currents: 8.15.11

i'm desperately trying to get back to blogging regularly.
and get back to blogging crafts..
but first i gotta get back INTO the crafting!

until then, and maybe even after then..
i thought i'd do some currents a la tina azmus.
i always enjoy her lists, as well as vee jennings.
i wanted to include pictures & links this time..
but next time.. i may post channeling my friend andrea (aka retrohipmama)
(i just super puffy heart her hand written charts & lists!)

watching: true blood. i'm 2 episodes behind. it's a sin, i know, but summer bedtimes & daytime company have made it difficult to keep up. i'm just trying to savor the sookie/eric screen time.. :)

obsessing over: tattoos. evidence? my pinterest board 'inked'. all it took was one word from the bf about getting a new one & i was reminded that i think 3 is not nearly enough. please don't judge. i would totally rock a huge visible piece if i thought my job future wouldn't be affected by it. (not that i know what said future is.. )

reading: the crowning glory of calla lily ponder. picked it up on a whim while @ sams club this weekend. i needed something to hold me over until i get my hands on the next black dagger book & rebecca wells is a favorite author (divine secrets of the ya ya sisterhood) ... and i can't seem to get myself into the davinci code just now..

laughing at: the mommy therapy. found it through a daily read & have tracked backed through entries & nearly cried all over my laptop laughing so hard. leslie is hilarious & real. a stay at home mom. someone who doesn't make me feel less than real if i have a bad day where i daydream about doing something more glamorous than changing poopy diapers & arguing over why you can't cover your baby brother up with a blanket & drag him around on the floor like a sack of potatoes.

contemplating: dip dyed hair or peekaboo highlights. i'm totally jonesing... but putting it off until winter. between chlorine & the sun i'm thinking it wouldn't last long in the summer.. plus i'm a little chicken. i'm confident my mom will hate it, my brother, the lawyer, will claim the adult version of 'mom kristy's rebelling' like he did when i got my tongue pierced (yes. i did that. a lifetime & two kids ago), and the hubs may kick me out of the house. (i kid. i hope.)

on repeat:

craving: nutella. want to try these nutella cookies

looking forward to: halloween crafts. shopping for supplies for rance's 1st birthday & it's torture to pass up all the spooky halloween decor! PLUS new seasons of glee & vampire diaries!

playing: lots of uno.

hoping to have some looongg overdue crafting posts up later this week...

xo-k

life: winding down

as the weekend comes to a close, i have next weeks 'to do' list forming in my head.

it involves taking the babe in for his 4 month well check (what?!)

working on my cookbook, & starting to tackle my mom's

continuing to type up recipes for a family project

packing up my scrapbooking supplies for a retreat this weekend (SO excited!)

possibly making a prototype necklace for myself

(etsy & craft shows be warned!)

& taking care of the daily stuff.

this weekend has been a bit of a whirlwind.

friday the hubs was off, so we made the best of our one-child time & did the bi-weekly grocery shopping.

then some how a trip to walmart to pick up a sleeping bag for the hubs hunting trip in a few weeks turned into a night of he & mason camping out in the backyard.

it was unplanned & just totally enjoyable honestly.

we roasted hot dogs & marshmallows over a little backyard bonfire.

i gave in & gave up my attempts at pictures because they were virtually impossible without a flash,

& that just seemed to wash-out the rustic & campy feeling the setting had.

it was a trial camping run. mason has never camped out.

(our tent. which we bought 8 years ago. has NEVER been used)

rance & i were warm & cozy sleeping inside. (in case you were curious!)

hopefully when warmer weather comes

& rance has a few more months under his belt we are going to attempt camping for real.

i'm looking forward to little camping adventures :)

i've got some laundry to finish up today

& then we hope to snuggle up as a family

& watch a movie after dinner tonight before we start a new week.



i'll just leave you with these images.

(of poor quality i know, because i was trying to be all stealth-like with my camera phone)

notice anything??......... no?

how 'bout now?!

yes. my 6 year old son climbed into the crib with my 4 month old.

& the smile didn't come until after i told him i wasn't mad, but he needed to get out!

hope you had a wonderful weekend!

xo-k

ps- i'm being called to supervise tent folding. must go where i am needed! :)

life: my job doesn't have sick days.

i guess that's the way it goes though, huh?

upside is your home with the little loves of your life...

downside is that when you are sick.. you are home with the little loves of your life..

trying not to breathe on them.

DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS NOT TO KISS THIS FACE?!

it's pretty dang hard.

every time i hold him i wanna kiss his little cheeks.

it's tough, & i think he's beginning to wonder if i've gotten his face confused with the back of his head.

but i haven't.

i started with a slight fever on sunday & it's just been downhill from there.

i'll spare you the nitty gritty details. 

(you can thank me later)

but i've been spending free time in bed vs. actually being productive.

i have a few things i wanted to blog about..

memory keeping for the NON scrapbooker

project 52

here's hoping i can get my act together soon.

xo-k

one little word: moxie

i made a list of things i'd like to do in 2011.

i said it was more like a 'to do' list then a resolutions list.

keeping resolutions seems intimidating.

