Inspiration

I'm trying to find inspiration in common things - inspiration to scrapbook, inspiration to jump and dance with the boys, inspiration to step outside and take a deep breath of the fresh fall air.
Here are a few things I've been trying to look at in a new way:
* my new iPod - now I have a whole new reason to take a walk.
* junk mail - like the chipboard Eddie Bauer postcard with a single word on the bottom left corner - "cheers". If I don't actually use it on a layout, then I'll have to mimic its simple title for a page.
* the mums at the super market - these make me want to dig in the dirt, plant a few around the mailbox. Wouldn't that splash of color make people smile?
* October - this weekend I will finally put out the Halloween decorations!
* Cindy's Porch website - http://www.cindysporch.net/ - A great inspiration to SAVE money before I spend it!
* my first paycheck - got to save this!
* the giant stack of magazines on my coffee table - I need to slow down, relax, read these on the back porch wrapped up in a snuggly sweatshirt while the boys run around the backyard.
* quiet time - sometimes I just need to turn off the TV and sit, listen, and let my mind go.

9/29=37

Today's my birthday. I'm 37 years old, and I'm not ashamed in the least to say it. I tell so many people, I'd rather be a year older than be dead. Sounds rather harsh, but it's true. I think we should celebrate getting older, wiser, and more beautiful, for I believe that's exactly what birthdays do for us.

So, in honor of my birthday, here's 37 reasons (in no particular order) I'd rather be alive NOW!
1. Camden
2. Benjamin
3. Curt
4. Our new church
5. Jesus
6. my new job
7. my new iPod Shuffle

8. cooler days
9. fall leaves
10. Hokie football
11. no report cards or cum. folders to fill out
12. decorating for Halloween
13. Mom & Dad
14. Michelle and Brian
15. my best friend, Jodie
16. chocolate

17. Ellie & Emma
18. Food and Faith night
19. the art of scrapbooking
20. my current book, The Mermaid Chair
21. my next book, Rococo
22. my favorite tunes, LOUD
23. getting to rock a baby to sleep at work
24. loving kids who need love
25. having ENOUGH
26. Law & Order SVU and Desperate Housewives
27. my blog
28. the promise of frost
29. coffee
30. hope for tomorrow
31. sleeping in on the weekends (well, maybe 30 minutes later than usual)
32. my Avon lady
33. my circle journal group
34. a good run (rare, but it does happen!)
35. security
36. a new paycheck to look forward to
37. hugs from my kids

5 Random Things

Here are 5 random things about me today:
1. I spent my morning helping out in the toddler room at KinderCare. Those kids are FAST!
2. I hemmed Camden's Darth Vader costume tonight, making it about 6 inches shorter for him and only jamming my sewing machine one time.
3. I cleaned the kitchen tonight, mopping it twice. Then I cleaned up the toys in the family room, taking a bunch upstairs and tossing a bunch more. Darn happy mean toys!
4. I was happy that it rained all day long.
5. I made a cake tonight just so I could lick the bowl. And then a ate a big honkin' piece of cake after dinner, too!

Joy

I'm participating in a circle journal with some girls on the 3 Scrappy Boys message board. Each month our journals are sent to the next person in the circle of eight. My journal is now half-way done. In the jounals I've received so far, I've done layouts on why I like being a girl, what most inspires me, and what I love about my home. My CJ is on JOY - what brings each of us joy. Here is my own layout that I did for mine: (They should be side-by-side, but I can't figure out how to make that happen.)


Think about it. The things that bring us joy are really quite simple. A hug from a child, a touch from your husband, a smile from a stranger, a hot cocoa from Barnes and Noble. Today the thing that brought me the most joy was a beautiful hymn we sang in church this morning. I don't recall the name of it, the melody, or even the words. But it was beautiful. I stood singing, holding Camden in my arms, swaying to the music. This filled me with a special peace and joy that will carry me into the new work week.
What brings joy to your life?

one picture

Greensburg is hosting the national firefighters convention this weekend, and a huge parade was today from noon to, oh, I don't know, around 3 or so. We were so excited to go. Then, I had my eyes dilated this morning and the sunlight was just too bright for me. So, I took a nap, Benjy took a nap, and Curt took Camden to the parade. This is apparently what they saw... Oh, I am sure they saw more. I called Curt on his cell and there was a huge band passing by, judging by the booming of the drums and the blare of the trumpets. And the pair were gone for an hour so they must have seen more. But this is the single solitary picture of their day at the big parade. A wonderful experience full of sights and sounds for them. A disappointing picture that doesn't seem to capture the true spirit of the parade for me and the B.

