so, i always read the comments bc they come through on my email but then i forget to comment on them when i log into the blog~!
so, thank you for the kind compliments about the stuff the kids and i do together! truly truly most of it is kid driven...they have interests and i try and make it happen...which often doesn't quite turn out (ahem...minnow stew) but we try =) i often wonder about how my mum parented when my brother and i were jack and esme's age...i feel like she was more handsoff....and we created our own fun together or with our toys etc.... i do remember spending a GREAT deal of time in the woods as a child...making forts, pretending to have a restaurant with 'food' from the wild...with cardboard and masking tape making something or other (some things never change)... but i think we didn't 'play' a lot with my mum....and she was my bestest friend in all the world as i grew up...so, i certainly don't think it is an neccesity for a parent to be so entwined in their kids lives... but strangely it is probably bc i loved my mum so much that i AM this involved with my kids... i miss my mum a lot and i know that sometimes life just doesn't last as long here on earth as we think it should...so i am all about seizing the day...
hmmm...i sure got off topic~ sorry!
anywho...thank you!
and what do i do with all the kid's creations...well, they hang out for a while...and then i toss them...in every other season except this one which is very near a hot oven....we have so many fires (wood burning stove or camp fires) it is easy to burn them...and i say this bc the kids dont' like to see my throw anything away but they love burning stuff in the fire! what kid doesn't! so they don't see it is 'throwing away' in the least if they put their creations as fire starter =)
legos....yes, jack has done 1 technic set and loved it and it was worth the extra money bc it took him DAYS and DAYS to complete...he hummed away for ages ....the other sets he does in a day...and then that's it! i was feeling extremely hot yesterday afternoon so i loaded the kids up and took them to toys r us...we went one other time i think around Christmas looking for princess shoes...
anywho...the kids were in awe....we stayed for about an hour playing with this and that...we left with a small technic set for jack and a wooden sandwich making set for esme...i felt it was a good 'let me lie on the couch and be pregnant and tired but not feel terrible about it' gift =)
not that i feel badly about laying on the couch =) but i like watching them enjoy something special.
hmmm...what else...the snake...yes, we have seen a lot..and i am sure there are many more that we just haven't seen that are still right near us...anywho...thank you Jesus that the kids haven't been bitten...
ok! all for now! i have heartburn again so maybe i'll be rambling again at 2 am! until then!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
balto
so in one of the packages or 'lots' of books i've ordered from ebay was this wonderful book on dog stories. 5 short stories about true accounts of dogs...a few sketches but other than that just delicious pages of well-written tales of dog's lives.
one of the stories was about balto...the part wolf part dog who saved the town of nome...and for whom the idinarod (sp??) is named...the story is wonderful and i was crying by the end...
and then we found the movie on line! so i ordered it!!!
we made pizza and the 4 of us sat down tonight to watch it...
it was cute but alas, SO different from the actual story.
the kids loved it (of course, they had popcorn!) and we talked about how it was different from the book...
anywho...sweet and amazing story if you want a good read with your kids (or without kids) =)
one of the stories was about balto...the part wolf part dog who saved the town of nome...and for whom the idinarod (sp??) is named...the story is wonderful and i was crying by the end...
and then we found the movie on line! so i ordered it!!!
we made pizza and the 4 of us sat down tonight to watch it...
it was cute but alas, SO different from the actual story.
the kids loved it (of course, they had popcorn!) and we talked about how it was different from the book...
anywho...sweet and amazing story if you want a good read with your kids (or without kids) =)
rattlesnake
so the kids are in bed...only just...
and stella is barking at something RIGHT outside our back door
i glance out the window and see a very large rattlesnake just hanging out there
i get josh
he gets his shotgun and he killed it.
this one at the outset was aggressive (stella was barking...so maybe this is why)
it was coiled and rattling when we came up on it...
harry found his way inside and under jack's bed...which made esme alerted and she woke up jack and they came to check out the commotion...hopefully they wont' dream of snakes...
what a day! crafting snakes and finding a snake!!! ahh!
and stella is barking at something RIGHT outside our back door
i glance out the window and see a very large rattlesnake just hanging out there
i get josh
he gets his shotgun and he killed it.
this one at the outset was aggressive (stella was barking...so maybe this is why)
it was coiled and rattling when we came up on it...
harry found his way inside and under jack's bed...which made esme alerted and she woke up jack and they came to check out the commotion...hopefully they wont' dream of snakes...
what a day! crafting snakes and finding a snake!!! ahh!
the quilt
is coming along...
it is a little boring in the sense that there aren't different shapes or patterns...very symmetric
and still not sure if the burlap will hold up in a washing machine...probably not which is a little disconcerting after all the sewing!
i know now is the hard part..the quilting part...but honestly i am such a corner cutter =) that i'll probably just use the machine to attach the layers =)
maybe if i do a real one ...one day, i'll learn to really quilt!
