To Fictionize or Not

You come from a family, and your husband comes from a family, and then you have a family together and you try to figure out what to do with it. We keep it an open discussion. When the holidays started rolling around after the kids came, I found myself asking “Who's the guy in the fluffy red suit?” and “What’s the point of the Easter bunny again?” I haven’t quite figured out their reason, so I decided to leave them out of our traditions.

Kynlee knocks out a tooth at the playground and asks about the tooth fairy. She’s picked up on this somewhere and catches me off guard- because she didn’t loose the tooth naturally and I wasn’t prepared to think about this tradition. Sure I’m for it. I love the idea of the tooth fairy. Added bonus, no conflicts with religion. Kynlee gets a little prize under her pillow. She naturally loses a tooth not long later- no problem, another prize.

Then Kynlee starts pounding me with questions about the tooth fairy. Who is she? How does she know me? How does she get in the house? So-in-so said the tooth fairy is really the parents, is that true? Is it you? You have the same wrapping paper. Just tell me, is it you?!


Now I realize my problem with fictional characters, I’m a terrible liar! I get flustered and shaky. I can’t take the pressure! Kynlee has three teeth loose right now and I’m about to buckle, “It’s ME all right! I love you and I want to give you a prize! No more questions! PLEASE!”

“and don’t tell your friends the truth.”

Bless Your Soles

The season of flip flops has past, and the search for closed toe shoes has begun. Kynlee’s not so lean foot, high instep, and tall top add up to one beautiful shoe description, wide. Not just wide, but extra wide, and if we can find extra extra wide, even better. Reality hit a few years ago on Easter Sunday as I got Kynlee ready in her new outfit. I felt like I was cramming Drizella’s foot into Cinderella’s glass slipper. After her grandma found out she was running around barefoot at church due to pain, she told me, “Go buy that poor child some shoes that fit, whatever the cost!” With those words ringing in my ears, I have broken down, moved beyond my ten dollar limit, searched for clearance, couponed, you name it. This year, I found Stride Rite having a buy one get the second pair half off. Only $75 for two pair…whimper. Couldn’t do it Mom! Kynlee’s adorable feet are squeezing into Payless.


Kynlee's first trip on the bus, she has a neighborhood friend at least.


Looking a little nervous, so was I!

Tree House

You wouldn’t think a small ornamental pear tree could be turned into a tree house, but I guess when you are four feet tall it can. It started becoming an idea the day before our community garage sell. Kynlee spent three dollars in change from her purse on a dozen knick knacks she thought fitting for her new hangout. Walla, a tree house in the making.






Please keep an eye on the infant while you take pictures of the older kids, and stop him from eating dirt.


While I was trying to set up a swing for the tree, I heard Kynlee call out “wahoo!” as she sped down the driveway. Seriously, she said wahoo. I looked over to see her riding my old mountain bike! I went from being scared, to laughing, to pushing the button on the camera I was holding. She was losing speed by the time she circled around, but I thought it was cute. Funny, dangerous 5-year-old.

Cap of the Moment

I’ve been in a busy spell. At times throughout the day, I add to my head a design cap. I think we can all say we have some caps piled up on our heads, playing the roles that come our way. For four years now I’ve been working for my brother-in-law’s successful business, The Boston Shade Company. It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? The project has been like another little baby of mine, I’ve been working on its image since the beginning moments. Strange to think it’s been ten years since I got my first design job. While we lived in Memphis for medical school, I was a graphic designer for a small design firm. I had a brief retirement, after our first was born, before I was brought back to the professional world (from home though, part-part-time). So here I am now, with my art director’s cap on while the kids roam free, trying to conduct work business on the phone while mischief happens. I am working on a new website, still like the current one, but time for an image update. So if you happen to drop by the house unexpectedly in the near future, don’t be alarmed at the small tornadoes that have hit inside. I’ll understand yours if you understand mine. I think they will all be cleaned up in a few weeks, and you can check out the updated Boston Shade look!

(A designer? What’s up with the look of your blog then? Maybe this has crossed your mind. Right now, it’s one thing I don’t want to worry about designing, you hear what I’m saying? Maybe in the future it will have a little more pizzazz, for now, it is doing just fine.)