B is for Bugging Big-Sis

Here's my contribution for the ABSee Photomeme Week 2: Letter B. This little baby is always bugging his big siblings. He's one of those kids that will know not to pick up scissors, but grab them and run - squealing all the way. He's the 'writing on the wall' kid... in more ways than one. This morning we've already had one green nursery wall scribbled on and taken the scissors from him twice (I'm not making this up just to have blog material).

But oh, how cute he is. Even when he's misbehaving.



We all love the little bugger so.

What picture did you post this week for the alphabet photo challenge at The Homeschool Post?

Subscribe to Sprittibee by Email

Weird in Austin

I've had a lot on my mind in the past week or so. (Ha! Pretty cute picture, eh?)

So for now... let me digress from the heavy topics and take you on a quick trip down Lamar here in Austin.



The folks from Austin like to share their motto on bumper stickers and t-shirts: "Keep Austin Weird". It is definitely a strange landscape... as a drive down any main thoroughfare will reveal.



Check out the Light Bulb Shop on Lamar. I've been wanting to get a picture of this groovy dude for ages. I finally talked my husband in to stopping for me to attach the Tamron Zoom lens.



Yeah, that guy is way up in the sky, so you have to have a zoom lens to get a good picture of him. I love my Tamron.

And on our way back home, we passed this little donkey...



Don't worry. He's laughing WITH you, not at you.

And so am I.

It's good to laugh a little when things are crazy. I'm laughing quite a bit lately.

Baby Curls

My husband wants me to take the baby for a haircut. He says that the little Viking's hair is driving him crazy because it is so long, uneven, and out of control.

I just can't cut it. It would be like cutting my heart out - little snips at a time... watching my baby's curls fall to the barber shop floor. Part of me would be forever dead.



We've long called him "Rooster" because his hair grew in like a Mohawk naturally. It is short on the sides and long and wispy or curly on top - not an even length anywhere... but oh, so dreamy. I love it. [And his head smells like heaven - especially with a touch of Bedtime Lotion.]

It's not like he isn't 'presentable'. It isn't way down over his ears. He doesn't look like 'Cousin It' from the Adams Family. He hasn't morphed into a hippie or a surfer dude yet. There's really no reason to rush to the barber shop.

Can't a mama enjoy those baby curls just a little bit longer? I don't ask for much.



Daddy is the only one in the family who shares the opinion that Baby Bee is unfashionable. My mama has threatened that if I let him cut the baby's hair, she'll never speak to me again.



Little man doesn't fret much about his hair. He's just happy to have so many adoring fans in the family. [He pretends to be bashful, but he's really not.]

Those curls will be gone soon enough...



... and I'm sure mommy will tuck one away in the baby book when Daddy finally wins the hair-cut argument... but for now... I'm happy just being wrapped up in them - in love.

Subscribe to Sprittibee by Email

When You Aren't the Best Gardener

Last year I was having a baby in March, so we never got around to planting anything in our raised bed gardens. It had been fun during the summer of 2008 when we created the beds to practice growing things for the first time with the kids. We figured this year we would try our hand at it again.

We planted:
Corn
Radishes
Tomatoes (a few different varieties)
Spinach
Onion
Cilantro
Bell Peppers
Banana Peppers
Carrots
Lettuce

I think that's it. And of course we have three different herbs growing... Chocolate Mint (which has taken over an entire flower bed - if you don't love mint: PLANT IN POTS), Lemon Basil (still in my kitchen window in a tiny pot) and Lemon Balm (the best thing since sliced bread - wish I had more of it).

This year, the basil didn't re-seed. I was kind of depressed about that because last year it was everywhere and I had fresh basil on hand whenever I needed it. I figured I might try to replace it with the lemon basil this year... but it's so tiny still, that I haven't even been able to use it in one dish yet.

Texas is hard on gardens... the heat is rough. The nice thing, though, is that we have at least three growing seasons. Our lettuce is bitter (heat) but beautiful, the radishes and spinach really look bleak (doubt we'll get even one bowl of either), and the corn.... OH, woe is the corn.

