Plentitude

Boobie Hats

2011-04-09T18:49:00.000-06:00

A couple of boobie hats for a couple of my little guys. Because nothing says "lactivist" better than putting a breast on your baby's head. ;)

Garden Prep

2011-03-06T16:32:00.004-07:00

I've been planning a garden behind the "old garage" (which is now my office) for many years. It used to be a part of the alley, but we enclosed this area with a fence some time back. Since then, we've been tossing all our tree branches, yard waste, and even had a bona fide compost pile back there at some point. Consequently, there were about 6 inches of compost covering this back space.

I found these crates at our Habitat Restore--they are simply 8 1x4 hinged together with metal brackets. The bottom is open, so they are perfect for beds. They can also be stacked, so I plan to stack them and cover with plexi glass this fall for cold frames.

A friend found these food-grade buckets at our recycling center, and I'm going to use the old double gate (on the left) and a piece of wire fencing (on the right) for climbing plants.

More buckets and crates on the right side of the back garden.

This area (above) is the east side of our house, next to our back porch. I think I'll make this my herb garden.

This area is where I had tomatoes in the tires last year--this year I'm moving the tires up and adding three more crate beds. This is probably the sunniest spot of all the gardens, and the tomatoes loved it here last year, so I suppose we'll do that again.

This was another tomato area last year, but this year I think I'll put mostly root veggies here. It's not raised, though there's a concrete divider. I'm going to use that old gate as another lattice for something or other. The area under the wheel barrow is a good size--we just need to fill it in a bit.

So, consider these the "before" pictures. I am looking forward to showing you the "afters" soon!

An Afternoon at the Museum

2011-02-15T23:07:00.002-07:00

We spent the afternoon at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, since the third Tuesday of every month is a free day.

Some of these pictures are horrifically bad because of the lighting, but I had to show these enormous glass bowls.

In fact, the glass exhibits were the biggest hit with the boys in general.

It was fun to wonder what the artist was thinking of when the glass was made.

Liam really does the contemplative thing well.

Rhys was pretty underwhelmed in general, but marginally liked the clay figurines in the Latin American exhibit. I particularly liked the babywearing mama--the third away from Rhys.

Quinn really enjoyed the museum. Which was a welcome relief from his adolescent attitude in spades from the morning.

What boys don't like spiky balls?

And, of course, getting three boys to look in the same direction and smile, all the while with the sun shining in their eyes, is a special kind of torture. But it was still a good afternoon.

Kindle Cover

2011-02-15T11:00:00.004-07:00

When I got my Kindle, I didn't buy a cover because they were really expensive and I wasn't sure I'd need one. Most of the time, I don't. But when my Kindle gets tossed into my purse with everything else, including sharp knitting needles, I find myself wanting a cover. I checked on Etsy, and a pattern alone was $6 (I mean, it's a rectangle and thin, not the most complicated of patterns...). There were some pre-made for sale, but most were just a pouch, whereas I liked the type that you keep on the Kindle while reading. So, I made my own.

I recently ordered some new fabric, and it just came in. The outside is a woven fabric, not sure if it's a linen/cotton blend or what, exactly. I love the print though.

Liam helped me sew on this big button, and I decided to use elastic as my loop, since I'm notoriously misjudging length. I figured I would appreciate its forgiving nature.

I love this little crown detail in the fabric.

The inner fabric I think is taffeta. I ironed some fusible fleece onto the backside of the lining fabric to give it some body and cushion.

While this picture is a bit blurry, it's illustrating the (accidental) fact that I can charge my Kindle without taking it out of the case.

I made some little pockets on the left-hand side. They could be used for notes or cards, or earbuds for audio listening.

The corners are simply triangles. I had to finish two sides of the triangles on the left, but was able just to serge the edges of the triangles in with the right edge, top, and bottom. I serged most of the way around, leaving about a 5 inch opening to turn it inside out. I had intended to top stitch all around, but didn't leave myself enough extra room for that, so I attempted an invisible hand stitch to close it. After I pressed it, you can see a bit of the stitching, but it's not egregious in my opinion.

So, all in all, this was a simple project, inexpensive, and only took a couple hours.

February Lady Sweater

2011-02-05T20:49:00.003-07:00

I bring you, after long last, the February Lady Sweater. I checked with the yarn shop and was reminded that I started this project in June. It started easy, caused me great angst from time to time (and thus put it down for extended periods), but ultimately was a relatively quick and easy sweater.

The first picture's color is a bit more gray than it is in actuality, and this series appears a bit darker than life. It's knit in Cascade 220 Heathers, in the green/brown colorway. I went for a mid-hip length.

The buttons also came from my local yarn shop. I picked biggish (okay, huge) buttons because of some issues I had with the garter stitch border--I know, I know, how can you screw up garter stitch? It's a long, boring story, but trust me--it can be done.

My biggest problem, and greatest saving grace, came when I accidentally knit the first sleeve inside out (don't ask me how I managed that--lace is confusing), but also realized while ripping it back that I might not have had enough yarn for the second sleeve to be as long as the desired length. So, I re-did the first sleeve shorter, and just had enough to finish the project. I would have made the sleeves longer if I'd had another skein, but I was happy to have two shorter, but equal length sleeves.

So, my final words of wisdom are: buy an extra skein. I know you already feel like you're shelling out a ridiculous amount for a craft project, but what's an extra $8 or so in the grand scheme of things? Better to add to your leftover stash than end up a one-armed sporter of handknits.

The Importance of Grammar

2011-01-23T12:01:00.001-07:00

Rhys: This is where I fighted the Mandalorians.

Liam: Fought.

Rhys: Don't correct me. I don't like it.

Liam: Fine then, I guess you'll have bad grammar for the rest of your life and you won't be able to get a job.

Rhys: I'm telling.

Itty Bitty Hearts

2011-01-21T17:06:00.000-07:00

I'm learning to crochet so that I can make these adorable bitty hearts for valentines. I'm not really into hearts as a motif, but couldn't resist these adorable crafts. Who wants a valentine from me?

Make that two...

2011-01-20T12:53:00.001-07:00

Two teeth lost in one day. And a cranky boy with a tummy ache unimpressed with my picture taking.

And it's gone...

2011-01-20T11:07:00.001-07:00

The last baby smile?

2011-01-19T16:39:00.001-07:00

Rhys is about to lose his first tooth (at the decrepit age of seven years, three months) and I wanted to capture one more cheesy baby smile since his whole face will soon change.

Game Review

2011-01-11T14:18:00.010-07:00

Since we knew we were bringing the kids back home from school, we planned on updating our game cupboard this year in order to fill their time in a generally non-screen oriented way. We scored some at the thrift store earlier in the month, purchased several for gifts, we asked grandparents for games, and Santa came through, as usual. As a reminder, my boys are 13, 10, and 7 (though the 7 year-old is a very proficient reader). Here's what we've been playing:

Quirkle

Quirkle is a pattern recognition game that plays similar to Scrabble. It was enjoyable by all the kids and adults, but maybe not as competitive as some of us would like. My biggest complaint about it was the packaging. It includes a cloth bag for the tiles, but comes in a box four times the required size, which is unnecessary for game storage.

Bananagrams

Bananagrams is another tile game and is also played similarly to Scrabble. However, instead of having a board where you play off each others' words, you draw your own tiles and create your own words in front of yourself, while your opponent(s) does the same. All of my kids would be able to play this, but it would be difficult for a smaller child to keep up with a teen or adult, though there is no pressure to make complex words or play. Still, there is a racing element to this game that would be hard to equalize. As opposed to Quirkle, Banagrams is smartly packaged in the cloth bag alone.

Blink

Blink is a fun, quick card game for two players. I first played this in Indonesia with my friend's kids. It is a fairly even playing field across the board, and my 7 year-old can nearly keep up with me on this one. It reminds me a bit of War (though I haven't played that in decades) or similar.

Bezzerwizzer

Bezzerwizzer is a trivia game for adults. Our 13 year-old received this from his grandparents. While he knows plenty of the answers, it is still a challenge to compete with his brilliant parents. ;) We played this as a family one time, which worked out well enough since there were enough questions that the littler guys could answer. It is far, far preferable to Trivial Pursuit in my opinion, as it plays much quicker and has a better range and variety of questions. I am pretty sure I like this game more than the recipient.

Sequence Dice

This is a dice and board game that feels similar to Bingo. I did not care for it particularly, as there is very little strategy. Aside from the ability to add the two numbers on the dice together it is also not really much of a math game. However, it goes quickly and it is not mind-numbing, so it is a good choice to play with the younger crowd, or for the kids to play sans adults.

Logic Links

I haven't had a chance to play this one yet, as it got left at the grandparents' house, but Quinn (13) says it's a fun game that provides a series of clues to figure out a puzzle. I suspect it was enjoyed by adults as well the kids and that's the real reason why the grandparents still have possession of it. ;)

Double Take

This card game is similar to Rummy or Gin, but, frankly, not as much fun. The "Take" and "Double Take" cards allow you to take other player's books, which led to tears and fighting in my house. It was a bit of a challenge for the 7 year-old to keep up, and the 10 year-old struggled with the "letting go" piece. I have to say that I prefer good old Rummy to this one.

Simply Suspects

A modern Clue-type game, the players try to figure out who is who. Instead of there being one perpetrator, however, everyone has an identity that is trying to be solved. The first round was a little rough, but once everyone caught on all the kids could play their own game easily. Lots was learned about bluffing and being obvious as well.

20 Questions

More of a book with a spinner, than a board game, this is simply the old-fashioned twenty questions, but with four categories (person, place, thing, or year), and 20 questions written out. This was a bit tough for the 10 year-old, and almost impossible for the 7 year-old, though he did enjoy being the "reader." I think this would make a marvelous car game, or a great activities for teens to do whilst hanging out.

Homeschool Science

2011-01-10T11:33:00.001-07:00

Jason and the boys (really this is Liam and Rhys's lesson, but Quinn couldn't resist getting in the middle of things)are doing some egg science today.

This curriculum looks great, and the best part is the first several chapters are available for free to sample before you buy (which, frankly, is a very good thing with us, as we change curricula frequently).

And, yes, everyone is still in their PJs.

Signs of a Productive Saturday

2011-01-09T01:13:00.001-07:00

Hello 2011!

2011-01-07T19:54:00.003-07:00

A new year, a new start. Homeschooling is in full swing around here. We're looking forward to new adventures and experiences, and feeling glad that we made the call to bring the boys back home. They are all signed up for classes and lessons, and I think I'm going to enroll Liam in 4-H so someone can take on the task of training our crazy puppy.

I have a little time off-call after a busy month in December. My practice is growing, and it's been a bittersweet year of joys and sorrows. I'm now planted in my home office and am sure I'll enjoy the low-key nature of being home and having all my books and equipment in one location.

I intend to move firmly into the land of urban homesteading this year. I'm enjoying learning new things in the kitchen, making canned goodness, and intend to start raising chickens this spring.

Looking forward to a year of discovery and reflection! And maybe even an effort at capturing these moments in pictures and words. Happy New Year!

Why No NaBloPoMo?

2010-11-28T10:32:00.006-07:00

Well if there's one thing I know, it's that I am not a consistent blogger. Part of the reason I've been so bad about it this month is that Jason and I have been making very big, very difficult decisions. I think getting away really helped us gain some perspective and clarity, and I see many changes on the horizon as a result of our time to think.