it is a little boring in the sense that there aren't different shapes or patterns...very symmetric
and still not sure if the burlap will hold up in a washing machine...probably not which is a little disconcerting after all the sewing!
i know now is the hard part..the quilting part...but honestly i am such a corner cutter =) that i'll probably just use the machine to attach the layers =)
maybe if i do a real one ...one day, i'll learn to really quilt!
hot afternoons...perfect for crafting...
this afternoon we all found a good craft to keep us busy...
i worked on the quilt
jack found a box and turned it into a butterfly costume
and esme made a red crown =)
i worked on the quilt
jack found a box and turned it into a butterfly costume
and esme made a red crown =)
toilet roll snakes
so i have realized an obvious thing...
there is never a shortage of toilet rolls.
=)
as soon as we use them all up, i find we have another collection that needs a purpose...
so ironically (bc we later found a rattlesnake) we made snakes today...
esme made 2 rattlesnakes ...a brother and a sister
and jack made a long kingsnake to eat her snakes =)
i think living in the south it is a good thing to be educated about identification...and both the kids are aware of head shape and eye shape...and well, if it has a rattle or not =)
there is never a shortage of toilet rolls.
=)
as soon as we use them all up, i find we have another collection that needs a purpose...
so ironically (bc we later found a rattlesnake) we made snakes today...
esme made 2 rattlesnakes ...a brother and a sister
and jack made a long kingsnake to eat her snakes =)
i think living in the south it is a good thing to be educated about identification...and both the kids are aware of head shape and eye shape...and well, if it has a rattle or not =)
2.5 weeks to go
you can see my constellation of bugbites...the kids and i are covered from our mornings at the land and their playing on the water slide in the afternoon s=)
it is AMAZING how large a tummy can get with a baby inside of it...
i feel quite stretched to the max...
just went today for an appointment and i am still steadily gaining ...baby is head down...great heartbeat...dilated to 1 cm...(which isn't anything really)
steady on!
i feel like this little tike will come as the others did ...on or very near the due date...
we'll see!
it is AMAZING how large a tummy can get with a baby inside of it...
i feel quite stretched to the max...
just went today for an appointment and i am still steadily gaining ...baby is head down...great heartbeat...dilated to 1 cm...(which isn't anything really)
steady on!
i feel like this little tike will come as the others did ...on or very near the due date...
we'll see!
progress on the chicken coop
esme wears dresses so often i love seeing her in jeans and boots =)
we go early in the morning and work for just an hour or so until it gets too hot for mama =) around 9 am!!
and the kids get covered in bug bites...so the new rule is to wear jeans
we have spent a total of $40 so far on the coop!
pretty good really....
we have scrounged around and found lots of small 2 x 4's that weren't in use and used those for the little wall...then used the leftovers from the wood mizer for the sides...
i found an old roll of screen that we are stapling up inside the coop to cover up the cracks...and bits and pieces of wire mesh for the larger holes...
we bought the rafters..the main beam is a hewn one from the property...
today josh said we could just stretch a canvas tarp and nail it down for a roof...much cheaper than tin...
so maybe tomorrow we'll do that!
jack has been the hammer-er for the boards all the way around the top of the wall...a job he takes quite seriously =)
we go early in the morning and work for just an hour or so until it gets too hot for mama =) around 9 am!!
and the kids get covered in bug bites...so the new rule is to wear jeans
we have spent a total of $40 so far on the coop!
pretty good really....
we have scrounged around and found lots of small 2 x 4's that weren't in use and used those for the little wall...then used the leftovers from the wood mizer for the sides...
i found an old roll of screen that we are stapling up inside the coop to cover up the cracks...and bits and pieces of wire mesh for the larger holes...
we bought the rafters..the main beam is a hewn one from the property...
today josh said we could just stretch a canvas tarp and nail it down for a roof...much cheaper than tin...
so maybe tomorrow we'll do that!
jack has been the hammer-er for the boards all the way around the top of the wall...a job he takes quite seriously =)
Monday, July 23, 2012
cash register
jack and i made a cash register today
we have been learning about money...counting, adding, subtracting (though this concept is hard for him to grasp), making change...
and this was my favorite favorite thing to make as a child...cash registers =)
he even made a little shoot at the side to put the change into and let it then get caught in a little box on the side =)
when at the store next i think we'll get some plastic money...instead of making paper money...
this way the correct renditions of presidents etc will be on there!
we have been learning about money...counting, adding, subtracting (though this concept is hard for him to grasp), making change...
and this was my favorite favorite thing to make as a child...cash registers =)
he even made a little shoot at the side to put the change into and let it then get caught in a little box on the side =)
when at the store next i think we'll get some plastic money...instead of making paper money...
this way the correct renditions of presidents etc will be on there!
welcome home josh!
