two-step tuesday

It rained. What a glorious sight!



The gentle pitter of little drops quenched the sighs of a thirsting world 

and gathered in a little puddle beside the garage.

It called her name. 

She danced with the raindrops. A jumping, stomping, splashing sort of dance.

Raindrops make good playmates.

She sat in the pool then tipped her head forward to soak up the muddy swirls with her golden locks. We bid our little pool goodbye, stopping to pour back what had gathered in the toes of the rain boots.

One dry skirt later and off we went, the pitiful song of our barren cupboards ringing in our ears. "To the grocery store!" we sang, our list in hand.

It was productive, pleasant, really, and bag fulls of God's bounty filled our trunk.

We pulled in the drive, my phone rang and I cheered with the sound of my mother's voice. 

Distracted, I emptied the car and closed the trunk, leaving my mind and my keys inside.

 I rang my knight-in-shining-armor.

He answered and sounded very happy to come rescue us.

So we danced in the raindrops, our groceries dry beneath the eave.

We waited.

What a welcome sight!

Evie begged him stay and he melted, his heart torn by the duty that called and those brown eyes. We savored those moments. Laughing at the misfortune that brought us togetherness in the middle of the day and dancing to the tune of big band swing. "Dance with me, daddy," she pleaded.

So he did.

He drove away.

We settled back into the routine of the day, a two-step Tuesday.

laugh-a-doodle

Is it even legal to post on a blog twice in the same day?

Probably not.

I've already driven above the posted speed limit. Eaten whipping cream over raspberries three times. Visited Target two separate times. I'm breaking all the rules today.Why stop now...

***

The curly topped fairy made me laugh so much today, more than is probably good for a person. In case you haven't reached your funny limit for the day I thought I might help...

The floor beneath our dining room table is dangerous. Dangerously crummy. And I threatened to vacuum it. "No!" she cried,"If you vacuum it I will run away! (long thoughtful pause) Could you please use a silent vacuum?"

Evie and Daddy are working together to memorize Psalm 103. "Bless the Lord...," she says," Who forgives all your iniquilies."

Ready for a trip to Wasau, she assured me that she would pack all she needed. And this is what fills her bag...
1 pair fleecy jammies
1 sunhat
2 tank tops
1 pair of socks
1 bag of hair bows
"I'm all packed!" she declared.

Supper was finished, she was off to play while we chatted at the table for a few more minutes. We were interrupted by a cry of utter delight. "I went poopy in my potty chair!" We ran to celebrate the happy moment. But something was not right. In the corner of the room was the removed diaper, with evidence of it's previous cargo. In the potty chair was the refuse, flattened. I asked of these details, and she admitted the truth. The evidence had been planted. What the girl won't do for a little celebration...

Tantrum-splosion. Everything offended and then....a small doll in the corner caught her eye. The tears and wailing stopped. "That's for my dollhouse," she said happily, standing up from her flattened tantrum position,"I will go play with that!"

I found her blanket on the couch, the corner soaked. I asked her what happened. "A man came in and did it. And this is how it is," she said sadly.

And then she laughed herself to sleep....

color my world

It was an ordinary day with a splash of color

A quiet morning. The stillness broken by a little voice, a demanding little voice, "Mama, I need you!" "And I need you too," I whispered in her ear as she snuggled in my arms, her curly mop tickling my nose.

A hot day. The sort of hot that makes me wonder what life felt like before air conditioning. I love these hot summer days. I wait for them all winter long. But our castle on the hill has a direct view of the sun, its blazing heat merciless. We escape the fate of our hapless grass and retreat to our chilly villa.

A restless child. Held fast in the grip of the same four walls, her mind schemes of new opportunities for fun. Toys, even new ones, no longer hold the magic they once did.

A creative mama. Held fast in the grip of the same four walls, her mind works in defense against the plans of a restless and mischief loving 3 year old while trying to accomplish the tasks of the day.

Many messes later....

A box of paint. A plastic tablecloth. A stack of paper. A hand full of paintbrushes. A creative little mind. A whole jar of paint dumped in her lap. A creative mama trying to direct a paint covered child into the bathroom for cleaning up. A plethora of painted handprints on the walls from the dining room into the bathroom. A good laugh about it all.

And she colors my world.

She brings me "presents" from the gardens.

"Here, mama," she says, her smile as bright as the stems

 she clutches with muddy fingers,"I picked these just for you."

And my heart melts.

.

at last

It was a sweet little town, humble folk, a dot on the map surrounded by acres of rolling Wisconsin farmland. But, everything was about to change, for the Pope and his princess Poopsie would be rolling in with their little brood. A Vatican had been purchased and they were moving in. As they drove through town, the neighbors lined the streets and cheered, their simple lives made a little more sparkly by a glimpse at royalty, almost as sparkly as the rhinestone studded tiara hanging from princess Poopsie's rear view mirror. Weaving their way through the crowds the Pope and his family arrived at their new home. At last....

A few days later the Minnesota contingent saddled up their donkeys and headed east, stopping in a little town called Weston, Wisconsin. At last...

