The Dirty Blanket

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Many nights ago found my entire family laying in our driveway. We stretched out on my son’s dirty sleeping bag that still was in the garage after being put there two weeks prior from this three day camp. Out of sight. And all that. And when I say stretched, I mean crammed. A few nights ago my family crammed themselves onto a dirty blanket in the front yard. And it was one of my happiest moments.

When watching the news earlier that morning, we learned that there was going to be a meteor shower. It was going to be an early one. So it would be possible for the kids to see some shooting stars prior to their bedtime.

The plan was for us all to gather in the hot tub. I turned the hot tub on and due to circumstances unseen (long story) had to come up with an alternative.

My husband said, “Why don’t we just lay in the driveway?”

To which I replied, “Great idea! I am going to need you to move the cars to block the entrance to the driveway so we don’t get run over.”

This ensued in a little conversation about it being our driveway and why would someone pull into it. What would they be doing? How could that happen? And if you put all of those questions to a hypochondriac…Well, you will find there is always an answer. I ended up “winning.” Cause I am nothing if not cautious. And more than a little bit paranoid.

So, we blocked the driveway with our cars and stretched crammed onto our dirty blanket.

We were blocked from our neighbor’s views. Which made us giggle a few times when we heard people walking by and unknowingly talking amongst themselves.

Our heads were cradled by one of my pillows I had made from an old feed bag. I figured it had seen worse than our dirty blanket.

And we stared into the night sky. I felt so at peace. We laid out there for thirty minutes. We ended up seeing six falling stars. One of them was spectacular. It was right above our house. As stars tend to be. And it lit up the night sky like a firework.

My family slowly left and made their way inside. I was reluctant to move. To get up. To leave the serene moment behind.

But I did. I shoved the blanket back into the garage. God forbid I take it inside and wash it. At some point, I will have no choice. But for now, there it remains. It reminds me of serenity and falling bits of sky every time I see it.

Why can’t all soiled articles do the same? And why can’t every night be filled with sporadic lights across the sky? And memories being made?

Purity. It can come in any form.

Even a dirty blanket.

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P.S. I shared this on savvy southern style.

And My Romantic Home.

Dear Children: Halfway

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Today you have to go back to school after your long winter break. I just want to wring my hands and cry. I am not ready for you to go back. I have enjoyed every single moment of you being at home with me. Please don’t tell anyone this. I am afraid they will kick me out of Lazy-Mothers-R-Us. Although I was always too lazy to go to those meetings anyway (Do they even have meetings? Does the imaginary club I invented in my head carry on secret meetings? Must find this out…someday).

Halfway.

How is this school year halfway over?

The other night we spoke of homeschooling. Not seriously. I am not equipped to take on such a task. First, my knowledge is not up to par with today’s standards. Second, because I fear that we would have one hour of studying and seven hours of recess. Because that is what I am good at. This is perhaps why both of you were so gung-ho with the idea.

I asked you both what subject I would be capable of teaching and you both replied, “cooking.”

Awwww… Yes. Who needs math or english or science?

Let’s just all major in mashed potatoes.

Do they give scholarships for that?

Is it paid in potatoes or butter?

Halfway.

We are halfway through. But it means so much more than that. It means that in six months I will officially have no children in elementary school. Both of your schools will have the word “high” in them. I cannot see why, as it makes me feel so low.

And old.

Halfway.

It means that in six months, you, my daughter, will only have three years left at home with us. Three years! How am I ever going to manage this? It makes me want to hide in bed and never leave. And on some days I do just that. The idea of you leaving me is as foreign as the languages I will never homeschool you in.

Last night we gathered together backpacks and binders. Old lunches were found buried in the bottom of bags. A pleasant reminder as to why I joined Lazy-Mothers-R-Us in the first place. Inventory was taken and it seems that of the 2,587,463 pencils I purchased you at the beginning of the year, we have two left. Two! It also seems that both of your folders have been gnawed on and chewed then spit back out and mauled again. How else to explain the full lunches in both of your bags and the decrepit state of your folders? Maybe I’m not qualified to teach you cooking after all.

Halfway.

That is the status of my heart right now. Frozen between breaking in your absence and rejoicing in your return. It is in a stasis period. It seems to be the only thing not moving. For Time certainly has not stopped.

June. I try not to curse on this blog, but there never was such a bad four letter word as that one. The end of the school year. I always think of it as the end of yet another year that you will be with us. But maybe I am viewing this all wrong. It is, basically, the very beginning of a whole summer spent at home with me.

