vintage

Due to my frequent viewership of Keely, Kierstin, Jenni, and Christine's blogs, I also love this digital picture treatment by some fine Japanese internet establishment. Don't be daunted by the non-English aspect of the site...simply upload your photo and click the blue button!

I thought I would showcase all of Ella's birthdays (March 16) ... all but her actual Birth Day including cake.



{zero}




{one}




{two}




{three}


i have now photo-antiqued away the greater part of Sadie's morning nap. i have also noted that with each subsequent birthday, there is less-to-no frosting on my child's face. hooray, Ella!

out

As my children finished their supper last night, I realized I had not left my premises all day. Sometimes I am fine with that, but last night I was feeling restless. Andy had just left for a photo-shoot (how many girls can say that about their husbands without batting an eyelash?), and I wasn't feeling particularly excited about handling the nighttime routine alone.

The solution? A trip to CVS. I packed the girls in the car to pollute two blocks of Mother Earth (it was raining and I don't have a rain-cover for the double stroller) to do some mindless wandering. They squealed with delight when they saw the shopping cart with the car-thingy on the front, and piled in as fast as they could.

I had nothing in particular to buy. I grabbed a box of animal crackers that the girls shared while I pushed them down the aisles. We said hello to fellow patrons, and I marveled (yet again) at how much stuff a drugstore sells. Like office furniture. I caught myself harmonizing (rather loudly) with Toni Braxton to "Unbreak My Heart" as we rounded the greeting card aisle. Where people were watching me.

As we headed down the toy aisle (where my children were gloriously silent), I spotted an Ernie (from Sesame Street) doll lying in a box surrounded by Cookie Monsters. THIS was the reason I came to CVS, I just didn't know it! For, you see, my one year old loves Ernie. Her father and I are mystified by this. Never have we once talked about Ernie. She's watched Sesame Street a handful of times, but usually it's just the Elmo's World segment. Yet, whenever she sees Ernie on her little Pampers she says his name like a broken record like her life depends on it.

I plucked him from the box and placed him in her little hands. Immediately she clutched him to her chest. He's been there ever since.

tiny morsel

There are several posts in the queue waiting to be tweaked and published. At some point they will face the interwebs, but for now I will leave you with my current favorite snapshot of Sadie and me.

exchange

Alison: (gasping for air from laughing) Andy, come in here and look at these chickens running!!! Have you ever seen chickens run?

Andy: Yes, I've seen plenty of chicken running. If you will recall I am from a farm-town.

Alison: No you're not. Farms surround your town. You lived in a town. How would I know if you've seen chickens run? My grandparents had chickens, and I don't remember seeing a bunch of them running at the same time.

Andy: Well, I have. (clearly not as amused as I am or think he should be). Oh, Eric and I were talking about how both our wives watch this show, and neither of us understand why you guys like it. Why, when our own children go to bed, would you want to watch this? It stresses me out to even be in the same room when it's on.

Alison: Well, I like it. I'm going to watch another episode until you're ready for me to cut your hair.

Andy: goes into the kitchen and sets up the clippers. still not very amused. and definitely not wanting to be in the same room as me and my show.

dinner of champions

3 bites of...



plus 2 cups of...



I'm tired, people.

a Contradiction would be...

...buying seven bags of organic groceries, then hitting the Taco Bell drive-thru on the way home. circa 10:30 at night.

* I felt highly disgusting by 10:34pm *

I'm IT.

* i actually did this the Saturday of Easter weekend - but for some reason have not posted until now *

my buddy JJ tagged me with a little quizzie-quiz, and here are the breathtaking and mind-numbing results...

10 years ago I was...

on Spring Break during my freshman year of college, (I went skiing with my pals the Twindigs in CO) and was spending Easter with their family. Their cute mom even gave me an Eater basket. (how's THAT for 10 years ago down to the day??)

also, my friend Andy had just decided to not return to Belmont the following year so that he and his band could tour full-time. I lectured him and my friend Cason endlessly on how I thought it was a dumb idea. Things seemed to turn out OK.

