Grass stained knees

crazy day

We had quite a day here.
In many ways it was super ordinary, breakfast, schoolwork, lunchtime, naps....
In other ways not at all, like finding this crazy looking caterpillar walking across the back porch. I think it looks like something out of a Dr. Seuss book, don't you?
In other crazy news, clear out of the blue, in the wake of our nation's financial distress, the bank my husband works for was bought out this morning and it looks very likely that he may be out of a job in the very near future. That's right, we are expecting twins in just a few months, needing to buy a minivan that will hold all of the children we will soon have and suddenly it's unclear whether we will be able to pay our regular bills.
It is feeling more and more like 2008 is the year that God is playing some sort of mysterious joke on us.
I am trying hard to have faith that this is all part of some sort of grand plan that has yet to be revealed and to be mindful of all the ways we are amazingly blessed.
We have our health and we have each other.
For those two things I am incredibly grateful.

Mother Nature's gifts

Today our weather was sunny and mild though quite humid, so it wasn't a giant surprise when out of the blue, dark clouds rolled in and the skies opened up. I was at the kitchen sink when the breeze started to blow and the rain started to fall, gently at first and then so hard that it was coming right through the screen, covering me with a fine, cool mist. It was one of those delicious moments when you have no choice but to hold still and breathe it all in. 

As I was standing there admiring the wonder of mother nature, I began to hear children's voices, peels of laughter and then someone screaming Samuel's name. It was one of those instants when a mama's heart stops, her mind racing with all sorts of terrible possibilities. I quickly grabbed my rain coat, ducked out the door and was greeted with this sight.... 

Thankfully, there were no disasters. Turns out, rather than run inside for shelter when the rain started to fall, the neighborhood children decided to make it a party and my goodness, did they ever. 

Of course, I ran for my camera, crept back outside unbeknown-st to the revelers and had a blast watching them dance and splash in the warm September rain. I must admit, there isn't much that makes my heart swell more than watching children revel in nature and all of it's infinite wonder.

Eventually the cool breeze that blew in with the storm got the best of them and they all admitted to being freezing cold.

Everyone retreated to the comfort of their respective homes to be warmed and dried. I seized it as an opportunity to turn 4:00 into bath time, thus enabling us to have a relaxed evening.

And now at 8:15, both of my children have been quiet in their bed for quite some time and I am reveling in the opportunity for some quiet time of my own before enjoying the season premiers of my favorite Sunday night shows.

Thank you mother nature for all your gifts! 

many thanks...

First of all, I need to say a giant "Thanks" for all of your wonderful suggestions about our bedtime dilemma. Amazing, that's what you guys are. It feels great to have such a wonderful network of support, although after almost a year of being a part of this community, I can't say that I am surprised. I promise to give you an update with what ends up working for us.

Guess what else happened yesterday?

Our humble little space was featured on the Crafty Crow website!!   Isn't that exciting?

I didn't know in advance that it would be happening, but I knew something was going on when I opened my typepad account at 8:00 in the morning and the stats reported over 80 visits... by 8 am? Well, when I scrolled down and saw over and over belladia/craftycrow as the link source I had one of those "no way" moments and then of course I popped over to see for myself and there it was, the mobile we made last fall from found forest objects. Is it wrong to say that my heart swelled with pride for our funny little blog? Well it did, just like a proud mama.

Let's just say, for us, being featured on the Crafty Crow had a similar effect as Oprah does for favorite books. I'm absolutely sure that the number of visits we experienced yesterday will never be repeated, but for one brief day, it sure felt great to know that hundreds of visitors, from all over the globe, stopped by for a minute or two. So a gigantic "Thank You" to Cassi of Bella Dia for letting us bask in the glow.  

can I ask you a question?

This flower has absolutely nothing to do with the thoughts below, it just feels wrong to post naked words without any photo at all.

My intention all day has been to post about my baby boy's birthday last week, but now that I'm here, at the end of an incredibly long day....I'm feeling depleted. Really, just done.

