Finding Meaning Amidst March Winds

March is here...thirteen days of it so far. The slight breeze sweeping along winter brown grass brings a  promise of Spring days to come...along with a clear memory of that breezy March day almost four years ago. The reminders are fiercely forefront in the air, the soil, and my Mamma heart. Yearning for The Red One swells.

Gorgeous, brilliant eighteen year old Allisa passed away from a brain tumor just two months ago...meeting her parents both warmed and tore at the scars of my heart. As new members to the Lost Child Club, Allisa's Mom and Dad appear strong, vibrant and thriving. They are amazing; focused on the important details of living a genuine life after such devastating loss! In keeping with the purpose of jiggystick we surprised them with a unique memorial jiggystick honoring their daughter, a small gift for her friends and family. A one of a kind label designed just for Allisa...favorite colors, favorite berry, and favorite flower...Gerber daisies. Jocie's favorite too!

We discussed the life and death of two young beautiful girls and the impact of a legacy cut short but immortal just the same. And finding meaning in a world absent of our daughters.

A big thank you to an incredible group of on-line photography friends from Snapshots of A Good Life.  Their encouragement, love for me and support of jiggysticks has been overwhelming. They are the dearest, sweetest girls I've never met!

The Alissa Berry Berry jiggystick...just what I needed on this breezy March day. It's bright and cheery...filled with love...just like Alissa!

The Cass in the Coat

 Coats...I seem to have a lot of them.

But my favorite is this pink one. One day I was out and about having left my pink coat at home. Later that evening...I discovered this series of photos "someone" had taken using my iPhone.

The sun did not shine, it was too wet to play.

So they sat in the house all that cold, cold, wet day.

"I know some good games we could play" said the Cass.

"A lot of good tricks, I will show them to you. Our mother will not mind at all if I do."

. 

"I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny. But we can have lots of good fun that is funny."

"Take it off", said the Henry..."this is no fun at all"!

"Take it off", said the Hank, "I just want to crawl".

"Look at me! Look at me! 

Look at me NOW!

It is fun to have fun. But you have to know how."

Later that day when I had returned...I said to those two, 

"Did you have any fun? Tell me, what did you do?"

Should they tell me about it? Now what SHOULD they do? 

Well...What would you do if your mother asked you?

Snips and Snails

What are little boys made of?

Snips and

snails and

puppy dog tails

 That's what little boys are made of.

Squishy and chubby

 filled with insatiable curiosity

and maybe just a little bit of adorable naughtiness.

Little boys are mesmerized by anything with wheels


and bouncy rolly-polly balls.

Big boys and little boys like to play together as it seems they love the same things.

Eyes full of wonder

and a face full of giggles

little boys too soon grow up.

But not today... because today this little boy just wants to snuggle with his mama.

Leaping Lizards February

 It's leap day...one photo that made my heart leap this month.

Presenting her royal highness...Queen Bee Olivia! Isn't she perfectly bee-utiful in her little hat Papa found last summer at our Farmers Market.

Thirty days hath September

April, June and November;

February has twenty eight alone

Except in Leap Year, that's the time

When February's Days are twenty-nine.

It's currently "blizzarding" at our house on leap day...yippee! I hope your leap day is fabulous too.

Ewey Gooey Chewey Part Deux-ey

Brace-Face, Tin Grin, Metal Mouth, Tinsel Teeth...just some of the nicknames used to describe that awesome time in your life when you have braces.

Or how about "Jaws"? The name of the metal mouth evil villain in the James Bond movie "The Spy Who Loved Me". The worst thing about having braces according to Chet, is having your mom cut off the kernels on a cob of corn just so you can eat it.

I can scarcely believe it's been a year and a half since we celebrated Ewwey Gooey Chewy Day with The Teenager. But lucky for Chet, the day to remove his braces finally arrived. Dr. Hlavaty insisted/didn't give him a choice on Chet's last color of braces-BRIGHT PINK...implying it would make him more manly. Plus it was Valentines day, and it seemed like the perfect color at the time.

Tada!!!!

It's time for Ewwey Gooey Chewy Part Deux...the sticky treat party following a year and a half of braces.

 He was not excited...not one little bit!

Yes, he did share...well sort of. He knows how much I love Tootsie Rolls and let me have a couple.

Congratulations handsome Teenage boy...what a beautiful smile you have. That's four out of four kids' braces finished. The Garlick Press is ecstatic to have them all completed and especially paid for.

According to Chet...the best thing about getting your braces off is having smooth teeth again, plus food tastes just a little bit better.

Also...Dr Hlavaty claimed he would not be held responsible for all of the chick magnification that was going to happen once the braces were off and the girls saw his charming smile.