Flashback Friday: The Final Flashback

Edit: I'm going to put this way up here at the top of the page, since I've gotten multiple emails on the subject. No, I'm not quitting blogging. Just flashbacks :) Alright then, on we go...

Over the past few months I've had an ongoing battle with myself, about whats best for me and family. I've been trying to eliminate the things that stress me out. One by one, various things have been dismissed. Things both online, and off. Its like I walk around holding an invisible computer mouse, and if I come across something that I realize has been causing more stress than its worth, I click on it, and drag it to the recycling bin. It really is that simple.

As much as I hate to admit it, one of the things that causes my stomach to tighten and my breath to hold itself in frustration, is this blog. Because I just don't have time for it. And its not just "the blog", because anyone who has one knows that its a whole hard-to-wrap package that you have to deal with, its being online in general. I wrote before, about wanting to get back to a simpler kind of life, and somehow I drifted away from that. I always drift away from my goals. Why? Because I get distracted. Its hard not to, when distractions are endlessly swirling around you, and so much easier to reach and out and lean on, rather than using your own tired balance and standing your ground.

So come Monday night, when normally I'd sit down to blog- I just, didn't.

And then on Tuesday night, when normally if I had missed Monday, I'd really rush to get a post finished- I just, didn't.

And then on Wednesday night, when all of the chores were done, and the kids were tucked in, I thought "hmm, I've got an extra few minutes, maybe I'll blog tonight". ...and it was pleasant. I took more time finding my words, I wrote in deeper detail about the experience- it was what I've been missing.

And so came the decision- to give up Flashback Friday.

I've been doing this here weekly get together for years now. Boy that felt weird to write. I had lost my passion for it some time ago, but kept on keepin' on, because I knew that so many other people liked to play along, and I liked reading their memories. Your memories.

Some of you have been doing this for just as long as I have, every week, for years.
Lauren has been a total Flashback rockstar. If there was an award to give, she'd be the ultimate winner. I feel like I grew up with her, because of how many of her memories I've been invited to read. Lauren, seriously- you're the Flashback queen. So while I've got your attention, Miss Lauren, are you at all interested in taking over the weekly duty of being host? Okay so maybe I should have shot you an email ahead of time, but- it just dawned on me as I was writing this, that maybe your passion for my Flashback baby is as strong as mine? If not, and please don't feel obligated to say yes, then I'd like to extend the offer to anyone else thats up for the job.

Flashback Fridays is like my flour baby. Remember, carrying around a sack of flour and pretending that its your baby? Okay, I never actually did that, I think I read about it in a book when I was a kid, but- you get the point. I want to pass this along to somebody whos not only going to post the pictures, but also write out the memories to go along with it. Someone who can keep up with it every week- writing it as though they're re living it, setting it up on time, reading the posts of others. All of it. If Miss Lauren happens to say no, then I'll still need a Godmother for my Flashback flour baby. If you think you might be interested in being a new Mama to a meme cookie (get it, flour, cookie... I'm running outta creative juice here), then please send me an email.

So this is it folks. My Final Flashback. Hold on, we're turning this into a musical...



...yep, thats how it is in this house. Every day. All day long.
Ignore my post workout attire. I got my sweaty early morning sunshine walk on earlier.

I asked Christopher what he thought I should write about as my grand finale, and he said I should just flashback to previous flashbacks. "Well that dumb", I said as my response. But ummm... yeah here I am, a couple days later, without a big bang to go out with, using my husbands dumb idea.

I've done 91 flashbacks. ...yeah. That many.

Well there was this one, where you can clearly see that Christopher and I were made for each other. This is a great post, with a beautiful black and white mirror shot of Eleanore as a baby. Our first Thanksgiving- that one just had me say "I love you honey", to Christopher, after reading it. Me as a little league ladybug, you gotta love that. This old one of me in Portland. I barely recognize that girl. Oh! And who can forget Pittin' Out With Travis Barker? Because I remember being so mortified when I posted that. Might as well re live the embarrassment one more time, right? And because its Fathers Day this next weekend, a couple of Flashbacks about my Dad. This one. And this one. And then the one that started it all, my very first flashback.

Thanks everyone, whos stopped by to read them, link up and play along, or ever sent me a comment in an email about a particular post- its been fun. I hope that my Friday only readers will stick around to read about our present day adventures, but if not, thats okay too. Next Friday I'll post the link to the new hosts blog, if somebody steps up to the plate.

