5 Orange Perks

Confession 7

2011-01-07T15:50:00.000-08:00

I love the planning of homeschool a bit more than the implementing of homeschool.

Can I get an amen?!

What's Christmas without a Princess Dress?

2010-12-26T15:03:00.000-08:00

For my Mama - enjoy:)

Saying "cheese"

Pillbug is in love with dresses, not that one could tell that from this picture!

My First Yarn Along!

2010-12-22T15:35:00.001-08:00

I'm playing along with Small Things Yarn Along! Enjoy!

The book is read each afternoon as part of my own "rest time." While Pillbug snoozes away upstairs, the boys are required (yes, required! I'm SO. MEAN.) to watch a video. During that time I get to rest and do my quiet time. This book is taking me through Galations and is focusing on our freedom in Christ. So far, I have gained a lot of insight from it.

My current yarn project is a dish cloth. These are so simple to make and are really the best. ones. ever. I need a whole new set. Slowly, but surely I'm getting there!

Happy Solstice!

2010-12-21T15:01:00.000-08:00

Happy Solstice to you!

We celebrated early, early this morning by waking Treefrog to see the lunar eclipse. Thankfully, Fish and Pillbug slept through our craziness since the eclipse happened around 12:30 am:)

Both boys had dentist appointments and while I sat with Fish during his appointment, Ben, Treefrog and Pillbug reenacted the lunar eclipse (I believe Treefrog was the moon, Pillbug was the sun and Ben's fist was the earth). Treefrog has been talking about that most of today.

Tonight we'll continue our celebration with a little fire in our fire pit and roasting marshmallows. We hope to add more to our simple solstice celebration as the years go on, but for now, this fits our family just fine!

Peace to you this holiday season!

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

2010-12-18T15:38:00.000-08:00

To get me back in the swing of things, here is a bullet-y update for you:

My surgery went well. Recovery took longer than I anticipated, though I don't think the doc really factored in the fact that my full-time job includes lifting a 50 lb. toddler.
My grandfather passed away in November and I went back east to be with my mom for a week. Pillbug got to go with me. It sure was amazing to have it be just the girls - Pillbug is a whole different personality compared to those rambunctious boys we have!
Homeschooling took a three week break due to the surgery and my trip back east. We will go an extra week this coming week with math and reading. Then we'll take a two week break. Yeah for breaks!!
Ben finished up this semester and we are both looking forward to his evenings being free. On our first evening together, we laid in bed watching Howl's Moving Castle, drinking his homebrewed beer (English bitter if anyone cares), and reveling in the time together. It had been way too long since we had watched a movie without one of us working during.
Our Christmas shopping and gift-making is complete. We'll be playing St. Nicolas to some friends over the next few days and I'll give an update after Christmas with pictures of what was made for the kids.
I have been reading a blog called Small Things. I like the pace of her words and often feel a sense of peace and/or understanding of life with kids. She hosts a Yarn Along each week or so and I'd like to start posting a picture of the knitting project I'm working on along with the book I'm reading. Join us if you'd like!
Treefrog has decided to grow his hair out. It is now in the awkward stage of fly-aways and longer-in-some-parts-than-in-others. I'll take some pictures when I can get him to stand still long enough. The best views are right after he wakes. So funny!
Speaking of hair, Pillbug seems to still not have very much. Oh the irony - her brothers with a full head of hair each from the beginning and her with wisps still at 18 months. But, her sweet personality makes up for what she lacks in hair!
Fish is FULLY. POTTY. TRAINED. It's awesome.

Alrighty, I'm pretty sure that is everything to date. Hopefully, I can get back into a rhythm with this blog. It sure is hard to reclaim parts of routine that have been lost!

Confession 6

2010-10-01T14:44:00.000-07:00

Pillbug has never spent a night away from me, and it is freaking me out that tonight will be the first.

Attempting to breathe.

Ouch, My Uterus

2010-09-29T10:11:00.000-07:00

Look away boys. What follows is a post solely focused on my uterus. You have been warned.

Back in May (yes, I know. I have been keeping secrets from the Internets) I started having periodic bleeding. It was crazy - no rhyme or reason. Sometimes it would be heavy. Other times just spotting. At times I would have this for a couple of days, or five days, then a day or three off. The bleeding always came back, though. I figured this was just my body's freakish way of adjusting to Pillbug beginning to wean. But, at the one month mark of this happening I decided enough was enough. I called my midwife.

I went in and had the normal exam along with a lot of discussion on what was happening throughout the month. She listened and offered two follow-up things for me to do: have an ultrasound to rule out "things" and start a round of hormones (not birth control but similar hormones to get my body on track). I was nervous about the hormones. Fake hormones, in the past, have sent me in a downward spiral with regards to my depression and I just didn't want to go there again. I knew I needed to do something, though, and so I agreed to try it for three months. I went in about two weeks later for the ultrasound and had already started the first round of hormones. Two days after the ultrasound I got The Call. As soon as I heard my midwife's voice I thought I was doomed. Cancer, I thought. I have cancer.

Turns out it is a polyp or possibly a fibroid tumor. The surgeon I met with gave me the option of leaving it in (I said no thanks) and he feels confident that there is nothing to worry about (he didn't even mention the 'c' word). So, in November I'll have a little procedure to remove this alien that has taken up presence in my uterus. It should just be a simple out patient procedure with me up and going as soon as I'm out of the stirrups.

The other day, though, I had to get a shot to "prep my uterus." (I don't know, either, just go with it like I did . . . nodding and making it look like I understood the words leaving my surgeon's mouth.) I have a little, ahem, thing with shots. Like, I can sometimes faint. Only sometimes. Really not that often. But it does happen. Sometimes. But, Ben was busy the day I needed to go in and I wasn't really thinking it was going to be a big deal and so I dropped my boys with a friend and Pillbug and I drove out to the doctor's office. Upon arrival, I found out it was a shot to be given in the buttocks, in a small curtained off area, with only a chair to sit in (so, apparently I will be standing?!). Everything happened so quickly that I didn't really have time to react, though, which was probably just what I needed. Pillbug was trying to touch the freshly alcohol-swiped area and I was trying to keep my bum from being exposed to whomever was walking down the hall. Before I knew it, I had been poked and it was over. We packed up and went out to the car.

I don't know if it was a bit of adrenaline or if the shot just didn't have an effect until a bit later, but once I sat down in the car, it felt like my leg was going to fall off. All through lunch I just wanted to lie down (not really a possibility with the children here!), but instead I mustered through. By that evening I felt a bit better and all the pain was gone the next day. It was weird, is all I'm saying.

Now, apparently, my uterus is prepped and I'm ready to be scraped and whatever else to which I nodded my head. Good thing is the "prepping" means no actual period between now and the surgery . . . now if only the spotting would stop!

And so ends my post of which the male audience may not wish to read.

Confession 5

2010-09-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

There are days when my quiet time involves a nap . . . today was one of those days.

I think Jesus gets it.

Apple Picking

2010-09-20T14:14:00.000-07:00

Sweet Crabapples - an oxymoron, but true!

I wanted to take the kiddos apple picking after spending a week immersed in our book. My plan was to go on Friday of our first week. Alas, that did not happen as the orchard we were going to visit took a three-day holiday starting Friday. So, Monday it was.

Hmmm, I sure do wish I could remember what Fish was explaining:)

The day was great. We spent some time letting the boys walk quickly (did you know there was no running in the orchard?!), pick until there hearts were content, and taste testing (yum!). The boys loved a tree full of crabapples, partially because the limbs were perfect height for a three, five, and six year old to reach. Normally crabapples are tart and nearly inedible (unless they are jammed), in my opinion, but these ones were very sweet and the kids chomped on them as they picked. I even added some to the applesauce I made later and I think they were the ones giving the sauce such sweetness even without sugar.

Here are the boys, all together (Pillbug was a patient gal, hanging out on my back, munching on her very own crabapple):

Confession 4

2010-09-17T14:48:00.001-07:00

I stopped drinking coffee in the mornings a while back and I don't miss it at all.

This one surprises even me.

First Week

2010-09-15T14:38:00.001-07:00

Ben and I decorated the windows for our first day of homeschool!

We spent the first week of homeschool talking about apples. It was not a bad week, in my opinion!

Our curriculum is pretty loose. We are doing a lot of reading, mostly from a book recommended to me from a friend called Five in a Row. I am LOVING this book. It recommends wonderful, full of life stories for us to read, as well as some great activities (I use this word loosely) to take learning further.

So, our first book was How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World. About a gal who decides to make an apple pie but finds the market closed. She then travels to different countries finding the finest ingredients for her pie. We read this story once each day and then took a part of the book a little further in a lesson (geography, art, science, etc.).

Reading makes up the largest part of our curriculum. Hmmmm, maybe that isn't quite the truth. Training Fish to play on his own without destroying things may actually be taking precedence right now. Oh, the joys of an active, to say the least, three year old.

Next comes math. We are working through Right Start Math which is awesome for Treefrog at this point. I have planned through Lesson 10 and there is only one worksheet in those first ten lessons. It is, obviously, very manipulative based and that has been great so far.

Handwriting is a combination of copywork from books that we are reading or that he chooses (thanks for that great idea, J!!) and pages from a book we started working on this summer.

There was a lot of time for Treefrog, Fish, and Pillbug to interact (which I love) throughout the day. We had breaks to change diapers, get snacks or drinks, clean up messes, go for a walks, help a friend in crisis, etc. Though the week was tough, it is what I thought it would be - a LOT of family life with a bit of school. The tide will turn one day and family life will focus more on school, but for now, I'm going with the flow.

The obligatory "First Day of School" picture:

Meet Brielle

2010-08-28T17:41:00.000-07:00

Isn't she so cute?!

We recently got the chance to meet "our cow." We are a part of a creamery and receive a gallon of milk each week from one of two cows on a farm about ten miles from our house. Both cows are pregnant right now and the one in the pictures isn't due until about February. The other cow will deliver sometime in the next couple of months (so she is getting a break from milking right now so her body can grow that calf!). We will make another trip out when the calf is born, but hope to visit sooner than that if possible.

Treefrog and Fish had a great time running around, saying hi to Brielle, and thanking the cows for giving us milk (literally! It was so cute to hear Fish, "Thank you for our milk!"). Treefrog, ever sensitive to smells, decided it wasn't very pleasant to breathe right next to Brielle. He did like climbing over the hay piles and jumping from higher-than-Mama-would-prefer.

I resisted the urge to offer my milking services on a regular basis, but just barely. I would love to get my hands on those udders *wink*

It is such a huge responsibility, caring for two milk cows. I'm so glad that there are people who are willing to make these two beauties a part of their life! The milk is delicious and fresh. We see first hand how the cows are cared for, the process of milking the cows, and how the milk is cooled quickly to keep it fresh longer. I have had people ask me if I am nervous about giving my family raw milk and my answer is a resounding "NO!" It is very comforting seeing the entire process and knowing the milk my kiddos are drinking is roughly 12 hours out of the udder.

Want to find a creamery near you? Check out this website. It is an incredible source of information for local food sources all over the United States.

A Day at the Beach

2010-08-23T15:12:00.000-07:00

Laughing

Running

Splashing

Playing

Watching

Learning

Seeing

Building

Breathing

Loving

A Quick Check-In

2010-08-20T14:13:00.000-07:00

I haven't disappeared. My mom came for a visit and life was rather busy with her here - busy in a very good way! We had fun at OMSI, exploring the tide pools at the beach, and going for walks. Of course, we went to The Cheesecake Factory (a little tradition we have going on) and shopping. Mom bought us a butter bell to keep our homemade goodness a bit fresher and a laundry system (to sort clothes as we take them off, instead of my previous system which was put them all into one bin).

I was delighted with these gifts.

Am I a grown-up or what?

Thanks for a wonderful visit, Mama!

Confession 3

2010-08-08T16:10:00.000-07:00

I buy Reese's Cups and Dr. Pepper, consume them together, and don't feel an ounce of guilt.

Sittin' On the Dock of the . . . Bed?

2010-08-04T20:10:00.000-07:00

I'm in bed.

It's the end of a CA-razy week. Last Tuesday I lost Fish. Friday I turned thirty. Saturday we all got the flu and Pillbug cut the tip of her finger off. Today my back decided to spasm.

So, here I sit.

*Sigh*

Here are the details of each event. Tuesday: Fish squeezed his little-big behind through a hole that he had made in our fence and then into our neighbor's fenced-in backyard. Many folks helped me search for him and he was gone a total of 15-20 minutes. It seemed like a lifetime. He patted me on the shoulder when our neighbor brought him back and said, "It's okay Mama. Don't cry. It's okay." The little buggar.

Friday: 30. 'nough said.

Saturday: I woke up thinking my hormones were to blame for feeling like a Bitch (and trust me, it deserves that capital B!), but it turned out I, and the rest of my family, was just getting a stomach bug. Of the vomiting variety. Great. It hit Ben first. Then Treefrog. I held it together until about 4 pm and asked if I could take a shot at laying down since I was feeling queasy too. I had been in our bed for roughly two minutes when I heard The Scream. I bolted out of bed and met Ben at our bathroom door. He was holding our screaming Pillbug who was missing the tip of her finger. Sweet Treefrog had been trying to bring Ben a glass of water since he was throwing up. Ben told Treefrog to shut the door so Pillbug didn't follow him in and Treefrog shut it rather aggressively, taking Pillbug's middle finger with it. Oh, that image is hard for me to remember. She and I rode in an ambulance to our Children's hospital and met our favorite ER doc. He gave her six stitches and sent us on our way. Tylenol and Ibuprophen are working wonders at controlling her pain. I found out today that she really likes to look at it and try to pull the stitches out. Apparently, it isn't bothering her too much.

