Inside and Out

While perusing my memory card for pictures to use in a project for Alissa's sweet sixteen, I stumbled across this one. Taken a few months ago at the National Honor Society induction, I remember the feelings that tugged at my heart that evening...gut-wrenching pride, unabashed wonder, and limitless love...just to quickly name a few. Putting into words the honor I feel being her mother and witnessing her growth into young womanhood conjures up within me such strong feelings that I often feel both raw and exposed. This love...it's mind-numbing. Somehow, this magical almost woman can express it far better than I. Here are a some carefully selected words from a poem she wrote me on mom's day...

"You are my anchor in this world
and in these rough and crazy seas.
Where hearts and hopes
go down like ships,
You keep me held onto my dreams."

She's simply beautiful...inside and out.

There was huge period of time in which Kinsey would eat only three things. And I'm not exaggerating here. Of course, these three items were not conducive to good physical health. As a result, I felt like I was failing her. I was sure her arteries would be clogged with cheese, salt and fat. What's more, I was convinced that somehow it was my fault. Maybe all of that feta cheese during my pregnancy had damaged her somehow!

So, for years, I bought every cookbook I could find that might allow me to prepare "kid-friendly", yet healthy dishes. I subscribed to Family Fun and attempted to get my finicky gal to expand her food selections. Steven and I were stunned when Kinsey refused to even try the ants on a log so lovingly created just for her (she hates both chocolate and peanut butter...absolute staples to ANY normal child's diet!!!!)...and forget about her opinions on celery. Steven would spend countless hours making adorable little finger sandwiches using cookie cutters to make them more enticing...all to no avail. Time and time again, our efforts failed.

After these numerous failed food attempts, Steven became convinced that when she became hungry enough...she would eat the good stuff...the healthy stuff. She would start reaching for the stalks of broccoli, snap peas and carrot sticks....all on her own. Of course...that simply didn't happen!

"Smother it all in cheese!" was my mother-in-law's suggestion. After dousing meal after meal in Velveeta, Kinsey simply didn't fall for it. She knew those carrots were only disguised and would lick the cheese off without nibbling the carrot itself.

After years of being worn down by her stubborn palate, we were frustrated, perplexed and worried! But, together, we settled on a new strategy...just try one new thing a day. And it stuck. (I'll be honest...there were some tears from time to time...especially with the zucchini!) Around this time we discovered another useful technique...bribery! I'm not ashamed to admit it either! We would order her pizza (obviously one of her three favorite foods!) from Aurelio's, and she was allowed to indulge after eating all of her greens.

Now, it's become a birthday tradition. And she even eats her salad now without being coerced...although we have to bring her special ginger dressing from Publix along with us!

June

Historicially, June is always, always, always crazy around here...a good kinda crazy...but completely insane nevertheless. When I started filling in my day timer several months prior to June the first, I knew that I would be logging numerous hours in the car transporting kids to their various camps, driver's education, volleyball practices, beach outings and the like...but add to those committments a trip to Sea World, three birthdays (Kinsey turned 13, Steven got older, and Alissa is 16 next week), Father's day and I have to say...I'm ready for some downtime and quiet.




(Secretly, I love the crazy.)

Remembering

Christmas was always a bittersweet time for my grandmother. As a child, I always knew something was not quite right for her around this time of year...even though the presents were piled around the tree and our family was gathered together. It wasn't until I was much older and had children of my own that I could really grasp the reason why. And now, since she is gone, I can only imagine the suffering she experienced. She didn't talk about him often...but around the holidays his name usually came up...because her second born child, David, wasn't there with us. Because he never came home from Vietnam. And although I am grateful for his service and his sacrifice...I still wish it had been different...for her. By the way, his birthday was the day after Christmas.

