A Normal Moment in a Normal Day (and I only have 3 kids)

So at last, I sit down at the computer to read my blogs. Finally, the kids are all playing by themselves.  The baby has stopped grabbing at my skirts whining, for the first time all day (he's going through something lately, I haven't figured out what yet).  There are lots of good juicy blog posts from my favorite bloggers and I'm only a few minutes into it when there's a crash in the kitchen. "No one is in there!"  I think, and wonder if someone snuck by me (they're not usually that sneaky yet).  Sure enough, no one was in there, but a cup, one of Aaron's favorites from his childhood, has mysteriously jumped off the shelf and shattered on the floor, amongst all the plastic children's dishes that are already there, due to the fact that I let Sparrow play in the plastic drawer, to detach him from my leg for a minute, and haven't picked them up yet.

No one in the house, including moi, is wearing shoes.  I dispatch Bluejay as the kitchen guard to make sure no one goes in with bare feet, and run off to get my shoes to clean up the shards.  Bluejay takes this very seriously and precedes me down the hallway, shouting to the shoeless masses to stay out of the kitchen!  He reaches the bathroom and announces "Boozy's playing in the toilet!"  (Boozy is the nickname Chickadee has given Sparrow, and it's stuck).  Yes, Boozy is playing in the toilet, dunking the diapers he's pulled out of the trash can.  

I choose to ignore this (he's already gross, how much grosser can it get in a few minutes?), and head back to the kitchen with my shoes, to prevent a more risky situation.  And then I sit down to blog about it.  I guess I better go clean Boozy.

Answer Me This!

Here's a new blog-along blog-along (which is really from here) that I haven't participated in before, and which looks like fun.  I love answering questions.  In fact, my husband and I spent many a delightful dating moment playing "answer questions", instead of "would you rather". So here are my answers to this week's questions:

1.  What's the scariest thing that's ever been in your yard? I can't think of anything scary that has actually been in our yard.  BUT, I have a running joke with Aaron that a cougar pooped in our yard when we lived in Santa Clara.  I found an enormous fumit, of some sort that did not look like it came from a dog.  And since I thought it looked cat-like, but too large to be a neighbor feline, I argued that there must have been a cougar in our yard.  It still comes up in conversation eight years later.  The cougar that pooped in our yard was, in fact mentioned yesterday. Always by me.

2. Beards.  Thumbs up or thumbs down?  Thumbs up definitely.  Aaron has an adorable goatee.  And I'm Orthodox, so liking beards is a requirement for baptism, I'm pretty sure.

3.  If stuff breaks, can you fix it?  Yes. I once even took apart and fixed a VCR!   But I pretend I can't fix the big stuff these days, unless it's sewing or craft related.  "Oh, maybe when Daddy gets home he can glue that back together for you."

4. What was your first car?  A Nissan Stanza wagon.  It was my mom's and she passed it off to me, mostly, I think, so that I could drop my brothers off at school in the mornings, and sit in the high school parking lot at 11 at night, waiting for the bus to get back from basketball away games.  Those were pre cell phone days, sheesh.  Anyway it was a great car, sitting in the driver's seat was like sitting in a nice upright chair, and it had this long, marvelous stick-shift.  I'm so glad I learned to drive on a stick.

6.  Why is your hair like that?  I always cut my hair short when I need to take control of a little something in my life, and, after the first baby, (eg. during pregnancy number two) it was just such a relief not to have that long, long hair of my youth (although even then I would cut it short every few years, it grows back so fast).  I recently had this awesome bob, longer in the front and shorter in the back, and when I went in a few weeks ago to have it trimmed back up, it just didn't look the same.  Also, I colored it recently because all of a sudden the grays just APPEARED and it was a little shocking.  I'm totally going to have a white streak in the front on the right side. But the color is growing out, and I'm left trying to decide if I should leave the awful line of demarcation, or color it again.  I can't afford the professionals, these days!  And I don't have much experience with coloring my hair, I've probably done it 4 or 5 times in my life.  What is a girl to do?

April Daybook

Outside my window... A sunny spring day.  Trees in bloom.  Birds chirping.  That kind of day.

I am wearing... A black and white polka dot knit shirt, a little gray cardigan, jeans and my favorite boat-shoe crocs.

I am thankful for... Those moments when I realize I need to take a break.  For real.  A physical, emotional, spiritual break from all the juggling I constantly think I "need" to do.

I am thinking about... Things I need to do.  See above.  It is a terrible rut I've dug!  I need to start smoothing that out.

Learning all the time... I think we'll revisit this another time.  Trust me when I say that it is, of course, happening.

From the kitchen... Homemade pizza.  Yum.  Shrimp curry, lentils and rice (mujadara).

