Priorities

I was making bread the other day when Owen and his friends came in. They asked me what I was making this time and said that I am always making things AND that I make everything from scratch. 

I almost died a little. I was that mom! The mom that makes everything from scratch! I was (and continue to be) so excited. 

Of course, this mom can't possibly do it all. While I may make things from scratch these days, I am watching Owen right now during his tennis lesson and he is wearing my flip flops. We donated his tennis shoes after the Dirty Dash and one Croc got up and walked away the other day. He is not wearing my shoes out of choice, but rather because he has NO shoes.

Flip flops are fine for tennis. Who needs shoes anyway, after all, I am the mom who is always making something and makes everything from scratch!! Isn't that enough?

UPDATE: Sooo, apparently shoes are important. The lesson ended and his coach told me that Owen did great and then added an aside saying ever so nicely, "try to get him some shoes, there is only so much you can do in flip flops". 

Yes! We will get right on that! Today! I mean, we were coincidently headed there now! 

Then we drove away and I apologized to Owen. He responded ever so nicely and said , "it is ok, don't worry... Well kind of worry". 

New shoes it is!  

Ooops

We were driving home tonight in separate cars, the kids and I in one and Greg in the other.  I looked in my rearview mirror to see a policeman behind Greg with his lights on.  I knew he wasn’t speeding since I wasn’t speeding and I was ahead of him.  I figured he must have been texting or talking on the phone without his headset, both of which would have been hideous!  Owen was sure Greg was going to jail.  Greg called a few minutes later and informed me (ever so rudely) that it wasn’t what he did, but what I didn’t do.  Apparently, his tabs have been expired since September, 2012; and to think, he was worried when my tabs were over 1 week due.

What I didn’t do, I am so sure…..

Just so we are clear in the future:

Greg – take out garbage, take out recycling, take out food waste, kill bugs, move plants around outside, renew your car tabs each September.

Jen – everything else.

Now I cannot be blamed.

My forgotten life

I barely recognize myself.  Let’s review:

• I just ate salmon drenched in butter with a side of honey sesame sweet potatoes.  I liked them, Greg did not. 
• I am going to get ready for bed soon and when I do, I will wash my hands with the liquid soap I made and I will brush my teeth with my homemade toothpaste.  (Again, I am a fan.  Greg is not).  
• I make sure my children do a little “earthing” each day by playing in the dirt or being barefoot outside. 
• I just bought a cleaner that can do everything (bathrooms, kitchen, ant killer, help with acne, dish soap, bug bites, shampoo, and laundry soap to name a few) and it actually works.  It is human safe, non-toxic.  I am actually a little obsessed with it.  www.branchbasics.com
• I make my own fruit snacks with grass-fed gelatin.
• I lather my kids up with coconut oil when they go out in the sun.  No burns yet, and it has been HOT!
• Each night before bed I put apple cider vinegar on my face. 
• My bathroom looks like my kitchen.
• I cooked vegetables for myself the other night and put garlic on the vegetables, on purpose!
• There is nothing in my kitchen that was here last year.
• I planted a garden. 
• I use essential oils for all of our ailments.
• We make homemade ice cream
• I am this close to trying raw milk.

and that is just to name a few. 

The moral of the story: I am glad I am still married and that Greg still likes me. 

No more heat

We are having a heat wave and I hate it. I hate it with all my heart because I cannot escape it. With no air conditioner in my house or at work and a forecast for days near or into the 80s , life begins to feel a bit hideous. 

I decided today it is time for the air conditioner to be installed. I am totally prepared to be laughed at when I call tomorrow for an immediate installation, but for the sake of not sweating while I sit here, who cares, bring on the laughter and install my air!! 

Lily

Good old Lily.  She came, she taught, and she left. 

About a month ago or so an uninvited robin came into my life  This particular robin wasn’t the kind you normally see, you know, the kind that runs around on the grass looking for worms, nope, this was the crazy kind that continuously bashes into the window.  Over and over and over again.  All day long. 

The first day, after the kids got home from school, I crazily announced to Owen that I was going to get a gun and shoot the bird.  That seemed like a good idea until he marched over to Ivy and calmly said, “mom is going to shoot the bird”, and she started to cry her eyes out.  Ok, I won’t shoot the bird …. yet. 

Ivy must really have a knack for psychology as even at the young age of three, she realized that she needed to humanize the bird to protect it.  It was its only chance. The bird was a she and we knew this because Ivy looked into her eyes and could tell.  Not only was she a she but her name was Lily.   As if it was a question, obviously I am not going to shoot the bird now!  How could I shoot something with a name like Lily. 

I tried everything.  I put papers on the window to let her know that it was a window, I closed the curtains, I opened the curtains, I ran out the door flailing my arms and screaming at her, I sent the kids out to scare her away.  After a few days, I finally admitted defeat.  Lily was here to stay and to drive me crazy. 

