Listen

Listen.  Even when the chatter seems to fill the air with noise.  Listen.  That little person just may lead you somewhere you wanted to be.   For example:

That little person may seem to be trying to get out of getting ready for bed in asking if we could have a family night.  Maybe you should think about trying out the suggestion another time.  Maybe if you did you would wrack your brain for an idea and then in a moment of frustration settle on fufilling another inconvient request of baking something like a Lemonade Cake.  Maybe as you made the cake and watched your children delight in the process you might think--Wow, that's all it took. 

So Listen, just remember to listen.

PS I'll post pictures as I can download them.  Tonight I'm just cherishing the thought that one day Mowg's kids will ask him to tell them a story about when he was little and maybe, just maybe he'll tell them about tonight.

Mom Tell Me a Story

"Mom, tell me a story about when you were a kid.  Tell me about.....Christmas!"  I've been hearing this sentence and others just like it very regularly.  It was really fun at first remembering, thinking, anticipating the question.  Some moments I don't appreciate it as much and I launch into my least favorite story from childhood: "It was a dark stormy night.  We were all sitting around the campfire and (insert requester's name here) came up and said, 'Mommy, Mommy, tell me a story!'  And Mommy said, 'It was a dark stormy night...... "   It can go on for a while.  Mowg hates it as much as I did.  Tiny on the other hand has adopted it as her favorite story. "Mom tell the dark stormy night story!  Please!"  Other times she'll just tell it and said, "Mowg, if you don't want to hear it just close your eyes."  He takes it a step further and plugs his ears and she tells it making sure to include everyone in the family.  Stories are a fun part of life.

Limits

It's tough to know what our limits are sometimes.  Then circumstances occur that make those limits very obvious.  That's been the case with me of late.  First circumstance:  Pregnancy.  Second circumstance: Vertigo, intense vertigo.  It's slowed me down and also helped me to appreciate the simple opportunity to stand up without feeling you're the outer end of a rope being whipped around.  I'm looking forward to doing some things.  In the meantime here's a few pictures that chronical some of what's been going on inside those limits:

I was on my bed talking to my sister one day when I saw this hawk.  It landed in the tree, dropped something and spent the next 15 minutes looking for it:

Ah there it is!

See ya!

My boys went to the store one day and came home with this because as

Mowg told me, "I think you're sweet."  Ditto kid.

Easter has come and gone, but we did color eggs.

Tiny Pose

Mowg working away

Mowg painted a box and his face earlier.  This is the "washed off" version.

Tiny got a hair cut courtesy Mom

The whole batch!

Usually at Easter I like to bring in a branch of something to "force".

This year I settled for a tiny pot of daffodils and one courtesly peeped out on Easter.

 At the end one day while on spring break, Mowg feel asleep mid icecream.

It was a long day!



I hope you're enjoying your days within their limits! :)

Some things that make me smile:

Tiny likes to take the cushions off the couch and put them on the floor and use a french rolling pin to "make fresh bread".  Last night as we were heading to bed she said, "Mom, you can sleep on my bread if you want.  It's sleeping bread."

She also says, "Oh, I forgot!  You haven't had a hug today.  Silly me."  then she'll give you a hug and sometimes if you'll allow "a bear hug!"

When turning on a light, "There's some shine for you Mama!"

I've been working on some Wonky House Blocks for a swap.  I have 7 done--5 more to go.

This first one isn't quite done, but it's slightly too small so it's the one I'm keeping.

Breakfast House

Fish House



Rainbow House with garage

Pigs on the Roof!

Strawberries in the garden.

Cupcake House

Umbrella Tree Bird House

My photography leaves a lot to be desired--the colors aren't very true.

I've sure had fun though trying different things and different stitches on my new machine.

February needs flowers

At least that's how I feel and the sunnier the better.

Where have we been?  Oh around.

Tiny's been packing her own lunch

(that's an unopened brick of cheese, "MEM's", and chocolate milk)

We went to a "meet and greet" evening with the IDPSSSDR Dog Mushers

Here's Mowg and I half watching a video, half watching Tiny

And here's Tiny!

Note her expression here--it's part of the dance

The drummer of a live band that performed later in the evening

asked her if she liked to dance.  She responded, "I'm a great dancer!"

She'd definitely fun to watch.

As we were leaving we wanted to take a picture of

one of the trucks with Flat Stanley.  When we asked, James Wheeler

 (a musher) not only let us but

brought Pepper (one of the dogs) out so we could get a picture.

As result, when they announced his arrival at the end of the race

Mowg yelled out, "That's the guy I like!"

The next morning at the start of the race here's Mowg, Flat Stanley and

one of the mushers giving his lead dogs some last minute psyching up

as the 10 second countdown begins.

Tiny and Flat Stanley waiting for the next team to come into the shute.

The dogs are EXCITED!

Lets GO!  Let's GO!

There was a bit of time for snow play at the finish line.

The snow was up to Mowg's waist up there.

Once the dogs are in they're pretty worn out.

(Who wouldn't be after running for 3 hours?!)

Note the dog's snow covered face.

He (she?) just buried her face in the snow

and seemed to be getting a drink.

Tiny liked watching the support crews do their feed-the-dogs-etc.-work.

(even if she doesn't look like it in this picture.  How did my kids get so camera-wise?!)

The End

Flat Stanley came on vacation to our house.

The first day he painted a "fresco" with egg paint.