nurturing hope, creativity, family
“Dad, when I was in heaven I watched a movie about a red gorilla.
No, maybe it was a dream.
Actually it was a white gorilla.
Well, the red gorilla was fighting the white gorilla.”
“What were they fighting about?”, asked Dad.
“They were fighting about the rock,” said the boy.
“Why were they fighting about the rock?” asked Dad.
“Because they had killed the rock and they both wanted to eat it for dinner.”
The end.
My current job description between the hours of 2:30 and 7:00 p.m. each weekday can be summed up in three words:
SMILE AND DRIVE.
The driving part isn’t new, but there has been much more of it this year than in the past. The smiling part is something I’m consciously working on. When I start feeling stressed about how to make a 25 minute drive in 10 minutes so someone doesn’t end up stranded at one activity or another, I remind myself that smiling is half the job. I make myself smile at the road ahead of me, and sure enough! I feel better. It works. It’s true that forcing a genuine smile on your face can improve how you feel about life.
On a recent Thursday I took pictures of all the drop offs in an afternoon. It went something like this.
Band Rehearsal. (He looks thrilled, doesn’t he?)
Gymnastics.
Activity Days (her first one!)
Activity Days (her second to last one. I love the cheesy smile and the blue mouth) 
Insert hail storm while we drove to pick everyone up from round 1 activities so they could change clothes in the car and go directly to round 2 while things like this happen.
Gratefully, the rain stopped.
Soccer Practice.
Lacrosse.
Soccer Practice.
Around again to gather them all in and head home for dinner at the lovely hour of 8 p.m.
Like I said, it’s my season of “smile and drive.” Life is good.
Hopeful Homemaker
Somewhere in the craziness of the last two weeks I neglected to share photos from my daughter’s birthday. It was an awesome day, complete with the very best birthday party ever. (Thanks to half day school on Fridays, we managed to squeeze in a party with a few friends from school before Friday afternoon soccer games and the arrival of company.)
Her new favorite color is purple, and I scored these awesome sugar roses for $2.00 at a local candy outlet.
Sitting on green frosted cupcakes, they made a lovely centerpiece for the kitchen table.
Paper doilies from the dollar store under purple paper plates atop a vintage tablecloth completed the look.
Listening to little 7 and 8 year old girls talk is a happy thing.
The party ended, I cleaned the house for the second time that day, and we headed to other activities. Later in the evening we celebrated as a family, sharing gifts…
dinner of her choice (with a visit from her Aunt and Uncle) and her birthday cake request: pumpkin ice cream cake.
A great day for a very special little girl.