Gift #12: Leisure

In order to truly appreciate moments of leisure, I suppose one must endure hard work. The last few weeks have been labor intensive, due to a sudden change in circumstance. We are moving home (a gift in itself)! In order to sell the house, we had to fire up the hot tub - hence a few moments of leisure.

Gift #11: A Four Year Old

Sam turned four! When asked what party theme he would like, he wished only for a Titanic theme. Fearing the parents may not understand Sam's obsession, we went with a boat theme instead.

We had lots of fun, and I didn't have to explain the demise of the Titanic to the others. I'm calling it a success!

Gift #12: Easter

Amongst all the chocolate, plastic eggs, and jelly beans, we tried to keep the focus on where it should be. We watched different New Testament videos each night, picking our favorite stories of Christ. On Easter we watched the story of the crucifixion and resurrection. It was hard to explain why someone so perfect had to suffer so greatly. How thankful I am that he did all of those things for me, for my family, for all of us.

Gift #10: A Break

Although we had spring break last week, there was no break in the rain. Quite the opposite actually, it was monsoonal. We went on vacation anyway - that's what Oregonians do. Maybe they leave the state for spring break?

We went to Coos Bay with some friends, and despite the weather - we had fun! We went inside a sea lion cave - without hiking and swimming - took the elevator instead.

We went to a train museum, where the kiddies could crawl freely all over real trains, even ring the bell (I'm sure the locals love that). It was Sam's birthday and I'm pretty sure all of his little wishes were fulfilled.

We also spent some time on the boat dock (this was our one break in the rain in all four days).

I think we must return. They also have sand dunes, with buggy rides! We had to veto the buggy tour, due to rain and high winds - probably dangerous conditions for buggies.

Gift #9: Good Health

I was reminded just how grateful I am for my health this week, due to a fun upper respiratory infection. It's taken me awhile, but I think I'm on the mend! It wasn't all that serious, but I realized what a blessing it is to sleep, breathe without pain, and carry on with my duties, having all the energy I need to do so. Quite the gift indeed!

One who has not been sick (and hopefully does not become sick), is this little ballerina:

Gift #8: A Good Book

I'm not an avid reader, but when I find a good book, I do appreciate it. Right now I am reading "The Woman in White," by Wilkie Collins. Written in 1860 and considered one of the first mystery novels, the plot involves a young man, an asylum escapee, and a dark road. Not so much scary as mysterious. I highly recommend it (so far, anyway).

As for these kiddies, I happened upon them leafing through Diary of a Wimpy Kid #4 and #6.

Gift #7: Pillows and Blankets

Besides the obvious benefit involving comfort and warmth, I am also thankful for blankets and pillows because of their entertainment value. The kiddies had no school today, and I had lots of laundry to do. We were in short supply of fun, so we built a mountain/ramp/trampoline.



Chad wanted a picture of himself flying. Instead, he got mostly blurry images with his head chopped off. And many landing images.



He was not impressed with my photo skills.

Gift #6: Valentines

Honestly, it's not my favorite holiday. I suppose I'm not much of a romantic (excluding my love of all things related to Jane Asten and BBC Masterpiece Theater). I think the best way to celebrate, is to do so on an elementary level. Cards, boxes, conversation hearts - I like it simple.

These are the cards we will be sending out this year:





Nice 'staches, right?

Gift #5: Wind

I took this one while flying the kite. A bit shaky, but I loved the expressions.

Sometimes, you just have to go with the elements.

Gift #4: Occupation

It's good to be busy. It's good for my kiddies to be busy. But it's a fine line between happily busy and crazy stressed. I think we have found a pretty good balance - each child gets one class (or sport) at a time, everything else happens at home. I remember a conference talk by L. Tom Perry, where he said:

"I used to think some days as I ran home from school that I was through learning for the day, but this illusion was quickly destroyed when I saw my mother standing at the door waiting for me. When we were young, we each had a desk in the kitchen where we could continue to be taught by her as she performed household duties and prepared supper. She was a natural teacher and far more demanding of us than our teachers at school and church."

I'm not this awesome, wish I was. More times than not, I'm vegging in front of the computer while the kiddies run wild. But while vegging, I have found a few useful websites.

Chad & Aubrey are learning piano and guitar, with help found here:

http://www.makingmusicfun.net/

http://littlekidsrock.org/

We have done a few after school experiments, found here (highly recommend the frozen balloon experiment): http://www.exploratorium.edu/afterschool/activities/index.php

All 3 kiddies hate swimming lessons. So, each Saturday I take one child swimming - some play, some learning. And I think they are getting more from one hour, than a month of swimming lessons. Plus it's fun for me!

And I love our library. Lego classes, chess club, book parties, preschool crafts - easy and free, favorite combination.

