upon a stone I balance, creating new muscles

Routine- schmootine....that is the talk around here. When I am off my "game" and not keeping the house oiled and running everything and everyone seems to go a little haywire. Sometimes I forget just how important my role is at our casa. With this art exhibit now leering over my head- I have been, well...pretty wrapped up in it. Once I get in my creative mode, and especially when there is a deadline- I think, sleep and breath art. It's hard to turn it off. Normally I sleep great, but when I am working on pieces I can't seem to rest my brain. I drift into a restless sleep of paints and images and ideas and awaken groggy. I stay up way too late and my body starts to lose it's rhythm and I begin not to feel well-(it doesn't help that I have a massive toothache). When I am in the "mode" I can't seem to multi-task well- this is a mother's saving grace- so the house seems to run a bit lopsided. My husband has been so amazing. He looks past my intensities and encourages me. ( I seem to get rather moody when I am working.) He has been spending lots of time making dinners and entertaining the kids...but they need and want mom. And the house is grabbing at my feet when I walk through it (literally, the kitchen floor is just plain sticky...) So this is the journey~ I love this walk through life. The one that you must be open to. The one that if you don't remain present and keep your senses aware you miss out on all the important small stuff. The details that make the big picture more vivid. Learning balance is exciting to me,the struggle is exciting to me, growing is exciting to me. Growth is the ride down after you have struggled up the hill. I use to hold the mantra, "this is who I am" now I think, "what can I become?" If I let myself evolve and grow- if I explore all sides of myself I will only become a better mother, wife, friend, and artist. I could go on and on about this because it is something that has been on my mind so much this past year. But I will save it for another time. today I practice balance and peacefulness.

~todays moments~

today's green smoothie: spinach, fresh organic strawberries, banana and filtered water

park time

after watching the movie "Cool Runnings" (I love this kid)

eating our favorite summertime pasta, "Paradise Pasta"

reading

drumming and dancing

and well...just wanna know...is there anyone else out there who pretends to cry after putting in eye drops, or am I the only nerd?

end the night with a game of cribbage...

a walk in the woods

Yesterday we tried to get ahead of the days heat, and take the kids for a little hike in the morning. Rain cooled the air a bit, but by the end of our trek, we were sticky and hot.
No matter, we had fun and saw wild turkeys, squirrels perched on logs eating found nuts, beetles with pretty shells, dragonflies circling the pond, and pollywog's favorite observation, ants.
CJ is growing up so fast and I am are making sure to connect with him each day. The memories we have made with him running through the trees, out in the desert discovering oasis, sand dune streams, mud baths (he always finds mud), star guided hikes, fishing with sticks in secret creeks 
Pollywog finds so much joy in nature as well. She has the curiosity and kindredness that reminds me of my grandfather. Nature knows her and she is home in it's midst. We called her river when she was still in my womb. Each body of water she passes is noticed and spoken of. She is quiet and inquisitive. She loves to sit and watch a bug crawl, look for hidden birds singing in the distance and feel freedom under her wandering legs.
Glee is abundant in the outdoors and even more so when shared with the ones you love.

The wrap up

It has been a busy week and I haven't really had a chance to write much...
Ya'all left such nice comments about my Color Week. I really appreciate it!
It wasn't the easiest to get pictures b/c our camera is on the outs but rigged and working :). Someday I hope to get a nice camera! but this one will do for now. (did I mention no view finder= just point, cross fingers, and shoot)
The best part of doing the color week (which is the best part of photography to me) was finding beauty in the mundane. I highly reccommed it.
Okay, enough blabbing... lets see...4th of July has come and gone. It was a blur of noise, heat, food and more noise. Our neighborhood was lit up and apparently no one has gotten the memo that the 4th is now over.
This week pollywog went to her first story hour at the library. It was so much fun. I was impressed with how well she interacted with the children. She is so social and loves to pet kids. They don't always like that though. go figure...
CJ has been busy (as usual) playing outside. He comes in to eat and well, that's about it. Did I mention he ate a box of cereal in two days...
Here are some highlights from the week...

yes, that is what you think, on her head. She was helping mommy and apparently found a fun hat to wear too.

My budding artists!

You can often find CJ drawing cartoons or cars at his desk for hours... He really is talented...

and pollywog...who loves to color and paint

the paper (walls, carpet, dolls, books)...

herself...

and me...

