The cutest little baby you ever did see!
Turtle boy...
Swimming in September...in MINNESOTA! It was a gorgeous 80 degrees, so we headed to the beach!
The river had many interesting little things to catch.
October 18, 2008
September 22, 2008
To Thine Ownself Be True
Grubby Gurgle, Stanky Stoo and Ooga-Mooga have it all figured out! They’re so sure of themselves, they sing this song:
“Oh, we are Nasty Gnarlies,
We like to make a mess.
Getting stuck in yucky muck
Is what we like the best!
“We’re fabulously smelly,
Like pungent potpourri.
What could be more beautiful
Than nasty gnarly we?”
But then along comes Snooty Judy Butterfly, quickly setting them straight. *She* is exquisite, PERFECT, actually…(her words). Of course, the poor nasty gnarlies believe that they are now less, and that they really need to live up to her standard of beauty. In vain they wrap themselves up, on Snooty Judy’s advice, hoping they’ll wake up in the spring as beautiful as she.
Of course, they cannot change who they really are, and thankfully come to realize that maybe Snooty Judy Butterfly has it all wrong.
“Our beauty IS our gnarliness.
We were pretty all along!” says Stanky Stoo.
“I like that thought,” said Grubby.
“Our funk is quite divine!
I don’t want to be a butterly,
I’d rather bathe in slime!”
“I gotta be ME!” sang Stanky
Fittingly, I read this book to the boys at a time when I needed reminded of the simple message inside. Embrace who you are.
Love who you are.
Be Grateful for who you *are*.
And tell all of those Snooty Judy’s in your life just where they can go!
And then, rush to your library and read this book to your kids!
_Three Nasty Gnarlies_ by Keith Graves
“Oh, we are Nasty Gnarlies,
We like to make a mess.
Getting stuck in yucky muck
Is what we like the best!
“We’re fabulously smelly,
Like pungent potpourri.
What could be more beautiful
Than nasty gnarly we?”
But then along comes Snooty Judy Butterfly, quickly setting them straight. *She* is exquisite, PERFECT, actually…(her words). Of course, the poor nasty gnarlies believe that they are now less, and that they really need to live up to her standard of beauty. In vain they wrap themselves up, on Snooty Judy’s advice, hoping they’ll wake up in the spring as beautiful as she.
Of course, they cannot change who they really are, and thankfully come to realize that maybe Snooty Judy Butterfly has it all wrong.
“Our beauty IS our gnarliness.
We were pretty all along!” says Stanky Stoo.
“I like that thought,” said Grubby.
“Our funk is quite divine!
I don’t want to be a butterly,
I’d rather bathe in slime!”
“I gotta be ME!” sang Stanky
Fittingly, I read this book to the boys at a time when I needed reminded of the simple message inside. Embrace who you are.
Love who you are.
Be Grateful for who you *are*.
And tell all of those Snooty Judy’s in your life just where they can go!
And then, rush to your library and read this book to your kids!
_Three Nasty Gnarlies_ by Keith Graves
September 20, 2008
HolyKow!!!
The following post was written a week ago, finally getting published today:
We spent the day (Friday, September 12) with a fabulously fun unschooling family! There’s hardly anything better than being with people who are so incredibly gentle and respectful towards their children. We all have so much to offer and to learn from one another. It’s such a gift to really *get* that.
Stone was reluctant, at first, to go. The night before, he told me plainly that he didn’t want to. I asked if we could sleep on it, and see how he felt about it in the morning. Upon waking, he tells me again, “I don’t want to go.” This time, I offer up the option of going and then leaving right away if he just isn’t into it. He agrees. And it ends up being Stone who is the hardest to drag away from his new found buddy and their secret hide-out among the bushes. They’re already making plans for their next meeting, MD agreeing to leave the stick Stone discovered in the exact place until he returns, adding that it’ll actually be invisible, too, and only he and Stone will be able to see it.
We were educated (as much as we could be during one afternoon!) on the whole dairy cow operation. We saw beautiful mama’s and had babies suckle our fingers; we fed hay and tmr (total mixed ration) to a few, giggling as we watched their gigantic tongues slurp up the goods. Sage and I accompanied Gigi and her papa out to the pasture to bring the cows in for milking. There are 94 who are all named and recognized by the father of the operation. It was a beautiful thing to see the love he has for them. We all watched the milking process for a while, and chatted with the two men doing the work. Saylor and Alex are making plans for Saylor to bring along his machete and hatchet next time. It appears Alex has some brush she’d like cleared! ;) Boy, has she found her man!
We had corn dogs and chicken nuggets and tmr (for humans) salad, and strawberry shortcake and Kool-Aid for lunch. The kids played upstairs with oh so many new and interesting toys. They played the Wii together for a while. MD introduced a new on-line game to the boys, and the boys helped him with his new World of Warcraft character. They all climbed onto the treadmill together. They watched snippets of My Little Pony and The Last Unicorn and The Simpson’s and Family Guy. We’ll be visiting them again soon, hopefully a couple more times before we head back to Rapid City.
