Peterson Publishes Posts!

2012-02-22T11:09:00.003-05:00

After some gentle prodding from a good friend, and a dream last night during which I was joyfully blogging again, I have decided to attempt blogging again. Hopefully I don't crash and burn in a few days.

I'm going to start by blogging about things that strike me as interesting throughout the day, or funny/cute things my kids do, with occasional pictures to make the grandparents happy. I find myself mentally blogging or updating my facebook status throughout the day but I never actually do it. For example, I learned today that doctor's are treating chronic migraines with Botox. Hello! Sign me up! I even read the side effects to see if there was a line tucked in there about some patients experiencing firmer skin and fewer wrinkles. (There isn't one BTW) Oh well, I know what I'm talking to my doctor about at our next visit.

Here's a funny for you. The kids chose "Shrek" to watch this morning. Not my favorite, but we are recovering from colds and on Winter Break so I am pretty much letting them watch whatever they want. I"m sure I'll pay for it later. As many of you know, the movie "Shrek" starts with that charming scene where Shrek is reading a fairy tale in his outhouse while he does his business. He then uses a page from said fairy tale in place of well, um... toilet paper. Jane's response to this today, "He didn't wipe very good." So now you know what we've been talking about in our home lately, just a little glimpse into the fascinating daily lives of the Peterson's. That's why you come to this blog, right?

New Blog Name

2011-03-20T15:38:00.003-04:00

So I was thinking that maybe I should change the name of my blog. "Peterson Publishes Posts!" is not really accurate. "Peterson Never Publishes Posts" or "Peterson Rarely Publishes Blog Posts" might be more appropriate. But I'm going to keep trying.

I haven't blogged much about Hawaii because I think it's kind of painful. I just end up feeling disgruntled about my life. Too bad we can't be on vacation all the time. Plus I didn't take very many pictures. I was too busy enjoying myself.

Here are some pictures of the kids and I the first full day we spent in Hawaii. Still being on NY time we woke up nice and early and went to the beach right outside our hotel. The sand was cool in the shade but the air was warm and soft like it always seems to be in Hawaii. Jane wasn't sure how she felt about the sand at first.

But she quickly got the hang of things.

Here's a little sand castle I built. I'm quite proud of it actually and it was so much fun to build. Sand is so much fun to play in. I'm glad my kids came to appreciate it.

Here are the kids and I digging a big hole for the ocean to fill up. My dad used to always dig giant holes for us at the beach when we were kids. He would even try to carve out steps so we could climb down in the hole. Then a big wave would come and fill up the hole and we'd have our own little pool. I found out how much work it is to dig even a small hole. Kind of tiring. But my dad always dug those special holes for us and it's one of my special memories.

Unfortunately, when the water came rushing into our hole the kids were terrified and it took several days before I could coax them back into one of my "pools." Luckily they warmed up to the idea and they even joined in the digging. Whew. I'm always glad when I can pass on something special to my kids that someone did with me when I was little.

Home

2011-02-28T13:00:00.003-05:00

This is Ka'anapali Beach right near our hotel in Maui. I'm looking out towards the island of Lanai. I loved being able to see other islands so close. It felt cozy to me somehow. This is the evening of our last full day in Hawaii and the picture is kind of sad and moody, just the way I felt. It was hard to leave Hawaii. I even cried a little bit. Everything was so beautiful and warm. We had some lovely, contented days in the sun playing together as a family and I couldn't help wishing life could always be like that. But we had to come back to reality. Three weeks later, I'm still trying to adjust. The snow and sleet doesn't help but what can you do? You've gotta live the life you've made for yourself in the best, most joyous way possible.

Merry Christmas Eve

2011-01-03T10:30:00.000-05:00

I love Christmas Eve. I love the anticipation and excitement. I love to think about the world, all those long years ago, not knowing it was about to receive the greatest gift God has ever given to man. (Even if if didn't technically happen at Christmastime.)

This year, we went to our friends' house for yummy Mexican food. My friend's mom had made her a really cute set of Nativity costumes so we had fun dressing the kids up. Here's Josh as a little shepherd and Jane as a sweet little Mary.

