Monday, December 15, 2008

Cooking, baking,eating, Oh MY!!!

For the love of Pete, I can't believe how much baking and cooking I've done over the past few days! It's been super fun, but super exhausting as well. Not to mention that I think the clan may be starting to believe that this is the new "normal" around here. Good food, good smells, mom in the kitchen all the time. Um, NOT! As much as I do enjoy puttering about the kitchen making all this "feel good", "down home" , "comfort food", my belly absolutely does not love it even a little bit!

Oh the stories my expanding belly could tell of all the places it's seen along it's travels from slim to pudgey!

Water? Water? Must. drink. more. water. and. eat. less. sugar!

Help!!!!!! What to do with a preschooler, toddler and middle school child home all at once, stuck inside due to extremely cold temps (it's like 21 degrees outside now and it didn't get much above 25 degrees today). Even so, we did play in the snow for about an hour or so, and I went to the grocery store and bought a ton of said comfort food described above (because one can never have too much of it!).

Tomorrow is another day of no middle school, no preschool, no gym, and freezing cold temps outside. To prepare, I went and bought Tigger this adorable little outfit today:




















This will definitely help her to enjoy the freezing, bone chilling, teeth chattering cold that we are experiencing right now.

So, tomorrow, God willing, we will brave the outdoors again and have fun!

Kim

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Let it snow!


It's our first day of snow for the year!!!!! The weather people have been talking about this storm all week, but they said it would come on Saturday. Saturday came and went, and although it was really cold, there was no snow in sight. Sunday morning arrived, and as we all opened our tired eyes with expectations of snow at around 6:00 am, there was still no snow. Bummer...

Then...

The dog started pacing.

The kitty started playing.

Little feet started scampering downstairs.

Christopher Robin gave me a nudge and whispered, "Honey, it's snowing!"

What!!!!! I opened my eyes again (this time it was 8:00 am) and looked out our bedroom window and saw large white fluffy pieces of cotton floating gently down to the ground. Snow!

I quickly got up and before I could make it downstairs I was met by a super hyper, snow-excited Winnie running to greet me with a lightening speed description of all that was happening and that she was going wear her pretty purple dress to church (the sleeveless summer dress) and that, "Mommy, it's snowing outside!" followed by an excited giggle and squeak.

It's been an hour now. Everyone has tummies full of pancakes and apple cider and if you look out any of our windows you will see white. Everywhere. The temperature outside has dropped 4 degrees and the big fluffy pieces of cotton have turned to smaller pieces of floating sugar cubes. Church has been canceled and it looks like the purple dress will have to be worn on another day because...

It's Snowing!!!!!!! Yippee!!!!! Thank you God for brightening up our gray world today with a beautiful, soft white blanket. It's just what I needed!

Have a wonderful day!

Kim

Friday, December 12, 2008

From the mouths of babes

Winnie is very interested in dying lately. She talks about it every day, several times a day. She says, "I want to die to so that I can go to heaven and be with Grandpa Adkins and Abby" (My parents yellow lab who died a month or so ago). The other day in the car she asked, "Where is heaven?" To which Christopher Robin replied, "In the sky." She's almost 4 and that's the best we could come up with on the spot. Winnie thought about this for a second and then said, "Well, then when I die we'll fly up in an airplane to go to heaven and see Grandpa and Abby, ok?"

We will be flying in an airplane in March to go to Disneyland. I can only imagine the conversations we will be having on the plane!

Santa or no Santa...what do you do?

As Christian parents, we have struggled over the years with how to treat the Santa Claus story in our household. When we had Eeyore (our first daughter), we were very new Christians and were figuring a lot out as we went and decided to do Santa with gusto because, well, that was how it was done in our homes when we were growing up and we were ok, right?

So, we proceeded with stockings, letters to Santa, stories about Santa, setting out gifts under the tree from Santa, going to visit Santa, and then we'd throw in a few nativity scene's and stories about the birth of Jesus for good measure. All of this seemed to work just fine until...

Miss Eeyore started asking questions, and we were not quite ready to let the whole Santa thing go. So, we continued to promote the story of Santa being "real" in our home. At around this same time, I noticed that while Eeyore was asking questions about the validity of Santa, she was also asking some questions about Jesus too. Suddenly, I realized that what we had thought was innocent and fun, was really opening her and us up to a lot of confusion and explaining later on. Christmas became a time of stress, frustration and a lot of questions and dancing around the subject of Santa. Why weren't we just upfront and honest from the start? I have no idea. She was still so young and I think it was more about me not being ready to give up on the childlike joy of Santa, than her not being ready to hear that Santa was make believe.

Jump ahead a couple of years...we survived that experience and now here we are again with a soon to be 4 year old Winnie and 2 1/2 year old Tigger. This time, we have decided to downplay Santa. It's impossible to ignore him in our society, but we are not pretending he is real at all. Instead, we are talking about Jesus and celebrating His birthday. We do talk about Santa, but I always follow up with what Christmas is really about. We don't go into too much detail yet because the girls are young, but Winnie has started asking the more pressing questions this year and I am so thankful that we have not backed ourselves into a corner with the whole Santa thing.

I'm always looking for new and creative ways to navigate this subject with my children and my family. As the years have gone by and we've experimented with different methods, I have noticed that this is the first year that I feel virtually no anxiety. It feels really good to not jump through the Santa hoops. I always felt like such a liar! Like I was doing my child some grave injustice by placing her hopes in something that is not real when the real reason for Christmas is Jesus who is very much alive and real in all of us.

Not everyone feels as conflicted as I did and I certainly don't think that everyone should toss Santa out the window. I'd love to hear how you do it in your household. There are as many different ways to celebrate this time of year as there are families who celebrate it. So, if you feel led, please share your story here in the comments section. We can all learn a little something about each other and get ideas to try for our own families!

