Sassafrass

I'm sure our days have been filled with great soundbites, but these are the two I remember most from today:


Gracie:  "When I'm President I'm going to make a rule that everyone in the world has to be cute all the time."
Jace:  "The President only makes rules for the people in our country, not the whole world."
Gracie:  "That's OK.  Then we'll be cute and everyone else won't be."

**********
Mama:  (Driving Scott's truck, an F250) "I think I should have just run over that little car that pulled out in front of us.  Probably wouldn't have even felt it."
Jace:  "Well you'd feel the handcuffs and hear the sirens."


They're full of sass, aren't they?

Mixing Hormones, Emotions, and Babies

I put myself out there in this blog a lot, I think.  I risk judgment and ridicule because I think what I have to say might reach someone who needs to hear it.  Yes, many of my posts are entertaining (I hope) or simply reviews of our homeschooling lives or silly things the kids do and say.  But, on occasion, I write something that could be a bit controversial.  Today might be one of those days.

I've thought about this post for a long time.  It's a topic that I've mulled over in my mind for seven and a half years now.  I wasn't sure how to write about it, though.  I'm still not...but I'm going to give it a try.  Recently there was a 4-month-old taken to the hospital and found to have been repeatedly abused by his mother (story here).  This is one of those things that is easy to feel badly about, even get angry about, but to also let go of easily because it won't happen to you or me, right? 

Friday Fill-In #31

1. Aside from no deployments, what is one thing you would want to make the MilSpouse life “perfect”? submitted by Oh How Delightful

Stories

Last week our homeschooling was very relaxed.  Jace has started learning cursive, which he's excited about until he actually has to practice, and I was just beat.  So, we talked about stories. 

We sent out questions to our families back when we did our family unit study.  We went over those, talked about the things Grandmas and Grandpas and Aunts and Uncles shared with us.  The kids enjoyed the connection to the family they don't see much.  Thankfully they're getting some visitors over the next few months and can't wait to see everyone who will be stopping by.

We also learned about the origins of Valentine's Day.  I don't remember ever hearing the story and I think it's quite appropriate that St. Valentine have a holiday all about love named after him.  Apparently, before he died and it was decided that he would be a saint, he was a priest.  He lived during a time of war and the ruler of his country declared that young men were not allowed to marry.  Young married men didn't make the best soldiers and he wanted them focused on fighting not on family left behind.  Valentine secretly kept performing marriages for those that wanted to unite with their loves.  When this was discovered, he was sent to prison.  The jailer's daughter visited him often and they fell in love.  He wrote her letters and, as the story goes, he signed them, "With love, from your Valentine."  Fast forward to today - smother your loves with cards, chocolate and flowers! 

We created several stories too, using Mad Libs and just on our own.  We spent time at the mall, drinking chai and people watching.  Then we told stories about the lives of the people we saw.  This was an interesting activity for me to watch the kids do.  Gracie was very excited and had lots of ideas about what people might be doing at the mall, what they might do when they're not at the mall, who they could be on the phone with.  Jace was not as excited and answered my prompts with very realistic sound bites.  "Shopping."  "Work."  "His wife."  Granted he was probably right, but Gracie's answers were much more dramatic!  "Maybe he's going shopping to find a present for his girl friend because it was just Valentine's Day and now everything is on sale and he's looking for a really cute dress to buy her and he's on the phone with her best friend to find out what style she wants.  Because, Mama, there are lots of dresses that are cute.  She could like sparkly or pink or ruffles or all three - like me!"  Such different children!

We played lots of new made-up games too.  Like the noun game that Jace made up, that turned into the adjective game.  He thought of coming up with as many nouns as we could related to a subject (like vehicles or horses) and we decided that it would be easier to come up with adjectives...so we did.  We also read and recited nursery rhymes and told about our favorite cartoons, books, or songs. 

Jace also suggested, at dinner one night, that we go around the table and say a reason why we liked each person.  When it was Jace's turn to say something he liked about me he stumbled a little.  "Hmmm.  Let me think about this one."  Then after he hemmed and hawed for a little he said, "Well, I can't come up with anything else so I guess I'll use this: I like you because I wouldn't be here without you."  He's such a pip squeak!  I'm glad he understands my role in his existence, but it would be nice if there were one or two other little things he liked about me! 

So, our week was pretty relaxed as far as school goes, but very busy otherwise!  All in all, it was a good week.  I hope you can all say the same.

Foods Around the World

A couple weeks ago we took part in a Foods Around the World lunch with some other homeschooling families.  Not only was it a lot of tasty fun to eat food from different places (at least for me - the kids weren't impressed) but we also made little poster displays to show off what we learned.  I know...fun, right?

But before you get to see those...let me tell you about the adventure of choosing our places and making our foods. 

Friday Fill-In #30

It's back!  With some great questions from the milspouses that answer the questions each week...check it out!

1.  What is your favorite MilSpouse blog (not including Wife of a Sailor who we all love, or your own)? submitted by Our Crazy Life (Wifey note: whaaaat? You can’t say my blog? No fun! LOL, just kidding)


I don't actually read a lot of blogs regularly, but the two I find myself drawn to most often are Randomonium (not only is she a Navy wife, but she's also primal - bonus for me!) and Planting Shade (a dear friend of my sister who's personality and writing style reach out to me).

2.  What are your favorite perks about your s/o being deployed (we all know there are perks)? submitted by Ramblings of a Marine Wife

I like realizing all the things I love about him all over again.  There's probably more, but right now, at this point in the patrol I don't want to think about what's good about him being gone, I just want to be excited that he's going to be home sooner rather than later and the perks that come with that!

