Funny little obesessions.

http://cloudappreciationsociety.org/

http://fuckyeahoctopi.tumblr.com/

Fun with the camera phone

Today......

Octopus love!

I love this ring!
(From the website http://www.etsy.com/shop/OctopusMe?ref=seller_info)
Something not commonly known about me is that I love Octopuses/Octopi. Love them. They are amazing creatures--very smart, passionate, dedicated mothers. They are clever and sophisticated and stealth. M also is highly passionate for them as well--one of the weird things we have in common. Kind of like our love for rocks and soup.

Happy Chinese New Year.

More to come here as we plan on celebrating this year-- Celebrations locally are on Saturday, we will do something fun tonight--at least little red pouches with money for the kids to start.

Choices

Been thinking about choices lately. Not your everyday, " do I want fries with that" kind of choice--yet I do struggle with that choice daily too, but that is another topic. I am talking about the big choices in life, the life changing choices we make that have gotten us to where we are right now. I reflect on those choices, wonder if they are the right choice or not. I often miss the career I was beginning, often wish I could go back to doing what I truly love, hope that one day I will get to do it again (but really the hard part is knowing deep down that it is most likely not going to happen). And with each little step away, year away, door that could have opened and doesn't, it makes me reflect on the choices I did make. When I mention my disappointment about such things, I often hear " Well you made a choice". Yes, yes I know I made choices.
They were choices that were right for me then and when I look back, I still feel the same way about those choices.
But more/most importantly, when I look at my life--while not perfect by any means--is pretty fantastic. So, I don't have the career I thought I wanted. Okay. What I do have is so much more. When I put my two amazing children to bed each night, talking with them about their days, rubbing their sweet little backs, watching them as they nod off to into slumberland--safe in their world, happy, full of laughter, love and wonder--I realize that they are what make all those questioned choices worth it. It is those two who make me realize I made the right choices in my life.

January...no wait it's February.

Another 2 hour delay!

Bean and I went sledding this am--just to kill an hour or so before school started.

and yes, it was cold this morning.

Wintertime fun

Day at the park

Cleaning?!?!?!

Legos

I think two of his favorite things to do--ever!

Christmas 2010

Bit late with this...

.

Dance baby, dance!

So, I went out the other night to a local restaurant--it was an early band show, kind of a family, night. Very crowded--well attended I guess they call that--but almost a bit too crowded for me. Everyone was eating and getting the kids to get some food in them and settle down a bit. Then the band began to play and the kids started a little mosh pit and dance--dance like no one was watching (which is great about kids). But the one thing I noticed is that none of the parents danced. None! Well, accept me! The other parents just stood around in there snootiness with their drinks, eyeing everyone and, and not dancing or engaging with their children. Weird! Why not dance? Why not engage with their kids? I know sometimes it is nice to go out, let the kids hang with others and have some adult time. I need that too! But, my kids want me to dance with them--they ask me to come with them--pull me with them. And I go. I go everytime.

And this is something I like about me as a mom. I don't care what others think when I am having fun with my kids. I love to get out there and dance with them, be silly with them, get down and funky with them. I love the mom that they make me.

Borrowing.....

let me just be up front here-- yes I am "borrowing" this from http://teaandcookies.blogspot.com/. Borrowing directly from Tea and Cookies as it is what I wanted to say.

Five words, for 2011:

Love: give love--to those near and dear to me and to those not-so-near, but still so very dear to me. Love of who I am, where I am in my life, what brought me to this point. Love--we all need to give and receive more love in our lives

Light: I need to lighten up--and in many ways. I need to lighten up when it come it stuff--physical stuff, clutter, crap lying around, pile of papers, etc. Time to rid of the clutter and the crap and the stuff I think I might need or use one day!
Also, I need to lighten up when it comes to my mood and out look on life. My one resolution for the new year was--to smile more and yell less. I need to see the lighter, funnier side of life and of things, embrace the goofiness, dance more, sing more, be a goofball for my kids sake.

Organize: one project at a time!

Color: bring color into my life. Not only myself and what I choose to select each day to express myself (yes, I am aware that black, grey, and brown are not all there are in the color spectrum)/ I am not saying I am going all-pink on ya, but I will try.

Color into the house--ART!!!!!!!!! ( and a few more pillows!)

Joy:

Definition of JOY --a : the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires

Be joyful, spread joy, experience joy--see the world through my children's eyes.

New Year............

Happy 2011! Hard to believe that the year is over and here we are in 2011. So many wonderful memories of the year and so looking forward to the memories to be created this year with my beautiful family. They are really are amazing people--all three of them. Each day, they make me laugh and smile. They show me the joy in the small things and the wonder that life has to offer. As this new year begins, just know that you are the loves of my live and I cannot wait to make some amazing memories with you all. Mwahhhh. LBATS

Cookies

Few snap shots of life..........

Just a few images of life these days.

Our tree and some gingerbread people.

Dragon head made out of rice crispy treats--doesn't everybody make these?

Love

This boy loves to ice skate and I love his smile.

Ice skating with the cousins