Forever Folding Laundry

summer is sweet.

2014-06-30T21:09:00.000-07:00

Before I went back to work, I didn't quite realize
just how sweet summer is.
{well, when you're a teacher, that is.}

But now...
it's so clear.
Summer is precious time.

I love the feeling on a Sunday night
of not dreading Monday.

Come August, I'll be back to those dreadful Sunday nights.
I'm going back to teaching full-time next year:
second grade.
I'm excited, and anxious, and...not ready.
I need this summer.
So I'm trying to soak it all in.

We made our annual summer list.
It has the usuals:
go to tahoe
camp in the backyard
go to the pool
make ice cream
go to the beach
etc.

So we're slowly and deliberately crossing items off of the list.
And I'm loving every second of vacation.
{almost every second. i don't love the kids bickering. or the complaints of being bored.
or taking all three kids with me to costco.
i don't love that.}

Water fight with friends...check.
Actually, I'm not even sure it was on the summer list.
But it was fun.
Even if my windows did get soaked.

Other things that make summer sweet:
peony season.
I'm just sad that the season is so short.
They are the perfect flower.

Bed canopies.
She really, REALLY, wanted one for her birthday.
{i kind of want one, too.}

A Hobby Lobby recently opened in our area.
Before it did, I hadn't been in Hobby Lobby since we lived in Texas
in 1999-2001.
It was just as glorious as I remembered.

Another sweet thing this summer?
Ikea.
I took the kids on our very first day of break.
What better way to celebrate summer than with Ikea meatballs?

Also sweet...summer movies.
Avery was my date to go see Maleficent.
She had already seen it but wanted to go again with me.
And she had to try to win a bouncy ball in the arcade,
because we definitely don't have enough of those around the house.
{darn...we weren't winners.}

I've decided 2014 is the summer of the white nail polish.
I have a tiny little obsession with it.

Don't you think if summer had a taste it would be
watermelon and caprese salad?
I could eat caprese all day.
#tomatobasilmozarellaforever
And I used to hate watermelon when I was a kid.
I probably didn't start liking it until my thirties.
Weird.

Gary bought me The Art of Racing in the Rain
because he thought I would like it.
It's an easy read.
Have your kleenex ready at the end.

I am not a very good board game player.
Candyland...kill me.
Monopoly...I might die.
Old Maid...zzzzzzzz.

But Quirkle? So fun.
I actually enjoy playing it.
And it's colorful! Bonus.

And, of course, soccer.
The World Cup is on,
and nothing much else gets done during a game.
Especially when Mexico plays Holland,
and your husband is half Mexican, half Dutch.
{#dutchican}

The World Cup has also inspired someone to keep that soccer ball
with him all throughout the day.

And with the Fourth of July this week,
we had to make a stop at the fireworks stand.
I'm pretty sure one of those four people is the most excited
about fireworks.
{hint...he's over 40.}

Summer is sweet.
And there's more to come.

...end of may gratitudes...

2014-05-31T00:03:00.002-07:00

Oh, I have a blog, don't I.

Funny how when you go back to work all of a sudden

your free time involves laundry and dinner and wiping the counter

and falling asleep on the couch while watching the Real Housewives of wherever.

But here we are in late May,

and I'm limping toward the end of school finish line.

{and i am r-e-a-d-y.}

This year has been an adjustment.

Working + mommy-ing has been a game changer.

But we've had some fun.
And I've tried to still look for the beauty in the everyday,
and be grateful for the small miracles all around.

...grateful for breakfasts every day with three hungry little people...

I really, really try to make at least one hot thing for them for breakfast.
It's always bacon.
That's really all they want.
And once I perfected making it in the oven,
it's bacon every day!

And cereal. Always cereal.

...grateful for a beach that feels more like home everytime we're there...
My husband is a surfer.
In his fantasy world he quits his job and just surfs,
and somehow we are independently wealthy.

I really like that fantasy world.

Every day I look at realtor.com and cross my fingers
that someone is selling a beach house for less than a jillion dollars.
No. No, they're not.

...grateful for these kids...
Why do they keep growing?
{and someone needs a haircut.}

...grateful for little antique shops...
This is my favorite shop.
The owner knows me,
and I dream of having her job when she decides to retire.
Until that happens I just go in every month or so and wander.
And take selfies in the mirror, obviously.

...grateful for weekends that end in layers and layers of sunscreen...
They really are the best weekends.
With the best nights of sleep...right?

...grateful they'll still wear the in-n-out hats...
I have our in-n-out order down to a science.
"two hamburgers ketchup only, one grilled cheese no onions, tomatoes, or lettuce,
one double meat animal style, one protein style animal style, two fries"

We're a predictable crowd.

...grateful for a girl that looks at home in front of a class...
I wonder if she'll want to be a teacher?
It's in her blood, so....

...grateful for this town we live in...
It's a pretty special place.

...grateful for impromptu naps with my biggest kid...
He'll still cuddle with me.
How great is that?

...grateful for hot rollers...
Girls with super straight hair need all the help they can get.