And now I'll post the rules, for the last time *sniffle* (because its bittersweet)-

***************************
So heres what we do. Every week we dig through our memories- old cell phone pictures, polaroids from 1986, something that you pulled out of a dirty shoe box- and we flashback to it. We show it off, and we write about it. We take ourselves back to that place, with as little or as much detail as our hearts are willing to share. Scan it, upload it, copy and paste it from your livejournal (remember those?)- display your memories in whatever way works for you. And then grab out button way down at the bottom of the page there (or link back old fashioned text style), add it to your flashback, add your link to our flashback, and if you've got an extra minute- maybe browse around and read some of the flashbacks left by others. Its just for fun. And really- memories are too precious to be left in an old dirty shoe box.



This is a comment-free blog.

Flashback Friday: Goodbye To Baking

So its official then. Yesterday we sold all of our gluten free baking supplies. The flours, the pastas, the mixes, the binders- all of it, gone. I'm going to strip all of the recipes from my cabinets, pull the notepads out of my drawers, and throw them all into a box out in the garage with the rest of our "don't need this stuff anymore" stuff.

This was a bold move for me. Its been months since we cut the grains and baked goods out of our day to day, and instantly I knew it felt right. Right away we felt better. Our digestive issues slowly started to resolve, and within a week or two, the healing process of mine and my sons stomachs had picked up speed, and we were (dare I say) cured.

I went through all of the cabinets and fished out all of our gluten free flours- the sorghum, the buckwheat, the brown rice, the white rice, the cornmeal, the cornstarch, the white corn, the course corn, the tapioca, the arrowroot, the millet, the xanthan gum, the baking powder- and I piled them up on the counter, telling myself that soon I'd go through the kitchen and pantry, grab the rest of the stuff, and I'd sell it.

How crazy is this?! What am I doing? We've been gluten free 5 years. Its taken me half a decade to get to this point of knowing what all of this stuff is, how it works, and how to make it work well. Am I really going to put all of that behind me and just walk away from it?

So another month passed. And then one day when I was needing more counter space for some hand washed dishes to dry on, I got sick of looking at the pile of instant pudding and oatmeal that I knew I'd never ever use again, no matter what, and I collected it all, and moved it to the dining room table.

It was time.

I went through and wrote down the prices of everything. I added up the cost of the things from the kitchen freezer, the deep freezer, the shelves in the laundry room (our back up stuff). I came up with a price, and put it up for sale. I got an email that night.

Yesterday Christopher took it down for me (because hes lost the keys to his scooter, which is about to get sold as well, because its always something with that dang thing), and made the exchange.

We're really doing this. We're really a raw vegan family.
We're coming out of the pantry. And It feels good.

So today I'm going to flashback upon some of my old gluten free favorites. Some recipes that I either posted or at least wrote about here on the blog. Soon my "gluten free recipes" section is going to be replaced with a "raw vegan" tab. They won't completely disappear, I'll keep a link to them somewhere in there, but- we're done with baking folks. This is it for us. Un-baking is the new baking, hah.

Expect ridiculously healthy things in our future.

Say yes to life.
(Yep, I said it.)

The very best sandwich bread of all time ever.


The cobbler that made this mess.


Thin mint style cookies.


Broccoli Baked Potato Soup.


Jumbo chocolate chip banana muffins.


6 layer chocolate peanut butter birthday cake.


Tia's allergic to everything lasagna.


My very favorite banana bread. (I never got around to posting my recipe- but email me if you want it?)

I'm not going to lie- I miss it. Sometimes I get a really strong craving for something that I know I can't have, just because I smell it and I haven't had enough calories yet that day (which is one of the hardest parts- eating enough). We cheat, from time to time, and steam things a little bit longer than they need to be steamed, or indulge in a high fat night, with a meal heavy in different kinds of nuts, prepared gourmet style (like sushi night).

We're still new to this. Its going to take awhile for this to become our new normal. We're getting there.

So. Goodbye muffin tins and timers. Goodbye gluten free baking. Hello cutting boards and spiral slicers. Hello life.





***************************
So heres what we do. Every week we dig through our memories- old cell phone pictures, polaroids from 1986, something that you pulled out of a dirty shoe box- and we flashback to it. We show it off, and we write about it. We take ourselves back to that place, with as little or as much detail as our hearts are willing to share. Scan it, upload it, copy and paste it from your livejournal (remember those?)- display your memories in whatever way works for you. And then grab out button way down at the bottom of the page there (or link back old fashioned text style), add it to your flashback, add your link to our flashback, and if you've got an extra minute- maybe browse around and read some of the flashbacks left by others. Its just for fun. And really- memories are too precious to be left in an old dirty shoe box.









