may 23: talking babies

Hello again. So much for every day in May. But here's my adorable excuse:

 I love it when they try to mimic your face

You see, it used to be I could prop her up on a pillow on my lap while I nursed, and have both hands to type away at the computer. Nursing is the only way I could ever commit to blogging every day, because I actually have MORE computer time than ever before. I sit down all throughout the day now, not just to eat my own meals! But in the last week Eleanor decided she wants to be ::::::gasp::::::: held while she's nursing. How a three-month old can have such strong opinions, I'll never understand. The one time she doesn't seem to mind me not holding her is this 10pm feeding (because she's half asleep). Of all the times a day I nurse her, 10pm is not when my mind is at it's sharpest.

So, if I don't show up here, that's where I am: in a chair, holding this long-haired baby girl.

may 18: bedtime rituals

Can I confess something? I love that my husband puts the kids to bed 75% of the time. I think it's good for the kids, because he hasn't spent as much time with them and still has fresh energy to hear their stories, requests, questions, etc. I am spent by the time 8:30pm rolls around, and I try to get through the stories, the songs, the prayers as cheerfully, and efficiently as possible. I'm working on that. I do treasure the time with them, all snuggly in their pjs (even if one of them insists on wearing fleece snowman pajamas in warm weather). I am trying to slow down and put aside the unfinished tasks of the day. But it is not easy for me. I know that before long, bedtime stories will be a thing of the past. I hope they are replaced by talks and questions, and relationship building activities. Which is why I know these rituals are so important now. We are not just singing and praying and back-rubbing; we are building trust and security. Most things worth having are hard work!

may 17: breaks (aka, the less favorite things)

Today is becoming one of those days. A day where we just have to put the routine aside and tackle a few looming projects before they get out of hand. The paperwork that got out of the drawer and sorted but never filed, so I put it in stacks under the bed. The clothes all ironed in the closet, ready to list on eBay but I have to write up the listings. The thank you notes I want to send. Cloth diaper covers to order (we're still using disposable, and she's almost three months old).

Life is so full of activity. It's good to have a routine so that when you decide to veer from it, you know what you are missing. I've told myself I will not weed the garden or even go outside until late in the day. Today is housecleaning day. So if you visit my house over the weekend, the floors will be extra dirty (even though we swiffer and sweep every single day). Actually, everything will be extra dirty. But the paperwork will be filed!!

In honor of taking a break, I thought I would take a break from my regular Every Day in May theme (i.e., My Favorite Things), and tell you a few things that are NOT favorites. Not that I'm complaining; these are just things I have to work harder for to be thankful:

• slugs in my strawberries
• slugs in every part of my garden
• dirty feet from dirty floors
• cold tea (when it started out hot)
• not enough sleep
• paperwork in disarray
• old bandaids stuck to the floor 
• clothes that don't fit right
• mending piles (but I love having "new" clothes!)
• wasting things
• unmailed letters (do you ever write a letter but forget to send it?)
• scratched cds/dvds
• missing library books

I have MUCH to be thankful for: a growing baby girl, children who are well and love to play outside for hours on end, good food, sweet family members far and near, and a thousand comforts in this life and the next.

After I finish nursing this baby, it's back to the grind (but not the garden or cleaning) for me.

may 16: a good haircut

The hormones have settled down, and the curls and waves are back. It was time for a new do. I always take a few pictures with me. I told her this was the goal:

 But that I was worried I would end up looking like this:

 Self-portrait:

The verdict: I look like the second picture right now, pre-shower and post-bed. But it's an easy remedy, and I think I will enjoy short hair for a season. The best thing my girl, Ashley, did was to show me how to secure a bobby pin well. This seems vital for controlling my new waves.
ETA: I looked through a myriad of YouTube videos, and this one seems to be the best. Not the best quality, but similar to what Ashley told me. The jist: put the bobby pin towards the hair you want to pull up, not across. And, buy decent bobby pins.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_k1zCwj1PU&feature=related
Happy Thursday!

may 15: immersion blender (aka Baptist Blender)

I received this lovely gift for Christmas, and I'm not sure how I lived without it.