Another beautiful family is entering our circle and for that I am deeply grateful. It’s truly exciting to think we could point randomly to almost any state in the country, and know we’d have an open invitation to be with people just like this, with open minds and open hearts. It just doesn’t get any better than that!
****UPDATE****
As I publish this post from last week, we find ourselves at the PolyKow residence once again. We came up here on Thursday afternoon, and spent Thursday and Friday night here with our friends. I'll post more about this visit with photos soon (maybe?)! No guarantees!!! :)
We spent the day (Friday, September 12) with a fabulously fun unschooling family! There’s hardly anything better than being with people who are so incredibly gentle and respectful towards their children. We all have so much to offer and to learn from one another. It’s such a gift to really *get* that.
Stone was reluctant, at first, to go. The night before, he told me plainly that he didn’t want to. I asked if we could sleep on it, and see how he felt about it in the morning. Upon waking, he tells me again, “I don’t want to go.” This time, I offer up the option of going and then leaving right away if he just isn’t into it. He agrees. And it ends up being Stone who is the hardest to drag away from his new found buddy and their secret hide-out among the bushes. They’re already making plans for their next meeting, MD agreeing to leave the stick Stone discovered in the exact place until he returns, adding that it’ll actually be invisible, too, and only he and Stone will be able to see it.
We were educated (as much as we could be during one afternoon!) on the whole dairy cow operation. We saw beautiful mama’s and had babies suckle our fingers; we fed hay and tmr (total mixed ration) to a few, giggling as we watched their gigantic tongues slurp up the goods. Sage and I accompanied Gigi and her papa out to the pasture to bring the cows in for milking. There are 94 who are all named and recognized by the father of the operation. It was a beautiful thing to see the love he has for them. We all watched the milking process for a while, and chatted with the two men doing the work. Saylor and Alex are making plans for Saylor to bring along his machete and hatchet next time. It appears Alex has some brush she’d like cleared! ;) Boy, has she found her man!
We had corn dogs and chicken nuggets and tmr (for humans) salad, and strawberry shortcake and Kool-Aid for lunch. The kids played upstairs with oh so many new and interesting toys. They played the Wii together for a while. MD introduced a new on-line game to the boys, and the boys helped him with his new World of Warcraft character. They all climbed onto the treadmill together. They watched snippets of My Little Pony and The Last Unicorn and The Simpson’s and Family Guy. We’ll be visiting them again soon, hopefully a couple more times before we head back to Rapid City.
Another beautiful family is entering our circle and for that I am deeply grateful. It’s truly exciting to think we could point randomly to almost any state in the country, and know we’d have an open invitation to be with people just like this, with open minds and open hearts. It just doesn’t get any better than that!
****UPDATE****
As I publish this post from last week, we find ourselves at the PolyKow residence once again. We came up here on Thursday afternoon, and spent Thursday and Friday night here with our friends. I'll post more about this visit with photos soon (maybe?)! No guarantees!!! :)
September 10, 2008
Have you met Eli?
You gotta check him out! He's got the funniest dirty jokes, we've gotten many a belly laugh from them. This is one of our favorites, but do take the time to check out some of the others. Some are dirtier than others, but funny anyway!
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
August 23, 2008
We made a trip to Northfield last weekend (so I could shop at Target, they've only got an x-mart here...;) While Sage and I were shopping, the big boys and dad did some fishing, and snake cathcing, it appears!
Stone wanted to do some night fishing the other night, and the moon over the lake was just so pretty, I had to capture it to share with you all!
Being crazy!
Baiting the hook. Thank god the boys do that themselves, I'm such a wimp about tearing a poor little worm in half. Can't do it. Yick.
Sweetness....
Stone wanted to do some night fishing the other night, and the moon over the lake was just so pretty, I had to capture it to share with you all!
Being crazy!
Baiting the hook. Thank god the boys do that themselves, I'm such a wimp about tearing a poor little worm in half. Can't do it. Yick.
Sweetness....
Random Shots
the campsite (can ya tell 3 little boys live here?) currently not pictured are the dirt bike, the borrowed-from-Uncle-Jim 4-wheeler, and a battery powered 4-wheeler. And things that may be just out of view include a machete, several walking sticks, frog-catching nets, swimming gear, fishing poles, hatchets...and the list goes on! :)
Our wee littlest boy now rides on two wheels!!! He asked for his training wheels to be taken off last Saturday, and away he went. That makes for all of our sons to be two wheeler dudes at age 3. They amaze me!
Too cool for school! :)
Oh so proud! He was super stoked to be just like his big brothers.
How fitting that we should have a sign like this! Note the knife that kid is wielding! If you knew our boys, you'd REALLY get it!
