quiverfull

Do Something

2011-05-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

There was a phenomenal post from NPR this morning. it was kind of about marie curie, and it was kind of about the mega-rad comic xkcd, and it was kind of about being awesome.

for anyone out there who has felt that gnawing, tearing, snarling need inside to DO SOMETHING with their life... here's the deal:

Diane of the Dew Drop Inn had a terrific post up the other day about being fearless in what we do, and about continuously re-starting. looking at each day as a beginning. it's been spinning around in me since i read it.

Whatever it is that is in you to do, go do it. no matter where you are, or where you've been or who's telling you what to do or how to do it. Do what you do with all that you are. do it for the world that needs passionate people who are committed to something. do it for the nameless people who have done it before. do it because you can't do anything else.

radiation and resolve,

-shawnacy

Tea and the Galactic Resistance.

2011-05-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about having kids...
Some days you open your teapot, and find this

I didn't have the heart to disturb them.

Long live the resistance.

oolong and obi-wan,

-shawnacy

Things that are happy - small but significant.

2011-05-13T11:39:00.000-07:00

THE GREAT WAVE-HOKUSAI - image

So it's been quite a week. or quite a number of weeks. i was talking to a friend recently and saying how i felt like i had been hit by a particularly grueling wave set, recently. Like in the ocean (yeah yeah, california girl... making ocean metaphors...) the waves come in sets... three, six, ten at a time, and then there's a period of calm.

and i feel like i've been ducking waves for the past month, coming up for a quick breath and then heading back down to avoid getting thrown... but i'm hoping that the set has passed, and that i'll have some time to ... maybe just tread water and try to remember where i was headed before all of this...

and there are certainly some things to be glad about. excellent times with family, i gained a beautiful new sister-in-law :), long talks with good friends. and all the little things that can somehow both lift and quiet your spirit. things like

the fact that there are mustaches in my pencil jar:

Laughing like this:

Going on Nature Walks and making collections:

These sunny jonquils:

Good buddies:

Sunset Picnics:

These awesome faces:

and all the lovely things bursting into bloom outdoors. in the spring i always want to be out. the house is always messier and the yard always cleaner... mostly because outside looks like this:

my neighbor's frog :) anni calls him whiskers.. for some inscrutable reason.

little bird

and because there is, finally, GRASS!!

living in the high desert... grass is a big deal. the kids plopped down and rolled around in it for a good long while. long enough to get all itchy and happy.

What about you? what are the things that lift and fill you when you're hollowed-out by life?

slow and easy,

-shawnacy

A Post for my Grandpa.

2011-05-10T17:27:00.000-07:00

Today was my grandpa's funeral. I was blessed to sit, surrounded by family and friends, (and only the occasional inappropriate question from my offspring) and remember the man who was the cornerstone of our family for so many years. The sky was a grateful blue, scattered across with clouds like faithful friends, the breeze blew soft and kind... and goodbyes, though difficult, were said with love.

And so, for him, and for all my beautiful family, are these thoughts:

What words are there to speak at the end of a life?
What words for the empty place at our side, at the table, at the golf game... in our hearts.

We would speak words of comfort, to ease the ache and sadness of these our troubled days.

We would speak words of love and kindness - the kind that is quick to offer help with no strings attached, that sees a need and is always the first to reach in and fill it...the kind my grandpa had.

We would speak words of life and joy and hope. Words that would recall to us his smile - that grin so bright and flashing it could light things on fire; or his laughter, that to me was always and only a laugh of pure delight - at being right there, where he was. In that moment.

We would speak words of adventure and daring. Words that would call us to go farther; to push beyond the things we know and to see and do and be more... as he always did.

And so - as words are such small things, and weak - let us speak these words not with our mouths, but with our lives. Let the way we see each other, and the way we keep and care for and defend the ones we love say it for us. As my grandpa did. He was a man who lived all of these words eloquently.

I find that now it falls to us to shoulder the mantle he has worn for so long. That of love, of enterprise and fearless undertaking, of compassion, and of the sheer, blazing joy of walking around for all our days on this darkly spinning earth.

Let us hold each other dear. Let us recall the things that are important, minute by minute. Let us be swift to tend to those we love, swift to laugh, and swift to dare.

His legacy is ours. To be grateful for. To internalize, and to pass on, as he did. The silent, singing words of a life well-lived.

the best of memories,

-shawnacy

Rainbow City ... and a funny story.

2011-05-07T18:18:00.000-07:00

Remember the Shoebox City project I made a big deal about a while back? ... yeah... so the project is done. And the fabulous lilla a has posted the results! It looks SPECTACULAR!

isn't that the coolest looking thing EVER?!

... now here's why we're not in it.

##1. This has maybe been the longest week of my life. ... My grandpa's passing (his obit is HERE, if you're interested), helping with the STAR testing at the kid's schools, and a few other big things that have been occupying my mind and heart... time has been limited.

We did try, however.
Which leads us to reason

##2. Annika wanted to make a castle. So we got the shoebox out and were using egg cartons to make the bumpy parts on top of the castle walls (do those things have names?). We colored in some windows and a drawbridge and portcullis... and then Anni said it needed turrets... this is where things started to go south.

I had the genius idea to use toilet paper tubes (sounds reasonable, right?) and top them with more egg carton pieces. So we cut things out and glued them all together. I set them on the table to dry and went about doing other things. Anni came up to me a while later and said they were dry and could she color on them... Go ahead! was my enthusiastic reply. i really needed to just get the thing done, so i left her to the task of decoration.... and when i walked in again about a half an hour later, this is what i found.

... i wont bother telling you what this looks WAY too much like.

And so, because i wasn't really gung-ho on sending the poor unsuspecting lilla a ... THIS kind of castle, and we didn't have time to make anything else... i laughed a lot, and then made the decision to opt out this time.

yeah.

...thanks for playing folks, hope all your attempts were smashing successes, and that you weren't too offended by our... unfortunately-shaped castle turret.

Snicker and Snort,

-shawnacy

Something Pretty, Something Smart

2011-05-06T14:42:00.000-07:00

How is it Friday already??
I'm stunned. And also happy. Friday nights are Family Nights here at the ranch, and I have some tricks up my sleeve...

So, without any more ado, here's this week's picks, because every week should contain:

Something Pretty,

Something Smart,

Something to Do,

and A bit of Art.

... and maybe one or two things Just for Fun.