The sun was warm, the people kind, the Vatican comfortable. A weekend full of boxes and paper, cow barn smell, hugs and laughs and stories and the busyness of two little girls who fell into life with each other as if they had never been separated. We made memories. At last...we were together again.

a warm walk in Weston

Hugs and Kisses

Dairyland bound

More hugs!

And kisses!

(after successfully making it through a fascinating

and highly perfumed trip to VanDerGest Dairy)

And they discovered a dead butterfly

So they stared it at for a bit.

"Evie," said Hannah softly,"I think that butterfly has been hurt."

Little Grown up Victoria

Snuggling my sleepy little girls

Grandpa and V

Carems

Beautiful Day...Beautiful Ladies

Andy and his mad paper flattening skills

He used these skills to flatten an entire forest load of paper.

Clearly, he is amazing.

I married well.

Washing off the cow barn smell once and for all.

And we all rejoiced!

"Mommy," Evie said,"I want to stay here forever."

More sweet hugs!

And then they fell over and Hannah

hit her mouth on Evie's hard head

and there was much sorrowing.

At last...

It was time to pack up our mules and head home.

And as she sat quietly in the back seat we visited.

And then we realized that she had been sitting quietly for far too long.

So we turned around and discovered a girl who's legs,

arms and nose were as colorful as a summer garden.

"See!" she said with great delight,"I'm decorating myself!"

Snacks, Siestas and Sillys

The three S's of traveling with a small curly topped girl

Why not drive with a diaper on your head?

We all wore diapers on our heads

and I hope we succeded in bringing a little silly

to the world around us.

At last...

we were home.

my birthday girl

Three years ago today I was given a gift.

A little tiny wee babe with her daddy's smile was laid in my arms and my heart melted.

And we've been celebrating life ever since.

Three years ago today.

And then time sprouted wings and we're still trying to catch it...

Yay for 1st birthdays and big scary candles!

"Hot!"

Celebrating 2

Then she was 3.

And she woke up full of birthday cheer and energy-galore.

"These are my mow clothes," she declared, donning on her rainboots and

heading out with daddy to hot mow the grass.

Birthday parades are more fun with friends.

Thank you, Shalom, Israel & Magdelene!

And then a truck full of squirt gun people drove past. And Mr. My-squirtgun-is-as-powerful-as-a-firehose decided to use my daughter as his target. Trying to be brave, she came to me with tears welled up in her eyes, completely soaked from head to toe. So we changed her shirt and the parade marched on.

"Theres the siren sounds!!"

Emergency vehicles,undeniably Evie's favorite

and least favorite part of the whole parade all in one.

And so she covered her ear, cautiously waving with the other hand but perfectly

 capable of clamping it over her uncovered ear if those siren sounds got out of hand.

What every girl dreams of...blowing out the candle on her birthday apple.

After many unsuccessful attempts to feed the other petting zoo animals,

Evie found a guy with an appetite.

Ever wonder what a "round and round and blink, blink, blink" is? Why a carnival, of course.

It's full of blinking light covered things that go round and round.

And when we pulled into the parking lot she nearly burst with excitement.

"Oh woooooow! It's just amazing! I can't believe it!"

Little biker babe.

No helmet.

We are risk takers.

We leaned in for a photo.

A helicopter flew over.

They leaned in for a photo.

A loud car went by.

You get the picture.

Uncle Chad, Auntie Sheri, Victoria & Hannah

sent a little birthday magic.

(And I have no idea what caught her attention.)

And one whirlwind later, the day was done. After a long day of laughing, playing, parade watching, sweet eating, candle blowing out, carnival rides, birthday singing and celebrating the sun went down. We snuggled up on the couch together and listened to daddy read Evie's birthday Psalm, just as he has every year since her very first "birth" day in our arms. We prayed and sang together. And then I scooped up my sleepy little 3 year old girl and we rocked. She twirled my hair between her fingers. I smelled the sweetness of her skin and whispered my love in her ear.

Goodnight, birthday girl.

Let's celebrate again tomorrow!

in the trenches

Defeated.

In a nutshell, that's me. Ready to be done fighting tirelessly for a joy that seems elusive, clinging to a truth that I know to be truer, much truer, than it feels.

I lay down my armor and sink into my soft bed, glad that I thought to change the sheets today. A clean bed is much more restful to a weary body with an aching gut.

Andy is asleep. He works so hard to provide for our family and the long days take a toll. I'd much rather have him awake, so I could listen to the story of his day or share my rambley thoughts. But instead, I smile to hear him laugh out loud in his sleep. How I wish I could join his dream and laugh along.

Evie is in her bed, but very much awake. She tells stories and laughs. Her voice is music to my ears. I let her nap too long today, but I was enjoying myself and didn't want to interrupt the magical sound of silence. In that time I was taking a trip down memory lane in preparation for a birthday celebration blog post, sorting through pictures from her very first breath up until yesterday, when she donned on winter gear for a trip to the store, There is much to remember, much to celebrate.

