Creativity saved the cat

Angry Little Dude

2010-06-26T22:53:00.001-07:00

I am trying so patiently and so peacefully to understand just what gets into a 4 year old boy that could make him call me a "stupid poop head mommy" and start swinging.
I started to read Raising Cain, I am not far into it yet but I am sure some mystery will still remain at the end of it. One thing I do understand though is that he has a need to be tough and awesome and in control of himself. My daughter had this same need for control around this age but it came out in puddles of tears rather than what looks like anger.
I am not sold on the idea that this is anger. Deep in his eyes there is something bigger. Something that looks more like sadness and defeat. As if my control over him means he is powerless and not the tough, spirited boy he thought he was. I have won, and in that he is somewhat wounded.
Now, of course I can't let him just run wild but I am trying to loosen my rope a bit and let him feel free. This means bounding through the supermarket, balancing on ledges, stomping in mud, climbing the unclimbable, while I hide my fear and pray.

Oops

2010-06-26T22:49:00.000-07:00

Why hello there little blog.
It seems that somehow I just forgot all about you. I can't imagine what I was doing to keep me so occupied that it's been over a year since I have been here.
Well, now that we have reconnected I feel I better visit more frequently and show you some love. Thanks for sitting around in cyberspace waiting for me. How nice of you to keep going on without me.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....
Can I offer you some pie?

My latest creations

2008-12-18T23:30:00.001-08:00

These are all gifts for my daughter. I plan on making my son an owl as he said he would like one but mostly he wants cars and trucks and things that go SMASH!!
These are needle felted with the exception of the play silks. Those I ordered raw and then hand dyed with kool-aid for a permanent rainbow of color.

Felty Felt and the Funky Bunch

2008-11-21T10:11:00.000-08:00

I have a new hobby! Hooray for new hobbies!!! You know, I just had so much spare time that I figured I should pick up something else to fill the hours with. Being a domestic goddess only takes about 24 hours out of your day so really you can see how I had an opening in my schedule.

My new obsession is FELTING!!! I am currently working on a top secret project. Since my kids can't read very much I will tell you. I am making a felted gnome family, some fairies, and eventually a tree house and lots of mushrooms and other felty magical things to go along with it.

This is a dangerous hobby. It involves a needle with barbs so sharp and tiny that some are microscopic. I was told I would bleed profusely if I touched them. I have to admit it scared me a little since our family now has an agreement that I am banned from using super glue (for very good reasons.)
I got a kit at our local fiber craft store and after procrastinating for a week I decided to dive in earlier this week. I made my first felted gnome yesterday and to my great surprise it was very easy and he came out rather fantastic. Way bigger than I had planned (about 7 inches instead of 3) but still he is a smooth looking fellow.
I suggest you catch the bug.... and head over to this ladies site who explains the entire thing via little videos.
I now want an alpaca of my very own but haven't convinced that dear husband of mine.
I guess I could always sheer the dog.

VOTE!!!!!

2008-11-04T10:15:00.000-08:00

Today is the day to vote if you haven't already.
Still don't know who to vote for? You could write my name in if you want to.
Seriously though... here are the facts on Obama
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/

You may click and go read or take my word for it and vote for CHANGE!!!

oh, and after you vote if you tell your local Starbucks they will give you coffee for FREE!

Get an awesome new president and a free cup of coffee in one day. How cool is that?

Get the door...it's McCain!

2008-10-28T22:57:00.000-07:00

This a short funny little tale.
On my way to drop off my ballot the kids and I were talking. We were discussing what the president's job was, what the Mayors job was, what the county commissioners job was. They have been noticing all the yard signs and always want to know who everyone's name is and the job they want.
Anyway, I said that Barack's job will be President, and Kitty's job will be Mayor, and Rob's job will be county commissioner. So Zionna asked "What about McCain? (his name is on a couple signs.) I said, "Well, he also wants to be President." She said, "NO, He can't! Just Barack! He needs a different job." So I asked, "What kind of job should he have?" "He should deliver pizza," she replied with authority.

TAXI!!!!

2008-10-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

I really should paint my car yellow with all the zipping around I do now that school has started. Maybe install a little fare meter in the front of the car and deduct it from future allowances my children will eventually desire.

I haven't updated in awhile, and while I could try to blame the driving to school... it ends at 11:45 everyday so I am not sure that is a good excuse. I don't know what I have been doing.
I did crochet some things, a hat, scarf, and headband, and 1 baby bootie for Ted's cousin's baby. I do plan to make another on my journey to TX.

Oh, and our family possibly saved a tree with our new avoidance of paper towels. We were using about a roll a week if not more for our messy kids. If a cup goes on the table the chances of a spill are about 95% in our house. This meant lots of trees dying to clean that up. Now we have a growing collection of dish cloths and even switched over to cloth napkins (all from the thrift store.) It has not really added to my laundry pile since I just throw them into whatever load is next in line for washing. I must give the husband kudos on this as it was his idea. Clever Ted saves the world!(or at least a tree.)

I'm getting excited about the election. My ballot comes in the mail very soon (maybe tomorrow) and I am ready to Barack the Vote!

In the words of my lovely daughter "I like Obama because he is going to save the world."
(I never said that, all her words.) Even a child can feel the Hope.

So it begins

2008-09-04T09:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Zionna's first day of school. She was eager and excited to begin her Kindergarten career. She was the first one to run to the teacher when the door opened for the start of class.
I must say that I'm sad I cannot go with her to school. Not because I cannot stand to be away from her, but because this school just sounds so fun!
It is a public Waldorf school and that means that instead of focusing on academics and pushing to keep the" every child left behind act" happy, she will be discovering nature, singing to fairies, dancing, playing music, painting, sewing, knitting, and all sorts of other wonderful things that five year olds SHOULD be doing. It feels like an extension of our home and I have no doubt that she will adjust well to the rhythm of school.
Everything in the room feels good, all fabric and wood. Not a touch of plastic and I am so happy to say that not one computer is in the room.
When I toured schools around Eugene it was often a horrid sight of 5 year olds with headphones, microphones, and laptops zoned in to there own little space and not even an ounce of interaction with each other. It scared me, and still does to know that children are going to schools like this. We are very blessed to have gotten into this school, and even more so that we are not having to pay for it since it's a public charter.
This is a very thankful post. Knowing that Zionna is in such a positive and nurturing school that will inspire her creativity and allow her to blossom even more.

Broken

2008-08-14T13:08:00.001-07:00

Liam flipped off of a swing Sunday night and broke his collar bone on the left side. He remains happy and continues to try to do daring things. The morning after the fall he asked to go to the park! He is napping right now and that is how I am able to be on the computer. I have to watch him oh so carefully because he keeps trying to do things that one should not do with a broken bone.
Should be healed in two weeks if I can keep him out of trouble for that long. On a positive note he got a rockin snoopy and the gang sling to wear while it heals. I will update with a photo at a later time.

Wet Paint!

2008-08-08T15:45:00.000-07:00

I finally took advantage of the very short non-rainy season here in Oregon and got out my paintbrush. Originally I was planning to make my own paint out of flour and clay and other non-toxic things but after hearing about somebody in Seattle who did the same and had mold growing on the walls thanks to the damp northwest climate I decided not to.
Instead I got some no VOC paint from Dutch Boy.
Because the paint didn't have nasty chemicals I was able to paint while the kids were in the house. It took me a week and here are my results!

Children of the Corn... Syrup

2008-07-10T21:37:00.000-07:00

Shopping for groceries with children is always a frantic and forgetful experience. I have read stories of teaching children colors and things like that by walking through the produce. That sounds like a wonderful idea, however WALKING through the produce aisle doesn't happen with my kids. It's more of a riding the cart, jump off and hope mom is looking, run towards the cookies type of trip with my two assistant shoppers. This means I don't have a whole lot of time to read ingredients. I go for as many things that say organic as possible. Recently though I had a trip to the store that required extra caution.

