Friday, March 29, 2013

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!!

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, March 28, 2013

What my brain has been busy doing...

 photo b5b1a5e8-b896-4fc8-b280-e79b8f8bada6_zps8f9206b2.jpg

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.
 

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

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!

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

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.



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!
  LinkLink
FotoFlexer_Photo

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

Friday, March 22, 2013

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!!

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, March 21, 2013

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.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

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...

Photobucket

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

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

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.




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!
  LinkLink
FotoFlexer_Photo

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

Friday, March 15, 2013

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!!

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, March 14, 2013

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.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

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.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

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.




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.