ok, ok, today is the day

alright, enough is enough already! I haveen't posted since january! ha.
I have written posts. several of them...but never pressed the publish button...
it will not happen today.
IT WILL NOT!
so, if you are reading this and there are spelling errors or things just don't make sense it is because as soon as I get enough down to seem like i made some point about something, or shared a little peice of my self i am pressing publish, and that is that!.

how can i even sum up the past 6 months... I admire all of you who are able to post regulary and now have this gorgeous scrapbook/memeory journal of you and your little ones. I aspire to that. but there just seems to be soooo much to do - all the time. when do you do it! (no, seriously, i need some insight...)
I could blame it on the fact that I home school, the pregnancy, the kids - but perhaps I am just not the daily blogger and that is okay.

alright, my spare 5 minutes is up. Zac is awake from his nap and needs me.... this has been an incredibly gorgeous day, after a couple of WAY too hots and WAy too colds - today is prefectly June.


headed out to the garden with my sweet babe....

the wonders of Super Salad

so I did some thinking over the holidays about this blog.
about what I was doing (or not doing with it) and what I really wanted to say.
I type a lot of froo froo junk.
reading back over some posts it's like I was actively avoiding what I really wanted to say.
not always, mind you.
but a lot of the time.
as with real life, I find it hard to really say what I think/believe for fear of offending or upsetting others.
but really, what is the point in a blog if you can't say what you want. isn't that the whole point?
so, I move forward.
I want to share.
what I think
if you don't like it
hmmmmm....
don't read it.

Now, I bet you are expecting me to rant about something really significant today. seeing as I am all fired up and ready to share.
funny thing is, today I want to talk about food.

yummm
yes, food.

it has been on my mind a great deal (usually is, in fact, several times a day!)

real food.
eating good food.
and seeing to it that my children eat good food.

one of our favorite meals is a little something we like to call SUPER SALAD! (not to be confused with soup OR salad.)
the thing that is so appealing about this meal - and let me tell you, everyone in my family gets excited when they hear that it is Super Salad night - is that it is a make your own concoction sort of thing. I have found over the years that the more input that the kids have into what is on their plate, the easier it disappears off the plate.
Here is how it works; all the fixings for salad, and then some, are put out on the table and everyone customizes tier meal. so easy right?!
there are a few "rules" to make sure they understand that an entire bowl of raisins and nothing else does not their dinner make.
so, they must have a variety - this isn't usually too difficult, as they are given so much to choose from - and they need to have some good protein in there.
here is a list of things we usually have out
a variety of lettuce - leaf, romain, ice burg etc.
baby spinach
tomatoes
cucumber
celery
broccoli
green onion
carrots
snow peas
peppers of different colours
zucchini
apples
clementines
strawberries
pineapple
hard boiled eggs
chicken
bacon
homemade croutons
different nuts , walnuts, almonds, pecans
flax seeds and others
rice or couscous
raisins and cranberries

not that we have ALL those things each time we have super salad, but usually most. it is a great meal for using up left overs!

as far as salad dressings, I make a couple of my own and put out what ever is in the fridge, but in fact, most of my kids prefer their salad with no dressing - doesn't really need it when you combined so many wonderful foods!
so there is it.
a salad that I don't have to focus what parts of it my family doesn't eat. a lot of the time when a salad is made and just put in front of them I have to pick out the tomatoes for her or the mushrooms for him or he won't eat it if dressing has been added. Super salad night is always fun. lots of chopping and dishes, but we enjoy trying new combinations and chatting away while we make our bowls. Then all is nice and quiet while we enjoy our salad art.
oh yes. and the name. in a family of super hero obsessed members it helps to have a fun name, we all get healthier and stronger as we eat. ready to save the world!

i wanted to share some christmas moments, memories
as many others are at this time.
coming out the "other side" of christmas day and reflecting on it all
leaves me cherishing the beautiful moments.

christmas 2010 meant for me:
the joy of seeing my brother in law and sister in law safely home from africa on christmas eve
our children opening and enjoying thier stocking treasures on our bed christmas morning
staying up late chatting with my mom and brother
sitting with my sister and watching our toddlers colour together by the fire
and, of course, a renewed love for Jesus.


and there you have it. I found this year to be much more simplifed and way less stressed than past years. I am so grateful for that.

broken glass

nothing changes the pace of my day quite like broken glass.
you know what i mean.
the day is going along swimmingly
everyone is full from lunch and about to run off and play for a few minutes
with full bellies and renewed energy
the children clear the table obediently and you start to daydream about all the things you are needing to do/get done.
the aftenoon will be productive and you -

SMASH!!!!
crack shatter bam tinkle...crunch.......

