I hate Okra.

I really thought I liked all vegetables. A couple months ago I couldn't think of a vegetable I didn't like. Kale? Love it in smoothies. Brussel Sprouts? Yum, of course with butter. Okra? Okay, fine, bread and fry the heck out of them and let me dip it in Ranch dressing and I'll eat them. I suppose.

But after weeks of getting Okra from my CSA, I know, without doubt. I hate okra. Those chewy fuzzy little things. Ick.

My mom is dehyrdating all my okra and we thought I could just puree it into a powder for soups. We'll see.

We need shoes.

Oooff. Dream shoes will be very expensive. I want soft star shoes Orion boots for the boys.

http://www.softstarshoes.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=513

After 5+ years of wearing Clarks shoes, its time for me to have new ones. I want Earth shoes.

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/11860674/c/42392.html

I could really, really justify these purchases.

A Kink Named Jack

Bedtime was 8:45 last night despite the fact that we started the routine a 6 pm, and that Will was very tired. However, little Jack can't go all day with no nap, falls asleep and then is up and ready to go in the evening. Our house is so small that all his chattering and banging around brings his big brother back downstairs to play. So Lincoln Logs it was until late last night.

Made pancakes today and have a chicken in the crock pot covered with cocunut milk ginger, chili powder, garlic, lemon juice and a little salt and pepper.

Today:
Home, morning routine.
A nice long walk with the boys.
Get grocery list together - need Vitamin E for making lotions and salves tomorrow.
Bookshelf needs organized.
Clean bathroom.

Yesterday I rearranged the living room so the couch faces the fireplace. Ready for winter!.

We should do something crafty today.

sigh. freaking out husband.

mark and i just watched a beautiful dvd I bought about Enki education... I am interested in their homeschool curriculum.

well it backfired on me. he loved the video, was blown away by the "immersion-mastery" approach but is now certain that we are not cut out to homeschool will, that he is too social and will want to be around his peers. mark thinks we ( or really, I if he was to be truthful ) lack the organization and knowledge and patience. what he wants, is to send will to a school like Enki, or Waldorf.

Okay, honey, fine with me. but we'll have to move out of state and make about $20,000 more a year....

i will let him calm down. and i am off to order some Holt and Gatto books to keep sitting out on the coffee table. maybe one of these nights he'll actually pick one up.

humf.

Don't you hate it when...

Maybe I'm the only one that does this, but as I was just nursing Jack down for the night, I "blogged" in my head a great blog entry. But now I'm too tired or disinterested to go into it all over again. Not that it was sexy exciting or anything. But it covered some key things I've been thinking about.

Anyway.

Our 7 pm bedtime goals over the weekend did fairly well considering it was the weekend, and a busy one at that. The boys fell asleep in the car last night on our way home at about 7:30 pm. Wiped out after a full day. But today, Jack was sooo tired and napped at 4 pm so he ended up going to sleep later, by 8:20. Will was asleep by 7:45 pm, and it would have been earlier it it wasn't for his monkeying around little brother.

We moved Jack's new twin mattress into our room, put his bed up on top of a piece of plywood, and cinder blocks to be level with our king bed. We can now all sleep togeteher without being squished. I'm hoping that if Jack has his own mattress he won't wake with all my moving around. Will sleeps smashed up to Daddy, so I have plenty of room. Mark and I will be in the same room again, albeit with a 4 year old stuck between us.

I want 7 pm tomorrow night. Will has been so amazing. Happy, no whining. SO much fun to be around. 12 hours sleep does a child's body good.

This week:

Monday:chiro, pick up csa, go to moms and drop off her flowers (i bought her a flower share from my CSA for a mother's day present. She gets weekly flowers!)
Cut some calendula for mom to dehydrate for me.
Move book shelf, desk into WIll's room. Go thru books.

Tuesday
1:30 appt. with realtor friend.

Thursday
7:30 chiro appt.
8 a.m. appt. with structural engineer.
Play date. We're making some lotion and salves with the Calendula from my garden. Its been steeping in olive oil now for a month.

Friday
Michelmas at Lake Farm School. Lantern walk and BONFIRE! : )
(uh, oh.... 7pm bedtime???????)

Saturday am
Lake Farm School.

We ended up bowing out of the Children's Song program. We are busy enough around here.

Today.

