Selecting a Reader

I like how this poem imagines the reader.

I wonder about you, too. :)  Are you in your kitchen, propping your elbows on the counter over a laptop? 

Sitting at your office at lunch?

Hanging out in your basement with a squirmy toddler on your lap?

Slamming your hand on the desk and yelling, "HOGWASH!!"

I'd love to see that...but, on with the poem, for cryin' to Pete.

Selecting a Reader
by Ted Kooser

First, I would have her be beautiful,
and walking carefully up on my poetry
at the loneliest moment of an afternoon,
her hair still damp at the neck
from washing it.  She should be wearing
a raincoat, an old one, dirty
from not having enough money for the cleaners.
She will take out her glasses, and there
in the bookstore, she will thumb
over my poems, then put the book back
up on its shelf.  She will say to herself,
"For that kind of money, I can get
my raincoat cleaned." And she will.

Getting ready for "Bahston" (Boston)

And if my friend Patrick reads that he will say with a Boston accent, "Wheh did Ah pahk the cah?" :)

Our high schoolers are taking a trip to Boston over Memorial Day weekend and I'm along for the ride!  It's been hard to concentrate this week as we've all been talking about our itinerary and what we'll see.  Add the excitement of having less than 5 days left of school, and you've got some giddy kids on your hands.

If you've had the chance to visit, what do you remember most?  What do you recommend visiting?

We'll be doing the Freedom Trail, the Old North Church, Minuteman National Historic Park, Plymouth Rock & the Mayflower....it'll be a packed time!  Thankfully I am not the only chaperone :)  and a few other teachers are coming along.  I hope to share some pictures next week!

How to Have a Lego-Themed Party in a Pinch

 It all started with a text from Aaron, "Are you making Greg a cake?"

I was stumped.  I hadn't put a lot of thought into his party yet and I just didn't have a clue.  Do 10 year-olds still have themed parties?  Do they still like party games and goody bags?  This was a dilemma.

So I just asked myself, "What does Greg love?"  And since my top three answers were Sports, Peanut Butter, and Legos, I decided to go with some sort of Lego party.

Thank you, Internet.  You are a lifesaver.  That's where I got the idea for these guys:

 They wouldn't hold the candles steady on their own, so I made a little ball of play dough for each one for stability.  I didn't light these, by the way.  They are just cool for decoration.

 The boys also played a Pirate Lego game that I had bought Greg for a gift.

Other ideas that could work (but which I didn't do) was a Lego Hunt, where each color is a different number of points, or a contest to see who can build the biggest tower, etc.  These kids just needed a big box of Legos and a living room to have a good time.

 There are literally hundreds of other ideas for a Lego party online that, frankly, made me feel extremely lame as a mother.  I mean, don't even get me started about the Lego Cakes.  Whoa.

There are some crafty women out there, let me tell you. 

 But the basic ingredients are food, friends, and something to do.  You just have to keep it simple sometimes.

 These are some cute dudes.

The floor of my living room in its' natural state....

my "other" kids

 This week was the CCS High School Banquet -- don't they look snazzy?  Funny that there are more 8th graders than the entire high school put together....but we're working on that....

 These are the groovy seniors-- that blondie is pretty special to me :)

They think they've arrived; I know their journey has just begun.

 They make me laugh.

And now we're chaperones.  Officially old. 

Francis Chan - I love this guy

"I am like a piece of clay trying to tell other pieces of clay what The Potter is like..."

Francis Chan is one of my favorite people. He's a humble, down-to-earth minister of The Gospel. He wrote the life-changing book Crazy Love and is now writing a book called Erasing Hell, which comes out July 5th.

This is a longer video than what I normally post, but I encourage you to view the entire message. Your brain and heart will thank you.

Not Forgotten - Poetry Thursday

I really love this one.  Especially the last two lines. 

Not Forgotten

by Sheila Packa

I learned to ride
the two wheel bicycle
with my father.
He oiled the chain
clothes-pinned playing cards
to the spokes, put on the basket
to carry my lunch.
By his side, I learned balance
and took on speed
centered behind the wide
handlebars, my hands
on the white grips
my feet pedaling.
One moment he was
holding me up
and the next moment
although I didn't know it
he had let go.
When I wobbled, suddenly
afraid, he yelled keep going—
keep going!
Beneath the trees in the driveway
the distance increasing between us
I eventually rode until he was out of sight.
I counted on him.

That he could hold me was a given
that he could release me was a gift.

"Not Forgotten" by Sheila Packa, from Cloud Birds. © Wildwood River Press, 2011. 

Getting Organized

I saw this idea on one of my favorite websites (Jill Savage from Hearts at Home) and had to share!

Isn't this a cool way to keep coloring supplies organized? 

I recently cleaned out the linen closet in my bathroom.  Wow.  There was a lot of junk in there.  It's very deep, so it's like diving into a black hole if I need to find a bottle of conditioner or lotion. 

 Now, I have large clear boxes on the shelves filled with different items.  One box holds lotions/perfumes/body sprays and another holds hair products, etc.  That way I can just pull out the box I need.  Many thanks to my mother-in-law for that idea!

