No, there is nothing gross about this entry (although with three boys in the house, I'm sure things could get dicey in the future!). I'm just thinking about redoing parts of the bathroom, giving it a good facelift.
The problem with me a decorating is that it doesn't come naturally to me. I research and surf internet photos until the cows come home and still can't decide. Then I do decide on something and then question myself about it the next day. Then I bite the bullet and actually go out and price everything. Then I throw it all away and start again. Really all I end up doing is finding a picture I like and trying to imitate it the best I can. But since my space is different from that space, it never ends up looking anything like what I hoped.
When we bought the house, I kind of liked the "feel" of the bathroom. It's a nice shade of blue, and had a very gender-neutral feel. It was something I could like and something all the boys in this house wouldn't think was too girly. In fact, when we moved in, I had a photo of the bathroom as the previous owners had it decorated and I went out and bought the same shower curtain and towel set they had. (That's how unoriginal I am!)
But the bathroom could use a little work. The floor is a dreaded peel'n'stick sheet of fake looking tile. The vanity is literally the cheapest thing available out there. It's too large for the space, meaning that if something falls between it and the bathtub it's lost for all eternity, and you feel squashed when you sit on the toilet next to it. The bathtub, vanity top and shower tile are all different shades of brown-beige, and do not match or coordinate in the slightest. They say that to up the value of your home you should do the kitchen and bathroom first, and since there is little we can do about the kitchen, the bathroom seems the next logical place to start.
I thought I had it all done. I thought I'd go a little more modern, with a dark espresso coloured vanity and some fantastic deep brown tiles that look like slats of wood. Some bathtub paint to get the bath a nice white colour and a coat of tan paint would nearly complete the whole thing. And then I realized that when you walk through the rest of the house (nearly 70 years old) there is a distinct country, laid-back feeling, and to open the bathroom door into something more modern would just not fit the bill. And so all my plans, once again, laid to waste.
Decorating is much the same as clothes shopping, for me. I'm excited to do both, but am quickly frustrated by the process. Somewhere in my artistic mind I know exactly what I want, and yet I am never able to find it. I get hooked on this specific idea that I can't seem to articulate and nothing satisfies me.
But I will do this bathroom. I will decide on something and just do it! At least getting some ceramic tiles down and a vanity that doesn't look like it's perpetually dusty and going to fall apart at any second will be better than what is there now.
(For those of you who know the fix-it type that I am: no, I don't plan on doing it all myself. The bathtub I can do, and I'll likely install the new vanity myself also. But I have no desire to try tiling on my own. People tell me it's actually fairly easy, and two people have even offered to loan me a wet-tile cutter. But this is one job I'm willing to pay for!)
More later...
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Monday, 29 March 2010
Healthy Eating
I've been reading Laura's journey to healthy eating over at her blog (Heavenly Homemakers). She has written about how she went from being a coupon-clipping frozen-food eating Pepsi-guzzling eater to a whole and natural food eater. She was spurred on by a son with major allergies and her own asthma issues, but now has healthy eating down to a science. I'm so grateful she shares all her wonderful ideas. This is a mom of four boys who needs things inexpensive, fast, easy, and yummy for the kids. She posts her weekly menus and includes tons of recipes.
Most of all, I like that she doesn't make me feel terrible if my ideas differ from hers. Personally, I could never give up breakfast cereals, no matter how terrible I know they are for me. I just love them. I could eat (and have eaten, in my university days) cereal three meals a day. It's easy, and, for me, yummy. If James is up and at it, he'll often make pancakes. Me, bring out the boxes.
That being said, I have certainly learned a lot this past year or two about healthy eating. And no, I don't mean low-fat or calorie counting eating. I just mean trying to eat fresh, whole and natural foods wherever possible. Yes, I have frozen pizzas in the freezer, and yes, a newborn makes things much more difficult. I do my best, and on days when things fall apart I take advantage of the easier but less healthier options out there.
We eat things I never thought would be favourites: asparagus, salads, sweet potato, fresh green beans. My grocery cart was 90% full of fruits and veggies this past week. A salad (with a toasted bagel and cheese) is my current go-to lunch. More than anything, I'm grateful for tastebuds and a constitution that loves healthy eating. I know both James and Caleb are bread-men, picking at veggies last, if there is nothing else. I get that that is their natural preference. I don't like the idea of eating foods I don't love, so I can't imagine how difficult it is to make fruits and vegetables the major part of your diet if you don't have a natural affinity for them. Luckily for me, I can tell the food industry to take their processed foods and fake sugars and stuff it! Which is hard for many people to do, because these foods are engineered to be addictive. Best to stay away completely, that's for sure.
