And so it goes...

  My younger daughter started all day kindergarten which leaves me with something I have not had in 5 years... time. Time to catch up on everything I randomly tossed in the closet and leaned against the door hoping it would not all come crashing out before I had a chance to "get to it." That's been my mantra for the past 5 years... "when I get to it." Now the time seems to have arrived where I am at least getting...to...it.


  So many things on the "to do" list or should I call it a "bucket list?" What's the difference anyway? Are the  "to do's" we tick off small tokens of life marked by closet cleaning and wall painting? The bucket list needs to have aspirations of "trips to China and sky diving" to qualify? I've never been a big dreamer. Opting for the simpler things in life like being loved, having a family, doing a good job at raising my kids, staying married (dare I add happily) and pursuing interests I enjoy. I will never go down in history as anything great like a famous actor, rock star, nobel prize winner or novelist. I will just be me doing my thing- scrapbooking, decorating, taking photos (hopefully they will improve over time) and documenting every day life in a blog.


  Although I am a scrapbooker, my work is more art than documentation. Hence why I started this blog.
Here I will try to capture the everyday moments in photos (which I want to get in the habit of taking more of) and writing them.  Some will make it onto scrap pages most won't. But at least I will be comforted by having "gotten it down" somewhere...before all is lost and the kids are grown and I have forgotten their names.
 Sprinkled in with this will be photography since I am now enjoying that, along with my editing and my country decorating. Another passion of mine. So if you think you might want to stay and browse- carry on. If this sounds like a bore then click on. You're in control of the remote.


Monkeys on the loose


  It's a hard life for a 5 year old to stay contained all day in a school environment, following rules, staying on task, structure, nice words, inside voice...egads!!!! When the girl gets home she needs to run wild like a lion and climb like a monkey.
 Sneakers left behind...

Barefoot and up the swingset ladder in the blink of an eye...

Lost in the world of play. Climbing to the highest peak, scattering across steadily, hesitantly but determined to do it unassisted.

Because happiness is : doing it yourself when you are 5.

This spirited child is always in motion... never stopping until her head hits the pillow...

Even without a ride...

And I watch and savor and catalog... because before long...

The magic of childhood will be gone...