fortysomething

{this moment}

2012-02-10T11:18:00.000-06:00

Friday is housework day for me. We don't 'do' school on Fridays so I do the housework in the morning, leaving the afternoon open for whatever we want. This week I took some pictures of what I saw, some of her creations, things I didn't notice until I took the time to look. This is what I saw in {this moment}

Simple Saturday (Pinning It Down)

2012-02-05T14:53:00.000-06:00

Saturday was a day to remember. Not because we went anywhere special or did something exciting but because we were all together at home with nothing planned to do. At all. As is the custom, Paul asked after breakfast "So what is the plan for the day?" Turned out, there was no where we had to go or nothing that needed to be done so we each gravitated to our own thing.

Paul worked out a training program on his computer for the Fire Department and Athena was playing something and I, feeling a little crafty, headed down to the classroom. I have had the following project in mind for a while and this seemed like the perfect time to do it. My mother used to travel with the kids at her high school back when she was still teaching and she brought me these pretty tea towels from some of her trips. Pretty? Yes. Practical? Not so much. They are thin and not very absorbent. So I took an old bath towel and got to work on a dish draining cloth. We do have a dishwasher but the knives, wood and wine glasses are hand washed and I needed something to set the wet dishes on.

First I cut two pieces of the towel, one for each tea towel, roughly an inch smaller on each side of the tea towel.

Next, I turned over the edge on all sides and pinned it in place.

Then I stitched the towels together one at 5/8 seam allowance and the other at 1/4 or so.

I top stitched it once horizontally and once vertically just to keep it together. That's it. So simple and so practical and now I get to see those pretty towels without fear of staining them.

Thanks again Mom for these little souvenirs.

Of course, hearing the sewing machine, Athena came down to join me in some crafting of her own. She thinks that I should put this penguin and the flower on Pinterest so that other children can make them.

Then she asked me if she could sew a 'stuffed up animal" and while she did I made her her very own sewing box from an old pencil box. Easy as pie.

I just glued some wool felt in the bottom and padded the top part with fibre-fill. The glue in of the fibre fill didn't work out as nicely as I planned but ... oh well.

Then I filled it up with everything she would need for her projects. She was well pleased.

(Pretty good blanket stitch for an 8 year old. No?)

The creativity didn't stop there. We made a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and some buttermilk blueberry muffins. Daddy grilled steak for supper. My tenderloin with blue cheese of course.

The day could not have gone any better. We read a few chapters of Little House on the Prairie, I finished knitting my slippers and Athena went outside to play with a friend and then she watched a video. We were all tucked in bed early. Perfectly magical day.

Pinning it Down with Sarah.

How Then Shall We Eat?

2012-02-01T14:17:00.000-06:00

Ah, the diet dilemma. Is it any wonder we are more confused than ever? (And by diet, I do NOT mean weight loss diet. I mean the kinds of food we eat. Just to be clear.) There are so many thoughts on what humans should eat and they all vary so much. Even the way of thinking within certain diet plans has many variables. It is enough to make us pull out our hair in exasperation. Let me expand.

The following summaries are my understanding. They are not a thorough evaluation.

The newest diet trend seems to be the Paleo Diet. Primal Diet. Eat Like a Caveman diet.

Do eat: meat

vegetables

fruit and nuts

Do not eat: dairy

grains

starchy vegetables

sugar

legumes

chemicals

Once a week, run around like crazy as if a dinosaur was chasing you.

Then we have the ever more popular Vegetarian or Vegan Diet.

People all over a choosing forks over knives. On the surface this diet seems ultra healthy. Of course eating more fruits and vegetables can never be a bad thing. Living food. Green food. Super-foods. Sounds good, no? But when my daughter told her Naturopath that she was adopting a vegetarian diet, the Naturopath questioned why? She did not think it was a good idea. In fact she told her she should have high quality animal protein. Of course any diet that requires supplementation (B12) cannot be what our bodies were designed to eat. Or can it?

We then have all types of variations on a theme. High Protein. Low Carb. Low fat. No fat. Grain free. Wheat Free. Gluten Free. No Dairy. Food Combining. Eat Right for your Type.

I just don't get it.

Another way to eat, and one I find most practical is the Whole Foods Diet.

The book that I am reading now is Nourishing Traditions and it is very wordy and reads like a text book off the start. It talks about eating meat, dairy, vegetables, grains. There is talk of soaking grains and fermenting food and on and on it goes but the thought here is if your Grandmother could not recognize the food, don't eat it. This, to me, sounds like the most natural diet for humans to utilize. BUT... even within people promoting Whole Foods, the types of foods considered whole vary from person to person.

Some say no wheat.

Others say yes to wheat but no meat.

Some say dairy is fine, others, not so much.

Wouldn't reason tell us to eat real food? Real food. Make our own food at home. Don't open boxes or packages. Don't open cans or bags. Make your own food.

No matter which diet we choose for ourselves and our families, I do feel it is so important to create a positive environment around the dinner table. Make it a priority to prepare good meals for your family. Encourage them to linger at the table just a bit longer. Light some candles and play some quiet music in the background. Pour some wine and really connect with those you love or with those you invite to share a meal. Strong family bonds and the sense of tradition can be built this way. Family and food are two of the best things in life and when you put them together on a very regular basis, who knows what can happen?

Home Schooling: Mid Way Evaluation

2012-01-27T16:11:00.000-06:00

Here we are, half-way through the school year already. I know a lot of home educators complain of burnout this time of year but I usually feel energized right about now. This year is no exception. As I sat down to make school plans for the next few weeks I thought about what was going well and what was not.

It is a big job to choose the course of study for a year for a child. Thankfully I have only one child for whom to choose. I know we all put a lot of hours in perusing curriculum choices, reading blogs to see what everyone else is using and comparing prices on Amazon and Indigo and eBay and everywhere else. It is not so nice to find out that what you have chosen and paid good money for, just isn't working out.

The beauty of home schooling is that we can do an about face, we can drop something that is less than satisfying, we can speed up some things and slow right down on others. We can, in essence, tailor the learning to meet the needs of the child. I am very grateful for that.

So what is working and what is not?

Math: Athena's favorite subject is Math. She finds it easy so we move along quickly. We will finish this book next week. It was good and it kept coming back to each concept learned several times. I had to supplement with another workbook using Canadian money. The pictures of the US currency were not clear and she had trouble figuring out which coins were pictured. That was a small bump in the road.

What she does need work on is her addition facts. They don't come quickly to her and she still has to count on her fingers for many of the sums. She is adding and subtracting 3 digit numbers and finds it easy to borrow a ten or carry a ten. We will be doing more flash cards and mad minutes in the following weeks to practice on her addition and subtraction. I was surprised that multiplication wasn't introduced yet but since she has finished the second grade level we will use the spring months to start on multiplication.

So over all, math is looking good. Happy with the choice.

Language Arts: We started last year with Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading and finished it up this fall. It was extraordinary. The lessons were so easy to teach and she is reading well on her own now. First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind was to follow it, which we are doing. This book is laid out for grade 1 and grade 2. It is grammar, narration, copy work and memorization. So, in essence, we are over a year behind. I find some of the lessons very repetitive and easy, perhaps because we ARE a year behind so we are moving quickly through them at this time. Athena has a fantastic memory and has no problem with the memory work, often having it memorized in just one or two lessons. Much faster than Mom does, that is for sure. The lessons are important so I don't want to skip any but like I said, we are moving quite quickly through them. She knows that "a noun is a person, place, thing or idea" and we are working on proper and common nouns now. Good book. Another good choice.

Explode the Code. She loves that. This too, is a no-brainer. She has really good spelling on account of these lessons.

Writing with Ease. Another good choice. We don't always do all of the 4 weekly lessons. We do the copy work and the narration as well as the comprehension but I don't do the page where she tells me the most interesting thing I read to her. We are starting WWE Level 2 next week. It looks to be much more in depth so I am glad for that. Good choices all around.

Reading: Athena reads aloud to me for 30 minutes a day. We have been using some old readers of my mom's which were printed back in the '60s. They are second grade and she is doing well with them. We are almost finished the second one. Usually, when we don't use a reader, I allow her to choose her own book to read to me. We have a running list of her read alouds on the wall in the classroom. She is very proud of her long list.

I also read aloud to her from a novel for at least 30 minutes a day. We have read Owls in the Family and Mr. Popper's Penguins (which I laboured to read. I did not enjoy that book at all. She did, however.) this last month or so. We just recently finished Little House In The Big Woods. And oh was that a hit. In fact she is calling her dad "Pa". To which he calls her "Half-pint". We just began Little House on the Prairie yesterday.

So, we are making a lap book. Our first one. I don't know what I think about this yet. I do know we should have started it as we began the book. I also know to use a glue stick instead of liquid glue. I like the idea of if but it doesn't look as nice as I thought. She is right into it though so, I guess that is more important.

Science: Earth Science and Astronomy for the Grammar Stage. I do like how well it is set up. Very clear lesson plans on either a two day a week or four day a week schedule. I still think that the book moves too quickly and so we have slowed it way down in order to study the topics more in depth. That kind of learning sticks much better. I like that there are practical experiments and Internet links as well. All but one of the experiments has worked out. Because of our slower pace, this will last for grade 3 as well. We are doing the Earth Science now (studying Biomes at the moment) and will complete Astronomy next year.

What I don't like is that there isn't room for interest based study. I plan to use some animal study and Knee High Nature: Winter next fall so perhaps Astronomy will wait until later in the year.

Overall I think it is a good program but moves too fast for in depth learning.

History: This year I put together my own Canadian History Unit. More than a unit I guess. I was able to get some really good books and then I supplement with library materials. We just finished Aboriginal people, covering Plains Indians and Inuit in a little more depth and are now moving on to the Explorers. I loved this when I was a kid and I hope she will too.

What I don't like is that I have to make each and every lesson plan, which is very time consuming. What I do like is that I get to make each and every lesson plan and learn right along with her. I LOVE learning new things. Of course we are just doing a brief outline of Canadian History and will likely revisit the subject in years to come. We can delve deeper as her understanding grows.

Our days are pretty structured and I have everything in order. I like order and clarity and a timeline. What I feel is missing in our little home school is ... the finer things. I am not so good at putting art/music lessons into play. We don't sing little songs and craft all day long. I think this would be beneficial to her learning. She doesn't play an instrument. She does take ballet class. She listens to classical music any chance she can get, which is almost daily.

Oh and another thing that I would like to mention here is Sparkle Stories. I bought her a subscription to three of the offerings. She gets three new original stories to download each Friday. She LOVES these stories so much. Each is about 25 minutes long. It is so nice for her to listen to them while I am busy in the kitchen or otherwise engaged. She sits at her modelling clay table and listens. Excellent resource and very affordable.

In conclusion (of this very long home schooling post) I think things are going mostly well. We are right on schedule with an ending marked at the latter part of May. I need to get my History lessons in place very soon. I have slowed down the Science as I mentioned. I should add some more music and art and handwork to our days. The reading is going well. It would be nice if she would start reading on her own accord but as it stands now, she reads for her 30 minutes, listens to Audio Stories and never tires of me reading aloud to her.

Not too bad, all in all. Things are going pretty well if I do say so myself.

Before and After

2012-01-24T15:33:00.001-06:00

Once upon a time there was a little girl with oh so much hair.

Mommy couldn't see the little girl's face when the two of them sat across from each other in the school room.The little girl had to brush the hair out of her eyes before she was able to work her math problems.

Also, the little girl could not wash and comb through her own hair, even though she was 8 years old.

So one day, Mommy made an appointment for the little girl to get her hair cut.

The little girl agreed and now Mommy AND the girl couldn't be happier. The new "spring haircut" suited this little girl's active busy days much better. And the little girl hopes to try washing and combing it through tonight after supper. The End.

To Sleep... Perchance to Dream

2012-01-18T21:09:00.001-06:00

From sunrise to sunset,

the little one has her own rhythm too.

In fact, if there ever was something

I knew for sure it is this:

Little ones thrive on a daily rhythm.

We used to call it a 'schedule'

back in the day.

Is your son/daughter on a schedule?

we would ask each other.

One mom to another.

Of course he/she was.

They all were.

As long as I have been a mother

which is 29 years today,

(Happy Birth Day Jen!)

I have instinctively known that

my children thrive on a schedule.

It takes all of the unknown away from them.

Removes doubt.

Provides security.

Gives them a sense of control

We had no sleeping problems with our kids back then.

All the kids went to bed early

and got up at the same time.

We parents had the evenings to ourselves.

