my life in pictures

this weekend we had a big surprise 50th birthday party for my dad at his house-- he thought we were having a small graduation party for my brother. he started getting suspicious when all these relatives started showing up, and i showed up with a big obnoxious sign. it was nice to finally be able to do something for him- he's constantly taking care of everyone and helping everyone and giving the shirt off his back, literally- i'm pretty sure he enjoyed his day.

this is my gorgeous new tea set from my friend amy. we got together this weekend for a girls night out and everyone took such great birthday care of me! i thought we were just celebrating nicole's birthday, so it was such a surprise when it was a double celebration. i love celebrating birthdays- some people can't get into it, but i'm all about celebrating birth and life. and pretty tea sets don't hurt either.

these bud vases make me want to cry every time i look at them. they are so organic and delicious looking. from my friend kim. and her story behind them makes them even sweeter. i heart my friends.

this is quickly turning into a "look what i got!" post. but seriously. look at this bag. could it BE any more nina-ish. i've been carrying it around with me ever since i got it. a new bag! i'm such a bag whore. thanks nicole!

the obnoxious sign i made for my dad's birthday. poster board is not my usual medium, but i was commissioned to make a sign, and this is what i came up with. my dad has had some serious hair styles. currently he's sporting some pretty crazy facial hair but his party on top is pretty tame. aaaah, here's to 50 more years of awesomely bad hair! (my dad's business name is "awesome stuff from the past-" hence, "awesome hair from the past".

saturday was picnic-y goodness. i don't think a day gets any better than saturday. so perfectly sweet that i can't even put it into words. family. picnic. grass. bare feet. food. blankets. quilts. games. silliness. balls. rolling around. leaf identification. bug carcasses. sound like fun to you? us gilberts are a bunch of dirty hippies.

this picture melts my heart.

as part of the sat. night girltime, we sat around and looked through all our high school (small, all-girls, catholic, oh-my!) pictures and newspapers and crap. it was pretty much frickin' hysterical. except i ruined.every.single.picture. in every picture all my friends are smiling like beauty queens, and i'm the one with my tongue out or humping someone or acting like a dork. hum.

seriously people. seriously.

evil little tinkerbell and her vegetarian fare.

pink frosting. cupcakes. two tiny little buns. even though it's hard sometimes, i heart being the mama of my little girl.


nicole's birthday bag (almost finished here, it got some button and ribbon loving after the pic was snapped). this bag drove me insane. do not sew cordouroy ever freakin' again. but i do love the way it came out. even though john told me it was the worst fabric combo ever invented. i still heart sewing.




could this post be any more all-over-the-place?

i've been collected records like a fiend, in preparation for my birthday present from my man. if you want to find us, we'll be spinning neil diamond on friday, singing our hearts out.

missin' you, my bloggie friends. missin' you.

new photobooth friday- beach love edition

new photobooth, originally uploaded by Nina Marie Gilbert.

on back:

"saturday august 5, 2006

salisbury beach, MA

joe's playland

taken 2 days after auntie stephie had andrew and tyler, and the same day gray and mama went into mass general to visit the new znoj parents."




i'm learning the more that's written on the back of photobooth pics, the more precious it becomes years later when everything isn't so fresh and new.

i'm seriously hearting how pummie looks so terrified of gray and i in the first picture. and how we all look shiny and glamorous and happy. and how the pictures get darker and darker- gray's face in the second one cracks me up. pummie's checking something outside the booth out in shots 2-4. it's pretty obvious that we're a bunch of dorks.

i heart my stinkin' family.

noggindrills and nevernudes

chaos contained, at least for a minute.

nakedness and fairy wings- does it get better than this?

crazy costume time.

the fairies (they like to think of themselves as princesses, but i say fairies because it makes me feel better about the whole thing).

naked pum, about to rip his wings off.



