tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-164844822012-01-27T15:59:36.079-05:00The Miller MixWe're sometimes wacky, sometimes tacky, but always completely happy.Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.comBlogger9121100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-58324776395588220252012-01-26T15:36:00.000-05:002012-01-26T15:40:27.178-05:00QOTD: Imagination, Year 4It's been another of those weeks, but I have no complaints. And I'll soon be sharing some really fantastic news with everyone. In the meantime, I realized it's been forever since I posted a few "kids say the darnedest things" anecdotes -- and there are some really good ones happening these days.
Bella is on the tail-end of Year 4, and I adore this age. She's still sweet and cuddly but she's whipKelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-83842306068661117522012-01-18T21:57:00.000-05:002012-01-26T15:37:19.139-05:00Kickin' (Back)Hiya. It's been awhile. How are you? How were your holidays? How's your January going? Let's not talk about how I've been working and meeting and racing on a super-huge project that I'm hoping will mean less working and meeting and racing. Well, I don't want less working, but definitely less racing.
And maybe more reading? More writing? More thinking about more than how much I can squeeze into Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-38857663493667440422011-12-29T17:38:00.001-05:002012-01-26T15:37:37.916-05:00Time PassedMost days when I look at my children, I notice the dirt on their faces, whether their hair or teeth have met with a brush, if they're clutching contraband in their closed hands (what? Christmas candy abounds!).
But today, looking at pictures taken at the "best birthday party ever!" (as Javi refers to his party), I caught a glimpse of time passed. It was this photo that did me in:
2011
These Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-42953243704377087632011-12-23T09:24:00.000-05:002012-01-26T15:38:01.968-05:00ElevenEleven years ago, I was a graduate student who loved a baby before she saw her, who believed anything was possible, and who had the support system to make it work.
Exactly eleven years ago, a boy was born in place of that baby girl and my life went whirling down a completely unanticipated, sometimes thrilling, sometimes exhausting, sometimes terrifying path that no one can ever prepare for.
Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-8697273315160673722011-12-20T10:40:00.000-05:002012-01-26T15:38:32.461-05:00The Bell AffairOur month of kindness has begun paying off. Sort of.
It takes Javi and Bella longer to start bickering and they're more likely to allow the other one to win verbal battles. They spot and get excited about participating in volunteer opportunities, and each have tried to literally give their friends the shirts off their backs.
But I've come to realize that the message they received last month Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-20762582368133102402011-12-14T14:00:00.000-05:002012-01-26T15:38:48.208-05:00Cluck of the Week: Baring It AllWinter has arrived in the South, or at least in our corner of it.
While the rest of us knew to brace for frigid temps by the constant warning of morning weather predictors and the steady turning of calendar pages, my poor chicken didn't know what hit her.
Not only has she lost all her gorgeous auburn-colored feathers, but we caught her letting it all hang out -- literally -- in the tree she's Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-49575722735019744562011-12-13T20:00:00.000-05:002012-01-26T15:39:01.522-05:00Elfed UpI fought the good fight, but we still wound up with an elf gracing our shelf.
It started on Saturday when Santa dropped in at the gingerbread house building event we hold each year for the community.
Somehow I forgot that Bella loses her ever-lovin' mind when Santa escapes without letting her see his sleigh (as has happened every year since she was born). It's hard to remember how much she Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-5352693137015961552011-12-11T23:30:00.000-05:002012-01-26T15:39:20.224-05:00Random Acts of Thanks: The EndDespite my silence, the end of November was packed full for our family, including three Thanksgivings and a parade, as well as the many ways we chose to show our gratitude throughout our community.
Though our family spends a large majority of time throughout the year performing acts of service throughout our community, I enjoyed taking some time to focus in on how being kind and sharing what we Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-17051835828376071752011-12-02T12:32:00.001-05:002011-12-02T13:01:54.449-05:00Joy RisingMy sister has been fighting a battle of wills: her's to survive, her insurer's to save money.
She's laid in my floor and cried from the crushing, overwhelming exhaustion that comes from trying to hold herself together -- the jobs, the family obligations, the fundraising, the health issues -- after hearing someone say over and over again: You're going to die anyway.
She turned over her driver'sKelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-47057236556397638422011-11-28T15:13:00.001-05:002011-11-28T15:46:26.493-05:00Cluck of the Week: The Passing of TimeA lot can happen in eleven days, especially when it's this life we're talking about. This life is full to bursting with obligations and work and family and friends. Good things. Things for which I'm grateful.
But the pace is hard to manage and the downtime is all about snuggling with my wee ones (or zoning out to Real Housewives of Atlanta). So there are all kinds of photos and stories about ourKelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-39792401430727511732011-11-16T22:41:00.001-05:002011-11-17T00:09:26.021-05:00Life, Beautifully UnexpectedThe past few days have been consumed by facts and figures, hard realities and unbelievable truths, and the truly amazing gift of the human spirit. And it's been totally unexpected.
My mother, sisters, and I are used to fighting for what we have. Nothing has ever been given to us. Growing up, we were a four-person family on a one-person income. Ashley was sick from birth and spent long spans of Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-29657375183614174582011-11-14T01:02:00.001-05:002011-11-14T01:36:04.542-05:00Random Acts of Thanks: 6-9Guess what. Sometimes we make really big plans and then life happens. For me, this week, life looked like a surprise 730 pages of editing plus two a slew of deadlines ... so our Random Acts of Thanks felt smaller, though I know they are still important.
I hope we'll be able to make more sweeping gestures as the month wears on.
#6. Voting.
Normally, I wouldn't consider voting an act of thanks, Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-30582713194094795712011-11-10T19:11:00.001-05:002011-11-10T19:49:19.914-05:00Have You Heard The One About The Girl With Dud Kidneys?
When your fourth favorite person (after
the husband and the two kids)
has a just-keeps-dwindling list
of foods she can consume without
landing herself in a dialysis chair,
you learn to cook with creativity
and to make really bad jokes
that save you from the frustration
of fending off an uncertain death.
