pouring over.

For the last five days, I've been careful.

Careful of my intake, careful of my outtake.

It can be a terribly draining task to solely provide for two little ones for extended periods of time, and truth be told, I've been nearly drained for months.

Husband is away hunting for a prize, and sustaining himself on my best-yet batch of energy bars,

Top Roman, chunky beef stew, and whatever else those hunting types insist on eating to survive the life outdoors.  He's with his Dad and his buddy, and each of them is an outdoors man through and through.  They've already been out for five days,

{that counts for something, eh?}  and Pops took down a "monster" buck yesterday. 

As a family, we are praying that Daddy brings home his prize. 

He gets something about every year, but still has yet to bring home "the prize"--the one worth mounting. 

I'm rooting for him. 

Each of us has a prize on the horizon,

 waiting to be brought home...

Husband has a few main life-focuses. 

This week, his eyes are on the antlers.

To each man his own.

So with my time, I've been tending to my children and to myself with much care.  Aware that I'm on the verge of exhaustion quite often, so often that there are moments when I wonder when it'll all come crashing down around me?  I've been laying quite low for the last five days. 

I've cleaned, cooked, cleaned some more, chased many a messes in effort to keep it clean, and have done mass amounts of laundry.  I've organized, wrote lists, sent various levels of correspondence, babysat, made returns, paid bills, created some book marks and sewed some baby bibs.  I've exercised, went to the mall, napped with the babies, exchanged emails with an acquaintance from long ago, attended the most lovely baby shower, mowed the lawn {my right arm is more sore from attempting to start a broken mower than from my Monday morning arm workout. hmm...}, and even moved myself a latter to climb to the top shelf of our garage, whilst full-knowing that Husband spotted a mouse in the garage before he left!

{I'll show you what I was searching for and found, soon.}

Since Friday, I practically removed myself from blog-land and was okay with it,

and limited my time on Facebook.

I haven't read much of anything,

nor can I name one thing that I've watched...

Friends, I am not sure what I've been doing?

However, one thing that has been developing within me during this time,

is the thought that my children need me--more.

They've seen me moving at full-speed for some time.

Last night at the dinner table, Brooklynn talked about me "always working" and "never playing."

When I questioned her notion,

she named about five things that I am always doing...

and it hurt my heart.

It amazed me that at four, she sees where my attention goes throughout the day,

and that it is not always focused on her or her brother.

Although I feel lucky that they are such great playmates,

when she said it, she spurred change.

The struggle that I've been waging within, to keep up,

finally sorted itself out,

and simplifying become more simple.

Prioritize.

  And do the "extras" on my time and not theirs.

{Granted, the day brings many necessities,

and not all of them can be done while the little ones are asleep.}

This morning the thought crossed my mind~

this is all TEMPORARY, the neediness doesn't last forever,

and they'll be more grown-up than you'll be able to handle,

too soon.

Cherish.

This is what I've been learning the last five days,

and its been pouring into me heavy.

What's been pouring on your heart??

weheartit

Then there were two...

Brooklynn: "It's okay if he wears them," she says helping him into her pajamas. 

Me: "Oh, good.  That's so nice of you."

Brooklynn: "Asher you want a hair clip?"

Asher: "Yeah, hair clip."

{Satisfied}

{Impressed with Minnie}

Asher: "I go show Dad."

Me: "Okay.  Let's go," I say following him down the stairs.

And we are in the clear.

He's out cold.

No one gets in trouble tonight.

a young trainee

I hope you had yourself a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

We celebrated with a weekend at the beach. Unfortunately, we were rained in a lot of the time.

But the time that we weren't, we hit up some yard sales--it was Long Beach's annual City Yard Sale. I wish I had some pictures of our finds, but I don't right now, and the best pick is still at the beach. We didn't want to transport it in the rain.

We also engaged in some go-cart races, horseshoes, potato launching, fishing and crabbing without any catches, and quite a bit of teasing. The teasing--it's a McCully thing.

Well, actually all of it.

The make-up of a McCully man consists primarily of two things:

the outdoors and teasing (oh, and camo).

Here is a young trainee:

Asher with Uncle's lab puppies, Phoenix and Busco

This little man couldn't have had himself a better weekend.

New red rain boots, dogs, the outdoors--he was a happy little guy.

Even a little adventurous, too. While I was filling his milk cup, he decided to head for the beach without telling any one of twenty of us. My mother's intuition led me to the trail to the beach where I looked and didn't see anything. I continued to look around the driveway and the neighbor's while the others looked around the house and campers. Sure enough, a couple minutes later, in the distance, I saw him bobbing down the trail, heading home, crying, in his bright red boots.

