Similar?

Anybody else see a similarity?

Flight

Is this really January?

The calendar says yes; the weather says no.

Sunny weather equals afternoons out of doors.

Clear, blue skies perfect for flight.

 Running wild and free,

full of dreams,

and truly enjoying the blessing of brothers.

Yes, I was there, capturing the sights in my the viewfinder of my camera and my heart.

Matthew is 4

Encounters with the (not so) Rich & Famous

I've mentioned before that I have this strange habit of talking to strangers.

This weekend I stopped by one of my favorite local shops (Americans are not the only ones with cool junk - check out these great British imports).  Anyway, while chatting with the owner, I noticed a couple walk in who looked really familiar. 

Having had five children in seven years, there aren't too many brain cells functioning at full capacity these days and it took awhile to register; they appeared to be a couple whose blog I read from time to time (you know, back in the days of hours of pumping!).

But, wait, those people live in New York City.

But they did move to Atlanta recently.

And they have some relatives in Chattanooga.

I argued the matter over in my head, determined that I would in all likelihood never see the couple again, and marched right over and asked.

"Excuse me, are you Rick and Susanna?"

They looked a bit puzzled, and snatching their little ones just a wee bit closer, they responded, "Yes."

Quickly I reassured them.  "I'm really not a stalker or anything, I just recognized you from your blog."

We chatted for a few minutes, and they were very pleasant though I can only imagine the conversations they will have with their friends.

"We had a great visit with my folks this weekend except for this nutty lady who approached us in a furniture store...."

Redneck Girl

"And I pray that someday I will find me a redneck girl."  Bellamy Brothers

(Lest you think that I spend Doug's hard-earned money on a Jeff Gordon onesie, let me clarify: my mother picked it up at a Salvation Army Thrift Store.)

Back on Track

If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, then I must be on the superhighway.

Back in high school, my sister and I shared a car.  My recollection is that whenever it was time for me to go somewhere, the gas gauge was sitting on empty, and when my sister was questioned, she replied, "Well, I meant to."

So it goes with blogging.  "I meant to."

Said sister also forwarded the following a few years ago, and it's becoming more and more reflective of reality as time progresses.

If You Give A Mom a Muffin

If you give a mom a muffin, she'll want a cup of coffee to go with it. She'll pour herself some. Her three-year-old will spill the coffee.  She'll wipe it up. Wiping the floor, she will find dirty socks. She'll remember she has to do laundry. When she puts the laundry in the  washer, she'll trip over boots and bump into the freezer. Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan supper. She will get out a pound of hamburger. She'll look for her cookbook. (101 Things To Make With A Pound Of Hamburger.) The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail. She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow. She will look for her checkbook. The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old. She'll smell something funny. She'll change the two-year-old. While she is changing the two-year-old the phone will ring. Her five-year-old will answer and hang up. She'll remember that she wants to phone a friend to come for coffee. Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup. She will pour herself some. And chances are, if she has a cup of coffee, her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

The past two weeks have been consumed with antibiotic doses and snotty noses; dirty diapers and dirty dishes; lessons to be both taught and learned; and a serious lack of sleep.  Little time for pictures; no time for blogging.  And to top it off, Doug announced this morning that we're out of coffee.  (Guess where I'll be at 6am tomorrow?)

Hope springs eternal though and His mercies are new every morning.  Maybe this week will be better.

Another One Bites the Dust

For weeks now, there have been unwelcome guests in our home: strep germs.

Stephen was the first one to fall, followed a week later by Matthew, and another week later by Andrew.  We've kept the pediatrician and pharmacy hoppin'.

Unfortunately, I was the latest victim. 

Many kudos to Doug for stepping up to the role of Mr. Mom as I lay in a state of semi-consciousness, listening to happenings of the household.   Thankfully the fridge was stocked, and I do believe he may have even offered a fruit or vegetable instead of the usual meat & wheat.  There were no crises, everyone was pleasant, and the boys (and Josie) enjoyed a day with Dad. 

For his part, I've never seen Doug so happy to go to work on a Monday morning.  "I could never do what you do."  And I echo the sentiment.

Culinary Finds

After returning from an outdoor romp, I asked the boys what they had been doing.

Stephen:  We found some ice.

Matthew (very excitedly!):  Yeah, it was in the ditch, and we ate it!

Mmm, Mmm, Mmm Minestrone

Since I decided to declare January the Month of Soups, I tried this recipe from the recent issue of Better Homes & Gardens.

Sure, it's got plenty of canned tomatoes that apparently are deadly, but what a way to go.

The Pond

I call them memory markers, those events or places or objects that serve as bookmarks for childhood.

Like the pencil marks inside our closet doors, in my mind's eye I see images of the boys at our neighborhood pond, how they've grown both in number and height.

It was here that Andrew took his first dive when Stephen was just an infant.  Oh, sympathetic mother that I am, I held him at arm's length (I didn't want to be wet!) and assured him that he would be okay.

Another 12-18 months would pass and the same thing would happen again to the newest toddler of the family; now there are three more uninitiated members of the family.

We have seen these waters in spring and summer, fall and winter.  We've fed the fish and laughed at the turtles.  We've been awed by the enormous wingspan of the blue heron who comes to feed.  We've poked at lily pads and tossed in sweet gum balls.

The boys fish for algae, calling it "honey mustard" and delighting in throwing it at one another.

These are memories I savor: simple childhood adventures without worry or care.



So they went off together.  But wherever  they, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the Forest, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing. 

A.A. Milne, The House at Pooh Corner

Bath Buddies

Rubber ducky, you're the one.

You make bathtime lots of fun.

Rubber ducky, I'm awfully fond of you.

You are such a funny guy,

But when the bath toys start to fly,

Suddenly, I'm not so fond of you.

Oh, my!

Josie at 7 Months

Whoops!  I'm a couple of days late,

but for that smile, it was worth the wait.

Window Dressing

While it's been a long process, I'm so thankful to have curtains hanging in our living room once again; it feels like slipping into a suit jacket.

Now for the bling.

2012: A New Beginning

"Behold, I make all things new."

daffodils

dill

sedum 'Chubby Fingers'

 

sedum 'Dragon's Blood' (and chubby toddler toes!)

rosemary

yarrow

parsley

cilantro

varigated hydrangea



gardenia

cabbage

sedum 'Autumn Joy'



sedum 'Blue Spruce'

Here's to a new year blooming with possibilities!