Tree Climbing, Yard Work and a Bonfire

The return of sunshine and mild temperatures today had us outside doing yard work. We decided where we want the fire pit and outlined it with rocks then burned a pile of sticks and branches.

Some of the kids were more interested in the water we had close by in case of stray sparks then they were in the fire. Which was fine with me.



Then some  of the kids decided to gather some rocks and try to make their own fire pit. Without the fire, of course.

And Austin and Aaron decided to climb trees. Since Austin's fall from a tree in January '10,(resulting is a small subdural hematoma) he is pretty cautious climbing trees. I'm glad he's careful but I don't want him to be afraid to get out do things. Although it still makes me a little nervous to watch.

Takin' My Time

The world is turnin'

Telling me to hurry on

You gotta run to get ahead

Try to take the things you want

But when the sun begins to set

So many things I haven't done yet

Oh but I won't worry

'Cause there's no hurry

The world's not passin' me by

'Cause the Lord He knows

Just where each day goes

I know He won't leave me behind

And I won't be bringin' a single thing

That my heart can't carry inside

'Cause I'm going' home

And I'm only takin' my time

The weight of worry

Is never worth the price

Of a world of treasures

That can never satisfy

But I know Heaven's up ahead

Where the best is yet to come

So I won't worry

'Cause there's no hurry

The world's not passin' me by

'Cause the Lord He knows

Just where each day goes

I know He won't leave me behind

And I won't be bringin' a single thing

That my heart can't carry inside

Cause I'm going home

And I'm only takin' my time

I love this song sung by Ashton, Becker and Dente and find myself singing it often throughout the day.

I tried to imbed it from YouTube but somehow couldn't get it to work so here's the link if you want to go listen to it.

For more beautiful songs to lift your spirits head on over to Signs, Miracles and Wonders. And please join in the fun.

Randomness

Today was cold and windy. Very windy. There was a high wind warning issued by the National Weather Service. And it was rainy. But guess what I saw outside in the middle of all the wind and cold and rain.

A Robin!



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Another bird to add to my list of bird sitings here, and here, and a welcome sign of Spring.

While it was raining and the wind was blowing outside, inside we were having lots of fun.

Well, most of the time we were. There was the one time when tempers flared and crayons were dumped in the middle of the table in the midst of a temper tantrum and someone ended up in a corner.

But this was followed by lots of fun.

And the little someone who had to stand in the corner earlier today found his sunglasses which made up for a lot of earlier frustration. Because even though it may be windy and cold and rainy today - his future's so bright he's gotta wear shades.





Five Question Friday

Once again it's Friday, and that means it's time to answer five important questions. For more five question and answer fun head on over to My Little Life.

Can you drive a stick shift?

If I have to. But not very well. It might take me a long time to get where I'm going.

What are two foods you just can't eat?

1. Mashed potato cakes. When I was a kid we would often visit my aunt on Saturday. And invariably she would decide to use up some leftover mashed potatoes by frying up some mashed potato cakes. Apparently I was the only one in the family who did not like these. The rule was that we ate what was served us and we cleaned our plate. I still cannot eat mashed potato cakes.

2. Asparagus. I loved asparagus as a child but at some point my tastes changed and suddenly I could not bear to eat asparagus. I have no idea why this changed.

Do you buy Girl Scout Cookies? What is your favorite kind?

I do buy girl scout cookies and my favorite are the Thin Mints.

How do you pamper yourself?

What is this "pamper yourself" of which you speak?

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What is your nickname and how did you get it?

Nosey Rosey. Somewhat self explanatory. I'm still trying to live that one down.

Amanda has a talent for getting the little ones happily involved in one activity or another. Here she is entertaining them with some funny little YouTube videos that she had found and thought they would enjoy.

Thankful Thursday - Thankful for the Little Things

Thankful Thursday is such a good way for me to remind myself (and share) a few of the blessings that I am so thankful for.

I am thankful for good books, hot cups of coffee, laughter with the kids, and hugs from my husband.

I am thankful for the birds that visit our backyard. I saw a new visitor yesterday that made me really happy. I love mockingbirds, and have fond memories of listening to their calls when I was a child.

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I am thankful for a freshly cleaned refrigerator. Somehow cleaning the refrigerator is one of the hardest things for me to find the time to do. But yesterday I tackled the job and it now I have to go look inside now and then just to enjoy how wonderful it looks.

 It's the little things that make me happy and I am so thankful for all of them.



For more Thankful Thursday gratefulness or to join in the fun head on over to The Nut House.

We Play . . . With Dolls

Playing with dolls is always a big favorite here. It's interesting to listen to the conversations among the children while playing as well as the things they say to their dolls. They are processing the things they hear and see among the adults in their lives and trying out their own ways of  handling situations and events. And they are having fun learning the way children learn best - by playing.


For more fun playing check out the posts over here.

Forgiveness

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I've been contemplating forgiveness today.

What it means. How it looks. Feels. Just letting the concept roll around in my mind.

It's a big word. It holds a lot of meaning. I was thinking it carries a lot of weight. And then I realized - it's not a weighty word at all. It is, instead, a freeing word.

Because to forgive is to let go. Not always to forget but simply to let go. Let of the need to hold onto the . . . the what . . . the weight? The need to, maybe, to be in control.

And yet, what am I controlling?

Something simply to pull out and look at again? 

