Perfect

It is a November day, but most of the leaves are still green.  The weather is moody; first sunny, just warm enough to not be cool, then bright grey and gusty, and now I see more sun in the west.  Moody, but perfect.

My children are playing in the backyard.  All three of them.  Together.  I am not privy to the rules of their game, and probably won't be, absent an egregious violation requiring my intervention, or a ride to the hospital.  There is an elaborate fantasy world out there, involving costumes, weapons, negotiated loyalties, and the not infrequent use of the word butt.  And, (this is my favorite part), as for as I can tell, they are all on the same side.

But, it is a school day, and at some point, I must make them come in, sit still, and learn something on purpose.  They won't like that. And neither will I.  So, for now, for a just a few more minutes, I sit at my desk, my cold toes telling me flip-flop weather is over, listening to my children make friends with each other in the whole wide world that they have imagined for themselves.  Because it is important to learn how to do that, too.

For These Things, I Am Thankful

Freedom from Want, by Norman Rockwell

This list is by no means exhaustive, or even thorough, but it is what I have to offer on this Thanksgiving Eve.  In no particular order...

I am thankful that we made it 1000 miles to visit Grandma and Grandpa, yet managed to just miss all the ice and snow.

I am thankful for the DVD player that straps to the back of my headrest, giving my children something to do for the fifteen hour, two day drive, besides ask, "Are we there yet?"

I am thankful that Jonah spent all day today on the farm "adventuring" and not once asked to play a video game.

I am thankful for Cate's laugh and playful personality.

I am thankful for Samuel's cuddles, saved just for me, and sometimes Daddy.

A cold attic room (shared with my smallest children, sleeping soundly) a warm, pre-heated bed (thank you, electric mattress pad), and my net-book.  Hubband has not flown in yet, so I am cuddled up with you folks, for whom I am thankful.

I am thankful for Nana and Grandma, and all of the other people who have my back and pick up my slack.

And Hubband and Jonah and Samuel and Cate, healthy and happy, all.

I am thankful for my salvation.  Thank you, Jesus.

I am thankful that, compared to many people in the world, I live this a queen.  Thank you, God. 

Hot running water, flushing toilet, a big cold box called a refrigerator.  Let's not take these things for granted people.

And, to quote the lyrics of the song Sam sang at his Friendship Feast...

I'm glad I'm not a turkey, a turkey, a turkey

I'm glad I'm not a turkey on Thanksgiving day.

They stuff you, and baste you, and then they want to taste you.

I'm glad I'm not a turkey on Thanksgiving day.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!

A Fool and Her Husband's Money

In September, Target came out with a Fall line of home decor.  Included was an off white, cable knit throw blanket.  It was beautiful.  And, reasonably priced for such an item.  Only twenty dollars.  "Only," I say, as if I have money to squander.  Don't misunderstand.  I am not claiming poverty here.   We are blessed that Hubband has a good income.  But, we only have the one.  I am expected to stick to a tight budget.  And, we are saving everything else so we can relocate soon.  In light of that, I could not bring myself to spend twenty dollars on a beautiful blanket.

Then, in early October, Sam's class at pre-school was requesting donations to go into a raffle basket for the Fall Festival.  One of the items requested was a throw blanket.  Well, I may not be willing to spend twenty dollars on a beautiful blanket for myself, but there is no reason I should be uncharitable.  So, I went and bought the blanket, and donated it to the school to put in one of the raffle baskets.

The Fall Festival was in late October.  The kids had great fun.  And, the raffle baskets looked fabulous.  Many with awesome (and expensive) prizes.  I could not help myself.  I really wanted to win the basket with that blanket.  Or the basket full of twenty dollar gift cards.  Or the week's free tuition.  The more tickets I had, the better my odds of winning.  This is just a statement of fact.  So, I bought twenty dollars worth of tickets to win a twenty dollar blanket.  And I did not win anything. 

You think I would just cut my losses.  But, no.  I was so disappointed that I had already spent forty dollars and had no blanket to show for it, that the next time I was in Target, I bought that blanket.  Yes.  Yes, I did.  I spent sixty dollars for a twenty dollar blanket.  I love that blanket.  I cuddle up with that blanket every night before bed, in my little corner of the couch, where I sit and drink a cup of chamomile tea and read my Bible, searching for proverbs on wisdom and frugality, warm in my shame and my blanket, which I love.

