keep out
I'm glad I didn't step into this web when I walked out the front door this morning. I'm afraid of spiders. Not afraid that they'll bite and kill me, but afraid of discovering one might land on me and I won't know. The thought makes my stomach turn inside out. In spite of that, I can still see the beauty, the handiwork involved in the creation of a masterpiece.
me and you
10 years.
I'm not sure how this ever offically became "our song," but I do know that you are the YOU that's just right for ME.
Happy 10th anniversary, Keith. I love you!
to catch a bird
When I was a little girl, my Sweet Pea used to tell me that all I had to do to catch a bird was sprinkle salt on its tail. I thought that maybe the salt on the tail would keep it from flying. I spent hours in her yard with her saltshaker, running after birds. I don't know when I realized that technically, if you could get close enough to sprinkle salt, you would be close enough to catch it. Or when I realized that it was a fabulous way to keep a child busy.
I thought of her today when I was close enough to sprinkle salt on this little bird's tail.
Mama and Daddy cardinal were trying hard to encourage their baby to fly. As much as I wanted to scoop this fuzzy baby up and help out, I left it alone like I knew I should. Even so, it was fun to get close enough.
No salt needed, Sweet Pea!
I thought of her today when I was close enough to sprinkle salt on this little bird's tail.
Mama and Daddy cardinal were trying hard to encourage their baby to fly. As much as I wanted to scoop this fuzzy baby up and help out, I left it alone like I knew I should. Even so, it was fun to get close enough.
No salt needed, Sweet Pea!
beautiful day
The first day of summer vacation, and...
* {K} and I worked in the yard
* the boys played for HOURS in the sprinkler
* our neighbor brought us some homemade pasta
* we ate sandwiches and popsicles on the porch
* I napped with {s} while {K} and {p} played Lego something-or-other on the Wii
* we took the boys fishing, and they were biting!
* everyone had a bit of late night ice cream
* one boy is now asleep, and the other is on the way
* it's been a WONDERFUL day!
* {K} and I worked in the yard
* the boys played for HOURS in the sprinkler
* our neighbor brought us some homemade pasta
* we ate sandwiches and popsicles on the porch
* I napped with {s} while {K} and {p} played Lego something-or-other on the Wii
* we took the boys fishing, and they were biting!
* everyone had a bit of late night ice cream
* one boy is now asleep, and the other is on the way
* it's been a WONDERFUL day!
bittersweet
We have been blessed with another wonderful year of school for both of the boys.
{s} loved Miss Roslyn and Miss LaDonna to pieces, and looked forward to school almost every day. I don't know if that happens too often with 2-3 year olds. We're going to miss them!
{p} simply had an amazing year. He really opened up to Mrs. Donaldson. She discovered his interests quickly, and encouraged his passions for science and reading... often letting him bring home "extras" like special books, a microscope, etc. He blossomed this year, and it has been so fun to watch. Tomorrow is not only his last day of first grade, but the last day at his school. Next year he'll be somewhere new. Always one to be sentimental, tonight he told me that he was a little happy but also a little sad about the last day. Then he asked me if I could pray for summer to go by really fast, and tomorrow to last a long time. Definitely a bittersweet moment in time for him.
{s} loved Miss Roslyn and Miss LaDonna to pieces, and looked forward to school almost every day. I don't know if that happens too often with 2-3 year olds. We're going to miss them!
{p} simply had an amazing year. He really opened up to Mrs. Donaldson. She discovered his interests quickly, and encouraged his passions for science and reading... often letting him bring home "extras" like special books, a microscope, etc. He blossomed this year, and it has been so fun to watch. Tomorrow is not only his last day of first grade, but the last day at his school. Next year he'll be somewhere new. Always one to be sentimental, tonight he told me that he was a little happy but also a little sad about the last day. Then he asked me if I could pray for summer to go by really fast, and tomorrow to last a long time. Definitely a bittersweet moment in time for him.
so, so tired
I am tired of seeing that e-mealz blinkie... just had to post something that I don't have to look at it anymore.
We went to {p}'s school spring fling tonight, and for the first time EVER, my baby - the oldest baby - got his hair spray painted. He ran around with his buddies and had a blast without us tagging along the whole time. It's really neat to see him becoming more comfortable, loosening up a little, and enjoying himself so much.
But, the times when he grabbed my hand as we walked around were nice, too.
We went to {p}'s school spring fling tonight, and for the first time EVER, my baby - the oldest baby - got his hair spray painted. He ran around with his buddies and had a blast without us tagging along the whole time. It's really neat to see him becoming more comfortable, loosening up a little, and enjoying himself so much.
