Tuesday Special

Here I sit, fresh out of the shower at 3:06 on a Tuesday afternoon. This particular Tuesday is a special Tuesday, though. Why is it special? No, not because I finally showered at 2:40 pm. No, not because I am dressed in real clothes for the first time since Sunday...

It's my honey-pie's birthday!

Happy Birthday, Dustin, my love!!!

This man 'o' mine rocks my world. His ever-present, but varied in formation, facial hair is scruffy and rough, and I love it. He knows I love his ruggedness. And ruggedness is not just limited to his ruggedly-handsome looks.

He dresses rugged... no matter how I try to sharpen his style, he is who he is. I've stopped trying and just dress him as ruggedly-sharp as I can! (I do all his clothes shopping, so I can do this, you know.)

His walk is rugged. He tromps through this world with his heavy boots. Many who know him can identify him simply by hearing his footsteps.

His attitude is rugged. He bucks authority like a bull in a rodeo. He says what he thinks, often with a consequences-be-damned attitude.

And speaking of being damned... his language is often rugged.

But... like a rugged mountain peak, he too is not immune to the powers of erosion. The passing of time, and being wedded to someone not quite so rugged, has softened some of his rougher points. His language is softer, his impatience less sharp.

And, like any rugged mountain, he has his spots of softness as well... his moss-covered north side, if you will. He has always been, since I met him, tender and gentle with me, his wife. He adores me, and I him. He is as sweet a dad as I've ever seen with his beautiful children. Sometimes that rugged, rough side comes out in his father-role, but when it's tucked away, he's soft and tender with his little ones. He is friendly to others and makes people feel good being around him. He loves to serve and help people. (but not if his wife volunteers him for it without prior consultation!) Soft as a tree's mossy north face.

Happy Birthday to my mate, my partner in life, my love, my husband.

I love you, my rugged and soft man!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my birthday, for another hour and18 minutes. I am now 31 years old.

This morning, my sweet husband cuddled with my while I was very sleepy and wished me a Happy Birthday. Then he went and got in the shower and I continued to sleep. Off to work he went. Don't I have a great husband? He goes to work every day for our family. He doesn't love what he does, but he loves us and because of him, I stay home everyday with my children. I'm so blessed.

I woke up to Ella chattering next to me. I was still so sleepy. I would fall asleep while answering her chatters and she loved me anyway. What a sweet girl.

Later I woke up for real due to more Ella-chatter. It was a good way to wake up. Then the phone rang. It was my friend and her cute kids singing me a halting Happy Birthday. They even stopped mid-song to say that they were "so off!" It was adorable. I felt so loved.

My phone rang and rang. I think I got 5 or 6 birthday wishes before 9am! It was a good morning. Except when my kids found out I was going to play laser-tag without them for my birthday date. They were mad about that and I told them they had to be nice to me because it is my birthday. Eventually they concurred.

My mom called and she and my dad sang me a lovely birthday song, complete with harmony. Then she offered to take me to lunch. I chose a charming local restaurant with awesome fish tacos and incredible house salads. My taste buds were so lucky this day!

Then I wandered some local shops with my mom, smelling lots of lotions and soaps. My olfactory sense was overloaded and assaulted and a little angry at me. But I'm still so blessed, olfactory glands and all!

I went and picked up my children from my friend, Devon. She is an earth-angel and I love her. Dearly.

My chore today was the living room and dining room and I failed to do them this morning. Shame on me. But I redeemed myself and did them when I got home. Then I made frosting for the cupcakes that were previously prepared on my behalf. I frosted the cupcakes and headed out to play for my birthday party.

I planned my party all by myself. I rented a local laser-tag place for a whole hour! Did you know that that's a really long time to play laser-tag? It makes one's quads really tired. REALLY tired. And it makes one sweat. A LOT. Many family members and a few friends joined in our fun and I came home completely pleased with myself for planning my own party. I said over and over to Dustin, "That was really fun, huh?" After the third or fourth time he laughed out loud and said, "Yes honey. It was very fun." His tone was a little bit patronizing, but I didn't mind. I planned exactly what I wanted and I was completely thrilled with the result.