"NOBODY MOVE!"
"don't worry mom", the five year old at fault looks at you with puppy dog eys, "I know I'm not in trouble, it was an accidnet. I even was thinking that plates can break so i took it from the table extra careful."

unfortunately gorgeous tile in the kitchen = broken dishes

so, the positives.
I didn't yell.(despite my use of capital letters a few lines up)
it made us all start to move a little slower (always a good thing)
my floors got swept, vaccumed, and washed!
I have one less dish to wash.

simplify. right?!?!

in and out

ah

I sit here with my tea,
my adorable little red notebook (net book?)
and I am drawing one big, overwhelmingly humongous blank.

see, the thing is
I am alone.
actually alone.

for a homeschooling mother with a nursing toddler I can tell you that this doesn't happen very often.

I have a pile of laundry to put away (don't mind washing it, or folding it but it never seems to get put away)
and I know that I would feel very good seeing a clean room
with empty baskets
but I would like to blog.

so, here I am with nothing to say.
no inspiring words.
just breathing in and out.
and letting my fingers type.

my ginger tea warms me on this dreary day
and I see the mug as half full.

I am not always a half full kind of person

but today I am
this was a nice day.

we have finished a full month of school
the roller coaster has been up, way up
and down

waaa
a
a

aaa
aaa
y

down.

we always start september with expectations,
to learn lots and have fun fun fun!
but with (my) expectations come
over scheduled days,
and way too many workbooks (will I ever learn?)

so.
where do you go once the roller coaster stops?

well, that's easy
you jump off and run as fast as you can to get in line for the next wild ride!

I am quite sure I won't get on here to write for another week or so,
it seems to be my pattern.
lots of wonderful and wild things will happen around here from now until then
probably involving food, and baby poop, friends, books, music, clothing, nature, paint and clay, cuddles and... well... lets face it, more baby poop
you know, all that life stuff
I will have no time to document it,
and when I finally do I will have very little to say

but
that is life, is it not?
a lot of regular stuff
in with some fancy fun now and then
a fight or two to upset things
but loads of forgiveness
smiles
collapsing exhausted on the couch with my spouse once the kids are asleep
but saving just enough of myself for those last hours of the day.
a moment to reflect
to connect
and to imagine the possibilities of the following day

30

woke up to breakfast in bed from my eight year old pixie.
angels singing to me and jumping on me.
love.
cocoa quinoa puffed cereal with delicious raw milk.
and a muffin.
some new chapstick. and a new cd.

ingrid michaelson.
if you haven't heard this girl go have a listen

first song that came on said what i was feeling today.

I woke up this morning with a funny taste in my head
Spackled some butter over my whole grain bread
Something tastes different, maybe it's my tongue
Something tastes different, suddenly I'm not so young

I'm just a stranger, even to myself
A re-arranger of the proverbial bookshelf

and so, with my cup of coffee and my babies around me i welcome this day...this year...this decade...ready to embrace...
hello life.

are you missing someone today?
someone living.
someone passed.
is someone on your heart, but out of sight?

i miss my baby brother today.
he is across the pond in Ireland for the year.
i am so excited for him, that he is there, but I can't help but ache to see him.

you know those people that always make your day better when you seen them. whether you were having a good day already, or it was one of those you would rather leave - that person enters it and your day is instantly taken up a level.

i miss my husband.
he just left for work.
he is only 15 minutes away. and I can talk to him on the phone at any time.
but i still miss him.

you know those people that you are around constantly and never get sick of. you are so use to being with them you feel strange and a bit empty when you are not.

i miss my paternal grandfather.
i never met him. he died years before i was even born.
i miss knowing him. i wonder what it would feel like to have him look into my eyes and smile at me. hug me.


you know that person you have heard all the stories about? you know that if you could just meet them you would get along swimmingly. one more person in your life to love. is it even possible to miss the unknown? or is that another emotion all together?

i am not sad today. i didn't mean for this post to sound so.
i am just missing some people.....
does that mean i am sad.
does missing = sorrow?
no
but I do have three kisses for three men i can't presently kiss.

i better go plant them on my babies!

(who are you missing today?)