Most of all, I like that she doesn't make me feel terrible if my ideas differ from hers. Personally, I could never give up breakfast cereals, no matter how terrible I know they are for me. I just love them. I could eat (and have eaten, in my university days) cereal three meals a day. It's easy, and, for me, yummy. If James is up and at it, he'll often make pancakes. Me, bring out the boxes.
That being said, I have certainly learned a lot this past year or two about healthy eating. And no, I don't mean low-fat or calorie counting eating. I just mean trying to eat fresh, whole and natural foods wherever possible. Yes, I have frozen pizzas in the freezer, and yes, a newborn makes things much more difficult. I do my best, and on days when things fall apart I take advantage of the easier but less healthier options out there.
We eat things I never thought would be favourites: asparagus, salads, sweet potato, fresh green beans. My grocery cart was 90% full of fruits and veggies this past week. A salad (with a toasted bagel and cheese) is my current go-to lunch. More than anything, I'm grateful for tastebuds and a constitution that loves healthy eating. I know both James and Caleb are bread-men, picking at veggies last, if there is nothing else. I get that that is their natural preference. I don't like the idea of eating foods I don't love, so I can't imagine how difficult it is to make fruits and vegetables the major part of your diet if you don't have a natural affinity for them. Luckily for me, I can tell the food industry to take their processed foods and fake sugars and stuff it! Which is hard for many people to do, because these foods are engineered to be addictive. Best to stay away completely, that's for sure.
Sunday, 28 March 2010
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Procrastination on a rainy day
Boys sleeping. Bagel for lunch. So many things to do. Like maybe it a real lunch. Or clean up from breakfast. For that matter, clean up from dinner last night. Make my bed. Pick up the living room. Make a list of the bigger projects I need to tackle and always forget. (I'm hoping to make a list and whenever I have a spare moment [ha ha] I can just go to the list and get something done. It says much of my days now, since I haven't even made the list yet.)
It's grey and raining outside, which always sucks the motivation right out of me. There are toast crumbs on my chair that are grinding into my jeans, because I didn't even wipe them up before sitting down. There - I just brushed them onto the floor. Now I need to sweep.
I can't stand dull days like this. I've been out and about all morning avoiding the house. But my husband and mother-in-law will be home in six hours. So I've got six hours to get it all done.
Or, I have 5 and a half hours to procrastinate further.
These are the days mothers generally don't write about or talk about. The really great ones and the really lousy ones make great conversation. The grey ones just sort of pass in a haze of quasi-depression. I sure hope spring arrives soon. I'm starting to think the calender needs an overhaul. What's the point of calling a specific date the "first day of spring" when the weather is still cold and snowy? It just gets me excited that winter is going to be over, and then doesn't deliver on its promise of sun and warmth.
There are palm trees outside my parents' new house. And my "French sister" (Aurelie) went to the beach last week. Australia and southern France: two places I would move to in a heartbeat on a day like today.
Grrr. The cat just licked some leftover breakfast milk on the table while I was writing this. I was too lazy to bat her away, and now she is throwing it up.
And so endeth this stream of consciousness.
It's grey and raining outside, which always sucks the motivation right out of me. There are toast crumbs on my chair that are grinding into my jeans, because I didn't even wipe them up before sitting down. There - I just brushed them onto the floor. Now I need to sweep.
I can't stand dull days like this. I've been out and about all morning avoiding the house. But my husband and mother-in-law will be home in six hours. So I've got six hours to get it all done.
Or, I have 5 and a half hours to procrastinate further.
These are the days mothers generally don't write about or talk about. The really great ones and the really lousy ones make great conversation. The grey ones just sort of pass in a haze of quasi-depression. I sure hope spring arrives soon. I'm starting to think the calender needs an overhaul. What's the point of calling a specific date the "first day of spring" when the weather is still cold and snowy? It just gets me excited that winter is going to be over, and then doesn't deliver on its promise of sun and warmth.
There are palm trees outside my parents' new house. And my "French sister" (Aurelie) went to the beach last week. Australia and southern France: two places I would move to in a heartbeat on a day like today.
Grrr. The cat just licked some leftover breakfast milk on the table while I was writing this. I was too lazy to bat her away, and now she is throwing it up.
