Category: Family

Halloween Fun

Sorry for the delay in posting these pics… it was a very busy weekend.

I now present to you: The Angel & The Scientist.

Thinking about the Dads out there

As I have alluded to recently, I am the mother of a pre-teen…

This requires a unique set of skills.  Ones I'm quickly learning as the days go by.  You have to. It's survival.

However, I have an advantage. I've been there. I know what is going on in her little head (more or less, anyway)  I can, with some relative accuracy, figure out where the outbursts are coming from and address the root issue not the behavior (or so I am trying, anyway!)

However…
I feel for her Daddy.
Poor man.  He has no clue. None, whatsoever.
Case in point. He works 10 hours today, gets home at roughly 7PM (after leaving at 5:30 this morning) happy to see his girls and looking forward, I'm sure, to some dinner and family time.

Less than ten minutes after he's home he's served with a note that says:
youhateme

Poor man.
He didn't even know what was going on.
"How can I hate you?" he asks. "I just got home from work!"

Little did he know, my poor baby girl was just miserable because of a shopping expedition earlier in the day.  She is at that unique stage where she is too big for little girl clothes and too little for junior/miss clothes.  Hence, what was a promising afternoon turned into a big disappointment.  She was devastated.

And the poor man just walked right into a ticking time bomb.
I'm going to have to figure out how to help him. At the same time I'm figuring out how to help her. (has anyone seen that manual I was looking for?)

Ahhh… Puberty. I thought I had left you long behind.  Not-so-nice to see you again.

(but at least this time I have the benefit of experience)

Thinking about the Dads out there

As I have alluded to recently, I am the mother of a pre-teen…

This requires a unique set of skills.  Ones I’m quickly learning as the days go by.  You have to. It’s survival.

However, I have an advantage. I’ve been there. I know what is going on in her little head (more or less, anyway)  I can, with some relative accuracy, figure out where the outbursts are coming from and address the root issue not the behavior (or so I am trying, anyway!)

However…

I feel for her Daddy.

Poor man.  He has no clue. None, whatsoever.

Case in point. He works 10 hours today, gets home at roughly 7PM (after leaving at 5:30 this morning) happy to see his girls and looking forward, I’m sure, to some dinner and family time.

Less than ten minutes after he’s home he’s served with a note that says:

youhateme

Poor man.

He didn’t even know what was going on.

“How can I hate you?” he asks. “I just got home from work!”

Little did he know, my poor baby girl was just miserable because of a shopping expedition earlier in the day.  She is at that unique stage where she is too big for little girl clothes and too little for junior/miss clothes.  Hence, what was a promising afternoon turned into a big disappointment.  She was devastated.

And the poor man just walked right into a ticking time bomb.

I’m going to have to figure out how to help him.  At the same time I’m figuring out how to help her. (has anyone seen that manual I was looking for?)

Ahhh… Puberty. I thought I had left you long behind.  Not-so-nice to see you again.

(but at least this time I have the benefit of experience)

Today…

Outside my window… the clouds are trying to overtake the sun and the leaves are changing into a beautiful blanket of color.

I am thinking…of all the things I need to accomplish today – there is not enough time!

I am thankful for…good friends, a loving family, God’s blessings.

From the kitchen…homemade oatmeal craisin cookies; ham for dinner.

I am wearing…comfy clothes; must get “dressed” for the day still.

I am creating…a positive mood and outlook to help me be productive today.

I am going…to love on my kids when they get home this afternoon.

I am reading…You Had Me at Halo (a silly, but entertaining book)

I am hoping…my husband’s job continues to be productive and he is not laid off again.

I am hearing…”I Will Rise” on the radio.

Around the house…my cats are sleeping, the puppy is trashing the yard, and the big dog is napping with one eye out for the pup’s attacks.

One of my favorite things…my hot tea in the mornings… earl grey.

A few plans for the rest of the week…Ballet, Jazz, making dinner for a friend who is recently home from hospital.

Photo inspiration:

I love fall...and mountain streams...
I love fall...and mountain streams...

Thanks to The Simple Woman’s Daybook for the inspiration.

Today…

Outside my window… the clouds are trying to overtake the sun and the leaves are changing into a beautiful blanket of color.

I am thinking…of all the things I need to accomplish today – there is not enough time!

I am thankful for…good friends, a loving family, God's blessings.

From the kitchen…homemade oatmeal craisin cookies; ham for dinner.

I am wearing…comfy clothes; must get "dressed" for the day still.

I am creating…a positive mood and outlook to help me be productive today.

I am going…to love on my kids when they get home this afternoon.

I am reading…You Had Me at Halo (a silly, but entertaining book)

I am hoping…my husband's job continues to be productive and he is not laid off again.

I am hearing…"I Will Rise" on the radio.

Around the house…my cats are sleeping, the puppy is trashing the yard, and the big dog is napping with one eye out for the pup's attacks.

One of my favorite things…my hot tea in the mornings… earl grey.

A few plans for the rest of the week…Ballet, Jazz, making dinner for a friend who is recently home from hospital.

Photo inspiration:
 I love fall...and mountain streams...
Thanks to The Simple Woman's Daybook for the inspiration.

simply amazing

I was at my mom's house a few weeks ago… it is very humid there (they live near the coast) and so all sorts of things grow in places you would never imagine.
One morning, I went outside to swing with my little girl.  She said she couldn't sit on the swing because there were "prickly things" on her swing and she was afraid they would poke her if she sat down.
As I bent down to look at the "prickly things," this is what I saw:
Picture 013
How cool is that?
Perfectly formed teeny, tiny mushrooms, growing on the seat of the swing.  And in a perfect spiral!simply amazing
Something so small that most of us would never have noticed.
Something so mundane that could be easily overlooked.
And yet…
A thing of beauty.
There is no reason (that I know of) for the mushrooms to grow in a perfect spiral.  They had such teeny little stems – they were smaller than a straight pin.  And the tops were perfect little cups turned upside down, balancing on the fragile stems.
How awesome.
Glorious beauty on a swing after the rain.
God's wonder there for us to see… if only we look.

More of Me: The Abridged Version

Ok, so I found some time yesterday to do a little journaling in my Me: The Abridged Version book.  I also realized while I was working that I wanted more vibrant pages for the album.  The color scheme I had chosen was a little muted.  So, I'm amping things up a bit now.
Here's a sample of a page I've completed.

MeTAV-1

I'm still considering removing the craft paper background and just doing it on white.  But I'm not sure yet.  (do you have an opinion?)

MeTAV-3

I'm finding this is actually pretty fun.  It's an interesting change to write about myself – my thoughts, stories, etc. – as opposed to writing about my kids.  Being the centerpiece of the story instead of the background character who is chronicling the kids' stories.  You should try it.

And, it's interesting to me that my girls are very interested in reading the pages as I finish. And they want to know about me!  How cool is that?  As moms I think we get lost sometimes in just being "mom" and forget to be ourselves.  This project is reminding me of the need to focus on me some – focus on my story – and focus on things that make me happy. (like scrapbooking!)

MeTAV-2

I challenge you – do a page about yourself.  Pick a topic – list your five favorite movies or books, tell a story from your childhood, whatever gets your creative juices flowing.  And, remember, the picture is optional. It's the story that counts.