Star Wars Countdown Begins

For Benjamin's birthday last year he received "Star Wars, the Complete Saga" for the Wii. At some point during the year I told him we could have a Star Wars party after he finishes all the levels or "becomes a True Jedi." I don't remember saying it, but he does. Now, we are having a Star Wars party on Friday. It has taken me two months to collect enough ideas for games, find time in my schedule and budget for it, and take the time to hand out invitations far enough in advance for his friends to be able to come, but we are doing it. The price I pay for not paying attention to what I am promising my kiddos. A good price because it encourages me to follow through on both rewards and consequences, and I am sure he will thoroughly enjoy it, but a small price to pay in order to celebrate an important accomplishment for him.

Here's my countdown "To Do" list:

• Day 1 (Monday) - paint light sabers 
• Day 2 (Tuesday) - purchase treats; create Ewok food bags and asteroids
• Day 3 (Wednesday) - put together games
• Day 4 (Thursday) - blow up balloons (and hide from kids) for games
• Day 5 (Friday) - bake cupcakes for light saber cake & clean house

....along with my regular "mom" duties. We can do this!

No More Food

I love food! I really do. However, I occasionally think of how many more resources I would have available if it weren't for food. The time it takes to make, buy, store, and consume food. The space in which I store food. The money I use to purchase food. Sometimes I contemplate how nice it would be if I didn't have to worry about food, and then I go eat something yummy out of my pantry.

Yarn & Scissors

I am currently working on a new crocheting project. This means I have a bag of yarn, crochet hooks, and scissors sitting on the floor in our family room. With a 15-month-old who likes to go through everything and empty bags, boxes, and drawers, I am surprised he hasn't found my crochet bag and scissors. I was sitting on the couch this morning crocheting and silently reminding myself to put the scissors deep in my bag when I am done when I remembered another such bag and project with another little boy who was under two. Benjamin was very good at getting into things (who am I kidding, he is still good at getting into things just better about taking care of things when he does it) and one day he found my yarn and scissors. Being the dexterous little guy he was, he cut up a chunk of yarn into lots of little strings. I remember being so sad and frustrated I couldn't see the silver lining. Today, I remember that day with a little smile and think, "I'm glad I could tie knots and use the cut up yarn anyway. And, boy am I glad he didn't cut through my project because repairing or replacing my project would have been a ton harder than tying a few knots." Ryan may or may not get into my yarn, but I am glad I have an experience to reflect on so I have a few possible solutions in my folder of experience to draw upon should he find my scissors and yarn. I love my little boys even when they are super mischievous and busy!

Flashback Friday: Cabin Christmas 2005

Christmas Pajamas

At our house we combined two Christmas traditions to make one. One tradition was opening a present on Christmas Eve. The other tradition was receiving new pajamas for Christmas. Now, we open our Christmas pajamas on Christmas Eve. And everyone, even Mom and Dad, get new pajamas.

Love You Most

I found this movie delightful and funny even though the witch was a little over the top, as most evil step-mothers are portrayed. The one thing I love the most about this movie is what I have dubbed the "I love you most" conversation.

The evil witch says, "I love you." To which Rapunzel replies, "I love you more." Then the witch concludes, "I love you most."

Do I like the idea the mother loves the daughter most? No. I love the fact my children love this conversation about loving each other and instigated its use in our expressions of affection towards one another. We use their phrases to express a larger amount of love then only using the simple for of "I love you." My children are always bursting with emotion and energy so using this conversation captures perfectly the way they feel inside.

Benjamin and Bekah decided our conversations needed to go like this

• Benjamin or Bekah: I love you.
• Mom or Dad: I love you more.
• Benjamin or Bekah: I love you most!

followed by

• Mom or Dad: I love you.
• Benjamin or Bekah: I love you more.
• Mom or Dad: I love you most!

I love our beautiful children and what they are teaching me about expression affection.

Picture found here.

Christmas Morning

Christmas Cuties

Because Christmas fell on Sunday in 2011, we had the priviledge of going to sacrament meeting at 9 a.m. on Christmas morning. Afterwards, we took pictures of our children all dressed up in front of the Christmas tree.

Princess Festival

Bekah and I went to the Princess Festival and helped Princess Maureen learn about forgiveness and asking for help. Bekah got to dress up as her favorite princess and check out all of the pretty princess dresses after the show. She loved her one on one time with mommy.

Buzz Cut for Baby

Shortly before Christmas, Baby's hair was getting wild and crazy. I gave him a buzz cut to even everything out. He thought it was a fun game because he was able to sit on Mom's bathroom counter and chew on his toothbrush the whole time.

The Best Thing for Persimmons

One of the uncommon things we have received in our Bountiful Baskets (produce co-op) is persimmons. I've found my family will eat them in smoothies, but not by themselves. When I mentioned we had received an abundance one week to my friend Margot, she told me about how her grandma has a persimmon tree and makes the most wonderful persimmon cake recipe she makes at Christmas-time. Margot posted the recipe on her blog so we, and her other readers, could try it out.

Talk about fantastic! Everyone in my family really liked these super yummy treats. The only thing I did differently was I made muffins (cupcakes I guess you would say) and I cooked them for about 30 minutes.

The muffins were so good I was disappointed I had used up the last of my persimmons to make them because I wanted to make some more. Sadly, we didn't receive any in last week's produce basket either and after I mentioned this to Margot she sent me home with some she had in her freezer. I felt like the mouse who got the cheese to bring home such a special treat! I am so excited to have this yummy treat again! Thanks, Margot!

Friday Flashback: Benjamin at the Playground (April 2006)

Elves at Gardner Village

During the week before Christmas I took a break from parenting and Christmas preparations to enjoy some fun displays. Taking time for myself helped me breathe easier and remember the joy found in the Christmas season regardless of the chaos it brings with it.

Discovering Snow

We haven't had any snow yet this year so when we took Benjamin up for ski lessons Ryan was quite fascinatted by the wet, cold, white stuff on the ground. Silly kid!

Back Then . . . . Green Thing

One of my high school teachers recently posted this on her Facebook page, and thought it was hilarious about how it discusses how people were more "green," environmentally friendly, than we are today. Yet, the "older generation" is often accused of wasting the environment for current and future generations. Read on to find out more about what I am talking about.

Anyone age approx 40 or over should read this (copied from a friend... )

 Checking out at the supermarket recently, the young cashier suggested I should bring my own bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. I apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days." The cashier responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations."

She was right about one thing--our generation didn't have the green thing in “Our” day. So what did we have back then? After some reflection and soul-searching on "Our" day here's what I remembered we did have....

• Back then, we returned milk bottles, pop bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles repeatedly. So they really were recycled. But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.
• We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building.
• We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.
• Back then, we washed the baby's nappies because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 240 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right. We didn't have the green thing back in our day.
• Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Wales.
• In the kitchen, we blended & stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us.
• When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
• Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn petrol just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power.
• We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right. We didn't have the green thing back then.
• We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water.
• We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the green thing back then.
• Back then, people took the bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their mums into a 24-hour taxi service.
• We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we older folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?

Polar Express to Temple Square Lights 2011