I also was at it again with the popsicles. This time I made Kefir, Cherry and Banana pops (they were bomb diggity) and mint, blueberry, cherry pops (haven't tried yet, but they should be good) This week I am making carrot,spinach, apple pops (juicing them then freezing)- they might not sound good, but they are refreshing and sweet and the kids get lots of veggies and fruits- you know to grow big and strong- Everyone is enjoying them and the kids don't even know how good they are for them...hehehehehehehe (evil mom laugh)
On a "green note" (or what I call simple, practical, living) ,this week we sold our second vehicle. We decided we only need one, especially with the price of gas. We figure one of us can always bike. B uses the kid trailer with his bike to go to the grocery store or to the recycling center, coffee shop, etc.
We also perused our local Farmers market and got some goods and took the kids to the recycling center to help (we had a big load this time) and also...

...this I am so excited about...(doesn't take much to excite me apparently)...
I have been wanting a clothes line, but with renting and all we had to get creative.
The line comes unhooked when not in use. Pollywog really likes to help mommy with this chore.










Now we are just waiting for our lovely container garden to give us yummy treats. Once the tomatoes are ready we have plans to make and can salsa...recipes people, I need them!

This coming week is going to be full...of fun! CJ starts his karate and pottery classes... and I, don't laugh, start my hip hop dance class. (hey, I heard that) I am super excited about this. I love to dance and it will be a good workout. Also, pollywog goes to story hour again, CJ has youth group and an upcoming float trip, and hopefully we can sneak in some good food and swimming. We are also starting up (again), our green smoothies once a day.
No goals for the week...just lots of things to check off and long summer days to enjoy!

Blessed and humbled daily by life's graces.

I'll leave you with one more picture- just because-well...I want to share the joy...
can't you just smell the freshness....mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
see ya Monday!

yesterday in black and white

breakfast of champions...



first time going to the story hour at the library...

pool time...

making late night brownies...(and weird faces)

It's Raining, It's Pouring

Last night we fell asleep to the sounds of thunder and rain, this morning we awoke to the same.
So what do you do on a rainy Saturday?

well-you make "rain tea"...


you open all the windows in the house and let the wind blow the rain onto your face...


you bake pre-made chocolate chip cookies...
but first, you taste test...


then you eat the baked cookies...


you play Trivial Pursuit...(and according to these pics, you don't fix your hair)




...well, you try and play Trivial Pursuit when the board isn't being sat upon, or your board markers aren't taken captive...


you snuggle...


you get serious about winning...


Results: the winner was CJ

gotta love rainy, summer days.

Summer Nights

Warm, humid sunshine kept us indoors most of the day. We laid around like lazy cats, stretching every now and again or creeping into the kitchen in search for food. There was talk about what we should do today? Should we go to a dollar movie? Walk around the air conditioned mall? Maybe go to the science center?...we chose to stay home. So we flipped through magazines, took naps, ate watermelon and berries, and sipped sun tea.
As the sun began to fall we dipped our toes outside and saw that the temperature was right.
Right for bluegrass at a nearby town's Farmers Market, right for a friend of CJ's to sleepover, right for ice cream on the drive home. Right for catching lightning bugs in a jar, right for running in the yard in the dark and right for playing two square in the driveway.
Summer nights always feel right.

today

Fresh strawberries, blueberries,bananas, Kefir and beets blended into a yummy smoothie
Her new craft table

Sprinkler fun...wet toes and watercolors
Tool time with a box of wood and grandpa's old work bench

The perfect day...

Do you ever have one of those days when everything runs smoothly and falls into place? You know, the kind of day when you often think, "why doesn't every day work like this?"
Well that was the kind of day I had today.
As I do every morning, I woke up to a smiling, laughing, hugging and kissing pollywog. We had a nice breakfast and she even colored while I drank my coffee. This is a rarity as I am often downing it or drinking it cold... CJ even stuck around the house today, which too, is rare. He is usually off with his friends riding bikes, swimming, getting scrapped knees.
I took the kids to the pool and we had such a nice time. I had time to relax today, I got to work out and noticed that my endurance is building. The house stayed fairly clean today. I had energy all day. I ate healthy and didn't snack, much. Everyone was in a good mood all day. I got to have one on one time with both my children. 
Days like this don't come often. So when they do I treasure them and and gear up for the normal days when life is hectic and adventurously unpredictable. The days that allow me to appreciate the ones like today.
I have to say, today was a good day.