The Mad Hatter

Once upon a time, long ago and far away I tried to teach myself to knit. Since I am more of a visual, watch someone else kind of learner, it didn't go so well. Fast forward to our DC assignment, where I met my friend Lorri. She is a fabulous knitter, and whenever I would see her she would be working on another great project. Then another neighbor moved in, and she was great at crocheting, and was learning to knit as well. With two wonderful teachers, a knitter was born.

The top three hats were done on straight needles with a pattern you can find at: http://cyberseams.com/article/105285/all_things_knitting/hat_pattern_fitted_amp_knitted_for_straight_needles.html

My friends tease and say I have authority issues, as I always seem to tweak the patterns a bit. This time it was for sizing and striping. I love the way the decrease looks, it makes a nice fitted skull cap The General thinks is cool. His is the red on bottom, grey on top. He designed the stripes on that one.

The bottom two are just simple roll brim hats, knitted in the round. This one is a baby hat for a friend who is waiting to adopt. I can't wait to see their baby in this sweet little hat. Of course if they get a boy, I'll have to get knitting again.

My favorite things about knitting and crocheting are: The compact nature of your supplies. You can easily carry a project with you and work on it when you have a few free moments. It doesn't take up a lot of space in my very small base house. It is very relaxing, and last but not least I love seeing a finished project. So much of what I do as a stay-at-home, home schooling momma isn't so easy to see. You clean the toilet, it gets dirty. You teach a math lesson, there is always another one the next day. With knitting, I sit down to a project and after a few days I have something tangible to show for my time.

Snow Days

Bubby LOVES the snow. He helped Daddy shovel the sidewalk, played, went sledding, and howled when we made him come in. His chubby little cheeks started to turn white, poor baby. All he wanted was more time outside. It's a good thing we had whipped topping for the hot chocolate today!

Princess and her friends found a little hill in the neighborhood for sledding. She had such a great time. She too enjoyed a day of fun in the snow. Here's a tip I had never thought of: NEVER let your long haired, slightly curly haired girl outside to whirl around all day without braids! It took a good half hour of wet, conditioned hair to get all the snarls out.

Where, oh where in all this wintry fun is The General?? Well, this mean mom made them do math before they could enjoy the snow day. . .one of the downsides to being a home schooled kid.

Then there was the wardrobe issues. You see The General has had a growth spurt, and his snow boots and pants no longer fit. Guess whose things he borrowed? MINE! I can't believe he can wear my boots without tripping all over the place. Where did my little boy go?

Well, by the time he had worked all the kinks out of his uncomfortable winter clothing Dad had already come in with the camera. He and an army buddy did enjoy making forts. Unfortunately, since he had my cold weather gear, this Momma was not heading out in the weather to get pictures.

The Great Wolf Lodge

Looking for a way to beat the winter blues? How about a trip to the Great Wolf Lodge? We recently visited the one down in Williamsburg, VA. What a place. . . These are our very good friends. They were stationed here in DC with us, but have since moved on. They are still on the East Coast, so we make it a point to get together whenever possible.

We scored a Kid's Kamp room this time. Bubby LOVED his bed, who wouldn't? Isn't it just adorable? To think this is just the room and lobby. Sorry I have no photos of the waterpark. We were too busy playing.

If you have never been to a Great Wolf Lodge, think of an indoor waterpark--on steriods! There are water areas for the little tykes, there are wave pools and surf type areas for the big kids. There is the lazy river, that basketball--floaty area great for king of the hill, and of course the water slides. Some are calm, and some are more adventurous. We all love the Howlin' Tornado.

Since we are homeschoolers, we headed down mid week. (The rates are cheaper mid-week, and they also have a military discount.) Usually we are greeted with deserted arenas, not so much this time. It was a Maryland school break, so the place was packed. Even with all of the people, we still received excellent service. Once you made it past the check in line, it was smooth sailing.