And so endeth this stream of consciousness.
Monday, 22 March 2010
Problem solving
Half out of knowing Colin is old enough to do some basic problem solving, and half out of having it up to here with being needed every 30 seconds for something, I figured it was high time Colin learned to think on his own before bringing his problems to me.
I had a chance to put this into practice the other day. This was the result:
Colin: Mommy, I want to touch that!
Mommy: What?
Colin: That!
Mommy: What?
Colin: That!
Mommy: Colin, I don't know what you're pointing at. Tell me what it is.
Colin: My artwork. (displayed on the wall behind our kitchen table)
Mommy: Okay.
Colin: Can I touch it?
Mommy: Yes.
Colin: But it's too high!
Mommy: Well, what could you do about that?
Colin: Can you lift me up?
Mommy: No, I'm making dinner.
Colin: But I want to touch it!
Mommy: Well, can you think of another way?
(Colin pauses for a few moments, thinking)
Colin: Well, I could get the stool from upstairs.
Mommy: Yes.
Colin: Or I could stand on a chair. But if I did that I would have to be very careful.
Mommy: Both of those solutions would work great.
Colin: I think I'll stand on the chair.
(Colin then proceeds to gently move a kitchen chair over to the wall, climbs very gingerly up, holds tightly onto the back of the chair, and touches the artwork. After a moment, he climbs down and returns the chair to the table. Finished, he runs off.)
It worked! It actually worked! He solved his problem and I kept my sanity for another 10 minutes!
I had a chance to put this into practice the other day. This was the result:
Colin: Mommy, I want to touch that!
Mommy: What?
Colin: That!
Mommy: What?
Colin: That!
Mommy: Colin, I don't know what you're pointing at. Tell me what it is.
Colin: My artwork. (displayed on the wall behind our kitchen table)
Mommy: Okay.
Colin: Can I touch it?
Mommy: Yes.
Colin: But it's too high!
Mommy: Well, what could you do about that?
Colin: Can you lift me up?
Mommy: No, I'm making dinner.
Colin: But I want to touch it!
Mommy: Well, can you think of another way?
(Colin pauses for a few moments, thinking)
Colin: Well, I could get the stool from upstairs.
Mommy: Yes.
Colin: Or I could stand on a chair. But if I did that I would have to be very careful.
Mommy: Both of those solutions would work great.
Colin: I think I'll stand on the chair.
(Colin then proceeds to gently move a kitchen chair over to the wall, climbs very gingerly up, holds tightly onto the back of the chair, and touches the artwork. After a moment, he climbs down and returns the chair to the table. Finished, he runs off.)
It worked! It actually worked! He solved his problem and I kept my sanity for another 10 minutes!
Saturday, 20 March 2010
Home education
No, this isn't another post on homeschooling, although when you combine my enthusiasm for that subject, along with the research I've done on it, I'm surprised myself that I don't already homeschool!
This is a post on home education - teaching your kids what they need to know around the home. If you are a parent, then you've likely heard me RAVE about Merrilee Browne Boyack's book on parenting "The Parenting Breakthrough". For me, it's a brilliant manual that I read every year. I think what I like most about it is that it's starts with a parenting style that is similar to mine, but adds 20 years of experience that I don't have yet. Merrilee makes an excellent comment in the book that BEFORE you drown yourself in parenting books, examine yourself and figure out what kind of parent you are. If you try to completely change your parenting style, it won't work. You'll end up frustrated and going nowhere. But you can improve upon your own style. Well, Merrilee's style is along the same lines of my own style - and similar to that of my mother and my grandmother. I like the Dunkley style - it works for me and I've seen the success of it in my extended family also. Of course there are always adaptations for each person, but on the whole I like it. And so reading Merrilee's book is a good place for me to get new ideas and techniques that will gel really well with what I'm already doing.
Okay, that was a tangent if I ever went off on one. At any rate, one of my philosophies is that kids need to do family chores - chores that they complete not for money but simply because they are a part of our family and need to understand that we all pitch in to make the family and home work at peak efficiency. Learning these things also increases a child's independence. Merrliee agrees whole-heartedly, and provides an excellent list in her book about age-appropriate tasks. More often than not, we underestimate our kids' abilities. Can a 2 year old really have chores? Yup, they can.
