Thoughts on Motherhood : Weathering the Storm

I have a deep rooted fear of thunderstorms that stems from a long line of women in my family who jumped out of their skin at first the clap of thunder. My sweet Mammaw was traumatized by her grandmother whom she lived with as a teenager. Whenever a thunderstorm brewed, the two of them would squeeze into a closet to hug, squeal, and cry their way through the storm.

This in turn, made Mammaw a total mess as an adult and she was kind enough to pass her fear onto me. She forced my Pappaw to build a storm garage at the bottom of a long driveway next to their home. I suppose she thought that it could shelter her from any storms. They lived in Canyon Lake, Texas not far from the lake. Being so near the water produced some pretty amazing lightning.

If a storm came in the night while I was having a sleep over, she would jolt me out of my sleep, toss me out the front door to run like a scared lunatic through the rain and thunder. The darkness would be cut with flashes of light as we darted through the rain. The wind would swoop up behind me and almost push me into her car. Then we would all drive down to the storm garage to wait for clear skies. It was terrifying. We would all sit in the hot car and wait and wait. Lightning would snap and thunder would clap as we all held on for dear life.

You can only imagine what this experience did to me. I am determined not to pass my own fears onto my boys. This resistance has made me over-enthusiastic when a thunderstorm hits. I get all "fake excited" and act ridiculously cheerful during bad weather. In a high pitched voice I'll shout "Oh boy, that was a big flash, let's all get ready for the thunder!" The house will rattle and I'll clap my hands and yell "Oh boy, isn't this exciting?!"

The boys look at me like I'm insane, which I am, of course. It doesn't help that we have had some pretty intense weather over here lately. Early the other morning, it thundered so loud that it threw a picture hanging over my bed off the wall. Pulled out of a deep sleep by the loud bang and a falling frame, I screamed "OH MY GOD!" as I shot out of bed.

I heard Koen screaming in his crib "Thunder, too loud Mama!" I ran in and grabbed him. We both literally shook in each other's arms in the rocking chair as the storm blared all around us. I envisioned my Great-grandmother holding Mammaw in the same way and remembered trembling in Mammaw's as a small child. "The fear stops here" I said aloud as I kissed Koen's head and tried my hardest to remain calm.

I must stop the cycle.

A Diva to the End.

This is just amazing...
my own personal Hollywood source informed me
the other day that Elizabeth Taylor
requested in her will
that her funeral start 15 minutes later then scheduled
because she wanted to even be late to her own funeral.

How fantastic is that?
I can just imagine all of her loved ones smiling
as they waited for the service to begin.

What a great gift to give them.

52 Weeks of Happiness :: Week 4

Hosting a dinner party for friends.

Not only do I love having dinner parties

but I love the excitement of preparations

the day of the party.

The house feels alive as I work to get everything ready.

Cleaning the house, cutting fruit for the Sangria,

prepping the food, and letting it simmer on the stove.

Taking a little extra time to get myself ready...

doing some last minute primping

while the food cooks.

Dim the lights, light the candles, and put on some good music

right before the guests arrive.

Finally, toasting to a great meal with good friends.

<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://leighvslaundry.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i969.photobucket.com/albums/ae172/leighbug_photo/thumbnail_camera_ads-6-3.jpg" /></a></div><br />

Want to join me in my quest
to scout out happiness for a whole year?
Simply post a photo of something that
makes you wildly happy and tell us all about it.
Then, steal my button and include it in your post.
Don't forget to link up to Mr. Linky.

Winner : Big Love Edition

We have a winner for this week's installment of Freakshow Friday. Please take note that my super hilarious and non biased best friend was the judge. Here are the top three in no particular order.

Just Jen

She is MY sister! Get your own!!

Karen Mortensen
Sumo wrestling gone bad.

Momma Fargo
Mass Destruction

The winner is...

Just Jen

She is MY sister! Get your own!!

Just Jen
is the funniest blogger in all the land.
Now head on over to her blog

and marvel at this fantastic award she just earned
to proudly display forever.

Thanks to all the people who played.

Tune in this Friday for another instalment of Freakshow Friday!

Freakshow Friday : Big Love Edition

It's time for another installment of Freakshow Friday. Where I ask my readers to come up with a caption or story for a funny photo found on the web. My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Here is this week's photo, one of my loyal readers scouted this one out for us. It is pretty terrifying!

