Wordless Wednesday: Because Sometimes Words Just Aren't Enough to Describe How A Girl Feels

Little Known Facts Continued...

My favorite flowers are lilacs

They smell like spring

My parent's home was surrounded by them

When I went away to college they cut all of them down

beacuse, they said, "it's easier to mow the lawn now....

I don't think I'll ever recover.

Disturbed and Amazed

I just walked into A's room because she and Mr. Wonderful were playing loudly

(and the baby is sleeping).

Mine eyes were meant with an amazingly disturbing or disturbingly amazing sight.

Mr. Wonderful does somersaults to entertain A and I never knew it.

He was somersaulting backwards and forwards in rapid succession.

Now I know where she gets it from....

(as if I didn't already).

This is what happens when....

...you tell Daddy to change the baby's clothes....

Awkward Moments Define My Life:Junior High Edition: A.K.A. Puppy Love

Way back a million years ago, when I was home schooled (7-9 grade), my family had a farm and my father ran a Maple syrup business. Every March we would make our rounds to all of the large Maple trees we could find and tap them, collect the sap, and boil it away until it became the most beautiful, delicious, golden maple syrup.



This maple syrup was so delicious it has ruined me for life! Aunt Jemima makes me gag (literally) and even the "real" maple syrup you find in the store doesn't compare in the least to the beautiful syrup my father made. Maple syrup is graded on a scale from light amber to dark amber and what you see in the store is the dark amber stuff--but at the beginning of the season the first sap (for some reason that I can't remember) turns into the lightest, almost clear syrup and it is delicious and like nothing you've ever tasted. One thing I really admire about my father is that even though he doesn't stick with a "passion" for long (card, stamp, coin, bottle collecting, bike racing, kayaking, mountain climbing, and more) he ALWAYS does EVERYTHING with the utmost attention to detail, and with an approach based on hours of research and study. But, I digress...



So, this maple syrup was more than enough for one family to use so we sold it at a local farmer's market. My mother and I would get up at the crack of dawn to drive the hour to Syracuse to set up our booth of Pure NY Maple Syrup for sale. We always did really well since (and I can say this without bias) our syrup was the best at the market. It was fun to go to the Farmer's Market and see all of the crafters selling their wares and the Amish selling their food and the farmer's selling their produce--it was a veritable melting pot of all types of people from all walks of life and I'll have you know we even saw a few celebrities (local newspeople) there.



It was a big deal.



It was also real boring sometimes. We would get there sooooooo early and it was soooooo cold and it was quiet and a little lonely until the big crowds came later in the day so I would bring things to occupy myself with.



My favorite thing to occupy myself with was my puppy Q.T. He made his first appearance at the farmer's market not long after we purchased him (the most beautiful little shih tzu in the land) and he was my pride and joy. Along with Q.T. I brought my friend Trudy from church. After I helped my mom set up the syrup table Trudy and I took a walk around the market with Q.T. and talked girl stuff and giggled and did all those things that 12 year olds do. And then, I spotted them. Two of the cutest, tallest, oldest boys at my Christian School. (I was home schooled but attending a Christian school once a week for gym class/friends/etc). They were selling apples and saw us walking by!



It was terribly exciting.



We looked their way, squealed and hightailed it out of there (in that order). We spent the rest of the morning talking about how dreamy they were and hoping they would "find" our table so we could exchange glances (you know, the way 12 year olds flirt). The boys eventually did walk by our table once and smile and wave and keep walking (ahhhh). That was enough for a little while but then we decided we would go look for them again. We took Q.T. and headed off to find them and once we did we smiled and they were laughing at us and we weren't sure why. Well, all I had to do was look down to where they pointed and see that Q.T. was doing a doggy number 2 all over the front of their vending area. AHHHHHHh! Angst Alert! It was so embarrassing and we even had to high-tail it to the ladies room, procure paper towels, come BACK to their stand and clean up all the poop. It was like totally gross.



