this weekend

This weekend we went to Flagstaff and back for a soccer tournament. We ate here. Very nifty.

We witnessed this abomination. Don't think for a minute that this was staged. He's been doing this SINCE BIRTH. I can't wait till his first date. They will be sitting in a restaurant and she'll be horrified.

She will be texting her mom under the table.

"He's really funny and nice and his eyes are the bluest of blue, but I swear he must have been RAISED BY WOLVES! OMG! Please come get me!"

And, of course, she'll miss out on the best thing to ever cross her path. Because we're not wolves, really.

Lewis, is your nose bleeding, too? Nice.

We did much more than that this weekend, but one of the last things I did was to get on a spinning UFO ride at the fair with Della and seriously whipped my brain to a froth. That's a gross feeling. So I'm signing off! More pics soon!

{And that May cake is breathing down my neck....lucky for me, today is Max's 12th birthday.I need all the incentives I can get! Go here if your'e lost. Or here. Or not.}

Hope you all had a great Memorial Day Weekend and stopped for a moment to be thankful for those who gave us our many freedoms.

tea means stop

Coffee means go, of course it does.

But did you know that tea means 'stop'?

For me, a cup of tea is a physical reminder to put on the brakes. Hold the phone. Stop talking. Stop doing.

I am putting on the kettle. I am rummaging around for the just the right tea bag. I am waiting for the water to boil. I am pouring it into a favorite jar. I might even stare at it for a minute as it steeps and turns the perfect shade of amber.

I am re-centering. I am right here. Not multi-tasking.

Let me take a sip or two and I can help with that project, I can sit down and play memory, I can read another story, I can make cookies, or play catch, or mend your doll.

Perhaps I'll coin the term, tea therapy.

Cheap, simple and quite effective.

Which makes me think. I would so love to sit with all of you and drink tea and laugh and chat. Near and far, I love my blogging friends! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts and lives with me.

And how do you put on the brakes?

{this moment}....the reader

These two are constantly reading.

last day of school

Today is the last day of school. Let's jog back and take a look at the first day of school.

Click here to read all about it.

I was a basket case, was I not?

For no good reason, except that my babies are my everything.

How was it, you ask?

Let me show you.

I took these pictures yesterday.

Della looks miserable with her beautiful teacher, Ms. Beth, doesn't she. They had so much fun all year. She loved it and loves all her new friends and is already ready for next fall!

And this is lovely Ms. Katie. Yes, Della loved her! They match, don't they? Not pictured is Mrs. Lloyd, another kindergarten wonder!

Lewis loved Mrs. Shipp! We were so lucky to catch her in the last year of a long and wonderful teaching career. She thought Lew was shy at first and quickly reassessed. Basically, he owns third grade. And I was so worried about this boy. Mrs. Shipp showed him the way!

Here they are in this amazing tree in Mrs. Shipp's front yard. She lives around the corner from school and they walk over all the time.

Lew and his posse.

Here they are with Mr. Harter, their principal. He's pretty much a genius. He has a policy that has endeared my children to him for the rest of their lives. A tootsie roll pop has lots of old fashioned drawings of kids on it's label. They are doing various things and it's different on each label. Did you know this? If you find a label with an Indian shooting a star on it, Mr. Harter will give you another tootsie pop. You take him them label, he rips it in half, gives you a tootsie roll pop, and the vicious cycle starts anew. The Indian and the star aren't especially rare, or else my children are wildly lucky. You do see what my Tiggy is clutching in his hand?

Long story short it was a great year. (Max forbade a camera anywhere near his school so you'll have to trust me.)

I am so thankful for the teachers that spent so much time teaching and caring and loving my children.

Did you know that alcohol is forbidden in the public schools?

I took it anyway. I think that right about now those dedicated teachers might just totally be jones-ing for appreciate a cocktail for a job well done.

It's Miller time! And hooray for summer!

{Thanks Bunny, for the suggestion!}

Durango Mom Interview: Aunt Nan, The Trilogy

I find oodles of cool art on poppytalk! 

If you are joining us late then welcome to the party and part three of the DM interview with my sister, Nan. Here is part 1 and part 2. It's all there!

