Life's little moments
• Apr. 26, 2007 - Moving
• Apr. 26, 2007 - In the Lead
While driving through our small town today I witnessed something that irritated me. One of our policemen turned left going the wrong way and drove 1/2 of a block down the wrong side of the road, I was the car meeting him and had a few moments of quick escape route planning before he pulled into the parking area at the side of the road. He was just checking up on some kids there (truancy?), and there never was any real danger involved. Nontheless, I began to think about how it would have been handled if I had been him and he me. I'm pretty sure a reckless driving ticket would have been in order as well as a long speech about the example I was setting before those impressionable teens at the side of the road. He could just as easily have pulled into the parking area on the right side of the road and called the kids over, or even crossed the road himself on foot while the passenger policeman held down the fort. Whatever, it was wrong for him to take advantage of his position to do something that he would have ticketed someone else for.
This quickly brought to mind a few times when I have given a deep lecture to one of my children on how they should be more patient and calm when one of their siblings crossed thier personal boundary lines. There have been times (not often) when one of my children then cites me doing the same thing to a lesser degree. While I'm not displaying the same level of anger and physical correction the children are punished for, I can understand their frustration when I tell them to control theirselves, then I irritably snap in my own frustration. I expect the policemen to follow the law as diligently as they want me to, to be honest, even more diligently than they want me to. No doubt my children expect the same from me and are filled with the same anger and righteous indignation when I do what they are not allowed. I don't feel like I make this mistake much, but when I do I'm ashamed. I really want to incite my children to good works, not to indignation and anger. My example is a huge teaching tool, probably my biggest, and I don't want to be caught traveling the wrong way down the road with the excuse that I am Mom, and above the rules. |
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• Apr. 25, 2007 - Hamsters
• Apr. 18, 2007 - Wordless Wednesday
• Apr. 16, 2007 - Monday, Again
Last week was one that I am glad to see in the rear view mirror of life. James (my husband) messed up his back and was in terrible pain for most of the week. He was in bed most of the time. He tried hard to keep moving so it wouldn't completely seize up on him, but it was hard.
It is amazing what it takes out of you to watch someone hurt. I feel so revived today as he is so much better. It wasn't so much the rushing to get ice packs, heat pads, pillows etc. It wasn't the massages, or the helping him dress that wore me out, no it was watching someone I love hurt. Your gut just squeezes up inside and you hurt too. Although he is much better today, might even get in a half day at work, I know it will be a while before he is back to his old self. However, the worse is over.... unless he over does it.
Potty update........
Heidi is doing extremely well, much better than I had hoped for. I beleive that so far she has been one of my easiest. I am truly thankful to have an easy trainer this time. I am still embracing the darling changes that are coming over her way too fast. She is a talker, and that is fun. We can always get the idea of what she is talking about now, and she comes up with some funny things. The other day she had the whole family laughing so hard it was unbeleivable. She brought her dolly up to Daddy and while holding her up began to tell Daddy what her baby said. She wiggled her little body around got the mimick voice and acted like her dolly was talking baby talk. It was beyond darling and had us all laughing. She had no idea why it was so funny, but if we all thought it was that great, she'd just repeat it, and repeat it, and repeat it. I'm so glad that we have her, God knew what he was doing, a baby is so theraputic.
Hope you all have a great day!
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• Apr. 5, 2007 - Aching Legs
I woke up to the fact that I was 35 years old, had given birth to 9 children, and had thoroughly ignored my own being for 14 years. I looked in the mirror and my gagg reflex took over. I thought to myself "but, I'm supposed to be 16, how did THAT happen?"
After the trauma receeded I decided that I would be a much better mother, wife, and woman if I did a little preventative maintenance. Thus began my journey into the land of diet, excercise, and mental stimulation.
As I have previously noted, I have a tendency to be sporadic in life. I embraced the journey whole heartedly and made an enormous difference in a short amount of time. Then it all wore off, and the true battle began. I have held steady, not gaining or loosing for quite some time. This was an enormous success all on it's own, but a new burst has hit me, and maybe by the end of this one I will actually be where I want to be. Then for the day- to-day maintaining.
