one track mind

I've been finding little drawings like this one scattered all around the house the past few days...

meeska...mooska

John got very sick this weekend, so I quarantined him to our bedroom{in case he had H1N1} and I slept on the couch for 2 nights. One can never be too paranoid when planning for a very special trip next week. Thankfully John was all better by monday, so he probably just had a bad cold.

Can you guess where we are going?

Here is one more hint.

You guessed it! We are going to visit...

Meeska....

Mooska....

Mickey Mouse! We are taking the boys to Disneyland for the first time ever! Such anticipation of the excitement!{hence all the exclamation marks!!!!}

I have no idea which is funner...planning for the trip or the trip itself.

We've been busy introducing the boys to Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto and Goofy the past few days by watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on my computer{yes, the same computer I am currently blogging from}.

They are glued, as you can see.

While Finny was at a special session of morning kindergarten(oi. early), I let Calvin and Ollie eat breakfast in the family room in front of my computer, to watch their beloved Mickey Mouse.

And yes, I was a nervous wreck that they would spill their food all over my carpet, so I tethered them both to highchairs(I know, I am such a fun mom).

I have watched countless bloggers go to Disneyland and have been patiently waiting for our turn. SO many questions.

What are we going to wear?

Do we unleesh the controversial 'Leesh'?

Is Ollie going to behave?

This is kind of a big deal.

Eeeek!

Ok, the boys are begging me to watch Mickey again, so I better sign off!

Hurry back!

Hurry

Back

Cool

Crisp

Weather.

We are patiently waiting to jump back into our comfy cozy socks!

The best part of the fall and winter is the fun accessories, don't you think?

Well, minus these old ties...but the boys insisted on wearing them.

Just like Ollie insisted on wearing this tie over his tee today while we dropped Finn off at school.

Like how he insisted on wearing his Elmo slippers yesterday...

Or his green froggy rain boots the day before yesterday.

But none of this compared to the giant spectacle we made the other day, when I insisted on dragging all 4 boys to the Parent's Club meeting the day before that.

In my defense, they said small kids were welcome.

I highly doubt they meant 4 small kids, including toddlers and infants.

I thought we'd meet in the large multi-purpose room.

They thought we'd meet in a tiny portable classroom.

I thought it would be informal.

They thought they'd invite the principal and make official votes with "All those in favor say I" & "Any nays" & "Do we have a second?"

I thought my boys would behave.

Ollie and Twain thought they'd have simultaneous melt-downs of epic proportions.

I thought I'd simultaneously bounce Ollie and Twain on my knees to calm them down.

A new friend thought she'd hold Twain for me while he fussed endlessly.

I thought I'd be able to escape when my boys got rowdy.

They thought they'd block every aisle possible so that there was NO conceivable way to push my double stroller by without making an even BIGGER spectacle saying "excuse me, pardon me, excuse me, pardon me".

I thought the official meeting would last half an hour.

They thought the meeting would last over an hour.

I thought I would look nice in my new black shirt I got for my birthday.

Instead I sat red-faced, sweating BULLETS, from the stress of the humiliation of the spectacle that shall never again happen to me on the face of this planet, Amen.

Who me? Crunchy?

You know you are starting to get a little bit crunchy...

1) when you drive to two different stores at opposite ends of town, in the dead heat of August, with your infant, just to get the proper raw local honey...all of this while your sister coaches you via cell phone from the midwest while you make this all-important purchase.

2) when you skip sleeping-in on Saturdays just to pick up your box of Abundant Harvest Organics

3) when you are giddy with delight to discover coconut oil as an ingredient in your new sunscreen.

4) when you cry real tears when your 2-year old spits out his new organic yogurt...never mind the fact that he will willingly sample this mysterious green fruit/veggie from your harvest box.

What, pray-tell is this green stuff? Anyone? An onion??

5) when you swoon when your husband surprises you with some Rumford baking powder...because nothing says "I Love You" like aluminum-free baking powder!

6) when you know(and care) about the difference between cage-free and free-range eggs.

7) when your husband starts telling everyone that you eat nuts and sticks. And when he purposely mis-uses the term "free-range", just to tease you.

8) when your 6-year-old starts using the the word "organic" and says "hey mommy, Fillmore{from Cars} talks just like you!"

