Summer activity jar.

The Pickle has been on school vacation for less than a week. Technically, I was only home with him 2 of these days (plus Saturday and Sunday, which don't count because I would have had him anyway). Summer vacation is already kicking my butt.
The Pickle has found a deep love for Lego's, which is awesome. But, he needs a little help building the models if he hasn't done it a few times. Last time we were at D's parents he got out all his old Lego's and let Pickle bring the universal building set home. Which I love. BUT... we didn't get all the pieces and these are pretty complicated models so Pickle needs some help building them or at least identifying the pieces. The Chickadee currently LOVES being outside. Walking up and down the side walk, painting with water, drawing with chalk, sliding exploring etc.
Here in lies the problem. Lego's.... not so much and outside toy. Chickadee... not so much an inside girl.
So my goal this summer is to come up with a list of activities that we all can do together, on the days that I am home that will peak both interests. Or at least something that we can do outside to burn a little daylight.
Here is the list I've come up with so far. I'm always looking for more suggestions and things to add.

• Make sun tea
• Make Popsicles
• Modge podge rocks
• Make a pinata
• Eat lunch and Bob Evans
• Make soap crayons
• Have a picnic
• Play find the red rock
• Have a scavenger hunt
• Go to the park
• Go to the library
• Paint
• Make Popsicle stick puppets
• Make cereal box houses
• Make tin can lanterns
• Make marble runs out of recycle bin.
• Color pasta/make jewelry
• Make chalk paint
• Make cardboard robots
• Decorate pillow cases
• Bake a cake
• Bake cookies
• Make a pie
• Make suncatchers
• Make sunprints
• Go on a rock hunt
• Make a volcano
• Play does it sink? does it float?
• Make rock candy
• Archaeological dig
• Make a bug catcher and catch/identify bugs

Some of these things will keep us busy for a while some will be a few minutes and we can move onto something else. I need to start stashing some supplies around.

Thoughts

So, for about a week here I thought I might be pregnant.  Today, turns out not to be so.  Wow, I'm not really sure how I feel about that.  I was feeling a little stress about having another, but at the same time I know that if we did I could never imagine life without them.  But honestly, the actual details of living with a third, might stress me out.  We would definitely need a car that could haul around 3 kids, we would need to either move, or revise our bedroom situations.  Can you stick 3 kids in one room? Do we give up the office?  How will we pay for 3 Montessori school tuition's? I feel some guilt about being relieved.  I'm not sure what to think, do I want to let go of the idea of having 3?  Am I satisfied with what I have?  We have several friends who have babies with issues, should I just be happy with what I have and not tempt the fates?  If we stop now, we are so many steps closer to .... I don't know... independence?  

But Oh... the feelings that a tiny new baby bring on.  I wish that D were gung ho about a 3rd it would be so easy to hop on that wagon.  But he has some trepidation, which makes me worried that I'd be pushing him where he doesn't want to go.  Oh my... 

The New Year

Well, I guess that we are well into the new year.  I have been thinking about resolutions and goals for this year.  I have been leaning toward things that are less concrete and maybe more 'emotional'.  

Somethings that have come to mind is to be less defensive.  Instead of immediately thinking that someones intentions were to hurt my feelings or to be mean I am going to try to look at their actions or statements as coming from a place of love.  How will that change my perspective?  If someone says or does something that seems hurtful, if I don't accept it as a malicious act, will I be less likely to hold on to it as a painful memory or action?  

Secondly, I am interested in tracking where my money goes.  What am I spending my money on.  Asking myself "why am I buying this?  Where will this go in my home?"  Imagining what it will feel like to have it.  Do I feel good?  Relieved?  Stressed? Do I want D to know I have it or do I feel the need to hide the purchase?  I have been practicing this a bit this month already, and I have avoided putting myself in places where I know that I buy, just for the thrill of buying (I'm looking at you Target!)  I have made it through this month with no activity on my credit card and I can't wait to enter that into my Quicken account and note that payment as saved instead of spent.

My third 'resolution' is in reference to the food that I eat.  My goal is to eat more vegetarian meals, but that is proving to be difficult.  D does not like to sit down to dinner when there is no meat on the menu.  I on the other hand think of it as a challenge, and an adventure in cooking and eating.  So I may need to make him some meat for dinner.  Those dinners that I do cook with meat, I have been using smaller portions, instead of 2 chicken breasts, only use one.

Of course I always have the plan to sew more, make more do more.  Right now I am not going to Joann's or craft stores until I do something with the supplies that I have in the basement.  I am having a difficult time getting motivated to do that.  I have plans for scrap quilts to use up the boxes of fabric in the basement but feel overwhelmed by what I have to get started.  Ugh.

And finally... or at least finally at this moment; is to be a kind, caring but firm Mother.  To say "Yes" when my kids say "play with me, cuddle with me, read me this book."  To be present in their lives and active in their play.

P.S. Other things ... go back to making bread, yogurt, things from scratch.

Cutest Viking around

Off to pillage the neighborhood.

Someday, the pickle might pick a costume other than a vehicle....

