Favorite Things Friday - Playtime

finding joy

My favorite thing from this week was playing Play-doh with my boys.

Really playing.

It was so fun to forget about being an adult for a little while and make all sorts of sweet play-doh goodies with my two favorite little men.

My hubby had to work late one night so I promised the boys we would get out
the play-doh (all 25+ colors) and just play.  

So we did.

L's super chocolatey ice cream delight

My version of a mini wedding cake... I know, don't quit my day job ;)

Not sure exactly what E was creating, I think he was ripping the play-do into pieces for "sprinkles".  I would normally get upset when the colors get mixed but I've learned to let it go, I mean if they don't care that they are mixed why should I?

He he he...do you have any special toys/games you like 
to play with your kids?  
Or the kid-at-heart in your life?

Am I a stable mother?

Man this whole full-time working mom/kid-in-school thing is kicking my butt.  

And I can't quite figure out why.

I even had to buy a planner to keep up with my son's school stuff plus my own responsibilities.  It's not that he has a ton of homework in kindergarten but you add to it that we have to remember a towel every Monday, gym clothes on Monday and Thursday, alphabet book due every Friday, field trip permission slips, fundraisers, and parent projects, you can see how things are a bit busy.  I just can't keep it all straight.

Let's just say I have not been handling all this added stress very gracefully.  When I don't feel pinched for time, I am an attentive and loving mother.  But when I feel like I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off (like that visual?) my frazzled nerves tend get the best of me...and everyone else gets the worst.  I don't exactly work well under pressure. 

I want to be a "stable mother". 
I want my kids to be able to come to me with anything and know that I will accept them and love them without flipping out.  Recently L has started to ask me if I'm mad every time he makes a mistake.  That speaks volumes and has got me thinking.  Then I came across this post from Lori at Always Learning and it has helped me immensely. 

It speaks of being a emotionally stable mother which can be hard at times but is extremely important.

The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. 
Proverbs 14:1

When we let our own emotions rule, our beloved family can suffer.  That's the last thing we mamas want but it can be all to easy to do.  So take a moment to recognize if you are letting your emotions rule you and make the choice to be joyful everyday.  

You'll see an instant improvement when you do...I know I have.

Favorite Things Friday - Photo Ode to Clear Creek

One of my favorite things to do is go camping.

And one of my favorite places to camp is Clear Creek State Park

We were blessed to be able to take a trip there this past weekend with some friends of ours and their two sweet little girls.

 finding joy

Here are some of my favorite moments.

Rain on the canopy of our new pop up camper.  

Thankfully it stopped the next day.

The beauty that can be found on the forest floor.

Raindrops still dripping off the trees from the light breeze as we went on our "nature walk".

Little feet in the creek.

The sounds of the water babbling over the rocks

Finding treasures.

Hidden fungi inside tree hollows.

Beautiful rustic bridges everywhere.

Awesome roots that hold the tree high off the ground.

Holding hands.

Who knew fungus could be so beautiful?

Huge rocks left by glaciers long ago.
This one supports a tree on top who's roots actually grown down over the rock.

We had such a great time exploring all the beauty once the rain stopped.  And later that night we had a delicious gut-busting meal of steak, potatoes, and baked beans complimented by homemade wine and to-die-for caramel brownies.

It was a great trip and I look forward to many more!

Are you a "camper"?

Call and answer

My friends....I have been regressing.

I'm not proud of it.

It's time to pull up my britches and get it together again.

A few months ago I vowed to maintain a positive attitude.  I have such a wonderful life, so why do I end up being so crabby and lashing out at my loved ones?  It has not been the best few weeks in our house.  It's not that we have anything truly bad or stressful going on, it's just that there IS A LOT going on and everything seems to have a deadline.  I'm feeling really overwhelmed...that I can't get it all done or I am going to forget something important.  

Well, amidst all this I have hurt the ones I love.  

Harsh words.

A temper lost....more than once.

Overeacting.

This morning I have finally surrendered all this "stuff" to God.  It is truly not the end of the world if I don't get it all done on time or make a mistake.  God provides all we need.

Lord help me to put my own stresses aside so I can truly hear the needs of my family.

Give me patience.

Let me remember the struggles of others.

Give me compassion.

As soon as I surrendered my worries and put my faith in His power, the power went out at my office.  This is not uncommon so I was just waiting it out as usual when we were told this would be an extended outage and we could go ahead and go home for the day.  I could not believe it!  I now have 6 more hours to do some of the things I need to get done!

I called out with a surrendered heart and God answered and provided.

Next on the agenda is to humble myself to my husband and kids and apologize for my selfishness.
They really deserve my best, not my worst.

Back in the dark ages?

Oh iphone...how i miss you.

Your instant gratification

Your seemingly endless supply of music

You always know where I am and how to get me home

How am I supposed to survive without you?

Uuggh, I recently sold my iphone 4 in preparation for the expected release of the iphone 5 and I'm finding out how truly dependent I have been on my phone.  

It's quite comical actually.