Maybe June isn’t such a bad word. In fact, maybe halfway isn’t either. Maybe this school year is halfway full instead of halfway empty. Oh, never mind, that analogy is useless with anything other than a glass.

Halfway.

Well, we are here whichever it may be. And, I, for one, am not even halfway ready for it.

Is it too late to stay home and make mashed potatoes?

I heard they taste better than binders.

And tears.

Easy Christmas DIY Ideas

These Christmas projects I have completed around my house are so incredibly simple anyone can do them.

I see you are still skeptical.

Well, let me introduce myself.

“Hello. I’m Anyone.”

And if I can do these crafts, you can, too. I use the word “craft” very loosely here.

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First up, instead of spending money on flowers during the holidays, I load my vases with giant paper pom pom flowers. This is a fun project to do with tissue paper. I purchased mine from a seller on Etsy. However, I have also made my own by cutting tissue paper. Martha Stewart also sells a fun and easy kit.

I usually use red and pink during Christmastime. But this year I needed something more peaceful. I chose the taupe and white. I have reused all of my paper pom poms for years. I had these leftover from my sister’s baby shower. No, I never throw anything away. Yes, it’s a problem. Just don’t tell Anyone.

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I saw this project in a woman’s home many years ago in Country Living Magazine. It is just a cheap felted red tree skirt you can purchase anywhere. I believe I bought mine during an after Christmas sale for $2. Just take a black sharpie and trace your kid’s handprints on it every year. The first year will look pretty sad. But each year the skirt gets better and better. I have done this for four years and it is so much fun to see how they have grown. Make sure you put the name and age of the child under the handprints.

This could also be a fun couple’s project. Just trace your husband’s and your own handprints each year with the date.

When the children are grown and out of the house, I plan to embroider around each handprint. I’ll have more time then, right?

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I like twine. A lot. I kind of want to use it on everything. I see my kids running now.

Any time I see a set of ornaments all the same, I think garland. The owl and little bird garlands both started out as cheap ornament packages. I just cut the strings on the ornaments and tied them onto the twine. Then I made a loop at each end. Hang these wherever you desire. And done! This is such an inexpensive project.

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I have even made a mushroom garland for my little tree.

What are your fun and easy projects you have done during the holiday season? I would love to get some new ideas. I still have to make two gingerbread houses with the kids tomorrow. I hope your week is as peaceful as it can be.

And if you feel you are overwhelmed, well, you are not alone:

“Time stays long enough for Anyone who will use it.” (Leonardo da Vinci)

I hope that is true.

I could really use a visit from the temperamental fellow.

P.S. I shared this on My Romantic Home.

Alpaca

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On September 28th, my children and I went to a local alpaca farm that was open to the public to commemorate National Alpaca Day. I was not sure what to expect, but it was nearby. It was free. And it sounded like fun.

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My kids had a blast. They loved feeding the alpacas ($1 a bag).

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The alpacas only have lower teeth, so they cannot bite the kids when they feed them. I think they look like cartoon characters. Each one was so cute.

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Here I am in the pen. Please excuse my scant makeup. It was the weekend. It was hot. And I got one shot at a photo.

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But I did get a pic in our house of what one wears to an alpaca farm. This is Anthropologie’s Cuoco Henley from the spring and the star necklace that was recently on sale for $10.

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If you ever have a chance to visit an Alpaca Farm, I highly recommend it. The animals are so clean. I know when I am in a petting zoo, it kind of grosses me out with all of the goat droppings. However, all of the alpacas use a communal bathroom. Which means all of the waste is in one area. What clean animals! I know this particular alpaca farm is open to the public again for one day at Christmastime.

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As we were leaving, an older gentleman was trailing behind an older woman with a little girl of about six. He stopped me and said, “Do you see my wife and granddaughter? We are going to see the alpacas. Are the alpacas this way?”

I stopped to chat with him and told him to just proceed up the hill and they will open the gate for him and his family.

He said, “I am from Peru. That is where the alpaca is from. I miss them.”

I asked him how long it had been since he had visited his country. He told me a few years.

I also told him that of all of the countries in the world, Peru is number one on my must visit list.

He smiled and said, “Aaahhhhh. Machu Pichu. The most beautiful place in the world.”

I said, “Yes! I want to go there so badly!”

He smiled fondly at me and his eyes got a faraway look as he remembered his homeland.

We wished each other a good day and we parted ways. But it was really an interesting conversation for my kids to hear. And I hope him and his family had a beautiful day!

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Have you been to an alpaca farm? What did you think?