Flashback

A friend just sent me this, from almost two and a half years ago. 

"And though she be but little, she is fierce"~ Shakespeare

To the woman on the phone at the doctor's office:

When I called you at the end of my rope and you squeezed me in, only to call back 20 minutes later when I realized I had no booster seats, I was pretty much at rock bottom. 

Had you given me a hard time, I'm pretty sure I would have hung up in tears.

But when you stopped me mid-fifth-apology and said, "Honey, we're all just hanging on" well...

I don't know if you meant to, but you helped me catch my breath.



Thanks.

E-I-E-I-O

This past weekend, we spend some time at Old McDonald's Farm.  And that is really what it's called.

And it was so much fun! 

It was a little warm for Fall, but as the evening settled in it over the mountains, it was perfect.  

There were animals to see and pet- including my favorite, baby cows!

The girls loved sliding and playing in giant corn cribs (Little Sister especially, she kept asking if we could come back to them again & again).  

We rode a hayride to a real pumpkin patch where they were just snipped from the vine and left for us to choose. We also bought little tiny pumpkins, three for a dollar, and sent them flying from a slingshot. (Not all of them. My little hoarders had to keep a few. I may or may not have started it...)

The hay mazes were a fun challenge to conquer, but the corn maze, well-  we may or may not have turned around and somehow managed to come out of the entrance. I did not mind.


We didn't take a real camera, just our phones. My hubs has an iphone, so his pics are pretty decent. But my phone is a pitiful little fella.  So some of the pics are kinda blurry.  Oh well.  

Sometimes it seems that the best memories we make in our little family are recorded with just a few sub-par photos and lots of precious moments being recorded only in our minds and hearts.

And blogs. Of course.

  

Been a long time...

So, it has been 2 and a half YEARS since I've blogged.

I used to make posts like "wow, I've not been on here in a while" when I missed a few months.  But years?

It's like coming back from, well, I don't know what.  I was going to say something like a serious sports injury, but let's be honest, I have NO idea what it would be like to play sports on any sort of competitive level, let alone be injured doing so.

But you know what I do have an idea about?  Coming back from a fog. Where the to-do list and the overwhelming pressure of life- especially this whole "shaping-human-beings" part of it- seemed like more than should have ever been trusted to you.  Where you felt like half of yourself and you just barely made it through some days. And other days, you blogged to remind yourself of the good stuff.  Because there were moments when the face of God shone through and you felt hope.  You knew you'd see the other side of this.  And you also felt terror because on the other side, there would be no do-overs. No going back.  They'd be bigger, and the moments would have passed you by.

Every time some well-meaning older mother passed you in the grocery store (or as you dragged your kicking & screaming child out of the bookstore) and said "Enjoy every minute, it all goes by so fast," you think she meant to offer encouragement.  What really happened, though, was that she piled on more pressure. Pressure to savor. Guilt for wanting to just. get. through.

And really, two and a half years does go by in the blink of an eye. And there are things you missed, mistakes you made, moments you skipped through for sanity's sake, rather than savoring and storing up for later.

Now.

Later is now.

And there is sadness, and a little guilt for those things you missed, in those early days.  But also a little relief. Not only that the fog seems to be lifting, slowly, rolling away with the passing years, but also that you were not alone in your experience. You see evidence of this everywhere:

Facebook friends with children younger than yours post about diaper explosions, sick children, sleep woes, fears and frustrations. You remember. But only through the fog. Perhaps skimming through some memories wasn't so bad...

You read blog after blog from moms- encouraging each other to keep going, to see meaning in the mundane, to love & lift each other in prayer and fight the pressure of Pinterest. (And you thank GOD Pinterest wasn't the thing it is now some four years ago to add to those unhealthy mom expectations you already came up with on your own).

Ann Voskamp described it like this:
Yesterday morning, the morning before, all these mornings, I wake to the discontent of life in my skin. I wake to self-hatred. To the wrestle to get it all done, the relentless anxiety that I am failing. Always, the failing. I yell at children, fester with bitterness, forget doctor appointments, lose library books, live selfishly, skip prayer, complain, go to bed too late, neglect cleaning the toilets. I life tired. Afraid. Anxious. Weary. Years, I feel it in the veins, the pulsing of ruptured hopes. Would I ever be enough, find enough, do enough?