...grateful for the very best mother's day gift ever...
An espresso machine.
I have a cappuccino every morning.
It's like heaven.

...grateful for warm nights and fire pits after the kids go to bed.
This one is self-explanatory.

...grateful for kids that make their own sandwiches...
The best thing I've done of late is start having the kids make their own lunches.
It's life-changing.

...grateful for new shoes...
Nude color...
peep toe...
sandals...
they're my favorite.
{urban outfitters}

...grateful for track meets...
Just because they're fun.
And I'd rather watch someone else run than run myself, let's face it.

Summer will be here for me in 6.5 more days.
PTL.
Maybe I'll be in this space more frequently over the summer? Who knows.
I miss documenting our days.
I may even pull out my real camera.

{I am on instagram, though.
Are you?
I'm @foreverfoldinglaundry.}

january, and good days ahead.

2014-01-16T17:46:00.002-08:00

Well, if it isn't January 16th.
You wouldn't know it from the weather...
um, 72 at our house today.
But I'm sure it's January because three of us are home sick.
Another one of us is getting over his cold, but toughing it out at work.

The last one of us started this whole germ-fest by getting
strep and scarlet fever (!) last week.

So, yeah. It's winter.

Life these days is a little more hurried than it's been in the past.

It's funny how going back to work even part time can rock your world

and add an extra level of crazy to life.

And life + a little more crazy is not necessarily a bad thing.

Some days are better than others.
Some days are work and migraines and a messy house and pizza for dinner.
But I'd rather not remember those days.

Here I just want to look back and remember the better days:

...like watching 1,295 soccer games this fall
{and missing front teeth that have already almost grown all the way in}

...crazy, loud, wild, running-down-the-hall nights
{one day the house will be quiet. and i'll hate it.}

...a little girl's recital in a big church

...Friday night dates with chips and salsa

...a little fabric cutting for a little quilt making

...kids that still want to dress up at Halloween

...sunset show-offs in our little town

...nerves of steel during jenga

...brothers that aren't twins but look like they are

...a naughty dog completely disregarding the house rules

...rainbow looming all the live long day

...the sun at our backs and the road ahead of us

...moments without bickering or arguing

...time with my favorite guy

...special days with special people

...taking it all in

...remembering how happy the happiest place on earth feels

...the mug my favorite girl made me that may cause eye trauma

...that she's still little and has ponies taped to her wall instead of boy bands

...the look on the boys' faces when they got their own red ryder bb guns

...the looks of wonder that the Christmas tree inspires

...that first batch of fudge of the season

...peaceful mornings

...getting a facial for the first time in years (HEAVEN)

...day trips to tide pools

...a beautiful morning of loving God and loving (and serving) others, as a family.

...Christmas morning and Lucy's gift of bones, bones, bones

...days of tired feet, achy backs, happy hearts

Sorry for the overload,
but it's been a full few months.

Here's to a 2014 full of focusing on the happy days.

the best of 2013

2014-01-01T09:27:00.003-08:00

Happy new year!

mommy guilt and other things i've been up to.

2013-10-18T21:01:00.000-07:00

Hey there!

It just dawned on me that I used to have a blog.

Once upon a time I would take hundreds of pictures a day with my big-girl camera,

and post on my blog near daily

and keep a grand record of our days.

Now I'm doing good if I get the breakfast dishes put away by dinner time

and don't fall asleep on the couch by ten.

The crazy level has amped up quite a bit over here,

but all is well.

This is my first stop every morning.

My in-laws gave us the Keurig they've never used.
It makes me very happy.

Life is crazy now,
but once soccer ends in a few weeks I know our lives will quiet down a little.
But I'm always sad when soccer ends.
Saturdays during soccer season are really my favorite.
Especially games with skies like this.
Isn't that the best soccer weather?

A couple of weeks ago Gary and I had a Saturday when all three kids were at
a birthday party for the day.
Instead of our usual date at Home Depot to do house stuff
we hopped in the car and drove to the beach.

It was just the two of us.
We stopped at several vintage pop-up shops that I'd had my eye on,
grabbed lattes together,
and sat on the beach watching the surfers.

We still like each other.
It was a good Saturday.

Someone has been taking cooking class every Wednesday afternoon after school,
and someone thinks it's pretty much the best thing ever.

I've realized that baths that don't require a hair-washing are my favorite.

One of the realities of going back to work is that
I've been dealing with a fair amount of guilt lately.
I missed Avery's field trip to the pumpkin patch...
I'm not volunteering in the kids' classrooms like I used to...
Riley was home on his birthday but I had to work.
Mommy guilt is an evil thing.

How did this guy turn twelve already?
If the mommy guilt wasn't making me emotional enough,
I looked through his baby pictures yesterday.

Oh, time.
Why must you be so cruel?

But time is good, too.
Because this afternoon, after the busiest week I can remember,
we spent two hours at the park and they played.
They laughed and ran and I sat on the bench and watched
and felt no twinge of mommy guilt.

