stuff my kid says.

ah, another day, another need for more than a status update or tweet. tonite at dinner cf cracked me up and also gave me pause with one of "those" moments. i'll start with the funny stuff.

CF: (eating ice cream very slowly)
me: "Charlie, are you done with that?"
CF: "no, i'm just eating slowly. i'm maintaining, so i don't get brainfreeze."
me: (busts out laughing)


later...

i'm cleaning up and come back into the dining room
CF: (singing)"the party don't start till Mom walks in!"
me: (busts out laughing again)

and then...

something came up about CF being a daddy one day when he's grown.
CF: "when i'm a man, i want to be just like daddy".
me: "you will, babe. you will be big and tall and strong, and maybe have a family if you want"
CF: "no, i mean i want to LOOK like daddy"
me: "well, we all look different. we all just look like ourselves."
CF: "i'm talking about all the same colors, like daddy, like pink and orange and stuff."
(ha...is adam orange?)
me: "oohhh, well, i got ya. the thing about skin is that most of us are different colors, and that's a good thing. you will always have brown skin, and dad will always have that pinkish skin, and when you are a man, you will still be brown. your skin is great and it's beautiful."
CF: "aww, thanks, mom."

and that was that.

so not a big conversation, but one of many that are coming. this time though, i didn't panic. i didn't wonder if i said the right things. i didn't overanalyze. he's a kid, asking questions that any kid would ask. i CAN do this, and i'm going to do a good job. i know that now...finally.

i'm learning not to be afraid of the big, bad wolves anymore. i feel sorry for them, mostly.

one more thing he said...
""mom, you crack me up when you dance."

get used to it, kid! ;)

perpetual motion...

for once, i can't fit my thoughts into a tweet or status update...which brings me here, to my sweet blog home. like an old friend who you neglect your time with, even though you love them the best. so much is going on. SO MUCH.
the end of '09/start of '10 has been all about 2 things for me: gifts and change. gifts, mostly in the form of people...i started noticing all these new people coming into my life and i really paid attention to them all, and feel so lucky to have found them...folks like Adam Grubbs, who sweetly looks into my soul and isn't afraid to tell me what he sees. Drew Odom, who inspires me like no one else has, both to help others and listen to what my heart tells me...about gardening, and life. ;) Sandi Bruegger...our instant online connection, and her unbelievable comfort to me in one of my lowest moments. Ashley Woods, who is FUN and spiritual in the best way. Jessie Smith, acquaintance turned superfriend in about 6 days. Amber Bridges, who cracks me up and makes me feel saner.
okay, i know, this isn't the Oscars of Heather's Life as of February or anything. i just wanted to acknowledge a few of the people and look up and say "thanks for them all." i just don't think it's an accident.

as far as change....sometime in the last few weeks, some of the things inside me have clawed their way out. i'm going back to work...i'm finally starting a BIG garden, complete with chickens (because ONE of those gifts Drew gave me were the best eggs i have tasted in my life)...my sweet babies are growing up before my very eyes, and sometimes it hurts more than i'd like to admit. Adam has been home, off work, for several weeks now, and while the money part sucks, the time together has been bliss. i adore him. simple as that. he goes back out tomorrow and i already feel a little ache, but i know it's for the best. with lots of help, i planned one of the best parties, well, ever, i'm pretty sure. i was in a serious car accident with a dear friend last month. i lost 4 fingernails, but gained some incredible perspective. it brings tears to think about it, but i know how lucky we both are. and also, i became blonde. ;)

all in all, we've been a little quieter, a little simpler, and a little slower than we used to, and it's so welcome. i'm turning 30 this summer...what better time to start learning new things and give in to the temptation of fresh veggies, less drama, oh, COUPONING (i know!) and dirty, precious kids running around the yard? this party girl is ready to dig deeper and do more. and i think we need a new home for it all. Adam, who is very into the couponing, warming up quickly to the chickens, and iffy on the gardening, agrees. ;) i'm not saying goodbye just yet. i have a few more posts i want to do, but look for our new space soon, as this TiVo addicted, McNugget eating family tries to make some changes. (disclaimer: we will still be watching TiVo and eating nuggets. ahem).

