This Week's Menu

Lately, we've been lazy with our food and we're feeling the effects of it.  We've had headaches, stomach aches, and felt overall sluggish.  This time last year, we would have never related that to our diet, but we know differently now.  While I don't think that we have to eat like rabbits all the time, there is a balance and that balance is particular to each of us.  The key is to listen to our bodies and take the time to give them the right foods.  While it sounds simple and easy to some, for us it's a big shift and we're still making it.  It's taking years, folks, years.  Here's what we're stuffing our bocas with this week:  

Kale and white bean salad, bread

Cream of asparagus soup, blue cheese and orange salad

Fish tacos, cilantro and lime brown rice, fruit

Sausage and tomato pasta

Sadness, Marching Bands, and One Cool Fort

This week has been one of the saddest weeks for me.  A friend and her family got some very bad news, and this friend is so dear to me.  While it feels like her world has stopped, my world has become very fuzzy.  I'm just so sad for her and the news that she received, and I've felt very immobilized.  From sobbing on the kitchen floor to organizing our files, I've experienced all the stages of grief this week.  While it's been difficult for me, all I think about is my friend and her family and what life is like for them.   The thing that brings me the most comfort is being with her.  I love seeing her and being with her and giving her freedom to feel whatever she wants to feel.  (I even have some anger exercises that I picked up in the 4th grade when my family was at Sierra Tuscon that I can't wait to share with her.)  

On a particularly slow day this week, I was able to enjoy some home time with the kids.  I erased all obligations, chores, and errands from our agenda and just had some white space to play with them.

We formed an indie marching band that lasted for quite a while, a game that John originally created.  There was lounging, of course, but the best was the fort.

Between being the oldest of three and numerous years of babysitting, I've made about 1798323 blanket forts in my day.  The peak of my skills was this day when I made a solid fort complete with a room, top bunk and pillows inside for reading books.  Fern was quite impressed and excited, while Burl just made us pretend hot dogs the whole time.

This day was so good for me in so many ways.  I enjoy playing with the kids, but it's rare that I have several hours to devote to them.  I made a decision to focus on them the whole day and it felt so good.  It helped give me some joy and hope that I had lost this week.

From here, I don't know how to wrap this up.  I just wanted to post this as something that I can remember.  It's been a dark week, and I've had a lot of time in my head and I almost deleted this blog and stopped doing a lot of things.  Instead, I've tried to keep doing my normal things and function the way that I normally do.  That's about all that I've known to do is to keep going, one foot in front of the other.  

Merica

Out of all the little family pictures that I tried to take, this one is my favorite:

Happy 4th, Yall!

Small Egg

If there is one thing that I love about raising children it's watching them have new experiences and learning new things.  I'm pretty savvy in taking the kids new and fun places, but when it comes to cool activities at home (like Montessori activities for toddlers) I'm at a loss.  I only think to do these things if someone else suggests them to me.  Recently, I saw a blog post about a 4 year old peeling a hard-boiled-egg and thought that looked amazing.  I let Burl have a go at it and he picked it up right away.  "Mama, this my job cause it's hard work to do."  Burl has become our residential egg peeler each morning.

While this activity is pretty basic and small, I'm completely blown away by what he can do.  Every morning, I'm taking videos and sending them off to everyone in the family.  He can peel a freaking egg!!!  With his chubby little three year old fingers and I love it!

While my friend Caroline sent her daughter off to her first overnight camp and I let my toddler peel an egg, we marvel.  Sure, they're getting older and we're suppose to be sad about that, but beyond that we find joy and excitement and gratitude that we get to be a witness to this growing up business.  In the words of Caroline, "it even more delights that the world is opening up to her" (or him).  Amen!

While it seems unimportant to some, to this Mama I marvel at the small ability of my son.  We all have those small things that make us take a deep breath, and this was my small thing for the week that makes me excited to be a mom.  Enjoy a few videos:

Know any other activities or good websites for resources for toddler activities?
Please send them my way!  Thanks!