Photo of the Week: My Boo

Good morning, everyone!

So this Monday isn't just another Monday to me...today marks the 2nd anniversary of my best friend Ken's passing.  We called each other "Boo," and I still don't know how that got started, hence the title of this post.

Those of you who know me know that I'm the sentimental sort, so anniversaries like today's are important to me. I know many of you out there knew and loved him as well, so our Photo of the Week is a great pic of Ken in his prime, as I want to remember him, way before cancer or chemotherapy were a part of his reality. He was a vibrant, exuberant, gregarious, wonderful person who enriched the lives of all who knew him and were fortunate enough to call him a friend.

If you knew and loved Ken too, you may want to check out my recent "tribute" post about him, "Thank You For Being a Friend."

Miss you, Boo. You are still so loved.

Friday Fun: The Joys of Spring

Happy Friday!
Up here in my neck of the woods, it's been a gorgeous first week of spring - although it's been so warm that a couple of days have felt more like summer! It's usually so cold here in the winter that when the temperature gets above 60, you see a lot of people out in shorts.

So, I thought it would be appropriate to kick off another weekend with some pics of all the fun we had with Anna for our first spring weekend! I hope the weather is beautiful where you are too.

First dipping of toes into the frigid ocean! BRRR!!

And Now For Some Warm Fuzzies...

I've gotta say, I am really enjoying the conversation that this morning's post generated. If you haven't checked it out yet, please do! I love it when people pay attention to important issues and aren't afraid to share their views.

But, ever mindful of the severity of the subject matter of that post, I thought I'd interrupt this broadcast to throw some warm fuzzies your way. I really love this; it definitely captures the joy that children bring to our world.

See, whether you agree with everything on MLWP or not (and it's far more interesting if you don't!), there's something for everyone. So please keep coming back!

I'm Not Pro-Death

Okay everyone, I'm about to break one of my own rules. Shocking, I know, since I'm not much of a rule-breaker. But here goes.

I try not to explore issues that are too controversial on this blog because I don't want to alienate readers and I want a broad spectrum of views to be represented on this site. Which is why I'm always asking (although not many people respond) for guest posts. I am genuinely interested in what everyone has to say, whether I agree with it or not.

I've done a pretty good job of sticking to this rule with the exception of posts dealing with issues around marriage equality, since they affect me and my family directly. But every now and then something gets to me and I just have to stir things up.

Which brings me to (among other things) the abortion and contraception debates currently taking over our politics. Dum-dum-DUM.

Sometimes Age Is Just a Number

As parents, we're all careful to look at the suggested age range when we buy a new toy or game for our children.  The primary reason for doing so is, of course, to prevent exposure to tiny parts that may cause young kids to choke.

Otherwise, the age limit is supposed to indicate that a child is developmentally ready to handle whatever game or toy is is.

I got this bubble thing down.

Photos of the Week: Spring is Here!

Although I normally dread Mondays, today, I can deal. And I owe the extra spring in my step this Monday to the fabulous taste of Spring that we're getting up here. We may have one day to go to be official, but you really can't tell. And as cold as our winters are, yesterday's 70 or so degrees felt sort of like Summer.

This weekend provided the opportunity for a lot of seasonal firsts:  first ice cream, first beach trip (with the dog), first tiny flowers blooming, first time on the tree swing, and first backyard fire with s'mores.

You can't beat that!

So here are two photos that represent our happy first weekend of Spring - it's almost here, and Summer will be here before we know it!

First baby flowers in our yard!

Welcome back, beach!

Have a great week! Happy Spring!

Friday Fun: Annaspeak!

It's time for quotable quotes again! But before we begin, I'd like to make a request. Some of my friends and family have been talking lately about what their little ones say about God. These musings are adorable, funny, and sometimes clever, and I'd like to hear more of them and compile them into a feature post.

So if your kids have had anything entertaining to say about God or heaven or spirituality, please send it to us at mylifewithpie@gmail.com. This could be a good one, but it won't work without your input! Thanks.

And now here's the latest from the Pie:

Hangin' at the "car guy's" garage

Recharge Your Batteries

"Me time."  We all talk about it. We all crave it. And I'm willing to bet almost all of us don't get enough.

