31 January

Trevor is so creative....you never know what he is going to come home and teach himself how to do (I don't think he has ever been bored a day in his life).....weaving,knitting,drawing,making a huge paper snowflake, building his own Jacobs ladder,playing the piano.  He can do anything he sets his mind to.  Lucky boy.

30 January

Happy Monday!

29 January

5 times 12 January....:)

(five people twelve times in 2012, thanks Heidi for the inspiration)

28 January

Girl.....you have grown up some much this year already, in mind and body.  We are so proud of you:)

Why I do the 365 Project

Inspiring Post here.  Have a good weekend!

27 January

this week...

running, laundry,errands and chores.
noticing the increased daylight (until almost 5 oclock!) It feels good.
Downloading some new music....loving ADELE and Coldplay
Breakfast for dinner
The carwash
Playing some new games
leaving notes.
Preschool, school and a snowman
Catching up on some reading.
a First piano lesson
getting ready for a ski trip
making up songs about eating Captain Crunch's face for lunch.
School projects about Laborador retrievers, division facts and spelling words
coffee with a friend.
LOVNG instagram,and momento.... photographing,documenting , sharing and staying in touch.

life.

26 January

"I think you are the most honest with yourself when you are on a run. The friends I have made through running know me so well. It is crazy the things I have shared with people while out on a run. Things I would never share just sitting around having a cup of coffee. But you are out on a run, and you are just so open." 

- Kara Goucher (from the book "Running the Edge")

25 January

(December 2002)

Today.....my oldest boy, was your first real Piano lesson.  Music has been such an important part of my life...and my families life since I can remember.  I remember concerts in my grandparents living room, I remember being in play in third grade, I remember music giving me friends and confidence through Junior high, high school and college.  I remember the places in the world I got to see because of it.  I hope it brings you some of those same places, and gives you those same things.  My music will always be with me.   You have so much going for you right now my boy, sports, friends, being smart in school and now music.

Music is love in search of a word.

Sidney Lanier

24 January

A boys life....
Stay in my pajamas until I absolutely have to get dressed and eat breakfast eventually (cereal and fruit with a stick....b/c when you are four, all food tastes better on a stick) .
Play with cars and build stuff
Annoy my big brother and sister.
Go to swimming lessons.
Talk about how a tree fell at school in the woods and "took some of the earth with it"
Go to the Library, pick out some new books (at least 20)
Go to the grocery store and have a fit about "not buying the chocolate" even though you got to pick out a special Milk (I didn't waver on the chocolate)
Went to Target to pick out a birthday present for a neighbor.
Went out to lunch for our twice month special Lunch date and got a grilled cheese, chocolate milk and a cookie.
Picked up a few new kids games (for 99 cents!) at our local thrift shop.
Went home, practiced reading and watched Word World.
played more games and built stuff.
Eat dinner, fight with my brother and sister, read more library books and go to bed to dream about what I'm going to build next.

Motherhood

23 January

Remembering.....


Shirley T. Prager

January 23,1924-January 12,2007

You will always be in our hearts.

A copy of this poem (old and yellowed) was found on Nanny's bulletin board, this is how she would want to be remembered for it was the giving to others that gave her the most joy.

To Remember Me--A Poem by Robert N. Test

by Robert N. Test, American Poet

Give my sight to the man who has never seen a sunrise, a baby's face, or love in the eyes of a woman.

Give my heart to a person whose own heart has caused nothing but endless days of pain.

Give my blood to the teenager who was pulled from the wreckage of his car, so that he might live to see his grandchildren play.

Give my kidneys to one who depends on a machine to exist from week to week.

Take my bones, every muscle, every fiber and nerve in my body and find a way to make a crippled child walk.

If you must bury something, let it be my faults, my weaknesses, and all prejudice against my fellow man.

Give my sins to the devil.

Give my soul to God.

If, by chance, you wish to remember me, do it with a kind deed or word to someone who needs you. If you do all I have asked, I will live forever.

things about her that I'll never forget.....

The way she loved her family so much with all her heart and soul, and how she cherished every minute of them

The way she never threw anything away---she saved every plastic cool whip container and every plastic bag

The way she gave of herself, even when it was hard or she was tired.

How she was so involved in her community, church and neighborhood, she had too many friends to count.

The way she always remembered everyone's special days.