After this we went to a live Nativity at a little farm near here. We ran into some more friends from church and had fun singing Christmas carols while trying to keep warm around a fire pit. It was really cold and I didn't choose my footwear wisely. (My feet felt like little blocks of ice by the time we got back in the car.) After waiting for the previous group to finish watching the presentation in the barn, we then headed into the barn which I hoped would be warmer. And it was... marginally. It was also set up like the Nativity with little kid shepherds, Mary and a real baby Jesus. I don't remember seeing Joseph anywhere. He was probably on a hot cocoa break. The electric lights and small band with keyboard and a microphone seemed a little out of place. But I can see the necessity not having actual angelic choirs on hand. The highlight of the presentation was actually not part of planned material. During one of the scripture readings or songs one of the massive horses in the barn starting peeing. The only angelic voice I heard at that point was Jane asking me, "What is that noise, Mommy?" Everyone just chuckled and went on with the show. Still, all I could think was, "Poor Mary, having a baby in conditions like these." Hopefully it was warmer for her since she was in the Mediterranean. January in Bethlehem is definitely warmer than upstate NY and since December is not known to be the actual birth month of Jesus, hopefully Mary had better weather. And hopefully she had angels helping her since she didn't have the blessed epidural I enjoyed with both my children.

On the drive home, I asked the kids if they would like to be born in a place like that, like the baby Jesus was. Dumb question. Jane, who was utterly enchanted by the horses in the barn and Josh who would live outside if you let him, both gave an unequivocal "Yes." Oh well, hopefully this is only one of many ways in which they will wish to emulate Jesus Christ. Grateful for Him at Christmastime and always.

Team Josh

2010-10-11T09:27:00.004-04:00

My camera hasn't been working very well lately so I had to find an older picture of Josh but it's one of my favorites. I'm posting this picture of my beautiful boy, who also happens to have autism, because on Saturday, October 30, we're going to participate in a walk for autism. Autism Speaks is doing a walk in Albany. Here's the link for the Main Walk Page. and...

Here's the link for our Team Page

We would love it if you could join us on the 30th and walk with Team Josh. It's a great opportunity to show your support for families living with autism and to learn a little more about this disorder which affects 1 out of every 110 children, 1 out of every 70 boys. You can also donate to our cause or start your own team. Autism Speaks is a wonderful organization which according to their website is "dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families."

Living with autism is not easy, but there is hope and help, in part because of organizations like Autism Speaks. Living with autism can also be a gift as life with our Joshua has so amply shown us. Come be a part of the joy with us.

Cookie Monsters

2010-08-18T18:33:00.002-04:00

My sister Lindsay did a really sweet thing. To help Jane pass the time while waiting for her cast to come off, Auntie sent her a "Get-Well-Soon" package of Mrs. Field's cookies. One day last week when she woke up from her nap she had a lovely surprise waiting... and she immediately dug in.

And of course when cookies are involved, Josh is always in on the action. Jane was sweet enough to share with him.

Here's my little cookie face. Can you guess which side of her head she slept on for her nap? Here's a hint: It's the not the side with the cute little ringlets.

Jane Update

2010-08-07T22:08:00.003-04:00

On Thursday I took Jane to the Orthopedist for a check on her broken leg. We had a bit of a drive because we had to go to a different office this time, but Jane was in high spirits and kept up a steady stream of chatter the whole way there. When we got to the doctor's office she was charming people left and right. I don't think it's something she does on purpose; it just seems to happen. She had the slightly gruff x-ray technician calling her a princess by the time he was done. I think it was because she smiled for her "picture" aka her x-ray. No crying or fussing, just beaming the whole time. I stood there in my lead apron just smiling back at her. Really, it was hard not to.

While we were waiting for the doctor in a large open area, every nurse that passed by stopped in to ask little Jane about her pink cast. A little kid in a cast really is kind of a sad sight but Jane seemed to be eating up all the attention. She would smile and snuggle a little closer towards me but wouldn't talk to anyone. When no one was around, of course she had lots to say. When the doctor came he was pleased to see that all seemed to be healing well and he too tried to make small talk with her calling her a "little peanut" over and over. She of course made no reply but gave him lots of smiles. After he left and we were waiting in line to check-out, she said quietly to me, "I'm not a peanut." I laughed and said, "Oh no, of course not." I guess everyone has a limit.

