What's not to love?
Monday, October 25, 2010
Falling in Love (all over again)
I'm loving watching Kenly fall in love with all things fall. There is nothing like watching the world through my child's eyes.
What's not to love?
What's not to love?
Horsing Around
While in Augusta this weekend, Aunt Carrie asked Kenly is she wanted to ride her horse. Kenly jumped at the chance to ride a real horse. I thought she would chicken out the moment Zsa Zsa took her first steps. Boy was I wrong. I took our small snap-and-shoot camera and the night was dark and dusty, but I think the essence of the evening was captured in these very edited pictures.
First Kenly helped Aunt Carrie lead Zsa Zsa to the riding area. On the way to the barn, we asked her to guess what color Zsa Zsa was. She guessed brown, and she was right.
Kenly sat in the saddle like a natural. She held on all by herself, but I walked beside her as an extra precaution.
Doesn't she look like a natural cowgirl? Close eyes and all.
After about 10 laps, Kenly started to demand that Zsa Zsa go faster. My little adrenaline junkie. Aunt Carrie got in the saddle with Kenly and asked Zsa Zsa to jog. Kenly started giggling and squealing and everyone died laughing. She was beside herself with excitement.
I think she would have taken Zsa Zsa out into the dark pasture all by herself if we would have allowed it.
She could have ridden Zsa Zsa all night long. I think the smile on her face says it all. Mops will be so proud.
Kenly cried big, devastatingly heart-wrenching tears when we made her go home for the night. I see a trip to ride Zsa Zsa in the future when we go home to Augusta for Thanksgiving. Mama will pack a helmet for the next trip. Just in case. It's my job to worry, right?
First Kenly helped Aunt Carrie lead Zsa Zsa to the riding area. On the way to the barn, we asked her to guess what color Zsa Zsa was. She guessed brown, and she was right.
Kenly sat in the saddle like a natural. She held on all by herself, but I walked beside her as an extra precaution.
Doesn't she look like a natural cowgirl? Close eyes and all. 
After about 10 laps, Kenly started to demand that Zsa Zsa go faster. My little adrenaline junkie. Aunt Carrie got in the saddle with Kenly and asked Zsa Zsa to jog. Kenly started giggling and squealing and everyone died laughing. She was beside herself with excitement.
I think she would have taken Zsa Zsa out into the dark pasture all by herself if we would have allowed it.
She could have ridden Zsa Zsa all night long. I think the smile on her face says it all. Mops will be so proud. 
Kenly cried big, devastatingly heart-wrenching tears when we made her go home for the night. I see a trip to ride Zsa Zsa in the future when we go home to Augusta for Thanksgiving. Mama will pack a helmet for the next trip. Just in case. It's my job to worry, right?
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Worldless Wednesday--Processing Something
Kenly earned this Leap Frog Leaptop for filling two success charts while potty training. She loves checking her email and listening to new blog entries.
A Strong Sense of Smell
We were driving to the Cracker Barrel for dinner on Sunday with the windows down. The weather was so perfect that we could not resist the feel of the wind whipping through our hair. We drove across the Mill River and the pungent odor of manure wafted through the open windows. Adam and I looked at each other in disgust.
From the back seat we heard a small voice. Kenly said, "Daddy, it smells like goats."
We're still laughing.
From the back seat we heard a small voice. Kenly said, "Daddy, it smells like goats."
We're still laughing.
Motherhood is a Mixed Bag
Motherhood. It's a mixed bad, you know? Just when I think I'm going to be overwhelmed with the love I have for Kenly and Adam (and Chance), a day like today will happen. Perspective. We all need it. Life can't be sunshine and roses all the time.
Last week I was drowning in the perfect moments of motherhood. Those moments when my child looks up at me with doe eyes, and says, "I love you so much,mommy." Or when she's riding home from an outing that caused me stress, and she says, "I have a happy heart, mommy." It's moments like those that fill my tanks. It makes me feel good her hear her say, "Mommy loves me so great big." I'm glad she knows how deeply I love her because today I feel like a monster of mother. I'm impatient. I'm short. I'm rolling my eyes and heaving deep sighs. I'm struggling.
Really. It's hard to keep my cool when I have to take my child to the bathroom six times in an hour long visit to the library. It's even harder to keep my cool when she doesn't produce a smidgen of poop or pee.
