Random Book Review

Thursday is our library/reading day. Our library is fairly small. (Small enough that I've memorized where most children's titles are located; they've been in the same spot on the same shelves for 7 years). Most of our library days occur in the summer. I may wander in during the school year, but not with my kids. So today, when I came across some fun new books for them, (and by new I mean not your standard Eric Carle, Margaret Wise Bown or Sandra Boynton) I squeeled for joy. It appears that their collection has expanded considerably since last summer. So, I thought I'd share a couple of my finds with you and inspire you to curl up with your kiddos for some sure-to-delight summer reading.

This first book will tickle any artist's fancy. It's called The Dot, and was written by Peter H. Reynolds. I loved it's empowering message for self doubting children. My daughter never drew typical houses and flowers and trees, or liked coloring books with boundaries, so I could really appreciate this sweet story of a girl who learns to embrace her simple talent:

In fact, I am now really excited to try this book (also by Peter Reynold's):

Not A Box, by Antoinette Portis is a full of ideas for imaginative play. A really cute story about a bunny who thinks outside the box. And its presentation is really fun (a brown cardboard-ish cover). My 5 year old asked if it was a recycled book! Lol!

Have any good, fresh suggestions? Feel free to leave them in your comments. :) As for the Mommy and Me CDs, a lot of those songs are being downloaded off the internet, and are therefore illegal to copy and "sell". I will see how many of them can be downloaded to Best Audio Codes or some other web host and play the mix on my blog for all to enjoy!

How did I get here?

4 kids under the age of 8. One of them behind me playing her own musical composition, for pete's sake. It's much like the routine drive home; sometimes you don't think much about it. Until you've arrived. And then it's "Wait! How did I get here?!"

I am having more and more of these moments. Time is cruel to mothers. It slips away unnoticed when you are immersed in the raising of little people. There are a lot of moments you wish would stand still. Like when Sasha falls asleep at the breast. Hands down the most sacred mommy moment for me.

Time may also seem to drag on forever. There are a lot of moments you wish to fast forward through. Like potty training. Hands down the most loathed mommy duty for me! Regardless of what kind of day you are having, one feeling is constant. And that is that maybe you could make better use of the time.

Summertime is the perfect opportunity for this. All the kids are home from school. There are fewer places to be and things to do. I've come up with some really great ways to spend time with your kids this summer. And I plan to share all of them with you! Hopefully you'll need some fresh ideas... I know I could always use a few more. The nerve of these kids not being satisfied with just an inflatable pool! ;) Sigh. They're growing up.

My first idea to share came to me today as my children and I were listening to The Sundays and dancing. They love music as much as I do. And they love to move. So we have been sampling songs for our very own "Mommy and me" mix CD. I'm really excited about this, because it is music I already love AND it is kid friendly. I don't know about you, but I hate having to screen the radio for my kids every time we get in the car. I end up flipping stations a good majority of the time. Or we just listen to the classical station. But it is nice to have variety. I imagine this will come in real handy for road trips as well.

If you like this idea, I have a few suggestions to get you started:

L-o-v-e, Nat King Cole
Papa Loves Mambo, Perry Como
Shiny Happy People/Stand, REM
Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World, Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole
Anywhere Is, Enya
Upside Down, Jack Johnson
Ants Marching/Every Day, Dave Matthews Band
Thunder, Nuttin But Stringz
Advice For the Young at Heart, Tears for Fears
Hands, Jewel

I think we'll also have fun designing a CD cover... more on that and other kid friendly art projects soon.

The princess. And her ever missing shoe.

How's this for random?

My little boy Jonah turned 5 this past Monday. See details and pictures of his lively cooking party at my other blog Creativity Cannot Be Stifled.

Another crazy summer begins on Monday. Stay tuned for lots and lots of coverage on our 3 month long routine of library days, learning days, cooking days, art days and outdoor/potty training days ;). Not to mention a trip to Lake Tahoe!

Thanks again to all participants for another fantastic Woman to Woman. I think it was a great success and a cathartic exercise for many of us. I personally appreciate all the encouraging words I received. Feel free, of course, to continue to add your posts and comments as you find time.

Woman to Woman: Celebrating me!