Thank God for the invention of blue jeans.

You got a better one for me?

If so, you may just when this awesome award

and have bragging rights forever.
Oh...do I ever have an award for you!
You will win this brand spankin' new award!!

If you win then I'll linkup to your
Blog and make a big deal
about how funny you are.
Simply leave your funny caption or story
in my comments section.

The winner will be announced on Monday.

The Snodgrass Memoirs : Pretend Trips

Once upon a time, I was a little girl
and my Mom called me "Snodgrass".
It was a term of endearment that survived the test of time.
Just typing that word makes me feel safe and secure.
I have so many wonderful memories filed away from my childhood
that I've decided to start recounting them and
I'm calling this collection of memories

The Snodgrass Memoirs.

When I was four years old, money was tight for my parents. My Mom wanted so badly to take us to Disney World but there was no way that we could afford it. So, I remember feeling shocked when she came into my bedroom and told me to pack a suitcase because we were going to Disney World. I grabbed my "I'm Going to Grandma's" suitcase and filled it with what I thought were the essentials. Now, I don't remember the exact contents but I can only imagine that it was stuffed with things like a hairbrush, a Barbie doll, a cookie, and a mismatched pair of socks.

My older brother and I piled into our bright red station wagon and excitement filled the air as we pulled out of the driveway. With visions of flying Dumbos dancing in my head, our journey began. We drove down the street with the windows rolled down when my Mom announced "Look over there, it's a huge mountain!" We followed her finger to see a bolder in my neighbors yard. Confusion set in as she quickly pointed out the other window and shouted "Now I see the ocean!" in reference to a sad little sprinkler in another neighbors yard. "Roll up the windows, before someone hears us." I remember saying as we slowly drove around the block, looking at pretend landmarks.

We pulled back up to our driveway and my Mom yelled "Here we are at Disney World!" It was then I realized that we were not about to get anywhere near Cinderella's castle but that we were on a pretend trip. We all piled out of the car and entered the front door to see that the living room had been set up to look like a hotel room. The pull out bed was pulled out from beneath the couch and covered with crisp white linens. Fluffy towels were folded on the coffee table. She had taken a small television set from the den and put it in the living room. "Welcome to our vacation!" my mother announced.

To some, this may seem cruel, but we had the time of our young lives. The backyard had a slip-n-slide set up along side a kiddie pool. We ran outside, played in the water, and pretended to be at the most magical place on earth. We ate tons candy and my Mom took turns spinning my brother and I around while holding our arms. My little feet dangled in that air as we spun in circles and I remember gazing at her face and thinking that she was the funnest Mom on the planet. Later that evening, we pretended to call for room service and ate dinner in our "hotel room". Then we all snuggled into the pull out bed and watched TV until we all dozed off. Everyone ended up abandoning the "hotel" bed for their own but I was steadfast and slept the entire night on the lumpy sofa mattress, I was on vacation after all.

The next morning, we wiped the sleep from our eyes, packed up our suitcases, and cleaned up the living room. Then we all hopped in the car and drove around the block the other way to drive home from our pretend trip. We had a blast pretending to see the sights as we drove along and I remember feeling so lucky to have a Mom that could transform our own backyard into something as magical as Disney World.

52 Weeks of Happiness :: Week 3

A day spent at the zoo.

My mom and I packed the boys up and headed to the Atlanta Zoo
last week in celebration of Spring Break.
Roger took the morning off from work and met us there,
so we were all together on a weekday, which is rare.

I have a compulsion to hug animals that could scratch my face off.
They look so cute and in need of some lovin'.

The animals that really did me in were the Pandas.
Look at that little Red Panda, it wants to be friends.
Oh...and thank God there was a barrier
between me and the Mama Panda
because I just wanted to curl up in her lap and suck my thumb.

The best part was watching the children experience it all.

Koen was fascinated by every single animal
and wanted to linger and point and squeal.
It was almost like I was seeing it all
for the first time with him.
The world seems so much more delightful
when you see it through a child's eyes.

Griffin was too excited to stay still
and was running to the next habitat
before we were done with the first one.

It was the perfect way to spend a sunny day.

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Want to join me in my quest
to scout out happiness for a whole year?
Simply post a photo of something that
makes you wildly happy and tell us all about it.
Then, steal my button and include it in your post.
Don't forget to link up to Mr. Linky.

