Storytellin' Mama

You Birthed Me...

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:06:00 +0000

Duck and Cover!

Birthday Boy and Bubbles!

Yes, she's eating broccoli folks!

Pinata Fun!

Night Swimming!

Lil' Expert had his first slumber party a couple of weeks ago and it is hard to believe another year has gone by and he is nine years old.

His big surprise present was an Nintendo DS.

Last night I was putting him to bed and he said, "I love you Mom because you bought me a DS, and you give me food, and you birthed me."

Nine year old love... it can't be beat!!!

*Photos courtesy of my friend Lauren!!

Quadruple the Fun...

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 22:26:00 +0000

Sometimes parenting can be hard and exhausting. I tell you I needed this video.

To me the essence of what makes it all worth it!

Hope this renews your spirit of fun too!

The Girls Growing like Weeds...

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 22:30:00 +0000

My Baby

Laughing Girl

Brown-Eyed Gal four years old and Lil' Red two years old

Adventures in Bicycling...

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:30:00 +0000

Lil' Expert and Storytellin' Boy did a great job learning to ride their bikes a couple of weeks ago. They are both now riding completely independently.

On the first day, Lil' Expert crashed into two barrel cactus and popped his tires. His Dad stopped him in the nick of time before crashing into the drainage wash on our property.

Lil' Expert has struggled to learn to ride his bike due to his Asperger's and fine motor delays. We are so proud that he has persevered and is now riding like a pro.

The same day, Storytellin' boy crashed into his two year old sister in the driveway. Luckily, we had bought her a helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads at Target because she wanted to be like her big brothers. The padding came in handy when she was sailing across the pavement. She wasn't hurt at all. Storytellin' Boy said, "I'm sorry mom, I haven't learned how to avoid yet."

A couple days after they learned to ride their bikes, cousins from California came to visit. Their cousins rode with the boys and practiced with them several times during their stay which improved the boys skills tremendously.

Here is video of their first day of bike riding:

Mount Lemmon Mother's Day 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Wed, 27 May 2009 02:59:00 +0000

The girls love water!

Boys hanging out!

The whole Gang!

Stream Walking!

Me and my last little one!

On Mother's Day we got out of the heat of Tucson and headed up the mountain. The kids love walking and hiking in the streams at Mt. Lemmon and we had a great family day together.

The Pool is Now Open...

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:10:00 +0000

One of the best things about living in Tucson is that we get the use of our pool from May until October.

The kids get lots of exercise and it is relaxing to go swimming after school and before bed.

These photos are from our first big weekend of swimming April 25-26, 2009.

Today we are supposed to hit the 100 degree mark, so there will be a lot of swimming in our future!

Future Beauty Salon Operator...

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Tue, 05 May 2009 03:40:00 +0000

Brown-eyed Gal cut her hair with her brother's blue safety scissors!

Are you talking about me?

It's not the first time we have had hair trouble around here!

An Original Storytellin' Mama...

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:34:00 +0000

I love this Native American Storyteller. My mother-in-law gave it to me a few years ago. It honors the oral tradition of storytelling. My kids love to look at it and name which child they are in the storyteller's lap.

Storytellin' at our house

My kids all love books and I love the quiet moments before bed when we can read and laugh together!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Watch Out for What Might Come Through the Doggy Door!

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 17:16:00 +0000

Scout and Bear are inside dogs. They live the good life sleeping on one of the children's beds at night, chewing plenty of forbidden toys, and driving me crazy. Like this week when Bear ate the hawaiian rolls off the counter and a whole loaf of bread on the same morning and when Scout shredded in many, many pieces a roll of paper towels in the living room... everywhere.

We recently put in a pet door through our back bathroom, we call the mud room. The dogs would have access to the backyard at all times. The dogs were used to going through a pet door to get to their food in the garage anyway.

Scout, our beagle had been waking me up every night to be let out at around 2:00 to 3:00 AM. On any given night with four kids I am likely to be woken up by a crying baby, or a child having a nightmare. The dog was not helping my issues with sleep deprivation.

Scout learned to go through the new doggy door right away and has not woken me up once since the door went in. Bear, our golden retriever still needs some reminders about the door and will often lie down outside instead of coming back in through the door.