I use it once or twice a week for soups and sauces. And yesterday a friend introduced me to the idea of using it for salad dressing. Genius! (I know, I bet the rest of the world already does this. I'm always the last to find out things...) I used about 3:1 olive oil to red wine vinegar, added a little salt and a splash of honey, and threw in a few strawberries for good measure (because we have them around every day now). This is what we ended up with:

I know, it sort of looks like a smoothie. It was this incredibly creamy, smooth dressing. The hand blender perfectly emulsified the dressing- no further mixing needed (even a day later). We had this over spinach and that was our entire salad. If we are going to manage a salad every day it can't always be fancy. But this dressing kicked it up a notch or two. I make most of our salad dressing anyway, but now I am excited to experiment with all sorts of creamy delights!

may 14: fresh flowers

This weekend we had our first chicken processing day of the season, so Saturday morning was filled with slaughtering (sorry...I could say "processing" but I already used that word) and the afternoon was busy with customers and tidying up. Processing day is more like processing week, as we gear up and then tear down, so Warren declared yesterday "Grandmother's Day" and next Sunday "Mother's Day." So we will have our festivities next week. I was too tired yesterday to really care all that much, so it was fine by me.

However, someone didn't get the memo. When we arrived home from church and lunch with my inlaws, these were laying on the table next to my side door. Peonies, I think. (I'm still learning my flowers.) The huge white blossoms made a gorgeous bouquet, and I'm guessing one of my neighbors brought them by after cutting the flowers from their yard. What a sweet surprise!

may 13: comfortable shoes

I was just outbid on these shoes.



Now, I'm not pretending that comfortable shoes= trendy shoes. I spent a good amount of time and money this last pregnancy on physical therapy/message and chiropractor visits because of hip problems, so I'm also not interested in pretending like I can wear anything other than a really supportive shoe. However, a great many supportive shoes were made for women whose hips are giving out due to age (although Harrison Ford may have actually been thinking about my problem when he made the little quip about it not being about the age but the mileage...). I can only presume they expect these wiser, aging women to also have failing sight because even brands I often appreciate make hideous looking shoes.  So, anyone out there have a perfectly wonderful, comfortable sandal that can be worn with Sunday dresses (which in my case is not super dressy) or casual skirts? Young and old, share your thoughts.

May 11: Amazon Prime

I think this article from earlier in the year, The Cult of Amazon Prime, sums things up fairly well. Amazon Prime is a way of life, and these smart business people are reeling us in, and it would be pretty hard to give it up at this point in my life. We share an account with other family members, so the cost is about $15/year. SO worth it for the free 2-day shipping on everything that qualifies for Amazon Prime. I use the Subscribe and Save feature for food items (especially specialty allergy-friendly foods), herbs, wipes, and coffee and tea. We usually do shop around before going with Amazon, but most of the time the prices are comparable, and the shipping is free. I went through our most recent purchases and copied them here so you can see the diversity of items offered. As the author says, Prime is a cult you will be joining. And for anyone with a busy lifestyle, who prefers not to tote around four kids only to find the store is out of what you need, why wouldn't you??

• Pomonas Universal Pectin, 1-Ounce Container (Pack of 6)

• Malcom Distributors 2.5mm Female to 3.5mm Male 3 rings Jack Stereo Adapter On/Off enabled - Convert 2.5 mm Stereo Cell Phone Headset to 3.5 mm MP3 Ste
  Sold by: Dollar-Rite ( seller profile )

• Sold by: Noram International Partners, Inc. ( seller profile )
• Adams Sales Book, 3.34 x 7.19 Inches,White and Canary, 2-Parts (50 Sets) (DC3705)

Canon Office Products LS-82Z Business Calculator

• Capsule Connection 5000 Bulk Wholesale Empty Gelatin Capsules, "00" size, 5 1000 count bags
  Sold by: Capsule Connection ( seller profile )

