Well we are already into the first week of November, we've been trying to talk about all the things that we are grateful before bedtime. It is always interesting to hear what the kids have to share, such as...my books, my family, my bed, candy, the animals, etc...
I am thinking of making some Thanksgiving and Christmas questions that we can take turns asking/answering during dinner time. The dollar store has some foam craft stuff that I think we can use to decorate and write the questions on - I also have a box that they kids can decorate and I know they will enjoy it.
I've signed the whole family up for the Miracle of the Bell campaign through the Salvation Army, so yes, we will be out there ringing those bells - the kids are pretty excited as they had so much fun last year ringing the bells.
The husband was away this week - I don't mind when he is away, but sometimes it gets old. The kids are always well-behaved, but they miss him terribly - well we all miss him. It feels like he has been traveling more, but I really don't know it that is the case or if I just notice it more, but it is what it is. I just try to enjoy and soak it in when he is home (when he is not wrapped up into all the home projects).
I've also found a new holiday DIY project that I'm excited to try, so I'll post pictures if I start and finish it :)
"Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you. " E. Caddy
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Yummy Fall Treat
I saw this recipe in a magazine and thought I'd give it a try. I added my own variation to the recipe and I think they turned out delish, well and also from those who tried them. So here it is:
Caramel Apple Muffins
1. Take your favorite batch of apple muffins and make them as stated (I used the Jiffy Apple Muffin Mix), let them cool.
2. Use an electric mixer to blend 8 ounces softened cream cheese, 3 tablespoons maple syrup and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until smooth. Add food coloring (I used 3 drops of yellow and 1 drop of red).
3. Frost each muffin and coat or edge with chopped nuts (I used brown sugar and rolled oats mixture) and drizzle caramel over the muffins.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Moving along....
Well it's been some time since my last post. I have no excuse other than life is moving along, sometimes faster than I actually think I realize. Work is busy, the kids activities are keeping them (and me) busy and we've been rebuilding the shed and chicken coop from the fire and decided to add a little green house as well. Then before I realize it, weeks have past.
My little man has started karate and he tested for his white with yellow stripe belt, seeing how proud he was when they called his name was the best. He is gaining so much mo self-confidence since he's been attending.
I also watched a documentary, titled The Human Experience. It was a great movie, it is definitely one of those movies that makes you stop and think about life in general. I watched it four times in one week and considering buying it. It is one of those movies you think everyone should watch and as I struggle trying to figure out what my place is in this world, I think it helps put things in perspective. One of the most memorable quotes for me was "by giving yourself, you find yourself," which I think is true. We take moments in our life, both good and bad and we find meaning in them whether it is intended or not, but regardless of what you find, it is your experience and I realize that if I don't try to reach for my dreams than what kind of example am I setting for my children. We tell our children from an early age to reach for the stars and dream big, but then as life moves along and those children grow, we tell them to get a job, take responsibility, and grow up....and thus later in life we find ourselves questioning "life" and what it all means, is it all mundane or is there a bigger piece to the puzzle?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not in anyway indicating that I'm unhappy with my life, in fact I'm quite happy....what I question is there a greater purpose, what is my impact, what am I contributing to the world.
So, I've spent some time trying to figure out, what am I passionate about, what would I do for free if I didn't have to work, and what brings joy to my life. Writing, education, and my children/family is what I kept coming back to.......I have some ideas as far as writing projects and I always start them, but never finish, we shall see if I can overcome my fear of failure and just do it, if not for myself, but at least to show my children that I can.
"But whatever experience we have, whether it is good or whether it's bad, we can always remember it and learn something from it. And it's those moments....when something touches you, something opens up something that you didn't realize before, you feel a longing, you know, that you never felt before." - Makoto Fujimura
My little man has started karate and he tested for his white with yellow stripe belt, seeing how proud he was when they called his name was the best. He is gaining so much mo self-confidence since he's been attending.
I also watched a documentary, titled The Human Experience. It was a great movie, it is definitely one of those movies that makes you stop and think about life in general. I watched it four times in one week and considering buying it. It is one of those movies you think everyone should watch and as I struggle trying to figure out what my place is in this world, I think it helps put things in perspective. One of the most memorable quotes for me was "by giving yourself, you find yourself," which I think is true. We take moments in our life, both good and bad and we find meaning in them whether it is intended or not, but regardless of what you find, it is your experience and I realize that if I don't try to reach for my dreams than what kind of example am I setting for my children. We tell our children from an early age to reach for the stars and dream big, but then as life moves along and those children grow, we tell them to get a job, take responsibility, and grow up....and thus later in life we find ourselves questioning "life" and what it all means, is it all mundane or is there a bigger piece to the puzzle?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not in anyway indicating that I'm unhappy with my life, in fact I'm quite happy....what I question is there a greater purpose, what is my impact, what am I contributing to the world.
