Thank you, Yoga.

When I was 32 years old, I learned how to sit still.

And that has made all the difference in parenting.

I am aware of the things I do well as a parent, but the glaring shortcomings are where my mind rests at the end of the day. More often than not, Brian and I look at each other at the end of the day and truly wonder WHAT are we doing. Besides winging it, that is.

So I'm good at moving and planning and changing diapers with one hand, but I am not good at sitting still or resting or enjoying a lingering puzzle on the floor.  I'm good at not caring what they wear, but I'm not real good at brushing their teeth.

And deciding to stay home for a little while with the kids shifted my sources of affirmation (hello, paycheck and office community) and sense of productivity (I know I kept the kids alive all day, but I have nothing to show for the last 16 hours).

So I found a yoga studio and went to learn to sit still. It took 2 years. And I still consider it a practice, not an achievement.

By being still, I am better for my kids I think. I listen more. Finishing a puzzle on the floor is not so mind-numbingly dreadful. And I have less guilt about the things I still find dreadful.

So, thank you, Yoga, for teaching me to sit still and enjoy it.  I am a better parent because of you.
Namaste, y'all.

Lyrical Hip Hop is Beauty Talking, Yawl.

Lauren and Chehon show us here...

Dollar Store POPS!

Turns out the Dollar Store has lollipops attached to plastic teeth, and Corinne cannot resist:

The lollipop is long gone, but the teeth remain...she kept them in her grip through the entire drive-in movie.

Um, she really wouldn't even join the other children. Oh, well...priorities...

Vocation, Schmo-cation.

Henry: Mom, I want to join the military.

Me: Ok. What does "military" mean?

Henry:  You help people.

Me: Ok.

Henry:  What's your favorite country?  Mine's Japan.  But I like the food of Mexico the best.

Me: Ok.

Henry:  I want to fly in an airplane.

Me: You are sounding like Uncle Brad.

Henry: NO. I want to fly IN an airplane. Uncle Brad FLIES airplanes. I want to fly in and jump out of the airplane with a parachute to fight for freedom.



Svea: Well.....When I grow up, I want to work at Diva Nails and do manicures.

Me:  Yessssssssssssssssss.

Biking With Daddy

Corinne: Faster, dude. RAAAA!

Corinne:  I'm bored. I want to go fast, but not have to do any work.
Daddy: Done.

Me: Really?

I Heart My CSA

Y'all know I love my CSA (community supported agriculture), J. Darby Farm in Montevallo.

Organic veggies and eggs every week, cheaper than Whole Foods. Srsly.

Plus there are goats, chickens, alpacas, llamas, donkeys, horses, bee hives, flowers, herbs...basically it's Eden.

J. Darby got a great write up in Shelby County Living a few months ago that told her story of deciding to cash in everything and build this farm. What a leap. I admire that. And her.

So then my mother-in-law gave me this window frame out of her basement:

Then I mod-podged the magazine article into the glass frames of the window:

Brian helped me attach a picture wire so she could hang it:

Then I gave it to her!
A small, small token to someone who does so much for our community.
Thank you J. Darby Farm!

First Days of School 2012!

Here is Svea, hair in sponge rollers, writing her teacher a note the night before the first day of school.  That precious girl...of course, she forgot the note the next day.

Here they are, the big morning before a full day of school!

Svea, going into 2nd, and Henry, going into 3rd:

And then, the very next morning, her tooth came out on its own!  Second grade knocked her out, I guess.

We are looking forward to a great year!

Fro Yo with KB

We got to see KB for about 57 minutes the other night!  It was so great to see her Stateside!

Corinne appropriately entertained everyone...Henry was psyched to get some water after chugging down 14 toppings on his frozen yogurt...and Svea was feeling every minute of her long day and was ready to go to bed, but she was still glad to see her Aunt.

We miss you KB!

Corinne Loves Sno-Biz!

