I think I am a perfectionist but like to pretend that I am not. The mere fact that my house is never clean enough, I am not organized enough, and I never get enough done on any given day pretty much confirms that I am indeed a perfectionist. I think it is perceived as a bad thing and that is why I deny that I am.
Any mom, or woman for that matter, knows that housework has no end. When the dishes are done, I walk into the living room, pick up the dirty ones I forgot, carry them into the kitchen, and start the vicious cycle over again. The same is true for laundry, toys, getting groceries, bathrooms, sweeping, dusting, recycling, emptying trash cans, clearing my desk, or cleaning off any flat surface in my home.
In the midst of what feels like one big neverending, unorganized, dirty, somewhat chaotic mess that I call home, these are some of the small things I find rewarding as a perfectionist mom in denial.
*clean burners on the top of the stove
*empty hampers
*fridge stocked with food-drawers and shelves full of colorful, washed produce and everything lined up on the drink shelf-supplements on the left, white milk in the center (rice or almond), chocolate milk on the right (soy or almond)
*getting a washcloth at bathtime and the cabinet is full of clean towels neatly stacked-tan & brown in one stack, green in the other
*waking up to a clean kitchen
*the few minutes after I mop the kitchen when there are no spills and sticky spots
*the dining table with only a centerpiece and placemats
*getting the boys dressed and getting the clothes out of their closet full of clean clothes neatly hung in some sort of order-color coded shirts on the left, pants on the right, possibly a few already put together outfits
*having enough room on my desk to set my purse down
*walking through the house barefoot without having stuff stick to my feet
*retrieving a toy from under anything ang not pulling out a huge dust bunny with it
*empty recycling bins
*being able to locate my cell phone
You get the idea. I like things clean and in order. However, there is a positive twist on all this. All of these "messes" are reminders that I have a wonderful family, an amazing husband and two precious boys who keep me busy and do more than their fair share of contributing to the messes. I'm thankful that I am able to stay home with my boys and therefore have even more time to be annoyed by the mess. I wouldn't trade my husband or either of my boys for a perfectly clean, neatly organized house. Well, maybe just for one day.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Christmas Gift Ideas
Christmas is coming. On December 25, to be exact. I believe it was the same day last year as well. I feel prepared and will not be stressing about gifts in the days leading up to Christmas. My goal is to have all presents bought before Thanksgiving and I will be done before others have even started. Thankfully, I got the difficult ones out of the way first and only have a few left to buy. To keep it simple this year, and also fun for me, I picked a theme for gift buying. I chose one type of gift and everyone is getting that gift, but specific to their interests. If all goes well, I will do something similar next year
In my opinion, gift buying is getting out of hand. Most, if not all, of the people we are buying for don't NEED anything. It becomes a dreaded chore to buy gifts. The other chore is coming up with a list of what "I" want for everyone who will be buying "me" a present. "Don't get me anything" seldom works, so you're pressured to come up with something. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE to buy gifts, wrap gifts, and give gifts! For any occasion and for no occasion. Christmas just tends to get stressful because there are so many at once.
So here are 10 ideas if you need a place to start with your gift buying this year.
1. Color
Pick a color and everyone gets a gift that color. Blue socks, blue craft paper, blue hot wheels, blue legos, blue baby doll outfit. That would cover gifts for my brother and his family. Pretty simple, huh? By the way, this is NOT what they are getting this year. Maybe next year...
2. Alphabet
Buy each person a gift that begins with the first letter of their name.
Bobby gets blocks, Nadine gets notecards, Frankie gets a fishing lure, Patty gets pajamas.....
3. Grateful
Buy/make each person some type of journal or notebook as simple or elaborate as you want. There are MANY types of notebooks/journals from a basic spiral on the school suppy aisle or a nice leather one. Decorate a child's with their name, stickers, etc or let them decorate their own. Throughout the year, everyone will keep track of what they are thankful for. Daily would be optimal, but if they do it weekly or every few days, that is fine too. For young kids, it would be good family time to do this together. For babies, just make it up-thankful for clean diapers, milk, big brother making me laugh, kisses from my dog, my new sophie the giraffe toy, etc. Then next year, either at Thanksgiving or Christmas, everyone can bring their notebook and share a few things they were grateful for in the previous year.
4. Same Thing
Pick an item that pretty much anyone can use. Everyone gets the same thing, but specific to them-different color, size, fragrance, etc.
Game, crazy socks, pajamas, movie, hat, candle or necklace for gals/something manly for guys, ....
