How to Cook and Keep my Sanity

This is how I usually feel while cooking.  Everything is going well, and then it doesn't.  Perhaps someday I'll figure out how to put things together in the kitchen.

Here's a list of all the good things that have happened lately to me and mine because I needed the reminder of positive things.

1. Peaches and Mr O get along (most of the time) and play together.
2. Handsome loves me in spite of my crazy mood swings.
3. At least he says he does.
4. Lemon cake is wonderful.
5. Especially with cream cheese frosting.
6. I like cream cheese frosting.
7. Grahm cracker cookies are good too.
8. Especially with cream cheese frosting.
9. I think that dogs just naturally know how to make "that face" so that you'll give them food.
10. I just got "that face"
11. I was eating Lemon cake and not sharing.
12. Putting up applesauce with the help of two squirts is a lot of fun.
13. Putting sharp knives in the hands of the little squirts so that they can help is a little scary.
14. No animals were harmed in the making of the applesauce.
15. No people were either.
16. Those kids can chop apples like they mean business.
17. I really can never remember how to spell that word: is it buisness or business?
18. I flunked spelling.
19. I love spell check.
20. If I do laundry and dishes is my day considered productive?
21. I may just throw in a few miles on the treadmill just to feel good.
22. The endorphin rush is great.
23. I'm having a hard time believing that my son will soon be 7.
24. Handsome and I have known each other for half of our lives now, married for almost 8.
25. I have beautiful green grass in the front yard and beautiful tall trees in the back yard.
26. Not really sure why but I love the movie "Legally Blonde."
27. It might be because it is really...blonde.
28. If it weren't for the dog hair and dirt, I'd be able to see my floor.
29. That means I should mop.
30. That falls under the category of cleaning.
31. Maybe tomorrow.
32. My mom got me a great book of old words and their meanings.
33. Ever been inside a Kidcote?
34. I'm laughing at you Googling that word.
35. Decided to grow my hair back out.
36. Got my Etsy shop promoted with a little give-away.
37. I really do enjoy the rain.
38. It's a warm rain today, loving, kind, and begging to be danced in.
39. That is why I have a rainbow umbrella.
40. I could list a lot more, but I think I'll quit while you're still interested in reading my blog.
41. Cheers!

Salsa

I think I may have unwittingly offended a few readers with one of my last postings.  I want to assure any and all readers that I'm not pointing a finger at you, I'm not singling you out, and I don't wish to offend anyone.  This blog is my thoughts, my opinions, and my feelings.  It is true, I write "off the cuff" and my opinions and views show.  That being said, I'm not pointing fingers.  My opinions are just that, my opinions.  They don't need to matter to you.  And if I'm talking about a certain group of people, then assume (correctly) that it isn't you.  Unless I ask you for your permission, I will never directly or indirectly include you in my ramblings.  So rest assured that I'm not talking about you.  On a different note: I do want to thank all of you who read my crazy stuff.  I know that I can be a bit weird and whatnot, but you still read, and for that, Thank You.

Secrets to Parenting #6

You remember the Secrets to Parenting #5 that I posted about?  Well...A gallon of lemonade powder just got flushed.  So I think that the #6 Secret would have to be patience.  Lots and lots and lots of it.  Even if you feel like screaming, or laughing, or any of those other not so good reactions to the crazy stuff your kids do, hold it in until you are alone.  Take care of the situation and then find some alone time.  Lock the bathroom door if you need to.  But ultimately, have patience.  Your kids are not trying to drive you batty, really.  They are just exploring, discovering, and learning about the world around them.  I'm sure there was a perfectly good excuse for the lemonade powder, but I didn't hear it.  I was too busy cleaning up and getting a kid into unfortunate but necessary trouble.  So, there you have it.  Patience.