TWO tiny nibbler sized cobs have been harvested so far - from four huge stalks. The other two rows of corn never got tall enough before they started growing... so I am not sure what will come of them. At least the fire ants are getting fed.

The cilantro never was. It sprouted and immediately died in the summer sun. I've never been able to grow it, so I buy it at the grocery store; just like I have been my lettuce this year. It's rough watching the lettuce grow in your back yard and having to eat the boxed stuff - because yours tastes like it has aspirin sprinkled all over it.

I did get three or four banana peppers and used them in some Mexican pinto beans one night for dinner. There are two bell peppers looking shiny and green on the plants right now. I can't wait to pick them. They aren't big enough yet.

I only got 4 little onions from the big one I planted. Still not sure how I went wrong there. I'll be planting those again later this fall from seed.

Our tomatoes are pretty much the big winners in our garden. They seem hearty enough to stand on their own - despite our lack of gardening skills. I love picking them just when they are turning yellow-orange and watching them finish to red on my kitchen window sill. Tomatoes are so much better home grown! The baby says, 'Mato' when he sees them, so he usually is the recipient of the cherry tomatoes that we bring in. One day he sank his face into a Roma (before we even knew he liked tomatoes). He just leaned forward when Chickie was telling him what it was and took a huge bite! Now we feed him tomatoes all the time.



If anything, our garden is pretty. My husband loves to water and care for it. It's his "therapy". He likes to unwind after a long day at work by taking the baby out with him to fiddle for a little bit. Baby K now requests that "dada" takes him "ouside" (and he points excitedly) as soon as he walks in the door.

I guess if there isn't much edible out there, at least our garden is serving other purposes. We sure enjoy using the few foods we grow when we are able to harvest our tiny crops. Even if you stink at gardening, I'd still recommend it. Keep trying. Eventually, you are bound to grow something worthwhile!

A is for Antique - Homeschool Post's A B See Photomeme

This antique table sits in an old two-room schoolhouse... the same one my grandmother attended as a young girl. Can't you just imagine kids sticking their pencils in those holes along the edge? I love old schoolhouses. I wish I lived next door to this one. I would do all of our homeschooling in it!

The Homeschool Post has resurrected their A B See Meme (an alphabetical photo meme), and I've been excited to play again. This time they are putting FIVE of the best alphabet pictures on their blog each week to showcase them, linking to the photographer's blog. [I say photographer loosely, since you don't have to be any sort of pro to join the meme.] Also, they have a Flickr Group set up just for the meme - so you don't even technically have to be a blogger to join... you just have to have an alphabetical themed photo and a flickr account!



Way cool.

My A this week is Antique. Although, I had so many I could have picked from.

The meme is posted on Sundays each week and you don't necessarily have to start on the letter A or go in any particular order or at any particular speed... and you can skip weeks or not - up to you entirely.

I figured someone out there might get stumped on what to take a picture of... so... being the anal retentive type (there's another A for you), I thought I would sort through the dictionary and give you some suggestions for a photo to add (it has to be added by Saturday to count for this week's post).

Here are some great A photo ideas:
able
ability
absorbent
acappella
accessory
accident
achoo
activity
act of God
actor
Acts
ad absurdum
addition
addict
adhesive
adios
adjustment
adore
adust
adventure
aesthetic
affirmation
aflutter
aftermath
aftertaste
agaze
aggravation
agog
airy
allergic
alley
alligator
allium
all-out
ally
aloe
aloof
always
AM
amazement
ambrosia
American
amiable
amiss
amused
angel
anger
animal
announcement
anonymous
ant
antiquary
apprentice
aquamarine
arch
architecture
arf
armadillo
artful
artichoke
artifact
asleep
asphalt
aspirin
assistant
astir
attic
attitude
audience
auditory
aunt
Austin
authentic
awe
awkward
azure

Now don't tell me you can't think of an A word. No excuses. Get clicking!

