Andy decided today to transition from his 70s shag to an almost 80s cut.
Squirrel food
Both of Abby's preschools have sent home squirrel food. New Creation had the kids create glue sculptures for the squirrels, and Abby was thrilled when IT WORKED! She has been scouting the squirrels in our front yard and catching them in the act all week long.
Not the creative type...
Oh, how I admire all of you bloggers out there that are creating homeade wonders and activities for your children. I must admit, this has never been my forte. In fact, according to my personal dna assessment, I am creatively/aesthetically challenged.
However, I recently ordered myself a coat from Lands End, and the inside of the box was a cool Holiday coloring page for kids. Now, this I can handle! I ripped open the box, pulled out the glitter glue, crayons, and markers and the kids went to work.
Thank you, Lucy
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, when the house is empty all day long, Josie gets to go have playdates with her friend and mentor, Lucy Zook Siemens. When I pick her up, she is ecstatic after a full day of play. She crawls into her bed and falls asleep immediately.
Thank you, Ms. Lucy and the Zook Siemens family for your generosity!
Thank you, Ms. Lucy and the Zook Siemens family for your generosity!
Sick
I am so very sick and miserable. There is not much I enjoy about being sick, but there are a few comforts that I want to remember, and that have brought me relief while I lie in my bed.
echinacea tea with honey
Grossmama's garden soup with beef broth
a warm feather comforter
Bert's Bees lip balm
treasures my kids bring to me to cheer me up
Mama's homemade socks
the sound (and smell) of someone cooking dinner
green bean soup from the Breadbasket
someone holding my head or my feet
listening to Talk of the Nation
a steamy bath or shower
extra soft (the expensive kind) kleenex
extra strength Tylenol
a quiet house
slipping in and out of sleep
special snacks brought to my door
staying connected via my computer (because talking on the phone seems to hurt)
lavender oil
flexible work
children who can take care of other children for a moment
toast with honey, cut into triangles
a good dose of pity
a kiss on the cheek
While I haven't received all of the things on this list, just thinking about it makes me feel a little better.
echinacea tea with honey
Grossmama's garden soup with beef broth
a warm feather comforter
Bert's Bees lip balm
treasures my kids bring to me to cheer me up
Mama's homemade socks
the sound (and smell) of someone cooking dinner
green bean soup from the Breadbasket
someone holding my head or my feet
listening to Talk of the Nation
a steamy bath or shower
extra soft (the expensive kind) kleenex
extra strength Tylenol
a quiet house
slipping in and out of sleep
special snacks brought to my door
staying connected via my computer (because talking on the phone seems to hurt)
lavender oil
flexible work
children who can take care of other children for a moment
toast with honey, cut into triangles
a good dose of pity
a kiss on the cheek
While I haven't received all of the things on this list, just thinking about it makes me feel a little better.
A Poem by Lydia
Lydia
musical, loves the outdoors, likes to help out
animals, likes to read and write
sister to Abby and Andy
lover of Michigan, outdoors, and camp
who feels happy when my room is clean
who needs more free time on the weekends
who fears rollar coasters, snakes, spiders, and
heights
who would like to see all the people real from High School Musical
Chappell Deckert
My friend Josie
I spend A LOT of time in the kitchen, and she is always with me. When she was a little puppy, she always slept across my feet. Today, she still squeezes in between my legs and the cupboards, and she will cuddle up against my feet. It is quite cozy, now that it is cooler.
To do this weekend....Sat night update
I am feeling quite sick, so moved slower than expected and had a longer than usual gathering with friends in the morning. So here is an update on my progress....
-connect with Lydia
Aaron did this-rake some leaves
-start some Christmas baking
Done, thanks to Alco-find slim pants for Lydia
-clean the bathroom
-grade a big stack of papers
Yes, a few phone calls-work on the church Christmas program
Making a dent on this project-lots of laundry
Done-celebrate birthdays
Done-practice the fiddle
Done-grocery planning
Done-try to exercise Andy and the dog
Well, I took one-take at least three carloads to Et Cetera
-re-read Unconditional Parenting
Done-blog about something
Coming later this evening-watch "Shut up and sing"
-call my mentee
-connect with Lydia
Aaron did this-rake some leaves
-start some Christmas baking
Done, thanks to Alco-find slim pants for Lydia
-clean the bathroom
-grade a big stack of papers
Yes, a few phone calls-work on the church Christmas program
Making a dent on this project-lots of laundry
Done-celebrate birthdays
Done-practice the fiddle
Done-grocery planning
Done-try to exercise Andy and the dog
Well, I took one-take at least three carloads to Et Cetera
-re-read Unconditional Parenting
Done-blog about something
Coming later this evening-watch "Shut up and sing"
-call my mentee
To do this weekend....