Blessings and Merry Christmas!

Kim

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Late night post about a few housekeeping things...

I keep thinking lately, "Oh, I should blog about that!" However, sadly, the pace of every day life has left me with very little energy or time to blog much lately. So, I thought I'd take a quick moment to take care of some loose ends.

First, I wrote not long ago about coming up with a different and more meaningful way for our family to celebrate Christmas this year. Here are a few small things that we have done:

1. We made care packages to keep in the car and give to homeless people that we encounter during the day. A small group that Christopher Robin and I participate in through church came up with t his idea and we all brought items to contribute to the care package and them put them together one night. Some of the items we put in the bags were: Tooth brushes, small packages of tissue, wet wipes, new socks, tuna and cracker kits, water bottles, chapstick, packages of applesauce, and bible tracts.

2. Getting together with friends to make really amazing homemade caramel apples. Thanks Dee! This was a fun, creative, way to bless our neighbors, friends and family.

3. I have been talking to the girls about this time of year being about celebrating Jesus' birth. It also just so happens that Winnie's birthday is January 3rd. So birthday's are a big topic of conversation around the house right now. We sing "Happy Birthday" to everyone in the family every night, and now we sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus too. Something kind of cool has happened as a result. The lense through which my girls view the world around Christmastime has changed. They now see things through the lense of, "This is Jesus' birthday" instead of, "This is about Santa bringing me presents". The other night as we were driving home, Winnie and Ava noticed all of the lights on our neighbors houses. In the midst of Oooo's and Aaaahhh's, I heard one of them say, "It's Jesus' Birthday!" I said, "That's right. Everyone puts lights on their houses and decorates to celebrate Jesus' birthday just like we put candle's on a cake when we celebrate your birthday." To this I received a chorus of, "Oh cool! Happy Birthday Jesus!" Now that was a totally amazing parenting moment. Thank you God!

4. Finally, we are planning to go to the snow on Christmas day instead of sitting around the house opening presents all day. It'll be the first time we've done this with all three girls and we are all looking forward to it. The idea is to make the day less about the presents we receive and more about spending time together as a family and being thankful for the best present we could ever have. The one God gave us when He sent His one and only son Jesus Christ to be born and to die for our sins so that we could be saved and have eternal life. That's the best gift ever. One we didn't deserve, but one that He knew we needed more than anything else.

Thank you God for your most amazing gift!

Love,

Kim

Friday, December 5, 2008

My first knitting project...complete!

I posted a while back that I was attempting to learn to knit. Remember that forlorn looking blue ball of yarn?
Well, with the help of Eeyore, my mom and Aunt Susan, and an opportunity from God to strengthen my patience muscle, I finally finished my first project and have started my second.

I was able to finish this scarf after many, many, many attempts and do-overs while driving down to California for Thanksgiving. I love that I was able to get something done while sitting in the car. I'm all about multi-tasking.

So here it is!

God used this small project to teach me a lesson in perseverance and patience. It also was incredibly gratifying to make something out of nothing. I never thought I would knit...way too domestic for me. Yet here I am a model of domesticity. Will I ever learn to never say never?

Have a blessed day!

Kim

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Silly Tigger!


Tigger is my youngest daughter. She is 2 1/2. She was a suprise gift to us from God. To be honest, it took me a large part of my pregnancy to get used to the idea of having another child. To me, it felt like our family was already complete and I couldn't imagine how we would manage with another child. But God knew. He knew what was missing and he knew all along that we needed her. Our family was not complete until she was born.

Tigger is a light of laughter and silliness in this family. Every day she makes me laugh and warms my heart. And it's not just me. Even preteen Eeyore giggles and gets silly around Miss Tigger. So, I thought I would share just a little bit of the silliness that goes on around here.

Upon noticing the enormous lit up snow man in Grandma's front yard Tigger replied, "Come on! Yet's go check it out!" She then walked slowly around it inspecting all of it's parts, " Oooo, nice hat, BIG nose!" and nodded her approval. We then pointed out the two penguins nearby. She sqealed with delight and ran over to take a look. " Oooo, Pinkins!" She said. "Nice hat, BIG nose!" She proudly commented on the similar attributes between the penguins and the snowman. Then, with a sharp nod, she marched off to her other important inspector jobs.

Tigger has only two speeds. Dead stop and full sprint. She runs everywhere. No walking in her world. Not only does she run, but she runs with utter abandon. Everything jiggles and bounces from her curls to her belly, and her squeals seem to fuel her speed. It's hilarious, and usually encourages others to run with her.

Tigger greets almost everyone with an excited, "Hi!" and a wave. Sometimes you even get a hug. Grandma, Grandpa, the family, friends at work, strangers at Fred Meyer all get the same greeting. We always leave the check out clerk smiling and waving like they are a new member of our family. That's Tigger. Everyone feels important and included when she is around.

The flip side to Tigger is that she doesn't share well and let's the world know about it when she doesn't get her way. She has this shreak that can shatter windows and cause everyone to come running only to find her standing in the middle of the room tugging at her sweater with all her might trying to get it off and shreaking while doing so.

When she is done eating, she still sometimes throws her food to let us know. It's quite effective, but messy. Lately, as she is learning to "use your words" more she has moved to this new hybrid phase of throwing her food WHILE using her words and say, "I'm done!" ***sigh***It's progress.

I'm so thankful that God gave us Tigger. Tigger's charisma and charm add so much to our family. I can't imagine life without her.
Don't ya' just want to hug her?

Have a blessed day!

Kim

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

The Family Road Trip

We survived! In fact...we thrived! God is so amazing.

This is the first road trip we have taken in years that we made it through without the kids having any major meltdowns, without Christopher Robin and I having any major arguments (well, we did have one at a rest stop over how long we should stop...pretty lame) while totally enjoying our visits with family.