To nurture relationships or to

do whatever we wanted.

And yet... in all my wisdom

(she says tongue in cheek)

I sometimes forget this.

The whole month of December was a bust for Athena.

She stayed up late.

Had trouble falling asleep.

She woke up during the night.

She had a few bad dreams.

In short, it was ridiculous.

I could hardly get her out of bed in the mornings

and I could hardly get out of be myself some days.

After the holidays I determined to change it all.

I was on a mission.

It didn't take long until we were back on the right track.

This is what we did.

First of all, I took the time

to establish her bedtime routine.

Then some ground rules.

No screens after dinner.

None at all.

No TV.

No computer.

No DS.

Shortly after the evening meal I would run her bath.

Sometimes a milk bath, if the milk was about to expire.

Sometimes an Epsom salt bath.

Mostly just a bath with food coloring in it.

Before she got in I'd give her

a tablespoon of liquid

Cal/Mag.

After brushing teeth and having a glass of water

I would read to her from whatever novel we were on.

Right now it is Little House in the Big Woods

by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

She would then be in bed by 8pm where she could

draw or read until 8:20.

I would come back in her room at 8:20

put on her music,

(again, You are My Little Bird by Elizabeth Mitchell)

and, now this is big,

give her a back massage.

The girl loves massage.

These simple, soothing steps

have made a world of difference.

She is asleep by 8:45pm

every single night.

She sleeps soundly all night through.

I open her door each morning at 7:30am

so she can awaken with the light from the kitchen

and the sound of Mom and Dad talking.

She awakens with a smile and the whole day

is better for this renewed sleep/wake schedule.

And Mommy is much happier

when she sleeps through the night too.

Schedule, routine, rhythm.

Like the ticking of a clock.

From sunrise to sunset.

And on it goes...

(all pictures google images)

Eight

2012-01-16T10:53:00.000-06:00

Already.

How could this be?

Was she not, just last week a little baby?

Or does it just seem that they grow up so fast?

She had all of her cousins sleep over the night before.

Such good girls, the lot of them.

Athena awoke to what must surely be her best gift.

Snow, from Mother Nature.

(too bad she saw fit to drop off -30C temps with it)

Still, we drove through huge snow drifts

and blowing snow to go Chickadee pishing with

the girls. It was really cold but the girls

were thrilled with it.

I am so glad I could share this with my granddaughters!

We continued from Pike Lake on to Saskatoon

for a swimming party at the Y.

Not one of the pool pictures turned out.

The kids ate cake and opened gifts.

Clearly it was a good time!

Alex and Eric, her friends from next door.

Alex is her best friend.

Unfortunately we found out that day

that he is moving to an acreage just outside of town.

Of course she did not find out.

I'll tell her as late as possible.

They are not going until late spring.

And after we got back home and all the kids had gone

we had her specially pre-ordered dinner.

Beef tenderloin, plain rice and steamed broccoli with butter.

Athena says:

"Don't worry, that is NOT wine.

It is cranberry juice.

I am not old enough to drink wine."

Just so you know.

Happy Birth Day my girl!

Weekend Rhythm

2012-01-13T16:05:00.001-06:00

Its the weekend again. The weeks seem to fly by these days. Our weather has been so warm. Plus 3C today. Unseasonably warm. Even though we lament the lack of snow, we are not big fans of freezing to death!

I wrote about our daily rhythms. How our Monday to Thursday days unfold but we have weekly rhythms too. These steady days make our home run smoothly and the atmosphere or our home is peaceful, for the most part.

Our week looks like this: (schooling not included which is Monday to Thursday)

Monday:: laundry, menu planning, Paul picks up some groceries when he is in the city.

Tuesday:: ironing, baking (not every Tuesday but when the mood strikes)

Wednesday:: clean that closet, pantry, fridge, back porch day. Whatever needs attention

Thursday:: ballet

Friday:: change beds, laundry again (I hate full laundry baskets) dust, vac, clean bathrooms.

library day (our town has once a week delivery) and sometimes we go to the city

and out for lunch.

Saturday:: we often go to the city if we didn't go the day before. If the highways are bad

we stay home.

Sunday:: Outside day. Hiking, snowshoeing, walking the golf course. We have a big dinner

and Paul will build a fire in the fireplace.

Many days, Paul is away overnight for work. He has meetings in the evening several times a month for the Fire Department and also for First Responders.
Its a good rhythm and works well for us.

There are a few things I would like to add to this weekly schedule. One is baking our bread. I would love to add this to the week. Plus bread ain't cheap and I love bread. I would also like to make dessert on Sundays. Good yummy desserts. I am not a sweets person but I would like to do this for my people! Another is to walk every day. Every day. Athena is more of an ambler but if I start out slowly with her, perhaps she will be able to keep up.
I would also like to incorporate some art time, for ME! I always get stuck at the part "what should I make?" I'll have to think a bit about this one.

This weekend will be a little more exciting!!

Athena will be 8 years old on Sunday. She is having her very first birthday party too. She has never wanted one before, preferring to avoid noisy children. This year she planned her own party. Her cousins and the two little boys from next door will be joining her at the YMCA for a pool party. You can close your eyes and imagine her singing YMCA and doing the arm actions each time she thinks about it.
She asked for a white cake with red flowers on it. Yup, Safeway took care of that one.
Should be a fun time. I'll let you know how it went.

** I don't know what is up with the formatting but I couldn't figure out how to fix it.
(all photos from google images)

Rhythm

2012-01-11T21:31:00.000-06:00

Life is full of rhythm.

The rhythm of the day...

dawn until dusk,

day to night.

Light to dark.

We have our personal daily rhythms.

We all have them.

Some of us depend on them.

I count myself one.

Each morning I get up before my little one does, preferably by 6am but it is more like 6:30 in these dark wintry days.

Often I get up before my big one does too.

These days always start me in the right direction.

Each morning is the same. Weekday morning that is.

:: go to the bathroom and prepare for the day

:: come downstairs, turn on the computer, start the coffee, get the newspaper

:: check emails, weather forecast, Facebook, blogs.

:: read the paper and drink my coffee.

Every day the same thing.

There is comfort in that for me.

( I found out the hard way this morning when Athena

woke up the same time as I did and talked, talked, talked

through that precious hour I usually have alone.)

Around 7:45 Athena usually comes down. She awakens closer to 7:0 but "plays in bed" most days.

She, too, has her own rhythm. She is not ready for breakfast for a half hour.

By then Paul has had coffee, read the paper and had breakfast. He heads down to his office at 8am sharp.

I feed Athena breakfast and I eat two pieces of toast with butter. Some days I have yogurt.

I make beds, clean the kitchen and talk with my oldest daughter on the phone for a bit.

Same thing every day.

We start our school day at 9:30. We go until noon. Always math first. It is her favorite.

Today was rounding up and down to the nearest ten or hundred.

We move on to Language Arts. Spelling, grammar, writing.

Exploding Codes, First Language Lessons, Writing With Ease, Spelling Workout.

(more on this later)

We do either Science or History.

Lunch.

(Not a fan of making lunch, nor eating lunch)

After lunch (Daddy sneaks in a nap if he is able) I tend to whatever home keeping is on the go. Check emails and such and then pick up my knitting for a few minutes. She reads aloud to me for a half hour. I read aloud to her for a half hour.

Athena plays modelling clay or magnets or blocks.

2pm is Mommy time. I set Athena up with something that will occupy her for a while. Lately it has been Sparkle Stories. Other times it is Animal Jam on the computer. I get her water filled up and off I go.

My yoga time. 75 minutes each day. My refuelling. My bliss.

Even my yoga has a rhythm. I do the same series of asana on one day and switch it up the next. I come out of that room refreshed, renewed and ready for the rest of the day.

We usually go outside then. She to play and I to feed the birds, sweep up shells. We often walk around the golf course. She plays with one of two children a few times a week at this time. Alex or Erica. Thursday she goes to ballet. I go inside to prep for supper, she stays out and plays.

5pm Paul either comes up from downstairs or back home from his travels. I pour myself a glass of wine. Athena watches Wild Kratts on TV. It is where she learns all of her animal facts and boy does she know animal facts. Paul and I catch up on our days.
6pm we eat dinner.
7:30 Athena is in the bath.
8:00 She is in bed. She will draw or read for a bit and then I have been in the habit of giving her a back massage as she listens to her CD. You Are My Little Bird by Elizabeth Mitchell.
Every night the same. 8:30 lights out.

I come back down to visit with Paul for a while. He grinds the coffee beans and sets up the coffee maker for the next day. Then he goes down to watch TV. American Pickers or Pawn Stars or Antique Roadshow. (lucky me, no sports EVER). I read a book or a magazine or knit. At 9:30 I take my Cal/Mag, have a shower, put lavender essential oil on my pulse points. At 10pm I am in bed. Some nights sooner.

I go to my room, sit on the edge of my bed and put foot butter on my feet. I lie in reclined cobbler for several minutes and stretch out into Savasana and drift off to sleep.

This is the rhythm of my day. It is nearly always the same. Some would say it is a boring existence and by some standards in may well be. But I keep this rhythm close to me.
It is comfort and assurance and predictable. I am a Cancer girl so you know I like things to stay the same and I don't wander too far from home.

Pinning It Down

2012-01-10T13:26:00.001-06:00

I love Pinterest. My daughter told me about it a while ago and I have been using it ever since. And now Sarah and her friend Pam are hosting a Tuesday link-up called Pinning it Down. The idea is to choose a project from Pinterest and actually DO it.

I have done quite a few of the projects I have pinned and have plans to do a lot more of them in the near future. One that I did just today was ... get ready for it... put green onions in a jar so they'll re-grow. Real time consuming project. ;) I pinned it here via Debbie. It would be so great if this worked. We use a lot of green onion.

The real project that I want to get started on perhaps this evening is this pullover knit sweater. I love the neckline. I bought the pattern PDF from Quince and Co. Only 6bucks!

I got this lovely yarn, organic cotton, from Knit Picks. The color is Golden Heather but the color is more beautiful than the picture shows.

Can you see the darker reddish highlights? No? I can hardly see them either but they are there. More of a burnt orange color. Let me assure you it is beautiful.

I sent Paul to the store in the city to pick up the needles. So handy. I just emailed the shop owner and she had these waiting behind the counter for him. That way I don't get distracted by the lovely yarns. Safer and much less expensive.

It Started Out With My Bed

2012-01-06T21:41:00.000-06:00

This post idea started out with my bed. I am rather particular about my bed.I change the sheets every 4 days. (don't judge me) I love clean crisp sheets. Each morning I let the bed air for about an hour or sobefore I make it. I spray it with lavender, straighten the sheets

and tuck the everything in.

Something has changed in 2012 though. After a long sleepless night cuddled up with a little gal who had a bad dream in her twin sized bed, I realized something. Something life changing. So profound. After 28.5 years sleeping with a man over 6 feet tall and struggling to keep my shoulders covered, I discovered the horrid feeling of having sheets tucked in at the bottom when your feet near the edge of the bed.

Of course he had to kick the sheets out of the neatly tucked in ends. He had no choice unless

he wanted to have permanently pointed ballerina toes for the rest of his life! And no wonder I had to constantly pull the blankets up to cover myself from the chill of the night air.

But no more. Since 2012 arrived I have stopped tucking in the sheets and blankets at the bottom. (gasp) And I love it. And I sleep better for not having to fiddle with blankets

all night long.

And as I changed my sheets for the second time this week, I got to thinking that my house is so simply "outfitted". Once a sister-in-law of mine came over for the first time and after looking around asked "Where's your stuff?" And truth be told, I don't really like stuff. I don't like clutter and excess and things lying all over. My husband, on the other hand, really likes stuff. You'll note in the upcoming photos that I did NOT take pictures of the garage or most of the basement as all of his "stuff" is there. Out of my sight but not out of my mind.
Moving on...

Friday is housework day around here. I change beds, wash sheets and clean all thre bathrooms, dust and vacuum the whole place. This way I have the weekend free for whatever I want to do. (We don't homeschool on fridays) So before I did my cleaning, and yes I should have waited until after I cleaned, I took pictures for a little tour of my home.

Athena's room. A Daddy made platform for the mattress, just like in our room. The best sheets I can afford, warm blankets and as spare blanket just in case. Her reading body pillow, a shelf with favorite books, her music a bulletin board and a reading lamp. Nothing on the walls. A haven for restful sleep. She does have a glowing moon above her closet that she uses for a night light. It goes through the moon phases on one particular setting but she sets it to full each night.