(and then if you don't follow through it seems like such a disappointment.)

well, if you are one of those people that is sorta scared of resolutions...

 then this idea might be for you.

one little word.

it's an idea ali edwards started.

i hopped on the bandwagon in 2008.

in 2008 my word was 'be'.

in 2009 it was 'peace'.

in 2010 it was 'persevere'.

my words have sort of evolved from still & quiet words..

 to words of strength... words of action.

in 2010 i knew we had some rough roads ahead.

i knew there were challenges in front of us, that couldn't be avoided.

i was determined not to give up or give in, but to hit them head on.

and i was successful, surprising even myself. (well mostly myself)

 i was so surprised at how strong i came out on the other side,

that by the end of the year i started FINDING things to challenge myself with.

the personal growth felt good.

so good, that i decided that'd be my goal for 2011.

to challenge myself.

to grow as a person.

so when i started thinking about my 2011 word it started off as 'learn'.

but that felt a little flat.

then it became 'seek'.

that didn't seem to have the tenacity i was looking for.

then i thought about 'try'.

because we are in the thick of trying to encourage mason to TRY things, regardless of the outcome.

but that really didn't fit because i wanted to succeed at the things that i was trying.

so i sat with my thoughts.

january 1st rolled around & i still didn't have my word.

i was sorta bummed, but again determined it was out there.

and then it hit me.

it was sassy & determined all rolled into one.

it was 'no guts no glory'.

it was MOXIE.

that's what 2011 is about.

MOXIE.

xo- k

ps. i challenge you to pick a word. think about what you want out of life this year. a change you want to make in yourself. check out the link to ali's site. & then leave me a comment & let me know what you want outta life this year! 

life: so long twenty-ten.

2010 was a busy year for us.

a happy year.  

a squeeze the life out of every second kinda year.

in january.



we rang in the new year in georgia & i finally got my little boy + railroad tracks picture.
we found out we were pregnant with baby#2 on my grandmother's birthday
& it snowed florida for the first time in a long time.



 in february.



we got our first glimpse at baby#2.

 in march.



we celebrated easter with family & i got one of my all time favorite pictures of the dude.



 in april.



mason ditched the swimmies & started swimming on his own.
& we went to a bridal shower for my soon to be sister in law shea.
& the hubs went to a semi-bachelor party for my brother.
(from what i hear it's good we don't have pictures!)



 in may.

my dad graduated with his bachelor's in criminal justice.
(that's my brother, his wife & my mom with him)
we went to the blue crab festival where the boys ate way too much fried seafood.



my brother & shea got married. it was such an AWESOME experience.
& mason (my baby!) turned 6 & nana & papa bought him a four wheeler.  



in june.

we had mason's 6th birthday party. & he was sick & grumpy.
he lost his 5th tooth.
he graduated kindergarden.
& we spent father's day in cocoa beach with my brother's new in-laws.  



in july.

we had a low-key fourth & i got some of my best firework pictures to date.
mason finished his last week of summer camp. it was an experience he loved!  



and i severly sprained my ankle.
at almost 8 months pregnant.
i was swollen & hot & VERY unhappy.



in august.



mason started first grade.
& my baby shower went down with tons of friends & family present.
(and i was still sporting that stupid air-cast)



 in september.

our beautiful baby boy rance made his entrance into the world.
& stephen's grandmother stayed with us for 2 weeks.
it was a wonderful time.

in october.

rance's first halloween. mason was a pirate & rance was the 'booty'.
rance turned 1 month old.
we went to our first corn maze. it got dark fast & i was scared to death.
& i made chicken & dumplings for the first time.

in november.

rance turned 2 months old.
& we made the decision that i would not return to work after my maternity leave.



mason got honor roll for the first time (it's not given in k5)

in december.

mom & i traveled to see family we hadn't seen in 20 something years.
(it was something that waited far too long!)

& this guy rode his bike for the first time without training wheels.

& it was our first christmas with these two new family members.
 rance & shea

can't wait to see what 2011 has in store for us.

xo-k

life: bringing in twenty-eleven

i know....

i said i we were an old married couple & we likely wouldn't last into the new year..

but we did.

and here's how:

chinese take out (because the steaks didn't thaw quick enough)



and some sage advice from our fortune cookies



my fortune



stephen's

mason's



then we shot off some really pathetic bottle rockets & firecrackers. (i mean really sad)

and this little guy started to crash 20 minutes before midnight...

we watched the ball drop in nyc.

mason 'ewwed' all the kissing couples in times square. (then 'ewwed' at us)



& instead of toasting the new year with champagne, we did it with fresh baked brownies (as in hot out of the oven at 1155) & ice cream.

it may not have been glamorous way to ring in the new year..

but i did it with 2 of my most favorite people, & isn't that just how it should be?

xo-k

ps. i'll be back with my favorite moments of 2010 once everyone's had breakfast.