This is a comment-free blog.

Flashback Friday: Another End Of The Week Rant

I need a distraction, right now. Something to take my mind away from my own thoughts.

Its Thursday night while I write this. I just tucked the older two into bed, knowing that they were going to stay awake and play, disobeying every rule that I had given them before turning off their light and walking out the door. I came down to the couch, nursed the baby into her dreams, moved her from my lap to her bed, and even though the kids are indeed being rowdy, tossing around a Thomas toy and using blankets as fake parachutes- I just don't care to go yell at them right now.

Theres a stomach virus going around the house. Eleanore had it for a day, and then passed it along, like an unwanted gift, to me. I've had it for 2 days now, today being much better than yesterday, and I'm just ready for it to be over. I left the house today, going out to the store to take care of business, even though all I wanted to do was lay in bed all day, and when they didn't have what I wanted, I had to venture off base into town and go to a different store, just for something that ended up not being worth while anyways.

Christopher's uncle passed away. ...theres not much else I can say about it. Its hitting Christopher pretty hard in several ways- the thought of death, the thought of us leaving behind our kids, him not being able to be there for his family while they're hurting, the general idea of having lost of a family member- and so it in turn hits me pretty hard. I want to help Christopher feel better, he wants to help them feel better, we all hate that it happened, and so on and so forth. RIP Uncle Mike.

Its been in the high 90's every day. It was 113 a few days ago. One hundred and thirteen degrees. And now that I know for certain that heat and sunlight intensify my stroke like migraine symptoms, I really can't risk going outside. We had some friends come over last weekend, and our dang canopy snapped in half, so we all ended up sitting on blankets under the trampolene. Sure, it was fun in a summer camp pow wow kind of way, we didn't mind, but- I'm tired of being trapped inside. I feel like there are jail bars on my windows and padlocks on the outsides of the doors. Knowing that I shouldn't go outside, makes me want to do it that much more.

...I just went and yelled at the kids, twice, because they apparently don't think I'm serious? It had to be done.

I'm feeling very under pressure lately. Like I'm being pulled in so many different directions, like some kind of sticky to the touch stretch armstrong octopus toy? There isn't enough of me to go around. And I always come back to this same dilemma, and question myself what I can cut back on, or eliminate entirely. Today I revisited the idea of ending blogging. But I really do love it, when I write the way that my fingers naturally write. Its when I try to force something out of nothing- post something that sure, I'd like to remember, but, it maybe just isn't something worth sitting down and typing about? So I went back to a year ago in my archives. Last summer. And I found my answer. I won't quit just yet, even though I feel like its inching up on me, like when an ocean wave comes out of nowhere and erases the name that you worked so hard to spell in the sand with a prize piece of driftwood, and one day- maybe I'll just stop? Maybe it won't be so important to me anymore, to document our lives the way that I do? But anyways, my temporary solution, was to bring my writing back to where it was. Do things that are worth writing about, and really feel them. Be there in the moment, and then when the moment is over, bring it from in living color, to black and white type. The thing is, those kinds of things, they don't happen every day. They only happen when you let them happen. And to let them happen, you have to step away from all of the things that are pulling your armstrong octopus legs in all of those directions, stop caring, and let all of the tension builders snap and fall backwards as you retract. ...So I won't be writing as much.

The noise stopped upstairs. They must have fallen asleep. And it only took 45 minutes, and two trips up the stairs for discipline (I turned off the train toy and made him lay on a pillow by himself, because clearly he wasn't playing nicely).

Never mind. I just heard talking.

And another thing- I really want to take more pictures. I want to make photography more than it currently is. Not just pictures of my kids, because I hate to admit that I'm sort of getting past that, but- just pictures. Pictures of things that I like, because I like them. I want to learn new things and experiment with inspiration. I want to grow as a photographer. ...but when do I have the time?

I want to start running again. The other night I was lacing up my shoes to mow the lawn, which I ended up skipping, and I had a jolting urge to just take off down the street. The air was cool enough, and my spirits were high- I just wanted to go. Its been a year and a half since I ran. First the baby was my excuse, and then my facial paralysis and headaches. So whats my excuse now? Time. A lack of a decent pair of running shoes (because really, who has an extra $60 laying around?). Fear. ...Its just another thing that I want to do for myself, that would take away from all of the other things that I want to, or should, be doing, and if I take an hour to do that now, then I'll just be up an hour later, making up for the things that I didn't get done when I was out doing that other thing.