My yoga studio, which I have shown you before. But look at that thrifted basket. $10. Love it.

My little altar. I found those river rocks and after years of setting them one on top of the other I finally had the idea to hot glue them together. Brilliant.

And the stick on words I ordered for the wall. Life lesson really.

And my bathroom. Paul uses the bath and shower off of the master. Athena and I share this one. And really, who on earth takes pictures of their bathrooms before cleaning day???
In this bathroom you will find soap and shampoo bar made by Renee and more essential oils and body bars by Rachel.

My living room, or front room. We switched couch and loveseats with my daughter. The fit was much better for both of us. Those antique leather topped tables belonged to my Grandparents. They are still in such good shape.

In the other corner of the room is the chaise lounge where Athena and I spend a lot of time reading aloud to each other. My laptop is stowed not so neatly underneath it.

And right across from it are the bulk of Athena's toys. Lego, wood blocks, animals, games, magnets. Open ended toys. Her Lincoln Logs and farm with horses are downstairs.

The kitchen/dining room. I know, HUGE. One of the main selling features of this house.

My desk, where I am sitting right now. My computer is there. Cook books and home management stuff are stored above.

And in the far corner of the dining room, the ever present modelling clay table, painted the same color as the walls. The girl spend hours here ever day creating her stories. Each night at bath time we have to use the nail file to clean out under her nails.

And now to the third level. ( We have a four level split. Bedrooms and bathroom upstairs. Living room and kitchen on the main.) Our classroom. A common table for work. Book case, my desk, chalk board. You know, the usual suspects. In this room on the bulletin board you will find a print by Heather and another in a place not seen in the picture. On my desk you will find some postcards made by Dawn. On the shelves you will also find a book or two by Amanda. Yes I believe in supporting friends.

The other side of this level has the tv watching room with the fish tank and behind it another bathroom.

And the most teeny tiny laundry room one has ever seen. Those cupboard above the laundry pair were taken down from above the peninsula in the kitchen. Very functional.

And the fourth level houses all of Paul's junk, the mechanical room a storage room and his office. He spends several days a week down here. He built this whole thing himself, walls, cupboards and ceiling. The rest of the week he travels to and fro.

And Dawn, if you are reading this, I took this picture for you! This is where Derek's bike trainer should be. In the basement! ;)

I am very lucky to live in a place like this. Our best house ever! We have lived here almost 6 years and it would be hard to beat a place like this. It is very very big and very very functional. Perfect for a family who is home more days than not. And the perfect house for us.

Living Sky

2012-01-05T06:24:00.000-06:00

The thing about living in the outskirts

of small town Saskatchewan is

you can't beat the sunrises in the dead of winter.

Every morning it happens.

The darkness gives way to light.

The blackness makes room for

flaming reds and oranges.

The skies open up as the sun slowly

turns night time into day.

And though the days are short

and the trees and fields are bare,

there is no shortage of beauty here

in the Land of the Living Sky.

A Tiger Can't Change Its Stripes

2012-01-03T21:30:00.000-06:00

My mother often tells the story of when I was a little girl. It was the dead of winter and although I have heard it many times, I cannot remember how old I was. Three? Maybe four? She tells the story of how she was outside with me for hours and she was chilled to the bone and yet I never wanted to come inside. After she could stay out no longer she brought me in where I would cry my little heart out, still dressed in my snow suit, and lie in the back porch, just wishing to be back outside in the snow. Skip ahead forty years later and the same story can still be told except now I can stay out longer if I want to.

I am a winter person. Always have been, always will be. I love it when the temperatures drift below freezing. I check the weather forecast and hope for snow.

How else can you tell which little animals have visited your yard as you slumbered? Did a coyote run nearby or a deer walk past the driveway? I recall, when I lived in Northern Alberta for one winter, the wonder I felt walking to the post box following in the footsteps of a mule deer who had passed this very way just a few hours ago. Or did a squirrel try to steal seed from the bird feeder even though you left hazelnuts out in a pile in the back yard?

These familiar mouse tracks leading up to the pile of seeds that someone left behind (shh!) and then leading into the garage door. Oops. We won't tell Daddy.

Recently we have been doing a lot more hiking. The snow has been minimal but the temperatures are well above normal. This makes for warm windy days and much more time outside in the natural world.

We are fortunate enough to live on the outskirts of a small prairie town. Just a few steps to the open fields and tree stands. We live a short 15 minute drive to a Provincial Park with nature trails, a beach and some nice canoeing waters. Its the getting dressed and getting out there which is the hardest part but when we do... its just the best!

We do things we've never done. We see things we've never seen. We experience the joy of the natural world. In the book I have been reading for months now (Meditations from the Mat) the author, who is now a Christian Yogi says that if the God of your childhood doesn't work for you anymore, find a new God. In my time communing with Nature I have found my god.

And this year my intention for communing with my god is to visit often, even when I don't feel like making the effort. It is always worth it and I am always glad I went out. My hope is to pass this spiritual experience on to my little girl. I want to show her the wonder of a beautiful sunrise. I want her to hear the melody of birdsong and wonder at the way the seasons change. So far I think it is working. She can find joy in the simple things.

In contrast to this overstimulated, over consuming, over everything world we live in, I choose to honor this love of the outdoors that lives inside me. I will notice the little things. I will be attentive to the subtle shift of light that changes with the seasons. I intend to appreciate that which is right in front of me if I will just be still and notice.

And here is a cow. Just because I thought her cute.

A Blank Page

2012-01-02T21:12:00.001-06:00

(google images)

2012.

Looking at that date seems almost futuristic to me somehow.

2012.

Time flies, it really does.

I love new beginnings.

Blank slates.

Clean lined loose leaf just waiting for words to be written on.

2012.

I have always made resolutions.

Some have been successful.

Some... not so much.

Still I make them.

This year I learned a new word.

Intentions.

Sounds much more attainable.

Intensions.

Not so much pressure.

Much less guilt.

Kind of zen-like.

Intentions.

So many areas of focus.

Lifestyle, health, spirit, relationship.

Work, education.

Yoga, meditation, nature.

So many things worthy of my attention.

Limited amount of time in a day.

Limited physical and emotional resources.

Priorities.

Much to share on my new journey.

A path towards a goal.

A goal of balance, well being, peace, health.

Love, above all.

Of Monsters and Other Things.

2011-12-01T12:35:00.001-06:00

I don't remember exactly when it happened. I suspect it was a gradual growth process. I don't know if she even knows she did it but...

My Mother created a Christmas Monster!
(no disrespect intended Mom)

Perhaps it is because she loves us all so much that she did it. Perhaps it is she wants to be loved. I hope it isn't because she thinks that gifts are how we show love. More gifts=more love. No, that can't be it. Nevertheless, she created it and passed the monster on to me.

But this year, I am giving it back.

I don't know when it happened for me either. (Keep in mind my monster is not anywhere as big as my Mom's monster, nor as expensive) In the past several years there have been many additions to my gift list. A son-in-law, three granddaughters and now two other men in the family. Add in my 4 girls, my husband and family members and that is a whole lot of gifts! As luck would have it, all four daughters birthdays are in November to January too.

Back to my story, I don't know when I went from a gift for each person to more gifts and more expensive gifts and $$$. You understand. Each year we spent more and more and more. I would usually ask them all for a list of what they wanted and tried my best to get a good part of the gifts. Silly when you think of it. Here is my list, please buy these things. Not really my idea of giving a gift to someone you love. (Note also, my girls are not the "get this or else" type of girls. In fact, they would be satisfied with whatever I got them. Well, most of them would. ;) ) It was all me. All my doing. My husband is absolved as he has no idea what we get and for whom. So like I said, this year I am giving the monster back.

Without going into the details much so as not to give anything away, this year I chose the gifts that I wanted them to have. Carefully chose. I am hoping it will mean more to them than checking things of their list. I am sure it will. I am taking all expectations out of the equation. I am giving them their chosen gift because I love them and I think they will love the gift. Pure heart, best intentions.

And from this holiday on I will have released myself from unrealistic expectations. The very expectations that only I put on myself.

(PS My mother buys gifts for around 30 people and spends thousands of dollars! On a retired persons income. I don't know how she does it?)

Books by Covers

2011-11-26T20:01:00.001-06:00

I don't think you can judge a book by its cover, but...
I think you can get a glimpse of someone by several things. Namely... their grocery cart contents, their magazine subscriptions and their library card printouts.

For example: My monthly magazine subscriptions are:

Chatelaine

Canadian Living

Martha Stewart Living

Everyday Food

Country Living

Real Simple

Yoga Journal

Food and Wine

Maclean's

National Geographic

Canadian History

So what does that say about me? I like to practice yoga, keep it simple, decorate, parent and partner. I like to learn history, Canadian and otherwise. I like to keep on top of current events and long for country life.

By the magazines I don't subscribe to you can know I am not into sports. I don't like beauty and fashion and fancy schmancy stuff. Plain Jane outdoorsy, simple yogini who likes good food and ~~cheap~~ good wine.

And my library books for the week, homeschooling books not included:
Well I won't reprint the titles but I think you get the idea.
Same sort of theme only in hardcover.

We are all so unique aren't we? Yet somehow we are all the same. We want to love and be loved. We want to know and be known. We want to learn and to teach, give and receive.

So I wonder, what magazines and books are in your home, waiting to be read? Do you think they paint a portrait of who you are? I'd like to meet you. :)

In the Kitchen On the Needles

2011-11-18T06:30:00.000-06:00

Updated: Vanilla Pudding recipe at end of post.

Creating.

There has been a lot of that going on around here

now that the weather has significantly cooled.

I have kind of been obsessed with this vanilla pudding.

It is so smooth and tasty.

I ripped the recipe out of Everyday Food

and have made it several times already.

Simple ingredients and so much more tasty

than a boxed instant pudding.

And the piece de resistance,

warm vanilla roasted pears on top.

And this salad. Looks a bit messy but oh the flavour.

It couldn't be simpler either.

Quarter and seed some Roma tomatoes.

Chop an onion and some garlic.

Put the works on a roasting tray, drizzle with

olive oil. And sea salt and pepper.

Roast for about 30 mins or so at 375.

Take the hot stuff an mix with fresh spinach.

That's it.

And this recipe. Broiled ~~tilapia~~ cod with a coconut curry sauce.

Need I say more? Recipe here.

This spinach salad with pear, bacon, cranberries, walnuts and blue cheese.

Fig and balsamic dressing.

I LOVE blue cheese.

This Hutterite chicken. Oh my. So delicious.

I slow roast it. An hour per pound. Yes really.

It is moist and tender and so wonderful.

Recipe here.

And the best roasted veg you will ever eat.

Potatoes, crisp on the outside, perfectly done on the inside.

Parsnips, carrots, onion.

Thank you Jamie Oliver.

I will never make a poor roasted potato again.

The secret? Parboil the veg first.

And on the needles...

Hats. Lots of them.

This one is a silk cotton blend and is not at all warm.

I was disappointed. More of a fall and spring toque I guess.

This merino wool hat. Warm as can be.

I like the fold over brim.

Extra warmth for the ears and with

my short hair I need that.

Athena's merino wool hat to match her sweater.

So cute on her. I made two more of these plus

another ribbed one for my three lovely granddaugthers.

And last, this oh so expensive Alpaca hat.

I got the wool locally from an Alpaca farm just down the highway.

It knit up so nicely, not counting the wool pieces

that were always all over my skirt and chair.

But, it kind of bothers me a bit.

A tiny bit itchy on my sensitive skin.

So, little miss A gets it. She wanted it after all.

It is kind of nice too since it was from Aria, her favorite

Alpaca at the farm. The one she pet and fed.

Thank you hat model Athena.

So I have been doing a lot of knitting including some secret "holiday"

knitting that I can't mention here.

Now I am just awaiting my wool shipment from Knitpicks.

So I can get on with the projects I have planned.

I really hope it comes in the mail tomorrow

because we are having lots of snow and way below

normal temps this weekend.

The perfect weather for knitting!

(And cooking of course.)

Classic Vanilla Pudding

1/2 cup sugar

3 T cornstarch

1/8 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 large egg yolks

2 T butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan. Whisk together milk, cream and egg yolks

and add to saucepan.

Whisking constantly, cook over medium high until mixture thickens and is bubbling. 8 to 12 minutes. Reduse head to medium low and cook, whiksking 1 minute.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla.

Press plastic wrap directly against surface of pudding to prevent skin from forming and refrigerate 3 hours, or up to 3 days.

To serve, whisk until smooth.

