Brave Girl

Today a child in the class I work in did a brave thing, sticking up for another child that was being teased by a classmate.  She was not aware that an adult saw or heard her do it.  She just did it because she is a sweet little lady who did not like what was happening and refused to stand by and watch.

A little bit later, when I had a chance to tell her without any other kids hearing, I let her know I saw her stick up for this child, and told her that I could see she had a very big heart and that she had done a great thing.  I am not sure what lit me up more... Her actions when she defended her classmate, or the huge smile on her face while we talked about how big her heart is.

Sunshine - Photo Edition

Spring is officially just around the corner! 

Here's the proof!

YAY!

Silver Linings

I think that a big part of seeing the sunshine around you is really trying to find the silver lining in the not so shiney moments.  At least that is something I personally am going to make an effort to do.

SO-

I had planned on going to get a new cell phone Saturday afternoon, but other shopping took longer than I thought and I did not make it.  And then that evening, I awesomely, and with amazing skill, dropped the phone in the toilet.  So I was without a phone for a day or so.  But - yay for it it being the old phone, and yay for the other shopping taking too long to make that stop earlier in the day.

Yes, I know.  That one was way too easy.  I'm starting small!

Smooches

Every single time I smooch my Nathan, even when I blow him a kiss and he catches it, he rubs it in.  Every time.

And every time my heart melts. 

The Best Sound Ever

If this does not make your day, nothing will!

(Thanks for sharing this one, Josh!)

Small Moments - Bright Light

* A mama's joyful smile when looking at her tiny baby, and that baby lighting up in return.

* Waving at the crossing guard on the drive to school in the morning, and the fact that he is out there every day, on that busy intersection stopping cars to make sure the kids are safe.

* Snuggles with my Nathan while we watch Cars.

Sunshine - Birthday Party Edition

Evie went to a friend's birthday party at a gymnastics center yesterday.  The kids had a BLAST.  They had a couple hours with the freedom to run like the crazies that they are - bouncing on trampolines, swinging on ropes, tumbling and crash landing on cushioned floors.  Good stuff!

Add in delicious homemade cupcakes and yummy ice cream, and you have a building of sunshine-filled children.  And sunshine-filled adults who can't help smiling while they watch their children laughing and playing.

PS - There may have been a few adults who tested out the trampolines too - they were too fun not to try!

Let's Party!

This is SOOOO right!  I want to hang this everywhere because it makes me smile.  Feel free to print it yourself at Sally's blog,   "Are They Twins?"



Believe It!

Pirate Superhero Fairy Ballerina Mermaid Art Print

by The Dreamy Giraffe

So cute... and so what I want my own little girl to believe!  And so the type of thing that she would pretend when she was smaller.  (Now she is always a teacher or a mama... maybe I can convince her to be a mermaid teacher every one in a while!)

Nathan Says it Best

I went outside thinking I was going to take pictures of blooming trees...  and was super excited to realize that it had gotten really warm outside and was all kinds of beautiful!!!  Nathan came out with me, in his rain boots since the yard was muddy-ish.  He was even more excited than me to be in the sun and wearing no coat.  He could NOT stop running around the yard, battling dragons (by the way, dragons in Erie do not breathe fire.  But the New York dragons that were attacking do.) and racing me around the house.

I don't think I could say it any better than he did.

As he jumped down the steps and took off for the backyard he shouted back to me, "Mama, I feel like a brand new boy!"



Dance It Out!

(Picture from Ink Assassins Tattoos and Piercings Facebook page)

Driving home from school with a van full of four children, we passed this gentleman dancing in front of Ink Assassins. He just made my day!  He had music blaring from his car, and was just dancing up a storm on the busy intersection of 26th and Peach Streets.  The kids loved watching him, and we started talking about how awesome it was that he was so carefree, doing something that he loved and that he was making people smile, bringing sunshine to Erie.

Horses Don't Sing?

My kids have never truly listened to kid music.  Even when they were very small, there was little Barney, or Sesame Street, or Kids Bop, (for the safety of my children, we will NEVER own Kids Bop - it makes me edgy!) or anything else of that nature.  We usually have a homemade CD mix that we play over and over, memorizing most of the lyrics, and the kids asking me to play the same one or two songs 80-zillion times.

Some of the currant favorite songs are Lady Gaga - "Born This Way" (blech), Colbie Caillat - "I do", and Jason Aldean - "My Kind of Party."

So Nathan and I are driving home a little bit ago, and he is singing along with Jason Aldean.

"Got the cover off the '68,
Fired it up and let them horses sing"

And it suddenly occurs to him that it doesn't make sense.