Fun At The Bridal Expo When Svea Is The Photographer

Happy Enchilada, Sabbath People.

Tonight, I asked Henry if he would take my empty glass to the kitchen and fill it with fresh water, and then bring it back to me.
And he DID IT.

I remember one time, in my early parent training, reading Dooce and wondering why she thought it was so awesome to have kids so they could eventually make her a hotdog.
I hate hotdogs. I didn't get her point at all.
But tonight, tonight, I got it.

Henry refilled my water glass.  It was abundant kindness at the end of a long day.

We spent this week around water...trusting it, floating in it, finding refuge in it, appreciating its challenges and loving it.

Some of us are still holding our noses to its powers, and some of us have no fear of it and there are Puddle Jumpers to wear to save our lives...

We were so grateful (I just accidentally typed "greatful" which I am, indeed, for these people) to be with dear and blessed friends all week to jump in the water...



...laugh, learn, share, grow, and as always, make silly faces:

These friends make up a Sabbath Group we meet with every year. 

We live all over the country. A little more than half of us went to school together. Not me; I married up and into the group.

We have a semi-organized 8 days together to reflect and share all of our angst and joys from the past year.

Which brings me back to water.

When I asked Henry to get me a glass of water, I thought of the John Prine song when he says, "It's a half an inch of water, and you think you're gonna drown...That's the way that the world goes 'round."

I so do that.
And I lovingly passed on that trait to my son. He'll sit in a half an inch of water and think it's his imminent demise...which makes me hope for him a Sabbath group with which he can share his amazing ability to blow things out of proportion. Then recover in grace, and then make the next mountain out of a molehill.

When I was a youth, Shea Shackleford came to my youth group and sang that John Prine song. Then he went off script and told a story about when John Prine was giving a concert and the audience kept yelling out, requesting him to sing "Happy Enchilada!"
He finally told them he didn't know a song called "Happy Enchilada."
Then a lady yelled out, "YOU KNOW, it's a Happy Enchilada and you think you're gonna drown!"

Well, folks, that's the way the the world goes 'round.
And I hope that mine keeps going around and around, coming back to meet these Sabbath folks every year.
I hope that for you, too.

Storm's A-comin', And We Ain't A-carin'

Three On A Tree

First Mandolin Lesson

What We're Lovin' These Days

Henry:

Loving "Guy Time" in the Apache camper!

Corinne:
Sunglasses!  And anything at Claire's!

Svea:
Dangly earrings!

June Catch Up

While Henry was at a soccer camp the beginning of June, Svea, Corinne and I hosted a Princess Dance Camp in Restore. 

It was crazy. 

I had no idea so many little girls would have to go to the bathroom so many times - at the same time - and that they would be way more interested in playing Freeze Dance than actually learning First Position.

And they loved Silly Face time:

And walking like a rooster:

And jumping and having big arms:

Henry was a little bored at the "performance" at the end of the week, and Corinne loved climbing the stairs.

If anything, those few days of squealing, silly girls reminded me to enjoy this moment, this very moment, and the simple things like imitating roosters, jumping up and down, and the delight of climbing some stairs. 

Miriam Turns Three! Just Like Rapunzel Did Once!

We celebrated Miriam's life last weekend and Bobbie took these great photos:

Corinne taking it all in...a Rapunzel party really packs a punch.

In the baby pool with the birthday girl (Corinne on the left, Miriam on the right).

Svea at the top of the slide!  It was 108 degrees that day.

Miriam, blowing out her candles.

Corinne taking her turn at Pin Pascal On Rapunzel.

Cousins: Svea, Miriam, Lydia, Hannah, Corinne and Henry (missing Nathan).

Clapping for the skit that Lydia and Svea and Hannah devised that involved something about Sleeping Beauty and a spinning wheel and a lot of stage fright.
Henry is so obviously bored.

Corinne, whispering a secret to me.
I'll never tell...


Happy Birthday, Miriam!!!!  We are so glad you were born!!!