Coffee flavour

Add 3 T instant espresso powder along with sugar and cornstarch.

Reduce vailla to 1/2 tsp.

Butterscotch

Replace granulated sugar with 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

Reduce vanilla to 1/2 tsp

Chocolate

Add 1/4 cup cocal powder with sugar and cornstarch

Reduce vanilla to 1/2 tsp

Lemon

Add 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest with sugar and cornstarch

Omit vanilla

Whisk 2 T fresh lemon juice into chilled pudding before serving.

Recipes from Everyday Food.

Living our Learning

2011-11-16T21:05:00.001-06:00

Our learning year is progressing nicely.

Earth science is proving to be a favorite for her.

Lots of experiments.

Lots of creating.

Papier mache Earth, Moon and Sun.

Our schedule allows for a lot of afternoon creativity.

Blocks, magnets, Lincoln logs and modelling clay.

She is always making or imagining something.

Her first bunting which she stamped with apples,

iron and sewed together herself.

Pride in her workmanship was oozing from

her very being.

And of course there is ample time for outdoor play.

In this picture she is trying to coast down the golf course

hills on her belly. Like a penguin of course.

It is her winter goal to be able to do this

without a sled.

And you know how people always take pictures

of their footprints in the white sand beaches?

Well this is more our style.

Mine and Athena's that is.

Paul would rather his toes in the sand.

And of course there is a lot of crafting going on.

Winter themed of course.

Lots of ideas on Pinterest.

Her modelling clay table sits in a corner of the dining room.

Hours upon hours are spent here.

This week her Young Naturalists group

made platform bird feeders and learned

about feeding birds in winter.

We all love this program.

Of course there is book learning too.

Every morning and sometimes in the afternoon too.

Volcanoes, tornadoes, nouns and pronouns,

perimeter and area

time and money.

Phonics and literature,

reading and writing

and all that other good stuff.

The days are predictable and pleasant.

Things are running smoothly.

This home schooling gig is the way to go I tell you.

Holy Ground

2011-11-15T19:49:00.001-06:00

I want to tell you about myself.
I was raised Catholic. Very Catholic. Church every Sunday, or Saturday night for us. Baptism. First Communion. Confession. Confirmation. And so it went.

And then, wanting more than that, I was "Born Again". And everyone in my family heard about it. All the time. Ad nauseum.

And then... and then... I found yoga. It was a subtle transformation. At first it was just an exercise class that I signed up for with my oldest daughter and her friend. That was back in 2000. I loved it from that very first class. Something struck the core of my being even though it was "just an exercise class" any way you looked at it. Anyway, I was hooked. Long story short, I started a home practice and went on to some basic teacher training. I then taught yoga in the town I lived in and the neighboring town as well. 4 nights a week and I LOVED it.

I loved the interaction with the students. Mostly women, fewer men. I loved the looks on their faces when they went a bit deeper into a pose they had been working on. I loved when they asked me for therapeutic applications and reported back with their successes. I even loved the drive back home. Late at night along country roads, just taking it all in.

After we moved to a new province, I stopped teaching and my yoga practice really became my own. I had a wall of windows overlooking the Peace River in Alberta in the home we rented.( The name of that river only struck me as relevant at this very moment. Wow. Peace River.) I would roll out my mat nearly every day and overlook the river valley as I practiced asana after asana. It was then that my practice went from mostly a physical practice to more of a body/mind/spirit practice. This was so new to me. All of my life my interaction with "God" had to do with churches and organized religion. I stepped cautiously along this untrodden path.

Only a short year later we moved back to Saskatchewan and ultimately into the house we live in now. Small rural town. It wasn't long before I started teaching again, wanting to share this wonderful thing called Yoga with anyone who was interested. I began teaching 4 classes a week. I could just see the response in some of the students. They wanted what I wanted all those years ago! Some just wanted a "workout". Naturally I gravitated to those who wanted more. Circumstances made it harder for me to teach so I turned the classes over to another. It was all as it should be.

And now, 4 years later, my yoga practice means more to me than ever. I don't know when it happened but after Paul built me a home studio, sometime between then and now, I have always taken off my shoes/slippers before I enter the room. You see, it has really become a place where I connect with God. Not the God of the bible but with "Spirit, the Creator, the Universe" or whatever the name is. Always with an upper case letter. Whoever or whatever it is, I meet him/her there each time I enter. I think of that old song from my Christian days that goes something like this:

"This is holy ground. We're standing on holy ground. For the Lord is here and where he is is holy.

These are holy hands. We're lifting up holy hands. He works through these hands and so these hands are holy."

The floor of my studio and the space beyond the door is holy ground indeed.

These last few weeks I have made a commitment to enter into this room every day, roll out my mat and see what happens. I am so glad that I have done this for myself. Not only do I feel stronger and more supple, but I feel grounded and centered. I set an intention each time I begin. I want clarity of thought, kindness in my words and peace in my heart. I try to release all of those things that no longer serve me. Things like self pity, want of material things, unrealistic ideals, selfishness, resentment, anger, fear. I draw to myself all of the love, joy and goodness the Universe has to offer. I have learned to hold things loosely over the years for none of us, not one, is guaranteed tomorrow no matter how much we try. I am trying to live in the present moment. I am trying to be mindful in the every day. I am trying to love deeply and let all of my expectations go.

With this exciting new yoga commitment I can do this. I can learn to breathe and just be.

Snow Days

2011-11-08T16:39:00.003-06:00

Today I had plans to post about my 10 days of yoga and what is has done for and meant to me but then... it snowed. So I'll leave that post for another day.

There was a promise of snow in the air and on the barometer. We had the occasional flurry the afternoon before but one had to really be on the lookout to see any.

When we awoke the next morning all the world was twinkling white.

And someone pulled up a chair to take it all in.

Of course the new snow had to be taste tested.

Nothing like the first snow to bring out all the children.

Joy!

The first teeny tiny snowman, made by Daddy.

And these guys still need to be fed.

And this guy too.

Not a big fan of the mess though. What to do?

Chilled cheeks and warm chocolate. Great way to start the season.

Pirate Adventures

2011-11-01T06:37:00.001-06:00

Gosh I love this kid.

This is the first year that we actually

went to the store to buy her a Halloween costume.

All other years she put her own together

from the dress up clothes she already had.

This year she wanted to be a pirate so...

we went to the store and picked out a nice little pirate dress for her.

We had other purchases to make so she gleefully carried her pirate dress around the store.

After about 10 minutes she asked if we could go back because she changed her mind.

She hung up the dress and bee lined it over to a different rack and grabbed the boy costume.

There... much better. (And, the costume was cheaper, only 9 bucks. We got her a girl pirate costume on the weekend, just to play with. It was marked down to 3 bucks!)

And then Daddy took her out trick or treating.
She was back in 10 minutes.
She went to exactly 12 houses on our street.
She was so excited and Daddy said she laughed the entire time.
She couldn't believe how much stuff she got.

Happy with little joys.
Content with enough.
Gosh I love this kid.

First Time Visitor

2011-10-26T13:32:00.002-06:00

We have had an interesting year here birding wise. First of note is the lack of Chickadees and Red-breasted Nuthatches over the winter. These little birds are usually in abundance at the feeders all winter long. I only saw 1 Nuthatch all winter.

The spring migration brought the usual suspects passing through. White-throated sparrow and Harris's Sparrow are two we look forward to seeing. We always hear the White Throat before we see it. Our ears are tuned to its song of "Dear Sweet Canada Canada Canada".

Our resident Merlin has been active, leaving his trail of feathers and beaks for the little ones to find, much to the chagrin of their mothers. Myself excluded.

This week, however, we had the joy of seeing a Blue Jay. Athena was pretty excited to see one. It was her first time. When we lived in Peace River, Alberta, they were as prolific as sparrows. Still, I never tired of seeing them. Beautiful birds.

Athena named him James and he comes by right before lunch each day. We are hoping he stays for the winter so we plan to go get some peanuts on the weekend. Until then, we'll keep the feeder filled with black oil sunflower seeds and cross our fingers that he stays until then.

Leap!

2011-10-23T11:18:00.001-06:00

Ballet

1st year.

A little late in starting unfortunately.

Seems if you don't start at 3 years old

then by the time you are 7 you are way behind.

No matter. She loves it anyway.

And she is always sore the next day.

One muscle or another.

I am a little surprised as she runs around like

an animal half of the day.

Obviously different muscle groups.

The following pictures are our attempt

to get her in the Saute (jump).

Here we go!

Too soon.

Way too soon.

Too late. Already landed.

Gosh, way to soon.

Got it!!

Although this picture captures the spirit

of this little one best.

On Days Like This

2011-10-17T21:48:00.002-06:00

We are back from a week off of schooling. It was not exactly a holiday as we re-did the third level of the house. Or shall I say that Paul painted the walls, changed the baseboards and trim, painted doors and changed lighting. It was a good renovation. It feels like we created a whole new living and learning space. It is so bright and fresh and fantastic.

I had some time to do some cooking and baking. Turns out I CAN bake now that I realized my oven is about 50 degrees off. After adjusting for the difference things have been coming out of the oven looking better than ever. We had pumpkin scones with a spiced glaze.

And my favorite... soup! This weeks fare was Carrot Habanero. So thick and jam packed with veg. And the heat of the habanero, subtle but not too subtle. Just enough to warm your insides.

Oh, and I have discovered if I put the leftover hot soup into a mason jar it seals itself so I can keep it in the fridge for a little longer before eating it again. Brilliant!

We also used the week of holidays to prepare the yard for winter and clean up the garage and basement. Good stuff. We spent time outside stacking wood for those cold winter nights. We filled bird feeders and raked up some leaves.

Speaking of feeders we witnessed two oddities to these parts. In the same week we saw a hummingbird (in October!!) flitting around the last of the blooming roses and we also saw a pair of Blue jays. A first for us and very exciting for little Miss A. I also saw a fledgling Merlin. Kind of late in the year but I know little about raptors so maybe not. The picture isn't very clear but in truth I was afraid to be dive bombed by its mama. Falcons are fast!

And today we were "back to class" and the day went so well. It was a perfect homeschooling day if there even is such a thing. We got most of the book learning done in the early part of the day. Math, spelling, reading lesson, grammar. She had a little break and we did some crafting. Paint, linen and apples and an ironing board. She was so excited to use the iron but so proud that she did. Pictures to follow when the project is complete. After we cleaned up from the project we did some science. The Water Cycle to be exact. This girl loves all things Math and Science. We stopped for lunch and after we played around with some musical instruments. We mimicked rhythms and sang some songs together. We tossed beanbags and she finished reading her fourth chapter book aloud to me since September. Good good stuff.

I want to remember the way this day unfolded. I want to learn from the rhythm of it. It ebbed and flowed in a way that I imagined this little learning path unfolding for us. For her.
Although I don't expect every day to be this darn good, it is nice to have these touchstones to keep us plodding along this extraordinary life!

Holidays

2011-10-11T08:30:00.002-06:00

At long last my travelling husband is taking some holidays. This week in fact. Despite being stuck in Denver for an extra day (grrr) he has been with us. At least he has been in the same location as we are. Things to do you know.So this week he is painting the third level of the house. This is where our classroom and television room are, oh, and the fish. Can't forget the fish. As you can see, he is with us but not "with us". Just the same, I like having him here. I get a glimpse of what normal must be like.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration at Jill and Clint's house. First time in 20 years that I haven't hosted. It was so nice and relaxing. And Jen is hosting Christmas dinner so I am off the hook for the year. It is nice to have grown up children who can do some of these things.

And Athena is off school this week which is one of the many benefits to homeschooling. She has been spending a lot of time outside in the unseasonally warm weather and spending a bit too much time on the computer (gasp). Hey, I told you the classroom is decomissioned for the week so it won't hurt for a few days, right? She did, however, put on a lovely little dance show for me the other night. I found this invitation on my chair in the living room.

She is also making stuff. She is always making stuff. And with a bit of expired whipping cream, a tooth pick and some food color (thanks to Jen and Pinterest) she did this little artwork. She loved it.

And just to make this post a real mix up, we have a pair of collared doves hanging around the yard. I don't really know what to feed them. I tried Vector cereal but they weren't interested. Oh well, black oil sunflower seeds is my only other offering.

And last but not least, this was one of the cutest things ever. Cash and Alphie, my daughter's dogs, who weren't allowed in during the Thanksgiving dinner, ruefully watched us through the window, on top of the picnic table in the back yard.

Color

2011-09-30T13:08:00.002-06:00

On These First Days of Fall

2011-09-28T07:39:00.000-06:00

Things are moving quickly around these parts.

