May 6, 2010 | Uncategorized
Yesterday was a tough day for mom’s in this house. (Oh wait, that’s me!)
I won’t go deep into details, but they do include a broken nose (mine again) and broken drinking glasses. (Both of these were kid inflicted and had to do with enforcing rules which said stubborn kids did not wish to follow- sounds worse than it actually is for dramatic effect.)
Days like yesterday make me wonder if my kids do love me or if I’m just the worst mom in the world…
Which brings us to today’s fitting writing prompt…
I know my kids really love me because:
- Even though they like their school they still ask me weekly to homeschool them next year which makes me think they do want to still be near me.
- They acknowledged my presence when I got in last night from a meeting (kid speak for “Wow! I missed you!” in case you didn’t know.)
- Oldest kid waved goodbye today and gave me morning hugs (even after fussing about getting up and getting out the door.)
- My youngest had to go on for twenty minutes at bedtime with… “Mommy, I love you google-billion-towsand-millions. That is a lot, right mommy? I love you more than that.”
- Middle kid still can’t go to sleep without me snuggling him for awhile.
- I find syrup on the table, toothpaste on the sink, clothes on the floor, which I know must be secret code for “Love ya mom, didn’t want you to be bored today!”
- My oldest two ask me to take them to lunch, and maybe partly because they want to talk to me and not just because they don’t want school food.
Join in the fun over at Mama Kat’s!
Today’s Prompts:
1.) Open letter to new moms.
(inspired by Tiffany from The Secret Is In The Sauce).
2.) In honor of teacher appreciation week write a poem to a teacher you remember or currently know.
(inspired by Julie from My 5 Monkeys)
3.) I know my kids really love me because…
(inspired by Sarah from Lit And Laundry)
4.) Memories of mom.
5.) Describe a home cooked meal that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside.
May 5, 2010 | Uncategorized
Green Spring
Green Promises
Green Peas Grow (on a babygate we found!)
Green house (on our fence)
Green Swing
May 4, 2010 | Uncategorized
We had middle school field day on Thursday, then a 4 day weekend and I tried to make the best of it (despite our crazy Arkansas Spring weather.) Max’s 8th birthday party at the park was canceled on Saturday due to tornado sirens and hail. We had drained our fishpond to redo it, and it’s now completely full. Hope it doesn’t rain this Saturday for the party do-over.
Some of the many cupcakes we made (and had to eat- darn it!)
Monday the kids were out of school and the sun was out, so we decided to go to what they call “Crawdad Park.” (As you probably guessed, not it’s real name.) How fun to walk through the creek, get muddy, collect specimens, and skip some rocks!
Wet feet
Salamander (before his capture)
Crawdad (after his release)
Twisty Tree (Wisteria vine had dug into it over time)
We followed a trail of mulberries that were floating down the creek to the tree they were falling from. This started a discussion about what was edible and what wasn’t. They listed dandelions, crawdads, mulberries, blackberries (not ripe yet,) and clover.
Then we went home and ate more Lego cupcakes.
Apr 28, 2010 | Uncategorized
Waiting for biggest kid to get out of school we walked along the RiverTrail
but went left instead of our usual right…
and found the sculpture garden!
Apr 22, 2010 | Uncategorized
For MamaKat’s Writer’s Workshop this week I chose:
4.) List 10 rules you’ve unlearned (meaning 10 things you thought were expected of you or were the “right way” of doing things, but that you now ignore).
So, here it is,
Things I’ve “unlearned”:
1- Always tie your shoes. Yeah right. I never have shoes that tie or else I’m barefoot. My kindergarten teacher almost didn’t pass me because I wouldn’t tie my shoes until I had to.
2- You must have at least a master’s degree. I really struggled with this one. I finished my bachelor’s by the time I was 21, but then fell in love and got married. Now realize I shouldn’t waste the money if I’m not actually going to “work”!
3- Career first. I didn’t really struggle with this one. When the Foreign Service lost all the scores from the group I took my tests in I saw it as a sign. That was the only job I’d ever wanted. I never was able to find a “perfect” job to make a career before I had my first kiddo, and now they are my career.
4- Iron your clothes. Ha! My hubby won’t let me iron his clothes if that tells you anything about my superior homemaking skills.
5- Let a baby cry. Sorry, I honestly did try this with our first (and I cried harder than she did.) Just can’t do it. Plus, my kids are as stubborn as I am and wouldn’t stop crying for hours. Really.
6- You must have every food group with every meal. (humph)
7- Always be strong, don’t rely on someone else. This was an entirely self-inflicted rule. I realized a few years into our marriage that I could rely on my guy. I didn’t always have to be in charge or looking out for me to happy. We could look out for each other too.
8- If you can’t do something right, don’t do it. Who’d ever get anything done?
9- Always finish what you start.
10- 🙂
Click on over to MamaKat’s to join in on the fun!
Apr 21, 2010 | Green Living, Uncategorized
Some early Earth Day 2010 resolutions (because the kids are outside playing and I have to take advantage of it!):
I will really try to:
- Remember the bags in the back of my trunk EVERY time I go into a store. (I forget 1/2 the time.)
- Don’t buy the kids junk for lunchboxes that are individually wrapped anymore (even if they are organic.) This includes juices and milk. Check out these cute lunchboxes!
- Frequent close local businesses and restaurants, not chains.
- Try and eat out only twice a month. (This means planning my meals better.)
- Buy things that are only necessary, and first shop thrift stores or farmer’s market– then make sure I’m buying things that are local first, and have the least packaging possible.
I think I can manage that.
Some other easy steps to make every day Earth Day:
- Recycle! (There isn’t much you can’t anymore!)
- Compost if you don’t already. It’s easier than you think! We even have a separate worm farm that my hubby made out of some small plastic shoe boxes and scraps of wood! They love coffee grounds and junk mail!
- Think about your schedule and make trips that combine errands so you don’t waste gas. Carpool or share trips if you can!
- Make your own cleaners. They work better, are cheaper, and won’t hurt your health or the earth!
- When giving gifts, use reusable packaging (a pretty scarf, nice tote, etc.) Also, think about what you’re giving and why.
- Don’t buy new things unless you have to. Think “Do I REALLY need this?” Trade things with friends! Use Freecycle to give and get goodies. (We use this often- have even had an old garage taken down to be reused with it! No labor or cost to us!)
Mainly, just BE AWARE.
Aware of how what you are doing will impact the earth, (What garbage will this make? What is it made from? Is it toxic?)
Aware of what you really need, (Do I need this?)
Aware of how what you do effects others. (Who made this?)
We might try and check out our local Earth Day celebrations this year. Hope you have a great day!
