Celebration

ALLELUIA!

The youngest yogi at the ashram

Charlotte and I have started taking yoga classes together. We are lucky enough to live near an ashram. The energy there is beautiful and the yoga studio looks over a mountain lake. The teacher, Jennifer, is a giving, loving soul and we are so blessed to have her as our teacher.
I thought yoga class would be good for both of us. Even though I have a yoga dvd, being in Jennifer's class let me hear from some muscles I haven't talked to in a while.:) I signed up Charlotte so she could better handle her stomach pain that she has had for years.
Charlotte LOVES yoga. She loves the quiet time most of all. She is the youngest student in the class. When she is skipping around the ashram grounds with her hot pink yoga mat and her hair in a ponytail, the other students (from all over the world) smile and say Charlotte will be the youngest yogi at the ashram.
The ashram is such a wonderful resource. Not only does it host an internationally acclaimed yoga school, a vegetarian cafe, speakers from world philosophies and religions, but also houses a school of ayurveda studies. I'm hoping when my time substitute teaching comes to an end my schedule will allow me to attend some of the classes.
Until then...peace everyone...OOOhhhmmmmm

When you turn 13...

you get to have birthday cake for breakfast :)

Last week it happened, I became the mother of a teenager. I couldn't be more proud of this little woman!

Science!!!

Charlotte's school had a Science Symposium night this week.  All the kids were encouraged to participate. We didn't go last year, so this was the first time Charlotte was involved. From the size of the turnout, I think the whole village showed up. I know parents whose kids did not do a science project still showed up to encourage the other children! Amanda and her 7th grade friends even came...they WANTED to!

It's not a competition. The children are expected to develop a hypothesis, follow an experiment and draw conclusions.  Miss Charlotte made a pasta/marshmallow bridge to test which was stronger spaghetti (cylinder) or linguine (flat). When each grade was announced, our local "scientists" - teachers and high school students dressed in their lab coats - went from experiment to experiment.

Charlotte had to explain her experiment and answer questions. Again, and again, and again! By the end of the evening, my little girl was pooped!
For me, the best part of the evening was seeing the little ones learn from the big guys!

Need peace in your heart?

My cyber-friend,  Melissa is starting a 15 week daily devotion to help bring peace and calm to our hearts and home. She is also recording podcasts to go along with the series. I loved Melissa's sites, I've been visiting her for 5 or 6 years now.  I stopped by for the vegetarian recipes, stayed for the lovely company. Melissa is a gentle, fierce woman of God.
I've been thinking of the changes and challenges I'll be facing in 2013. I'm hoping to gain discipline and focus over the next few months. Stop by, she has the welcome mat out.

I can't create the life I have just reading about the life I want

My computer...it's like cheese, or chips, or brownies, I could really let myself binge! And so it is with surfing around on the net.  There are so many wonderful, inspiring women out there. I could just read their sites for hours.

Hmmm.

I ask myself...

The best 45 minutes a day

There are SO MANY things that we have to make sure our children do daily; brush their teeth, school work, eat their fruits and veggies, some sort of artistic pursuit, play outside for an hour, play with siblings, chores, creative writing, build, explore plus I'm told they need at least 9 hours sleep! And I'M supposed to find time to clean, cook, work, exercise, walk the dog, bills, study, read, oh...my husband is around somewhere. Aaaauuugh. I only have 24 hours folks.
It can be tough to prioritize.  And all our shoulds can make parenting stressful and overwhelming. I have rarely hit all the marks, most time our daily shoulds turn in to eventually we'll get there. (And yes, I've sent a child to school without brushing their teeth...they lived.)
There is one activity I want to stress the importance of - reading aloud to your children! Reading aloud is so important. As an educator, I have learned that reading aloud is perhaps the most important activity in the teaching of reading. Children need to hear the best literature read aloud to them everyday.  And not just when they can't read it for themselves, but through all of their school years!

I don't think read alouds are time for the children to just lie back and float off to dream land. During a read aloud we model to our children how to think sequentially, we comment on characters and the reason for events, we predict, we retell the story, etc.  We model all of the strategies they can use as independent readers. This does not take a PhD. It boils down to reading the story aloud, letting your child know you enjoyed it, making comments along the way ("Oh, I didn't expect that to happen." "Why did she go there?") and asking your child what part they liked/disliked and to tell you about it. Reading together shows a child this is an activity you value and you want to share it with them.

