My Green Thumb

For the last few days, I've barely been able to keep up with just "normal" housework. The never ending mound of dishes, the four loads of laundry needing to be folded....the endless supply of crumbs under Finn's highchair...boo. I've been craving *earth.* I've been dreaming of a hike in Breckenridge for weeks, a new potted plant - I've been scouring the internet for gardening tips and dreaming of vegetables and little packets of seeds. My green thumb was calling (or Mother Nature - take your pick.)

And then it happened. A clear blue sky and a perfect early morning. Zac worked with me the night before to get caught up on laundry, the fridge was full of fresh produce and enough pita bread to feed an army - the only excuse NOT to start my garden was the dishes...and the dishes could wait.

After some coffee fresh from Italy (there are perks to your brother being in the Air Force) and a bowl of hot oat bran (I added chopped dates and honey this time....SOOOO good) I retreated to my back yard for the next two hours and did this....

Sat in the dirt, touched the dirt, smelled the dirt. I should probably just become an earthworm since I feel so at home with soil, except I don't think Zac would approve of my reincarnation choice. I guess I'll just stay a girl who sometimes gets to garden. We already had some corn growing in the plot so I added tomatoes and some cucumbers...

Such lovely little plants full of promise - I can't wait to make my own fresh pico de gallo - yummo. I also have another little spot in the yard with some jalapeno peppers and then basil and some rosemary.

This gorgeous perennial is one of my new faves - Lacy Blue Russian Sage. I love how wild and wispy it is...a flower after my own heart. I'm a big fan of the style of landscaping I've noticed out west...very eclectic and not a lot of "symmetry" going on. I like that. :)

Trin and I concocted this delicious lunch of watermelon slices, mini omelets with orange bell pepper, black olives and cilantro, cucumbers sprinkled with Himalayan sea salt and dill, gorgeous deep red cherries, and a pitcher of ice water with lemon. So refreshing after being in the hot sun...

Aren't they just gorgeous? I don't know if YOU know this but cherries are one of the only foods that naturally have melatonin in them...great for regulating heart rhythms and also it promotes healthy sleep cycles. Cherries also contain anthocyanins which is great for people who have arthritis or swelling (like gout.) Superfoods amaze me.

And it would also seem that I've been growing my very own flower child - she gets her good taste honestly. And speaking of honest, five little ponies and a cutsie t shirt for 3 bucks is a total steal - yah for good quality thrift stores - makes me wanna dance, and I just might....in my back yard surrounded by sage and tomatoes.

Domestic...Is Back

My friends....the domestic Alyssa is back - in a big way. In a *cleaning with vinegar, digging out the percolator coffee pot, cooking up meals from scratch, and head swimming with craft ideas* type way. Yes indeed....I think I'm me again. Maybe it's the month of September that has given me this *burst* of energy (Lord knows I'm not getting any more sleep thanks to my night owl named Finn) - maybe God has given me another dose of hope....but I'm just feeling happy.
Today I did just a few things -
~planted our seasonal mums with the two middle kids (can you have two middle?!)
~washed a load of laundry
~cooked two meals
~gathered kindling for our outdoor fireplace
~chopped wood for our outdoor fireplace( okay, okay...just a few pieces but still....I did use an axe)
~did a hour of school with Brady and Trin

~played hide and go seek
~played Snow White (once again I had to be the evil queen...I never get to play the heroine)
~changed 8 diapers...cleaned up 3 pee messes
~ gave two kids bubble baths
~dug the percolator out of the shed (I'm craving REAL coffee...none of this coffee maker jazz)
~played Duck Duck Goose with three kids that found the game very complicated. ???
~trimmed Trin's hair
...and the list goes on - but I'll stop for now



Ah, just writing down all of my tasks (and there as some things missing from that list yall) makes me feel so good...so productive. I think it's just the thought that fall is on it's way...the season of giving is just around the corner...children's birthdays are coming up - just a lot to look forward to. I got some of the things out of our shed that I had packed up (for the move that didn't happen) and it was kind of like opening up a Christmas package or something. I just kept thinking to myself "wow, I forgot we had this book" or "oh yah, that picture use to hang in the living room." Hanging my pictures up again and taking pride in my little home just felt so good...it's nice to be content.

