A Meaningful Christmas Gift Idea

A couple years ago, my sisters and I decided to start giving each other photo books as holiday gifts and forgo the usual gift-giving madness. We all live in different states, so we miss out on so much of the day-to-day stuff that keeps us connected. The photo books are wonderful because they help to fill in those gaps - and they're a great way to present the zillions of photographs that I take throughout the year (way too many to print and frame). The books are inexpensive and personal, and they fit right into my new minimalism philosophy - that is, I don't want any more stuff to clutter my house. I'd rather have something meaningful and small that connects me with my family.

Another great thing about these photo books is that they give you some perspective on your year. As you sort through your photographs, you realize how much fun you've had, how much you've accomplished and how things have changed. You remember lazy summer afternoons and autumn hikes, birthday parties and snow days - the small but significant moments that make up big stretches of time.

I'm hard at work on this year's photo book through shutterfly.com. Here are links to our books from the past two years. If you have lots of photos and some free time, give these a try. You (and your family) will be hooked!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Click here to view this photo book larger

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Everyday Poetry

I work with small children, which offers many little moments of beauty. Here are some I've noticed lately.

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Backyard Bench Press

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Another Batman Fan

Our 6-year-old dressed as Batman for two Halloweens in a row, and he used to wear his costume everywhere. Here he is on vacation at Dauphin Island.

I loved that stage of his life, and I finally had a photographer friend take some photos of him (below) in his threadbare costume (he added the John Deere boots).

Looks like we have another, more muscular fan in the house.

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Happy Fall

Fall brings its own set of wonders - playing in the leaves, carving jack-o-lanterns, sitting outside by the fire pit, trick-or-treating, baking and hiking - and we're trying to embrace them all.

Last night I took a nighttime walk with Sawyer - just the two of us - and was reminded how much joy such simple pleasures can bring. We looked at our long shadows, the stars, Halloween decorations and blinking airplane lights overhead. He threw some big sticks, played with a neighbor's dog and watched cars' headlights as they sped by us in the dark. After a busy, noisy day, it was a nice way to end the night.

Unplugged and connected.

Happy fall. :)

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Sweet Moment

At a birthday party last weekend, I was drawn to the beauty of a friend and her 11-week-old daughter. I couldn't help taking a few photos. There's something so sweet about this time of life. I guess I'm a little nostalgic because my boys are getting so big ...

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New Adventures

Wow. I can't believe my last post was about the pool! Now it's October, and so much more has changed than the season. I started a new adventure in August when I took a job as a preschool teacher. My youngest son is there with me, and I love that he is just down the hall. I also love the schedule (summers off!!) and the active, hands-on, in-the-moment nature of the job. When I'm home, I am really home and focusing on my family - not on e-mails or phone calls or work that needs to be done when the kids go to bed. It's exactly what I need at this point in my life, and I'm happily rolling with it. More about that later. ... I just wanted to check in and say I haven't abandoned my blog. I'm just figuring out when and how I can fit it in.
Thanks for stopping by. Good night.

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Afternoons at the Pool

We've recently discovered the joys of late afternoons at the pool, when the sun is mild, the water is just right, and everyone seems a little more mellow. I especially love the golden sunlight at this time of day, which gradually fades to the blues of dusk ... It just makes me happy.

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Another Poop Post

Today Sawyer stood at the top of the stairs and said, "Big poop, mommy."

I was doing something downstairs and said "OK - I'll be right there."

I thought he might sit on the potty. He's been doing that pretty well. So I climbed the stairs and saw ... big poop streaks ON THE WALL.

When Sawyer saw my shocked face, he started crying and held out his ... very dirty hands. "Big poop!" he wailed.

Yes, I see. Sigh.

Parker was behind me, gagging.

Fortunately, nothing really fazes me these days. I just picked him up (trying to keep those hands from making contact), saying "It's OK - we'll clean it up," because he was so upset. Downstairs to the bathtub we went. Then I headed back up to wash the walls.

Parker summed it up well, especially for a 6-year-old.

"I'm not used to seeing poop on the walls," he said solemnly, watching me scrub. "That is really disturbing."

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Arkansas Vacation, Part I

While J was at a work conference back in June, the kids and I took a little trip to Arkansas to visit my parents and my oldest sister and her husband. It was a laid-back, no-rushing kind of trip, which was so nice.