have you ever had words stuck in your head, and you can't help but say them over and over, whether it be internally or out loud? my friend joballs and i once talked about how she gets names stuck in her head. the past couple of days i've had the words "noggindrill" (from this kids show zaboomafoo) and "nevernude" (from arrested development) stuck in my head. over and over. sometimes in the same sentence. and yesterday i discovered that it makes quite a snappy little tune..."noggindrills and nevernudes, noggindrills and nevernudes..." repeat. repeat. repeat.

yes, i'm a bit insane lately. these past couple of days have totally rocked the cash-bar. monday: forest in the morning, forest in the afternoon. bird sanctuary with the p's. tuesday: packed up the crew, back to the bird sanctuary (which gray says so stinkin' cutely i can't even tell you) and we brought a ton of dress up costumes, and there's this open air stage and they went wild for hours and hours. i stripped down pummie and put him in a pink tutu and butterfly wings and took pictures. yesterday we drove to manchester NH (or man-chess-taaaah if you're from around here) and took the kids to a family member's book launch party at the see science center. tab rocks, writes children's books, is gorgeous and a fantastic mama, has a famous illustrator, and did i mention she writes freakin' children's books?!? see her at her marvin monster website. so proud. so fun. we played with electricity and dug for fossils and had lemonade and cookies. last night was fun with boo, and falling asleep waaaay to early. today was brownie makin' and cupcake eatin' and popsicle drippin' and inside and out funtime with the crew of wild and crazy kiddies.

did i mention lately that i hate (dislike really strongly, fine!) my sewing machines? while making a birthday present (not my own, but i've been recently obsessed with my upcoming birthday) i just about THREW THE FRICKIN' THING OUT THE WINDOW. i could not do that, however, because it's on loan from my mother in law. because i already broke mine. because i will never learn- i can't sew through eight layers of thick frickin' cordouroy. lesson learned.

off to plan more parties and presents and maybe wipe a bum or two in the process.

self portrait tuesday: enclosed spaces

me stuck inside the zoltan machine. yes, maybe this is a stretch, but i love how these pictures came out, and in my mind, it fits in perfectly with the theme.


if i owe you a call or an email or a package or a kiss or a hug, it's coming. i've been in the forest with lots of nymph-like children, hunting for mushrooms and lichen and throwing rocks in soy-sauce-like bodies of water. trying to reset myself and get ready for upcoming employment. plowing through stacks of formalities, paperwork, preparations. trying to nap. trying to center myself. trying not to drown myself in coffee. planning another huge party (details forthcoming). crafts and edible treats are dancing in my head. did i mention i have arthritis? i have freakin' arthritis! i'm in denial about this as i'm going to be an employed mama in less than a week, an occupation that i will be successful at only if i have the power of my hands. denial. denial. refocus. positive energy.

also, if you have time, go stop by femiknit mafia's site and see my kick-ass present that i can't wait to get my hands on! thank you in advance for such rockstaredness. meow!

funness roundup- the following randomness is not in chron-illogical order

jo and lib's party went off without a hitch. bowling was rad, the shoes were stinkin', and it seemed that everyone had fun. i was a slight mess because steph was in surgery while i was trying to prepare and co-throw the shebang. but it all ended up working out.

this thank you email pretty much made my life, maybe partly because it was written in hot pink. jo's probably going to kill me for posting this, but i'm taking the risk- because it really did make my day.

Dear Darlings,

I can't thank you three enough for last night! We had such a good time and it was amazing to see everyone mixing and mingling and having so much fun together. The venue was brilliant, the favors killer, the menu perfectly pink and tasty, the photos sweet n sentimental, the card retro & to be read over and over, the guest list list primo. And best of all, it has made me secretly happy knowing that three of you have been working together and getting to know each other a bit in the process.

I love you all and am so lucky to have each of you in my life. Not everyone has such true friends that they can always count on. I'm one lucky lady, and libby is too. You've all embraced her from the beginning and I can't thank you enough for that.

Your reward is that you don't have to wear matching dresses at the wedding. ;) Just kidding, I know there is no way I can make this up to you, so please just know how thankful we are.

