gratitude

i guess it's the fact that nearly every man on both sides of his family are veterans, but most importantly, his daddy is.  and whatever daddy was/is/does is just about the coolest to my punk.

i used to think that if i limited the amount of news he saw and the types of toys he plays with, it would curb his romantic view of being a soldier.  ummm...nope.  so, now i'm just going with the truth and seeing how that works out.

we have talked about how hard it must be for those men and women to be so far away from their families (he was surprised they didn't get to come home on the weekends!), to sleep when you have no bed, or eat when you don't get a break.  we have talked about what they are fighting for, and how people in other places do not enjoy the freedoms we do.  he was shocked and angered.  which is in a way, i suppose, what previous generations had hoped for.

sometimes he will ask what i think they are doing right now.  last september, on the international day of peace (and global ceasefire), he imagined that they were probably playing video games and eating A LOT.  his emphasis, not mine.

when i found a way for us to take part in "operation gratitude," i knew he'd love it. we came up with several ideas of what a soldier would want/need.  on the top of his list?  grapes.

grapes??

yep, because they'll need healthy stuff to stay strong and energized. 

so sweet, that boy of mine. sweeter still, is the fact that this, no doubt, is something i have said to him at some point.  and he's passing it on. it does a momma's heart good.



after checking out just how far away our package would have to travel to reach its destination, we sent it on the first leg of its very long trip. 

{remembering} grandma

today would be her 84th birthday.  she has been gone for 12 years, leaving me with a heap of unexpressed gratitude.

salt air, sunburns, egg white cookies, her potatoes, the chime of the grandfather clock, lemon drops, the paper bark trees, the feel of her bedspread, the pond, staghorn ferns, windchimes, the feel of the cool entryway tile against tired feet that had spent the day playing in the waves, fresh tomatoes, grandma bowls of ice cream, grandpa's shoes always neatly placed next to the clock, ham, giggling at the table until we cried, the red stool, slides, and the smell of pipe - every one of these things brings a spontaneous smile to my face and transports me directly back to summers spent at their house.

she taught me the healing powers of homemade mashed potatoes, the bliss of good meringue, and that her oatmeal raisin cookies weren't just for dessert.

she proved that socks, nightgowns, and hand-knitted slippers (complete with waaay un-cool pom-poms), when i had none, were indeed very exciting gifts.

she encouraged me to be fair and accepting, especially when it's hard. 

unfortunately, she would pass before i fully understood her simple life lessons.

she would never hear how utterly lost I would have been, without her example. 

{happy birthday grandma - i miss you!}

i wanna iguana

my punk's first cute-as-hell book report.



i hope his teacher appreciates our his hard work!

My Cup Runneth Over

This week we put a little extra love in everything! 

And best of all -

I received one, completely unsolicited, pinky promise that he would love me forever!

We hope your heart has as much love as it can hold!

My Sweetheart

My boy is pretty amazing.
He is curious, sweet, adventurous, brave, intelligent, and absolutely hilarious. 
He is also a force to be reckoned with, too big for his britches, cunning, and drop dead gorgeous.
He is everything this girl could ask for.
Happy Valentines Day, Punkin!

take it in

this is the view out our windows this morning! cool, crisp air and a mild february sun.  it's gonna be a great day.