You have until Saturday to load your picture on the Flickr group and be considered for the top five that will be displayed next week. One top photo will move on to win a prize once a month, too! The first give away is "Understanding Exposure" - which happens to be the very same book my kids and I are using to study photography for our homeschool this year. It is awesome!

Can you tell I'm excited? Naw!

Me and Her Against the World: Procter and Gamble’s “Thank You Mom” Campaign

I was an only child, so I feel an extra special bond with my mom. I'm lucky to be nearing 40 and still have her (especially since she has diabetes and has never been in tip-top health). I loved that I never had to share her with another sibling when I was a kid (besides my cousins, and I didn't mind if it was only part time). Only children are spoiled like that. Me especially. Very, very spoiled. [Why yes, that was a Dorothy Hamill haircut. It's the only thing my mom and I still aren't on speaking terms about. I feel sorry for those of you born beyond the 70's who will have no idea who Dorothy Hamill is, or why every little girl born in the 70's wanted to join the Ice Capades and be a figure skating star. But that's besides the point.]

My parents split when I was only two. We had a hard life, but my mother was always there for me. It takes a special kind of mom to raise a well-adjusted kid all by herself and make them feel completely loved. It wasn't an easy walk in the park back in the 70's for working women. I can remember pretending to be sick as a kid so that I could go home from school to be with her. I'm sure I cost her quite a few jobs. I was terrified of losing her every time we went out to the grocery store. I guess only kids who are from divorced families in their early years have 'abandonment issues'. Whatever the issue, I was glued to my mom. I adored her and thought she was the prettiest, smartest woman on the planet. [Then I became a teenager - and she wasn't smart any more. Then I had my own kids, and now she's pretty wise again. Funny how that happens.]

She used to tell me when I was a kid that "our song" was 'You and Me Against the World' by Helen Reddy.

I loved the lyrics - even back then in the - whatever decade that was. Man, I'm old. [I loved the lyrics all except for the circus clown part. What kid doesn't hate creepy circus clowns?]

Tell me again mummy...

You and me against the world
Sometimes it seems like you and me against the world
When all the others turn their backs and walked away
You can count on me to stay

Remember when the circus came to town
And you were frightened by the clown
Wasn't it nice to be around someone that you knew
Someone who was big and strong and looking out for

You and me against the world...
Sometimes it feels like you and me against the world
And for all the times we've cried I always felt that
God was on our side

And when one of us is gone
And one of us is left to carry on
Then remembering we'll have to do
Our memories will get us through
Think about the days of me and you
You and me against the world

I love you mummy.
I love you too baby.

My mom went on to get married again when I was seven - and she did her best to raise me, despite a less than perfect world we live in. It was never easy - and I wasn't an easy kid to raise (she'll tell you that I gave her all the gray hairs she has today). She was always there for me - no matter what; even when I was at my worst. Her love has never been conditional.



She's still there for me.

I feel so blessed to have a parent that is so involved with my children... one that I can call a friend. It is a rare day that we don't talk to each other - at least on the phone. She lives with me part of the week so she can teach piano, so I get to see her more than most people see their moms.

I know she has regrets over things in the past...

...but I want her to know - that she's the most selfless, loving, tender-hearted, giving mom in the world. Perfect wasn't ever a requirement. I'm so glad of that, because I'm not a perfect mom, either.



I wish that I was more like her. [Besides the strange obsession she has with Whataburger, that is. I swear, every drive-in Whataburger in Texas know her by name.] I hope all of her good qualities continue to teach us - my children included... so that we all can be more like 'Chickie' when we grow up. I'm hoping all the time we have with her rubs off. [And I'm praying that fried chicken won't stick to her arteries.]

Procter and Gamble recognizes the special relationship between a woman and her mother, and wants to reunite 100 mothers and daughters with its “Thank You Mom” campaign.

Moms make life so much more special.