I'm finding that I get jealous, pissy even, over the most ridiculous of things. Somebody wearing makeup- because Lord knows I don't have the time for blush and eyeliner. Somebody going on vacation- we've never been on a vacation. We never even had a honeymoon. We've never even had a night, or a few hours even, without the kids. Women with clothes that fit, people with places to be, I AM LOSING IT.

I need a vacation. I need my best friend. I need to laugh with my Dad over something stupid that we used to do when I was 15 and we spent summers out on his boat singing songs about wearing towel turbans on our heads and dodging boat attacking bees.

...I need to have the ocean wipe away my name that I worked so hard to write. So that I can write it again. And again. And again.

There. I got it all out. Most of it at least. I feel like my heart has slowed down a beat or two since I sat down and started typing, so I must have done something right. Even if it was all nonsense that you just skimmed through to get to the flashback at the end of the page. ...I probably would have done the same.

And now onto our feature presentation-



No detailed story tonight. This is one of my favorite pictures (2006), although I've never admitted that to myself until now, taken in one of the bathrooms at my parents farm house. And really, I just want to look at it for awhile.

***************************
So heres what we do. Every week we dig through our memories- old cell phone pictures, polaroids from 1986, something that you pulled out of a dirty shoe box- and we flashback to it. We show it off, and we write about it. We take ourselves back to that place, with as little or as much detail as our hearts are willing to share. Scan it, upload it, copy and paste it from your livejournal (remember those?)- display your memories in whatever way works for you. And then grab out button way down at the bottom of the page there (or link back old fashioned text style), add it to your flashback, add your link to our flashback, and if you've got an extra minute- maybe browse around and read some of the flashbacks left by others. Its just for fun. And really- memories are too precious to be left in an old dirty shoe box.








This is a comment-free blog. (And tonight its probably better that way, yeesh, sorry)

Flashback Friday: Mowing the Lawn

I just drank a delicious quart of fresh squeezed orange pineapple juice, the kids are watching Carebears II for the billionth time (we've all got the movie memorized start to finish), the baby is happily making her panda friends play on their exersaucer teeter totter, hubby is doing something on his computer (probably in a Honda Ruckus forum geeking out over some type of make-it-sound-louder or get-it-to-reach-42-mph something or other), and here I am... flashing back.

Oh, and if you're at all interested in making fun of my silly Texas accent (I guess I've been away from the PNW for wayyy too long, huh? -it gets thicker when I'm nervous and when I really get to talking), then feel free to click over to yesterdays blog, to watch my very first vlog. I won't blame you if you don't watch all 10 minutes of it.


...I couldn't really think of much today, to go back in time to look at. I didn't want to go dig through my piles and piles of loose photos out in the pantry, and to be honest, I didn't really want to get off the couch. So looking through the files on my computer, I found some old pictures of Christopher and Eleanore mowing the lawn, from about 3 year ago.



This was before we lived in the house that we live in now. We lived on the other end of base, in the yucko stucco housing. There were gaps under our doors, the windows would either get stuck when we opened them, or get stuck while closed, not letting us open them up at all. And did I mention there were scorpions in the house? Not, fun. But, it was our first non apartment, and for the short 6 months that we lived there, it was our home.

Eleanore used to like to help Daddy mow the lawn. Even if it was way too hot outside and her cheeks turned bright pink. Also, as I was looking at these pictures, I remembered when we only had to provide clothing for one child, rather than three. Eleanore had much cuter clothes back then. Pretty dresses with floral patterns, polka dots, and stripes. Nowadays all the kids end up wearing whatever I can pick up for $2 at Target or Walmart, or whatever I come across at a garage sale, even if it has a hole or stain from its previous owner. But sometimes we really luck out, and somebody somewhere, a good friend or family member, sends us a box of t shirts and shorts, maybe pajamas, with the babies in mind. Thank you,

And now I feel a little bit of mom guilt.

But we've got our priorities, right? Eating healthy food and preserving memories is more important than wearing flashy clothes? ...well I can get away with that for now, at least. And maybe if I deal my cards right, and prepare my pineapple perfectly, the kids won't care that they're wearing a shirt from 1988, that was sewn for a short stubby kid, rather than a miniature sasquatch, instead of getting to go waste their very small amount of college fund money on whatever it is that every other kid is wearing.

Also, we need to mow the lawn today. 100 degrees or not.

