borderland

My Word is Good

2012-01-25T14:17:00.000-05:00

Well then, as Phoenix would say "I tell you, I tell you - it is!"

And so I made this reminder, and what mama says, goes.

By hook or by crook my little ones, you will find a way to...

Be Happy.

And with a wave of my crafty wand, I make it so. It's a mixed media decoupage creation, on a canvas. Underneath, you can see the Time magazine clippings as the base. Only I will know this, but they are all from a Time article on the science of favoritism, with regard to children. My favorite child will always be the one that is happy at the moment. Take heed, brood!

Note the nifty scrabble tile letters! (Thanks Rach!) They will soon make an encore appearance, in another project I'm working on.

See, here I am - beside the print - being so happy to be 8.5 months pregnant with twins. And there I am - cropped above - being happy in the Adriatic Sea, back in my modeling days. Happy, happy...

It's all about the happy.
(I would like to be happy about having a better shot of this to show you. Alas.)

There you have it friends.

Let's all Be Happy.

Bring on the happy, 2012! It is, after all, our duty as Americans - the pursuit of happiness... so, bring on the patriotism, in this pursuit!

Brothers

2012-01-24T21:00:00.004-05:00

Lay down buddy, let's look at the clouds. Oh look! I see a bear!
Yeah Cole. Cole, Cole! Cole! I see a tree!

No buddy, that's the tree right there. Look up, way up, at the clouds.

OK Cole. Cole, Cole, Cole! I see a roof!

No buddy, look higher, up up UP.

OK Cole. Hey! Cole, Cole, Cole! I see a hippopotamus!
Yeah buddy, that's good, I see it too.

Gimme a hug buddy.

Party Rerun!

2012-01-23T17:33:00.005-05:00

The Seventh Birthday Dance Party went off without a hitch.

See here, the happy parents with the happy party girls - happy, yes! because the party was held in our neighborhood clubhouse. Good one, yay me!

The dance is ON!

(Yes, yes that is our eldest son Cole in the dangly glow stick hoop earrings. Can we just say he was advertising the versatility of our party craft project? Necklaces, glasses... earrings! I'm in!)

See? Here's Jadyn, in all her glow stick finery! Complete with hoops! And finger laser lights, don't party without them...

Yes! Everyone is dancing... the cake is MINE...

Party hats made it home, to resurface the next morning. What a dance, what a crew.

It was proclaimed the "best birthday ever" and we said Good Night to our brand new resident

7 year olds.

The End.

Hambone Sisters

2012-01-19T18:47:00.006-05:00

See these two hambones?

They turn seven on Saturday.

They have long legs and some honking big girl teeth.

They have strong emotions and clever minds.

They like to get into my cabinet and put on deodorant ("that arm pit stuff"), face powder and under-eye concealer. (I am a minimalist.)

They like to see their wrapped gifts, and think about the possibilities for days before opening the gifts. (This level of restraint did not come from me.)

One of them climbs trees like a lithe monkey. One of them is earthbound and avoids heights.

One of them hides dirty clothes under the bed. One of them is orderly and organized.

One of them procrastinates on HW. One of them jumps right into HW and leaves papers to be signed right on my desk.

One of them is not comfortable with technology and its workings. One of them is a natural with small electronics.

One of them has windblown, tangled hair within 5 minutes of brushing it. Actually, so does the other one.

As a pair, they are pretty darn complete.

I think I'll keep them.

Doors and Lost Connections

2012-01-17T21:00:00.004-05:00

Yes indeed, our front door search brought some adventure - though thankfully, no (visible) creepy crawlies. Of course, the whole adventure part could have been avoided by a few trips to Lowe's, but where's the fun in that?

Much more fun to find a craiglist person, who is a builder with a stock of quality doors in an old tannery. Scoring a bargain - fun, and a tale to tell - fun again.

Of course, we haven't done anything further with the door situation - which, by the way, is rotting away as we speak. No, we've been beset by Ye Olde Curse of The Bermuda Triangle of Technology Fail. (I know, lengthy title AND lengthy curse. I assure you.)

It's an ancient curse, known to strike at random, and requiring Level Five technicians to converge on our home, 4 different ones in a row if you please. And the 4 techs in a row will subsequently need three.whole.days to get this house up and running again. Don't forget the addendum to the curse! The technological fail will happen over a weekend and a school holiday so Yay! Six people to explain "sorry, no TV or internet" to over and over and over again...

Addendum Two: The Curse of the Four Hour Window. You know this one. Three.whole.days wherein we must remain at home or very nearby for the dreaded 4 hour tech arrival window.

The joy of it! Being forced to stay home, and having no connection anywhere to be found!

Even my cell phone went wonky.

I tell you, Bermuda Triangle. Signals were lost, only to be found again when 3 techs converged on 3 separate points at the exact same time. Point One: our home. Point Two: the nearest phone hub control-box-thingy on the road nearby. Point Three: India. And it was the guy in India that made it all work again.

I had to ask the Point One tech - is the knowledge that Indian fellow holds something I could go to school for, and travel around offering? To you know, like, save people a 3-day wait for repair? A reasonable question, I thought. He did not agree. He did not even answer.

I'm thinking that's a niche skill right there. Eh?

Right up my alley, eh? Or have you forgotten this little post, eh?

I know. I am so going to take that Indian man's job. Not in a mean way, no! In a helpful *timely* way, for the betterment of our community. Guess I should find out the incident count on this Bermuda Triangle Technology Fail curse first.

I'll get right on that.

Just as soon as I've caught up on my 44 unread Reader posts. Google, I've missed you.

The old tannery

2012-01-14T17:28:00.002-05:00

We pulled across the decrepit railroad tracks and spied the place.
A long, low factory-type building was snugged into the side of a slope, allowing for a basement level. It's crumbling foundation, overgrown surrounds and abandoned air put me on alert. Snakey, my mind said, ever on the watch for my (mostly-phantom) fear.
"Snakey, for sure." I informed Rick, in case he had missed the beginning of an enhanced beat to my pulse.

We introduced ourselves and the builder rumbled up the large metal door and we stepped into the old shop. We perused doors and sidelights, and selected styles we liked. The builder chatted, and we kept an eye out for our kids running around in the field nearby. The girls ran in, shouting about Cole, and how he was scaring them with the idea of snakes. Smart kid, I thought. He noticed too. But I stepped to the door and called out "Stop scaring the kids, any snakes around here are asleep for the winter." There. Nicely adult and good job squelching the fear.
The builder's head spun toward me at the mention of snakes. He smiled and said he had been selling doors out of the place for 15 years or so, and that in times past the building was a tannery. The railroad tracks, ten steps from the door, serviced the trains bringing in cowhides from Texas.

"Yeah, back in those days, with the cowhides around, there was a serious rat problem. So, the owner of the mansion just up the hill started breeding king snakes, to take care of the rats."

I started eyeing the worn floor boards, and hidden, dusty corners around me. He must have seen some concern on my face, because he reassured me that the snakes would indeed be hibernating. My inner dialogue kicked into overdrive. It's the first cold snap, really. It's been in the fifties, and never below freezing at night, until this week. What about a late bloomer? A snake that didn't think quite right? Oh crap. I really don't like this.
The builder began to speak again:

"I've caught about 15 king snakes in this building (crapcrapcrapCRAP! I knew it!), and I just take them up to my farm in the mountains. Haven't seen a rat up there in 16 years."

I smiled knowingly, and told him about my Mom and her resident king snake. Surely I implied what a seen-it-all country chick I was, and how the mere idea of a 5 foot snake couldn't throw me off balance. Surely.
We took pictures of the doors we liked best, and made our way outside. I watched the kids pull an old tire out of the brush, and begin to roll it down the hill. "Can we take this home?!" Jadyn called out, "It's so cool!" I chuckled and shook my head. The builder grinned and said he had eight kids at home. (Eight kids and willingly migrated 15 snakes? What kind of man ARE you? Moreover, what sort of person is your wife?)
We talked amiably, said our farewells and pulled out of the drive. Rumbling over old cobblestones, I caught sight of the nearby mansion, on the corner of Tannery St and Wilson St. and shivered at the thought of a place riddled with rats AND snakes. We drove slowly down the old main street, and I watched the classic ranches and bungalows roll by. Snake-land, forever more.

We'll be choosing our front door well before spring comes, that I can promise.

Guest Blog: I'm back

2012-01-05T20:08:00.003-05:00

It's been awhile since I wrote on the puter. Mom keeps it pretty well locked away from me. Something about "leave my stuff alone" and "stop breaking things, Phoenix," things like that, she says. I tell her, I tell her I want to do it and so I can do it. I tell those kids too. I tell Cole he better stop leaving Legos out everywhere, or he's going to his room. I tell him. I tell him don't talk back Cole, or you go to your room.

And I tell you, I tell you why I'm writing today. About this Year of the Happy stuff. Let me tell you - it did not work out so well for me, that last time there was a Year of Something. A Year of the Yes? I tell you, it was more a Year of Yeah, Right. I tell you, if I'm not gonna do something, I'm not gonna do it. And if I'm doing something, I'm doing it. I tell you.

I tell you too, here's what I think of this whole Year of the Happy. I am NOT happy. Being sent to my room is not happy, and staying in my bed all night is not happy, and having to drink water when I want juice is definitely NOT happy, and drawing on only paper is not happy. And pottying. I tell you, going potty is SO not happy. It's not even been a week, and it's already the Year of Pick on Phoenix.

Take this Year of Happy. Take it, I tell you.

The Year of the Happy

2012-01-04T16:46:00.004-05:00

Hi kids. I think of you here, I truly do. Entertaining happenings, informative happenings, plain old crazy happenings - I think oh! They need to hear this!

Life is getting in the way of me. Phoenix is getting in the way of anything that does not heavily involve Phoenix. School is starting tomorrow, and then, oh then! Helloooo schedule, my preshus, my dahlink, thee I do love...

Holiday time is for for no routine, heck, no regular mealtime - because who needs regular times when you have resident locusts that require no break between feeding, and make me want to quote the Very Hungry Caterpillar at them all. day. long.???! (and for good measure !?!?!)

I do. I really do. They ask for food, and I reel off what they have eaten to that point in time, as if to explain to their empty bellies why there should be no hunger. It so (does not) worketh!

And then I think of the miles they have scootered around the neighborhood, and the hour(s) they have run full-tilt around the yard, cartwheeling and leaping over trees and small children, and next thing I know, MealTime The 5th is being served at 2pm. By a friendly waitress bearing drinks and a smile. Resident friendly waitress, I should say. All locusts should live with a waitress.

Along with my own 4 are 6 different neighborhood kids that also randomly float around the house. Two of them are in my Jadyn's 1st grade class, so I'm comfortable with bossing them around and hugging them and telling one in particular to blink those big blue eyes at me, daily.

He does so, and then asks for milk, and band-aids and could I please tie his shoes on the way out the door?

It has been a good holiday break. Weather good enough to run around in until dark, friends enough to go around, new toys enough to keep the smiles up, wounds enough to tell all and sundry.

Cole's first stitches, courtesy of a log in the woods, and a herd of running boys. Four in the eyebrow, and we have all said if you have to be scarred, the eyebrow rocks it. Laceration, one. Contusion, one. That one is Jadyn's, courtesy of a well-thrown heavy stick by aforementioned boy herd. She will go to school tomorrow with a sorry-looking shiner, and her hair pulled forward to hide it.

Though I did offer some concealer makeup, and explained what it was - we will see if she takes me up on it. All I know is, first thing this morning, before coffee, she peered into my face and said "I see what you mean about covering the purple circles under your eyes." Lucky me. See? I have my own wound, courtesy of Phoenix, who couldn't stay in his bed 3 times last night. Or any night prior.

These days. And then I get an email from my friend Louise, assuring me that this will be the best year ever. I look into space, and think - I surely do hope that during a long, fulfilling life such as hers, I will look each year in the face after 80 years and say it will be the best. I surely do hope!

Happy week and happy schedule and happy happy. Just happy in general, that's good - right? Let's do it.

The Year of the Happy.

{I think I will enjoy it as much as this particular year.... HA!}

Now I'm off to run a herd of boys to their own home for dinner, including one blue-eyed charmer.

Out with the old!

2012-01-01T13:48:00.004-05:00

I believe the Mayan calendar did not take into account some changes in energy and possibility on our planet, so...

Happy New Year! We get more time to get it right!

"Out with the old" clearly did not mean out with the old habit of obscure references, in case you have not been looking into the whole Mayan thing. Example, I have one. Ask my neighbor Rachael, as I happened to mention shapeshifters in a recent conversation, thinking that was a typical everyday term. (me? paranormal reading habits?) She nodded and said "Are those people who make their own candles?"

Not really. Neither of us can remember what she actually said, but it was just that unrelated, and all we do know is that we both hooted and carried on about it.

Out with the old has taken form in my house, in the manner of cleaning out in a ruthless and focused way. From closets to kitchen cabinets to this morning - my desk. Talk about random and obscure items, here they be. My favorite finds (other than stashed cash. Halloo!) are the little notes I leave myself, when I'm in the flow of writing something. Most of the time they are short thoughts, and I can't make them go anyplace once the feeling is gone. But I save them, just in case.

Just in case they could become... something.

And so I greet you in this new year, with a snippet and the hope that all good things will come to you, friends. It's been fun, and it's been real, and on it will go. I greet you with this found snippet, because it represents exactly what I hoped to gain with blogging. Inspiration, friendship, and a place to keep the words coming. And this is how they come, on small bits, in the car, at stoplights, tucked into my desk to be remembered or forgotten, and the mood goes.

Found Scrap - 2011, undated

When I was a child, my dreams were my own, and crystal-like to my own mind. Not as in clear, but as in oh-so-fragile. Unmentionable, as though even to speak them would break the force field binding these dreams to my being. These years later, the idea of fragility remains, but my reality has risen up. Risen up to speak aloud, seeing that as we speak these dreams into existence they can be free to step into the light.

Secrets? No.

Dreams, yes. Closely held, beloved...

Happy New Year, fellow dreamers...

Monkey see monkey do

2011-12-19T09:33:00.001-05:00

Busted

2011-12-14T16:17:00.002-05:00

Today:

Cole: Mom, do that funny "I'm a fat baby" thing you do.

Me: Not right now, I can't go from angry mommy to funny mommy that quickly.

Cole: That's funny, because you can sure go from funny mommy to angry mommy in an instant.

Ba-duh-DUM! That's right folks, he'll be here all week!

Oh, the joyous moments we have with our offspring. Oh, the heartwarming moments when we think we have utterly failed to teach them any gratefulness or empathy. Oh, the proud instant when angry mommy decides a lesson is in order. All for the greater benefit of mankind, don't ya know, let alone the lesser, albeit crucial, benefit of family serenity. Don't even get me started on my "productive member of society vs societal leech" lecture.

I am learning what a parental soapbox-er I can be, if the recent eyes glazing, and little heads nodding in pain with that "please-just-finish-fussing-so-we-can-get-on-with-our-fun-and-or-squabbling" looks are any indication. All for the greater good, I tell you!

Add to it my lecture list, which is growing with the ages my kids reach.

For age 10, the list contains one prominent speech: "Apply yourself in school to the best of your ability, or you will grow up to live in a van down by the river." This one has many variations, and yes, the examples of future fast food jobs and beat-up cars (also parked down by the river) are trotted out. They don't work. Ten year olds think fast food jobs are super cool, and beat-up cars just mean fun has been had in them.

Now, one lecture that did get his attention, surprisingly, was the "Please think long and hard before you start a family of your own" talk. I know. It slipped out in a moment of weakness, when Child 4 was bombarding me with sensory overload (read: screaming AND lofting cars at me). I begged Cole to travel and finish his education and do all sorts of fun things before he settles down and starts a family.

He replied frankly: "I'm beginning to think I should be a bachelor like Uncle Zay, and spend all my money on heated toilet seats and sports cars!"

Oh, the simple pleasures of (supposed) bachelorhood! Heated toilet seats?? That I cannot attest to, in his uncle's defense. The sports car? Oh yes. Top of the line.

I don't know where I was going with this chat, or if I reached my destination. But wow! I feel better. Confessional booth, you are borderland today.

I can now ease up on the lectures.

(Still for the greater good, I swear it!)

Merry merry

2011-12-12T18:42:00.002-05:00

Eat drink and be merry they said, and so we did.

The company Rick works for had their annual holiday party weekend, and it was my favorite so far. Maybe because I actually got to stay over at the resort, and wasn't called home early for sick kids, hmmm? It's been a theme - each year at party time, some small Lear has been sick. So this year was extra fun, what with all the wellness just exuding from our pores.

Sunset cruise on the lake, tasty catered dinner, dance floor, full bar? Hello, my name is B.

Partying with a crowd I see once a year? Fun - now that it has been 7 years, and we all know each other a bit. (Hi Jen, Hi Darlene!)

We haven't danced that much in years, and it was a riot. I don't even have more pics to share because A.) I didn't get a new work iPhone like Rick, and B.) dancing is more fun than taking pictures.

Amen.

A joke. Who, me?

2011-12-09T10:48:00.003-05:00

I realize now I have been playing jokes on you.

You already know this, and yet you keep showing up.

