The kiddos and I were driving in the car tonight when the most interesting discussion occurred between Teilee and I. While Landis sang "I am a rock star" (by Pink) in the background we were simultaneously listening to "Knocking on Heaven's Door". Teilee was of course inquisitive about why this fellow was knocking on heaven's door. I explained several scenarios that could explain his lyrics, being careful to not reveal the answer nor to upset delicate emotions surrounding death. Teilee thinks about this for a while and is silent, the music continuing in the background and Landis persisting with his rendition of a loud pop song. After a while Teilee asks, "Mommy will you take me to Heaven's door"? I asked her why and she of course said that she wanted to say hello to someone. "Who would that be?", I asked smiling. "Great Grandma", was her reply. I said while we are up there we could say hello to Strider too (our neighbors old dog who when he died we discussed how he would help keep Great Grandma company). We continued to discuss Great Grandma, death, and the inability to get to Heaven's door until she had enough of sad things and moved on to the happy side of life. Her little brain processes things in such a philosophical and profound way. I try to not insert my own logic into the mix (which is soooo hard for me to not do). When I am able to let her 'thinks' (her word) find her voice on her own I am constantly amazed at the things she teaches me!
So entirely random but still needed to share. We went to the museum yesterday. Oh yes, we saw the dinosaurs and Teilee recognized almost every single one by their fossil skeleton. She ever had to set Daddy straight on a few;) I will have to share some pictures of that experience sometime. However, when we returned home I took to the massive pile of laundry. (We thought we had caught up with moms help the previous weekend, but we were wrong.) Despite my exhaustion and constant dreading of folding and putting away I was able to drag myself to the chore. As I was folding Landis' pants I realized that these could be the smallest pants I was ever to fold again. If indeed we are done having children (which some days I think we are, and some days I think we aren't), then once Landis grows out of those size 2T pantsm, they will disappear from my laundry. Sometimes it is easy to forget how fleeting these chores are (or at least at this magnitude) and how we will miss seeing their tiny pants and socks in those massive piles of laundry. If I can keep this in mind every time I fold, I swear it will be a loving, beautiful, wonderful experience. Then when Teilee is 20 and Landis is 17, and I inevitably come across one of their size 2T pairs of pants I will think longingly of that time when they could wear them but I will also remember that I cherished it then too.
Apr 20, 2009
Apr 7, 2009
No TV + No Facebook = hunger
Tomorrow will be the week mark of no TV and facebook. The kids haven't asked once to watch anything and really aren't missing it. Like I anticipated, it has been hardest for me and for Nick. We really, really, really want to flick on the TV after the kids are in bed and he is home and just veg. I am hoping this desire will fade and be replaced with a better relaxation habit. Already the programing of flipping over to facebook whenever I am on the computer is fading and that is a good thing. I do miss it, and there was one occasion where I really needed to get on so that I could get some contact info on someone. (I couldn't remember for the life of me what her buisness was named and so couldn't find it on etsy.) I resisted and found it elsewhere, whew, crisis averted! The tricky part is figuring out what crosses the line. Online TV, no. You Tube, yes. Downloaded netflicks, a definite no. Computer games, yes. Blog, yes. I think I might step it up a notch each week. Maybe this next week I will cut out either computer games or you tube, cutting out the other the next week. Then maybe I will cut out the blog for my final week. It is hard to distinguish where the line is and how far I want to take it. I think I might even reintroduce things slowly and with limits so that we don't go overboard when the restirction is lifted. That way we won't be starved for TV and ravinously binge on the devil.
Apr 2, 2009
Doctor update!
