face – Nancy Tart: Writing for Life

Thea’s Counting

March 9, 2024

“Listen mom!” Yells Thea, “listen Christina!” She excitedly counts down from 20. She’s been doing that for a while, but today had both of us in the living room when she was showing off. She had just read a picture book to Laud and spelled four or five words from memory.

“Wow, Thea! High five!” Christina smiles, “how many sisters do you have?”

“Wait!”

*excited little giggles and a hopping Thea bounds toward the barracks*

“Wait?” Christina laughs and looks at me, “there’s no one down there.”

True. Becky is at Pensacola. Kimberly, Jaquline, Jillian, and Lucas are at gym. I smile and laugh. “She’s counting.”

Christina laughs harder, “she’s counting the beds!”

*Thea races in, jumps over Christina on the couch, and ends up standing in the corner of the couch* “Five! I have five sisters because we have six beds!”

Christina is still laughing. She pauses enough to give Thea a high five and comments to me, “she even subtracted herself from the total.”

“How many brothers do you have?” Christina challenges. Thea smirks, “two but if you don’t count Laud, only one.”

“Why wouldn’t you count Laud?”

I’m hiding my face because Thea is conniving. Little cheeky child looks pauses her bouncing to look straight at Christina and reply, “because he doesn’t have a bed yet, just a bassinet.” Leaving us smiling and chuckling, my just-turned-five year old skips back to the playroom.

I am so thankful for the joy God gives us through the smiles and laughter children bring to our home!

What cute funny antic made you smile today?

Thank you for reading,

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

The Many Faces of Thea

#Theadora #TheManyFacesOfPreschoolers #PreschoolerMoods #Preschool #GymNLearn #WGVGymnastics #CanMyThreenagerListen #IndependentThreeYearOld #OnlyMineForASeason #ICanDOItMyself #Faces #Pictures #MomSometimesIsntReady #TheyAreReadyBeforeMe #ILoveBeingAMother

The Many Faces of Thea

November 1, 2022

This is Theadora.

I said “let me get a picture of your cute hair!”

Seriously? This child cracks me up with her faces!

They are: “I’m Thea” (top left), “I’m Coach Heather” (top middle), “I’m sad” (top right), “I’m sassy” (bottom left), “I’m Becky” (bottom 2nd from left), “I’m really mad” (bottom 2nd from left, “I’m a listening baby” (bottom right).

She loves everything her way and her biggest challenge right now is learning that she must listen to the teacher, coach, big sister, grandmother, or parent who is doing the teaching!

She absolutely loves gymnastics (she does only Fridays at Gym-N-Learn this season). Supposedly, her coach says she’s doing better at listening. I hope so. The reason it’s Fridays only? So I can bribe her with open gym participation if she listens! (Seriously, our open gym is immediately following Preschool Program – and that seems to work.)

Thea is a very independent three. I think “going on thirty” but then maybe she’s just “chasing Becky and Jillian” in the attitude department – and their determination has started to serve them well in practice and life. Thea wants to do everything herself – always has. That appears to be a huge thing for my children though, they always want to do whatever it is by themselves. It leads to them doing tasks and jobs before I think they are ready. (Taking the PERT or driving a motorized “big wheeler” at two or jumping into CAP leadership or raising animals or cutting potatoes.)

I always have to remind myself that Thea is only mine for a season. She is really Jesus’ daughter and I have the honor and blessing of being her mother. I enjoy each of her various faces and moods. I love to watch them grow. I love to guide them toward the truth.

That’s all what went through my brain while she posed with silly faces telling me what emotion or what person she was being.

Thank you for reading,

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

Watching & Analyzing

April 27, 2019

I’ve always been a watcher. I watch the world around me and (most of the time) analyze it. I look at a beautiful blue sky and my mind says “wow, how pretty,” and quickly follows with “it won’t rain for the next few hours.” (Yes, hours, we live in Florida – if you walk outside and don’t like the weather, go brush your teeth and check again.)

Honestly, I analyze too much.

I shouldn’t catch a glimpse of something and try to analyze it.

In relationships, that is nosy. See someone and instantly turn on your inner Sherlock Holmes… (Four different cat hairs on her skirt, four cats – her house must be smelly… unless she uses that whatever-name-it-is-I-saw-on-tv multi-cat litter. Is her purr-fume laced with tuna?)

That just isn’t nice.

In normal life, it can suck out the joy.

I catch this glance of my angel sleeping. Instant thought: “My Mom will love this.” Second thought: “She was two months old on Easter Sunday.” Third thought as I’m sending my mom the picture: “Daddy never saw her.” Followed quickly by a flood: Daddy didn’t get to hear about Christina flying, Lucas will not remember his Grandfather, they won’t get to learn how amazing Daddy’s brain was – like talking to an educated encyclopedia with an open mind. He was always listening, always talking, always making connections where we couldn’t see them; always the analyst.

Within two minutes (from the time I took the picture until Mom texted back), my mind had sent my mood from joyful to sorrowful. From excited about young life to regretting the passing of my Daddy. I had just rode an emotional roller coaster at work and nothing had changed on my face.

