Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Monkey leans down to put her face directly in front of my Baby Belly

"Baby Sister, i found a lady bug"

"see?" (holds out said bug at my belly)

"it is redz & black and cute"

"I putting it backz now"

(mother full of joy!)

Monday, September 12, 2011

Weekly Menu
(Hubby will be busy with meetings all week so this is a kid focused menu!)

Monday: Whole Wheat Mac N' Cheese
Tuesday: Veggie & Cheese sandwiches
Wednesday: Eggs on Toast (with cut up fruit)
Thursday: Veggie & Cheese sandwiches
Friday: Corn Roast at a friend's house
Saturday: Chicken & veggie fajitas
Sunday: Roast with all the trimmings (potatoes, carrots, broc, peas, etc...) & Apple Crisp with English Custard sauce (can we say company coming?!?)

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

The Countdown is On....

In 1 week our 2 oldest will be heading off to school again. As I'm typing we can hear the clanging of backpacks, pencil cases & lunch bags in the washing machine getting their "back to school" bath. I've heard so many mothers gleeful about the fact that soon they will have more free time and less kids bugging them all day. But I never enjoy this time of year. We love, love, LOVE our summers. Endless days spent together in whatever task we decide to do. Lazy days spent reading books & splashing in the kiddie pool. Bible schools. Late nights because after all their is no school. Even though we love their school, and trust the wonderful brethren & sisters that are teaching them there....I would love to have them under our roof just about all day. Magoo will come home to be home schooled in 4 years and his sister's will follow so it isn't really that far away!

Monkey will be so lost without her older brother and sister. So we're going to head into school for a couple hours each Monday to help with marking and such. Some of the local moms wanted to start up a preschool, and while we don't agree with the idea that you need to start schooling your child at such a young age, we've decided (after initially saying no) that it would do Monkey good to have a day set apart in the month to see her friends (on top of play dates). Since it is only once a month it seems manageable.......I think ;-)

But the one good thing is that the beginning of the school year always gets us into the organization mood. Yesterday was the attack of the girls bedroom. OY! it basically took all day, 1 garbage bag to the curb and 3 of clothing that is either too small or too big packed up and thrown down into the basement. Now it looks clean and ready for a crib to be set up (in a few months) on the opposite wall from their bunk beds. Magoo was so wonderful and tidied up his room on his own! Such a big boy! Of course some weeding out needs to be done, but we'll save that for later when he is at school to lessen the trauma.

It's taken a few days but the study looks like it may possibly be done by tonight.......amazingness. After that it is relaxing time!

Why all this cleaning..............? We have no car. Well we have 1 but Hubby must use it to get to work so until the other one is ready (new to us - hurray) we are here at home.

Well the monkeys are playing nicely downstairs so I must be off to get more done.

Signed
the insane nesting one!

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Well, well, well!

It has been a while, hasn't it. We are once again connected to the Internet, and life is flying past at an unspeakable rate. Our summer has been, well I think the perfect word to describe it would be: lovely. Simply lovely.

2 Bible schools (tenting it), twice a week library visits, ice cream, splash pad, back yard voyages of imagination, Astrix & Oblix comic books (a bit of Tin Tin as well), cuddles on the very seldom rainy day, old fashioned iced tea, kiddie pool hysterics.

Was there tough times - oh yeah! but we'll ignor them for now.

Now that summer is winding down organizational thoughts seem to keep barging into my brain. Only 3 months to go until we are blessed with another olive plant and ever so much to do! So "the list" has been gutted and cut up and re-organized itself.

1) Finish unpacking (a year past the move) and organize the playroom for the winter in the basement
2) Move crib & baby GIRL stuff into the girls room (yes all 3 will be in one room)
3) Do a bit of something in Magoo's room (he is growing up ever so fast)

and that's it. Of course the daily grind stuff will always be there, the meals, laundry & etc.... but if we can get those 3 done I will feel a lot more prepared for the end of November!

It's also time for a new study, and I'm leaning towards Jude. Such a small and overlooked book me thinkest. Anyone care to jump in with me?

Until next time, which I can promise will be more frequent again.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Outside my window...
snow flurries (and its almost May~!)

I am thinking...
of laundry

I am thankful for...
the fourth olive plant growing inside of me

From the Kitchen....
falafal!

I am wearing....
jeans (i still fit them)

I am creating....
bags for the garden sale

I am going...
to hug our children more

I am reading...
God-Governer LIFE in the Psalms by Dennis Gillett

I am hoping....
and praying for a healthy child

I am hearing...
"Even So, Come" CD2

Around the house...
Disaster!!!!

One of my favorite things...
pure, unadulteraed laughter out of the mouth of children

Tuesday, March 01, 2011

Time for our monthly post,

Oy, I'm pathetic!

Hubby and I spent the most wonderful weekend in Boston a bit ago to celebrate our 10th anniversary. This may sound weird, bizarre, actually it does, but it is the first time I felt like an adult.

Okay, slow down you're thinking! You've been married for 10 yrs and have 3 slightly hyperactive children and only then did you feel like an adult?

Well, um, yeah!

Getting married young is such a blessing from God! When you graduate high school and within a year and a bit are married, you never have any time to just be an adult. And that my friends was a really good thing! No time to mess up!

