a little bit healthier and greener

i used to work with this chick!

she is hilarious.

well traveled.

has what i refer to as a "sick sense of humor".

but when you work with abused and neglected and mentally ill kids... a sick sense of humor is almost a requirement in order to survive the things you see.

she made work enjoyable and hanging out with her is one of the things i miss about working full time!

and she recently has decided to go very green.

i remember when she was pregnant and said "im going to use cloth diapers".

i laughed.

thought she was nuts {still do... some modern luxuries are just... necessary}

i also have another friend doing some of the same.

so i'm being educated!

which i now appreciate.

until now i was not a "green person".

i buy some junk food.

i buy products without entirely thinking through how it effects me, my family, or the environment.

i microwaved my child's bottles.

i also microwaved my left overs in the plastic storage they were in.

i can't say i was oblivious.

we recycle.

most of the time {wink. wink.}

we eat well balanced meals... not full of sugar, junk or processed stuff.

but the bad but yummy stuff is here.

but another friend said to me "you always have good snacks in your house".

so i've gotten to thinking...

i'm going to include you in my journey of making life

healthier and greener in our home!

i am NOT committing to never having anything non-healthy.

i firmly believe that denying yourself of it... or your kids...

just simply makes you want it more.

so there will be goodies and breaking of the rules.

but i cleaned out the kitchen today!

IT FELT GOOD!!!!

i threw out all things that had the words:

1. hydrogenated oils

2. corn syrup

3. dyes

the first two because my friend told me those were the two worst for you.

i'm trusting.

and since i'm a busy stay at home mom whose husband works long hours and has an even longer commute... i am trusting my friends research for now.

and the dyes because when i worked with mentally ill children with behavioral issues... i read a lot that indicated dyes effect your child's behavior.

and i've seen it work when eliminated.

so the dyes went out ... because i've mentioned before that my big boy is a bit of a spirited little fire cracker!

and let me tell you. in the past week since i've been way more conscience of this... i see a major improvement in his behaviors {knock on wood}.

there was also a big study that showed canned foods have a lot of BPA in them also.

so unnecessary stuff went out.

don't worry... i bagged them up for the food bank.

i had a little internal conflict with giving it to them.

why should they eat what i consider to be bad for my family??

but because i thought throwing it out was worse i bagged it up and will take jack & sam to deliver it this week {may as well throw a life lesson in on this too}!

so here's to healthier days.

fill me in on your tips and findings too... this way i don't have to do all the research! HA!

wish me luck!

and the word of the day is FUN!

so you captures assignment this week was

FUN!!!

fun is in the eye of the beholder right!

fun for me may consist of:

sunning myself at a pool in the carribean

{the sand being too messy reducing the degree of fun}

with a yummy pina colada.

without children.

love them but it's true and i'm not afraid to admit it!

a nice dinner with my hubby and some friends.

and early to bed!

ahhh.... perfection!

oh... sorry... i got lost for a minute... back to reality!

OK

fun WITH the kids... well...

that is the kind of fun when they are laughing and giggling so hard they can't breath.

they are so tired at the end of the fun they just pass out

{BEFORE inevitable meltdown would be optimal for 'fun for all' factor... but if depending on the degree of fun, highly unlikely to avoid said meltdown... at which point its best to just ignore them in an effort to preserve the fun that was had}

the joy in their faces does the trick for me!

so in keeping with the rules i choose from photos from this week.

we have been water playing fools in our yard.

we all have fun {kid kind of fun} with it.

it is a lot of work and a total mess.

and destroys the lawn for the most part.

but the boys love it!

and the smile on their faces make the work worth while.

here jack is pretending a stick and cone are his scuba gear!

this is jackabie and his best buddy ty... jumping in the water holding hands!

my favorite part about this picture is last year it would have taken ty about an hour to even dip a toe into the water.

this year... jumping RIGHT in!

i have known ty since he was 3 weeks old.

his mom is one of my best friends.

our families do everything together.

the kind of friends that make you wonder how you survived life without them.

so... this moment made my heart gush with joy and pride for him!

i LOVE the photo below.

watch out buzzzzz!

hope your having some fun times too this june!

