Happy Things #34

In an effort to remember that little "in between" moments can also make you happy, Fridays (or if I get really behind, Sundays -- oops!) are now a list of some of those little moments that have put a smile on my face in the last seven days.

Things That Made Me Smile

 

 ... boys who still want me to colour with them

... a string a beautiful sunny days this week

... snow, a toboggan and boys who love adventure (like sledding backwards down a hill -- yikes!, and yes, there are 4 of us on that toboggan)

... a sense of curiosity -- who knew that a wasp getting the house would be so interesting?

... finding a new skiing buddy -- Isaac did great his first time out!

... more winter weather and lots of play time

... Laurel's reaction to falling out of bed (the falling part wasn't so happy for her or me!)  I asked her where she bumped -- thinking that if she could stop crying long enough to tell me where she hurt that things were probably okay.  She pointed to the floor and said "down there!".  She's fine.

... kicking back at meal time

Happy Sunday!

Happy Things # 33

In an effort to remember that little "in between" moments can also make you happy, Fridays are now a list of some of those little moments that have put a smile on my face in the last seven days.

Things That Made Me Smile

... snow angels that didn't melt a day later (they are still there almost a week later!)

... a wacky conversation after a visit to the dentist about toothpaste flavour possibilities -- mashed potatoes and gravy?

... a visit with friends we haven't seen awhile

... the house cleaning that preceded the aforementioned visit (okay, it's the result makes me happy, not so much the cleaning process)

... the start of actually, really looking for a new home

... finishing "Peter and the Shadow Thieves" with the boys -- now onto book 3

... during a round of our favourite suppertime game (someone picks a letter and everybody finds words that start with that letter), while working with the letter "s", Aidan tells us that he can think of 2 words that begin with "s" that are not very polite!  We suggested that he keep those suggestions to himself, but now I'm really curious as to what words he had in mind, hmmmm....

Happy Friday


...

Happy Things #32

 In an effort to remember that little "in between" moments can also make you happy, Fridays (or if I get really behind, Sundays -- oops!) are now a list of some of those little moments that have put a smile on my face in the last seven days.

Things That Made Me Smile

... boys and water (it's true what they say about there being some kind of magnetic force between the two -- and it's very strong!)

... snow days that don't interupt our math practice ... why am I the only one that is happy about this?  :)

... board games in bed -- everybody is better now, but it was fun while it lasted

... snacks in a blanket fort -- snacks always taste better when eaten in a fun new space, don't they?

... good news that comes out of a difficult situation

... a visit to the local radio station that peaked an interest in something other than Star Wars, although, I have become very good at relating many things to Star Wars in order to make other topics more appealing

... cheesy chocolate milk mustaches

Happy Friday ... errr ... um  Sunday!

Happy Things #31

 In an effort to remember that little "in between" moments can also make you happy, Fridays are now a list of some of those little moments that have put a smile on my face in the last seven days.

Things That Made Me Smile

... Madness at the breakfast table -- rocking out with the kids and a bowl of granola!

... some walls with new paint on them -- there is progress being made in Our House :)

... a week of feeling a little under the weather that lead to some guilt-free naps

... a visit to the Acadia Art Gallery to see a collection of local artist's work

... happy boys playing soccer completely unattached to me and, as a result of this miraculous event, an hour that I got to talk to some other adults (we talked about kids, but it still counts as a grown up conversation, right?)

... the ever increasing vocabulary of the girl, who people keep reminding me, will soon be 2

... knitting projects completed -- yes, knitting!  It's on my list of things to blog about ... this week ( I hope)

... a conversation with Owen ... having forgotten to give Dada a good night kiss, he proceeds to give the kiss to me to relay.  After having pressed his face against my cheek as hard as he can, he tells me that the reason he had to press so hard was so that the kiss would pass through my cheek and into my mouth.  He then asks me to open my mouth so that he can inspect his work.  "Yes," he says, "it's in there.  I can see Dada's name on it!"