Humbled and degraded my friend and I walked back to the maple syrup table--determined not to show our faces in public again. Lo and behold those boys came back to our table to *blush* talk to us. We were so excited. Until, they started to look at us funny. And laugh. Again. And all I had to do was look where they were pointing. Again. And I saw that Q.T. had just barfed all over my sweatshirt. Seriously. All over it AND in front of the boys. It was horrible.



Luckily it was time to clean up and head back home and not surprisingly Q.T.'s first appearance at the farmer's market was most definitely his last. I never saw the boys there again either. Life just has a way of putting all of the most remarkably embarrassing events together all at once. I think it's what keeps us humble.

(Yard) *SALE* ing

I love yard sales.

They make me want to salsa

or

tango.

Especially when I found a jumperoo for $5 bucker-oos.

and a brown dress--from the Gymboree Island Getaway collection for $1.

It's for M and she will look smashing--dahling.

I also found a single jogging stroller that was most excellent but couldn't part with the fee since it's not a necessity.

Yard sales = happiness.

Two Left Feet

The "Highlights" Have It!

Well...according to my poll (AND my husband) I will be getting highlights instead of going totally blond or staying totally coppery/mousy/brunette. I'll post pictures once I find a minute to go and get it done! (Although...I am still thinking maybe possibly going fully blond at the end of the summer....hmm...stay tuned....)

Weekly Rhyme-y Reader

Sunday: Sundays are my single mother days (while S is ministering there's no time to play)
Monday: We took a walk, and stopped to play--the best thing to do on a sunny day.
Tuesday: Walk and play, Walk and play--I'm glad warm weather is here to stay.
Wednesday: An hour walk, the kids were fine, I got sunburned but had a good time.
Thursday: Another hour in the stroller, another sunburn on my shoulder.
Friday: Bring your pal to dance class day--but little Shea didn't want to play (it was nice to see you anyways).
Saturday: Who knows what will the weekend bring--maybe the zoo, maybe some yard-sale-ing, but most of all I wish we could schedule a visit with a redhead in lancaster-hood.

The End My Friends.

I've Finally Got A "Handle" On Things...

Thanks to Graco who shipped me out (free of charge) new, un-broken handles for my stroller! Now I can walk without pain...well, maybe not without pain--but certainly with less pain!

Little Known Facts Continued: My Secret Dream Vacation

My Secret Dream Vacation isn't a sunny Caribbean island, the coast of Spain, Paris or anywhere warm or full of culture. I hate humid, hot weather and do not feel at home at all anywhere in the southeast. Especially Disney World. Don't get me started on how much I loathe Disneyworld (I know, blasphemy and yes, I'm sure I'm on the ONLY person in the world who doesn't like Disney and of course, I'm sure we'll take the munchkins there someday and I'll pretend to like it for their sake). I don't like boats or getting wet so Cruises are out. I'm actually scared to fly but would make an exception if the destination were:

I know, I know, I'm a little obsessed with Dolly. But really, it's my Grandmother's fault--she's the one who loved her most and passed that love on to me. I can't help it--it's in the blood. So someday, when the kiddos are a little bigger we'll drive off in style to Tennessee and visit the wood of Dolly.



Just thought I'd share. =)

New Series...."Little Known Facts About Shelly" Part Un

So, since this blog is all about indulgence for me I thought I would start a new series starring me and little known facts about me.... I'm starting it mostly because a) I want to and b) I can. HA! Seriously though, blogging is my one indulgence now that I'm sticking like white on rice to my diet and exercise plan-so humor a girl =)

Little Known Fact #1: Shelly has GREEN eyes.

You might be thinking that it's strange that my eye color is a little known fact but it's been a cause for debate in my home for YEARS. I grew up knowing that my eyes weren't dark brown like my mother's or twin brothers' eyes or blue like my father's. I wasn't quite sure what color they were but was convinced all growing up that I had "hazel" eyes.