I like me. I'm so blessed. Happy Birthday, Me!

This picture was taken in 2007 in a Cadillac Escalade. That was a fun car, indeed, to drive! Aren't we all so blessed to get to drive cars and get everywhere so quickly? Life is grand, is it not?

Love, C

Birthday Wishes!

Here's a birthday shout out to my great friend, Maria, whose birthday was yesterday. She is an incredible friend, not to mention mother, wife, daughter, pianist, intellectual, coordinator, organizer, confidant and giggle buddy! I have really appreciated our friendship, Maria. Thanks for everything and Happy Birthday, yesterday! :)

Another wish for a Happy Birthday goes out to the creator of my FAVORITE meme of the week, Manic Monday Mo! Thanks for all you do to make my Monday's rock the blogging world. Mondays are my favorite day to blog. :)

Manic Monday: Bite... AND Happy Birthday Dustin!

Shall we just have my blog have an auto-message at the top that says, "Better late than never"? I feel like I'm saying that a lot.

Happy Birthday to my sweetie. We had his party yesterday because tonight he is not here. :( Sitting here in this chair I am missing him and trying to think of a story for the word bite. As it is my husband's birthday I've recalled a story involving him and it comes from my archive of carefree and kidfree yellow kitchen days...




I yawn as I straighten out my stiff arm. It doesn't agree, and I wince as I slowly try to move it. I think to myself, 'That's what I get for laying here reading with my weight on my elbow for... wait... how long have I been laying here?' Glancing over at the clock I realize the answer to my question... too long.

It's late, but that's nothing unusual. Late nights and I have always had a beautiful friendship. But, since my recent acquisition of a husband (a few months shy of a year is still recent, right?), I mostly like to go to bed early and snuggle up with him. But, Night and I have become reacquainted as my Dusty got a new job where he gets up at o-dark-thirty every day. This, in turn, requires him to go to bed at a ridiculously early hour, which is simply not cool with me. So, I have been up to my old tricks.

Moving my tired body, I exit the living room to commence with my nightly routine of face washing, toothbrushing, and peeing every last drop so I won't have to wake up later. Walking toward the bathroom, I glance into the kitchen and grin to myself. I still have a chore to do before I go to bed.

I open the fridge and remove all necessary items for my chore completion. Lunch meat, mayo, mustard, bread, apple, orange, cottage cheese. Dustin's lunch box is already on the counter top... my friendly grin-triggering reminder. I even melted his initials on the top with a hot knife tip so it wouldn't get mixed up with the guy who has the same lunch box at work. As if he needed that. I always leave other little clues as to who's lunch box it is.

Cottage cheese in the little plastic Rubbermaid container. Check. Apple and orange in lunch box. Check. Sandwich made with mayo, mustard and meat. Check. Bite taken out of sandwich as a little token of my love. Check. Love note written on sticky pad and placed tenderly on his sandwich. Check. Bottle of water. Check. Love-filled lunch box placed in fridge for overnight coldness. Check. Heart filled with joy for being able to serve my husband and send little reminders of my love to him in the middle of his long, hard working day. Check, check, check.

As I head off to finish off my bedtime routine, I realize that I'm no longer tired. My heart is singing as my mind conjures images of him reading my note, finding my love bite and smiling as he thinks of me. It's amazing what love can do.



Happy Birthday, honey. I love you so much and I'm so glad that you waited for me to say yes. Sorry I can't make you lunches everyday right now because I might after this affectionate post! Love you so much.

Happy Birthday, Dad...

