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Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

Saturday smiles

Saturday smiles: Uh, what day is it again? edition

April 15, 2012

I know it’s Sunday now, but I spent most of the week plagued by sickness of seemingly every common kind. Needless to say, the week was kind of a blur. I didn’t eat much of anything for three days. (Apparently that’s my new weight loss plan because I lost 3.5 pounds this week!) A lingering hacking cough has me wondering if I should leave the house for church this morning. (I promise to cover my mouth and take cough medicine!)

So smiles this week? Let me jog my memory. (Think The Princess Bride when Fezzik jogs the albino’s memory. “I didn’t mean to jog him so hard.”)

Maybe the biggest smilemaker this week was learning that I was one of 10 winners in the adult age group of the Lebanon County Library System’s annual poetry contest. Yes, you read that right. I have to read it again from time to time, too. I’m not sure I’ve ever entered a poetry contest before or what compelled me to enter this one. The prize is winning and having my poem published with the other winners in a book the library is putting together. I can also attend a poetry reading of the winning poems in May. Totally crazy but a bright spot in my week.

Isabelle watched Mary Poppins for the first time and gave it four thumbs up. We’re working our way through Disney movies after visiting the world of Disney. Next up, at her request, is The Jungle Book. I love her passion for stories, in book or movie form.

Breakfast with friends and watching the kids take over the Chick-Fil-A play area because they were the only ones in there. They actually played together pretty well, which seems rarer and rarer.

Outside time. I’m learning that the more space in which my children have to play, the less likely they are to get on each other’s nerves and fight. Hooray for nice weather the past couple of days and in the days to come!

Corban and I read a 100 words picture book one night when his sister had gone to bed early. I would point to a picture and say, “Corban, what is that?” He would reply, almost every time, with, “Um, I’m not sure. It’s a frog, actually.” So hilarious.

Not hilarious is the fact that I’m sure this boy is going to land us in the emergency room for the first time. Because of him, I’m needing to acquire the skill of getting blood out of clothing (he plays hard) and yesterday I learned that the little flap of skin that connects your mouth to your gums is called a frenulum.  I know this now because he tore his after he hit his head on something in the living room. I freaked out. Phil googled it to convince me we didn’t need to go to the ER. He seems to be healing just fine, though when I ask him how his lips are, he says, “Not good yet.” That didn’t stop him from eating everything on his plate for supper last night plus an extra helping of frozen yogurt. Some things only sons can teach you, I guess.

I wish I had some pictures from this week, but it was not a very picture-worthy week. (Actually, I have a few but I’m too lazy to share them this morning.)

Keep smiling!

Filed Under: Saturday smiles Tagged With: breakfast, chick-fil-a, cold and flu, disney movies, mouth injuries, poetry, poetry contest, princess bride, reading with kids

Saturday (okay, Sunday) smiles: spring edition

April 8, 2012

We went to a wedding last weekend, probably the first that Isabelle will really remember. We’d been back from Florida and Disney for less than a week, so it was no surprise that when we greeted the bride, Isabelle sidled up to her as if they were going to have their picture taken together.

“We just went to Disney. She thinks you’re a princess,” I explained. What bride doesn’t? It was cute and memorable.

Later that day, seemingly out of nowhere, Isabelle asked, “Mommy, who do you think I’m going to marry when I’m older?”

Oh, Lord, I thought we had much more time before these types of questions began.

Here are more reasons I’m smiling this week:

My husband spent most of Saturday in the kitchen making the food we’re eating for Easter today. The way to a man’s heart may be through his stomach, but the way to a woman’s heart definitely starts in the kitchen. For lunch we ate deviled ham sandwiches (they were heavenly!) and for dinner we’re eating lamb stew, both firsts for our family. So far, I’m not disappointed.

Playing Easter Bunny. We’re usually with our parents on Christmas, so Phil and I miss out on the Santa role, and neither of our kids have lost teeth yet, so no Tooth Fairy either. Easter, though, is ours. It’s fun to surprise your kids with the unexpected, part of the message of Easter, anyway, right?

To give Corban his equal cute-kidisms time, here is a transcript of a typical conversation when either parent is leaving the house or at naptime or bedtime.

Mom: Corban, do you have kisses for me?

Corban: Nope. (with a shake of the head) They’re all in dad’s mouth.

Mom: How about hugs?

Corban: Nope, they’re all on dad’s neck.

Mom: OK, I guess I’ll go get some kisses and hugs from Dad.

Corban: Wait, I have to put kisses in your mouth.

He is cute, which is trouble, because when he gets in trouble, I think it’s cute. Sigh.

I mean, how do you say “no” to this?

Or this. (His dad had a hand in the bathtub masterpiece. “Mom, look at my mohawk!” Oh, Lord, we are in trouble.)

I know there’s a lot of kid stuff on here, but they provide numerous reasons for smiling. (And plenty of reasons for not, but focusing on the positive keeps me saner.)

It was also great to see some friends who graduated from seminary last year directing and starring in a Good Friday drama at their church.

And the best reason of all for smiling this week — Good Friday is not the end of the story.

He is risen! (I love this song … my favorite for Easter.)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3kc1jDahU4&feature=artist]

Happy Easter from our family to yours!

Filed Under: holidays, Saturday smiles Tagged With: cute things kids say, Easter, easter bunny, easter song, food, Good Friday, he is risen, keith green, kidisms, new life, spring, unexpected surprises, weddings

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Hi. I’m Lisa, and I’m glad you’re here. If we were meeting in real life, I’d offer you something to eat or drink while we sat on the porch letting the conversation wander as it does. That’s a little bit what this space is like. We talk about books and family and travel and food and running, whatever I might encounter in world. I’m looking for the beauty in the midst of it all, even the tough stuff. (You’ll find a lot of that here, too.) Thanks for stopping by. Stay as long as you like.

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