Singalullaby

Homecoming '09

Homecoming fashion has come a loooong way since the '80s.  BigBro invited his pals (22 in all + parents) to our house for pre-dance pictures.  I'm still not sure who was here!

LilBro snuck into the mix with his own (too small) suit jacket....

Rockin' Wisdom from Aristotle

      "We are what we repeatedly do.  

Excellence then is not an act, but a habit."

:-) tGif

" "A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul." 

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Giveaway!

In honor of this numerical accomplishment, I will be giving away a $10.00 gift card to Borders!  To enter:  Ask me a question in comments.  I'll be asking my friend LM to choose the most interesting question as the winner!  Comment questions will be accepted until Friday, June 14.  

Post #200 will announce the winner!

Books Contain Zero Calories

I have been feasting on books! Fiona Neill's Slummy Mummy contained this juicy morsel:
(Lucy is speaking--she is the mummy, Fred is her preschool-aged child)
"I shut my eyes and breathed in the smell of the soft skin of Fred's neck, the soft fleshy part underneath the long curls at the back of his head that I can't bear to cut because they represent the last vestiges of babyhood. He giggled, because it tickled, but allowed me my moment of wistfulness. He smelled of a sweet blend of clean pajamas, soap, and the unsullied pureness of recently washed toddler, and I felt myself melt. Waves of nostalgia for the baby he will never be again swept over me, and for a moment I thought I might cry. Sometimes it is a question of getting through the days, but then from nowhere come those moments that you want to preserve forever."

{Sidenote: I'm watching "Notes From The Underbelly" online and Julie just revealed that she has a video diary dedicated to her new baby. Her friends think this is worthy of 'most embarrassing moment'. lol!}

Over the holidays, I met my niece. She is gorgeous, adorable, inquisitive, delightful, and many more adjectives! When she leaned toward me, from her mommy's arms, I would receive one swift hug before she again looked for mommy. At 10 months, she is the perfect size for cuddling.

As mothers, do we ever lose the need to give and receive comfort through an embrace? Will my arms always fell just a little bit empty? I'm not complaining---my children are, for the most part, first-class-snugglers. But, the solid weight of a baby, nestled in my arms, brings a unique joy.

If you have a passage to share regarding motherhood, or a sweet memory, add your comment!

Totally "Enchanted"

My plans to see Enchanted motivated me to make it through the last few days of school...and I was not disappointed!

Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey were already on my list of favorite actors ( "Can't Buy Me Love"--a classic starring P.D., and "Junebug"--showcases Amy's skills). Amy, as Giselle, is adorably innocent while Patrick, as Robert, is believably chivalrous. James Marsden spends the entire movie in Prince garments, supplying several LOL moments. He is the embodiment of 'melodramatic'. Talking animals, poison apples, a magic mirror and one glass slipper are weaved into the tale, lending a bit of nostalgia for Disney veterans.

The score is fresh and catchy--we went straight to the Disney store and picked up the CD! Ms. Adams has a gorgeous voice, not unlike that of Jodi Benson/Ariel (who, btw, appears as Robert's secretary). If seeing a movie is part of your Thanksgiving weekend plans, be sure to take a few children with you to "Enchanted". The looks on my little ones' faces were scrumptious!

image credit

Nutshell Nuggets

Under a brilliant sun, eighteen 4-& 5-yr-olds clutched paperbags. We searched for autumn booty among the crunchy leaves, tucking stray curls behind ears to beat the wind's game. Double*acorn*caps became the four-leaf clover of the day!

I glory in the weather of this season. Crisp, smoky, whistling, bright, vibrant, yet also muted....the air, the sky, the scenery. Before going dormant, the earth in my part of the world puts on a big production. This year, it has been worthy of a standing ovation.

I wonder if I'm in the autumn season of my life. (Do the early 40s qualify, or am I jumping ahead?) There are fires in my heart/soul/spirit that have been rekindled or lit anew, dreams that beg to be examined. They need the rain and the cold to bring forth the color hidden inside. Looking back on the last 20 years, I can see experiences that felt like a flood or a freeze-out! But I believe they will give my autumn days a necessary wisdom and peace. Which will serve me well when I find myself snuggled in the blanket of winter. More than anything, I pray that I will hear God's voice regarding the care and keeping of relationships---with my husband, children, family, friends. In the days to come, when I'm moving slower, treasure will be found in the heart strings I've tied.

