Spring Beauties

This is what we’ve been seeing in our gardens for the last few weeks.

Diana

I Love The World!

Good Mom, Bad Mom

Where do you think you are on the Mom spectrum? You may be surprised!

I recently read the book, Breaking the Good Mom Myth: Every Modern Mom’s Guide to Getting Past Perfection, Regaining Sanity, and Raising Great Kids. Sound too good to be true? You may just have to read the book.

We all compare ourselves with each other. We do it with any area of life, but moms really compare their kids and homes with each other, trying to outdo each other, with varying results. Sometimes we shrug and give up, other times we are inspired and work on ‘improvements’. Obviously there are pros and cons to any comparison.

Alyson Schafer writes a compelling book on the topic of being a Mom. Her goal is to convince modern Moms that we don’t need to be perfect. She works her way through all the areas that we try so hard to be perfect, in showing areas that we can lighten up and let go. I found it interesting that she begins the book with a chapter on taking care of mom first, then marriage, and then the kids. The theory being that “a happy mom is a happy home”.

It’s a good book. Give it a read.

Diana

Lego Creation

Our oldest rugrat saw a pileated woodpecker last week while out hiking. He was so inspired that he created one with lego.

Giving Gifts

It struck me today, after an email conversation with a friend, that it’s easy to find excuses not to be generous. But being generous is one the the richest things we can do for ourselves.

It’s freeing. It releases us from our cares and concerns about money and time. It shows the world and our own hearts that the tyrants of clocks and wallets don’t run our lives.

Pete

Between Interruptions

I thought that title was aptly chosen. Between Interruptions: 30 Women tell the Truth About Motherhood, edited by Cori Howard, 2007. What a wonderful read! If you’re looking for a book about being a mother, this is one that I’d recommend.

Some of the writers are in the midst of the early mothering stages and others are in those mothering years of reflecting on the past. Mothering, being a mother, is a monumental and often daunting task. Many of us don’t, won’t, or can’t share our most private feelings and reflections on the topic with others so in this way I am immensely thankful that there are those who do.

My largest criticism is its complete lack of spiritual content. Considering the subject of mothering, which at its very core is a spiritual journey, I found it rather eerie to have that part of our humanity completely absent. But beyond that it was inspiring and wonderful to be allowed into the intimate company of others who are mothers. These women openly shared their experiences, whether joyous, sorrowful, embarrassing or humourous.

Diana

American Woodcock

On a tip from two friends, one for the bird, and the other for a location, we took the kids out on Sunday night to see and hear American Woodcock at the York Road entrance to the RBG properties.

It was great. We went for a walk for about forty minutes before. Then right at dusk, just after 8 p.m., we started to hear the unique, nasal peent all around us. Within minutes we could see birds flying above us and hear they’re wings whistling.

It was one of those rare occasions where I told the kids we were going out to see something, and we weren’t disappointed in the least bit by what we saw and heard. The birds were there, they did their display, and we all went home happy.

Cake Success

Last Friday my cake sold for $40 at an auction to raise money for Strings, Etc!, a local homeschool organization for childrens’ choirs and orchestras. Wow! I was told that the cakes sold for between $20-$50 each. Not bad!

I didn’t take a photo, but I’ve included the recipe for anyone who wants to try this very easy cake. Credit to Hildy Sloots who gave me the recipe. I altered the title though, it was called Wacky Cake when Hildy passed the recipe on to me. I wasn’t sure that that would sell well and so I renamed it. Thanks Hildy for the recipe, It’s become a family favourite!

As always I’ve played around with the ingredients. I often add 1 tsp coffee for flavour with the water. And I sometimes add cream cheese in place of some of the margarine or shortening in the frosting recipe.

Quick and Easy Decadent Chocolate Cake

Holy Days

There was once a family whose history included being set free from slavery. It was decided that this event should always be remembered. They recalled that the man who had set them free enjoyed feasting and celebrating and had set up several festivals and feasts for his family. As a result, the family decided to remember the special day with feasting and celebration.

As years went by and became centuries, the family divided into three tribes, each with its own way of celebrating.

The first tribe no longer remembered the reason for the feasting and celebration, but continued to feast and have a good time on the day that had been set aside for celebrating just because it was a good time. Eventually their celebrations became twisted caricatures of the original events.

The second tribe looked at the first and was sad because they had forgotten why they were celebrating. This tribe continued to celebrate as well, but made sure to explain to their children why the celebration was taking place. Their tradition was rich with meaning and their appreciation of the original events was strong.

The elders of the third tribe looked at the first and decided that the feasting and celebrating had caused the first group to stop remembering, and so they stopped celebrating. They still tried to teach their children the importance of the special events by sitting them down in a classroom and explaining it to them. Those children who did understand the meaning looked longingly at the second tribe because they seemed to understand the events a lot better. Beside that, they were having a lot more fun. At times, the children would join the second group for their celebrations. And many continued to celebrate in their own homes. In this way the appreciation of the original events was kept alive.

Is it possible to make some event significant without showing its significance in our lives?

Pete

Out of the Mouth of Babes

It’s the Easter weekend and we are reading through the passages that speak to this in the Bible at our family devotions. Today after we read the passage in the Bible about the last supper where Jesus speaks about “This is my body . . . this is my blood,” our nearly three year old commented, “We don’t eat owwies, we eat food!” She used a tone of voice indicating that even she knew better than that.

I was quite surprised that she had picked anything up from our reading. She even seemed to have understood the concept however, in its literal sense as children are prone to do. Never under estimate the comprehension of a child.

Diana