To make matters worse, stories were read, prayers were said, teeth were brushed and the boys were tucked into bed about 45 minutes ago. Yet, they are whooping it up in their room like they have no intention of ever calling it a night. I so much hate to end the day with raised voices, harsh words and the threat of the loss of privileges tomorrow.

The addition of the new babies into our home will mean that Samuel and Caleb will need to share a room. Since the beginning of the summer, we have been periodically trying to have the boys sleep together in what will eventually be their joint bedroom. Sometimes, this has gone very smoothly, sometimes not so much. Lately, Caleb has been creeping out of Samuel's room asking to go sleep in his crib. For the last week or so we have just put him in the crib, but this feels like a hurdle that should be cleared sooner than later so that he doesn't feel like the babies are "stealing" his old room.

Since I'm here in this space sharing with you, I'm curious if you might have any suggestions....

We need some good ideas about how to transition Caleb out of his room in a way that doesn't make him feel like he is being replaced.

And maybe more importantly, do any of you have any tips about room sharing and getting those rowdies to sleep at night without having to lay down the gauntlet...every. single. evening.

Amazing

Warning: this post is slightly political, if this offends you, please disregard and come back tomorrow when regular mommy-blogging shall resume.

We witnessed an incredible moment yesterday. Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama made a visit to our area. We very much wanted to take the boys, selfishly to hear what he had to say, but also because it seems like this election is history in the making. It felt like we would be remiss as parents to not be able to say 30 years from now, you guys were there and we have the pictures to prove it.

Well, we packed up our snacks and waters, loaded up the camera and eagerly made our way downtown. What we saw when we reached the vicinity of the rally was truly remarkable. People in lines, as far as the eye could see. The lines were not single file, but large groups and families, young and old, of every ethnicity, and they stretched 10 blocks at least and then around the corner and 10 blocks the other way. Well we quickly realized the boys would never have the patience to endure such waiting, and neither would my very weak bladder at this point in pregnancy, so with sadness we decided to chalk it up as a loss and continue on our way. We rounded the corner and there was yet another checkpoint. As we continued to drive along, we saw that this line stretched even longer and wider than the one before. In all, it turns out that 30,000 people, came together to express their support for this inspiring candidate. 30,000 is a lot.

As disappointed as I felt for not being able to experience the rally, it was incredibly moving to see so many people feeling passionately about this man who may or may not become the next president of the United States. And regardless of your political affiliation, it was humbling to see democracy in action and be reminded of how lucky we are to have the privilege and the freedom to vote for our elected officials.

So this morning I would like to remind you to take a few minutes to register to vote if you have not already done so. This is a privilege that should not be squandered and this year, more than any year in recent history it seems that every singe vote will be crucial in deciding the next president of this nation. Make sure your voice is heard.   

Summer was....

New Babies!!

Here is a glimpse of our family's newest babe, my new niece and Goddaughter, baby Josie. Isn't she precious? Look at that little baby head, can you smell the goodness just looking at it?

And those little toes, aren't little baby feet just the best?

Samuel was so excited and proud to hold his brand new cousin...and it's a good thing too because he needs all the practice he can get. Turns out, come the new year we are going to need all the arms we can find around these parts for holding new babies....

Yes, that's right, we are having some new additions of our own, and no that's not a typo. It seems that our little family is growing not by one, but by two.

We are thrilled to announce that we are expecting identical twins. 

So now you really know what "Summer was...." and why this little space experienced a black-out for nearly two months. Summer was incredible nausea. Summer was amazing exhaustion. When they say that the first trimester is worse with multiples, let me go on record to say that it is absolutely true. I was so exhausted that I was barely able to muster the energy to manage preparing breakfast and lunch for my little guys, much less try to wax poetic here in blogland.

Thankfully, that's all in the past. I'm feeling much more like myself now, although maybe a little large. I do think my girth will reach incredible proportions this time around. Jon and I both agree that I am currently about as large as I was right before delivering both of the boys. Considering the fact that we have a good 16 weeks left, I shutter to think how humongous this belly will become. Really, as long as the end result is two healthy babies, I am happy to surrender my body for the cause. 

Summer has always been my least favorite season. This year, more than any other, I am particularly thrilled to say good-bye to Summer, and hello to Fall.