Just days ago the birch leaves were still green.

Now they dance around the yard in the breeze.

We are seeing the beginnings of the migrating birds.

Chickadees, Red polls, Finches.

The Robins and the Grackles have left for warmer places.

The Virginia Creeper is showing its glory this year

despite a hard frost a few weeks back.

And of course fall wouldn't be fall

without the sunny faces of the Chrysanthemums.

And obviously Fairies have paid a visit since

it is they who plant the mushrooms!

The succulents put on their last show,

a real treat for the butterflies.

And the sunsets are beyond compare.

Mother Earth really knows how to put on a show.

The woodpile is stocked for the coming winter.

This always makes me happy.

We don't use wood for heat but we all

sit mesmerized by the fire.

And the girl has been enjoying these unseasonably warm days.

Knowing that soon enough the winter chill will blow in.

Alpaca Farm field trip.

Big hit with her.

I bought some Alpaca wool from Abby (below).

Pricey at $18.50 for a 100g skein.

Enough to knit up a quick scarf

so she'll always remember.

And off to the city for lunch.

We like going to the city for lunch.

Every other week for sure. Possibly more.

Have you ever seen a beer that big?

Athena and Daddy playing Xs and Os.

Every restaurant, every time.

Funny thing is she never plays this at home.

Can you believe this is what I ordered?

Bread, cheese, spinach dip.

It was so filling I couldn't even eat half.

I do love potato skins though.

Athena loves herself a good Busker.

We were waiting in the car outside the liquor store

while Daddy ran in.

She listened to his music and asked if he had his guitar case opened.

She asked me for some change, jumped out of the car and

tossed in a few coins,

like she always does.

After all, she says, if we are enjoying his music,

why not give him some money?

(My older daughter told me later that this was illegal in Saskatoon.

Giving money to beggars that is.)

PS Paul is certain that we saw his wife waiting in the car for him.

A Lincoln no less.

Maybe the man just loves to play music?

I Must Be Doing Something Wrong

2011-09-22T08:41:00.001-06:00

Like the title says, I must be doing something wrong. I read all of these blogs of homeschooling families who are out playing, hiking, going to the beach or who have craft after craft accomplished and who's pantries and freezers are full to the brim. They spend their days doing fun things.

And then there is me. We are schooling all morning and now bits of the afternoon and then I have so much to do in terms of house and yard work that I wonder how there are so few hours in a day. There are not many nights that I see 10pm. Sheesh. What am I doing wrong?

(Maybe I am just too old for this gig. I am a grandma after all.)

Weekend Getaway

2011-09-21T14:29:00.001-06:00

I think I am sufficiently recovered enough to write this post.

It was a great weekend. Much better than I anticipated.

The drive was quiet and beautiful, but hey, this is

CANADA after all.

No shortage of beauty here.

I have always been drawn to the north. The pines

seem to call my name.

We didn't even realize that the girls all had

the same color fall jackets until they

were all together.

We rented a pontoon boat for a few hours. It was cool and wet

and so much fun. The big girls liked it as much as the little ones did.

Jessica even caught a teeny tiny jack fish.

And here is Athena having some sort of Zen experience,

off in her own little world as she tends to be.

And Papa Paul, happy and content as can be.

Captain of the ship.

Jen and Jord.

Jill and Clint.

And Eden well... being Eden. A little bit wild.

She even jumped off the boat into the water.

Can you say hypothermia? It was only about 14 degrees.

Dad let the little girls drive the boat on his lap and

of course Jordan wanted a try too!

And the highlight of my trip was #1 Seeing the Northern Lights

(it had been several years since I saw them last)

and #2 Hearing the haunting call of the Loon.

Bliss.

But of course the best part was having my entire family

all together under one roof.

It was such a great weekend that we have already

booked again for next year.

Same place, same time.

Three Weeks In

2011-09-15T08:12:00.000-06:00

We are three weeks in our home schooling year and what a whirlwind it has been. September is a busy time in itself and I am feeling particularly in 'overdrive' this year. We are still receiving so much fresh produce from the Hutterites. While I love getting this local, chemical free bounty I know that I have to preserve or process it all in some way. My goodness we have been eating carrots every day and tomatoes every day. Don't get me wrong, I will be remembering these vine ripened tomatoes in February when what passes for a tomato shows up in the grocery store.

We had a hard frost the other night so I had to pick all that I could from the garden. The last of the tomatoes sit ripening on my kitchen window sill. I will surely savour each delicious bite. I am equally thankful for the roots. These don't ask much of me, just a cool dark place to be stored. That I can easily provide. Who does not love new potatoes with dill and cream? Who I beg you? That is another flavour to be savoured, only to return next summer.

But back to the school year. Yes, we are three weeks in. Actually we started in August just doing about an hour a day of math and reading review. This worked out well for Athena. We kind of eased into a longer school day for her. Easing in is always a good thing. While her sleep schedule is a little off due to the summer break we are slowly getting back into a rhythm on that front as well. She must be growing AGAIN because I can't keep that little belly full and she is sleeping around 11 hours each night.

My plans to begin the day at 8:50am have not materialized yet, nor do I think they will. She likes to 'play in bed' as she calls it. After she awakens she rarely comes down to breakfast before a good half hour of it. I don't know what she does but her bed linens are all over kingdom come each morning. Oh that imagination! No matter to me, it is her job to make her bed anyway.

So, yes, back to the school plans. It is a good thing that I didn't plan the school year all the way to the holidays because we have made some changes already. Some things just didn't work out. Some things I scheduled too much of, others not enough. For instance, we are following the Classical Education Method (except the religious parts) but this is the second year I have tried to go with Ancient History. We did it up until January last year and we have done a few weeks of it this year and it is not a good fit. For me or for her. More so for me I think. I love history. Love it. But this is not working for us at this time. So... here I go adding more to my list... I have decided to work on a Canadian History plan for this year. Why not? Americans learn American History over and over and over again. I don't recall learning much about Canada in school and certainly not in a comprehensive manner. Sure we learned about the Explorers and The Last Spike of the railroad and Canadian Geography here and there, but I have a different idea. I am putting together a History/Geography study for us to do. I have a lot of books. I have been a collector of Canada books for years so I have a really good base for developing what I think will be a great year.

Moving on. Science. We are using Elemental Science this year. I really like how everything is laid out on this one. Lots of experiments, which Athena likes. Lots of projects which she also likes. Oh my, we already made a papier mache earth, sun and moon. (Can I just say I am not a fan of papier mache. What a mess.) My one complaint is that it moves too quickly. We are supposed to do Earth Science and Astronomy this year but I have slowed it down so I think we will only accomplish the Earth Science this year and save Astronomy for next year. This way we will get more in depth learning, which is what sticks best anyway.

Math. Oh my the girl loves math. It seems to come so easy for her. She is adding and subtracting double digits like nobody's business. She is moving quickly through her book so we may have to add some third grade math in the new year. Again, the beauty of home schooling. We can accelerate the learning where we are able and slow it down where necessary. Love that.

The rest of the subjects are going just about as planned and today... today she starts ballet. Not the 'hair in a bun, don't eat cookies, stand up straight' type of ballet but a community class. Her love of classical music fits right along with this. Now as long as the little bird pays attention and doesn't flit and fly all over the room. She is so excited for this.

And tomorrow we are off on our first "family" trip. All of our girls and their families are coming with us to a cabin up north for the weekend. All of us. In one cabin. Twelve people. 4 littles. I'll let you know how that goes. We plan to eat hearty food, go on a pontoon boat together for a few hours, sit by the campfire and sing campfire songs. Just kidding about the songs. The men would never have it. Two of my girls are bringing their knitting for a little refresher course. I am bringing a box of fun for the kids. (Hey sisters, remember Grandma's Rainy Day Box?) I am really looking forward to it. I really need to relax a bit but not so much as Paul needs to.

And on that note, I better end this oh so long post. I have a school day to wrap up, a house to clean and food to prepare. Busy day.

And I leave you with a few pictures of the full harvest moon. Too late in the evening to see its full colors. I'll have to look earlier tonight as I really NEED to gaze upon it a re-centre.

Poutine! Krishna Das and Patrick

2011-09-08T06:16:00.000-06:00

I asked a simple question on Facebook today. What could I possibly make for lunch besides sandwiches? My daughter Jen replied with "Poutine". Which totally got me wanting, craving, desiring the wonderful, delicious, so bad for you that you can't even believe it, poutine. For those of you Americans who don't know what it is, Wikipedia describes this Canadian dish this way: Poutine is a dish of French fries, fresh cheese curds, and sometimes additional ingredients, covered with brown gravy or sauce. Yes, like I said, slop on a plate. But oh the salty, fatty, potatoey (that's a word right?) goodness. She should not have mentioned that to me before noon. I called her and gave her a motherly reprimand.

Below is a visual if you still cannot picture it.

Ahem. Moving on. All I could think about was Poutine. We have a local greasy spoon that serves the best poutine this side of Outlook. It took all that was within me not to dial the number and order myself a HUGE portion which I could never finish for the mere price of $4.50 CAD. That is $4.55 for you Americans.

Then I thought of the wonderful yoga practice I did yesterday. The kind of practice that makes your buns sore when you walk up the stairs the next day. The kind of practice that makes you listen to Krishna Das on repeat because your husband is not home and you can. Yeah, that is what I am talking about. I decided not to call the greasy spoon and looked in the pantry for what I could cook up before my twitching fingers could dial the number.

It did not take me long to put this quick, easy curry together and you can too, in any moment of weakness. Under 15 minutes and it was on my plate. True story.

Chickpea and Spinach Curry

1 19oz can chickpeas rinsed and drained.

4 cups of organic spinach (or whatever is leftover in your fridge) washed and drained.

1 19oz can whole tomatoes, chopped.

1 onion, diced, 1 1/2 T grated ginger, 1 garlic clove, minced, 1 T extra virgin olive oil, 2 T curry powder, 1 1/2 T sugar, salt and pepper to taste.

Leftover basmati rice if you have some. Not necessary.

Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, sugar, curry, garlic, ginger. Saute until onion is translucent. Add chickpeas and tomatoes. Simmer a few minutes. stir in spinach , salt and pepper. Add rice if using. Cook until heated through. And there you have it.

Isn't that a much healthier option than poutine? Yes, I thought you would agree. Each time I make this dish for myself I think of my brother in law Patrick. It is what I would make for him if he stopped in for lunch. The funny thing is, I don't even know if he likes curry but I always think of him each time I open a can of chick peas.

Best thing about this dish is tomorrow, when the mood for poutine raises its greasy head, I will have leftovers to pop into the toaster oven. I'll be sure to put some Krishna Das on the CD player as I eat. ;)

And On A Lighter Note...

2011-09-07T07:11:00.000-06:00

We had a really good long weekend. I just knew that having my daughter and son-in-law move to Humboldt (which is just 90 minutes away) would be a good thing. We have been enjoying many impromptu lunches with them because of course they have to come to the city for Costco! The only bad part is just shortly before they moved there, my other daughter moved to Regina from here so we still all don't get together. Some day maybe.

First we met up at the Chinese buffet. Now I am not a fan of buffets for obvious reasons. Germs, and um... germs. But Clint said it all when he said "Listen, what you have to do is get in, eat all you can and get out and don't think about it." Yes, true. But you will notice I am the only one with any vegetables on my plate. Oh wait, my daughter Jill has a splash of green in there too. But I must say, it was tasty. The Coconut buns were a hit but I was too full to try one.

Cousin love. These girls love to be together. Athena, Josie, Abby.

And these sisters love each other like crazy and...you guessed it, can fight like cats and dogs.
It rarely lasts long and they are back together playing as if nothing happened.

After lunch we went to Kinsmen Park where the rides are $1 a ticket and parents ride free. The weather was scorching hot and continues to be all this week. Temperatures in the 30s, Celsius that is.

I am always so happy to do things like that. Meet up, share some food and some laughs and go on our way. I see so much more of this in the future and it makes me smile.

Thank You

2011-09-01T15:01:00.001-06:00

Thank you all for your kind words and support.

Thank you Jen, Jess, Dawn, Tara, Angie, Cassandra, Denise, Keri, Mona, Lyse and Paul.

I appreciate you all.

Don't Let This Cute Little Face Fool You...

2011-08-30T14:59:00.001-06:00

this little Bird Whisperer

who 'saves' every little bird

(or big bird for that matter)

that hits the windows,

who is as sweet and friendly and innocent

as can be,

(this little Pine Siskin did eventually fly away)

is as stubborn as the day is long.

