Just Call Me Twilight

Before As of this morning, this was our backyard. Sad, I know. But, let's back up a bit.  Mike and I had our home built in 2001. The home build package included professional front yard landscaping, which we, with much research, had to d ecide on what plants and trees we wanted as well as where we wanted those plants and trees planted, and professionals handled the labor (whew - was that a run-on sentence?).  I am happy to say that all of our picks are still looking great today.  The home build package did not include the backyard, so we were on our own.  The backyard was just a big, open dirt pit. A blank canvas.  At that time, we designed the backyard for two grown-ups that had no intention of having kids.  We ended up with a low maintenance yard that was easy to entertain in. Fast forward twelve years, and our first daughter comes along.  We quickly realize that the backyard is ...

At our house (and I expect at other houses with children), we typically follow a routine.  I have found that there is peace in routine.  No two days are alike, so when you have the bones of that routine to follow, curve balls aren't nearly so traumatic.  Routine starts at wake-up, meanders a bit until we reach breakfast, and then the real fun begins!  Once breakfast is out of the way, I let The Littles watch some tv.  It allows me to eat breakfast, get dressed and breathe a bit before the actual day starts.  And what could be wrong with watching Sesame Street;  Or, sometimes taking a morning nap; Once Sesame Street is over, the tv goes off and we head outside for some Vitamin D therapy; Wait, how does this thing work? I will try to keep the girls outside for as long as possible, but once May hits, the outside time gets shorter and shorter.  After the girls are exhausted or their cheeks are too rosy from the he...

There once was an old yellow chair.  How we loved that chair!  Yellow fabric with blue flowers, green vines and red berries.  It was the first piece of furniture a very young, poor and newly married couple could afford to buy.  Overstuffed, oversized.  Throughout the years, that chair hosted many important events in our family.  A precious baby found a comfortable spot to stay awhile;  Aunt Patty feeding Saoirse Family reunions squeezed in and around the yellow chair;  Michael, Grandpa Tom, Saoirse Bedtime books were read while snuggling in the chair;  Michael and Saoirse New additions to the family rested between the arms, Aunt Patty feeding Jenae And the old yellow chair allowed tired souls to sleep soundly.  Jason Drink stains, holes in the fabric and the roughness of children finally made us realize that we had to let it go.  Thank you old yell...