anniversary nuggets

hump day nuggets: little bits of the season in photos and words about the last week.  Encouraged to steal this idea from Dig This Chick because she is awesome blossom. 

I'm coming live to you from Anniversary High.  A location I almost missed due to the minuscule emphasis my husband and I put on "special" days.  


It's always been this way, beginning with a mutual dislike for Valentine's Day and an agreement to always boycott it. Somehow all other holidays sort of fell into a semi boycott category by default.  Never in regard to the kiddos...just each other. 


Maybe it's simply laziness, an excuse to not have to remember and therefore acknowledge these personal holidays.  The truth is most of our 9 years together we have been too broke to make much out of any day.  And of course this intentional ignoring of these small special days does fly in the face of our whole "VIVA LA FAMILIA!" vibe.  But I'm comfortable with that because it frees me from expectations.  I can deliver a random memorable day...grown organically from spontaneous goodness.  I kind of suck at delivering a planned and well executed "special day" for someone.  Not a point of pride, but a fact.


So... consistent with the previous 3 years, we forgot our wedding anniversary.   Had we not gotten a card addressed to both of us (which sent us into a tailspin of pondering) we would probably not have remembered this...the exact date of our wedding.  Even after opening the card we couldn't quite pin down the exact date, or how many years.  We agreed on 3, but the card said "On your 4th Anniversary".  We stand corrected. 


But.. we did get the card (thank you Grandma Karen!!!) and that spontaneous realization of what day this was, created a memorable night.  Unplanned and unorchestrated, we went on a date. I told Autumn mom and dad needed her to watch the baby while we celebrated something we didn't know 24 hours ago.  She loved it.  She helped me curl my hair and do my makeup.  She let me borrow her dress and brought me my boots.


The energy of the moment, mom running in barking orders about pizzas, dishes, baby bathes and dogs while peeling off work clothes. The excitment of two daughters realizing that their parents were going to DO SOMETHING TOGETHER!!!

Annika ran in the bathroom with a tarnished rhinestone butterfly necklace Great Grandma Wattier gave to her: 

"Here mom...you can wear this tonight."  

I did.


::


The Nuggets are slim pickings this week because all I've been doing is this:



I'm not complaining, it's all good in the hood. I'm just saying the energy surrounding this project has reached a fever pitch and it is eating us all alive.  I am too excited.




I don't post pictures of myself often because...why would I? Behind the lens is the place to be. I'm making an exception to illustrate my excitement for my new iPhone 4S. 


Who loves their new phone the most?

this chick

Anniversary food porn.  But not much because I promised my husband I would focus.  So I got the beginning:
  


And the end:



And finally, my favorite nugget of the week.  My little baby nugget in the hat that may be forever on his head.   He loves this hat like nothing else...ever.  Thank God it's adorable. 


I've been wanting to start a side blog.  A photo a day for a year blog.  In memory of my Aunt Maria.  I can't explain why, except to say that it is just in me and needs to get out.  


I'm not promising groundbreaking photography.  Just things that I see everyday and want to share with her.  


I'm hoping this expedites the healing process.  


And honors her legacy.  

"love really does make all the difference"

If you are interested you can find it at:

http://wingsformaria.blogspot.com/

Happy Anniversary baby. 

so what? I'm still a rock star...I've got my rock moves.

Our life, is always full of things to do or places to go. And the doing and going is great, we love it.  But some of the daily doing feels like mindless movement, lacking creativity or inspiration. But you do them because there has to be some kind of order to life, predictability for small people.  Like...that there will be clean underwear on Mondays, chores after school, homework hour after dinner, dog poop pickup every other day.   Zzzzzz, but necessary.  That is the mom stuff that, for me was learned. It did not come naturally.   Poor Autumn was my guinea pig and it took a few years for me to feel comfortable with predictability and routine.  It still feels like an itchy wool sweater in the summer, but I get it, it must be done.