Winner : Open Road Edition

We have a winner for this week's installment of Freakshow Friday. Please take note that my super hilarious and non biased best friend was the judge. Here are the top three in no particular order.

Moooooog35
Thelma and Mewouise.

Secret Mom Thoughts
Listen to that engine purr. Oh it was just Muffin.

VandyJ
Driving Miss Muffin.

The winner is...
Secret Mom Thoughts

Listen to that engine purr. Oh it was just Muffin.

Secret Mom Thoughts
is the funniest blogger in all the land.
Now head on over to her blog

and marvel at this fantastic award she just earned
to proudly display forever.

Thanks to all the people who played.

Tune in this Friday for another instalment of Freakshow Friday!

Freakshow Friday : Open Road Edition

It's time for another installment of Freakshow Friday. Where I ask my readers to come up with a caption or story for a funny photo found on the web. My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Here is this week's photo, I wish that my cats would let me do this to them.

The day the Morris and Simba decide to run away.

You got a better one for me?

If so, you may just when this awesome award

and have bragging rights forever.
Oh...do I ever have an award for you!
You will win this brand spankin' new award!!

If you win then I'll linkup to your
Blog and make a big deal
about how funny you are.
Simply leave your funny caption or story
in my comments section.

The winner will be announced on Monday.

The Stay at Home Mom Chronicles : Our Secret Language

I'm realizing that my days around here seem to run together.
Ordinary moments unfold around me daily
and I need to stop and relish in them.
One day, my boys will be out living life
and I will miss these everyday experiences.

So, I am taking the time to document
the simple moments that pass between us.
I'm calling this little collection of memories...

My almost two year old son has his own language. Most of the words that he speaks in this language are actual English words that he associates with an action that is occurring at the moment that he learns a new word. For example, the other evening as we ate dessert, we were all being classy and dipping our fingers into a bucket of Cool Whip. This was a huge sensory moment for him because Cool Whip is delicious. I happened to have a headache as we ate and said to my husband "I've got to shake this headache." Koen looked at me with the most sincere face and said "More headache?" while pointing to the Cool Whip. He now calls Cool Whip "headache" and refuses to call it anything else.

He is also obsessed with the vacuum cleaner and often insists that we turn it on. He approaches it like a caveman by smacking it and grunting in a desperate plea for it to make the wonderful loud noise that it does. So, Roger told him recently that the vacuum needs power to work...Koen now calls the vacuum "power" and that's just the way it is.
It has also become glaringly obvious that my husband vacuums more than
I do because Koen has taken it a step further and
calls our beloved Dirt Devil "dada's power".
That's fine with me, dada can have it.

Other words in his language are an attempt to
inject syllables into what he is trying to say.
It's as if he has an awareness that the word is broken up into different parts
but he just can't quite grasp how to pull it off.
Sometimes, he gets super creative in his attempt.

He calls raisins "wha wha what ways",
it took us about three weeks to figure that one out.
Bananas are "dupah dupah dow",
and if something is broken his says that it is "burp gun".
(I think that one is my favorite)
His little toy toolbox full of plastic tools is "tubba tubba hammer."
It took us almost a month to decipher that one.

I just love how his little mind works
as he tries so hard to make sense of the world around him.
I know that day will come
when he will use the word broken instead of burp gun.
That the wha wha what ways of the world will just be plain ol' raisins,
dupah dupah dows will simply be bananas,
and the tubba tubba hammer will collect dust on the shelf.

Until then, I will treasure our secret language.

Thoughts on Motherhood : Life's an Hourglass.

My heart is heavy for the people of Japan. I see all of the horrible images and my brain stumbles to process the gravity of it all. It will hit me at the strangest times. Last night I was drawing a bath for Koen and as I held my hand beneath the warm flowing water, I thought of all the families in Japan that don't have running water.

As I bathed my baby beneath an overhead heater, I thought of all the Japanese mothers that are in shelters,scared and trying their hardest to keep their children clean and warm.
To imagine dealing with the earthquake, tsunami, aftershocks, and now nuclear fears makes
me feel so sad for the weary families. My heart instantly swells with sadness.

As Koen played in the bath,
his innocence seemed to reflect from the soapy water
that he floated in and I suddenly wanted to cry.
His little bath toys bobbed around him
as he poured water from one toy to the next and my thoughts drifted.