And life carried on and kids arrived and we've been in 5th gear ever since (and still falling behind)

So to have a weekend where we

a) ate pastry and coffee for lunch when we felt like it
b) had dinner at 7 or 8pm because we weren't hungry until then
c) walked for hours and could actually hold hands
d) sit and TASTE breakfast
e) sleep in.........oh wait that didn't happen, I still woke at 6:30am!
f) shop and actually have time to spend an hour trying on suits until the right one is found (yes, I won super wife points that day)

I think you get the picture. It was refreshing and uplifting and amazing.

And, by the way, Boston is beautiful and perfect! Coffee shops, used book shops, water, history and Ann Taylor Loft......need I say anything more?

So we've been back in reality for a while and had to jump back in with both feet.

But here's what I came back to change

Talk. Just sit and talk about the mundane, it doesn't always have to be "important" topics

SLOW DOWN. I mean, is all this busyness really REALLY important, I think not.

Appreciate the smallest of details in the day

Teach our own kids (hence the photocopying of "learning colours through God's creation" & "Girls of the Bible" workbooks)

Cuddles. I am a cuddle person. Cuddle the kids too.

And for crying out loud why doesn't anyone else hug their kids when they drop them off at school.....sheesh!

Oh and read "holding the head" by bro Michael Ashton....amazing read. I've read it twice and want to read it again!

Time to make dinner.
Hugs

Sunday, February 06, 2011

Time for another meal plan

We are being blessed with a lovely and dear sister staying with us for a few days so our usual is getting some special added to it as far as the food goes

Monday: Roast chicken with baked sweet potatoes, peas, gravy. Fruit salad & raisin scones for dessert

Tuesday: Bacon & veggie quiche with garden salad and roasted potatoes. Giant dairy free choc chip cookies

Wednesday: Beef Fajitas (dessert at Bible Lecture)

Thursday: Veggie Stew with homemade bread

Friday: Veggie & leftover chicken stirfry with rice

Saturday: Soup & oven grilled cheese

Sunday: Roast with all the trimmings

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Bliss

I haven't had the importunity to teach at CHC for nearly 8 years. Magoo came upon the scene and we disappeared into the background doing the little everyday things that help things "keep on trucking" as my Mom would say.

So it was with some trepidation and some fear of the my own abilities that instead of laying out 2 uniforms last night, I laid out those 2 uniforms and an outfit for Monkey and I. Instead of 3 lunches sealed with a kiss, 5 were prepped and packed. The alarm went off earlier then usual, in other words Monkey woke me up for Mummy cuddles at 6:20am and we whispered to each other and Teddy so as to let Daddy sleep a little while longer. Americano's, fruit salad, teeth cleaned, morning prayers, clothing put on and bags packed we filled the car and off we went to start a new adventure for the day.

I had been a bit worried about Monkey. She is now used to having Mummy to herself for 2 days a week, and today she had to share me not only with her sister but three other girls as well.

She shined. It was that simple. I am such a happy mother right now. She read stories, coloured in her worksheets and joined in with the activity centers. The girls in the class carried on as though there was no 2 yr old there....and I smiled all day long! (and an Aunty took her home for the afternoon for some fun)

What a blessing today was. I often miss teaching. Then laugh at myself because since Yhwh has blessed Hubby and I with 3 Olive plants, that is basically all we do all day long is teach. Teach in actions, teach in words and teach in love.

And then I realized that the reason today went so well is because it was blessed by God. There is simply no other way to see it.

Another thing to thank your Heavenly Father for.

A simply wonderful day.

Monday, January 17, 2011

What a month full of blessings!

In counting my blessings I am constantly finding the Husband that God has given me at the very top of the list. This week has been the usual crazy, insane pace of ecclesial life. Sunday school lessons to prepare and do, Bible classes, Memorial, school work to be completed WITH PATIENCE...



"Helper what is this word BIG?"



"um"



"You know this one so let's sound it out"



"DDDDDDDDDDD"



"no, its a B, what does B say?"



"TTTTTTTTTTT"



"No that is a T sound, what does a B say?"



"um"



"B is for Bug"


"B"



"Good now that is the next letter"



"Eh"



"No that is an E sound, what does the I say"



"um,"



"I is for Indian"



"I!"



"okay so lets make the blend"



"BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBeh"


"Try again"


"BBBBBBBBBBBBBB I!"



"okay now well add the last letter, what does G say"



"I know, G says G"



"great! so say the word"


"BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG"



"say it faster"


"PIG!"



Oy!



Hubby on the other hand is so patient and can keep this up for a whole reader, Mummy does pages at a time.



Tangent aside, Hubby has put together our new book shelves. You know us, we hate to have to buy new stuff, but the book shelves we had were not big enough, and they were already double deep on the shelves! So off to Ikea we went and came home and in only 1 week the study is nearly done! YAHOO! 6 Billy (so suitable don't you think) and 1 corner and extensions are all up and are already nearly full.



How many times have we simply stood at the open study door and looked at the books while sipping tea....



Countless!



Well, instead of napping, I hear giggles so I do believe that is my cue to put on the kettle for a tea party. After all it is -22 C and that is without the windchill!