Pastry

2010-08-05T21:16:00.005-04:00

I have a deep and abiding love for pastry, well pretty much desserts of every kind. I may or may not have devoured a large cream puff and a small cannoli on the short drive to my house from Dolce and Biscotti, a new bakery I tried today. (Hey, at least I saved the jumbo coconut cupcake for later... not much later, but still. Some restraint was exercised in however small a manner.) The cannoli and cream puff were so-so but the cupcake... well, it was moist and creamy and coconutty. Spell check doesn't like that last word but I don't care. That's just how it was.

Pastry, as a general term, has a special place in my heart. I'm positive my obsession began in August of 2001. I was in Windsor, England with my hubby and we were trying to find breakfast. It was my first trip out of the United States not counting a couple scary visits to Tijuana, Mexico. (You don't get a passport stamp for those so they don't count.) Our first breakfast in England had included intensely sweet Belgian waffles that were like a ultra-rich cookie/cake combo, and some thick and wicked salty bacon. I even tried marmalade. Meh. I wasn't sure what to expect the next day and I was a little jet-lagged still. I sent the more-adventurous Jason into a little shop to get breakfast while I sat outside. He came back with some breakfast pastries and we sat outside by a river and a bridge and ate something truly wonderful. My pastry had peaches on it if I remember correctly and it was divine. The fruit was incidental to the light, airy, flaky pastry supporting it. It simply melted in my mouth without being gooey. And nothing I have eaten before or since has rivaled it. Now I am sure I have built this experience up in my mind to the point where I remember it as being far better than it was. Maybe I was just exceptionally hungry that day and whatever I ate would have been pure manna. Or maybe not. I was in a new country, having a new adventure with lots to see and do, and we were in a beautiful setting eating something meant for gods. The moment was perfection.

Since then, I have tried to recreate the sensation of that instance. Jason and I found a lovely bakery in Niskayuna, NY that had delightful treats, Villa Italia, but they moved their shop and we lost them. I was down in Schenectady today where they moved and was unable to locate them on my GPS, hence the reason for my trip to try out Dolce and Biscotti. Tonight I googled Villa Italia and discovered I was heart-breakingly close to the place today. Curse you GPS! I would chuck you into the nearest body of water if I didn't so desperately need you my friend. Both of these bakeries along with visits to countless other pastry shops, and I still haven't been able to recapture that elusive, ultimate pastry perfection. I am beginning to think that summer morning in Windsor was just a happy chance, a magical aligning of the pastry stars and my circumstances, never to occur again. I still enjoy pastry, always with just a touch a hope for magic again, but also always with a touch of disappointment. Sometimes I think of giving up, of leaving my memory of pastry in the sun untouched but I haven't even been to Paris, France yet. Shouldn't there yet be treats and delights hitherto unimagined waiting for me there? I will let you know when I get there someday. Till then I must stop waxing ridiculously poetic about confections and go exercise or something.

Equality

2010-08-04T22:00:00.003-04:00

The other night when I was snapping all those pictures of Jane's cast, Josh asked if I would take his picture too. And being the great Mom that I am, I tried to spread the love and attention around equally... a hopeless endeavor as all parents know. I'm trying to help Josh realize that he doesn't have to squish up his face when he smiles for pictures.

Here he's cracking up because he asked me to "light him up." He loved the way the flash turned him all red.

This picture turned out the best. It was the first one I took so he wasn't trying to pose as much.

I have such a crush on this little boy.

Jane Goes Mobile

2010-08-02T22:18:00.002-04:00

Most of you know by now that Jane broke her leg last week. She had an unfortunate incident on a trampoline. I wasn't watching her and she climbed up on the trampoline with her brother and another boy. Without going into all the details, she broke her tibia and fibula and will be in a cast for 5 weeks. She's taking it all like a champ and enjoyed a few days of resting on the couch with her leg propped on a pillow while watching all the TV she could stand. That didn't last long though and Jane decided to stretch her legs, or her leg to be more exact.