I am creating... Order in my house.  Somewhat.

I am working on... Resting.

I am going... to my mom's house, once my rest is over for the day, to help create some order in her home.  

I am hoping... to feel the physical and mental effects of the rest I am trying to take.

I am reading... Still Wodehouse, albeit intermittently.  I got some new books for my birthday that I'm really looking forward to picking up (Wendell Berry and GK Chesterton).  In the effort to rest, I have found curling up with a good show has been a bit more in order than reading lately.

I am praying for... For my family (immediate and not-so-immediate), and for the poor efforts and the moments of peace of this Lent to work it's healing in our life.

I am hearing... The dryer.  And the birds outside.  Nothing else!  It's a rare quiet.

One of my favorite things... Made beds.  A kind husband.  A few minutes to make myself look nice in the morning.

A few plans for the rest of the week... It is the last week of Lent.  There are plans but I need to remember they are not as important, so they are not going to be written down.

A picture thought I am sharing with you... 

For whatever reason, this daybook did not capture much of my current thoughts, activities, emotions but I want to get a new post and new pictures up on the blog, so this will have to do for now.

   

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real ~ 3 Years Old!

[ Pretty]

Someone turned three!  And she also turned a corner... our little Chickadee has just been a joy to be around lately.

Our girl likes pink.  I mean, really, who doesn't like pink?  It's a delightful color.

She's a fairy! 

Birthday decorations made many years ago by the woman who lovingly taught me and my brothers and sister.  She recently passed away and I think of her often.

I think she was just bopping him on the head.  But maybe he turns into a frog when I'm not looking.

The pretty pink princess on her pink sparkly horse.  That thing went everywhere with her for the rest of the week.  She even wore it like a backpack when riding her bike.  I had to scrub tire marks off its foot.

[ Happy]

It's basically spring here.  We ARE hoping for more rain, but being outside, having the windows open, getting marvelous sunshine makes us pretty happy.  We went for a trail walk and saw a hawk dive for a kill.  Bluejay and Chickadee were pretty sure it was going for Johnny Chuck.  We haven't got far enough in our naturalist lessons to know that there are not woodchucks in California.

Too hot for shirt or shoes

Sparrow = not a fan of hats, even Red Sox hats

He looks...

He dives... and hits the grass with an aggressive fluttering of wings.  He came up empty this time.

And back at his perch.  I feel like I wouldn't like to meet this guy in a dark alley.

I just liked this picture

[ Real]

Sunday mornings.  I tell you.  Are they the trickiest or what?  This particular one was surprising mellow though.  I think we did BETTER getting up early, with the time change, and leaving right away than if we'd had more time to putt around.  Bluejay, my snazzy son, was determined to look more handsome than Daddy.

If he had cufflinks, he'd totally wear them.  Chickadee, however, would generally prefer not to bother with clothes.

Dressed and out the door in time to see a hot air balloon!

[ Funny]

This little tyke.  He just makes me laugh.  Here he is digging in his siblings' mud bucket, and eating it.  I called from the kitchen window "Oh yuck yuck!  Don't eat that!"  and this was his reaction.  Aaron ran to grab a camera.

Don't you just want to squeeze him?  I do!  All the time.  He gets squeezed.

And afterwards.  Looking at this picture makes me think that my baby better still be a baby for a little while longer.

The Power of.... Thinking?

Recently, I have been mentally up-in-arms and constantly on my soapbox, in my head anyway, and sometimes out loud to my long suffering husband, about various matters of the world.  And, I have to say, I've noticed as I am feeling a bit, shall we say, negative, about certain aspects of life, I have also been intellectually a little more nimble, a bit more agile.  

I was listening to the remarkable, wonderful, superb Sister Vassa during breakfast, because oh, how I love to have Coffee with Sister Vassa in the morning, and she was discussing how pain, INCLUDING emotional pain, can be a way of bringing us closer to God. (Disclaimer, I am not sure which episode this was and it may not be the one I linked to... watch them all!) I had never before considered that emotional pain could be good for me, although I am quite familiar with the concept of physical pain being an opportunity for spiritual growth.  This was revolutionary for me.  I can't express my appreciation for that thought enough. Then today, I saw this article on Honey and Hemlock.  I find this thrilling.  Really?  We don't need to think positively all the time?  It's ok, even good, for us to nourish some normal, human emotions and thoughts?  How liberating!

I would love to read some more of the studies and articles referenced there, but my current day job does not allow :-)  Maybe that's a good thing.  I don't really need a new soapbox at the moment.

January Daybook

Outside my window... It is foggy!  I love the fog.  It reminds me that I am really home, the place where my roots were put down as a child.  Foggy, west coast, mist.

