Winter books

Well, we are back. I've been on Wordpress, but they don't allow you to put Amazon links in there. I really like the Amazon links...not because I want you to purchase books at Amazon...but I like the pictures and reviews about the books. I love books so much and it's nice to see all their pictures. Some books are so good that I can spot them anywhere.

Here are three sweet little books that go along perfectly with Winter! I really like finding good Winter books. We celebrate Christmas, but I often find a lot of Christmas books are just the same ole thing and some are just downright cheezy. I've been really working on trying to enjoy each season more since we move up here. We got snow twice this year...amazing. But, I don't want to develop SAD and I found this year by enjoying the season it really did help me a lot. I wasn't afraid to get wet or in the snow this Fall and Winter. I pretended I was a little kid who isn't bothered by anything when they want to play. I splashed in puddles in the parking lot with my toddler and I wasn't one bit embarassed with wet pants when I walked through the grocery store. I do think next year I'm going to get some golasshes though. I have some cool slip on shoes, but they aren't the same.



I love the illustrations in this book. Perfect for all you nature lovers.





Well, there is no picture for this one. But, it is beautiful black, white and red illustrations! Just lovely. There is another book with the same title, but I'm not sure if it's good. I know the other one has lots of colored illustrations. I love books with black and white illustrations.

Gardens can change the World (clickable link)

Once you get to the permaculture site you can scroll down on the right hand side. Click on the picture that says Greening the Desert.

I've been working on a research paper that was fueled by the book...The Last Child in the Woods. It's amazing how once you start something you love then all the things you have never noticed before start moving into place.

Since, it's winter I'm working on getting my garden going for next year. I really want a living garden that goes all year long. A yard the just keeps on giving. I know I live in Washington State, but it would be nice if eventually I could be growing more cold weather crops. I do have my grandmother's greenhouse and we have yet to set it up because we could never decide on a good place for it in the yard. I think I'm going to let my dh win. I think he picked out a nice spot. I plan to put it up in January or maybe February this year. I'll have to talk to my Dad about what I need to do for electricity and such. I would love to start my plants out there. I remember going in that greenhouse when I was young with my grandma. It's such a special memory I would love to be able to walk out there and play in it and think of her. We even saved the block that my mom and her brother's and sister's made when they bought it for my grandma. They have their handprints and names on them. So, I'm going to make some of my kids to put in there, too. (I'm all teary eyed now....)

Here's some links I added to my sidebar...

GardenWeb...great regional boards

Vegan Organic Network

Scut's Gardening Page

Plant a row for the Hungry

What I did this summer

Do you remember having those reports for school? I just thought about that on my way to school this morning.

This summer I turned 30.
This summer I got an iPod.
This summer I got my first real on a contract cell phone.

Bike lovers

I love bikes and bike friendly cities. For some reason I forgot that when we bought a house here. It is completely scary to ride a bike here at all. No one is used to it and you won't live long. So, I lust after bike riders who are so brave. Maybe I'll get a fullbright and I can go to Denmark and bike my children around in one of these...

Christiania Bikes

Stupid things the Potato Board says...

Oh yes...they really said this about the wonderful potato. You can read it for yourself. The list all the wonderful valuable things about eating a potato and then they dive into this beautiful and very likely highly paid for bit of information.

So think of a potato as a big vitamin pill you can top with butter, cheddar, chives, sour cream, bacon, black beans, cheesy chicken...

You can add those tasty toppings to your potato because it contains no fat or cholesterol and minimal sodium.

If you are reading this than you know I am a big supporter of a Plant Based Diet. Evan (the husband) and I were just talking about potassium. So, we thought we would google for foods that have more potassium than a banana because everyone moms says to eat bananas right.

Uhmmmmm.....if cholesterol is bad for you and the potato has none than does that really give you permission to add some to the top?

Preschool stuff

Escher is three years old now and won't be going to preschool yet. But, I thought I would start a post to share some of the stuff he will be doing or enjoys reading. He really, really loves board books. He goes straight for them at the library! So, a lot of the books he gets are board books. He loves to carry them around and I guess they are just easier for him to handle. The older two didn't care for them much, but Escher seems to have problems with keeping a hold on things.