... a bit late! Yesterday was my Dad's fifty-sixth birthday and, I must say, I don't know another fifty-six year old quite like him. Dustin came home from karate yesterday morning and said, "I told your dad 'Happy Birthday! ...Fifty-six and still kickin'- hard!'' (Dustin and my dad are both brown belts in Shotokai Karate, and they are the instructors for our local group) Dust then proceeded to tell me about a kick my dad delivered while Dustin was holding a giant kicking pad for him. Through this big pad, it still hit Dustin in the stomach and made him feel like he was going to throw up! Can you imagine your dad doing that? Cool old guy, huh? ;)

Another fun agile-old-guy story happened about two years ago. Dust and I went over to pick up my dad to go somewhere. He forgot something in his house and I watched him run and hurdle the three-and-a-half foot fence that they have around their yard! Dustin said, "There's not many fifty-four year old guys that could do that!" He ROCKS.

My dad chose to spend his special day working on our remodel job in our basement. Isn't he the BEST?! He has some mad building skills. He knows SO MUCH about construction and remodeling- it blows my mind. There's a term we've all heard: Jack of all trades, master of none. Not my dad... he's the Jack of all trades, master of most. He is amazing and does such fine work. I'm so proud of him and I want the world to know it!


Dad holding grandkids Ella and Lance!

Thirty

I got an email from a friend tonight for my birthday, and it made me feel like a million bucks. I am going to bind my blog into a book one of these days and I want my friend's nice words in the book, so please bear with me while I post this sweet note I got from my pal. I am granting anonymity to the author of said words, so don't ask, bucko! ;)


{To: Clancy}

Happy 30th a bit late. You are such a kick and I wanted to do something special so here is a random (in order and thought) list of 30 things that make me love you. Enjoy and we will party on soon I am sure.

ODE to Clancy Pants....In list form...

1. You let me call you Clancy Pants. How fun is that!!!

2. You made edible eyeballs and witch fingers.

3. You throw yourself into life full on. Anything you commit to doing you do in style.

4. Do you ever not have a smile? I bet you even smile while your yelling at the kids.

5. You don't really yell at your kids. You love them and love being their mom.

6. You invite every one into your life and make us all feel like your favorite sister.

7. Your Halloween costumes always rock.

8. You have one of the most sincere laughs and you use it often.

9. Your mom has chickens. I don't know why this makes me love you more. It just does.

10. You listen to my cry. Even if it isn't a good reason.

11. If I am not crying for a good reason, you make me feel like it is anyway.

12. You make me want to improve my life, as you are always trying to do.

13. You are so carefree. A very comfortable quality.

14. You think your children are the most adorable things in the world but you also make others feel the same about our kids.

15. You ride a motorcycle with your hubby on dates. How cute is that!

16. You put the R in RAD.

17. You let things go and help us all grow stronger.

18. You are steady in your friendship. You are not just a friend when it is convinient for you.

19. You make yummy treats.

20. And the winner for the cutest short hair goes to CLANCY PANTS...Nobody pulls it off like you do.

21. You rollerblade

22. You like Wheat Grass.

23. You are a hippie. I don't know why but you are.

24. You wear a Team Edward t-shirt.

25. You like Imogen Heap. Only cool people like her.

26. You always have something interesting to tell. I could never tire from talking to you.

27. You are happy for other people's happiness. This is a big one. It shows your selflessness.

28. You don't make people feel fat.

29. You wear cool shoes.

30. You LOVE Me!!!!


Happy birthday lovey.

{From: My pal}

Happy Birthday Mac!

(Just pretend I published this on Tuesday, July 15th! I actually started it that day, but didn't have time to finish it ON his actual birthday!)

McKinley Eirik was born eight years ago yesterday (July 15th)! Do you know how old that makes me feel? In some ways it seems like he was just a little boy last week and in other ways it feels like he's been here my whole life. I love him so much!

So, here's a little tribute in pictures to the kid with the sweetest, biggest, most intense heart on the planet.

Newborn Mac. He was intense even as a newborn.

He has always had such stunning eyes! He was about three months old here.

The Cutie Pie at about 5 months old.

This is mom and Mac when he was about 13 months old. He used to be quite blond!

Two years old wearing grandpa's hat!

Two and a half years old. He fixed the dinosaurs so the little ones overpowered the big one. Mac knew the principle of strength in numbers at a young age!

