Tot Talk Tuesdays {2}

This week I'm participating in the new weekly meme started by Niecey at The Monkeys and Me. To join in, just click the image above and follow the rules.

I have just a couple cute quotes to share today. First, this week I asked my 3-year-old son to do something and he responded with:

"Yes, your highness!"

I laughed. out. loud! But I have to explain that they watched Tale of Despereaux this week where this phrase is said to the princess. I have to also mention that I read this book way back when it first came out and LOVED it! And believe it or not, I didn't know that's how you even spelled that word (highness) until I looked it up today.

Another quote I'll share from this week is from my 5-year-old daughter. With hubby off work for the summer, we're using every minute to do projects we've been dreaming of for years. This week we pulled everything out of storage (basement, garage, storage shed, and three large closets) and started sorting, organizing, and throwing away -- box by box. So last night our dining room is piled high with boxes and we're driving around town just to have a break from the mess. Hubs announces that we're going to pick something up to eat for tonight.

WHAT?!?!?! They yelp.

"Yes, we're going to pick up fast food "junk food" just for tonight," Daddy says.

Our 5-year-old gasps and announces while blinking a few times, "I don't BELIEVE it! I must be DREAMING!!!!"

What a funny girl! Let's just say that some of the documentaries we've been watching have changed our family eating habits tremendously. LOL

Don't forget, if you want to join in Tot Talk Tuesday, just click the button below. Let's start savoring more these adorable sayings together!!



Click here to join in

A Series of Firsts

As parents of very young children, our lives are continually a series of firsts. Every day is something new for SOMEONE in the family. That's at least one reason why picture taking (and blogging) are so much fun. There are new sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and experiences to be had. And oh how fun it is to see a "first" through a new set of innocent eyes. Simply breathtaking.

This first part of summer has already seen us through a long list of wonderful firsts:

Brayla's first lost tooth (she actually lost two teeth in three days).
Brandon's first trip to dentist.
Brighton's first potty on the toilet (at 14 months old--gotta love EC).
Our first "real" family portrait as a family of 5.
Brayla's first dance lesson.
First eye appointment for Brayla.
First real desk for Brayla.
Daddy's PhD graduation.
First 2009 summer swim.
Brayla's first dentist appointment.
Brandon's first (in a very long time) sleep through the entire night.
Brighton's one-year portraits.
First summer swim lessons for Brayla and Brandon.
Our first whole-family camping trip.
First trip to Storybook Island.
Our first raised garden.
Our first trip to our midwife's new birth office.
Brayla's first eye appointment.
Brighton's first tricycle ride.
Brayla's first bicycle (without training wheels) ride.
First "goodbye" to best friends.
(you can click the above collage to see our "firsts" better)

What firsts are YOU experiencing this summer?

Wordless Wednesday: Brothers (yesterday)

Tot Talk Tuesdays: The Secret to Her Success

This week I'm participating in the new weekly meme started by Niecey at The Monkeys and Me. To join in, just click the image above and follow the rules. I'm so glad Niecey started this meme, because I'd like to record more of the adorable saying I hear from my children each day.

This week's quote is very special because it came right after my daughter's very first independent bicycle ride without training wheels. So first, check out the 15 second video below:



Immediately after I say "ALRIGHT!" she hops off her bike, turns around, and excitedly explains her success by hollering:

"I've been listening to my mommy and daddy!"

I seriously could have kicked myself (if my foot hadn't been injured, that is) for having stopped this video just 5 seconds too early. That would have been SO great to have on tape, dontcha think?! LOL

For everyone else there's moon pie

One box of off-brand graham crackers...

$2.14

One package of large-sized marshmallows...
$ .82

Six-pack of Hershey's milk chocolate candy bars...
$2.50

Sticky, gooey, drippy, messy, so-good-you-just-wanna-lick-em smiles...

P R I C E L E S S!!!

