To the world, you are one person...but to one person, you are the world!

�Mama's Tears
2004-12-12 at 12:45 a.m.

Little Monster...errr... CAROLYN, just went to bed at 11pm. Two hours past her bedtime. She's been puling every trick out of the hat lately to stay up later, and tonight Mom & I went Christmas shopping and her clever ploys work SO much better on Daddy!

I bought the most BEAUTIFUL lullaby cd at "Dollar Tree." Incredible! I'd gladly have paid normal cd price for this one, it's that beautiful. I turned outall the lights and put it on the computer for her, with Windows Media Player playing one of those "ambience" color shows for her to watch. She loved it, and I peeked around the corner to see her little face aglow, softly singing, "Twinka Twinka Leetle Stah" as her eyes grew heavier. Finally, when I couldn't stand the cuteness anymore, I lifted her and cradled her like a tiny baby and rocked her as we danced to the lullabies. She stared up, looking into my eyes, for the longest time until I actually cried form the love I felt all around me. She reached up and traced a tear with her tiny finger, and said, "Mommy, I love you!"

No greater joy or love could ever be known on this earth than watching your beautiful daughter melt into your arms, her fuzzy little head moist from your own tear.

Watching them grow has been such a wonderful, crazy, hair-graying, beautiful experience! Yesterday, we finally got the Christmas tree up. I bought some unbreakable ornaments that you could never really tell aren't actually glass, so the kids decorated the tree (well, the bottom half of it,) and then spent the next day UN-decorating and re-decorating it. What a view, seeing their sweet faces lit up in the glow of the lights as they reached up to put the ornaments on!

Such a girl!

Today was Kelly's big day, also. Her very first dance recital! The Tiny Talents Christmas Show, and what a show it was! I really expected her to "freeze" and not even go up onthe stage, much less actually dance, since she had a little three-year-old MELTDOWN at the little rehearsal Wednesday night and refused to enter the classroom to participate. (Daddy had to fight her to remove her costume and drag her home, after spending 20 minutes inthe lounge trying to convince her to join the other dancers.)

Not only did she do it, she did it WELL! She danced her little heart out, and stayed onher little "mark" on the floor just as she was taught. SO beautiful- my little baby Kelly, all dressed up like a big girl and dancing on stage! I videotaped the entire event through crocodile tears as I watched my little girl shake her booty and tap dance through "Santa Claus is Comin' To Town" by the Jackson 5.

When I got home, I realized that due to being emotional and blinded by tears, I had the camcorder on "PAUSE" the entire time. I could kick myself! Luckily, I at least had the sense to take some pictures before the show started. Now I have to buy the video and watch the entire show (two hours!) and won't have the zoomed-in footage of the BEST dancer on the stage. Oh, well, the picture and memories are etched in my mind and heart forever!

One Day, two beautiful little girls. Thank you, Lord, for giving me this day that I shed tears of complete joy not once, but twice- each time for a little piece of heaven you've sent down to me.

(I'm revelling in this day just as it is ending, for tomorrow, they may reduce me to tears for an altogether different reason!)

Last Five

Nostalgic Mama - 2005-08-21
Fitting, I suppose- though a bit outdated? - 2005-07-24
Pathetic Wondering - 2005-05-30
Brain-Dead Carnie - 2005-05-22
The Bedbugs Bit Me - 2005-05-16

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