pre-Halloween craze

Upon reflection of the utter madness that has already been going on this day, even before the ingestion of mass quantities of candy... I had an idea. It seems quite logical and should probably be required.

When the homeowner opens the door to the smiling trick or treaters, and holds out a basket of candy, he or she should have in the other hand a tray of shots for the parents to select from.

Treat for the kids. Treat for the parents. All's fair, my pretties.

Because, really. As cute as the itty bitties all look in their dearly loved get-ups - I do not love the raging sugar madness that follows. So a little drinky along the way would do wonders for the fun-factor of parents.

Until this catches on, my aunt & uncle have the right idea. They trick or treat with their 4 kids, and tote a wagon behind. The wagon is for their cooler to ride in as they tool around Smallwood.

Cheers, and have a freaky fright night!

My Mom did tell you she likes awesome

Hi, My name is trouble. Because of me, many projects of organizing and locking away and hiding and hanging have been started recently.

Yesterday, our counter looked like this. Because people kept putting all the good stuff up there, where I couldn't reach it. This worked, but was a big mess. I should show you where a lot of that stuff *used* to be. There's a picture of me up top of a big white climby-thingy-platform that I like to get on every chance I get. Whenever it's cluttered up with stuff, I throw it off. It looks better on the floor, and gives me more space to slide around and jump. If I find markers or drinks, my life is good. My siblings like to draw, so markers and paper are a good bet for that table.

But then, Mom had an idea. All the colorful drawings should go in the playroom! And they should hang on a wire that seemed made for the job! Because it certainly wasn't made for the job of hanging sheers. They were horribly droopy on that wire. So with a lot of help from me, and a lot of tools and a few shouts of "Phoenix! Drop that hammer NOW!"... she got it all up on the wall.

Halloween can't come soon enough for the kids. It's all they talk about, and I'm ready to say all right! Enough with the scary masks and pumpkin faces! I am not a fan of masks, as you might have heard. I tell them "I seared! I seared!" But they laugh at my fear, and just keep right on drawing scary pumpkin faces.

This worked out great and really made my Mom smile. She said to keep in mind that she likes awesome. And this is one awesome artwork wire.

A Spark

The spark was lit when I read the poem The Lake Isle of Innisfree. It was love at first read. The rest came slowly, lit by small ideas, and a chain reaction that is the hallmark of creativity.
First the spark - that light of interest that is inside and whispers there's something there... something good can come of this...
Then the decision to move with the spark, that in turn sets off the reaction. Very scientific, right?

Decision and Reaction then Research.

Oh-la-la... The research part being - what colors and papers and accessories do I have that perfectly suit this mood and spark?

The poem reads:

The Lake Isle of Innisfree

I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet’s wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.

-William Butler Yeats, 1865-1939

I read and re-read and mumble to myself... for peace comes dropping slow...
savoring the words, and the deal is sealed. This is it. This is what I will frame for my area, for my wall beside the chaise lounge in my room. I have a dream that this is my serenity zone, my spot to escape and have a moment - and now it should just be called Innisfree.

And shouldn't we all have an Innisfree? The place we move to in our minds, when we need that moment? The Innisfree in all of our lives is there for the creating. Mark the spot, make it so and let it welcome you.

I had the words and the place, and my mind went straight to these Basic Grey papers I had picked up a few months ago. I had tucked them away as beautiful treats, and vowed I would use them for something special.

Innisfree.

A crafty son

Cole got off the bus celebrating yesterday! The school had a fall poster contest, and he won 2nd place for the 2nd & 3rd grade division! Here is the prize-winning entry, for which he received a bag of candy and some bookmarks. :) It's a mixed-media fall festival portrayal: (no, he didn't take that vase in, it's only holding down the edge. Decoratively. And the poster is rain-spattered, creating an unintentional drippy look!)

This week was also Say No to Drugs week at school, whereby our offspring are taught all manner of facts about drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Cole had a few things to say about that, too, and a cartoon to illustrate.

Please notice the cartoon pictorial:

Square 1: fellow has drinks. Square 2: fellow is apparently intoxicated & hospitalized, seeing as how he has "x" eyes (where did he get that from?!) He is being checked out by a nurse. Square 3: The fellow in a hospital bed. Square 4: RIP, and a grieving son placing flowers on the grave.

Do I even need to say anything else?

Tune in next week for a cartoon of a trick or treating bully and the consequences...

Sideblog: Yahweh or No Way

Oh well, since I'm in it now with the religious commentary, please enjoy this Colbert Report clip entitled "Yahweh or No Way." An a propos follow-up to the second coming remarks!

