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Friday, October 28, 2016

horse shirt confessions


patriots fans know this line well.
"do your job."
new englanders may know it better as
"DO ya joaoaoaob!"
you know...with the boston accent.

well can i confess that these three little words have left
me inspired and a whole lotta cranky.
i'll explain.

you see, the varsity soccer teams in our town
got to play a game under the lights at gillette stadium this season.
so exciting.
the high school program, player parents and the youth program
did a great job promoting the game through selling tickets and these t-shirts
with our town's mascot mustang and the "do your job" inspiration imprinted on the front.

we see them all around town.
we see them on facebook.
most of my soccer team has them.
our babysitter has one.
my kids are basically living in theirs.

it's been so great.
it makes my heart happy to be part of a
town, program, community
where these things happen.
love that.

but, then there came the
CRANKY.

because, the few weeks leading up to and through the game
were also some of my most jammed packed days this fall.
when 2017 program planning for wwt was in full swing.
when i've been in planes, trains, taxis and carpool lanes a lot.
when many of our solid "back to school routine"
schedules and commitments started to crack and not look so bright & shiny.
you know...the annual, hooray we made it through september,
but then look up and realize that october is even more full than september.
right?!

so put that together with seeing
"do YA joaoaoab"
around every corner.
in the community.
on the computer.
at soccer practice.
running around the backyard.
in the laundry.
on my precious children.
and i felt like all these horse shirts were talking to me.
no, yelling at me.
bossing me around.

such that the crack in my routine, schedule, brain, heart
made me shout back in my mama head...
and under my mama breath...
and in the car by mama self...

NO, you do YOUR job.
i AM doing my job.
WHAT job do you want me do?
no seriously, what JOAOAOAOB do you want me to do?
i'm doing SO many jobs.
so, stick it (with a few #$%! it)  horse shirt.

flash forward to this past week.
when my husband and sweet friends,
 loved and laughed me through my ugly t-shirt confessions.
oh sweet grace.
and again yesterday when the shirt popped
up all warm and smelling like downy during a laundry session that brought me to tears.
oh sweet gratefulness.

for this job.
that i get to do this joaoaoab.
that this job is life.
that this life is precious.
that this life is not my own.

take that horse shirt.
oh and gooooooo medway, mustangs, patriots.
i think i can cheer for you again.
if you'll still have me.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

thankful tuesday, 10/18


i was driving around this afternoon,
with the windows down, sunroof open, jamming out with the kids.
it was awesome.
i honestly thought there might be a movie camera following us.
that maybe we were on a movie set.
the scene, the falling leaves, the autumn glow,
happy kids, rockin' out mama, sibling kindness, joys of motherhood.
man o' man it was pretty magical.
thankful moment.
thankful tuesday.



  • a date night back in new braintree
  • ringing the camp putnam bell with the girls
  • wonderful babysitters
  • ashland farm pumpkins
  • raw, honest tears with my boss
  • a rescued wallet
  • soccer day and this community
  • friday night lights and jane's moves to the marching band
  • our football family
  • our soccer family
  • spanish vocab around the dinner table (kinda)
  • fever snuggles with b
  • walks that fill your soul
  • toddler leaf jumping
  • a page turner
  • apple cider and treats stand
  • gus' 1st birthday and that we are his family
  • clean water bottles
  • jane's 1st letters
  • good morning songs
  • braids for the win
  • harvest moon
breath in. breath out.
 before the movie producer yells "cuuuuutttt"
and the yelling, crying, showers, laundry, dishes, emails starts up again.

Sunday, October 9, 2016

neighbor's advice


our next door neighbors are pretty wonderful.
kelly and mike.
mike and kelly.
like us, they have 3 kiddos.
but their 3 are all grown up.

they tell us often how seeing our family do life brings them back,
how fast it goes, and how much we need to remember that.

a few weeks ago during a mailbox chat,
kelly sweetly asked how the start of school was.
i shared it was going well,
though the calendar on the kitchen wall was a wee full.

she said she remembered those calendars.
then she said, "save your calendar pages".
that she did this.
that she has a box of them in her attic.
she said that when i look back, i won't be able believe what we did,
what life looked like week to week and month to month.
that i would miss it crazy like she does.

i meant to do that.
to save the september big wall calendar.
it was a good one for sure.
but we were away for the weekend,
and while away my eager helpful kids ripped it down.
maybe in anticipation of what october holds.
maybe just because ripping something off the wall feels pretty darn good.
especially if it's mommy's.

so i will hold on to the october one i think.
and along the way capture and hold on to more of the bits and bobs like these one here.

final golden hour ice cream outings
and warm golden hour walks
morning walks to the bus

ella loving middle school
and bennett loving 2nd grade
even if phonics is soooo booorrriiinnggg
and janie loving pre-school...riding the bus on her 1st field trip
and loving time with her friends so much, she barely eats her lunch
anniversary outing to the apple orchard...grateful to be his mrs.
our little apple crisp bakers
last of our backyard farm tomato haul
ella and her cuddle buddy george
boys who are bonded
chicken chores in her chucks and nightie
a piece of the farm coming to practice...soft touch girls, soft touch
coach mom and coach dad who maybe wish they could use whistles at home too
shorter days with lights out for practice
cheering for the home team
packing for san francisco, thanks to dear fashionista friend
wedding weekend get away to san francisco / berkley
a beautiful wedding
and the beautiful couple
happy bridesmaid, happy couple
and time with the redwoods
and an afternoon in wine country
we heart you san francisco
then back to wrangling kiddos...mama headlocks and lots of LOVE
living, wrangling, adventuring, loving.
yes, kelly it sure does go so so fast.

here's to gratitude
and how it turns everything into enough.