We all have those days, right?

The party's over.



Back to another week. I wasn't ready. I thought today was Wednesday, but, nope, it's Tuesday!

I had a dentist appointment, and since Shawn's sick, I had to take Story with me. Wilder stayed home with Daddy because he is getting sick too and I figured they could just be sick together. Story screamed at the dentist. A nice hygienist scooped her up for a few minutes so I could get my teeth cleaned. What a nice lady.

Usually it doesn't hurt. I've never had a cavity. But my gums are really sensitive given the lingering childbirth and now nursing hormones. So I have a headache. And apparently I could do braces if I had the money. The doctor very nonchalantly talked about my slight overture (overbite). She probably didn't know that it's a very touchy subject with me.

Wilder woke up naked...sheets soaked.

We have a million doctors appointments through the month of September. How are we going to do this? Wilder's leg follow-up (remember his cast?), me dermo, Story more shots, Wilder more shots (just for flu season), me family doctor, me "girly" doctor...I am already feeling overwhelmed.

The house smells of pungent plastic because a measuring cup melted in the dishwasher.

We need toilet paper and diapers. Even more frustrating because I was just at the store yesterday.

I need cookie dough. In a really bad way.

M&Ms will do until I can get to the store.
Breathe. This is definitely a day where I say, "God, I need you!"

Thankful for our patio--a great place to party!

We celebrated Wilder's second birthday in Elmo style today. That's why you've not seen us much this week.
I prepared during naps and late into the evenings to pull it off (Shawn helped ALOT too). What a wonderful, wonderful day spent with VERY special people. I'll post more pictures later.

(sweet little Elmo cake took me upwards of five hours to prepare...#overboard!)

Caution: not for the hungry!

It could have gotten ugly.
Very bad. Very ugly.
But it didn't. Phew. Close call.
I escaped the candy tour with only a small box of fudge, my daddy's favorite. And there's still some left!

Some members of MeetUp rendezvoused at this place, Cero's, which I learned is a nonprofit that provides job training for special needs adults.
Wilder wasn't all that into it but pudgy Mommy and pudgy Story were tickled pink.
Here's to sweetness all around!

My house is a castle.

home renovations, circa 2007

I am contented.

How many of us can say that?

I am, oh, let's say, 39 feet from being there. I have felt very convicted that much of what I invest my time and resources into has a direct benefit on self. I am selfishly walking along a path where there is so much need around. That needs to change.

I have everything I need. Really! I may not like my car but it gets us to where we need to go. We are clothed. Well fed (maybe too much). There's a treadmill downstairs; I don't need a gym membership. The children have comfortable beds, a roof over their heads.

Lately I've complained about the size of my house. But, Lord, it's too small for hosting things. People will get cramped. It's just not nice enough. The bathroom linoleum is ugly. Yet I feel very called to have my house open to others...24/7 if the opportunity ever arose. I am quite compelled in the area of hospitality; I love serving in that way.

I was at a women's conference this weekend; wish you could have been there. It was just what I needed. A slap in the tush to stop whining. A woman shared about her WorldVision trip to Uganda...and the video footage crumbled my heart. Showed me spiritual perspective of our belongings...our home, and that I've gotta obey with what God's given me.

So it is this: our house is a mansion. Our shower a spa retreat.

I came home with an African boy's picture. His card. His name.

Fillimon.

It's a start.

Story's three month update

First of all, Happy Friday! Wheeeee!!!
This week it's all about my babies! Heck, every week is, gladly. We've missed out on Daddy's help from Tuesday through now as he had an out of town trip. BOTH kids had their well-child check-ups, which included shots. Yuck. It was most sad not having Daddy here for Wilder's birthday.