Day two of second grade and I was

thinking about running away from home.

All order is restored but oh my homeschooling is not easy.

In fact, I think I cried myself to sleep on Sunday night

just thinking of the pressure of it all.

It is especially difficult when one doesn't have a lot of support.

There are those close to me who think this is a bad idea.

Some think I am bored and have little else to do but this.

Some think that it is fine for now but eventually...

But I know differently.

I know I have to do this for her. (at this point)

I know that because of the way she is, this is the only way. (for now)

I know that if she were in public school she would be

way behind, labeled and made to feel

less than adequete.

She would come home exhausted from all of the

sensory overload.

She would be in trouble all of the time for

seemingly not paying attention.

But...
I am holding on to these words

by Robert Frost.

The Road Not Taken

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

As The New Year Begins

2011-08-24T16:06:00.000-06:00

Autumn is on its way. There are subtle signs all around me. From the cool evening breezes and the chill in the morning air to the shortening of days and the color of the leaves turning from their vibrant green to yellow and red. It is happening and I couldn't be more excited.

My daughter and I were talking this very morning about how September always seems like more of the "new year" than does January. It has always be so with me. I have probably mentioned on this blog about a couple hundred times that I am not a summer person. In fact, truth be told, there is no season that I dislike as much. Hot weather, sand tracked from one end of the house to another, mosquitoes, wasps, flies. And did I mention the hot weather? Yeah, I like none of it.

I am a creature of habit. The more things stay the same, the happier I am. I like to be home with my family. I love seeing my grown up kids but would rather they came to see me. I like adventure and being outside (except in the summer heat) but I would like to sleep in my own bed thank you very much.

I like the routine of the days and although I enjoy a more flexible schedule that the summer affords, I always look forward to fall. The days flow together nicely and we all know what to expect. There is comfort and stability in routine. PS I was born under the zodiac sign of Cancer so that could explain much here.

We started back to school at the beginning of August. More easing back into in and for review purposes than anything else but the school year actually begins for us next week. Second grade already. As I prepared the coming year for her studies, I found myself torn between different schools of thought as I did last year as well. I really like the idea of unschooling but I am more of the methodical type. this is what we need to accomplish and this is how we plan to get there. All laid out ahead of time in neat little boxes on a schedule. This, however, leaves little room for staying with an interesting topic a little longer or skipping over uninteresting unimportant things. And too, what does she want to learn about? No room for that either.

As a home educating mother I want to honor my child and her specific needs and interests but I also want to leave no gaps in her education along the way. This is no easy thing to accomplish, in my mind anyway. And what about nature study. Being in tune with the seasons, the daily rhythms as we make our way around the sun. What about that? How can I as a parent and teacher possibly bring all of this together in a comprehensive interesting way. It is tough but exciting as well. This is a good place to be.

And so, these last few days before it all begins I have much to think about, much to put together and much to do. Athena is going for an end of the summer visit with her cousins for a few days, giving me some precious time alone. I have done all of my weekly work ahead of time so I can use the days wisely. There will be some planning, some preparing and a little bit of organizing. There will be some time on my yoga mat to be sure. There is nothing like my yoga practice to help me to see clearly, to help me see the big picture. And there will also be some long overdue time alone with my husband. We are heading to the big city for dinner where I plan to eat crab legs. (I really love crab legs.) And then we will head to my daughter's house on Saturday to pick up our girl and have one last family BBQ of the summer. All of my 4 daughters and their families and their dogs will be there. It promises to be a good time! I hope to be energized, refreshed and ready to go when Monday morning comes. It looks like it will be a good year.

Day at the Beach

2011-08-22T07:57:00.000-06:00

We spend the better part of the day at the beach yesterday. We did some canoeing and some beach combing and some lazing around too. This trip was so much better in so many ways than the one we took just a few days before. Let me tell you why.

Last trip: First time in the canoe for the year with one very tippy girl.
This trip: Brought the dinghy where she could be as tippy as she liked.
Minor downfall: She cut her finger on the new oars. No blood.

Last trip: I put sunscreen on myself but forgot my ears. I burnt one ear. It swelled up to twice its size. Lovely.
And my upper middle back was sore for three days from the hard paddling.
This trip: I put sunscreen on my ears and wore one of Paul's linen shirts to keep the sun off. I paddled only 40 strokes this time and my sweet husband did the rest, including loading the canoe back on the truck all by himself. Muscle man he is I tell ya.
Minor downfall: It was so HOT. I think I much prefer canoeing in the fall.

Last trip: We didn't plan for actual beach time so we stood along the shore while Athena played.

This trip: We brought her butterfly net, pail and shovel. Blankets, drinks and food.

Minor downfall: Leeches. Yuck. She caught three of them and 6 minnows and 4 snails, all of which (save the leeches) now reside in our outdoor pond.

Last trip: Oops, didn't plan on swimming so we didn't bring the bathing suit. That was the reason for the pantie pictures.
This trip: Brought the bathing suit.
Minor downfall: None.

Last trip: Granola bars and spring water.
This trip: Trail mix, organic apples, purified water and some concession stand fries. Oh, and a little thermos of Chardonnay.
Minor downfall: The concession food was WAY over priced and my pesky brother-in-law was ribbing me about public alcohol consumption. But, if he didn't bug me about something I would wonder what was wrong.

Lessons learned: It is always better to plan ahead for these day trips. Things work out better.
                          Kids don't care how hot it is. They just love the adventure of it.
                          Do not EVER tell your brother-in-law that you had wine at the beach. ;)

At Last

2011-08-17T13:35:00.001-06:00

Guys and Gals

2011-08-16T13:40:00.000-06:00

My Girls

My Guys

I know, I am really good at nightime shots am I not?

{this moment}

2011-08-12T06:45:00.001-06:00

Imagine Athena's surprise when she discovered that pickles were

actually made from cucumbers.

She loved filling the jars with the sliced cucumbers

one by one.

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. - Amanda Soule

A New Day

2011-08-10T06:54:00.001-06:00

(google images)

Well that was horrid.

I have spent the last I don't know how many days ticked off, to put it mildly and I really didn't like it one bit.

I don't know if it is my age, the time of the month or the phase of the moon but this is NOT like me and I do NOT like feeling this way.I have been really bothered, REALLY bothered by what a few people have said to me about one thing or another. I have even been bothered by things that have nothing to do with me, if you can believe that. All these things are small in themselves but put them together and man, I was steaming!

So yesterday, I decided I needed some time in my yoga studio. I got everything ready and I sat in half lotus, closed my eyes and I couldn't bring myself to move. I just sat there as if paralyzed by my negative thoughts. I sat and sat and sat. Lest you think this was the "clear your head on the path to enlightenment" sort of meditation, I assure you it was not. More like brooding it was. My foul mood carried on with me into the evening. Let me reiterate, I am very rarely in a bad mood at all so this is way out of the norm. I went to bed early, hoping to put an end to this day. I am posting this rant here today only because we as bloggers tend to only post about the happy stuff, the good stuff, the inspiring stuff... but we are real people with real problems and concerns and most importantly, real lives. Me especially.

And now, as the rest of my family is sleeping and I am here venting on the computer, I am determined to let it all go. I would advise my children to not let things bother them so I am taking my own advice. Putting on a new face today. A happy face. I am choosing to forget, to go on, to do what I know in my heart that I must do, no matter who says what. Besides that, I have a family reunion to cook for this weekend. 24 family members will converge on my deck, do some golfing (mostly the men) some moderate wine drinking and eating what is shaping up to be one of the best menus I've ever put together.

So, on that note, smile, have a good day, choose your attitude and don't let people bring you down. It is not worth it. :)

{this moment}

2011-08-05T04:11:00.000-06:00

{this moment}- a Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Amanda Soule

Finer Things

2011-08-03T14:55:00.000-06:00

As the new school year began for us this past week I have been doing quite a bit of thinking. Thinking about math, literature, languages, art, music, science and history. What should I include in Athena's studies? What would I like her to learn? What would SHE like to learn? There is a wealth of information to be had on the Internet and in the libraries and on home education blogs. Everyone has their own ideas, their own ways of doing things and their own thoughts about what is important and what is not. I do. You do. We all do.

The one thing that I do know for sure is that one cannot appreciate good anything unless one is exposed to it on a regular basis. Food, music, literature, art.

And so, in order to become a good writer one must read good writing. I am not opposed to children picking their own books but I do believe that we must read good literature to our children. I tried reading Junie B Jones to Athena and the grammar was so poor that I quit halfway through. Instead we have read The Secret Garden, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and just this week we started to read Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat. We will continue to read aloud one chapter book a month and I will choose these books from good classic literature. Tried and true. And then she will know what is worthy and what is not. That is my hope anyway.

I also believe that a child needs to listen to beautiful music. I am lucky that Athena has a true passion for it. She has said "I love classical music because the words don't get in the way." She can pick out her favorites on a CD. She loves The Nutcracker Suite and Swan Lake the best so far. So this year we will study one Classical Composer every month. We'll read biographies, color pictures of them and listen to their music over and over again. She would love to take violin lessons in the near future. She has perfect pitch (in my humble opinion) and most often can be found humming her favorite classical pieces all in tune. Love it.

And on that vein, there is art. How can you know what great art is if you never look at great art? Our art program will include studying one great artist a month. We will read their biography, look at their paintings, try our hand at re-creating one or two as well. I have some flash cards of famous paintings that we will learn to identify too. We will also work with the book Drawing With Children and do some just plain fun arts and crafts type of thing.

Of course we will study math, science and history as well. We'll learn phonics and grammar. We'll do lots of nature study and hopefully spend a good deal of time outdoors but I do want Athena to learn to love and appreciate the Finer Things. Yes I sure do.

Bloom Where You Are Planted

2011-07-29T06:52:00.000-06:00

Bloom where you are planted. Sounds like a good concept. I don't know where I heard that phrase but I am thinking it was somewhere in my old Christian days. Bloom where you are planted. I like that. To me it means make the best out of any situation that you find yourself in. It means to flourish, be your best, do your best with where you are, with what you have, with whatever comes your way. Yes, I do like that phrase.

But this is not what this post is about. It is about coloring and creativity. Yes, you read that right. Who hasn't heard a million times "Mom, will you color with me?" And who among you hasn't colored your fair share of Winnie the Pooh, Carebears, My Little Pony and the like? And really, who doesn't like to color from time to time? (Lyse, I know you do) So I am going to let you in on a little secret...

My friend Heather has offered, for free, a printable coloring page just for grown ups although older kids may like to color one too. Let me instruct you on one of the ways this thing is done.

#1 Put some Josh Groban on the CD player. (I was going to say stereo. How dated is that?)

#2 Pour yourself a glass of Merlot, or any other grape varietal that you prefer.

#3 Get out your best pencil crayons or markers. Heck, you can even use crayons.

#4 Spend then next hour or so just doing this simple, lovely thing and really enjoy it.

I sure did. You can find the printable here on her wonderful blog Beauty that Moves.

She also sells some of her "already colored in" artwork. I have two pieces myself. So on these dog days of summer when you feel hot and sticky and uninspired, head on over and check it out. I dare you not to.

Random

2011-07-19T07:11:00.002-06:00

Berry season. I'll bet you are all eating a lot of these.

I just had to share this easy summer recipe.

Put all you see here in a bowl with some olive oil, salt and pepper.

(thinly sliced lemons, peppers, green onion, grape tomatoes and thyme sprigs)

Toss to coat. Heap on a baking sheet.

Add raw shrimp that has been tossed in same bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper

and some paprika.

Nestle shrimp in vegetable mixture. Bake for 12 minutes at 450 degrees.

Serve over pasta or rice.

Add grilled chicken on the side if your daughter is not a fan of shrimp.

She did, however, eat these as they are so tender.

Easy peasy for a hot summer night.

I suppose you could do it all on the grill too.

No need to heat up the oven.

My first CSA share from the Hutterites.

Can you almost taste those creamed turnips?

I know, a lot of plastic but they sell at the markets

so they bag everything.

Don't you just love buying from work at home moms shops?

Look how pretty the packages always are.

I love all of these products and feel such relief that I don't have to spray

chemicals all over our bodies each time we venture outside.

The Hey You Shoo spray works so well!

I am one happy Mama.

Another victim of last weeks storm.

Our first "nature drive" (remember that girls?) of the year was quite good.

A young buck Antelope was our first sighting.

A ruddy duck with tail feathers on display.

Moo. They look so gentle and sweet.

I have always wanted to touch a cow.

