Random

When I was in college, I did a sociological research project on the comparison between the quantity and quality of time that parents (particulary those working outside the home) spend with their children. And while I pride myself on vieweing quality vs. quantity in terms of importance, the young woman in charge of this blog has taken my breath away the last few weeks. If you have not checked out this blog, I found it through a website called 5 Minutes for Mom. The mother of two who runs this blog lost her 5-year-old little girl in July in a tragic drowning accident.

I find myself going to her website daily, to check up on her and her little Lily. What amazes me most is how she continues to press on, despite each stumbling block thrown in her direction. She has opened her heart to us in her blog, letting us see the heartbreaking sadness as she has to adjust to life without her Little Monkey.

Now while quality of time has always been important to me, I catch myself looking at Gracie with a new set of eyes. Like every single little thing needs to be etched into my brain, every single instance of her life recorded.

It is through this wonderful woman that I have come to understand how fleeting life is and how unexpectedly those that we love can be taken from us.

Now, on to some fun stuff...

Gracie has learned some new things since my last post:

1. She can sing a total of three songs if you ask her to: Jesus Loves Me, The Barney Theme Song (I love you), and her ABCs...although when she gets to "L-M-N-O-P" she usually skips straight from K to Q.

2. She has not started officially potty-training yet, but she is using her potty before her baths and often throughout the day.

3. We are still battling the pacifier issue, but it has come down to only at nap and bedtime...we want to phase it out totally before her second birthday.

4. We're getting tired of Barney. Very tired.