I forced myself to refocus.

Daddy always expected Christina to achieve her dreams – he once told me to “look out, she has your determination and a friendlier world; just you watch what she does!”

Lucas loves watching family videos and listening to stories of his “Santa Boompa” told by his big sisters.

I inherited Daddy’s knack for soaking up knowledge (probably why I can make myself learn any new job rather quickly) and if you want to start me talking… (yes, the girls call it lecturing) enter at your own risk because I’ll make strange connections, see beyond what is easily seen, and read into situations for what “could be.”

I remind myself that we can always shift our focus to the positive, and that’s what Daddy would have wanted. He didn’t want anyone sad when he left us. He always wanted the joy, smiles, and laughter that he tried to cultivate. So, now I’m back to joyful.

Then music runs through my head: “I Choose Joy!” (For King & Country – I love that song!)

Yes, I choose joy. Everyday. I pray you do too.

Type at you Later…

~Nancy Tart

Pearson Christmas Party 2018

Picture overload! My family’s Christmas party 2018.

December 22, 2018

Pearson Christmas Party

Imagine twelve adults and thirteen children racing around a beautifully decorated house and every single one of them is acting like they are somewhere in that magic child age around 5 to 8. That was our Christmas party this year. It was the best!

My amazing sister and brother hosted.

Katy is always ready for a picture!

Livy painting faces! Anastasia is concentrating on being very still. She was rewarded with a beautiful butterfly!

Jaquline got snowflakes to match her dress!

Mrs. Claus and helpers! Tina, Christina (Christy the elf), and Mandy (Elsa-elf!)

Liam was here, but jumped out of the way! Brother-cousin time L-to-R JJ, Lucas, Isaac

This video shows our baby sister’s personality – it matches the hat!

Group Selfie! Tina, Ray, Becca, Charles, Allison

The teenage grandchildren (Becky, 13, and Christina, 15)

Bouncy Hat plus Sherlock Pipe (both with accents…)

The pro (Aunt Becca) teaching JJ how to take a selfie… (He knows he’s adorable!)

Mom and the boys (silly faces): L-to-R Nathan, Ray, Tina, Charles, Louis, and Andy

Mom and the girls: L-to-R Mary, Kayla, Katy, Allison, Tina, Becca, and me.

We did not get a group picture, or a full cousin picture, because everyone was just having too much fun! The girls (my pictures come from Christina, Becky, and Kimberly) managed to get many active shots.

This was our first year without my Daddy. Katy and Andy had set up the layout so that he would have a comfy chair, a central view, close to food, close to everything in what Kimberly called “Santa Boompa’s throne.” (The chair with the footstool, Mom’s seat was supposed to be the matching one next to his.) From this view you could see Livy’s facepainting station (she is so talented), the Selfie station (which was hilarious), the “dance floor” (right in front – so much fun!), the food and beverage buffet area was to the left (easy access to refills and the silly shenanigans going on in there), and the covered porch area was just behind it (where not just the boys were showing off their strength… or trying to).

Even though he wasn’t there, I didn’t feel like Daddy was missing. I heard him in my brothers, Mom, and several of the children. I heard his laugh when the boys were showing off. I could hear him cheering each one on. I felt his smile as Anastasia passed out gifts for each of the sister- and brother-cousins. The little ones ran around giving drawings, toys, and hugs to each other and I felt him smile because he loved to give. I felt his heart as Kimberly reminded me she needed my phone to “take pictures and movies for Grandma,” because “Granddaddy always likes to get pictures for Grandma!”

My Daddy’s legacy lives as the humor and fun he always had rubbed off on us kids and our children. We love to see each other smile and laugh. We encourage each other. We share with each other. We love.

This makes me so happy I cried on the way home.

Daddy isn’t really gone. I miss him so bad; I miss being able to talk with him. No one listens to me chatter away about the story ideas I have like he did. Daddy didn’t seem to mind if it was the fifth – or fiftieth – time I told a cute something the kids did or a neat thing I learned; he never said “I’ve already heard that.” I miss that, yes.

But he’s here. I keep hearing the sing-song voice from the Disney cartoon: “he lives in you.”

Daddy lives in all 25 of us that were there (and the 4 who weren’t) in some way. His legacy is us.

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

First Try at Makeup

First time I “madeup” my whole face & poked my eyeball many times… Giggle Girl Time

October 3, 2018

First Try at Makeup

So, Sunday afternoon, Louis and I went “out” (with our current budget that means a couple games of pool or walking on the beach or downtown, you know, zero cost but couple time!) and I’d received my Younique package in on Friday. (You are supposed to let the makeup “sit” at room temperature for at least 24 hours after shipping if you live in a hot climate… 96 degrees might be hot.) So I figured this was as good a time as any to try out makeup.

Let me see… (digging around in this really cool purple bag that Becky claims “is so hers” once I’m done with it.) I didn’t use everything in this try, but the pieces in the picture are mine. (Becky or Christina claimed the other goodies that came in the set – the value of the “starter set” and my realization that my girls would be buying makeup from now on were two of the reasons I signed up.)

