Saved by Silence

I remember moaning when Mom wanted to turn the radio off in the car when she was taxiing me from one place to another.  Now, I'm the mom.  And sometimes I turn the radio off.  Sometimes I leave the television off.  Sometimes I go in my room, shut my door and pray that my kids will give me time to rest in silence, since I can't turn them off.  It's good for all of us.  I promise you that. 

Cakes

So, I mentioned cakes in my last post and thought you might like to see some of the cakes I've made. 

(Or maybe I just want to show them off!)



Jace's 3rd birthday - trucks
(FYI - the oreo tires didn't actually touch the ground - Jace noticed!)



This and That

It's Wednesday.  I like Wednesday.  Just thought you should know that.  I hope your Wednesday has been a great one.  Ours has been pretty darn good, even though Jace will tell you it was a boring day.  After all, the highlight of his day was the pizza and Pepsi he got to have at Costco.  Everything else is unworthy of "good day" status in his eyes. 

To and Fro

The other day I was driving down the road we live off of.  It's a road I drive almost daily.  And, like many roads in Washington, the speed limit frequently changes for reasons I don't necessarily understand. 

So, there I was driving down the road.  I'd just noticed that I was going a little over the speed limit as I coasted down a hill and around a curve and directly into the radar gun of an unmarked police car. 

Is There Anything Better?

Tyler sleeping in the back of the van while the movers loaded our home goods.

Homeschool Spirit Week

A few weeks ago we had spirit week!  It wasn't as big or crazy as the spirit weeks I remember from my youth, but we still had a good time!  Here's what we did:

Monday - Inside, Outside, Upside Down Day
     We wore our clothes inside out and/or upside down.  We went to Zero Gravity, where the kids take gymnastics, and played during their open gym time. 

Tuesday - 100th day of school!
     We had friends over and had a create-your-own-craft party.  Some of the things were pretty creative, others were just plain crazy!  But we had fun.  We had lunch and ice cream sundaes too!

Trying New Things

It's been a while since I've updated you on our adventure in primal living, but it's always on my mind.  As part of my goal to be in 2011 I've been really paying attention to what I eat, drink, and do with my body.  I want to be intentional about what I feed myself and my family and not just mindlessly through food on a plate.  I want to be present with the kids when they're running and playing and laughing.  I'm a work in progress.

At least I'm that, right?  If I wasn't paying attention I probably wouldn't even be a work in progress, but whatever the opposite is. 

So, what have we been doing?  We've been getting out more.  We've gone for several walks or hikes.  I've found some local trails that are only a five or ten minute drive so that we can enjoy being outside, without having to worry about traffic or the tide coming in (or the kids running out into the tide!).  Tyler really enjoys the "real trails" so that he can run free!  We're up to about two and a half miles before Tyler asks to go home and Gracie complains that her feet hurt.  I'm pretty excited about that.  Jace, on the other hand, still wants to go further, and is going to have to wait for Dada on that.  I don't think Gracie and Tyler are going to be ready for seven miles up and down a mountain anytime soon!  But we're out and moving and that is a good thing.

We're also trying new things in the kitchen.  We have our old favorites, like banana bread (made with almond flour), eggs and bacon, bison dogs, and such.  But we also have a new favorite: meatza!  The kids really enjoy that!  Green smoothies are another item we've added to our repertoire.  Jace and I really like them.  Gracie says she does and then doesn't drink them and Tyler politely says, "Me get water?"  Just last night we tried another new thing. 

We were at a Super WalMart to pick up something for homeschooling and walked through the produce section to the register.  Jace asked what something was, a red pummelo, and then if we could get it.  I just wanted to get home and almost gave a quick "no" without even really considering his question.  But I didn't.  I stopped and and looked at it and said, "Sure, let's try it...maybe we'll find a new fruit we love!"  So we got it.  Jace did love it!  I kept eating little pieces because I wasn't sure if I liked it or not.  Gracie and Tyler decided quickly that they did not.  But we all tried something new.