Today: Scene - lunch time in a typical American house. Mama is shredding cheese for quesadillas. Friend of the Dad, J is keeping Pillbug from clawing at Mama. Mama is looking uncomfortable.

Mama: Gosh, I really need to crack my back. And if I am ever rich I am buying all my cheese pre-shredded!

Dad enters kitchen.

Mama: Oh, I'm glad you're home! If you pick me up to crack my back, will it work in the middle?

Dad: Yeah, it should.

Mama: Wait! You have a broken back. You can't lift me!

Dad: Yes I can!

Dad begins chasing Mama around trying to pick her up.

Mama: Joke's over! Stop it!

Mama lays on floor and swings legs from side to side to stretch and crack her back. She attempts to get up from the floor and at that moment realizes she has made a mistake. A very. big. mistake.

Yes, this is my life. One child who is an escape artist, one with stitches, and me not being able to move an inch without shooting pain in my back. Oh to be 29 again!

Confession 2

2010-07-30T16:08:00.000-07:00

Due to [insert whatever justification makes sense at the time; tiredness, laziness, I-don't-care-ed-ness . . .], I sometimes throw away a perfectly recyclable container because it still has food residue in it.

It All Ended In Screaming and Crying

2010-07-26T13:31:00.000-07:00

I know the pictures I'm about to show you will in no way depict that title. You'll just have to trust me. A mile walk to the ice cream shop apparently is not overcome by a scoop (or, in Ben's case, two scoops) of ice cream. There was much rending of clothing and gnashing of teeth. BUT. Before that, we had this:

Oh Fish! I will never get past that smile!!

This is the first time I have ever seen Treefrog eat an ice cream cone (he usually wants one, but then uses a spoon to finish the ice cream and throws away the cone).

I know you all are jealous. She is not for sale.

And neither is he.

Confession 1

2010-07-19T16:04:00.001-07:00

After submerging myself in the blueberry bushes to get all the berries the birds so kindly leave us in the most unreachable places, I roll around on the floor like a dog to make sure I don't have any bugs on me.

Unless Ben is home.

Then he gives me a rub down. And not that kind of rub down. Geez.

This is something I'm toying with - maybe a confession per week? Who knows. Sometimes I start things and don't follow through. Hmmm, maybe that is confession 2 ;)

Weekend Sewing

2010-07-19T13:29:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I found myself with a bit of time on my hands AND a sewing project started (and by "started" I mean I had the main four pieces cut). When the stars align, one simply cannot push them aside, so I started sewing.

I started a bit before this with the cutting of the fabric. Other than that, it was just following the directions (fold this seam, sew, pin these together, sew, etc) and viola! Here's the final product (a dress for Pillbug):

I'm not kidding about how easy this project was. I am an amatuer sewer at best and I had absolutely no problem with this pattern. It came from a great book I splurged on one weekend called Making Children's Clothes by Emma Hardy. I fell in love with this book the instant I picked it up. It has great ideas and requires very little previous knowledge in sewing. I hope I can make more projects from this book soon, if only those darn stars align again!

Blueberry Sal

2010-07-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

That's a fun book, by the way, that we enjoyed when Treefrog and Fish we smaller. I should put that on my library queue while I'm thinking of it since it is blueberry season and all.

Anywho, we have been picking blueberries from our three bushes for about three weeks now. They started slowly and are peaking right about now. We have eaten A LOT of the berries so far and only put one gallon-sized baggie by for winter use. I'm not sure we are going to have many more to put by since our demand has increased as the boys have gotten older.

He just consumes what he picks . . . and whatever ones he actually puts into the bucket, Fish claims as his. Fish isn't a berry-picker (he's just a berry-eater).

What fun it is growing one's own food! We didn't even plant these bushes (I think renters previous to us may have put them in), but we sure do love taking care of them and harvesting the berries! I hope we are fortunate enough to be able to plant even more berry bushes and food when it is time for us to buy a house. That is definitely one of the qualifications - space to plant!

Afternoon Rut

2010-07-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

Round about 1:00, I tucker out. I want to drink my coffee and read. I don't want to answer questions or play games or argue any more. I'm all done.

Unfortunately, that feeling can last even after our family's rest time is over. Yesterday was one of those days. I had been hosting Ben's mom and sister and was finished with people. But, people were still here. I was poking around on the Intra-Web and found a recipe for homemade paint. Hmmmmm. Paint is messy. But, it is warm outside. . . . What if I made the paint and then threw the kids outside while I started dinner?! Genius!!!

Never you mind those Oregon Brewfest cups *wink*

That's what we did. Treefrog merrily followed me out and proceeded to paint picture after picture. Fish (who had fallen asleep during rest) grumpily joined Treefrog, stole his pictures and threw them into the pool. Good times. It did, however, afford me the chance to start dinner.

Today, everyone is gone (except Pillbug. She is still attached to Mama.). The boys are with Ben's parents and Ben is at work. I'm relishing in my time to myself while Pillbug sleeps, listening to the sweet music the coffee pot makes just before it is finished brewing and loving the fact that I swept the floor and it is still clean. Sigh.

He Knows How to Get What He Wants

2010-07-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

A scene from my day:

Treefrog (crying, mouth open, blood dripping down): What happened to me?

Me: Well, you busted your lip when Fish jumped on you. (checking teeth to make sure nothing else is wrong) Why don't I get you an ice cube to suck on? That will make your mouth feel better (inwardly sighing of relief that nothing else is wrong besides the busted lip).

Treefrog: I want ice cream.

Me: . . .

Yes, he got ice cream. So did Fish. The rewards/punishments for injuring here are, I think, pretty darn good.

Wildfires

2010-07-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

Ben and Treefrog had quite the adventure during their time away. About a mile and a quarter on to the trail they were originally following, a ranger met them. He was patrolling the trail to let folks know that sporadic wildfires had been spotted. The ranger said they had the option of staying, but Ben felt that wasn't the safest option with a first-time, five year old backpacker. So, they came home that night, tired and disappointed. After G-Man went to bed, Ben made some phone calls and found another spot - secluded, along a river, not too far in; perfect for our first time backpacker. The morning dawned and Ben let Treefrog know that all hope was not lost, but they would go to a different spot for a night. I had a quick errand to run (more about that later) and then they would leave again (no packing necessary since they were still packed from the previous attempt!!).

We had borrowed my father-in-law's truck for me to drive while the boys were out with our van. I just jumped in the truck for my errand and was gone about a half hour. When I got back, I noticed that our van's front tire was flat. Not quite un-driveable flat, but undeniably flat nonetheless. One more errand was added to the morning's happenings, and about an hour later, the boys were off again.

They went on a trail up on Mt. Hood (but not any of the trails on Mt. Hood - the ones where people almost die, just one that follows the Salmon River). A day spent walking along the river, splashing and playing, and setting up camp made for two exhausted boys. Ben said he and Treefrog were both asleep by 10pm. Ben was up and enjoying the sounds of the wilderness at 5:30. Treefrog joined him around 6:30 and promptly asked if it was time to go home yet (my little guy still likes a warm wake-up which is not necessarily afforded in the wilderness of Oregon). They made breakfast, packed and headed home.

Our dinner conversation centered around their trip and I think it was quite a success for Treefrog and Ben. Treefrog is all smiles when he talks about playing in the river and hiking. He tells of finding an injured bat and packing out an M & M that they found along the trail (because part of Leave No Trace's philosophy is to, well, leave no trace. Even if the trace was left by someone else, you have a duty to take care of it).

I am so glad that Ben got to do this with Treefrog. I can't wait (and neither can Fish!) for when he repeats this with Fish. We are undecided if Ben will take Pillbug or if she and I will get to go out together. Either way, I love the outdoors and the opportunity to instill that love in our kids.

Kindof a Big Deal

2010-07-05T14:05:00.001-07:00

I spent the last few days prepping for Treefrog's first backpacking trip with his dad. I couldn't resist snapping a couple of pictures before they pulled out early this morning.

Treefrog, do this *pointing off to the distance*
Why, Dad?
Just do it for the picture. It's funny.
Okay.

I'm hoping for lots of good stories from both parties upon their return.

Camping - Part 2, Dos and Don'ts

2010-07-05T13:36:00.000-07:00

Do . . . begin packing before the day you leave (go us for being on top of things!)

Don't . . . allow Ben to pack the girl's clothes (No, one long sleeved shirt will not be enough for the week, honey.)

Do . . . allow Ben to pack the boys' clothes and then double check to make sure he remembered the essentials (but don't tell Ben you are double-checking *wink, wink*)

Don't . . . forget to pack your underwear.

Do . . . make a list for the meals you need.

Don't . . . forget said list when going to the grocery.

Do . . . pack the cooler well. Mama don't like spoiled half and half, yo.

Don't . . . realize upon arrival at the campsite that someone forgot to pack the pots and pans . . .
AND the camp chairs
AND the toiletry bag (which included needed medicines for both Fish and Pillbug)

Do . . . decide to make it work and send Ben home to get forgotten items after partaking of s'mores.

Don't . . . leave s'mores supplies out assuming that Ben will put them back in the car upon his return.

Do . . . shine your flashlight at the bobcat (yes, a bobcat) and yell for Ben to GET OUT OF THE TENT RIGHT NOW AND DEAL WITH THE ANIMAL EATING OUR S'MORES SUPPLIES!!!!!

Don't . . . leave the cooler out the second night and have the exact. same. thing. happen. Only Ben is sleeping so deeply he won't wake up. Good times that night!

Do . . . take the kids to see awesome waterfalls and let them splash in the water.

Don't . . . expect Fish to walk. Apparently he is not capable of this feat once he is no longer at a playground.

Do . . . take the kids for a hike while Ben packs everything up on the last day.

Don't . . . expect Fish to walk. Apparently I'm not a quick learner.

Do . . . spend the next three dinners asking and answering the question (posed by Treefrog each time), "So. What was your favorite part of camping?"

Do . . . take lots of pictures since the ones in your head will not last forever, despite what you tell yourself.

Do . . . laugh a lot. Especially when things are forgotten and wild animals steal your cheese.

Do . . . plan to do it again. And again.

Camping - Part 1

2010-07-03T14:24:00.000-07:00

Goodness! Recovering from our camping trip while starting to get Treefrog and Ben ready for their backpacking excursion this coming week has taken quite the toll! Upon unpacking from our family's venture into the woods (sorta), I began cooking and dehydrating food for Ben and Treefrog (thanks for the use of your dehydrator A!!). Now that my part is finished in their trip, I get to sit back and relax. Oh, wait. I have two others that I'll be in charge of while Ben and Treefrog are gone. Sigh.

So, in order to give you a glimpse of our awesome trip, I'll just throw out some pictures for you to peruse. My hope is to have another post later in which I share the do's and don'ts of car camping. Let's just say that after 8+ years of camping together, one would think that Ben and I would have learned some lessons. Not so.

My three guys enjoying a bench seat behind a waterfall.

The boys being boys and throwing rocks into the water. Ben is attempting to keep Fish from jumping in (we were only semi-successful with that one!).

Treefrog on one of the many trails near our campsite.

Another trail by the site. We learned here that Fish isn't a big fan of using his own legs.

Pillbug spent the majority of her time attached to me (because it was butt-cold), but every once in a while she got a posh seat by the fire.

Camping!

2010-06-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

I can see why people own a camper now . . .

Why, yes, that IS my second cup of coffee for the morning in the foreground. Don't judge, people. Don't judge.

We are heading out, as soon as I am off the computer and the remainder of our stuff is packed (What? You thought one bag of clothes and three bags of food was all we were taking? Silly, silly reader.). A little south of us is a place called Silver Falls, of which we have heard some pretty good feedback. There are multiple waterfalls along a fairly short trail, swimming, and a playground. What more could this family ask for?! Well . . . maybe an RV to haul all of our stuff in.

Day Four of VBS

2010-06-24T15:43:00.001-07:00

Looks a little like this:

Me too, Fish. Me too.

Backyardigans

2010-06-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

So much fun can be had in the back yard:

After a morning spent at VBS, we were all pretty spent. As today is also baking day in my house, some time in our back yard was called for. Ben played tag and kept Pillbug from ingesting too much sand while I baked sandwich bread and strawberry bread. I didn't get to the hamburger buns (that I need for tomorrow - yikes!), so that'll have to be on the agenda first thing tomorrow when we return from VBS.

Well, what an exciting post this is:) Probably indicative of the weekend's wedding festivities. A five hour drive, two full days, and another 5 hour drive makes for two very tired parents. But, the windows are open, the house smells yummy, and brinner is on the menu for tonight!

Ten Things

2010-06-17T13:53:00.000-07:00

From SouleMama (an ALL TIME favorite blog):

And you?? What are ten things bringing you joy right in this moment? Write it down, say it out loud, photograph it, or share it with those you love..

1. A not-really-planned-out trip to the strawberry farm with Treefrog.

2. Watching Treefrog run down the rows of berries.

3. Finding strawberries that say, "Treefrog, you must eat me right now!"

4. Meeting smiling friends at the farm

5. (Okay, enough about strawberries!) A delightful lunch (brought on by a freezer that had been inadvertently turned off by some little hands).

6. Rest time

7. Weekends away

8. Weddings

9. Peeks of sun

10. Gnarly Head Cab

Summer is Here!!