"Know why vampires run from garlic?
They're a milligram of magnesium away
from renal Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-10567370412004185512011-11-06T23:42:00.001-05:002011-11-06T23:50:57.571-05:00Random Acts of ThanksThe kids and I have jumped aboard the "give thanks" bandwagon, but we're doing things slightly different (because I can never let things just be easy).
Rather than say why we're thankful, we have decided to use this month to show our gratitude by giving back to our community. We'll perform a "random act of thanks" for each of the 30 days of November. I know it sounds a little high-minded, but byKelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-51072884839046075002011-11-05T02:25:00.000-04:002011-11-05T02:43:00.108-04:0016 HoursI managed to get two hours of sleep last night. When combined with the 4-5 hours I've gotten each night since Sunday, my total amount of asleep time when I woke up this morning was approximately 16.
16 out 96 hours spent resting and restoring. 16 hours giving my brain the chance to drum up more genius.
Needless to say, when I woke up this morning, my eyes were gritty, my head was pounding, andKelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-48399443604612815292011-10-31T13:23:00.000-04:002011-10-31T13:24:18.522-04:00Costume How-To: Part 4Bella loves music and singing. Therefore, it was no surprise to me when she fell head-over-heels in love with Gnomeo and Juliet this summer. Don't get the connection? Let me tie it together: Elton John and Lady Gaga, baby.
Bella can (and does) sing every song from Gnomeo and Juliet but the Elton/Gaga duet "Hello, Hello" is her absolute favorite. After her 15th viewing of the movie, she looked Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-66380887443765800752011-10-27T23:15:00.001-04:002011-10-27T23:15:47.964-04:00Cluck of the Week: SoundCooler weather brings worms slithering up
from wet, loose-packed soil; the
constant rustling of falling, drying leaves;
and long days of upper-70s sunshine.
But the noise. Oh, the noise.
Birds cawing at each other across
the expanse of our back yard,
those leaves sliding against each other
and everything else, and my chicken.
Gone is the soul-squashing heat
of North Carolina summer. Fancy now
Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-78976902540280545122011-10-24T22:03:00.000-04:002011-10-24T22:04:50.588-04:00Costume How-To: Part 3Last year, my big kid actually donned two different Halloween costumes. Because his knight costume triggered his sensory issues, Javi wound up ditching it when trick-or-treating time rolled around. His back-up plan was the old standby:
Pirate Javi
Here's how we did it:
Must have: Pirate hat and eye patch. (Found at the Dollar Store. Cost: $2)
A light colored long-sleeved shirt. (Found in Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-51505185293164390782011-10-18T15:49:00.001-04:002011-10-18T15:50:29.513-04:00Costume How-To: Part 2Who doesn't love a knight in shining armor? Well, let's say a knight in plastic-painted-to-look-burnished armor ... which is what Javi dressed up as for Halloween last year. Sadly, he's decided he's too old for trick-or-treating this year. Instead, he'll wear all black and scare kids. Milestones!
Sir Javi
Javi actually wore two different costumes*. For our local Halloween fair, he went as a Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-31425605512830213402011-10-13T09:26:00.001-04:002011-10-13T09:27:09.320-04:00BOB: Enjoying The Good TimesThis month's Best of the Best topic is the "lighter side" of life with a child who has special needs. I am a huge advocate for appreciating the way ADD/ADHD allows children to think outside the box and run wild with creativity. Here's a great example for you -- oh, and you might want to show your kiddos, I bet they'd love seeing how Javi vibrates with excitement over his accomplishment:
:::::::Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-23052199653532235072011-10-09T17:25:00.001-04:002011-10-13T08:36:02.454-04:00Costume How To: Part 1'Tis the season for make believe, harvest sales, and soup ... and we're loving it.
Last night, for no reason at all, Bella decided she needed to be a pirate. And so she was. Dressing her up in what we had around inspired me to share with y'all the neat little costumes we've put together over the years. I left out store-bought costumes (and there were several back-to-back years of Power Ranger Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-20612736622818092922011-10-07T02:37:00.001-04:002011-10-07T09:07:24.625-04:00Why NotCrackled red and orange leaves soar
into crisp skies, finally clear blue
after months of searing white heat.
I am bone tired, stretched taut
with exhaustion and worry and obligation.
If I were to lay down,
there'd be no getting back up.
But a little girl came bearing
a magnifying glass and her imagination.
She took in the gorgeous mix
of fall color and perfect temperatures
and refused to hearKelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-75322605431976951042011-10-04T22:27:00.000-04:002011-10-04T22:29:18.619-04:00On telling liesParenting is hard.
This kid of mine. He's smart and funny. He makes the keenest observations and has the most compassionate heart.
And he can lie like no other.
Short of taping his mouth shut, I just don't know what to do. He'll lie straight to our faces. He'll be honest with someone else but will continue to lie to us. He'll feign innocence and cry about no one ever believing him as he Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-19712460794285283312011-10-03T13:57:00.000-04:002011-10-03T21:36:14.739-04:00A new traditionIf there's one thing my children will know as adults, it's how to make soup.
When I was growing up, the go-to meal in our home was macaroni and stewed tomatoes. When all else failed, when there was nothing else to eat, there was macaroni and tomatoes. Plain boiled elbow noodles with plenty of salt. A can of whole stewed tomatoes, sliced into chunks by a knife right in the can. A pot of simple Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-9478382432847410032011-09-28T22:41:00.000-04:002011-09-29T10:23:11.215-04:00How To Get A Good Picture Of Your ChildrenOf all the ways to convince
your children to smile for photos,
I bet my method is best.
Just say "smile," and you'll get:
Yes, this was her smile face.
The infamous "peacing" now stands in for smiling.