One of the first changes that we'll be making is that our family is going to return to homeschooling. Our circumstances are very different now than they were when we enrolled the kids in school, and I believe some of our limitations from before are more manageable now.

We tried a different school this year, and it truly was a better fit for our family. I was hopeful that it would be the answer I was hoping for--trying to talk myself out of returning to homeschooling in fact. However, school has inherent limitations and I miss watching the kids discover the world, the kids miss having time to pursue their passions, and we are eager to return to the lifestyle we once chose very conscientiously. Because of their ages and some additions to the community, there are opportunities for them that weren't here before, so that will make the experience fuller and more manageable for me.

As a result of returning to homeschooling, I will move my practice to my home. Though the boys will be otherwise engaged on appointment days, it will greatly simplify things to have our space consolidated.

Finally, we are considering moving to a bigger house, but that is the most up-in-the-air change on the horizon. It is mostly contingent on our ability to find someone for our current house. This one may or may not come to fruition, but if it does, we will be adding a move to our chaos. If not, the man cave once again becomes my office. In any case, we'll embrace the upcoming year with a new focus and dedication.

Lessons Learned from My Time Away

2010-11-07T20:46:00.002-07:00

This weekend was really the first chance to step away from my life that I've had in awhile. Jason and I had some great conversations and I had some important realizations. A few of these are:

- We have to step away more often than we do. A couple's weekend once every 13 or 14 years is not okay. We have time at home sans kids, but that's not the same. We need to get away from our daily responsibilities more frequently. This may mean changing the way I practice or having a different sort of practice, but I will run myself into the ground if I put myself and my marriage last all the time.

- I have to take more time for self-care. My hours are varied, but they can be long and physical. The stress to my body is apparent, and it's not going to get any better if I don't compensate with regular massage and chiropractic care and attention to exercise and nutrition.

- I have to remember to find the joy with the boys. I spend so much of my time as the taskmaster, barking and nagging. It's not fun, and it's easy to forget where the focus needs to remain. I am growing men, here.

- Our family goal should be finding a place to go and unwind. Santa Fe was lovely, and amazing, but stepping away to decompress can be done a lot cheaper and a lot closer to home.

I had some other realizations that I can't share here, but suffice it to say that the simple act of stepping back gave me some much needed perspective.

Staying In

2010-11-06T19:34:00.002-06:00

We'd had plans to paint Santa Fe red tonight, but Jason's under the weather. Luckily I found a yarn shop today. This scrumptious yarn was 50% off, so I'm knitting up my favorite baby girl hat pattern. You simply cast on four times your intended number of stitches, knit a round, k2tog for the next round, knit a round, k2tog for the next round, then proceed to knit as usual. Keep the top flattish. I may embellish with a crocheted flower in the end. We'll see where the hat leads me.

Santa Fe

2010-11-05T18:01:00.001-06:00

Jason and I plan to do a lot of this over the weekend. We've not had a couples only vacation since having kids. Thirteen years ago. Yup. Thank God for brave in-laws who love my crazy clan.

Dia de los Muertos

2010-11-04T20:59:00.004-06:00

Tonight was the Day of the Dead celebration at our school.

The altar was amazing, taking up the whole stage. Notice Cobain, Joplin, and Hendrix.

The older boys got into the spirit. Quinn did his face painting, and I did Liam's. Liam won a drawing for Mexican bread from our new neighborhood bakery since he was dressed up.

There was music and a presentation at the cemetery, which we processed to from the school.

A highlight was the giant skeleton puppet.

Back to the school for performances and dancing.

A good time was had by all!

The Plague

2010-11-03T19:37:00.003-06:00

The plague has struck our home. Stomach flu. Blech. Quinn and I were hit hardest, Liam had a mild case, and Rhys and Jason are unscathed so far. I am hoping they stay that way, since Jason and I have fun weekend plans...

So, my big plans for daily blogging in November didn't go as planned. You can't blog when you can't get away from the toilet.

NaBloPoMo

2010-11-01T16:45:00.003-06:00

Well, I have decided to join NaBloPoMo--National Blog Post Month, mostly because I have no desire to write a novel this month, and I can't find a non-fiction writers' event. I really need to get started writing my book, but haven't found the motivation. So, my thought is that if I get into some sort of writing habit, that will come together.

I've also had a really difficult couple of months, and my hope is the daily habit of writing will make me somewhat more mindful of taking more time for myself as well.

Additionally, I have been a horrible photographer lately. When I blog, I find that I capture more in pictures than I otherwise do.

So, there ya go. I guess I'll be back tomorrow!

Liam doing his homework.

Liam resisting the paparazzi.

This and That

2010-05-31T18:17:00.006-06:00

I am good at many things but blogging is not one of them. Still, I thought I'd share some of what I've been up to.

Our rosebushes are in full bloom and gorgeous, and we have a persistent crop of volunteer snapdragons that continues to grow each year. I have some tomato plants in, and am trying to replace the front lawn with native plants bit by bit.

I have been to two conferences this past month, and have thus had the time to make two baby sweaters. This first one is for Baby A, who turned a year in May. I was privileged to attend her birth as a doula.
This second sweater is for Baby Z, who will be joining us on this earth in August. I am his mama's midwife, and she is having a baby shower in a couple weeks.

I've been reading a lot for pleasure, now that my formal studies are complete (with midwifery you are never done studying, but at least I have some free time now). I have a busy summer ahead, and am looking forward to spending it with the boys. Because we are economizing for the season, we're going to opt out of camps and organized activities and say yes to books, swimming pools, and laziness.

Monitoring mama and baby

2010-05-25T11:30:00.001-06:00

Rhys's teacher

2010-01-25T19:34:00.001-07:00

Rhys's teacher, originally uploaded by Plentitude.

More Boys

2010-01-25T19:31:00.001-07:00

More Boys, originally uploaded by Plentitude.

And away they go...

2009-08-13T09:16:00.001-06:00

More pictures available for viewing at Flickr.

Sand Dunces, er, Dunes

2009-07-26T18:14:00.001-06:00

On call and wasting time...

2009-07-24T18:00:00.003-06:00

I knew I'd be on call for all of July, but one forgets how limiting that ends up being in reality. For instance, Jason has gone to pick up the boy from camp, but since cell phone reception may be spotty and the distance puts me nearly 2 hours from the laboring women, I have to stay home. As it turns out that's fine--we just managed to organize a girls' night out to see The Ugly Truth. Yippee!

I have had some professional ups and downs lately. I had a client transport to the hospital, but received some good news regarding my training, so I feel there's a cosmic balance out there that I have to just step back to appreciate.

Number two boy is making me crazy, but life was better with him in day camp this week, so I have plans on running him ragged until school starts in 3 weeks.

One thing I'm feeling committed to doing is becoming more of a bike-for-transportation family. Jason rides his bike across town to work several times a week, and we're so close to the center of town that there's no reason we can't do the same thing. I do wish we were a little closer to my office, but then that begs the question of what would I do on a bike if I got a call to a birth.

See, it all comes full circle.

Shameless spam...

2009-07-14T14:19:00.003-06:00

....but it's SO cool and, hell, it's my blog! Click through and I'll be entered, lol.

The Best of Pueblo

2009-07-06T17:32:00.002-06:00

I was recently strolling around downtown Pueblo and talking with Jason about what I love about our city. I'm sure you all have others--share them in comments section.

The Riverwalk: scenic, artsy, good music, free. Whenever I'm down there, I so want to buy a loft and stay forever.
The City Park rides (the very same rides of my childhood): My eldest is almost too old (except for one ride), so I know our days of enjoying this attraction are limited. But quarter rides? What's not to love?
The new YMCA: 'nuff said.
Jorge's: I still maintain this is the best Mexican food in town.
The Nature Center: I'd pretty much rather take my walks here than anywhere else.
The Size: big enough to have pretty much any amenity, but small enough to actually be able to access/afford it.
Colorado Fiber Arts: great little yarn shop.
Minnequa Splash Park: free outside of pool hours, but the pools are so darn cheap it's no biggie to pay.
Charter Schools: Colorado has a good Charter School system, and we can pick from several here in town (or online).
Diana: could any statue rock more?
Arts Center: we've seen shows, taken classes, played at the children's museum. It's just a cool place overall.

There are other things like the kayak course or B Street Bash that I haven't actually tried out, but am pretty sure I'd enjoy. What do you love about our big small town?

Solo 4th

2009-07-04T10:22:00.002-06:00

So, Jason's parents planned a family reunion for today, but I'm on call and unable to travel to Rocky Ford. Half of me is really irritated by this fact (not that I'm on call, but that they are obligated to leave me), but the other half (okay 65%) is glad for some quiet time. Liam and I have really been butting heads lately...but more on that in another post.

So, for today I plan to index a little, surf a little, read a lot, watch some TV (Deadliest Catch or whatever is having a marathon today and it's strangely addictive), and then head to a friend's for a BBQ tonight. Or maybe we'll have a baby. :)

Friendships

2009-07-03T13:37:00.002-06:00

I've been thinking a lot about my friendships lately. Sometimes you lose track of old friends, but are reunited. (Facebook, how I love thee!) Sometimes we lose good friends because we grow apart. (Oh how often this happens when one friend becomes a parent, but the other does not.) Sometimes we realize that those who claimed friendship, really took so much more than they gave, and we further realize that we are not willing to sustain those one-sided relationships any longer. Sometimes we have friends that we get along with swimmingly, but there's some other obstacle to getting together. (Kids' incompatibility comes to mind.) I have some very, very dear friends who have withstood these tests that face friendships, but I have others that have not. But, in the end, I am thankful for those who do weather the storms, because my friends are truly my family.

An Overhaul

2009-07-03T12:05:00.002-06:00

So, when I posted in March about the new changes our family is experiencing, I was playing with the idea of leaving my blog behind. As anyone who has ever tried to read my blog with any regularity knows, I often have multi-month breaks, so I didn't feel I needed to make any big announcements or proclamations. Well, as the months have gone by, I have missed blogging. I think, though, that I was unhappy with blogland to some extent and was also rebelling against these overly cheery and beautiful blogs. Life just ain't that pretty all the time. I want my blog to be real. So, here I am, back to the drawing board, trying to decide where I want to take this silly little online journal of mine.

So.

When I come back from my blogging breaks, I tend to do big, long update posts. I shall do that now.

Quinn is now twelve. And acting like it. Overall, though, it's okay and I enjoy having someone old enough in the house for me to run out if I need to (either to run an errand or to a birth with short notice). He started school in the 4th quarter of 5th grade last year. That puts him old for his class, but not very. His birthday is 5/19 and the cut-off for our district is 6/1, and I just couldn't see making my little, immature guy the youngest in his class. Additionally, the schools are IB magnet schools, and the curriculum is quite rigorous, so I felt he would be plenty challenged in 5th grade. Academically he did fine, though a bit of catch-up in math was needed (we did the same math curriculum at home--Singapore--but they were a full year ahead of where we were when he enrolled). Socially, he made a couple good buddies right away, but still had some struggles with his focus and distractibility issues. We had him evaluated for ADHD several years ago, and he certainly is borderline, but we've learned how to compensate at home. At school--all bets are off and he had to work hard to keep on task. His teacher, while very good I am sure, seemed to have no tolerance for distractibility, and I was overall displeased with the fit. But next year, in 6th grade, he'll have several teachers and I hope that there will be at least one that will get him.

