Monthly Archives: October 2011

Trick or Treat

My three little pirates, ready to set sail on an adventure.
One house, two house, three house, four.
Five house, six house, seven house, more.

With little glow stick necklaces swishing back and forth,
They run hard toward the door,
Slowing only when they are alllllllmost there.
And they both turn to see if he’s behind them.
They get candy and make sure he has some, too.

As they turn and begin to rush back to me,
The littlest pauses to say ‘Fanks!’
And my mama-pride glows.

They repeat to me the ‘rules’ of trick or treating.
“We must always let an adult check our candy to make sure we can have it.”
They repeat what they’ve been told at school.
“It would be a tragedy if we ate something we were allergic to and died.”
“Ummmmm….yes, it would.”
I am surprised, although I shouldn’t be.

Buckets of candy poured out on the floor.
“One piece each” I say.
“Okay…one more.  But that’s really it.”
Even in these little things, I second guess myself.
Should I have stuck with just one piece?
Am I not being consistent enough?
Will not sticking to my guns come back to haunt me?
Am I tricking myself?  Treating them with too much?

But it’s just a piece of candy.
One more piece of candy won’t hurt. 
Seriously!
It’s a piece of candy, Bridget.
You don’t have to over-analyze every.little.thing! 

Bath and bed.
Prayers and snuggles.

“Mama, this was the best night ever.”
Yes, baby…yes, it was.


I love Just Write.
Click here to see more of this week’s fantastic free-thoughts.

Warm Fuzzies and Gators

Three weekends in a row have been just fan-stinkin’-fabulous!
Can you believe it?

Friday I had a chance to work on a little project with my dad.
And the kids and I went to visit Marshall’s parents.

Saturday I had the chance to do a family photos for dear friends of mine.
(We all went to college together.  They also have 4 kids who are about the same ages as our kids.)
The kids got to play on their favorite playground with the big silver slide.

And I had the chance to eat at my favorite restaurant!
(Who wants to open one locally?  I have the franchise information!)

We got home just in time to see the Georgia game and visit with friends.
And WE WON against Florida!!!!

Sunday was just perfectly lazy-daisy.
Sunday School and church.
Lunch with family and friends.
And the Harvest Festival where my kids donned home-made costumes.
Meet Jake, Izzy and Cubby.

You know, after several weeks of the blahs bringing me down…
I’ve finally found my footing.
My camera clicks happily.
My heart sings and so do I.
I make silly jokes with the kids.
And laugh at their jokes (even when they don’t make sense).
We play outside until the sun starts to set.
And we just enjoy being together.

I am happy.
I am full of warm fuzzies.
And I am so, so in love the right here, right now.

Favorite Phrase Friday {October 28, 2011}

I thoroughly enjoy saving up my favorite phrases all week to share with you
(and to go back and re-read some of my favorite posts).

The thing I love best about this online community is that there is always something wonderful to read and always a variety of writing styles.  You learn quickly where to go when you need a laugh.  Or when you need a smile.  Or when you need an ooshy-mushy moment.

My three year old girl looks at leaves and sees treasure.  I save those leaves because I want to remember that lesson.
from Jenna at All About Avacakes

Sometimes it’s hard to know when to speak and when to listen. Sometimes it’s even harder to speak when you think no one’s listening.
-from Lisa-Jo on the (in)courage website

How can rusty, bent steel make a mama hurt for all that’s slid away?

A Velveteen Mother — made Real by the years — the way grace can happen to you. And not all at once — but you become. And grace becomes you.
-from the lovely Ann Voskamp also on the (in)courage site

But if someone asks me to help, my default answer is always yes. Why do I not feel comfortable asking someone else to help? Why do I – and I wonder if you feel the same – think that, by asking for help, I’m inconveniencing another person and they might possibly think less of me?   -from Carmen at Mom to the Screaming Masses

Let them run around the living room, let them ask a bajillion questions, let them test you, let them hang on to your leg, let them tell you about their day, let them tell silly stories, let them know you’re listening, and let them teach you how to color outside the lines…
-from Kate at Savvy Little Women   (You need to go read the whole post!)