2010-06-13T15:33:00.000-07:00

I have fully embraced summer today. We (and by 'we' I, of course, mean 'Ben') set up the swimming pool. Can I just tell you,

3 boys + 1 swimming pool = a whole lot of fun (and mess, but we aren't thinking about that right now!).

We let Treefrog invite our neighbor over for a swim and they had a wonderful time splashing, getting into trouble, and torturing Fish. Poor Fish. He needs a buddy closer to us. Or maybe I just need to be more intentional about inviting his buddies over. One of those.

The set up of the pool was rather humorous. My mom had purchased this pool for the kiddos when she came out in April. It sat in a closet until today, in its original box. Before we set it up, Ben headed to the store to purchase an electric pump. My mom broke our last pump while setting up a different pool and we have been borrowing a friend's whenever we needed to use our air mattress. We figured it was time to invest in a pump. Upon beginning to blow up the pool, Ben realized there were three caps missing therefore the air wouldn't be able to stay inside. We had three very disappointed boys hanging around at that point. A few unproductive phone calls later (thanks for nothing Fred Meyer!), Ben headed back out and to the hardware store to see if he could find a cap that would fit. He returned semi-successful. The pool stays inflated for a bit, but will need emptied this evening as it won't hold throughout the night. We have the three needed caps on order and will hopefully get them before the weather turns cold again!

Today also continued our strawberry extravaganza. I am trying my hand at fruit leathers. Strawberry puree is currently hanging out on top of our grill outside to dry. I'll see how it's doing after dinner and then I may transfer it into the oven for a bit. I was trying to go low-energy on this one, so I am hoping the oven won't be needed. Oh, and strawberry shortcake is on the menu for dessert again. Hmmmm, I wonder if the kids will remember it is in the fridge . . . maybe they won't notice if we don't have it for dessert . . .

For the Love of Strawberries

2010-06-12T19:44:00.001-07:00

Well, one good thing about all this rain we have been having here in beautiful Oregon is that the fruit becomes out-of-this-world good. Sweet, juicy strawberries were picked on Friday afternoon. Since then, my family has been enjoying them straight up, with a bit of cream, in smoothies, and tonight's feature was . . .

Yum. Strawberry Shortcake.

Don't worry. I shared:

This picture was snapped just in time - I'm pretty sure Fish didn't breath during the two seconds it took him to consume this.

In Which I Share Too Much About My Feet

2010-06-10T14:29:00.001-07:00

I have issues with my feet. I am currently seeking out a support group for my feet. Let me know if you hear of a good one.

I remember as a kid HATING my feet. I was embarassed to wear flip-flops. I don't think I owned a pair of shoes that showed my feet until I was in college. I had to make a conscious decision to Stop. Hating. My. Feet. FortheloveofGod. The reason eludes me now. Maybe my toes were too stubby. Maybe the sides of my feet hung over every pair of sandals I ever tried on. . . who knows.

In college, I remember realizing that my feet weren't all that bad. Sure, they were wider than the average foot, but all in all, not too shabby. I started buying flip flops and I even got a pair of Birkenstocks (shut up - they were cool). I even painted my toenails.

Then I had a kid (and another, and another) and we moved to Oregon (is this a reason why? I'm not sure) and I began to have new foot-issues. You see, I have extremely dry skin. I use lotion like no one's business and still, my dryness persists. However, until a few years ago, I don't ever remember my feet suffering from this. Summers have turned into torture for my feet. They get so dry, they peel, they crack open, they are pretty much a pain in my arse.

For a while now, I have been treating this with lotion and socks at night and not wearing my sandals as much. This system has worked okay. It keeps the awful cracking at bay for the most part. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I noticed a spot on the ball of my foot that hurt with every step. I just ignored it, thinking it would eventually heal (it was probably just a cracked spot anyway, I thought). It hadn't gone away and last night, I decided it was time to inspect the buggar. Turns out there is a planar wart hanging out down there. Awesome. I now am hobbling around with an apple-cider-vinegar-soaked cotton ball bandaided to the ball of my foot in hopes that the acid will take care of it. The Internets tell me that this method will take around three weeks, but is less painful than having it cut or frozen and is a more permanent solution. Because, apparently, these things are prone to inviting friends. Awesome.

Don't worry. I'll keep you posted on how this treatment works and whether or not I can regain a love for my feet.

Success!

2010-06-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

Well, our pictures were successfully recovered (though all of the organization was lost). Ben is gearing up to leave for a conference, so those awesome posts I have in my head for those two special people who just celebrated birthdays will again be put aside. Maybe this year I will just handwrite a letter to them since this is getting ridiculous.

Another success is in regards to our weather - sunshine is finally here! Only for a day, but I'll take what I can get for now. We have spent most of the day outside and I am hoping that the trend continues for the remainder of the day!

Alrighty, I'm off to cajole my family into taking a walk. Though, I don't think I will have to work hard at this:)

One Computer Crash Later . . .

2010-06-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

We have had a wonderful weekend and beginning to our week. We spent Memorial Day weekend with Ben's family at a campground close to the coast (like within a mile from the coast, but, interestingly enough, I never seemed to make it there). It was truly a great trip for us. The kids had a blast, were filthy, and were totally worn out by the time we arrived home. We then began the birthday craziness in our family. . .

Our dearest Fish was born May 31, 2007. Pillbug decided to make her entrance into the world on June 1, 2009. So, it was our first year of birthday extravaganza!!! We had pancakes two days in a row since each child gets pancakes on his/her birthday in the shape of his/her age. As well as birthday cake and presents for each day. Whew - this is one tired out Mama!

One awful thing did happen this weekend, our computer's hard drive decided to go kaputt. Once again we may have lost all of our children's photographs (there is one more chance that they will be recovered on Thursday - keep those fingers crossed!!). We are for sure purchasing an external hard drive now. No more waiting for us. Uh-uh. We are on it. First thing tomorrow. I am waiting to do the birthday posts for Fish and Pillbug until after I see how many photographs can be recovered. Is it sacrilegious to pray about photos?

Oregon Rain

2010-05-25T15:33:00.000-07:00

[Side note: my favorite Phish song is their cover of Purple Rain, originally recorded by Prince. I find that funny.]

[Side, side note: this is my 100th post. I find that fun.]

Upon deciding to move to the great state of Oregon, Ben gave me a few 'lessons' in Oregon culture. He figured that we would fit in since, in our southwestern Pennsylvania home, we were known as the 'crunchy-granolas' because we, . . . wait for it . . . recycled and liked to camp - insert astonished, mouth-opened-wide GASP!! (Okay, so there may have been a few talks about me wanting dreads, but those never came to fruition so technically that shouldn't count against us.) Ben also assured me that our political views would probably not seem quite so left (indeed, we actually fall closer to the middle than the far left out here. In PA, we were most definitely far left-ists!).

The lesson that I like to bring up often though, the one at which I am constantly baffled that I believed, is Ben's proclamation that rain in Oregon isn't really like rain in PA. It's more of a drizzle; a constant one, he said, but a misty-drizzle nonetheless. Yes, to some degree my loving husband is correct. There are days that are just plain moist. Days when, though there is technically nothing falling from the sky, the glasses that adorn my face are wet and the air is thick. However, more days than not, my amazing man is wrong. We have actual raindrops falling from the sky, a LOT of raindrops falling. And, for the past couple of weeks we have been having downpours. Like, cats and dogs downpours. Spattered with hail. I am trying desperately to keep a good attitude these days, but holy hell, this is a lot of rain. I need some sunshine in my life (and would like to actually get some plants for the garden, call me crazy here, planted in the ground).

To Oregon's credit, we do have wonderfully warm, dry summers (usually July through September). Those are the months we all live for (and the sporadic days throughout the remainder of the year that we are given sunshine).

I guess for now I will continue to live for and look forward to those 90 degree days, full of sun, and out-of-door playtimes, with a thriving garden in the background. . .

Strolling Together

2010-05-16T19:50:00.000-07:00

We had declared this to be a rest day. The previous three days had involved two (yes, two!) trips to the zoo and a carnival. Our kids were done and we were too. Why is it, though, that when kids are tired they still insist on being energetic? Don't they understand the beauty of a nap? Or sitting and reading quietly? Geez.

We knew this going in to our declared-day-of-rest. Ben and I were prepared for the whining and the not-so-peaceful actions. When we saw that things were escalating a bit too much, we decided to step in and separate the kiddos. Treefrog and Fish had the "I'm going to clobber you to get you to do what I want" tiredness, so we knew that they needed separated. The toss up was Pillbug. Each boy individually dotes on her and so we Rock-paper-scissored for it, and Ben won the privilege of taking Pillbug with him. The three of them drove off to find us some local, raw honey (allergies are upon us full force, our normal honey-supplier is STILL. NOT. OPEN., and we are Desperate). Treefrog and I decided a stroll through the woods was in order.

The beauty of where we live is that we are within walking/biking distance of the grocery, post office, our church, and many friends, as well as The Canyon. The Canyon is part of the college campus and is a wooded area that is home to many paths, a creek, and a few wild life. One year we had a hawk that nested there. It is usually teeming with nutria and deer have been known to meander around as well. Today, we got a little taste of wildlife as I almost stepped on a snake. It was a garter snake (ours looked like the one in the top right corner of the link) and so there was no fear as it was just lying there. Treefrog decided to watch it for a while and so we stood while it slowly made its way across the path and into the dried leaves off the side. It was a peaceful few moments. He asked many questions about the snake (some answers I knew, some I said we would have to look up) and we did a search for the snake's possible home. Eventually Treefrog was ready to move on, collecting wood for his "campfire" in our backyard, and I realized that the kids' kind of restfulness is rejuvenating in its own way. I like strolling with my biggest little man.

p.s. The honey was only available in the gallon size. For $60. We are still honey-less.

Tuesday Nights Revive My Soul

2010-05-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

Each Tuesday evening I can be found (or can be found wanting to be) at my friend A's house for a few hours. She hosts a "Craft Night." At times there is a little bit of talking and a good deal of knitting/crocheting/whatever-ing. While at other times there is only talking, wine, and chocolate. One never knows what the night will hold beyond good company, freedom to just be, and a lifted spirit at the end. Tuesday evenings have become a sanctuary for me.

Thank you, A, for making your house available, allowing us to laugh loudly, talk too much, craft too little, and stay too late each Tuesday evening. The time there revives me for the remainder of the week!

Last night we spent much time talking to a new(er) friend about our milk choice. I haven't blogged about this yet, but, well, we've gone raw. (Are you keeping a list? I now make my own deodorant, wash my hair with baking soda and vinegar, AND drink raw milk. It's official - I'm a hippie). We pay $5 per half gallon and get milk that was in the cow less than 12 hours previous to us taking our first drink. It is a beautiful thing for me. I love having a connection with a local farmer, making a sustainable choice for our milk, and knowing the cow from which we are consuming milk. So, our newer friend was intrigued (maybe a bit disgusted at first), but took the plunge, tried the milk, and declared, "Oh! It tastes just like milk!" I guffawed heartily and we moved on. It was fun introducing someone to the choice my family has made in a non-judgmental (hopefully!) way. There was no request for her to join us in getting the milk. We didn't talk her to death about the health benefits and/or the way our milk industry treats milking cows and/or the benefits to buying local. The three of us present who are buying the raw milk could have gone on for hours on these topics. But we didn't and I think that is what begins the process of good communication regarding these issues: Talking all friendly-like about the choices my family has made and accepting and communicating that not all families can or should make those same choices.

So, yeah, Tuesday nights rock. And buy local (when possible).

To Bake Bread or Cookies . . .

2010-05-10T21:26:00.001-07:00

Tonight, I chose the cookies.

Yesterday was a weird day. When people asked, I answered that it was good (after all, it was Mother's Day), and really, I didn't have much to complain about. Ben made me breakfast (a super yummy omelet with spinach, onion, pepper, and aged cheddar. mmmmmmmm), the kiddos got me a gorgeous hanging basket, and Treefrog made me a very cute plate in his pre-k. It was fine. Really.

Except, it wasn't.

Ben and I went to service for the first time in 2 (3?) months. We were out of town every weekend in March, I taught or helped in the third grade class throughout April, and then check outs happened. We were busy, is all I'm sayin'. Rewind to the previous times I had been to church. . . I had never once felt lacking in our service. I had never felt disconnected from those around me. I had never had the desire to stand up and scream about the lack of participation in the service. Never.

Until yesterday.

I sat in service and was struck by how I felt like I was watching a performance. I was put off by the people singing, or more like whispering, around me. I felt as though I was disconnected from those sitting in front, behind, and beside me. It put me in such a funk. I was restless. I was angry. I couldn't engage in the happenings, no matter how much I prayed for a connection.

Two months and the gathering that I have become a part of on Sunday evenings has completely flipped my world upside down without my knowledge. I was completely unprepared to realize that my church, my connection with other worshipers, the time where I feel I bring forth my gifts and offer them to God alongside others, was usurped by a gathering that, a year ago, I would have said I wouldn't have a place in.

I am still processing this - with Ben, with God, apparently here. I know I will be okay with this eventually. I think I will need to allow myself some time to mourn this loss. Does that sound silly?

Five Turns Around the Sun (now with pictures!)

