photo - hooey!critic

Proof I’m ready for retirement

December 20, 2011 by Neena 1 Comment

Yep. I did it. I have proof that I’ve achieved the highest mothering ability. The student has become the master and I can retire from motherhood gracefully.

I managed to get a shot of all three kids with Santa and nobody is crying, frowning, looking away, blinking, or picking something inappropriate.

Booyah!

I imagine the rest of this gig is just gravy.

Filed Under: holidays, photo

Fall Bucket List

September 24, 2011 by Neena 5 Comments

If woman and season could cohabitate I think Fall and I would be exquisite lovers. This is my favorite time of year – it’s when I feel alive and domestic and full of warmth and love for the breath-taking life around me. I feel inspired and motivated to emerge and let the joys of the orange and yellow earth hug me.

Maybe it’s because I was born in the Fall…

Maybe it’s because my favorite foods are much more a part of this season than any other.

Maybe it’s because I have too many hot flashes and get tired of putting powder between my boobs all summer long.

Doesn’t matter really. All I care about is that Fall has emerged and offers itself and its many adventures to me.

I saw this Bucket List on Pinterest the other day and immediately became giddy with the possibility of jumping into the autumn scene. I showed it to my husband and we decided to make it a family challenge. We decided to try each of these activities this Fall with the children. Some we have done before. Others we forget about only to remember about the time the Christmas decorations get pulled out of storage. No matter – this year we are going to suck in as much Fall as possible as a family. We will have fun, make memories, and learn to enjoy one another throughout my most-favorite season.

What’s on your Fall bucket list?

Filed Under: Fall, photo

Reason #47 why I didn’t do laundry this weekend

May 2, 2010 by Neena 3 Comments

cause I had something better to do…

Filed Under: kids, photo

What is an adenoid, anyway?

April 26, 2010 by Neena 1 Comment

My little man is having surgery Monday morning.

It’s fairly minor, outpatient surgery.

Still scary…

He’s excited about the possibility of Popsicles, ice cream, and television for the next few days. He asked if he could bring his night-time snuggle animals with him to the hospital.

I said yes and he tried to pack them Sunday night just to be sure they’d be making the trip with us.

He went to bed wearing new pajamas and asked me as I tucked him in if both me and his Daddy would be there tomorrow in case he needed us.

I assured him we would.

He smiled.

I’ll see you tomorrow for my surgery, Mama.

Filed Under: jacob, photo, surgery

Wordless Wednesday

March 3, 2010 by Neena 2 Comments

*My dreamer, my reacher, my soul in flight…

Filed Under: charlotte, photo

Here’s to being regular!

November 25, 2009 by Neena 5 Comments

Just after we arrived at my parent’s house in Ohio my son noticed a picture of me sitting on the dresser upstairs. It was a photo I had taken just before I graduated college in 2001.

Before the wife thing.

Before the babies.

My son couldn’t quit staring at the picture. He seemed very concerned. Finally, he asked me about it.

Jake: Mommy is that you in that picture?

Me: Yes, honey. That was Mama many years ago.

Jake: Daddy said that’s what you looked like when you met him.

Me: He’s right.

Jake: *with a very concerned face* Well, when did you become regular?

Me: *silent*

Jake: When did you start to look so regular, Mommy?

Me: *thinking out loud* More importantly, Jake. When did Mama discover brow waxing!?

Happy Thanksgiving From Us Regular People!

Filed Under: childhood, conversation, jake, photo, photos. self

He thought of me…

October 27, 2009 by Neena 6 Comments

He was a little sad that morning in the car. He kept telling me how much he would miss me while at preschool and insisted that I be at the front of the carpool line that afternoon to pick him up.

Of course I’ll pick you up, honey. And, I’ll do my best to be as close to the front of the line as possible.

I worried that his mist-filled eyes were a sign that it might be a less than stellar day at school. If the past has taught me anything it’s that his sad eyes make for a rough day.

I went to pick him up that afternoon and watched nervously out the window until I saw his little face appear in the door.

There’s my handsome boy.

I smiled. He smiled back.

“I thought about you today, Mommy. I missed you.”

Oh, darling. I missed you, too.

He handed me something small. Soft.

“I picked this for you today on the playground.”

A flower. A small, slightly over-clenched flower.

It was the first flower he’d ever given me. And, he did it because he was thinking of me.

It’s perfect. I love it.

I couldn’t bare to toss it even though it was too wilted and delicate to handle. But, I wanted to keep it. I needed to keep it.

I placed it between the pages of my Bible.

It’ll be safe in there.

“Will you keep it forever, Mommy?”

Forever and ever, amen.

Filed Under: jake, photo, sappy crap

because apparently my ass and the whoopee cushion are not compatible

August 11, 2009 by Neena 3 Comments

Thanks to my dear mother-in-law for the good 45 minutes of entertainment this provided…

Just after the video ended I attempted the whoopee cushion one more time on ‘a harder seat’ as advised by my family. This is how that attempt ended…

Thanks for that advice, folks.

Filed Under: photo, video, whoopee cushion

A Riddle Of Sorts

July 20, 2009 by Neena 6 Comments

What do you get when you take a stay-at-home mommy that recently rediscovered the fact that she’s actually a girl and is supposed to wear more than yoga pants and Old Navy t-shirts and do things that don’t revolve around diaper genies, craft time, and play dates and mix it with the anxiety of the first ever trip away from the kids that didn’t involve surgery or birth and an accidental stop at an outlet mall on the way home from a child’s birthday party?

Why, 3 pairs of pants, 2 dresses, 4 shirts, two handbags, 1 pair of heels, and a Linkin Park After Midnight Pedicure.