idontbelieveingrammar

Both my family’s side of the vacation and Creativity Boot Camp are winding down. Today is the last day for both. And the random word of the day is smile, which is pretty fitting. For example, today Owen smiled all the way up the lift, while I white knuckled the bar and closed my eyes. But I did smile when I got to the top and took in the view. And I’m smiling just thinking about getting in the hot tub in a minute. Or playing some dominoes later. I’m smiling because even though everyone else is packed up to go home before the sun rises, my crew has an extra night here. And even then, we are headed further north for another week rather than south. But my biggest smile came as I climbed down the steps in a tiny white Baptist church. I’m not particularly Baptist and I didn’t attend a service there. Let’s backtrack a bit. My family likes to make good food and especially to eat good food. Even though I’ve hiked miles with a toddler on my back and rowed for ten miles in the last few days, my...

This morning we went for a little raft ride. It was cool in the morning and the river was cold and smooth. The ride was easy and the scenery amazing. We floated along and occasionally paddled our rafts at a leisurely pace. And stopped for a picnic lunch. At a few points the water had a few ripples and we may have gotten a splash or two. But mostly it was an easy ride with a few splashes here or there. And after lunch we sent the kids and grandparents packing and the brave few stayed. For bumpier waters. And we tightened up our life vests and paddled harder and faster through some white waters. Things with names like “The Maze”, “The Narrows” ,“The Toilet Bowl” and “Sal’s hole”. We went right back and left forward and held on tight. We may have even gotten stuck on a rock once. At the last rapid we watched other boats tip and sway and even dump out an unsuspecting passenger. Whenever we made it over a particularly tough spot we would all cheer and do a paddle high five. A few miles down...

We are staying in one house. All 16 of us. I can’t remember the last time we all slept under one roof. With 16 it has never been done. And even when we were just 5. It has probably been over a decade. My family is on vacation, and instead of the usual slew of condos at the beach, My dad rented one house in Angel Fire New Mexico. And I won’t pretend that it is all roses. It is noisy. There have been harsh words and too much wine. But there has also been smores and big breakfasts. There is laughing and running on the stairs and crying and screaming from too tired toddlers. More giggles from cousins and splashes in the hot tub. There is snoring from Paw Paw on the couch. Cussing in the kitchen and quiet conversations on the deck. And even though I like this noise. The loud living together kind. Last night I needed a bit of a retreat. So me and just my husband slipped away and headed into Taos for a birthday dinner. We had no plan and no leads only that we wanted to eat somewhere good and ...

My phone kept dinging with birthday wishes. Way too early in an unfamiliar bed and timezone. It had been a long night spent mostly with a toddler kicking me in the face and another fighting for covers. But I could smell the coffee brewing downstairs. Full-bodied and inviting along with muffled conversations That eventually pulled me out of bed. Out of this. And I went downstairs and poured myself a cup. And headed out onto the deck to soak in Some of this. Both the coffee and the view were worth the early rising Another post for day-i've-lost-count creativity boot camp. Today's random word prompt: full-bodied. I struggled with this a bit. because i didn't want to do the obvious. I used it as an excuse to try and schedule a full body massage but didn't have any luck, i could have talked about my fuller than necessary hips....but i refuse to post pictures of that...so you are left with the coffee (and my amazing view).

  It was ominously gray ahead. It started with just light drizzle on my windshield. But soon big heavy drops were falling. Harder and faster. Until my wipers were working over time. On this one lane mountain winding mountain road. That maneuvering if fair weather is enough to make me nervous. But ahead the skies were blue and sun cut across the peaks. I held my hands firmly at ten and two. And kept my eyes on the road. And drove towards the sunshine. So I've skipped a few days, but I am participating in Creativity Bootcamp and today's random word prompt is: drizzle.