Love,

Joya/Jo/JoBallz

gray and her new-mama-ified auntie stephie at mass general yesterday during our visit.

last night at the beach, we took to the kidlets to the arcade. it was sort of a trainwreck due to traffic and parking concerns, but we managed to eek out some good cheap fun. this is joey's first "ride" on a moving object- he loved it, surprise surprise. gracie was also along for the fun. the fun escalated to a new, germ-a-rific level when joey started making out with his little horsie. this may have been the longest ride in the universe- i got some exercise in while running around the damn thing trying to keep pummie from falling off.

this is me not receiving my call from zoltan. my look implies "zoltan sucks." zoltan was supposed to give me my horoscope, or my fortune, or something. but for .25 cents, he kept me hangin'.

blueberry picking last week with gray and little man and mafia. oooh, the love between these two. yes, they had their moments (spitting, etc) but for the most part were blueberry-eatin' angels.

pummie's first blueberry- he made this puckery cute face all on his own.

yesterday i was lucky enough to travel into the city with gray for a "girl date" to go visit auntie steph and brian and little andrew and tyler. they were still in the nicu, but brian took me down (luckypants!) to go see my little packages. first off, let me just state for the record that I LOVE BABY BACK HAIR! and these packages were covered in fur. i wanted to bust into their little cells and eat them. and the best part of the day was that i got to watch brian hold his son andrew for the first time, and change his diaper! (although i felt a bit guilty that steph wasn't there-). i felt really bonded with brian and was so honored to see him so vulnerable (singing to his wee and telling them how much him and steph love them). for a non-crier, i was definitely crying and using my share of crispy papertowels to wipe my eyes. i got to touch this wee package andrew- i adjusted his tiny knit cap. sorry about the blurriness of the pic- it's actually a pic of a pic.

beach + kiddies + crazy parents = photobooth fun and crazy antics. of course, you'll have to stay tuned until friday for the results of our adventures.

and on a final note- check out the final summer swappieness thingie at my SWAPARAMA MAMA site. happy swapping,- thanks!

photobooth friday and crazylandiness

happy photoboothie friday my dear peeps. sadly, this pic doesn't have anything written on the back. but it features me and s. and steph, my fetus friend who had her baby boys last night. andrew and tyler entered the world, both three pounds but healthy! i am finally an auntie and can't wait to get my hands on those tiny packages of znoj-i-ness. i'll be their crazy auntie and that's just fine by me.

the past two days were reeeeealy crazy. between the birth of the babies yesterday and the 2,001 wonderful and scary phonecalls associated with the teleconferencing of the birth, and then co-planning and co-throwing joandlib's bachelorette/shower in JP last night , and getting pummie's pictures taken yesterday at a portrait place (what the h-e-double-hockey-sticks was i thinking on this one?) and the bakery runs and the crafting of favors and the making of food in 100 degree heat and , oh yeah- today! today i offically "got" my job, filled out the paperwork, and i just walked in from yet another doctor's appointment (with both kids in tow- baaaad idea) where i was informed that i have arthritis in my first knuckle. hi, welcome to your massage, i'm your arthritic massage therapist! life is crazy. life . aaaaah. with the breastfeeding i'm not going to be taking anything for the pain and swelling,- so if there are any hand surgeons out there that would like to extract the big bubble of fluid for me, call me! and oh yeah, i start my new jobbiejob (eeeks!) next next monday.

the shower/bach was a big success (well, at least i think so, but i was planning it so that doesn't count, does it?). i'm pretty damn sure everyone had fun and relaxed and ate and playing littleball bowling with enthusiasm. i sure as hell did. i got the lowest score out of everyone and i'm damn proud! pictures and embarrassments to come.

in other news, a couple of weeks back i got THE BEST gift a girlie could hope for- a little personalized, hand-bound book from my girl d. it's seriously the best thing ever and i love all the colors and glitter and her-ish-ness of it. i could look at it over and over. so could gray. so as part of the friday madness, i'd thought i'd post the awesomeness for all to see. thanks, girl! i love you and your sis more than words can say.







