gratitude journal

1. 15 minutes of walking!

2. the baby’s unfurling skills

3. the baby’s panic mode when she knows she’s caught

4. the four year old’s warning, “Momma you don’t want to see what the Quail’s doing right!”

5. a pound down inspite of a day of gorging

6. the vampire novella on CD from the library

7. summer plans taking shape

8. a shiny new haircut

9. wills, trusts and POAs done

10. a baby shower

11. a job well done

12. a baby with a biscuit

13 praline bacon

14. duck and sweet potato hash

15. 2 kids actually eating their breakfast out at a restaurant

16. Girl’s Night Out

17. a tasty meal at a renovated restaurant

18. a table of desserts shared

19. getting outside my comfort zone and realizing it’s ok

20. learning to shoot

21. not actually hitting anything

Fave-O-Lit Friday

 

For a Sleepless Child

by Peter Schmitt

If your room is ever too dark,
small one, look out through your window
up at the moon, that little bulb
left on for you in the sky’s black wall.
It will still be there come morning,
burning in a bright room of blue.

And if your room, restless one,
is much too still, listen to the clatter
of the freight, rattling past trestles
on the cool night breeze. Then follow
the moon to the side of the tracks,
where the train is a long, slow dream

you can jump on. An open car
is waiting for you—one step up—
you’re on! Now watch the dark towns, the lights
deep in the porches, and lie down
in the soft straw, and sleep till morning,
when the train chugs into station,

noisy with birds and wires overhead.

Quailday: Potty Prowess

Our bird’s taken to this rather quickly. I was going to wait to potty train until August when she moves into Miss Christil’s class at school. She does an intensive potty training and it’s one of the biggest perks of our girls going to that school! Plus the Quail isn’t steady on her feet fulltime yet- so it seemed like she wouldn’t be developmentally ready. And her lil legs didn’t touch the ground on that first potty we were using from Zuzu’s training days. Lovey wanted to get the potty out and try though. I figured it couldn’t hurt. What she had going for her was the fact that most nights she stays dry and has for sometime. If you go to her when she hollars you find a dry dipe on the girl. That and it was not uncommon at tubby time in the evening for us to “get got” in the time between when we took off her diaper and got her physically in the tubby. Well we got it out and put her on it pre-tubby. She went potty (I’m still thinking that first few times were sheer luck on our part of when we happened to put her on the potty). We signed potty, her sister wrote her out a potty chart (and made a matching one for herself) and we pulled out a cupboard of stickers and let her choose which one each time she pee-peed. Well the second time we set her on the potty, she did her business, then pointed to it and declared rather nonchalantly, “Right there.” She chose her sticker and we were on our way. The next few times as soon as she peed she declared, “Ticker!” and pointed to where the stickers were. Then that weekend lo-and-behold- out came Mr. Poo-poo. In the meantime the girl couldn’t get more attention from her big sister if she tried. Zuzu was in her glory explaining the process of, pee in little potty, put your diaper in the trash, dump pee-pee in big potty, shut the lid, flush, lift the lid to wave bye-bye to your pee-pee and choose a sticker to then put on your chart. We’re only doing it morning and night right now- so we’re keeping it low pressure. I remember Zuzu loving it initially and then once the shine wore off hating it with all her might. We’re prepared for that possibility- but for now we’re just too stinkin darn proud of our Potty Princess’ Prowess! Pun intended. Go Birdy go!

corner view: home

The nest that keeps: The House of Two Gables

 

On home:

The best way to keep children at home is to keep the home atmosphere pleasant and let out the air in their tires. ~Dorothy Parker

I have been very happy with my homes, but homes really are no more than the people who live in them. ~ Nancy Reagan

When you’re safe at home, you wish you were having an adventure; when you’re having an adventure you wish you were safe at home. ~ Thornton Wilder

A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams. ~Unknown

Home is not where you live, but where they understand you. ~Christian Morganstern

I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself. ~ Maya Angelou

Corner view is a weekly Wednesday post hosted originally hosted by Jane, currently by  Francesca. A topic is given and you can see impressions; be it in photographic or poetic in form from around the world:

 Jane, Dana, Bonny, Joyce, Ian, Francesca, Theresa, Cate, Kasia, Otli, Trinsch, Isabelle, Janis, Kari, jgy, Lise, Dorte, McGillicutty, Sunnymama, Ibb, Kelleyn, Ninja, Sky, RosaMaria, Juniper, Valerie, Sammi, Cole, Don, WanderChow, FlowTops, Tania, Tzivia, Kristin, Laura, Guusje, Susanna, Juana, Elsa, Nadine

Zuzuday: Doctor, Momma, Teacher, Fundraiser

Momma: “What do you want to be when you grow up Zuzu?”

Zuzu: ” A Doctor-Momma-Teacher! No wait- a Momma first- to 10 girls!”

Momma: ” Maybe start with Doctor, otherwise with all my grandbabies, I’m not sure you’ll have time to get the MD degree!”

Zuzu: “Oh Momma- you’re just being silly- of course I will!”

This girl’s got big plans! And we couldn’t be prouder. A couple of weeks ago Zuzu had her first attempt at fundraising. She was tickled. She kept announcing that she was going to raise money for “St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital“. I kid you not, she got the whole phrase out at least 7 times a day. Her school was hosting a safety week with a final Trike-a-thon on that friday. Each child brought home an envelope to raise money. Zuzu told me very excitedly the first day that there were sick kids who needed her help and she was going to learn about safety, ride her tricycle and  raise enough money to win a bear backpack and help the sick kids! When I picked her up that Wednesday from school her excitement continued. Her teacher told me that she and her BFF were over playing with the blocks and I should ask them what they were building. When I got over there I noticed the small doctor action figures along  with a two foot multi-plex of a building. The girls informed me they were playing St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. I was so proud. While we didn’t raise quite enough money for the backpack, I think she learned a good lesson- one that fortunately already seems to come naturally to her- appreciation for what you have and empathy for those that have it harder then you do. It’s a good lesson- one that applies from the day we’re born on forward.  St. Jude’s is a wonderful organization that offers great hope to families who are struggling. No child should ever have to learn the language they need to there. But at least there is a wonderful resource to help families make it through today and offer a brighter tomorrow. Please consider donating.

Mommaday: weekend round-up…