5. Gently Used
Got this idea from a friend. In her extended family, all their gifts must come from a thrift store/second hand/resale shop, etc. I know in Stillwater, the proceeds of these stores go to good causes like the humane society, domestic violence center, and habitat for humanity. If I did this idea, I would make a tag to add to each present saying something like "your gift was bought from a store that will give money to help animals who need a home" (if it's for a kid) or "your gift was purchased from a store whose proceeds support our homeless shelter, hospice, habitat for humanity, etc"
6. Donate to Charity
Instead of buying a present, make a donation to a charity. I have actually done this for my brother in the past. I think I simply told him, "instead of buying you a gift, I made a donation to your ministry that helps the homeless." If you wanted, you could wrap a note or give them a note in an envelope. This could definitely work with adults. For kids, I think it would depend on age and the family.
7. Small Christmas
Everyone gets a very small present, not necessarily cheap, but it has to be small enough to fit in a shoebox or even smaller box. You could also do a very BIG Christmas, but depending on how many gifts you're taking to one location and traveling, it could be a challenge fitting everything into your car, or luggage if you are flying.
8. Make It
Make everyone's gift. Not sure why all my examples are my brother, but he loves my homemade granola and would rather have that than most things I could buy. This option may take more time, but in some cases in may actually save you time. You could sew, bake, make a photo book/album, wood items, paper items... I really should just stop because the possibilities are endless. If you don't want to make it yourself, you could buy items hand-made by someone else.
9. One Store
Pick one store. Buy everyone's gift at that one store.
10. Buy Yourself a Gift!
This idea came from a recent conversation I had with Matt. Instead of telling everyone what you want, what your kids want, what your dog wants, and what your neighbor's dog wants. Just buy yourself a present. Wrap it. Take it to your family get together. (each person buys their own gift). Then you all open presents. It's a surprise to everyone else. When you open it you say, "this is something I've really been wanting!" Everyone can admire each others gifts, everyone got what they wanted and everyone is happy. :)
In my opinion, gift buying is getting out of hand. Most, if not all, of the people we are buying for don't NEED anything. It becomes a dreaded chore to buy gifts. The other chore is coming up with a list of what "I" want for everyone who will be buying "me" a present. "Don't get me anything" seldom works, so you're pressured to come up with something. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE to buy gifts, wrap gifts, and give gifts! For any occasion and for no occasion. Christmas just tends to get stressful because there are so many at once.
So here are 10 ideas if you need a place to start with your gift buying this year.
1. Color
Pick a color and everyone gets a gift that color. Blue socks, blue craft paper, blue hot wheels, blue legos, blue baby doll outfit. That would cover gifts for my brother and his family. Pretty simple, huh? By the way, this is NOT what they are getting this year. Maybe next year...
2. Alphabet
Buy each person a gift that begins with the first letter of their name.
Bobby gets blocks, Nadine gets notecards, Frankie gets a fishing lure, Patty gets pajamas.....
3. Grateful
Buy/make each person some type of journal or notebook as simple or elaborate as you want. There are MANY types of notebooks/journals from a basic spiral on the school suppy aisle or a nice leather one. Decorate a child's with their name, stickers, etc or let them decorate their own. Throughout the year, everyone will keep track of what they are thankful for. Daily would be optimal, but if they do it weekly or every few days, that is fine too. For young kids, it would be good family time to do this together. For babies, just make it up-thankful for clean diapers, milk, big brother making me laugh, kisses from my dog, my new sophie the giraffe toy, etc. Then next year, either at Thanksgiving or Christmas, everyone can bring their notebook and share a few things they were grateful for in the previous year.
4. Same Thing
Pick an item that pretty much anyone can use. Everyone gets the same thing, but specific to them-different color, size, fragrance, etc.
Game, crazy socks, pajamas, movie, hat, candle or necklace for gals/something manly for guys, ....
5. Gently Used
Got this idea from a friend. In her extended family, all their gifts must come from a thrift store/second hand/resale shop, etc. I know in Stillwater, the proceeds of these stores go to good causes like the humane society, domestic violence center, and habitat for humanity. If I did this idea, I would make a tag to add to each present saying something like "your gift was bought from a store that will give money to help animals who need a home" (if it's for a kid) or "your gift was purchased from a store whose proceeds support our homeless shelter, hospice, habitat for humanity, etc"
6. Donate to Charity
Instead of buying a present, make a donation to a charity. I have actually done this for my brother in the past. I think I simply told him, "instead of buying you a gift, I made a donation to your ministry that helps the homeless." If you wanted, you could wrap a note or give them a note in an envelope. This could definitely work with adults. For kids, I think it would depend on age and the family.
