~diary of a birthday kid~

He woke to find his favorite color of the traditional birthday streamers hanging from his door.  Mom had to pull the door shut to get a picture because you wouldn't want to see inside.  If you did, you'd wonder why we even left the house this day at all instead of staying home and cleaning up his room.  

But it was his 8th birthday.  

And we had an adventure planned for the day.

Be advised: photo dump, junk food, sugar, sugar, and more sugar.  Did I mention junk food and sugar? 

Yep.  Looking back at these photos I'm asking myself what i was thinking.  But we had fun.  TONS of fun.  

Just Derek and me. 

 

I told him months ago when we ran into the local gas station that he could have some of these little gems, "maybe for your birthday."

Guess what?  He remembered.  So we ran up to the store and got these for breakfast.

Later in the afternoon, we headed for the "big city" about 40 miles away to visit a few places and take advantage of some coupons. Derek's request for lunch? 

I-Hop. 

This boy loves pancakes.  L.O.V.E.S. T.H.E.M. 

He was too full to finish his plate. 

Somehow he managed to find room for the ice cream the whole staff brought out to him while singing 'Happy Birthday'.  He got a kick out of that!  But he immediately told me to get the red cherries off the top.  He's not a fan of those maraschino ones!

What would you like to do now, Derek?? 

What's that? 

You want to go ride the escalator at the sporting goods store??  Um....OK! 

(It really is the simple things, isn't it??)

I don't typically take pictures including me,

or the inside of a bathroom,

or of me and my kid inside a bathroom,

a really yellow bathroom... 

BUT

today was an exception.

First off, I hope I'm not the only mama out there who still makes her kid go into the woman's restroom with them if need be.

If dad is along or big brother, by all means... head to the men's.

But there are some pretty weird people out there.

And you just never know who's inside!!

And I can't go in to peek.  

So guess what?

He got stuck with me. 

But we thoroughly enjoyed the huge mirror and took advantage of making funny faces and weird poses and I just had to get the camera out and take a few.

(Just glad nobody walked in on us being silly!)  

I'd like to know if there are any other kids out there able to walk by one of these without putting? Mine can't.

Off to Chuck-E-Cheese to use his 20 Free Birthday tokens.

Yep... I'm that kind of mama.

You send us a coupon for something free and I'm there.

Skee-ball never gets old... no matter how old you are!

Some of my favorite photos are the sketches from this place.

We have ones of both the kids through the years but this was the first time I jumped in with him. 

I'm glad I did. I mention on my ABOUT ME page trying to get more pictures including me since I'm always behind the camera.

Slowly but surely it's getting easier.

Off to the book store to pick out a new read.

 Mama got a Grande Carmel Frappaccino, but she shared.  

Derek got his free birthday treat for being part of the Kids Club at the store.  He picked the chocolate brownie with chunks. More than half came home with him for later!

(And yes.. if you are keeping track so far we have donuts, pancakes, ice cream, frap, and brownie. Oh my!!)

We're finally back home and he can try out his new mini basketball that he bought with birthday money from grandpa.

It "works" really good!

What would you like for your birthday dinner Derek?

Red Baron pizza (don't ask!!)

Red potatoes

Frozen Red Grapes

Red Cherry Dump Cake

 It was a RED dinner, indeed.

It is his favorite color after all!

I'll always remember this day with my boy!

It was sweet! 

*************************

Disclaimer:

Not a paid advertisement or endorsement for any product, service, company, or brand.

~reminder~

Two kids on two different ball teams at two different fields.

It's bound to happen.  We have to split up and one parent goes with each child.  I'm sure some of you have experienced this, also, through the years. I feel for the families with more than two children... it has to be even harder!  And this is just the beginning.  It'll be this way all through high school.  We hope that maybe when Austin is a Junior and Derek is a Freshman (or when they are a Senior/Sophomore) they might be on the same team at least one time. I'll keep my fingers crossed.  

Considering that Nathan is Derek's coach, he always gets to pair up with and see Derek play baseball by default.  I get to travel with Austin and take him to his practices and games.  As much as we enjoy watching both of our boys play ball, as parents, we wish we could see it all. Be both places at once. Cheer them both on.  We call or text each other with updates all through the games.  We lay in bed that night and fill each other in on the other boy's game/practice.    

As a little reminder to Derek that his mama is with him, even though I cannot be there physically, I started a tradition last year.  I tie a tiny piece of yarn around his shoelace so that when he goes up to bat he knows his mama is with him.  Last year it was grey.  This year, green.  Every night when we have to split up and go our different ways, I give him hugs and kisses, tell him to have fun and do his best, and then I reach down and touch his shoe and remind him that he can look down at that yarn and I'm right there with him.  Then I look up and see his big beautiful smile, and take that image away with me so that I, too, can be reminded of his love when we are apart.

Green Yarn 2012

   

Grey Yarn 2011

~connected~

It's not often that I am in my car going somewhere alone.  Tonight was an exception. I took advantage of the quiet time, my beautiful surroundings, no traffic, and the changing season seen all around. 