But here's my dirty little secret:
Naughty words work wonders. I shouted
penis! vagina! balls! at my children
and they produced these gems:
The trick is to wait until
the first Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-69518809006619067872011-09-27T09:42:00.000-04:002011-09-27T14:18:38.287-04:00RisingI'm living slightly under the surface. I can see the world a couple layers of murk, but I can't seem to break through to it just yet.
Mainly the work just piles up. This would be a good thing except the work isn't all paid. There's fundraising for my sister, volunteering in my normal gigs, my side project, and a feast-or-famine freelance career that is suprisingly feasty right now. The kids andKelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-60378957689454132752011-09-13T22:53:00.000-04:002011-09-13T22:57:37.940-04:00A lifetime of memoriesMy sister Ashley gets sicker and more fatigued as the days wear on and her body becomes more worn down.
And so I've been focused on fundraising for my sister Ashley's kidney transplant, including planning a huge carnival for this weekend. I haven't shared this, but her insurance denied coverage, so we've been numb and scrambling. We're currently in the appeals process, but we have no idea Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-86603001236738044972011-08-31T10:50:00.000-04:002011-08-31T10:50:27.538-04:00The girl with the blue shoes
Bella in blue.
Just when you think you're fighting your battle alone in your sleepy Southern town with your working from home and your not-much-time-for-anything-but-work days ... along comes like-minded women and men who remind you that the world can be there for you.
People like Melissa at Pigtail Pals and Crystal at the Achilles Effect and all the commenters on their Facebook pages (Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-53323434143966328952011-08-26T11:44:00.000-04:002011-08-26T11:51:01.080-04:00Not so easy
I’ve been wanting to write words
that should come easily. A rant,
a missive, a manifesto, against stereotypes
and pink/blue dichotomies screaming at me.
A server handing out coloring sheets:
giving the monster truck to him,
pushing the fairy straight to her.
Why not allow them to choose?
A trip to any store around:
pink glitter sparkles against dazzling white
or blue fades into black, Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-87248076465788239922011-08-25T11:49:00.001-04:002011-08-25T21:02:47.036-04:00CrackedThere are days, as a parent, when my heart cracks open.
I remember it happening for the first time about a week after I was handed a sleeping, peeling, slightly-gray, overcooked baby boy. We were sitting in the bathroom floor and I was massaging lotion into all his nooks and crannies to help shed the peeling skin and he looked in my direction and sighed.
Crack.
I didn't understand the feeling Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-42258803339449951792011-08-18T23:18:00.000-04:002011-08-18T23:24:57.818-04:00Rush to the heartThe scene comes as no surprise:
a preschool girl, a blank canvas,
tubs of paint in bold colors.
She starts with three bright streaks,
yellow, green, and red, cautiously smeared.
A dab of blue sneaks in.
But then the excitement of paints
and bare hands is too much
and caution goes out the window.
Bold colors mix, painted hands smash,
and out comes blackest-black hands
and a little giggling Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-12609320682418405552011-08-16T23:53:00.003-04:002011-08-17T08:59:33.158-04:00For the love of the gameMy kid discovered his first love this time last year. The discovery came with sweating, heavy breathing, and fitful sleep. Luckily, his love only disrupts our life in the fall (though I have to suffer through it year-round).
Yes, my son is forever hooked on football.
He loves to watch it on tv (including old games and the always-on folly shows), talk about it, toss the ball around with the Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-17195165035114451262011-08-12T17:30:00.002-04:002011-08-15T14:30:06.176-04:00Therapy: A Life LineAnyone who knows me will tell you that I consider therapy and counseling to be right up there with chocolate and wine in terms of must-haves for a parent of a child with ADHD. Since the Best of the Best topic happens to be therapy, I thought I'd explain why I'd give my third-born child* to my therapist:
::::::::::::::::::::
Have you ever considered he might have ADHD?
She sat back as she said Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-47373887719680568862011-08-12T12:43:00.001-04:002011-08-12T12:44:03.970-04:00Cluck of the Week: Trial and ErrorShe's my strategist. Try and fail
leads to a better next try.
This morning's battle was feeding Fancy
the way she wanted -- tiny pieces
all lined up for perfect pecking.
But Fancy is a strategist, too,
darting in, gobbling up, darting away.
The sign of a great strategist?
Knowing when trial and error works,
and when you just can't win.
But when she can't beat 'em?
She's very happy to join 'Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-71731763954419743302011-08-10T23:19:00.004-04:002011-08-11T13:51:04.780-04:00Creepy Ass KidsI have a thing about creepy ass kids. Yes, I call them creepy ass kids even in my mind. Movies with creepy ass kids (e.g., The Shining, The Omen, and other moves on this list)? I'm shuddering as I type.
Knowing that piece of backstory, can you imagine my immediate reaction upon seeing this?
Uh, yeah. The creepiness factor was high.
Of course, being creeped out by my kids is nothing new; they Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-18502121160038436092011-08-10T00:27:00.001-04:002011-08-11T07:31:50.438-04:00You Know Spell Check Caught This
Sometimes I see these glaring mistakes and I know that the blame falls on the tediousness of grammar and syntax. All those rules that separate plural from plural possessive, all the many ways to transpose letters, all the words that sound similar (like corregate and conjugate, as one of my clients would attest)...
And then I see mistakes like this and I wonder who's effing with me.
You and I Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-8844316748079444222011-08-04T21:33:00.001-04:002011-08-10T23:50:30.982-04:00Words
We are ships in the night,
except he's there and I'm here.
There is so much between us:
years, children, cars, vacations, a mortgage.
I remember the days, the nights
when we were flesh to flesh
and nothing could fit between us,
not kids, not bills, not air.
He filled me up. With words
written, spoken, laughed. With his body,
warm and ready and all mine.
He and I were enough, together.
How Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-50422416836887613892011-08-02T17:03:00.000-04:002011-08-02T17:03:07.102-04:00A time for applesThe more things change, the more they stay the same. Same orchard, same sun-baked farmer in a cowboy hat, same tire swing, same open-air barn stocked full of fresh and canned produce.
