tiny humans

Today I am thankful for my kids. 

Seems like such an obvious thing to be thankful for, right?

It's just so true.

I love these tiny humans. 

When they are born, they are adorable chubby little blobs. 

They don't do much--just lay around and eat and look extra sweet. 

They grow and laugh and babble. 

They toddle around. 

And it all goes by so quickly, let me tell you.

They grow and

places not things

places not things.......



That is our family motto.



Picture this. 

A giant dream home filled with only the best of the best furnishings and textiles. 

Fancy cars. 

Dressing right out of the catalogue. (But really, who orders clothing from catalogues these days anyway?) ....so let's just say dressing.... really really nice.
Exotic vacations to foreign lands.



All this is basically

first day

this post is cheesy. bring your own crackers.



In late spring we noticed a little barn swallow hanging around our old porch, and 

not long after that we also became acquainted with her mate. 

We never named them, just called them The Birds. 

The Birds got right to work.

They had chosen our gaudy old porch light to build their nest on. 

My instincts told me "NO". 

"Get The Birds out of

back to schooling

Crazy crazy last few days.....



After going back and forth (and back! and forth!) all summer long, my kids decided they wanted to try out the elementary school here. 

(When we moved in March, rather than having them switch schools, we finished out the year homeschooling and we LOVED it). 

Doing homeschool with my kids was a fantastic experience--we all learned so much. One of the things I

short stories

So many little stories to tell.....



Circle of Life

Our first story hurts my heart......last week I had mentioned that our little chick Pebbles wasn't growing like the others. As the days went by she began to move a little slower and sleep a little longer. We came home from church on Sunday and found that she had never woke up. It was a sad sad day for my Lu--Pebbles was HER chick, her baby.

my two

best of friends (....most of the time....)



I have deleted this post about 37 times 

(give or take a few).



I have tried to post about other things today......and each time I've failed.

These words just keep coming back to me, and I can't seem to shake them.

It's annoying.

You see, I hadn't planned talking much about this--not because I "can't bare too", or because it's "too personal"...

in the morning

this week I am blogging my Real Life Joys, read more here



her.




Today I am thankful for mornings.

Her school doesn't start until after lunch, so we have the mornings to ourselves....and we love it.

I try to hold off on errands so we can have quiet, slow mornings at home.

We check the garden (things are slowwwwly) still coming. Sometimes we have to hunt.

Lots of art--coloring, painting,

she

she has been waiting. 

and waiting and waiting. 

for her turn. 

she has been asking, over and over,

how many more days?

she has picked out all her own clothes

(tried them on a million times).

had to start out the year with the leopard shoes. 

(of course).

kindergarten. 

(tears)

mine....not hers. 

oh no--she was ready. 

we spent the morning at home, quiet. 

how many more hours?

how

a glimpse

Something has happend in the last few weeks. 

My kids have grown....

.....and grown.....

.....................and grown. 



Not just UP. 

But they're...

...smarter

....cuter

............older. 



That's the one that gets me. 

Older. 



These are my babies! They aren't supposed to get older on me....right? Isn't that how it works? 

Babies are babies forever.....I thought.



We went

motherly

me and mine. mother's day 2012.



A mother. 

I have one. 

You do too.

I am one. 

Maybe you are too.....

We may have similarities, 

and differences. 

I have two children. 

Maybe you have four. 

or ten. 

or one on the way.

Do you have teenagers? 

Babies?

or inbetweens?

all of the above.

Maybe you drive a minivan. 

Maybe you walk.

You may dress your kids in all the latest trends.

day ten

little helper.Each and every day, I am thankful.Thankful that I am so lucky to stay home and be a full time mom to my Littles.Mom. THE mom. ME!!There are days I wake up and realize......wait.........I am the one in charge here! ha!
But I love it so much, and I'm so grateful to be here every day for all the fun, messes, laughs, tears, messes, and.....messes.
We decided (because I am in charge

day two

today. 3:30
I am thankful for snack time.after school.every day.they sit. they eat.today, apples and peanut butter.milk in Christmas mugs.they talk. we talk. about the day. about what they want for Christmas(legos, new paint).about what we would name a cat if we had one (cookie, spaghetti, obi wan).and just as I think it couldn't be more perfect,the magic wears off, and they start to fight like

opportunity knocks

We can't seem to stop.........forgoing responsibility and real life mundaneness, in exchange for family play.
Our kids are perfect ages to do just about anything right now. And while we still have a few more precious weeks of summer break, we are taking advantage of that. Any opportunity to do something together--we take it.
You see, not to brag (but really, I'm about to brag), our kids are

...

my littles, ventura, summer 2010We have had a weird week, which is really the only way to say it.My thoughts coming in are getting tangled with those going out,and time seems to crawl and then speed up without any advance notice.My emotions have been hilariously roller coaster-ish, and I've eaten some reeeealllllly weird things, mostly schmeared, sprinkled, or frosted with some kind of chocolate.

tooth talk

When you first hold that tiny little bundle of beautiful baby in your arms, it is implied that someday he will have to grow up. No one actually tells you he will grow up.....but you've had experience with larger, older, and much dirtier children, so you assume that they were once upon a time little smell-good-bundles as well.
But you think you are the exception. Your little bundle is special,

her turn.

She has waited and waited and WAITED for her turn at school. I have been ok with the wait.It's so funny how your second seems so much younger than your first was at the very same age.that was a really long sentence. She just looked so teeny tiny in her big girl bed last night....I couldn't believe I was really sending her off to preschool! My baby!She is probably one if the silliest girls you

the first day.

he did it. I did it. (that was the amazing part)Although he is so very tiny, I cannot believe how big he is. Big enough to decide just exactly what he wanted for breakfast (waffles with bananas)Big enough to choose his own first-day-of-school-outfit (although it did take him some time to choose between the shirt that actually said "Star Wars", or Darth Vader....oh the choices todays

Friday Love: Special Edition

I love moms. It's true.Big ones.Small ones.Short ones.Tall ones.I love MY mom.I love her mom.I love your momand "your mom" jokes.my grandma and her mom.my mom and her mom.me and my mom.Today I am feeling so lovey, if you are a mom, or plan to be, or have a mother, then I probably love you.But mostly I love BEING a mom.It is reallytrulywithout any doubt the best.It is HARD. They tell you it will

five

It's all you've talked about for the last few days. "I'm going to be FIVE!!""I'll be big when I am 5!!!""Tomorrow I'll be 5!""I'M FIVE!!!!""I am SO big, because I am five""Hey mommy guess what.......I am FIVE!""Yesterday I turned 5, and today, I'm STILL 5!"So..... you get it, but I still don't. Five?! How?As I checked on you last night, kissed your little cheek as you snored, I remembered our

green grass

"The grass is always greener on the other side." So they say. Whoever they are. And sometimes it really seems that way.....doesn't it?? There are times in my life I have really believed it to be true. But I am sloooowly learning as I grow older (and wiser, right?) that the grass is the greenest of greens, right beneath my very own feet. I just need to remind myself to look down.Last month when