Liam went into 2nd grade a month or so before Quinn enrolled. His 6/5 birthday officially missed the cut-off, and--again--I am glad he is older for his class. His issues of self-confidence and sensitivity certainly came into play this year, but overall I would say it is clear school is a better fit for him than homeschooling was. Which is good, because at this point I am not willing to homeschool him further. We are just too similar and I was either engaging in, or avoiding, power struggles each day, and that's no way to enjoy one another. Being right on the cusp of reading fluency before enrolling definitely was concerning, because he wasn't up to classroom standards. So, he had a bit of extra reading intervention, and was pretty much caught up by the end of the year. As long as he doesn't do the summer backslide, he'll be fine without intervention next year, so I'm trying hard to keep him reading and writing now. However, the power struggles that result from my insistence remind me why I enrolled him in school in the first place. He's having some other issues, which are proving to challenge me immensely, and I am still amazed at how far he has stretched me--in good and bad ways.

Rhys has been in private speech therapy since January, and is making really excellent progress. He, too, will start school next year. He is really a joy, and we enjoyed our few weeks of one-on-one time while the boys were in school. Full-day kindergarten certainly will change the status quo around here. I am looking forward to focusing on my work and studies, though I will always think fondly of my stay-at-home, homeschooling days.

Jason is still at Vitamin Cottage, and we marvel at how it took this long to find a job he actually enjoys, even if he is not employing his education or previous experience. It is much better to be happy, no matter where you are. He's been very helpful with our landscaping projects and hopefully we can finish the trim painting on the house next week. We've really done a lot of home improvement, if only baby steps. I am looking forward to having the basement re-finished (adding a second bathroom in the process) and some day remodeling our teeny kitchen.

And I am spinning my wheels as always. My midwifery client is due soon, and I am very excited to attend her birth as the primary midwife for the first time (I have had other clients but did not have a chance to attend their births for a couple different reasons). I had a busy doula month in May, but nothing since. I rented an office in a chiropractor's office, and between having the kids home this summer, and not having much work, sometimes chuckle at the lack of necessity for an office. But I am certain that it will be beneficial down the road. My trip to Bali is coming up soon, and hopefully I will get most of my clinicals completed so that I can focus on my midwifery certification soon.

So, that's my update. From here on out look for my posts to be more reflective, real, raw, and me.

New Beginnings

2009-03-03T16:00:00.002-07:00

Our family has many new changes to report. My business is really beginning to get rolling, and with that momentum our family has decided to try some new things. Namely--school. Liam has already started, Quinn will start after Spring Break, and Rhys next year. Three kids in school full-time will be a huge change for our family, but I feel it's the right one for where we are now. I will miss the sweet days of homeschooling, but I know our time of learning together is not over. We needed a change--things were labored and stagnant and just not working for us anymore. Change is good, and we're embracing it.

My Little Old Man

2009-01-11T20:13:00.002-07:00

Liam has always looked a bit like a little old man; perhaps even more as a babe. Tonight he was cuddled in bed writing in his little notebook and wearing his dad's reading glasses (I know, but they hardly have any correction at all). The picture quality isn't the best because it was so dark, and I'm photographically challenged, but I just had to capture the moment.

Crystal Garden

2009-01-10T15:22:00.002-07:00

As part of Quinn's Scientist requirements (one of the few things he has left to complete before he can cross-over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts), he needed to grow a "crystal garden."

I was really surprised to see the quick results, since Jason and the boys set up the tray just yesterday.

This method is far faster than typical salt and sugar crystal experiments we've done before.

I'll post final results when we have them...I'm guessing if there was this much growth overnight, we're going to be astounded by the ultimate results!

A Cook in the Making?

2009-01-05T10:42:00.002-07:00

Last night, Quinn took this book to bed with him.

He woke up determined to make pancakes for breakfast (even though he is, without fail, the last person up).

I'm not a big fan of big-production breakfasts, but he learned a lot doing this. Hopefully it won't be long before I have to have zero involvement (I already made him do all the dishes, lol).

They were a big hit--enjoyed by all (except mom, who is determined to go no-carb until she gets the holiday weight off).

My Adventure

2009-01-04T17:59:00.002-07:00

Temple by Lake Bratan ,Bali, originally uploaded by mikescottnz.

Dear Friends,

I apologize if you are not interested in receiving updates about this upcoming trip. Please don't hesitate to let me know if you'd like to be removed from my contact list.

As some of you know, I was recently accepted as a student volunteer at the Yayasan Bumi Sehat clinic in Bali, Indonesia. This birth clinic (http://www.bumisehatbali.org/) was founded by midwife Robin Lim, author of After the Baby's Birth (http://www.amazon.com/After-Babys-Birth-Wellness-Postpartum/dp/1587611104). The clinic's mission is to protect maternal and child health for families in Indonesia (there are actually two clinics, and I have been accepted to the one in Bali), and it is their policy not to turn anyone away. Bali has been economically devastated after two bombings this decade as a predominately Hindu island in a strongly Muslim country. Additionally, all of Indonesia has been hit hard after a tsunami struck four years ago. Since Bali is a tourist attraction, these events were devastating to its economy, and as a result women are giving birth in poor, malnourished condition. Consequently, their maternal mortality rate is unacceptably high.

The clinic in Bali sees approximately 70 births in a month, as well as providing prenatal, postpartum, breastfeeding, and general care to the population. As a student midwife, I will be able to gain important clinical experience (which has been very challenging due to the unavailability of a certified midwife for me to apprentice with in Pueblo, so I have been driving many miles each week for over a year and a half to be able to study) while providing a service to the mothers and babies in Bali.

The trip is going to be a challenging one for my family, as I'll be gone for the entire month of September (and a couple days on either end for travel). Once again I am grateful to my family and friends for supporting me so that I can make this dream a reality.

I will be fundraising not only to cover my expenses, but also to bring more money to the clinic. My airfare is expected to be in the neighborhood of $1500 (fares are low now because of gas prices; I'm hopeful that I can buy my ticket before fares start to rise again) and my tuition is $800. Anything I raise above that will be going directly to the clinic, and all of the smaller expenses I will not use raised funds for (passport fees, food, etc.). Additionally, the clinic is always in need of supplies, which I plan to pack in my suitcase and buy new clothing when I get there--apparently this means far less overhead than shipping materials, and the inexpensive clothing I buy there will also support the local economy. I'll include the list of items the clinic needs below in case some of you can help with those.

While I am hesitant to even ask those I know to consider making a donation (in part due to the extreme generosity of friends when I raised funds for the Susan G. Komen foundation two years ago), I know that many of you are eager to help out. All donations are welcome, and if you are interested in assisting me as a sponsor, I will credit your donation in the several press releases I plan to submit before I depart and when I return (which is of course more beneficial for local business people).

There are two ways to donate: you can transfer money directly to me via Paypal, www.paypal.com, to the email address ginapueblo@gmail.com, or if you'd rather support the clinic directly and not my trip per se, you can donate here: http://www.amillionmothers.org/?page_id=233

Once in Bali, I will be updating everyone via my blog: http://plentitude.blogspot.com as well as by email, so please do let me know if you don't want to get updates because I'm anticipating sending lots (of course with 50-70 births who knows if I'll have any time)!

Again, the clinic's "wish list" follows. Let me know if you're able to help send any of these items with me. Thank you all so much for your support and encouragement!

Hugs,
Gina
www.safepassagebirth.com

WISH LIST

For

YAYASAN BUMI SEHAT

Donations that are always needed at the clinic:

General clinic supplies

Ø Children's vitamins

Ø Water-proof Huntleigh fetal doppler machines http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=6219

Ø Sterile and non-sterile medical gloves – non-latex,6½, 7 and 7 ½, small and medium sizes

Ø Cotton flannel receiving blankets

Ø Baby hats

Ø Amoxicillan 500

Ø Amoxicillan 250

Ø Ciprofloxacin 500

Ø Injectable Amoxicillan

Ø Arnica tincture, 30X or 200C

Ø DeLee suction catheter (for suctioning baby) – 8 fr http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=7958

Ø Bulb syringes for suctioning baby

Ø Umbilical cord clamps http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=00369

Ø Maternity mesh underwear http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=5058

Ø Bactroban

Ø Aloe Vera gel

Ø Instrument lubricant http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=9215

Ø Hand sanitizer

Ø Children's Tylenol

Ø Money donated for large plastic storage containers

Ø Urinary catheters http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=0426

Ø Chux pads!!!! – 23 x 36 inches http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=4079

Instruments needed

Ø General forceps – 12 are needed immediately – 7 inch http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=3518

Ø Needle holders – 18 are needed immediately – 6 & 8 inch http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=3526

Ø Blunt sharp scissors – 18 are needed immediately – 4.5 inch http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=0108

Ø Sharp sharp scissors – 18 are needed immediately – 4.5 inch http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=0108

Ø Tissue forceps – 6.25 inches http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=2658

Ø Cloth pelvis model with fetal doll http://www.maternalsource.com/Maternal%20Source%20Website/prod19.htm#cp

2008:::Year in Review

2009-01-01T19:12:00.004-07:00

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?

Caught a baby.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I don't even remember what my resolutions were, but I'm thinking no, I didn't keep them. I have made several for this year: No eating out, No shopping at Wal-mart, Do more yoga, Surrender.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Yes.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No.

5. What countries did you visit?

Nowhere in '08, but watch out Indonesia--here I come in '09!

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

Money.

7. What date from 2008 will remain etched in your memory?

Election Day. I still get shivers.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Becoming an IBCLC.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Financial distress and lack of compassionate parenting.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Not really.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

A hot water heater?

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Mine started to improve a couple months ago...

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Mine, with regard to the kids, on more occassions than I care to admit to.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Living.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

To learn I'm going to Bali in '09.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?

Probably either that bandaid or tattoo song, lol.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

i. happier or sadder? Hmmm, maybe sadder, but not sad, per se. I was more optimistic at the beginning of '08.
ii. richer or poorer? Richer, technically. But I feel poorer.
iii. thinner or fatter? Thinner!

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Enjoying my children.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Jumping through hoops.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

With family.

21. How will you be spending New Years?

Reading, surfing, and maybe (?) midwife assisting?

22. Did you fall in love in 2008?

All year long.

23. How many one-night stands?

As if.

24. What was your favorite TV program?

Dexter or True Blood maybe?

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

No.

26. What was the best book you read?

I've done a lot of good reading last year.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I got XM for Christmas, lol.

28. What did you want and get?

Simplicity.

29. What did you want and not get?

Orthodontia (for Liam).

30. What was your favorite film of the year?

Mamma Mia!

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

Hung out with friends--35, for another month yet.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Financial security.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?

Scrubs.

34. What kept you sane?

Who's sane?

35. What celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Obama.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

The election.

37. Who did you miss?

I'm not sure...

38. Who was the best new person you met?

I met so many amazing women this year.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.

Money is just money.

