Have you ever heard the little rhyme about girls being made of sugar and spice and everything nice while boys are made of snails and puppy dog tails? Like most things, this "one box fits all" saying doesn't seem to sit well with me. It's not that I don't like the rhyme or that I think my girls aren't sweet and nice (though there is maybe a couple extra dashes of spice in them); it just doesn't seem to fit their personalities in the rounder view. 

Today I was reading Sugar and Snails by Sarah Tsiang to my daughter. It had a cute take on different little rhymes to fit different personalities. I was a fan of little girls being made of snails and rocks and butterfly socks as the book offers. Maybe dresses and snails and racing down trails would be a good rhyme for my oldest. Instead she chose out of each rhyme (as is her personality to a T) so she said she is made of dresses and snails and race cars. It is more fitting that she chose her own path and doesn't care that it doesn't rhyme. And that is good too, it's her. 

My little one is still emerging as her personality unfolds for us. Some days she seems so laid back but man other days she can throw a fit for the world to hear. She loves to swing and gets shy around people other than her immediate family. Maybe acorns and swings and firefly wings would work for her for now, until she can choose her own style like her big sister. I'm sure each day she will teach us more and more about just what makes her.

The best thing about it is that not only do we not have to fit in the box, or in someone's stereotype of us, we also have the option to change it up every day, every moment, whenever we want. We are fluid people, ever changing. We can change whenever we want. And for me it is fun to think up some little rhymes to go with it.

Today maybe I am cuddly and calm with some cherry lip balm. Tomorrow perhaps I will be adventurous and crazy in something lacy. I like the idea that I'm part owl, part monkey, and a little bit spunky. Or maybe since it's Fall, my favorite season, I am pumpkin spice and fall leaves and cozy blankets please.

I'm grateful to be playful and test my mind with rhyme. I'm grateful to get creative. I'm grateful for Sarah Tsiang's spin on the old rhyme. I'm grateful for the idea that boys can be "flowers and swings and bumblebee wings" and girls can be "snails and rocks and butterfly socks". I'm grateful to know we can be whatever we want to be. I'm grateful to know we can change that as we see fit whenever we want. And I'm grateful to honor everyone as they are, even if it doesn't rhyme.

So what are you "made of"? Who do you choose to be tomorrow? How will you honor yourself exactly as you are this week?

May today remind us we are beautiful expressions of our uniqueness. May we let our quirks shine and be authentically our own beings. Have a beautiful day!

I am very blessed in that my husband does most of the cooking for our family. I enjoy cooking, but working evenings does not lend itself to fixing dinner for the family. It was one of the beautiful aspects of the shutdown last Spring, getting to cook for my family and have dinner with them each night. 

My husband is an awesome cook. He finds new ways to make even the same meal unique and delicious. He has a knack for finding the right spices to add an extra boost to a meal. 

Even with the blessing of him cooking and him being great at it; it does my heart well to be able to cook a meal for my family. I try to do this at least a couple times a week but mostly it turns into quick meals. 

Today I had the time to make Mexican Chicken Quinoa Casserole! It was a new recipe for us but in optimistic fashion I made a double batch for an extra casserole to freeze for the future. (This is generally how I am able to "make" dinner for my family- by pre-making and freezing.) 

It fills my heart to make good, healthy food for my family. It fills me with joy when my kids actually like and eat the recipe! Tonight I got both. It was a beautiful gift!

I'm grateful for these little blessings. I'm grateful to feel the blessing of this simple act filling my heart. I'm grateful to try to consciously choose actions that will fill my "cup". I'm grateful my kids both liked tonight's meal. I'm grateful for a fun new recipe with our favorite, quinoa! I'm grateful to have an extra casserole to look forward to in a few weeks. I'm grateful for Autumn and all the great recipes, casseroles, and soups that come with it. I'm grateful to share love through good food.

What are some of your favorite recipes? What do you like to cook? How do you share love?