Here is the joke - get ready, it is very funny:

I keep promising to write stories about HI-larious things, and then I never post them. Or write them. I just promise, promise, promise, and then walk away.

Can you get your breath back? Wasn't that the best? I know. Like, you would think, having looked over the last post where I said Mama had been up to hijinks, that I would return and in an orderly fashion, begin the post on Mama and her Hijinks. See, I even have a title. But no.

Oh, what is it that is paved with good intentions? The way to Santa's heart? I thought so.

Instead, oh instead let me go on and on about the multitude of things I am accomplishing as we speak. Teacher gifts - always a favorite task! Making cards, also a treat! (I am making sets of 6, for gifts. And when I say "sets," and "gifts," I mean "set" and "gift" - for that is as far as I've gotten. Singular.)

And, and, and! The elves have arrived at our house, and boy howdy do I love their mischief. I especially love it when I have fallen asleep, reading on the couch (every night. count on it.), and I wake up to sleep-walk to bed without losing my nod and Bam! I remember the mischief that is to be made. And I try to make Rick do it, and he argues about how HE wanted to elves to come ONE week before Christmas, and I insisted on this week, and HE will be rocking elf mischief during that last week. I would threaten a throttling but.... he comes up with clever trouble for them. Because he is wide awake and NOT sleeping on the couch. So back down I head, to work my magic.

Now, you may be wondering, as you often do - "Does the presence of the elves make your kids behave like angels?" Well. Frankly, no. Not at all. Sure, sure, the good intentions are there. But the threat level goes to red every afternoon, and I can feel the magic wearing thin. 2 out of 4 children will be impacted by the threat of poor behavior equaling Christmas consequences. A 50/50 shot at curbing behavior? Methinks them odds are stinky.

And on that note, I will wish you a Happy Friday, and go on my merry way. I promise.

PS I love these guys.

Holidays? What holidays!

2011-12-02T16:36:00.002-05:00

Hi kids. I'm still here, still kicking and wow! Is it December already?? I am taken by surprise this year. I have yet to browbeat Rick into dragging the holiday decor out of the attic, and yet to hang my crafty advent banner. The shock of it! Don't worry, the kiddies are surviving just fine with the new countdown calendar I unveiled.

Using the same magnetic premise cookie sheet as Halloween... Who, me? Recycling and re-inventing? Well, it IS red, and it WAS begging to be used again. Alas, no photos yet. Be good little girls and boys and I may whip out my special (untalented) camera for a poorly lighted photo or two.

I know, I hear the sighs and questions "How do you find the time?? Are you a time traveler??

Well, one question at a time. If you know me and my love of all things mystical, the time travel question will take a whole post.

The first answer is this: I stole time. I stole time from my home. Instead of cleaning it, I made a crafty calendar. I know it, my family knows it, and by golly my floor shows it.

Now that we have that burning question answered, we can all relax.

I have some Tales of Mom to relate - because my mama has been a busy bee, and it's not just guinea hens anymore, kids.

But that will have to wait too - oh the tease of it! - as I leave you with a line from dear mama, and I quote: "The dogs pulled a houdini and got out of the fence because the gate was broken. Jeremy had fixed it temporarily, but it didn't hold. I had a few glasses of wine, and then did some mowing on the big mower and accidentally took out the gate, did I not tell you that?"

No. No you did not. I am still laughing, just picturing the scene. Do you think she was wearing a swimsuit, like in the Great Guinea Chick rescue?? Oh words, you are fine things, but sometimes a picture is necessary.

Many smiles to you and happy Friday! I'm not saying ignore your chores, but a little calendar would be so much fun... ;-) It can be our tiny wittle secwet.

Overheard: Turkey Talk

2011-11-24T10:55:00.003-05:00

Phoenix: Jady, let's go to people's houses and say Happy Giving Day.

Jadyn: No Phoenix, it's not like Halloween.

Jadyn: Is that the turkey butt?

Me: Yep. Dad's stuffing it with stuffing, and you're getting it on your plate later.

Jadyn: Ahhhhh! Let's ride our bikes away from the turkey butt.

Phoenix: I want macaroni instead.

Isabella: Poor turkey. We're gonna eat you. What are you doing to it?!

Phoenix: It's Anksgiving Day? All our family comes over?

Me: No buddy, it's just us this year. We'll see them at Christmas.

Phoenix: What?! You're not my family.

The turkey has...

2011-11-23T09:19:00.000-05:00

...entered the building!

I know, after all those turkey lunches at the school, who could want more? Oh, the tradition! Another tradition is the kids talking about turkey for 2 weeks, and never actually eating any. None of them like it a bit. So Rick and I are always doomed to eat it until we cannot stand the sight of it anymore. Rick lasts longer than I do, I am a wimpy leftover eater. Two days max.

So my turkey chicks are all home for five days, and at the moment are wearing every coat they own. It is windy and 65 degrees, and their blood is thin. No, really, they are playing "how many coats can I put on" and they all look like doughboys. I don't know, but whatever it is, they are playing it outside, and I am listening to their noise through the filter of doors and walls.

Which means I can hear Jack Johnson crooning and strumming, and it's a good morning.

You can imagine that there is yet another handmade holiday banner hanging, and you would be right.

It says "thankful," and we are.

Thankful for health and well-being,

Thankful for small, whole little people

Who drive us crazy and make us laugh.

Thankful for humor and family

Preferably together, because one without the other

dooms us all.

Maybe.

or maybe it's just my family?

{Nope.}

Times have changed so much, that I don't even long for what used to be home, and what used to be our routine. I guess 10 years of children will change any tradition. It used to be that come holiday time I would feel the pull towards Beaufort County, and my grandmother's cooking. My brothers' teasing and the belly laughs that go along with family jokes that have been ongoing for decades. I would grow all angst-y and incomplete, and long only to be on the road headed for home. Somewhere, in the process of gaining children and losing family, that shifted.

It's good to be home.

And now a moment for something that hasn't changed - sentimentality at the holidays!

Thanks for being part of my bloggy community, and for the comments and emails no matter how frequent or rare. {I am thankful...}

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours wherever your Home may be.

The week, in photo

2011-11-18T17:19:00.013-05:00

Shots of the week to tide you over? Yes? OK. Here they are...

One turkey lunch...

Two turkey lunch...

Three turkey lunch...

Four.

Mama don't want turkey lunch, no more, no more, no more.

Also, Cole went on the overnight 5th grade field trip this week, at a GA 4-H Center, and apparently held some snakes, rowed a canoe, climbed ropes and took a cold shower. Wow! Sending a camera with him resulted in some fun shots.

Have a great weekend!

Tidbits to share

2011-11-15T16:13:00.000-05:00

We are barely out the classroom door, into the quiet hallway, when the sharing begins.

My baby sister was crying last night. My Mommy woke up and gave her milk. My baby is so tiny.

Another voice chimes in:

My, my, my brother, my baby brother is standing up and holding on!

And then the first voice is back:

I have two baby sisters, the new sister, and a two year old sister. The new baby is crying a lot.

Two by two, I take them to the media center. In the next duo of students, I have a joke-teller, and a family member reviewer - she tells me her family names, and I must then list all of my kids.

These are my weekly updates, each time I visit one of my girls' classes, for reading tests. They come with me in pairs, to listen to a story and take a short comprehension quiz on the computer. But the sharing of Important Business is paramount. Small hands slide into mine, and they vie for air time, eyes sparkling at the presence of a pair of fresh ears.

Mostly, it is talk of siblings, pets and holidays. Moving to new houses, best friends. Now and then there are soulful ones who share bits of their hearts and leave me wondering and wistful.

My mommy makes things that are perfect. (Speaking of baking, confided with sparkling eyes and confidence in her mommy's kitchen splendor.)

And this one, I can never forget:

I don't have a mommy, I have a nanny who takes care of me.

I could only hug this one, and greet him with a special smile ever after. There are the quiet ones I have made a mission to get a smile out of, and the wild ones I have determined will walk and not run down the hall.

At six years old their little personalities are shining out, striving for some independence and success. My ears may be the only ones listening to only them for that day, and I try my hardest to be present. To listen fully and let them know I am glad to be there, reading with them, and hearing the tidbits of their lives. When it is one of my own girls' turn, they both act the same way: they snuggle in and are mostly silent. Listening to their friends chat, and hearing my responses seems to be enough.

We pass by students that I know from years past, and other reading groups. Fingers wiggle and wave, they sneak a hug and get back in line. I leave the building with a smile, my thoughts swirling lazily over all the little tidbits I now carry.

Sweet pieces of sweet little people.

Not a bad way to spend a morning.

Terms of Endearment

2011-11-10T19:53:00.000-05:00

I am scattered and smothered like the ubiquitous Waffle House taters.

Anyone else doing fifth grade HW that is all about personification, metaphors, alliteration or similes? No?

Oh. Well, then. Hi!

(Also, is it wrong for my child to take a project to school in a plastic Total Wine bag? Egads, I better switch that now before I forget.)

I'm popping in to say... 1. I was not dragged away and forced to sit a throne forever as a goth princess, and 2. the Halloween candy is gone, may it rest in peace.

This is one of those months when moms say "the days are long, but the years are short."

Even my brother-in-law said immediately, over the phone last night: "You sound tired."

I chuckled throatily. What a word that is! What wishful thinking! Maybe I should say: I chuckled congestively. There, that's more accurate.

I agreed and said something to effect that his nephew Phoenix was looking for winter boarding quarters. Ha! I wish I had actually said that, because as Ken is the other half of my doula, something could have possibly resulted from that request. Hmmm. Food for thought.

Anyway, these are busy times and long days.

The End.

Not really, but really. Have I over-committed somewhere? I would swear that there are fewer hours in the day, and those that remain are flying by at the speed of that asteroid that barely missed us last weekend. This life has been a mad dash of late, and I consider it a good week when the kids wear clean clothes each day, have bathed a few times, and eaten a fruit at each meal. So simple, right? You'd think, wouldn't you. Maybe I should really set those three things as my only weekly goals, and then - Shazam! I'd have this thing down. As long as clean doesn't mean ironed. Then - Shazam! It is ON!

I've gotten a lot accomplished these last few weeks, while I have not been posting - but it hasn't been graceful or laudatory. Speaking of laudatory (another good word! That literary HW, it hath bewitched me!), wouldn't it be great if we got a round of applause when we succeeded at a really challenging parenting feat? Like, if we nailed the cirque du soleil act of mothering, and a crowd of well-wishers stepped out and clapped heartily, while nodding encouragingly?

Wow. I digress. I was only saying Hi.

Hi!

I'll be back once I have something {real} to write about, and am de-scattered.

Happy Friday kids...

The Countdown Ends!

2011-10-31T16:50:00.002-04:00

Yes. I completely agree. Isabella's "show all my missing teeth" grin is the scariest sight around.

Happy Day, the countdown has been counted, the day is here, and they are ready to explode with anticipation. Lucky for the chaperones, it is sunny and warm, and a pleasant eve for the occasion.

Be safe! Have fun!

And, join me in hoping for many Milky Way Dark chocolates.

(Are you wondering if I will be indeed be Phoenix's wish for a Frincess?

Well, you will see tomorrow... bwahahaha...)

That Edge

2011-10-30T09:20:00.003-04:00

On feisty days the energy runs

and tries to break out-

I am someone

I used to be.

The mirror tells me I am not

but the eyes

they give the game away

Through me and to me

they say you are who you are

grown up or small

tamed or

wild

Winds of change blow through

I am drawn along the edge

of feeling the present and the past hand in hand

who says time is separate

when it walks so closely

in the heart

Now a fierceness stares back

daring me to become

what the wild wind says

It is not angst or longing this time

not anymore

It is pure power of life

And I know the moment it dives under the skin

Enlivening, freeing, acknowledging

Seeing the loop of then and now

I am free

10/30/11

Guest Blog: Phoenix the Frash-Talker

2011-10-27T12:42:00.003-04:00

Doody-head. Buttocks. Stupid.

I say this thing over and over, and everybody laughs.

Then I get in frouble.

Mom says I'm a frash-talker, and I better stop talking frash to the kids.

And not to call her names either, 'cause I go to my room.

I tell her, I say, I tell you, it's Cole's room. It's not my room.

It's Cole's room. That's sure Cole's room. Where I'm going for time out now, huh, doody-head?

You're like a potty head. Frick or freat, smell my feet, gimme sumfin good to eat, I don't care, I pull my underwear up. It's almost Halloween. I see scarefrows in the yards. I see scarefrows downtown, and I yell SCAREFROW! There's a SCAREFROW!

Then I say Hold my hand Mom.

You're a doody-head.

Old lady.

You're a old lady.

Nice haircut Mom. Nice earrings. No! No! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!

It's not my room, I can't go to my room!

Hold my hand Mom.

*******************************************************

This guest post was not scripted. Nor exaggerated. Start praying for me now.

Ode to Footwear

2011-10-25T07:36:00.004-04:00

Dear Offspring,

It has come to my attention that I am spending way too much of my time with your clothing items. One type, in particular. The lowly, lonely, sock. Fifty-six child-size socks per week, to be exact.

Whether it's gathering up socks from far-flung dusty places, unwadding, unrolling and insiding-outing, or (my favorite) taking crusty ones outside to shake out, I am up to my ears. These socks have no mates. These socks are a socky mess. I daydream of throwing them all away and getting one color and size for you all. I hardly think you would care. I find them under the couch, I find them on the stairs. I find them in my car, for heaven's sake, with a cloud of smelly foot rising up from them. Discarded, deserted, dispatched with haste - sock, you are anathema to me.

I know I have convinced you that scraped and banged-up legs just mean you are having fun. I do not feel the same about socks. Dirty smelly inside-out balled-up socks in every room do not mean you, or I, are having fun.

I can't care, says my inner Phoenix. I just can't care about socks anymore. When your feet get cold in the coming chill, just know that all of your socks have gone to that place in the ether where lost items go.

The dryer.

Love,

Mom

Halloween Fever is on

2011-10-18T20:33:00.001-04:00

They are dressed...

and ready...

for one of their favorite...

nights of the year!

The costumes come out every afternoon, the Halloween shirts are worn days on end, the discussion of which streets we will go down has begun. Before long, Cole will publish his map (made weeks ago) of the best houses to trick or treat - I've seen this map, and he's right. Hi, neighbor with full-size candy bars! And in the true manner of a wired kid, Cole has G00gled "how to get the most candy at halloween." He came to me with his results, wearing a furrowed look and shaking his head. Oh G00gle. What idiotic Web-driven masterpiece has he searched up now? (I do have search lock on his computer)

He snorted and said some teenagers were posting mean ways to get candy. Whew. Could've been ugly.

We share stories from last year, of the haunted garage our friends hosted, of the other haunted garage that creeped some kids out so badly, they ran the other way. I'll admit, when Cole asked me to walk up to that garage with him, and I saw the head hanging in the midst of a dry ice fog, a bare table with one small dish of candy, and felt the mood set by the intense music.... ooooh. Shivers!

Music, dry ice and decapitation - these 3 elements rule the spooky world.

Most Bizarre-o? The Indian man. Definitely.

We approached that house, noting that the front door was open, but the opening was covered completely by a plastic sheet with Halloween decorations on it. A small hole was cut out at waist height. As the kids approached, a wrinkled brown hand poked out the hole in the plastic, clutching candy to drop into their bags. A voice from behind the plastic prattled on, and cackled, but we couldn't understand a word.

As you may imagine, this sparked some discussion over the process of people immigrating to the US, and trying to make sense of the massive consumer-fest that is Halloween. He had decorated, albeit unusually, and he had procured candy, wrapped and brand-name. We'll be looking for you again this year, Mr. Pokey-Hand! You sure got the creepy part down!

Here's hoping your little ghouls are also revving up...

The Eyes of the Beholder

2011-10-13T09:39:00.002-04:00

What are you being for Halloween, Mom? A Frincess?

With these simple words, the boy had my back. I never doubted his sincerity. In his eyes, I am some sort of "Frincess," and this princess melted a little and forgave him a lot. He is my constant companion, always watching, forever seeing. The first to notice a new purse, or new earrings - and the boy knows who butters his bread.

Nice earrings, Mom. Nice purse.

But mostly it's just who he is.

His ornery, wild, hilarious side is perfectly counter-balanced by his complimentary, small-gentleman side. It had to be so. Or else he would spend eternity in his room, contemplating his toddler follies.

I'm sorry, Mom. I just love you.

The keys to the dungeon are sweet and sincere. Large, watery hazel eyes look straight into my eyes, and all of his bravado (and oh, there's a-plenty) drops away. I shake my head at how one small boy can get what an apology is and should be, and execute it perfectly. Other local children, who shall remain nameless, could take lessons in the offering of a sincere apology.

Here's to you, you little stinker.

Just when I think you are beyond the pale, you go and say something so sweet. You are always tricking me, Phoeney-Phoenster. "Fricked ya!" you yell, hooting at me. Yep, you sure did trick me. Keep it up.

The Full Moon and other Randomness

2011-10-12T17:50:00.001-04:00

What has gone wrong with these children? Something weird is in the atmosphere.

These were my thoughts yesterday, and lo and behold - it was a full moon. Universe, let's please just blame the full moon, let it wax and wane, and allow for the return of my *real* children ASAP.

Thank you.