You see it.  And you know.

This mom thing is hard.  When you love a little creature as much as you do, you want to do it right.  All of it.  Especially when you have a degree in little people, forgoodnesssakes. And sometimes, without realizing it, getting it right can become more important than the love that motivated you in the first place.  And things get... well, foggy.

Sure, at times there was more going on than just high expectations.  There were chemical, hormonal, physiological things at play in the lowest moments.  But those high expectations on their own were probably enough. Enough to cripple you. Set you back and make you want to give up. For good.

Because you want to get it right, and no mom can do that all the time because you're wrangling tiny, imperfect little human beings with their own fears and failures and expectations, all thrown in with your own.

You know what grace is.  Try to teach it to your kids.

But you didn't remember very well to extend it to yourself.

And that? That's one of your biggest regrets. You wish you had taken a deep breath and let. it. go.  Not just their fits and the messes and the missed photo opportunities.  Your fits. Your messes. Your human-ness.

And, ironically, that's where you kind of want to be like that well-meaning older mom.  You're starting to understand her- although you're not yet out of the trenches yourself.  You want to hug your friends with tiny ones.  You want to hand them a cup of coffee and tell them that it will get better.  The nighttime feedings, the terrible twos, the big-girl-bed-drama will all be over soon.

You want to shout it.  Not to add pressure.  To relieve some.

To tell them what it has taken you so long to only begin to figure out:

Moms have a lot of responsibilities and a lot of things to do.  But being perfect isn't one of those.  Only One is perfect and His grace is sufficient for you, if you remember to accept it. If you remember that no, you don't deserve it, but that's why it's there.

So the fog rolls away, though it goes slowly and is sometimes still thick in spots.  And a stone rolls away with it.

Because isn't that what Jesus wants to give us? New life, abundant life- where the only "burden" is to learn from & follow Him.  To be free from "doing right" and to be free to love well.

It sounds simple. And it is.

But it's also hard. Not only because your kids are as stubborn and particular as you are- your payback as the adults who-knew-you-when like to say. Yes, there are still battles to be fought.

But it's also hard because old habits, long-lived expectations, lies you've told yourself for years- they die hard.  And they have to die daily.
Yes, you're coming back. And like that athlete (about whom you can only speculate) you're going to have to work hard.

And maybe even blog about it...







PS-  Here are the descriptions of my kiddos that were on the side of my blog until I updated it today.  In case you needed additional evidence of how time truly does fly...

Little Sister:  The silly face-making, super snuggle giving, crazy song-lyric replacing, almost always bouncing, almost never sleeping, sweet, fiery, funny two-year-old beauty.

Big Sister: The much-girlier than me, Barbie-obsessed, exceptionally reading, always dramatic, usually compassionate, wonderfully imaginative 5 year old perfectionist.

Long day...

This was the last blog post I wrote-  back in the spring of 2011.  I never published it.  But it was kind of funny, two years later, so I'm going to publish it now.  I hope ALL of these dramatic days will be as mildly amusing as this one, someday...





I'm writing this first part before throwing in the towel and going to bed.  I'm really, really, REALLY hoping that I'll wake up tomorrow and laugh at this. Or at least have some wisdom and perspective after a good night's sleep.

I pretty much spent all day being yelled at by kids.

That was my day.

Okay, some of the kids weren't yelling.  Just calling my name and asking for a tissue or to be line leader or if it was their turn or why the computer bit the dust again or for someone to take them to the bathroom.  Those were other people's kids.  I took care of them and then sent them home to someone else.

And then, at my home... that's where there was yelling.

Actually, first I went to the dentist. So, no yelling.  But a lot of drilling and that crazy-annoying suction thing that pinches your tongue and the back of your throat.  Oh- and waiting in a super-cold room with no great waiting room magazines and nothing but fox news on the television.  If it weren't for the gas, I never would have made it.

Then I came home and tried to get a little housework done before my family got home.  I painted.  I tackled the box in the back of my closet that started collecting (years ago, according to its contents) all of the junk that had no other home.  Am I the only one with a box like that?

When the kids came home and I reminded Big Sister she had dance, she lost her leotard-wearing mind. I think it was mostly hunger, but she and her sister have both had a very hard time with self-control lately.

