harvest.

( asher with apples, september 2012  / tree, recent )

.

.

Fall is just around the corner and contrary to popular blogging belief, it's honestly a really hard transition for me. Fall used to be my favorite season and it definitely brings back good memories of years past; hoodie sweatshirts, cool evening football games, walking to the neighborhood Starbucks, holding hands with gloves and cuddling with a boy I hoped to marry. There are still nice things about fall, I suppose. But as the years have passed and I've grown in age and in responsibility, fall has come to mainly mean this: warm weather is over and winter is coming fast.
.
I really, truly do not enjoy winter. It's dark and long and full of dreadful things like toes that never warm up and being stuck in the house with two wild-banshee boys. All roads will turn into black dirty mush , my hair will be wildly static and my hands will be forever dry-heat-air dry. I'll force my feet out of flip flops and into my moccasin boots, prepared to earn their yearly salt stain stripes. As usual, winter isn't going to ask my opinion; it will just proceed to dump it's frozen, miserable feelings on me regardless. 

.

First though, we are getting this short little window of still warm, okay feeling days. I'm trying though failing daily, to find that little bit of peace and joy in the harvest season that is now: an old dreamy photo of my little boy eating an apple; leaning back and finding the beauty in the changing trees right by my house, shopping for warm clothes and finding the absolutely perfect pair of black pants.

.

For me, the season that is here right now, is just another reminder that the good and the bad and the ugly will ebb and flow whether we like it or not. I guess the goal might be to strive to find that bit of plenty to hang onto. So that when times are dark and rough, I can close my eyes and grasp that feeling of lying in the grass on a hot summer day, still smell the leather interior of my dad's convertible, and still see that fair-skinned baby picking up apples one by one in the backyard long after he's grown.

.

I guess I'll just keep moving and living as the world spins me into winter, whether I like it or not. I'll keep trying hard to gather my harvest little by little, memory by memory, day by day. Winter may freeze things up for a while but it can't take away these good, happy things, always glowing summertime warm in my heart. 

.

<3

.

---

"Harvest" is the September writing prompt of The Mommy Blogger Collective. In addition to a monthly writing prompt, the collective hosts a monthly blogger featurette. This month we are featuring Courteney of The Titled Blog. A few words from Courteney --- Hello! I’m Courteney from “The Titled Blog” I live up in Canada (in Abbotsford, British Columbia - just East of Vancouver) with my husband, one year old daughter Lucy, a pug named Minnie and an angry flame point siamese cat named Bigsby. My blog has evolved over the last 7 years from random rants and social commentary to lifestyle and now most recently to being a mom. My daughter was born with a lot of health problems and I often write about the challenges that have come with having a baby that has spent a good chunk of her first year in and out of the hospital and how to deal with those challenges head on. When I’m not blogging, I work as a photographer with my own business (Courteney Rodda Photography) sing in my jazz band “Courteney Rodda and the Other Guys” and most recently I am sewing for an awesome local company making baby moccasins called “Minimoc” You can also find me on Instagram, where I post too many pictures of my daughter, dog and cat. /// The Mommy Blogger Collective /// Christina, Courteney, Dena, Erica, Erin, Gillian, Katie, Misty, Nicole, and Renée. ///

little people, big world.

.

i've always loved taking photos like these since roman was itty bitty: pictures of my boys with the great wide world around them.

.

my favorite people who really are still so, so little.

.

and when you stop and think about it - aren't we all really?

 .

just small specks trying to somehow exist on this crazy big earth of ours.

.

hey there.

.

ok guys, it's been a little while. i have been so busy and just haven't had a bit motivation or thoughts or feelings of wanting to write or share here. i've been in a blogging void, really. which is nice and necessary but this morning as i was culling through some emails and thinking over some blogging opportunities i realized i may as well touch base here before my blog just falls off the face of the earth!

.

i'm starting to build up my infamous personal wall of stress. it's ridiculous really but i see those little bricks stacking up before my eyes and realizing that i need to take a minute and start to deal with all these little things that hindering me from getting things done. i'm much better at ignoring the situation at hand than i am at diving in and dealing with it. school, work, my kids, money ... even little things that are on my to-do list like sending a birthday card to my grandpa: all these areas are starting to just tumble into a pile of stress and i feel overwhelmed.

