Monthly Archives: September 2008

Group Writing Project: Favorite Nature Pictures

Last month’s groups writing project went well, so I decided to go for a 2nd round. This time I would like you to take a trip down digital memory lane and choose your favorite picture(s) that you took of nature and post them on your blog or link to them.

After you choose your picture(s) please link to this post and/or leave a comment with a link leading to your blog post and/or picture(s). 🙂 Since this is a photo project, you are welcome to link to your favorite picture(s) on your preferred photo sharing site. Please leave a comment or link by October 19, and I will link to your favorite picture(s) on my blog.

I am looking forward not only to my trip down memory lane, but also to seeing the results of all of your trips down memory lane! Happy memories! 🙂

Twitter Tweets

Twitter is a relatively new thing for me. I have been doing it for quite awhile, but I am just now really learning how to use it and enjoy it. Luke has shown me how to mark my favorites, and since he did not post from twitter on Sunday Snippets like he usually does, this seemed like a good opportunity to share my favorite tweets over the last few weeks. If you enjoy them, please let me know, so I will know whether to post more later. 🙂

Carly Matthews
HelloKit i haven’t tweeted yet today. my mind must be empty.
Stretch Mark Mama
stretchmarkmama Told my hubs about the muffins, the company, and how 3 kids are screaming at once. He said, “We put the SPIT in hospitality.”
Carly Matthews
HelloKit don’t you just love people who encounter a locked bathroom door and try to knock it down? it couldn’t possibly be occupied…
Robert Hruzek
roberthruzek Notice how easy it is to blame everything on the hurricane now. Feeling slow: Ike. Heavy traffic: Ike. Crazy weather: Ike. Acne: It’s Ike.
Stretch Mark Mama
stretchmarkmama Kids are wearing 3 costumes each and showing them off to the city workers across the street. Home Skool Pride rite thar.
Tabetha Gedeon
giddytab @Cullens_Girl I think you should probably go with your husband. 😀
Un-favorite Delete
Cullens_Girl
Cullens_Girl Icon_red_lock is trying to pick a date for a birthday party.
Tabetha Gedeon
giddytab If you say goodbye to nobody, nobody will hear you, and that is pretty scary!
Un-favorite Delete
Stretch Mark Mama
stretchmarkmama I decided I’m going to throw half a bag of cereal on the floor. You know, just to get THAT out of the way for the day. MORNING EVERYONE.
Stretch Mark Mama
stretchmarkmama Boys are trying on their sister’s barrettes. Guess it’s time to start school. First lesson? Chainsaws and carburetors.
Carly Matthews
HelloKit boss makes it hard to stay mad at him when he brings me double chocolate donuts…
Stretch Mark Mama
stretchmarkmama Kids are “no longer allowed” to burp at the table. Must burp in the bathroom instead. IT ONLY MADE THEIR BURPS THAT MUCH LOUDER. Smart Mama.
Stretch Mark Mama
stretchmarkmama Gone 7 yrs w/o an alarm clock. Upgraded to the Natural models–the shouting, screaming, stomping kind. Yep, GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY.
Stretch Mark Mama
stretchmarkmama The verdict: 4YO’s tooth is either dying, or it isn’t. (REALLY HELPFUL DIAGNOSIS.) Time will tell. Hoping for a resurrection.
Stretch Mark Mama
stretchmarkmama Teaching my boys how to burp silently. No one puts these kinds of things in the Job Description.
Stretch Mark Mama
stretchmarkmama Biked all the way to the park; hung out a bit. Then I realized–MY SON WAS NOT WEARING ANY PANTS.
Stretch Mark Mama
stretchmarkmama 64 burps from the 6YO today. In case you were wondering.
Stretch Mark Mama
stretchmarkmama Boys have started tallying their burps. That’s math, right?
Stretch Mark Mama
stretchmarkmama 6YO to me: “You have the biggest buns of anyone, right Mom?”
Stretch Mark Mama
stretchmarkmama And did you know that the Latin word “gymnos” (as in “gymnastics”) means “naked?” Snicker, snicker. Thank you, Olympic book.
Tabetha Gedeon
giddytab The dishes are calling my name, and I’m ready to pretend I’m someone else!!
Un-favorite Delete
Stretch Mark Mama
stretchmarkmama Saw my first female flower on our pumpkin plants. Son went flying out the house hollering, “LET’S MAKE A BAAAAAA-BEEEEEE!!!”
Tabetha Gedeon
giddytab @stretchmarkmama Hmmmm. My kids must be geniuses. They seemed to get that lesson without any teaching. 😀
Un-favorite Delete
Stretch Mark Mama
stretchmarkmama “Kids, today’s first lesson is called ‘Instigating A Fight’ and ‘How That Drives Your Mother Crazy’.”
Stretch Mark Mama
stretchmarkmama Taking the kids to the park on a 63 degree day. It’s either that or duct taping them in separate corners of the house.