Same little girl soaking it all on, though her hair style, face shape, and body of knowledge are all new. This time, she told me apple starts with A and grapes start with G and peaches start with P. This time, she Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-42909062989869162572011-07-31T18:43:00.001-04:002011-07-31T18:44:31.131-04:00The Music of MemoryI am 18 spending the summer in my father's house in Houston.
When we made this plan, to spend the summer together in his house so far away from my friends and family, the excitement was palpable. A huge city. Weekend trips to Galveston and Mexico. Kolaches for breakfast and Wings-N-More for dinner.
This would be my first time living under a parent's roof since I was 16. This would be the Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-22907327653502061402011-07-29T00:11:00.002-04:002011-07-29T00:32:58.731-04:00SweetSarcasm drips off my sharp tongue,
annoyance and frustration disguised as sweetness.
I swallow it by the mouthful
when the house is a wreck
when the table never stays clean
when they come down from "cleaning"
and it's obvious no cleaning happened.
But then I hear them, clearly,
voices and humor mirroring my own.
They offer sincerity in sarcasm's place,
congratulate each other with high fivesKelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-69472078886643778002011-07-26T13:15:00.001-04:002011-07-26T13:15:45.552-04:00An eventful JulySummer Blog Syndrome is in full effect. With work, kids under foot, vacation schedules, and the urge to be out doing something (anything), there's not been much time for blogging.
But I suppose I'd rather have a too-full life than a too-often-updated blog (though perhaps somewhere in the middle would be good). The Miller Mix has:
Tie dyed shirts
Attended festivals
Listened to music in the park
Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-64826399835908091262011-07-07T21:53:00.003-04:002011-07-07T21:57:14.704-04:00Cluck of the Week: TherapyThere once was a chicken named Here's Your One Chance Fancy Don't Let Me Down who lived a quiet life in a small city in the South.
Fancy had suffered many horrors, from watching her first flock get decimated by a nocturnal predator to fighting for her life as a hawk sunk its talons into her hind end and tried to force her through a narrow opening in the fence surrounding her yard. Yes, Fancy Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-45981115676812845602011-06-30T02:08:00.002-04:002011-07-07T21:58:36.846-04:00Trippin'My sweet oldest child is at camp all week. (!!!) In his honor, I must post about his nemesis -- the red tricycle.
It seems innocuous. Bright and shiny. Fun, perky streamers. A handy compartment in the back for storing treasures. Totally harmless.
Unless it is accompanied by this:
I happen to look with my eyes when I'm walking, but Javi doesn't. Therefore, the sweet trike turns into a Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-23602614231620259492011-06-28T22:00:00.002-04:002011-07-07T22:02:21.069-04:00Going with the FlowSummer time in our neck of the woods means a string of free performances at the local library. I am all about the free. Usually I take Javi, but this year Bella seemed the perfect age to enjoy the shows.
Last week's performance was Flow Circus, a local entertainer whose props include toys from around the world. He did a great job of integrating storytelling, juggling, magic, dance, and humor Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-46696213198916492492011-06-27T01:22:00.002-04:002011-07-07T21:59:20.310-04:00Cluck of the Week: Lazy days of summerHere's Your One Chance Fancy Don't Let Me Down really is a survivor. The predators have multiplied -- but she's holding it down (with the help of delicious seasonal foods, of course).
There's the (damn) hawk that perches on a high tree in the woods behind our house and randomly swoops through our yard hoping to sink its talons into something tasty. That (damn) bird knows good stuff can be foundKelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-71860254704684953342011-06-26T01:21:00.002-04:002011-07-07T21:59:35.760-04:00On bringing home the baconWork is killing me. There, I said it.
There are kids underfoot during the day. Camp start and end times to make. Consulting meetings and networking lunches. Proposals to submit and invoices to fight over. Phone calls from people who tell you they want you to share your knowledge, but don't want to pay you for it. Deadlines and words and rampant commas. People seeing you make money, and then Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-86273032599524878672011-06-17T01:07:00.004-04:002011-07-07T22:00:06.097-04:00On being kind
It's just me and him, circling
and negotiating his wants, my needs
as the many days of summer
stretch out long and too lean.
Today's goal was to wield kindness
like a sword. Spend precious hours
focused on him, only and fiercely,
showing him that he's loved, even
though I won't give into demands.
A hot dog, a cardboard box,
and green spray-can hair dye
gave me more peaceful work time
than an Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-88810581993382454632011-06-15T12:02:00.002-04:002011-07-07T22:00:35.286-04:00My rough and tumble girlBallet is for girls who pirouette and chasse like delicate flowers.
My girl is a powerhouse of movement and sound, a tumbling rumbling flurry of action, the wind that whips your hair and makes your eyes water.
In other words, she's most suited to gymnastics.
She had her first recital (ever) last month and insisted she wear her ballet leotard rather than her unitard. She refused to allow us toKelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-30665187040775340492011-06-09T08:00:00.003-04:002011-07-07T22:00:58.125-04:00Fear Is The Best MedicineMy darling son lacks impulse control, which gets him in trouble in more ways than one. For instance, yesterday he decided to steal a 5 Hour Energy drink and use it to take his ADHD medication. Cue a day of horrid behavior and emotional and physical rollercoasters.
Because he couldn't figure out why a kid shouldn't drink 5 Hour Energy, I decided to tell him the combo of drink + meds could cause Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-21134781396504861302011-06-07T23:46:00.003-04:002011-07-07T22:01:25.505-04:00RelentlessI may be battling re-entry, but that doesn't stop life from surging on. And this. This moment captured. This is the marrow of life.
My girl, held by her big brother, allowing her head to submerge for the first time. No fear, no hesitation, just fierce and unwavering trust in her brother to keep her safe, this pool not to hold hidden danger, this world to always be on her side.