Something Pretty:

## i really love paintings done over text. something about the dual forms of art coexisting so beautifully....
and these ones from Coco de Paris are a perfect example of how that's done.

Something Smart:

## watch this wowwing video of the milky way.

The Mountain from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

## Check this post from Black Eiffel for inspiration to read more classics. (and then spend some time walking through the rest of the blog.. its tip top) love the visuals.

Something to Do:

## loving these DIY Rope Bracelets from Honestly WTF, via Poppytalk. Aren't they the nifty-est!

## and could someone please bring me one of these Five Minute Chocolate Mug Cakes... pleeeeeaaaaseeee!!??

can that be for real? five minutes? ... seems too good to be true.

A Bit of Art:

## Hop over and read this super-cute and sweet Book called Extraordinary by Sarah Mensinga.

## and how about this art made out of STAPLES!! Yes, thank you.

Just for Fun:

## i'm not sure if i should thank my friend Tina, or shoot her for sending me here. Awkward family photos. i'm not even remotely kidding when i confess to you that i spent way too many minutes convulsed with laughter ... i nearly gave myself a concussion, when - in one badly timed convulsion - i hit my head on the corner of the desk... you might want to consider grabbing a helmet before you open the link... don't say i didn't warn you.

you know you just real-life laughed. :)

Frolicking Ferrets,

-shawnacy

Grow Project - Project two

2011-05-05T14:10:00.000-07:00

So I'm horrifically late doing this thanks to a missing USB chord, and all the family stuff... but, since i did it, i thought i might as well share.

The Project this time was to make something and give it to someone else. Totally my favorite kind of project!

I was inspired by the awesome and fun things that are always going on at Color Me Katie.

Like This One where she wrote tiny little notes and hung them all around the city.

or This One which is one of my all time favorites, and reminds me of a super special and dear friend of mine. Plastic ducks in rain puddles!! How great is that!

So, mine wasn't quite as clever as either of these, but here it is, regardless:

I made a little crochet heart, and wrote out a little poem of mine (since it was supposed to be something we made ourselves), and put everything inside a jar (we all know how i feel about jars)

and left the jar in a park.

Thanks for the inspiration, Sarah!

Magic carpets and Muffin men,

- shawnacy

Sad days

2011-05-04T14:10:00.000-07:00

It's been a quiet week here at the ranch. My grandfather suffered what appear to be dual brain aneurysms last Friday, and this week has been plowing through the long, drawn-out aftermath of that.

I will spare you the heartbreaking details.

I've been making the six-hour round trip drive the past few days and spending time with him and with family that I don't see nearly enough.

So many things stand out to me as important from these past few days.

Watching my grandmother, and the care she takes of him. Such exquisite tenderness. It's breathtaking. It's what nearly 65 years of marriage looks like. Like devotion. Like love.

Hearing the stories. The ones that shape our thoughts. The fragments of life that we use like bricks to build our monuments. The fragile threads that hold our hearts together. I was looking around the room, at each person there. Each individual, and thinking of all the stories that make up our individual lives. And wondering a little which ones people will tell of me, in hushed, smiling tones, standing in hallways.

The unthinking sacrifices of family. The way everyone has been looking for ways to care; for whatever small office they might perform; for any possible place that might need filling. We are blessed to be surrounded by such generosity of spirit.

And, too, the laborious work of death. It is never a pleasant thing to think on, or ... battle through, but it is as big a reality as our living. The way the body clings to life, when everything has narrowed to the pinpoint focus of the growing immensity of the task of drawing breath. Thinking, of it all - of the weight of years, the accumulation of days and moments and words and thoughts that make up a life. Golden appreciation for all the times I was able to share any small part of that with him.

The funeral will be sometime next week. And now is the time for arrangements and the signing of papers and the adjusting of the world to the absence of a remarkable man.

So I spent some time today with the girls, sitting in the park. Watching Annika do wheelies on her tricycle. Pushing Naomi in the swing. Soaking my worn-down self in sunshine and the marvel of the blue sky.

Hold your loved ones close today. Breathe in, and remember the way the world feels with them in it. Take pictures. Make memories. Tell stories. Make your lives rich with the lives of the ones you love.

Love and Gratitude,

- shawnacy

Shoebox City Craft Exhibition- Call for Entries

2011-04-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

The always inspiring Lilla A has another amazing craft exhibition coming up.

If you haven't seen any of the others she's hosted, take a moment and check them out. They are stunning and so amazingly creative.

How it works: She puts out a project and specifies some parameters for photos, and you send yours in and she makes it into an unbelievable photo/collage/exhibit.

Here is the Self-portrait Exhibit:

The Christmas Exhibition:

And the Birdhouse Project

Such a fun project and a way to encourage creativity and interconnectedness around the world!

This project is going to be a shoebox city.

So head over to lilla a for the quick instructions, and then grab those extra shoe boxes you've been squirreling away for crafty purposes, and the paint and paper and get creative!

After you've entered, be sure to post here too, so we can see what everyone's houses look like.

Happy crafting!

City blocks and Skyscrapers,

-shawnacy

Boy Craft

2011-04-26T12:56:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it can be difficult to get boys involved in (and excited about) crafting. Especially when we insist on making 'cute' things that involve glitter and stickers and fluffy bunnies.
But once in a while, when things go right, there are times when they totally take the craft out of your hands and run amok with it.

These are some of those times.

I saw This Post a few weeks ago from Last Minute Mel (don't you LOVE that blog title!... maybe the degree of my love for it is proportional to the 'last-minute-ness' of my own life...sigh) and called the boys over to see how Mel's boys had made the COOLEST Lego ski resort.

Here's a picture of thiers:

And I was immediately kicked off the computer so the boys could have a chance to study the above handiwork. About an hour later they called me into the bedroom to see this:

Not quite as fancy, but entirely theirs. It stayed up for about two weeks.

*********

Then there was the embroidery day. I had been working on improving my (aka acquiring any kind of) embroidery skills, for a while making easy little handkerchiefs (see This Post), and was completely taken aback one day when the boys declared that they wanted to make some of their own.

So we sat down and i showed them a few things, and said, go for it.

They went.

This was the result.

Max wanted his smack in the middle of the hanky, a wonky little happy face.

I love it to pieces.

And how cool (and ... well done) is Owen's robot guy.

Great job.

