Sweet Nothings

Amidst the busyness of our Saturday, I had a moment to pick up a few items at the grocery store.  Alone.  They were sale items, and I knew exactly what I was going to get from perusing the ad.  Plus it was at the "nice" grocery store.  Did I mention I was alone?  Instead of grabbing a stubborn cart with seats or a car in front, I grabbed a basket.  I felt like Mrs. Dalloway purchasing fresh flowers.  I grabbed my few items, paid the small price and then, since I hadn't been driving the van with our reusable grocery sacks, I asked for my items to be bagged in paper.  I adore paper bags.  This may sound odd, but the whole experience made me feel alive and fresh; like I had been perusing and shopping at an outdoor market a hundred years ago.  I loved it.  The sun was shining and it was a brief and enjoyable interlude between all the hectic activities we had going on.  I'm grateful for the sweet nothings that bring happiness to what can often feel like a rather monotonous time of life.

Puzzles and Blocks: The Basics

We've suddenly been big on puzzles around here.  For Valentine's Day we created a treasure hunt for the kids where they ended up with a joint family gift: a puzzle.  Then the real gift was to spend time together doing the puzzle.  It's fun to step it up a notch and hit the larger pieced puzzles too... except that The Toddler's favourite puzzles seem to be the 100 piecers when he is really on a 24 piece level.  Puzzles are also great to occupy kids who are too sick to go to school, but not sick enough to lay in bed.  I am not the greatest at puzzles, and will be the first to admit it.  But it gets me down on the floor with the kids and that's enjoyable.

I do love a good organizing project, however, and a few years ago I was sick of all the puzzle boxes and the constant puzzle box repair and decided to abandon the boxes all together.  Instead I used ziplock bags to store the pieces and also cut out the picture of the puzzle from the boxes to store inside as well.  For easy clean-up I labeled the bags with the puzzle and piece number.  Not too long ago, when Little E took his five year old trip he brought home a new puzzle from my Mom.  I had to laugh when I saw she had already put the pieces into a ziplock bag for me... no box anywhere!  Can you believe how little space all these puzzles now take?  There are 12 in this one little bin. 

You may recall a few Christmases ago when Mr. Man and his Dad designed and built a whole set of building blocks for the kids.  It has seriously been the most well-loved and used set of toys in this house.  Neighborhood kids adore them, and our kids run to them first thing every morning.  Little E has become quite the architect and I need to start taking more pictures of his amazing designs and "castles." 

This picture only came to be because I HAD to vacuum and we compromised with me taking a picture before he destroyed his masterpiece so that he could easily re-create it.  His next design was even taller and more immaculate!  I love that these can be enjoyed by all: from the nine year old princess down to the two year old trouble maker.  The best storage solution for this has been our old entertainment unit (now used for toys) from Ikea with the sliding storage drawer.

We have two spring birthdays coming up and I've been after the birthday boys to cough up some items for their wish list.  The cowboy really wants Woody sheets, but other than that all they want is Lego.  I seem to recall the same wish list for the last few birthdays... and I'm wondering how long this will last and if I should take out stock in Lego! 

There is Sunshine

This morning the sunshine seems brighter than usual. The winters here are gloriously bright (yes, there is a God even in long winters) and yet this morning as I dragged my weary self out of bed I recognized that it seemed brighter earlier, and then it dawned on me that we will soon be "springing forward" and it will be even brighter still. And that whole "springing forward" thought made me feel like spring may actually make it to our frozen state after all. And now it actually looks warm out there, amidst all the snow and the fact that it's really 4 degrees Fahrenheit.

And so it must be the sunshine in my soul that is making me feel warm, renewed and yes, happy.

I'm nursing a sore throat and headache, a bug brought on by my two sickies yesterday. I'm just waiting for the fever and stomach ache... but for now it's just sunshine warming me inside and out.


I snapped these two pictures yesterday of our "sick day" and they make me smile.  Miss J in her room surrounded by her stuff.  We could make it an eye spy, but I love that she is coloring, has a million books and headbands around her, and just IS even though she is not feeling well, she is so HER!

The boys are enthralled in a Super Why episode on the computer.  I've long gotten over the guilt of needing a half hour show in the mornings.  Once I get through exercising they know it's their time to watch this semi-educational show while I shower and get ready for the day.  Somehow the sight of the back of my boys' heads made me happy and I had to take a shot... then run for the shower!