A leap of faith.Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-22669964237730435512011-06-05T21:18:00.001-04:002011-06-05T21:21:15.964-04:00Cluck of the Week: A family without a flockThe heavy, wet heat of summer is here -- bringing with it trips to the pool and gymnastics recitals and two 4s on the end-of-grade tests. Unfortunately, work has sucked up every extra minute this past month.
I thought this would be the night I finally have time to sit down and turn memories into words, but I can't revel in any of it -- not the gorgeous shimmer of sun on wet skin or the light Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-77313069159417929982011-06-01T01:44:00.000-04:002011-12-21T17:27:41.909-05:00Kidney CutieMany people know that we are currently fundraising for my sister's life-saving kidney transplant. This page should serve as resource for those who'd like more information about her condition, the status of our fundraising, and all other transplant/health-related stuff. (Check out our FAQs.)
If you have a question that isn't answered here, please feel free to ask it via email! Stay updated on herKelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-14098654774725936592011-05-20T10:29:00.001-04:002011-05-20T10:29:53.274-04:00Our anniversary
Six years ago, we chose commitment.
Two children of divorce, one leap
of well-considered faith in each other
and God. Our vows were promises
to do it differently, stay yoked
in our hearts and our bodies
no matter what comes at us.
Some days it's a charmed life
full of laughter and unexpected joy;
others we pace in separate corners
fighting the urge to pounce, destroy,
arise victorious from Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-38289748948641551962011-05-17T23:31:00.003-04:002011-05-18T09:58:03.406-04:00GrowingHe doesn't like me to take pictures of him. Or tell stories about him. Or brag about how smart and talented he is.
Those deep brown eyes no longer stare at me out of a round face that boasts chubby cheeks and a chiclet-toothed smile. He's all angles now, legs and arms and sharp bones that allow no give when I hug him.
He's learned crucial truths about his place in this world. "I'm not going toKelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-14156617399585824742011-05-13T23:08:00.001-04:002011-05-15T10:06:39.160-04:00On wisdom
There's so much I don't know
about the big stuff: life, death,
what it all means, or doesn't.
But what I know sustains me:
she will play legos for hours,
even fireflies make him nervous,
no poop talk ever gets old,
the weight of their sleeping bodies,
their ready smiles when morning calls.
Their songs and fights, bittersweet music
that's mine for only a fraction
of their wild and raucous Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-12093543716718818032011-05-03T23:46:00.001-04:002011-05-03T23:50:20.599-04:00PerspectiveThe tornado that struck our county two weeks ago left a 13-mile swath of destruction across our county, leveled 457 structures, cost millions of dollars, and took 2 lives. But when compared to the devastation in Alabama, we have nothing to complain about.
I guess that's called perspective.
My children have learned how to use their hands and hearts to bring comfort to those whose material Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-12088390948989374662011-04-20T02:48:00.001-04:002011-04-20T02:49:55.893-04:00My role models"Grown folk" have a tendency to underestimate the empathy, generosity, and determination of a child. We've all done it. I'm happy to report that the Miller kids (and many, many other kids in our community) are schooling the grown ups. And when I say schooling, I really mean showin' 'em how it's done.
Over the past two days, my sweet, smart Javi has amazed me. He held the flashlight while I Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-20772122354217648002011-04-19T01:07:00.007-04:002011-04-19T02:35:22.416-04:00From disaster ... hopeThere are words and pictures. You sit across from them and feel some semblance of control. You are powerful. You can share, connect, commiserate, cry. You are safe.
And then there's driving a 15-mile circuit to get a quarter-mile down the road from your house. Dogs roaming the woods behind your house, barking throughout the night. Mountains of wood and twisted metal where buildings used to be. Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-65278588524456316502011-04-18T02:04:00.003-04:002011-04-18T07:48:34.035-04:00Disaster in Sanford NCI live in Sanford NC, a small, quaint Southern town known for bricks and golfing nestled in the heart of the state. And on Saturday, it was devastated by the worst tornado in at least 20 years.
Homes gone. Stores gone. Lives lost. The tornado cut a 10-mile path through our county, starting in the southern part and moving north through the state. The same tornado cell devastated Dunn, Raleigh, Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-12318620793172459322011-04-15T15:42:00.002-04:002011-04-15T17:35:32.821-04:00The first stepNothing is new under the sun,
but the urge to create remains.
Be first, be best, know all...
but I can't. You can't, either.
Instead, I'll blow the best bubbles,
bask in the first slow smile
that lights up my daughter's face,
and treasure that the world turns
without any help from my hands.
What a blessing that truth is.
***This post is part of Bigger Picture Moments, Five Minute Fridays, Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-11617717955823370132011-04-13T02:14:00.001-04:002011-04-13T10:54:15.309-04:00Our birthday adventureBella celebrated her birthday with two parties. The first one celebrated her turning four. The second? According to her, it celebrated her turning five. Of course she's five. She already turned four. Duh!
Despite its confusion, we had a grand time at her official 4th(5th) party. Despite my prior party-dreaming, we chose an "explorers" theme with a slight Dora edge (as evidenced by this party Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-29464429546266948582011-04-11T00:18:00.002-04:002011-04-11T18:01:03.735-04:00Cluck of the Week: Nests and NoisesI had a feeling it was coming.
For a few weeks, I've noticed that the nest our favorite brown thrasher used last Spring is getting more and more cleaned up. First the leaves filling it went missing. Then the funneled base got thicker and the wind- and rain-damaged exterior looked fuller.
Guess what we found last week?
I think back to how I hated birds and have to chuckle at myself. Seeing Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-90488133394456051672011-04-07T00:09:00.000-04:002011-04-07T00:09:47.754-04:00Learning LessonsOur family reached a bittersweet milestone this weekend. Sweet, sassy baby Bella turned the big 0-4 at 5:56am on Sunday morning. We've already had a full week of celebrations -- a zoo trip on Sunday, a trip to see Shrek the Musical on Tuesday, and a photo session this morning. All of this plus her birthday party coming up on Saturday.
