Teaching nutrition
We make a point every day to feed the boys healthy organic foods. They are very aware of what is nutritious and what is not.
Sometimes, on a tired morning, you just want to offer easy food and all this healthy talk comes and stabs you in the back.
Me: L, do you want some cereal?
L: No. Today I would like a healthy breakfast.
darnit.
Good Morning to a beautiful day.
Christmas portrait…
We just took this picture today. Usually, we take the pic on Christmas day every year but somehow didn’t manage it this time around. Now, it’s time to take the decorations down! Yay, in a way, because we get our living room back. 🙂
The house is back in order (yay) which means a full schedule of lessons begins next week. It’s easier when the bookshelves are in place and books are easily available. The boys had a challenge today as they played chess against other kids at the library while I went to yoga with a friend. Steve lost to the provincial champ. He is 10. Smart kids! Okay, Steve has only played a few times and I have never. After dinner L and I played a game of checkers (L wanted to play chess but it would have been a short game) while Steve and X played Battleship. See pic below: Let’s just say, L’s pieces are the yellow ones. Oh, and X sank all off Daddy’s battleships! Kids these days! 🙂
This afternoon Catherine and I went to yoga and did 108 Sun Salutations with about 50 other wonderful people. It took two hours to get through all 108. One sun salutation set includes about 8 to 10 postures. Multiply that by 108 and that’s a tired but satisfied girl! Dont’ know if I’ll be able to lift my arms tomorrow…totally worth it!
~namaste~
 [UPDATE] Conner wasn’t 10. He was 12. Sheesh! Give me some credit. 😛
-stephen
Getting things done – and catching up…
Yesterday was a very productive day and I even found some time to relax. It’s a new way I have of doing things. First, I admit to the fact that as much as I hate being a stickler and anal, being anal about scheduling can be a good thing. Maybe anal isn’t the right word here. I am not stressing if I don’t get through the schedule, but I am adding less to the schedule and including time for me. I don’t try to deviate too much and so far, it’s worked!
The boys and I did the Yoga Kids video when we came downstairs in the morning. (We’ve done various yoga dvd’s three days in a row now! Yipee!) Then had breakfast and I made some GF banana chocolate chip muffins. Then some of this awesome Historic Grains GF bread. I thought I’d give it a try using my hands like many wonderful women before me who didn’t have the luxury of a Kitchen-Aid mixer, mind you it was at least a little tempting to pick one up when they were $200 off during the holidays. Instead of using the mixer for four minutes to heat up the yeast and make sure all ingredients are well combined, I put four minutes on the microwave timer, have a seat and mix with my hand. Ouch. Pretty tough labour there but well worth it. The taste is well worth the work!
Steve came home with a migraine early afternoon for which I do not envy him at all. So, while he chilled with the boys, I went on to other things on my list. Mind you, the rest of the list came after the boys had finished their lessons for the day, including some fun grammar involving acting out the poem Dancing by Eleanor Farjeon. What does this have to do with grammar. Verbs, of course! Gotta love school!
Okay, on with the list. I managed to fix X’s new Pidove. He is a Pokemon that X picked out as part of his using a gift card from Nanna and Pappa. Then, I mended the seam on a stuffed snake he got a while ago when we went to a reptile place, ah the right word escapes me for that place, but it was while we were visiting Nanna and Pappa two years ago. The seam split probably about a year ago.
I’m getting better at this mending thing though as the last piece of the pile was the bottoms to X’s new pj’s. Each Christmas eve the boys get new pj’s and Xman’s bottoms were stupid-huge in the waist. Totally too big. But, he loved them and the top fit perfectly. Go figure. So, I fixed the bottoms. I had to pull out a lot of the waist band and in making it smaller, had to make the back/bum seam smaller, too. I have never done this type of surgery and was hoping that the elastic around the waist wasn’t sewn into the waistband but it was. That’s okay. I got to use the serger setting on my new sewing machine! I am in love with my sewing machine in the way anyone who loves sewing can be and can’t wait to do more! I bought it used on Kijiji months ago because the one I have weighs a ton, more like 30 lbs at least and if I dropped it I’d easily crush my foot. Easily, pinky swear. And that freaked me out a bit. So, I got the new machine from a wonderful older lady who purchased the machine, used it once, and then realized it was more than she needed. Thank you Kijiji. And, it only took me two months to finally sit down and use it which is way better than the history of my serger, which never left the box. Steve, don’t say a thing. 🙂 I eventually sold the serger to a textiles student at the art college who was thrilled to take it off my hands for half of what I paid. No kidding.