When we grew tired of the water, or shall I say when Bubby had worn himself out, we checked out the play/craft room. They had fun crafts--some free and some paid. Mostly Bubby enjoyed playing with all of the blocks and trucks. There was also a game room The General enjoyed (I think it was a bit pricey though). Princess never grew tired of the water!

What a wonderful get away from the cold of winter.

Building Character

That's The General, right in the center. He's just come down court, and is open for a pass. I don't remember what happened next, probably a turnover or missed shot. Sounds rather cruel of me, doesn't it?? Well, this year it is not about the game. It is about being a good sport and trying to have fun, even when it is difficult.

You see the scores of the recent games have been BLOW OUTS, as in 6-48, 3-45, and this last weekend The General's team experienced the win 40-6. How these lopsided feats have come to be in a youth league would take more space and energy than I have for my blog today.

So what do you do when you find your child getting clobbered each week? We've been talking about being a good sport. Find the fun times, and focus on them. Don't make excuses for losing, just work hard and do your best. Celebrate the little victories. I'm so proud, The General has been rising to the occasion. He's growing up.

Let's face it, many times life can feel a lot like this basketball season. When we find ourselves in those seasons, we can still find joy in the little things. Counting our blessings, and focusing on what we have as opposed to what we are missing. Again, I'm humbled by the lessons my children are teaching me.

Getting the kiddos ready for Lent.

Look what we did at our Catholic Homeschool Group.

The Crown of Thorns

A few years ago a friend sent me this project. I am so excited that I finally made the time to do this activity. I've cut and pasted the directions for a Crown of Thorns Centerpiece (from Forty Days of Lent with the Christian Family) from the e-mail I received.

Since next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, I'd like to share the directions with all of you. It is really quite dramatic, and leaves a lasting message with all ages. Use a salt dough ring (see recipe below) and make a large crown of thorns. After mixing and kneading the dough, roll it into three long ropes and loosely braid them (some of the children struggled with the braid, dividing the dough in half and twisting the ropes was easier.) Form the braid into a circle, and place on a round baking sheet. Place toothpicks into the circle in every direction to represent thorns. Twist each one as you place it for easier removal later on. (I found they still baked in, so while the dough was still hot from the oven I pulled the tooth picks out. After the crown cooled I let the kiddos put them back in.) Bake, thorns in place, in a 350 degree oven for one hour or until dry and brown (mine took about 1 1/2 hours, but it could be my oven). After cooling, place the crown of thorns on a piece of purple cloth and in the center of your dining room or kitchen table (wherever you eat each meal).

Take the time to explain to the children each toothpick represents one sin that pierced Jesus during His sacred passion. This very Lent, we can ease a little of the pain Our Lord suffers. Each time we do a good deed (it is good to stress the deed will be a secret between you and Jesus) we may secretly remove one thorn from his crown. Hopefully by the end of Lent, the crown will be free of thorns. Then on Holy Saturday, spray paint the crown gold. Decorate with glued on jewels from the dime store to make the Crown of Glory. The very crown which Jesus earned by His Sorrowful Passion. Remind the children Jesus makes a beautiful thing with our smallest kindnesses and good deeds.

Salt Dough Recipe: Combine 4 cups flour with 1 cup of salt. Mix in enough water to make a stiff clay (more than one cup usually). Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

The Sacrifice Mouse

These are the sacrifice mice. My friend used foamy paper to cut out the tear shaped body, self adhesive googly eyes, a tiny pom-pom for the nose, and more foam cut into little ears. She used rubber cement for the adhesive, I'm sure any crafting glue would work though. Use a hole punch and tie a piece of yarn for the tail. Next glue a small piece of magnet on the back (you can easily recycle an old refrigerator magnet.) Each time your child makes a sacrifice or does a good deed during lent, you tie a knot in the mouse's tail. This is the perfect project for the younger set. The craft was easy to do with just a little adult supervision. Bubby is so excited to have his very own mouse. He loves to be "big" like The General and Princess.

It's working, and he is so darn funny!