9. when the grocery teller at Winco asks you several questions about these odd grocery items that she has never scanned before.

10. when you cook with grape seed oil rather than olive oil.

11. when, for the first time ever, you want to make your 4th child homemade baby food.

12. when you make a special trip to Lassens just to get your sprouted Ezekiel muffins.

13. when your children become increasingly suspicious of your every single movement in the kitchen and ask, "Is this that healthy stuff again?"

14. when you ration your kids' organic milk because it's so gosh-darn expensive.

15. when your friends read this, they trade you in for a different model:)

All joking and silliness aside, I am extremely grateful for whatever bounty the Lord provides for our family, organic or not. However, where time and money allows, I am gradually adopting some of the principles that my sister Jessica is teaching me, from the book, Nourishing Traditions.

And I must say, I am loving it. At first, I wasn't so sure. I initially rejected every idea my sister proposed. It's my defense mechanism. Then, I mull it over... and usually change some of my ways, if it is feasible. I usually only try one or two new things per week.

And for the first time in my life, I am excited about grocery shopping and cooking. This way of eating is New. Exciting. Different. Fun.

I started with breakfast:

-free-range scrambled eggs

-sprouted Ezekiel muffins with organic butter and raw honey

-organic fruit

And then lunch started to follow suit.

-sprouted bread with organic peanut butter and raw honey. Or

-nitrate free meat with Tillmook cheese

-organic fruit or organic carrots

And then a few different dinners, here and there, per week. For example,

-free-range chicken thighs

-organic potatoes

-brown rice pasta

-organic bean burritos

I have yet to pre-soak my beans and flours in sea salt or whey...and I highly doubt that I will ever culture my own sprouts...and I am terrified to try kombucha(though I'm very curious).

For now, I'm doing the best that I know how, to feed my family.

And on days when this is not possible, I don't worry about it AT ALL. In fact, just 2 days ago I ate from Burger King. And I feel no guilt what-so-ever.

And if I get too carried away, I try to remember,

Matthew 6:25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than food?

And now, for some BLOOPERS...Ollie being strangled by Calvin,

Ollie placing his half-eaten mystery fruit back in the box for the next unsuspecting victim. Seriously, what is this green stuff???

And, careful Calvin...

Oopsie.

back soon

Oi! Where does the time go? I would love to blog right now, but I have a bazillion little things going on...most of those things I am neglecting because I'd rather just play and snuggle with 4 little boys who want lots of attention from their mama...

look at me mommy, look at me mommy, LOOK AT ME MOMMY, LOOK AT ME MOMMY!!!!

Now, How can I refuse such requests? So I really look at my munchkins{and embroider a little} and play with them and give them what they want...which is mama...

As soon as we{as in boys} get some good naps in, I will be back. Hopefully soon-ish.

big bad kindergartner

After just 2 weeks as a big bad kindergartner, Finn is debuting in his cameo appearance...

I think my favorite part is the slurring lisp from his missing bottom tooth..."oh mother dear, we shadly fear"...that and his stern re-enactment of mother kitten. Goodness, I would not want to be on the tail end of that tongue lashing. My kid is TOUGH STUFF. Until he rolls over at the end. Reminds me of drum lessons...reading music with Mr. Canaan, as serious as can be...then all of a sudden, Finn is upside-down, on his head saying "wanna see something silly?"

Finn has been learning nursery rhymes all week at school and came home with a booklet he was VERY proud of. He was fairly bursting at the seams last friday when he presented me with his literary masterpiece...

...and many other nursery rhymes were included.

Not wasting any time, he quickly began indoctrinating Calvin. He taught him all of the nursery rhymes starting with Jack Be Nimble, Jack be Quick...

When I asked Calvin how his recitations of the nursery rhymes were going he said, "I can't renember my verse". He thought Finn was teaching him more bible verses from AWANA. Ha.

Well, Finn is a pretty strict instructor, and so Calvin can now recite Humpty Dumpty and a few others. Finn even made Calvin draw exact pictures of every nursery rhyme, just like the ones he drew in class. "Draw the circle just like this one Calvin..."

Finn cannot help it. Teaching is in his blood. Should make for an interesting year.