Off the Grid

We did it.... we are now off the grid. Ok, we have been unceremoniously kicked right off with a huge wind storm last night. The power went out about 4:00 pm and hasn't been back on since. I had my sister in law head to my house and get the food out of the freezers. Unfortunately we had just stocked up 2 weeks ago so I didn't want to imagine 6 months worth of meat slowly going to waste if the power didn't come back on soon. There is talk that the outages might last 7 days or longer. D was scheduled to go out of town, but has changed plans due to the power outages. Thankfully! Although I'm not sure that it makes that much of a difference, cooler with ice for the milk instead of the fridge. Go to the store every day or every other instead of once a week. D did make a good call in not going to the store Sunday before the power went out.

I took the kids camping this weekend. We went to John Bryan state park. We did some Geo caching, and found 2.5 caches. I only count a 1/2 because one was a 2 part cache and we found the first part, then the next day my parents went out and found the 2nd while I stayed back with the kiddos.

While we waited as Chickadee napped the Pickle and I worked on his "Peace Book" as he calls it. He likes to have a word document pulled up and then hunts and pecks letters to the words that he wants me to spell. Tractor, Truck, Racing, Wriggly, Camper, Bushwacking. It is fun to catch a glimpse of his thoughts through the words that he wants spelled. It is amazing to watch as he slowly figures out where the letters are and the fact that he really does know what each letter is as you say it out to him. It is funny to me how often C and A come up in the words he is thinking of. Of course we also have to write every ones name out. Soon he will be spelling his name on his own. I think he about has it, but just hasn't made the leap yet.

He started school 3 weeks ago. We are starting to get into a groove for that. The chickadee loves to go and pick him up after school. As we turn into the drive way she starts squealing and chattering away. The teachers say that Pickle really likes the math puzzles. I keep trying to direct him over to the art easel, but it just isn't his thing. He and I need to do more of that at home, or I need to do it and he needs to see me to peak his interest again.

Summer Plans

I scheduled several camping trips for me and the kids with my parents this summer. Last weekend was our second trip. We went to Malabar Farms. Looking back the trip was great, but we definitely had some moments of sheer frustration. The Pickle was not necessarily on his best behavior and did some major meltdowns for Grandma. I asked my mom for advice and she said that maybe I give him to many choices. That I should just say we are doing this and be done with it.

I also read a tip in some parenting magazine about making a big deal about something that he did right. So, while I might have asked him to put his shoes on, and he hasn't when I see the fit coming on in his eyes I try to quickly think of something that I can make a big deal about that he did a good job about. It's tough, as the fit starts I have found myself saying "Hey! Great job sitting down! Thank you so much, that is a big help when I'm trying to get your shoes on!" So far, it has stopped the fits, but only because I think he is bewildered. The look on his face is "Wait... I was going to throw a fit but now she is congratulating me about sitting down? Huh.. something strange is going on here...."

The Chickadee is just taking notes I know it!

At the farm I was really proud to see that the Pickle was not afraid of the horses. In the past I think he would have been. He even was all about feeding them some hay.I printed out some coordinates to try out geocaching. We used Grandpa's GPS from his car and it worked out pretty good. The Pickle was excited to see what was in the boxes that we found. We need to find some better goodies to trade the next time we go.

I also found some letterboxes around our neighborhood so I plan on taking him on that adventure the next day I am off.

This weekend we have a cousins birthday party to go to. I need to think about a gift. She is turning 8. On her list was temporary hair dye. I am mortified. Hair dye for an 8 year old? Am I overprotective thinking this is a little much for an 8 year old? I think I am going to go the route of an art kit. I don't want to support the Hannah Montana industry, and that was what else was on her list. Oh my... raising little girls!

Oh three...

Three has not been my favorite age I can tell you that! The Pickle and I have been traveling over some bumpy roads these past few month. I cannot believe the mood swings that can take place in a three year old.

I can totally see him as he feels out the line and how close he is to it and did he cross it? Sitting at the dinner table one minute he is telling me some little thing about his day and two seconds later he has on his angry voice telling me "I'm MAD at you Momma!" Just to see what sort of reaction that will bring. I know that if I respond to it that it will only lead to a pointless argument with a three year old that will end with us both being mad at each other. So I ignore it and pretend it wasn't said.

My biggest moments of frustration come when we are trying to do something nice for him. Like walking to get ice cream (well, I get ice cream, he would rather have the $.25 sucker), I tell him he needs to put his shoes on. He responds "You put YOUR shoes on Momma!" Or "NEVER!" I'm not sure where this new proclamation of "NEVER!" has come from but it sure comes out at funny times. So, time rolls by as I try and get the Chickadee ready to go and turn to find that he still doesn't have his shoes on. Arg! Now he wants to bring some toy with him, or something odd like a Tupperware bowl... uh... why?

I'm totally at odds between being overbearing and just demanding that he drop everything and do what I say, or think about giving him a little space and allow him to make decisions and express himself.

Ugh... On days I'm not home I miss them to death and days I am home I sometimes just can't wait for nap time... even thought that is going to be a fight too!

I am ready for three to move on.... lets do two twice!