My GO TO Girl

So, I have a girl - a "go to" girl. A girl who can answer any, every, all crazy things I throw at her (or at least she's that good that I don't realize it if she can't).

We met 15 years ago in college (and yes I know it is hard to believe that I could be old enough to have a college friend for that long, I use great skincare) and I can't remember a time when I didn't think she was the coolest thing ever. Then, in college that is, she made good grades, was a role model at work and had plans. You know, she knew where she was going to be, who it would be with and how to get there.

She is a teeny bit older than me, so she went through all the milestones before me...marriage, first house, kiddos. I got to experience all that vicariously for a while (awwww, yes, I would love to hold Jackson, he's the cutest thing ever, uh, why does he cry so much and are they all like that?) and then I got my own (husband, house and kiddos).

She wasn't just a work role model or a smart chic anymore. She was a MOM. A mom before me. A wife before me. She had a double stroller and an SUV. And she's my mentor.

She's the one who can straight up tell me that my two year old is running my household and that it has to stop NOW (and put the book to help me in the mail the next day to get me started). She empathizes with my struggles with my younger daughter (who she swears is really a middle child without a younger sibling). She was proud of me for sharing my faith story with MOPS a couple of years ago (and I'm Catholic...there's no Catholic testimony girls). In fact, she encouraged me to join MOPS - a part of my life for the past five years that I cannot even imagine surviving motherhood without.

Here's the thing about having a mentor mom...you gotta admit you aren't perfect. You can't be afraid to ask advice, you can't be ashamed of your failures. I'm sure even my mentor mom has her moments (although I venture to guess they are spaced a little further apart than mine). And I am sure all the super moms out there have someone they call when they can't take it anymore.

This week's meeting will have our mentor mom panel. My mentor will be there (she's the one with the skinny butt and good hair...just kidding!...but she really does have good hair and she is thin) and I'm sure you'll have some lovely piece of wisdom to take home to your families (or you'll at least get a good laugh).

If you have a mentor mom...let her know how much she means to you. If you need one, don't be afraid to ask for help. Let's get sentimental here - what have you learned from your mentor mom?

Dani

More pictures.

Thank you Kathleen for your adorable picture of Mark.

All aboard!
Here's the sweet Shultz children...




Fancy Nancy. Thanks Kelly Hunter!

And who could forget Lily "Awesome" Delahoussaye and Jane the "Butterfly/Ballerina/Cowgirl/Fairy?


Aleah and Andrew are the cutest little mice ever! Thanks for sharing their smiling faces Allison!

Have you ever seen a cuter...bear?...and genie than Luke and MacKenzie Harrison?!


Rebecca Read! Your kids are adorable!





Thanks Erin Reed!


Here's a gang who can come to the rescue...it's the Lira girls!

Ritter kiddos

Phoenix as a "Recon Commando" (hiding in the bushes)






Jake was a skeleton:

Pictures.

For some reason, I couldn't get my pictures uploaded on the last post. So I thought I'd just put them in a new one. Besides, my kid is so adorable, she deserves her own post!

Just kidding.

Sort of.

Email us your pictures, and we'll put them up.

Thank you Lauren Merkel. Look at how adorable her kids are!


Here's Dani Herrera's girlies (Isa is Velma from Scooby Doo, I think you can figure out Francesca)

Happy Halloween!

The first year JR and I dated, we had plans to go to a show in downtown Austin for Halloween. I don't know if anyone has been to 6th street in Austin for Halloween, but it's nuts. So we wanted something that really stood out in the crowd.

It was JR's idea to go as Britney Spears and Madonna, and kiss the whole night (Remember when they did that at the VMAs?).

Not many of you have met my husband, but just imagine Addie with facial hair. He was Britney.

We were a huge hit. People kept asking us if they could take our picture. It was, by far, the most successful costume.

The past two years, Claire hasn't really "gotten" Trick-or-Treating. This year, she did. I might be a little biased, but she was an ADORABLE Tinkerbell!

The publicity team has decided to do a little contest. Send us pictures of your kids' adorable costumes. We'll put them up on the blog and pick one at random.

So let's see them!

[cori]