a working relationship

she trusts, he provides; who could ask for anything more? 

in thought

i see so much of myself in her. sometimes i feel proud, usually it scares me. it doesn't seem fair that all the things i've learned to overcome or manage she now has to face. it's a simple reminder that our children are not really ours, they are part of the whole. we can guide them, but we cannot choose their paths.

perspective

in our busy lives it becomes too easy to forget that we are all coming at life from a different angle, that each of our worlds, although similar, are shaped so differently by our unique experiences. 

change

every moment is just that, a moment; before we know it safety turns to fear, passion to disappointment, comfort to instability, joy to sadness, and then back again. just as the waters flood and recede so does our sense of being, our emotion, our security. life is beautiful, frightening and ever changing.

safe and dry

riding it out with tender excitement. there are books to be read games to be played, food to be enjoyed and all the while the scanner chatters on: trees down, bridges flooded, and mud sliding... 

in preparation

the clean before the storm. 


anticipating the unknown we wait. we are used to waves in our weather, but the recent surges, mother nature's feisty bursts, are a new challenge; perhaps a wake up call.

peeking into the past

spent some time in my digital library. such a strange feeling to want so badly to do it all again and at the same time to be glad it has all passed. the cuteness of small babes is tricky that way.

ready for hurricane waters

bring it on irene! we know how to handle a good dose of water.

her inner city

she loved the city. she embraced it like a long lost friend, as if there was cellular memory of city life shining throughout her little body. i haven't seen her smile that much in weeks, and i will treasure the memory of her giddy grins as we slip back into rountine.

expanding our horizons

we braved the big city today. like pond minnows in lake champlain we made our way through and around each new obstacle. we soaked in every bit of culture and perspective we could make room for. now we are back home, cataloging our adventures, reflecting on and learning from every new step we took.

takin' care of business

today i made time for myself. it was quick, it was painless and i would recommend it to everyone. there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

on the flip side

...they wear us thin with an endless supply of energy and countless "who? what? when? where? why?s" good thing they are so cute.

inspiration comes in small packages

precious babes, they fill us with everything that matters...hope, faith, love... and they challenge us to be better people...to give, to imagine, to create...

fresh air

a quiet day- the outside air slides through the screen, it's fresh, it's clean, it's inspiring. somehow today's to-do lists seem less pressing, so i sit, i type, i listen and i think. i am blessed. 

the shifting seasons

the summer is slipping away. our old house is chilly in the morning; too chilly to keep open. our painted toes and tanned skin will soon be covered, hidden by our long sleeved wardrobes. now is the time of year when we treasure the last bits of blazing sun, the last opportunities to swim, and to BBQ in tank tops. here in new england our lives are led by the ever changing weather.

a giddy embrace

when children embrace it's with excitement and passion. they exchange enough love to last until the next encounter. they are SO alive, so uninhibited.

open arms

thinking of friends; thinking of family and welcoming life with open arms. today the sunshine is intoxicating.

around every corner, a sweet treat

life is sticky. we work hard, play hard and clean up the messes along the way.

restoring order

the floors have been vacuumed and mopped, the laundry washed and dried, the beds made, and the lost furniture put back into place... with all this order my head clears and feels settled again.

on an island

hermit crabs tickle our toes, the chilly atlantic shocks our mainland systems, the ocean air sticks to our skin; we are alive, and we are grateful.

life

"life is a cookie jar to me! it's sugar, it's cake, it's awesome!" -age 6

capturing a memory

every great masterpiece tells a story. hanging proudly, these remind of us of our cousins and the perfect little island in maine.

low tide

the ocean floor provides an infinite amount of exploration. every bit of sand, every broken shell fascinates; even as the ground punctures his soft supple skin he smiles, he continues in awe and we treasure the moment.

behind the rind

when i was a kid the best part about watermelon was the seed spitting, now the best part about watermelon is the the kid behind the rind.

taking another plunge

at the beginning of the summer she didn't want to get her face wet. now she jumps... she jumps with confidence, with joy, without her swimmies. and with faith we trust the process, as tears well in our eyes and pride swells in our hearts.

away

packing, planning, organizing, hoping, wondering... the weekend away awaits. it's always worth the effort, but a consistently challenging process.

side by side

they sit, they laugh, they drink, but do they connect? don’t they know that if they conquered this journey together they would make much greater progress than they do side by side? then again, men are from mars, who am i to judge?

tiny caretakers

tender excitement fills their little souls, and curiosity brings them one step closer to the magic that connects all things.

summer

the summer surrounds us. our new england blood circulates this precious time with precision, we are storing up for winter.

the exchange

wisdom, youth, passion, and anticipation... they exchange it all over a french fry.

lightening the load

a bonding moment...

our changing world

what happened to people helping people, to customer service, to common sense? who decided automated computers were capable of understanding human relations? who will stop all this nonsense before we've completely lost touch?

i wish

i wish for you the strength to make good choices. i wish for me the wisdom to not judge.

to have found each other

love. it's well worth the commitment. i say we met too early, i imagine what would have been, but i wake up every morning renewed. i wouldn't change a thing.

there is clarity hiding in the confusion

we reach our breaking point, she bursts. i offer, i lecture, i distract... turns out what she has been screaming is "SHUT UP", "SHUT UP AND HOLD ME"... and in the silence there is a shift and suddenly she is new again, she is new and i am exhausted, exhausted but relieved... until the next time

eruption

fiery, powerful, beautiful and at the edge of explosion. in one moment we are giggling and jittery with excitement, bursting with pride, 
in the next we are magnetic, pushing and pulling against one another... 

i know she won't be this volatile forever, 
but that doesn't always bring comfort in the moments of frustration

like a bubble

like a bubble she grows and changes. she pops, and then remerges as something new. she is magic...

swimming in humidity

i can hear the heat, it’s pouring into every cell of my body, and in this moment i feel alive. in this moment i become a blogger…