*******

That one day during spring break when it rained and everyone was going nuts inside the house, I gave the boys a free pass to build a fort right in the middle of the living room.

They built this.

I was pretty impressed. It was like a mini circus tent, strung up with pulleys and held up with chairs and tables and even stitched together a little bit so there wouldn't be any gaps in the ceiling.

*******

And who could forget the day of the cups...

If you missed it, Here's the Link.

When Max gave us a run-down on how to build a super-cool rocket out of plastic cups,

and Owen built the largest cup-tower ever.

It's so much fun being mom to some seriously creative boys. And I've learned that, while instruction and step-by-step crafting is good, there are also times when you just need to provide the materials and the occasional suggestion, and let them see what they can do.

I'm always amazed and impressed.

What have your kids made on their own that surprised you?

Slips and Snails,

-shawnacy

people are poetry

2011-04-25T12:17:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I see a person (usually someone who is doing nothing in particular - standing on a street corner, drinking coffee in a sunwarmed window, walking a dog, leaning against a building at just the right angle at just the right time of day...) and I am suddenly struck by the fact that they are alive. That there before me is another human being. Complete, though unknown, full of their own memories and thoughts an ideas and philosophies... and I have to resist the urge to run up to them and demand of them their life stories, or slide in beside them at the corner booth and just sit quietly... or break out the sketchbook... In general, I'm successful.

But I'm intensely grateful to The Sartorialist for taking snapshots for me, so I can look and look and get lost in the vast, spinning universe of another person... at leisure. And without the threat of police intervention and multiple restraining orders.

Here are a few souls to get lost in.

all images via the sartorialist

See people today.

Shuffle and Wry,

-shawnacy

Something Pretty, Something Smart

2011-04-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

Because every week should contain

Something Pretty,

Something Smart,

Something to do,

And a bit of art.

... and also one or two things just for fun.

Something Pretty

## I don't know if this counts as pretty, but it is pretty seriously awesome... and the rest of the stuff at LennyMud is fantastic too.

I would totally roll out of bed and start 'pitying' every 'fo' who got in the way of me and this teapot. love. it.

## Grey skies? no problem. keep a rainbow in your pocket. great idea from Masa-ka.

Something Smart

## Ever read those choose-your-own-adventure novels as a kid? They were my road-trip staple. Love this comic, philosopher's version from Luke Surl:

## If you happen to be a physics geek, like me, or if you've ever read Flatland by Edwin Abbot, you will appreciate This Video from Tenth Dimension. If you hated physics and wouldn't touch Flatland with a 40 foot pole made of duct tape and pool cues... watch it anyway. it will change your mind.

Something to do:

## First.. go Here to Jackson Pollock [dot] org and fingerpaint online. Seriously. GO. i'll wait.

...

ok. you know you feel better now.

## Then look at these...

images found via a cup of jo

and go find some ugly thing you can make beautiful.

A bit of art:

## Since we seem to be on the subject, I'm a huge fan of street art. HUGE (i blame it on a too-young-and-impressionable viewing of Basquiat). I may or may not have defaced certain pieces of public property in the name of art once or ... thrice. these are pretty rad.

image

the above two images

image

pvc pipe! genius.

## and OH MY WORD, look at THESE insane sidewalk chalk images.

and... one for the road...

Remember this - the hug me pillow - it's still just about the creepiest thing i've ever seen.

why would anyone want to share a bed with half a man's upper torso?

it's a valid question.

wonderful weekend wishes to you all.

Graffiti and Ganglion,

-shawnacy

quote-a-kid

2011-04-21T12:33:00.000-07:00

So I was putting Annika down for her nap today and she always complains that she can't sleep because the sun is in her eyes. So I laid her down and walked over to close the curtains, and she sat up and yelled:

"No, no! Don't put the sun away! I love the sun! The sun is my sweeeeetieeeee!

love that kid.

Artist Love: Lizzy Stewart

2011-04-20T14:37:00.000-07:00

I am completely enamoured of the work of Edinburgh artist, Lizzy Stewart.

It seems to be at once alive with joy, and quietly melancholy.

It has things to say,

And says them eloquently.

Things to teach,

and with such grace.

She has a new project that has just come out called Toska, which is an illustrated book (it's breathtaking) based on the uniquely Russian experience of Toska, as described by Vladimir Nabokov. He says,

“No single word in English renders all the shades of toska. At its deepest and most painful, it is a sensation of great spiritual anguish, often without any specific cause. At less morbid levels it is a dull ache of the soul, a longing with nothing to long for, a sick pining, a vague restlessness, mental throes, yearning. In particular cases it may be the desire for somebody of something specific, nostalgia, love-sickness. At the lowest level it grades into ennui, boredom.”

Go and check out all of her work, and take a moment to be abashed. These are the things, folks. The things that make us human and alive.

You can find her at her site, Here,

Her blog, Here

And her Etsy shop, Here

I'll leave you with a few more, for good measure

Whirlwinds and Wonderlands,

-shawnacy

Family Dinners

2011-04-19T14:39:00.000-07:00

So. We're still without a functional camera. (*snarl)
But, as with so many things we can't do anything about, it looks like I'm just going to have to suck it up and make the most of what I have at hand.

And I've been intending to do this post for a while anyway.

Today's topic: Family Dinners.

which, at our house are actually something more like this:

As you may have gathered from reading one or two posts, we have quite a large family. Large and kind of insanely busy. But we do the very best we can to make dinner time a family event. I sometimes wonder if it's really all that important (especially when they race through their food and ask to be excused about 14 seconds after I'm finally able to sit down...), but time and time again, I've heard from them that dinner time is the best part of their day. And so... I keep it up. Even on those days when all I have time to do is re-heat some leftovers and slap a jug of milk on the table.

Here are some of the tricks I've crammed up my sleeve to make it both manageable and fun:

## 1. Thoughtful Preparation.
This does not by any means imply that every meal has to be a Thanksgiving kind of spread, complete with soup course and cut-glass bowls of olives. However, I have learned that a small amount of preparation goes a LONG way. I have made a habit (by sheer force of necessity) of planning out menus a week in advance. I write down the weekly meals on a cute little chalkboard thingy we have hanging in the kitchen, and keep to it... loosely. Switching tuesdays meal to saturday if it's a better fit, or if I'm simply NOT in the mood to roast a duck. (<--- something I have yet to try)

image

(this one is much cuter and fancier than ours) Mostly, it's for my benefit, to remind me WHY in the great big world I bought three packages of frozen spinach, and not one can of tomato sauce.
Along with the menu preparation, I also have the kids help set the table, and if time allows, create some kind of fun centerpiece. It's hilarious sometimes, the things with which they choose to 'decorate' our table.

