Finding Unexpected Beauty
The silver moon moved through the cloudless sky, sinking until it disappeared behind the mountains. It glowed brightly against a lilac-colored sky, a soft yet vibrant purple hinting at the sun hiding beneath the horizon. The moon’s descent in the west felt rapid yet controlled as it sank lower and lower. Just one day off from its fullness, it appeared a perfect circle, and I watched the silhouette of Pike’s Peak appear in front of the round shape. It was odd to see the celestial movement so clearly. Unlike the sun, no shooting rays were bouncing in the clouds, and no blinding corona forced me to divert my eyes. The…
Name Calling is not Kind
“You’re a yucky baby!”“You’re a poopy head!” My boys taunt each other. I can tell that this started silly by their tone, but it’s about to snowball, and these joking gibes will cause hurt feelings. It has the potential to escalate to words like ‘idiot’ and ‘stupid,’ words that will undoubtedly get them in trouble. This is why, joking or not, we do not allow name-calling in our house. “Excuse me,” I cut in, “That’s not okay. What do we use our words for?”“Kindness and truth,” they respond in unison, though the younger one pronounces it, “twooth.”“That’s right. If it’s not true and if it’s not kind, then you don’t…
Back to School-ish and Family Traditions
Every year on the first day of school, while my kids are munching on cereal and getting ready, I can be found in my pajamas, complete with messy hair and socks with flip-flops, coloring on my driveway with rainbow-colored chalk. I do a giant letter/number outline for each child, filling it in with their name, school, and teacher. I also ask my kids what they want to be when they grow up, and I include whatever answer they give me, especially when that answer makes me chuckle. This year’s surprise answers were tow truck driver and “fighting Army guy.” Despite the nontraditional beginning of schoolyear 20/21, I stuck with our…
Midnight Sun and My First Love
My tween heart exploded this week when I finally got to read Midnight Sun. Please don’t laugh like my husband did, though I’d forgive you because I’m unapologetic. If you’re not familiar, it’s from the Twilight book series, and it’s been 15 years in the making. Now, I say tween, but have to admit that when these books came out, I had already survived my tween years. I was twenty years old, a newlywed, and at the time, I worked at a middle school. I remember actual tween girls gushing over this book and how much they loved it and were “literally dying” for the movie to come out. I…
Rough Edges and Power Tools
I’ve learned more in this deck-building process than I ever thought I would. And we’re still building. When my husband committed to this massive DIY project, I didn’t think I’d have much of a hand in it. I might be a lover of HGTV and Fixer Upper, but I’m just watching it for the part where they stage the home— I’m a sucker for home decor. Despite my expectations, my husband showed up one day with a truck full of wood and a pallet of concrete, and I found myself chipping in. We had hoped to find wood from Home Depot to set the posts for our sunshades and eventual…
Fire Restrictions
The breeze blew steadily through our house, in the front set of windows and out the back. Occasionally, it came in stronger gusts, and the leaves of our trees fluttered at their mercy. The temperature had found that elusive place of perfectly comfortable, and we enjoyed the evening as the sun made its slow descent behind the mountains. The boys began asking for s’mores, and my husband obliged since nice weather makes the experience much more enjoyable for parents responsible for 95% of the process. John went out back, dragged our copper firepit to the center of the yard, and began to fill it with wood. Upon lighting, the fire…
Deck Building
I’m trying to envision what our deck will be like when it’s finished. I imagine the feel of the smooth wood underneath my feet and picture red-stained boards marking the view outside our patio door instead of the existing shifting concrete and ugly gravel. I envision myself lying on a lounge chair, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the quiet of my backyard— obviously, in this dream, my kids aren’t outside at the same time. I think of how wonderful it will be to wheel our daughter outside instead of two-man lifting her and her chair, all 110 lbs of them, down two stairs that feel massive under the…
Dress for the Season
I smooth my hands down the front of my wine-colored dress, assessing my appearance reflected in the mirror. Does this dress hide my mommy tummy or accentuate it? I twist side to side and look at all sides. The back is lace detailed and stunning, but at a certain angle, my front looks about 2-3 months pregnant, which I am not. I dejectedly pull off the beautiful, yet unflattering dress, and root around in my closet for another. My anniversary is approaching; we are celebrating with a night away and a delicious dinner. I want to dress up and feel pretty, but since I’m planning to eat in abundance, I…
Hello July!
It’s July, my favorite month of the year! It is the month that we celebrate America’s birthday, Flash’s birthday (y’all remember that wild day), my birthday, and my anniversary. When I think of this month, I think of watermelon and sweet tea, sunshine and sunburns, summer vacation and celebrations. My husband gets a little tired of all these dates to recognize, but sorry, not sorry; I love any excuse to eat charcoal-grilled hamburgers and have cake. This year, July is more dear to me than usual. It is month 7 of the calendar year, meaning we did it; we have survived half of 2020 and this crazy roller coaster we’re…
Best Mommy Ever
“You’re the best mommy ever!” My five-year-old exclaims as he gives me a big hug for consenting to his most recent request. His eyes light up, and he excitedly runs off to enjoy an afternoon donut snack; my little boy loves sweets and his happy smile will soon be smeared with chocolate icing. But don’t go getting the wrong impression; I am not actually the best mommy ever. Give me about 15 minutes during which time I will scold that child for fighting with his brother and deny his next request, and this will quickly become the “worst day ever.” His eyes will fill with tears, and his beautiful smile…
