Marching on

I've captured more photos in this past month, than I have in the last who knows how many years.

I'm loving this new camera. And that challenge.

And ZZtop was gone for the majority of March, so I stayed really busy with the kids.

(Can you say photo ops?!)

There is a good possibility that I am a better parent when I'm doing it on my own.

I know everything rests on my shoulders, so I just do it. With more patience than normal.

That being said, life's better with ZZtop. Single parenting is for the birds.

Or, at a minimum, very hard. I give the single parents a lot of credit.

Just don't ever knowingly choose it, if you don't have to.

We ARE still part redneck. In case you needed proof.

I came home to a small piece of cheese sitting on the countertop.

The nibbler of the cheese did not knowingly shape MN. I kept it around for a couple days.

I know, I'm weird. Or else I just really love MN.

Then, I remembered I could just take a picture. So I did.

Last, but not least: In Motion

This camera- and this challenge- has definitely made me look at the world in a whole new light. I find myself seeing life's little moments as beautiful pictures to capture. Like the guy at the park with his kid on his shoulders, the birds perched on the branches, my friends laughing, the kids playing, my food on my plate, the tatters in Izzy's jeans, everything. It's a good thing. It's a really good thing. Thank you, Canon Rebel, for inspiring me to see the beauty in things. It's a really good thing.

Purchased.

This morning, I was wracking my brain for what I could possibly take a picture of for this challenge. And then the mail came. And I had count 'em: one, two, three packages. Problem solved. Only one made the cut for this blog, as I got my Busy Bees photos (finally) and something from a secret store. And in the third package was this beautiful dough hook. My other one broke. I could say that after twelve years of use, it was pushed to its limit. In reality, I think it sort of dry rotted for the opposite reason. I started using it and it was too used to the easy life and buckled under the pressure. So, here's to hoping this one can handle the pressure until Zztop finally agrees that I do indeed need a Bosch mixer.

The simple joys in life.

Daily Routine

One of my favorite moments in my daily routine is lifting this little one out of her crib after her nap. Oh, the love she gives. It's my daily paycheck.

After dark

...when my mind should stop, it does not.

I lay in bed, mind and body pulling in different directions. One towards slumber. The other, a cacophony of emotions unable to calm. A wife, a mother, with life to think about.

Something old.

And! the novelty of homemade bread has officially worn off.

Sunflare and my sunshine

There. There's some sunflare. Now I need to go and take a shower before

the guy comes to take me away in a straightjacket. That way I'll have a fighting

chance to convince him that the neighbors are wrong- it's totally normal

to see someone crouching around behind bushes, taking pictures

of the sun. It's normal. It's sane.

And the things I was seeing were from photographing the sun.

I'm pretty sure.

Ahhh, childhood. If only I could go back for a day.

A few.

Trees.

It's not a sunset, but I thought it the foggy look of it, with the buildings in the background, was just as beautiful. It was in midst of a rain storm. Plus, I was at a shower at sunset. So. There's that.

A smile. A big, happy smile.

Pri-tay pattern.

A few years back, when I lived in NM, one of my friends taught me how to sew. Some of the knowledge is still living in my brain. I made coordinating outfits for my girls. And I loved this material so much that I still haven't gotten sick of it. Even after seeing it on three girls. For a while now.

Z's.

Day 19: Where I slept.

It might be purdy, but the mattress doesn't leave me yearning for my own bed while on vacation. By any means.

******

Day 20: What I read.

The thai menu. A certain tall, dark drink of water is treating me tonight.

I'm keeping him.

*****

What? Spring oreos are pretty. Or, this one was.

Plus, I take pictures of everything nowadays.

My camera is fun.

Happy Spring!

The cats outta my bag.

One paystub. That is all. Only because that is my "just mom is going" bag. Used for the obvious. The most it will contain at one time is my wallet and cell phone. It's snakeskin (imitation) and I found it on clearance for $4. It was love at first sight.

My "church bag" contains a smorgasboard of emergency-staying-quiet-in-church supplies. Twelve pens, three notebooks, an outdated planner, hand sanitizer, a sucker, Haley's chapstick, Tylonel, kleenex, Teddy Grahams, a diaper & wipes (that were not there last week, which sent Maddie scrounging around the car in middle of church), etc.

My "dropping the kids off" bag contains diapers, wipes, and a blanket for Kaija.

My "running errands bag" is a cross-body bag and contains only a few emergency supplies: dental floss, pencil, breath mints, a diaper, and an eraser. The eraser is left from when I was in Tax School.

The rest of my bags sit empty and useless, until I feel the need to pull them out and use them.

What's in your bag?

Photo Challenge, Day 16 & 17: what I ate & on the shelf

I know, right? I totally said I wasn't going to worry with day 16. But, I'm enough of a rule follower that skipping a day didn't sit well with me. So, judge me. I don't care. This isn't what I ate yesterday. I didn't eat Mojakka, either. Nothing finn, as a matter of fact. GASP!! Mostly it is because I have the best friends. Zane got home in the wee hours of Friday morning, after being gone for almost two weeks. And my dear friend took my kids for a few hours and sent us on a much needed date. And I had the most delicious sandwich. (Guess what? I ate a whole meal without one interruption!!!) It seriously pains me that I didn't have my camera with to show you the work of art that the sandwich once was. Instead, you get this:

BTW: Single parenting is for the birds.

the difference between a girl and a boy

Happy St Urho's Tay, my frents!