It reminds me of the child, struggling to hold onto a fistfull of balloons on a breezy day. And there is the struggle. The struggle between the felt need to hold onto and control these ballooons and the desire to let them go and watch with delight as they soar away. The struggle between the desire to use little hands to hold on tightly and the desire to have the hands free for other delights.

In the end, I am happier when I let my balloons of unforgiveness soar away. Go where they will.

Then, once again, my hands, and my heart, are free to receive the blessings that God is so patiently waiting to give to me.

I choose forgiveness.

For more thoughts on forgiveness head on over to Faith Barista.

Creating a Pleasant Home Atmosphere (Fighting the Winter Doldrums)

Over the last week we had a whole string of beautiful spring like days and were able to spend long hours outside, soaking up the sunshine and enjoying the outdoors.

Then Tuesday we woke up to snow, sleet and freezing rain. Suddenly I found myself looking for ways to make the atmosphere inside calming, creative and fun when everyone really just wanted to go back outside.

Here is a list of things that help to make our home atmosphere pleasant.

1. Light a candle. This is one of my favorite. I love the scent and the sight of candles burning. Of course with so many little kids in the house I have to make sure they are up high in a safe place but with that taken care of it's an awesome mood lifter. My favorite are the vanilla scented candles and they have come to mean home for me. But everyone has their own favorite.

2. Mix up something simple, put it in the oven and enjoy the aroma wafting through the house. Brownies or cookies from a mix work just fine. There's just something about the smell of baked goods that make one feel at home and comforted.

3. Boil a few cinnamon sticks in a large pan of water. This has the added benefit of putting moisture into the air. I find the air in our home gets very dry when the heat is on in the winter.

4.  Start a pot of coffee. I don't know about you, but often just the smell of freshly brewed coffee perks me up, even before the first sip. Even the kids seem to like the smell of it.

5. Music. This can work several ways. If things are feeling chaotic put on some quiet calming music and have everyone sit down for a few minutes with books. Is everyone down in the dumps or grumpy? Try putting on some upbeat music and having everyone dance to a few songs. Soon everyone will be laughing and having fun. Bad attitudes? I've found putting on a CD of worship music can have a soothing effect on ruffled spirits.

6.Words and tone of voice. It is so easy for me to find myself on a downward slide into the dumps and my attitude and tone of voice reflect that. When I make a conscious effort to keep an upbeat and positive attitude my words and tone of voice reflect that. I don't have to feel that way, at least not a first. Sometimes I just have to "fake it 'till I make it." But it does make a difference, both in myself and in those around me.

7. Combine a few of the above suggestions. Put a pan of brownies in the oven to bake and then sit down with books and quiet music until they are ready. Light a candle and enjoy some worship music. Dance to a few songs while waiting for the coffee to brew (maybe make a few mugs of hot chocolate for the little ones.)

Whatever you do, remember that this is the time of year when we are all getting spring fever. Be patient with yourself and everyone else, intentionally create a pleasant atmosphere, and soon, we will be seeing more and more of those warm days that so many of us are craving. Or maybe you're more like my mom and would rather winter would just stay. In that case make the most of the cold wintry days as warm weather peeks it's head around the corner.

Stream of Consciousness

After nearly a week of beautiful weather we woke up this morning to a dusting of snow on the ground. Schools were on a two hour delay. I didn't tell Austin and Amanda that because we took the day off from school yesterday and really needed to get back on schedule. Amanda was really disappointed to see colder weather, she can hardly wait for Spring, says she needs to be able to run barefoot again. Last week, on one of the really warm days she kicked her shoes off and walked barefoot in the garden

My poor cell phone met with an unfortunate accident yesterday morning. Somehow I dropped it into a cup of coffee. Needless to say, it did not respond to well to a coffee marinade. So when Doug got home from work he called the phone company and made a claim. You see, he was wise enough when we bought this one to get it insured, because my phones have a strange habit of meeting unfortunate ends. My last one was crushed by a chair. Anyway, my new phone came today. I was surprised to see it was so late in the day when he called the company. They had said it would be here Wednesday, but I'm not complaining. At all. I feel lost without my phone. I use it for my camera and I also have a lot of twitter messages come through as texts. So I felt very disconnected without a phone.

Today was a busy day with daycare kids, but tomorrow will be very quiet with only two daycare children during the day and then two more coming in around bedtime tomorrow evening. No two days are ever alike here, and it keeps things interesting. Maybe I'll actually get my refrigerator cleaned tomorrow. Not that that's so interesting, but it really needs to be done.

Anyway, I'm really tired so before my rambling gets too strange here, I'm going to wish everyone a good night and a great day tomorrow.



Miscellany Monday

1. We had a very busy weekend. Friday evening Austin and Amanda each had two friends over. Plus we had a sibling group of three (one with autism) who were staying for the weekend so their parents could have a weekend out together. Add to all this the regularly scheduled daycare kids and it was busy.

Friday evening the weather was beautiful and the kids could be outside. Doug grilled steaks for everyone and we had a good, if somewhat hectic, time.

2. Amanda made a big sign in chalk in front of the garage that says "Toby's Garage." Toby is her cat and she has been having an ongoing "discussion" with Doug about whether the garage is his or the cat's.

3. Amanda bought two more WebKinz at Wal-Mart Saturday bringing the total to 33. She is obsessed with WebKinz and spends a lot of time on line taking care of these little creatures.



4. Michael is the official silverware handler around here. He puts them away out of the dishwasher and always wants to put the spoons in the bowls at breakfast.