Our wee littlest boy now rides on two wheels!!! He asked for his training wheels to be taken off last Saturday, and away he went. That makes for all of our sons to be two wheeler dudes at age 3. They amaze me!
Too cool for school! :) 
Oh so proud! He was super stoked to be just like his big brothers.
How fitting that we should have a sign like this! Note the knife that kid is wielding! If you knew our boys, you'd REALLY get it!
August 14, 2008
Birthday Pictures
...and a rare photo of the mama & the papa...can't remember the last time we were in a picture together
a family photo! Also, a rare occurrence!
Happy Birthday, Stone!
See that little speck on his tummy? It's a baby toad. The boys have been catching lots and lots. They're so cute! And the toads aren't bad, either! :)
Stone turned 7 today (wednesday, august 13) and had a really good birthday! The best part of it was that John happened to have the day off (most of it, anyway; he did leave around 6 for St. Cloud for an early Thursday start) so we all spent the day together.
I made biscuits and gravy for breakfast, outside on the grill while listening to U2 (that was nice). John and the boys went fishing right away and came back hungry and ready for grub. Stone did a little dirt bike riding and the boys played with the little girls who’d been here since Monday and were leaving today.
We zipped into town to take Stone shopping for his birthday at the local sporting goods store. He chose a very nice fishing pole, a minnow bucket and some lures. He was stoked and looking forward to dropping in a line asap.
We went to grab a cake at Hy-Vee. We weren’t able to find one complete with a wrestling scene, but he chose one that was suitable for him. Then, we headed over to a little local pizzeria to have pizza for lunch. We took the cake in and lit the candles and sang to him and did the whole works, even leaving a piece of cake for our very nice waitress.
Back to the bus we go to get the fishing gear and hit the lake. We drove down the road just a tad to a lake that’s not as green as the one we’re by in case the kids wanted to swim, too. John and the boys fished, I laid on the dock and read, pausing often to help Sage get his line unstuck, or untangled, or un-something! Saylor, Stone and Sage did do a little swimming while John and I sat on the dock and enjoyed each other’s company over a bowl of popcorn and an ice-cold coke.
A lovely day! And a brand new 7 year old!!! Wow…
Stone turned 7 today (wednesday, august 13) and had a really good birthday! The best part of it was that John happened to have the day off (most of it, anyway; he did leave around 6 for St. Cloud for an early Thursday start) so we all spent the day together.
I made biscuits and gravy for breakfast, outside on the grill while listening to U2 (that was nice). John and the boys went fishing right away and came back hungry and ready for grub. Stone did a little dirt bike riding and the boys played with the little girls who’d been here since Monday and were leaving today.
We zipped into town to take Stone shopping for his birthday at the local sporting goods store. He chose a very nice fishing pole, a minnow bucket and some lures. He was stoked and looking forward to dropping in a line asap.
We went to grab a cake at Hy-Vee. We weren’t able to find one complete with a wrestling scene, but he chose one that was suitable for him. Then, we headed over to a little local pizzeria to have pizza for lunch. We took the cake in and lit the candles and sang to him and did the whole works, even leaving a piece of cake for our very nice waitress.
Back to the bus we go to get the fishing gear and hit the lake. We drove down the road just a tad to a lake that’s not as green as the one we’re by in case the kids wanted to swim, too. John and the boys fished, I laid on the dock and read, pausing often to help Sage get his line unstuck, or untangled, or un-something! Saylor, Stone and Sage did do a little swimming while John and I sat on the dock and enjoyed each other’s company over a bowl of popcorn and an ice-cold coke.
A lovely day! And a brand new 7 year old!!! Wow…
Day 1: Minnesota
((This was written on Monday but published today...no internet at the campground, so grabbin' some wifi at the library...))
We made it safely to Minnesota. The drive was grueling, however. Or at least the first couple hours of it were. That’s what we get for staying out late the night before. We did have much fun together, though, so I think it was worth it?!? And to add to the excitement (and dread) of that first couple hours, Ruka (Stone’s kitten) locked the suburban, while it was running and we were all outside of it. Handy John was able to use a wire hanger and solve the problem, though. Lesson learned! Don’t leave the keys in the ignition while there’s a curious kitten on the prowl.
Day 1 here: The boys weren’t lacking in choices of what to do. They rode their bicycles, found frogs and itty bitty baby toads, rode the dirt bike, caught a handful of snakes (and I do mean handful, 4 in hand at one time is certainly a handful!) They fished first thing in the morning, but only caught a couple off the dock, so decided to occupy their time with other, above mentioned interests.
John rolled in here around 3:00, much to our delight! I had boneless pork ribs in the crockpot all day, but never made it to town to get BBQ sauce as intended, so instead made impromptu tostadas complete with shredded pork, rice, black beans and guacamole. Very good, indeed! We’ll do the BBQ thing tonight; the boys insist.
