28 Things I Love About The Standard

So, June is all about the daddies in the world and the Schulze Sisters were sure to thank their daddy on Father's Day this year. 
This picture seriously melts my heart. Nothing sweeter than this dad attempting to do his daughter's hair. (HB may hate when he touches her hair and screams and cries like he is beating her, but that's besides the point)

Since Poppy was born, it has been a lot harder to get out of the house and plan a fabulous Father's Day celebration like I wanted to do, but for the record, I had great intentions.  
Instead, Harper Belle last minute gifted her dad with a stick on mustache. That we found in the arts and crafts drawer in the kitchen...
I know, awesome. 
We did have fun acting like idiots with the mustache for awhile, though. This is probably why Penelope looked like she hated life for the first 10 weeks of her life. I do crap like this to her. 

But I thought in this post, I could write the many things that I love and appreciate about my husband (who is nicknamed The Standard from a friend because he is a pretty ideal hubs who super takes care of me, the kids, and the house).
Since I didn't get the time to buy him a stupid card and write it in there, here goes nothing:

1. He looks good in gym shorts.
2. He takes us to Disney World and doesn't complain.
3. He lets us buy 12389012830912 $60.00 Disney costumes and doesn't complain
4. He took me to a Jessica Simpson concert when we were in High School. 
5. HE COOKS FOR US!  Lord knows I suck at cooking.  Every night this hunk has dinner for us.  A to the Men. 
6. Not only does he cook ladies, but he cleans the house, too.  
7. Let me make you all jealous, he does the laundry as well.  (I don't sit on my ass all the time, I promise, I do some stuff)
8. He will watch Real Housewives of Orange County with me. 
9. He admits that I am a better driver then him. 
10. He also admits that I am a pretty awesome college football fan. Go Noles!
11. He will rub my feet if I annoy him enough.
12. He ignores all the bags I come home with when I go shopping. 
13. He also ignores the fact that I go to Target probably 4 times a week. 
14. He is really cute. 
15. He likes to explore with me. And be lazy with me.  
16. He might not admit it, but I know he likes when I watch Sex and the City reruns on E!
17. He is funny. Not as funny as me. But he is pretty funny. 
18. He saw Moulin Rouge with me at the movie theater when we were 16 years old.  I am sorry you sat through that...and all the other garbage movies I made you see...like Beverly Hills Chihuahua.
19. He loves his two little girls more than anything in the world. 
20. His two little girls love him more than anything in the world. 
21. He makes me fall more in love with him every day. 
22. He has always put his family first. 
23. He never lets me forget I fell down the stairs at a theater show at Universal Studios in front of hundreds of people. 
24. He is so obnoxiously a boy. He always wants to wrestle and it hurts. He does stupid boy things. 
25. He might not understand it, but he has come to accept my ridiculous shoe collection. 
26. He also accepts my Rastafarian hair and the fact that it is constantly a mess. 
27. Let's face it, I love him because he loves me and I am a mess. 
28. He is just freaking awesome. 

I love you. Happy Father's Day/Month to a really good dad. 

Grub and Goose

My husband and I didn't decide on our youngest daughter's name until she was about 12 hours old.  We literally had about 7 names that we kept tossing around before we both agreed on Penelope. 

We also knew we wanted her to have the nickname, Poppy, after my grandfather who I called "Poppy".  I think of sweet Poppy Flowers, my husband thinks opium and Miami Papi's.  Male vs. Female brain thoughts I suppose. 

Then, when Penelope was about 10 days old, Harper Belle comes in the bedroom to see Penelope and says, "Her long name is Penela-goose".  WTF.  Where in the world does that come from?  Penela--goose.  Thus, the name "Goose" is literally what we call our sweet newborn the most.  Bless her heart. 
Harper Belle's baby nickname is Grub (from being tightly swaddled as a baby and looking like a grub) and now we have a Goose.  Which is a great nickname for Penelope since she has been a grumpy baby, just like a grumpy old goose.  Who honks and makes scowling faces all the time. Just the sweetest nicknames, right? Good thing children don't get a choice in these matters...

Here is HB as a baby representing her nickname.

The nicknames don't end there... 

Just last week, Harper Belle started calling her sister, "Pissy".  Ummmm, Pissy?  I think she is combining Penelope and Sissy to create Pissy.  Or also because this baby does indeed have a pissy 'ole attitude for the first months of her life and Harper Belle probably unknowingly recognizes that.  So, please picture my three year old yelling, "Come here Pissy!" down the aisles of Target.  Awesome.