It is so convenient because now we can go for day trips, or even be out for several hours without worrying about letting the dogs out.

A friend of mine asked me if the door was sealed and if I was worried about other desert creatures (snakes, tarantulas, scorpions) getting through the door. Luckily, it is sealed and somehow we have these invaders from time to time anyway. Part of living in the Sonoran desert.

I saw this video on my friend Jennifer's facebook page and I thought I wouldn't mind if this came through the door...

Happy Friday!!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Crossing Gender Lines in the Work Force...

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 02:43:00 +0000

At the Tucson Book Fair, a booth for the local hospital was giving away nurses hats. The girls each wanted a hat.

Storytellin' Boy was very disappointed that he did not get a hat. He loved the hats so much that he got back in line to get one for himself. He wore it proudly for the rest of the festival.

Cheers for nurses both men and women!

Levitation, Shakespeare and Four Year Old Magic...

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:09:00 +0000

Magic Show at the Tucson Festival of Books

Shakespeare appearing out of a replica of the Globe Theatre

Brown-Eyed Gal picked to levitate before the crowd.

Approaching the stage

Brown-Eyed Gal hugging a penguin at the book festival

Two weeks ago we went to the Tucson Festival of Books hosted by University of Arizona. One of the highlights of the day for the kids was a magician that taught about Shakespeare and did magic tricks.

The magician asked for a volunteer from the audience and my four year old daughter raised her hand and was picked. My daughter is a girl who usually opts to play in her room with her stuffed animals and is not always one for the lime light. I was pleased when she excitedly went up on stage. She was a little scared before the magician made her levitate so my husband went up on stage to help... therefore we didn't get a picture of the actual levitation.

Afterwards, Brown-Eyed Gal said, "Mom I got to fly like a butterfly. Did you see me flying?"

The lesson for me is that children change and grow. The characteristics we use to label them one day may not fit six months down the road. My sister's daughter has a friend who has always been very shy and she recently made one of the leads in her school production of High School Musical. Friends and family asked, "Is this the same girl?" They were amazed when they saw her awesome and spirited performance.

My daughter is also changing and growing and I celebrate her new found boldness and willingness to participate in the fun of life.

“Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Silly Monkey Stories

Chess Anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 00:39:00 +0000

Ready to play

Concentration

Contemplation

I want to play too... like my big brother!

This year in 2nd grade, Lil' Expert has improved his chess playing ability tremendously. His coach tells us he has new found confidence and he has developed a swagger. He can beat almost everyone in his club at school.

March 14th and March 28 are the qualifying rounds for the Arizona State Championships. He is working to earn enough points at these tournaments to qualify.

His brother Storytellin' Boy showed an interest at the March 14th tournament and played chess with Dad in between rounds.

It is so great as a mom to see my son excel, especially because Lil' Expert has had his struggles with fine motor skills and coordination due to Asperger's. This is a great activity for him to gain confidence and have success.

Way to go!!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Storytellin' Mama Update... Finally!!

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 21:17:00 +0000

It's been a while!

What has been going on in the lives of the Storytellin' Gang?

Storytellin' Mama had a hysterectomy. More difficult than I imagined. Thank you so much for all the cards and support. Thank you so much Grandma Kasey for helping me with the kids for a month. I couldn't have done it without you.

I have also gone back to work part-time and am working with adult offenders who have cognitive and mental health problems to help restore them to competency within the court system. Very challenging.

I will also be starting a new fiction writing class in April. I have moved up to the next level through The Writers Studio. I'm looking forward to it so much. My goal continues to be to finish a couple of short stories to send out for publication.

Beautiful flowers sent to me after my surgery from my friend Gina

Big Expert has been such an incredible help to us all during my surgery recovery. I really appreciate how he took the boys to the bus stop every morning and pitched in so much in the running of the household. He is doing great with his photography and is excited to buy a new camera very soon!

Daddy resting with his girls

Lil' Red who has now officially switched from a redhead to a blondie is talking up a storm. She turned two years old in December and is displaying characteristics of the ~~terrible~~ terrific twos. She has gotten quite bossy with her brothers and sister, but I figure it is survival of the fittest considering she is the youngest of four and has to fight for her place in the sibling order. The older kids love to try to get her to copy their words and they laugh hysterically when she repeats them.

