tonight, just after 9 pm

...something happened.

these two (plus me) sat at the dining table together

and charlee 

read.

an entire book.  

all by herself.

ta-da!

honestly

there's not a lot that compares 

with making something that your children fight over adore.

i may have picked up a little hobby

on the weekend,

while in fairhaven, at the incredible toy garden.

i was delighted to discover that needle felting is 

fun, easy (for me) and inexpensive.  

mr. blue bird was my first.  i made him from a kit.

the little bear was my own creation.

at present the two are careening down the hall in lego police mobiles.

it's a good feeling. 

the plan is to get pretty good at this, i think.  

the kids have put in their requests:

a whale,

a buffalo,

a turtle,

a zebra,

another bear,

and a little black hat for mr. blue bird.  

my 25 random things: revisited

do you remember this thing?  

it was a facebook chain letter post that went viral about three years ago.  
i posted this february 5, 2009.  

And to be honest, i think it's what encouraged to me start blogging.

i thought it would be fun to revisit and revise.

i was happy to see, not much as changed.

revisions are per [ ]

1. I do many things (like this and letting my kids walk around the house with food) that I never thought I would. I'm OK with it now.

2. I don't use conditioner...ever.

3. Two nights ago Bo, my son, pooped in the tub shortly after her finished playing in the toilet. He cracks me up!  [he still cracks me up on a regular basis].

4. This week I've nearly eaten an entire loaf of french bread with thick slabs of butter, jam and cheese. [it has been a while since i've indulged like that].

5. I don't usually exercise on purpose but I love to move and breath and feel my muscles. [i've since joined a gym, but i like to that info on the dl. for one, i don't really go and two, it messes with my natural hippy vibe]. 

6. I made myself a cuss jar today. 

7. I admire creativity. It makes me think of God. 

8. In life, I've never been much of a planner. I'm more like a "see door - walk through door" kind of person. The weird thing is, when I look back, my path appears so purposefully laid out. It's like "of course."  [i am getting better at preparing but i'm still not a planner].

9. I believe in things like community living and sharing.  [more than ever]. 

10. Charlee, my daughter, reminds me of a nymph or a dirty little woodland pixie. She's pretty skittish around humans but she comes alive in the trees and on the jungle gym. She prefers garden beds to the sidewalk any day. I like to think she got that from me.  [true. true. true].

11. Sometimes, when I'm a little down, I feel like smoking a cigarette with red lipstick on.... Don't you?

12. I would like to become a really fantastic gardener. Some day I will share some of my tomatoes and carrots with you. I would also like to learn to speak Spanish. 

13. I fantasize about having totally organized closets and cupboards. It bugs me. Why can't I just let it go and live a little.  [so lame, i can't even handle it].

14. I'm very proud of my family - all the love and forgiveness. My parents can live with me when they get old. 

15. I have learned some of my most important life lessons from children and special people who can't operate or communicate like the rest of us. They are like my Gurus.  [i love this].

16. I'll forgive you most things if you can make me laugh. It's the secret to my success. 

17. If you are ever using my washroom and you are wondering, the People magazines are in the middle drawer to the left and the hand towels are on the top shelf behind the door.  [i try not to buy people magazines anymore but there is an ikea catalog and a brennen manning devotional]. 

18. I really miss my brothers. I've been thinking it would be so fun to go camping - just the four of us. 

19. My kids faces take my breath away...and my heart skips.

20. My husband makes me feel beautiful all the time even when I feel saggy, prickly and veiny...

21. I like my coffee dark and strong with cream. [half&half now]. 

22. I like rainy days. I'm sorry. I hope we can still be friends. 

23 I'm constantly trying to think of ways to make emptying the dishwasher fun and exciting. Any ideas?  
[i'm constantly trying to think of ways to make my kids think emptying the dishwasher is fun and exiting]. 

24. Lucky #24... I don't feel a day over 24.

25. Deep in my soul I feel extremely grateful...for it all.

my gift

someone just said to me this week,

"one of the greatest gifts is a child that makes us pray"

(or something along those lines).

what i can say is, 

she is a gift,

(and she smells like a cookie

and she's so stink'n cute, wearing 

this little dress of mine from when i was little)

and she is 2,

and i have to pray.

for both our sake. 

life

it's rough a lot of the time.

right now,

so many people who are close to me, 

 people i love,

are facing significant trials.

...

and although 

my heart ached,

and my prayers didn't feel like enough

 and this song was on repeat most of the day,

these couple of photos (taken this morning),

reminded me

beauty is still present,

hope is not lost,

love never, never fails,

and miracles

do happen.  

"The sun comes up
Its a new day dawning
Its time to sing your song again
What ever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes"

a little rain, a little sun,

and more rain.
that pretty much sums up the week,
in more ways than one.

so, as a gift, i have prepared a little ...in the rain post

complete with tips, thoughts, and even a recipe.  

call it my crazy-lady post.

image via

did you know

a toddler mattress is an unbelievable activity for kids on those long. rainy. days.

notice i said "activity," as in physical activity and not"toy."

we have a couple retired and might i add, trashed, plastic crib mattresses,
i keep on hand for when we have a puking kid.  i keep them in the shop.

every once in a while, when the rain just keeps on coming
 we pull them out to:

jump on, 

make a slide off the couch with, 

slide down the stairs with,

use as an additional wall for a 

barn or a pirate ship or an animal hospital.

the list goes on.

if your kids have an ounce of imagination, 

give em an old beat up, ripped down the side, toddler mattress 

and watch the magic unfold.

it's ugly,
and it's free.