May we choose things that fill our heart and soul. May we find healthy ways to show our love and delicious food to share. Have a beautiful day!

Today has been filled with the strange messages that I look forward to sitting down with to dissect tonight. In the meantime they are good for a chuckle. 

This morning I woke from a dream that I had gone to the doctor. While there the doctor told me that my last two eggs were ready. One egg was cracked and misshapen but the doctor reassured me this was because it was ready to hatch. We put it in warm water and out "hatched" an eight month old little girl with brown hair. Then the doctor put the other egg in the warm water and it hatched into a two month old little blonde boy that looked a lot my youngest daughter. The doctor said congratulations and people showed up with odd gifts like a hover car for kids and barbecue. 

As I said, I will have a lot of fun when I get a chance to sit down and dissect all the elements of that dream! 

In the meantime my preschooler keeps telling me today that she wants to be a grandma, but not just any grandma; she wants to be a farmor. Farmor is Swedish for father's mother. She has a farmor who is very dear to her so it only makes sense that she would want to be one. But she wants to be one right now. 

I suppose if children can hatch out of eggs at various stages of infancy and if hover cars are an approved baby shower gift then it could be completely plausible that a preschooler could be a farmor. Isn't the land of imagination and subconscious messages so interesting? 

I'm grateful to find humor in the messages today. I'm grateful to see some obvious symbolism and inner thoughts manifesting in the dreams and conversations. I'm grateful for my mother-in-law that is such a great farmor to my daughters. I'm grateful to think that someday I could get to be a grandma. I'm grateful to be right here in this place with my two girls and my life. I'm grateful to see my daughter's love through her words as she expresses her wishes. 

What strange dreams or messages have you been receiving? Have you taken the time to sit and translate it? Who is special in your life? Have you told them lately?

There is something so beautiful and special both in babies and in grandmas. They possess a special power to love even more deeply, I think.

May today remind us who is important in our lives. May we recognize the little messages we receive and take the time to sit with them. Have a beautiful day!

Happy Monday, everyone! I'm so grateful to just sit here in this moment of silence and contemplate what is going right today. I say this because for the last hour my baby girl has been screaming without me being able to translate what is wrong and help her. It is the part of motherhood that truly rattles me to my core. Now that she is asleep, the silence really is golden.

The weather is beautiful today. We were able to get outside twice, once for a nature walk to collect leaves and once for a picnic lunch. I am so grateful we are able to be outside in short sleeves for a few more days. I'm grateful for all the Autumn foliage. I'm grateful for the beautiful colors and variety of shapes in the leaves we found on the ground. Even though Sycamore trees are my favorite, I LOVE Maple leaves this time of year!

I got to hear the beautiful sound of my girls giggling and playing together this morning. It is a rare gift for my preschooler to get ready quickly and easily so that we have time to eat AND play before the baby's nap. Today provided that gift. I'm so grateful for these little blessings, these little moments that fill my heart.

I'm grateful to take control of my thoughts today through exhaustion and feeling frazzled and keep focused on the positive. I'm grateful for this moment of silence (yes, again, because this blog has already been interrupted twice and it is once again blissfully quiet). I'm grateful for the beauty of nature, nurturing me today. I'm grateful my husband took the time to point out the moon to me today as it hung right above our house mid-morning. I'm grateful for fun books to read and a very hands-on-nature theme this week for homeschool lessons. I'm grateful to watch my preschooler making huge progress in some skills already after only about a month of school. I'm grateful for my dog who is content to just lie next to me and rest as I soak up these quiet moments.

What are you grateful for today? What gifts did this Monday provide? What do you look forward to each week?

​May today remind us there is beauty in each day. May we take time to enjoy the pauses and the quiet and just soak in the blessings around us. Have a beautiful day!

Today was a beautiful reminder to make room, to allow space for things to happen. It started when my mom surprised me by picking up the kids in the morning, allowing me a full hour to get stuff done. Let me tell you, it is AMAZING the amount of stuff I can get accomplished in one hour without two kids underfoot! 

