gamboling

A fallish sort of afternoon spent with my favorite boys.




More of Zee:



(Not that he likes to pose or anything.)

Gives a whole new meaning to the word

Gratitude
(by Nichole Nordeman from her 2002 Woven&Spun Album)

Send some rain, would you send some rain
'cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
and the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would you send a cloud, thunder long and loud
let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely you can see that we are thirsty and afraid
But maybe not, not today
Maybe you'll provide in other ways
and if that's the case--

We'll give thanks to you with gratitude
for lessons learned in how to thirst for you
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
if you never send us rain

Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up and warm us through
tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time
Or maybe not, not today
Maybe you'll provide in other ways
and if that's the case--

We'll give thanks to you with gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after you
That a starry sky offers a better view
if no roof is overhead
and if we never taste that bread

Oh, the differences that often are between
everything we want and what we really need

So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
between alibis and enemies tonight
Or maybe not, not today
Peace might be another world away
and if that's the case--

We'll give thanks to you with gratitude
for lessons learned in how to trust in you
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
in abundance or in need
and if You never grant us peace

But, Jesus, would you please

Thankful

So I was tagged to post about gratitude. Lucky for me, I already turned in this assignment a while back. (See this post.)

But I'll add one little thing to that list. A small thing, but still lovely.

I'm grateful for rainy days (except for six rainy days in a row, in which case I am only thankful for the first two).

I love 'em because they give you a reason to hole up in the house and do this:



or this:



with whomever means family to you.

Home

Yesterday we got back from a five-day conference. This is the first time we attended sans children, a feat only accomplished through the bravery of Todd's mom (GIANT smooches to her!!).

We arrived home to a menagerie of posters:







It's good to be missed.

It's good to be home.

last Wednesday: Elle in residence

As every parent worth their weight in Cheerios knows, one ought never leave a two year old unattended for the length of an entire five minutes. This is three hundred uninterrupted seconds of opportunity.

Usually Elle is smack up beside me in the bathroom, wanting powdered and deoderized and chapsticked right along with me as I ready myself for church.

But on this particular day, she was playing cars with her brothers in the sunroom. Or so I thought.



Turns out, she was painting her socks.









Plus her palms, her leg, and the back of one arm, but mostly her socks.

And on a day when we were actually going to be on time for church.

So much for that.

thoughts du jour

I'm at NYWC in Cincinnati and just have a quick minute here...

1. We're on the top floor of an incredible restored hotel, upgraded for free...and that's not even the best part. The best part is we've got Crabtree & Evelyn amenities--the standard two soaps, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, plus optional shower cap--AND a toiletry kit and peppermint mouth wash. I think I might have to move in.

2. Yesterday I had the brilliant idea of walking down the stairs (we're on the 29th floor, which could be worse, but still) for our daily exercise. Today my legs hurt, and that might be an understatement.

3. You've probably seen this, but just in case, take a look. It's frightening that the image our youth are desperately trying to replicate doesn't even exist.

4. I didn't even know it, but I so needed this conference. This is the sixth one we've attended in the past seven years, so I thought it would be old stuff by now. But so much is fresh and real and exactly what I needed.

5. Not only is David Crowder an unbelievably talented musician, he's fabulously funny.

Quite possibly the shortest-lived illness

Ever.

Em (who has this weird love for medicine) walks past a bottle of Triaminic.

"Mommy," he says, eyeing the pink stuff, "I think I am feeling sick." He holds his tummy for dramatic effect.

"Oh dear," I tell him. "Guess you'd better go lie down, then."

Two second pause.

"But I think really I am better now," he says.

Am I ever on to that kid.

:)

Belatedness+Selfishness=Me

Okay, so once upon a long time ago in May when we moved into this place, my MIL stayed back at the old place for a few hours and cleaned it out. No, you can't have her. She's mine.

And in gratitude, I'd planned on making her a jewelry something of sorts, with just the right blend of delicate and earthy.

But first, I had to give her the twenty questions on what she craves in a piece of jewelry.

And then I had to order more coppery-brown beads.

And then I had to lose my stringing material and purchase more of that.