Oh, kosh. I heffent a clue where to pekin. Dis packach came in da mail ant my heart was chest a pountink. I chess knew it hat to pee someting koot. So, I poot on my nicest tress. My wetting tress. And I'm klad I tid. Pecause, Oh, poy! Was it effer excitink! My mudder, duh reigning trophy holter pikt me to kiff da trophy to pecuss I chased away all dem hip proplems. Oh, kosh. Its chest such uff an honor. Oh, kosh. Tanks, Mom.
Ders a million people I need to thank who mate it possiple. My kits, my huspend, my extentet family (parents and siplinks on poth sites), my frents like Lenny & Penny who always make me kikkle, my plokking network (both plokkers and commenters with der constent support), my coffee frents (aka therapy croup), Chenny for kiffing me pangs which empowert me, Chewlie who let me pour my heart out on the efe of dee appointmints pecause she unterstants, ANT! (fairy importently) the chiltrens hospital and their amasing staff who chest know how to fix hips. Ant efferybutty else in my life who kafe us support in any way.
Oh, kosh. I'm chest so honort. It's almost like I don't teserf all of dis. Almost.
I hope dis is your year to chase away your "krasshoppers" from your life, if you half any.
If in tout, chest ask yourself "wut woot St. Urho to?" Ant you can ushually fikker it out. Have a koot St. Urho's tay. I hope yours is as epic as mine.

****

Oh, ant duh photokruffer was Mat-tok. She's pretty koot for a little one. Ant, for ta recort I'm koin to eat mojakka totay. I cant possiply waste my time wit a photo challench on such an important tay. I'll pe out toink tinks to make Urho prout.

Ant, uff course! My frent Sharyn's huspent mate da carfeen of Urho. In case you neet him for sometink. He es so talented. Eff you want to see dis ting in person, et will pe cracing my kitchen wit its pressence for da next year.

Photo Challenge, Day 15: my shoes

Sorry to disappoint you, Carol. No heels today. I imagined all these wonderful pictures of my shoes in a pile. Yet, all I really wanted to talk about were these babies.

I went to one of those shoe places where they evaluate your stride. And after a lot of debate, I plunked down a massive amount of money (in my opinion) for a pair of shoes. Like, triple digits. I've never spent that much on a pair of shoes in my life. True story. When I really thought about how much I use them, how many miles I could use them for- when you average it out, it's not so bad.

And then I tried them out. L.O.V.E. Zztop once compared his shoes to running on little baby chicks. I thought it was wrong on a couple levels. But, I completely understand what he was trying to say. I hopped on one of the most unforgiving surfaces I can think of- and ran. And my first thought, honestly, was "Oh, my goodness. I'm running on clouds!" Guess what? My hips didn't ache afterwards!! Halleluja! I never thought the day would come where my tennis shoes became my favorite pair of shoes.

If you haven't purchased a pair of serious shoes and you do any kind of exercise at all- you need to. It's a game changer.

Photo Challenge, Day 14: Flowers

It's March. Seriously. Izzy's skirt is the best I could come up with. We were at the zoo with friends today. It made for some fabulous photo ops and good memories, even without the pretty flowers.

From A Distance

Things that makes my heart expand, pouring out through leaking eyes:


To the another eye, what might be in this photo is an ordinary scene of boys playing football. But, to me, it's a been a long time coming. It's my little guy running. He may not be fast, but that'll come with time as he regains his strength. It's not an award winning photo, it's something so much better. It makes my heart too big for my chest. And, yes, it was taken at a distance to avoid embarrassing the little football player.

Photo Challenge, Day 12: Close-up

Like Barb, I could have easily taken upwards of 60-70 photos for this one. I only took 7. Narrowed it down to two. But, only because today is crazy-busy with eye appts (Logan is getting glasses), baking bread, cleaning, etc. It's a good way to start the week. Full blast.

Photo Challenge, Day 11: Something Fun

Ice cream for supper. At the park. In the sunshine and the 70's. Life is fun.

Photo Challenge, Day 10: Something I Made

Photo Challenge, Day 9: Faceless Self Portrait

Where's Waldo?

Photo Challenge, Day 8: Technology

Photo Challenge, Day 7: Something new

Since I have been able to get yeast to work, I went out and bought two more loaf pans. And then I tried my hand at english muffin toasting bread. Heavenly. I just love english muffins- how the little pockets catch the butter that you smother on it. MMMMMmmmm. While I was so busy doing that and not tending to my kids, a few things happened that NEVER have happened on my watch.
A kid with a grubby little face,

Another playing with something that isn't a toy, (I know, I'll get them back to you- we passed the mark where we are safe. Didn't want to jinx it. I'll be wanting a cup of coffee when they enter your hands, though.)
A messy house?! WHAT?! For the first time ever? Hoo boy.
Obviously, it wouldn't have been from my kids. Don't let his shy-act fool you. I'm guessing he was the one that caused all three firsts. ;)

It just goes to show, there is a first time for everything.

New Food Blog!

Somebody from my hometown started a blog as a school project. And she needs our support.

Check it out!! Looks fabulous to me.

Photo Challenge, Day 6: Childhood Memory

I had a really happy childhood. Minus our move from Michigan to Minnesota, my life was pretty easy. And I have a lot of good childhood memories. A lot of little things that added up to one big happy. And I try my hardest to pay it forward to my kids. This is one those littles that hopefully makes the cut. (a little science museum for kids)Yes, I took my kids solo. Yes, I want a medal. Or a chest to pin it on. Or a cookie.

Think about it, if they combined forces, they could really do me in on an outing like this.
But, they didn't. So, I shall take them again.
And, yes, I may have planned this outing mostly for the photo ops. The colors were awesome. I had a really hard time trying to decide how to edit these pictures. They looked fabulous in any option, including as is. (There are tons more where these came from.)
Don't judge me- my reasons for going really don't matter in the long run, as long as these kiddos store this trip in their hard drive. And it makes them happy. And it had me remembering the MN Science Museum that I went to as a kid. What kid doesn't love a science museum, even if you aren't into science?