Insomnia...

It's Sunday morning and all is quiet. I am the only creature stirring. I can hear the birds singing outside my window as the first morning light sneaks into my living room. I know I am going to be exhausted later...but for now I am enjoying the silence. Sometimes, I don't mind the fact that I can't sleep.

I am very excited about COLOR WEEK this week. CuriousGirl has motivated me to start shooting more. Each day this week, we will take photos to display the cool colors around us!!!

Monday color is blue
Tuesday color is green
Wednesday colors are orange and yellow
Thursday colors are pink and red
Friday color is purple

Stay tuned for a very colorful week. Please check out Curious Girl's blog for many other participants as well!!

Crazy Day.

Aren't there days when you really wish you were a kid again? Today is one of those days. I want to remember what it's like to feel carefree and impulsive! I want to remember what it's like to know that someone else is taking care of me. I want to remember how it feels to think, "When I grow up...."

I still wonder what I am going to be when I grow up. I hope I always wonder.

But life's stresses slowly dissolve much of that child-like innocence. I love to see the thoughtful curiousity in my children though! I guess that's why we old folks love children so much. I guess that's why some of us want to keep having them! There is nothing better than seeing the world through a child's eyes. Some days are great and some are not so great. All days are filled with a range of emotions that seem so immensely intense!

Thank God for the children..........may She keep them coming!!

Giant Baby!!!

Can you imagine how funny it would have been with one of her little dolls sitting on the potty? Next time!!

Gratitude Wednesday

I thought Stella looked precious today...kinda like she just stepped off the GoodShip Lollipop or something. She looked like a little piece of candy and I just wanted to eat her up!
(That's number one for Gratitude Wednesday.)

I am very thankful for my classroom parents this year!! They have been so wonderfully supportive and this year has been great because of that!

I am happy that I got to hang out with Maddy today. She is sick, but she wasn't too sick to be delightful company. She has a ton of medicine to take for her Bronchitis but she is already feeling so much better. I thank God for inhalers and other modern meds!

I am also very happy that Nick agreed to go pick Hailey up from gym. That means I get to put all the other kids to bed. Yay!!! And hopefully I will have Hailey's dinner ready when she gets home. (poor kid has to eat dinner at 9:30 almost every night)

I am grateful for laughter. I cracked up a few times today. Really laughed hard and I love to do that. I can hear my children laughing in my bedroom...in my bed...right now too. LOVE IT.

A storm is a brewin...

Yesterday the kids were all outside...watching and waiting as the wind churned and the clouds changed colors in the sky. They had the best time watching the creek to see if it would overflow again. And it did eventually. They yelled and shrilled and frolicked and fished...all...just in time...

Then the bottom fell out!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here are pictures from the calm before...

Did you know...

Finn just said to me....

Hey Mom,

did you know....

when I think and think and think....

suddenly I know.

(He got that from a tv show on Noggin...it's in a song...but when he said it, he was totally serious.)

RAIN

I have been trying to walk for at least 20 minutes a day. Last week, my schedule was so hectic that I missed three days in a row. I am determined not to do that again this week. So determined, in fact, that I went for a walk in the rain a little while ago. When I left the house there was a light sprinkle. I knew the rain was coming...but I went out anyway. As luck would have it, the clouds let loose the deluge and I was exactly halfway through my walk and a good ten minutes from my house. So I decided to run part of the way. I loved it! Not necessarily the running part, in fact when I got home after running the last few minutes I thought my heart might explode. But while I was walking/running with the rain pouring down I felt really good. I was happy to be out in the rain.

Getting old is a funny thing. 15 years ago I NEVER would have gone running in the rain. I hate running. Have always hated it. Used to hate rain too. But tonight I kind of enjoyed the run AND the rain.

I don't know if I will run regularly but I sure won't shy away from walks in the rain. Very exhilarating experience!

This I believe...

Snagged this idea off of my favorite blog.

I decided to randomly write a "this i believe" as NPR used to do back in the 50's.

So here's one for today...

I believe that unconditional love saves the world every single day.

I heard someone say once that it's unconditional love that saves your life. So I was thinking, if that is true, then it also saves the world every single day. Due to all of the love for life that is out there in the world, we have somehow managed not to blow this place to smithereens. My friend Mikaila talks a lot about unconditional love and how you have to invite that in to your life. You have to first love yourself enough to accept it and you have be mindful enough to feel it each and every day.

If you think about it, none of us would be able to survive without it. So I say...it's true...love does rule the world. If anything else was true...we would have all killed each other by now!

Dinner at our house...

As we were all sitting down to eat, Maddy had a lovely blog idea. She said I should take pictures of the way we all eat in our house.

Mom...going vegan has mixed veggies and chickpeas in a mild curry sauce with rice, Maddy starting to shy away from meat has a cheesy backed potato and a small taste of mom's, Stella the vegetarian has a bagel with butter and honey (cause that's what she asked for), and Finn the meat eater devours a hotdog. So here is what dinner looks like at our house. 4 different meals to please all tastes. DO YA SEE WHY I LIKE TO EAT OUT?????

Hailey and Nick weren't here but Hailey is a veggie also and Nick fits into the meat eater variety along with Finn. Out our choices, Hailey would have had the cheesy baked potato and Nick would have had 2 hotdogs with an extra cheesy baked potato on the side!

Joint Custody.

Let me just say it, JOINT CUSTODY SUCKS. I am really missing my kids today. I am very emotional and I miss them terribly. I got to see Finn and Maddy at her soccer game (H was at gym of course) and it was so hot at the game that I was really grumpy. I mean really grumpy.