I also made a classic rookie mom move...I over corrected.  For a second, I was all work and no play and too many parenting books and too many doctors.  Not nearly enough following my mom gut, my mom instinct. The one that told me my girls were mystical creatures, capable of magic.  What a waste of a couple of years.  Slowly I abandoned what didn't feel right to me and kept bits that felt like decent suppliments to my own momma style. And now...with the exception of the aforementioned ho hum "have toos" we pretty much rock some other routines that really matter.  Like chili and cilantro rice every Sunday, weekend morning dance parties, early morning donut runs, barefoot walks in the mud, singing in the rain, sleepovers always needing walking tacos, black nail polish and musical beds for cuddle time.


And the other morning, when I plopped down at my desk with some coffee, long before the sun or my family rose, I was greeted with proof positive that I must be doing a decent job:





There it is.  That is all I need...I'm done:)


For the record I happen to think my kids rock pretty hard too.





Even when they are sick and sleepy, which he has been for weeks now.

Poor baby can't stay awake...during the day.  But at night, oh hell yeah.

Even falling asleep in the shower.  Poor baby boy.

Another momma thing I realized about myself, well into this gig, is that I want to carry the torch of tradition for our family.  I know it's fairly cool to shed the corny traditions of grandparents and parents, but I happen to love the corn.  I'm currently in a mad dash to make sure I perfect the German dishes Grandma makes, can sew a kick ass apron, make enough canned goods for my family to use all winter (have not achieved that yet as I keep getting talked into giving things to poor souls who haven't yet discovered the joy of canning) and keeping a spider plant alive long enough to get those awesome spider baby balls that become plants themselves.  I swear my Grandma has a spider plant older than me.


Kuchen.

Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's kuchen.  

Fondue.  NOT a German tradition, but fast becoming a tradition in our "Brosin" family.

Chicken and dumpling soup.



And just for good measure...a little sushi party with the Schapekams.  I know, there is so much that is confusing about that and I was skeptical myself.  Sushi...in New Ulm...in a home...made by a bunch of Germans.  I'm happy to report it was a hoot to make and a delight to eat (no raw fish ...smart move.) Plus, you gotta love big guys in flannel and stocking caps rolling sushi...you have to.








I believe you also have to love vintage toys at Grandmas.

Think these are old enough to have lead in the paint?  That's the only thing messing with my deep deep love for these.

and toddlers who can't stand to be held even for a second.  Especially not for a photo. 



And who love love love Sammy Jammies as after school car treats.

his bibs..."ready to bounce"  that makes me laugh.

Here is something I do not love. Early spring in the upper midwest. Blech. It's dirty and wet and cold and totally bipolar. Today my mom was in a tornado warning during the day and a blizzard warning after sunset. Dumb.

Hideous.  It looks like a giant ashtray snow cone.

But I want to end on more stuff I do love. One big item in particular.


Unexpected waves of peace.


Like last Wednesday when Brandon sent me a text that simply read "Headed to the airport." And just like that warm, comforting, peace washed over me. He was coming home to us. Nine years together and I still miss him even for the 12 hours we spend apart to work. I've got wicked crush on this guy.





Unexpected waves of peace.


Like it being warm enough on our roadtrip to the sushi party to put my barefeet up for a little minivan tanning session. Toasty.

black nail polish:)

Like looking up because you are annoyed with the sun in your eyes and realizing...holy crap it's the SUN!!!





I want to close with a facebook quote from a dear friend who deserves a giant wave of peace and who knows all too well how long and painful the wait for the sun has been this winter.

"Tis the season of rebirth and new beginnings. Welcome, Vernal Equinox, you have been eagerly awaited!"  Todd Mulvihill

Cleaning up after the Frog Princess

When I woke from my 60 day couch coma, I was confronted with this:





For most of the time I was checked out, I assumed my little clan was cruising along on cleaning autopilot, staying on top of potential disasters. I belong to the "nip it in the bud" school of thought when it comes to cleaning and believed I had sent my entire family to this same school. What is the saying?  "never assume..."  In reality they belong more to the "wait until it becomes a problem" cleaning school.  