I am wearing... My pajamas.  The baby is still asleep and I am NOT about to go into the bedroom to get my clothes, put on my contacts, anything.

I am thankful for... A few moments to blog.  A very kind, respectful and helpful oldest son.  I've been marveling at how pleasant his personality is lately.  I will admit that he has a stubborn streak the size of a 12 lane LA freeway, however.

I am thinking about... Possibly keeping a list of books I read this year.  I have generally been bad at doing that.  It's like keeping a diary, a great idea but something I rarely manage with any consistency.  However, I've enjoyed reading people's "what I read this year" posts, so maybe I'll manage a little list.

Learning all the time... Ok people. It's time to get real with this.  I don't do New Year's Resolutions (I mean, not the real kind), but I did promise myself that after the holidays were over, I'd finally spend some focused time studying and thinking about what we will be doing with Mr. Bluejay, who will be five this summer (and by default, his younger siblings).  I'm leaning toward homeschooling until he is six.  I had a fortuitous run in with the teacher of a tiny Orthodox school, someone I've known since I was the student, at the grocery store this week.  My friend handed me her big book of homeschooling resources out of the blue when we stopped by the other day.  My sister-in-law sent me a link to a lovely kindergarten curriculum a month or two ago.  I feel like someone is tapping me on the shoulder saying "hey, time to pay attention".

From the kitchen... Cooking again!  Slowly.  Does anyone else find that all the staples are running low after Christmas?  We had some stomach bugs over the holidays and didn't eat much beyond yogurt, egg and rice bowls, and frozen pizza for the healthy ones.  Right now I have plans for some barbecue chicken (yes, I will light up the Webber in January, we live in Northern California) and artichokes, because Bluejay has been asking for artichokes and a fire.

I am creating... Still crocheting Sparrow's blanket.  It is my first time doing basketweave stitch.  I really like it.

I am working on... working.  I have several clients now.  It's a blessing to have work.  I'm enjoying doing it.  Aaron is working four ten hour days so that I can have one "full" work day each week.  And my dad has been terrific at helping me out lately.  I'm also going to be doing a child-care swap one day a week, a friend from church is also a work-at-home mama and will be bringing her adorable little girl over here so we can take turns shepherding the younglings and working.  I'm excited to see how it works out.

I am going... to the usual places only.  It's nice to have a routine again.  I need to have a place to "go" on Mondays.  I struggle with that first day alone with the children after having my husband home for three days.  

I am hoping... to get up north to visit my brother's family sometime in the next few months.

I am reading... P.G. Wodehouse.  I finished Leave it to Psmith and started on one of the Jeeves books: Joy in the Morning.  I do love old Pelham Grenville, and it turns out that I'm more of an Anglophile than I realized. I lived in the UK for 2+ years during high school.  I can't wait to travel there with my family when the kids are a little older.

I am praying for... The soul of my friend Alan, who died one year ago this coming Sunday.  My family.  All of the little children.

I am hearing... The "big" kids talking to little Sparrow, who just woke up.   Sparrow giggling.  I love how they can keep him happy for a bit now, so that I can finish something (like a blog post)!

One of my favorite things... New coffee cups we got for Christmas.  Hand-thrown and kilned (is that the terminology?) by Bluejay's preschool teacher's husband.  They are so nice to hold and look at.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Working. Preschool. Cooking. Cleaning, and most importantly, putting away all of the paraphernalia from Christmas.

A picture thought I am sharing with you... 

We all look so serious!  Eating is no time for joking around, people.

OH MY GOODNESS I JUST SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED AN ENTIRE BLOG POST!  YIPPEE!!

   

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Missing the old blog

Oh blog, how I miss you.  I've been thinking about blogging often these days, but not managing to find time for an actual post, so I'm popping in here on the last day of the year just to say this.  I have all sorts of ideas of things I'd like to post. Pictures of my favorite things, the things that make me happy these days when times are a little challenging.  Thoughts on Christmas and family.  The introduction of fight play, swords, and [ay yi yi] camouflage into my oldest son's experience - fortunately, he only knows it as a great way to hide right now, I literally could not see him hiding in a field in pictures my husband took.  But I need to spend every spare computer minute I have these days doing actual, paid work.  Times are tight.  Blessedly so as it keeps our focus on what's important, which is NOT shopping, or browsing through what passes as the "news" these days online. But tight none-the-less.  I have managed to find a few moments of rest over the Nativity season, and I've used them to sip a bit of champagne, read a little Wodehouse, and on one lovely evening, take a long soak WITH said Wodehouse.

I wish you all a marvelous New Year and St. Basil's Day!