7. Small Christmas
Everyone gets a very small present, not necessarily cheap, but it has to be small enough to fit in a shoebox or even smaller box. You could also do a very BIG Christmas, but depending on how many gifts you're taking to one location and traveling, it could be a challenge fitting everything into your car, or luggage if you are flying.
8. Make It
Make everyone's gift. Not sure why all my examples are my brother, but he loves my homemade granola and would rather have that than most things I could buy. This option may take more time, but in some cases in may actually save you time. You could sew, bake, make a photo book/album, wood items, paper items... I really should just stop because the possibilities are endless. If you don't want to make it yourself, you could buy items hand-made by someone else.
9. One Store
Pick one store. Buy everyone's gift at that one store.
10. Buy Yourself a Gift!
This idea came from a recent conversation I had with Matt. Instead of telling everyone what you want, what your kids want, what your dog wants, and what your neighbor's dog wants. Just buy yourself a present. Wrap it. Take it to your family get together. (each person buys their own gift). Then you all open presents. It's a surprise to everyone else. When you open it you say, "this is something I've really been wanting!" Everyone can admire each others gifts, everyone got what they wanted and everyone is happy. :)
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
FatWallet
Do you ever buy anything online? Do you like to save money?
Today I thought I'd share a tip with you that a friend told me about last summer. I like to make sure something is legitimate and not some type of scam before I tell others about it. I feel like this is for real.
The website is http://www.fatwallet.com/. I'm not going to take the time to explain all the details of how it works because you can go to the site and read about it there. To summarize it, you just set up and account, log in there FIRST when you shop online, then select the link on their site before you shop online at the stores you wer already going to shop at.
For example, I buy things from Vitacost (more to come on this later) online. First, I go to fatwallet.com and sign in. Then I find the link to vitacost on their site. I then do my shopping on vitacost.com. Pretty simple.
So what is the great thing about fatwallet? I get 5% cashback from all my purchases I make from vitacost. I have been a fatwallet member since August 2009. So far, I have "saved" $76.35. I have $18.78 availabe right now. All I need to do is go to my fatwallet account and have them send me a check.
From what I have found, there really is no catch. There are tons of special offers and cash back awards. I haven't looked into all of them. There are really just 2 stores that I shop from on a monthly basis and I always go through fatwallet first and it saves me a little money. It's kind of exciting to get a small check in the mail a couple times a year as well.
Check it out. Save some money. I don't know if there is a place for you to put a referral when you set up an account, but if there is, please put my email address: kemberswan@hotmail.com
Happy shopping and saving!
Today I thought I'd share a tip with you that a friend told me about last summer. I like to make sure something is legitimate and not some type of scam before I tell others about it. I feel like this is for real.
The website is http://www.fatwallet.com/. I'm not going to take the time to explain all the details of how it works because you can go to the site and read about it there. To summarize it, you just set up and account, log in there FIRST when you shop online, then select the link on their site before you shop online at the stores you wer already going to shop at.
For example, I buy things from Vitacost (more to come on this later) online. First, I go to fatwallet.com and sign in. Then I find the link to vitacost on their site. I then do my shopping on vitacost.com. Pretty simple.
So what is the great thing about fatwallet? I get 5% cashback from all my purchases I make from vitacost. I have been a fatwallet member since August 2009. So far, I have "saved" $76.35. I have $18.78 availabe right now. All I need to do is go to my fatwallet account and have them send me a check.
From what I have found, there really is no catch. There are tons of special offers and cash back awards. I haven't looked into all of them. There are really just 2 stores that I shop from on a monthly basis and I always go through fatwallet first and it saves me a little money. It's kind of exciting to get a small check in the mail a couple times a year as well.
Check it out. Save some money. I don't know if there is a place for you to put a referral when you set up an account, but if there is, please put my email address: kemberswan@hotmail.com
Happy shopping and saving!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Time Change
I dislike time change Sunday for many reasons. For starters, just ask my husband how I do when we travel and cross time zones. It would have been helplful for me to have had some math problems on time zones during my school years. And maybe be did. I just don't remember.
You know the saying, "spring forward, fall backward"? Pretty much everyone hates the spring because you lose and hour and everyone LOVES the fall because you get to sleep an extra hour. That's not the case when you have a 2 1/2 yr old and a 5 month old. There's no extra hour. They don't know how to tell time. They don't understand the clocks have changed so we can "sleep in". Ain't happenin. Not around here!