All of this leads up to my youth retaining routine. I do Taebo every morning, take an hour long fast walk at lunch and have just started a 12 minute excercise regime for my evenings. You would think that my muscles were somewhat built up by the other excercises I do, but no. No. No. No. I think I got carried away with the isometric pressure on my excercises because I ACHE. My muscles are so sore I can't beleive it. It wasn't even hard to do the excercises, but now......
Well, no pain, no gain. |
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• Apr. 3, 2007 - Wordless Wednesday
• Apr. 3, 2007 - Bread Baking
The warm smell of fresh homemade bread is unmatchable. It brings to a home a deeper, more cared for feel. This has been lacking in my home for ever. I have decided to teach my girls the wonderful skill of warming the home, heart, and belly with homemade bread. Although it is hardly worthwhile financially to make your own bread, considering the other effects that it gives makes it a chore more worthy of the time and effort. Along with the bread I intend to teach them the art of making tortillas. I learned this while I lived in Arizona, and nothing can compare to the taste of fresh homemade tortillas. I am sure that my husband will rejoice in my decision as he loves the tortillas as well. Maybe we will embark upon tamales a distinct favorite of his.
I am a spontaneous, sporadic creature. I do things really well for a short time, then have a bit of a problem with holding on through the long run. In some areas of my life I have overcome this personality trait through scheduling etc., in others I just rejoice and enjoy it, it's always fun to have a new thing to pursue. I know that we will not continue making our bread forever, but it will be a wonderful journey while it lasts, and maybe the girls will learn something.
Here's to the heart warming, home warming, belly warming reality of homemade bread in the oven. (and it's not even Thanksgiving!) |
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• Mar. 28, 2007 - Sweet?
| She trudged out of the bedroom, scrubbing her sleep swollen eyes with her fists. Her pajama covered feet made a soft scuffing on the wood floor as she made her way sleepily to me. Her arms raised in a plea to be cradled in a warm embrace and she mumbled "Mommy, I ont oooooo". My heart almost bursting with love I lifted her soft body into my arms, filling the void I hadn't even known existed. Her dimpled hands carressed my face as she felt every feature, as though memorizing my face. Her adoring eyes shouted her love for me, her mother. Then her pudgy little finger jabbed into my eye. As I gasped in pain she giggled, proud of catching me unaware and causing such a deep reaction. Where did that come from? Is she the little angel her appearances shout? Or is she a monster in disguise? Or maybe an angel now, Monster in the next instant. It is completely disconcerting. |
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• Mar. 27, 2007 - Talking in her sleep
| My children all talk in their sleep from time to time. It is always so cute, the whole family talks about it for the entire following day. Last night Heidi slept with Sabriena and Deidra. In the early morning hours Sabriena woke up feeling extremely crowded. Thinking she would scoot the little clingers over an inch or two she began pushing against them. Deidra says "Heidi, don't push" to which Heidi whined "Nina, Deida say dat!". Neither little one even blinked their eyes open, and went on sawing logs. Sabriena got a good chuckle out of it, so did I. I was thinking of all of the times to come that would undoubtably embarrass Sabriena. You see, Sabriena talks in her sleep too. I'm pretty sure her little sisters will tell her conversations with AT LEAST the same amount of pleasure. I know that I did! |
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• Mar. 21, 2007 - Wordless Wednesday
• Mar. 20, 2007 - Dyslexia
Dyslexia runs in my husbands family, up to this time none of our children have shown signs of it. We have been teaching Megan her letter sounds and just recently started trying to teach her to write the letters, she writes everything backward. I have taught 4 children to read and never had one like this yet, I knew there was a chance that we'd meet it face to face, and I think it may be with her. Her name is written nagem, her letters all exactly opposite. I fear that we'll have to learn a new way to teach. Does anyone out there have a good way to do this? Any curriculuum? I know that she is young(5) but since there seems to be a problem I would like to get prepared. Thanks for any help.