So, I'm left to guess what the parade was all about. The guilt at not getting Benjamin there led me to buy him this awesome Tonka Chunky truck set.
Isn't that just too cute? He played with it all evening, pushing the trucks around on the road map that came with it. Making those fun little truck sounds...blblblblblblblbl.

I took Camden to Target today to see the Halloween decorations. Of course, I bought him a costume. Twenty bucks for a Darth Vader costume. Cheaper than the fifty that was in the Lillian Vernon catalog and elsewhere. (Where did those boxed costumes with the cheap plastic masks go to???) He couldn't wait to get home to try it on. It's a mile too long, so I'm gonna have to try to sew it up tomorrow. But he doesn't mind. The face mask is priceless. He's actually a bit scary with the whole get-up on. I'll save that pic for Halloween! But you should hear his Darth Vader voice : "Luke, you do not know the power of the DARK SIDE." Ohhhhh, it give me the creeps. Here he is right after we finished watching "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi" tonight. That would be his light saber he's holding. He bought it with his own allowance money for $7.99 today. So proud was he. :) I like to call him my "little Ewok." He prefers I call him Lord Vader. I compromise with "Darth Vader".

And then there's my little Benjamin. This guy has had an off week. I'm sure the transition to daycare has really thrown him, but I'm comforted that he does play, learn, and laugh while I'm working. I know this because I spy on him, and his teacher tells me. I do feel a bit of guilt as I embark on this new career at KinderCare. But I'm truly happier now - I'm helping other teachers, helping kids, challenging myself. And Benjy is socializing in a way he has never before. He really needed that. I LOVED being a SAHM, but the time had come for both of us to step out a bit. This job is not quite full time, so I can be home with him still, but it is enough to push me and him out of our comfort zones. We need that. Here's the darling after a big day with no parade but a day full of play, and evening at the park, and a night of Dora the Explorer. That's my baby.

Finally, there's Curt, the one who took one single solitary picture of the big parade. Nevertheless, I love him. He is my soulmate. He is the glue that holds us together. He knows what I need before I do and he knows what the boys need before they do. Curt is quite simply the best. Nevermind those long toes that could curl around a tree branch. I'm afraid Camden's gonna take after him. :)

Today is the first day of fall

Although the temps were in the mid- to upper 80s today, this is the first day of fall. I could nearly call autumn my favorite season, but I love snow so much, that it'll just have to take a close second. Here are the things I love about fall.

* chili in a crock pot, the smell as it cooks all day long plus Curt's cornbread


* college football games - go Hokies!


* the crunch of fall leaves as you walk

* seeing the boys jump into the piles of fall leaves

* the smell of wood stoves in the air, the scent of the first heat of the season

* the first freeze - die, ragweed, die!


* shorter days, longer nights

* fall TV premiers


* fall festivals

* the beautiful colors in the leaves

* Halloween!


* school's in full swing (much better now that I'm not teaching)

* winter's on the way!