Her home cooking, her card playing, her conversation

The way she always sat on the end of the table so she could get up if anyone "needed anything"

HOw she always told everyone how much she loved them and how special they were to her.

How she spent time with me when I was a little girl, teaching me to sew and cook and do girl things (I wish you were here to teach me more things now...)

The way she loved music and played the piano.

The way she hugged and never wanted to let go.

The lunches she packed "for the road"

I miss you Nanny....your life touched mine in so many ways, ways that I am still realizing to this day.

We rejoice you and your long, beautiful and meaningful life
:)

22 January

Our Master Bathroom.....Before and after......Josh has some amazing tiling skills (and he won't admit it, but I think he likes it!)

21 January

 Introducing Project Life 2012

I've been doing  project Life since 2008.  I only have one finished Digital album. The rest of the past albums are in various stages of being completed (if they ever are completed).   I was going to do another digital album, this year, but after the announcements of some changes to the format, I changed my mind last minute.  I had purchased a set of cards on amazon to make an "mini" album of sorts all about our marriage.  I already had the page protectors (good thing b/c now they are sold out), and well, I have a whole room full of products to use.  It some way it seems like and extension of my routine of working on my December Daily, but easier.  I am LOVING this project this year, more than ever.  Having the iPhone, Instagram,momento and Pinterest, and how this project is taking the online scrapbooking world by storm is just awesome.  I WILL work on it everyday and have a completed album by the end of the year.  The trick for me has been "five minutes a day" and always printing out my photos at home.  Since I LOVE it, it is easy to find the time. It's become part of the routine the same way brushing my teeth is part of the routine.   I don't worry about having a perfect layout or if pictures or if the journaling is sideways.  The important thing is that it is there, our stories, our struggles, our happiness, our challenges and our joy,  are told.    My family, My husband and my Children these photos, my time, and my handwriting, this my loves, is my gift to you.  Anyone can do this, Kids, no kids, married or single, young and old.  We all have stories that need to be told to go along with our photos.  Most of all, I love the collection of these photos. I love knowing that next year, last year’s photos will be even more treasured. I love imagining that someday far into the future as I sit and look back on these photos and words, I’ll be so grateful I took the time to capture each and every moment. {Cultivate a good life and record it. ~Becky Higgins}

20 January

I don't think these kids could love snow any more than they do and building snow forts and tunnels, well when you are nine and four that is serious business.

19 January

Today....
2 hours of work at the hospital , grocery shopping (my LEAST favorite chore) and a tea break.  Picking up from preschool and the bus, picking up at school and therapy appointments and to the grocery store (AGAIN!), meatloaf for dinner (the kids favorite -NOT!), baking muffins.  Picking up toys, doing dishes, folding laundry, giving baths. doing homework, reading books and tucking in. Wait...I think i forgot to eat lunch.  Now....take a moment for yourself? Where?

18 January

I Love this. How you still need to be tucked in every night.
Every night we say......
Goodnight.....
Love You.....
See you in the morn.......

17 January

“Meaning hides in repetition:  We do this every day or every week because it matters.  We are connected by this thing we do together.  We matter to one another.  In the tapestry of childhood, what stands out is not the splashy, blow-out trip to Disneyland but the common threads that run throughout and repeat:  the family dinners, nature walks, reading together at bedtime, Saturday morning pancakes.” – Kim John Payne

16 January

Today....

Drove an hour and a half to go skiing!
Lucas was so excited about his first real lesson and even skied by himself without holding on for a little bit
Trevor got a 90 minute private lesson b/c there was no one else signed up for his group.
While they were in lessons, J and I got to ski (BY OURSELVES!) for a whole hour.
There weren't that many trails open, but the conditions were still fantastic.
It was really COLD! (but hey, it's winter!)
We picked up B from the daycare and hit DD on the way on the way home b/c the mountains hot chocolate machine was broken.
We drove 1.5 hours home, unpacked everything, got the house all heated up, made dinner, got everything unpacked, took a hot tub bath,  made the lunches for school tomorrow and then finished tiling the bathroom!
Not bad for a Monday! (I guess we are still young:))

15 January

Baby, it's cold outside!