Laughing Twins

Every once in a while I go on youtube to look for something funny. I usually end up watching a video with kids or animals because I don’t tend to appreciate adult humor (and kids and animals make the funnies innocent mistakes!). I guess I’m around kids enough that the things that make them laugh work for me too.

While looking for a funny video, I ran across a cute video of twin boys laughing together in their crib. It is very cute. 🙂

Candice at 8 Months

I decided it was high time I gave a little update on Candice. She has been crawling for just over a month and has now mastered pulling up. She is also really beginning to babble and is getting big enough to enjoy playing with and getting “irritated by” (Phillip’s version of “entertained by”) her siblings. 🙂

Here are a few pictures of Candice taken within the last few weeks:

Professional Portraits (sort of)

Back in 2004, around the time we went on a trip to Niagara Falls, we decided to stop doing professional portraits of our children and make our own with a digital camera. Recently I posted the pictures of our older four children, but Candice slept through most of the photo shoot. So, we tried again this past Sunday and here are her two best “professional portraits” at the age of 8 months. (I will post more casual pictures of her soon).

 

 

I’m Sorry I’m Sorry

Somehow it seems to be a part of my personality to say “sorry,” even when it is not necessary. I think it started out when I realized that I could say it when someone was in a bad circumstance. Of course, I meant that I was sorry the person was experiencing a hard time. Eventually I just began apologizing when it was totally not necessary.

When I moved to Rhode Island, a friend here began right off the bat saying, “You don’t have to apologize.” I actually apologized so much over time that I was able to predict when she was going to say this phrase. Sometimes I playfully came back with, “Oh did I apologize again? I’m sorry.” I was also sometimes tempted to say, “You don’t have to say ‘you don’t have to apologize.'” 🙂

But in reality she really helped me. It has been quite helpful to have her constantly reminding me that apologizing was not necessary. Not only that, but I am suspicious that apologizing constantly gives people the impression (let’s people see?) that I lack confidence.

For awhile, I got around the the reminder not to apologize by saying “starry” instead of “sorry.” She knew what I meant, and also realized that I knew I wasn’t supposed to be apologizing. I believe it is actually saying “I’m starry” (along with my friend’s constant reminders) that helped me to get over my apologetic apologizing because to remember to say “starry” was due to my remembering not to say the real thing. (Wow! Maybe you should read that sentence a second time!) Over time I unconsciously stopped say “I’m starry,” too!

Tonight while chatting with my friend online, I did slip up and apologize, and in so doing, realized how long it had been since I had apologized unnecessarily. Of course, that is not to say that I have not done anything to apologize for. Notice I did say “unnecessarily.” 🙂

The odd thing is that instead of slipping up which causes you to have to apologize, my slip up was apologizing itself! And I couldn’t even apologize for my mistake! Because to apologize would make me apologize for apologizing, which would make me apologize again……..and on and on and on.

And if this post is too long or not exactly what you were looking to read tonight, please forgive me. Does that count as apologizing?

Note: After typing this post, I realized I had unknowingly posted on Robert Hruzek’s “What I Learned From” topic of the month. I had been planning to post and time just slipped up on me. But I accidentally made the deadline. Sorry, Robert, that I almost forgot! 😀 (This is too much fun!).