I can hardly read the news these days without a sense of dread.
The tension in the Middle East, our Nation's dependency on oil, the state of the environment, all of it overwhelms me. With the accessibility of the media, all of the information bombards me and infiltrates my anxious mind.

What kind of world will be here for my children to live in as adults?

The truth is that tragedy can strike any of us at any time.
There is so much in this world that it is out of my control.
I've decided that my life is not made up of the headlines that I read or the images that the media presents to me. My task is to be brave amidst all the uncertainty that is unfolding around me. I must create the world that I want my children to live in.

All that I can do is to live a life that is full of gratitude.
To treasure every moment that I am given on this earth with my loved ones
and to make sure that the world that I create here in my home is safe.
That we all can fall asleep and feel loved and secure no matter
what is happening out there in the big bad world.
That we wake up in the morning and go about our day, injecting it with love.
To stay true to who I am no matter how unsettling the world gets.

As I swooped Koen out of the bath and wrapped him up in a big fluffy towel, he nuzzled his wet little nose into my shoulder. We hugged a soggy hug and I lifted a prayer.
I said a prayer for all the Mothers in Japan that held their babies tight.
I said a prayer of gratitude for my full and beautiful life.
Lastly, I said a prayer for Mother Earth, that we would all learn to take better care of her
in hopes that the earth will be gentle with us.

Later, after I had kissed Griffin goodnight and Koen and I snuggled
in the rocking chair to settle down for bed, I sang him this song.
As we swayed back in forth I found comfort in the words,
I was singing it to the both of us.

52 Weeks of Happiness :: Week 2

Getting ice cream on Saturday afternoons.

We have a family tradition that we do on sunny weekends
and that is to go to the ice cream shop and get treats.

You can feel the excitement as we enter the store and spill over the counter to contemplate what the perfect sundae will be.

We sample confectionery delights with little plastic spoons
and take our time scanning the toppings.

The boys lick their lips and jump up and down
as they wait to get their sundaes handed to them.

We all gobble up our ice cream
and the boys take turns
escaping from the table to run
around the store in a sugar induced fit.
Their feet scamper past walls that are lined with candy
and big puffy Sunflowers.

I abandon my ice cream
to chase them down and
scold them like an angry mama hen
for performing such a wild rumpus
throughout the store.

Yet, even though I act annoyed,
(as any self respecting mother should
when her children act insane in public)
I secretly love that part of our ice cream outing.

To see the boys laughing and running amok
with rosy red cheeks reminds me of
what being a child is all about.

I would give anything to feel that wild and free.

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Want to join me in my quest
to scout out happiness for a whole year?
Simply post a photo of something that
makes you wildly happy and tell us all about it.
Then, steal my button and include it in your post.

If you've been participating in
The Happiness Project regularly
feel free to add up the weeks that you've already done
and start your 52 weeks at that number.
Don't forget to link up to Mr. Linky!
Please leave a comment to let me know that you were here.

Kitchen Kissing : Rosy Pear Upside Down Cake

I've lost 15 pounds by doing Weight Watchers!
To celebrate, I am passing a recipe on to you
that has helped me along the way
on this weight loss journey.

Also, I always get a little smooch from Roger
when he smells it baking in the oven.

Maybe you'll get some kitchen kisses too.
A smooch in front of a warm oven
is one of the sweetest kisses to be had.

Enjoy!

{Photo credit here}

Rosy Pear Upside Down Cake

Ingredients
	1 spray(s) cooking spray
	1 Tbsp unsalted butter
	1/4 cup(s) strawberry jam, or raspberry jam, seedless
	1/8 tsp food colouring, red, or to taste (optional)
	2 medium pear(s), ripe, peeled, halved, cored Cake
	1 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
	1 tsp baking powder
	1/2 tsp baking soda
	1 tsp ground cardamom
	1/2 tsp ground ginger
	1/4 tsp table salt
	2/3 cup(s) sugar
	3 Tbsp regular butter, melted and cooled
	1 large egg(s)
	2 tsp vanilla extract
	2/3 cup(s) plain fat-free yogurt

Instructions

• Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 375°F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick spray.
  
  
• Place the butter in a microwavable cup measure; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on High until melted, 20–30 seconds. Stir in the jam and food coloring (if using) until blended. Spoon in the center of the prepared pan, spreading evenly (it’s not necessary to spread all the way to the edge of the pan).
  
