'water' fun day!!

So, we are studying rivers right now, and in several of our books, we have seen the process of river water being purified so that we can drink it and not get sick. So, today, we made water filters, and boy did we have fun!

First, we got to use power tools - yehaaa! when we drilled tiny holes in the bottom of milk bottles. Then we put sand and then pea gravel in the jugs and then some really nasty water from the sand table, and let 'em rip!

Then, we had a lesson on perseverance (doing things even though they are hard) because those little bottles were amazingly heavy and everyone got really whiney on me!! I took a break, and had the bright idea that we should hang the bottles, so that the kids could keep pouring the water through the bottles, without having to hold them. So, lots of bright pink nylon string and a box of matches later (oh, yeah, and a lesson on fire safety and why matches are not toys and why box knives are not toys...) we had some pretty nifty hanging water purification centers going on.

Then Pineapple finished speech and we had to have another lesson on water pollutants (he decided to put nasty water in Sweet Potato's almost clear purifier), but all in all, it was a great way to spend a nice fall day outside!!

Hope yours was as nice!

t

the wisdom of the little ones

My darling daughter, "Sweet Potato", said to me yesterday, "Mommy, I remember that you used to write in a book for me, when I was sad about my birth parents". I agreed that we had done that, and told her that we could still write in her journal, if she needed too. She responded, "That's okay Mommy. I don't get sad anymore, since I forgave them." Wow. Wow! If only I could forgive the way she is showing me she has forgiven!

What is the verse that says "Unless you come to me as a little child..."

We started writing in her journal shortly after she came, when she was so overcome with sadness and longing for her birth parents. She would verbally "write" a letter to them, and I would put it in the journal for her. The letters she wrote were very telling, about a little girl who missed her Mommy, and despite all that had gone on, needed to know that they loved her, even if they did not show it very well.

Fast forward a few months, and she and I had a half-day conversation about that very topic and forgiveness. That we all need to forgive the wrongs done to us, so that we can receive healing ourselves. Apparently, she got it.

God is good - that's all I have to say.

t

What a difference a year makes!

Wow! Last year about this time, I drove with the kids to see my brother in Telluride. My little Pineapple, whose vocabulary was limited to "wawa" (water) and "NO!", nearly drove me over a cliff with his insistence on pointing out every, and I do mean every, drop of water that he saw on the way there and back. I began to believe that this was my lot in life, and that I was going to just have to get used to it.

Fast forward one year, to a car ride in the rain last night. Still fascinated with water, my Pineapple pointed out that "the road is wet Mommy", yes, I agreed, it is wet. "It is probably raining" he said. Probably raining?!?! How in the world did we go from "wawa, wawa! WAWA!!!" to probably raining?? Oh, yeah - that would be God - doing miracles in the life a little boy (and his thankful mommy).

Have a happy, rainy day!!

t

more notes from the trenches...

Last night, during Steve's birthday dinner, I felt the need to give my darling oldest son a mini-lecture on the reality that if you don't eat your dinner, you don't get to have cake and ice cream. He had been saying that his tummy hurt, but that has been a common "get out of eating your meal" ruse around here lately, and he had been running and playing in the yard all day, so he didn't seem sick....

Obligingly, he put a slice of hot dog in his mouth and before he could even chew, you guessed it, geyser city!! I did not realize that the human stomach could hold that much stuff!!! We got him cleaned up and then I took all the clothes and towels outside to spray them off with the hose (do you remember my last round with kid puke and the washing machine?). Just be careful if you decide to do that, that you keep the pressure low or you may end up sprayed with cold water and ...what did he have for lunch yesterday?

Anyway, he and I spent the night on the air mattress in my room (my thought was that it would be easy to take outside and hose off if he missed the bucket (do you sense a theme here??). After about midnight, his tummy finally settled down and we both got some sleep.

He is feeling much better this am, not very energetic, but otherwise, in good shape.

Hope you guys have a great Labor Day weekend!!

In case you missed it last time, I am copying my first puke experience here - it was a wild one!!

Note to self:

If your daughter is complaining of a stomach ache, do not
feed her apples, hot dogs or tomatoes.

And, if you do feed her apples, hot dogs, tomatoes
(or chicken noodle soup {it seemed like a good idea
at the time}), you will need to make sure that you wipe
all of it up before you put the sheets in the washer.

Furthermore, who knew raisins would stay in her stomach
for 24 hours, and don't they chew those things before
they swallow them?!?!

And finally, if you fail to clean the sheets off before
you put them in the
washer, you will be picking up apple skins, raisins and
pieces of hot dog off
your floor when you shake the sheets out before you put
them in the dryer - but hey, they're clean apple skins,
raisins and pieces of hot dog, so it's not
really that gross.

;-)))))

a new mom
or "why don't they teach you this stuff in all of those
classes that we have to take!!!!!!!"

Add it up!

$2.57 - the cost of the gas to go to the dollar store.
$9.66 - the cost of three helmets, three shields, two swords and one battle axe.
24 minutes - the time it took to make the round trip drive.

Three happy "warriors" in the backyard and a little peace for Mommy - PRICELESS!!

AJ the Terrible! AA the Avenger! E the Mighty!

Ahh, the great outdoors!

We went on our one (and probably only) camping trip this year (the snows fly early at the higher elevations) and we really got to experience God's Creation - all of it!!




We went up near Tarryall Reservoir, an area that is on the edge of an old glacier field. There were many quaking aspens, pines and tons of very cool, very small plants that we had not seen before. The kids were so excited to be going camping - AJ for the very first time.

We got to our site and the sky was bluer than blue and with a fresh breeze blowing through our hair, we got our tent set up and commenced camping! Friends of ours who came up brought two hammocks, which provided hours and hours of fun. There were also the intermittent but loud and beautiful storms that blew through. Nothing like being near the top of a mountain, outside, while a thunderstorm barrels towards you!!

We ate s'mores, hot dogs and drank gallons of water out of green jugs. Then there was the fun of taking a potty training little boy to the bathroom, when there wasn't one!! The camp latrine was not set up until Saturday, so the boys got to practice their aim, shooting for small plants and large trees!
Our Friday night campfire was cut short by a doozy of a storm, but the next day dawned with beautiful blue skies and off we went, looking for adventure. While Steve went off shooting with the guys, the kids and I and my friend Jane went for a hike and found some great rocks for the kids to climb. What is it, I ask, about little boys and the edges of tall rocks that is so fascinating?











Saturday was made most special by s'mores before dinner! Wow! Whodathunkit?? I figured, why not, and this way, they had time to run them off before we had to coral the kids in the tent. More rain blew through but it did not hamper the campfire, and a good time was had by all!


As you can see, they were all tuckered out and ready for some zzzzz's by the time we headed home. Can't wait to go again!!

t

You know your the mother of preschoolers when...

Today, at breakfast, a sweet little tyke sitting at my table said these words: "Mommy, I put more water in the potty"!! To which I said, "Sure, let's go!". So we did, and he did and Mommy did a happy dance bigger than Michael Phelps when he won his last gold medal!! Now, you must understand, that he hasn't offered to do it again today, but it was a ray of light at the end of a long dark tunnel - that boy will be potty trained before he goes to college!!

;-))) happy, smiling mommy