Sunflower Mama

update, where I scan through pictures to remember what I've done in the last two years

2012-01-25T05:31:00.000-05:00

brief: I've been living and mostly enjoying life, writing blog posts in my head for the last two years. The fourth baby coming along mixed with my work and volunteering made for good blog material. Just no time to do it. Maybe there still isn't enough of that elusive time stuff, but I'm going to try. I'm hoping it helps with the whole solo parent deal we've got going. There isn't very much adult conversation right now. So I'm going to talk to myself here. HA! We'll see how well that works.

Feel free to stop now. This is where I start ~~rambling~~ talking to myself.

more details which I may or may not write about in the future: I still teach Play and Learn. Culture Cinderella was awesome and amazing, and I think I'm going to offer it again. Since then I've taught Chemistry, Physics, and Playground Party for the 6-8 year olds at our co-op. We went to the beach every summer, sometimes on a weekly basis. We went hiking with our families each summer. We made maple syrup each spring. We have a cat. Leah stopped dancing and started riding horses. Sarah's still dancing. David tapped for a time. Now he wants to program computers and take drawing lessons. We raised toadpoles. Jesse and the children grew garden, after garden, after garden. (There are a lot of pictures of beach days and vegetables.) We went to Ft. Mackinac and saw one of my grandmothers. Another grandmother died. One of my sisters made her first profession with the Sisters of Mary. Then she got to come home for a week. We took her camping and square dancing. I got back to Falling Water. Jesse caught a bat. David caught a fish. They went to a Pirate's game. We met our Norfolk friends up in Pennsylvania. We spent many an afternoon at the Botanical Gardens, Zoo, and Aquarium. There are new (to us) cabinets in our kitchen. I finished one knitting project - the cutest robot you ever did see. Family came to visit. The rainbow blocks got played with, a lot. We picked pumpkins, went trick-or treating, and played in a few musical salons. Spent Christmas in Pennsylvania with our families. Had our first and only doctor visit for a sick child. Poor Anna! Had our first and only ear infection. Poor Sarah! Another sister got engaged. Then she got married. I was the matron of honor. Sarah was the junior bridesmaid. Leah was a flower girl. Jesse was children juggler extraordinaire. ooo! I knit a doll's hat too! (I think I knit a few other hats for little girls, but they still have unfinished ends.) We almost bought a house. We almost bought another house. We almost bought another house. I wanted to buy another house, but then our future here became less certain. I re-purposed some furniture and re-organized the toy room and library room. One of my brothers got engaged. We found Easter eggs in our yard, and lots of red, ripe strawberries. Jesse took all four children canoeing in the Lafayette River. (It's just at the end of our street.) David made his First Communion. Back to the sister getting married part. I planned a Bridal Shower. (You should read that last one again with great emphasis. I planned a Bridal Shower.) Leah and David now read short chapter books independently, silently, just because they like to. Sarah reads Shakespeare and complains that there are not enough looong books for her to read. Jesse was awarded the Congressional Fellowship. We visited with friends. frequently. I sprained my ankle, but it still hurt six months later, so maybe I did something else to it. We broke the bed. Jesse fixed it. We have a new baby. She's a beautiful, 1931, pear shaped Kanbe. I could, and do, listen to her for hours. Anna started to play her own imaginary, independent games. Now she talks too. We evacuated due to a hurricane and went north to pick apples and make applesauce, only days after the house shook and cracked a bit in an earthquake. The hurricane took down a tree and blew a few window panes out. After almost four months, the windows were finally replaced. The big girls and I went on a dolphin watch tour. I spotted the first ones, with my new glasses. (They look even better on me!) There were calfs!!!! We now have two Girl Scouts in our family. I started teaching Leah's First Communion class. Moe died. Jesse finished off half the attic for a room for David, accessed by a rope. We met our new niece, Nitsah! Jess and I had an over-due, overnight date. (It'd been three long years, baby.) Jesse moved to DC. I drove to Michigan to see my sister, with all our children, after Jesse moved to DC. Melanoma was found in a lymph node of Jesse's 94 year old grandfather. After searching and scanning for cancer elsewhere, finding none, followed by surgery to remove the lymph node, Ray is cancer free and feeling fine. Except he says he has to take more naps now. :) Everyone had birthdays and grew a little, or a lot. *sigh* All this while I led League meetings, took helping calls, taught piano lessons, taught grades K-6 in our home - just not all at the same time, nursed a babe turned toddler turned preschooler, did the cooking and cleaning, or relied on my husband to cook and clean while I took care of the last bits of my PPD only to discover that there is a little (or a lot, depending on the day) SAD there too.

Now if you've made it this far, you can see why the blog posts are only in my head, if they're thought of at all.

And I'm too tired to form coherent sentences. I look forward to writing here again. It was good for me to look back and catch up. Now it's time to look forward.

me, looking forward and back

Leah, fairies, death, and dreams

2011-02-11T07:23:00.005-05:00

This is exactly the discussion I had with my six year old (WHEN did she become six?? I know when she turned six, but that doesn't mean a child becomes this age. Anyhow,) at six am. We were working on helping her back to sleep, and I wasn't sleeping, so I figured it was best to blog about it.

Leah asked for her bed to be made. She's been sleeping in a small play hut that we got them for Christmas since, they got it in the beginning of January. Don't ask me why. She's been sleeping there and has mostly put herself to sleep at a reasonable hour. I am not asking any questions. I thought this was pretty special to want to be back in her own bed, so I asked what sheets she wanted, "polka dots, fairies, or flowers?" The response: "Well, polka dots are in nature. On leopards you know?" "Does this mean polka dots?" "Yes."

As Jesse made the bed I lay back down in our bed with her. I mentioned cheerily that the fairy sheets also had polka dots on them, (only because I had almost mixed them up, looking for a set.) "Mom. When you look and look for something for a long time and you do not see it. It is not real."

A short side track: Fairies to our girls are like Santa to most. I love for it to gradually fade or always remain. Some time between November and December, Leah decided that fairies did not exist because she had never seen one. I was crushed. Crushed mostly because she had an entire world built around fairies. She spent entire hikes telling her grandfathers stories about the fairies, for hours, for years. (I am so grateful they recorded some of those in their hike journals.) Leah and fairies were never to be separated, and she was an expert on them. She'd tell you that too! Having all this suddenly change came as a shock, and I missed that "little girl" belief and wonderment that disappeared in an instant. She is enamored with gnomes now. I'm not sure how long it will last, since she is trying to catch one, but she tells me stories about why they do not want her to see them, so there is still hope.

"I don't know..." I hadn't ever really talked with her about her decided disbelief. "What about God? I believe in..." I was cut off. She said with the *knowing* tone, "There is a time you see God." "When do you see God?" "When you die."

This, took me by surprise. I think every parent is when they know beyond a shadow of a doubt that their child suddenly knows about death and understands some small part of it and is thinking about it enough that it comes up in casual conversation. Casual conversation! But that's just how Leah is. She just knows and brings things up casually.

After six seconds of silence, I continued talking about something else. I can't even remember. But then I came back, "Who told you that?" "Mom, I learned it at church." I'm thinking: good, you're learning something at church (no CCD or Sunday school, just church.) not so good: I want you to see God in more times and places than just death. Mental note to remember to work on that.

Then we talked more about fairies. She talked about how some of our stuffed animals and toys could be real (cats and dogs) and some could not (Care-Bears and Legos) and how it was still fun to play with them all. (This was another piece I sorely missed, the complete shift in play. All the fairy dolls, the fairy house we built for her when she was three, the fairy wings, all neglected.) So maybe if fairies were not real, she could still play with them?

"Maybe fairies could still live in your imagination?"

"You know mom, people do dream their imagination."

And with that she crawled out of my bed, said, "I love you." and made her way to fairy dream land.

once there was a boy and a girl...

2010-06-11T22:46:00.006-04:00

They met.
The boy was nearly 13.
The girl had just turned 11.
They were both taught at home. The boy for his entire life. The girl for two years, going on eight.
The girl's family came to the boy's family farm for a homeschool evaluation.
The boy's family traversed the state doing evaluations and testing for homeschool families.
The girl was struck by the boy's free spirit, knowledge and strength.
She thought for sure he had a girlfriend in every county.
He thought for sure she was too sophisticated for him.
The boy was struck by the girl's wanting to watch him cut a log. Although many people came to the farm, few stopped to watch wood cutting. "The log was maple. The saw wasn't very sharp. The girl was cute."
Although that tree house never did get finished, something else got started that day, 20 years ago. A friendship that grew to a spark that grew to a love that grew to life lived together.

Can't wait to continue growing with you dearest! Who knows what the next 20, 40, 60 years will bring? I love you!

today - a decade

2010-03-30T13:13:00.006-04:00

Today is March 30th, 2010. I've been waiting for this day for some time. Now it is here, and I better write it down before I forget. Today is the day I can say, "I rock!" (or at least my body does) and really mean it. Today is a day I want to celebrate me and my motherhood journey, so bare with me folks. On this day 10 years ago my journey began. Every day since then (except for the five I was in France) my body has grown, fed and comforted little people. That's 3,645 days of service. The most tiring, exhausting, rewarding, nourishing service I can imagine.

For the last decade my body's been:
pregnant (9 months)
nursing (19 months)
pregnant and nursing (9 months)
tandem nursing (10 months)
pregnant and tandem nursing (3 months)
pregnant and nursing (6 months)
tandem nursing (34.5 months)
nursing (7.5 months)
pregnant and nursing (9 months)
nursing (13 months)

Now I'm going to go take some vitamins! and I think a bubble bath is in order tonight.

The good and not so good adventure

2010-03-18T23:34:00.006-04:00

Tonight we had a little adventure. All day was an adventure of sorts. But tonight we were in the back of a police car and the baby had to nurse, so I can chalk that one up on "where have you fed your baby?" Some parts were good. Other parts were not so good. This makes for good adventure. Right? Well, the kids will remember, and it may become one of those family stories that everyone laughs and sighs over decades down the road.

We sell almost 100 boxes of Girl Scout cookies! ~ good
I am dead tired. ~ not so good
I take the kids out to dinner. ~ good
We have to wait and wait for our meal. ~ not so good
But we have our favorite waitress. ~ good
One of the senior gentlemen at the table next to ours hollers over to me. ~ not so good
He hollers: "What's your secret?" ~ good
My response: "Me??" in total shock. ~ not so good
His reply: "Yes! What's your secret? I see a mom walk in with four kids and I cringe. Yours are delightful! You must be doing something right! Whatever it is, keep doing it. You must be doing something right!" ~ good, no, great.
That gentleman will never know how much I needed to hear that tonight. My mind's been spinning in negative circles lately about how I'm not doing something right somewhere or some such stuff, but he's right. I have delightful children (most of the time) and need to work on those negative thought cycles.
Back to the story:
I forget to give the waitress our coupon and have to wait for her to re-figure our check. ~ not so good
She returns to tell me that the gentlemen have left money to buy each of the kids a scoop of ice cream. ~ good Excuse me?! I am floored and almost choke-up.
The kids are allergic to everything on the desert menu. ~ not so good
They can get something else she says, to take home with them. ~ good
They can't decide what they want. ~ not so good
They pick something, then change their minds, and the order can still be changed. ~ good
We have to wait another 30 minutes for their treat. ~ not so good
We finally leave at 9 pm. ~ good
The van suddenly stalls on our way home. ~ not so good
I manage to steer it into a turning space on the median. ~ good
We are out of gas. ~ not so good
We can see a gas station from where we are. ~ good
We walk the two blocks to the station to find that the service area is closed and locked and they do not have a gas container. ~ not so good
We walk to the pizza shop to use their phone. ~ good
oops! I forgot. I don't have my cell phone. ~ not so good
I cannot find my roadside assistance card to call for help. ~ not so good
The pizza delivery man offers to give us a ride. ~ good
I have too many car seats. ~ not so good
There is a fire station a block in the other direction. ~ good
We walk there and ask for help. They too do not have a gasoline canister. ~ not so good
They offer us a warm place to sit, turn on the Disney channel for the kids and call for roadside assistance. ~ good, no, a God-send
A police officer comes instead, also without gas. ~ not so good
He offers to take me to a different gas station, but agrees to take me home instead since that is closer. I have gas at home! ~ good
We all get in the back of the officers vehicle. ~ I did not feel so good about the five of us back there without a single car seat, although the officer assured me we would not need them.
He asks on the way if my gas gage is broken. ~ not so good
No. I pulled up to a station, but due to a fussy babe, decided to go get dinner first. "I bet you won't make that decision again." No. I won't. Thank you.
We arrive home safe. ~ good
Jesse arrives home just as I retrieve gas from our garage. ~ double good
It is Thursday. Jesse teaches late. He usually gets home at 10:30 pm but was a bit early tonight. Perfect timing.
Jesse goes back with the officer to retrieve our stranded vehicle. ~ very good
Jesse fills up the van's gas tank. ~ also good
And all the children quickly go to bed and fall asleep. ~ so good, so very, very, good

And that is our good and not so good adventure, and how we got stranded and brought home in the back of a police car, and why I was nursing in said car, but how it all turned out well in

the end.

What are your family adventure stories?

eta: I haven't asked him yet, but another layer to this story is "What was Jesse thinking when he rode up on his bike at 10:20pm to find a police car parked in front of the house with three of our children inside?" good? or not so good?

Fair, Brown & Trembling

2010-02-19T20:27:00.020-05:00

Only one story this week. This gave us more time to actually discuss it and ask questions. Questions are my favorite!

What is a henwife? If the henwife cut a piece from Trembling's dress, wouldn't her sisters notice? Why could she not go in the church? Is a mare a horse? Where is Zulu?