Eat, Pray, Love

2009-01-01T13:10:00.000-07:00

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Since I like to eat, practice yoga, and am planning a trip to Bali in September, this book was a happy accident. I'd heard good review about it, but didn't really know what the premise was until I opened it up (I stay away from reading the backs and reviews because I HATE to know what something is about beforehand). It is fairly hard for a 35 year-old mother of three to relate to a 35 year-old who's traveling in the world in search of *herself*, but it was still good reading.

View all my reviews.

Gratitude for Gifts Homemade

2008-12-28T09:47:00.007-07:00

This year my friends and I exchanged homemade gifts again. I was on a fingerless mitten knitting kick, so that is what my friends received from me.

Jennifer was apparently on a fairy-making frenzy this year, and she made me a cute little Mama and Baby fairy set.

Michelle made me two very cool gifts this year.

The first is a Gratitude Wrap, which is a place to store thank-you cards, stamps, and an address book. Since I have all my addresses on Gmail and my BlackBerry, I'm using the extra pocket for business cards and other odds and ends.

Secondly, she made me this fancy quilted lunch bag, which is perfect given my New Year's resolution of not eating out. It also fits my .6L Sigg bottle and my Light My Fire spork just perfectly.

Thanks, Friends! I am so lucky to have you in my life.

Christmas

2008-12-28T09:18:00.002-07:00

It seems Christmas has become lower and lower key around here. With all my daily craziness, all I want for Christmas is peace and quiet. In years past, I have been adamant about having the kids at home on Christmas morning, and this year I broke with that tradition and we slept at Grandma and Grandpa's since I wasn't on call for a birth further away from Pueblo. It was lovely and relaxed, but I think the boys are hoping to be home on Christmas morning next year.

Some highlights...

Grandma and Grandpa gave us all matching L.L. Bean bags in various sizes.

Santa brought Liam a flashlight.

The karaoke machine was a big hit--perhaps moreso for the older folk.

Rhys got a huge bag of dress up clothes.

I got Grease and Mamma Mia!

Quinn made thoughtful gifts for everyone. This was a jar of homemade potpourri.

Kathie gave Ron a huge box of some kind of fancy, impregnated wood and fireplace accessories.

It was a Canine Christmas this year, with Loci, Freddie, Pumpkin, and Bob.

A Year Without Eating Out

2008-12-26T18:15:00.003-07:00

Okay, I've been mulling over something this past week. I've been gathering information about cheap and easy (yet nutritious and relatively acceptable to the wee folk) meal ideas since we've really been pinching pennies around here. If ever I had a weakness in the budget it was, and is, dining out. It's so easy. It's so good. Everyone can get what they want and I don't have to listen to the whining. I just like it.

But.

It's very expensive. I slacked off of my Quicken tracking towards the end of the year, but with what data I do have I know that my family spent an average of $276 per month eating out. That's a lot of money. And one of our family members is employed at an organic/healthy grocery store.

And.

It's really costly on the caloric expenditure front as well. You can always tell when I get busy because I start expanding.

It's no secret that many people are having economic challenges these days. Additionally, I have several big-ticket expenses coming up: orthodontia for Liam, electrical work, and...I'm planning a service/learning trip overseas. On top of all this, I am hoping that by the time I take my trip, in August or September, I have my budget under control to the point that I can stop indexing, which has been a big source of income for my family for the past five years. And I like a challenge.

So.

I propose to you: A Year Without Eating Out. Or maybe I should make it more optimistic and call it Dining In This Year. I dunno. I know it's a tall order. It's so easy to grab something between kids' activities. I have lunch with colleagues on a regular basis. I am a tired, overextended mama if ever there was one. But is it worth that kind of money? Is it worth putting aside our needs and dreams for? Is it worth *it*? I don't think so.

I started off with a zillion caveats about special treats, date nights, etc., but decided that just makes it hard to be real. I do think it should be acceptable for someone to take you out to eat since, at least in my family, that's how others often celebrate, but if others think they want to participate with me and disagree, I will go with the flow.

I propose that anyone who wants to join the challenge let me know by January 1st that they're in and we'll start a group blog where we can share challenges, successes, tips, and recipes. Who's in?

Holiday Letter

2008-12-11T10:32:00.002-07:00

Done!

2008-11-30T20:43:00.003-07:00

My legwarmers are done already. I'm pretty happy with them, but wish they were a smidge longer. I also kind of screwed up the bind off, because I didn't leave quite enough yarn, so I did some weird needle/improvised thing. Here's to hoping it stays (if not, I'll fix it...).

I also finally got the thumbs in for these fingerless mittens that I'm planning on giving as Christmas gifts (I made two pairs).

The pattern is free here, if you agree to make a pair for someone in need. They go so fast, that's a breeze...

The Weekend That Was

2008-11-23T20:16:00.005-07:00

It's been awhile since I have had a real "weekend-y" sort of weekend. I had no indexing to do, and nothing else more pressing than some household maintenance and crafting on my plate.

It started on Thursday, when a friend and I went to the midnight showing of Twilight. I really enjoyed it and found Edward marvelously yummy.

On Friday--payday--I splurged (and I do mean splurged) on some fabulous Noro yarn for legwarmers.I am not sure why, but I have a real hankering to make and have thigh-high legwarmers. If Jason breaks out into "What a Feeling" one more time...

Despite the fact that I was sick yesterday, I was able to sit in bed and on the couch and start my knitting. But even better was that I was able to listen to Breaking Dawn on my iPod at the same time.

Today, after sleeping in WAY too late, we had what I like to refer to "Marathon Church" where we have our family faith formation gathering. They serve lunch after Mass (which, fortunately, doesn't start until 11 am), and then have a series of educational activities. I was rather moved by today's lessons. It was probably aided by the fact that Jason didn't work today, so I was able to go with Quinn and Liam alone.

Jason got our TV hooked up this weekend, so in addition to learning about new shows such as "Trading Spouses" (not too bad) and "Charm School" (couldn't bring myself to watch it), we were finally able to enjoy a Bronco game today. Too bad they were slaughtered.

I watched my friend's kiddos this evening so she could watch Twilight, since she was sick on Thursday night (hmmm...I wonder why I ended up sick yesterday...just kidding, Quinn was sick on Thursday too), and while doing that was able to work on my holiday swap contributions. My friend and I organized a swap among seven friends. Each of us makes 35 of something (homemade soap, lip balm, and ceramic soap dishes are some examples of what folks are making), and sends 5 to each participant. Then, each person has five completed gift baskets to give as Christmas gifts. Here are some shots from tonight's activities.

My "raw" ingredients.

The two batches must have been slightly different in composition...or maybe I just mixed one more thoroughly.

I had a little extra help for part of the evening.

I also had to buy horrid made-in-China plastic bottles, since it took me so long to ultimately decide what to make that I couldn't place a Vitamin Cottage order in time.

Everyone is sticking with a blue palette so that the baskets coordinate.

All lined up and ready to go.

Quinn Speaks

2008-11-21T16:39:00.001-07:00

"Fortune telling is a scam that poor people do because they can't get a normal job."

Two for Two

2008-11-17T23:47:00.002-07:00

I got the results from my childbirth education exam back today--they were fabulous. I don't have to resubmit anything (you have three chances to get it right, lol) and she had very kind things to say in her comments. My lactation consultation exam was a great success as well--I scored higher than I'd anticipated and was very pleased with the results. Now, I'm an IBCLC and will soon be a CBE (well, I am now provisionally certified) once I get that final module done. It involves another CBE evaluating me, so I'm a bit more concerned about making that work. We'll see.

Anyway, it was a rough day with the boys, so that was nice news to get at the end of it. Yay me.

Election Night Fun

2008-11-08T12:48:00.003-07:00

We don't have television reception, so we went with my sister's family to a local restaurant/bar to watch the election results come in. It wasn't always as exciting for the kids as it was for us, but they had fun as we celebrated each electoral vote we gained. It is a night I will remember for years to come. I hope the kids do too.

Yes, We Did

2008-11-04T23:14:00.002-07:00

Yes, We Did, originally uploaded by Plentitude.

Photo taken by Deanna Butler.

I Voted

2008-11-04T11:06:00.001-07:00

I Voted, originally uploaded by billaday.

Did you?

More Halloween Fun

2008-11-02T21:43:00.004-07:00

We hosted our second Halloween party this year...this time at our new (old) house. It ended up being a bit more of an open house, with the first group coming early in the day to play, the second coming for the potluck, and only a few friends staying for trick-or-treating.

Jason and I got into the spirit and dressed up this year.

I'm glad I didn't invest much time into costume-making this year, as Quinn changed his costume yet again (unfortunately I didn't get a shot of his original mummy costume) and Liam didn't even manage to get all his pieces on for the evening.

Costumes ranged from adorable to macabre.

Trick-or-treating was fun--even when my sock-averse boy developed blisters and hitched a ride.

And, naturally, there was quite a haul (this is the first year I didn't moderate their consumption, and I have to say it was far better that way...I think I'm over micromanagement).

Grown-ups imbibed, kids feasted, fun was had.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-30T22:31:00.003-06:00

This year, we visited a different pumpkin patch than in years past. This one included a corn maze...

A trip to the field to pick out a pumpkin...

A hayride...

Making new friends...

Burying the dead...

A marshmallow roast...

And, best of all, s'mores.

A Few of My Favorite Things...Meme

2008-10-20T19:32:00.003-06:00

Okay, I'm sure I'm recreating something that's been done, but as we move into the holiday season I was thinking about some of my favorite material possessions that I might want to give as gifts this year (some of these things aren't really practical as gifts for most people, but whatever). I am a fairly brand loyal person, so I was wondering what brands and items others love. Just copy the meme, delete my answers and insert yours, post it on your own blog (or Facebook, or...), and comment here with the URL. Feel free to put URLs of the products in, but I'm not going to do that since Google is my friend. So, here it is, my first homemade meme:

A Few of My Favorite Things...

1. Water Bottles-Sigg

2. Electronics-iPod (with Nike+ for running) and my BlackBerry

3. Toothpaste-Tom's of Maine Fennel

4. Body/hand soap-Dr. Bronners (peppermint for hands, almond for body)

5. Purse/bag-Sherpani

6. Socks-SmartWool

7. Shoes-Keen, Ecco, Birkenstock

8. Clothing brand-(I pretty much only wear thrifted clothes, but...) Life is Good

9. Fabric designer-Amy Butler, all that cute Japanese stuff ;)

10. TV show-Dancing with the Stars (and any number of other reality shows, lol), Torchwood, House

11. Movies-Strictly Ballroom, Pride and Prejudice (BBC, so not strictly a movie), Emma, Shakespeare in Love

12. Yoga mat-Manduka eKo

13. Yarn-Brown Sheep

14. Knitting paraphernalia-Lantern Moon

15. Sweet-Chocolove Cherry and Chili Chocolate (a new fave)

16. Homeschool resource-the public library (okay, not so material). Ummm, right now it's History of US.

17. Work resource-Dell computers (though, if I had the budget I might get into a MacBook)

18. Books-Lord of the Rings trilogy, Mists of Avalon, Golden Compass series, Harry Potter series

19. Games-Scrabble, Backgammon, Blokus, Carcasonne, Sims2

20. Wild card (whatever you want to list)-iTunes

Thank you, Sir.

2008-10-19T22:56:00.000-06:00

DONE!

