One of my favorite pics from our weekend getaway to Cape Cod. Don't worry, I talked her out of it, which reminds me, I still owe her an ice cream cone.
© 2003 – 2011 This Full House
Category: Hope
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Wordless Wednesday: Kiss Me
I just love capturing really awesome moments like this (unedited) and surprising the heck out of myself, for remembering to take off the lens cover, even, you know?Related Post blogged at Gone Shopping: Our Kleenex Field Trip to the American Museum of Natural History with TheMotherhood.com
© 2003 – 2011 This Full House
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The Husband Wish List
I was collating through paperwork and alphabetizing color-coded files, the other day.
Okay, so I was looking for a pen.
Fiiiiiine, I would have been happy finding a broken crayon…but, couldn't see the top of my desk from the paper jungle that mysteriously cropped up…seems like overnight, really.
Alriiiiiight, so a person could lose a small child in the stack of bills, that somehow magically migrated from the kitchen table…ummmmmm…what?
[sound of crickets]
PEN!!!…that's right…I was looking for a pen (or crayon) but, found a list of stuff and asked my youngest daughter about it, since, you know, it was in her handwriting.
"It's a list of stuff."
Now that we're clear on it being a list…of stuff…she went on to explain that it is actually a collective wish list she and her sisters penned, while I was away at BlogHer, of the qualities they wanted in their future husband and/or SigOth.
In the order listed (with notes added, where deemed necessary, or, at least, I felt, you know, compelled to do so, as their Muh-thuh) and YES! I asked them before I blogged it, for the sake of posterity, of course:
- Funny (Heh, guys hate this, right?!?)
- Loving
- Caring
- Good attitude
- Wants to have kids (Really? Hrmph. Go figure.)
- Tall
- A Little Older (My oldest has a little crush on the "Stay Thirsty, My Friends," dude, me too!)
- Australian (With the likes of Hugh Jackman, can you blame them?)
- Any accent (Come to think of it…Mike Holmes…aye?!?)
- Great personality
- Hugger (It's how we roll!)
- Dancer/singer/male model/body building (I kid you not, with forward slash and everything!)
- Lots of money (I guess they thought better about it!)
- Helps read to children (Preferably can read on their own, too, I hope!)
- Nice abs (SNORT!)
- Love to bake and cook
- Pretty eyes (It's what attracted me to their father, that and his nice abs, really!)
- Toned (Because, sometimes nice abs are just not enough, you know?)
- Good teeth (Or, at least, hope that one of your sisters or brother marries a dentist!)
- Animal lover
- Smooth voice (Why, yes, I do happen to own a collection of Barry White albums, why do you ask?)
- Artistic
- Sporty
- Bond with the kids
- Strong
[pause for bathroom break]
- Willing to take responsibility and take care of family when sick
- Photographer
- Traveler (Aaaaand, hopefully, take you with him, just sayin')
- Some chest hair (SNORT!)
- Whiskers (Less cat-like and more of the Johnny Depp-ish, I think!)
- Confident
- Flirty (Smart girls!)
- Loves me for me (Word!)
- Doesn't smoke or do drugs (See previous parenthesis.)
- Loves the beach/the ocean/the capes (i.e. Cape Cod and Cape May.)
- Construction worker (To build his/her mother-in-law her dream house, FINALLY, preferably on either one of the Capes, doesn't matter which, really, I'm easy like that!)
It will be fun to visit this list, a few years from now and see how we they fared (or, not!) right?!?
Riiiiiiight.
© 2003 – 2011 This Full House
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Wordless Wednesday: No wonder they don’t chase him off the couch!
P.S.: He saw me coming and shoved his head under the pillow in a "you don't see me sort of way," too.Freshly-Brewed Elsewhere:
Smoothing Our Way into Chillaxing Summertime Snacks
Including Craft Fairs and Art Shows Into Your Summertime Routine© 2003 – 2011 This Full House
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Holy Hula Hoops,Triple-Tasking Girl!
Three weeks into our summer vacation, things are going pretty smoothly and by that I mean, at the end of the day, we're all feeling a bit tired (in a good way) not to mention, sun-kissed and slightly pool-drunk from one too many belly flops.