i am not a gardener...

but i'd sure like to be!

i could manage to kill a fake plants.

we worship basil in this family.

when i told jack we were going to plant basil he asked me what it was for...

i responded "everything!"

tomato, basil & fresh mozzeralla

i use it to make our weekly broccoli, chicken & pasta meal {stay tuned for recipe}

soups

fresh tomato sauce

paninis...my personal favorite

make your own pizza

the list goes on.

so we started with these things i picked up at the supermarket!

a pot... soil... and 3 basil plants {two regular & one purple basil}

i had my little gardening helper fill the bottom with rocks.

this is supposed to help with drainage???

i have NO idea how i know this.

or if its true {given the whole lack of 'green thumb' issue an all}

then he filled the pot with soil...

he LOVED that he was encouraged to get dirty!

he took his job very seriously.

finished project looks pretty!

and then he watered it.

we talked about taking care of it.

feeding it.

giving it sun.

water.

and helping it grow!

and how we have to keep on doing this... to keep it alive!

keep your fingers crossed.

i now have a curious and non-forgetting four year old watching me {he loves to recall the time "the police man pulled mommy over for going 76"}

hopefully i can manage to keep this alive.

now i need to do some research on how much sun is enough or too much.

right now she is perched in her pot on the back deck in bright sun!

im looking forward to making some yummy stuff!

x0

summer to do's

inspired by the blog whatever i have been working on my to do list.

i think its nice to have some goals for the summer.

i may add to it.

i will surely not complete it in its entirety.

but i WILL try!

what is on your list to do this summer!

id like some more inspiration because i'm feeling like my list could use some work!

busy boys!

in my effort to keep everyone busy i broke out the water table!

it was work to get out... but totally worth the fun for them!

and that is what it is all about... right?

i'll be honest in saying sometimes i have to kick myself through some of this what i refer to as "mom of the year" stuff.

i find it a little overwhelming to plan.

but the more organized i am the better.

so after a few "live & learn moments" i recommend the following:

1. set out towels and dry clothes BEFORE the water goes in the table... for everyone, mom's included!

2. do not say anything about the fun impending activity until its go-time... or my, i mean YOUR, little bundle of energy will trying to get two steps ahead of you only to create disaster!

3. put a dry towel or rug on the floor near the door so when you head back in you don't trash the house!

this was sam's first time playing with the water.

such a silly face... he was so confused!

and then he tried to climb in!

why does this child feel the need to perpetually climb?!?!

but they played together.

it was totally what it is all about!

i have been waiting for the moment when they finally could play together!

jack was showing sammy how to use the pirates and water stuff.

then jack asked if he could finger paint.

he had that voice that indicated he thought the answer would be no.

i surprised myself, and him, and said yes.

(remember... "mom of the year" efforts taking place!)

so i embraced my preparedness self -is that a word?

got extra paper.

and set up the paints LAST... i learned my lesson with that last year when i put the paints on the paper FIRST before i was ready to go... and let's just say it was not pretty!

sam tried to eat the paint. it's non-toxic, thank god!

at least he didn't like it!

this may be one of my new favorite photos of sam and jack painting

with sam reaching out to play with jack's brush (or could be swiping it but i'm just a mom trying to preserve a sweet special brother moment so we'll keep it at playing together)!

i should note... that this whole "mom of the year" kind of day is often negated by days that are full of tv and zero planned fun activity and minimal motivation or patience! i'm very inconsistent with this stuff... but im working on it!

happy summering!

JUST ONE?!?!?!?

so yesterday i did that you capture thing.

i posted it on the last day of the assignment.

so in an effort to catch myself up to the rest of the "you capture'ers"

i had to choose ONE photo.

just one (grrrrr)

and the rule is no pulling photos from your computer.

so this is from this past weekend.

hope this doesn't count as pulling photos from archives.

and i must note the picture is WAY cuter in the series of before and afters... but rules are rules people!

so here is my little man ... aka buzz lightyear...

my favorite part of this picture is the determination and seriousness in his face!

the pictures before consist of him putting the wings on and "ejecting them".

and then after is him on his belly "flying" through the air!

you capture... my first week!

stumbled across this blog

its great!

honest.

funny.

creative.

inspiring.

she hosts this photography assginment every week called "You Capture".

there is a post every week to inspire you to get out there and capture a moment or defy your comfort behind the camera and get creative!

this week's assignment is "sky".

two photos i took from over the america somewhere between conneciticut and florida

cool kids!

it's suddenly hot outside here!

feeling like summer.

see... i like warm weather.

about 75-80 degrees is perfect.

