Pinewood Castle

And Now We Are Six

thirteen

We have a teenager young lady in the house!

She is strong, determined, hardworking, helpful, fair, interesting, and capable.

She's an amazing big sister too.

This girl is crazy about ballet and cats, and she is a formidable violinist.

She is my first born, the one who paves the way.

I'll never quite forget the bumpy start to motherhood she gave me, those colicky days when there was nothing I could do to help her sleep or ride peacefully in the car. She brought me to my knees nearly every day.

She cried. I cried. I held her, and held her, and held her some more.

It seemed that everyone thought she would be spoiled, and they had no qualms telling me so.

When she was a baby I tried to imagine what she would look like with teeth and hair. Then when she had teeth and hair I tried to imagine her grown up. I couldn't really imagine.

But now, when I look into her face, I can still see that tiny baby face with the noble brow who once looked up at me from my aching arms. The face that cried, screamed, and was pretty much the picture of misery our first year together.

The face of the girl who explored the world inquisitively as a toddler, and slowly acclimated to living contentedly in this world.

The face of the girl who learned, grew, and found her talents through her childhood years. Talents that are starting to take her places.

Same eyes, same soul. Still a child, but now half grown, on her way to adulthood.

Not spoiled. Only stronger every passing year. And happier. Much happier.

 

Oh, how she's changed! Let's shrink her face back to that baby face I remember, one year at a time:

twelve

eleven

ten

nine

eight

seven

six

five

four

three

two

one

first day home

Happy Birthday! You changed my life forever!

Three

first photos

I feel like I have just purchased a Stradivarius after only finishing Suzuki Violin Book 1.

I also feel like someone, once tone-deaf, suddenly able to carry a tune with a decent singing voice.

 

I am both intimidated and refreshed by the sudden ability to shoot close-ups, portraits, moving children and kittens, and faces in candlelight.

Even though it's a struggle for me to learn anything after coming down with adult-onset ADD, I am pretty elated with our new camera. Remembering anything involving numbers is a particular challenge for me: aperture, shutter speed, ISO, mm, which of our four lenses to use. Good thing National Camera Exchange offers free classes. In the meantime I am totally experimenting with the little I have gleaned along the way.

The rest of these photos to re-cap our week (most of them anyway) are off the smart phone. {I am still resisting Pinterest and Instagram.} We were out & about more than usual this week, enjoying the full twelve days of Christmas.

While I am not sure what unschoolers actually do, I am pretty sure we need to unschool this week. To me this means making a rough schedule that includes kids cleaning while I resume exercise and shower, breakfast together by 8 am, together time (devotions, Lingua Angelica, Logic of English, thank you notes, art, start looking up our European destinations), finish gifts for pen-pals (they are still coming, really!) outside time, lunch by noon, music practicing (sessions in which I am a conscientious Suzuki practice parent and sit down to listen and help), Teaching Textbooks math, reading time, invite some friends over, afternoon activities, a few doctor appointments, dinner on time, bedtime on time. Time to re-adjust for the new year!

Full enough days, especially with a recital on the agenda this week. My two girls were nominated by their teachers to perform on the Suzuki department recital! Would you like to come? It's free! They would be overjoyed to share the joy of music with you. MacPhail, Antonello Hall, Friday at 6 pm.

Next week maybe we can get back to the full curriculum - if we all stay healthy. There is an alarming number of flu cases, pneumonia, etc. in our corner of the metro. Our current immune building arsenal consists of Emergen-C and colloidal silver.

As for today, my goals are to begin a food journal, set my weekday alarm for 6:00 am, celebrate Epiphany with some star folding, and get a roasted chicken dinner an scones on the table by five o'clock so we can clean up in time to "do the Downton". Will you be watching?

We at Pinewood Castle wish our readers the best as we all get back to normal life after celebrating the HolyDays!

