he climbed a mountain...

...and brought me back some edelweiss.

Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow. Bloom and grow, forever.

Nothing comes from nothing. Nothing ever could. So somewhere in my youth or childhood I must have done something good.

advice for the newbies

I was trimming my gigantic baby's fingerclaws today. They grow so quickly, that I have to trim them back every 45 minutes, nearly, or risk being scratched to death every time I hold him. (Which is all the time.)

While I was trimming them, I was transported in time to a baby class my husband and I took before our first bundle of miraculousness was born. Our teacher was a nurse, not married, and without children. Not that it matters, but it did. Our class was chock full of first time parents. This particular class was towards the end of the once-a-week-for-six-week sessions. We were learning about the proper care and keeping of newborns. How to bathe, change, feed etc our soon-to-be born babies.

I'll never forget her words of caution about trimming a baby's fingernails. "You MUST use a clipper that is designed specifically for babies. OR ELSE, you might cut off the tip of the baby's finger!"

Oh. My. Goodness.

Be careful when bathing---DROWNING! And feeding---CHOKING! And napping---SIDS!

Watch for fevers.

And Jaundice.

I remember leaving that day feeling a bit panicked. How in the world could we manage?

When she was born and we brought her home, we took turns staying up holding her those first few nights...too afraid to lay her in her crib.

I wish that nurse would have said, "Relax. You'll do just fine."

Because we did. Eventually.

If I could give advice to new parents, it would be this:

• Your baby is fragile, but you won't break his arms or legs when you dress him for the first time.
• If you need to put your baby in his car seat while you shower, that's okay.
• If you need to put your baby in his car seat while you eat a tub of ice cream, that's okay, too.
• You can't keep your baby away from every germ.
• A held baby lacks motivation....so hold him every single moment that you can.
• You will give your first born the worst sleep habits. It's all your fault. But it's okay. When they are 10 months old, you will read the book "Sleeping Through the Night" and will be wiser with all the babies that come next. It does eventually get better.
• Sometimes it isn't any fun. But that doesn't mean you don't love your baby.
• Sometimes your baby will cry for no good reason.
• Sometimes you will cry for no good reason.
• Sometimes you will cry for good reason.
• Sometimes you will understand how the crazy people feel.
• Nursing is a good thing.
• Nursing is not a beautiful thing right away.
• Nursing - even with a correct latch - can be PAINFUL LIKE YOU WANT TO DIE for the first six weeks. But! IT GETS BETTER!! Press on!!
• No one knows your baby like you do. Even right away.
• Relax. You'll do just fine.

happy father's day

I wanted to do something nice for the father of my children. He was mowing. I grabbed a cookbook and made up a basic yellow cake.

I took it out of the oven and tried to rush the cooling process so I could get it frosted before the baby woke from his nap.

I wouldn't recommend rushing the cooling process:


Happy father's day. I made it all by myself.

Becky P.

The signature line from her email makes me laugh everytime:

Thought of the day:

SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES. NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS.

a book by its cover

So I have this new planner. It will last me until December 2010. Which is slick.

But, I'm not jazzed about how it looks. So I covered it in fabric. It was completely complicated. I use only the most sophisticated of methods.

See that circle of tape down there? That's the double stick tape we had left over from a window winterizing kit.......extra classy, I know. And the fabric is left over from my bedding. Matchy, matchy, matchy, matchy. (I'm sorry. It's 10:30 pm and I've been up since 4:00 am.)

Anyhow, I cut the fabric allowing several inches of overlap all around. Folded it here and there and everywhere and then ironed the folds. Then I took that double stick tape, and went to town. There's tape all over beneath that fabric.

Then, I put some tape all over some ribbons, and taped them on.

Voila.

I don't think that stupid tape is going to hold. Tune in next week, for more adventures in double stick taping. Just kidding. There is no such thing as adventures in double stick taping.

Goodnight.

parenting 531

"I don't like that."

"That looks gross."

"That makes me want to spit up."

"This smells funny."

"I'm not actually really all that hungry."

"Can I have a peanut butter sandwich instead?"

These are phrases I hear at least 89 times a week. And tonight, I took a stand.

I made a Mexican dish for dinner this evening. It was good. Really good. Chicken. Cheese. Cream. Red sauce. Tortilla chips. While 99.99997% of children would be thrilled to eat chips for their main course, my boy decides he doesn't like it before he's even tasted it. (Which is when my girl decides to pour it on EXTRA thick about how wonderful it is, and how much she enjoys everything I make.)

