An Outing with Daddy

So this is one of those memorable moments that we'll never want to chance forgetting... 

Daddy and the little girls are on their way to the family farmstead near Alexandria, MN. En-route, many farms are bypassed, bearing some of the typical aromas.

Daddy: "P-UUUU! I smell cow poop!"

[Slight Pause]

Addie, age 3 (from the back seat): "That's not cow poop... ... My FARTED!!"

[Insert gut-busting laughter from all 3 parties for the duration of the trip!]

TIP: Those handy little kiddo 'computers'/ toddler I-Pads/ whatever you want to call 'em... FAN-TASTIC for longer car-treks. They're actually learning from them, it requires their interaction, and they occupy the restless little minds entrapped in their 5-point-harness car-seats for a good long stretch of time.

A QUOTE: "A baby changes your dinner party conversation from politics to poop." ~Maurice Johnstone 

WHIDFML: Sat in front of the new flat screen, Netflix streamed an 'Is It Real' episode with the hubby, and soaked my feet in a massaging foot-bath. Breathe with me now... "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"

I'm Baaa-aaaaaack!

WOW. I mean WOW!!! It's been over 3 months? Jeeeshe... I guess SO. This is all due to darn good reason, however. I've had pretty darn steady business this season! New babies, HS seniors, Anniversary celebrations, and some grand Weddings - and 'training' some additional assistants who are being added to the mix besides! Ad to that my own personal pix resulting from my summer-time fun and family excursions - and I have an unending pool of photos that will carry me over probably into November. But I'm not complaining - I'm super pumped about the surge in biz - and am welcoming it with open arms!

Whilst the girls aren't yet in school full time - I'm finding that it offers me a greater amount of time to devote to such projects nonetheless... And with this realization, I'm pleasantly surprised. But I've still been itchin' for a tiny bit more me-time ~~ you know - to play. And hot dog - here it is! I'm taking a mini leave of absence tonight! Whoohoo! Wine, anyone? Candles, Music, and freeing my mind are all on the non-schedule-'schedule' as well. Cheers to that!

Doin' a little somethin' for me right now... and tonight, that means catching up on some mind-rambling. Join me, won't you?

"Dododooodoodo - I'm a souuuuul man!" Maybe some sing-along & dancing are in order too~


TIP: It WILL get done... Stop frettin' and start freein' yourself! Life's too short to focus solely on being responsible ;)
A QUOTE: "Absence is one of the most useful ingredients of family life, and to dose it rightly is an art like any other." ~Freya Stark
WHIDFML: Read above ;) ;)

Renovations...

Of the Home and Mind!

So, 'tis a year o' projects around here. BIG ones, at that! And I think (knocking on wood) they are complete!! Good that we waited until now... for many reasons. But mainly - because Joel and I are a great team! Basement windows installed (by us)? Check. New Roof, Siding, Soffit, Facia, Gutters, Downspouts, Chimney?? Check, check. Repaired and restored Deck (by us), painted stucco (by us) to match new siding, windows & doors installed in garage (by us), leaf-protectors for the gutters (installed by Joel)??? Check. 2 new rock-gardens where nothing would grow beneath the trees? Check!! Fresh paint inside & out of the tree-house that the girls are now big enough to enjoy? Check. Swing coated with paint to prevent deterioration?? Check! I've actually omitted a number of things from this list... It's getting too freakin' long to read :) You have a clear idea for the enormity of the combined projects.

We have a few minor things to finish up now... By 'we', I mean Joel... king of procrastination. His list still contains a few less time-consuming items that he continually claims he'll "do tomorrow" (involving climbing ladders and walking on the roof - items that I opt-out of due to my clutzy ways and my fear of heights).

So you see - we are extreme opposites with this. He's a project starter... and then when he gets bored, wants to move on to another project. [Hence the half-finished items on his still-growing list.] I'm a big-time finisher. I like to see things through to fruition, and revel in the enjoyment offered by a completed task. 

He could also care less if things are "piling up" on a honey-do doc, and put it off until it becomes a necessity - in which case he can be found ranting in frustration, screeching profanities, and running in circles over the lack of time and  preparation. (Thankfully, while his usual approach still applies to the more mundane necessities of life, they no longer put a damper on the beginnings of our vacations and other enjoyable preparation-required-type-excursions! So, I'll take it.) :) I, on the other hand, like to get my 'chores' out of the way first, so I can truly relax, minus those drifting thoughts about strategy or timing of things that still need to be attended to...

I suppose that's good ~ that we can help each other find that happy place somewhere in between those crap-happy extremes! I can kick his butt into gear when needed, and he can mellow me out when things aren't actually as imminent as they may seem in my often over-active imagination.