***************************
So heres what we do. Every week we dig through our memories- old cell phone pictures, polaroids from 1986, something that you pulled out of a dirty shoe box- and we flashback to it. We show it off, and we write about it. We take ourselves back to that place, with as little or as much detail as our hearts are willing to share. Scan it, upload it, copy and paste it from your livejournal (remember those?)- display your memories in whatever way works for you. And then grab out button way down at the bottom of the page there (or link back old fashioned text style), add it to your flashback, add your link to our flashback, and if you've got an extra minute- maybe browse around and read some of the flashbacks left by others. Its just for fun. And really- memories are too precious to be left in an old dirty shoe box.




This is a comment free blog, thank you.

Flashback Friday: The Life Of A Lovey

So its finally Friday. How many of you are singing a sigh of relief, as this week comes to a close?

Christopher's career application is in a far off land by now, overnighted from Abilene to its destination, to have a physical hard copy into their hands first thing in the morning. If he gets the job- awwwwwesome! If he doesn't- we'll mourn the loss of a tank of gas.

Woke up to thunder and lightning, took the kids out puddle stomping in their pajamas, drank a quart of fresh squeezed orange juice (omega juicer, y'all!). We're ready for the weekend.

And now, onto the life of a Lovey...

I started giving Lovey to Charlie when he was a baby, so he'd have something to snuggle when he tried to roll over in his sleep. He used it as a body pillow. It went from being a downstairs thing, when he was in the pack n play, to having to be taken upstairs with him when he went into his crib.



We had no idea that he'd become so attached. At first it was called his "dog pillow", but evolved into being known as Lovey.



The day that I realized it was more than just a sleep companion, was the happiest day of Charlie's life. His best friend could now come everywhere with him! Not just off into dreams.



Lovey's nose sort of resembled a nipple. I mean really- it does. So naturally, Charlie would suck on it. Sometimes he'd try to get both his binky and his Lovey into his mouth at the same time, and then cry when one would fall out.



They would fall asleep in all sorts of crazy positions. I don't know how that could possibly be comfortable, but they both slept soundly, so-

See? Lovey is apparently a person.



Lovey was there to comfort Charlie when he had his EEG. And he was there when we took our trip to Dallas to confront Charlie's seizures, which turned out to be stereotopies, and have since settled into a once every couple of weeks happening, rather than 20 times a day.



They waited together not so patiently when Daddy was working late nights, or off taking classes.



Lovey seemed like Charlie's only friend, when baby sister was born. Nobody understood what it was like, but Lovey. Charlie didn't get picked up as much, Mommy's lap was off limits, and when the nights got lonely, Lovely soaked up Charlie's tears and told him it would be alright.

From then on, Charlie and Lovey were even more inseparable. Bad Boys For Life.Sorry, yeah, I really said that.



Lovey, look!! A firetruck parade!!



And Lovey got to be with Charlie when he had tubes put into his ears. Mommy couldn't go with him, but Lovey and binky could. And they stayed with him the whole entire time. Lovey is there for Charlie when he needs him the most.



Charlie tried to protect Lovey the same way that he protected him, but- well you just shouldn't take a Lovey out into the snow, ya know? Snow is slippery, and wet. And it sure is sad when we get cold and wet.


Its pretty nice, having someone to watch Thomas with. Or Wonder Pets. or Blues Clues. Or Care Bears. Those are the only shows that Charlie watches, so those are the only shows that Lovey watches. They never fight over what to watch. They just hang out. Happily. Like friends should.


...but recently something happened. Nothing bad, don't get the wrong idea. Just, the better Charlie is feeling (the less his tummy troubles him, he doesn't get ear infections anymore)- the less hes needing his Lovey.

The other day when I was wanting to put Charlie down for a nap, which didn't end up happening, I was looking around the room for Lovey and Binky, and- where the heck were they? Christopher chimed in and said "I think they're still up in his bed".

...Um, no.
Wait, really?

Because although this post was about Lovey- where there was Lovey, there was binky. And where there was Lovey and binky, there was Charlie. Thats how its always been. Thats just how it is.

Sure enough, the duo was upstairs in his bed. And there they waited for him until he crawled into bed to join him come storytime, just before the lights went out.

And the same thing happened the next night.

And the next night.

And the- ...*sigh*

Lovey and Binky: Charlie still loves you, hes just growing up. He still needs you just as much as he did before, but more at night now than during the day.

So today, while Charlie carries around his precious lightning mcqueen in his right hand, and does everything else with his left because he couldn't possibly put it down, Lovey and Binky wait patiently up in his bed, hoping that today we'll have a nap time, or that night will come sooner.