*******************************************************

In other kid news, Cole has learned to whistle. I cannot stress enough how this has impacted my day to day life. It's like living with Whistlin' Will, and everywhere I go, he follows. Whistling.

Cole also has had two goals this week, by way of trying to earn money.

1. Hunt for a lost cat whose owner has posted signs all over the neighborhood.

2. Hunt for a lost scarecrow, that was made by an elementary class, and stolen from downtown. The mayor has posted a $100 reward.

Believe me, this kid has his eyes peeled for *any* suspicious characters toting scarecrows. And any cats that could fit the description of: "Lost. Gray cat. Reward." Neighbor, he has your phone number in his pocket. Be warned.

*******************************************************

As for me?

I am staying afloat in all my duties and commitments. :) Doesn't that sound nice? It hasn't been. I am actually feeling frazzled and too busy. Also, I feel like a janitor. The challenge of it, oh the challenge! Waaaaah.... I knew I should have stuck with the kid update.

Know what I should do?

As soon as they are out the door to school, I should head out looking for scarecrows and cats.

The Counselor part two

2011-10-09T09:55:00.002-04:00

Her troubles were mounting, and it was time for another visit with The Counselor.

Isabella: I talked to the counselor again. I told her I can't ride my bike. It's too hard without training wheels. And I told her that I want to go to the park or play Wii with my family this weekend. Those were my troubles.

*******************************************************

Fast forward a week. I asked her at bedtime if she been to the counselor again this week.

Isabella: No. Now we are only allowed to go if we have problems. We can't go to her and just talk about our day. So, now only the kids that have problems can go to her office.

Counselor chat nipped in the bud. Just like that. Oh Counselor! I knew thee so shortly, and had such hopes. Where will my child now find answers to her dear troubles?

Countdown!

2011-10-08T14:33:00.004-04:00

Halloooo! I got my act together and finished this little cutie before the start of October. I have wanted to make a Countdown calendar for two years now, but it requires: 1. making it, and 2. making it before the 1st of October. You see the dilemma.

If I were a craft blogger, I would have photographed the steps taken. But that requires: 1. photo skillz, and 2. remembering to photograph each step.

Oh, have I none? I have none.

The good news, oh there's always good news... Rather than painting an old crusty cookie sheet, I used a shiny new IKEA one - and hey! Red! Love it! Plus? Everything on this is magnetized, so I can remove it all and use the red cookie sheet for... wait for it... a Christmas Countdown calendar as well. Oh, you want one, right? I know. Me too. I better get right on that.

I spent a few mornings of my Phoenix-free time making these magnets, and while it was soothing and enjoyable to me, there are quicker ways to go. Halloween stickers, number stickers, card stock, a sheet of magnets, and presto change-o - cool magnets! I am part owner of a Cricut, so I used that to cut out the branches and some numbers and other shapes, but most of the stickers and sparkly papers were from the Target dollar bins and craft area. The kids are taking turns removing the magnets, and since I have cleaned off one. whole. side of the fridge (bonus!), there is a place to put them, where we can still enjoy these fun cuties.

And that, my friends, is one of the only things I've gotten done this month. Yes. Scary, isn't it? I am spooked myself. Traci I know you are proud... you are the reason! And you knew I would find a shortcut to painting an old pan! :) clickit here to see Traci's awesome calendar.

To Care or Not to Care

2011-10-06T12:08:00.004-04:00

What is this word, to care?

I hear it a lot around here. Only it is reversed, turned into a nonchalant, breezy rejection.

Thank you Phoenix. You have taught us that we care too much about too many things.

We should take your advice, and dial back the caring.

Isabella: It's OUR room! Get out! You're making a mess!

Phoenix, easy, breezy: I can't care it's your room. I can't care about a mess.

Cole: Phoenix! Stop hitting me with that bat!

Phoenix, nonchalantly: I can't care I'm hitting you. I can't care it's your bat.

He has been through so many names already, right? Mr. Big, Todzilla, Noonie...

And now I add a new one. Kookaburra. From the song, only he does not sit in a tree, though he does demand Save More For Me! It has a nice ring, as in, hey you little kookaburra, stop throwing shoes!

He throws his head back and laughs maniacally. He is boy, he is Kookaburra, and I may stow him away in the top of a gum tree if I can ever find one. Just to keep him safe, you know.

Safe from the Mommy who wants to stop all of his kookaburra-ing, wild antics and hear him from the distance of a tall tree some days.

Mommy: Phoenix, stop pestering everyone. Find a hobby, because this is not it.

Phoenix, pointing a sassy finger: Pester! Pester! I'm sure pestering. I'm sure gonna get those kids. I tell you! I tell YOU I'm getting them!

It is his world, that bold Kookaburra, and we better just do what he wants, so no one gets hurt.

Cause when the Kookaburra goes all Cuckoo, no one escapes unscathed...

I've been away, and out of the blog zone. Blame it on the Kookaburra. No, seriously. It's all him. I'll get my fall routine going and be back!

The Scariest Scarecrow

2011-09-30T09:25:00.003-04:00

It was staked in the yard when I came home last weekend.

A shimmery black suit with glowing green bones. A skull mask leering from the top of the stake.

The kids had been busy, prepping for Halloween. They danced around it, showing off their newspaper-stuffing skills. They bounced up and down, delighted at scrounging through the garage to find a stake.

It was creepy and spooky and all the things that kids love in October.

***************************************************

Hours later, I peered out from the front door. I gasped. I shivered with a strong creepy feeling, when I glimpsed the back of that staked scarecrow.

I marched out and pulled that stake right out of the ground.

What did my eyes spy?

The stake, oh the stake... (shivers!) it had the hospital-issue "It's a Boy" sign on the back.

And never a scarier sight had my eyes spied!

Just. the. thought! I quake in my boots! My eyes, my eyes!

And that was the Scariest Scarecrow Ever.

My Friend

2011-09-28T08:36:00.003-04:00

My friend, she listens and talks

Talks and listens

Sharing, filling in, laughing

Marveling

A joke about parenthood, the trials of four

It pokes our funny bones

Spectacularly and darkly amusing

She knows cuckoo

and thinks I am not it

Or maybe only a bit, in the most comforting way

A world without the cuckoo would be

a world in which the mystery had gone

And nobody wants a sure thing.

My friend has clear eyes

and I look into them fearlessly

Knowing what I see

and not minding what she sees

There may be surprises but not disappointment

never that

For what lies inside we have always known

Though the current and present reminders are

ever

and always

a Joy.

with love

9/28/11

The Counselor

2011-09-19T15:47:00.002-04:00

My interest was caught midway through her story. She likes to sit nearby when she gets home from school, and spin tales about her day, telling me all the small happenings and big news from her new class. I listen, albeit with partial attention, because multi-tasking is a method of survival around here. (I often wonder if I am capable of giving my singleminded full attention to any one thing, anymore.)

When my attention sprang into action, it was at the phrase "...and so I put a note in her mailbox."

Me: Back up sweetie, what mailbox, and to whom did it belong? (like I really talk that way)

Isabella: The school counselor. She comes by our class, and she said if we have anything we need to talk about, we can write a note and put it in her little blue mailbox. So I wrote her a note.

Me: Aha. What did you need to talk about? What did your note say? (please not anything weird, please not anything wacky) (Excuse my panic, but Isabella once told a friend this little tidbit "My Mommy and Daddy always shower together." Given that I had a 5 year old, 3 year old twins, and was 6 months pregnant at the time... well, that was a large bit of fabrication, right? I tell you, the girl must be supervised, when she is in a confiding mood.)

Isabella: Well, my note said "I miss Jadyn."

Me: (with great relief and shiny eyes) Oh. Oh. You sweetheart, I'm so sorry you are lonely for Jadyn. What did the counselor tell you? (Both of the girls have been doing great in separate classes, and were *to my unskilled knowledge* doing fine. :))

Isabella: She told me to come talk to her when I felt lonely.

Me: Hmm. That sounds good.

And that concluded episode one of Counselor Talk.

Two days later, she was back with more news.

Isabella: I went to talk with the counselor today. I put a note in her box again, and she called me to come talk to her.

Me: Oh, how 'bout that. What did you talk about?

Isabella: My note said "I am having trouble with subtraction." And the counselor said that we could work on it together.

Me: You and I? She said you needed to work on it more at home? (giggly and slightly confused, since again to my *unskilled knowledge* math is going fine.)

Isabella: No, she meant her. She said she could work on subtraction with me. In her office.

At this point a small lightbulb went off in my head. Yes, yes, accompanied by a guilty feeling for the children who actually need the counselor's help. But the lightbulb, as you parents with children who have the Dreaded Homework each night know... (and don't even get me started on juggling this hot four-headed mess during HW time.)

Well. Let's just say that this counselor may become my new best friend.

*cough cough*

I mean Isabella's New. Best. Friend.

I'd say they are already on their way, right? And what's a little HW help between friends!

Are you with me?

Done

2011-09-16T18:32:00.003-04:00

Done

What do we do when the doin' is done?

And silence falls

A moment for thought

Feeling

What do we think when the thinkin' is all thought out?

Nothing is solved

And walking is the only way

Forward on and on, this path might not be familiar

but it is mine.

There might not be answers to think or thunk or thank, god bless me

But I can walk.

What do we do when the feelin' is felt?

Soak it in, wring it out, wiggle each finger and toe

free of tension

On into freedom

And keep walkin'

This is our way, we humans

Doing, thinking, feeling and ultimately

Moving on.

In and over and through whatever this plain brings

And I can feel in my blood

the movement

the rush

The spirit that threads through

Tying pretty little bows around each of us

and linking those bows

every which way and every what way

And that is friendship.

Spiritual ribbons in all the colors of the rainbow.

...on a crisp September eve...

9/16/11

That Festival Again

2011-09-10T08:44:00.006-04:00

It's that time... Time for the Yellow Daisy Festival at Stone Mountain Park!

And as we have over the years, my friend Traci and I met up to browse the arts and crafts and enjoy a rare visit together. Living on different sides of the ATL can seem so far apart...

No, not literally, but in reality? Life gets in the way, and don't we know how life changes once small people are in the picture.

So we welcomed a morning to catch up, and check out great art. Perhaps find a little treasure or two to smuggle home...

In an odd convergence of memory and place, I can recall just about every purchase that Traci and I have made at the Festival over the years. Passing by the vendors that return every year is like a sweet walk down a bumpy, tree-root-ridden memory lane.

T, you bought some dried flowers there, right? Look, those earrings again, I saw her at the Roswell show. Pottery in Internet Blue, that's still our favorite shade... Ohhh! It's those pendant necklaces, I have been looking at those for 3 years now... How many years have we seen that booth? Well, that must be the new thing - there are three booths with custom frames. What are these? Oh - vintage post office box safes. Hmm. Interesting. Wot? Is she doing hair using pipe cleaners? Huh? (That's affirmative.) Ohhh. these are always so beautiful, these birdhouses. The tinted tin roofs, and all the detail!

And on and on it goes, our running festival commentary interspersed with family happenings and exclamations of delight at some newly spotted treasure. Or some treasure that we have been eye-balling for awhile - glass-encased pendants anyone? Three years was long enough. It was time to take the plunge. A bird on one side and... a tree on the other! I was sunk.

I will have you around my neck, my pretty...

All the while, I offer my usual reasoning for a necklace or earring purchase: I wear them every day! With this short hair, I have to have a little decoration. I *only* have 4 tree pendants, and none of them are red...

It's a foregone conclusion, but we must pay homage to the tradition of demurring and declining. Somehow it makes the treasure that much sweeter.

Here's to sweet friends, little treasures and weekend festivals.

Happy weekend internetz...

And if you're local, stop by the festival. Pick up a vintage PO Box safe. Interesting, they certainly are. Selling quickly, they are not.

Unlikely friendships

2011-09-08T09:38:00.004-04:00

This was the challenge, and the subject: to write a short essay on your most unlikely friend. I took the challenge, chose my subject and submitted the essay.

Alas! I was a no go for the finalists.

So now I am free to do what I want with my short piece, and I want to share it with my bloggy friends. Meet my friend Louise...

Louise

Being friends with Louise is like coming home.
She is the one kin to a favorite sweater, the one you shrug on whenever you have a chill or are craving coziness. She says she has known me since I was a baby - I say we knew each other in worlds before this one.

Effortless companion, giving quiet support - she is graced with a sudden spark of feistiness that makes me grin every time. Recently, months have gone by between conversations. Yet hearing her voice, the smile lighting her words and imagining her in familiar surroundings, it’s like only a moment has passed.

I wonder if this connection was sparked by circumstance, that we came together as I was falling apart and searching for myself. I was a teenager, parents just divorced, carrying the arrogance of my age with all the cluelessness that coincides. Woman-child in need of a safe haven. She had a knack for gathering in wounded souls, and providing a foundation of spiritual solidity and simple needs. I opened up little by little, in her kitchen, as we prepared food and cleaned counters. Though I surely learned many things from her, she was first my friend.

Years have crept by and still, we turn to each other when there are tragedies, family happenings or just plain longings to see each other. Now and then I chuckle, thinking of the fact that Louise is nearly 50 years older than I am - and yet somehow there is not a year between my timeless friend and I.

*************************************************

There were nine finalists chosen, and I like four of their stories: Sandi, Nancy, Shelly and Stacey. Click on over to read about other Unlikely Friends!

Friday Morning Review

2011-09-02T09:21:00.002-04:00

The silence is deafening. It is literally so quiet, I can hear the quiet.

Child Four has started his first week of preschool, and I am alone in the house.

Alone. In the quiet.

And as a friend pointed out, it is the first time in ten years that preschool has begun, and I have only my beating heart in the room. When Cole turned three and started preschool, I was pregnant with twins. When the girls turned three and started preschool, Phoenix was 3 months old.

And now, it is just me and my beating heart.

I cannot decide what to tackle first: household organizing that has been put off... ditto for deep cleaning... the Honey-Do list... enjoying the silence and accomplishing absolutely nothing... or blogging. Oh! You've guessed what I decided on? :)

I could hardly start cleaning, since I have already put on heels and a dress for a lunch date with my Rickey. And dangle-y earrings. Maybe a dab of perfume. Girls, we are worlds away from flip flops, cargo shorts & a tank top on this Friday!

*************************************************************

Excitement is in the air, but it's not all about lunch dates and the start of preschool. Rabid Auburn fans are gearing up for the first game, which is tomorrow, and which the Lear brood will be attending. As Phoenix says (pom-pons shaking at 6am) Go War Eagle!

Rick has turned them all into mini-fans, and I am along for the ride. (My alma mater does not have a football team, so my team spirit is dormant. :))

It's our first game with the whole crew, and.... Go War Eagle is all I can say. :)

Happy weekend friends!

After the storm

2011-08-28T08:51:00.002-04:00

I know, it is still raging on. And I know GA certainly didn't get any wind or rain - hot sunny skies stayed in place here. But I stayed on the phone with my Mom yesterday, on and off until the night, as she rode out the hurricane in her little house in eastern NC. Washington is on the Pamlico, and the only time our region is on the national news continually is when there is a weather-related disaster.

The stress of 12 hours of pounding wind and rain, ouch.

The disbelief and giggling at Mom's storm-capades, good grief.

At the point where winds were {only} 60 mph, and rain was falling in thick sheets, here is the conversation that took place:

Me: How is everything, Mom?

Mom: I just came back inside!

Me: What?! What in the world!

Mom: I just went outside in my bathing suit! I had to move my guinea chicks to a better shelter. They were getting too wet. And the hens were cackling, so I tried to corral them against the garage. There are branches down all down the lane, and I figured whatever was going to fall had already fallen...

Me: Mom, Mom, Mom... stay inside. Those chickens will be fine.

Mom: Jeremy's right next door, if anything happened.

Me (in my head): How will he KNOW anything happened to you?! He is not expecting you to be shepherding your fowl flock in a hurricane!

This is what happens when children grow up and move away. Mothers then mother creatures. And gallivant in tropical storm conditions in their swimsuits, moving eleven guinea chicks to a shelter that is (not) impervious to pounding rain. I wonder if she wore her Roxy hot pants swimsuit, or her bustier and swim skirt?

Anyway, the family is safe, and it is now a hot sunny day in eastern NC. Clean-up can begin. Dozens of trees are down on her property, and chainsaws will soon be buzzing.

I am eagerly awaiting any more Storm News from my LDub friends... (Susan! Hope the power comes on soon so you can post!)

In the Fall

2011-08-23T10:13:00.002-04:00

In the fall

there is the angst we feel in our own way

Is it muscle memory

Is it our instincts

That pull and fret and cannot settle?

Energy and purpose appear in the guise of projects

Schedules

Projections

and an array of attempts to calm

and quell the beast.

In the almost fall

there is heat from the sky and chill from the earth

for the humans

to remark over.

To relate to the angst

and blame for the tug.

The minuscule change in the air

has us raising our noses, scenting the change

As though woodsmoke and frost were blowing our way

In the fall

as the cycle brings dormancy

to some living things

Others stumble out, eyes blinking,

and prepare to live

To create and drive purpose up the winding road

and straight into the arms of

success.

8/23/11

Math by Jadyn

2011-08-19T08:39:00.010-04:00

Hi friends!