Not too bad a job for a first time doing this type of thing and really wanting to finish it so X could wear them to bed. I finished them as Steve got the boys into their bath. Whew!
It’s not as neat as I’d like around the waist but it won’t come apart and I barely had any material to fold over. So, I’m okay with that. 🙂
Well, goodness me! I almost forgot! I finished this too!
“What is that?” you ask. “It’s my first felted piece and I’m totally thrilled with it!”, I say. “It’s a tea cozie (duh) and felting it was easier than I expected!” It finished drying overnight and is a perfect ‘grandé soy chai latté’ fit!
I’m going to do these nests next, as X decided to take the cozie for Pidove.
Okay, that’s three posts in two days. Sweet! Now, what’s next on my list is….ah…hmmm…didn’t plan this far ahead. Apparently, there’s a hole in my scheduling planning. Gotta work on that.
Christmas may be over but…
…that doesn’t mean you can’t finish that gingerbread house!
The boys had a great time decorating.
I think part of me just wanted to enjoy the process and not be too uptight about trying to make it perfect. It’s definitely not perfect…
…but we all had a great time! Oh, and if you look closely, there is a boy on the rooftop (Daddy) and a girl with two boys at the bottom.
L upgraded our car. First he set out a green van with a sun roof which is the closest in Hot Wheels to a Mazda 5, and he knows that I’d love a sunroof. Thanks, L! I’ve always wanted a red convertible! I guess we will keep the Mazda for family drives. I can totally handle that. 🙂
Your bum looks funny
Me (stepping out of the shower): Oh, hey kiddo. Did you have a good sleep?
X: Daddy’s bum looks funny.
Me: What? It does? What do you mean?
X: It looks like this… (turns away and pulls his pants down) …but three of them — all stuck together.
Me: Three of them?
X: Yup! (pulls pants up and turns back around) But only two of L’s. His bum is bigger.
blooming tea…
I experienced something I never knew could happen, or maybe I just hadn’t ever thought of it before so the idea of it was out of my head, I guess you could say. Catherine, a friend of mine, offered me tea as she had so many times before during one of my visits with the boys. As an aside, we take turns coming over to each other’s homes weekly so we can chat and the kids can play together. The four of them get along amazingly well, and as they, too are home schooled, visits can conveniently happen during the day, a good time to indulge in some good company and good caffeinated drinking!
Although the tea Catherine offered to me this time was herbal – I am a pretty die-hard black tea drinker, especially anything with the name ‘earl’ in it – I couldn’t pass on the offer. Seriously, when someone tells you they have some ‘blossom tea, would you like to try it? you have to see what happens to it when you add the water!’ how can you say, ‘no thanks, not interested’?
Not only was it one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen but the tea was good. Really. I don’t care for herbals and it was gooood. Maybe my taste buds were a bit swayed by what my brain had witnessed but so be it.
Catherine boiled some water, took out this cute little glass teapot and popped in one of the buds. Then she poured in the water. The transformation was the coolest thing and started to happen instantaneously. The flower changed from a tightly packed little bud into a series of little flowers where each new bud opened up to reveal another.
The company that makes the tea is “Teavana, the flavour is peach Momotaro, the style of tea is blooming tea”.  Thanks, Catherine! 🙂
~happy tea drinkin’!~
my commitment
My Commitment Moving Forward (inspired by Natalie…)
- I will thank God for my blessings every, single day
- I will LOVE and CHERISH my children and my husband every moment, with every breath
- When I am weighed down by the thoughts that often haunt me I will accept them for their being part of me but not let them overcome me because my reasons for ‘being’ far outweigh those for not
- I will create for the sake of creating, for me, for the purity of it and how it makes me feel
- I will do yoga and meditation three times a week
- I will listen to my ‘inner voice’ that comes from my soul and let go of things external that drown out that voice, for they are not real
- I will make time for me and not feel guilty; for when I reconnect with myself and am rested in body and spirit I can give so much more to those I love so dearly
~love u all, happy year~
Merry Christmas to all
Oh, what a beautiful feeling,
Oh what a wonderful day,
I’ve got wonderful feeling
This is going to be a great Christmas Day!