Stone turns 7 tomorrow! He’s requested a store bought wrestling cake so we’ll go look for one today. Also on the menu will be biscuits and gravy for breakfast and tacos for dinner.
Since it’s raining today, we’re planning a trip into town to find the library, grab some groceries, locate a few parks and the pool, make phone calls and check e-mail.
Oh, and the one bit of very bad news: I was taking a bag of garbage to the bin yesterday evening while Sage was watching Big Fish. Well, I guess this made Sage very angry so he threw the DVD case at our flat screen TV and broke it. We’re bummed, completely. He was upset, too. I heard him screaming so came quickly back to find him coming out of the bus and screaming that he “was mad so threw the case at the TV and broke it”. Bummer.
We made it safely to Minnesota. The drive was grueling, however. Or at least the first couple hours of it were. That’s what we get for staying out late the night before. We did have much fun together, though, so I think it was worth it?!? And to add to the excitement (and dread) of that first couple hours, Ruka (Stone’s kitten) locked the suburban, while it was running and we were all outside of it. Handy John was able to use a wire hanger and solve the problem, though. Lesson learned! Don’t leave the keys in the ignition while there’s a curious kitten on the prowl.
Day 1 here: The boys weren’t lacking in choices of what to do. They rode their bicycles, found frogs and itty bitty baby toads, rode the dirt bike, caught a handful of snakes (and I do mean handful, 4 in hand at one time is certainly a handful!) They fished first thing in the morning, but only caught a couple off the dock, so decided to occupy their time with other, above mentioned interests.
John rolled in here around 3:00, much to our delight! I had boneless pork ribs in the crockpot all day, but never made it to town to get BBQ sauce as intended, so instead made impromptu tostadas complete with shredded pork, rice, black beans and guacamole. Very good, indeed! We’ll do the BBQ thing tonight; the boys insist.
Stone turns 7 tomorrow! He’s requested a store bought wrestling cake so we’ll go look for one today. Also on the menu will be biscuits and gravy for breakfast and tacos for dinner.
Since it’s raining today, we’re planning a trip into town to find the library, grab some groceries, locate a few parks and the pool, make phone calls and check e-mail.
Oh, and the one bit of very bad news: I was taking a bag of garbage to the bin yesterday evening while Sage was watching Big Fish. Well, I guess this made Sage very angry so he threw the DVD case at our flat screen TV and broke it. We’re bummed, completely. He was upset, too. I heard him screaming so came quickly back to find him coming out of the bus and screaming that he “was mad so threw the case at the TV and broke it”. Bummer.
August 9, 2008
Together Again
John returned home to retrieve his family today. The man drove til late last night to get to the bus, then headed out to get here this afternoon to help me load things up and stuff.
So, we're off to Minnesota tomorrow morning, just the 5 of us (and the two dogs, the two birds and our kitty!)
But FIRST, me and my man are goin' dancin!!! There's a good band playing at the Firehouse so we're off to have a bit of fun!
Nighty night!
xxx
ooo
So, we're off to Minnesota tomorrow morning, just the 5 of us (and the two dogs, the two birds and our kitty!)
But FIRST, me and my man are goin' dancin!!! There's a good band playing at the Firehouse so we're off to have a bit of fun!
Nighty night!
xxx
ooo
July 21, 2008
Crash
Nothing serious, at least no bodily injury. Last Wednesday at 4:20 a.m. our vehicle was snoozing quietly on the street in front of our house when along comes a drunk driver who couldn't keep his vehicle in the center of the street and so crashed into ours. Someone on the next block down called it in right away and he was caught. The police came to our house around 5 a.m. to inform me of the incident. Of course, the "other guy" was driving on a suspended license with no insurance. And now, we shell out a $500 deductible because of it all.
After many deep breaths and reminding myself it could have all been so much worse, I'm doing my best to move on and let it go. Of course, I haven't actually had to write out that check yet, either.
Ok, more deep breaths....
After many deep breaths and reminding myself it could have all been so much worse, I'm doing my best to move on and let it go. Of course, I haven't actually had to write out that check yet, either.
Ok, more deep breaths....
July 14, 2008
Swimming All theTime!
That's what we do these days. Swim, swim, swim. Sage (3) is so completely comfortable in the water. He's intent on practicing his back float/stroke when he's got his beginner's swim vest on. It was so fun on Saturday to watch him work on swimming backwards. I stood far enough back to let him explore on his own, without my meddling. And wouldn't ya know it! He laid back some, but tried to keep his head up a bit too much, so next time, he laid back more, allowing his head to lay fully back into the water, chin up, and AWAY he went.
Stone is an official swimmer, now, too. He prefers to stay where he can touch, but the things he does in the water amaze me. Very fancy dolphin looking dives, and arched-back back flips, and lots of time spent underwater--with his goggles on. The eye/nose goggles take a whole lot of fear out of it for him, he can go under freely without worrying so much about water up the nose. That's a good thing!
