Happy New Year

this is the window next to our computer. (pardon the window screen) i like to watch the light change throughout the day.

Thanks, Mel and Ray!

Last night we went with our "Coastal Peeps" to see a great show at Northrop Auditorium: Louie Anderson with Mary Mack. It was great fun. I haven't laughed like that in a really long, long, long time. The thing about this kind of laughter--you know, when you can't keep your shoulders from shaking (if you are a silent laugher like me and my old neighbor girl) until a sound finally erupts in joyful gasps and belly laughs--it made me feel so beautiful. Every part of your body responds to that kind of wonderful humor. It came bubbling into my consciousness that the knee slapping, shoulder shaking, head tossing, arm flailing laughter shook the self image right out of me, and I felt like a true prize. Sitting between my husband and my dear friend, surrounded by love, in a room of positive endorphins, I was not concerned about my legs touching the person next to me, or elbow room, or my cleave spilling out. Nope. Just joyful little me feeling the love. So thank you Melanie and Ray, for a wonderful night out. (sorry we had to cut our dinner short for the screaming Suvi-girl. she just needed a cuddle from her ma and dad--and her blanky.)

Boxing Day

Christmas Eve photos

Happy Christmas!

Greetings of peace, joy, and love as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour!

(with a little Santa on the side :)

Theo is currently sitting in his fave spot--in front of the heat vent--eating a Popsicle and singing Jingle Bells, in his two year old way, of course. Love moments like these.

Surprises...

...they come all shapes and sizes!

That is a Thomas song that Theo loves, and it is a sentiment I've been thinking about Today.

Raise your hand if you are teething! Theo loves to eat injera with Dad.

It snowed again last night.

2 and 2/stripey day

Saturday morning on my way to work my eyes flooded. It dawned on me as I was approaching the salon that I had neglected to wish Theo a Happy 2nd Birthday. My first born child!!! What kind of mother could I be? A quick call home, and I felt much better. He, of course, didn't seem to feel rejected and neglected.

A book and a zebra tent. And a tiny little tow truck.

Theo's birthday lunch--my first turkey. Yummm.

Cookie exchange tomorrow: these gingerbread cookies may be too molasses-y, but we're just going to roll with it. I worked an extra long day on Saturday, but my plan was to stay up late to finish these cookies (the exchange cookies are hearts--this shape was too big for me) and prepare the food for Sunday Dinner. Theo was having a difficult time falling asleep again, so I didn't want to be in the kitchen until it was certain he was snoozing. So "I'll just lay here for 10 minutes til he quiets down..." Out like a light. At least I was. Hopefully he found his slumber easily after the house was quiet. I woke up with a jolt at 12:34. Suvi woke up for a little bottle at 5, and it was close to 6 before my head was recharging. In the meantime I baked the second batch of cookies, peeled potatoes, made cornbread (thank you Jiffy), made cornbread stuffing, prepped the bird, and selected the carrots. The meal was delicious today. I patted myself on the back several times for making a good spread. If only the cookies were as perfect as that turkey...

well, I'm back in action.

now that they are starting to interact a bit, it has become impossible to get a photo of my kids together. these snapshots are from my phone (low res) because my camera batteries were all out of juice yesterday. the top shot is from my throne...one is never alone. :)

i am hoping to post a little more over the weekend, so until then, enjoy the next six days, as we approach wonderful Christmas Day!

Our Royal Princess

Suvi is getting more teeth. She went to bed early tonight--I think she will appreciate the rest as much as we appreciate her resting. My lovely girl is getting some curl in her hair. I like watching these changes...what will she do next?

Theo has raspberry fruit pop stain on his shirt and a tiny brownie in his hand. He likes to hang out by the heat register...especially when he doesn't want to wear socks.

My husband is watching Buzz and Woody do their thing, as they adventure back to Andy's room, and I am drinking tea, eating multi-grain cranberry bread and wait for news. Waiting. No paint, just feels like it since I keep staring at the walls, checking my phone, email, back to the wall again.
There is no way of wrapping my head around some of the things that happen in life--so unusual an event, I cannot begin to understand the hows, let alone the whys. Youth is blessed in the way that most of us are unaware of stresses and sorrows we find in adult, and especially a mother's, life. A father's, sister's, friend's life, yes, but there is something in a woman that changes her consciousness when she becomes a mother. I have so much influence on my children. I will protect them and provide for them as best I can. Yet some occurrences are beyond my control. Life is precious. It is fragile. The life of a child is a gift no matter what that life entails.

As I was typing those words above, the call finally came in. Precious life. I'm going to dry my tears now. And kiss my kids. And their Daddy.

Thank you for the call, dear Friend. Love you and our girls up there. And the boys, too.

What an animal!

Theo was having a difficult time settling in bed tonight. He flopped like a fish, wriggled like a snake, and downward facing dogged. Round about 11 he drifted off to sleep. Sweet angelic boy!



This photo is from springtime. Oh! It is so easy to love the babes--especially when they are at rest!

Random.

1. I didn't understand when I was in my 20's what it would be like to be in my 30's. I didn't think it would be different. It is. Now there is a slang age gap. I don't know how to use the new slang; Random. Creepers (I don't like that one). Right?
2. I am a hairdresser who loves to spend an hour fancifying a client's hair, but don't want to spend more than 5 minutes on my own!
3. In my humble opinion, Chubby Hubby really is the most wonderful ice cream.
4. I always wanted to be a swimmer/diver.
5. Child birth is so amazingly gross, and I am proud I've had the chance to do it twice.
6. Feeding my husband makes me happy.