2010-04-27T13:37:00.000-07:00

Five years ago today, Papa and I woke at 5:30 am. We were scheduled to be at the Washington County Hospital in Washington, PA to induce labor. My blood pressure had been running really high for quite some time, so it was evident that you needed a little help in coming out. We arrived at the hospital just before 7 am and by 7:30 I was hooked up to pitocin. Nurses flitted in and out, which we thought was normal. Around 9:30, though, they shared with us that this was not normal. Your heart rate was very concerning and we needed to stop the labor and go in for a "very quick" c-section. We were scared. The nurses told us it was fine, probably just a reaction to the pitocin. I hyperventilated a bit, but had a nurse that grabbed me by the shoulders, looked me in the eye, and breathed with me while the anesthetist found the needed spot for the spinal. At 10:30 am on April 27, you were born. Amazing, beautiful, a gift from God.

Papa got to hold you for a bit before they wisked you away to clean you up. For reasons we are still not sure of, I did not get to hold you again until 6pm that night. Papa went out to the nurses and demanded you be brought back to us. Good ol' Papa:) You nursed well and everyone cuddled with you and cooed at you. Around 9pm, you were still sleepy, but I attempted to wake you to have you nurse again. You would latch on, but then promptly fall asleep. A nurse happened by and started "helping" me. Soon, she called in for assistance. Two nurses sat by my side, telling me to move this way, hold you a different way, watch that I didn't smother you, poke you to keep you awake . . . and on and on for three hours. At midnight, me in tears, we decided to supplement with a bottle. The nurses took you to the nursery for shift change and to try a bottle. Exhausted, Papa and I fell asleep.

At 1 am, I was awakened by a doctor. He came in to inform us that your heart rate was extremely high and you were not responding to the normal methods to get the rate to come down. They needed to life-flight you to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. We stayed as close to you as they would let us (me in a bed, Papa standing) for the next 15 minutes until the helicopter arrived. The nurses snapped a polariod of you before you were taken "just in case."
Papa left with Judga to go be with you at the hospital and Nana came up to be with me. We learned around 5:30 on April 28 that you were going to live, indeed thrive, with the right combination of medications and/or a simple surgery. There were still many questions, but much relief at hearing this. I wouldn't make it up to see you until April 30 as I was recovering from the c-section. Papa and you bonded over those three days as he held you (when he was allowed), talked to you, and read to you.

Five years later, you still keep us on our toes. You are a light in our lives. You love playing superheros (you are Spiderman or, your own invention, Super Kid and you designate Fish to be The Hulk), running, drawing, and playing Redwall. You would rather be outside playing than inside most of the time (unless drawing is involved!). You have an endless supply of questions. You hate to be interrupted. You love your brother and sister (and say so very often). You love Pre-K, Sunday School, YoungLives, and Thursday morning Bible study. Many people asked you as your birthday approached what you wanted. You always had the same answer, "Well, whatever I get!" My sweet, sweet boy. I cannot remember what life was like before you came to be. I love you, my five year old. You are my most favorite Treefrog.

Pictures (in order): 18 months, 2 years, 4 years, 2 years with baby brother Fish, just after "The Fall" 4 years old, today with his birthday pancake

A Wet Fish

2010-01-28T19:19:00.000-08:00

Fish has decided to potty train himself. But, only when Ben is home. Aaaaaaand we are into RA selection season so Ben is rarely home. Oh, this child may just be the death of me.

Patience, Lord, patience.

On Sunday there is an "alternative worship service" at our church. We are attempting to fill a need that was spoken (5+?) years ago. I jumped on just before Christmas and have been trying to find my niche in the group. For the first couple of months, I felt like I left every meeting asking myself why I was doing this. I was satisfied with our "normal" church service . . . well, as satisfied as I can be as a Presbyterian attending a Quaker church. The changes I would make to the service would probably get me thrown out of the church, or at least whispered about:)

Anyway, I digress.

Recently I found my position. I may not be hip to all the young kids' music or be able to contribute significantly to the message or have the patience to hold kids in childcare, but I can make food. Hence, the baking of bread. Today was stock day. I made roughly 2 gallons of vegetable stock for a black bean soup. Again, I worshiped in my kitchen and it was good. It got me through the peeing off the chair (and onto bedroom carpet), the peeing on the couch during "rest time," and the nibbles my Pillbug takes whilst nursing.

God is good!

The To Do List, She keeps Growin'!

2010-01-26T15:46:00.000-08:00

Well, Pillbug does indeed have something more serious: kidney reflux. Life is never dull, eh?

These days my list of things to get done just seems never ending. Especially when throwing in days of Fish taking A LOT of energy and a teething babe. Fish is sitting into his two-dom very nicely, thankyouverymuch. There are many tantrums throughout each day due to his stage in life. I respect that he is growing and developing. Really, I do. Somedays I just wish that growing and developing would happen a little more quietly is all.

I'm in the middle of baking bread for our alternative church service this weekend. I find baking (especially bread, but anything will do really) very centering. In many ways, baking and being in the kitchen is a time where I can meet God in ways that singing and being around a large group of people cannot provide. The time in my kitchen is so precious, so focused on the task at hand, so worshipful. Having my hands in bread dough or mixing batter of some sort brings me a sense of warmth. I provide nutrition for my family and/or friends as well as nutrition for my soul.

My prayer is that I can cling to these rare moments where I can be in the kitchen while the kids are occupied upstairs (or sleeping in her crib) and utilize the energy given to be a better, more patient Mama. Lord knows I need all the help I can get:)

Two

2010-01-13T10:49:00.001-08:00

It is a simple number. Small, unobtrusive. I have good memories of the number two. Once there were just two of us in this family of ours. At another point, we had only two little guys sharing our space.

And then Pillbug entered the picture. "Two" took on a whole new meaning.

Two is:
the month in which we discovered a severe ear infection in her left ear.
the number of antibiotics we used to get rid of said ear infection
the number of kidneys my little girl has
the number of visits to her doctor this month to treat her tiny kidneys holding a very big infection
the number of shots of a strong antibiotic to get the infection under control
the number of antibiotics since then that she has had to take: one strong one for 10 days, another lesser, preventive one until . . .
the number of tests that need to be ran on Pillbug to see if she has something more serious going on in her urinary tract
the number of times I was peed upon in an attempt to get a urine sample to make sure the infection is gone

So, two? Doesn't seem so small anymore.

The Challenge of Vacations

2010-01-04T13:26:00.000-08:00

We have three weeks at the end of each year for 'break.' The students are gone for winter break and the holidays are upon us. Ben took two weeks of duty this year and so our break didn't actually start until Saturday. He kicked it off with a Lord of the Rings movie marathon (extended editions) while I did some cleaning, cooking, and chatting with friends. It was a good beginning for both of us.

We rolled through a normal Sunday (church, lazy afternoon, evening together reading, etc.) and then Monday hit. We aren't supposed to have the crazy-Monday-syndrome while on vacation, you know? But, somehow we managed to do just that! After each of us taking a time out and refocusing, we came back together and made a plan for the week. I think it'll go a bit more smoothly now that our expectations are set.

Now, I'm off to look over some home school books at our church to see if I can get some ideas as to what I'll need for the upcoming year.

A New Year

2010-01-01T11:44:00.001-08:00

2010 is here. I wonder what this year will hold. We have had a pretty crazy end to 2009. To sum it up: A significant head injury (Treefrog), bladder spasms (Fish), and a UTI that turned into a kidney infection (Pillbug). Yep, all within 5 weeks time.

I'm not necessarily one for resolutions, but there are a few things I would like to see happen this year. One, exercise more (doesn't everyone say this?!). Two, blog more. Three, make a point to play with my kids more.

There are many things that I could do better, but I would just like to focus on these three. I think keeping it simple, using broad terms, and allowing myself the freedom to shape the goals as time goes on will help make these things happen this year.

Signing off for now and hoping to be back sooner rather than later:)

Super Mom!

2009-08-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

Not! :)

I am a bit proud of myself today. Ben is still in the middle of the August rush (my friend last night lovingly called me a Residence Life Widow!), so we are spending much of our days being - just being. Today, though, I had the kids dressed and ready to go (along with myself) by 9am. I had a date, you see. A date with the track. So, while I walked circles pushing Pillbug in the stroller, Treefrog and Fish played in the grass. It felt so good to be out. Even though my time ended when Treefrog decided to hit Fish in the head with a large rock, it was good to go. The boys had fun and I'm pretty sure Fish will sleep well this afternoon.

When I got back from the walk, I even managed to get a shower. Pillbug spent some time in the swing and the boys started outside and then moved inside to watch The Lion King. Oh the joys of juggling three children and trying to get some self-care in! I do feel so blessed by these little ones. I'm glad they are a part of my life:)

Well, Pillbug is screaming so my blogging time has come to an end. If you would like to join me tomorrow, I'll be at the track at 9am!

I'm Not Sure

2009-08-05T17:02:00.001-07:00

I don't know if I'm back or not. My days are filled to the brim right now with this new little one who I have lovingly dubbed Pillbug for the blog-o-sphere. Pillbug turned our world upside down on June 1, a mere 34 minutes past her big brother Fish's birthday (and, incidentally, my friend J's birthday!). Since that day I have been enamored with her ways. She has a personality all her own that is really nothing like her older brothers'. Treefrog and Fish love having a baby to call their sister. And, I'm pretty sure Ben has completely lost his heart to her. My family is so sweet. I am utterly blessed by these beings in my life.

Today ended hard (my "day" is over when Ben gets home - then it is evening), so Ben escaped with the kids for a while to give me some quiet just before deciding that we needed a night out for dinner. So, in a few short minutes, I'll put away my computer and grab all the gear that we need to tote a baby girl around and we'll go somewhere that I will not have to cook the food or clean the dishes. And I will feel blessed even more to have that choice.

Tomorrow I will wake up and the laundry will still be here (oh, the cloth diapers!), the kids will still be at very different stages of needs, and Ben will still need to go to work for the day, but I will be refreshed. These few minutes of quiet (especially when paired with a dinner out!) are so rejuvenating these days. Maybe when this feeling of being refreshed isn't so illusive, I'll promise to post more often:)

Raspberries

2009-05-24T19:07:00.000-07:00

The other day, Ben, Fish, Treefrog and I were outside enjoying the sunshine. Treefrog was doing his own thing digging in the dirt and Fish was clinging to my "bap" (a.k.a. lap) which I have come to believe is his way of dealing with the impending transition to three children in our house. Somehow we started talking about the baby. He leaned over my bulging belly, patted it, and said, "Baby?" I said yes and so he decided to investigate further.

My shirt was lifted to reveal the entirety of my belly and Fish began talking to the baby. I asked him to tell her to come out and so he did. Then, upon finding my belly button, he proceeded to give the baby raspberries. As I sat there laughing, it drew the attention of my faithful hubby and Treefrog. Fish wasted no time in inviting them along for a few raspberries of their own and the rest was history. I was laughing so hard as my belly received raspberry after raspberry. Every boy on and around my lap was also enjoying a good laugh and from the movement going on inside, our little girl was having a blast as well:)

We are hoping for a delivery soon. The sooner the better so we can introduce her to the beautiful Oregon sunshine and a few raspberries of her own!

Avoiding Posting

2009-04-28T11:30:00.000-07:00

I was talking late one night recently with my friend J. Well, it was 8:30 - that's still pretty late for us pregos! I was sitting amongst a pile of clothing, folding, sorting and the like and we were laughing. Laughing at the fact that this last pregnancy for both of us has hit hard . . . She is homebound, trying to keep her sanity and her health in tact, and I am done not being the Mama I want to be. We laughed at what this has done to our attitudes (namely we have both become grumble-monsters) and we shared the small spots where we have been finding inspiration. J has been faithful at posting on her blog about the good things each day: yummy foods she has concocted, fun times with her three kiddos out of utero, the good things about her changing body, etc. I, on the other hand, have found solace in reading other's perspectives of the good (J's, Outnumbered, and especially the ever-inspiring SouleMama). The phone call was relatively short for us (we've been known to talk MUCH longer), but it filled a spot that I didn't realize was needed.

I love having this pregnancy be shared with someone else. We are a mere two weeks apart (Lucky Duck J is two weeks ahead of me!!). Way back August, I can remember standing in J's business and laughing at how fun it would be to be pregnant together. Then it happened:) Though is has been a rough pregnancy for both of us and maybe not as blissful of a thing to share as we thought, the other night's phone call so reminded me of that happiness of sharing in this together. Of feeling the other's morning sickness. Of knowing just why she reacted to her hubby like that (cause I did earlier in the day as well). And of understanding that while this isn't the best moment in parenting for either of us, it is still a moment from which we can find encouragement.

So, while J continues to post regularly about the good things in her life, I will probably continue to post irregularly. I will however, remain a faithful reader of those who bring me inspiration to hang on to the good of each day!

TV Has Become My Life

2009-04-14T22:18:00.000-07:00

Wow - 32 weeks and counting. My back is much better. One Wednesday I woke up and baby had moved, so no more back pain! About a week or so later I went into early labor and and had quite a few hard contractions. We had two appointments in a week and I ended up sleeping every chance I got for the remainder of the week. Contractions lasted through this weekend (though not as hard as the ones on Tuesday). I have found myself staying at home a lot and in front of the television.

This is a pretty big switch from our normal life. Ben and I normally play games in the evenings or read together on the couch. The TV was only used as the free babysitter it should be used as:) I'm trying to give myself the freedom to embrace this time - the exhaustion, the uncomfortable body, the lack of a brain, etc. But it is hard. I am not the Mama I want to be during pregnancy. I notice it so much more this time around since Treefrog is older and will tell me when he doesn't like what's happening. He is definitely seeking attention in crazy ways (pretending to be a baby, disobeying, intentionally hurting Fish). I know many of these actions are normal 3/4 year old behavior, but it is also a reflection of how little energy I have for playing in the afternoon, or mornings for that matter!