Hubby and I have always made time for reading in our lives. Our house is full of books, we checked out the local library first before deciding to move to our little village, we join in the girls' excitement when a new and wonderful book is discovered.  Okay, you get the picture - we are book people, folks! We wear the love of reading on our sleeves.
When they were little we grabbed little bits of time to read to them...in the morning while we were drinking coffee and wanted a quiet activity, while waiting for lunch, rainy days, bedtime, bath time, potty time (do you?), anytime.

Now that they are older and reading on their own, I've forgotten the importance of reading aloud.  I still do during sick days and summer break, but that has been it.
This year reading aloud is going back on the list of important activities!!!! Tatatada! (can you tell I've been thinking about my priorities this new year?) Will I do a daily read aloud? No way, just not in the cards.  But I'm going to look for those moments when we can share a few pages and meet new characters together.  There are plenty of on-line resources that suggest excellent read alouds for every age group. I'm gonna get a paperback version, put it within easy reach, read it aloud, and draw power and peace and strength from reading. What a great thing to share.

2 servings a day

I don't know why, I just am not much of a fruit person.  Love vegetables but I've really got to work at it to just get one serving of fruit a day.  I never much cared...but there is nothing like having children around to make you want to change your bad habits! They have the annoying tendency to do what you do, not what you say.
I'm working on upping my fruit intake and making it more of my everyday diet. The health benefits of fruit are many; it provides fiber, reduces the risk of heart disease, some cancers, and high blood pressure. But mostly, snacking on fruit is a habit I want my children to develop again-and it is up to me to set the example. Now that they are older, this momma has let the junky food creep into the house a little too much. As Cookie Monster says, "Cookies are a sometimes food."
I'm a snacker and frequently snack on tortilla chips, cookies, nuts, dried cereal, etc. I know there are better choices, but it's just so convenient (and yummy)! Now I keep a bowl of fruit out on the table, couldn't be more convenient.

The simple move of getting the fruit out of the frig and putting it out where we can see it has worked well for the girls.  Um, momma still needs to keep her hand out of the Veggie Booty bag.

Sick Day

Charlotte didn't go to school yesterday. The girls passed a stomach bug back and forth - twice. Everyone seems to be up and running now, but we are a pretty worn out bunch.
Charlotte stayed in her pj's all day.  I let her watch a little TV in the morning, but that was it.  We try to keep TV to a minimum at our house. By the afternoon Charlotte was feeling much better, so of course that began the chorus of "I'm bored."  Done with reading, drawing, etc. Charlotte came downstairs and asked to sew.
I keep supplies within easy reach so when they get bit by the art bug they can quickly gather materials to satisfy whatever "itch" they got.
We have a big bin of felt and tons of embroidery floss. She cut out her pattern and set to it.

When big sister got home, she got into the act. (Scrap fabric left over from Home Ec apron project is now a fashion statement)

Yup, sewing was definitely good medicine :).

Throw it in

I love to make soups and stews in the winter, especially ones where everything just gets thrown in the pot. This momma has a busy week planned, so I'm making tomorrow's dinner today. It's so easy, thought I'd share the recipe.
Um, I'm not real great with measurements - I just chop it up and throw it in!
Into your crockpot:
One butternut squash, peeled and cubed

One small eggplant, cubed

A couple of zucchini

10 oz. frozen okra

Add in some kind of  tomatoes; either chop up a fresh one, add a can of diced, pour in some sauce, I put in a few T of paste and a bit of water.

Chop up an onion

Chop up one carrot

Add in some vegetable broth to keep everything moist, 1/2 to 1 cup should do it.

Add in a handful of raisins-that's 1/3 c.

 One clove garlic, chopped

Spices: cumin, turmeric, cinnamon and paprika. (Miss Charlotte is on an IBS diet right now, so I went very light on the spices. Season how you wish)

 Fire up the crockpot or stick it in the frig, and you've got dinner! Cook on low for 10 hours or so. I'll pull it out when I leave in the morning at 7 and dinnertime in around 5:30.

Enjoy!

PICTURE FIND-(we all use my camera so I never know what pictures will pop up)
The girls made Groundhog Day treats -

He saw his shadow - sigh.

Wow, I'm a creative momma after all!