This was evidenced by Little Sister's Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde moment on the way to get Big Sis after her dance class.  One minute she was singing sweetly, telling me about the "mean girls who tore Cinderella's dress" and how the "Bibby-bobby-bow lady gave her a new one."  The next, we pulled into the parking lot and she started screaming for me to turn around and leave her sister there.  She wanted me to unbuckle her and let her out so she could "run away."  She wouldn't wear shoes, and I had to wrestle a messy ponytail in her hair to walk in and get Big Sis without looking like she log-rolled all the way from our house to the studio.  The dance teacher gave both girls M&Ms, but Little Sister got mad that I didn't buckle the car seat precisely the way she wanted it done (we're pretty sure she has OCD) and threw them on the floor.  We rode all the way home listening to screams of "PICK THEM UP!" and  "UNBUCKLE ME AT THE STOPLIGHT!" and "I'M TRYING TO REACH THEM WITH MY FEET!" and, of course, "I DON'T LIKE YOU!"

When we finally got home (the ride seemed endless) Little Sis did not want to get out of the car or pick up her candy, but she finally started picking up the M&Ms (did I mention they're the mini kind?) one at a time.  We were making slow but steady progress when Big Sister came outside and started running big circles around the van, the yard, and us.  She had to use the bathroom, and it was an emergency.  I reminded her than she has been going to the bathroom by herself for almost 3 years now, and sent her back inside.  A few more seconds passed and she came out again, even more urgently.  She said she didn't know how to take off her leotard and tights, and I quickly showed her that it is just like taking off a swimsuit or dress-up tutu (both of which she wears- and removes- often).  I also explained that I couldn't leave Little Sister alone in the driveway, picking candy out of the car.

I thought Big Sister had gone inside and figured everything out.  But then she came out again, doing the pee dance.  And before I could do anything other than fuss, "JUST TRY TO TAKE IT OFF! YOU'RE WASTING MUCH MORE TIME COMING OUT HERE!" she peed.  On the porch. And stood there in it, lifting up the little dance skirt and looking down at the growing puddle.

Seriously?  I rushed Little Sis in, banished Big Sister to the bathroom to get cleaned up, grabbed the watering can and tried to wash away the pee puddle, and tried not to cry. Or kick anything.

We came in and had a snack; Little Sis repeated her new mealtime mantra: "I only like candy and kool-aide and cantaloupe. I don't like food." Attempting to get her to eat anything else was futile. Bedtime provided even more battles and even more heel-digging.  I feel more like a general than a mom, planning strategy and which battles to fight and which to let go in order to still win the war with no casualties.  I'm not really a war person.  And it is wearing me out.

Can you say "triste?!"

Here is how you know that your daughter has watched a few too many episodes of Dora:


I was pushing Little Sister on the swing, after we walked through the yard and navigated through a portion of the yard that the dogs especially like to use for their, er, potty.

Little Sis says, "Watch out for dog poop!"

No big deal. I say that all the time.  (Too much really.  I should probably get out the pooper scooper more often instead of advising my kids to tread carefully. But I digress...)

But then she said, "If you see dog poop, yell, 'Dog Poop!'  Do you see some? You do?  Where is it?  Is it in the tree? When you see it, say 'Dog poop!' Okay?"

It was less of a conversation and more of a recitation.  An incredibly silly and kind of gross recitation, at that. But creative, right?  And cute.

But... yeah, we should probably say, "Adios" to that show for a little bit.

Church Easter Celebration

 

Song for Palm Sunday: We long for You

 Hosanna

by Paul Baloche

Praise is rising, eyes are turning to You, we turn to You

Hope is stirring, hearts are yearning for You, we long for You

'Cause when we see You, we find strength to face the day

In Your Presence all our fears are washed away, washed away

Hosanna, Hosanna

You are the God Who saves us, worthy of all our praises

Hosanna, Hosanna

Come have Your way among us

We welcome You here, Lord Jesus

Hear the sound of hearts returning to You, we turn to You

In Your Kingdom broken lives are made new, You make us new

'Cause when we see You, we find strength to face the day

In Your Presence all our fears are washed away, washed away

Hosanna, Hosanna

You are the God Who saves us, worthy of all our praises

Hosanna, Hosanna

Come have Your way among us

We welcome You here, Lord Jesus

'Cause when we see You, we find strength to face the day

In Your Presence all our fears are washed away

Hosanna, Hosanna

You are the God Who saves us, worthy of all our praises

Hosanna, Hosanna

Come have Your way among us

We welcome You here, Lord Jesus

Catching up

Here are the highlights (and some lowlights) of the past few weeks:

