Project 365::106
our little Red Sox Fan.....and a handsome one at that!Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
Why God made Moms - FUNNY answers given by 2nd grade school children to
the following questions.
Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.
How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and ;a lot of stirring
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He Just used bigger
parts.
What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice
in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use
string, I think.
Why did God give you Your mother & not some other mom?
1. We're related
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.
What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty
bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.
What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get
drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to
chores?
Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.
Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a
goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the
bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.
What's the difference between moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home & dads just go to work at work.
; 2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause
that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.
What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.
What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of
plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.
If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid
of that.
2. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who
did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back
of her head.
the following questions.
Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.
How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and ;a lot of stirring
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He Just used bigger
parts.
What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice
in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use
string, I think.
Why did God give you Your mother & not some other mom?
1. We're related
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.
What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty
bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.
What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get
drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to
chores?
Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.
Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a
goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the
bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.
What's the difference between moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home & dads just go to work at work.
; 2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause
that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.
What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.
What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of
plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.
If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid
of that.
2. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who
did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back
of her head.
What's new (this week)
- Breanna put 3 words together "Mumma and Dadda"
- I got to spend and afternoon with Kristen and her girls
- We went to a pool party
- Jeff and Irene came by for a visit and unexpectedly missed their flight (YIKES!)
- I got a call from Trevor's teacher
- Trevor is "almost" up to level 3 in swimming
- The snow is almost melted
- the temperature broke 60
- gas prices broke $3.35
- I tried some frozen bagel rolls with cream cheese already on the inside
- I found out that a friend of Mine (whose Son is in Trevor's class) had an article published in Parents magazine this month called " three little words"
- I read it and cried:)
- The icecream stand opened up
- Trevor tried riding his bike WITHOUT the training wheels
- There were TWO marker incidents (one with Trevor and one with Breanna)
- Lucas had another tooth break through on top (makes three on top!)
- Breanna sat on her little potty
- Josh attended a special Education parent informational seminar
- Breanna turned oficially 3 and a half
- Breanna is actually back on the typical child growth chart at the 5th percentile!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Three (and a half).
Well, I can reflect on where we have been and wonder where we are going. I can't believe in 6 months you will be four! You have grown up so much this year and your vocabulary and personality are exploding Breanna! You are such a hard little worker and very spunky at that. We are so proud of all you have accomplished thus far in preschool. You inspire me everyday to be a better person and to work a little harder. From you we have learned so much, to work hard to achieve our goals (after all--Life IS hard work for anyone!) , to be patient and slow down, to appreciate the simple things, to not be afraid to speak up for what we believe in and to learn to depend on others sometimes. I still go back to the moment that I learned you had Down syndrome and look how far I have come. To be candid, I thought the sadness and isolation I felt were going to last forever. I thought that your future would be very limited. Now I see that the sky is the limit! There is no limit to what you will be able to learn and do (it may just take a little longer to get there.) We love you little girl!
Snapshot of Breanna at 3 and a half:
Well, I can reflect on where we have been and wonder where we are going. I can't believe in 6 months you will be four! You have grown up so much this year and your vocabulary and personality are exploding Breanna! You are such a hard little worker and very spunky at that. We are so proud of all you have accomplished thus far in preschool. You inspire me everyday to be a better person and to work a little harder. From you we have learned so much, to work hard to achieve our goals (after all--Life IS hard work for anyone!) , to be patient and slow down, to appreciate the simple things, to not be afraid to speak up for what we believe in and to learn to depend on others sometimes. I still go back to the moment that I learned you had Down syndrome and look how far I have come. To be candid, I thought the sadness and isolation I felt were going to last forever. I thought that your future would be very limited. Now I see that the sky is the limit! There is no limit to what you will be able to learn and do (it may just take a little longer to get there.) We love you little girl!
