Sunday Thanks

I am thankful for slip-n-slides (even though BabyDaddy was too much of a weenie to join the Muffin and I on our newly purchased one yesterday). I am thankful for catty, gossip-saturated phone conversations, (I miss you Ames!). I am thankful for the delightful (and free) fun offered by a jaunt to our local pond store to pick out three new tadpoles for our little backyard oasis. I am thankful for the joy found in chasing a butterfly. I am thankful for a raggedy hand-picked dandelion - "Here Mama, I got 'dis for you!" I am thankful for the budding friendship of two little boys and the continued friendship of their spunky mothers. I am thankful for bouncy castles and balloon animals at our church carnival. I am thankful that the hymn "How Great Thou Art" is now available in rock, and that the praise band at my church makes you want to get up and dance. I am thankful that sometimes there is no better way to be close to God than to sing to him. I am thankful for afternoons spent in the sun with a good book and a reclining lawn chair. I am thankful for today.

Things I Think are Spa-Len-Did......

First of all, I love a completely plan-free Saturday that stretches out in front of you like a week's vacation. I am currently in last night's work-out clothes - oh yes, I fell into bed without even taking a shower - I have the dirty raccoon you-didn't-wash-your-face-and-now-its-the-morning mascara rings under my eyes, my teeth feel fuzzy, and I would probably cause an innocent bystander to go into cardiac arrest if I happened to breathe on them. And I. LOVE. IT. I'm watching the Muffin bound across the floor as he 'exercises' on the Wii, and I can hear BabyDaddy still snoring (rather loudly I might add) through the open door of the bedroom. I just took a sip of today's first cup of coffee and I am about as content as I can be. Our church is having a kiddie carnival this afternoon, and Lil' C has already loudly declared his wishes to go, so we'll probably venture out of the house for that, but anything above and beyond that is debatable. Things I also love ---

Muddy puppies - Especially when they are muddy because they just dug up my iris bulbs...

Mr. Bubble's Foam Soap - Because it is super fun and can be made into a variety of delightful accessories.

Seeing the little flowers that the Muffin planted begin to grow.

AND FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY: This one goes out to you Holls, who always wanted to see one of my auto 'jam sessions'. (I'll admit it's a rather tame one, but hey, take it or leave it) It also goes out to BabyDaddy, who said I would never do this. (You now officially owe me five bucks partner.)

*I love the feeling that comes when driving on sunny afternoons with the windows down and the radio blaring my new favorite song. Don't you?

You Might be From the Country If...

...you have a small-mouth bass in your Koi pond. We now have a small-mouth bass AND a bluegill, freshly caught from our new favorite fishing hole. BabyDaddy and I took the Muffin fishing for the first time last night - he was just beside himself! "Is dat a weeeeerrrrm Daddy? A real weeeeerrrrm? Eww! Daddy es pwayin' wif da' worm! What are you DOIN' Daddy? You are sooooo gross!" We caught three itty-bitty bluegill; we threw them all back but one, which we put in a huge metal pot that BD had brought just for this purpose. I had to ride home with that stupid thing held between my knee caps. But regardless, we had a lovely time. Lil' C was so patient, either standing next to BD or sitting motionless while he held the pole by himself. Every time he got a bite and his bobber fluttered below the surface of the water, he would squeal and scream. BD had barely gotten the first fish out of the creek when the Muffin pounced. "I DID IT! I DID IT! Ok, wanna hold my fish now Daddy, dat MY fish OK? I wanna pet him now OKAY Daddy, PWEASE?" He laughed and laughed. The only bad thing was that the nasty mud by the edge of the water smelled like crap. I mean it. Like, real poop. Which it probably was. Fish poop, turtle poop, duck poop -- I'm sure there was a little bit of everything mixed in there. So now, BD's shoes smell like poop. Even after I forced him to scrub them with a toothbrush. Even after I made him wipe them down with bleach. Even after he sprayed them with a water hose. It is now my personal mission to make these shoes disappear. Just don't tell BD. :)

Oh, and I am SO proud of myself that I am going to just have a moment of self-glorification. I know what you're thinking Mom. A moment? Who am I kidding?! I'm just glad you still let me be a Diva every once in a while. See Ames? Divas do grow up to be.....well.....just bigger divas. But I digress. So, I'm scared to death of blood, my own or anyone else's for that matter. So it's sort of a big deal for me to think of donating it, which entails not one, but TWO needle sticks, watching myself bleed out into a plastic bag, and squeezing a really annoying stress ball. Yes I had to cover my face with my book when they started, and yes I caused a tiny bit of a scene when I almost fainted at the end, but I. DID. IT. YESSSSSSSSS.

Hot Dogs, Hot Tubs, and Hot Kids

Memorial Day weekend was a good one. (I know it's like, Thursday and all, but hey, who's counting?) Friday night, the Muffin and I headed to God's Country for a quick drop-in. We got cut, wedded, and dined.

THE CUT
New hair, new me! In celebration of my almost-ten-pound-but-now-hovering-'cause-I've-been-an-exercise-slacker weight loss, I went to an edgy new gal in God's Country for a "Yay Me!" stylin' session. She razored until I thought her poor little hand would fall off, and I am now the proud owner of about 479 new layers and a fresh shock of sideways bangs. She also styled it, making me look and feel dee-vine, but I'm quickly realizing I don't have 45 minutes to flat iron/big iron/smaller iron curl it every morning. But I still love it.