5 things on my "to do" list today:
1. drink coffee.
2. clean out Sadie's closet, which was previously Ella's closet...and contained MANY a thing that neither girl have used in a very long time.
3. go on a walk.
4. go to the grocery store.
5. enjoy the fact that my husband is home on a weekend.

Things I would do if I became a billionaire:
1. pay off our mortgage, plus some other people's mortgages too
2. travel
3. have a maid
4. and a cook
5. and a personal trainer
6. and a stylist
7. and do selfless things, too
8. then use them as tax write-offs. heh heh.

3 of my Bad Habits:
1. I burp. Loudly and often. This was even mentioned by my pal Andrew Peterson in the Rabbit Room ...still not sure how I feel about that.
2. I'm a total hypochondriac. Is that a bad habit? I guess your mind can get into the habit of thinking you've got the latest and greatest disease (remember the SARS craze?).
3. apparently I'm a bed-hog.


Places I've Lived:
1.Durham, NC
2.Nashville, TN
ok, since that list is miniscule (and I'm bored), I'll sub-categorize within Nashville.
*Belmont Univ. campus for 4 years
*little apartment off of Thompson Ln. for 6 months post-graduation with 2 friends.
*cute house in Crieve Hall for 10 months with those Twindigs and another girlfriend until I got married.
*Berry Hill (for our first year of marriage) in a really random neighborhood that had twice-a-week trash pick-up that was AWESOME. what was Not awesome was the fact that our house practically touched our next-door neighbors' house and he was a bitter old man who sat at home and called the police whenever people played drums in the middle of the day.
*our current locale in Crieve Hall. we bought our 60s ranch 5 years ago this summer, and have loved being here. interestingly, it is just a few houses away from the rental where I lived before marital bliss.

5 jobs I've had:

1. Medical Filing Clerk at my dad's office. I was 15-turing-16, and spent all day in a dank basement re-labeling patients' file numbers. They had been relegated to the basement if they had not been there in a long time or were dead. I listened to Jewel, and was grateful to get all the missing/dead people filed so I could move upstairs. I still have the Jewel songs stuck in my head.
2. Abercrombie and Fitch. again, with the Twindigs. (they are a recurring theme in my life) we basically spent all the money we made there on their clothes.
3. Coordinator of Volunteers for the Nashville Rescue Mission. Rewarding. Eye-opening. I ate a lot of fried chicken that the cook named Major would make especially for me.
4. YMCA before/after-school care. When I wasn't traveling with Andy, it was good to be home making some cash. So I joined up with (are you ready?) The Twindigs and my friend Adrienne - making kids smile all over Williamson County. Am I right, girls?
5. Bible proofreader. I prefer not to explain. It's that much better. All I will say, though, is that my co-horts were (you guessed it...) THE TWINDIGS!!!! (p.s. this is not their real name, although it would be awesome if it were)

Things that most people don't know about me:
1. I have a really keen sense of direction. Which is good because Andy still gets lost in Nashville.
2. I can say The Lord's Prayer from memory. In French.
3. I'm left-handed? I mean, I am - I just don't know if that's a fact not a lot of people know. For the record, I love being left-handed. It was especially "handy" (I'm sooooooo funny) playing high school basketball. The defense didn't have a clue what was coming!!

Glad tidings

Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed.
Alleluia!

four days later

first peek...


i wish this hoodie came in my size...


this one would live outside if we let her..

march morning

home sweet, snowy home...


delicate and vibrant...


outside my kitchen window...


tree and mailbox shadows...


galoshing through the snow...


barren birdfeeder...


pondering...

let them eat cake

Among the endless reasons I love my husband is that he bought me this movie.

I have only seen Marie Antoinette once - in the theater - but ever since I have had frequent desires to watch it again. While it may not be the most historically (shall we say) thorough, it is a visually stunning movie. The opulence of the French court in that era is fascinating.

