Stacy asks this week Is anything ever so pure as the gaze of a child?
In joy and in sadness, the gaze of a child holds an unmatched purity I find more poignant than any other. Perched on the Adirondack in the backyard on a July afternoon, W.W. gives me his mischievous look. His eyes the color of the sky just before it rains. A gentle mingling of gray and blue offer a bit of softness to his energetic personality.
In Photo Shop I used the exposure adjustment layer in this image to try and draw out the eyes a little bit more. I layered it on top of a curves adjustment layer brightening the image a lot more and adding a hint of sparkle to his eyes.
In elementary school my wild imagination conjured up the fantastical idea choosing your husband meant picking one off a stage. The men of your dreams would line up on stage, you’d sit in the front row and ask them questions and pick one at the end of the question and answer session. I entertained this notion until the 3rd or 4th grade before my Mom enlightened me about the long drawn out process marriage actually involved.
At the same time I set my heart on having 2 kids of my own. My parents decision to have 2 kids and the amazingly good relationship I still have with my brother has always convinced me 2 is the perfect number.
Now I’m considering 4. Note, I’m still sticking with even numbers. Maybe it’s the need to match the number of horses we have with the number of kids we have. Please laugh, that was a small joke.
I feel incredibly blessed to have my husband’s 2 older children live with us full time. Working through the bad times, living for the good times, and watching them grow into young adults often fills my heart with the most incredible joy. However, another part of me wishes I had known them as infants and toddlers. I yearn to have been there for all their “firsts.”
Turning 32 in July, W.W. turning 3 in June, my oldest leaving home next June, and my wonderful step daughter looking foward to leaving the nest for college, I’m left with thoughts about even numbers.
The biological clock tick tocks in my head telling me now now now. Your parents will be here over the winter, best to be pregnant while they’re here to help out. W.W. will suffer inescapable emotional loss when his brother leaves home quickly followed by his sister. How wonderful it would be him to have someone closer to his age to grow up with. How wonderful it would be for you too, the selfish thought pops to mind.
What does my husband think? Whatever I want. Although I know the expense makes us both stop. Sometimes it hurts a lot being practical. Could we afford another child? Not really. Do we want another child? Very much. I work full time, I’m planning to start a master’s degree in Organization Learning and Innovative Teaching, I’m an active member of a 4-H club, and supporter of all my older kids activities. I sit in a catch 22.
Part of me says, it’s this year or no year. Decide now.
W.W.’s first trip to an amusement park suffused him with joy and wonder. I felt hard pressed to pick just one moment from Friday’s adventure. Due to the successful fund raising of my 4-H Club, the Club paid for all the members and a guest to play all day at the park. I still find myself frustrated at the signs, no outside food or drink when taking younger kids anywhere. However, I bless the advent of strollers and stashed a smaller cooler underneath the bag crammed with extra clothes and towels. The Gatorade and snacks came in handy at the end of the day.
I picked his ride on the Baja Buggies for my best shot for Monday. Every time the buggy bumped up and down and he let us this loud laugh causing the dimples to pop out on his cheeks. Although the carousel and the airplane/helicopter ride turned out to be his favorites as he rode them twice.
Life with Heathens opened this meme up to readers and I know someone else tagged me and they need to send me an email and remind me so I can link them back here.
So here we go!
Accent: Once upon a time I had a slight southern twang from growing up in VA. Now, I have a flat midwest accent, which is like not having one at all.
Breakfast or no breakfast: Definitely need breakfast.
Chore I don’t care for: Scrubbing the shower. Hate those bathroom chores.
Dog or Cat: Dog
Essential Electronics: My digital camera.
Favorite Cologne: Obsession for Men
Gold or Silver: Silver
Handbag I carry most often: Messenger bag to and from work, holds the laptop nicely.
Insomnia: Yes, but because my husband snores terribly!
Job Title: Administrative Assistant III for Field Services
Kids: 3
Living Arrangements: Single family home
Most Admirable Trait: Organization
Naughtiest Childhood Behavior: Loved to stuff baby chicks in knapsacks and take carry them around the basement like they were little kids.
Overnight hospital stays: The birth of my son quickly followed by the removal of my gall bladder.
Phobias: Not sure.
Quote: “Don’t say that to me!”
Reason to smile: My kids, of course, even when I secretly want to throttle them and their teenage hormones!
Siblings: 1 younger brother
Time I wake up: 4:30 am
Unusual Talent or Skill: Someone needs to point one out to me, I really don’t know.
Vegetable I Refuse to Eat: Lima beans
Worst Habit: Overthink things
X-rays: Yep, had a chest x-ray after a TB test that the doctor couldn’t decide was positive or not. No, I do not have TB.
Yummy Stuff: Desserts!
Zoo Animal I Like Most: Giraffe
Want to do it too? Copy and paste it here!
With 156 responses to my jewelry set giveaway I’m in awe of the number of visits to my blog.
Originally I planned to offer up one set but due to the excitement of the carnival I’m going to offer up 2 sets instead.
Random.org generated the following 2 numbers for me:
4
Sally over at Smiling Sally!
Favorite animal: dog
Favorite color: blue
Favorite flower: rose
153
Collen over at A Spritz of Sis
Favorite animal: dog (but never a tiny, “designer” dog)
Favorite color: green
Favorite flower:carnation
Thanks everyone for stopping by. My two winners, drop me an email with your address and give me a couple weeks to start your jewelry sets and get them in the mail.
Photostory Friday hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek
I have not posted a recipe in ages, not that I haven’t been baking. Last Sunday I entertained a small troop of 4-H Cloverbuds at the house to talk about 4-H Indoor Exhibits for County Fair. Entertaining always means offering something to snack on so I went for the birthday present my Mom sent me the Deceptively Delicious cookbook. Everyone loved these cookies, including my sugar hungry step daughter, and you couldn’t even tell the chickpeas were in it.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray Didn’t bother to use any on my cookie sheet.
1 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
3/4 cup trans-fat-free soft tub Ok, I’m not that healthy, I used 3/4 cup butter.
Margarine spread
2 large egg whites
2 tsps pure vanilla extract
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional) Skipped those.
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer (I used an electric mixer and it mixed things up really smoothly including the chick peas so the mix wasn’t super lumpy), beat the sugar and margarine with a wooden sppon or on medium speed until smooth. beat in the egg whites and vanilla, then the chickpeas, and chocolate chips. Add the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt and mix on low speed until a thick dough forms.
Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto the baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart, Press gently with a fork to flatten. (Very important step otherwise your cookie puff up and don’t cook in the middle.) Bake until the cookies are golden brown and set, 11 to 13 minutes , do not over bake. (That’s important too.) Cool.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