Fair, Brown & Trembling's graph:

Characters: Fair, Brown, Trembling, father, henwife, many princes

Trouble Makers: two sisters

Helpers: henwife

Magical Events: changes dress and provides horse

Ending: married after fighting, 14 children, sisters out to sea

Special Item: blue slipper

Food: ham, potatoes and peas

Dress: elegant, colorful, with head coverings

Architecture: castle, church

Value: beauty, kindness, children, horses

This is a traditional Cinderella tale from Ireland, with a twist or two. There are no step-sisters or a step-mother. Her own two sisters are the mean ones. The henwife provides an exquisite dress and mare for Trembling to go to church on three different Sundays. There is no party or ball. After they find and identify her with a shoe that is "neither too large nor too small", multiple princes from all over the world (hence Zulu) fight for Trembling's hand in marriage. The winner marries her, they have 14 children and the sisters are "put out to sea in a barrel with provisions for seven years - and were never seen again!"

Everyone did so well filling in their graph! Even the little ones were writing their great big letters and adding values to our list. This is something I did not expect to see. What great thinkers!

Culture Food: ham and potatoes.
While Trembling is at church, the henwife prepares the family meal for her. This is what she serves. (Note: Tasting is always optional.)

Culture Music: Dancing Willow's demo CD.
Children were dancing to this one!

Culture Craft: What kind of horse would you like the henwife to bring you? Milky white? Glossy black? White with blue and gold diamonds? Everyone got a horse to decorate, and decorate they did! I saw unicorns and wings, saddles and bridles, stirrups and sparkles. The creative juices were flowing!

Here is a sampling:

organic gold potatoes and nitrate, hormone, chemical, everything but delicious flavor free ham

Cinderella and Cendrillon

2010-02-19T15:33:00.008-05:00

I teach on Tuesdays. Every Tuesday from now 'til May. All day Tuesday I'm running and teaching and guiding and playing and doing what I love best. Anyhow, I plan to blog about my older classes here. Follow the link if you want to see what we've done in Play and Learn, my younger class.

This semester I'm venturing into the world of 6-8 year olds. Well, I live with children who are 6 and 9, (and 5 and almost 1) but I had not yet taught this age range at our co-op. I love it! The ideas and thoughts and speculations that are shared in my class are amazing.

I teach Cinderkids. The goal is to read Cinderella stories from around the world, (I've found more than 20!) analyze and compare the stories, determine what the elements of the story tell us about the culture in which it was told, experience bits of that culture and have fun! We may even write our own stories at the end, using our favorite parts from the tales we hear.

In our first class I read two stories: Cinderella by Barbara McCintock and Cendrillon by Robert D. San Souci. I wanted to start with a "traditional" Cinderella tale. McCintock's did not disappoint. I chose this one for its illustrations, 17th century France, and its story line - Cinderella goes to the ball twice and forgives her sisters in the end.

The children have a graph to fill out for each story. We will use the graphs to help us compare the stories and for when we write our own. The class is evenly split. I have four older students who should fill out the graphs completely. There are four younger ones for whom the graph is not as important. They can write what they want, where they want or draw pictures. They are still using their critical thinking and reading skills. (For parents: I will keep the graphs with me so you do not need to worry about finding them each week.)

Here is the graph information for Cinderella:
Characters: Cinderella, mother, father, step-mother, two step-sisters, fairy godmother, prince Trouble Makers: step mother, two step sisters
Helpers: fairy godmother
Magical Events: changes pumpkin, four mice, rat, four lizards and clothes
Ending: married, finds husband for each sister
Special Item: glass slipper
Food: oranges
Dress: gowns, hair up and fancy
Architecture: grand palace, large homes
Value: beauty, silent suffering, small feet, kindness, forgiveness

As I said, traditional. We only discuss the characters and values. The children can record them if they wish.

Next we traveled to the Caribbean for Cendrillon. There are many similarities. The author even refers to France and uses some French in the text.
Characters: Cendrillon, mother, father, step-mother, step-sister, godmother, Paul
Trouble Makers: step-mother,
Helpers: godmother with a magic stick
Magical Events: changes breadfruit, six agoutis, (guinea pigs), opossum, five lizards and clothes
Ending: three day long wedding
Special Item: pink slipper
Food: punch, chocolate sherbet
Dress: satin, velvet, colorful, shift for servants
Architecture: large homes/manors
Value: silent suffering, true love

This is the only Cinderella tale I've found so far that is told from a different view point. The godmother tells the story, and she is not a fairy. She is given a magic stick from her mother, to use only for someone she truly loves. Everyone in class noticed the different narration right away. They also quickly found the similarities and differences between the two stories.

Culture Food: In Cinderella, she shares her plate of oranges with her sisters. The godmother raves about the chocolate sherbet served in Cendrillon. So we ate oranges and enjoyed chocolate, soy ice cream, (vanilla mango for those with allergies.)

Culture Music: Oboe Concerto - Adante by Marcello and Parfum Des Iles by Kali. The children picked out the different instruments they heard in each. (Note: I was beyond thrilled when I found Parfum Des Iles. It is from the exact same island that the story Cendrillon is told from, Martinique.)

Culture Craft: none this week. We ran over an hour as it was. Too busy with multiple servings of oranges and ice cream. =)

One Thing Leads to Another

2010-02-11T22:48:00.012-05:00

Today was hard. Every Thursday is now. Jesse leaves before 9am. He does not get home until after 10pm. He teaches all day. I'm a wreck all day and do not get in my "I can do this by myself" groove until 9pm or so. We're working on this, together, but it ain't easy.

Here are the highlights of my day. I just realized that if I share these it may show how low the day was. Tough bricks. I'll share them anyhow.

I hung two loads of laundry on the line! The wind is doing most of the drying and nothing is coming in frozen. I got a load out yesterday. I have two more loads ready for tomorrow, before MORE SNOW falls over the weekend.

Jess called. From work. Enough said.

Anna took two naps. Each was one hour long. In my arms. She's weaning down to one nap. I'm not ready for that yet.

Anna fed me for the first time.

And she said "book" three or four times. She first said this earlier in the week, but now she's using it frequently. That's word #16!

Leah picked up her Legos. David cleaned off his bed so I could put clean sheets on it. Sarah helped with Anna. All after 9pm. That's when I got in my groove. Remember?

I caught up on the few blogs I'm following. I fell off the blogging wagon, in case you haven't noticed. I think? one of the best ways to get traffic and make friends (my goals) is to find a niche, (working on that) comment on others' blogs, (failing. I'm back to lurking.) and write. Write? Oh yes. That.

One of my new favorite places to lurk is at Apron Thrift Girl. I feel really good there, like I fit in. I want to keep going back. Today she wrote about getting good food cheap. I followed the link at the bottom to see if there were any discount groceries near us. Nope. But we may stop by one the next time we are in Richmond. Well, in that Salvage Grocery article there is a link to folks spending $50 or less each week on all of their food. I was instantly intrigued. Could we? How much for the kids? What about all the specialty foods we have to buy due to allergies? How many exceptions would I have to make? Could we still do lots of organic?

The rules are as follows: $50 each week for each adult. One of the writers has a 3 year old. He gets an extra $25 each week. Alcohol is not counted. Caffeine is. Eating out is.

I record all our expenses. I have for almost ten years. It's easy to look at 2009 and see... our monthly average for groceries and eating out, including alcohol, was $653.99. Excuse me?? To meet the challenge we have to spend less than $700 each month. We did it last year without even trying! And the number was even more impressive before I added in what we ate when we traveled. There. The highest moment of my day. (I will disclose that for the two months after Anna was born, the bills were higher. We bought more processed food. I was always eating, to the tune of $825 and $770. Cheap months helped to balance those out.)

I've had numerous friends ask me recently about living frugally. How do we do it? I think that will be my first niche. My goal for 2010 now is to get our monthly grocery bill even lower. How does $500 sound? I'll be back, promise, and let you know how it goes.

And speaking of one thing leading to another: After my last post there was a wonderful 5 year old's birthday party. On that day, Sarah started coughing. 6 days later, I started coughing. Jesse was coughing 6 days after that. This was near the now 9 year old's party, that had to be re-scheduled due to two sick parents. The cough did not spare a single one. I'll do the math for you. David got it on Christmas Eve. Anna started around New Years. Did I mention it came with two days of fever and aches and stayed for two weeks? No? And we traveled for over two weeks smack dab in the middle of hacking and aching? No wonder I fell off the wagon.

darndest things

2009-11-17T23:20:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure about all the other kids out there, but mine say the oddest, most spectacular things when they are 5, or about to turn 5. Well, no. Sarah started early and hasn't stopped, but that's Sarah for you. Leah is almost 5. Recently I've heard:

"Drat!"

"I got it! When I grow up, I can be your girlfriend! Sound good?" me: "oh, yes! It does!"

"Mommy, you need to change your underwear. If you do not put on new underwear, then you need to change it. You really should change your underwear." (What?? I think she's heard this recently, directed to her.)

"Excuse me! I'm not going bananas over here, but I did ask for some cocoa!" (Leah calls warmed soy milk cocoa.)

"Let's turn our house into a museum!"

"This says 'word', right?"

"Oh! 12 take away 7 is 5, and 12 take away 5 is 7!"

"Catch this, Mom!" (Meaning, look at me while I practice a dance step or some other physical feat.)

"If I have enough money when I grow up, I'm going to be a mommy just like you."

Special Day

2009-11-17T00:43:00.008-05:00

Special Day is a tradition we are trying out. I got the idea from my brother. Special Day is celebrated on the date of your birthday each month. You get to choose what is served for dinner. You can go somewhere with just Mom or Dad. You can choose a game or activity for the evening. The goal is to carve out a few moments for each child as an individual. So far we've watched movies, gone shopping, played chess and discovered new favorite meals. Simple things really. I think having that bit of guaranteed time does make a difference, however small.

The first thing the kids asked was if Mommy and Daddy got a Special Day too. Perhaps in the future, but not just now. I do want to share my birthday pictures and David's. Our spring and summer simply flew by. The memories did not make it this far. Here they are now.

my 30 year old toes

My birthday falls during our Florida vacation. Although it can be crazy on the beach with four little ones by yourself, (Jesse's working while we're there.) that's just where I wanted to be. (It feels good to pull out some warm summer memories in the cool, soggy fall.)

Leah's Special Day this month is her birthday, so I need to go send those invitations now.

Special Birthday Wishes and Love to my mom today!!

book collection

2009-11-16T02:01:00.009-05:00

I collect children's books. Since I am a teacher and have four children, it is not a bad thing to collect. They never get dusty. They make me smile. There is always something new to add. There are my old favorites. I can easily find small gems in the thrift store or at a garage sale. It is the best kind of collection, I think.

With all the extra time I had on my hands, no Internet and all, I went and organized my collection.

There it is. I'm not sure how many there are. I stopped counting years ago. However, I know where everything is - fairy tales, counting, colors, bears, monkeys, dinosaurs, favorite authors, award winning books and authors, social studies, and that's only the top row of picture books. Every drawer is full of books too. Once a month I quickly put everything back where it belongs. Once a year I "touch" every book. This makes a catalog in my mind, and I remove duplicates or what we are ready to pass on.

I'm going to move my yearly book review to November. This is when our church collects books for children at the courthouse. They are read to while their parents are in court and then given the book. Many of them have never owned a book. Sarah is still trying to grasp this thought. I am too. Life without my collection is hard to imagine. Here is our pretty little pile for them.

Clean-Up

2009-11-15T23:23:00.006-05:00

Yesterday we started to clean the street. After being cooped-up inside for three days, it felt good to get out and work.

Today we started to clean the house. (Sorry, no pictures.) After being cooped-up inside for three days, it felt stifling. There was crazy follow the leader that left things turned upside-down. The toyroom floor was submerged in, well, toys. Lego ziplines connected every surface in the toyroom. The Playmobil had a party in the bedroom. And the living room saw charades, puppet shows and a museum. Time to clean-up! (Oh! do I love our yard!)

6 month old Anna in just a part of our yard

The Flood

2009-11-15T22:09:00.008-05:00

In case you haven't heard, we got some rain. Three days of it. Fifth highest flood lines in fact. There was actually more than 12 inches of rain in our trash can. Every time I tried to post a picture on FaceBook, the power went out. We never lost the electricity for very long. I cooked extra spaghetti, just in case. What we did loose was our phone and Internet connection, for four days. That's long enough to make me realize how much I've come to rely on those particular wires and long enough to put me behind on posting every day. Who knew a Nor'easter and remains of a hurricane would meet in our city and leave all this?

east end of our street

Those lights coming out of the water are along a street across the river.

more east end, an hour before high tide

There's a submerged dock out there.

west end

west end at high tide
The river took over the parking lot.

west end the next morning

Needless to say, we were stuck. The water rose on either side of us and in front of us, but our house stayed dry. We are grateful.

GUESS Science Fair 2009

2009-11-10T20:00:00.006-05:00

What an amazing experience for all of us! My only wish is that there was more time to see all the projects. There was some spectacular work in the building and all executed by homeschoolers! Sarah's only wish is for more science fairs! "Why do we have to wait all the way until next year?" Because the mama needs a break? Nope. The girl's talkin' plasma and electricity folks.

She loved the demonstrationand enjoyed the program,

but please do not ask about the I-MAX film.

with the judges

The answer was pretty clear - no. There was some variance, but not enough to sway the results. She did find a substantial difference in agreeableness. After sugar, kids willingly picked up (and were more pleasant.)

We ate lunch outside and ran. Note the weather. Gorgeous!