Briefly had to update. Just got back from my kinesiologist where we went over my neurological test results. My cortisol, Epinephrine, and norepinephrine levels were low. My Norepinephrine levels were the lowest he has ever seen. These are the chemicals in the brain that help with energy, they get you up out of bed in the morning. He said if he didn't know me and was just looking at the paper he would be shocked to see that person out of bed. Very, very validating. I have definitely been struggling with energy, and struggling to function normally everyday. The good news is that my Serotonin levels are back up. Last year that number was the lowest he had ever seen. Also the chemical that regulates anxiety is back to normal and I definitely feel that. I am soooooo excited to fix the few issues I have with some quality supplements and get back to ruling the world:)
Apr 1, 2009
Day 1
Of all days to begin with no TV. Couldn't I just say April Fools I was just kidding about not watching TV or using facebook? I am thinking that I should strengthen my resolve and unplug the computer for a few days. I definitely use these mediums to curve boredom, insanity, and mental clutter. I have had a long day. Teilee has shown her skills in defiance and Landis is refusing sleep. Usually I could tune out and turn on the TV. Clearly I must develop better coping skills for these situations;)
Yesterday the kids and I were in the car headed home when Teilee informed me what it would be like if she "ran the world".
The sky would be white, the clouds blue, the lakes green, the snow purple, the trees would have purple leaves, pine cones would be green, the grass would be rainbow, and the mountains would be red in the fall. Houses would have a "wee bit of green on them". Everyone would have 1 cat and 1 dog. Everyone would have the same stuff so no one would ever be jealous. There would be no cars, no motorcycles, no gas stations and we all would have bicycles. Lastly school would only be for one day in the winter.
Even though I was driving I scrambled to write this all down so that it would not evaporate from my memory (as so many things do).
I am headed now to read a book while picturing a rainbow world full of bikes and void of jealousy.
Yesterday the kids and I were in the car headed home when Teilee informed me what it would be like if she "ran the world".
The sky would be white, the clouds blue, the lakes green, the snow purple, the trees would have purple leaves, pine cones would be green, the grass would be rainbow, and the mountains would be red in the fall. Houses would have a "wee bit of green on them". Everyone would have 1 cat and 1 dog. Everyone would have the same stuff so no one would ever be jealous. There would be no cars, no motorcycles, no gas stations and we all would have bicycles. Lastly school would only be for one day in the winter.
Even though I was driving I scrambled to write this all down so that it would not evaporate from my memory (as so many things do).
I am headed now to read a book while picturing a rainbow world full of bikes and void of jealousy.
Mar 30, 2009
This week I'm Mama Bear
Hello all,
So most of you know that we are participating in the no TV challenge for the month of April. I am including a ban on facebook for next month but have decided to allow my blogging. This way I can keep my journal going and not feel like I will have to catch up in the month of May. April couldn't be a better month for this. I have so many projects that need my undivided attention. First we need to plant seeds and prepare the garden, I want to repaint the kids room, finish decorating the living room, start on an overall house purge, have a garage sell, begin fixing up the garage for my craftroom/classroom, find a wealthy land owner to donate land to the up and coming Raintree Charter school, work on the backyard landscaping, and oh man gotta catch up on cleaning, laundry, and sewing. I don't know if riding myself of couch surfing will actually contribute more to my available time to do those things but it is certainly exciting thinking that it will!
Here's what I am giving up: The kids typically watch 1-2 hours of TV on one day a week. Usually that day is Friday but not always. I usually watch TV when I am not feeling well, after the kids are in bed, and when Nick is home. I check my facebook account 2-3 times a day usually not for more than a few minutes but enough that it is an interruption (a welcome one) to my day.
I don't know if anyone has read the "Bearenstein Bear's TV Habit" book, but I am hoping the whole thing will go something like that! Who know's, maybe the month will allow me to strictly limit our TV even more throughout the year. Wednesday (April Fools Day) is the 1st and that is the day that the power goes out, well at least on the boob tube!