• Big Sister had her first dental appointment.  Yeah, we're a little late on that, but she got a great report.  I however, had to come back to get my gums cleaned.  It was not fun, and I didn't even get a cool dolphin toothbrush or Spongebob toothpaste like she did. 
• The weather has been crazy! When it wasn't raining, we spent lots of time outside. Big Sis is getting great at riding her bike and Little Sis is working on the tricycle.  When it did rain, well, it poured. And stormed.  Which leads me to the next thing:
• We're getting a new roof.  Only, our insurance will only pay to replace the front side.  Fun.  
• I had a doctor's appointment, followed quickly by an ultrasound and mammogram, followed almost as quickly by a biopsy.  Scary times, but the results were good. 
• Big Sis had strep. Only her throat didn't hurt at all and her only symptom was an increasingly stubborn and high fever.  She made her first visit to PM Pediatrics.  She also found out that she is allergic to yet another antibiotic. Yay.
• Little Sister started talking like Adelaide from Guys & Dolls.  Or one of the three stooges.  I can't decide. Her R's are more like Y's. She says things like "foyst" instead of "first." I don't know where it came from.
• My Hubby is gearing up for softball.  Which means our lives are about to get crazier.  And we're about to be eating a lot of pizza and hot dogs leftover from the concession stand. 
• Big Sister was referred to be tested for the accelerated program at school.  We're super proud.
• The girls spent Spring Break in Ohio with my parents.  They had a lot of fun and got to visit with lots of special people.  Hubby and I used the child-free time to paint our bedroom and master bath and get ready for more home improvements.  Then we went up to get the girls, at which time I cleaned out & packed up my bedroom at my parents' house and we brought home a U-haul of boxes and furniture.  Which are now sitting in our garage...
• The girls are slowly returning to whatever semblance of routine we have here in crazytown.  I'm having to fight & win a lot of battles.  Little Sis says she "doesn't like me."  But then she wants me to sit in her room while she falls asleep.
• I consigned a lot of clothes at the Spring sale in town, but didn't work this year.  I'm expecting a good check when everything is all said & done!
• We've been working in the yard a lot.  We planted another pear tree, started some veggies in pots, set up a hummingbird feeder, and made one more attempt at a flower bed in the backyard.  After about three days, Sophie dug up both rhododendrons and "pruned" them.  To nubs. Argh.
• The girls have watched Tangled over & over again since we bought it. It's okay, though.  Even I was started to get tired of Ponyo. 
• I wrote a post about depression in mommyhood on our Muddy Mamas blog.  You can read it here.  And while you're there, check out what all the other cool gals have posted lately.
• I'm finally getting the Easter decorations out and rethinking this whole "seasonal decorations are so much fun" thing I went through a few years ago.

 There.  Now we're all caught up.

A month

I know.

It has been almost a month since I last updated this blog. Why?  I'm not sure.  A combination of busy-ness, preoccupation with other things, and a classic case of writer's block, I suppose.

For starters, I gave up Facebook for Lent.  Those of you who know me well know that this was almost like trying to give up sweets. (Which my husband attempted, by the way. It didn't last.)  I am a Facebook addict.  I actually deactivated my account so that I didn't 1) accidentally forget and check it one day since it is my "default" setting and 2) find some "legitimate" reason to check it that was work or emergency related.

What I've found while away from Facebook is that the ego-centrism that Facebook promotes (getting on facebook and telling the entire world that you accidentally bought whipped peanut butter or cried during Gray's Anatomy, as if anyone needs to know these things) has become the opposite.  Now I feel disconnected and insignificant.  Other people, my friends, are sharing jokes and swapping opinions that I am missing.  And they are not missing me.  The Facebook world goes on just fine without my sharing the cute little things my kids said throughout the day. 