Evie and I took a walk today. She rode in the jogging stroller and I pushed her along a trail that wove through tall weeds, past a duck covered pond and through a some thick woods. I breathed in the heady scents of nature as we passed through each new place. She crinkled her nose and asked,"What is that smell?" We talked about how different things around us each produce a smell that, blended together, create the aroma of the area. I'm not sure she really understood. It didn't matter. I closed my eyes and remembered back to the days, oh so many years ago, when I ran barefoot through the woods behind my parents house or along the pond with my neighborhood friends, the air thick with the perfume of summer.The days before the weight of the world felt so heavy on my shoulders.

We walked past a garden full of blooms, the air filled with their sweetness. I closed my eyes and saw the row of roses that lined the walk at 321 North Humphrey; the sprawling 3 story house my grandparents filled with memories. In that moment, I could almost feel myself looking about the yard; seeing the screen porch there and the garage just beyond.

We arrived home just before the thick clouds opened and filled the world with an earthy smell and  life sustaining drops. She danced through the garden, picking flowers that she gave to me with various well wishes, "Happy Birthday, mom!' "Happy Mothers Day!" "I love you, mom!". She wrapped her arms around my neck and smothered me with her kisses. How did she know that I needed this?

And we went inside and waited for daddy. She, filled with far too much energy for a small house in a rainstorm, and I, with dinner preparations and projects on my mind. And so we danced, our feet moving to the sound of Bobby Darin then Dean Martin. And then we ate, our simple supper ample enough to put some spring back into her dancing feet and the ache back in my tummy.

Daddy arrived. He backed Frosty the Sable into the driveway and joined us in the kitchen. There is much joy when we are greeted by his presence. Our little world feels complete.

The evening was short. It was late and tomorrow looms before us.

Stillness.

The curly topped girl in the other room has joined daddy in the land of nod. I listen to a car drive by, the squeak of our ceiling fan, the stillness, not sure that I'm ready to turn out the light just yet.

Here, in my little room, a battle rages. Where hope clings to a truth bigger than itself while the enemy pounds against it with fierceness. In the trenches I call to mind the beauty of the blessings of my day, cling to my Hope and Truth and pray for relief and rest, sweet rest.

A mighty fortress is our God,

A bulwark never failing;

Our helper He amid the flood

of mortal ills prevailing.

For still our ancient foe

doth seek to work us woe

his craft and power are great

and armed with cruel hate

on earth is not his equal

Did we in our own strength confide,

our striving would be losing,

were not the right man on our side,

the man of God's own choosing.

Dost ask who that may be?

Christ Jesus it is He,

Lord Sabaoth his name,

from age to age the same

and He must win the battle

-Martin Luther

invisible ink

Last weekend, I turned the calendar page over and saw a week of blank days. I smiled and sighed contentedly. I jotted down a list of to-dos and dreamed up some birthday magic for the celebrations to come. Life looked simple, delightful, easy. I like that.

Last weekend, I turned the calendar page over and missed the fact that God had filled every square. But He must have used invisible ink and I did not have the decoder. (sigh)

It has been a week fuller than a suitcase packed for vacation. A roller coaster ride that dips this way and that. A boat ride on a sunny lake with big weeds hidden beneath that tangle up in the prop. A road trip with an unexpected detour.

I'm not a fan of detours. Despite how many times I try to persuade myself to enjoy the journey as much as the destination I can feel the heat of battle in my mind. The perfectionist, schedule-loving part of me grabs a sword and charges the joy-in-the-journey thoughts with a battle cry,"It's one way or no way!"

But I'm not behind the wheel of this ride. So, I buckle my seatbelt and enjoy the view. And though I still struggle, the unexpected blessings of this route are better than I could have expected...

Today is Thursday. It's Andy's birthday. And I'm kicking myself because I didn't make it everything that I think a birthday should be. But we ate lunch in the car together as a family in the driveway beside his shop and despite the drippy, gray clouds that color our landscape those little moments were the brightest part of our day,  Evie and I spent a generous part of our morning making a play-dough mess of epic proportions. Our soft faced friends "LaVonne" & "Cliff" made us smile and "Cheese Mountain" was the most colorful lump of clay you've ever seen. And while my wee one sleeps I nibble on some gingersnaps and recall all of the beauty in my days...

This is the smile of a girl who thinks she has it all together.

Ha.

Birthday boy and his little beauty

(who has recently developed a love of hair clips)

Shoe-tower!

Evie handed Nicole a phone. "Nicole wants to text, mom," she said.

And so they texted, until Evie snatched the phone back and Nicole burst into tears.

I asked her why she took it away.

"Because," she said with her nose crinkled,"she didn't want to text anymore."

Evie and I had a long discussion about sharing her toys with Nicole.

 Evie thought it through than came back with her own version of sharing.

 "But then I can take my toys away from Nicole and play with them if I want," she declared.

A bucket-headed girl and her (neighbor's) dog.

"Titus is my best friend," she says.

"LaVonne"

"Cliff"

She puts the finishing touches on "Cheese Mountain"