But, the times when he grabbed my hand as we walked around were nice, too.
come back
the boys are at Mammy and Pat's house.
The rain has stopped (for now), and the sky was filled with sun
until it went behind the clouds.
I love the quiet,
but I miss the noise that having two boys
brings to our house.
No matter what it looks like outside,
they are my sunshines!
hey there, Martha
I've been hot glueing plastic eggs to a wreath for too long now. I thought it would go much faster, but once I started I felt like I needed to finish. Seeing as how I started a peep wreath about a month ago (warning... DO NOT TRY THAT, BAD IDEA) and gave up, I thought it might be best to actually complete something that I started this time.
But, my front door is now decked out for Easter. Crossing that off my list...
eggs...
more eggs...
and even more eggs!
edited to add... I was really bothered by how I spelled "glueing." It just didn't look right to me. But, neither did "gluing." I finally looked it up, and guess what??? You can spell it either way!
a little bit of catching up
It seems like I'm always having to catch up here. Part of the problem is that I wait forever to upload pictures.
Let's see...
February brought an evening working on Valentines. {s} gave his friends cute little containers of play-doh. {p} is of the age where it's most important just to pick out a little cardboard pack of something at Target. This was the year of Spiderman for him.
Next was cousin Zachary's birthday. Our wonderful, fabulous cake girl was out of town, so Mama ordered a football cake from Publix. It was totally worthy of Cakewrecks. Maybe I should submit it. {s}, as usual, ate it regardless of what it looked like.
Then there was the fun night - right before bedtime (of course), when the boys decided to decorate {s}'s bed. Hmm... no room to sleep in there!
And, I can't forget {p}'s robot. He had an assignment to create a robot, and he had to be able to tell the class three things that it could do. I ran into the dollar store to grab a couple of things he wanted while he waited with {K} in the car. I had a phone call from the car to HURRY, and fortunately we were home before {p} started throwing up. Kit Kat. On the carpet. It was a weird bug that lasted on and off for a couple of days, but as soon as he felt like it he started work on the robot. He named him Workbot, and he's a handyman. He had a pincher hand to use various tools, and a shovel hand to dig holes. He had a little cup he could use for picking up sticks and rocks in the yard (cleaning up), a pencil for writing down measurements, and tape measure for measuring. Oh, and blades on his feet to cut grass. I think my favorite part was the fishing bobber eyes.
That brings us to a trip to Fernbank with grandparents. We were a little disappointed that all of the dinosaur fossils weren't real. Most were casts. Still, it was pretty impressive. I avoided the "beginning of the Earth" sections. It seems that the science people at Fernbank think that the Earth was created without God. We know better!
By now this update is into March, when we experienced the first and only snow of the season. So glad that we had a nice snowfall before springtime. The boys loved the homemade snow cream!
Soccer. Poor {s} -- he had been looking forward to soccer SO MUCH. He kept putting on his uniform and cleats for days before the first game, talking about scoring goals and running really fast. Umm, no. All he would do was hold our hand and look at the ground. He really is really excited about playing, but just gets overcome with shyness. He did have a great time playing with {p} and some friends, in between games, though! {p}, however, really enjoyed himself this time. He did a better job of keeping up with the ball and being involved in the game.
Grandaddy Pat gave the boys little "starter" gardens to plant some snapdragon seeds. They have sprouted now, and they are anxious to be able to plant them outside.
Nearing the end now, with Grandaddy Pat's birthday. I wasn't all too happy that he didn't want me to cook, and bought supper from Five Guys instead. I hope that doesn't say something about my cooking!
Finally, {s} has been going to the second (numbers) session of Puddle Jumpers. The other day he wrote his name on his paper (3 years, 4 months). Backwards, but it's getting there!
Today we're staying in because of the dreary, rainy day, and celebrating both of {K}'s parents' birthdays with potato soup, yeast rolls, and some brownies. Tomorrow is children's church - we're teaching a lesson on baptism - and a birthday party for one of {p}'s friends. Unfortunately, we missed two soccer games and a big Easter egg hunt today. Looking on the bright side, it has given me the perfect opportunity to catch up on the blog.
writing
I wish I could put my finger on what keeps me from writing here. It's not the lack of time. I'm a big believer in that you can always make time for what you believe is important. I can find the time to write. It's not lack of material. So many times a day something pops into my head, and I think about writing. I even write it in my head. I drive down the road, writing in my head. Sometimes I drift off to sleep, still writing in my head. Contrary to the evidence found on the blog, I love to write. I love to be given a topic, or a quote, or a piece of Scripture and instructed to write. I can write well when I take the time to organize my thoughts, yet I rarely do.