We (women) tend to focus so much on our weaknesses and often blow them out of proportion. But our strengths, the things we are good at, go unnoticed, especially by ourselves. I know there are times when I have feared that my confidence may come across as arrogance. It's taboo to assert your successes as a parent! And even in general, I think women are very careful about how much credit or attention they give to themselves. But we all certainly deserve praise and recognition. And so, right on the heels of Mother's Day, this "Woman to Woman" is an opportunity for us all to admit that we are amazing, and to share our strengths with one another.

I think that perhaps my most valid accomplishment as both a mom and a woman has been to stop the cycle of abuse that I grew up with. I spent many years as a young adult worried and doubtful that I could be a strong woman, a good wife and a confident mother. There is an undeniable possibility, and I think anyone who has ever been abused would agree, that you will fall into the pattern you know; that you will become the example you were given. So for me to rise above that nagging and relentless posssibility and be at a point in my life where I've accepted the awful things I've been through, but chosen to discard them and embrace only the positive, makes me very proud of who I've become.

As a mother, this pride is helping me to instill several important qualities in my children: compassion, emotional confidence, faith, positivity. And the ways in which I do this are by providing a warm environment in our home, one that allows them to be themselves; to love and feel freely. I let them know they are the light of my life just by the smile I give them when they walk into the room. I want them to see in my face the joy they add to my life. I want them to know that I am proud of even the little things that they do. And I put all my effort into all that I do - for them, for me, for my husband - showing them that 100% of your effort, in all that you do, is important and vital to a positive attitude.

I have not only consciously stopped a vicious cycle from continuing, but I've spoken out against it, by deciding early on that I will not be that poor girl, but that I will be an amazing woman and mother, taking only the good part with me, and embracing it as if it were all that existed. I have exemplified forgiveness for my children, a priceless gift. They do not now know the details of the awful things I have been through. But one day they will find out. They will read these words. And they will see me in a different light. They will see life in a different light. Their ability to forgive will be in place, as should their ability to always find "that good part".

Morning Glory and I hope that this particular topic will draw lots of participants, because as we can plainly see, there are many, many incredible and inspirational women out there that need to be celebrated! So please, add your name and link to your post. Leave me a comment and visit Morning Glory at Seeds From My Garden, as well.

32 years and going strong...

Really, today is going to be like any other day, except with french pastries and extra hugs and kisses. And some rousing renditions of "Happy Birthday to You". I still have to go about my daily duties of laundry and vacuuming and singing "The Itsy Bitsy Sider". Although I may throw in a backyard picnic with the babes to add a little fun and spontaneity to this year's May 17th.

I am happy. I feel good and healthy and very secure at this point in my life. If you ask me, 32 could be the new 27. :)

Our next installment of "Woman to Woman" will take place on May 22. That's next Tuesday. We are replacing the scheduled topic with an idea inspired by Rebecca Woolf at Straight from the Bottle and calling it "Celebrating me!". We (women) tend to focus so much on our weaknesses and often blow them out of proportion. But our strengths, the things we are good at, go unnoticed, especially by ourselves. I know there are times when I have feared that my confidence may come across as arrogance. It's taboo to assert your successes as a parent! And even in general, I think women are very careful about how much credit or attention they give to themselves.

But we all certainly deserve praise and recognition. And so, right on the heels of Mother's Day, this "Woman to Woman" will be an opportunity for us all to admit that we are amazing, and to share our strengths with one another. Morning Glory and I hope that this particular topic will draw lots of participants, because as we can plainly see, there are many, many incredible and inspirational women out there that need to be celebrated!

Bullseye

I've been tagged by Lee to do the 7 random "things about me" meme. This is great timing, because I have been forever working on that "50 things you probably don't know about me" meme. You know, the one that practically initiates you into blogdom. It's been over a year and it's just not happening. But 7 things? THAT much I have figured out.

And here they are:

1)I do my make-up and hair and anything else while standing still in fifth position. Except for dishes.
2)Because I loathe doing the dishes. That job was assigned to my husband right after "I do". Which gives him the right to make fun of me for doing everything in fifth position.
3)I danced for 18 years. Ballet, modern and tap. Some jazz. Some hula.
4)But I'm not Hawaiian. My mother, however, was born in Hawaii, which is how I got my name. And how I learned to hula.
5)I am 1/4 Italian. My spaghetti sauce proves it.
6)I cannot whistle. Which makes me feel inferior to most other musicians. Who really wants to hear me try to sing that line from the Brahms Violin Concerto? Not my music lit class, that's for sure.
7)I've never considered myself a writer. In fact, I was once told by a college professor that I had "serious writing problems". And I believed him. Until I began blogging.