While spending 30 hours in the car, our 3 girls (1 toddler, 1 preschooler, 1 middle schooler):

*Watched the movie Tinkerbell at least 8 times
*Talked about the "froggy owside" (translated from toddler-ese to mean the fog outside)
*Watched the Sound of Music, Annie, Finding Nemo, and Wall-e
*Listened to some Rockin' Music
*Worked on their lacing skills (thank you Amanda for the lacing boards)
*Worked on their drawing skills
*Practiced their manners
*Saw some beautiful scenery

While at Poppi's, Great Grandma and Grandpa's, and Grandma's houses, our girls:

*Played, visited, cuddled, slept, ate, bonded, entertained, and in general had a wonderful time.

Thank you to our family for making this such a wonderful Thanksgiving. We love you all!

Kim

Sunday, November 23, 2008

The Griswold's we ain't, but the lights are up!


The picture doesn't do it justice at all!

Christopher Robin put the outside lights and Christmas decorations up yesterday. Yay! Roo, Winnie and Tigger were so impressed and awed when they came back from their overnight trip to Grandma's house. Now when we come home from Thanksgiving they will already be up and we will get to enjoy them that much longer.

We typically are lucky if we get a string of lights up over the garage. This year we have candy cane lights and an inflatable snowman! Oh yeah, we're movin' up.

We also FILLED our yardwaste can with leaves again yesterday. You can't even tell now because our trees are still losing leaves! However, it still felt good to make a dent in the leaf pile. Even if it was only for a day.

Have a wonderful day!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

All it takes is a special bear...

Lately, Winnie has been pretty spazzy. She'll be four years old in January and she has been practicing being four over the past few weeks. Bossy, hyper, loud, stubborn, opinionated...oh and...super fun, giggly, dancing, singing, helping mommy, and doing all things "By myself!"

I'm leading with this because today was preschool day and it has been pouring rain outside all day. The way things have been going lately, that would be a recipe for an afternoon meltdown followed by repetitive begging to watch Elmo, Clifford, or Curious George and mooching for snacks every 5 minutes. However, something unusual and exciting happened after preschool today: Winnie brought Bailey Bear home for a weekend visit!

At Winnie's preschool each child in her class has an opportunity to bring Bailey Bear home for a weekend visit. Along with Bailey Bear comes a large blue backpack filled with dress up clothes for Bailey and a journal in which Bailey writes about her visit for the next lucky child to read. As Winnie came walking out to the car today, escorted by her teacher, she carried this enormous backpack and was grinning from ear to ear. "Mom, I get to bring Bailey Bear home!!!!!" Winnie squealed.

Well, I could never have imagined the effect Bailey Bear would have on Winnie. She spent 2 HOURS playing with Bailey quietly in the living room. She ate lunch very quickly and insisted that Bailey join her for lunch and then went right back to changing Bailey's clothes and reading Bailey all of her favorite stories.

It's amazing how one small, worn out old bear and some worn dress up doll clothes can completely transform, mesmerize and activate a preschooler's imagination far beyond that of any video game or television show.

I can't wait to see what Winnie and Bailey get to do together tomorrow. Totally cool!

Kim (Kanga-Mom)

Sunday, November 16, 2008

It takes a Village... God's Village.

Late last week we received an email from a friend at church. They were in need of help and sent out an SOS to everyone they new. They were having a work party at a rental house that they owned that had been all but destroyed by the previous renters. Our friends are going to try and sell this house, but needed to get it cleaned up before anyone could come and look at.

I quickly emailed Christopher Robin who said he actually thought it sounded like fun (I love that man!). We then asked Eeyore if she would be willing to babysit Winnie and Tigger for a couple of hours Saturday morning while we went and helped out a friend. She was willing. So we emailed our friend to say that the Hundred Acre Wood Clan would be there.
*******
Now, in our many years of marriage, we have been the recipients of more than our share of neighborly and family aid. Sadly, we have not always been able to reciprocate. I know that God uses us in different ways during the various seasons of our lives, and as our children get older we are gradually noticing our season of life shifting from focusing on ourselves to focusing on others more. So, when we received the email, we felt honored to be able to step forward and do this for our friends. It was our turn to "do unto others". Yay!

It's always a good idea to be neighborly and help each other out when we are in need. However, in today's troubled times, it is even more imperative that we look up and take notice of other people's needs. Helping others is good for the soul. It makes God smile when He sees His creation loving each other through compassion and hard work. Turning our attention to helping others causes us to get out of our own heads and circumstances for a little bit. That is an awesome feeling!

So, we showed up on Saturday morning with a cheerful spirit to work and help our friends. What an awesome experience! The place was totally wrecked, and it was immediately obvious that there was no way our friends could have done this on their own. Honestly, I was not sure that we would get it all done that day. But God had a plan. All day, people kept showing up to help. Everyone, was cheerful, and ready to work. There were muffins and coffee (food bribes are always a good idea:-)). I had to leave earlier than Christopher Robin to relieve Eeyore from her childcare duties. When he came home later that day, he said that more people showed up right before he left and that they were painting the walls. How awesome! God is so good!
*******
I learned from this experience that there is no time like the present to step up and help a friend in need. Small things, big things, it doesn't matter. Everyone is struggling in some way. No one is left unaffected by our current global economic situation. If there was ever a time for this generation to pull together and love each other, this would be the time.

The saying ,"It takes a village" has never really resonated with me. Until now. I would make one change though. I would say it like this:

Yes, it takes a village, God's Village. When He shows up, anything is possible.