Saylor is, and has been for quite some time, a full-on swimmer. Deep water, diving boards, the whole bit. He's been working lately on the perfect dive. He's got it down, too. He loves to dive off the side or off the board if one is available. Like Stone, he digs the eye/nose goggles. He even dives with them firmly in place. Ouch--(to me), but I guess it works for him!
Interestingly enough, Saylor was the only one who took swimming lessons, and that was back when he was 3 and I didn't know better yet. ;) The boys have simply been given lots of time in the water and room to explore. What a wonderful way to master the things most important to you! Just DO it! And do it and do it some more, and voila, you've got it down. No frustration or fear of doing something 'not right'...just swimming (or riding bicycle, or skateboarding, or cooking, or reading...) for the pure joy of it and becoming quite skilled along the way.
So, tonight, we went swimming. On our way home, we all thought egg drop soup sounded excellent, so we swung by a chinese restaurant close to our home and grabbed some. A perfect after swim snack, we think! We plan to swim again tomorrow in a creek somewhere with friends. We'll spend Wednesday at Sheridan Lake with friends. Tis the season... Enjoy the water wherever you may be!
Stone is an official swimmer, now, too. He prefers to stay where he can touch, but the things he does in the water amaze me. Very fancy dolphin looking dives, and arched-back back flips, and lots of time spent underwater--with his goggles on. The eye/nose goggles take a whole lot of fear out of it for him, he can go under freely without worrying so much about water up the nose. That's a good thing!
Saylor is, and has been for quite some time, a full-on swimmer. Deep water, diving boards, the whole bit. He's been working lately on the perfect dive. He's got it down, too. He loves to dive off the side or off the board if one is available. Like Stone, he digs the eye/nose goggles. He even dives with them firmly in place. Ouch--(to me), but I guess it works for him!
Interestingly enough, Saylor was the only one who took swimming lessons, and that was back when he was 3 and I didn't know better yet. ;) The boys have simply been given lots of time in the water and room to explore. What a wonderful way to master the things most important to you! Just DO it! And do it and do it some more, and voila, you've got it down. No frustration or fear of doing something 'not right'...just swimming (or riding bicycle, or skateboarding, or cooking, or reading...) for the pure joy of it and becoming quite skilled along the way.
So, tonight, we went swimming. On our way home, we all thought egg drop soup sounded excellent, so we swung by a chinese restaurant close to our home and grabbed some. A perfect after swim snack, we think! We plan to swim again tomorrow in a creek somewhere with friends. We'll spend Wednesday at Sheridan Lake with friends. Tis the season... Enjoy the water wherever you may be!
July 9, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
That's what you title your post when you can't think of anything creative! ;)
We're good here. Busy as ever, spending every minute possible either outside, at the park, at the pool and/or with friends. I've begun a part-time position at our local food co-op as its coordinator. The boys get to hang out with some groovy cool baby-sitters while I'm there, so everyone seems happy with the situation.
Stone has a new kitten. Her name is Ruka. Saylor has new dog, his name is Scruff. (photos soon, promise!)
John's busy with his construction season in Minnesota. We had a nice 4th weekend, even squeezed in a date to go listen to some live music at the Heritage Festival.
Our house is still on the market. I'm still so undecided on which way I want this to go, so I simply don't really care how it goes. Not in an apathetic kind of way, just in a "whatever happens is going to be great" kinda way.
So little time to write about what we're up to, because we're just always up to something so time is short. I can either write here, or do things like keep my boys fed and in clean clothes! :) I know, it's a tough choice. I am doing my best to keep up with other blogs, though.
Life is good here! Hoping it's the same for you...
We're good here. Busy as ever, spending every minute possible either outside, at the park, at the pool and/or with friends. I've begun a part-time position at our local food co-op as its coordinator. The boys get to hang out with some groovy cool baby-sitters while I'm there, so everyone seems happy with the situation.
Stone has a new kitten. Her name is Ruka. Saylor has new dog, his name is Scruff. (photos soon, promise!)
John's busy with his construction season in Minnesota. We had a nice 4th weekend, even squeezed in a date to go listen to some live music at the Heritage Festival.
Our house is still on the market. I'm still so undecided on which way I want this to go, so I simply don't really care how it goes. Not in an apathetic kind of way, just in a "whatever happens is going to be great" kinda way.
So little time to write about what we're up to, because we're just always up to something so time is short. I can either write here, or do things like keep my boys fed and in clean clothes! :) I know, it's a tough choice. I am doing my best to keep up with other blogs, though.
Life is good here! Hoping it's the same for you...