I went to the junky discount grocery. The one that has Pop Tarts, Trix, and florescent "fruit" snacks the moment you walk into the door. Artificial is the main word you see. They do, by popular demand of our nations "green" trend have organic things. You have to search but the prices are low enough it might be worth the battle.

I found some turkey burgers that seemed OK and went to grab some buns to go with them. The first one I picked up was pretty inexpensive so I checked the ingredients. Corn Syrup was number 2 on the list. After checking every bun they had, and some brands I had picked up at other stores without looking. Corn Syrup was on every one of them.

Next stop... "mommy can we get applesauce? I like it now!" Sure! Ground up apples sound like a great cool summer treat. Once again, corn syrup. On one of them it came on the ingredient list BEFORE apples. I'm not sure how that was even possible. After some digging I managed to find one that didn't contain that nasty ingredient. Thank you Tree Top!

Now, we are in a nation that has a childhood obesity problem. I have heard it blamed on video games and too much TV. I'm not saying they aren't to blame some, but come one! Corn syrup is in pretty much everything we buy. You have to really go out of your way to avoid it and with two children in the store it's pretty exhausting to do.

Recent studies have shown that as the use of Corn syrup in food has increased there has been a parallel increase in cases of diabetes. With all the activities that kids are signed up for these days it really is hard for me to believe that sedimentary lifestyle alone is to blame for the weight gain of American youth.

Simply avoiding products that are known sweets like cookies and cake just doesn't work. I ordered broccoli for Zionna at a market and the helpful sales person informed me that there was corn syrup in the broccoli I was about to purchase and she asked me if I was sure I wanted it. This was a rare instance of a person caring enough to tell me. I was extremely grateful for the information but mostly I was shocked.

The floods in the Midwest took out a bunch of corn fields, there is rumor of food prices going up even more because of this. Gee, do you think if they removed corn syrup from the ingredient list of all these foods maybe we wouldn't be in such bad shape price wise?

It's going to be hard, and I will have to find a recipe for hamburger buns, but my family is done with corn syrup.

Can I fix it?

2008-07-06T21:45:00.000-07:00

YES I CAN!!!!! (Bob the Builder reference, not Obama)

This is my braggy post because I am proud of myself for being a handy gal around the house.

This past week I....
Made two rain barrels for water catchment
took apart and fixed the washing machine (i think)
dug up bamboo from somebody's yard and transplanted to my own
harvested lots of lettuce, peas, and spinach
blanched and froze lots of spinach
killed 500 million weeds with my bare hands
planted more food
ripped up some of the lawn and turned it into a wildflower bed
fixed two pumps on our pond and gave away some of the extra plants
built an Adirondack chair (ok so it was a kit in a box and mostly done)

I think that is it.
This next week I plan to paint the kitchen and possibly make my own paint. Oh yes, fun fun!

There are no photos because I have been to tired to take any. I shall now go soak in the hot tub and drink my wine!

Dead Head

2008-06-17T15:56:00.000-07:00

I wish this was a posting about that stinking Nutria! He is still around and after my lettuce!
This isn't a posting about the Grateful Dead, although Jerry did make a few stops in Eugene back in the day. This is about Rhododendrons.
Now if you are like me a few months ago you will be like...Rhodowhat? They are a VERY popular flowering bush that grow in just about every yard in Eugene. We have at least 6 in our yard alone.
When we bought the house they were just plain green bushes and this summer I was delightfully surprised to see flowers all over them. Pink, white, purple. Oh, they were so pretty! Then the weather got slightly warm and the flowers dried up and began to fall off.
My super helpful neighbor explained to me that it was time to "dead head" them. I think I looked at him sideways for at least a few minutes before he walked into his yard and gave me a demonstration. You pluck off the top "dead head." However, you must wear gloves and bring a bucket to fill. When you pick them they are sticky like sap and will cling all over you.
Today I ventured out to the front yard and managed to "dead head" three of the bushes.
Now, why would we do such a thing? Why not wait for a heavy rain or wind to knock them off? Well, for one they look kinda depressing once they are dead. Second, and more important...they won't flower anymore if you don't! Every year that you don't take the heads off they produce less and less flowers. If you do take the heads off then you get EVEN MORE gorgeous blooms the next spring. We will see next spring if it was time well spent today.
My gloves are sappy and it's time to listen to some dancing teddy bear music... or not.

EVOO what the?

2008-06-13T17:31:00.001-07:00

So, I am mostly a non-tv watcher and my house doesn't get a million channels. (I would prefer not get any but the cable company insist it cost the same for internet with or without the tv.) I don't get Food Network. Maybe I am out of the Rachael Ray loop but for this should I suffer when trying to find a good recipe. Should my family suffer when I force them to eat this dried out thing once called a zucchini?
I had a recipe swap with some friends a couple years back and after flipping through the book we had created together I saw a recipe for baked veggies. One in particular for Zucchini. Looking at the recipe pretty much everything was a spice except one I didn't recognize called EVOO. I figured it must be a spice as well so I spiced up the zucchini and stuck it in the oven. What I got was a very dried out, flavorful, but odd textured thing that my kids refused to eat. (oddly enough my children actually like zucchini.)
Today I decided to make it again, only this time I was going to google search EVOO and figure out where to buy such a spice. Well, for non-food network watchers like myself. It stands for Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Rachel Ray said it one day and apparently it's all the rage among the cooks to say EVOO instead of the longer version. I don't have anything against Rachel. She seems nice enough, I saw her live on a taping of the Tonight Show when we lived in LA. I'm sure she didn't mean to ruin my dinner.
Come to think of it, I hate acronyms in general. My husband used them a lot when we were first chatting online (yes folks, we met online) and it just made me crazy! I finally told him about my hatred of acronyms and now he uses them even more. Nice guy eh?
Anyway, back to the Zucchini problem. Cooking the new improved recipe as we speak. Baking in the oven. La la la... this is what we do while we wait. We shall see how the recipe ends up with my new knowledge.
Here is the recipe for those of you wondering, and everyone who could care less too.

Oven Roasted Zucchini
---------------------
Preheat oven to 400
cut your zucchini into inch thick rounds
mix in a bowl with Extra Virgin Olive Oil (that wasn't so bad to type out really)
sea salt, ground black pepper, rosemary, and garlic seasonings.
lay zucchini out on a baking sheet
bake, uncovered for 25-35 minutes
check often for your desired tenderness.

Swamp Rat

2008-06-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

If you have ever watched Aladdin you may remember him being called a street rat. Well, I sometimes call Ted a swamp rat since he was born in Louisiana. It was a joke, he claims to be a Texan and I like to remind him that officially he is not. I thought I had made up the term "swamp rat" being the clever lady that I am.
Now the point of this post isn't to OUT him as a non-texan or prove that I am a mean horrible wife who makes fun of her husband's origins. The point is, that I met an official SWAMP RAT! It's living in our backyard, it may have friends, and despite the fact that we have given it a name it will be relocated soon.
Her name is Peggy the Lawnmower and she is also known as Nutria. Looks like a groundhog with the tail of a rat. She enjoys munching on grass, taking long dips in the pond, and living under our shed. Her habits have led to making my koi pond look more like a potty and everyone tells me that she will be tearing apart the garden next.
Now, these critters were brought into the USA (Louisiana to be exact) for the fur. Apparently they make a fantastic hat! The rule here in Oregon is that you can't catch and release, you can't shoot in city limits. So grab a cage, drag it to the country and fire away!!!! yee haw!
I plan on breaking the law and releasing it into the wetlands area. If you see me on the 6 o'clock news please come bail me out of jail. I don't like killing things, even if they are pests. I even catch mice and release them far away. I do kill spiders though, so WATCH OUT nasty little spiders!!! I will smush you in a second.