On the last day of the first week of school, here's the run-down. It has been a (mostly) good week. Cole is happy with his 5th grade class, and has no complaints. The girls are in separate classes for the first time, and have adapted marvelously, despite my worrying and fretting. Yay, that. But, given the unfortunate (unforeseen? really?) situation of reduced enrollment, Isabella's 1st grade teacher was let go on Thursday (eek!!!), and Isabella was assigned a new class. Today. Getting to do the first day all over again in one week? Not fun. But she was calm getting on the bus, and so I will hope for the best. First grade, you heartbreaker!

Jadyn is having a great week, according to her teacher. I am delighted - and I am also beginning to think Jadyn's teacher will have an interesting year. I wish her the best of luck. Let me share exhibit A with you so you share the feeling.

The class was given a math pre-test, just for an assessment. Here is the last problem, indicative of how Jadyn does or does not think in typical math expressions.

Exhibit A:

Problem 7 with an apparently unrelated drawing, and a corrected answer, and a question mark.

Exhibit B: Upon closer review of the smiling girl picture...

We find that the drawing is of the aforementioned Mia, and she is indeed holding exactly ten pennies, and is accompanied by a discreet, yet correct number "10" in the bottom corner.

Clearly the salient information is that there was once a girl, and she had some money. And she was happy about it. How much money did she have? Exactly the amount she was supposed to have. Take that, Mrs C! And take my best wishes for the year!

As for the sultan of the household? If wearing my apron will make him happy (please, please), then he may wear it. One more week home alone with Mommy, one more week, you tiny terrorist. At our house, we sail through the terrible two's and slam into the tormenting three's.

Have a wonderful weekend, and I'll be back to tell you about my latest reading recommendation... I've been busy soaking in a new series and staying up late to read! Whee...

Happy Friday!

School Days are here again!

2011-08-15T09:25:00.006-04:00

You knew it was coming... the First Day Back Post...

But - Phoenix has honed in on the fact that he is alone with me and I am (supposedly) at his beck and call. He has demanded 3 drinks already, and generally acted like a little sultan all morning.

Master Phoenix has 2 weeks until his preschool starts.

But back to the quieter aura of our home - ahhh... the bittersweet beginning of school. I had to hustle my brain into lunch-making, backpack-loading, hair-brushing mode at 6:15 and it was a struggle.

The kids were not struggling. They were acting like it was Field Day, and they were all competing for most words spoken in a minute, and most tangled feet stepping on mine, and most times aforesaid lunch-making and bag-packing could be interrupted for me to judge Field Day in my kitchen. And that was before Phoenix came roaring down the stairs - literally. He was in T-Rex mode.

Holy something or other, it was like a litter of puppies in there!

But we untangled them all, made it to the bus in good time, and scored our yearly ritual Bus Stop photos.

Let's move the First Day jitters out front.

Make sure the neighbors are up in time for work. Sorry, no mercy!

Field Day on the new bench! Everybody up!

Spare a moment of love for the twinsies, and their first year being in separate classes...

Now back to corralling the ego of the young sultan...

Happy Monday!

Cole's Eye

2011-08-12T19:19:00.005-04:00

Cole took my old camera on the boat ride, and here is what he saw:

He is off to 5th grade on Monday, that Cole.

The Last Splash all over again

2011-08-12T10:20:00.002-04:00

*This is The Post That Couldn't Get Posted. I have been trying for 3 days, but blogger and life keep intervening! Good grief. It's just a boat ride! :)

With a week to go before school, we took another field trip last Friday to nearby Lake Lanier. Lots of lake time for the Lears, right? It's confusing to Phoenix. He was expecting to pull up at his grandmother's NC lake at any moment. Then he expected the boat to drive into her lake at any moment. Apparently HE doesn't recall the nine hour drive that is seared into MY brain.

Anyway, off we went on the pontoon rental for what is becoming our sweet tradition of goodbye to summer. Last year Phoenix did not get (was not allowed:)) to go, so this was Big Fun for him, and he did not stop talking the entire time. Except when he slept, briefly.

Now, I do realize that almost every post of the past month has included my children jumping off of something into some sort of water. Why?! Is it because jumping into water is so much fun for them? Or such a trick for me, getting that just-right shot? I think it's because you never know what you're going to get. Like this one for example. I could not possibly have set this up.

Or this.

Phoenix, turn the wheel that way.

Go sit down, Dad. It's my turn.

And there's Isabella, happily tubing, as this driving dilemma goes on.

I had a few more pics to show, but again, blogger is refusing me. So I am moving on! To be continued another day...

Happy Friday friends!

Family manifesto on a rainy day

2011-08-04T09:36:00.002-04:00

We've got a good thing going here.

Wrapped up in our healthy sweet family, moving along in this world.

Taking nothing for granted, grateful for blessings.

Grateful for friends of every sort, the ones in our daily life and those we only wish could be.

It is never simple, we are too human for that. Too tangled and flawed and sincere in our attempts at building relationships.

But we walk with purpose, with a family mantra of unity, integrity.

Striving for constancy, love - can we reach family utopia?

Well. It is worth every effort.

I remember and take to heart the words from my father:

Do not allow others to disturb your peace.

Like water off a duck's back, walk on.

He sounded at once like a seer and cliche-spouter, in an endearing way. Profound yet earthy.

I did not know then that disturbance comes in many forms.

Yet we shift and huddle closer, consolidating our ranks, protecting our peace.

I guess that part is instinctive when ripples come in from life around us.

Like fur on a cat's back, we warn: come no closer if you bear ill will.

Like a contented purr we welcome: come in! feast and be merry with us!

If we can unite in our purpose, if we can move as one in this journey, oh the reward.

Worm on Your Shoulder

2011-08-03T20:14:00.006-04:00

These are my favorites from the week. Phoenix took to Uncle Jeremy in a blink, and from then on we were all just scenery.

"Where's Deremy? When's Deremy coming over here?"

"Deremy!!! Hey dude!! Haha! I'm gonna get that guy."

This was the daily drill, wherever we were. You know Phoenix's fondness for yours truly, and for holding my hand - and yet when Jeremy was around? He didn't want to sit with me, he wanted to sit beside his New Best Friend. Oh, the angels sang.

On this day, it was the end of our joyous lake party. Jeremy showed up after work, all set to relax. Despite Phoenix's attempts to lure "Deremy" to swim with him, there was no moving from that chair.

So Phoenix brought the entertainment to him.

A worm from the bait tub.

Worm on your arm...

Worm on your shoulder...

Worm in your mouth! Hahahaha!

Deremy's my best friend in the whole wide world, Mom...

I love my baby brother.

Lilliput and the Lake, Day Three

2011-08-02T16:40:00.006-04:00

And on the third day, we had a lake party! I have very few friends I am still in touch with from high school, so it is a rare treat to spend time with them. One of the downsides to moving 7 times across three states, and settling in 9 hours from the hometown - long-distance friendships. (boo....) Upside to trips home, mutual friends and blogging? New friendships in the hometown! (Hi Susan!)

The grand total of munchkins that day? Eleven. And all but the three littlest were lining up to do tricks and jumps off the pier. The day held all the fun we needed:

Swan flop by Cole

Fishing, and fish-watching

(see the sliver of white in the water? It's a sand bar.)

Kayaking

And last but not least, the area in which grandmothers excel: snuggling. Mom gets extra points for this one, because it was 97 degrees out. That is love... She started calling Isabella "Wallowby" because of all the lap-sitting and wallowing that child does.

And who do we have to thank for all of this family bounty of nature?

My grandparents, Joan and Jehu. Who would have guessed that, 30 years ago when my grandfather leased this useless field to a company that wanted the sand, a freshwater spring would be underneath? Out of the original 97 acres of farmland he first owned, this was the little field that was chosen. The others were producing tobacco, corn or soybeans. What luck, to find this kind of beauty in an otherwise ordinary area of flat fields and pine trees. I think I rattled on about this to any and all last week... how there was only a sliver of a blue pond when I was a teenager, surrounded by mounds of beautiful white sand. It was special then, and it is precious now. My grandparents have passed on, but they laid the groundwork for a fantastic family place.

And it's only extreme luck that it lies right in my Mom's back yard, giving us something to look forward to at each visit. Day Three, that's a wrap.

We went back to Lilliput replete with sun, sand, wind and friendship.

Day Two: About Town

2011-08-01T19:49:00.011-04:00

Whew. I am sorry for the multiple typos from day one! If you get it again in your Reader, it is because I could not stand leaving it with missing words and such. Je suis desolee!

On Day Two, we were left to our own devices, because my Mom had appointments she could not reschedule. Custom draperies wait for no man! Or grandchild. Heh.

And after rattling around Lilliput Cottage until 8:30am, it was time to get out and see the town. Namely, the playgrounds of the town. We were due to visit my grandmother, but not until 10am. She is in her eighties, and rises and readies much later than she used to. So we had a few hours to kill, and it was not yet 97 out... so off we went.

Here is Lilliput "College" in all its one bedroom sweetness...

First we headed to Havens Gardens. The classic Washington playground shot - the giant wheel. I do not know the why or wherefore of this wheel, I only know it has always been on the playground.

This park is on the Pamlico River which is slow and wide and leads out to the Sound, which leads to the beach, and the NC Outer Banks. We are just over an hour from the beach.

Phoenix found delight in chasing the "peacocks" (seagulls) for a while. Then we walked to the pier, where there were 7 people crabbing, with their packages of chicken parts and their strings tied all along the rail. "Don't touch the lines. Don't touch the lines." Who do you think touched the lines? No crabs were netted while we were on that pier, so I hustled the brood along. Whether it was livelihood or dinner they were pulling out, we did not need to interfere any longer.

The next stop in our tour was Washington Park playground. My grandfather and father grew up in this beautiful neighborhood along the river. In fact, they lived side by side on Isabella Ave, and my Isabella was delighted to see her name on the sign. My dad grew up next to his grandparents, and my grandmother has always said that was why he was so spoiled. Her mother-in-law would hear her if she ever fussed at him, and would call out the window: Send Floyd over! He's not misbehavin'!

The rest is history. But it is sweet to see the brick bungalows side by side, the upstairs room where my dad grew up, and the neighborhood the same as ever.

At the park in Washington Park {For Residents Only}, the slide is the piece de resistance. My kids declared it the coolest ever, and we didn't even have wax paper to slide on. I don't even know how many years it has been there.
After this grand park tour, we finally made it to my grandmother's. Mamaw is my Dad's Mom, and is a sweet southern lady. She hangs in there with all of her health issues, tells me she is on her way out, but sticks around for every visit. This day the Big Deal was Benny. Benny the Labra-Doodle loves to jump in the air, catch toys and snuggle with kids. He is an energetic sweetheart! I tried and tried to get a shot of him high in the air. But this is the best, with my Mamaw. She shows him off like he is her baby, throwing the ball for him and letting him lunge right at her.

Her daughter, my Aunt Linda, was also visiting, so we had a fun few hours catching up. Aunt Linda just retired from teaching elementary school, so she took the kids and Benny out to play and kept them all entertained. XO!

Next up is more time at Lilliput and the Lake... I hope my Mom is enjoying this travelogue! Wink, wink....

Day One at Lilliput and the Lake

2011-07-31T11:08:00.010-04:00

Doesn't that sound like an adventure? Lilliput and the Lake. The first stop upon decamping from the van: guinea chicks in the garage. They have to be kept safe and sound for the first months, because the wide world is a dangerous place for chicks.

They are quick as lightning, and can fly already at 3 weeks old.
So you can't let even one wing free, or they Take Off!
Which does not make for much of a view of a guinea chick. This one is an anomaly - it is light gray, while the typical color is dark.
Next up: playing ball with Gulliver. Or, as Phoenix calls him, Goal Over. (See that ditch between the crops and yard? Copperhead station! Dun-dun-duuunnnn... That's where the guinea nest was hiding.)

Ready Gulliver?

Go get it!

Now sit still for a snuggle. But slink away when I bring out the camera. He doesn't like papparazzi. But Isabella, our Dog Whisperer has a friend for life. She sits still and gently strokes and soothes every dog in the neighborhood.

At the end of the day we walked back to the lake. There were ducks to feed, Redneck and Mo-Squawk. There were koi fish to marvel over - "Cool" fish, thank you Phoenix. There was an adult-size treehouse to clamber into. It was misty and overcast, and just right for wandering around.

The kids stomped out onto the dock, and like creatures from the deep, the koi slowly swirled into sight. We were enraptured. The first ones were brought to the lake over ten years ago by my grandmother, who had special-ordered them. They are all nearly two feet long, with color patterns in orange and white, and grey and white. Plus one frilly koi with ruffly fins.

They are so graceful and peaceful. And somehow, the kids were not bothered at all by the knowledge that they would later be swimming in the same water with those "giants."

A wonder.

Home again hippity hop

2011-07-30T19:55:00.005-04:00

Ah, how I wish it was only a hippity hop. That is one long ride from Atlanta to eastern NC to Atlanta. It was my first solo trip with the brood, and it was fine, but challenging. Let's move on. :)

So! Like a bullet, the zippy blue van took us on a journey to Washington NC!

A journey full of wonder: dogs, cats, guinea chicks, a snake, gnats, geese, ducks, "cool" fish (koi) and more dogs. These children rated their days by how awesome the critters were, wherever we visited. Well, and the other kids they played with too, of course.

Since I'm still recovering from the drive (oh, that drive), I will start with a quick look at Pet Number One: the kitty Felix, and my bro Isaiah's. We stopped overnight in both directions, since he lives near Charlotte, the halfway point of our trek. He has a Dog and a Cat and a fridge full of juice and bottled water. Oh yeah, and a candy jar. Delighted nieces and nephews, yes, they were.

Hi Felix! I like how you nipped at their hands when you were all done being snuggled. And then hid in the tree. They l-o-v-e-d you, and want a kitty now. Thanks Felix.

Let's play grab your toe, Uncle Zayah.

Hahaha, that's so funny! (actually, it was)

Thanks Zay! We couldn't have done it without stopping in to play and visit with you.

Next up, our first day at Lilliput "College" as Jadyn calls my Mom's little house. It will involve many creatures. Be there.

Night night...

Friday review

2011-07-23T13:22:00.003-04:00

We have wrapped up two weeks of swim lessons, and it's time for the Friday review. Well, I suppose it has morphed into the Saturday review. I have started 2 posts this week that then went by the wayside. Life interrupted, that's my motto. How many tasks and conversations are begun and never ended? That many.

The highlight of swim lessons for Cole, is the end of each lesson. Two turns jumping off the high dive. Cannonball!
And the respectable splash caught on camera, so he could grin at himself.

This is a Big Deal for Jadyn - jumping off the medium diving board.

(Mommy, I'm scared, but I'm doing it anyway.)

And a Big Deal for Isabella, jumping (stepping, really) off the medium board. Not a word from her, just a resolute look on her little face.

Since the girls were both late bloomers when it comes to swimming, this year was a relief. They didn't flinch at any of the instructions, and both followed the instructor's directions. They are good little swimmers now, and not a tear to be seen. Hallelujah.

Here's your obligatory Phoenix update. He has been practicing his faces.

Sad face...

Scampy face...

Better-watch-out-mommy face.

Monday we head to NC for the grandmother visit, so it's countdown time! Woot, woot!

Summer project(s)

2011-07-15T09:54:00.004-04:00

Good morning and a happy Friday to to all...

I have been working on two projects, one big and one small. The small one is something I am taking to my Mom, so it is a surprise. But I will show you one small corner, like those puzzle games, and you will say Oh la la! We had another girls' night out at the painting place...

And this little sweetie will be going to live at Lilliput Cottage with Mom. Admittedly, she is not a guinea hen, but... Mom also has two white hens residing at the farm. They are named Hickadee (thank you Phoenix) and Carlita (thank you Isabella).

As for the large project, it has been my nemesis for a while. I almost wanted to get rid of it, just because it was tired and worn out. But it is so useful, because it holds all of the kids' art supplies, summer workbooks, paper and coloring books. It is part of a dining set that belonged to Rick's aunt: we used the table until it got broken on our 7th move, and we are still using the chairs, though I have painted them black. So it has a history, and just needed some tlc. Summer mojo to the rescue! Add a little inspiration from Nadeau, and the beautiful way they re-vamp older pieces, and voila!

Before...

And after...

Have a good weekend!

Catching up

2011-07-14T20:14:00.005-04:00

I've been away from my desk this week, kids.

Phoenix was at a VBS camp each morning, and the big kids had swim lessons.

So although I was running around hither and yon, I was doing it with one less child, and some days that makes all the difference. Particularly when it is a Loud Boy Child that has been off-loaded for a few mornings. Now, this year you might note that the VBS class was a legitimate class for 3 year olds, and you may also note that it was NOT at the church where I previously committed an inadvertent VBS felony. Or something.

Speaking of which, can you believe that in a church the size of that one, with SIX entrances and exits, every time I walk in that building I bump into my girls' former teacher, from the vigilante year? It is just weird. Hundreds of people, maybe even a thousand attend there. And each time I see her and wish I could fall through the floor, she grins and waves like we are at a reunion. Good grief.

But never fear, in a metro area such as this there are always other VBS locations that have not heard our fair name, nor met our brood. And Phoenix just tried one out. It will do nicely for next year, just nicely.