You will now notice a lack of pictures on my blog posts.  I'm just too lazy busy to take pics with my big camera and then upload etc.   It was so easy to tote my phone and take inconspicuous pics everywhere I went.  

I even asked my hubby how to find out the weather without my phone....seriously.

Then I had to add some figures up the other night and almost flipped out when I realized that we don't even own a calculator!  We always just used our phones. 

I REALLY miss my music.  

Youtube playlists just don't cut it.

I can only check my email once a day.

I can only check facebook once a day.

I know, I know...poor me right?  

I heard about an article that discusses the compulsive need to check your email and such.  

Go ahead...throw the book at me.

I am guilty.

I can't wait until you are released iphone 5.

How about you?  

Are you addicted to your smartphone?

Get to know me on a random Saturday afternoon

Elizabeth from This Little Blog of Mine posted this fun little survey a while ago and I thought it was really cute.  I love these little get to know you questionaires.

 Tell me about the shirt you're wearing?
It's a gray ribbed tank top.  I have it in 3 different colors and wear them all the time.


What's currently bothering you?
I don't have the energy to get done what I need to do.


What do you currently hear?
My kids playing Connect Four in the other room, and playing nicely to boot :)


When was the last time you had your hair cut?
In May, I'm trying to grow it out long.


When were you last outside?
About 4 hours ago, it's 92 and humid today.  Needless to say I was not out there long.

Are you wearing shorts?
Yep, black knit ones.  Super comfy.


Does the thought of marriage scare you?
Heck no!  Marriage is wonderful.  Yea you have to work on it but the rewards are indescribable.

What are you doing today?
A combo of resting, housework, and taking care of my sick son.

Look to your left, what is there?
My dog and the sliding door out to the deck.

What time did you go to sleep last night?
Probably about 10pm.  We're early to bed early to rise types.


When is your Birthday?
August 17th


The way to win your heart?
Show some vulnerability.


What are you going​ to do this weeke​nd?
Clean the fish tank, do laundry, gather more stuff to put out for our garage sale, and iron.  I know sounds like no fun but we have busy weekends coming up so we need to get a lot of chores done now.


Were you happy when you woke up today?
Not really, we had been up half the night with my son vomiting, I'd say I was more worried than happy but the day is improving!


Have you ever crawled through a window? 

Not that I can recall but sometimes we put the boys in the car Dukes of Hazard style.

Would you ever donate blood?
Sure would.  Haven't been successful before though.


Has anyone ever mistaken you for a family member?
A lot of people thought my cousin Andrea and I looked a lot alike when we were kids.


Do you have reason to smile right now?
Absolutely!

What do you do when you're stressed out?

Clench my teeth, get snippy, maybe even grab a cookie or 4. 

Would you honestly say you'd risk your life for someone else?

For my family, absolute yes.  I'd like to think I would for a stranger too.

Do you open up to people easily?
No.  Just not easy for me.  Then I started blogging....


Has anyone upset you in the last week?
Yeah but I got over it.


What is the last pill you swallowed?
a multivitamin


What was the first thing you thought this morning?
I'm not ready to get up yet!


Who do you blame for your bad mood today?
Nobody, I'm not in a bad mood.


Where is the person you like right now?
On the couch next to me nursing a bad headache.
That's what you get for doing hard labor in 90+ temps :(


What was the first thing you did this morning?
Feed my son, dispense meds and gatorade to my other son, and drink coffee.


Do you care what people think of you?
Of course, I think everyone does to varying degrees.


Who was the last person you took a picture with?
My oldest son on his first day of school this week.


What are you looking forward to right now?
Our first camping trip in our new pop up camper next weekend.


Do you miss somebody?
Yes.  My mom, my dad, and my sister.

Does your crush like you?
More like loves me ;)


If you could go back in time and change something would you?
Heck yeah!


Do you hate smokers?
Don't hate the smoker, hate the habit.  Even since I was a child.


Ever had a near death experience?
No. Thank God.


Something you do a lot?
Kiss my kids.


Last person you cried in front of?
My husband.  Unfortunately he gets it most of the time.


Have you ever been to a tanning bed?
Just a few times back in the day.  Skin cancer is too scary and not worth it.


Does anyone hate you for no reason?
I don't think anyone really hates me but if they do I'd hope the had a reason.


Have you ever kissed someone whose name starts with the letter J?
No.

What are you stressed out about?
Adjusting to our new schedule this school year.  Potty training E.
Yep, my life is pretty good.


What was your favorite grade?
Probably somewhere between first and third.


When is the next time you'll see your best friend(s)?
Soon I hope!

Are any of your friends pregnant?
Yeppers, and all due pretty soon.


Favorite number?
17

Ever been in love?
Yes, 3 times (hubby and 2 boys)


Are you wearing make-up?
Not right now.


What were you doing at 11:30 last night?
Sleeping soundly.


What's the last thing you said and to who?

Just said, "You're going to do what?" to L.


Do you sleep on your stomach?
I love to but try not to cause it makes my back hurt.

What do you hear?

E talking about Thomas and Percy.


Are you ticklish?
God yes!


Last time you saw fireworks, with who & where?
The fourth of July with family.