Our baby ducks are here!

The feed store called to let us know our baby mallards arrived. They're only a few days old. Here is the smallest one finding the water dish.

The bigger of the two, finding the feed. They are so precious! They'll be inside for about 5 weeks until they get their feathers and then we'll start letting them explore the yard. Eventually they'll take to the lake. Stay tuned for more pictures!

Retreating

It would be an understatement to say that I've been stressed out lately. My husband works for a General Motors dealership and unless you've been living under a rock, you know that GM is most likely going into chapter 11 come June 1st. Things are bad. Really bad. And when things are bad and I'm feeling like the world is on my shoulders, I retreat. I pull back from everyone and everything and try to keep negative things from entering my world, our family life. I've taken a break from the social forums online that I used to enjoy participating in, I unplug the phone, I screen my calls, I pass my neighbors with a short wave and try not to engage with them. I try not to watch the news or talk about things that have any negative connotations at ALL. This is just my way of healing. I am finding comfort in doing small tasks like hanging the laundry out on the drying rack on the back deck and then deeply inhaling the scent imbued into clothing by springs new air. Or drinking a cup of iced green tea on a lounge chair, reading a good book and staring at the lake. I love the lake right now. Of course, I always love the water, but right now, I am deeply grateful for the soothing scenery, it's balm to my eyes and gently strokes my soul. I've been taking inventory, always aware of how grateful I am for what I have. I believe with gratitude comes abundance. I've put away what should be done and just focusing on what I am doing, really trying to be aware of the moment. Sometimes it's the simplest things that are the hardest.

12

My babe turned twelve last week. That sounds so weird, I have a twelve year old! I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful daughter and so grateful that I am able to spend this time with her. We share such a close bond, one that I truly cherish.

We started the day by having a breakfast of her choice; a tower of mini pancakes from big to small with a dollop of whipped cream and strawberries and some turkey sausage links. She was so delighted. Cj made a birthday card while she was still sleeping. That night she enjoyed her cake and gifts from us after we took her out for ice cream. We weren't able to get her what she asked for, which was a sit down motorized scooter. She was so happy by the simple gifts that we were able to get her though; a couple of tee shirts, two bamboo paper chinese lanterns for her bedroom and a non toxic reusable water bottle (to the left in the picture, lime green), and a couple other little things. I really wanted to get her the scooter, but it's just not possible right now. She was far from upset though, she's such a grateful child and it really made my heart swell at how gracious she is about things like this. I'm so lucky to be her mother.

Spare change

Since the beginning of my marriage, my husband and I have saved our spare change. We've saved hundreds and hundreds of dollars over the years. Once in a while, when we have a really large amount, we'll roll it up or take it to the Coin Star machine.

Our kids love to take part in this process.

I remember at the end of 2nd grade, when my oldest was still in school, her teacher sent home all the things my daughter should be working on during the summer. Counting money was one of them. She had no interest though. A friend of mine, also a homeschooler, gave me an idea to play 'store'. I'd gather up some items of interest, tag them with an amount and give my daughter money to buy things from me. She would try to give me whole dollar amounts and ask for change, she was a clever one alright! But, I told her my store only accepted exact change. She loved playing store, and began to count change correctly.

After a year or two of homeschooling, she was getting allowance and started to want more things...iTunes money, clothes, Webkinz. She also secured a dog sitting job for almost a year and began to save and really learn the value of a dollar. It was during this time that real learning occurred. Without worksheets or me forcing her. She has a bit of greed in her personality and so she learned to count money, easily and naturally.

We have one of those change counters that you put coins in and it keeps count of them digitally. You can use it to roll the coins. My husband got it down recently and Cal seized it immediately. He had it at the counter (his main perch) for three days. Counting and adding coins.

When I see this kind of learning, I'm always amazed. I am so grateful that my son has this love of learning, the kind that comes naturally when not interfered with and in his own time. No photocopied, blurry, stale worksheets of coins for this kid!

And so it is with all things in our life. There isn't a seperation of life and learning. It's there all the time.

Gr8ful

8 things I am grateful for today..

1. I'm grateful that my kids can play outside for hours without trampolines, swingsets, scooters, bikes or other outside paraphanalia. I'm grateful they find joy in the forts they make and the things they find in the yard to enhance their imaginations.

2. I'm grateful for the sunshine and warmer air today.

3. I'm grateful for my husband, who works tirelessly to provide for our family.

4. I'm grateful for my son, who teaches me much about life.

5. I'm also grateful for my daughter, for her generous heart and abundant love.

6. I'm grateful for who I am.

7. I'm grateful for the people in my life, my friends and my family.

8. I'm grateful for the simple things in my life.

Hiatus

After a long break from blogging, I'm back and ready to assuage the mix of emotions and thoughts, to put down what goes on here, life with two kids, living and learning freely and joyfully.

It's time to write again and there is much to write about.

The kids are getting older and we're getting older, the long days turn into months and some days I look at my children and have a hard time believing how much they are growing. Time waits for nobody, that's for certain. I see so much of myself in my children. Especially my daughter. She loves to play in the woods and doesn't mind being alone. I think the woods are soothing to her, she finds solace from the sometimes chaos that goes on in the house, with a rowdy and often rebellious little brother in tow.

Today we built some fairy houses, something we like to do, but more in the warm seasons. There isn't any color or vegetation yet to make a very colorful house, but we made two lovely abodes using what we could find: tree bark, stones, sticks, sand and dirt, moss, acorn caps. It's such a calming activity. I admit, I didn't want to go outside today for the hike she wanted to take us all on, but once I did and breathed in the cool early spring air, I found myself coming alive. Winters in Michigan are harsh. Often, I find myself in semi hibernation mode. A good kind of tired overcomes me. But, it's early April and even though we have snow coming tomorrow, it's nearly spring and soon everything will burst open into life. That's how I felt today, like a tiny bud opening up inside me, ready to greet the sun and rain that will make me grow even more. (pic 1 is my daughter's fairy cafe and pic 2 is my fairy house, what little mystical creature would pass up a chance to stay here?!)