Showing posts with label Just life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Just life. Show all posts

Monday, May 23, 2011

Long Weekend

The forecast called for rain - instead we got sun.  Lots of sun.  Beautiful.

Scott built the kids a sandbox.  We planted a garden.  We flew a kite.  We BBQ'd every day and ate outside.  We went to the farmer's market.  We bought ice-cream.  And, even though there were some incredibly grouchy bits, overall, we just enjoyed each other.

Little Helper



Yikes!



Digging for Pirate Treasure











MUD!  Favorite part!



Thursday, May 19, 2011

One of Those Days

1. Adrianna work up at 4am screaming that her toe hurt.  Scott tried to help but gave up after 5 minutes of screaming.  I then tried to help and gave up after 5 minutes of screaming.  I left her with a sweet "you're on your own kid. If you want a hug you know where to find me" - apparently I can only handle 10 minutes of screaming at 4am.

2. Adrianna's screaming woke up Nate who decided he needed to sleep nose to nose with me.  Even 2yr olds have morning breath.  Apparently my tolerance for over-snuggly morning breath at 4:30am is pretty minimal too so back to his own bed for little boy.  He decided to tantrum.

3. Nate's tantrum woke Adrianna up who once she is awakened she does not go back to sleep.  At 5:30am I found her curled up in her little wooden rocking chair listening to music.  Since she had been up at 5am the day before (and did not handle the day well...), I decided I wasn't doing that again so I picked her up and put her back in bed while advising her that she MUST sleep.  She screamed.

4. Adrianna's screaming woke Nate up.  I gave up.  Our day started at 6am in a less than happy way.

5. There was no milk for cereal.  Kids eat cereal everyday.  Nobody felt rational about it.

6. There was no milk for tea.  I didn't feel rational about that.

7. Got everyone dressed and cleaned up and somewhat fed.  Dropped Adrianna off at preschool and took Nate to the
grocery store.  Decided that since we only needed milk, I could let him walk and finally teach him how to behave in the grocery store.  Note to self: "do not chose to teach a 2yr old anything new when I've only had 3 hours sleep and a miserable beginning to the day.  And no tea."  He revelled in the freedom and I forgot how fast he can run and how little he listens.  We drew attention.

8. Home with wild boy who then ate 3 bowls of cereal.  He was playing nice and quiet so I figured I could get the money tracked and save myself some time at quiet time.  He found me at the table and joined me to color.  He wanted me to colour too.  No problem.  Apparently it was a BIG problem as he has VERY specific demands when it comes to colouring. "Mommy, color the thumb red".  So I color the thumb red.  He looks up at me with big sad eyes and a quivering lip, "but I wanted to colour the thumb red!". oh. sorry?!  After 3 times of this I decided that I was not a good colouring partner and he decided I wasn't a good mommy and crayons flew and a little boy growled and off to time out.  Again.

9. Pick up Adrianna and send both kids to the backyard to play.  They found the little plastic pool behind the shed full of water from the rainstorm last night.  They added some dirt.  They swam.  I realized this and let it go.  Then Nate did not conform to Adrianna's commands and she hit him.  For the 3rd time that morning (it's only 11am by now).  So, in she comes. (The only natural consequence I can think of for hitting your brother is not playing with your brother for awhile).  Into the shower she goes (which she hates but when you are covered in mud and you have a bath you don't get very clean...).  So, a quick, and rather loud shower and by this point I've learned to tune out the screams and just get the job done.  Nate is next.  Same deal.

10. The highlight of the day - Adrianna made her own salmon sandwich!  Such excitement and joy.  Too bad she refused to have it cut and therefore the bread kept breaking and falling and, well, you guessed it, more screaming.  Her tolerance for frustration was rather low today.

11.  Quiet time.  Nate decided to flood his cars in their little plastic bin.  With pee.  Yes.  With pee.  He peed in the bucket of cars.  I was not a happy momma.

12.  Afternoon full of the normal squabbles and a rather low tolerance on my part for any of it.

13.  Hubby is caught in traffic.   For 2 hours. He gets home just in time for me to jump in the car and race off to work.

14.  The events my husband endured while I was at work:  (A) Kids "painted" the back of his shed with mud.  Again.  (B) Adrianna hitting and poking Nate with sticks (I guess, if she can't hit him, she'll poke him instead?).  (C) Hubby thoroughly burnt the steamed broccoli - pot is now soaking in baking soda and the house has an unusual aroma.

15. Work for me was uneventful and chatty and the best part of the day.  However, I do wish I could get to bed before 1 AM as I'm a bit nervous for what tomorrow holds (and what time it will start).

Deep Breath!