I fussed at Finn for not leaving Stella alone. I kept yelling at Maddy to go after the ball (like one of those crazyass competitive parents) and she was playing in almost 90 degree weather for goodness sakes. She was burning up. I fussed at my Mom for getting Stella poptarts out of the snack machine at the Y and I should have kept my mouth shut cause she kept the little pumkin entertained for a good 3o min.

I got home and tried to think about why my mood was so bad. I still don't know exactly why but I started thinking about the fact that I never really get to see them much on the weekends and then I started to cry. Our school week is soooo hectic. I get them up and dressed and fed each morning and then I fly out the door. At the end of my school day, I fly out of school, pick them all up from school by 4, rush home for snacks, then get back in the car to take H to gym. We get home by about 5:30 and then I remind them (or fuss at them) to do their homework. (For the record, this elementary school teacher HATES homework! Don't understand why parents ask for more. Kills me.) Then I have to fix dinner. Kids have to be in bed by 8:30. I try to fit some "quality time" in there but it's difficult.

Then their Dad swoops in and gets to have them for the weekend. All fun, sleep late, eat-poptarts-and-have-a-coke-for-breakfast Dad. It's not fair. He is going out of town next weekend and I get them all weekend. I can't wait!! Cause joint custody SUCKS.

In the Ex's defense, he has said that I can have them some weekend nights...but the kids are finally in a routine and it's hard to get them...well hard to get Finn...out of the routine. Finn wants his Daddy time soo bad. Not sure how he will do next weekend without him...but I will be soo happy to have my little guy home. Sweet boy. He's growing up too fast too. I will have to write about him next. I have talked about my girls a lot...but he is a little angel from heaven too. So glad I have him. He balances out all the dang hormones around here!

Goodnight little babes. I miss you so much.

Gratitude Wednesday

Well, It is earth day so I supposed I could start there....

I was totally happy with the weather today. Warm and breezy, yet cool with puffy clouds. Very cool day to be outside on Earth Day.

I am coming up on a year of NO MEAT. I never really thought I could do it when I decided to quit eating meat a year (or so) ago, and today, while talking about organic foods and buying locally, I felt quite proud of myself. Some people could care less about whether or not they eat meat, but today I had a cool feeling like....HA! I have done something pretty good for the environment! So THERE. (I'm not the best at reuse and recycle. getting better at reusing. trying to recycle more. But I no longer support animal farms and all of the yuck stuff they do to the environment.)

I started walking two days ago....again. I'm a seasonal walker. Today I am very happy to walk in the great weather. Perfect for walking without getting hot.

I was happy that I was able to stand up for someone I love today. Our office admin. was making comments about a child with "separation issues". She said that these issues happen when MOM keeps children too close and attached. I quickly (and I mean fast people) told her that it was actually a disorder that some children have. A chemical thing that has NOTHING to do with an "attachment" Mom. I told her very quickly that often attachment parenting is the only thing that makes life better for kids who are really scared and worried about life most of the time. Attachment parenting is basically used to build trust that will allow children to be independent...not attached for the rest of their lives. I explained that sometimes children grow out of these fears and other times a child will need medication for it. Gave her a brief history on my daughter. I told her that often children who get called "shy" and "spoiled" often have a disorder. I also told her where she could read up on it. (you know...in case she didn't believe my ranting and raving.)

I also feel happy because I have no remorse for kind of telling our office admin off. I was very nice about it, but if you know my office lady...you know she will probably hold it against me for a while. And I am OK with that. Cause she's wrong...about a lot of stuff...but I still love her.

I am happy that Stell had a short nap and will go to bed a little early. HAHA. Is that terrible gratitude??

I am glad that I am at home. ON my couch. Relaxing. Yay!

Blog Envy

Envy.
I have only been about halfway around the blog block at this point. So tell me, is there such a thing as "blog envy"? I'm sure I cannot be the first. There are many blogs that I adore and frequent quite often but only one that I am kind of in awe of. It's called Curious Girl. The woman who posts there is a photo enthusiast and her photos are great...but that's not even where the envy comes in...it's her ability to remain positive and creative all at the same time! You feel nothing but peace and serenity when you view her blog. She posts the coolest pictures and asks the greatest questions. She was featured in Artful Blogger last month and that is where I learned about her. My latest fav was a picture of a beautiful chandelier with lots of rich sparkly colors. The photo was simply this lovely chandelier and a plain white background. It was titled her "Curious Room" and the question was, "What would you put in this room if you could put anything in it? What would you add?" HOW FLIPPIN COOL IS THAT? Makes me wanna sit around and daydream. Makes me want to draw and paint and love and laugh. I LOVE THAT BLOG!!!!!!!!!

You can check it out at curiousgirl-lisa.blogspot.com

Gratitude Wednesday

Here are some things that made me happy today....

We went on a field trip today....the show was bizarre...but the kids had a great time.

I found a new french bakery that's open 24hrs! It's sooo yummy and I got to go there with a really good friend.

The weather was beautiful today!

Everyone in my house seems to be feeling good today...no illness right now. (knock wood somebody..quick!!!)

Didn't have to do the gym drive today...Hailey had too much homework to go so she stayed home today. (I hate for her to miss it but I must admit, I love having her home.)

I feel good about the workshop I am teaching tomorrow...Conflict Resolution and Personal Development. I think we are ready!!