Heard around my house...

Bella (age 5)"... and dear Jesus, please have Arielle get married and have kids and live in the blue house by mine and dear Jesus, Amen."

This seems to be B.'s big focus these days - getting married and having kids. She's following in my footsteps. I wanted to be married at 18 and have all my kids by the time I was 24. Yup. Big dreams. ;) I am SO glad that God didn't give me what I (thought I) wanted at the time. He had me wait until I was wanting His best for me. Along the way I got my Social Work diploma; my B.A. and my After Education Degree. I didn't just sit and wait, my life carried on. I met my husband when I was just 28; got engaged 7 months later; married a year after that at 29; had my first child, C., at 30. I think, as an older mother, that I can appreciate my kids a little more - stay in the present a little more - than I would have in my early 20's. I know how fleeting time is. Even now, it's hard to accept that my oldest is 9.5 yrs. Half-way to leaving the nest. (!) The time has gone by so fast.

So, my little girl wants to grow up and get married ("to my Prince") and have kids. She was all worried and practically in tears because she didn't know how to cook anything. I told her not to worry, that I would teach her how to cook. The other day we made cinnamon buns and she said, "Oh good! Now I know how to make 2 things - cereal and cinnamon buns - for my kids to eat!!"

After she said that prayer tonight at supper, I asked her if she wanted Arielle to live next door to her. "NO! I want to Arielle to live in a red house over on this side and I'll live in a blue house over here." (said with her arms stretched as far apart as possible - denoting the great distance between their two houses)

She is so helpful and funny. :) My little girl who wants to be a woman too soon. I just had some words from 'My funny valentine' pop into my head, 'Stay little Valentine, Stay!' I'll have to sing to her tomorrow.

And teach her how to make a casserole.

Turning 40

Tomorrow will mark this milestone in my life. It's sure to be a fun celebration as the whole world celebrates with me. ;) I'm looking forward to seeing how I change in this next year. My kids keep me young; my life is still in constant change and static crisis mode; I think I'm perimenopausal now... the list of interesting things about my life keeps growing.

My Face Book fast has continued. There have been several times when I tried to come back and I just couldn't. I am not sure what to do about it as I do miss my connections there. I just don't miss all of them and it becomes very awkward to de-friend some and not offend them while I keep their connections... it just lends to paranoia on my part and is just easier to stay away. Perhaps I just need to create a secret personality and remain friends with those who I want to be friends with. If you're reading this, chances are that's you. ;)

So... I'll think some more about this and let you all know what I come up with.

Happy New Year! All the best to all of you in 2012!

Mermaid Soup

Mermaid Soup... this one took Kevin and I a few minutes to figure out.... Isabella asked for 'Mermaid Soup' and now that's what both girls call mushroom soup. Isn't that cute? :)

In the face of criticism...

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” - THEODORE ROOSEVELT

Thanks Erin! :) I need to keep reminding myself of the 'mud puddles' lesson!

I have tried to comment several times in the comments section of my mud puddle post; but something isn't working right. ugh. I am so not good with change.

In new news, we are going to be staying put in our home for now and hopefully I'll be able to include a wonderful update soon. For now, all prayer is most welcome. :)

My favorite things today: the giggles of my kids; C. helping to look after his sisters and remembering how he did B.'s hair for church yesterday (putting every single hair clip and doo-dad into it and then spraying it with his 'Monkey Farts' room mist... it was a sight to behold and smell! lol!) (and I was running late for church and didn't stop and take a picture before taking everything out! I wish I would have!); the blue jays that seem to be everywhere right now; Brinkley (our puppy we got at the end of August) and how he has added fun and laughter and life to our family; cuddles and hugs with A.; chili cookoff with friends for supper and how we decided that if we just mixed our two chilis together - we'd have the perfect tasting chili - so that's what we did; spending time reading with my husband and dreaming about the future together... these are just a few of my favorite things today.

Kid-ism's from today

Tonight while giving the girls a bath, B. asked me, "Can we have a 'Let's Be Naked Day'?"

Me: ???(stunned) "Nope!"

~~~
Tonight while cutting C.'s hair:
Me:"This is going to be sooo good that Daddy..."
Caleb: "...is going to say, "I should go on dates with Mom more!"

~~~
I just love the funny things that my kids are saying these days. I can't remember them all and I need to just go run and write them down as soon as they happen.

It's a beautiful Autumn here and I'm enjoying the deep blue skies, leaves turning colours, and the gradual change that happens in our area when the lake is getting ready for winter. It's quiet and everything slows down.

I can hardly wait for the first snowfall!

Life Lessons: Stay away from the mud puddles!

Lately, Caleb (9 yrs), has been having many difficult moments with a negative attitude. We have tried sending him to his room for quiet time. We've tried talking with him about having a good attitude; about choosing to have a good attitude. We've tried teasing/joking with him to try and pull him out of it. Nothing seems to have stuck with him.

Then today, I got a word picture in my head about it all...

"Caleb, what would happen if you saw a mud puddle? Let's say that you're walking along and all of a sudden, a huge muddy puddle was in front of you. What would happen if you walked into it?"

"I'd get muddy."