Chiro appt/ in the early morning.
Morning routine.
Scheduled structural engineer appt. for next Thursday.
Appt. with realtor/friend (never thought I'd use those two words together) who also rehabs basement to take a look at ours.
Made tons of pesto.
Will got his hair cut, but more importantly, washed - for an extra $4 that was worth every penny.
Played, played, played.
Made pizza. Fridays have become our pizza making day. The boys love playing with the dough. They will sit at the table for an hour and play with it. They don't do ANYTHING for an hour! Its very messy, but I'll take the flour mess for a pleasant afternoon.
And, drum roll.....

NIGHT TWO, with 7 O'CLOCK BEDTIMES!!! No naps, but early bedtimes. I can deal with this.

This weekend, Lake Farm, parties, and hopefully very little cooking. I'm tired of cooking right now.

Beaver Lake, Arkansas

Will snoozes on the boat.


Rock climbing by the water.


Jack chillin' and being one with the Beaver.


Will loved driving the boat and drove it from Party Cove back to the campsite without Daddy ever touching the wheel. He was so excited.


Truth is. Someday I would love to trade our motor for a sail. We have dreamed of this for years... even considered buying a sailboat and living aboard when we lived in Ventura. We should have just done it. We should learn from all those "shoulda's."

Today.

Morning routine.

Made pancakes. Like, my best ever, I must say. Thanks to my friend Catherine, I took my granola I made and put it in my Vita-mix to process to a fine flour. Combined with my pancake recipe. Delishes! Ate the boys ate nuts, millet, seeds, oats, and dried fruit without even realizing it.

Harvested the rest of the basil, with the boys help. Its all picked and bagged, ready to make pesto tomorrow.

Played, played, played all day with 2 little boys who did not nap. I'm shooting for 7 pm bedtime, hoping to start a routine. I think I would completely give up naps if I could count on early bedtimes.

ETA: 7:43 and Jack is down. I rested a bit with him, I could have got up earlier. Daddy is putting Will down... its quiet in there so hopefully he's out soon!

Today

Made applesauce and muffins. Yum.
Went to Chiro.,
Call realtor friend for structural engineer referrals.
Fill out Lake Farm application.
Laundry.
Pick rest of basil and make up tons more pesto.
Dream of sleeping.

Hey Julie Mama

Calendar of the Soul

[September 17, 2006 - September 23, 2006]

Twenty-third Week
(September 8-14)

There dims in damp autumnal air
The senses' luring magic;
The light's revealing radiance
Is dulled by hazy veils of mist.
In distances around me I can see
The autumn's winter sleep;
The summer's life has yielded
Itself into my keeping.

A magazine for Will Billy.

Oh, I want to subscribe to this... Will loves checking the mail, and he would really enjoy getting his very own magazine. This looks great:

http://www.cricketmag.com/ProductDetail.asp?pid=5

ETA: hmmm... maybe not. Maybe this:

http://www.nwf.org/kids/kzPage.cfm?siteid=2

Home again

We are home, all sick. But right now I get a breather, alone, for the first time in over a week. Both boys are asleep and daddy is at his chiro appt (after getting loaded up on vicaden at the ER last night for his tonsilitis). ..... scratch all that, Jack just woke and is now nursing. He found a marker again and marked all over himself, making sure to color in his belly button and his nipples. It is very cute. Will says all the time, "Jack is such a goofball."

Anyway, I want to post pictures.

I am visualizing Fall now. I love it and it makes me happy. What I want for Fall:

An organized house.
A clean house clear of clutter.
A finished basement. I am determined on this.
Fall veggie crop??? No, I never planted. is it too late? I could do it this week.

The boys and I will plan a "digging" project for the backyard. Probably digging out the rain garden that never got accomplished in the Spring. Not much digging needed, just removing the lawn. We will edge with rocks around it. I think we can even plant.

We will attend 2 parent toddler programs - Lake Farm School on 7 Saturdays as a family, and 10 weeks (I think) at Children's Song on Tuesdays. I am excited that at Children's Song, Beth told me WIll could go with the pre-school kids downstairs while Jack and I stay upstairs for the toddler program. I think WIll is going to love that. They are gardending now, and also have a tool workbench. He seems to love the stories told with the puppets. It is good to see. This will be a good way for him to have that four-year-old independence. He is so social and thrives on being around other people. At age four, he already is seeking his tribe. I see it.

Speaking of tribe, I have many friends I need to touch base with. I am not maintaining friendships very well these days. I need to work on that.

We're off...

Hooray. I love vacations.