Living a Large Fall

Living a Large Fall

Posted on by Mama

We have been enjoying such a gorgeous fall that I’ve hardly made the time to blog at all. Amid the apple orchards, pumpkin patches and trips to the zoo, we have been soaking in the warm breezy days and living large before winter swoops us up in another cold embrace.

I’ve been baking, making and sewing up a storm while not outside with my son, leaving little extra time to type my thoughts to the world or share what’s been happening at the other end of my camera. So on this chilly, rainy turn of a day, I finally took the time to peruse some of the photos from our last visit to the KC zoo. While the kids didn’t cooperate much, the animals seemed to be in rare still form. Here are a few of my favorites. . . I hope you enjoy.

elephant1

 
flamingo
 
meerkat
 
Lemar

Is Meanness a 9-1-1 Offense?

Posted on by Mama

My husband and I have been talking to our now five-year-old son about emergencies and dialing 9-1-1 in the event he needs help, but I wasn’t prepared for yesterday’s morning conversation. . .

As I tried to usher our son out the door for preschool, he asked to bring a toy to show his friends. This is a little something he often requests, and ever so often I allow him to carry a dinosaur, truck or train to school to show his buddies, then I promptly cart it back home with me. I try not to indulge this activity too often because it disrupts the start of school, but I figure as long as we make it quick, it doesn’t hurt every now and then.

So yesterday morning as coats are flying, lunch pails flinging and we are running a few minutes late, my son asks to bring a toy. Mind you, not a specific something, but just something. Knowing the search for the perfect toy would add several minutes to our departure time and he showed and told just last week, I nixed his request. To which, he ignored my nixing and headed for his room. More forcibly , I told him no and asked him to get in the car.

Other than a foot stomp (yeah, he’s five going on fifteen), his simple response was, “Where’s your phone?” Bewildered, I watched him walk round and round the kitchen and living room looking for my phone.

When I finally asked him why he needed a phone, he answered with a huff, “I need to dial 9-1-1, because you’re being mean.”

Secret Subject Swap — Dear Me at Fourteen

Secret Subject Swap — Dear Me at Fourteen

Posted on by Mama

SecretSwapNoBorderWelcome to a Secret Subject Swap. This week, 15 brave bloggers picked a secret subject for someone else and were assigned a secret subject to interpret in their own style. Today we are all simultaneously divulging our topics and submitting our posts.

My Secret Subject is:
If you could go back and give your fourteen year old self advice, what advice would you give? Is there any advice you’d purposely not give? Would fourteen year old you listen?

It was submitted by: berghamchronicles.blogspot.com

Dear Me at Fourteen,

I know this will find you doing well, but since a little help is usually appreciated, I want to share some insight from several years on the other side of teenage us. See, you didn’t do anything too crazy that you’re not still cookin’; although, you might want to be a bit careful around fast cars, automobile sparks and Firebirds that flame. I’m kind of seeing a trend here, but the open road equals freedom through your future years; so embrace it, but be careful. By the way, the speedometer on that Firebird will peg out and keep going, so maybe you just shouldn’t go there.

Okay, pertinent stuff aside, let me just tell you that I realize you’re not a gushy, mushy sort of gal; so instead of writing from the heart (and, yes, we have one), I decided to simply compile a list of dos and a list of don’ts pertaining to your next few years (college is a whole other story, consisting of its own entirely different volume of dos, don’ts and do differents). I know you will disregard a few of my warnings and embrace several too, but hopefully this will make life a bit easier, moments more enjoyable and each day a whole lot more fun. Although I have to tell you, our teenage years were pretty great the first time through.

So from 30-plus years down the road, keep the wheel straight, the windows rolled down and enjoy every stop along the way.

Love,
Your Still Optimist, But a Bit Cynical Future You

Do This

  1. Trust your instincts. They are right on target (even if you ignore them when it comes to affairs of your own heart).
  2. Think a little harder before you give up basketball one day. You will miss it.
  3. Forgive your sister when she says she doesn’t care what you think, because she won’t even remember she said it.
  4. Definitely climb up on Melissa’s roof and throw those eggs, but don’t be surprised when you have to crawl back up the next day and clean it all off.
  5. Encourage your mom to buy that brand new Firebird the year before you start driving. You won’t be disappointed.
  6. Pay more attention in French class — you will actually have several chances to use what you learn.
  7. Take that graduation trip to Padre Island. It will have its bumps, but it will be a blast!
  8. Journal more. Lots more. You will have a full life and you should really put your thoughts on paper.
  9. Continue to think the best of people. It makes life so much more enjoyable.
  10. Do trust that the Lord is always there, and when the Holy Spirit speaks loudly you ought to listen.

Don’t Do That

  1. Don’t race a Mustang along school property; but if you do, be nice to the jerky cop that pulls you over because he doesn’t plan to give you a ticket.
  2. Don’t outsmart your sophomore science teacher.
  3. Don’t say you will never drive a mini van, over and over again. Hint: eventually you will.
  4. Don’t put so much on your platter. Enjoy some down time.
  5. Don’t be such a perfectionist. It leads to procrastination.
  6. Don’t leave your mom waiting while you tote your friend all the way home after cheer tryouts. Mom will be mad, really really mad.
  7. Don’t lose touch with your childhood friends. You will miss them.
  8. Don’t forget to tell your Mom and Dad you love them every day.
  9. Don’t wait so long to tell a certain senior to, “Shut up and kiss me.”
  10. Don’t read bad books. Life is too short to finish it just because you started.

*****

If you want to read more of the fun, here are links to all the sites now featuring Secret Subject Swap posts.  Sit back, grab a cup, and check them all out. See you there:

 

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