## 2. I usually have some topics of conversation picked out.

We run the orbit of the table first, always, to find out everyone's 'high point' of the day (I honestly never cease to be shocked at how often the kids say that 'right now' is the brightest part of their day), but I've found that, sometimes after that, if there isn't some kind of stimulating conversation to ground us all, things can easily crumble into

'stop kicking me!'

'I'm not!'

'yes you are, I can FEEL IT!'

... and etc. ad infinitum.

so. to avoid such algonquin round-table fare, I usually have some kind of conversation game ready at hand. Sometimes we play round-robin story, where one person starts telling a tale, and then breaks off in the middle and the next person takes up the thread. Or any of those alphabet games that start, 'i'm going on a camping trip and i'm taking with me...'
Lately, though, we've been on a pirate joke kick. This game started with the eye-rollingly pun-ful joke, 'Did you hear about the new pirate movie?... it's rated Arrrr.' (admit it, you just giggled a little.. and THEN rolled your eyes) But this game is super easy for little kids. They just think of any word that contains the phoneme 'ar' in it, and build their own joke around it.
some good ones from our family this past week have been:
'what is a pirate's favorite body part? ... his ARRRm'
and, from the slightly older kids: 'what is a pirate's favorite civil war cemetary? ... ARRlington.'
It's good silly fun, and at least a few rungs above the endless bickering.
There are tons of products out there that you can buy - like this table topics game - or make - here are some great ideas from rex and regina - to liven up (or maybe just focus) your dinnertime discussions.

##3. Manners.
I am attempting to instill some primitive kind of politeness in my children. Using silverware, sitting rather than standing at the table, once in a while employing a napkin... to this end, we do a few different things to encourage rudimentary manners. First, those who have managed to get through dinner with a modicum of decency will receive a manners marble (which I talked about a little bit HERE).

Sometimes, though the thought of a little blue marble just isn't enough to motivate. These are the days we pull out the pennies. I give each person at the table 5 pennies at the beginning of dinner. When they catch someone talking with their mouth full or eating with their fingers, the offender has to pony up one of his or her pennies, giving it to the one who caught them. At the end of dinner, they get to keep however many pennies they have remaining.

## 4. And lastly, sometimes you gotta break the rules.
Dinner can't always be a thing of white napkins and polite observations about the weather (or pirates...)
So every once in a while I'll mix it up, and throw everyone a crazy kind of curveball. Like the other day when we played this great little camp game.
We have 7 people around our table, so I chose seven kitchen utensils - I mean the weird ones, no 'big spoon' business. We had the beaters from the mixer, a whisk, a garlic press, and a lemon squeezer among others.
I laid out each utensil in the center of the table and had a set of dice ready to go. Each kid got a roll, and whatever number he landed on, that was the utensil he had to use to eat his dinner. (i got the leftover. It was a pair of BBQ tongs.)
It was a mess, and a hoot, and nobody's manners were going to win any awards, but it was a fun, memorable night. And sometimes, I think that's even more important.

What about you? How do you survive dinnertime?
Whatever your solution, make family time something special tonight.

Violas and Veggies,

-shawnacy

frustrations galore

2011-04-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

Just a quick whiny post.
Whiny, sleep-deprived and a little bit on-edge.

This weekend/last 4 days has been INSANE with busyness. We've been up to things here at the ranch, and I have a lot to share... if only I hadn't, in the craziness of these days, inadvertently misplaced the camera chord...
(ARRRRGGHHHH!!!!) a camera full of awesome, un-downloadable photos... not the greatest thing.

so... as I'm stuck holding onto these posts till i can share them properly, here are some pretty things to look at:

## crocheted cobwebs.

here

## Feathers in glass bubbles. These are so very nice, I think. And I'm a little dazzled at how they manged to get them in there...

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/inspiration/add-feathers-to-your-holiday-decor-134961

found via Epheriell Designs

## Check out the Tallest tree in the world... twice the Statue of Liberty!!

## Make this cute Yarn Circle Garland with Hands On: As We Grow

## If you don't know what the word Mamihlapinatapai means... check it out here. I've determined to use it at least once this week.

## I'm kind of in love with Mini Eco, a great little site with tons of easy, fun, kid friendly activities. You will not be disappointed.

## And, finally, I give you THIS. Enjoy.

Here's hoping the camera chord makes an appearance today... or things might get a little slow around here.

Frantic Searching and Fleet Foxes,

-shawnacy

Something Pretty, Something Smart

2011-04-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

Because every week should contain:

Something Pretty,

Something Smart,

Something to Do,

And a Bit of Art.

... and also one or two things just for fun.

So then, in no particular order, i give you:

Something Pretty:

## Download some Free Desktop Wallpapers from artist Willem Pirquin.
Choose from his selection of Alphabet Letters

or any of his other lovely designs.

## Get this Free Crochet Pattern for Dainty Little Doily Rings from All Free Crochet

Something Smart:

## For all you other bloggers out there, here's a great little post from Crafterminds about How to Use Stumble-Upon to boost business.

## Have you heard about Blarter? A genius idea from A Foothill Home Companion.

## This Silly Comic has been making the rounds lately. It gets me every time. Yay for chemistry!!

Something to Do:

## How about making a little Moss Graffiti! This looks super awesome, and not-too-difficult.

I can think of a few dull-looking corners of the yard that could use a little graffiti sprucing-up.

## Aunt Peaches has a sweet tutorial up on how to make these amazing-looking Coffee filter flower baskets. These are beautiful!

A Bit of Art:

## Look at this amazing underwater sculpture installation.

## Can you find the man in this picture?? Totally insane Invisible Man project.

And Just for Fun:

## Annika saw this the other day and FLIPPED. As soon as I grab some Jelly Beans, we'll be all over this Jelly Bean Bracelet from My Kids Make.

Happy Friday everyone.

