Monthly Archives: May 2010

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At this moment

Z is playing swim lessons with her dolly. She just informed her dolly that they’ll be going to Starbucks. Lucky ducks. :)

Tiny is sitting at the table playing with a “momma” and “baby” Pooh bear. Any toy that she has two of become a momma and baby. And not just a baby, a “baby, awwwww”. It’s pretty dang cute.

I’m moving a boatload of pictures off of my camera. I try to do it daily, but apparently I haven’t moved anything for almost 2 weeks. So I’m revisiting pictures from a lovely wedding,

(Doesn’t she look so gorgeous, and so in love?)

(And isn’t this a beautiful old church?)

a trip to the museum,

(I COVET this piece. Yes, I’m aware that’s a deadly sin. Still.)

(sewn and embroidered silk. Gorgeous.)


the girls being crazy,

(Because if there is a bucket, Tiny will put it on her head.)

(Pretending to sleep.)

and finally, the gorgeousness we saw on our adventure at the nature preserve today.

Now Z is alternating singing “A Spoonful of Sugar” at varying speeds and practicing reciting her scripture that she’ll share in Primary in a couple of weeks. “And by the power of the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth of all things. Moroni 10:5.” Over and over and over.

She and Tiny have moved on to playing with the dollhouse, and are displaying their growing skill to play well with each other. That skill comes and goes.

It’s almost time for their rests, and for me to torture myself. I’m back to doing Jillian Michaels every day- a group of like minded crazies and I are doing it together. Well, not together, but we’re all doing it and reporting in each day. I’ve been throwing in some yoga afterwards, because I like it, and because I have a new goal; I want to be able to do this:

No, not the playing in the sand, that I can do. The crazy body over your head handstand. Isn’t it the coolest thing you’ve ever seen? I saw this picture and was completely captivated. I really can’t express how much I want to be able to do that. So I’ll workout and work on my flexibility, and hopefully some day it will happen. Not in a bikini though.

In the meantime? My calves are KILLING me.

What’s going on with you at this moment?

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at this moment

It’s overcast, yet not gloomy outside. Like it might decide to rain, or might just decide to stay moody.

Carole King’s Tapestry is playing. There’s nothing quite like this album for this kind of day. It always makes me think of my momma, who I’m assuming listened to it back in the day.  It fits with my vision of who she was back then. :)

Z just came over and asked if we could listen to some “fun music”. So much for Carole King. :) Maybe she’ll appreciate her on rainy days when she’s in her 30′s with her own kids.

Speaking of Z, check out the lovely outfit she picked out for herself today:

Those are legwarmers over tights, because her legs were cold when she went out on the porch.  Luckily we’re not going anywhere today. :)

The phone just rang and my friend who is bringing her kids over to play informed me that she is also bringing “chicken salad, homemade bread and fruit salad” for lunch. Are you jealous? You should be.

Tiny just walked past with a comb, apparently she feels her hair needs some attention:

And when she saw this picture just now, she said, “Tiny, punny!” (That means funny in Tiny-speak.)

Both of the girls are under the weather today, but it appears that Tiny may be past the “screaming at the top of her lungs at any provocation, including and especially Momma taking even the smallest step away from her” stage. Thank goodness for that.

And speaking of Tiny, I finally found her tennis shoes today after a period of about a week and a half of them being lost. They were at the end of my bed, under the overhang of the comforter.

I’m loving all of the lovely fabric that’s slated for a yummy blanket just for me. Do you want to see it? I know you do:

Thanks to a tip from a friend, I found a Beverly’s fabric store, and halloo- hallay, they carry the entire line of reproduction 1930′s fabric that I LOVE. I had to restrain myself and only bought a little bit, but I could have spent SOOOO much money.

I’m reading The Mindful Child by Susan K. Greenland, and so far it is excellent. It’s all about how to teach children mindfulness-  being able to calm themselves, be aware of their breath, and the things happening around them and inside them.  Z has really embraced the breathing practices and affirmations we’ve been doing, and it will be fun to try some new ideas. The book is full of games and songs and things that are specifically geared toward kids, so that makes it really nice – far less adapting to do!

What’s going on with you at this moment?

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Things going on here today

I’m working on a patchwork picnic blanket.  If I like how it turns out, I’m going to finally make myself a blanket with my favorite fabrics and fuzzy warmness on the back. I’m thinking of using a t-shirt material sheet for the backing. I want something sturdier for the picnic blanket back, so we’ll see.

The puff balls are back! Woo hoo! Swimming lesson got a little hard for Z today- she’s learning how to use her arms while swimming, and it’s the first time she’s really had to work at swimming. It’s good for her to have to put some effort into it. In other swim related news, even though I coat her with sunscreen, she’s getting SO tan. Takes after her Auntie.  (Not that Auntie, the other one.)

Tiny actually started enjoying her swim lesson today. She got to swim off of the step on her own (basically throwing herself forward into the water from standing), and she LOVED it. She’s a little daredevil, that one.

Z has been enjoying trying to follow along with my yoga DVDs, so I decided to get her one of her own.  (Gaiam Kids: Yogakids Fun Collection)  She’s done it for 3 days, and this is what she busted out with today. She completely surprised herself, and me!  I really highly recommend these videos, they’re 40 minutes long, and seem like 5. Kids model the poses, so they’re far from perfect while being completely kid appropriate, and each “pose” (a lot of them are movements) is only about 45 seconds.  Seriously, Z LOVES them. She asks to do them. And Tiny likes them too,  and tries to do the easier poses.I do them with her, though I don’t count them as my workout.  :)

What’s going on with you today?

