Just when you think you're safe....

Just when you think you have a freakishly neat almost 2 year old who really understands the concept of pen to paper...this  happens:

And then you realize he is a budding artist trying to break into the realm of installation art.  Yes, he really wants everyone to be able to really experience his art every time they sit down on the couch.   And you realize how much you really do love this:

Because it all came out, even the drawing on the ottoman.  

The funny thing is that Chickie and I were in the kitchen.  And I heard the weirdest sound.  I said, "Do you hear that Chickie?  What do you suppose it could be?"  We sat there listening for another minute.  Really trying to imagine what could make that sound.  We were pretty uncreative in our solutions so we decided to go check it out.  Turns out that is the sound of pen on couch!  Who knew?  

I made Bentley apologize to the couch.  He patted it lovingly, but drew the line at giving it a kiss.  

Yeah, sometimes I wonder what kind of issues my kids will have as a result of my parenting!

feed the birds

I'm thankful for the new season! I love fall, parks, and watching kids watch ducks.

life lessons

Did I mention that I found out I have the skin version of Celiac Disease?  It's called DH for short. This is my self diagnosis.  I haven't been officially diagnosed yet.  But the cause is gluten and the result is excruciatingly painful blisters on an isolated spot in the body.  For me being my hands.  As I've eliminated all these things from my diet I have healed my hands. I have an almost instant reaction (basically overnight) to anything I eat.  So it's pretty clear what is a culprit and what isn't.  I have additional allergies to dairy, corn, and nuts.  Although I haven't tried all nuts.  
A friend of mine brought over a whole gluten-free care package. How sweet is that!?  She made me two loaves of this rice bread. I couldn't wait for the picture I had to take a bite first. It was really good.  I ate two pieces.  I had known that she was a really healthy eater, I just hadn't known why.  

I made this discovery last Saturday.  Which probably contributed significantly to my ultra bad day.  I was feeling pretty sorry for myself.  It's a lot overwhelming. But I'm trying to move past it and just get healthy. 

I went through a difficult trial a few years ago and felt really sorry for myself for a long time. After it was over I realized all I could have learned from it.  So I made a pact with myself not to wait for the end of something difficult to realize the good that could be learned from the situation.  One thing I have learned from this is the importance of asking questions to get answers.  You really can't get answers if you aren't persistent.  I started having symptoms for this almost 6 years ago. Right after Olivia was born.  I thought it was severe eczema due to the increase in hand washing. Or perhaps a soap allergy.  In the past 6 years I have tried everything in relation to my own original conclusion.  No one offered me a different solution. Not even a dermatologist.  But the responsibility is my own. And I never once opened my mind to alternative ideas regarding the matter.  I am a Relief Society teacher in my church.  This last Sunday's lesson just reiterated to me the importance of meditation and prayer.  Sometimes I feel like in the journey of life I'm a slow learner.  Somehow it takes me years to figure things out.  I am so grateful for the loving care of a Heavenly Father. I feel that He tenderly teaches me through my life's trials and triumphs.  I'm grateful to have learned something new. Something my body has been screaming at me for 6 years. I finally listened. Finally got the message.    Figuring out the specifics will apparently be a life long journey.  But I'm sure it will be worth it. It already is.  I wish I could explain better how spiritual this whole ordeal is for me.  I guess it's just another very real example of how sometimes doing the more difficult thing is actually easier.  Although there is a mourning period for the loss of old behaviors (popcorn and a movie).  But now that I have the knowledge I can't not live this way.  Now that I know that something I thought of as normal is causing me significant pain, I can't not live the way I now know is right.  I know there will be a transition period that will be difficult. Learning the new behaviors (how to make gluten- free cookies) will be a process of trial and error, but in the end it will be worth it!  My quality of life just sky rocketed.  

bonding time

Chickie's break from school has been good for a lot of brother sister bonding time.  Unfortunately they were sick for most of the week. So a lot of the bonding looked a lot like this.  Zoned out on a movie.  
One morning I walked into Bentley's room and caught them cuddling a mutually loved stuffed animal.  
Good times.  Chickie was calling it "Meep" as she calls many things. Chris even had kind of a long phone conversation with Meep just yesterday.  However, this morning Bentley re-named Meep.  His new name is Ludlow.  Bentley is capable of making so many more sounds and words. It's very cute and exciting to hear what new and funny things come out of his mouth.

I wonder if my brother and I had any moments like this when we were little?

I'm thankful for my little brother.  They are preparing to have a new little brother in their home soon!  Not too much longer Buffy! Keep up the good work!  She is such a cute mom to her family of boys.

let the wild rumpus start!