2008-10-18T20:14:00.002-06:00

Yesterday marked the end of my time as an event coordinator (oh, sure, I'll have to do some paperwork and tie up some loose ends, but still...) with our Health Care Professionals conference, and I think it was a success. I instructed my team not to let me look at the evaluations yesterday, and they stuck to that (despite my begging). I do enjoy putting on the professional seminars, but that's about it. The larger conferences are for the birds. We made some money, learned some new things, ate some good food, and got very little sleep. It was good.

Today, I sent the boys off with Jason to Grandma and Grandpa's instead of vegging as I might normally do after an event. I buckled down--more or less--and got my childbirth educator exam finished. It was a 49 question--22 of which were essay questions, though the others were still at least a paragraph or two long--take-home, open-book test. My answers are 22 pages long. It took me two months of inconsistent work to finish it, and I am glad to have it done!

So, onward ho! I have a proofing job that I need to have done by Friday (because a hard copy has to be shipped back)and then a couple indexes in the wings. I am hopeful that we can get caught up on all our loose ends (orthodontics, furnace, electrical work, yard work, house painting, pay off taxes, and save a bit) by spring so that I can stop indexing. I'm feeling the squeeze and am over it.

Five Big Ones

2008-10-16T09:41:00.003-06:00

Tuesday was Rhys's fifth birthday. For some reason, this seems like a monumental year...my baby is five! School-aged (okay, we don't do school, and he would have missed the cut-off, but you get the point)!

It was a cold, wet day (what are the odds, living here, that two out of three boys would have rainy birthdays?)...

Rhys started the day off doing his very favorite thing in the world...

We had just a few friends over for hot dogs and cake...

Opened the gifts (you can see Bob, our new dog--but that's another post--in the first one)...

And headed out to the children's museum for the afternoon...

Happy Birthday, sweet boy.

Tis better to have loved and lost...

2008-10-09T18:06:00.005-06:00

maksim_chmerkovskiy_2, originally uploaded by slidershank.

Oh my. He's out already. Poor Misty. But poor me.

I thought I'd take a moment to share some of my favorite Maks moments. Sigh...

He's back! The pro dance from this season...
When I first discovered my secret bad boy love...
That infamous Paso...
That fabulous Mambo...
Their beautiful waltz (my least favorite dance until then)...
Edyta stepped in to fill Misty's shoes and rocked them...
That chest...
Oh, and maybe my favorite interview with him (hmmm...I wonder why?)...

Eclecticism

2008-10-07T13:01:00.016-06:00

I mentioned awhile ago that we were having a homeschooling crisis. Here's how it went down:

My indexing business has been steady for several years now, but with the addition of my midwifery studies/work, I've just been too busy and stressed. I thought, erroneously, that if I signed the boys up for some sort of curriculum, that it would alleviate at least piece of the homeschooling puzzle and also offer some structure for the days that I'm not the parent in charge. So, forever being short on funds, I decided to suck it up and enroll the boys in an online school in order to get the K12 curriculum for free. Yeah.

So, it was rough. We have always done our own thing, never even sending the kids to preschool (that may change this year because of speech therapy needs for Rhys). Having to account for our days, stick with a schedule, and check boxes off on a list just wasn't for us. In fact, it almost came to a head to the point that I was ready to just chuck it all and enroll them in school. But, luckily, Quinn reminded me of the reasons we homeschool, and I decided just to go back to doing our own thing.

At first, I thought maybe we'd just try (again) to embrace unschooling, but then decided that compared to what we'd done for the first part of the school year, doing some basic curricula was not going to feel cumbersome anymore. I think that was a good call, because now we all seem to have found our groove again and are enjoying homeschooling once more.

My general philosophy is to school skills and unschool content, partly because my boys are naturally drawn to history and science, so they really get more done when I just stay out of the way. That being said, we are intentionally studying US History this year--partly because Quinn starting reading the fabulous History of US series with K12, and partly because the election makes it a perfect opportunity for study.

So, here's what they're doing:

Quinn

Singapore Math
Key To Fractions
History of US
Spelling Power
The World of Columbus and Sons (and maybe other Genevieve Foster books, but the jury is still out as he's not fond of them)
History of US
Rosetta Stone Spanish
A variety of writing opportunities, from prompts to library contests

Liam

Singapore Math
Spelling Power
Handwriting Without Tears
Draw Write Now
D'Aulaire American History Books
Holling C. Holling American History/Geography Books
Rosetta Stone Spanish
A variety of early readers to read to me

Together

Greek Myths
Weekly Krampf Science experiments
Various and sundry read-alouds, that I will attempt to keep updated in my sidebar

Wow, it doesn't look so light when I write it out. Well, that ought to give you an idea how suffocating the amount of work we were doing really was.

{P.S. We stayed enrolled in our online school for a grand total of three weeks. I guess we're just dyed-in-the-wool homeschoolers}

Feelin' Gamey

2008-10-05T10:41:00.001-06:00

You can tell fall is in the air. We've been staying home and playing games again--something other bloggers have mentioned recently, too. Our homeschool group is starting up a "Game Club" every other Friday, and we had our first one this week. The bigger boys (there are five of them) seemed to prefer scooters and skateboards to board games, but did get some Monopoly and Yahtzee in (though I doubt they finished a single game), mamas played Scrabble (though I am thinking no one will play with me again, even though I tried to be nice and helpful), and littles played Go Away Monster, and Panda Bamboo. I know the boys and I enjoyed ourselves--I hope others did too.

Newspaper Tour

2008-10-02T19:33:00.004-06:00

Our homeschool group got the best tour of our local newspaper today.

My favorite part was the antique papers and equipment.

These wedding plates were so cool.

Even the boys liked the old equipment.

We also got to see the new presses, which the boys thought were cool, too.

Quinn really perked up when he heard he was almost old enough for a carrier job.

Rhys was being fairly challenging during the tour--here he's hiding among the rolls of newsprint. They use about 70 of these rolls a week (that's a whole traincar)! That's a lotta trees.

I loved some of the signage around the building.

I felt like taking advantage of this one more than once, with my little Cling-on and all.

October

2008-10-01T15:10:00.004-06:00

In spite of the fact that October perpetually seems to be my busiest month, I love it so much. The air is crisp, the browning leaves smell heavenly, Halloween is just around the corner, and we celebrate my baby's birth this month. Three school-aged kids! Imagine that!

I am planning my last conference, which will be over in a couple more weeks. There are four births for October, and hopefully all of those won't coincide. So far, I only have two books due, so maybe I can manage to not be swamped in one arena. Anyway...I shall not stoop to whining about my busyness again this year, I'm just saying.

One thing I did want to post about is a recent thrift store score.

I'd found this bag for about $2 at a thrift store, and immediately loved it. I later noticed how well-made it seemed to be. I finally got around to googling the label--Sally Spicer--and realized I scored an $80 large tote.

It's big enough to hold my new planner (which I use for birth and breastfeeding stuff--otherwise Google Calendar is the only way to go) either in a portrait or landscape position, some knitting, a big book, and all the other miscellany that I carry with me.

Anyway, despite other people's claims of October as their favorite month, it really is mine.

Sculpting Fun

2008-09-29T15:09:00.002-06:00

The boys decided to crack out the clay this afternoon while I get some work done (so, naturally I'm blogging about it instead of actually doing said work).

He's Back!

2008-09-25T23:40:00.002-06:00

Maksim_Chmerkovskiy, originally uploaded by angelazina.

Thank God.

I was so sad he didn't win in Season 5, and missed him so in Season 6.

Out of Commission

2008-09-19T21:11:00.002-06:00

While Jason did fix our leaky toilet (ewwww) and paint the whole bathroom today (sorry, Deanna, for inflicting our nasty white walls on you--they're blue now!), I only managed to read. I'm hooked. I have three books to index and a class to teach all day tomorrow. I don't know how I'll manage to get it all done. I'm guessing I'll be back when I'm through the series since I serendipitously managed to snag book two at the library today (before it had been shelved, mind you), but keep checking back because I may get motivated to post pics of the bathroom one of these days. I know--be still your hearts.

Nature Hike

2008-09-17T19:48:00.007-06:00

Today's festivities included a guided hike at a nearby mountain park. I set it up as a homeschool field trip, so we had four families in all. I didn't get as many good pictures as I'd hoped I would, but I got a few keepers.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

2008-09-17T19:48:00.003-06:00

We went to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo yesterday with our visiting friends. It had been quite awhile since our last visit.

The giraffes are always the biggest hit at this zoo.

Rhys wasn't quite brave enough to feed them directly.

There was an adorable baby wallabee that the kids got to pet.

There is a new exhibit where you can feed the birds (if they want to be fed, that is).

They also have a nice interactive science area now, called The Loft. There are some serious creepy-crawlies living in The Loft.

And, as a special treat, Rhys got to ride a pony in the new Rocky Mountain Wild exhibit.

It's good to visit favorite places once in awhile--you never know what's changed.

Yes, We Can

2008-09-15T19:56:00.003-06:00

Today the boys attended their first political rally.

If you know me, you probably know what side of the aisle I walk down.

We arrived at about 1:30, but Obama didn't speak for three more hours.

So, we...

waited...

and waited...

and waited.

Luckily, we had friends with us to provide distraction.

Once things got going, even the littles were excited.

Politics used to be an important part of my life (as my college major and short stint as a congressional aide), but mothering and such have really pushed it aside. This is the first election that I've felt fired up about in a long time. We do need change, and yes--I do believe we can this time.

Dental Update and Yellow

2008-09-10T19:40:00.003-06:00

Awhile ago, I was told Liam would need orthodontia. I have done zip about it since then. We are really struggling financially--like really struggling. Orthodontia on an eight-year-old just seems so... extraneous. Well.

If you look at a glance you'll see two big permanent teeth in the middle with two strange, ground down smaller teeth on the sides. Those are Liam's canines. He had all four incisors (the middle) teeth removed when he was 2.5 due to extreme decay. He started losing his bottom teeth early at just 5. His upper permanent teeth didn't start coming in until late 6 or early 7, though, since there was no "hole" held by the baby tooth--so the permanent teeth had to work through all that gum. His lateral incisors just recently started coming in...and when they did they started coming in right in front of the canines.

Great. So, you know me...I was going to leave well enough alone until a couple days ago one canine started wiggling so much that we thought it was going to fall out--and it's not due to do so for three or four more years. So, we went in to the dentist who said 1) his cross-bite is not as bad as I'd been led to think it might be, and maybe that won't need correction at all, and 2) the canines have to come out. So, we went back today for the extraction and one tooth had no root left at all, but the other had a huge root left. However, it was kind of "gouged out" at the side. There is the potential that that permanent incisor will be damaged by pushing up against that tooth, but luckily, in a battle, permanent teeth do tend to be victorious.

Liam did fabulously well--better than he did when he had sealants done in January even. The dentist ultimately recommended a ortho consult ASAP so we can decide whether to place a spacer (to be worn until his canines come in--you know, in FOUR YEARS) or whether the orthodontist has a better recommendation. I'm hoping the spacer is fine because we just don't have money for anything more expensive. As it is, that alone is $300 out of pocket.

And what was with all the splashes of yellow, today? It was almost surreal.

Goodbye Summer

2008-09-08T21:20:00.003-06:00

Summer is always closed by the State Fair in our world. The last day of the Fair is Labor Day, and when I was little, that also meant the last day before school started. Living three houses away from the fairgrounds now keeps us in close contact with this final event of summer.

