small things {slide show}

small things #54 ... slide show

Refreshing Evenings.

All My Favorite People.

Good Food Eaten Outdoors.

Chorus of Laughter.

Retelling of Memories.

Sitting within the circle of the campfire's light, there is room for everyone.  Camp chairs with cup holders, folding chairs with nylon mesh sprung loose and rumpled blankets filled with all my favorite people.  The circle is big.

Amidst the darkening shadows, in the stretch of lawn behind the chairs, little kids play hide-n-seek, older kids throw washer rings at their wooden target - cling!  Girls giggle from within the apple tree, whispered secrets and wishes.  Cousins and friends call out to one another to play.

The sun is flirting with the horizon, slowly settling into the mountain tops.  Pink and orange clouds stretch across the sky - a sailor's delight.  With the coolness of the evening, a slight chill prompts the appearance of sweatshirts and long-sleeved wraps to drape across goose-bumpily legs and arms.  The bugs steer clear of the campfire's smoke but are wooed to the glowing blue bug zapper.  We hear the zit and zat of winged insects flying too close to the light.

I reach across the darkening space to hold hands with Brett, and a small child has found a place on my lap.  The delicate perfume of chlorine in her hair replays in my mind the pre-dinner cannon balls and "watch me, Mom's" at the pool.  We are worn out from water, sunshine and food eaten outside in the fresh air.

In the campfire's flickering light, I see the remains of dinner on my little one's cheeks and chin.  We ate well ... burgers fresh from the grill, sugary sweet corn-on-the-cob, creamy coleslaw with hidden gems of avocado and cilantro, baked beans with bits of bacon, orange Cheetos fingers holding enormous triangles of ice cold watermelon.  So much food, but still room for gooey s'mores.

The darkness ushers the kids toward the circle of laughter.  And the promise of sugary goodness.

Family and friends lean in toward the light, skewers extended with marshmallow gems melting in the heat.  A s'more assembly line forms:  molten sugar, dark chocolate squares and crumbly graham crackers.  Soon the supplies run out and we sit back into our chairs and sprawl out on blankets, sticky and satiated and a little sleepy.

Until the stories begin.

Familiar words weave together to form a slide show in the dark.  Above our heads, above the flickering campfire, memories emerge in the re-telling of well-known tales.  The magical phrases bring to life snapshots from years and days gone by.

... the little girl secretly riding the hot pink yardstick and hiding the pieces away in the closet, hastily glued together.  The surprise and denial when days later Mom discovers her treasure bent at a 30 degree angle.

... two-year old chubby parts looking adorable in a ruffly yellow and pink flowered bikini, lounging pool-side at Cocoa Beach. And the yellowed newspaper clipping of said bathing beauty remembered thirty-five years later.

...  reciting key lines from favorite movies and hearing an echo from across the glimmering circle ~ "sometimes their noses are horns...", "I've got an idea forming in my brain," and "bye, Buddy ... good luck finding your dad..."

... swim team marathons with endless games of Spite & Malice, Saturday night pizza dinners, guzzling green water and never ending recitations of The Princess Bride.

Stories passed around the circle.  Hearts (and bellies) full.  Tired kids listening to the love and laughter among dear friends and family ~ some whom have known me my entire life and others I'll spend the rest of my life getting to know better.

Slide show ... in place of the plastic carousel of slides, a chorus of snapshots woven together telling the story of lives lived together.

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#1 - What five images paint a perfect picture of summer to you?  Put those five images together in a writing piece.

small things {little lyrics}

small things #2 ... little lyrics

Spring has sprung!  And now the trees have been transformed into sweet smelling bouquets of blossoms!  This is my absolute favorite snapshot of spring ... besides the bulbs pushing their way through the dark soil, and the tiny green buds on the Nine-Bark bush by our front door, and the chorus of little birds in the pine tree out front and the grass in the yard flirting with lively green instead of crunchy yellow ...  

Okay, so there's a lot about spring that I like, but the trees exploding with fragrant flowers is the only one I have a little song about!

Lydia cracks me up!  "Yucky!" ... what a turkey.

These little lyrics were passed down to me, sung with aunties and nanas.  And now my girls sing them with me.  In the springtime.  When the trees are filled with popcorny blossoms.  And smell so sweet!

