Canning

I feel very domestic. In the past few weeks I have canned for the first time. It was actually a lot of fun. I canned tomatoes, twice. I tried to can salsa in the pressure canner. That one didn't turn out quite well. I made and canned applesauce and we are canning peaches later this week.

I feel very "domestic".

Thanks Jonna for all your help and advice. Its great to have neighbors that lend you all the cool tools to can and give you their old jars and even come over at 9 o'clock at night to help you with your applesauce, because you have no idea what in the heck you are doing!

And by the way, the applesauce turned out awesome!

Power of Moms

Ben surprised me and arranged for my friend and I to go to a retreat. A retreat all about being a great mom. Ben's cousin Saren started this website a while ago. It has been on my side bar for almost two years now, so if you have never clicked on it, I highly suggest it. Or just click here.

I learned so many great things to implement so I don't feel so overwhelmed, so tired, so "naggy", so inconsistent!! I learned about different love languages for my kids, tips for making our family economy and family legal system better. I met so many great moms that are just like me. Just like me, in that they are trying to be the best mother and wife they can be while enjoying it all.

Melissa and I had so much fun. Although there wasn't much relaxing around the pool and strolling on the beach, it was so rejuvenating!

This is where we stayed! Just the scenery was invigorating!

Some of the conference topics were:

Taking Care of the Person Inside the Mom

Finding the Time

Picking your Priorities

Family Systems

Love Languages

Mind Organizations for Moms

We are excited to start a learning circle every month with mothers here. A learning circle is just a group of moms getting together once a month and discussing an article about different aspects of motherhood. I know I emailed some of you awesome mothers about this a few months back, but if you are interested in participating in a learning circle leave a comment.

Thanks so much Ben for arranging everything! You are the BEST!

Vivid Memories

As of late I feel like I have enjoyed a little more the journey of motherhood. I think it has to do a little with Livy coming out of the "two's" stage. Sure, there are still tantrums and lots of screaming and drama. But i have really been able to soak in the little moments. Like today, going to the chiropractor. I couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear listening to their little conversation on coloring together and sharing a coloring book without fighting. It wasn't like they said anything hilarious, but they were so cute describing pictures to each other, showing each other hiding places on the way out to the car, getting excited about sitting next to each other in the car. It was great. Or little moments of listening to Brooke and Livy build towers together in the toy room, while trying to figure out ways not to let Jackson knock them down. I am continuously thinking, I need to go write that down. Or, I need to remember those conversations and joy in their voices. But when I sit down and rack my brain I can't remember the words, but I just feel the joy from those little moments.

I wish i could put a recording in my head of how cute Livy's little voice is. All of a sudden she has started talking like a little adolescent in her 2 year old accent.

I am enjoying Brooke's love for drawing and writing. (Even if it means stacks and stacks of papers that we can't throw away. And markers all over Livy-she has to do everything brooke does.) She just loves to sound out letters and write names and draw pictures.

Jackson is starting to copy everything you do . He loves to raise his hands in the air and shout for joy and he just started saying "dadda" (although he has no clue what it means). And of course, he is still our smiley little guy.

The last few weeks I have felt more joy in these little moments, constantly wishing I could bottle up the sounds and mental pictures to save. Hoping that I can open the jar and listen to and watch those moments when these little kids leave for jr. high or college. I find myself trying to engrave the tiny moments in my mind, hoping that I will find some of those images as vivid memories in future years.

Although it is still petty chaotic around here, and i never finish all that I set out to do, I am enjoying it none the less. It really is a journey. And I am learning that sometimes we are better travelers than other times. And for now, while I feel like I am a good traveler, I want to remember it!

Food Inc.

Can you say gross. Ben and I watched the first half of the movie Food, Inc. last night. WOW! I mean, i knew there were a lot of added chemicals and things in our food, but wowzers. Its no wonder we have so many health problems and ailments. I highly recommend watching it just for the information, but beware, it makes you really think about things that are in our food. Especially meat. As I laid there trying to fall asleep last night, i kept thinking i wanted to throw up. And i kept thinking about how much I wanted to change to make sure my children aren't affected by all the chemicals and hormones. If you want something to make you think, watch it! Our family has been trying to change our eating habits for the past 2 years, and it is a journey. A few steps forward, one step back. But watching this makes me want to be more committed to making changes that really are beneficial.

I'm a little nervous about what the next half of the movie will make me think about!

Watch it and let me know what you think.

Post edit: Ben and I just finished watching the rest of Food Inc. I loved it! I highly recommend it.