 

I’d love for you to share your favorites with me.
I’m considering doing a linky starting next week for those who might want to participate.
Anybody in?

 

Nine Months of Moments

There are moments when it feels like you have always been here, always been a part of us.
And then there are moments when it feels like you just got here.

There are moments that I love looking at you, with your one-tooth grin.
But there are moments that I’m sad the gummy grin is beginning to fade.

You are The-One-Who-Must-Be-Held and there are moments when that is exhausting.
But there are more moments when I am just so happy to have you here that I can’t put you down.

There are many, many moments that I just watch.
Watch you grow.
Watch you learn.
Watch you play.

I am grateful for all the moments I have with you.
You made us complete.
We love you.
(Especially when you purse your lips like this and roll your tongue over that little tooth.)

 

According to Carter

When he was three, he learned about condensation.
He told everyone he met all about condensation.
That’s how he is.
Not in a know-it-all kind of way,
But a oh-my-goodness-can-you-believe-this kind of way.

He grabs on to bits and pieces (big bits and pieces) of truth
And he gnaws on them for weeks, months
Until finally it is a part of him.
And then he can’t help but share it with you!
His excitement is palpable.
His face serious, but bright.
The words pour out of his mouth,
But come from much, much deeper.

Can we watch How The Universe Works tonight? 
Pleeeeease???

Not tonight, buddy.
It’s late.
Maybe tomorrow.

What about Friday?  
Can we watch it Friday night?
Because we can stay up sooo late on Friday night, right, Mommy?

He could probably quote Mike Rowe word for word on the Supernova one.
But it never gets old to him.
And so we watch it over and over and over.
And then our hearts swell when we hear him do this:
How The Universe Works (According to Carter)
(Click ↑that↑ link if you can’t see an audio player right ↓there↓.)
(He doesn’t start talking until about 5 seconds in.)

I pray he always keeps this sense of wonder and curiosity about the world.
I pray he continues to ask questions and think for himself.
And I pray that I’m around to see how he’s gonna change the world.

Enough of Enough

I struggle with being good enough.
With being what I think I should be.
With being what I want to be.

I struggle with thinking I’m not good enough.
I struggle with thinking I just can’t do it.
I struggle with worrying about being a failure,
About not hacking it,
About not being tough enough
Or good enough.

Enough.

Why can’t “good enough” be enough for me?

I’ve had enough of enough.

(All the “enoughs” cloud my view anyway.)

I struggle, and I can’t help it.
But I’m done with “enoughs”.

Aren’t you?

 

Just Write

Written as part of Heather-of-the EO‘s Just Write.

Chasing Change

i wish i could capture the sound of the wind.
the ebb and flow of static,
the gentle caress upon my skin,
the chill bumps not from cold but from exhilaration.

i wish i could capture the feel of mist.
the clouds leaning down and brushing the earth,
the gentleness of almost nothing settling down on my hairs,
but not quite strong enough to reach my skin.

i wish i could capture the display of summer dancing with fall.
the bright pinks and greens not fading,
only changing to the glorious golds and deep, rich reds.
and though it seems as if the change happened overnight…
they have been preparing a life time for this moment.

i wish i could capture the smell of right here, right now.
apples baking, bathed in cinnamon and sugar,
and butter.
ahhhh…butter.
the first bite, so luscious and smooth.
i close my eyes and drink it all in.

i have been chasing change.
trying to capture it, to hold it,
and immerse myself in the chase.

but guess what?
it was not i who found it,
but it who found me.

Favorite Phrase Friday {October 21, 2011}

I read a lot of blogs.  I love reading and at this point in my life, I don’t have more than a few minutes at a time to actually read…so blog posts are perfect.  Often I will read a post that really resonates with me and one bit will just jump out at me.  Here are some of my favorite phrases from this week.  Click on their names to read the whole post.