Little lyrics ... a legacy shared, heart to heart.

Loving Well

As a mom, one of my main goals of each day is to love my kids.  It sounds simple enough, but it can actually be a bit challenging.  At any given moment in which I find myself with the opportunity to show love to one of my babies, I am faced with the following obstacles:  loving that particular child in a way that speaks to their heart (speaking their love language),  not competing with the other three children for that child's moment with Mommy, and have the oomph and energy to do it with the right motives.  When I'm able to love that child well, even if for just a few minutes, they walk away a little taller and a little more confident and I feel a stronger connection with them.  It's definitely worth the work.  My love is making a difference in that little person's life.  But sometimes ...


There are days when my kids seem to be pouncing on my every nerve ... at the same time.  These are the days when it’s harder to see that my love is making a difference or whether it’s getting lost in the busy-ness of making meals, cleaning house, taxiing kids and wiping noses.

• Did I give those instructions to “wash up for dinner” in a loving manner, or in a “just get it done” fashion?  
• Did I tuck that little one into bed with loving tenderness, or did I just go through the motions so I could get out the door?
• Did I snuggle my little one enough today ... speaking her love language of touch?  
• Did I sign that lunchbox love note from the heart, or did I just do it because it’s expected?

Gratefully, God knows my heart (both my desire to love my kids well and that I'm stretched pretty thin some days) and He gives me little snapshots of proof that my kids are absorbing the love I give them.

The evidence of my love is in the quick hug at the kitchen sink and the, “Thanks for dinner, Mommy” ... from my independent nine-year old boy, no less.

It’s there in the chubby little smile and out-stretched arms of my two-year old in the morning after a good night’s sleep.  Even if bed-time the night before was a bit of a wrestling match.

It’s there when my five-year old reaches up to hold my hand on a walk, and doesn’t want to let go when we get home.

And it’s there when I find that my seven-year old daughter stores up her many lunchbox love notes in the pocket of her backpack to read again.  And again.


Thanks, God, for my kids ... and the opportunity to invest in their little lives.  Help me to love them well.

This Is What My Mommy Does ...

I know you've heard it said that we moms are our kids first teachers.  As we go about our days, our little ones are watching us and absorbing our every word and every action like little sponges.  Whether we want them to ... or not!  And you can bet that your audience will remember your every action and word and either mimic it or embarrass you with it.  Here's a few examples ...

Last summer (let me re-emphasize that for you .... LAST summer) we went camping as a family.  During one of our snacks, I served some thin-cut salami.  We also had crackers and cheese and fruit ... but what the kids really loved was the salami.  As we sat eating our mid-afternoon munchies, I folded one of my slices of salami in half and then in quarters and popped it in my mouth with the pointed end first.  Much to my chagrin, it didn't fit completely, which then required me to wriggle my lips around to accommodate the entire mouthful.  I will admit that it wasn't the most girly way to eat, but it didn't seem to be a big deal.  That is until Ashley piped up.

"This is how mom eats salami!"

She then proceeded to shove the entire bite in her tiny little mouth and chomp away.  Lovely.  Then followed several giggles around the table, a smirky grin from Brett and three kids all showing me again ... and again ... and again ... how I apparently eat like an ogre.  And it didn't end there.

Just last week, Norah was sitting at the kitchen table having a snack before gymnastics.  While she munched on her food, she turned to her sister and said, "This is how mommy eats salami."  Deja vu.  More giggles.  More shoving.  More chomping.  They are merciless, I tell you.

Ready for another?

Several months ago (it might in fact be an entire year!), Norah caught me washing dishes and sniffling a bit.  Of course, her nervous nelly-belly radar went on and she immediately asked me if I was okay.  I sheepishly nodded and explained that there had just been a song on Pandora that really touched my heart.  Hence the teariness.  She inquired about the song and I went on to explain it to her.  For your benefit, I thought I would include the video here ... so you can sniffle along with me. :)



By the time I finished explaining the beauty of this story about life-long love, huge tears were rolling down my cheeks and I was utterly choked up.  There's nothing quite like the power of a love song!

Norah's response was a bit lacking in the compassion department, however.  When her brother walked into the room, she turned to him and said, "This is how mommy cries ... whaaaaa! whaaa! booo! hooo!" Chuckle, chuckle, giggle.  As soon as Ashley came to the kitchen to find out what all the hub-bub was about, Norah and Aaron shared the news and I have yet to live it down.