***************************
So heres what we do. Every week we dig through our memories- old cell phone pictures, polaroids from 1986, something that you pulled out of a dirty shoe box- and we flashback to it. We show it off, and we write about it. We take ourselves back to that place, with as little or as much detail as our hearts are willing to share. Scan it, upload it, copy and paste it from your livejournal (remember those?)- display your memories in whatever way works for you. And then grab out button way down at the bottom of the page there (or link back old fashioned text style), add it to your flashback, add your link to our flashback, and if you've got an extra minute- maybe browse around and read some of the flashbacks left by others. Its just for fun. And really- memories are too precious to be left in an old dirty shoe box.









This is a comment-free blog, thank you.

Flashback Friday: Door Harp

It appears that blogger has had the hiccups for the past couple days? Boooo to that. And sorry for the lack of posting, and especially the delay of our weekly flashback. Maybe I'll do some postings this weekend to make up for the lack of posts during the week.

This week I'm doing a different sort of flashback. Usually I flashback using old pictures, but today I'm using a new picture, with old memories. Change it up a bit...

I didn't get many gifts for my birthday this year. I didn't need many gifts, I wasn't expecting many gifts, but what I did get, was more perfect than any gift I could have hoped for.

See when I was a child, after my family and I moved to Washington state, I used to take summer trips by myself down to California (I'd fly alone) to visit our family.

And there was nothing better, than that first step into my Grammy (who was called "Grandma Chyrl" back then) and Grandpa's house- the smell of their cool crisp air, and the sound of their beautiful door harp.

Every time we'd open and close the door, beautiful music would play. I'd never seen anything like it, and to this day that remains true.

I had mentioned to my Grammy, in one of those random and kind of depressing "Tia I need to know what you'd like as your inheritance" emails. The door harp was the first thing that came to mind. The specific item, but really the melody that it sings, that reminds me the most of some of the most important people in my life, and the vivid summers that we spent together.

Grammy, if nobody has claimed your fifth wheel yet and the truck to pull it, I'll take that too :)

When my birthday package came, I was all too anxious to open it, a few days early maybe. I saw the wooden edge, and assumed it was a frame of some sort, but didn't want to ruin the surprise (I was only trying to get to the card anyways), so quickly put it back into the package, and when Christopher got home, had him go peek and tell me if I'd like it or not (I'm terrible, right?).

I didn't want to ruin my birthday surprise entirely, so I left it alone until the morning of May 5, and then anxiously asked for it, still not knowing what it was, first thing.



It was my door harp. My Grammy had sent it to me early.

At first I was overcome with joy. And then sadness, because- that means that the next time I walk into her house, I won't hear the beautiful music.

Later that evening, during my birthday phone call, she assured me that she has another, and the pretty songs still sing when they go in and out.

It was the best gift ever.

It will hang in our home forever and ever, until theres no door for it to hang on anymore. And then it will be passed on to one of my daughters, or maybe one of their daughters.

So girls: better fight over who gets it now. Eleanore, you're the oldest, so you kinda get the upper hand in this situation. Just sayin'.

Grammy I love you.
Thank you.

***************************
So heres what we do. Every week we dig through our memories- old cell phone pictures, polaroids from 1986, something that you pulled out of a dirty shoe box- and we flashback to it. We show it off, and we write about it. We take ourselves back to that place, with as little or as much detail as our hearts are willing to share. Scan it, upload it, copy and paste it from your livejournal (remember those?)- display your memories in whatever way works for you. And then grab out button way down at the bottom of the page there (or link back old fashioned text style), add it to your flashback, add your link to our flashback, and if you've got an extra minute- maybe browse around and read some of the flashbacks left by others. Its just for fun. And really- memories are too precious to be left in an old dirty shoe box.

Flashback Friday- Turning 26

I want so badly to write about how my birthday went. The ups and the downs. The giant spider that I thought was going to leap on me and the baby while we floated on a standing dock in the lake. The park that we drove an hour to go to, that turned out to be closed due to construction. How we ran out of bananas and feasted on grapes, mangoes, and strawberry cheesecake all day. Theres so much I want to say!

Buts its Flashback Friday, so-
I'll have to wait until Monday.



Pictures from my birthday last year!

I was plump and pregnant, Christopher and Eleanore made me a gluten free chocolate cake with raspberry icing from scratch, we all washed the car together and played in the hose water, we filled my new bird feeder and hung my new birdhouse, I got flowers, and cat mugs, and stickers and measuring spoons in the shape of hearts- all of that.