I was stressin' a bit with all the things we had to do on our own - and how we needed to time them with the construction... It was a little unnerving. Overwhelming at times. Downright frustrating, seeing as the weather chose not to cooperate whatsoever. (Rain, anyone? Those living in MN know what I mean. And... conveniently... multiple weekends were washed-out.) One must allow a surface to adequately dry prior to painting it... And then one requires a certain amount of drying-time for said paint - before the next batch of rain and storms rolls through as well. We were lucky to get 2 days in a row of no-rain during those few weeks. Go figure. Not to mention we have 2 young kids. 'Nuf said.

But, while it was not the most enjoyable process, it was yet another learning opportunity in the classroom of life. (My preferred 'classroom'. I'm not much of a school-girl.) I realized that it will get done. It may mean more headaches, and less ease, but - it will get done. And it helped rope me into recognizing that I need to hone in on "the current moment" more often. I have to live right now, without focusing too much thought on what's coming up. I have always done a fairly good job of really enjoying when I should be - but I found myself just regularly lost in thought about what to do next, and when we could complete various items, etc. Sometimes my forethought has resulted in definite and noticeable benefits. But it's not necessary at all times. Some things are just meant to be - and they will - even without thorough pre-meditation!! Trying not to over-think. I kinda like it too! 

TIP: Construction/ painting/ large-scale projects and kiddos don't mix. BABYSITTERS! That's all I have to say about that.

A QUOTE: "You have to do the best with what God gave you." ~ Mrs. Gump, Forrest Gump

WHIDFML: Sat in the Adirondak Chairs on the deck with the hubby and enjoyed the surrounds of the lush green forest, babbling brook, and fully renovated exterior :)

Spring-Fling!

Every Spring I get the urge to purge - and I really - REALLLLY went through this house this season... top to bottom! Maybe the fact that winter won't loosen its grip on us completely this year has helped inspire the thorough run-through. I don't particularly enjoy cleaning - per say. I do enjoy a bit of organization, however. (Though I have to be in the right mood.) It seems that, over the course of our far-too-long hibernating season, the walls begin to slowly close in on us. Might have to do with the fact that the holidays occur during those same months - and many new 'things' are acquired over the course of that time. Whatever the logic - the result is the same: I like to simplify. Simplify life, or, limit the unnecessary dust-gathering objects that aren't required for survival (or even for happiness in many cases) - I don't do well with clutter - (and as my regular readers know - I have a Feng Shui thing about thing-placement as well.) I find that when things have places, and places have fewer things, the esthetic appeal leads to my ability to more readily de-clutter my mind as well. I can relax, and enjoy my surroundings. I can indulge in some 'nothing' (have you seen Office Space lately?!) I can breathe.

This time, not a space is out of place. Behind no door is it as it were before... No drawer was left obscure, no closet impure... [And - Dr. Seuss has been a big hit around here for sure!] Damn it feels good to be a gangster! (Another Office Space reference, for those who may not know.)

TIP: Do little bits at a time... If you work in 'sections' - it's not so overwhelming - and you too can be clutter-free and sunshiny! [i.e. I tackled the kitchen 'junk-drawer' while the kiddos were eating breakfast. One down!] Also - can't hurt to have a garbage bag handy, along with a 'give-away'/ 'donate' bag, and a pile for the "not sure yet" items.

A QUOTE: "And I have this little litany of things they can do. And the first one, of course, is to write - every day, no excuses. It's so easy to make excuses. Even professional writers have days when they'd rather clean the toilet than do the writing." ~Octavia Butler

WHIDFML: Curled up with Joel and laughed my butt off watching Office Space! It has been a while. I think I've been out of that office environment for long enough now that it's even funnier than the first time I saw it!

Another Memory-Made-for-Laughter!

Sometimes, I actually (unexpectedly) forget some of the funniest instances that I've been privy to witness. How is that possible? I don't know. I suppose it's that left-over 'baby-brain'. (Er, mommy-brain - as we moms tend to take on each child's thinking for them until they are able to process thoughts thoroughly for themselves [you know - like for 22 years!] - and often, even our husband's 'brains' as well. I guess that answers that question!) Enter, my bro-in-law - king o' funny! He dare not forget a funny moment. They should, after all, be cherished forever! Thankfully, he reminded me recently about a Mack-Moment, as it occurred at the Mack Family Farmstead a couple of years back... It helps to know their dad, but 'tis a grand memory nonetheless. I myself don't want to forget it again - so if this bores you - just proceed to the next post and we'll call it good.

The farm house has one door in the kitchen, and one located at the opposite end of the building leading to the front through the dining room. I have my back to everyone as I'm doing some post-dinner dishes... Joel is nearby, drying them for me, and his mom is also in the room - chatting with us. His dad walks in through the kitchen door... and pauses mid-way between the kitchen and dining room. He glances back at Joel and his mom who have stopped talking to try to figure out what his dad is doing just standing there. What makes it more ironic, is that although he is the one who pauses en-route, he also begins the 'circle of whats'. As his dad glaces back toward the kitchen, he lets out a disgruntled "WHAT?" Joel resounds with another, "WHAT?" (only in a higher tone, as in - "what yourself?") To which his mom replies, "WHAT?!?!" Nothing else was said, and their dad rolls his eyes, turns, and continues through the house - going back OUTSIDE through the opposite door!!!! Joel and his mom continued their conversation as though nothing out of the ordinary just happened. I was literally in tears for HOURS afterward. I couldn't stop thinking about the charade - and all of the little nuances that made it so memorable! I think people bring up things like that just to hear me snort when I laugh that dang hard ;)

TIP: Family - there for you... They never let you forget. Sometimes - that's a GOOD thing! 

