in the thicket

Magical December Day

It started with the "really big gingerbread men" that Granddaddy brought from Trader Joe's. Much fun to decorate, not so tasty for eating we figured out!

Sometimes life gives special little gifts. "Movie moments" I sometimes think, where things seem more magical than they normally do. Here in Central North Carolina, we are not accustomed to snow in December, so it was a sweet surprise when it started falling about two o'clock on Saturday afternoon.

My husband had just finished getting the leaves up in the front yard, and was thinking about tackling the back yard when it started falling. The girls ran outside (barefoot!!!) to see it. They went back out later, bundled up MUCH better because it was really cold!

This weekend was also the logical weekend for us to get and decorate our tree, though I wasn't feeling quite ready for all the Christmas decorating- house not clean enough, didn't declutter enough, blah blah blah. Thankfully we let the girls' enthusiasm propell us out the door to the Christmas Tree lot where it is now our "tradition" to purchase our tree, Wagoner's. Every year we have gone since we moved here there seems to have been a weather calamity of some sort- one year there was gusty wind and a tree almost fell on Gwen! It was definitely cold and wet but beautiful this year.

I love the JOY and HAPPINESS that Charlotte in particular radiated. I feel so blessed when I catch those "real" smiles from here, see her silliness. Her dad and I hope she stays like this for quite a while, and doesn't too quickly slide into the cynicism that seems to happen for some pre-teens and teens, and sadly for many adults, including us at times.

I have lots more pictures of the beautiful snow, but will refrain from posting them because I think I've shared enough at this point! It was my kind of snow, though, enough to look beautiful and thrill the girls but not enough to hang around and become an unwelcome guest. Thanks for sharing a bit of our magical day with us. :)

Over the years...

There is comfort in living in the same house for much of your life. Right now I'm raising my family in the house where I lived between ages 6 and 16 years old, and returned home from college and visited on vacations between 20 and 30 years old, and have lived here myself since I was 31 years old.

Yesterday Charlotte was learning to rollerblade... I learned to rollerskate on the same cement pad where she was rollerblading...

Today my dad is over, helping fix some things around here. Football is on... NC State versus Clemson. Kids are playing. My youngest grabs hold of his leg and sits on his foot as he walks around the house. "Where's Gwen? I can't find her!" Giggles... "I'm down here, on your foot!"

He sits down to watch the game after awhile. "Granddaddy, play hide and seek, come find me!" "No, sorry, I need to keep an eye on the game for your dad. But don't come sit next to me on the couch... don't do it." Laughter as she runs for the couch. "Oh no, I said no, don't sit here!" More giggles, then more tickling, and more silliness.

Cycle of life

This week, the book most requested by my girls was "The Bumblebee Queen," a lovely book which presents the life cycle of a Bumblebee Queen and her colony. Both girls are fascinated by the diagram of the life cycle of the bumblebee which is part of the reference notes at the back of the book.

Fighting to talk louder than the other, they try to "explain" it to me...

"Mommy, first it's the little eggs and then the little worms and then the bigger worms and then it makes a cocoon and then it gets out and then it's gray and then it's a QUEEN!" 

"Arghhh! MOMMY! I wanna say it. First it's the little dots, then it's a worm and it gets bigger and bigger and bigger..."

"No, that's not a worm, it's a COCOON!"

Anyway, I'm glad they love it. And did you know that a bumblebee does entrancing things like make a honey pot and first it is a larvae and then spins a cocoon? I can't believe I'm a "grown up" and didn't know that. I knew about butterflies and moths, of course, but never considered bumblebees. An obvious gap in my education.

Thankful I have two reasons to keep learning... even if it gets a bit intense at times!

Just discovered I Heart Faces- love it! This week- smiles

I don't know how I missed such a neat website, but I recently discovered "I Heart Faces". I have only started poking around, but it seems like a great community, neat photo challenges and photography tips. I'm a drop-out of Project 365 but I think a once a week photo challenge is something I can handle. *grin*

This weeks photo challenge is "Smiles". I immediately thought of my current favorite picture, which I already posted here, but here it is again. I took the photo at the beach, where Charlotte was running around having a blast and I begged her to stand still long enough to get a good picture of her face. She often gives me "poses" and fake smiles, so I was thrilled to get a picture just showing a smile that revealed her happiness in the moment. She will still for a second, and then dashed off again!

 

I have to figure out how to get their logo but anyway go check out I Heart Faces, it's awesome! 

(Thanks Shannon!)

