Kinky Love....Oh, I Mean Linky Love

tee hee...couldn't help it....feeling silly today. Which is good, as I have been having an attack of Grumperitis lately. Big high fives for feeling better! woo hoo

My dearest Autumn, from Exploring Autumn tagged me with the Linky Love meme. So I am busting it out today. Let's hear it for Linky Love. woo hoo

*Start Copying Here*

I have randomly selected 5 of you below to be tagged and I hope that you will similarly publish this post in your blog. You will have to tag 5 other bloggers and just keep adding on to the list. (Do not replace, just keep on adding! Yes we hope it will be a long list!)It's real easy!Tag others and see your Technorati Authority increase exponentially!

The benefits of Viral Linking:
1.One of the fastest ways to see your technorati authority explode!

2.Increase your Google PageRank fast

3.Attract large volume of new traffic to your site

4.Build your community

5.Make new friends!

Linky Love Tag

The Strategist Notebook
Link Addiction
Ardour of the Heart
When Life Becomes a Book
The MalaysianLife
Yogatta.com
What goes under the sun
Roshidan’s Cyber Station
Sasha says
Arts of Physics
And the legend lives
My View, My Life
A Simple Life
Juliana RW
Mom Knows Everything
Beth & Cory's Mom
A Mind Forever Voyaging
enjoying the ride
Jennifer's thoughts
Mom of 3 Girls
Amanda
Don't Make Me Get The Flying Monkeys
ExPat Mom
Just Jessie
Wilson Six
Krisitn
Nuttier Than You
Shonnte
Summer's Nook
Laura Williams Musings
Melissa's Idea Garden
Eve atConfessions of an Everyday Housewife
ChristiS of the Blah Blah Blog
Stephanie at Stop the Ride!
Diane at Soap, Blings & Girly Things

Amanda at Amanda:Mama's Musings
Kristin at An Ordinary Life
Mama Zen at The Zen of Motherhood
Atomik Kitten
The Sassy SouthernerA Room of Mama's Own
Exploring Autumn

Immoral Matriarch: CatechizerReal LifeBoogiemum
Living and loving every minute of it
Huckdoll
The Daily Rhythm
The Rocky Mountain Retreat

A Mom's Life

Jenty's Ramblings

Jo Beaufoix

Sortacrunchy

Ribbon Rock Star

The last five blogs are ones I added.*Stop Copying Here*

Have a super Sunday everyone!

*** oh and don't forget I'm on Top Momma! CLICK HERE!!!!! You know you want to. Click it a few times in fact. I get a referral each time you click the link, and a click each time you click on Sugar's sweet photo. Isn't that fun? I can't think of a single thing I should be doing today other than clicking. Can you? ***

Photo Hunters~ Free

This week's theme had me stumped for a while. I really wanted to take photos especially for the theme. It seemed like forever before I could think of one interesting idea of the theme, FREE. Then....the ideas came rolling in yet it was nearly too late to get the photos taken and posted. I ended up choosing photos I took last weekend when we purchased some goldfish for out outside water trough. We like to have fish in there to eat the mosquito larvae. Sugar was very interested in the process of acclimating the fish to the new water. She wanted them to be FREE, and I am certain they did too.





Thank you for visiting my blog this week. I look forward to seeing all the FREE photos.

Friday Freestyle

Can it possibly be Friday again? This week has been trying for me, and I am extremely over tired. So...this is going to be quick. In the last few weeks, I have been blessed with a few more awards. I have the BEST bloggy friends ever! Yes...I know the award buttons are all messed up...but I am just too tired to care today. Sorry....




The Mother of This Lot awarded me with the coveted "E for Excellence" award. Thank you so much. I am really honored. I'd like to pass this on to the following excellent bloggers:

-Eclectic Studio Cafe
-Jenty's Photo a Day




The fabulous JO thinks I am pretty good at spreading love. I'd wouldn't want to disappoint...so I'm spreading this on to:

-In the life of a child
-Mama Geek



I also received a really sloppy kiss from JO. I have to admit that made my day. I'd like to lay one on:

-Keara
-Melissa



Lastly, I got "The Cool Mom" award from Michelle. Thank you Michelle, you are pretty cool yourself. The following moms are pretty cool in my book as well:

-Don Mills Diva
-Corbett Capers

Thank you for coming by my blog this week. I really appreciate it. Have a great weekend everyone!

*** oh and don't forget I'm on Top Momma!


CLICK HERE!!!!! You know you want to. Click it a few times in fact. I get a referral each time you click the link, and a click each time you click on Sugar's sweet photo. Isn't that fun? I can't think of a single thing I should be doing today other than clicking. Can you? ***

Mucking In The Mud~ Part One.

As a mama, I take some things VERY seriously. There are certain things that are just Non-negotiable. I don't care what anyone says....these things take top priority. One of these things is......Mucking in the Mud. Yes...you read that right. In the Living and Loving household, we take playing in the mud very seriously. It is my firm belief that all children are entitled to the pleasure of just plain old getting dirty. There is just no other way to fully learn to appreciate nature than to just dive right in. My job as Sugar Bear's mom includes freeing up lots of time to set her loose in the wild.



This past Monday, we were blessed with a break in the rain, AND the sun actually came out as well. That is really rare these days. The sun has been hiding behind dark, dismal clouds for months now. Luckily, Monday is my regular day off from work, so an incredible opportunity presented itself. Sugar was properly attired, and we headed out along our country road. As we walked, Sugar Bear got her learn on....and Mama joyously captured the moments with her trusty camera. We talked....we laughed....we discovered and played. The photos in this post were all taken within the first 15 minutes or so of out walk, while she was relatively clean. Believe me...shhe didn't stay that way for long.



I relish watching Sugar Bear work. There is a method to her madness, and I never walk away empty handed...or should I say HEARTED. There is a filling of heart and soul as I watch my child experience the freedom to explore her world. The excitement she finds in a simple stick sets my heart a flutter. I love to watch her intently poke the world with that little stick to see "what happens!", and hearing her interpretation of the experiment.



There is the poking....



and the stirring.....



and the inevitable breaking!



There are the "ooooooooos" and the "aaawwwwwwws", and the "Wow, Mom....look at thats!"



There's the questions.....and answers....and the wonderfully creative 3 year old theories.



There is nothing remotely like it. On days like that....I just know I am doing something right....NO DOUBT! Life is good, and we are blessed.



There are regrets though.....huge...big....fat.....REGRETS! Why oh why....don't they make these rockin' rubber boots in my size? NOT FAIR!



Happily Ever After

Sometimes you have to use
a little mental floss
to clear out the cobwebs.

Don't grow up ...
grow down a little.
Life doesn't have to be so serious.

Take on a dare
just for the fun of it.
Kick off your shoes
and run through that fountain
you saw in the park.

Watch the sun setting
into the water
from a wooden swing
on an empty beach.

Roll up your pants
and skip barefoot
through the waves
and gather sand dollars
in your shoes.

Hear a child's prayers at bedtime
... and really listen.

Puddles are there
for splashing
and mud is for making
mud pies.
Life doesn't have to be so serious.
We all need to live
happily ever after
every now and then.

~by CJ Heck

Can I get a BIG OLD "AMEN" to that?

Stay tuned for Part Two....where Sugar Bear hones her JUMPING skills. You won't want to miss it!