Happy Friday!

Happy Things #30

In an effort to remember that little "in between" moments can also make you happy, Fridays are now a list of some of those little moments that have put a smile on my face in the last seven days.

Things That Made Me Smile

 

 

... dance breaks with my baby -- finally, somebody who appreciates my unique dance techniques.

... boys so anxious for sledding, that any amount of snow will do.

... the excitement of a 9 year old making cookies all by himself (when Mama remembered to keep her nose out -- very hard to do, you know!).

... boys happily wearing patched pants (only a start to the pile, but a start none the less).

... shared laughs with my children as we watch the first season of "Rocky and Bullwinkle".

... a "new" hat for my girl -- cause every girl needs some flowers in her wardrobe, right? -- totally worth the dollar!

... a new bagel experience that resulted in great success and rave reviews from all.

Happy Things # 29

Strolling around the Internet one day, I came across a blog post entitled "100 Things That Make Me Happy". What a great idea, I thought as I scanned the list, so Fridays are now dedicated to things that make me happy!

* I have decided to change things up a bit (hey, it's a new year, I'm allow to do that!) In an effort to remember that little "in between" moments can also make you happy, this week will be a list of some of those little moments that have put a smile on my face in the last seven days.

Things That Made Me Smile

... repeated requests to read "Have You Seen Duck?" from a certain little duck lover in our house (our other great library find this week, popular with the older crowd, is "Chickens to the Rescue" -- highly recommend both!)

... being asked what "abdominal" means, then immediately being attacked by the "abdominal snowman" -- very fierce!

... our first skating outing of the season

... kisses from a special little girl

... the discovery of a great walking trail close to our home, along with some Green Gym outdoor fitness equipment -- very cool

... the start of another homeschool gym class with all the boys old enough to participate this year -- and only one being attached to my leg (last year it was two!)

... a wood box that is never empty and a fire that is always nice and toasty when I get up in the morning

... boys who are enjoying Calvin and Hobbs (and practicing their reading, shhhh, don't tell them!)

... a message from a friend when I really needed it.

Things That Make Me Happy # 28 -- Friends

Strolling around the Internet one day, I came across a blog post entitled "100 Things That Make Me Happy". What a great idea, I thought as I scanned the list, so Fridays are now dedicated to things that make me happy!

Things That Make Me Happy!

# 28  Friends

You know how some people say that when things get tough, you find out who your real friends are?  Well I say, when things are tough, you find out how many friends you really have.  Sound like the same thing?  It's not, and here's what I mean.

The first statement implies that some of your "friends" will disappear during hard times -- possibly, I guess.  But what I have discovered is just how many people are willing to help when things get tough.  This week, our house was full of anxiety over where we would live while the 4 week job of fixing it was done (haven't heard about our house woes yet, click here to find out more).  Time and time again this week, I was humbled by the number of people who offered us space in their homes, their camper, their support and suggestions.  It was a hard week, to be sure, but I've arrived at the end of it feeling loved thanks to all my friends (and family too!).

Happy Friday!

Things That Make Me Happy # 27 -- Ladybugs

Strolling around the Internet one day, I came across a blog post entitled "100 Things That Make Me Happy". What a great idea, I thought as I scanned the list, so Fridays are now dedicated to things that make me happy!

Things That Make Me Happy!

# 27 Ladybugs

We went to the playground today and the boys found a small colony of ladybugs. The boys were fascinated by these little creatures and it was a lot of fun to watch them interact with them, wonder about them, and make plans for them. (sorry there are no pictures, I left my camera at home)  Well, there was one little critter who had lost most of his wings and, try as he might, he couldn't fly away. That didn't stop him from crawling all over Isaac, though.  He even ended up in Isaac's hair after a brief ride on the swings that Isaac thought that the little guy might enjoy -- he couldn't fly away, so what choice did he have? Anyway, I was amazed with how long the ladybugs held their attention.