So, I've spent some time trying to figure out, what am I passionate about, what would I do for free if I didn't have to work, and what brings joy to my life. Writing, education, and my children/family is what I kept coming back to.......I have some ideas as far as writing projects and I always start them, but never finish, we shall see if I can overcome my fear of failure and just do it, if not for myself, but at least to show my children that I can.
"But whatever experience we have, whether it is good or whether it's bad, we can always remember it and learn something from it. And it's those moments....when something touches you, something opens up something that you didn't realize before, you feel a longing, you know, that you never felt before." - Makoto Fujimura
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Montessori Madness
My sweet pea, the first-grader, has been working on this school project for a few weeks.
Every so often I’d get an update from her:…..“Today, we got to make up our own insect…mine is the “buttercock,” half butterfly and half peacock”…….”I wrote a story about my insect”…………”I made my insect out of clay”…….and this went on, what I noticed was the excitement in her tone, what she was learning about the insects, the details she was including and the smile it brought to her face.
And then the day came when she could barely keep still, waiting patiently as my little man talked about his day until she can no longer stand it and says, “I have to tell you this….we are having an author’s café in my class, you get to come, I can dress up and we tell our stories and then serve you drinks and cookies, I’m really excited, can you come?”
So, we marked it down on her calendar and it was like leading up to a birthday….the day finally arrived and she puts on her best dress and says, do you think I’ll be okay in front of everyone? I nod.
My mum accompanies me to the Author’s café and we are greeted by three third-grade girls in the classroom and told to pick a seat. The teacher explains how the projects got started and thus turned into the Author’s café and then the students begin reading their stories about the insect that they created.
I was impressed by the creativity shown by these children, the details that were included and some made you laugh out loud, it was quite impressive and you could tell each child enjoyed the project, there was a spark in their eyes as they talked about their story and sitting there listening to these children made me appreciate my children’s school, appreciate the spirit that they are instilling into my child. It’s what I love about Montessori, they are creating independent, life long learners.
A few parents have created a committee to work on spreading the word of Montessori, there should be more public Montessori schools, we need to expand our school we have a growing population with less teachers and it is going to bubble – the school has over 500 students on the waiting list, which shows parents want more options and we should have more options than traditional public school settings. Our children continually are taught early on that they "CAN'T," when in all reality they CAN.
If you are unfamiliar with Montessori, here is a great video....take a peak
"We cannot create observers by saying 'observe,' but by giving them the power and the means for this observation and these means are procured through education of the senses." - Maria Montessori
Every so often I’d get an update from her:…..“Today, we got to make up our own insect…mine is the “buttercock,” half butterfly and half peacock”…….”I wrote a story about my insect”…………”I made my insect out of clay”…….and this went on, what I noticed was the excitement in her tone, what she was learning about the insects, the details she was including and the smile it brought to her face.
And then the day came when she could barely keep still, waiting patiently as my little man talked about his day until she can no longer stand it and says, “I have to tell you this….we are having an author’s café in my class, you get to come, I can dress up and we tell our stories and then serve you drinks and cookies, I’m really excited, can you come?”
So, we marked it down on her calendar and it was like leading up to a birthday….the day finally arrived and she puts on her best dress and says, do you think I’ll be okay in front of everyone? I nod.
My mum accompanies me to the Author’s café and we are greeted by three third-grade girls in the classroom and told to pick a seat. The teacher explains how the projects got started and thus turned into the Author’s café and then the students begin reading their stories about the insect that they created.
I was impressed by the creativity shown by these children, the details that were included and some made you laugh out loud, it was quite impressive and you could tell each child enjoyed the project, there was a spark in their eyes as they talked about their story and sitting there listening to these children made me appreciate my children’s school, appreciate the spirit that they are instilling into my child. It’s what I love about Montessori, they are creating independent, life long learners.
A few parents have created a committee to work on spreading the word of Montessori, there should be more public Montessori schools, we need to expand our school we have a growing population with less teachers and it is going to bubble – the school has over 500 students on the waiting list, which shows parents want more options and we should have more options than traditional public school settings. Our children continually are taught early on that they "CAN'T," when in all reality they CAN.
