Pause

In a world full of social media promoting projects and ideas, my mind is continually in overload. Thus, I took a little time (or an entire summer of siesta time while in Greece this summer) revisiting what I enjoyed------I read. I wrote. I pinned projects. I ate decadent foods. I worked leisurely blogging. I enjoyed watching you play. I worked with you in your journal. I semi-worked out in small intervals---and laughed when the two of us were able to tackle fitness goals together as we worked on your "Sophia in Action" project. I made lists. I pondered life. I photographed you. And as a mom, I rediscovered the joy in life surrounding YOU---my love for you. Everything I want to do (Besides a few quiet Mommy moments that help me refuel to keep up with your energy levels...) centers around you! Thus, I sketched out what I wanted the two of us to do for the rest of 2013. Everything is penciled in and nothing is in stone because I want life to be spontaneous and carefree like you. I don't want rigid goals and expectations. I'm already enough of a perfectionist to expect one more list in our life to be perfect. Therefore, our projects and getaways are subject to change. And I must say the list was altered immediately upon arriving home because we quickly fell back into routine of home---television (cartoons, news, talk-shows, & more), stacks of magazines arriving in our mailbox, swimming outings, laundry, time with Daddy, and more! I looked for the "PAUSE" button like I often do because our hours and days were quickly disappearing. However, there's no pause button to be found. Life has moved on. Yet, somewhere in this first month back home from vacation-----July 20th to August 21st, we've managed to pause long enough to relish the pleasure of many projects together! Some of our projects were captured in snapshots:

Together we shucked corn from Nanny Pat's & Popa's garden---Peaches & Cream corn on the cob has made it on our dinner table many nights already. Daddy also went as far as buying us a new freezer to store all of our corn and summer vegetables in this year!

You helped Mommy----and we actually had Daddy shelling with us in one setting too----shell peas at the kitchen table. Those little peas popped all over our kitchen floor and down our shirts. Sheer delight-----and decadent side dish for meals! Today, you talked Nanny Pat out of three more jars of her homemade chow-chow to eat with your peas!

Daddy took us out to see the sunflowers---fields and fields of sunflowers but they actually all had their heads hung down low since the sun was not shinning. It had been a rainy week of summer with clouds and overcast skies but being together made up for all the sun we needed. Daddy and you clipped sunflowers for us to bring home but looking back now at these pictures....the flowers never made it into our house. We were still "jet-lagging" from our long trip back home from Greece that we didn't even think twice about them. However, I know that you have this weekend embedded in your heart. Daddy even let your drive his new truck through the fields of sunflowers.

You were so proud to get to drive "all by myself!" The truck was moving from left to right quite quickly so it was difficult to capture just the right photograph but I loved this little smile of yours! Heart-melting.......

...and these little hands/arms turning the steering wheel sitting on Daddy's lap! And of course, Mommy has already started funding your Edward Jones account with money for your new car. In eleven years, you'll be 16. Thus, $11 a month is added to remind me how quickly you'll be driving on your own. But of course, I won't mind if you just choose to drive around with me-----or driving my car while I ride with you! Oh! How I love all the little conversations and songs when we're together in the truck.

Our return home wouldn't have been complete with one more trip to the river to throw rocks into the Mississippi and to check out the grain equipment. Daddy even had wheat growing in our basement on concrete floors! I made a mental note to use this idea for a future Science project for you! Although, I'm sure Daddy and you will have another idea with all that he's teaching you.

Dress up is still a favorite around our house. Sometimes you trade your princess attire for Daddy's work clothes. When Daddy arrived home, he was delighted to see his twin, YOU!

One weekend happened to be project weekend---Daddy was busy fixing the kitchen garbage disposal, light switches, and more! You followed him around helping where you could or waiting for a turn while playing with whatever was nearby!