Also, it never dawned on me that all the couch cuddling I was demanding was taking away from not just my productivity, but theirs as well. I guess I thought that after I passed out at 9pm, they were meeting in the kitchen and dutifully executing house work. And to be fair, they must have been a little, because the well worn path I took from door, to desk, to kitchen and finally couch looked pretty good. Clearly they know my hot spots and took great care to make sure I didn't have to stress about what I could easily see. But the rest of the house...


I could have taken similar photos of any room off the beat and path. And the laundry...oh my stars. The only way I can ensure not cussing a blue streak when discussing the laundry is to go totally poly anna and throw out things like "oh my stars."


In typical type A fashion, I decided the house in shambles had presented us with some great opportunities, teaching moments if you will.  Don't you wish your mom/wife was an HR professional?  In the mess, there were lessons to be learned about:

• Team building
• Organization
• Giving to others via donating...lots and lots of donating
• Time management
• Sanitation (gag)
• Food safety (double super gag...I'm not sure what it was)
• Patience
• Humility
• Kindness...wait...what?

Turns out when your family is trying their hardest to manage a household in the manner you would, it's not very kind to point out every moment they fall short of the glory. It's not very patient to skip over all the things they did do... to point out what they did not. And it takes a great deal of humility to return to your house after walking out in a huff, to hug your husband and say "I love you" and acknowledge that his priorities do not need to mirror yours.  And that even though it may not be my cleaning style, he and the girls did give it a shot:) 


I thought I was "back." I was.. only like the Terminator "I'm back", not the good kind. The terminator wasn't in control for very long, but while it was...EEEEK!  It's hard to admit you are wrong, especially when you are sort of right. But as hard as it may be, I know when I'm wrong and I needed put on my big girl pants and let the girls see an adult apologize, sincerely apologize. So I did and they responded with smiles and new found enthusiasm for getting our home back in order.   We are one week strong with no laundry piled up, tidy (ish) tween bedrooms and floors not adorned with "dog hair" throw rugs:)  NOW I'm back, with the good stuff. 


BONUS to cleaning up 2 months worth of randomly discarded stuff? You can find treasures.   Like the heartfelt poetry of a 10 year old frog princess (I've translated on the right for those of you who don't happen to speak 5th grade spelling very well)



Little miss Annika has a fairly wicked case of dyslexia, so for a very long time she hated reading and writing and flat out refused to even attempt either.  Grammy pants introduced her to Dick and Jane books and pretty bags of books with cool lights and kitty cat book marks...and her whole world changed.  I tried to make it intellectual, Grandma made it awesome.  And look at her now, a poet.


And an artist.

I'm dying for this to be me!!  I need spring and grass and to run around in my favorite skirts and apron with ugly gardening shoes...and a flower in my hand.  

Now instead of begging her to throw away old notebooks, I'm begging her to let me page through them for more treasures, more soul soothing words of wisdom from my Frog Princess.


Other little tidbits of yumminess:


Baby boy...in boy blue...eating blue berries for breakfast.








Watching Annika interview my Dad over the interwebs.





Stolen moments on the kitchen floor after dinner clean up.  Nerf gun = boys bonding.






Stolen moments on the dinning room floor after monster cookies.  Sugar rush + Cars = fun with sisters.



I'm planning some pretty fantastic stolen moments for this weekend!  Some spontaneous, craaazy moments beginning with...skipping work today:P  More to come. In the meantime, you should do something spontaneous and unpredictable today too...it's Friday!


* After posting edit...whatever you do on this blessed Friday, please squeeze in some prayer for the people of Japan.  If not prayer, then whatever you do to throw positive, healing energy out into the universe:)