(mama's job is never done! :)

life: looking forward.

if i'm being honest, i've never been good at following through on new years resolutions.
it's REALLY easy to make them, but actually doing them.. eh.

a few years ago i got the idea from elise blaha to make a list of things i wanted to do before my next birthday. it started as a '29 things before i'm 30' list. (it'd be 31 things this year, just in case you are curious.) and while i'd love to cross 31 things off a list, truth is, i feel like it's not very realistic for me this year.

i'd rather be successful at a few things, then end up being overwhelmed & disappointed in myself.

wouldn't you?

i was coloring with the dude yesterday & started doodling a list of ideas for 2011.

so what's on the list you ask?

well. things like..

-learn how to make sushi
-make time for dates with the hubs
-journal
-take more walks with the boys
-get crafty!
-learn about my camera(s).
         GET OUT OF AUTO!
-bake a cake. from scratch.
-teach myself embroidery
-learn to use my sewing machine
-set aside more PLAY time with the boys
-(get another tattoo)
-hang pictures
-make my own salsa
-ride my bike
-read more.
-open an etsy shop.
stop talking about doing it & DO it!

there are a couple of other things on the list.. but you get the idea. instead of thinking about it as a list of resolutions, think about it as a life 'to do' list. a sort of short term 'bucket list' maybe? somehow that makes it seem less intimidating.. doesn't it?

i invite you to make your own list & link it up in the comment section. i'd like to see what's on your 'to do' list next year. craft projects? trips? home makeovers? personal goals? let's see it all!

xo-k

life: three whole months.

it's funny how it creeps up on you.

time, that is.

on thursday this little guy turned 3 months old.

i remember thinking about what dinner out & nightly routines would be with this little guy in tow..

and now, it's just our normal.

i can't imagine life without him.

at three months old he is:

-rolling over consistently

-sucking his thumb every time there isn't a bottle in his mouth

-eating less frequently (because i was apparently OVER feeding. oops!)

-sleeping 11-12 hours at night (i'm SO blessed!)

-growing like a weed. fitting mason's old 6month clothes. he's LONG. well his torso anyways. poor guy :)

-still loving bath time.

-laughing. giggling. & it's so infectious!

-following everyone with his eyes

-loving his bouncy seat

-hating his swing. still.

-hating the car seat

-loves sleeping on his tummy

-could care less about the pacifier

-smiles. big smiles.

-is over all a happy yummy snuggly baby boy

all of the above is just in case you were curious :)

xo-k

life: catching up.

why does it feel like time speeds up when you leave town?

it starts the day you leave, when you feel hurried in your preparations to leave..

and carries through until a few days after you return.

that's where i'm at right now. between coming back from a mini-trip & trying to finish christmas projects, it's a little crazy around these parts.

(as in EVERY single piece of laundry is in a pile. clean. dirty. you name it!)

but... it was worth it. it was SO worth it!

when i was little we lived in miami. florida. my best friend was my cousin shelly. she was almost 2 years older than me, but we did everything imaginable together. she pushed me (in a good way) out of my box. she was the reason i slept in our hallway for a week... she made me watch nightmare on elm street at 6 years old. & in the center of her lemon yellow 7-year-old frilly canopy flocked bedroom was a freddy kruger poster that traumatized me every time i stayed at her house. she saved dogs, & plucked the tails off of lizards just to see them grow back.

i was ready to leave everything else behind when we left miami. everything but her. i was so sad. she came up a few summers after we moved, and stayed a couple weeks at a time. but the summer i was 12, she didn't come back. and i never saw her again...

until thursday.

it had been 20 years. TWENTY. & i have no reason why it took so long.

we wrote to each other off & on through middle & highschool & then we lost touch.

our grandfather's are brothers, and honestly had we both tried harder we would have talked alot sooner than about 3 years ago.

sad how you let your everyday life get in the way of things like that....

but onto my weekend. shelly & her family came down to florida to visit. mom & i decided to meet up with them at her parents house in labelle.

mason of course was in love with the golf cart. aren't little boys fascinated with anything with a steering wheel? that's mason, bradley, shelly & her little girl samantha.

bradley is my cousin chad's (shelly's brother) son. i haven't seen chad in 20 years either, likely it's been more than that..

labelle is this beautiful place surrounded by nothing. it's a little town that hasn't grown much since i was last there in 1980 something.. (and here is mason not wanting me to take his picture. big surprise)

samantha is shelly's daughter. she is a new big sister. vince is just a month younger than our little rance. (and i could really kill myself for not getting a picture of him!)

( see. told you it was beautiful there :) )

so. most people don't normally have construction equipment & old trucks in their yard you say? well that's family history. my great uncle (shelly's grandfather) owned an electrical company that my dad, her dad & my grandfather all worked at. it dissolved in the mid-80s.. and these are mechanical remnants of it...

(and apparently they haven't been giving a good washing since the mid-80s either!)

it's sad, really, the things we let slip by.

the things that mean soo much to us at one point, that slowly fade into a memory of another life.

i've been thinking a lot about what people mean to me, and about making an effort to make sure they stay in my life. it's so easy to get involved in your own world & fall out of touch with people you care about.

this entire thought process has me on a roll. i'm thinking of where to take it.........

xo-k

ps. i'm upset i didn't pull my camera out more. but i was so in the moment, i forgot. and i'm okay with that :)