I've definitely spent time reminiscing about the big and Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-28305313871586270112011-04-04T10:11:00.000-04:002011-04-04T10:11:41.527-04:00Cluck of the Week: WeatherchicksSpring has sprung in the South. There's pollen floating in the air, covering cars and coating throats. The mosquitos are biting and bees are buzzing -- both of which send my children screaming in panicked circles. The sun leaves our days a balmy mid-70s on average.
But the mornings are still have their crisp, cold edge. Though every child comes home in a tee shirt, they leave their homes in Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-61371998095580722462011-04-01T00:00:00.002-04:002011-04-01T00:14:00.755-04:00Party Time!
Though this party has been going on for years, this is my first year participating. I always did like to show up to parties fashionably late. You know, so that I can then close it down at the end of the night. That's when all the juicy stuff happens. You punctual folks are missing out.
Ehem. Yes, it's the ultimate blog party at 5 Minutes for Mom! There are prizes to be won and new bloggers to Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-49561155987050446202011-03-31T11:48:00.001-04:002011-03-31T11:49:31.920-04:00FreedomThere's something is happening here (what it is ain't exactly clear...).
The battle to actually get paid for my work (you know, per the freelance contract I signed) has whittled me into a sharp, shiny point. Concurrently, opportunities are opening up on a local level that I couldn't have contemplated a year ago (or a month ago, honestly).
Freedom is an interesting concept right now. For me, nowKelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-78652944170060914472011-03-30T03:04:00.001-04:002011-03-30T03:07:39.190-04:00Daddy CampRemember that miscommunication? It resulted in a Daddy Camping night that meant this mama got to be home. Alone. For hours on end.
It was magnificent.
But don't think I had all the fun. Despite his planning inability, my Mountain Man had a wonderful night with his two favorite little people. They gorged themselves on hot dogs, honeybuns, and chips. They built at least three fires, fished their Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-27608649656592832082011-03-25T06:00:00.012-04:002011-03-25T10:32:29.415-04:00Creativity with a Dash of Magic
For my last week of Neighborhood Fridays, I give you Dee from The Argonne Chronicles -- a chronic "yes"-sayer (aren't we all?) and mom to a handsome young man who happens to have ADHD. I have enjoyed reading about her wanna-be-rocker husband and spirited young son, as well as the trials and tribulations of another over-committed mom. I hope you will, too.
Creativity with a Dash of Magic
The Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-54307585159550116472011-03-24T10:00:00.000-04:002011-03-24T10:00:28.857-04:00QOTD: Yep.There's a well-known fact amongst our circle of friends: Without the benefit of their wives, our husbands couldn't plan their way out of a paper bag.
Therefore, whenever one tries to schedule a "boys' night out," there's invariably a wife (or three) working hard behind the scenes: calling other wives, making lists, coming up with suggestions, smoothing out all the barriers to said night. (SurelyKelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-91415315898566644732011-03-22T21:21:00.002-04:002011-03-22T23:43:27.133-04:00Beary, Beary HappyMy 90-year-old grandmother is somewhat famous in my circle of friends. Though she was born in Cape Verde, she has lived in San Francisco since she was a small child and knows all the best [second hand] places to shop. Which brings us to the gifts.
My grandma sends gifts that make people gather 'round her shipping boxes (that are wrapped with 837 layers of packing tape) and eagerly dive into all Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-68083208695656110422011-03-21T16:10:00.000-04:002011-03-21T16:10:51.049-04:00Cluck of the Week: Eating for threeBy now it's no secret that we feed our hens more like people than like animals. Well, we snack them more like people -- they do also eat real feed and worms and bugs. But they're like Pavlov's dogs when the sliding glass door leading to the deck opens and lately we've discovered they hear (and flock to) the sound of the front door.
I suppose it's no surprise that the best treats come from the Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-41224666058767395102011-03-18T08:24:00.000-04:002011-03-18T08:24:04.614-04:00My Personal Road to Salvation
It's time for Amy's Neighborhood Fridays. Today's thought-provoking post comes from Amber at Making the Moments Count. She's currently healing from having her wisdom teeth extracted, so make sure you show her some love.
My Personal Road to Salvation
Many individuals in history have risen from humble beginnings. Generally their success is measured by their riches and many admire, and envy, Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-27513827913284569552011-03-17T19:00:00.001-04:002011-03-17T19:04:35.630-04:00A new hopeI sat with my sister today,
in the middle of early Spring
as we both cried about life's
twists and turns and inevitable unfairness.
With red eyes and tears flowing,
she admitted she thinks about death --
anxiety slicing her like a knife --
long after she should be sleeping
night after night after eternal night.
Only 30 years old, yet aged
by a lifetime spent chasing life.
Now one kidney, two Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-74761389702909605282011-03-15T20:24:00.001-04:002011-03-15T21:58:18.755-04:00KeeperLiving with a Mountain Man often threatens to drive my nerves off a cliff.
Like when asks rhetorical questions and then stares at Javi as the child stumbles over words trying to figure out the right answer. Or when I'm supposed to alert him to my every whereabout but he can come and go as he pleases. Or how he gives me the stink eye when I cut an overly large slice of chocolate cream roll. (Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-42813741446414775012011-03-14T17:42:00.000-04:002011-03-14T17:42:34.387-04:00Cluck of the Week: Birth controlSitting on the porch this afternoon, basking in the warmish sun of early Spring, the kids and I took turns scooping out palmfuls of gourmet granola. I savored the pecans, Bella the cranberries, and Javi the coconut. The seeds? Those were gobbled up by Fancy and Lulu.
Javi: "Sometimes I think I want another little brother or sister, but then the chickens eat my food or poop on my shoe and I'm Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-49259187752439864322011-03-11T06:00:00.017-05:002011-03-11T06:00:14.563-05:00Choose My Own Adventure
It's time for Amy's Neighborhood Fridays. Today's beautiful and haunting post comes from the talented Stacia at Fluffy Bunnies. If you aren't reading her blog, I can't describe what you're missing out on. Here's a sample:
Choose My Own Adventure: The Prologue
Three weeks.