I knew the hardest part for me would be mascara. I hate anything going near my eyes. Period. Probably, another reason I’ve only tried makeup once before. I used the Epic Mascara and managed to get it on my eyes after only poking my left eyeball three times and smearing it all over my nose, cheek, and eyebrow like five times. I honestly wasted more than I put on.

This brings us to Younique’s Cleaning Stick – it looks like a glue stick but goes on and removes makeup in strategic spots. It is perfect for this newbie. (And I was glad I did mascara first.)

Foundation was easy enough, (I got both the liquid and the cream foundation, this try was liquid because it appeared to be easier!) Younique’s liquid foundation has a dropper applicator so you drop it in a few places across your face and blend in. I used my finger because it felt like lotion going on. I used the setting powder on top lightly – that got rid of the slightly shiny afterglow of the liquid foundation.

I discovered that I didn’t have blush so I used bronzer (I thought “probably not what it is really for”) to highlight my cheeks lightly.

I have done my eyeshadow two or three times before – between that and a few lipstick tries, that was my only “adult” experience with makeup prior to this.

I was opting for a natural look this time, so instead of deep blue, which I’m sure, will be my favorite eyeshadow, I used a nude pink with smoky accents. I think it turned out okay. Next time I’ll use the eyeliner pencil (never done that before!) and the deep blue cream shadow with smoky accents. (Becky was like, “that would look awesome, I’m going to help.”)

I’ve never used liquid lip color either, so this Younique lipgloss in “lovesick” (the name sent Becky and Christina into rivers of giggles!) – I told Louis it was “pink” – was a first. It lasted all night, a first for any lipstick I’ve ever tried.

I was rather pleased with the results. The only “downside” (actually a great thing!) was washing it all off before going to bed. (It was easy enough, warm water, cleanser, scrub, rinse) I’d just never worn makeup that didn’t wear off after a couple of hours. My research told me this would be good, and I’m super pleased! (Plus, I’m allergic to lots of stuff but nothing in this ensemble irritated my skin at all!)

(Oh, and I’ve probably taken just two or three “selfies” ever, and not very good at it because I had the girls trying to give me pointers and giggling along with me at the hilarious pictures that landed on the camera for mere seconds; so the picture was taken by Becky.)

Next order, I’ll remember to get concealer, blush, and lipstick to try!

I have to admit, I’m totally enjoying this experiment with makeup! (AND loving the “giggle girl time” with my little women – should I call this “art class?”)

Thanks for reading!

Type at you later…

~Nancy Tart

New Venture

Why is a crazy never-used-makeup 35 year old starting to present it?

September 18, 2018

New Venture

Okay, so if you’ve been following this blog (or *gasp* actually know me), you know that my one experiment with makeup was as an overactive girl in the sweltering mid-Georgia summer. My attempt at rather cheap (I thought it was expensive then, but now know better) mascara, foundation, and blush rolled down my face and irritated my eyes as it literally was melted by the sun and sweat.

I did manage to wear lipstick a few times, like for my wedding, my sisters’ weddings, and my brother’s wedding. (Honestly, every time I bought a lipstick tube, it ended up being used by some child as a crayon.)

That was it.

Now, I have three daughters dabbling in makeup. Rebeccah loves it. I’ve researched everything I can and a few years ago found a couple of brands of makeup I liked and would buy for them. A few months ago, Kimberly and Rebeccah discovered my cousin Tiffany’s Facebook page loaded with tutorials, beautiful images, and the makeup line she sells. This past month, we discovered the lady who used to sell the face cleanser we’ve all used for over a decade doesn’t sell it anymore! No one I know does. If I’m going to buy a product that isn’t sold in stores, I’m going to buy it from someone I know.

Louis has been trying to talk me into makeup for years, and recently, God has opened my eyes that if I’m serious about wanting to please my husband, why am I so against getting “made-up” once a week when we have adult time? Really? I realized how petty I was seriously being. Yes, others who “put their face on” daily spend a lot of money on makeup, but I would be using it on the nights we go walking together. Three or four times a month. That was not going to break the bank.

So, I looked into being a makeup rep. As I’m browsing, I realize I’m crazy. Then I counter that with – I have five daughters, I’m sure I’ll be buying makeup for them too. I’m a BeachBody coach because I LOVE SHAKEOLOGY! I love the only whole food vitamin shake that I I don’t have a huge business through them, but one day I might when I can put more time into it. If I find a makeup line whose business practices and products I like, why shouldn’t I present it to others and perhaps make a little money? It is wise to invest money in products and businesses you love because you would recommend them anyway.

Now, like my beautiful cousin, I’m “presenting” for Younique – at least, as soon as I get my makeup! The starter packet came with items I was going to purchase anyway along with many others to try. I’ll be updating as I travel on this strange journey of learning the art of makeup at 35.

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

Tag: face

Thea’s Counting

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The Many Faces of Thea

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Watching & Analyzing

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Pearson Christmas Party 2018

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First Try at Makeup

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New Venture

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