It made me wonder if blogging was equally insignificant.  If it really mattered at all.  Try posting cute pictures of your kids with that going through your head.

The truth is that I started this for myself and for my girls.  To remember these quickly passing years in our family with more than just pictures, but with scenes and reflections.  So, I guess I'll go on sharing that Sophie stole the snack bag from our Ohio trip out of the pantry while we were watching Rio with friends, and that she ate three bags of trail mix, a pop tart, and lots of applejacks.  I'll write about how I woke to find Little Sis standing in my doorway last night, and when I asked her why she was in my room and what she needed (like ten times) she finally answered, "I don't know the truth, mom."

Neither do I, Little Sister.  But I'm trying to figure it out.  And put it into words to keep.  For you. For me.

We care.

Heard at our house...

Little Sister:  Dad, can we jump on the couch?
Daddy: No.
Little Sister:  (turning to Big Sister) Let's jump on the couch!!
Daddy:  Noo!
Little Sister:  I wasn't talking to you.



Mommy: (wiping Little Sister's nose) Is your nose still icky? The medicine I gave you should help it to stop running.
Little Sister:  Yeah, we just want to help it to be walking.



(Mommy is closing the windows and curtains in the girls' bedroom before tucking them in.)
Big Sis:  Mom, why are you closing the windows? If I get hot, I might have a bad dream.
Mommy:  I know it's hot, but I can't leave the windows open in your room at night.
Big Sis:  Why? We don't want stuff to get in?
Mommy: Yeah, sort of.
Big Sis:  Like bugs? And bees?
Mommy: Yes, we don't want that-
Big Sis:  And ninjas.



Little Sis:  Mom, get your hug & your kiss & your cheers!
(Little Sis gives Mommy the most precious kiss & hug, and then sticks out both of her hands.  One is saying "I love you" in sign language.  The other is... trying. )
Mommy: Cheers. (she presses her "I love you" fingertips against Little Sister's tiny ones).
Little Sister:  You can just kiss this hand.  It doesn't work.  It's not cheers.  It's... cheerios.

Wee little greetings

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Why is it?

There are a lot of big things in the world I don't understand, like the tsunami in Japan or cancer or hunger. I can (and do) get pretty depressed thinking about those things.  But there are also some smaller, sillier things that keep me up at night. I thought I'd share some of these perplexing questions.  

Why is it...

• that daylight savings time even still exists?! I mean, I'm glad Little Sis isn't waking up with the sun anymore, but now she won't go to bed while it's up, either.  And Big Sis tries to insist every morning that she is "more tired" than anyone else. I'd LOVE for her to hop inside this old mama body for a few minutes.  I'm pretty sure she'd never, ever say that again.
• that my children are suddenly waking up in the night again?  In two weeks, I've had ONE night where I didn't have to put one or both of them back into their beds. 
• that I could be dead to the world, but as soon as I'm awake, I can't go back to sleep without an act of congress?  
• that Big Sister keeps her bike helmet on even when she isn't on her bike anymore?  How does she not feel that ginormous, pink & purple Barbie monstrosity when she is running through the yard, swinging at a baseball, or (seriously) eating dinner?!
• that every outdoor cat in our neighborhood acts like our backyard is a major thoroughfare?  It's like we've got catnip growing in the wooded area behind our fence! Poor Sophie absolutely loses. her. mind. when she sees a cat.  And the thing is, the people who would probably complain about our barking, squealing, out of control dog are most likely the ones whose cats are trotting past at all hours of the day.  Don't get me wrong, we have a cat.  I'm a cat person.  That's why I'd prefer my dog not eat one. Kitties be warned!
• that (speaking of cats) the water in the glass on my nightstand is so much more appealing to the cat than the water in her bowl?  I'll admit it was kind of cute the first time I woke up in the middle of the night and found Keaton getting a drink with her head so far in my big glass that I thought she might still be there in the morning. But when the cup happened to be a disposable one and she spilled it over the floor, or when she jumped up last night as soon as I set it down and before I took my medicine...  well...  listen, cat. You've got your own water.  Stay out of mine.  Unless you want me to turn you loose in the backyard to fend for yourself like apparently every other cat in the neighborhood. 
• that I have already eaten the two boxes of Thin Mints I ordered this year? I am a walking target for those sweet girl scouts sitting outside the grocery store.
• now that Big Sister is taking dance on Tuesday evenings, that everything seems to be on Tuesday night? Tuesday never felt like a popular day before, but now, I seem to be missing out on everything!
• that I paid someone $10 plus tip to "trim" Little Sister's hair so little that I had a hard time even finding a lock of hair to put in her baby book.  Seriously.  It looks like NOTHING happened.  And I was so confused I just said, "um... sure" when she asked (after cleaning her up, taking her out of the chair, and ringing us up) if she "took enough off." If by "enough" you mean "nothing", then my "um... sure" stands. 
• that with the girls in two different schools, the number of fundraisers seems to have quadrupled?  Is there some sort of exponential equation for this?  And does anyone want to buy a candybar, cookie dough, magazines, flower bulbs, or some random food item like gummy bears or chocolate covered pretzels?
• that I thought giving up Facebook for Lent would be a good idea?  