Now, there is nothing wrong with hazel eyes-I think they are very pretty--it's just that my eyes AREN'T hazel....I specifically remember asking my mother when I got my driver's license what color my eyes were called and she said, "Well, they're hazel!" So, that's what I put down!

It wasn't until a year or so later I actually stared intently at my eyes (probably during a major eyebrow-pluck fest in college when I had to study nothing better to do) and realized to my horror and delight that my eyes are in fact Green! Not brown...not hazel but green!

I called my mom up right away with the news and said, "Mom, you're never going to believe it when I tell you--but my eyes are GREEN!"

She matter of factly replied that they aren't and TO THIS DAY WILL NOT ADMIT THAT THEY ARE GREEN!

Well, Mama, here is the proof! They're green I say and you'll never be able to convince me otherwise =)

I guess it's not a big deal in the big scheme of life but I just thought you should know what to say if anyone ever asks you what color my eyes are....

When Ya Gotta Go, Ya Gotta Go!

Now!

In the spirit of....

Matthew 10:26b
For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known.

I'm making my personal Spiritual Goals/Weight loss blog public. I'm trying to take steps towards a more humble attitude and loving heart.

Come to read and share with me.

www.achangewilldomegood.blogspot.com

we now return to our regularly scheduled blogging....=)

The Things That Keep Me Up At Night

M has a dirty little secret.

She's been flipping onto her stomach at night to sleep.

Not that I can blame her, I prefer sleeping on my stomach as well.

But sheesh, I have a hard time sleeping when she sleeps so peacefully.

(And doesn't she know--"back" to sleep?)

And I've read you ought to re-flip them back onto their back for safer sleep

but it just doesn't work that way for M.

She flips back instantly.

My little flippy baby.

Ah...the things that keep me up at night are the things that keep her sound asleep.

The Girl in the Orange Dress

Cheek Snack Attack

M has the best cheeks in the world.

Daddy loves him some M and her sweet baby cheeks.

Happy 1/2 Mavis Beacon!

We are beyond thankful that the Lord has blessed our family with you! These 6 months have been some of the fastest and most wonder-filled of my life.

I love you my joy-bringer, heart-healer, smile-sharing, cheek-squeezing, leg-kicking, power-rolling, tippy-sitting, rice-cereal-spitting baby girl.

(And I want 15 more just like you)

*Me-She-Maeve-lle* (6 months of squishy faces)

Shelly is wondering if blonds have more fun...

I have a quandary and a query and they are as follows:

My quandary is that my hair has faded into a strange shade of reddy-browny-tin-y and something MUST be done about it. It's this shade to begin with because I occasionally dye my mousey type hair color a dark auburn color but alas, it has faded and the summer sun and warm breezes have gone straight to my brain and I'm contemplating a change....

My query: to blond or not to blond? I am definitely going to get highlights, at the least, for this summer but am thinking about jumping on the totally blond bandwagon. What do you think? I'll put a poll on my site and see what the general consensus is, just cause it's more fun to make a decision with help aside from my poor husband who knows the only correct answer is, "Whatever you do will be just fine." Ha! So help a blogger out!

The mousey-browny before Shelly.

p.s. I'll do some digging b/c I know I have some pictures of a much blonder me and that might help the issue along...

p.p.s this is the kind of post a woman writes after she's had a nap, her babies are still sleeping and she's counting down the seconds until her husband gets home.

p.p.s.s. Go vote!

Spring has Sprung and 80 degree days have just begun...

So happy spring is here! We had a fabulous-o week enjoying the great outdoors! Week in review:

Monday: park walk with the j.p.'s. i love me some j.p.'s and am so glad they are our exercising/park playing buddies.

Tuesday: made the trip to *Target* to pick up E = MC2 for Mr. Wonderful, a new dress for me and pony socks for A and after to the park with the j.p.'s and other assorted friends for more fun and exercise (how can it be up hill in BOTH directions?)