First we laid her on the floor so she could play a game with Daddy and Josh.

She soon took up crawling and other forms of locomotion. This little bum scoot is my favorite.

In no time she was off and running so to speak and getting into mischief. Last night Jason went to check on her because we heard her crying after we had put her to bed. When he didn't find her in her bed, he nervously searched for her and found her resting in our bed. She had wanted to sleep with Mommy. And today while I was taking a shower I heard an intermittent thudding sound coming up the stairs. Either a pirate with a peg leg was stalking me or Jane had decide to attempt climbing our hardwood stairs. Once again she was looking for Mommy. Noticing a theme? And she's pretty equal opportunity when it comes to seeking out her parents. Here she is climbing under Daddy's chair in the office. She's a very determined child.

She finally got all tuckered out tonight and we put her in bed. Hopefully she stays there.

I'm Back

2010-08-01T22:53:00.003-04:00

I'm starting again. Daily or almost daily blogging is my goal so be prepared for me to unleash all the randomness of my mind into cyberspace. Don't judge me too harshly for taking a three-month-long break. In that amount of time my beloved grandfather passed away and my sweet brother-in-law got married so lots of travel and sadness and joy. We had meetings (and stress) for planning Josh's kindergarten program and most recently, little Jane broke her leg. I've thought about blogging lots of times but my heart wasn't in it. I started this blog for my grandparents and now I knew my grandpa wouldn't be reading it anymore. At my grandpa's funeral, his sweet pastor, Faith asked me if I was the one who was sending my grandparents all the blog posts from NY. My month-long blogging goal just happened to coincide with the last month of my grandfather's life. I said yes and she thanked me, telling me that all those posts meant a lot to my grandparents. That made me so happy, a little bright spot in the sad haze of mourning. But it also caused a lump the size of Texas to grow in my throat. I shut down and I gave up. But it's time to stop being selfish. My grandma is still reading and she loves all of her grandchildren's blogs. She probably needs them now more than ever. And I think my grandpa would want me to keep going. So I'm going to keep doing this blog for both of them just like I started out to do in the beginning.

I Did It!!!

2010-04-30T21:22:00.002-04:00

Remember when I said I was going to blog every day for the whole month of April plus the last three days of March. Well, I did it! I made a commitment and I followed through, something I wish I was better at doing. And I actually enjoyed it, most of the time. There were a few nights when I was so tired or down that I really didn't want to blog but I forced myself to do it. Not because I had anything terribly important to say, but because I always let myself off the hook when things get tough. So thanks for coming along with me on this little ride. I'm going to take a little break and eat a Snickers Almond. I'll get back to blogging again soon. Maybe I need another goal to keep me honest. Let me know if you have any suggestions.

Book Club

2010-04-28T22:25:00.002-04:00

Tonight I went to my Book Club. I belong to a FABULOUS Book Club. It's made up of a bunch of ladies from my church. But you don't have to be a member of our church to come. In fact our only requirements for membership are that you are a woman over the age of 18. And sometimes we relax the age rule and invite the daughters of some of our members to come. Mostly we do this so they can see how cool we are, but also so we can hear their insights on a particular book that deals with issues young people face. We never relax the rule about being a woman though. Women have such a free and easy intimacy when men aren't around. Men are not allowed, unless it's to retrieve a stray child who has wandered into our meeting to sneak some treats and eavesdrop on the adults. When such a man enters, there is a brief pause in the conversation until his exit when once again the talk flows freely like water. Like a noisy, bubbling brook of nourishing water.

I guess we have one other requirement. You have to suggest one book for the year that you have already read and love with all your heart, or by which you are at least intrigued. Actually, that's the only book you have to read. You don't necessarily have to read the book each month. I mean come on. Most of us have children. We welcome anyone who hasn't read the book and just wants some lively conversation or a night away from the kids. But you must be prepared to be lovingly razzed a little bit for not reading, especially if you chose to watch the movie instead. In fact we have one member who never reads the book. She stands as a token nonreader so that anyone else who hasn't read the book will feel comfortable attending.