Food---fresh Farmer's Market finds have overtaken our kitchen this month! We've cooked many, many batches of yellow squash and zucchini---eggplants! Mommy has even made homemade salsa and other dishes too! I've been busy taste-testing recipes and having you try them too. Those we can't stop saying, "Mmmm..." to are our "Keeper Recipes" and I'll compile them for you to have to recreate in all of your future kitchens----since you love food....flavorful food as much as I do.

Succulents---one of Mommy's projects that I wanted to do for myself. When the three of us stopped in at Lowe's you gathered supplies with Daddy for project around the house & I bought succulents to re-pot. This little pot housed notepads and memos on the computer desk but has been re-purposed as a pot----it's original purpose but with a little more love! We've selected just the right flower for it----reminding us of Yiayia who loves these too and has them growing in Zitsa at our family home in Greece. I'm sure that you'll enjoy watering them since they are part of your playroom----speaking of playrooms....I was so, so proud of you for cleaning up your playroom quite perfectly ALL by yourself today! I'm sure you will have NEAT, orderly home full of projects--always (like Mommy)!

A silly snapshot but a semi-finished project! Daddy FINALLY hooked up your playroom television! I believe I bought it for you 3.5 years ago after winning $500 on a scratch ticket. You helped Daddy put the TV up but somehow, it never became a finished project. Now, we can say it has---if only, we don't count the shelf Daddy is supposed to build for your DVD player and movies....I can say that you've enjoyed all your time in the playroom---stealing a few cartoons on it here and there throughout the week (while you're busy playing, coloring, loving on Stripes (although he's gone now...)....

Daddy's creative abilities were all flowing on our project weekend! He drew out a bookshelf that he has intentions of building for you by Christmas. He didn't say which Christmas so we'll see when we'll get to enjoy this furniture piece. However, for now we'll rejoice and give THANKS for his talents---many, many talents that provide more than we need in our lives.

While Daddy was drawing, I was busy restitching the lace on this material. It's our new potato basket. I found it while out shopping in Memphis. Yes. WE have been shopping more than three times since we've been home. This trip happened to be one with Mrs. Dee & Drue that we'll always remember since they've since moved to Japan (another story to capture here on the blog for you). The basket turned out perfect. I was pleased that Mrs. Polly was able to let me borrow her sewing tools to accomplish my project------I just might continue to sew like I once enjoyed doing....

.....and you too were proud of your Daddy's drawing----your future bookshelf!!

A little kitten, Stripes, became your week-long LOVE. Your time with him was precious as we tried to keep him and your kitty, Princess Girl together. We first thought that it was one of Princess Girl's babies but she wasn't fond of Stripes. You, however, loved him. I won't ever forget his trips in your baby carriage and the way he'd get in your baby carrier and play, play, play making you giggle and call his name. You named him. When he we failed to put him in the garage to sleep, we woke up to find him gone. Sad....especially when you said, "But Mommy, I can't see him!" after I told you'd still be in your heart. Luckily since then, you've enjoyed Princess Girl again and haven't been sad about Stripes. Although, you have pretended he's traveled in the truck with us a time or two!

Your last year of preschool is in full swing! You've enjoyed six days of preschool already with Mrs. Betsy-------and I've been so proud of you for quickly falling into routine and being ready to learn. No tears after the second day.......I look forward to all that you'll learn. And I know you're eager to learn more and more.......Our journals at home are quickly filling up with entries.......and other learning activities are endless.......I must get out my teacher planner to keep you busy with activities. I have to constantly think on my feet to keep your little mind busy--------tonight the two of us counted round slices of eggplant as I cut them up for dinner. You told me which eggplant had more circles! We didn't count how many slices you ate but you did enjoy dipping it in Balsamic vinegar.

Mindy the Mermaid & You-----Recently, you enjoyed learning to swim underwater! We're packing in as much swimming as possible while the sun is shining and the water temperatures are right! You request to swim when you have a choice of an activity for a hot, summer day like today!

