The Top 10 uses of a sister

The stepping stool

 Inspired by my big sister on her  30^th birthday-

1.       The Stepping stool when you’re too short to reach the sink.

2.       The loyal defender, even when she knows you’re wrong.

3.       The culprit when you don’t want to do something wrong alone.

4.       The ever forgiving brunt-of-a-joke that only you think is funny.

5.       The walloped victim when your day just didn’t go your way.

6.       The one that is laughed at, scream at and cried to in the midst of emotional eccentricities. 

7.       The one that shares your childhood memories, childhood fears and those secrets that were so important to keep.

8.       The one that forgives your adulthood shortcomings just because you are you.

9.       The one that understands your physical insecurities because- more often than not- it’s a family trait.   

10.   The best friend that you can’t outgrow.

Ry and me

The talents of a man, the visions of a woman…

The Wall Box

Some of those Knick-Knacks

So this post might fall under the “braggy” category of blogging – but because the talents aren’t mine I feel like I can brag away. The Wall Box in the photo was designed and built by my husband, created out of a very vague, very abstract description on my part. You see I tend to be what I like to call a “midnight worrier”- meaning, everything seems hunky-dory (is that the right word?) during the day, but I wake up in the middle of the night and suddenly there is A LOT to worry about. What if the house catches on fire, what if I forgot to lock the door, what if I hurt so-and so’s feelings, what if, what if, what if…

Well one of those what if’s includes, “What if there is an earthquake tonight?" *

* Side Note: This talented husband of mine is a perpetual foot shaker. The first year of our marriage included many nights of frustrated elbowing on my part due to this habit. Now a days I have either grown used to it or Matt (husband) has changed his ways, for the most part. Every once in a while I wake up in a panic, ready to grab the baby and head for a door way because I am sure we are in the midst of a vigorous earthquake – only to realize that the actual culprit is a wiggly-toed man in my bed!!!

Well due to this earthquake fear I had kept a very barren wall above our bed - I don’t want picture frames, mirrors or potted plants falling on my head during an earthquake! So I told Matt I wanted a Wall Box above our bed, but I had stipulations as well… I wanted it SECURELY fastened to the wall, with glass doors and crystal knobs.  You see he has prettified our home with many handcrafted Wall Boxes, but I didn’t want to be pummeled to death by a million antique store knickknacks in my sleep. And so he built it for me - and so I credit myself with the vision!

Of course, once it was made we had to showcase it in the living room and mirrors did end up hanging above our bed – they remain in the top three as one of my greatest “midnight worries.”           

The thrill of the grill!

Pizza on the grill -

Roll out the pizza dough, lighty cover with EVOO. Cover with sauce (we use alfrado), add SPOG (salt, pepper, onion, garlic). Add mozzerella and jack cheese (grated of course). Assemble toppings and slide onto the pizza stone waiting on the grill (cornstarch under the dough makes this possible). Grill and serve!!! Grilling adds a unique flavor and helps keep the kitchen cool in the summer. Try it!

An old time favorite...

Moon Cake - the story of a little bear who builds a rocket, falls asleep in it and wakes up to a snowy night, he scoops up a big bowl of the snow and thinks he is eating a piece of the moon...
This story is about the beauty of imagination,  something that often dwindles as we age. I remember long summer days spent in imaginary worlds where we were princesses, orphans, puppies or pirates. Imagination is one of the most beautiful gifts children are blessed with, and too often it is stifled at too young of an age. I know I miss such a treasure! Heaven knows cleaning the house would be much more thrilling if I could convince myself I was Cinderella for the day!!!

That's a Karma Baby

A mustache doesn’t make you all grown up!

Endless toys, baskets and baskets of toys!! Trucks, trains, balls, stuffed creature, talking books, normal books, puzzles... He has a whole musical instrument set in case him and his toddler pals want to start a band. He touches them just long enough to scatter them strategically all over my floor…I crawl around on my hands and knees putting them back in the basket from which they came. YET, he is NEVER playing with these toys, he carries around an old ping pong paddle that he is constantly trying to bite the rubber off of. He Swings it around in the air squealing with delight. Once or twice he’s even swung it at me when his wish is not fulfilled quickly enough. The result has been a, “Don’t you dare!” stare on my end and a sheepish smile on his. He also has taken a liking to shoes (which he’s not allowed to touch cause they’re filthy), toothpaste tubes, pens, wallets and lipsticks, to just mention a few of the favorites… Now you may be thinking, “Get with it lady, baby proof your house, put your shoes away, hide the pens.” I do all of this, but that little maniac is always on the lookout as he waddles around the house.  

