Sometimes I have things brewing inside me that shout “Write me down, write me down,” and they spill out, without even thinking, as soon as I make time to put fingers to keys.
But sometimes I sit down and put the fingers to keys before the voices shout “write me down, write me down.” And in those moments, I always think of Howard Thurman’s quote: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
My favorite thing that makes me come alive is the everyday fuel. The shift of the weather? The pumpkin display outside the grocery store? The way Nella and Dash hold hands together in the parking lot walk into preschool? It makes me come alive.
“Writing is like breathing,” I tell Lainey. “You can’t hold your breath . Feelings are too big and too wonderful to hold inside. So you have to breathe them into the world. Write them down. Say them out loud.”
I find papers everywhere now. Taped to walls. Stacked on dressers. Tucked in notebooks. Feelings that are too big and wonderful to hold inside. “Halloween is coming!” and “Sisters are Special” and “Cute Puppies” with drawings. These papers are more important to me than her spelling lists, the math test, the number of books she’s read. These are what make her come alive right now, the greatest gift she can give the world.
The big things that make us come alive are the tiles that will change the world. But the small things that make us come alive are the grout that holds the tile in place. We need the grocery store pumpkin displays and weather shifts. The pajama hugs and syrup puddles on Saturday morning waffle heaps are where the big ideas run to quench their thirst.
Which is why I’m enjoying….
The fake snake that has started a war of pranks.
I opened the silverware drawer this morning to get a spoon for my coffee and about lost my mind. So it’s not the snake I’m enjoying–it’s the “Gotcha” cheers that erupt when an attempted prank has proved successful.
Dog-Kid Bonds.
“Tell me the honest truth,” a friend considering a dog recently asked me, “is it worth it?” Yes. It’s worth it. Waking up to find our dogs curled in bed next to our kids? It’s so totally worth it. I will not tell you about the dried poop I found in my closet the other day.
Halloween Decorations.
We didn’t celebrate Halloween for many years when I was a kid for religious reasons. So now I go a bit overboard in some quest to bring light and fun to spiders and crows and bats and witches. We’re winning. There is beauty and interest and fun and story behind just about everything in life if you make it what you want it to be. We want it to be something that makes us come alive. So we spin webs in our windows and play “Monster Mash” in our kitchen while we dance and laugh and practice our witch cackle.
Preparation for Leaves.
We pretend these itty bitty non-deciduous leaves are signs of fall.
And then a text came yesterday from my cousin Joann in Michigan: “Looking at weather forecast. I think I’ll gather and mail your box of leaves next week.”
Sundays.
Quiet play. Made-up Shopkin games. Imagination. Attempted naps that turn into movies and popcorn in bed. Replenishing laziness. All-day jammies.
Coming home from date night to find signs of babysitters who draw rainbows and throw glitter in your driveway.
Instant raise.
F
Kinda Cousins.
I always dreamed that I would raise kids with my brother and sister–that my kids’ weekends would look just like my childhood ones–cousins, cousins, cousins–sleeping together in living room forts, zip-lining between backyard trees, reenacting Olympic events with trampoline injuries and handmade gold medals while the aunts traded clothes and made cookies . It didn’t happen that way because…well, life and 1400 miles. But we create our own reality, and I’ll be damned, I want my kids to have those memories. So we found our “cousins.” Friends who are family. And I love that when I pick my kids up from school, the teachers say, “just your kids today or Ivy too?”
Queen Latte.
This dog will do anything for the kids–a cloak & throne a better deal than some of the others they’ve proposed to her.
Family Night.
As posted on Instagram last week: “Went for family dinner tonight and started falling apart because nobody was as happy as I was. The story I told myself was that I was the only one in our family who cares about togetherness and a good time. Turns out my inner bitch is an amazing storyteller. Also she’s conceited. She consumed the first third of dinner until I kicked her out and rolled with everyone’s mood. Had way more fun when I let go.”
“I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.” ~Mary Oliver (from “The Summer Day”)
Haven’t read you for a while, because life seemed a bit mundane and the drudgery of sick kids, and me sick and bad weather had me in a bit of a funk. This post is nothing new from you, you always say this stuff. I’d just forgotten how brilliant you are at telling us what we need to hear: go enjoy life, don’t wait for BIG things to happen – go with the small stuff and see the magic. And enjoy it. Love all your points – and your pics are adorable. Thank you!
Kelle, this post is the reason I keep coming back to your blog. There is so much truth in what you share. Thanks for putting fingers to keys and coming alive. Makes us all feel alive a bit more. Also, your inner bitch and mine must be BFFs. Glad you kicked her out. Will do the same 🙂
Awww I love stopping by and reading your blog posts !!!! You are an amazing woman !
I can’t believe how big Lainey has gotten. And that picture with Brett and Nella? Amazing! Love your posts, but love your pictures more!
Life is all about the simple moments, the pure and honest and “small.” What we think of as the mundane is actually the grout holding together the tiles of life, as you beautifully state! Those little moments are everything, especially in the fall. <3 Love your words and photos here!
Loving this hard. All of it. I’ll include group me threads is a small thing that makes me come alive. And cinnamon brooms. J’duh. Love your words. xo
Lainey looks so big!!! Love Nella’s boots. Cute pic of you and Nella. Dash swinging. 🙂
LOVE the enjoying posts 🙂 Thank you for sharing your life with “us” 🙂
…and now I’m racing out to buy my daughter a pet!
I love waking up and seeing the magical caption “New Post” on your instagram photo! What a great way to start the morning-running to my computer and clicking the bookmarked link to navigate to your blog. Once again, brilliant post. Thanks for sharing yourself with all of us!
I know myself and others have asked a million times – what etsy shop are Nella’s hair clips from?
Two things: Nella’s bunny pajamas and Dash’s man bun. Absolutely fantastic.
Hi Kelle!
Thanks for all your amazing posts! I enjoy them all. I wanted to ask what brand your daughters eye glasses are? There adorable and we are looking for a similar style for our little girl.
Thank you!
Cher
Your thoughts and words and pictures are something to smile about. Xoxo
I want to dress like your kids! Think that will fly at 44?
My inner bitch is conceited.
I am dyyyyyyyyyying laughing!!!!!! This whole post is awesome. And ended perfectly!!
Kelle,
Yes! The paper drawings and lists are the heart of who our children are. Those spelling lists may be a part of a puzzle that helps them shine but the glitter is in the little papers we find.
Ps I need the red doc with the wicked witch of the west socks
Pss I Can’t wait to see you next month!!!
Happy kids!!!
I love the detail in this sentence: “sleeping together in living room forts, zip-lining between backyard trees, reenacting Olympic events with trampoline injuries and handmade gold medals while the aunts traded clothes and made cookies.” Yes!
I alsoappreciate the ig post about the family night. Oh I’ve so been there. Such good advice to ourselves to roll with it. All of it.
Love you.
Your choice of words and how you string them all together is the calm that I need in my life when things get cluttered and emotions go on high alert. I love your family, I love your writing, I absolutely love your kids wardrobe! The colors, the patterns, just so many feels in every post. Thank you for living and breathing for us. I only wish there were more driveways filled with rainbows and glitter.
Hey, I had that same feeling of “no one cares about family time”, too. Except mine was with two teenage girls and we were on a three week trip in Italy and Croatia. Yikes. Had to leave the big girl back in the room a few times and she’s in far fewer pictures than the rest of us but sometimes you have to roll with what is instead of what you planned it to be.
I need to know where you got the hot dog/pretzel tee.
Thanks!