I challenge you to help someone today. Open a door for a person at the store, help someone get their groceries to the car, rake up a neighbors leaves, invite a family over for dinner, have friends over for a game night, babysit someones children for them. Just look around. There is need everywhere right in your own neighborhood. Take a moment and step outside of your own circumstances and watch God work His miracles!

Have a blessed day,

Kim

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Me, myself, the guinea pig... Days 1 and 2

I'm running a little experiment on myself. Do you ever do that? My latest is to test the effects of water on my system. I don't usually drink enough water. I drink coffee instead. They're both liquid, I drink them, so what's the difference, right?

There is a big difference. Logically, I'm aware of the many differences that water vs. coffee can have on my body, but I thought it was time to put my body to the test.

Two days ago I started drinking more water. A lot more. I went from 8-16 oz a day to 64oz a day. Amazing! The first day that I drank all that water I also had coffee, but only one small coffee mug, and I didn't even finish it. Here's what happened:

1. I peed a ton!
2. I peed some more!
3. I ate less and felt hungry less often.
4. I felt less tired and irritable the next day
5. I slept better that night.

Those are all really good things. I've read about these effects on the body and many others as well, but it's been a really long time since I last made any effort at all to keep track of how much water I am drinking.

I like this.

Yesterday, day 2, I also drank 64 oz of water. It was a little more difficult because of my work schedule, but I managed to get it all in. I also made a bigger effort to choose healthier foods - fresh fruits and veggies, oatmeal for breakfast, etc...Overall I felt really good.

I still had my cup of coffee though. I held out until almost 11am before I caved! I really want to kick the coffee habit, but I think I may have to go off it gradually rather than cold turkey. One thing I've noticed is that the idea of drinking coffee is much more appealing to me than the actual taste of coffee. My prayer is that eventually my brain will catch up with my tastebuds!

If you have any suggestions, thoughts, motivating stories or general comments for me about this or any other topic, or you just want to say hi and let me know that you're out there and that I'm not sitting here typing to myself. I'd LOVE to hear from you! I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person who has ever tried to drink more water or kick the coffee habit, so please share your experiences here and bless me and others who might be trying to do the same thing. You'll be glad you did:-)

Have a wonderful day!

Kim (Kanga-Mom)

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Another crafty project for the not-so-crafty wanna be Kanga-Mom

Oh my goodness, what was I thinking?










Every year around this time I get the idea to knit or sew or just make something from scratch. Usually, that's as far as it gets. The idea is enough to give me hives!

Last year, I went so far as to go to Michaels and purchase yarn and needles, but that was as far as it went.

This year, I went upstairs and dug the store bag out of my closet and sat it on the counter. There it sat for three days.

Today, I took the yarn out and asked Eeyore if she could show me how to cast on (that's knitting talk for "get started", see how much I've learned!) again because it had been so long since I had tried to knit that I had forgotten. Eeyore knits on a fairly regular basis and took an after school knitting class a couple of years ago. She rocks!

Anywho...

Attempt #1: After several attempts I finally got going. Only to discover that I had made it too tight... so I had to pull it all out.

Attempt #2: I actually got three rows done and was having trouble keeping it all on the needles because I had made it too long...and had to pull it all out.

Attempt #3: After getting another few rows done I decided that the yarn I had chosen was too advanced and that maybe I should start with a more basic yarn. I'm trying to use this really cute, fancy-pants, hairy blue yarn. For this beginner it's really difficult to see what I'm doing because the yarn is so irregular. So, I decided that perhaps I had better switch to a more straightforward yarn...even though it's not nearly as cute! ...so I had to pull it all out again.

That is where we're at right now. After over an hour of effort, I'm back to a ball of yarn!

Saturday, November 8, 2008

The Case of the Missing Sippy Cups


Have you seen these sippy cups? (actual sippy cups were missing at time of picture.)



We recently found ourselves in a sippy cup shortage. At first, we were only missing the occasional stopper. Then a lid would go MIA. Finally we were down to one sippy cup. One! This family cannot survive on one sippy cup! What was happening to them? Was there a sippy cup thief among us? Who could it be?

The suspects were difficult to photograph because they are constantly on the move. This is the best picture we could get of all three of them together:

WANTED FOR QUESTIONING











TIGGER, WINNIE, and EEYORE

After a housewide search, we came up empty handed. We were stumped. The trail had gone cold.

Then one day, the case broke in a most unexpected way. Tigger was upstairs in her room waking up from a nap. As I walked up the stairs to get her, I could hear her repeating in a loud voice, "I cyimb out, I cyimb out!" When I opened the door to her room, this is what I saw:










She was trying to get out of her crib! That night, Christopher Robin moved her mattress down to it's lowest setting. When he pulled out the crib mattress, what did he see? Four sippy cups! The case broke wide open and all three suspects caved under the intense investigation that followed. It turns out that Eeyore and Winnie were giving Tigger sippy cups filled with water while she was taking a nap, or before bedtime. Then, when Tigger was done with them, she would throw the cups behind her crib (This seems like a reasonable thing to do to me. They aren't very comfortable to sleep on, after all.) .

Mystery solved!

Now if we could only solve The Case of the Missing Sock!

Friday, October 31, 2008

Eeyore in her Detective Costume

She looked so cute! Today they get to wear their costumes to school. I love how she chose such a conservative looking costume this year. She's growing up!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

HSM3, Sappy Sentiments, and other Mom thoughts

I took Eeyore (oops she just read this and insists that she is Roo today so....) I took Roo to see High School Musical 3 this afternoon. It was good. I think I might have liked it more than she did! But, I'm sappy and sentimental that way. I LOVE musicals. Singing, dancing, sports, teenagers with their whole lives ahead of them and full of promise. It all makes me smile. I asked Roo which character she identified with the most and she said the girl who plays the piano and writes music. I thought that was very interesting. Roo does love to play the piano, and it sounds like she is viewing herself as more a behind the scenes person rather than front and center all the time. Very interesting stuff.