I said there would be lots of imaginative play, did I not?  Today was "baby doggies" and the very messy, but very fun game of "we live on a train."
We live on a train involves tearing boxes up (some that should not be torn up) and spreading blankets and pillows all over the floor.  Then loading every thing up with sundry stuffed animals.  It's a very fun game, especially the part where you shout, "All Aboard!".
Bentley calls all animals by their sound.  Dogs are "oof oofs"  and when he says it he makes a very large round shape with his lips exposing as many teeth as possible, as you can see.  It makes me giggle every time!

While I was cleaning up after dinner, Bentley wandered into my computer room, climbed up to the desk. Found a blank sheet of paper in my notebook and a sharpie.  He colored all on the paper but no where else.  I walked in in time to hear the click of the cap closing and see him push half his body onto my desk in order to put the sharpie back in the little bucket he got it from.  Please tell me, is this kind of behavior normal for an almost 2 year old?  Because I really don't think it is!  

Today I'm thankful for my wild things and their rumpus (however mild their version may happen to be)!

think, think, think

I try hard to feel completely empowered by everything that happens to me.  Even if something bad and completely obscure happens I try to think of what I possibly could have done to have prevented it.  And probably more importantly what I could learn from the situation.   That way no matter how crappy my day I don't view myself as a victim and I usually feel actually happy that I had in someway made some personal progress. 
Today was not that day.  I hope you will forgive my vagueness, but here's the gist of it:  First of all I was shopping at Target when I realized I had a message on my phone.  After listening to it I was so upset (yet trying to remain calm) and distracted (from trying to remain calm) that I almost became a shoplifter.  I walked right past the registers with stuff in my basket and luckily glanced down before walking out the doors just in time to turn around before I was tackled by security (at least that's how I like to imagine it).  Turns out I had been grossly misrepresented to someone who doesn't know me all that well (grrr).  I felt a lot better after calling this person back, but still.  And then not 10 minutes after that I found myself face to face in an unexpected encounter that did indeed leave me feeling completely powerless.  If I were to tell that tale you may think, "so what?".  But it's just one of those things that triggers some sort of childhood fear.  And don't ask because I don't want to talk about it (even I have my limits).  Ah, yes.  Fear rears it's ugly head. I can deny it no longer.  I was in tears.  I was really mad.  I did not want to go home like that so I went for a drive towards the mountains.  I decided that I would feel much better if I could just write something.  So I stopped at a little grocery store looking desperately for a pretty notebook.  Why is this so hard?  Why do "they" even make ugly things. I just don't understand.  I guess it's all relative. Anyway. I went with a basic black notebook and a mechanical pencil.  I found this nice sitting spot and wrote until I felt better.  Luckily it was in time to be in good enough spirits to head home and make a yummy dinner.  It was a gorgeous fall day outside.     
Even now, I'm trying to muster up the urge to feel better and try to comprehend what I know I have learned.  Still.  It makes me want to do something rash.  Do you ever think rash things can be done wisely?  Really all I'm wanting to do is move up the inevitable by a couple of months.  I think some of my best decisions have been very spontaneous.  And probably some of my worst. Hmmm. Lots to think and pray about.

I'm thankful for prayer.  And opportunities however they may come.

fairy bride princess kitty

Probably the best think about Chickie's ballet class is that there isn't a dress code.  Not really.  So she can wear this frou frou tu tu and they are cool with that.  (At least I'm pretty sure they are.)  Other than that she's not too keen on dance class.  I kept thinking she would be genetically predisposed to like it. I finally admit that I was wrong.  
When she does love something it's pretty obvious.  Like dressing up.  They had a silly day at school on Friday to celebrate Fall break!  Yea!  It lasts for three weeks and I am really looking forward to it!  Chickie was so excited about silly day.  She talked about it and planned all the silly things she would do.  Some of them were a little unrealistic because she also has a deep and lasting love for comfort.  Comfort is her truest love that rules over all of her other desires.
In school art class she made a bowl.  They hand built little bowls.  They learned all about Mr. Air Bubble and his friend Mrs. Glass.  She told me in great detail everything that they did and how it was going to be fired.  It really is the most excited I think I've seen her get about anything in school so far.  I'm trying to make a mental note of the things she really loves as a child.  Being a fan of the Self-Help category, I am reminded often to do the things you loved as a child (or try to remember them!).
I have a feeling that over the next three weeks there is going to be a lot of dressing up and imaginative play at our house.  As evidenced today by fairy bride and princess kitty.
I must say,  I'm very excited about it.  
It makes me absolutely giddy.  And it gives me this warm fuzzy feeling that everything is right in the world when I have a little one completely absorbed in play. I love love it!  And it gets even better when there are two children enjoying play time together.   It's so funny when Bentley and Chickie pretend to be dogs and kitties.  I give them carrot sticks and slices of green peppers and call them doggie bones.  They gobble them up! Ah, it makes me laugh.

What the?