It was a good day.

life these days, and a house tour.

2013-09-13T10:40:00.000-07:00

Life these days is...

.up early

.shower

.coffee

.unload the dishwasher. quietly.

.make breakfast

.wake up kids

.rushrushrush till everyone is out the door

.work

.teach latin to 120ish little people

.hand sanitizer. repeat.

.home for homework, soccer, piano, drums, guitar.

.dinner

.clean up

.make lunches

.{didn't i just do that?}

.bed

.do it again

Yikes.

I'm so tired!

We're still adjusting to our new normal over here.

But, there has been stuff other than the above, too.

Also life, these days:

...dentist appointments

{why doesn't my dentist give out cute glasses?}

...homework.

OH THE HOMEWORK.

Junior High is crazy.

...falling in love with a pair of nude flats.

...pot roast dinner,

courtesy of my mom.

Coming home from work to the smell of dinner cooking is the best.

...a sick kid.

yay, back to school!

...waffling in my grandma's waffle iron.

...praying she wants to be a singer when she grows up,

and not a sinner.

...monkey barring around.

...sunset watching and being in awe of the Creator of it all.

It's been a good couple of September weeks.

And, if you're interested, Heather from Life Made Lovely

asked me to do a home tour over on her Home Made Lovely series.

It's here, if you want to go have a look.

I even cleaned my kitchen for the occasion.

Happy Friday, friends!

2013-09-12T22:39:00.002-07:00

Life these days is... up early coffee unload the dishwasher (quietly! don't wake anyone up) put out breakfast

home made lovely.

2013-09-09T21:07:00.000-07:00

Hey there!
I'm Keri and my blog is Forever Folding Laundry.
It's so nice to meet you.
I'm honored Heather asked me to share our home here.
I'm happy to have you come in and take a look around.
It's always fun to peek in someone else's house, right?

I'm a wife...a mom of three...and a Latin teacher.
{i know. latin??}
We're kind of a busy bunch,
so when we're home I want it to be a place of comfort and relaxation.
My desire has always been to keep a home where people didn't feel compelled
to remove their shoes and tip toe around, afraid to make a mess.

I also want people to walk into a home that's interesting...
I love a home that your eyes can't take in in just one glance.
I appreciate little surprises here and there.
That's the place I have tried to create.
So...come on in.
{and, while you're here, let's play "just how many times can the animals photo bomb?"}

When you walk into our home you walk into a large hallway,
which can be a challenge to decorate.
Our entryway is quirky,
but I like it.
Everything except the yellow paint, that is. That's on its way out.

The antlers are from Michaels.
I decoupaged them with fabric.
My husband is not their biggest fan, but I'm okay with that.
The "Home is Where You Are" is from Urban Outfitters,
and the partial California map from an old atlas.

I think of our front room as my room:
I read my Bible in this room...sip my coffee alone here...hide from the kids here.
{that's totally true.}
This room makes me feel peaceful.

{i'm in the middle of painting...can you tell?}

Plus, I can look across the hallway and see the beautiful built-in bookcase
my dad made for us.
I think of him every time I see it.
Also...I love books. I can't wait to add more.

Further down the hallway is our dining room.
Even though we don't eat here much,
I love this room.
It's just a room that makes me happy.
And my dad made the hutch, too.

But, if I'm being honest, the picture below is how it usually looks.
My stuff is usually spread out all over the table.
It's my favorite place to work.

The kitchen is really where most everything happens.

We cook here...eat here...talk here...do homework here...pay bills here....

And Avery does some serious art here.
Art supplies in a Coca Cola crate? Meg Duerksen's brilliant idea.

The couches in our living room are light.
I know this freaks a lot of people out,
but I don't worry about them because they wash so well.
God bless the inventor of slip covers.

That stick-thing on the right is a bunch of dead blooms from an aloe vera,
sitting on an old typewriter desk.

{the animals are up in my grill all.the.time.}

Our guest room makes me happy.
Sometimes I walk by and see it and just want to take a nap in here.

Upstairs is colorful...personal...and, I hope, relaxing.

The hallway is a combination of the kids' artwork
and lithographs from Pixar films.
This room houses the wii, so of course the kids are up here a lot.

I found the map on ebay.
The couch is from ikea.
{white, again. i know...crazy.}

My dad made the entertainment center.
Are you getting a sense of his awesomeness?

Finally, since my blog is Forever Folding Laundry I guess you need to see the laundry room.
I almost cleaned it up before I took a picture, but you might as well see it as it usually is.

I searched for lockers on Craigslist for months and months.
Finally I found a high school that was getting rod of their old lockers from the boys locker room.
Score.
Each of our kids has their own locker and we keep their sports equipment there.

Hooray for no more "Mom, where are my cleats?"

So...that's pretty much it.
I hope you enjoyed the look around.
Come visit me again at Forever Folding Laundry,
or @foreverfoldinglaundry on instagram.
{and thanks, heather!}

balance.

2013-08-25T09:37:00.001-07:00

So...turns out when you go and get yourself a jobby job a lot of things fall by the wayside.