Have a great week!

every drop counts.

a couple of weeks ago, i rolled groggily out of bed and stumbled over to the sink, as i do each morning. i slapped up the faucet, and was surprised by the spitting, random burst of water that shot out, and then quickly disappeared. i wanted nothing more in the world than to brush my teeth at that moment. we had twenty minutes to leave for preschool if we were going to make it on time. (i never claimed to be a morning person.) i gave an exasperated sigh, and went on with my morning. needless to say, the frustration was immense.



since that day, we have learned that the motor is going out on our water pump for the well we use. there's a trick to getting it to come back on, but it's, well...tricky. i have cussed, i have stomped, and i have pitched total fits about the inconvenience of this problem. when i turn on a faucet, dammit, there should be fresh, clean water at my disposal. that's the way it is, right? i need to do dishes! wash clothes! bathe myself or the kids! water the tree! drink! brush my teeth! flush the toilet! wash my hands!



as these days have passed, i have started to keep a pitcher filled by the sink, in case it goes out. i stopped buying bottled water. i remember a shot in charlie's lifebook video that shows his birthmother with a large plastic jug on her shoulder, beginning the walk to get water. i'm now calm when i make the (much shorter) walk out to the pump house with the screwdriver to turn it back on again. it happens up to 5 times a day. it happens in the cold, in the rain, at night. it's even happened while i was IN the shower. in a few more days, when we are added to county water, and we don't have this problem anymore, i hope i don't start to take it for granted again.



water. it's the most basic human necessity. we need it for almost everything. while we soak in hot, relaxing tubs...gallons of water, someone in the world looks at their thirsty child. can you even imagine? it's not fair. forget not being able to find a certain Barbie doll or Wii game this season. How about not being able to bathe, or take a drink without becoming sick? PLEASE donate something. everyone who contributes to this cause becomes a drop in the well that will be built. enough drops, and we fill it to the top.

Click here to view our page and donate online.

Click here for the Photography Fundraiser Event Information.

Laughing With

so, here i sit, editing my little heart out to Pandora (Bon Iver with a little Ani thrown in) and on comes this Regina Specktor song i had never heard. it gave me CHILLS. as someone who religion is kinda lost on, it made me feel...something. which is progress. i don't know what the something was...whatevs, it's just a good song! listen...

Tree Day!

the Saturday after Thanksgiving holds yet another cherished family tradition. we all go together to get our trees, and hang out at the parents' house and eat oyster stew. it's a good way to round out the first holiday weekend. the girls fuss over every tree before finally picking the perfect one, while the men follow with the saw, eyes rolling. of course, once we get home and have to put the tree UP without killing each other, the fun really begins. ;)
Getting all three kids to smile or even NOT freak out is a feat, but today was a nice surprise.

we get to Brown's Tree Farm and Charlie immediately grabs my hand and pulls me, screaming, over to see who was there. Mallory was perplexed, at best.

the kids loved the pony ride!
















this year, the decorating was much smoother than the past couple of years. looking back over the old blogs (this is my third bloggy holiday!) i can see a big difference. we must be getting better at this. ;)as we were breaking out all the goods, i thought it's so nice to see all these familiar snowmen and singing penguins every year. our holiday decor is NOT fancy. it's mostly dollar store chic. but i like it.
unfortunately, mal conked out and missed most of the action. she had enough excitement for one day, and i'm sure tomorrow the battle of mal vs. tree will commence. sigh. any tips for keeping toddlers out of the tree??
as of now, the kids are snug in thier beds...i'm sipping coffee and trying to keep adam calm as he watches GA, GA Tech. So far, he is no happy elf. ;)
happy decorating!

ThanksGiving-your-family-hell.

i hope everyone had an excellent turkey/tofurkey day. ours was fabulous. we played on the farm, ate way too much, and spent time with the family and friends. there was football, naps, laughter. you know, probably similar to your day...
but this family...must live in fear of the holidays. i found this on awkwardfamilyphotos.com, and it was originally posted last year, so this may be old news, but i just saw it and laughed at least 12 calories off. from the blog listed at the bottom, it appears to be a real email!
can you IMAGINE??

From: Marney
As you all know a fabulous Thanksgiving Dinner does not make itself. I need to ask each of you to help by bringing something to complete the meal. I truly appreciate your offers to assist with the meal preparation.

Now, while I do have quite a sense of humor and joke around all the time, I COULD NOT BE MORE SERIOUS when I am providing you with your Thanksgiving instructions and orders. I am very particular, so please perform your task EXACTLY as I have requested and read your portion very carefully. If I ask you to bring your offering in a container that has a lid, bring your offering in a container WITH A LID, NOT ALUMINUM FOIL! If I ask you to bring a serving spoon for your dish, BRING A SERVING SPOON, NOT A SOUP SPOON! And please do not forget anything.

All food that is to be cooked should already be prepared, bring it hot and ready to serve, warm or room temp. These are your ONLY THREE options. Anything meant to be served cold should, of course, already be cold.


HJB—Dinner wine


The Mike Byron Family
1. Turnips in a casserole with a lid and a serving spoon. Please do not fill the casserole all the way up to the top, it gets too messy. I know this may come as a bit of a surprise to you, but most of us hate turnips so don’t feel like you a have to feed an army.
2. Two half gallons of ice cream, one must be VANILLA, I don’t care what the other one is. No store brands please. I did see an ad this morning for Hagan Daz Peppermint Bark Ice Cream, yum!! (no pressure here, though).
3. Toppings for the ice cream.
4. A case of bottled water, NOT gallons, any brand is ok.