Who knew? I've often gotten in the rut of comparing myself to other mothers.  Mothers who were smart, skinny, creative, stylish...just about everything I felt I wasn't.  I would visit blogs of other moms and see how creative and clever they were, seeing their lives in their nicely decorated homes and awed by the scenes of their peaceful days in artistic pursuits with their children.  And me, I was just being mommy to my two incredible girls, but not doing anything special. I always felt inadequate after viewing those blogs. Do you ever find yourself walking this path?
A few years ago I bought a book by a very well known mama blogger. I thought (and so did the 1000s who visited her blog) her approach to mothering was so creative and imaginative. Again, I compared myself to her...she's more stylish, younger, her kids so cutely dressed, her house was better decorated - heck, it was just decorated. I felt like I was an okay mom, but nothing worth shouting about. I didn't have a blog, no one lauded my creativity, I was just exploring each day with my girls. Nothing special.
Last week I FINALLY cracked open her book. The entire time I was reading it I found myself saying, "Oh, we do that," "I always do that," "Yes, I remember doing that with the girls when they were little."
I did/do most everything that is in her book!!!! (This is truly a revelation)
What?!? I'm a creative, imaginative momma?  Well...maybe...yes, I seem to be.

We created, explored, imagined, celebrated, wondered, discovered and grew.  Who knew what an incredibly creative family we were...are.
The girls are now older than they were in these pictures, but the seeds of creativity are firmly planted in those little women. (They spent this day off from school writing stories, baking cookies and learning to crochet!)
Naaa, I do not think I could write a book. However, I find I don't need this book from "creative" mama whose blog I used to read.
Think I'll gift it to my local library. :)
Friends, feel confident that you have the ability to create!

Pray

As I wait to celebrate the birth of one child...

Tonight I am praying for all children.

Find Myself Dreaming of Spring

Many moons ago I uploaded a book published in 1903, A Woman's Hardy Garden by Helena Rutherfurd Ely. I've been reading it off and on for over 2 years. I'm trying to fool myself into thinking that I could possibly grow a flower garden.  Now that we've had a yard for 15 months I find that I have quite the green thumb - my weeds were healthy and thrived all year.  I managed them so well that they survived even when my husband sprayed weed killer on them.  I have a gift.

So now I am perusing several gardening books.  I started to do some research on the author of Woman's Hardy Garden.  Found this bit of information -

In the early 1900s, Helena Rutherfurd Ely, a founding member of the Garden Club of America, wrote three books encouraging a generation of gardeners to abandon the Victorian practice of "bedding out" garish colored tender annuals in geometric beds, the gardening equivalent of a showy, status-seeking home. Instead, she urged her followers toward a more informal and sensual style.

What started as a matter of personal taste became a revolutionary movement, and made Ely and her garden early stars of American horticulture.

Her inspiration came from the relaxed plantings of farmhouse dooryards and rural fences lined with casually tended hardy herbaceous perennials. Her first book, "A Woman's Hardy Garden" (1903), sold 40,000 copies, an impressive number for a garden book even today. Her five-acre garden on the New Jersey-New York border became a mecca for her disciples, and she was inundated with fan mail. Letters were still arriving more than 20 years after her death in 1920.

Hmmmm, I live 9 miles from the NY/NJ border....hmmmm.  After a bit of internet snooping I found out that as of 2004 her gardens were still being maintained, and they are 7 miles from my house!!!  The owner who had maintained the gardens died in 2004 so I'll have to find out this spring if the new owners of the property are allowing folks to have a look! I've lived in NYC for over 20 years so I have NO CLUE when it comes to gardening.  Now that I'm living in a rural outpost of the city, I think this spring I'll stick a few plants in some dirt and see what happens.
(I found her book on U Penn's digital library, have a look).
This ends my ode to spring - now I gotta shake a leg and get ready for Christmas. HoHoHo.

If you do not find time for exercise you will...

have to find time for illness.
It can be so difficult to find a balance between caring too much for our bodies and caring too little.  I'm afraid I fall into the second group.  I get so busy, and the first thing to go will be exercise.  Even my fall back exercise, walking the dog, will get delegated to my daughter.
Our bodies are the only living sacrifice we have to offer God (Proverbs 4:23).  If we are too busy to take care of our bodies, are we busier than God wants us to be?
I recently got a new toy for Mother's Day

This little beauty keeps me movin'! I don't belong to a gym, so that's how I justified requesting it ;). 
Find a way to keep motivated! Having an exercise partner helps, but if you don't have that connection with someone then try an on-line group.  I recently found out about http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ and I love the site.  It tracks your food intake, exercise, and has support groups.
It's spring! Let's get going!  Having a healthy body that can move you and house an active mind and a loving heart...it's a blessing!