If you are unfamiliar with Montessori, here is a great video....take a peak
"We cannot create observers by saying 'observe,' but by giving them the power and the means for this observation and these means are procured through education of the senses." - Maria Montessori
Don’t forget the note……
It’s amazing how it’s the little things that sometimes have the biggest impact.
I was making lunches for my children in the morning and as my little man is getting ready he yells, “Don’t forget my note, you forgot one day, so remember my note, okay mommy?”
And as I listened to him, my heart smiled….we are still working on learning how to read with him, so he knows sight words, but sometimes I wondered if he ever paid attention to the notes in the lunchbox or knew what it said.
And I also realize I’m not the first mom to ever put notes in the lunch box, my mum use to put them in mine and I always looked forward to it, so I made it a practice for myself. Yet, my kids never said a word about them, until I forgot. So, I handed him the lunchbox and he says, “Is it in there?” I shook my head yes and asked, “do you want me to tell you what it says?” “No, no, don’t tell me, let me try my best,” he replied.
We get so caught up in the daily routines that sometimes it’s hard to catch those stop and pause moments and here I reflected on all that makes me happy and it’s never the material things….it’s the smile from a stranger, the tug of my hand as my kids wrap their hands around mine, the soft kiss from my husband as he walks in the door, a compliment from out of the blue, and the good-night laughs and cuddles. I treasure these moments more than I can explain, I suppose some of it reminds me of my own childhood memories, but it's what I look forward to the most throughout my days.
“Some people drift through their entire life. They do it one day at a time, one week at a time, one month at a time. It happens so gradually they are unaware of how their lives are slipping away until it's too late.” M.K Ash
I was making lunches for my children in the morning and as my little man is getting ready he yells, “Don’t forget my note, you forgot one day, so remember my note, okay mommy?”
And as I listened to him, my heart smiled….we are still working on learning how to read with him, so he knows sight words, but sometimes I wondered if he ever paid attention to the notes in the lunchbox or knew what it said.
And I also realize I’m not the first mom to ever put notes in the lunch box, my mum use to put them in mine and I always looked forward to it, so I made it a practice for myself. Yet, my kids never said a word about them, until I forgot. So, I handed him the lunchbox and he says, “Is it in there?” I shook my head yes and asked, “do you want me to tell you what it says?” “No, no, don’t tell me, let me try my best,” he replied.
We get so caught up in the daily routines that sometimes it’s hard to catch those stop and pause moments and here I reflected on all that makes me happy and it’s never the material things….it’s the smile from a stranger, the tug of my hand as my kids wrap their hands around mine, the soft kiss from my husband as he walks in the door, a compliment from out of the blue, and the good-night laughs and cuddles. I treasure these moments more than I can explain, I suppose some of it reminds me of my own childhood memories, but it's what I look forward to the most throughout my days.
“Some people drift through their entire life. They do it one day at a time, one week at a time, one month at a time. It happens so gradually they are unaware of how their lives are slipping away until it's too late.” M.K Ash
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Too Close for Comfort.....
Well what a night, my husband watched a movie while I was working on a Power Point presentation for one of my projects and then after the movie was finished, we went to bed. I do my typical routine, check on the kids, give kisses, etc...look out my son's window as always to see the shimmer of the moon and then went to our room.
It didn't seem long, before we hear this loud bang on our door, my husband goes to the door where a neighbor informs him that our shed in the backyard is on fire. I immediately jump up, run to my son's room, look out the window and stare in complete shock as flames are engulfing our shed where we built the chicken coop, so yes, the chickens.
I call 9-1-1, the dispatcher informs me that our neighbor called it in, he asks if anything flammable is in there, the lawnmower, gasoline tank, so yes.
It didn't take long for the fire trucks and police to arrive, I asked the policeman if I should evacuate my children from the house, as the flames were high, he said we should be okay. I'm sick to my stomach watching it, so I go inside to check on the kids, call my parents in panic and my sweet pea comes hiding from her room, she woke, saw the lights and looked outside her window. She wants to know if the chickens are okay, I tell her I don't know and squeeze her tight.
The fire department does their job, puts the fire out and the chickens are okay, thankfully they ran to the outside of the shed, but me, I'm still in shock. I have a fear of fires and this was too close to my comfort zone. It was our garden shed and thank you higher spirit that it was only our shed, it wasn't our home.
The fire department is still here, my husband is outside and I will get little sleep tonight. I've moved the kids into our bed because their rooms face the backyard and I just feel better with them in my room.
