Same Same

Little guy and Little L are two peas in a pod. They play together like two clumsy puppies tumbling about in the spring grass. They have the same laugh, the same sense of humor and the same double cowlicks.  Their foreheads crinkle the same way when they get mad, and they both prefer to sleep in my bed.  If that is not an option, they cuddle up with each other instead, reading each other stories and giggling over silly knock knock jokes.  They are the best of friends, though neither will admit it.  I hope they will always be able to hold tight to this special bond they have... two ships sailing along together in this topsy turvy sea of life.

I am.

So tired. 

We went to college. We graduated with engineering degrees. We got jobs. Paid off debt. Saved up. Bought a house. Had kids. Bought a bigger house. Lost jobs. Got new ones. Did things on the side. Got sick... one at a time. Got better... ish. Got another new job. Moved across the world to get cash to pay mortgage and new debt.  Pursued dreams. Got screwed over. Still employed, income zero.  Still in limbo.  Keep the game face on.  Keep the kids involved. They shouldn't have suffer. They didn't choose this. We didn't know. Was not in the plan. Appreciate the little things. Those little things. So tired of feeling unstable.  So tired of feeling like the only ones. 

Just. So. Tired. 

Sprouts

Every year I think I am going to grow my own food. I imagine myself tending my garden and picking fresh veg to use for rustic dinners that I just throw together with friends on warm summer evenings, soul warmed with good company and good wine, while the lightening bugs dance and the children play.  Ahh, nice eh?

Last year the closest thing I had to it was five volunteer pumpkin plants which grew like they were from the little shop of horrors circa the jurassic period and killed everything in their wake, except one deranged cucumber plant and a confused cherry tomato bush that couldn't quite decide of it was alive or dead.

I had one night of friends over around a bonfire, until I ran out of wood and had to scramble to tear up some sticks, getting splinters in my hands which needed professional removal the next day. Then it started raining and I got violently ill from a beerita... I swear it was the gluten and not the bottle of wine I drank... Yeah, pretty sure it was the gluten. 

The cucumbers were good though.

This year, Little L and I decided to get a head start on our garden and sprout some seeds instead of planting them randomly and then going out and buying plants because the seeds we planted   never sprouted and/or got eaten by a mammoth pumpkin vine.  We have a stash of seeds, and since we don't want to spend any money right now (long story) I had to figure out a way to make my own greenhouse with materials on hand.  

Last year, Little L brought home a ziplock baggie with a plant in it that they had sprouted with just a wet paper towel in her nursery school class.  She didn't know what kind of plant it was, and the teacher didn't send home and instructions, so we just set it in the window sill and watched it grow.  2.5 feet later, Little L said, "Oh yeah! It's a popcorn plant!"  It was too late to transplant that seedling, but the method might just work again.

So, here is our DIY sprout house. I hope it works!  If not, I'll see ya at Pike's nursery in May!

a GIANT

Well, it sure has been a while since I have blogged. I recently returned from California and a lovely woman there told me I should start blogging again. Now that I have access to a really smart phone, I can blog on the go. There's an app for that! Of course there is.

Well my Little Guy is now 8 years old. And Little L is 5.  G is 10. 10! Can you believe it?! Me neither. Unbelievable.

Today, Little Guy, who has turned out to be quite the gymnast, did his first Giant on the high bar. Of course, me being a non-gymnast mom, I had no idea what it was, but it was clearly a GIANT deal.  I am so proud.  

Basically a gargantuan, I mean giant, is when you swing ALLL the way around the bar, completely laid out, like a spinning hand on a clock.  I myself, cannot do a somersault without being dizzy for the next three days, so I am baffled that the kid was able to walk straight out of that gym with nary a wobble. 

Funniest thing happened though, while I was watching him at his practice.  These two other moms struck up a comvo with me. They talked about how their boys needed to score this many points to make it to regionals and they have  spreadsheets for their scores and how their boys need to do better on this event or that event. They asked how the level 4 boys were doing, and I said I think they are all doing well, and working hard.

They were nice enough, and then we started talking about how hard doing the pommel horse is.  There is this piece of equipment called the mushroom that the boys practice on to help develop the movements to do the pommel, and one of the moms said she just got one for her house for her kid. (at $350 it is not a small investment). She said she makes her kid practice on it for punishment for poor behavior. The other mom chimed in with she makes her kid do conditioning as punishment. (Sit ups, push ups, etc).  They looked at me.

