Leigh vs. Laundry

Throwback Thursday :: To be Read in 2027.

2013-06-06T07:12:00.001-04:00

Originally posted 8/9/10

Dear Leigh,
This letter is being written by your 35 year old self. By my calculations when you read this you will be 53 years old. If all goes as you hope it does, Griffin should be about to graduate college and Koen should be packing up to leave for college right about now. I just wanted to tell you how proud I am that you made it this far and that the boys are happy and healthy and ready to go into the world and take it on. You did good, mama.

Listen, I really hope that you took the time over the years to take care of yourself. I mean, I know that being a mom is what you seem to do the best but I hope that you fostered your writing as well. I hope that you kept a part of yourself over the years for this moment, the moment that the boys are leaving. Please, do us both a favor and don't freak out because they are leaving.

Get excited about your new life. Travel, paint, read, write, and please spend some much needed time with your husband.

Today, as I type this, Griffin is 5 years old and about to start his third year at Montessori school. He'll be staying everyday until 2:30 pm. This is a big deal around here. I'm going to miss him so much. I guess that I am feeling just a touch of what you are feeling now. It's so hard to let him go with grace. I can feel the shift, he is growing by leaps and bounds. Koen is 16 months and is about to give up nursing. I think that he is just humoring me at this point. We are down to two nursings and they are so short that they really shouldn't count. So, both of the boys are needing me a bit less. I just had a good cry about it.

I am starting the hard work now. I am working on letting them go slowly so that when you are saying goodbye to Koen as he leaves for college and both of the boys are officially out of the house, that you will have a safe space saved just for you. I am creating that place in your heart today and I promise to protect it. A place that is full of love and memories of when the boys were so very young. I promise to do this for you, to take care of you now and over the years as each milestone passes by. So that when the time comes, you will feel strong. I promise to cry if I need to cry so that the tears don't sneak up on you. I promise to be good to me so that you will be nurtured. I will love my children unguarded and whole heartedly but I will love myself freely too. I will take the time to make sure that there will still be joy available to you when this job of being someone's Mom has run it's course.

I love you,
Leigh

P.S. Sorry that I didn't moisturize my face better in my younger days!

It's Raining Peace Beans!

2013-06-05T08:16:00.000-04:00

From the moment that my boys

open in their eyes in the morning,

they start clobbering each other.

In an effort to promote peace

and sanity during these long summer days,

I made two peace jars for the boys.

If I see them acting kind to one another

or being peaceful toward me by obeying,

I just grab a red bean from my bean bowl

and drop a peace bean into their jar.

One rule is that they are

allowed to point out to me

that they deserve a bean if I didn't notice.

This means that they often

set themselves up to get along

and then yell to me from across the house.

I hear them say things like...

"Mom, I just didn't hit Koen back!"

or "Hey mom, I shared my toy with Griffin!"

As the beans stack up

they can earn privileges and prizes.

Guess what?

It's totally working!

We've had a great start to our summer.

If I hear them arguing

I just remind them about their peace jar

and they simmer down pretty quickly.

I lurve Peace Beans!!

The Happiness Project :: Week 13

2013-06-04T07:38:00.000-04:00

Roger has been driving a 1999 Ford Explorer

that's been on it's last leg for the last year.

It has over 300,000 miles on it.

It's a gas guzzler and since Roger has a long commute to work

we sat down and crunched the numbers

to discover that we could make a car payment

with what we would save in gas if

we got a new car with higher mpg.

So we dropped the boys off

with my parents and drove into Atlanta over the weekend

to visit a few car dealerships in search of a new ride!

I love the haggeling that unfolds

in the process.

At one point Roger was in the middle

of bargaining with the dealer

and I was openly giggling at their tense exchange.

I'm sure that it didn't help our case.

In the end, we went to Carmax

where we found our new to us car!

We bought a Suzuki SX4.

I named it Lil' Zippy!

It feels so good to have Roger

driving in a safe car to work!

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.

46 Years!

2013-06-03T07:32:00.000-04:00

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

I love this picture of y'all.

You look so happy and in love on your wedding day.

46 years later and you're still together!

I've learned so much about love

from watching your relationship over the years.

Thank you for giving us a happy home

when we were growing up.

Thank you for opening your hearts

to our boys and taking such great care of them.

I am who I am

because my parents

are loving to me

and each other.

I hope that you have a wonderful day

celebrating your marriage.