Happy Birthday King of the Castle

41 Things We Like About our 41 Year Old Dad

(unedited)(almost unedited)

1. You provide for us.

2. You rough-house with the little ones.

3. You change stinky diapers.

4. Tickle wars.

5. You paint.

6. You fix things.

7. You make up jokes.

8. You take out splinters.

9. You quiz us on our history tests at dinner.

10. You take mom out for dates.

11. You bring us treats from work.

12. You tell us funny stories from work.

13. You take M. home from ballet.

14. You clean the garage.

15. You give us trick high-fives.

16. You help put little ones down for bed.

17. You let us play tooth fairy for the little ones.

18. You let us watch Animaniacs.

19. You carry C. when she gets tried of walking.

20. You carry the heaviest thing on walks.

21. You let us dig our pit.

22. You tell us about Shrively Sore Eye. (don't ask)

23. You mow the yard.

24. You heave yourself out of bed before mom does.

25. You go to the store with us.

26. You take P. for walks.

27. You let us play Angry Birds.

28. You let us play Cut the Rope.

29. You help mom plant flowers every spring.

30. You have snowball fights with us.

31. You help us convince mom to go camping.

32. You watch Downton Abbey with mom at night.

33. You change the kitty's litter box.

34. You come to all our recitals.

35. You helped us build a ladder to the pine tree.

36. You cook breakfast for us.

37. You let us have crazy oatmeal.

38. Your grill work is the best!

39. You squeeze through the chimney cause Santa's too fat.

40. You rode the Power Tower with M.

41. You let us give you 41 kisses on your birthday!

Happy Birthday to our well-loved Dad!

Ahoy Matey!

Years ago, my Mother's Intuition told me to hold off on the whole world of piracy, at least until the topic was introduced in American history. Cautious mother that I am, it all just seemed a little . . . unwholesome.

As my son approached nine years of age, I examined all of the catalogs that came in the mail for pirate gear. I watched, I waited, then this summer we took the plunge!

Current Read: Swallows & Amazons. The first few chapters were tedious to read aloud, but now we are fully engaged in the adventures of the Walker children as they camp on Wild Cat island by themselves equipped with matches and knives, and no life jackets. So far this is a family-friendly wholesome story. As I read, I try not to feel too guilty that my children's lives are so boring and unadventurous in comparison. This weekend we pitched the tent in the back yard and hope that with a little imagination backyard camping will suffice.

Field Trip: The Real Pirates exhibit at the MN Science Museum was pricey but fun. We saved a little loot by limiting the tour to one parent (me) and the oldest three kids.

The real life story of the Whydah put the glorified practice of piracy into perspective for my crew. Basically, a man who wanted to win the hand of a pretty girl decided to set sail and steal his fortune instead of make one by honest means. Why not? A pirate ship offered unlimited rum, democratic articles, egalatarian division of labor, and the hope of a fifty pound bag of "pieces of eight" if you could avoid being shipwrecked or caught, hung, and displayed in a gibbet for two years or until your flesh rotted off. Worth the risk?

(This exhibit runs through Sept. 3rd)

Road Trip audio book: Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. At the Real Pirate exhibit we learned that this popular novel is partially to blame for the myriad of pirate myths. Treasure chests were not buried and enemies were not made to walk the a plank - unwanted men were simply thrown overboard. But the story was entertaining all the same, especially for my husband and son. I still can't believe he let them listen to a story so full of violence and alcohol, but the CD was paused frequently for plenty of family discussion and parental guidance. But, still, they are likely to belt out "Fifteen men on the dead man's chest--...Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!" in the middle of the grocery store.

Movies: We are sticking to the interactive Playmobile version for now. No Pirates of the Carribean yet, but we have watched Pirates of Penzance and I am looking at the Gene Kelly/Judy Garland DVD of The Pirate.

Birthday party theme: With a little help from google I found 15 Unique Pirate Party Games and pretty much every one we attempted was a hit with our crew of party guests. (I don't want to post pics of other kids without permission - I can only find this one)

(gathering fruit to remedy scurvy)

Black water balloons make great cannonballs, the obstacle course was fun and easy to set up, a treasure hunt is a must, and Capture the Flag was a huge hit. Pirate Booty and Goldfish were perfect to serve for snacks. The Target party supply aisle had a great selection of pirate hats, tablewear, and party favors.

