Mother's Day Weekend

 Ryan took Hadassah to the zoo on Saturday morning. She was thrilled to go on a Daddy-daughter date! We had thought of doing it as a family, but right now Ellie usually takes her best nap in the morning, and being on the go for that two days in a row is hard. So I got a restful morning. I planned to scrapbook a lot (as Ellie did sleep) but really only got one page done... There just so much one could do with chores never done! ;) But it was nice to have quiet to take a long shower (always a treat!), make granola, do dishes, catch up on some computer chores, and do the fruit stand trek with just one baby in the stroller (and one who can't walk yet!). And as the picture attests, Hadassah had a wonderful time at the zoo, especially feeding the goats!

 Ryan sent me a few voice messages from them while they were gone, so it was fun to hear Hadassah's comments. And she even took the above picture for me. So much fun having a big girl able to communicate and do so much!

We went out for supper Saturday evening. It was raining, so Ajisen Noddles (Japenese place) always sounds good on a rainy day... Ryan loves their noodle soups, I like their fried rice, and Hadassah is crazy for their mushroom chicken broth soup!

Our gas stove stopped working Friday, so it was extra reason to go out. ;) I've gotten creative, cooking hard boiled eggs in the crock pot and so on, but you never realize how much you use the stove until you're without it! Turns out it was the battery. Did you know gas stove strikers ran on battery? The land lord showed us that on Sunday afternoon and I ordered a new one online which came today, but turns out I ordered the wrong SIZE on 1.5 V batteries... Always learning!

 Mother's Day morning started early. 5:22 AM is when we first heard noise from Hadassah's room - even earlier than usual! It seems that every summer she wakes up with the sun and the sun rises really early here, especially since they have no daylight saving's time change. We've done our best with room darkening shades, but a little always comes in and it seems like she knows... But we've taught her to stay in her room until the clock says 7 (it's actually set later - it's really 6:30!) and that usually works. Just laying in bed until later seems to help her mood and helps us have some time too. So I got up and had devotions and time to list so many things I'm thankful for as a mother. From little arms that hug my neck to tiny fingers to hold and kiss to cut round bellies to tickle and the most genuine giggles... I am so blessed.

This little one made a noise at 6 but went back to sleep until I woke her at 7:20. Nursed, and then it was in a taxi for us all!

With the craziness of church days and the 45 minute minimum one-way commute, going out for lunch is more stressful than it's worth (with girls needing naps) and then everyone usually just feels like being home for supper. Plus, all the special restaurants are downtown. So, we had the idea to go out for breakfast!

We went to Element Fresh, I think the only one I've seen here that has a kids menu and coloring sheets and crayons provided! Especially nice because their food takes a while to come (but it's worth waiting for!)

The girls that make me a Mommy... I still am amazed sometimes to think I have 2 daughters!! I'm living my dream...

 They gave a sheet for Ellie too so we let her have her first experience with a crayon. She was way more fascinated by just studying it instead of when I tried to have her color. ;)

Hadassah eats enough now that we let her get her own kids portion. It came with juice (freshly squeezed!) and she chose orange and thoroughly enjoyed it!

 We got an avocado coconut smoothie... so much yum.

First thing that happened when Hadassah got her cute mini pancakes? She ate all of the whipped cream first, of course!

 It's funny to realize we have to drive 45 minutes to get to a place that serves french toast... :D We also ordered a breakfast sandwich (we thought) but after waiting a while and asking for the bill, we realized they never recorded it. Thankfully another great restaurant was in the same mall and had a quick, delicious breakfast sandwich to go. After marrying Ryan, who has to has eggs every morning, I now get a light head if I don't get my morning protein too!

 It was a fun breakfast, but babies get tired. Especially babies whoa re teething! Ellie popped her 5th tooth through on her 6 month birthday, and her 6th one worked hard to poke through on Mother's Day. She happily naps in the Ergo when out thankfully (though it's usually a short nap). We had a good church service, and a good member's meeting followed, though we were thankful we'd packed pb&j as it ran longer. Finally, we got home at 1:45 PM.

Ellie thankfully went down easily for a nap (doesn't always happen on Sundays!) though again it was a shorter one, with over tiredness and teething. But during those 45 minutes of down time, Ryan surprised me with a foot massage with lotion while I scrapbooked in the recliner. Doesn't get much better! He also gave me a super encouraging letter that morning, which is always the best. Makes this "words" person feel so loved!

Thankfully I had supper prepped ahead so it wasn't too hard to make while Ryan took the big girl outside, and we dug into our treasured stash of buttery popcorn (mostly all you can find around here is the sweet kind) for an evening snack. Ellie was in bed early, so Hadassah and Ryan helped me with dishes. Usually those are waiting for me after the girls are in bed, so it was a treat to get them done first. Small things add up to big blessings. Sundays are usually tiring and a bit stressful, and yet Ryan made this one relaxing in many ways and full of little surprises. I am so thankful to be married to him, and to be the mommy to two sweet girls. My heart is full.