sis

it's marley's birthday.
of course she is wonderful and smart and funny and beautiful.
but she is also a carbon copy of her mom.
(that wasn't a plug for me:)
and it's really hard some days.
living with a pint sized me.
but i also feel such a HUGE responsibility to not ruin her.
to be extra sensitive to her insanity.
because guess what?
i know exactly what she is feeling.
and it is for no reason sometimes, and completely irrational, and so annoying,
but it's real.
and i fail daily.
but at least i remember i need to try harder after every fail.
and it is something priceless to have a little girl around.


happy birthday sis.
you are so incredibly loved.

baby marley

1 year old marley

2 year old marley

3 year old marley

4 year old marley

p.s 

we just had a fight about your socks and hair.  again.

this was us at the Long Beach Harbor in april for lincoln's and darrell's birthday dinner.

the only other pictures i have taken recently are of the house.
one room at a time.
we have a for sale sign in our yard.
and i'm trying to get pictures to the realtor.
and someone is coming to look at it tomorrow.
i have stressed and stressed over how to keep the house clean enough for someone to come in and want to live here.
and the answer is...
it's not ever going to be clean.
ever.
ever.
and i try and try.  
but as soon as i wipe one window and sweep up one pile of sand, 
there are more handprints and another pile of sand behind me.
you know how it is.
so the only thing i can do is pray that whoever comes to look at the house won't trip over toys or look at the dingy grout or notice the pee smell in the bathroom.
what can you do...


anyone want a 2 bed 1 bath in beautiful san pedro????
the house comes with the WORLDS BEST neighbors.
(i was exaggerating the pee smell)


i can't think about it or i will cry.

links

kids are down and i'm so ready to crawl into bed and tune out to watch some battlestar galactica.
thats right, 
nate and i are almost through the series.
thanks netflix for giving us something to do at night.
p.s, we LOVE it.
nerds.
back to the point, 
i couldn't shut down without documenting today.
april 29th.
lincoln turned 2.
all 38 lbs of him.
he is kind of the best in every way.
(not ranking my children, just "the best" generally speaking.  i don't have favorites, but nate disagrees.)

 3 months

1 year

2 years

he can be so very naughty, 

but we don't stay mad for long.

it's the blond mess and big brown eyes that do it.

happy birthday kiddo.

ignore my mom

yesterday morning we were picking up a friend for school and I sent beckham in to get him.

i was yelling at marley.

as is the usual morning routine around here.

beckham and shane climbed in the car and beckham says

"just ignore my mom, she is yelling at my sister."

my kid is funny.

and honest.

thanks 5 year old beckham.
here's to a lifetime of ignoring your mom.

toothless

beckham's teeth keep falling out.
first one on wednesday the 11th, teacher Lydia pulled it out at school.
then the one next to it a week later while eating a pear.

now the pretty grey one up top needs to go.