So most of you know that we are participating in the no TV challenge for the month of April. I am including a ban on facebook for next month but have decided to allow my blogging. This way I can keep my journal going and not feel like I will have to catch up in the month of May. April couldn't be a better month for this. I have so many projects that need my undivided attention. First we need to plant seeds and prepare the garden, I want to repaint the kids room, finish decorating the living room, start on an overall house purge, have a garage sell, begin fixing up the garage for my craftroom/classroom, find a wealthy land owner to donate land to the up and coming Raintree Charter school, work on the backyard landscaping, and oh man gotta catch up on cleaning, laundry, and sewing. I don't know if riding myself of couch surfing will actually contribute more to my available time to do those things but it is certainly exciting thinking that it will!
Here's what I am giving up: The kids typically watch 1-2 hours of TV on one day a week. Usually that day is Friday but not always. I usually watch TV when I am not feeling well, after the kids are in bed, and when Nick is home. I check my facebook account 2-3 times a day usually not for more than a few minutes but enough that it is an interruption (a welcome one) to my day.
I don't know if anyone has read the "Bearenstein Bear's TV Habit" book, but I am hoping the whole thing will go something like that! Who know's, maybe the month will allow me to strictly limit our TV even more throughout the year. Wednesday (April Fools Day) is the 1st and that is the day that the power goes out, well at least on the boob tube!
Mar 20, 2009
My Girls
We recently entered into the realm of chicken ownership. What began as a simple quest to have eggs, has become a full 'fledged' effort to educate our kids and enhance our lives. We began with 1 tiny fluffy chick and attempted to have it inside. Unfortunately the dangers inside were far more concerning than the cold outside. We have since increased our numbers to eight and have varying ages from a week old to almost 3 weeks old. They are so fluffy and cute, peeping whenever we are near.
Nick nearly completed two coups last weekend with the help of one of our neighbors (one for us, one for them). I quickly realized that the size of our flock and the size of the coup would not mesh. We are deciding to either enlarge the current coup or make a new hen house. Regardless, Nick was able to create these coups in one afternoon with the use of free scrap materials that we have accumulated. If the current coup is deemed useless we will sell it. (This could be another great way to earn some extra income.)
I am on a quest to beautify and simplify my life. My backyard and kids areas are one of my top priorities. It is my desire to redesign our backyard to create play nooks and areas to inspire creativity. In the next month I will build a sunflower house using natural materials (logs, sticks, bark, twine, sunflowers, etc..), also a deep open sandbox, plant some large growing grasses, plant our garden, incorporate more natural toys into our outdoors play areas, and many more projects. Of course it just so happens that almost all of these projects require absolutely no funds. Yes, I am getting very creative!
We considered my goal in our desire to have eggs. This is why our flock of gals is varied and diverse. We wanted a variety of color in the hen house as well as in the eggs. This is certainly a benefit of being able to buy one of each variety of chicken and not having to order them from a dealer. Kudos to the legalization of backyard chickens. I am loving the process of raising chicks and it has become a focus in the kids daily life. I may not have the ability to live on a farm but I can experience a small part of farm life through our chickens.
My friend Sharon took pics of her flock and posted them on her blog. I absolutely loved the idea. I also think it is a great way to remember what kind each chicken is and to capture their youth. After all, they have changed dramatically in only a week! Here they are:
First our beautifully colored Speckled Sussex, Dahlia. This is momma's bird.
This is our Buff Brahma Bantam, T-Rex. She was the original chick and has been with us from the begining.
Our Buff Orpington named Velociraptor. She is very mild mannered and docile.
This is our unknown chicken, Cauliflower Compsognathus. She is most likely a whiter version of a Maran and we will know by how dark her eggs are. This one we left at the store and I just couldn't stop thinking about her. After two days we went back and she was still there. I am just so curious about what she will be!
This is our Maran, Hazel Saltapus, and as you can see she is definately darker than the other.
This is our White Leghorn (pronounced leg-urn, and make sure to say it with a southern drawl). Brachiasaurus is definitely the brute of the bunch. She is a production layer and will have white eggs. She tends to dominate the group and is the 'chick in charge'!