  My sweets has fluid in her ears. Well actually we all get fluid in our ears from time to time. But it usually drains fine on it’s own or after a quick round of antibiotics. My my little girls is thick and hasn’t drained in months. Maybe over a year. It is quick to get infected and probably causes pressure when she lays down. Hence, her waking up over and over again each night. With lots of tears. Hers and sometimes mine. We have had at least a dozen ear infections and very few good nights of sleep. And I am more than ready for it to get better. And this is a pretty common problem With an easy fix. Tubes. Little tiny tubes inserted into the eardrum to allow air in. To release the pressure. And let some of that fluid finally drain. That’s it. Just provide an escape route and release the pressure. Unfortunately this involves surgery. Minor surgery. But surgery and Children’s hospital and anesthesiologist and 5:30 am are not words and phrases you want associated with your baby. But s...

Last night I added a few grams of surgical steel to my body. Via the nose. And I know nose rings are pretty common. Like the naval rings everyone had back in highschool (yes I had one of those too, one that I even tried to pierce myself with a safety pin, which for the record, does not work). But not too many of my friends have them. Only the really cool ones. And I am not cool in any way shape or form. Next week I turn 32. I have 2 little ones. I live in the suburbs. Am about 30 lbs overweight And do most of my shopping at Target, and I am not referring to groceries here. I love to be in bed by 10 pm (or before). I can’t tell you the last movie I saw in a theatre that didn’t involve talking animals. I have a house, a dog, 2 kids and a 2 car garage. I don’t drive a minivan, but have started to occasionally envy people who do. All that space. All those cupholders. Built in booster seats And the magical way the doors open and shut with just the tiniest click of a button. And no, Nose rin...

  My parents gave me the only strand of pearls I have ever owned. I only break them out for special occasions. Most cultured pearls are made by inserting a nucleus ( usually a tiny piece of clam shell), along with some living tissue from another oyster into an unsuspecting oyster. To deal with these invaders, the tissue makes a sac around the nucleus and the oyster covers it with a thin coat iridescent coating called nacre. It takes about six months. Longer for bigger pearls. But essentially they are coated tissue sacs. A natural pearl starts with an irritant just like the cultured ones. But instead of a tissue sac, it is layer after layer after layer of shiny coating. Underneath is more shiny pearl. A 3mm pearl takes 5 years to form. Larger ones can take up to 20 years. Layers take time. And add value. And are incredibly rare. I’m sure my parents spend more than I could afford on these pearls. Maybe even a few hundred dollars. And other than my engagement ring, it is one of the ni...

This morning I dropped my son off at camp and got surprisingly weepy. It was just day camp. He is only 4, turning 5 by the end of the week. But camp is huge. Maybe even bigger than kindergarten. I packed his lunch last night. Chips and apples and a lunchable. And plenty of fluids. And 2 twizzlers. One to eat and one to share with a new friend. And he asked to see his lunch at least a half dozen times on the way there. Specifically the twizzlers. Both of them. And I dropped him off and before I knew it he was lost in the crowd. And I was trying to find my way to the front of the carpool line so I could get back to school to check out. And I fought tears. For my own summers. And my own lunches. Always bbq down by the river. Or up the hill in the cafeteria. Or breakfasts in the basement at my own summer camp. And these summers shaped me and made me and are some of my fondest memories. And my son is beginning to make his own. Without me. And it begins with picnics under the trees. Sweaty i...

Have I mentioned my mad crazy week. Camp, graduation, workshops, VBS, O’s birthday party, Tess’s surgery, concert (Imogen Heap), and packing up for 2 weeks of vacation. I am busy and stressed and not sure that I am going to make it. But it is also the beginning of Creative Bootcamp….which is something I can’t pass up. Two weeks of challenges and assignments to push me to be better at this. I’m not sure that I’ll get to post everyday, or even what kind of internet access I’ll have next week….but I’m going to try. So bear with me. My intention is to take a photo and write a post on the topic everyday. But. Tonight after soccer games and bible studies and my subject is already asleep….so it will have to be a photo from earlier in the week. The first topic: ivory. My son has olive skin that most people spend lots of time under fake lights to get. It is barely June and he is already a warm light tea colored brown that I will never be. His brown eyes and blond hair make him stand out even m...