Fairy Festival

2008-05-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

There was a Fairy festival last weekend and I took Zionna. Last month she drew what she wanted her dress to look like and then I went to work sewing it. I made it out of a pillow case, a valance, and some sheer rainbow fabric. I am thinking of making these dresses and trying to use 100% recycled material from thrift stores and then maybe sell them on etsy.
We had a lot of fun at the fairy festival wandering around the life size Candy Land board and playing with our friends. For our wings we used coat hangers, and tights that Zionna outgrew. Then we painted designs on them. I didn't get a photo of mine but I was wearing some of course!

Don't eat the leaves!

2008-05-08T11:28:00.000-07:00

While in my garden area I discovered a very large plant that looked familiar. Turns out it was rhubarb growing from the past owners of our house. My grandmother always grew a ton of rhubarb and made the best pie. I made a strawberry rhubarb pie with mine hoping the kids would eat it. Liam and Ted loved it, but Zionna decided it was too tart despite the heaping amounts of sugar I put into it. I meant to take a photo of the pie when it was finished but I got so excited about eating it that I totally forgot to take the finished photo. I could show a photo of my tummy now that I consumed almost an entire pie, but that is just gross!

Oh Oprah..what have you done???

2008-04-07T16:13:00.000-07:00

I just received an email about Oprah and her new church????
I was very confuses so I watched the YouTube video in the link to see what was going on. I mean, I don't watch TV so I can miss things like this if I'm not careful. Or maybe I am being careful by missing them.
Here is the video... and if you don't have time to watch it makes Oprah look like a cult leader and then at the last 2 seconds throws Obama in the mix.

My response:

My thoughts on this would be that Oprah is like so
many people today, she is searching. With her busy
life I would guess that she is very lonely and so it
makes since that she would be searching for a deeper
spirituality.  I know she was hanging out with a bunch
of Scientology people awhile back. She is lost.
 As far as the Church of Oprah, well yeah she is
teaching a web class.  She does that sort of thing
with her book club.  I think she is just excited to be
feeling something and wants to share it just like
anyone would.   Of course she is Oprah so she is
sharing it with millions.  Is she evil? Trying to
corrupt Christians and others? Nah, she is just trying
to share her experience in her personal search for
enlightenment. 
Hopefully those Christians watching will have a faith
strong enough that this won't throw them off course.
Perhaps those unbelievers who watch will continue
searching and eventually land upon Christ. 
Ok, and the Obama thing at the end was just silly.
That had nothing to do with the entire show so I'm
guessing a McCain or Clinton person put the video
together.   Oprah endorses Obama, not to be racist but
it sorta makes since.  First black president seems
like the kind of person a woman who so proudly
recognizes her heritage would endorse.  Obama wasn't
meditating or on the web conference so why stick his
name on the end? 
Did Fox news make this?  LOL!
:)

Robotic Baby "Care"

2008-04-01T11:48:00.000-07:00

Do you wish that you could afford a Nanny take care of your baby for you? We all know how expensive a nanny would be, especially a night nanny. Well, now you are in luck! For only 24.99 you can have your very own robotic baby timer. No longer will you have to wonder or care why your baby is screaming. Simply check the timer and it will tell you if the baby is wet, needs food, or should just be ignored because clearly it isn't TIME for it to need anything yet.
It even has a little night light to keep your baby feeling safe when you don't come in.

Why bother listening to your baby or reading the clues that it gives. You know that little uncomfortable wiggle and cry when the diaper is wet. Well, don't bother yourself with that. In fact, with a little luck you won't have to even look at your baby for most of the day. Just make sure the timer is close enough to hear it go off and enjoy your day.

I saw this product when I was cutting through the baby section to dodge the toy aisle. I must say that I was horrified and then just really sad because I am sure a million of these things will be sold. When you think about how babies are born today it makes since as the next step.
The entire pregnancy and birth is timed and measured and women are told when they should be dilating, when they should be pushing, and when when should be cut open since it's taking too long and dinner is getting cold. It only makes since that someone would try to continue this pattern of technology intervention.

Good News!

2008-03-31T20:41:00.000-07:00

If you watch the evening news, or really any kind of news then you know that Good news just isn't in style as far as the media goes. Today I discovered a great website for some good news.
I could go on and on but... why not just let you go there yourself. Check THIS out!

My dead microwave

2008-03-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

I have to say that I am glad it's dead. I had trouble with the loss at first and thought I would replace it after a couple of days. I knew warming things in pans would be healthier for keeping the nutrients in the food, but I have been surprised that it seems to be healthier too in other ways.
It's been interesting, the pace has changed in our house from the lack of micro waves dancing in the kitchen and zip zapping our food. It forces patience and a slower more relaxed rhythm to our day.
The kids can't just come in and say they are hungry and demand and expect something to be sitting in front of them in 30 seconds. Now they are learning that it will take some time and the requests seem to be filled with less haste and urgency by the day. (Unless Liam just woke from a nap, then LOOK OUT!)
Tonight we had leftover Jambalaya that Ted made yesterday. (Thank you honey, yum yum!) Instead of doing the normal ZAP, I put it in a pan and let it steam and warm and fill the house with all the delicious smells that come from a yummy Cajun dish. Dinner was more special, better than a nuked leftover. It had taken planning and time and yes, patience. I believe I heard "I'm hungry" three times while it was heating up. What a great way to teach patience to my kids, and to myself!
So the votes are in, the microwave will not be replaced by another. The toaster oven took it's spot and now I have more counter space for preparing those healthy slow cooked meals.
Any good recipe ideas?

Trash talk

2008-03-19T22:32:00.000-07:00

It seems America is slowly becoming aware of how important recycling is. Our local trash company switched to one GIANT recycle bin that we can throw everything with the little arrow symbol into except glass, that goes in a little bin instead.
Anyway.... we have been averaging only 1 tall kitchen bag of trash a week. Everything else is either composted or recycled. I am pretty proud of that and think we are doing good for a family of our size.
Recycling and giving away things instead of tossing them work but I think for us composting has been a surprisingly significant reduction in our trash. We had lots of forgotten leftovers and food scraps going in the trash bag and now they are getting our garden ready.

So, how many bags of trash does your house produce? Any tips on reducing trash? I would love to see some helpful comments

Piano Concert

2008-03-19T19:54:00.000-07:00

This is my bragging post. My daughter started piano lessons a couple months ago and had her first performance. I am very proud of her for getting up on stage without any hesitation. She was so excited and practiced the song all week long before the concert.
If you listen to the song she is playing the high notes. I think she plays a total of 18 notes.

Oh the places you will sleep...

2008-03-18T21:38:00.001-07:00

When fussy children are about,
you will sleep strange places, there is no doubt,
On the floor beside the bed,
quietly, don't wake Ted.
On the couch half way sitting,
don't dare lay down, I'm not kidding!
If you do that child will wake,
Oh, the awful sounds that he will make.
Don't think at Two they will sleep all night,
If you do, you are in for a fright.
Maybe gas? A tooth? A bug?
All I know is he needs a Mommy hug.

Liam has began night/early morning waking again this week and while I'm not sure exactly what has been going on I have been sleeping in some odd places to keep him back in dreamland where he belongs. On weekends Ted always helps out but since I know he has long days at the office I try to give him a break during the week. Come Friday night though, I will not be leaving my cozy warm lovely bed. Can't guarantee that it won't have an extra 2 year old occupant though.

