Smelling the Summer

I came downstairs early today, courtesy of Ginger and her night of good sleep. An open window filled our house with the smell of a wet summer morning. It is a cool, fresh smell; before the heat of the day turns the dampness to sticky, almost mildew. Smells are strong memory cues, and summer is resplendent in their happy reminiscence.

Insect repellent is a family camping trip, delighting in the pain of sleeping outside.
Pond water is late nights with college friends, proving our adulthood by staying up too late.
Wood smoke is a charred hot dog, a toasty marshmallow, laughing and singing songs no one likes except by fireside.
Cut grass is a chore that I was willing, but not called upon to do. (I guess straight lines matter to some people.)
Coppertone is hot, sweaty sunshine on the beach, by the pool, atop the trampoline (sorry for the grease spot, brothers) anywhere that I could spread my towel beside a friend and lay about for lazy conversation with our eyes shut against the UVB.

I love me some summertime!

Embarrassed Me

I just read through my last photo-filled post and noticed several spots in need of editing. Oops! Guess my current typing method needs a little tweaking. As Norah proudly told a dinner guest on Friday, "Mom mom can nurse a baby and eat and be on the computer all at the same time!"

Maybe I should try disentangling just one of those great activities from the other two.

Here's a bit of adorable to make up for those former mistakes:

Making Smiles

This has not been an easy first week of May. Ugly, wretchedly painful heartache has touched some of those dearest to my heart. When those you love are hurt you hurt right alongside; the world seems full of tears and frowns.


Saturday it was time to find some smiles. I did not have to look far.

Saturday Morning Pancakes. Family breakfast food made by someone not me. Huge smiles there -- I {heart} breakfast food and I {big heart} food made by someone else.

Here is this morning's cook, enjoying the fruits of his own labor! This son of mine and the love and kindness he shows make me smile - even when he doesn't make breakfast!

And this little bundle of giggles makes me smile through out each day, but I wish she would acknowledge the clever invention of forks.

And who doesn't smile at consistency? Sammy and his cereal are not to be soon parted. He couldn't even manage to look at the camera. Silly boy.

Here is a smile that is missing a piece. It's a big deal.

The sight of the third generation to sleep in this "Moses Basket" makes me smile. Actually, anytime this child is not crying makes me smile.

I have been finding baby dolls wherever our real baby belongs. Funny that.

The intensity of her frown amused me.

Home-grown flowers... smiles inside and outdoors!

A niece that melts my heart with her simple goodness... she is a very peaceful child, gently smiling throughout the day at Aunt Honour's.

Ginger's first ride in the old stroller. She? Now she's smiling too!

Country Kid's slip-n-slide. I wanted to laugh aloud at this, but I made them turn off the hose (our yard is saturated already!)

Old-time gardening, with a technology boost: getting advice garden side advice from his mom. The juxtaposition made me chuckle. Also, taking the picture on an angle (which annoys him sometimes) made me chuckle. But that was a little bit mean, I guess.

*************

See how easy? Grab a camera and walk around your house LOOKING for happiness. It will cheer you up... at least for a minute.

Soggy Green Happiness

Chilly spring raindrops are pinging the windows. Looking out, I see that the grass around the muddy patches is violently green. If the sun were to suddenly shine, the vibrancy of the brilliant, wet lawn would certainly hurt one's eyes. The muddy patches are usually called "flower beds." No blooms yet, but the promise is there in little emerald shoots. A dozen tiny birds peck away in the mud, ignoring the rain.

I'm not an outdoorsy type, and I am tired of cold and rain... but those birds and flower buds make me smile.

{Need Some} Sonny Weather

One boy heard me calling the other boy "Sonny" and asked why I don't call him by that name. It just slipped out, I don't think of either of my boys as "Sonny." But I got thinking, of course, about Sonny and Cher. I had to share this video with my son. It just makes me happy.

Saturdays

When I was growing up, my parents had this "Saturday Morning Breakfast Club." Basically, it was a very large, drawn-out breakfast followed by lists of chores. Lots of food = lots of work. Breakfast eatings have always been my favorite, but this meal was a mixed blessing. I hated Saturday morning chores. Somehow, I expected that my kids would love them.

Gassy Babe

An old trick I suddenly remembered from my mother: curl a gassy baby over / around your lap.

It doesn't look comfortable, but G-Baby said that it was. She finally settled down. Didn't belch or toot, but settled.

Baby Neck. This tiny patch of skin, behind the chin and below the earlobe is my most favoritest place to kiss my baby. Soft and filled with baby smell.