Birthday Gifts: My little seadog is still enjoying his pirate gear:

Playmobile Pirate Ship

Pirate Dress-Up from Nova Naturals

Melissa and Doug Treasure Chest

Picture Books: The only book I bought at the museum gift shop was this DK sticker book. I wrote down the titles of many more, intending to check them out of the library, but lost the list! There are plenty here.

Time to get some grub for my buccaneers!

 

More Birthday Memories

When the Little Princess turned five.

A princess clothespin doll, made by her sister.

Sorry for the blur. I really need to brush up on some photography skills.

 

Hand-me-down doll from her other sister, from The Basement Store.

 

Lots of new Lala Loopsy garnered with a gift card to The Real Store. Thank you Aunt Charlotte!

And a lovely centerpiece!

A Few More Birthday Memories

More from the "too busy to blog" month!

I just can't forget to share and record the highlights of Dancer's 12th birthday - including some lovely gifts and my attempt at a violin cake for her friend party.

Cross-stitched bookmark from her little sister -

 

Nancy Drew collection handed up - little sister read them first -

 

New Beautiful Girlhood doll clothes -

 

The BIg New Summer Challenge -

 

Just don't look at the strings, my white icing nozzle was clogged -

 

A wonderful start to a year full of new adventures!

Five

 

Please, everybody, look at me!
Today I'm five years old, you see!
And after this, I won't be four,
Not ever, ever, any more!

I won't be three or two or one,
For that was when I'd first begun.
Now I'll be five awhile,
And then I'll soon be something else again.

 

My Baby Turned Twelve!

We are celebrating with very special visitors, Grandma and Aunt Terri from Oklahoma. Our action-packed weekend includes a piano recital, last violin group concerts, and a field trip to a one-room schoolhouse.

Breaking from the Break

I didn't mean to take a blogging break for the rest of Lent, but I did.

I didn't intend to interrupt the blogging break once it began, but I am.

Why? Because life changes so very quickly. For the last four years, this blog is where I have gone to document my family's milestones.

My baby turns two this week. TWO! Here he is pictured disassembling his birthday ring. I let him do this until he starts throwing the figures on the floor, which is a sure sign he's ready for a nap.

My other baby (almost 12) had her first babysitting job! She managed four children (one of whom is 9 and was a great help) and their parents enjoyed a well deserved break.

Winter turned to spring. The snow is gone.

 

I have an uneasy feeling that it will snow at least one more time. This would be bad for the flowers and birds, but my children would love another snowball fight like this one they had in February.

 

 

We took a hike by the river. Normally, the Mississippi is climbing it's banks this time of year.

 

The urge I had a month ago to enroll my daughter for kindergarten next year - it passed. February is a cruel, cruel month for home schooling mothers; a month in which decisions regarding your children's education should never be made.

School is going much better these days, especially when I wake up on time and stay faithful to my role throughout the day. I find that I must present clear expectations to my preschooler regarding the transition time from school-with-mom to independent work time. Activities arranged on her shelf, along with a timer and reward of snack-time when it beeps works like a charm. Most days.

I learned two cool new things lately: one is that the Funiculi, Funicula song was written for the opening of the funicular railway that climbs Mt. Vesuvius - the very same volcano that destroyed Pompeii. The other is that there is a saint named Deo Gratius. What a great name!

St. Patrick's Day was celebrated with plenty of Irish stew, soda bread, and celtic music. For some reason I have no photos of this day, just memories to cherish in my heart.

Sunshine fractured her foot after jumping off the swing and landing funny. She hopped around on one foot for over a week.

Group violin concerts were presented. Dancer performed the Bach Gavotte in D with her Book 3/4 class. Sunshine did not perform that day since she was still hopping on one foot.

The girls attended Suzuki graduations at Orchestra Hall. Now I understand why moms and teachers get goosebumps at the sight of Twinkles through seniors crammed on stage performing together. Just think of how many hours of loving and dedicated practice this group represents.

Sunshine performed half of Suzuki Piano Volume 2 in a home recital with her Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Aron in attendance. She's looking forward to moving on. Here's Mozart's Arietta.

 

She also won $20 in an art contest sponsored by the city water department. Pretty exciting stuff in the life of a ten year old!