And speaking of packages....take a peek at my new earrings my good friend Danyelle sent to me. I'm loving them...and can't believe that a friend that lives all the way in Canada...and hasn't seen me for about 13 years or so - has such a good sense of "Alyssa taste." It was such a nice little "pick me up" to open my mail box and find some fall clothes for the kids and chocolate for me(I HAVE been sharing) ....such a blessing (thanks dear Tulip...you are a gem).

During craft time today (wow...this post is really ALL OVER THE PLACE isn't it?) I came up with the idea...literally in 2 minutes. It was like this "here kids, everyone grab a piece of wood. Hmmmm...we can stick these little jewel flowers I have on them (thanks Grandma Grace) and then...oh, we can draw stems. Oh wow...you know what? Lets tape on some cotton balls for clouds!" Yes..that's the way I "school" my kids. But in the end...we had craft time, reading and writing and a math page with Brady, Bible songs and ABC's with Tristan, Trin learned to write the letter C and D and then she did an alphabet game on the computer. All in all...everyone learned something (except Brady...he already knew all of it.)

I know, I know...my creativity is inspiring. The "stems" are made from a black permanent marker and a green crayon. If I had actually thought it all out beforehand, I could have painted the board blue for contrast and to create a "sky." I'm sure that would have added so much more "drama" here (sarcasm is GREATLY implied if you're wondering.)

The kids thought they were amazingly beautiful though....I'm just wondering how long I'll need to keep them around before "donating" them somewhere. I'm not really serious (yes I am.)

Curly locks, Curly locks

Wilt thou be mine?

Thou shalt not was dishes

Nor yet feed the swine,

But sit on a cushion

And sew a fine seam,

And feed upon strawberries,

Sugar and cream.

Well, she probably won't be feeding swine anytime soon, but she'll definitely be washing a few dishes in her day.

And now, my head is swimming with ideas for our rainy day tomorrow. I have cinnamon rolls in the fridge ready to bake in the morning (recipe from Moneysavingmom.com) and the coffee set up on the stove. The babies are all asleep and I'm HOPING that I will get some rest myself. i calculated that I haven't slept through the night for at least 7 months now....since Finn has been born I've been up every 2-3 hours STILL. It's okay though...some days are rough without the sleep...but honestly, sometimes i just love the extra snuggle time with my littlest.

God is good...even in times of "wandering" and "forgetting"...times of feeling insecure and times of questioning - God's love remains the same. His gifts remain the same....love, forgiveness, and beauty - these things are always constant and available for anyone that wants them...and sometimes if you don't.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Labor Day weekend,

hugs,

Alyssa

Getting Back Into the Swing

Yesterday was so normal I felt out of place. I made up my mind the night before that I would wake up and just get at it....no thinking and rethinking what I felt like doing...no excuses - just plunge in. It was so interesting walking around our yard and seeing the difference that one week without care can produce. The yard is a jungle, plants were fried by the sun...but the flowers actually had a chance to grow without little hands around to pick them.

Here is my one lone tomato that grew in our absence. The bush was growing and blossoming and is now a lovely shade of light brown...completely burned to a crisp by the sun. Yikes. I think I'll be enjoying this little fella later on tonight on a bacon/boiled egg/ranch dressing salad. Yummo.

Routine is back in place and my heart is soaring. Yesterday the kids and I made little charts with tasks for them each to complete (Share toys, make up bed, Be kind to others....that sort of thing) and we hung them on the fridge. Funny how inspired kids are to do right just for the sake of placing a sticker in the coordinating box - wish I were inspired that easily(okay....so I am. I definitely am one of those people that would love a chart with gold stars.) Yesterday I probably read at least 6 books to them, dance 3 or 4 jigs, baked bread, worked out....sewed up a gift for one very special sister. I think I forgot what productive felt like...I love it, thrive on it. Thank God for work.

