In the Blink of an Eye

Saturday morning I sat at my dining room table and looked out the bay window and for what seems like the first time, I noticed the lilac bushes to the left of my yard. As much as I love the beauty of nature, I have never found the inclination to prune or garden or educate myself in anything having to do with gardening. In fact, if it were not for the fact that I feel every sinus cavity instantly fill up when I am around bloomed lilacs, I probably wouldn't even know the name of the pretty flowers that bloom from those bushes every spring.

But this spring feels different to me. Or maybe I feel differently this spring. This spring, I have a an urge to do things to the yard. Things that are foreign to me. Like follow through with Molly's desire to have a garden. Like cut away at the dead branches from the three towering pine trees that separate my yard from the neighbor's straight behind me. Like tame the wild overgrown lilac bushes before they start to bud.

"Before they start to bud". That was what shocked me when I looked out the same bay window on Sunday morning. There were buds on the lilac bushes. Just. Like. That. Saturday morning, no buds. Sunday morning, buds.

Monday morning was a whole new experience. As I drove through town I felt a quiet excitement growing inside my belly. Everywhere I turned I saw buds and leaves and blooming trees. And then I remember how much I love this short span of time every spring. It is so magical and I want to share.

Main Street with blooming trees

Looking up the street where we live

A beautiful and very historical cemetery

And there you have it. Spring has sprung...in the blink of an eye.

Try As I May; Try As I Might...

...I just can't stop thinking about the desserts in my sight.

In the spirit of my wish to become a healthy person this year, I try to keep at least one piece of fruit on my desk at all times. That way, if I am hungry when I get into work, or need a sweet snack in the afternoon, I always have a healthy option right at my fingertips.

This morning, after not eating breakfast, I came into work and had the option of an apple, an orange, or a banana. Within a half hour, before I had a chance to choose a healthy option, I had three rugelachs (nuts, raisins, cherries rolled into a pastry with cream cheese - YUM), a slice of banana bread with chocolate chips, a loaf of homemade grinder bread, and a dish full of harvati cheese sitting on the counter RIGHT in front of me. Like at EYE LEVEL.

So for breakfast, I ate one rugelach, half a slice of banana bread (it had me at chocolate), and some harvati cheese on a hunk of the grinder roll.

Sometimes it is absolute hell to work in dining services. This was Recipes from Home Day so the chefs were pleased to pass along samples of the selected recipes. No arguments here.

As for the apple, orange, and banana....well, there's always tomorrow.

Wordless Wednesday: Cute Drawings

Rylee: Here's a picture I drew of me and my boyfriend today

Rylee: Here's a picture of me and my boyfriend, again.

Rylee: And here's a picture....pause...of I don't know

Wordless Wednesday: She's a Good Mommy

I glanced through the pictures on my phone while waiting for Molly to get out of drama practice yesterday and found these pictures that Rylee must have taken of her babies.

She's A Ticket

For the most part, Rylee has been doing a great job of sleeping in her own bed at night. There have been a few times when she was way overtired and wanted to sleep with me that I let her and there have been a couple of nights where she woke up scared and Molly carried her into me (Molly's just awesome). Well, one morning last week, I awoke with Rylee in my bed again, for the 4th night in a row. Knowing full well that this will continue if I don't do something soon, I casually mentioned to her that from now on she needs to stay in her own bed at night. To which she replied "I was just saying that to myself".

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The last two weeks I was on vacation from work but I still sent Rylee, my 4 year old, to school, most days, so I could get some things done around the house and workout without feeling rushed (it was glorious). On Friday, the last day of my vacation, Molly, my 14 year old, was staying home because she was still in a great deal of pain from getting braces plus she was getting a sore throat and felt a little feverish. I tried not to let Ry know that Molly would be home all day but somehow she just knew, and she was not happy about it.

The two of us were sitting at the counter, eating breakfast, when she says to me "I can't go to school today because I'm sick". Knowing she's fine, I impatiently look at her and ask "Oh yeah, what's wrong with you?". Without missing a beat she replies "I think I'm going to start".

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Sometimes not laughing is the hardest part of parenting.