48 months ago...

Four years ago, they were lining up animals and making a meal for them.

This morning, they are dressed as pirates, playing in the junkyard (toy room) with the animals all lined up, being fed.

Feels so good that everything doesn't have to change all at once.

Because honestly, so much has.

That same month, we took the front rail off of Buddy's crib.

He was nearing age two and kept climbing out. He would only have that binkie for two more months.

Tonight I'll tuck him under that same dino blankie. The same one he has slept with since he was in that crib.

Thank goodness it doesn't have to change all at once.

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Growing

Today I saw a young couple in church passing their baby girl between them. They were bouncing her, snuggling her, keeping her happy the way that you do with a seven-month old in church.

Could I remember my baby girl that way? Hmmmm...

At two months?

How about two years?!

It's silly, but I just felt so strange in that moment. Oh my gosh! Could I forget? Forget what it felt like to hold that baby?

She woke every night to nurse, until she was seven months old. I remember feeling surprised by how much I didn't mind. I enjoyed that dark, quiet time together. She was all mine and I was the only one in the world who could give her what she needed in that moment. Egotistic for sure. But it sure was great. Rocking her in the dark, making sure she knew I was always there.

Tonight we started reading a BOOK. After several moody mood swings this weekend and me telling her that we are sure to be in for more of the same over the next few (let's face it, TEN) years...I decided to get out the book. We'll read it together, or not, if she changes her mind. We just started tonight. It will tell her about hygiene and puberty, in ways that I may not be able to do. It said that girls experience these changes from age 8-13, I was shocked that she's in the age range. I thought I was so ahead of the game. Turns out, we're just in time.

I'm glad to be able to go through this time with her. But I know that a lot of it she'll do on her own. I'm not all she needs any more. I haven't been for a long time.

It's fine. Really.
I just had forgotten that it was different once.

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Have you been here yet?

I do a lot of wandering around the internet when I've got ten minutes (or hours) to kill.

Have you seen They Draw & Cook?

I'd like to start a notebook of just recipes from this site, they are so pretty! I think it would be fun to frame a couple to hang in the kitchen too.

It's a little hard to explain, so just check it out for yourself. One of my favorite features is Dial-a-Dinner. No, I've never actually used the recipes that come up, but it's good fun to play around with. Some time, I think I'll gamble and just commit to making whatever pops up. Sort of like meal roulette.

Have fun!

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This IS the year

I did it!

I said in my resolutions post yesterday that I wanted to make a framed reminder like Swistle's, so I did.
Perfection is out the window, just as she suggested. So there's a smudge on the first word. So my numbering is crooked. I got it done and now just need to figure out where to place it (which is why it was photographed on the steps...).

I don't want to keep it by the computer, I've got this third grader who would be very happy to check in on these and I want to keep these personal. As personal as it gets, posting them here!

So I'm going to tackle them one by one, and hopefully will be able to see by this time next year that I set a few goals and followed through.

Wouldn't that be a nice change?!

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Seriously...

Do you look at National Geographic's Photo of the Day yet?!

Some of my favorite posts are the photos on this blog. I see one each day in my Google Reader and the stuff that comes up there is so great.

This is today's.

First of all, I want to go there. Be there. Now.

Secondly, wow! That's a great photo.

Good stuff.

Funny aside: I just asked the Buddy if he'd like to go there with me some day. He asked where it is. I replied Scotland. And he said, "Yeah. But put me in a wagon. Do they speak a different language?" No clue where he's going with all of this, but I sure love a five-year old's train of thought. Even if I'm completely confused by it.

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Resolutions

I wasn't going to write resolutions because they are the same every year. And every year, I say - THIS IS THE YEAR!

---> I have the same 30 lbs. to lose.
---> My house is not ready for a magazine spread.
---> I have not managed to follow a routine or schedule to maintain productivity.

That being said, I still want to.

So...I will be resolved once again. Even if I am 10 days late to the party.

