bye-bye gas chuggin' big wheels

back in the exclusive vw club. such happy hearts we have.
love, lin
{announcement via tinyprints}

reason #342: why you should never go to bed before the sun does

{volume one/ letter three of my blog-letter writing series}
i was only gone for a second. came back and she'd snuck away to bed. it was nearly nine, folks.
+++
dear mimi,
now if this doesn't motivate you to get on the phone and start working those marriott reward points - then i don't know what will. puh-leeeeease.
oh! the concert withdrawls i'm having. it hurts. it hurts so bad. if it's not going to happen tell me soon because i'll need to pack my bags and start walking. i've got a show in california to catch then.
love, lindsay

p.s. does anyone know amy ray's cell phone number? this is getting serious and i need to call in a favor.

love is a mixed tape - just press play:

"turn around and you're tiny... turn around and you're grown" -kenny loggins

dear grandpa and grammy:

i'm getting too big for my paci's. please keep them in a safe place for me. you might need to tell them a good long bedtime story at night because that's when they will miss me the most.

love,
lucas jude
++++

this is huge for us. my heart is still aching in a big mama bear way. i was a giant sobbing mess that day. how's lucas handling things, you ask?? oh, him? he's fine. it's me that needs the sympathy. it's me that needs a big huge new bag of tricks. he's all boy now. and clearly has a mind of his own.
long gone are the days of playing my music in the car, picking him out my favorite toys and reading only bedtime stories with pictures that i love. lullabies pulled from my guitar strumming girl brain files have been replaced with requests for "happy birthday" and "hakuna matata" again and again and again and again.

i have to remind myself to let him grow into who he wants to be. finding the balance between that and shaping him into a well rounded boy all at the same time.

roll over. check!
sit up. check!
crawling. check!
walking?! check!
solid foods. check!
wean the nursling. check!
send paci's to grammy. check!
snuggle back up in our crowded family bed. big fat check!
{did you really think i was ready for a big boy bed??}

goodnight you,
love, lin

"such a mess! such a mess!" - lucas jude {age twoooooo.}

one of the perks of having amy living with us for the moment is that her entertainment weekly magazine comes straight to my mailbox. it took every ounce of will power i had in me yesterday to place it nicely on her bed without sneaking a peek first.
lucky for me she must have flipped through it before going to bed last night because it was sitting on my counter with a sweet note for me this morning.

i spy with my little eyes:
++ a trusty pair of PF flyers ++
++ some leftovers from boys lunch -yesterday ++
++ library books about cats ++
++ a parked sporty coupe ++
++ some i'm-a-sucker crocs ++
++ a pen that was about to draw on "picasso couch" ++
despite the mess that is my entire house at the moment - all i want to do is go lay out in the gorgeous {what-in-the-world!} sunshine and read me some entertainment weekly, folks. is that ok?

happy 90 degrees
love, lindsay

"be still my heart" -cousin maren circa 1998

dear electra cruiser super deluxe in aqua/cream:
when i walked into your shop on saturday i was overwhelmed with the comfort smell of lavender and patchouli. finally, a happy place in this tri-town that is the armpit of america. my eyes immediately locked in on you and you haven't left my mind since. day in and day out you are there. images of you and i on future dates cruisin' down road 68 singing "into the mystic" at the top of my lungs. a basket full of flowers, a quick jingle of your bell, the ease of your coaster brakes. i've already planned our future: roadtrips we will take - the volkswagen with a bike rack i'll need to compliment you the way you deserve.
we were meant to be. you and me. did you feel the magic, too? am i reading too much into our first glance at each other? after all your price tag did frighten me at first and i shied away from fully introducing myself. perhaps i didn't bat my eyelashes quite enough?
i must admit that i've compared you to others since we met. i googled you. {i know. i know.} your friend, the amsterdam, while still very stunning with it's generator lights and skirt guard did flatter me - but alas i feel as though she may be a bit too flashy for me. the sarah jessica to your claire danes. you however would compliment me and a sweet pair of red mary janes quite nicely. agreed??
i will be back for you. a little convincing of my husband {he seems to think a fishing boat trumps retro bicycle} and alot more selling of my fabric wares and i will be back for you. don't forget about me.

do i believe in love at first sight? i do now.
xo,
lin

fact:

a. i feel sick. probably because i drank too much chocolate milk

b. i spent >$25 bucks in late fees today because i could not give back those
my-so-called-life dvds

c. luc had a serious cat theme going on with his library book picks today. i. hate. cats

d. i sometimes count thinking about walking when crossing exercise off of my to-do list

e. i love kenny loggins as much as they love michael buble'

f. blogging is on my nerves. so i've decided to challenge myself to a post-a-day this week

g. lucas just rolled out of his nest on the couch onto the floor and is still sleeping.

h. i'm this close to buying a country album. someone intervene. quick.

i. if you don't know about real-mail karma, you should

j. i miss someone.real bad.

k. i've been daydreaming about a bike since saturday

l. i threw a penny in, wishing for some serious graphic art skills. truly. madly. deeply.

m. a*love is addicted to turning on the sprinklers on non-auto days

n. i'm tired

the end.

"p" is for pretty

the prettiest pretzel i know was born on may twelfth, two thousand and six. around four o'clock in the afternoon. she was a tiny bundle of only three pounds and four feisty ounces.

++++
i carried lucas jude around in my big 'ol belly for an extra two weeks. his lease had long since been up and i remember writing in my journal to my boy-to-be that i wasn't sure i could keep this whole gig up for much longer. i wrote about being ready to hold and snuggle and kiss his little self. that his clothes were washed and folded and washed again.
he just wasn't ready to leave her yet.
i'd started to get the calls at my due date. "here yet?" "yeeeeeeeeeeet?" "today??" looking back in retrospect i am thankful for the stack of natural birth books, a peace filled birth class and two very wise midwives that all reassured me that my very heavy load {in every sense of those words} was safe and fine and would come on his own time. if not to prepare me for the birth that i had dreamed {it was not}... it gave me the guts to keep on truckin' {barely} until he felt safe to leave her behind. her.
++++
i packed up my 4 week old bundle and drove over those familiar mountains. it would be the first time i got to see my nat all belly full of baby. she was snuggled up on her couch bed where she'd been for days already. she was indeed all belly and alfafa tea and sprouts and blood pressure cuff. she was determined and brave and beautiful. each day hoping for one more pregnant day. presley brynn would be her name and she was in quite a hurry {despite everything} for her turn. we like to say that she missed lucas too much. soul-cousins.
she just couldn't wait.
++++

pres is a tough cookie. she's pretzel. she's made of chocolate pudding and "mama eats." she's pretty, dainty and spunky at the same time. she's polka dot pillows and coffee dates with grandpa. she's always got on great shoes. she's twinkle, twinkle, little star and techno, too. she's burt's bees baths in the sink. she's a secret life on sundays and she loves her mama. she's feist. she's determined and brave and beautiful. she's lukey's love. she's a blessing. she's exactly what we needed.
happy birthday to you!