So, the mystery remains as to why I don't just sit down and do it. So many authors say that they make themselves write a little bit each day. I could do that. So why don't I? Maybe it's a lack of audience. People read my blog. I see them on my sitemeter. Most of the same people come back. Yet, it can be hard to write when you don't know who your audience is. Is this blog for myself? Is it solely a place to keep track of a few memories? Is it for other people? Am I writing to entertain, to motivate, to educate? I don't know. I guess that's why I struggle with what to do here.
I need to keep thinking about this... figure out what, exactly, I'm even doing with a blog. In the meantime, I have soup to finish cooking, a headache that needs some Dr. Pepper, and two boys that need a bit more attention and loving from me today.
i {heart} faces
I was browsing along on some of my new favorite blogs and saw this:
and since I do heart faces, I clicked and decided to play along. Click here to check it out. This week's theme is "The Eyes Have It." Looking back through my pictures, I realized that I take a lot of close-up shots. That means I have way too many to choose from. And, the one I'm choosing doesn't really show eyes... just eyelashes, but I think even that can show a lot of emotion. This is one of my all time favorite pictures of {s}. Why do boys get those lashes?
and since I do heart faces, I clicked and decided to play along. Click here to check it out. This week's theme is "The Eyes Have It." Looking back through my pictures, I realized that I take a lot of close-up shots. That means I have way too many to choose from. And, the one I'm choosing doesn't really show eyes... just eyelashes, but I think even that can show a lot of emotion. This is one of my all time favorite pictures of {s}. Why do boys get those lashes?
random picture challenge 4.0
4 little men and girly twins is having a fun picture challenge. I love looking back through old pictures!
This is the 44th picture in my November 2007 file... we were geocaching.
Visit 4 little men to play along!
boarding school?
Today is the day {s} has been looking forward to for about a month. Pajama day at preschool. His mouth has been watering over the promise of pancakes for snack, and the "which pajamas to wear?" decision has weighed heavily on his mind. He made up his mind last night, put on some pajamas, but changed his mind again this morning. He ended up wearing what he calls "my-pajamas-with-the-monkey-and-the-monkey-has-socks-and-he-take-them-off-to-play-socky-schroeder." Also known as sock monkey pajamas from Target. (Socky Schroeder is a game the boys invented that involves throwing socks at each other, while yelling "socky schroeder." They are boys, and that is the only explanation I can give.)
So anyway, I finally rounded him up to head out the door, and he runs into the kitchen with his little backpack. Not his school bag, but his backpack. The backpack that he takes when we spend the night with Mammy and Pat. I unzipped it and found a stuffed animal and a shirt. He realized that I put his blankie, pillow, and Monk-monk (stuffed monkey) in his preschool bag (all pajama day accessories, by the way), and he was not happy. He wanted them in the backpack "for to spend the night."
On the way to school, I broke the news that he wasn't spending the night at school. He didn't believe me. I told him that I would pick him up just like I do every day before lunch bunch. He told me no. Compare this to {p}, who was the only child in his Kindergarten class who would NOT wear pajamas on pajama day and who routinely tells me that the best part of school is when I pick him up (not that he doesn't like school, because he does... he just likes home more).
I dropped him off, told his teacher that he thought he was spending the night, and he walked in holding his preschool bag AND his backpack. I rolled down my window and tried to find a teacher who wanted to stay all night with him. That didn't work. Apparently the idea of spending the night at school wasn't as appealing to his teachers! Wonder why...
mistaken identity
Me: {p}, do you know why you don't have school on Monday?
{p}: Yes, it's Presidents' Day.
Me: No..
{p}: Is it Obama Day?
Me: Um... no. I guess you could say that's Tuesday. Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Do you know who that is?
{p} Yeah, he was the one who had the first Christmas tree? And he put candles on it?
Me: Uh, no. That was Martin Luther. Just Martin Luther.
{p} Oh.
{p}: Yes, it's Presidents' Day.
Me: No..
{p}: Is it Obama Day?
Me: Um... no. I guess you could say that's Tuesday. Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Do you know who that is?
{p} Yeah, he was the one who had the first Christmas tree? And he put candles on it?
Me: Uh, no. That was Martin Luther. Just Martin Luther.
{p} Oh.
the more loving one
Recently I was reading a book that referenced a poem by W.H. Auden.
If equal affection cannot be,
Let the more loving one be me.
Let the more loving one be me.
Let the more loving one be me... that part of the verse has remained in my head for days now. Isn't it beautiful? Doesn't it make your heart ache to be the more loving one in all of your relationships? Think about how your life, how your relationships with your spouse, your children, your friends.. even strangers... might change if you always chose to be the more loving one.
Yes, let the more loving one be me.
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35
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