Even just last week, I was teared up about something and Norah reminded in an oh-so-not-gentle way of my apparent hysterical response to heart-touching moments.  The little stinker. :)

As exasperating as it is to see your children mocking you - to your face - I can only hope that all the good and meaningful things I do in life will stick with them half as long.  Surely they will be able to look past my apparent faults of eating like Shrek and bawling like Crybaby William and remember how ...

Only Mommy knows how to properly band-aid a boo-boo with just the right amount of sympathy.
Only Mommy knows how to pack the 198th school lunch of the year and NOT forget a love note.
Only Mommy knows how to get the tangles out of syrup hair without causing excessive hair loss.
Only Mommy knows how to listen to the umpteenth recounting of the Clone Wars Mandalorian battle ... and still sound interested.
Only Mommy knows how important it is to have the favorite leotard ready for gymnastics.
Only Mommy knows how to be super excited and grateful about receiving the eighth dandelion bouquet of the week.
Only Mommy knows how to make dinner while at the same time holding a super-tired, super-hungary, super-clingy kiddo.
Only Mommy knows how to smile and sing along with Phineas and Ferb ... all day long.
Only Mommy knows how to fit two kids on her lap and still read the book using different voices for each character.
Only Mommy knows how to dispel bad dreams and bring comfort in the middle of the night.
Only Mommy knows how to distinguish between, "Ho-wee" and "Ho-wee".  (Sometimes Lydia has an owie ... and sometimes she wants someone to "hold me".)

I hope that my kiddos will remember me for how much I love them ... and not just for how I eat and cry. Here's hoping my legacy of love will outlive my chomping and sobbing!

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Be sure to pop over and see "What's for Dinner?" and "Trekking Thru the Bible" in the side bar!

Nana ... In A Hard Hat

When my mom became a grandmother ... she truly came alive!  Not that her life wasn't rich and full before, but suddenly she had a grandma-glow about her.  There is something powerful about watching a grandma hold her newest grand-baby for the first time ... and over time, watching that relationship grow and watching Nana glow even more!

As her daughter, it has been an incredible joy to watch each of my kids love on and be loved on by my mom.  There is a special sweetness to seeing my kids hug and hang on my mom the moment she walks in the door.  Or if we are off to visit her, then upon arrival they immediately begin filling her in on anything and everything they have done in the past 48 hours.  At the same time.  They are excited to be with her!  This enthusiasm is proof that my kids adore Nana and for good reason.  

She is a wonderful listener.  If Norah begins her recount half-way through the story, Nana will listen and figure out just what it is her grand-daughter is trying to tell her.  If Ashley is excited to share her big news about gymnastics, Nana is excited, too.  If Aaron is explaining a new level of Clone Wars that involves a battle with Count Dooku, she will try to be as enthusiastic and interested as he is.  And that's not easy.  Even Lydia and her limited story-telling abilities are rewarded Nana's listening ear.

She celebrates each child's individuality.  My mom is wonderful at celebrating each child for their unique interests and strengths.  She has watched hours upon hours of the girls practicing their gymnastics.  Hours.  She has snuggled Lydia on her lap to look through yet another lift-a-flap book ... for the seventh time that morning.  She has spoken Aaron's love language of Wii-ing and has been know to pull some amazing tricks on the ski slope.  She's particularly skilled on the rails. :)

She isn't afraid to get silly.  And seeing as silliness is the common language among kids, this is probably the most important.  Just for the record, she doesn't just observe their silliness ... she jumps right in.  And I have photographic proof:

This is from a visit to her house in the summer of 2005.  She had picked up this enormous dump truck at a yard sale for the kids.  The two boys loved it and the girls thought it was fun to stand in the back and wave like they were in a parade.  It was a perfect addition to her backyard!

This particular evening, we adults were sitting in the adirondack chairs sipping ice tea and the kids were getting their wiggles out.  And that's when Nana decided to join them.  Hard-hat and all.

I love the goofy smile on Aaron's face and I can still here my mom laughing.  To me, this is a sweet snapshot of Nana ...  loving on her grand-babies and glowing.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

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Prompt #4 ~ Ode to my Mother ...