Then the real test begins, and she fills her underwear with sh** twice in twenty minutes when we return home from the library. She's been rocking the potty training, so why do we have days like today. Is it rebellion? Is it laziness? Is it boredom? Is it to push my buttons?
It's hard to believe that I can lose it so quickly/easily. But after a falling out and some tears, we come back together and the love fest begins again. We snuggle. We read. We laugh and sing.
Laurie Berkner is an artist for children, and she has a song that has been speaking to me about motherhood and about my child. Here are the lyrics to I'm not Perfect.
I'm not perfect, no I'm not
I'm not perfect, but I've got what I've got
I do my very best, I do my very best
I do my very best each day
But I'm not perfect
And I hope you like me that way
We're not perfect…
You're not perfect, not you're not
You're not perfect, but you've got what you've got
You do your very best, you do your very best
You do your very best each day
But you're not perfect
And you know
I love you that way !
So, we're both imperfect, but we're tacking life with love. Motherhood is such a mixed bag, but it's a bag overflowing with blessings.
Last week I was drowning in the perfect moments of motherhood. Those moments when my child looks up at me with doe eyes, and says, "I love you so much,mommy." Or when she's riding home from an outing that caused me stress, and she says, "I have a happy heart, mommy." It's moments like those that fill my tanks. It makes me feel good her hear her say, "Mommy loves me so great big." I'm glad she knows how deeply I love her because today I feel like a monster of mother. I'm impatient. I'm short. I'm rolling my eyes and heaving deep sighs. I'm struggling.
Really. It's hard to keep my cool when I have to take my child to the bathroom six times in an hour long visit to the library. It's even harder to keep my cool when she doesn't produce a smidgen of poop or pee.
Then the real test begins, and she fills her underwear with sh** twice in twenty minutes when we return home from the library. She's been rocking the potty training, so why do we have days like today. Is it rebellion? Is it laziness? Is it boredom? Is it to push my buttons?
It's hard to believe that I can lose it so quickly/easily. But after a falling out and some tears, we come back together and the love fest begins again. We snuggle. We read. We laugh and sing.
Laurie Berkner is an artist for children, and she has a song that has been speaking to me about motherhood and about my child. Here are the lyrics to I'm not Perfect.
I'm not perfect, no I'm not
I'm not perfect, but I've got what I've got
I do my very best, I do my very best
I do my very best each day
But I'm not perfect
And I hope you like me that way
We're not perfect…
You're not perfect, not you're not
You're not perfect, but you've got what you've got
You do your very best, you do your very best
You do your very best each day
But you're not perfect
And you know
I love you that way !
So, we're both imperfect, but we're tacking life with love. Motherhood is such a mixed bag, but it's a bag overflowing with blessings.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Falling Colors
Our family is in awe of the beautiful colors that are falling all around us. We wanted to share some of this beauty, so we started crafting.
First, I took quite a few of the crayon nubs I've been collecting in a tupperware and shaved them on an old grater I had in the kitchen. This task turned out to be a bit harder than I thought it would be, but the end product was definitely worth it. I wanted to take the lazy man's way and use the food processor, but then I would have never been able to use it for cooking again.
While Kenly was napping I cut out leave shapes from some templates I found on the internet. A simple search for leave templates will turn up quite a few options. We picked an oak leaf and a maple leaf for our project. Kenly was really excited to get started.
I let her put the crayon shaving on the waxed paper leaf. She took her time sprinkling it all around.
She loved spreading the shavings all over the place. Quite a few times, I had to keep her from overdecorating her leaf.
After the shaving were in place, I carefully lined up the other half of the waxed paper. I made sure to have a cloth I no longer use under the leaf. I then place another discarded cloth on top of the "sandwiched" leaves. I used the iron to melt the crayon shaving and the waxed paper together. Crayon can get on the iron, so I had to make sure to clean the iron well when this project was over.
We created a "stained glass" leaf for some very special people in our lives.
I set the leaves on the counter to cool while we searched for the perfect stems outside. We also browsed the internet for a cute fall poem to send with these works of art.
I typed up the poem and put it on card stock. Kenly decorated the card stock with some foam stickers. It was a battle to keep her from placing the stickers over the words.
All in all, the project was fun and painless. The hardest part was the clean up. We sent these beauties to most of our family to celebrate fall. We suggested that our art be used as a sun catcher or a magnet for the refrigerator.