It's almost March... what's making you happy today?

Maintaining Confidence

I've never had a huge problem with comparing myself to others.  Like in the bad way.  Meaning thinking I'm better than someone, or thinking someone is better than me.  I have had the marvelous opportunity of being surrounded with wonderful people throughout my life.  And I am genuinely happy for their successes, grateful for their glories and inspired and delighted by their talents and abilities.  So it is with trepidation that I admit defeat in the area of blogging confidence.  I've slowly acquired a plethora of blogs on my google reader of whom I don't personally know the authors.  These people's homes are all incredibly decorated, they craft all of their own holiday decor, their children are beyond amazing and always look well dressed, well groomed and are obviously well-fed with all the healthy recipes these people post.  The mystery moms homeschool a busload of kids and have ingenious ideas that they have time to post and provide for those of us who don't, they volunteer for every last cause, they are romantic and seem to have all the time in the word for their "Mr. Man's" and have photography skills (and usually a photography business) to boot.  Yes, I am jealous.  Yes, I sit at my little desk and gaze at my home wondering how I could possibly bring even an ounce of the blogging goodness out of my computer and in to my home.  Don't get me wrong, I steal many ideas and am grateful for a lot of the suggestions and ideas that I am able to apply... but mostly I stand in awe and have found myself feeling insignificant and unsuccessful in comparison.  Green even.  Perhaps it's because I don't know these people that I can't be happy for them and leave it at that.  Maybe somehow mentally I am combining all these strangers into one and of course there's no way I could measure up in comparison.  Whatever it may be, I'm simply going to be deleting a bunch of them from my life today.  Sticking them into a little folder to pull out when my curiosity gets the better of me and I am having a "I'm amazing" day.  Should help bring me down to my humble pie.  They are wasting my time and ruining my confidence.  Show offs.

Olympic Thoughts

It kills me to think about how many chips, root beer and yes, cadbury mini eggs, I have gone through while I sit lazily on my couch watching outstanding athletes compete in the Winter Olympics.  Ironic, yes.  While several exercise their strength, demonstrate their compassion and dedication to a sport, the rest of the world sits (and if they're like me and my house, they eat too).  We finally went out and got bunny ears a couple of nights ago so we could REALLY watch, and not just cheer for our internet to speed up so we could watch a successful triple axle.  We've enjoyed several late nights and undivided family time since.

I remember as a young teenager being convinced that I would go to the Olympics one day.  Rowing was to be my area of expertise.  I was going to be the next Silken Laumann.  It's amazing how those dreams can be forgotten, and yet brought back to the surface while sitting, eating, and watching.  I love all my Olympic dreams and memories... sitting with siblings... running outside to get some fresh air between races, games and competitions.

I wish Mr. Man would start a blog and voice his feelings on the Olympics, and most especially the commentary.  He's a crack up, and we've enjoyed being overly-critical together of movements there's no way our bodies could even attempt.  Tuning in to the Olympics in the United States is also quite interesting and different from my childhood of Canadian commentary.  I would love to have both going at once, for comparison.

While I may not be an Olympian, I am proud to say that I have been exercising almost every day now since the New Year.  A true achievement for me.  Mr. Man says my butt is firmer.  He's going to hate that I wrote that.  But I'm proud.  I've also been trying to get outside with my kids every day.  It's so easy to kick them outside to skate or play in the snow on their own and watch from the inside, getting a few things done in peace.  A few weeks ago I pushed the kids outside and Little E was resisting, I told him he had to go outside to get his fresh air for the day and he turned to me and asked, "When are you going to get YOUR fresh air Mom?"  Embarrassing.  So I've been trying to let the kids see me outside too, and playing WITH them is a lovely bonus.  We've enjoyed walks, snowball fights, sledding and even feeding the freezing ducks.

I've found numerous fun and educational Olympic activities that we will be incorporating into our homeschooling this week.  Last week was a schooling nightmare... and a lot of it really comes down to the planning and the presenting of what we are doing and learning.  I've had to change a lot of my lesson plans from last year to better suit my kindergartner this year.  This has been enjoyable, as I love having this time to really get to know my boys much better, but also takes more time.  Oh time.

