yeah, but.... ok.

So the shots saga ended with 3 in the thigh and increased screaming with each one.  Ended abruptly when Mountain Man told him his bravery was rewarded with legos.  

sudden quiet; "Star Wars Legos?" (sniff, sniff)

Two days later I was admiring his Speeder and his braveness, he said, "Mom, I really wasn't that brave."  

I hope this honesty continues.... he'll still get rewards for having shots.

wait a minute....

Thing 2 completely FREAKED when I told him we were going to the Dr. in one hour.   

"NO!!  I'M NOT GOING!   I'M NOT GOING TO THE DR'S!  NO   NO  NO  NO  NO  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"  (about 10  minutes of that)

Found out he wanted his sister to go with him.  The little scheisen told him that he was getting shots.  "Yeah, you're probably going to get shots.  I cried really hard when I got them and then I couldn't walk and my legs hurt for 2, no 3 days."

So after he calmed down to a whimper, I adamantly told him NOT to have Dr. W. put another nose on his face.  Also, if they needed to switch anything,  an ear on the forehead may work better because the two on the sides of his head were probably broken.  He actually looked at me as if I wasn't kidding. 


Mountain Man is going with him...there are no brave fronts in this house.

Dear Lord...

I pray for my children they find the talent 
not to exclude friends 
but to bring out the best 
in each person they meet. 

I also pray they find angels that help them soar.

Ewww......wait.. cool!!

Thing 2 started turning over my border bricks to see what was underneath.  I usually worked in my garden along side him and did an occasional, "Ohhh cool."  or "What it THAT?"  or  "Wow... don't bring that inside."   

Thing 3 has taken up that hobby.  I have to watch him a little more closely.  He tends to eat things.  Therefore, I'm catching the "Finding things under a rock" hobby. 

I found myself face in the dirt to see what insects can flatten themselves to live under the rocks, watching other "things" upclose, also what kind of eggs and tunnels they make.  Then little fingers push between my nose and the dirt to mess things around a bit to get things moving.  We did this for about half an hour before I realized we had turned up the entire side of the house.   

I used to admonish the kids for doing this because it just didn't look nice and made the blocks crooked.  

Wow... talk about a buzz kill.  I'm going to put myself in time-out.

here it goes....

I've started planning my Mom's 70th birthday party and it's a secret.  I'm thinking.. no, hoping no one in her family has her gift of gab and slips up.  That includes me.  I'm no gabber, I'm a thinker and I think out loud especially concrete things.  

It's 2 months out and I'm pretty much doing everything.  Only because I'm a control freak on my own ideas.  I've had this in my head since her last birthday.  Now I finally have a chance to act it out.   

I'm completely psyched on this whole situation because it doesn't include diapers, homework or Legos.  And...

I'M IN CONTROL OF THE SITUATION. 

Now, that may be all in my head.  However, even after 3 kids, I still am baffled by what my children say and do.  I'm ok if the shelter isn't available, or someone doesn't have tables, or doesn't bring in enough drinks.  That situation can be remedied.  I'm NOT ok with Thing 3 puking, while a very able Thing 1 pushes Thing 2 out into the front lines at that very moment to ask for a snack with chocolate milk.

Did I mention the party is 4 hours away with no Mountain Man help?  Just give me my ipod and some chocolate and a little cocktail if you have it.....

get me out of here!!!

A grandfather took his grandson, William, to a Civil War Re-enactment one afternoon.  Being 5 years old, the re-enactment seemed so real to Will that he didn't want anything to do with being up close and personal with the actors.  So the grandfather took William to a hill overlooking the battle all the while reassuring him these were just actors with fake guns and no one was dying.  William was starting to calm down and watch the action when a general close to them yelled, "Alright boys!  Fire at Will!  Fire at Will!!"

I'll show you mine....

The best thing about spring is that you get all dirty.  It's been around 50-65 all week for Thing 1 and Thing 2's spring break.  For Minnesota, that's amazing. The best thing.... the kids' boogers are a whole different colour.  That's how I can tell they had a good day.

.

Whatever - Part II

There's just some people you hope do well after you're through with them... 

http://shop.kindredmarket.com/collections/all-tees

.....and there is people that you hope their 6th business goes under..... again.   Yes, a woman scorned.  I'll get over it..... after my therapy session.

Have a great day.

Whatever...

Why is it I never have my camera when eagles are around or within shooting distance?

Why is it when I turn my back at the park, that's the moment Mogli decides to see if he can fly?