2 of 2 Inch Long Steel Spring Clamps 12pc Metallic Finish

Pampers SoftCare Unscented Wipes 10x Box with Tub 720 Count 

• 3 of Rubbermaid Blue Ice Brand Weekender Pack 7" x 1.63" x 6.75
  Sold by: GEEKSHIVE, INC. ( seller profile )

SPORTMiX Variety Puppy Biscuit Treats, 4-Pound

• Merial Frontline Top Spot Flea and Tick Control for 89-to-132-Pound Dogs and Puppies, 3 Doses
  Sold by: ProbioticSmart ( seller profile )

• Sold by: Amazon.com LLC

Carhartt Men's C-Grip Knuckler High Dexterity Vibration Reducing Glove, Grey, Large/X-Large

Coffee Bean Direct Costa Rican Tarrazu, Whole Bean Coffee, 5-Pound Bag

Sold by: Amazon.com LLC

• Pair of Pace Maker Trekking Poles with small disks and vulcanized rubber feet
  Sold by: Norman D Garcia ( seller profile )

Frigidaire 316442301 Element for Range

Sold by: Amazon.com LLC 

Delivery Estimate: Friday April 6, 2012

Jarrow Formulas Milk Thistle Jarrow Silymarin 150mg, 200 Capsules

Sold by: Amazon.com LLC

 

may 10: strawberries

I love having a garden and growing things, mostly because I just love food. Especially fresh food. But having strawberries in our very own yard seems too good to be true! Last year I purchased 100 strawberry plants in January, when some online garden store was having a major sale. I think I paid $25-30 for all of them. I bought 25 June bearing plants, and 75 everbearing plants. They came in a small box, looking ratty and not like a flourishing plant. We planted those stringy leafless roots, and hoped for the best. We dutifully, painfully, picked off all the flowers last year so they wouldn't fruit (which I've read conflicting advice about...some say it doesn't matter) but would put all their energy into creating a luscious plant the next year. And did they ever.

After several months in the ground- starting to get some green leaves.

The only downside is that I got pregnant and didn't feel like going out there to prune all those runners while it was hot and I was throwing up. So they multiplied and now we probably have 200 plants, very close together. I don't have a picture, but imagine that strawberry plot, extended a foot on each side, and packed with plants. The rows are gone, as is any semblance of space between the plants. However, we may have enough berries to last us the year, plus some. If the Lord is gracious and the slugs don't eat them all, we should be set. Last year I picked them at a farm, and we used about 60 lbs. between June 2011 and April 2012. Here's hoping for at least that many this year!

Strawberries picked last year- I just used up the last of them a few weeks ago.

Our plants beginning to flower- now they are covered in berries!

may 9: white couches

A day late. I know. Yesterday was non-stop. I didn't even call my friend Lauren, for her birthday. If she will even call me "friend" now.

My Mom recently asked me if I had it to do again, would I still buy the white couch from IKEA. I think I would, only, I wouldn't ruin my second slipcover. I originally purchased 2 white slipcovers ($9.99 each!!?) so I could easily trade them out. Only I left one to dry once in the basement when we first moved in, and a rusty pipe leaked a rust spot on it. Rust spots do not come out, even with harsh chemicals (which I do not normally use, but a lot was at stake here). So, now that I only have one slipcover, I'm a little less carefree about spills and such. We live on a farm, and life is very dirty around here, so the slipcover shows it. I wash it once a month, and I have a special whisk broom dedicated to sweeping off the couch once a week or so. Those help keep it presentable, and I have to say I love the way it looks. In my perfect world, it would be leather (not white leather, mind you), but for now, I think I would do it again.

may 8: my laminator

Yep. A machine that melts plastic  is one of my favorite things!

One Thanksgiving in the past, I was staying at a friend's house in Florida while she was out of town, and secretly took pictures of some of the cool things in her bathroom. That's a weird sentence, no matter how you break it down. Anyway, here's what I saw:

This is in the shower, folks. Is that not a great use of your time or what??

It was at that moment I decided my future happiness depended on owning one of these toxic little plastic-melting, estrogenic nightmare machines. And it has not disappointed.