As a mom of a preteen, I have noticed that my role as her mom is in a state of transition. It seems that I am more useful to her when I take her seriously and treat her like a mature young lady, than when I'm her mom and tease her and treat her like the child that she is most of the time. I am learning to view her as she is going to be in a few years, while at the same time remembering that she is still only 11 right now and in need of direction, correction, and attention.

Right now, she is still acting a lot like a little girl, but soon, very soon, I will wake up and she will be asking to borrow my make up, worrying about her hair and telling me about a boy she "likes". Until then, I'll take her to HSM3, she'll play with her sisters, and want the latest Webkinz doll.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Tigger's First Dentist Appointment

Today was Tigger's turn at Dentistry For Kids. She won them all over with her giggles and charm!

She was totally enthralled with the process and loved Dr. James. She let him brush her teeth and count them. No cavities and he said her teeth looked "perfect"!


They even liked our "Brush Your Teeth" song. We sing it to the tune from "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and it goes like this:

"Brush, brush, brush your teeth
Brush them all day long
Front and back
Front and back
Keeps them nice and strong."

The girls love the song and get very enthusiastic about brushing their teeth when we sing it together in the morning and at night.

Have I mentioned how much I love this dentist? The whole office is amazing!

Have a great day!

We're Walking, We're Walking....

It's still early, but I wanted to post this real quick...

Roo and I went for another early morning walk today. I'm so proud of her. She remembered to get up and had to come and wake ME up to go! It was chilly out, but we did it and came back to coffee for me, and hot cocoa for her. What a great way to start the day! I'm really enjoying this time with her. God has given me this wonderful opportunity to spend time with her, and to really hear her and see her. No distractions, no pressure. He has met us right where we are and made a way for us to spend time together.

Praise God!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

'Tis the season- Challenge

As most of you know, I love this time of year. However, there is one aspect of it that has brought me many sleepless nights filled with worry, anxiety, guilt. This time of year wreaks havoc on our finances. Is there anyone out there that can relate? It seems that no matter how much we plan and prepare, we end up going over our allotted gift budget. So this year, we are trying a different approach, and I thought it would be fun (yes, I know I'm sick and twisted) to challenge my reader (maybe there are two of you out there, but I can't be sure) to do the same.

God has placed it on our hearts (and my mom's too) to change our focus this year. So, instead of going gift crazy, we are going to switch things up on Christmas day in an attempt to break up our gift opening frenzy, and place the focus where we believe it should be: On Jesus' birth, and on loving each other. Normally, we wake up early to see what "Santa" has brought and then proceed to spend the next couple of hours opening presents, playing with said presents, eating breakfast, calling family, and then perhaps going in for round 2 of opening more presents (yes, it really is that bad). Granted, not all of the presents are from mom and dad, but many of them are. Too many. Each year, we say we are going to cut back because we always overdo it and don't want our girls to get spoiled or expect such extravagant gifts, and each year we do more than we plan. (Again, I know you're out there...can you relate?

I'm certainly not anti-Santa. He's a jolly dude and a fun tradition, but Santa is not what Christmas is about. Santa isn't real. Jesus is.






In our defense, we do not buy much for the girls throughout the year. We save up for birthdays and Christmas. However, it is just getting to be too burdensome to give them everything at Christmas. Also, we are starting to buy them more throughout the year as the need arises while still buying them a lot at Christmastime too. Totally ridiculous and totally missing the point, I know.








So, this year, in honor of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we are going to celebrate His life by starting new traditions. We are praying for discernment as to how to do that in a way that honors Him and brings joy to our children's lives on this overly commercialized holiday. This will be a big undertaking because both Christopher Robin and I were raised with traditional Santa Claus, presents under the Christmas tree, Christmases, and have wonderful memories of those holidays. And, old habits die hard.

But, God...
Many times, in the Bible, when we (silly humans) are struggling with what seems to be an impossible task, the story is followed with a, "But God". Then, God proceeds to turn all of our misconceptions and preconceived notions and old habit on their heads, and He does His thing. He does the impossible over and over and over again. Because I know this to be true, then I know without a doubt that if we trust in Him, He will make this right.

I trust God and put my faith in Him. I want my children to do the same.

I'm still not exactly sure what Christmas will look like this year at the Hundred Acre Wood, but one thing I do know for sure: God is good. All the time. We will prayerfully consider how he would have us "do Christmas" this year. If you haven't done that before, won't you join me?

Have a fabulous day!

Monday, October 20, 2008

Winnie's First Fall Festival

Princess Winnie
Isn't she beautiful! Sunday was her preschool's Fall Festival, and we had such a good time. She spent the majority of the time inside the "Bouncy-House" but also participated in the rope swing, bowling for cups, fishing for prizes, pin the nose on the pumpkin and the spider toss. Fun! Fun! Fun! This is Winnie with her Wonderful teacher Mary Lynn:

We decided to only bring Winnie to this event. I know, it's a "Family Fall Festival", but it's so rare that she gets us all to herself that we thought this would be a good time to give her all of our attention. Although we have recently made a decision to do more together as a family, this was one of those times that we chose to deviate from that decision and give her some much needed one-on-one time. We are so glad we did!

Did I mention how much time she spent in the "Bouncy-House"?
And then there was the rope swing:
And most important, time with friends:

It was a good day.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

It's Harvest Time

It's that time of year. Time for the annual pilgrimage to our local farm to pick out pumpkins, ride tractors, go through hay mazes, and ride some rides. It's Harvest Season, Fall Festival time, Autumn. We LOVE this time of year!


This weekend we went to our local Lee's Family Farm and Winnie's preschool Fall Festival! Whew, that's a lot of harvesting in one short weekend, but it was super fun!