Why is it I find the exact right words minutes before or after a conversation or a fight?

Why can I find the right clothes to wear any other day but when I need to show off, I look like a hooker going to church?

Why do I have my most profound thoughts right before falling asleep?

just shoot the damn thing....

I'm trying new things with my camera.  I'm shooting with my Tv settings and finding it sharper.  However, shooting in the sun and finding the perfect setting is difficult.  Overexposure has been my problem.  But when I get it right... well, duh.

There was so much spray coming off the falls...I tried to capture it.

  Then I changed the settings... still not happy with it though...

 Just makes it look overexposed... any ideas?

This was my super macro setting...

  I played with the light with this shot... at least 10 different ways.. all with the same setting...

Then it was just finding cool things to take pictures of... 

 I thought it looked like an aerial photograph of an Arizona red rock formation.

peal with me

The earth has a rhythm.  If you are out in nature for a time, you find yourself walking in time with it.  It's not a march, or a tiptoe.  It's how water runs through a stream or how a bird's calls come with it's own cadence. 

After being out on one of the warmest days in March I can ever remember, the morning after had me gasping for breath.  I felt like I was pregnant and completely zapped of energy. 

I sat out in the sun in the early afternoon and apart from feeling the sun soak into my soul, I could not take a deep breath.  Until I heard a robin peal out in the tree above me.  Everything let go and I laughed.  A bubbling laugh that exploded...kind of like milk shooting through your nose at a unexpected joke. 

I have felt my "wings" have been clipped.  Not by anyone in the house or by the seasons.  It is because of the proximity of the streets, houses, people, cars, the amplified gas station attendant a block down saying "PUMP 3, YOU ARE READY", etc.

I pray that robins include me in their bewitchment more often until I can find 5 acres or more all to myself where I can spread my wings.

our endeavor

This was halfway done.  We had painted the trim on the windows and found it to be a huge mistake.

Harley was very patient with all his regular sleeping spots taken. 

See the mistake... Mountain Man kept saying "They shouldn't sell poop to people... it's just not nice."

another way of learning an old habit

embrace life

tell me you love me.....

I made these when I had an intestinal bug....weird, I know.  I was hungry, but I wasn't knowing it was going to get me in the end.  (hehehehehe)

My husband calls them snowshoes.

peanut butter

butter for smoothness

powdered sugar

whip this until it's oh so creamy and dreamy

melt any kind of chocolate you prefer... dark, milk chocolate, or just chocolate bits.

place waffle butter pretzle chips down over waxed or parchment paper
squeeze some of that creamy pb on the chips and then DRENCH them in the chocolate.

I let my kids do the chocolate.  I HIGHLY suggest you do that.

I'm not doing pictures for your sake. 

soft gooey insides

I watched "Chocolat" and I realized I see myself as Judy Dench. 

Don't pity who I am.  Don't you dare pity who I have made into myself just because I am actually living my life as how I see fit.  Also making sure the one I love have fun with me as they see fit. 

Seen as a grumpy woman, only because she can't love the people around her hard enough.

smells like rain, must be rain

I had the windows flung wide open yesterday with fans going at full blast.  Granted it was only 37 degrees, but the sun was shining and I was getting laundry done.  I only hung a blanket out on the lines all day.  It was a wonderful smell of the outdoors... however, this morning it smelled like dirt. 

It rained last night and now it smells like wet snow and dirt outside.  Not necessarily a bad thing... just different from a winter smell.  Spring is coming. 

get a room....

 

My right hand ring from 

Right Hand Man.

My Mountain Man.  

The one who fights to love me 

and loves to fight me.

The rock and the water beating at each other 

to find they are more beautiful after the storm.

Call me Grace

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YU0aNAHXP0

pushing up daisies

My father died 10 years ago.  Before he died, he wanted his body donated how ever it could.  His arms, legs and eyes were able to be donated to whomever needed them. I met a man today whose wife was having surgery tomorrow to correct her cataracts.  Even though it was 10 years ago, somehow, I was able to connect part of Dad to the present.  Dad was and is like that.  He finds himself in my life here and there.  Through my children, through little "isms" of my husband, through memories and dreams I live.  I heard a quote, "God is in the dirt."  When I thought about Dad, he was always working in the fields or with the animals, or somehow with his hands.   He had pride in what he did, even though he was only a farmer.  Lived, breathed a farmer, and died a farmer.  When you live and love your life... you find you live forever through someone else's eyes.