Tumble & Cheer: You were reunited with a classmate from last year's preschool class. I loved this snapshot after your first attempted back-bend! You have been to two classes and you are already looking forward to your next class. I can think of one time already that you asked if it was Friday yet for gym class!

A scratch from Princess Girl as you protected Stripes....a little hand that is always busy creating....making messes....and more! And a little bracelet that you made at the Farmer's Market with Athena. You stopped to help her make jewelry and somehow ended up convincing her that you needed a bracelet. She was kind enough to make you one and fill it with beads you selected. We talked about our favorites on the way home. I selected the heart because I love you and the flower charm because you always bring me flowers. You selected the blue because it reminded you of swimming & the brown bead because it reminded you of Daddy's skin (I had to remind you that his legs were really, really milky white since the sun didn't shine on them while he's out working.).

Just one of our many trips to the Farmer's Market------"Mommy, I want to help you cook too!" You have done just that amongst your afternoon naps......

One afternoon, you enjoyed making Blueberry Lemon Popsicles with Mommy! You were still semi-sleepy but were eager to taste-test the decadent treat before freezing them!

.........and we did enjoy all of our pears too! On Monday, you enjoyed five/six pears in one sitting after preschool! I thought you'd had enough until you request an apple. It was an organic apple from Whole Foods that was super sweet. You paired it with caramel from Mommy's barista stash! I had to laugh at your compliments about it.......“Mommy, this caramel is yummy! Next time we go to Starbucks, we need to tell them that it’s the best and ask them how they make it so we can make caramel apples with it at home!”

I loved this snapshot of you in the kitchen wearing your chef attire that Daddy bought you in February of 2012. You were creating a chocolately concoction of chocolate milk with the Nesquik Daddy bought you one night last week when you cried crocodile tears that he had eaten your last bite of Swissroll....the tears were unexpected and caught Daddy by surprise. I don't think you even wanted it but a day without a nap when we fill our days so full of activities brings a few unknowns to our schedule from time to time. The two of us curled up in bed that night to read and Daddy ran to the store for Swissrolls and Nesquik...treats for you for this week! And although this snapshot wasn't my favorite of our kitchen time together this week, the one that is...I couldn't share because it's in my heart. As I was pulling out squash and eggplants from olive oil, they were quickly cooling. The squash was super sweet. You were standing over it to help me cook. Every time I looked over, there was less squash in my plate. You were quickly devouring it. Thus, when you moved to the kitchen table to create your x-tra chocolately milk, I couldn't fuss! Your belly was already full of the Earth's finest summer vegetables. I might even add that you loved the fresh picked turnip greens that we cooked on Tuesday too!

Today's picking....apples from Nanny Pat's & Popi's apple tree.......I knew when I dumped the bag out into our bowl at home that the one with the leaves on it was one you had picked. I didn't ask. I just knew. However, you called attention to it. "Mommy, did you see the apple with the leaves on it?" When I told you I did, you didn't say anything else about it except that you had picked it. Later this evening, you asked me if I liked it. I told you that I did. I asked you if Popi got on to you when you picked the leaves too. You responded that he said, "No, he said that's okay!" When I saw you riding on the four wheeler and wagon, I knew you had enjoyed yourself while picking apples. And since I wasn't with you outside picking apples, I wanted your perception of your time outside with Popi. Thus, I listened as you shared that you stood on the four-wheeler to pick the apples.

Tonight, I'll end with these snippets of joy of our month back home.......and although I don't have a pause button to pause life when I need it to slow down to enjoy you more, to gather what I need for our next moment together...for our next project....I know that it's okay. We're imperfect living in an imperfect world just like our spotted apples but when we accept all that is ours and give thanks for the moments....each second, I know that even without a pause button, we'll have all we need-----enough to count as joy!

"We haven't painted in a long time!"---your words to me tonight when I asked you if you wanted to paint. Thus, I promise you that this month we'll paint and paint and paint!

I love you little one!