Rhys's cowboy phase practically came and left with the Fair.

Luckily, the boys got to practice some of those olde-timey skills this year.

And got up close and personal with the wildlife.

They also spent a little time at the midway.

Their imaginations took over for a time.

Naturally, they had to sample a few goodies.

All in all, it was one of our better Fair years. It was nice way to end an unusually stressful summer.

Wasting Time

2008-09-06T18:06:00.004-06:00

I need to post about our recent educational crisis, but until then, I am wasting time. Check out Wordle--it's pretty fun! Also, check out Yearbook Yourself if you, too, want to look as good as my profile pic. :)

Corners of My Home: Boys' Room

2008-09-01T21:00:00.004-06:00

I know, bad blogger, blah blah blah...

This was a good home weekend, and we finally got the privacy curtains up in the boys' room. It's a 10x10 room with one window and no closet. We have a full/twin bunk for Rhys and Liam, and a twin loft bed for Quinn with a desk underneath. They are on opposite walls of each other, with the window in between.

I purchased three matching sheet sets on sale at Target--one for each bed--and then three coordinating but contrasting sheet sets (aqua for Rhys, red for Liam, green for Quinn)that coordinate with the monkey print. Because I think top sheets are really difficult and impractical for bed-making (and I hate the feeling of being tied up in a sheet), we've done duvet covers and down comforters only for years (Martha circa 1995?). So, I made duvet covers from the solid and printed flat sheets for each boy. Thus, they each have two fitted sheets, two pillow cases (Liam has three because I used his other printed case for the curtain), and one duvet cover.

We'd thrown around triple bunk ideas, and may still consider that in the future. Because the bottom bunk is full size, there is only a small walkway between the beds. However, this affords Quinn a bit more privacy and also gives us a little desk space (where Pox the gecko now lives) and was much more affordable than custom carpentry as these were our existing beds. (You can just see how much space there is between the black loft bed on the right, and the red double bunk on the left)

So, each top bunk has a curtain fashioned from a clearance shower curtain.

The cable system was installed by Jason, using directions from Apartment Therapy.

Liam's bunk has the remnant of the curtains sewn together, with four button holes sewn in, and simple bias-tape ribbons. His curtain can either be rolled up and tucked under the top mattress, or actually tied up with the ribbons (so far, this has not happened).

Each bunk has a small shelf with a power strip and small halogen reading light mounted underneath.

On the wall at the "foot" of the beds is our monstrous bookshelf that houses about 85% of our children's books.

Each boy has a place for special items: Quinn and Liam's foot lockers sit under the desk, and Rhys has a vintage suitcase that slides under the double bunk. The only toys in the room are Legos and Duplos, and there is no clothing stored in here--that is all kept down in the laundry room since there is no closet and no room for dressers.

So, for about $100 in lamps, shelves, and hardware and another $100 in linens, we managed to come up with a creative way to give three boys a little piece of privacy (and honestly the biggest problem without them is that four-year-olds and ten-year-olds do not go to sleep at the same time, so this way older boys can read without disturbing littler ones) in 100 square feet.

Mamma Mia!

2008-07-29T08:14:00.006-06:00

Oh Mamma Mia! I am so glad...
this
test
is
over!
It's been weighing on me for a long time now, and, while I think waiting until October 24th for the results is cruel and unusual, at least it's out of my hands.

That said, I have been...
coping with the stress
well.

Mrs. G summed up my thoughts regarding this adorable, fun, beautiful movie the best, I'd say. Rhys isn't named Rhys Colin coincidentally, you know.

So, onward ho! This week the boys and I are taking a "staycation" and going to try to do all the fun things I keep putting off in town. That said, I all of a sudden have four indexes to do. Quickly. Oh well, money is good too.

Corners of My Home: Living Room Shelves

2008-07-24T12:36:00.004-06:00

Inspired by this flickr group, I decided to color code our living room shelves with some (most) of our adult fiction (I'm sorry--I just cannot mix genres no matter how attractive).

The shelves sit on either side of the piano.

I like the book distribution of the warm shelves, but prefer the accessories of the cool shelves.

This is probably the ugliest lamp in the world, but it works, somehow.

Lastly, this was a major thrift store score from last week for $2 (apologies for the picture quality). I believe (please correct me if I'm wrong) that it's a woodcut print. It is hand signed by the artist, Alec Cowen, and titled "The Brothers."

Corners of My Home: Clothesline

2008-07-21T18:20:00.003-06:00

We're temporarily without a clothes dryer until we have the electrician come to wire the laundry room for 220V (or whatever).

Today's high was 96 degrees. Why waste valuable electricity and heat the house up?

I've had a clothesline for 10 years now, and have moved it three times. It's perfect for a small yard because it rolls right back up until needed next time.

Okay, it's a haul up the stairs from the basement laundry, and I do feel the heat hanging it out to dry, but there's just something so satisfying about line-dried laundry.

PS: The evil empire only had plastic clothespins when I went to get a new batch, and while I am normally totally opposed to purchasing plastics, they are a bit easier to work with in my opinion. Sigh...better living through chemistry (ack).

Corners of My Home: Kitchen

2008-07-20T13:40:00.004-06:00

Okay, I don't mean to jump into an uber-popular flickr "thing" that I am totally unworthy of. But, we're moving back into our old house--a 1930s 2-bed, 1-bath bungalow (and we're a family of five)--and this time I'm trying to do it with a little more style than last time when I was seven plus months pregnant and then had three littles to run around after. This time, though, I am excited about the possibilities our cute little home has to offer.

I'll start with the kitchen (I may come back to it again when other corners are looking a little more finished).

One of the most endearing elements of this house is the stove. It's not a double oven (unfortunately), but rather has an oven and a broiler. About 99% of everything we own is thrifted or gifted, but I purchased the cookware and teakettle after Christmas this year. The red kettle looked a bit better in my modern kitchen, but I actually am surprised that I don't hate it with my pink plastic kitchen tiles.

My friend sent this suggestion for a pot-rack for a small kitchen. Fortunately, our range is 36", so we were able to use the longer handrail. Unfortunately, the ONLY S-hooks (and this was on a fluke after searching Lowe's twice) that would fit over it were white rather than stainless. But I still think it looks pretty nifty.

I really lucked into finding this shelf at a thrift store last month. The honey toned wood is an almost perfect match for the cabinets, and the narrowness of it makes good use of wasted wall space opposite the sink and counters. One thing about my kitchen is that it is really, really small. It's galley-style and not original to the house. We think they added it on in the 50s. It was a very well-done addition, and I can't imagine the house without it, but it's teensy.

This platter is one of my all-time thrifting faves. Could it fit in this kitchen any better?

Scout Camp

2008-07-16T19:25:00.005-06:00

So, both boys had their first camp experiences this summer. Quinn, a Webelo, went for four days and three nights sans parents. He returned with mixed reviews (the camp was, let's just say, not posh, and structure and Quinn aren't super compatible, but he is a nature boy and liked most of the activities) and no pictures.

Luckily, Liam attended with me for the "Partners 'N Pals" weekend. It was only an overnight, with almost no activities on day two, but day one was jam packed with boating, archery, crafts, bb gun shooting, and games.

Liam loved the rowboats.

Archery was a favorite.

I was *cold* most of the time (especially at night, since I neglected to pack socks), and spent a lot of time shuffling Liam from one station to the next, but did manage to spend a little quality time with my camera (the Canon PowerShot, not the Olympus).

We got to see quite a bit of wildlife, including a fox-tailed squirrel, a couple of duck families (complete with adorable ducklings), and this deer friend (who was clearly not very concerned with being harmed since she was hanging out right at the shooting line).

I was glad for a little craft time.

Except when it involved the pounding loudness of six boys making metal bowls with hammers (oy vey).

But Liam's favorite part hands down was catching his very first fish--a rainbow trout (I cannot thank this scout leader enough for his patience, instruction, and lent rod--my kids are deprived: we don't fish).

I won't lie, it wasn't all a mother's idea of a good time. There were WAY more dads than moms (interestingly, many were divorced, weekend-dads). The canvas tents were on wooden platforms. So, not only was it a harder-than-dirt surface for sleeping, it allowed plenty of opportunity for cold air to circulate underneath our outdated cotton flannel sleeping bags. Again, it was cold. Really cold. And the food was a white-flour induced bonanza. But I wouldn't trade it for the world. I am sure Jason will feel the same next year, because he's the one who will be going. ;)

Getting Settled

2008-07-15T07:41:00.002-06:00

We're finally getting settled, though there is still a load or two of boxes waiting to move. But new carpet is in, furniture is moved, painting is done, and mail is forwarded.

I owe so much thanks to friends who have watched my children (the four births that happened over the past few weeks didn't decrease the chaos any), brought fresh flowers and peas, performed the job of handyman, did my laundry, and just listened to me whine.

And now a work deadline and the test date breathe down my neck. I hope to at least blog regularly, if not daily. I have a lot to share about scout camp, the new house, my studio, my midwifery path, and more...

Slacking again

2008-06-22T12:05:00.002-06:00

MOVING

Sorry for the lack of blogging. I do intend to be back to it regularly soon, but we're moving to our new (old) house within the next couple of weeks. When we moved out of that house it was mid-fire crisis, and we didn't have to do any of the packing or moving ourselves. This time, however, is a lot more time intensive and we're going from 5 bedrooms to 2 this time, so quite a bit of culling is called for. I also have a huge exam coming up next month, so the stress factor is way high... I'll be back soon, though...

Weight Loss Goals

2008-06-07T14:15:00.002-06:00

I found this semi-amusing widget through My Virtual Model, and thought I'd play around with it. It is fairly representational, I have to say. The beginning one is after gaining a couple pounds in order to "load" for the diet, the middle one is now--which is coincidentally about half way to my goal, and the last one is my goal weight.

I'll be keeping this updated at Facebook, I think.

Eight

2008-06-05T20:56:00.003-06:00

Today's informal plans of hanging out at a park for Liam's eighth birthday came to an end when we awoke to heavy showers this morning. Of all the boys birthdays (23 in all!), only a couple have been marred by bad weather. So, we put together an impromptu get-together at our house instead.

We ended up with more kids that I'd originally envisioned--isn't it always that way, though?

Rhys picked this RC Speed Racer to give to Liam.

Our friend, Matt, made this gorgeous redwood sword.

Even the babies needed a turn with the sword.

Our friend, Jenn, made another outstanding cake (pumpkin inside, buttercream outside).

Bad Mom only had three candles on hand, so we made him blow out one candle eight times.

I made the "chain mail" that Mayson is modeling for Liam, but gave it to him a couple of days ago.

Liam certainly understands the art of eating.

My sweet Liam.

All in all, it was a good party. We finished it with a trip to the movie theater to see the next Narnia movie (the original plan had been the drive-in this evening), and I rather enjoyed it.

Happy birthday, Liam!

Another Meme

2008-06-01T11:08:00.004-06:00

I got this one from Grace. For the rules, click on the mosaic and check out the instructions on the Flickr page.