Potential

We have realized something we have in common. My dh and I cannot always find something we have in common.

We see the Potential in everything. We bypass the reality and see the potential. We spend our time trying to lure and pull and push the potential from everything and everyone.

We bought our house on Potential. It's still sitting here after two years. Barren and hardly touched.

It's a glaze or a haze all around us. We wear these dark sunglasses that block our view.

I'm trying to decide if it's a detriment to us.

Happy Birthday to me!

I am going to be 30 soon, and I thought I might share my wishlist...hint, hint, hint.

My Amazon Wishlist

Gluten-Free Diet Change

I just could not take anymore with my youngest. He is three years old. The past year he has been in speech therapy. Last year at this time he wasn't talking at all. AT ALL! My oldest has Aspergers, My Grandfather has Aspergers...Does my youngest have something, too?

I get yelled at all day long. He seemed to be doing better since having Therapy. But, still things just weren't right.

I had previously looked into a GF/CF diet for our oldest with Aspergers. But, I became overwhelmed and my dh just did not seem supportive. A few weeks ago I told him I don't care. I need to try something or I will feel useless.

Within the first few days our E (3) was talking almost clearly and trying to complete full sentences. Plus, he started using the potty. He just said poop in the potty and went in there and did it!

This morning my husband sneaks in and says he got donuts for the boys, but he doesn't want E to have any so he is hiding them in his shop.

Yikes...I have got to learn to make donuts now.

The Grass Eaters

I have to vent and my poor husband has heard too much already.

The Grass Eaters

I had to take an online class this quarter to get full credits. I love the book we are using and it's studying World Literature.

BUT, the people in my class have no compassion or understanding of what it means to be human. They are so tarnished by having everything in America that they are MAKING ME CRAZY.

Comments on this piece were of the following thoughtful remarks....

This is a great comedy...yes this person actually read the piece because he made remarks and quotes from different parts. He really thinks this is a comedic look on living a hard life.

These people are so happy...yes this person read this and thought it was so wonderful that they could now go along in their life being happy for all the things they have because these poor starving people could be happy. They then proceeded to talk about their day of going to the gym and shopping and how they were so thankful for this. How does that compare to being thankful for grass?

One person actually could not figure out why a school teacher could not afford better living situations.

Not one person mention anything about the "maffia" of Landlords or the slavery of children. I'm appalled. I'm embarrassed.

These characters are just numb. Numb from pain, loss, and a world they cannot escape. There is no person that deserves to live like this. UGH.

Now, I am done. I am not too sensitive. The reason we open our eyes to the world around us is not to appreciate everything we have and be happy that we do not have to live like that. It is so we can do something about pain, hurt, and disease.

My two handed painter.

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Originally uploaded by ojaimommie.

I'm updated my pic. Here is my youngest artist. He loves to paint two handed!

Science Lessons

This site is really wonderful. I think I will use it some this summer! There are coloring sheets and fun hands-on activities for each lesson.

Off to the library...

Library
Originally uploaded by ojaimommie.

we go!

I know this is a double post to both blogs. We love our new crate. It has wheels and a telescoping handle! The only problem is we need one for each boy, as well as Mom!

Camping Alone

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Originally uploaded by ojaimommie.

Here is a pic from our camping trip.
We were all alone,
just the two of us.
It was lovely.

This sidewalk is from the housing area down to a cliff.
It seems so silly now when you think of the women who were all dressed up with no place to go except for this sidewalk. I hope some of them were brave enough to going for a hike through the beautiful woods.

Why you should fall to your knees and worship a librarian

Librarian Avengers....if you appreciate a Librarian for all their shining glory

Yes, I am still very, very much considering being a Librarian and not a College Professor and it is mostly because of this...People become librarians because they know too much. Their knowledge extends beyond mere categories. They cannot be confined to disciplines. Well, not because of that exact quote, but because that is who I am. I realize that. I'm interested in everything. I like to order it all up and make sure that everyone knows what they should know.

Picking out a College Major has been really difficult for me. I kept trying out new classes and find that I'm good at it and enjoy it. Being back in College has given me a different outlook on myself. I enjoy talking with my professors and learning their insights into me. So far, I have learned that being sensitive is ok and that learning and understanding about different cultures is really important to me. I am enjoying this journey and I'm so pleased that I waited till I was a bit older.