Like your blog.

And dusting.

This summer will forever be etched in my memory as

"that summer when I went back to work and became a crazy person."

Or a craziER person, as the case may be.

I am trying to learn how to do it all:

be a wife and a mom and a teacher and a person who can manage to

get all three kids to soccer and music and still buy groceries and clean the house

and do the laundry and plan lessons and exercise and wash my face at night

and feed the animals and take my vitamins.

So far?

I'm not doing so great.

And did I mention that I've only been back to work for a little over a week?

Yeah.

This whole life/work balance thing is going to be tough.

So, if I'm not here much,

you can probably guess why.

I hope the kids remember this summer not as the one when mom

sure did let us watch a lot of tv so she could get work done,

but the one where we camped and ziplined and cheered for the Giants

and grew crazy inches taller

and swam and swam and swam.

Thanks, summer.

And the craziness begins....

bye, summer.

2013-08-06T23:37:00.000-07:00

Poof...summer is over.

Pretty much, anyway.

This summer has gone by faster than any I can remember.

It makes me a little sad.

But it has been a good couple of months.

Lots of swimming.

Specifically, cold-weather swimming.
This was a chilly summer!

Ice cream eating.
{cotton candy flavored. gag.}

Front porch sitting.
{but not enough...we should have done more of that.}

Anniversary-celebrating:
twenty one years together, fourteen married.
{child bride, i tell you.}
Cleaning out a closet I found dozens and dozens and DOZENS of old letters and pictures
we had written each other.
...sigh...

High school reunion-ing.
Twenty years already? Crazy.

Zucchini bread making.
Lots and lots of zucchini this summer
has meant zucchini bread for breakfast.
There are worse things.

Baseballing.
Our huge baseball fan Colin was in heaven.

I'm pretty sure there's no better view at any ballpark.

Book-reading.

Back-to-school shoe buying.
{um...how is this possible?}

Donut-eating.

No dogs on the furniture rule-breaking.
{she was so comfy...how could i make her get down?}

And, most unexpectedly for me,
back to work prepping.

Yep. It's back to teaching for me.

This summer's end marks the beginning of a lot of changes here at casa de laundry.

I'm thankful for this low-key summer I've had with the kids.
I'm going to refer back to it often when things get uber crazy here in a couple of weeks.
At the beginning of the summer I was so sad we didn't have any big
vacations planned.
Now I can see God had everything planned just perfectly.
He's really awesome like that.

Happy last days of summer, y'all.
Carpe diem.

a tradition of dirt and s'mores.

2013-07-27T22:32:00.002-07:00

There are so many things I want to remember about our vacations to Fallen Leaf Lake
when I'm 80 years old and sitting on my front porch with Gary drinking tea
at three o'clock in the afternoon.

...the Suburban packed to the gills with not an inch to spare

...the way the tent gets so crazy hot during the day and coldddddd at night

...the kids making finger shadow puppets by lantern light in the tent

...how camping coffee is so super delicious

...how he was all smiles, even though he was on heavy duty antibiotics for a horrible ear infection

...that they took the raft out on Lake Tahoe all by themselves

...that little boys like dead, stinky crawdads

...kids and dirt and forests go really well together

...how much they love the campfire every night and how good the boys got at starting it themselves

...that tin camping mugs from my grandpa are perfect

...that little boys like live crawdads with enormous snapping claws

...the view on the hike we take every year

...the sound of the wind on fallen leaf lake

...huge ice cream cones

...sunsets over the lake

...how the thinner air makes you sillier

...camping hair

...and freedom.

I probably won't remember what a pain it is to pack for camping,
or how many days I spend doing laundry after we get home.
I'll just remember how the kids think it's the best vacation ever
and how spending every night with all five of us in one tent
pretty much makes me the happiest in the world.

i'm tired.

2013-07-25T22:18:00.000-07:00

So here are some random things.

1. I haven't really exercised all summer. This makes me feel baaaaadddddd.

2. My 20th high school reunion is next weekend. This + item #1 = a really unfortunate combo.

3. I wonder sometimes if pooh will go off to college with her.

4. I'm going back to work in the fall. Insert all sorts of weird feelings here.

5. Two of these girls have moved. I miss them.

6.

blah.

2013-07-24T21:59:00.000-07:00

My husband has unearthed a box of home movies we took of the kids
when they were teeny tiny.

I might divorce him for it.

I can't do anything except watch these movies
and bawl at how little the kids were.
How has time passed so quickly?
When did my kids' baby voices go away?
When did my toned arms go away?

We also found a box of letters and photos Gary and I exchanged
when we were dating long distance.
Those letters are so corny.
Our grandkids are going to think we were total dorks.

This day

mid summer check in.

2013-07-20T22:59:00.002-07:00

It's 10:00 on Saturday night,
and my parents have our kids for the second night in a row.
Being the maniacs that we are,
I washed my face and put my comfy clothes on at 7:30.
Gary's cleaning out his side of the closet and I'm laying in bed
watching The Walking Dead on the laptop.

