Girls' Weekend

Last Thursday, Duane headed out to his first motorcycle race of the season. So while he was gone, Rachel and I got to have a Girls' Weekend! It is kind of nice that Duane has these races over the summer, because it gives me a chance to have some real alone time with my daughter. Growing up, I never thought I wanted a daughter because I was a bit of a tomboy (imagine that!) and I wasn't sure I would do well with a girl. But I must say, having spent the last 21 months with this little girl has taught me how wrong I was! I love how sweet and cuddly she can be, and I already love taking her shopping for clothes and teaching her little girly things to do that I don't even do myself! I love that she has a baby doll, that she likes to have her nails trimmed, and that she enjoys picking out her own clothes (which I love buying for her because they are darling!). I can't wait to continue our girls' weekends as she gets older.

The only downside to the weekend was that I caught Duane's and Rachel's cold. But I was determined to have fun anyway. The whole weekend started off great because of the NCAA Tournament! I love this time of year. The first weekend of the Tourney is so exciting because there are so many games as once! I run a bracket through work, and it is so much fun to see everyone's picks and watch as upsets happen.

On Friday, I took the afternoon off and went to see Avatar in 3D with my friend Lawrene. She wanted to see it badly, but everyone she knew had already seen it. So I told her I would be glad to go with her, even though I had little desire to see it. I must say, it was a spectacular movie. The special effects and cinematography were exceptional. It was a bit too intense for a Friday afternoon, but I have few complaints about it.

Saturday, I was still sidelined by the cold, and it kept me home from celebrating my nieces' and nephew's birthdays because I didn't want to continue spreading the virus to others. So Rachel and I caught some March Madness and cleaned the house. Later, I took her shopping for some more spring clothes. She needs some more jeans and bigger pajamas. I bought her several T-shirts and a couple new toys as a special treat.

Then Sunday, we wrapped up our weekend by going to the playground near our house and getting some fresh air. Rachel has gotten so big that she walked halfway there by herself. She seemed overwhelmed by the playground as she tried to pick which activity to do first. Her favorite was definitely the slide. Then we went home and Aunt Julie came by for a visit, and then we watched some TV together. Duane got home late that night/early the next morning and Rachel and I were excited to see him. Maybe next month we will go with him.

Cake lady

Not a lot to report here. Work is about the same. Rachel is still crazy. She picks up a new word every day, it seems. Duane heads to his first motorcycle race of the season this Thursday, so we are excited for him, and I am excited for some Mommy-Daughter time too. I think I will take Rachel shopping for some more spring clothes. She is in between 18 months and 24 months right now though. She is tall, but her waist is still too tiny for 24 months! Though I prefer cooler weather, it has been nice to have some warmer days, because I think she likes to go outside and play. I need to make a habit of getting outside with her more than I do.

I made a bunch of cake last week for various occasions. The first was a practice smash cake for my friend's son Eli's first birthday party. She wanted a cake with small pendants on it, but she wanted them to be flat, not fluffy, so I wanted to show her how it would look with buttercream icing, rather than fondant (which isn't great for a smash cake). Then I made the smash cake itself and decorated a bigger cake that she purchased from a store to match. He looked like he really enjoyed the cake from the photos of the party. He dug right into it!

Then on Sunday, we celebrated with Kim's son Aiden for his 2nd birthday. Wow. TWO YEARS! I can't believe how time just flies. Aiden is quite the conversator too. Very articulate.

For Aiden's cake, I used the same shamrock pan I used for his 1st birthday party last year. Kim just wanted a slightly different twist on the theme this year, so I made a leprechaun with special icing that hardens into a candy and placed it on top of a more colorful shamrock.

I think it turned out well, though I wish I had been able to do a slightly better job on the smash cake for Eli. I just couldn't quite get the flags to be flat enough. :(

The next cake is in a week or so for Noah's 6th birthday party. My little dude is SIX! Wow. He wants a Darth Vadar cake. That is A LOT of black icing. We shall see how is goes. :) We also have another big event next Friday. We get to meet my brother's girlfriend. Yes, my brother the bachelor has a girlfriend. Hopefully his crazy family doesn't scare her away.

Perspective

So, I was having a really bad day yesterday. Things weren't going well at work, I have a busy week ahead, and I was just frustrated with how my life was going.

Then I heard that Layla Grace had passed away.

Nothing like a terribly sad story to put things in perspective.

I have been following the story of Layla Grace for a while now. She was about 7 months older than Rachel, and she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma when she was 16 months old. Before she was diagnosed, she was a beautiful and bubbly little girl with 2 older sisters and loving parents. Over the past several months, she went through a littany of procedures and diagnoses. He battle was well-documented because her parents shared her struggles with the world through their blog and Twitter. Soon, it became clear that Layla would not survive her battle, and her parents took her home to spend her last few weeks. According to the updates, she slowly faded away, finally going to "dance with the angels" yesterday morning.

I don't know why Layla's story affected me so dramatically. Even as I type this, I am tearing up. Maybe it's because Rachel is almost the same age. Maybe it is because I can't imagine ever having to watch my child suffer and pass away as I hold her in my arms.

But as I went home yesterday and held my daughter tight, one thing did become clear to me: all the things that made my day horrible meant nothing next to the fact that I have a beautiful and healthy little girl who means the world to me.

A friend of mine told me yesterday that I shouldn't worry so much about work, because my job is not what defines me. After hearing about Layla's death, that advice took a new meaning to me. I am not defined by this job -- I am defined by what kind of mother I am to my little girl. I am convinced that God put me on this earth to be her mommy and to teach her to be a good person. And I really believe that Layla Grace was put on this earth to be a message to the thousands of people who have followed her story: Live each day being thankful for those you love. Cherish the gifts you have been given. Life is precious.

Rest in peace Layla Grace. I didn't know you, but you have had such a huge impact on so many people. I hope you and your family can now be at peace.