I wanted another picture of Nan, but this will have to do. She is for sure a foxy lady! And they have the same color hair!

What is your go-to meal? The one that everyone likes and is easy to pull together:
I have a couple, as I like to cook, and we are limited here for food.  Pasta Carbonara is my boy's favorite, hands down.They also love quiche, which is relatively easy and you can throw in all the leftovers.  I usually make one more meat oriented and one more veggie.  My youngest will even ask for it in his school lunch.  I would say our main go to is hamburger and french fries.  We just do the hamburgers in our black iron skillet and we have the smallest fry daddy for the fries.  We just buy frozen fries and pop them in. It is very fast and a guilty pleasure for sure.  

Do you exercise? What? How often?
I go through spells.  I try to walk regularly and I love yoga.  I have practiced yoga for 15+ years, but again I am not consistent in my practice.  I seem to justify everything else, but that.


What keeps you sane and centered?
I am pretty laid back, so I don't really require much. I like my alone time, which is every morning when the house is totally empty. I love to soak in a tub.  I like to travel by myself.  I often go to NYC on business and really love my time there.  I like eating by myself too.  

What is your most important family ritual?
It is the same as yours.  Eating dinner together every night is something I just assumed every family did.  I am grateful to our mom and dad for instilling that ritual in us. We don't do this next family ritual all that often, but it definitely goes on every trip with us. Can you guess?  Dominoes!   It is so fun and the kids really picked it up quickly.  We went to Maine, two summers ago, and played it every single night for hours.  We will bring them to Wyoming this summer and play with y'all for sure!  I'll kick your ass for sure too!  I love to talk some smack!

What is your greatest wish for your kids?
That they grow up to be compassionate, humble, accepting, and smart.  Also, for them to realize that the harder they work for something, the luckier and better off they will be. Also, to instill the love of travel in them.  So far, we have been fortunate in that department,  but it is something we really have to work and sacrifice  for.

And lastly, what is your greatest wish for yourself?
I don't know.  I will say that the only upside to this aging thing, is growing up more emotionally.  I do keep this quote folded in my wallet:  "You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage...pleasantly, smilingly, non-apologetically...to say "no" to other things.  And the way you do that is by a bigger "Yes" burning inside. {Stephen Covey}


Thank you, thank you to my sweet sister for taking the time to share! We are meeting in Jax, Wyoming in July and I can hardly wait to squeeze her neck (that's southern for 'hug' not 'strangle') and whip her ass in dominos!


Love you!

guerilla midwife

Love this.

Posting will be slim this week, as I finish up school with a bang and take care of some things that need my focused attention.  More soon!

my valley

This is my valley. It's where I run and think. It's where the kids play. It's where we climb and mountain bike and explore and watch the seasons change. I love watching the birds swoop along the cliff walls. I am at peace here. This is where I live. It's my valley. But guess what?

It's your valley, too.

More than anything, that's what I love about the West. The breathtaking beauty is communal property. It belongs to all of us. Public land. What a concept!

Isn't your valley lovely?

Come play with us.

Possibly my all time favorite picture. A pinky promise caught on camera. 'I'll swim under our bridge if you will, .... pinky promise?'

Heading home.

Boogying to the beat of a different drummer. It's his valley, too. Apparently, it's speaking to him.

{this moment}....birthday party

Who needs a party clown or games, when you have a big brother to stem up the hall walls? Our house was full of darling little girls yesterday for Della's sixth birthday. It was snowing like mad, so we stayed inside and the brothers helped entertain. The girls carried Lew all over the house and were squealing like he was the next Justin Bieber. One of the moms remarked that actually, one day, this will be his dating pool.

Wow.

And it will be here tomorrow!

Happy Weekend, All. We're going skiing.

Not!

my baby turns six

go here to order this darling card

I don't know that I've seen a card that I love any more than this one. The owl and the pussycat, squirrel, quail and friends all loaded on a double decker bus...cruising through London I'm guessing! Oh my!

My sweet little girl turns six today. Words don't say. After the boys were born, Matt thought we were done having kids. I did not. And I have a theory. If that door is open, metaphorically speaking, then it's not closed. Deep, right? Meaning that the possibility has a greater opportunity than the opposite. I'll just shut up, now.