When you're a parent, it becomes especially difficult to set aside some time to recharge your batteries....but it's also especially important.  The many challenges that come with parenting necessitate a strong and willing spirit - and you can't be at your best if you're overtired, stressed, and never take a break or spend time with friends.

That's pretty much been my life until recently. I've had some rough things to deal with this year so far, and so I've been feeling a bit more run down and emotional than usual. (Insert joke here.)  So I was fortunate that I got to spend last weekend visiting my best friend, known by Anna and on MLWP as "Uncle Keith." During my visit, Uncle Keith and I got to spend an afternoon hanging out in New York City, browsing in shops, eating, drinking, all that good stuff.

It was wonderful.

NYC baby!

Watch Your Step!

Everyone knows caution is key when it comes to allowing our little ones to navigate stairs. The potential harms are pretty obvious.

Still, despite the use of baby gates or rubber grips or other safeguards, and despite our vigilance, accidents do happen. I recently came across an article that contained an alarming statistic. Apparently, a child is treated every six minutes in this country for injuries related to falls on stairs. It seems obvious that stairs can be dangerous for kids, but that is a pretty surprising amount of stair-related accidents nonetheless.

Please take a look at the article and think about what you can do to make your stairs safer, limit your toddler's access to them, and/or help him or her learn to climb them safely and carefully. If your little one moves as quickly as mine, you'll be glad you did!

Photo from www.onestepahead.com

Photo of the Week: Art Is All Around Us

Happy Monday!  I'm just recovering from a whirlwind weekend trip to visit Uncle Keith - sans the Pie - which included spending a lovely Saturday afternoon in NYC, strolling around Greenwich Village.

New York, of course, is home to some of the most famous and impressive art museums and collections in the world.  I'm sad to say I haven't been to most of the museums I'd like to visit, and that is definitely on my "bucket list."  But one of the amazing things about New York City is that, if you just look around, you realize that art is everywhere.

And I'm not just talking about the art that's for sale on city sidewalks, either. This week's featured photo is an awesome mosaic from a wall I passed exiting the subway.

I wish my iPhone camera, good as it is, could do this justice. It was created by a woman in 1994 and took approximately a year to make, using stone and glass.  This was a painstaking labor of love and I cannot imagine the patience and talent it must have taken to capture such detail in a mosaic made of tiny pieces.

We saw lots of cool things this weekend, but this was one of the only photos I took because it really impressed me. I can't wait to go back and see what else awaits!

Have a great week.

Can Working Moms Really Have It All?

I've written before about how difficult it can be to be a working parent. I'm a mom so that's my frame of reference, hence the title of this post. But I certainly recognize that there are an increasing number of dads who also have the challenge of balancing raising their kids and working long hours.

To some extent, this is an unavoidable conflict, and we who face it simply manage the best we can.

I'm new at this whole thing...

Overreact Much?

I've been scouring the web looking for interesting and thought-provoking stuff for the blog.  Just before the tragic school shooting that occurred near Cleveland, Ohio last week, I found this unbelievable article about a four year old's drawing that led to her dad's arrest in Kitchener, Ontario.

Now, my initial reaction was - are you kidding me?? A small child draws a picture and they immediately send in the cavalry? It seemed a drastic case of reacting first and asking questions later.

But then I read about yet another senseless tragedy involving a young student and a gun....and I backed off my outraged stance a little bit.

[Not the drawing referenced in the article. Photo from www.littledaisycafe.com.]

Photos of the Week: Nuts & A Sleepy Bean

You know, I really hate it when life gets in the way of my blogging! LOL. I try to publish something every weekday but sometimes things get a little crazy, so it's been a few days.

To that end, we'll start the week with two feature photos.  The first one speaks for itself;

I saw that on Facebook and decided I had to put it on here for amusement value alone.  But, like any proud parent, I also like to feature photos of my Pie.  So here's a lazy Sunday morning, sleeping in pic - this is why I can only occupy a sliver of a queen size bed! I'd give anything to sleep as peacefully and luxuriously as my "sleepy bean" does.

I was under her right arm, which had just whacked me because I was in her way, before I sat up to take this pic.

Hope the week is off to a great start for all of you! Stay tuned for some interesting stuff coming up this week.