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Despite the fact that both L and I had been awake since about 1:30 or 2am when he came to sleep next to me (Steve had went into bed with X) today turned out rather wonderfully. L was just too excited to sleep and try as he may, he tossed and turned and kept us both awake for the most part. I pulled through with half excitement for such a great day to spend with my favourite men and four cups of tea and one coffee. No, five cups of tea and I think I may put the water on soon again. 🙂
There is no need to go through all the details but here are some highlights of our gift opening frenzy. But, first, let me say that last year it was a frenzy and the paper wrapping was splayed everywhere. The actual unwrapping of gifts may have lasted five minutes. It was fast. Cleanup took longer. So, being who I am, I prepared by having the boys take turns opening gifts and in between I gathered up the wrapping into a bag and placed the bows aside to reuse next year. I only took a few pics along the way because I didn’t want to miss the moments that Christmas morning brings. Being behind a camera (I used a real camera this time) detaches me a bit and I don’t always like that. Especially when it’s me boys!
Santa came. as you know, from my last post, leaving some gifts for both boys and some stocking goodies. We left Santa some soy milk and some cookie goodies as well (he got the non-burnt cookies). He must have been in a hurry because he didn’t finish the last cookie…I hope that is no reflection on my baking skills…
One big point for Santa. The big guy managed to get one thing on Xman’s list. Kai and his motorcycle. Trés kewl and happy boy, too.
Santa scored again. Whew! He got L something he really wanted although it wasn’t on the list. But, Santa didn’t let down L there either and did get him ‘anything Lego’. L got a super-cool Lego game as well, Heroica.
X has a mad love for caterpillars and has two Eric Carle Caterpillars, one being a stuffie from last year and one a puppet for his birthday this year. No, there is caterpillar #3, the game. He likes it! He likes it!
Funny story. One time after Steve picked me up from work, we went next door to ToysRUs. They’d just opened at that location and are bigger than their store in the mall. Anyway, both Steve and I were tired so I went into the store with the boys and Steve went next door to get he and I a tea and coffee. Just inside the entrance to this ToysRUs is the game section. That is where we waited for Daddy. Geez, he really took a long time and I was starting to wonder what was up. Apparently, as he told me later in a funny way only he can relay this story (sorry you can’t hear this from him as it really is funny) he told me that he went in another entrance figuring we headed for the Lego section. Lego is always the ultimate destination. Isn’t it for everyone? On the way there he noticed a Pikachu toy that X has wanted for weeks, maybe longer. We told him no, as Christmas was coming so no toy buying now. Once we were in the store and the toy was there and the next time it was gone. X was very upset. So, upon seeing it in stock this time, Steve grabbed it and did a quick check of the store to make sure we didn’t see him. We were still hanging around the game section, right next to the cash registers. It was like a mission almost impossible for him. Here he was standing in line, swaying back and forth behind a pillar by the check out, each time he saw us move to another game isle. I never saw him once, but from what he says, it was entertaining for those in line, watching a father trying to hide in open site from his children, to buy a little gift for his son. He done good, as they say, that’s for sure. X was so thrilled and has no idea he was going to get his beloved Pikachu. Way to go, Daddio.
Once all gifts were open the boys set about putting together some Lego. I know. Shocking.
Steve and I don’t get each other gifts for Christmas but this time we did. Why? Don’t know really. And that’s a good reason, no reason at all. Just because and it was nice. Steve got Perplexus Epic, so now we have all three. Kewl. And he also got book 2 and 3 of the Buffy comic season 8 series. Super kewl!
Steve got me a Buddha charm to complete my collection. This meant so much to me as I’d been wanting one for a long time. The sun charm I had bought while living in Banff in the 90’s, the jade cross from a crazy weekend spent with friends outside of Edmonton at a crazy weekend music fest called Highwood. Probably the best part of the weekend was that purchase. I just like it. Now, I have Buddha, too. I smile.
To top it off he got me this super-neat Buddha Board mini. I had never heard of it before. It is a thin layer of rock that sits kind of like an easel when open. You take the brush that comes with it and draw something on it. If you make a mistake, that’s okay. In time, the water will evaporate and you have a clean slate. Perfect. Steve put a little note on it for me once I opened it. Teary-eyed me? Yes.
Late afternoon we got ourselves changed and over to Steve’s parents for dinner. So yum. We stuffed ourselves full of Tofurky roast with all the trimmin’s. Now, the boys are snug as bugs in a rug with some of their toys waiting next to their beds for the morning to come.
A Christmas just isn’t complete without a little “White Christmas”. So off I go, to spend some time with my man…and Bing…and Danny…good times indeed.
Merry Christmas everyone.
~love~
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