thursday things.

-teen decomposes plastic bag in 3 months.
-cantaloupe salsa - must try!!
-fun little book recommendation site.
-gives me hope!
-rain days with lovey are the aces. and we get another one today!! this one is preschooler free, and we're cleaning and doing laundry.
-alice in wonderland trailer - so stoked!!

novel.

(click on austin to read the best novel ever!)

-brady's post about 'fork you bobby frost'.

my husband wrote a book...my husband wrote a book, a novel, a work of fiction. a book. have you written a book? i haven't written a book. i know very few people who have started, and finished, writing a book.

in november 2007, he decided to participate in nanowrimo. he wrote, he drank energy drinks, he worked all day and came home and wrote. he wrote, he ate candy bars, and he wrote. he wrote, he laughed and cried and wondered where the heck are these crazy characters taking us? and he wrote. and i read the pages one by one as they came off the typewriter, falling in love with this book, these characters, and brady all over again. on the sunday after thanksgiving, he finished. and it was celebratory and fabulous. (and we realized just how much work it was going to be to enter an entire novel onto the computer. it wasn't what one would call a fun task, but i'd do it again!)

after almost 2 years, i think that perhaps 3 or 4 people have read this novel. it has been listed on lulu, he has sent it to a few places, no one seems all that interested. and i realize that i'm biased, and i realize brady might not be the perfect marriage of rilke and bukowski, but he's darn close. and everyone, every single person, needs to read this book. not because brady penned it, not because i want everyone to recognize what a fabulous writer he is, but because we all need to stop and listen to the point of this book. it's about being kind, it's about loving each other. it's not just a riot and a hoot, it's important. and if you can't get over all the F-bombs and all the exclamation points, then perhaps you need to read it more than anyone else.

yesterday.

a very lovely day, yesterday:

rainy day, daddy's home! john denver, tidy up, waffles for breakfast, work on puzzle, finish editing/post novel, visit from mammy, lots of nursing, dancing & spinning in rain, sweet naps, melty crayons, rice & beans, bath & bedtime for babies, discussions, more puzzle, documentary about corn, wind some yarn, bedtime.

thursday things.

-hilarious news story.
-awesome photo story of solar eclipse
-tasty kitchen! go check out vanessa's FEATURED cupcakes :)
-this guy has no use for money. go him!
-tasty new recipe

sunflower spinach pie
(adapted from mom's guide to meal makeovers)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups spinach
1 tsp dried italian seasoning
1 garlic clove, minced
5 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
2/3 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup milk
2/3 cup parmesan, divided
1/4 cup roasted, shelled sunflower seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1 9 inch pie shell

preheat oven to 375
stir together everything but 1/3 cup of parmesan, pour into pie shell.
top with remaining parmesan and cook 30-35 minutes.

-still a favorite

flashbacks.

while perusing my old notes on facebook, i found this little gem. only from february, it feels like it's been so much longer.

today is a beautiful day.
i woke up nestled between two beautiful ladies, who seem to migrate to my bed at some point in the middle of the nite. (violette has been waking up between 2 or 3 saying "oh, i'm really really really hungry" and then crawling up the stairs to our bed, where she crashes immediately.) my kitty was cuddled up at the foot of our bed, watching over us all, and my husband was playing footsie games with me under all the covers, pausing only to reach over to hit snooze on the alarm.

emma woke up, and we laid there talking about what we were going to do today, while brady started his day by turning on his "woody guthrie playlist" and telling his mom happy birthday on facebook. emma and i moseyed down the stairs in our jammies and fixed bowls of cereal and giggled at things like squirrels in the backyard and zeke barking at birds.

we watched an episode of "olivia" on nickjr.com, and i helped brady make his lunch and got him out the door, only after a rousing rendition of "the eagle and the hawk" by john denver, brady rushed out the door and emma and i were left talking at the breakfast table. she felt inspired to make a painting this morning, so i lugged out our suitcase of paints and brushes and all the goodies, (all the while, em is saying things like "mama, are you sure you're strong enough to carry that?") and got her set up. she was very excited that i had a leftover canvas and she got to use that instead of paper. after many mixed paints and good messes, we got all cleaned up and were a bit bummed out violette was still sleeping. she is so fun!

