this moment

Joining SouleMama, and many others, in this moment. 

In Amanda's words: "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, savor and remember."

Please link to your moment too -- I love to see what you are enjoying this week!

this moment

Joining SouleMama, and many others, in this moment. 

In Amanda's words: "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, savor and remember."

Please link to your moment too -- I love to see what you are enjoying this week!

these kids

These kids.

THESE KIDS!

Hubby and I often look at them and wonder how in the world we ended up here.

Yet.

And yet.

The way they live their lives constantly reminds me of how I want to live mine.

Joyfully.

Smart.

Exhuberantly.

Wearing polka dots and plaid and tie dye all together.

And a cape for good measure.

These kids.

They make me crazy.  But watching them, and really seeing, is what best brings me back to sane.

These kids.

Their rites of passage - like a lost tooth - remind me of how I must honor this time in their lives.

That tooth.  That specific one lost.  I'm missing it.  I loved it, and how my son looked with it.  So his loosing it also reminds me of this never-slowing passage of time.

These kids.

When left to their own devices find fun in running up and down and up and down and up and down the sidewalk.  They feed ants with potato chips.  They make messes (and mountains of dirty laundry.)

They play outside in their pajamas.

And bare feet.

With chipped pink toe-nail polish.

These kids.

They remind me to be more spontaneous.  More creative.  More silly.  More spunky.

These kids.

I've had experiences that when looking at them, I get an actual glimpse of them as their older selves.  It is always jarring to catch that moment and recognize that it is rushing towards me.

These kids reveal to me the very worst in myself.  And the very best I work to become.

Their faces melt my heart.  Humble me.  Disarm me.  Remind me that it is I who must be their worthiest role model, their most ardent advocate, their unconditionally compassionate parent.

Recognizing the sacred in their faces reminds me of this divine work of motherhood I've gotten into.

Loud, messy, and difficult.  But full of happiness, laughter, and life.

Plaid skirt, stripey tights, flowered boots are a bonus.

this moment

Joining SouleMama, and many others, in this moment. 

In Amanda's words: "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, savor and remember."

Please link to your moment too -- I love to see what you are enjoying this week!

weekending {or falling in love}

Mary Poppins is in my head because I keep thinking practically perfect in every way.  I can't get it out of my head, sort of like when you are falling in love and can't stop thinking about the person.  Well that was a recent weekend of mine, practically perfect.  And if you follow me on Twitter (@bcomingclaudine) you likely realize that I have fallen in love with The Flea.

I spent the Saturday of that practically perfect weekend with one of my dearest friends wandering that cool, urban market.  The sun was shining, live music wafted on the warm breeze, at every turn there was something interesting, or cool, or quirky, or simply lovely to discover.

We browsed vintage clothing, handmade jewelry, delightful decor, interesting books.

The food stations and trucks were offering local, homemade, fresh.  How can you decide between mini fresh-made donuts and creamery ice cream?  Hint: you can't, you try both.

That delightful blue typewriter had a SOLD tag early in the day.  Had some lucky buyer not been there first, it would have come home with  me for a mere $45.

I did find a couple treasures.  This delightful re-purposed spoon that has been stamped.  I love how it reminds me to "bloom where you are planted."  And the vintage sorting toy.  The wood pieces are long gone, but I loved the sweet cards on the side.  I may use it for art supplies, but for now, it is part of my spring display that includes a print from the lovely Phoebe Wahl.

Perhaps the best treasure was carving a day out for myself, with a "Wonder" woman (did you notice her jacket) who knows me, affirms me, and makes stories and laughter come so easily.  Made sweeter by The Flea.

Falling in love, indeed. 

this moment

Joining SouleMama, and many others, in this moment. 

In Amanda's words: "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, savor and remember."

Please link to your moment too -- I love to see what you are enjoying this week!

weekending

Busy.  Hard.  Good.  Busy. 

Did I say hard?  And good?

This weekend reminded me so much of what the amazing Glennon describes as "brutiful." Brutal and beautiful.  Those seemingly disparate qualities coming together to make complexity and nuance and texture of this one life.

I spent the weekend vacillating between these feelings of beautiful and brutal.  Recognizing the very good taking place, like this, and the opening of registration for gladsome.  But also feeling deeply the tough stuff going on.  Some challenges coming up, some decisions to be made, much work to be done.  And doing so amongst the pulls and pushes of parenting a lively tribe of kids.

Then I look closely at some of the pictures I took.  The one above is part of a series of photos of these sweet siblings as they tried to swing and hold hands at the same time.  Their laughter was loud and their attention focused as they reached out to one another.  So often missing, but continuing to try, smiles splitting wide open even if just their fingertips touched.

And I want to be like them.  Laughing.  Reaching.  Focused.  Smiling.


~~ Joining Amanda in weekending. ~~

90 minutes

This morning:

And this is a bit of what it looked like:

Bypassing the dirty cups on the counter.  Making a fresh pot of coffee instead.

Shower and drying my hair.  Uninterrupted.

Stepping over dirty laundry.  Going outside instead.

Some inspiration I've been savoring.  (And some tears which means it is hitting home.)

Listening to the birds.  And trying to spot them in the trees.

A walk on the trail.

Discovering the unfurling of plants all along the way.  So many I didn't know would show their beauty this spring.

Adding a twig to St. Seraphim's nature table.  And a prayer of gratitude for his watching over our woods.

Placing a prayer for today at the base of the Peace Pole.  Feeling the breeze like the soft hand of God.

Refreshing my coffee. Breathing deeply.  Clicking "Publish."

 Ready for them to return.

this moment {in town}

Joining SouleMama, and many others, in this moment. 

In Amanda's words: "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, savor and remember."

Please link to your moment too -- I love to see what you are enjoying this week!

this moment

Joining SouleMama, and many others, in this moment. 

In Amanda's words: "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, savor and remember."

Please link to your moment too -- I love to see what you are enjoying this week!

this moment

Joining SouleMama, and many others, in this moment. 

In Amanda's words: "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, savor and remember."

Please link to your moment too -- I love to see what you are enjoying this week!

this moment {worn out}

Joining SouleMama, and many others, in this moment. 

In Amanda's words: "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, savor and remember."

Please link to your moment too -- I love to see what you are enjoying this week!

two years, where does the time go

This boy.

This boy.

This boy.

I love him so.  Achingly.  He's into everything.  Persistent, independent, self-assured.  He figures it out, helps out, goes after exactly what he desires.  Climbs on my lap and lifts my shirt when he wants breastmilk, climbs into the fridge when he wants yogurt.  Not so much a boy of words, but a boy of action.

This morning I spilled some coffee on my pajama pants.  He climbed on a stool, got several napkins, came back to me and patted at the wet spot on the fabric.

While he did so he placed his other hand on my forearm.  So gently.

This boy.

I've been thinking about his entrance into the world two years ago.  The anticipation we felt.  The news.  The amazement that followed.  The nickname chosen. (For the record we've called him Squirmy since day one, and still do.  Apt.  See picture above.) 

As I watched his hand on my arm this morning, I felt so deeply that this is my boy.  No longer my baby, but my boy.

Happy Birthday Squirmy.  We are so glad you are here.