Things That Make Me Happy # 26 -- Celebration!

Strolling around the Internet one day, I came across a blog post entitled "100 Things That Make Me Happy". What a great idea, I thought as I scanned the list, so Fridays are now dedicated to things that make me happy!

Things That Make Me Happy!
# 26 Celebration!

Given that this week has been bad news, followed by more bad news, it was a real challenge to come up with something "happy" for today.  I mean, how many times can you hear:  "I don't know how your house is still standing!" and still remain upbeat?  So I decided that today we needed to celebrate.  I wasn't sure what we were going to celebrate, but we would celebrate something!

Things That Make Me Happy # 25

Strolling around the Internet one day, I came across a blog post entitled "100 Things That Make Me Happy".  What a great idea, I thought as I scanned the list, so Fridays are now dedicated to things that make me happy!

Things That Make Me Happy!
# 25 Empty Bowls

Ah yes, empty bowls.  That amazing, incredibly rare day in our house when there are 6 empty bowls on our supper table.  Now please let me explain that I'm not talking about "Mother Hubbard" empty, as in there is nothing to go into those 6 bowls, I'm talking about the ultimate success of finding a meal that everybody likes -- and, therefore, eats without bribery or complaint.

Things That Make Me Happy # 24

Strolling around the Internet one day, I came across a blog post entitled "100 Things That Make Me Happy". What a great idea, I thought as I scanned the list, so Fridays are now dedicated to things that make me happy!

Things That Make Me Happy!
# 24  The Letter "P"

While this may seem a little obvious, after all my name begins with this most perfect letter, my thinking today is simply that many of the pleasant things that we did today, also start with the letter "p". While I cannot claim to have planned this occurrence, everyone seemed to have enjoyed it. The surprise of the theme, just added to today's happiness.

Things That Make Me Happy # 23

Strolling around the Internet one day, I came across a blog post entitled "100 Things That Make Me Happy". What a great idea, I thought as I scanned the list, so Fridays are now dedicated to things that make me happy!

Things That Make Me Happy!
# 23  Books, Reading, and Learning Something New

 

 

This is my pile of books that are waiting to be read.  Some about gardening, some about food, some about saving money and simplifying life ... all sound very interesting and are calling my name.  Most of them are library books which means that I have a finite amount of time to read them, so I'm off to read a book or two -- I'm feeling smarter already!

Things That Make Me Happy # 22

Strolling around the Internet one day, I came across a blog post entitled "100 Things That Make Me Happy". What a great idea, I thought as I scanned the list, so Fridays (or Saturdays, like today) are now dedicated to things that make me happy!

Things That Make Me Happy!
# 22  Purging Our Home

This is a picture of all the boxes of toys, books, knick knacks, games, kitchen utensils etc. that left our house today in the yard sale! Wow, who knew that we had so much stuff in our house ... stuff that we don't need!  And even more amazing, is the fact that our house still contains everything that we do need, and more, and we will not miss any of these objects!

When we first started thinking about having a yard sale, I didn't think that we would have enough to make it a decent sale, so we invited some other families to join us -- more families would also be more fun!  I knew that we had a pile here and a box there, but after looking at our goods all piled together, I was shocked!  We had way more than I thought. How does one accumulate so much without realizing it?

Maybe it's because it enters our homes -- yes, OUR homes because you  know it happens to you too --  little bits at a time. What's one more piece of paper, or toy, or book, right?  But it adds up fast and when you see it all together like this ... well, it really put things into perspective for me.

From now on, I'm going to be very mindful about what comes into our house -- we are off to a good start by not buying anything from the other families at the yard sale, yeah us!  I am going to ask myself some simple questions like:  "do we really need that whatever it is?" or "do we have something that would or could do the same job?".  I'm going to do better at saying "no thanks" when people (in kindness, I know) offer us things that we might not need.  And I am going to try harder to re-purpose the things that we have, both to keep them from being thrown out, and to keep new things from entering our home.