Three more poems from the MODG curriculum have been memorized, copied, illustrated, and recited. I remember memorizing the Jabberwocky in middle school. I think my 6th grader enjoyed it as much as I did at that age.

Catalogs and flyers for summer camp opportunities are stuffing the pretty pink file folder that sits on my desk, blank forms just waiting to be completed and returned before the looming deadlines. Decisions regarding who can do what and how much it will all cost and how we will ever pay for it all await an answer. With artistic endeavors, summer maintenance is crucial; intensive day camps are ideal.

But - the van needs new brakes, the play set area needs fresh wood chips this year, the oldest child needs new (or used) and bigger clothes, the gasoline and grocery bills are rising, and homeschooling curriculum costs are around the corner.

So, if you have tips on cutting your grocery bill in half (while still eating healthy, unprocessed, preferably organic, high in protein and low-carb) please share! Our ideal amount for the grocery budget happens to be just a smidgen over the $30/week per person that an average Minnesotan would receive in food support - another interesting tidbit I learned recently. Our mayor recently undertook the "Hunger Challenge" and had a difficult time eating for just $30 a week. No wonder I am having trouble meeting this goal with a family of seven.

Well, Holy Week is upon us, just a few days away. We are utilizing the Lingua Angelica program to brush up on the Tantum Ergo and Stabat Mater. Next week we will take a few days off to clean, pray, and attend services. Here are some magnificent musical selections on CD to set the mood around the house for the Triduum.

Before I sign off on this catch-up post I want to share with you this post at the new Mom-Heart Blog - The Myth of a Perfect Life. Let Sally's soothing voice encourage you today as you meet the multitude of responsibilities of raising a family.

Deo Gratias!

 

Double Digits!

Sunshine turned ten.

TEN!

Her birthday always takes me by surprise as it is just ten days after Christmas. We are just winding down from the holidays and then I panic - I have to plan a party! At least we have learned to order her birthday gifts at the same time as her Christmas gifts.

Her original birth-date also caught us by surprise. We thought she was due at the end of January, but she arrived at what we thought was 36 weeks. Fortunatley she passed the full term baby test. I either had my due date wrong or she cooked fast. I would not be surprised if it were the latter.

(her jovial personality started showing itself quite early in life)

This girl is speedy. She thrives on charging ahead. There's really no stopping her when she wants to do something - cooking in the kitchen, climbing trees, devouring books, writing plays, creating gifts for others, composing music. This girl has drive.

The first time I enrolled the kids in ice skating, the teacher's evaluation at the end of the session read something like, "She is speedy and unafraid - sign her up for fall!"

Unfortunately, I didn't sign her up. I probably should have. She has the guts it would take to be in a sport like figure skating or gymnastics. Sometimes I feel like I failed her by not continuing these activities after a session or two, but it was fun while it lasted.

Theater takes guts too, and she is happy to be resuming this activity later this month, having always loved center stage.

 

(in Psalty's Camping Adventure she played Suzie who was "itchy, itchy, itchy" with poison ivy)

 

And of course she is plenty busy with piano and violin. This takes guts too.

 

Here's to ten years!

1

She had a cake with a big yellow smile for her first birthday.

2

Not sure what kind of cake this was!

3

She liked yellow when she was three just like her little sister.

4

The year she started liking turtles.

5

The Princess Party year.

6

Flower Fairies and Mrs. Peter's Birthday Cake.

7

Sometimes her cake doubles as an Epiphany cake.

8

Still liked My Little Pony.

9

She asked for a zoo cake. Maybe she feels like she lives in a zoo?

10!

A Tea Party with friends featuring angel food cupcakes.

Happy birthday, Sushine - you make us smile!

Thankful Thursday

I really need to reflect on what I am thankful for lately. Sometimes with modern day social media it is all too easy to do one of two things: complain or brag. Even if you just mean to share, what you say online can easily come across as complaining or bragging. The effort to avoid doing either one is an art I am far from mastering.

Honestly, I really feel like complaining this week. I am tired. I feel like every day I have to run a marathon and I always come in last place. Good thing I can pass the baton when my husband comes home and he gladly helps out with some of the driving, dishes, and getting the littles to bed.