Mac, at three years old, found my mascara and thought it was war paint or something... I tried to be mad, but he was just so darned cute! (this kid's gonna break hearts with those beautiful eyes!!!)

Three years old.

Four years old with Daddy's motorcycle goggles on his head!

Coppin' a little attitude at five years old.

Six years old.

One of MANY self-portraits Mac took! (seven years old)

Last week at his early birthday celebration! What a goofball!


I love you, Mac. I am so glad you chose to be in our family! You are so strong and so tender all at the same time. I love the inquisitive mind you have. I love your sweetness and I love your tenacity. You are amazing and you will do incredible things in this world. I am so proud to be your mother and I pray that I can do the job to the level that you deserve. You're awesome, buddy!
Love, Mom

Gettin' the Hang of Things...

I am happy to report that I am finally getting the hang of being a mom. Just kidding.... sort of. I just had a very successful birthday party event on Saturday. Let me elaborate...

Somehow we have managed to celebrate Ella's birthday this whole week. From Sunday to Saturday. It was not every day in between, but we had a little family party on Sunday last and then Wednesday was her actual birthday, upon which I had thought I'd do a little friend party for her. Memorial Day weekend was busy and the thought never entered my brain that to have said kid party, I would have to send out invitations IN ADVANCE! We all know that I'm a bit of a procrastinator (getting better... but not cured yet!) but this time it just wasn't even a thought that crossed the brainwaves. So, Tuesday afternoon I realize that her birthday (and the day I wanted to have her friend party) was tomorrow! Needless to say, I didn't have the party on her birthday. I felt guilty not doing anything on her actual birthday, so we went to the zoo and out to dinner like I said in a previous post.

Ella had her little heart set on a party with her cute friends... so we planned it for Saturday. I still managed to wait 'til Thursday afternoon to get the invites out, but none of the moms sent me any hate mail for my short notice, so I guess that means they will still be my friend.

I asked Ella what she would like to do at her party and she pulled out her I-know-my-mind card, and she fired off this list without any hesitation. (FYI, she did not get that card from me when we shuffled her deck!) She ticked each one of these off on her fingers as she spoke them:

• Balloons
  
• Tug-of-war
• Red Rover
• Fishing game
• Treasure Hunt
• Cake and Ice cream
  

I am sad to say, I picked up the balloons at the store and somehow didn't get out of the store with them. But everything else was on target.

Here is why I am so excited about this story- I am a notorious procrastinator, as mentioned. At events like this I am usually frantic because guests are arriving and I am not even close to ready. This time, I was only slightly frantic for the hour before, but I got everything ready by the time the first guests were arriving. (well, I did have to ask the first guest to go inside so I could hid the treasure without her seeing, but we won't count that! And we also won't count that I had to ask my mom to whip the cream for the cake...)

I am also famous for overplanning the amount of games for the amount of time. Not this party, baby! I suppose that could be Ella's doing, since she planned the party... Either way, we were done at almost exactly 3:30 which was right on schedule. I felt oddly satisfied when it was all over.

My favorite, and many of the kids' favorite as well, was actually the tug-of-war. I didn't want to buy a big fat rope for it, so we had to get creative. My dad busted out his climbing rope. I am not exactly sure how long it is, but it's somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 feet. We were getting it doubled up for the tug-of-war and somehow it evolved into a REALLY "long" game of jump rope. That would be long as in feet, not time. The kids were giggling non-stop as the weight of that doubled yet still very long rope would hit them and sometimes sweep their legs out from under them. It was truly hilarious.

Anyway, the party was great. Ella was thrilled, all kids had a good time, and the Mama was satisfied after a good, hard day's work on the Motherhood job site.

Happy Birthday Ella Brae!

Yes, it's true. Rohan and Ella's birthdays are just five days apart. We had a little family party on Sunday. My sister was in town with her two kids. We had a cake for Rohan and Ella both, so they both blew out candles. It was fun.