Isn't it amazing how just putting things in writing can help you gain perspective and feel better? Yesterday after my post, I was such a better mom to Bubby. You know what they say about a happy mommy? Ain't nobody happy if the momma ain't happy! Needless to say my improved attitude did rub off a bit on the boy.

Of course we still had our moments, which leads me to the "he's so darn funny!" My friend K was over with her 3 kiddos, all of whom Bubby loves. They are quite a bit older, so he enjoys getting to play with the big kids. During one of their games, the older kiddos came to let me know Bubby was hurting them (yes, even though he is 6-10 years younger than them, he does hurt them.) Bubby reminds me of that big dopey guy from Of Mice and Men. The one that says, "I'll love 'em and squeeze 'em and hold 'em tight."

Anyway, I take Bubby aside and say, "Were you just playing, or were you trying to be mean?"

He quickly responds, "I was trying to be mean."

At this point K runs into the other room, because the two year old is so stinking funny. Fortunately I have been mothering The General for over 11 years. I've had a lot of practice keeping a straight face in these situations. So I give Bubby his time out and he settles down. After the time out he comes to me to discuss making good choices and apologizes for being mean. We hug and off he runs, but wait. He stops and yells back over his shoulder, "Yeah sorry mommy. I called you a rat when I was in the laundry room."

I thought poor K was going to wet her pants.

That boy is too darn funny.

Gratitude journal for today:

I only need one today.

I'm grateful that my little terror is so cotton pickin' funny.

Time for that gratitude journal.

Do you ever feel flattered by God? When I consider the parenting needs of my two boys, that is exactly how I feel. Sometimes I cannot believe God really thinks I can do this. . .well. However, I know God's wisdom far surpasses mine and if he thinks I am the perfect mommy for these boys, who am I to disagree.

This leads me to my post title. When The General was just about the age of Bubby, he became so incredibly challenging to my brain I wanted to scream (I'm ashamed to say, there were days that I did. Alot.) For example, if I would tell him not to do something he would come back with, "So, what will the consequence for that be." Yes, enunciated perfectly (my kiddos talk early and speak quite clearly when they are young toddlers). I began to dislike him, where had my sweet obedient boy gone? I know that sounds terrible, and I felt tremendous guilt. However, when there is a little person CONSTANTLY pushing your buttons and dancing on your line, it is exhausting.

Enter the gratitude journal. Each night I would sit down and take stock of my day. The first things that would come to mind would be the mud in the guest room carpet. Everyone knows freshly watered plants make the best place for serious construction work. Right?? Well, I challenged myself to go beyond the messes, the frustrations and poor choices (his, and mine). I made myself think back to the good parts of the day. I would list 5 sweet things The General had done that day, it worked. I had been so bogged down by the work of molding this very intelligent, strong willed child I was missing out on the beauty.

Here I am 9 years later with Bubby, and guess what? I need my journal. Last night Bubby informed me, "I don't want to be a nice boy. I want to make bad choices!" My sister-in-law says he can flip you off with a look alone. (No, he doesn't know what that even means, but if he did. . . .) Of course Bubby's issues are completely different than The General, God wouldn't want me to stagnant. I'm going to have to use some new ideas and skills to parent this very hard headed boy. But, I can think back and use some of the coping skills that helped me through my first boy.

So, here goes:

1) I love when he gives me a big hug and tells me, "Your the bestest mommy in the whole world!" and nearly squishes the stuffing out of me in the process.

2) When he says, "Oh, that will make me so much happy!" and gives me the cheesy grin.

3) Everyday when he does his daily business, he has to "push out a big daddy one, just for daddy."--Daddy should feel so honored.

4) The other day when he announced, "my best friend L. Yeah, he's a genius."

5) Most importantly, I am just so grateful that even though he is a challenge, he is healthy. I'm grateful he has the strength and energy to give me a hard time. I'm so grateful he is mine, bad choices, attitude and all.

Wish me luck.