Wednesday: a walk at the park (ahhh my calves!) and playing in the sun-shine until lunch which we spent with our favorite guy. when mr. w. got home from work we walked into town and got ice cream....which, i think technically negated any walking i did this week, but it was totally worth it

Thursday: hmm...sensing a theme here--park and walk with the j.p.'s and playing in the sun with all our church friends! a threw a screaming princess fit on the way to the car but took a nice 4 hour nap to make up for it!

Friday: DANCE class! we are on our way and plan to go shopping tonight at the mall for shorts for A! yay for warm weather! yay for shopping! yay for dance class! yay for girls doing girly things and wearing pink!

that is all.

CitySitter

**Notice the pillow wall of protection (just in case =-)**

Wordless Wednesday: A.K.A. How Sweet It is to be a Mama A.K.A. Using my new photoshop techniques-woot!

For My Madre

i am drinking water

in the bottle you left me

it is delicious with lemon

that is all

Tuesday is for Thanks

Today I'm thankful for:

1. SUNshine

2. uphill/downhill marathon walks with the j.p.'s

3. friends at the park

4. husband at the park!

5. sleeping babies

6. dark chocolate

7. dishwasher

8. red-heads

9. Jesus

10 Salvation

11. pig-tails

You say Potaaaa-ter I say Potahhh-ter

Mmm...Not so much....

"I Was Worth The Wait"

I'm not very good at waiting.

You would know that if you read this blog during the last two months of my pregnancy

with m...

I just wanted to say that sometimes waiting is good.

and

it's good for me to remember that.

the end.

Single Mother Sundays A.K.A. they may be cute but they are a lot of work!

Mr. Wonderful has spent most of the spring-time Sundays since we've been married touring with his music ensemble to area churches. Before babies and even when we only had A, I was able to travel with him to different churches and watch his group perform. Two babies is more than I am willing to take on the road though so I've been going to church on my own for the past few weeks (and will have to go it alone for the next 4 weeks as well) with the babies.

And, I just wanted to give a big shout out to all the mamas that do it on a regular basis because getting yourself and two kids all dressed up and nursed up and fed up and dropped off at the proper locations in a reasonable amount of time is no small feat.

Whew.

I'm exhausted. =)

Fruit Anyone?

I totally saw this guy at Wegmans.

He was giving out free samples of passion fruit.

Well, maybe it wasn't Wentworth Miller but his doppleganger.

Note to self: buy more fruit.

fin.

Hay Bales to Highways Chapter 5: Transitions

Ah! Another exciting installment of my own personal love story...If you need to catch up, check out the rest of the story here....


Leaving college for home that spring was bittersweet. I really enjoyed being independent and living with friends but also enjoyed being home on the hill in upstate New York. On the drive home I thought about S and wondered if we would stay in touch. I knew that he was going to stay in Ohio through the summer and continue working as the music director for our church but beyond that I didn't know much at all.



A month came and went and I was working for Walmart of all places (yikes) and spent most of my time there. The bad thing about going to Cedarville is that they had the trimester system so ALL of my friends got home a month before me and left a month before me--which meant very little time for having fun! Emails from college pals kept me going through those long months at home but my favorite was the "real" mail that would float in occasionally. I believe that anyone can send an email but it takes someone extra special to send real mail--and to those who do (you *KNOW* who you are) it is more of an encouragement than you know...but I digress.



Imagine my surprise when I found a white envelope in the mail with an unfamiliar crooked scrawl. Hmm....From Ohio? Inside I found two folded pages of pencil written letter from S. Ah! He loves me! I knew it! (20 year olds sure can be silly!) I hastily opened it and read all about S's summer and how he wanted to keep in touch but didn't have my email and how he'd like to call but didn't have my home phone number....be still my little heart! (I still have this letter and copies are available upon request for the mere fee of....never mind, it's too priceless to price)



We started trading email back and forth and boy were those emails the HIGHLIGHT of my week. It's worth mentioning that my sweet husband is not necessarily technologically advanced--his emails came from his mother or father's account, (I eventually had to set up an email account for the poor little lamb when we got married =), so he went to great pains to be in touch.