Snapshot of Breanna at 3 and a half:
- Torments her little brother constantly
- can say lots of words and tries to imitate a lot as well as reading a few
- still LOVES curious George
- favorite books include: Curious George, Brown Bear, Brown Bear what do you see, Good thing you are not an Octopus, and Grandfather Twilight.
- Nicknames: Bre, Boo
- Loves to spin on her Zebra to the sound of the ball popper
- attends preschool 5 mornings a week
- Favorite foods include pasta ("Ta"), cheese, pancakes, strawberries and applesauce
- Loves to go get Trevor on the bus (she still calls him Baa)
- Takes swimming lessons
- Loves to give "the look"
- Loves to play outside
- can run and jump
- can climb the slide and go down it
- sleeps in a big girl bed (from 6:30 PM to 6:30 AM)
- Wears 3T shirts and 24 mos-2T pants
- Wears size 6-7 shoes (when she keeps them on).
- won't drink milk or eat yogurt
- HATES brushing her teeth, blow drying or brushing her hair
- tells us when she has a dirty diaper , but hasn't started potty training yet.
- Loves books, puzzles, play- doh and coloring (on everything)
- given a pile of laundry, can identify whose clothes are whose
- weighs 27 lbs and is 36 1/2 inches tall and is our LITTLE peanut:)
Monday, April 07, 2008
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Friday, April 04, 2008
Don't Blink
By Elizabeth Foss
Herald Columnist
(From the issue of 9/16/04)
For the first time in a very long time, I am neither pregnant nor mothering a baby. My "baby" is now two years old. And with a certainty that takes my breath away, I suddenly understand why wise women always told me that the time would go so quickly. To be sure, I've had more "baby time" than most women. My first baby will be 16 in a few days. I still think it's over much too soon.
This column is for mothers of infants and toddlers. I am going to attempt to do something I never thought I'd do: I'm going to empathize while not in your situation. My hope is that it is all so fresh in my memory that I can have both perspective and relevance.
What you are doing, what you are living, is very difficult. It is physically exhausting. It is emotionally and spiritually challenging. An infant is dependent on you for everything. It doesn't get much more daunting: there is another human being who needs you for his very life. Your life is not your own at all. You must answer the call (the cry) of that baby, regardless of what you have planned. This is dying to self in a very pure sense of the phrase. And you want to be with him. You ache for him. When he is not with you, a certain sense of restlessness edges its way into your consciousness, and you are not at complete peace.
If you are so blessed that you have a toddler at the same time, you wrestle with your emotions. Your former baby seems so big and, as you settle to nurse your baby and enjoy some quiet gazing time, you try desperately to push away the feeling that the great, lumbering toddler barreling her way toward you is an intruder. Your gaze shifts to her eyes, and there you see the baby she was and still is, and you know that you are being stretched in ways you never could have imagined.
This all might be challenge enough if you could just hunker down in your own home and take care of your children for the next three years; but society requires that you go out — at least into the marketplace. So you juggle nap schedules and feeding schedules and snowsuits and carseats. Just an aside about carseats: I have literally had nightmares about installing carseats. These were not dreams that I had done it wrong or that there had been some tragedy. In my dreams I am simply exhausted, struggling with getting the thing latched into the seat of the car and then getting my baby latched into the carseat. I'm fairly certain anyone else who has ever had four of these mechanical challenges lined up in her van has had similar dreams. It's the details that overwhelm you, drain you, distract you from the nobility of it all. The devil is in the details.
You will survive. And here is the promise: if you pray your way through this time, if you implore the Lord at every turn, if you ask Him to take this day and this time and help you to give Him something beautiful, you will grow in ways unimagined. And the day will come when no one is under two years old. You will — with no one on your lap — look at your children playing contentedly together without you. And you will sigh. Maybe, like me, you will feel your arms are uncomfortably empty, and you will pray that you can hold a baby just once more. Or maybe, you will sense that you are ready to pass with your children to the next stage.