Last week, both boys started waking early, which traslates to anywhere from 4:30-6:30am instead of their usual 7:00-7:30am. I knew the time change was coming and I dreaded it. Lucky for us, we got to "sleep in" until around 5:30am today which is 6:30am old time. Never in my life did I think I would have cooked, had a sit down breakfast, and be done well before 6:30 am. And then to be thankful that "that" was sleeping in. We went to some friends' church today because their son was being dedicated and the service was at 11:00. It was the longest morning ever before it was finally time to leave for church.
Time changes confuse me immensely. For weeks, I will look at the clock, see what time it is, and try to figure out what time it used to me. I know it's only one hour difference. It should be simple. Not for me. Maybe it's so simple that I make it complicated.
If it were just me, or just Matt and I, the time change wouldn't be as big of a deal. (and I really would have had an extra hour today!) I don't know that I'd go so far as to say life at our house revolves around the two little munchkins, but if it doesn't, it comes real close to that. Wake up time, naps, lunch, naps, playtime, bathtime, bedtime, church, mom's day out, going anywhere-it's all affected by the clock.
It's not even 9:00pm. I'm already tired. I usually feel ready for bed around 8:00 which means I should have been tired around......ok, I'm already stumped. Time to go do my night chores and be ready to wake up earlier than I would like. I will be greeted by a big dimpled smile, a tired but pleasant husband, and an unpredictable toddler-sometimes pleasant like daddy, but usually grumpy like his mommy.
You know the saying, "spring forward, fall backward"? Pretty much everyone hates the spring because you lose and hour and everyone LOVES the fall because you get to sleep an extra hour. That's not the case when you have a 2 1/2 yr old and a 5 month old. There's no extra hour. They don't know how to tell time. They don't understand the clocks have changed so we can "sleep in". Ain't happenin. Not around here!
Last week, both boys started waking early, which traslates to anywhere from 4:30-6:30am instead of their usual 7:00-7:30am. I knew the time change was coming and I dreaded it. Lucky for us, we got to "sleep in" until around 5:30am today which is 6:30am old time. Never in my life did I think I would have cooked, had a sit down breakfast, and be done well before 6:30 am. And then to be thankful that "that" was sleeping in. We went to some friends' church today because their son was being dedicated and the service was at 11:00. It was the longest morning ever before it was finally time to leave for church.
Time changes confuse me immensely. For weeks, I will look at the clock, see what time it is, and try to figure out what time it used to me. I know it's only one hour difference. It should be simple. Not for me. Maybe it's so simple that I make it complicated.
If it were just me, or just Matt and I, the time change wouldn't be as big of a deal. (and I really would have had an extra hour today!) I don't know that I'd go so far as to say life at our house revolves around the two little munchkins, but if it doesn't, it comes real close to that. Wake up time, naps, lunch, naps, playtime, bathtime, bedtime, church, mom's day out, going anywhere-it's all affected by the clock.
It's not even 9:00pm. I'm already tired. I usually feel ready for bed around 8:00 which means I should have been tired around......ok, I'm already stumped. Time to go do my night chores and be ready to wake up earlier than I would like. I will be greeted by a big dimpled smile, a tired but pleasant husband, and an unpredictable toddler-sometimes pleasant like daddy, but usually grumpy like his mommy.
A Mother ...
About five years ago I received a piece of mail from Jackson Jewelers advertising the Hearts on Fire diamond collection. On this mailer was a beautiful diamond pendant, a picture of a mom snuggling with a tiny baby, and a poem. I'm not the type of person who really enjoys poetry, but I liked this. I clipped it from that mailer and have held onto it for years and have it typed and hanging on the wall next to my desk. I don't know who Julia Summers it, but I love this very short, but meaningful poem. I hope you enjoy it too.
"A Mother
laughs our laughter,
sheds our tears,
returns our love,
fears our fears.
She lives our joys,
cares our cares,
and all our hopes
and dreams she shares."
Julia Summers-author
"A Mother
laughs our laughter,
sheds our tears,
returns our love,
fears our fears.
She lives our joys,
cares our cares,
and all our hopes
and dreams she shares."
Julia Summers-author
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Traditions
You're going to have to help me out on this. I love the idea of traditions and want to start some with our own family of four, but I need ideas. Think about things your family did while you were growing up or things you do now for holidays or special times of the year: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, 4th of July, first day of school, summertime, snow days, birthdays, all the major holidays and anything else you can think of.