Hornets and Hoola Hoops,

-shawnacy

Marble Jars and Positive Discipline

2011-04-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

Probably the most puzzling and certainly the most dreaded part of being a parent is discipline. We all hate it. We hate doing it, and we hate that there is a need for us to do it at all.
But.
Let's be honest. Nobody's kids are perfect (certainly not mine). And from time to time we have to pull them out of the candy drawer, or off their brother, or away from the street...again, and plop them into time-out. It happens.
Sometimes, when we're really busy or stressed out (or when they have ADHD plus a lot of other things plus a billion brothers and sisters), it seems to happen a LOT.

I was getting really tired of all of the behavior issues we were having, and of how somehow I had become little more than a warden and a referee.

So a few years ago, I re-vamped my approach.

First thing, was to HAVE. A. PLAN.
For the times when the kids were home, I needed to have something for them to do. There are tons of ideas out there for fun things to do with kids. Many of them don't cost any money and don't really take much on your part but a little bit of planning before hand. I was a teacher for quite a while, but for some reason, the idea of having a 'lesson plan' for our home time never crossed my mind.
But let me tell you, it has changed things for us.
All I do really is keep a list of projects, games, activities, books etc. (it's just one of my bookmark files) and add to it as I find things (I add stuff pretty much every day). Then, at night (I try to do this once a week, but sometimes I get behind and do it the night before... works either way) I pick some activities for the week (checking to make sure I have everything I need in the way of any materials) and just plop it into my daily to do list (I use teuxdeux.com.) Here's mine for today and tomorrow.

THURSDAY

APRIL 14, 2011

press here book pojcect
finish red and orange bags
call abt. gre in lit. when?
Walking
post organ to ebay
groceries
J- takes the car
outside time - build a fort
ch. breast caserole
write up alchemist thing
rave on

FRIDAY

APRIL 15, 2011

Poem project with ink blowing
LAUNDRY!!
Walking
Shrimp pasta
bike ride
family night

And that's it. Most days it isn't even anything particularly special. Just going for a walk, or playing outside with water tubs while the boys and I have a game of catch, or having a stack of drawing books from the library on hand when they get home from school with some notebooks and sharpened pencils... that's really all it takes.
And they have a directed activity that isn't too stressful, and I was relieved of my policemama duties, and we're watching hardly any tv anymore, and everyone has a (mostly) peaceful time at home.
It was crazy how well it worked.

and then, Secondly, I came up with the Marble Jars.

Essentially it's the same kind of thing they have in every elementary school classroom. You know, the kind where you get to put a bean in the jar every time you're caught being good, and, when the jar is full you all get a pizza party... that kind of thing.

We don't do allowance in the traditional sense here at home, because it seems to devolve quickly into little more than paying your kids to do their chores. Which I think maybe gives them the wrong message. Instead, when they get their chores done for the day, or when they complete their homework without complaining, or have a tidy room at the end of the day, or practice their good manners at dinner - then they are allowed to put a marble into their jar. When their jar is full they are rewarded with something fun of their choosing. Sometimes they choose a toy, other times a trip or outing. And when everyone in the family has filled their marble jars once (or twice... we're working on our fourth filling!) we get to do something special as a family. Last time all the jars were filled, we went to LegoLand.

So it's really just an incentive program to get them focused more on what they can do that is positive, rather than on how they're going to get punished for NOT doing what they ought.

Here's what we give marbles for:
Room inspection - just before bed (no punishment if they're not clean... but also no marble.)
Homework - done quickly and cheerfully
Chores - the assigned ones, and any they choose to do on their own (I nearly fell out of my chair the first time Nancy volunteered to scrub the kitchen floor)
Good Manners at the table
Being helpful and kind

So really, that's what it boils down to. Being prepared, and giving them a reason to want to be responsible and kind.
This has been working really well for us, but I'd love to hear your ideas. How do you keep the peace in your house?

Marbles and Manatees

-shawnacy

How to - Decorative Jar Lids

2011-04-13T14:43:00.000-07:00

I use recycled jars a LOT. They are great for storing small things, and ... assuming you're as crazy about spaghetti sauce, pickles, and jelly as we are ... completely free.

However, they're not terribly pretty.

Especially with those glaring blue and yellow lids proclaiming that THIS WAS ONCE THE HOME OF PICKLED BEETS!!! (alright, I made the beets up. I've never bought picked beets in my life. I don't even know if you can pickle a beet...)

So, after looking at the ugly lids for long enough, I decided to cover them with something pretty.

Here's what I did.

I looked through my stash for some pretty fabric remnants that would look nice in my living room, grabbed my ugly-lidded jars, and these few other materials:

White glue,
Water
Flour
Sissors
Fabric Pen.

First I mixed up the flour (maybe a teaspoon or two), water (two teaspoons) and glue (about a teaspoon at first. then add more if it needs thickening). Until I got a good sticky paste to work with. Kind of like paper mache. I'm sure this would work with spray adhesive, or even some hot glue around the edges. But this is what we had on hand today. It looks watery in the picture, but it was actually pretty thick. Smooth, but thick.

I traced the lids onto the fabric (being sure to mark the backside of the material). Then I measured about a half-inch around the circle I'd marked ( I eyeballed it... you could use a tape measure, I suppose). I cut out along the lines of the larger circle.
With the paintbrush, I brushed a little glue over the top of the lid, and centered my fabric, fixing it to the lid, and being sure to smooth everything out as I went. (as you can tell, I didn't iron the material at all, so the smoothing was kind of important. Next time, ironing first. You learn as you go...)

Then I flipped the lid over, and, with some sharp scissors, cut slits in the extra fabric around the edges.

The edges were a little long, so i trimmed them up, applied some more of the paste to the edges (inside and outside) and folded the edge pieces in.

Continued doing this all the way around.

I set it to dry on a cookie cooling rack, and moved on to the next lid.

Left them to dry for a few hours, and...

viola!

What I would do differently next time:

Iron first.

Double check the smoothness (see that wrinkle in the black one... grrr)

But our marble jars are much improved, and nobody has to know just how many pickles this family eats.

Tune in tomorrow to see how we use these jars EVERY DAY.

Glue and Giggles,

-shawnacy

A Mama's Manifesto

2011-04-12T14:38:00.000-07:00

A Promise for the Small

I will make your pancakes into shapes

I will read you the good books. As many times as you ask me to.

I will teach you to see that the world is a beautiful place, and the value of wonder, and of being undone.
I will teach you the difference between what is important, and what is merely urgent.

When things get bad, we’ll put on something happy and dance around the living room.