*sending mean ex-professor blog link now*

I tag:
Zoe
Morning Glory
Kristen
Mel
Blackeyed Sue
Allysha
utmommy

Mother, madre, makuahine, mama

If I had to describe motherhood in one word it would be humbling. Lying naked on a table and pushing a baby out in front of complete strangers. Gaining 65 lbs. and 650 stretch marks. Missing your shower or wearing your grubbies in public or foregoing make-up and hair. Because sometimes your kids need you more. Being repeated by one of your children (when you were certain they were out of earshot). Having to ask for help or admit that you are overwhelmed. Forgetting something important. Realizing it's not about you. Giving something up. Learning from your children. Having their best interest at heart. Fighting for them. Accepting the bitter and less frequently sweet days.

So, here's to mothers... humble, modest, selfless, real, virtuous, forbearing, patient mothers that sacrifice a bit of themselves every day. Happy Mother's Day.

Woman to Woman

Tips and Tricks:
Getting the Family Together.

In today's lifestyle, it's sometimes difficult to get the whole family together at the same time. Kids' sports, music lessons, church meetings and many other things keep families on the go. What have you found to be successful tools for bringing your family together during those times when it seems that everyone is going different directions? If you are Empty-Nesters, what did you do when your children were still at home? What works today for getting together with your children and grandchildren?

Having quality time together as a family, often, has got to be one of my most important goals as a mother. I want my home to be a warm, comfortable, inviting refuge and I do not feel like it can be that if the family within is not close-knit.

Growing up family time was stressed. It was one thing my parents did right. Despite the contention, we had family night (most weeks). We always attended church together on Sunday. We went on vacation every year, not just to visit family, but to spend time having fun together. The whole family attended the baseball games, or the violin recitals, or the dance performances, or the karate tournaments my siblings and I were involved in. Everything was a family event and time together as a family was a top priority. Nothing took precedence over it.

My husband and I have started a few traditions of our own to assure that we head in the same direction. First and foremost, we attend church together on Sundays. As we are LDS, we also dedicate one night a week, usually Monday nights, to "Family Home Evening". We either have a lesson on an important gospel principle or an activity. On the first Monday of every month, that activity is dinner out as a family. As the family I grew up in was deeply involved in many activities outside the home, there was little time spent together at meal time. So I strive to have that relaxing time together with our children. Going out to eat is great practice for our children, and an opportunity for my husband and I to team up and teach them manners and etiquette. But it is also a fun way to celebrate belonging to each other.

Another thing we love to do as a family is go for Sunday afternoon drives. We bring some nice soothing music for the kids, classical or sacred, and my husband and I talk while we all admire the scenery.

We often enjoy sitting down together with a big bowl of popcorn and watching old family videos. It is so fun for us to reminisce and look at how much our little family has grown. My kids love to see themselves and their siblings as babies, and to be reminded of all the different places we have lived. This is how stories begin - the ones you tell over and over and never tire of.

As my kids grow older and become involved in more extracurricular activities, I hope to make those family gatherings as well. I may not involve my kids in as many activities as I was growing up... I think overdoing it is easy to do and hard to recognize. But my children will find things they love to do and I will teach them the importance of supporting and encouraging one another in those endeavors.

In my opinion, it is just as important to spend time alone with each of your children, as it is to spend time together as a family. They each need to develop a one-on-one relationship with their parents. So, I may take my daughter out for a pedicure, or my oldest son to the train store. I may share an apple with my toddler every morning, or take the baby for a walk in the evening. My husband may take each of them to a movie, or out for dinner. Whatever it is, it makes them feel special, and in a large family where everyone is competing for attention, that's important.

These days home is the only safe haven for our children. We can no longer rely on the village to look out for them. Gone are the days in which we can send our kids out into the neighborhood and say "Be back by dark!" I want my home to be somewhere they choose to be. And I want to be someone they choose to be with. If we don't have that, I fear for where they will turn when they get hurt, or become afraid.

You know the drill! Be sure and head over to Seeds from my Garden, too!

I've learned a thing or two from sticking up for myself!

And that is that a) your voice will be heard and b) you can make a difference! Let's see... I got $100 in gymbuck$ when the Gymb0ree party folks didn't show up to host my son's birthday party. Plus a free party. I also got $600 in damage reimubursement from the moving company that beyond ruined our furniture (all 2 pieces of it, lol) when we moved across seas. I've been published in Real $imple for my rebuttal on an article that encouraged disciplining other people's wiggly children on airplanes.