Several years ago, we started part of our Christmas tradion. On Christmas morning we have a special breakfast-pancakes or waffles (I think it's going to be waffles), scrambled eggs, and fresh squeezed orange juice. Then Matt reads the Christmas story from the Bible. And you probably know what comes next. Presents. Just a few. Our goal is to get the boys 3 presents a year. I got this idea from a friend. If I remember right, their kids got new jammies, a book, and a toy. I like the simplicity of that. Our boys don't NEED anything, but I have so much fun shopping. And then the wrapping is even more fun for me. Then I get to admire the pretty presents under the tree. And then see a little face light up when the present is opened.
Although we have not done this yet, I like this Christmas idea I got from someone else. Dress the kids in their jammies, make hot chocolate and popcorn or whatever snack you want, and drive around to look at Christmas lights. I LOVE to look at Christmas lights and I really like the rest of this idea. I doubt we will be able to do it this year, but maybe next. And I plan on wearing my Christmas jammies too. Doubtful that Matt will participate in the jammie portion. Perhaps I can bribe him with the snack.
I'm looking forward to reading about your traditions. Please leave me a comment!
Several years ago, we started part of our Christmas tradion. On Christmas morning we have a special breakfast-pancakes or waffles (I think it's going to be waffles), scrambled eggs, and fresh squeezed orange juice. Then Matt reads the Christmas story from the Bible. And you probably know what comes next. Presents. Just a few. Our goal is to get the boys 3 presents a year. I got this idea from a friend. If I remember right, their kids got new jammies, a book, and a toy. I like the simplicity of that. Our boys don't NEED anything, but I have so much fun shopping. And then the wrapping is even more fun for me. Then I get to admire the pretty presents under the tree. And then see a little face light up when the present is opened.
Although we have not done this yet, I like this Christmas idea I got from someone else. Dress the kids in their jammies, make hot chocolate and popcorn or whatever snack you want, and drive around to look at Christmas lights. I LOVE to look at Christmas lights and I really like the rest of this idea. I doubt we will be able to do it this year, but maybe next. And I plan on wearing my Christmas jammies too. Doubtful that Matt will participate in the jammie portion. Perhaps I can bribe him with the snack.
I'm looking forward to reading about your traditions. Please leave me a comment!
Two Surprise Visitors
When someone tells me they had surprise visitors, my minds jumps to four-legged critters, wild animals, things like that. Our surprise visitors were quite the opposite, the type of visitor that puts a smile on your face. Cousins! I knew my parents were coming to visit, but my mom didn't tell me they were bringing Sweet Girl and Dude to play with Baden. We were thrilled to see them!
Laughter, shrieks, squeals, loud pitter patters, and lots of chattering filled the day. This is a brief re-cap of what 3, (well, 4) little cousins do for fun when they get together for an afternoon. (and if anyone knows tips on how to move pictures where you want them, PLEASE tell me! I had the hardest time with these and wasn't able to move them where I wanted.)
Laughter, shrieks, squeals, loud pitter patters, and lots of chattering filled the day. This is a brief re-cap of what 3, (well, 4) little cousins do for fun when they get together for an afternoon. (and if anyone knows tips on how to move pictures where you want them, PLEASE tell me! I had the hardest time with these and wasn't able to move them where I wanted.)
 |
| Fun on the teeter totter |
 |
| chalking the driveway |
 |
| modeling Sweet Girl's shoes |
 |
| some t-ball |
 |
books |
 |
| swinging |
 |
| Ryder made his appearance |
 |
| puzzles |
 |
| and no visit is complete without an adjustment |
 |
| and getting squished! |
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Discover The Y
As a stay at home mom to two young boys, I often feel like I'm not able to help others, serve, and make a difference the way I would really like to. Matt and I were recently asked to host a table for the Discover the Y fundraising dinner. My first thought was no way, everyone is too busy, broke, or already supporting something, whether it is their local church, Christian radio, Stillwater Life Services, FCA, missionaries, Disabled Veterans, Humane Society, and numerous other good organizations. However, we said yes, and I feel like this is a small way I can make a difference.
I don't know that much about the Y, but recently discoved it's our own little mission field right in the center of Stillwater, ministering to youth everyday, some that have no one to go home to when they get out of school, also known as latch key kids. I realize it's not up to me to decide who does or does not have money to support the Y. I believe it's more about the giver's heart than the giver's amount.
