A Little Change

It's amazing what a little change can do. A little cinnamon or nutmeg can really make a pancake pop. A little trim can make your hair have more movement. And a new floor can make a room look snazzy.

I am the type of person who wants projects fully done immediately. I don't want it done today, I want it done yesterday and perfectly. I've been making little changes to my house and it gets me super excited. Today was the upstairs bathroom floor.

My amazing dad came over to help me lay down our new vinyl tile floors. My dad is a bit of a perfectionist when he does these things (Jeez, I wonder where I got that from?). He can also be painstakingly slow as he truly measures twice (or 4-5 times) and cuts once. I love my house but quickly discovered that it has it's many mini flaws....non-straight walls being one.

After the prepping was done, tiles were laid out in little sections. T shaped contraptions were put in one direction and then moved to another. Yup, these walls did not like perfect corners. What a great opportunity this would be to show my class what true right angles are (or aren't). Tiles were wiggled this way and that to make straight lines. After what seemed like hours, the tiles were finally ready to be stuck to the floor.

Peel and stick.  
                     Peel and stick.
                                          Oh no! It's too tight...must have room to expand.
                                                            Unpeel and move.
                                                                                         Unpeel and move.

Once we finally got the first section done, things finally started to move. Tiles were slimmed and trimmed to fit perfectly against my imperfect walls. Unused pieces were molded to fit while some imperfect corners found a spot in the trash. The finished product made me smile.

"Thanks dad, it's gorgeous! What time will you be here tomorrow to put in the downstairs floor with me?", I asked with a sly grin on my face.

My weary kneed dad just looked at me...."I'll talk to your mom and see. Be up and ready by 9....just in case."

I love my dad and the face lift that my house is getting. Guess who will be up at 9 in the morning, showered and ready to go? Yup...this girl!



Restless Dreams

The boys were tucked into bed and my body was holding down the couch. This is always the signal for my cat to nestle himself somewhere on my body. Sometimes it is on my lap, under the blanket, or on the arm of the chair. His body must ALWAYS be touching mine...it's one of the "must" rules in our home.

A slight chill filled our home tonight. It could be from the cold front that visited or the clear sky that didn't hold in the heat. Either way, this meant that Mojo (my cat) needed some extra heat. He pawed at my arm until I lifted the drawbridge of fleece that covered by body before settling in under the covers at the crook of my knee. After a couple rounds of spinning in circles, he formed a perfect comma. My chills began to disappear and the mini earthquake of purrs began to dissipate as well.

Merra!    Merra!     Merra!

What in the world is that sound? It was high pitched and in short spurts. I stopped and listened for a bit....There is was again. This time it was coming from my leg.

Twitch!   Twitch!

Merra!     Merra!    Merra!

My cat began to twitch by my leg. Not wanting to wake the sleeping beast, I gently lifted the blanket to reveal ears twitching and front paws dancing. I've seen this scene many times before with my dog.  My dog dreamed all the time...usually with a grunt every once in awhile.

Today, I caught my cat dreaming for the first time. I only got a second before his eyes snapped open and then began to glare in my direction. I smirked, gave him a quick scratch between the ears, and lowered the blanket. My mind quickly began to wander. Was he dreaming about chasing something? Catching that pesky bug? Getting that piece of turkey meat? I will never know, but the high pitched "merra" sound is now saved in my memory for the next time it occurs.

Back to your kitty dreams Moj....hope they are fun!

A Fresh Start

Most people start the day after a good nights rest. I feel that I start a new day around 10 at night.

My wearisome legs are released from the business attire and welcomed into a pair of worn out sweats. I swear that they breathe a sigh of relief the second the furry fabric touches them. My Super Hero grabbing arms are wrapped in fleece after a night of chasing and carrying my amazing boys. My body is now wrapped in relaxation.

It doesn't just end there though. Freckles are revealed again as I erase away the work of the day..one bead of sweat at a time. One color disappears while another is released for the night. A warm washcloth after a long day feels like a blanket that has just been taken out of the dryer and wrapped around your body.

And we can't forget the mouth that has been yammering all day long. A minty rub on each tooth is like a personal massage. I try my best to give each tooth it's personal time. A rub here and a persistent scratch there gives them a bit of a sparkle...almost like a goodnight kiss. This is my opportunity to keep them healthy and say thank you for all the work they do during my day. I may eat some not-so-healthy food during the day but the night time is when I eat healthy (no food at all....you can't beat sleeping for keeping junk food out of your mouth).

After the nightly routine is done, I begin the shut down process for my brain. It is persistent and wants to run some last minute updates but I insist that it completely turn itself off. Once that is done, the fresh start is complete. Everything is rested and has time to revive.

The start of the day has begun and it is my time to make the most of my fresh start. Let the day begin!

Decadent Birthday

Another birthday...wow, the time has flown.