And then I got fed up with my pliers and bought new pair.

And then I needed more sterling head pins.

And then (of course), I had to obsess over the design element for a few days.

And once I finally started, I had to restring the thing a good six times before it was oh-just-right.



So now, six months later, here it is:






Just a sneak peek for y'all.

Plus, I had to post this here because I fell so crazy in love with the thing that I almost kept it for myself. I'd still like to keep it for myself. It looks lovely on me.

But now that you all have seen this post, I am duty-bound to fork it over. Sigh.

one more

From Amber's blog.

A) Four jobs I have had in my life
1. Greeter Girl @ Express (does the joy ever end?)
2. Art teacher
3. Mom
4. Designer-seamstress-small business owner (I adore the term "cottage industry"...and it's a cozy cottage at that)

B) Four movies I would watch over and over
1. Sweet Home Alabama
2. Ocean's Eleven
3. You've Got Mail
4. Runaway Bride (yes, I'm an official sap)

C) Four places I have lived
1. Nanakuli, Hawaii (no recollection of these 6 months)
2. Mililani, Hawaii
3. Wakarusa, Indiana (loved this town)
4. Morenci, Michigan

D) Four TV shows I love to watch
1. Grey's
2. hmmm...I like those interior design shows I get to watch at the in-laws'
3. I don't know...I've watched Shark twice and it's okay...
Great quote in this last one; what was it now?...something like, "You would think I'd get tired of constantly being right. And yet it never gets old."
4. Whatever CSI show it is that hubby watches with Gibbs on it. Is that even how you spell Gibbs? It's how I spell Gibbs. What a fun name. Gibbs Gibbs Gibbs.

E) Four places I have been on vacation
1. New York, New York
2. Vancouver, Canada (and we almost had to live there forever because my parents didn't know we kiddos needed passports to get back into the US...)
3. Seattle, Washington (Mercer Island)
4. Cape May, New Jersey (lots of spiders...don't ask)

F) Four Websites I visit daily
1. webmail.juno.com
2. Yahoo mail
3. eBay
4. SouleMama or some other blog or Etsy
pretty much in that order, too (type A here)

G) Four of my favorite foods
1. Pie. Especially tart fruit pies.
2. Tortilla soup
3. Broccoli (I suspect this is due to a mutant gene from my uncle)
4. Bread. Preferrably Euro style. I could never go on an Atkins diet because I so love bread and pasta...plus I think any nutritionist with half a conscience would say Atkins is the scariest thing next to cabbage-soup diet.

H) Four places I would like to be right now
1. A South Pacific island, in a hammock
2. On a luxury train somewhere in Europe
3. Christmas shopping in New York or Chicago
4. Four hours into the future where all my cleaning and sewing for the day is done but I didn't have to actually do it


And now to reveal the real reason I'm doing this meme (and you thought it was a scheme to kill you with boredom):

I hereby tag all those people related to me who only manage to post on their blogs once every three weeks. Instant topic. I'm helping you out here.

And I specifically tag Kristin, who now has the subject of her first post. Go at it, Kris. :)

Indian Summer

So I suppose a single day doesn't constitute Indian Summer. But what a day it was.





Mid-sixties, full sun, with just a brush of breeze. Perfect November weather.







Perfect for reading "Snuggle Puppy" on a blanket, cookie in hand.







Perfect for silly dances and raining leaves on your head.

Perfect.

Bittersweet

Sometimes it's hard to be six and have a little sister who sneaks your chocolate when you're not looking, and crayons your homework, and cries when you walk out of the room.

Sometimes it's hard when you're two and full of liking your brother so much, but he calls you a bad girl and stomps all over your feelings and closes the pocket door so you can't follow him into the hallway.

That was yesterday.

But today Elle has found a new brother to shadow, and Zee is back to loving his baby sister.

No batteries required

All aboard the Em Express!

Don't forget your hats and silk scarves. (Train rides demand high fashion.)

What we learned today

So here's the thing. If you're going to put a bunk bed together, first of all, do not inform your children that you are putting their bunk bed together let alone promise them that they will be able to sleep in it tonight. Because chances are, you are lying.