So, primal living is going well.  And, one of my favorite benefits of primal living, I don't feel guilt about not always eating primally or staying in to relax and watch a movie when that's on the agenda.  On the flip side, I really do enjoy the kids curiosity more and want to get out and about with them and try things I otherwise probably wouldn't. 

Pet Names

Occasionally it occurs to me that I hardly ever call my husband by his name when talking to him.  When I'm talking about him I do, or I call him Dada and Daddy, depending on what I'm saying.  But when I'm talking to him I rarely call him Scott.  I call him Love, Sweets, Sweetie, Honey, Hun.  He rarely calls me Annie either, but uses mostly the same nicknames for me.  And when I write him it seems odd to sign my name.  I usually just sign "me."  After all, after the content of the message, it's not like there's a question who the letter or email is from!  Right? 

I like pet names.  Not only do I use them with Scott, but with a lot of others too.  Gracie has been Sweet Pea or Sweetie.  Jace often hears, "What, Bud?" when pestering me.  Tyler started the monkey moniker that now refers to all the kids.  I also call him Linus sometimes and Snuggle Bunny other times.  It's quite cute, though - he usually says, "No, me Lyler."  He's most definitely my little Lyler! 

It's not just my immediate family that gives and gets pet names.  One of my oldest friends often calls me Gorgeous!  I mean, really?  Can you beat the feeling of that little window opening on facebook with the words "Hello gorgeous?"  I don't think so.  And she's not just saying it.  She truly believes I'm beautiful.  And I feel it when she says it. 

Isn't that what pet names are about?  Bringing out feelings of joy, being special, feeling loved?  I gotta tell you...when Gracie calls me Princess (although I've never considered myself a princess) I feel special.  And when Scott calls me Ann Marie (which is technically my actual name) that feels incredible warm and loving.  Even when my sister calls me sister, it's a special thing for me. 

So, it's obvious that I'm loved.  It's obvious that I feel it.  I don't really think the power of all that joy and the depth of these relationships are really in the name calling...but the words we share certainly help give all those emotions life. 

Do you have any little names you share with a special someone?  I hope you feel just as happy, cared about, and comforted as can be when you hear your pet names.

Submarine Study

So, it's been a while since we've completed a study, right?  Well, there are all sorts of excuses...holidays, life, blah, blah.  Don't fret, though, I don't think kids know how to not learn, so even when we didn't officially have a unit focus we were still reading and experiencing...and climbing trees!  Very important skill.



That's Jace's head sticking out the top of the tree.

But, over the last few weeks we've been working on getting back into the swing of our routine.  The kids were very interested in learning more about submarines, with Dada being on one and all.  When we were in Georgia we visited the submarine museum there and the kids really enjoyed it.  They even remembered some of what we saw and learned.  Love when that happens!  We intended to go to the sub museum here in Washington as part of our study but never made it.  There are excuses for that too...blah, blah, blah!  We'll get there in the next few weeks...sometime.

So, what did we do?  As always we read a lot.  Our three favorite library books were:

Submarines: Underwater Stealth, by Michael Teitelbaum

Nuclear Submariners, by Antony Loveless

Submarines, by Kevin Doyle

They had great pictures and lots of information.  And the information was broken up into short segments not long, boring paragraphs.  We also spend possibly too much time at Barnes and Noble.  Tyler loves the train table and there are lots of books to read and look through!  They had a great one there, Submarines UP Close, by Andra Serlin Abramson, with even more pictures...some at actual size! 

We also made some drawings, went and looked at the submarine monument on base (again, we looked at it during our monument study too), and made a flip book.  Here are some pictures of the kids working of our submarine fact book...

After writing this is doesn't seem like our (what turned into a) three week unit was all that meaty.  But the kids really did get a lot out of it. The reasons it took more than the original one week planed were two fold...there was a snow day and I could see how much they really wanted to read more and more.  We read each of our library books more than once and they loved it.  Jace read them on his own too.  I'm sure it helped them feel closer to Dada.  But they also learned a lot about how submarines work, the different types of submarines, what the submariners do out to sea and during off crew.  It was a great study!

(If you'd like to read about our other units...check here for a list.)