*warning: sometimes kids cry when they hurt themselves.  

ok, so this next thing is something i have avoided pretty adamantly in my blogging history.

but i love food so really, it was only a matter of time.  

when it is grey and wet outside, i crave hot comfort food in my tummy.  

salads are a summer thing/ a side.  

i also like: 

healthy.

simple.

and quick (because it's a necessity).  

i also like to control my ingredients.

basically, i like to know what i'm eating

and what my kids are eating.  

i have pretty much avoided buying certain canned or packaged foods

with a few great recipes that fit the bill.  

so,
without further ado,
rainy day 
chicken noodle soup sans can.
takes about 25 minutes and feeds a family of 6 with leftovers. 

in a good sized pot, put together

1 TBS of butter

2 carrots (sliced or diced)

2 celery stalks (diced)

1 med golden onion (diced)

saute in until soft

add

2 tsp thyme

and 1 tsp salt
and 6 cups of stock (i use chicken)

simmer with lid on until veggies are all the way soft (about 7- 10 minutes)

add 

11/2 cups up egg noodles (i use broad)

cook until noodles are soft (7-10 minutes)

then add 2 plus cups of diced cooked chicken (use a roast chicken)

and 1-2 cups of frozen peas. 

cook for 5 more minutes. 

add fresh ground pepper to the bowls before they are served.  

*sometimes in order to skip a step, i add diced uncooked chicken before i add the noodles. it cooks in about 4 minutes when the broth is at a low simmer.  

*when the kids take too long to eat their food, use this and offer a consequence (like no video games for 3 days) if they do not finish in a reasonable amount of time.   it's kind of fun and scary and does the trick.

dear jane

i am sorry that i was cranky at you at 5 am.

and i'm sorry i have pretty much left you out of all my posts lately.

i love you sweet girl.  

big fish

whales, baby!

and baby whales!  

creation unit: day 5.b

booya! 

...

*please find below two adorable photos of 

charlee signing "whale" in american sign language

as well as two photos of her brother

acting like a dimwit.

not sure what our little bud, ollie, is doing.

...

i took these big kids to this movie this afternoon.  

i knew the story would be a little over their head,

but i've got an mammal maniac over here

and i knew the images in this film would be so inspiring  

and they were.

  char told me this evening, she can't decide wether she want's to be an, 

"africa girl" (safari guide)

or live in "chilly bear, alaska" (barrow, alaska) with the whales.

that's a tough one, honey.  

writing practice

in the style of valentines.

that's right, store bought valentines.

cause you know,

we've got "bigger fish" to fry

(wink wink hint hint).
happy lovers day, btw.  

creation unit

we have been studying the days of creation in our preschool class.

it's been great.

and all i can say is that i wish i had photos of what our co-op momma's 

pulled off in momma ashee's basement.  

there was a full walk-through, 

complete with,

 clouds hanging from the sky,

twinkly stars,

 big blue whales and ocean sounds,

and dinos on day six (smile).

we have been working on our creation notebooks and 

we've been doing hands-on activities to go along.

example:

indoor water park (day 3 maybe?)

 the zoo (day 6)

today, day 5.a, we made little pine cone bird feeders (day 5).

i gave them little mushroom birds to play with

(mushroom birds from michaels = best $4 i've ever spent).

tomorrow will be

creation unit: day 5.b.

just wait.

this last photo is so lovely to me and encompasses just one of the reasons 

i love my first born.

she has always been a little, green, fairy-child in her heart of hearts.

she loves all nature and dirt and all of it's creatures.  

i found this collection in her little tree cave this morning.

seeing this side of her gives me a small

 sense of our gods heart for us... and this place we call earth.   

"cool"

this word has been gaining popularity as well as usage in our home.
i've been getting a lot of
(cue wine)

"but mom, i want to be cool."
to which i usually feel like replying
(cue "inigo montoya" accent)
"you keep using that word. i do not think it means what you think it means"
but i don't, because he wouldn't get it
or think it's cool.

i'm down with some "cool".
in all honesty, i just don't think
we fit the bill,

for the record,

here are some of bodhi's firm definitions of "cool:"

 *not wearing undies

 *zipping his hoodie only half way up.

*only songs with a beat

(that he can shake his little free-ballin booty to).
*soft cozies.

 *anything "trainy"
or "video gamey."
and a
 "cool dude"
is the ultimate grand supreme with cash.

also,
*sewing buttons is
up there.

:)

on getting (medium) older

a few things:

coffee 

at 7:00, 12:00, and 4:00

*do or die

fibre

*a good and natural thing

red wine 

*a better thing

dairy (lactose)

*not a social thing

excess in any shape or form

*useless and a pain

a dirty house from time to time

*probably a good sign

a soft belly

*accepted, 

maybe even respected

expensive eye cream

*imperative

 "coloured pencil effect"

*the next best thing.

friends & family

wherewith 

 grace, honesty, and laughter

 (so much laughter)

*a huge whopping gift

...

post inspired by and dedicated to my newly 30 girl,

and the one my kids call

"momma ash-ee."

xo

morning collage & coffee

titled:

the sun & our faces

ala the zoo train with friends on cheeta-friday

titled:

$100 + change

rediculous iphone photo dump (wink wink).