First of all,  I didn't notice that the box of ice cream cones I bought said there were 60 inside.  I also didn't notice that the graphic on the front of the box said "actual size."  Seriously people, Could these cones BE any smaller?
Bentley didn't mind.
He ate two.  Chickie had three.  Between all the scooping and the amazing speed at which she scarfed hers down, I did not get a pic.  Sadly.
Second of all, did my daughter really just read me a book?  She even sounded out the word 'what'.  I am delighted and shocked all at the same time.  It's actually really cute. She is really starting to get it.  She sounds out everything she says.  SO great!

At her parent teacher conference, Mrs. Stedina said that Olivia's social and drawing skills are very advanced.  Her drawing skills are more like an end of the year kindergarten student.   ABC's and 123's are apparently a whole different story.  I do read to my kids A LOT.  Eh, at any rate, I'm just glad I decided not to homeschool.  What a relief kindergarten rocks!

Bedtime Beethoven LIVE

Have I mentioned before that Olivia LOVES classical music?  When she was a baby my great aunt Jean got her a set of bedtime music Cd's.  My favorite was Bedtime Beethoven.  She has been listening to it every night for almost 6 years now.   Whenever I dare listen to the radio, flipping through the stations thinking, "Why bother!"  She yells..."Wait!  Go back!"  It's always to the classical station.
Thursday night our local symphony orchestra came to our little town's amphitheater and gave a free concert.  Never mind the rain!  Never mind staying out past bedtime!  Did I actually say that?!!  Yes! Bedtime is a big deal for me  because my kids are monsters without adequate sleep.  BUT, I figured it was worth it for this kind of a cultural experience.  Being outside was a great way for us to be able to enjoy the music.  Not having to worry about getting all dressed up and sit still.  No way I could have normally taken Bentley to something like this if it was indoors.
It was great fun!  A little wet, a little tired, a little bit more cultured!
Speaking of really great free things;  we made these fun kitties from a free pattern at wee wonderfuls.
MEOW!  I hope everyone had a great, safe weekend.

happy land

Don't you want to join us in Happy Land?
It's very fun here.
Although we take play time very seriously....
it's still fun!  Did I mention that it was fun?

Acorns anyone?

Has it really been a whole week since I've posted anything?  I can hardly believe it!  I have been very busy work, work, working away.  I will hopefully have some very pretty things to show you in a couple of months.  
I actually love working.  At least what I'm doing right now. I love having a creative goal and being able to work, pretty much all the time...but at least it doesn't matter that I take 5 million breaks during the day to do things like make necklaces, and gather acorns.  Or at least supervise and direct such activities.  It definitely gives the weekend a whole new meaning (even if I do work a little, I seriously can't help myself).  I finished reading I Capture the Castle this weekend.  And I don't know. I'm perplexed. I was thoroughly prepared to LOVE it, love it.  But then I accidently saw the last few words before I was done.  So, I thought it meant that one thing was happening, but instead it was something totally different.  So I was a little baffled at the end.  And so I just started reading at the beginning all over again.  Which, I don't think I've ever done before, so I must like it. Right?  I would definitely recommend it, that's for sure!  What a quirky family!  Actually, I don't remember the last time I've laughed so much reading a book.
 I'm grateful for trees. I absolutely adore them.  I really do.  Although, I can't identify them at all.  Well, I know what a mimosa tree is that's a start. And of course I know my favorite tree which is the magnolia.  Evergreen, blossoming, fragrant.  If I were a tree I'd want to be a magnolia tree.  Yes, they also like to make a mess.  Just like me it's part of their creative process.  I would have to live in Chris's yard though, so he could clean up after me!  

funny fears?

I have been thinking about fears since my last post.  I don't like to focus on fears and feed their power.  That doesn't mean I don't have a big ol' closet of them.  I just don't like to open that door.

Here's one:  I'm afraid of posting my fears on my blog. 

I used to have silly fears when I was younger.  Heights, thunder, falling down in public... I don't think I have any silly fears anymore.  But maybe silly fears are never actually silly when you are really afraid of something.

Here's another one:  I'm afraid that there won't be any new foods that I'm not allergic to. 

OK.  Here's a funny falling down story, well sort of.  When I was in Highschool I used to run cross country.  For some reason I remember being worried that I would fall down at one particular race.  I kept whining to my coach about it.  Finally he said, "Look, if you actually do fall down you have my permission to just turn around and walk back."  I didn't fall down.  I also don't think I came in last that time.  Like I said, I love to run.  I never said I was very fast.  Does that prove the idea that it's always better to do the things we are afraid of? Hmmm.

My brother was very afraid to take his wiggly son on the Ferris Wheel, but he did it anyway!  He is afraid of heights.   But that was three years ago and I don't think he's done it again.  

I used to be afraid of sea food!! That's silly.  But now I brave it every once in a while.  Salmon mostly.

Do you have any funny fears?