Ah, Fall, you glorious season of cooler days and crunchy leaves, crisp apples and football games, Sunday dinners and apple pie, Halloween costumes and Thanksgiving turkey.

And this year, Fall will be a season to cherish our remaining days as a family of 4. It will also be a season to prepare our hearts and home to welcome the 2 newest members of our family. 

Summer was...

A drizzly visit to This museum of natural history.   

The museum itself was a bit on the small side and probably more suited for older children. There was however, an interesting, small exhibit of swamp animals in some depressing little habitats.

For reasons I still don't understand, I was particularly drawn to the raccoon and the baby skunk. Especially the skunk, which was so stinkin' cute. It was little, no larger than a kitten and having a grand time, rolling around wrestling with a stuffed animal. I was completely amused by him. Look at that little face, who would not be drawn to that little face?

The raccoon was equally wonderful. Look at those deep, brown, soulful eyes. Seriously, I would have tossed both of them in my purse if I could have figured a way. Of course, in reality we would have ended up in the car with a smelly assault by the skunk and probably a slight mauling by the raccoon. I'm sure it's for the best that we left them where they were.

We decided we'd had enough of the museum and went outside for a snack on the steps when low and behold what should appear but a wayward chicken, come to join us for some cashews. Of course the boys thought this was absolutely hysterical. I did too for that matter. And then we were itching to see where on earth the lost hen could have wandered from.

Well, turns out on the other side of the parking lot just a little ways through the trees there was a teeny little slice of amazing.

A recreation of a Carolina homestead offering a glimpse of the way people lived after moving to the south to make a life for themselves.

Oh, be still my beating heart. The lovely, simple log buildings. The house, the barn, the animal sheds all perfectly complimented by the dreamy garden in the center of the yard and chickens, lots of chickens running everywhere.

It was amazing. Of course I wondered around talking to my men in whispers, telling them that if they just wanted to abandon me here forever, I would be just fine with that. That I would be completely content to  spend the rest of my days tending the garden and the chickens, baking bread and knitting socks. 

Of course they just giggled at me, like they always do when I start to ramble on like that and we continued on our way.

 

And then, down the forest path we found the gristmill. Simply beautiful.

It was a excellent adventure. An uncharacteristically cool and damp afternoon in the middle of July. Perfect for a wistful journey back in time to glimpse a simpler way of life. Nice.

   

Summer was....

Our annual trip to the beach!

Thankfully the weather was beautiful almost everyday.

This year Samuel truly discovered the joy of the ocean. From the moment we arrived in the morning until just before dinner he was in the water. It was exhausting just to watch him, jump into the waves, float down the beach like a cork in his life vest, hop out of the water a block down from where we sat, run, run, run back up the beach until he was 2 or 3 blocks beyond our umbrella and then watch him do it over and over and over again. All the while, just laughing and having the time of his life.  Poor Papa and George, I don't think either of them hardly had a chance to just sit on the sand and relax, they spent everyday taking shifts running along side our boy, making sure he didn't wash out to sea. 

Caleb had his own wonderful fun. As it turns out, he enjoyed the sand equally as much as the water.  

Each morning, after we had established our "camp", Papa got to work digging a giant hole for jumping in and later in the afternoon when the tide came in, the hole became a wading pool, crowded with every child in sight.

Of course, no trip to the beach is complete without sand castle construction, and there was plenty.

There was kite flying in the evening with Nan and George.

Which proved to be a challenge, who knew there was such a thing as too much wind while trying to get a kite aloft. Eventually, we had enough success that each small boy was able to feel the power of holding the line.

We enjoyed an evening of feeding the seagulls.....

This caused shrieking and yelling and running and more running....

Caleb was pretty certain he was going to catch one with his bare hands.

There was laughter and silliness....

and just plain joy.

What I have come to learn is that vacation for a mama can be a whole lot of work. But for me, all the list making, packing, shopping, and preparing seem completely worth the effort once you arrive and just have time to enjoy each other in one of the best places on earth. 

