At the end of the day

I lifted my baby into my lap last night. She was warm and sweet, smelling of the days little mysteries and many adventures. She settled in, snuggled into mismatched pyjamas, one freckled over with puppy dogs and one with ponies. Her teeth brushed and flossed, tired out from day-long playing, laughing, growing.
We spent full hours in the sunshine together, bicycling round our neighborhood, eating watermelon while we watered our container garden and hung laundry in the sun. She chased shadows around and giggled at a sneaky lizard stealing the warmest place in the sun for itself.
Her laugh tinkled through the apartment as she ran back and forth, inside, outside: free-reign over the tiny spot we call a yard, freedom to run across a square of grass without holding someones hand.
I never foresaw this as being my life and yet it fits so perfectly, just as she does onto my lap. Her legs now dangle far too long and her chin tucks only on my shoulder, too big to kiss and cuddle her plumsized cheeks at once, her hair clings to the back of her neck now, longer and curlier than I foresaw in any dream. She is beautiful and sweet, gentle with her friends and dogs. And each moment mothering her is perfect.
Winding down, she croons at first a letter-song: g, b,q,s. A,a,a, two-three-four-five-eyes-ears-teeth-Oreo. Dog.
And then she sleeps, blissfully and deeply settled into my arms in a way that only my daughter can. This is one of those sweet sweet moments I will miss when her figure stands a tall as her pappas and her voice loses it's honesuckle sweetness, but for now, I hold her; I am mother-comfort, and I am grateful for the job.


- mamma pie

Maggie's Soap Nuts winners!!!!

The two winners of the Maggie's Soap Nuts are:

Winner #13,

who was The Milk Maid. She said:
I blogged about this review/giveaway!
(Entry 3)
http://12hatsandasombrero.wordpress.com/2010/02/28/everything-we-need-god-has-provided-in-nature/

(a little funny thing- The Random Number Generator picked the Milk Maid as winner #2 as well. I didn't think that was fair so I ran it a third time)
and the second winner is number 29:

who was urban craft. Urban Craft said:

I didn't know that they were from Big Sur, but I used to live in Monterey and went to Big Sur often. I must add that I the people there are amazing. The most environmentally in tune spiritual holistic people you will ever meet. There are so many chemicals in everything we use. Soap nuts are another discovery that needs to be embraced for a healthy lifestyle, along with so many other natural products.

Winners, please email me your mailing information (patrick.marybeth/gmail) so I can pass it on to Maggie's Soap Nuts. Also indicate if you would prefer the soap nut liquid or the actual soap nuts please!

A big thank you to Maggie's Pure Land for sponsoring this review and giveaway and to all of you new and old readers alike for entering. I hope you enjoy your product as much as I did!

MammaPie