At any rate, we made him muddle through so that he could get to dessert.

Dessert that was ice cream with strawberry sauce.

I was about to hand him his bowl when he said, "I doooooon't liiiiiike thaaaaaat kiiiiiiiind."

And a very heavy straw fell onto a very weak camel, and I said, "I'm sorry to hear that." And walked to the garbage and dumped in the contents of his bowl.

A horrified look swept over his face. Tears began to fall. Oh the tears!

An important lesson was learned this night.

(Hopefully the lesson isn't ~your mom is crazy and you need to be careful what you say to her~)

the tree

The maple tree in our yard is perfect for climbing.


The kids love to climb. My girl has been able to monkey herself into it for years. Not so, my boy.


Last year, he was certain that this summer he'd be able to get up into it himself. On the first nice day of the year, my girl climbed up to her favorite perch. My boy, excited at the prospect of FINALLY being able to climb up himself, tried his hand at it. And couldn't do it. Was he discouraged? Yes. He was. (He tends to be a little glass-half-spilled-onto-the-floor.)

We've been giving him lots of encouragement. Advice. Tips. Tricks. Pointers.

Nothing.

He would try and fail and say he'd never try again. He would never ever ever never be able to it. *slumped shoulders, frowny face*

Today was a nice day. We were outside. He tried again. He failed again.

But today, he kept trying.

And today, he did it. He pulled himself up and called for his daddy to come and see.

"How do you think of this?" He boasted. *head shaking side to side*

"Way to go! We knew you could do it!" We all told him.

"You know what I did?" He said, "I prayed to God. I said, 'Please let me do it this time.' And you know what? I didn't do it that time. But I kept on, and He let me do it a few times after that time."

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Wow. That is my life. I pray, PLEASE let it happen right now in my own way and in my own time. And you know what? Things (almost) never happen in my own way, in my own time. Should that discourage me? No way. Because sometimes He lets them happen a few times after...and every time it happens for the best.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28 (New International Version)

he ain't heavy, he's my elephant

a self portrait:

Sometimes the weight of my mothering responsibilities feels like a big fat elephant. An elephant with balloons. An elephant with balloons but no party.

It's been a long day.

You know you've forfeited your shot at Mom Of The Year when you serve your kids cookies and milk for breakfast. Especially when you present them as "Cookie Dunkers!"

Am I supposed to send in a letter of resignation?

art wall

Pardon the lackluster quality of the pictures....

This is a wall in my kitchen/dining room that I've decided to turn into an art gallery.

Not really.

I'm just running out of wall space. And this wall already had 50 nail holes.

It was serendipity. Or necessity. Or insanity.

The pear on the right used to be a pillow. And the pear fabric stretched on the left is left over from the chairs. I stitched around and painted on one of the pairs to make it more interesting.

My girl drew the flowers with oil pastels on stretched canvas.

The bird up there was a quick sketchy oil pastel done on fabric stretched over a picture that had been hanging in my hall. There's a small picture done by my boy up in the corner and a framed drawing by my girl that is my favorite picture of all time. Also, a few random lovely fabrics stretched over random frames I had laying around.

There are still a few nail holes left....

a little sewing

My mom and I went to a super fun fabric store a few weekends ago. We were both inspired by some really fun and folky wool appliques.

I couldn't stand it anymore, so today, I pulled out the sewing machine and did this. I don't know if I'll be able to stop. It was so quick and easy and fun!

new to me

My sister is getting a new table and chairs. She had been using this set. She's done with it now, so she sent it my way. And I love it. LOVE IT SO MUCH.

I recovered the chairs with a table cloth I found on clearance at Target. Orla Kiely. (Thank you, Target, for having actual designers come up with things for you. This was a great idea.) You know, those curtains were also once table cloths I found on clearance at Target. I'm sort of a one-trick-pony.

Look at these chairs! I'm loving them.

And this table!? That there's a curve.

Um, so if you are getting something new, and need a place for your something old to go, you can totally send it my way.

Georgia with a peanut

[Almost] every day, when my baby is down for the first nap of the morning my boy says,
"Hey, mom. What should we do to pass the time? I know! Let's do the state puzzle."

