My little tree-hugger

OK, I'm back up and running again... came down with an awful sinus infection last week... really thought it was just a bad head cold until around the 3rd bad day my ears started to tighten up... i knew at that point i needed to seek professional assistance! So I am 6 days into the antibiotic and finally feel back to normal again... yeah!!!!
So I'm going back about a week and a half (right before I got sick)... we had 2 or 3 absolutely beautiful days... low 70's, beautiful sunshine, you would have thought it was the end of April, not middle of February!!! So we decided to take advantage of it and went out for a scooter ride around the lake... and along the way we inspected some Minos, skipped some rocks, tried to fish for snapping turtles with a long tree limb (didn't work, just in case you were wondering! :), had a contest on who could throw a rock the farthest, played on the playground, climbed some trees (well, one of us did anyway! :) It was great!!!
I wish I would slow down enough to do more of this... still working on that thing I mentioned earlier... that whole stepping back out of the Mommy Boot Camp mode... we have such a good time when we do this. Why in the world is it so hard to "just enjoy the moment"... I tend to get caught up in the "what comes next" instead of "whats going on now"... that whole "we have to get this done, that done, oh! and then there's that other thing..." way of thinking.
Those rare moments where we're down at the lake goofing off, or walking, or biking... or having family game/puzzle night, or Friday pizza & movie night... those are the "real" moments... the ones that really count... so how do you balance the endless to-do list with that quality time of being in the moment? i think the key might have to do with time-management... something I definitely need improvement on! So that will be my area to focus on this week... we'll see how it goes... I have a new skirt that's waiting to be sewn up (fabric is cut out and ready to roll)... I'm hoping to finish that one tomorrow... I'll post when I get it photographed to see what you think... and of course, I'll need some suggestions on what to name the new baby.... so be thinking about some new groovy "S" names!!! :)

My little imaginative one... Tin Foil City

Ok, so my daughter made some poor choices yesterday and we've been trying to take a different approach lately with discipline... we WERE taking the approach of talking with her about what she did wrong and what would have been a better choice... we had been trying this approach in many different versions, tones and octives... it just wasnt seeming to stick. So, we decided to take a different approach... instead of mommy and daddy getting all upset when she lost her 3rd sweatshirt this month or whatever, we explained to her that there would be "consequences" to making poor choices and not being responsible. So yesturday, she made some poor choices (not a huge deal, but enough to address), so we gave her some extra chores to do for the day (i.e one was to put away the "safanator 3000" - which i still have no idea what that really was... an "invention" of hers that was put together by a clothes basket, some tin foil and a few other things...) So I left her alone upstairs for a while to get some of these chores done... well, I hadnt heard from her in about an hour... which is a bit unusual... usually we hear her yell down "Mom - can you put this in the downstairs closet for me... or Dad, can you come up and help me with the litter box"... etc, etc.. So I decided to go check things out... and brought my camera with me! :) I snuck up really quiet behind her bedroom door and snapped a quick picture of what she was doing... and then asked what that was she was working on. She explains (very matter a factly).. "Im making a mall, with cars, people, balls for the kids to play with... and oh, this is the sunsphere over here" All of these things were made out of the tin foil that she pulled down from the "safenator 3000". I didnt have the heart to ask her right away if she had finished all of her chores yet. I admired her little creative tin foil city for a while, then nicely asked if the chores were finished... there were a few stragglers, but for the most part, she did a pretty good job. Ive been trying really hard not to "sweat the small stuff" lately with her... its a struggle sometimes for me... I really want her to grow up into a kind, responsible, motivated, energetic young lady... its really my bible study and church time that really keep me in check... reminding me to take that step back... so that i dont let her childhood just pass right by me... to be "present" in the moment... enjoy these wonderful little "tin foil city" moments... ya never know, she could grow up to be an architect... and that could be her defining moment. So as I type this little story, its more of a reminder to myself to keep working on this part of myself... that tends to get caught up with the "Mommy Boot Camp" moments sometimes... I'll keep you posted on how thats working for me later... :) Have a great day all!

Proud of my husband

I just wanted to take a minute to mention how proud I was of my husband today. He started facilitating this book discussion with our church youth kids today. The book is called "Do hard things" by Alex & Brett Harris. When his buddy, Jeff suggested that he read this book because of his involvement with our church youth group, he went straight out to buy the book... read it in nothing flat... then set out on a mission to get it in front of our kids so that it could fuel the amazing gifts and talents that so many of our kids already have inside of of them. He did such a wonderful job today... you could see it stirring thoughts and ideas in the kids... they were all participating in the discussion. I was even amazed by the attendance alone... maybe 30 or so showed up. It's a new thing we are trying... after Sunday school and church... so its an additional committment of time to the church for these kids.... I think it's really great... its such an amazing bunch of kids. We are blessed to have them in our lives... and today, I felt they were surely blessed, to have Brent in their lives too.... those are the simple, but very special moments that make me fall in love with him over and over again.

My new baby... skirt, that is... Princess folk farmer meets Pipplongstocking!

Ok, so I have to share this little conversation I had with my daughter Friday night as she was getting her PJ's on. I sent her to school in this latest skirt creation I finished last week... she wore a cute little love/peace/joy hippie type tshirt with it and a pair of flair bottom jeans underneath... I thought it was quite cute. Well, as she's putting her pj's on and hanging the skirt back up on its hanger (and no, her clothes dont always end up back on the hanger... it was just a lucky night!) and she says... "Mom... " with this very sincere and kind face..."I really dont want to hurt your feelings... and I do like the skirt and all... but.... ummm.... I just dont understand why these little tab things dont go all the way around the skirt... how come you just put 2 of them right here?" (she's talking about the 2 little ribbon trim tabs I added to the 2nd ruffle on the front of the skirt) At first, I wanted to defend my creation... and explain to her my reasoning behind wanting to balance out the little off-centered red ruffle panel that i put at the top front of the skirt, blah, blah, blah, blah... (thats really what it would have sounded like if I had went into all of that), so instead, I took it all in... put a finger to my chin... and said "Well... thanks for being honest with me, sweetie... I will put some serious thought to it and see what I can do"... can I just say, I do so love my little apparel consultant... slash / assistant clothing designer... and, of course, exclusive model... and inspiration provider... as well as my own personal smile-maker... and since we're on the subject, i mine as well mention that she's my best snuggable hug-giver in town too... Anyhow, this one might still be a work in progress... I never dismiss good criticism without consideration first!! :)

A day off from school for some fun in the snow!

Another snow day today... this is now the 2nd day... actually 2nd and a 1/2... they were let out at 12:30 on Monday for snow, then off Tuesday, and now off today again. I'm sure the kids will be back at it again today as long as the snow sticks around, but here are a few from yesturday. My neighbor, Sharon, took some great pics when they were out yesturday playing in it. Snow days are just the best for kids... what more could you ask for?! An unexpected day off from school, not sick and layed up, still able to play with friends, and on top of that, SNOW to play in and hot chocolate to help warm you back up! :)

Kentucky Ice Storm Pics

Brent's cousin posted some pics of the ice storm that hit Paducah, KY. Everything is now underway with getting back to normal... everyone is just now getting electricity back and clean-up has begun. Most of them went without electricity for over a week.