Posted By Dawn in RAD FASD and Goldilocks Journey
Wow! Goldilocks is nine already.... In keeping with tradition, here is a list of nine words to describe Goldilocks. I like this exercise, and it is an especially nice reminder of the good times with my most difficult child. Living with a child that is dealing with serious mental illness and developmental issues is very exhausting and often the days seem way too long. However, there are bright parts in almost every day, and it is good to remember Goldilock's more positive character traits. The following list describes Goldilocks on her emotionally healthy days.
Blessings, Dawn |
Posted By Mama Bird
I am very blessed, and somewhat the opposite, by being one of only two grandchildren. So, we eat dinner nightly at my grandmother's table, sitting in chairs that were hers, my parents' or my great aunt's; my glassware is stored in her china cabinet and my tablecloths in her sideboard.
I cook turkeys and hams in her roasting pan, and make cornbread in her cornbread pans. Lots of my cooking happens in cast iron, and most of mine comes from 2 great-aunties. Some of my wooden spoons are the same ones my great-aunt stirred many a meal with. I rock my babies and sick children in Grandmother's recliner; I curl up to read a good book in her huge arm chair; my living room lamp rests on her end table. My children rock and look out the window in my great-aunt's old wooden rocker. Our guests sleep in my great-aunt's marriage bed under quilts made by other great-aunts, and surrounded by furniture that was a wedding gift from my great-grandfather to his new bride. There are many other items, large and small, in my home that have seen many generations of usefulness in my family. My children know these items and where they came from, and look forward to taking these same things to new usefulness in their own homes. So, while the dining room table is so not what I would have chosen, and it will be fun to choose one for myself when this one moves on to live with one of my daughters, I am blessed at being able to gather around that table with my children and with the years of memories of multi-generational family dinners enfolding us, to create new memories for my children to build on. |
Posted By Dawn in Family Funnies and happenings
I promised I would show you all the new rooms after Christmas. Well, that day has come. We decorated the kids's rooms this year for Christmas in lieu of toys. The first room up for show and tell is Tom Sawyer's room. He got the brand new room. It is an attic type room that is small but just perfect for him. It is very quiet and has one bright window. He wanted it painted two colors of green. It came out great. His room really shows his personality with a little boy's toy area and a very serious artist area. (He spent about 6 hours of Christmas Day working with his new art supplies.)
His Legos and Lincoln Logs are in drawers under his bed.
His artist area. He loves to do art and is really serious about it.
This is his toy area for his big toys. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next room to show and tell is Little Red Ridinghood's room. Her room is a nice sunny room that is made more so by her floors being painted antique white. They are proving hard to keep clean but look nice when freshly mopped. It is a totally girly room. You can tell that she is glad she doesn't share with a boy anymore. Her closet will be painted pink but is still the pumpkin color of her oldest brother whose room it used to be. And there is a pink shelf sitting on the bookcase that still needs to be hung.
The best part about the rooms is that they speak to the kids' desires but did not cost us that much. Most everything was either repurposed from other rooms, handed down from relatives, or found at thrift shops, especially Habitat for Humanity Store. In Little Red Ridinghood's room, I took several different pieces of furniture and painted them all the same color. It really pulled them all together. Hopefully, I will be able to show you the next rooms in a few days. Blessings, Dawn |
Posted By Mama Bird
We have a family tradition at our house. One evening near Father's Day, we release ladybugs in our yard. Lots of people like to do this to encourage the little aphid-eaters to live in their gardens; we do it for the fun.
    Father's Day  who lives in our back yard?   an interesting mushroom  worship dance camp   Getting Keeper    and Boyo turns three  |
Posted By Mama Bird
Every June, my dad's military company has a reunion in a different place. This year it happened to be near my parent's house, so we went to see them for a few days and then headed to the reunion.