Valentine's Day Breakfast

Heart Pancakes

Brown-Eyed Gal had her tonsils out and had a bout of Pneumonia. She has recovered well from both, although these last couple of months have been a rough road for her. She is enjoying pre-school and making up songs and dances that she performs for us daily. I have plans to enroll her in dance classes in the Spring. Her speech is improving and she is also blossoming socially at school.

Snow Day in Tucson

Storytellin' Boy continues to be prolific with stories, art and creations of every kind. He has started writing poems and keeping a journal with entries that keep us all laughing... a future post for sure. He has been doing well in kindergarten and started taking karate classes with his brother. He hopes to try out for his yellow belt soon. He also continues to be thoughtful and plays with his younger sisters in such a fun and caring way.

Lil' Expert has been improving his reading by leaps and bounds this year. He continues to be on the chess team at school and has two big playoff tournaments this month to try and qualify for the state championships. He is also taking karate and enjoying it. He continues to love the computer and is very excited we purchased a Mac mini this week for him and his brother to share.

I have missed blogging and I hope to be more frequent with my posts in the upcoming weeks!

Good Thing the Baby Can Sleep Anywhere Especially During Football Playoffs!

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 04:33:00 +0000

By the way, I will NOT be leaving Daddy in charge this weekend to go shopping or do anything else while the Super Bowl game is on.

Go Steelers!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Bringing in the New Year... a little late!!

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 01:57:00 +0000

While the rest of the States were in a bitter cold freeze over the holidays, we were fortunate enough to bring in the New Year at Moonstone Beach in California.

We returned home last weekend after almost three weeks of traveling. We have been dealing with illness in the extended family, and our own little girl had surgery on Thursday (tonsillectomy) and is now doing much better. Due to all these factors, the start of the New Year has been a little weird and tough and this blog has also been neglected.

On New Years Eve, we had a great visit with close friends. The weather at the beach was so beautiful and sunny that their kids and ours actually waded in the water and ran in the surf. It was a glorious end to the year. Looking at those six kids running in the water, I thought about the future and I realized how much is at stake for our country and for our kids who will inherit it all. My hope is for a future of small steps, wisdom, and restraint. I am especially aware of how things as you know them can change in an instant. I want to remember those kids running barefoot on the beach on the last day of 2008.

To all my friends, readers, family, and blogger buddies I have met this year... Best wishes for a blessed New Year... a little late!

The Polar Express...

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:13:00 +0000

Today I am guest posting again for AVT Coach's Tuesday Tales and I am excited to present one of my favorite Christmas stories, "The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburg.

A magical train ride on Christmas Eve takes a boy to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa.

It is our tradition to read this one out loud as Christmas nears and this year we were fortunate to be able take the kids to the Grand Canyon Railway and to ride the Polar Express to the North Pole. We all wore our pajamas, enjoyed singing waiters and waitresses, and received our very own reindeer bells during a visit from Santa.

Book summary and teaching ideas from

A Teacher's Guide to The Polar Express.

One Christmas Eve many years ago, a boy lies in bed, listening

hard for the bells of Santa’s sleigh, which he has been told by a

friend do not exist. Later that night he hears not bells but a very

different sound. He looks out of his window and is astounded to see

a steam engine parked in front of his house! The conductor invites

him to board the Polar Express, a train filled with children on their

way to the North Pole.The boy and his companions journey past

tiny towns and forests full of wild creatures.They travel up and

around mountains and across the Great Polar Ice Cap to the magical

city at the North Pole.The train takes the children to the center of

the city, where Santa and the elves have gathered for the giving of

the first gift of Christmas.The boy is chosen to receive this first gift.

Knowing that he can choose anything in the world, he decides on a

simple gift: one silver bell from Santa’s sleigh. Santa cuts a bell from

a reindeer’s harness and the delighted boy slips it into his bathrobe

pocket as the clock strikes midnight and the reindeer pull the

sleigh into the sky.