so we got dressed, mommy in a pair of brown maternity cargo pants from old navy and a harry potter t-shirt from the thrift store with black and white stripey socks and my worn, torn simple shoes, and emma in her "kitty" tshirt and "christmas pants" and absolutely never ever anything on her feet, we are now cuddling and counting coins from her coin purse while i type this.

and just now, she said "mama, i just love you".

my life is juicy, and sweet and tender. and i don't want to forget a single minute of it.

lack of sleep and the weekend.

in the spirit of still adjusting to a new person in our home, we're trying to figure out a workable bedtime routine. last nite was a total flop, and i ended up having my "alone mama time" with a curious, chattering 4 year old. i was working on my puzzle, and after about an hour of her incessant talking, i said "emma, i'm trying to relax." and she replied with "are you trying to relax from your angryness?" then we all burst out laughing and great fun was had.

saturday nite i was asking her why she hated going to bed so much and she said "because i have no sleep enjoyness!". there's that. (and i thorougly enjoy her take on the english language.)

who ever would have thought the 4 year old would be keeping me up, and the 7 week old would sleep through the nite? what the hecksie doodles.

we had a fun weekend, sunday we went on an "adventure". we went to the park, to play with mammy's dogs, and to the pizza parlor! (yes, my kids call mazzio's the pizza parlor.)

while we were at mom's, i picked up the puzzle i'm working on. my sister had told me awhile back that this particular puzzle was missing a piece, but for some reason that didn't bother me. however, brady was pretty flabbergasted by the whole thing. which got me thinking about process vs. product and whether i've actually crossed the threshold into process > product? because i've been aiming for that a long time. to enjoy the journey instead of worrying about the outcome.

here we are :)

last nite.

“When I am with you, we stay up all night.
When you're not here, I can't go to sleep.
Praise God for those two insomnias!
And the difference between them.”
-rumi

(i love my lovey and the fun we have together.)

thursday things.

summer sweater thingy
baby hat!
pretty pictures and people.
a study on physical punishment - don't hit your kids!
in praise of bossy girls - not sure how i feel about this one, but it's interesting nonetheless





i'm getting a bit worn. why is evil and darkness SO cool? why is it bad to have faith and wonder? we went and saw happy potter tuesday nite, and almost every preview shown was about the end of times or some kind of awful tragedy. why? where are the beautiful things? i'm not saying that sadness can't be beautiful, but it shouldn't be all encompassing. i'm going to take note of beauty, goodness and hope today, and maybe even make some of my own.

my goal in life:

"A cup brimful of sweetness cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, no matter how suddenly jarred." - Amy Carmichael

a friend posted this on facebook, and it really resonated within me. this is my latest mantra, my every intention.

busy times.

big weekend! saturday we had vi's party, and it was quite a success. though you can't really go wrong with hotdogs, root beer (thanks to the castoes), d.j. lance rock cake, and far too many presents. violette was very happy, thanks to all our awesome friends and family who do what they do. we appreciate it all so very much.

sunday, brady's dad popped over from amarillo and we had a quiet day while he slept and then we went shopping and got pizza, fun times.

tonite is church here and then afterwards... the midnite release of harry potter!!!!!! i can't wait, really. this morning we're headed over to my grandma's to play, and then tomorrow is my 6 week appointment with the midwives. bittersweet, because i know it's my last midwife appt., ever. i'm sure i'll cry :)

saturday was also theodore's 6 week mark, he is the biggest of my babies, by far, which is interested because he was the teeniest at birth. he is just so so chubby and roly poly! though he insists on shedding all newborn trademarks way too early, it's okay. i was concerned about it, and really wanting to enjoy his baby phase, but i had this realization the other day. when we get stuck in a particular stage, be it newborn, baby, toddler... whatever, and we're really sad when they grow out of it, it's awfully unfair to the little one. because we're so concerned about them not being what we want them to be, and also we're missing out on the stuff they're doing NOW. the past is PAST, right? i mean, how often do we get stuck there, meandering through the day, thinking about the good times we had or the bad, or just whatever. but we're totally missing out on RIGHT NOW.

