July 16, 2009

Time. Thought I'd Make Friends With Time.

Noah made microwave popcorn and in a span of about two seconds, max, it smelled like moth balls and staleness and West Virginia, my Great Grandma Riddle's mobile home, cluttered with ceramic owls and rust-colored sofas and a murky fish tank.

Tonight we lay in the grass and I took pictures in the dark and the boys ran around like crazy people. Gray carried his little bug cage with a lightning bug in it, his hands smelling like a lightning bug (they have a smell).

Smells like my childhood summers.


Once, when I was a little girl I left my crayons in a pencil box in the sun on the picnic table. I burned my fingers in the colors... they melted and ran together. Made new colors. They were beautiful and naughty.

This is the kind of post you write to a soundtrack.

This is the kind of post I try to lasso time. This fleeting time. Time that slipped through a crack in the door long ago.

Gray wants to bring his bug cage into the house and I say why not. I had pickle jars with jagged holes poked with a steak knife in the lids, grass and sticks swishing and clinking against the glass, resting next to my bed. I wished for them to light up as I drifted off to sleep.

In the morning they would be "sleeping" or had disappeared.

Kinda like time.

A lot like time.




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38 comments:

Laura Seymour said...

maybe my favorite post by you, ever.

and your pictures are beautiful, and timeless, like your words.

Jen K. said...

I love how your posts always start out with a Phish or Tori lyric...sigh...you've truly captured so many things here...my heart is bursting. Very emotional. Probably because we spent many of those summers together! Love ya!

Heather - Hopelessly Flawed said...

Gosh, who can't relate to this? Just beautiful.

Kathy said...

Beautiful. And profoundly true..

Heather said...

I need to start saying "why not?" a little more.

Lovely post.

chrissy said...

beautiful, the way you caught time!! Good job enjoying your time with your family! Well written! Thanks for sharing

Sarah @ BecomingSarah.com said...

Beautiful, moving words.

Jen said...

You have a gift. You are able to put your feelings into words, really beautiful words. Thanks for sharing. Great post!

Courtney said...

Such a beautiful snippet of time! It flies by so fast and if we can only capture a few moments it is well worth having the rest stored to only our memory.

PS. I am from West Virginia! I just about passed out when i saw you mention the name as most people this West Virginia is the "Western" part of Virginia lol.

Nadia said...

So true, so very true.

What a beautiful post, thank you!

Kelli @ Gohn Crazy said...

This is a terrific post. Beautiful words that color it perfectly.

Amber@theRunaMuck said...

I LOVE this. I love it.

Mommy Melee said...

A lot of your posts sound like they came out of my brain, dude. It makes me fuzzy.

Haley said...

The stories of life and parenting that you offer take my breath away.

You are such an artist steph!

Her Bad Mother said...

Yes yes yes yes yes.

And, yes.

The Urban Cowboy said...

It's all about time, we chase it when all the while it's staring us square in the face. Good post.

Mimi's Toes said...

Steph, I loved this post so much. I laughed so hard at your description of Noah's microwave popcorn. I was going to say, sorry that I put you thru all those trips to W.Va., but I don't want to have regrets cause look how things turned out. I love the background with the light streaks. It's great that you are enjoying summertime with your kids and aren't sweating the small stuff. That's one big regret I do have.

Kate said...

Oh, what an awesome post!! Absolutely loved it. You have a way with words. And gratefulness.

Single MOm Paying Off Debt said...

Found your post through the Newsweek article... great post !!

Amy @ Six Flower Mom said...

Very vivid ... and beautiful pictures! Thanks for that walk down memory lane!

Sandy said...

So well-expressed, so lovely, so bittersweet.

This Heavenly Life said...

That was great...true, bittersweet, and wonderful. I think I'd be a bertter mom if I could learn to say 'why not' instead of my usual responses. Hopefully, this beautiful reminder will help me do just that.

imadramamama said...

I marvel at your writing. You are such a great storyteller...

Courtney said...

such a beautiful post. something about fireflies that always makes me think of my childhood. time certainly does fly on by...

Upstatemomof3 said...

How beautiful!! Time does just slip right by us, doesn't it?

Courtney said...

Love this post. What every mother thinks and wants to say, none have said it better.

Vanessa said...

I love how much you love your kids....you are the only person that has made me want to have THREE!

ExtraordinaryMommy said...

You just made summer come to life in a whole new way - beautiful words - vivid memories. I love that you are creating the same memories for your children that are so clear in your heart.

Megan@SortaCrunchy said...

Those shots are awesome. Lovely post.

Madeline said...

Kids discovering lightening bugs...possibly my favorite thing ever.

Heather of the EO said...

Beautiful!

Elaine A. said...

You write it, I read it, it's beautiful. I love your words so much Steph. Can't wait to tell you in person next week...

~love said...

per usual...love these words.

and, "why not?"....my very favorite parenting question to ask myself.

Mel @ A Box of Chocolates said...

Beautiful post! Time goes by so fast and I enjoy hearing when people take the time to enjoy it. Isn't it fun to say YES sometimes and just enjoy life. You are such a great mom!!

Crunchy Domestic Goddess said...

this is such a beautiful post. love. :) can't wait to meet you in a cpl more days!

JO ANNA GUERRA (of The Adventures of Saia and Chago) said...

*sigh*

sarasophia said...

I love this blog.
And you.

I completely think we would be friends in real life<3

sarasophia

Me said...

That was perfect, it reeked of summertime and childhood. I loved every word.

 
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