*use my Wii fit, go to the Y and take a class (yoga on Thursday!), take some walks
*make a new vegetarian recipe every week (we are not vegetarians...but I like the idea of trying new things)
*mail one note/card/letter per week
*follow that beautiful routine/schedule that I made last year (housekeeping routines etc)
*give my kids undivided attention every day...listen, learn, converse with them
*teach Bee and Buddy how to cook
*teach the kids about money and use a save/spend/give approach with allowance
*follow the save/spend/give approach myself

I have everything I need to make these happen...I may have to follow Swistle's example and make a pretty, framed version to remind me. Because THIS IS THE YEAR! No really! It is!!

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Cheers

I don't know why I reserve champagne drinking for New Year's Eve? I should do more of that this year.


More champagne drinking.
More glass clinking.
More celebration.


Resolution made.

CARROTS

We decided on Monday to dig up the remainder of carrots in our garden. Bee is always wanting "Bugs Bunny" carrots, so we left a few to see if they would get nice and big for her to chomp on.

It worked! How fun to dig up a huge batch of fresh veggies in winter. Luckily, the weather has been so nice, we didn't have to dig through snow and ice to get to them.

Now I've got a big batch of carrots in the fridge, minus the ones the kids ate, and am pondering carrot soup. I've never made it before, but this batch is just begging to be cooked up into a nice big pot of soup.

Does anyone else get that song stuck in their heads when I type that?!

           Carrot stew, carrot stew! It's our favorite thing to do.
           Get a pot and a carrot to two, and cook up a carrot stew.
           Nothing makes our tummies so full and keeps us happy too.

I had an orange Disney tape when I was a child and this song was one of my favorites.

I may just make the soup so that I can sing the song all day. 

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January 5th, 2012: We had this carrot soup last night and it was delicious. I chose ginger for my spice, but then ended up adding some thyme because I'm impulsive like that. I went the heavy cream route for my first try, knowing that would make any soup tasty. I like that you could make a different variation each time. It was not hard to make and I love any excuse to use my newly purchased immersion blender. That's just good fun.

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A Little Pasta Angel

This little angel was made lovingly by yours truly during Sunday School in 1986.

She has hung on a Christmas tree every year since.

I've glued her arms back on, a couple of years ago she lost half of her wings and this year her one arm actually disintegrated before my eyes. Painted pasta must have a 25 year shelf life.

I considered rebuilding her, trying to give her a few more years, but no. I decided to take a few pictures and then send her on her merry way. To live with the bunnies who made a home in my blankie at the dump when I was in 2nd grade.

My goal is to make these with my kids next year. They really are cute. And God bless the Sunday School teacher who had the patience to make these with us! I think it will be a fun little craft and then we can have lots of new pasta angels next year to hang on the tree.

Sometimes I get attached to the strangest things! It was hard to tell her goodbye.

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Happy News Year

My mom said yesterday that she's calling this happy news year, as in we will have happy news all year long. I like that.

I don't write as much here as I used to, but still enjoy the reflections that it provides. Moments in time, saved here for me to read.







2011 ~ in reverse
December: Saying goodbye to my dear grandfather. What a mighty good man. Goodbye.

November: One post. ONE. But a good one all the same. Gratitude.

October: My kids' school is a really great place to learn. The plant feast was a lot of fun. Science in Action.

September: Again with the one post. Working outside of the home again has cut into my blogging. A Good Reminder to Obey the Law.

August: First day of school! I love the first day of school. Time Flies.

July: My B turned eight. Birthday posts continue to be a favorite for me. Eight.

June: Father's Day. Sniff. Dear Old Dad.

May: A start to our summer, what a terrific weekend we had. Memorial Day.

April: My Buddy turned five. Five.

March: Pondering what this blog is...what I write...and still haven't really figured that one out. The thing is, I am okay with it. I like my comfy little blog. No Niche.

February: While I do enjoy reading about Valentine's Day very much, the big news was finally selling our home in Omaha and making ourselves permanent residents of Kearney. What an exciting time! What's Up.

January: Though I'd like to forget, I never will. My friends endured the worst and I was only able to watch from 3 hours away. What a tragedy, I hope that they can enjoy a new year filled only with good news. It is happy news year, after all. I'm Fine.

On to 2012. Our happy news year. Happy News Year to you!

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