Enjoy this final week of the Olympics and make some memories.  Maybe even throw in a push up or two!

Postcard Swap

We just signed up to do this and I'm very excited.
It's like a whole other Flat Stanley adventure!
I bet we have friends and family in almost every state from all of our schooling and living... but this gal has got it all organized for us and we just need to do our little part. This should help as we try to learn all the states and locations (even I struggle with this... being a Canadian and all!)
Hurry to sign up so you can take part in this fun activity!

George Lucas Update

I'm trying hard not to throw the cat out into the snow.

The thing drives me crazy. But for some strange reason adores and follows me around incessantly, attacking me with his claws and teeth when I don't pay enough attention. Ugh. Don't tell Mr. Man, but I just scheduled his de-clawing. It must be done. I would love to have his curiosity removed too, but the lady just laughed at me when I brought it up. While everyone calls him Lucas or Lukey, he really is Curious George. Are all kittens as troublesome as ours? I wonder.

Our kitten has a love hate relationship with water. He tries to get so close to it, but then hates it when he actually gets wet. For instance, he loves to hang out in the shower, near the bathroom sink, and walks around the tub while it is full of both water and kids. The Toddler loves to splash him and once even threw him right in for a bath of his own. I still don't know how I feel about him watching me shower every morning either.

Then there's his desire to be in high places. The kids will indulge him and help him up to high window sills (so he can attack a stray fly) or up to the top bunk... but then there's the required suicidal jumps down. Or the incessant meowing until we rescue him.

Any time we open a cupboard or door he scurries in. Whether it be tupperware, canned goods, or the toy closet... he's curious to explore teeny tiny spaces. Unfortunately, we sometimes don't see him enter and then when the door is shut, he is stuck until we notice his absence or again, hear his meowing and track down the sound.

If I'm trying to print something, beware. Wherever he may be in the house, even on the 2nd floor or sound asleep, he will stop all to come and try to catch my papers as they print, often messing up the process which creates a demand for MORE PRINTING - which he loves.

Then there's his diet. We agreed beforehand that we would be the owners of a pet, never allowing this animal to become a "member" of our family. He would be treated as a pet. And so we buy the poor thing dry cat food. And yet, Mr. Man has quite frequently snuck the beast remnants and even whole pieces of meat and such from our dinners. Not to mention how the cat dragged an entire turkey neck out of the trash and through my house! The minute we sit down to a meal, our legs are attacked, the meowing becomes ferocious and the begging for an alternative to dry cat food begins. The kids are following after Mr. Man's suit and it's not helping my case of NO ANIMALS AT OR ON THE TABLE. Here's the little rascal finishing off Mr. Man's samoan ice cream.


He has a broad appetite and Mr. Man claims he must be deficient in vitamin F for flowers, since he has officially destroyed several of my plants by eating and digging in them. I have to keep my valentine flowers on the counter now instead of as a nice table centerpiece so that he won't cause any more damage. Mr. Man doesn't think this is a big deal, but it just demonstrates that I am losing to the cat!

(Have I mentioned he sleeps with us now... the one thing I SWORE would NEVER happen!)

So everyone loves the little trouble maker... and he does do a good job of entertaining The Toddler when I need to make dinner (for the family, not the cat), but I have to admit that I still am not , nor will ever be, an animal lover. The cries for another cat and even a dog will never be satisfied. I've learned my lesson.

Hippy

My toddler had a bit of a rough day today. Not sure what his case was, but he basically was attached to my hip all day. And I realized, as I hoisted this heavy little boy around with me, that I used to always have a baby or child on my hip. And it struck me that those days are numbered. And so I wiped his drippy nose with fondness and took extra care when helping him choose a snack (always a lengthy ordeal) and even read him "one more book" after "one more book" at nap time. Someday I will be old and hopefully one of my children will wipe my nose (if not more), read to me, and help me through my days. God knows we all need someone to help us through our days.

Silly Six Year Old Singer

This is how Mr. T reads. He sings everything. I tried telling him that reading each word as an everlasting note takes much longer than just reading it as the short sentences written on the page. Then, when he knows it's driving me crazy, he sings vibrato and louder and... LONGER. Still, it is pretty darn cute, and who knows how long this pesky little quirk of his will last, so I had to record it. I have several little snippets for posterity. And yes, you may think this is cute, but try listening to it EACH and EVERY time HE READS!!!