While writing this down, it sounds much better than it actually is. We still spend way too much time in front of the tv. Kids are doing it right now - and it's not national geographic. I'm sure I could do more, or less. We are all just a little happier while occupied.

Busy at OMSI:

Gift #3: Simplicity

I learned to appreciate the simple life this week. Not everything was simple (or enjoyable), but those moments made the simple ones even better.

Sadly, the snow melted. We simply improvised and used blankets to sled inside.


Last year, someone in Chad's class taught him to play chess. Sadly, no one in our family knows how (not a simple game). I simply dropped Chad off at a chess club at our local library. Oh, how I wish I had my camera then! I can just imagine those same little boys, at a park, 60 years from now, playing chess together. In the meantime, Aubrey and I spent a quiet hour in the corner of the library. I have not read a book (of my own reading level) in a library since college. I enjoyed it immensely!

Gift #2: Precipitation

I'm thankful for precipitation, but not just any precipitation. I speak of snow. Earlier this week, we heard rumors of white bliss. We take such matters seriously, since we get maybe one good snow storm every year. We watched and waited, and finally it came! I took a few pics of Sam observing at the window. A few things to point out: 1. Sam's face is very dirty (regular occurrence around here, he even made it halfway through church looking like this). 2. The jar in front of him is his constant companion. It contains his most treasured possessions - automoblox toys. 3. The second pic shows his distress when the snow stopped. No worries, it started again. We should have a light dusting waiting for us in the morning, just enough to sled on.

This reminds me of a story, one involving a certain child of mine. A few weeks ago, we awoke to heavy frost. So heavy, that the grass and street were glistening white. I casually remarked that it could be possible to sled on, and Chad was ready to go. I'm sure most wouldn't consider sledding on frost, but we do.

The backyard worked really well, he just had to get a running start. Since the hill in the front yard is a little steeper, it's only natural that he would want to try sledding there as well. A little foreshadowing, the sun is more intense in the front yard. Chad climbed to the top, got a running start, belly jumped the sled, and hit a patch of grass (sans frost). The sled stopped, but Chad kept going. His feet seriously went over his head. Once I realized he was okay, I laughed until I cried. And now we know the dangers of frost sledding.

New Year!

Christmas is over. We had a good one, but it went all too quickly. And now we are left with January. This is not usually my favorite month. After all of the parties, events, shopping, cooking - it feels a little empty. Perhaps, I should really consider it a break. A moment of peace. Yes, I am going with it.

I would like to do another photography project 52, but a little different. This year I would like to combine efforts and do a personal and skilled challenge. A few months ago I started a book called 1000 gifts. It's about finding joy and gratitude in everyday life. I know this because I read the back of the book. Admittedly, I only made it to page 30, but I love the idea! So this year, each picture will be something I consider a gift in my life.

Gift #1: Kinship

My kiddies are getting along really well. Our biggest problem as of late, is trying to keep them from going into giddy mode when it is socially unacceptable. They honestly have more fun with each other than with friends. I'm not sure if this is a phase, but I like it!

Christmas Prep

We are getting ready for the big day! Baking, wrapping, decorating, santa visiting, all around mahem.

We took the kids to visit Santa at Storybook Lane (a local dairy). They have a play town called Dairyville, with an old bank, school, candy shop. They also have an old theater that plays Christmas movies. It was lots of fun.

Here the kiddies are in a no-horse open sleigh:

Merry Christmas!

Northwest Winter Morning

We don't often have a winteresque landscape, so on our way home from iceskating, I had to pull over and take a few snapshots. Can you see the frost? That's as close as we get most of the time!

As a side note, the kiddies tried twinkies for the first time this weekend. I love introducing my children to such delicacies. Twinkies have kind of taken the blame for the whole obesity epidemic. In moderation, I kinda like 'em.

Trimming the Tree

After a great deal of pleading, we finally put the tree up! They were so giddy, all night long. It was quite a relief when we finally put all that giddiness to bed. Actually, I'm glad they get excited, it makes it all worth it. And for the record, if Aubrey asks if I did her hair on this particular day, I will tell her that I did it exactly three times, and finally gave up.

Sam, was mostly quiet and thoughtful. I wonder how much he remembers of last Christmas. It will be fun to show him all the traditions once again!

Giving Thanks

Turkey day was good to us this year! James's parents flew in for the week, we always love having them. We broke tradition of a home cooked meal, and went out to eat. It was awesome - no cooking, no dishes. We went to this log cabin restaurant in the middle of the forest and had some really good food.

When we came home, we watched a movie, pulled out the train set, and ate some pie. I hereby declare this a good one.

Long Overdue...

So Aubrey has been 6 for awhile now, and I am just getting around to taking her birthday pics.

I love having a six year old. She cooks, cares for Sam (reading to him whenever I wish for it), giggles at the least inopportune moments, and waves to me from the bus window. I think I shall keep her.