The best part about Book Club is the women who come each month. They are wise, sincere, practical, intelligent, spiritual, funny, open and honest. They usually come bearing treats, love and acceptance. In short, they are beautiful women in the truest sense of the word and I am honored to be in a group with them.

Tired

2010-04-27T21:52:00.004-04:00

I've been doing these posts for 30 days now and I'm running out of stuff to write about. Tonight I'm tired, slightly irritable and I have to get up extra early tomorrow to prep for a special trip to the library with Josh and his teacher plus Jane. Hopefully, I'll post something about that tomorrow. But for tonight, as I like to say sometimes, I got nothing. So I'm going to be wicked lazy and send you to someone else's blog. I would like to direct your attention to one of my most favorite blogs in the whole wide world. No, seriously. Next to my family members' blogs which I have to like (even Ryan's blog which hasn't seen a new post in over a year), this is my favorite blog. I go to this blog whenever I need a laugh whether it's a slight chuckle or a great big old belly laugh. This is the place to go. The blog is called Cake Wrecks, and while it has cakes on it, you don't have to enjoy baking or decorating to read it. You just need a strong desire to laugh. So go ahead, check it out. And make sure to follow the links that are included in the posts and at the bottom of each post. It's like a "Choose Your Own Adventure" of hilarity. Pretty soon I bet you will be bringing your camera to the grocery store.

Spring Spin

2010-04-26T21:26:00.002-04:00

Josh's school is doing it again, The Great Escape and Splashwater Kingdom Fundraiser, Spring Spin: One Good Turn to Benefit Another. Here's how it works.

1. You purchase a ticket to be used on 1 of 12 days in May. Tickets are just $19.99. Contact me by April 30th.

2. In addition you receive a "C'mon Back!" ticket to revisit the park any day during the 2010 season for $13.00.

3. You can also upgrade to a season pass for only $34.99.

So if you were planning on visiting The Great Escape this season or getting a getting a season pass, this is a great way to do it and help a really wonderful preschool. Plus you'll be helping Josh and lots of great kids like him. Besides, can you really say no to this face?

Josh at School

2010-04-25T20:34:00.002-04:00

I know a lot of these posts have been about Josh but that's because I got a whole bunch of pictures from his teacher the other day and because he's been trying a lot of new things lately. But I'll do some posts on Jane soon.

Here's one of the pictures from Josh's teacher. This is what his hair looked like at school one day. I'm not sure if this is some serious bedhead or if it was a day he had swimming lessons before school. I'm a little mortified that he looked like this at school but what can I say, I had a lazy day.

Here's a picture of when the Easter Bunny came to visit preschool. I think this is a rather strange-looking bunny but Josh doesn't seem too scared.

In fact, he manages to come up with a very sweet smile. I love this little guy!

Soccer

2010-04-24T22:47:00.004-04:00

Josh had his first soccer practice and his first soccer game ever today. I don't know what I really expected. We decided to place him in a regular league instead of a league for kids with special needs. We figured we'd give it a try and see how it went. So here's a brief overview in photos.

We got to the soccer fields nice and early. It was a beautiful day and I loved seeing so many families with kids ready for a fun morning. It reminded me of Saturdays when I was younger and it seemed like everyone in my town of Walnut was up at the soccer fields. You really felt like you were part of your community. Now that I have kids of my own, I want that for my family. Here's a shot of some of the people out playing today. Notice the poor team that got stuck with pink t-shirts. They were a coed team too.

Josh started the day raring to go. Here he is getting properly hydrated. He got to use Daddy's water bottle and he was especially psyched about this.

I thought his tiny little shin guards and cleats were the cutest little things ever. He and Daddy went to pick those out together at the soccer store.

Josh got his "indigo blue" team jersey and remained completely infatuated with his water bottle. Notice the man hiking up his pants in the background. I really should have cropped these pictures. Oh well.

Like I said, Josh started out the day excited. He was running around and kicking the new soccer ball that had been provided to him. Unfortunately practice had not started yet and he was rapidly expending precious energy. Here's my tired little man starting to slow down. Notice how ginormus his team shirt is.