Second, do not tell your husband, "No, go ahead honey, I'll do it myself and you can just help me lift the top bed up at the end." Especially if he is on his way out the door as you say it, because then you have to actually mean it.

Third, in light of number two, do not succumb to your overambitious urges and attempt to hoist the top bunk into place yourself. This is A Bad Idea.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Today I learned that I am really good at assembling bunk beds. Plus, I am really bad at assembling bunk beds. This actually does make sense.

I am totally Bob Vila's twin because if you put some bunks together 3 1/2 times in one evening, you get to be good. (The first time my husband was helping, so I'm only taking half the blame.)

I'm really bad at it because of, well, the 3 1/2 times.

So.

Practical lesson number one: let's just say that in spite of the fact that all the pieces look the same, it does matter which goes where. This is because of the little pre-drilled holes that you only notice after you've tightened all the screws.

Lesson number two: try not to lose your instructions two houses ago.

Lesson number three: if you happen to snap some of the wood off (twice), just flip the piece over and drill your own holes. Yes, I know how to use a drill. I told you, Bob Vila's twin here.

Lesson number four: no matter how Bob Vila-ish you may be, unless you have 8-feet-long arms, you will not under any circumstances be able to place the top bunk on the bottom bunk yourself. Although you might manage to mash your thumb a good one.

But.

Three hours later, the screws are in place, the kids are in bed, and my thumb is still attached to my hand. So I'm categorizing this one as a success.

Just call me Bob. Or else. Did I mention I have a drill?

A walk through someone else's life

A must see (click here). Be sure to take a peek at the "best pictures" and "archive" as well.

a wednesday dozen

1. I am on a mission to reclaim my body. The story goes like this. Last July I started a much-needed prescription, which had the lovely side-effect of a twenty pound weight gain. Oh, the joy. So now I am running (read: very slowly jogging) 1-2 miles/day, 5 days/week...a gradual start so I don't keel over and die on the spot from being so terrifically out of shape.

The idea here is to be able to fit into my clothes again. My weight management strategy is as follows: never buy clothes in a larger size. When they get tight, I am forced to lose the weight. This is a brilliant plan, except for right now, when it is not so brilliant a plan.

But it will be brilliant again soon, when it works. Just wait.

2. It is perfectly acceptable to use either "most importantly" or "most important" at the beginning of a sentence. Many people (okay, a blessed few people who are more obsessed with grammar than I am) will try to sway you one way or the other, with convincing arguments on either end. Ignore them and employ whichever suits you best.

3. Shopping for the person who has it all? Try here.

4. Zee insists that he is not learning about letters in kindergarten, he is learning about alpha friends. And we mustn't talk about either of the two at home, because all that stuff is for school, and my name is Mom, not Mrs. His Teacher. So. If he happens to become passably literate before age 12, it will be no thanks to me.

5. Zee has also lost his first tooth. The second is hanging by a thread. I think this afternoon I shall tell him to stand outside in the wind a bit with his mouth open. That should do the trick.

6. I also had to explain to him that the tooth fairy at our house is not as rich as the tooth fairy at other people's houses, so get used to it now, buddy.

7. I love sweatshirt-and-jeans weather, double socks. It makes me think of Christmas. My husband finds this amusing, but I have a reasonable explanation: where I grew up, sweatshirt-and-jeans weather meant Christmas. Or January. Makes me want to lick a candy cane, just talking about it.

8. I am very picky.

9. I thought maybe I'd grow out of number 8, but so far no such luck.

10. But we shan't give up hope. It could be just a very long phase. I'm certain it'll be over in another 60 years or so.

11. (When I am either dead or senile.)

12. While we're on the subject, please somebody outlive me and incorporate this quote in some manner at my funeral:

“Someday you will read in the papers that D. L. Moody of East Northfield is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it! At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now..."

“I was born of the flesh in 1837. I was born of the Spirit in 1856. That which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the Spirit will live forever.”

(by DL Moody, in case you didn't catch on to this)

13. Happy Wednesday. Oh, look! A baker's dozen. (Either that, or the senility's kicking in early.)