Of course, I meant to do that and yes…IT HURTS…like a son of monkey's uncle, riding on my back, along with the rest of his family and a couple of his monkey-like friends, while singing, "It's hard out here for a chimp, like me," too.
[sound of crickets, chirping]
Sorry, clearly I'm finding it increasingly challenging, as the social director, here at Camp This Full House, year after year and, well, now that my kids are older?
"So-and-So invited me to the pool club…What's-Her-Name invited me to lunch…I got a job interview, this afternoon…"
It's really not so bad.
"Aaaaand I'm taking the car!"
Really, it's not.
"Wait, what about me?"
Unless, you happen to be the youngest camper.
"Well, you can have a friend over."
Aaaaand, all of your friends happen to be out or having fun, you know, someplace else.
[heavy sigh]
"Sorry, give me a few minutes and we'll do something, together, okay?"
Honestly, the poor kid's heard me say it enough times, I'm actually thinking about putting it on a t-shirt.
"That's what you ALWAYS say."
See what I mean?
"Hey mom, LOOK!"
Long story, short (I know, too late, still) I looked up to see this coming right at me, a few minutes later:
LESSON LEARNED: NO…I don't have very good balance…okay, NEVER have…YES…it would be nice to be able to multi-task, with such grace and cuteness, like that…and NO…I don't know where the heck she gets it from, either, DAGNABIT!!!
Now, if you'll excuse me, the pool is calling and then Triple-Tasking Girl and I are going out for an iced mocha…after Holly gets home with the car, first…of course!
© 2003 – 2011 This Full House
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3,650 Days
As a mom of a 17, 15 and 12 year-old, other than scraping teeth on utensils, or chewing and speaking at the same time (shiver!) things don't bother me as much, as they did, when ALL 4 of my kids were in single digits…at the same time (double-shiver!)
But, this kid…right here…just turned 10 today and, well, I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that my oldest is now a legally licensed driver.
Or, that my middle girl is turning 16 at the end of this year and how much older than 15 that sounds, right about now.Cape May 2011
Never mind, that my son's next birthday will mark the "Holy Hannah Montana what do you mean we have 3 teenagers in the house," point in our lives where my husband, Garth (not his real name) and I won't be able to use each of my pregnancies as a time line, to remember stuff, for very much longer.
Cape May 2007
Like, how this post is supposed to be about Hope's 10th Birthday and here I am, going on about her siblings and, well, that's how it goes, when you are the youngest, right?
But, this kid…right here…makes us laugh AND cry (especially, whenever she feels the need to interject herself in a conversation and correct one of us, which is often) like no one else we know (she's usually right, btw!)
Although, sometimes Hope will swear that she is ALWAYS last and that no one EVER listens to her, she has single-handedly managed to claim an especially squishy spot in each of our hearts.
Because, Hope IS a mashup of ALL that is good in our lives at the moment and, now that she's crossed-over to double digits, too (SOB!) I can't think of a better reason to celebrate, than this:
From Day 1 to Day 3,650 (or, 3,652.42199, including, leap year) there is and always will be ONLY one Hope — a.k.a. Queen of the Cat Daddy.
Happy 10th Birthday, Hopey!P.S. After careful consideration, I've decided to surprise Hope and take her to get her nails done after school, today. I understand, she's only 10 (see above) but, it's the ONLY thing on this kid's birthday list and, considering I'm her mother, it's really not a whole heck of a lot to ask, is it?
P.P.S. Besides, she's MY kid…soooooooo…pppfffbbbllltttt!!!
© 2003 – 2011 This Full House
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SPLASH! Photography
Phew, now that I got THAT song out of my head (thank you, ABBA!) who’s up for a swim, anyone?
[Cannonball completed by Hope (a.k.a. Robin) photography courtesy of Heather]
© 2003 – 2011 This Full House
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Twinkle, Twinkle Little…SOB!
Hope's 1st Band Concert 2011 from Liz Thompson on Vimeo.