Never lacking in adventure! Enjoy it in whatever way you can.
I'm supposed to be thankful in all things - today I am thankful that tomorrow is coming and there is no way it can be as "eventful" as today!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Snapshots of the Last Few Weeks

I'm terribly inconsistent with my camera and often remember to take pictures of insignificant daily events (like Adrianna playing with vegetables) and forget to get pictures of the special events (like her 4th birthday!!).  I suppose I put more value on the day to day than I do on the "big" event - even though I know that is very important too.  Anyways, my husband has pictures of her 4th birthday and of the three weeks of various family visitors which is a good thing as I don't have a single one.  Truly.  But I do have pictures of Adrianna playing with vegetables and lining up animals for a grand animal parade...

Adrianna recently turned 4 and she is a DELIGHT.  Honestly.  Truly.  I am SO VERY THANKFUL to be out of the twos and threes with her and am LOVING the fours!  She is quirky and imaginative.  She can write her name and the entire alphabet in order and she handles her frustrations SO much better.  I generally really enjoy being with her.

Nathaniel, my sweet sweet boy has decided to be two and angrily exerts all his will at every possible occasion and by the end of the day I am so tired of my sweet boy that I am relieved he is in bed!  This change of character took me completely by surprise and I am more than a little sad to have to buckle down and set some firm boundaries for him.  This too shall pass.  God willing, it will pass gently and one day I will wake up to a sweet sweet boy again.  (Thankfully, not all the sweetness is lost - the other day he randomly hugged me and whispered in my ear "you're my sweetheart". Wowsers!)

Enough bragging.


Writing her own name!

That is a red pepper "baby" in my slipper (the baby cradle)

Her baby bear and baby butternut squash.

Animals on parade.

Happy Easter!

Happy little bunny digging in the dirt.

I can't keep this boy OUT of the dirt!  We are building him a sandbox.

A boy and his bears.

Daddy pretending to be a barber and cutting Nate's hair.  Love the adoring trust!

Daddy is no barber!  (the clippers came out soon...)

She loves to paint (and color) with every color.

Painting!

Grumpy police girl.  She was NOT going to smile!

Bursting with glee.

In the fire truck!

Adrianna wanted flowers on her face.


Nate wanted balloons.
 And that is a small snapshot of our (mostly) happy little life.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

SPRING!

It is finally spring!  The kids race out to the backyard, pull off their coats, boots and socks and run in wild circles, arms open, heads back, laughing at the sun.  "I don't want winter to come back ever again!" That's from the girl who likes "cold things" - even she is done with this winter!

With weather that is both sunny and above zero, we've been outside daily.  I don't anticipate fitting nature study into our routine to be much of a struggle.  I'm looking forward to many upcoming months of hiking and exploring.

Making a chalk road for Nate


Nate riding his bike on the chalk road
 
First spring flowers!

so nice to see color again!

Chilly ride on the slide at the park
(love the "matching" stripes?!)

yay!

Why step when you can jump?


Goats at Mountsberg

Making a new friend

Aren't the markings on the feathers beautiful?

observing each other

I love spring.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Spring Will Come...

The kids quiet time today is not so quiet, so just a brief update!

I don't know about anyone else, but for us in this little house, winter has felt LONG.  and draggy.  and there is STILL snow on the ground!

But there are signs spring is on it's way.  The air is cold but the sun is warm.  There is more mud than snow.  The birds are singing.  And a few days ago, I saw a crocus.  I swear God made the humble crocus for the sole purpose of giving us snow-weary folks a sliver of hope.


After a winter of ear infections, typical 2yr old attitudes, a husband who quit smoking (positive outcome, long process), lots of overtime (good for the budget, hard on the relationship) and the regular day to day-ness of life - I am ready for spring! 

Monday, March 7, 2011

The Day of Small Things

"Who despises the day of small things?" (Zechariah 4:10)

I have.  Often. 
Days where all I do is:
  • cook meals
  • clean up after meals
  • get little people dressed
  • wash, fold and put away laundry
  • read stories (often the same ones over and over and over)
  • color, cut & paste, draw
  • sweep the floors
  • buy groceries
  • referee squabbles
  • discipline
  • manage baths
  • tidy up toys
  • get little people in bed
  • flop on the couch.
On those days I seriously question if I am doing much of anything.  And yes, there have been days when I have despised the day of little things - usually while my mind daydreams of grand and much more exciting adventures.



A whole life is built on a foundation of small things.  Millions and millions of small things.  And yet, somehow, in the midst of all the small things, God does a MIGHTY thing.  He molds an attitude.  He shapes a character.  He turns a heart.  He speaks.

As I wash the dishes (for the 3rd time today!), I watch the squirrels scamper up the trees and the cardinals chase each other and it's beautiful.  As I discipline my daughter (for the 3rd time today!) for not sharing and speaking rough to her brother, I am reminded to share what I have and to speak gently.  As I make the meals and clean up after the meals (for the 3rd time today!), I'm reminded of all those that don't have meals and I am grateful. 

All these small things reveal the blessings of God and we are TRULY blessed.

May we always be grateful for the small things and trust God to mold them into MIGHTY things.  May we have ears to hear the whispers of God in the middle of the mundane.  May we not despise the day of small things.


Inspiration:
Simple Charlotte Mason
Streaming Faith