Menu Mondays!

I am definitely feeling uninspired lately.  Having a baby who doesn't sleep much really makes my brain feel fried.   But it helps me to stay focused to plan our menu out for the week.  I don't need to run to the store every day and we tend to eat healthier.

Fine dining (or not so fine!) at our house this week will include:

Monday - Baked beans, homemade sourdough bread and salad
Tuesday - Pasta bake with Veggies and Beef, Salad
Wednesday - Pad Thai with Chicken
Thursday - Lentil Soup (if it is hot we will have Chef Salad )
Friday - Taco Night
Saturday - Leftover night
Sunday - Grilled Fish, Veggies, Sourdough Bread

I have just found a sourdough recipe at Kitchenstewardship which actually worked for me and my family loves it.  She has tons of great tips and recipes. Let me know if you try any.

Have great day.

Increasing Fluid Intake

Plain water is good but sometimes I need something a little more interesting to motivate me to increase my fluid intake.  Water is vital to our health.   When you are properly hydrated, your mind functions better, your skin glows, you have more energy,  and for nursing mamas like me -it improves your milk production.    It is easy to forget to drink enough on a busy day but since I am also working out more, I notice that I don't perform as well on days when my water intake is low.

Just recently I figured out a way to increase my fluid intake which is super easy and quite tasty.  It is very simple and works especially well during the warm summer days.


Make a pot of your favorite herbal tea.  Put it in the refrigerator.  This stays fresh for about 24 hours (if you don't drink it all first!).  Drink frequently throughout day.  I have used green tea, chamomile, chamomile lavender, peppermint, and white tea.  They were all very good iced and I found the flavor motivated me to drink more.

Remember to take care of yourself so you can take care of your family!

Enjoy your day!

Planning For School

I have been studying diligently.  We will be starting our homeschool year in two weeks.  Two weeks!!! Yikes.  I am reading curriculum.  Thinking about how our days will work.  How the week will be laid out to fit the home lessons and the extracurricular classes which we enjoy.  We are using Christopherus Homeschool kindergarten, grades 1 and 4 this year.  I will also be using Before Five in a Row for my preschooler so he doesn't feel left out.

It can be a little overwhelming to try to process all this information, lay out a basic guide of goals for the year and make sure I have all my materials.  But when I have planned well, our days, weeks, year goes smoothly and we accomplish what needs to be done.  We also have plenty of time to play and travel which is also important to us as a family.

Even if you don't homeschool, it is important to plan.  When you provide your family with a basic framework of how your days will look, life is so much more pleasant.

You might think that this will make life more complicated, but in reality, a little structure relieves a considerable amount of stress.  You know what needs to be done, your house will be cleaner, and your meals more nutritious.  This will free up your overtaxed brain to focus on other tasks and allow you to move efficiently through your days.  Perhaps you will find you have more time to take care of yourself or spend some time doing something fun and unexpected with your family.

Enjoy you day.  I have some planning to do!

Surviving Teething

How am I coping with a toddler who is teething?  Not well I am afraid.  It has been two weeks of no sleep and much crying and holding during the day.  I feel spent.

 How to survive teething?  In a word --- Drink heavily!   Just kidding.   Under usual circumstances, Hyland's Teething Tablets help.  Little missy has 6 teeth coming in right now so it isn't quite powerful enough .

 Go on long walks.  Stay outside.  The fresh air does wonders.

 Know in my heart that I can survive anything.  This to shall pass and will become only a faint memory in the long memory of childhood.

Have a great day.

Where does the time go?

I can't believe it has been so long since I've written.  My life often feels like a blur.  We have just celebrated three family birthdays, spent time at the beach, planned a family camping trip and made another enjoyable trek to the snow country.

Now I am settling back into our homeschool routine with a gardening block.   Tomorrow I will head to the nursery to pick up some seeds to plant and a few other flowers which catch my eye.  We will also feed our herb garden and our lemon tree this week.

We will are making these lovely tutus for a local dance recital.  It took some thought and a couple of prototypes which were not quite up to my standards.  But I think it is perfect.  The girls will look adorable in it.

Tomorrow will be the day where I won't work and will just spend time playing with my family.  Hope you can carve out some space to do something you love.

Enjoy the lovely spring sunshine!

Did I check the disclosure box for this?????!!!!