WITHOUT humidity.

humidity makes me cranky.

the boys too.

i do not like to be uncomfortably hot.

i like to enjoy the "things that summer brings" (a little ode to dr seuss) comfortably!

but i have learned, that i have to plow through.

be prepared.

make the best of it.

it's less work to have fun in the summer than to deal with all of us being cranky.

the smile on their faces makes it bearable!

keep 'em busy!

so time to resume some summer activities.

the kind that make you and your kids so tired you all are tucked in bed nice and early!

we broke out the sprinklers!

sam was nearly paralyzed.

he didn't love it.

but he refused to move.

i had to run into the sprinklers to save him because he started to cry.

it was somewhere between hilarious, completely bizarre, and sad.

i love this moment!

this kid loves anything that gives him permission to be wild!

and this picture i love how jack's friend laurel is watching him run like a maniac through the sprinklers.

the entire time she nicely ran AROUND the water.

jack barreled through in true boy fashion!

then the ice cream man came.

which made things feel that much more "summery" and very americana.

and she put his arm around him for a picture... so sweet!

and even more sweetly, jack went to reciprocate and realized his hands were dirty with popsicle.

so he licked them!
what a gentleman ;)

and at the end of the sun soaked & water filled day we had...

DIRTY DIRTY DIRTY feet!

dirty feet = a good day in our house!

memorial day

we honored our fallen hero's on memorial day.

we talked about afganistan and the soldiers serving our country.

we went to the corsairs air show with friend in from out of town

(again this photo is so small, not sure how to make it larger)

this child's hair is wild... i don't understand it!

while we were there jack drew a picture to send to families of those serving the war.

he was so proud to write his name on the drawing.

we also got to spend some time with our good friends

here is jack giving his best buddie a ride on the tractor!

nothing more american than buckets on your head, riding a tractor in the back, barefoot!.

not a care in the world... safe at home.

our soldiers fight to keep us safe here at Home.

we are blessed for that.

and macy girl with her "gammie" getting some lovin!

i love the tenderness in this moment. it was so candid.

we went to the town parade.

we honored our fallen hero's ... jack and his buddy ty watching the parade!

as promised, i cried.

and in tradition... sammy slept through the parade, again!

then aunt lizzie & uncle barry passed this FABULOUS toy down to jack.

he loves it.

it occupies his time.

it may however, be the end of me!

but how cute is he on it?!?!

it was a beautiful weekend.

spent time with loved ones.

prayed for those deployed.

saluted the ones who died.

xo

salute the ones who died...

we all love....

the long weekend.

the bbq's.

the decorations.

the "celebration".

the americana sense around town.

and the ringing in of summer.

but.

memorial day is REALLY not all these things.

it is much more.

it is somber.

it is to remember our fallen heros.

who lost their lives for US.

last year on memorial day we prayed for our hero, my brother in law, who was fighting the war overseas.

this is my little man with his hero, his uncle, several years ago before he left for overseas.

this year we thank God he is home safe.

but there are many soldiers not home safe.

many will never return home.

so in between your parades and backyard BBQ's and celebrations in the comfort of your backyard. with the ones you love.

take a moment to pray for those families who have lost loved ones.

and those families whose men & women are deployed today.

this weekend i will listen to "Chicken Fried" by The Zac Brown Band... with

AMERICAN PRIDE

i will undoubtedly cry when the soliders march by at the parade in town.

i will sing god bless america and the star spangled banner - proudly and loudly!

and i will teach my children about the true meaning of this Memorial Day.

"i thank god for my life

And for the stars and striped

may freedom forever fly, let it ring.

salute the ones who died.

the ones who gave their lives.

so we don't have to sacrifice.

all the things we love."

the zac brown band