I may be zen-minded, but I believe in principles. And several principles have been compromised by K-BULL 93 in Salt Lake City. One of MOFs (aka my online friend) sent her husband off to Iraq yesterday morning. On her way home from the airport, she called in to K-BULL to enter a contest exclusively for relatives of the deployed to win tickets to the opening of Spiderman 3. She won. They put her on hold, for over 30 minutes, and somehow disconnected her. She called back, spoke to a deejay who then gave her a business phone number to call, and in the end her message was not returned and she missed out. Now, I do not really need to stress the emotional state she was in, but somehow that got overlooked. She was in tender spirits on that difficult morning, but they had been briefly lifted by this radio station (who openly claims to be be “supporting our troops and their families”by the way). And now they have been callously stomped upon in reaction to a "reputation" to uphold... a reputation that was hardly compromised by her casually mentioning her disappointment to some friends. Do you want to know what happened to one of the few friends who stepped up on her behalf? She got slammed. She was grilled over the specifics of the situation and told very rudely that she was just b---ching to them over nothing. And do you want to know what happened to poor MOF? They called her (this morning) and had her in tears (and puking) over the matter... said they did not appreciate her telling others what had happened. How ironic that they care about a reputation!

Well, now the blogworld has been sic'ed on them! How's that for telling others? Lol! And I believe reputation is well on it's way out the window. I'm just doing my small part to spread the word... it's just not right, the way they've handled this! And I believe that if enough people show their disdain, some good will come of it. We are women... hear us roar, right?

Click below to help this story get some recognition!

Gracious Living

I came across a term the other day that I just love. Gracious living. It perfectly describes the way I want to live my life. My husband and I have one major difference between us... I am high energy and he is low energy. And so he wonders why so many seemingly small things are so important to me. When my kids have a birthday party, I go all out. Not in extravagance, but in considering every detail and in making the most of it. It brings me such joy to make that day special and unique for each of them. When holidays come around, I go all out. I make fun school lunches on Valentine's Day. And cupid comes and visits. We do the Great Pumpkin for Halloween. At Christmastime we donate old toys and clothes to charity. We bake a pass along plate for our neighbors. For Earth Day this year we made some changes around our home to save energy. And next year I'd like to take the kids to a park and clean it up. When we have people over for dinner, I go all out. Drink from wine glasses, even if it's just water. Have fresh cut flowers on the table. Listen to nice music. Light the candles. Sometimes I go all out just to celebrate life. Life is good!

I like to make the most of everything, I suppose. And to me, that is gracious living - finding joy in everything! I think joyful moments need to be accentuated. Some days I wake up with an extra pep in my step, and I just have an urge to try and make that day as special as possible. We might have a nice big breakfast, or go for a nice scenic drive. We might have a cake and candles after dinner. Just because. Party hats are even a possibility!

I had a discussion with MOFs recently about embracing your existence, and I think these are some good ways to do that. What's wrong with staying in your pj's all day and having a bake fest? Watching movies and eating loads of popcorn with your kids? If you ever have an urge to do something spontaneous like that, don't push it out of your mind. Abandon responsibility for just a day and do it. We have a pullout sofa in the playroom and sometimes I like to make up the bed and crawl into it with a pile of books for each of us and just veg. That's gracious living. We have a nice big back yard and occasionally I have the urge to go out and swing, or lie in the grass and look up at the sky. We have a great view of the stars and my kids love to go out there (if the bugs aren't too bad) and stare at the sky. That's gracious living.

I am grateful for life. I have down days like everyone else, but I am grateful for life. And there is so much to be done with it. And enjoying all the small moments is how I show my gratitude for it.

And this is how my children show gratitude for it. As you can see, we are healthy again! Yay!

(You'll need to press stop on my music to hear video)


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Our next installment of Woman to Woman is on May 8. The topic will be Tips and Tricks: Getting the Family Together. In today's lifestyle, it's sometimes difficult to get the whole family together at the same time. Kids' sports, music lessons, church meetings and many other things keep families on the go. What have you found to be successful tools for bringing your family together during those times when it seems that everyone is going different directions? If you are Empty-Nesters, what did you do when your children were still at home? What works today for getting together with your children and grandchildren?