October Is The New December

 Well, as October comes to a close, I must say...It is about stinking time.  This has been the busiest month of my life.  Yes, I know.  I am prone to hyperbole.  But, I mean it this time.  People talk about how busy the holidays are.  This year, at least as far as I know, they have nothing on October.

We had nine trips to the doctor, two to the dentist, and three to the pharmacy.  Two Fall Festivals, two class parties, and one Trunk-or-Treat event.  Four occasions for which the children were expected to be in costume, and that is not counting Halloween on Sunday.  Two separate cookie dough fund raisers, and two different picture days, for two different schools.  Two food drives, two raffles, and two parties for which donations were given (and willing, too, but they added to the chaos). Two field trips, one I chaperoned.  Two days as class mom.  Two parent teacher conferences; one for good, one for evil.  One letter from the Washington State Bar Examiners (he passed!!).  One date night.  One Church Fellowship Dessert.  And, one Wild Thing named Etsio, (that's him in the picture) hand made by Jonah.

So, to you, Holiday Season, I say, "Bring it!"  You don't scare me.  I lived through October.

The Week in Kids

This week...

We went to the pumpkin patch.

  

Another candy apple.  Of course.

"Look, Ma.  I'm just hanging here.  But it's okay, 'cuz Daddy catches me every time."

A hay-bouncer.

Our boys were king of the hay mountain.  I wish I had taken the picture from farther away so that you could see how high it is.

I was amused by this sign in the parking lot.

Also this week... 

Catie was helpful...

...with the laundry, even if she wouldn't take the snack out of her mouth to do it.

...with Elmo, getting him buckled into his car seat.

I love the look on Elmo's face in this one.  "Elmo does not know if Elmo likes what Catie is doing."

...with building the train track, because Nana really needed the help.

 

In exchange, Nana got the hair out of Cate's eyes for her.

Then taught her how to do a fist bump.

Thanks, Nana.

Also this week...

Jonah learned to fly (for 1.7685 seconds).

Cate learned to swing (with a dirty face).

And, Samuel learned the art of defensive sliding.  (Or would this be offensive?  It is hard to know around here.)

See you next week!!!!

Blogger on a Mission

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Pumpkin Season

Everyone has been talking about Fall, but I have remained silent.  Fall is my favorite season, so I am as excited as everyone else, but sadly, Fall, true Fall, comes late here.  It was over 100 degrees here last week.  Only now do I feel safe welcoming you to Pumpkin Season.

Though most of the leaves are still on the trees, the weather is cool-ish and breezy.  And, while there is no frost on the pumpkin, there is a pumpkin on my mantel, so I am very happy.

I am ready for shorter days, and heavier clothes.  Warm meals cooked in a hot oven.  I even went so far as to cook the roast chicken on the cover of this month's Sunset Magazine.

Bengali Five-spice Chicken.  It was yummy.  And made the whole house smell exotic.  (The twenty dollars in gas it cost me to drive around and find all of the ingredients is a story worthy of it's own post.)

I hope you are all enjoying your Fall.

Blogger on a Mission

Post 190/200

I Am a Complete Failure As a Mother

I am a complete failure as a mother.  I have a few accomplishments, it's true, but none of them are in this house.

Last year at Catherine's first birthday party, I ran out of room on the memory card in my camera.  I had three pictures.  Of her FIRST birthday!

I am a complete failure as a mother.

As I mentioned, Sam's birthday was yesterday.  Not wanting to repeat this particular failure, I made a point of getting to Wal-mart on Tuesday, to get a CD printed of all of the pictures on my memory card, so that I could erase them, and have room for 220 more pictures on the morning of Sam's birthday.  At the time, this felt like a Mother-of-the-Year worthy accomplishment.  I took a few breakfast pictures (the ones I posted here yesterday) and left the card in my computer.  I showed up at Sam's school at lunch time with two dozen Lightening McQueen cupcakes and no memory card in my camera.

I am a complete failure as a mother.

And, in my eagerness to be on top of every detail of Samuel's birthday, (at which I failed, by the way), I forgot to pack Jonah's water bottle for school.  He had to drink out of the drinking fountain.

Complete failure.

Today, there was no birthday.  No cupcakes or camera required.  I almost forgot to pack Jonah's snack and water bottle, but I didn't.  As we were headed out the door, I put his water bottle in the side pocket of his back pack, and I was about to toss an apple in there, when I remembered that Jonah doesn't really like apples, unless they are cut up.  Not having time for that, I gave the kid a banana.  He loves bananas.  Back in Mother-of-the-Year mode.

