Feb. 6, 2010
Home Spun strip #444
Posted in Home Spun comic part 23
 The miracle of speech. Making sounds. Turning them into words. Applying them to people and objects. Establishing ownership... And for some reason, the youngest child is especially good at staking claims. Very true. Ask my big sister, she'll be happy to tell you about it! |
Feb. 4, 2010
Home Spun strip #443
Posted in Home Spun comic part 23
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Feb. 2, 2010
Home Spun strip #442
Posted in Home Spun comic part 23
 So maybe I'm not really the nurturing type. I can live with that, cat person that I am. Sierra had to be taught that Marina wasn't "mama." She settled for "Mina" and later, "Na-na." Me? I was "MinaMama" or "Nurses." Hopefully I won't have to explain that last one. |
Jan. 31, 2010
Home Spun strip #441
Posted in Home Spun comic part 23
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Jan. 29, 2010
Home Spun comic #440
Posted in Home Spun comic part 22
 Teaching them to bake. It's always come back to haunt me. I've got very low resistance against the smells of fresh baked breads and treats. It's funny, Marina has always been good at baking cookies that I consider labor intensive, like snickerdoodles and chocolate crinkles. But it wasn't until last year that I realized she had never made a chocolate chip cookie. I think I intimidated her because I can usually throw a batch together without even looking at a recipe. She likes recipes and measuring correctly. Some of our most successful baking came from "Honest Pretzels" by Mollie Katzen; clipped recipes from Highlights magazine; and a cookbook that I got free when I bought the DVD of Ratatouille called "What's Cooking?: A Cookbook for Kids". One of my latest finds at the library was the book "Everybody Bakes Bread" by Norah Dooley. The back of the book is full of recipes for different kinds of bread. It's always nice to find a new recipe to try, but it does make it harder to keep your weight down! Editor's note: A few other books I've been reminded of with recipes in the back: Ian Fleming's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang had a great recipe for fudge. You need to check, because some of the later editions don't include it. Harry and Wende Devlin wrote several wonderful picture books with recipes on the back. My mother still makes Old Witch's Magic Nut Cake every year for Thanksgiving. |
Jan. 25, 2010
Home Spun strip #439
Posted in Home Spun comic part 22
 Decisions, decisions. I like encouraging my kids to cook, but I don't seem to be able to express the importance of cleaning up. Once there is food, they seem to forget that. But I like to have them cook. I don't want them to start their independence relying on take-out. But there's that mess... |
Jan. 24, 2010
Home Spun strip #438
Posted in Home Spun comic part 22
 I'm not sure how this one will come across to my readers who have only girls. Those of you who have boys will probably understand. Let's say I've had the pleasure of learning the difference between boys and girls first hand. Surprise! It isn't just physical. Where girls are inclined to use words to express themselves, boys are more likely to take a hands on approach, usually by hitting, throwing something, or spitting. Then around age seven or eight they discover the miracle of language. And before anyone tells me that girls do this too, I'm not denying it. But based on my personal observations of my children and their friends, boys tend to do it more. It has been a long time since I've had to apologize for my son's behavior or defend him against the injustices of another boy. We've had some crazy moments when I never thought I could civilize him. Eventually, he passed his savage stage and become a decent young man of whom I'm quite proud. And who mumbles a lot. Welcome to the teens. |
Jan. 20, 2010
Home Spun strip #437
Posted in Home Spun comic part 22
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Jan. 19, 2010
Home Spun strip #436
Posted in Home Spun comic part 22
 In a perfect world, our children would all get along with each other. After all, they have homeschooling in common! As Marina points out, there are as many homeschoolers as there are shades of colors, both visible and invisible... Confession time. My kids don't always get along with every homeschooler they meet. My younger two are especially picky when it comes to picking friends. This shouldn't be unusual to me. I, myself, was picky when it came to my friends. I would be nice to everyone, but I was shy and had specific interests. I also wasn't likely to approach anyone. I would draw until someone noticed and talked to me. Then I would talk to them. Chase and Sierra tend to be very competitive and have an overdeveloped sense of fairness. In all honesty, they aren't always fair, but they expect it in others. Marina probably encouraged this by being so easy-going. They tend to prefer friends who are like their big sister. I tend to encourage them to make friends with kids who have parents I like. I will work very hard to keep a good parent friend. If it means my kids have to learn to play nicely and give in every once in a while, I consider it a bonus. |
Jan. 15, 2010
Home Spun strip #435
Posted in Home Spun comic part 22
 Our couch is a busy place. I don't think I saw it for most of December. It's not for lack of trying. The faster I clear it, the faster it gets covered. It happens to be the hub of activity. It sits in the living room, which is the most used room in the house by kids and cats alike. This is not surprising in the winter, since sunlight pours in through the windows, keeping us warm and energizing anything under 5'4. The couch is the spot for pillow fights and workbooks, reading and art, tents and toy stages. Until I built our current couch, it was also the lost and found. I could always count on finding missing library books in between the cushions or slid down between the seat and armrests. One of our couches also had a torn lining underneath where we would find missing cats. I just wish I could use the couch for other things sometimes. Like sitting. |