We eventually turned to talking on the phone for hours about anything and everything. We are very similar in our likes and dislikes and S is hilarious and can keep me entertained like no one else can.



***I remember the first time we talked on the phone there was a storm brewing in Ohio and S actually got shocked through the phone by lightning and had to call me back.... He was unharmed but these are the kind of oddly amazing things that happen to my husband****



I was super excited by the time September rolled around and was itching to get back to Ohio to see if our friendship would go anywhere exciting. Finally I arrived back in Cedarville (goodbye Walmart--and Never again!) and was reunited with all my dear friends. I unpacked my bags and anxiously waited by the phone for him to call so that we could get together...



one day came and went...



another came and went...



What in the world was going on? He KNEW I was back in Ohio! He told me he was going to call! More importantly I told all my friends he was going to call! Why didn't he call?!?!



Finally on the third day I was getting annoyed! Well! He isn't worth a second thought! and at that minute--just when I gave up hope, he showed up in my dorm.



Apparently he had tried to call but my demon roommate had turned the ringer off the phone because she needed beauty sleep or something and had never turned it back on!



He came in and we hugged awkwardly....all in a "i like you but don't know what we are doing or what it all means yet" kind of way and clutched in his hand was a bag of stuff. He explained to me that he knew I wanted a fish so he had a bag of fish supplies and we would go out that night for dinner and a movie and to buy me a new pet.



Our first intentional date! And I couldn't wait....

Awkward Moments Define My Life: Mommy Edition (A.K.A. no one would ever have known if I didn't share)

A has a little potty.

It looks like this:

I hate the little potty--mostly because it means more clean up whenever A goes to the bathroom and who has time for MORE clean up? Right?

Anyways, she was taking a nap the other day so I decided to "hide" the little potty so I didn't have to look at it, listen to it, or clean it anymore.

Storage is limited in my tiny apartment so I had to store it on the top shelf of one of our closets. I gingerly lifted the little potty over my head and just as I was about to slide it onto the top shelf I started getting wet.

Hmmm...I was thinking....

Why in the world am I getting wet?!?!?

Suddenly like lightning a terrifying realization struck my soul:

I forgot to empty and clean the potty before I took care of it....

Yep, covered in pee.

Nice, huh?

Luckily it wasn't very full--just full enough to give me a little shower.

Gross.

I'll never be the same...but then, motherhood kind of has that effect on one anyways.

The end.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

Trust me...you and I are going to be spending a lot of quality time together....

if only I could get these precious babies to take overlapping naps!

adieu! parting is such sweet sorrow!

it may be the fact that i've only gotten 5 hours of sleep during the last two days talking but....

i miss home.

yes, i know--i have a home here in the south with my sweet family, surrounded by my husband's loving parents and brothers, my supportive church family and friends and warm weather most of the year...but i miss snowy central new york..well, i don't REALLY miss the snow but i miss everything else...

i miss green grass
stars
purple and fuschia sunsets
1 car = traffic
my brothers
the air
the trees
camping
the sound of crickets and coy dogs
wildflower boquets
cows
and farm smells..hay, silage, poo
ice cream cones so tall they hit the roof of your car
tractors driving 5 mph down the road

i've been here for 7 years now...and i'm so glad i came--these 7 years have been wonderful, but i've gotten to thinking that things will NEVER be the same--even if i were to move home, most of my friends have moved away, my brothers are living in their own homes, my parents are "free spirits" (and rightfully so) and i am a woman with a family--no longer a barefoot bumpkin wandering in the woods.

this usually doesn't bother me but tonight it does.

i know these are the things that make one long for heaven--a home where loved ones will not leave but will be bound together with me in worship of the Savior and that is a good thing.
but tonight, i miss my little piece of heaven on earth--a country house on top of a tall hill, with hilly meadows and forests filled with wildlife and trees, a pond with snakes and turtles, acres of land to roam, quiet living, porch-sitting afternoons, boating on the reservoir, fence posts and childhood memories.

well, even if i can't live it, i feel better for having written it all down.