Snow Day

3 trips outside to play in snow & sleet

4-5 inches of snow

4 changes of clothes

8 pairs of socks used up

1 pancake dinner

2 really happy girls!

I'm getting ready for 2010. Are you? :)

I don't know about anybody else, and I might just be chatting to myself out here in cyberspace, but I'm SO READY for 2010! A new decade! Hopefully a better year for our country and many families I know who are struggling! Even though things have improved for our family (having sold our old house is the big one) and we have so many blessings, my heart has been heavy for others dealing with financial challenges, unemployment, illness, watching loved ones struggle or any number of other struggles.

But at the same time, even though it is easy (for me) to feel worried or anxious about the future, I still have to live my life each day. I find that it helps to try to stay grounded and focused on both my faith and also just the tasks in front of me each day. Sometimes life can feel so mundane, but I know that these are the days that I will treasure once they are done, and my girls are older. They are changing so much each day, and I'm very thankful for my time with them and the memories we are creating in our family. So in order to document this, I've decided to start participating in Project 365 on January 1st. The goal will be to take a picture each day to document a year in the life of my family. I'd like to also do a quick note about the day or the picture, and then scrap (using a template of some sort I'm sure) a page for each week. The girls change SO much so quickly, I know it will be great to see the change over this year!

I have started a new blog, which I will link to from this blog, but not vice versa. (I might share the other blog with some people that I don't necessarily want to read this blog.) I still need to figure out some details, like a watermark for the pictures possibly, and whether I'll do themes or participate in any challenges around the net, etc. Anyway, I think the new blog is pretty cute, can't wait to get started!

http://inthethicketproject365.blogspot.com/

Pool days

I hate getting us to the pool, but oh we love it so once we are there!

I overcame my innate cheapness *cough* frugality this spring and joined our area YMCA, but we have really underutilized it because Gwendolyn is still hard to get in the nursery, so our only times we visited was for Charlotte's ballet classes and to swim in the indoor kiddie pool. I love the indoor pool area at our preferred Y because it has windows along two and a half sides, which helps minimize the swimming in a gym feeling. The tot pool is wonderful- going from 1 1/2 feet deep to 1 3/4 feet deep. It has a few different water features, including a very short but wide water slide. And oh, the water is nice and warm. (Still... Gwendolyn's lips turn blue!)

Before today, we hadn't been for a few weeks. The last time we went, it was almost a bit too chilly for the outside pool. Today was really perfect weather, approaching 90 degrees, and not too humid which is unusual for North Carolina. The girls were scrapping and picking this morning, so I decided to flip the plan for today and head over there as early as I could.

I have always struggled with my organization for outings. Some moms appear so prepared for me, easily finding whatever thing they are looking for, and always having enough snack, drinks, diapers, etc. I'm usually the one waving my kids away from their snacks and asking can I borrow a diaper or wipes. (Though in my defense I usually have snacks, they just want what other kids are having, of course!) But I think I'm getting better, and now Charlotte can actually help me get everything gathered and remind me of things that we need. One struggle I've been having is how to transport three towels and all our bathing suits and such in and out of the parking lot efficiently. Simple solution: Big blue IKEA bag! Cheap and (I think) waterproof. So I can pile all my towels in their, their lifevests, and any random items that don't go elsewhere. Hey, maybe I'll start a new trend!

We managed to make it by 10:30 this morning, and the place is always packed. I've typically had my pick of lounge chairs, but their were none on the shallow side of the pool. Because of the crowds there were definitely more annoying moments (like the boy WALKING by purposely splashing people with his hands- accidental swimming splashes don't bother me, but being swatted in the face while wearing glasses, yes that annoys me and yes I said something to him.) But also some fun moments- Charlotte, who makes friends very easily, did make a friend. Gwendolyn finally figured out how to tread water, and was able to "zoom" all over the pool while wearing her life vest! (complete with "Zoom, zoom!" chants.)

The parts that I dislike are the arrival and depature... I hate going into the family stall to change. Usually by that point someone is starving and whining for food (what is about swimming that makes everyone so hungry?) and of course we are all wet and dripping and someone is cold and someone drops their towel in a puddle or someone tries to open the door to escape prompting me to yell, "I'm naked! Stop!" Buckets of fun, I tell ya.

It's worth it, though. I just remind myself that these are days that I can't get back, and I've never regretted any time we've spent at the pool. And so far, no sunburns (in fact, I seem less prone to burning myself since cutting out industrial oils from my diet and improving my Omega 6/Omega 3 ratio by adding Cocount Oil to my diet!), no mishaps, just lots of fun, improved water skills and comfort, and tons of great memories.

