Winter Has Arrived

It has finally happened, winter has arrived here in the Great Lakes State!

While mother nature has been teasing us for a few weeks now, she let loose and blanketed our city a fluffy blanket of white wonder.

The kids could not wait to bundle up and hit the banks of snow with all their energy and youth! Because the temperatures dipped so low, I think it truly took longer to get dressed and undressed than they spent outside!

The Dogs also seemed to enjoy frolicking in snow, despite the fact the snow was deeper than the beagles legs! They were leaping and hopping through the yard!

I am preparing to get my creative side up and running so that the kids don't get on my nerves or each others as the winter begins to take hold! It can be a very long season if there isn't enough to keep their minds and bodies active and we can't always count on the winter weather to help do that. It's definitely time to break out the arts, crafts and other simple games to keep us busy.

For today though, I took my time out cuddled under some warm comforters, dressed in comfy clothes, sheltered in the warmth of my home while the snow fluttered all around outside, and watched a great group of chick flicks on cable Must Love Dogs and The Lake House.

Almond Joy

Almond Joy arrived at our house today. She is an early Christmas present and a thearpy stimulant for my almost 12 year old daughter. We have been having so many problems with her, that when it was suggested we give her something to focus on, work for and be responsible for, I jumped at the idea with lots of HOPE!

Miss Almond Joy is a ten week old Holland Lop Bunny and she is absolutely adorable. She has the sweetest personality and such a sweet cuddly nature, that I absolutely fell in love, I hope she has the same affect on A.

So much of my time has been consumed battling A's attitude and defiance that I welcomed the chance to take a break and allow her to focus on something other than defiance. Part of the agreement is that she take full responsibility for the bunny and at any time she failed to do so, she would surrender the bunny and Almond would be found a new home. We drew up a contract, one that includes chores to earn money for food, bedding and treats for the bunny and she willingly signed it.

I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Today I took my time out to cuddle and receive a little love from the softest cutest bunny around.

Anatomy in the Woods

The kids get an anatomy lesson today, in the woods! My hubby shot and FOUND his deer today and EVERY kid in the house wanted in on the track and gutting of the deer. I am always looking for a way to teach my children life lessons and this provided the perfect opportunity.

I must say I was completely surprised by this and thought for sure they would all back down once we hit the quiet black that envelopes in the woods, but they didn't they pressed on. I was also surprised when the time came to gut the deer that they all stayed, mouths agape and questions flying! Not even the three year old backed down. I was also surprised that I remembered so much about the anatomy of a deer!

Today I took time out to enjoy the wonder and curiosity that is at the heart of a child's nature!

Summer is Here

It has been awhile, too long really since I have had a chance to sit and do my time out!

Summer has arrived full swing and with it the many preoccupations of parenting 4 children and 2 step-children. Needless to say I am in desperate need of a good time out!

Today I took that time. It wasn't anything special or even expensive. It didn't require me to get dressed up or spend money, I just took advantage of some downtime at my daughters dance and I talked to other adults!

I know it sounds silly, but with summer here, my time has been consumed with children. Their activities, their friends, their needs. I have found it increasingly difficult to fit in any time for myself at all! I usually spend the time my daughter is at dance to run errands or shop, but today I decided to just sit!

I left the dance studio more relaxed than I have been since the bell rang on fateful Friday in June letting my kids out for the summer! It was nice, really nice to just sit and talk. To step out of the mommy shoes, the wifey shoes and the work shoes. It was a pleasure to sit and chat with other women about anything and everything!

So today, take some time out and get reacquainted with other females, your peers. Just go hang out and talk, it is well worth it!

Facial Massage

As an incredibly busy mother of four, I rarely have time for myself and desperately need some me time. I am always looking for ways to obtain a little time and pampering and of course if that can help release the stress of everyday life, I am all for it!

A couple weeks ago as I was browsing through Barnes and Noble, I came across a book that caught my attention and eye. It was a book that had creative snippets and suggestions for pampering yourself. It is driving me crazy that I can not remember the name of the book and a search on Barnes and Noble .com didn't help.

Regardless, I do remember one page on the benefits of fingertip facial massage. I thought it was interesting and I have been using those techniques suggested every time I feel tense and stress. And not only does it help relieve some stress, it has improved the look and quality of my skin.

HOW IT WORKS:

Facial Massages, as with any type, increase the blood flow and circulation to your face. This is why I suppose the color and quality of your face improve with facial massages.

I use a general moisterizer when I do my facial massages, but you can use just about anything else that is good for your skin type and tone.

Once I apply the moisturizer to my fingertips I begin at my neck and gently massage upward with a gentle pressure for about 30 seconds to a minute.

I then use the first and middle fingers and slide gently upward from my chin to my ears for another 30 seconds.

I then use the first and middle fingers and apply pressure to both sides of my nose for 3-4 seconds and then gently stroke downward.

I then move down to my chin and use the same fingers to apply pressure there and rub gently in a circular motion then apply slight pressure and stroke from the middle of my chin out along my jawline to my ears.

