One of those moments...

I had one of those glad-I-was-with-mostly-children moments. It could have been really embarrassing to have say, a whole room of adults notice that most of the buttons on my shirt came open! Kids don't notice or care why that would be a problem. One or two were open and a friend pointed it out, then, as I was putting those back, several others came open!! Wow! I had the same problem this morning. I think the shirt may have shrunk...okay, so maybe the wearer needs to lose some pounds... ;) Either way, I think I'll leave that shirt in the closet for a little while. I really like it, too!!

SMART Habit Saturday

Okay, I am really tired, so let's make this short! Last week didn't go so well with the cleaning up toys. It happened all of...wait for it...ZERO days! How's that for a habit starter? So, I am going to abandon that one this week, because I don't think I am ready to do that. Maybe I need a better plan. I did okay with less blogging. I didn't always stick to the strict only once rule, but I was still able to be quite productive and I had a pretty good week over all.

This week I want to do two things. I want to read my scriptures everyday. I really want this one to be a habit! I have tried it quite a few times and it hasn't stuck yet. I know I need to do it for at least 21 days in a row to make it a real habit, so I am starting this one again.

My second goal is to clean the house well enough on Friday that I don't come downstairs to a hurricane zone! This yesterday I tried this, and so far it is okay. What happens is that we are usually gone on Saturdays and we tend to be lazy when it comes to housework on the weekend. And I try not to do many chores on Sundays, so we get a disaster on Monday, and sometimes in oozes over to Tuesday as well. For some reason, we seem to make bigger messes at our house when we aren't there...maybe we got the bad kind of elves instead of the ones that clean up or make shoes while you're not looking!

So, if I can have most of the laundry and dishes done and try to get/keep the toys cleaned up on Friday, there isn't as much for the elves to destroy!!

Wish me luck and good luck on all of your goals! What you aren't a SMART girl yet?? Go over to the Lazy Organizer's blog and join in!! It's fun, you make great goals and habits AND Lara gives away prizes!!!

Fun in the Sun!

We have been having a lot more outside time, since it has warmed up, lately!!

The kids love to play with bubbles! I came up with the idea for Luke to shoot them with the hose! He had a blast! He likes guns to begin with so it was an easy sell!
I love it when I can get the kids to play together and it's even better when I can get cute pictures to document it! They love each other and make up lots of games to play together! They are so fun.


We got out a sprinkler and Luke had so much fun. He kept running through it, singing, pretending to try and stay dry, etc! He is so cute! Belle didn't like it and stayed mostly dry, except for when I ran through holding her. It cooled me off pretty well. (I was wearing normal clothes, but it was still fun, at least for me!)


When Luke had speech therapy, yesterday, Belle and I played outside the school and a nearby playground. She was trying (very unsuccessfully) to catch a bird. When she said "bird" it sounded more like "poop". It was hilarious. Then, on our way back to get Luke, we saw a squirrel who'd found quite a treat! I was closer when I saw him, but he got scared and got further away. I was glad to see that the picture turned out pretty well anyway. I wonder how many licks it takes him to get the the center... I guess an elementary school is a great place to scavenge!



Don't you just love it when kids risk their lives for the sake of fun?? Belle can be quite the daredevil. She loves to climb and dangle herself out over things. It can be scary. She'll hold onto the bars and lean as far out as she can just to get a reaction from me. How do you not react to that?? Grrr...

FOs

I finished the mesh grocery bag that I have been working on for a while.
I started with this pattern, but I ended up changing a lot of things. I also used up quite a few random balls of thread. I think I finished off three old balls. That will make some space in my yarn tote!! I like the way it turned out. I still need more bags to be able to go completely "paper or plastic" free at the store!! I am on my way, though.


When we bought a van and since it was used, it had no net between the seats. It has the slots for a net, so I thought I could make one. Well, here it is!! So far, I like it a lot!

I learned that "UFOs" are not only unidentified flying objects, but also un-finished objects!! I think that is pretty funny! If you leave a project long enough I guess it could be an unidentified object, too!

Natural Beauty

So, I have this really bad habit of making ugly faces when Aaron points the camera at me. Part of the problem is that he usually gets really close, so I just get weird. I think (and I realized this just while I was typing) that I might make faces so that I don't have to look at pictures of myself that look bad without trying. Don't get me wrong, I think I am beautiful, it just rarely comes out on film. I can love the way I look in the mirror and 2 seconds later have a picture taken and HATE it! I am really not a photogenic person. I should let Aaron take normal pictures of me. He is really good at taking pictures of other people....

