Thursday, January 31, 2013

Reasons # 201 and 202 that my kids are totally spoiled

I have a confession to make.
I totally spoil my kids and I do it often.

We try not to give them too many "things"
because no one wants to raise a spoiled brat,
but I have to admit that there
are little things that I do for them
that are totally indulgent.

For example...

DSC_0101

Whenever it's really chilly outside,
I put their coats in the dryer
for a few minutes before 
we walk out the door.

That way they can feel
nice and toasty
when they walk to and from the car.

Totally unnecessary and indulgent, I know
but I just love to see their little faces
when they put their coats on and the warmth envelopes them.

They look like they feel totally loved.

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Both of my kids are picky eaters
and don't really want to eat breakfast in the morning.

Knowing that I can't very well send them
to school on an empty stomach,
I make them Mickey Mouse pancakes.

Every. Single. Morning.

They gobble them up
and I pat myself on the back
for getting food in their tummies.

Breakfast is so much more awesome
when Mickey Mouse is involved.

See what I mean?
My kids are totally spoiled.

 I know that the real world doesn't
care if your coat is toasty 
or if your breakfast is fun
but as long as I am in charge of their world,
I plan to make them feel special
in small simple ways.

As long as they don't act spoiled.
Then they'll have to tough it out
with room temperature coats
and plain ol' pancakes.
 

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

The Stay at Home Mom Chronicles :: Happy Messes

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...

Photobucket

Happy Messes Left Behind

Untitled-27

In the morning, before the boys go to school,
there is a whirlwind of play that overtakes my house.

Toys are pulled off of shelves between bites of breakfast.

 DSC00479

Games left unfinished from the night before get destroyed as I 
wrestle with them to get their clothes on.

Untitled-28

There's often no time to straighten up
as we throw on our shoes and run out the door.

"Don't clean this up, mama." 
I hear that often.

Cities are left in peril and somehow I don't mind
stepping over the toys while they are at school
so they can rescue the town when they get home.

 Untitled-29

I return to our house after dropping the kids off
and marvel at the happy mess they left behind.

I must leave their pretend weapons where they are
because it's important that they slay
the dragon with their sword and pinwheel
before Griffin starts his homework.

I might not have the tidiest house
but I just love following their morning trail
of creative play.

Winner : Snake 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
You Tarzan me Herpetologist.

circlealine
 Cheryl thought her irreverent sense of style really set her apart from the masses, but in the end, she was just another fashion victim.

kearsie
  The Harley Davidson marketing team took the suggestion "You should wear more snakeskin in your ads" literally.

and the winner is...
 circlealine


 
Cheryl thought her irreverent sense of style really
 set her apart from the masses, but in the end,
 she was just another fashion victim.

circlealine
is the funniest blogger in all the land
Please visit her blog
and marvel at the awesome award she earned.
 Link
Link
FotoFlexer_Photo

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

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

52 Weeks of Happiness :: Week 47


We hit a pretty major milestone over the weekend.
Koen had his first target practice with a BB gun.

This may not sound like a big deal,
but after years of being forced to sit in my lap in our backyard
and watch as Griffin shot his BB gun,
our little guy was super duper thrilled.

Daddy helped him aim every single time
which soothed my mama nerves.
 

The shouts of excitement 
were just so awesome as he ran over
to marvel at the soda cans he knocked over.


I don't know why little boys find shooting
holes into a box so thrilling.

It's the funnest thing ever in their little world. 


It's pretty amazing to watch the comradery between them.
Griffin was so proud of his little brother
and swooped him up in his arms in celebration
after every single check of the target.

They come from a long line of hunters
and I love knowing that they will grow up
with a deep respect and plenty of safety knowledge of the culture.

 I adore my little sharp shooters.


Photobucket



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.





Friday, January 25, 2013

Freakshow Friday : Snake 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, this lady t-ough.

"The snake rides up front."

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!!

FotoFlexer_Photo


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.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Sick day


My kids gave me Strep Throat.
If you need me I'll be in bed whimpering
and feeling sorry for myself.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Thoughts on Motherhood :: Watching Raindrops


I can remember it like it was yesterday. The rain pounded on the roof of the car and the windshield wipers flopped back and forth, sloshing the rain around as my mom drove.

Huge droplets fell on my window in the backseat and I would tilt my head and gaze up and the trails of water sliding down the glass. The wind would push the raindrops and in my mind I would pretend that they were racing as they fell. I'd cheer on certain trails and as they reached the bottom of the window, I'd glance back up to find more raindrops to cheer for.

