Thursday, March 28, 2013

* WW * ( on a Thursday)

This week has been dragging, I pulled a muscle in my back earlier this week and let's just say have spent a lot of time lying on my back doing NOTHING!
 
And if I may point out, when momma's sick it seems time freezes, life cannot go on without her.
 
This week, pre-back spasm, we made THIS CAKE:
 
it was so easy.
 
three ingredients: oreo pie crust
strawberries, cut
and chocolate pudding mix
 


 
 
It was SO good!
 
I have to make this short, because I need to lie down :)
 
FUN posts coming up, including Easter and birthday parties
 
 

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Black and White


I admit, sometimes larger parts of me wish for a time and society where there are concrete Black and White choices, lifestyles, and values. This part of me usually comes out when I see something tragic on the news, or read a controversial article about politics, or religion.

I feel it is the embodiment of  the way I was raised, the childhood lifestlyes that the adults in my life thought to be benificial to me. It is these feelings that make me yearn for simple times.

But since becoming a mother, I have grown. I see myself as a human sharing this complex world with other humans who are intrically different than I.

I admire many woman from my childhood, most of whom go to church weekly, and live a Godly lifestlye. It are these woman who I still think fondly of .

The world is not a black and white place. There is war, and hate, and crime.
People no longer have two choices: either be a follower or go to hell. People choose what they beleive.

I still very much believe in God, I believe we were not evolved from monkys.
But, we all have different versions of our God.
Some people believe you HAVE to go to church, some believe in all sorts of things.

My God, loves all humans. ALL. humans, and individually judges them for their sins, specific to them. I do not belive that MY God will send someone who is gay to hell, because they loved the "wrong" person. Maybe YOUR God will.

MY God is not confined to four walls for an hour onces a week. HE is nature, He is air, He is mountains, He is snow, HE is rain. He is where I go to find peace, outside any walls.
Call it what you will, MY God is spirituality.

****
Interesting fact, I started this post with the intent on sharing my opinions of Family Bedding. Some  how it ended up on spirituality, perhaps because it is exactly what I needed to unreign my stress from the day.




Tuesday, March 19, 2013

WW



Easter is right around the corner, two weeks away.

We focused our search to spring-y and Easter-y related activities..


This week we choose Easter Bunny Vases, found HERE


painting our cans





Applying with tacky glue, our cut out ears



Glue on the eyes


AND Voila, you have two bunny- vases. They turned out to be NOTHING like the ones on pinterest.
BUT just as cute, and JUST as fun for Austin
 


IN fact he loved them so much, that he really,really wanted to put REAL flowers in them. He went outside in search for flowers. I did not even bother to tell him that we didnt have any flowers yet, because it is only March.
HE came back with two long, and very much dead, flowers left over from last year.
IT was THE.CUTEST. THING. EVER!

Such a sweet boy. When he wants to be.
But hey. who isn't right?

LEMONS

* When Lifes hands you Lemons *
 
When life hands us lemons, or in our case mother nature blessing us with a HUGE snowstorm on the last day of winter, we do this:
 
 
spend the day with daddy, because he had a snow day too

snow- paint

snow- angels

snow- wrestling

homemade donuts, in the deep fryer
glazed and coconut

mixing dough

decorating for Easter
 

I can't say that I never complain, because on days like this morning when mother nature, ahem AUNT FLO, come and leave me dizzy, and crampy, and EXTRA cranky, I sometimes do. well, okay I do..
I do.. sometimes a lot. Sometimes I escape to the bathroom " to shower" and just sit there alone..

BUT, I belieive in the old adage, that happiness is really a choice. That you can take something negative and put a postive spin on it.

Like snowstorms, sure I missed a days work, a days pay. But I saved on gas, which is really the least of the postive things I gained. I spent the day with my kids AND my husband. We watched movies, stayed in our pjs, took a long afternoon nap, we baked, and decorated the kitchen.

Also I hear that snow this late in the year is good for gardens. And we are planting this year at Meme's house, and I need all the help from mother nature I can get, not really a green-thumb lady by nature..

So mother nature sent us some snow and some cramps BUT she also sent us some fertlizer for our grass and gardens. She's got our backs, that is what midol is for, after all.



Wednesday, March 13, 2013

* Whatever Wednesdays*

 
 
We are soooo ready for Spring in our home..
 
This week we decided to put some egg cartons to good use and make catapillars..
 
 
You don't need to be a professional artist to impress children, just a little imagination, and mostly time.
 
 
All we needed was egg cartons, markers, googely eyes, and antenas
 
 


 
 
It's really the most simple of things, but this made my sons afternoon.
 
Creating meaningful time with our kids is so easy, and also easy to neglect. With two full time working parents, and a baby I put a lot of intent into my my relationship with my son.
 
We go on dates, we do crafts, we bake,
 
He is starting to look forward to our weekly tradition of "researching" our next project.
 