And finally, why is it

• that I just spent time constructing this silly list of things that make me wonder (and grumble) when I have so much housework left undone, so many errands to run, and so much for which to be thankful? I gotta go. I have other lists to make!

In like lions

March weather has definitely roared around here lately.  This evening the girls made some cute (and not at all ferocious) lions.  Here's what we used:

 

Light brown/gold paint, yarn, red paper triangles, squares of orange tissue, 

small paper plates, and googly eyes.

We painted the plates.

Then we used the paint to adhere the tissue paper "mane."

Finally, we added our eyes, nose, and whiskers.  You can use the paint to make them stick. If your kids are OCD like mine (they come by it naturally) and take so long with the mane that the paint is dry, use glue.

Roar!

They each have their own personalities.
The more I look at it, the more I'm thinking Mufasa and Scar.

I hope next week the weather will suggest we make lambs...

Envy comes in shades of... white?

Our house is finally wallpaper free!  It has only taken us about 5 1/2 years, but it's all down.  The halls, kitchen, dining room, girls' room, and two of our bathrooms have all been painted and otherwise loved in the past few years.  Our living room and guest/playroom still need a new coat of paint, but they've gotten new furniture and are good for now.  That leaves one big project on my immediate agenda: Our master bedroom and bath.  Hubby and I have always been terrible about letting our bedroom become a) the place to stash any and everything, b) the room that we neglect when updating, decorating, or even cleaning, and c) the exact opposite of the haven it should be.

So, I've been looking for ideas. I'm one of those random people who likes a little bit of anything and everything, so deciding on what to do with a room can be overwhelming.  I flipped through a few pages I tore out of Better Homes or Midwest Living over the years (yes, I know I live in the south. I'm just not sure I decorate like it...) and watched countless slideshows on hgtv.com.  And then I found it.

I have never, ever, ever, ever found a room more... well... me. 

 

This bedroom comes from Donna at Funky Junk Interiors.  I hope she doesn't mind me linking to her blog post or posting this photo, because I claim NO credit for it's fantasticness.  Yes, I made that word up.

There are a few details in the other photos of the room that are a little more feminine than, well, me.  And they definitely would be a little filly for the hubs.  

But the style, the color, the roughed-up, unique, story-to-tell pieces...  I'm kind of drooling on my keyboard.

Here is a post that includes more of her home.  More to love.  And, those of you who have seen my house, work-in-progress that it is, will notice a lot of similarities in the color schemes.  I just wish I were as creative as she is!  Below is her blogging space.  AH-mazing.

 So... anyone want to hit the antique mall with me?

Song for Sunday: But we'll stay...

This isn't a really profound choice.  It's just a fun love song, and I love my husband.  Getting away to the mountains really did make "everything look perfect from far away."  Now that we've come back to life (back to reality...  Does anyone else randomly start singing En Vogue?  No?  Just me, huh? Oh well.)  things are definitely not perfect.  But we're home.  Together.  And even if we had to come down from the mountains, that's how we'll stay.

Such Great Heights

By Iron & Wine, or The Postal Service, or Ben Folds (see Youtube video below)...

I am thinking it's a sign
that the freckles in our eyes
are mirror images
and when we kiss they're perfectly aligned. 

And I have to speculate
that God Himself did make
us into corresponding shapes
like puzzle pieces from the clay. 

