Nostalgia

With the start of the fall season comes all kinds of thoughts and emotions from me. I don't know what it is about the cooler weather that brings out the reflective side. But it happens almost every year.


While I do look forward to the fairs, evening walks, leaves falling, and the winter house projects, I find myself looking backward...


* Back to those college days at Messiah, the soccer games, the loooong campus walks, the time I had to myself to do whatever I wanted.


* Back to the many friendships I had...the ones that start in high school or on a college campus but grow apart as life takes you in separate directions.


*Back to classes and learning and the feeling of being able to retain knowledge longer than a day or two.


* Back to when I could run a sub-7:40 mile, enjoy it, and be dry afterward. (more on that some other time)



* Back to when Grandma was still alive...the trips to Brooklyn to see her...the cans of Coke and Stella D'oro cookies...the old typewriter and adding machines...




Don't get me wrong...I do LOVE being a mother, a wife, a homeowner, and more. I love where life has taken me, what God has done, and what He has yet to do. I think my kids are the funnest beings on the planet and I wouldn't trade them for the world. I love where we live and being close to many places.


But sometimes there are things that I miss from my past. Some things that I know won't happen ever again, and some things that I can do again in the future. I'm definitely the nostalgic type...constantly thinking about past events, trying to remember my younger years and not let go of the good memories. My ultimate goal is to enjoy each chapter of life, no matter the changes they bring.


What about you? What memories do you have, what do you miss, what do you wish you could bring back or do again?

What's wrong with this picture?

Can you see the problems in this photo? I can count five.


Yes, five.


Look around, think through it...


Are you ready for the answers?


'Kay, here we go:


1) There's a little boy standing on a chair, thinking he's big enough to conquer the world and that his sister won't care if he gets into and eats her PlayDoh Ice Cream Maker toy.

2) A certain puppy named Princess Lucy is taking her name to the limit by constantly stealing shoes for chewing. For this photo, she chose the ever-so-tasty Dora Crocs.

3) An atrocious-looking art table and toys strewn everywhere make this an ideal scene for the little boy in #1 and the puppy in #2.

4) (Look closely for this one.) There are all sorts of stains and marks on the carpet, mainly from the boy in #1 who likes to chew crayons and markers, then spit them out onto the floor. Makes for a really inviting place to sit.

5) And lastly...where's the Mama who should be stopping or fixing all of the aforementioned problems?! Oh, right...she grabbed the camera to take a picture before correcting #'s 1 and 2. Oh, yes, she has her priorities in place.


Tomorrow will hopefully bring enough time for me to make some changes to the playroom, namely find a new home for all of the art supplies and get toys up off the floor. Stay tuned! :)

Our Newest Addition

Hmmm...what could Danae and Daddy be washing in the kitchen sink?

And what do you think I'm drying in a big, pink towel?

We'd like you to meet the newest member of our household, Princess Lucy!

(You guessed it...Danae named her.) :o)


She is a 10-week-old German Shorthaired Pointer, fitting to the "T" what we were looking for (color, markings, size...everything)! And these two are growing into great buds so far.

She has only been here for 24 hours, so let's see what the next week brings! Let the mayhem continue! ;o)

The Weekend Project

Hubby and I have been looking for quite a while for some type of used dresser to store his work clothes. Being that he is a carpenter/builder and comes home filthy each day, having his work clothing mixed in with our everyday garb isn't an option. So, this has been their overflowing home for a few years:

An old, put-it-together-yourself dresser that I used in college. Yup, it survived the move with us, and this eyesore has been sitting in our stone room for three months, poking at me every time I walked through.

We finally found our replacement beauty at Goodwill this weekend:

Ideas for the dresser were already developed, so it was just a matter of getting the paint and hardware. A few cans of black spray paint, 8 new knobs, and a clear protective coat for the top was all it needed!

The finished product:

It fits our needs, clears up the clutter, and makes me happy when I walk past it. All done on the cheap!

A Big THANK YOU!

Thanks to so many of you who voted for Danae in the Trix Swirls Video Contest over at 5 Minutes for Mom! Because of your votes, she came in second place and won $$$ for educational classes and/or materials! Yay! Gymnastics class is at the top of her list. :)


http://www.5minutesformom.com/7224/our-trix-swirls-video-contest-winners/


You made one little girl's day, and one Mama really proud...thanks, friends!

Let's Make Something!

I must warn you:

I think this whole pregnancy thing is making some creative juices flow in my head. I'm known to be the straight-up, non-creative, realistic thinker. Decorating? Can't do it. Make up a game? Not a chance. Lately, though, things have been a little different.

For instance, I want to paint every wall in site. And not just a normal, crisp cream or beige...I'm trying to convince Hubby to make my bathroom a bright green or blue (haven't totally decided yet). And then there's the re-arranging ideas floating around up there, as well as kid crafts ideas. Oh, boy...as if I'm not busy enough!

But a few days ago, I let the "let's make our own PlayDoh" idea out of its cage. My husband asked, "Why?", (really, he's right...it's not like we need more PlayDoh in our house...we have plenty of that), but Danae got excited, so off to the kitchen we went.

Who knew that some of these ingredients...

...could lead to endless joy for this little girl.

If you're interested, here's how ya do it:

1/2 c. flour

1/4 cup salt

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

1/2 c. water

1/2 Tbsp. oil

Mix all in a small saucepan over low heat until a dough-like consistency forms. Add a few drops of food coloring to make it colorful. Knead the dough on a floured surface until cool enough for your child to touch. Voilá! Storing it in a jar or ziplock bag in your fridge is the best way to keep it lasting for months.

Off to fix up Danae's art area. I'll show you that later! :)

Simple Musings

Today I'm feeling:


1) like my to-do list is dominating me.

2) frustrated by people who commit to get things donated/printed but then back out...nine days before a fundraiser for work.

3) like I'm scrambling to put the pieces back together for said fundraiser and get the project done.

4) pretty darn mad at the people in #2.

5) like I want to go back into the basement and eat out of the ice cream carton...for the second time today.



Ever have one of those days? Where you rely on others but, in the end, are disappointed, a little bitter, and have even more work to do? Yup, I'm so there.



But then, in the midst of making phone calls, trying to fix things and make it all better again, these lyrics flow through my computer speakers from a blog that I frequent:


"...Now I can
Trade these ashes in for beauty
And wear forgiveness like a crown
Coming to kiss the feet of mercy
I lay every burden down
At the foot of the cross


Perfect timing, right to the heart, and ever so true. Thanks, God.