As always, it went by much too quickly. So for now we are left to hold the smell of the salt air, the feel of the soft sand, and the sound of the rolling surf in our hearts until we are lucky enough to find our way back once again next summer.

Summer Was...

 

 Another rainy July 4th.

We have lived in the south for 10 years now and have only celebrated one 4th of July under dry skies. Last year, my brother and sister-in-law came to town with my nephew, our beloved cousin Luca. We had the most wonderful time and it was the only year that we didn't have to watch the annual fireworks display in raincoats under the shelter of umbrellas.

 

Well, this year we were at it again, dodging drips and this time, sadly we were on our own. Brad, Tara and Luca were kept at home because our sweet new niece was due to be born at any moment, making an 8 hour road trip out of the question. Apparently, they were missing us just as much as we were missing them. We have high hopes to celebrate together again next summer!  

 

Oh course, our wild man's spirits were not dampened by the foul weather. He danced and laughed in the drips, entertaining us all while we waited.

As it turns out, as if on cue, the weather subsided just in time. It was a really nice display. Although I have to admit, It made me feel old that the entire time we watched I couldn't get out of my mind how harmful all that smoke must be for the environment.

And when it was over the umbrella's were opened again for the wet walk home.  

 

Summer Was...

Wow, let me just start by saying how wonderful it feels to be in this space once again. Please excuse me while I ramble for a moment, but after almost two months of silence, I feel like I have some explaining to do. You see, it seems the very long, quite unintentional silence here sort of took on a life of it's own. There was a really good reason why things started to get "quiet" here, way back in the early part of the summer, a reason I promise to share with you in just a few days.

I'm not sure how it happened, but the break that was so freeing at first began to feel like a deafening silence and an absence so long that I wasn't sure if I might have lost my "blog voice" altogether. I was struggling with how to get it back and where to pick up filling in the blanks for all this time that has not been recorded here. There were hundreds of photos that needed to be sorted through and so many events that needed sharing, I just didn't know where to start...I was down right overwhelmed.

Well, as luck would have it, on Thursday last week, while catching up with all of the rest of you productive folks ( just because I have been quiet doesn't mean I wasn't still checking in with all of you all this time! ) I saw that my good friend Molly had conjured up an idea to do a "Summer Was..." series this week with an invitation to join along. Well, I thought Eureka! That's it, just the thing we need to do a tidy catching up, Adios to Summer: How-de-doo to Fall.

And so, today and everyday this week we will be sharing a glimpse of what we have been up to all this time. For all of you who have checked up with us via email. wondering if things were alright, I thank you. For any of you who still have us on your blog-lines, waiting for new posting to resume, thank you for your patience. It feels great to be back and without further a-do, I present to you the first of 5 installments of Summer 2008....

Summer was.... Bug Hunts in the yard 

 

with some rather amazing specimens discovered. You'll have to take my word for it, but this beetle was enormous, probably 3 1/2 inches long, I have never seen anything like it! 

 

Summer was roadside "sales" with the neighbors, many impromptu, like this "water sale", others more organized, like the lemonade & popcorn stand that generated $ 9.00 in profits, for which I have no photo.

 

For Samuel this summer was the scuba mask. He loved it in the backyard wading pool, he loved it in the ocean, he loved it in the bathtub. I feel like a good majority of the summer was spent looking at the back of his wet head as he lay face down in some sort of body of water with me saying a quiet prayer each time that his little head would actually rise again for another gulp of air!

 

Summer was this same child's obsession with the ice cream man. Thankfully, we didn't have to relive This painful experience. This year, the ice cream truck came jingling through the neighborhood every Friday evening right around 5:00. For my boy, this visit became the most important weekly event around which everything else revolved.  All summer out of the clear blue, What day is this? he would inquire, and his reply to your answer would be Oh it's Tuesday, great only 3 more days until the ice cream man comes back!  Not surprisingly, it also became his favorite imaginative role play.

For all of us, summer was a lazy time spent playing and being together, in the grass, in the sun, in the shade, on the hammock, and on the beach. We laughed, we explored, we visited  friends and family near and far and I can't wait to share more of it with you tomorrow.....