Let your habits have a piggyback ride!

Are you wanting to develop a new habit?  Maybe memorizing scripture? Getting in a few more minutes of exercise? Counting your blessings? Then piggyback new habits on to old ones!
My neighbor down the street has a son who suffered brain damage.  The mom explained to me that as he learns and masters a new task, they piggyback on to it a new habit they want him to master.  For example, he has to review daily to remember his address and telephone number.  Every night when he has a bath, a habit that is well engrained and he is comfortable with, he uses bathtime to review his address and telephone number. 
As I was walking back home I thought about what new habits I could piggyback on to old ones.  Hmmm...
Well coffee every morning is definately a habit...could piggyback reading the Bible every day on to that one.  I have to walk the dog twice a day...could piggyback praying for others on to that one.  There is a TV program that comes on every Sunday night...maybe I could piggyback unfinished craft projects on to that.  And during my daily drive to pick up my commuter husband I'm gonna counting my blessings!
Now I'm really thinking about all the new positive habits I want to develop.  It will be much easier to develop these habits if I attach them to habits I already have.  And maybe I could find some not so great habits to piggyback on to and slowly let the new habit take over :). 
Do you have any habits that could take newer, positive habits for a piggyback ride?

I know the answer...YES, YOU ARE MOTHER ENOUGH!

You know more than you think you do! (thank you Dr. Spock)
Motherhood is many different things, but I'll tell you what it ain't:
It's not a competition; it's not a measure of your worth; it's not perfect; and it's NOT the same for every woman and every child.
I've been looking critically at what some of the "experts" are saying about motherhood. My goodness, if I was a new mother today I would be completely overawed by all the "shoulds" and "musts" I see being promoted.  So, I would like to put my voice into the mix..."Have confidence in yourself".  Mommies and Daddies usually know what is best for their child.  Trust in yourself...and pray...a lot!
I was looking at the website of a very well known speaker on motherhood.  She's published gobs of books and hosts many conferences around the country.  Now, I'm not gonna throw the baby out with the bathwater, much of what she has to say is pretty sound advice.  However, she sure does have an awful lot of "shoulds" in her advice- "You should have daily devotions with your child." "You should be at home." "You should homeschool." She even goes so far as to relay a story of going to a conference and being able to tell which child had a "strong foundation" and had been raised as she suggested by the way the child was behaving.  (I think a child can have a wonderfully strong foundation and still have days when they behave like little terrors!)
And now Time magazine jumps in and tries to ensnare us in the trap of "who is the better mother." I do hope the women people of America don't fall for that one.
Let's take a breath....

Here are some important truths about motherhood:
You are a child of God who seeks to walk in his truth.
Your child is a gift from God.
You want your children to fulfill their potential.

Keep looking at the big picture! Don't get bogged down in shoulds.  I'm a teacher and every lesson has an objective.  If I'm teaching children addition I could use songs, flash cards, computer games, worksheets, manipulatives, etc.  There are many ways to get the concept of addition across.

The same is true for raising a child! An objective for your child is, for example, to develop a relationship with God.  The goal is the objective and there are so, so many paths to get there.  You could have daily devotions, go to church, sing hymns, set a godly example, watch videos, pray together, etc...There is no should.  My oldest child loves to read the Bible and write out verses, but my other daughter prefers to sing hymns.  At the end of the day, I just want them to know that God has named them and claimed them and made them his own.  That is a source of joy, not stress and feelings of failure.

My path is not your path. My child's path is not your child's path.  His will for my family may not be His will for yours! Listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  Try to meet His expectations of what mother you should be, for you will surely exhaust yourself trying to meet the expectations of everyone else.  Let your child influence you.  Having a child is a wonderful opportunity to think about the kind of person God has made you today.  Use these insights to understand, trust and have confidence in yourself. 

Are you mother enough? God has answered the question for you.  YES.

Happy Mothers Day!

My very best Mother's Day present...

Today and every day!