The Feeling of Home

Lately I've been considering what I want my home to feel like upon entering.
I've walked into "homes" and immediately felt "Dont. Touch. Anything."
I've walked into homes and initially felt cold.
I've walked into homes and instantaneously knew I was out of my social class.
I've walked into homes and felt uncomfortable...borderline scared and/or borderline dirty.
I've walked into homes where people slept but they didn't live.
I've walked into homes that were ashamed of that fact that children also lived there.
in contrast
I've walked into homes and immediately knew I was welcome and allowed to sit.
I've walked into homes and felt flooded with warmth.
I've walked into homes where I was out of my social class but nobody cared.
I've walked into homes felt safe and clean (even if its messy).
I've walked into homes where life was happening and they were enjoying it.
I've walked into homes that foster play and learning amid the chaos.
I want my home to be one of these homes.
I want you to walk in my house and feel warmth, welcome, and safety.
I want you to feel as though you could kick your shoes into the corner and plop down on my couch.
I don't want you to worry about what your children do in my home.
I don't want you to worry about what your children touch in my home, its just stuff anyway.
I don't want you to be able to figure how much money my husband makes by my house itself or the decor inside.
I want you to walk in the kitchen and know you can help yourself to drink and food. If you can find it you can eat it at my house.
If you come over around dinner time, expect to be fed. I'm hungry, you're hungry, I'm already cooking, end of discussion.
I want you to feel you can say what you want and it'll stay within the walls.
I want laughter, lots and lots of laughter in my home.
I want you to find learning in my home.
I want peace in my home, but I don't necessarily feel that peace means silence (although there are days when that would be nice too).
I want you to feel like you could show up be welcome.
I want you to want to come to my home and I want you to feel comfort when you come.

A Story by The Elephant

Yesterday The Elephant comes to me and tells me this story...enjoy!

"Once upon a time there...there were three birdies (which eventually became three bears, then three gooses). And their names were Fabio and Misfahssio. And one fell off and bumped his head. Mommy called the doctor and the doctor said, "No more birdies jumping on the bed!"

The UnNecessary "To Do" List

In a world of too many options, there is much to do, see, and experience. There is a large number of things that I would do if the opportunity were to drop into my lap (or the money, for that matter). They would be so fun! but they aren't things that I am going to actively seek or go out of my way to create the opportunity to accomplish. If they happen, they happen. So given unlimited time and/or money I would:

1)become a stunt car driver
2)write a book
3)go to culinary school
4)design a clothing line, accessories included (jewelry, hats, cloves, purses, and shoes!)
5)become a wedding planner
6)have fresh flowers follow me everywhere I go
7)swing on vines in a jungle somewhere
8)learn to speak French fluently
9)visit France, and all the other places whose histories I know so well but there modern realities I've only met in pictures, oh so many pictures.
10)take a voyage on a tall ship, dressed like a pirate and a victorian age upperclass woman's wardrobe in the back for when the weather is cooler
11)walk down the Red Carpet!
12)drive a convertible with a scarf over my hair and white lace gloves! (preferably a 66ish Thunderbird or Mustang!)
13)learn to Ballroom dance.
14)surf and scuba dive

15)do a historic reenactment preferably something Revolutionary Warish
15) make a flapper dress

I'm curious...what's on your Unnecessary To Do list?

Perspective

"It's not about living another man's life, it's about seeing your own differently."
-A Man on A Tractor, redone by Rodney Atkins

Enter: The Ocelot

We have a beautiful new baby girl, she's now a couple weeks old but still not quite 6 lbs and just over 18 inches long.

Coming home from the hospital

Just plain adorable

She is a joy to our home! I've loved all the pink, purple, flowers, and hairbows!

A Photo Update

Our first Snow Day of 2009!!

THANKSGIVING VACATION:
Marine Gulf Speciman Lab
The Tallahassee Jr. Museum (or whatever it's been renamed to)
Roller Skating!


Speciman Lab

The Jr. Museum (has a zoo and some historical stuff)

All the animals were right up by the fence! I've been going to this place for years and this is the first time I've had such an awesome view of so many of the animals! I was glad to have Brendan with me since he'd never been before!

Roller Skating: I didn't skate being pregnant and all but it was fun!

You'll have to believe me when I tell you that Brendan was a skater-punk in high school. Long hair with bleached tips, Jinco Jeans, big baggy t-shirts and everything. Here he is trying some moves, I wished we were at a skate park so we could see him do some of his old tricks!

It's been a wonderful time!

It was SO Yummy and then it Made Me Sick

I have some favorite treats, foods, snacks, etc. Well, lots of favorites, in all honesty. But there are a few that I haven't learned to control myself over. You know "Once you pop the fun don't stop!" You really can't eat just ONE potatoe chip, I dare you, see if you can do it. Half a cup of popcorn is a serving size! HA, yeah right! M&M's: I think it's something about the size, the damage just seems like it would never come with sweet chocolate so small. Smarties: I can consume more than half my weight of these things, without even noticing until my tongue starts to tingle and my head starts to throb.

I do not know how NOT to consume TOO MUCH of these
I start eating them and the compulsion takes over...

I have no will (well, I exercise no will),

No restraint (ahem, I exercise no restraint)

No thought except for the joy the taste of this overly salty, chocolatey, sugary, morsel of manna gives me in THIS instant! Sigh, Bliss.

Until about 30 minutes later when the Law of Diminishing Returns has proved its point and I feel sick, oh so very sick...
and yet, I do this repeatedly! The title of the book I'm currently reading is flashing very bright neon in my head
"PREDICTABLY IRRATIONAL!"
I also now have a new found understanding for the bugs that fly in to the window over and over and over again. This Time! This Time! This Time! This Time!