each of you have sweet sweet weekends, filled with cool breezes and tight squeezes. love to my peeps!

empath-y

gray took this shot of me- upside down camera, crazymama face, bathing suits (i wear two in hopes that it keeps all my junk in check), head wrap with glasses- this heat is making us all crazy. please ignore the piles of laundry in the background.


so lately i've been thinking lots about being an empath. most people laugh (cough cough, johnny and boo) at me when i try to spark up an intelligent conversation about empaths- they just don't get it. but honestly, laugh as you may, i've been having some seriously powerful feelings lately that just don't have any other explaination besides truly chanelling into someone else's feelings. i was watching the news the other day about the war in israel/lebanon and i saw this woman mourning and i felt the bile rising up in my throat, i got all sweaty and hot and overwhelmed. i literally had to lie down and keep breathing until the whole thing passed. but it still really hasn't passed. i can't stop thinking about her, and the situation, and lots of other upsetting and gloriously wonderful things. i feel welled up with emotions that aren't really my own. my mind is racing with thoughts i can't control and at night i dream other people's dreams. there is no explaining it. so laugh you mo-fo's (kidding!)- but i honestly think there's something going on here.


today is mother-son day, as gray will be with my mom going to "camp." the thought of this "camp" makes me nervous and my mom is under strict orders not to take her eyes off my precious cargo for one second. so pum and i will be off on errand-adventures- we're actually going to attempt to get pum's first portraits taken and then we have preparations for the shower/bach party that i'm co-throwing in JP tonight. and then i have to get directions and stuff to get myself to mass general to visit my fetus friend who was admitted to the hospital until her little men arrive in the world. so today is filled with cupcakes and watermelon and strawberries and to-do lists. all with my little koala on my hip.

peace and loveliness to all my peeps!

forest therapy

this is our favorite "elephant tree" at our local library- since grace could talk she's called it the elephant tree, and i have to admit, there are many knobby knees and trunk-like limbs on this old soul.

this weekend i got the chance to spend some serious time in the forest with my men. there's just something about being in the forest, lost among the trees, that gets me right into the core of me. makes me feel like myself again. the forest as therapy. the forest as a sort of "reset" button. thank you to my lovely husband for knowing this about me, and for suggesting the most delicious adventures for us- and letting me stop along the way to peek at turtles and mushrooms and stick flowers behind my ears.

also been spending some time in the garden. when i get hungry i just have to go outside and pop a couple of cherry tomatoes in my mouth and i'm all set. and lately i've been all about eating basil. putting the leaves on my tongue and letting them sit there for a bit.

also been spending time at the doctor. well, i went once. and for anyone that knows me, this never happens. i never go. and i never go for a reason, and that reason is because i love to live in denial. i don't want to be sick. and i don't want anything to be wrong with me. there is never a such thing as a wellness visit (well, not when you're using traditional medicine). and while i found a doctor that i absolutely adore, i walked out of her office feeling like i may/may not have some pretty crazy things wrong with me. so more tests to come, and more updates, that is unless i'm absolutely healthy, which is most likely the case. however, i did just check the mail and the results of my bloodtest indicate that my old-school hypothyroidism is in fact back. so more bloodtests. gotta love the doctors.

sending out good vibes today to my peeps- m&i down south with their new one (congrats!), d&s (good luck! and please update me soon), auntie e (congrats on the new job!), and my fetus-friend (thanks auntie jojo for the term) steph who's on the cusp of becoming a mama of identical twin boys. please pray for her health and strength and beautiful mama power over these next couple of weeks. and to nine-ahhh and my man, who are mourning the loss of a friend and fellow soldier.