As I drove and took it all in, I couldn't help but think of this huge world and everyone in it.  I've met a lot of people in just in the past three months blogging.  Some I've gotten to know better than others, but I've appreciated chatting with all of you.

 We are all on different paths in this life. And as different as we may be, we all share something that enables us to connect.

I might not knit, or home-school my kids, or buy organic produce all the time (gasp!!), or raise my own chickens.  I don't sing in a band, party until the wee hours of the morning, or let my kids play rated 'M' video games. I never breastfed my kids, I cuss sometimes, and I don't iron.  Ever!

But even though I might do completely different things, or not do them, we're really not much different after all.

 We all appreciate the beauty in the small things, have a love of nature, care about values important to us, and do things for the better of our own families.

 Just because we do things different, doesn't mean it's wrong.  I find inspiration in all the diversity.  I absolutely love seeing pictures of spaces all around the world, learning new cultures and traditions, getting a glimpse into another life.  

Thanks for being a part of my ride... 

Wherever your road may lead.

~the lucky one~

I'm lucky.

I know I am, but sometimes it takes a little sign like this to put it all into perspective.

I reached down at a baseball game this weekend, picked this green goodness, and immediately was flooded with ways in which I feel I am lucky.

What do you feel lucky about right now?  

Please feel free to share...

~balloons~

I went to visit a friend after work today.

She is not doing very well.

I walked in and my friend's son was there.   

My friend was napping.

Her son handed me a letter.

It was addressed to his mother.

I opened the letter and began to read it.

Tears clouded my eyes.

My throat gulped.

I shivered.

Goose bumps filled my arms.

The note was from a complete stranger.

He found her address...

inside a Ziploc baggie...

laying on the beach...

attached to a bunch of deflated balloons...

FIVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY MILES AWAY!!

So, today, I am thankful for two people in particular.

My friend:

She has taught me so much in the time I've spent with her. She is one of the most considerate, caring people I know.  And I can picture her now... standing outside, letting go, and watching the balloons rise into the sky with her note attached. She has spunk and a passion for life.  She's a fighter.

This stranger:

You are a kind man with a gentle heart.

Thanks for finding her balloons.

Thanks for picking them up and taking them home.

Thanks for paying the postage and dropping your letter in the mail.

Thanks for your kind words.

But most of all..

thanks for making 

my friend 

smile. 

~strawberries~

I'm already looking forward to strawberry picking season.  Although the soil is not ready for planting yet, it sure felt like it today with the weather at 67 degrees.  It is such a beautiful "winter" day, although I am so anxious for Spring. 

We usually only have a couple of plants growing at home in my favorite purple pot on our back patio.  We don't harvest too many at home, but the boys enjoy watching these as they change from their white flowers, to the "green small strawberries", to the light pink and then vibrant, red, plump, juicy fruit.

We make an annual trip, a.k.a."Adventure", to a local strawberry patch to pick most of our strawberries that I use for making freezer jam.  Last year we hit the patch late in the picking season and got the last crop.

Yesterday I was cleaning and washing a couple of quarts of strawberries in the sink.  I've done this for years, but I tried something new this time. It was an epiphany!!  And after I was done, I wondered why the heck had I not done this before!  Don't laugh.. I know you've been guilty of this, too. 

Are you ready to hear what amazing thing I learned??

It will forever change the way you wash, clean, and "de-stem" your fruit.  Here it goes:

I ran luke warm water in the sink, over my hands, while holding the berries instead of freezing, ice cold water.

Call me a slow learner, if you must.  Laugh... you might. But I felt like I had just passed a really hard exam with flying colors.

So, if you've been guilty of letting the cold water run wild
while cleaning your fruits and veggies
(like I have forever.. and why!?!) 
give it a try...

move the handle over...
your hands will thank you!

Life changing, I tell ya!

~sticky notes~

Ahhhhhh... to be a kid again!

These are the kinds of things that make me smile. 

Simple sticky notes scattered about our home that my little ones write reminding them of things "important" to them.

 

Austin left this one attached to his clock, set the alarm extra early, and woke us all up..... just so he could play a new game when he woke up.

Now that's important stuff, don't you think!?!

I'd trade one of my "Pay the Water Bill: TODAY!!" notes for this one any day!

~Hearts~

Old magazine and book pages

Thread

Glue

It's amazing how these little hearts can add such a sweet touch to your home!  The ones above have actually been up in this window since last year.  When the light is on in this room, you can drive by our home at night and see these pretty little heart silhouettes dancing through the curtain.  It's something simple that makes me smile when I pull in the driveway in the evenings.  I might just leave them up there until next Valentine's Day, too. 

They're just that pretty.

 

~today...~

today...

I am thankful my family has food to nourish our bodies.

Tomorrow I will be partnering to bring a Mobile Food Pantry to Senior Citizens through my work.  As rewarding as it is to be doing this, I cannot help but feel saddened by the large percentage of people living in my own community who go without.
Hunger is everywhere.

So, tonight...
when my plate is full, 
my heart will be also.
   

~sweet as syrup~

As the school bus pulls away in the morning

and I walk back inside,

I can't help but let my heart swell

when I notice the syrup message

my younger son has left for me on his plate. 

What a sweet boy, that Derek is!