Finally I use the middle finger and ring finger to trace a line from the bridge of my nose, over my brows and to the edge of my eyes. After that I use my ring finger to massage from the corner of my eye by the nose out, around and down to the underside corner.

I try religiously to do this every evening and always when needed.

A quick fingertip facial massage is a great way to pamper yourself and give you a slight relaxing timeout.

Summer Reading

One of the things I love most about summer is reading.

For me there is nothing more relaxing the a good book and sunshine. I have been walking the bookstores looking for a great read this summer. One of the books I intend to add to my summer reading list is Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner.

The only drawback for me, is that I have not read the preceding book Good In Bed by Jennifer Weiner. Fortunately for me I have a copy that I started today and am so far enjoying. It's definitely a plus to read a book with a less than Perfect 10 as the heroine.

I am looking for other good reads to round out my summer reading relaxation and am open to suggestions.

Coming to an End

As the school year fast approaches a close, I have been busy trying to come up with creative ideas and things for the kids to do once school is out to keep them busy and active and to prevent the ever dreaded phrase "I'm BORED".

Our kids range from preteen to toddler and each one is so different it seems an impossible task to try and get them all involved.

Idea #1 - Family Bike Ride.
I have hooked up my bike with a toddler seat and am checking all the tires. I thought this summer we could, as a family, enjoy a bike ride to a local park and a picnic. I am slightly unsure if all the kids can make the ride, so first we will set out in the neighborhood.

Idea # 2 - Create summer scrapbooks.
All of my children love to take pictures and star in their own photo albums. With the boys being a little older, I thought this summer I might try to incorporate their love of pictures into a memorable summer album. I have shopped the dollar stores and was surprised to find that they carry a decent supply of cheap scrap-booking pages and trinkets.

Idea# 3 - Workbooks.
Each child needs to continue working in some areas of learning once the school year winds out. I have been scouring the internet for great ideas to incorporate into age appropriate workbooks to assist them with their studies over the summer. My goal is to keep it simple and fun, while allowing them to continue learning or at the very least hold onto the knowledge from the school.

Idea # 4- Reading challenge.
Reading is very important in our household, though often overlooked. I have decided to incorporate a reading challenge for the kids so that they will continue to read over the summer. The winner of the challenge will receive a gift card to their favorite store at the end of summer. In addition to that gift. Barnes and Noble has created their own challenge, rewarding children grades 1-6 with a free book at the completion of 8 books.

Idea # 5- Garden.
My final (for now) brainstorming activity was to give each child a responsiblity in our garden. Since the garden is flourishing well, there is plenty to do and to date each child is more than anxious to get their hands on the loot.

I am open to any ideas and suggestions anyone wants to contribute to helping this summer be productive, fun and memorable.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day always makes me patriotic and thankful. I am so glad that I live in a country where men and women are willing to risk their lives to provide me with the freedom to live my life, my way! To ensure my children can live their lives their way and to protect us from all that would seek to destroy our country.

I am not a believer in the current war our troops are risking their lives for everyday, to be blunt, I am against it. But I am a believer in our troops! I appreciate their moral character and their American values. I am grateful they put their lives on the line every single day to ensure that all of us can live our way. I am grateful for veterans that fought in every war, enabling me to sit here today and publicly say that I disagree with the war!

Thank you to all the American Men and Women who have wake up everyday and continue to fight for us. Thank you to all the American Men and Women who serve this country now and have served this country before.

Today I am thankful for:
Being an American, American Troops, Freedom and Faith

Being Thankful

It is so incredibly hard sometimes in the mist of busy lives and screaming children, to remember the good things in life.

Sometimes it's even harder to find something worth being thankful for and for this reason I challenge everyone to find one thing to be thankful for everyday and when you have a day that is particularly bad, find one more thing to be thankful for.

When life gets tough and despair threatens to overcome you, pull out this list and I promise you that sunshine and peace will snake themselves back into your life!

Today I am thankful for:
My Family, My Faith, Hope, Children's laughter, The smell of fresh cut grass, Ice cold water and my pets.

Sunshine and Water

I am not sure why the combination of sunshine and water is so relaxing, but I am not complaining.

The family and I got to spend some time out on the water today enjoying the abundant sunshine and the spray of lake water on our faces. Even though the temperatures were a little chilly, we had a blast. The cooler temps (on the water) were no barrier from the need to be free.

After a long, cold, snowy winter cooped up inside, this was a much needed breather. I felt like a kid again. I more than enjoyed watching the kids bask in the sunshine and marvel at the ducks, swans, turtles and yes, a crane we saw. We parked the boat on a little cove and enjoyed a brisk walk through nature, again enjoying all it had to offer. We saw a deer and many fish and frogs in the pond.

Coming home I realized how much my entire family needed that. The kids were the best they have been in many months, I was so relaxed I felt like jello and my husband too showed a decrease in the amount of stress.

I forgot how healing a little bit of sunshine and water can be and I can't wait to hit the water next weekend and reinvigorate the family after a long and stressful week!