I finished a loooong day at work and was greeted by a house full of guests. My mom, dad, sister-in-law, and grandmother were bustling around in the kitchen getting the dinner ready. The children buzzed around the house like little bees while the dog looked around in annoyance. What more could I ask for...well, a husband being home would be nice but that's another story.


Dessert was easily my favorite part. My mom gently took ceramic ramekins of chocolate decadence out of the oven. Creamy milk chocolate wafted out of the oven and made a direct path to my nose. My salivatory glands were in full effect.

"Mom, whens dessert? It smells good in here.", urged my six year old.

Powdered sugar was generously snowed on to the tops of the cake while raspberries nestled into the centers. J was quickly captivated by the raspberries and how great they complimented the chocolate. Three year olds know this kind of stuff.

With the first crack of the crisp top, the spoon slid into the chocolate lava. "Mom, this is like the Earth. You have the crust and the hot lava." Yes, that would be why it's called a lava cake. The chocolate ooze stuck to every taste bud in my mouth. Mmmmm!

Moments to treasure

A small head was just nestled into my shoulder. Fruity shampoo filled my senses and dampened my shirt. Little fingers twirled my hair like spaghetti on a plate. Twirl after twirl. Baby soft skin swept across my cheek as little arms pulled me close for a snuggle. Then my shoulder started to sag as the weight began to shift. I looked forward to find that eyes were closed and breathing had slowed down.

My three-year-old sweetheart had fallen asleep in my arms. My memory quickly flashed to those moment when I would rock him in my arms until he fell asleep. His whole body fit within my arms but now he wraps around me. Where has the time gone? I sat there, for 3 hours.....just holding him and wishing that time would stand still. 

What a gift this moment was. I savored every minute and can't wait for it to hopefully happen again soon.

Distractions



Yes, that is my amazing son on the ice.

 My Sunday was spent in a chilly ice rink wrangling boys and girls with sharp skates. My oldest son, 6, had his first hockey tournament. He played on semi-pro ice and got to see a fancy locker room. It was a hockey players dream.  

The time came for my son to hit the ice. He quickly hopped on to the ice and began testing it out. He moved the blades from side to side as he got a feel for the unfamiliar surface under his skates. He twirled from side to side....I won't say that it looked like figure skating moves. And yes, the skates did get away from him a couple of times.

Once the horn blew, the skaters took their places. T crouched down, stick gently grazing the ice, focused look on his face, and body frozen. Tap, tap, tap went the stick. Once the puck was moved, bodies scattered. T stayed back from the pack but made his move when the puck crept closer.

My parents and I watched as he gained momentum and lost it. We giggled at how distractable children are at this age. I watched as one little boy laid on the ice and decided his time was better spent making ice angels in front of the net. Another boy tested out his checking abilities as his opponent took a shoulder. And my son held his stick in one hand while bumping fists with his teammates on the bench after a goal.

The highlight for me was when they turned on the big screen TVs. You know, the jumbo-tron like TVs that hover over the ice. Well, T caught sight of himself while skating around. He stopped mid-stride and was mesmerized that he was on the big screen. He waved teammates over...even the coach. You could read his lips from the stands...LOOK, WE'RE ON THE TV! My dad and I chuckled as the puck nestled itself between T's skates.

"T, GET THE PUCK!", I yelled from the stands.

By coincidence, his eyes traveled to mine. "I'M ON THE BIG TV!"

What can you do? I smiled, giggled, and gave a thumbs up sign. How many times are you going to be distracted by yourself on the big screen TV over hockey player ice? A once in a lifetime distractions.

Three boots

Three sets of boots are nestled by the back door. They are dripping from a hard workout outside.

They have jumped over logs,
                            burrowed into the snow,
                                         climbed up and down hills,
                                                      and stomped through water puddles.

Their shiny surfaces have been scuffed from the ice and tree branches, but they still beam. Who would have thought that one day could be so tiring?

Washington was hit heavy by a snow storm this past week. I have lived in this area for 18 years and have never seen this much snow. The boys were tickled to open their eyes to the sun peaking through the blinds. Both sets of feet pounded down the hallway before flying into my bed. Yes, it was a snow day and they couldn't wait to see what was waiting outside. 5 inches of white powder awaited them. Our green landscape was no longer cluttered with dead leaves. It was now painted to be a winter wonderland. Snowflakes clung to the trees, desperate to stay in the air for a few more moments. Ice sickles clung to the windowsills...their spiral pattern swirling to a point. The hills of snow were dotted by the bunnies who dashed from our dog this morning. It is a sight to behold.

I have never seen my boys hurry to get dressed before. All of our snow gear still resides in NH so layers were put on. Thankfully the rain boots were a newer purchase. Tags were torn off as wool socks nestled into their burrows. Pants were tucked in and feet bounded out the door. I've never seen a pair of boots have so much fun in one day.

They now have a permanent spot by our back door. Waiting for the green to disappear again under a sea of water or white fluff. We'll see what the weekend brings.