Resolutions

As you know I have a very lofty goal for myself this year. I wanted to share how I was doing. I did my first Yoga work out of the year. It was only ten minutes long but the slow movements had me out of breath. Man, I am way out of shape. That is weird saying, "out of shape" because really I have a nice curvy soft shape. Maybe I should say I am out of fitness instead... No, you are right it doesn't quite work either. The first one is done. I have walked a total of four miles so far. Not good, but baby it's cold out there. Haha. No really my husband had last week off and I find it super hard to get motivated when he is home. I will walk tonight. I like to get into the habit of moving my body and work up to a run. It makes it feel less daunting. 

What else? I have been writing. It is slow because I have to write in between times. So it is a few minutes there and a few minutes here. All I need is one word at a time. My class started yesterday and it looks like it will be at the very least interesting. 

I have been actively working on letting go of grudges. It is hard to set it a side. My whole self wants to explain to the person why their actions were hurtful. I know that it doesn't matter to said person and that person is super self centered so the person may never understand. Once I made this realization it became easier. I am only hurting myself. I have been praying for that person and have sent a couple prayers and inspirational quotes to the person. I will be positive and I will move forward. Not all people need to like me, and not everyone will appreciate me. That is okay. I still want to do good for others and will always to my best to be helpful. That makes me happy.

How are you doing on your resolutions? 

I hope your day is filled with love, laughter, and inspiration. Be well friends.

Take the long way round

Today I was thinking (surprising I know) about all of the dreams, hopes, goals, and random things that generally make me really very happy.  I love being a mother, a wife, and I love being home with my children. I also love a really good scenic route, where the roads twist and wind and suddenly you are faced with impossible beauty. I love taking life slowly, getting lost, and falling down. I love mistakes and socks. I love to learn and I adore a fantastic challenge. Really I often find myself struggling to complete something (a paper for school, a dress, a painting, a complicated recipe, a story, crochets, and so on), I ask myself out loud, "Why have I done this again!" But I am smiling because I know I can do it. I try to teach my children that anything worth having takes hard work and lots of mistakes.

I love mistakes and mishaps. That moment when you know how to fix the problem and do it better next time is the best feeling in the world. Awesome. I am not perfect and between you and me I do not want to be either. Perfection is boring. I am not saying not to be great at something. That is not the case. What I mean is never stop trying to be better because once you (my own belief only) think you cannot get any better you stagnate. I never want to stop growing as a person. So hey I invite you to critic me (nicely). I know that my grammar needs improvement. I know that I can be quirky and messy and slightly to the left. All of those things are pieces of me.

Sometimes I worry a lot more than necessary. I bite my lower lib and consider the path I have taken. From my current view point it looks long and there is a few twists and turns ahead that make my heart beat faster. What is around the bend? Who am I going to be? I am I too old to  . . .? Sometimes it feels more like panic and it can be extremely destructive. Where is my crystal ball? What are the mysteries waiting for me?

Most of these questions have no right or wrong answer. Right now I am scheduled to graduate college with a Bachelors Degree in English in 2018. It feels like forever and ever. Really I get to teach my children what to expect out of college. That it is never too late to chase a dream or to change a dream or take a chance and to believe in themselves. They see me struggle, but they see me succeed too. I hope that when they are adults facing the world they take the road less traveled. They always know that they are worth it, and deserve to be happy.

As you know all know I am a writer. That is what makes me the happiest. My heart beats lyrics, and I bleed ink. Okay not really but when I write I feel accomplished. I am proud and at peace. I have known that I have wanted to be a writer since I was eight. But through a series of very unfortunate events I had no confidence in my ability. I did not know my own worth. That is really why I chose English as a degree to help me improve, to help me build my confidence. So when the time comes I will take a leap of faith and finally learn to fly. Yes, I know that I can be a writer without education. For me it is a milestone that I want to place on my road, A sign that says, "Oh, Yes. I can."

Do you know what makes you happy? That little whisper at the center of your heart. Yes, that one. Be happy my friend. Make mistakes, take a chance and follow your dreams. Yes, you can. You can do anything you want to do. You are amazing and worth it.

I think we need a song

I love this song. It makes me happy.

Oh be doo, Okay, it is still my favorite movie.

This is my all time favorite track, song, music. It speaks to me.

 

 

I hope that your day is filled with inspiration, love, and laughter. Be well my friend.

 

Lessons learned 28 Nov. 2011

Lessons I learned this last week.


Now we are going to start with Thanksgiving pictures because most of the week was spent cooking. Keep in mind that I used Rachel Rays Everyday Thanksgiving Recipes for most of the dishes.

Yes, I know this is not a great picture but look at how happy James is.

Damian is starting to love food almost as much as I already do. Here is a random lesson I learned If you use those super nice crystal glasses your saving for special occasion and beg your kids to be super careful with them don't break one in front of said kids. They will never let you live it down!

Kiss of Lemon Turkey. My husband loves to make the turkey and it turned out lovely.

Classic sausage stuffing. I cried on Friday because Rob ate the very last bite! I love stuffing and it loves to stick to my hips.

The best sweet potato dish I have ever made. Carmel Apple Sweet Potato Casserole.

Green Beans with toasted pumpkin seeds. I love fresh crunchy green beans.

Cranberry Raspberry sauce completely my own recipe and I should have made more! The kids licked their plants to get every little taste of wonderful that they could.

Turns out the boys love Turkey legs.

So we told them until they have little boys of their own they will get a turkey leg every year.

I loved doing this Thankfulness tree.