Then during family time at my parents' house in the afternoon my oldest child was in one of her "crap on mommy" moods. She was saying hurtful things and try as I may my poker face is nonexistent. I walked away to take a little time to regroup and instead I hear her telling my sister-in-law that I was sad and she didn't know why. My first instinct was to be embarrassed and try to "suck it up" and go back to the family room and play it off like nothing was wrong. But instead I just sat still and let myself continue to process the feelings. 

My sister-in-law, who is amazing, came back to check on me. She knows my preschooler has a knack for finding the right words to break my heart. We talked it over and she provided kind words and support. It was actually really nice to talk it out and not try to fake it through. It was nice to allow that space for someone to come in and be with me. 

Later I had to go to the bathroom and jokingly I told my preschooler I needed her to come read me a book. She always asks for books to be read to her while she goes to the bathroom, even though half the time she is done before we even open a book. Much to my surprise, since it hadn't been that long and we hadn't really spoken since the hurtful words she had said, she jumped up and ran and brought a book. She sat on the stool in front of me like I do for her and she told me the story as best she could from memory, pointing out the important pictures on the page. In and of itself that made me happy that she was taking time with me. 

The book she chose was "Room on the Broom" by Julia Donaldson. It is a really cute, kind book that is perfect this time of year as we approach Halloween. In the book the witch always makes room on the broom for whoever is in need of a ride. As my daughter finished reading she said, "I would make room on the broom for you, Mommy, right here." What had started as a joking comment had made room for this adorable and endearing reconnection for us. It reminded me how important it is to just make room and allow space for the beautiful things in life to come in.

I'm grateful my daughter would make room for me. I'm grateful for her kind words and to know that ultimately she is a kind soul. I'm grateful to be her mom. I'm grateful to make room for these special connections. I'm grateful for my sister-in-law who has been so amazing during the the good times and bumpy ones. I'm grateful for all my parents do to help my husband and I get things done. I'm grateful for family time and seeing the love shared. I'm grateful to make space for the beauty to come in to my life.

How do you make space? What would you make room for in your life? How much space would you give to allow beauty to come in?

May today fill the space with gratitude and beauty. May we remember to let go and allow space for it to flow into our lives. Have a beautiful day!

On a rare occasion my littlest will sleep in. This is never on the weekends and really even if it were I'd be awake anyway. Sleeping in is any time after 6:30. Today she slept in until 7:30...but today is Thursday.

Now that we are a homeschooling family I try to keep to some sort of schedule to make sure we actually commit to school time. Mondays and Thursdays are our "big" school days with circle time and several activities, you get the point. Tuesdays and Wednesdays have a few things to get done and Fridays are the catch what we missed or just get out of the house day. No matter which day it is we do school during my littlest's morning nap. 

When the little cuddle bug sleeps in, there is no morning nap. While this has only happened a couple times I am starting to get better at improvising. The baby wandered around us while we did circle time. She interjected some baby talk 101 while we did our Spanish and Sign Language practice. I helped her do her own baby friendly sorting activity while her sister did the cool one I had prepared for school. Then it came to our art project...

The plan had been to finger paint an apple tree as we hadn't done much sensory stuff this week. While I LOVE finger painting, and painting of any sort, and getting messy in general...Mama only has so much sanity and today's did not stretch to having two kids and most likely a dog covered in finger paint. Luckily my preschooler asked if we had apple stickers and it turns out we have an odd abundance of them so the girls both got to do some sticker apple trees while I prepped the cooking segment of school.

Having two kids underfoot with a hot oven, apple peeler, and knives is pretty much a safety nightmare. When in doubt, bring the toys out. I led them over to the several "centers" of play and let them have at it which gave me a whole, nearly, five more minutes. I can't really blame them, apples are awesome.