Ooooh, I am such a procrastinator

2008-05-31T18:14:00.003-06:00

I've had a book to index for ages, and have put it off until now--the last minute. I'm making good time on it, but sometimes that leads to extra distractions. Facebook being one of them. This meme being another (snagged from my friend's blog):

MEME: 63 QUESTIONS

1. The phone rings; who do you want it to be?

Hmmm, my phone rings too much, so I admit to being snappish about that. I do enjoy hearing from friends, but I also still love to get a breastfeeding or birth helping call.

2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart?

Well, first of all, my husband works at the grocery store, so I pretty much don't shop. But if I do, I am now morally obligated to do so.

3. In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener?

Oh, I'm probably too much of a talker.

4. Do you take compliments well?

I try. I've been working on it since adolescence.

5. Do you play Sudoku?

Yes, sometimes.

6. If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive?

Probably.

7. Do you like to ride horses?

Love them--have that whole girly horse thing going on.

8. Did you ever go to camp as a kid?

Yup--a couple times.

9. What was your favorite game as a kid?

I'm a Trivial Pursuit kinda gal, and have been as long as I can remember. As a little kid, I played a lot of games that involved bossing other people around--House and School for example (me always being the head of household and teacher of course).

10. If a sexy person was pursuing you, but you knew he/she was married, would you go for it?

Oh, probably not. I'm in a mode of wondering what that grass on the other side is like though. But for real? I really doubt it.

11. Could you date someone with different religious beliefs than you?

I already do.

12. Do any songs make you cry?

Yeah, especially really cheesy ones I don't even really like.

13. Are you continuing your education?

Yup. Working on my IBCLC certification and CPM status. After that, I plan to pursue a Master's degree in midwifery.

14. Do you know how to shoot a gun?

Yup. Raised by a cop.

15. If your house was on fire, what would be the first thing you grabbed?

Hey! This really happened! The kids. That's it.

16. How often do you read books?

Multiple times per day.

17. Do you think more about the past, present or future?

I tend to always look ahead, so probably the future, but I also tend to beat myself up about the past.

18. What is your favorite children's book?

All the Winnie the Pooh books.

19. What color are your eyes?

Blue

20. How tall are you?

5'2"

21. Where is your dream house located?

Probably something European. I'm feeling kinda ho-hum about living in the U.S. and especially Pueblo these days. I think urban over rural, although I do idealize both.

22. Do you have a secret fetish?

Hmmm, I'm not sure how to answer this. I don't think it's a fetish per se, but...no, I think I best not say on this blog, lol.

23. Have you tried sushi?

MMM, yum.

24. Have you ever taken pictures in a photo booth?

Of course. Once, in Las Vegas before we had kids, Jason and I did one of the booths that morphs you to predict what your future kids will look like. Totally wrong.

25. When was the last time you were at Olive Garden?

I think shortly after Quinn was born--so like 10 years ago.

26. When was the last time you were at Church?

Oh, a week ago I think. It was actually a devotional for Mary, though, and not actually Mass.

27. Where was the furthest place you traveled today?

LOL. I have been glued to my computer all day. Probably...the bathroom--on the other side of the house. The boys, however, went for a walk.

28. What was your favorite job?

That's tricky. Being a mother is the winner, but in a more traditional sense, you can't beat midwifery. I've had a lot of fun jobs, though, but I do tend to outgrow them.

29. Do you like mustard?

On some things.

30. Do you prefer to sleep or eat?

Well, I'm on my no-eating diet (jk), so eating is both extra appealing and not such a biggie to me right now. But, in general, I guess it would be eating, because sleeping is something that gets in the way of me getting stuff done in my opinion.

31. Do you look like your mom or dad?

I don't know what my dad looks like, but I look fairly similar to my mother. I imagine I have my dad's coloring though.

32. How long does it take you in the shower?

Depends on what I'm doing--a quickie shower is probably 10 minutes, add 10 for hair-washing (about every other day), and 10 for shaving (as the mood strikes).

33. Can you do splits?

Almost. Yoga rocks.

34. What movie do you want to see right now?

I cannot wait for Mamma Mia!

35. If you could fast forward your life, would you?

Nope.

36. What did you do for New Year's?

Had some friends over and ate too much--contributing to part of my winter weight issues.

37. Do you think The Grudge was scary?

No idea what that is.

38. Could you relate to a character in Mean Girls?

See above.

39. Do you own a camera phone?

Baby, I have a Blackberry. It's more phone than I can handle.

40. Do you have an "ex box" with pics and letters from past lovers?

Sigh...I wish I had past lovers, lol.

41. Was your mom a cheerleader?

Good God, no.

42. What's the last letter of your middle name?

N.

43. Do you like your middle name?

Eh.

44. How many hours of sleep do you get a night?

7-8 most nights.

45. Do you like Care Bears?

Yuck.

46. What do you buy at the movies?

Popcorn. Of course.

47. Do you know how to play poker?

Yup.

48. Do you wear your seatbelt?

Of course! When I started driving, I made everyone else in my family wear one--they hadn't up until that point.

49. What do you wear to sleep?

Usually PJ pants and a t-shirt. I'm in the market for some cute nighties once I get these last few pounds off and ditch the kid who keeps coming into our room in the middle of the night.

50. Anything big ever happen in your hometown?

Well, I think of La Junta as my hometown since that's where I graduated from. I am sure something big must have happened there in the pioneer days. But, Pueblo is my birth town and current town, and well...that governmental publications agency is here. It is the oldest city in Colorado...Hmmm. No.

51. How many meals do you eat a day?

Two on this diet. Usually three.

52. Is your tongue pierced?

No, but I bet Jason wishes it were.

53. Do you like funny or serious people better?

I guess it depends on what the context is. Probably funny.

54. Ever been to L.A.?

Yup--a few times. I tried out for Jeopardy! in college, lol.

55. Did you eat a cookie today?

Nope.

56. Do you steal or pay for your music downloads?

My husband runs that department. You'll have to ask him.

57. Do you hate chocolate?

What? Are you nuts?

58. What do you and your parents fight about the most?

I don't really have much of a relationship with them at all. Intentionally.

59. Are you a gullible person?

A little.

60. Do you need a boyfriend/girlfriend to be happy?

I wouldn't know--I've had the same one since I was 16 and I'm happy. Would I be happy without one? Probably.

61. If you could have any job what would it be?

I'm gonna stick with midwife on this one.

62. Are you easy to get along with?

Oh, I suppose that depends on who's asking the question. I would say I am probably NOT that easy to get along with.

63. What is your favourite time of day?

Pretty much after the kids are in bed. I love them to pieces, but being with them all day makes for a long one. In the evenings I can really kick back, and Jason and I get some quality time together.

Ahhh, Summer

2008-05-30T21:33:00.003-06:00

Summer seems to have finally hit us in Pueblo. It's been a cold, dreary spring, and I wondered if we would ever have shorts weather. But the switch flipped, and it's now ridiculously hot.

My friend talked me into coming into town to the new-last-year splash park (I was already being unproductive on my index, so it was an easy job to be sure). The kids had fun and since we didn't get done until dinner time, we went to their house and ordered pizza. There is a much-better-than-average chance we're moving back into our little house this summer, and living close to that park is a definite perk in the boys' eyes. Plus, it has an old playground in a not-so-posh neighborhood, which means it has a REAL, old-fashioned, not liability-proof merry-go-round--absolute perfection for three little boys.

Sweet Baby Liam

2008-05-29T21:38:00.004-06:00

Liam will be eight in a week. My friend, a scrapbooker, asked for some pictures so that she can make him his own special album for his birthday. I enjoyed walking down memory lane tonight, and thought you might like to see some of my favorite Liam shots.

Memorial Day

2008-05-27T09:58:00.003-06:00

Yesterday we spent the holiday at Jason's parents' house--only an hour or so away. I was worried I'd have to stay home because of a quick birther who was due, but luckily she had a beautiful healthy baby boy on Saturday.

We did some of the typical holiday weekend things--reading a good book and playing Scrabble (note my Bingo on "SNORKLE"--the D was added later).

The boys spent some time swinging from their favorite tree since it was too cold to swim.

It ended up being more of a high-tech holiday, with Jason's parents purchasing a flat screen TV for their family room. Jason and his dad worked most of the afternoon getting it mounted to the wall and hooked up to the various components.

But the most exciting part was the addition of a new entertainment component: The Wii.

MarioKart seemed to be the favorite game.

Wii!

Nature Play

2008-05-22T17:00:00.006-06:00

Strangely, this is the second day this week that we visited the Nature Center. On Monday we met some friends there to share Quinn's birthday cake. Today, we ate lunch, walked, and played while killing time between appointments.

I really do have more fun with my kids when it's just the four of us. I think that's because I'm focused on them rather than trying to gab with my girlfriends, and also because the fewer children, the fewer opportunities for conflict.

We did walk a couple miles on our outing, but I'd forgotten my camera (which is too bad because we had a curious little snake checking us out), but since Rhys pooped out about half-way through, it is also good that I didn't have extra baggage to haul.

The Nature Center's play structure was built circa 1970, so it's 1) not remotely "child-proof" and 2) way more fun.

I did have to draw the line at snail hunting and playing in the river today, since piano lessons were soon to follow.

It was windy and cloudy on and off, but not too hot nor too cold.

Oh, and a more materialistic note (I'm unreasonably frugal about most things, but shoes are not one of them), the boys and I all got Keens a couple weeks ago. I can't even rave about them enough. Quinn had stepped on a nail (rusty no less) and it went Right Through His Croc, so Crocs are out in our neck of the woods (we'll still wear them into town for quick trips or something I'm sure), and Keens are in. I abhor and detest socks, so these are the perfect solution to our summer footwear needs. Kids sizes were on sale for $32-36 at REI (oh, REI, my Love) the week before Mother's Day, and wouldn't you know it--I can wear a kids' 6! Rock on!

HCG--Oh How I Love Thee

2008-05-20T21:57:00.004-06:00

Okay, brace yourselves. I know this sounds nuts. I thought it was a ridiculous fad when I first read about it. But I'm a believer now. ;) Jason and I are doing the HCG Diet--Dr. Simeon's Protocol. We are doing it under a doctor's supervision. We are fine. We are not causing irreparable damage to our bodies. I promise. I'm not stupid.

Jason has always been a bit chubby--not always really heavy, but never thin. This was his senior picture, and pretty much how he looked for the first 5 years or so of our relationship (we were high school sweethearts). He did have surgery his Freshman year, and I believe he was very thin at that time, but I didn't know him so it doesn't count.

At times, he was downright chunky. Note: I am not pointing fingers. My weight has fluctuated just as wildly. But this post isn't about me...(Look at sweet baby Liam next to him!)

More often than not, he's looked about like this. (This was taken in December 2006 in South Padre Island, TX.)

Once he started working at Vitamin Cottage, he lost a bit of weight, but couldn't really break out of the 190s. In fact, I'm not sure he's been under 190 since I met him. (This was this New Year's Eve.)

This was Jason this evening. He reached his goad weight of 170 today--his final injection day. He admits it's now time to tone up a bit, but really, a little softness in the middle is pretty minimal after losing 28 pounds in 27 days.

I, however, am doing the longer Protocol because I had a bit more to lose, and--surprise, surprise--men lose better and fast than women on this protocol. I am 14 pounds down, have another 27 days to go, and still want to lose 27 more pounds. I realize this will not happen during the rest of this Protocol, but I can either opt to lose it "the old fashioned way" or do another round 6 weeks following this one. We shall see.