Triumph and Trauma

Okay, so this is going to be a post full of variety. I have a lot to catch up on!

First, Aaron got the history job at his school!! We are so excited! He has been teaching special education. He loves teaching and loves the kids, but the paper work, meetings and incidents are just too much hassle and stress. So, we are really glad to know what is going on. I hate not knowing what it going to happen. It is so much easier to know where we are going to be and even better to be able to be the ones to make the decisions, now. We can decide when and where to move rather than having to wait for someone else to decided if he can have the job. We will probably stay where we are for another year and then, sell our townhouse and move closer to work! It is such a relief! We are both excited to get him ready for teaching this. We are going to make costumes and find recipes to enhance his class! It should be a fun summer!!

Second, Luke's birthday went well. We had dinner outside and that was fun, except for the wind that kept the candles from staying lit. We had to take the cake inside to let him blow out the candles!


We had a pinata and the kids had fun hitting it. It finally had to be hit, knocked down and beaten on the ground by Luke's aunt who's birthday is also coming up!


Here is a cute picture of Luke playing with some of his loot. There wasn't any candy because his cousins aren't allowed! :(


He made out pretty well! He got cool men to play with(Stormtrooper and Bionicle), a board game, Play-doh, a bat and ball, a book with read-along CD, toy armor, and a bike!!


Sunday night was finished with a birthday dance! Luke and Belle needed a bath after playing all evening with their cousins. I got them clean and Belle dressed for bed. Luke got his underwear on and then stood on my bed, looking in the mirror on the dresser chanting, "I'm five!! I'm five!! I'm five!!" It was so cute. He was dancing, doing karate moves, and posing with pretend guns!! It was a lot of fun to watch. Belle eventually joined in, too! I would have gotten pictures and video, but I thought it was a bad idea, since he was only wearing underwear!!

Third, I had a great Mother's Day!! I have been a mom for 5 years and it has been a great time!! I love it!! I got a couch!! We have been using a futon for a while, now and it was time to get rid of it. We went to DI (thrift store) to see if they had anything we liked. We found one in pretty good shape. It has some tears and we need to clean it, but I think we can use it for a while!! It is really comfy, too! I also got a book and candy from my MIL. She said it was to escape! Cute! The book is The Peacemaker. It is about how Christ's atonement works in our lives. I like it so far!

And, finally, the trauma!! Yesterday, after Belle got up from her nap, she was outside and she tripped and fell onto the concrete sidewalk! She broke her fingernail off, I think the whole thing will fall off soon! It was so sad. After I got it cleaned up, she just wanted to sit on my lap and watch a movie. Now, she won't leave a bandage on. I think I'll just have to clean it often and see how that goes. She bumps it once in a while and then she wants it wrapped. I don't know what to do about it. I hope a new nail grows back well!! Poor thing!

Update: Belle's nail fell off, but I have been able to look at it better, and there is still some at the base, so I think she'll have no trouble with a new one growing back in. She is still bumping it, but we have been able to keep it quite clean considering she still doesn't really want a bandage on it.

Ordinary Miracles

We borrowed the new Charlotte's Web from a good friend and the kids love it! It is really cute and has a great theme song at the end. It is by Sarah McLachlan. It is wonderful! Here are the lyrics:

Ordinary Miracle

It’s not that usual when everything is beautiful
It’s just another ordinary miracle today

The sky knows when its time to snow
You don’t need to teach a seed to grow
It’s just another ordinary miracle today

Life is like a gift they say
Wrapped up for you everyday
Open up and find a way
To give some of your own

Isn’t it remarkable?
Like every time a raindrop falls
It’s just another ordinary miracle today

Birds in winter have their fling
And always make it home by spring
It’s just another ordinary miracle today

When you wake up everyday
Please don’t throw your dreams away
Hold them close to your heart
Cause we are all a part
Of the ordinary miracle

Ordinary miracle
Do you want to see a miracle?

Its seems so exceptional
Things just work out after all
It’s just another ordinary miracle today

The sun comes up and shines so bright
It disappears again at night
It’s just another ordinary miracle today

It’s just another ordinary miracle today

So, anyway, I love this song, and I think I am going to borrow the title and call my blog "Ordinary Miracles". That's really what life is about anyway--all the little things that happen everyday. They can be so small and easy to ignore, but if you stop to notice, there are wonderful and miraculous things happening all around you!!