And if you don't have 4 minutes to watch the whole clip, fast forward it to minute 2:30 and go from there. My word, that man cracks me up. He is awesomeness itself.

I should either stop with the commentary, or put in for a helmet like that. :)

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Yahweh or No Way - Legislation Prayers & Fake Shroud of Turin
http://www.colbertnation.com/
target="'_blank'" style="'font:10px">

PK - chasing a rabbit trail

The preacher's Kid in me rears its head now and then. Shades of a youth spent listening to spiritual discourse, conjecture and debate. Dormant memories of dinnertime talk with visiting pastors, preachers and prophets. Hours spent at the feet of some of the country's most enlightened spiritual teachers. What I didn't understand at the time still filtered in to stew and ferment and bloom into later awareness.

The spirit is timeless. Perfect recall wells up and I hear a voice leap in me, an excited answer to a question posed.

This morning the PK in me wakened upon hearing a popular religious morning show host. He must be nearly an octogenarian by now, old Pat. I was flipping channels, looking for some weather, when I caught a viewer question that had been sent to Pat.

The viewer dove right into the depths of Christian dogma, and asked about the scripture that the dead in Christ shall rise first, upon the second coming. (Are you still with me?) It was the viewer's belief that if one was already dead, and had gone to be with the Lord, what then of this "dead rising" bit?

My first chuckle came with the mental image of zombies rising from the grave, and the realization of where that particular sci-fi freak show probably stemmed. I kept listening, to see if Pat had any thoughts I agreed with. He tied himself into an unintentional knot, did Pat. His early reply was that indeed one's spirit would go to God immediately. But that upon the second coming, God would resurrect and recreate bodies. Hmm. Okay.

But the kicker was throw in by his co-host, who asked if the bodies would be thin, perfect, young, old - or what? Careful Pat, careful here! No, Pat no! Don't answer!

But he did.

And (surprisingly), by saying that the condition of the body would be of no concern, because it would be a spiritual resurrection. Of a spiritual body. Well now, Pat. If you've just said there would be a resurrection from the actual grave, you can hardly then say it would be only a spiritual resurrection - as a spirit would have no use for a body, right? Pick one, fellow, you can't have it both ways.

And by pick one, I mean yay - zombies!

Umm, yeah, those years spent in listening to all manner of discourse? Pretty much resulted in the opinion that very little of dogma is sacred. Certainly not some man's interpretation of a scripture. Only that voice that leaps inside when a truth is heard, and resonates. The sacred spirit within.

That's really all it takes.

This one's for my fellow on his birthday. My favorite conversationalist on all things timeless and meaningful. Many more happy returns Rickey, many more!

Pickpocket

Yes, yes, this has become The Phoenix show lately. I am well aware that He Is The Star right now. My sidekick cracks me up though, and last night was a hoot.

He has learned to climb, and climb he does, onto anything and everything. Why, oh why, and how, oh how, did I manage to bear FOUR climbers?? Most families seem to get one certified monkey, but not us.

So anyway, Phoenix's favorite new spot is the bench and the table. So, when he saw Cole & Isabella sitting there coloring, he climbed right up beside them. And proceeded to pick Cole's pocket and go through his wallet. I glanced over when I heard the velcro, and then started snickering. Cole hadn't felt or noticed a thing, and kept right on coloring.

This is the kind of scalliwag we have been granted. Did you think Jadyn took the cake? Phoenix gives her a run for the money. Up for grabs? Title of Family Scamp. Those of you who knew Jadyn at this age will quake to learn that Phoenix is also a Phantom. He can disappear from view at a park in 5 seconds. Gone. And apparently lift a wallet without getting caught.

I feel the grays popping up all over my head, again.

A little dance for your enjoyment

Happy weekend, All!

Please enjoy some dancing.

Phoenix Does The Boogie from Bethany Lear on Vimeo.

An answer to Ninja

Ninja.

I have wondered for weeks where or what Ninja could be. An amusement park? A city? Yet there was no further information about this mysterious place - only the declaration that the girls classmate had gone there.

It started like this:

Mommy, Saki wasn't at school this week. She went to Ninja.

Then,

Mommy, Saki isn't in our class anymore. She went to Ninja.

I wondered. I put all my considerable preschool-speech-translation skills to use. Ninja... ninja... ninja... what in the world is Ninja?!

Today, illumination came.