Dad, you better take Mom somewhere fancy!!!

Live List :: Give Cookies to Firemen

2013-05-31T09:10:00.001-04:00

We are checking things off our summer live list!

We decided to bake some cookies and take them to the firemen.

The boys were so excited that they might have

eaten a couple hundred of the cookies

before we even left the house.

Griffin wrote the sweetest little note

to say thanks for all that the firemen do.

We loaded up and went to the nearest firehouse

to deliver the goods.

The firemen were very appreciative.
One of them shouted
"WE LOVE COOKIES!"
and snatched them out of Griffin's hands.

Then the boys got to sit on a real firetruck.

It was time well spent.

Throwback Thursday :: Hide and Seek

2013-05-30T07:51:00.000-04:00

Originally posted 7/16/11

I'm realizing that 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...

Playing Hide and Seek with the Boys.

Lately, in the heat of the afternoon,
we've been playing hide and seek.
It is pretty hilarious to play with
a six year old and a two year old.

I love that when I hide my face to count to 20,
I can hear little feet scampering about the room.
I hear closet doors being thrown open,
a shower curtain sliding across the shower bar,
and squeals as my boys
franticly try to find a hiding place.
Kids just aren't that sneaky.

When Roger is home,
we pair off with the boys
and I just love hiding with Griffin.

He tries so hard to be quiet as we
hunker in the shower together and hide.
He has to hold his breath
or he will giggle.

He usually ends up giggling anyway.
We're pretty easy to find.

Koen cracks me up
because he thinks that if his eyes are hidden
that we can't see him.
His tiny feet pop out from
beneath all sorts of hiding places.

These are the sweetest games
we'll ever play together.

I treasure every silly moment.

The View from the Hammock

2013-05-29T07:56:00.001-04:00

The hammock that the boys

gave me for Mother's Day

was such a huge hit that we

put another one up in the backyard.

It's just the right size for Koen

to curl up in there with me.

I love the seeing his little legs

interlaced with mine.

A canopy of green leaves shimmers

up above while I lazily swing back and forth.

The boys often climb in the other hammock.

I simply turn my head to see them snuggling in it.

Sometimes it's peaceful but most of the time

it's all shouting and fisticuffs.

Oh...life with boys is hardly ever quiet.

Any stolen moment of peace is a gift.

What I love most about the view

is that I can just lay there and watch the boys play.

It's the ultimate refuge after a long day.

I can see the entire yard from that vantage point.

If you ever can't find me around the house

it's because I'm sprawled out and taking a load off.

I love the view from the hammock.

The Happiness Project :: Week 12

2013-05-28T08:36:00.001-04:00

We celebrated Memorial Day

with an awesome day of fishing on the pond.

We ate the best kind of picnic.

The nothing fancy,

toss food on a table

and eat it up picnic.

We even had yummy cupcakes

baked by our Aunt Kroger.

Koen hopped in the boat with my parents

and caught 3 fishies.

He was so proud.

I even caught a fish!

The words for the day were

patience, perseverance, determination, and confidence.

Griffin had to say them over and over

because the fish weren't biting for him.

In the end, after reciting these words

over

and over

and over,

he caught 4 fish!

It was one of those great

life lesson opportunities.

God Bless America

2013-05-27T09:24:00.002-04:00

Thank you to all the men and women

who have fought for our freedom!

Griffin made this windsock in Sunday school yesterday

and I plan to hang it on our porch every single

Memorial Day from now until the end of time.

I hope that you and yours

have a great Memorial Day!

We're goin' fishing!

A song for the weekend!

2013-05-24T07:14:00.002-04:00

Lookie what I find hiding in a box in the attic!

Oh...I lurve these skates!

You can bet that I'll be skating

on the driveway this weekend!

This is my official theme song!

Throwback Thursday :: 52 Weeks of Happiness :: Week 6

2013-05-23T07:12:00.001-04:00

Originally posted 4/12/11

When the oven is busy baking.

I just love how the smell
of something sweet cooking in the oven
attracts curious little noses to the kitchen.

It amazes me to think
how much I've grown to enjoy making treats.
Me, who was once a self proclaimed disaster in the kitchen.
Griffin's class is having a bake sale
to raise money for the people of Japan.
I was more than happy to spend the afternoon baking.

It makes me feel feminine somehow as my kitchen
becomes a flurry of activity.

The sound of the eggs cracking and the spoon swishing to mix the ingredients,
these sweet kitchen noises make a house
sound more like a home.