This summer is for making rhythm

This summer we will be working on rhythm. Since, both of us parents started school we have been flying by the seats of our pants. It just is not working. We had a big garage sale and got rid of a bunch of junk and the rest is going to the auction. Dad has been cleaning out the basement. There must be something to Feng Shui and the whole don't store stuff under your bed.

Mom managed to get night classes, so she has the whole day to hang out with the boys!

We are working on a list of family activities.


Earthways: Simple Environmental Activities for Young Children

I love, love, love this book. It is a good introduction to Waldorf. I think it is really good for families who like aspects of Waldorf, but do not want to send their children to a Waldorf school. You could be like us, we just cannot afford it and we just cannot manage the long drive to the school everyday.

Some of the things we plan to do or have inspired to do through this book are:
1. Tepee building: We already have a grape vine house, so I think we are going to do the stick house instead.
2. Placemats: This one is inspired by the prayer for Thanksgiving. We are planning to make paper placemats and handwrite verses or beautiful quotes on them and then decorate them with leaves, flowers, and small sticks from our yard. We go to the beach a lot, so maybe some sand and shells, too.
3. Along those lines, I really like the idea of having a nature table. I think it might work better if we do the above placemats once a week and then do a little nature area in the center of our kitchen table. We normally do some kind of decoration there anyway and it sure would be fun to the let the boys do it once a week.


Weekends with the Kids: Activities, Crafts, Recipes: Hundreds of Ideas for Family Fun

This book looks amazing from the front, but there was not enough pictures. Maybe it's just me, but I think if you are going to make a book for us moms who need a little help in the creative department that you would at the very least include bright colored photographs. None the less I was inspired and I have created this list.

4. Fill a mixing bowl with beans and 5-10 small objects. Blindfold your friend and have them guess what they are feeling.
5. Ice Cube Hunt Give a kid a bucket of ice cubes and have them hide them around the yard. Everyone gets to find the ice cubes before they melt.
6. Have a picnic in the grape vine house. Our "house" is not really a house, but it still is fun to sit under. I think we need to add some more stakes though and enlarge it this year.
7. Make grape vine wreathes or vine houses for Army men. (What can I say I have 3 boys!)
8. Lie outside on your back and find shapes in the clouds.
9. Have a scavenger hunt or treasure hunt. (The boys love treasure hunts. We have them get buckets and collect stuff from around the house. Then they have to write out their own list-handwriting skills-and one of parents hides everything.
10. Be the Sweet Dream Elf and put a little note, a tiny prize or a night-night nibble on everyone's pillow. (I think I will do this just for fun!)

And more...
11. Origami...I know I saw a book that had the paper and stuff all together. Just got the inspiration from:

Fold Me a Poem

India

We have been reading Story of the World Volume Two. We have come to Chapter 5, The Medieval Indian Empire. Yes, it is taking us a long time. We are taking a stop to enjoy India, mostly because it's Mom and Dad's favorite country. Mom is hoping to learn Sanskrit when she transfers.

Watch for updates!

Quiz results

Oh so positive =P

What obsolete skill are you?

You are 'growing one's own food'.You are guided by two words: 'Live simply.' You value quality over quantity in most things, and you have little use for the materialism and consumerism of modern culture. You know the value of hard work and try to be self-sufficient as much as possible, and what you do you do well. Unfortunately, no man is an island, and you cannot do everything yourself. Your puritanical work ethic makes makes people think that you are weird, and not much fun. Your problem is that growing one's own food has been obsolete for a long time.
Take this quiz!








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A quick run out to the woods...

We planned and received a
last minute
trip to the woods.

I cannot believe,
I cannot imagine
what could be better than such a wonderful
smoky night.

We went
just the two of us.
We made dinner in the dark.
We forgot coleman.

No rain.
Waves crashing.
New tent.
Love.
Sleep.

I went for a two hour walk.
I get afraid
alone in the woods.
If I sing
I am not alone.

Why are my boys
so beautiful
when I return?

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DSC03056.JPG
Originally uploaded by ojaimommie.

I'm changing my pic.