Freakshow Friday : Grumpy 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 at Awkward Family Photos . My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Here is this week's photo, I love this kid.

"If only she had a pin."

You got a better one for me?

If so, you may just when this
super duper brand new 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 link up 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.

What my brain has been busy doing...

Writing my novel.

I'm doing it, for real this time.

I'm learning so much

as I travel through 

the story with my characters.

My goal is to have the first draft done

before the boys get out of school for the summer.

It's looking like I'm going to reach that goal.

The laundry may not be folded

and there may be yesterday's dishes in the kitchen sink

but the words are coming to me 

and I'd much rather write than clean.
 

Scenes from The Sandy Creek Nature Center

One of our favorite places to play

is  The Sandy Creek Nature Center.

After we spent some time in the planetarium 

we paid a visit to the awesome exhibit room.

Here's a taste of what we saw and did...

It's such a super fun place!

The Happiness Project : Week 3

We went to a Family Planetarium Day 

over the weekend.

It was a rainy afternoon,

the perfect kind of day for gazing at pretend stars.

The kids thought that it was the coolest thing ever.

when lights dimmed and the stars popped

up on the ceiling above them.

Koen gasped a little bit

when they projected The Milky Way on the screen.

The sense of wonder that a 

3 year old possesses is very inspiring.

That is, 

until they start shouting things like

"I'm bored, these are stupid stars!"

while a nice lady is trying to

give a presentation.

The science project couldn't come fast enough.

My kids were pretty stoked to poke the constellations 

onto black construction paper.

We even took some stars home with us.

<div style="text-align: center;"> <br><br><br><br><a href="http://leighvslaundry.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDlTpcH4NLUtEmwNL0NN5VLXVeyjV46LKaE_IoC7X_RD8bZ-n_b5j289xzqMLNM1le6o35B_0XOuvMBXJem-9PEiJp-mFplO6No54TEbwKtFqQGo2AXj55bde2DYHTASGWyexlFZehWn_/s1600/happiness2.jpg" /></a></div> <br><br><br><br><br /> <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 : Scary Cat 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.

Kearsie

It was only moments after this photo 

was taken that Mittens attacked Roger's hair, 

certain she'd seen a mouse.

w

help control the pet population. 

have your cat spayed or neutered

 or placed into the arms of this guy

Mooooog35

Hard Rock Catfe

and the winner is...
w

help control the pet population. 

have your cat spayed or neutered

 or placed into the arms of this guy

 w

is the funniest blogger in all the land

Go check out her blog

and marvel at her fantastic award!

 

Thanks to all the people who played.
Tune in this Friday for another installment of Freakshow Friday!

Freakshow Friday : Scary Cat 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 at Awkward Family Photos . My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Here is this week's photo,

It was a match made in hell.

You got a better one for me?

If so, you may just when this
super duper brand new 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 link up 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 Morning Light

Every morning when I pull into

my driveway after dropping the boys off at school,

I am greeted by the most lovely morning sun.

The bright light filters through the trees

and the scene before me seems to sparkle.

I slowly pull through the driveway

and take in the beautiful glow.

The warmth of the sun of my face

is an instant cheerer upper if I'm ever stressed out.

It's extra special in the Spring

because the small buds of leaves

seem illuminated by the morning light.

Sometimes I feel like it's all shining

just for me.

The Stay at Home Mom Chronicles : Finding Rocks

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...

Finding Rocks

The boys are obsessed with rocks.

They love ordinary dirty ones that they find in the yard

or super fancy ones that they can buy at nature stores.

We spend a good amount of time

in our backyard digging up rocks

and marveling at the patterns and colors.

We bring them inside and clean them up

and then Koen sits and lines them up.

I'm constantly stepping over rock collections
scattered throughout the house.

I discover found rocks in all sorts of places.

If my purse feels heavier, I know

that it's because some sneaky guy

put some in my purse.

I find them in my jacket pocket,

in the washing machine,

in the bathtub.

No place is safe.

When guests come over, the boys

nature boxes are presented to them

and then each rock must be held and celebrated.

I know that I'll look back

at their love for rocks 

with a smile.

I hope that they can hold onto

these simple treasures as they grow older.

I can't imagine a day when

I don't find hidden rocks in my purse and shoes

The Happiness Project :: Week 2

We took a trip to a cabin in the mountains

over the weekend with some old friends.

Kids were left with grandparents

and we spent two whole days relaxing.

It was beyond awesome.

 

We went hiking and communed with nature.

We cooked fantastic meals together.

 Erin and I sat on an oversized porch swing

 on the screened in porch and didn't move for hours at a time.

It was so indulgent for us not

to not have to fetch anything for any children.

It was beyond relaxing.

When the sun went down,

it was like a playground for adults.

There was even an arcade downstairs 

with real arcade games.

 It was such a wonderful and dreamy trip.

<div style="text-align: center;"> <br><br><br><a href="http://leighvslaundry.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDlTpcH4NLUtEmwNL0NN5VLXVeyjV46LKaE_IoC7X_RD8bZ-n_b5j289xzqMLNM1le6o35B_0XOuvMBXJem-9PEiJp-mFplO6No54TEbwKtFqQGo2AXj55bde2DYHTASGWyexlFZehWn_/s1600/happiness2.jpg" /></a></div> <br><br><br><br /> <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 : Spider 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.