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At this moment

Tiny is running around the house yelling “Yee-ha!”. Apparently she is channeling her inner cowgirl.  Ride ‘em if you’ve got ‘em, I suppose.

Z is sitting in a blue wagon on the porch,  “driving”.

I’m waiting for my sourdough toast to pop up. I forget how much I love sourdough for half a year at a time and then I remember and it’s all I eat for a month, and then I forget again.

It’s a lovely, if slightly cold, day today. We’re going to the park for playgroup in an hour and a half- it should be fun. I love that there are so many moms in the ward to hang out with, and that there are so many that I 1) really genuinely like, and 2) enjoy hanging out with. (Those aren’t always the same, you know.)  I’m glad that the girls have so many little friends. I’m also glad that we don’t have swim lessons today and that it’s supposed to be warmer tomorrow. (And to answer my Auntie’s question from the last post, Tiny is almost 2. Z started swimming at the same age, and it really is a great age to get them going with it. They’re too little to be afraid (mad is a different story), and the movement comes pretty naturally.)

I’m listening to Le Carnaval des Animaux by Saint-Saens for the first time. It’s so lovely and fun. I can’t wait to listen to it with the girls and have them figure out which animal each piece is about.  It’s supposedly full of light-hearted swipes at other composers of the time- who I know nothing about so wouldn’t be able to pick out – but there’s a definite cheekiness to it that I’m enjoying.

I’m trying to convince Z that we really do need to comb her hair before we go to the park. She currently looks like some form of long-haired hobo.

I really need to make a list of the things I need to do. I can’t think of a lot of things, but I have the feeling there’s a bunch.

I have about 10 crafting projects I’m currently in the middle of, but I really want to put them all aside and make a huge patchwork blanket with all the fabric in my fabric bin. A huge picnic blanket, perhaps. I’m kind of obsessing over it.  I may have to just do it so I’ll stop thinking about it. That would also make space for more fabric, which is a win all around. I really want one of those fabric strip cutters, that would make my life so much easier. But it would also mean one more gadget to clog up my craft space, which isn’t a win. I have a lot of gadgets.

Z just came over and is enjoying Fossiles. The other day we determined that she prefers calm piano music, likes orchestra pieces in minor keys, is indifferent to John Phillip Souza marches (which, on the other hand, Tiny loves passionately), doesn’t care for Bob Marley (with all apologies to her Uncle Paul- if it’s any consolation, she does enjoy some Ziggy), and actively dislikes zydeco.

I’m tired. I don’t think I’m getting enough sleep.

I’m also tired of all the screaming going on in my house. Tiny’s new response to everything is to scream at it.

I found a gorgeous new blog to follow, you might enjoy it too.

Every time I read blogs like that, and I read quite a few of them, (cozy little homes filled with handmade goodness, tons of trees, homeschooled kids running around making dolls out of plants), I start wishing we lived somewhere like that. And then I remember that would require us to live far from my sister (akin to death) and that we live in a pretty awesome area with tons of things to do and lots of nature within walking distance. And my girls aren’t quite old enough to make flower dolls anyway.

Time to rally the troops (who are playing with cars on the huge map rug) and head to the park.

What’s going on with you at this moment?

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SWIM LESSONS!

It’s that time of the year again! The girls had their first swim lessons of the year today, in their matching swimsuits:


Z’s hair took some finagling to keep it out of her face, especially as I couldn’t find the right pony holders this morning for puffballs:

Hey, it worked. Seriously, her hair is like 15 miles long.

Tiny ended up going first, which wasn’t the original plan, but she was so excited when we got to the pool that we decided to embrace it and have her go. Man, did that excitement end quickly. :)

But by the end of the lesson (only about 5 minutes in, really) she’d stopped screaming and surrendered to the authority of Miss Brittany.

Z was next, and remembered everything she ever knew about swimming within seconds of being back in the pool. She’s going to make amazing progress this year, she has so much innate talent. It’s really awesome to watch.

I have a video of her swimming too, but I have no idea how to post it, so it will have to wait until B helps me. And probably adds music to it. :)

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To read

I was just working on a post about the books I read in April, but I’m really not in the mood to write it. So instead, I give you the books waiting to be read. (Quite literally- they’re all here, in a big stack.)

Come Be My Light by Mother Teresa (I have to have this one finished by Thursday for book club!)

Keeping House by Margaret Kim Peterson (I’m about 60% done with this one, need to get it finished. It’s just SO good.)

My Heart’s at Home: Becoming the Intentional Mom Your Family Needs by Jill Savage

You Can’t Say You Can’t Play by Vivian Gussin Paley

Teaching Meditation to Children by David Fontana and Ingrid Slack

Growing Grateful Kids: Teaching Them to Appreciate an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Places by Susie Larson

Mindful Teaching and Teaching Mindfulness: A guide for anyone who teaches anything by Deborah Schoeberlein

The Compassionate life by Marc Ian Barasch

The Mindful Child: How to Help Your Kid Manage Stress and Become Happier, Kinder, and more Compassionate by Susan K Greenland  ( Do we see a theme here?)

Changeless by  Gail Carriger

The Fitzgerald Ruse by Mark De Castrique

Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Trinidad Noir edited by Lisa Allen- Agostini

Coco Chanel and Igor Stavinsky by Chris Greenhalgh

Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns

Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli

The Best of It by Kay Ryan

Goodness. That’s a bit insane. 6 of them are library books, so we’ll see if I get to them before it’s time to take them back.

What are you reading?