As time went on I was bothered less and less by her constantly bashing into the window.  I decided she either had a nest nearby or thought that the bird in the window was the most beautiful bird she had ever seen. 

After about 9 days, I was talking to Emilee about Lily and suddenly so many things became clear. 

“I feel bad for Lily, she just sits there and bashes into the window all day long as though something may come from it.  I watch her pick her little self up off the ground and do it again over and over.  She is going to get hurt.   I just wish she would understand and do something different.”

As the words rolled off my tongue I suddenly realized I was Bob , Lily was Dr. Leo Marvin, and the window was like a vacation to Lake Winnipesaukee.  What was I thinking! Lily wasn’t here to drive me crazy, but to help me see my crazy.  I am Lily, bashing into the window over and over and wanting something different.  As I continued to therapy myself, I realized there are things I need to change about myself.  Things will never be different if I just fly into the window all day long. 

And with that, Lily came by a little less each day and after two weeks she was gone.  Once I learned what she was here to teach (cause obviously that was what she was doing and the empty nest we found a few days ago had nothing to do with it), she had less use for the window.  As I continued to make changes in my life, some big like acknowledging an unhealthy relationship in my life, some small like running to Lowe’s to buy a hose instead of constantly hating the hose that leaks and continuously coming in wet after watering the plants, Lily had less and less to show me and she moved on (or flew away and quietly died of a severe brain injury, I choose #1). 

Who knew that the crazy bird that I wanted to shoot would move me forward when I am stuck and would remind me that opportunities to learn are where we choose to find them.

 

Lily

(Seriously, I should pay myself some good money for this therapy.)

Back from Somewhere

As we near the end of April, I can finally feel myself reconnecting with myself.  Doing the yearbook for the school was HARD and STRESSFUL.  While it got done and I am soo excited about it, it was a lot of work.  After the book was submitted, I had to spend the next three weeks taking care of everything that I didn’t do while I was working on the yearbook.  I am just glad I came out alive, otherwise, I wouldn’t be here to warn people of the dramatic effects of natural shampoo.

In my mission to eliminate chemicals in my life, Angie and I decided to try some natural products, one of which was a natural shampoo.  I was a little hesitant from the beginning, but throwing caution into the wind, I went for it.  Apparently a natural shampoo is different than “regular” shampoo, because it is a soap rather than a detergent.  When you use the detergent shampoo, it strips your hair and then you have to use conditioner to cover up the damage from the shampoo.  With the natural shampoo you don’t use a conditioner but instead rinse with vinegar to balance the hair’s pH.  This sounds very complex, I know. 

I tried it first last Saturday.  The instructions state that it takes some getting used to and as the chemicals are removed from your hair your hair goes through a “detox” period.  They say it can take up to two weeks in which you may have more puffiness, static and oiliness.  They are not kidding.  My detox period was HIDEOUS.  I pulled my hair in two braids one day and my hair looked wet.  My sisters actually laughed at me periodically through the day.  Fresh from the shower, straight from the blow dryer, my hair looked like I hadn’t washed it in weeks.  It was awful.  I carried on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and gave up on Thursday. 

I know it was just hair, but I found myself feeling a little down, a little scruffy, a little not like myself.  I went to Owen’s baseball game with a hat on and found myself standing alone looking longingly at everyone’s chemically covered, beautiful, non-greasy hair, worn down without fear.  I woke up on Thursday and as I sat in bed feeling the greasiness that was once my hair, I just knew that I couldn’t possibly get up and do that horrible vinegar rinse one  more day.  I was throwing in the towel.  I got up and washed my hair with my shampoo from Trader Joe’s and picked up my conditioner bottle with glee.  My hair wasn’t quite the same as it once was but it wasn’t the hideous hair that I had seen for the last few days.   I had no regrets, after all, who can just have hair that people go around laughing at periodically through the day. 

I am on the search for a different, natural shampoo, one that doesn’t require a vinegar rinse.  I will report on my findings. 

As an aside, we got the shampoo from a company based out of Utah called Bubble and Bee.  I love the natural face wash, deodorant, facial moisturizer and body butter.  I totally recommend it, and if you need a shampoo to try, I know of a barely used bottle you could get for a good price!

My brain!! (post edit - 18 month stats)

The deadline has arrived. I have until Monday at 4:00 pacific time to submit the yearbook.

I have worked on the book almost non-stop during the last 48 hours and I am exhausted.

I have pictures of students swarming through my head, clip art of frogs taking over my thoughts, and borders and designs and colors clouding my vision.

I am resting now, recharging my creativity and preparing for the final countdown.

The end is near and that is as much of a blog post that I can muster.

***************POST EDIT*********************
An after the fact post: I can muster up something!  I forgot Autumn's 18 month stats and whether I will care later or not, here they are.

29 1/4 tall - 2.84%
18 lbs 15oz - .5%
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