At mom and dad's house we did some swimming, some reading - and the kids always love the impromptu dance-fests when my dad breaks out the guitar.

Then we headed to Mark and Patti's house. Here they are ...

And here is the amazing, peace-inducing view from their lake-front home ...

We did some boating, tubing and swimming in the lake. Seriously, it's hard to beat riding a boat to dinner on a summer afternoon.

Can I please have a body like this when I'm in my 50s??

Sawyer and Abby, a sweet golden lab ...

Me and Sawyer (and my fresh-squeezed grapefuit and vodka drink. Ahhhh... )

Patti and Parker on the Sea Doo ...

That's me and Parker tubing - bumpy fun! ...

We had a fabulous time and, like always, just wish we lived closer to our family. We're looking forward to the next visit.

Next up - Arkansas Vacation, Part II: Pics from our last Arkansas trip, when Parker got a brand-new skateboard and learned from a real-live skateboarding teenager.

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Work Hazards

Working from home with children is an exercise in efficiency. It's easier in the fall, when school and daycare offer some free time to focus. But summertime is tricky. I can usually cobble together child care for brief daytime phone interviews, thanks to other work-from-home moms and a 13-year-old babysitter who lives next door.

When I must make phone calls for work with the kids at home, I turn to On Demand cable. I've learned to keep water and milk within reach, just in case someone decides they must have milk immediately and it cannot wait even for two minutes when I'm in the middle of an interview. I give them snacks - stuff they don't usually get, like gummy fruit, goldfish crackers, M&Ms - in exchange for a few minutes of uninterrupted time.

Today, despite all my preemptive efforts, Sawyer found me in the middle of a phone interview. I heard him coming.

"Mommy!" he said. "POOP!!"

I waved him away, pointing at the door with wide eyes and exaggerated hand motions, willing him to just stop and play for a minute. Silently. Without saying poop again.

He ignored me and put his earnest little face close to mine.

"POOP, MOMMY!!" he said. "POOP! POOOOOOOOOP!"

Sigh. I guess you can't prepare for everything.

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Inspired by Rebecca (the Other One)

I was inspired today by this beautiful blog to post my pictures from some recent water play in our backyard. Becky is taking an e-class in photography called "Picture Summer," which features a new prompt each day. This was the most recent one:

Whether it is the deep blue sea, a refreshing pool (any size will do), or the spray of sprinklers: water is one way to keep your cool during the summer months. Today, stage something splashy and capture your ultimate cool-down routine.

Many of our summer days include some kind of splashing, whether it's in the pool, lake, creek or sprinkler. J was watering plants yesterday, and the kids wanted to be sprayed. The golden, late-afternoon sunlight shining through the water was so striking, I couldn't resist grabbing my camera.

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Holding Pattern

I have so much to blog about, and so many pictures to post - and so little time to do it. I have tons of work this week (that's a good thing) and time that needs to be devoted to my kids and summertime and not my computer screen (as I am reminded by children climbing on me every time I sit down to try). So please forgive the lack of posting. I'll report back soon...

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Parker's Party

Hello, neglected blog! I have a lot of catching up to do - so much that I can't do it all in one post. So here's installment one of the catchup...

Parker's 6th birthday! We had a blast at Hillwood Strike & Spare, where the kids bowled, rode bumper cars and played laser tag, followed by pizza and cake. This place is such a great spot for a birthday party, especially for active little boys. Parker asked me to make the cake (which I love to do), so I did - and spent about three hours trying to make Scooby Doo out of icing. I didn't learn about fondant until later. Ah well, I think it turned out OK. And the kids loved it, which is the most important thing. (Parker helped by adding the green gel dots and "spooky eyes.")

Our 6-year-old chose to wear a white dress shirt, khaki pants and his dad's tie to his party. He said he wanted to look "snappy" (!). I tried to talk him out of it, but he was firm - and so excited. He didn't care one bit that the other kids were wearing shorts and T-shirts - and the other kids didn't care, either. Parker felt special, and we (the grownups) all thought it was adorable. Now it's my favorite memory of the day.

I hope he always keeps his individual, free and confident spirit. It's one of the many things I love and admire about him.