I used to be so afraid of cooking but that was just because I was inexperienced.
I feel empowered now when
something yummy comes out of the oven.

Baking can be a very healing experience.

Last night, after the oven was off and the muffins and brownies
were all wrapped up lovingly for the bake sale,
I languidly rocked Koen to sleep at bedtime.
The smell of chocolate and powdered sugar
lingered on my spring dress.

It made me feel like a Mama.

Summer Live List 2013

2013-05-22T09:56:00.002-04:00

Summer Live List

{things I vow to do with boys before the end of summer}

{inspired by the Polished Pickle}

Pick strawberries at the strawberry patch and then bake a treat.

Visit our local airport and watch the planes take off and land.

Play at every single public playground in our small town.
Create a social sculpture and display it in a public place.

Open a lemonade stand in Nana and Poppy's driveway.

Bake cookies and take them to firemen to say thanks.

Go to a candy store and buy a bag full of candy.

Do a random act of kindness for a stranger.

Catch fireflies and put them in a jar.

See a live puppet show.

Camp under the stars.

Climb a mountain.

Swim in a lake.

Ride a train.

What are going to do this summer?

The Happiness Project :: Week 11

2013-05-21T08:10:00.002-04:00

We celebrated our 10th anniversary last week

so my parents watched the kids

and we headed down to Florida

to celebrate with a beach trip, just the 2 of us!

It was so much fun.

We packed up a picnic lunch each day

and sat beneath a huge umbrella on the beach for hours on end.

I've never seen Roger more relaxed.

We went to a seafood market each day

and purchased fresh crab, shrimp, and scallops.

Then we whipped up amazing meals together

and sat on the balcony of our condo

and sipped on Rum and Coke while we ate dinner.

There's nothing better than sitting

in the shade near the ocean

and reading a good book.

If we got too hot, we just dipped

ourselves into the water and cooled off.

The sunsets were stunning!

The perfect way to end a perfect day.

Top 10 Reasons that I love that man of mine!

2013-05-20T07:57:00.002-04:00

I'm back!

We had our 10 year anniversary last week

so we left the boys with my parents

and went to the beach to celebrate.

It was beyond awesome!

As a little gift to Roger, I've compiled a list

of all the reasons that I love him.

One reason for each year!

I don't write about him often on here

cause he's a super private person

but he's just gonna have to deal

while I shower him with some Blog love!

10. He wears a cowboy hat and Elvis sunglasses on the beach.

9. He taught me how to cook and didn't get annoyed even once if I burned dinner or if the salt shaker lid accidentally fell off
and dropped too much salt into a dish.

8. He dances like James Brown.

7. If I walk past him at any given moment, he always smacks my butt.

6. He follows directions well. Like when I told him when we were dating how much I love to get flowers
and now at every special occasion I get a bouquet.
Even if he has to leave the house at midnight to fetch them.

5. From the moment he walks in the door from work

to the moment that our children are in bed, he is fully engaged

and doing all sorts of daddy duties.

4. He calls me on his drive to work to tell me that he misses me.

3. He prays with me.

2. He loves all Jane Austen movies but also loves to hunt.

1. I always feel safe when he's near.

We interrupt this program...taking a little bitty boggy break but don't fret, I'll be back next week.

2013-05-15T22:04:00.000-04:00

The Happiness Project :: Week 10

2013-05-14T07:45:00.001-04:00

Turns out that we have a family of armadillos

living under our front porch.

I know this because I saw a mama and her 4 babies
parade in a line through my front yard like it was

flippin' armadillo appreciation day.

They practically threw candy at me as they passed.

My dad did a little research and

came over Friday evening with

all the supplies needed to trap an armadillo.

Don't worry,

no animals were harmed

in the making of this post!

The men set to the task

of making a little channel

to guide them into a live trap.

It was an event.

We woke up the next morning with

a little critter stuck in the cage!

Knowing that they can carry leprosy,

no one handled the little guy, I promise.

My husband wanted to send it to

the pearly gates and be over with it

but the children begged and pleaded

to simply relocate it.

In the end, we drove 5 miles over the county line,

pulled over to the side of a non-trafficy road,

and let the armadillo out by the bank of a river.

The boys unstrapped their seatbelts

and leaned out the window to bid farewell to "Billy".

He scooted off to his new home

happy and sniffing around like nobody's business.