*************************************************

In other family news, the big kids are one week into their life lesson of being strong swimmers. Life lessons, that is what the swimming instructor calls them. I picked up on it, and have repeated it every day. Character-building, that is my other term. One can never be TOO good of a swimmer, right? Though after 3 years of lessons, my kids are questioning this. And asking about next year. I remain noncommittal.

See you soon...

The Sincerest Form

2011-07-10T16:33:00.006-04:00

Here is your flattery shot of the week. Phoenix is bound and determined to Be Like Daddy. I promise Daddy does not own a pink mower. But he does mow without a shirt. And that is classified. Unless you live nearby. He has his own fan club. Kind of not kidding.

Phoenix and Daddy have been working on a project with their "bangers." It will be finished soon, and is very exciting to us. One more piece of our DIY puzzle.
Phoenix also likes to imitate the girls, and on this day has let Jadyn dress him up. Suddenly his surfer cut looked like a bob. Uh-oh. But he still roared and threw things at everyone, so he did not make a very sweet girl. It did not last long. But it makes me giggle.

PS For the friends that felt a little bad for the snake in Birdadette's Birthing - my brother and mother have 4 dogs that live on the land, as well as numerous hens and chicks. Copperhead venom is fatal for many pets, and this was a 3 ft snake, so...

This took place within 10 feet of the house, where my brood will be visiting in 2 weeks, and there are often small children and cousins around the fields. Otherwise? They are very live-and-let-live kind of people. In fact in the midst of telling this story, Mom made it clear that they see plenty of harmless snakes all the time, and they "like" them. This is the woman that found snake eggs and the mama in her mulch pile and moved them elsewhere! No offense intended by the demise... :)

Birdadette's Birthing

2011-07-08T09:33:00.004-04:00

Good Morning all!

I am a little revived and have a little story for you.

All it took was one call from my Mama, and her request that I write about it... and bam!

Now if you are not up to speed on Mama and her hobby, check out my earlier post. Charmingly and alluringly entitled Mama and the Poultry Palace, it will get you up to speed.

Ready? OK.

The moment Mom heard we would be coming back for a longer visit, she started speculating about her hens, and whether or not they were tending their nests, and whether or not the kids might get to enjoy guinea babies during our visit. And this morning I got the call.

Mom is a proud parent of 10 newborn guinea chicks, that she has rescued from the jaws of death!

She awoke this morning to much squawking and screeching from Birdadette, who had been nesting in a nearby ditch. Daring to hope the chickadees had hatched, Mom hurried over to check on them and get them incubated. She saw the freshly-hatched chicks, and the irate mother hen and hurriedly gathered the babies into a basket. As she set them up under a heat lamp, she heard the mother still squawking and making a scene. Mom hurried back to the ditch, only to come nose to nose with a large copperhead making its way into the nest!

Guineas are known to attack snakes to protect their nests, and Birdadette had been doing her best to keep the snake away from her babies. There was one hatchling left, hidden, and it was rescued before the snake could get it.

Mom kept a gimlet eye on the snake while my brother Jeremy got his shotgun. I can attest to the size of that bugger, since he just sent me a pic - yowza!

At last sighting, Birdadette was flaring her wings back and screeching at the snake carcass, and all the male guineas had gathered around and were pecking it. Vengeance is mine, squawked the fowl.

And that's your Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom tale of the week.

On a lighter note - yay! Baby guineas! The kids are so excited...

Answers and Meanings

2011-07-07T19:56:00.004-04:00

Sometimes the answers to those life mysteries are simple: fluke. ant poison. done deal. Thank you for your appreciation of the mysteries! I had to pop in and reassure ya'll (yes, I am tired, I will not repress the accent) that the ants did not on fact carry me away. It was a close thing. Even now, I hesitate before saying they are almost all gone. Please please please don't jinx me.

Now I am here, and lo I am weary tonight. This summer fun thing is kicking me. I get that the meaning of summer for children is Fun! Ultimate Fun! Fun Every Day from dawn to dark! And I have truly tried to keep us moving and funning. Even though for Moms the meaning of summer is No More 6am wake-up! No More packing lunches! No More 6am wake-up! (If we're lucky :))

But I will tell you right here and now that you can pack 12 straight hours of awesome fun into a child's day and at the 13th hour when you sit down for a minute, they will ask you "What are we doing today? Can't we go somewhere fun?"

Hence the lo and the weary. I called my Mom and said we are coming to visit for a month, and what I meant was "can I drop them off for a month?" And she only hesitated a moment before saying "Come on! Stay as long as you want!" Bear in mind that her little cottage is a one bedroom, one bath... and I'm not sure I will be the one getting the bed. But we will go in 3 weeks (hurray!) and we will stay a few days. (Hi friends!) And I will hope that she greets the van as she has done before: with her Camp Lilliput t-shirt on, a whistle round her neck, and a clipboard.

Let's go Campers!

Time for an energetic grandmother to step in and whip up some F-U-N, ultimate please.

With this thought I will leave you, before I depress even myself with my low energy.

Answers and Meanings? What a title.

Mysteries

2011-06-29T15:45:00.003-04:00

Dear Friends,

There are mysteries in life.

Like, why has a parade of ants been marching through my kitchen for 4 months? I am a pacifist. I have let them march, because they have done so each spring since we moved here. No matter what, they keep coming. Only - it has never lasted this long. And I am getting murderous. I am thinking of ant poison even though I do not like poison in general, and poison in my kitchen in particular. Until now, I believed my kitchen was on an ant ley line, some sort of magnetic trail that they had to migrate through. Like birds when they migrate, following a path to the same place year after year.

Now? I think they are here to drive me crazy and complicate my life. And make me curse in front of the children.

There are mysteries in life.

Like, why does facebook keep suggesting that I know some girl who is topless, with silver dangling pasties over her boobies? I have told facebook that I do not know her, as I made sure of it by looking through her pictures - which are open to all. No pun intended!

There are mysteries in life.

Like, this morning. My girls slept until 7:15, and Phoenix slept until 8:15. (For those who don't know, my children are all notoriously early risers.) Then, they all got up, and all at the same time were hungry for breakfast, and all wanted the same cereal. Shortly after breakfast, they loaded themselves in the car, buckled in Phoenix and said they were ready to go to the Y (for my sculpt class). When I peeked into the car, bemused and sort of delighted, they were arguing over who loved whom the most.

There are certainly mysteries in life. And after this morning, I am going out to buy a lottery ticket. Because mysteriously, this is my lucky day.

(Speaking of mysteries, I have been wrapped up in Stieg Larsson's series. What a ride! Now I am through, after sailing through all three books in a week. Kinda wish I had tried to read them more slowly... and I also wish he was still alive. The man could write!)

What I Love Today

2011-06-26T14:10:00.005-04:00

From left: Isaiah (my older brother), Me, Aaron, Lindsay, Derek (all siblings), Jeremy (my younger brother).

Photo by Joe Whichard. Nice one, Joe!

This picture makes me very happy.

We are the Watson cousins. A close group, we all grew up in Washington, NC and were churched, home-schooled and generally raised together. Two boys and a girl in each family, we are the elder Watson brothers progeny.

Little by little we all moved away, sporadically moved back, and moved away again. Now, only Aaron and Jeremy are still in our hometown, though Lindsay is back and living 20 minutes away.

Different lifestyles, long-distance travel and busy families have kept us from all getting together, as we used to do at the holidays. With my father gone, and my grandmother a laid-back matriarch, there is not the push to gather us all near and re-connect.

My brother Jeremy's wedding in April was the perfect reunion.

It has been a long time, but we have so many memories together, from so many years together...it has made me a little sentimental for those days.

In my mind's eye, I see us running wild through the woods, our family German Shepherd dogs for guardians. I see the youngest of each family, Jeremy and Derek, playing army men and running around sweaty and tough. I can hardly reconcile the adults we are today with the children we all were.

I only know that this must be what family is all about. Time and distance have separated us, and maybe we don't know the minutiae of one anothers daily lives... but it is good to be together, share small talk and soak in the moment.

This is what I love today.

Happy Sunday...

These Girls

2011-06-23T12:03:00.006-04:00

These girls... are such goofballs. When they are together, they are wide-open, full-on crazy fun. None of the silent stares or reserved mumbles that they present to the wide world.
When they are together, they are each Herself, they are who I think of them as, separate and together. And it is a funny thing.
As one friend insightfully put it, they choose only to answer to each other. It is their little world, and we are all impostors. Rick and I have watched this for 6 years, trying to get inside the act with them, and know them fully. It is nearly impossible, I concede.
They are willing to let us witness their delight, and certain close friends can join in the club. But for the most part, what they see as funny IS funny, and what they proclaim as law IS their law. Not too far off from a strong sibling connection, I suppose, just deeper into sisterhood and yet more into twin-hood. They know each other's weaknesses and allow for it, confiding all and telling me what they choose. The tip of the iceberg.

As a consequence, they have many names. Frick and Frack, The Two-headed Sister, Thing 1 and Thing 2. We roll our eyes and secretly chuckle, in appreciation and wonderment, continual confusion, and true helplessness. They do as they please, and we can hope to steer them in the right direction, and hope that they will give an inch. But that remains to be seen.

And yet in the night-time, when we check in before bed, all the noise has melted away, any daily frustration has softened, and this is what we see. An empty bed across the room. A snuggle for the one afraid of the dark. Love, pure and simple.

It is a beautiful thing.

Father, Father, let's celebrate a Father!

2011-06-17T16:43:00.010-04:00

It is time to celebrate Father's Day, and I know just the Dad to highlight...:)

He is the one who brushes and dries his daughters' hair, as though they were in a city salon.

He is the one who practices baseball skills with his son, after perusing books and websites, so they can be the best possible.

He is the one who holds the baby's hand, through the crib slats, until the little one drifts off to sleep.

He is the one who stays to snuggle after lights out, listening to secrets and stories of the day.

He is the one who calls when he is away, to hear their voices and connect for just a moment at the end of the day.

He is the one who mulls over their futures, and dreams of what is to come.

He is the one who knows them for what they are - cherished spirits that have come in this time and place to grace us with their presence.

They have made him a father in name, but the heart of it did not need teaching.

Happy Father's Day, Rick. We love you!

Other Days

2011-06-16T16:28:00.002-04:00

After the "some days" come the "other days" when I am smiling at you, with arms wide open. That is the beauty of blogging - we are none of us alone, when we most need a friend. Thank you for crying along with me, and for being there, even though "there" is in many instances, quite far away. It's strange for me, because I am mostly upbeat, and want to portray that in my writing. And yet... when the melancholy is on, it flows like water right onto paper.

Moving on to daily life, want to know what we did for {frugal} summer fun this week? Yesterday we went out for a soft pretzel, and walked to the nearby pet store. Just to look. There you go, that's an outing. Today we went to see Megamind at the free movie. Dollar popcorn and Icees, kids. And that's an outing. So far so good - I'm still standing!

Happy weekend friends!

We'll be at baseball again most of Saturday, for a doubleheader...

Some days

2011-06-14T17:36:00.008-04:00

There comes a time when there are certain things, certain words and tales that I want to whisper into certain ears. But those ears are gone from me, and my tales are still here, and what to do, what to do. This is one of those days.

At the funeral and wake for my Dad, I met some of his high school friends. I knew them by name, but some I had not met - even though we lived in the same town all along. Their life paths had diverged. And yet when we met, and they began to recount the glory days and tales of youth, my Dad and his athletic feats were still in their memories. These childhood friends remembered winning hits on the baseball field, phenomenal plays that stood the test of time - and had no holds barred on the extravagance of their glory. Right up Dad's alley, for sure. A little embellishment never hurt any story.

All of his life Dad was a typical sports fan. We were raised on the gospel of March madness, summer baseball and fall football. As a family we spent many a day and evening at the ball field, watching my little brother play year round sports, me kick a soccer ball, and my Dad coach some teams. And though I never really thought of it in the years since, those days have come creeping back to my memory.

For now, only now, we have our own little athlete. And most days I do not think of my Dad, or anything of importance while we are doing our own family thing at the fields. But some days, days of consequence, I wish his were the ears I could whisper to. Days like last Saturday:

Dad, you would not believe it. Cole got two home runs Saturday! First game of the summer season - it was a sight to see!

And I whoop and I cheer and I wish for a moment that things were different and life was as it should be. I watch the grandpas in their chairs, lined up along the field, and I am wistful for a minute. Because some days the ears I need are just not there.

The champ, worn out from playing in the GA heat

But we saw it, his crew of hoodlum-sounding siblings and parents hooted, and in the end, I'm sure every ear heard. Ears were ringing, that much I know. And it was all good.

The Sunday Note: Fresh Baby

2011-06-12T08:48:00.004-04:00

This one goes out to my fast, funny friend, she of the newly delivered daughter. Long-awaited, much-celebrated: fresh baby Alice.

Drink it in, it spins your head

this dizzy love

delicious smell.

You are not tainted with life

and its dirt

You are only new: newly arrived, newly alive,

Newly become

You.

Softly caress, marvel anew

Fine skin bears the lines that will come later.

Drawn-up knees, froggy curl, arms a-stiff and flailing

Curve you round mother's warm body, inside out,

you are not alone.

Fresh baby, fresh baby there is no other like you!

Every mother's heart thumps in universal delight

to recall

The first sight of a new person whose little world became the wide world

Oh those fresh baby shivers

Fresh baby smells

Your tufted crown holds the elixir of love.

With love...

6/12/11

Backtracking to a Teacher Treat

2011-06-11T13:53:00.003-04:00

In the madness that was May, with wrapping up the school year, and preparing to travel, I didn't get to share a little project I made. Cole's fourth grade year started out rocky, due to a newly-hired teacher, and her subsequent departure. I say that politely now, but I can tell you - at the time, we were upset. This teacher left suddenly in November, due to an illness (we were told), and our class stumbled along with random substitutes until mid-January. In January (after storming the Principal's office), we were given a wonderful sub named Ms. B.

She turned that class around, effective immediately, drew the best out of each student, and ended up staying the rest of the year. (The original teacher repeatedly said she was coming back, until late April, when finally the pretense was laid to rest!)

I worked each week with Ms. B., helping with reading and with the below-level students in particular. The first week, I was astounded and disappointed at the progress that had been lost during the teacher upheaval. It was depressing. For involved parents, the students would be fine, although less than stellar. For the less fortunate? They would not pass fourth grade, that much was clear.

But! By the end of the year, what had previously been three distinct groups of students, based on ability... had become an organized, disciplined class. The below-level kids were on-level, and the class as a whole had made a complete turn-around.

There is no clearer appraisal of a good teacher than this. I am such a fan of Ms. B.! I set out to show her some love.

With the help of another friend and mom from the class, we secretly requested that each student write a thank-you to Ms. B. I collected all of the letters into a mock grade report, and presented it to the teacher during the last week. It was very touching... the collection of letters made both of us cry, they were so heartfelt and generous. These kids recognized and loved what she had done for them - despite her no-nonsense attitude and tough love, and poured out their little hearts in thanking her. Mission accomplished! We hope she is hired by our school, as she took her teaching exam this spring... Thank you Ms. B!

Supplies used: one plain old manila folder, Stampin' Up papers & embellishments scrounged from a recent party, Making Memories alphabet rub-ons. Now isn't that "official" of me! :)

Safari Time again

2011-06-10T15:24:00.010-04:00

Hello and happy Friday!

Today I am sharing yet more photos, simply for laughs...

We went to the nearby GA safari again last week, and here is what we saw:

Phoenixus Screamius - loudest animal in the park

Phoenixus Shriekius, next Loudest in the Park.

We laughed so much at him - Mr. Big Talk the whole time, until one came near him! Then he would shriek and start hitting the lock button on the door.

Now you may think this next shot might be inappropriate for kids. But let me tell what I heard from the back seat:

"Mom, look, look! That little one is riding on his mommy's back!" Yes indeedy. Whee whee whee all the way home.

Bella Tiger

Safari guides Cole & Jadyn

Hissss...

These photo spots never get old for the kids. Each time is like new. :)

The End.

(Have a fun summer weekend...)

A Beachside View

2011-06-05T09:27:00.011-04:00

I popped in to see if the Sunday Creative was back in action. Alas, no. So you get another post of The Trip That Bethany Took. No gratuitous Caribbean beach pictures here. We all know what gorgeous water, palm trees and beach bum bodies look like, right? Yeah...

So you get the view of our morning walks, in which we stumbled upon a beachside cemetery.

Mere yards to the right, curving beyond the trees, is the sea...

There was something quaint and intriguing about these stones and mausoleums. The few that I could read from over the fence were from only 60 or so years ago. Many of them looked much older. The cemetery went on along the beach for more than a block, making it quite the final resting place.

And since you've been so good, you do get a Beautiful Beach shot. Here is the view from our room, overlooking the pool and beachside restaurant.

Happy Sunday friends...

In any language...

2011-06-01T18:25:00.006-04:00

...a cold one is a cold one! And in a hot, tropical climate, a cold one is somehow oh-so thirst-quenching. Which was how we found ourselves wandering into a little Italian pub in old San Juan, based on one criteria: beer special 2/$5. We had just toured the fort of El Morro, and took an ill-advised extra hike across the wide grassy hill, over to the wall. (Ill-advised as in, Rick said I don't think we should - and I said something like, well we're here, let's!) Ay ay ay. The unsexy part of the steamy Caribbean? Sweat. I will try not to mention it in every single post!

