Colorful Recycling

I took a quiet moment this morning to make a quick phone call. I knew it would only take about five minutes, but I also knew that five minutes is like two hours in toddler time.
Near the end of the call, Nathan decided to dump the entire ice cream bucket of crayons, markers, and who knows what else on the hall floor. My first thought was, "What a mess." However, it ended up being one of those "teachable moments" we future teachers always heard about in college.
As I was going through the contents and making quite a pile of the tiny, broken crayons, I had a light bulb moment. I remembered a project that I had seen in Family Fun Magazine a couple of years ago. They had used a mini heart shaped muffin tin, but a regular mini muffin tin would work just the same. Yes--I was actually going to complete a project I had read about in a magazine!
I found the simple directions on their website and we proceeded to make new crayons out of the old.
First I preheated the oven to 250 and took the paper off of all the pieces. Nathan and Teresa filled up a mini-muffin tin with the different colors. We broke a few into smaller pieces to help them fit.
We put the tin full of crayon pieces in the oven for about 15 minutes, let them cool, and then put them in the freezer for 5 minutes to help them come out. They tipped right out and we then had 12 new crayons to use.
They are really pretty and the possibilities are endless. If I ever get a mini heart tin, I will probably use Family Fun's original idea and use them for school valentines.

Where's MY book deal?

I read a snipet on Yahoo this morning that Bo the first dog is going to star in his own children's book. Seriously--I can't take it anymore. When am I going to get my book deal?
Well, actually, the truth is I have not started on my book nor do I have anything particular in mind for what type of book I would write . . . but I doubt Bo the dog did either.
Everyday I see someone else--famous or not--on TV promoting their new book. The best was an Oprah show talking about marriage. One woman got a book deal after she & her husband had sex every day for a year. Now, that's some research my husband would probably be willing to help out with, but it's already been done. No use going down that road.
Tonight I read "Oh! The Places You'll Go!" to Landen for his bedtime story. Our graduation speaker, V.J. Smith (who coincidentally is also a published author and rightly deserves to be), recited that book at my high school graduation. Graduation is all about "following your dreams" and "shooting for the stars." Dr. Seuss talks about that, but also the pitfalls that happen in everyone's life at one time or another. The challenge is to not let the day to day drudgery get in the way of those dreams. In fact, sometimes the steps closer to our dreams are in the drudgery. We must be careful not to miss them.
My biggest dream right now is for my husband and me to raise three kids to be socially acceptable, loving, honest, and Christian adults in this crazy world. Some days look promising, and others I feel as though I'm trying to move that mountain Dr. Seuss refers to.
If I have another dream, an honest to goodness published book with my name on the cover would be on the top of my list.
Until then I will continue to sift through the day to day for little bits of inspiration and leave them here.
So, maybe someday you can say, "I knew her when she was just a blogger." :o)

MS Walk Update

The date for the MS Walk is drawing closer. After the NW Spring Dinner Theatre this Friday, which I hope all of my local readers plan to attend, I will be able to focus on finishing things for the walk.
I sent in additional donations today which will bring our team total so far to $700! I am so humbled by everyone's generosity. At last count, we have 117 footprints to make--yeah!
If you would like to walk with us on May 9, no registration is necessary. Just show up at Plymouth UCC Church (corner of Melgaard and the "Runnings" road) between 9 & 10am.
I hope everyone had a good day today. It was sunny here, but very windy, so we did not get to swing and sing today!

Logical Explanation

Late last week Nathan, Teresa, and I were going back in the house after playing outside. While my back was turned, Teresa walked around the other side of the garage where I couldn't see her.
"Teresa," I called, "T!" (T is her nickname--yes--another child with a nickname!)
Nathan came up behind me and calmly said, as the dog walked leisurely beside us, "Callie ate T."
The funniest thing was his tone. It was as if our dog just walks around eating people and it was the most normal thing in the world. Or, maybe it made sense to him that if Callie did take to eating people, she would go with the smallest one first.
I thought Nathan was finally OK with our keeping his little sister around, but maybe not so much. :o)

My Life's no Sitcom

It was brought to my attention this morning that I am not positive enough when talking about my kids. It seems that being a stay at home mom is not enough--I must be an eternally happy June Cleaver-type mom, too. I really don't do well in heels, though, so I hope I don't have to start dressing like her!
I have no desire to offend. I am sorry if I vent after a particularly difficult hour of church, or a 14 hour day of meltdowns every 10 minutes. I am only human--a human with not much outside human contact on most days. Even if my kids have absolutely driven me nuts in a given day, I think it goes without saying that I LOVE THEM MORE THAN ANYTHING GOD HAS EVER GIVEN ME IN THIS LIFE. Believe me, I also thank God for them several times a day--even when they are being especially naughty. I know that active, healthy kids are indeed a BLESSING. My pregnancy with Nathan showed me that nothing is a guarantee and I am still and always will be EXTREMELY HUMBLED that God not only gave our son to us to raise, but a perfectly healthy one at that.
That being said, I don't think there is anything wrong with telling it like it is, too. Yes--having a quiet hour while both little nappers are sleeping at the same time IS heavenly. But, so is taking them for a walk in the sunshine when they wake up. Reading a magazine by myself is a rare treat. But, so is having them all three sit down around me to listen to a story.
This is my life. When I started this mom thing, I had lots of support around me. But now, even though my local mom friends still live around here, their babies are my oldest's age or older. They are busy with school things and jobs, I am still busy with babies and toddlers, and the result is all of us not getting together in almost 2 years. Once upon a time, we had a craft club and got together for the occasional summer bonfire to bond. I hope someday we can continue those.
After I had Landen, went through PPD, and lost my teaching job, I went to a counselor for a couple months to sort through my thoughts. I had so much guilt for not loving EVERY minute at home with Landen. I felt instant relief when my counselor told me I didn't HAVE to love every minute of being a mom to love my son.
So, I resent when people imply that I should put that kind of pressure on myself to love it all or bottle it up.
I paid good money to learn that I don't have to be June Cleaver to be a good mom.