To this day, we still look at each other (often) and say, can you imagine NOT having this child. It's not possible. She is the icing, the wasabi and the fresh peach. She has been JOY in all caps since the very moment she arrived. Creamy and grins and so whole. A dumpling.

Sturdy is the word we use most often to describe her. She's solid, physically and otherwise. She cackles and stamps her foot. She knows the program and always has. She started dressing herself before Max did (and he's six years older). She potty trained herself efficiently and completely in the space of an hour. She knows her will and doesn't hesitate to voice it. Her brothers voraciously defend and encourage her. In the words of the magic eight ball, when it comes to Della, all signs point to YES!

She is number three and it was a charm.

Della, we love you!

Happy birthday sweet child!

totem poles

This was a fun little project with my first and second graders. We discussed totem poles and I showed them pictures of some from the Pacific Northwest. We talked about the significance of the animals on them and decided to make ours native to the southwest. We listed our local animals and set out to draw them in a 'totem style'. We also decided, as a group, that 'spirit' animals would be cool, too. I have a hard time saying 'no' to creative inspiration! Do you remember the carpet tubes? I mentioned them here.

Here they are. We divided up into two 'clans' and painted them in different colored stripes.

I love love love this owl!

Here is a stack of animals ready for backing with construction paper. For sturdiness and contrast.

Two artists and their creations! Way to match your outfit Naima! We cut 'wings' out of cardboard and painted them and then assembled the whole shebang with a staple gun. Look how darling they are.

I don't like to edit art projects or make them parent perfect. This one was 'no fail' with all its bright colors,  awesome animals, and fun totem theme. And don't you love the map, too! It was a Diversity Day project that the whole school did as a collaboration, with pictures from old National Geographic's representing each country and culture. I love art, I do!

Go forth! And be creative!

weed eater

A few weeks ago I mentioned weeds and a blender. This is what precipitated that revelation.

I froze my plant starts. Not once, but twice. This is disheartening and I don't even like thinking about it. However, every cloud has a silver lining and I didn't have to search too hard for this one. I was looking at my bare naked garden plot and poking about and weeding a bit. I have lots of weeds. Our yard is one big weed, in fact. We are the last house up the slope of a mountain and the wilds just creep right into our yard. I like this and have done nothing to tame it.

As I was mourning my poor golden pear tomato plants that did not pass go or collect two hundred dollars, I had an aha moment. These weeds are my garden. They are growing strong and wild and they are ready to offer nourishment right this minute. They did not freeze. They are thriving. It feels that if we are sharing this land that there should be a certain symbiosis in my eating them. Or drinking them.

So I did. And boy, what fun. I know, this is where I probably lose some of you. She's eating weird stuff again, you say. Try it, I say. It's tasty and free and it makes sense. More sense than importing it from Mexico, no?

I picked a big handful of mostly dandelion and mallow and blended them into a lovely green drink. Both of these plants have long tap roots that draw in nutrients and trace minerals that are vital to our good health. (those same roots give me fits when weeding....now I'm looking at them differently!)

I blended in some frozen bananas, half of a lemon, and lots of water, and it felt like a jar of pure goodness! Give it a shot!

It was so tasty that I almost drank it all before I thought to take a picture of it. Ooo la la! And go here for help with identification and more ideas.

LOVE this song

You've probably heard this. It's See the World, by Gomez.  It's not new. I just love it. Deep down it sings to me. Travel, hope, our neighbors on this fair planet of ours, water, new foods, scuffed shoes, that old fashioned girl, new experiences.....

It's as good a time as any to tell you that something BIG is brewing around here. We've been hard at work on a project that is SO close to our hearts that I've never really shared in any depth about it on this little blog spot of mine. In the near future we will be making an announcement. Can't wait to tell you........

Please watch this video and love this song, too.

sunday inspiration

{this moment}.....best friends

miss priss

Several little plants sit on the kitchen window sill. This is one of my favorites. Matt found the funny tea cup buried out in the yard and cleaned it out, and I potted up the little succulents last fall. When I did that, I particularly had Della in mind. I thought it would appeal to her 5 year old senses.