I won’t let you give less than your best.

I won’t tell you to ‘leave that rock alone and hurry up!’ when we’re in a hurry. If we’re 4 minutes late to school, so be it.
I will teach you to forgive, quickly and completely.

I will buy you microscopes and oil pastels and charts of the stars. Sorry about the Barbies and all the hand-held games, but no.

I won’t let you grow up believing you’re the center of the universe.

I will teach you how to learn, and how to want to learn.
I will help you to find ways to be kind, to be useful, and to be attentive to the fragile, fleeting moments of these our days.

I will take you for rainy walks and insist on our jumping in every puddle.

I will teach you to treat others with respect, and to see through the eyes of the world.

I will teach you what love is. And what it is not.
I will show you how to be big... immense. Sky-splitting and ear-splitting, and soul-splitting; and yet to love the small and wonderful things.

I will cuddle under the blankets with you at night and read stories by flashlight.

I will teach you to hope through despair, to joy through the rough patches, and to hold on to peace with all diligence as the wars rage.

I will show you how big the world is, and how small.

I will do all the regular things – wash your clothes, make your dinner, lace up your new shoes; and then at the right time, I’ll hand them back to you.

I will tell you the truth. Every time.

I will teach you to be both fearless and wise.

I will pray for you, with you, and behind your back.

I will teach you to make something unbelievable out of whatever is at hand.

I will sit in your room when you’re six and keep the Thing In The Closet at bay.
I will remember that I am a person, separate and unique, and I will continue to learn and grow and become, so that we'll have lives full of things to talk about when we're old.

I will sing you songs, and plant them in your heart, so you’ll have something to hold on to when things go dark.

I will make home the place you love best.

I will teach you responsibility by giving you things you can handle, and expecting you to shine.
I will show you how to let gratitude live in your heart, that there may be no place for bitterness and contempt.

I will keep my word.

I will teach you that the best defense against the demons of self pity and depression and narrow thinking, is helping someone else.

I will be your go-to girl, your new idea, your wailing wall, your secret-keeper.

I will watch the skies with you, I will dream with you, I will laugh and laugh and laugh with you, I will be pierced through, and sorrow with you, and then lift you out again.

I will understand.

I will push.

I will not give up. Ever.

And, like it or not, child of my heart, I will be your mama ‘till the day you die. Pinky promise.

(just in case i start to forget...)

-shawnacy

mobiles!

2011-04-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have a small obsession with mobiles. I love them. I'm a big fan of things dangling down into my airspace. It seems to give special dimension to a room.

These two caught my eye this week.

Sew Homegrown has a tutorial on how to make a hot air balloon mobile,

The kids can help with this one, and how fun would a room be with a bunch of tiny hot air balloons floating in the corner.

And the lovely Spool, has a Bird Mobile Tutorial up. (I love how my poppet used it in her daughter's room. Unbelievable color!)

Yeah, I know, it's Monday morning... and egad, I just looked in the mirror. Note to self: drink some coffee, and cheer the heck up!

Zephyrs and Zithers,

-shawnacy

In which we are saved from a grim and grisly fate by a package of party cups

2011-04-08T23:51:00.000-07:00

We've been planning a fishing trip all week. Everyone has been super psyched.
And then.
We woke up this morning - last official day of spring break - to this kind of a day.

I think it made it up to 20 degrees around 1pm. Major Bumming.
The kids reluctantly donned their snow gear for some "FUN in the SNOW!" (I did my best enthusiastic mom thing... ), and went out to muck through the muddy ice.
That lasted about 20 minutes. (approximately half the time it took me to find all the snow pants and coats and matching boots and mittens, and get them all dressed and out the door)

And then, suddenly, we were looking at the business end of possibly the longest, most miserable day ever.

I wracked my mommy brain for some kind of fun cold-weather activity we haven't already done 3,584,695,212,800,000 times. (nothing came to mind)

So I let the boys build a fire in the fireplace. (they're getting pretty good at it by now) and I put on some hot chocolate. And for a while, we looked at books.

Until the boys started arguing about something, and I had to negotiate a reconciliation. Which took forever. And then I looked at the clock at it was only 10:30.

IN THE MORNING!!

So we pulled out the decks of cards and played go fish and speed and I taught the boys how to play war and solitaire.

Which was great until war became more than just the name of the game. Nix the cards. ... after picking three decks up off the floor... and under the couch, and behind the bookshelves... sigh.

LUNCH!

Then naps for the girls... who weren't in the mood to nap, since we hadn't really done anything all morning.

Temptation to turn on the Spongebob... growing with each passing second.

Till I opened the cabinet under the sink to get out a clean dishtowel and spotted ... an unopened package of party cups. SALVATION.

Now to some, an unopened package of party cups is just... well, an unopened package of party cups. But to a desperate mama, and her ~~relentless pack of wolves~~ lovely children, it's an unopened package of possibility and fun. I'm not even kidding.

This entertained us ALL AFTERNOON.

First, Owen decided he wanted to make the most gigantic pyramid of cups ever.

It took a while.

And a lot of tries.

Like, 14.

But eventually, he (with the help of his brother) made it to the top. And placed the final piece.

They were so excited. Especially when I told them they could knock it down by throwing stuffed animals at it.

As we were picking up all the cups, Max had an inspiration for a craft he wanted to make with the cups. It turned out pretty awesome, and he's here to tell you about it. Take it away, Max!

(transcribed by mom) Hi. It's Max. I made a rocketship today out of these red cups my mom found under the sink. That's where she keeps the stuff we're not 'sposed to touch.

This is what I used to make the Space ship. Three red cups, that thing from the paper towels, some clear tape, and some scissors.

First, you have to take one of the cups and cut out the sides like this. The pieces you cut out are going to be the wings, so make them wing-shaped. Throw away the part that's in the picture. Mom, we should have taken a picture of the wings instead. Why did you take a picture of the trash part? (me: sorry.)

You tape the wing parts to the side of one of the cups. You have to do this first before you put on the top cup. Mom, you don't have a picture of that part. *big sigh. (me: sorry.) Well, after you have the wings on - they need to be so they can move up and down... like wings.

After that, you tape the top part on, but only tape where the wings aren't. otherwise they won't move. When you do all that, it should look like this:

And it's cool 'cause the wings stay up when you put them up because they get like stuck on the white part of the cup. The wings are 'sposed to be up when the rocket goes off. Then, after it's in space, you can put them down.