Because I have all boys, and many of my friends also seem to be on the Y-chromosome band wagon, I thought I'd share a new website I stumbled upon. It's appropriately called "Homeschool your boys." But aside from formally educating your kids at home, there are lots of great tips about how boys learn, things to teach them at home, and a very comprehensive list of chore ideas starting at 9 months! Yes, that's right - 9 months! Of course every kid is different, but the younger you start, the more likely they are to realize that "chores" are a part of living, and not something you impose on them once their pre-school days are over.
Maybe some of the overwhelming nature of homeschooling for me is how much I need to teach my kids aside from formal education. But I'm hoping that if I start one thing at a time, I can get myself organized and get a system going that will work for us all.
http://www.homeschool-your-boys.com
This is a post on home education - teaching your kids what they need to know around the home. If you are a parent, then you've likely heard me RAVE about Merrilee Browne Boyack's book on parenting "The Parenting Breakthrough". For me, it's a brilliant manual that I read every year. I think what I like most about it is that it's starts with a parenting style that is similar to mine, but adds 20 years of experience that I don't have yet. Merrilee makes an excellent comment in the book that BEFORE you drown yourself in parenting books, examine yourself and figure out what kind of parent you are. If you try to completely change your parenting style, it won't work. You'll end up frustrated and going nowhere. But you can improve upon your own style. Well, Merrilee's style is along the same lines of my own style - and similar to that of my mother and my grandmother. I like the Dunkley style - it works for me and I've seen the success of it in my extended family also. Of course there are always adaptations for each person, but on the whole I like it. And so reading Merrilee's book is a good place for me to get new ideas and techniques that will gel really well with what I'm already doing.
Okay, that was a tangent if I ever went off on one. At any rate, one of my philosophies is that kids need to do family chores - chores that they complete not for money but simply because they are a part of our family and need to understand that we all pitch in to make the family and home work at peak efficiency. Learning these things also increases a child's independence. Merrliee agrees whole-heartedly, and provides an excellent list in her book about age-appropriate tasks. More often than not, we underestimate our kids' abilities. Can a 2 year old really have chores? Yup, they can.
Because I have all boys, and many of my friends also seem to be on the Y-chromosome band wagon, I thought I'd share a new website I stumbled upon. It's appropriately called "Homeschool your boys." But aside from formally educating your kids at home, there are lots of great tips about how boys learn, things to teach them at home, and a very comprehensive list of chore ideas starting at 9 months! Yes, that's right - 9 months! Of course every kid is different, but the younger you start, the more likely they are to realize that "chores" are a part of living, and not something you impose on them once their pre-school days are over.
Maybe some of the overwhelming nature of homeschooling for me is how much I need to teach my kids aside from formal education. But I'm hoping that if I start one thing at a time, I can get myself organized and get a system going that will work for us all.
http://www.homeschool-your-boys.com
My inner Mary and Martha
I can't remember what I was reading that started this train of thought, but it's been something I've been pondering over the last few weeks. Here is the scripture passage which crossed my mind:
Luke 10: 38 - 42
Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
You know what I love about the scriptures? How sometimes a few short verses can create an entire scene in my mind (probably partly because I'm a filmmaker). This scene comes to life in my mind. Sisters Mary and Martha, who are followers of Jesus, have been honored to host Him an his disciples at their home. Liken this to yourself: you get a phone call from Salt Lake that the prophet is going to drop in for a visit with any followers who would like to come and listen to him.
I know that my inner "Martha" would kick in right away - there's the house to clean and food to cook and treats to bake and where on earth will everyone sit and... and... and...
(By the way - I think it's quite appropriate that homemaker icon Martha Stewart shares the same name as one of the heroines of this bible passage!)
So there is Martha, working like crazy just to get things ready. And once everyone shows up, she certainly doesn't think her hostess job finished. She's probably got tons of cooking still to do (could you ever truly anticipate the numbers of people who would flood to your home for such an occasion?), making sure everyone's cup is full of water or wine, making sure people are comfortable, that there are enough places to perch, plus all that dreaded small talk with neighbours and strangers alike...
Is it any wonder Martha got caught up in it all? The NIV version reads "Martha got caught up in all the preparations that had to be made." I think there would be few of us women who wouldn't be caught up in the preparations.
Now, I'm not sure I would have had the courage to do what Martha does next. I think it shows how good friends she and her family were with Jesus. Me, I would have just continued to work like crazy, hoping everything would go well. Martha sees her sister sitting and listening to Jesus instead of helping out in host duties. Martha goes right to Jesus and complains about her sister: "Tell my sister to help me!" I can imagine the exhaustion that Martha felt that led her to openly chastise and complain about her sister to Jesus. I doubt it was sibling rivalry or feelings of ill-will; more than likely Martha was simply exhausted.