But this is what we saw across that field:

The graveyard by the sea... we have been informed by my brother Isaiah that it is where he would like to be buried. So really, I had to go and look, right? To see his future resting place, right?

And honestly, it made the long walk back uphill so l-o-n-g, that when we stumbled across the tiny Italian joint, there was no decision to be made at all.

Pizza y Birre, it is called. And pizza y birre is what we had. Absolutely scrumptious thin crust pizza with artichokes and crimini mushrooms on top, and some absolutely hit-the-spot birre from Paraguay. We couldn't leave! This was a high point of the trip, it was that good. And the beer special, well, it was most welcome. The resort area at the beach is rather pricey (as in $7 beer, $15 drinks), but the old city has delicious food and drink - and 2/$5 deals. So we ate, we drank, we took pictures in the mirror, and enjoyed the cozy atmosphere.

That Rick, he has cool ideas, inspired by frosty Paraguayan beverages.

Cheers!

The Streets

2011-05-31T13:53:00.004-04:00

I burned out today before I could get to another post. Ah, summer - it is here. :)

These streets don't need many words anyway, so take a peek at the old city of San Juan. Charming!

Historically this building was a convent. Now, it is a hotel and aptly named Hotel El Convento.

This made me laugh - Puerto Rico Drugs sits across from Walgreens.

Genuine straw hats from Ecuador, as seen on these folks, were abundant and costly. They started at 70 dollars and ranged to 150!

It is places like this that had me desperate for google. Abraham Lincoln? Wha? There was a large replica of his statue also.

Most of these shots are of residential or empty buildings. Many buildings were run-down and/or under renovation. The streets with shops are plenty, but I guess I was too busy going inside the shops to take pictures! Imagine! But it is here that San Juan's status as a long-time port city is seen. The merchandise comes from around the world, and the restaurants serve authentic food from Europe, Asia and of course the ever-present US (Pizza Hut! Chilis! BK! Starbucks! Seriously!). There are tacky-knack souvenir shops snug against top-of-the-line jewelry shops, and leather boot shops sit alongside Peruvian souvenir galleries. It was a treat to wander along the narrow sidewalks and cobblestone streets... and it is of a small enough size to become familiar with quickly. We walked across the city in 15 to 20 minutes, then turned and criss-crossed through another few streets.

Of course we stopped to sample the cerveza, on such blistering hot days, so -

Next up? Food and drink, hotels and.... the beach!

On the loose!

2011-05-30T18:03:00.014-04:00

We were on the loose last weekend.

Footloose and fancy-free, is that it? I don't know that feeling well, but it sure sat comfortably, for something new! Worries were really put aside, as apparently my Noonie (Phoenix) & Crew were Just Fine Without Me. Wot?! Whew. Wow.

And so Rick & I proceeded to enjoy the freedom and the quiet in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We marveled over the past 15 years of marriage, and 10 years of babies, and felt really justified in a little {first} time off. What took us so long, to get away for a moment? Just life. Life in its busy ways, and "later" mentality.

I don't know how many posts I will make of this, but I can tell you now, the crown jewels of San Juan are El Morro and San Cristobal - the forts on the sea. As a veteran of forts all over the eastern seaboard, I can say these were spectacular. Beautiful! My Dad, as a history and war buff, dragged us to every fort and battlefield he could. I have seen many. My gracious, many. But these? A marvel! The Spaniards did not build for utility alone. They built for function, efficiency, and by god, beauty. Why else would the arched doorways and windows draw you in, and make you gasp at the waves crashing on the rocks below? It may have been a lonely post, peering out to sea for ships coming in, but it was not without its perks. The two forts flank the ancient (over 500 years is ancient, right? In U.S. terms? :)) city of San Juan. As the park guide directed, envision all of these walls as white (from limestone), as they were when they were built.

Castillo San Cristobal, a watch tower

The view from a rectangular window in the watch tower

I was all along the watchtower...;)

Looking from a watch tower of San Cristobal to Castillo El Morro... this is my favorite shot.

Rick, who had anticipated the forts being a little ho-hum, was amazed. The 17-foot-thick walls? The architecture on the rocks above the sea? Built 500 years ago, by conquerors from thousands of miles away? Pretty incredible. We walked and talked and mulled over this and sweated. Yes, sweated. Which brings me to my next shot. These little beauties brought the most wonderful breezes, in that humid 90 degree heat - we would walk to each arch and sigh in pleasure.

Ah, the breeze... it brings a smile...

And thank the good architect there were many arches, along the seaside. Wise man, that Irish fellow. ( In an the enemy of my enemy is my friend kind of way, the Irish sided with the Spanish to foil the British, back in the day. Hence the Irish architect of these Spanish forts.)

And though San Cristobal is beautiful and well worth the stop, Castillo San Felipe del Morro is simply beautiful. It sits at the tip of the city of San Juan, guarding the riches of the Americas and the entrance to the Caribbean.

That view, that breeze...

The view from one of El Morro's watch towers, to the crashing sea below

The view from the edge of old San Juan, to El Morro.

It is good to be home. And good to share our beautiful time away. I'll be back tomorrow with more! Much snuggling to catch up on...

Inspiration

2011-05-22T18:50:00.000-04:00

These birds of spring speak words that uplift and encourage...
Courage...promise...fire...heart and succeed.
Succeed, well this one is still in the cage, while the others have been set free. A fitting metaphor for me, for now.

One that inspires and goads and drives, because the other words - those feelings?

They are surely out and on the loose.

This project was a mixed media experiment. Chipboard birds, scrapbook papers, rub-on letters and cut-out phrases from a dog-eared college Shakespeare paperback are the basics. The stuff that inspiration is made of for me, this week.

Gearing up

2011-05-22T13:14:00.004-04:00

After a whirlwind early May, it ain't over yet.

Here we come, vacation! I feel like I will crash the moment we are away from home, having already accomplished a long-distance wedding trip, baseball playoffs, two boys birthday parties, pre-planning two class parties, Room Mom duties, eight teacher gifts and thank you notes (specials teachers included!), a kindergarten field trip, school Spring Fling, and Field Day - all without quitting my day job. ;-) Which, this month, has been to prepare for a first parental trip away from the brood. {Must.Think.Of.Everything.They.Could.Possibly.Need.While.I.Am.Gone!}

Rick and I leave for our anniversary trip to Puerto Rico on Wednesday (taken a month early out of grace for my mom - as it is a bit easier to watch the brood when 3 are still in school), and I am anxious and thrilled. It is hard to leave and give up care of my turkeys... They are a handful but they are MY handful...

I am giddy because this is our first trip outside of the country together, and our first trip alone in ten years. YaHOO! Eek!

And so that's what's going on....

In the meantime I have been working on a little project for myself, because why not squeeze some creativity into the mix - and it has turned out just right. Along the lines of the last post, it is a bit of inspirational decor to hang in my office. Stay tuned for that post, which should happen tomorrow, barring any complications on the home front. Ha. Ha.

Flint and Spark

2011-05-15T11:09:00.003-04:00

Our dreams are not the same

We thirst for different water

Our hands can clasp only for a moment

Then I must step toward my light

Drink deeply

Inhale courage

and step forward.

Our lives are not a match

Our ways diverge sharply

and yet we can spark -

flicking small lights of inspiration

that can only in times come from

friction

and an uneven meld.

Spark and step away

Light up and retreat:

This can be such

good thing.

BL 5/15/11

I am not the first to find inspiration in conflict or strong emotion. To find my stance only in opposition to another. Some of my clearest writing comes in defense or in personal salvation; in pouring out the rub on paper. I think there is power in recognizing this. Power in knowing that if everything was {roses} there would nothing to light the fires of creativity.

Nothing to flint the sulphur of the soul.

I am learning. Honing my chosen tool and learning what brings it out in force. What causes a smile, a pounding heart, a twisted mouth and the errant tear. I am a diligent student. I am not, however so aware of when the student has completed the course. My husband knows I would be a professional student if it could be allowed... and so he quietly edges me toward the lip of the nest. He provides me with the necessary tools and the proverbial backbone. I am a noodle-like bird - at once al dente, next moment overcooked and sliding to the floor.

I use a lot of words when one good cliche would do the trick.

Pardon my southern french, as I tell my own self:

Sh!t or get off the pot.

Maybe that will be the next segment I will take on this summer, in addition to The Sunday Creative. :) Thank you for listening, as I talk myself through the next turn in this path.

Your comments and emails are always a treat.

Happy Sunday...

End of an Era

2011-05-11T17:19:00.000-04:00

Phoenix, at big bro Cole's birthday, last week

This is it, friends.

This is the last day of a two year old in the house.

And with the way he is acting? I don't know whether to celebrate

his oh-so-over-the-top-two-ness, or quake in my boots at the thought of what three will bring.

His every sentence begins with a negative: I don't want...

-to go potty

-to nap

-to be in my bed

-to brush my teeth

-to be buckled in

-to eat

While I hold him, as he forcibly insists, he tells me go away Mom, 'er not bein' nice.

I respond that he can get down anytime he wants. He answers I NOT gettin' down.

We have to laugh.

He is so conflicted and so TWO.

He is all wild boy and baby for one last day, and then the baby word is retired. Glaring eyes tell me so: I not a baby, Mom. Giggly boy tells me so: I 'er baby, Mom!

He teases me with promises of a smooch, and runs away hooting.

He stands by Daddy's desk and rules like a tyrant: Get on the floor. Get on the floor. Get on the floor! His Daddy tells him he has to wait a bit. Waiting is not in his lexicon: Get on the floor now, Dad!

Daddy always gets on the floor. He remembers all too well how quickly the sweet days fly, how short the baby times really are. He soaks it in and tells me to ease up.

'Er my best friend ever Mom and Dad... 'Er my best friend ever Cole...'Er my best friend ever Jadey...'Er my best friend ever Belly... He thrives on being the center, the hinge on which we swing.

Even now, the fresh bath smell lasts mere minutes. It is quickly replaced by the I Am Boy fragrance of sweaty playful child, and whatever the last meal happened to be.

The Days of Two - we love 'em and long to leave 'em. Just for a minute.

That about sums it up.

Summer 2008

I love these shots: Hi Mom... oh! Is that my fist? Right there? Oh, it is so enthralling... oh fist, my fist, how I love thee. How I love the way you move all around, teasing me...

'Er my best friend too, my best little bud...

Flyin' Solo in Atlanta

2011-05-09T19:45:00.002-04:00

Here's the recap!

I started my Solo Adventure in The City by heading to Nadeau. I had been hearing about this shop from my friend Shah, and knew that would be a fun place to start. It was! It was relaxing to meander around and look at cool furniture and accessories. I decided I wanted this weekend to be all about getting away from the norm. Here's the little treat I chose, and I'm so excited to find a home for it. I thought it could sit on the ottoman, but it turns out (in the first day) that too many little drinks and crumbly snacks and scratchy toys were being stored there. Who knew they would like it as much as I do? I picked the black one, and the hand-painted detail is so pretty.

After a wrong turn into a {fancy} linen store that featured $268 hand towels, I made my way back to Lenox. The Lenox area is a great mix of stores, offices, a mall and restaurants. Way back in another life, (oh, 13 years ago) I worked for two years in the Lenox Building at Swiss Reinsurance. It was fun to be back in an area I rarely go to anymore - and to feel comfortable that I knew my way around.

In the spirit of adventure and fun, I checked into the Intercontinental, popped a champagne cork and watched Oprah. I know. Decadent, right?? :) Well, it was Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks, so who could resist. And really, thank goodness Rick's Holiday Inn promo was good for the Intercontinental - because kicking back in a Holiday Inn would not have been quite so fab!

Feeling refreshed at 5:30, I did not head down to find dinner. No. That would have been far too normal, to eat at that hour of the day. Much more fun to shop at Macy's, Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters until dark! That's the way a mom rebels - by not eating at her kids' dinner hour. :) After a quick bite at the bar, where I happened to sit beside two Buckhead cougars on the prowl, I headed back to the 17th floor. Time for an abnormal evening that included a long, uninterrupted soak in the garden tub, and reading in bed. If you haven't read any of Rick Bragg's memoirs about his family in Alabama, you should. All Over But The Shoutin' and Ava's Manare my favorites, and this weekend I had the final installment along - The Prince of Frogtown.

After a good sleep and a lazy morning (coffee and a book in bed - see the theme?) I was ready to slowly make my way north again. Crazy how 20 little miles can be a world away. Next I headed up to Roswell, for the annual favorite art show. It's held outside in Roswell Square, and is so picturesque with all the white tents pitched in the historic area. There are always beautiful handmade things here, from pottery to jewelry to paintings to photography. And many other crafty things in between - carved wooden dog bowls, sculptural yard art, recycled glass art...

We go to this festival each year, and since it is always on Mother's Day weekend, I usually choose a pair of earrings for my treat. This year I loved a necklace...

I wound up my Solo Tour at the library book sale. Perfect! And cheap, which was crucial by this point. :)

When I got home and gushed about how much fun it all was, Rick was a little surprised. He knew the alone time would be nice, but he didn't realize I would have so much fun. I made it very clear that this was The Best Gift, and please sir, could I have some more...

Waving goodbye!

2011-05-06T10:18:00.003-04:00

This is me, wide-eyed and ecstatic, waving goodbye for the night!

The perk of a traveling husband: free hotel nights earned.

The perk of a crazy-sweet husband: the gift of 24 hours ALONE.

Wot? Me? Alone? Practically the only nights I have spent away from all of my children, are the nights I was in the hospital having more children.

But today my early Mother's Day gift is to leave at noon, and come back tomorrow at noon.

So yours truly will be in Buckhead at Lenox (Atlanta) browsing and just generally lolly-gagging around. ALONE. Let's all say it together!

This is going to be a Real Treat...

A bit more wedding drama

2011-05-05T15:52:00.002-04:00

So yesterday we left the weekend wedding recap with an arrest and bail-out, from the first day of our trip. The next morning dawned sunny and perfect for a lakeside wedding. We noshed on cheese biscuits, readied the brood, and went back to the lake for the ceremony.

We were seated in the front row, and I got to catch up with my paternal grandmother Mamaw before the procession. She was helped to her seat, with diabetic shoes on and an oxygen tank to boot. Poor Mamaw has been hit with so many ailments, she seems to always be struggling through a health crisis. Year after year she tells us this might be time, that she is on her way out. Year after year, the impending birth of a new great-grandchild (guilty!), a family wedding, or a visit keeps her hanging on. I kid you not when I say that my grandmother has been "about to die" for 25 years. And for the past two weeks she has declared that this is it. She is ready to go, it is her time, she is only waiting 'til after Jeremy's wedding.

With that said, I was happy to sit and catch up with her (one last time, right?), and listen to her chat to Phoenix. As the wedding started, and Jeremy walked up on the stage, Mamaw began to utter little exclamations of adoration: "Oh! Oh! He's so handsome... Oh! He looks just like his Daddy." Jeremy does look a lot like our Dad, Mamaw's eldest son. And the sight of him looking so handsome up there made us miss Dad so much, we both sat there a bit teary-eyed and sentimental. The ceremony continued, and I could hear Mamaw continue to make small noises and pray under her breath. It all seemed quite usual to me, as she has often told us her prayers are what have kept us all safe.

So the ceremony ended, my cousin came with the golf cart to move Mamaw, and I went to the reception tent. Not long after, another cousin came up to me at the reception and whispered that Mamaw had just been taken the local hospital and then life-flighted to a larger hospital. We stood there disbelieving. Could this be "it?" Could she have been right, and just barely kept her word about sticking around for the wedding? We giggled nervously, shifted in our seats and hoped for the best. We recounted the many times Mamaw had been hospitalized over the years, and the legendary tale of the time (25 years ago) that she actually did die, and was resuscitated. We were raised on her story of "seeing the light and feeling God's love" so this was a familiar recounting of family lore, as we waited for further word of her condition.

We didn't have long to wait. Early into the evening I got a call from my Uncle Ed. The grandmother of nine lives had rebounded! The doctors had put in a pacemaker (add undiagnosed heart troubles to her list!) and she had perked right up, regained her orientation, and lost the swelling in her feet. My Uncle chuckled that she had another 25 years in her now, so we could all rest easy. While I was relieved by this news, it did nothing to mollify the dawning horror. All those little "Oh! Oh!" wedding noises and the praying going on right beside me? Were the sounds of my poor dear grandmother in distress and on the cusp of expiring!

And I thought it was just my handsome brother making her ferklempt...

So there we have it. An arrest and a life-flight. Two little dramas to round out a wedding weekend. :)

The fine print: wedding drama

2011-05-04T11:50:00.003-04:00

Now, everyone knows that a wedding must be accompanied by some drama, right? It's like, a law or something. And my brothers both run with a fun crowd. Oh, let's be honest, there are 6 of us little Washington Watson cousins that grew up together, and 4 (possibly 5 , I'll have to confirm) have had some run-ins with the law. My name was not on that list. Until this weekend.

I do count myself a little lucky that it took this long for me to have to bail a brother out, so, there's that.

And what else do we have in our favor - oh yes, it was not the Groom brother that was fetched from the drunk tank! {Yay, Jeremy.}

The tale goes something like this...