FYI: Hope is my youngest and only one of all four of my kids to play in the school band. So, this is a FIRST…for the both of us…enjoy!!!
© 2003 – 2011 This Full House
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This One Time, At Camp Poopy
Kids are on spring break, this week (note to spring: feel free to show up, anytime, now, thanks) and Hope, who has been looking forward to staying with her godparents, to work their iris farm, ran from the car, suitcase in hand and excitedly announced her arrival.
"I'm ready to spread manure!"
Yes, the kid loves nature THAT MUCH and I am not even kidding, when I tell you, it's ALL that we, her teacher, the kids in her class, our next door neighbor and the mail carrier, have been hearing about, for weeks.
Unlike her older sisters, she is not afraid to get dirty and I tease my son that she is actually a lot like what I imagine having a younger brother would be like, too.
Much to the delight of her godmother, who raised two boys and also happens to be a little bit crunchy…even before crunchy was cool…and often joked about not knowing what to do with a girl.
So, in my eyes, it sort of fits that fate bring these two together and, truth be told, makes my heart feel a little squishy, knowing that, when all else fails (i.e. my attempting to convince some therapist that my youngest daughter's childhood wasn't really all that bad) Hope will remember this one time, at Pittsgrove Farms.
When she helped spread manure and really, really liked it. Actually, I'm not sure what is on her hands and was, at the time, reassured by her godfather that they're really not going to make the kid spread manure…shhhhh…but, don't tell her, okay?
"Aunt Cheryl made applesauce pancakes, this morning!"
Uh-oh.
"You lucky goose!"
Wait for it.
"Mom made us ALL eat granola."
Yes, but we're having waffles…for brinner!!!
Note to spring: don't bother, I got this!
© 2003 – 2011 This Full House
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The Writing on the Back Door
You know when stuff you read, or something someone says, makes you think so hard, that your eyes begin to cross with concentration and then you clench your jaw in absolute frustration, until you finally give up and go all:
"Look, you trying to tell me something, or what?"
Me, either.
Quite frankly, I try not to read into stuff…too much…because, well, with 2 teens and 2 tweens in the house (yeah, I know, right?) my head hurts enough, already.
Like most of my mom friends — especially, those of us raising a bunch of raging hormones, that walk and talk, but refuse to tell you ANYTHING and dang if a person couldn't go blind, rolling their eyes like that — I have become somewhat of an expert at dodging emotional grenades.
Until, one of my kids drops the h-bomb.
"I hate my life."
It doesn't matter which kid says it, really, because the sad truth of it is, each of them have said it, at least once and did I mention my youngest is 9?
"Don't you dare slam that…"
SLAM!
She's got a wicked arm, that one, which reminds me, I should really look into signing her up for softball.
What?
I mean, she is the youngest and, well, empathizing with a mom friend, whose daughter recently turned hormonal, "Welcome to the dark ages."
I quickly reassured my friend that the black cloud will indeed lift, around the time our kids turn 12.
[knocking on wood until knuckles bleed]
I didn't bother mentioning the fact that they then become teenagers, because, heck, what do I know and the poor woman looked as if she needed a Tylenol, already.
SLAM!
I'm not even sure that their bedroom door is going to hold up (related: all 3 share 1 bedroom, enough said!) it's been a loooong week, you know?
Then, I walked into the den/laundry room (mostly, laundry room) and noticed the writing on the back door (Hope likes to make lists) and, well, I fully expected to find myself at the TOP of her s-list:
- Live your life your way not how someone tells you how to live
- There is a whole world everybody can see right in front of our faces
- Our planets can be very interesting things. Like love is one of the most important things in life.
- I have a dream that we will have peace in the world.
- You can have fun one day. You don't need a special electronic. Just be creative.
- When the sun sets and rises it goes up and down almost like life. Sometimes life can get bumpy like a road.
Okay, I may not be the brightest crayon in the box (more like a dusty gray, really) but, DAYUM, if my kids aren't trying to tell me something?
Or, maybe they're just trying to drive me crazy?
[crosses eyes, clenches jaw]
Yeah, right, anybody got any Tylenol?
© 2003 – 2011