.

this morning though, i'm off work and SO thankful. tuesdays and thursdays are the days that i usually work at 9 am and don't get home until 9 pm after school. so today i am just sitting here, so stinking happy to not be working and hoping to get a few things done and get back on track for myself. we'll see though; it sounds like an easier said than done situation!

.

maybe i'll be back soon to share more. i haven't picked up my camera much lately besides for a project that i did for a class, which is what the above photo is from! it ended up being pretty neat to think outside of my box and photograph in way that isn't my go-to. i've been painting and drawing and feeling inspired artistically in different ways than usual and it's a good thing i'd say.

.

meanwhile if you have any great stress reliving tips or fabulous words of motivation ... i'm all ears. :)

.

back to school.

.
Well, the first week of school has come and gone. Roman's school lets out two hours early for the first two weeks due to the heat, which is making for a nice transition. I don't want to think too much about my little boy being gone until 3:00 everyday yet! We went to Target + Old Navy last Friday to finish up our back to school shopping and it was so much fun. Well, until Asher's melt down that lasted two days over the light-up Ninja Turtle shoes he didn't get to buy, yikes...
.
Roman seems very happy with his class. He miraculously picked a navy blue lunch box over all the obnoxious cartoon character ones which secretly made me happy and he told me all about trading some of his goldfish crackers at lunch with his classmates; it was, "so awesome," he says. Roman was super excited to tell me that he got a chance to be a "behavior bee" in his class, which means that he was rewarded for his good behavior by being able to sit in the bumblebee bean bag chair. His face was just lit up when he told me about it in the car. He really is just the sweetest, sweetest little boy - his teacher is pretty lucky I'd say.
.
I am exhausted from my first week of school. I feel overwhelmed and stressed and a little in over my head. I really am not used to being so busy and it's just really tiring especially on Tuesdays + Thursdays where my days are 12+ long with work and school now. I'm still trying to figure things out as far as classes transferring / financial aid etc. as well so needless to say, I am super glad that it's Saturday. I don't work OR have school today because Aaron is working in the mountains and I'm hoping the boys will want to pretty much sit around and do nothing all day. Maybe I'll sort through some laundry as well since we have a new (to us) washer + dryer set!
.
FabKids sent us these "back to school" outfits and oh my gosh, I am in LOVE with them. These little Fender and NPR tee shirts are just the coolest things ever and they are super soft / great quality as well. I've had these outfits waiting in the wings to be photographed for a while now but it's just been too gosh darn hot to put the boys in jeans. Last night was a super cool / rainy / fall weather kind of evening so after baths I took the boys out to the porch to do our traditional back to school sign coloring. I love how Roman went for a "color-blocking" technique and Asher was very excited and worked hard on his as well, although afterwards he ripped both of these papers to shreds in true Asher style! At least I have the photos though, right? ;)
.
How is the back to school season going for you all?
.

.

on Asher - NPR shirt: c/o FabKids jeans: c/o FabKids shoes: Old Navy ( on clearance now! )

on Roman - Fender shirt: c/o FabKids jeans c/o FabKids

.

And hey, if you like flashbacks like I do, here is our very similar back to school post on this same porch from last year! Time flies...

.

( This post includes affiliate links to FabKids. If you use my link, you will receive your first outfit for only $15 and in return I will receive points towards free outfits for my kids. FabKids sent me these outfits to share with you all but this post and all opinions are my own. Thanks for reading along and providing my family with these awesome opportunities! )

shifting gears.

( sunset at the reservoir last night )

.