I am reading a book called Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne. Excellent book so far (I am only in the first chapter).  I am having aha moments frequently.  A particular paragraph really struck home.  Mr. Payne discusses many of his parents coming to him saying they didn't expect all the work, the chaos, the frustration that came with having children.  They didn't sign up for this.  

Parenting should be about the joy of being with your children.  The hugs, giggles and learning moments.  Some how this gets lost in the "I'm hungry", "Tommy hit me", and mountains of laundry, sleepless nights, having a million interrupted conversations with your romantic (what is that!) partner and I haven't even hit the teen years!  The stress level is high for me right now.  I am struggling to think straight, to plan for meals, schedules, etc.  Household responsibilities are overwhelming.  I clean the floor and two little munchkins come charging in with mud on their feet to find more cars and boats for the puddle outside.  It is enough to send me over the edge. 

I did NOT sign up for this.

We have many days and weeks where I am totally content to be in the thick of things.  I manage very well.  Our house is organized, relatively clean (we homeschool with 4 kids so the house is really LIVED in) and we are all happy.  But when I am not on my game, it all goes to hell in a handbasket.

What do I do?  Well, the first thing I do is start reading.  Inspiration is a wonderful motivator.  Blogs, books like the one mentioned above, anything that reminds you to dream.  Then I step back to see where I can simplify and streamline our life.  What can I do to take better care of me.  I am the captain of this life, I need to remain steady and strong so all these shipmates can do their work knowing their boat isn't going to sink.   (Even if the captain really really wants to jump ship at the next port) - what's with the boat analogy? hmmm...


Anyway, remember the dreams you had before you became a parent.  Figure out a way to reclaim those.  Find the love that you have for your children and your spouse.  Let if fill you.  Find the love you have for yourself.  Hold it close and breathe.


Have a peaceful day.

 

The gift of childhood

Childhood is so short and precious yet it seems like there is such a big push in our society to grow up and become independent - the earlier, the better. There is an underlying fear that a dependent child will become a dependent adult.  A fear that a child which has not been properly enriched with the myriad of classes available will somehow never become a competent, competitive adult in our high tech world.

I think we would be better served if we could respect the gift of childhood.  Respect a child's need to be in nature, have a dependable nourishing home life, and be surrounded by adults who create an environment conducive to mastering the astounding amount of skills needed to function in our society. By respecting a child's needs, we will teach them to be respectful of others and to become responsible adults.  Time and freedom to play, create, dream and imagine with limitedoutside influences (especially media) will give a child a sense of well-being and balance.  A child will carry this sense of self with them throughout their lives.

In our house, we consciously choose to give our children plenty of time.  Some days it is a struggle.  There are so many wonderful opportunities available.  Yet by stepping back and leaving unscheduled time in our week, our children play alone or with each other, read, draw, explore outdoors and many other self guided pursuits.  They easily entertain themselves.  Hopefully as adults, this will allow them to be self-directed in their careers and their personal lives.  I am hoping that by respecting their childhood, we will give them the ability to respect themselves as adults, the ability to pursue paths which will fulfill them and the tools to know that they are responsible for making things happen.

Have a great day.

Taking care of me

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/snowdeal/7933510/

I just started running on January 1st, 2010 after taking a hiatus when I became pregnant with my fourth child. I decided it was time to do something just for me. My goal is the Wharf to Wharf which takes place in July. I have run it before and thought it might be just the motivation I need to get me out the door and back into shape.

Taking care of myself has been very low in the priority list since my baby came and it was beginning to take a toll on me physically and mentally. A five minute shower while my eldest was taking care of the baby in the other room (hopefully no crying was involved) was all the pampering I was getting. Enough was enough. I needed to do something that would contribute to my happiness and sense of well-being. Something that I could manage to do on a regular basis which would easily fit into our busy life. Being happy and healthy had to be a priority so I could continue to be a good mother to my beautiful children.

Running seems to be the perfect answer. Many years ago, I starting running with a girlfriend as a way to manage my weight and I quickly realized that it provided me many other benefits as well. I was able to manage stress better, sleep better and I felt a sense of accomplishment every time I finished a run.

Now I run despite the weather, fatigue, sick kids or busyness. It is one of the few things I do for myself but not necessarily by myself. The kids often accompany me in the jogger or on their bikes. My older kids really look forward to going out with me and I enjoy having a unique way to connect with these lovely children.

The Wharf to Wharf will be here before I know it. Time goes quickly these days. But I will be ready to take it on and after it is done, I will run on to my next challenge with my children riding right beside me.

Have a lovely day.