Each day I'm starting with a simple prayer, "Help me, Jesus." I know that this is just a short season of our life and I know that God is so much bigger than my poor parenting during these nine months. Just yesterday Treefrog and I talked about how he is so lucky to have a papa here and one in Heaven who is with him all the time. He even decided to play a game with Jesus for while:) I know he is being taken care of, that he recognizes that God is with him, I just wish we could fast forward through this pregnancy to having the baby and trying to get back to "normal," whatever that will look like with three kids!

Tired Eyes

2009-03-07T14:11:00.000-08:00

Sleep isn't coming easily these days. My back has been really hurting and I finally picked up that virus that my boys have both been fighting for two (three?) weeks now. I succumbed to Unisom last night, but still had interrupted sleep as my throat dries out considerably throughout the night. Each day I try to encourage myself that I am one day closer to being done with this cold and my night's sleep should be better:)

Tonight should be a fun night, however. Ben and I won tickets through a raffle at the college where he works and so he and I are heading in to Portland to see a Trailblazers game. This is my first NBA game ever, so I'm pretty excited. Plus, a little trip to VooDoo Donuts will be in order for after the game! Trans fats here we come!!

Butt Naked

2009-03-02T21:41:00.001-08:00

Today was a rather trying day. Treefrog is finally feeling better (thanks to a 3 hour trip to the doctor's including a nebulizer, a steroid shot, a lung x-ray, and an at home albuterol inhaler). Also, with all the rain here in the Pacific Northwest, he has felt rather cooped up. Today was our first sunny day in quite sometime. Or at least I think it was the first sunny day . . . I guess I just can't be sure since I went 72 hours last week without leaving the house. Anywho, back to Treefrog. So my cabin-fevered little boy was very blessed today by the sunshine. When Fish went up to their room for his afternoon nap, Treefrog decided to go outside to play. He was in our backyard for about a half hour, maybe forty-five minutes. I heard the pitter-patter of his feet hurrying inside and looked around from my blog-viewing to see a very naked, dirty little boy.

Me: "Treefrog! Where are your clothes?"
Treefrog: "Ummmm, weeeeeelll. They're outside."

M: Why are they outside?
T: Because they are wet.

M: Why are they wet?
T: Because there is some water in the wheel barrel and I played in it.

He then proceeded to give me the sweetest and most exceedingly innocent smile I think I have ever seen him give. So, we washed him up and he spent the rest of the afternoon running around inside in his undies.

***********

Another fun scene from life with Treefrog:

Yesterday was a dessert day for our family and through a series of events, Treefrog had lost the choice for dessert. After dinner, Ben was enjoying his strawberry shortcake and Treefrog sidled up to him.

Treefrog: "Papa, can I have a bite?"
Ben: "No, buddy, you lost your choice of dessert tonight."

T: Well, what if I pretend like it isn't dessert? Can I have a bite then?

Bacon Grease

2009-02-25T10:39:00.001-08:00

Last night was a night to remember.

Ben had group interviews with college students from 5:30 - 9:30, so I was solo-parenting it. Treefrog had been feeling rather yucky during the afternoon and at about 6:30 I noticed that he was fevered. 101.8 meant a dose of Ibuprophen. He likes taking medicine (especially since it is a rarity with him) and downed it in a flash saying, "Mmmm. That's good." While I was administering the medicine, Fish opened our childproofed frig (no longer duct taped, but an actual "child-lock" that he figured out within 2 minutes of installing), pulled out our grape juice (and our cup of congealed bacon grease which becomes important later in the evening), took the lid off the juice, and proceeded to attempt to take a drink from the container. The result? Juice all over the kitchen floor. At that point was when I turned to the best babysitter known: Veggie Tales.

After cleaning up the juice I decided to go ahead and throw both boys in the tub to help with Treefrog's fever, to keep them occupied, and to get them clean - three birds with one stone, go me!!! Fish was a wild-child in the tub and was soon bathed and out (so much for keeping him occupied/contained) since water was ending up all over the floor. I dried him, clothed him, and reinforced the child-locked frig (yes, duct tape was involved again) and turned my attention to Treefrog to get him bathed and out of the tub. 2 minutes people. That's tops of how long I was in the bathroom with Treefrog and without Fish. May I repeat: TWO MINUTES.

Treefrog and I walked out of the bathroom to Fish who had gotten the bacon grease cup off the counter (where I had stupidly put it instead of locking it into the frig). Apparently, he felt like the cup would make a pretty good shoe. And who wouldn't, really? So, my lovely fish had a foot all bacon greased up and had walked throughout the kitchen and dining rooms and into the carpeted hallway. Do you like the smell of cooked pig? Cause I'm pretty sure my house will now permanently smell like so.

Oh, wait, folks! That's not all. Both boys went to bed around 7:30. Ben got home at 10:00, and by 10:30, Treefrog was back up and feeling rather warm. A mere 104.2 temperature greeted us. A call to the advice nurse determined that we should monitor the temperature throughout the night and flip back and forth from Tylenol to Ibuprophen. So, my committed hubby slept on the pull out couch with our sick guy, checked his temp every two hours, and administered the meds. It was a bit of a flashback to our first days with Treefrog as he had a heart condition at birth that required around-the-clock meds for two years.

So, all in all, I'm trying to find the positive things in this:
1) Ben - amazing, loving husband who sacrifices so much for us!!
2) My wood floor is now more conditioned than any other product could have made it.
2a) Sliding around on the slippy floors with socks, oh yeah.
3) Spending time one-on-one with Fish as Treefrog sleeps away in our bed.
4) Sweet, sweet Treefrog snuggled down, wanting some hugs, a little juice, sleep, and nothing more.
5) It's a rainy spring day here in the Pacific Northwest, so at least we aren't inside on one of our rare sunny days.

My plan is to cling to these positives throughout the day (and the next two) as Ben leaves each morning, only to return around 5pm or so. Jesus, you are strong in our weakness!!

Sick Day; Plus: A Hippie Update!

2009-02-21T15:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I woke up feeling awful. Two nights in a row of little sleep (thank you, pregnant body for making it sooooo comfortable to sleep) plus caring for a sick Fish meant a Mama who was ready for a day off. Alas, that was not to be. So, I plugged through the day. It was definitely not my shining moment in parenthood. Poor Treefrog was constantly being told to go outside and play (granted, it was a gorgeous day and he should have been outside anyway!), and Fish was also feeling neglected as I was not in the mood to hold him as much as he wanted. Sick Fish = Clingy Fish = Cranky Mama.

Today is Ben's day to feel yucky. Treefrog was up four times last night (Ben took the first two shifts and I took the last two shifts). He slept in until 8, but that meant that Fish was up at the same time. Ben likes to start the mornings a little slower than Fish does, so he started out with a strike against him. Both boys are feeling pretty good today, so that meant a lot of energy being displayed right off the bat (strike number two). And the final strike? Me springing wanting to go to story time at our local coffee shop. Ben obliged, but the crankiness continues. To hopefully combat his mood, he is now at the seminary he attends "working." I assume he will work, but will also take some time for himself - which is not only needed, but warranted as well!!!

Hippie Update:
In my continued spurt of finding my inner-hippie, I have decided to go "no-poo" due to the fact that my hair is drying out from this hormonal pregnancy. Also, I just finished making my own facial cleanser. The jury is still out on the no-poo and facial cleanser, but I just got out of the shower having used a baking soda wash and vinegar rinse on my hair and homemade facial cleanser, and then applied my homemade deodorant and I have never felt more hippie-ish in my life. Here's to a squeaky clean hippie (is that possible?!)!!

Sometimes My Inner-Hippie Comes Out

2009-02-18T09:45:00.000-08:00

I guess it is confession time. I have had an inner desire since my college days to be a full-fledged hippie. On several occasions I have researched/desired putting my hair into dreadlocks. I would love to repurpose my clothing instead of buying new. I have gone without shampooing my hair for six weeks (when I hiked in Wyoming with the CCO). I currently am in a bread co-op where all of the bread we consume is homemade and organic. I would love to feed myself and our children only raw cow's milk, raw cheese, and allow that nothing processed by anyone other than me cross our lips.

All this leads me to my latest venture into discovering/achieving my hippie-dome: Deodorant making. For some time now I have been using Tom's of Maine deodorant (unscented if anyone cares). With this latest pregnancy I have noted a definite increase in the smell generated by my body. Night sweating and morning inability to control my body temperature has made good ol' Tom's ineffective for my hormonal body. Thus, I tried my hand at making my own deodorant the other day. Here is my report: For three full days now (including my episodes of nighttime and morning-time sweats) I have been stink-free. This amazing recipe has solved all of my problems!! I have even talked Ben and two other friends into taking the plunge into the homemade deodorant realm:)

Now, if I could just convince my hair to dread, buy a new sewing machine that actually works, and throw out all my processed food I could finally achieve my goal of becoming a hippie. Sigh, someday.

My Question Monster

2009-02-04T09:04:00.000-08:00

So Treefrog has reached that age. The age everyone goes through and then promptly tries to forget. The age of questioning. It started off innocently enough. Heck, we even encouraged the little buggar to continue asking. Now, however, we realize we created a monster.

Exhibit A: Family Movie Night; watching Madagascar

Treefrog - Papa, where's the lion?

Papa - I think he went to sleep, buddy.

T - Papa, is the lion gonna eat the zebra?

P - I don't think so, buddy. They are friends.

T - Oh. Well, I think he may eat him. What is that?

P - A lemur.

T - What sound does he make?

P - I don't know.

T - Where's the hippo?

P - Just watch the movie!

Exibit B: Just before bedtime

Treefrog - Mama, the baby in your belly can't hear me.

Mama - Yes, honey, she can.

T - Is the baby going to sleep now too?

M - Well, eventually she will. She just sleeps whenever she wants to.

T - Does the baby have a bed in there?

M - No, God made it snuggly inside Mama so the baby is always nice and comfy.

T - Can the baby hear me?

M (finally catching on that this will never end) - Go to bed, Treefrog!

Lather, rinse, and repeat many times throughout a day. His questions usually revolve around two subjects - animals (mainly what sounds they make) and the new baby (usually whether or not she can hear us). It is super cute for the first 15 minutes in the mornings. Then I want to pull my hair out:)

Lions and Tigers and Bears

2009-02-02T13:44:00.000-08:00

Oh my!

This was my morning, however. No, we did not go to the zoo. We simply walked upstairs, Treefrog, Fish, and I and entered the world of imagination. It was very fun to put on the dress up clothes we have for animals (nothing fits Mama, though, so I stayed dressed in my jeans and t-shirt), get down on all fours, and eat fish, beavers, zebras, and bears. Yes, apparently bears eat other bears in my son's animal kingdom.

By the time we came downstairs for snack, I was tuckered out. It doesn't take much these days:) The boys had peaches and peanut butter on bread while I looked longingly at the Dr. Pepper and Reese's Cups that Ben had surprised me with yesterday. There was no way I was sharing those treats, so I saved them until I could lock myself in the office and do some afternoon blogging.

I would say my priorities are just fine today: Play with kids, wait til their distracted, consume Dr. P and Reese's Cups. Yep, no worries there!

Warm Bread

2009-01-30T14:22:00.000-08:00

This is my week for the mixer (it is shared between the members) and to make bread for the co-op that I belong to. Once per week we either make 6 loaves of bread or have 2 loaves of bread delivered to our doorstep. I have been a busy beaver with the mixer over the week. I started with a sampler loaf of the bread I wanted to make. Ben and I discussed it and made the changes that we thought were necessary, and then today came the actually baking. On other days, I made bagels (24 since I won't have the mixer again for three weeks) and pizza dough.

So, today the bread for the co-op looks great. It rose just like it should have, and it is currently baking away in my nicely warmed oven. I can't wait to slice into one of the loaves, slather it with Irish butter, and consume it savory bite by savory bite!

Oh, did I just make you hungry for some homemade bread?

There is plenty to share, so stop on by . . . you may just need to bring your own butter, though, because I use a lot;)

Cooking 101

2009-01-25T17:17:00.000-08:00

Sunday was my surprise day. All week Ben had been sitting on this secret, telling me I'm not allowed to plan anything for Sunday, I wouldn't be going to church, Sunday is all about me, etc. I started to get a little nervous Saturday because he has never before successfully kept a secret from me (ask me how he proposed someday), and there have been times that he is extremely excited about a surprise and it turns out not to be something I am overly excited about. So, Saturday, to ease my concerns, he let the cat out of the bag - I was going to cooking school!!!!!!!

My excitement built as I drew closer and closer to Portland where the class was being held. Who would be in the class? How would I compare to the others? Would we start out in the kitchen right away? Oh my, how excited I was!

I arrived about 15 minutes early and was immediately directed to my classroom - I had managed to get there even before my chef/teacher. Soon enough, others started arriving and before I knew it, the class had begun. We started with a power point and lecture, learning some basics on sanitation, terminology, and such. Then, it was in to the kitchen to tackle our knife skills. We practiced everything on potatoes and onions (oh, the tears!!) and I really got a feel for how to properly handle the knife. Our chef also did several de-boning demonstrations on whole chickens. It was pretty neat stuff. I'll never again pay for a chicken breast when I can get the entire chicken for the same price!!!

This was such an amazing and thoughtful gift from the love of my life! I know I have already said it too many times, but thank you, Babe!

Surviving the Chaos

2009-01-15T13:56:00.001-08:00

Well, hopefully that is what I'm doing. Sometimes it feels like I'm drowning in it.