Here are some of the ways I've made it useful around the house:

30 minutes later, they each have something they can take outside and draw in to their heart's content.

I made one for myself, only it's my planner. Calendar, to-do lists, week-at-a-glance...that sort of good stuff.

We have a fairly busy month, but this was taken at the beginning of April.

Useful in the garden as well- plant markers with vintage pictures.

A color copy made on our cheap home printer and laminated= no mixed up plants (unlike last year)

Before any of it went out to the garden...now the markers are outside marking the rows.

We ordered all our seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (www.rareseeds.com) because we wanted to do all organic and heirloom seeds that we could then save and use again in the future. The prices were comparable to any other seed company or big box store, so it was an even easier choice. As a side note- their book looks wonderful! I need to check and see if my library will order it for me. The other perk: their seed packets are beautiful. They would be great to frame as prints, but I'm content with classy plant markers.

I'm constantly on the lookout for what I could seal up in plastic...memory verses, catechism pocket cards, what else would you do with your laminator??

may 7: baby faces

I'm back, after a short break from my Every Day in May blogging challenge for a Sabbath rest. Ahh, it was a good rest day. This isn't the post I wanted to write, because I have a favorite thing I'm just dying to share.

However, today was Adeline's birthday party- a Spring theme, complete with an egg hunt, dirt cake, and lots of flowers. Only a year or two ago I gave birth to her, and now she is five. How did that happen?? It does seem like her birth just occurred, and yet considering all the other events that have taken place since she was born, she could be ten by now.

Anyway, this is sort of a cheater post because I need to nurse the baby and go to bed. The first pictures are of baby Adeline, the second group of Eleanor. My second baby girl may keep her dark hair after all, a thrilling thought for this former blonde/producer of pale blonde children. I do love how much babies change from day to day. One day, she looks JUST like my husband. Then my sister. Then her sister. Very weird. But so sweet!

may 5: my husband

I did say in no particular order.

I love the way he cares for us, spiritually, physically, and emotionally. He works so hard, and yet seems to be able to prioritize and know when to stay up late to read to the kids, and when we should sleep in and just let the work begin a little later. He makes my priorities his priorities. He really appreciates good food, and tells me all the time, "You can't buy food like this, dear!" Who wouldn't enjoy cooking for someone like that?

He really isn't mean...he just wears a serious face. He's definitely the "fun parent"

Ribs from our Friday date night at home (recipe here)

may 4: mostly happy school days

FYI: If you aren't interested in childhood education, this will be one of the more boring posts you've read on this blog.

We recently had to re-evaluate our school regime. It was starting to wear all of us down. It wasn't enjoyable anymore, and not just because we are nearing the finish line and just needed to press through. We'll be schooling through the summer to finish up 1st grade for both the older two since we took so many weeks off before and after Eleanor's birth, but that has nothing to do with our newly formulated plans. At the ages of 5 and 6, I'm not really sure a 3-month break from daily reading or basic math is all that good for them.

This seed of discontent had been growing for a while. How could we be spending all morning on school and still not have time to draw, and paint, and memorize poems, and do crafts when the mood struck? I went back to that ever-helpful list by the Bluedorns to remind me what I really want out of these early years: Ten Things to do with Your Child Before Age Ten 

The entire article is worth reading, but here's the quick version:

1. Reading & Writing	Intensive Phonics; Copywork; start English Language Notebook
2. Oral Narration	Daily
3. Memorization	Bible; poetry; passages of literature; Greek and/or Hebrew alphabet
4. Hearing & Listening	Read aloud 2 hours per day from a variety of fiction and nonfiction; start History Notebook; timeline
5. Family Worship	Family Bible study morning and evening using grammar level questions
6. Arts & Crafts	Provide the time, space, and materials; develop creativity
7. Field Trips & Library	Start learning elementary library research; investigate the world
8. Work & Service	Schedule for chores; visit nursing home, etc.
9. Discipline	First-time obedience
10. Play & Exploration	Develop the imagination

(I'm not sure we'll get to the Hebrew alphabet this year...)

