GRRRR

I was just 3/4 done with this post.  Tried to delete one picture and add one and somehow I ended up with the ENTIRE POST DELETED EXCEPT THIS PICTURE:

(photo by Calvin)

Due to my current annoyance with Blogger and/or myself and my already semi-wasted morning at this computer, I absolutely refuse to rewrite it.  Enjoy the pics of my adorable kids.  I am going to slam some laundry in the washing machine and grumble under my breath in the basement until I feel better.

 (photo by Tate)

Yup.  Feels like a Monday...

Hot

Photo by my sister, taken at her lovely pool.

It's been hot, people.  I know you all know this as half of you probably live somewhere that is even hotter than here.  But hot is awfully hot when you don't have central air and you are fighting a crazy algae problem in your tiny Intex pool because, well, it's been so dang hot.  Thankfully your sister's pool is dreamy and 40 minutes away does not seem at all unreasonable on a 96 degree day, especially when you can sit in your air conditioned car for those 40 minutes.  This morning is the first time my house started out below 80 in over a week.  And, what am I doing in these cool moments when I can finally move and not feel I am breathing through a stuffed sack?  Drinking hot coffee and wasting time on the computer, of course!  No sense in getting used to it.  It will be back up over 90 by the weekend.  

I have not been creative.  I have not been taking pictures, or sewing much, or doing much of anything except washing a lot of soggy towels and dreaming up things for dinner that don't really require cooking but no one will try to tell me "that's not SUPPER!!!!"  So far, hot dogs and popcorn were my biggest hit.  Now if I can just convince Mike that ice cream IS an acceptable dinner, even when they have a baseball game ;-)

I broke down and bought my kids a Wii game at Big Lots yesterday, something I almost never do.  Actually, that sentence was two things I almost never do:  take my kids to a store and buy them nonsense without a special occasion to prompt it.  The thing is, it was cheap.  And, truthfully, it's eye candy for me.  If you have not seen the art from Kirby's Epic Yarn and you are a crafter of any sort you have to check it out.  I want to live in this game:  entire worlds appear made of fabric and felt and yarn and buttons and sequins.  Woods, fields of flowers, underwater caverns, robots and soldiers, butterflies and treasure chests.  I might even have to play this game... right after I wash a load of towels.

Not Gone But, Possibly, Forgotten :-)

Well, here I am again.  Has it really been since May?  It's been a busy time and, I suppose, that is mostly my reason.  Still, shortly after my last post, my Daddy had a stroke.  I think that was a hard word for me to type out.  It is a scary word and the sort of thing I don't share much of in this space.  And, I guess I don't need to share it at all.  But I couldn't write about it and I sort of couldn't write about anything else without saying it.  I won't go into all the details, but I will say that Dad is doing well and is well on his way to a full recovery.  We all felt very blessed that it wasn't any worse than it was.  He had no cognitive damage and really only lost coordination in one leg.  Even that has come back around and I thank God that I am able to say that.  

The rest of life was a whirlwind of the end of school, gearing up for VBS, and all the usual nonsense of life with three active kiddos.  

Ellerie graduated from preschool

I recovered my kitchen chairs

Cal made a boat for Floatilla at school.

We played baseball and played with friends.

 And took pictures of new brothers.

We (rather, I) survived VBS week and really enjoyed it.  

Now, I am finally unburying myself from the wreckage of these busy days.  Piles of laundry and dirty dishes are fading and even some of the clutter.  I am keeping busy to catch up, but also to avoid thinking TOO much about my oldest being away at camp for the first time.  AHEM.

End of the Week

Things have stayed nice and busy here.  Last weekend was my Daddy's birthday.  Here he is, playing football with his (then) littlest grandson, Milo

We had a nice cookout and perfect weather and a cool place in the shade for Milo's very pregnant Mama.

Mother's Day was filled with hugs and silly gifts and cards and a giant pancake for breakfast.  I am now the proud owner of several coupon books which I can, supposedly, cash in for things like kisses (no problem) back rubs (hmmm.. I'm guessing about 5 seconds worth) and picking up or cleaning (fat chance).  Probably I should have tried to use them all on Mother's Day, when they were still trying to be good and impress me!

Ellerie and I put together some thank you gifts for her preschool teachers.  I just ADORE these little lined bags I've been making.  

I don't normally go all crazy with teacher gifts, but these ladies have been in our lives for 6 years now and this is it.  No more preschool (Yay! because I'm sick of being the bus... but boo! because I have grown to love these teachers and will truly miss them for many reasons.)

This week preschool was a nice blessing though.  My previously mentioned, very pregnant, sister-in-law gave birth to my parents' NOW youngest grandbaby, Elias this week.  (Note how close to MY name that is, ahem.) He came at just the perfect time for me to drop Ellie at school and sneak off to see and hold him just hours old.  I had no pangs of wanting one again, for sure, but still that new little miracle is beyond incredible.  Every time.

