Sunday, March 30, 2008

Dumb Dog

I think this is my favorite book that I have made so far. It is a blank journal with coptic style binding. It has sold...so now I just have my memories and this lovely photograph.

This "spring break" week has flown by. Yuk weather, but what can you do?

On Sundays we try to take on a house project of some sort (the rate our house is at, we should take on a house project every day, maybe every hour) to at least make some kind of improvement. Today Noah suggested that we work in the basement. It is a horrible dungeon sewer moldy cobwebbed nightmare...noone ventures down there unless it is a complete neccesity. Well today, we tackled the beginning of emptying the entire basement out. It's just yuk down there and we think it would be best if it was completly empty. So anyway, worked hard and got a very good portion sorted out. Much went in the garbage, some went in the "sale/give" pile and then proud to say just a small portion is in the keep pile. I am all about decluttering my home and getting a handle and grasp on everything....an organizaiton....and this was a very good step to take. Feels good!

Today/night Noah made Lasagna from scratch, bread from scratch and salad..from scratch. It was a wonderful meal and I should not complain except....he left behind about 1005 dishes. I dont know where all the dishes came from? The basement? I didnt realize we had that many dishes. So anyway, I suggested that if we did it as a team that it would get done faster and be fun. Wow, was I wrong. Remind me to do the dishes by myself like usual. He returned several dishes to the sink , rejecting them in the rinse, saying they were not good enough. I commented that doing dishes with him was like being in hell's kitchen with gordon ramsay, except it was hell's kitchen Sink! Just when I thought dishes couldnt be any more tortorous (like when ben is pulling on me, hitting me trying to get me away from the sink) than usual....I have found a new high...or should I say low. Well, the good news is that the dishes are done. (for now)

Isabelle asked me today: If I got eaten by a monster, I'd never get to go to dance class right?

Ben doesn't say a lot of words, mostly: mama, hi, bye, wow, uh oh, ba, dah, etc.... but today he said...or should I say he sang very clear: dumb dog.... (we often sing that song and listen to that song from the annie soundtrack...maybe too often).

Well tomorrow regular routine of school and such starts...It's been a long day...I think I will go read for a smidge. Tonight we are trying a no tv night and I have to say I am really enjoying the quiet. I think we should do this more often. I keep reminding myself that we should set up some house rules like on supernanny.....of course if we don't watch t.v.....I will never know what grand advice supernanny may be passing out to desperate households....

goodnight.

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Ben Boo and the Blue Balloon



A Rambling of Misc. Thoughts - (as I just notice Ben is taking every kleenex out of the box...). I couldn't believe my eyes on Friday when I woke up to a winter blizzard! It was crazy! As I noticed my gas tank on E....I had no choice to fight a brutal element....as I stood there with the harsh whipping winds of ice snow slapping me in the face....I thought to myself...they like to say that Hell is a rather hot enviornment....I would think that it would be a brutal blistering cold like the moment I just had. Pure awful torture. Even with some new snow on the ground...Ive noticed the Robin's lately. They are back. Each bird has it's special something. I enjoy them all. I love how the robin....bobs...takes a couple bobbing steps...stops looks...and then continues on...again...just bobbin around the ground. I finally threw out our moldy pumpkins that we left outside and failed to get rid of before the snowy winter hit. It feels good to declutter (haha). Parent lesson learned: although it may seem to be a time saver to let your young toddler, eat and spoon his own pudding from a cup....it may be just slightly wiser to take the time to feed him yourself with this particuliar culinary delight....otherwise... chocolate pudding E V E R Y W H E R E. So, Noah was recently in a business meeting and his parnter was looking for papers and pulled something out from Noah's travel case....it was a half used bottle of baby rays barbaque sauce (curitosy of benjamin). About a week ago, we were looking all over for the barbaque sauce, we thought we had some left, but figured we must have used it all. Well when noah cleaned out his case for repacking, he didnt check the outter pocket... Yesterday ben stuffed a total of six books in to his footy pajamas and then walked away like a stiff little monster.... (please ignore my spelling errors today, for today I do not feel like checking my work). So thanks to Ben, I have a bruised bloody lip...he banged his head into my mouth last night...that was fun....but just a tad less fun than when Isabelle asked me what the spots on my face were and when they were going to go away (I am having some skin/blemish issues lately). She kept pointing in disqust, so that was lovely..Yes, motherhood can be so grand. Isabelle was trying to practice somersault's recently and she came to me upset...and said, I can do a somersault....but I am not sure how to do a wintersault.... Well....the Easter Holiday is among us. There is much to do. May your Easter be happy and God bless you.