Linda D.
Day dreaming about the one that got away!

 

Kearsie 

 After Brad's failed relationship with Janet, 

he decided on a new dating ad approach:

Looking for other fish in the sea.
Come swim with me into the lagoon of love.
Jump in the water because it.is.good.
BYOFB*

*Bring Your Own Fish Bowl

Linda D.

"Fish to Starship. Beam me up. 

 There's no intelligent life on earth."

and the winner is...
Kearsie

After Brad's failed relationship with Janet, 

he decided on a new dating ad approach:

Looking for other fish in the sea.
Come swim with me into the lagoon of love.
Jump in the water because it.is.good.
BYOFB*

*Bring Your Own Fish Bowl

Kearsie

is the funniest blogger in all the land

Go check out her blog

and marvel at her fantastic award!

 

Thanks to all the people who played.
Tune in this Friday for another installment of Freakshow Friday!

Freakshow Friday : Fish 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 at Awkward Family Photos . My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Here is this week's photo,

There was always something fishy about Mike.

 

You got a better one for me?

If so, you may just when this
super duper brand new 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 link up 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 Day that I Kicked the Kids Outside

{Taken through the window after I kicked them out}

Yesterday was one of those days.

Where from the moment

the boys opened their eyes for the day

to the moment that they shut them to got to bed,

they were pretty much clobbering each other.

Did I mention that it's Spring Break?

That's right, those little buggers are home all day

and had made it their personal mission to drive me bonkers.

By late afternoon, they were bouncing off the walls.

I've never been one of those moms

that just pushed the kids out the door to play without me.
My kids typically need adult supervision.

For one, we have 2 acres of sprawling wood

and a curious 3 year old could very easily 

wander off and find trouble.

Also, he's been a bit of a loose cannon

(an adorable loose cannon)

but can find shenanigans in 2 seconds flat.

Griffin supports and often

amplifies all sorts of shenanigans.

Which is a nice way of saying that he's a trouble maker as well.

Well, the house was a mess yesterday

and they were running around like hooligans

so I just opened the back door and scooted

their cute little bottoms outside

with instructions to stay on the back deck

where I could see them through the window.

"Without you?" Griffin asked, almost in shock.

"Yup, get on out there." I said while closing the back door.

They're both getting a bit older
and have shown more self control lately.
I knew that it was time to
set them lose...
from a short distance.

At first they were shocked 

and sat together like despondent children

but they soon scampered off and had

an epic Nerf gun battle

while I vacuumed the living room.

Then I loaded the dishwasher,

all the while keeping watch over the boys

through the kitchen window.

They played outside for half an hour 

and then begged to come in.

I said no. I told them to go play.

So they did.

For another half hour

while I put my feet up and read a book.

I should have kicked them out a long time ago.

Mammaw's Clocks

My grandparents had a huge collection of clocks.

Memories of the ticking and chimes

take me back to my childhood.

I can remember gazing at this clock

and wondering who the woman was.

I could spend hours making up stories in my mind.

When I was 18 years old,

Mammaw gave me the clock for Christmas.

It became a beloved treasure

that has moved with me from home to home over the years.

Years ago, when she passed away,

I inherited this lovely clock.

The key had been lost and the gears were stuck.

Roger secretly took it to a clock shop

and had it fixed as a surprise, so long ago.

It was such a thoughtful and wonderful gift.

Now, I love to hear the chimes.

It reminds me of two people that I love dearly.

My mom recently unearthed this mantel clock

that also belonged to my grandparents.

This one hung in a place of honor over her fireplace.

I have vivid memories of Mammaw teetering on a step stool

to wind the clock each morning.

I always felt like it was a witness

to the happy moments that unfolded in that room.

On holidays and celebrations,

I can remember looking up at the clock

and thinking how lucky it was 

to get to watch our family.

Last week, my mom gave it to me.

Now it sits proudly on my mantle

and is witnessing me as a mother,

with my own family.

Welcome home, old clock.

The Happiness Project :: Week 1

We had perfect weather over the weekend.

It was just right for playing outside all day.

We headed out to the backyard in the morning

and pretty much played out there until the sun went down.

 

 I love that my kids still find playing 

on the swing set entertaining.

Koen recently built up his courage

to sit in the "big kid swing"

and now he's a daredevil.

He felt so adventurous 

swinging with no hands for a millisecond.

Roger and I enjoy sitting back together
and watching them do boy stuff.

Of course, there was heavy work to be done 

with Koen's frontloader...

and a badminton championship

that induced squeals and laughter.

It felt delicious to play outside

in the sun.

It wasn't an extravagant day

but sometimes afternoons spent at home 

end up being the funnest.

Later that evening, as the sun

was setting on our perfect day,

we ate dinner on our patio

under the dreamy lights of our shade umbrella.

It was the first of many Spring days

spent outside and enjoying the simple

moments that warm weather has to offer.

I just really adore this time of year.

<div style="text-align: center;"> <br><br><a href="http://leighvslaundry.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDlTpcH4NLUtEmwNL0NN5VLXVeyjV46LKaE_IoC7X_RD8bZ-n_b5j289xzqMLNM1le6o35B_0XOuvMBXJem-9PEiJp-mFplO6No54TEbwKtFqQGo2AXj55bde2DYHTASGWyexlFZehWn_/s1600/happiness2.jpg" /></a></div> <br><br><br /> <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.