Meet Fry Guy

2008-03-12T16:36:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce that I will no longer be buying gas!!!! We just got this handsome little car (1981 Datsun) and he runs on recycled veggie oil. He also came with about 600 gallons of veggie oil to get me started and a filter/pump and everything else I will need to go cruising down the road. If you smell Chinese food it might be me and Fry Guy driving by.
I'm so excited about this! I have wanted a grease car forever. It takes 60 bucks to fill up the tank of my mini-van and then I only get around 18mpg. Soon I will be driving Zionna to school everyday and the thought of that made me become very motivated to find an alternative solution to our transportation.
So, here he is folks....
Meet Fry Guy (I plan on a personalized plate soon)

The death of a microwave

2008-03-10T21:31:00.000-07:00

My microwave died today and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my family isn't next in line. I have said often that we might starve without it. I could go get a new one, or maybe fix this one. I instead decided to see this as a challenge and try to live without a microwave. Heat things up in the toaster oven or *GASP* on the stove!
Anyone who knows me understands that I am not a cook. Microwaves kill nutrients though and we need those good things so I'm going to give it a try. This means planning ahead on my part.... like guessing when Liam might start screaming 'HUNGRY MAMA HUNGRY" and starting to cook before that point.
Goodbye to my super-fast-molecule-moving friend. You will be missed, and possibly replaced soon upon my imminent failure as a cook.

Super Deligates

2008-02-17T13:41:00.001-08:00

I just finished writing a letter to the Super Deligates in support of Obama and wanted to share it:

Two years ago, I gave up reading the newspaper and paying attention to politics, the war, health care issues, everything. It was out of my hands, and so I gave up hope that I could do anything to change it.
I am a wife, and mother of two children. Worry is always in the back of my mind. I worry about how we will pay our high insurance premiums, I worry when my daughter coughs due to the polluted air we must breathe, I worry if my children will have recess when they go to school since the No Child Left Behind act doesn't leave time for it.
Over the past two months I have started watching the news again. I have stopped worrying and started getting really excited. There is now someone leading and taking charge that is sincere in his mission. Someone who wants the same changes that my family and our country desperately needs.
That someone is Barack Obama.
Being that I am the mother of two young children you can guarantee that I would not be taking the time out of my day to write this if I didn't think it was of the most importance to my family.
We need a leader who is not only genuine, but is ignited with passion to make a difference in the troubles our country is facing. With Obama leading us I believe hope doesn't have to be given up for America. When he says, "Yes, we can" I know he is right.

If you would like to write your own letter please do so here

Knit-Wit

2008-02-16T23:25:00.001-08:00

Knit-wit... That is what my dear husband calls me. Isn't he a catch ladies?
Actually, what he is referring to is my new hobby.
The first thing I started knitting was a grocery bag made out of plastic bags. I am still working on it right now. Turns out that knitting plastic is really difficult and so I ended up teaching myself how to crochet via a google search. Crocheting plastic is a lot quicker but now that we have a cat it becomes difficult. You know how cats love balls of yarn? Well, now imagine it's a crinkly, plastic ball of yarn. Oh yeah! She loves it.

I decided to try to use regular yarn to knit something for a Mama knitting group that started up. I had the help of people already knowledgeable in knitting to guide me. I made a sweater for Liam using 4 rectangles and then piecing them together. Looking back at it now I really should have tapered down the top so it wouldn't be so boxy. I still love it anyway.

My next project was a gift for my new baby niece. I had originally planned to finish it while on my trip over Christmas but time slipped away and it never got done. I mailed it off to her about a week ago. Hopefully she is snuggly and warm in it.

I got a bargain on some funky yarn and after looking at knitting and crochet patterns for 30 minutes my head started hurting and I decided to wing it and make Mama Booties! When you knit these type of things you need 4 double pointed needles. Since I can barely use two I opted to crochet them instead. I am so happy with these things. They are sooo comfy. I have been wearing them over my socks around the house to keep my toes extra toasty.

Dirty Jobs

2008-02-16T22:47:00.000-08:00

We are composting for the first time and it has been a learning process for us. First, figuring out what to put in the compost and next figuring out what exactly to do with all of it.
Last weekend we got some very helpful info from our local community festival on how to compost properly and discovered we needed to turn and mix our compost bucket. Ewwww!

Our house came with a compost container called Earth Machine. We are very lucky to have it as it contains the mess and the smell and keeps the bugs out too.

After mixing and stirring I discovered our mix of leftover food and grass we have been putting in the bucket has already started turning to soil. We just started using it a couple months ago and we were pretty excited to see that it was already working.

I thought I would be grossed out but after a few stirs I started having fun. It's messy but it's just so cool to see how the food turns into nutrients that will eventually help our food grow.
The compost mix was very dry so we had to add water. The kids of course helped carry the heavy bucket so I wouldn't strain my back.

Be mine, valentine

2008-02-14T15:44:00.000-08:00

It's fun to think how Valentine's Day has changed for me over the years. My memory of it starts out with my Mom always making me a card and giving me a special treat.
As I got older I remember our school doing a carnation fund raiser where you could buy flowers for people and they would be delivered to the classroom. I think I remember my friend and I sending flowers to each other so we wouldn't feel left out but I never got one from a boy (oh sob sob.)
There were other Valentine's Days to follow involving jitters and giggles and jewelry and chocolates purchased with the help of someone's mother.
I can't say I ever remember having a date on Valentine's day but I do remember a card from my soulroommate Ali. I still have it actually! It said Boys PHOOEY and it was terrific.
Of course now I'm married so I always have a sweetheart but we don't really make a big deal out of the holiday. I do however, require chocolate. It doesn't have to be Valentine's day for him to give me chocolate though. Any day will work, for example...Tuesday. I LOVE CHOCOLATE!!!
I spent the afternoon making cards for and with my daughter. She had some stickers we were given by a hotel maid (that is what happens when you live in a hotel for awhile,) and so she has been covering the construction paper with them. The funniest so far is to her friend's baby sister and the stickers read:
Fabulous My Forever Sweetheart Passion perfect Sexy Sweet lil'hottie
cutie be mine special moments stolen moments.

The perfect card for any 1 1/2 year old don't you think?
I hope that her mother doesn't stop talking to me after this.

Making friends with the worms

2008-02-13T22:20:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we had a day of sun and it was almost 60 degrees outside. I put my boots on and got started on the garden!
I am really excited about this project and Zionna is interested in helping me this year. Last year she really didn't care for it. Maybe it has something to do with being able to use bigger garden tools now?
Anyway we are getting the soil ready and then I plan to have some plants starting in the greenhouse this weekend. We covered half the plot with old carpet from Ted's garage office to kill the weeds and make less work for us. I discovered that the soil is fantastic and full of worms. The kids were creeped out by the worms at first but after a talk they now know the worms are working hard to make sure our veggies have good soil to grow in.

Things I would like for the garden include:
fantastic garden stakes from uncommon goods. I think I will be getting some paint and scrap wood and making my own. I do love them though!

The other thing would be CHICKENS! I'm not sure when we will get them but we are allowed up to 3 chickens in our neighborhood. Maybe more if nobody complains. Fresh eggs, pest control, weeders, and an interesting pet. I'm still researching them to figure out everything I will need. If anyone has any tips or advice please contact me!

Must see video

2008-02-04T17:56:00.000-08:00

This video was created by supporters of Barack Obama using his speech from the New Hampshire Primary.
If you live in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California,Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, or Utah...
Then Tuesday Feb 5th is YOUR day to shape the future of our country.

It's a big mess right now and I don't plan to leave it this way for my children. I will be doing what I can to fix it and that includes supporting someone who has a goal to bring hope and to bring change.
Yes We Can!