Big girl

I forgot to add one of my favorite quotes from last week on the last post. After Brooke's first day of kindergarten, we headed over to the pool with all the kids. It was so hot last week! There was a boy there that was probably 3rd or 4th grade. They were all playing games and as Brooke explained it she was on Markus' team. But the other boy wanted to change teams....and told us the long version of the story and then i just had to laugh so hard inside when she said, "And mom, can you believe it. He pointed to me and said, I want that little girl on my team. (and VERY matter-of-factly) I am not a little girl. I am in Kindergarten."

It was so cute!

Little Moments

Jackson isn't much of a talker. In fact I was a bit worried about his development a while back, but he babbles off and on now. But, I really want to engrave on my memory his smile and fast, loud breathing and how he starts kicking his legs that makes his whole body rock when he gets excited about something. Like when he is sitting in the high chair, and I pull out another food item he likes. Or last night when I was holding him while we were trying to get everyone in bed and I walked in the bathroom to get something and he did his little excitement dance with legs kicking and I realized he wanted to brush his teeth. As soon as I picked up the toothpaste his whole body was rocking from his legs kicking that I almost dropped him.

Livy has been practicing her manners all the time. It is so cute! She ALWAYS says thank you mom. Like yesterday at the labor day picnic, I got her a new hot dog because the other one fell on teh ground. As soon as I handed it to her, she said "dant you, mom." Or when i got her a drink at Calvin's birthday party yesterday, she immediately said, "That was so nice of you mom." And it is so cute when it is for small things. When I opened the door for her the other day, as she walked in she said, "dant you for opening the door for me, mom." Or "dant you for detting me milk, mom." It is so cute.

Another cute face of hers I never want to forget is how she cocks her head to the side and squints really hard and holds out her hand to the side and says something like, "don't you think, mom." Or "dants a good idea huh, mom."

I really love when Livy does her intense really loud "hu" in the back of the car while sitting in the car seat if she seems to think we forgot something, or if jackson is getting into something he isn't supposed to (like her towers she was building.)

I want to remember how when Livy gets really excited, especially about little things, like a cupcake or going to the park, she does her really loud "hu" and smiles and squints her eyes and shakes her hands a little with excitement. (I have to get that one on video. It is priceless.)

I hope i remember how persistent Livy is in asking every, every, every day at least 25 times. "You want to play mobbles wid me?" or "Mom, you want to play block wid me?"

I also want to remember how Livy calls any other women or girl that she doesn't really know "that Momma." For example, when Charity was here for a little while and she hadn't figured out her name yet she would say, "Dat Momma will play beads wid me, mom."

Kindergarten

Today was Brooke's first day of kindergarten. I cried. I didn't think i would. But when i got to the car, the tears all came. Actually I started to tear up when I was walking to the street to get to the car and then Livy threw herself on the ground and cried because she was too hot to walk she said. So the crying emotions stopped and i thought I would be okay. But as soon as I put jackson and livy in the car I started to cry. I think it's totally normal. I know she will do great. She was ready to go, although I am thinking some of the sadness/hesitation is because of the STUPID lottery and Brooke didn't get in to Parkmont. I try not to think about the fact that other kids are playing with all the furniture in the kindergarten rooms that my dad built, or the fact that my grandpa donated the land, or that my dad remodeled and built them three different libraries. But those thoughts are kind of always there. And I know its not the end of world that Brooke is at a different school than her friends, or that I have to drive her to a school out of our neighborhood, when I could walk her to parkmont. But it still hurts to think about it sometimes.

I know Brooke will do Awesome and Ms. Du, her teacher, seems great. She is from Taiwan, so I know her and Ben will have a lot to talk about. Maloney is a much smaller school and I think we will like it. When Brooke walked into the classroom it was the first time I have seen her really apprehensive and a little nervous. She has always been so excited about school. We went to the meet and greet yesterday to meet Ms. Du and some of the kids and I showed Brooke where she would sit, and we colored a little bit. But she still didn't seem really comfortable. I think that was the hardest part for me. We pumped her up about Maloney and tried really hard to not to talk about how stupid it was that she didn't get into parkmont when she was around. She will do great!

We tried to think of some fun traditions for the beginning of school. Ben gave Brooke a father's blessing on Monday night for part of family home evening. That brought back a lot of memories from when I was a child. We thought of going out to dinner, or making a cake and having a party. I knew Brooke was excited about her clothes grandma had gotten her, so we decided to do a "fashion show. Well after lots of tears, we did a little one. And then had ice cream sundays. I think that tradition will be better next year. And I am thinking some of the tears and frustrations the last two nights are just Brooke being nervous and not knowing how to explain it.

I know this will be a great year for Brooke! I am so glad she has a good teacher! And who knows, maybe we will like Maloney better than Parkmont!