You guys.
This is living.

I feel like I haven't had much kid-free time this summer,
so I'm soaking it in.
Of course I love having them home.
But...
it's nice to have a little break, too.

We were at Gary's parent's ranch recently
and I made him pull over so I could take a picture.
What I wouldn't give to have had a blanket and a picnic lunch in the car.
Orchards are the best.

We got some peppers from his parents' house.
I think all vegetables should come in Roy G. Biv.

I changed the home screen on Gary's phone to this picture.
Just because.

Every summer, at least once, I get a craving for these cucumbers.
They remind me of my Mamma, and for the life of me I can't make them as good as she did.
But really...cucumbers and sugar and vinegar are magical.

And you know, as it turns out, aqua spray paint is not entirely magical.
It can't make everything awesome.
These creepy heads at the thrift store are proof.

Some days, when you're worn out from sleepovers and swim team,
you just need to chill on the couch and watch Napoleon Dynamite.
I've seen it fifteen times but that movie is always, always funny.
My favorite line?
"Your mom goes to college."
Awesome.

This girly wakes up with a smile every single morning.
And...usually in our bed.
We're working on that.

We went to a wedding last night for a wonderful couple.
Weddings are lovely.
This one made me want to get married all over again.
{to the same guy, of course}
I would do some things differently.
Oh how fun that would be.
Seriously...we got married before the internet was really a big "thing".
There was no googling anything.
I barely had an email.
There was no instagram.
No pinterest!
That's so weird.
Our anniversary is next week...14 years.
We were babies.
{that's my story, anyway.}

Wow...summer is flying by, isn't it?
We haven't made ice cream or taken Lucy to the dog park or hit the water park yet.
We still have a lot to cram into this last month.

99 degrees in the shade.

2013-07-07T00:17:00.000-07:00

We had a crazy heat wave here last week.
Heat makes people cranky.
{or maybe it's just me that gets cranky?}
And it makes people do crazy things.

Like buy white couches.

And drink green juice when they really want coffee.

Start giant cross-stitch projects with no pattern.

Be extra-fancy and buy the supreme car wash.

Buy skeins and skeins of yarn for never-ending projects.

Try in vain to tan your legs for the zillionth time. Unsuccessfully.

Even tooth fairies are slackers in this heat. They fall asleep on the couch.

But then,
the heat wave has its perks:

Sunsets: day after day after day of gorgeous sunsets.

Days so hot even mom gets in the pool.

Main Street parades.

Friends that drop off donut holes.

Baby girl celebrations.

This week will be 20 degrees cooler than last.
Yay July.
Yay for more fun to come.

**********************

1000 Gifts:

bff's

her laugh

helpers

six: a kitty party.

2013-06-24T11:22:00.000-07:00

The birthday deal in our house is
you get a party every other year.

On the "off" year,
the birthday kid gets a special dinner and a family get-together, but no big party.
{in other words...mom gets the year off from planning a party.}

This year was Avery's "on" year.
And because she is a fan of all things kitty,
it had to be a kitty cat party.

But the thing is,
Avery's birthday is around the last day of school.
Which, of course, is a totally peaceful, relaxed, uneventful time of year.
{insert stifled sarcastic laughter and eye rolling here.}

So even though her birthday was in the beginning of June
we just had her party on Friday.
{side note...if you can swing it, i'm a big fan of the friday afternoon party.
saturdays and sundays are always so crazy that it's hard to find
a free weekend to throw a party.
but with a friday afternoon/evening shin dig,
the weekend is still yours to enjoy.}

So...the end of the school year had left me feeling a little tapped out,
so this party had to be easy.
I decided this party would be small - just the girls from her class.
Instead of making them, I ordered invitations from etsy.
The games and activities were going to be simple, too.
The boys made us a kitty face for
pin the nose on the kitty.
Old school!

Avery loved it.
Lucy...not impressed.

The boys made mouse eggs for a mouse hunt in the backyard.
{the eggs were filled with stickers, except for one which had a toy mouse.
the girl who found the egg with the mouse got to go first on "pin the nose".}

I made a toy mouse garland
and got a lot of slack on instagram from all of the cat haters out there.
{you know who you are}

Colin made the goodie bags for me out of lunch sacks.

I stuck a hello kitty lollipop, kitty sticks, and a kit kat inside.

I ordered a dozen little stuffed kittens from Oriental Trading
and the girls each got to choose one.

At the party they made kitten collars out of ribbon, office tags, and stick-on jewels.

My friend Liz has the coolest little printer for the iphone:
it's called the Photo Cube,
and you plug your phone into the printer and it prints right from your phone.
It's awesome.

The girls posed for pictures with their kittens
and I printed them out and they got to take home a photo in their goodie bag.

Also, to keep things simple for me,
I ordered a cake for the first time in my kids' lives.
I thought I would be sad not to make their cake.

I wasn't.
It was awesome.

It was probably the easiest party I've thrown.
It was simple and the kids had fun.