Would you please consider this an invitation for you and your spouse/guest to learn more about the role of the YMCA in our community and their vision for the future? The dinner is Tuesday, November 16, 6:30-8:30 pm at the Conoco Phillips Alumni Center. Dress is business casual and is FREE to attend. If you would like to attend or want more information, please personal message me on facebook or email me at kemberswan@hotmail.com
Thank you for considering this opportunity to make a difference in the lives of youth in our community!
I don't know that much about the Y, but recently discoved it's our own little mission field right in the center of Stillwater, ministering to youth everyday, some that have no one to go home to when they get out of school, also known as latch key kids. I realize it's not up to me to decide who does or does not have money to support the Y. I believe it's more about the giver's heart than the giver's amount.
Would you please consider this an invitation for you and your spouse/guest to learn more about the role of the YMCA in our community and their vision for the future? The dinner is Tuesday, November 16, 6:30-8:30 pm at the Conoco Phillips Alumni Center. Dress is business casual and is FREE to attend. If you would like to attend or want more information, please personal message me on facebook or email me at kemberswan@hotmail.com
Thank you for considering this opportunity to make a difference in the lives of youth in our community!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
76 Trombones
There are pros and cons with everything. This includes having children. Prior to having kids, it seemed near impossible to be somewhere by 9 am on a Saturday morning. Why would I want to wake up that early? Even if I did, I would stay in my jammies, relax, and be lazy for a while. I am a night owl. My ideal hours would be bedtime around 2 am, wake up around 10 am. Or noon.
Thanks to having kids, I saw my first OSU Homecoming parade this year. Planning goes into everything around our house, and if it doesn't I'm usually frustrated. All week long, I had mentally been planning out the morning so that we could get to the parade in time. Matt is training for a marathon, so he went on a 2 1/2 hour run and I had the responsibility of getting the other 3 of us ready before he got home. Sucess! When he got home, we greeted him in the driveway wearing our bright orange shirts.
Here is a rundown of the parade from 4 perspectives:
Matt
Man, my legs are sore from running. Baden, can you stand by yourself for a minute so my legs can rest? Man, my legs are sore. Yep, those are airplanes. We should have brought some chairs. Next year we should bring chairs. My legs are sore. There's Bullet. Oh, there's Bullet again. Baden, let's sit down so daddy can rest his legs.
Kember
Baden
Airplanes! Fly high. Up in the sky. More airplanes. There's Bullet! Me really, really like Bullet. More Bullet. (pouting). Look, more Bullet (as more horses march by). Drums, really really loud. Me like Bullet. Big truck. Sirens loud. Sirens scare Ryder. Lawnmowers go fast. Motorcycles. More Bullet. Me really really like Bullet. Oh, horse poop. Poop, daddy.
Ryder
Man, I'm tired. Ready for a nap. I'm all snuggly in the carrier that mommy is wearing. She sure is hoping I'll take a nap. BOOM BOOM BOOM (drums) CLANG CLANG symbols. WHOOO WHOOO (sirens) BOOM BOOM BOOM (more drums) This parade sure is loud. Hey, what's going on out there? Mommy, can you turn me facing out so I can see all the action? ORANGE!!! Why is everyone wearing orange? Oh good, mommy dressed me in orange too. And put my OSU bib on. I really like chewing on my bibs. Oh, horses. There's Bullet! Man, this parade is really loud.
There weren't 76 trombones, but there were a lot of bands. The parade really was good. We all enjoyed it. On the way to the van, we asked Baden what his favorite part of the parade was. His response, "the end".
Thanks to having kids, I saw my first OSU Homecoming parade this year. Planning goes into everything around our house, and if it doesn't I'm usually frustrated. All week long, I had mentally been planning out the morning so that we could get to the parade in time. Matt is training for a marathon, so he went on a 2 1/2 hour run and I had the responsibility of getting the other 3 of us ready before he got home. Sucess! When he got home, we greeted him in the driveway wearing our bright orange shirts.
Here is a rundown of the parade from 4 perspectives:
Matt
Man, my legs are sore from running. Baden, can you stand by yourself for a minute so my legs can rest? Man, my legs are sore. Yep, those are airplanes. We should have brought some chairs. Next year we should bring chairs. My legs are sore. There's Bullet. Oh, there's Bullet again. Baden, let's sit down so daddy can rest his legs.