Happy Birthday, Little Boy !!!

Today is Luke's birthday!! He turned 5!! We had a fun day with a party at Grandma's house!! I'm tired and the pictures aren't on the computer, yet, so details will have to come later!!

I have been a mom for 5 years, today! Wow! It is hard to believe! He is such a fun little boy, too!

SMART Habit Saturday

Wow! I'm actually getting this done on Saturday, instead of Sunday or Monday!! Go me!! I did really well on last week's habit of not getting on the computer for more than an hour and only once, until I hit my funk. Then, I just didn't care and wanted to waste as much time as I could... I am, by the way, over that in case you were wondering. I feel a lot better. I think I just needed to get enough hormones out of my system! That usually fixes things for me. Anyway, I am going to keep the computer thing going. I like that a lot! I feel like there are so many more hours in the day, when I don't waste them. I want to add another thing, too. I want to figure out a system to keep the toys cleaned up downstairs. We end up with toys everywhere and most of them were barely touched before they were abandoned for me to pick up later. I want to start a habit for the kids that they clean and take the toys upstairs everyday. We will use containers to store the few toys they decide they want everyday and take them down in the morning and back up at the end of the day! That is what we are going to try, anyway. Wish us luck!!!

Come join in, you know you want to!!

I want to change the name of my blog...

I don't know what to call my blog. I want it to be more creative and to reflect my personality more. If you have any suggestions, I would love them. For now, I am clueless. Maybe something to do with plants or mommyness or nature or trying to be more earth friendly or music or fairies or magic, I don't know. I am not feeling very creative at the moment...HELP ME!!!

**Update: I am thinking something like "Ordinary Miracles" (I heard the Sara McLachlan song on the Charlotte's Web DVD and loved it!), Or something with the words "Haven" &/or "Garden" in it...Maybe "Miracle Garden"...I don't know. That's all I have. What do you think?

Funk

I have been in a weird funk for a few days. It has been mostly influenced by my good friends, my Hormones!! I hate that chemicals in my body can so affect the way I think and feel at this time of the month. I am not usually affected this much by hormones, but I think there are other factors at play as well. Anyway, I don't know what to do with myself. I am not used to feeling...well depressed. I am the kind of person who gets upset, cries, gets a good night's rest or two and then I am fine. I don't really get depressed, so I don't know what to do about it. Although, Aaron made a good point, since this is most likely due to hormones, now is not really the time to make a plan or try to figure it out. If I just wait a few days, I should be fine. One thing that helped was last night, I talked to a new friend from my community class. We just talked like we had known each other for a long time. It was really nice. In some ways it was better than talking to someone I know. There wasn't any of the life stuff and views that we knew about teach other to get in the way. The judgements and emotions that many times creep into a relationship were missing as well. We just talked about life, kids, family and lots of other stuff. It was nice to just talk to another woman who feels the way I do about a lot of things. I don't make close friends well. I have a lot of acquaintances, but not a lot of good friends that I get together with and just talk about nothing. I pretty much have two Friends like that and one is moving! Another thing that has helped (especially because a big part of what I am upset about is not being pregnant) is having such cute and sweet kids around me. They are both so wonderfully sweet! Belle loves to open her arms and come running to me to give me a big smiley hug many times through the day. That just melts my heart!

Cutting Back on TV

The TV has been on entirely too much in our home! I rarely watch anything other than what the kids watch, but they watch quite a bit! They don't usually spend the entire time just staring at the screen, they are usually playing at the same time, but the TV is still on most of the day. The kids need to use their imaginations and play without the TV in the background. It has really started to bother me. So, yesterday I decided that we'd spend a lot of the day with the TV off. I tried to have the TV off for twice as long as it was on, but that got to be tough at times. It was a really nice day, though. I read a lot more to them, we played outside more and Belle got a longer nap, since we were outside and it was quiet. There seemed to be so many more hours in the day. It didn't go by so fast. There just seemed to be enough time to spend with my kids, yesterday!!! At the same time, I don't want to remove the TV completely, because we all enjoy it and I think there is good to come from it, but I want to cut back on how much it is on. There are great things for the kids to learn on TV, and it is really nice to have when I need to get things done. I also don't want to give up my shows. I am addicted to Lost!!! (I can't wait for the new episode, tonight!!) So, I am trying to see what works best for my family. What have you done?

Personal Stuff

I don't know if I want to share this, but I am going to anyway.

