My Pinterest Birthday Garden

I have fallen prey to Pinterest, the online pin board system.  I love looking at new recipes and ideas to make life easier and prettier.  One idea I wanted to try was the pallet garden.  I've tried gardening a few times with containers or my flower beds, with limited success due to weeds or drought.  I liked this pallet garden idea because it was raised for better drainage and easier weeding.  My birthday was coming up, so I used that as an excuse to get help setting this up.  We picked up some pallets beside a gas station dumpster.  When we got the best looking one outside, Adam decided it needed a base.

So we pried boards off the other rejected pallets, as shown here.  The kids had recently attended a Sears how to workshop and each have their own personal hammer, which they were happy to put to use.

 After Adam slid boards in the bottom, we filled it with dirt and planted vegetables.  It's growing great!  Here the kids are with the finished project.  They looked a little worn out.

You Might Be a Nerd If...

You make sight word door decorations for your kids.

Yesterday Claire's teacher sent us home with the list of all the first grade sight words.  That's right, first grade.  She said that if Claire can read all of those, she can be on a second grade reading level by the end of the year!  Woot!  So I got inspired and have been drilling her secretly on the words ever since.  She doesn't realize that writing the words and decorating her door helps her learn them.  As does watching Mama do high kicks for every word she reads right.  Next stop:  sight word hop scotch!

Gratitude List

I am so blessed.  Examining any aspect of my life brings forth laundry lists of blessings.  For example, the laundry on the couch reminds me that everyone in my family is blessed with nice clothes that fit and look good.  The couch is from IKEA and makes me thankful for both sturdy furniture we can afford and a husband with skills to put said furniture together.

Here's my official list, in no particular order:

Today I am thankful for:

1.  Kashi cereal
It's healthy, and it doesn't get soggy when I have to stop eating to go turn on a light for Paul or to let a dog out.

2.  Wake-up Dog
I was considering sleeping in a little and enjoying the rain, but Sugar Dot heard my alarm and knew it was time to get up.  I was forced to sit upright to avoid more licks on the face.

3.  My new workout partner
Last week Paul rode his scooter while I biked around the neighborhood.  I had to keep my legs moving to keep pace with that boy.  It was such a great workout that this week we hit the Trinity Trails.  I walked/jogged and he scooted.  I think we covered a mile each way.  I had to work hard to keep pace with that scooter, which was good for me.  He got to keep picking up sticks and bugs, which was good for him. 

4.  Main Street Arts Festival
The kids and I went with our neighbors yesterday.  I was disappointed that there were less free activities for the kids, but I enjoyed pulling the wagon around and showing the kids different types of artwork.  Paul's favorite part was standing and watching a man play the guitar.  He also loved climbing the 28 ft. tall rock wall.  Claire loved getting a free rubber duck and seeing paintings of horses.

5.  Lunch with Claire
On Wednesday, we took Claire lunch.  It's so fun sitting amongst kindergartners and listening to each child's excitement at the day.  Claire's teacher always tells me Paul and I don't have to sit in the middle of the class table, but that's what we love to do.  I get to hear the high points of the day from Claire and all her friends.  Plus, if she has any tater tots or apples left over, we just pass them down the table.  I am blessed that my schedule permits me to do such fun activities.

6.  Gardening success (knock on wood)
A few weeks ago, we planted a pallet garden for my birthday.  It is thriving.  We haven't gotten any vegetables or fruit yet, but the leaves look great and we know it's just a matter of time.  We've got rosemary, oregano, strawberries, bell pepper, squash, and watermelon plants growing in a discarded wooden pallet.  I love it!

7.  Cardboard box giveaway
Last week I was having a day where I wasn't feeling like a very good mother.  We'd had some discipline issues that day and I was frustrated.  The doorbell ringing changed all that.  Our next door neighbor had just bought a new dryer and he offered the empty box to the kids.  Claire and Paul were elated.  Our neighbor went on to tell me for several minutes what good parents Adam and I are.  It changed my entire outlook on the day.

8.  Coupon sharing
My mother-in-law is a couponer like myself.  For years now, we've cut out the coupons we wanted and then shared the leftovers.  We don't buy the same things, so I get excited about double coupons.

9.  Surprise visit from a friend
My friend Melody has been visiting occasionally to pray and talk.  We'd missed a few weeks due to hectic schedules, and Monday morning when I had a moment of calm, I regretted not calling and inviting her to come over.  Just about that time the doorbell rang and she came over.  I was so happy.

10. Healthy home
The kids have been fighting illnesses on a rotating basis the last month, but we are currently all healthy and happy.

11.  School carnival
The kids got to live out a dream of having rainbow hair at the Bruce Shulkey carnival.  Though Claire's only in kindergarten, we've been going to it for several years.  The PTA does a great job of putting together a smoothly organized event with tons of people and fun. 

12.  Birthday love
My birthday fell on Good Friday this year.  Claire had a school holiday, so Adam took the day off as well.  We planted a garden, hung around the house, went for hamburgers, and then trekked to the Half Price Books headquarters in Dallas.  It was a birthday that I savored every minute.  The next day we went for an Easter gathering for my side of the family, which turned into a surprise birthday party for my uncle and I.  I felt so loved.