I still feel that there is more that we could eliminate from our house, but we have taken a HUGE step forward.  So today, I am celebrating our successful start and our home is feeling lighter and more peaceful already.

Do you have any suggestions for keeping the possessions in your home to a manageable number?

Things That Make Me Happy # 21

Strolling around the Internet one day, I came across a blog post entitled "100 Things That Make Me Happy". What a great idea, I thought as I scanned the list, so Fridays are now dedicated to things that make me happy!

Things That Make Me Happy!
# 21 Discovery

Lots to learn at the Discovery Centre!

Things That Make Me Happy # 20

Strolling around the Internet one day, I came across a blog post entitled "100 Things That Make Me Happy". What a great idea, I thought as I scanned the list, so Fridays are now dedicated to things that make me happy!

Things That Make Me Happy!
# 20 Modern Technology

Today, we spent the day at Ross Farm Museum -- the former homestead of Captain William Ross, his wife Mary and their 7 children. The museum is a living, working, farm museum that depicts 150 years of agriculture in Nova Scotia. We had such a great time looking at all the animals, going on a wagon ride (2 actually), watching the blacksmith and the cooper, that the boys are hard pressed to pick a favourite part of the visit. They kept asking if we could have lambs or horses or chickens or oxen when we move to our new house --oh boy, I'd better start making a list!

As much as we enjoyed the day, it made me more aware of all of the modern conveniences that we have. Now, I do enjoy making my own bread, growing our own vegetables, and a good fire in the stove; but it's also nice to be sitting here at my computer, to hear the dishwasher cleaning my dishes, and to have the option of running down to the store for that loaf of bread. Although there are many of these conveniences that I could probably live without -- like the dishwasher, I guess -- today I am thankful for the time that these machines save -- that extra bit of time that enables me to play, read or snuggle with the kids, or whatever else it is that I choose to do. There are so many days where I rush around thinking that there are not enough hours to do all the things that need to be done, but I do not have to milk the cow or card the wool or shoe the horse. I can get milk from the fridge, a sweater from my closet and get in my car; and for that I am thankful.

So, I guess that I'm torn. I like the simple, slower (albeit harder) lifestyle as depicted on the farm; but my computer, refrigerator and vacuum cleaner all make me happy too. Hmmmm ... today, I think I'll celebrate the privilege of being able to have both in my life in any combination that suits our family -- although we're still happily working toward a little more simplicity.

Here a a few pictures from our day.
Happy Friday!

 

 

I cannot claim to have taken all these pictures. The boys and I took turns with the camera, and so the selection above includes something from everybody!

Things That Make Me Happy # 19

Strolling around the Internet one day, I came across a blog post entitled "100 Things That Make Me Happy".  What a great idea, I thought as I scanned the list, so Fridays are now dedicated to things that make me happy!

Things That Make Me Happy!
# 19 Lilacs

 

 

I love this time of year!  Everything is blooming, the weather is nice, picnic season starts, everybody is working in the garden, or riding bikes, or playing in the dirt, and the trees buzzing with busy bees -- well, actually, that makes me a bit nervous.  I'm in awe of the important work that they do, but I'm an admirer from afar.  One of the trees that they are busy working in is the lilac bush that is in our back yard.  Okay, that might be a teeny, tiny lie.  The tree is actually in our neighbour's yard, but spills generously into ours, and our neighbour is kind enough to let us pick some of the beautiful flowers every year.  I don't often have flowers on the table -- except for the occasional bunch of dandelions that some young gentleman will bring me --, but I love lilacs (and the dandelions too, but right now, the lilacs)!

Things That Make Me Happy # 18

Strolling around the Internet one day, I came across a blog post entitled "100 Things That Make Me Happy".  What a great idea, I thought as I scanned the list, so Fridays are now dedicated to things that make me happy!

Things That Make Me Happy!
# 18 Home

 

Oh, don't get me wrong, my home is not perfect. In fact, we have one of those never-ending lists of things that need to be fixed or improved.