THE WEDDING

The Muffin was thankfully asleep when we made our way into the pew at my cousin's wedding. He stayed that way until almost the very end of the ceremony, when I could tell he was drifting up to the surface. As the pastor announced the new couple, sharp applause broke out, making the Muffin yelp and almost jump out of his skin, just before I saw the tell-tale bottom lip pooching out. This is always a pre-cursor to a huge wave of tears and general hysteria, however with whispered pleadings, promises of suckers, and bribes of crayons, Mom and I were able to help him contain himself. "Dat noisey," he said after it was over, "dat NOT nice." :)

HOME COOKIN'

One of my favorite summer activities is cooking out down at the river, which we were lucky enough to do Saturday night. The whole family showed up, along with my dear friend Jess, who the Muffin stuck to like glue the entire night, (sorry my dear - I know you didn't gamble on having a Siamese two year old attached at your hip). Uncle Doc entertained us with all manner of talk - government conspiracies, the challenges of tandem cycling (ie, the problem of staying upright when you have to stop and inconveniently forget that your feet are strapped to the pedals), recent happenings at our family's farm supply store. Nanny was able to steal the Muffin away to the swing set long enough for Jess and I to catch up on gossip while munching on watermelon. It was so late when we finally drug ourselves away, we didn't get back to the city until after midnight.

HOT TUBS AND HOT KIDS

Sunday morning we went to church - the Muffin actually started to cry when we came to pick him up after the service, God bless him. He was in the middle of a group of kids, playing his heart out when he looked up and saw us at the door. That bottom lip stuck out, and this time he let it all go. "Stay here! Stay here!" he pleaded all the way out to the car. After lunch and a restful afternoon, we headed to the in-laws for another holiday cook out. We had the traditional fun family corn hole match - I had an off night and so was a bit cranky - and after eating the kids all stripped down and piled into the hot tub, which had been turned down so that it was the temp of a good bath. Later in the evening, a pick-up game of ghetto volley ball ensued with some neighbor kids, while the grown ups chatted on the patio. We left hot, tired, and happy.

Memorial Weekend Thanks

I am thankful for national holidays - especially those that create long weekends. I am thankful for the men and women who have fought and continue to fight for this country - for the freedom of both those who support and encourage them, and also for those who protest, spit, and scoff at them. I am thankful for the memories of loved ones who are no longer with me, and for the way they have shaped my life. I am thankful for fresh watermelon. I am thankful for rickety swing sets and time spent with family. I am thankful for shared secrets with an old friend - someone who even though I don't get to see enough, can still finish my sentences or guess my thoughts. I am thankful for Ski on a long drive home. (If you don't know what Ski is, you are certainly not from God's Country, and have no idea what you are missing.) I am thankful for today, all the days before it, and the days that are coming.

Sunday Thanks

I am thankful for long weekends. For wet footprints on sidewalks and mud squishing under my feet. I am thankful for a husband that I love, even though he can burp the alphabet, (and doesn't shy away from demonstrating that fact in the most inappropriate situations). I am thankful for the imagination of my son - he has recently decided that he is a cat. He only answers to 'here kitty, kitty', and meows in response to everything you ask him. He will crawl into your lap and lick your cheek in a 'kitty kiss' before he begins to purr. I am thankful that he hasn't decided to be a dog and drink out of the toilet. I am thankful for Sunday afternoon cookouts, impromptu corn hole matches, and friendly trash-talking. I am thankful that I am learning (repeatedly) to be a graceful loser. I am thankful for cakes with butter cream icing. I am thankful that I'm getting to relive the simplest joys of childhood - icy lemonade, earthworms, whistling through a blade of grass, and planting flowers (although I do not miss the childhood impatience. It's unfortunate for children that flowers do not grow in a matter of hours instead of weeks). I am thankful for today.

Singing in the Rain

Yesterday, we got to dance in the rain. We seem to be in a wee bit of a wet spell - of course everyone is complaining and whining, "I hate the rain! When will it be over? I'm so tired of it!" Blah, blah, blah. But me? I love the rain. Open the floodgates of heaven baby - let it pour! There has always been something slightly magical about rain for me. The way you can smell it, seconds before the first drop falls, and the way the slate gray clouds boil up and surround you before it all lets loose. I think it's wonderful. After the first distant grumble of thunder, Lil' C shouted, "Mommy! Mommy! What's dat noisey?" (I think that's the cutest thing by the way, and it's a recent new development. No matter how many times we correct him, he never says 'What's that noise?" Always, "What's that noisey?") We ran to the big window and watched the storm sweep over us. After the thunder ended and it was just the rain, we went outside. "Oh, Mommy! Es water on me! Es so cold!" We laughed and held out our hands, catching the raindrops in our palms. "I WUV 'da wain Mommy, I WUV it!" I sat on the front step and watched him squeal and giggle. He loved seeing his footprints on the dry part of the sidewalk, and would run out into the rain to make sure he feet were really wet, and then hop like a little frog up the walk. "Wook Mama - do'se are my toes! Wight dere! See?"