Now that's a lot of work!

I don't think these guys have flat screen televisions to entertain them. Can you say new reality tv show?

"Thriller" in Philippines @ Yahoo! Video

Teaching Compassion

It's been a hard last couple of months for our family. Well, probably just for me since I'm a mom and need to hold it all together. I knew that having a baby was going to upset the cookie jar. That just seems obvious, it always has. That must be why I have cookie crumbs all over me right now...literally.

But I also added having my gallbladder out three weeks after Squeak was born; and the recovery, as I mentioned before, I thought it was going to be pretty easy. Yes, it would hurt but I gave birth to three babies naturally and have had a filling drilled without Novocaine, so I thought I could hack it. But that's not what happened. It took me a good three weeks to get to a point where I was doing less than half of what I could do before.

But I've been doing better and more. Thanksgiving was fun but tiring and I have had a chance to catch up on the sleep I missed back then. As each day goes by it seems I'm losing even more sleep trying to give myself alone time after the kids go to bed and Christmas shopping online. Webby went back to school in September, too.

Then a couple of weeks ago Webby called me to tell me he was at the hospital and hour away with severe abdominal pain. It has to be pretty bad for Webby to take such an action so I knew he had to be feeling pretty bad. He ended up having an unexplainable gallbladder infection (no stones) and having surgery.

I've been holding it together, just barely, until this morning. It dawned too early after a late night. It started with the girls yelling at each other. I started to cry and Webby was there to comfort me. He helped the girls get things moving and then he left, a little late, for work. I came downstairs still a bit emotional. I sat down at the computer to read my emails. Sweet Girl came over and stood next to me. She saw the tears still lingering in my eyes. She leaned in a gave me a big hug. And she just stood there and held me and I held her back. She squeezed a bit harder and then she was done. She let go and told me she loved me. When I dropped her off at school she said, "I love you more than you know. Have a good day."

In the past I have pushed back my emotions so the kids do see me cry. I've pushed them away when I've been on the verge of tears so I could deal with it alone. I was supposed to be stronger. But somehow today I realized that what I needed was love form those I love. And I accepted what was given by my child. And I realized that this was a teaching moment. And in that moment I taught her how to notice when someone needs them and to give what she could.

And even through all of this I have been blessed so abundantly. I have such good friends who are willing to watch my kids all day on short notice. Friends willing to drive me an hour away to get Webby's car and get to the hospital. Friends bringing me meals. Family coming to stay and help with meals and kids and the house. I am blessed to have a wonderful husband who is here when I need him.

Have a Merry Christmas! Count the blessings you have been given this year!

Enjoy the pictures.

Santa Fun

A friend of mine posted this and I just had to it pass along. I laughed so hard I cried! Enjoy the next 15 minutes!




Got it! This is by the comedian David Sadaris called "6-8 Black Men"

Update

So here we are at the end of the year. It was 62 degrees yesterday! It reminds me of 3 years ago when we moved here. We had a very mild winter until February when it dumped 24 inches in 24 hours. I'd never seen that much snow in my life. It has been a wonderful last 3 years here in New England. Read my post about how we got here.

Squeak is doing really well. He's growing like a weed...a well fed weed. He grew 2 inches in a month! He is now 12lbs 11 oz and 25 inches tall! My how he has grown and changed! Here are more pictures of all of us.

The past few months have been good. We had a visit from Webby's parents at the end of October. We all had a great time and they got to go trick-or-treating with the girls.

Sweet Girl has proven herself a true outdoors man. She and Webby went for a hike up Reptile Mountain. She hiked all the way up with Webby and it only took them 15-20 minutes more than if Webby was going alone! She loved it and has decided that now she wants to hike a mountain much, much bigger. One that took me hours to hike and it was rough all the way up.

Sweet Girl and I played a little game that she made up the other day. It's called the Appreciation Game. Here is how you play. One person says, "I appreciate..." and then tells you what they appreciate about you. Then you say back, "I appreciate..." and then you tell them what you appreciate about them. Sometimes you get to take 2 turns in a row! How fun is that!!