The homeschool families in our area are so lucky to have Lydia and Shez - two great minds and wonderful women teaming up to help provide this experience for our children. Thank you!

made for each other

2009-11-09T23:31:00.004-05:00

I want to remember our amazing day at Sarah's first science fair, but I also want to get to bed. I teach tomorrow, and I need rest. So here is a little conversation between Jess and I. Class is on the states of matter, specifically water. I was looking for books in our vast children's collection, hoping not to have to run to the library.

me: "Do we have any books with igloos?"
J: "That polar bear one. They live in an igloo."
me: "Well, a den in the ice. But it's cute, and we made dens last week."
me: "Do we have any books on ice?"
J: "What about that one where the boy puts ice in his pocket and it melts? Ezra Jack Keats."
me: "Snowy Day. Yeah. We have it."

The best part? He knows what's on the shelves better than I do. I forget. There's too many. However, I know exactly where every book is and could grab these as soon as he described them. He doesn't have a clue. Together, we're complete.

worth it!

2009-11-08T22:10:00.008-05:00

Ta-dahh! Today Sarah and I made THIS:

Jesse took some pictures for me.

From 1:45pm-9:45pm we worked. She dictated. I typed. She chose colors and fonts. I formatted. I cut. She glued. She planned. I glued. (There's 2.5 glue sticks of glue on that thing, and over 100 dots of craft glue.) We love it. The presentation board is complete!

Want to know what she had to say while we were working on it? "You're wonderful Mom! I mean, you're working with me on my poster, and that's not easy. You are a wonderful teacher. You are so patient! No wonder people want you to teach young children."

Talk about a still heart moment! And that was just what I needed to hear, after working with her for hours on end with mastitis. I'm so proud of all she's done and love her so.

random

2009-11-07T22:42:00.006-05:00

Well, yesterday got so full, I couldn't even blog about it. I sat down to do so, and Leah stumbled into the office crying that no one was cuddling with her. After cuddling, I rolled into bed.

I think that is what happened to the blog here. Life got so full my thoughts were all mush by the end of the day. Having a goal to write everyday helps me to retain a few bits of what I want to get out. I think it would also help to have a laptop to carry around the house and some wireless going on, or at least another computer for the kids, but none of that is going to happen any time soon. And having a theme keeps eating away at me. Maybe that would help. I know some blogs do, some don't. The fact that mine doesn't shows that I started it to keep in touch with family, perhaps build some community, but more a space to remember things. The fact that that is bothering me (lack of coherence here) shows that its time to get focused. But on what??

homeschooling
present parenting
natural living
living frugally
allergies
breastfeeding
knitting

Now is when I get stumped and decided to just keep writing about life and perhaps a common thread will appear, somewhere.

Yesterday began with Anna's "Aaiaheeeee!" She always wakes with a smile. If I'm already up, she'll lay and talk to herself for some time, just like Leah did. If I'm still in bed, like yesterday, she'll wake me up to nurse. What a joy-filled way to start the day! (I just love the family bed! [well, most days.])

2 month old Anna

I went to Bible study with Anna. Jesse stayed home with the others. We're reading Scott Hahn's A Father Who Keeps His Promises. Yesterday there was a guest speaker who shared a bit of Hahn's history with us and her ministry. You could feel the Spirit flow from her. It was nice to feel that again, and come home excited rather than drained.

I needed that excitement for the rest of the day. We had the second and final sugar experiment play date. I cleaned the kids room for the occasion. Well, as clean as 20 minutes with three helpers and a baby could get it. After the day's observations, it was very clear that if you want kids to help pick up, give them candy. Seriously. The house looked better when they left than when they arrived. I joked that I was doing it for the sake of Sarah, not Science. But we had a great time! Every single one of the 13 kids here was awesome. The moms were pretty awesome too! Thank you again for coming out and subjecting your children to sugar for the sake of Science (and Sarah.)

Then it was off to Sarah's dance class, dinner and shopping in the evening. ToysRUs had a few items on sale, namely a Razor scooter, and now my holiday shopping is done! I got Anna to sleep on our bed before I left. At bedtime Leah told Jesse that since Anna was sleeping in his bed, that he could sleep in hers. so sweet and thoughtful...

Missing Kitty

2009-11-05T21:24:00.024-05:00

We lost our cat today. I missed her. (We keep calling it a her, but I still need to take it to the vet to know for sure. Seriously. I even had a friend who is really good with cats take a look, and she couldn't tell. Whatever it is, it is most likely fixed.) I thought about sharing the story here and realized I hadn't shared her story yet. I've mentioned that we have a cat, but never how this came to be.

We, the allergic mama and papa, the severely allergic although she screams if you suggest it four year old - we have a cat. We thought this would never be, could never be, and never became too attached to all the sweet kitties who crossed our path. Somehow, we were waiting for Kitty-Kitty, (Yes, the kids named her.) and Kitty-Kitty was waiting for us.

She was waiting at a rest-stop on I-95. Yes, this beautiful cat was there. She looked healthy, young and thin. She was friendly, cautious and hungry. We fed her. Our dog travels with us on vacation, and she liked dog food. We all felt an attachment. She got in the van easily enough. I did not want her left at the rest stop. We decided to take her with us to the family farm in PA.

We stopped at a WalMart on the way and bought a cat carrier. Moe rides on his bed, but he does not bound between seats and children's laps when children are supposed to be asleep. She did not like the carrier. She cried a bit. She slept. We let her out at the farm. She left through a window for the night. She came back. We took pictures. We put a notice on Richmond's Craig's List in case she escaped from someones car. No response.

Surprise! We have a new cat for the farm. Right? Wrong. The cat was not allowed to stay. We brought her back to Norfolk thinking, "We'll find a good home for her here." We did just that. The deal was this: She had to work as an outside kitty in the city, get along with Moe and not scratch kids in order for her to stay with us. She did!

She stays in our yard. She keeps all other cats out of our yard and from wandering down the street. She comes to the door to be fed. We found a pink lined cat bed and small bowl that someone was throwing out. They are in the loft of the playhouse. She hissed at Moe at first, but now they sniff. She lets Anna pet her. She's caught three rats, two squirrels and three birds. (I don't like the bird part, but am grateful for fewer rats in our house and not so many squirrels eating our garden and being shot [with a BB gun] by our neighbor. Also, she hunts for food, not recreation.) She does not even use the sandbox as a litter box if we forget to put the lid on. She is the perfect cat for us.

I did not see her all day yesterday. I did not see her this morning. I was worried. Maybe someone picked her up. Maybe someone else was keeping her, despite her pretty piano collar. I had the strong feeling last night that she was trapped. I looked in the garage. I called for her. I called Jesse at work. He suggested the van. There she was, asleep on Leah's booster. She must have jumped in when we left the door open Tuesday evening. She was fine. She ate, drank, used the yard and nuzzled Anna's feet. Surprisingly, I could not find a mess or scratch in the van. Now that's a perfect cat.

I'm glad we found each other.

Sweet Science

2009-11-04T20:08:00.009-05:00

Does sugar make kids hyper? This is Sarah's question for her GUESS science fair project. Big one. Last year she wanted to invent a telaportation device or a horizontal elevator. Needless to say, we did not participate. This year, sweet success! We agreed on a project. We have a notebook with notes. We made charts together. Graphs and poster boards loom in our future. This has not been a smooth sail, but we're keeping at it.

The conversations we've had, the things she's thought of are simply amazing. She wanted various ages. She listed the variables she could think of. She listed what she wanted to use to identify "hyper". She also explained to me in detail why she did not want to use children who were actively nursing in the study. They may like their breast milk more than the candy. The breast milk may interfere with their behavior. (Makes an LLL leader proud!)

Today was the first of two experimental playdates. 6 kids, ages 3-9. 2 bowls of candy, one full of sugar, the other sugar free. 2 hours of observation. Sarah was so excited! So excited in fact, she was the most hyper kid in the house! Volume, Activeness, Agreeableness all were duly noted. She hasn't drawn any conclusions yet, so I cannot say much more. However, I did make some observations of my own. My favorite was that before the sugar/sugar free was introduced there was a tussle. The children involved held discussions with their mothers, but were not ready to interact with each other. Soon after the candy, they apologized, heard each other out, dialogued, etc. "I'm sorry. I did it to get your attention. I just wanted to play with you." "But that doesn't make me want to play with you! It makes me want to play with you less!" "Oh, OK." That was between 9 and 6 year old boys, and was enough for them to go on playing for another two hours.

With those kind of results, I may just serve sugar at all future playdates!

A great big THANK YOU! to the mamas who brought their little ones over today.

Sarah couldn't do this without them, or you.

Growing Girls

2009-11-03T22:09:00.002-05:00

Anna started to scoot herself backwards today. She does not like it in the least. She sees something she wants, goes for it, but only ends up further away. The poor thing just puts her head down and cries in frustration.

Yesterday Leah read the entire first book, the A book, in the Sing Spell Read and Write series. I used a process to teach Sarah and David how to read. Leah taught herself when she was three. Now she yells at me, "I want to read!"

Sarah peeked in the older Presidential class at co-op today. She was invited in and loved it. The teacher sought me out to let me know that she's always welcome, in a class geared towards the 13 and up crowd. (Now I want to take the class!)

My girls are growing up! (David too. I promise to post about him later this week.)

Dress-up Day

2009-11-02T23:31:00.006-05:00

I think this is what we should call Halloween 'round here. That is what it is all about for us - dressing up. Not that my children mind walking door to door and having candy fill their buckets and bags, but they love to dress up. Without further adieu, I present:

the cutest pumpkin ever!

a pink cowgirl with a pink horse

the knight who was a cowboy earlier in the day

a beautiful butterfly

stopping for sugar on the way home

crossing the bridge

We ate dinner after collecting buckets of loot that were so heavy they couldn't carry them home. I pushed it back in the stroller. Everyone agreed to get some good food in their tummies before diving into the pools of sweetness. We don't set any limits. A few times a year they can have all the sugar they want. Also, there is no chocolate in this house. We're all allergic to it. The kids sell their chocolate to us, and Jesse hands it out to his college students. The going rate is 5 cents a piece. They each made around $3.00 this year, but I gave them $5 since that's what I had. Everyone ran to put their bills in their banks, so I guess it's being saved this year.

Speaking of savings, I spent not one penny on costumes this year. Anna wore a sweat-suit I bought Leah four years ago. Leah wore the pink cowgirl hat I bought for her dance recital last year - $3 thrift store. I know the horse was a Goodwill find as well, but that was more than six years ago. David was going to be this knight last year. The sword in sheath (that is barely visible) was his treat from Busch Gardens two summers ago. Helmet - 75 cents. Breastplate - 99 cents. Sarah was going to wear butterfly wings I found at a garage sale for $1. Those were not working in the morning, so ones that we received as a Leah birthday gift last year made a fine substitute. Jesse wore a kimono his mother gave us years ago and a hat he got while in China. I wore his cowboy hat and my suede, lace-up, skinny boots. What a fun Dress-up Day!

NaBloPoMo

2009-11-02T02:18:00.007-05:00

How do you do it? So, if anyone is still out there, (I know a few are.) and you are anything like me or know someone like me, how do you do it? The whole four kids, homeschooling, teaching outside the home, cooking, cleaning, knitting, planning, blogging part? Maybe I'm forgetting something? Oh yeah, add nursing, volunteering, socializing, partnering, sleeping and chauffeuring to the list. I'll let you know if I think of anything else.

I have a bunch of balls up in the air right now. I dropped the house one. It shattered. I spent two weekends picking up the pieces and have that one back together. I dropped the blog one. You all know what happened here. My one year anniversary went by. My 100th post was back in May. I know by the numbers that others were visiting more frequently than I was. *sheesh*

In an attempt to get myself back in gear here I've joined NaBloPoMo. Some of my friends are writing novels in 30 days. I'm going to post here every day, maybe.

And please leave a comment if you have any blogging tips!

Three in One, Plus Some

2009-10-15T01:22:00.009-04:00

Anna is teething. When Sarah got a tooth, she did not sleep well. When David got a tooth, he got a slight fever. When Leah got a tooth, her nose was runny. When Anna gets a tooth: she doesn't sleep well, she gets a fever, her nose runs, she's cranky and she poops a lot. Heavens! Oh, she also begs for soy ice cream. (Have you ever noticed a dog panting, sitting beside the table? Well, this is what Anna does when you get out the ice cream or pour yourself a glass of water. She also waves her arms up and down. So, imagine a dog panting excitedly, bouncing on their hind legs, waving their little front paws, perhaps grunting a bit in their effort to communicate, and that's Anna.)

We've been at this for a month now. The morning of September 13th marked the beginning of the end of my sanity. Well, the whole teething on a plane ride back from my grandma's funeral was when I lost the sane part. Two more teeth appeared on October 1st. Number four arrived on the 11th, and she's showing no signs of stopping folks. I sure am glad they look so darn cute!

L.O.V.E.

2009-08-14T23:35:00.004-04:00

How do you spell it? Today i heard it. i read it. i smelled it. i tasted it. i held it. i felt it. Love. My man. Let me tell you. He went above and beyond today. For a girl's whose love language is time, he wrapped this one up for me and gave it to me with a big bow.

When I said my wish this morning was to run errands, with his help, and he said yes. Oh my! I can run around everywhere, all over, with four little people, but I prefer not to. So this guy of mine put aside a day at the office sitting in front of the computer, for a day sitting in the van. With me.

First stop - the bank. This is simple enough. However, somehow he knew to get more of his extra summer paycheck in cash. It certainly came in handy at our next stop - the local home school shop. They gave you 5% off your purchase if you paid with cash or check. We had the cash! We also had the place to ourselves for a bit. We arrived a half hour before they opened. I said my husband had come with me to help with the kids. This was our first stop. My other errands were far away. She let me in. *Thank you!* Jesse stayed out in the van and read "The Horse and His Boy" to everyone for 15 min. before joining me. Having an extra set of child holding arms, an extra set of child checking eyes, a partner to discuss education choices with was simply thrilling. (Sarah too was thrilled to find the next four books in the Narnia series.)