This is the place where nearly two decades of mothering babies grants me the indulgence of sharing what I would have done differently. I would have had far fewer obligations outside my home. Now, I see that there is plenty of time for those, and that it is much simpler to pursue outside interests without a baby at my breast. I wish I'd spent a little more time just sitting with that baby instead of trying to "do it all."
I wish I'd quieted the voices telling me that my house had to look a certain way. I look around now and I recognize that those houses that have "that look" don't have these children. Rarely are there a perfectly-kept house and a baby and a toddler under one roof. Don't listen to the voices that tell you that it can be done. It should not be done. I wish I hadn't spent 16 years apologizing for the mess. Just shoot for "good enough." Cling to lower standards and higher goals.
I wish I'd taken more pictures, shot more video and kept better journals. I console myself with the knowledge that my children have these columns to read. They'll know at least as much about their childhoods as you do.
I wish I could have recognized that I would not be so tired forever, that I would not be standing in the shallow end of the pool every summer for the rest of my life, that I would not always have a baby in my bed (or my bath or my lap). If I could have seen how short this season is (even if mine was relatively long), I would have savored it all the more.
And I wish I had thanked Him more. I prayed so hard. I asked for help. But I didn't thank Him nearly enough. I didn't thank Him often enough for the sweet smell of a newborn, for the dimples around pudgy elbows and wrists, for the softening of my heart, for the stretching of my patience, for the paradoxical simplicity of it all. A baby is a pure, innocent, beautiful embodiment of love. And his mother has the distinct privilege, the unparalleled joy, of watching love grow. Don't blink. You'll miss it.
Foss is a freelance writer from Northern Virginia .
By Elizabeth Foss
Herald Columnist
(From the issue of 9/16/04)
For the first time in a very long time, I am neither pregnant nor mothering a baby. My "baby" is now two years old. And with a certainty that takes my breath away, I suddenly understand why wise women always told me that the time would go so quickly. To be sure, I've had more "baby time" than most women. My first baby will be 16 in a few days. I still think it's over much too soon.
This column is for mothers of infants and toddlers. I am going to attempt to do something I never thought I'd do: I'm going to empathize while not in your situation. My hope is that it is all so fresh in my memory that I can have both perspective and relevance.
What you are doing, what you are living, is very difficult. It is physically exhausting. It is emotionally and spiritually challenging. An infant is dependent on you for everything. It doesn't get much more daunting: there is another human being who needs you for his very life. Your life is not your own at all. You must answer the call (the cry) of that baby, regardless of what you have planned. This is dying to self in a very pure sense of the phrase. And you want to be with him. You ache for him. When he is not with you, a certain sense of restlessness edges its way into your consciousness, and you are not at complete peace.
If you are so blessed that you have a toddler at the same time, you wrestle with your emotions. Your former baby seems so big and, as you settle to nurse your baby and enjoy some quiet gazing time, you try desperately to push away the feeling that the great, lumbering toddler barreling her way toward you is an intruder. Your gaze shifts to her eyes, and there you see the baby she was and still is, and you know that you are being stretched in ways you never could have imagined.
This all might be challenge enough if you could just hunker down in your own home and take care of your children for the next three years; but society requires that you go out — at least into the marketplace. So you juggle nap schedules and feeding schedules and snowsuits and carseats. Just an aside about carseats: I have literally had nightmares about installing carseats. These were not dreams that I had done it wrong or that there had been some tragedy. In my dreams I am simply exhausted, struggling with getting the thing latched into the seat of the car and then getting my baby latched into the carseat. I'm fairly certain anyone else who has ever had four of these mechanical challenges lined up in her van has had similar dreams. It's the details that overwhelm you, drain you, distract you from the nobility of it all. The devil is in the details.
You will survive. And here is the promise: if you pray your way through this time, if you implore the Lord at every turn, if you ask Him to take this day and this time and help you to give Him something beautiful, you will grow in ways unimagined. And the day will come when no one is under two years old. You will — with no one on your lap — look at your children playing contentedly together without you. And you will sigh. Maybe, like me, you will feel your arms are uncomfortably empty, and you will pray that you can hold a baby just once more. Or maybe, you will sense that you are ready to pass with your children to the next stage.