spent the day today with femiknit and little man, who's not so little anymore. yes, despite the heat warnings and dangerously high temps, we took the kids blueberry picking and to the park, where c and i were able to actually talk (imagine that!) because the kiddies were playing so good. yes, i had to whip out my boob to cause this parental bliss, but it was all worth it. my belly is filled with berries, and both my kidders are now in bed sleeping, red-faced and hopefully well-hydrated. it's fracken hot. thanks, c, for saying something to the effect of "am i your bitchy friend, your complainy friend?" and when i asked for clarification you said something like "well, your blog is always so happy- hap hap happy- and then when you get with me you're all real and stuff." and then i said something like "by real do you mean bitchy and complainy?" i guess i do have a tendency to keep this bloggie space filled with the sickly sweet (well, not to me- cough cough) positives. aaaah, c. thanks for keeping me on my toes and keeping me real.

you down wit OPP? (other people's parties)

can i just say that i'm loving these new tin plates (and bowls and mini plates) that my dad picked up for me, in all the colors of the rainbow? it makes breakfast all that much more pleasant. and the mushroom mug doesn't hurt either.

oooh, it's really the summer of OPP (other people's parties). but isn't that what life is all about? celebrating other people's accomplishments and eating in the company of friends? yesterday was spent driving around the state of MA in search of cookout food and bouncy castles. the kiddies were fabulous- gray got the workout of a lifetime between the bouncehouse and the slipandslide, and pum got a little red-nose being out in the sun. meeting john's co-workers was not only pleasant but enjoyable. i felt calm and happy being out in the sun, being a mama, breatfeeding in the bathroom (don't ask- i always insist on this-), and being hot and dirty. last night i went solo into the city for name's 30th birthday party and for some reason left my mojo at home- i was the most socially awkward and painful person at the party- i literally couldn't get out of my own way, i was dehydrated, horrible to talk to. i had to scoot early to get home for the 11p feeding but probably would've left anyway because i am so not a happycoolhipsexy party person like i wish i was sometime. name, however, was rockin' the house in her sexy birthday suit and the mojito's were flowing- minty goodness.

been harvesting out of the garden like crazy. using the veggies in any and every dish that we eat. even though i have a love/hate relationship with summer, i do love my fresh veggies. and drrrrty toenails.

acumama, i'm sporting your wee one's headband today as part of my outfit- gray was finally able to open her package this morning (she took a nap yesterday in the car!). we decided to "share" the headband because "it goes" with my hair. hum.

today is planning and working on a major crafting extravaganza that needs to come to fruition later in the week for a dear friend's surprise. i work best under pressure and the pressure is on!

speaking of, had a wonderful adventure with auntiejojo and etsy on friday- driving around searching for fabric deals and napkins and smurfette folders. all with two kiddies in tow. there's nothing like a bargain adventure with fun and fiesty ladies to make the friday fllllly by.

off to the sewing machine. fabric awaits!

photobooth friday and some manic madness-

aaaah. things have been a bit scatter brainy here. and toss is some 100 degree heat and you can just count me out for intelligent conversation and blogging. first let me just say thank you to boo who went out and got us a fan for downstairs the other night, and for bringing me coconut gelato (this may have been last week). i don't do well in the summer. i'm not a good person in the summer. so thanks for taking caramel and showering me with cool treats.

second, i got the job. a massage job exactly .5 miles from my house. i'm a little scared and overwhelmed but trying not to get consumed by it. it's going to be a couple of hours here and there (if i can get clients, eek!) so it's really perfect. i'm not complaining. let it just be said that it's a valley version of the bravo show "blowout". not sure if i can hack the salon atmosphere. eeks. not to mention the fact that it's a kids/logistical/babysitting nightmare. but anywho!