time for my favorite cheese quote:

"the past is history, the future's a mystery, the present is a gift, that's why it is called the present."

today i'm going to be here now.

oh, & i love my husband. & he loves me. squeee!

violette anne turns 3.

happy birthday, sweet violette.

our family's jester, your ornery streak is quite a bit more than just a streak. you make us laugh on an hourly basis. this year brought your first joke: "MY MOM'S A TORTILLA!!!!!" screeched loud and proud, because we all know you do not have an "inside voice".

you are our cuddly one, and the only baby i have that will go to sleep at a decent hour. (thank you for that, by the way!)

right now, you are big into your dollhouses, cooking and eating. but you have always, and probably always will be, big into eating. there have been very few foods that you haven't liked, but your favorite is pocky, hands down.

i'm very excited to see what happens this year, and how you change and grow up. i'm very glad that you chose me as your mama, and i hope to always treat you with the love and respect you deserve. (even when you're screaming about the wrong colored cup with the wrong colored straw!)

i like to tell jokes. (or jokes, it might be a a soft j.)

why was 6 afraid of 7? because 7 ate 9.

happy 07/08/09 folks!

thinking about how multi-facted happiness is... first off, are humans even designed to be happy? and how often to you have to be happy to have a happy life? like, if i'm happy on tuesday-friday, but a grouch saturday-monday, am i happy or not?

and some folks, like myself, don't really show HAPPINESS! like with the bubbles and sparkles and all. i'm pretty serious and heavy most of the time (read: nearly "wet blanket"), but i'm happy on the inside, so does that count?

and does happiness equal contentment? or can you be happy while still striving to be more, expect more, live more... blah blah blah.

and what about the people that have what i like to call the "chronic unhappies"? these people are fanatical about not being happy. (in my limited experience, though, i've found that most of the people like this are insanely self-absorped and ungrateful for the things they DO have.)

is happiness really just a choice? perspective? can you buy it?

john lennon says happiness is a warm gun, a quick google search tells me happiness is "like a butterfly", "a journey", and "the lord". helen keller says happines is attained "through fidelity to a worthy purpose". epicurus said "tranquility and rationality are the cornerstones of happiness"... does anyone really know? isn't happiness a bit more individualized and specific?

oh, so many questions. what makes you happy?

my problem with "art".

i've always been a wary of* "art" and those who claim to be "artists" of any stripe. and while i've never quite been able to put my finger on just why that is, tonite i received great clarity on the matter.

i've been thinking about this lately and i think it's that most people with a gift, or "skills", as the case may be, seem to enjoy putting down, or simply pointing out the flaws of, those without the same gifts or "skills". i know i'm so guilty of doing this. if i happen across a knitted object where the purl stitch was done backwards and caused the stockinette stitch to be twisted, i giggle and smile a smug smile of knowing. knowing the difference in knit and purl. knowing what stockinette stitch is. knowing that i'm right, and this object is so wrong. the sad thing is, i don't know.

i don't know if this is the first item that this particular person has knitted. and if they saw my smug smile, or heard my careless comments, they could be discouraged and not pick up knitting again. or this person may know full well that their knitting is twisted and they like it that way! there are many things i don't know, but acting this way only shows that i do know critical judgment, cynicism and pride*.

and this is especially important for those of us that claim to follow the ways of Christ. ^{Hebrews 3: 13} says "but encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." yes, i'm taking it out of context, but i think is so important that we encourage each other. and it's hard, i get it. it's way easier to make fun of something than it is to say "hey, that is awesome, you GO for making this!" (especially if someone is still in the learning phase, and their stuff sucks.) i mean, it's cheesy and oh so pollyanna to be nice, but it matters.

and guess what, instead of getting butthurt about my crappy n00b photography and giving up(which i really want to do. i admit, my panties are in a bit of a twist right now) i'm going to keep on snapping. and trying to get better. and i'm going to keep posting my pictures, because i'm proud of myself for doing something.

and hey! guess who else did something. my BFF vanessa. she did something i would never, ever do. because i'm scared of criticism and sharing my heart. but she's not! and we all get to experience something sweet and beautiful because of it. go check out nessa singing a lovely song and be blessed by her pretty voice and her sense of daring. i know i am.

so, let's all go make something beautiful and encourage someone attempting something new. and maybe soon we can all become artists and creators and reflections of the great creator we're supposed to be.

