Surprise, She is Still Sweet!

I've been in a bit of a blogging lull this week. Truthfully, there's been nothing extremely eventful going on in the Nowhere household. The nice fall weather has faded away here in the Midwest this week and it's morphed into just plain cold speckled with frost. Cold weather makes us, me especially, a little lethargic. When I get up it's dark and now when I get home it's dark. Sorta puts a damper on my usual pep.

James has been working long hours and for the past couple days he's been out at my parent's house at night working on their car. My brilliant, but lost, youngest brother managed to back over something and drive the muffler up into the trunk. Talented right?? He finished the project of replacing it last night and I'm not sure who's more grateful... Him or my parents.

While he's been slaving away being a total sweetheart and helping out, I've been spending some quality bonding time with Lena. Mother daughter alone time is rare with a family of 5, so when the occasion arises I make the extra effort to really spend it focusing on her. Granted while most of it was centered around watching something on TV (again, we don't like cold and the couch blankie is our favorite), it was nice to be cuddled up with her and our spoiled rotten loved furries for several hours this week.

We also finally managed to get around to getting her costume. This went far better than expected. A few weeks back when we first started talking about potential ideas she had informed me she wanted to be "The Darkness." I love her to pieces, but sometimes she's just downright WEIRD!

Okay... So back to the pleasant costume surprise. As we browsed through the Halloween store, she loaded me up with plenty of creepy costumes: skeleton bride, dead cheerleader, bloody zombie.... AND...

I think I about fell over with joy when she chose not to be some terribly horrifying bloody dead creature! There really is a sweet child in there still... Somewhere.

I've been enjoying this sudden appearance this week of my sweet little girl. The one who doesn't want to be "The Darkness" and wants to cuddle up with her mommy. I'm pretty sure she's only here for a visit until she retreats back into her moody hormonal tween shell again, but I'll take what I can get when I can get it. Beggars can't be choosers right?

The Past Brings The Future Into The Light

From the moment Lena was born, she's been the center of my universe. Shows like 16 and Pregnant make me sick, because they make moms like me look like whiny, incapable, self-centered brats. I was 19 when I had her and there was never a single moment that I felt cheated by the "young life" I didn't get to live. Sure, it may not have been what I put in my "After Graduation" section of my senior yearbook and she may not have been planned, but from the second I knew I was pregnant, I knew that was what my life was going to be about. Raising that child to the best of my ability no matter what sacrifices that meant.

While I certainly haven't been the kind of Brady Bunch mom (Good Luck Charlie is more my style, less the extra kids) I give it my all. Sometimes I get it right and sometimes I think she's plotting to trade me in for a newer model or for permanent residence with Gramma... Probably Gramma, since she allows things like ice cream for breakfast. Damn that woman and her sweet vanilla breakfast bribes!

Okay, I'm getting off topic here... Part of trying to "raise her right" has included a fairly large amount of saturating her in all the things I grew up loving. My Little Ponies (the real ones), Rainbow Brite, The Dark Crystal, Billy Joel, Elton John, etc. It was the culture that my parents made sure I had and I am passing it on to her. Albeit, sometimes by force (like when I crank up New Kids on the Block in the morning). But mostly not. I'm proud to say my daughter knows which Piano God is which and can sing every single word to songs like American Pie at the top of her lungs.

James was out of town again last night for work and while I miss him, I do enjoy the opportunity to spend time with just her. We've been a duo for a long time and sometimes its tricky going from the two of us to the five of us. She was just not used to sharing her mom and I know that sometimes she wishes she still didn't have to. When these rare evenings come around I try to make the most of the time we have and shower her with attention.

Last night we snuggled up on the couch and watched Back to the Future. She's seen it a thousand times before. It is by far one of my all time favorite movies. But it was different last night. Last night, she finally got it! It was such an amazing feeling to lay there with her and hear her laugh. It gave me a case of the warm fuzzies that she is old enough at last to really connect and understand things like that now. I got to watch her fall in love with Marty and Doc Brown for the very first time. She really is growing up to be such an amazing young lady. I'm constantly in awe of this tiny person who really isn't so tiny anymore. My baby is starting to grow up and I'm excited for these upcoming adventures and the new things we'll get to share along the way.

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Back to the Future: 25th Anniversary Trilogy [Blu-ray]