This weekend, tuck an acorn in your pocket. What nugget will you find?
photo link

Hand me a tissue and a piece of chocolate

Can we have a cup and talk for a bit?

Lately, I've been crying...a lot... because, the days are going by tooooooo quickly. Yes, I'm experiencing 'empty-nest' emotions while my children are still growing up, LOL! In 4 years, BigBro will not be living here--he'll be at college or fireman school. His daily schedule begins brighter and earlier than mine, he manages youth group/football/studying/socializing/some chores, he towers over me, he speaks to people I do not know!! Sobering. Whenever I place my hand on his shoulder, I feel my eyes brim with tears. Experience tells me that God is speaking to my spirit, so I pray for BigBro's safety/peers/path/relationships. Since Sara's birth, nothing has brought me to my knees like becoming the parent of a teenager.

I feel like a string of pearls has broken and is just falling through my fingers. I can't catch them. Even if I did, the necklace wouldn't look the way I remember it. Maybe that's the thing;
real life never looks like it does in our dreams or on TV. When BigBro was small, he would talk nonstop. We spent over 90 minutes in the car, driving to and from private school, and his chatter was aimed at me. He wanted me to hear his thoughts, know his 'stuff', laugh at silly jokes. I just wanted 10 minutes of peace. Even in that moment, I knew I would someday feel guilty about craving a bit of quiet. UmHm. The quiet has arrived, from his corner, and I miss his voice in an extreme way. Oops, gotta catch this tear before it hits the keyboard...

At the ripe old age of 9, he tossed this at me during a car ride:
"Mom, half my life with you is over."
"What??!!"
"Yeah, in 9 more years, I'll be gone. At college or something."
I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the three youngest---reading, singing and drooling, respectively---as my heart pounded out the truth of the next decade. In the business of birthing and toddlerhood, we hadn't grasped that all four children would live together under the same roof for only 11 years. Diapers, teething, fevers, sippy cups, strollers and carseats....it felt like forever. I thought I had forever.

The amazing No Cool Story let me weep on her shoulder. She shared, "Our babies are growing so fast, one minute they were sitting on your lap falling asleep and the next they are driving." Isn't that the truth?

There's a day coming when I will tell you about a graduation, or a wedding, or an empty nest. But right now, I'm making a choice to feel the sadness on that day, in that time. Not in this moment.
The present is too good to miss.

Have another cup of coffee and tell me what's happening in your heart today.

Treasure Hunting

Hebrews 4:12
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

The fall season holds many treasures; leaves change colors, winds blow cooler and the sky reveals many shades of gray. Squirrels diligently search for acorns to fill them for the sleepy winter.

In the spirit of fall, I am creating scripture books for my four children. Today, using simple $1.99 photo albums, I started each child's book with a personal, relevant scripture. The book will hold 200 verses when filled. Index cards are a perfect base for written words, pictures and scriptures cut from magazines. Clubhouse Jr. has given me a good head start!

I'm praying that this will be the treasure hunt of a lifetime!
Would you like to join us?

A Star To Wish Upon

I'm still buzzin' from our moonlight adventure! With a temp of 76dg, I skipped the hot chocolate. We spread beach towels on the driveway, where the trees framed a perfect moon in a starry sky. Two out of our four children took my wake-up! challenge, but only one stayed for the entire 45 minutes that colored the moon a shade of burnt orange. MidBro and I were sweetly rewarded.

The eclipse moved slowly over the moon's surface, so we searched the heavens for constellations. We couldn't recall if planets twinkle and stars do not, or vice versa. MidBro said, "I wish we could see a shooting star." I replied, "Me too. It's been a very long time since I've seen one."

He said, softly, "I've never seen one." And..............

Gasp! "Was that--?!" "It was a---!!"
Giggling, my precious son asked, "Mom, do you think God just told us something?"

What a moment!; so much more than the memory I tried to create. God tossed stardust on our time together.

My heart was full as I said, "I think He wanted us to know that He hears us. He knows us. And, His answer to this one was 'Yes'."