::embrace the curvy::

Inspired by Rhonna's "life is never a straight line..." quote yesterday.

Spicy, Savvy Sanity Saver 7 ~ Buy batteries in bulk.

Leila is crawling with one knee and one leg like a little crab and pulling herself up on everything.

Luke has had some pretty hard therapy days -- poor little munchkin. I know it's good for him but it's hard to see. At least it's mostly play based and they're really easy on him when he's tired.

The challenge is going well. Although I'm a day behind. I'm seeing some incredible art work out there. So inspiring.

Spicy, Savvy Sanity Saver 7 ~ Carry in your purse to keep busy toddlers busy! Hayseeds and Greenhorns.

21 Day Challenge Journal Entry


The rain has stopped after 2 full days and the sun shines bright again. Challenging day yesterday. Need more adult contact. Will make the effort. Doing taxes doesn't help. But I'll be able to take off lots of business expenses. Hurrah. And mortgage interest. Double hurrah.

Spicy, Savvy Sanity Saver 6 ~ The best gift you can give a nursing mama: hooter hider.
My entry for Day 1 of Rhonna's inspiring challenge:


Quote and quote digital art inspired by Rhonna.

::21 to a habit::

Spicy, Savvy Sanity Saver 5 ~ 21 Day Challenges by the amazing Rhonna.

"Sow an act...reap a habit; Sow a habit...reap a character; Sow a character...reap a destiny."
--George Dana Boardman

What would you like to change? Boy I have so much. The challenge begins Monday. Want to join me? And you get to make sumpin pretty too.

My 21 day goal is to work on my yearly goals for 20 minutes each day. How crazy is that? I get so caught up in my routines that I don't have time to actually make progress on the real things I want to accomplish. Not any more. This is a new day.

I've been rereading a book called The Out Of Sync Child. Sensory Integration disorder is often misdiagnosed as autism.

In the spirit of non-fiction I've also been reading The Art of Eating by M.F.K. Fisher. Yum. More on that later.

Give me your sanity savers so I can post them (and I sure need some more of my own!)

Credit where due (stickers Making Memories, paper Mara Mi)

::who needs charbucks::

Spicy, Savvy Sanity Saver 4 ~
Lavazza

::lesson from june::

Got a chance to see Walk the Line finally (Netflix).
I never knew much about Johnny Cash but after his death Rob bought the box set of greatest hits and a few of the songs have been hummed around the house for days now. I learned something from June Cash in the movie, at least how she was portrayed. Did she do the right thing by sleeping with a married man? Not for me to say -- how can we judge. But look closely at the differences between the two women in his life. Can we learn a lesson or two about how important it is to believe in your man's dreams? Maybe so.

Spicy, Savvy Sanity Saver 3 ~ Believe in your man.

Houston, we have crawl off. Leila is mobile.

::no more late fees::

A post on this unbelievably well-written blog reminded me of ...

Spicy, Savvy Sanity Saver 2 ~ Good riddance blockbuster. Hello Netflix. Reasons:

• You don't have to leave your house;
  
• You can change your queue at any time;
  
• They have really cool movies and not just mainly Hollywood Blockbusters;
• It's cheaper;
• You can keep the films as long as you want;
• Gives you the option of possibly considering ditching cable (with kids, for us, planning to watch any thing at a given time was impossible);
  
• You get movies in the mail! What more need I say?

Recommendation: you'll probably want to sign up for at least the 3 or 4 movie rotation or you may have quite a few gaps in your viewing.

::yeah, it's that good::

I'm ready for some sanity savers. How about you? (Contributions will be enthusiastically welcomed and credit bestowed.)

Spicy, Savvy Sanity Saver 1 ~For getting greens into the body of a persnickity 3 year old...

• try Trader Joe's Organic Greens and Carrot Juice;
• applesauce or other fruit sauce mixed with finely chopped spinach.