I got pregnant this fall/winter, but in late December, I had a miscarriage. I was only 4 weeks along and had only just found out that I was pregnant. I have been wanting to have a baby and other than in December, I have been unsuccessful! My "baby" is going to be two years old in August and I feel like it is time for number 3!! Well, apparently Heavenly Father doesn't think so. I am okay with that and I trust His plan over mine. He usually has better plans than I do! I am trying to accept that now is not the time. Until that time, I can't keep trying, hoping and praying over this. I have no more energy for that!

So, my plan is to work really hard at getting myself healthy and actually ready to get pregnant again!! I am in a size 20 and I want a size 12! I know that isn't going to happen this summer, but that is my ultimate goal! I mostly eat well, only I eat too much. AND, I pretty much don't exercise at all! I am going to start TODAY to go for daily walks with the kids. They need it and so do I!! I have also been reading "Intuitive Eating" (which I'll blog about when I have finished it) and I think it is helping me improve the way I think about food.

So, if anyone has suggestions for what helped them stay on an exercise program, I'd love to have them. I never seem to be able to exercise consistently for more than a week. And that in itself was a miracle!

SMART Habit Saturday

I really liked how much more stuff I got done, this week when Aaron took the computer to work with him. I got backed up in my feed reader, but otherwise, it was nice to be forced to have time to do so many of the things I needed and wanted to do. So, my goal this week is to only get on the computer to blog once per day and to be on for an hour or less. I end up checking and reading many times through the day and I could be spending my time a lot more wisely!!


If you want to join in, go learn how at the Lazy Organizer!!

Slinging

I have been working on a sling for baby carrying. It is an experiment with crochet. (I'll post pictures and a pattern when it is done.) I was explaining to Belle (who was sitting in it, since she liked being measured for it) that it was kind of like our wrap, only this was for carrying her on my hip. Luke was playing right beside us and, in is normal fashion, he was quietly listening to everything we said. Then (after hearing me call it a "sling") he asked:

"Are you going to sling babies out of it?"

I was a little confused until I realized what he meant. I said:

"No that would be a sling shot!"

Twilight Zone

I have been teaching a community gardening class here in town. Last night, I started to wonder if I was in the twilight zone or something. I got there early, since we were going to talk about landscaping and I had a bunch of stuff to carry. I thought I'd need to make two trips from my van. Anyway, I got there about 15 minutes early and the door was locked and I was the only one there. I started wondering if it was really Thursday and almost 6 pm. I called home just to make sure. I was right. Anyway, normally the woman that unlocks the door for us is there waiting on me. But, last night she was no where. There were also no participants. It was just weird. And it was raining. So, I was out in the rain, with all my stuff for class--in the cold rain! Then, they started showing up. So, we waited a while and decided to try to find a place to go. We found a little nook with built-in benches and sat down to start. The lady who helps us get in, found us there and unlocked the door. She had forgotten us. :( She felt really bad! So, we got to have class and it went really well.

I always feel weird teaching people. I feel like I don't always know what I am talking about...or at least that I don't have enough experience with it. Aaron hates it that I feel this way and really hates it when I tell people that I don't know, and then go on to answer their question.

Okay, so it really wasn't all that twilighty, but it was hard to believe that 6 people had all, independently not been where they were supposed to be...

--I was going to say how thankful I was for the warmth we have been getting. After 15 degrees below zero this winter, I was ready for spring. It is finally here...and it brought rain and a cold front overnight! I'll take this over spring snow in the valleys. (There is snow up in the mountains!) Don't get me wrong, I LOVE snow!! I take pictures of it and love to see the trees covered in it. I never saw snow until I was 21! But, when it gets to be March, April and then May, I want the snow to be GONE!! So, I guess what it boils down to today, is that I am thankful for spring...even if it is in the form of cold rain. :(

--The structure of the LDS church. In the visiting teaching lesson, there were comments to the effect that when we are asked to serve we are able to fulfil the covenants and promises we have made. We shouldn't think of these things as just another chore on the list, but a way for us to be of service. (Visiting teaching is a program in our church where we are asked to go to specific women in our ward (congregation), see how they are doing, get to know them and be the eyes and ears for the leaders to make sure the needs of all of the members are met.) The church helps us to help those around us. It is so easy to get caught up in daily life. I know that I need to reach outside of myself more! There are so many people just in my reach that I could help in some way. I need to make myself more available to serve and help them!