Things You Didn't Know You Wanted To Know

I might be something of an exhibitionist.  I don't run around exposing me body to others, but here I am on my blog...exposing the rest of me!  Or not.  I might be looking at this a little more deeply than I need to.  Such is life. 

Anyway...every so often I feel the need to share randomness about our lives.  Sometimes I let you know little things the kids have said. 

For example, as we were leaving Barnes and Noble the other day I asked Jace to get the door.  His response was, "I don't know how to undrill it."  Before I responded with, "What are you talking about?" I let it seep in for a minute.  I often have to do that with him.  His brain is much more complex than mine.  Did you get it?  I did, after he added, "Besides, it's too heavy to carry."  So smart.

Other times I present a list of little known facts, like this:

1. Cleaning hair out of the drain is one of my least favorite tasks.  So, I wash my hair and catch as much hair as possible on my hands and stick it to the side of the shower wall.  When I'm done showering I throw it away.  I hope this doesn't gross you out, but I prefer it to long hairs clogging the drain. 
2. I get overly excited when I finish a bottle of shampoo, lotion, soap...anything!  I love getting to try a new scent.
3. Tyler has started sleeping in Jace's bed with him most nights.  They actually sleep and don't play and Jace doesn't mind, so I let them.  Mama's sweet boys. 
4. Almost every day I have an egg over easy with bacon.  I eat it out of a bowl with a spoon.  I add leftover veggies, brussel spouts, avocado, mushrooms, onions, and/or salsa.  I could probably eat this twice a day...but that seems like a bit much.  So good.

Today I'm also going to update and/or remind you of a few things.

•  I currently have 44 followers (yay!).  When I reach 50 there will be a giveaway.  So, tell your friends!
•  I added music to my blog, pretty excited about that.  Enjoy.
•  The kids started off great with our Help Wanted Poster.  The last few weeks, though, they've totally lost interest.  I've taken out all the recycling and they haven't wanted to do anything else on the list for money.  I'm a little bummed, because they were being so helpful.  Gracie still loves doing dishes with me, but that's not even on the list!  I reminded them today, though, so we'll see what happens.

 So, there ya have it!  A whole mess of this and that!  Hope it completes your lazy Saturday like nothing else could.  If not, how about this?



St. Augustine, FL
April 2010



Mixing It Up!

So, I was perusing the new books section at the library last week and found a fascinating book called The Wisdom of Your Child's Face, by Jean Hanner.  What really caught my eye was the subtitle: "Discover Your Child's True Nature with Chinese Face Reading."  The Chinese face reading part wasn't anything I'd ever heard of, but discovering my children's true natures...that sounded great!  I mean, I spend all day, every day with them.  Knowing their personalities, tendencies, differences in what nature has provided them might come in handy. 

What have I discovered with this cool find?  That Chinese face reading probably takes years to master.  I've had the book for about a week.  I don't have it down yet.  Here are the basics, though...the Chinese believe that our faces give hints of our futures and tell the tales of our pasts.  In our faces can be seen our personalities, our hardships, our joys.  Some of it is a little hard to accept at face value, if you will.  But I love the idea of it. 

Chinese face reading uses the shapes of our eyes, brows, hairlines, ears, chins, noses, even the little spot between the upper lip and nose, which I learned is called the philtrum, to determine which of the Five Elements are expressed most strongly in us.  The book is broken into sections for each of the Elements.  Within each section, the writing begins with anecdotes of children whose personalities are of that Element then moves on to tell which traits can be seen in a child who matches up.  I found myself nodding as I read through a few of them...

"Yes, this is Gracie!"

"Oh my goodness...that's so me!"

"OK.  No question here...this is Jace."

Tyler was a little less clear, perhaps because he's so young yet.  But I still think I know which Element is his, at least for now.  Hanner states that one element may be stronger in a child's face and personality early on, but then may change as they grow.  Also, there may be more than one Element at the forefront of their personalities.  So, here's what I think we've got going on...

I believe I'm of the Earth.  That Element's temperament is mothering (duh!), stable, patient, and diplomatic.  I think that fits me. 

Scott is Wood, I think.  Wood personalities tend to be direct, focused, strong, hard-working, yet flexible. 