It was a simple form of entertainment but one of my favorite pastimes. I'd get so excited if it started raining while we drove around town. The first sprinkles would fall and I'd announce in my mind "Gentlemen, start your engines!"

The other day, I was carting the boys around in the car in a rain shower. At stop lights, I'd gaze up at the trails of water and remember with a smile the races that I used to witness as a child.

I caught a peak at Griffin in the back seat and he had his head titled, watching the rain splash onto the window. "Watcha' thinking about?" I asked him. "Oh, I just like to pretend that the raindrops are racing."

I couldn't believe that his sweet mind imagined the same game that I had, thirty years earlier. I treasure these moments, when you realize that a part of you is in your children. Of course, they inherit so much from us but to see something so special, something so sacred from my childhood unfold in his made my heart happy.

Maybe years from now, when I'm a grandma and driving Griffin's children in my car, I'll look back to see them watching the raindrops race and know that, just maybe, my family got the best parts of me.




Tuesday, January 22, 2013

52 Weeks of Happiness :: Week 46

DSC00368

We celebrated my niece's 10th birthday with
a medieval party.

It was the best party ever!
Her house was transformed to a medieval village.

DSC00466

Of course, there had to be games of skill.
Koen just got his first real bow and was thrilled to try it out.
 
DSC00393

They even made a home made catapult
that flung "cannonballs" across the yard.

That thing kept Koen entertained for hours.

DSC00407-1

 Of course, there were epic sword battles between cousins.

 Untitled-26-1

Only the strong survived.

Photobucket



Winner : Cave 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
Gee, prom photos just aren't what they used to be.

Travis Sloat
 Although Luanne was upset about having 
to reach deep into her wardrobe for the maternity picture, 
Alastor was just happy to get his fishnet body stocking back.

Vandy J
 Dan was sure it was his caveman passion that Lucy loved.

 and the winner is...
Travis Sloat

Although Luanne was upset about having 
to reach deep into her wardrobe for the maternity picture, 
Alastor was just happy to get his fishnet body stocking back.

Travis Sloat
is the funniest blogger in all the land
Please visit his blog
and marvel at the awesome award he earned.
 Link
Link
FotoFlexer_Photo

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

Friday, January 18, 2013

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

50 Shades of Pregnant

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!!

FotoFlexer_Photo


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.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

"The Kitchen" Salon


Lately my life has felt serendipitous. You know the old saying "when one day closes then another door opens"? That seems to be my mantra these days. After the disappointment of losing my column I was feeling a bit wayward. Just when I was on the verge of an existential crisis, people started reaching out to me for haircuts.


I love doing hair. It's so fun to have people join me in my kitchen and chat away while I play with their locks. It hardly feels like work. So, my little kitchen clientele is slowly growing.

Now my mornings are slowly filling up and I'm enjoying it so much. I've decided that my make shift home salon will be called "The Kitchen". I'm even thinking of making little cards for my clients to give out to their friends to get the word out.

My slogan will be "Home of the $25 kitchen cut!" and I plan to put a little picture of a vintage lady in an apron holding up a pair of shears.

It's so refreshing to have a vision. To have this gift appear to me mere moments before I was about to fall into an abyss of misdirection.

Life has a funny way of revealing the important things. I find that in order for the important things to show up, we have to let our old ways go. Sometimes it's a choice but other times, it just happens for us.

I think that one of the hardest things about being a Stay-at-home mom is that you rarely get recognition for your had work. When you have a job, you get all kinds of feedback on your work but when you're at home, the kids aren't throwing praise your way for cleaning the bathroom well or packing a really great lunch for school. It can feel really isolating.

So, I treasure the moment when my client looks in the mirror at their finished cut and I see a light in their eyes. They feel beautiful. It's does my soul good to have their light shine in front of me. (I've only had three cases of tears and dread after I finished but that was way at the start of my career and I'm pretty sure that they had other stuff going on).

Anyway, I'm enjoying this surprise turn of events. I think that it's so important to love the life you live, don't you?




Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Thoughts on Motherhood : Sibling Harmony


When we came home from the hospital with Koen we did just about everything that the parenting books suggested to make Griffin feel secure about the new addition to our family.

His little brother arrived with a "gift" in his tiny little lap, a peace offering of sorts to make big brother feel special.  I also made him my little helper whenever I could, asking him to fetch much needed diapers and burp cloths. We carved out one on one time together everyday where he had my undivided attention, all in the hopes that it would be a smooth transition.

Much to our chagrin, the transition from being a family of three to a family of four was a bumpy one. I wear many hats around my home but it seemed that as the boys grew older, I wore the hat of referee the most often.

