travel

Strawberry Fields

Monday, May 19, 2014


This was a goooood weekend. Like, perfect weather, no one was scratching anyone, etc etc. 

Every year, we take the ferry over to Surry for strawberry and pumpkin picking. And get homemade ice cream. Mainly the ice cream? Anyway. Last year, the strawberry crop was ruined, so we weren't able to pick them, and thus missed out on the ice cream. Have I sold you on the ice cream yet?


Pato on the ferry over. Does his hair look kind of Donald Trump-ish? No, I didn't think so either.



S is so funny. She would ask for more bites before she was done with the one in her mouth. Daily I become more and more convinced that she is my mini-me. I really hope she can handle that sweet tooth better than mama.



Would you believe he was pretty apprehensive about it? Unless he was holding the cone himself. Then he was totally sold.


Okay. So as soon as we got to the patch, J seemed to catch on suuuuuper quick that he was in strawberry heaven. He immediately started grabbing every strawberry in sight (smushed or not-smushed...didn't matter to him) and would shove them right into his mouth. At first, we kept trying to to get him to stop, but we quickly realized that was just dumb and would make us all miserable.




S of course loved holding the basket and collecting berries. It was a bit of a slow process, but we got there. Only a couple green ones made it in to the basket I think.



We still have another year here in Williamsburg, but the feeling of things coming to close keep creeping up on me. I want to soak in all we can before we move to who-knows-where. Has it really taken me all these years to learn to really really love it here? Figures, right?

Please be gentle on us, summer. Please, oh please?

Hey! Ho! Let's go.

Thursday, May 15, 2014


C bought Pato this shirt the other day, and for the past few days, it's been "Hey! Ho! Let's go!" around here. S runs around the house yelling, and Pato follows her around saying, "Go! Go!"

In other news...I'm not letting this boy grow up. Ever. 

Bust a move

Wednesday, May 14, 2014




Day 14: Make us laugh. Share a funny story or picture.

Well, I don't know if this will make you laugh, but check out my girl bustin' a move in the post office. This girl has music in her heart, and I'll often find her singing to herself, or loudly to the world. She does not get this from her parents, so any singing talent is alllll her own. 

As far as the move bustin'...well, I guess C and I can totally take credit. It has become a nightly tradition to have a family dance party before dinner. Our current jam is that Happy song by Pharrell. I mean, how can you NOT dance to it. Really, though? Pato has his signature dance move where he bobs up and down, and now he has graduated to including some arm waiving. 

And lastly. Running errands with these two isn't exactly easy, but they make it so fun. Every morning, S asks me, "What are we doing today??" I'm so glad I have my two little buddies to go with me everywhere. (And in Pato's case, I do mean everywhere. He hardly ever lets me out of his sight and is constantly plopping himself on my lap. Not complaining!) 

The world's most beautiful woman.

Monday, May 12, 2014

I'm not doing very well at this "Blog Every Day in May" challenge am I? 

Well. That. So anyway.

Today is my Mami's birthday. The picture above is one of my favorites because I feel like I actually "get it" now that I'm a mom. I used to think, "Well, that's a shame. I'm not even looking at the camera. That stinks..."

Now when I see it I see my (totally babe-a-licious) mom looking so calm. She looks so peaceful. Like she's actually enjoying the sounds of the beach. Man, I really was a greattttt kid wasn't I??? To let her....you know...enjoy the beach. 

Dear kids. Take note. The beach is for listening to the calm sounds of the water. Not for sand eating, or dipping your pretzels in the water or for complaining about sand in your sandals...because, well, this IS the beach. Sand is going to get everywhere you don't want it to. And no, I'm not unstrapping your shoes and shaking all the sand out ten times on our way back to the car. 

(Total side note. S hates leaving the beach. Hates leaving most places. Does "....okay, that's it! I'm leaving you behind," really work for anyone? More importantly, have you ever left your child behind? Just some thoughts.)

Anyway. I like that in this picture, it looks like I'm thisclose to just taking off. This could totally be me and my kids in this picture. And that's why I like it so much. Because it's not perfectly staged, but it's perfectly honest. Motherhood isn't perfect. 

I remember when I was very young, I knew for a fact that my mother was the most beautiful woman in the world. Just like I knew that Cool Whip tasted best right out of the tub (ew...by the way.) Just like I knew you must always run through the smallest sized kids when playing Red Rover. All of these things were truths to me. I remember wondering why my mom didn't wear a crown. (Because I guess in my mind being the most beautiful person in all the land deserved a crown. At least.) I specifically remember catching the news one night, and a report came on about some person named Madonna, and they went on and on about how beautiful she was. I remember being genuinely confused as to why my mom hadn't been interviewed because clearly they were wrong, and SHE was the most beautiful. I learned in later years that as it turns out....billions of people had NO clue who she was. 

But, she will always be beautiful to me. 

Happy birthday, Mami. 
Guess what? I love you. 

Dozens of kisses

Saturday, May 10, 2014


This boy can be so sweet. An angry little man child when he's tired, but a sweetheart at the core. His latest thing is putting his arms around my neck and pulling me in for a kiss. He does it at least a dozen times a day, and a hundred times in a row would still not be enough for me.



First beach day.

Thursday, May 8, 2014


Well...it happened. It. Got. Hot. 

So, I decided we'd make lemonade out of lemons, and we headed to the beach for the first time this season with my sweet friend and her little boy, Jaxon. S keeps referring to him as "Jack-in-Box" and it's kind of the cutest thing ever.

I really didn't know how'd they do. Last year, only her Poppy could get S into the water, and this year she jumped right in. Don't worry, she was still her Drama-Mama self with the, "Oh, this is soooo cold!" And the, "Help! Help! I can't reach." (All said in the most dramatic voice ever.)