Metal fits Jace.  These people tend to be visionaries, determined, persistent, and organized.

Without a doubt, Gracie is Fire.  She's dynamic and bright free spirit and a lover. 

Tyler was a little tricky, as I said.  But I think he might be lean toward Water, except that he does not like to be in water, unless it's the tub.  In Georgia he'd stand out in that insane heat and walk around the pool while the rest of us cooled off in the water.  The traits associated with water, though, are flexibility and calmness.  I also see a lot of Fire in him too.  So, I don't really know.

Even though I don't have Tyler figured out for sure, I do know that we've got a lot of personality going on! 

And, what am I taking from this exercise?  Well, I heard one time that people who are great in their fields had parents who didn't hold them back.  What if Barbara Walter's parents had shut her up every time she talked?  Or Oprah's?  What if a famous dancer (I don't know any names off the top of my head) was told to sit down every time he or she jumped off the couch.  What is Bill Gates wasn't allowed to stick his head in a book or open his own lemonade stand?  (I don't know if he ever really had a stand as a child...just saying...)

Ever since hearing that insight I've hoped I'm not hampering Gracie's spirit when I ask her not to laugh so hard.  I hope I'm not holding Jace back by telling him that he's not going to have a slew of people join his adventure club.  Hanner's book gave me another lens to look at their personalities through, another way of understanding their true natures.  Hopefully with these new descriptions of my children I can support them even more...somehow.  I can allow Jace his dreams of inventing everything from jet packs to a make-my-parents-let-me-do-what-I-want-inators.  I can hopefully encourage Gracie's love of dance, gymnastics, singing, and, of course, dressing pretty.  Tyler just wants to "play all day."  Doable.

As always, I'm looking for little ways, new philosophies, ideas and suggestions...whatever can help me be the best mother I can be* right now for these incredible kids.  Knowing which of the Five Elements each of my children expresses is another entry in my bag of tricks.

*Um...yeah...I'm totally an Earth Element mama! 

Quotes From Today

"But, Mama...we're always touching something."

***********

"We are not a family of petite feet.  Sorry."

***********

"Why is Tyler crying over getting a shot?  It's not like he's getting shot by a gun."

***********

(Recognizing the number 3)

"This is three like me."

***********

"I think I just saw our gymnastics teacher in the awesome store."

(This is how Jace refers to Victoria's Secret.)

"Very nice.  We're not going to say hello."

"Why not?  Is it because she's looking at underwear?"

"Yes, yes it is."

***********

"Don't tell Dada we're having ice cream for dinner.  He'll be mad."

"No he won't!  He'll be jealous.  We still shouldn't tell him."

***********

"You can't have alcohol for snack."

How Do You Do It: Missing Dada

Yesterday I wrote a post about how much I love my husband, Scott, even though he many not be Prince Charming.  Today I thought I'd focus on his role as daddy, or in our house - Dada.  He's pretty special there too.  All three kids love their father.  Tyler even admits it sometimes, but not always.  He's probably more like Scott than either Jace or Gracie, and he gives him the hardest time.  It's quite humorous from the outside.  And I don't think Scott takes it too personally.  Thank goodness.  But, when a father is loved, picked on, and looked up too so much, how do you handle a patrol? 

For those who aren't submariners or family members, patrols are about a three month period where Scott is basically out of touch.  He isn't gone for a year or 15 months, like some deployments overseas.  He's not even gone for six to nine months, like surface ships and their fleets.  The biggest difference, in my opinion, is that we have no contact with him.  I can send emails.  They go out and might get to him, might not.  He may or may not have a chance to send a quick note back.  But, there are no phone calls, no regular contact via email or postal mail.  And we're in the midst of a patrol now.

So, how did Scott and I prepare the kids for missing Dada? 

Some families actually video tape bedtime stories or hello messages.  We didn't do that, but we did get a recordable book called All The Ways I Love You, that Scott recorded for them.  We read it twice the first night he left and several times since.  Gracie and Tyler have each pulled it down on their own and read it.  Jace hasn't, that I've seen, but he will go sit next to the other two when they're reading it. 