Then, on the walk to school, Jonah asks me, "Mom, did you remember my apple?"

"No, hon.  I didn't have time to cut it up , so I gave you a banana instead."

He stopped dead in his tracks.

"What?  Why are you stopping?"

Nothing.  He wouldn't even look out from underneath his hat.

"What!?"

"I can't bring a banana to Johnny Appleseed Day?" he wailed.

Oh, carp (that troublesome fish)!  His class is making applesauce for Johnny Appleseed Day today.  And I forgot.  I completely forgot.  I sent the kid to school with a banana on Johnny Appleseed Day.  He was heartbroken. 

I am a complete failure as a mother.

When we got to class, he didn't ask for a kiss or a hug before going in like he usually does.  He just said, "Bye, Mom,"  and gave me a brokenhearted little wave.

Okay, this is ridiculous, I thought.  He is not going to be the only kid in there without an apple.  I can not be the only complete-failure-as-a-mother there is.  Right?

Right!  Mrs. Whitfield has been teaching kindergarten for two hundred and forty one years.  She taught Johnny Appleseed himself.  She had extra apples, of various varieties.  (Teachers rock!)  The apple-less children, of whom there were many, could take their pick.

I called Jonah over, and explained this to him.  Then I helped him pick out an apple.  I apologized sincerely.  Forgetting his apple was not the biggest mistake I will ever make.  And, not having an apple on Johnny Appleseed Day will not be his biggest disappointment.  But, I was sincerely sorry that I had causes a little emotional drama right before school.  The whole thing might seem ridiculous to us, but these things can be a big deal to kids, and it takes a little time to recover.  What a horrible way to start the school day.

"Can you forgive me?"  I asked.

"Of course, Mom." he said, as he gave me a big hug.  "I can always forgive you.  You know that."

Hmm.   Maybe I'm not a complete failure.

Happy Halloween!

Okay, so I am a little ahead of myself.  But it has been unseasonably cool around here lately (80 degrees is cool), making me think of Fall.  Football, pumpkins, costumes...  Oh, how I love Fall.  And, as with Christmas, I think I enjoy the anticipation as much, if not more, than the event itself.  It is never too soon to anticipate.  So...I bring you these.

 Oh, do I know a little boy who would look good in this, even as he was knocking things off the counter, and younger children in the head, with those wings.

Even though the little boy himself would probably prefer this.

Yes, give a boy a sword and then pump him full of sugar.  Let the Crusades begin.

I know a little girl who might like to wear this.

 But not my little girl.  She has to choose between...

The Tulip Faerie, or...

The Lilly Faerie. 

I am going to dress her like this now, while I can, because I am afraid, that as she gets older, she might prefer Supreme Court Justice Faerie or Secre-faerie of State.  It is going to be tough, but Hubband and I are going to stand firm.  No princesses or liberals.

And, if I had a wee one this year, I might choose one of these.

All of these costumes, and dozens more, equally adorable can be found at One Step Ahead.  And they are not even paying me.

Year-Round

 Have you ever seen the movie, You've Got Mail with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan?  In it, they develop an e-mail flirtation in which, on a crisp September day, the Tom Hanks character writes to the Meg Ryan character "Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address."

That line makes me tingle.  It just paints such a perfect picture for me, of a world I love.  The first snap in the air of early fall.  The post-Labor Day excitement.  I love the blank notebooks and big pink erasers.  The clear plastic protractor, the scissors with dull, round tips,  the compass with a point so sharp you could impale yourself and often did.  Blank paper and a full schedule.  Ahh.  The promise that is back-to-school.

Yesterday, was Jonah's first day of kindergarten.  But, it is only July.  That is because we live in a "year-round" school district.  At first, I was very disappointed.  And, I will admit, back-to-school in July is just not the same.  There is the raging heat, for one thing.  But it has not been all bad.

I worked up a pretty good level of excitement, as did my junior scholar.  And, the best part.  The local discount stores opened their back-to-school departments two weeks ago!  Last Friday afternoon, Target was packed with moms, and would-be students, and teachers, all visiting over the stacks of binders and book covers.  Reams of paper were stacked in big yellow card board bins.  There were new backpacks waiting for new owners.  Lunch boxes, and pencil boxes, and boxes of crayons.  All new, and fresh, gleaming with the potential of the new school year.  And, the air conditioning was up so high, it almost felt like fall.