Six is a fun age.

my new favorite tradition.

2013-06-18T23:21:00.001-07:00

You know how when school is winding down
and you are SO ready for the year to be done
because if you have to pack another lunch you are going to cry?

And then school is out and you head home
after the class parties and the goodbyes
and you unpack the backpacks and throw all of the crap
{did i say crap? i meant treasures}
in the recycling
{did i say recycling? i meant special archive box}
and twenty minutes later your freshly graduated kindergartner is telling you
she's bored?

Yeah.

And then by God's grace you've reached Summer, Day 8, and you've logged
a lot of togetherness already
{because don't summer days go by at a snails pace?}
and you're just kind of missing those days when the kids are in school
and you can go to Trader Joe's by yourself
and browse the frozen foods section in peace?

Yeah.

This weekend I was mourning my alone time.
But thinking at the same time I love having them home.
I know. I don't get it either.

And then a little idea was born.
I'm not even sure who spoke it first.
But born it was,
and it was a beautiful thing.

"The Night Before Father's Day Backyard Campout"

Don't you love the ring to that?

It's so simple:
tent + backyard + everyone except mommy
{key words: everyone except mommy}

At first mention of the idea the kids were sold.
Like, so sold they practically set up the tent all by themselves
and couldn't wait to get to sleep in it.

This first annual backyard campout there was nothing fancy.
Just the tent:
Hanging out in the tent.
Reading in the tent.
The dogs in the tent.
The cat in the tent.
Shining the flashlight around the tent.
Selfies in the tent.

And then after the selfies mommy said,
"ok guys, good night! have fun! stay warm! love you!!"

And mommy went inside.
And mommy had the house to herself for the evening.

God bless the Night Before Father's Day Backyard Campout.

Next year - because there WILL be a next year - we'll get fancy:
we'll grill burgers
and roast marshmallows
and sing campfire songs.
{no we won't.}
And then mommy will still go inside
and rejoice in one night of solitude
and watch So You Think You Can Dance all by herself.

And the next morning she'll be happy and refreshed when the crew
comes running back into the house at 7:30.
And then when she has to roll up all of the sleeping bags
she'll vow that next year those kids are going to learn
how to roll up their own dang bags.

the first seven days of summer.

2013-06-15T23:06:00.002-07:00

"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."

You've heard that one, right?
We live about 35 miles from the city,
but that quote rungs pretty true for us too.
June and July aren't our warmest months.
{april and may? awesome. august thru october? awesome.}

So swim team can get a little chilly.
But nothing a little post-swim hot chocolate from Starby's can't cure.

I broke down and bought Gwyneth's new cookbook.
I hated to do it.
I really didn't want to like it.
Does Gwyn really need my $18? No.
But darnit, it's a good cookbook. Good, healthy cooking.
So I broke down.

This wasn't from her book,
but it's so good.
I could eat it every day.
Garlic and mushrooms and brussels sprouts sauteed in olive oil,
and tossed with quinoa.
I'm becoming a brussels sprouts fiend.

Reality:

That was a few days ago.
It's worse today.

Riley has taken piano lessons for a little over four years.
He's decided he wants to switch to guitar.
I'm a little sad, but I get it.

His guitar-playing daddy, however, is verrrrry happy about this.

Plus he's such a cute guitar player.

Playdates that end at In-N-Out are the best kind.
Especially when they started at the bowling alley for "kids bowl free".
{have you signed up? it's awesome. totally free bowling!}

This week ended with two days of dance recitals.
There really is nothing cuter than a dance recital.
Avery's class danced to "Proud May".
We curled her hair with curlers.
She wore her first tiny smidge of mascara.
Adorable.

We crammed a few other things in this week, too,
like smog checks and sick kids and bible study
and grocery shopping and play dates and birthday party prep.

After this week my brain can slow down a bit.
I hate that I haven't done anything crafty in the longest time.
It makes me sad.
Next week I am going to fire up that sewing machine.
And paint something.

********************

1000 Gifts:

quiet mornings

fresh air

summer - the beginning.

2013-06-10T22:58:00.000-07:00

Summer is here
and the antibiotics are flowing!

It's funny...
right after my last post about
appreciating all the moments and finding joy everyday
Avery got strep.
On her birthday.

She woke up like this...

and looked like this by five.

Bummer.

Some of my joys for that day:
:six years with this sweet girl
:health insurance
:antibiotics

And that night,
my biggest guy said goodbye to elementary school.

I'll spare you the waterproof mascara-covered details.

One of my favorite traditions at their school is the fifth grade "clap-off".
On the last day of school, in the last ten minutes,
the fifth graders walk throughout the school
while the others kids line up to give them high fives.

It makes me teary every year.

And now...summer is here.
Swim team and dinners outside and lazy afternoons.
And the summer list, of course.
This is our fifth year making one.

Avery was mostly in charge of this summer "lest".
:)
I think we'll probably add more to it,
but this is a good start.
let's get this summer started.