We got a selection of cards for the kids to open up every week or so.  They're in the "missing you" and "thinking of you" vein.  Today we opened out first and it talked about sending a hug for every day of the week.  The kids are saving up hugs now for Dada when he returns!  Hope he's ready!

I got the kids "daddy" shirts to wear when they miss him. 



"Navy Kid
Toughest job in the Navy"



"My daddy plays in the water"



"Sailor's little girl"

 They love their shirts.  Before the next patrol we night need to get another option because I'm doing a lot of laundry making sure their shirts are clean and ready to be worn!  

And, tonight, Jace and I made submarines for dinner.  They were messy, but totally fun!  Basically, I cooked up some link sausages and let them cool enough to touch.  Jace mixed up some pancake mix, but didn't add all the liquid.  We then smooshed the pancake mixture around the sausages and baked in the frying pan.

What do you think?  We only made eight and they made the rest of the batter, with added water, into regular pancakes.  The submarines were messy to make! 

But they were totally fun to eat!  Jace thought it would be fun to get a black edible marker and paint them black like a real sub and then write "730" on them!  (The USS HENRY M. JACKSON is #730 and is Scott's boat.)  I think he's quite creative, but I'm glad they're nicely browned and not black!

So, that's what we do...not too much, not too little.  We talk about Dada all the time.  We look at pictures and share memories about him, much the same way we do with Grandmas and Grandpas, Aunts and Uncles, cousins, friends.  We have a lot of loved ones who don't live near us...we make them a part of our lives in little ways, even if they don't know it!  We do the same for Scott.  We joke about what he might be eating for lunch when we go to the mall and get Kataluma Chai shakes.  We wonder if he gets to watch Dukes of Hazzard at night.  And we make plans for when he gets back...hiking, playing choo choo, cuddling, reading books.  Sometimes we laugh.  Sometimes we cry.  All of it's perfectly acceptable here. 

We miss Dada.  Nothing wrong with that!  And there are lots of ways to miss him, but this is how we're doing it.  How do you you handle your kids missing their loved ones?

A Few Little Stories...

I haven't updated you lately on the kids.  So, I thought I'd give you a few glimpses into our life lately. 

Jace was reading a book he got for Christmas that tells how kids have played a part in history (Kids Make History: A New Look at America's Story, but Susan Buckley and Elspeth Leacock).  He asked me if I remembered anything about September 11, 2001.  Earlier he had asked if I remember 1963, but I set him straight.  I don't remember the dinosaurs either.  Anyway, I told him about my day on 9/11.  The short version is that I woke up here in Washington and turned the television on to news coverage of the towers going down.  I knew Scott would be busy at work and figured we were far enough from everything that life as usual would be going on.  So, I went to school.  I was in grad school at the time.  In our classes there we discussed all sorts of issues around the attacks and our feelings and fears.  Then, on my way home, Scott called and we went out to dinner and called our families to tell them we were OK.  We hadn't gone straight home because we lived on base and the lines to get on the base were crazy long.  After I shared my memories Gracie commented, "That was a long day!"

I replied that it was, "But, there were many people who had even longer days - wondering where their loved ones were or helping to search the ruins of the buildings."

Jace didn't skip a beat, "Yeah, but it was a really short day for the people that died.  The first plane hit the tower at 8:46 am."

Of course, he was right.

******

A friend off the boat was over last night and Gracie asked her, "Did you know my mom and dad have only been married for a decade?" 

My friend said, "Really?  Only a decade, huh?"

******

Tyler's talking more and more.  I'm understanding him less and less.  If he says just one sentence I can usually figure it out, most times.  But when he goes on and on, which he sometimes does when he's really excited about something, I just stare at him blankly.  When I do that though he gets a little exasperated with me.  He'll sigh heavily and shout, "Mama!  Listen me."  I'm pretty sure if he could snap his fingers he would.  Once he's gotten the glazed over look out of my eyes he'll start talking again.  "K.  Jay an Seesee play downstair with lo.  Day play with my Buzz Light lo and me want play.  Me go downstair play lo.  You play lo me?"  (Translation:  "Jace and Gracie are playing downstairs with Legos.  They're playing with my Buzz Lightyear Legos and I want to play.  I'm going downstairs to play with my Legos.  Do you want to play with me?"  And that was an easy one!) 