The other day I was listen to my ipod. Sweet Girl asked if she could listen. I told her is was talking not music. She looked at me and, shaking her head and pointing, said, "Oh, it's Vicki on there." Later we were talking and she was talking about someone but couldn't remember the name. She was trying to figure out the name and said, "Who is it that you love? Oh, right Vicki!" Last night after we put the kids to bed a friend came over. Of course, I hear their bedroom door open and out pops both girls. Sweetie Heart asked who it was here. I told her and she said, "Oh, I've only heard Vicki's voice a couple of times, but I thought it was her." And Of course, Sweet Girl said, "I thought it was Vicki!" Seems like Vicki should just go ahead and move in, everyone just loves her!

Sweetie Heart is doing well in school. It's been hard for me to let go of her responsibilities at school. But I'm doing my best to allow for natural consequences. She's doing well. She came home the other day telling me a boy in her class finally admitted it. He L's her! and 2 other girls in her class. Heaven help me. She has had boys liking her since she was in kindergarten! she is continuing to pursue her art and has taken a few classes here at a local art studio.

So all is well with us. Hopefully I will post again before too long. But if not, Have a very merry Christmas!

Tip Tuesday

Okay , I know it's not Tuesday. But I really wanted to post this because it could effect your whole holiday season. I just read this article. It said that canned pumpkin may be in short supply this year. Because of rain the pumpkins are rotting in the fields. Very sad. And, apparently, Nestle's sells almost all the canned pumpkin in the United States. Hmmm.

So get your pumpkin early. I personally love this pumpkin pie recipe! It is so good and great for those who can't have dairy. If you miss out on the pumpkin consider making a Sweet Potato Pie. I love them!

Music Scripture & Appreciation - Webby at the wheel

If it's not too unruly, i would like to co-dedicate this song to our beloved Sarah. She brought me to a place where i could hear and understand such a song, from there i have grown to listen and appreciate. She strengthened me so that i could enjoy the good and praiseworthy, noble and virtuous, that which allows the Spirit to dance with my soul, and do so with honor. I listen to this music often, battling the apathetic and angry blaring on the construction site radios, and i contemplate and plan for the decisions i make along my way...leaving my legacy. She draws from the well of living water and shares what she is given as a teacher, a leader, a wife and mother; what a joy it is to be united eternally with such a companion! See Proverbs 31 "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life." Indeed, her example and devotion to what is best, leads me to "Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest." There is another song by Nichole Nordeman that i can feel in my heart with pleasure (and sing along - when i'm working alone), because i too remember to call Him by name; and thus i am part of Sarah's legacy.



Indeed, we are never alone. Let us remember, and leave a legacy worthy as children of God.

Dedication

I've never really made a song dedication. At least not publicly. There is a first time for everything. I'm dedicating this song to my parenting educator and best friend Vicki Hoefle. When I first heard this song it made me think. What is the legacy that I am leaving to my children. It has made me really look hard at who I am and how I treat my child. On goods days it reminds me to act different.

So to has Vicki. The things that she has taught me has made a profound difference in my life. She is real. She is raw. What I love best about her is that she is snarky. When I listen to her, I know she has battle scars. She is in the trenches with me. Everyday. She just makes it look easy because she's been doing it longer.

So Vicki here's to you!

Stone Soup

::This post was written on Thursday, but Sweetie Heart really was sick. She was down for the count all day on Friday. That's why this didn't get posted until today. Everyone is well now, thankfully!

Yesterday, Sweet Girl was running a fever. It just kept getting higher and higher. She slept most of the day on the couch only waking long enough to eat a few bits of toast and a few sips of water, Emergen-C, and B.R.A.T. milk. Her fever peaked out last night at 102. But her fever broke in the night.

Yesterday morning I took Sweetie Heart's temperature before sending her to school. She was fine. I gave her some olive leaf extract, and colloidal silver just to be safe. Everyone slept great last night. Sweetie Heart had a little cough, but nothing to worry about. I dropped her off at school this morning at 8. At 9:33 the phone rang. You know where this is going don't you. It was the school nurse calling to say Sweetie Heart had a low fever. Of course she does, I didn't check her temperature before sending her to school this morning.