This week Roman starts 1st grade in public school. I am so overjoyed and thrilled with his teacher. He attended a little summer program at his school for the past few weeks and the teacher that he had during that is the same teacher that he will have for 1st grade. She is everything you could ever dream of wanting in a teacher for your child - just perfectly sweet and wonderful. We visited Roman's classroom on Friday night and saw all the little chairs and colorful decorations and the pet turtle, "Tilda". I always wanted homeschool for my children and there is a part of me that still wants that and may do so in the future. But gosh, there is just something about public school that is so special and fun - there are parts of that experience that I want for my children as well. I loved elementary school and I'm just remembering and being able to re-experience that with Roman; buying new school clothes, going to pick out a pencil box, looking around at your classroom, choosing a lunchbox. It's all so sweet.
.
I'm going back to school, as well, full time this week. I pretty much decided on this for sure just a couple days ago. I went in and talked to an advisor and brought my transcript and hashed it out a bit. She was such a nice, kind person and so helpful. Our meeting left me really inspired. Who knows how long this inspiration will last but hey, it's here for now. It felt so awesome to look at my transcript and realize how accessible my Bachelor's degree is looking especially since I feel like so many of the classes I have left are specific to my major which will be enjoyable and a breeze.
.
Asher will be home with us, for now. He broke down into tears during Roman's open house, crying out, "I wannna go to schooooooooool." Oh the hardships of being a little brother. :)
.
Even though things are changing and school is starting up again, I'm not considering it the end of summer. There is still plenty of time for tank tops + sitting out in the lawn while the boys chase ants and climb pine trees. Things will be busier for sure and I'm happy for that, we need a little less laziness around here. But as far as summer goes, I'm not ready to give up this season just yet.

.

 

.

portraits of roman.

( photos, 7/23/2014 )

.

     Roman is every bit as sweet as he looks in these pictures and I love them and him so very much.

.

     Roman has the happiest, happiest face that still has the same amount of sweetness to it as the day he was born. I love to cuddle with this boy of mine and feel his still-soft baby skin in my arms. 

.

     He really is just the sweetest thing. :)

.

celebrate.

I'm not very good at taking pictures of "big events" like Christmas and Easter and birthdays. Which is strange ,because growing up I had all of the obligatory photos: standing by the tree in the front yard holding my new lunch box on the first day of school, Christmas eve present opening at my great aunt and uncle's house, sisters and their new birthday bikes: all of those moments are captured and I love pouring through all of those pictures. They are full of 90s childhood charm
.
But I am horrible at taking those kind of photos. Honestly, it isn't enjoyable for my to get out my big camera on special days . It's just too big and bulky and then I start critiquing the view, which is never artistically perfect in my everyday.
.
What I am good about is capturing little moments with my boys in photos; like in the pictures shown here. Asher and I had taken Roman to school in the morning and afterwards he was so proud to show me all the things that he can do now on the playground, all by himself. Then, when we got to the parking lot,  I pulled out my camera to take some pictures of him by the fence. Those are the moments that I love how my camera feels in my hands and I love looking at my little sweet boys, taking pictures, creating evidence of the moments between us. Honestly, I'm really not a big "special occasion" person anyway. These little moments are the ones that are the most special to me, that I want to feel and remember forever and ever.
.
Sometimes I worry that I don't take enough pictures, that I don't take pictures of the "right things", that I need to hurry and print them all out and organize them into photo albums. I know that as mothers, we all worry about these silly little things, don't we?
.
For now, I'll just keep grabbing my camera when I want to, I'll keep capturing these little moments of life as the beauty and art that they are, I'll keep celebrating our days - my own way. :)
.

---

"Celebrate" is the August writing prompt of The Mommy Blogger Collective. In addition to a monthly writing prompt, the collective hosts a monthly blogger featurette. This month we are featuring Nicole of Rose Runs Wild. A few words from Nicole --- Hi! I'm Nicole from Rose Runs Wild! I'm mama to a teenager, wife to my handsome husband and dog mama to our bulldog and pit bull. I work full time and blog in my free time. I love wearing black and white, plants, doughnuts, crappy pop music and working on our home we just recently bought! My blog is basic, it's just about our life. The good, the bad and the ugly. I try to share as honestly as I possibly can in hopes that one or two other people out there don't feel so alone. Life is rough, life is beautiful and it's all about connection through the highs and the lows. That's all I'm really trying to do, connect and share. And take lots of cute photos of my son (in the rare moment he lets me) and my dogs of course! Connect with Nicole here: Instagram // Pinterest // Bloglovin // Twitter // Tumblr. /// The Mommy Blogger Collective /// Christina, Courteney, Dena, Erica, Erin, Gillian, Katie, Misty, Nicole, and Renée. ///