What go-to ideas do you have for organizing in your house?

Avoiding the Hills

This is not where I live, but I liked the picture.  Reminds me of the Shire, Frodo!

I took all 4 kids on a bike ride last night.  Aaron was at a meeting.  We've been putting both Jonny and Hope in the bike cart, but I am not super-strong like him, so I had J. ride his bike.  The older boys do great independently.  I just have to remind them not to get too far ahead.

The hills became a real struggle for Jonny.  First, he'd whine and cry about not being able to get OVER the hill, then he'd scream the whole way down because he was scared about going too fast. 

By the time we got close to home, he was crying just THINKING about the hills and how hard they would be.  "Can't we go home a different way, Mama??  I don't want those dumb old hills!!"

I couldn't help making a connection between our bike ride and life.  I would love to arrive home (Heaven) without the hills, the hard places that make me cry, make me ache.  Wouldn't we all like to avoid the hills?  But that's the path.  It's the only way.  There is no shortcut, and there is no way to make it easier.

Some people seem to have "less hills" in their journey, but who can really judge another's path? 

The promise is that the hill is not forever, and someday we'll put "the bike" away and fly to the arms of Christ.



The Life of a Saint

I finally got a chance to rent and view the movie, "End of the Spear" this past weekend -- the film based on the true story of 5 missionaries who were killed by the Waodani tribe in Ecuador as they tried to bring them the Good News of Jesus Christ.

The film focuses mainly on Nate Saint, the missionary pilot who flies into the jungle with the other men to reach the people there. I've become more interested in this story because I teach with Phil Saint, Nate's youngest son. My son, Gregory, is in his 4th grade class.

Phil's older brother, Steve, has gone back to Ecuador several times to reconnect with the tribe and continue to minister the Gospel.

What an amazing story and film!

The Announcement

The night we went to see Tim Hawkins, we kept it a secret from the 2 older boys and their cousin (cutie in the middle). As we started getting closer to Paynesville, they began coming up with their own ideas of where we were going.

Poetry Thursday (mud-luscious :)

It's happened. 

It's actually spring in Minnesota.  Our family went for our inaugural first bike ride of the year last night and I could have sang the Hallelujah chorus the entire way.  In honor of that feeling - some e.e. cummings....

[in Just-]

by e.e. cummings

in Just-
spring      when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman

whistles      far      and wee

and eddieandbill come
running from marbles and
piracies and it's
spring

when the world is puddle-wonderful
the queer
old balloonman whistles
far      and    wee
and bettyandisbel come dancing

from hop-scotch and jump-rope and

it's
spring
and
    the

          goat-footed

balloonMan     whistles
far
and
wee

Kickin' it Old School

 We've been watching some Cosby DVDs in our house and it's made me nostalgic for the 80s. 

Here are some oldie goldies:

 Alex P. Keaton just turned 50.  That's wierd.

NAME THAT SHOW!! 

I admit - I had a teensy crush on Tony Danza.  Oh come on, I know I'm not alone!

The King of Teen Hearthrobs, circa 1980s.  You win the prize, Kirk.

Dirt Cake / Worms in the Mud -- Whatever You Call It, It's GOOD

Back in April, we were all gettin' a little buggy as we anticipated warmer weather.  I decided it was time to get serious.  Certain dishes around here seem to have a magical power.  "Worms in the Mud" is one of those dishes.  

If you make it, warm weather will come...or somethin' like that.

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup powdered sugar

1 large box chocolate instant pudding (3 cups of milk to make it)

1 8oz box cream cheese, softened

1 container of cool whip, thawed

2 packages of oreos (double-stuffed thank you)

gummy worms

large ziploc bags for crushing oreos

With the boys at school and Hope taking a nap, Big Fella Jonny was my go-to helper for this dessert.  Here he is crushing those oreos:

Mix up the pudding, put it in the fridge.  Crush about 1& 1/2 packages of oreos in a sealed bag.  Take out about a cup or so to use for the topping.  Add the melted butter to the oreos in the bag and mix.  Lay this in a 9x13 dish.  Mix the cream cheese and sugar, fold in the cool whip.

Mix it up, baby!

Spread that mixture onto the top of the oreos.  Next, spread on the pudding.  Now sprinkle your leftover oreos from the beginning and add the worms (Jonny's favorite part).  If you forget to leave out the oreos, like I did, it can still look dirty with heath chips or mini chocolate chips, but the oreos are the best.

Leave some worms dangling off the side for fun :)

 Refrigerate for an hour, if you can stand it.

Then have a bunch of kids over, because having this in your fridge too long will have negative results on your waistline....

Aw, yeah!  That's one dirty cake!!

A Hard Day

Mother's Day used to make me crazy.  

All this HOOP-LA for women who were somehow blessed by God to have children of their own.  Frankly, it made me crabby.  By the year 2000, we had been trying for 2+ years to have a baby and .....silence .....nothing.

