Blog a la Cart

49/52

“A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013.”

Sunny: Obsessed with hanging ornaments. And rehanging and rearranging and rethinking. Daily. It’s quite the Christmas tree thanks to her constant care and attention. (Related: Gladden pulled the entire tree down. As in horizontal. Last night. Shockingly, only one ornament was broken. But what a mess. What a puppy!).
Kaki: A lazy Sunday spent in pajamas hiding under blanket forts. 

More details about The 52 Project here. To view all the portraits in the series visit here.

(I missed a week when the girls were away visiting James’ parents – so I’m making up for it this week).

48/52

“A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013.”

Sunny: This year we grew popcorn in our garden. (I know! Wha?!?!) After harvesting our itty bitty mini cobs this fall, we let it dry out for nearly two months before indulging in popping the corn right on the cob. Crazy cool. We’re hoping for a much bigger crop (both in numbers and size) next year. Sunny was very impressed.
Kaki: Proud of her new haircut. Just ask her.

More details about The 52 Project here. To view all the portraits in the series visit here.

Buzzfeed

One of my photographs made a Buzzfeed list . I have arrived. (Or something). See #26 and Kaki’s FGM and Baby Brie! Also, this is a pretty ridiculous list of baby gear. Some I agree are ingenious, but plenty are straight up superfluous. I would argue that the Ergobaby is of the former state.

Currently Gawking

This is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. I love how excited and fired up his entire family is (mom, dad, and siblings alike!). What a neat kid.

My Mother’s Attic // 11

My second to last post of the year over at New Dress a Day (with cameos by Francis Turkey and pie).

Currently Gawking

How far we haven’t come…

My daughters deserve better than this. We all do.

Landfill Dogs

This photography project by Mary Shannon Johnston has me boo-hooing at my desk. It’s struck a part of me as a dog-lover, mother, human being much like Theron’s Why We Rescue project. I love how beautifully she captures the spirits of these animals.

I spent my morning curled up on the floor of our vet’s office, covered in dog pee (Hanna urinates when she’s nervous) and mud, cuddling with Hanna while she sat with a round of acupuncture needles in her body. She has a torn ACL, and we’re trying to avoid surgery with Eastern medicine. She lay pressed against my chest, drooling and panting and looking at me with those big, buggy eyes, trusting that I would keep her safe. We are so clearly connected to one another and I am so thankful that we rescued her four years ago. Because she rescues me daily with perspective and love. If you’re wondering if you should rescue a dog, I think you know my answer… dog pee and all. You should also be aware of the benefits of pumpkin powder for dogs.

Check out this breed info on papillon dogs if you’re planning to buy or adopt one.

Photography by Mary Shannon Johnston. Check out Landfill Dog’s Facebook page for information about dogs that need homes.

And here’s me and my rescue pup thanks to the talented Theron Humphrey.

The Bob

On Sunday afternoon, on a whim, I plopped Courtland down on the toilet, wrapped her in a towel, and took nail scissors to her hair. I would have used hair scissors, but we don’t have any, so itty bitty nail scissors seemed like a totally reasonable substitute.

Hey, they did the job. Perhaps not as efficiently, but her hair is cut!

The poor kid has been swiping our failed efforts at growing out her “bangs” for months. They were always stuck to her face, plastered with the residue of her most recent meal. It was time to cry Uncle and just commit to regular bang trimming.

Hard to believe that this kid is even cheekier than usual with the new ‘do.

And once the bangs were cut, I couldn’t stop. I had to go all out and trim a super short bob that suits our wild and wonderful Wacky Kaki in more ways than one.

She was born for this haircut. She now looks so grown up, but it was time. There is far less mangled, matted hair and subsequent sob fests from brushing chez Cart. And the kid is sure owning the look. Our Purple Pixie.

Ephmania

The final dump of Homecoming images from Kate. I couldn’t resist sharing these candids. Seeing me from a distance in that cow jumpsuit is a sight to behold.

^^Matchy matchy colleagues. We couldn’t help ourselves with those purple headbands.^^

Currently Reading

Some seasonal solace… camaraderie in darkness. I have a colleague of mine to thank for passing along this gem.

Lines Written in the Days of Growing Darkness
by Mary Oliver

Every year we have been
witness to it: how the
world descends

into a rich mash, in order that
it may resume.
And therefore
who would cry out

to the petals on the ground
to stay,
knowing as we must,
how the vivacity of what was is married

to the vitality of what will be?
I don’t say
it’s easy, but
what else will do

if the love one claims to have for the world
be true?

So let us go on, cheerfully enough,
this and every crisping day,

though the sun be swinging east,
and the ponds be cold and black,
and the sweets of the year be doomed.