There is a name tag woven into the branches of the tree in our front yard. It’s been there since Nella’s birthday party.

The jig is up; Alan was a no-show for his tag. Ha ha. Alan, we love you.

It’s been dangling for over two months because I haven’t taken the nanosecond required to remove it. This is very like me. The paper has yellowed and faded from the sun but every time I see it, it makes me smile. Because it is funny that it’s still hanging there and because, for just a moment, I think of Lainey’s friend.

It’s why I keep invitations taped to my fridge long after parties are over and why I can’t throw away a Christmas card. I like reminders to think about people and things and moments. I like pictures on my nightstand and name tags in my trees. I like memories stashed some place where they can be easily and frequently retrieved. And I like to think that’s exactly what prayer is. Not so much an obligation to say “Dear God” so many times a day, but rather a way of life. Continually living present and grateful and open. I like this idea of prayer because it is accessible to anyone, regardless of beliefs. It is mysterious and purposeful and doesn’t leave me wondering why some prayers are answered, and some are not. And because it provides valid justification for name tags in my trees.

And so I pray. In my head, in my writing, in my pictures, and hopefully, in my way of life.

Firsts.

The harbinger of new things, Spring has delivered many firsts to our home these past few weeks. I’ve penciled accomplishments in baby books, applauded my proud girls, uprooted the first carrots from our garden and cooked my first chicken curry–well, first one that tasted good. I love the unspoken themes inherent in each season. Newness, birth and firsts in Spring; Vitality, exploration and leisure in summer; reflection, harvest and community in fall; and hibernation, family and rest in winter.

The firsts of Spring.

First I-Teeth.

Nella’s teething is far more challenging than Lainey’s was, and my contented girl has lately been slung to my hip, biting her fingers and clearly upset. The night routine’s been a beast–up three to four times–and I am consequently exhausted. But it’s a rite of passage, eh? At times it is, yes, frustrating; but still amazing that I have what she needs–that my child’s greatest distress is comforted simply by my presence.

*****

First Minutes of the Morning.

…are mine. Until three minutes later, Nella wakes up–then they are ours. Quiet, somber, slow. She always makes up for all the night interruptions with her sweet morning demeanor. And I’m a sucker for dangling pajama feet.

*****

First Girlfriend I Met in Naples.

I was homesick and knew no one in this town. I was afraid I’d call it quits and move back home. And then I met Heidi–on a blind friend date at P.F. Changs. The two teachers from Michigan who just had to meet each other. We sat over Asian Pear Mojitos and Shrimp Lo Mein and talked until they kicked us out. She called me “Chicka”, wore purple and told me she wanted to be a mom. Seven years later, we’re still kicking. She’s like my sister, and I love her and our Wednesday breakfasts.

She did become a mom, and who’d have thought our babies would love each other so.

*****

First Fish She Caught.

The strangest thing is, my dad had just called the night before, lamenting over the fact that he felt sorry for Lainey because her fishing pole had a plastic fish on the end and she always excitedly waits for it to bob. “She has no idea that thing will never catch a fish,” he said, “and that’s what makes me sad. You have to get her a real pole and let her know what it feels like to catch a fish that’s not plastic.” (because my dad appoints himself the one to be obsessively concerned about these things) The next night, we ventured to the lake, real pole in tow.

And within minutes, Brett’s cheering “Reel it in, reel it in!” while my girl is smiling victoriously.

She had a first–the thrill of reeling in her prize, a slippery silver-flecked large mouth bass.

Oh, she was proud. It was her time to shine and she knew it.

She will always be my first. My first born girl, the one who made me a mama and gave me the most glorious moment of my entire life.

*****

First Kisses.

She’s choosy about who gets them, but this doll’s been real good to her so it was deserved. I love her kisses.

*****

First and Last.

Today was the first time we bought colored bubbles.

They are pretty.

They are messy.

Today was the last time we bought colored bubbles.

*****

First Carrots.

Keep in mind, this is my first time gardening. I wasn’t sure if anything would grow, but it has. And while these carrots aren’t prize-worthy, the fact that we pulled up anything worthy of eating in our garden is pretty miraculous. I mean, I leave name tags in trees for months.

Look. Carrots.

The rare Carrot Oh, of the Vegetable Oh Family.

Budding I-teeth likey.

And now, my prayers are finished. I am thankful. Spring brings new things, and I am excited about the promise of growth.

I am motivated this year to try new things–to spruce things up–and I am hoping to bring some small happy renovations to the blog (promise, no major changes!). I’m working on a video tutorial for taking pictures–nothing professional, but some really easy, basic things you can do to take better pictures of your own kids. It’s a work in progress and I will share when it’s finished, but in the meantime, I’m interested in what you’d like to see more of here. This blog has been my space–and it always will be in that I write about what makes me happy. That will not change. But there is a sense of community here I appreciate as well, and I’d like, occasionally, to bring you things you’re interested in too–topics that inspire you, things you want to know more about, etc. If you feel comfortable, in your comment please tell me!

Happy Wednesday.

“There are thoughts which are prayers. There are moments when, whatever be the attitude of the body, the soul is on its knees.” ~Victor Hugo

I get skittish when I’m uninspired, especially when a task at hand requires inspiration. I want to feel bolts of lightning, swells of creativity, flashes of passion that fuel me to make, bake, write, capture, click, run, sing, fly. But, as Brenda Ueland says, “inspiration does not come like a bolt…it comes into us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must regularly and every day give a little chance to start flowing…prime it with a little solitude and idleness.”

But sometimes, I still want the bolt.