Nathan: Mom, did he just say "fart it up" (has that really been what he has been singing this whole time?)
Me: (trying not to laugh) No, buddy.  He is saying fire it up.  That means he started up the truck.
Nathan: Oh. But Mom, Horses don't sing.  Birds do.

At this point I am openly laughing and trying to explain to my 4 year old that there is actually logic to that sentence.  I am still not sure if he got that horses means the engine and sings means the way it sounds. 

I so LOVE his literal thinking!  It is still making me smile.

Xavier Roberts Makes a Comeback

I've had my Cabbage Patch Kids tucked away in a tote in the basement for years... I was waiting until I thought Evie was old enough to play with them and really get that they were baby dolls that had been very special to her mama as a child.

The truth is I had sort of forgotten about them. Something made them pop into my head this morning, and I got the box from the basement. After school Evie and Julia tore into the box and did not put those dolls down until bed.  It was so fun to watch them play with the dolls I had loved so much.

Watching them brought back some pretty happy memories, too.  I remember the waiting list I was on to get a Cabbage Patch Doll, and how flipped out excited I was when I got to go to the back rooms of Children's Palace to  pick out my doll.  I loved all the doll clothes, and so many of them were made by my mom.  I could tell you which ones I loved the most then.  (The Red Riding Hood cape!)

I don't know what made me think of them this morning, but the timing was definitely perfect. Kathy and Carl are getting a new dose of love!

Rockin' Robin!

Oh, yeah!  I saw my first robin of the season this morning!  I'm happy dancing!  And as I sit here typing, I can hear birds chirping outside, probably starting to build the nest in the front porch "rafters" as they do each year.

There is truly an end to winter on the way!  YAY!!!

(My friend, Ginger, took this photo of the first robin she saw this season... Isn't it the sweetest?)

Compliments

I love to go to Panera Bread for breakfast with Nathan some mornings after we drop Evie off at school.  (He always chooses Tim Hortons, but once in a while he will agree to my favorite place instead!)  We were there Thursday morning, munching bagels and playing a silly drawing game that we had made up ages ago, which somehow turned into me writing words and him sounding them out.  (He is surprisingly good at that.)

At some point the gentlemen a table or two away turned to me to compliment Nathan. Nothing makes a mama happier than someone saying nice things about her child.  We then started talking about his grandchildren, and you could see the love in his smile as he talked about them.

Note to self:  Feel free to tell someone when you notice something great about their child, and also feel free to talk a little about your own with a smile.

Craft Hope

The woman behind the site Craft Hope, Jade Sims, truly believes in making a difference in the world.  She unites crafters and artisans around the world behind a common cause.  The latest Craft Hope Project was to make and send birthing kits to a group, Konbit Sante, to help woman have safe and sanitary deliveries in Haiti. 

Through Jade, I have learned that you can start small, with love in your heart, and amazing things can happen. She never dreamed her kitchen would be the start of this movement and that she would end up touching the lives of so many people. I am grateful I stumbled across her blog a year ago, and that I have been able to participate in some of the projects she has put together.

Sunny Quotations

A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.

~Steve Martin

Quiet Moments

At church this morning I realized that there is something that brings a smile to a huge percentage of the people at one time. (I am not refering to the readings, or the homily, although maybe a should be!)

Picture the service is having a very quiet moment, no one is speaking or singing.  That is the moment a baby chooses to laugh or make some sort of crazy happy baby sound. And the vast majority of the adults in the church smile.  SUNSHINE!

(Note to self - tickle your little ones when the service is quiet!)

My Sunshiney Kids

This was a serious conversation I had with Evie and Nathan over dinner a few nights ago.  We were trying to determine what super powers we would want to have.

Nathan: I want lava power. (I think he means he can blast you with lava.  But who knows exactly what lava power is to a 4 year old boy…)

Evie: I would have a protective shield. (think Violet in Disney’s Incredibles)

Nathan:  My lava would go right through your shield.

Evie: No it wouldn’t!  That’s why it is a shield!

And then they continued to discuss which of their powers would beat the other, and I just listened and smiled.

I love them.

Coffee and Sunshine

So, my sister-in-law/BFF ran into Country Fair this weekend to grab some coffee.  When she was at the register, had paid and was ready to leave, the cashier commented on how pleasant she was.  We were joking afterward about the grouchiness of the people that typically shop there.

It made me think though - that it is awful for this person to be more surprised at the friendly customer, than at a grumpy, unpleasant one. Claire was a beam of sunshine in that person's day and from the sound of it, a very rare one. 

Note to self: you never know if your friendliness is something rare in another's day.  Don't hold it back!

Ship in a Storm

I have another one of this artist's prints in my studio... I think this one is great too.

By vol.25 on Etsy.