--Health! Belle and Aaron just got a weird illness and I am glad they are through it. She slept for almost an entire day. She'd wake up for a drink and go right back to sleep. It was really weird. Aaron was extremely tired and nauseated as well. Luke and I didn't catch it. (I hope!!) I am thankful that we are all relatively well, now!

Free Mei Tai Carrier? I'm TOTALLY going to try!!

I really want to win this one!! I have been looking all over for a mei tai that I can afford or for a pattern to try to make my own! If I could win one, that would be amazing!!! Jenn at all natural mommies makes and sells them. Go check her out!

I found out at the Mother's Day Giveaway at 5 Minutes for Mom!!! Go check it out. They are giving away different stuff up to Mother's Day! How cool is that??

Bloggers Without Make-Up

So, I saw this contest a while ago and I thought I'd finally post a picture. It is really difficult for me to get a pic of myself that I like, so I'll use the same one from my sidebar.

This really isn't hard for me, since I never wear makeup! I hate the stuff!! The last time I wore more than a little powder for shine and lip gloss is my wedding day. After we got married and I was getting ready to be seen at the reception, my aunt and cousin spent a while trying to convince me to get made up. I fought it for a while and I told them that my husband hated makeup. They didn't believe me and said that he wouldn't notice. I finally consented and they put some on. I popped my head out to talk to him and the FIRST thing he noticed was the makeup. Anyway, I haven't worn any since then. (Not even at my other reception.) I am happy about this and so is Aaron!! I think the scarier pictures are of me wearing makeup. Prom was scary...literally, I looked ghostly. Maybe I never really learned how to apply it well. I also hate the feeling of having anything on my face. I don't like sunscreen, but I wear it when I have to so that I don't regret it later. I don't like the way I look in makeup. I feel that I don't look like myself. When I wear makeup, I feel like I have to look in the mirror all the time and I don't like that! So, here I am!

If you want to join in, go to Adventures in Babywearing and sign up!

Muffins

One of the best and least expensive gifts we were given when we got married was a recipe. Well, it came as muffin mix, a spoon, a hot pad, and recipe cards. It was for basic muffin mix, and it is wonderful. We usually just make the basic muffins, but you can add just about anything you want to them.

Basic Muffin Mix

8 cups all purpose flour
3 cups sugar
3 TB baking powder
2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg

Combine all and mix well. (I have found that it is easiest to mix everything but the flour and then add the flour. That way, there is a slight color difference and you can tell when it is all together.) Put in airtight container. Label with date and contents. Use within 6 to 8 months.

So, you make up the mix and you can store or use it and completely homemade muffins whenever you want!

Melt in your mouth Muffins

2 3/4 cups Basic Muffin Mix
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
½ cup margarine, melted or vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400. Spray muffin pans. Put mix in a medium bowl. Combine egg, milk and margarine or oil in a small bowl. Add all at once to mix. Stir until just moistened, batter should be lumpy. Fill tins 3/4 full. Bake 18-20 minutes, until golden brown. (Check them often until you know how long they take in your oven. I used to cook them for 17 minutes, but with this different tin, it is more like 10-15 minutes.)

Variations:

Corn meal muffins-Decrease mix to 2 1/4 cups. Add ½ cup cornmeal.

Jelly muffins-Fill each cup 1/3 full with batter. Drop 1 tsp jelly on top of batter. Fill cups 3/4 full with batter.

Butterscotch-Pecan Muffins-Melt 6 TB butter or margarine in a small saucepan. Stir in 6 TB brown sugar. Place 1TB of brown sugar mixture and 2-3 pecans in bottom of each muffin cup. Fill cups 3/4 full with batter.

Apricot Muffins-Add 1 cup chopped dried apricots to liquid ingredients before adding liquid to muffin mix.

Banana Muffins-Mash 1 large banana (½ cup) and add to liquid ingredients before adding liquid to muffin mix.

Blueberry Muffins-Add 1 cup well-drained blueberries to liquid ingredients before adding liquid to muffin mix.

One thing that helps a lot is that I use a scoop from hot chocolate. It puts just the right amount of batter in the tins. (I also use these scoops for pancakes and waffles.) Free and easy way to reuse something that would normally be thrown away.


I also love the muffin top tin that my MIL gave us for Christmas! The muffins are a lot easier to eat and the kids like them and waste a lot less food. Belle thinks they are cookies!!


Well, here they are. I'm hungry, now, how about you??