Daddy Makes Yummy Meals

One thing we love about daddy is he sure can cook. Although his work schedule keeps him very busy, every once in awhile he decides to throw on his chef's hat and cook us a meal. This usually happens on weekends of course but, I love it when it happens and he sure has a knack of making something the kids enjoy too.




This last meal was a coconut curry shrimp and a yummy ginger pork stir fry. Lip smacking delicious.

A Lesson about MLK

Aidan at 5 yrs old, knows he doesn't go to school this coming Monday because it's a holiday to celebrate Martin Luther King. Then he says the following,

Aidan: Mama are we going to Martin Luther King's birthday party on Monday?

Me: Aidan MLK is no longer with us.

Aidan: You mean he died?

Me: Yes Aidan, he died. But, we're celebrating his birthday because he was a special man.

Aidan: Yeah, I know he helped when black people and white people were separated.

Shower - More Miles Poetry

Shower Mama
It's like the rain.
Water comes down.
Hard rain.

Poetic Miles at 3 yrs old during his shower that I was giving him.

Some New Fun

We've got some new fun in the house. The boys got a new game that I was a little wary about at first. I've struggled finding games both suitable for 3 yr olds that will still hold my 5 yr olds interest. We've tried several games that have ended up in tears or time outs. So, when we got this new Boggle Jr. I thought "here we go again". I was pleasantly surprised, when everyone enjoyed it. Although the spelling part is a bit easy for Aidan, he really likes rolling the dice for letters. As for the twins, they had the challenge of identifying letters and they too enjoyed rolling the die. Instead of tears, we had smiles and squeals making this game a hit. Yay!



My boys have also very much enjoyed playing with their new Melissa & Doug Wooden Rescue Vehicle set. So much so that Miles insisted on sleeping with one of them.

Silver Fish Swimming

Yay, Aidan is now a "Silver Fish" meaning he's graduated to level 3 out of nine levels in his swim class. He loves going to swim class and we're cheering him on to keep up the good work.

Miles also loves swimming and you can spot his big smile in the water a mile away. He looks like he's having so much fun in there, makes me want to jump in and join him (but I won't of course).

Liam on the other hand takes a little encouragement to get in the water and has had to go in several times "as a pass" meaning one coach passes him in to another in the pool while he struggles, kicking and screaming...not really pleasant at all. He's even had to go in with his shirt on since he's refused to let anyone take it off. He's warming up to the idea of swimming, each time the struggle is just a bit shorter and this last time he was even seen playing with some of the water toys versus clinging onto the platform for his dear little life.

A Lesson In Helping Others

A friend of ours was recently released from the hospital after a terrible case of pneumonia. To demonstrate our support and caring I delivered a meal to their home today. I took over turkey meatball soup, something I thought kids and adults would enjoy equally. I explained to the boys why I did this, that "Mommy had delivered dinner to their friends home in order to demonstrate caring for their family in time of need" Miles and Liam understood that their friends daddy was sick and that I had taken food over but I'm not sure they really got the connection. Aidan on the other hand truly got it. He demonstrated understanding by giving other examples of when we would help out, whether it would be with a meal, watching friends or giving a ride to someone. It really touches me that my kids are learning the act of caring and helping others.

Ringing in 2010

Thinking about 2009 brings fond memories and a few not so good memories but they are all my memories to keep and learn by. Now that it's time to say good bye to 2009, I'm welcoming 2010 with wide open arms. 2010 began with a freshness and beauty of the blue moon and I do hope this is a marker of what 2010 holds ahead for us. Some thoughts for 2010...

1. 2009 was a year of friendships for me. Old friendships flourished while new ones blossomed as well as, my relationship with my siblings. We became much better friends this past year. In 2010 I hope to keep nurturing those relationships that bring joy and fulfillment into my life and let the rest just be.

2. Although there were many moments of creativity with the boys this past year there were fewer moments of self-expression for myself than I would have liked. I would like to continue to enrich the boys learning with plenty of opportunities for creativity and also plan on focusing on more opportunities for me as well.

3. I definitely want to continue to document all those cherished family moments we have as well as the things that I enjoy so that my boys will one day be able to look back at their documented history and remember who we were.

4. I did manage to get plenty of de-cluttering done this past year. The goal for 2010 is to continue to streamline our belongings and live as green a life as possible.

5. I'm fortunate to be able to stay at home, this really helps with us being able to slow down and live life at a steady speed and allows for us to spend time together enjoying simple pleasures in life. In 2010 I hope to keep our family's focus on this. Life is what we make it, ours is enjoyed taking in the surroundings, respecting nature, and appreciating our community and what we have.

6. In 2010 I'm living life for myself, my kids, my hubby. Life is too short to take on toxic energy.

Welcome 2010, I embrace you with wide open arms!