I'm thinking of allowing myself some extra "blogging" time, but until then enjoy a poem from Grandma Malmberg's scrapbooks.
P.S. I am ever so ready to move on to a spring poem.
SNOW SOUNDS
Snow has a soft and quiet sound
As it comes falling to the ground.
For snowmen and snowballing time
It has a packing, smacking rhyme.
I hear it crunch, I hear it glide
When I go to the hill to slide.
But for the squeakiest squeak I know
There's nothing like cold winter's snow.
-- Eleanor Dennis
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
The Lenten computer experiment
30 minutes is a very short time. I knew I spent a lot of time on the computer, but I am starting to be interested in how much time I really spent. I was surprised how many times I looked at the empty spot where my laptop usually sits.
I gave out a small scream when my timer went off last night. I wasn't done. I hadn't caught up reading blogs . . . or checked the weather . . . or finished an email I was writing . . . I thought, "I really could give myself some more time because these are all legitimate uses of my computer time!"
But I think that would be defeating the purpose. So if my blog entries stop in the middle of a sentence, you'll know why.
I gave out a small scream when my timer went off last night. I wasn't done. I hadn't caught up reading blogs . . . or checked the weather . . . or finished an email I was writing . . . I thought, "I really could give myself some more time because these are all legitimate uses of my computer time!"
But I think that would be defeating the purpose. So if my blog entries stop in the middle of a sentence, you'll know why.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The end of the overalls
Our niece Natalie, 4, came over to play the other day in an outfit she'd created herself. It wasn't bad, but clearly she'd taken some time to carefully choose it.
Well, I have boys, and they don't care about picking out their clothes, so I have lots more time to create little outfits for Toddler D, I thought to myself.
The next day, late for ECFE, I got out D's favorite macaroni t-shirt . . . and a pair of overalls. The macaroni shirt went on great, but when I started with the overalls D started screaming, "Pants! Pants!"
Yes, darling, Mother is trying to put on your pants.
"Pants! Pants!" he wailed and made his way over to his pants drawer where he chose a pair of sweatpants and put them on happy as a clam.
Why is it so many moments of motherhood are fill with the excruciating pain of letting go combined with the extreme pride at our child's independence?
And couldn't I have had one more year of little overall outfits?
Well, I have boys, and they don't care about picking out their clothes, so I have lots more time to create little outfits for Toddler D, I thought to myself.
The next day, late for ECFE, I got out D's favorite macaroni t-shirt . . . and a pair of overalls. The macaroni shirt went on great, but when I started with the overalls D started screaming, "Pants! Pants!"
Yes, darling, Mother is trying to put on your pants.
"Pants! Pants!" he wailed and made his way over to his pants drawer where he chose a pair of sweatpants and put them on happy as a clam.
Why is it so many moments of motherhood are fill with the excruciating pain of letting go combined with the extreme pride at our child's independence?
And couldn't I have had one more year of little overall outfits?
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Fat Computer Tuesday
I'm going to do it. I'm going to work on the computer 20 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes at night and put it away the rest of the time.
Oh, yes. Here we go.
So today is Fat Computer Tuesday. I am looking up the answer to ever trivia question I can think of, just in case. I am starting blog entries in case I have writer's block. I am entering contests -- which I actually don't do much of normally. I am shopping on eBay . . . but not bidding because the stress of not know how it was going would kill me.
Oh, yes.
Prairie pioneer girls lived all winter in their sod huts without Internet.
Of course, they went crazy.
Oh, yes. Here we go.
So today is Fat Computer Tuesday. I am looking up the answer to ever trivia question I can think of, just in case. I am starting blog entries in case I have writer's block. I am entering contests -- which I actually don't do much of normally. I am shopping on eBay . . . but not bidding because the stress of not know how it was going would kill me.
Oh, yes.
Prairie pioneer girls lived all winter in their sod huts without Internet.
Of course, they went crazy.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Piano Contests
For whatever Autism troubles Colin struggles, music is not one of them. The kid takes after his father and then some. He has a beautiful voice. I suspect he has perfect pitch. He is zooming through the piano series. Not that I am biased at all . . .
Barb is Colin's piano teacher and I think I've said before that they are a perfect pair. Colin plays whatever he gives her, and she responds enthusiastically to whatever he plays. Strict? Not hardly. Bent on perfectionism? Ha! But I tell you what, my son will play piano.
Every year Barb's students participate in a music festival. The top winners can go on to compete at high levels, but Barb does not encourage this. She gives out contest pieces in the fall and the contest is now in the late winter. The first year Colin took the whole thing very seriously. He sat down and in his sweet little second grader voice he announced, "It has a lot of louds and softs." The judge said, "It certainly does" and Colin played it to perfection. Five out of five stars! Brilliant!!
Last year Colin had done that whole scene. He learned his piece right away and then got bored. He was in a phase where he liked to have the bench really close to the piano. The judge didn't like that. Four out of five stars. Boo.