A Day in the Life of Me

In case you wondered, here's what I did today:
* Camden wakes me up at 6:45 a.m. Why? Beats me. I send him downstairs to watch TV, the ultimate babysitter.
* Benjamin succeeds in getting me up as he's hollering for Camden at 7:30 a.m. (They slept in Camden's room last night, so Benjy expects big bro to be there for him this a.m.)
* I fix breakfast for the boys and brew my coffee, take my coffee upstairs to get cleaned up, and turn on the Today show. Love that Katie C.
* 8:26 - get Camden on the bus. He LOVES riding the bus.
* 9:00 - Benjy watches Dora while I read the paper, clean the house, and fix my lunch for work.
* 9:30 - get Benjy ready for KinderCare and hit the road.
*10:00 - time for KinderCare pictures - I try to get Benjy to smile. No-can-do. He sits and looks very solemnly at the camera. Little stinker. So much for his first KinderCare picture.
* Work until 6 p.m. Not a long day, though. Full of testing kids for kindergarten learning inventories, watching classes for teachers, doing van runs, and helping greet parents. Still, I'm pooped. And yet........
* 6:00 - Home for a super quick dinner then on to........
* 6:30 - Kindergarten Open House, with Benjy in tow. Well, this involved me walking him up and down the halls of Maxwell while Curt listened to the teacher's spiel. Then he did his turn with Benjy while I listened. We were the only parents who brought a noisy sibling, and the only parents who had to leave mid-way to keep the noisy sibling quiet. Geeeze.
* 8:00 - HOME to stay! Baths for the boys, stories, and BEDTIME!!!!!! (I managed to squeeze my own bath into this time, thanks to Curt.)
* 8:20 - I taught the boys a new rhyme:
Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
First one says, "Oh my it's getting late.,"
Second one says, "There are witches in the air."
Third one says, "But we don't care."
Fourth one says, "Let's run and run and run."
Fifth one says, "It's Halloween fun!"
Then wooooooo went the wind and out went the lights
and the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.
* 8:45 - both boys are in bed, and Mom and Dad are ready to relax.
* 8:47 - Camden "has to ask Mommy a question." Neither Curt nor I can recall what he wanted. We shoooo him back to bed.
* 8:50 - sittin' on the couch, drinking my skim milk in a frosty mug, and emailing Jodie back on my iBook.
Life is good. :)

My Top 5 Books

Here, in no particular order, are the top 5 books I've read in recent years.

1. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (book 6 of 7), JK Rowling

2. The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd

3. A Designer's Eye for Scrapbooking, Ali Edwards

4. The Lion's Game, Nelson Demille

5. Beach Music, Pat Conroy

Pat Conroy has been my favorite author for years now. His books absolutely absorb me, grip me with their very real characters and keep me awake well past midnight with their complex plots. I finish one book and sit and wait and wait and wait for another to come. He's such an excellent writer that he doesn't merely pump out one book after another. He seems to savor his characters and the tales. I wonder what his next novel will be....

Nelson Demille has written several books I've read, some I've loved, some just so-so. But this Lion's Game was the best. I can remember walking on my treadmill - pregnant - reading it. I just couldn't put this puppy down! If you like fast-paced thrillers, then this is for you.

Ali Edwards is my favorite scrapbook designer. And there are sooooo many wonderful ones out there that it's hard to choose one. But her style, her subjects, her way with a page, well, if you see her work, then you'll know why I wanna be just like her when I grow up. :)

I'm reading Sue Monk Kidd's The Mermaid's Chair right now. Actually, I read the first chapter last night and then dropped off to sleep. So, I'll be rereading that tonight! I so loved her Bees book, though, that I know this one will be just as beautiful and poignant as the first. It was a year ago that I read Bees when my best friend Jodie sent it to me for my b'day. What a touching book with the most wonderful writing. She's got a wonderful way with words.

And finally, JK Rowling. The first time I heard Harry Potter, I was helping with a Southwest Virginia Writing Project thing and another teacher read the first chapter to us. Absolutely still, we were. Listening. I'd forgotten how wonderful it is to be read to. She had the best voice and she was so into the book. I went straight to Ram's Head Books that afternoon and bought my own copy. I've read all the other ones, and am amazed that they get better and better. It's amazing to follow the development of these characters over this seven year span (in their lives). It's actually going to take more than 7 years for the series to be finished. I think Rowling is amazing to pull this off. She's succeeded in captivating kids and adults alike with her series. You can't help but wonder what she'll do after Harry.

So, what's up with the Rococo book? Well, I've decided it'll be my next book. I'm gonna make a little detour to Barnes and Noble soon, grab a cup of hot chocolate with caramel (skim milk, of course), and buy this latest from Big Stone Gap author Adrianna Trigione. She's from the Gap, just a stone's toss from where I grew up in Norton. I'm feeling proud! It's great to have a new book to look forward to. (Thanks, Mom, for giving me this awesome gift - the love of BOOKS!)

gone techno

Our entire family, at this very minute, is on a computer. I'm here with my old loyal iBook. :) Curt's doing something on his work computer. And the boys are on his other computer playing Rescue Heroes. OK, so Camden really mans the controls, but Benjamin's so purely entertained by it, you'd think he was in charge. What in the world did we do as kids w/o computers?