Pato was super cautious at first, but after a few minutes, was splashing along with his sister. I predict a lot more beach days to come. 

And more digging sand out of bums. 

Some thoughts.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Day 6: A favorite photo of you. (I skipped yesterday. It happens.)

This really isn't a favorite photo of myself. I normally don't like pictures of myself, anyway. But, today I'm not blogging about a picture of myself.

I've had a lot on my mind today. All day, I've been reading about a family who lost their little 3-year-old gorgeously-redheaded boy last week in a tragic accident. He went to retrieve a frisbee that landed in the street, and was hit by a car. It hit me so hard when I heard because I thought, "This could have happened to me." This could happen to anybody. All day, I've been hugging my kids a little more. S and I cuddled on the  couch and ate cheese and crackers while watching Little Bear. Naptime was delayed, but I knew that didn't matter.

I am grateful for the knowledge that families will one day be reunited again. That death is not the end. How comforting it is to know that someday, I will be together with those I love again.

This is a very important truth to me. But. I don't know if it's because I'm a parent, or if it's because I have a child similar in age to the boy that died, but I could not stop feeling sad all day for this little boy and his family. And then I came to the conclusion that it's okay to be absolutely devastated. It's okay to feel like your world is falling apart when you lose someone you love. It's okay to mourn and mourn and mourn till you feel like you have nothing else in you.

Today, my heart mourns for that family.

You can visit their blog here.

Compliment

Sunday, May 4, 2014


Day 4: What's a compliment you have been given that has stuck with you? Who gave it to you? When? Where?

So, this is kind of awkward? Why not post an awkward solo picture of myself to go with an awkward question? I'm so awkward. How many times can I say awkward. Bah! 

Someone who I have never met (on Instagram actually) told me today that she could tell I wrote 100% how I speak. And she saw that as being genuine. I've had a few people tell me that they like reading my blog because they can tell that I'm writing just how I talk. I think they see it as a good thing?

It really means a lot to me because I hope that I come across as "what you see is what you get." When I die, I hope someone can stand up and say, "That Karim Jones. She really was genuine." (Because my funeral is going to be series of people standing up and saying good stuff about me right??) Even if that mean's I'm genuinely awful, I'd rather be genuinely awful than fake.

I've been blogging for years, and at one point, I used to sometimes feel like I had to please a certain "invisible reader." I'd constantly worry if my posts were funny enough. Or "pretty" enough. Or "interesting" enough. One of the main reasons I decided to start fresh with a new blog is because I'm so over trying to please invisible people. I write for myself. I write in hopes that someday I'll get my act together and get this blog printed as a record to show my children. I write it for the grandparents who like to check in on their grandkids. And, that's basically it. Actually, no. I also write it for Mindy Kaling because I really want her to find me and ask me to be her best friend. 

Of course, I am always so happy and flattered when someone takes a second to read along here, and if they happen to enjoy it, I'm even more thrilled. Let's be friends.

I'll also mention that frankly I find my writing to be really lazy. Because, yes, this is how I talk. I've embraced that fact that I'm not eloquent. My writing is not flowery and beautiful and well-thought out. I feel like I jump from point to point and I'm positive all the great writers would be absolutely abhorred by me. Well, to those great writers I say: alas, nonetheless, and such and such. And so. End scene.

Less||More

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Day 3: Write a less/more list. 

Less things. More experiences.
Less outer beauty. More inner beauty. 
Less bad talk. More good talk. 
Less inside, more outside.
Less telling. More explaining.
Less hurrying. More enjoying the moment. 
Less screen time. More play time.
Less comparing. More accepting.
Less exclusion. More inclusion. 
Less middle of the night wake-ups. More sleep! 
Less talking, more listening. 
Less earth hurting. More tree hugging. 
Less routine. More spontaneity. 
Less same. More different. 
Less hate. More love. 



What's in your cup?

Friday, May 2, 2014


Day 2: What's in your cup?

I was originally planning to take a picture of a cup with some type of beverage in it. Probably Diet Dr.Pepper or water. 

But, I never got to it because today our friendly and happy little girl had a bit of a rough go. She's been extra whiny and cranky, and today I was ready to drown my sorrows in almond butter. The one shining moment of the day was getting to go to the park as a family and enjoy the nice breeze. They both love swinging on the swings, and S always asks to go higher and higher. Last night was rough because both kids were up for several hours, so my fingers are crossed for a better night tonight.

Cross your fingers too, will ya?

Blog every day in may: Round II

Thursday, May 1, 2014




Today as we were heading out the door, S yelled, "Wait! I gotta get my purseses!" She stuffs her purses/backpacks with her "stuffs" (socks, bracelets, puzzle pieces, etc.) I of course had to snap a quick picture of this bag lady, and Pato quickly jumped beside her. You think my kids are used to having a camera in their faces??

Last year, I did this crazy thing were I blogged every day in May. Or close to it. Each day, I addressed a different prompt from a list that was already written by another blogger. I'm toying with the idea of doing it again this year, and who knows how long I'll last. Blogging is such a funny thing. I'm not always super eager to sit down and blog, but 10/10 times, I am very happy that I did. I absolutely love going back and seeing things I've written before because it helps me recall things that I had forgotten.

This year, I will be following the prompts found here.

Day 1: Goal setting. What are your plans for today? (And/or this week? This month? This year?)

Today: I hate to be secretive, but I gotta be. I had a goal for today. And my deadline was 10PM. I made that deadline by a minute. I really wish I could tell you, but I can't because it's a surprise for a certain holiday coming up :)

Week: Get to bed before midnight, and not wait till 11 PM to shower.

Month: Finally finish a couple books that I keep meaning to.

Year: I don't think that far ahead. Keep my kids happy? Survive the summer?

I'm obviously make really lofty goals here.

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