Next was the health food store for gluten free lasagna noodles. Again, he sat and read while I shopped. Our kiddos are great here. However, I'm always rushing. I want to grab my noodles and bulk foods before someone skips/bounds down an aisle a tad too enthusiastically or "helps" a bit too much with the bulk scoops. Also, it can be a challenge to find enough helper tasks for everyone - you get the bag this time, you write the number, now you get to relay the number to the number writer, will you get the twist-tie for mommy? And with Anna having her hands in everything now? Am I ever grateful I was rushing on my own!

On to lunch and Trader Joe's. I took Anna with me this time. Jesse walked everyone else over to their first Sonic visit. Strolling along with one little hand helping me push the cart was a delight. Plus, searching for the catfish, up and down the aisles, three times, high and low, wondering *loudly* when near an employee where oh where he could be, hoping for a hint - that all is getting old for me.

Last stop was the pet store. This one needed some focused time from me for a tricky return, purchase, then exchange. Attempting this while keeping everyone from petting every dog, playing with every toy and darting back to observe every fish was daunting. Instead, my transactions were seamless, and we all got to enjoy the fish together.

Simple, really, but today spelled love for me.

(PS For those of you in the "know", he also mopped the kitchen floor last night. *swoon*)

Where I've Been

2009-08-12T23:09:00.008-04:00

Here's my favorite commercial, from back when we had TV. This is what I've been up to. Only, I don't look this good, even when I do have the chance to shower. I haven't been writing, so I'm removing that feature for a bit. It's depressing, since I know I'm forgetting things left and right. What have I been doing? Living. Diaper changes. Pillow fights. (Yes. I get Anna happy in another room, and we have at it for 5 minutes.) Breakfast. Shopping. Lunch. (No peanut butter here of course, but I have the same cutting board.) Baths. Dog. (and a cat now.) Dinner. Diaper changes. Outings. Walks. Bedtime. Stories. (*heart* how the baby sneezes here.) and Laundry! (Only, I don't use the dryer anymore.)

I do all that (and a few other things) holding Anna. She's asleep now, but when she's awake, she wants her mama, and she does not want her mama to sit at the computer. That is boring. A teething baby wants some entertainment to ease the pain. She also wants whatever you are eating or drinking, so beware. She may grab a handful of rice and stuff it in her mouth faster than you can respond. She may pat her hand right into your bowl of soup. (ouch! poor baby! It wasn't very hot, but still hurt.)

And that is where I've been. Living life.

Three C's

2009-07-01T10:24:00.005-04:00

Here's an article I wrote for "Pennsylvania Homeschoolers". Enjoy!

I have had many moms marvel and ask how I home school with four children, and one of them is brand new. (Anna Claire joined us on February 28, 2009. This explains the absence of an article four months ago.) For those who have accomplished this, it may seem simple enough. However, for those of us trying it for the first time, it may appear daunting.

I trusted. A lot. I trusted myself. I trusted our children. I trusted our family and friends. Approaching our next "step" with the mind set that "everything will work out" helped the transition go so smoothly for us, it was almost effortless. Looking back, I realize that I actually had numerous things in place beforehand that supported us as we grew. Three of those that stand out for me now are: curriculum, consistency and co-op.

We used a curriculum this year. http://www.movingbeyondthepage.com/ It was just what we needed. I could open a book, know what materials we needed, know what books from the library would enhance the lesson, and have questions ready to help my children stretch their thoughts when my brain was too tired to think. For math we tried Miquon. This is something that Jesse and his brother used when they were learning at home. We all loved it! David started his Sing, Spell, Read & Write journey. Sarah finished this last year. Now Leah cannot wait to begin. In all, school was a pile of books. I learned that although curriculums are not my favorite thing, (I like to be a bit more creative.) they are the best thing for me to teach certain subject areas, and for me to use when I am pregnant and have a newborn.

Two days after Anna was born, we were doing school on my bed. I had prepared for everyone to take a long break, but they craved the consistency of our days. This is something I have always done. We find a rhythm that works for us and stick with it. I have seen our children thrive on this consistency. They know what to expect, usually. With the unexpectedness of a new sibling, our regularity became even more important. This year we began our days with math, followed by reading, curriculum work in the middle and ended with music. Our days of the week also held a pattern: Sarah's piano lesson on Monday while David, Leah and I did lots of school in the car, parking lot and grass, (One of my favorite memories is Anna on a blanket surrounded by buttercups. Leah building a fairy house. David reading me a story about a Bike Hike. Sarah inside practicing Brahm's Lullaby.) Tuesday co-op, school on Wednesday, more school and dance classes for Thursday, Friday relax. It all worked well for us.

Tuesday's co-op was the highlight of our learning with a new baby that was preceded by a tired, pregnant mama. There was friendship, fellowship and learning, oh! so much learning. Whenever a worry entered my mind about what we may not be accomplishing, I remembered our co-op. David and Sarah were content and thriving in their classes. Leah loved my preschool class. Anna was always along for the ride. (You can see a picture of myself and part of Anna here: www.hsobx.org/2009/05/hsobx-spring-finale.html )

In writing this, I realized another "C" we've had all along, connectedness. I believe that leaning at home brings us closer together as a family. We are a stronger unit. Adding a new member strengthens that bond. In a twisted way that I still marvel at, homeschooling helped us welcome Anna and welcoming Anna helped us home school.

Our home school journey will never be the same. Both daunting and exciting, "everything worked out". Welcome to learning at home with the four C's and four little ones!

overheard

2009-06-30T15:15:00.010-04:00

We are on vacation. The days are filled with visiting, fixing, exploring. Our second trip is usually in August, to PA, but we bumped it up this year. More on that later. Here are snippets of what I've heard today:

Anna: "aaahhhaa" She's cooing and smiling at everyone and letting the great grandma and grandmas hold and oogle over her and even put her to sleep.
Leah: "I'm going to make a pizza and store it for winter. Isn't that a good idea?" prancing about Grandma's kitchen with a freezer storage container

David: nothing Sorry folks. He was on the roof, fixing that, all day yesterday. Today was spent in the great grandparents' cottage fixing the floor and under the mower, well, fixing the mower. And starting the mower and driving the mower. That is a dream come true. The boy's second word was "gractr", meaning he wanted a ride. Now he can drive. Needless to say, I haven't seen or heard much from him these days.

Sarah: "Well, if this was a fantasy book, this would be the answer. But, it isn't. So this is the answer." studying for her end of 3rd grade test. Sarah too has been off and about. The only time I hear from her is when we are driving to see another friend and studying in the van.

I love vacations...

Super Sarah

2009-06-25T14:11:00.001-04:00

Miss Sarah has a blog! Go check it out!

http://www.supersarahr.blogspot.com/

changes - garden I

2009-06-14T21:04:00.003-04:00

We got back from vacation to find our gardens had changed. They all grew! Here they are - first with a wide view, followed by what's in 'em.

herb - basil, cilantro, rosemary, dill, a volunteer gourd in the back

garden 1

horseradish (finally! We've tried to grow this for three years for Passover.)

peas (These are the straggling vines in the back. There are a few peas left. Tomatoes are coming up in front of them now. One crop is done and another takes its place.)

turnips

changes - garden II

2009-06-14T20:35:00.009-04:00

This one is a bit wild, but full of food.

garden 2
cucumbers

tomatoes

radishes

carrots

yum!

changes - garden III

2009-06-14T19:22:00.006-04:00

Things are growing here too, in garden 3 and Leah's box.

garden 3
summer squash

peppers

onions

sunflowers!

strawberries (finished for the year)

mystery plant spreading into the yard

There's also some volunteer gourds, another cucumber and then some pumpkin behind the summer squash.

Leah's patch

mint

a small forest of volunteer tomatoes

The beautiful, big tomatoes took over what she actually planted - one strawberry, one onion and some carrots.

changes - blog

2009-06-13T23:53:00.015-04:00

Spruced things up here a bit!

There is a new header picture. I really wanted it to be a picture I took. So that is a sunflower in front of the Arts and Science Museum, in Dayton Beach FL. Little people were running off, so I had to snap it fast.

I removed my profile pic. This picture means a lot to me. I am on the carousel at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Jess and I have a thing for carousels. However, the setting French sun looks really orange when the picture is really small. Someday I will be more than a shadow on my profile.

There is a new family picture. Originally, there was something similar, again taken in front of our hotel in Florida, on my birthday. But it didn't have Anna. I tried an Easter picture. The wee one was screaming. I tried a baptism family shot. We were all very far away. Now, we're just missing Jesse again.

Other than some color tweaking and a few words added or removed, that's it. What do you think?

Elizabeth Rose

2009-06-12T23:09:00.005-04:00

Isn't my new niece just the prettiest baby ever? I just want to snuggle right up with her. She better be careful or Leah will give her a new name. (Leah's latest name from Anna is Anna Cutie.)

Elizabeth arrived yesterday morning, welcomed by her brother Joseph and sister Catherine. Tonight I was out shopping for them. When David was born, one of my LLL leaders gave me a gift bag with a few things for him and books for Sarah. I decided then and there to carry on the tradition. When my friends have a baby, the siblings receive gifts too. A few books or toys. Some small special thing for them.

When I went to check-out, a woman stopped me to ask about my sling. I could tell that she was truly interested, wanting to know where I got the rings, asking about the padding. She shared that she had four grown children, wore them all and birthed all but one at home. She said it was encouraging for her, to see me and Anna and our sling. I said it was encouraging for me, to know that all the intense mothering I do now will pay off.

One day, all too soon, my children will be adults. I will admire a mother's sling. One of my daughters will help me shop and assist a mother holding her babe close. I want to remember the joy, peace and connection that the mother and her daughter shared with me tonight. That is what I want at the end. The encouragement we gave each other, is what we all need along the way.

Joy, Peace and Connection to you Elizabeth Rose! Welcome!

lines

2009-06-12T09:31:00.004-04:00

I'm trying to get the hang of blogging. Still. I feel like I have no clue what I am doing. I'm evolving shall we say. And dear Face Book is taking a lot of time. Evolving another side. I'm happy with that now and want to turn from Face Book a bit while I try to blog more. All that to say that I've been poking around the blogging sphere and found this:

Isn't that just the cutest button ever?? I naturally joined the challenge and am almost a Super Star! But I have this wonderful helper who prefers to toss things in the dryer. I am not one to argue with husband helpers, so my goal is to maintain Advanced.
So far, so good. In May we did 18 loads of laundry. 16 were dried on our clotheslines. Now in June I did two loads yesterday and hung them both. (That was all the vacation laundry. Can you believe it? Shows how we practically lived in our swim suits.)
Are you up for the challenge? Go for it!!

baby giggles

2009-06-04T20:42:00.001-04:00

Here's my first video clip, and it is worth it!

Anna's ticklish already, so this is not her first laugh. This is her first time laughing at something - her siblings bouncing on the beds. Oh! do I love baby giggles.

surfaces

2009-06-03T10:41:00.008-04:00

May's Organizing Junkie Round-up was for a surface/shelf. At the beginning of the month I hurried through the house and got my before shots.

Ambitious, am I not?

There's the kitchen shelves. Since there are only two overhead cupboards in the kitchen, Jesse installed these for me. They can get discombobulated easy. (Forgot how much I like that word.)

Then there's our dresser top, somewhere underneath all that. It was clear 3 months ago. But having a baby can do things to your dresser. The drawers are empty, since you are lucky to just have clean clothes. Never mind getting them put away. And the top is full, since it is, uh, available.

And a bookshelf. That is Jesse's space. His mail. His books. They sit on the space in front of the books that actually belong there. The pile's been so bad, it's broken two shelves. Seriously.

Now... it is the beginning of June, and we are on vacation. The kids all want to go swimming. Now. Jesse's at work, 'cause that's how we take this vacation. (He grades AP exams while I play with kids all day.) And I forgot to take an after picture before we left. I know that's part of the fun. The best part. But I was in a time crunch and forgot. I'm sorry. :(

I only got to the kitchen. (Now you know my other messy spaces, and that they still look that way, or worse. I'm trying not to be embarrassed. Trying to keep it real.) Here is a description of the one surface I organized.

Top shelf: I moved the mugs up. Amazing difference. We only use those when company comes, so why have them take up prime shelf space? We have our own personal mugs we use daily. I did put mine up there too, right next to my coffee and french press. And the dried fruit basket. I can grab it quick and let the kids snack away. Gone are all the baking things, most of which I did not use often and could not reach or see, even if I wanted to use them.

Middle shelf: Now all jars. It looks so neat. I love it. I found some small jars that match my large ones and transferred the different sugars to them. No more messy bags. The sifter is still there on the end. Now the oil and flour (rice) we use for baking are next to it. The few other baking items I use are behind the new sugar jars. The rest are in the baking corner of the pantry.

Bottom shelf: Did not change much. It still holds all the dishes. It also was a "catch-all" space. I put all that in it's proper place.

I hope this description can hold you over until the picture arrives, when we get home in 10 days. I'm off to the pool now.

Cosi fan tutte

2009-05-02T23:53:00.003-04:00

So, if your husband forwards an email to you about ODU's opera theatre's final performance and asks if you'd like to go, what is your answer? Come now. You had a baby two months ago. The last time you went out with the man was in December. The last time you used a babysitter in Norfolk was July. You cannot remember the last time you used your teenage babysitter. Close to two years maybe? You say yes!

Then you fret about finding a babysitter. You forget to ask around. You remember that you do not particularly like the opera. You tell yourself that the tickets are cheap. Going out is good. In fact, if you were going to see people stand on their heads, (nothing against those who do) you would. You see the teenage babysitter your kiddos love at the park. You ask. You ask for Friday or Saturday. She says Saturday. This is good, because when you get home, you realize the performance is on Thursday and Saturday. You feel embarrassed. You need more sleep.