And, look how well he knows his Aunt Lissa, even as new as this!  Pretty sure he is already thinking, "Why are you pointing that black thing in my face and flashing lights in my eyeballs, woman?"  

Well, get used to it little man, get used to it.

Liddle Things

Last  Saturday my oldest nephew got married.    It was a lovely little wedding, which we barely made it to... me in my gorgeous fancy dress and grungy flip flops as I flew out of the car, forgetting my pretty shoes, just in time to walk in behind the bride as she headed up the aisle.  Ah, this IS how I roll.

 We had a very nice time though.  Simple,  beautiful, true.  Amazing to see this young couple with 

such 

love 

and faith.  I'd wish them luck, but they don't need it.  They are seriously grounded.

I managed to sneak in a small bit of Aunt Liss-made with some other goodies for their gift.  Laundry powder in an awesome little sack made from this tutorial.  

Meanwhile, Blogger is putting my pictures and words in weird, uncontrolled- by- me, places.  Apparently I am not quick to adjust to the new style/features.  I feel confused.  I am truly not computer savvy and do not like it much when things change.  Why does my text keep showing up as a link??

 Hopefully I'll get the kinks out before I hit publish, but  just to be clear, the first paragraph will not take you anywhere on the web....

Ups and Downs

I used to feel like a bit of a real blogger. A bit of a writer. A bit of a crafter. A bit of a photographer. I felt plugged in to this community and it was pretty cool. I liked knowing that others thought I had something worthwhile to say. I liked being published, even if I was my own publisher.

Lately I don't feel like I have as much time to be creative, in any form. I feel like a mother and a friend and a housekeeper. I feel like the household Office Manager, the Social Director and the laundry maid all rolled into one. How did I even find the time for this space before? Just keeping my kids belly's full and their bodies clothed feels like a full time job!

I suppose this is all the ebb and flow of life. Sometimes I miss it here and sometimes I could care less. I still have a little dream, tucked in my back pocket, that I might make a little cash being creative... someday. And there are a few of you out there I've made some real friendships with... I'd hate to miss out on you. So, no, I'm not going anywhere. Not really. But clearly I am here less.

Still, in the past year, I've been fighting a slight case of The Slumps. And, as Dr. Seuss noted "unslumping oneself is not easily done." I've been here before, but why now? Things are really pretty okay. Is it because I have been repressing my more creative outlets for the more mundane duties that drive our days? Is it lack of a true job and worry about how that will play out next year? Is it the constant chaos I seem to be surrounded by, even when I feel like I've barely sat down all day? Is it my stupid hair that I paid to have highlighted last month but already has awful roots because it grows like a weed and I already think I should color it again but I am mad because I don't want to color over the highlights yet? Speaking of weeds... is it the hideous weed and moss and mole infested sand pit desert that is my entire yard? I digress and the kids don't care.  It's perfect for building fake fires and tearing holes in your pants.

Clearly, I have some things gnawing at the edge of my brain and emotions. Luckily or unluckily, most days I don't feel I have much time to dwell on them.  And rather like my insides, the outside has had it's own ups and downs.  This was my back yard last week.  How many pictures can I take of this tree??

Maybe not enough.  We lost one bigish branch.  And later in the day (through my window because it was hailing) I noticed this giant crack running along the branch the kids use to get up into the tree.  Hoping it isn't the beginning of the end of this lovely maple.  It is the only nice thing currently in my back yard.

And after the tree got me down and a whole lot of my own nonsense, I decided to pull up my bootstraps and make something.  Something small I've been saying I would do since September!  I pulled my sewing machine out of the jumbled (yes, again) back room and put it in my bedroom.  I had the kids pick fabric and I made them little wallets.

Calvin had one before.  He used it to bring lunch money to school but something happened to it.  And I had been telling Tate all year I would make him one.  Really, something akin to a 20 minute project and I just couldn't motivate myself to do it.  So they all got one.

Man, did it feel good.  So simple and so satisfying.  I did something.  It was fun.  It stayed done.  SO MUCH better than laundry and dishes.  Why have I been depriving myself of this feeling?  I don't know how much time I can carve out for creative endeavors but I do know I need to force myself to begin them for my own sanity.

But, for now, laundry awaits... 

High Five

Baby Bird, your 5th birthday has come and gone but no worries... you get to be five the whole year!

You celebrated in your social fashion, inviting whole families from church and the neighborhood for play and treats

and some wonky rainbow cupcakes. A cute idea we, once again, pilfered from some more creative baker on the internet.

You did not get your rainbow popcorn. Sorry. But I did manage the paper boats, which I would definitely do again!

Superstar?

Oh yes, you are!