Last night she was watering all the plants around the house and came to this one.

'I am NOT watering it.' she declared.

'Why on earth not?' I asked.

'Because this thing FREAKS ME OUT!'

'WHAT? I did it just for you!' I dramatically lamented, hands on hips.

And do you know what she said?

She looked at me as though I've been a disappointment from day one. She shook her little head.

'Well, Mom, thanks for trying, I guess.'

She said that!

And went on her merry little way.

This is what they call foreshadowing in literary circles.

Oh dear!

Durango Mom interview with my sister, Nan Myers! Part 2

OK Gang. Let's take up where we left off last week. My darling sister, Nan, was half way, or maybe a third of the way through her interview. Go here to read the beginning if you missed it.
Where were we? Ah, the typical day question...

What does a typical day look like for you, in a nut shell?


Let's just say that Nan took that nutshell and hucked it out the window and backed over it in her husband's dually. (that's a big-ass truck, for those of you who aren't of red neck origins, as we are. He doesn't actually have one, but if he did, Nan would dominate in it.). Nan, my love, in a nutshell, means 'briefly', but never you mind. This is where I thank sweet baby Jesus for cut and paste and move on.


I have been spoiled lately...Greg wakes up and gets the party started, which first and foremost, is JAVA!  Lunches are made and then I arise!  Coffee first, and then getting them out of the door second. I have to say morning, is becoming a treasured and " A GOOD MORNING" more everyday.The boys are relatively self-sufficient.  Ethan would forget his Head, if it wasn't attached...However, we are aware of this and try to keep him straight; We laugh a lot about it too. Besides,  I think a frantic search for a lost, singular shoe, minutes before carpool is to arrive, is just downright healthy and real. Buying that boy, an alarm clock was the best thing EVER.  He actually asked SANTA for one!  WHY the hell, we waited so long is beyond me. He wakes up to the Plain White T'S at 6:55, picks out some cute combinations of clothes, comes down stairs with sock in tow, and wants to snuggle on the couch. How lovely is that?  I walk a couple times a week with girlfriends at 8am. If I am not walking, then I am on the computer working on my latest 2nd job, wedding planner!  Then off to the Firefly, and work until 3.  Pick up the boys, cook, feed, homework, blah, blah,and probably work on wedding some more.  Repeat, with lots of nice LIFE moments in between.  Current roster of life moments are eating/sitting on front porch, playing a family game of bocce, taking care of our puppy Bleu, our cats Boo, Radley, and Lulu, fire bellied frogs, baseball and more baseball, climbing trees, and riding bikes.   

Yep. Cut and paste! Love it! And I'd love to be playing bocce with my darling nephews tonight after dinner in the thick humidity of the deep south. I LOVE humidity, BTW.

Next question.

If you could wear one outfit for the rest of your life what would it be?

Like Ivey, I am a 'forever in bluejeans' kinda girl. In the winter with various t-shirts, a J. Crew sweater, and a scarf every chance I get. I always wear a cool necklace from Firefly. (shameless plug!) Blundstones have been my boots for years but for Christmas my husband gave me the most kickin' boots ever by Fiorentini and Baker.

What products do you swear by?

Well, I kind of giggle here! Who would have thought that I would wear more make-up than Ivey (interjecting here- I rocked some make-up and some BAD hair in the 80's, didn't we all?) However, considering that she now wears none, it's not hard to do. 

I love the pink and green Maybelline mascara, don't leave home without it. Smashbox Green Primer is great for a photo finish and helps with redness. I love my Burt's Bees rhubarb lip shimmer. I have to say that my all time favorite morning ritual is gargling with plain old hydrogen peroxide. I brush my teeth, floss, gurgle with peroxide and brush one more time. It makes your teeth look great and your mouth feels so sterile and clean. I love my Visine and Red Flower Lavender lotion from Firefly.


OK! I'm out of time again. That means that I have to get about my day job. So we will finish with Aunt Nan next week. She's a veritable fount of information, is she not? I love her!