Gale |
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• Mar. 19, 2007 - The Big Job
Fourteen years ago I embarked upon an enlightening journey. I began to potty train my daughter. Wow! Second only to the intense shock of morning sickness, I found that potty training can cause serious strain to my nervous system. In so many other ways I am a fairly calm and accepting mother, but potty training seems to stretch every nerve and then kind of kick at the end. I don't beleive that I have much worse experiences than others, I just don't seem to handle this sort of experience well.
After successfully training 7 children you would think that I wouldn't dread the awful job so much, but here it is......I'm in dread. I just hate the changeing clothes over and over, the messy pants, the potty chair with us in the van, and the HOURS setting beside them in the bathroom. I hate the thought of the Wal-Mart automatic flush terrorizers, the continual trips to the bathroom during church, and the little puddles to clean up all over. 
Nontheless, here it is, and I am striving to accept it and embrace it. After all, this could very well be my last time to experience this amazing molt. I am going to call on all of my sense of humor and personality to help me actually enjoy this time in our lives. We were just taught about living in the present and not the future, enjoying what this moment can bring, so I will once again try to overcome my inborn dread of this thing. After all, how could it be that bad when they are soooooooo cute?
By the way, my family sees no need to repaint the bathroom, they all seem to enjoy the art. I'm afraid that they are going to be overruled as that is one of my next projects. Again.
Wish Heidi and I (and the whole family) luck in the endeaver that we are undertaking.
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• Mar. 15, 2007 - Dragging
Energy is wanting in this house, no, that is not fully the truth considering the fact that Trent is endowed with an overabundance of it. He has been terrorrizing the whole house today, and I finally forced him to go outside in the rain and run around the house 10 times. That didn't seem to change much, so his older sister Kali forced him to repeat it, twice. Now maybe our lifeless household can re-enter our dragging day without the torment of watching spastic energy being expended before our clouded eyes.
We have had a small unplanned break in our school year. We had an interruption last week and have never quite recovered from it. Our dear friends moved to another state, taking with them 4 of my childrens best friends. This has been a devastating blow to our family. Energy has waned, interest has flown, and emotions have flourished. My poor little darlings are in deepest mourning, and their school has suffered. Chores MIGHT be done by 4 when Daddy comes home, might not. I do beleive that next week will bring with it a newly rejuvinated Mom. The time has come to distract them, and distract them I will. Next week we will overburden their little minds with all sorts of amazing school discussions and experiments, then top it off with a lot of Math, Spelling, Writing, etc. They won't even have time to continue their mourning. The black will come off and the colors will adorn the house. I HOPE. For the rest of this week I will finish the time consuming errands that my husband has left for me, and maybe read the rest of our current book to my heartbroken offspring.
Don't you love that word? OFFSPRING. They really do spring off. They just don't slow down from the very moment of birth. Yeah, words interest me.
Next week I will hopefully be posting lovely pictures of interesting school things along with wonderful accounts of their receptive minds etc. NEXT WEEK......NEXT WEEK......NEXT WEEK. Now why does this remind me of failed diets? |
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• Mar. 14, 2007 - Wordless Wednesday
• Mar. 12, 2007 - A PAPER BAG FLOOR
On SaturdayI was left at home feeling a little blue because I wasn't able to attend my dear nephews wedding. The boys went into town for the whole day to get remote control supplies and watch some contests. I think that they had a great time. The older girls went to a friends house for a sleepover. I think that they had a great time. I was left at home with my 4 littlest and nothing really great to do, until my creative juices started flowing.