Upon returning from the rehearsal dinner, a carload of family members found themselves stopped at a road block not ONE mile from our family home. Said roadblock was so near by, in fact, that all those at the home saw the police car's lights and wondered who the lucky perp could be.

Shortly thereafter, I found myself being awakened to handle a Situation. Because, upon review of the adults present, (and there were m-a-n-y) I was deemed most presentable and sober to go down to the jail. And God forbid we wake up Mama, poor thing, because even if we had, she would probably have made him spend the night. Like a lost little lamb!

I walked bleary-eyed from my mother's over to my brother's next door. The after-party was still hopping, so I told them I was heading downtown on a rescue mission. The general consensus was that of course I knew exactly where the courthouse and basement jail were located. I piped up accordingly: "I have no reason to know where any law enforcement facilities are located, people!"

To which they were kind enough not to sneer "goody-goody" to me...

And so Elder Brother's partner John and I set off to brave the wilds of downtown LDubs in the night. (cue crickets chirping and stoplights blinking yellow)

After an incorrect stop at the municipal building's deserted basement, and a reconnoiter of the police station, we finally found the correct building, complete with the magistrate waiting outside to greet us.

"Ya'll here for Mr. Watson?"

Why yes, yes we are.

"Ya'll aren't drunk are ya? You can't sign for him if you're drunk."

Apparently it happens all too often, that the rescue mission is undertaken by fellow party-goers.

And at this point my guilt-o-meter goes into overdrive, reviewing all meanings of the word and its undertones, just as John points at me and says

"SHE isn't drunk sir, and she will be signing."

Raise your hand if you are of sound mind, smile encouragingly, and just go for it.

"I'm just tired sir, they got me out of bed."

Inane remarks, feel free to spill out of my mouth at will.

"Just have a seat, he'll be right out."

And then there he was, my brother - jester of the jail, accompanied by a grinning deputy. Seems he made some friends.

My favorite line:

Officer to brother, smilingly: So what'd you tell the arresting officer, same as everybody does, that you'd only had two beers?"

Brother, snidely: "Hell no, I don't drink beer."

******************************************

Stay tuned for the next installment of Wedding Drama, which usually travels in sets of three, but fortunately stopped at two...

A Family Wedding

2011-05-02T15:33:00.005-04:00

My fancy brood, ready for their wedding assignments: 2 flower girls, Cole as ring bearer, and Phoenix... wedding shrieker (I only wish it was Wedding Singer...)

My {cute} brother, the married man...

(yes, Isabella is ready to take. off. that. dress!)
The adorable couple, and my new sister Susan :)

The Wedding Weekend was a fantastic party! The rehearsal dinner was held at my Uncle Kim's place on the river, and it was great fun to reconnect with the family. The wedding festivities were held at my Mom's property, with the ceremony taking place at the family lake just down the lane. My grandparents Jehu & Joan are responsible for this beautiful place, and we are holding them accountable! :) It was an absolutely gorgeous day, and the mix of long-time friends and family was so special. (Waving hi and thanks to Susan, Emily and Allie for coming to hang out! There's never enough time to catch up...XO)

More to follow... as we dive back into the swing of things at home. Baseball playoffs, birthday parties for our two boys, and an anniversary trip to prepare for. Yeehaw!

:) Have a wonderful week...

Turning Ten

2011-05-02T15:30:00.001-04:00

He arrived on his due date, a timely little fellow. He bucked all the trends of first children, barreling his way into the world after a few short hours. I didn't know much about birthing, but I knew enough to tell the nurse that she was wrong, and this baby was not waiting for the doctor's schedule. But (barely) wait he did, and hurry, the doctor did.

Beaufort County Hospital, NC - 2001

And just like that, we were parents. Our preparations were many, but in the end you can only sink or swim. The first child, the first grandchild, the first nephew - a sweet addition. He has gotten used to being First.

Rick & Cole, Mt. Dora, FL - 2002

A winsome boy, he went about making friends and fans in a happy way. He approached strangers with a smile, seeming to know when it would brighten their day.

Cole with Thing 1 and Thing 2, Spring 2005

He welcomed twin sisters with a thrill, taking to big-brotherhood like a natural. He snuggled and loved on them, and wished we could have ten more. Or at least one more, so that we three each could have one to hold, he advised.

We obliged.

Cole and Phoenix - Spring 2011

Happy, happy Birthday to our Ten Year Old. It has been an education, kid. You set the bar high for those coming along behind you...

*I'm late with this post, since we were out of town at my brother's wedding. We celebrated Cole's birthday May 1st, with my family in Washington, NC. Cole was born there, but we haven't been there for his birthday since he turned one. So it was a neat coincidence! Wedding post coming soon!!*

Happenings of the week

2011-04-27T19:30:00.001-04:00

Hello friends!

Here's your Lear Road Trip/Family Wedding update.

The project for the gift has been completed, and is ready to go. The random stomach virus portion of the week has also been completed. The outfits are organized and pressed. The van has been cleaned. Cole's birthday gifts are wrapped and ready for Sunday. The flower girl flip-flops have been bedazzled and be-ribboned. Nails polished for two little girls and one big girl, check. Five baseball games for Cole in one week, check. (Yes, five. Five! five. f-i-v-e.)

Can I stop now? :)

You know that To-Do list never ends.

How about some quotes from Jadyn, in her Countdown To Wedding Day excitement. And, oh, how excited she is. She has given up her obstinate clothing issues, and has chosen to wear new school clothes EVERY day this past week. Wot?! Yes! Every day. (And if you're wondering where the "new" school clothes came from, they are from the fall, and were still hanging *with tags* in the closet.) She is over the moon with excitement over the flower girl dress, and after trying it on, has wanted to wear it every day. And has been promised she can wear it whenever she pleases *after* the wedding...

"Mom, can we go in your room and talk about the wedding?"

"Mom, I'm going to go potty before the wedding if I need to. So don't worry about that."

"Let's chew gum before the wedding, so we'll have fresh breath."

"Tell me again who will be there, so I can be ready."

"Tell me again what else will be happening."

"Mom, come to your room so we can talk about the wedding."

Ad infinitum.

And really? I am excited too! In the past few years, we haven't gotten home to NC much at all. I'm ready to have fun with friends and family! You will have to wait for the debut of Girls in Flower Girl Gowns (though you can see a partial peek in this shot), but the shot of Bemused Boy goes down as the cutest shot ever. Here is Phoenix's expression, upon seeing the tie attached to his shirt: "What's dis thing, Mom? What's dis thing for?"

Phoenix was very into the trying-on-wedding-finery day, and when he first saw the girls' matching gowns, he was outraged: "Where's mine?!?" And so Jadyn let him try on her gown. And we all hooted and rolled as he hooted and yelled "Watch me twirl!" And then soon enough he was ready for his own shirt, and a glimpse of the strange thing called a tie.

That, my friends, is how the week has gone.

We're off to visit a grandmother, marry off a brother, and celebrate!

MOTY

2011-04-18T08:25:00.002-04:00

There are some days when you just have to accept the title of Mother of the Year.

This is one of those days. And of course it is a Monday! Universe, that is just mean.

6:30am - Isabella droops down the stairs with a pitiful look.

"Mommy, the Tooth Fairy didn't come last night! There was no money under my pillow, just my tooth."

Cue my half-asleep, shocked (oh, crap) look.

"Oh, my! (Quick! distract and divert! deflect!) Well, did you have just the tooth under there, or was it in the little pillow?"

Isabella, questioningly: "It was just the tooth."

Me: "That must be it then! Let's put it in the pillow." (And make several mental notes to Not Forget, Tooth Fairy.)

8:30am - Here comes the sinking feeling, right in the pit of my stomach. Don't tell me you don't know this feeling. This week is Jadyn's turn to be Star Student in kindergarten. Need I say more?

Did we make her poster this weekend? Did she have anything to take in?

I am going to pay big-time for this. I have already gotten out my Fancy Scrapbooking Stickers in Hot Pink, and my Good Embellishments, Pink Butterflies if-you-please, to beg forgiveness. No magic markers or cheap stickers for Jadyn this time. This will be a custom poster. I may even have to let her decorate it At My Desk.

It's the least I can do, as Mother of the Year.

The Sunday Creative - fresh

2011-04-17T09:08:00.003-04:00

To see the gift

with eyes anew

And begin with an open heart

Look on this time

these little beings

with fresh grace and renewed

spirit

To hold the moment

and look it in the face

with a pounding heart

I see you, and isn't this so much fun

To be here in this instant

This tenderness, it bursts out of my skin.

4/17/11

Need another fresh look? The Sunday Creative is all about the fresh today...

What's New

2011-04-16T14:00:00.001-04:00

Allow me to cleanse your palate from that last post, and switch from pottying toddlers to what's new outside! I am a container gardener, hi. My comfort zone is containers, though I am trying to branch out. (Front bed, you are my nemesis!) Still, each season my favorite things are the fresh pots lining the front walkway. Realistically, I can control what goes in them, what I put there stays there, and nobody messes with them. Friends, these flower pots may be the ONLY things that applies to around here! :) So, yes, cherished they are...

This year I'm trying something new. Meet my little Alberta spruce:

I have looked at the ones trimmed as topiaries for years, but they are too pricey. This year I thought I would try to trim one myself, after this little cutie grows a bit. This could be great... or... well... I will be hopeful.

This is the showstopper clematis. The vine that I can ignore all year long, and it never holds it against me. I almost feel bad taking compliments about it from the neighbors, as though it is listening and rolling it's eyes. She doesn't even water me, and barely refreshes the pine straw around me! Forget about any weeding...

And now we are heading out to browse the booths at a local art festival. How that will shake out is anyone's guess. Though I am hopeful about this as well. :) But with a brood tagging along, well, it's anyone's game.

Have a sunny weekend...

A Potty Tale

2011-04-12T18:10:00.002-04:00

Making good on promise number one - here is your potty tale.

It was a sunny day in Georgia...

Actually, it was. Which was why we were out front gardening and playing. Ah, what a nice day.

Pity we had to step inside from planting flowers, only to come upon... dun-dun-DUN - unexpected pooh!

But come upon it we did, with a smiling Phoenix pointing the way.

With the other kids giggling, and Rick and I wide-eyed and all heeby-jeebied, we dealt with The Situation. Counted ourselves somewhat lucky and went back out front to enjoy the day.

Only, the potty tale was not over.

Little did we know...

more... DUN-dun-dun - Unexpected Pooh! awaited us on the stairway.

Once again our little Lewis & Clark led the expedition and proudly pointed out his New World discovery. (Is it considered a discovery when one is responsible for the planting of said discovery?) There it was, around the curve of the staircase, like a rotten egg. Jadyn ran up giggling hilariously: "It's like an Easter find hunt!!" (Of course she did. Need I remind you, her own potty tale is legendary.)

And the culprit, oh the culprit. You might hope to find an ounce of remorse or I don't know, a tad of shame? But no. Mr. Matter of Fact looked us right in the face, shrugged and said

"It just fell out, Mom. It just rolled out."

And that's your potty tale.

Monday, oh Happy Day

2011-04-11T09:28:00.003-04:00

I'm still standing, friends!

It was a long week. And now we are back to our routine, of which I am learning I am very fond. Just me and the Phoeny-Phoen, doing chores, going to the gym, and potty-training. If you've been around here for long, you will know that potty training is never without trials in general. And for some reason, with my kids, trials in particular. I have a story, indeed! Oh do I. Because spring break needed an extra {potty} element. Story to come in near future.

But first I am still trying to find my pictures! Rick treated me to a real treat indeed for my birthday, and this handy dandy mac is really exciting. But... I really need a For Dummies book. Didn't we figure out I could tinker around and get things done with computing machinery? Well. This animal is fun but challenging. And to challenge me, it has hidden my photos from me. But I have been surfing for answers, and I think I found the backdoor into the folder.

Ha! The folder was there, right in front of me. Maybe it was spring break brain, blocking mah eyes. Look at my industrious attempt at spring break salvage, all ye friends. The little stinkers had so much fun, and were so wide-eyed That Mommy! Is! Letting! Us! PAINT! Results to come in future. (That's two future promises, help me keep count.)

And now, for this week I am working on a little sumpin' sumpin.

My wittle baby brudder is getting married in three weeks, and I am working on a writing project for the happy couple. This announcement will not spoil the surprise, because I am fairly certain that approximately 0% of my family members are reading here. (If you are reading, then, surprise! And hey - give me a shout out, lurker.) Unless you count my (deceased) Dad and grandmother, who may or may not have found an ethereal way to stay in touch, and if so, would definitely still be reading. Maybe getting online is really easy when you are a spirit? I can only imagine that Gig is chomping at the bit to respond to this challenge, since she replied by email to every post I wrote. Don't laugh, but I really did believe my Dad would find some way to communicate in cyber-space. I don't know how exactly, but I was ready for a good number of years to hear from him online. Maybe I was imagining a Stephen Hawking-like voice, emanating from my pc? Now that I think of it, that would have been really spooky. Dad, don't even think of doing that. I might have heart failure.

Whew, step away from the rabbit trail, B.

So back to the project, which I will hope to share later. I am trying to strike just the right note and it is tricky. Seems like when it counts, the creative juices dry up. This nuptial deal will mean an April trip to NC for me and all of mine, since the kids seem to have all been given a part in the wedding. The next few weeks will be full of exciting preparation, and no small amount of bribery, given that Mom and my soon-to-be-sister Susan have chosen long white gowns for my girlies to wear. May the gods of spring weddings be with us! For the final promise of the day - stay tuned for Phoenix in a tie. Heh. Heh-heh.

Oh, happy Monday!

The Sunday Creative - Fly

2011-04-10T08:44:00.002-04:00

For the artisan, the creative,

It is the moment a concept takes shape

When shady vision clears,

and the image coalesces.

The instant when a vague notion

becomes a concrete plan

and pieces of color and pattern transcend

individuality.

It is the flash from maybe

to the birth of oh yeah

Oh that second!

That is the one we live for

The one we leap toward

And the one that keeps us on the hook

The twinkling when we know who we are

what we are creating and how we are meant to -

This is the moment, instant, flash and second...

when we

fly.

Want to see how the other Sunday Creatives fly? Clickety here. And thanks for checking in...

Salvaged!

2011-04-08T08:41:00.003-04:00

The week has been salvaged! I dusted off my joie de vivre and pulled together a craft for the kids to enjoy. Thank you for tolerating my Seussical post from Monday - luckily (for you) the dear Dr. made no more appearances. It was better to keep quiet this week. Really. I am only a mortal. Only subject to whatever a mere mortal mom can take. And spring break spent at home always brings me to my knees.

But now, oh now it's Friday! And there is always hope on Friday! So we began Friday with a little birdhouse painting to welcome spring. I know what you're thinking, so I'll get right to it. Phoenix only painted on his own birdhouse, and he did not paint on anything else in our house. Wot?! I know. The grace of spring break magic, I guess. I'm not questioning it.

I would dearly love to post a photograph or three, but, alas, I have not learned the ins and outs of this here computer. Is that nice, that juxtaposition of ye olde english, and country talk? I hope I don't really sound like that. but it would explain a lot. A lot.

Let me go now, and enjoy a glass of ye olde Friday beverage, and I'll get back to to you with the proof that I have indeed salvaged the week for my dear offspring.

The End.

An invisible Cat in the Hat lives here

2011-04-04T20:11:00.004-04:00

"Your mother will not mind at all if you do..."

This is their anthem. They live by it well. It's as though the Cat in the Hat's voice rings in their ears every moment of the day, reassuring and luring them to ever greater messes.

And I am always click-clacking up the walk, just about to round the corner.

Only, there is never a last minute dash to clean up the mess strewn from here to there.

Never a clever cat, only Things One, Two, Three and Four flying kites and juggling dishes and making precarious towers of toys. Pouring bowls of water and balancing them on wheeled implements. Tossing clothes around the room as though they were spring decor.

And there I am. Rounding the corner again.

Your mother will not mind at all if you do.

Nick, Sally, let me tell you.

She will mind.

She will definitely mind.

It's day one of spring break.

By Day Three we will either be eating green eggs and ham, hopping on pop or carrying wockets in our pocket.

I really can't say.

I can't say at all what will happen that day.

My kids will be here, we will all be at home.

And I will be wanting, oh wanting to roam.

And they will chattering, asking and needing

And I will be scrubbing, sweeping and cleaning

Crumb after crumb and cup after cup

Spring break, you bear, you never let up.

Cheers to ya!

Library SOS

2011-03-31T14:22:00.007-04:00

Check out the headline in the local paper yesterday:

"Library system requests resident input at meetings."

(cue giddy laughter) Oh no They. Did. Not!

You know, I've been needing a spring cause du jour. This might just be the ticket. Maybe. Potentially. Prospectively. Absolutely!

Our library is particularly egregious because we happen to live in one of the wealthiest counties of metro Atlanta. And I totally want to capitalize on that proximity, with access to books beyond my wildest dreams. So far, the books and facilities available have not been the things from that library that are in my dreams. But not even the charms of Harry Librarian could draw me in there more frequently! (By the way, cute Harry has moved on, and has been replaced by a more friendly and typical library desk denizen: Ms. Gray-haired with Specs. Go back up and click on the Harry link now. You won't regret it.)