I like to tease Jason about how easy it's been for him, but it is work. Good job, Love!

Another Year Older

2008-05-18T11:29:00.005-06:00

Quinn will be 11 tomorrow. How did my baby get to be so old? Since we'll probably be busy tomorrow, I thought I should write this post today.

Quinn is such a cool kid...he continues to like homemade gifts from Mom. Until a check arrives, money in these here parts is sparse, which means his requested gift is on hold. He gets that. But, since the movie doesn't open until Thursday, we're going to do most of his celebrating Friday when Jason is off. Tomorrow we may rescue his bike from the repair shop and go to the Nature Center for a bike ride, go to Scouts, and then enjoy hot dogs over the fire pit, and a homemade cake from Jenn.

Quinn is amazingly artistic, creative, and inspired. He is sweet and helpful. Yes, he's a kid--one who is increasingly having more and more of those "moments"--so it's not all smooth sailing. But by and large, he is a delightful child. I am so proud to call him my son.

Trying to get back in the saddle...

2008-05-17T19:42:00.002-06:00

Hello! It's me. Your long lost friend.

I know that I said I would try to get back into the blogging habit, but I said that before last weekend's conference (that I planned). I have been so overwhelmed and tuned out, but I am making a commitment to check back in. Rhys and I were looking through his baby photo album today, and I realized it has been months since I've photographed my children. Since I've decided I prefer blogging and Flickr to scrapbooking, I was going to commemorate their year with a Blurb book rather than the standard photo album. Well, that's not going to work so well without actually taking pictures, now, is it? I was really feeling more connected to my family and home when I was blogging regularly--for whatever reason. So, since my number one commitment right now is to reconnect with my kids, I am going to make the commitment to share what's going on with us here.

We've also been cleaning the house ferociously since my return. I was really neglecting it, and just couldn't take. it. anymore. I'm feeling much more zen about it now. I've also decided to make a big homeschooling change--nope, not putting them in school, but I have decided to enroll the two bigger guys in an online public school. We've always done our own thing--no preschool even--but I just need to have some structure and shared responsibility with Jason since my midwifery work is less structured than the kids seem to need. And, heck, if I hate it, we'll unenroll.

Speaking of midwifery, I am officially through my apprenticeship phase, and have been given the green light to start taking my own clients. That being said, I have also decided (and communicated this somewhat today) to set some serious boundaries on my time. I'm being drug along on a ride I don't want to take, with difficult schedules to manage and classes I am learning nothing from. It may be that this limit-setting leads to a reduction of my freedom, and if that's the case so be it. I will wait find another situation that suits me and my family better. It's time to stop putting them behind some of these other commitments, and I'm certainly not in any hurry to get through as fast as I can.

These pictures are from a gift I recently made for a friend. We share February birthdays, and I wanted to make her something handmade--which is very hard to do when one's own crafting skill pales in comparison to the giftee's. I had found this vintage fabric at a thrift store, and used a vintage hankie for the pocket (we share initials, so that's convenient), found a couple of thrifted cookbooks (oh-so-humorous), and made her daughter a complementary apron as well. I hope she enjoyed them.

So, that's it. News from the trenches. Look for my posts daily again--I am eager to reconnect with the homebody in me.

Be a Good Midwife

2008-04-06T14:26:00.003-06:00

So, I've never really gotten into the "good boy" and "be good" kind of thing (I could go on about my philosophical reasons and such, but suffice it to say I don't think it's a great idea), but recently, when I've left my kids to go do midwifery stuff, I have warned them to "be a good boy" while I'm gone since some of their behavior of late has been less than desirable.

So, the tables turned and Liam told me on my way out the door, "Be a good midwife!" That's now the standard send-off the boys shout to me as I'm leaving.

Cute, huh? It's certainly a good reminder in any case.

Spring Break

2008-03-26T21:30:00.000-06:00

Ironically, we got back to schooling during our local Spring Break this week. Of course I really couldn't care less about when Spring Break falls except that we get to hang with our school-homies a bit.

Miche and I took the kids to the reservoir this afternoon for a little park time and picnic.

Rhys's very favorite food in the whole, wide world is barbecue potato chips. Don't ask me how that happened.

N in action.

Rhys contemplates the slide.

Miche and J getting ready for some slide action. (This is the baby featured on my birth blog banner, by the way.)

Quinn has a rare quiet moment.

Liam looking dashing (do not ask about the ensemble today--yikes).

Looks like it's time for me to put the knitting down and put the running shoes on (okay, it's partly just an unflattering angle, but yeah, really need to get back in the groove).

My First Holiday Missed

2008-03-23T22:36:00.001-06:00

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. I missed my first family holiday while being "on call."

The background is that I just missed a birth by about 10 minutes on Thursday and I didn't want that to happen again. Our next client is due tomorrow, and had potentially started labor. And while she is a first-time mom, she is already two hours away from me, and going to Jason's parents' would put me three and a half hours away. So, I stayed home, nothing happened anyway, and I missed Easter.

Fortunately my mother-in-law sent some pics for me to see this morning. They boys came back in the late afternoon, and we still had a nice evening together. But, sigh...

I hope that they understand--or will some day. It is not really fair to expect them to pay the price of my decisions, but then again I suppose all children do that to some extent.

I was glad that I had enough "lead time" to help the Easter Bunny with some of his errands and send new outfits and goodies along with Jason. The Easter Bunny found a rockin' sale at Sears (he buys new so, so infrequently) by the way. Oh, and that lifetime guarantee on clothes that they have? We totally get our money's worth out of that.

Bad Blogger

2008-03-20T21:15:00.003-06:00

Oh goodness. A devoted fan (:::cough:::) pointed out that it's been nearly a month since I've posted. Ooops. So, I'll do a quickie "what-I've-been-up-to-followed-by-a-CTTS post," okay?

What I've been up to:

I have been hideously, hideously swamped with work since the New Year. I finished a project yesterday and for the first time in three months don't have a deadline breathing down my neck. I have two pending projects, only one of which is on my desk, but a couple weeks to get it done. So, I can breathe for a bit.

I had to submit an extensive application for the IBCLC exam, including scholarship applications (and taxes needed to be done for this part), and background online courses. This was done by the end-of-February deadline. I got a letter that it was complete and has been accepted, and now I'm officially a candidate for 2008. Now to study...

I am finishing up the last couple modules in my childbirth education certification program. The one I'm currently working on has been the most time-intensive, but the next one is breastfeeding/postpartum issues so that one should be a breeze. I am planning to submit them at the same time and get the work on both done by the end of the weekend.

I got married. Kinda. We had our marriage convalidated last Saturday. Low-key, but still something else I needed to do.

I am in the last 6-week-stretch of the conference I'm planning. When all that is said and done I'll be breathing a huge sigh of relief.

I have been teaching CBE classes from my home office. I have two couples and my office is just big enough to accommodate us. I think I have decided to transform the master bedroom into the office and keep a wall free so that I can offer prenatal yoga classes as well. We need to do wood or bamboo floors in there first, though, which can't be done until...

We're (meaning Jason and his dad) are having to fix up the rental because the last renters pretty much trashed it. It would have needed fresh paint and such anyway, but it's a big mess and they bailed early without paying their last rent, so money's been tight as well.

So, when you wonder why I haven't been blogging, this should clear it up. If I haven't commented on yours lately it's because I'm about 300 blog posts behind on my Google Reader subscriptions if you can even imagine that.

So, my CTTS: Rhys and Liam were playing with their Star Wars "guys" today when Rhys had to go potty. He says to Liam, "Pause the game." Um, maybe we've been a little lax with computer games during all the craziness?

I'm So Crafty, I Make People

2008-02-28T12:07:00.001-07:00

This is the cutest thing I've seen in a long time. I think I'm going to have to get the t-shirt.

Another You Tube Treat

2008-02-25T08:54:00.002-07:00

Mrs. G posted this highly amusing video on her blog...

My IBCLC application is done, and just needs to be sent off, though I've got two indexing projects breathing down my neck, as well as my childbirth class work. There is light at the end of the tunnel, but it's a bit far off. I'll hopefully be back to normal posting soon...

That's a big bullet hole in your foot...

2008-02-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, bad Mom confession (no, I'm not an extension-cord-waving crackwhore, but...): On Tuesday I left a *small* list of things for Quinn to accomplish school-wise while my sister was watching him, and he drug his feet taking forever to get those few things done. Yesterday, Quinn and I went head-to-head about piano practice all because he feels he really shouldn't have to do anything he doesn't want to do. So...I punished him by telling him he would do school work from 7:45 to 3:30 every day, just to see how the other half lives.

So, (okay, it's only noon of the first day) he just informed me that even though this is a lot of work, THIS is how he wants to homeschool. He's been feeling anxious about his academic preparedness (oy vey) for his career--either in chemistry, archeology, paleontology, or film-making, or acting (lol--he's already over-educated for that).

This blog isn't called slacker school for nothing, you know? This isn't going to be easy for me. I am a busy person. My whole philosophy is more or less to school skills and unschool content. How am I going to keep him independently busy for nearly 8 hours a day? I actually was just talking to another homeschooling midwife who uses Robinson for that very reason--maybe I'll check into that. But still.

I am glad he feels like he found the solution he was looking for. He didn't really want to go to school, but was super anxious about how much he was learning at home. I think he found a little empowerment today. I will put much of it into his own hands and try to provide more structure where he needs it. I just haven't figured out how, yet.

Pox Redux

2008-02-21T13:45:00.002-07:00

Sigh...Well, Rhys has pox, and after a low start (his fever was last Friday and he had a few spots on Sunday but no new ones on Monday), finally has a respectable case.

I was worried when he only had two or three that he might not end up with full immunity. I am SO not trying to get chicken pox again.

Quinn even has a couple smallish spots, but I don't think they are pox (he was vaxed once ten years ago)...maybe this ride isn't over for us after all. I will be glad when it's done.

Meet Pox

2008-02-19T21:35:00.000-07:00

Well, Pox joined our family probably 10 or 11 days ago, but I was just recently able to capture his elegance on "film." (Snort, film...)

Our adorable friends brought Pox all the way to our home (out in the middle of nowhere) since they decided hamsters are good and geckos are bad. They thought Pox could benefit from a little boy-energy.

Pox (who, by the way, was previously named Lecko Gecko or Hideous depending on who you asked, but has now been christened "Pox" in honor of what was going on in our lives at the time) is a Leopard Gecko, and so the name seems doubly fitting.

He actually has an itty bit of personality and was pretty fascinated with what I was doing with that clicky thing. Otherwise, he's spent most of his time under his rock. I think he's finally coming around to realizing our other critters probably aren't going to get him. No one's been brave enough to handle him yet, but that's next on tap since he needs some re-socialization.

I am sure that people pay good money for these things, and while he's not *my* personal choice of a pet, I am so very grateful that we were gifted him because the boys like him, and he's actually pretty low maintenance (at least I'm not out catching crickets for him). ;) So, many thanks to the girls!

dar la TeTA es dar ViDA

2008-02-18T09:56:00.001-07:00

My life is utter chaos right now, so I guess my blog is reduced to sharing interesting YouTube videos, lol. I adore this one--except for the twiddling. ;)