It's almost over!

2008-01-31T18:37:00.000-08:00

We are almost done being ruled by the crazy Texan idiot! Oh, I cannot wait to be free of him.
Typically I could care less about either opponant and just try to vote for the lesser of the 2 evils running, but not this time. This time I'm actually a pretty big fan of somebody running and so I decided it was worth a blog.
Obama brings hope to my thoughts on politics in America and makes me think that maybe he could fix some of what our current leader so badly screwed up.
Learn more about what he stand for here

Something Important

2008-01-31T12:32:00.001-08:00

Recently I was told by a family member that they felt I should be doing something important, perhaps OUTSIDE the home. Thinking on this more led me to wonder should I volunteer somewhere, find some sort of job, become a birth activist, run for mayor (he he he.) If I did any of these things it would of course leave my kids in the care of someone else during the time I'm out doing "something important." Then I realized, what could possibly be more important than loving, caring for, and shaping my children as they are at such a critical age.
There was a big campaign when we lived in California about FIRST FIVE. The first five years are so important and it was big on promoting preschool. I have to disagree with the school of thought that preschool is the best place for my kids. I don't think it's a bad place, but it certainly doesn't top being with Mom. We play with other kids, we go to all kinds of places like science museums, dance, music, the playground. It's obvious to me that my almost 5yr old daughter is learning because she is now reading books herself and doing simple addition/subtraction.
I am not really interested in academics at this age anyway, that was just something that she reached for on her own and I embraced as I do anything she shows interest in (assuming it's not something like painting the wall with food.) The things they are soaking in right now are my values, my love, and the calm and security of home.
They will have plenty of years to explore the big world without me but I would like to think I will leave a little of me in them to help them on the journey. So for now I will continue this important job as they grow and need me less I am certain I will find other important things to do.

Mamasaysom

2007-12-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

Last week I got some sad news, the site that I usually use as my springboard for posting announced they will be closing down. I loved it because if I felt like writing and had the time I would have a starting point once a week. I will miss it but my hopes are up. It seems lots of people really wanted it to stick around and so hopefully it will be coming back in some form at least.

The flu..oh joy

2007-12-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

First it was Zionna showing me again what she had for dinner. Now she is better and Liam is a very warm and tired little guy needed lots of snuggles. This is the point I cave and throw all my "tv causes ADD" out the window and allow countless hours of flu numbing television. It's my favorite thing to do when I'm sick and I just want to zone out and not think about how I feel, or really think at all.
So far I am not sick! woo hoo! I hope I stay that way.
So here I sit, messy house, tv watching kids, pizza on the way, very tired, and who knows how many spelling and grammar errors this post has.
Why didn't we get the flu shot? Well, since you asked here is your answer
If you didn't feel like clicking, bottom line is: It is BAD for your health!
Make your own choice, but please educate yourself before you do.

cheers!

Just where is that Compass pointing?

2007-12-04T14:52:00.000-08:00

The Golden Compass is coming out to theaters soon and I have seen lots of talk about how it was written by an Atheist and basically ends with the main character killing "god."
I am sure you have heard of this, but if not head on over to CNN

Here is what I am thinking, as a Christian and a Mother. I saw a preview and really had no idea what it was about but thought it seems like something Z would enjoy based solely on the preview. I was planning to look more into what it was rated (didn't catch that) when Ted told me what it was about. I immediately decided tha she will NOT be going to see it.

Right now at this age she is sooo impressionable, anytime she finishes watching anything she "becomes" that character for the rest of the day. I can't even let her watch Dragon Tales because she becomes that whiny dragon the rest of the day. Questioning authority is going on enough in our house that I don't want anything promoting it. Mama and Papa rule, and that is FINAL! (lol)

I am not trying to shelter her,I just don't want her watching something so captivating at a young age. I also didn't let her watch Chronicles of Narnia because I thought it would be too intense for her wild imagination.
As she matures and her faith grows, I am certain it will be tested many times over but for now I can filter what comes in while she is at such an easily entranced age. However, if she were older I probably would allow her to see the movie if she really wanted to as I think it's important to realize that not all views in the world are your own. I would most likely watch it before her, and be going to see it along with her and talking to her about it after it was over.

I am trying to raise her with values based on a relationship with Jesus, and to strive to be like him. Strive to be a tolerant, loving, giving, compassionate, forgiving person who refuses to look down upon anyone. When Christian "authorities" of the church say things, I want her to question it. It has been quite obvious that there are several misguided CRUSADES (ah, that president of ours) in the name of God. I hope she doesn't just put "Christian" blinders on and believe anyone who claims to be for His Glory.
As she gets older I can't imagine all of her friends would be Christian, already we have friends who are Wiccan, Jewish, Buddist, and athiest. Someday she will no doubt get some questioning and maybe even some arguments against her beliefs. If we kept her clueless that there were those opposed to our families beliefs then she would be one shocked gal and not know how to respond. I want her to be able to respond well informed, and full of a strong faith that no movie or person could ever break down.

Giving

2007-11-18T21:29:00.000-08:00

This weeks theme at mamasaysom is Giving.
As a Mother this is a constant theme in my life. Giving my time, my patience, my heart, my sleep, and my last bite of brownie to my two children. I give without hesitation, well, except for the brownie.
I give almost automatically, as if it were wired into me the moment Zionna started growing inside of me. I gave milk so much that now, even six months past Liam weaning, my body still tries to give more. Giving comes naturally with Mothering and hopefully it flows outside of my Mother roll and into every roll I play in this world.
Everyday I am giving my children me, all of me, and today I fear I gave them a me that would have been better off never received. I was feeling sick, and grumpy, and lacking the good attitude I so often remind them to show me. "Give with a joyful heart." I am afraid I did not. Tomorrow I will try harder, and if I'm lucky my cold will have gone away making this a little easier to do.

New

2007-11-13T17:07:00.000-08:00

New is something I try to avoid. New is very shiny, enticing, and works extra hard to make Old feel inadequate and completely outdated. New screams at me from billboards, store windows, glitzy metal zipping past me in the fast lane. New demands attention so much that it often uses force to achieve my glances. New dances on banners atop my email and pops up to surprise me on my favorite websites. How did New know I was reading a topic about him? New knows just how to manipulate me and draw me into wanting more, more, more. Does Old stand a chance against this over achieving, in your face, always attainable, very attractive, New? I would like to think so, but it's going to be a fight!

What do other mamas have to say about New?

New telephone number

2007-11-06T18:04:00.000-08:00

The cellphones are gone!
If you didn't get my mass-email of the new number and you think that you should have please let me know. I'm sure I missed some of you as I had a toddler on my lap as I was sending it out.
If you are a telemarketer, circus clown, or pro golfer then you were left out on purpose and please go away!

Treasure Hunting

2007-10-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

I cleaned out my purse a couple days ago. This is something that is only done a few times a year and since I switched to a smaller, non-diaper bag type of purse it was necessary to fit important things like keys. In the past when I have cleaned it out I find about 20 receipts from Target and this time I found none. Instead it was overflowing with paper wearing the name Goodwill, and St Vincent De Paul. Ted and I have been loyal to The Compact for awhile now and I have to share that it's really been a great thing for us.
Aside from the fact that we are helping keep things out of landfills, and saving money, we have discovered that it's really fun to shop now! I used to love going into Target and just browsing at all the little pretty things they had. Those displays only change seasonally though, or maybe monthly, but the thrift shop... oh my friend, it is updated DAILY!
I have been a little worried about Christmas for my kids so I decided to start shopping now since it may take me a little longer. Today I totally lucked out and found Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs, Mr Potato Head, and a wooden train set for a whopping total of 16 bucks! Two of these were still in the original package never played with.
The coolest part for me is when something pops in my head that I would like, and it seems to magically appear in a thrift shop within a week or two. I go to many stores, and also garage sales and so for I have found what I need. Well, there is one exception...
The only dillema I am having is that while grocery shopping in a department store I happened to see the most beautiful faux-silk, chocolate brown drapes. Now their image dances around in my head as I look at the old, dusty, 70s style drapes that came with our house. I have been looking for over a month at every thrift shop, garage sale, craigslist post, and used ebay auction I can find with no luck. I keep telling myself I don't NEED them... but dang it I want them!

