despite all best efforts, all my sweat and tears,
October 30, 2009
Why do I bother?
despite all best efforts, all my sweat and tears,
October 28, 2009
Easily impressed. Sorry, can't help it.
Call me easily impressed.
Or maybe I'm just easily impressed because I'm her mother but I love her drawings.
I think we'll have to take out a second mortgage on the house in order to support Savannah's paper addiction.
But she just LOVES to draw. She loves to cut and paste and draw some more.
She was writing the alphabet long before she could read it because she liked to "draw" the letters.
Here is her latest family portrait. If I had kept every single family portrait this girl has ever drawn, I would probably be able to fill the bathtub full with them. I love that we are all holding hands except for Alayna... because she's not tall enough yet.
I don't know what is considered "normal" or "average" when it comes to kids and all their many stages, but I seriously was impressed with these next two drawings.
Its got the scary background, two pirates with mean faces and swords. A treasure chest and a key. Her name is even written so it would be scary. At least that's what she told me.
October 27, 2009
Brothers... definitely
October 26, 2009
You know, I've never seen that before...
October 23, 2009
Flashback Friday
The Whitcomb family was getting ready to move. Their family was good friends with ours. They had 4 kids. Their oldest was a couple years older than I was, his name was Drew and we were good friends. I remember my siblings teasing us about liking each other but in my totally naive way, the thought had never occurred to me. I just looked at him as one of my best friends.
They came over for one last dinner before their move and afterwards all of us kids decided to play a game of hide-and-go-seek in the dark, one of our all time favorites.
I had a small glow in the dark disk that fit in the palm of my hand that I was carrying around with me. I don't know why I was, I just was. So there.
During one of the games, Drew and I ran to my sister's room and crouched down in the corner as I tried to hide my glow in the dark disk with my hands.
"Here. " Drew whispered, as he placed one of his hands on top of mine, "Let's hide it together."
Truth be told, my first thought was, well that's just silly, I can hide it just fine by myself.
But as the minutes slowly ticked by it suddenly struck me like a ton of bricks. It was just a trick to hold my hand... and he thinks that I want him too because I'm letting him!
Of all the sneaky.......
I suddenly felt like I was committing a grievous sin. Sitting here in the dark, holding hands with a boy! I was mortified! (Kind of how I feel now when I first look at myself in the mirror when I wake up)
But I also didn't want to hurt his feelings. (because I use to be nice like that) So I racked my brain as to how to get myself out of the situation.
Gathering my wits that I must have left somewhere on the intelligence table, I finally told him that we should sneak out of out hiding place and go somewhere else and with that I broke contact.
I don't remember what happened after that up until we stood outside and watched their family drive off.
"Mom, I need to talk to you." I was scared to death! Surely I was going to get into trouble, I just knew I would.
I can still see in my minds eye my mom sitting in a chair while I sat on the floor in front of her just bawling as I related what had happened and apologizing profusely, swearing that I had no idea what he had been doing!
You see, I was a good girl and didn't ever want to disappoint my parents or do anything wrong. (I know, some people, right)
Now, I can only imagine her amusement as she tried not to laugh at my distraught form. I remember being surprised when she told me it was okay and that I wasn't in trouble. I was stunned and so relieved! (kind of how I feel now when I discover that the big wet spot on the baby's bum in not from a leaky diaper, but from the big glass of water that one of the boys had just spilled all over the floor)
I sure hope your first hand holding experience was better than mine!
October 21, 2009
More and More....
I FINALLY got around to making Mock Jam using green tomatoes. I made a batch of raspberry and a batch of strawberry flavored jam.
I wouldn't go so far as to say that you would never know the difference. The taste is a tad different. But I can see how when you eat it with something you would probably never know the difference.
I know, I know. (sigh) I'm just so accomplished.
How's my tomato mountain doing? Well thanks for asking.
Tada!
October 20, 2009
Crazy Hair Day
I did my best, I really did. But as you can see, hair styling is not a strong point of mine. I am completely incapable to getting pigtails even.
But who cares right? After all, it IS crazy hair day! Well, I care! I try but the part in her hair is never straight, her pigtails, no matter how hard I try, are NEVER, EVER even.
But really, is there some magic trick that gets taught somewhere about how to get pigtails straight? Some secret book that gets circulated through the cool mommy club?
Because right now, I'm feeling very left out.