I remember playing with Kim and Karen, our across-the-street neighbors. We played nearly every single day, rain or shine. We must have driven our moms mad with our constant bickering one minute and best-buddy routines the next. There was no limit to what our imaginations would conjure. Most of our time was spent [i]creating[/i] the scene for whatever we were going to play. We'd spend hours and sometimes days redoing our garages into fairs, school rooms, hospitals, clubs, and even stores. My favorite memory was playing Cohen's Department Store and giving Karen a bill. "What's this?" She asked. I told her it was the "Booty Bill" (Because there was a picture of a boot on it. Shame on you, you dirty mind!) We laughed and laughed and laughed. Well, you clearly had to be there. :)

My kids don't play like this. Their play is fundamentally different. Of course, they're younger than we were when we played all our fun sit-coms, for lack of a better word. Camden and Benjamin have a boisterous sort of play. Maybe because they're boys, I don't know. They love their sandbox, trucks, and the swingset. The thrive on the outdoors and our backyard. But most of all, they just love to yell, run, climb, and make themselves heard. Our ears get tired at times. And we're often just too pooped to play along with them. But Curt and I both believe with all our hearts that these wild, loud, blurs of boys make us young again. We'd miss the racket if they were stuck on the computer all the time.

That said, I'm all for a little noise break. Let's play a computer game, guys!

Feeling Icky

For the past two days I've been using a flashlight to peer into the back of my throat. I'm looking at white spots waging war with red spots. It feels like a war in there. Somehow the satisfaction of seeing it helps me feel like I truly deserve to feel like - well, not one to mince words - crap. Finally yesterday afternoon I got in to see the doctor. She said it looks like strep. Yuck. Who ever would have thought strep throat was really just an ancient form of warfare? Finally, today, I'm feeling better enough to check on my emails and post to my blog. Yesterday at this time, I was sound asleep. I didn't care if I ever saw a blog or even a computer again. Today, I feel like I'm crawling out of my slump. Next week, I'll be ready for work again, and this time I hope not to contract a new illness!

OK, here's something to think about...On my favorite message board, http://www.creativexpress.com/community/xpressions/index.php, we have been posting 8 things we don't like. Here's my list:
1. People who don't use their clickers - ugh, their signal lights - when they turn
2. Those pesky subscription cards tucked into every other page in a magazine
3. Shopping in Bath & Body Works - please, can't you people just LEAVE ME ALONE TO SHOP???!!!
4. Kids who get their way ALL the time.
5. Strep throat - I have it now, hopefully it'll be gone very very soon.
6. Dog hair all over the house that I have to vacuum again and again and again and again
7. Email chain letters. No, I don't think I'll have bad luck if I don't send this to 7 of my friends. They'll like be better if I just go ahead and delete it now.
8. Days when I get no mail.

An Introvert in an Extroverted World

Benjy running to hug me on his first day at Kindercare! Who wouldn't wanna scoop him up and give his pudgy cheeks a big ole kiss! :)

Whew, I'm worn out. I knew I wanted to go back to work. I remembered I'd feel energized by working near children again. I recalled the fun of talking to other adults throughout the day. I knew working in education was the right thing for me. But I completely forgot the exhaustion of feeling UP all the time, smiling and being happy, nice, and just plain agreeable. It's hard to be an introvert in an extroverted world.

That said, I do love my new job as the preschool program specialist at our local Kindercare. I get to watch teachers and help them with their lessons and curriculum. I get to talk to the children and help them learn. I do love it, and I feel gratified at the end of the day that I've done something to help somebody else, whether a teacher or a child. That's a great feeling.

I certainly don't take my time with Camden and Benjamin for granted anymore. I never meant to do that, but it became easy as a stay-at-home-mom to put off playing with them, pulling out the paint, or even just curling up together to watch Dora. I won't be putting off anything anymore. The time I have at home now is precious, and I don't want to waste a minute - even on the computer checking in on my various message boards or - gasp - blogging! That can all wait until after I've had my snuggle time with the boys. :)

Well, I'm absolutely too pooped to think of anything clever to muse about tonight. So, until tomorrow...

