Sweet Home Days: August 2010

early morning rhythm

We have fallen into a rhythm these days. A regular sort of routine which seems to make the day go smoother.

We wake up when daddy heads out for work. The boys take it slow. They play together, read or just lay in bed until they are fully awake.

Mama hops (or slowly rolls) out of bed and runs on the treadmill.

We tidy upstairs and come together for a story and riddles or problem solving. The boys have some room time while I shower and dress.

Then we head down to breakfast and begin the rest of the day. We discuss what is to happen that day. Before breakfast is over we read our devotions and short stories.

I have noticed the days that we detour from this rhythm there seems to be a bit chaos to our day. I am all about flexibility and spontaneity, but I think steady and predictable may be the way to go.

Ten Things About Me

1. I am the youngest of six children. I have two sisters and three brothers. There is a total of 16 grandchildren, which Landon is the youngest.

2. I love being a mom, and really that is all I have ever wanted out of my life.

3. I don't really watch that much T.V. Maybe a movie or two a week and that's about it. I would rather sit and read or knit.

4. Grew up dancing ballet,and at one point thought I was going to go to New York to study, but my parents were not comfortable letting me leave home at 13.

5. I did leave home for college though. I headed out to California for 4 years of surf ,sun, adventure and a bit of studying.

6. I do most of my shopping online. I really dislike going to big stores and crowds. I try my best to support small family owned companies when I can.

7. Spent several years being an outdoor guide. Such an amazing adventure. I got to see so many spectacular places and tried out some pretty cool activities: kayaking, rock climbing, mountain biking, etc.

8. One of my best friends I have had since I was 4 years old. We went to nursery school together and lived 3 houses away from each other. We live apart now but when we see or talk it is just like time stood still.

9. I am a bit of a yarn junkie. I once had 10 BIG Rubbermaid tubs full of yarn stored in my attic. Not sure when I would ever knit that fast to make it through all that yarn. I have downsized and currently have 3 tubs full.

10. I've climbed to the top of Mt. Fuji in Japan. One of my most favorite adventures. We were up above the clouds at 4:00 in the morning to see the sun rise. An awe inspiring experience.

Sunday Smiles

A weekend of baking, playing and lawn care!

Sensational Stuff Saturday

I thought I would share some of our favorite things here - just in case anyone is ever looking for new things to check out.

Vermont Peanut Butter

We discovered this while away skiing this past winter and absolutely love it. We can't get it locally but have had it shipped to us every now and again. We have tried Creamy, Harvest and Mad River Mojo. The boys love the creamy- they aren't into other stuff in their peanut butter- purists I suppose. I loved the Mojo and will eat the Harvest but probably would not buy it again. We will be trying out more flavors this winter on our next trip to Vermont or possibly placing another order soon. We'll see.

snippets of the week

we read about deserts in Wild Places: learned about the animals, plants and people who live there
wrote thank you cards
listened to books on CD
Will and I started reading Carole Marsh's The Mystery at Big Ben
baked blueberry coffee cake
had Dr's appointments: both boys are in the 95th percentile for height and weight
had a family game night -played Kazink
Gritty had a Dr's appointment for much needed shots and checkup
had tea parties with our stuffed friends
played fireman with trucks every morning
went to the library and stocked up on books
swam
scraped knees
rode bikes
drew
played driveway hockey
spent time with friends and cousins
created designs with puzzibits

another day at the beach

Such a grand day at the beach. Swimming, collecting, building fairy houses, baking pies and enjoying being 7 and 4.

We kept extending our time there. By late afternoon when we should have left everyone was so busy doing. I was loving just watching and listening.

The gentle breeze, the waves crashing down, faint voices in the distance, sun lowering on the horizon, the emptiness : my favorite time at the beach, so it was hard to pull myself away.

We did manage to come home for dinner and now the little ones are fast asleep from a perfect summer day.

off the needles: triangle man

A new little friend for a one year old. He's kinda cute. Not really how I had envisioned him, but he will be fun to tag along.

Sunday Smiles

a small change I've made this summer

I decided about May to stop buying bread. We have this great bread machine. Why not use it more often? I make about 2-3 loaves a week and it has been working out great. I discovered that my machine has a timer so I can put it in at night and wake up to yummy fresh bread. I tried whole wheat but it was just a bit too heavy from the machine so at the moment we just make white or partial wheat. I am hoping to find a lighter recipe or better yet as the weather becomes cooler start making it by hand and cooking in our oven. The first month I would forget that we needed bread until it was too late, now it is just part of what we do.

I am hoping to make a change like this every few months. I'm thinking granola bars next.