Being a parent is so easy, and yet so hard. Having all our love wrapped up into these little creatures, who only looks to you for answers. It's a lot of pressure. But mostly rewarding. To see him conquer something new, or feed his sister, or even put his shoes on the right feet. Is is the BEST feeling I will ever feel. Ah a mothers love..
 
Addy is TEN months old now, where has the time gone?
 
She started clapping today. SO adorable. She is so darn proud of herself.
 
Tonight at dinner, every time she took a bite she clapped, and momma said " YAY"
 
Because it is something to celebrate..
 
Here's to life.
 
 
 
 
 


Monday, March 11, 2013

 
* Few words, our weekend in photographs *
 
 
 
The love of a brother and sister, is something I will never be tired of,, or ever stop loving
 
 
This stage in my daughters life, where she still wants to be held, still only wants her mommy, and still crawls around like a champ
 

I will cherish, because let's face it, in a blink of an eye, she will be a toddler, running free, and making friends. Much like her big brother, who goes to "work" monthly at Home Depot to build something. It is something he looks forward to each month, and it's free, which is an added bonus.



Austin spent his time this weekend with his Daddy, and it was so beautiful listeneing to him retell his tails of fishing, running and playing with his Daddy on the ice.
No doubt, it was a memory-making weekend for my son. The kind of thing that makes this mommas heart go pitter-patter


Of course, I am also proud to say he is quite the "mama's boy", I have always heard the saying " If you want to see how a husband will treat you, look how he treats his mother" and mine loves his mother, and I know Austin and I will always be "best fweinds" As he says it.. or at least till hes fifteen... ;)


Daddy love his little girl too <3 p="">

Austin has got him some swag


And also quite the sunburn, the poor kid. I learned a lesson. No matter the month... WEAR SUNSCREEN. Am I weird I put it in his baby book as his first sunburn? Oh gosh, and I THAT mother who will take his book out and share it when ANYONE comes over... haha


Today was " Make it Mondays" I am shameful when it comes to making up completly random reasons to celebrate.. Today was Milkshakes

Addy peaking on us


ALWAYS use ear protection, blenders are very loud




 

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

* Whatever Wednesdays *

Well is it Wednesday already? This week we did something a little different. And by different I mean, we didnt really do something new, due to time issues.. okay it sounds like an excuse, but whateve Im a bust mom

It is my belief that as a society we overstimulate ourselves and our children, with tvs, and phones, and computers and all these gadgets and toys. Sometimes it's so nice to shut it all off, listen to nothingness. Not to say I dont love and live with my phone near my side. However, sometimes I  fantasize about living with less technology..

What I am getting to is, I use the internet for dinner ideas, party themes, crafts and all these mommy things, but sometimes I come across really cool articles, and gain insight and inspriation on parenting.

We have been researching some very cool St. Patties crafts, because I do love me a holiday to celebrate, and I did marry into an Irish family. so, when in Rome..

We also have been talking a lot about Heaven.
Austin came across baby James picture, and said " that was me when I was in the hospital"
And I told him, that it was his cousin, Keke's brother, but he never met him, he lives in heaven.

We talk about Baseball, sign ups are tomorrow night,

We talk about Daddy's new job, " he is a good guy"

<3 p="">
Now I am off to overstimulate my senses with SURVIVOR!

Tata


 

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Everyday memories

March is FINALLY Here! Although Spring feels a million days away, I can almost feel it.

We have been busy preparing for St Patricks day  and thanks in large part to the internet, have found new stories to tell, new traditions to start and lots of fun crafts to do



When winter is over, it's over. For me anyway. Today we took our LAST ride of the season, the trails were smooth, the sites gorgeous, but this last ride signifies the end of Winter. Now the snow can melt, thank you mother nature


In these last few weeks, I determine myself not to complain, too much anway.
To find something fun, something meaningful to do. Some memory to make,

Even if that means baking apple tarts for Daddys Birthday, putting the candle in and having it melt.

Wearing big brothers hat

Wearing pigtails,


Learning to walk


Playing together


It's the everyday things, that they will remember, as well as the BIG ones. Things like praying and reading before bed, or pillow fights, or dance parties.

These small things string together to make our childrens childhoods good, and memorable

Austin will not forget "working out" like his daddy,



Something I am learning, the laundry does not have to be folded, the dishes put away to make a memory, to have a good time. In fact some of the best memories we've made are the ones where I consciencly choose to have fun with my kids over doing housework. Where my son asks to play dragons while doing dishes, and I put my towel down and be a dragon, because in fifty years he won't remember that casserole dish sitting over night on the counter, he'll remember his mom putting him first. If not always ( because lets face it they dont clean themselves) mostly.

I love my family,  I can see the man my son will be, because he has a daddy to show him.

This week has been a week of transitions in our home, Daddy got a new job, and we are transitioning.
But we are so proud. Austin tells all his friends about his daddys new job, mostly in cute little terms, since he doesnt get the details, but its adorable.

My heart flutters when I hear him tell his friends " my daddy has new boots, and I am gonna be a good guy too when I get big"

To him, his daddy is a hero. a role model.

And its jsut so darn cute.