May 25, 2008
The Here and Now
Days before we were slated to head west, we had a major switch of plans, last minute (in true Karen style). Because so many things kept happening, pointing clearly to the many and varied reasons not to go, I finally gave myself permission to change my mind. I discussed it fully with the boys, and they were ok with our decision. (I think it helped that they each were promised a crispy hundred dollar bill???) We're still planning on heading to Minnesota sometime next week (i think?) to hang out with John for a while. We're putting our house up for sale and have made an offer on another house in town. We weren't looking for a house, but this house literally *found* us. It's a duplex with a 1/2 acre yard. We'll be 'downsizing' in house living space, but gaining a lot in the yard, which the boys love.
Sage isn't crazy about the idea yet. And I'm sure all the rest of us feel torn, too, leaving this house. I know I do. It's a great house. Buuuuuuut, the way this is all working out, so effortlessly, so perfectly, I have to remind myself to trust in the Universal nudge that it's all meant to go the way it's going. There are many benefits to us making this move. I'm completely at peace with whichever way it goes; whether we stay or go, we'll be just where we need to be. It's a good feeling to be at Peace about it. In another time, I would have been consumed with the thought and done everything I could to force it. It's much better this way.
We're off to enjoy the warm, sunny day today on our bicycles. I'm sure we'll land at the pond in search of crawdads at some point. We've had gobs of rain lately, with more predicted tomorrow and Tuesday, so we'll be taking advantage of the sunshine today.
All Good Things...
Sage isn't crazy about the idea yet. And I'm sure all the rest of us feel torn, too, leaving this house. I know I do. It's a great house. Buuuuuuut, the way this is all working out, so effortlessly, so perfectly, I have to remind myself to trust in the Universal nudge that it's all meant to go the way it's going. There are many benefits to us making this move. I'm completely at peace with whichever way it goes; whether we stay or go, we'll be just where we need to be. It's a good feeling to be at Peace about it. In another time, I would have been consumed with the thought and done everything I could to force it. It's much better this way.
We're off to enjoy the warm, sunny day today on our bicycles. I'm sure we'll land at the pond in search of crawdads at some point. We've had gobs of rain lately, with more predicted tomorrow and Tuesday, so we'll be taking advantage of the sunshine today.
All Good Things...
May 2, 2008
First Blizzard of 2008
And it just so happened to occur on May 2? Yes, indeedy. We do live in South Dakota, after all! No worries, though, we're back to 50 degrees tomorrow and then 60 on Sunday. I can live with that.
We woke up to snow drifts and blowing snow, so much so that it was difficult to see across the street. By about 3:30, the sky was blue, the sun was out and so were the boys, playing, digging, building and making new friends. Since it was an official "blizzard", everything was closed, including the schools, so we had the fun chance to play with our neighborhood friends. Robert (next door) and Caleb (across the street) were both stoked to have the day OFF! :) We're so lucky... and Grateful, yes, Grateful most of all.
Another neighbor from across the street did a good deed by coming over to help shovel our sidewalk. His name is Sam, and the kids have taken quite a liking to him. I invited him in after we were done shoveling, for a cup of coffee. Well, that was at about 5:30. It was 10:00 when he left. He's a very interesting man with a huge heart. And he *really* talks to kids, like, for real. He's interested, and the kids know it. They were all so excited to talk to him, making it difficult for them to take turns, allowing everyone a chance for some of our new friend's attention.
I whipped up some pasta with veggies, and asked Sam to stay for dinner. He graciously accepted, and as we were finishing eating, Saylor and Stone started throwing the angel hair pasta up to the ceiling. Sam got a HUGE kick out of this, and so, naturally, joined in. He's convinced he missed out on a whole lot by having to go to school. (he's Dakota Sioux, so actually went to a boarding school, where they made him cut his hair, change his name, stop speaking his native language....unbelievable...)
We had a lovely day...truly lovely. Hope yours was, too!
I took these pictures later in the afternoon. The snow wasn't blowing much at this point, but we've got a couple good drifts in our yard. Good, heavy, wet snow, too. Our new baby grass underneath is (hopefully) enjoying the drink.
I wasn't able to get the ceiling in this shot, but it's well covered with various sizes of organic angel hair pasta...oh, the JOY! Pictured is our new friend, Sam. It was so cool to see a grown-up join in the fun of pasta throwing with the same zest as the boys. You should've heard the conversations going, and the giggling by everyone (especially the grown-up!). Good Stuff! They're all making plans now to cook up a *whole* pot of spaghetti (the cheap stuff) and tackle another ceiling in our house. We're thinking a tarp would be a good thing to put down, first.
We woke up to snow drifts and blowing snow, so much so that it was difficult to see across the street. By about 3:30, the sky was blue, the sun was out and so were the boys, playing, digging, building and making new friends. Since it was an official "blizzard", everything was closed, including the schools, so we had the fun chance to play with our neighborhood friends. Robert (next door) and Caleb (across the street) were both stoked to have the day OFF! :) We're so lucky... and Grateful, yes, Grateful most of all.