A Summation of Facts

To all those out there who really don't understand what us moms go through, or why we go through it, or whatever, here's a great article that sums up the facts: Carolyn Hax, Tell Me About It.  Most of those who know me personally totally understand that my kids come first in everything that I do, even if it is something that is for "me."  I do personal time so that I have more sanity and patience with my children.  I wouldn't trade my kids for anything, ever, period.  This is just a topic that really gets under my skin because so many people out in public places treat me more or less like dirt when I have my kids with me.  I'm nice and give them the benefit of the doubt in that they may not have any idea how tough it really is to be a Responsible Parent (mom or dad).  The key word there is responsible.  Anyone can be a parent, but it takes a lot of guts, patience, and ingenuity to be a good responsible one.  And I have a feeling that most of those who treat me like dirt when I'm with my kids probably didn't have a good childhood, or perhaps their parent(s) just ignored them, or just weren't taking care of them responsibly.  It honestly saddens me to think that they have such a poor rapport with their mom or dad or both.  It saddens me that a lot of parents aren't responsible for the bringing up of their kids.  Most are willing to drop them off at school and ignore them when they get home.  What those people are missing though is that those kids are so precious, so wonderful, and so amazing.  Kids are a gift.  Childhood is a gift.  One that passes all too quickly.  I'm here to insure that our kids enjoy their childhood, learn and grow, and most of all, love childhood.  Memories last a lifetime, I'm hoping that those memories that our children carry with them are Good ones.

The kids enjoying a ride with a friend from the neighbor.

Gifts

Everyone needs hugs.  Even ponies named Magic.

Thankfully I had my camera and was able to catch this priceless moment of our wonderful boy getting a big hug from a wonderful pony.  Precious.

Secrets to Parenting #5

Expect the unexpected.  Really.  Never ever expect a certain outcome, because you won't get it.  Children are wonderful capricious and smart.  They hold everything, explore to the ends of the earth, and ask questions that can be extremely embarrassing.  Try to keep them occupied with items that will increase their knowledge and increase their desire to learn more.  Yes they throw monkey wrenches.  Yes they can be really crazy.  But really, what would you prefer: a child who is curious and asks out of desire for knowledge, or a kid who is apathetic and just wants to play computer games.  I'll take the questioning child, any day.  I may not have the answers, but I'm honest about that.  If I don't know, I say so.  You don't need to know it all to have the respect of the children in your life.  In fact, they may respect you more because you are honest with them.  Kids know when you are being honest or not and they will pick up on lies faster than you can pick up on theirs.  That and it is just a good example.  That is how kids learn most of what they know, through example.  They do surprise us with crazy stuff sometimes, but ultimately they do follow in our footsteps, or at least along the same path.  Children are constantly learning and growing.  Help them by allowing them to ask those embarrassing questions, and answer honestly.  Allow them to approach the stranger on the street and converse with them (with you there of course).  They will learn so much and grow so much and they will teach you so much.  Just let them be kids.  Wild, crazy, and all that.  Expect them to do unexpected things, and go with it.

"Peace Be Unto You"

You know the feeling that you get when your having just a sort of off day?  Not great, but not bad either, just somewhere in the middle.  Just enough to make your words a little sharper, patience a little thinner, and walk a little faster.  In the midst of those days there is good.  There is wonder.  There is peace.  There is the goodness of friends who welcome you no matter what.  They always have a smile to greet you with and a hug to make you feel better.  There is wonderful company in those around you, whether they be co-workers, friends or family.  Those people each have something wonderful to give you, all you need to do is see it and accept.  Peace is brought with grace.  The peaceful nature of nature.  A walk in the park, listening to a stream talk as it meanders over rocks, birds calling to each other.  Peace is found wherever you want to find it.  Watching pigeons fly through the square, seeing a child smile, observing a couple holding hands.  You see, life and happiness isn't about those big things that you can buy.  Sure some money does help aid happiness and feelings of peace and security, but money does not buy happiness.  Sure we all have those slightly "off" days, but they are but blinks on the radar.  We live in freedom.  We have beautiful families.  We have food and shelter.  We have goodness, wonder, and peace in our everyday lives.  All we have to do is look.

For Lunch

This is what a burger is supposed to look like. 

And this is what happens when I'm dying of hunger.

Just in case you were wondering, it was divine!

The Weekly Adventure

As the summer came to an end and the fall weather began to set in, my man and I had a discussion about the back yard.  We had made a semi permanent residence for the chickens against the back corner.  But now we wanted trees.  We walked about the yard talking placement, what kind of trees, and how many to get.  Finally we decided that we would hopefully get 6 trees and place them nice and evenly against the two side fences.  So then we went shopping.  To a beautiful nursery.  Absolutly lovely trees!  And since we had the best timing ever, we were there while the fall sale was going on.  Everything in the nursery was 40-60% off.  HooRah!!  So after looking around a bit, my man and me went back home to crunch numbers and make sure that we could afford the trees we liked.  We could, so back I went and purchased said trees.  It was quite nice, I must admit, wandering through the trees with no one but cute kitties for company. 