How do you celebrate the falling leaves?
First, I took quite a few of the crayon nubs I've been collecting in a tupperware and shaved them on an old grater I had in the kitchen. This task turned out to be a bit harder than I thought it would be, but the end product was definitely worth it. I wanted to take the lazy man's way and use the food processor, but then I would have never been able to use it for cooking again.
While Kenly was napping I cut out leave shapes from some templates I found on the internet. A simple search for leave templates will turn up quite a few options. We picked an oak leaf and a maple leaf for our project. Kenly was really excited to get started.
I let her put the crayon shaving on the waxed paper leaf. She took her time sprinkling it all around.
She loved spreading the shavings all over the place. Quite a few times, I had to keep her from overdecorating her leaf.
After the shaving were in place, I carefully lined up the other half of the waxed paper. I made sure to have a cloth I no longer use under the leaf. I then place another discarded cloth on top of the "sandwiched" leaves. I used the iron to melt the crayon shaving and the waxed paper together. Crayon can get on the iron, so I had to make sure to clean the iron well when this project was over.
We created a "stained glass" leaf for some very special people in our lives.
I set the leaves on the counter to cool while we searched for the perfect stems outside. We also browsed the internet for a cute fall poem to send with these works of art.
I typed up the poem and put it on card stock. Kenly decorated the card stock with some foam stickers. It was a battle to keep her from placing the stickers over the words.
All in all, the project was fun and painless. The hardest part was the clean up. We sent these beauties to most of our family to celebrate fall. We suggested that our art be used as a sun catcher or a magnet for the refrigerator. 
How do you celebrate the falling leaves?
Monday, October 18, 2010
Getting Crafty for Halloween
Kenly and I have been busy crafting Halloween decorations for the house. We made a monster/mummy decoration that hangs from the ceiling that I'm actually proud to display.
Materials needed:
toilet paper rolls
string of some sort
hot glue gun
paint
gauze
Elmer's glue
googly eyes
push pins
Halloween stickers
card stock
First, I protected the child and the table. Since we were using acrylic paints, I papered the table and stripped the child to avoid any unfortunate accidents.
Kenly was really excited to paint the toilet paper rolls. We painted two rolls white and two rolls a vibrant green. I let her use an old, large paintbrush so that she would have an easier time covering the surface of the rolls.
She took the job of painting very seriously.
After we painted the rolls, we took a break to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while they dried.
I painted the push pins silver. We used these as an accent for the Frankenstein monster.
Next we wrapped the white rolls in gauze. I used the hot glue gun to secure the gauze to the rolls, so there is not a photo of this step. We used some old gauze left over from the days of Adam's knee surgery. Then I set Kenly loose to glue on the googly eyes. She selected huge googly eyes for the mummy. After she placed them on the roll, I used a few dots of hot glue to secure them as well.
We pulled the gauze over the eyes to make it look like the mummy is peering out at us. I also tied a piece of gauze in a knot and attached it to the mummy's head so it appears the gauze is one long strip.
Kenly attached a few Halloween foam stickers and then painted on some glitter acrylic to make the mummy look stylish. I held the mummy while she smeared the glitter all over everything.
Kenly attached the googly eyes on the Frankenstein monster, and I painted on a face and hair. I secured the push pins with hot glue. We also used a few foam stickers on the monster as well.
Finally, I used to some orange card stock from my collection to make a sign that said BOO. I attached everything together with some curly ribbon we had at the house. I simply punched holes in all three elements and tied some secure knots. We have this lovely decoration hanging from the ceiling in the living room. I hung it high because the push pins are still a threat to my two year old.
We made two. One to keep and one to share. Kenly's favorite part of the whole experience was making the mummy.
Materials needed:
toilet paper rolls
string of some sort
hot glue gun
paint
gauze
Elmer's glue
googly eyes
push pins
Halloween stickers
card stock
First, I protected the child and the table. Since we were using acrylic paints, I papered the table and stripped the child to avoid any unfortunate accidents.
Kenly was really excited to paint the toilet paper rolls. We painted two rolls white and two rolls a vibrant green. I let her use an old, large paintbrush so that she would have an easier time covering the surface of the rolls. 
She took the job of painting very seriously. 
After we painted the rolls, we took a break to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while they dried.