October 19, 2009
I love books
The Twelve Dancing Princesses.
I know it looks like I staged this photo, but I didn't. It makes me laugh.
So how do you fit reading into your day? I really want to know because I need to learn how to pace myself with a book. If I read at night I tend to read all night long.
And what about your kids? Savannah is getting to the point where she'll sit and listen to longer stories with less pictures. Know of any good series?
(sigh) I love books. Do you love books? I love books. Have I mentioned that yet?
October 17, 2009
Just Barely Overheard
and
"That's not your castle Jacob!" she said pointing to her carefully crafted couch cushions, THAT'S your castle!" she added pointing to a corner with absolutely nothing in it. "Only two people allowed. We are married (referring to herself and Joseph) and you're not!"
Me: (sigh)
October 14, 2009
Gifts
October 13, 2009
Hard Work and Instant Gratification
Anyhow, I've been busy busy busy, loaded down with a million little things and plenty of big ones. Probably nothing exciting for you readers but for me, WAY exciting, like awesomely exciting! Here's a few highlights.
First up, tomatoes. Yes, back to the old mountain of tomatoes. So I've tried my hand at bottling and guess what? SOOO easy!! But VERY time consuming. I always wondered why my neighbor would take the whole day to do one vegetable at a time. One day was corn, another beans, another tomaotes! Eek! Now I know.
I found a recipe for Italian stewed tomatoes since I cook with them a lot.
FOUR HOURS later, I have six bottles. Haha, seems kind of ridiculous for only six bottles. Oh well. I still had a bunch of ripe red tomatoes left so after making a batch of Pico de Gallo, (thank Brittany, SO good!) I went ahead and bottled the rest and got six bottles of bottled tomatoes.
I know, its silly, but I feel the strangest sense of accomplishment just looking at these 12 jars. It was a lot of hard work to get those 12 bottles done! Not as much as when I look at the next picture but still, I feel so.......... strangely accomplished!
Now I'm going to try the mock jam using green tomatoes. Who knew it would be so exciting?
I feel all... homemaker-ish.
Here's another totally, awesomely cool thing. (well, for me anyway)Luke picked the pumpkins that we grew in our garden and he and the kids carved them! It was so fun.
Here's a better view of Joseph's outfit and a good look at Jacob's face, which is what Luke was basing his pumpkin's expression on.
I know, I know, we shouldn't seek for instant gratification for it brings no lasting happiness... unless you're talking about sod!
Luke finally gave in, said he was sick of all the dirt and we got enough scrap sod (cause its was cheaper) to do the whole back yard! This way the kids will have a nice backyard to play in come spring and we won't have to worry about them playing in a big muddy mess.
(sniff) Its just so beautiful! I helped Luke unload one pallet before the kids were complaining about dying of starvation so I had to go take care of them. By that time Luke's brother showed up to lend a hand. Good thing because my back was very angry at me. (sigh) I'm getting old.
Um, I would just like to say that those rolls of grass are heavy!
October 9, 2009
Oh gracious she is cute!
Flashback Friday with a Present Day Twist
I was sitting in the glider, rocking Alayna, when Jacob approached me.
"Mommy, what's that?" he asked pointing at my forehead. He stood there staring intently, his forehead wrinkled in concentration. It only took me a moment to realize what he was pointing at.
As a kid, my older brother Caleb use to tell me that the chicken pock scars on my head were really alien craters from when the aliens had landed. I guess they were really tiny aliens.
In my mind as a kid and for a while as a teenager, I thought that when people looked at me it was the only thing they saw. That I had these gigantic gaping holes smack in the middle of my forehead.
Gee thanks bro.
I thought they were so painfully obvious that once I was introduced to the world of make-up, I tried to hide them by "filling" them with foundation in an attempt to make my head smooth. I tried it several times but you know, it never did work.
Caleb use to tease me about them relentlessly. I do seem to recall he enjoyed making me squirm over it.
Now, of course I hardly notice them and when I do, they don't bother me a bit.
So I looked at Jacob, and at the other kids who were also staring at me intently now, Savannah with a slight look of concern and I said, "Those are alien craters where the aliens landed while I was sleeping! Who knows what they took when I wasn't looking!"
Jacob stood there for a moment staring, then said in complete awe, "Awians? Ohhhh."
Haha, I'm not sure he even knows what aliens are!
Besides, who wants a perfect complexion? How boring would that be.