I had a couple things I needed to finish this weekend, and I just wasn’t feeling it. No bolt, no swell, no flash. So Brett, in a moment of brillance and glory, says “Why don’t you take your computer out into the woods?”—which might elicit knee-slapping guffaws from anyone else but I’m all, “Oh, this is so Thoreau. Into the woods to suck the marrow.” Cool, right? So I go, hauling a broken beach chair, my laptop, a pair of headphones and a can of root beer through the entrance into our woods, past the prickly trees, and just a little deeper until I’ve found the perfect clearing. A blanket of dried pine needles beneath me, a canopy of blue sky above me. And I’m sitting there in my pajamas and my rain boots, facing the deep part of the woods so my back is to the houses—except our woods aren’t really thick and enchanted but more sparse and open—so it dawns on me that neighbors can see me. And this is funny. A girl in pajamas and rain boots, drinking a root beer, sitting in a broken chair in the middle of the woods…with a laptop. Yes, funny. But I get over it, slipping my headphones on, humming to Brandi Carlisle, furiously typing while occasionally, a random squirrel flying thisclose to my head stops my heart. Suddenly, I am inspired. I am sucking the marrow. I am electrified by the bolt. This working in the woods thing is so happening again.

And when I’m not rigging up a forest office there, I will be exploring—bare feet optional—the trees, the pine needle floor, and the flying squirrels with my girls.

This weekend, on a trek into the woods, Lainey looked up at me with her Oreo eyes, smiled and said, “We’re goin’ on a fun uh-benture, aren’t we?” And it was one of those moments in parenthood where, among all the times of I-don’t-know-what-the-hell-I’m-doing, a little bud blooms. A pretty little flower I like to call I-must-be-doing-something-good.

It’s kind of hard not to be inspired in the boltish form when it’s this beautiful outside.

Right about this time of year, when I’m not obsessing about these shoes going on mega clearance, or wondering how I can rearrange the playroom, or dragging chairs out into the woods to write, I am smiling at the frequent sight of this:

Beach towels drying on the pool gate; wee wet swimsuits left exactly where they were taken off.

Our neighborhood is alive and colorful, and I am riding the current of energy that makes us want to go and do and see. I follow the trail of my girl’s wet footprints to our neighbor’s lemonade stand, breathe in winds that disperse barbecue smoke from nearby grills, and sketch the sight of Nella’s wide grin deep into my memory so I never forget.

And there’s something about weekends that ups the ante. I notice more.

This weekend, our friend Baylee turned five and, to celebrate, she asked her friends to join her at Outside the Box Studio where a flock of wide-eyed girls dressed up and danced, painted and sang, and corralled into a giggling circle that made me all emotional.

Feathered heads, sunshine pillows and a piano? Well, Happiness just done went and blew up in this place.

Lainey worked so hard to hide her shy smile and, by the end, she just whole-heartedly gave up and transformed into a lively little thing whose escalating fun meter needle was anything but discreet.

My shy girl had so much fun that she actually whispered during Baylee’s karaoke performance with the real mike, “Hey Mama, can Baylee and I switch microphones?” ‘Cuz she knew her own mike was cheap and fake, and Girlfriend wanted to make some noise.

I’m hooked on this place, on the energy of the amazing woman who runs it, and my girls and I will definitely be back.

I was pretty much sold when Miss Lulu busted out some dress-up clothes in Nella’s size.

Swear, Nella is clapping for Baylee’s dance performance.

So there. Happy Weekend. Happy to be living anywhere but inside the box. Because Outside is where the party is.

And that woods writing? I finished it–an article in the upcoming “Enough” themed issue of Mamalode magazine.

Mamalode is returning as a sponsor, and I’m thrilled to share the love of good writing on hearty issues relevant to both motherhood and womanhood. As they put it, “Motherhood can be very shattering, both from the pressures on the outside and the love from the inside. But there are bits that remain yours– pieces that come from your own childhood, your own adventures and your own growth. They are still there, mixed in with your family, relationships, time, money, health, passions, dreams, work, and creativity. There is room for all that at Mamalode. Welcome — every last bit of you.”

You can subscribe to Mamalode here. (and now available internationally!)

And Congratulations to the winner of the Tina Steinberg Fingerprint Necklace, Comment #1432, Robin: i love waking up to see my 10 week old baby boy staring up at me with his cute smile. he’s the first thing i see when i wake up, and i wouldn’t have it any other way!

Robin, please e-mail your information to kellehamptonblog@comcast.net and Tina will have a fingerprint kit in your mailbox soon. You’re going to love it!

Inspiration may come slowly and quietly, but sometimes? Sometimes it comes in bolts. Today our windows are open, the clouds are islands amid a sea of sky, and happy birds are echoing what I’m feeling–that it’s a perfectly good day for lightning. Or a really fun uh-benture.

Happy Monday, Friends.

Morning Loves.
Babies with dust particles floating behind them.
Unadulterated cheerios. No frost, no chocolate, no color.
Puppy Blankets that stay tightly gripped long after wake up.
Babies who fall asleep on their mamas in the tub.
Little girls who proudly brush their own hair.
Getting ready with coffee.
A stack of Playdoh hotcakes for pretend breakfast.
Pajama Grins.

And a fabulous weekend giveaway for you. Tell me what you love most about mornings, and one random commenter on this post will be winning a one-of-a-kind Tina Steinberg fingerprint necklace from her Love Touch collection. Just in time for Mother’s Day!

And I loved reading the last thing that made you laugh. Coco Penny $25 Gift Certificate Winners: The Last Thing That Made You Laugh

Comment, #652, Jen: LOVE IT. The last thing that made me laugh was my 6 year old telling my 5 year old…”I don’t want to hear any more of that nonsense!”

Comment, #1012, Eva: Funniest thing I have heard today…… Realizing that my boys think that R2D2 from star wars is actually called Auntie D2. Thats what happened when they are only allowed to play with the Lego star wars character and not watch the actual movie!