Project Master

I have a really good thing going. I make list after list of home and other projects, and my husband helps me make them a reality. He's truly amazing. The most recent project was basically a fix for screaming and gnashing of teeth: me and mine. I was sick and tired of the endless papers, books and school items the kids were bringing into the house. I do pretty good with sorting through them right away and recycling most of it. However, managing school projects and papers that take weeks to do, making sure library books and homework folders are returned... you know the drill... it's just out of control! So I decided to take control of the situation. I knew I needed a slot or place for each person. I thought about doing something like what we've done for all our hats/mitts and winter gear - since it WORKS well for us:
But the closet wasn't large enough for another one of these handy dandy shoe racks, what with all of our coats and snow pants hanging up as well, and I wasn't sure the slots would offer enough support for heavier items like library books.

I found some great ideas online. This was one of my favourites:
Given our space and the amount of slots needed I would have to work vertically. We have copied some of Ballard Design's ideas for previous projects (and plan to in the future as well), so when I saw this I was hooked:
I would need four pockets so we were looking at $100 (plus shipping). Enter husband into the project picture. And I his master. We measured and planned and created a similar design but accommodating our sizes and needs: and with FIVE pockets so the parents will have a place as well. Mr. Man has been having a hay day out in the freezing garage and tonight presented the finished product. Isn't it lovely?! I immediately filled it with everyone's junk.
When it warms up, we are going to paint it black and put fancy little nameplates on the front. I also have magnetic paint left over from a previous project, so I'll do a few coats of that on the fronts for permission slips or teacher notes and such that need immediate attention. I'm excited for the final outcome, and REALLY excited to have my main kitchen counter bare! Oh, and we spent a grand total of $22 on the wood for this project and have all the paint on hand to complete it!



Next project: a console table. No rest for the man of my dreams!

Oh Dear

(pun from a friend's comment on my facebook status)

I hit a deer tonight.

I've had two car accidents in my life now, and neither has involved another person. Suck.

I was headed to our church for a Relief Society meeting. And I stood momentarily between the two vehicles in our garage before picking the mini-van over Mr. Man's sister's loaner car.

I was so looking forward to a night out. At church, granted, but still out. Not having to do bedtime every so often is a blessing. And then right out of nowhere... kabam. Immediately I was reduced to tears. Tears of fright and unexpectedness. Tears for the deer, who hobbled away living (hopefully), but still obviously hurt by ME. Tears for the van and the money that will now have to go into that black hole of a vehicle. Tears for the embarrassment of my actions as the words of my father-in-law echoed in my mind: "There's no reason why anyone should ever hit a deer." And my husband's agreement with him implying that if one would only pay attention on the road... Tears for what could have been. And tears because after all I'm just a girl.

I came home. Admitted my crime.

The boys were in the tub. Three little men in a tub. Goofier than anything. They overheard what had happened and quieted. Mr. T, knowing my dislike of animals, asked "Did you hit him on accident?" I nodded my head solemnly, guiltily. He continued, "We all do accidents Mom. It's okay."

How does my son know how to parent better than I do?

So a slight curve on the road to financial freedom. A slight tear of my ego, and a more cautious driver. But it's okay. Hiccup.

Contemplating Life

Mr. Man and I have been doing some contemplating about life: the past, the present and the future. For so long it seemed that our goals were already made for us. Little ones were made along the way, but on the whole we were making babies, raising children, and going to school with the aim of someday getting a house and job. Check check and check. So now what?

Success, as we've discovered, can be bitter sweet. A sweet finale of events, but also a close on a well-known accepted chapter of life.

How much do you dwell on the past? How can you be truly present in the present and still plan and prepare for the future? How lofty should your goals be so that you don't set yourself up for failure but also allow for growth? How can we use our lives to make a difference in the world?

A brief summary of many thoughts.

May I Suggest a Valentine's Gift? {Part 1}

To be honest I cannot recall if I created this visionary idea on my own or merely stumbled upon the idea and copied. It was several years ago and my memory is not so fresh. It's a simple gift, but one used almost daily.