Sometimes we bloggers tend to put our best feet forward and make our very normal lives seem more special and perfect than they really are, at least it can seem that way to others. Some readers get intimidated, others know better! In reality, blogging is most often an effort to reflect on what is good about life, to live intentionally, and especially to find and claim the joy in what we do.

So how about a happy balance this time? Here's a touch of realism from Pinewood Castle this week:

Thankful ~ that my wonderful husband has caught up to me and is now in the over 40 club.

 

He was treated to some gourmet wine & cheese, a Camping Guide to the North Shore and another paper creation from Sunshine. Recognize the setting?

Not Thankful ~ for the twitch in my eye this week. The Little Prince wakes up crying at 5:30 pretty much every.single.morning. And he is getting his molars and waking up in the night several days a week. We are getting too old for this. And he hates his Hanna hat. I love his Hanna hat.

Not thankful - that he has discovered the joys of coloring my desktop with highlighters.

Thankful ~ that we found the Little Princess hiding under our bed one morning at 6:30. I went into the girls' room, saw that her bed was empty, and we hunted for a terrifying fifteen minutes. All the time I tried not to think about the possibilty that a weirdo blog reader had abducted her.

Thankful ~ that a biopsy lab test turned out normal.

Not Thankful ~ that I have been getting headaches every night and day that I eat one of those melt-in-your-mouth birthday chocolates.

Not Thankful ~ that I succumbed to a coffee sample at Costco at 4:00 one Saturday afternoon and slept a whole two hours from midnight to 2 am.

Thankful ~ that I picked up the phone on my nightstand that sleepless night, surfed around, and found a link to the Wheat Belly book and blog. A week and a half later I have lost five pounds. This is motivating. I need some motivation to get serious about losing weight after going 19 months without any.

Thankful ~ that some dear readers have clicked book links here and the Amazon credit that came my way almost covered the cost of the Wheat Belly book that is on it's way.

Not Thankful ~ that there has been a big shake up at with the choir boys organization, the two top directors have been fired, and the future of this organization is in question. My faith is rattled, but hopefully the addage of "when one door closes another one opens" will ring true in this case.

Still not thankful - that the girls are in different ballet classes with different pick-up times. But - very thankful for the opportunity to see them in action during the academy's Parent Observation Week.

Thankful ~ that the girls had a wonderful experience playing their first recital at MacPhail. Sunshine played Paganini with flair and Dancer rendered Dvorak's Humoresque with feeling.

Thankful ~ for our wonderful new violin teacher. She is so positive and has such confidence in the girls.

Thankful ~ that Grandma & Grandpa were able to come down to hear the recital and brought us our first ever snow blower, courtesy of his late paternal grandpa. It must be at laeast twently years old but as long as it still runs we are glad to have it.

Thankful ~ that we did not get an October snowfall like the east coast. It's been known to happen in Minnesota.

Thankful ~ that Aunt Charlotte finally made good on her birthday gift to the Karate Kid: indoor rock climbing.

Thankful ~ that Karate Kid's speech therapy through the public school is off to a good start.

Thankful - for the new shower head my husband picked up at Costco. Hello water pressure!

Thankful ~ that my husband, with one child on each hip, takes the little ones down for breakfast every morning so I can enjoy some Introvert Time before facing the day.

Thankful ~ that the girls and I are going on a little musical get-away this weekend!

Fortunately the Thankfuls outnumber the Not Thankfuls. Now maybe if I can catch up on some sleep this weekend the bumps in life will not seem so very difficult!

The Birthday After-glow

 Linking up with Rachel at Finding Joy

..................................................................................................................

I am so grateful for your birthday wishes that I savored throughout the day yesterday. Thank you, new commenters and favorite regulars! Having a blog is sort of like hosting an open house, but not knowing who visits - unless they sign the guest book. I happen to think it's a nice courtesy to "sign the guest book" once in a while and I hope you do too. Not that I am addicted to comments or anything, but a steady one or two replies per post does brighten my day and provide a little motivation to keep going. Just have to admit to that.

Speaking of which, it seems that in this economy (are you as tired of those three words as I am?) you have to support what you value or it really might go away. So in honor of the bravery of all the first time commenters I pledged money to Classical MPR Fall Fund Drive for the first time since college. Classical music is definitely a favorite around here.