We returned home from Christmas back east on Sunday and have been in recovery mode ever since. Our suitcases are still on the floor in various parts of the house. My pregnant body has still not fully recovered from two weeks in a foreign bed and eight hours in the air. My house was a little clean when we returned but now looks as though it vomited all over itself. The good? The boys are both sleeping through the night and seem to have adjusted back to our time zone (thank you Melatonin!!!). I don't have to cook lunch or dinner since we eat at the college's cafeteria. And, I can give the boys a loving shove out the back door when the house starts to close in on us (thank goodness there is not a train in our back yard!!!!).

So, at times I am feeling quite overwhelmed with all our stuff hanging around. However, there are quick moments now and again where I feel so blessed to be here. To be with my boys (oh yea, and this little girl I'm carrying around!), to drink in their energy and love and enjoy the moments we have together. I guess that is the only way one can survive the chaos!

"Christmas is All Around Us"

2008-12-21T13:59:00.001-08:00

Oh, such a funny movie . . . Love Actually in case you didn't get the quote in the title.

So, we are still in the Pacific Northwest and waiting patiently to begin our vacation to the east coast. We are scheduled on a red-eye tomorrow night, and though it is not the ideal flight we had in mind, we'll take it because I just want to get to my mom's for Christmas. It's kind of a big deal.

We have had three days of non-stop action here. On Thursday evening Ben's parents came to our house to celebrate Christmas early since we would be gone. On Friday we had a larger family Christmas gathering at Ben's uncle's house. And yesterday was the same uncle's birthday party a couple towns away. Each event involved a pretty treacherous trek over snow and/or ice depending on the day. We bought our first set of chains and used them the same day due to the snow and ice covered roads. The time with family was good, but frustrating as well. I've shared before how my mother-in-law doesn't communicate well and these events were no exception. We literally found out early each day what time events were being held and didn't know until after the birthday party that there was an additional dinner being held that night. I'm glad the time with Ben's family is over. I need a break!

Hopefully the boys will get another good night's rest and we'll all be ready for our night time flight to Pittsburgh. Jesus, help us be patient parents on this journey and as we battle fatigue on the other end as well!

What I'm Doing Right Now

2008-12-20T10:45:00.000-08:00

Talking to an agent with United to get a new flight since ours was canceled due to the snow.

Awesome.

What We Do . . .

2008-12-14T11:22:00.000-08:00

in Oregon when there is an inch of snow:

1) Cancel everything, possibly even church

2) Play, play, play; cause this only happens about once per year!

Here are some pictures from our first snowfall of this season. Enjoy!!

Fish and Treefrog hugging in the snow. I didn't have to beg for this at all:)

Treefrog loved every minute of the snow.

Fish wanted me to take his picture and then . . .

decided he hated everything about the snow. We tried for about 5 minutes to get him occupied with snow activities, but he just stood and cried anytime we set him down. So . . .

I came back inside with Fish and placated him with Elmo. Praise Jesus for Elmo!

I hope you have the wonder of snow wherever you are today! Enjoy it like a kid (preferably like Treefrog and not like Fish!).

The Civil War

2008-11-29T19:57:00.001-08:00

It's what the Oregonians lovingly call the football game played each year between the Ducks and the Beavers. The Beavers lost which is the team for whom we apparently root. Whatever.

In much more exciting news Ben and I had a little impromptu double date last night. Ben's parents came and got both the boys (whoot!) and gave us a night off. We decided to pop over to our friends' house to borrow a key and ended up making plans to go to a movie. It turns out that their kids were with grandparents too. So, we drove like maniacs to the theatre and got front row seats for Quantum of Solace (go us - my neck felt like it was permanently tilted upward at the end of the movie). The movie was very good and I loved listening to Ben's and our friend, S's, commentary after the movie.

But wait! I'm not done yet!

Today, our friends invited us over again to watch the Civil War. So even though I'm not a huge fan of the game, I actually had a good time. We ate pizza and ice cream and Ben shared his homebrew. A delightful evening!

We came home just in time to put the kids to bed. They were both so tired from their time at Yia-yia's that they went straight to sleep. It is wonderful having my two boys back after a couple of good nights' rest.

Still doing dishes

2008-11-28T10:09:00.000-08:00

This will be the third run of the dishwasher and this morning we are tackling the items that need to be hand washed. I hand wash most serving platters cause they are old; like belonged-to-my-great-grandmother old, and all of my pots and pans get hand washed due to the fact that those puppies are expensive and I need them to last forever, thanks.

We ended up with a pretty good evening all in all. My mother-in-law was not in a great mood since she had caught the brunt of my sister-in-law's attitude all day (she is 17 and pretty moody at times). And, of course, there were the inappropriate comments made by Ben's grandpa (he's 85, what can we do?). So, putting those things aside, there was lots of laughter, a round of what one is thankful for at the table, and good food to eat.

Plus the college student who joined us kept our boys entertained throughout most of the afternoon, so it was like we had a built-in babysitter! It was heaven:)

I loved being the hostess and doing most of the cooking. It was fun to be in the kitchen for two days, baking, cooking, roasting, basting, etc. I did yell out a few times, "This kitchen is too small!" And, truly, it is pretty small. But, for the remainder of the year, this house fits us just fine. I loved hearing that the food was excellent. I loved pushing Ben to give me feedback on the stuff that I don't eat (turkey, gravy, stuffing) and having him be honest in what he thought. I loved the sounds a house full of people create - good and bad. I loved having to save the forks we ate dinner with for dessert (one less thing to wash!). I loved preparing the house with my husband and cleaning up with him after guests left.

Oh, speaking of cleaning up . . . I guess I should get to work on some hand washing:)

Things I Didn't Count On

2008-11-27T11:20:00.000-08:00

1) My kids going nutzo; pulling raw eggs out of the frig, running amuck, playing with the raw turkey, etc.

2) The turkey still being frozen. Hello, um, Butterball? Your website informed me that I only had to thaw my 12 lb. turkey for three days in the refrigerator. . . apparently my turkey felt the need to take longer.

3) My dad getting sick (after I made him his own special macaroni salad)

4) running out of onions

5) lunch (what the hell does one eat for lunch when you will be having dinner at 3pm?!)

6) the turkey getting done on time (see number 2)

7) the leftovers. Dear Lord, the leftovers!

8) the massive pile of dishes (even on holidays I insist on using "real" plates, that makes for a lot of dishes - two dishwasher loads and counting . . .)

Happy Thanksgiving all!

The Day Before . . .

2008-11-26T21:30:00.001-08:00

started last night when I baked 2 loaves of friendship bread and two pumpkin pies (entirely! from! scratch!). I went to bed around 12:30.

Today I awoke, ate a bowl of cereal (Cheerios in case you are wondering) and started in again. I made two batches of stuffing muffins (vegetarian stuffing made in muffin tins), two separate batches of macaroni salad (my dad is a picky eater), deviled eggs, and turkey broth (for the gravy). The day turned to the evening and I drove an amazing woman and her friend to a dinner in a town about 25 minutes away. The woman is legally blind, was invited to this dinner because of all she does for the foundation hosting, and asked if anyone was free. I couldn't say no! I had a delightful time with her!!

I came home to sleeping babes (go Ben!) and began cleaning. Ben had made a good headstart on the kitchen, so I tackled the bathroom and our floors.

Tomorrow brings on a whole new list of to-do's. There is turkey and tofurkey to be roasted, and cauliflower/broccoli gratin, green beans, and mashed potatoes to be cooked or baked. Man, who forgot to tell me Thanksgiving is so much work?!

I'm off now to finish up the kitchen so that I have clean dishes for tomorrow:) Wish me luck!

That's Alotta Enchilada!

2008-11-25T16:52:00.000-08:00

I think I've mentioned before that my family volunteers for a ministry to teen parents. Last night, we met with the teens and had a cooking night. We decided to make chicken and cheese enchiladas, refried beans, Spanish rice, cheese cake, and fudge (the last two pieces being made ahead of time). We had 12 parents come and they devoured three huge pans of enchiladas. They also made a sizeable dent in the refried beans and rice. There was no cheese cake or fudge left:)

I love the cooking night. We try to do it once a year, and it is always hectic. Getting all the ingredients together, meeting the parents' requests for certain dishes, trying to fit all the dishes together, teaching people how to chop, stir, boil water . . . it can be an exhausting night. But, the cool thing is, every year the parents are excited for this evening. We get to talk so much, there is a good deal of ribbing in regards to who knows how to cook already and who does not, and the parents seem to love the idea of eating their own creation. I love teaching people to be more comfortable in the kitchen, showing them little bits of cooking tips, and in general using something I'm really good at in ministry. I don't feel as though I have the gift of preaching, or teaching, or speaking in tongues, but I do know how to host! This is the night each year that makes me excited to continue in this ministry.

It is amazing what speaks to one's heart, isn't it?

Birthday Party and Sick Again!

2008-11-23T21:40:00.000-08:00

Ben's dad's birthday is tomorrow and we have been supposed to go to their house on Monday (tomorrow) for about 5 days now. At 4 pm today I realized that we had double booked ourselves for Monday evening. Ben called his parents and we decided to head to their house tonight (about a half an hour drive) with an ice cream cake. The cake? Well, it was delish! Dinner? Not so much.

Also today I woke up to my cold that has been threatening to take me down. Today, it succeeded. I slept from 1 until 4 and felt a little better afterward. I'm hoping that this morning was the worst of it and I'll be fine tomorrow because Mondays around here are INSANE. The good thing is I need to go to the store in the morning, so hopefully that will help keep the boys entertained for a bit, i.e. keep the breakdowns to a minimum.

The best part of tomorrow: My friend J is back from her trip!!!!! I can't wait to hear all about what she did and to help her count all her bug bites:)

Putting It to Rest

2008-11-22T10:18:00.000-08:00

This weekend we will be putting our garden to rest. We have not gathered anything from it for a month (maybe more?), mostly due to the fact that my well-meaning father sprayed chemicals all over it as he was trying to rid our grass of the unidentified weed to which Treefrog is allergic.

It is a simple process, really, this putting our garden to rest. We will pull out the old plants, compost them, spread fresh compost or mushroom manure, and then cover with straw. It is a naptime project, if that.

Yet, I'm looking forward to it.

I'm looking forward the final mark of the changing season. We have moved slowly this year from summer to fall to winter. Our warm days and evenings of summer hung on much longer than was normal. Our fall crispness was surprisingly long as well. The winter rains didn't show up until the second week of November, an unusually late coming. This seems to be a pattern in my life right now too. I am holding on to the past, resisting a move forward into the next season. I find myself almost paralyzed by what lies ahead; preparing for this new season, welcoming it readily seem almost impossible. Yet, I know it will come. I know that eventually I will be set a pace by the rains to clean a bit more, freeze some casseroles for summer when I'll be too tired to cook, make a space for the little person who will make a grand entrance in so many months.

Months. That is what I have right now.

It seems so long, yet so short all at the same time.

The Pregnancy Blecks

2008-11-21T15:11:00.000-08:00

All my pregnancies have been very different. With Treefrog, I found out immediately (cause I was watching the calendar like a hawk) and played up every little symptom I had. Or so it seems now (I'll address this later). I was sick (literally - on antibiotics at least once each trimester), I was tired, I was so very bad at being pregnant. I had an awful attitude. Even though I wanted to be pregnant, I didn't like the out-of-control feeling . . . maybe this is a pattern in my life. I gave birth to Treefrog in a non-emergency, but "very fast," c-section due to his heart condition found shortly after birth.

Two years later, I was pregnant with Fish for a couple months before finding out. We were trying, but I was much too busy chasing Treefrog around to notice a late period. The tiredness was there. Oh boy, I relished the two hour naptime Treefrog took! The crankiness was there somewhat, but all around, the pregnancy was different. I was nauseated this time, but only for about two weeks. This pregnancy was, well, easy. I carried Fish until I went into labor on my own nine days before his due date. I labored for about 12 hours and then had a c-section for lack of progress.

Fast forward two more years and I find myself pregnant again. We were definitely trying, but had not expected to get pregnant this early (with both previous pregnancies it took us 3 and 4 months to have success). I knew when implantation happened (mostly because my friend J was with me, telling me that's what was going on in my body). From implantation on (or so it seems), I have been sick - nauseated sick. I will have a couple of good days and then, much like today, it will hit me head-on. Sleeping sometimes helps. Sometimes eating something with a healthy does of good fat (cheese quesadilla or peanut butter sandwich for instance) helps. Sometimes no matter what I try, I end up feeling sick the entire day. This pregnancy makes me realize that I was such a whiny-pants during the first pregnancy! This pregnancy makes me look back wistfully at my second one. This pregnancy makes me want to crawl into a hole and wait there until the baby decides to come out, or until the scheduled c-section, whichever comes first.

Don't get me wrong, though. I'm very happy to be welcoming child number three into our home. I'm very blessed with the type of husband who is in love with being around to help (see yesterday's post). I'm superbly blessed with in-laws who take one or both of the boys each weekend to ensure a good night's rest for both Ben and I. Every once in a while, though, it is just nice to complain:)

The Evening Routine

2008-11-20T18:00:00.000-08:00

Ben and I have come to a bit of an agreement, without it ever actually being spoken. It is nice, yet, at times, I am nervous that it will blow up in my face. Basically the agreement is that Ben has the kids after dinner.

For a solid hour or longer.

By himself.

As in, I rarely do anything but call out, "Isn't it bedtime yet?!"