But today, after hearing reports all week about the houses that are flooded (or in danger of being flooded) in Manitoba; and whole towns in Alberta that have been destroyed by fire, I am truly thankful for my home. It may be small; there may be a puddle in the basement from all the rain; it may be messy, a little cramped at times and disorganized, ... but I have a home and we are safe ... and that makes me happy.

Thinking of the many families in our country whose homes have been damaged by these events ... happy Friday.

Things That Make Me Happy #17

Strolling around the Internet one day, I came across a blog post entitled "100 Things That Make Me Happy".  What a great idea, I thought as I scanned the list, so Fridays are now dedicated to things that make me happy!

Things That Make Me Happy!
# 17 Blanket Forts

Rain, rain and more rain -- we've had a lot of rain this week. It was tough not to complain, to keep reminding myself that it was good for the trees and the plants, that it couldn't go on forever ... or could it ...?

After a couple of outings, which resulted in wet feet, all our footwear was lined up in front of the fire waiting to dry. With the whole afternoon in front of us, no dry footwear to go anywhere, and personalities starting to clash, I made my best suggestion and hoped for the best: "How about a blanket fort, we haven't done that in a long time?" The boys immediately jumped up and went on a blanket search. They came back with every blanket and sheet from their beds and around the house -- we had more than I thought -- and started construction.

It is quite rare to find and activity that all four kids can enjoy together, but blanket forts are really for everybody -- they even gave me a tour, although some of the corners were a little tight! I got a few moments of peace and sat back happily listening to the construction talk and then the laughter and fun that followed. Ahhhhhhh ... They played quite happily all afternoon (until Laurel decided to remodel it -- adding a woman's touch, you know) and were quite disappointed when they had to take it apart. They had great plans to sleep in it that night, but knowing how much "sleep" they would actually get, I decided against it -- sorry guys!

It was also fun to see all of our blankets out and to be reminded of where they had come from. The homemade "I Spy" quilt that arrived at Christmas, baby blankets that are still used (and treasured), afghans knit by loved ones, favourites old and new. What a great collection we have.

So, let it rain. I am surrounded by memories of loved ones, my children's laughter, and a warm fire. The sun will be out tomorrow ... or maybe the next day ... or the day after that ... or the day after that ...

the boys giving Laurel a tour!

Things That Make Me Happy # 16

Strolling around the Internet one day, I came across a blog post entitled "100 Things That Make Me Happy".  What a great idea, I thought as I scanned the list, so Fridays (yes, I know, today is Sunday) are now dedicated to things that make me happy!

Things That Make Me Happy!
# 16 Motherhood

For many, many years, I said that I never wanted to have kids.  Funny, because now I have four of them and am loving every minute of it -- well maybe not every minute, but most of the minutes.  It's true that life is busy, chaotic and sometimes frustrating; I've resigned myself to the fact that the house will never be clean again; and getting anywhere on time requires some serious organization.  But despite all this, motherhood has been the greatest gift I have ever been given.

Of course, I've had a great teacher.  Thanks to my Mom, I know what sacrifice is, what a complex balancing act looks like, and what it feels like to be loved.  I wish that I could say that I recognized all these aspects at the time, but it took having a family of my own to shine a light on the fact that, not only were all these things going on, but she made them all look effortless.  So for all that and so much more ... Thanks Mom!

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers out there ... it's a tough and thankless job, but oh so worth it (well, most days anyway!)

Thank you to the leaders at MOM's group who helped the boys make these treasures for me!

Things That Make Me Happy # 15

Strolling around the Internet one day, I came across a blog post entitled "100 Things That Make Me Happy".  What a great idea, I thought as I scanned the list, so Fridays are now dedicated to things that make me happy!

Things That Make Me Happy!
# 15 My Birthday Boy

We'll have cake tomorrow, but you've got to have a candle to blow out on your birthday!

Happy 7th Birthday Aidan!