Sometimes he'll say, "Hey, mom. I'm feeling a little sleepy. What would wake me up? I know! Let's do the state puzzle."

So we do. And, let me tell you, this boy knows his states. It's amazing.

Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia-with-a-peanut are three brothers, according to him. Mississippi and Alabama got in a fight. Over toys. So they are both looking in opposite ways saying, "Hhmmph."

He can place all the states by himself...and has made up a story about almost all of them.

This puzzle has been one of my best purchases.

quandary

You know, when your husband tells you to drop off the big kids once he's off contract time...to bring along a Charlie and Lola for them to watch while he gets all his {school} year end work in order.....so that you can catch a little nap while the baby sleeps....and you drop them off, and on the drive home you get butterflies of excitement flitting around your stomach. What will you do? What will you do?! A couple of free hours! And you are so excited by this prospect that you can't fall asleep. Even though you tried! (Admittedly, it would have been easier if you wouldn't have had Oprah on in the back ground----but you don't really care for Oprah any more...what is going on with her?! She used to be one of your favorite people!) And now, the baby is sleeping, but not for much longer, and you've waisted time looking at Allrecipes.com and are hungry for 50 different things---none of which you have the ingredients for in your Old Mother Hubbard cupboards.......completely hypothetically speaking.....given afore mentioned scenario.....from where would you order dinner?

4 Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;

5 guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.

Psalm 25:4-5 (New International Version)

Yes, Virginia. There is a Julia Child.

I was watching Baking with Julia today while folding clothes. My boy came in the room and was reeled in by her magical voice. He watched...puzzled for a moment. Looking up at me he asked, "Is that lady real?"

"Oh. Yes. She's real." (Was real. Thank you, Lord, for Julia Child. Thank you.)

We both watched. Julia the Great was making bread today. There was punching. And vigorous stirring. Clouds of flour and whirling dough.

"Can we make bread today?"

"You better believe it."

We got to work. There was punching. And vigorous stirring. Clouds of flour and whirling dough.

And the fruits of our labor taste delicious.

in the garden

I've been doing a lot of weeding in the last few days. After almost 5 years with a garden, things are finally taking shape. I'm loving the time spent outside. The sun. The warmth. God's creation unfolding from spring into summer. Love it.



But there's this nagging feeling I get everytime I pull the weeds from the garden in the front of my house. I am scared to death that people passing by will see me and think.....



....this:

today

I baked.

those little ears are listening

Sunday was a nice day. I got breakfast in bed. Slept in just a little.

When my husband got out the vacuum, I showed him where the power switch was located. He gave me a look. Then we both laughed.

A little later, when I started up the breakfast dishes, he said, "You can't do the dishes today. Save them until tomorrow."

We both laughed really hard after that.

But I'm laughing even harder right now.

This is what my girl brought home with her today....



See that last line? "My daddy told my mommy to do her chores tomorrow."

The best part is that my husband has taken classes with my daughter's teacher. Hopefully she'll know this was a joke. Or he's going to have some explaining to do.

mothering the village

We were waiting to pick up my girl from school with the windows down....enjoying the fresh breeze. A few 5th graders escaped early and were playing on the swings about 50 feet from my car.

Three girls started making fun of a boy for being in the "dumb" math class. They went on and on....and wrongly assumed that no one was listening.

Now, I have to say that I am so pumped that our school has implemented the Character Counts program. Their are six pillars: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. But these pillars are only as strong as the base they rest upon. And the children need to be held accountable.

While I was listening to the belittling, I felt compelled to act. I've been trying to be more obedient to The Spirit's promptings, so I got out of my car and sat on the hood. I took a breath, prayed for the words, and walked towards the swing set. I felt angry. I wanted to give these girls some serious what-for. I wanted to march them into the office. Take names. Lock them in jail.

I got the the swings, and rested one arm on a post with the other on my hip. Six eyes got very wide and were looking straight into mine.

"Girls, I want to gently remind you about the six pillars of character. Please think about what you are saying."

The Alpha female said, "We'll stop."

"Thank you." I said, and walked back to my car.

They stopped. Who knows if it was because I was still within ear shot, or if it was because they remembered the pillars. I hope it was the latter. But just in case, I'm going to be parking in the same spot while sitting on my car for the last few weeks of school.

Beware children! Your mama might not be listening, but this mama is!