Wordful Wednesday: Pups in a Pram

I was out shopping recently and spotted a woman with five dogs in a stroller.  The shopping center is in an upscale neighborhood and I thought this was a classic example of someone spending money on something ridiculous for their pets.

It was a little mean-spirited of me, but I asked her if I could take a picture.  I intended to send it to a friend with some mocking comment about people with more money than sense.

She was happy to let me take a picture, and then she started telling me about these dogs.

One had been found abandoned in a rental unit after the owner moved out.

One had been in a shelter for over two years and had been deemed unadoptable.

Each of them had a terrible story of abuse or neglect.  They had all been antisocial and unadoptable.  This woman, it turns out, works at the animal shelter and adopted them herself.  She brought them into her home and loved them.  They responded to that love and became gentle and formed bonds with each other. 

I was so wrong to judge her motivation for having all these dogs in a stroller.  I wish now that I'd taken a picture of her.  What a lovely person, who does something very few people can do.  I wish her and her dogs the best, and I have definitely learned a lesson here.

Wordful Wednesday: Life in Oxymoron Land

Sometimes the world makes no sense to me.  Or the sense that it makes just makes me laugh.

Drama Girl reminded me as she ran out the door yesterday - "I'm staying late at school mom, so our Improv Team can rehearse."

Can you really rehearse improv?  I still don't know what she means.

Then there's the family member who actually gets incredibly sleepy, even though he's in a coffee box.  Of course he started to get up as soon as I got out my camera.

But the real double-take happened when I passed by the music stand in the living room.  Does this make sense to anybody?

Wordful Wednesday is hosted by Angie at Seven Clown Circus.

My Cat is so Smart

He sorts himself in with the dark laundry.  Clearly the cat hair on the clean duds is the fault of whoever left the laundry basket in a sunbeam.

That would be the same person who washed a white sock with the darks and didn't turn everything right side out before washing.  Then didn't fold and put away the laundry when it was done.  I'm not naming names, but the word "husband" isn't a name, is it?

Anyway, Dumbledore is happy. 

Wordful Wednesday is hosted by Angie at Seven Clown Circus.

Not How *I* Did Homework

I'm a semi-techy person.  I was an early adopter of a palm pilot and have used palm smartphones for years.  So when I heard HP might be discontinuing their line of palm tablets, I jumped on the chance to get them at firesale prices.  We're a tablet family now.

I've figured out how to do a lot of things with mine - keep up with blogs with the RSS reader, type documents on the go with google docs, play a few cute games.  It's a great tool to access my ever-changing calendar and I love that I can pull up my favorite recipes and prop it in my kitchen in much less space than a cookbook.

But my kids have officially left me behind on the technology learning curve now.

Here is Jungle Boy, doing a homework project with a friend via Skype.  They were working on a poster together and were talking and showing each other what they were doing.  I am in awe.

Are you thinking about getting a tablet?  Amazon is making a big announcement about their new line of Kindles and tablets today. 

Wordful Wednesday is hosted by Angie at Seven Clown Circus.

Wordful Wednesday: Invisibility

Braces.  The word that strikes fear in every parent's heart.  The expense, the upkeep, the rules about food to eat - and the mouth full of metal.

So thrilled that only one of my kids needs a little straightening, and so thrilled that modern technology has created invisible braces. 

Now if we could just make the bills invisible.  *sigh*

Favorite Things

Sometimes you just want to cuddle up with the things you love.

Like a new case of cat food.

Or a new little box.

Even if that box is so tiny you really don't fit into it comfortably.

Wordful Wednesday is hosted by Angie at Seven Clown Circus

The Hidden Messages in Food

It's the first day of school so I got up a little early to make a blueberry coffee cake.  I hope my kids get the hidden message.  The twins are starting 8th grade and Drama Girl is a sophomore in high school this year.  Wow.  Let's not get started on how time flies.  I'm just going to keep baking coffee cakes until they're out the door forever.

Wordful Wednesday: Smiling

Clementine oranges are a family favorite.  I usually just rip the peel off mine.  Jungle Boy takes a more artistic approach.

Wordful Wednesday is hosted by Angie at Seven Clown Circus.

Wordful Wednesday: Royalty among us

Castoff prom dress from the thrift store:  $2.00
Fluffy bridal slip from same thrift store:  $4.00
Leftover tiara from ballet recital:  Free
Neck ruffle made from interfacing found in mom's sewing room:  Free

Walking into the kitchen and seeing Queen Elizabeth 1 making her lunch:  Priceless.

Historical figure day at school.  I love it.

Wordful Wednesday is hosted by Angie at Seven Clown Circus.

Wordful Wednesday: Crochet instructions

When crocheting snowflakes, it's important to check them against a contrasting background.  I use the cat.

Wordful Wednesday is hosted by Angie at Seven Clown Circus.

Wordful Wednesday: The Battle Begins

Being able to walk is a great thing. Being able to walk after years of pain and immobility is even sweeter.  But endurance?  Is elusive.

Did you know that to stay healthy you should walk 10,000 steps a day?  That's about 5 miles.  Wearing a pedometer has shown me just how far I am from that goal.  So every day I add a few hundred steps to my previous day's total.  Slowly building up that endurance.  I'm determined to get to 10,000.

Do you walk a lot?  Give me some ideas of where you go and what you do to increase the  steps in your day.

The picture above was taken early in the morning, so I've barely begun my walking for the day.  I'll put in a mile or two just hauling laundry around today I think.