He is truly amazing, this man of mine. He comes home between meetings everyday to help out. He schedules many meetings around family times (such as lunch and dinner). He is usually home and happy to put Fish down for his afternoon snooze. He makes so many sacrifices throughout the day to be with us. I know that he likes this flexibility in his job (believe me, we have some pretty late nights built in to each week, so the job isn't as wonderful as it may seem at first glance. However, it definitely fits us for now). I know that he would do anything for his family, for me. . . I just sometimes wonder when it will be too much.

When will he say, "Uh-uh. I'm done. I've been picking up your slack for years. No more. Either pull it together or say goodbye to Mister Nice-guy." Will he ever look back at this time and wish for more? More "off" time, more down time, more clean towels, more time to fish? I hope he knows how much the time in the evenings means to me, but even more than that, how much he means to me. How much I appreciate his work sacrifices in order to be a more central part of our family. How much I appreciate his every dish washed, his every load of laundry done, his every floor swept, his every kid bathed. Oh, how I hope, one day, to show him that he is worth his weight in the purest gold possible.

For now, I guess morning sex will have to do.

I love you, Babe.

T-Day Count Down

2008-11-19T18:23:00.000-08:00

I started a list last week of what we will be serving for Thanksgiving. I'm not sure why this year I'm so overwhelmed and feel the need to control every detail so much, but it is what it is. So, my list.

I have turkey (for carnivores) with stuffing, tofurkey (for us vegetarians, okay, I mean for me), green beans, cauliflower-broccoli gratin, macaroni salad (2 kinds b/c my dad is very picky), deviled eggs, stuffing muffins (again mainly for the vegetarians, but everyone devours them), rolls, and cranberry sauce. Dessert will be pumpkin pie (made from scratch!) and friendship bread.

Since I've been looking at this list for a week, I, naturally, felt the need to make another list for this upcoming week. This list was more like a chart, with a list for each day leading up to and including Thanksgiving Day. It shows what I need to make each day so that I will have enough oven space on the big day. I did, however, draw a very fine-looking turkey on my chart to make it a little more festive for those who might see it hanging on my cabinet in the kitchen. It's all in the details, people.

Anywho, I'm finally feeling a little better about next week and all the details coming into place. I'm actually excited to be hosting Thanksgiving and not too worried about what the state of my house will look like when people come through the door. I'm hoping I don't start worrying about the cleanliness of my house, though, because I don't think I have room in my kitchen for another chart.

I've Been Dipping Balls in Chocolate All Day

2008-11-18T20:00:00.001-08:00

Oh, hello, pervs - it's not that kind of post. You can feel free to meander through my posts, but I'm pretty boring, really.

So, back to the balls into chocolate. A few weeks ago, one of Ben's RAs was around and she was telling us of this delightful dessert that her mom used to make that involved peanut butter, Rice Krispies cereal, and chocolate. I had her send me the recipe and I tried it out today. Staff meeting is in roughly one hour and I still have peanut butter-Rice Krispies balls that need dipped! The recipe makes a TON of those suckers!!!!

I hope the staff enjoys this, cause I'll never be making them again.

The end.

VomitFest 2008

2008-11-17T09:53:00.000-08:00

That is where I have been for the past few days. Now, as we attempt to recapture some since of normalcy, I have shut myself in the office to seek some solace off the Internet.

This is a lame post. I wanted to be so much more eloquent with explaining how hard these past five or so days have been and what a disaster this morning has been so far, but I can't muster it. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe instead, I should focus on the good.

Treefrog wanted to do school today, specifically the letter 'l.' So we did - screw the plans!

Fish loves when we get markers out and every time I turned my back he was up on top of the table, marker in hand (or mouth more often), attempting to do school with us.

Now, I need to go play with my children like I promised them I would.

A Way to Honor

2008-11-11T13:48:00.000-08:00

I am a pacifist.

Yes, this means that I choose to declare myself pro-life and anti-war/violence. This means that I would declare religious rights to not being drafted to the military (if the draft was ever opened up to include women). This means that I do everything in my power to promote peace in this world.

This does not mean that I don't appreciate the freedoms I have been given in this country. This does not mean that I don't recognize that many people, who believed that war was the only way, took up arms and fought to give me the life that I have today. This does not mean that I don't respect the men and women who serve our country the best way they know how (through the military) and that I don't pray for these same men and women to return safely home.

I am honored to be a part of this country today, and I'm glad that Senator Richard Burr was moved to create an opportunity for the men and women who are serving, whose family is serving, or who once served this country to enjoy the National Parks for absolutely free. I hope that many men, women, and children are able to take this opportunity and spend some time out of doors today!

I'm Still Going

2008-11-10T13:14:00.000-08:00

Monday mornings start with a very early morning meeting - 6:15 to be exact. This is the only time 3 moms and a college student can find in their busy lives to meet without the hustle and bustle of our children to distract us. It has been good, albeit hard, to meet with these women and get the things done that we have on our lists for the ministry with which we all work. We are preparing for a fundraiser in a few weeks and today we hand-addressed beautiful red sparkly envelopes. . . Two of which I completely botched before trading for the job of sticking the return labels on (me so smooth!).

I came home and, over breakfast with Treefrog, talked about Operation Christmas Child. We talked about how some families can't afford to give gifts at Christmas and so we put a little box together to help a little boy (or girl, but for us it's a boy this year) have a happy Christmas. I look forward to the continued conversation of what Christmas means. That since Jesus came as a gift to us, we give to others (and, yes, receive as well!). I pray that I can do this time of year justice. I want my children to focus on Christ, not presents. It is an uphill battle for sure!

In talking about the box for Operation Christmas Child, I said that we would go to the store today and fill the shoebox we have. Treefrog was super excited and patiently sat through the other errands that I had to get done this morning. As I watched each errand take longer than I thought it would, I also watched our time for going to the store tick away. At last, I had to admit to Treefrog that we would not be going to the store this morning. I did promise to go as soon as Ben gets home from work, so I'm praying that nothing else gets in our way.

I'm so thankful for my patient little guy that allowed me to drag him everywhere this morning and is still waiting to do what he wants to do!

Mmmmm

2008-11-09T16:54:00.000-08:00

Ritz Crackers
Colby Cheese
French Onion Dip

This was my 3 o'clock snack today. It sounded so good to me and totally revolting to Ben. Anyone want to weigh in? (Not literally, of course, because after thatsnack I won't be getting on a scale until December!)

Something's A-Brewing

2008-11-08T19:00:00.000-08:00

Today Ben rebelled against all things college (well, at least this college 'cause we have a lifestyle agreement, yo!), went down to his parents' house and brewed some beer. While drinking beer that he had brewed approximately five weeks ago.

This has been a really rough week for Ben. He had an incident last weekend that involved many college students and a good deal of alcohol. It will probably take him two weeks to sort through the mess and meet with all the students involved. Then, another night sent him to the ER with a different student who had a pretty bad concussion. Two nights in one week of very little sleep + five days of hassling students trying to get them to email him back = one cranky hubby. It was time for him to be able to drink freely.

Somewhat related: Since Ben also roasts his own coffee, a friend of ours said the other night that she can see us owning our own roast/brew place where we serve our own roasts of coffee and brewed beers. I have to admit, the idea is pretty appealing in that I would have my husband to myself and not have to share him with all these students! Of course, there is that pesky thing called money that may hold us back from being business owners:)

The Sound of Silence

2008-11-07T13:10:00.000-08:00

This is my most favorite time of day. Right after lunch, Fish goes down for his much needed nap, and when Treefrog is here he usually watches a movie or plays outside by himself. It is quiet. It is peaceful. It is bliss. This is the time of day that gives me enough energy to make it through until Ben comes home.

I love hearing the sounds of the cars on the highway a couple blocks away. I love hearing the birds chirping. Dogs barking. Students walking and talking on the sidewalk. Muted noises from the backyard of Treefrog in an imaginary world all his own.

This morning I began my day with a quiet moment. I opened my Bible for the first time in, I'm embarrassed to say, months. I sat at the dining room table, children still snoozing upstairs, sipping a cup of freshly roasted brewed coffee and met with Jesus. I am realizing now the impact that makes on the remainder of the day. How soon I forget when I have these spans of months that go by being self-focused.

The Internet, She's Back!

2008-11-06T07:24:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday brought with it some issues. I had an Internet that would take roughly 15 minutes to load a page. It was like dial-up y'all! Woe was me, especially since I couldn't join in with my blogging pals to say - "Yes we can!!"

Election night recap - Fish would not fall asleep. At 8:15 I saw that Obama was being declared president elect, but I was immediately called upstairs by my screaming one-year-old. I missed all the beautiful pictures that flashed for the next 10 minutes. I came back down in time to hear the majority of McCain's speech. Kudos to McCain for such a wonderful, supportive speech. I sat on my couch in much anticipation as I waited President Elect Obama to take the stage. The moment he did, I began crying. With tears in my eyes, I watch that wonderful man's entire speech, hoping that this moment would never end. I feel so incredibly blessed to have a person standing before me as a leader that can raise a nation up for change. It is time, my friends. I am honored to have helped President Elect Obama make it to the White House to make good on the promises he has made.

And now, as many of my friends were staunch McCain supporters, I become a gracious winner. One who understands that Obama, "may not have won their vote today, but [he] hears their voice. And [he] will be their president." One who knows that it was not a celebratory night for them and they are quite possibly nervous about what the next four years will hold. One who will, with grace, look at Obama's good and bad policies over the next four years and pray that he proves that change, is indeed, good.

Go Vote!

2008-11-04T09:03:00.000-08:00

No matter who you are supporting this election, please allow your voice to be heard - go vote!!

Bump, Thump, Scream!!

2008-11-03T10:27:00.000-08:00

It's a rainy day here in the pacific northwest. That means we play outside until we are totally soaked through and chilled to the bone. Next, we come inside for a warm bath and change of clothes. Then it is upstairs (this part is usually forced by Mama who is at the end of her rope with mud everywhere and pretty wet herself after getting splashed) where the boys go in turns playing well together and fighting. I'm not sure what to do on these days. It's 10 am and I don't have a clue as to what will keep them entertained and keep me sane.

help.

Apple Squeezing

2008-11-02T18:51:00.000-08:00

Well, that's what they called it anyway. The boys and I trooped out this rainy Saturday to the farm where my dad has recently taken up residence (yea! He is out of my house!!) for our first ever apple pressing.

The people who were hosting are not, apparently, early risers. They decided to start festivities at noon. That's correct, ladies and gents, a mere one hour away from nap time! But, we braved it, knowing that naps aren't necessary when Yia-yia will be joining us;)

Basically, we arrived at the farm, got to dump some apples into the press, watched the juices run free, helped with a little filtering, and then ate tomato soup with all the other helpers.

Treefrog was very interested in the press, but Fish was more interested in yelling "No!" to the dogs after he incited their barking from chasing them around. I did a lot of chasing of Fish, but walked away with a gallon and a half of cider. All in all, not a bad trade off.

Here are some pictures from the day:

Fish, loving just being able to run around with little supervision.

Treefrog, taking his beloved fingers out of his mouth for a quick photo opp.

The apple press

Treefrog dutifully holding the filter.

Fish playing in the apple mush - his second favorite activity of the day!

NaBloPoMo?

2008-11-01T09:50:00.000-07:00

So, I thought maybe I should try this. Then I realized that that would mean I would have to post on Sundays . . . I'm lucky to get out of bed on Sundays. Then I thought, what the heck? I'll give it a shot.

So here is to NaBloPoMo!

What You Do

2008-10-31T07:38:00.000-07:00

I'm up today before any of my blogging buddies have updated, so I guess that leaves updating my own blog. How boring:)

Trick or Treat. Mmmmmmmmmm. Bowls of endless candy. Yummmmmmmm.

Oh, sorry, where was I? Yes, it's Halloween. We are having a "scary" dinner with some friends tonight. Since our little ones are, well, little, our scary dinner consists of spaghetti with eyeballs, scary salad, goulish garlic bread, and Frankenstein cupcakes. (As if they won't have enough sugar shortly after dinner!) After dinner it's off to a local retirement home to trick or treat and then to the "good" neighborhood where there are full sized candy bars given to Mamas, I mean those cute little kids.

Well, I'm off to round up my zoo supplies. This year we have a tiger and a zebra. So cute!

A Full Eight Hours

2008-10-30T13:39:00.000-07:00

That was how much sleep I got last night! Both boys stayed asleep all night and delighted us with the pleasant dispositions today. It was such a wonderful change from the previous couple of weeks. A nice breath of fresh air.

Currently, I am typing right now with little interruptions from my oldest. I set him up at the dining room table with some paper and paints and asked him not to yell if he wanted me, but to come into the office to talk with me. He has found every opportunity to do just that. He even came in to tell me that he drank his paint water. Hmmmm, I wonder how my kids pick up germs:)

Wow, Okay, It's Almost November

2008-10-29T08:49:00.000-07:00

So, there are many days that I feel like I should just post a little update. Something small to tell all those readers out there just what I'm doing or have done or am wishing I had gotten done. And then another day passes and I'm still in the same boat. It is still floating, mind you, however, I think my feet are getting quite wet . . .

Well, here's a little update:

Our kiddos have taken to waking up sometime between 2am and 4am. Sometimes they will go back to sleep, but often times (like this morning for instance) my ever-loving, always sacrificing husband gets up and either plays with them or vainly tries to sleep through their playing upstairs. It is OLD and it NEEDS TO STOP!!!!

Part of the reason that Ben is so intent on helping out during the night is because I am 8 weeks pregnant and in full swing of hormonal woes. I am emotional, sick spontaneously, and tired 99% of the time. It's great. I love being pregnant. Can I do this again?! (If you can't hear the sarcasm, please stop reading!)