I would pout every stinkin' Mother's Day and ask God, "When? Why?"

If I had listened closer, I might have heard, "Soon.  Because it's gonna be a wild ride."  :)

I think it's best to honor this day by thanking God for all the ways He's gifted women to "mother" others.  I feel like I've had many "children" -- high school students I've taught, young friends who've needed an old lady ;) to talk to, and other moms who needed some encouragement along the way.

I don't believe God calls every single woman to be a mother, but I believe He definitely calls every woman to "mother" someone.  I had a fabulous college professor who did just that - inviting students to her home for Bible study and great life discussions.

It's hard to remember the days when I was only responsible for little ol' me.  

But I'm grateful for the opportunity to influence these amazing gifts in my life now.

Who has "mothered" you besides your one wonderful mama?  

Who put their arm around your shoulders and made the load lighter?

Sweater Vests and Pretty Dresses

 Here are some Easter photos -- we're always so happy to have Easter minus snow!

We spent the weekend at Aaron's Mom's in Wisconsin and it was nice enough to take some pictures outside.

Here's the only picture of Hope smiling -- of course, she's not looking at the camera.

   

 Three cool boys

 Someday I WILL get them all to smile.  Someday.

 Or maybe I'm just kidding myself.

 This is the look of parents who are nervous about their 9 year-old son using their camera...and see, even Hope looks worried.

Guess Who I Saw Last Night?!?

Oh. Man. 

This was quite a night. Tim Hawkins is just one of my favorite people.  

He has a new DVD coming out sometime in May!  You can check it out here.

Cinco de Mayo Poetry

Just kidding.  This has nothing to do with Cinco de Mayo 
But still highly enjoyable.

Sonnet
by Billy Collins

All we need is fourteen lines, well, thirteen now,
and after this one just a dozen
to launch a little ship on love's storm-tossed seas,
then only ten more left like rows of beans.
How easily it goes unless you get Elizabethan
and insist the iambic bongos must be played
and rhymes positioned at the ends of lines,
one for every station of the cross.
But hang on here while we make the turn
into the final six where all will be resolved,
where longing and heartache will find an end,
where Laura will tell Petrarch to put down his pen,
take off those crazy medieval tights,
blow out the lights, and come at last to bed.

Do You Know Where Your Laundry Is?

If it's in a room like this, you can probably go back to your blissful life now.

But for the rest of us, "Do You Know Where Your Laundry Is?" is the title of a chapter in one of my favorite books - 

Sink Reflections by Marla Cilley a.k.a. The FlyLady.  

When I discovered this book, I was the mama of 3 little men and having daily pity parties.  I felt so overwhelmed by housework.  I didn't know where to begin.  Enter Flylady.  And although I certainly didn't become a domestic diva overnight, it helped me take a deep breath and start fresh.

I had to make peace with laundry.  It was not going away. Gone were the days of just me and Aaron when we could let it pile all week until the weekend.  I had to get serious.  Flylady says laundry is a 5-step process.

  Sort, Wash, Dry, Fold, and Put Away.  You leave out just one step, and laundry takes on a life of its own.  

Ohhhh, does it ever.  Ever had to tell a kid, "GO LOOK IN THE DRYER!!" when they can't find clean clothes?  Story of my life.  

Sometimes I think of laundry as a baby -- it cannot be left unattended!  What works best for me is a simple routine (and it helps to follow it!).  I put in a new load (or 2 if I'm behind) of laundry every day after getting home from school during the week and make sure it's folded and put away before I go to bed.  Simple as that.  If it's the weekend, I just try to do sheets or play catch up.  If I neglect this, I pay for it later.  Baskets lay around the house, people can't find clothes to wear.  Insanity.

Sometimes, I'm simply not putting clothes away because the drawers are too full.  That's when I have to get down and dirty and start a "give-away/garage sale" box.  If you have young children, this is a monthly chore it seems because they are growing so fast!  (Incidentally, I was wondering why I seemed to have so much laundry lately and I decided it's because my BIG kids are wearing BIG clothes, and I can't jam as much in!)

I can't believe I've written this much about laundry.

But one more thing.  Setting out my kids' clothes for the next day (during the school year) is about the best tip around.  There's no digging for the clean jeans or fits of rage about matching socks.  Oh, and Mommy figures out her clothes the night before, too.  :)    

Two Links for Twosday

I feel somehow like I'm cheating by giving you links today, but I promise, they are excellent articles!

First of all --- http://www.owlhaven.net/ --- tips for controlling clutter when you live with small children.

And http://www.jillsavage.org/ -- a GREAT article on sibling rivalry, and a book I HAVE to get soon. 

Enjoy!

Why I'm Excited for This Week

SHHHHH!!!!

I'm so glad my kids don't read my blog.  Then I couldn't tell wonderful secrets like this:

We are taking the 2 oldest boys to a Tim Hawkins concert this Thursday!!

They. Do. Not. know this information and I can't wait to tell them on our way to Eden Prairie!  (I'll have to video their reaction :)

Don't tell!! 

Thanks :)