If I sit down to read him a story or play catch he has about a five second attention span, but open the dishwasher door and you’d think a circus was in there for how fast he runs to it, and the knives would be the cotton candy cause they’re the first things his chubby little fingers go for.

I hear my own mothers’ exasperated sigh escape my lips. All day long I say, “Please don’t, “Excuse me! Stop it,” “Francis Matthew I won’t say it again…!” And he’s only 18 months old, and I only have one… My mom had six, and I seem to remember at the tender age of about nine or so I chopped big chunks out of my poor mothers cutting board for no reason at all (I must have liked knives as well) . What goes around comes around I guess- And I have MANY years to go!!!

Park Day

Sometimes I wish I could bottle his noises, cork all of them up and put them high on a shelf. Save them for a quiet day (long from now). That babbling, that gurgling joy, that pure, unharnessed laughter... Irreplaceable!   

Yard Sale Nostalgia

Wow! Childhood suddenly seems like it was a very long time ago...
My mom is having a yard sale tomorrow and amongst the junk I found some childhood treasures.
Jelly Shoes - seriously cool in my day; don't care if it dates me. I remember wearing them with very dirty feet on our very dirt road, looking down at my eight year old tootsies and thinking, "I am SO cool!"
These horses were well loved and well used - hence the broken legs! Don't judge, stallions must FIGHT! My younger sister treasured these creatures and I'm pretty sure she'll see these and panic- Don’t sell, don’t sell!!!
Mrs. Fields - burning messes! My daughter will never have one, but I did!

Tonight - Crock Pot Perfection!

Today I had a lot to do, an evening meeting and a husband that I knew would come home starving. So I got creative and made a Crock Pot Chicken Potato Cream Soup. Easy, awesome and the kid ate two full bowls. Simply toss potatoes, carrots, onions and frozen chicken breast in the crock pot with vegetable broth, fresh parsley and SPOG (salt, pepper, onion garlic) . Let it cook (on its own) all day.  About an hour before serving smash up it with a potato masher. In a little pot whisk butter, milk, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, some cheddar cheese and a little flour until it's all blended smoothly... pour it into the crock pot and TAAADAAA! Garnish with fresh parsley and soy bacon bits if you want to impress the men-folk.
Served with fresh baked bread - Pat on the back for good ol' Patty!  

A true to life family portrait

This kind of joy is one that we most often observe when he isn't behaving himself - obviously!

A little smooch with my little guy.

A little about me...

 “Will you please call me Cordelia?” This is a line from one of my all-time favorite movies, Anne of Green Gables.  It says it all, we all want a little more glamour, excitement, uniqueness  - we all, in one way or another, want to be called Cordelia even though our name might be plain old Anne (with an “e”). But, in life, though we crave the extraordinary, more often than not we will find the truest beauty and our truest happiness in the ordinary. I live a simple life, sometimes excessively, hair-pulling(ly) simple life. I am a wife, a mother, a sister, daughter, friend… I am currently employed by a 2 ½ ft tall, blonde hair, brown eyed boy who (sometimes) answers to the name of Francis. I am paid in hugs and Eskimo kisses when I catch him in the right mood. My son, in the corniest way possible – has made my life complete. My husband and I were friends first, sweethearts later and we were married in the spring of ‘08. We make each other laugh and holler almost daily. He is a silent brooder, I am a dramatic crier and every day I am married to him is happier than the last (and we started out happy). I like to snap photos, mostly of my kid, call it genetic vanity. I love the ocean, excellent and abundant food. I feel true comfort watching old black and white movies and I will, to my dying day, feel true unharnessed rage when people chew ice in my ear!!!

It feels extremely weird to be posting my personal-ness on the big wide internet world, but in the name of progression I will proceed! Blogging = blubbering, boasting, boring…No, brilliance! I hope this proves to be true. 

So here we go…