So, now you are going to the opera, with your dear husband and two month old baby. You arrive and choose aisle seats towards the back. The baby poops. You go to change the baby before they begin. There are no changing tables. There are no counters. You quickly change the baby on a ledge. It is a small theatre. They hold the show for you. The baby fusses during the introduction. You go out in the hall, but the door will lock behind you. You spoke with the usher before hand. You know him. He is the nice librarian who sees you run in on Monday nights to gather books for your class. He lets you back in. The baby fusses again. You stand in the aisle and she settles.

The show begins. You realize how much you enjoy Mozart's music and style. The voices are thrilling. The artists are amazing. You realize how much of the story is told in their faces. Perhaps this is why you did not like the opera. You were never close enough to understand it.

The baby nurses and sleeps in her sling. The entire time. You return home to find your other three children asleep. All is well. The Opera.

If I had to choose symphony, ballet or opera, I'd opt. for the first two. However, this performance opened my eyes to the opera's beautiful possibilities. I know I enjoyed it more than headstands.

a pantry

2009-05-01T02:35:00.001-04:00

It's a good thing I like to organize. And it's a good thing that organizing helps me feel better, since I haven't been feeling too well. And it's so very good that Laura over at Organizing Junkie has another round-up. I actually did part of February's - recipes, but dear Anna was born the last day of February, so I didn't get it posted. Now I'm determined to show you my organizing from April.

Our pantry before:

and after:I took this project slowly. One shelf at a time. What you see is mostly shifting and some purging. (And that my favorite spaghetti sauce and baked beans were on sale.) The wok moved up, along with lunch boxes. The juicer moved down, but is still behind the crockpots. I thought maybe easier to reach would inspire me to use it? I found the whisk in there and toothpicks. And steak knives. They all got moved to more appropriate spaces. The pantry is the saving grace of my kitchen, since there are only four other cabinets, three drawers and one small counter. Sometimes stuff just waits there until I can find it a better home, like steak knives and such. Anyhow, all the snacks are in one spot, canned goods are across the center, pasta in one corner, flour down in a small baking corner. Fruit's together. Beans all in a row, etc. You can't really tell in any of the photos, but you could not see the floor. Now you can. I like that.

a closet

2009-05-01T02:01:00.005-04:00

Our home has one closet that is not in a bedroom. It's in the hall and serves as the linen closet too. A thought: in Nashville we had a walk-in closet in one of our bathrooms. Sheesh. Here we have this, which is my second round-up:

On the floor is the beach bag, vacuum, scale, toilet plunger. Shelf one is towels and tp. Up on top is shower cleaner, dog shampoo, asthma machine and baby bathtub. Everything else is in the middle. At least now we can find the everything else. (I moved the vacuum for the pic.)I'm afraid I don't have a very good picture of the transformation. I completely cleared the "everything" shelf, put the like with like and got rid of stuff we don't use. There's a little basket with sample size toiletries for guests. Behind that is a cup holding extra toothbrushes and travel toothpaste. There are mine and Jesse's toiletry kits, with products in them and filled. And the extra soap, shampoo and toothpaste. Last are the hair clippers. I found the cape for that in the back and got it in the case. I also considered moving the asthma machine. However, if I got a sudden attack, the last thing I'd want to do is go digging for medicine in the garage, so here it stays.

This is the only project that I timed. 45 minutes. I was holding and nursing Anna for 20 min. of that.

and a cupboard

2009-05-01T01:15:00.008-04:00

Last but not least, I wanted to tackle the cupboard above the stove. I had not organized it in the three years we've lived here. This cupboard holds spices, oils, cereal both hot and cold, bulk tea, liquor and party supplies. The party supplies are what bothered me the most. We just threw stuff in that corner and hoped it didn't fall back on us. (Anyone else have a shelf like that?) It was dangerous too, because if it did come sliding down, it might land in a boiling pot.

Oh, and the coffee I've started drinking was up there too. I moved the coffee. I wanted it near my French Press and did not want my cute carafe up in this danger zone.

Danger zone no longer:(but still no coffee there.) Good-bye ugly broken wipes tub. Hello cute basket that I've held onto for seven years looking for the perfect purpose. Cleaning out old tea we don't use and that basket made all the difference here. It is just the right size for holding streamers, candles, balloons and such. My only regret is that I did not do this sooner. Then I might have found the 6 candle in time for David's birthday.

I LOVE organizing closets and cupboards. They stay that way. I pick up. Stuff gets out. (Sometimes by itself. I swear.) I clean hands and faces and bums and clothes and tables and the toilet. They all get dirty again. I cook. It's eaten. I knit. And Anna's trying to grow out of her sleeper sack before I finish it. I organize a cupboard or closet. It will remain that way for three to six months. I feel good every time I open it. "Here's a little space that does not need to be redone." Thanks Laura! and all the inspiration over at Organizing Junkie.

leaves

2009-04-30T23:24:00.002-04:00

This is what was picked this evening, winter lettuce. Leah picked some yummy radishes for me last week. The peppers and tomatoes are in. The carrots and onions look like carrots and onions. The peas are as tall as the fence. That's my garden update.

Almost forgot. Plant your tomato plants when the oak tree puts out its leaves. Oaks don't like frost, so they are the last tree to leaf. Tomatoes don't like frost either. Our oak got its leaves on April 15. Jess waited a week to plant the tomatoes. He trusted the weather people more than the tree. It did get cold, but did not frost. The tree was right.

I can...

2009-04-18T18:32:00.002-04:00

hold my head up and blow bubbles.

finished growing

2009-04-05T23:43:00.007-04:00

I woke this morning to discover a published post. "Who did this?" Jesse soon confessed. But I wasn't done! So, here is the rest.

The spring lettuce is 4" tall. There are turnips in front of it with greens a foot high. They were planted in the fall and began to go to flower. Jess harvested some turnips today. They of course were nothing like this, but still tasty in soup.

Also in the ground is mint, carrots, over two dozen strawberry plants, radishes, more turnips and our peas. The mint and strawberries are transplants and look like something. The peas are doing splendidly - 5" tall and sturdy. Everything else is two little leaves popping up out of the soil.

In the sun room are tomatoes, basil and thyme. They aren't ready for the outdoors yet. In the plans are peppers, cucumbers, summer squash, pumpkin and watermelon.

There, now you know what is going on in our garden. Go get digging! (Unless you are Lydia. ;)

How does your garden grow?

2009-04-04T16:10:00.008-04:00

1/3 of last year's garden

winter lettuce

spring lettuce

Numerous friends have asked how and when we garden. First, I don't. Well, I guess you could say I am the planner, not the planter. I have a say on what goes into the ground and where. Jesse and the kids do all the rest. I have bragging rights too. =) He uses Square Foot Gardening, (but the 1981 version) The Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening, (again, the old one is on our shelf) and his love for the earth/experience growing up. Now this is being passed on to our children, and I love it.

The spring lettuce went into the ground the beginning of March. It had the cold frame around it for the first few weeks. Now it is frame free and tall.

the sky is falling

2009-04-04T14:04:00.002-04:00

no. really. I got up this morning to find part of the kitchen ceiling on the floor. The ceiling does not belong on the floor. However, a square foot of it fell onto a chair and shattered. Pieces were everywhere. I heard it in the night, like someone rattling a door with glass in it, but I told myself it was the wind blowing branches against a window so I did not have to get up and check the doors. Nope. It was the ceiling falling.

And I knew it was coming. Not exactly, but Jess and I wondered what would happen this time. He is in Chicago right now, attending the MPSA conference. He's gone for the last nine years, except for when we had a two day old baby, (David). Every year, something happens, something odd, something out of the ordinary, something that takes us by surprise. The first year, I went with him. I was four weeks pregnant with Sarah and did not feel well. We stayed with cousins twice removed. On our drive we kept noticing ants in the car. Odd. As I straightened our room the first morning, I kept killing ants. Surprising. I traced them - to Jesse's computer. I ran it out to the patio and sat and stared in amazement as an entire colony of ants moved out of Jesse's computer to find a new life in the suburbs of Chicago. Another year our cottage was infested with swarming termites, looking for a new place to call home. Hundreds of thousands of termites flying in your living room is out of the ordinary. Then there was our salivating dog. At the time we had Kasey, our Golden. She came in drooling like mad. The poor thing kept pawing at her mouth as her head lay in a pool of saliva. The not so smart emergency vet thought maybe she was stung by a bee and gave me motion sickness pills for her. The knowledgeable nurse said she'd heard of this happening to dogs when catching toads. Both out of the ordinary and scary. The only other time I went with Jesse we stayed at a not so many starts hotel and David and Sarah were with us. I again was tired and VERY cranky (or bitchy, whichever you prefer). We discovered a month later that I was almost three months pregnant with Leah. Surprise! Poison ivy, illnesses, driving on donuts, and now the ceiling. What's next?

walk (and poop)

2009-04-02T23:46:00.006-04:00

So, if you happened to be driving through Larchmont this evening and saw this:

crazy mama walking down the sidewalk, two children springing and racing ahead of her, one child lagging behind her, yet another child in a sling, (Yes, they are all mine. WHEN will people stop asking that?? That and that my hands are full. Never an offer to help. Just a reminder, in case I forgot. My response is, "Yes, full of love." and we continue on our merry way. Sorry. I did not intend for my two least favorite comments to come out in the middle of this. Where was I? oh...) and a sweet Sheltie on a leash who is convinced that since he was not walked last night a myriad of dogs must have walked HIS route and he needs to sniff them all out and therefore be dragged or rather coaxed along, all trying to race the rain home and getting damp in the process

then you saw me. But the dog pooped by a kind, elderly man's tree, (nightly ritual he's had for forever - go poop on a night walk - the dog, not the man.) Not on the rug in the kids' room, so it was all worth it.

There, I posted. It feels good, great actually. There is so much I want to get up here, but Anna just pooped, so I gotta' go.

I love...

2009-03-30T15:30:00.000-04:00

Baby Toes

photo credit to Sarah

Wednesdays

2009-03-25T15:00:00.007-04:00

We're tired.

Teaching on Tuesday is going well, very well. Anna hangs out in the Hotsling. Everyone enjoys their engaging classes and the enriching company. But come Wednesday, we're just tired. We don't go anywhere. We don't get dressed. If I'm lucky, we get half our school lessons complete, and I end the day with a hot shower.

Jesse took the picture this morning. Although I'd just gotten out of bed, I almost fell back to sleep. I love how our arms are in almost the same position.

First Bath

2009-03-21T23:32:00.006-04:00

Confession: Cleanliness of the body is not the highest priority here. Or rather it's not an obsession here as it has become in our current culture. Children are soaped up once a week. Dirty summer feet are rinsed at night. And our baby was not bathed until she was 3 weeks old.

Everyone is healthy. =)

I Spy

2009-03-20T14:16:00.004-04:00

something yellow

It's Spring!

(and Anna, of course)

credit for the first three photographs goes to Sarah

Anna on March 10

2009-03-19T22:01:00.005-04:00

What everyone has to say...

2009-03-19T02:02:00.003-04:00

Copy this note, ask your kid(s) the questions and write them down exactly how they respond.

1. What is something mom always says to you?
s: We'll work on it.
d: It's time to do math.
l: okay
a: hello, Anna

2. What makes mom happy?
s: when I take care of my brother and sister
d: when I say please
l: helping her
a: when I latch properly

3. What makes mom sad?
s: when I hurt my brother and sister
d: when I hurt someone
l: not helping her
a: when I forget to latch properly

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
s: by tickling me!
d: She tickles you.
l: by telling silly jokes
a: I don't laugh yet

5. What was your mom like as a child?
s: She had alot of allergies.
d: I can't remember.
l: being a good child
a: ohh

6. How old is your mom?
s: 29
d: I don't know.
l: I do not know how old you are.
a: 10 months

7. How tall is your mom?
s: no idea, all I know is that she's taller than me
d: I don't know.
l: really tall
a: tall

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
s: She likes to sit down and listen to me read to her.
d: nurse baby sister
l: play and take care of the baby
a: sleep

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
s: I have no idea.
d: She takes care of baby sister.
l: (after much thought, whispered) I do not know
a: but she's always around

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
s: her teaching
d: babysitting
l: dancing
a: babies

11. What is your mom really good at?
s: taking care of children
d: nursing baby sister
l: taking care of the baby
a: I defer to my siblings.

12. What is your mom not very good at?
s: not much
d: I can't think of anything.
l: playing with Moe
a: no response

13. What does your mom do for her job?
s: teaches!
d: She teaches at co-op.
l: take care of the baby
a: nurse

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
s: healthy food
d: red lentils
l: carrot soup
a: jello

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
s: She can handle four children.
d: I don't really know.
l: helping her take care of the baby
a: we nurse

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
s: She'd be a homeschool mom.
d: Enchanted, the one who goes back to the fairy land at the end and brings her cell phone and she throws it on the ground, but she used to be in the real world
l: a princess, since princesses are really tall
a: that cow goddess

17. What do you and your mom do together?
s: do school
d: We do math.
l: take care of the baby
a: nurse, sleep

18. How are you and your mom the same?
s: We both have brown hair and we are both girls.
d: I know how to cook sausages, and my mom knows how to cook sausages.
l: because we are both people
a: we ARE the same

19. How are you and your mom different?
s: I have more energy.
d: My mom can cook red lentil soup and I can't.
l: because we don't do the same things
a: but we ARE the same

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
s: I just know it.
d: She says, "I love you."
l: because she says that
a: we nurse

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
s: to her mommy friends' houses
d: to yoga
l: to the playground, because then her children can play
a: to bed

Introducing...

2009-03-07T20:38:00.006-05:00

Anna Claire

Mama's Darling

Daddy's Delight

Doted on by all!!