When the children return to the train, the boy realizes the bell

has fallen through a hole in his pocket. Heartbroken, he is returned

to his home. In the morning, his little sister finds one small box

with the boy’s name on it among the presents below the Christmas

tree. Inside is the silver bell! The boy and his sister are enchanted

by its beautiful sound, but their parents cannot hear it.The boy continues

to believe in the spirit of Christmas and is able to hear the

sweet ringing of the bell even as an adult.

Special Features of The Polar Express

The arrival of a steam engine—the Polar Express—on the boy’s

quiet street is startling and wonderful enough to make readers gasp

out loud.This book in particular captures the magic of childhood

with sensitivity and grace.The warm and vivid color pastels create

expressive characters and scenes that are very much alive.The artwork,

combined with Chris Van Allsburg’s vivid prose, creates a journey

that resonates on many levels for readers of all ages.This is a

book to return to year after year.

The vivid visual world of The Polar Express is evoked by the text

as well as by the pictures.Van Allsburg constructs a distinct sense of

place, infused with magic by his skillful use of metaphor and simile.

The train is “wrapped in an apron of steam,” and the children drink

hot cocoa “as thick and rich as melted chocolate bars.”The lights of

the North Pole appear to the boy as “the lights of an ocean liner

sailing on a frozen sea.”

Santa came early this year!

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 23:44:00 +0000

"Mom, Santa's been here. Santa came."

I look at the clock, it's 3:17 AM

We love Christmas!

We did our family Christmas exchange today because next week we are headed for California and I did not want to carry the children's presents there and home again. My older son was up at 3:00 AM and 5:30 AM ready to open presents. Just a little excited.

We have a little tiny tree this year because we are going to be gone the rest of the month and we will have a big tree at Grandma's house. Now, we can relax and enjoy the Christmas spirit without an overcrowded car!

December Birthdays Are Upon Us...

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 23:39:00 +0000

Six years old!

The Best Birthday Ever!

The first of our three December birthdays has arrived. Storytellin' Boy turned six on December 8th and the girls birthdays are coming later in December.

We decided to forego big parties this year and Storytellin' Boy decided a dinner at Chuckie Cheese was his wish for his birthday. At the end of the night he said, "This was my best birthday ever!" Sometimes it is nice to just be with the family.

Storytellin' Boy has had many milestones this past year. Beginning kindergarten, continuing to amuse us all with his tall tales, and spending most of his free time drawing and creating all kinds of art projects.

His cousin Jake called him to wish him on his birthday and he told him, "I've moved on from artist to inventor."

Happy Birthday Son!!

Writing Prevails...

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 02:03:00 +0000

I am trying to complete a couple of short stories and I am finding it difficult to manage the kids, writing, and posting interesting and endearing things here on my beloved blog.

I have decided to take a bloggy break for a week or so... I will be back with pictures from our recent trip, and a review of The Polar Express children's book and three of our children's birthdays are in December, so I will also have lots of birthday pictures to post as well.

I wish you all a blessed December and Holiday Season!!

Laura

On Thankfulness...

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 20:57:00 +0000

This past weekend we went on a family trip to experience "The Polar Express" at the Grand Canyon Railway in Williams, AZ. The popular Christmas story is recreated including: singing waiters, cookies and hot chocolate, a bizillion kids and parents in their pajamas, a train ride to the North Pole and a visit from Santa who gives each child a gift of a reindeer bell.

We also visited Sedona, AZ on the way and on Monday we toured Sunset Crater National Monument and Wupatki (early Indian dwelling ruins). We hiked on volcanic cinder cones and lava fields. We explored incredible dwellings with artifacts and pottery from the 1100's.

On the drive home I asked everyone to share their favorite thing on the trip that they were most thankful for:

Lil' Expert (8 year old) was most thankful for the hike we did to the volcano crater.

Brown-eyed girl (3 year old) was most thankful for her bell she received from Santa.

Lil' Red (1 year old) was most thankful to dance with the singing waitresses on the train trip.

Big Expert (Daddy) liked checking out the Indian dwellings.

I (mommy) was happy to be away from home for a couple of days and enjoy the family time.

and last but not least...

Storytellin' Boy (5 year old) was most thankful for getting to jump on the beds in our hotel room.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your Family

Warmly,

StorytellinMama and the Gang

*Photos from our trip to come in future posts.