The Little Bent Spoon

I went to the local fall festival this weekend. The sun was bright and the temperature felt more like summer, but the humidity was low and there were fall decorations everywhere. It did feel like fall was finally here. The boys had the best time playing in the creek, jumping from rock to rock, and dancing to the bands playing. It was like a country fair, but on a smaller scale.

My favorite vendor here was a couple of western Pennsylvanian primitive folk art crafters who call their store "The Little Bent Spoon." I fell in love with every one of their products and just felt an immediate bond with the two ladies who make these wonderful old barn wood houses, candle boxes, primitive dolls, stars, - whoa, too much to name! Anywho, they told me the story of the little bent spoon - basically, God gives each of us a purpose. Check out their website on the link above. Their products are beautiful and so reasonably priced! These ladies also donate a portion of their proceeds to the Make a Wish Foundation. Imagine a chance meeting at a festival can have an impact on you. These women were truly into their craft and its purpose. God has given them a purpose, and they have found it.
Peace,
W

Friday Five

The Creative Xpress message board I'm on posted this today, and here are my responses...

1. List five people and a song that reminds you of them or that you think best describes them (list the person's name, the song title, and the song's artist).
*best friend Jodie - Five Days by Barenaked Ladies and Bad Girl by Donna Summer - We just belt these out when we're together
*Emily - Semi-Charmed Life by Third Eye Blind
*girls in my old 'hood - Hollaback Girl by G. Stefani
*Jack and Lois - Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett
*Curt - Sopranos opening tune and "You've Got a Friend in Me" from Toy Story

2. What would your life's soundtrack be?
Season of Love by cast of Rent - almost makes me cry. Almost makes my kids cry when I belt it out in the van!

3. Which would you prefer: to live somewhere that is hot or to live somewhere that is cold year-round? Why?
Easy - cold. Winter is my favorite season. Plus, you can always put on another layer, but you can only take off so much....

4. Suppose you had twins, a boy and a girl. What names would you give and why?
Corrine for a girl (family name) and Gibson for a boy (my sir name)

5. What's a quote/lyric that describes you right now?
Ooooh, good one:
You can't always get what you want - Rolling Stones - this is what I tell my 5 year old all the time! And sometimes I have to remind myself of the same thing.

10 Things

10 things about Benjy:
1 - He watched me paint my toenails and then he proceeded to color his own with a black ink pen and then a green marker.
2 - He loves to jump and spin in circles
3 - He sings along with the Sponge Bob song: "ba ba ba ba, ba ba ba ba..."
4 - He can draw a crude circle.
5 - His new words of the week are "OK", "door", "hop", "Katie" (his speech teacher), and "noooooo" (like when we're being silly, not mean; that comes out as "nanuhhhhhhh")
6 - He babbles and puts his head down during the blessing before we eat dinner.
7 - He hugs Camden as soon as he gets off the bus from kindergarten.
8 - He HATES to change out of his pajamas.
9 - He weighs 35 pounds.
10 - He likes to ride the "Mommy Escalator" down the stairs and the "Daddy Train" up the stairs.


Here's a lo I did today of Camden at the block party we had before we moved from Delaware. The quote is something he blurted out one day while he and I were taking a walk at Nanna and Grandaddy's in Norton. I loved it so much I recited it over and over and over, which got on his nerves, I believe, because he told me to "forget about it."


Check this out - Camden doing homework! His first homework of the year - reading a little book to us and coloring some of it. :)

Turn on the heat

This pic is for me and Curt - we celebrated our lucky 13th wedding anniversary on Monday. Hard to believe that 13 years ago we were childless, aimless, and just plain living in the moment. What a wonderful journey we've had so far. I can't wait to see where the next 13 plus years take us. :)


Here's a digi layout of one of my favorite things - Benjy's feet! Love those little piggies.