But, no, I'm not ready for bathing suit pictures yet. The girls, yes, but not me!

The post that life and illness derailed...

So I was all set to write a new blog post March 26th... edited my picture, had some thoughts in my head, etc. Not really sure what happened- life, sick kids, more life I guess! I have to admire bloggers who update their content daily, they must be way more disciplined than I am. I like to blog with two hands, and often I'm on here with one hand because of a youngun on my lap, so that's my excuse.

I've been slow to move into the mindset of celebrating the Easter Season, though it does help that our pastor is finishing his sermon series on Luke, coinciding (no coincidence I'm sure though) with Jesus' final days, death and resurrection. So that has been encouraging for me. But for my kids, of course so much is just about the trappings of Easter, though both girls do understand that Jesus died, but he didn't stay dead, He rose again! And Gwen has so sweetly been singing Jesus Loves Me quite frequently.

Anyway, the girls enjoyed their Easter Egg hunt at MOPS, which unfortunately because of rainy weather was moved indoors. I ended up with ONE decent picture. Here it is...

 

Okay, maybe not the best, but isn't her expression so cute? :) The girls opened all their eggs as they found them... Charlotte to check for peanuts, Gwendolyn just because she didn't know any better.

It was still a pretty gloomy day, but after we came the girls wanted to go play outside. With their Easter baskets. I'm not replacing them, either! And actually came up with a rather nifty "grass" idea that I might use...lining the basket with weeds! Which we have PLENTY of, since we neglected to aerate and reseed our lawn properly last fall! (Notice the nice grass behind Gwen's head... that is our neighbor's manicured yard...

It was really Gwendolyn's idea, but of course Charlotte ran with it, and Gwen dumped her "grass" out and started wearing the basket on her head.

 

And I wanted to share some spring pictures from my NEIGHBOR'S yard... as Jason said, it's nice to be retired and have hours to spend in your yard. Yes, we have an inferiority complex...

 

Those are forsythia and quince bushes above, and this cool tree to the left that I *think* is a tulip tree, I'm not sure... the blooms look like tulips though! And the picture below is a very tropical-bloom looking bush that I don't know the name of at all.

 

And then the final result, Charlotte's decorated basket, which actually looked nice inside for a few days!

In her own time...

Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day, and I thought that was going to be the only thing special about the day, oh that and seeing my SIL and precious little neice for lunch. I certainly didn't expect my not-quite 2 year old, Gwendolyn, to wake up yesterday morning and decide to wear underwear, but that's what she did. And I'm tickled pink!

I should have known that it was coming, because her big sister potty learned the same way. And yes, I do prefer the term "potty learning" because that really captures what happened with my girls. They watched, they noticed, they learned, they tried (and failed some) and then finally they learned to stop automatically doing you-know-what in their diapers (oh, the convenience, I'm sure!) and to toddle to the potty. I'm sure cute underwear helped a bit, though. ;)

It never ceases to amaze me, as a mom, when my children have sudden leaps in their maturity. Certainly, I faciliate things, and support them, and encourage them. But ultimately, it's them! That is so encouraging to me, and really helps me gain perspective on certain trials of parenthood. I have no doubt that Gwendolyn will have some occassional accidents, but that's OK. She has taken the lead in this potty learning thing, and I have no doubt that if I stand by and support her when she needs it, that she will do just fine.

Now, if only I can maintain this attitude as my girls grow older, and hit other milestones of maturity that cause me anxiety rather than glee.

Lazy gray day in pictures and commentary

 

I always plan to have a "recovery" day following a trip, so I can unpack, assess, put away, get caught up, grocery shop (today I did it online, which is nice), give the girls a chance to decompress. It's been a nice day, a few squabbles, but also lots of snuggles, stories, playing, imagining.

Our sugar snap pea plants (in rubbermaid bins, yes) are coming along nicely. My friend told me to put them on the porch because it's been very rainy. Tomorrow it's supposed to be warmer, so hopefully we can put them back out and watch them grow this week!

 

Playing dress-up and pretend hot-air balloon (yes, only the best for my children...)

   

Sweet, happy, girl...

 

Near "Little People World" set up in a corner by Charlotte. The parking garage is never *just* a parking garage in our world...

 

And finally, to keep me going, a second pot of coffee...

  

Sometimes it's just nice to have a lazy day at home. Hopefully my motivation will return along with the sun tomorrow!