I think it dawned on him that he should stick with mama.

However, I believe this is just the beginning.

He's started thinking he's a smidge invincible, and I have the feeling that he's not going to let up for another fifteen or sixteen years--if I am lucky? This might have something to do with the fact that his uncle has encouraged him to jump to him from every high point on the property i.e. the top of his car, shelves, from the top of the smoker. And the boy does so happily. I am not sure he has any fear? And his uncle--we're already planning all the things we will do with his child that is currently forming in the womb. We're going to do like he's done and bring his wee one coke and candy every time we visit.

Signing off-

cbm

Hooray #2!

It amazes me how quickly this:

two years ago...

turns into this:









(this one deserves a post in itself)













Then, suddenly, this sneaks upon us:

and we've made it.

unscathed.

alive.

and well.

Here's to another great year Big Boy!

No one makes us smile and laugh like you.

We love you Asher!

Happy 2nd Birthday!

hey neighbor

I couldn't help but smile when I looked out the window while cooking dinner tonight. These two can find fun in almost anything. Even in hollering at our neighbor for twenty minutes as he climbed around on his roof cleaning gutters.

"Hey neighbor," Brooklynn would say, while Asher tried to finagle the same. Finally, Husband had me lure them inside with ice cream (before dinner!) to give the guy a break!

p.s. please excuse that hair. I would never let her leave the premisis looking so sweet.

Big Love

Darling,

The way you sing as loud as your lungs will let you and in the highest key that your vocals will allow, makes me smile.

Never hold back or refrain from singing the tune in your heart.

Never quit singing, my girl.

Yours is a spirit that lifts, enlightens, and shines.

Your song, no matter the tune will always be a song in my heart.

Love, Mama

Brooklynn Rose

Have you ever read about yourself in a bathroom?

...your own bathroom?

Here's what the kiddos and Husband were up to the other night while I was writing...

Yes, he loves me,

and her, too.

I call this little guy, Mama's Drama--

for reasons such as this. What wasn't fun about this?
I know he aint cleaning it up. But I know he loves me, too.

This is actually quite sweet given the fact that Husband and I had just been talking about how ruthless kids can be to each other during the teenage years. I had told him how I found my own name on the bathroom walls here and there, and it was actually quite devastating.

Now I'll think of something else when I think of my name on a bathroom wall.

The misfortunate thing is that today, drama boy took his crayolas and colored a ten foot wall span in my entry. Crap.

xo,

C

Silly Somethings From a Three Year Old

Setting: Today/fall day/almost evening. Brooklynn and Asher playing in the backyard. I am in the kitchen listening to music and their noise while cleaning the kitchen. Sliding back door open.

Brooklynn comes into the kitchen and asks for a spoon to stir her "soup" in the backyard. She asks for one of my nice wooden spoons in the holder on the counter. I decided that my old black plastic one in the drawer will be best instead. Happily she goes on her way and I watch as she makes her way to the furthest corner of the yard to the half-deflated swimming pool. A few minutes later Asher comes into the kitchen. He opens the silverware drawer. I ask,"you want a spoon, too?" and hand him another old black plastic spoon from the drawer. He takes it from me happily and walks back outside.

Moments later.

Brooklynn in a loud yell/song--loud enough for the neighbors to hear:

"Yeah!
God made everything!
In the world!
I love you!
God loves all of His children, too!
Yeah!
Bob the Builder, yes we can!
1-2-3 splash in the water now.
Yeah!"

A few minutes later, Asher comes inside. I hear him shuffle in the pantry. "Asher come here," I say. He comes out with a bag of boxed raisins with wet pants, grass covered crocs, and a drippy nose. I realize it is time to bring Brooklynn in as well. I remember that I saw her fleece on the kitchen floor. "Brooklynn, time to come in." "What? Why?" she says. "Do you not have shoes on?!" "No," she says. "Get in here. And bring those spoons, please. Is that my towel? Get my towel, please." She comes in with hands full.

Brooklynn says, "Do you know why I was barefooted out there?" "No, please tell me," I say.
"Because that's how bears do it," she says. "Are you mad?"

I couldn't be mad. She is the funniest person I know.

A few minutes later:

"My shoes are outside," she says.

"They are? Where?" I say.

"They're in the pool."

"What?" I say, imagining how nasty that pool is.

I get my shoes on and grab a sweater and head for the farthest corner of the yard.

There I found them--in her soup.


The other spoon is still missing.