I'm also happy to report that Tristan is doing well and I think Zac and I will be attempting to take the stitches out of his little finger today. Wish us luck.

Tristan has been growing and thriving...today he has been practicing standing without holding on to anything and just this morning when I was done changing his diaper he looked at me and put his hands out and said "ah da" (translation "all done.") It was SOOOO cute...wish I could video every new word the moment he says them...someday there will probably be some type of necklace with a recorder on it just for that purpose. My grandchildren will all be wearing them and i'll be saying "Now, why couldn't they have had that when I was a young mother?"

He's also learning new tricks...looking between his legs being the favorite.

And just for kicks, I wanted to share this absolutely CHARMING music video that Kate sent me off of youtube. It's so perfect I think I laughed all the way through the song and the kids LOVE it. I think we watched it at least 7 times in a row. Coming soon to a home near you....3 sets of bird wings.

Squirrels' in the Garden

"Hey Lisa" my neighbor called "did you know you got beans growin' down there?"
"Oh, really?" says I " we just checked the other day! I'll go down and pick them later." Well....in mama years - "later" turned out to be TWO DAYS later. It was hot....it was so very humid...but I couldn't stand the thought of our neighbors thinking we were irresponsible young folk that would just let good food go to waste. Ha ha! So, I grabbed a small wood bowl, put Tristan on my hip...grabbed Trin by the hand...yelled "come on" to Brady (there just aren't enough hands ,folks) and we made our way down to the garden.

I dropped Tristan off in some clover to play....i didn't think he'd be any good at picking beans quite yet...

Squirrel ran over to the lettuce right away and started picking feverishly. I had to slow her down a bit since she was shredding the lettuce.

"And wherever Trin and Brady went the cat was sure to go...."

And behold...there were beans. Lots and lots of beans. Seven inch long beans. I don't even to begin to pretend that I have a "green" thumb...mostly it's black and blue. BUT....if you want to feel like you're really good at gardening...just dump a pack of green beans in the dirt and watch them grow! Trin was extremely intense during her whole picking experience....she barely talked...just picked and picked until her little wooden bowl was full. I had to actually run up to the house to get another bowl since our little one was overflowing with vitamin packed goodness.

I forgot how quickly Tristan can move. I left him, what i thought, a safe distance from the soft brown dirt. He crawled so quickly though that when I looked up I saw his hands full of mud...going directly for the mouth. Needless to say, he got his microorganism count for the day. Tomorrow I'm taking him to a friends to see if we can catch the chicken pox...keep your fingers crossed for us!

Back to the house with our treasure. Trini picked half a row all by herself and cleaned and cleaned all of the beans (with a little help from the mama.)

I love how she washed each of them...one by one...her little eyes shining with the new love of 'gardening.' So sweet and felt truly happy watching her experience this - one of my dreams came true in a hours time....

It was a sweet day all together...a nice bonding time with the kids after a long week away from them at VBS. Brady did so good at the church all week but I knew that he was ready for some solitude. It's sweet to find your children taking pleasure in their surroundings and being content in their own little spaces. I want to remember this for the rest of the week....to look at my home with a renewed sense of gratitude and love....thanking God for the blessing of just being with my littles and with Zac....loving our home and all the little quirks about it and the place where we live.

Summer is such a special time of year. Being able to eat from the garden, long days and pretty sunsets (which I haven't seen yet but know they are out there - sunsets I mean)....flowers and flowers...birds and more birds - a time to rest from a busy soccer coaching schedule...it's a good life. I leave with my favorite quote...not because it really ties into this post very well (I guess it sort of does) but because I want to remember this week what life and love are all about. Perhaps this week when I look at my growing sunflowers, or a fresh strawberry growing in our teeny patch....I'll remember to be kind...to speak with gentleness.