In other news, Story Elena, StoryGirl, Princess, Angel of love, Beauty (you get the drift), turns three months today. Here's a picture of me (not sure how old) so you can do a comparison:
Here's Wilder at around the same age:
Story, at three months, you:
~are a hoot; you truly are so funny--your mannerisms and personality are goofy
~nurse every three hours during the day
~go to bed at 9:30pm then up anytime between 5 and 7am to nurse (thank you, Girl)
~like to sit in the swing and watch us eat as a family
~jabber and coo
~love watching your big brother
~prefer to stand and look mommy in the face rather than be cuddled
~talk the best to Daddy...or your BFF Calla
~travel fairly well; we go, go, go alot so you're getting used to the carseat
~weigh 13 lbs, the 80th percentile, and are 22.5 inches long, the 28th percentile

I love you, Baby Girl! You are sooooo awesome!

Wilder is two. Aaaaannnnddd...exhale.

Happy Birthday to my now two-year old!
Wilder, You are the song I sing--loudly. I sing you in the shower and I sing you at night. I sing you high, sing you low. Sing to friends. Sing in the snow.

You are the tippiest tip of my mountain. I would do anything for you. You make my heart flutter.
At two, you are the spitting image of your father, but with my blue eyes. Your hair is long and curly and I love running my fingers through it after your bath. You still suck your thumb, which was cute when you were a baby. But now it's getting a little old. Ha.

You are still a cuddler, but only on your terms. You are ticklish. You are fast and furious. You are smart and talk ninety miles an hour, repeating everything I say. My favorite thing you say is, "I love you, too." You say "sorry" after being disciplined, without my asking. You could live on hot dogs and french fries (sometimes you do). You like to have me go with you on the slipper slide.
You remember the words to songs better than I do. You kicked vacation Bible school's butt! You call teeth "eggs." You have very abstract thinking (you see shapes in every day things).
My heart swells with pride at all that you've accomplished. You break my heart in good ways then end up putting it back together. And sometimes you break it in bad ways because you can be naughty. It is just the nature of mankind, unfortunately.

There are people reading this letter to you so I better keep it short. Because, quite frankly, I could write about you all day. When it comes to you, there is no end to the chapters I write.
I love you mightily, now and forever.
Mommy

p.s.--have I mentioned I am proud of you? That my arms will always be open?

Brown paper packages tied up with string

...these are a few of my favorite things! Because when I find something good, I just gotta share it!
Sublime Bronze One Day self-tanner:

I like it because it just lasts a day; perfect because I don't have time for the daily, gradual tanners. It seems like every time I shave, the gradual tanners wear off. With this, I can be tan for a date, a knee-length dress, girls night out, whatever. The gel is tinted so one can see exactly where it's going. I have no streaks, either! Side note: I have been fake-bake free since 2006! This is a big deal for me as I'd been known to go 4-5 times per week. Baaaad.

I got my first Scentsy plug-in. I always thought the Glade plug-ins were nice but not very attractive..plus kindof strong smelling. My favorite Scentsy fragrance is Cucumber Lime. It is heaven! Click here to check it out. Wish the website was scratch-n-sniff.
Want me to let my local readers know when I'm hosting a Scentsy party in September? It'd be a good way to meet you! And my rule is to host only one self-business party per year. All those home-based businesses are awesome and I love supporting my friends. But I limit it to one party per year so others don't feel overly solicited.

Next, I'll brag about this dual-purpose product by Aquage: their hydrating mist. I call it dual-purpose because both Wilder and I use it as a detangler. It smells good and makes the comb easy to run through mine, and my fingers to run through Wilder's (his hair is getting long). If you use it your hair will look like this, supposedly:

Image via

Land's End. Gone are my bikini days. And that's okay because Land's End offers cute "mommy" swimsuits. I got a skirt/flowered tankini this time. I never thought I'd sport a dorky skirt...but you really don't want to see my thighs. Just trust me.

Aside from the suit being a favorite/perfect fit (which seemed impossible given that I ordered it online), Land's End's customer service was top-notch. I had a chat session with a representative who helped find the suit best for my body shape, etc. And about a week after my order arrived (it only took two days), I received a phone call from them asking if I was happy with the product..and to thank me for ordering. Those extra touches mean I'll be back again!