What is it? It's a tool to keep all of your receipts in one place.
How do you make it? Get a wooden heart from your local craft store, paint it your favourite color (or your spouse's) decorate it (I wrote a little love poem and message) and then hammer a nail through the center.

This is an economic gift, in every sense of the word. (Perfect for my economist!) Plus, when you get done balancing the checkbook, it's always nice to see a heart and remember some sweet words about each other, no?!
Send what you would have spent on each other to Haiti instead. 100% of your donation will get there through the LDS church Humanitarian Aid (click on link). Show that special someone how much you love them by saving a life.

Becoming a Mother

I was a mother long before I became a mother. It took time. I'm still becoming. It's such a huge magnificent title, I want to deserve and earn it. I want it to reflect who I am.
There are some stages of motherhood that I adore, others I abhor. It's coming to grips with learning how to engage in each stage (not necessarily enjoy) that tells me how well and how much I'm becoming.

Engaging in motherhood is essential. Essential to the children a mother helps bring into the world, and essential to a mother's well-being and sense of self. Recognizing that choices can be made to the extent of engagement is also vital. I've watched many many mothers over the years and learned so much in the process. I have taken away many mothering techniques and tendencies, seen some I never want to apply, or else watched a mother do something I do and realize it's something I no longer want to engage in, or else made a point to continue. It's a balancing act, a learning experience and a never-ending test of endurance and love.
Making a conscious effort of how I want to mother is not enough. I have to actually do it. That's the tricky part. The part that takes a lot of work, a lot of love and patience, time, and endurance. I'm convinced it needs a lot of sleep too. I have so many ideas and plans floating around my head of how I want to mother... how do I get them out of mind and into play in my home and family? Good thing I recognize that becoming a mother is a process. Good thing our family motto is "Every day in every way I'm getting better and better." (Emil Coue)

Groundhog Day

{visitors always bring with them mild weather...
good for us, yet I want them to know how I suffer when they are gone!!!}

I don't think I've provided you with enough pictures of OUR WINTER.
It's been so cute to see all of you post pictures of a teeny tiny bit of snow, some ice, school cancellations, and small snowmen. We've been building snowmen since September. The snow we shovel off of our driveway has now formed mountains. We have not seen our grass or street in many months. And don't think that because we get a lot of snow here that the removal system is great. It's not. In fact I saw a steam roller come down my street to help pad DOWN all the snow the other week. They put sand JUST at the intersections, if at all. I think our van is the smallest vehicle in this town, people drive BIG in order to drive THROUGH all the snow. And our school secretary told me that school has not been canceled in our town in 19 years.

{our backyard ice rink that is in the works}

We don't need a groundhog to tell us there will be (at least) six more weeks of winter. Mostly we're worried he won't be able to get out of his burrow through all the snow to tell us what we already know.

{If you come stay with me, this will be your window view}

But we did enjoy our traditional groundhog day breakfast! And amidst schooling, organizing the drive, and laundry (there's always laundry - thank heavens for my washing machine), we will be celebrating this fun holiday in style! Celebrating the snow that will be here until June.

Heartfelt

Yesterday after giving the kids their allowance (a measly $1) we showed them this video:


Then asked how much they would like to give to help Haiti.

What they gave, as a couple of them chose to give all that they had been saving, was so heartfelt. We looked at pictures of volunteers helping, and some of the victims as well. My one little guy was crying. "It's so sad," he said, "what else can we do to help? My two dollars isn't going to help enough."

For dinner we had the missionaries from our church over. One is from Guatemala. The kids sat eagerly listening to his stories of swinging from vines like George of the Jungle. He told them about his home, how he had a dirt floor, no washing machine, no TV, no stove. Little E asked, "No wii?" The kids were shocked. And I was humbled. Our home is too big. My floor no longer seems dirty. The food we eat seems much too extravagant. The water I can literally let flow down the drain feels both a blessing and a curse.

And I know I need to do something. I want my children to feel that they can help make a difference for these people who are in need of so much. And so last night and today I've been making calls, organizing, brainstorming and coming up with a way that our small family and town can get involved and give. Posting about anything else right now seems trivial. Though life goes on, it has more meaning and purpose when we can help to save others' lives in the process of our own.