Me? A Damsel in Distress?

For some reason I do not like to come across as a damsel in distress. I am not sure why. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I was a tomboy during my childhood years.

Yesterday at the grocery store, I was only getting a few things, so I did not get a cart or a basket to put my stuff in. The funny thing is that as I walked I kept seeing things I had forgotten to put on my list. So by the time I got to checkout, I was juggling 3 bottles of juice, a bag of carrots, a box of cereal, a bag of soy nuts, a package of lunch meat, a bag of onions, and a paper bag full of apples.

Because there was a line at the self checkout (which I go to a lot) and I was using both hands and my chin to hold everything, I cut in front of a guy just long enough to get a basket (with handles) to put my stuff in. The guy had to hand it to me because if I were to bend over to get it myself, I would drop half my stuff!

I managed to cram it all in the basket except for the orange juice and the bag of apples, both of which had handles. I had it all under control with a basket of food in one hand and the juice and apples in the other.

So far, so good! So far, I had managed myself acceptably well and still did not come across too much as a “wimpy” damsel in distress.

Just as that thought was slipping my mind, the handle to the apple bag broke and apples went everywhere. So, as I sat there dumbly looking at the broken bag, 3 “knights in shining armor” scrambled around chasing the apples that had just gone all over the floor!

Um…..maybe damsels in distress aren’t so wimpy after all? I hope not, anyway! 😐

Which is Best?

Luke asked me in a blog post to choose my favorite post. Unfortunately this posed a teeny problem for me. I could not choose! So here is a list of my top 10, plus a “few” runners up. Which one do you think should be my top post?

Top 10

Mom Can’t Use a Hammer
Phillip’s opinion as he watches me trying to put a nail in the wall

A Great Mother’s Day Gift
Pictures of the kids on Mother’s Day

Almost an Artist
Me learning to make Flag cards

I will NOT mop
A clash of wills between me and the floor

7 Things About Me
A few things about me that you might not know

Peter’s Ponderings
A 3 year old’s perspective

Turn on my Lights
Communication (or lack of) between 2 young boys

Independence Day 2008
4th of July Pictures

Do You Think I’m Pretty?
the honesty of children

Scary Bathrooms
a 2 year olds view of no touch bathrooms

Runners Up

Short Term Toy
11 Ways to Beat Time at His own Game
One More Birthday
Forget Perfection! Give Me Speed!
Disobedience?
A Time to Scream
Pet Pine Cones
Sports and Computer Games

Results of Favorite Smells Group Writing Project

When I read some of your “Favorite Smells” lists, my mind was refreshed to some favorite smells I overlooked in my list.

Em reminded me that I like the smell of freshly shampooed hair. The funny thing is, I never smell my own hair. It is usually on of my kids when they sit next to me.

Luke reminded me that I love the smell of oranges. There is something about the smell of an orange that makes you just have to eat one! I can look at one all day with no temptation, but the smell….. There is no scent that matches it. I don’t care for dish detergents and other artificial citrus scents, though. It has to be the real thing!

Dani reminded me that I like the smell of dryer sheets. I like the smell of the dryer sheets by themselves, but the best part is to smell them from outside when you walk by the vent to the dryer.

Thanks to those who participated! It was nice to share and even nicer to realize that I am not the only smelly one around! 🙂

If you are sorry to have missed this opportunity, take a peek at the end of this month to see what next month’s “My Favorite Things” group writing project will be!

Healthy Learning

Today marks day 2 of our home school year. I was in a crunch today, so I had Anna read her Health book out loud to Peter. Because they are going through a fighting stage (I hope), I walked out of the room thinking “yeah, right. That’s really going to go well!”

When I walked back into the room, Anna was explaining to Peter what good posture was, and doing a right good job! I tried to hide my surprise, but I think they might have heard my jaw when it hit the floor. 🙂

They spent at least half an hour on Health and talked about it some throughout the day as they worked to stand and sit with good posture. I think Peter got as much learning (if not more!) from that lesson than I could have given him, and Anna got a lot more out of it by teaching it to someone else!

So, I guess I just hired a new health teacher! 🙂