Have a good hump day!

simple sides

As easy as it gets. Healthy and colorful, too.

slice sweet potatoes
drizzle with olive oil
+ a flakey salt, rosemary and thyme
bake @ 350 for 1 hr.

=  a simple side and awesome leftovers to put on a salad the next day

helicopter mom

I tend towards humor around here, but was re-reading some things the other day and realized that YOU, gentle reader, might not know the other side of me so well. The one that takes, very seriously, this job that I have been gifted with. The job of mothering these three precious beings. Actually, I do think you get it, but let's be clear. I can laugh and joke and see the humor in say, Sharon and Karen, primarily because I am so darn intrigued by their every developmental milestone. I balance the need to let them explore their headstrong personalities with the desire to protect their fragile little emo-systems. Yes, I just made that word up and I don't even have to explain because you guys are so darned smart.

I do not helicopter. I am the opposite.

I believe in freedom. I believe that my children are pretty good decision makers and I want to let them flex those wings as often as possible. I believe that if they make a bad decision, they will learn from it, and move forward.

I was at a soccer game the other day. A little girl, probably seven or eight, was sitting next to her mom. She wanted to run to the edge of the field and pick some dandelions, about 50 feet away. In my mind, it would be the perfect thing for a little girl to do during a double header. My child, the same age approximately, was roller blading on the bike path by the river (out of sight and ALONE in this cruel world!) and I was so happy for him to have that chance because we have no concrete at home.

The mom, in a voice for all to hear, wanted to have 'a little talk' first. They talked about stranger danger and 'men we don't know' and never leaving sight of her. Did she remember their policy about strangers?Was she going to talk to anyone? Was she going to come straight back?

'Yes, no, yes'. said the little girl, a little less excited than she had been minutes before.

Finally, the mom let her go. She ran as fast as she could, picked a few flowers and ran back. 30 seconds maybe. The mom swooped her up and told her proud she was and how incredibly amazing she was. It went on and on.

Whaaahh?

Do we want to mother from a position of fear or one of faith? Do we want our children to believe that the world is primarily, scary and bad? That the dandelion patch is a potential mine field? Our language and words are so powerful.

I'm not sure what was more troubling? The lack of common sense, the fear-based tactics, the boogey man logic, the posturing around the conversation, the excessive praise for a simple action, the lack of faith, or the loss of the innocence of a childhood.

Mostly I just felt sad for the little girl.

What do you think?

Here's the good news. People are overwhelmingly good. Crime is at an all time low. Statistically,  the metaphorical 'strike of lightening' that we train our children to be waiting for at every turn is rarely going to strike. So very rarely. Almost never, statistically speaking. Just because it's our worst fear does not mean that it's rational, healthy or smart to project it onto our child. Take a deep breath. Watch them, don't scare them. Trust and believe. Chances are, odds are, the man by the dandelions is somebodies daddy.

And this is something to ponder.

The energy that we put out comes back to us.

It does.

Be careful what you attract.

We get to choose! Life's beautiful that way.

sunday inspiration

I've used this one before. I look at my children and feel this way. Both vulnerable and all powerful, and mostly just very lucky. I suppose it's more about children than mothering, but there is no separating the two, is there. I hope you all have a lovely day.

Happy Mother's Day!

And to my own mom....I love you and I am thankful for you and wish I could hug your neck today!

Soon!

{this moment}....kickin' tires

i love this old truck that sits across the field from us.
does kicking a tire come natural?
she just walked up and started in.

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause and remember.

bear in the house....it's possible

go here to read about the artist 

It's getting to be bear season around here. How delightful. It means that if we leave the slider open, which we usually do, one is apt to wander in. Yikes. That'll put a little spring in your step!

Last year we were going about our morning and Della looked out the door and noted a bear by the grill. Daddy was washing dishes and looked out and thought to himself... "ah, that sure is a big dog on the deck."

There is a steady banter around here, much of it fiction, so no one leaped out of their skin....at first.

But there he was! And how exciting! Max was johnny on the spot and filmed it all.

Della was moved to write a book about the experience.

The ammonia didn't work. He returned regularly.  We could hear him (them?) snorting around, up above us, in the rocks. It never felt menacing, yet we kept a safe distance. He would keeps tabs on us and seemed to mind the boundaries. And yes, the cat food came in and the grill got cleaned!