Kember
Let's park here so we can walk by Aspen and I can get a drink on the way to the parade. We'll just stand on the corner by Aspen to watch. Oh shoot, the line is to the door. Let's get a place to stand and I'll go get a drink later. The line is still to the door. Baden, smile so mommy can get a picture. Matt, do you think it's ok that I'm standing in the landscaping? I want to be able to see. Matt, can I have the camera again so I can take another picture? Oh good, there's a pause, I'm gonna go get a latte now. Man, this drink is good. Matt, smile so I can get a picture of you and Baden at his first parade. Can you take a picture of me and Ryder?
Baden
Airplanes! Fly high. Up in the sky. More airplanes. There's Bullet! Me really, really like Bullet. More Bullet. (pouting). Look, more Bullet (as more horses march by). Drums, really really loud. Me like Bullet. Big truck. Sirens loud. Sirens scare Ryder. Lawnmowers go fast. Motorcycles. More Bullet. Me really really like Bullet. Oh, horse poop. Poop, daddy.
Ryder
Man, I'm tired. Ready for a nap. I'm all snuggly in the carrier that mommy is wearing. She sure is hoping I'll take a nap. BOOM BOOM BOOM (drums) CLANG CLANG symbols. WHOOO WHOOO (sirens) BOOM BOOM BOOM (more drums) This parade sure is loud. Hey, what's going on out there? Mommy, can you turn me facing out so I can see all the action? ORANGE!!! Why is everyone wearing orange? Oh good, mommy dressed me in orange too. And put my OSU bib on. I really like chewing on my bibs. Oh, horses. There's Bullet! Man, this parade is really loud.
There weren't 76 trombones, but there were a lot of bands. The parade really was good. We all enjoyed it. On the way to the van, we asked Baden what his favorite part of the parade was. His response, "the end".
Monday, October 25, 2010
City Girl Meets Country
Our trip to Calico Acres Farm all came about because my friend wanted to milk a cow. I told her I knew a family with goats, contacted my friend and scheduled a day and time. A goat is close enough, right? All we really needed was a pair of, well, nevermind...
The four of us-my friend Elena, myself, Baden and Ryder-loaded up the van and were on our way to milk some goats. When we arrived, Baden was distracted by two cats on the sidewalk, a beautiful Clematis full of purple blooms captured my attention, Elena noticed the aroma of goats, and Ryder was just thankful to get out of his carseat. Linda and a couple of friendly dogs welcomed us at the front door. After some chit-chat and meeting one of her sons, we stepped outside to the meet the goats.
Once again, Baden was distracted-this time it was by a giant jungle gym that he really wanted to play on, but I told him we were there to see the goats. After passing through the first gate, we met the male goats. An unexpected sight on the fencepost caught our attention, a spider carrying a cricket. What a sight! Elena and Linda paused to take a few pictures. I'm pretty sure Linda's turned out the best because she had some help from Bibs, one of her goats.
Next, we were at our destination-the female goats. We went into the milking barn and Linda's son got a goat ready and gave us a brief lesson on the "how to's" of milking a goat. I had the pleasure of going first. I did some "milking" and did all right for a city girl with very little experience, unless you count nursing children and I've got 23 months of experience so far. I've milked a goat once before at the fair so I wasn't an official rookie. When I was done, I noticed Baden was kneeling to watch me-kneeling in some goat poop to be more specific. Elena had her turn milking and I was able to capture some pictures. I suppose in the world of milking goats, she was successful and was thrilled to get to fulfill her desire to milk a cow-except that it was a goat. Baden liked to pet the goats, was comfortable standing close to them, but he passed on the actual milking part. Maybe next time. Oh, and Ryder had fallen asleep by this time so I didn't even bother asking him what he thought about the goats. Or the milking. Or the poop.
After the milking we thought we were done, but Baden noticed a horse standing at the fence. He's into horses these days so he and Elena walked over to meet the horse and pet it. I was busy taking pictures. I tend to miss out on some of the actual experiences in lieu of getting a record of the memory, but someone's gotta do it. We said goodbye to the horse and goats, walked through some more poop, and were escorted back to the house by algae covered dogs who had just taken a dip in the lagoon.
I guess this is normal life on a small farm. Nice people, animals, pretty flowers, more animals, poop, bugs, wet dogs, and "nice" aromas. We thoroughly enjoyed our adventure and are very thankful to Linda and her family for letting us interrupt their day to welcome us to their home, teach us a few things, and spend time with us!
The moral of this story is, you never know where you will end up when you're in the mood to milk a cow.
The four of us-my friend Elena, myself, Baden and Ryder-loaded up the van and were on our way to milk some goats. When we arrived, Baden was distracted by two cats on the sidewalk, a beautiful Clematis full of purple blooms captured my attention, Elena noticed the aroma of goats, and Ryder was just thankful to get out of his carseat. Linda and a couple of friendly dogs welcomed us at the front door. After some chit-chat and meeting one of her sons, we stepped outside to the meet the goats.