Christopher Robin and I have decided that we need to make a point of getting out with the whole family more often for fun events like these. It's stressful, but only because we don't do it very often. Now that everyone is getting older and more independent it is even more important for us to start making memories that will stay with them into adulthood.

I know it's cliche, but it's true: Time does fly. I have 11 year old Eeyore to prove it (yes, she's Eeyore this week...that's another post for another time). She and I went for a walk tonight in the brisk Autumn air and discussed things that were very grown up. She also shared with me some private fears she still has (I do not have permission to share those here), and showed me how she is working hard to get in better shape and take better care of her body. I'm so proud of her!

Sorry about the sentimental post. I always wax nostalgic this time of year.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

I Choose Joy!

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Today was OMA. I love OMA. It is a women's bible study that I participate in two Thursdays a month. What an amazing blessing this group has been to me. You can find out more about it here:

www.onemothertoanother.net

Today we finished up a wonderful discussion about Joy, one of the Fruits of the Spirit. I left feeling happy, filled up with love for my heavenly father, and for my fellow mommies. Here are a few things that I took away from this study:

1. Joy doesn't just happen. You have to actively pursue Joy and exert a small amount of effort to achieve a Joyful state of mind.

2. Be deliberate about spending time with the Lord. The more firmly rooted we are in Him, the more likely His Joy, can be our strength.

3. Profound praise brings Joy. Dancing, singing, raising your hands to honor Him. You know, all those things that we feel self-conscious about when we do them in public. But, here's what the bible says:

Psalms 32:11
Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Psalms 33:1-3
Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.

4. Our Joy is unstoppable.

2 Corinthians 4: 8-10
We are hard pressed on every side, butnot crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

5. Joy radiates from within. I was reminded today that no amount of work on the outside will bring us Joy on the inside. It just doesn't work that way. We have to choose Joy on the inside and then it will radiate out for all the world to see and people will ask, "Why are you so happy?" And then we, lovers of Jesus, get to tell them why. Isn't that awesome!!!

So as for me and my house...I will choose joy. It will be difficult, because that is not my natural response, but I will still try to choose joy. Won't you choose joy with me today?




Saturday, October 11, 2008

Feel The Burn!

I started running again two days ago at the gym. I've had a lot of stops and starts over the past year, but I really am motivated and want to get back into running again SO BAD! So, I asked my darling Christopher Robin to put some new music on my ipod and off to the gym I went. As I was panting...no,let's be honest, huffing and puffing is more like it...some tips came to me that I thought might help a new runner enjoy their experience more. Or at the very least, you might laugh a little and forget how tired you are for a nanosecond. Either way, it's a win-win!

Kanga-mom's Tips for a great running experience:

1. Ladies, you always, and I mean ALWAYS, should wear a very supportive sportsbra. Spend the money because the good ones are not cheap. Fashion is not your primary concern here. Immobilizing the girls is. The last thing you want are THOSE distracting you from your fabulous endorphin-filled activity.

2. Good supportive shoes are a must. Do NOT run in high tops, court shoes, or those trendy little fashion sneakers that are everywhere right now. Good running shoes can be expensive, but check out the outlet shops and watch for sales. Try them on and run in the store in them before you purchase a pair. Then replace them ever 6 months if you're running or walking in them regularly. Your knees and ankles will LOVE you!

3. Invest in some sort of audio device. MP3, Ipod, portable cd player, whatever works for you, but find something. This will get you through those tough miles, hills, and the sheer boredom that sets in at some point. I personally prefer fast paced music with a strong beat and do not like listening to people talk while I run. The glorious thing is that you can listen to whatever you want and customize your tunes to fit you. Just do it. You can thank me later.

4. Water, water, water. Drink plenty of it before, during, and after you run.

5. Eating something light within an hour before and after your run. A power bar, an apple, some sort of protein/carb combo that isn't too heavy and will fuel your energy and muscles while you exercise. If you don't you'll hit the wall and won't have any gas left in you to get you past it. After runs protein shakes are my favorite.

6. Stretch. Most people do not do this, yet this often forgotten activity will be what prevents injuries from occurring and will reduce soreness the next day. Slowly and gently stretch your muscles before you run and then again after your run as you cool down.

7. Start slow. Don't go out on your first day and try to run a marathon. Ease into it. Walk first, then run. Start small and then increase EITHER your distance OR your pace, but not both at the same time. There are a lot of good books and online tools available to help you with this process. Here are some links to get you started:

http://www.runnersworld.com/
http://www.therunnersguide.com/
http://www.coolrunning.com/

8. Phone a friend, or go solo, you decide. I like to run by myself so that I can get into "the zone", but if you work better with a friend then find someone who, like you, wants to feel the burn! If you're a people person and none of your friends are crazy like you, get online and look for running groups in your area to join. They're out there, and love new members.

9. Use your time running to mentally refresh. Praise the Lord for His amazing creation, work through your stress, plan out your day, or just space out and listen to tunes. It's all good.

10. Enjoy your endorphin "after-glow". Expect to feel tired, sore, maybe even a little bit sick to your stomach if you over did it, but you will also feel AMAZING! For me, there is no better way to relieve stress, and clear my head than to go on a run.

Have a great day!

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Look Mom! No Cavities!

Little Winnie has never had her teeth looked at by a dentist. This has caused me (Rabbit-Mommy) a great deal of anxiety. You see, my mom worked for a dentist for years, and I've worked for dentists for years, and I have seen what can happen to a child's teeth when they do not see a dentist regularly. Winnie is now almost 4 years old, and try as I might, every time I took her in with me to see the dentist that Roo and I see, Winnie would steadfastly (in a rather Eeyore-ish way) refuse loudly to get in the chair, or even "ride on mommy's lap". No way! So, after the last time, my wonderful dentist suggested this pediatric dentist in town that is amazing. As it turns out, I have heard of this place because they have advertised where I work. It's called Dentistry For Kids in Wilsonville.