Disclaimer: This post is, in no way, intended to support, celebrate, endorse, or even approve of the use of Master Card or any other credit card. Quite the contrary. Dude, if you don't have $5.46 for s'mores makings just call me and I'm sure we can work something out.

Sunday Citar: Father's Day

It is a wise father that knows his own child.
~William Shakespeare

Happy Father's Day to my grandfather, my father, my father-in-law, my brother, my brother-in-law, and my amazing husband.

Please visit my mom's blog today to see some great shots of some of these wonderful men: http://boomerbabybliss-bfs.blogspot.com

This post is part of Sunday Citar, a blog quote meme created by Fresh Mommy. Click on the image below to see other participants.

YEE-OUCH!!!

During my run this morning I hit a patch of rocky gravel, twisted my left ankle, and fell to the sandy cement where I further skinned up my right palm and bruised my left knee. I could see my left earphone piece had been knocked to the ground, but Coldplay still mocked me in my right ear as I laid motionless on my stomach, willing my body to move. After slowly rolling to my back, carefully sitting up on my bottom, and discovering my multiple sources of excruciating pain, I thought: I sure hope nobody saw that YEE-OUCH!

Why, why, why had I chosen to run in the hidden alley instead of the front sidewalks or roadways?! Yes, I was only 1/2 block from home--but three house-lengths still seemed miles away.

With painstaking limps, I gingerly inched my way home and banged with my might on the backdoor (closest to the alley), catching everyone off guard. Lee practically carried me to the couch--quickly assessing my wounds, icing my ankle, and cleaning up my bleeding hand. All the while, little munchkins tearfully asked if mommy was going to be okay. My sniffling 3 year old snuggled tightly against my side wrapping his body around my left arm, my very concerned 5 year old held a pack of ice on my left ankle, and my 1 year old toddled over, lifted my shirt, and began to nurse (obviously a stress-eater).

After about 20 minutes Lee said something like, "You know, at some point we're going to have to have the discussion on when to take you to the doctor or hospital." I said I wanted to wait this out because all they'd tell me is to "ice the ankle, wrap it tightly, and take some painkillers." But after trying to stand up and discovering I couldn't even move my toes without screaming, I caved. We headed to the clinic by 10:45 and they later sent me on to the hospital around 12:30 while our dear friends watched the kiddos for a couple hours.

You know, I've twisted my ankle a great many times and have never, not once, experienced anything even remotely close to this type of pain. Every bone on my foot seems to hurt to touch or move--every tendon, ligament, and other soft-spot is throbbing. The swelling is seriously unbelievable and I still can't even wiggle my toes without excruciating pain. And this from a homebirther!

By 1:45 my x-rays were completed and the hospital sent us back to the original clinic, now with all three monkeys on-hand climbing the walls and ready to be home. As the doctor rounded the corner and closed the door behind him we braced ourselves for the final results after an exhausting day of medical-room hopping (literally, for me). He leaned against the bed, cleared his throat, and locked eyes with me:

Well, you'll need to ice your whole ankle, wrap it up tightly, and take 800mg of Ibuprofin every 4-6 hours. Come back in 5 days if you're not better.

WHAT did I tell ya?

I'm, like, t o t a l l y a doctor, no?

Beautiful Like Me: Influences

What person or people are the most influential about how you feel about yourself? Who influences you the most to feel beautiful?

This is the second “Beautiful Like Me” post that I’m writing while traveling home from a vacation. I’ve been thinking about this one long and hard and I’ve come to the conclusion that my answer is different depending on what age I was. Probably as a young child, my parents were most influential. Then, as a growing child, I guess I would say those in my school were highly influential over how I felt about myself. Those school days were tough as I had to discover that I wasn’t nearly as special or “beautiful” in school as I was made to feel at home with family. And today, my husband and children influence me most in recognizing my daily beauty and strengths.