So, I am adapting to year-round.

A few of you have asked me, what, exactly, do I mean by "year-round"?  Well, feast your eyes on this my pretties.

This is the district calendar.  Click to enlarge.  Seriously.  It is fascinating.

I have, honestly, spent hours gazing at this thing.  You see, before Jonah entered school, I had to request a "track" and I wanted to make sure I requested the right one.  Because once you are on a track, you are on it for life.  All subsequent students in your family will be on it, too.  It is a big decision.  Not one that could be taken lightly because we are not planning on living in this district forever.  Plans can go awry.  I had to think long term.

There are four tracks, A (green), B (yellow), C (red), and D (blue).  Like most districts, only the elementary  and middle schools follow the track/year-round system.  The high schools, for reasons of competitive sports, go back to a traditional schedule (purple).  Our district has also started using something called a "modified traditional" schedule (orange).   In fact, some of our elementary schools aren't year-round either.  Samuel and Jonah are in different schools this year, and on completely different schedules, though that does not usually happen until one of your kids moves on to high school.

They do this to save money.  They can squeeze more kids into the school this way.  If you look closely, you will see there are only three tracks going on any one day.  I am not quite sure about the classroom logistics, but they tell me it works.

We are B Track, the yellow one.  That's the lingo.  And we go "off track," not on summer vacation.

It's craziness, I know, but it is what I have to work with.  So, like I said above, I am adapting.  I don't see any point in crying on my bouquet of newly sharpened pencils.

As Fall Becomes Winter

It will happen soon. Within hours. The Thanksgiving turkey will be eaten, and then...the PDCs (public displays of Christmas - thanks Rebecca) will begin in earnest. The browns, greys and oranges of fall will be replaced by red, green, silver and gold. So here, is my last look at the season I wait all year for, and that somehow, this year only managed to last a week.

I used to hate oak trees. I was young and foolish.

A walk in the woods, worthy of a four thousand calorie turkey dinner.

There is a spider web between these two reeds.
You may need to click to see a bigger picture.

The first rain breaking up over our back fence.

The red on this plant is actually new growth, not very "Fall" at all. But it is a lovely color.

Turkey and Pie, the Children's Book Edition

This what the children and I have been reading to get in the mood for the big day. They are both great fun. The boys just love them!

Run, Turkey, Run! by Diane Mayr

and...

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson

Fall

It is now fully Fall.

I know in some parts of the world, it is already snowing. In some parts of the world it is almost summer, for that matter. But here, Fall has finally fallen.

The leaves are vibrant red, yellow, orange. They are at the peak of their crunchiness.

I can see my breath. I need a coat every morning, and even some afternoons.

Hot tea, not iced.

It is dark at dinner time.

Bed time stories are about turkeys and leaves.

There are flannel sheets on the bed at night.

Jonah's Thanksgiving pageant is today. He has been practicing his "turkey dance" and the cutest lyrics I have ever heard to Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.

I can smell turkey in the oven. And how warm it gets in the house on Thanksgiving with all of the family gathered there. I hear football in the other room. And the children running around. I'm full, and sleepy, and warm. And, by afternoon there is a November sun lighting up the red and yellow and orange leaves and shining through my window. Perfection.

A Weekend in November

We woke up Saturday morning and knew that we were sick. We weren't sick yet, but we were going to be very soon. And, if the winter illnesses which have felled those around us are an indicator, it may be awhile before we heal.

So, we made the most of a fine fall day. It was cool but sunny to start and ended almost warm. We started out at the local amusement park where we treated the boys to their favorite kiddie rides.

Waiting in line for the Log Ride.

Then we headed across the street to the zoo where we watch giraffes and flamingos and the boys drank sugar water out of pink bottles shaped like dinosaurs. We all had a great time.

Sunday was different. We stayed home. Well, the children stayed home. They played in the yard a bit. Watched Sleeping Beauty. I had to go out and stockpile provisions for the impending plague. But the weather could not have been nicer.

Sunday dinner was neither elaborate nor elegantly served (yes those are brussel sprouts on paper plates, but it was hot and on the table at half past five. The whole family gathered around our simple feast. I had to take this picture. They are all there, sitting up, at the table, using utensils. They have grown so fast, and even though they have many years to grow, I wanted to capture this second before it was gone.

May you all have a nice week with the little ones gathered around if you have them.