Here Comes Curly Top

One of These Things is Not Like the Other . . .

My Dad gave us a dozen eggs when we left Maine this past Sunday. We have had chickens at the house in Brunswick since we moved there, almost 30 years ago. My parents have kept a number of different kinds, but mostly Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks and Buff Orphingtons. For a while we had some fryers, but for the most part the norm at our place is to see a small flock of red hens running around the yard.


I didn't open the carton until that evening after the drive back home, and I laughed when I saw eleven brown eggs and one gigantic whitish blue egg! That's the beauty of a mixed flock, I guess! I remember being young and sorting eggs for the perfect dozen to enter in the Topsham Fair.

This led me to think about some pictures Mom had taken of the chickens a few years ago. I looked back and found this photo from July of 2008:


It was a pretty charmed life, I think, growing up in the country, with hens, and eating eggs that were fresh that day.

Thanks for the eggs Dad!

A Journey Down Hairstyle Road

Okay folks, I am about to take you back on a journey of my hair cuts over the last ten years. I have always loved to play around with my hair--I've done some crazy stuff, and lately I am getting BORED. My hair is the longest it has been since college, falling past my shoulders. For the most part I am happy with it--sure, it takes some extra time -- but I can't shake that feeling that I need something different.

Let's take a look back, and maybe you, my faithful readers can give me your input! Let's start with the unfortunate cut I got back in 1998ish. That was also an unfortunate period of home coloring.

Umm, yeah, I know. I am also thinking how this horrible thumbnail of me will be up on my friend Stephanie's blog, Built to Last. Ick. Just for the record, I am not headed back to the short, spiky and purplish red category of hair styles. (But see, I do love you guys, and thought I would lay it all out here for you.)

On to the curling and highlighting and hair spraying year. At some point, when you get enough blonde highlights you are eventually blonde, I guess. (That's me on the left. And yes. I was quite possibly inebriated.)


Looks like I finally tamed the fro a bit here. I actually like the color quite a bit in the photo below.


WOW! I guess I grew it out a bit and went darker! Getting big again though, this must have been before the flat-iron trend came about.


CHOP! I moved to Vegas and got sick of feeling the hair on my neck, especially during the 115+ degree summers. I also started getting my hair professionally colored. (Phew)! Remember that flippy hairstyle that was all the rage in early 2003 or so?


Preggo with James and letting it grow! Really liking the length here.


CHOPPED again! And back to brunette. This is the stacked bob that I got and grew out over and over for about four years straight. (See Flannery? This is what I'm talking about.)


Here it is from the back. Ooohhh, I miss that feeling! That may be where I am headed this time.


Growing it out!


Growing longer and longer, and back to brunette with some blonde and red highlights thrown in.


And here we are today, sooooo long, and ready for at least a trim. And yes, a color. (Do not click and enlarge this pic or my roots will scare you, for sure.)


So what's your vote? Trim, cut to shoulder, or back to the bob? Will I regret it if I cut it? I always think when looking back at old pics of my Mom that she looked the prettiest with her long hair.

And color? Stick with the browns? Or head back to blonde territory? Let me know and I will post a follow-up after my cut and color this weekend!

Shake your Sillies Out in Style with Three Sisterz!

Need a one-of-a-kind shirt for your little executive? James received this hand-sewn applique shirt yesterday from my friend Flannery. She just came back from a sewing frenzy in Philly with her sister Courtenay. She walked it over and I started smiling immediately!

Sew Flan, did you know that green is James' favorite color? (And he loves blondes, you know, so you rate right up there with Zula Patrol and Monkey's Lunchbox!)

He wanted to put it on ASAP, and then I asked him to shake his sillies out and I snapped a few shots.

If anyone wants one of these fabulous tees, visit Three Sisterz! (I think they can whip up some onesie versions, too!)

THANK YOU Flannery & Courtenay!

Earth Day 2010

Happy Earth Day, my friends!

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." -- New England proverb

An Ode to Ella (Again)

I could go on and on about my devotion to Ella,
and I have,
how I love her curls,
those blue-gray-green eyes,
the creases in her thighs,
the far-away looks,
the sudden smiles,
and I guess I just did,
again.

I Will Play Monkey Lunchbox, I Will!

When Ella gets an idea in her head, there's no stopping her.

I have been downloading educational games on my Iphone for James. He has been doing great with spelling, very basic math and reading. Ella hasn't ever shown any real interest in these games, until we downloaded a game called Monkey Lunchbox.

Now, let's just say that she is very, VERY determined to play.








All of that hard work to do this:


Ahhh . . . whatever happened to flash cards?