acumama, i haven't gotten a chance to thank you personally but the scarf is exactly what i've been wanting in the exact color that i dream of and i can't wait until the fall so i can strut my employed-ass around in it. thank you for your extreme and hardcore generousity. you rock. (gray hasn't gotten the treats yet because every day i say to her- if you take a nap, you can open your package, and it's friday and she still hasn't taken a nap- so no package. she may never get it :)


pumbaggie update: he's full-on crawling. he's pulling himself up into standing position (as has smashed his poor little chin many times already). he's sitting up like a big boy. he eats any and all table food which is really scary at times, especially since i'm used to being the mama as grace who still rarely eats table food without issue. it's amazing to me how each and every kiddie is completely different, even with the same set of parents. gray and pum couldn't be more different in every single way. never mind the fact that pum's got bright red hair and white white skin and gray is the darkest thing you've ever seen with dark hair. hum. i love this tiglet shot and his little ho-hum face- always watching his sister, always storing things up in his brain for later.


photobooth friday- another nina and shanna shot. i love this picture- we were trying to look "tough"- well, jokingly of course. the back reads "april 20, 1995- we are the easyriders." we went to some cheapy beach shot (btw- i'm so glad you got to hampton photobooths, angela!- reading that post made me so happy!) and bought these fleecy ear-warmery thingies that said "easyriders" on them. of course we thought they were absolutely hilarious and the perfect photobooth accessory! a must have! hence this photobooth pic.

my girl has a new-found love for shirley temples, just like her mama. i drank many a shirley temple when i was pregnant with her and joey, as we went to about 50 million weddings and celebrations. i got a chance to introduce her to this sugary goodness this past weekend. this picture about sums up the blissful happiness that overflowed her little being as she drank the night away. eyes rolling back in the head and all. she kept saying "mama, it's just like soda!" (soda is something i don't like her having but all her grandparents think is the funniest thing to give her because she gets all scandalized by it).

pum eats french fries.
taking pum to a restaurant is tiring. he wants to eat the whole restaurant.
pum also likes lettuce.
lettuce dripping in middle eastern goodness dressing.
my little seven month old scares me.

yesterday we had lots of playtime with our buddies. it's been lots of playdating it up lately- raspberry picking with a&a, forest hunting, park-going, and then yesterday it was the ultimate kiddie-fest over at shanshan's. the girls are finally old enough to play on their own- doctor, tag, and snuggle-on-the-beanbag-chair-under-a-comfy-quilt. i had to snap this pic (see gray's earrings, too) because of the sheer freakin' cuteness of it. my girls are growing up.

here's to a wonderful weekend (more parties for us, and for you?) and a garden full of redred cherry tomatoes and bottomless cups of your beverage of choice. meow!

holy sleep deprivation- and some self portrait tuesday, too

me as a road trippin' mama- been spending lots and lots of time in the car over these past weekends, especially this weekend. lots of miles overdue for an oil change. lots of iced coffees. lots of money on gas. but it's all worth it- seeing my peeps makes it all worth it.

when it rains (metaphorically speaking) here in gilbertland, it sure does pour. pile on a super-sized order of nosleep onto an already gargantuan order of nosleep, and you've got one tired, saggy-boobed mama. hence the lack of blogging. spent the weekend at prewedding and wedding festivities for brian and jenn. the best part of the whole wedding was their song- "annie's song" by john denver. you know it- "you liiiiiiight up my seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenses!" oooh, it got us, right there where it counts. john and i (and most everyone else) were balling the second the first note hit us. and watching them dance and be so in love in front of a beautiful sunset, seriously setting right between their heads on a dancefloor perched over a lake, in a window-filled room- aaah. i told you that i love weddings. and i love the debriefing afterwards even more.

so things are pretty crazy here after the weekend of being away from my littlest milk-drinkin' boyfriend. he wasn't bad but wasn't too happy being away from his main source of nutrition. so he's having some babypaybackfun with his mama by keeping her up all night with the feedings. and this mama looks reeeeeally bad. bags under the eyes bad.

in other news, gray got her ears pierced on friday night. it's the big joke when we go to the loop and walk by claire's- we always say "hey, gray, wanna get your ears pierced?" and she's always like "NOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooo!" and i get all happy inside. well, the other day, i took the kiddies, and i was like "hey, gray, wanna get your ears pierced?" and she was all "yeah, sure, of course i want to." um, ok? so literally THIRTY-FREAKING-SIX dollars later (and that's with FREE EAR PIERCING, PEOPLE! FREE!)- she had her first earrings. little pink sparklies. how did i get the girlie-girl? that's what i'd like to know. but seriously, the earrings take her cuteness-factor to a dangerously high level. i didn't think she could get cuter. but she has.