********************

some of my 1000 gifts from this week:
antibiotics

smores

laughing during board games

1000 gifts. 1000 joys.

2013-06-04T21:01:00.001-07:00

I've never been a scrapbooker.

I tried...for, like, a month.

It didn't stick.

My photo albums are embarrassingly out of date.

Except the ones I did before kids.
After kids...sad.

Most journals I've started over the years are pretty much blank.

Except one I kept in high school when Gary and I started dating.

It's 10% hilarious and 90% embarrassing.

This space is my scrapbook and photo album and journal,
wrapped up into one digital bundle.
And lately I haven't been so great at keeping up with this space either.

I guess what I'm saying is I'm not a good documenter.

But...

I'm on a new mission.

I have a new motive.

I've begun a new journal.

I'm journaling the every day gifts I have been given.
The big things, when those come along, and the little things that I am given every day.

If I'm being honest...I have a tendency to be a glass-half-empty kind of girl.

I hate to even type that.

I don't want to be that person.

I wish I was the one with permanent smile lines and a laugh always on the ready.
I wish I didn't struggle with worry and anxiety and fear.

It's my reality, though.
I struggle with finding joy in the everyday.

More often than not I find myself hurried...stressed...furrowed brow...preoccupied.

There's laundry. And dirty floors. And kids that are arguing.
And rude people. And headaches. And that lady just cut me off.
And did we seriously run out of milk?

I started reading Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts recently.
It's a beautiful chronicle of how Ann found joy in her everyday.
Even on those days where dinner is late and kids are grumpy and mom is done. DONE.
I know those days.

So I've started writing out the beautiful things that happen in my every day:
clean sheets
birds that never stop singing outside
lavender blooms.
Those little things that I overlook that are constant reminders of His love.

I'm finding there is always something to write.
There is joy to be found in everything.
Laundry means we have clothes to wear.
Dirty floors means I have kids at home to make messes.
That lady that cut me off is teaching me patience.
{thanks, lady. so much.}

"The whole of the life - even the hard - is made up of the minute parts,
and if I miss the infinitesimals, I miss the whole."

Yes.
I want to live my existence thankful for even the tiniest of moments.
"Giving thanks for one thousand things is ultimately an invitation to
slow time down with weight of full attention."
Full attention to this life in its entirety.
Not the rushing to get to the next thing.
Not the anxiety of to do lists and schedules.
Each moment deserves my full attention.
And the full weight of thankfulness.
I choose to remember to be conscious to thank God for all He has given to me.

So I'm writing them down.
One thousand things.
I have no idea how long that will take me.
A year?
Maybe.
I'm on number 24.

Number 24 happened today: no bills in the mail.
Amen and hallelujah.

And since this space is my scrapbook...
some of those one thousand gifts will surely land on these pages too:

a day at point reyes

ten quiet minutes with coffee and nail polish

a date with my favorite man to listen to my favorite band

Giving thanks deliberately.
Being present for each moment
and fighting the urge to rush and stress and overlook joy.
Finding the joy.
Documenting the gifts.
Sending up thanksgiving.
1000 times over.

three day weekends.

2013-05-26T22:48:00.001-07:00

Oh how happy I am to have a three day weekend.
I wish we were doing this today...

...but the weather has decided to take a chilly turn.
Highs in the low 70's = no pool.
Bummer.

But this weekend has been pretty momentous.
After 24 hours of loose-tooth dramatics,
yesterday she lost her first one.
{i pulled it. i have a stellar tooth pulling record 'round these parts.}

She keeps saying, "I can't believe I lost a tooth!"
"Can you believe I lost a tooth?"
"Mommy, remember when I lost my tooth?"
"I look like a bigger girl."
Yeah. I know. And I hate it.

And to totally change the subject,
let's talk water.
If you can drink plain tap water with no embellishments,
good on ya.
For me, when it's plain, it's just okay.
If I'm honest, I'd rather have an Izze.
BUT...I am addicted to this water combo.
Add a few strawberry slices and some fresh basil,
and water is suddenly delish.

First world issues alert:
I have a phone again.
I'm so happy to have a good camera back.
Also, I bought the cutest case ever.
It's a Kate Spade,
but I bought it on amazon and I'm pretty sure it's a knock-off.
{translation: waaaay cheaper.}

{i don't leave home without mascara. can you see why?}

We went to one of my favorite places yesterday:
Urban Ore in Berkeley.
Fifty percent junk, fifty percent awesome.
{okay, maybe it's more like 70/30.}
But super fun to visit.
{especially if you're alone without three complaining kids. which we weren't.}

Kicking myself for not buying that door.
It was the perfect color.

Tomorrow:
doing a little yoga...grilling a little salmon...enjoying a quiet day.
I'm thinking every weekend should be of the three-day variety.

monday monday.

2013-05-20T22:43:00.001-07:00

Oh hey.

Long time no talk.

I almost forgot I had a blog.

Not really...

things are just busy and crazy.

You moms know how it goes at the end of school.

There are 497 activities to fit into the next 13 days.