I love it that my kids have such compassion for animals

and you can bet that Roger got extra smooches

later that evening for taking the time

to give "Billy" a chance at a new life by the river.

Only 5 more armadillos to go!

I am one blessed mama!

2013-05-13T15:33:00.000-04:00

Mother's day was awesome!

My mama made a deal with the lady

at our Kroger bakery

that if my she brought in a gluten free cake,

the baker would ice it with pretty flowers.

It was such a treat

cause us gluten free folks

don't get super fancy cakes, ever.

Roger and the boys gave me flowers!

I suspected I would get them

because the night before Koen said

"Mama loves flowers the most!"

Then he slapped his hand over his mouth

and shouted "Oops, I shouldn't have said that!"

I totally acted surprised, though.

My refrigerator art gallery

gained some amazing kid made art.

Griffin drew a wonderful poratrait

of me that kind of looked like

Clint Eastwood.

My big gift was a hammock for the backyard.

Roger stood and guarded me from the boys

who were super excited and wanted to

kick me out of my gift and swing in it.

He stood there and shooed off the boys

for 7 whole minutes.

It was the best 7 minutes of my day!

Throwback Thursday : An Ode to the Wildest Girls in Town

2013-05-09T07:34:00.001-04:00

Originally posted 4/27/11

I think that wild flowers

are the most brazen of all the flowers
and have a deep respect for them.

No one plants them,
they grow where ever they sprout up.
No one tends to them,
they can take care of themselves.

They are so much more bawdy
than a pruned rose bush that blooms in a person's front yard.
These are not pampered flowers.
They are resilient.

They usually hang around the side of the road.
Sometimes, they even creep right up to the asphalt.
They almost look defiant as they line up beside the road.
Their beautiful colors seem so bold
next to the hot concrete.

They bend in the rush of the cars passing by
and the wind flutters their petals.
They must feel so much freedom and exhilaration
as they sway and spin around.

I'd like to think that if I were a flower
that I would be one of these gutsy girls.

Mother's Day Tea

2013-05-08T07:53:00.000-04:00

Koen's class threw a little Mother's Day celebration.

It was so fun because we did a child led learning activity together.

We decided to build the tallest tower in the history of all tall towers.

Then Koen proudly presented me

with some flowers made of egg cartons and pipe cleaners.

Those are best kind of flowers in the whole universe.

We had a lovely little tea party

complete with sweets and fresh flowers on the table.

We made a bead together that will

be fired and made into a beautiful necklace.

It was the sweetest day ever!

The Happiness Project :: Week 9

2013-05-07T07:08:00.000-04:00

Sometimes the simplest things make me happy.

Like reading a little bedtime story to The Hulk!

Ain't childhood grand?

When you stumble upon a fellow witch...

2013-05-06T13:50:00.003-04:00

Have you ever read a book and felt like

you could very easily be friends with the author?

Not in a scary stalker way

but more in a

"we're the same type of gal" way.

That happened to me as I read

The Witch of Little Italy.

I loved the book so much

that I hopped on Facebook and let the author,

Suzanne Palmieri,

know just how awesome I think she is.

I never expected to get a response

but low and behold

look what unfolded...

I absolutely love it when an author

is so human and accessible!

So, go read her book!

Be sure to have a box of tissues handy

when you do.

Then go tell her how much you loved her story.

You may even find that you

are a lost witch too!

Throwback Thursday :: The day that my grandma taught me the art of creating a memory with a ridiculous amount of shoes.

2013-05-02T09:13:00.000-04:00

I'm starting a new series here

called Throwback Thursday.

I have many new readers

and as a little gift to them,

I'll be posting my favorite past posts

that they may have missed.

If you're a long time reader,

I hope that you enjoy this walk

down memory lane.

Originally posted 9/22/10

Lately I've been gathering memories of my grandmother who passed away in 2004. She was a pistol and taught me many life lessons that serve me to this day in my adult life. One day in particular has been swirling around in my heart. It was the end of summer in 1989 and I was spending an afternoon with Mammaw doing some back to school clothes shopping. At the time, Keds were popular and I just had to have a pair to add to my fall wardrobe. I remember heading into the shoe department at JcPenny's and standing before the mirror with crisp white Keds hugging my feet. I looked at Mammaw with hopeful eyes as she smiled and said "Well, I think we just have to buy those."