Another neighbor from across the street did a good deed by coming over to help shovel our sidewalk. His name is Sam, and the kids have taken quite a liking to him. I invited him in after we were done shoveling, for a cup of coffee. Well, that was at about 5:30. It was 10:00 when he left. He's a very interesting man with a huge heart. And he *really* talks to kids, like, for real. He's interested, and the kids know it. They were all so excited to talk to him, making it difficult for them to take turns, allowing everyone a chance for some of our new friend's attention.
I whipped up some pasta with veggies, and asked Sam to stay for dinner. He graciously accepted, and as we were finishing eating, Saylor and Stone started throwing the angel hair pasta up to the ceiling. Sam got a HUGE kick out of this, and so, naturally, joined in. He's convinced he missed out on a whole lot by having to go to school. (he's Dakota Sioux, so actually went to a boarding school, where they made him cut his hair, change his name, stop speaking his native language....unbelievable...)
We had a lovely day...truly lovely. Hope yours was, too!
I took these pictures later in the afternoon. The snow wasn't blowing much at this point, but we've got a couple good drifts in our yard. Good, heavy, wet snow, too. Our new baby grass underneath is (hopefully) enjoying the drink. 
I wasn't able to get the ceiling in this shot, but it's well covered with various sizes of organic angel hair pasta...oh, the JOY! Pictured is our new friend, Sam. It was so cool to see a grown-up join in the fun of pasta throwing with the same zest as the boys. You should've heard the conversations going, and the giggling by everyone (especially the grown-up!). Good Stuff! They're all making plans now to cook up a *whole* pot of spaghetti (the cheap stuff) and tackle another ceiling in our house. We're thinking a tarp would be a good thing to put down, first. 
April 30, 2008
Flurry
My, my, my...we've been a flurry of activity around here! John left for Minnesota nearly a week and a half ago, now. Had some slight car problems on the way and ended up taking a bus ride from Mitchell the rest of the way.
Just after dad left, we attended two birthday parties for friends. One being 5+ hours playing at the park and exploring the stream (and lots of eating); and the other being 6+ hours of swimming at an indoor hotel pool and running wildly up and down the halls (and lots of eating). The parties weren't on the same day, obviously, but they were the same weekend.
We've made some new friends who happen to have a GIGANTIC 5000 square foot house, filled to the brim with interesting stuff. Their backyard opens to a large hill and then some woodsy area, so there's lots to do outside, as well. We spent a long day there last week, and each of the boys left exhausted, but so grateful for the time spent with friends.
On Thursday of last week, my phone rang at 11:15 pm. I was still up, (which is highly unusual) while my 3 angels snoozed all around me on the couches. I was trying to finish "Evening", and I'd been eating popcorn and had a coke earlier, which is probably why I was still up! :) Well, turns out, that midnight call was from a client who's water had just broken. By 11:45, I'd carried each boy upstairs to bed, my mom had arrived, and I was out the door to attend a home-birth. Beautiful baby boy was born at 6:20 Friday morning. I arrived home around 8:30, and managed to convince Mary to take the boys for a couple hours before her volunteer shift so I could fit in a nap. I was quite surprised to feel pretty darn ok, even after being awake for 24 hours, and squeezing in a 1.5 hour nap. (although I did almost exit the grocery store without paying...ooopsie...but by that time, I'd been through a whole other event...see below!)
After I'd picked the boys up from Mary's, and ended up loading all 6 of them (her 3) into our vehicle so we could play at our house for a while, Sage lodged a fish hook very deeply into his little thumb as we were unloading. I freaked, threw out a few panic stricken words of choice, then re-gained my composure and took him to a walk-in clinic. He nursed, called the doctors 'tupid' (not while they were in the room), and was other-wise not happy about this foreign object in his thumb. They numbed it topically a couple of times, then ended up snipping the one end so that they could push it through. No blood. Hardly any evidence of it being there at all. Lots of screaming, though. They asked me to put him up on the exam table. He wasn't ok with that. I held him instead, reassuring him and speaking gently into his ear while they did the thing. As soon as it was out, he was fine, and very happy to see the waiting room full of his friends and brothers.
There's just a snapshot of our past week or so. Good times, baby! No, really, I do mean "good times" (except for the fish hook incident, yikes!) We're enjoying the warmer weather. 80 degrees here yesterday. We spent the whole day outside and even ran through the sprinkler. Now the weather report tells me it's going to be 31 degrees on Friday? WTF?
Variety *is* the spice of life!
Just after dad left, we attended two birthday parties for friends. One being 5+ hours playing at the park and exploring the stream (and lots of eating); and the other being 6+ hours of swimming at an indoor hotel pool and running wildly up and down the halls (and lots of eating). The parties weren't on the same day, obviously, but they were the same weekend.