I have some specific input to share with the Library Board, thanks to my recent trip to Birmingham. While I didn't get to actually set foot inside the library I will tout as divine, it comes highly recommended. :)

I will keep you posted on my communications with the Library Commission. Finally, a cause that could bear obvious fruit! Or not! Either way, the best news is this: in a couple of years, we will have a new liberry. The End.

(Stay tuned for a photo or two. You need to know exactly what we are dealing with. And why "renovation" will not be on my input sheet.")

Forecaster 2.0

2011-03-30T14:25:00.000-04:00

Last week I suggested kindergartners as the real deal, and you all took it very well. I hope you are well on your way to getting one of your very own. This week's product suggestion is the Forecaster 2.0. It should alleviate any uncertainty about the weather forecast. If you have a Forecaster 2.0, a simple glance will tell you the average temperature and humidity. You can then plan accordingly.

For example, Atlanta just experienced a weekend of severe thunderstorms and a deluge of rain. Yet from the comfort of my own home, I knew the extreme nature of the weather that was upon us, and the exact humidity index.

Take a peek at my Forecaster 2.0's reading for a day of storms, and consider getting one for yourself:

The Forecaster, (ie, a random curl on the right side of Phoenix's head) predicting rain.

Yes, out of an otherwise stick-straight mop, the Forecaster 2.0 unequivocally announces rain whenever it is on the way.

The Forecaster 2.0. Better than a bum knee.

The Sunday Creative - crane (for Japan)

2011-03-28T15:34:00.010-04:00

With utter dignity

and undiminished anguish

they walk.

Away and away from destruction

Away and away from despair

Away and away from a life familiar.

With unfazed resilience

and internal beauty

they walk.

Forward and forward, to what the next day will bring.

Forward and forward, one simple step in front of another.

Forward and forward, gaining determination.

As reeds by the creekside

whip and bend, lean and toss

Thrown by whims of weather,

The bent reed does not break.

But it does wait.

For calm, for strength, for sun

And slowly, it straightens.

3/28/11

With heartfelt hope for Japan and its people, I join The Sunday Creative this week. The theme is "crane," representing the Japanese legend that folding 1,000 cranes not only brings hope and healing, but makes a wish come true. I add my crane to the numbers joining in this project, and a few words too.

Spelling is fun

2011-03-25T15:54:00.003-04:00

Why is it fun? you may ask. What could be fun about it? Well, the fun part mostly involves the conjunction of kindergartners and spelling. If you have them, you know what I mean right off the bat. If you don't, you should think about getting one, maybe two. Kindergartners believe they have the world at their fingertips, because they can read things, spell things, and write notes. When kindergartners gain awareness of the art of the note, you will find notes everywhere. Posted on doors, posted on walls, posted on posts. Chalked on driveways, chalked on cars, chalked on me.

If you were having a bad day, then you could read notes like this:

"Penix is small. I love Penix."

And you could guffaw (don't knock it till you've tried it! Guffawing is awesome!), and snicker and have a better day. And hope they don't learn how to spell "Phoenix" anytime soon.

Or you could read notes like this:

"Nugget Lear

A great spirt

memory of Nugget

love Isabella, I love you Nugget"

written about a zhu-zhu pet in which the batteries have died. (His dear departed "spirt" may have been helped along by vigorous under-bed booting from a mother. Those things seem to squeal and squeak whenever it is bedtime.)

So, to re-cap. Spend some time with a kindergartner today. Ask them if they have written anything that day. Prepare to snicker, guffaw or just plain-old smile.

Kindergartners. Awesome.

(This kindergartner endorsement brought to you by my very own girlie twin-set of the kind. Double awesome.)

Sing cuckoo!

2011-03-22T08:48:00.004-04:00

Spring has sprung
Sing cuckoo! cuckoo!

Bethany's birthday has begun
Sing cuckoo, cuckoo!

I fell asleep last night thinking of a character who wrote a song like this, for his lover's birthday.
(Oh, that Tom from King's Oak) So I changed it around and drifted off making a rhyme. Maybe I was six last time life was that simple, and about rhymes and giggles.
Now, it's not so simple and my thoughts don't rest. It feels strange to turn 35. Like I gots to get a move on, for some reason. Thoughts go back to my journal, and something I wrote when I was 26 or so. Today's age seemed so far away, and I thought any personal aspirations would be well on their way to realization. I'm pretty sure I said 35, as though it were a world away! And any self-respecting achiever should be done by 35, right? It makes me snicker a little now.
So much life between then and now, so many other dreams realized. Hello, 35.

My girls love to hear how I wished for twins when I was a girl, and how that dream came true. What a surprise they were! My boys fit into our mix like puzzle pieces: Cole, the true eldest and diplomatic leader. Phoenix, barreling his way into the cherished last spot, heralding that he will not be denied.
My Rick. I have been with him for almost half my life.
We met in my birthday week, 15 years ago. Call it a fluke, a coincidence, call it synchronicity. That is a story for another time. That is a story of divine intervention.

I am thinking now that it is taking all these years to become truly myself. The fullness of being must be a lifelong journey, turning us inside out in the end. We're on our way to being spirits that shine out, heedless of the skin enclosing us. That's how I feel, on this birthday. Like I should shine right out, smiling along the way.

Here's to letting our lights glow, from the inside out.
Sing cuckoo!

On Tragedy

2011-03-16T13:50:00.003-04:00

Jadyn: Does everybody die, Mommy?
Me: Yes, Jadyn. It's the cycle of life.
Jadyn: So God puts us here, and after a long time we die? That's like a long game with people.
Me: You mean us being here, being born and living on earth?
Jadyn: Yeah. It's like God playing a long game that goes on our whole life.

******************************************************************

As we watched the tragedy unfolding in Japan, and saw stories of heartwrenching sadness, Jadyn continued to question me. I spoke simply, explaining the disaster as calmly and plainly as I could. She talked and talked, questioned and questioned, trying to understand nature and its sometime savage ways, and how people attempting escape are sometimes unsuccessful.
She was riveted and intent.
And finally, decided: I wish those people could be dead for only one minute, and then come back.
Out of the mouth of a six year old, comes a solution we wish, oh don't we wish, could only be true.

I didn't set out to post on this today, but Jadyn's remarks have stayed with me all week, and made me think about who she is becoming. My wild card, my free spirit. What hides behind those seeking eyes? That independent, impudent smirk? And I am beginning to see, her heart is in the right place, and that is a beautiful thing.

The Sunday Creative - Soul

2011-03-14T09:07:00.001-04:00

It has a smile, and a voice of its own
An effortless connection
We search and long and hope to find
one or more in this life
We peer into the eye's depths
Deconstruct the words of another
Unnecessarily.
For in that moment of realization
there are no doubts
These paths have crossed, and I know you well
Seems to cry out from the heart
And we don't come close to understanding
but we certainly accept
There is no substitute
for a soul mate.

BL
3/14/11

Happy Monday to friends near and far! For more soul glimpses, The Sunday Creative crowd is here.

Thursday Vignette

2011-03-10T13:23:00.002-05:00

Picture the display at the front of most Old Navy stores: A family of mannequins, all decked out in the latest styles from head to toe. Complete with the family dog, of course!

Flash through these freeze frames with me.
I am at the check out, and Phoenix is walking around the mannequin family, marveling at them.

Frame 1: I look over, and he is riding on the family dog.
Frame 2: I glance back again, and he standing with the mommy mannequin, holding her hand and sucking his thumb. Just like in this post - only with a substitute mannequin-digit!
Frame 3: One more glance and there he is again, this time holding the daddy mannequin's toe, still sucking his other thumb.

That boy.

Into the Past

2011-03-05T08:51:00.006-05:00

Every time we climb Stone Mountain I am caught up in the personal carvings etched in its surface. My family visited Georgia quite often, as I was growing up. We had dear friends in North Georgia, and my Dad loved to take road trips. I remember hiking up the mountain, hopping from name to name, imagining those long ago hikers. My fascination hasn't waned, and I'm always left behind, looking at one more name, one more date, as the kids wander ahead, eager for the top.

Think of it! What the Atlanta skyline must have looked like, back in 1899... And what this pair of climbers would have been wearing... if one was a woman, did she have a parasol? Laced-up leather boots? Were they visitors, or Georgians? Do their descendants live here still, and take their own children to see these markings from great-great-grand-daddy?

Even earlier, this rock was a special place for the Native Americans of the area, which takes the imagination to whole new heights. How many centuries did they visit it, worship on it, and never leave a mark?

Of course I squealed when I saw this couple's mark, proclaiming their love into infinity... Projected into the future, hopeful and happy-hearted, that's what I think of this one. A bubbly young couple, passionate and energetic, this Greg and Mary Ann.

To believe in infinity, it is a stretch of the mind. Almost inhuman, we are so bound by time. Only when a love has that certain quality does infinity call to the heart. Burn in the soul as if to say

I knew you before time. I knew you in humanity, and I will know you again as we move to, through and from God... I have seen you before, I will see you again...

A breath of infinity, a glimpse of a rock, sprouting up and steadfast in the soil. That's a thought for a Saturday, no? Happy weekend...

A bit of this and that

2011-03-04T17:56:00.003-05:00

Halloo Internetz Friends!
I'm such a fair weather friend lately. And by fair weather friend, I mean when there's fair weather here, I am Out In It, and not in here rambling. Today? Not so much. March is showing its usual colors.
But the week was mostly beautiful and warm, and I rustled and scooted the monkeys outside all afternoon, every day. Then, the clouds moved in, I came to my computer and lo and behold! The dern thing would not power up. I tried all afternoon, and then walked away and let it rest for a night. I told Rick we were going to need to lay hands on it, speak in tongues and have a revival.
He blinked at me suspiciously, trying to figure out how serious I was. (How serious?! Them's big bucks to shell out! I was {kinda} serious!)
Alas, today, she got over her snit and fired up as usual.
I also realized this week just how often I say "when things slow down." The realizing part came when I admitted ruefully that "things" would not be slowing down anytime soon. If anything, the days are getting busier. And the homework time, oh the homework time...
What do you get when you scramble two tired kindergartners (yep, the teacher has phased out the nap), a daydreamy 4th grader, 2 year-old Todzilla, and a Mom juggling HW and dinner? Oh-la-la!
I have resorted to military precision, as in, Answer me, sir, yessir, is it your turn to ask me a question? Sir, nossir! You will close your mouth, Private, until I am done answering Private Two's question!
No, really.
Seriously.
OK, not at all. But, the tone and decibal of my voice are definitely military.
But my helpful friend Shah, she of the delightful visit to Birmingham last week, has convinced me to take Todzilla out of this flammable mix. Big Boy Time in his room, we will call it! And we will market it heavily and skillfully until he likes it, goshdarnit!
Which is why my time visiting Shah was so much fun. We solved problems, covered all the bases of Life Happenings, and stayed up late talking like we didn't have anything to do the next morning. And we didn't. A luxury for me, and one I highly recommend.
So Happy weekend to you friends, I will rein in my fair weather tendencies as spring progresses. Maybe. ;-)

The Sunday Creative - Ritual

2011-02-28T10:01:00.006-05:00

It is a walk
on a warm day in welcoming woods
It is a sip while cradling a hot mug
beside a friend
It is a smile
that needs no words and demands no explanation
It is a tear
that streams down speedily, paying homage
It is a dog
racing wildly through the woods
yet somehow only a part of it all
It is a kindred soul
that could be found with closed eyes in a dark room
This is the ritual of friendship.

BL
2/28/11

Thank you for visiting my piece of The Sunday Creative. This one goes out to my friend Shah, and to our Dads, who made sure through the ether that we found each other, somehow, some way. Saturday was four years since Dad crossed over, as he called it, but I can still find him in the trees, just like he said.

...and goeth

2011-02-24T10:59:00.006-05:00

I'm jumping in for a quick pictorial description of our weekend with Ken & Mary. because I am about to be off {on my own, almost} for the weekend, and this is a Big Deal. More on that later!

Having arrived for a visit from the frozen Ohioan northland, our weekend of mild Georgian days was a treat for them - so we tried to spend as much time as possible out in the sun.

We went to Stone Mountain (yes, yes, making the most of that yearly pass! Squeak, squeak goes the pennies as they rub...), but this time did not need to prove our youth and fitness by hiking the mountain. Instead we picnicked, played and walked a nature trail.

Why hello, who is that picking up the camera for an impromptu shot?! What am I doing in a picture?! I look sarcastic.

Here he is again, clicking that shutter! Cute little wild ones... watching the geese.

Little brothers and big brothers, each are the bookends of their siblings. And on the left is the rogue camera snatcher...

Aunt Mary, mistress of sunning, provider of trip snacks from the van, winner of hide n' seek.

Jadyn said, after they left: "I miss them. She showed us a lot of good hiding places, and she could have showed us more." Yes, along with the compliment was a tiny slam. She could indeed have showed them more, and instead she willingly left. Or, I think that's what she is saying. But, this was Jadyn speaking, so we will not know what may or may not lie beneath, right?

Mary and I shared some delicious vino, and you should run out and get yourself some, post haste. Apothic Red, it is a California blend, Apothic Red, it flows so smoothly, all our tales were told. Mary paid me the finest compliment of having always been old. I took it well, because she then added "soul" to that sentence. Hiccup. I recounted the things we have in common, and reviewed her Doula days in my home. We could have nothing in common, and still, still... the love. You do not show up at a house of newborn twins and expect 1. a solid night's sleep 2. a hostess able to do anything. But I have been over this already, n'est-ce pas?

Rick & Ken looked over from the den, and remarked on how chatty we were. We looked over from the kitchen and remarked on how not chatty they were. Family. I love it. Ken is a State Farm agent, so there was much reviewing of policies and life insurance plans. All was resolved and our future secured. Whew.

They left in an unexpected turn back north, to see to their daughter Marie. She is in the hospital unexpectedly, with a kidney issue, so think of her. She is precious! My kids think she is barely out of her elementary-school years. She is that much fun. They thought she and her little dog Angel would be visiting, because every *child* travels with their parents, right?

Marie and Me, July 2010. SIL Mary likes there to be a Family shirt each summer. I am a good sport. XO!
And now I am off to prepare for a weekend in Birmingham, with my friend Shah! Cole is friends with her daughters, so he and I will take off after lunch tomorrow. You know what I always say, one child? Pah! Nuttin' to it! Happy weekend, friends...

The Doula Cometh

2011-02-17T11:54:00.007-05:00

Oh stop it, you know I'm not pregnant! It's just a good title, and did it work? Did it pull you in?

Well, it is also true. My doula is coming to visit, and I can still call her that because once you have doula-ed, you are always a doula. Or something like that.

In this case, my doula is my sister-in-law Mary, from Cleveland. And in this case, she will not be here to doula (can I get an amen, sisters!). No, in a novel twist, she will be here to visit! What a treat! I am sure she agrees. Mary and Ken came to visit and help for a week just after the girls were born, and then again when Phoenix was born. For this, and many other reasons, I cherish her. I cannot tell you the relief it brought me to have Someone to Pick Up A Crying Baby when we were floundering around, adjusting to twins, and then to the Baby 4. And, equally as important: Someone Who Cooks!
Mary knew all the needs of a weepy, drippy, leaky new mother and kept me well-fed and well-hydrated during each doula visit. She would bring me water when I was "locked up in the stocks," as she called my giant twin nursing pillow. (This huge pillow strapped around me and supported the little piglets. It was quite a commitment, feeding two tons of fun every two hours. So that pillow truly felt like the stocks on many a day...)

I still chant a little tune from her visit during the girls' infancy. You have to picture me with a big show-biz smile, snapping my fingers and tapping my toes. It goes like this:

"Who's crying now??? Who's crying now???"

Repeat as needed, with as much pizazz as possible. (The pizazz helps with the annoyed feeling you may get from all the crying infants and children that you may or may not be surrounded with.) I still find far too many occasions to sing this tune, but I never fail to think of Mary and her song-writing abilities.

Most of all, when I think of those days, it is with a sense of having been rescued somehow. Of being safe for just a bit, from whatever worries and cares a new mother is subject to. Oh doula, my doula!

So this is my ode to Doula Mary and Dear Ken (equally tender and capable in the childcare area!), and my welcome to them for a regular old visit, infants not included. But toddlers? Oh yes. Our resident toddler will be welcoming them as well. Around 6am. Cock-a-doodle-dooooo!

Mary and Phoenix, summer 2008

A picnic at the park

Uncle Ken is like St. Francis of Assisi, only with children. They flock to him and settle in for a snuggle.

Love Day

2011-02-14T17:01:00.006-05:00

Hello dear friends!

Here are your Love Day quick shots. First, you knew there would be a banner! I only wish I had the desire to improve my photography... because this banner is darn cute.

Add in a few cards for sweet friends...
A few sweets for the little sweeties...

And a peaceful shot of aforementioned sweeties... (just ignore Phoenix throwing a rock.)

Some flowers and custom chocolates for yours truly, and we can call it a Valentine's! (My flowers are still untouched...but the chocolate, oh the chocolate...those pretties from Schakolad do not last long. Get in my mouth! )

Happy Day to all, and thank you so much for your thoughtful, much-appreciated comments last week. XO...