One of the quirky things about this bowling alley is the creepy singing animals - probably bought off eBay from a Showbiz Pizza. They inspired impromptu dances to "Rocky Top" and "Friends in Low Places." Hilarious.

It was a great party and a really fun and silly group of kids. Six years old. I can't quite believe it.

We continued the party in Arkansas when we went to visit J's mom. More to come - stay tuned!

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Good Times and Growing Pains

We're getting back to normal around here, slowly, and venturing out to play again. Heading to the park after school is a new routine, although school will be out in just a couple of days. Then I'll have a first-grader in the house, which is hard for me to grasp.
Sliding are, from left, Sawyer, Connor, Parker and (at top) baby Parker - Connor's little brother. At right is Sawyer sporting some static.

We've also been hanging out at Edwin Warner Park again. Some of the trails were damaged in the flood, but there are still some nice places to play. Parker likes to splash around in the water, but Sawyer prefers throwing rocks. Lots of rocks.

The past couple weeks have been packed with birthday parties. This one, for Parker's friend Charlie, was in a big backyard with a giant water slide. It was 91 degrees and sunny - perfect for water play.
Another 6th birthday party was for our longtime friend Connor. It was at Pizza Perfect, with video games and air hockey - perfect for a drizzly Saturday afternoon.
Clockwise from top left: Parker playing air hockey; Connor playing video games with his dad; my friend Amy playing a video game with Sawyer; and Connor opening presents (my friend Erica - Connor's mom - in background).

The kids are already soaking up these summery days. Erin's family has a new trampoline (top left), and we pulled out the gator to let Sawyer give it a try. Our little neighbor Trey came over to take it for a spin.

Another kid you might know has a birthday coming up ... this weekend!

Parker will be 6 years old, and he's testing his boundaries. On Sunday, he decided he was not happy with us as parents, and he was leaving. He packed his Batman bucket with jammies, crayons and toys, and tucked a pillow under his arm. I followed him up the street for awhile before finally making him turn around and go back to the house. I'm still not sure how I feel about that episode. It was one part heartbreaking, one part funny - and one part scary. The very next night, he asked to be rocked - which I did, happily. I'll take any opportunity to cuddle this growing boy.

Of course, I took a picture. ...

We're doing our best to deal gently with the angst and remember what it's like to be 5 going on 18.

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Nashville Flood 2010: Our View

We knew on May 1 that we were in for a rainy weekend, but we had no idea that our neighborhood - and our city and surrounding counties - would be forever changed. The rain kept falling and falling and falling... In total, 13.57 inches of rain fell May 1 and 2, resulting in record floods affecting 52 counties, major Nashville landmarks (including the Grand Ole Opry and Schermerhorn Symphony Center), businesses and many, many homes. In our neighborhood 150 homes were flooded, and neighbors were rescuing each other in boats. Dozens of people have died throughout Middle Tennessee. It has taken me awhile to write about it because it's just so overwhelming. I've never before been this close to such devastation and need. Our home was high enough to avoid being flooded, but the waters invaded houses just 100 feet down the road. The worst we personally experienced was a 36-hour power outage, which was so, so, so minor. We were trapped in our neighborhood for a day and night with no electricity, which was a scary feeling. But we were all together, surrounded by generous neighbors, and we were able to drive out by Tuesday to get food, ice and water. That's when we realized the devastation was spread throughout the region. We soon grew accustomed to the sound of helicopters overhead and the grating grumble of generators, and the sight of Red Cross delivery trucks, police cruisers and fire trucks.

We have all pitched in to help our neighbors in any way we can - from ripping out drywall and soggy insulation to delivering hot coffee, cold drinks and lunches. We were just a teeny tiny part of the gigantic effort. I'm amazed at the speedy organizational efforts from our councilman, Bo Mitchell, his wife, Chastity (who live in Riverwalk) and others to help get donations of food, labor and lots of necessary information to folks. So many amazing volunteers and organizations have helped, including Hands On Nashville, Samaritan's Purse, United Way, Red Cross and others. I have a newfound appreciation for the generous, hardworking people who give so much to help others. And I'm talking about real, on-the-ground, sweaty, stinky, crawling-under-your-house kind of help.

Here are some images from our experiences over the past two weeks.

On May 1, we were enjoying the spring showers. Since we couldn't do much else, we played on the porch and splashed in the puddles.