Oh, that was easy! I didn't know what I would come up with, but there you have it. I am new to blog-ese, so being tagged is like me telling you about demi-permanent color (unless that is something you are intimately familiar with).

you helped me

JEN H!
Thank you for helping me!
I thought I did what you suggested yesterday, but I was in a panic. It was really very simple! Oops.
how do i get this layout off?
there is a reason a NO sits in the middle of technology.
yikes!

dirty girl

our neighbors have flamingos year round.

I kept telling myself I'd be getting outside more when the snow came. Well, its here. I really needed to take my shower tonight. Sometimes when its a crazy day with the kids, I take a long hot shower in the evening to wash away the tensions. I can still hear them crying when I'm in there, but I try to turn off the Mommy will do it channel, so I can not only get clean, but relax. Tonight, as Dad was taking hold of both reigns, the driveway popped into my head. What if I go shovel to blow off some steam? Oh, it felt good to be outside. The world seems friendly and quiet when those fat flakes are dropping on my driveway and piling up on the car (we do have a garage, but that is to house only mice, rakes, the shovel, and mower). It feels fresh and it rejuvenates me. It was only 8 or maybe 11 minutes of shoveling before I heard Mr Theo bawling his eyes out. I was just getting into the rhythm of the scrape and toss when I felt the Mommy pull. I put on his snow pants, and the rest of his gear over his pajamas to bring him outside. He was no problem to have in the fluffy snow with me--it seems to be so exciting for him to be out after nightfall. He didn't last for the entire clearing of the drive, but he got some good fresh air and color in his cheeks. So did I. The shower will wait til morning. It'd be such a shame to wake the babes with my indulgent bathing at this hour. Habtamu showers about 5:30 every workday morning, which doesn't usually disturb their slumber, but this side of midnight is mine, and it isn't worth risking. Shower schmower.

Is this what 15 looks like?

Oh this girl is 15 now. I was in my first year of college when she was born! She loved me so when she was a baby--I lived with her family when she was around 2 and she was my buddy. Sigh. Happy Birthday, Ruthie! Auntie loves you!

On the seventh day

Theo loves snow. "Nummy. Cold."

Its so hard to resist my precious babes--fresh from the bath in their footie pajamas.

hb 2 kjh

a very special hello to a few of my favorite people. one whose antsy is my restless and one who is fifty-fourish.

she's the one in pink!

after a summer storm

Edward Hopper

Harbor sunset 1929

Room in Brooklyn 1932

1/4 Century

Happy Birthday, Danise!

Happy Birthday Carl! (no photo)

I learned something new.

I found these photos at http://www.depressionglass.net/

I am not a collector, but I do like it when I see Depression glass. I just didn't know that there is pink Depression glass. Its so pretty! I bet my mom has some. Something fun to look for when I go into the thrifty. Blue and pink have always been the colors I choose in general, especially blue, then pink. Funny that cheap glass could inspire people to collect. This cobalt blue plate should be sitting above my kitchen sink. Collecting dust. Ha!

i can't get no

satisfaction!

Looking for images that inspired positive thoughts to share, I came upon these favorite photos; while they are not technically beautiful, they settle the restlessness. I'm reminded of the Tin Man with his empty chest--knock on it and it echoes a hollow reply. It isn't that my heart is missing, but I'm feeling a bit tin-y. OIL! Just a little to get that head of mine cranking out the words to delight and dazzle, comfort the achy fingers. These photos are my oil.

This elephant has appeared on Facebook, and just now I remember sending it to a friend in Sweden. What a funny choice to send across the sea. Did I hear that friend is married now? The clothes were favourites. It was a time when I felt confident. It would be fun to have all that hair again--and no grays!

The trip out West was the first road trip Habtamu and I took together. It was fun and challenging. I learned how fast he could drive through Canada, and not through Wyoming. We drove 3001 miles. So many favorites: SD, MI t-shirt, my Love, road trip, & summer skin.

Although my shirt was a bit revealing--a problem covering-up what I spent my 20's advertising, its moments like this one that make motherhood so enjoyable for me. I don't want to be the crabby, screaming Mom. I want to be a flowy, help you find your wings Mom. And I will do.

I listen to a few minutes of a radio show Saturday mornings on my short car ride to work. It seems to be focused on living a positive life, the power of intention, positive confession, that sort of You Go Girl type of conversation. I sometimes have a difficult time resolving the Scandinavian version of humbled guilt and the American entitlement philosophies. I am not sure if we really can affect our lives by sending out positive vibrations, but haven't we always heard that we reap what we sew? Couldn't that be true for intention, attitude, satisfaction? My life is blessed with a loving healthy family, a fine house to make our home, in a wonderful nation, where Hubby and I both have jobs, opportunity to be creative, to learn and grow, to be humble and to be proud, to laugh and to sigh. I am free to find the silver linings. I do it all the time with other people, and today within myself. If there are heavier darker days, stiff and squeaky days, I can find satisfaction in my silver linings-sweet babies, strong husband, creative and forgiven/forgiving self. Satisfied? (whenever I say silver lining to somebody, and when I think about it for myself, i get a mental picture of a cloud with a shiny satin silver lining--like inside a coat. this thought, and sharing it make me smile. mission accomplished!)