Moms

There is no "holiday" that tears me up more than Mother's Day.  I can barely read the cards at the store before my vision becomes fuzzy and blurry with tears.  I just can't hold it together.  It all started during my pregnancy with Sully.  I thought it was just pregnancy hormones that had me fast walking out of Target wiping my eyes only to get to my car and ugly cry after reading 5 Mother's Day cards.  But every Mother's Day since then, the same thing has happened.  I used to think it was funny to get my parents super mushy cards on Mother's Day and Father's Day as to leave them all choked up and red-eyed.  Now I try to get nice, simple, to-the-point cards.  Because, frankly, I just can't get through them without being in a puddle of my own tears.

Take the "card" I got from Sully this year.  Card is put in quotes because it was 2 pieces of lined paper that Clayton wrote Sully's responses to questions on.  It read:
Dear Mommy,
My favorite part of you is your foots.
(illegible scribble)
I also love your eyeballs.
I love that your are fun.  Here is a truck:
(illegible scribble)
I liked when your teached me about lightning.
(illegible scribble)
And taked me to the zoo.
(illegible scribble)
I love you.
Happy Mother's Day.
Love,
(illegible scribble)

I could have broke out into an ugly cry after that but held it together as to not alarm the poor child.  I don't know, something must be wrong with me...

Or maybe I am just incredibly honored to be a mother.

To join an elite group of women that have helped shape, nurture, care and love me.

Four generations: Caroline, Denise, Tara and Sydney

I could not be more blessed to have such fantastic role models.  Add to them my aunts, sisters-in-law, mother-in-law and my amazing group of friends, and I have to be the luckiest woman on Earth to be surrounded by so much love.

Motherhood has humbled me, frustrated me, given me joy, cut down my confidence then built it back up, exhausted me, given me meaning, made me question all kinds of things about myself, given me more patience than I ever thought I was capable of having, made me laugh, broken me to pieces and then built me up stronger than I have ever been.  It is tough.  Everyday.  But that's OK.  It is not supposed to be easy to love so deeply and unconditionally.  To love tiny tyrants like these:

To allow them to walk around with your whole heart.  Because surely they will bruise it, drop it on the floor a million times, get it all sticky, bury it in the sandbox, cough directly on it, drool all over it and them trip on it.  Your heart takes a beating.  But in the end, it is stronger, bigger and more full than it was before.  Than it ever could have been without that beating.

Thank you to all the mothers, grandmothers and those women who love like mothers.  Thanks for taking a beating.  Thanks for hanging in there when it was really hard.  You are doing an amazing job.  

Picture of Love

I don't have any pictures of my mom and I from when I was a kid.  Believe me, I looked.  I checked all of my photo albums, my photo sleeves and even my smoky scented little box that holds all of my precious momentos like medals, poems, love letters and senior pictures.  The little box that I rescued from my old bedroom, or at least what was left of it after the fire that destroyed my parents house 10 years ago.  I think that was the hardest loss for all of us.  All of our picture memories were savagely destroyed, leaving us to depend on our mind memories to fill in all the events of our childhood.

This is the earliest photo I have with both of us...

She carefully crimped my hair, section by section, starting at the crown and going all the way down to the bottom.  She bought me a dress I loved and embellished it with peach rose accents and ribbon.  She found the perfect veil and gloves and peach patent leather shoes and purse accessories.  It was everything I wanted and I am sure it took more money and time then she anticipated but she happily did it for me.

I was afraid that I would forget all these details.  That I would forget the love if I didn't have the picture reminders of my childhood.  Would that time of my life cease to exist because I don't have proof of it in my hands?

As I was busy living my college years and then the rest of my 20s, maybe I really didn't think about it all that much.  But she was still there, a constant supporter and cheerleader in my life.

Then I became a mother and suddenly it all made sense.  It made sense why she took so much time and effort making small details of my life perfect.  Until I had a child, I simply did not know it was possible to love another so deeply, so selflessly, so completely.  I needed that experience to understand.  The world came into sharp focus and with that came a confidence I never had before and an appreciation for mothers, grandmothers, aunts and all women that love, nurture and encourage.  And I didn't need pictures of Florida vacations, camping trips or her gazing into my newborn eyes.  Because I now feel it in my bones, in every cell in my body, every time I look at my child I can feel just how much she loves and believes in me.  And I could not be more humbled.

I love you, Mom.  Happy Mother's Day.

Making a Terraium, Part 2

Step 8:  Now that the boring, necessary part is done, let's move onto the fun part.  Decide on and gather your decor items.  Instead of gnomes, butterflies or fairies, I decided to go a bit more fun.  

Zombies.