My preschooler helped me stuff some apples with raisins and syrup and spices (did I mention we enjoy messy?) while I finished peeling some additional apples to bake for applesauce tomorrow. It all finished just in time for my husband to come up for lunch and help pull it all out of the oven. 

(Now, to all the moms out there: If it seems like I'm super-mom, well I am, because we all are. This job, if you show up and try, you're super mom. But if it seems like I have it all together and things are all rosy that would be a BIG stretch! I just simply omitted the tantrums, baby eating unknown things off the floor, preschooler sticking stickers to her baby sister's face, losing my patience during circle time when my preschooler had to run to the window for the fourth time because she thought she heard the trash truck...you get the idea. I add this because social media does enough to warp us into thinking we "should" be doing a better job and this blog is NOT about that at all. You are doing awesome. Keep on mom-ing like a boss.)

I'm grateful to roll with it. (No seriously, this is not my strong suit so when I do it with some grace I get very excited.) I'm grateful to have it go fairly smoothly. I'm grateful for the apple theme and all the fun things we can do with it. I'm grateful for the fun farm and apple tree toys I bought back when I was a nanny and para nearly a decade ago that have come in handy with my own kids. I'm grateful to have toy rotation which keeps half or more of the toys off my floor and makes them new again when they return. I'm grateful for this homeschool journey that is helping teach me and my daughters so much! I'm grateful my little one is catching up on sleep. I'm grateful to know that teething has an end date. I'm grateful to simplify today and still feel like we covered everything.

How do you best roll with changes to your plan? How do you simplify when it starts to go awry? What was your "win" today?

May we find the little wins in each day. May we learn to be flexible while still pushing for what is important. Have a beautiful day!

Today my kids and I got around early for our first homeschool field trip. We drove out into the country about thirty minutes to visit the cider mill. It was a blast!

First we stopped in the store and grabbed some apple cider donuts, my favorite! Then we toured how the apples are washed and processed. We talked about all the things that can be made from apples as we nibbled our donuts.

Then we went to the other side of the property for a hay ride, giant slide, mini petting farm, and corn maze. There was so much to do and we had a lot of fun just being out exploring. It was a good change of scenery for all of us.

Getting there early meant that we were one of only three little families out exploring. We had plenty of space to play at the different attractions. By the time we found our way back to the front of the property there were van-loads of people pouring in. It was easy to see why this place was so popular. 

I'm so grateful to get out early so we could have time to play and explore at our own pace. I'm grateful for a good field trip location. I'm grateful for delicious apple cider donuts. I'm grateful for the baby being a trooper and keeping up with her big sister until we got back to the car. I'm grateful for a beautiful day! I'm grateful for the hay ride driver that allowed me to bring the wagon with us. I'm grateful for fun Fall activities. I'm grateful to share these moments with my kids. I'm grateful to see other ways, in hindsight, I could have used other spots as teaching tools; but grateful to have just played all the same.

Did you get to go on field trips as a kid? Where was your favorite field trip? If you could go on an adult field trip, where would you go and what would you learn about?

May today remind us the joys of learning. May we take time to learn in fun and explorative ways no matter what age. Have a beautiful day!

Today is a great combination of noteworthy days. It is National Do Something Nice Day, which probably should be a goal every day but it is a good reminder all the same. It is also National Child Health day. The beauty of this combination is that doing something nice for a child also supports their mental health. 

Obviously it is Monday, so a homeschool day. Our theme this week is Apples so we have all sorts of fun activities planned. We had a lot of fun snuggling up and reading some books about apple trees and picking apples. We made a Family (Apple) Tree, did some finger painting, and worked on writing the letter T. But what could be more fun than picking "apples" ourselves? So we taped some apples up to the frame of our indoor swing and jumped around trying to pick them off. Of course we couldn't eat all those "apples" so we fed them to the rocking horse. 

In the spirit of apple week we also got out our farm toy set with the apple tree that magically dumps its apples into the wagon below. And we spent some time playing non-apple games as well. 