Then for today, which is actually Ella's birthday, we went to the zoo. It was just Mac, Ella, Rohan and I and my parents. Dustin was at work, of course. It was raining earlier this morning, but we went after it stopped and stayed til they closed. It was a very pleasant day. The animals were mostly very active in the cool but comfortable air. The crowds were very sparse, I'm guessing due to the rain earlier. Very pleasant indeed.

As we left so late, I didn't want to go home and cook dinner and have everything run late...so, we went to 5 & Diner! While we were sitting there eating she asked, "When are the workers going to come out clapping and sing Happy Birthday to me?" It was so cute! She, apparently, remembers that they do that at restaurants and wondered when they would do it for her! We asked and they sang AND gave her an Oreo milkshake on the house! She felt very special.

So, as I did with Rohan, I wanted to take you on a little tour of Ella's 6 years of life...

Ella Brae

The little miss just hours old.


The new and expanded family. Check out the swollen nose on the mamma~


A couple weeks old... so pretty.


Sleeping by big brother Mac.


Look how cute!


This is Ella and my Grandma Carol. I miss Grandma every day. She was sunshine in human form!


The impish side of Ella...


My mom photoshopped it and made lots of little imp Ellas.


One of my favorites... she is about 7 months old.


Her first Easter. I made the dress too big, but look how cute she is!


She had the bow-leggedest legs you ever did see! She walked at 8 1/2 months. I think she was about 10 months in this pic. (Mac's boots on her. And stitches in her eyebrow...)


She loved to pretend she could read.


Christmas, 19 months old.


Ella and her famous Dee Dee.


Easter number two. She was almost two years old.


Mac and Ella got into the flour and sugar. She was covered!


On our way to an impromptu Halloween party!


Easter number 3!


Ella on her 3rd birthday!


Camping, three years old.


She decided she wanted freckles, so she drew some herself.


This was typical Ella hair at this age. That's why we chopped it short not too long after!


She would fix her hair herself... can you tell?


A favorite picture of my Ella.


Happy Birthday number 4!


Halloween at four years old.


Halloween at five.


Taken last Saturday. Happy Birthday, happy girl! We love you!

Happy Birthday to My Baby!

Today was my little baby boy's birthday. It was on this day three years ago that Rohan Xavier came into my life. I was in love with this child the instant I saw him, as I was with all of my kids... yet, somehow I remember the feeling of the instant bond more clearly with Rohan, perhaps because it's my most recent memory of seeing my newborn for the first time. Regardless, Rohan has been a joy to have in our family since the moment he was born. (double click the pics if you want to see them bigger!)


Me in labor with Rohan... I'm having SO much fun!!


Rohan Xavier just minutes old.



Loved by Dad, brother and sister...



A couple days old.


Sweet sleeping boy.


Rohan and cousin Emma who is 15 hours older than he.


Smiley little munchkin!


His hair would not lay down flat... even with gel. He had wild hair ALL THE TIME! And, btw, that's my sister, Sarah, holding him! She's cute, huh?


Such a doll baby!


Notice the hair standing up?


Loved by his brother and sister... and the hair still won't lay down.


Rohan was always very skinny! This is his friend who is only a couple weeks older than he, but as you can see.. much bigger!


Our buddy eating prunes. He kept rubbing his face!


First birthday... so sweet.


Tastin' the cake... mmmmm... not bad!


He's a camera ham, for sure.


Blondie boy.


He didn't like to wear costumes until recently. Remember the frog? Anyway, this was Halloween and he wore this costume long enough to take this picture and that was it!


Rohan will jump off of almost anything. He is a daredevil! This is him in action at a mere 18 months old.


Always in action...


We used to ask Rohan to do his 'cheezers' and he'd do some version of this "smile" every time.


What a sweet boy!


Pre-recent-haircut on the ice cream day with Mom...


His best buddy, Keller!


Post-recent-haircut! He looks so grown up!


And this is my favorite picture of my sweet little Roh Roh! Happy Birthday, Buddy! We love you!