There is something wrong with me...

Whenever I cook this--fry it in olive oil, cut off the tops and bottoms and chop it into pieces...

I picture this little guy screaming, "Help me! Help me! No STOP! NOooooooooooooo!!"
I know, there is something terribly wrong with me.

Weekly Reader

Monday: Stayed home and watched it rain. Went to Walmart for necessities--what a pain!

Tuesday: Visited Daddy at work and took 3 hours naps--what a perk!

Wednesday: Mmm..Barnes and Nobles--my favorite place! Yummy lunch at Chick Fil A!

Thursday: Sunny Park day with friends of ours--went home for pizza and r & r.

Friday: Went to dance class and had a blast!

Saturday: Moving family all day long--they worked from all day--dusk till dawn!

Sunday: Daddy had a concert and we had church--No napping toddler has left me in the lurch.

The End.

For the most BEAUTIFUL Princess Froggy Butterfly Toddler in the Land

Amelie's Rainbow Tutu for her

"Jazzy Bugs"

Dance Recital!

Woot!

Are you kidding me?

My husband and daughter are watching Cinderella while I'm making dinner and he just informed me that he doesn't think he has ever seen Cinderalla before....

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

He also hasn't seen Sleeping Beauty

(didn't really know who she was until A started liking Princesses)

and MAYBE saw Snow White when he was a kid...

I know he's a boy and all but come on! They are CLASSICS.

And I'm done.

I am WRONGED and OFFENDED!

because this little kumquat doesn't need or want me to "help" her fall asleep anymore.

What's a mama to do with all that extra "free" time?

Maybe I'll use that time counting her chins...that sounds like a good start! I just love her chins.

My de-lish little dish.

It takes a lot of money to look this cheap.

...ah, true genius spoken by one of my favorite chicks ever--Dolly Parton. I love Dolly. I can't stress that enough. LOVE her! I was thrilled to see her on American Idol and I mean thrilled!

You see, a funny thing has happened to me since I've become a mama--I feel everything like never before. Yep, I've become the crazy lady who cries at commercials and when listening to songs on country radio and I never thought it would happen. When I saw Dolly on screen my eyes literally welled up with tears. I know, this makes me insane AND ridiculous but I had to share it in the spirit of full disclosure.

Why oh why does she mean so much? Well, since you're dying to know, I'll tell ya!

My Grandma Rose was a big fan of Dolly and blasted her songs all the time (and especially her album at Christmas). Every time I hear Dolly I am transported to a time when Grandma and I would rock out in the basement to her music. Boy, Grandma really could get her groove on in the basement.

Anyways, I was glad to see her on last night and am excited to see her perform tonight. I've made a resolution to head to DollyWood someday when the girls are a bit bigger and I'd like to see her in concert. And I think she looks pretty stinkin' good for 6(plasticsurgery)2.

And, just in case you wanted to know who my:

is.....

Go David Cook! Your ability to turn old songs into something new and cool are amazing (I've always had a soft spot in my heart for musical men you know)!

You are my American Idol!

(I'm sure he'd be thrilled to hear it!)

i can breathe again...

so happy to report that i just got back from the doctor's who took a look at what they removed from me and proclaimed it non-deadly. woot!

also so happy to hear that tricia has another shot at a pair of lungs! i'll be praying and following closely at Confessions of a CF Husband!

You make me feel so young! You make me feel like Spring has sprung!

Spring makes me want to paint my toe-nails
and wear
flip
flops
which sound
clip
clop
on the sunny sidewalk

Fin.

p.s. in looking for a clip art image i realized that a surprising amount of people paint their toe nails and then post pictures online. it disturbed me greatly, just thought i'd share.