A Few Springtime Thoughts about My Boy

I promised a couple of weeks ago, after writing this post that I would follow up with a similar one for James. This is especially important as his baby book is chock full of written memories about his growing up--and I almost can't fit another word in it! Looks like since I have been blogging for nearly three years, starting with this post about our first family photo, this blog has really become a place to mark the many things that make my world so full and rich. So I'll continue to update my family and friends with his progress as well!

Here's what has been swirling around in my mind about my boy since I first starting to think about writing this post:

1. My boy is so sweet and so gentle--he gives me the greatest kisses and hugs, there are few things that warm my heart more than seeing his love.

2. He is consumed with learning about Space--he knows most of the planets, including differentiating them with their characteristics--rings, the red spot, which one is the smallest, etc.

3. He LOVES books. His teacher told me that she can tell that I read to him every night--which we have been doing together since he was a baby. It is our special time together and I hope it has helped his love for storytelling grow.

4. He is struggling with the attention that his sister gets. Anything we do to her--tickle her, hug her, play with her, he always says "Do that to me! Do that to me!"

5. He really enjoys anything related to his Dad's world. Cars especially. He points out all makes of cars--Subarus, Mustangs, Jeeps, "That's a Ford" he'll say.

6. Green is is favorite color. Any choice he makes that involves something green will be accompanied with "I chose such-an-such because it is green, Mom." Too cute.

7. James doesn't have any real understanding of money right now--instead, he equates things that are a lot, or cost a lot, with currency made up of things he loves. Something that is worth 100 donuts is pretty darn expensive!

8. James had night terrors for almost a year, but they seemed to end about six months ago, and he wakes up so much more rested than he used to. We are all glad for that!

9. Like a typical toddler, I sometimes wonder if he can hear. At all. Well, at least if he can hear me. I am the tuned-out Mommy many times. Repeating myself over and over, please pick up so-and-so, please stop bothering your sister, please put your socks on, sometimes whatever it is I might say I feel like I have to ask a million times before he hears it once. But I know that his toddler brain is on overload, so I try and try and try to be PATIENT.

10. He does test me. That push and pull I know is common at this stage. He is growing into himself--into his emotions, into how he processes things, and I am trying to take each step with him, one foot in front of the other.

11. He thinks he is so darn funny and he laughs at himself constantly. He is just a truly happy kid.

Over Easter weekend I had one of those moments--where I was looking at my kids and I felt overwhelming emotion--love, pride, and gratitude all rolled into one. They are such gifts. My heart was so full--thinking of them as babies, how I held them in my arms that first moment that they were introduced to the world--their first steps, the first time they came running into my arms. Its like I have a whole kaleidoscope of moments in my mind's eye and they all came rushing together. Overwhelming and amazing at the same time.

Anyhow--I think of my Dad and my grandparents reading this blog, and I know that they think about what it was like when my sister and I were young, when Mom was young, and they must feel the same things that I do. Parenthood is such a gift.

James, you make Daddy and I so happy. We love you 100 donuts, bud.

A Peek at James' Room

James' room is finally done! And I couldn't be happier with the result.

The furniture is from Ikea--I really loved this bed for him. We did have a set of bunk beds but I really felt like they made his room seem smaller, and they seemed to make it darker as well. He is really loving all things space right now, so I found him space bedding on clearance at Target (as well as that great red beanbag chair!)

My friend Kim over at Endless Possibilities did a post a while back about her the bedroom that she decorated for her three boys Carson, Lawson and Hudson. I remember thinking that she had some great ideas about putting creative spaces in the room, and one of the ideas was to hang their artwork in the room. Chris hung two tiers of string in James' room, and I added his artwork with little clothes pins that I found at Michael's.


I had wanted to buy him some space paintings but decided I would paint them myself. This diptych was fun to do, but I wish I had chosen larger canvases.


Here is the bookshelf that also came from Ikea--can you say STORAGE? It is so tall. I love it. The curtains also came from Target on clearance. They are made by RE and came with two panels in a package, on sale for $16.00. That is so inexpensive for curtains, and they are pretty heavy! Oh--and the little red chair?? That was mine when I was a little girl. My Dad just gave it to me last year. I get chills when he sits in it--thinking about how I used to sit in it to read or play with my Breyer horses!


And one more look at the great artwork that we hung--it is a mish-mosh of projects he is bringing home from pre-k and our art time together.


LOVE IT!!! What fun things have you done to decorate your kid's rooms?

Easter Rewind

Here are some photos of the kids from the weekend. I swear my heart felt like it was going to burst every time I looked at them! Sorry no captions--busy work day ahead!

Easter 2009

Easter 2008