Winner Winner Winner!

Yep, we hit the lottery. We hit it big. Really big. But no, we won't be seeing any money from it (unless you count the tax credit), and actually it's a fairly expensive win for us, considering the cost of proms, extracurricular activities, college tuitions and weddings.

It occurred to me the other day that we hit the GIRL lottery. For some people, this is not a big deal, but while attending a little boy's first birthday party last weekend, I met a number of moms that are, to put it politely, obsessed with having a baby girl. As we wandered through this party, we became something akin to celebrities, or maybe professional athletes...well, more like professional girl-makers. With so many family friends in attendance, everyone wanted to see how much our girls have grown and to meet Maddie, but it felt like we got a ton of attention because everyone wanted to have their own daughters and granddaughters. Imagine how my mother-in-law felt, boasting of 5 granddaughters at this party! She certainly won the girl lottery after having two sons. And I can't tell you how many people pretended to abscond one of our girls...Maddie took the brunt of it, being the least mobile and most likely to be held by friends and strangers alike. (And it may have been the first time I didn't get asked, "You gonna' keep trying for the boy?")

So all week I have been using my new perspective to appreciate the girlieness that has taken over our home, and to recognize just how lucky I am, three times over, to win the girl lottery.

In the Blink of an Eye

Whooooosh. It went by in a blink. Gone. Three months. The littlest of the little in baby time. Never again will I experience this phase of motherhood and wow, it's a powerful phase. Exhausting. Emotional. Overwhelming. And frighteningly amazing.

Happy 3 months to the littlest of my littles, Miss Madeline. How you have blessed our lives with your precious little sighs, sweet little gurgles and huge gummy grins. You are so busy already; holding your head up, chattering with your sisters and drooling up a storm. And growing like a weed, hearty and healthy in 6 month clothing and huge diapers...you are my first to tip the scales and I am enthralled simply watching you thrive.

You are intertwined in the fabric of our family and holding firmly onto each of our hearts. I truly couldn't tell you which member of our family is more in love with you, and maybe it's because you were the final piece of our puzzle, the last to fit, just-so, making us all feel complete and ever-so full. What a blessing you are, my love, and how fortunate I am to be your Mama!

(This is one of those mom-views I never want to forget. Especially when she's too big to hold in my lap.)

Who's Your Daddy?

This is Daddy Extraordinare:

This man works his tail off Monday thru Friday, then comes home and makes life pretty darn fantastic for us four Mowad girls. He is a kid-at-heart and knows a hundred ways to make a Saturday morning even more fun. Want some pancakes? His always have chocolate chips in them. Want to slay dragons? He'll make homemade swords for you and your friend. Want to fill up the little plastic swimming pool? He'll make that boring ol' plastic slide in the backyard into a water slide and put the pool at the bottom.

Going to the beach? He'll bring his old boogie board and spin you through the waves. Want a hole? He'll bring his metal shovel and build a moat around a huge sand island. Or he'll build you a Great Pyramid of Egypt and find you the biggest sand crab around to live in the grand edifice.

Got a toy with a hook on it? He'll create a zip line and send the toy careening across the family room. Brought home shells from the beach? He'll drill a hole through them and make them into a bracelet. Bored in the front yard? He'll aim stomp rockets at a target, or better yet, he'll attach the boogie board to his skateboard and pull you around.

Yep, hands down he's pretty much the coolest Dad around. Which makes me wonder when the girls are going to start asking for me to go back to work so that Daddy can stay home with them!

El Gato

Pobrecita!

If you think the second child gets picked on by the older kid, then the third truly has no chance...and in our house it evidently starts young. You sit around, chances are someone's going to make a game either with you, or out of you...and thankfully it seems Maddie has a good sense of humor.

Huh...and we wondered why Malia learned to bite and pinch at such a young age...

Doesn't Get Much Better Than This

As a two and four year old, you can't ask for a much better weekend than the one enjoyed by the little Miss Mowads this past weekend.

Let's start with a little birthday party at the beach, full of many favorite friends, fog turning to perfect sunshine and the usual highlight, cupcakes. The girls dashed and splashed in waves, ran from the nefarious "sea monster" and donned cool sunglasses straight out of fabulous goodie bags.

Thanks to R. Wicks and A. Harris for this pic of Malia

We returned home to the immediate arrival of our best friends, The Kaplans, who came down for an impromptu weekend stay. Olivia and B were off and running before we even said hello. Malia and Baby C enjoyed "holting" Maddie, while the big kids battled with swords built by the "awesome" Uncle Paul. (Yes, this is what happens when the Moms decide to enjoy a little excursion downtown...teaches us for going off for some girl time right?)

Nestled down with cozy blankets and pillows, the kids enjoyed an after dinner movie and popcorn before settling down for the night.


The next morning, kids arose to chocolate chip pancakes and cinnamon rolls (there's that crazy Uncle Paul again), then off we trekked to the park for a reunion with old friends we haven't seen in forever and their fantastic kids. Good times ensued with a dog named Tiki, a kids vs. parents soccer game won by the kids and lollipops and gum supplied by a favorite Auntie named Jen.


And of course, Olivia is already asking when B is coming back to visit and if we'll be seeing any of our friends this weekend. Huh, amazing that by age 4, they already know that the weekends are made for fun...