In three weeks, my husband will board a plane and fly to Romania. He'll work there for two months. While he's gone, he'll Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-31984086284289326092011-03-10T14:33:00.001-05:002011-03-10T14:36:10.293-05:00I believeI believe in...
Toke, toke, pass; drunk texting; friendship
strengthened by silliness; making crazy memories;
sex as natural; sex as good
(not everybody does, but everybody should);
spooning; kissing despite hot morning breath;
loving yourself first (last and always).
Freedom of choice; extending helping hands;
keeping America beautiful; loyalty to friends;
choosing your family; oversharing Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-53112153692869844262011-03-06T23:36:00.001-05:002011-03-06T23:37:42.413-05:00Cluck of the Week: VisitingHere's the thing about chickens.
They poop. A lot. And the poop in places that make you gag a little. Like the front steps and the back deck. So anyone who visits you must step around a mound of poo and anyone walking through your kitchen will see a mountain range of poop even if you hosed off the deck six minutes earlier.
They also make quite a bit of noise. They "talk" to you and each other.Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-76019954618416578762011-03-03T23:25:00.000-05:002011-03-03T23:25:32.949-05:00How To Fuel A Whirling, Twirling Tornado
I am excited to offer you a great, tasty treat today -- it's The Kitchen Witch and she's offering delicious ideas for a quick, protein-packed breakfast. Go forth and enjoy!
How to Fuel a Whirling, Twirling Tornado
I'd like to introduce you to my first-born, Miss D. Otherwise known as "The Human Tornado." Miss D. is good at lots of things, especially making noise and wreaking havoc on anything Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-37426479482598085342011-03-03T15:13:00.003-05:002011-03-04T00:17:29.803-05:00ReadyI'm ready for mighty without hesitation,
strength tied only to what is
not what could be given more...
time, space, money, wishes on stars.
Give me clarity and bottomless faith
that my body and my mind
are tools honed sharp by experience,
that I am meant for more.
Give me certitude, fierce and unwavering,
that my simple and circling days,
stocked full with nurturing and need,
are leading me Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-82820317979444525872011-03-01T21:42:00.004-05:002011-03-01T21:56:53.465-05:00For the love of the danceI've mentioned our love the dance, but I couldn't pass up the chance to make fun of children. This magnificence was captured during Kung Fu Fighting.
Not every can pull off the hair-puffed-over-sweatband look. It was so fantastic that Bella tried to replicate it with a headband, but headbands and sweatbands are two very different creatures.
(I was briefly embarrassed by the 1980s barbells, Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-37006555623176735882011-02-27T13:12:00.001-05:002011-02-28T09:19:26.801-05:00Cluck of the Week: Pecking OrderWe all know, at least theoretically, that the pecking order exists. While it's most obvious in children and animals, adults establish it most rigidly. Who's on top, who sets the trends, who follows, who gets left out....
I see it personally when an invitation for a swank party goes to one friend and not the others, when certain families are always selected first for the top preschools or specialKelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-23026533389690224172011-02-25T00:00:00.003-05:002011-02-25T00:00:13.882-05:00Time Away
This Friday's guest post comes from Christine at Coffees and Commutes, a woman who astounds and inspires me with her quest to understand herself and her place in this world. I'm happy to follow her journey and learn more about myself along the way.
Time Away
I’m headed out of town this weekend for a much needed weekend pow wow with some of my best girlfriends. We gather at this time every year Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-61585665518801332192011-02-23T17:15:00.001-05:002011-02-23T17:15:56.122-05:00Bella FierceBella has two handmade Spring dresses that were two big for her when we received them in the fall (you know, because our fall feels like late May). I pulled them out to see if either will work for an Easter dress, and the child went a little Top Model on me.
One day she's gonna make Mama some money. ;)
***The pink and green dress was made for Bella by Nicole at Crooked Pigtails. We love Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-12664999266654497512011-02-21T23:08:00.003-05:002011-02-23T00:42:39.767-05:00My 2 CentsMy nephew, known for his full head of curly dark red hair, decided to do the Delilah this afternoon by buzzing it all off.
Photo taken in the middle of a basketball game against
Javi. But this is about as excited as he gets. Welcome
to Age 15. I don't look forward to it!
Can you believe the difference? Too bad he hates getting his photo taken. I think he's incredibly handsome (and really, Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-7838053460874962132011-02-21T00:26:00.002-05:002011-02-21T00:30:10.105-05:00Going GreekMama! Do you see that? I think it's The Mist! I knew I could see it! It's because I have ADHD*, you know.
Hey, mom! That's just like Poseidon's cabin! That might be the Big House! I'm pretty sure this is Camp Half-Blood, don't you think?
Okay, mom. I took a test and it says I'm related to Ares, Poseidon, and Athena. I think Athena must be my mom because I want to be an architect when I grow up.Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-88011661252310123452011-02-18T07:25:00.018-05:002011-02-18T10:52:46.319-05:00The Scoop on Blogging
Great news! For the next few weeks I'll be participating in the Won't You Be My Neighbor Series hosted by Amy at Never True Tales. That means every Friday I'll be posting somewhere else and my blog will showcase one of the awesome writers whose blogs I love.
To kick off the series, I'm proud to have Stephanie, mama to all the drama, from The Scoop on Poop. Today, as she nears her first Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-47593464846861084792011-02-17T10:30:00.000-05:002011-02-17T10:30:34.438-05:00FeverSpring is coming. Our daylilies are shooting up like wild fire, the camellias are budding, and my girl and I are soaking it in.