She came home and climbed into bed. She read for a bit and then laid down and fell asleep. She slept for a little and woke up. I heard her crying and asked her what was wrong. Her class was reading Stone Soup at school today and making stone soup tomorrow. Because of her fever today she can't go back to school for 24 hours after the fever breaks. No school for her tomorrow. That means she will miss the stone soup.

Super Mom springs into action! I tell her we can make stone soup for dinner tonight. I was planning to make soup anyway since there are people sick here. Now I didn't have to figure out what kind to make. Immediately, her spirits rose and she sprung into action. She wanted to help make the soup. Even though she still has a fever she's not acting like it. Since she was helping Sweet Girl wanted to help, too. Of course, there is plenty to do to make the soup. Mostly I pulled things out of the fridge and freezer, put the broth in the pot and I got to chop the celery. The kids did the rest.

Here are some pictures.

Good Information

This past week we had a 4 day weekend. I decided to use the time to get a little information from my kids. Sweetie Heart has been asking if she can set her own bedtime. I have told her there are certain things she needs to be able to do before she can. A few of those things are : getting herself up on her own, being ready to leave the house on time, going to bed when she's tired. Pretty basic stuff. She hasn't been able to get herself up yet, but she has been getting ready on time.

This weekend I decided to see if she could go to bed when she was tired. So during family meeting I told both girls that there wouldn't be a bed time on Thursday or Friday. The look of delight was beautiful. There were many promises of getting along and going to bed at a reasonable time.

BUT...here's how it played out.

Thursday night we read scriptures and had family prayer at 6:30, which is when we usually do it. Then we let go. The girls got ready for bed and then came back downstairs and played. And played. And played. Sweet Girl sat with Webby for a bit while he studied. Sweetie Heart read a book. Sweet Girl got out toys to play with. Sweetie Heart came downstairs to see what everyone else was doing and to make mischief with her sister.

At 10pm, Sweetie Heart said, "I'm going to bed."
Sweet Girl said, "Not me!!"
Webby and I both said, "Me too."
So Sweet Girl said, "Oh, all right. I guess I will too."

When I went up to tuck them in Sweetie Heart said to me, "I stayed up too late. But it's really hard to go to bed when Sweet Girl is still up." Very good information! Sweet Girl probably would have stayed up until she fell asleep where ever she was, in the middle of playing. Now I know that neither of the girls are really ready to pick her own bedtime for now. I didn't really think they were ready, but as you can see from previous posts, I have been wrong before. So now I have good information. For Sweetie Heart equality and what others are doing is more important then what she feels she needs. Sweet Girl just wants to go and go. But she doesn't want to be by herself when she does it. It was clear to me that both girls were tired by 8:30 or 9. But when given the freedom to choose, for the first time, they pushed themselves a bit too far. But I was true to my word. I let them stay up the next night as well. They stayed up with us until we went to bed at 10pm again.

What I learned was they are not ready to set their own bedtimes. They aren't will to listen to listen to the signals their bodies are making telling them they are tired...yet. So during the next break I will give them a extended bedtime instead. We will try it out again another time.

When I sit back and observe my kids, they will give me all the information I need. They know better what they are capable of then I do. They want to stretch themselves and learn new things. It's my job to say yes, to observe and to guide as needed. When I do this I am amazed at how capable they are. Sweet Girl peeled and cut up a carrot using a sharp knife today, simply because I said yes. Sweet Girl made a wacky cake from scratch for dessert tonight, because I said yes. I have to do a lot of back tracking right now. I'm very used to saying no, there isn't enough time, blah, blah, blah. What I'm thinking is, I don't have the patience to help, teach. Whatever, that's my problem not hers. Is it any wonder that when I ask her to help me she doesn't want to do it? So, often I am saying no and then turning around and saying yes. No is easy to say, yes is a lot harder. But, you know what? Yes is so worth it!!

Family Pictures

More pictures for all our fans.