Summer Camps and School

Summer Camps are expensive and long! Most around here all day long and all week for $300+. I don't want to spend that much money and send my son away from home for that long. But I do want us to keep busy and have learning experiences. So I came up with idea of creating camps at our house. Last week, I did a Teddy Bear Picnic with child #2 and friend. This week I did a Lego Camp/Lego Play date with Child #1. It turned out wonderful! Here are some photos from our Lego day.

 

 

Dumped out our Lego collection and the kids had a contest creating something from all these Legos.

Child #1 made a fleet of Lego vehicles.

We colored and created our own mini figures.

 My favorite part of the Lego play date was when they came in, I gave them a bag of Legos.( I purchased 4 identical Lego kits from the local toy store.) Then they had to figure out how to put it together without directions. After about 10 minutes, I handed them the directions and they finished it. It was fun and I was so grateful that our local toy store had 4 identical Lego kits that weren't too expensive.

Another idea I had was to do school each morning. We haven't been as consistent with this but today was a good "school" morning. Child #1 did a reading activity from a workbook I had and then created 3-D shapes out of marshmallows and Child #2 used scissors and cut out things from her Kumon Let's Cut Paper book.

3-D Shapes with sticky marshmallows

Cut out food from the Kumon book. It helps develop scissor skills in a fun way!

 

 

While it has been a great morning (Child #3 sleeping since she is still recovering from her shots yesterday), I am in my pajamas and must get myself ready!

 

Kirstin

What We Have Been Doing....

This post is more for me to really remind me that we are doing things this summer. It is already July 11 and I feel like the summer is slipping away without doing lots of awesome things. It has been a mellow few weeks. My parents were here visiting and with naps and now a bit of sickness, we have been staying home a lot! But home means reading, crafts, and imaginative play (and of course, lot of TV!)

Here are a few photos of what we have been doing....

 

Some sea glass but not much as I haven't been out running as much as I should be!

CA Academy of Sciences with good friends!

Christmas crafts we found in our "craft box".

I hosted a little Teddy Bear picnic/party for Child #2 and her friend. It was fun to dress up, have a tea party and even take a walk with our stuffed friends! Next week we'll do a Lego Party!

If you hope for it - they will come!

So I got this jar free (it had pasta in it) and I thought it would be perfect for sea glass.... not that I had any sea glass coming in. Since the baby's birth, I haven't been to the beach as often as I'd like. I occasionally check the beach from the bluff but often it is smooth without a stone insight.

 

The next day I went running and ran to a part of the beach I don't often visit and ta-da! There was a small patch of rocks and glass. It made my day and there were some lovely pieces. My favorites were a deep aqua blue piece and a light green piece of pottery. I'd like to think I'm back in business but we'll see!

Happy summer!

Kirstin

Snapshots of Time

I just wrote a post for the Mothers' Club that I am a part of and thought I would copy my idea by posting some photos of my life right now... So get ready for a peak into my wonderful, crazy, blessed life! Kirstin

Baby #3's room/closet

Child #2 Loves Angelia Ballerina (she took this photo)

Child #3 pretends books are ipads!

Child #1 inventing something (a boat?) and testing it in the bathroom.

Child #3 Sleeping in my arms. I love it!

Notice the doll collection in the baby swing? And the many, many books?

Fridge Art!

Pretend Birthday cake. Actually hummus and pretzels. Thanks Child #2

Baby gift that Child #2 fell in love with and played with for days. Minnie Mouse Socks!

One of Child #2 dolls. Her name is either Sadie or Hailey. It changes. 

I have no idea but it is one of the many, many photos I find on the camera that documents our crazy, wonderful life!
Love these kids!

Whale Watching

I've seen whales growing up in Alaska. They are amazing, awe inspiring creatures. But it has been a while since I have seen them in the water. (The last one I saw was dead on the beach). My husband sees them frequently, but I never seem to be looking in the right place when they come up.

This morning was the right day! I was still in bed enjoying the fact that I didn't have to get up - it is Saturday! My husband went out to check his crab pots (on his surf board, his new hobby) and when he came back he told us that their were whales right in front of our house. I still laid in bed.