Still, Daddy got him to line up for a little Red Light/Green Light with his team. Around this time he started to space out. He didn't want to pay attention to his coaches anymore. He was totally uninterested in his soccer ball and instead became fascinated with Jane's stroller. He kept climbing in and out of it.

I tried taking Jane for a walk just as the first game was starting so Josh wouldn't be distracted. A few moments later, Josh had a total meltdown. He was crying and yelling and people were starting to stare. Jason and I were beginning to think we had done the wrong thing in signing Josh up for soccer and were getting ready to go home. I was holding Josh trying to get him to calm down before we left. Trying to understand him through his tears, I realized he was saying he wanted to play with his friends. So we decided to try and get him in the game for a few minutes. Here he is lined up with his teammates for the kickoff, still looking a little spaced out but not crying anymore. When he did play he just followed the other kids around. He seemed to lack the "killer instinct" to push kids out of the way and get the ball. That's probably a good thing. I just wish it applied to his little sister.

He played a few more times in this game and a few times in the next game. I'm not sure if he actually kicked the ball but he was getting used to the game. The wonderful thing was that his coaches didn't care about winning or losing, they just wanted the kids to get in the game and have fun. We hadn't told anyone about Josh's autism because we weren't sure it would be necessary. At the end of the second game I decided to tell one of the coaches and her response was so encouraging and warm. She didn't see it as a problem at all and just wanted Josh to be a part of things. I felt so grateful. I wish everyone could respond in this way to kids with special needs. The world would be a much friendlier, more loving place.

All in all we think Josh had an okay time. After a little relaxing in Jane's stroller and a freezer pop after the game, he was quite content. And Jason and I feel brave enough to try again next Saturday.

Swimming Lessons

2010-04-23T22:10:00.001-04:00

Josh and I have been having so much fun at his swimming lessons each week. I love this special time I get to spend with him. I help him swim around and try to get him to pay attention to what his teacher asks him to do. She is excellent. She makes everything seem like a game so Josh and his little buddy don't know they are actually learning. Here's Josh is chasing down a ball while learning to kick and move in the water.

Here's Josh and I playing a little trick on his teacher. These pictures were taken by Josh's special education teacher and she commented on the look of mischief on both of our faces.

I know I shouldn't encourage my child to squirt water at his teacher but I really can't help myself.

Here's Josh swimming without his little floaty belt.

Check out the look of pure joy on his face. This kid LOVES water!

Here's Josh swimming with only the help of a life jacket. I guess these things really do work.

Happiest little boy ever. When his lessons were over I told him it was time to get out of the pool. He said, "We can stay in for a few more minutes?" It was so cute.

We're having a blast!

Wishing

2010-04-22T21:51:00.001-04:00

This is a picture from last July. We made a quick visit to see my grandparents in Sacramento. Yesterday my Granddad had a heart attack and this is where I wish I was more than anywhere else in the world. Prayers for my family are much appreciated.

Daddy's Home

2010-04-21T22:07:00.002-04:00

Jason recently took a new position at work and that has meant longer days and more trips out of town. We sure miss him when he's gone. The kids always ask me repeatedly where he is and enjoy mentioning him in our prayers and trying to say the strange names of places he's at like Utah and Connecticut. Jason is such a kind and loving father. One of my favorite things to watch is the bedtime ritual in which the kids keep bringing books to Daddy to read to them. Jane likes to snuggle up with Daddy (and pick her nose sometimes) and Josh has his own style of listening as you can see. I think Jason enjoys this time too because he keeps telling the kids, "We're just going to read one more." But then the kids bring over another book, asking for another "one more" and he concedes. I remember doing this with my dad too. He was a really busy guy so when he sat down at night to read to us, I was thrilled. It was such a special time and I'm glad my kids have that now too. Lucky ducks!

Ouch

2010-04-20T22:33:00.003-04:00

8:00 AM - Woken up by Jane poking and prodding me after a rough night with her sleeping in my bed. Surprised to find myself using only about a foot of a king size bed to sleep while Princess Jane took the rest.