On my birthday I spent the morning in the kitchen preparing some favorite foods to enjoy during the thirty minutes I had at home between ballet/boy's choir runs. Crock Pot Chicken Thighs with Carrots, Garlic and White Wine; Baked Squash and Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze.

I was showered with a few of my favorite things on my birthday ~

ZERO gifts from my son. Boys {sigh} He obviously needs to be taught how to treat a lady. He did give me an unexpected kiss.

ONE amazing art project that my daughter decided to give to me for my birthday, and ONE fun bluegrass CD my husband thought I would like.

Larkrise to Candleford Season TWO. I have gotten these through Netflix and am so giddy to have the first two seasons to own forever and watch with my daughters when they are older. Even my husband tolerates watching Larkrise with me because he finds Twister to be funny. Personally I think he's a weirdo, but if it gets my guy to watch with me then, well,  I have a new appreciation for him.

 

THREE Happy Birthday phone calls from family and friends. Nothing beats IRL friends and family.

FOUR POUNDS of melt-in-your-mouth chocolate truffles. These will last nearly a year if I have just one a day, but since this gift was the kids' idea I suppose I will have to share with them.

FIVE coupons for one hour of reading in peace & quiet {the children overheard me telling my mom on the phone that reading time was really the only thing I wanted for my birthday}

The night before my birthday I scooted out after dinner to get a haircut. Of course I had to get something to contribute to my punchcard so I bought some Aveda Tea and Hand Relief ~ two of my favorite things.

One of my all time favorite CDs in playing now that it's chilly enough - The Days Gone By: Songs of American Poets. The frost is on the pun'kin, and the fodder's in the shock.

 

We made it to our favorite Fall Festival. Every year we suggest going somewhere else (less expensive) but nope, the kids are hooked on this one. I am still finding corn in the bottom of the washing machine.

Dancing Fairy Girl moving to another favorite CD here in Pinewood Castle - A Flower Fairy Alphabet. These are sweet, precious, magical and tender years. I love having a four year old in the house.

My daughter's favorite cat,Tabitha, disappeared last Friday and we have not seen her since. We have no idea if she succumbed to a predator, became ill (though she just had all her shots), got hit by a car, was the victim of a neighborhood cat-hater, or just ran off. My daughter is heartbroken over the loss, but we are pouring our affections out on our remaining cat, Snickers. She's such a lovey dove and has always been my favorite.

 

The last thing on my favorites list today is my fall flannel sheets. The only real draw back to their warmth and coziness is that my mind wakes up in the morning (to Classical MPR on the alarm of course) but my body does not want to budge.

Happy Birthday to Me

Don't be shy - say hi!

I'd love to hear from the 99% of you who never leave a comment. I know you are out there. We have stats, you know. Just once a year - it would make my day!

Happy Birthday!

We now have an eight year old boy in the house!

My how he has grown!

 

Eleven!

Thankful Thursday

for affordable Young People's Concerts

for directors of orchestra education who wisely include choreographed dance to Debussy's La Mer

for children who used good enough manners in a restaurant after the concert (even though they don't always use the best table manners at home) to garner a compliment from a little old lady at a nearby table who happened to be the founder of ECFE in Minnesota (Early Childhood Family Education)

for my husband who recognized that I was turning into a zombie with just a teacup of coffee and reinstated my big queen mug

for another opportunity to give a recital at the assisted living center, this time with two other students from the violin studio and for the talented Suzuki mom who can play all the piano accompaniment

that I finally finished my husband's scarf, just in time for spring

and that he let me buy five skeins of merino wool to get it long enough

for maple syruping days at the nature center

for one last trip to the nature center before they tear it down and build a new one

time with grandma & grandpa

for learning that egg-free cakes fall apart, to make the big decorated birthday cake with eggs for everyone else and serve egg-free cupcakes to the egg-free girl

for birthday packages from Oklahoma

for the opportunity to nurture another baby through the first year of life

for the smiles and tears and belly laughs this little boy brings to our family

Happy Birthday Sunshine

I Think I'll Be Okay

I think I am settling into a state of acceptance about turning forty. I appreciated reading each and every one of your comments and birthday wishes and your words are still tumbling in my thoughts:

Grab and hang on for a wonderful ride. The 40's are some of the best years yet.