"Yes! And then you'd track mud all over the place until all of the mud had come off of you." (He smiled.) "What would happen if you walked around it?"

"I'd stay clean."

"Yes, you would!
Caleb, when we have a negative attitude about things, it's just like walking into a mud puddle. We get stuck and yucky, and we track that bad attitude all around with us until we run out of 'mud'."

(here I joked with him)" And I just cleaned up my floors and I don't want any mud getting tracked in here!" (He laughed.)

"So son, what are you going to choose to do? Are you going to walk into the mud puddle or around it?"

"Around it."

"Good choice, Caleb. Good choice."

How often we need to remind ourselves that we can choose to walk around those negative attitudes rather than drudging through them. We cannot keep bad things from happening in our lives, but we can choose how we will respond to them. Will we sulk and pout or accept and be thankful? I know that there have been times of extreme loss and grief in my life; and I'm not talking about 'put on a happy face' during those types of circumstances. I'm referring to the 'broken nails of life'; those things that irk you, but aren't issues of life and death.

Let's put these 'broken nails' into perspective the next time that we are tempted to throw a pity party for ourselves over trivial things. Let's choose to stay away from the mud puddles and keep our floors (and hearts) clean.


Psalm 40:2

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.


Proverbs 23:15-19,22-26

My son, if your heart is wise,
then my heart will be glad;
my inmost being will rejoice
when your lips speak what is right.

Do not let your heart envy sinners,
but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.
There is surely a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off.

Listen, my son, and be wise,
and keep your heart on the right path.
Listen to your father, who gave you life,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.
Buy the truth and do not sell it;
get wisdom, discipline and understanding.
The father of a righteous man has great joy;
he who has a wise son delights in him.
May your father and mother be glad;
may she who gave you birth rejoice!

My son, give me your heart
and let your eyes keep to my ways...

The beauty of leaves changing colour; crisp mornings; walking our new puppy 'Brinkley' (who is 9 weeks old, we just got him about a week and a half ago) (named for Tom Hanks' character's dog in 'You've Got Mail'; which is similar to how Kevin and I met); talking with my 9 year old son (it doesn't seem possible that he's growing up as fast as he is!); hugs and kisses from my two beautiful fairy princess-daughters; teaching my children; celebrating 10 years of a wonderful marriage with my fabulous husband (who amazes me with the depth of his unconditional love for me); blooming flowers; bright blue skies; the lapping of water against the shore of the lake; making birthday plans for the upcoming birthdays; thinking ahead to Christmas (I still have 'Let it Snow, let it snow, let it snow', sung by Frank Sinatra as my cell phone ringtone and it's not going to change anytime soon. I LOVE that song! although I get interesting reactions from others when it goes off, ha!)... these are a few of my favorite things from this summer and early autumn!

sunny, blue skies; watching my children splash and jump on the trampoline with a sprinkler underneath (they had such giggles and smiles); reading a good book; Celestial Seasonings Madagascar Vanilla Roiboos Tea with sugar and cream; wearing sandals again; hugs and kisses from my husband; listening to my husband tell our children our story of how he proposed to me (almost 11 years ago now)(they were enthralled); my son saying how excited he is for his birthday (he's counting down daily); my friend Jenny's dill dip recipe with fresh veggies; my cell phone ring (Frank Sinatra singing 'Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow' HA! The looks I get now when my phone rings are hilarious! I'm not going to change it any time soon. ;) ).... these are a few of my favorite things today!

sunshine in a bright, blue sky; the strong breeze that kept the mosquitos at bay while I took the kids out for my walk and to play at the playground; the way A. talks in her precious baby-ish way (one of her funny phrases is saying 'Puppy-Duke' when she wants to watch the 'Marmaduke' movie); eating supper outside on the deck; finding out that I've lost 10.6 lbs since I started my 'healthy choices' lifestyle; watching the trees sway in the powerful wind tonight; seeing the birds soar high in the sky as the thunderstorm rolled in; teasing my husband.... these are a few of my favorite things today.

Somehow June has sprung into existence... somewhere between the swirling snow and rainstorms, my daisies and lilies and green garden fillers have been resurrected. The first deep pink rosebud is saucily getting ready to unfurl her petals and flirt with the honeybees. June... the month that I always wanted to be married in but for practical reasons did not. June... the month evokes childhood memories of sweetness, friendships, and almost being done the school year. I love June. It is the month that my firstborn was born in. Beautiful memories of June hide and peek out like the sun and shadows that play tag across my green lawn.

These are a few of my favorite things about June. I'd love to hear yours. :)

pale, silvery green tree buds, birds flitting about the branches, sunshine streaming in my windows, watching my girls play dress-up (one is Spider-Man, the other is a Ballerina), my son's grin, my husband vacuuming and helping clean the kitchen, my new magenta hoodie-shirt, the blooming geraniums that remind me of my Grandma Y's farmhouse, evergreens waving in the wind, the ice crashing in waves (earlier this week) which sounded like the wind blowing through a thousand trees right outside my window, the scent of my wedding dress as I placed so many of my beautiful dresses from high school into my steamer trunk with it, reminiscing about the times I wore each of those dresses and who I was with.... these are few of my favorite things today.

(but as an aside, I am definitely happier now than I was then!) :)