We have a special household if you haven't already figured that out.  HB is quite the gypsy with very interesting thoughts and ideas.  I can only imagine how this Goose will turn out as well.  She sure is making her mark and her own personality in this house. Lord help us. 

Either way, this Grub and Goose may just be the cutest little duo I know. How can this not make you smile?  I am so excited to see their sisterhood blossom into an amazing relationship.  Full of laughter, friendly teasing, sharing of clothes and shoes, and driving their daddy crazy. Mission already started...

 HB 3 1/2 years old and P 9 weeks

Little Lady...?

Let me start by saying that I would like to call myself a lady.  I feel like I am a fairly classy gal.  I like to wear my pearls, enjoy my southern roots, have an obsession with shoes and dressing up.  Don't get me wrong, I will rock my stretchy  pants and hair in a birds nest on top of my head like no other, but overall, I feel like I am a fairly fancy broad.  

Now, with that being said, I swear like a sailor.  A damn sailor. I can ramble off some swear words like no other.  Usually in a funny, joking manner, other times during a moment I am fired up.  Either way, I curse. My husband is always telling me that I am constantly getting out of our car yelling something obscene and that the neighbors are going to think I am crazy (or highly inappropriate).   Whatever. I would like to call it; a strong personality. With a special ability for dry, sarcastic humor.   

Now, you will never hear me say that I am in any way, Mom of the Year. I remind myself daily that I am trying my best and that is all I can do.  But, if we are being totally honest, I wasn't surprised when my daughter spoke her first swear word.  No judgement. 

Harper Belle was totally heading out to the car, on our way to school, when she drops her bottle of water while trying to juggle her lunch box and book bag.  The water drops and straight out of my three year olds mouth, "Ohhhhhh shit".  

I just froze, slightly proud she used it in the right context (haters gonna hate), and slightly mortified. Mostly because I was concerned what the hell her teachers at preschool were going to think if she started dropping those words at school.

"What did you say?!" is all I could muster. And clear as day, she repeats it again.  And with a good excuse as she explains that she dropped her crap and just couldn't hold it all. (my words, not hers)

Did the "shit" phrases end there?  Of course not.  Any time the girl dropped something over the next few weeks, the same words came out of her mouth. A spilled icee at Target, "Shit".  Slamming on the brakes in the car, "Shit".  Dropping the water bottle in the Publix parking lot, "Oh Shit".   

Please just picture those ugly words coming out of this sweet girls mouth...(a request I should probably apply to myself as well...)

This is a kind reminder to myself to try to keep it classy and be well aware that three years old is apparently the age that children listen to absolutely everything you say... EVERYTHING. 

I am just grateful the F-Bomb hasn't been dropped yet. That time will come I am sure. In the meantime, I will try to watch what comes out of my mouth in front of our children. Try.   

This is also a reminder that, yes in fact, shit happens. I know it. Harper Belle knows it.  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, huh? 

Keeping it real.  One lady...or dirty 'ole sailor to the next....

Welcome Penelope!

Lots of excitement going on here in our chaotic household...key words being excitement and chaotic. 
One...there doesn't take much to excite me these past few months, like getting to sit down and blog for once.  (which I am having to stop right now because a sweet, little human is crying my name...)

And two...chaotic, thanks to life with two beautiful bambinos to take care of.  What. An. Adjustment.

With that being said, we welcomed our second little girl, Penelope Grey on Friday, April 4th at 1:45 pm. 8 lbs 3 oz and 20 inches long. 

Below is the shot of Harper Belle meeting her sister for the first time. Melt my heart.  That may just be the sweetest memory I'll ever have...
How do you beat that genuine excitement of a 3 year old meeting her little sister? Perfection.  

Penelope looks just like her sister did when she was born. It's crazy to me how much they look similar, yet how different two babies can be.

That's Harper Belle on the left and Penelope on the right. Same stinking baby, huh?  They may look the same in the newborn days, but that's where the similarities end...Insert colic diaries. Or should I just say baby hell?  Not even being dramatic. 

I will share more about our colic days/baby hell in an upcoming post.  I feel like I should relish in the gratitude of delivering a healthy baby girl on this post before I share the absolute shit show that was to follow after the first 2 weeks of baby bliss.  

With that, I do thank God every day for my healthy family and two gorgeous little girls. With every one moment of "what did we do" there are several more of "I am so blessed".  

Welcome to life sweet Penelope.  You are bound for amazing things my sweet Poppy flower.