Sophia Coppola, in my opinion, came at the story in a completely fresh way. I love that 80s songs are part of the soundtrack (with even a brief glimpse of some blue Chucks). With Andy leaving today (for the 3rd weekend in a row, might I add) I know what I'll be doing with my Friday night.

over and over

A dear friend of mine sent me the following quote...and despite its reference (and i obviously resonate with that) this can be applied to anyone's monotonies:

Kathleen Norris talks about the cyclical quality in creation: morning and night, the work week and the Sabbath, the earth revolving around the sun, and the seasons. So much of what God has created is repeated yearly, weekly, daily, over and over - like laundry and liturgy and “woman’s work.” God’s attention is indeed fixed on the little things, making life more accessible to us as patterns are repeated. We may choose to see these things as drudgery or an opportunity for experiencing the sacred.
In reference to The Quotidian Mysteries, Laundry, Liturgy and “Woman’s Work” by Kathleen Norris

I believe I will be tracking down this book.

checklist for flu-ish babies going outside

* pajamas
* fur-lined coats
* shoes
* runny noses
* sweet smiles

poor bloggy

So neglected. So alone. Maybe this'll cheer her up...







(courtesy of my pal Adrienne's new MacBook!!!)

where we've been

We got home this morning. It was AMAZING. For many, many reasons. Those reasons will be written about shortly. Not tonight, though. I'm busy finding deals on ebay for princess dresses...

ushering in

a true Southern girl

Last night my friend, Emily, came over to hang with the babes and me. Emily and I are both from the South, so I'm positive the ever-appropriate and convenient "y'all" was thrown around quite a bit. While we were talking, Ella "plugged" in her microphone - obviously getting ready to perform.

Sure enough, she turned to us and inquired, "Can I sing for yah?"

She's listening. She's learning. She's almost there. Her daddy will NOT be happy to read this post. And I am more than happy to post it.

Yes. Yes she is.

note to self

Make most certain that the child-locks to my lower cabinets really do keep my two year old out of them. Otherwise she may go into the kitchen while you blissfully remain in the living room. When you realize her (relatively) lengthy absence (accompanied by strange clinkings), you will call to her and ask what she's been doing. After a few seconds of rustling, she will peek her head around the corner and announce she's been eating. "Eating syr(ee)up."

And you will then go into the kitchen not quite sure what to expect. The lower cabinet door will, indeed, be open (remember, you have GOT to double-check those locks) and sitting neatly on the shelf will be two little Cracker Barrel syrup bottles. One completely empty. The other on its way to being so.

You will look on the floor. Not a drop. You will look on your child's face. Just a hint of it around her lips and a dot at the base of her throat. You will realize she really, truly drank all of that syrup in the span of about six minutes (taking the time to put the caps back on when you summoned her).

There will be only one solution in your panicked mind. Make her run laps around the house. NOW. And for the next twenty minutes straight. Your only thought will be to ward off the oncoming rush. To beat that sugar to its maniacal punch. For the most part you will.

But if you DON'T want to deal with all of that, just check the locks for goodness' sake.

tip for tuesday

Whilst flipping through a magazine, I ran across some hair-washing tips. Not that I get to wash mine all that often (something about running after children all day), but I always love a good insight into the ways of follicle upkeep.

* Before you wash, brush your hair from root to end - this loosens the dead skin and hairs. (ummm, disgusting)

* When scrubbing, use the pads of your fingers, not the fingernails. This can scratch the hair cuticle, making it dull. (oops)

* During your shower, don't pile your hair on top of your head - apparently this can dry out the ends. (I don't understand that at all. Plus, I ALWAYS put mine up , because I have long hair, and how else can I wash my shoulders with ease?)

* Rinse with cool/cold water. This causes your pores to contract, so they don't secrete as much oil. (Actually, I've known this for a while, but thought I'd throw it in. It's definitely an art form to get the water only on your head and not any other part of your body.)

There you have it, fellow hair-washers. While we're on the subject, might I add that I've been using Burt's Bees Very Volumizing Pomegranate & Soy Shampoo. I find it quite enjoyable, and am pleased with the results. I have fine hair, but a lot of it. And with each child it has become increasingly more wavy (not to mention darker). This seems to cater to both those things. Hooray for hair care!