14 January

She did it!  and she LOVEd it:)

13 January

This boy.

loves the snow more than anything else in life.  He says the other day....."Mom, I think its snowing all around the world!"  He can't wait to take ski lessons (Monday!). He does best when he has some structure to his day and some kind of project.  He loves to figure things out and has the brain of a little engineer.  You would normally find him on any given day by his Daddy's side helping with whatever the project of the day is.  He loves to read and his favorite time of the week is our library story hour every Monday.  He is a bruiser and is always falling and hurting himself (see the newest scratch on his cheek??)  Oh yeah,  and he's a little weird about food.  He likes to eat with non-traditional utensils like skewers and party forks. He loves fresh fruit and if I would let him (if he didn't have a project he was working on) , he would love to sit in front of the TV and snack all day (but I don't let him).  Last but not least....his favorite toy is a cardboard box.  For Real.  I Love this boy.

12 January

Today....

If you thought that 6-8 inches of snow and non-plowed roads and sleet and freezing rain and ice were a reason to cancel school, haircuts and grocery shopping, then you were wrong!  Winter in Maine.....gotta love it!

11 January

Just taking a little Moms day out today (but we talk about our kids the whole time) with a good friend and finally using that birthday gift card for a hot stone pedicure!.  AHHHHH.....:)

10 January

What does any mom want for her child? Hope. Hope for a successful future, happiness, the opportunity to fulfill dreams. And when you're told your child has Down syndrome, for a moment, you think you have to give all that up. 

-Kelle Hampton

You.

Are just 100% joy (with a little bit of stubbornness and grumpiness and frustration in between).  I'll never forget as long as I love the pure happiness you gave me when I saw you walking into school today with the biggest smile and "HI MOM!" that you could yell out.  Then you took my hand and walked all the way to the classroom saying hi to everyone you knew on the way there, with the purest most genuine form of love and kindness for everyone you see.  And no matter how down I get sometimes about all our extra challenges, it brings me such joy to know for sure that this pure and genuine  love and joy for me and others, that will never change.  That is your gift.

9 January

It's funny, the other day at breakfast Trevor drew out a calendar and created his "fun" schedule which included ice skating every weekend and skiing a few times too.  This past weekend, we had a great, relaxing visit with the grandparents and while Bre was at her Girls scout cookie rally, Trevor got his wish (and he's great on those Hockey skates!).

8 January

This weekend, Trevor finished up his fifth basketball season.  They had a great coach who just loved the kids, respected all their different abilities and they had a ton of fun.  He also arranged a special pizza lunch after the game, way to go Trevor, we're so proud of you!

7 January

And so yesterday, winter in Maine began (aside from the many inches of snow that stuck around for a week in OCTOBER!). It was the first official snow of 2012.  It's so beautiful and we're so itching to get out there on the slopes!

6 January

January 6,2012

Today…

The bus, then a long eye appointment (no glasses needed-YEAH!), home, preschool pick up, grocery shopping, school pick up, OT appointment, dinner-stuffed peppers(I love when we do an early dinner so we have time for quiet activities with each child before bed), baths, read/homework,bed. And to the complete stranger who said to me as I was getting on the elevator with Bre, "You are such a great Mom...".  Thank you, it made my whole day:)

5 January

Now look who is reading to who:)  We're so proud of You Bre!

4 January

On my first day back at school from Christmas vacation: "Trevor I don't understand why you don't like school....I LOVE school!" And then you fell on the ice at school playing outdoors and got a bloody chin and a puffy lip, but were still all smiles when Daddy picked you up!

3 January

Back to school!

2 January

Today.....

we did not do a whole lot but chores to get ready for the start of school and work tomorrow.  We ran around in the car, got a few groceries and washed all the sheets, blankets, stuffed animal sleeping friends, backpacks and lunchboxes.  We wanted to go ice skating, but the ice rink wasn't frozen yet.  Even I know that extremely cold temperatures are right on our doorstep, it's hard to believe our lawn still looks like this in January.

1 January

Happy New Year!  We had a blast on New Years Eve having a sleepover with the cousins!  We watched movies, played outside and played in the toy room and on the Wii.  The adults had a yummy ham dinner , and a competitive game of Blokus and 10-10-10.  Most of us were in bed long before the ball dropped (although I'm not sure we were all asleep), snuggling up next to our favorite cousin (some insisted on sharing beds or just holding hands from the bed next to them!).  On New Years morning we had our traditional sparkling grape juice toast and a big waffle breakfast.  Good times.