I've got some paperwork to fill out to get Tyler an IEP and an evaluation to see if he needs more speech therapy.  I'll keep you posted.

******

I feel like there are more stories to share, but I'm tired and need some beauty sleep, which is more for a pretty mood in the morning than anything else, but it's still vitally important! 

The kids are good...they're funny as ever and when not driving me nuts, keep my smiling. 

"Tell me about your relationship with your mother..."

I know it's not always the mother that is the root of all mental health issues, but lately I feel like it is going to be me that the kids will have deep seeded issues they'll need to work out on some one's couch some day.  Does anyone still use a couch?  Probably...probably those that cost an arm and a leg...good thing Gracie has several jobs lined up and Jace is crazy smart and Tyler's going to be a robber.  That way they can pay for all the therapy I feel like I'm setting them up for. 

(For the record, I don't think Tyler's going to be a robber - Jace does.  I see him more as a cool high school teacher and coach.)

OK, I'm hopefully not really causing that much mental anguish, but I kind of feel like I'm a total wreck and, therefore, not being a great mama.  Last night I walked downstairs to look at the classroom, which I hadn't thought about in a week and a half.  I blew.  I yelled every one's name and scolded them for the mess and yelled at them to clean it up.  I made myself very clear that anything that was in my way this morning when I came down to teach them would get put in a garbage bag and thrown into the garbage bin.  Then I stomped upstairs immediately regretting the yelling, what I said, how I said it. 

Our classroom is also our playroom.  There are Legos (a lot of Legos) that are allowed to stay out and set up on a coffee table very near our classroom table.  So, obviously, when not kept in check, the little Lego men expand their lands under the table and on the table and wherever else they can think of.  It only makes sense.  And Gracie likes to color and those materials are in a cart right next to the table too.  So, again, when not kept in check, they'll get left on the table and dropped on the floor.  I haven't been checking.  The kids are 7, 5, and 3 years old...they haven't been caring.  Of course the table is covered and the floor is covered.  Of course. 

Of freakin' course! 

So I cried.  I haven't been sleeping well, although not for lack of trying.  I miss my husband more than I thought I would, which probably sounds bad, but honestly he hasn't been around much the last few months anyway, so I didn't think his not being around at all would hurt so much.  That probably doesn't sound any better.  Anyway, I'm also trying to kick the treats of the holidays and my old friend Mt. Dew to the curb and might be suffering from withdrawal.  Whatever the reasons...I cried. 

And Gracie came up from cleaning up the classroom and gave me a big hug, and apologized for frustrating me by not picking up her toys.  The first thing that came to mind was the fact that abused women often apologize to their abusers for 'making them' so angry.  That's when I thought that it may not always be the mom, but in our case it might be.

And, while I sit here writing this, Tyler is sitting next to me counting the letters on my shirt.  (I didn't know he could count to six!)  And then he asked me what my t-shirt says.

SUPER MOM

SUPER WIFE

SUPER TIRED

That's the shirt...and when I read it to him?  You guessed it - I cried!  See?  I'm a wreck!  I don't feel super anything...except tired.  That definitely describes me these days.  

So, what's my point?  I don't want to be the reason my kids seek therapy in the future, but I fear that life isn't always about what I want.  Bummer, huh?

Sizing Things Up

Tyler is three years old!  I can't believe it's been three years already.  It seems like not that long ago that he was keeping me up at night, nursing and cuddling.  Well, not everything changes...he still cuddles with me every chance he gets.

So, we went to the doctor today for his check up.  I'm going to fill out some paperwork and contact the school district to see about getting an IEP and an evaluation for speech.  Other than that, though, everything looks good!  He's a healthy and happy little guy.  Well, the doctor didn't know he was happy because he cried and fought the whole time we were there - cheered up as soon as he got to put his jacket back on!

I don't know about you, but I always enjoy looking at how much my kids have grown over the year since their last check up and comparing their heights and weights to each other.  Tyler's stats are always entertaining. 