Behind the Scenes at the Zoo...

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 01:59:00 +0000

Feeding the Zebra.

Nose to Nose with the Giraffe.

Wow, look at those Rhino horns.

Petting the Rhino.

Last Friday, at my son's kindergarten field trip, the kids interacted with the animals up close and personal.

My son, in the brown sweatshirt, enjoyed touching, feeding, and seeing the animals.

We also toured the zoo keeper's kitchen and saw all the different foods the animals are fed each day.

A great day of seeing and learning about zoo animals.

Wordless Wednesday here.

Three year Old Wisdom...

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:38:00 +0000

I was buckling my three year old daughter into her car seat yesterday and I noticed my son had left a big mess in the back seat from his lunchbox the day before.

I said, "Oh, what a big mess"

She said, "He's so naughty."

I said,"He's not really naughty, just messy."

She said, "Well, he's a boy. A messy boy."

As if that summed it all up and that was the last word on the subject!

I'm Thankful for Our Unique Desert Beauty...

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:58:00 +0000

Saguaro Park East

Catalina State Park

Our Backyard

Apache Lake

Sabino Canyon

We moved to Tucson, Arizona a little over four years ago from a very green Southern California and I remember how everything looked so brown and barren. It took some time, but now I appreciate the desert's beauty. It is subtle and austere and majestic.

A few of my husband's photos of desert flowers taken over the last few months at some of our favorite family hiking destinations. Our kids love the outdoors and we are fortunate to have many places close by to hike and picnic.

My kid's continue to be a little under the weather but on the mend. I thought I'd post something beautiful to deter from the stuffy noses and dreary inside time of the last few days.

As we count down the days before Thanksgiving I am so grateful that we live in an area rich with wonder and beauty.

I'm participating in Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Four Little Snifflers...

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:05:00 +0000

Sick

by Shel Silverstein

"I cannot go to school today,"
Said little Peggy Ann McKay,
"I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash, and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more--that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut, my eyes are blue--
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke--
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb,
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is--what?
What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is---Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play!"

I always loved this poem as a child.

Unfortunately, I have four little ones who probably will not be going to school tomorrow. Sniffles, sore throats, fevers...

Hopefully, with a little rest and down time everyone will be well soon!!

Sunday Dinner made Easy...

noreply@blogger.com (Storytellin' Mama) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:39:00 +0000

Like a lot of families we try to be together and have a nice meal on Sunday. Today I am making something so easy, that even though the day is hectic we can still enjoy our family time together.

Crock Pot Coca-Cola Chicken

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Ingredients:

Chicken (boneless, skinless breasts or pieces)
1 cup BBQ sauce
1 cup coke

Preparation:

Place chicken in the pot and add one cup of your favorite bbq sauce and 1 cup of coke (plain old Coca-Cola). Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. The carbonation in the coke tenderizes the meat. I also use this combination with pork chops. So good and easy. You can alter the amount of coke and barbecue sauce depending on how much chicken you cook, all chicken should be completely covered in the crock pot.

Storytellin' Mama

You Birthed Me...

Quadruple the Fun...

The Girls Growing like Weeds...

Adventures in Bicycling...

Mount Lemmon Mother's Day 2009

The Pool is Now Open...

Future Beauty Salon Operator...

An Original Storytellin' Mama...

Watch Out for What Might Come Through the Doggy Door!

Crossing Gender Lines in the Work Force...

Levitation, Shakespeare and Four Year Old Magic...

“Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen.”

Chess Anyone?

Storytellin' Mama Update... Finally!!

Good Thing the Baby Can Sleep Anywhere Especially During Football Playoffs!

Bringing in the New Year... a little late!!

The Polar Express...

Santa came early this year!

December Birthdays Are Upon Us...

Writing Prevails...

On Thankfulness...

Behind the Scenes at the Zoo...

Three year Old Wisdom...

I'm Thankful for Our Unique Desert Beauty...

Four Little Snifflers...

Sick

by Shel Silverstein

Sunday Dinner made Easy...

Ingredients:

Preparation:

My kids like the barbecue/coca-cola sauce combination over rice along with the chicken and we serve an easy vegetable like corn or green beans.

Happy Sunday!