i'm off to a last minute doctor's appointment (my first physical in about four years- it's been on my to-do list, i swear) and then tomorrow i have a real-life job interview. i don't want the job- i don't think. i'm not ready to leave my babes quite yet. but i'll give the interview a shot! who wouldn't want to hire a massage therapist who hasn't practiced since she graduated over a year ago and who doesn't have any real-life experience? wink wink. :)

pics to come, they are currently all snuggled up in my camera, location unknown.

photobooth friday: mother and son edition

taken on july 15, 2006- pum and mum
rockingham mall, salem, NH
while daddy had uncle brian's bachelor party at our house, pum and mum went out on the town for some mother-son date time.

happy friday, happy almost-weekend, happy overcast day (finally) and happy gardens!

oooh, and see my self portrait up at self portrait challenge! gush, gush.

things i love thursday, late edition

the best vintage photo ever invented from pancakemama, originally uploaded by Nina Marie Gilbert.

*i love the vegged-out milk-filled look on the baby's face- like it's saying "duuuuuuh-"

this thrifted photo, gifted to me from pancakemama

fresh mint and lemon water, although i think i'm developing a sensitivity to mint (just like my sensitivity to tomatoes and oranges that i choose to ignore)- right now my lips are all swollen and around my mouth is all itchy

fudgeicles (not the right spelling, but it's late)

homemade guac in big ceramic bowls

project freakin' runway, and getting my mother-in-law addicted and debriefing on the phone with her about it today

watering my plants with the water from my dehumidifier (not the plants we eat, though)

the cool breeze tonight

the weekend wedding rain

borrowed clothes

a fridge full of fresh groceries, finally

just finishing "three weeks with my brother: a memoir" by nicholas and micah sparks- you'd think it would be kinda cheese, but seriously- another really good book. inspired me to life more fully and really live my best life

rolling into bed right now after one of the longest days ever

oh, and mail love- i got FOUR wonderful treats in the mail today- more to come on this. but db, THANK YOU. i love each and every piece of my goodness. and when i go to bed right now, i'm going to re-read my little booklet.

and hildy, my daughter loves her stickers, and i can't wait to use my "grown-up" one. thank you lovely ladies.

self portrait tuesday: me as transportation

i'm a hip, originally uploaded by Nina Marie Gilbert.

me as....transportation

at any given moment in the day, i am used as transportation- a means for getting around. at times i wish i had even bigger and wider hips than i already have. and shoulders. and legs to hang onto. and crotch bone to be slammed into with tiny little skulls.

i'm getting off track here, aren't i?

more self portrait lovins at www.selfportraitchallenge.net

a journal a day keeps the doctor away

mail love

sweet and lovely amanda's package- a journal with the best inscription and tags and pony-licious stickers for the babe. thank you my keelers- every time i use it i will think of you and your cuteandedible children. especially thank you for thinking of gracie and making her happy for the whole day, talking and dreaming about ponies.

michelle's package: a loved copy of "the prophet" which i've never read, a great postcard with a message from her, too, and then lots of wonderful bits and bobbles- treasures that gray can't wait to get her grubby paws on! i loved seeing your handwriting and the excitement of opening up each and every little package inside. and the cigar box just about stopped me in my tracks because of the freakin'coolness of it. thank you.

angela's sweetsweet package- filled with love and homemade goodness- how perfect is her watercolor? now i'm on the hunt for the perfect frame. i want to eat the pieces of paper she sent, and her painted cards, and the bitsies, too.