So, after waiting a few weeks, I finally called and made an appointment for Winnie to see Dr. James. When we came in for our appointment we were greeted by a very nice Office manager and a room resembling Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. I kid you not. This place is the dental version of Disneyland. Check it out here: www.dentistryforkidsonline.com

Of course Winnie LOVED it. Here she is:


Tigger had a blast too and played while, every once in a while going into Winnie's room to check on her:

So there it is! My Winnie is growing up and getting braver by the minute. Next thing you know she'll be riding a scooter all by herself. Oh wait, she did that a couple of weeks ago! That's a whole different post:-)


Sunday, September 21, 2008

First Fire of Fall

It's small, it's gas, and it only puts out a little heat, but to me it's one of many "bests" that I love about Fall.


As the clouds rolled in and the temperature began to drop yesterday, I decided to cook up a yummy chicken-vegetable soup. Then, as I considered putting on my slippers, I looked at my long dormant gas fireplace and smiled. It was the perfect day to light 'er up for the first time of the season. The "whoosh" sound that it made when it ignited was loud enough to draw each member of my family into our living room. What a difference a fire makes? Everything feels more cozy, and instead of watching TV, we all decided to....just hang out. How wonderful is that!?

As per our usual "hang out" routine, there was dancing, singing, and tumbling galore. Then, as I worked to slow the pace down before bedtime, I pulled out these wonderful books:

Mrs. Merriwether's Musical Cat by Carol Purdy











and...

Mr. Gumpy's Outing by John Burningham











With Tigger curled up on my left, Winnie on my right, and Eeyore on the chair across from us, I began to read about a cat who keeps time to music with it's tail and a man who let's cows, goats, children and pigs climb onto his boat for ride. It was wonderful and funny.

Then I pulled out The Children's Homer by Padraic Colum. I thought for sure I'd lose Tigger and Winnie right away. However, they both hung in there for the whole first page. Then, one at a time they jaunted off to go take their baths and put on jammies.

Eeyore and I were left alone to enjoy the story of Odysseus and his son Telemachus. I loved reading this book aloud to her. I felt as though we were being transported to another time. Eeyore was also completely enthralled. She wanted to take the book to bed with her to read, but I said no. I want to save it for our read aloud time.


Even though we aren't technically homeschooling this year, at least we can continue to carry on with this tradition that we started last year. Reading aloud as a family. It's a lot of fun. I recommend it to everyone, no matter how old or young your children are.

Blessings!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Cayenne-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa



My MIL signed me up to receive Martha Stewart's Food Everyday Magazine. I love recipes with few ingredients that are fresh and quick, and this magazine has never let me down.


This is a recent recipe we tried. Thanks Jen!

Check it out. Yum, Yum!


Ingredients

course salt and ground pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium red onion finely diced
2 tbsp lime juice
1 Hass avocado, pitted and cut into chunks.


1. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cayenne; rub all over chicken.

2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add chicken, and cook until browned on the outside and opaque throughout, 8-10 minutes per side.

3. Meanwhile in a medium bowl, combine onion and lime juice; set aside. Just before serving, fold avocado chunks into onion mixture; season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken topped with salsa.

We served this up with fresh steamed green beans and a green salad with apples and candied pecans mixed in.

My whole family loved it...even the little ones:-)

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Winnie's First Day...

"Twas the night before preschool..."

Winnie paced nervously as she lay out the special outfit she picked for her first day of "School". At bedtime she excitedly climbed under the covers, filled with the anticipation of her big day. She woke up at 4 am, then again at 6:00 complaining of a tummy ache. Two rounds of Tums helped, but she was still too nervous to eat the scrambled eggs I made. As we arrived in carline I reviewed the procedure with her, told her I loved her and wished her a great morning. The door to the car opened and I helped her out, bracing for the hugs and tears that I thought would surely follow. Then, as I explained to her teacher that Winnie had a bit of a tummy ache this morning, my darling 3 1/2 year old preschooler marched right on by me and her teacher and headed into her classroom like she'd been doing it all her life. No goodbye mommy, no hug or kiss, no tears (except mine). With other parents waiting patiently in their cars behind me and an upset Tigger in the car, I had to go. So off I drove, glancing nervously back into the classroom just in case she realized she had left me behind. Nope, she was happily chatting with her teacher and hanging up her bag. My shy little Winnie has blossomed into a confident little preschooler. Who knew? She did.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Do you wanna be a Rockstar?

When the music comes on Christopher Robin and I just kick back and enjoy the show.













Winnie and Eeyore "Break It Down!"










Strike a Pose










And this is the shy one...











Tigger, not to be outdone, pulls out the SPARKLY microphone!














Just another day at the Hundred Acre Wood.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Going Where God Wants Me To Go

We got kicked out of the home school coop last night! Before it even started. Originally, Eeyore-Roo had been signed up for this group when we were going to home school her and so I also had Winnie and Tigger signed up for preschool. What no one mentioned was that they do not allow children younger than Kindergarten age to join unless they have an older sibling who has joined. So, when we pulled Eeyore-Roo out to go to public school, that meant that Winnie and Tigger could no longer attend the coop either. I was incredibly disheartened. It felt like one of those times when as a teenager you get kicked out of the popular club because you don't have the right haircut or something. It did NOT feel good!

However, after shedding a few tears (thankfully, only a few, not a waterfall full) of frustration over all of the wasted time planning this year and over Winnie's dissappointment when she finds out she won't get to go to this preschool, I prayed. I asked God to give me perspective, show me His way, and to forgive my outburst. I instantly felt a calm come over me. My situation didn't change, but I did feel better about it.

