of you. My baby girl is growing right in front of my eyes. I love living this life with you in it.

I love you,

Mommy

The Great Outdoors

Hands down, hiking is one of my favorite things to do. There is no better feeling than being outdoors in nature and just having time with your thoughts. Zoe loves to go too and is always up for an adventure. Zoe likes the hikes where there is water, and she thinks there is no better reward then to be able to dip her toes in the water after a hike. I on the other hand just like to hike – period! Shelli likes to search the hiking books for new hikes that everyone will love.

Today we went on a trail that Zoe has been on before with Mimi but I had never been on. Zoe had fun showing me the way, she was telling me all about the ‘snake holes’, beaver-chewed tree stumps, and frog spots. I love to see her so excited, of course along the way, we saw several frogs which mommy isn’t a fan of – AT ALL! Zoe also had to make several stops along the way to pick up a few acorns for her Mamaw.

The weather wasn’t as cool as we had hoped for however, we still enjoyed our afternoon hike.

My pumpkin

Fall is in the air!

Sweet Deal

Hannah Montana Guitar (from the local thrift store) ..... $2.39

Zoe's face when I give it to her ..... PRICELESS!

Sunday afternoon

Zoe and her BFF enjoyed an afternoon picking apples.

Cooking and Baking

This morning Zoe and I got up and spent a couple hours in the kitchen making corn chowder out of our newest vegetarian cookbook. Zoe did fantastic and really enjoys being in the kitchen. Then, I looked over and noticed our bananas were looking a little past the point of eating so, we emailed Mamaw for her banana bread recipe.

I can’t remember the last time I cooked a meal. It’s been so hectic around here that I just don’t have the energy. This morning I woke up ready to get in the kitchen with my favorite girl in the whole wide world and get busy. The weather has been absolutely perfect so, we opened all the windows, put on the radio, and spent some wonderful quality time in the kitchen.

Corn Chowder
3 oz. butter
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons cumin
4 cups vegetable broth
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup canned creamed-style corn
2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Salt and peper

1. Heat the butter in large pan. Add onions and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minuets. Add garlic and cumin , cook 1 minuet, stirring constantly. Add veggie stock, bring to a boil. Add potatoes and reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 10 minuets.
2. Add the creamed corn and corn kernels. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer 10 minuets. Stir in cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with chives (optional)

Mamaw’s banana bread is a secret recipe …..

Thrifty

I have always been a HUGE thrift store shopper. The older I get the less patience I have to look for myself but, I love shopping for Zoe. Don’t get me wrong, I will peruse for myself but, I don’t spend much time looking through everything.

When I had the boys and shopped for three kids, I was at the thrift stores monthly. I loved every second of it and let’s face it; the kids went through clothes like they were rags. I don’t think I ever picked the boys up from school where they were not filthy from head to toe. Zoe does a little better with keeping her clothes clean but, every now and then, she too will have an outfit that gets trashed.

Now that Zoe is older, she likes to pick out her own clothes when we go shopping. The main purpose of our trip today was for jeans because she has grown out of all her jeans. We got several pairs of jeans and a few sweaters too! We even found an Eagles jersey – Go Birds! The cart was full, clothes were tried on, and we were ready to go. As we were getting ready to check out, I spotted a pair of Princess and the Frog house slippers. Well, that made the trip all worth it. Zoe was ecstatic!

It’s all about the find of the day and I think Zoe found a few today!

Chores

Zoe has always had some kind of ‘chore’ from the time she was old enough to know how to do them. She, like most kids must make her bed every morning and make sure all her toys are picked up before going to bed. Those are just givens.

Most recently, the newest chore is unloading the dish washer. She only does the silverware (because that is all she can reach and it's all I trust her with at this point – Glass is not an option!) BUT, she loves doing it.

I love having her in the kitchen with me. I was always in the kitchen with my mom and that is where we’ve had some pretty in-depth conversations. Tonight, Zoe and I were unloading and she looks at me and says, “One day I will be putting up dishes for my kids!”. Whoa! Slow down Zoe, let’s get through kindergarten before we worry about kids! We looked at each other and both started laughing!

The things the two of us talk about when we are alone are priceless. We could go on and on for hours about everything and anything! Those are the moments I treasure most.

Tonight

Fall is in the air and we are loving every second of it!

Snacks

Decisions .. Decisions...

Picking out a 'snack' for school...

Mommy & Zoe

Over the last six months since going back to work it has been very trying for me, on so many levels. I absolutely love being back to work but, I absolutely hate not being with Zoe.

The past month I haven’t seen much of Zoe. Between her two week summer vacation to see her grandparents, and then me going ‘home’ for the long weekend, I feel like I haven’t seen Zoe in ages. I have been longing to have some one on one time with my daughter. The couple hours after work and before she goes to bed just isn’t enough.

Because Shelli works from home, she gets so much more time with Zoe and now that I’m at work, it’s been a little hard to digest. I guess I’m a bit jealous! There have been so many changes in the past 6 months and trying to grasp them all at one time has been a bit overwhelming. So, with that said, this weekend was all about mommy and Zoe!

We were non-stop ALL WEEKEND! First stop, Color Me Mine (http://www.colormemine.com/). I’ve wanted to take Zoe for a while. I used to love doing ceramics when I was younger and I knew Zoe would love it too. We were there about two hours. Zoe and I were covered in paint by the time we left. They had all kinds of paints, stamps, stickers, fabrics, sponges, and brushes. Just about anything you can think of or need. It was so much fun! She made herself a beautiful cereal bowl. We won’t be able to pick it up for a couple weeks but, we cannot wait to see the finished product! After that, we stopped at Panera for some hot chocolate.

Next, a stop at Trader Joes for a few snacks. We cannot pass Trader Joes without stopping. We just love that place.

From there, we headed to the hotel! Yes, we checked into a hotel. Just Zoe and I! Once we checked in and got settled, we turned down the air, ate our snacks, and crawled into bed for a nice nap. When we woke up, Zoe and I went to dinner and did some shopping at one of the largest malls in the area! We were spent by the time we got back. We were ready to relax and pamper ourselves a little. Facial mask, pedicure, and manicure time for Zoe before taking a bubble bath. Once we were all snug in the bed, we watched the movie Shark Tale until we both fell asleep.

This morning before heading home, we stopped at Ikea. I love that store and never get a chance to go so, we ran it to see what we could find. I don’t think I’ve ever left Ikea without something I didn’t need but had to have. As we were walking out, past the café, Zoe says, “Mommy, can I buy you a cinnamon roll?”, I said, “Wow, what a nice treat!”. Zoe with her ‘allowance’ and tooth fairy money went up to the cashier and bought us a cinnamon roll. How sweet is my baby?

The time I spend with Zoe is priceless. I miss her so much and struggle daily with not spending enough time with her. I just can’t seem to manage my time. There are just not enough hours in the day! I’m glad we got away for the weekend and enjoyed quality time together. We had a blast and I hope we can do it again, soon!!!