Ooops, my hippy is showing

2007-10-09T17:29:00.000-07:00

Years ago I tried to knit a horrible scarf with tiny needles. As you may have guessed, it didn't work out. Well, some mamas in my area are starting up a knitting group and promised to teach me a less painful way of knitting. I'm having a better time of it and so I have basic knitting skills.
Now comes the hippy part... I have been really craving a new purse/totebag. Now I can't buy anything new so I have searched every thrift shop in town with no luck. This led me to ebay and so far the ones I have found that I like are very expensive like this one I then found one with an eco-friendly message. It is a simple canvas tote that says "I'm not a plastic bag." However apparently a fancy designer made it and so it sold out and now I would have to pay about 50 bucks on ebay for something that was originally 5 bucks. The money goes to no worthy cause, it wasn't made by fair labor, and well, it's just not so eco-friendly anymore.
In my search for a similar bag at a decent price I stumbled upon this handmade bag and decided with my newly found knitting skills I could make my own bag. So last night I got to work cutting up old shopping bags. I ran out and went to the store to find more bags in the recycling bin at the front. So there I sat knitting away with my recycled plastic bags and realizing that I just may have reached the peek of hippyness. Wait.. nope.... I still shave my legs!

Compassion

2007-10-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

This weeks theme at www.mamasaysom.com is compassion and I have decided to write about my father. He is Mr. Compassion whether he knows it or not. Always giving everything he has, even when he has very little. He is a great listener and seems to be able to lead me to answers without even trying. Just recently he gave away an RV that he was going to sell to a man living in a cardboard box. I can't even imagine what the world would be like if everyone thought and acted as he does. Giving, and thinking of others. It's good for us to put ourselves on the sidelines. There is much talk, especially in womens and parent magazines to be more about YOU YOU YOU. I think we are naturally very selfish and we really need to fight that and show a little compassion. If you don't feel comfortable giving a dollar to that bum, or if you don't have a dollar to give, you can still give him a smile and some eye contact.

How is your reception?

2007-10-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

A couple days ago I was sitting at a red light on the way to a friends house. A man crossed the street in front of me looking more like a robot than a person. He had an ipod headphone wire coming out of one ear and a cell phone on his other ear. It seems everywhere that I go people have things plugged into their ears but my question is what are they missing by doing that?
I have many a time been the bored mom at the playground. My kids are very independent and lots of times they just don't want to play with me. I pick up my phone and scan my address book for anyone who might be home at this time and want to talk to me. I am desperate to connect to someone who wants to talk about subjects that don't include princesses. I call down the list until I get something other than a voice mail box.
Lately though I have noticed that something is not right. There are lots of other parents at the playground and they are just as in need of adult conversation as I am. How do I know this? Because they are talking on their cell phones too. Almost all of them balancing phones on their shoulders as they chase their little one around the play structure. I wonder what would happen if we all hung up and started talking to each other?
This doesn't just happen at the playground. I see the same thing at the grocery store, the mall, the bus, and everywhere I go. One common thing I hear from friends my age is that it is so hard to meet people without joining some sort of group. If we weren't always on our phones trying to connect then maybe we would actually connect to a person right in front of us.
I have become dependent on my cell phone and in doing that I have probably prevented lots of possible friendships. Of course it is wonderful to be able to stay in touch with the people you love who are far away, but there are other times for that. Times when you aren't having to tune out the people around you. Then maybe you would pay more attention to what they are saying and actually have a meaningful conversation instead of a distracted one. (well, maybe if the kids are in bed anyway.)
I am no longer taking my cellphone with me everywhere I go. I will be leaving it in the car and after this month I am getting rid of it completely. I might get a pre-paid type of deal for emergencies so I'm not left stranded in the cold if my car decides to faint.
I'm not sure if this is going to help me meet new strangers since they will most likely be on the phone, however I will be one less phone talker and maybe if you see me you can say hello.

Celebrate!

2007-09-21T09:50:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to say that today I will be scraping wallpaper border for hours!!! Why is this exciting? Because that border is in a house that my husband and I now OWN!!!
Previously we have been trapped in the cream walls, grey carpet, vertical blinds, hell of renting. Not anymore though. Visions of paint chips are spinning in my head and those blinds are going DOWN right along with the nasty wallpaper border.
I probably won't be posting for awhile but hey.. you never know!

Lullaby

2007-09-05T14:47:00.000-07:00

When I brought my firstborn home I remember those first days spent in the glider nursing and gazing in wonderment over my precious daughter. I would sing just softly enough so that she could hear me. I sang the song that I remembered my own mother singing to me. I had a fear of singing in public, so even when my husband would get near the room I would stop. My almost silent lullaby was like a secret between her and I. I treasured this time with her, and often we would both drift off to sleep in the chair as she nursed and I whispered song to her.
Over the years my voice grew louder and my fear of singing dissolved. My daughter is the person who brought that out of me and together we now sing almost all day in whatever task we are doing. It doesn't matter to us who hears or how loud we are, or how off key we might be. Sometimes we even sing while walking down the grocery store aisle. Now I have a son too, and at nineteen months old he is an excited participant in our daily songs. It's as if my life has became a musical since the birth of my daughter, all started by one almost inaudible shaky voice.

More Lullaby

I'm feeling a little yellow

2007-08-31T11:24:00.001-07:00

I really had fun with this today and thought that I would share www.simpsonizeme.com
Here is my Simpsonized Family

Cooperation

2007-08-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

This is one thing that cannot be forced, especially with small children. You may be able to get them to do what you want but there will always be screaming and crabby moods if you force it. I re-learned the best way to get children to cooperate when my daughter went to a Gymboree class. It was time to pick up the toys and the teacher started singing and picking them up. She never asked for help, but she didn't have to. Almost all the able children began putting the little beanbags away in the bucket. To them it was just another game, but to the teacher it was 10 minutes less she had to clean after class. After being at the class I remembered that my own mother used to sing a little song at cleanup. It's a brilliant thing and it really helps me avoid being a nagging mama.
These days I'm trying really hard not to rush my children. Being a stay at home mom I think it's easier for me to do this. I can set the pace for the day and for what is on our schedule and I try to leave lots of blank space to incorporate the toddler pace my children live in. There are times we need to jet out the door though and I usually get the best cooperation when they have a five minute warning. I also do this when we are leaving from something fun so they know it's coming.
I think another great we do is asking the kids to help us with chores and tasks. Even though sometimes it ends up taking longer or being a bigger mess, they are learning how to help out. I might end up with a pile of wrinkly clothes instead of neat folded ones, but I'm sure my daughter is going to be more willing to pitch in when she is older if I make it a routine now. We usually sing songs while we do this or have a game of seeing who can fold the biggest pile.
Children want to make us happy and proud and if we can put a fun spin on cooperating and make things seem fun vs. a chore then we will hear less whining and more laughter. Isn't laughter what every mama wants to hear?

cooperation is this weeks theme

Quest

2007-08-27T09:50:00.001-07:00

Yesterday our family went on a quest to find a waterfall. My daughter has really been enchanted by them and unfortunately living in a city her whole life, she has only seen man made falls. Fortunately with our recent move we now have the opportunity to see many natural waterfalls within a short drive and hike. This particular falls was about a 1 hour hike for us. It was a wonderful journey filled with lots of discoveries on the way. Caterpillars, fairy mansions, flowers, and lots of small waterfalls, ending with the big falls that we had set out to see that morning. It was a wonderful weekend quest and I'm looking forward to many more!