Note the stove clock and his baffling hours and minutes. Where did this day go? I am in a good place, but still. Another one slipped away. –from Stephanie at Adventures in Babywearing

Magical days must be tasted in gulps.
Or savored sweet and slow.
from Suzannah at So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter

My hubby called it a dreamstorming session. I like that. Because if it had been a brainstorming session, my brain would have told me our dreams are too big, impossible.  – from Kristen at We Are THAT Family

 

I didn’t have to be something amazing in my own eyes or even the eyes of the world.
It was OK to be me. Imperfect, unique, flawed and unremarkable me.
by Melissa Michaels on (in)courage

Yes, our house is full of kids. And it’s only going to get fuller. But that doesn’t mean it’s chaotic or deafening or unorganized.
Well, not all the time anyway. –from Sarah at Ordinary Days

I may sometimes disappoint myself and my kids as a mother, but I do a lot of things right, too – like acting like a total goof ball and reminding my children you’re never too old to laugh, sing, dance, or jam out in a minivan.  –from my real-life-pre-blogging friend Kate who is just as adorable and sweet as she sounds in her posts

Sometimes you find a post that seems like it was written just for you.  When you find posts like that, it’s impossible to pluck out one small phrase and so below you’ll see a handful of snippets from Suzannah’s post Media Literacy & Christian Wordlview: Why Sheltering Won’t Suffice but really, you should go read the whole thing.  Really.

If we want to succeed in the task of raising children to become competent adults, then we must strive to teach them how to think instead of what to think.

What if instead of drawing lines and saying “no,” we engaged media alongside the young people we influence?  What if we provided fewer answers and asked more questions?

Training kids to engage critically with media seats them in the powerful position to become change agents.  Engaged consumers are a force to be reckoned with.  Empowering young people to make their own informed choices (when the time comes) is far better than their being steered by the marketor well-meaning Christians.

Christians should be at the orefront of making and shaping culture–not hiding from it.

Do you have any favorite phrases from this week?
I’d love to hear about them. 

Five Things

If you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard me talk about Blissdom.
It is my favorite conference and I look forward to it all year long!
(I missed last year because I was a little busy.)
(I’m still a little bummed that I missed Brené Brown.)

At Blissdom ’09, they announced that they would be doing a Blissdom Canada.
I have always wanted to go to Canada and one day I will make it up there.
(Seems like Blissdom Canada is as good an excuse as any, right?)

As people have made their way back home from Blissdom Canada, I’ve enjoyed watching the posts.
One in particular talked about Catherine Connors’ keynote.
Catherine asked them to write down a few lists of 5 things.
And though they seem like simple little lists, they were harder to write than you’d think.

5 things you don’t know about me
If I could be anyone else other than myself, I would be Julie Andrews.
I don’t really like Halloween.
I love giving gifts.
I have a hard time believing that I’m actually good at something.
I really, really love flying (but not in to/out of ATL).

5 things I know stuff about
Babies and Children
Photography
Writing
Social Media
Crafts

5 things which I do not know very much at all
Finances & Budgeting (but I’m learning!)
Business (but I’m trying to learn!)
Organic Chemistry
How to promote yourself without being a boastful @$$
Rugby  (I have no clue why that came to mind!)

5 things that I believe
God loves everyone.
When you have little ones, the days are long but the years are short.
(There’s a reason we have cliches: They’re true.)
I will never have it all figured out.
It’s okay to not have it all figured out.
Laugh a lot – it makes things seem better if even they aren’t.

What are some of your five things?

Right this moment

I sit in my chair, content and comfortable and watch the wind dance with the trees.
I can hear the rain slapping onto the ground, but I can’t see it.
The fan is on, although it’s cool enough now that we don’t need it.
Every now and then, the wind chimes burst into song.
But it doesn’t last long.

It is quiet, save the wind.

A car sloshes by.
One lone bird tweets rhythmically.
The steady drip of water hitting the drain spout.
Right this moment, it all sounds so loud, so obvious.
But when the children are here and we are busy,
It will all become white noise.

So now, while the chance is here, I am listening.
I let the static guide and with eyes closed, I hear my own breath.
The steady in and out becomes another instrument in the static symphony.
Oh, it’s a beautiful sound.