But Jesus lovingly helps her see a different point of view. "Martha, Martha," he speaks. Even just those two words are beautiful. I hear him saying her name as lovingly as a parent would to a child who is frustrated and tired and feeling helpless. There is no exasperation in this. He can see her intentions are good in wanting to serve the Lord and his disciples. But Jesus points out that Mary has realized that the opportunity to sit at the Master's feet and learn is much more important than making sure the food and wine are abundant and top quality,that the house is free from every speck of dust. "You are careful and troubled (worried and upset) about many things. But only one thing is needed." Jesus is helping her to see that coming and sitting at his feet, listening to his words, learning of him - this is the one thing that will bring us joy in life.
It's not that Martha's work isn't important. I don't think our husbands and children would be impressed if we stopped doing housework and cooking and caring for our homes. But I've noticed that if my priorities are straight, if I'm putting my learning of the Lord first, then the rest of the things fall into place. My housework burden is lifted, lighter.
And so some days I channel my inner Martha, some days my inner Mary. There is a time for each thing, and sometimes it is time to meditate, and sometimes it is time to roll up my sleeves and get to work. So while the cleaning needs to get done, I need to make sure I'm not getting caught up, worried and upset, over the things that aren't the most important.
Luke 10: 38 - 42
Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
You know what I love about the scriptures? How sometimes a few short verses can create an entire scene in my mind (probably partly because I'm a filmmaker). This scene comes to life in my mind. Sisters Mary and Martha, who are followers of Jesus, have been honored to host Him an his disciples at their home. Liken this to yourself: you get a phone call from Salt Lake that the prophet is going to drop in for a visit with any followers who would like to come and listen to him.
I know that my inner "Martha" would kick in right away - there's the house to clean and food to cook and treats to bake and where on earth will everyone sit and... and... and...
(By the way - I think it's quite appropriate that homemaker icon Martha Stewart shares the same name as one of the heroines of this bible passage!)
So there is Martha, working like crazy just to get things ready. And once everyone shows up, she certainly doesn't think her hostess job finished. She's probably got tons of cooking still to do (could you ever truly anticipate the numbers of people who would flood to your home for such an occasion?), making sure everyone's cup is full of water or wine, making sure people are comfortable, that there are enough places to perch, plus all that dreaded small talk with neighbours and strangers alike...
Is it any wonder Martha got caught up in it all? The NIV version reads "Martha got caught up in all the preparations that had to be made." I think there would be few of us women who wouldn't be caught up in the preparations.
Now, I'm not sure I would have had the courage to do what Martha does next. I think it shows how good friends she and her family were with Jesus. Me, I would have just continued to work like crazy, hoping everything would go well. Martha sees her sister sitting and listening to Jesus instead of helping out in host duties. Martha goes right to Jesus and complains about her sister: "Tell my sister to help me!" I can imagine the exhaustion that Martha felt that led her to openly chastise and complain about her sister to Jesus. I doubt it was sibling rivalry or feelings of ill-will; more than likely Martha was simply exhausted.
But Jesus lovingly helps her see a different point of view. "Martha, Martha," he speaks. Even just those two words are beautiful. I hear him saying her name as lovingly as a parent would to a child who is frustrated and tired and feeling helpless. There is no exasperation in this. He can see her intentions are good in wanting to serve the Lord and his disciples. But Jesus points out that Mary has realized that the opportunity to sit at the Master's feet and learn is much more important than making sure the food and wine are abundant and top quality,that the house is free from every speck of dust. "You are careful and troubled (worried and upset) about many things. But only one thing is needed." Jesus is helping her to see that coming and sitting at his feet, listening to his words, learning of him - this is the one thing that will bring us joy in life.
It's not that Martha's work isn't important. I don't think our husbands and children would be impressed if we stopped doing housework and cooking and caring for our homes. But I've noticed that if my priorities are straight, if I'm putting my learning of the Lord first, then the rest of the things fall into place. My housework burden is lifted, lighter.
And so some days I channel my inner Martha, some days my inner Mary. There is a time for each thing, and sometimes it is time to meditate, and sometimes it is time to roll up my sleeves and get to work. So while the cleaning needs to get done, I need to make sure I'm not getting caught up, worried and upset, over the things that aren't the most important.
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