Camden woke me up this morning to tell me he was freezing downstairs. And I'm sure he was. It was about 65 degrees in the house this a.m. with the windows open, about 55 degrees outside. At last, fall is coming!!! I turned the heat on, and let me tell you, there's nothing like the smell of the heat when it cranks up for the first time in months. Actually, this was the first time I've smelled the heat in this house. It's funny what smells can do. This scent took me back to cups of hot cocoa, sweatshirt season, football games, and band practice. Now that it's getting cooler, I can start decorating for fall. :)

Just Ducky

We had the best time today in the Big City. Curt and I made a deal when we moved here that we'd make a point of going into the city at least once a month. Today we took the Just Ducky Tour aboard an amphibious vehicle that goes from land to the river and back to land. We learned so much about Pittsburgh that many Pittsburghers don't even know!

Like, how one river has sand while the other river has mud,

that if it wasn't for the Army Corps of Engineers the rivers would only be 12 inches deep,

that Camden can drive not just a boat, but a DUCK (yes, he got to be one of 6 to captain the Duck!),

that Meriwether Lewis started his journey in Pittsburgh down the Ohio River and met Clark in Indiana,

that George Washington recognized and stated the strategic point of - well, the point - of Pittsburgh where the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers meet to form the mighty Ohio river (that's an SOL for all you Virginians out there).

OK, you get the picture. This was an awesome tour. Even if Benjamin was wide awake through his usual naptime. And Camden felt so proud to pilot the Duck for a bit as we sailed (do you call it "sailing" in a duck?). I'll put up pix tomorrow of our new family captain. What a fun day. And a day that had me actually wondering how cool it might be to live in a big city.

Inspiring blogs and randomness

OK, after surfing among some other wonderful scrapbooking-mom blogs, I've been inspired to take up a challenge and post 5 random things about me today. Here goes:
1) I sprayed Sun In on my hair this a.m. in hopes that it will look like real highlights.
2) I took an hour-long nap today and it felt GREAT, even if my contacts were sticking to my eyeballs when I woke up.
3) I tried on a size 8 capri pants today at Target, and they were a bit snug across the butt. So I tried on a size 10 and they were just right, except they were too big in the waist. Oh well, I can always wear a belt. The sacrifices we make for comfort.
4) I am not good at painting. In fact, I hate to paint. But dh is an excellent painter, and I had the pleasure of sitting back and watching him paint our dining room and kitchen today while I just, well, sat there. By the way, the kitchen is La Fonda olive, and the dining room is Universal Umber (translation - brown). Gorgeous. I could lick the walls!
5) I can't quit watching the news. Right now Larry King is in the midst of a three-hour special on how we can help the hurricane Katrina victims in the south. So sad, so much despair. And yet this makes me feel hopeful that we can rebuild and give these people their community back. God bless them all and grant them peace, security, comfort, and hope.
That's my 5.

Working Mother

I'm a working mother now. And I'm PSYCHED! I got a job at the local KinderCare as a preschool program specialist. It's a true case of being in the right place at the right time. I had taken the boys to a tour of the center, figuring they could stay there while I subbed in the area schools. Well, I happened to ask if they had any openings, and THEY DID! I applied the same day, went through two interviews, and now I'm a working mama.

I've missed work since I quit teaching to stay home with the boys after Benjamin was born in 2003. I don't miss the public school grind of No Child Left Behind (No Child Gets Ahead in my book). But I did miss working in education. This is the perfect job - 30 hours a week, in a preschool/kindergarten setting, and in the same building as Benjamin! This job will give me opportunity for growth, a place in education, still some time at home with my babes, and MONEY for a change. :) Ahhhhhh, back to the working world.

Selflessness

Today I finally got some shots of Camden getting off his school bus! Here he is coming home at 3:50 - excited about his sticker for "having a really great day!!!" This mom's heart swelled with joy for him.

On another note of joy in an otherwise helpless day watching news reports of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina... Camden showed true selflessness today. We were doing our weekly grocery shopping at Walmart (ugh), and Camden was so excited to spend his $3 in allowance money. Well, you sure can't get anything for free these days, and not even for three lousy bucks (except perhaps a gallon of gas, if you're lucky). So he walked away from the toy department empty handed, but not terribly upset. He's thankfully learned the value of saving his money for something really nice, not just a throw-away toy. Well, as were were leaving we spotted an aquarium full of money to be donated to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. I told him what it was for and he quietly, purposefully, and spontaneously put a dollar into the tank. The greeter thanked him, and he told her that his dollar would help those people hurt in the hurricane. I'm so proud of him. Such a big heart for such a little guy. :)