Image via

What's rocked your world lately? Besides your husband/boyfriend...? Hehe.

Forget the cracker, Polly wants a cocktail.

Ya'all kinda made my day with liking my most recent poem. It's encouraging. They are intimate pieces of my heart and the positive reception makes it float!

Shawn was on the computer for my most recent installment. I said, "move over, I gotta get something out!"...a pen and paper would've sufficed but I can type faster.

That's the way melodious words are for me. They come in, sometimes when I'm on the potty or before bed when I'm trying to fall asleep. And if I don't get it down...it'll be gone.

We made it to market again; the one on the other side of town. I think owning a farmer's market booth would be fun. Our markets run from April-October so that would be a lot of work! I am such a people person that I really think it would bring satisfaction, though. Someday.
Also, for an update on my sister's baby, click here. It is refreshing news. It was so good to see her at home last week. I dropped her off at an appointment and we also clothes-shopped...we kidded that it was like doing "real life" together. We fantasize about living in the same town. What it'd be like to swap babysitting or do girl's night at the movies, or do themed playdates...

And here's StoryGirl, doing what she does best. She's 12 weeks on Friday.
Wilder's two on Thursday. I don't think I'll be too emotional.

Right. right.

*gulp*

God lives above the airplanes

In my micro world, there's the kitchen, the bedrooms.
Basement stoop.
Toys I trip on. Stub my toe.
Laundry strewn about.
Uh, is that clean or dirty?
Macaroni noodles under the table, a little bit sticky.
Nappies of poo and cloths of regurgitated milk
Prayers all day...Lord have him obey
Give us wisdom, happy hearts

There's the front porch with its bullying wasps
And the cracked driveway
The road to the park
The walk by the river
Geese and their still-soft droppings
The park and neighbors and vacation Bible school

In my micro world, I am small
Like a car
Not the way it is now
But the way you see it from an airplane
Moving along, like a wee ant
Moving to your favorite tune
Doing chores
Scurrying about
Building a home, life
A mountain

God lives above the airplanes
But I'm not small to Him
His hands hold all of me
He says, you're doing good, darling

Keep it up
You are big to me
You are planting seeds
What you do is important
I am glad in you

~mindy harris

I like home because the shower's hotter, sheets softer

Photo credit

I am back from my little girl home.

Back from where things move at a different pace. A much slower pace.

You allow for 20 minutes extra at the store to visit with friends you run into (if you know me well you know I LOVE this!).

You get from one end of town to the other in 9 minutes.

And on your way back to your own "big girl" home, you pass farmers cocooned in their machines, toiling away in the beating sun. The earth beneath them succumbs to the plowing, tilling, harvesting, and other agricultural activities I'm too layman to know. The corn husks struggle to stand, their leaves brittle, crinkled by heat. Hay bales stake claims along the patterned fields. Cows provide one another shade, their tails swaying at, seemingly, the same frequency of a hummingbird's wings.

The driver opposite you waves. You wave back...that one wave where your hand is still on the steering wheel..."well howdy." The only radio stations you can pick up are country or oldies. Baby, I need your lovin', got to have all your lovin'...

I realize how much the town in which I was raised is a part of me. It is home to all the trial and errors of becoming. Happy and sad moments. First kiss. First job. Losing the family pet.

There's peace in knowing where I'm from. Sort of a permission to move forward. I am done there. I was done a long time ago. That feels sad sometimes. But wonders are on the horizon. Now, I work on creating roots for my children.

Regardless of where I was raised, I wouldn't have roots without my parents' own loving sweat and tears.

Their toiling 'neath the sun.

Today, why not thank the people who've invested in you along the way?

With family

Spending extended time with family. Cabbaged on to Mommy's pictures ...
And we don't want it to end!

Wilder is a little glum in this picture (no nap).

Story has enjoyed the extra attention. I call her "Sissy" now. It's suiting.

She's such a good girl.Nightey night!

Then and Now

Halloween 1999 (nice tights, Shawn)

August 2010

Wow.