Mita As Laura Ingalls

Today Mita went on a field trip to a one-roomed school house. The kids were allowed to dress “olden day style” and Mita wore the gown that Meg had for our trip to Williamsburg, Virgina years ago.  It fit Mita perfectly, as it was way to large for Meg when she was in Kindergarden. (Thumbs up to me who ordered it large to make it last longer:)

This morning at breakfast Mita asked me to do her hair like Laura Ingalls.  We love watching Little House on the Prairie DVD’s and the books are a favorite in our house. I must confess that as a child I would pretend to be Laura or be a close friend of hers.  I used to imagine that Laura came to play with me from her time and I had to teach her what cars were and how airplanes flew.  I even had Hubby drive out of our way so we could visit Walnut Grove years ago, well before we had kids.

So here is a picture of my very own Laura  Ingalls.  I am so  happy that my kids love the same books and characters that I did as a child.

Green Thumb Girls

 

We have hit Spring and I am as happy as can be!  A few 80 degree days followed by rain, rain and more rain!  All the winter gear is put away and the capri’s are out along with new T shirts.  Today my mom and I cleaned all my windows (I have a lot of windows!) and we planted some flowers. 

I should clarify that my mom did most of the planting.  She didn’t pass down her green thumb.  I tend to kill plants, especially inside plants, but  I can magage a few annuals and some hanging baskets.  The house looks transformed with color and life.

The girls love to help with planting of the flowers.  The joy on their faces is amazing.

Yeah Spring!  Come on Summer!

Enu with her special garden

After yesterday’s rant on wanting my kid’s school to have uniforms I have officially given up  on keeping the school’s dress code. 

After starting to go through the normal,”No flip flops for school” this morning I learned that the TEACHERS are wearing flip-flops to school!

So I here-by quit trying to make my kids follow the rules…about the flip flops anyway!

Is anyone else sick of school yet?  Summer cannot come fast enough!

Flip Flops Rule

I will admit it. I wish my kids had a school uniform.  My reasons:

1) We don’t have to pick out what to wear everynight, to have the kids argue about it again in the morning.

2) I could buy in bulk!  Clothes for four girls can get expensive!

3)The school dress code would be easier to enforce.  Schools seem to have a hard time enforcing dress codes.

4) I’ve done some reading on how wearing uniforms increases test scores and decreases behavior problems.  

The counter argument is that kids cannot show their “originality” and be themselves.  This argument doesn’t hold water for me.  First of all, all the kids currently look like Hannah Montana if their moms let them (I don’t by the way).  If you look around the mall all the kids are dressed alike in their groups.  Kids can be original with their hair, fingernail polish, ear rings, henna tattoos, etc.   They can be original in their school work!  Wow that is a thought:  Being Creative With Learning!  I wonder how that idea would go over?!

What has brought this rant on this morning?  My daily issue with flip-flops/sandals.  Meg understands she cannot wear flip-flops to school. She knows this and it is no big deal.  Mita and Enu have only been here for a year.  It is hard for them to understand why other kids can get away with wearing flip-flops, belly-showing shirts and butt-crack-showing pants and they cannot.  I repeat over and over, “I am your mom, we dress appropriately in this family and follow the school dress code.  I cannot control other people’s kids.”  I feel like a disclaimer at the end of a commercial!

If  a school bothers with having a dress code please enforce it!  Having school uniforms would only help with making sure all kids are dressed properly and parents who do not follow the rules will be held more responsible .

I am not a prude. My kids wear things I hate quite frequently!  They do not, however, show butt-cracks or have sexy clothes.  

 Tell me what you think about school uniforms, dress codes or the lack of…

Elle had a tumbling demonstration the other day at her  Pre-school.    She is amazing at summersaults and loves the trampoline.  Grandma came to watch and brought flowers! Good job Elle!  We are proud of you!

Today was a busy, busy day as usual.

 I got the kids to school, went to mom-in-laws to get copies made.  

Made a presentation to Mita’s class about Adoption and Ethiopian culture.  

Then I went home and did some chores.  I ended up falling asleep in my comfy chair when I sat down.  Thankfully mom (the world’s best mom) called and woke me up!  

I was able to drop off Elle and get to Meg’s Girl Scout meeting on time.  We had a great meeting, lots of fun and no whining!

Then off to my parents for pizza and playtime with cousins.  

By the time I got home, I still had dishes from breakfast on the table.  This is no way to live. I must be quicker, grow more arms or learn to not sleep.  

Has anyone else been able to become a super hero?  I need suggestions!

Elle with her green bag, heading for the store.

 Two years ago we started to recycle in our home.  That may seem a bit late for the green movement, but we lived out in the middle of no where and I had to sort everything then take it to the recycling place.  Waa, but I finally did it and we cut down our trash by half.

I actually made it into a summer project for my oldest daughter Meg.  We kept track of how many bags of trash we went through in one normal week.  Then we started recyeling for a few weeks and once we had the hang of it, we counted again and cut our trash from six bags a week down to three.  In time I think we improved that number, I just never did another officially count.