The flow went from a slow trickle to a great roaring river in an unbeleivably short time and before I knew what I was getting into I was knee deep in paper bags, floor finish, and an awesome floor was coming to life. First I must explain that I live in a perpetual remodel. Deep remodel, with all of the unfinished eyesores that go along. My kitchen floor has been a bane to my life for the whole 13 years we have been living in the house, however, there was always something else that was much more important to spend the money on. My floor had several layers of old linoleum and at one time I decided to strip it down to the last layer and paint it. That would have been wonderful if they hadn't layed the linoleum with TAR. I could never get the floor level, or completely strip off the tar etc. I sanded, I used chemicals, and I sweated with my supreme effort to get a nice kitchen floor, to no avail. However, on Saturday my spirits needed a little pick up and I decided to try something very unusual. I went and bought several pounds of grocery bags from our local grocery store. Deep within the cavern of our shop I dug up an OLD bottle of wax stripper and new finish. I tore the bags into rock shaped circles, then crumpled them up to give interesting wrinkles, then soaked them in the finish. It took me hours to decoupage my floor with paper bags, but when it was done I could not beleive what it looked like. The red emblem on the bags bled into the peices and gave them a rich rock color, and the placement left my floor looking like I had a new rock floor layed. As the finish dried some of the edges turned up and i have been trying to fix that as I put on the heavy polyurathene finish over the top of my new floor. I blockaded the kitchen and thought that it was safe, but somehow children made their way into the room leaving smudges on the floor, but even with the problems that I have been facing, I think the floor is great. It was CHEAP, I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Here is a quick photo to get the idea across. 
In real life, the flaws are not as obvious, and it will be a nice temporary floor until we get the time and money to do what we REALLY want.
Well, everyone had a great time on Saturday, and came home to the house torn apart and no kitchen for a while, oh well, everyone seems pretty willing to watch the new floor evolve. |
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• Mar. 7, 2007 - WORDLESS WEDNESDAY
• Mar. 5, 2007 - STATIC ELECTRICITY
We spent the day a while back learning about electricity. We did sone experiments with static electricity and the kids loved it. They all came away so much more aware of electricity and all that it does. They got a grasp on magnets and everything all in one day. I know that we will need to reinforce what they learned, but the experiments really helped them to "see" how it works.
We used Amandas static to bend water, move cereal, and turn on a light bulb. Then the kids went around finding other ways to experience static electricity. A real success.
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• Feb. 28, 2007 - WORDLESS WEDNESDAY
• Feb. 24, 2007 - Nerves
Eight years ago we had just moved from lush and moderate Western Washington to the more extreme Eastern Washington ( I thoroughly enjoy both climates). My husband, being raised in the ultra extreme Arizona, was thrilled to introduce his children to the intricacies of desert life. Under the cover of safety he decided that we all needed to get to know the rattlesnake. In Arizona it is really not that unusual to come across one and it is good to know what they are and how to treat them. However, in Eastern Washington the danger is much milder. There are rattlesnakes there though, and with that in mind we went in search of the wicked reptile. We all joined in the big adventure, and when we finally found one sunbathing on a back road we gathered around to learn. First, James explained the danger, pointed out the coloring etc. and then he got the poor thing worked up until it finally rattled so we could all know the sound and would be fully prepared to freak out if ever we heard it. 
After the game of "know your reptile" was over he thoughtfully killed the snake. However, probably missing his homeland, he decided that he really couldn't leave such a nice specimen on the road, so we took it with us. He was planning on skinning it and curing the skin so we could have a lasting souvenier of our family learning day. Before he deposited the now dead snake on the passenger side floor mat, he cut its head off. Now it is an interesting fact about snakes that although they are obviously dead and their heads are cut off, they can still move around. Off we go to the store to gather the ingredients to his childhood tanning concoction, me, the brave wife, sitting with feet curled up on the seat keeping careful watch over the headless, dead, squirming, bleeding creature.
James went into the store leaving the old and rusted Suburban filled with children leaning over my shoulder and watching with morbid fascination as the snake wound its way around the floor. After a while my girls started asking questions.
"Mom, why does the snake still move even though its head is off? Is it still alive?"
Being the good homeschool mom that I am, I quickly and distractedly (being somewhat immersed myself in this disgusting spectacle) answered,
"I don't know, it has something to do with its nerves, but it is dead" (meaning "please don't make me take my eyes and mind off of this thing, just in case.")
To which my then 7 year old daughter Kalisha pronounced in her sweet high pitched voice and with great insight
" I know, it probably gets on its nerves that its head is cut off."
Come to think of it, it just might get on my nerves too. |
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