3.  How long did you date your before getting engaged? Married? submitted by Utterly Chaotic

Well, on and off since 5th grade!  I'm serious.  It was way back then when I thought he was boring that she laughed and said, "You're probably going to marry him."  After years of holding hands on the bus and getting in trouble for calling long distance to dedicate songs to him on the radio (yes, there was a time that people paid for long distance calls by the minute!) we dated for over a year in high school. 

He broke up with me near the end of our Senior year so that he could join the Navy and I wouldn't feel tied to him.  (I'm still not sure if he was being thoughtful or selfish - but it worked.)  We remained friends and we both sorta dated other people.  In my Sophomore year of college we officially got back together, got engaged during Junior year and were married the month after I graduated from college...10 1/2 years ago!
4.  What do you think your would do if s/he wasn’t in the military? submitted by Adventures of M-Squared

He believes that if we hadn't gotten married he probably would have gotten out of the Navy and gone to Alaska to make some money on the fishing boats and been a climber in the mountains around here during the off season.  But if we were still married and he just wasn't in...I really don't know.  What he'll do after he retires from the Navy is something we discuss frequently and the options range from self-employed wood worker and general handyman to wearing a new uniform, a suit and tie, in whatever the equivalent of division officer is in the civilian world.  Time will tell...

5.  If you could talk to the Secretary of (fill in your appropriate branch) what is one suggestion you would like to bring to their attention in order to improve the lives of military families? submitted by My Life as His (Air Force) Wife

Such a thought provoking question.  I'm trying to think about what would make my life easier...one thing that would really help is to have free childcare at the gym.  I know, it's a little silly with all the other things that could be done.  But it would really help me to be able to jump in the pool every now and then.  Heck, I'd even pay for childcare...not much, but something...I just want it at the gym!

Valentine's Day

Is it a Hallmark holiday?  Is it a day of great romance?  Is it really about love or about getting things? 

I dare say it's all of that and more, depending on who you ask and when.  Valentine's Day brings a number of things to mind for me.  One of my absolute favorite memories of Valentine's is the cards I used to get from Grandma Kral.  They looked kind of like these:





Picture from Wholesale Accessory Market



Luckily I'm Good Company

I've been wondering lately if being the only one to comment on my own facebook status qualifies as talking to one's self.  Or is it more like journaling?  What do you think?

As I pondered that very deep topic I also wondered about my blogging.  It's definitely a journal of sorts, but also written for others.  However, when I don't get feedback...am I really just talking to myself?

Taboos

What don't you talk about? 

Everyone has things that are uncomfortable to have a conversation about.  Sex, politics, and religion seem to be big ticket items that we shouldn't discuss in polite company, right? 

WHAT?

Perhaps we haven't properly met.  I don't do taboos.  Don't get me wrong, I don't air all my laundry everywhere.  But I do think everything can be talked about, and most of it probably should be discussed in polite company.  After all, if you can't talk about your opinions and values nicely, you probably don't need to be talking about them at all.  I know, I know...people are often passionate about these topics, and that's fine.  But you can be passionate and respectful.  They're not mutually exclusive. 

Is There Anything Better?

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

Quick Wit

I do not have quick wit.  I have been known to remind Scott of something he said days after he said it, and forgot about it, just so I can tell him what I should have said.  He usually gives me a little sympathy chuckle and we go on with our lives.  He, on the other hand, is pretty good with a come back.  And that must be where Jace gets it. 

Jace is excellent.  His brand of humor is one that I find fascinating and sometimes frustrating.  Usually I realize his jokes rather slowly (yes, he's seven) but then I realize how funny what he said was!  He has pretty good delivery too.  He knows it takes a minute so he pauses to let what he said set in.  (Maybe it's not emphasis - maybe he just knows I'm slow.  Hmmm) 

Friday Fill-In #29

1.Since most if the country has had nasty weather, what has your weather been like this week?
     I'm here in the great PNW!  We've been cool but clear lately! 

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!

Politics and Rape

I greatly dislike politics.  I don't like the shadiness.  I don't like the outright lies.  I don't like the hurt.  It's not my cup of tea.  But I see that it's important.  I try to ignore it mostly and trust that others who know better than I do and don't feel their blood pressure going up just at the mention of the word are truly trying to do good.  I have been trying to educate myself some more, though, during the past few elections to be able make an educated vote.  But I still don't like it. 

So, you can imagine my surprise when I got a book from the library that ended up being about politics and liked it!  The author, Richard North Patterson, is one I've read before, but not in a while.  The book I read this time is called The Race.  At the end of the book, Patterson comments that Corey Grace is the politician most people wish existed.  I know I do. 

Marriage Challenge

Just a little note...Courtney, at Women Living Well is hosting a marriage challenge.  This is the third week of it.  I've been reading here and there, dropping in on Courtney and the other women who have linked up to read their experiences.  Wouldn't you know that it would take a post about intimacy...sex...to have me post! 

Basically, while I was reading one of the linked blogs (Sara Beth's) she asked how we, her readers, show our husbands that they're number one.  I commented to her and decided to put a little something on here.  I highly value marriage.  I think it's an incredible gift to commit your life to someone and feel fuller because of them.  I know there are a lot of less than ideal marriages and I also know that no marriage can be a bed of roses all the time.  But I think it's the most wonderful thing that Courtney and Sara Beth and so many others are putting their marriages in the spot light in their lives. 

I miss my husband.  Everyone knows that.  Somehow it gives me joy to know others are cherishing theirs just a little bit more these days.  To you ladies...I know you're not doing it for me, but thank you for doing it for you and your spouse. 

For the rest of you, if you haven't taken a look at the marriage challenge and are interested.  Here are the three posts Courtney has put out already. 

Week 1: Praise
Week 2: Creative Praise
Week 3: Pursuing Intimacy

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.