Awkward silence.  I can't think of the last time I "punished" Little Guy.  Timeouts sometimes until he can get himself together and then join us again, but that's about it. I don't consider that a punishment, though... we all need a time out to ourselves sometimes.  I felt so bad for those boys.... They are only 8 or 9 years old.   

I eventually told the moms I have my kids clean for punishment, which technically isn't true... They clean up because we all have chores and they earn their allowance that way... But I felt weird telling them my kid doesn't do anything that requires me to punish him...  It's just not how we roll around here.  

I gave my Giant swinging Little Guy a giant hug after practice, and told him how I love watching him do his gymnastics and that I can tell he has been working so hard because it shows. 

Then he asked if he could please have a mushroom at our house so he could practice more on his own, and also could he please go to the gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays so he can practice more and work hard and get better?  And then he told me that he wants to be a gymnastics instructor when he grows up... and I felt like the best mom with the best kid in the world... and so glad that in his world, his sport is a pleasure, not a punishment.

 

Because I want to remember...

This day, when Little Guy went to school in his pajamas telling me it was pajama day, though I had not caught wind of that event and so I packed him an extra outfit in his bag, just in case.

This day, when he brought home a present for his big sister, so excited to share with her and only her.

This day, when he wore his backpack under his jacket like he does, making it look like he had some sort of misshapen hind quarters.

This day, when she did not cream the butter and we mixed the dough in the Vitamix instead of with a mixer.

This day, this ordinary day, when he was six and she was nine and they both came home; and I was so very grateful for this wonderfully ordinary day.

Anna's Bananas

A sweet couple who are friends of mine meet up with their extended family every year at this amazing little beach hotel in Bonita Springs called the Outrigger Resort. This place is fantastic, it is all that a classic Southwest Florida resort should be... stucco exterior; red Mexican tile walkways; sliding glass doors in each ground floor suite that open right onto the expansive sugar-sand beach; a tiki bar with live music and a pool; a little restaurant that serves fried everything, all day, every day; twinkle lights everywhere; hammocks; bicycles and enough retro decor to make it super cool. If I could live at this place, I totally would. But the best part of it was undoubtedly Anna's Bananas. They come from all over the United States and a couple all the way from the Emerald Isle. They cook, and laugh and joke and play, and welcome strangers in with open arms and open hearts. Thank you for letting us be there with you this year... I swear I will be back next year, too, invited or not ;p

One year

One year. That is how long it has been since I posted last, almost to the day. And to be honest, I was not posting regularly up until then anyway. Life hit us hard in 2010... illness, job loss, my return to work full time at the wonderful Whole Foods Market, and has culminated with me returning to being a stay at home mom cum photographer and my husband taking a contract to work full time in the Middle East. He left in July. I miss him sorely. So now here we are, with three little kids, on on the precipice of becoming an adolescent (how did THAT happen so fast?!) and my little L finishing up her last year of nursery school before starting Pre-K. I wonder if I can hold her back from Pre-K until she's say... ten? I am going to try and start blogging with more regularity now, to catch up on what I've missed in the past two years and so as not to miss as much going forward. Thank goodness I have Facebook to help me remember what transpired, I think it serves as my short term memory almost entirely. Watch out, I might start posting my grocery list as my status update one of these days.... For now, here is Little L, on the beach in Carmel, CA last January. She believes she can fly. I believe she can, too. We all can, if we try.

We love dogs

Last weekend I photographed this lovely family and their beloved pups. I just love when humans really connect to their pets, and the older of these two dogs was so obviously smitten with her family it just made my heart melt.

Boo! Eek!

I think Halloween is a fantastic holiday. Not really so uber religious allowing everyone the opportunity to participate, and there are silly costumes and free stuff! Nice!

This year the kids picked their own costumes, with no help from me. They did pretty well I must admit, even though Little Man ended up being Boy Mario instead of regular Mario because the moustache was not up phis alley. I don't blame him, I don't prefer facial hair either.

The first house we went to was that of our most favorite neighbor, Miss Ruth. She had kindly set p a mirror so the kids could check themselves out in their costumes - what a great idea! After that we trekked up and down the hills and driveways. It took about an hour to get to 5 houses. Oy these hills! We picked up Mister and went to the "Halloween House" - a totally decked out place that has about fifty blow up decorations for every holiday. The owner was very sweet - she had even dressed up her schnauzers in tutus for the occasion. After that we went to our regular haunt across the street where the houses are close together, the roads are flat and sidewalks abound. We only had one little hiccup in our night when G tripped on her angel dress and scraped up her nose on the cement. No pain, no gain, baby!