At each milestone birthday I have always been a little down, I guess it is because of getting older, my kids getting older, time going by so fast, etc. And I look back now and say to myself. "Thirty wasn't old!! I looked great!! blah, blah, blah". I decided I am not going to do that anymore. Because I know when I am fifty I will look back and say "you know forty wasn't so bad"!!

Thank you for your birthday post. It really touched me and I cried because I could really identify with the making peace aspect of my vocation of hidden and small and what I have gained and lost as a result to committing to that.

And especially this one . . .

I had to accept that you (or at least I) don't have that turning point of "being" grown up. Actually I've been grown up for quite a while now (now 43), but I just didn't recognize it. I guess I thought really being grown up would feel so different or that I'd have it all pulled together. Not so much! That was growing up in many ways -- realizing that there is no such single turning point! As a woman, as a wife and mother, it's a continual process and I do the best I can and keep going!

Maturity and wisdom is a process, not an event! Aha! Come to think of it, I have learned a thing or two over the years, some practical and maybe a teensy tiny bit about virtue. I hope at least a little wisdom has taken root for the sake of my children and my immortal soul.

Still, I wish I could go back in time and tell the young mother I once was a thing or two that would make the journey of motherhood a little easier.

Here is the oldest photo I have of myself stored on Picassa:

 

Here is my advice to her (and I do mean this advice for myself, not necessarily anyone else!):

• Relax! Enjoy these days before school begins. Enjoy grocery shopping on weekday mornings. Cuddle your babies as long as possible every morning. Make more friends and spend time with them.
• Read and craft as much as possible before your days are too busy with homeschooling.
• It's not too early to establish daily and weekly routines of cleaning, shopping, cooking and laundry.
• When you first pick out a baby car seat, get both the double and single stroller to go with it. You will use both.
• Get enough sleep. Go to bed when the baby does and don't worry about getting things done at night.
• Just keep you hair long while you are young and slender enough to get away with it.
• Whichever discipline method you choose to use, please realize that it won't work. At least not as fast or as effectively as you want it to. Use one anyway, because children need boundaries - it makes them feel safe. Children are wired to misbehave and test those boundaries constantly, so don't take this personally. Just carry out your job of law enforcement with as much love as possible and over time (years) you will end up with reasonably well-mannered and well-behaved children.
• You have made a lot of choices regarding pregnancy, labor & delivery, newborn care and education. Even though you feel strongly about the choices you made, try not to judge others for choosing differently. 
• Also realize that you are not cut from the same cloth as your in-laws. Don't hold them to your standards.
• Insist on Quiet Time after your children outgrow naps. This is more for yourself than for them!
• Try to compliment your husband before he has a chance to brag on himself.
• Show ample gratitude for anything your in-laws help you with or give to you.
• Keep trying to spend at least five minutes alone with your husband every day. Five minutes does not sound like a long time early in marriage but later it is a crucial amount of time.
• Keep track of the gifts you send to friends and family. That way you won't have to ask them every year what you got them for their birthday the previous year.
• Buy quality = buy once. Usually. But remember that your kids don't need everything in the Magic Cabin and Nova catalogs. You will need a bigger house if you do this, just for the toys.
• If you get a bigger house, kids and toys will still be underfoot, no matter how big. And even if you get a house with three toilets, the kids will still want to use the same toilet at the same time. 
• However, if you get a bigger house, pay attention to room dimensions. A 13 x 13 family room might seem bigger than what you are used to, but it will feel mighty crowded with five kids and a Christmas tree, not to mention gifts and wrapping paper everywhere and a hot fire in the fireplace you can't get too close to.
• God has a wonderful plan for you. Pray, listen and obey. But if your husband is not supportive, don't do it. Stay aboard the same boat as much as possible.

I could go on and on, but I won't lecture myself too much here. Somewhere else, maybe. That's all for now. I am retiring my forty year old self for the night. Blessings to all of you reading!