Mommy, we have nametags at our school. Anushka lost 3 nametags, but I helped her find one. But we had to throw Saki's nametag away. She isn't coming back to our school. She moved to INDIA.

A-ha! That elusive Ninja was indeed a vibrant and colorful place, as I had imagined!
Thank you Isabella.

Everyday adventures in the sun

Everyday

The clouds blew away, the sun came out
The kids banged on the door
and all headed out.
For some everyday adventures, beating around the drive
Sometimes it's enough, in the sun and being alive.
Blue-eyes had a twig, named Leafy-Sticky Lear
Her sister had a handful: rocks & leaves from there to here
Little and Big rolled a barrel
monkeys not included
And Mom sat watch, sipped a drink betimes and brooded.
That really it's small moments, active and in the sun
Unplanned random moments
Speaking life - hey it's begun.

The late afternoon light sparkles in the front yard, adding depth to big bright eyes, and always making me run for the camera.

Keep in mind, I like awesome

This phrase is brought to you by TAMN, a blogger I read and regularly hoot with laughter over. There is a phenomenon in the blogosphere, a Mormon-Mommy-blogger phenomenon - and TAMN (stands for Tiffany-Amber-Megan-Nicole) is Everywoman. She does a hilarious job of spoofing on mommy-bloggers. Her way-cool life, full of way-perfect clothes, way-perfect twins, way-perfect size 0 post-partum body and a way-perfect husband are all so perfectly done, it is too much.

So when she asked for song suggestions, since playlist music on blogs says sooo much about the blogger, yeah, she said "Keep in mind, I like awesome." I walked away chuckling, and repeating it to myself, and have to tell you that I wholeheartedly agree with TAMN.

Time has been taken away from staring at the perfect, and as-yet-only-once-opened cover of my new book, to tell you, my dear friends to make that our mantra. Hair? Shoes? Scrapbook layouts? Workouts? Music? Flowerpots? Foreign movies? Shabby need not apply.

Keep in mind, we like awesome.

Girl Interrupted (ie It's Here!)

Dear Life,

You are hereby on notice of interruption. Whatever I was in the middle of this week, be it cleaning, crafting, sorting, gardening or parenting (*cough cough*) - is herewith placed on hold.

Sincerely,
Girl Interrupted




it's here it's here it's here It's HERE!!!! Let the wild reading rumpus start! I swear, when I opened the front door after hearing the bell ring, I actually gasped and squealed and got short of breath. I carefully opened the box, admired the beauty of the cover art, and slowly opened the cover to check for the signature. (cut to me dancing)

Diana touched my booook, Diana signed my booook...

I'l be around kids, never fear, though I'll have to tone down the speed-reading so that I can enjoy. Every. Last. Page.

Mmmwah!

(PS: It has been raining a lot, so no, the wet spot around the doormat was NOT caused by my uber excitement. Promise. Swear! Would I risk wetting my book like that?! Shiver, no!)

Overheard [part trois]

You may be a fan of my Overheard series, if a few parts can be called a series. I say it can, as it can only grow as material appears. And material appeared this morning, as I puttered around packing lunches.
The wildcats were watching a show, as they had all been up since 6am and were dressed and ready for school. Perhaps you think TV is inappropriate at 6:30am on a school day, and if so, then I present the alternative, as it was presented to me: let's play tag and scream at the top of our lungs and be sure to knock the baby down while running by and also mess up the freshly brushed hair and pull the clips out and oh don't forget to slap as you tag so someone can cry and oh better yet let's all fight!

So TV it was.
Jadyn started her new request list of Toys She Wishes She Could Have as each new commercial came on. I responded absentmindedly from the kitchen, the usual: "Mmhmm. We'll see. I'll think about it." This went on for a while.

Jadyn: "Can we get that Mom?! It's for TWO players!!"
Jadyn: "Oooh! How about that Mom! It's only one tiny thing..."
Cole, ranting, fed up with Jadyn's requests: "Jadyn, you have wanted everything you have seen, all morning! We are hardly gonna get even a Matchbox car, let alone that thing. I have tried to convince Mom for 8 years that buying toys is good, and it hasn't worked!"


Ah. Yeah. So I'm not the toy-buying consumerist sort.
But, I present Exhibit A below, which does in fact offer some redeeming Mom quality.

I am "normal siez" and that is a relief. Actually I am fancily-dressed with gigantic thumbs, and we all know what that means! Wait... I am a girl, so what does that mean?!

(Artwork courtesy of Cole. Fancy gown & high heels courtesy of Cole's imagination.)