The spring fever is killing me. I'm daydreaming about more chicks, what we'll plant in the garden, how to spruce up our front beds, and tank tops. Tank tops. I'm so ready!Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-39423747341182526932011-02-15T22:34:00.002-05:002011-02-15T22:38:58.621-05:00Cards by kids (aka busy work while I work)Valentine's day has come and gone, but I thought I'd share these homemade Valentine's cards we made for Bella's teachers. You could easily use the same process for any day you'd like to commemorate or as an easy craft for kids who love to color, cut, and glue.
The first step was to choose pictures from Bella's many coloring books that fit the theme. Valentine's day is easy because you can add Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-2783208673186131042011-02-15T00:36:00.003-05:002011-02-17T21:16:12.210-05:00This given lifeThis life is full of the chance to try again, to overcome suffering, to grab onto a fleeting hope and ride it until something strong and swift and sturdy develops.
No one knows this better than my sister, Ashley. Had you asked me in the angsty days of youth (marked by bread bombs [a whole 'nother post], cruel jokes, incessant fighting, sibling rivalry, and a chronic illness that often left me Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-63733510094298914902011-02-14T07:58:00.002-05:002011-02-17T21:25:08.391-05:00My funny ValentineYears have passed since my era of first dates (9 to be exact), and that era wasn't what it could've been. In fact, I've never been on a date. Not a real one, anyway. A boy never gussied himself up, nervously rang my doorbell, or suffered through an inquisition by my parents. Not once. Adult dating proved equally lacking.
But I haven't given up on the idea of dating and there are two children in Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-84896775822855700872011-02-10T16:56:00.005-05:002011-02-17T21:24:33.509-05:00The WookieeI smooth her eyebrows, shape them
into perfectly groomed, acceptable accent marks
over her big, flashing brown eyes.
I obsess over each unruly hair,
noting when yet another one sprouts
unwelcome on her smooth pale skin.
I squeeze my fingers like tweezers
as my mind imagines the feeling
of plucking away each stray hair.
I call her Wookiee and suggest
Wouldn't you like a little trim?
while Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-24532867781049243702011-02-08T22:45:00.003-05:002011-02-17T21:24:08.847-05:00Cluck of the Week: Egg HuntThose who don't count chickens among the voices demanding attention in their daily lives may not know there's a distinct difference in the type of sound a chicken makes. For instance:
Bawk Bawk = I'm a chicken alive in the world.
Bawk BAWK tap = I'm a chicken who needs some oatmeal woman!
SQUAWK SQUAWK SQUAWK! = Help! There's a hawk on my ass!
And the one I've been hearing every morning for Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-998955962067523402011-02-07T08:18:00.004-05:002011-02-17T21:23:38.129-05:00Berries and BallerinasEvery Monday, Wednesday, and Friday is a guaranteed mother-daughter day. Someone chided me recently that I'll cry in two Augusts when Bella makes her way into her kindergarten classroom and I had to stifle the laugh. Mark my words -- if there are tears, they will be tears of joy.
But that's not to say there aren't really good days that I cherish, that make me not pray for a speedy next 18 monthsKelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-60693244397905952282011-02-05T00:18:00.002-05:002011-02-17T21:23:06.554-05:0057 daysBella hits a big milestone in less than two months. To be specific, in 57 days (and counting), the bitty baby I grew in my own body will celebrate her fourth birthday. Goodbye toddler years!
And, yes, I'm already planning her party. (I never said I wasn't extra.) We've gone back and forth about the type of party, but planning is in full swing. Because Bella understands about her birthday and Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-65906008040760928552011-02-02T21:56:00.003-05:002011-02-17T21:20:30.532-05:00Cluck of the Week: Spring FeverThough half the country is surrounded by blizzard conditions, we had a gorgeous 70 degree day in central NC. No one loved it more than my girls: Bella, Lulu, and Fancy.
On a trip to the park, Bella played Captain Hook to my Peter Pan. I suggested she might want to be Tinkerbell. She rolled her eyes, crooked her finger, and yelled out, "Tinkerbell walked the plank!" So yeah. When she suggested Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-29227419872821597342011-01-26T00:00:00.007-05:002011-02-17T21:21:21.892-05:00What a difference 10 mg makesConfession: I no longer wake up in the mornings to see my son off to school. There, I said it. Javi's 10 years old and he gets himself on the bus.
Now, Javi doesn't fully fend for himself in the mornings. The Mountain Man wakes him up and feeds him breakfast, medication, and vitamins. MM then supervises him getting dressed and teeth and hair brushed. That's when MM leaves for work and Javi has Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-47902965427998893992011-01-25T11:38:00.001-05:002011-02-17T21:21:53.779-05:00Smooth Moves and Groob(ies)So far, the absolute best gift our kids received for Christmas was Just Dance 2 for the Wii. We are definitely a Wii family, but this game really takes the cake.
I use it to work out, the kids use it to rock out, the Mountain Man uses it to laugh out loud. It's a win-win-win.
If you've considered getting it, but aren't sure whether your family will enjoy it, allow me to demonstrate:
You know Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-16812986134269444832011-01-20T23:06:00.001-05:002011-02-07T17:01:43.279-05:00Cluck of the Week: Back to LifeYou might have heard that I've been sick. Therefore, I was totally not expecting the wonderful life lesson I got this morning.
While going about our daily routine, I heard clucking and tapping at the deck door. Outside, like no time had passed and no hawks might be plotting a horrible death, were Fancy and Lulu. Just as pretty as you please. I had to reward them with a lid full of oatmeal. BellaKelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16484482.post-36248330214020725062011-01-18T22:41:00.002-05:002011-02-02T22:01:09.636-05:00Marching OnI've been sick every day of 2011. Every single day. It's easy to count your sick days when they correspond with January 1 (or December 31 in my case); not so easy to think of them as sick days when life marches on anyway.
Sick days can still be full of great stuff though. Like a little girl who shines like sun when you turn the camera on her.
And getting a quirky photo of yourself when you Kelly Quinones Millerhttps://profiles.google.com/114935333898798529456noreply@blogger.com13