Welcome!

Baby Names

2009-03-01T14:34:00.004-05:00

Baby Sister arrived yesterday at 3:42pm!
She was born at home (planned) in a doorway (not planned.)
She weighed 8 lbs. 4 oz.
Leah says, "Now it's time to write her names! Her name is Cute Baby. Her middle name is Milk. Button is her nickname because she's as cute as a button."

Ah, Baby Sister does not have a name yet. Mommy has to work on that, along with sleeping and cuddling.

Friday's Favorite recipes

2009-02-20T21:33:00.007-05:00

Here are a few of our tried and true, most frequently requested recipes.

First, what I made for dinner tonight, Chick Pea Patties.
Put 2 15 oz. cans of chickpeas in the food processor, after draining and rinsing lightly.
Transfer to mixing bowl.
Add 1/4 c. rice flour, 1 T. soy sauce, (I use Amino Braggs.) 1/4 t. garlic powder and 1 t. paprika.
Adjust the spices to your liking. I always add MORE garlic and a bit more paprika.
Depending on the brand of chickpeas you buy, you may need to add some water. Your goal is to have a moist mixture that will hold its shape when you form it. The most cooperative brand I've found so far is Trader Joe's.
Heat a non-stick pan with oil. (My favorite for this is sunflower. My least favorite is corn. When using a pan without a coating, you will need more oil, a lot more.)
From a small handful of chickpea mixture, make first a ball, then a patty.
Fry these in the oil.
They are ready to flip when they do not fall apart.
Add more oil after flipping.
They should come out golden brown.
We like salad dressing on ours, served with beets and a fresh salad.

Next, my ever popular Banana Muffins.
This recipe is a tad confusing, from my tweaking over the years. Good Luck! =)
Preheat oven to 400*. Line muffin tin with paper liners.
Mash 2 RIPE bananas in a mixing bowl.
Add 1/2 c. sugar (I always use demerara or turbonado.) and 1/2 c. oil plus almost 1/2 of 1/2 c. (That could also be read as "plus 3 T. oil", but then it wouldn't be what I do.)
Add 1/2 c. water plus a little bit. (My twist on 9 T.)
Sift in 2 c. rice flour and 1 T. baking powder.
Mix.
Spoon into muffin cups and bake for 25 minutes.
Make Banana Bread by putting it in a greased and floured 9x12" pan. Bake 45 minutes. A 1/2 c. of sunflower seeds is good in the Bread too.

Last, the most delicious, addictive, yummy, Pumpkin Cake.
Preheat oven to 350*. Lightly oil and flour 9x12" pan or 2 9" round pans. (With how baking powder reacts in gluten free baking, it is important to not mix anything too much and get it in the oven ASAP. Having the pan set to go helps.)
Mix the wet ingredients together. 2 c. honey or 1 1/2 c. maple syrup, (I LOVE using the latter.) 2 c. cooked, mashed pumpkin, 3/4 c. oil, 4 T. apricot baby food, 3 t. vanilla extract. If you use canned pumpkin, you'll have to add a bit of water at the end.
In a separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients together. 2 1/2 c. rice flour, 1/2 c. amaranth flour, 4 t. cinnamon, 5 t. baking powder, 3 t. arrowroot, 2 t. sea salt.
Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet and mix well.
Batter should be slightly thick, but pourable.
Fold in an optional 1 c. raisins.
Bake 45 min or until cake is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean.
Hide half for yourself, because this one goes fast!

Baby Sister

2009-02-18T22:49:00.007-05:00

Look who we cannot wait to meet!

We're 38 weeks today. That's the back of her hand up by her face. This was our reassurance ultrasound. Jesse is assured that we are indeed having a girl. I am assured that her placenta is high and all looks healthy.

In case you could not tell, she looks like this little one.

mermaid with rocks

2009-02-15T23:43:00.004-05:00

So I'm sitting up, rocking, trying to decide what I'll teach on Tuesday. I get some mammals paired. I have a few ideas. Nothing is flowing. Then I think of an analogy.

My brain feels like it is bathed in hormones. Well, it is. I can see myself swimming about up there, a happy, calm mermaid. Then you ask me to have a logical thought, say - finish a sentence, make a simple decision, get my thoughts posted here, remember anything, plan a lesson - and it feels like my mermaid has rocks hanging from her tail. I struggle to the surface, trying to emerge from the hormones for a moment, but it ain't easy.

Thank you for bearing with me.

Friday's Favorite Valentine

2009-02-13T21:18:00.002-05:00

There are hearts and cards and creations everywhere here.

Earlier in the week, Leah asked to play with our Little People. (They're in the bedroom closet.) Soon David and Sarah joined her. However, Leah wanted to play by herself. I explained to Sarah and David how Leah always had playmates i.e. siblings, and right now she really wanted some time to herself. This "rejection" prompted a Valentine.

Friday's Favorite moment from the week

2009-02-06T22:41:00.002-05:00

David came over and gave my belly a hug.
"Watcha' doing bud?"
"Just giving baby sister a hug."

garbage

2009-02-04T23:01:00.002-05:00

I am constantly amazed by what people throw out. On the way home tonight I saw a piano at the side of the road, next to the garbage cans. A piano! I did not stop to inspect it. Goodness! we already own two pianos. But I hope someone does.

My favorite garbage picks: large, solid wood art easel for the kids, hammock, wheelbarrow, push sweeper, living room table and all the materials for the kids' play house. Those are just my favorites. Do you re-use others' garbage? What are your favorite finds?

Super Sunday

2009-02-01T22:54:00.007-05:00

Surprise! I like football. Most folks don't see this in me, but I'm known to yell at the players to run faster, "go, go, go" and get way too happy about the big plays. (Just try to imagine me leaping up with excitement. See? I even surprise myself.) Harrison's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown tonight? That made history. Holmes winning TD catch with only 35 seconds left? That got him MVP. Roethlisberger heading the 78-yard drive enabling the win? Ben was back.

For those who did not watch and have no idea what I am talking about, the Steelers won the Super Bowl, 27 to 23. They almost didn't make it and had to work for their win. It was an exciting game with a fabulous finish. They are the first team in history to hold the Lombardi Trophy six times.

So there you have it. Now you know how I spend my Sunday evenings, at least when the Steelers are playing. To save some face, I do knit or dust during commercials. I spend half-time organizing. Tonight I got to the laundry shelves. =)

work in progress

2009-01-31T18:13:00.012-05:00

Laura at Organizing Junkie inspired me to finally take care of this:

And I work/play/plan/relax here?

Her January round-up was for the filing cabinet. I want to start by saying that I love, love, love that all the round ups for 2009 are small projects. This I can do. Or at least try.

So... what would any self respecting woman do to conquer the above mess? #1 Join a round-up. =) #2 Buy a new computer!

Something as sweet (and fast and functional and affordable of course) as this needed a clear space. I also needed a printer that actually worked. It has a copy machine too, that will be useful for the classes I teach.

To the actual round-up:
I've used the same filing system for eight years. The box in the front has clippings and things to save in ABC order. The back box is bills, teaching, insurance, etc. - what I need to open each month. I have a separate, small expanding folder for financial statements. I did this so I could grab something compact in case of an emergency like flood, fire or hurricane. Since I did not want to mess with a system that works for me, there is no "before" photo. The organizing I did here was putting papers in and taking many, many papers out to recycle or burn. (We do not own a shredder. We use the fire pit and roast some marshmallows.)

Now I get to work here:

There is a small desktop tray on the shelf that holds papers to file, bills, things for me to do, notepads. My ideal is to go through it each week. In reality I do it once a month. A goal for this year is to get more bills paperless, then I'll have less to sort.

My paper organizing spilled over to the stationary drawers.

These were both just stuffed and shuffled. (Sorry, no before pictures.) I kept what I like and gave the rest to my sisters. I know where cards' envelopes are. I know what pretty papers I have to write on. And I know to not buy my husband a Father's Day card for three years or an anniversary card for four years. Now I can write more notes and send more cards. I can actually find them.

Once I get some other projects done around the house, I hope to organize these papers.

That's three kids' home school projects for the last 18 months.

And I did not get to the desk drawer yet.

Thank you Laura for your ideas and motivation. It is so freeing to have a desk I can see, less paper clutter and things in their place.

Friday's Favorite picture from the summer

2009-01-30T23:01:00.006-05:00

David shot this one. Sarah is showing me a rope invention in the tree. Leah was on the other side of the yard inspecting the garden. I'm eight days pregnant.

Perhaps this is why I struggle to find a larger house. I fell in love with my clothes line this summer. It gets great sun, great breeze and when you go in the side door, the washer's right there. Larger houses usually have smaller yards. (You only see about 1/3 of ours here.) Silly, but I'd miss my rope and little wooden clips.

3031

2009-01-30T08:01:00.004-05:00

things decluttered and out of this house!

I stayed up late last night and went through my files and cleared my desk. My goal for 2008 was to declutter 2008 things. Since I did not start until May, I thought I could go a bit into the new year, and wanted to see how long it took me to get to 3000. Now I'll start counting again for 2009. I found that keeping track of the numbers kept me motivated.

The house still feels cramped and small. I'm not sure where I found everything to pass on, recycle or pitch. Goodness knows there is more! It must creep in while we're sleeping. =)

cookies

2009-01-29T23:10:00.006-05:00

We have Girl Scouts in our family, past, present and future. It is Cookie season. (Feel free to read that with a sigh and slight tone of dread.) Sarah could not wait! (Leah cannot either. She made her own cookie chart and practiced selling tonight. Did I want a banana cookie? And what was Daddy's favorite color? She'd make him that kind of cookie. Too cute.) Today was a cookie day, and dance for Leah and school for David and Leah, but Sarah sold cookies, over 150 boxes on her first day.

The goal she set for herself is 400, but I'm guessing with a babe on the way she'll get to 200 and call it a year. But she may surprise me. She does insist that she speak with each person. No sending a chart to work with Daddy. No Mommy calling friends. She does it all. The only catch is that she needs an adult with her, and Jess and I are a bit occupied with grant proposals and babies and such.

But what a great start! Keep it up Sarah! You're the best little Brownie I know!

To a King or not to a King

2009-01-18T06:37:00.007-05:00

That is the most pressing question for me right now, ever since we stayed with my brother over the holidays. They let us sleep in their king size bed. Our children were on air mattresses. By the end of the second night, they were all snuggling with us. They fit!

On the one hand, our Queen works. Sarah only comes to cuddle a few times a year. David might pop in once a month for an early morning snuggle. Leah is still there numerous times each week, but she starts out on her trundle and still sleeps better next to me. Over the next six months, I expect to see her less and less. This morning, everyone is there except me. After an hour of shifting, searching for space, and knowing there was no way I could fit a newborn into the mix, I think I've made my decision.

When you come to visit and we have a guest room, you can enjoy my queen size bed. I will be sleeping soundly, surrounded by those I love the most, on a King.

arugh! a month

2009-01-15T22:20:00.008-05:00

So a whole month went by and I didn't post. I randomly realized today that I think it's been a year since I read a book. At this time in my life, my priorities for free time are sleeping, knitting, getting out and blogging. Reading will come back, later. You can now see how much sleeping, knitting, and getting out I've done these last few weeks. I'll be honest. I've mostly slept.

In the last month I:
finished our first energy challenge
lost all my responses to your great comments
finally left on vacation
had a weekend away with Jesse
had my van make "formula"
celebrated Chanukah
celebrated Christmas
had my entire family together (no small feat)
visited with my sister
finished Sister Scarf #7
started Sister Scarf #8, for the 29th time
visited with my Grandma
experienced winter
began nesting
felt quite isolated and lonely

If there is a link to follow in my list, there should be a back entry to go with it. That's the easiest way I could think of to get my thoughts out - baby steps.

Now I'm off to sleep - some more.

challenge results & responses

2009-01-07T19:07:00.007-05:00

I was delighted to see our electric bill when we got home - 420 kWh! This is much nicer compared to the 505 kWh from last year. Also, our statement runs from the 19th, so our two week absence should help keep January's numbers low. In our two week challenge (from Dec. 1-15) we used 188 kWh of electricity and recycled 42 pounds of stuff.

A great big thank you to those who counted numbers with us. Yes, we planned to do another challenge in January, but the month is running away from me. Maybe I'll be up for it in February, maybe February 2010.

Also, I responded to everyone's comments, only to have the computer delete it. Sorry. So they do not get buried, I thought I'd post them here.
Tina ~ Sarah wants to do January, but I do not. I did not like the weighing aspect either. However, I used it as a math lesson for Sarah. If she weighs 45 lbs without the recycle tub in her hands and 54 lbs when holding the tub, how much does the recycling weigh? Don't forget to subtract the weight of the tub. As long as she kept tract of the numbers, it was not one more thing for me to process. We did not count compost, only metal, glass, #1 & #2 plastic, paper and cardboard.
Maya ~ No worries on having a spacey day. Most of mine are. =) Sarah does "energy checks" throughout the day and especially before we leave the house. She runs through the house and unplugs the appliances. I've seen a small difference, and every little bit helps. It sounds like you guys are doing great with your kWh usage! I don't have any tips for spending less on groceries. I'm trying to get that lower myself, but everyone keeps growing and eating more. I know that menu planning helps. When we move and are away from the menu, our grocery bill soars. I hope to tweak our menu this month and get more soups in. Jesse or I cook every night. We always have leftovers, but the amount is diminishing. (See above: little people keep eating more.)
Melina ~ You are the one who inspired me to get our usage lower. Thank you! I forgot about the dryer. I'm trying the clothes line more this winter. It's working well. It takes about two days for a load to dry, rather than two hours, but nothing is stiff, thanks to the almost constant breeze we have coming off the river. Granted, sometimes this is the result, but I do not mind.