And true it may seem like a stretch
but it's thoughts like this that catch
my troubled head when you're away
and when I am missing you to death. 

And when you are out there on the road
for several weeks of shows
and when you scan the radio
I hope this song will guide you home. 

they will see us waving from such great heights
"come down now" they'll say
but everything looks perfect from far away
"come down now" but we'll stay 

I tried my best to leave
this all on your machine
but the persistent beat
it sounded thin upon the sending. 

and that frankly will not fly
you'll hear the shrillest highs
and lowest lows with the windows down
and this is guiding you home. 

they will see us waving from such great heights
"come down now" they'll say
but everything looks perfect from far away
"come down now" but we'll stay 

they will see us waving from such great heights
"come down now" they'll say
but everything looks perfect from far away
"come down now" but we'll stay 

they will see us waving from such great heights
"come down now" they'll say
but everything looks perfect from far away
"come down now" but we'll stay

Isn't that a great version?  Is it okay to end a post about how much I love my husband by admitting I have the teensiest crush on Ben Folds? No? Okay.  I won't do that... 

Get away

 My husband and I ran away for a few days!  We took advantage of a Groupon deal and stayed for two nights at Brasstown Valley Resort in Young Harris, GA.  It was wonderful to get away from everything and relax.

We rode horses for two hours the first day.  I hadn't been on a horse in about 7 years. And this one kept tripping on the trail.  Yes, tripping.  I had to alternate between standing in the stirrups and gripping the saddle tightly with my legs.  So, yeah, I feel like I did about 2,317 plies.  (That should be read like the french ballet term, not the word that rhymes with "dies," although there were times I wondered if that was what might happen to us on some of the steeper mountain trails.... but I digress...)

The hotel had a great heated indoor pool, whirlpool and sauna.  We took advantage of those every day, in part to recover from our trail ride.  I also enjoyed the most indulgent spa experience I've ever had.  I'm going to recount it here, just so I remember it when the laundry starts piling up and the kids are attacking each other with the ferocity of rabid raccoons.  Indulge me, will you?  And try not to be jealous...

I started off with a half an hour before my appointment to soak in a Eucalyptus steam room, take a Swedish shower, relax and change into my robe and spa shoes.  Next I went to the "relaxation room" (which was a fancy waiting room, pictured above) with the most comfortable adjustable chairs, delicious hot and cold herbal teas, trail mixes, relaxing fountains, and a smoky fireplace/incense smell.  Then came my massage.  I love, love, love getting a massage.  I love everything about it, from the enya-esque music to the aromatherapy oils to the amazingly comfortable table.  I even love the way my eyes look all scrunched up from the face rest when it is over.  And I especially love the relaxation.  (I do not, however, express my love for massages like Claire does...)

After the massage I sat a little longer in the relaxation room.  I stood at the windows and looked out at the sundeck with its hydrotherapy pool and the Cherokee style hothouse and then to the golf course where Hubby was playing his 18 holes. It was too windy for me to go out and enjoy the outdoor portion of the spa, and nearly too windy for his golf game, but otherwise the weather was beautiful.  And, because it was cooler and "off-season" we had almost the entire resort to ourselves.  In fact, when we went to breakfast the first day, we found that they did not even set up the buffet because there were less than 30 guests in the whole place!

We spent a lot of time enjoying the views, reading (and soaking) in the quiet, and even star-gazing.  I also beat my husband (badly) in a game of checkers in the fireside lounge. It was relaxing, romantic, and reinvigorating all at the same time.

 I appreciate my parents for coming down and staying with the girls and the dogs and making it possible for us to get away.  Little Sis was worried the first night when we called to check-in, asking me where we had gone and then saying, "but we don't have a mom and dad anymore."  Even if she didn't understand when I said we'd be right back, she knew she was in good hands with Nana and Papa.  And we could relax because we knew it too.  Thanks again, guys.

It was just what we needed!

 

Muddy Mamas launch

I'm going on radio silence for a few days.

But in case you need something to read, how about a new Mommy Blog? I think it is going to be great (although I'm a bit biased since I'm one of the mommies who'll be contributing!)

Click on the picture to head to Muddy Mamas and meet some of the other lovely ladies sharing their hearts in this new endeavor.