The next summer I vowed to now us paper plates/cups/napkins anymore.  I did make a few exceptions (birthday party themes are very important!) but I cut out all paper plates and cups and cut the napkins way down.  I picked up a lot of cloth napkins on clearance.  You can find a lot of post season sales to take advantage of.  Of course my table is a collections of mis-matching napkins, but my kids don’t care and right now either do I.  I’m sure someday they will all match and my house will be clean.  Someday is a long time away.

The next year was our first summer with Mita and Enu home.  I didn’t have any special projects or goals.  I just wanted to stay sane.  I did however start making most of my cleaning supplies out of baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice.  It’s kid friendly and kids love to help out with cleaning as long as they can spray stuff.  I also purchased re-usable sandwich bags that we use the majority of the time.

I must admit I was feeling pretty green.  Then we moved. 

Very busy + four kids+ winter time + exhausted mom = I took a week off being green

That week has turned into five months I’m ashamed to say.  I have yet to figure out the recycling rules for our new house.   I used paper plates the week our dishwasher went defective on me.   When I throw out something I should be recycling the guilt starts.

So as of Earth Day 2009, I am back on the recycling green wagon. 

How do you go green?  I’d love to steal some ideas from you!

I cried yesterday.  It was a hard morning.  The girls (all four of them) were fighting a lot over really important things like who said, “Butt head” and “Who ate what candy when”.  It was not the best day for me.  After throwing all the candy away (Have I mentioned that I am a mean mom?)  I went off to make dinner.

This dinner was labor intensive.  I do not like to cook AT ALL.  I cannot stress that enough.  I was making Doro Wat (a spicy Ethiopian chicken stew) and Ethiopian split peas.  The prep time alone was over an hour and I was not feeling the love.

When the kids came in with yet another complaint,  I just started to cry.  Talk about stunned kids.  Their arguement was no longer that important.  I finished my prep work, took a long hot bath and took a nap with my setting at 25.  For those of you that do not have a Sleep Number bed, 25 is very, very soft.  At 25 I can crawl into fetal position and go off to dreamland quite easily.  I cannot sleep for hours like that, but a good strong nap is possible.  My normal number is 40 for those of you dying to know!

I awoke an hour or so later to see a “I’m sorry”  note on my bed.  My floors had been vacuumed and my laundry folded.  Elle even polished the dining room table for me! 

My day was great after that.  My kids know when enough is enough and how to make mommy feel better.  They are still far from perfect, but yesterday proved that they are not the insane monsters they had acted like that morning.

That is good new!

Due to my husband having some outdoor chores to do, I find my self with some free time this weekend.  His activities allow him to take the kids (all of them!) .  This is exciting news for me.  While I adore my kiddos, a few minutes alone is worth celebration.

Just this evening  he was off with three of the girls and while another one was at a birthday party.  I had two hours alone.  I pledged not to clean or do dishes.  This is where spare time gets tricky.  I have so many ideas on what I can do, that I overwhelm my mind and over-think the simplest of things.  Should I watch a movie, read a book.  I have so many magizines piled up that I have yet to read…maybe I should listen to music that I enjoy?

I quickly realized that a hot, hot, hot bath was a must.  I know I make my bath water way to hot, but I do so love it!  I have actually been known to turn up the water heater before a bath, so I can re-fill it  with hot water.  I know this is not energy friendly, but it is so infrequent I allow myself to do it. 

What should I read?  I have two books that I cannot seem to get into, so I don’t want to bother with them right now.  I pick up two magazines, and head to my bath with a few Girl Scout cookies and the phone (what if they need me?).  I soak for a while and  try to read the magazines, quickly realizing the mags are way to motivating and have me thinking of what meals to make next week and how to lose some weight.  That is not relaxing at all.

After my bath, I slowly get dressed and am amazed by my quiet house.  I then look at the clock.  I had used a whopping 27 minutes for my bath!  What else could I do with all this time?  Again, my mind goes through things to do for fun:  nap, read,nap, music, nap…then I hear the windchimes.  I go outdoors and bask in the late afternoon sun and air.  Perfection.

As I get up to go get Mita from her party, I realize that there is no breeze.  I look at the still windchimes with wonder.  I follow the sounds and realize that the relaxing sound was the Wii in the den.  The kids had left it on and that calming waiting sound was playing!  Not really a zen moment, but it was my moment.

As moms, we often feel that using our free time is selfish.  No wonder most of us are stressed to the max.  I really want to work on getting more “me time”.  Then maybe I won’t panic when it finally happens and not know what to do.  I have another couple of hours alone tommorow before I go to the grocery.  I have scheduled a pedicure…we’ll see if it actually happens!

I’ve never considered myself a good writer. I can barely spell and my grammar is far from perfect.  You may ask,”Then why in the world did you start a blog?”  I have lots of reasons.  Sure it’s a great way to share info and pics with family and friends, but really if I am being truthful, it is just plain fun. 

Writing has really given me something to think about that doesn’t revolve around who has changed their underwear and how to keep the dog from barfing all over the basement.  Now, I may write about the above topics, but putting a positive spin on it or getting myself to not take it so seriously truly is therapeutic.

Okay, the second honest reason is because my friend has one and it is so cool!  I’m a wannabe and I proudly admit it