Finally, I got up, made breakfast, ate breakfast, checked e-mail, had Child #1 get ready for T-ball and then made muffins. When husband came back (he had two crabs in his pots) he said the whales were still there. Sure I wouldn't be able see them, I grabbed the binoculars and took a look.

THEY WERE STILL THERE, JUST HANGING OUT. It was so awesome to see their heads come out, to see their fins and body's surface. It reminded me Child #3 when she just lays on my lap looking around, enjoying the moment. I watched and watched out our front window (in my pajamas for all the early morning walkers to see me:).

Suddenly, I dashed into the kitchen, I realized I forgot the muffins! I pulled them out a little darker than they are suppose to be, but they are still good. What a great way to start the day (and it doesn't hurt that it is Child #1's b-day!)

Kirstin

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS
1 2/3 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 T. pumpkin spice
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 c. melted butter
1 c. canned pumpkin (I like to puree my own pumpkins)
1 c. chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir 6 ingredients. .Mix in eggs and melted butter and pumpkin puree. Add to dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon into mini muffin cups. Bake 10-15 minutes. (Use a timer if you're whale watching at the same time!)

Spring Break Morning

The sun was out and it was beautiful this morning. A perfect way to start 6 days of no school for child #1!

Since Husband is home, I ran down to the beach to see what I could find. It was lovely! See what I found?

This was referred to as "snot colored" by Child #1

If you haven't heard, I had baby #3 and I couldn't be more content! We love this little spirit and feel so thankful for her safe arrival. We named her Cora. I still have wonderful thoughts swirling around my head from this amazing delivery. But the one thing I will comment on right now, is how labor is so like life. We must go through it. There isn't any "around" or skipping over.

With that said, my delivery was easy. I had an epidural and the pushing part wasn't painful (the after effects were!). It was a quiet delivery room with a wonderful nurse and my husband. The midwife came in half way over and gently stepped in and then it was done! Seeing baby immediately on my chest after birth was so rewarding. We didn't know if it was a boy or a girl so for husband to say, "it's a boy!... No wait, it's a girl" (the umbilical cord made things confusing!) was a wonderful moment.

I have been feeling such gratitude for this child. I feel like the Lord heard my constant prayers and efforts of faith. She is a "fruition" of our faith. Truly faith is a power!

Happy Easter Week-
Kirstin

Happy Women's Day!

 

Women's Day is celebrated internationally, I first heard about it when I lived in Ukraine. I thought it was like Mother's Day but actually, it is slightly different. It is the idea that we celebrate the accomplishments of women over the years. And being a reader of biographies, I am always amazed at what women have done. It seems that it is the simple lives are the ones that amaze me the most!

I feel so grateful that as I woman I have options. 

I feel appreciated in my marriage, within my church and in my community. There are still places in this world and women that don't have these blessings. This lack of appreciation saddens my heart. And as the good people of the world do good and as we do good in our small ways, we can bring goodness to others in need.

I am grateful that I get to be a mom who stays at home. I have often heard the refrain of the following poem but I never read the entire poem. When I looked it up this morning, I was touched. Mr. Wallace's words filled my heart. Being a mother is the most important thing in this world. I don't need to work outside the home to be fullfilled (or to provide for my family) and I am thankful.

Enjoy the following words of truth and beauty!


William Ross Wallace (1819-1881)
THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE IS
THE HAND THAT RULES THE WORLD. BLESSINGS on the hand of women!
Angels guard its strength and grace.
In the palace, cottage, hovel,
Oh, no matter where the place;
Would that never storms assailed it,
Rainbows ever gently curled,
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
 
Infancy's the tender fountain,
Power may with beauty flow,
Mothers first to guide the streamlets,
From them souls unresting grow—
Grow on for the good or evil,
Sunshine streamed or evil hurled,
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.

Woman, how divine your mission,
Here upon our natal sod;
Keep—oh, keep the young heart open
Always to the breath of God!
All true trophies of the ages
Are from mother-love impearled,
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.

Blessings on the hand of women!
Fathers, sons, and daughters cry,
And the sacred song is mingled
With the worship in the sky—
Mingles where no tempest darkens,
Rainbows evermore are hurled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.

---

The above poem can be found in:

Northrop, H.D. Beautiful Gems of Thought and Sentiment. Boston, MA: The Colins-Patten Co., 1890.