A zombie terrarium is right up our alley.  But where on earth do you find the perfect scale zombies, you ask yourself?  Amazon, of course.  I did scour the toy stores in the area but they didn't have anything I could really use.  So Amazon came to the rescue.  I actually ordered these months ago in preparation for making my zombie terrariums but I am sure they are still available if you type in "zombie figurines" in Amazon.  They cost maybe $10?  

Step 9:  Decorate!

This first one is of some farming zombies.  

They are pretty surprised by their cow.  I am not sure why.  I got the tractor and well from Hobby Lobby in the doll house section.  I got the little cow at Ben Franklin (yes, there is still one of these in existence).

Next up, just two buddy zombies and their truck.  Just hanging out, like zombies do.

It is possible that the sun is killing that one.  Don't worry, I brought them in, away from the sun, right after I took these pics.  The truck came in the same pack as the tractor, from Hobby Lobby.

And finally, some Florida zombies, hanging out at their trailer, with their gold convertible, collecting shells.

The car is a Matchbox car, I had the shells and I crafted the trailer from a cardboard little box, piece of tin and some sticky foam.

Step 10:  Stand back and enjoy (and hope they survive);)

Another option for decoration are these cute gnomes.  I also found these at Hobby Lobby, in the garden section.

The possibilities are endless!  Enjoy!

This project is linked up to TDC!

Making a Terrarium, Part 1

Looking for a Mother's Day gift?  How about a DIY terrarium??  Alright, lets get started....

You will need:

-glass vessels
-little rocks/pebbles
-potting soil
-sheet moss
-small plants (ferns and mosses)
-decorations (don't get me started on this today, that is why there is a part 2)
-activated charcoal (only if your glass vessel/container is closed, not open)

Step 1:  Wash and dry your glass vessels.

Step 2: Put a layer of pebbles/little rocks (and if your vessels are closed you will need to mix in some activated charcoal in this step which will help prevent mold) in the bottom of your glass vessels.

Step 3 (optional, not necessary and probably detrimental to the project but looks pretty):  Add a layer of sand.  If you have a toddler handy, get him to help.

Step 4:  Add a layer of sheet moss.

 Yes, a lot of alcohol is needed for this project.

Supervisor hubs.

 Step 5:  Add at least an inch of potting soil.

 

 And do it with a smile:)

 
Now just stand back and look how pretty it is already.

Step 6:  Add your plants and then top with more potting soil.

 

Step 7:  Add some moss.  I used a combo of the sheet moss and some Chartreuse moss I found.

Notice that I left a space for a "scene" in all of the terrariums.

Ok, so that is it for the first part.  Tomorrow, the decoration will be added.  I made these for my mom, MIL and myself for Mother's Day.  I figured I would make them a week early to see if they survive before I give them away!  Stay tuned for the most fun part ever!

Mothers' Day

Every Mothers' Day, I remember being a kid and asking my mom, "Why isn't there a Kids' Day?"  I mean, there was a Mothers' Day and a Fathers' Day, I really could not figure out why on Earth there would not be a Kids' Day.

My mom replied, "Everyday is Kids' Day."  At the time, I didn't think much of the answer.  Now, as a mom, I totally agree!

I had a good two hour window to just think today as I drove back to Madison from Mosinee, where we spent the weekend celebrating my nephew, Jack, turning 3 and I spent some time with the moms in my life. Although it is hard to make the trip with all the stuff I have to bring, especially when I need to make the trip alone, I never regret going.  I know that I will never look back on my life and think, "Gee, I wish I didn't make all that effort to see my family."  Nope, it is time and effort well spent.

Which brings me to my thoughts for the day...

I am so very grateful.  Grateful that my mom is here and I can call and see her anytime I want.  Grateful that I got to be a mom because there a time when I did not know that would happen.  And it is the best thing that has ever happened to me.  Grateful that my Grandmothers are still around and still enjoying their lives.  Grateful that I got not one, not two, but three cards from my boy.  Grateful that I know so many amazing, inspiring moms to look up to and try to emulate.

So I am going to bask in this most perfect Mothers' Day.  Because right at this moment, I have it all.  And I could think of lots of great things that would have been a really awesome Mothers' Day gift, like a new camera lens, photography class, mani/pedi, spa day, etc.  But those things would never compare in richness and meaning to what I already have.


And I think of all of those who can't spend the day with or talk to their mom and my heart breaks for them.  I think about all those who want to be moms but struggle with making that dream happen and my heart breaks for them, too.  I truly hope everyone who wants to be a mom gets to be a mom because it is the greatest gift there is.

And now, a few pics from the weekend...

First up, a photo shoot for my friend and her family.

Then it was time to celebrate my nephew Jack's birthday.

 Here is baby Jerry.

 Beer accident...

 Jack did not like the singing.

 But he loved blowing out the candle...

 Gina did an amazing job on the cake!

Status post black frosting attack.

I really hope you all had a wonderful Mothers' Day weekend!