Moved

As I'm driving to work this morning, an unexpected tear ran down my cheek. The kind of tear that's lonely, so you let it fall...and don't disturb its path. You take a deep breath in to understand its meaning, then gently wipe it away.

The song on the radio is to blame. It sang along with me. Every word poetic. Every note parallel to the blood rushing through my heart, down my arms, lifting every androgenic hair to a peak... as if it was my backup choir. Instrumentally and lyrically, this song has always been beautiful, but today it spoke differently. Deeper than before. Just like the 4,000,000th time you have kissed the love of your life. Then one day...that same kiss, is like a time warp. Reminding you of years past...to your first kiss. Holding you like a cradle, not wanting to let go.

I can't imagine my life without music. It guides emotion. From jubilant to tranquil or melancholy to gladsome, it will define a moment. If it were wind, it would move. If it were water, it would flow. The energy that it withholds can transform, elevate and penetrate without touch.

Pictures are worth 1000 words, and lyrics have 1000 meanings. I love the new song I heard today! I'll wait patiently for it to speak to me again...just as it waits, for me to listen.

reasoning

I have heard the saying "everything happens for a reason" a million times. People say it so effortlessly....with a shrug and a half smile...and the infected person with the questionable incident begins to feel okay with things, because there's a REASON. An unknown reason...with a reason behind that reason....which is altered by another reason. And so on. Until the only thing left to know, is if it's black or white.Yin or Yang...even life or death.
And we bow to the power of the reason and accept its meaning....blindly.

A family friend lost her daughter in a car accident....Dan got a promotion. Another friend just had a double masectomy....I got a $120 tip. Answers are pointless when you're living it regardless.

The bearers of the perplexing quote assure....But deep down they know...black cannot exist without white.
And grey will still have reasons.

Ticket Master

There was a time in my life when I could just simply say:
~ "officer! I didn't know the speed limit, there were no signs for miles....I just was enjoying the drive." No ticket.



~" What? You mean, you CAN't change the date on your temp tag with a sharpie??" ( I had gotten out of the car before the officer walked up, because my window wouldn't roll down. NO license with me, NO proof of insurance, a plate from another vehicle shoved against the back window and a FaKe temp tag lay in the back seat...shining ever so brightly from his flashlight.) No ticket



~ Christmas, 1999...driving to my grandma's house, listening to holiday tunes!!!! "Dashing through the snow...on a????" What? "Officer! I was just SO excited to see my grandma and I had the radio playing all of these carols....I just didn't think about how fast I was going!" No ticket.

I could probably list a handful more. It was easy to get out of it! I had some sort of charm or sly chick charisma...that is now, GONE. I don't know if its the mommy curse, but ever since I got knocked up, tickets are my forte. I have even cried. The kids have cried. I STILL get handed a flippin' ticket.
So now, again, 45 days to prove I am insured, change the address on my license and get the tail light replaced.
I take full responsibility for the charges. But if there is a next time, fingers crossed, I will have a blanket to cover up the kids, lip gloss on hand and the mind set to play dumb:)

Goodbye Summer, Hello Uniforms!! WOO-HOO!

Okay, Its been a while. I really have no excuse for why it has taken so long to write. There was this three month period where, for some reason, I was only thinking of Sponge Bob, snacks and any freakin' event I could pull off for free. :) The best free, fun thing to do was a sprayground in Lebanon. My girls loved it! The giant mushrooms spilling water were awesome! Perfect for any parent who needs their kids to burn off energy. There was no need to speak of it, but every mom there knew...this place rocked. The park surrounding it was beautiful and had the large, wooden, castle like play ground that was hard to ignore
(even as an adult). I am not ashamed to say, Dan and I had a few good rides on the zip-line with successful dismounts:)

All of our summer outings were great, but my favorite was our family trip to Gulf Shores. We spent 5 days in the best family beach house in existence ( in my book.) Fifteen of us enjoyed every minute! Ivy got to drive the golf cart this year and what a BIG deal it was:) Zoe hunted ghost crabs with Dan and mastered boogie boarding! I enjoyed it all. I really could have stayed another week or two:) There are many memories we brought home, along with a shark tooth necklace, air brushed t-shirt and two hermit crabs we stripped out of the ocean. They are now dead due to a hermit crab massacre when they met Easy Rider and Rose Bud....our store bought hermit crabs.
*Note to hermit crab owners: Pet stores don't tell you they're selling you killing machines;)