  
• Place a pear half cut-side down onto a work surface, and cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch slices. Invert cut-side up, onto your palm or a spatula. Press down lightly to fan out the slices, and place in the prepared pan with the stem towards the center. Repeat with the remaining pear halves, arranging the slices to overlap slightly. Arrange any smaller pieces in the center. Bake until the pears are almost tender, 15–20 minutes.
  
  
• Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
  
  
• Whisk together the sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth; whisk in the yogurt. Add the flour mixture and stir just until combined; do not overmix.
  
  
• Drop the batter by spoonfuls over the hot topping. (Don’t worry about covering the topping; the batter will spread as it bakes). Bake until the top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25–30 minutes. Let stand 3 minutes; run a knife around the edge. Invert onto a serving platter, using potholders, and gently shake the pan to loosen. Remove the pan; let cool 15 minutes and serve warm.

Winner : Centaur Edition

We have a winner for this week's installment of Freakshow Friday. Please take note that my super hilarious and non biased best friend was the judge. Here are the top three in no particular order.

singedwingangel
Maid Marian threw Lancelot
to the side when she met Jim..
after all he was hung like a horse.

Sue
Wee damsel in distress to her mother:
"Mom, your therapist said 'centered,' not 'centaured.' "

Linda D.
Ever since she learned about genetics at
Medieval Times Elementary school,
Little Beatrice couldn't help but fret...
Would her ass look just like daddy's ass when she grew up?

The winner is...
singedwingangel

Maid Marian threw Lancelot
to the side when she met Jim..
after all he was hung like a horse.

singedwingangel
is the funniest blogger in all the land.
Now head on over to her blog

and marvel at this fantastic award she just earned
to proudly display forever.

Thanks to all the people who played.

Tune in this Friday for another instalment of Freakshow Friday!

The Day the TV Died (a very true story).

{The boys enjoying our new TV, now all we need is one of these fancy

LCD TV stands to stick it on and we'll be living large.}

I'm getting ahead of myself...

Recently our beloved television started to act wonky. (Not just any television though. My parents bestowed a 5o inch flat screen TV for Christmas six years ago).

It was our pride and joy.

We loved it.

Until one morning, it decided to just not come on. It was sad. My husband did emergency surgery on it by taking the whole thing apart and flashing a flashlight on it's insides while he scratched his head.

We all said a prayer.
I even posted a prayer request on Facebook.

The house fell silent as it was pronounced dead.

Ripples of sadness flowed throughout the house.

We scrambled to get a TV to replace it's spot of honor in the living room. Luckily, my dad is addicted to buying new electronics and has
bequeathed many old yet functioning sets to us over the years.

Would it be the 32 inch set that was made in 1998?
No...the picture was terrible.
Would it be the 17 inch flat screen that was in my office?
No...we needed binoculars to see the picture from the couch.
We were forced to go retro-grade,
which is considered one of the seven deadly sins in my home.

Desperation took hold and we resigned ourselves
to the fact that we had been spoiled and that
the 17 incher would just have to do.
It was three full days of pitiful TV watching.

Until...(cue Superman theme song) my parents took pity on us and gave us a brand spankin' new shiny 42 ich flat screen TV as an early anniversary present.
All was right with the world.
Then what did we do?
We got rid of cable.

It's a crazy word out there, people.

Freakshow Friday : Centaur Edition

It's time for another installment of Freakshow Friday. Where I ask my readers to come up with a caption or story for a funny photo found on the web. My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Here is this week's photo, it's pretty fantastical.

Moments later, the wench stole
his money to pay for a tat on her right tit.

I couldn't resist...
I swear that I am not normally that vulgar out loud.

You got a better one for me?

If so, you may just when this awesome award
and have bragging rights forever.
Oh...do I ever have an award for you!
You will win this brand spankin' new award!!

If you win then I'll linkup to your
Blog and make a big deal
about how funny you are.
Simply leave your funny caption or story
in my comments section.

The winner will be announced on Monday.

Let's grow old together.

The other day Roger had a crick in his neck

and I managed to somehow pinch my sciatic nerve on the same day.
We decided after the kids went to bed
that we would pull out the heating pad and an ice pack
to alternate applying heat and cold to our sore body parts
as instructed by Dr. Meg,
the chiropractor sent here from heaven.
The woman is angel.