Rewind to...my mommie's day

It really didn't start out the way I envisioned it in my head. Quite the opposite in fact. I awoke to a silent house and started my typical routine....tidying the kitchen from the day before while weighing my options. Do I wake my family and spoil any surprise they have planned for me or do I continue to go about my morning like it's any other? I quickly decided to go for an early ride...leaving them free to make my mother's day memorable. Returning about 45 minutes later, I expected to enter the kitchen to find my favorite breakfast awaiting, cards and flowers covering the countertops, and my girls anxiously anticipating my arrival. Nope. Alissa was still under the covers, Kinsey was in the office computing away, and Steven was stretched out on the sofa finishing the remnants of his omelete. Unable to hide my disappointment, I started opening kitchen cupboards a little too loudly, grabbed my swiffer and started cleaning to lessen my hurt. Instantly, my family came alive. I could almost read their minds, "Uh-oh...mom's mad!" But, I wasn't having any of it. After putting the swiffer stick away just a little too vigorously, I stomped my way to the shower and turned on the stream of water...on the verge of tears. While waiting for the water to heat up, Kinsey approached me from behind with a hug and a darling computer-generated card. The tears started rolling. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a hand decorated envelope on my bed. Alissa had snuck in from her room (she wasn't asleep at all) and placed the poem she composed...just for me...on my pillow. Upon reading and rereading their heart felt sentiments, I broke down. Sobbing uncontrollably, I hugged my girls close and knew that this was the best mommie's day moment ever...because it will forever be burned into my memory...the bad, the mad, and most importantly, the love. It didn't hurt that we followed that entire morning scene with an early lunch at one of my fave's, Dolly's, and canoeing on the Estero River. (A hidden treasure...by the way!)

bubbles...

whether you've been working on a piece of juicy gum ensuring it's the perfect texture so you can effortlessly stretch it and smooth it between your teeth and tongue...creating the most magnificent pink orb right before it pops. or whether you've been happily soaking in a sudsy tub filled to the brim, right up to the edge of the overflow drain, and the scented suds are tickling your nose begging you to collect a huge handful in your raisin-puckered fingers and just blow...somehow bubbles hold the promise of magic for me.

and true magic unfolded before my very eyes when...after an evening of putt-putt golf with my girls and a few of their bestest friends...alissa and kinsey discovered some "come back again" favors on the checkout ledge. and relished the simple joy of gently dipping those sticky little wands into their neon-colored plastic tubes...making certain they didn't lose their tenuous grasp as they carefully created those shimmering bulbous delights...again and again.

c'mon...who doesn't love bubbles?

What does Earth Day mean to you?

Kinsey caught this shot at Lettuce Lake...check out the shadow...so cool!


Don't you just love the way the vine represents renewal as it twists along the trunk of this clearly fire-damaged palm? Nature is incredible.


We were shocked to see the Roseate Spoonbills. They are hard to spot and you should consider yourself lucky if you actually have the opportunity to see them in the wild. This poor guy has suffered some sort of injury...such incredible birds!


Butterflies are so magical and delicate. Planting butterfly friendly plants is now on my "to-do" list. Kinsey just loves them and insisted I take this pic.


Putting just the right words to my feelings about our spectacular Earth and all of it's magnificence is a near impossiblity. So, I won't even try. I will let the pictures speak for me. Thanks, Momma Earth. Love Ya!

Proud Momma Moments...More to Come!

A few mommy moments from the past week that filled my eyes with proud tears...Kinsey's induction into the National Junior Honor Society and Alissa's first prom.

On Traveling...

I love traveling.
Really, really love it.
Each year we take the obligatory trip or two home to Michigan. And I truly, truly savor every minute spent there...especially the summers in Harbor Springs.
But, somehow, that's not traveling in the truest sense of the word. I've been there before. I know the area inside and out. And while revisiting those tried and true places of my past, present and future is always incredible, relaxing and inspiring...I love to find and explore new destinations.
I love the palpable anticipation I feel while touring around someplace new with my camera slung around my neck...daydreaming about what it would be like to live, work or raise my family there instead of where we chose to make a home. I love the sensation of discovering there is a very different world outside of my own backyard. I find these experiences leave me feeling hopeful and grateful for being able to experience someplace brand new.
But, given my role as a busy mom of two extremely busy young women, the wife of a thrifty husband who is always contemplating our financial future and my own restrictions as a full-time teacher...traveling to new, exotic locales is often just beyond my reach.
But, sometimes, for just a brief period of time everything just falls into place. Great friends, awe-inspiring landmarks and exceptional cherry blossoms made our travel to our nation's capitol early this April an umistakable delight.

"The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see." ~G.K. Chesterton
See for yourself.