8:30 - 9:30 AM - Breakfast with Special Education teacher and scramble to get ready for swimming lessons

10:00 - 10:45 AM - Swimming lessons with Josh at the YMCA. Found out that swimming after a 4-year-old for half an hour and treading water can be good exercise

11:00 AM - Hastily gobbled McDonald's lunch while driving home to get Josh on the bus on time.

11:30 AM - Got Josh on the bus and did a little yard work before Jane began having digestive distress. We'll just leave it at that.

12:00 PM - Quick shower, catch breath, get ready to go to Jane's two-year check up. Yup, only three months after she turned two.

1:45 - 2:45 PM - Doctors appointment in which Jane is the one being poked and prodded now. No smug satisfaction felt by her mother, a true sign of her magnanimous character. Two lead tests, one blood test and three shots later a tired, bandaged little girl and her mother leave the office with advice to go get some Miralax and iron drops. Poor child is anemic and always constipated.

2:45 - 3:15 PM - Drive home in which little baby girl conks out fast asleep and is transferred to crib. Mommy grabs a quick snack and then goes outside to work in the yard and wait for Josh to get off the bus.

3:30 - 4:25 PM - Raking, pulling weeds, pine cone, dead leaf and stick removal.

4:30 PM - Another quick break before an early dinner at...

5:00 PM - followed by a lovely chat with my little sister and then waking up poor tired baby and feeding her in the car on the way to a youth activity.

7:00 PM - 8:15 PM - Youth activity where DVD to distract small children failed to play and 12 and 13-year-old girls brought new meaning to the word vivacious.

8:45 PM - Finally washed the remaining chlorine off my son and bathed his little sister who refused to miss out on the fun. Had the following discussion.

Josh: "We don't poop in the bath."
Mom: "That's right honey, we don't poop in the bath."
Josh: "Or Mommy will yell."
Mom: (laughter) "Yes Josh. That's exactly what happened last time."

9:00 PM Both children dried, covered in lotion, dressed in jammies, prayers said, and tucked in bed.

Now: So tired it hurts.

The Green Hand

2010-04-19T21:57:00.004-04:00

Today was such a nice quiet day. Jane took a long nap so I got to work in the yard for a good solid hour. Spring is the perfect time for working in the yard because it never gets too hot and humid plus there are fewer bugs. Today I realized that one of the reasons I like physical labor (in moderation, of course) is because it keeps my brain from thinking, thinking, thinking all the time. It's a nice break.

When Jason and I were first married we had a little plot of ground under the stairs leading up to our apartment. It was Jason's idea first to plant things under the stairs and he boxed the space in with 2x6s or something like that and brought in some topsoil. He asked me to help out and I agreed not terribly interested. I don't remember much about that first vegetable garden except that it produced massive amounts of cilantro and some freaky broccoli that looked absolutely nothing like the stuff in the grocery store. We were too afraid to eat it.

At some point though, I completely took over this garden space. I grew all kinds of things in it, from corn to wildflowers. I even grew a pumpkin big enough to carve for Halloween. It was my only pumpkin and I coddled it like a baby. At some point I figured out that the little plot was south-facing which is a prime growing orientation. I started collecting books and planting things in just about any container that would hold soil. I told Jason that I no longer wanted cut flowers as I gift. I wanted something living and growing that I could keep forever. I still have an aloe, an African violet, and jade plants grown from leaves of the original jade plant he gave me. Lots of others have passed on to plant heaven since I had no clue what I was doing. I think I miss my jasmine bonsai tree the most. I really miss my little garden plot too. I meticulously manicured that space, picking old nails and construction detritus from when the apartments were built. I used the rocks I gleaned from the soil to make a drainage canal for the runoff from the roof to save my plants from drowing. No rain gutters in those apartments. I even started my first compost pile and collected rainwater to water my plants. Some days I would work outside for so long in the heat, forgetting to drink any water. I would come inside and get sick from being dehydrated. That only happened twice before I figured out what a dunce I was being. I was completely obsessed.