Homeschooling happened for about two weeks. It wasn't working for Treefrog (I needed to switch up my curriculum a bit) and then my dad came for an extended stay. That was the hardest three weeks of my life. I felt like such a failure for stopping school. Plus, I was an emotional wreck dealing with my high-maintenance dad on a day-to-day basis.

I think that brings you up to speed. I'll try to do better at posting as long as my life continues on a normal sort of path. I also want to spend more time on the good. Maybe I'll even post twice today so that a negative post isn't the only thing you get!

p.s. We are VERY excited to welcome a new life into ours. Treefrog loves looking at the baby's picture from the ultrasound and I love showing it to him. We talk about whether the baby is happy in Mama's tummy and what he/she is doing in there. It is wonderful to watch him think about the baby!

Alphabet Soup

2008-09-10T12:27:00.000-07:00

Boiling water
Bag of letters
Cooked til almost done

Tomatoes smushed, pureed
By a man named Trader Joe
Thank you, dear man

Mix together
Still too hot, put in frig
Serve warm

One tired Mama
Two satisfied boys
Homeschool lunch

Good Lord I'm Tired

2008-09-01T10:50:00.001-07:00

Today is the first day of school. Not school on wheels, as Treefrog tends to call "real" school since students can ride a bus, but homeschool. Our day started at 3 am.

No, we do not live on a dairy farm.

No, we do not have a blind rooster with his days and nights mixed up.

Nope, we have a three year old and a one year old who both decided to wake up at that time. I have a sneaking suspicion that Treefrog may have had something to do with awakening Fish, but no hard evidence as I was trying my best to continue my wanderings in dreamland.

So, Treefrog crawled into bed with me (which means that I got about as much sleep as a vampire), Ben took Fish a bottle and we thought all was well. Of course, Fish was not convinced that all was well, so Ben gave him some cereal and another bottle which finally convinced Fish that, yes indeed, the world was right again . . . at 4:30am. I found Ben on the floor of the office this morning. He had built a nest out of a couple of quilts and insisted that the floor was more comfortable than our couches. Oooooookaaaaaay.

Finally, around 9 we started school. We read lots of books and talked about all of our letters. We did an alphabet hunt and found all the letters of the alphabet that I had hidden around our living room. Then we had eleven-sies - Treefrog packed away two bowls of cereal, the little hobbit.

Now, it is time for a nap. Think I can convince Treefrog and Fish that it's time for snooze?

Yea, me either.

A Playdate of Sorts

2008-08-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

When I think of a playdate, I think of one of my mom-friends coming over to our house or us meeting at the park or at her house. Usually this is very casual - neither of us cleans much, our kids may have dirt under their fingernails, and we sit, drink coffee or water, and talk while the kids fight, I mean play, in the yard.

Today, not so much.

Instead of this blissful scene painted above, I found myself preparing for a visit from an acquaintance, L, who was babysitting her nephews. Please don't take this the wrong way - I love L and her nephews are ADORABLE (A is the same age as Treefrog and D is 11 weeks. People! You don't get any cuter than 11 weeks!). Anywho, at 7 am it hit me: L is coming to my house. She does not have kids. She is not used to my laid-back approach to life. She will not be comfortable in my rather, uh, chaotic home. So, at 7 am I began cleaning because the cleanliness of my house is the only bit of chaos that I can remotely control. For two hours I was washing dishes, floors, toilets, counters, anything that my friend may see. About two minutes before she walked in the door with her two nephews, I swept the floor one last time in case the baby decided to do some tummy time.

Needless to say, L was great. She is the perfect aunt - she is attentive to the boys' needs, doesn't care if they get dirty, and loves snack time as much as I do. I need not have worried. She was gracious and we had a good time together. I even find myself hoping she watches her nephews again soon just so I can hang out with her. Hopefully next time I won't kill myself trying to create a lifestyle that I obviously do not uphold. Cleanliness is for the birds:)

A Full Day at Noon

2008-08-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

Today was pretty crazy. We pulled ourselves out of bed at quarter til seven to begin making headway on the kitchen that was destroyed by my well-meaning husband who is hosting college students in our house on a daily basis now. Ben ran to the store to pick up eggs (those guys and gals sure eat a lot) and I started to make muffins (mmmm, muffins). We cleaned, and baked, and got ready, and fed the boys, and brewed coffee, and then brewed more coffee, and somewhere in there I inhaled my breakfast. We were not finished by the time the students started arriving, but we were close enough.

Me: Babe, it's only nine o'clock.

Ben: Yeah, so?

Me: So, I feel like I have already lived half a day and I'm just now taking over the kids for the whole day.

Ben: Oh

[awkward pause]

Ben: Sorry 'bout that.

Me: yeah, thanks.

So, the kids are now "resting." Treefrog is on the couch with a book, Fish is in the crib sleeping, and Mama is relishing the quiet. Dear Lord, let it last:)

You Might Be a Redneck If . . .

2008-08-18T21:53:00.000-07:00

Ben is gone this week for his yearly obligatory week in the wilderness with the college students he will be working with this year. He doesn't mind it as much as me, go figure. Actually, I'm pretty sure he was packed an entire week before the actual trip because he gets so excited for it.

That leaves me home with the boys. For a week. By myself. And did I mention I am by myself this week?

I guess by myself is relative, though. I spent most of the day today with my friend J and her three kids. J owns a hotdog and coffee stand (hello, free coffee much?!) so while she was making fuel for us to venture off on our Day o' Shopping, I stayed in the car with the kids (five if you're counting). Which brings me to my first example (see title above):

You might be a redneck if your children are sitting in an unwashed van in the Home Depot parking lot chanting "WE NEED MORE COWBELL!" Oh, yes. We do love us some SNL (anyone? the sketch with Christopher Walkin and Will Ferrel and Will's shirt just keeps inching up every time he pounds the cowbell? anyone? so. funny.).

Second example:

Did I mention I am by myself this week? Maybe once before? Okay. So, yeah, I'm by myself and basically in "Survival Mode." This means I don't really care if Treefrog leaps off the top bar of our swing set so long as I don't have to spend the night in the hospital. Have fun, buddy! It DOES mean, however, that I cannot stand to have the kitchen be messy. It is definitely the center of our home (almost literally, but definitely figuratively). So there are three cabinets that we haven't had time/energy/whatever, so we're l.a.z.y. to childlock yet. . .

You might be a redneck if you:

What is that? I'm not sure I'm seeing this right . . .

Oh, yea, that's definitely . . .

Really, the oven too?!

That's right, y'all. I duct taped my cabinets and my oven shut so that Fish would stop pulling every item I own out of those three places. And let me tell you, I may just survive this week with the kids still alive.

I'm a redneck and I'm proud.

All Good Things

2008-08-12T22:42:00.001-07:00

This is one of those days where I could easily loose sight of the good things. It was a trying day, but only at times. Those times could take over so smoothly, just fading into the forefront of my mind and clouding all the good things that happened. So before I begin to dwell too long on the bad this post will be about all the good that happened today.

Good thing the first: Going to the teacher store. In my attempt at making a decision on homeschooling, I will be doing three days a week of school with Treefrog this year. Just some simple pre-school things that will help him learn to listen and sit still for a bit. I took both kiddos with me and still had a blast reliving my “old” classroom days (when I taught in a life lived long, long ago). I adore classroom supplies!!

Good thing the second: Baking bread with Treefrog. Mmmmm, nothing spells love like time in the kitchen with a toddler when the end result is yummy Banana Blueberry Bread a la SouleMama.

Good thing the third: I made dinner – chicken masala for the meat eaters and lentil masala for the vegetarian (me) over rice. I’m sure the kids will be taking their mouths for rides tonight as they have never had this dish before, but I’m still thinking positive.

Good thing the fourth: I ran this morning. Day 2 of preparing for my next race (which hopefully will not be interrupted by the need to travel again!) (holy cow I am DONE with the flying!!!). Ben and I are running Pints to Pasta the first weekend in September. It’s a 10K, so it shouldn’t kill me as long as I do some running between now and then.

Good thing the fifth: I got to go shopping by. my. self. Awesome.

So there you go: My list of totally good things so that I won’t be overwhelmed by the couple of not-so-good things that happened as well. It’s good to have perspective.

I Came Out of the Closet Today

2008-08-11T16:27:00.001-07:00

No, I'm still a happily married mama of two boys (though I have so many boys in my life that it is sometimes hard to believe that I haven't changed sides, so to speak).

Today I took a different leap of faith and trusted my very best friend with the knowledge of this blog (Hi, J!). She immediately ran to our computer to look it up. I'm pretty sure she beat that really famous Olympic guy's time for the fastest sprint. Seriously, I run with her pretty regularly and even on the very few times we've raced, she has never moved as fast as she did today:)

I am surprised at how long I kept this to myself. . . . I have been pretty open with my thoughts and feelings here and I shy away from telling others about this spot so that I don't feel the need to sensor myself more. I know J will respect my privacy. She basically swore on her firstborn's life that she wouldn't tell anyone else. Or, quite possibly she asked if she could tell others, I said no, and that was the end of it. One or the other. I don't have the best memory.

So, here's to the word getting out about this little blog, even if it is only to one other person for now.

School, Really?!

2008-08-09T09:18:00.000-07:00

In reading some of my other favorite blogs I noted that kids were already starting back to school! Geez, I can't believe how fast the time went this summer. I think with all of our traveling and basically missing Ben's vacation the end of summer just crept up on me. Since we live in the Northwest, though, we don't start school until September 2. So, I guess maybe I'm lamenting a little too soon:)

But, the whole back-to-school thing got me started thinking anyway. Treefrog is three (has been since April) and his doctor asked me this summer if we were starting preschool this year. Ben and I have talked about homeschooling, public schooling, and private schooling to see where we stand, what we want our children to get from school and us, and how we believe each of those options fit into our lives. I feel so blessed just to have this choice of how to school our children. This blessed choice, however, makes life a little stressful. I have been back and forth in my mind for so long trying to figure out if we should go the public school route or the homeschool route (private school is not an option right now due to lack of funds). With the impending adoption this year, the decision has been even harder. Last night, I was up late doing research on homeschooling. In my heart, I believe the decision has already been made. I have spent so many hours on the homeschooling and unschooling websites that I think I could tell you verbatim what is said on each one. This is where our lives are taking us.

Ben works for a university so our life is not guaranteed in stability. One small way I can offer stability for my children is through school - not having the pressure of changing schools time and time again due to changes in jobs (university life is pretty volatile for those of you who are unaware). I want my kids to have the best education possible. That may or may not be available through me, but I also see social skills, moral education/influences, and physical activity being part of education. Those things are things that Ben and I can provide our children much more effectively than any public or private school I've encountered. Education is so much more than reading, math, and science. Education is wholistic - every part matters. I want my children to experience life and learn in a way that they simply can't do sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day.

Homeschooling isn't a final decision yet. I want to send each of the boys to preschool (starting when they are four) and I want to visit the school where they would attend if we decide on public school. I hope to keep an open mind as I do these things - looking for both positives and negatives, trying to see the big picture, looking for how our children would fit into the public school system. I know they will thrive with any choice we ultimately make because both Ben and I will be involved in their education both inside and outside the classroom. I pray that I continue to remember that as I critique the public system here and as Ben and I reach a decision on schooling.

Goodbye Naptime

2008-07-31T14:09:00.000-07:00

I have a three year old. I have a three year old who won't nap any longer. Goodbye life as I've known it.

We have instituted a 45 minute "rest time." This is to ensure that Mama gets some alone time and Treefrog isn't beaten to death with any object within Mama's reach as I tend to loose control after 8 straight hours of kids by myself. Seriously, nap time is my kids' savior:)

Our garden that we began way back in April is doing amazing. I hope to post some pictures soon to let the world see Ben's and my green thumbs. Right now drying on my window sill just above my computer are calendula flowers that I will make into a salve as soon as I've harvested enough to make it worth the effort. We also really liked our pole beans and so they too are drying on our sill and will be stored and planted again next year. It's amazing to me how such a little spot will provide sustenance and healing all throughout the year. What an amazing creation!

Where Oh Where Are You Tonight?

2008-07-22T14:03:00.001-07:00

Well, I left you all alone for many reasons. Here's the short version:

I finally made it to West Virginia in May. I was there with the kids for about 2 weeks and then Ben joined us for another 2 weeks. We were either outside playing or at the hospital visiting my grandmother.

June brought us back to the Pacific Northwest for a whirlwind of activities. First there was camp with the teen parents that we work with, then there was our family vacation, next came a visit from my ever-hard-to-be-around father, and finally a stay at our children’s hospital due to Fish inhaling a rock during our family vaca. I thought things would finally calm down with Ben starting back to work, but . . .

July 4, 2008 my grandmother passed away. Such a beautiful lady was laid to rest a few days later (which meant my traveling another 3000 miles to do the laying). I felt so many emotions – enormous amounts of love for her and all the time we spent together, sorrow for her passing, happiness for her being in a better place with no pain, etc. Most of all I felt the hard reality that she will never again surprise me with a phone call or a card in the mail. I miss her so.

I came back to the Northwest on July 13 and have been desperately trying to regain a sense of balance in our life. Treefrog and Fish have been so wonderful through this process – very patient and understanding as I have readjusted to being a full time mama. I think I can finally say we are back in the swing of things (two full weeks later). I mean, look at me! I’m finally posting!!

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2008-07-22T14:01:00.001-07:00

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