(Our first snowfall on Nov. 21st only stuck to the few things I had left on the line.)

Heating and water heater are gas. Everything else is electric. I'd love to have a solar water heater, heat with mostly wood and cook with gas - some day...

Claire ~ If you participate, none of us stand a chance. =) You are too good! I'd love to borrow your Kill-a-Watt. thanks! The computer is almost always on standby, day and night. I plan to purchase a new one soon - a desktop with the energy use of a laptop.

winter weather

2009-01-02T15:12:00.020-05:00

In Pennsylvania...

it is cold, bitter cold. The high was 10*. The windchill was below zero. We couldn't go out. And there was no snow. We were greeted with this today, our last morning at the farm. It was perfect for sledding, but is now gone. (Jess said he had to give them a starting push, then race down to get the picture. What a hubby to capture it for me.)

In Michigan...

everything was a sheet of ice when we arrived. A warm wind blew in on our first day, so the kids could play. They made their snowman "of the year" in the small courtyard at the convent. After visiting with Sr. Theresa Paul, they played some more. The next day it was cold again, with no more snow.

In Virginia...
everything was bright and sunny and warm. At least it was a few days before we left. We spent the entire day outside without coats or shoes. I miss these "gem" days and cannot wait to get back.

Sister

2008-12-31T22:35:00.010-05:00

One of the highlights of our travels is seeing my sister. This is a rare opportunity. When you have over 13 hours of driving time between you, little children and pre-determined visiting days, you treasure the moments. Unfortunately, my body and baby had other plans. I had a weird allergic reaction combined with early labor signs. I was not pleasant company. I'm so grateful my children were. Sarah chose a special book to read. She does this each year, practicing words like Babylonian, her inflection, studying the illustrations so she knows what she wants to point out. They played. And connected with their aunt. I tear-up, thinking how they went on to have a fabulous visit without me, each of them valuing in their own way our special time. I hope to have a few moments come summer, so Sr. Theresa Paul can meet her new niece.

why say good bye, say hello

2008-12-30T23:41:00.005-05:00

We stopped in to see my grandma today. This was probably my chance to say good-bye. Who knows. She may strengthen. Parts of her memory may return. Eating may come easier for her. Her body may just feel the love and support rallying behind her. But we live so very far away. I want to take the opportunities, to make the opportunities I can.

I went in knowing she would not recognize me. I just wanted to make her smile. I wanted to say "hello", "I love you," and maybe have a moment of connection. Mission accomplished.

She seemed surprised to see us, but smiled as soon as I told her how beautiful she looked and asked what her secret was. Would she share it with me? Nope, then everyone would be the same and life would not be interesting. She took my hand. But my hands were cold. She wanted to see my children. I lifted each of them up. No names. Just lots of smiles. Numerous "I love you"s. She reached out to "take" each of their noses. Sarah climbed into her bed to read her a story. Grandma read the title, Only the Cat Saw. (I want to keep that book for always now.) She loved the illustrations. At the end, the cat is asleep. Grandma said she was tired. She had just received a breathing treatment before we arrived and the medications make you drowsy. She slept. We left.

Relatives live a matter of minutes away, so we went to visit. Jesse stayed there with the kids and let me go back to have more time with Grandma. This time I held her hand through a sheet. I didn't want to disturb her with my temperature. There was no chair. I sat on the floor beside her bed. We watched TV, or I lay my head down and prayed silently. We were present with each other. She laughed at an orange monster in a commercial. I laughed too. When we saw an add for skiing and tubing, I asked if she preferred the snow or the sand dunes. I hoped to spark a memory, since the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes were her favorite vacation spot. She replied that they both had their good qualities. You couldn't really compare one to the other; showing the rational Grandma I remember rather than the recollection. I had to leave. She asked where I live. When she heard we're near the ocean now, she said she wants to come visit some day. I said we'd put her feet in the waves. Someday...

I came to say my "good byes." Grandma kept showing me "hello". So much "I love you."

Family

2008-12-27T22:44:00.008-05:00

We haven't been all together like this for about two years.

Front row is Amy, David, John, Sarah, Rebecca, (now Sr. Theresa Paul) Leah, Andrea, Brian holding Catherine, my dad holding Joseph. Middle row is myself and Mary Therese. In the back is Jesse, Andrew, Michael and my mom.

David says his favorite part about Christmas is seeing all the family. I agree.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T18:50:00.012-05:00

First we go to Jen's great Christmas Eve party. We see old friends, eat delicious, allergy friendly food and the kids play. Next we are off to my family's and Christmas Eve Mass. We usually do Midnight Mass, but I have trouble after 11pm these days.

Christmas morning we are up dumping full stockings and making pancakes. This is one tradition I missed this year. I forgot to bring my GF, DF, EF pancake recipe and my gingerbread person mold. So, no people shaped pancakes. We did share a beautiful morning Mass with my family.

the girls

the boys

(David would not come sit or stand with the family again.)

Then we are back to a flurry of gifts, mounds of food, relaxation and packing presents for the trip home, leaving some out to entertain us for the remainder of our visits.

We haven't had Christmas in our home for three years. The kids are starting to ask for one. With four young ones to transport next year, we may just give it a try.

formula

2008-12-24T23:42:00.004-05:00

Back in 1989, my father came up with a formula for buying a vehicle.

For every $100 you spend, the vehicle should go 3,000 miles.

Our 1993 Mercury Villager did this tonight. (woohoo!) It actually met the formula many moons ago for two reasons. #1 Inflation. The formula can now be adjusted to 3,000 miles for every $170 you spend. #2 It has a sticky odometer. Two years ago we noticed it was at 162,512. On the way back from Florida, it still read 162,512 miles. We know how to fix this, but we sometimes forget to push the little button that reminds it to keep counting.

It's a good van. It's served us well. I think I want a new one in the summer. Something with two sliding doors, a rear windshield wiper that does not have a mind of its own, turn signals that work after using the hazard lights and all cruise control options operating rather than only 1/3, 40% of the time. Leather seats would be nice too, but I don't want to be too picky.

ps. In case you do not want to crunch the numbers, it is not easy for a vehicle to "make formula." Only a handful have done so in the last 20 years.

menu Monday 4

2008-12-15T01:08:00.005-05:00

Here are the last 7 meals in our rotation:

M. sloppy joes (made from scratch and served on brown rice)
T. noodles & cabbage (rice noodles)
W. hearty veggie stew
R. black-eyed pea goulash
F. chick pea patties (vegetarian)
S. pork chops and rice (broccoli & tomatoes are on top)
S. empty - go out to eat or have left overs

My favorite parts of having 28 meals are both the stability and flexibility. I'm not sure if that makes sense. I know I should have everything to make dinner. I can see what's for dinner. I create a rhythm. At the same time, we had sloppy joes for Sarah's birthday dinner on Sunday. The ribs from last week then get bumped up to Monday this week. Plus, we're leaving on Wednesday for vacation. When I did not feel like pork chops last Saturday, I could shift my yummy veggie stew to its place. So, we know what to expect, but have the option to be flexible too.

In reality this week, I won't be cooking Wednesday - Saturday. =)
I'm still thinking about a favorite, family holiday recipe...

bleep!

2008-12-15T00:35:00.001-05:00

oh crapity, crap, crap, crap!

I have NO pictures from the girls' dance recital. No video clips. No awesome footage of their rehearsal. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

Somewhere in the transfer from camera to computer, they vanished. Actually, I remember seeing some of them on the computer, but now they are all gone.

Leah was an amazing cowgirl, with her pink cowboy hat I found thrifting one night.

Sarah was an angel in the Nutcracker. Granted, this was the Parks & Rec Nutcracker, so you never saw Clara or Nutcracker or a mouse. But there was a Snow Queen, Sugar Plum Fairy, children, Sweets, Dolls, Arabian, Russian, Spanish, Chinese, etc. and Angels - sweet, shining Angels.

I'm so sorry to have lost those pictures...

Birthday Bear!

2008-12-14T22:54:00.003-05:00

Doesn't it look great to be eight?

28

2008-12-10T12:08:00.007-05:00

You know you are 28 weeks pregnant when:

You start to waddle.
You have to catch your breath at the top of a flight of stairs.
You are suddenly starving.
You eat all the time.
You gain 4 pounds in 9 days from eating all the time.
You have to wake up to roll over at night.
You struggle getting into and out of small cars.
You cry, at the slightest thing.
You are either delighted with your DH or furious with him.
You look like this:
Welcome to the beginning of the third trimester.

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-09T23:07:00.009-05:00

Yesterday was full, to the max. I got everything done, except dinner. I packed up a dinner for Dawn, made snack for the LLL meeting, taught a FULL day of school - lots of balancing, graphing, reading, grid addition and addition/subtraction families, ran the kids down here, then back up to co-lead said LLL meeting, finally back home to plan class. *whew*

So, either my kids do not find Christmas lights to be as magical and special as I do, or they simply were not impressed with Winter Wonderland. I'm guessing it's the latter, since almost all our outdoor decorations adorn their playhouse.

Perhaps they would have liked the large indoor display, but we were late and missed that part. Here is what they did like:

looking at chickens
playing with goatslifting goatsfinding a Santa/creche sceneand getting dressed up in their new sweaters from GrannyTHANK YOU Granny Wilma! Everyone loves their new things, (and mama loved the gift receipts. It all fits now. =)

menu Monday 3

2008-12-08T12:49:00.005-05:00

I decided I would officially do Menu Monday. I want to do some meal shifting and more crock pot meals come 2009, and I thought this might help motivate my changes.

Here are our meals for this next week and breakfast described in more detail.

M. BBQ beans and meat (baked beans, spices, leftover meat, served on rice)
T. chili burgers
W. split pea soup
R. spaghetti (GF noodles)
F. red lentil soup (vegetarian)
S. peking pork chops (crock pot)
S. BBQ ribs (crock pot)

But Sunday is Miss Sarah's birthday, so we'll have her favorite, sloppy joes. Lucky for me, that is next Monday's meal, so I'll just flip Sunday and Monday.

To see previous menus, go here and here. In case you did not notice, the week has a rhythm. Monday is someones favorite. It is also SUPER easy to pack for lunch on Tuesday. Co-op day is Tuesday, so I need an easy lunch to bring. Tuesday is something with hamburgers (or an easy cabbage dish next week.) Since I have yoga on Tuesday nights, these meals are simple for Jesse to prepare. Wednesday is a soup. Thursday is something with noodles. Friday is vegetarian. We usually have a pork chop dish on Saturday. Come Sunday, I pull out the crock pot.

Adding more to my breakfast description:
Monday's muffins are vegan, gluten free, and always banana. Jesse makes these. =)
The kids have wheat bread on Tuesday. I have Energy's rice bread. We all use an organic fruit spread. I hope to be making my own bread in 2009, but for now it is from Trader Joe's.
The kiddos' waffles are from Trader Joe's too, ones with gluten and ones without. Due to the potato starch and flour in the GF ones, I eat leftover pancakes or make a bowl of Cream of Rice.
Thursday is fairly straightforward, except we are originally from the North. We could not imagine our grits without a dollop of organic butter or Earth Balance along with demerara (minimally processed) sugar or pure maple syrup.
Friday's ice cream is soy. Fruit is fruit. =) I do not eat the oatmeal. It gives me a headache.
Pancakes on Saturday are again vegan, gluten free and banana.
Our cereal is either puffed rice or Rice Chex (now GF, yeah!) with soy or rice milk.

There it is!

kWh usage

2008-12-03T23:03:00.004-05:00

Way back when, I said I'd post our kW hour usage. In light of Sarah's challenge, I thought now would be a good time. BTW, is no one else watching their electricity use and weighing their recycling, other than our fun friend Rebecca, in Pgh? Sarah's still tickled to do this, but she was hoping for more participants. =) She's taking it seriously too. She's limiting David and Leah's TV time, not that they have that much, and inventing games for them instead. *hehe*

Anyhow, I'm not sure how many numbers you might be interested in. I have them all. We've never used 1,000 kWh, and now have it to rarely over 500. My favorite numbers are from July: 853 kWh in '06, 862 kWh in '07, 450 kWh in '08. No AC folks! When I broke down and used it for a weekend in September, we had our highest usage for this year - 489 kWh. August was unusually cool here and our usage shows that at 279 kWh. October was 403 kWh. November was 425 kWh.

Last December we jumped up to 505 kWh. I'm not sure why. I think Jess and I stay up late working in December. I'm hoping to have it lower this year, but we're burning the candles again. Rather, we should be burning candles with how late we're staying up. Instead, we've got the lights on. =)

Our average for 2007 was 444 kWh. The average for 2008 so far is 391.5 kWh.

There's our numbers. Sarah wanted to know if our meter ever stopped turning. We discussed the fridge and fish tank. They're always running, and have to. A few months ago we got in the habit of unplugging most of our appliances when they are not in use - TV, VCR, microwave, dishwasher, washing machine. We have one computer that is on all day and asleep all night. I'm working on that habit. Gotta' shut the thing off! Speaking of which...

where is baby sister?

2008-12-02T22:34:00.002-05:00

I got in the bath with Leah tonight. After my long day and yoga, I wanted a little soak. Plus, she was filthy. We usually only scrub children on Saturday night, but she could not wait that long. She agreed to the extra soaping when I said I'd get in too. Anyhow, here is what she had to say:

L: I think Baby Sister might be in your nipples.
me: What makes you think that?
L: Because they're so big!
me: Well that's so Baby Sister has a place to get food when she is born. Do you really know where Baby Sister is?
L: Yeah, (laughing) in your big tummy!

energy challenge

2008-12-01T11:58:00.008-05:00

Sarah is looking for a family who wants to conserve energy as much as she does. =)

The challenge is to recycle as much as possible and use as little electricity as possible. She wants you to weigh the material you recycle and track your kWh for the next two weeks. The prize is: "You will have taken care of the planet and made it a much better place."