This is the place where nearly two decades of mothering babies grants me the indulgence of sharing what I would have done differently. I would have had far fewer obligations outside my home. Now, I see that there is plenty of time for those, and that it is much simpler to pursue outside interests without a baby at my breast. I wish I'd spent a little more time just sitting with that baby instead of trying to "do it all."
I wish I'd quieted the voices telling me that my house had to look a certain way. I look around now and I recognize that those houses that have "that look" don't have these children. Rarely are there a perfectly-kept house and a baby and a toddler under one roof. Don't listen to the voices that tell you that it can be done. It should not be done. I wish I hadn't spent 16 years apologizing for the mess. Just shoot for "good enough." Cling to lower standards and higher goals.
I wish I'd taken more pictures, shot more video and kept better journals. I console myself with the knowledge that my children have these columns to read. They'll know at least as much about their childhoods as you do.
I wish I could have recognized that I would not be so tired forever, that I would not be standing in the shallow end of the pool every summer for the rest of my life, that I would not always have a baby in my bed (or my bath or my lap). If I could have seen how short this season is (even if mine was relatively long), I would have savored it all the more.
And I wish I had thanked Him more. I prayed so hard. I asked for help. But I didn't thank Him nearly enough. I didn't thank Him often enough for the sweet smell of a newborn, for the dimples around pudgy elbows and wrists, for the softening of my heart, for the stretching of my patience, for the paradoxical simplicity of it all. A baby is a pure, innocent, beautiful embodiment of love. And his mother has the distinct privilege, the unparalleled joy, of watching love grow. Don't blink. You'll miss it.
Foss is a freelance writer from Northern Virginia .
The Fridge
(inspiration from Little big Things blog on right)
1. How often do you go to the grocery store? 1-2 times a week
2. Do you love or hate going grocery shopping? hate
3. Where do you go? Hannaford
4. Are you a faithful list writer? only for odd things not for everything I buy
5. Do you write it but never remember to bring it? sometimes
6. Do you use coupons? sometimes when I can find them in my purse
7. What is something that you ALWAYS have in your fridge? Milk and cheese sticks
8. What is the thing in your fridge that is a "guilty pleasure"? ice cream
9. What is that one or two things that you feel like you buy every single day? fresh fruit, cheese
10. What items do your children consume in ABUNDANCE. strawberries, cheese
11. What's on your fridge? nothing (it's not magnetic)
12. Are the fridge magnets special, or random? none
13. When you go to the store do you just throw things into the cart, or do you stack them neatly?
stack them neatly-you don't want things to get squished!
(inspiration from Little big Things blog on right)
1. How often do you go to the grocery store? 1-2 times a week
2. Do you love or hate going grocery shopping? hate
3. Where do you go? Hannaford
4. Are you a faithful list writer? only for odd things not for everything I buy
5. Do you write it but never remember to bring it? sometimes
6. Do you use coupons? sometimes when I can find them in my purse
7. What is something that you ALWAYS have in your fridge? Milk and cheese sticks
8. What is the thing in your fridge that is a "guilty pleasure"? ice cream
9. What is that one or two things that you feel like you buy every single day? fresh fruit, cheese
10. What items do your children consume in ABUNDANCE. strawberries, cheese
11. What's on your fridge? nothing (it's not magnetic)
12. Are the fridge magnets special, or random? none
13. When you go to the store do you just throw things into the cart, or do you stack them neatly?
stack them neatly-you don't want things to get squished!
What's New (this week)
I scrapbooked 3 pages
We went out to eat (Mexican complete with Margaritas!)
I went to the gym 5 days (in a row)
Lucas said spoon, bowl, grape, baby
We saw Jeff, Irene and the girls -what cuties!
We played outside on a friend's snowblowed lawn (yep you heard it right!)