We've made some new friends who happen to have a GIGANTIC 5000 square foot house, filled to the brim with interesting stuff. Their backyard opens to a large hill and then some woodsy area, so there's lots to do outside, as well. We spent a long day there last week, and each of the boys left exhausted, but so grateful for the time spent with friends.
On Thursday of last week, my phone rang at 11:15 pm. I was still up, (which is highly unusual) while my 3 angels snoozed all around me on the couches. I was trying to finish "Evening", and I'd been eating popcorn and had a coke earlier, which is probably why I was still up! :) Well, turns out, that midnight call was from a client who's water had just broken. By 11:45, I'd carried each boy upstairs to bed, my mom had arrived, and I was out the door to attend a home-birth. Beautiful baby boy was born at 6:20 Friday morning. I arrived home around 8:30, and managed to convince Mary to take the boys for a couple hours before her volunteer shift so I could fit in a nap. I was quite surprised to feel pretty darn ok, even after being awake for 24 hours, and squeezing in a 1.5 hour nap. (although I did almost exit the grocery store without paying...ooopsie...but by that time, I'd been through a whole other event...see below!)
After I'd picked the boys up from Mary's, and ended up loading all 6 of them (her 3) into our vehicle so we could play at our house for a while, Sage lodged a fish hook very deeply into his little thumb as we were unloading. I freaked, threw out a few panic stricken words of choice, then re-gained my composure and took him to a walk-in clinic. He nursed, called the doctors 'tupid' (not while they were in the room), and was other-wise not happy about this foreign object in his thumb. They numbed it topically a couple of times, then ended up snipping the one end so that they could push it through. No blood. Hardly any evidence of it being there at all. Lots of screaming, though. They asked me to put him up on the exam table. He wasn't ok with that. I held him instead, reassuring him and speaking gently into his ear while they did the thing. As soon as it was out, he was fine, and very happy to see the waiting room full of his friends and brothers.
There's just a snapshot of our past week or so. Good times, baby! No, really, I do mean "good times" (except for the fish hook incident, yikes!) We're enjoying the warmer weather. 80 degrees here yesterday. We spent the whole day outside and even ran through the sprinkler. Now the weather report tells me it's going to be 31 degrees on Friday? WTF?
Variety *is* the spice of life!
April 26, 2008
Orgasmic Birth
Little by little, we will shift the perception for our daughters, their daughters and theirs, that birth is a beautiful, sacred event. Not to be feared. Not to be handed over to a stranger.
This movie will aid in that shift. And the rest of us, sharing our stories of birth as blissful, empowering and transcendent will transform birth from not something to be feared, but embraced.
This movie will aid in that shift. And the rest of us, sharing our stories of birth as blissful, empowering and transcendent will transform birth from not something to be feared, but embraced.
April 22, 2008
Loving the water...
We spend a LOT of time here. On this particular day, the boys set up a sprinkler under the tramp. Can't really see it's effect in the picture, but they had a giggling good time.
Last week, we did a bike ride and picnic with Grandma, and this little guy pushed his scooter for a long, long while. I pulled the empty Burley around, as he was determined to keep going. And did he! We have a lovely bike path here that follows the creek. We make lots of stops to explore and get our feet wet.
We spend a LOT of time here. On this particular day, the boys set up a sprinkler under the tramp. Can't really see it's effect in the picture, but they had a giggling good time.
Last week, we did a bike ride and picnic with Grandma, and this little guy pushed his scooter for a long, long while. I pulled the empty Burley around, as he was determined to keep going. And did he! We have a lovely bike path here that follows the creek. We make lots of stops to explore and get our feet wet.
Juicing & Creating
Saylor and I spent a long while juicing yesterday. Started out with wheat grass, then wheat grass mixed with carrots, then grapefruit, then grapefruit with some grapes thrown in for sweetness, then pure grape, finished off by beautiful, frothy strawberry. Good Stuff!
Up Early
6:30, to be exact. Thought I'd have at least 2 hours of solitude, to check e-mail, blog, sweep the popcorn off the floor and unload the dishwasher. At 6:50, upon hearing the thump-thump of the littlest set of feet heading downstairs, that changed...
Since I've made a commitment to myself to NOT be staring at the computer while my children are staring at the TV, (both have been happening a lot lately, and then I wonder why people are melting down...sigh...) I'm doing a very short blog, then I'm outta here. All of my other 'tasks' will have to wait until later.
We've got plans for Earth Day, but instead of foretelling them, I'll share them all *after*, how's that?
Happy Earth Day!
Since I've made a commitment to myself to NOT be staring at the computer while my children are staring at the TV, (both have been happening a lot lately, and then I wonder why people are melting down...sigh...) I'm doing a very short blog, then I'm outta here. All of my other 'tasks' will have to wait until later.
We've got plans for Earth Day, but instead of foretelling them, I'll share them all *after*, how's that?
Happy Earth Day!
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