Jan. 14, 2010
Home Spun strip #434
Posted in Home Spun comic part 22
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Jan. 11, 2010
Home Spun strip #433
Posted in Home Spun comic part 22
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Jan. 8, 2010
Home Spun strip #432
Posted in Home Spun comic part 22
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Jan. 6, 2010
Home Spun strip #431
Posted in Home Spun comic part 22
 I try not to discourage my children's artistic freedom. My son may be the future Alexander Calder or Tim Burton. But there have been times when his room looks like it was decorated by a cardboard packaging plant. Then I have to decide between art and fire safety. And I'm sure many artists would disagree with my choice, but their moms would back me up. |
Jan. 4, 2010
Home Spun strip #430
Posted in Home Spun comic part 22
 I don't know about you, but usually the beginning of the year makes me want to toss out things. I've never gotten into spring cleaning, but New Year cleaning kicks in as the cats are knocking the last of the decorations off of our tree. First things to go are the little plastic containers under our sink that seem to multiply faster than happy tribbles. Whatever looks abused or has lost its lid goes out. Or rather, it sits above the garbage can as I have a mental debate over whether I want to add another layer to the landfill. Shouldn't I be using them for baskets or seed starting? I have, of course, but no matter how many containers I put aside, more seem to pop up. I blame a certain brand of lunchmeat my son prefers. You can buy refills for your baby wipes boxes, you should have the option of buying turkey refills for the lunchmeat containers. It makes me want to switch to the deli counter, but I'm still waiting for my number to be called from the last time I used it. (I was number 486. I think they were up to...5) But I digress. The biggest barrier to my purging is the family recycling gene. That little voice in the back of my head that tells me, "I can use that for a craft." If I don't listen to it, it starts nagging, "Mom? Did you hear me? I can use that!" |
Dec. 31, 2009
Each Year is a Gift
Posted in Stream of Thought
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Apparently, 2009 was a difficult year. I know this, because I've heard it said on the news so many times, I've read it in Christmas newsletters, and even Dear Abby said she was "sure all of us are glad to bid a 'fond farewell' to 2009." I feel like I missed something. I didn't find 2009 any better or worse than any other year. Each year is a package deal. You get good and bad events. Some months--weeks--even days may be better than others. Some may be worse. But that is what living is all about. What would we be without the ups and downs of life? I think of the people in Wall-E. They had everything they could possibly want at their fingertips. They wanted a drink, they pressed a button. They wanted to change their outfits, they pressed a button. No need to worry themselves with waiting. No need even for human interaction to reach their goals. Were they better off for it? All they did was sit there staring at a computer screen (and yes, I recognize the irony of what I am saying) and atrophy. They were alive, but lifeless. If your only loss this year was material, you did well. We were barely keeping ahead of the bills some months, and one of our cars breathed its last. Luckily, my husband doesn't work very far from home. He's been taking the bus, and I've been dropping him off or picking him up when I can. It is always nice to have no worry about money, but unrealistic. We've always tried to live frugally. In good years, it is easy to get used to material comforts, but it is good to remember that we can do without them, if necessary. My heart goes out to my friends and family dealing with illness, and those who lost parents, spouses, children, relatives, or friends. Since the beginning of the year, I've been to three funerals. That didn't even represent all of my grieving. But saying goodbye, as hard as it is, is part of the journey of life. The lives that touch us are fleeting. I cherish the moments I have with each family member and friend. We do not know how long we have to spend with each person, so enjoy the time you have with the ones you love. Help them when you can. Listen to them. Everyone appreciates being heard. This year, I was also blessed with friends and family who brought new life into this world. I'm sure none of them would think of 2009 as a bad year. I believe some of the most beautiful babies were born this year. So as the ball drops this year, do not bemoan 2009. It wasn't a good year or a bad year. It was one more year of life. If you are loved at the end of this year, I think you are doing pretty well. And if no one else tells you so, know that I love all of you who have taken the time to stop by and read my little blog. If I have brought one smile to your face over the course of this year, that means more to me than anything I could possess. Peace and Laughter, Cristina |
Dec. 31, 2009
Home Spun strip #429
Posted in Home Spun comic part 22
 Wishing all of my readers a safe and happy beginning to a bright new year! |
Dec. 24, 2009
Home Spun strip #428
Posted in Home Spun comic part 22
 Merry Christmas Everyone! My Christmas wish for all my friends and family is for a day so filled with joy and laughter it carries you through all of next year! |
Dec. 23, 2009
Home Spun strip #427
Posted in Home Spun comic part 22
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Dec. 21, 2009
Home Spun strip #426
Posted in Home Spun comic part 22
 Murphy's Law of Christmas cards: You always receive cards from people you didn't send a card to. And they are most likely to arrive on December 24th. |