This is the hub of activity after school.
I like that they're all in one spot.

Also...I'm ready for homework and essays and projects to be over for a few months.
{13 more days of school...}

Tonight was pizza night.
I totally cheated and bought the dough from Trader Joes.
And it was delish.

So...
I might only feel this way for a week or so,
but I'm ready for the kids to be out of school.
Lazy mornings {total lie...we'll be up for swim team},
no school lunches {i need a pb&j break},
and vacation {we have nothing planned}.

Can't wait.
{13 more days. did i mention that?}

ten(ish) on ten: may.

2013-05-10T23:26:00.002-07:00

I must admit: I'm pretty happy to see the weekend arrive.
Piano recitals and sushi dinners and a day of "whatever mom wants" on Sunday.
Sounds good to me.

This day was fairly average on the Friday scale:
vacuuming and dishes and parades at school and new placemats and friday family dinner.
I like average.

funky.

2013-05-08T23:03:00.002-07:00

This is one of those days.
I've been in a funk all day.
I don't know why...there's no good reason.
You know how it goes.
Some days are just like that.

I even broke out my emergency car sugar stash.

Blah. Seriously. One of those days.
I'm sure tomorrow will be better.
I'll be back on track.
And NO candy stash.
I hate that I did that.

Also...my memory card broke,
so I haven't been using my big camera at all.
I keep forgetting to grab one when I'm at Target.
I NEED to remember, though, because this crazy month has so much going on.
My planner is jam-packed.
I need to take pictures of all the good stuff.

But until I remember, it's all iphone pictures.
{and speaking of iphones...i can finally get a new one next week.
i've been borrowing one from a friend since mine went to live with the spiders.
i can't wait.}

And, so I can remember that there is good stuff,
and being in a funk is stupid,
here's a little happy.
Well it makes me happy, anyway.
Last Thurday: I posted my first throwback Thursday picture on instagram.
I love old pictures.
The one on the bottom was from 1993: I was 17 (maybe 18?) and he was 21.
{the top picture was a couple of weekends ago}

Sheesh...we were BABIES.
We've been together since I was 16.
Like...ten years.
{HA. ten years. april fools!}
We dated throughout my senior year of high school...then all of college...then beyond.
In all...twenty one years.
WHAT?!?!
Crazy.

And it's almost already Thursday again.
This week is going by so quickly.
Tomorrow is the kids' Open House at school.
I love Open House: seeing all of their sweet projects,
looking into next year's classrooms. It's all good stuff.

Maybe I'll even dig out another throwback picture tomorrow.
I'm feeling a little less funky already.

may day.

2013-05-01T23:43:00.000-07:00

I love this month.
The smell of summer is in the air and fuzzy boots have officially
been retired to the back of the closet.
Flip flops are out in full force and I care about my toe nail polish again.
I love it.

But one thing about May...
it's busy.
School auction projects...class parties...teacher gifts...
end-of-year activities...and this year, 5th grade graduation stuff.
So. much. graduation. stuff.
The end of the school year always makes me a little sad.
I remember how fast time goes,
and that I'm one year closer to high school...driving...dating...college.
I want to cry.

This year brings extra emotion,
because Riley is going to middle school next year.
How is that possible.
Middle school!
He is going to be an awesome middle school kid.
This I know.

Other things I know?

Animals cost a lot of darn money.
The vet is loving us right now.

I'll spare you the gory details,
and ohhhhh, are they gory,
but let's just say that bump on her head I mentioned last week was not a tumor.
It was an abscess from a cat fight.
And let's also say my stomach is stronger than I thought.
The end.

I also know,
your first time on a school bus is a momentous occasion.
Kids around here don't ride buses to school.
This is probably the last bus ride she'll take till a school trip in fourth grade.

She reported the bus was hot and stinky.
Nothing ever changes on the school bus.

I told you Gary and I were going to the "mom prom" last weekend.
{it's actually our kids' school auction, but the mom prom moniker feels more appropriate.}
Would you believe it if I told you "Thrift Shop" was the second song played?
I was so happy.

Also...I cannot believe we have been together for 21 years this June.
Dating for seven...married for fourteen.
{clearly i was a child bride.}

I know that gluten free cookies are pretty good.
These peanut butter cookies were definitely a decent alternative
to regular pb cookies.

1 egg / 3/4 cup sugar / 1 tsp baking soda / 1 cup creamy pb / 1/2 tsp vanilla
Beat egg, sugar, baking soda, and vanilla, then beat in pb.
Drop dough onto parchment or a silpat, press with a fork, and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
{of course they'd be better with chocolate chips....}

I know boys were made for mud.

And muddy laundry is not awesome.

I know Gott's in Napa has the best ahi tacos on the planet.
If you disagree I might have to fight you.

And I know that boy logic is a funny thing.
The other day we were driving home from piano
and I told the kids I needed to make a onesie as soon as we got home.

Riley said, "uh, mom, does that mean you have to go to the bathroom?".

Dying.

And of course now I can't say the word onesie now without thinking of pee.