Here are Princess and Boyo getting ready to board a plane for the first time.  On the way to my parents' house, we stopped here. To most people this would look like nothing, but to mee it looks like loss and sorrow.  Once a happy home stood here were there is nothing now but weeds and sand. The photo is from the driveway, the gate and walk led to the front door. My aunt and uncle lived here; it's the only home I remember for the two of them. We spent such happy times here at Christmas and other family gatherings. My aunt and uncle are gone Home now, and another family lived in the house. This spring wild fires swept through the area and destroyed the house. I had hoped to find even one stone from the fireplace my cousins built for their parents; that fireplace to me was such a symbol of family and of 'the way things ought to be' but even the stones were gone. At my parents', Big Girl met this guy:  The view from Mama and Daddy's back gate:  Boyo in the pool  Big Girl mowing for her grandparents  We had a wonderful time at the reunion; we always do. Here are some of us waiting at the reataurant the first night:   My dad and his life-long friend Jim, at the baseball game:  Boyo is a pretty intense baseball fan  We took a side trip to the zoo:      and the indoor gardens    Could my boy look any more like his granddad?  With my nieces at lunch  at the hotel pool   On our last night, we went out to dinner. Here are the tankers  and their families  My dad and his family  This is how my dad and Princess got around all week:  They were a pretty scary duo. The last thing at the end of each reunion is a memorial service for those brothers who have passed on. We pledge to the flag, sing "God Bless America" and other patriotic songs, and then the tankers blow out the candles as the names of the deceased are read.  Tanker grandkids at this year's reunion:  Princess and Glenn:  |
Posted By Mama Bird
We finally were able to have Princess' birthday party in early June. I made "cake pops" and all the children decorated them.
   and ate them:  Some of the finished product:  Of course, we had a pinata; here is Princess with her game face on:  Remember in February when Big Girl was wearing her swimsuit and playing in the sprinkler? Well, that was then, and this is June: Princess with Grammie and Papa  Auntie Peg and Big Girl  Auntie Karen  Do ya think we should get a fire pit? Anyway, here is Princess with her godparents:  It was a fun party. I'm thinking I want cake pops and ice cream for my birthday, too! |
Posted By Mama Bird
Aren't they adorable? The one on your left is our little Keeper.
 Big Girl, Kitty and I traveled to visite my Auntie, who was my grandmother's younger twin. Auntie turned 100. Here are Big Girl and Kitty on their first remembered plane trip:  Here they are with Auntie after we arrived.  At our family gatherings, we go visit the family at the cemetery. It may sound strange, but we use that time to remember, and to share with the younger generations about our heritage. Here is my mother's cousin Robbie with my daughters, remembering.  Here is Auntie on her birthday. Looks pretty, doesn't she? She noticed a wrinkle at around age 98 and was really bothered by it. Personally, I can't find it.  At the birthday-slash-anniversary dinner. Sue and Don also celebrated their anniversary that weekend.  Here is my cousin, my sister (in the middle) and my niece. Don't you just love my sister's table manners?  See what I had to put up with as a child? This is Caroline and Robbie, my mom's cousins, cooking and doing the dishes. They have always loved doing dishes...  Daddy, Robbie and Caroline:  Visiting around the table, eating and talking are the hallmarks of my family:  At the big birthday party, here is Kitty playing "Happy Birthday" for Auntie:  Mama, Sue and Stacy  Auntie's cousin Katherine, who is in her 80's and still working full time - because she likes her job!  My daughters, falling asleep in their great-great-grandfather's bed (note the puppy):  Kitty, with her daddy and Princess, after her dance concert  Tiny dancers watching 'Singing in the Rain' together before their tap lesson:   The cake I made for Big Girl's last soccer party as a Bee:  a Princess and her tree  the family Tae Kwan Do class  My annual "First Day of Spring" salad. It was late this year:  Don't you just love photos of sleeping children?  |
Posted By Mama Bird
The Princess and the chiropractor
 Big Girl and Kitty, award-winning artists:  Princess at music class  family photo at Easter at a play where our friends are the stars!  home learning in the great outdoors  field trip with friends  the ballet birthday dance  Princess cutting her birthday cake  The Snowy Day   Boyo and Kitty decorating eggs  finding eggs   the chickens considering the egg hunt  lap dog, er, chicken  the mighty hunter relaxes  braided Easter bread  three generations of encouragement  sleeping handsomes  knitting with friends  |
Posted By Dawn in Family Funnies and happenings
I think we are going to have that White Christmas I have dreamed of for years. Well, at least a slushy Christmas. LOL! We got at least 13 inches of snow and there is still plenty on the ground. It is supposed to warm up a bit today and will probably melt a bit away.
Here is the children's first full size snowman EVER! His name is "bicycle man" and he has sun dried tomatoes for eyes! How much more southern could he get. LOL!
The slide off the back deck.
Me in my Pillsbury dough boy coat. I finally know what I want for Christmas! Snow boots and more gloves. Notice~I have a sock on one hand. I want to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas....I hope you have a day filled with love, joy and peace. Blessings, Dawn |
Posted By Marcy
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