Author Archives: Julie

Hi there and welcome to my slice of life! I live for family, friends, and fun, and look forward to sharing all of these things with you on my blog. Based in Seattle, my family consists of my husband, Mr. T., our spirited daughter, Ms. Grey, and our beleagured Corgi, Emma. Our friends are based in the San Francisco Bay Area, where we originally hail from and continue to visit quite often. I love to read, eat, travel, take photos, and just veg. Here's to sharing life in color and finding the fun together!

Daughter of Mine

July 29, 2013 4:58 am ,

(Previously written post)

Syd spoke her longest sentence today (Monday, June 10, 2013) – “I like to eat chocolate.” Oh, daughter of mine, there is no more appropriate sentiment to utter at 2:30 in the afternoon as you await your post-nap snack. However, as a mama who always attempts to feed my daughter healthily (note my very intentional verb choice here; we *have* been known to have toast for dinner), I opted to give Sydney a banana instead.

Chocolate isn’t in Syd’s current repertoire of foods, but we had some very tasty flourless chocolate cake at a get-together yesterday and we must have made such a (positive) fuss over it that she remembered she also enjoyed it. The funniest thing is that there was no chocolate in sight, nor did I mention anything about chocolate, when she made this declaration. It was another touching reminder of how spongey our kids’ brains are and how surprising the concepts they reflect are.

Posted in: Parenting , Tagged: ,

Oh, Terrific Twos!

June 11, 2013 5:04 am ,

My baby is now a full-fledged little girl! I’m still in denial of this fact, and suppressing emotions of sadness that the first two years of my eldest’s life have passed by in what seems like mere minutes. When did she become this imaginative, precocious, curious little sprite who now loves singing “cwinkle, cwinkle, litttle…how I wah wah…” and will let me know “grapes all done, mama” when she’s finished with her snack?

We celebrated this milestone with the few family members we have in the Pacific Northwest, and had a lovely, mellow time just hanging out and catching up. Sydney and my cousin’s daughter, who is about three months younger than Sydney, bonded over not sharing and popsicles. (Note to self: start every kids’ birthday celebration with the sweets; it’ll make everyone happier right off the bat.) We had dance party, and Syd rocked out in her special party dress and birthday crown. The best part, though, came when we gathered around the candlelit cake to sing “Happy Birthday.” Sydney was unabashedly delighted and perhaps even somewhat embarrassed by all of the focused attention, as if she couldn’t believe that all the fuss was for her. She adorably pulled a Sally Field at the Oscars, and covered her mouth with both hands to try to contain her million-watt grin and overflowing giggles. Ushering in her third year of life with unadulterated glee! I felt like the luckiest mama in those moments!

I feel so nostalgic and sentimental about these magical past two years, but they also have me eagerly looking forward to what the future holds for Sydney as she continues to grow into the beautiful, strong, kind person I already know she is.

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Oh Sunny Days!

May 16, 2013 5:54 am ,

Sydney Laughing With Lai Lai

Sunny day, sweeping the clouds away… The sun, glorious sun, has been gracing us with its presence in full force. Spring seems to have come early (it’s all relative, right?) in the Pacific Northwest this year, and after a week of a schizophrenic hail/sunshine dance, the Mr. Sunnies has decided to hang out for a while. It’s amazing how much better life is and how much higher spirits rise with brighter, longer days. I feel like a gentler parent, more generous wife, and kinder person overall.

One of the very best benefits of our beautiful spring days is the fact that Sydney and I get to play outside! We’ve taken spontaneous trips to the library, met up with friends at neighborhood parks, visited newborn piglets at a family farm, and spent more time than we ever have before in our backyard (whoohoo!). Now, it’s just a matter of time before we enjoy weeks of uninterrupted warmth and light, then…watch out for the kiddie pool!

Posted in: Everyday

I Couldn’t Have Said It Any Better

April 19, 2013 4:25 am ,

A mom in one of the Facebook groups I’m a member of recently linked to this honest and insightful article about one woman’s experiences as a stay-at-home mom. I could not have expressed my own experience any better or more eloquently. The author even articulates many feelings/thoughts about staying at home that I have subconsciously had but didn’t even realize. For example, I’m so relieved to know that I’m not alone in feeling like I have to paint a rosy picture to anyone who asks me “how’s it going?” And normal? There’s no such thing as “normal” or a “regular schedule” when you hang out with a toddler all day, everyday.

I especially appreciated that the author shared the lessons she’s learned, all of which I’ve also found to be uncannily true in my own foray into full-time stay-at-home mommyhood. I’m still working on fully accepting these lessons and applying them to myself (particularly the endlessly encouraging “Never Compare” wisdom), but every day with my daughter is better than the last, and that’s what anchors me through this adventure of parenthood.

 Julie holding 2mo Sydney

Julie holding 6mo Sydney

16mo Sydney hugging Julie

 

Posted in: Parenting, Thoughts , Tagged:

Tell Me A Story

April 19, 2013 4:08 am ,

About a month ago, soon after Sydney’s verbal skills and inclination to talk increased exponentially, we found ourselves with a storyteller in the family. *gush alert* Whenever I think my daughter can’t get any cuter, she goes and does something that’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. *gush alert over (kinda)*

I still remember the first time I heard Sydney telling a story – it was in our family room, she was playing with her Hello Kitty figurines, and talking to/about them to no one in particular. It was definitely one of those “I-can’t-believe-I’m-witnessing-this-amazing-behavior moments,” and I just sat on the couch watching her, in awe of her vast and limitless imagination.

Just today, I watched Sydney in the car rearview mirror chatting it up with her best bud stuffed lion (“Lai Lai”). She was holding her gently by the body, very obviously speaking to her, and pointing out the window. I can only imagine how much of the passing scenery she was describing to her friend.

I can’t even express how much I love this part of parenting – the my-child-is-literally-developing-in-front-of-my-eyes part. Consciously, I know that our child’s development is something that we will actually witness constantly in our parenting lives, but in reality, I will never get tired of watching Sydney’s imagination come to life in her stories.

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