I digress...
Both of us were too sore to rummage around
the house to find an extension cord
so we had to sit at one spot on the couch near an outlet
so that the heating pad could be plugged in
and still reach us.

He plopped down and applied heat to his neck
while I sat on an ice pack next to him
and we watched television together
as we nursed our wounds.

After about ten minutes we decided to swap
but since the heating pad had to stay in that spot
we had to stand up to switch places.

You should have seen us,
you would have thought that we were 80 years old.
We moaned and groaned
and grimaced as we shuffled around
each other in front of the couch.

Then, we both fell with a thud
into the couch cushions and moaned some more.

We couldn't help but laugh
at ourselves as we both envisioned
that this was a glimpse of what it will be like
when we grow old together
and start to fall apart for real.

I can just see myself
rubbing Ben Gay into his neck and
giving him a weak little massage
with my Carpel Tunnel ridden hands.

Then he will offer to massage my sciatica
and I will smack his hand
and tell him that I don't feel like having my sciatica rubbed.

It just sounds so terribly romantic.

The End.

A salacious love letter.

Dear Sleep,
I love you and I just can't seem to get enough of you, literally.
Without you I am a grumpy shell of a woman.
I get irritable and anxious
because I am so vulnerable in a world with little rest.

I know that my toddler is trying to come between us.
He wakes up at all hours of the night, calling me away from you.
I am pulled out of my bed, away from your loving embrace.
He wakes early in the morning and I can feel it...
I need more of you.
We can't let a teething child keep us apart.
(Damn those two year old molars.)

The last two nights that we have spent together have been amazing.
To spend eight uninterrupted hours together is like a dream.
The world is a better place after a night with you.
Colors are brighter,
food tastes better,
I find myself smiling,
and sighing a contented sigh.

I need another rendezvous with you.
Meet me tonight at 10:00 pm.
I'll bring the ear plugs and a lavender scented sleep mask.
All you need to bring is your sweet embrace.

Yours forever and ever,
Leigh

52 Weeks of Happiness :: Week 1

The flowers are blooming.

The other day I was driving to the grocery store
when I noticed this beautiful Bradford Pear tree.
It took my breath away as I drove past it
and I knew that I wanted to go back to photograph
the first blooms that I had seen this spring.

So, I called my mom
and asked her if she would drive me and Koen
around so that I could photograph some flowers.

She obliged me and chauffeured me
as we scouted out beautiful flowers along the way.

I would say "Over there!" and she would pull over.
Then I'd hop out of the car to snap a photo
while her and Koen waited in the car.
I'd jump back in like a bandit
that had just stolen a beautiful memory.

I felt so supported and loved by my mama,
who still fosters my creative endeavors
into my adult years.

I even sprawled out on the ground to grab a capture
of purple weeds that grow wild in fields near my home.
They just look so pretty as I drive by.

I realize that so much about that morning
made me happy.
Taking the time to slow down
and appreciate my surroundings.

I love that the trees look like
dressed up ladies
that wave as I go by.

I love it that my mama
still shows me that she loves me
in the most simple ways.

<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://leighvslaundry.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i969.photobucket.com/albums/ae172/leighbug_photo/thumbnail_camera_ads-6-3.jpg" /></a></div><br />

Want to join me in my quest
to scout out happiness for a whole year?
Simply post a photo of something that
makes you wildly happy and tell us all about it.
Then, steal my button and include it in your post.

If you've been participating in
The Happiness Project regularly
feel free to add up the weeks that you've already done
and start your 52 weeks at that number.
Don't forget to link up to Mr. Linky!
Please leave a comment to let me know that you were here.

Speaking of happy...

So, tomorrow is the first week of 52 Weeks of Happiness!
Here is the code for the new button.
I'm so excited and can't wait to see what has made y'all happy this week.

<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://leighvslaundry.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i969.photobucket.com/albums/ae172/leighbug_photo/thumbnail_camera_ads-6.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br />

Speaking of happy...
this new REM video for the song UBerlin is fantastic!!

Koen is obsessed with watching it and
even tried to mimic the moves when were at the post office the other day.
Every single person in his path smiled
as he tore through the room.

I'm so proud to be raising a boy
that can dance unabashedly in public.

Sorry that you have to sit through
some stupid commercial
but if you can hold out for the video,
you won't be able to help but smile.
Enjoy!

See you all tomorrow, my lovelies!