Here are the official details:

Log onto www.thankyoumom.com and enter to win a gift card to help cover the cost of a special reunion with your mom or mom figure in your life. Entrants must submit a 100-word essay describing why they would like to be reunited with their mom. Consumers are also invited to vote for their favorite entries. Each month, 15 winners will be chosen through November 30th. Winners will also receive a portable digital video camera to capture their reunion and are encouraged to share the video. Specific contest rules and regulations can be found online at www.thankyoumom.com.

Be sure to vote on your favorite entries for the Thank You Mom Reunions each month!

If my mom lived far away from me, I am not sure what I would do. Do you miss your mom? Please take the time to write down why you want to see her again, enter your essay at www.thankyoumom.com and get your friends and family to vote so you can win this contest! Your mom would tell you, "It can't hurt to try your best!"



{Disclaimer: This post is part of the P&G Thank You Mom Reunion Campaign through Blissfull Media Group.}

Fake I Heart Faces Photo Walk - Austin, TX

Last Thursday I had the distinct honor of doing a "fake" I Heart Faces Photo Walk with Julie Rivera. You see, since I missed the REAL photo walk because of a wee sick little baby, I signed up to take the kids for Julie's offered "make up session". We did a mini walk and I enjoyed having more one-on-one time with Julie since there was only one other shutterbug mama on the walk.



I managed to talk my husband in to going with me downtown, too... to make sure that I wouldn't end up lost or forget my keys somewhere. He's handy like that. We both like to shoot things (him at the gun range, me with the Canon). I just reminded him that I put in some time at the range with him - it is only fair that he give up a Thursday evening to join me on my photo walk.



"Why are we doing this again?" He says as we search for a parking space downtown.

"You know - for the same type of reason why you love target practice. We both have our hobbies. We need to support each other."



I was glad he went - even if it was like pulling teeth at first. It gave him a glimpse of what photography is really like... and Julie was such a fun, down-to-earth teacher.



I loved watching her work. She even taught me a few tricks with my DSLR that I hadn't learned yet. There are plenty of those - since I'm pretty green in the photography world.

Julie shoots with a Canon 5D Mark II. She has fancy red-ringed lenses, too. Not to mention, she's an editing NINJA.



She does the Fix it Fridays over at I Heart Faces and her processing skills are amazing. We were shooting together and her pictures are unbeatable. So for all the ones you see in this post, she has a bunch that are twenty times more wonderful.



On the way downtown, an afternoon thunderstorm rolled in. It lasted just long enough to leave us plenty of puddles for the boys to play in. The other little fella on our walk (around baby K's age) really had some fun in the water.



I used to hang out downtown as a teen and young adult - back in my pre-Jesus days - so I wasn't surprised with the grunge.



Time hasn't changed it much. Still under construction.



Still a bunch of smoky bars and weird, eccentric shops and grafitti. Plenty to photograph if you like that sort of haunt.



Of course, we had to snap a shot of the colorful guitar on the street when we passed it. Austin is the "Live Music Capitol of the World".



And you can't go downtown without snapping a shot of the stately Capitol building. Morgan caught this one with my 18-270 Tamron zoom lens from the back seat of the car on our drive home.



Julie really had a way with babies. She got some sweet smiles. My kids enjoyed working with her.



I was impressed with the great shots she got... and most of them in dirty alleys.



Some guy even came up to make sure and let us know that "people pee here all the time". Useful advice, no? We made sure to bathe when we got home.



All said, it was even better than the I Heart Faces Photo Walk - because we got Julie to ourselves... and we got to meander at a slower, less congested pace.



Not that I won't be signing up for the next Photo Walk, of course... but if you love to do photo walks, I highly suggest small, personal ones! I just might try and set up another local one some time before long... and I hope Julie will come.

The 'Simple' Top 5 Most Important Things

I struggled narrowing down a picture of the little man to post for this week's photo challenge for I Heart Faces. I'll have to admit, I got a little choked up looking back through his first few days.