The kids ran around in the rain. We even went to a "Celebrate May" party at our friends' house Saturday night, including a shrimp boil with all the trimmings. The rain kept coming, but we didn't really worry. Then my neighbor texted me a photo of our running trail by the river completely covered in water. We were a little concerned but never imagined it would get anywhere close to the homes.

We were so wrong. This is a photo taken Sunday, May 2. I still can't believe the water was so high.

This photo was taken via iPhone from across the street on a neighbor's lawn. I can't describe how far the river is from these homes ... trust me, it's unbelievable that it could get so high.

This is how the neighborhood looked by the end of that week. Volunteers set to work immediately helping homeowners empty their homes of soaked belongings along with drywall, insulation, hardwood floors and anything else they could remove before mold took over. While Jerod helped neighbors with the manual labor, Parker, Sawyer and I (and many, many others) took our little red wagon around with sandwiches, snacks, cold drinks and coffee for homeowners and workers.

The devastation was overwhelming ... and heartbreaking.

Our neighbors (Amanda, Ethan and Erin) joined us in making the rounds with coffee, water, Gatorade and muffins.
Here's Erin with homeowners near the pool - one of the areas we never imagined would flood. This lady was amazingly upbeat after a week of living in chaos.

We found this baby bird in our backyard. He was also a victim of the floods - probably washed from his nest. He couldn't fly, and his mother was hovering nearby. We left him alone so his mom would stick around. I hope he made it.

There are lots of great stories about the flood out there. Here are some links if you want to read more.

A USA Today story about Riverwalk in particular

A flood-relief magazine published by Journal Communications Inc. (a company I do freelance work for)

Martha Stewart wrote a blog post about Riverwalk. Her former assistant lives behind us.

Pennies & Prayers Parade

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Out and About in Nashville

A few weeks ago, my oldest sister, Patti, and my youngest niece, Leah, came to Nashville for a quick visit during Leah's spring break from college. We did stuff that I never do - mainly, shopping at a couple of relatively new spots in Nashville. First we relaxed at Casablanca Coffee, which is an ultra-hip spot in the Gulch. If you're visiting Nashville (or, like me, you live here and rarely travel beyond your own little enclave), you should really try to get over there. It's the first LEED-certified neighborhood in Nashville, and it's just a neat, walkable outdoor area with cool shops and restaurants. I rarely have a kid-free chance to get over there, so it was a treat to kick back with a bagel, coffee and some conversation before heading to Urban Outfitters. I learned that Leah is a strategic and systematic shopper; it was fascinating to watch her in action.
Then we headed over to the Hill Center in Green Hills, another cool, bustling outdoor shopping area. We spent some time in Anthropologie, a place that I love but stay away from for obvious reasons. Patti bought me a beautiful summer shirt that I can't wait to wear. (Thanks so much, Patti.)
We ate lunch outside at Provence Breads & Cafe and headed out to pick up Sawyer (his first day at mother's day out). We also played on a playground and attended Parker's kindergarten concert. It was such a treat to have family here for that milestone event.
Thanks, guys, for driving all the way here and spending your free time with us.

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A Marathon Weekend

It's been a marathon weekend for us, in more ways than one.

First, Parker ran in the Country Music Kids' Marathon Friday, which was so much fun. More than 4,000 kids took part, and he participated through his school. The kindergarten kids ran 1/2 mile. The idea is that the kids run or walk a total of 25 miles over two or three months on their own, and they run the final mile (or 1/2 mile) at the race, and they get to cross the actual marathon finish line. Very cool. Parker had a great time running with his friend Charlie, and the main thing (for me, at least) is that he learns to have fun through exercise. Jerod ran behind the boys so we wouldn't lose track of them.


On Saturday, I ran the Country Music Half Marathon (13.1 miles) with my friend/neighbor/running partner, Erin. We've been training for the past few months, and we made it through. You can read all the details (more than you ever wanted to know) by clicking here.




Also, our friends from our New Hampshire days (they live in Philly now) came down to take part in the half marathon, and we hung out with them throughout the weekend. More to come on that. They are such a great couple - so much fun - and I wish we could see them more often.

Today was a much-needed lazy, back-to-basics day filled with laundry, books, cartoons and hanging in the backyard.

DEEP BREATH.

EXHALE.

Thanks for checking in!

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