As we walked down the mall together she pulled me into another shoe store and said "I wonder if they have those Keds in red?" We waltzed in, found them, and walked out of the store with another pair of shoes. I felt so spoiled as we walked down the mall arm and arm with my two bags in tow."You know what?" Mammaw said as we walked into Dillard's (which was just a few doors down from the other shoe store) "I think that you need those shoes in yellow too."

I followed her into the shoe department as she asked the saleswoman to grab me a pair of yellow Keds to try on. Those yellow shoes had not been on my feet for thirty seconds when she told the lady to grab us a pair of orange ones too. To my amazement, she bought me both pairs. It was unheard of to buy four pairs of shoes in one day and I remember feeling so special. It didn't stop there either. We walked up the mall and stopped in every shoe store that carried Keds. We found green, blue, black, pink, baby blue, and purple Keds. She ended up buying me ten pairs of shoes that day.

I remember feeling overwhelmed and beyond happy that she had spoiled me so. I had asked her to stop as she paid for pair number five but she insisted that we keep on shopping until I owned a pair of Keds in every color. She told me that she wasn't just buying me shoes but that she was creating a memory. I was only fourteen at the time and didn't really see the significance other than the fact that I now had an awesome pair of shoes to match any outfit that I wanted to wear to school.

Now, as an adult, I look back on that lucky afternoon and smile. I may no longer own all those Keds in every color but I do own the memory. She taught me so much that day. Sometimes it's nice to go out of your way to do something out of the ordinary for the people that you love. Choose something so indulgent and special that the excitement settles in both of your hearts forever. I have many memories of my fun times with Mammaw that are not quite as exorbitant but this one stands out the in my mind often.

I remember when we drove away from the mall that the backseat was filled high with all the bags of new shoes. I gave her a kiss on the cheek and thanked her for being so generous. She patted my knee and said "I hope that you'll think about this when you're an adult and remember how special you are." Well, it was not lost on me after all because I look back on that shopping excursion and feel her love to this day. I hope to create many outrageous memories for my children and grandchildren. Her love and excitement for life will live on with every ridiculous memory that we create.

The Day the Roses Bloom

2013-05-01T08:00:00.001-04:00

Just outside my kitchen window,

there is a rose bush that the previous owners

left on the back deck when we moved here.

I pretty much ignore it and forget about it

until one day I look out the window

while I'm loading the dishwasher

and see the most beautiful roses blooming

despite the fact that it is totally negelected.

The day that the roses bloom is

always a shock to me

but I'm always so happy to see them

stretching and yawning awake.

It's adds a little cheer to my chores

in the kitchen.

Thank God for flowers

that aren't dependent on me to stay alive.

I have a black thumb,

the thumb of death.

Here's the sunflowers

sitting on my old dirty windowsill

that I was determined to nurture.

Yup, they're dead.

Sorry little Sunflowers

but it's kind of your fault

for not being roses.

The Happiness Project :: Week 8

2013-04-30T07:55:00.001-04:00

Koen's class had a special daddy day.

Roger took the morning off from work

and grabbed some hammers (real and pretend)

to have some fun creating a sculpture with his little guy.

I sent the camera with him

and told him that he had to photograph

the experience so I could see it.

From the look on Koen's face

I think that he was pretty proud

of the turtle sculpture that they constructed.

I love that Roger took

the time out of his busy schedule

to do this with our boy.

Their piece is displayed

in a place of honor

in Koen's room.

The Stay at Home Mom Chronicles : The sound of a magic marker drawing.

2013-04-29T07:46:00.001-04:00

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...

The sound of a magic marker drawing.

Since becoming a mom,
I have gained the uncanny ability to
hear a magic marker drawing from anywhere in the house.

I could be way back in the laundry room
and I swear that I'll hear
a lid being popped off
and the drawing begin.

I always pray that it's drawing on paper.

Most of the time, I rush across the house
to discover that the kids
are indeed drawing on paper as they should.

But every once in a while,
I 'll catch them in the act
of abusing their magic marker privileges
and scribbling on themselves.

It's both infuriating and adorable.
I scold them to high heaven
when I catch them doing it.

I secretly love to see them
covered head to toe with
the bright brilliant marks on their little bodies.

They must feel so creative and free.
I often send Koen to school
with faint drawings left on him
because I couldn't scrub it off completely.

His teacher always laughs a bit when she sees it.

I know that I will look back
on these moments
when I dart across the house
to put a stop to the magic marker shenanigans
with a smile.

I love our crazy little life together.