13.  Organization hope and help
I am constantly striving to keep the house cleaner and more organized.  I am so grateful that there are email lists that I can subscribe to that offer tips and tricks on this.  Seeing it in my inbox keeps it on the forefront of my mind and has ended up with greater success.  I won't say we're organized yet, but we're on the road to it.  (Here's the two list that I subscribe to FREE:  http://www.simplify101.com/
and http://simplemom.net/)

14.  Crochet for Jesus
My friend Lana is teaching me how to crochet as a spiritual discipline.  She says the names of the Trinity when she crochets, but I'm a beginner, so I've stuck with "Grace and peace, grace and peace, grace and peace."  I only know chain-stitching right now and not very well apparently.  After four days of practice, she told me to make it tighter and start over.  It's okay.  That's just more grace and peace for me.  She tells me I will appreciate this when I'm awesome at crocheting.  I'll let you know.

15.  Sprinklertime
It's already summer weather here, so the kids are loving jumping on the trampoline with the sprinkler on top.  I'm sure neighbors a block away can hear the giggles; the kids are ecstatic.  Even when Paul is home with just me and does it, I have to just sit and observe the sheer happiness that comes from the sprinkler on the trampoline.

16.  Apology letters
The other day Claire misbehaved and wrote me a lovely apology note.  I made her do that for her teacher once when she was on red, but for her to do it on her own to me was remarkable.

17.  Power Rangers fights
I don't know if my readers have ever watched Super Samurai Power Rangers, but I wouldn't recommend it.  I feel my brain cells dying when I pass by the TV and it's on.  In my defense, I've only let the kids watch it when they are sick, mostly.  Despite the dumbness of watching models jump around and fight Moogers (yep, sounds like boogers), I am thankful that it inspires my children to play.  Our kitchen has become a battlefield for Moogers and Power Rangers.  Claire is one of the girl Power Rangers; she rotates depending on mood.  Paul is always the Gold Ranger, Antonio.  My legs were sore this week from all the high kicks I had to do as the bad guys.

18.  Competitive gratitude from the children
I bought each child a $1 clearance Easter stuffed animal from Wal-Mart last week.  They were competing to see who was more thankful.  "Mama, thank you so much," one would say.  "No, Mama, thank you so so much," the other one would say.  By the time I had to stop it, they were saying, "Mama, thank you so so so so so so so so so so much!"

19.  Indifference about material items
Time and time again, this has happened.  I have finally learned my lesson and stopped interfering.  Paul will come up to me and tell me how much he likes a particular small ball or other toy.  Then Claire will come in pouting, saying, "I wish I had that same exact item."  Then Paul turns to her and gives it to her with a "You can have this, Claire."  It breaks my heart to see him giving away items he just professed love to, but isn't that how we're supposed to be with material things?  It's just stuff and we've got a lot of it.  I've talked to Claire a few times about asking for what's not hers, but sometimes she's not even asking for it, just observing that she would like a toy like that.  Those kids teach me life lessons every day.

20.  A parenting plan
Adam and I attended a Love and Logic class when Claire was a baby.  It was awesome because it gave us a parenting plan.  We are nearly always on the same page as far as discipline.  We have the same goals and a plan of how to get to them.  We never have to argue about disciplining the children because we have a parenting plan.  (Note that I didn't say we never argue.  We just never argue about discipline.  Rather, we consult each other.  I wanted to put that in for those who might mistakenly think we are actually perfect.  Not so.)

Woohoo!  That's a lot of gratitude!  Now off to wake the kids!

The Bracelet: A lesson in humility

Before my paternal grandmother died, she gave me a gold bracelet.  It's a family heirloom and has been worn at our family's weddings for about 100 years.  She told me it was mine to keep, with one exception.  When my sister got married, I was to let her wear it to the ceremony.
My grandmother passed away at about the same time the rift between my parents and me was growing. Six years later, my sister is about to get married.
I am not invited.
Of course I remembered the bracelet, but I also remember my grandmother, and her no-nonsense ways.  If she were still alive, I believe many of my family dynamics would be different.  I'm not sure what she would say about the bracelet.  I'm sure she assumed I would be invited to my only sibling's wedding.
So though I know about the wedding from the invitations sent to my grandfather's home, I wasn't going to offer the bracelet.
My granddad remembered it anyway.
When the initial realization hit me that my family would not be invited to my sister's wedding, I had to take several days to mentally re-frame the situation and realize that this isn't about me.  I am not the central person in this problem.  Maybe our exclusion is more about my parents' and sister's problems than mine.
Feeling confident in my healthy perspective, I was dealt another lesson in humility when my grandfather called me to ask about the bracelet.  He didn't realize it was in my possession, and asked me to bring it to his house so we could talk about it and he could send it to my sister.
I made him promise I would get it back.
Because I loved my grandmother and I love my grandfather today, I brought the bracelet to his house. Again I reminded myself that I was doing this for them, and it wasn't about me.
My grandfather and I sat in his office talking and he got out all the materials he would need to mail the bracelet.  He handed them to me and asked me to take it to the post office.
My grandfather wasn't being insensitive.  He's 87 and is trying to drive as little as possible.  Taking a package to the post office is overwhelming for him.  Priority mail?  What's that?  Once again, I reminded myself that this wasn't about me, that having me take this to the post office kept him and his Cadillac off the streets and maybe even saved lives.
A few friends advised me not to mail it; the bracelet is too valuable they said, or they reminded me that I might never see it again.  It's not about the bracelet, I said.  It's about relationship.  Sure, I love that bracelet and I hope I do get it back.  But an action in honor of my deceased grandmother, in honor of the relationship I used to have with my sister, is more important than any bracelet.
So I did it.  I humbly mailed the bracelet to my sister, for the sake of my grandparents.  I did it to show that a relationship is more important than the possible loss of jewelry.  I did it to show my sister that through it all, I do love her and wish her the best for her wedding and marriage.