So, it looks like I will be delivering some sort of goodies to the fire department, not sure what yet, but it doesn't seem like "thank you" is enough for their service.
"As each day comes to us refreshed and anew, so does my gratitude renew itself daily. The breaking of the sun over the horizon is my grateful heart dawning upon a blessed world." ~Terri Guillemets
It didn't seem long, before we hear this loud bang on our door, my husband goes to the door where a neighbor informs him that our shed in the backyard is on fire. I immediately jump up, run to my son's room, look out the window and stare in complete shock as flames are engulfing our shed where we built the chicken coop, so yes, the chickens.
I call 9-1-1, the dispatcher informs me that our neighbor called it in, he asks if anything flammable is in there, the lawnmower, gasoline tank, so yes.
It didn't take long for the fire trucks and police to arrive, I asked the policeman if I should evacuate my children from the house, as the flames were high, he said we should be okay. I'm sick to my stomach watching it, so I go inside to check on the kids, call my parents in panic and my sweet pea comes hiding from her room, she woke, saw the lights and looked outside her window. She wants to know if the chickens are okay, I tell her I don't know and squeeze her tight.
The fire department does their job, puts the fire out and the chickens are okay, thankfully they ran to the outside of the shed, but me, I'm still in shock. I have a fear of fires and this was too close to my comfort zone. It was our garden shed and thank you higher spirit that it was only our shed, it wasn't our home.
The fire department is still here, my husband is outside and I will get little sleep tonight. I've moved the kids into our bed because their rooms face the backyard and I just feel better with them in my room.
So, it looks like I will be delivering some sort of goodies to the fire department, not sure what yet, but it doesn't seem like "thank you" is enough for their service.
"As each day comes to us refreshed and anew, so does my gratitude renew itself daily. The breaking of the sun over the horizon is my grateful heart dawning upon a blessed world." ~Terri Guillemets
Monday, September 5, 2011
Yes, Fall is upon us.....
The kids are adjusting to the routine of going back to school and seem to be enjoying the start of the new school year. I feel a bit guilty that are summer plans lack some major adventures like hitting the Black Hills, but it seemed that the summer swept by us before I even realized it. We made a couple weekend getaways and I told the kids that we will each write up a list of activities for next year and maybe pick one or two and just focus on achieving those, maybe instead of having a huge list of "things to do" and focusing on one or two, we will be more likely to accomplish it.
We went camping over the weekend, it was such a beautiful day yesterday and it was completely last minute, but we were able to squeeze it in. My husband had been at this campsite a few times before, but it was a first for us as a family and wow, what a well-kept secret. There are only six campsites (no electric) and it is tucked away in some rolling hills, there is a trail that leads to what was once the site of a Native American (Woodland Indians) burial ground. It is called, Hickory Hills.
The kids chased monarch butterflies and impressed me with their newly acquired knowledge of butterflies that they have been learning in school. We looked at various plants, such as milkweed and then looked at the stars. It was a great night, no t.v. or phone or computer, movies, just us.
I wish I could say I slept like a baby, but for one I am a light sleeper and second as much as I like being outdoors, I have an overactive imagination, so when you combine that with sleeping in a tent outdoors in the middle of a secluded campsite, your mind plays tricks on you. The owls were hooting, coyotes were howling, and then all the other noises that you typically hear in the woods, my sleep was not restful to say the least. You would think I would learn.....
"I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright." ~Henry David Thoreau
"The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough." - R.Tagore
We went camping over the weekend, it was such a beautiful day yesterday and it was completely last minute, but we were able to squeeze it in. My husband had been at this campsite a few times before, but it was a first for us as a family and wow, what a well-kept secret. There are only six campsites (no electric) and it is tucked away in some rolling hills, there is a trail that leads to what was once the site of a Native American (Woodland Indians) burial ground. It is called, Hickory Hills.
The kids chased monarch butterflies and impressed me with their newly acquired knowledge of butterflies that they have been learning in school. We looked at various plants, such as milkweed and then looked at the stars. It was a great night, no t.v. or phone or computer, movies, just us.
I wish I could say I slept like a baby, but for one I am a light sleeper and second as much as I like being outdoors, I have an overactive imagination, so when you combine that with sleeping in a tent outdoors in the middle of a secluded campsite, your mind plays tricks on you. The owls were hooting, coyotes were howling, and then all the other noises that you typically hear in the woods, my sleep was not restful to say the least. You would think I would learn.....
"I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright." ~Henry David Thoreau
"The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough." - R.Tagore
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