The Secret

Every night, when we put the girls to bed, I ask them if they want to hear a secret. Without fail, of course, they say, "Yes!" So, I lean down and whisper in their ear, "Did you know you're my favoritest Madde/Cadie in the whole world?" They always smile. Yesterday, after I had been gone most of the day for photo shoots, Maddie came up to me and said, "Mommy, do you wanna know a secret?" I replied, "Of course!" Then, she leaned in and whispered in my ear, "You're the greatest Mommy in the whole world." I looked at her sweet face, said "thank you", and tried my darnedest not to cry.

Whole Again

Today marks the beginning of the first week Jeff will be home EVERY night in six months. Last Spring, he and his business partner started a massive job on a house at Lake Tenkiller. I can't complain because this job has been a HUGE blessing to our family, but I've been ready for it to be over for a couple of months now. Since the start of this job, I've essentially been a single mom during the week, though I've had loads of help from family and friends. It's not even the added responsibility, though, that's had me ready for this job to end. It's simple: I miss my husband. And even more, the girls miss their daddy. The first couple of months they noticed, of course, that he was gone, but didn't really seem to understand the timing of his absence. As they've gotten older, though, and gained a better grasp of time, they've become very aware of him being away. My heart has broken every time Maddie has asked or cried for her daddy because she needs to give him a hug. Every time I've had to rock and cuddle a sobbing Cadie because she misses him so much, my heart has ached. I've missed him, too, probably more than I've realized. Although I've adjusted to taking care of the girls on my own, I've just recently understood how much Jeff's being gone has affected my overall attitude. The past six months I've operated at a level which has left me always feeling just a little sad. On the weekends, I've gotten to see a glimpse of my old self, bubbly, silly, and overall happy. Throughout our twelve year relationship, I guess I never fully understood how much being with Jeff makes me, me.

Last week, I started explaining to the girls that their daddy would once again be home every night very soon. They looked at me, wide-eyed and Maddie said, "You mean we'll get to see him every night?" It broke my heart and made me smile at the same time. Now that Jeff's home, I know we're finally whole again.

Star Student

This past week at school, Cadie was the "Star Student" for her class. When I picked them up earlier this week, she proudly showed me her certificate stating her "start status". Maddie looked up at me, tears in her eyes and sadness in her voice, and asked where her certificate was. I sighed, knowing this would be something we'd be facing quite frequently in the future. I explained to her that Cadie had won the award this month, but if she continued to be a good girl and a good student in class, she would be sure to win the award sometime in the future. After a couple more whines and a few tears, she accepted my explanation and moved on to wanting to know where her customary cup of root beer and chocolate chip cookie were.

Thank goodness for short attention spans!

Sleep, Interrupted

I always thought the age of three would be a safe bet for no longer being woken up in the middle of the night. That was something we dealt with when we had newborns, then when the girls were adjusting to their room and sleeping in big girl beds. Age three is supposed to be a safe distance from interrupted sleep, except for the occasional nightmare or thunderstorm. Apparently, Cadie didn't get the memo.

Because Jeff's been working out of town for the past six months, I'm on my own during the week. This means, nearly every night when Cadie wakes up two or three times, it's up to me to get her back to sleep. I don't know if I would be less annoyed by it if she was waking up because of a bad dream or because she was scared; probably so. Lately, though, she's been waking up for no apparent reason. When she calls for me, she isn't frightened, upset, in a panic. She's just sitting in her bed, sometimes needing me to retrieve her doll or Bebe. It usually doesn't take much to get her back to sleep, either, but I'm up enough times to feel the effects the next day. There's something so un-restful about sleep interrupted. If she weren't so darn cute...

Oh, please, let this be a short phase!

What Time Is It?

At this age, I never really know what is going to come out of the girls' mouths, let alone where they got the idea to say it. Lately, Cadie has been obsessed with knowing what time it is. Usually, I try to answer her, but after I've been asked every two minutes for an hour, I sometimes lose my patience. Who knows why she's constantly asking? Or if the answers of "5:45, half past three, or almost 9" really mean anything to her. I know she understands when my answer is "bedtime", though!

The Silent Treatment

Every night, after I've tucked the girls into bed, Maddie whines for me to hold her hand for a while. It never fails. I try to explain to her that she's a big girl and that she doesn't need me to hold her hand (though in my head I'm thinking, "You should just hold her hand for a while! It won't be long before she doesn't want to hold your hand anymore!"). I probably would, too, if I didn't know Maddie. If I thought it would help her go to sleep faster, I'd do it in a heartbeat, but with Maddie, it would just prolong her actually falling asleep. She loves a good distraction.

A couple of nights ago, as I tucked her into bed, she responded with the usual, "Mommy, hold my hand for a while!" I leaned over and whispered to her, "Maddie, you have Bebe and Dolly, why don't you hold their hands?" She looked at me, the tone of her voice the equivalent of rolling her eyes, and said, "Ugh. But, Mom, they don't talk!" I chuckled under my breath and proceeded to explain to her that was exactly what she needed, quiet toys to love on so she can go to sleep. She sighed and looking disappointedly at her dolls said, "But I want to talk."

At least she's honest.

Family & Friends Gala

Every year the March of Dimes here in Tulsa hosts two signature events. The first event being March for Babies in April, the second, Gourmet Gala in October. This past Saturday was this year's Gourmet Gala, the 20th Anniversary, no less. Unfortunately, we weren't able to attend. But, instead of wallowing in self pity, we decided to turn our family dinner celebrating the visit of family member from out of town into our very own Gourmet Gala, Patton style!

So, Saturday morning, my sister-in-law, Kimberly, my mother-in-law, Janet, and I began cooking. And, oh did we cook! We wanted to observe the general set-up of the Gala, which includes a myriad of restaurants that come to serve one of their signature dishes. That evening you don't have a meal, per se, but a taste of what can be expected at the various restaurants that attend. So, we went for variety. Here's the menu:

• Potato Skins
• Chicken & Artichoke Dip
• Spinach Dip in Pumpernickel bread
• Chicken Wings
• Mock Champagne Punch
• Homemade Rolls
• Three Bean Salad
• Jell-O Pretzel Salad
• Brisket
• Turkey Sliders
• Chicken Stuffed Shells
• Corn Chowder
• Cinnamon Glazed Carrots
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Luscious Four Layer Pumpkin Cake
• German Chocolate Cake
• Oreo Cookie Dessert
• Banana Cream Supreme

Needless to say, no one wanted for food. After a long day's work, we were proud of the spread we laid out. That evening, we enjoyed the fellowship of family and those friends closest to us that we call them family as well, celebrating the friendships we have and the success we've found as a family team for the March of Dimes. And, most importantly, we recognized, as the girls ran around with their friend, Grace, playing and laughing, how lucky we are that the girls are here today.

Keke & Lolo

Mollie & Scuba

Mike & Linda

Julius & Kimberly

Jack & Mike

Grace

The Cooks: Kimberly, Janet, & Me

Jeff's partner, Drew, and his wife, Mindi

The men, gathered round the food

Maddie & Nana

Julie & Grace

Frank, Julie, & Grace