But when we moved away from our little apartment and I had children, my interest faded. I was too busy trying to keep little people alive. Several of my houseplants kicked the bucket during that time like that sweet little jasmine. My interest never completely died out but I struggled to find the time to garden. Now that time is returning. I've got to be outside at least twice a day to put Josh on the bus and meet him when he comes home. My kids love being outside and Josh would live outdoors if we let him. So I just putter around with my two different rakes, my spade, my pruners, my cultivator and my weed bucket. I've also recently become quite attached to our wheelbarrow and am using it to carry loads of plant matter to the massive compost pile I am creating. I was joking with Jason the other day that I need to rig something so I could strap on all my tools, even the rakes. I showed him what I meant with both rakes crossed behind my back like swords and then I realized I would look like a ninja gardener. How awesome would that be? My name could be The Green Hand. Weeds would fear me and plants would adore me.

Sunday Photo Shoot

2010-04-18T21:23:00.006-04:00

Here's another Sunday photo shoot. I finally got to dress my kids up in their Easter outfits. Everyone was healthy enough for church today. But more on that later. The shoot started out well. We were late for church so I took pictures after church. Jane was absolutely charming. The scrumptious dress came from my mother-in-law.

This next photo was just serendipitous. I'm not sure why she has this expression on her face but she looks so innocent and sweet in this picture.

My little ham and cheese!

Josh was all too happy to pose for the camera too. But he had a slight case of the sillies.

Cracking himself up!

But then both kids started to get a little tired.

Poor Jane is suffering from a little too much "brother love."

Then she got tired and laid down to rest. She later took a 4 hour nap and woke up with a fever. So much for everyone finally being healthy.

But I did get some good pictures of her first and this one is my favorite!

I couldn't decide on my favorite picture of Josh. I was trying to get him to not make a super cheesy smile and I got this serious face. Poor guy. I had taken so many pictures of him at this point. A photographer I am definitely not!

There's my sweet boy!

I love dressing up my babies!

Good For What Ails You

2010-04-17T22:30:00.003-04:00

Our little family has been under a little bit of stress lately but one of the things that seems to help me feel better every time I feel a little toxic, is yard work. I put on my Muck Boots for the first time today. If you click on the link you will be directed to the most awesome garden shoes EVER! I was introduced to these during my brief foray into manual labor one summer when I worked on a perennial farm. Great shoes for yard work. You can do anything in these. I'm always a little nervous about sliding my feet into my shoes at the start of the season. They've been sitting in the garage all winter and I always peek inside to check for spiders. It's usually too dark inside of my shoes to see much so I carefully slide my foot in and hope for the best. Not feeling any immediate bites or stings, I set out to work feeling like I can do anything. They're like magic shoes.

Today I worked on our vegetable garden. It's a reasonably-sized plot that once contained what must have been a large tree judging by the size of the stump left behind. The lawn has been gradually encroaching on it for several years and last year we neglected things and let the weeds take over. Our rototiller is currently broken but I want to plant vegetables and I'm not very patient. So I've been taking matters into my own hands. I love swinging the hoe and chopping through tough weeds and patches of grass. With every swing, I feel stronger, braver, more empowered. Then sun warms my neck and I discover buried treasure. When you remove the sandy, weedy top layer of dirt, you find all this lovely, dark, sweet-smelling soil. Then comes the rake. Smoothing and tidying, picking out the remaining weeds and roots, plucking the small rocks and stones out like little prizes, evidence of my labors. Using hand tools is profoundly satisfying... and exhausting.

All the while, Jane is wandering around singing made-up nonsense songs and collecting all the little rocks I find. Josh is digging with his Tonka trucks in the moist soil and asking if he can swing the hoe a few times. I let him because I want him to love the earth too. Jason is roaming the yard doing man chores like wrestling the lawn mower. We are doing different things but we are together, in the fresh air. And we are going to be okay.

Sew Wonderful

2010-04-15T21:26:00.002-04:00

My mother-in-law can sew just about anything. She does amazing stuff! For Christmas she made Josh a special cape. You can see it below in the pictures. What you can't see in the pictures is the cute Lightning McQueen fabric lining the inside of it or his name sewn into the back of it. As you can see, he absolutely loves it!

I think every little boy should have a cape, don't you?