Summer's Coming

As I woke up today, I realized how very close to summer we are.

Summer has always been a season of laziness. I don't mean the kind of laziness that prevents the laundry from getting done or the dishes from being washed, but the slowed down, relaxing by the water, type of laziness. The type where you are never in a hurry and the days last forever!

For the kids it means sleeping in past the time the bell would ring. Hanging out with family and friends, eating Popsicles and playing in the sprinkler. It means forgetting 9 months worth of information and enjoying the moment! For most kids it means a break from hectic schedules and homework.

Today I longed for those summers of my youth and I vowed that this summer I would spend more time just being! I would read a few more books and relax with Mr. Sunshine (properly protected from the UV rays of course) just a little bit more. This summer I vow to sleep past the time when the bell would ring just one day a week and to eat a few more Popsicles. This summer I vowed to join my children in the sprinkler and invite my neighbors to join if they stare too long.

Though I can't turn back the hands of time, I can let the child within me out to play and I can enjoy just being!

It Never Ends

Laundry is never ending!
How often I wish that I could just throw it out and start all over!

Does a child REALLY need a selection of clothes? Won't three pairs of jeans, three shirts, a pair of good clothes and a set of play clothes be enough??????? According to my laundry stack the answer is NO!

So then the question is why can't this be more efficiently managed? My answer: I don't have someone to come in and DO this for me! Truth be told, I HATE laundry. It takes forever and it never stays clean for very long! Of course, I hate the thought of walking around naked even more!

I suppose if given the option of walking around naked or spending all day doing laundry, I will do my laundry all day long with a smile on my face!!!

Off to do another load!

How does your garden grow

It's only been a week, maybe less, since we planted our garden and already we have sprouts!

I can't explain the excitement of seeing the first fruits of our labor! I was terribly worried that we planted the seeds to far into the soil and that still hasn't completely diminished since the area where the sprouts are popping is the area that the catastrophe happened.

The catastrophe happened while Lex (11 yrs) was planting her seeds, she tripped and spilled her seeds over a wide area, essentially mixing some carrot and radish seeds. So what is growing could be carrots, radishes or maybe some Cadish (carrot and radish combined)? Either way, there is something growing in our garden and all of us are excited to see what comes.

Since the birth of our little sprouts, the kids have taken an even bigger interest in the garden and as a family we are learning a little more everyday about what it takes to grow a garden in such a moody climate for weather.

We are keeping our fingers crossed that more will begin to sprout over the next few days!

American Idol

The kids are gearing up to watch the big finale of American Idol tonight. I am both looking forward to and dreading this event. The kids will be wound for sure, but on the other hand it is one of the few shows we can watch as a family and all the children can enjoy. I rarely have a worry about content for American Idol and the kids love to mimic the show.

I can almost bet Eme our almost three year old daughter, will get out her vsmile and use the microphone to create her own version of idol! With that being said, I should get out the video camera and get ready, for her show will be spectacular I am sure!

Gardening

Today we created a garden. A garden of tomatoes, corn and radishes. We threw in some watermelon and cantaloupe and carrots, lettuce and cucumbers for the rabbit.

We have never done this before, but with gas prices so high and money so tight, four kids need something creative to occupy their time and I need a break! I do realize I will be doing a lot of the nurturing, but that's alright, mommy time here I come!!!!

The rising gas prices have glued us home more this year, so what better way to spend our time than outside, nurturing and loving our garden! It was relatively cheap to start, we got seed packs 5 for $1.00 and off we went. The kids gardening tools were also just $1.00 a piece and we didn't even hit a dollar store! I think altogether we spent $25.00 and that included seeds, dirt, pots, tools and fertilizer! An inexpensive family activity!

All four kids were excited about this venture. Lex, the 11 year old was most interested in helping plant the seeds and potted plants in the garden itself. Em, our precocious 2 year old, just wanted to dig and play in the dirt. Log and Tris helped a lot by getting the ground ready and filling the pots with dirt! Being boys they loved this chore. They are proud of their work and can't wait to see what happens.

We also spread flower seeds in another part of the yard, there wasn't a lot of organization to this.......so it should be interesting to see what happens!

Hopefully this is a garden that will produce not just great veggies, but great memories!

First Post

This being my first post, it seems something wildly intelligent, meaningful and witty should be added here, but I can't think of any such things at this time. The only real thought in my mind is why my gorgeous two-year-old daughter can't seem to co-operate with her father and I by adhering to a normal sleep schedule!

My darling went down at 8pm (just like normal) but is now up (12:15am) and I promise you she is up for the duration.

Hubby and I are sitting here, each ignoring the other, for rock-paper-scissors isn't quite cutting the decision of who entertains her until she drops back off (I have lost three times in a row).

Bless him as he has set up her new VSmile and is trying to engage her in some serious toddler karaoke! I wonder if he would notice me jetting for the bed!

Ahh......the joys of parenthood and sleepless nights! So much for my exciting and witty first post, tomorrow (or later today) is another day!