If we would have a true home, we must guard well our thoughts and actions. A single bitter word may disquiet the home for a whole day; but, like unexpected flowers which spring up along our path full of freshness, fragrance and beauty, so do kind words and gentle acts and sweet disposition make glad the home where peace and blessing dwell. No matter how humble the abode, if it be thus garnished with grace and sweetened by kindness and smiles, the heart will turn lovingly towards it from all the tumults of the world, and home, " be it ever so humble," will be the dearest spot under the sun. -Golden Gems of Life

Yardsale and a Lazy Day

I don't think I've been yard saling myself (I've had two in the last year) for quite some time. A couple of reasons for this....the yard sale quality around here has been kind of the pits. And two - usually browsing around yard sales for hours with little kids just isn't really all that pleasurable. I mean...the "no touches" are endless.
Friday, I had a change of heart. I was on my way to the grocery store (7:56 am thank -you- very -much) and a whole slew of tables and goods were being set up all along the side of the road. Good stuff....I could see the treasures from far off. After you've started yard saling...you can spot a good one from a distance - I really think of it as a talent. :) After I got home we loaded the kids up and went browsing and after a couple of stops i came away with :
- a pair of leather kid's boots
- 7 hand embroidered kitchen towels (different little critter for each day of the week - SO CUTE)
- 4 lovely pottery coffee cups ($1.50 for 4!)
- a throw blanket from Mexico

- a single duvet plus the pillowcase (such a lovely green color don't you think?!)

- pair of old navy shorts for the mama

- a wooden safety gate

- this lovely set of wooden candle stick holders......ahhhh...my head is still spinning from the great deals. Total spent....20 bucks....oh yah...also an Abercrombie shirt and a HUGE hunting knife for Zac that was made in Brazil.

Brady's loves his little blanket set. I made Trin a duvet last week and hadn't been able to make something for the boy yet....just none of the fabrics at the ol' Hobby Lobby really suited my fancy. Anyhoo....a dollar for a duvet and pillowcase...you just can't beat that. AND...it's cute. Pictures of the kids room coming in about a week...we still have one last project to complete before the grand unveiling....wait for it....

Brady has been asking me all week if we could buy him a tie. For some reason he thinks it's something that every boy should have, and I guess he's right. I told him that we would go to the thrift store and get him one on Friday....so he waited ALL week and the thrift store didn't disappoint. We got there and sure enough there was a big rack full of striped,Paisley and polka dots with a big sign "50 cents" above them all. "Go ahead Brady....pick which one you want" I said. His eyes were as big as quarters....just trying to grasp why mom was being so very generous. What can i say?

After we got home Brady made up his little dancing outfit and took Trin for a whirl. I think the tie helped his dancing skills....right as I was ready to take this pic he took a bow.

I had to show off my new little wall decal that I am loving....isn't it so cute? I'm in LOVE with wall decals. I like the fact that some of them look like you have painted on your wall for hours...when really it just takes a few minutes to apply. But then, you have a gorgeous piece of art and no nail holes! I've found that etsy is the BEST place to find decals for cheap and they have TONS to choose from. Sometime just go do a search....I'm already knowing that your wish list will grow tenfold....mine did. :)

Last night I was reading CHILDHOOD MAGIC and she shared a wonderful easy craft to do with kids that they will love. Check it out if you have time - there is a template and instructions and it is easy peasy to make you own balancing butterfly.

We went out this morning to check the flower "bloomage" and weren't disappointed with SCADS (that's really not a great word to describe flowers but I ain't got nothin' else yall) of lilies. So very gorgeous.

Brady had to give his butterfly a drink of nectar

And the garden didn't disappoint either! We had our first salad with our fresh greens and it was delicious....loving that folic acid for my sweetling (aka baby #4) and with turkey bacon, boiled egg and black olives...come to mama. Hope everyone had a happy Saturday and has a wonderful Sunday.