Winner : Rock climber Edition

We have a winner for this week's installment of Freakshow Friday. Please take note that my super hilarious and non biased best friend was the judge. Here are the top three in no particular order.

Karen Mortensen
Suzi tries out for the part of Spider Woman.

Mother Theresa
Tiffany had to be rescued by a hunky fireman
after getting stuck halfway up the rock climbing wall,
and that's when she discovered the true meaning
of being caught between a rock and a hard place.

Kristy
Dammit, I thought you were supposed
to be able to find Mr. Right at the gym!

The winner is...
Kristy

Dammit, I thought you were supposed
to be able to find Mr. Right at the gym!

Kristy
is the funniest blogger in all the land.
Now head on over to her blog

and marvel at this fantastic award she just earned
to proudly display forever.

Thanks to all the people who played.

Tune in this Friday for another instalment of Freakshow Friday!

The Snodgrass Memoirs : Mama's girl

Once upon a time, I was a little girl
and my Mom called me "Snodgrass".
It was a term of endearment that survived the test of time.
Just typing that word makes me feel safe and secure.
I have so many wonderful memories filed away from my childhood
that I've decided to start recounting them and
I'm calling this collection of memories

The Snodgrass Memoirs.

I was a Mama's girl when I was a child. My heart yearned to be near my mom at all times.
Of course, going to preschool was hard for me. I can remember sitting in class
with a broken heart and daydreaming that my Mom
would knock on the classroom door to rescue me.
My imagination would go wild as I envisioned
a ray of sunshine beaming down on her when my teacher opened the door.
She would swoop me up and the angels would sing as we left school.
We would ride on a unicorn and go get ice cream.

I was usually pulled out of my reverie and awakened
to fact that I was stuck at preschool.
The cheerful environment did nothing to comfort me
and the nap mats stacked in the corner tormented me.
I hated naps,
I hated being away from my mommy,
and I often shed tears over my butter cookies and fruit punch
during snack time.

I started having nightmares around the same time that I started preschool.
I can remember one of them to this day.
It's pretty hilarious but scared the living daylights
out of my three year old mind.

I drempt that a Barbie Doll was standing on the stage of The Gong Show
and that a gorilla hand grabbed her and pulled her off of the stage.
I woke up terrified and my Mother came running into my room when she heard my crying.
"I had bad pictures behind my eyes."
I told her in a shaky voice.
(She thought that I was wise beyond my years for saying this
and has repeated this quote numerous times at various family functions.)

The nightmares continued for weeks and my Mother
grew weary of making the trip to my room to comfort me each night.
She came up with a plan that involved a rope that was tied to my bed frame
that traveled out of my room, down the hallway,
And into her room where she tied the other end to her bed.
"If you wake up scared just pull on the rope and it will wake me up.
Then, I'll pull back three times and that means "I love you."
She instructed as she kissed my forehead goodnight.

Later that night, as the darkness seeped into my room,
I woke up in terror from a nightmare.
The room looked so big and dark
and I can remember frantically reaching beside my bed for the rope.
My little fingers grasped it and I pulled with all my might.
A few moments passed as my shallow breath echoed in my head.
Then, just as she had promised, three little tugs
pulled my hand up and down.

She loved me.
I could feel it
and I fell back asleep.

The bad dreams faded away as I matured a bit.
Eventually, I outgrew needing to tug the rope
but we left it up for many years,
just in case I needed a little nudge in the middle of the night.
I can remember feeling so safe
as I gazed at it by my bed.

Night after night,
the rope remained.

When I was a young lady,
my mom and I reminisced about this story
and she confessed that the rope had actually been cut
a few nights after my last nightmare.

I love my Mom for believing in me
and I love her even more for leaving up that open ended rope.

Freakshow Friday : Rock climber Edition

It's time for another installment of Freakshow Friday. Where I ask my readers to come up with a caption or story for a funny photo found on the web. My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Here is this week's photo, one of my most loyal readers Anika scouted this photo out for me. It's pretty awesome.

Look, hooker shoes are slutty
and functional.

You got a better one for me?

If so, you may just when this awesome award
and have bragging rights forever.
Oh...do I ever have an award for you!
You will win this brand spankin' new award!!

If you win then I'll linkup to your
Blog and make a big deal
about how funny you are.
Simply leave your funny caption or story
in my comments section.

The winner will be announced on Monday.