School is in full swing!!!! Everyone is happy in our house. I am waiting to see if I'm smarter than a 5th grader! :) So far, her science homework has redefined the depth of my intelligence. I have relied on Dan for math and tried not to intervene with the " when will she use this crap" speech, but unfortunately, my facial expressions need no words:P Ivy is in Kindergarten. Although, I think she is more excited about her
HyDee Hy-Tops:)

They both really do love school. I don't know how long it will last, but they are sold for right now, and I'm cool with that. We'll see how it goes~

BUSTIN OUT THE BABY BOY !!!!

WOOOO HOOOO! Izzy is born!!! My new nephew, Isaac, is the first boy:) We are all so happy.
He was born last night and is ready to kick back and have a party! He was so calm and cool. It's like he knew he was famous. (says Zoe) But it's about time. Girl after girl after girl. It couldn't be a boy. Could it? The estrogen pit we were in, was deep) But NO! ITS A BOY! Izzy definitely rocks!

I want everyone to know that I am happy to say..I am over my "baby want fit" that would lurk around when I would be shopping for his baby items. I saw him last night and teared up...my girls standing next to him...and I saw how amazing life is. How they grow from that to this. And then some. I realized, I am enjoying their age and who they are now. How AMAZING they are! From every mispronounced word, the misunderstanding of what "going-out" means, the bribe of "I'll give you hug and a kiss", the teeth lost and teeth gained and every attitude...good and bad. They are growing. And so will Issac.
Welcome to the world little man! All of your female cousins are going to drive you crazy, I hope you know, but they will always love you.
Just like the rest of us.

IVY,SUMAC or OAK? Whatever~IT ITCHES!!!

I always try to make life better in little ways that "I" see fit at the time. Well, my way of doing things has once again...backfired.

We live on a main road. There is a park my kids like to visit that is off of this main road. Why there is no side walk is beyond me. I guess in the late 80's - 90's there was a shortage of concrete pouring machines or maybe people were just plain lazy. So, no sidewalks.

Needless to say, I worry about the kids walking the whole 6 house distance! They must avoid the speeding cars, the man with the cute puppies/candy, and (my favorite) the "unmarked van" that snatches kids up every time they leave there parents site.

My plan: You can see this park from my back yard. A grassy open area leads right to it!! So, I needed to chop down and clear out an escape passage through the honeysuckle and other beautiful vines/bushes that lined the backyard fence. They can climb over, feel "Rambo" for a second and have their safe way to the park:)


Two days later. I realize those beautiful vines and bushes were all about being poisonous!! My face, neck and arms now know this.


I think I will just embrace the fact that there is always a catch to one of my plans. I will keep my superhero cape put away for now. At least until this rash is gone. Then I can plan better to
"save the day" or if anything, just amuse my kids:)

Grass FrEaK!

I am looking out the front door at my lawn. uuuuhhhhhhhhhhh!!! It needs to be mowed, yet again. DOES it not take a HINT? I would think with the constant put downs and profanities yelled at it, there would be some sort of stunt in growth. But NO. It happily gulps the sludge that remains from all of this rain.

I am obsessed with grass. yards. whatever?:) If I won the lottery, the first thing I would buy would be a riding lawn mower:) and then a chocolate factory, onward to find the store that sells "enough courage". I would love to sky dive with that!!!

Really though? Am I alone people? No! I know you must see the lawns with weeds blowing in the wind on your travels and say to yourself "those are some wicked weeds. I would have fixed that problem weeks ago." Please tell me you think that...ok?

My sanity sadly can rely on my lawn. My kids could care less, but when I mow....the grass blowing out the side of this machine, intrigues them. Sure. I warn. They keep appearing. Right in harms way. I think they are off having fun...and then I make one of many turns and there they are with heads tilted, looking like a lost puppy, staring at the black spitting hole. lol ~ And there I am screaming "MOVE (with an explanation)"over the roar....the mommy LOOK doesn't work when your kids know your dependant on them for water.

Needless to say, I am ready for my sun to come out, or win the lottery:)