A QUOTE: “Laughter is the closest distance between two people.” Victor Borge

WHIDFML: Set up the girls' room with a bunk-bed, and they are LOVING it! Me too... they have so much fun in their 'new room'.

Just a Few Flash-Backs...

Sometimes, when the mood hits me right - I laugh... out of nowhere! Okay - if you ask Joel, I do that pretty regularly. And he therefore regularly asks me, "What are you laughing about now?" Hahahaha!

I realized that as fantastic as my parents were at parenting... they had a way with knowing when it was okay to divert from the norm, and inject a few unexpected 'methods' of dealing with us kids. As it turns out - ignoring kids can work to your advantage - when done under the proper circumstances. 

Envision this: I'm age 11. Sister, about 9, and brother, probably 6. So - we're all in the newly acquired family RV, snuggling in for the night - while the parents have joined forces with the aunts & uncles (owners of the cabin next to which the RV is parked) - for laughter and shinaningins (aka: drinking and hilarity) whilst we try to sleep. There is a set of bunk-beds in the back - 2 beds, 3 kids... And so it goes, my sis and I share the top-bunk, sleeping feet-to-heads, while the bro sleeps below us. Windows are open on this balmy summer's eve - and as the noise and bellows ensue, we find ourselves lying there - - awake. 

I happen to have a very odd 'habit' - that is certainly engraved deep within my genes, as there is no way to break this addiction. In order to effectively fall asleep (at least in a timely manner) - I must engage toes with sheets. There is something about that soft material between my tippies that makes me more relaxed than just about anything (well - maybe not as much as a good massage - but still very comforting in addition to the rendered inner-calm evoked.) My toes found their way to the edges of my sister's pillow - and once there - there was no turning back! Kim balked at my persistence - as she made known her discontentment with the situation. When I wouldn't listen (who listens to their little sister???) - She proceeded to yell out the window of the bunk, toward the open windows of the cabin o' chaos, "Denise is putting her feet on my pillow, and they stink!" Silence followed, as the parents surely were trying to determine whether they had, in fact, heard small voices coming from the children's sleeping quarters... And then, more laughter. Suddenly our brother blurts out a, "mommmmmy?!" - to which my uncle replied heartfelt (read: sarcastic) concern, "Does your pillow stink too?!?!" More laughter. Not another word was uttered from within the surrounds of the camper on wheels... and the parents all but forgot about the interaction - as nothing further was acknowledged that night. And wallah - an almost-situation turned into laughter on one end, sleep on the other. Note-to-self...  ;)  Now, whenever I think about it - (and I can still hear the adult's voices and outbursts of glee) - I can't help but laugh myself! Thus, you have one fine example for 'when it is okay to ignore your kids'! 

TIP: Kids of a certain age know when you're too 'involved' to break up a menial cat-fight... Chances are they'll figure it out themselves, or give up (as in our case) - and the world will still spin on its axis the following morning. Hahahahahaha!

A QUOTE: “I always knew looking back on my tears would bring me laughter, but I never knew looking back on my laughter would make me cry.” ~Cat Stevens [For me - laughing until I'm crying!]

WHIDFML: Made time to blog again, amidst the weird, swirling pattern that we've been caught-up in - with regard to our inability to avoid being so busy again. It seems to be the tail-end of it all - so we see the light!  

Now I remember!

I was going to tell you about the time I went to cut Addie's bangs again - - 

Because, as it turns out, Myla inherited a much better memory from some unknown source (neither her dad nor I!) She recalled a rather, um, shall we say....... traumatic incident involving the sharpened snipps... I trimmed up Myla's bangs with great success. However, after trimming Adelyn's lovely locks the last time, they turned out a bit short for my taste. Didn't quite flow with the rest of her 'flow'. I guess it was a stressful time, because I kind of melted down and shed a (what I thought had been) quiet tear over the mishap.

So, upon announcing that it was now "Addie's turn" for the inevitable bang-trim- Myla blurted out, "But mommy! You cried the last time you cut Addie's hair, remember??" Well, this time I laughed, because that was pretty damn cute.  And, I learned from that situation - This time, they were JUST right!!

TIP: Live, Love, Laugh... and learn! 

A QUOTE: “Nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.” Oscar Wilde

WHIDFML: To determine what needs fixing on the computer, some 'tests' had to be run. I chose some nice, warm, sunny days (today, for example) to run tests... and disconnected from the www - spending almost ALL day outside. Did I mention I got in a 45 min power-walk with the girls along the river today? Yep.