I am thinking about doing it all year by updating to different seasons. Changing these leaves to snowflakes and the ribbon to a pretty blue or red christmas ribbon. It is nice to be thankful.

This week we also sorted through a ton of the boys' things and found out out we do have a school room after all. Who knew?

The boys love this room more then they ever did when it was a toy room/library.

I love this room now too. We still do school work at the kitchen table in the mornings.

This is a miracle. I never thought I could organize anything.

Okay so I love that Damian loves to Read to his brother, but I was trying to show off our world map.

I saw a picture of a hat that my friend made. It was wonderful and she swore it was only the second thing she had ever crocheted. So I looked it up on Youtube (which is wonderful and truely evil) and began to make a hat. My first hat ever. It is not as easy as my friend claimed... Or I am not great at following directions. So here is my first hat ever.

Not bad. I could do better I am sure. I learned a lot about crochet while I worked on this hat. First I want to point out that it took me about three hours to make. I started over a million times. Really I lose count. Then I learned how to use a place marker and I didn't have to count any more. I think I missed something very important. Because look at the true size of the hat.

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Did you have to scroll down to discover my secret?I hope so.

Are you ready?

I am not

but here it goes.

That's right friends my hat fits this toy hippo and lots of his hatless friends. I think I had better try again. It seems that my idea of a great hat stayed the same size even as it was born. Lesson learned here don't be afraid to fail. Maybe next time you will get it right. I will let you know if I ever do.

I hope your week is filled with sweet lessons, happy music, Love and Laughter. Be well my friend.



Meal Plans

I need to go grocery shopping. Which means I need to make a list. I also need to plan two weeks worth of meals. Unfortunately all of the above falls to me. The boys in my family don't care and never have any input in what we eat until it is on the table or when I should be making dinner. I am looking for easy meals. I have two weeks left of Science and ten more weeks of my Literature class which means the next two weeks are filled. Twenty page power point on deforestation, two labs, a discussion board post on forest products, and a final covering science and a 1200 word essay on the Aeneid, read the Aeneid, a discussion board on Sakuntala, read Sakuntala. If you can't tell my next two weeks are full, very full. So what is for dinner?

Two weeks of meals:

1. Rosemary Chicken in the crock pot, with rice and a green vegetable
2. Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas
3. Tomato, Basil and Cheese Baked pasta
4. Baked Potato soup-slow cooker style
5. Huge pot of Chili that makes three meals
6. Not to worry I will freeze the leftovers to have later
7. in the two weeks. It will be vegetarian Chili
8. Another Roast Chicken with mashed cauliflower, and corn
9. Chicken noodle soup
10. Lentil soup
11. Vegetable soup
12. Curry Pumpkin soup
13. Butternut Squash Bake
14. Broccoli-Potato Soup with greens
15. Pork fried rice, with stir fried vegetables
16. Pumpkin, Barley, and sage soup

Lots of soup for the month, but soup is easy and mostly does not require a lot of meat. We are trying to lower our meat intake down to about 5%. Basically just enough so that my husband doesn't feel deprived. We watched a documentary called Forks Over Knives and it changed the way we eat. It recommends a whole food diet and we aim for that but I really like to cook. . .Most of the time anyway. It is in the works, just small changes that improve our over all health. As soon as I finish up my science class we will start family walks again. Which might help my waist line slim a little but then again it will be just in time for the holidays. I need to learn to tight rope walk, or juggle, or just plain multitasking. I will get there someday.

I hope your week is filled with crisp fall mornings, hot chocolate, Love and Laughter. Be well my friends.

Lessons Learned September 25, 2011

Lessons I learned a weekly debrief
September 25, 2011


Reading the Odyssey and then writing 3000 words about it in a week is hardcore! I love the Odyssey, I love the misadventures of Odysseus I have read it twice before this week started. But both times before it took me a month to finish it. Reading it in a week, in an online format makes my eyes hurt. At the end of the day I just want to close my eyes and do nothing else.

Forestry lessons this week included measuring a tree three different ways. One involves measuring shadows three different times. Well it turns out if you wait until 7pm the sun is setting and there are no shadows to measure, if you try to do it in the morning well said tree's shadow is on the neighbors house making it ridiculous to bother with. So now I am waiting until later in the day when the shadow is on the ground. It is due today.

I printed out a wonderful Pirate preschool unit study for James. It is easy and quick lessons for him on numbers, numbers, sizes, matching, but there is only one letter lesson. I think letters are the foundation to reading and that is what I want to work on with James but because I declared pirate week I have to stay on theme...

The same Pirate Preschool Unit Study caused me to spend six hours cutting little details out with little tiny scissors. My hand is cramping still, my wrist is screaming, and my poor fingers are deformed. What I do for love and homeschooling.

I learned how to use my canner this week! It was stressful because I was filled with anxiety. It turned out to be easy. I breathed a sigh of relief and excitement in one exhale. Really now I want to can everything. Now if only the garden would start producing some lovely vegetables for me to can, or freeze.

Damian loves Pirate week! He has read Gulliver's Island, Kidnapped, Captain Courage, and. He carefully read each chapter of Pirates at Noon, then answered the questions and finally glued them in to the lap book he is making. I love it when he is happily learning!

Rob has done an amazing job on the garden beds and it looks like we might get squash. That is another post about the garden. The boys planted their own garden bed yesterday so I will start doing weekly garden updates so you can join us on the journey from seed to plate. Now we wait and see and hope for rain. Lots of rain!

I hope that you have a lovely week filled with love and laughter.