Quest is the topic this week

3..2..1..COMPACT

2007-08-02T16:58:00.000-07:00

I have been reading about a thing called The Compact. After talking it over with my husband we have decided that it will be our goal to do the same this year with a few exceptions. He will still be able to purchase new video games. It's his industry and he has to stay up to date and it's basically research material although he will try to rent the games when possible.

For those of you who didn't bother to check the link it means our goal is to no longer purchase things that are new. Exceptions are made for toiletries, food, undergarments, medical supplies and safety equipment, and in our case video games. We will also be trying to eat locally and garden as much as my black thumb is able.

So instead of my beloved Target, we will be heading to the thrift shop, using freecycle, craigslist, and sharing with friends. Just recently before our move Ted wanted to go out and purchase ramps to work on our car. Knowing that we were moving, and that we may never use them again I asked him to give me time to find some. Sure enough within the week I was able to borrow some that weren't in use. It's amazing what you can find if you just take the time to look and have the guts to ask for it.

I think our biggest challenge will be our daughter and the fight we will have against advertisers marketing toys toward her. Luckily we don't watch television so we won't have commercials to battle. Still, marketing is unavoidable even with the absence of tv. One thing she does love though is going "treasure hunting" at garage sales. Her face glows as she wanders through a yard clutching her tiny purse full of coins. Someday hopefully she will take pride that she is stopping these "treasures" from entering a land fill and ruining the earth, but for now she is enjoying all the goodies that she can buy with her own money!

I encourage you to at least think about "compacting." Even if you modify it like we did every little thing will make a difference. "We only have one world" (B.E.P.) and it would be great if we could take an extra effort not to destroy it.

Decision

2007-08-02T15:24:00.000-07:00

As my last post said, I move a lot. It turns out that we did end up moving and I am writing from a hotel room in Oregon. I really cannot say what will happen and where I will be taken next but the last place I lived taught me something. I made the decision that even in uncertainty I would throw myself into the place I was living full force as if I was staying forever. Previously I had been hesitant to really try and connect and sink into life with other towns. I had that thought in the back of my head that I would just be leaving soon so why bother.
I feel like I really missed out on a lot of friendships that could have been stronger because of my hesitation.
Because of the decision that I made with our last move I ended up with some strong friendships, wonderful experiences, and I was really sad to leave. I think it was one of the hardest moves that I have faced but at the same time I don't regret for a second that I became attached with my life there.
Planning on leaving can really detach you from where you are but the truth is you may never leave and then you wasted years that could have been very meaningful. Besides, even if you do leave think of all you could have missed out on during the time that you were there.
We are in a new town, a new state, and it's also a new life experience that I have decided to fully enjoy!

Decision is the theme over at www.mamasaysom.com

The odyssey that is my life...

2007-06-27T13:02:00.000-07:00

You know that question people always ask when they first meet you..."where are you from?" I really dread that question because it turns into a long rambling that leads me to believe I should just start saying America. I have moved so many times that my mother has several pages in her address book filled with me. I tell her to use pencil but so far she hasn't listened. So, once again a move could be on the horizon for us, but before I tell you about that....here is the answer to that question... "where are you from?"
I was born in upstate NY, so far north in fact that I have been titled "honorary half-Canadian." I was raised sans electricity, running water, or indoor plumbing by some very wonderful hippy parents. I loved it, every day I was able to explore and run and play with nature. My mother didn't have to fear that someone would drive by and swoop me up with a candy bribe. There were no roads for 1/4 a mile and even that road was dirt and rarely traveled.
We spent a couple winters in Florida but those were brief and made me fear alligators.
After that I moved on to Indiana to be closer to my sick grandmother. That is where the rest of my family became glued down. I left the second high school was over and have been moving ever since.
First it was just a bit north to college and then I met the most wonderful man in the universe and moved to Austin, TX to be closer to him. Plus I loved Austin! The weather was terribly hot but live music and fun things were everywhere. We were married a couple years later and more packing of boxes happened.
After a quick stop in Dallas (yuck) for Ted's graduate school we packed our bags for the only city I said I did not want to move to, Los Angeles. It turned out to be kinda fun but I was in about 3 fender benders, my daughter got a chronic smog filled cough, and we were only there for 18 months!
Since we have been married (5 years yippy!) We lived in 6 homes, 4 cities, and 2 states. We just moved to our current home (San Fran area) in January. Two weeks ago my husband's company announced that his team was being laid off. We are looking in the area but even the companies "nearby" are an hour away so it looks like perhaps I unpacked those boxes a little too soon.
It's funny just how many times I am asked if my husband is in the military (he isn't.) He is in Oregon today interviewing and so my odyssey continues...

Focus

2007-06-08T12:41:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about the theme a lot this week. Trying to figure out what my focus is right now and realizing that focusing is not my strong point. I am very random hopping from one thing to the next. Often found looking all over the house for an item that I forgot I was already holding in my hand. Tasks are left undone as I drop them for the sound of "MOMMY" coming from a troubled child. I could blame my kids completely for this lack of focus but the truth is that I've always been this way. I guess this is something I need to focus on fixing... but we all know how my focus is so..hmmmmm

Mama Haiku

2007-05-16T15:34:00.000-07:00

I was only going to write one...but Liam was napping, Zionna was playing and I was having fun with it so here are a few.

Loving you fiercely,
remaining calm as I can,
watching you emerge

milk super power,
flying to gymnastics class,
when do I get sleep?

stepped on a toy, OW!
nothing but bills in the mail,
mama needs a hug.

Who is this Polly?
Why must we buy her today?
What happened to books?

Maybe play outside?
Commercialism got you
and I want you back!

want even more... see other mama haiku's at mamasaysom

My Child

2007-05-10T09:53:00.000-07:00

Vessel of imagination, reminds me how to play.
Keeping me in constant wonder.
A flow of song throughout my day.
Watchful eyes study my rhythm.
Her independence bringing frustration and joy.
Producing works of art her passion
watching her is mine

random shopping boycott attempt...

2007-05-07T21:46:00.000-07:00

FAILED!
I did become more aware of my impulse buys and I am positive that I am purchasing way less junk than I was before. I think I cracked around Easter when I went to load up the baskets. This purchase lead to my demise of other things that I didn't need. However, I now own a very nifty pair of rainbow stripe rain boots (for me, not my daughter.) That kinda impulse by you just have to celebrate!!!! Now if only it would rain... hmmm

Silence

2007-04-15T23:54:00.000-07:00

We are plugged in, surrounded by constant background noise. Silence just does not exist in our American world. I see five year olds walking around with ipods plugged into there little heads. To escape from our noisy life we go get a massage and even then we want sound. Sure, it may be a "nature" cd but it's still noise. How often when we are alone in silence do we turn on the TV or the radio. I'm not even counting the noises from our children (for those who have them.) I'm talking about when the children are away or sleeping doesn't something in us just crave noise!? By turning on that background noise what glorious things am I missing?

‘God wasn’t in the wind... He wasn’t in the fire... He wasn’t in the earthquake... but in the gentle whisper.’
From Kings 19:9-12

It has been said that God is like a whisper, like breathing. If we have our ipod on how will we ever hear him?

I love music, and cranking up some songs can make you feel wonderful but sometimes even if it makes us squirm inside we need to just embrace the silence.