It’s funny how things that I used to think would be ugly are now so so beautiful because of my family. For example:

Beautiful belly of stretch-marks: I proudly run my fingers across the stretch marks on my belly. I remember the heart-pounding breathlessness I experienced while watching two blue lines appear on the pregnancy test. I recall the shaky legs that ran me excitedly to my husband, with my pee-covered stick in hand, as undeniable evidence that he had, in fact, given me a baby. And I fondly recall the thrill of carrying healthy, strong, and active babies. I was WAY too excited to run lotion over my belly each day, so my scars honor those months of joy and anticipation.

I am beautiful.

Beautiful rugged fingernails: Today my fingernails are chipped, often shortly trimmed, and filled with all sorts of dirt and grime. When I look at them, I’m reminded that I’ve chosen to be an active mommy. I go to the swimming pool with my children to swim, not to lay out in the sunshine. I go for frequent nature walks where I pick up the rolley-polley or earth worm for the kids to put in their observation jars. My hands frequently wash and comb my daughter’s long, thick hair and braid, twist, and pony it often. My hands dig in deep soil planting herbs and vegetables for my family and I doctor skinned knees, bruised elbows, and clean up the vomit after an unfortunate tummy ache. Who has time for maintaining fingernails when nurturing babies? By the time I’m in a position to have fancy, manicured nails I’ll most undoubtedly miss these days of mess.

I am beautiful.

Beautiful wrinkly smile: As tired as it sometimes may be, my smile is genuine. Today it is slowly being framed by laugh wrinkles. Along the corners of my eyes and etched deeply below my high cheek bones are the fossilized signs of happiness. I smile often watching my amazing family—laughing at my oldest son’s "serious" 3-year-old conversations, my daughter’s delightful 5-year-old homemade songs, my baby's 1-year-old dance steps, and my husband’s amazingly unmatched, quick wit. I heartily laugh, open-mouthed, free, and uncontrollably. Every day my husband and children further develop those deep fleshy folds of laughter.

I am beautiful.

Who influences you most? Parent, friend, society, colleagues, or family? Please join the "Beautiful Like Me" project. This project aims to raise awareness about poor body image and lack of self-esteem in today’s youth. Whether you have children, grandchildren, or encounter youth anywhere in society—you can be an important voice in this project. Every two weeks bloggers are faced with a new question. I hope you'll join in!

Rummage Sales

We've been having an exciting summer. Not only have we been through some fun mini-vacations, some messy fun in the water, and some wonderful house reorganization, but we've also replaced our kitchen faucet (which was leaking all over the kitchen counter), had a demolished garden (eaten by rodents) that we've replanted, and finally we replaced our dishwasher just this week (which hasn't been working for months, but our budget wasn't ready for a new one). I would apologize for not posting, but how silly is that?

Now, on to the post at hand: Rummage Sales. We have a few regular rummage sales in our area that my family visits at least monthly. Most clothing is .25 a piece and they carry all sorts of other knickknacks ranging from picture frames to books to small furniture. We almost always go just for kid's clothing, but this weekend was different. This weekend I got a few unexpected "mommy" things. Just L@@KY HERE!

Cool plant stand! I'll be using these stands for my indoor herb garden where I've already planted cilantro, rosemary, thyme, basil, chamomile, lavender, oregano, parsley, etc.

($2 each side)

Box FULL of new fabric! If you remember, I started making cloth shopping bags and have continued doing so when I have more time and fabric.

($1 for the whole box with 19 fabric patterns)

And my favorite...a gorgeous set of MILK GLASS dessert plates and tea/coffee mugs in MINT condition! This set is an especially excellent find for me because it matches the set of milk glass that was passed down to me through my family. Check out the tall glass and dinner plate set I already owned compared to the small tea cups and dessert plates. Another shot was at the very beginning of this post that showed the combined set. We discovered a couple years ago that my mother-in-law has a cup/pitcher milk glass set that is identical, as well. No kidding!

($3.50 for whole set--10 cups and 8 plates--no joke!)

Ah how I love rummage shopping! Have you found any special rummage or garage sale deals recently?

Wordless Wednesday