I found out that same friend is pregnant with her 2nd child (7 weeks!)
Lucas had his 2nd play date ever.
Breanna was CRAZY with energy.
We had Trevor' parent-teacher conference.
I drove Trevor to school so we could go to the book fair Wednesday morning.
I volunteered in Trevor's classroom (Thursday)
We bought Breanna some curious George underwear (wishful thinking)
Lucas walked from the bed to the dresser unassisted
Lucas ate raspberries for the first time (and Loved them)
Lucas had thrush in his mouth (and has to take medicine 4 times a day!)
I got two new (and inspirational) books.
I found a pair of the OLD style Adidas sandals for this summer(my favorite ones broke in half last year they were so old).
I scrapbooked 3 pages
We went out to eat (Mexican complete with Margaritas!)
I went to the gym 5 days (in a row)
Lucas said spoon, bowl, grape, baby
We saw Jeff, Irene and the girls -what cuties!
We played outside on a friend's snowblowed lawn (yep you heard it right!)
I found out that same friend is pregnant with her 2nd child (7 weeks!)
Lucas had his 2nd play date ever.
Breanna was CRAZY with energy.
We had Trevor' parent-teacher conference.
I drove Trevor to school so we could go to the book fair Wednesday morning.
I volunteered in Trevor's classroom (Thursday)
We bought Breanna some curious George underwear (wishful thinking)
Lucas walked from the bed to the dresser unassisted
Lucas ate raspberries for the first time (and Loved them)
Lucas had thrush in his mouth (and has to take medicine 4 times a day!)
I got two new (and inspirational) books.
I found a pair of the OLD style Adidas sandals for this summer(my favorite ones broke in half last year they were so old).
Ready to be inspired??
they came! These books that I had ordered a while ago came in the mail yesterday. First, Creative Family is by a local Portland woman, Amanda Blake Soule, who home schools her 3 children. I've been an avid reader of her blog for about a year now and the book JUST came out. So inspiring, full of crafts and games and many many ways to just have fun with your kids. The second book, Photo Freedom, was purchased in the hope that It will help me plow through the last three years of photographs and actually get them scrapbooked at some point. I'm still a chronological scrapbooker at heart, but I open to new ideas anyway.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Mileage Club
Trevor has been participating in Mileage club every Thursday at school. He LOVES this. They run laps around the school and fill up cards to get "toe tokens" Each toe token is earned after 3 miles are run--look how many he has! It must of been especially hard throughout the winter running in those boots, but that didn't seem to stop him. We are so proud of you Trevor! We also had Trevor's spring Teacher Conference tonight. Trevor is going to pass Kindergarten with flying colors! Just the other day Trevor approached Mrs. Lindholm and said that he couldn't read. Then he sat down with her and started reading. Now he has such a new found confidence in himself. He loves school:) I can't believe this year has just FLOWN by. All the time I spent worrying and waiting for this year to get here and look, it's almost over! My first baby is going to be a first grader before I know it (and we will miss Mrs. Lindholm for sure). I'm still in denial that Trevor will grow up though. We are so proud of you Trevor!!!
Trevor has been participating in Mileage club every Thursday at school. He LOVES this. They run laps around the school and fill up cards to get "toe tokens" Each toe token is earned after 3 miles are run--look how many he has! It must of been especially hard throughout the winter running in those boots, but that didn't seem to stop him. We are so proud of you Trevor! We also had Trevor's spring Teacher Conference tonight. Trevor is going to pass Kindergarten with flying colors! Just the other day Trevor approached Mrs. Lindholm and said that he couldn't read. Then he sat down with her and started reading. Now he has such a new found confidence in himself. He loves school:) I can't believe this year has just FLOWN by. All the time I spent worrying and waiting for this year to get here and look, it's almost over! My first baby is going to be a first grader before I know it (and we will miss Mrs. Lindholm for sure). I'm still in denial that Trevor will grow up though. We are so proud of you Trevor!!!
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
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