Other thoughts on Silence

Surfacing

2007-04-04T21:37:00.000-07:00

At what point in our lives do we become whoever/whatever it is that we are going to become. It's a constant change, each day we wake surfacing into something else. Re-surfacing ourselves to fit our environment, our mood, other's expectations. I looked up the definition for surfacing and came up with the following:

1.	the action or process of giving a finished surface to something.

2.	the material with which something is surfaced.

3.	the act or an instance of rising to the surface of a body of water.

Thinking about that makes me wonder just how many times I put a surface on myself that may have been cosmetically pleasing but not solid wood beneath. (and I'm not talking about makeup)

I challenge us to surface as our true self every day.

See what other's had to say about SURFACING

Personal Challenge

2007-03-20T23:19:00.000-07:00

I decided today that I am going to challenge myself to be shopping-free for one month. This means I am only allowed to purchase food and gas. No trips to Target, no picking up a magazine at the grocery store, nada!
I really think I'm going to have a problem doing this but I want to try. I am very bad about grabbing little things because they are cute and only 99cents.
Wish me luck! This is going to be hard.

Joy

2007-03-13T23:41:00.000-07:00

"Don't let anxiety steal your joy." This was a quote in a book I recieved shortly after becoming a mother. This was the quote that helped pull me out of my postpartum depression, well the quote and some zoloft (sorry Mr. Cruise but sometimes you just need some drugs.)
I still recite this quote to myself on a regular basis at times when the kids are fussy, I'm exhausted, and my husband is hours away from the end of his work day.
Motherhood has so many joyful moments but sadly it is very easy for us moms to get caught up in all the things we must do, or rather the things we never get done and then anxiety builds.
Playing in the backyard with the water hose and sunshine is what we did yesterday and I had to try as hard as I could to not think about the pile of laundry, floors that needed swept, and countless other things that I should be doing. Instead I got out the camera and celebrated the joy that comes with being a mommy in the spring time.
I think the hardest part for me in keeping my joy is when I am up all night (as I was last night) with a very fussy and sick child. I must admit that it is very very hard to find joy in that.
I'm not sure we can always win the battle against anxiety, but as long as I'm trying i am certain I will be in a better, more joyful place.

Joy is the weekly theme over at mamasaysom

currents

2007-03-08T23:21:00.000-08:00

We are being pulled through and I can decide if I want to drop anchor right now and hold on or go with it. It's a choice that I have every day. To throw a fit over my current position or to find a blessing and be joyfully thankful in exactly where I am at, knowing that in an instant the currents could pull me along somewhere else. I was just in a discussion last Friday at my MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) group. Being content with exactly where you are. We talked about how to do it, and it's not easy. I think it's a different journey for everyone and I don't believe there is any simple 5 step plan to it.
I have to say that for the most part now I am content. I became content in the strangest place, my two bedroom, itty bitty, expensive, dog barking next-door, crowded apartment. It happened after living in a house, after we got rid of all our precious "stuff" that didn't fit. Lots of our friends were buying houses, it seemed almost everyone I knew was buying a house. We instead were spending more on our rent then they were on their mortgage.
So how did I become content? I'm not exactly sure I can put it down in words but I will try. Mostly it was lots of praying, and then one day I realized that I had exactly what I NEEDED. Not only that but anytime I NEEDED something I received it. Now, sure I wanted things and didn't get them all the time, but when I needed it I certainly had it.
I decided it was OK to have a tiny apartment because inside of it was peace and calm and it was filled with the people I loved.
It's so easy to say "I will be happy when I have X" but the truth is that we need to figure out how to be happy even if we never get X.
The funny thing that happened to us next was that a few short months after I became content and fully willing to live in that apartment forever we were transplanted out of the blue.
My husband was offered a new job, a new city, a new salary. In the span of a month we went from thinking we would spend 2 more years (at least) in an apartment to living in a 3 bedroom house with a great yard and even a gardening area! (also clean air, and it looks like a photograph!) I literally couldn't have come up with a place this good on my own.
The Lord without a doubt changed the currents of our life and I know he purposefully waited until I was content with little before he blessed us with more.

This is my thoughts from CURRENTS see what other mama's thought over HERE .

Static

2007-02-26T16:56:00.000-08:00

Static is what you would find if you turned on my television. I do not have 950 channels of choices, but I do have one choice. I choose not to sit and stare. This one choice leaves me with a world of possibilities i could dance, sing, play, laugh, paint, imagine, read, explore, dream, the list never stops. I will admit that there was a time when I had to get my weekly update of Jim and Pam, Mike and Susan, Luke and Loralie, but now I have to tell you I just don't care. I dare you to stop watching for two weeks and see just how badly you want to go back. If you are like me you will forget it's on at all. I once had a cable man tell me that I was depriving my children by not subscribing. Depriving them of what? ADD? Future doses of Ritalin? Perhaps doses of blatant commercialism?

Give it up, turn it off, and find your life.

Written for the www.mamasaysom.com theme

Shoes

2007-02-21T18:37:00.000-08:00

When she first put them on She looked up at me with far greater pride than when she wears any glass slipper. I see my mannerisms as she rolls her eyes or when she gets excited. Everything I do is mirrored back to me. I know that it is up to me to create a peaceful, loving, calm influence for her to mimic.

Big Bum

2007-02-20T17:26:00.000-08:00

We have began using the cloth diapers and it really has been easier than I thought. Plus the covers are so darn cute! This one is my favorite. It's Cat In The Hat!

Night Night

2007-02-19T23:17:00.000-08:00

I just had a conversation with you.

"Night Night time, just like your sister."
"No more milkies, Mama can't go night night."
" sister night night there,"
" froggy night night here, you night night here."
"Not mama, no milkie, night night. "

and you layed down

and sang
"nigh nigh nigh nigh"

"mama?"

"nigh nigh nigh nigh"
and played with your blanket
and went to sleep.

While I sat, unable to move
staring at a little boy
who last night was
my baby with a chin dripping milk.

Letters

2007-02-13T17:38:00.000-08:00

We once wrote letters. My father just found a box of letters in my Grandmother's closet. Secrets to the past, ways to link history and discover more. Now we have fonts to choose from, colors too, and don't forget password protection so our secrets are always electronically safe. How sad it will be for our grandchildren. They will never have old dusty shoe boxes to joyfully discover in moments of sullen duty. No yellowed paper windows into the past. Just deleted accounts due to inactivity.

This was written from the inspiration of this weeks theme on http://www.mamasaysom.com

Adventures in cloth diaperland

2007-02-08T00:57:00.000-08:00

With my first child I was un-educated in cloth diapering despite the fact my mother was a cloth diaper mom herself. I just knew disposables were the ONLY way to go and there was no way i was having a nasty wet bucket of poop soaking in the house.
Then I had my son, in an apartment with a laundry room two stories down. But, I became educated in the new improved world of cloth diapering and now that I am in a house with a washer and dryer of my very own... I dare to enter... cloth diaperland!!!! (insert magical music)
After much research, question asking, and browsing the internet for the best deal I ended up ordering two covers from nickisdiapers.com and some indian pre-folds (to go inside the covers) at http://www.nopins4baby.com/ All my things arrived today and I began the washing of the diapers. Apparently you have to wash them like 8 times or something crazy to make them "work."
I will update you as my journey continues.

Fun facts: Disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, an extremely toxic by-product of the paper-bleaching process. It is a carcinogenic chemical, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. It is banned in most countries, but not the U.S..¹Disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills, and represent about 4% of solid waste. In a house with a child in diapers, disposables make up 50% of household waste. http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php

oh and one more... you don't need a yucky wet bucket!

For tons of info go to www.diaperpin.com