There were many sibling squabbles and spats. I found myself stepping in to pull apart my boys who lunged at each other like competing tigers cubs. My voice raised and finger wagged as I separated them. Their sibling rivalry was intense from the start and often ended in fisticuffs.

At the first sound of battle, I would intervene. After all, my oldest is four years older than my youngest and I had to make sure that no one got hurt in their intertwined wrestling and shouting matches. It was an obvious challenge for our family as frustration levels often rose.

One day, I decided that they were getting old enough to manage their disagreements themselves, I had grown tired at fussing at them for fussing. I made the decision to no longer listen for the situation to get loud but to only step in if it sounded like someone was going to get hurt.

From the kitchen, I heard them arguing over a chair that they both wanted to sit in in the living room. We have a mirror strategically placed in the dining room that gives me a full view of what they're up to in the other room.

In the reflection I watched as they shouted and pushed each other off of the chair. There was tears and name calling. It escalated and I wanted to step in but I hung back instead.

Then something amazing happened, they worked it out together. A compromise was reached and as they both sat down in different chairs to draw, I heard Koen apologize. "I'm sorry that I pushed you."  "It's okay" Griffin said "I shouldn't have pushed you back."

Just like that it was over and they got along great the rest of the day. It was then that I truly learned that often kids just need some space to figure out their little worlds on their own. By my intervening all the time, they weren't gaining the social skills to handle conflicts. Sometimes we need to stand up for ourselves and other times it's important to practice the art of negotiation.

They still have wrestling matches and fisticuffs but it doesn't escalate like it once did. By me letting them argue, they're learning how to solve the problem themselves.

Sibling harmony is taking root in our once wild little home.

Do you have more then one child? Do they get along? How does your family manage sibling rivalry?


Tuesday, January 15, 2013

52 Weeks of Happiness :: Week 45

DSC_0219 

I had a night out with the the girls and we
went to a Friday Night Masterpiece class.

Basically, it's a painting class that requires little to no talent
because an instructor walks you through the painting step by step.

Sounded good to me.

  DSC_0214-1 

The best part is that you
can drink cheap wine out of a Styrofoam cup while
you create art.

I instantly become a better artist
after a few sips of wine.

DSC_0220

I was a little worried at first 
because my painting pretty much looked like poo
from the get go.

But I persevered and decided to just go with it.

DSC_0221-1 

It was pretty funny to see how we all responded to the instructions.
It was like a little glimpse of what we must've been like in high school

Some took it really seriously and listened intensely,
making sure to follow every step perfectly.

Then there were those like me
that  spent the whole time
alternating between self deprecation and smart ass comments.


In the end, my "masterpiece"
looked like a blind and drunk mouse with
no fingers painted it.

That's okay though,
I still had fun unleashing my inner artist 
with my awesome friends.

I'll do just about anything to get out of doing bedtime with the kids.

Photobucket





Monday, January 14, 2013

Winner : Fancy Nails 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
Say hello to Mrs. Scissorhands.

Mooooooooog 35
Meet the future Mrs. Fred Krueger.

Linda D.
Sally Boo Boo (Honey Boo Boo's older sister)
 just couldn't understand how her nails grew together overnight,
 until she found the super glue
hidden in her little sis's underwear drawer!

 and the winner is...
 Karen Mortensen

Say hello to Mrs. Scissorhands
Karen Mortensen
is the funniest blogger in all the land
Please visit her blog
and marvel at the awesome award she earned.
 Link
Link
FotoFlexer_Photo

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

Friday, January 11, 2013

Freakshow Friday : Fancy Nails 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. My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Here is this week's photo, this lady is intense.

Peek-a-boo

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!!

FotoFlexer_Photo


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.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

My Going Away Party


So, I decided that before I say goodbye to 
my column for good that we would have a little
going away party for me.

So, put on your virtual cocktail dress 
and meet me over at Athens Patch
to celebrate my favorite musings.

You know that I love a good party.

Here are the top articles that I wrote for Patch.
They may not have gotten the most comments
but they are the ones I enjoyed writing the most.


Now I'd like to make a toast before we go,
so please raise your virtual glass.

I'd like to say thank you to all my readers
who took the time to read my column from week to week.
I'd like to thank those of you 
that joined the conversation and left comments on my stories.

I'd like to thank those of you
who tried to comment but could never 
figure out how to actually post it to the site.

I'd like to thank my editor, Rebecca.
Who taught me to never use a fifty cent word
when a ten cent word will do.

Okay, the party's over.
Everybody get out of my house!

Love ya!
*smooches*