Junior and Elmo

 So I picked out the trees with the help of one of the emplyees there, paid, and came back home. That evening, as my wonderful man and I wandered the back yard again, I recieved a call.  A friend of ours had just dug up two lovely trees and they needed a home.  So, off we went, this wonderful friend and I, to collect the trees.  After placing them in the yard, came the decission: where to put them?  We finally decided to put the matching trees next to the chicken coop.  And away we went digging holes!  Whew, that is hard work when the ground is fairly hard and the dirt is soaked from a weeks worth of rain.  One tree in and one to go at 8 that night.  We got to bed at 10, hit the pillows, and were asleep.  Picking up the trees later in the week proved an adventure.  I traded my man vehicles and took the trusty truck to the nursery to pick up the first of our trees. 

After the blue tarp was removed

These trees are not the small variety that you can pick up at your local Home Depot or Lowes.  No.  These trees are three to four inches diameter trunks with the height to go with it.  So instead of 6-8 feet tall, they are about 15 feet tall.  To bring them home in the truck was an adventure, let me tell ya!  Thankfully there are plenty of back roads so that I could go nice and slow, even though they were well secured, they are big. 

They don't look all that heavy but those trees are well over the 600 pound mark.  Thanks for the help Matt!

 The ball of roots was as far back in the bed of the truck as possible with the tailgate still closing and the branches were wrapped in a tarp and leaned over the cab.  I'm pretty sure that the truck looked like it was going to be eaten by a giant blue slug.  So home again home again lickity split, and to dig holes for them.  Getting one into the designated hole with just Handsome and I was fun, to say the least.  Handsome decided that for everyone's safety we would wait until his friend came the next day to finish with the other.  So, once the second was in the ground, away I went for another tree while the boys dug holes.  Wrapping, securing, and driving slow.  Back in 2 hours.  Repeat with two more trees.  Finally done! 

Helping hands

 All told we planted seven trees in the course of the week.  Seven beautiful trees.  Two Thundercloud Plums that bloom beautifully in the spring with fluffy pink blossoms but bear no fruit, three Red Sunset Maples, and two purple leaved Cherry trees. 



The poor truck got a little beat up



Oh how nice my back yard is!  I have trees!  They are beautiful!  I now no longer feel the need to hide inside so the neighbors can't see me.  We now have a lovely privacy screen that will only improve with time.  Delightful!

I really Am Here

At least sometimes.  We've been pretty busy of late.  Me finishing up some costumes, one on commision and one for myself.  We put two trees in the backyard a couple days ago.  A dear friend called and asked if we wanted some free trees.  We said Oh Yeah!  So, two pretty purple leafed trees now reside in the yard.  We are hopeful that they survive.  Also putting in 5 more trees this weekend.  That is going to be an adventure!  We're getting 3 Red-Sunset Maples and 2 Thundercloud Plums.  They are all fairly large, the trunks ranging from 2.5-4 inches in diameter.  Lovely!  So that is that.  And I have lovely muddy footprints all over the house.  I'll be getting more and more of those, I know.  The rains have begun!  Ah, such is life in the Pacific Northwest.

The Tumbleweed

The last few days has had a profound difference in the house.  There is order, organization, quiet, and solitude.  The kids started school.  It was really really wierd coming back home after dropping them off.  There was silence.  It's not hard to get used to, just different.  Peaches has decided that kindergarten is just fine and that Mom does not need to accompany her.  At first she pulled her "I'm shy" routine and wouldn't let me go.  But now, she's going for it.  It has been amazing to watch her grow into herself these past months. 

Peaches is still rather shy around groups of new people, but put her into a small group of four or five and she'll be the loudest kid there.  Just remembering how painfully shy she used to be when meeting just one new kid, this is a huge leap from where she was.  In a way it is a little sad for me to watch as my baby girl walks away from me into a classroom.  But it is also so good for her.  She's standing up for herself and being the independent girl that I knew was in there.  All that being said, it is still hard to watch her go.  After all, that's my baby.  And she's in school now.

Here's a Hanger For Ya

So here are my humble apologies for leaving y'all hangin for so long, so very sorry.  Between life and Google and life, I was unable to post.  But since that time I have learned a very important lesson: happiness comes in little white boxes.  Well, some parts of happiness come in little white boxes.  Well, ok, maybe I just had a really really bad day and had just called my amazing Man and told him that it had been a really bad day and maybe he was trying to make my day a bit better.  Yeah.  That may have been the way it went.  Maybe.  Ok, so I have the awesomest man on the planet for my husband.  Yup, it's true.