This is one of two Americana's. She is named Blackbird (a name Landis chose after his favorite song). We got them today and I absolutely love them. These will lay a variation of green to blue eggs.
This is Archaeopteryx Cadbury our second Americana, she has such beautiful back markings I just had to show off. She is much lighter with more yellow than the other Americana. Both of these birds will be uniquely colored when they are mature.
Teilee holding Archaeopteryx Cadbury.
As you can see we shall have a colorful group of chickens and eggs. We are so excited!
I thought I would show you one of the coups made. I am thinking this is most likely a four chicken coup.
This really is exciting to be able to provide ourselves with our own eggs. Now all Fort Collins needs to legalize is having a goat;). A large garden, edible landscaping, and chickens, we are becoming more self sufficient and healthy everyday! Happy Spring!
Nick nearly completed two coups last weekend with the help of one of our neighbors (one for us, one for them). I quickly realized that the size of our flock and the size of the coup would not mesh. We are deciding to either enlarge the current coup or make a new hen house. Regardless, Nick was able to create these coups in one afternoon with the use of free scrap materials that we have accumulated. If the current coup is deemed useless we will sell it. (This could be another great way to earn some extra income.)
I am on a quest to beautify and simplify my life. My backyard and kids areas are one of my top priorities. It is my desire to redesign our backyard to create play nooks and areas to inspire creativity. In the next month I will build a sunflower house using natural materials (logs, sticks, bark, twine, sunflowers, etc..), also a deep open sandbox, plant some large growing grasses, plant our garden, incorporate more natural toys into our outdoors play areas, and many more projects. Of course it just so happens that almost all of these projects require absolutely no funds. Yes, I am getting very creative!
We considered my goal in our desire to have eggs. This is why our flock of gals is varied and diverse. We wanted a variety of color in the hen house as well as in the eggs. This is certainly a benefit of being able to buy one of each variety of chicken and not having to order them from a dealer. Kudos to the legalization of backyard chickens. I am loving the process of raising chicks and it has become a focus in the kids daily life. I may not have the ability to live on a farm but I can experience a small part of farm life through our chickens.
My friend Sharon took pics of her flock and posted them on her blog. I absolutely loved the idea. I also think it is a great way to remember what kind each chicken is and to capture their youth. After all, they have changed dramatically in only a week! Here they are:
First our beautifully colored Speckled Sussex, Dahlia. This is momma's bird.
This is our Buff Brahma Bantam, T-Rex. She was the original chick and has been with us from the begining.
Our Buff Orpington named Velociraptor. She is very mild mannered and docile.
This is our unknown chicken, Cauliflower Compsognathus. She is most likely a whiter version of a Maran and we will know by how dark her eggs are. This one we left at the store and I just couldn't stop thinking about her. After two days we went back and she was still there. I am just so curious about what she will be!
This is our Maran, Hazel Saltapus, and as you can see she is definately darker than the other.
This is our White Leghorn (pronounced leg-urn, and make sure to say it with a southern drawl). Brachiasaurus is definitely the brute of the bunch. She is a production layer and will have white eggs. She tends to dominate the group and is the 'chick in charge'!
This is one of two Americana's. She is named Blackbird (a name Landis chose after his favorite song). We got them today and I absolutely love them. These will lay a variation of green to blue eggs.
This is Archaeopteryx Cadbury our second Americana, she has such beautiful back markings I just had to show off. She is much lighter with more yellow than the other Americana. Both of these birds will be uniquely colored when they are mature.
Teilee holding Archaeopteryx Cadbury.
As you can see we shall have a colorful group of chickens and eggs. We are so excited!
I thought I would show you one of the coups made. I am thinking this is most likely a four chicken coup.
This really is exciting to be able to provide ourselves with our own eggs. Now all Fort Collins needs to legalize is having a goat;). A large garden, edible landscaping, and chickens, we are becoming more self sufficient and healthy everyday! Happy Spring!
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