Doing something nice doesn't have to be a big ordeal. It doesn't have to be a grand gesture. It does even have to be (and I definitely don't suggest this) caving to a child's every whim. 

Nice can be a simple hello. It can be holding the door for a stranger or leaving the change in the spare pennies jar for someone to use. It can be letting someone else go first. And when it comes to kids, nice is even easier. It can be reading them their favorite book or even just letting them tell you their story without being distracted by the dishes. It can be taking a few extra minutes to give those extra dozen hugs before you leave. And if you can be silly with them and let yourself loose to play, all the better. 

Mental health can be just as important as physical health. It is the challenge we all face during these pandemic times. It is important to find a balance. 

I'm grateful to get to homeschool my daughter this year. I'm grateful for all the people who have assisted in helping me find safer outings and playdates so my daughters can still be social. I'm grateful to take time to play today. I'm grateful to recognize when my daughter is truly just needing me to stop and listen (and really isn't that what we ask of kids all the time?). I'm grateful for some fun activities with the apple theme this week. I'm grateful to get creative. I'm grateful for this particular combination of days to celebrate. I'm grateful for each day I get to spend with my girls.

What nice thing can you do today? How can you help support a child's health? How can you support your own health today?

May today remind us to take care of ourselves and those around us. May we recognize the power of just listening. May we find something nice to do others (and for ourselves) each day. Have a beautiful day!

Do you ever have one of those moments when you hear yourself saying the same thing over and over to your child (or coworker or whoever) and you realize the message is just as much for yourself? I had one of those moments today.

My little one, the more cautious of my two kids, decided over the last few days that it is more fun to stand at the top of the slide and try to walk down. Even though she has become steady walking around these days, downhill is definitely not in her skill set yet. Despite several near wipeouts (that her sister or I caught her right before face-plant) she continued to stand at the top of the slide. In fact, she heard us saying "sit down" so many times that she would stand up there calling "sit down, sit down" to get our attention. 

There is a balance as a mom in not giving attention for negative attention-seeking behaviors and not letting your child have a serious injury. In this case that led to a lot of walking back and forth. The issue was I was in some pain and coming back and forth between trying to figure out dinner and keeping my child's head round (and at least fairly un-lumpy) was aggravating it more. By the time I was nearly through cooking I had about reached my pain threshold, which I might add is pretty high. 

Once my husband got off work he kept asking me if I wanted to sit down but I thought moving and being upright would be better. Yet as I finished up the dishes and went into the living room to spend time with my family I found the opposite was true. Sitting on the floor took nearly all the pain away. 

I couldn't help but chuckle at the irony. I had told my daughter to sit down dozens of times, listened to my older daughter say it another dozen times to her sister, and refused my husband's encouragement to sit down only to have the pain subside when I finally sat. For some reason I was stuck in the "power through" mentality. 

How many other times have I found myself stuck in that mentality? My head telling me to just keep plowing forward when my body is clearly telling me the opposite; how many times? So what is my resistance to just sitting down?

I have a few obvious ideas but it will be fun to sit with this question for the next few days and see what all emerges. It is a good reminder and one that I hopefully won't need to keep repeating. There is nothing wrong with just sitting down. 

I'm grateful for a little chuckle tonight. I'm grateful the pain passed. I'm grateful to have gotten to make and serve my family dinner. I'm grateful to have several eye opening and introspective moments this weekend. I'm grateful for my little one's growing vocabulary. I'm grateful for my older one's growing ability to verbalize how she is feeling. I'm grateful to hear I am a good mom, because sometimes in the daily grind of it all it is easy to forget the things we are doing right. I'm grateful for family meals and lots of time together this weekend.

Have you ever had a moment like this, where you realize your words were just as much for you? How did you respond?

May today remind us we are human. May we remember we are all deserving of rest and taking that time to meet our needs is a priority. May we always be willing to hear the message to ourselves in our words. Have a beautiful day!