Turning 26 was unbeatable.
That is, until today when I turned 27.

***************************
So heres what we do. Every week we dig through our memories- old cell phone pictures, polaroids from 1986, something that you pulled out of a dirty shoe box- and we flashback to it. We show it off, and we write about it. We take ourselves back to that place, with as little or as much detail as our hearts are willing to share. Scan it, upload it, copy and paste it from your livejournal (remember those?)- display your memories in whatever way works for you. And then grab out button way down at the bottom of the page there (or link back old fashioned text style), add it to your flashback, add your link to our flashback, and if you've got an extra minute- maybe browse around and read some of the flashbacks left by others. Its just for fun. And really- memories are too precious to be left in an old dirty shoe box.









This is a comment-free blog.

Flashback Friday: Operation Dyess Kids

I woke up with the mother of all spinal tap headaches, and the only thing that relieves it is lying flat on my back or stomach. So thats what I'm doing- face half smushed into the couch cushion, one arm tucked under my body, the other draped over the edge of the couch typing one handed on my laptop.

This, sucks.

And sure, lying down is working for now, but the moment I stand up, or even so much as lift my head- bang bang bang!

So this flashback isn't going to be quite as detailed as I had wanted to make it, which is probably for the better, since I wasn't actually there for most of it. Charlie had an ear infection that day, and had started screaming with not a chance of being comforted, right as the activities were getting started. I did everything I could to turn his sobs into giggles, but the marines yelling behind my singing voice were just too dang loud, and we had to leave early.

They do this thing here on base called Operation Dyess Kids. Its where the kids get to go on a mock deployment. They get t shirts, dog tags, id cards, go through physical training, fill out paperwork, take all their "medicine" (jellybeans), go on the planes, and go to the desert.

Its kind of the coolest thing ever, if you're a kid.
Unless you're a one year old and terrified of the shouting soldiers.



Pretty cool stuff, Miss Eleanore.
Maybe we'll try again this year, Mr Charlie.

***************************
So heres what we do. Every week we dig through our memories- old cell phone pictures, polaroids from 1986, something that you pulled out of a dirty shoe box- and we flashback to it. We show it off, and we write about it. We take ourselves back to that place, with as little or as much detail as our hearts are willing to share. Scan it, upload it, copy and paste it from your livejournal (remember those?)- display your memories in whatever way works for you. And then grab out button way down at the bottom of the page there (or link back old fashioned text style), add it to your flashback, add your link to our flashback, and if you've got an extra minute- maybe browse around and read some of the flashbacks left by others. Its just for fun. And really- memories are too precious to be left in an old dirty shoe box.

Flashback Friday- Its A Dinglehoppah!

I wanted to blog last night, about our yesterday. I tried to blog, but between the tornado siren going off while I was home alone with 3 kids and no access to the local news, my awful face pounding headache that I eventually killed with tylenol (which I had been avoiding for the past 4 days) and my new laptop not uploading pictures from my camera, I decided to just call it quits and go to bed instead. Makes sense, right?

I've mentioned how the screen saver on our desktop is a slide show of pictures and videos, yeah? We don't have many videos, since we don't have an actual video camera, just the video recording capability on our digital cameras, and I'm just not very good at manually focusing a video- so... ok anyways, well whenever a video pops up on the screen saver, I always stop to watch it.

So I thought I'd flashback to a few years ago, before Charlie and Evelyn were born, when little Eleanore was the only free spirit in the house...


"Yeah baby, dance!". Oh Elie, you make me so so happy. It helps me to look back and see how you were before you were bombarded with a brother and a sister. It helps me regroup, and see things from a different angle.

How about another video? The infamous dinglehopper video? Yes please!!



That video will never ever get old. Ever. Too bad shes lost all interest in The Little Mermaid, even though she used to watch it every single day, sometimes twice a day if she could. I remember I'd set her up on my bed and play it on the VCR in our bedroom, while I rushed in and took a shower. And I could always tell how long I had been in there, by listening to what part in the movie she was at. I'd usually get out around the same time that Prince Eric's boat took a nose dive. I was always afraid that she'd try to get off the bed by herself, and fall and hurt herself (which she did once, but was too scared to try it ever again).

I need to make more videos.
Every day.
And thats that.