Neither of us are going anywhere. We'll have to share this space on the edge of wildness.

I have a feeling there will be a second book in the series.

We'll keep you posted.

Things like this remind me that I am, most definitely, a Durango mom!

Durango Mom interview with my sister, Nan Myers! Part 1

Hip Hip Hooray! My sister took the Durango mom interview and even I learned things I didn't know about her! Wedding planner? Huh? Nan and I are very different, yet almost identical in certain bizarre ways. We communicate telepathically cross country. We share a certain 'devil may care' attitude. We are both 'touched' in a good way.(Which means that we're odd) We look very different. She's a red head, she's fair and beautiful, tall and willowy, but it's happened countless times...people come up to me (total strangers and out of context) and say 'you MUST have a sister named Nan'. It's not that we look alike; we ARE alike. And it's one of the things that I most cherish!

Here we go. Meet my fabulous sister! Nan Myers!

First off. Nice hat, or are you wearing the centerpiece?! And is that the dress you accused me of stealing? Vintage Lilly, yes it is! I want it when you're done! I have a feeling this will just go on and on. If you'd like to go grab a cup of tea we'll wait for you....

This is feeling very good to me. Because who can we rag on, if not our baby sister? Right? And I miss her. It's been too too long since we've seen each other. And Nan is the pinnacle of hip....just so you know.

So let's start OK?

name and age and location: Nan Myers, 39, Thomasville, Georgia

kids and spouse: two bright eyed and bushy tailed boys, Reid (10) and Ethan (8) and the hubby, Greg

occupation: Firefly

preoccupation: kids, house, and garden. I love a pretty interior, a la Domino magazine. I am constantly tweaking, rearranging and striving for that. It seems pretty silly in the big scheme of things, but it really does make my heart sing! I love a manicured garden, but I gave up on that pristine visual a long time ago. I am lucky to get it planted and watered. I am certainly a fair weather gardener, too. In South Georgia it gets just too freakin' hot.

unusual distinguishing characteristics: I have a third nipple. Does that count? (shit yeah, that counts! you read it here, folks)

coffee or tea:  Java all the way, Baby! I did go two days last week without....I had read about the Gwyneth Paltrow cleanse diet. It was short lived... We order our coffee from Camp 4 Coffee in Crested Butte. We justify it because it seems like a generous bag and if you order five bags the shipping is free. It's a morning ritual for sure.

personality type: I am a far cry from an "A", but I wish I could have a shot of it at times. Hence the need for COFFEE!

herbivore or omnivore:  I was a vegetarian for six years. I gave it up, knowing that I was coming home for Thanksgiving and my grandmother's cooking. Once I had gone there in my head I headed straight to The Varsity and ordered two chili cheese dogs! HA! I also love bacon. BLT, baby!!!

favorite book right now:  Wow. That one is hard to answer. 'The Count of Monte Cristo' is a favorite. 'Approaching the Magic Hour' about Walter Anderson and written by his wife, is lovely. I also read Truman Capote's 'A Christmas Memory' last July and again at Christmas. I loved it. His sentences are just spot on and visually rich.

my favorite movie: I'm with Ivey, my favorite movie is Love Actually, too. I am in retail and at Christmas just have to watch that movie repeatedly to get through the season. Downtown Abbey on Masterpiece Theatre is fantastic and addicting too. I can't wait for the second season in 2012!

 This was a LONG interview and I made the executive decision to split it in two! So, that's it for today. Join us again next Wednesday and get to know Nan even better!

Love you Nanner!!! See you next week!

another project

Oh my goodness. I ran across this fun outdoor art installation and potential project, and it excites me a great deal because it's one that I can pass off to Matt, lord of the chainsaw. We have some trees that are down in the front yard and they can remain there if we turn them into art, right?

Yes, Ivey, you're right.

The kids will get a bang out of it, and can even do the painting.

Check it out.

what would i ever do without poppytalk?

the durango kid...... rippin' it

Lewis LOVES Devo! LOVES LOVES LOVES! That warms a momma's heart! Rip it up, Tiggy!