josh has been at lake placid for a few days in ny
watching his sister molly and her husband todd run an ironman!!!!!
which is just over a 2 mile swim, 100 mile bike ride and then a marathon!!!
it kinda makes me laugh to think of it...it is so impossible in my mind...
and wonderful!
they have worked long and hard to prepare and both did really well!
anywho..the kids and i made a pound cake as a welcome home for daddy...
we missed him!!
watching his sister molly and her husband todd run an ironman!!!!!
which is just over a 2 mile swim, 100 mile bike ride and then a marathon!!!
it kinda makes me laugh to think of it...it is so impossible in my mind...
and wonderful!
they have worked long and hard to prepare and both did really well!
anywho..the kids and i made a pound cake as a welcome home for daddy...
we missed him!!
nano blocks....
verdict is still out...
i wanted something for jack that was more challenging than the regular legos (bc he goes through them so fast and they are not cheap!!!)
but i don't think this will be it...
i found a set of 3 on ebay for 10 dollars...
so it was worth a try..but they are too difficult for him so the joy is not there..
the directions are just a couple pictures...and they are difficult to decifer...i had a hard time!
no alas, no nanoblocks for us...at least not yet!
i wanted something for jack that was more challenging than the regular legos (bc he goes through them so fast and they are not cheap!!!)
but i don't think this will be it...
i found a set of 3 on ebay for 10 dollars...
so it was worth a try..but they are too difficult for him so the joy is not there..
the directions are just a couple pictures...and they are difficult to decifer...i had a hard time!
no alas, no nanoblocks for us...at least not yet!
afternoons on the water slide...
there is a pile of clothes collecting on the drive just above the slide...
as we arrive and the kids shirk their clothes as they are running down the hill =)
we have finally removed all the bits that could hurt them under the plastic...and they are free to slide and enjoy...
and the pool fills up really well at the bottom so they SPLASH with delight when they hit it =)
as we arrive and the kids shirk their clothes as they are running down the hill =)
we have finally removed all the bits that could hurt them under the plastic...and they are free to slide and enjoy...
and the pool fills up really well at the bottom so they SPLASH with delight when they hit it =)
Saturday, July 21, 2012
hanging with the kids
i think until i sincerely begin teaching jack WITH a newborn and getting ez to preK...i will waffle on whether i am doing the right thing or not...
bottom line for me this year is that we'd be IN THE CAR about 3 hours a day if i did send jack to calvary...and will i ever regret this intense time one on one with jack? sooo no.
so that is where i land.
but i can't get away from the memory of LOVING school...everything about it...and i want that for jack and ez and number 3....
so i will rest in that they will surely have the whole experience! just not this year! and that the experience they WILL have at home, i hope to be rich and intense and fulfilling and exciting =)
these are some owls we made a few days ago when the kids just wanted to craft away at something...
toilet rolls! yay!
bottom line for me this year is that we'd be IN THE CAR about 3 hours a day if i did send jack to calvary...and will i ever regret this intense time one on one with jack? sooo no.
so that is where i land.
but i can't get away from the memory of LOVING school...everything about it...and i want that for jack and ez and number 3....
so i will rest in that they will surely have the whole experience! just not this year! and that the experience they WILL have at home, i hope to be rich and intense and fulfilling and exciting =)
these are some owls we made a few days ago when the kids just wanted to craft away at something...
toilet rolls! yay!
sewing
i often have the impulse (bc such is my nature) to say 'it's ok, i've got it'
when jack asks to help me do something...cooking, cleaning, sewing...whatever...
but i have really tried to say 'sure'
bc it rings in my ears 'teach your children to be indepedent...to not need you'
now of course that very thought makes me sad...but i don't really mean emotionally not need me...not at this point in his life anyway =)
i mean, why not teach jack and ez to do things...all sorts of things...
jack can fry his eggs in the morning (under supervision =))
load the dishwasher
stuff like that...
ANYWAY....so he asked to make a quilt
so i showed him how to basically use the machine and let him at it!
he is so good about watching and learning to do things with his hands anyway...so it wasn't difficult for him...
we sewed until the needle broke..even ez had a turn...
it was fun!
when jack asks to help me do something...cooking, cleaning, sewing...whatever...
but i have really tried to say 'sure'
bc it rings in my ears 'teach your children to be indepedent...to not need you'
now of course that very thought makes me sad...but i don't really mean emotionally not need me...not at this point in his life anyway =)
i mean, why not teach jack and ez to do things...all sorts of things...
jack can fry his eggs in the morning (under supervision =))
load the dishwasher
stuff like that...
ANYWAY....so he asked to make a quilt
so i showed him how to basically use the machine and let him at it!
he is so good about watching and learning to do things with his hands anyway...so it wasn't difficult for him...
we sewed until the needle broke..even ez had a turn...
it was fun!
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