There were some great pictures - but not enough. I would have loved to spend more time with the camera doing photo sessions with him back then, but man - when you are in the throngs of newborn-daze, you are blessed to just be showered and fed... much less able to spend time clicking pictures.

I can remember months that went by with me relying solely on my iPhone camera. Tsk!

Shame on me.

Not long ago, I made a little book of the baby's first year - and it was sad that most of the better shots are from more recently - since life has "slowed down" a bit.

I laugh today at that statement.

Because...Well...

Life really isn't slowing down. I'm just realizing, one missed deadline at a time, that there are things that must be let go. Maybe life was slower back "then" because "they" figured that out, too?

There are important things. And there's everything else.

What are your important things - the things you always try to fit in to each and every day?

Mine:

1. Spending time in the Word, whispering prayers as I go about my day, thanking Him for each flicker of a blessing (because we all know they are hidden amongst the craziness of daily life at home)...

2. Nourishment of body and soul. Relationships cherished. Full bellies. Nursed babies, happy-helping tweens learning to bake and cook and feed a family along side mama. Trying my hand at economic shopping and keeping a menu. Holding hands.

3. Clean house, happy daddy. He loves a clean house. Laundry always in a moving dance from hamper to drawer and back again. Watching God help us keep order in the chaos - impossible feat.

4. Rest and REFRESH. Slowing down to hug and hold, kiss and smile, smell the flowers... enjoy the fleeting moments. Carving a little ME time out to bless mama. Trying to get in bed at a decent hour so that the next day can be fresh.

5. Creating and connecting. Reading, learning, drawing, cooking, making, discussing, sharing our talents and lives together.

You'll notice that blogging isn't on the list. After five years this month of blogging, I can honestly say that my heart knew it needed to step a notch down so that it wasn't always in those top 5. Some lessons are learned the hard way... at the expense of a lot of "shoulda-coulda-woulda's".

Simplified times call for simple lists. Is there something you need to push down a few numbers?

What are your top 5?

Sticking in There

Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there.

~Josh Billings

I Need a Break

I would say that things were back to normal around here, but we've never been normal. We lean a tad towards the crazy side - even when things are functioning smoothly.

Things aren't that smooth right now. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say we're at about a 30 (on the crazier than ever end).

This much is true:

1. We are at least HOME: all of us plus one piano-teaching grandma that is here for part of the week (Lord knows that we couldn't survive without her helping out around here).

2. The baby seems to be bouncing back: today he ate quite a bit of mashed potatoes and a little bit of chicken, never mind the fact that he needed two baths from exploding daipers (which I guess are still to be expected).

3. School is intermittent at best: tempers and attitudes were flaring this morning when mama laid the law down about getting back in to a regular school and chore routine. Our list ahead is long, but we're determined to get it done. Or else.

4. I NEED A MAID: Mama ain't happy when the house looks like a pack of wild Russian boars were living here for the past week. And so I hired one (and I suppose I'll have to pay for it with a credit card, but at least I'll have part of my sanity back). She arrives tomorrow at 8AM and I'm praying she has that sliver of my sanity with her when she gets here.

5. Most importantly, I NEED A BREAK: Yes, I did take a break from blogging while I was up at the hospital with my sick little dude... but... I am so behind on regular life that I'm afraid I'll be needing a brief intermission from the online world just to get caught up around here.

More LISTishness....

Bills must be paid.
The checkbook must be balanced.
Groceries must be purchased so we don't starve.
The garden must be tended and blackberries must be picked. [Cobbler awaits...]
Toys must be sanitized.
Bathrooms must be bleached.
The refrigerator must be cleaned out.
We must catch up with ourselves on the ever-growing past-due school list.
Sheets must be changed.
Nightmare-inducing amounts of laundry must be tamed.
Litter boxes must be cleaned out.
Cats must be bathed. [If I never return, you'll know what happened to me.]

I'll be around - but too busy to post much more than a photo or two. Hopefully it won't take very long before I'll be right-side up again.