Anyone up for the challenge?

The recycle tub has a few things in it. We'll wait until it's full before Sarah weighs the stuff.
We're off to find our meter and learn how to read it.
starting at 69701 kWh folks

menu Monday 2

2008-12-01T11:51:00.006-05:00

Here is what we are eating this week:

M. bratwurst & sauerkraut
T. burgers & four bean salad
W. grandma's chili
R. spiced beans w/ sausage over spirals
F. tofu stir fry
S. pork chops sweet potatoes apples
S. meal on the run pork loin

An update on last week:

F. ham, beets, brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes
S. venison, brown rice, brussel sprouts, salad
S. stir fry with venison, tofu, green beans and corn

Now we have no left overs, so I think I'll make soup for lunch.

Sister Scarf #6

2008-11-28T13:32:00.001-05:00

Here's what I finished yesterday. After my "learning" scarves, I wanted something easy. Finding the right size needle was not so easy. After five tries, I finally settled on US10.5. Yarn: Homespun - Color: Plum - Length: 67 inches - Width: 6.5 inches - Stitch: Garter

The ear warmer was done on a whim with what was left of the skein, plus some length of the scarf. I only have one set of circular needles, size US5.5. I just went round and round. There may be a pattern out there like this, but I'm not taking the time to find it.

You may wonder what happened to Sister Scarf #3. It's beautiful, but is more my MIL's color, AND I learned an important tension lesson halfway through. Needless to say, it is not ready to be gifted. I'll fix it for next year.

And an update on Sister Scarf #2. I found it's wrap - Lion Boucle color Popsicle. So it's not wool, but acrylic and mohair with a tad of nylon.

Sister Scarf #5

2008-11-28T13:09:00.007-05:00

My first color work! I love it! If you do too, sorry. I already have a sister in mind for this one. ;)

I love, love, loved working with this yarn. It has texture, is soft, easy to work with, just all around beautiful. It's Moda Dea's Metro in chocolate, berry and grape jam. Yummy stuff, I tell you. I found the pattern at The Inside Loop. I used US8 needles and cast on only 24 sts, so it is 6 1/2 inches wide and 54 inches long.

Sister Scarf #4

2008-11-28T12:40:00.011-05:00

After two weeks of no knitting, my fingers were itching to get into some yarn. I finished this three weeks ago and haven't stopped since. Deadlines help.

I tried a keyhole scarf, based on a pattern on the yarn wrap. It's two strands - Lion Fun Fur in Sandstone and Moda Dea Jai Alai in Raffia, seed stitch, 10.5 needles, 43"x8".

This is so soft! Leah calls it her "tickle scarf". She carries bits of the yarn in her pocket and tickles herself with them throughout the day. Silly girl!

See the keyhole? That's so you can tuck the other end in there and your scarf is held together. =)

Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T23:19:00.010-05:00

Both Jess and I wanted to be in PA. We miss our families. With Thanksgiving so late, us traveling there in 20 days, and me being 6 1/2 months pregnant, we decided to stay home. I relaxed, all day, and knit. I finished the homespun sister scarf, an ear warmer to go with it and a scarf for Bitty Baby. (With all the scarves I'm making, Leah wanted one for her doll too.) Pictures forthcoming.

And I made a pie! Jesse really wanted a pumpkin pie. I reminded him that the last pie I made was pumpkin, vegan and gluten free. There is a very good reason why I have not attempted to make another pie for 9 years. I went with apple instead. Success! The crust and filling were from Moms Naturally. Thanks Jen! I made a half recipe of the crust, and made up my own crumb topping. Oh goodness this was good!

With our pie we had a ham, venison roast, tossed salad, brown rice, sweet potatoes, pickled beets, brussel sprouts, pickles and cranberry sauce. I forgot the mandarin oranges, carrots and applesauce, but no one seemed too hungry. =)

I am thankful for my Faith, family, friends and freedom. Pretty general, but all extremely important to me this year. I'm especially grateful for our "new baby sister" and the growth in mine and Jesse's relationship.

How was your Thanksgiving and what are you thankful for?

menu Monday 1

2008-11-24T22:48:00.005-05:00

Numerous people have asked for my menu, or at least asked what I eat. ;) So here it is. I got the idea for Menu Plan Monday from I'm an Organizing Junkie. However, I don't think I can really participate. I only sit down once a year, pick 28 meals and throw in something new once in a while. My shopping list is always the same. I do one big shopping trip each month. I've done this fairly consistently for the last 9 years. When I didn't have kids, I also cooked/prepped for the month. Now I'm just happy to get the next week's meat thawing on Thursday. I've had a few random, happy Saturday mornings cooking for the week, but that hasn't happened since May.

Anyhow, I'll post four of these and then you'll know what we eat.

M. hamburger rice & green beans
T. teriyaki burgers
W. sausage & lentil soup
R. lasagna
F. salmon & pineapple sweet potato casserole
S. teriyaki meat loaf
S. glow pork chops

Those are the dinners. This week will look a bit different with Thanksgiving and all.
R. way too much food
F. leftovers
S. leftovers
S. leftovers

Lunch is always left-overs. Breakfast is the same each week and served with sausage or bacon.

M. muffins
T. toast
W. waffles
R. grits
F. fruit, ice cream, oatmeal
S. pancakes
S. dry cereal

Almost everything on my menu is gluten, dairy, egg, nut, everything else I'm allergic to - free.

Birthday Bean!

2008-11-23T23:23:00.006-05:00

Today you are 4! - and proud and loud and deliciously cute. In the last year... Your imaginative play soared. You started to read. I thought I might be able to say that you weaned, but after your fingers were closed in a door last week, you remembered. You got your own bed, that you sleep in at least half the night. You stopped nodding on the phone. I can decipher most of your drawings now, and all the people and animals have belly-buttons. You ask if they are beautiful enough to hang on the fridge. They always are. Your favorite food is "bisghetti." You still love Cinderella, cats, fairies, the color yellow. You started dance class and love, love, love it. You dote on and care for those younger than you. You give me the random hugs and kisses a mama needs. You grew!

from Christmas '07

to your princess party!

I love you Leah Bean!!

party time!

2008-11-20T17:18:00.010-05:00

We went to the best party playtime today! With the craziness I have planning Leah's party on Sunday, Amy said she'd host. (What a dear! Plus, it was Audy's actual birthday.) All the kids played and cooperated. The moms socialized. Sarah was super great with baby Cassidy and reading stories to all the younger ones. The snacks were delicious. And, I got some more yummy yarn for Blessing Ways. =) Just all around good times! We had a blast!

Happy Birthday girls!!

(not the best shot of Audy and Leah, but I love how it shows off the hats our good friend Anna made for them)

lovely ladies

2008-11-16T16:02:00.003-05:00

a pic from last night - we had too much fun!

surprise!

2008-11-15T23:32:00.005-05:00

So this is why no one wanted to car pool with me to our MNO. ;)
It was my first ever surprise party! A baby shower that was kept very well concealed. I was so clueless, the baby balloons attached to a bag by the wall did not give it away. I feel so blessed, so loved, so accepted. (thankful post coming soon)
Tonight, thank you and hugs and kisses to Shell, Kim, Shez, (no kissing ;) Ginny, Lydia, Melina and Tina. You all are the best!

stolen secrets

2008-11-14T20:22:00.004-05:00

The season of secrets is in full swing here.

Leah in a whisper: Mommy, look at this beautiful ring!
my quiet reply: oh! do you want to give Sarah a ring?
Leah: No! I'm going to give her something I stole from her!
me: something you stole from her?
Leah: Yes, it is nice to give back things you stole.

All I could do was stifle laughter.

perfect

2008-11-14T18:27:00.002-05:00

Jesse's been gone for three days. This was made harder by my needing a few days of bed rest just as he left. When he got home today he said and did the three most perfect things.
#1 "Wow! the house looks great!"
#2 lovely kiss
#3 gentle rub of my growing belly

Love you, Hon! It's always good to have you back.

rain

2008-11-13T21:38:00.007-05:00

Rain, rain, go away,
So Fall can come again and stay,
And when my children go out to play,
There are not wet leaves on the floor all day.

Oh, I live in southern Virginia, near the shore. This is Fall.
But for days on end?
I miss the sunshine.

Earth

2008-11-11T18:49:00.001-05:00

Earth is enormous
Animals thrive
Riches await the eye
Trees give off oxygen for us
How would you like to visit us

by Sarah

(I mentioned this in last night's post, and thought I'd share.)

One Fine Day Learning

2008-11-10T22:14:00.005-05:00

Oh! do I love these days! It is the kind where I wish I had a video camera capturing each perfect moment. However, I know if I did, everyone would pay attention to the camera, and my actual picture would be lost.

We have plenty of "real" days. David says his eyes are tired after three pages in his reader. Leah says she can only do school with Mommy, not Sarah. Sarah gives up on our politics unit study and only wants to do her Earth science.

Occasionally we have a picture perfect day when everything flows. I want to remember this when we have more realistic days. I want to remember that this is why we are learning at home, to instill and nurture a love of learning in our children, follow their paths and connect with them in a special way.

Here is a snapshot of our fine day. It started with my morning walk. Before I left, I asked Jesse to work with Sarah on her citizenship lesson. When I returned, the activities were finished. They made webs describing their rights and responsibilities in our home, discussed how people help their communities and listed what the consequences might be when citizens do not make good decisions.

We said good-bye to Daddy and started our reading. Sarah read You’re Aboard Spaceship Earth by Patricia Lauber. David and Leah chimed in that Earth is a sphere and began collecting balls. They soon were off to play while Sarah finished. When it was time for David to read Gus the Bug with me, Sarah did “sister school” with Leah. They classified and matched shapes and colors. This was very simple for Leah. On their own initiative, they started to create more classification sheets to challenge each other further.

For David and Leah’s attribute unit, we experimented with standard and nonstandard measurement. When Sarah saw how much fun we were having, she soon joined us. How long was our big doll when she was measured with a short pencil, a long pencil, Leah’s hand, Mommy’s hand or a ruler? David also measured numerous toys to predict if they would fit in a bag. Although our monkey puppet is 10 inches wide and 38 inches long, she still fit in a 7”x10” gift bag. One of the sentences David dictated for handwriting was, “Chee-Chee [the puppet] is long but flexible.”

While I prepared lunch, Sarah wrote two letters to an alien friend who wants to visit Earth. I was so impressed to see an entire page filled with her writing. Her creativity continued with her first acrostic poem describing Earth and a letter to Ranger Rick, with yet another acrostic poem describing their magazine.

Our full, smooth day finished with Miquon Math. Sarah used Cuisenaire rods to begin her division exploration. David hopped along number lines by 2’s, 4’s, 8’s and 16’s. At the end, we were all smiles, ready for a photograph that never happened.

What special days or moments do you have with your children? As I continue to take baby-steps forward on our homeschool path, or large leaps back, I find these days more frequently. It is part of my own learning process as a parent, finding the best paths for each of us. I wish you many fine days learning with your children!

ps. Today was very "real" and is described in the second paragraph. Our "fine day" happened last month. =)

Apples and Oranges

2008-11-05T21:43:00.006-05:00

Today we have a president elect. Not my candidate of choice, but I'm still curious/excited to see what the future holds.

Yesterday I held my own little election in class. I brought a treat, orange juice and apple cider. We held a vote on index cards. Not many of my students are reading, so I wrote orange juice with an orange marker and apple cider with a red marker. Crayons were passed out. I asked them to put a mark under the one they wanted to have. These kids were great! They didn't quite grasp the concept of keeping their choice a secret, but when you're 3, 4 and 5, it may not matter. Two girls volunteered to tally the votes on their fingers. Everyone counted. Apple cider won, 5 to 3. Two votes came back undecided. Working with young children, I try to be as flexible as I am comfortable. So when we sat down, I served whatever they wanted, however much they wanted. When I got home, there was noticeably less orange juice than apple cider. Interesting...

I know at least one child cast his vote because apple cider was written in red. He loves the color red. He'd never had apple cider. He did try a bit, but was soon drinking orange juice. Some may have thought apple cider would taste more like apple juice? I'm not sure. For whatever reason, one was chosen, but when it came time to consume, they found a preference for the other.

I wonder if our nation will feel the same way in a few years.

Election Day

2008-11-04T20:04:00.008-05:00

If you are married to a political scientist, you see them very little on election day. Especially if they've become a favorite with the local TV stations. Numerous interviews over the past few months has led up to today and a two hour blogging session. We decided it would be best for him to do this at the office. So back to work he went. I've got the kids watching a "bedtime movie", hope to get some blogging and cleaning done, and will follow the results on the radio and Jesse's blogging.

I voted at 2. Voting here is nothing like rural PA. First, there are computers. Second, there are lines. Third, there are no friendly volunteers to take your children to the next room to use a sample ballot to vote for George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. This was my second time using the computer voting machine. I'm still nervous my card will get "lost" somewhere or will not record my vote accurately. I did not have a line. It did take 20 minutes, but most of that was spent waiting for the two ladies to validate voters, trying to keep three children close, but not touching the screen and waiting for the little old lady to give my little people "I voted" stickers, since they were so "precious." I guess instead of punching chads, they get a sticker. =)

It just dawned on me that I wore red today. My poor, pregnant foggy brain didn't make the connection. I just wanted to wear something with an American Flag. I was given a cute maternity tee with one on it, and it's red. I also had my first hormonal breakdown this morning, due in part to what I could, or rather could not wear. My size is in the middle now. Maternity bottoms fall off. Everything with a closure is too small. Elastic is uncomfortable. *sigh* The other part was dh reading a story to our children this morning. Don't ask. It was 100% hormonal.