Grains of Sand

With the arrival of fall, I thought we all needed a reminder from the Peanuts.

Welcome to the birthday zone!  We don't just celebrate birth days, we celebrate birth months!  This month we celebrate Mason!   One of Mason's favorite things right now is construction. Or as he calls it, "truck n' dirt".  From the construction workers and their tools, to the trucks they drive.  We had the opportunity to visit a quarry and ride in an articulated dumper, be at the controls of an excavator and play in as much dirt and sand as an almost 3 year old could want. The cab of an articulated dumper.  We're sitting in the bed of another one. There were tubs full of super fine sand.  Finer than any sand this girl has played in.  One of the kids thought it was just like brown sugar. I'm not much for playing in sand, so I people watched and took a picture of my shadow. :) Playing in the dirt while waiting in line for the excavator. In the driver's seat. Serious business.  He onl...

I recently read Fat Mum Slim's post about breastfeeding her babies.  That post tugged at my heart strings and brought up some not so happy memories of my breastfeeding experiences.  The last sentence in the first paragraph says it all, breastfeeding is hard. I breastfed all four of my babies and all four were hard!  My first was without a doubt the most trying emotionally.  I was a new mom and wanted to share this special time with my new little one.  I remember being up during the wee hours of the morning trying to enjoy this magical feeding and bonding time with my firstborn.  Those magical feeding times were just like unicorns.... non-existent.  Those wee hours consisted of Logan crying, me crying and my sleep deprived husband rubbing my back and bringing me glasses of water.  We eventually got it together, but it was a r.o.u.g.h couple of weeks. Cue the arrival of my second son just 23 months later.  I rememb...

FOR TODAY September 23, 2013 Outside my window... a beautiful sunrise shining through some early morning fog. I am thinking... the leaves are changing color rapidly! I am thankful... for the warm afternoon sunshine that spills in my windows. In the kitchen... cucumbers, zucchini and cauliflower from the garden. I am wearing... charcoal gray sweatpants and my track and field sweatshirt.  I just got in from an invigorating walk. It felt good! I am creating... a birdcage cover with fun patterned materials. I am going... to write some letters to some very special children today. I am wondering... how my sister is doing.  She is still in the hospital with her new little one.  It's been three weeks.  She is heavy on my heart. I just finished reading... Sleeping in Eden by Nicole Baart.  I quite enjoyed it. I am hoping... to take the advice of some wise mothers who tell me to enjoy these days, weeks, months and years with my children because ...

Our first co-op meeting for the new school year is now just a memory.  It felt good to see everyone and meet new friends.  Co-op is a wonderful way for the kids to remember that they are not on this learning journey alone.  Yes, there are other kids in the world who have schoolwork too!  It is not some evil plan mom thought up just to take away some play time! As our core curriculum we are using Tapestry of Grace and we are currently in year 2.  This past week our focus was on the Byzantine Empire and the rise of Islam. Ethan made a mosque and told the class a little about it's distinctive features.   Megan made a triptych.  The "painting" is of a dragon and some guys living in tents.  Not exactly the Byzantine Empire theme... but that's how we roll.     Logan wrote a 3 page(!) report on the history of the Byzantine Empire.  Our long term goal for the year is to improve our writing.  I'm pretty impres...

Do you remember my pantry post?  Well, I have news that should scare my nemesis.  My pantry has been chosen by Better Homes and Gardens to receive an organizational makeover!  Yay! The Amandas are the mastermind behind the project.  After browsing their website and talking to Amanda, I'm  confident the fight against dis-organization can be won.  I can't wait to tackle this organizational challenge!