Monday, March 17, 2008

That Leprechaun has struck again...

St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time - a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic. ~Adrienne Cook ( I know I have used this quote before, but I just love it!)

This time the Leprechaun turned the milk green and turned Isabelle's underwear green (or so she thought, when I layed out her clothes to wear, including green undewear that were in a pack she has not worn yet...immediately she came to the conclusion that the magic little fellow changed her white underwear to green. The tricky little fellow also left a box of LUCKY CHARMS for the kids. He also visited Isabelle's school....she told me that her class went to church and when they came back to the classroom...everything was tipped over and there was gold (chocolate) everywhere...there were some shoes left behind and a note for the kids. Tonight, we had the traditional corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots and irish soda bread. Today was fun and enchanted. We are not Irish in the slightest, but I sure do feel lucky.

This weekend I went away with some friends to a conference that supports and celebrates the profession of motherhood. This national conference is called Hearts At Home and I found this weekend to be completely inspiring, empowering and truly wonderful. I have been reminded, I have learned and I have shared, I have cried and I have laughed so much. I recommend this event to any mother who has the opportunity to attend. I bought some amazing books written by some of the speakers and I cannot wait to start reading them. I was also introduced to the beautiful music of a Christian singer named Cheri Keaggy who performed at the conference. The first book that I intend on reading is: How to Live with your kids when you've already lost your mind (Ken Davis).

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Silly little Children

Above: Yes, that's my son wearing Pink & sporting a dirty face.
Next, Isabelle had to wear the hat (she has to do whatever Ben does).
What Love for eachother! (It's either this or pulling hair...)

Isabelle, What do you like best about your little brother? When he don't pulls my hair. What do you like to play with Ben? Restaurant, dolls and I like dancing in the kitchen with my little brother, when you put the music on. What does Ben do that is silly? Takes all his clothes off and throws his diaper! What does Ben do that's bad? hurt me and hit me, make messes and don't clean up.

Tiny Butterfly Journal

"Just living is not enough," said the butterfly,
"one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."
~Hans Christian Anderson
I came across this project on a craft site and I had to make it right away! I absoutley love this! It was so fun to make. It is a tiny little journal... It feels like it might fly away any moment!

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Pretzel on the Pillow

These sweet thoughts from my daughter is what I am taking away from yesterday. Yesterday was not a good day overall. My theme song yesterday could have been the daniel powter song: Bad Day. But, it's over now. Today is new. :)

Lance had to get up at 4:30 a.m., so I've been up since. I should have gone back to bed, but then my mind wanders and I can't sleep anyway. I think my real reason is that I like this little quiet alone time. The calm before the storm. I savor it. Once the circus performers are up...it's crazy showtime!

Monday, March 03, 2008

March, Annie Dress, No more Bottle

Isabelle's very special gift from me for doing so wonderful with her writing/spelling.
She will not take this Annie Dress Off. It is very difficult for me to get her to change into anything else...I ordered it a little big so she will have it to grow in, but I don't know how long it will last if it is worn everyday all the time. haha

This is a personal project I am working on this month. My friend got the idea from a scrapbooking blog and we are going to try it. It's a tag album book. And you try to fill out a tag everyday for one month. "It's a month in the life." On one side you write a very short story, or tidbit of the day, on the other side you can put a photo or whatever you want. Freedom, no rules. This is the cover of mine and so far I have done march 1 & 2 and I must say that I truly aboslutely love this project, it is so fun! It is not overwhelming or time consuming, yet it lets me be creative and focus on my day/family for a few moments without the pressure of getting a big project done. At the end of the month, I should have a great mini album!

So, finally one of my favorite Months has arrived. The weather has seemed to slightly improved and so have our colds. Our big news is....I made Ben give up the bottle all together. No more bottles. Just sippy cups. He is SO not happy , it is not even funny. It had to be done. He was biting the ends, etc. It was just times. So I made him go cold turkey. He has dranken out of sippy cups before but not him milk, he has always demanded milk from his bottle. It was his comfort, his joy and I ripped it away from him as any good mother may do... He started out by whipping his sippy cups across the room in a rage throwing himself on the ground for a little tantrum ...but times have gotten better in the last couple days...I am glad we persisted through the hard times...because the kid got thirsty, missed his milk and eventually drank it out of the sippy cup.

The other day Isabelle asked me what "marriage" is. I told her it is when two people are stuck together for ever and ever. She asked me if they are stuck with tape or glue? If anyone knows this answer, please pass it on because I am clueless.

Oh man! I just looked out the window, it is snowing again!