Wordful Wednesday is hosted by Angie at Seven Clown Circus

Raising an Eggshell

Like many 8th graders, Drama Girl spent a week carrying around an egg "baby" for health education class.  She helped form a babysitting co-op, she made a sturdy carrier to keep it from breaking, and she was able to show her teacher that it was still intact at the end of the week.

I asked her if she felt she had learned anything from the experience.  "Naw, I don't think parenting is much like carrying an egg around.  Half the time I just left it in my locker."

But I think there are more similarities than meet the eye.

This is a big week in her life - "graduation" from 8th grade. When I was a kid, this was a non-event.  You finished 8th grade and went to High School - no big deal.  But times have changed.  Our kids are used to getting trophies for showing up in sports and diplomas for showing up to school, even though attendance is mandated by law. 

I hadn't planned on doing much to mark the occasion until she and I took a trip to the thrift store to drop off some books.  Drama Girl wanted to go in and once inside she gravitated towards a dress on a mannequin.  It's a lovely dress and she bought it herself.  It wasn't until later that I thought to ask her why she wanted it.

"For the grad dance.  I know how you feel about graduation so I didn't want to ask for one."

I was horrified.  I would have been happy to buy her a dress had she asked.  I got that terrible feeling that there had been a communication breakdown.  It dawned on me that there was a lot of anticipation that she was holding back.  Not the usual tactic for my daughter.

Our next stop that day was a haircut for her.  When I stepped up to write the check, I asked the stylist if she does up-dos for grads.  I didn't even ask Drama Girl, but I could see her face light up.  Score one for mom.

So tomorrow, as she prepares to walk with her class, there will be a corsage surprise, and then there will be a small gift surprise that she wants very much, and then there will be a bit of a cake surprise. 

Because when you're a mom, you do everything in your power not to let your little egg break.




Linking up today to Wordful Wednesday, hosted by Angie at Seven Clown Circus.

Wordful Wednesday: Water Castle

I told my kids last Saturday to quit lollygagging around on their ipod touches and do something creative.  This is what they came up with.  If someone had asked them to make a model castle for a class, they never would have done it, but left to their own devices, they made a working drawbridge and a welcome sign.

"I can't read the sign kids."

"It's in Icelandic mom."

"Icelandic?  Seriously?"

"Yeah, I used a translation app on my Ipod touch."

Whatever.

Wordful Wednesday is hosted by Angie at Seven Clown Circus.

Wordful Wednesday: Muffin

Dear family,

It was so nice of you to tell me, as you were jogging out the door to work and school, that you had left a muffin for me. How sweet.

However, I was sort of expecting a whole muffin. *sniff*

Wordful Wednesday is hosted by Angie at Seven Clown Circus.

Junior Domestic Diva

After a trip to the store, I asked Drama Girl to put the fruit away. This is what she did with it.

I think the bananas look like dolphins breaching.

She then threw the box that the clementine oranges came in onto the floor. It was quickly adopted by Dumbledore, who seems not to mind the fact that he doesn't quite fit.


Wordful Wednesday is hosted by Angie at Seven Clown Circus. Visit her for more photos with stories behind them!

Wordful Wednesday: Bananas in Pants

Some mornings there is just not enough coffee to face what I have to face. I don't know what's more disturbing - the pants on the bananas or the fact that there are three bananas in there. Whatever. Somebody was having some fun with some Build-A-Bear clothes apparently.

Wordful Wednesday is hosted by Angie at Seven Clown Circus.

The Spot

Apparently there is only one perfect place in the house. It changes each day. Could be a couch, or near a window, or sprawled on the bed. I've spent months trying to analyze the pattern.

It's obvious now. The best spot? Is close to the one you love.

I couldn't agree more.

Wordful Wednesday is hosted by Angie at Seven Clown Circus.

Wordful Wednesday

Leave it to Jungle Boy to see the macabre in a set of napkin holders. I found this squirt gun strategically aimed at the lined-up Santas.

Wordful Wednesday is hosted by Angie at Seven Clown Circus. Join her for more pictures with stories behind them.

Wordful Wednesday: Mission Accomplished

It took months to get this amaryllis to bloom, just like it took many weeks to pull off another perfect Christmas. And just like Christmas, the flower will linger for a while and continue making me smile.

We had such a wonderful holiday, and I am so grateful for all we have. I'm a bit exhausted right now, but every little bit of work was worth it.

Wishing all of you a Happy New Year. Don't forget to join me on Friday for "Finished for Friday." Cross off that last day of the old calendar and take a picture of it! Let's move on to a wonderful 2010.

Wordful Wednesday is hosted by Angie at Seven Clown Circus.

The Charms of Christmas

Some women have a Christmas sweater, or earrings for the season, or a favorite pin they wear. I'm the charm bracelet type, and once we push away from the table at Thanksgiving I begin my season of jingling everywhere I go.

From the top; a shopping bag, a teapot that opens, a fireside with stockings, a Christmas tree, carolers (we have a neighborhood caroling party every year), an elf on an reindeer and an elf with a stack of gifts (in honor of the elf who visits us), Santa, a cat in a Santa hat, a harp, and a gingerbread house.

Each one is dear to me for a different reason, and just having some of these symbols of the season nearby always makes me smile. Do you have some seasonal attire that you always wear?

Wordful Wednesday is hosted by Angie at Seven Clown Circus. Be sure to visit her beautiful family and see the other photo offerings linked there.