I painted the push pins silver. We used these as an accent for the Frankenstein monster.
Next we wrapped the white rolls in gauze. I used the hot glue gun to secure the gauze to the rolls, so there is not a photo of this step. We used some old gauze left over from the days of Adam's knee surgery. Then I set Kenly loose to glue on the googly eyes. She selected huge googly eyes for the mummy. After she placed them on the roll, I used a few dots of hot glue to secure them as well.
We pulled the gauze over the eyes to make it look like the mummy is peering out at us. I also tied a piece of gauze in a knot and attached it to the mummy's head so it appears the gauze is one long strip.
Kenly attached a few Halloween foam stickers and then painted on some glitter acrylic to make the mummy look stylish. I held the mummy while she smeared the glitter all over everything.
Kenly attached the googly eyes on the Frankenstein monster, and I painted on a face and hair. I secured the push pins with hot glue. We also used a few foam stickers on the monster as well.
Finally, I used to some orange card stock from my collection to make a sign that said BOO. I attached everything together with some curly ribbon we had at the house. I simply punched holes in all three elements and tied some secure knots. We have this lovely decoration hanging from the ceiling in the living room. I hung it high because the push pins are still a threat to my two year old.
We made two. One to keep and one to share. Kenly's favorite part of the whole experience was making the mummy.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Gatlinburg, TN
In the middle of September, Adam and I took Kenly to Gatlinburg, TN in order to meet Mops and Pops for a weekend visit. We managed to have a good time hanging out in the condo that Pops provided. On one of our outings, we walked into the heart of town to explore for a bit. Our first stop was a candy store. I thought Kenly would lose her mind over all the yummy goodies the place had to offer, but I was wrong. She was more interested in the arcade that the store housed. While in the store, I learned a valuable lesson. Never buy candy from one of these places. I learned the hard way by having to pay over $11.00 for a tiny bag of M&Ms and a smaller bag of gummy bears. Ouch. The M&Ms have worked wonders for potty training, but I'll go to Walmart next time.
Adam tried to get Kenly to play air hockey with him. She was more interested in feeling the air and trying to grab the red puck. It was worth a shot.
Kenly really wanted to ride the chair lift. After seeing the sky buckets at the fair, she's been obsessed. She enjoyed swinging on this one for awhile, but then she made a beeline for the actual moving chair. Mama didn't raise no fool...she wanted the real deal.
We enjoyed one of God's finest creations--Peanut butter and chocolate ice cream from Baskin and Robbins.
She looks all blissed out in this photo. I'm sure if someone snapped a shot of me, I'd look about the same.
Kenly and Mops enjoyed building all different types of towers. Adam decided to pack the blocks at the last minute, and it turned out to be a great decision.
Kenly acquired Huggy Bear on this trip to Gatlinburg. It was a present from Pops courtesy of the condo we were staying in for the weekend.
I think she's been watching her Mama check her email a little too frequently. 
Huggy got to go on a boat ride after Daddy finished building the vessel.
We had a wonderful time hanging out with Mops and Pops for the weekend. I even got to eat at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. all by myself. I did some damage too. I'll post some pictures from our outing to Cades Cove as soon as I've finished editing them.
Adam tried to get Kenly to play air hockey with him. She was more interested in feeling the air and trying to grab the red puck. It was worth a shot.
Kenly really wanted to ride the chair lift. After seeing the sky buckets at the fair, she's been obsessed. She enjoyed swinging on this one for awhile, but then she made a beeline for the actual moving chair. Mama didn't raise no fool...she wanted the real deal.
We enjoyed one of God's finest creations--Peanut butter and chocolate ice cream from Baskin and Robbins.
She looks all blissed out in this photo. I'm sure if someone snapped a shot of me, I'd look about the same.
Kenly and Mops enjoyed building all different types of towers. Adam decided to pack the blocks at the last minute, and it turned out to be a great decision.
Kenly acquired Huggy Bear on this trip to Gatlinburg. It was a present from Pops courtesy of the condo we were staying in for the weekend.
I think she's been watching her Mama check her email a little too frequently. 
Huggy got to go on a boat ride after Daddy finished building the vessel.
We had a wonderful time hanging out with Mops and Pops for the weekend. I even got to eat at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. all by myself. I did some damage too. I'll post some pictures from our outing to Cades Cove as soon as I've finished editing them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)