I know. Weird.

And take a look at these beauties.

And again.

Girls, this is huge. Your father has admitted he needs reading glasses.

An odd cloud formation out the front window.

Out for an impromptu lunch with the whole family, less Eden, Jess and Dann,

This is one of the benefits of Jen and Jordan's recent move

much closer to home. Yay!

Little punks.

And now I am off to Humboldt for a few days to check out Jen and Jords new place

while Paul is in training in Kansas City.

Then back on Thursday and off to Regina for a family

BBQ/ announcement on Saturday.

Then, I am staying home for the rest of the summer

because, truth be told, I haven't even

started on my homeschooling plans yet.

Yikes!

Garden Tour

2011-07-13T13:54:00.001-06:00

I don't know if I told you this already but I planted mainly pink flowers this year in my gardens. Lots of different kinds of roses. Pinks, stock, geraniums, impatiens, nicotiana. All lovely shades of pink. I meant to take pictures of them yesterday. They looked so beautiful yesterday. Maybe it was the morning dew or maybe the way the light was filtering through the trees. I don't know what it was but I should have taken the pictures yesterday.

Oh well, I took them this morning. Allow me to show you around my garden.

These are my impatiens. This is the first year I grew double impatiens. They look like little tiny roses.

This is my favorite rose bush. Its blooms are prolific. It is called Morden Blush.

Another first for me, Ivy Geraniums. Reminiscent of Italian balconies.

Ferns in a shady spot given to me by my daughter Jill. They were growing profusely in her back yard.

My front annual flower bed. Last year in Victoria we saw a bed entirely planted with stock. The smell is so lovely and it looked so nice I wanted to plant one myself.

Tumbler tomatoes, specifically grown to be planted in pots. We have had a few already. Beautiful lush basil to the right. I was going to harvest it yesterday but decided to wait for today.

Peppers. I have grown chilis and jalapenos but never sweet peppers.

You'll notice that I have all of my houseplants out under the canopy. They like a little fresh air and sunshine so I bring them out each summer for a month or two. Really helps them grow.
And on the canopy there, those are leaves from my birch. You could find them on the birch tree normally but today they were all over the side of my house and stuck to the windows too. Go figure.

So, how do you like my beautiful pink garden? Not so nice you say?

Well, that is what we woke up to this morning. Minor by comparison to those who lost trees and had flooding. There was a huge storm with unofficial report of a tornado last night in Delisle. I have never seen anything like it. To make matters worse, our roofers finally showed up yesterday, completed on section of roof but decided it was not necessary to put the cap on the shingles. Needless to say we had water dripping out of the attic into the hallway upstairs. The garage also flooded due to the 5 inches of rain that fell in 15 minutes and the water came into our third level. We spent about 5 minutes in the stairwell just in case. And then... Paul got the roofers air nailer(electric), went onto the roof (yes in a thunderstorm. Do not try this at home.) and tried to nail up some shingles so the roof would stop leaking. It worked and he is still alive. Then his pager started to go off for multiple fires and downed power lines.

But we are all fine and the damage was minimal. I have been cleaning up outside almost all day already. And as I said this morning to a friend, I have learned to take these things lightly, shrug my shoulders and move on. I attribute that, in part, to my yoga practice.

And now, Athena is at her summer playground program, Paul is in the city giving some training to a group of Hutterites and I don't know whether to practice yoga or plop myself down on the deck and have a cold beer. I should enjoy this lull while I can because I just noticed at the bottom of my computer screen that we have been issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for this afternoon. Let the fun begin!

That Girl

2011-07-12T05:57:00.001-06:00

This girl is something else.

She is never bored.

Never.

She makes her own fun.

All of the time.

She talks to herself in the little games she creates.

She is a whiz at animal sounds.

She knows a lot about animals.

Her stories often begin "Mom, I gotta tell you something..."

She sings all day long.

Or hums.

Or makes up stories.

She day dreams.

She thinks.

She imagines.

She is a truly happy child.

In fact, she says she is the luckiest girl ever.

I guess she is right!

(All of the photos above were taken on the same day as she moved around the yard after dinner.)

My Grandmother

2011-07-04T07:56:00.000-06:00

I have been thinking a lot about my Grandmother lately.

I don't know why, I just have been.

Please allow me to tell you about her.

She was born in 1914 in Kendal, Saskatchewan. I think she was the 4th of 11 children. Or maybe it was the 11th of 40 children. Hard to tell way back then. Her parents were immigrants from what was once Italy but was taken over by Austria. The last name was Righetti. Doesn't sound too Austrian to me.

She married my Grandpa in her early twenties. Both he and she were school teachers in rural Saskatchewan. They made their way to Regina where they had two daughters, one being my mother. There they lived their whole lives.

She was a very fancy woman. She always wore dresses except when we were on the family vacations at the beach. She always wore a hat when she went out of the house. She always wore high heels, even in the house. I can still remember the sound of her shoes on the linoleum floor as she moved around the kitchen. She had a collection of purses too.( Must be where my sister got the idea as she has more purses than anyone I know. I have three. One handmedown that she gave me, one for summer one for winter.) In them she carried a comb, an aspirin and a tissue.

She was a good cook. Like most women did back then, everything was made from scratch. I was the lucky recipient of her recipe collection. Almost all of the recipes had side notes like 3 Tbsp of cocoa (2 is okay). And some cookie recipes have quantities and costs and the year written on the back. I'll never get rid of these. I remember all of us Grand kids, both my family and my aunts family getting together for family dinners. We would eat so much that our bellies ached. All of the adults would go to the front room for drinks and coffee and all of the kids would go to the den after the meals. We always had pimiento stuffed olives and celery with cheez whiz.

She was very strict. We daren't cross her, or heaven forbid, talk back. I don't know what she would have done if we did though. We wouldn't even try to test her to find out. She expected children to behave at home and in public. No difference. And behave we did.

Her house as always sparkling clean. She had a little bottle with a pierced lid like a salt shaker to sprinkle water on her ironing. She had a routine. One day was wash day, one was baking, one was the day she would go downtown. She used the very hottest water to wash dishes with. Scalding hot. She used Ivory dish liquid. I bought some a few years back and was disappointed that the scent had changed. She used Crest toothpaste and Promani hand lotion.

My Grandma had a jewellery box full to the brim of "expensive" jewellery. Later we found out it was not expensive at all. When we went to visit, my sisters and I inevitably would ask "Grandma, can we look in your jewellery box?" She always said yes. We would also get to play "office" at her desk. She had a desk area with the neatest telephone attached to the wall. Her sewing machine was stored under the cabinet which was her desk. Fun stuff.

When I was a young mother with three little girls, she would take the cab to our house every Thursday and help me out. She would play with them and read to them and always take a nap in the afternoon. She was still as strict with my children as she was with me. And they adored her. After supper, Paul would drive her back home. In fact, he gave her her first ride in a pick up truck and to the dump her one an only time. Like I said, she was very fancy.

She taught me about gardening and gave me the love of it. My Grandpa grew Gladiolus and she had Mums and Lilies. She taught me to make plum dumplings. I recall her asking for my meatloaf recipe, which I considered an honor.

She and my Grandpa would always spend the evening in the front room having coffee, reading the mail and listening to the news. She taught me that it was not necessary to talk to my Grandpa all evening, just being together was the gift. Years after my Grandpa died I was visiting her and she was looking for something in her bedroom and we were talking. She picked up a little green angel whose wing had been repaired and tears fell down her cheeks. She told me that Grandpa had bought that for her many years ago, back when money was tight. She chided him for doing so, telling him it was a waste of money. And now, it brought tears to her eyes.

I never did appreciate how hard it must have been for her after he died. I was 19 years old when he died. I figured he was old and she lived with him a long time. Old people die. How wrong I was. She loved him. He loved her. I never saw them hold hands or kiss. They just didn't do that in front of people. But make no mistake, they loved.

When my Grandma was dying of cancer in the hospital only 6 years after my Grandpa died, I remember the very last thing she ever said to me. She spoke of how proud she was of me and of Paul's new job and of the kids, but the very last thing she ever said to me was "Don't give anyone my Lima bean recipe."

It is true. Seems funny now, especially since I have that recipe and it is not hand written but neatly clipped out of a woman's weekly magazine.

She died Christmas morning, 1990. She was 76.

Luscious Lemon

2011-06-27T10:45:00.000-06:00

My name is Michelle and I am addicted...

to this wonderful yogurt.

This is NOT your mother's yogurt.

It is full fat, full flavour.

Lemony goodness.

No diet food here.

It costs a pretty penny too.

$4 for this small container.

Enough for 4 small servings.

But I buy it every week

and I have it four wonderful days

for breakfast.

The other days I have eggs.

Also not diet food.

PS I hate diet food.

Of Crafts and Groceries

2011-06-22T16:40:00.000-06:00

Ah, the first lazy days of summer. So nice. So relaxed. We have been doing more reading and crafting than ever. It seems that time stands still when we are creating something together. Some projects there is hardly a word uttered. Each of us rapt in our creativity. Others, we chatter the whole time, sharing stories and ideas.

(remember this craft from your childhood? God's Eyes.

Athena caught on to this immediately and

being one to make things exactly as they should be

used a lot of white wool for the "white" of the eye.)

Then there is the modelling clay. She is always narrating as she transforms the shapeless pieces of clay into whatever strikes her fancy that day. Good days.

And as I was looking over my grocery bill I was wondering how much some of you pay for every day items. More? Less? or about the same? Here are some bits of my bill.

Summer Solstice

2011-06-21T08:13:00.000-06:00

May your summer be filled with rainbows and flowers

with joy and laughter

with sunshine and moonlight

but mostly with love.

Happy Summer Solstice.

Its A Seasonal Affair

2011-06-16T11:07:00.001-06:00

It is finally time to harvest the rhubarb. I mean really harvest it. I have been working on my little gifted plant for years now. In each of the past few years I have pulled it sparingly so as to really let her take root and settle in. And this year she gifted me with an abundance of fruit (or vegetable to be exact).

Yesterday morning I pulled what I believed to be enough for a pie but after it was washed and chopped I had well over 8 cups.

First I made rhubarb crisp. Easy peasy for sure. I made a small one for the neighbor across the street as her dear husband doesn't like rhubarb but she does. The other I baked up and put in the freezer for another day.

Next I started on the pie. I made some pie crusts weeks before and had stored a pie's worth in the freezer.
In hindsight, I do not recommend doing this. It was crumbly and difficult to work with. Pie is pie nonetheless. Tastes the same whether it looks beautiful or not.

Unfortunately, Paul had to catch a flight and did not get a chance to taste it. "Save some for me when I get back" he shouted as he closed the door behind himself. Of course there will be pie left as he is the dessert person of the family.

Fortunately, he was able to stay for dinner. In fact, he grilled the chicken. Our daughter Jessica was in town so she was able to join us for this wonderful, simple summer dinner. Isn't is just lovely looking? It tastes fantastic too. Even if you are not a curry fan you should try this anyway. I'll bet you will love it.

Chicken Shawarma

Total time: 45 minutes

Chicken:
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp curry powder
2 tsps extra virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
3 garlic cloves, minced. (I use a microplane for both this and the sauce)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips

Sauce:
1/2 cup plain greek style yogurt
2 Tbsp tahini paste
2 tsp fresh lemon juice ( I used more)
1/2 tsp salt
1 garlic clove

4 naan breads (can use pita or any flat bread)

Preheat grill to med-high heat.
Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Let stand at room temp 20 minutes. (I let mine marinate for up to several hours)
Combine sauce ingredients, stirring with a whisk. ( I also make this well in advance to develop the flavours)

Either thread chicken on a skewer or use a grill pan on the BBQ. Grill until done.
Brush naan bread with olive oil and grill a few minutes each side until warm and slightly browned.
Place 1 naan bread on each plate. Top with lettuce and tomato slices. Top with grilled chicken and drizzle with sauce. Finish the whole thing of with a few glugs of olive oil. That's it.

I just know this will be one of your favorite dinner on the deck meals. Enjoy!

(Posting along with Earth Mama in Seasonal Affair)

Bad Sign

2011-06-15T10:21:00.001-06:00

You know it is a bad sign when your husband is finally home...

but leaves his suitcase near his nightstand because he is on a plane again the very next day.

I am beginning to hate you PUMPS ON TOUR!

But on a much nicer note, are these not just the sweetest things?

