Shortly after we moved here, my husband and his brother signed up to spend a day working on a Habitat for Humanity house. The plan was for them to spend the day working on the house and then to head over to our house, where my brother-in-law's wife would also come after getting off work,... Continue Reading →
homemade bagels…
Our family enjoys a good bagel. Good bagels are harder to find out here in the Mid-West. The closest we have is Einstein Brothers. Store bought bagels just don't measure up. Periodically my husband gets a craving for bagels. When that happens, we pack our family up on a weekend morning and head over to... Continue Reading →
my mother’s day…
For mother's day last month, my family ordered the print I had been wanting and had it professionally framed. There is actually a humorous story that goes along with that, but I will save that for another time. It happened that I really needed a haircut that weekend. I had planned to get one before... Continue Reading →
make your own puzzles…
We have been using the free puzzle maker at Discovery Education quite a bit lately. My kids have been on an activity book kick, as they can't seem to get enough word finds, mazes, cryptograms, and other games. The free puzzle maker allows you to completely customize your games - from the size, words, difficulty, etc.
where the baby sleeps…
This post is part of the 2010 API Principles of Parenting blog carnival, a series of monthly parenting blog carnivals, hosted by API Speaks. Learn more about attachment parenting by visiting the API website. Shortly after the birth of our first child, I was on the phone with my grandmother. We had just discussed the... Continue Reading →
reusable “to go” cups…
In my search for a large lidded cup with a straw to help keep up with my hydration needs, my husband stumbled across Copco's Eco-First reusable to go cups. Styled after conventional to go cups, the Eco-First cups are BPA free, dishwasher safe, have a quarter turn sealing mechanism, and a textured non-slip grip. My... Continue Reading →
join the bigfoot challenge…
In honor of National Get Outdoors Day, our family is joining Leave No Trace's Bigfoot Challenge. We are putting plastic bags in the van. Whenever we are out hiking, we'll use them to collect trash we find along the way and dispose of it properly. It's a small thing to do, but every bit helps make... Continue Reading →
elephant self-portrait…
The way we see ourselves is up to us. View more elephant art at The Asian Elephant Art and Conservation Project.
beginnings…
This piece is entitled beginnings. I painted it the weekend before our last child was born. I was feeling a bit stressed and frustrated and needed a break from exhausted, cranky little people. I headed out to the garage with roughly cut pieces of fabric. The paint is tempera paint, borrowed from my children's art supplies.... Continue Reading →
attachment siblings…
My husband and I are family people. Family is very important to us and we would do anything to help others out. We would love to have the big family gatherings where cousins are running around playing, grandparents are spinning tales from earlier years, and everyone is chatting and interacting. We would love it, but... Continue Reading →
living peacefully with children 