Here are pictures of Jace and Gracie when they were two years old. 

 "Why two?" you ask, since I'm telling you about Tyler's three year old check up.

Well, both Jace and Gracie were taller and heavier at two years old than Tyler is at three!

Tyler was the biggest at birth (9 lbs 8 ozs, compared to Jace's 7 lbs 12 ozs and Gracie's 8 lbs 11 ozs) but the littlest ever since.  And he's has always had very short legs compared to his very long torso.  As an example he's just getting into 2T pants but has been in 4T shirts for several months. 

Tyler: at 2 years old - 23 pounds 8 ounces, 33 inches

at 3 years old - 30 pounds, 37 inches 

Gracie: at 2 years old - 32 pounds, 32 3/4 inches

at 3 years old - 35 pounds, 41.5 inches

(Yes, you read that right...Gracie grew 9 inches in one year!)

Jace: at 2 years old - 31 pounds, 35 inches

at 3 years old - ??

at 4 years old - 41 pounds 12 ounces, 42 inches

(See?  Even the first born gets forgotten once in a while!)

So, there's the latest measurements on Tyler and how he compares with his Amazon siblings! 

Are You a Holiday Crier?

Do you cry during the holidays?  Do you find an emotional message that speaks directly to you around every corner?  I do.  Truth be told, I cry all year round.  But the holidays seem to be especially heartwarming.

A few years ago I was pregnant during Christmas.  Kay Jewelers commercials made me tear up!  And if I hear The Christmas Shoes...well, that was it.  I pulled over more than once to sob my way through the beautiful song and recollect myself so that I could drive safely again! 

This year I've shed a few tears too.  A few days ago I gave the gives some change for the Salvation Army bucket and the sincere, "Thank you," that the bell ringer gave us brought tears to my eyes.  And then today...the kids got me!  We already went to talk to Santa and let him know what we wanted, but since then we learned that Dada has to work on Christmas day.  So, we waited for over half an hour to see Santa again today.  We went to the mall to play at the train table at Barnes and Noble and get some Kataluma Chai (pretty much the main reasons we ever go to the mall!) and the kids wanted to put those things on hold to go visit Santa again to ask him one question. 

So, we waited and when it was our turn they ran up to Santa and started talking all at the same time.  Santa laughed, "Ho, ho, ho," and settled them down.  Then he told him he remembered they'd already come to see him and asked if they thought of something else they wanted.

"Kind of,"  Jace said.

Gracie added, "Our Dada has to work Christmas day."

Santa sighed, "Oh, I see."

"So, if it's not a problem, could you bring our presents on Christmas Eve eve?  That's Thursday night, " Jace finished.

Santa put his hand on Jace's shoulder and said, "I'd be happy to do that for your family.  It'll lighten my load for Christmas night too."

I know I'm a sucker.  I know the kids asked more so they could get their presents early than so Scott could enjoy them with them.  But the tears welled up and had a difficult time not letting the dam break!  It really was special.  Tyler even gave Santa a hug and said, "Tank you, Ho Ho," before running away. 

They're loving, wonderful children.  I hope their Christmas Eve morning is everything they hoped!

Growing Is Not the Same as Growing Healthy

I started this post as a little bit of a rant about my children's food habits.  But as I was typing away, so frustrated with them I realized, they're probably doing OK. 

Here's the situation - I've eaten according to a few different plans that go along with conventional wisdom's way of looking at food.  Then, about ten months ago I found out about the Primal Blueprint and fell in love with the common sense of it all!  So, I started eating primally and have been working on changing the habits of my whole family.  We've made progress, but have a ways to go too.  Tonight, when I first started writing this, I realized that I have some more progress to make on my own too, and not only in my grocery choices. 

The topic I was going to growl about earlier was Gracie and Tyler leaving food on their plate every night at dinner.  I don't give them very much to begin with.  My strategy is that they can always ask for more, but I'd like to throw away as little as possible.  They're also supposed to try everything on the plate and if they don't like it they don't have to eat it.  That's it.  I've always felt like my rules around the dining room table are pretty simple.  But they seem to make it so much more complicated. 