***************************
So heres what we do. Every week we dig through our memories- old cell phone pictures, polaroids from 1986, something that you pulled out of a dirty shoe box- and we flashback to it. We show it off, and we write about it. We take ourselves back to that place, with as little or as much detail as our hearts are willing to share. Scan it, upload it, copy and paste it from your livejournal (remember those?)- display your memories in whatever way works for you. And then grab out button way down at the bottom of the page there (or link back old fashioned text style), add it to your flashback, add your link to our flashback, and if you've got an extra minute- maybe browse around and read some of the flashbacks left by others. Its just for fun. And really- memories are too precious to be left in an old dirty shoe box.

Flashback Friday- Happy 50th Birthday, Mom

I apologize for the late posting of the flashback. I spent all morning at the neurologist, and came home to a sick baby choking on her own snot, with a fever of 101.7. Rough times, folks. But, for future reference, flashbacks are now going to be posted every Friday at 10am. I'm going to set them up ahead of time, so its like clockwork. This way you're not checking in multiple times a day, waiting for the linky to be up. I'm way too flaky these days to do it any other way.



On Sunday, it was my Mom's birthday. Not just any birthday, but her 50th birthday.

I never imagined my parents being 50. As a kid, 50 was an old age, that only grandparents were. And well I guess that makes sense, they are grandparents. But still, when I thought about the future, I could never picture my mom as being 50.

I don't talk about my Mom as much as I do my Dad. We have a very different relationship, her and I. We butt heads, we disagree, we don't understand each other. All the while though, shes still my Mother, and I love her. And especially after having kids of my own, I have a new sort of respect for her. Its not an easy job, this motherhood thing.

One time, I must have been around 6 or 7, my Mom and I had to go out to run errands together during a summer day. I remember stopping at the gas station first, where we bought fountain sodas and fueled the car. And when I picture my mom, when I'm on the phone with her, or when I think about her randomly throughout the day (which I often do), this is the Mother that I picture...

I was waiting at the car, while she went inside to pay for the gas. As she was walking out of the gas station, across the AmPm parking lot- she was beautiful. Her blond curls were full of bounce as she walked, her big white smile reflected the summer day as she reached the car, carrying cherry cokes in her hands, and her confidence and happiness was overpowering. She was gorgeous.

I remember that day we went to the social security office. And maybe the canned food store. But on our way out of a public building, a man holding the door for her made an inappropriate comment towards her ("whoa, you've got yourself some Dolly Parton boobs"), and my mom walked straight past him and ignored it with class.

That day stands out in my memory better than any other day.
Mom, you were beautiful then, and you're beautiful now. I love you.
Happy 50th Birthday.

*************************** So heres what we do. Every week we dig through our memories- old cell phone pictures, polaroids from 1986, something that you pulled out of a dirty shoe box- and we flashback to it. We show it off, and we write about it. We take ourselves back to that place, with as little or as much detail as our hearts are willing to share. Scan it, upload it, copy and paste it from your livejournal (remember those?)- display your memories in whatever way works for you. And then grab out button way down at the bottom of the page there (or link back old fashioned text style), add it to your flashback, add your link to our flashback, and if you've got an extra minute- maybe browse around and read some of the flashbacks left by others. Its just for fun. And really- memories are too precious to be left in an old dirty shoe box.

Flashback Friday: Eleanore

So remember last week, how I kinda just posted a whole bunch of random pictures, and didn't really write much about them, but instead kinda let the pictures speak for themselves? Well I really liked that. So I'm going to do it again. And this week, I think I'm going to do pictures of just Eleanore.

I sure am missing her baby days.



Makes me want to go grab her and give her a big hug right now. Beautiful little girl. I wish I would have known then, that I should try to bottle up just a teensy bit of her personality, and hold onto it forever. Because the older she gets, the more it changes, and the more I miss it.

The giggles, the curls in her long blond hair, watching The Little Mermaid every day for 4 months straight. I miss it.

***************************
So heres what we do. Every week we dig through our memories- old cell phone pictures, polaroids from 1986, something that you pulled out of a dirty shoe box- and we flashback to it. We show it off, and we write about it. We take ourselves back to that place, with as little or as much detail as our hearts are willing to share. Scan it, upload it, copy and paste it from your livejournal (remember those?)- display your memories in whatever way works for you. And then grab out button way down at the bottom of the page there (or link back old fashioned text style), add it to your flashback, add your link to our flashback, and if you've got an extra minute- maybe browse around and read some of the flashbacks left by others. Its just for fun. And really- memories are too precious to be left in an old dirty shoe box.




This is a comment-free blog. Thank you.