We started Saxon Math 1 at the beginning of the year. I love Saxon, because it's fairly hands on, and I really appreciate how they've ordered the skills to be taught during the year. Each lesson builds on the next, and we've enjoyed it. What we haven't enjoyed are all the worksheets and math fact drills. I was only having the kids do one of the worksheets and a drill, in addition to the lesson, and it was taking us over an hour to do math each day. Now, we only do a math fact sheet twice a week, and the other days it's all verbal. I do the same thing with their worksheets, putting the questions on the white board, and letting them write it out or we just talk about the answers. It was WAY too much writing for them, and we accomplish the same skills in about 1/4 of the time. Saxon is known for being repetitive, which is an asset at times, but lately I've felt more freedom to skip lessons we really have a handle on. It's probably a newbie homeschooler mistake to feel like you have to do every lesson when clearly, you know exactly what your child knows well and what he needs to practice more.

We are also continuing to plug away with the Phonics Museum, from Veritas. At first I loved it, but after finishing all of Kindergarten, and some of 1st grade...not so much. They teach italics for handwriting, which looks great but I have to say is SO confusing for the kids. I think the theory is that it makes cursive easier to learn. Perhaps, but for now, my kids could hardly tell the difference between a "j" and an "i," and a "t" looks sort of like a "j". Anyway, perhaps for smarter children.

My second complaint is that the readers are almost impossible to understand. Yes, my kids have a much better vocabulary because of the readers. So do I. I've actually had to look words up. Granted, they were short vowel words I probably should have known, but can you define "abet" and use it in a sentence? If I had more time I'd quote a sentence from a reader for a good laugh.

We've plugged away at them, and the kids don't mind the readers (did I mention they are also about 20-30 pages long?), but they were feeling no sense of accomplishment, and their reading skills weren't all that great either. They ARE learning phonics, and as far as an intensive phonics curriculum goes, this fits the bill. I purchased it used, so I will probably keep it. But I've laid aside the readers in favor of the Abeka (gasp!!!) summer readers just to give them a little break. I don't want them to hate reading.

Instead of the handwriting with Phonics Museum, we began to do daily copy work. The quote on the board (in the picture) is from Little Susy Stories, by Elizabeth Prentiss. We read the book earlier in the year. They copied it down every day that week, and by the fourth day of school (we take Fridays off for now), it was beautiful. I was so impressed. Perhaps writing out a quote (which they mostly memorize by the end) is more interesting then rows and rows of letters and short words?

I made them each a Nature Journal, and they've gone out and started looking for bugs, birds, trees, etc., to add to it.

We still read chapter books daily, and we are back into the library habit, which means we are reading fun shorter books every day, too. Thomas will sit for a long time and seems to love the chapter books, but I think the picture books are really good for him, too. 

So we haven't made radical curriculum changes, but everyone is enjoying school more, they seem to be learning more, and we have time to do the things I think are truly important when you are six and under.

may 3: my bed

Definitely on the Top 10 list when it comes to my favorite things.

My husband promised me a new mattress before baby #2 was born. (Side note: Our first one came from Vince, who frequented the coffee shop Warren used to manage. Vince knew a guy, and if we would only meet him at his creepy warehouse, he would set us up. True story.) We went shopping, did the whole Princess and the Pea thing, but it was impossible to compare mattresses/prices. Ever-researching husband didn't want to settle and end up with something that would feel like lumpy oatmeal (or grits if you're from the south), and I just wanted him to choose something, now. But the man does not make hasty (or many bad) decisions, and found this company: Bed in a Box

Yep. Bed in a Box. Sounds cozy, doesn't it!?! But he decided if we went with this company, we could get top quality for our buck.(He even called some of the businesses located around Bed in a Box to make sure it was legitimate. And one business owner said he had one of the mattresses, and was very pleased.) And did we EVER. A memory foam mattress that is as comfortable today as when we bought it. I sing his praises almost every night, and that mattress came two days before Adeline was born. Five years ago. It was one of those things the Lord still uses to help me trust my husband. Because every single night I benefit from his research and good judgment. And I am in love with my mattress. And him, but we both highly esteem the mattress.

may 2: excitement

Continuing with the theme A Few of my Favorite Things, in no particular order...

