Photostory Friday - Those Sweet, Final Moments

Side-by-side they stood, in all their sugary goodness. Having witnessed the devouring of each of their friends, they knew they were the fortunate ones. They also knew, with that boy in the house, their time together wouldn’t last.

And so it came without warning—the moment they feared.

A pause. He looked innocent enough.

And then…gone in an instant.

There she stood, all alone. Her small, sweet heart pounded with anticipation.

She could feel him eyeing her. If only she wasn’t so delicious.

Suddenly, she was in his hands. He was inhaling her delightful scent. She was no longer proud of her perfection.

He unwrapped her slowly, as if savoring each moment.

Suddenly, it was over. Her heart in his hand, the only thing left.

Her heart—a toy with which he played.

And those who witnessed the moments, would later report, “The boy was not sorry for what he had done.”

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Photostory Friday - Teagan and the Bear

Everybody has been sharing this story today, but I think it is time I told it exactly how it happened.

So, there I was, relaxing at my Mapa's and Papa's house.

I was kicked back, ya know? Airing out the piggies...

Now and then, I'd flash my baby blues at my Aunt Hayley's camera. She's a little crazy for the photos if you ask me.

I was starting to work in to my really great stuff. You know, a little smile here and there. I'm starting to figure out that adults need those cheap thrills, see?

It's worth it too. I get these killer rewards. My mom's smooches, for example. They're the best!

Back to my story.

So I was chillin', see? I had no worries. There were no wild animals in sight. (Well, okay, my cuddly giraffe was there.) Don't make anything of it.

Oh, and if you ask me, my cousin can get crazy sometimes. He's a little bit like a wild animal. But, I'm paying attention. I mean, he had some really cool moves that I might try when I'm a tad bigger.

I digress. The point is, I was the first one to see it! Something didn't seem quite right. I've never seen one before. But, I'm only two months old, and there are a lot of things I haven't seen.

Besides, like I said, I was really digging my mom's smooches.

The thing is, there it was... right in Mapa's front yard... less than fifteen feet away. A BEAR! No, not the kind that they shoved in my face when they put me in that basket (What the heck was that about anyway?). No, I mean a REAL BEAR.

Well, Mommy and Aunt Hayley were so quick to get away that Aunt Hayley left her zoom lens behind in the grass. (THAT'S how serious this was!) Nobody was going back for it any time soon, so this is the best photo she can offer.

Everybody hung out and watched the bear for a while. Then, my Daddy (the only brave one I think), scared it away. Daddy's cool. After that, I think the bear was all that anyone could talk about for hours. It must have been the most exciting thing to happen around here since, well, ME.

So, that's my story (the REAL story) and I am sticking to it.

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Photo Story Friday - Be Happy...

...Your Glass is Half Full

We call this Nicholas's "Be Happy!" face. When he senses (or knows darn-well) that someone is angry or sad, he puts on this cheesy grin and (as more of a retort than a reminder) he makes his command—“Be Happy!”

When he first started doing this, I found it trying. "I don't want to 'be happy' right now," I would inform him. "Mommy is upset."

A few days into this new routine, however, my teen-aged daughter picked it up. In the same, high-pitched, clipped tone, she would glance over at me from across the room and, for no reason at all, slap on the identical cheese-grin and imitate her brother-- “Be Happy!”

Then, we laugh.

In those moments, I realize that perhaps the smartest person in the room, the one that is teaching the lessons, is the three-year-old. He’s the one who sees the glass as half full…the eternal optimist because he knows nothing else. In his mind, why not be happy? The alternative is so much less appealing.

I often hear that the key to positive thinking is to practice positive affirmations. These are tools that reprogram your unconscious mind from negative thinking to positive. The process is easy. Think of positive statements that you wish to see manifested, and repeat them over and over until they are a part of your way of thinking.

So, Nicholas offers this one—your glass is half full, so “Be Happy!”

Hosted by Cecilyand Mamarazzi