I'm still not sure what, if anything, we are going to do about Winnie and preschool. Christopher Robin and I are discussing it. It is, after all, only preschool. But in the mind of the preschooler it's their whole life, so I want to be sensitive to that. Another good thing that came out of being kicked off the varsity squad of homeschoolers is that it has forced me to consider whether or not I can still be a homeschooling mom with a child in public school. I've tied a lot of my identity up into that little label "Homeschooler" and it may take me a bit to figure out what I am if I'm not a homeschooling mom. I know many families that have each of their children in various forms of education: public, private, web academy, charter schools, homeschool. There are a lot of options out there which gives families today the opportunity to choose the best educational experience for each child. It's awesome! So, I will be praying and seeking God's direction in order to stay in His will and do what's best for our family.

As a result of not doing the coop on Thursday mornings though, I now get to participate in my women's bible study on Thursdays! Yay!!!! That was the one thing that I was sad about missing when I signed up for the coop, so now I don't have to miss it. I treasure my time with these wonderful women and the children. Thank you God!

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Feast or Famine and other random thoughts...

In the past week we've done at least a months worth of things. I'm pooped! We all are. Yawnnnnn.... Do you know how that feels. It's like feast or famine for us. Either we are really bored, no activity, getting in each other's way, or there's too much to do and it all needs to be done yesterday. Thankfully, God knows when we need a rest and grants us that at just the right time. Until then, it's pedal to the metal full speed ahead!

Tigger and Winnie have grown and changed so much this summer. Tigger, our youngest, is a light and a "tension breaker" for all of us. Everyone who meets her walks away happier and lighter than they were a few minutes before. She's hilarious, engaging, open, friendly, and basically just the coolest kid ever! She has all of the confidence and charisma of her older sisters combined (and they have a ton of charisma and confidence). Winnie, our middle daughter, has also grown in confidence this year. She is our more shy and quiet one, if you can even call her that. By most people's standards, she's not quiet or shy, however, by our standards, she is the quietest and most sensitive of the bunch. She still stays close to mom and dad, but is learning to speak her mind and stand up for herself around kids her own age. She is very tender-hearted and cares deeply about others.

I love that 3-4 year old age. They are very concerned about boo-boos and doctors and taking care of themselves and others. Winnie and her friends are forever doctoring each other's "owee's" and checking ears', noses and throats, applying compresses and listening to heart beats. At any given time you can find on our front lawn or a neighbor's lawn a triage center set up with 4 year olds sprawled all over it waiting to be "healed".

At our recent neighborhood end of year bbq the children were all out playing together well past their normal bedtimes, and loving it. There was music playing and our neighbors had strung white lights up in the trees over the top of the street. It was quite pretty and warm out and everyone was having a really good time visiting and catching up on the summer's events. If your neighborhood doesn't do something like this I strongly recommend organizing one. It is so much fun and not too much effort. Anyway...One little 2 1/2 year old boy (whom we know well and is friends with Tigger) came up to Tigger and said, "Do you wanna dance?" Tigger said, "Yeaaaaahhhh!" and the two of them started dancing to the music. They were holding hands and jumping and having the best time! Look out mom and dad, time to bring the chaperone's in!
Oh, they grow up so fast!

Friday, September 5, 2008

First Day of School

My Middle Schooler...Doesn't she look so grown up!


Roo had her first day of middle school yesterday. Well, actually the first day was Wednesday, but it was only a half-day and orientation for the new students so it doesn't really count (all of this according to the wiser-than-ever Roo).

She loves her locker partner and thinks her TREK teacher is very cool because there are huge flat screen monitors on the desks. She only got lost once and other than that had a terrific day. Phew!

Kanga-mom is hanging in there. Each day I'm relaxing a little more and enjoying the quiet time with Winnie and Tigger. The three of us have been really enjoying each other's company. Winnie, especially, is benefiting from the extra attention. Being the middle child can be tough at times, and with her amicable disposition, her loud and rambuctious sisters often over shadow her.

Winnie and Tigger had a tough time with Roo getting on the bus on Orientation Day. I didn't anticipate any trouble from them and was focused so much on Roo that I completely missed the warning signs, but looking back here is how it played out:

The night before, Winnie was very whiney, weepy, and kept getting up throughout the night with bad dreams. The next morning she had a major meltdown over getting dressed and kept asking when she was going to preschool, and why Roo was riding a bus, and where was Roo going, and when would Roo be back, and "Lions and Tigers and Bears, OH MY!" Tigger was ok until Roo got on the bus. Then the mouth opened and the shreaks came out as she realized she wasn't getting on the bus as well. Oh man, did she steal the show! On the walk home we sang the song, "The Wheels on the Bus go 'round and 'round, " and that helped her to choke back her sobs. Poor thing!

A blessed friend of mine emailed me that morning offering to host the two little ones at a Mom's Morning Out group for me. That was a life savior! Thank you Delayne! I was able to distract the little ones with the idea that they were going to get to go to "Preschool" that morning and that saved the day!

Here are some pics of that morning:



And here's Roo walking excitedly to the bus stop for the very first time!

The past two days have gone really well. No major catastrophes. I didn't even cry! Everything that needed to happen, happened effortlessly. God has answered all of my prayers for this transition and all the glory goes to him. He is faithful and knows just what we need when we need it. All we have to do is listen and obey.

I expect there will be bumps in the road as the year progress. That's how life works. However, through it all I will remember the Lord my God and seek his wisdom first. I will remember that He knows this road we are on. He created it and knew we would take it before we did. Nothing is a surprise to him so I will trust in Him. I will cover my children in prayer every day and I will continue to teach them His ways so that they may choose to trust in Him also.

Have a blessed day!