*1. and, conflictingly, drawn towards, but that's for another day.
*2. yes, i'm aware that this whole post was spurred on by critical judgment and cynicism... to quote hank hill: "it's called a double standard, bobby, live with it."

lastly, i apologize for the insane amount of run-on sentences that i seem to be so fond of writing.

good stuff.

this post could not have come at a better time for me. i so need to take it to heart. no more complaining!

my new mantra: can i change this? if the answer is no, just let it go.

gratitude:
-i know it's cliche, but i'm so grateful for my babies, and that they're happy and healthy.
-my vacuum cleaner isn't broken!
-the delicious supper we had (chicken and zucchini fajitas with homemade salsa! and zucchini bread for dessert... yum!)
-the gigantic zucchini and squash lovey brought home
-getting my flickr organized. i felt so accomplished when i was done. (thanks to h4ppy photos, it was much easier than i anticipated.)
-lovey is off work tomorrow!!!! we haven't had a real weekend in ages, so i'm very excited.

the essence of effie captured.

vintage
Originally uploaded by mama-effie

here i am, at age 4 or 5. i haven't changed all that much. i still hope to make you smile, i still hope to have a slight air of sophistication. i still need affirmation and encouragement, and i still so long to help anyone with any task.

today.

instead of folding laundry, which i so did not do last nite, i'm uploading and organizing tons of pictures on flickr. i can do that one-handed while nursing, laundry is another story! and since theodore seems to be in a serious growth spurt, i'm looking for a lot of one-handed tasks.

the fourth of july is a "holiday" i don't really enjoy. and not because i'm all anarchy or whatever, but because homemade ice cream and fireworks don't entertain me at all. i mean, i could spout reasons for why we shouldn't celebrate christmas, easter, thanksgiving... but i like those holidays. or more accurately, i like how america celebrates the holidays and traditions they've "borrowed". i'm just saying, don't expect a patriotic HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY post on saturday.

i love cloth diapering. it's immensely satisfying, and there is nothing like unloading a bunch of warm fluff straight from the dryer. surprisingly, diapers are the only laundry i like :)

since it's out there now, we've been having church at our house recently. it's just been us and my family, but our doors are always open to anyone who finds their way here. we don't have bulletins or 3 points and a poem, but it's certainly not just hanging out. we usually have supper together around 6:30-7:00, and then talk about what's going on. topics have ranged from what's going on with everyone's lives to how, specifically, do you hear from god to sitting around the computer playing games on sporcle. okay, that last one only happened once, and it was before dinner :)

nap time for baby, commence super fast cleaning marathon!

MJ broke the internet. (or my computer is buggy and virus ridden)

okay, so, we can't be friends if you don't think this joke is hilarious. (thank you, aunt maria, for sharing the perfect joke. i owe you immensely. seriously, aunt maria is the best, and i owe her for a lot more than the perfect joke.)

on to the joke:

two cannibals are eating a clown, one looks at the other and says "does this taste funny to you?"

the girls have been going to VBS at my brother's and sister's church. it's awfully cute, though i'm concerned that emma has inherited her father's cynicism.(it's certainly not MINE!) last nite, they were trying to get her to sing and do hand motions to a song, and i guess they kept pushing her to do it, instead of just letting her chill. and she said "this is stupid." part of me thinks this is hilarious, and the other part is humiliated. we did have a long talk about how it's not nice to say things are stupid, even if we think they are. tonite, though, she did good and is happy to report that the friend she made was wearing a FAIRY SHIRT! apparently large gatherings bore violette to sleep, as she has napped through both of the nites she's gone.

i made cherry crisp tonite, and then ate way too much. guess what i'm having for breakfast tomorrow?

well, i've got about 7 loads of laundry to fold, i should get to it. what are the odds i go to bed instead?