2. Excited little people
Children see the world so differently than boring adults. They can throw their hearts into a rousing rendition of the Winnie the Pooh theme song and think their mother is the funniest person in the world when she sings the whole thing with every word beginning with the letter "B." It isn't hard to find a thousand favorite things when you are surrounded by little people. I think the Lord gives emotional highs in exchange for all the physical lows experienced in this stage. Here are just two examples of things they said that brought a little smile to my face today:

Adeline: At first when you turned around, I thought the side of your arm looked skinny, but then I saw it was not skinny. I said not skinny because we aren't allowed to say you are fat.  (Why does this keep coming up?) Then they all decided it was okay (with my whole-hearted approval) to call babies fat. Cooper said it was because they can't really hear you very well when you say it.

Thomas asked me if I have green or red letters in my name. No idea.
 
Getting back to the excitement of little people, this is Adeline after her chocolate chip pancake breakfast (Sunday night, because we had more time to be together), opening a few birthday presents one day early:

She had a fairly long list of birthday wishes, listing minutia such as "for my birthday snack, I would like..." As if she were the queen. Except on your birthday you do kind of get to be queen, so I went ahead and bought the birthday snack. Being part of a larger family means you don't always get as many options; you learn to go with the flow. But on  your birthday, you get to direct the show. I think that's kind of fun. And it really doesn't take much to get these kids excited. (Yes, she asked for garden tools for her birthday.)

Happy First Day of May

3:42pm
I'm taking a little apple and peanut butter snack break in honor of the day. And because you know what May brings (other than showers): Every Day in May, the blogging challenge we all love to hate. Just kidding, it's really a great motivation to re-enter the blog sphere for a few weeks and feel less guilty the rest of the year when I go for months without an appearance. This year, I think I will go with a theme for my daily blog entries. A very broad theme: A few of my favorite things. Mostly things I'm thankful for, products I've come to love, etc. Like Oprah, but lighter (brighter?) and no live audience. And without all the money and giveaways! Don't worry, it will be fun.

The first of the month is always busy around here, but we have three in-town birthdays in the family this week (several more out-of-towners), including my firstborn girl. Here she is, in all her 5 year old glory:

There were other, better pictures, but this is so her. Her mouth is moving- she NEVER STOPS TALKING. Wears me out. But more on birthdays tomorrow.

I need to find all the library books and check them off the list and return them. Not my favorite job. Although I do love going to the library, even if last time I found out I owed $30 in fines (thankfully, they cap it at $10), only take cash (which I didn't have on me), and won't let you get any books until it's paid. Even more thankful was I for the presence of my mother, when hearing about said large fine, the baby had a blow-out  on me in the sling. Not only did my Mom have the necessary cash to make everyone happy that we didn't have to leave without books, but she also kept me from hauling all the kids back out to the car while I cleaned everything up. That was the day I decided never to go anywhere again. So, I guess you could say I used to love going to the library. In all seriousness, I really do like the trip, I just need to learn to check out less than 50 books so it's not such a huge event.


And honestly, that's all the time I have. Apple is gone. Laundry mounds are heaping up and when I look at them I have to talk myself out of hyperventilating. You can do it. It will only take a few minutes.And then it will be clean for about 12 hours before a new pile will start, and that's way longer than the floors stay clean.

I should stop writing about what I need to do and do the Nike thing. Or the responsible, love-my-family and work thing.

If you want to link up and join your fellow bloggers in the Every Day in May challenge, feel free. These are some of my friends participating (all their blogs are in my sidebar):
Lea, at Blog it All (who actually started this crazy tradition)
Tracy, at Making the Trek
Mandi, at The Eagle's Nest
my Mom, at Cheaper by the Bakers Dozen? (hint hint)