Kids say the darndest things!!

6am, Landon is lying in bed with me...I thought he was sleeping.  I'm in a peaceful slumber when I hear him whispering,
"Mom?"
My eyes still closed, "hmmm"
"Mom?" in the sweetest whipser in my ear.
My eyes still closed, "hmmm"
Lan no longer whispering, "Mom, open you mouth to talk to me!"
My eyes flew open and my mouth hysterical with laughter....where did he pick that one up?!!

Lil' Slugger

Last week marked the beginning of Landon's baseball season.  We are eager to let Landon try out every sport or activity he is interested in to find his liking.  Coach Nathan took the boys through the fundamentals of baseball, teaching  good sportsmanship, skills, and fun!  Landon laughed and smiled though the entire practice, taking good care to listen to Coach, playing great with the other boys, and just having  a first-rate time in everything they did!  Occasionally, he would shout across his playing field at me, "Mom, can I get off this now?" (referencing the spot Coach instructed him to stand on).  I would remind him, "Not until Coach says you can." Landon would jump back on his spot, dancing around awaiting his turn. He followed instructions amazingly, whether it was from his Coach or us saying to listen to Coach, and is quickly picking up the art of patience.....he was an awesome player with a lot of spirit!!

 Landon talking to Coach, "When's my baseball game?" 

Practicing their throwing skills.  Coach lined up the boys as a firing squad as he encouraged to them to aim and throw the ball at him.  Landon threw back his arm and nailed Coach right where it hurts!!! Notice the smile on Lan's face, the placement of the ball on Coach and his expression!!  Priceless!! 

 

All set to hit.  Hurry, Coach, and place the ball before I lose interest.

Home plate, AKA, "the house", as the boys were calling it. 

A prayer for the new year

I came across this written work last week.  I read it, then re-read it, made Scot read it, and typed it for a personal copy to keep handy.  The words really grasped me and I wanted to pass this along. 

A prayer for the new year…
By Shonto Begay

May our footings be aligned in beauty again…today
In beauty, we walk our holy path…today
The supreme truth of my mind will no longer battle me…today
His clarity I now possess…today
I will be embraced in kinship from all…today
I am recognized in love
I will give to all in grace
Today
My child, comeback into the innocent hearth
Today
I have returned
My child, let us know your voice in earnest again…my prayers are heard again
Into the gleaming of age, upon the arc of beauty
All of creation is set again in harmony
All is blessed.
May we all continue with courage, undaunted by doubts.
May our heart be content of compassion always
May we all recognize the beauty of our Mother Earth and always be her ally
May we all be blessed by the beauty of benevolent, and know it
May all the perverse and divisive tools of our demise be crushed…and washed away
May all the harsh words and deeds lie impotent at our feet
May all that is taken from us in stealth be retrieved
May all the gains be so much more than the losses, except in weights
May all who were taken from us be alive within us
May we sit in awe to the great changes in our lives, to witness miracles
May we be an integral part of that change for the good
May the past years’ trauma fade into distant memories
May the lessons learned remain fresh and thus accompany our actions, in great consciousness
May we reclaim our lust for life, fearless
May the lives of our children be so much more than we know
May they be blessed in new knowledge, new actions and greater and richer results
May we have unwavering confidence in them
May we all know the mountains, and see them as sacred
May we send forth our prayers in her presence
May we all receive our mothers and our fathers in kindness
May we all say ‘welcome” often to them, see them
May we all respond to the kindness
May we all remain a vessel of light unto all our kind
And unto our cohabitants of this planet, animals, the vegetations and water
May we all be in kinship with it
May we all hold upon our heart our “Grandfather”
May we all unclench our fists so a paintbrush can fit
May we all explore the artist within us with no reservations, no judgment
May we all share our visions if not only to ourselves
May we all dry our tears so we can apply a clown face paint
May all of our lives be buoyed in mirth, always
May the silvery laughter always accompany us
May we all welcome in the new years yet to come, with fewer resolutions
May all of our yearning hearts be filled with romances
May the words “I love you” become our mantra
Again
And may we all dance on
May our chiefs and leaders be compassionate and wise…again
May they invigorate our passions into action
May we all cherish and promote mercy, unto all of our neighbors
May we all receive the blessings and he grace of the Great Mystery, unto all of our neighbors
May we all

Snowball, snowball, snowball.....

All week Landon anxiously awaited heading up north to play in the snow.  First and foremost on his toddler agenda was to throw snowballs!!  Bundled up and ready for action, we found a perfect spot to sled, play, and enjoy the prodigious (that one's for you Justin) amount of snow!  Thankful for our snow gear, as we would have been soaked head to toe, as the white, uninterrupted  powder could cover Landon in one step and was up to Scot's knees in some areas.    Here's a snapshot of my beautiful family's snow day.....

 Little Snow Angel!

"Hey guys, is it my turn to slide?" 

Family self photo, always a must! 

Building a mini snow man, complete with a nose, arms, and shoes. 

Family snow ball fight!!!  Our "friendly" competition grew to include others around us, as Landon was pelting strangers near by (our boy has an arm on him).  Everyone was a good sport and joined in the fun with us!

Landon and Dad building a snow firetruck.  Sorry, Lan we couldn't get a fire station built complete with sound, that you had requested Dad to fabricate with his 2 gloved hands, a stick as his tool, and only freezing snow to work with!!  Maybe next time!

"The color of springtime is in the flowers, the color of winter is in the imagination."