This year Colin learned his piece right away and so I put it away and forgot all about it . . . until last week. It was a rocky week of brushing it off. Colin doesn't feel he needs to play dynamics this year. "Other kids don't." Well, no . . .BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU DON'T. LOUDS AND SOFTS! LOUDS AND SOFTS! You were so cute once upon a time.
Daniel fell asleep in the car, so I volunteered to wait out with him. Frankly, I didn't think I would be able to watch.
Brent came floating back to the car 15 minutes later, "He was great! Good dynamics! Five stars!"
Whew.
Barb is Colin's piano teacher and I think I've said before that they are a perfect pair. Colin plays whatever he gives her, and she responds enthusiastically to whatever he plays. Strict? Not hardly. Bent on perfectionism? Ha! But I tell you what, my son will play piano.
Every year Barb's students participate in a music festival. The top winners can go on to compete at high levels, but Barb does not encourage this. She gives out contest pieces in the fall and the contest is now in the late winter. The first year Colin took the whole thing very seriously. He sat down and in his sweet little second grader voice he announced, "It has a lot of louds and softs." The judge said, "It certainly does" and Colin played it to perfection. Five out of five stars! Brilliant!!
Last year Colin had done that whole scene. He learned his piece right away and then got bored. He was in a phase where he liked to have the bench really close to the piano. The judge didn't like that. Four out of five stars. Boo.
This year Colin learned his piece right away and so I put it away and forgot all about it . . . until last week. It was a rocky week of brushing it off. Colin doesn't feel he needs to play dynamics this year. "Other kids don't." Well, no . . .BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU DON'T. LOUDS AND SOFTS! LOUDS AND SOFTS! You were so cute once upon a time.
Daniel fell asleep in the car, so I volunteered to wait out with him. Frankly, I didn't think I would be able to watch.
Brent came floating back to the car 15 minutes later, "He was great! Good dynamics! Five stars!"
Whew.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Lent
I'm thinking of giving up my computer for Lent.
Stop laughing.
Okay, not entirely give it up, but severely cut back on my usage.
A life-long Protestant, the idea of giving up something for Lent is something that has never been a priority. I think I have tried once or twice over the years . . . but I can't think what it was, so I don't imagine I took it very seriously.
We are studying Esther in my small group Bible study and some of the ladies tried to fast for three days as the Jews did for Esther when she was faced with the problem of getting an audience with the king. I was gone and missed the whole thing, but it started me thinking. Giving up food would be difficult with the medication I take, but what could I give up. It needs to be something I would miss.
The computer.
I don't really need to be on it, but I have my laptop propped up on the kitchen counter and I spend countless hours every day . . . doing what? Browsing eBay? Updating my Facebook status? Googling old friends?
What would I get done if I spent -- say -- half an hour on it in the morning and then put it away. I mean shut it down and put it in the case.
Would I play more down on the floor with Toddler D? Would I read something? Would I cook something?
Would I finish that needlepoint eyeglass case?
Stop laughing.
Okay, not entirely give it up, but severely cut back on my usage.
A life-long Protestant, the idea of giving up something for Lent is something that has never been a priority. I think I have tried once or twice over the years . . . but I can't think what it was, so I don't imagine I took it very seriously.
We are studying Esther in my small group Bible study and some of the ladies tried to fast for three days as the Jews did for Esther when she was faced with the problem of getting an audience with the king. I was gone and missed the whole thing, but it started me thinking. Giving up food would be difficult with the medication I take, but what could I give up. It needs to be something I would miss.
The computer.
I don't really need to be on it, but I have my laptop propped up on the kitchen counter and I spend countless hours every day . . . doing what? Browsing eBay? Updating my Facebook status? Googling old friends?
What would I get done if I spent -- say -- half an hour on it in the morning and then put it away. I mean shut it down and put it in the case.
Would I play more down on the floor with Toddler D? Would I read something? Would I cook something?
Would I finish that needlepoint eyeglass case?
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Pity Party
It happens every time. Every time. EVERY time. Every time I try to throw myself a big tragic pity party to show how spoiled I am . . .
. . . I get a letter from one of the children we sponsor through Compassion International.
Pray for my soul, kid. Pray for my soul.
I just got home from a big cruise with my handsome husband where I had massages and a mud bath and sunshiiiiiiiiiiiine.
Now I'm hooooooooooome.
And it's cooooooooooold.
And I have to do laundrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry.
And empty the diiiiiiiishwaaaaaaaaaaaaasher.
And now I have NOTHING to look forward to.
And we spent aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall the money.
Poor meeeeeeeeeeee!!
. . . I get a letter from one of the children we sponsor through Compassion International.
Dear loving aunt,
I have received your birthday gift ($20). I used it to buy kitchen utensils. I pray that God will bless you more and more, and I always pray for you and your family.
With much love
Pray for my soul, kid. Pray for my soul.
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