mindy sent me a wish jar that brought tears to my eyes- filled with a touching message and wish for foreverfriendship, and a beautiful shell necklace and the best part was one of those little coins that you can make at the beach (or arcades in general i guess, i just associate them with the beach) that says "nina beana wish 2006 xo". lots of people call me nina bina but i especially love that mindy has taken on calling me this. it holds a special place in my heart, because in the begining of my relationship i told john this story about how every time i went into the orthodontist's office for a checkup on my braces, he would (loudly) say "NINA BEANA, SOMEONE'S BEEN SUCKING THEIR THUMB!" (mind you, his office wasn't private, it was a big room with all his patients in chairs listening to him interact with all the other awkward teenagers). and john pretty much thought this was the funniest thing ever and immediate took to calling me nina beana all the time. and randomly screaming out "nina beana, someone's been sucking their thumb!" anyway, thank you mindy, your package brought not only tears but also all these delicioso memories.

oooh, and ani at pancakemama sent me the best vintage photo i've ever laid my eyes on. of course you can't see it here, because like i told ani, grace is trying desperately to snatch the fresh flower seals that she also sent. and my family is bugging me to make the rice krispy peanut butter ice cream sandwiches (hello!) and the buttons are so yummy i also want to eat them. you can see a close-up of the vintage goodness over at my flickr account.

thank you to each and every one of you for sharing such special parts of yourself with me.

until i write again

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here's a little video of the diva passing out from a weekend of fun (not this weekend, maybe a couple of weekends ago?) while eating her dilly bar. she managed to get most of the cherry coating off but couldn't keep up her stamina to eat the whole thing. listening to my own voice in this video is like hearing nails on a chalkboard, esp. with my kickin' accent, but you gotta love how my girl just sleeps through my annoyingness. happy monday morning-! i'll be spending the weekend doing damage control with gray because she was gone all weekend- i need to reprogram her and despoilbrat her and try desperately to get her back to normal. maybe i'll be back at naptime (ha! i wish).

seriously heartalicious

i'm seriously hearting this comic person/illustrator/funnyassperson. see it here. well, here will take you to a specific strip that just had me laughing. here will take you to the main site. kawaii not: the comic of cute gone bad. love it! not sure how i found this- so if i found it through big bad beautiful you, then thank you!

off to bed to rest my head. but before i go, let me tell y'all that i just finished reading such a good freakin' book called "the magician's assistant" by ann patchett. (thanks steph!) i thought it may be a chicky poop shoot but it was so powerful to me. i feel like i'm still living in the book. i never wanted it to end. i love when i'm there with the characters. although the whole book has a pretty sad feel to it, it was sort of magical. ok, enough from me.

quick things i love:
picnics at the park
debriefings with mother in law
gardening with gray
buying herbs and "saving" onions from horrible greenhouse fates because they look pathetic
swimming with naked pum
dirt lines in sweaty necks
wonderful, glorious mail. thanks forthcoming, but my sisters, just know that i'm in mail heaven

holy pho-ly and photobooth friday

photobooth details unknown- nothing on the back. high school? college? i'm thinking college. summer. grateful dead t-shirt with rainbow. hair slicked back in usual tight braid. trace looking sweet-as-pie and sassy as usual. innocence. pre-kiddos for me and pre-hubby for trace. the good old days. the epitome of summer.

last night i discovered, thanks to kim, my new favorite restaurant. pho in dracut. the most deeelicious food i've had in a long time. after my day yesterday, i needed a break. rarely do i get out for myself without the little ones in tow. and last night i reaaaaly needed it. gray had the toughest day- screaming and yelling, eyes rolling back in head, saying mean and hateful things. i have no idea where this is coming from. early rebelling against the hippie establishment? i had some scary flash-forwards yesterday to her teenage years. so last night, every bite of pork dumpling was that must tastier, every sip of limeade that must sweeter.

johnny, if you're reading this this morning, i really miass you. i know you're going to be busy this weekend, but can we have a family meeting? can we have fun? can you take caramel? can we go exploring and have fun-ness? i need you. meow. (it's obviously been one of those weeks).