Thought I would record what is on my mind to accomplish this weekend.
-connect with Lydia
-rake some leaves
-start some Christmas baking
-find slim pants for Lydia
-clean the bathroom
-grade a big stack of papers
-work on the church Christmas program
-lots of laundry
-celebrate birthdays
-practice the fiddle
-grocery planning
-try to exercise Andy and the dog
-take at least three carloads to Et Cetera
-re-read Unconditional Parenting
-blog about something
-watch "Shut up and sing"
-call my mentee
Wish me luck!
-connect with Lydia
-rake some leaves
-start some Christmas baking
-find slim pants for Lydia
-clean the bathroom
-grade a big stack of papers
-work on the church Christmas program
-lots of laundry
-celebrate birthdays
-practice the fiddle
-grocery planning
-try to exercise Andy and the dog
-take at least three carloads to Et Cetera
-re-read Unconditional Parenting
-blog about something
-watch "Shut up and sing"
-call my mentee
Wish me luck!
A weekend away
Aaron went with his former modmates on a camping/fishing trip in Western Kansas. He was to be gone all weekend. So, to entertain myself and the kids, I decided to go stay with my only Kansas relatives in Lawrence. It was my first time staying at their new, beautiful home, and I had such a wonderful time!
It was a gift to be in a home where there were so many things that reminded me of home......where I was fed, loved, and accepted for who I really am.
The kids enjoyed each other, and we took in the sights of the KU homecoming parade.
Thanks, Ben, Marike, Felix, and Calvin for a lovely weekend. I look forward to many more!
Halloween
We had a wonderful Halloween, blessed with several of our good friends coming over for soup and zwibach before trick or treating. We walked all over the neighborhood and hit the candy jackpot at the college.
Lydia was a spy early in the evening, and then morphed into a rainforest scientist...
Andy and his friends were jedi knights...
And then there was the green witch...
Lydia was a spy early in the evening, and then morphed into a rainforest scientist...
Andy and his friends were jedi knights...
And then there was the green witch...
Abby's pets
Abby has had a few important pets this Fall. The first was a caterpiller named Fuzzy. She loved him, and made him a beautiful home in a mason jar, all with home decoration (art on the wall). When he died, she initiated a funeral for him. I walked outside to hear her say, "He was a fuzzy little fella."
Later, at the wedding she collected caterpillers in a cup and came up with too many to handle.....
Dia de los Muertos
In honor of dia de los muertos, we brought out this picture and lit a candle, celebrating Barbara's life. She would have been 59 on October 31.
We miss her presence in our lives.
Trip to Dallas
We spent the weekend with Aaron's family at a wedding in Dallas. We stayed in a luxurious bed and breakfast, with a jacuzzi tub and cushy bathrobes.....
Aaron is an only child, but these cousins were his "siblings." In fact, the bride introduced him as her "third brother" to her new husband. The love, the belonging, the joy was remarkable.
The ceremony was beautiful...all outdoors in the courtyard of the bed and breakfast.
We laughed, we danced, we played, we drank wine and enjoyed wonderful food, we listened to older cousins share stories of those past. It was perfect!
Thank you, Leroy and Janette, and the cousins for embracing Aaron, for such a fun-filled and memorable weekend. We love you!
...and on the way home I got to stop here...
Aaron is an only child, but these cousins were his "siblings." In fact, the bride introduced him as her "third brother" to her new husband. The love, the belonging, the joy was remarkable.
The ceremony was beautiful...all outdoors in the courtyard of the bed and breakfast.
We laughed, we danced, we played, we drank wine and enjoyed wonderful food, we listened to older cousins share stories of those past. It was perfect!
Thank you, Leroy and Janette, and the cousins for embracing Aaron, for such a fun-filled and memorable weekend. We love you!
...and on the way home I got to stop here...
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