have you hugged your kids today?

so, i'm not a mom, but i am an older sister. i have five younger siblings ranging in ages from 22-5. (yeah, that's how we do.) sometimes i feel like a mom because of how long i've been helping take care of the two youngest, boo (9) and m (5), but i love the feeling. if taking care of them has given me any sort of glimpse into mother-hood whatsoever, and if my children are anything like them, i'll have a wonderful time being a mother. these little guys brighten my life in so many different ways.

i love that they know music. they request to listen to things like: newsies (sieze the day), journey (don't stop believing), roisin murphy (rama lama bang bang) and anything jack johnson.

i love that they get excited about things like: human shaped pancakes with blueberries in them, applebees, and going to the park.

i love that they are all boy. they love star wars and super heroes and indiana jones. they like getting dirty and playing hard.

i love how smart they are. boo talks like he's about 40 years old and m taught himself the alphabet. they are like geniuses inside little kid bodies.

i love their giant sized imaginations. they can create anything they want and they never hold back.

i love the hugs and kisses they smother me in and i love doing the same.

i love that no matter what i do, they still love me and they never fail to tell me that they love me.

these boys have shown me how to enjoy life and to focus on the simple things.

i hope everyone has someone in their life that does the same.

have a delightful weekend!

gems.

i've been thinking about the little things in life that make me happy. for me, its never any one big thing. its always beautiful little gems that make me feel happy inside and keep me smiling throughout life. i find new ones every day and, to me, that's the beauty of life. finding joy in all things.
well, i thought, since we can all use a little joy in our life at one point or another, that i would share my latest "amores" with you and encourage you to reflect upon your own!

google's wizard of oz icon

when i saw this, it made me smile. the wizard of oz is one of my favorite movies, and judy garland one of my favorite actresses. i actually played dorothy once. it was a wonderful experience and the wizard of oz always will be and always has been a fun, happy memory for me.

{google chose this as their icon in celebration of the 71st anniversary of the wizard of oz.}

the fact that i can black mail kdp into doing things for me by simply threatening to give her the sytycd results before she's watched them!

scars

choreographed by: nappy tab

danced by: robert & dom

first of all, robert was my favorite dancer on so you think you can dance this season (season 7), second of all, this dance is so wade-robson-esque that i love it, and thirdly, nappytab are phenomenal choreographers. phenomenal. please watch. please love it.

i want this on a reel in my house never stopping. constant happy.

receiving sweet texts, phone calls, e-mails, facebook message and blog comments from my amazing friends, family, and readers.

glitter in the air

by: p!nk

i love this song. no specific reason, its just amazing.

the lyrics are beautiful and very thought provoking.

{also, this specific performance is... wow! she sings it with so much conviction and desperation. that and the added fact that she's sopping wet, hanging upside down from a piece of silk fabric, spinning around like a trapeze artist and still belting out the lyrics like it aint no thang!}

the feeling i get when boo and little m call me and tell me about their day.

my remarkable friends and family

what are the gems in your life this week?

*update: my mom's wrote a similar post a few days ago. since her blog is private, i thought i'd share her sweet list on my blog!

enjoy:

Ahhh, the simple things

by: mom

I haven't been feeling too great the last day or two. Probably because my boat is rockin and rollin on the river of life right now...which is okay with me but I think all the turbulence has left me a little sea sick.

I put off going to bed as late as I could last night due to the fact that I had been dizzy most of the day and trying to lay down while dizzy just doesn't work for me. So I went to bed around 1:00am.

As I lay down and closed my sleepy eyes the room started spinning and it was very hard to relax and so, as I often do while falling asleep, I thought of the simple things in life. You know, those awesome little things that aren't really life changing and that you could probably survive without, but that bring so much joy to your heart when you experience them? Yeah, those little simple things. Such as:

A bouqet of dandelions clutched tightly in the hand of a sweaty little boy who saw them and thought of you while out at play

Warm, gooey home made chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven

Wet, sticky kisses all over you face from the tender lips of a 5 year old at the end of a long day

The soft touch of a gentle breeze blowing through your bedroom window as you fall asleep at night

Snuggling with the one you love on cold winter nights

The sounds of screaming and laughing trailing up the stairs from the basement late at night when your teenagers are supposed to be asleep

Taking a drive on a lazy afternoon just to see the crops growing in the fields and the flowers in bloom

Having a slumber party with your adult sisters

Knowing who you are, where you came from, and where you are going

An e-mail from an old friend...just to say hello

Long talks into the night with your teenage son

Cafe Rio salads

A washer and dryer that both work at the same time

Having enough money to go to the laundromat if they don't

Home made blueberry smoothies

Warm blankets straight from the dryer

Pictures from a family vacation

Spinach artichoke dip on warm french bread

Jacuzzi tubs

The smell of rain

Listening to waves at the beach

Music

The laughter of children

thanks for sharing mom!