Once again, Baden was distracted-this time it was by a giant jungle gym that he really wanted to play on, but I told him we were there to see the goats. After passing through the first gate, we met the male goats. An unexpected sight on the fencepost caught our attention, a spider carrying a cricket. What a sight! Elena and Linda paused to take a few pictures. I'm pretty sure Linda's turned out the best because she had some help from Bibs, one of her goats.
Next, we were at our destination-the female goats. We went into the milking barn and Linda's son got a goat ready and gave us a brief lesson on the "how to's" of milking a goat. I had the pleasure of going first. I did some "milking" and did all right for a city girl with very little experience, unless you count nursing children and I've got 23 months of experience so far. I've milked a goat once before at the fair so I wasn't an official rookie. When I was done, I noticed Baden was kneeling to watch me-kneeling in some goat poop to be more specific. Elena had her turn milking and I was able to capture some pictures. I suppose in the world of milking goats, she was successful and was thrilled to get to fulfill her desire to milk a cow-except that it was a goat. Baden liked to pet the goats, was comfortable standing close to them, but he passed on the actual milking part. Maybe next time. Oh, and Ryder had fallen asleep by this time so I didn't even bother asking him what he thought about the goats. Or the milking. Or the poop.
After the milking we thought we were done, but Baden noticed a horse standing at the fence. He's into horses these days so he and Elena walked over to meet the horse and pet it. I was busy taking pictures. I tend to miss out on some of the actual experiences in lieu of getting a record of the memory, but someone's gotta do it. We said goodbye to the horse and goats, walked through some more poop, and were escorted back to the house by algae covered dogs who had just taken a dip in the lagoon.
I guess this is normal life on a small farm. Nice people, animals, pretty flowers, more animals, poop, bugs, wet dogs, and "nice" aromas. We thoroughly enjoyed our adventure and are very thankful to Linda and her family for letting us interrupt their day to welcome us to their home, teach us a few things, and spend time with us!
The moral of this story is, you never know where you will end up when you're in the mood to milk a cow.
Friday, October 22, 2010
The Why and What's To Come
Why a blog? I'm not an avid blog reader. I've probably only looked at 10 or less. My passion for journaling plus my love for connecting with people on facebook led me to want to blog. I am a woman of many words (my poor husband) and there is a lot I want to say. Growing up I was very shy, not so quiet around close friends, but shy. And very insecure. After I got married, I was still a pretty private person and did not want everyone knowing my business. Now that I am on facebook, I think I may have gone the other way and share too much information. At some point, I'll learn the balance.
I don't think life is meant to be lived alone. There is so much to learn from others and opportunites to help others. To put it simply, my purpose in life is to love God and love others. My desire is that I will make a positive difference in other's lives, whatever that may be. My blog will be sharing bits of my life and things I am passionate about, with hopes that whoever reads it will be a better person in some way.
So what are the bits of my life that I will write about? Childhood memories, people who have influenced me, my struggles, my joys, my sons' birth stories, life as a mom, funny things that happen, and pretty much anything else that happens in day to day life. There are also things I am passionate about and I love to talk about them. A few of my passions are my journey as a Christian, organizing, homebirth and natural family living, health, good food, and being creative.
For some reason, people are fascinated with other peoples lives, but it is odd to me that anyone would care to read about ordinary me writing about my simple life. I hope you enjoy my blog. I hope you leave comments. I welcome questions and I hope you will be bold enough to ask.
I don't think life is meant to be lived alone. There is so much to learn from others and opportunites to help others. To put it simply, my purpose in life is to love God and love others. My desire is that I will make a positive difference in other's lives, whatever that may be. My blog will be sharing bits of my life and things I am passionate about, with hopes that whoever reads it will be a better person in some way.
So what are the bits of my life that I will write about? Childhood memories, people who have influenced me, my struggles, my joys, my sons' birth stories, life as a mom, funny things that happen, and pretty much anything else that happens in day to day life. There are also things I am passionate about and I love to talk about them. A few of my passions are my journey as a Christian, organizing, homebirth and natural family living, health, good food, and being creative.
For some reason, people are fascinated with other peoples lives, but it is odd to me that anyone would care to read about ordinary me writing about my simple life. I hope you enjoy my blog. I hope you leave comments. I welcome questions and I hope you will be bold enough to ask.
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