Have fun with more Wordless Wednesday.

As I mentioned yesterday, Deb at G’s Cottage tagged me for a challenging meme, focusing on my top five reasons I love to write. I have given this topic a lot of thought and the following is where my mind wandered on the topic.

1. To get it out. There are times that writing the happiness, frustration, anger and glee helps me to sort it all out. It is my way of organizing my being, centering myself. This processing my thoughts through writing helps me appreciate life, love and happiness. It is easy for me to get lost in the moment. I am an emotionally drive person, so logic and reason are not always my focus. Writing helps to organize it all,so it is not so jumbled up in my being.
2. To express my creativity. I have a constant desire to create new things. Be it through art, writing, knitting, photography, parenting, the surge of energy is ever present. In fact, when I do not create I get miserable and cranky. The urge to create is that strong. Creating words, art, beauty, a lego building, a song … all these things calm me.
3. Feedback. It is true I am a comment junkie. Once my thoughts are out there, I am eager to read the response. Honestly, is there anything better than opening your in box to reveal comments left, conversations sparked by YOUR words?
4. To share my experiences. Sometimes I have little gems that may just make someone’s world a better place. Maybe it is a parenting thing, like how I survived moving or our experience with Becca’s glasses. I have been blessed to read many blog posts that have altered my thinking slightly, making me a better woman, mother … I can dream that my words could do the same for another.
5. Writing is a childhood dream of mine. I will never forget the moment I became afraid to express my creativty through writing. I was an avid book reader (still am when I find the time) and loved to write short stories as well as illustrate them as a child. My step mother at the time, living up to all stereotypes of the wicked step-mother shattered my inner confidence. I had written a ghost story. I was quite proud of it. My Dad (always my biggest fan) was out of town working as he often did, so I decided to share my story with her. I had written in a notebook (the kind that had the blank area on top to draw then lines underneath … oh how vivid this memory is to me), so I handed the notebook to her. I was glowing and jittery with excitement. We had not lived with her long and I was eager to impress her. She read through it, glancing up at me as she did. Then after completing the story she tossed the notebook onto the coffee table, and exclaimed “THAT was much too good for you to have written, YOU must have copied it from one of those books you read!” I, all of eight years old was devastated. Much later in life I had read somewhere, that there were few “original” stories, however the best stories are the ones that the author draws from all that they have read and experienced and makes the story their own to tell. I did not write much after that event in my life. I never retold that moment to anyone until right before J & I got married. J is my muse. He allows me to be ME, without any hesitation and loves all that I do and all that I create. He never questions it, only accepts me.

Wow. Have I gotten off topic? One last thought on writing, specifically on my blog. It is MY blog. I can get off topic, I can ramble, I can share, I can not be grammatically correct and misspell words (although I do attempt to avoid that). I am not being graded, I am not being judged, I am just being me.

I would love to read what your top reasons you love to write and I am tagging JJ, Holly, Beck, Maddy and Allison …

psst I am going to have a contest later this week … You have been warned

I have a beautiful post about why I write (many thanks to Deb for the inspiration) all prepared as well as some peculating in my head, however all of that will have to wait.

Yesterday, Becca had her first very public, very loud, very embarrassing (for us) temper tantrum. I know a lot of you are cursing me right now for not experiencing this phenomenon sooner. Yes maybe this was a long time coming. However, Becca has never been one to completely lose her cool in public (behind closed doors she has no problem expressing how she really feels). This was the first time in my short parenting life that I had to grin, pick up my screaming child, and leave the store.

Dinosaurs. The root of all evil.

There has been a lot of emotion bubbling inside that little girl. A lot of loss. A lot of heart ache. There has been a lot of joy, excitement, celebration and acceptance. I have been struggling to process it all. So has she. I should have seen it coming. There have been signs that it was all coming to an explosion. We have fought, struggled and made peace a lot the past few weeks. There are moments I have not liked her, always loving her, but not always liking her. Three is a tough age. Moving is tough. Moms are tough.
She survived.

We survived.

Tomorrow is another day … Today is another day … A fresh start … Let’s make it a good one.

… I am actually a day late on this post. Yesterday, my sweet, adoring husband celebrated his birthday. He took his time, had breakfast with the family, then we rushed to give him a ride to work. Fridays we go to the library for Babies and Books, so I took the kids there after dropping of the birthday Daddy.

After lunch, I attempted to organize my afternoon so that I could focus on baking the cake and preparing for a quiet but sweet family celebration. My three and a half year old had different plans, but that is a whole other post. Finally I had one kid sleeping, the other bathing and I focused on the cake. I was thrilled that it worked out so well. I made a chocolate sponge cake from a book I received at my bridal shower, many moons ago. The icing did not turn out as well, however J saved the day and purchased some on his way home (still counts as a homemade, from scratch cake, even with cheats!) I also baked chicken wings and threw together a Greek salad (all my sweeties favourites). I was so happy with the entire meal. J was delighted and appreciated the effort which is the icing on the cake

The kids and I gave J some books and an IOU a Scarf I actually casted on the scarf last night so hopefully he will be able to use it this winter *blush* Becca was very excited to share in the birthday celebrations (the cause of her malfunction earlier?) and Ethan thought the candles were quite the magical feat.

Once the kids were in bed we watched the oddest movie, I (heart) huckabees. Very odd.

Yesterday was so busy for me, I have a ton of email and blogs to attend to this weekend. J has the kids out this morning. It is so quiet here. I hope to go exploring this afternoon. My mind is racing. Too quiet here.

For all the thoughts you share, the hugs, the advice and just being there. You so totally rock.

Tomorrow is J’s birthday. The kids and I are going to pick up some birthday supplies, bake him a cake and make a special meal for him. There was suppose to be a scarf, the perfect birthday gift. Instead he will receive some yarn and an IOU … hehe. Since Beck pointed out that my Bear (aka J) shares a birthday with A.A. Milne, there will be a few special guests at the party. Becca is bursting with excitement with all the talk of a party.

I may have met someone. It is too soon to tell, but I may have met a potential friend. Her son is the same library program as Becca, she is really down to earth and friendly. I hope to ask her out next Tuesday. *giddy* Gosh I really hope I do not come across as desperate and lonely as I feel.

Speaking of friends, the ever wonderful JJ awarded me with the Colours of Friendship Award … I am so totally honoured. As a bonus she also posted a reminder for all of us to frisk the girls.

Yesterday’s photo was of our new plant that we purchased at the Farmer’s Market. I am so excited that I can slowly start a collection of plants and have no fear of having to give them up due to moving. Becca and I are even attempting to sprout an avocado plant. From what I have read they are great house plants.

When in New Mexico, we bought the kids an inflatable jumping house. Becca loved the one at her friend’s house, so I knew it would be a hit and a great way to shake your sillies out on a cold day. Both Becca and Ethan love it, unfortunately Skippyjon also likes it and has poked holes in it! grrr! J has patched it, but I have learned my lesson and put it away as soon as we are done!

Ethan has been standing on his own for a few seconds. This kid is totally blowing my mind! He pulls himself up on EVERYTHING, just to do it. Plus, he is squatting up, not pulling up, so the object he is “pulling himself up on” doesn’t have to be anchored if you know what I mean.

So any tips on baking a cake from scratch? Now that the man got a “real” job I figure the boxed cakes are a little cliche