{Animated gif maker}

To make the rocket frushters... wait. What are they called? (me: thrusters) Thrusters, you cut off a piece of the tube. Then cut it so it opens up.

Then you have to cut in in half so you can have two... what are they again? (me: thrusters) thrusters. I wanted to make four, but my mom said no. You should make four. That would be a lot better. (me: sorry.)

Then you kind of roll the pieces up so they're smaller tubes and tape them so they can stay. Moooom! You didn't take a picture of that EITHER?! (me:... sorry.)

*Big sigh. Well, hopefully they know what I'm talking about. But then you tape the thr -thrusters to the bottom of the Rocketship.

Here's a picture of what it looks like when it's done. MOM! Why did you have to put THAT picture on here? I look WEIRD! (me: ... sorry.)

Well, just tell them to look at this instead. I like this movie. They can even see Logan on the couch.

Is that it? (me: You could say goodbye.) Oh. Goodbye. I hope you make a rocket like mine 'cause it's really cool and I like it a lot. And kids can do it theirselves, too, so they won't always have to be bugging their moms.

{Make a gif}

Not to be outdone by his little brother, Owen made a little rocket ship of his own. No fancy cutting involved.

They got out some guys and played with these for a good long time. Then they went online to check out stuff about real rockets and ended up on This Lego Rocket Game where you have to build a rocket and then launch it and see if it will make it into space. They all got really into it, and when their rocket finally made it 190,381 miles up, and the meteors were flying by, an impromptu conga line broke out and they were all dancing around the room singing 'We made it into space - yeah! We made it into space - yeah!'

And so, we managed to survive the day thanks to some extra party cups and a little ingenuity.

And we'll reschedule that fishing trip as soon as possible.

Thanks for Playing, folks.

Rhinos and Ranunculus,

-shawnacy

Learn how to make animated pictures Here. (it's a LOT easier than you think!)

linking up with:

Thanks, Max!!

Grow; and, Evidently, I am a Surrealist Doodler

2011-04-08T12:59:00.000-07:00

Squeezing this little post-io in this afternoon while the kids are ~~locked in their rooms, screaming~~ napping.

Sarah over at Atlantic Atlantis has a fun little art challenge going on this month. And since I've recently discovered how much I miss drawing and doodling (more than those little flowers down the side of the page as I'm talking on the phone) I signed up super-quick. (not that i have time for this, you understand... the three blankets i have going are sitting in my knitting bag unattended. the dishes in my sink are piled high ((ok, well, that's just kind of normal...)) and i haven't gone to bed before 3am in a week. ... fine, i can't blame all of that ((or any of it really)) on this doodle, but i'll do it anyway. That's right. Livin' on the edge.)

The project is called Grow, and basically you start with something small and 'grow' a picture around it.

The challenge for this week was this:

Start with a quarter-sized circle in the center of the page, and kind of work your way out from there. Look how awesome hers turned out:

It's really amazing and detailed. and it's all one thing. Which makes me laugh really hard when I look at mine.

It's ok, you can laugh too. It's bizarre. I started out with the pocket watch, and then - squeezing doodles in at odd moments of the day - kind of added a little at a time. I definitely didn't keep to one theme. or picture. or style.

ah well.

it was fun, and i'm excited for this week's challenge.

Check out Sarah's post to see more about her drawing, and stay for the challenge. Pick up a pen and draw something wonky (or wonderful. or wonderfully wonky) today.

Love and Armadillos,

-shawnacy

quiverfull... what's in a name.

2011-04-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Kick a weasel!

I recently heard about a movement in the conservative Christian community called ... shockingly... Quiverfull. I chose the name because I do obviously have quite a large family, and because I've always enjoyed the Biblical imagery found in the passage in Psalms that states, "as arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of the youth." Not in the sense of ... flinging our kids around like weapons... necessarily ... but in the sense that a 'mighty man' (or woman) has the ability to direct (to some extent) the trajectory of our children's lives. As parents we shape their personalities, tastes, activities, and aversions, as much as we decided what they are (and are not) exposed to, what they eat, what they talk about, and how they view the world. We fit them into the bowstring of ourselves, and our families, and from there they are able to shoot out into the world. We hope, to become the dazzling, amazing, kind, and creative people that they are.

I still like the idea.

But, as I am reading more about the Quiverfull movement (check out the Wikipedia article Here, if you want), I find that there are a few things I don't agree with, and perhaps don't want people to assume of me because of the name... Namely this, copied from the article.
It promotes procreation, and sees children as a blessing from God,^[2]^[3]^[4] eschewing all forms of birth control, including natural family planning and sterilization.^[5]^[6] Adherents are known as "quiver full", "full quiver", "quiverfull-minded", or simply "QF" Christians. Some refer to the Quiverfull position as Providentialism,^[7] while other sources have referred to it as a manifestation of natalism.^[8]^[9] Currently several thousand Christians worldwide identify with this movement.^[5] It began to receive significant attention in the U.S. national press in 2004.

Though I am a Christian, and firmly believe in the inalienable right to a chance at life, I am not anti-contraceptive. I know it may appear that way... given the size of the family I tote around, but believe it or not, I did everything short of surgery to prevent more pregnancies. (finally opting for surgery after the last... because... well, seven is a big enough number even for me.) Which is not to say that any of my kids was unwanted. Unexpected, perhaps, but always anticipated and received with joy.

Here's my opinion on the matter (...not that you asked, but just to put it out there, since we're on the topic). I do not believe that birth control is unbiblical. Some people believe that using contraceptives is a way to take the control away from God, and that you should leave it to Him to decide how many children you ought to have. I see this as very similar to the thinking that states that it is wrong to go to the doctor or take any kind of medication. Those in this camp believe that God can and will heal, if He chooses. (usually there's also a contingency in there somewhere which tells people that if God DOESN'T heal, it is due to a lack of faith on the part of the sick... which IS unbiblical.)