Lists

2011-06-14T15:44:00.000-06:00

This morning I sat on my favorite chair looking out the window and I made some lists. I like lists and I like checking things off my lists one by one. I made these lists in a book, not on loose paper, so I won't misplace them or throw them out. I used a pencil, well, because I love pencils. I love the way they sound as I jot down notes. In fact, on my computer desk in the kitchen I have 5 sharpened pencils in the letter holder and only one pen. On my desk in the school room I have a mason jar filled with the same. All sharp as a tack. I also love sharpening pencils with my trusty sharpener. Oh yes, back to my lists...

(google images)

Master Summer List

Canoeing

Picnic (at least one)

Broadway Street Fair

Visit my daughter in Humboldt

Go to Regina twice. Once to see Paul's sister and once to hear the grand news my brother has to announce

Have my Mom come for a visit

Have my two older Granddaughters come to stay for a few days

Go fishing on Ruby (the new to us boat Paul bought last year that has only run once!)

Paul and Athena go camping

Have a backyard sleep out in the tent (again Paul and Athena)

Host my family BBQ

Have the neighbors over for a BBQ

Pike Lake beach day

3 movie feast nights (more about that later)

Zoo

Eat dinner on the deck whenever possible

Summer Reading List

Finish Lady Chatterley's Lover by DH Lawrence

Anne of Green Gables (aloud to Athena)

Poser

(to be added to)

Summer Movie List

First understand that I am not a TV or movie watcher so this is a huge list for me. I own all of the following movies and have yet to take the wrapper off of them.

Lady Chatterley's Lover

Women in Love

Julie and Julia

Babette's Feast (eat a French meal before we watch, or during)

Big Night (eat an Italian meal before or while watching)

Tortilla Soup (I bet you can guess what goes here, yes, Mexican food)

Summer Job List

Make school lesson plans

Put mural up in bedroom wall

Install bamboo flooring in front room

Finish the kitchen island
Clean garage
Clean basement
Clean and organize school room

Most of these are jobs for Paul to do except the school stuff of course.

My most important goals for summer are to practice yoga 5 days a week and to make some fantastic meals all the while cultivating a feeling of peace and contentment. No schedules. Relaxed mealtimes and semi-relaxed bedtimes for Athena. I am hoping to pull it all off but I will be the first to admit that I love a good schedule. Summer time 2011 could be the summer I turn over a new leaf. Who knows?

Finished!

2011-06-13T15:58:00.000-06:00

I am officially finished!

Finished with the school year.The necessary papers and reports have been submitted to the School Board.

Year end reports. Intent to Home School report. Request for reimbursement, $400 per year per child.

I have even sent in my plans for Grade 2!! I feel a huge relief that these things are done.

Now I can plan the next year at my leisure, the day to day I mean. Scheduling, when to start, the meat and potatoes of each day, each week. This will be less stressful and much more fun to do.

Last year I started out just planning a few weeks at a time and often found myself on Sunday evening, planning the next week of school. Now I have a pretty good idea how Athena works best and how long she is able to concentrate at a time so I plan to map out three full months of lesson plans during this summer break. It may sound ambitious but I think having this much planning done ahead of time will make the year flow more smoothly.

And...

I am finished with my yard.

We just put up our canopy this past weekend and I LOVE it. We bought a new one, more sturdy, to stand up to the prairie winds. If there is one thing I don't like it is baking myself in the sun. This canopy has a complete screen enclosure (read: wasp free dining) as well as privacy panels to block out sun on each side.

I also set up this area with some rocking chairs. It gets morning shade and evening sun.

This is Athena's play area. She has an outdoor kitchen play centre, swings and her own little sitting hammock there between the birch and the spruce trees.

This is my favorite little bird. He is so cute and pudgy and I smile every time I see him.

I have roses everywhere. All old-fashioned and all pink. Every last one.

In fact, every annual I planted this year was pink, except for the stocks which are purple and white.

And this is the hammock that Athena pretends is her pirate ship. It is in the far corner

by the woodpile. I stacked all that wood by myself you know.

And back on the fence is the cavity nesting box she built in her young naturalist program.

We have a little male wren who built a lovely nest in it.

He sings his heart out all day long, trying to attract a mate.

And so, I am finished my yard and ready for the summer to begin.

I will only make one more visit to the greenhouse to get

a few shade loving annuals to brighten up the space

under the canopy.

Only one more trip.

Promise.

This Day

2011-06-09T06:19:00.001-06:00

A Daybook

Outside my window...
The sun is up already, even though it is 5am. It looks like it will be another nice day.

I am thankful...
That the Pumps on Tour thing that Paul has been ~~obsessed with~~ working on for 4 months is almost over. It sure will be nice to have my husband back. Also thankful that the bad news my sister has received came with some good news as well. I am REALLY thankful for that.

I am thinking about...
What I would like to accomplish this summer. Not a to do list but more of a state of mind that I want to carry through the next few months. I am not very good at doing nothing.

Learning all the time...
We are officially finished homeschooling for grade one! Yeah. The days seem to have several more hours in them now. Go figure. We are planning to start a tree study (at Athena's request) and we just finished reading The Secret Garden aloud. My goodness she loved that book. We also just got some chalk pastels in the mail and already she is experimenting with them. Which leads me to another thing I'd like to learn... to just draw without judging myself so harshly.

From the kitchen...
We have been eating some yummy stuff lately. Lots of grilled breads with various toppings. Some sort of protein (mostly fish) and some veg every night. I love eating "tapas" style as I don't usually go for big meals. Which reminds me, we were on a trip a while back and I had the most wonderful burger. Ground sirloin with blue cheese. I can't stop thinking about it. Of course sitting on a deck overlooking the Okanagan lake in Summerland British Columbia with a glass or two of wine... what's not to love??

This is the restaurant where I had the burger and this

is the 'flying olive' Athena found in her appetizer.

I am creating...
My garden. The planting is all done. I am making a perennial garden for Athena which used to be her Butterfly Garden but now is her Secret Garden. I added poppies, eccinacea, forget-me-not and some mosses this year. We also planted some zinnia's, cosmos,(the awful striped kind, but hey, it is her garden), pinks, love lies bleeding and morning glory of course. Not much in the vegetable garden this year. 6 tomato plants, a pepper plant that my Mom gave me and some lettuce for little A. I am going to rely on the Hutterites for my weekly CSA share this year. They do it best.
I am also still knitting her Spring vest. It is the most lovely avocado color. I am over half finished but I need to get on that.

I am working on...
Getting the year end school reports on to the school board. That and sending in my yearly plans for grade 2. I have given myself until tomorrow to get it finished. Then and only then, after it is faxed off, will we truly be finished grade one.

I am going...
Nowhere thankfully. I am not one for trip as I much prefer to be at home. I do want to go to the lake and paddle my canoe many many times this summer though.

I am hoping...
To get a rhythm going for the summer which will include some work, some leisure, some yoga and some reading/creating every day. Like I said... after those reports are done.

I am reading...
Lady Chatterly's Lover by DH Lawrence (good book!) This is my third time reading it in 15 years. Each time seems like the first. I am also reading A Charlotte Mason Companion even though I am not a Christian. Looking at those two books typed together in one paragraph seems a little... I don't know... wrong. Makes me giggle a bit.

I am praying...
Now I am really giggling. I have to tell you that my oldest daughter was asking me to 'pray' for something the other day and she said, and I quote "Mom could you send a little bird song on the wind to Mother Nature, or whatever it is you do, for..." I couldn't contain my laughter after hearing this one.
So, my birdsong, so to speak, is for my sister and her family today.

I am hearing...
Sparrows, mourning doves, robins and the little wren who moved into the nesting box Athena built. It is nearing 6am and the girl and her daddy are still fast asleep.

Around the house...
The housework and laundry are done. Bed sheets have been changed. We are putting up a screened canopy today and Paul is building a new screen for our patio doors. It was built over sized and it is now impossible to get replacement parts. We are also putting some bamboo hardwood down on the third level so I'll have to get all of the school stuff out of the way for that. And by "we" of course I mean HE.

One of my favorite things...
Grilled sirloin burgers with blue cheese.

A few plans for the rest of the week...
Friday is library day and then I just want to enjoy the weekend before Paul is off on business for and entire week. I will lend my had to get the canopy up though.

Outdoor Ed

2011-05-04T14:49:00.000-06:00

We are back to school full swing this week. Although I had anticipated some resistance... so far so good.
I have put together a block of work that I want to finish before we end the school year at the end of the month and we are on track to complete it in time. We are going on a small vacation to Kelowna and I really am hoping to have the school year wrapped up before we go.

We plan to do a lot of nature study during the summer months. Trees, wildflowers, weather. Things like that. Plus we plan to do a lot of reading and a lot of artwork. I have purchased new sketchbooks, watercolors, drawing pencils and blank notebooks. They are all at the ready, waiting to be filled. We plan to spend a lot of days at Pike Lake, which is a mere 15 minutes from our home. Lots to do there for sure. I just wish I could maneuver our canoe on and off of my truck by myself but I can't so we'll have to save the canoeing for the weekend when the man can come along.

I, too, am planning many many leisurely days sitting on my newly outfitted deck (thanks Mom!) reading books and sipping ~~wine~~ lemonade. Aw, who am I kidding. I just did a life expectancy test and I am to live to be 100 so I guess a few extra glasses won't kill me that soon. ;)

This past week we have spent an enormous amount of time in the great outdoors. We even went frogging for the first time in my life. My older girls Jess and Jill used to go all the time but I never went along. Now that I only have one child at home I have to do these things. We caught 5 tadpoles, or what I believe to be tadpoles. Time will tell I guess. The weather has been so nice that we have even been doing some bookwork outside as well. It is a much easier pill to swallow for this nature girl! But today it is raining and where is Athena? Putting on her rubber boots and heading out of course!

Best Bolognese Ever

2011-04-29T19:42:00.000-06:00

My sister gave me this recipe years ago. At least 14 years ago I think. She edited it a bit and I have edited it since then. I don't even know where she got the recipe from in the first place but it has been a favorite in my recipe box ever since. And, considering that we have a blustery, grey, damp day here today I thought I'd make this hearty comfort food meal and I couldn't help but want to share the recipe with you.

Bolognese Sauce

3 T extra-virgin olive oil

5 T butter

1 onion (finely diced)

1/2 cup diced celery and carrots

1 lb lean ground sirloin

1 cup white wine

1/2 cup milk (or cream for a tasty substitute)

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1 28oz can whole tomatoes

1/2 cup grated parmegiano reggiano

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Brown the beef in the oil and butter. Add onion, celery and carrots and saute until veg is tender. Add 1 cup white wine and simmer until evaporated.

Add milk or cream and nutmeg and simmer until evaporated.

Add tomatoes and parmegiano reggiano. Break up tomatoes with a fork.

Simmer, uncovered, on low for at least 3 hours, preferably 4.

Serve over a large type of pasta. I like to use rotini or rigatoni. They really grab up the sauce.

Use additional pamegiano reggiano passed around at the table.

Serve with a leaf salad and please, don't forget to have a glass of wine with it!

It also wouldn't hurt to have some Italian folk music playing in the background either.

I usually mince my veg for this recipe and I also whiz up the tomatoes in the can before I add them as I have a little one who does not like cooked vegetables. Tastes the same either way.

Ten Good Things

2011-04-25T07:05:00.001-06:00

Freshly "Easter egg dyed" play silks drying in the breeze.

Egg nest cookies. A yearly tradition and oh so tasty.

Little migrating Dark-eyed Juncos. Only here for a short visit in the spring.

Fresh Hutterite turkey dinner. Saskatchewan grown!

Grandchildren (and puppies) who clearly love to swing and clearly love their Papa.

The courage to try something new! A very wobbly swing.

Modelling clay which keeps the girl busy for hours on end.

This little gal. What a gift. Her smile melts me.

Bowls of pastel candies.

Kid dyed eggs. Cracks and all.

Oh and one more thing. A week off of school.

Much needed by both Mama and little one.

Ten Good Things as suggested by Soulemama this morning. What good timing too. There is so much goodness all around me every day.

Guilty as Charged

2011-04-12T13:47:00.000-06:00

So, we are sitting down to breakfast the other morning and everyone is quiet, just waking up really. I had been up for a while and already read the paper and had my coffee. And so I initiate a conversation with my family.

Me: "So, I have an idea..."

Paul: "Oh oh."

Me: "Why would you say 'oh oh'?"

Paul: "Because everytime you say you have an idea it either has to do with eating tofu or smashing the tv."

Guilty. It did have something to do with the tv. Not smashing it, just having one day a week with no tv, computer, blackberry. For your information, neither of them went for it.

Humph!