The Bob Byron Family
1. Green beans or asparagus (not both) in a casserole with a lid and a serving spoon. If you are making the green beans, please prepare FOUR pounds, if you are making asparagus please prepare FIVE pounds. It is up to you how you wish to prepare them, no soupy sauces, no cheese (you know how Mike is), a light sprinkling of toasted nuts, or pancetta, or some EVOO would be a nice way to jazz them up.
2. A case of beer of your choice (I have Coors Light and Corona) or a bottle of clos du bois chardonnay (you will have to let me know which you will bring prior to 11/22).


The Lisa Byron Chesterford Family
1. Lisa as a married woman you are now required to contribute at the adult level. You can bring an hors d’ouvres. A few helpful hints/suggestions. Keep it very light, and non-filling, NO COCKTAIL SAUCE, no beans of any kind. I think your best bet would be a platter of fresh veggies and dip. Not a huge platter mind you (i.e., not the plastic platter from the supermarket).


The Michelle Bobble Family
1. Stuffing in a casserole with a serving spoon. Please make the stuffing sans meat.
2. 2.5-3 qts. of mashed squash in a casserole with a lid and serving spoon
3. Proscuitto pin wheel – please stick to the recipe, no need to bring a plate.
4. A pie knife


The June Davis Family
1. 15 LBS of mashed potatoes in a casserole with a serving spoon. Please do not use the over-size blue serving dish you used last year. Because you are making such a large batch you can do one of two things: put half the mash in a regulation size casserole with lid and put the other half in a plastic container and we can just replenish with that or use two regulation size casserole dishes with lids. Only one serving spoon is needed.
2. A bottle of clos du bois chardonnay


The Amy Misto Family (why do I even bother she will never read this)
1. A pumpkin pie in a pie dish (please use my silver palate recipe) no knife needed.
2. An apple pie in a pie dish, you can use your own recipe, no knife needed.

Looking forward to the 28th!!


Marney

(kindly submitted by Kara at http://californiakara.blogspot.com)


i would totally show up with pizza. or Krystals.

keep enjoying your couches, people! it's a looooong, gorgeous weekend.
tomorrow...we break out the Christmas. :)

New Moan.

hehe. forgive the suggestive title, will ya? you know you twilight freaks REALLY go for the boys. and i do mean BOYS. several times during the movie, i almost slapped myself. "he is SEVENTEEN! calm yourself!" phew.

okay, so the movie. due to my first ever peer pressure experience where i was NOT the person doing the pressuring, my girlfriends and i decided at the last minute to see the midnight preview. i also had tickets for friday night, so OKAAAY, i went again. i should be able to put together a proper review. if you have not seen it, and plan to...here's a hint. don't read this. i'm going bullet style, 'cause i got no review skills.

-i really, really liked the movie.

-i didn't feel AS giddy as i did watching Twilight, but i realize that New Moon is in fact, better.

-i thought the actors did MUCH better this time. Kristen Stewart didn't fidget quite as much, Taylor Lautner seemed much more confident, and Rob Pattinson, well. I mean, he IS Edward.

-Taylor Lautner's body. (please, i know, it's sick. don't report me.)

-spirit Edward was a little cheeseball, but i got used to it. i LOVED the vision of he and Bella, underwater after she jumped off the cliff. The whole underwater scene was really cool.

-i loved when the Volturi painting started to move. it was visually beautiful, and a great part of the story.

-Aro and Jane kick total ASS. best bad guys evah. well, except Lestat. cmon.

-The comic relief was great again. without Mike, Eric, and Jessica, the movies would be totally laughless. other than a couple good cracks by Alice.

-i loved that i found myself rooting for Jacob at times. that's how good some of his and Bella's scenes together were. i felt like a traitor, but man, it felt good!

-the CGI was "eh", but i didn't care. the wolves were awesome.

-when jacob phased in mid-air, even though it was in the trailer i saw 586 times, i was pumped. such a good, suspensful moment.

-victoria bored me this time, other than the water scene.

-some of the camera work made me dizzy! when Bella lies down in the woods, i got quesy, and that never happens to me. also when sam jumps off the cliff. eeks.

-i missed the other Cullens. one of my favorite things about Twilight was all the Cullen time. here they were not as involved, but it is true to the story.

-what the heck happened to Edward's silver Volvo?

-i thought emo Bella was great, and really sad. she could have looked a LITTLE more haggard, but i thought it was fine. the nightmare moments were heartbreaking!

-watching Bella come back to life as she and Jake worked on the bikes was adorable...

-but it was weird when she threw the slice of pizza and he caught a tool.

all in all, i enjoyed New Moon. i'm not nearly as Twihard as i was last year, but it's still a really fun escape. and big thanks to my Adam for going with me and only making minimal jokes throughout. ;) bring on Eclipse, June 20th!!