Gracie makes up her mind about whether or not she likes something before the fork hits her mouth, not that there's enough on it to actually taste anyway.  Drives me nuts!  Tonight we had some pork that she really liked the first time I made it.  Tonight she wouldn't eat it.  ARG.  Well...that's what I felt at dinner.  And that's what I felt when I started typing.  I figured I'd list the things Gracie eats on a daily basis, for meals and snacks, and you'd all confirm that I had every right to be frustrated.  But as I was typing that list I realized that the irritation I was experiencing was coming from a place of conventional wisdom. 

Here's what I mean. 

• Conventional wisdom (CW) says that we should eat every three hours, or several small meals a day.  The Primal Blueprint's (PB) way of thinking is that we eat when we're hungry. 
• CW says that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and that we should never skip meals.  PB allows for fasting by skipping a meal or skipping several.

There are several other differences too.  But these are the two that I'm going to start working on.  What I realized when listing our meals was that we're all eating according to those two primal points, but I'm still getting aggravated according to CW thoughts.  No longer did I feel ARG, instead I felt a little smile.  Maybe all my preaching is working. 

Here's what I mean by that...the kids know all about the PB (we even did a unit study revolving around it).  They see me skip meals or eat just a little.  They see me having primal snacks when I need a little extra something.  The food I'm offering them is, for the most part, primal and, therefore, healthy.  So, they should be allowed to eat it when and if they want to.

As I was considering this tonight, before re-starting this post, I realized that Jace already does that.  He's been putting off lunch until later and not eating much.  He's still as active as ever, just knows he's not hungry after only a three hour break.  And it's not like any of my children aren't growing.  Even Tyler's little legs are getting longer.  And when I've discussed my food frustrations with people that's often been the way they've tried to help, "They're obviously growing."  It's true, they are.  But I want them to grow healthy, with good habits and the ability to know when they're hungry and when they'd just eating to pass the time or whatever other reason.  Upon consideration, and after calming down, I think they are.  They're not just growing, but are growing healthy. 

I'm keeping the dining table rules.  Gracie will still likely not like what she doesn't think she will, at least for a little longer.  But I'm not going to be upset with that. Because I'm going to keep chipping away at the years of conventional wisdom.  Promise.

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 30

 

Today is the last official day of 30 Days of Thankfulness.  That doesn't mean that you or I have to stop being thankful.  So keep at it.  The next few weeks are often a combination of excitement and stress for many people.  Try to find the time to be thankful for what you have and even what you don't.  Chances are good that if you look around you, you probably have more than you need.  I know I do.

 

In fact, that's what I'm thankful for today...that we have all we need, more than we really need.  I hope I can keep sight of that during the holiday season when the kids are attracted to bigger and better toys everywhere they turn.  I'm sure they're a few years from recognizing that they've got a good life...so I'll try to keep it fresh in my mind for them!

 

Jace is thankful for himself.

 

Gracie is thankful for M&M's.

 

Tyler's thankful for me. 

 

I have to say I agree with all of their thankful things too!  And here's a quick list of all the other things I've been thankful for this month.  If you're counting I missed one day!  I was at the movies with friends that night...and I'm thankful for that time away.

-Scott

-cuddly kids

-nature

-beautiful fall weather

-being a supportive wife

-mindless TV

-old and new friends

-relaxing days with no commitments

-Internet

-massages, and other soothing and relaxing things

-laughter

-the military

-weekends

-chocolate

-my sisters

-blankets

-possibilities

-silence

-Scott spending a night in bed next to me

-libraries

-potato chips and ice cream

-Costco

-well-behaved kids

-extended family

-the chance to homeschool

-inspiration

-faith

 

Thanks for tagging along. 

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 29

 

 

Jace is thankful for Kick Buttowski, a favorite cartoon where the main character is a dare devil, currently one of Jace's possible career paths.

 

Gracie is thankful for things that make us healthy, like chewy vitamins.

 

Tyler is thankful for me...I think it's a game now.  He's not thankful for Dada, only Mama (giggles).

 

I'm thankful for faith...with all it's assurances, questions, uncertainty, love...especially the love.