No, that's right, those of you who know Luke probably do not know him to be persnickity with food (traditional three-egg omelette with toast or full-plate of oatmeal still habitual fare for breaking fast), however, vegetables during the day is quite a different story entirely. Not to mention, how does one get veggies in even if the child likes them (peas for lunch - yuck)? So I've experimented with a few veggie juices and this one, well... I think he kind of likes it a little.

So much for Olga. Came over yesterday for an interview and she actually was looking more for a full-time nanny position. Okay, at $500 a week (considering I'm a home-exec) don't think that's quite an option at this juncture. Not to mention she expressed more than a few sighs of pity (oh, bless your heart type of tone). Was it because our new carpet is still shedding like mad and she thought perhaps we couldn't afford a vacuum cleaner. (What's with rugs like that? Any experience out there? We've had this rug for about a month and it still sheds like a stressed-out basset hound.) Here's the rug: here.

Dennis the "handyman" put up shelves in the children's room yesterday. In a manner of speaking. Picture of gaps, nail (yes, that's a nail which comes out above one of the boards -- where the books actually go) and various other examples of creative craftsmanship...



We'll be fixing these. Not to quit your day job would be my suggestion jolly Den.

::olga from peru::

After a particularly trying grocery store 'adventure' a sweet woman approaches me in the parking lot to ask if I need a babysitter. Is it that obvious? I think. She's a Godsend. Olga from Peru. She's a grandmother. Ahh, how wonderful is that? And she adores Luke and Leila.

Dennis the handyman is coming tomorrow to put together Leila's wardrobe and put up our shelves (shelving to be all the way around the kid's rooms for books).

Pastor Tae talked about parenting from a passage in Deuteronomy. Inspiring. I need to get on the blogging ball again. And the creative ball. I miss them both.

Visited the Bowers Museum on Saturday. Soaked in the lush landscape and enjoyed the intriguing Mummy Exhibit.

::coupla things::

Contemplating this dinner time helper. Would love to get back into the habit of putin dinner in the crock. When 5 rolls around little bellies are hungry and it's too late to start.

It's nice to know what the end will be. Otherwise, things would seem quite scary.

Shall I spring for one of these:

Am I freaking you out? Can you be too safe when your family is concerned. Now I'm freaking out myself. The thing one thinks of in the dark of night.

Thank you Lord for being in control.

::pain::

I had to tell Rob today that his father died.
His brother had called me with the news while Rob was at the office, preparing for trial on Tuesday.
Rob had a rocky childhood and for years his father and he didn't speak.
But in the last few years they had had a few chats and his dad was even talking about coming out for a visit.
Abused children grow up subconsiously thinking they still might always have a chance to make amends. A chance at a real parent. With the death of that parent, so dies that possibility.
He cried but now he is only quiet. I know he'll be okay but I know there is pain.

::terminology::

I'm reading


and here are some of the vocabulary words I've encountered thus far in this evening's reading:

mannikin
diaphanous
circumambulating
bosky
offal
rheums
hawser

I've always had a bit of a thing for new words.

::mid-week goodies::

Scrumptious cards.
Aux sources du grand chocolat.
Considering homemade yogurt with this.
Wild World.
Falling for it. Hook, line and leek.

::mediated::

A few days ago Rob, Leila and I sat around a table with our attorney, a judge, the attorney for the ____________ school district and two representatives. After 5 hours we came to an agreement. Luke will continue to receive in-home therapy services for 25 hours a week. It should be noted that this has been the general focus of our lives for the last year. The gathering of reports and retaining of professionals has brought us to this moment.

This arrangement will be for a year at least. By then though...maybe great strides will make it a non-issue. Everyday prayers for recovery.

Planted some pansies today. Yellow, purple and rosey color.

Rob mowed a weed-eated.

Had a sweet conversation with my cousins Amy and Aly this weekend and my Aunt Susan told me that she makes manicotti with italian sausage. And that she's coming out May 18. Now I have incentive to work on the guest house.

37 day challenge.