Ok, so how are these similar? I see the similarity in that in both situations we have a choice. An option. An opportunity. If you get cancer, or diabetes or you child has a brain tumor, you have within your small measure of control, the option to seek medical help. If you are an adult, who is perhaps uneasy about the possibility of having children, or who knows that it would be financially irresponsible at this time, or that you are simply not ready... you have within your scope of control, the ability to do something to prevent a pregnancy before it happens. (not talking about abortion. abortion as a form of birth control is wrong by anyone's standards)

As I see it, the ultimate result is still completely in God's hands. Some cancer patients survive, some do not, whether or not they underwent all possible medical treatment. It is still possible to become pregnant while using birth control. Trust me on that one. :) But as much as it is in our power to act, I think we have the responsibility to act in the most prudent and wise way we can. (Understand too, that I intend no disrespect to those who embrace the no birth-control lifestyle. It is very natural and beautiful. I just don't happen to believe it is the ONLY way.)

Some couples marry with the intention of a large family from the beginning. Fantastic! I LOVE big families. But I honestly never thought I would have one. I had/still have huge aspirations of what I would do in the world. For the most part, this didn't include having children. But then I met my amazing stepkids, and knew that they were meant to be in my life. And I was happy with our family. Three kids is a lot for a new wife of 22 to just jump into. I didn't need babies. And then I found myself pregnant. And had a miscarriage.

And had to watch a tiny life floating in a mess of blood and tissue in my bathroom toilet while I sobbed all night with my head on the sink. I was done. After that I didn't want to get pregnant ever again. I couldn't go through that again.

I did everything possible to prevent it. And then I missed a few periods. I did my best not to become too attached to the notion of a baby. A task at which I failed miserably. Then Owen was born, healthy and beautiful. And I was hopelessly smitten. I was also done. I had four kids and a full time job teaching high school.

And then came Max, 14 months later. And I was absolutely done. (are you seeing a pattern here?) We scheduled a tubal, but there was a muck-up with the insurance, and we weren't able to do it.

And a few years later, Annika came. And I was REALLY absolutely done. This time, a technicality in paperwork was the reason my tubal was cancelled.

And when I found out I was pregnant with Naomi I thought my head was going to explode. But it didn't. And despite a really difficult pregnancy, and a lot of weird circumstances, I felt more calm and peaceful and joyfully expectant with her than I had with any of the others. And this time, the tubal went off without a hitch.

Each time a new child came along, I panicked a little and worried and had a few anxiety attacks about 'how in the WORLD am I going to do this!!!???' and then the baby came. And our home and family and lifestyle stretched to fit the new addition. And I've been forced to get my head out of itself and focus on these unbelievable little people I've been entrusted with. I've had to be resourceful and creative in ways I never thought I could. I've learned patience (or... at least a smidgen more than the 'none-at-all' I had before) and forgiveness and to find the wonder and joy and beauty in each and every moment. Even the yucky ones.

Not a day goes by that I don't thank God for each of my kids. Disabilities, struggles, attitudes, conflicts and all.

I know this has been long and heavy and I don't mean to wax controversial (though a little controversy can be good for the blood, and we're all adults here who can appreciate different perspectives, and embrace them with grace); and I'm grateful for those who have read this far. :)

Mostly, I just wanted to let you know that I am not affiliated with the Quiverfull movement going on, and that, if it becomes a big deal, I might end up changing the name. ... boo on me for not researching it first. Lesson learned.

Let me know what you think, everyone. Had you heard about the Quiverfull thing? Did you assume I was part of it? Do you think a name-change is in order? Did you read all of this? (if so... merit badge for you! :)

Thanks for listening.

cupcakes and cartwheels,

-shawnacy

Something Pretty, Something Smart

2011-04-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

I've been mulling over a new catchy title for the friday finds post each week and came up with this little rhyme. because when you rhyme stuff, it's automatically more bouncy and delicious. True Story.

And so, I give you 'Something Pretty, Something Smart.'

Because every week should include:

Something Pretty,

Something Smart,

Something to do,

And a bit of Art.

Pretty:

I am slightly in love with this totally rad duvet cover by not on the high street i found via Meet Me at Mikes. How fun would this be for the kiddos?! Or for mom!! (also, it looks like something that wouldn't be too hard to make... hmm...)

Or hop over to The Curiosity Group to grab a FREE DOWNLOAD (!!) of this totally hip record player calendar!!! The record turns so that the cutout shows the date! So Clever!

I have never been so bummed that my printer is on the fritz. But, they come out with a new FREE and super cute calendar every month, so be sure to check back often. Found via How About Orange.

and I LOVE this Daily Dot Chalkboard Wall Calendar from Simple Shapes. Maybe with this I could get the Teens to actually write things on the calendar...

Smart:

I was introduced today to Storynory through the always helpful and informative Childhood 101. Much like ambling books which I have raved about in the past, Storynory is an incredible resource for audiobooks. Except these are really audio stories, and they're all for kids. (also, there's no need to download! Just click on a story and listen!)
We're hooked! We listened to a few of the classic Brothers Grimm stories today, and are already on chapter 4 of The Wizard of Oz. Yay for Storynory!

And if you're in need of academic trivia with which to amaze your friends and family, head over to the Mental Floss Amazing Fact Generator to learn things like:

Wilbur and Orville weren’t the only Wright Brothers. They had two older brothers, Reuchlin and Lorin, plus a younger sister, Katharine.

To Do:

Make a Light Theatre with Adventures at Home. This looks like such a sweet activity to do with (or without!) kids. Have them read a story (or write one of their own) and then craft the figures, and play it out! (be sure to have your oooh's and aaah's and 'wow!'s' down pat, as I'm sure you'll be needing all of them as a proper spectator). I am extra-infatuated by this idea, and can't wait for the right slow afternoon to make this happen.

Reminds me a little of this scene (at 1:00 on the video below. you would not believe how long i looked for a still frame of that shot. to absolutely no avail... sheesh) from A Series of Unfortunate Events:

And here's another one to try: This DIY Shadow Puppet Theatre from Ohdeedoh.

While you're enjoying the shadow-puppet fest, whip up a batch of These oh-my-soul amazing Toffee Apple Cakes. Recipe brought to you by one of my favorite blogs, Coco Rose Textiles. Don't these look ... dangerously divine?

Art:

wanna go play with the moon? join funny page net [dot] com in this series of super neat moon pictures.

Next, watch James Powderly Graffiti-up buildings in Korea with LIGHT. or do the coolest installation/exhibition/spontaneous event ever with sticky LED lights on The Creators Project

... and just for fun:

how about these kid-themed 'keep calm and carry on' variations from Callaloo Soup.
my personal favorite:

But you might also like:

... or any of the other bunch to be found at the store. And you can download the printables for just $4.65!