The Public Potty Tour

Lyla's *award for saying good-bye to diapers a couple months ago was as much for me as it was for her. I had been putting off the whole potty-training ordeal for months. 

First I thought, "I'll wait until this summer when the kids are out of school. I won't be so busy running around and then it will be easier." 

Then, as summer started looking a little more like fall I thought, "I'll wait until the kids go back to school. I won't be so busy running around and then it will be easier." 

You see my problem.

But when I finally looked reality in the busy face, potty-training took all of about five minutes. Seriously, she's had three accidents in two months.

Lyla's newly potty-trained self and I have agreed upon the perfect route for errands.

We can usually hit three stores before it's time to head back and pick up Beau from middle school.

First, we might hit Target, Fred Meyer, or Michael's.

We end up at Costco just in time for the sample ladies to roll out their carts and heat up their toaster ovens. 

But the most important stop comes right before Costco--the second-hand kids clothing store.

The toys galore to entertain my little shopping buddy combined with my running in-store credit are still no match for the biggest draw--the clean, kid-friendly bathroom. Goldmine.

As each of my older children have gone through the newly potty-trained phase, they've clearly come up with some sort of toddler bucket list to include every nasty public restroom around. That pink checklist posted above the hand dryer does little to impress me. I don't care if "Janelle" certified the restroom as "clean" at 8 pm last night. Right now there are drops of pee on the floor and other nastiness curled up on the toilet seat.

I don't know. Maybe my kids just get a kick out of seeing their mom's bathroom stall gymnastics. You know--the clever move of keeping my curious toddler at bay with my left hand as I kick my right foot up to flush to toilet.

"But, Mom, I just want to see my poop go down!"

So, thank you, little consignment shop. You have some loyal customers in the two of us. Sure, Lyla loves your toy section. And I think the cute clothes I pick up on the cheap are awesome. But your worry-free stop along the inevitable public potty tour beats all.

* If you missed my original post on family awards, you can find it here.

Cookies

We have a new drainage ditch lining our steep driveway, so on Thursday I stepped out the front door to check how it was working in the heavy rain.  

Sophia made cookies.

My ten-year-old  is no stranger in the kitchen, particularly when it comes to baking cookies.

I have been working (and working) with her on reading recipes all the way through before beginning.  Also, on reading them carefully, paying attention to details.  I'm sure you can guess why.

There have been many times when I have been called back to the kitchen with questions like, "Doesn't this dough look kind of funny?" Or, "How am I supposed to roll all of these crumbs into a ball?"

So, it was no surprise to me when the front door opened and a voice called out, "Mom?  I accidentally put two CUPS of baking powder in the cookies.  Should I start over?"

Bless her heart.  Yes, I thought that would be a good idea.

Usually, after pulling one or two pans out of the oven, she caves.  "I think I'm done," she confesses.  "Can you finish baking the rest?"  Yep, we have LOTS of leftover cookie dough in our freezer.

But this time she baked up the whole recipe.  The recipe that calls for FIVE cups of white flour, and an ADDITIONAL FOUR cups of rolled oats, ground into flour.

126 Cookies.

She made 126 VERY TASTY cookies.  Perfect to dunk in a glass of cold milk.

Standing in the kitchen long enough to bake 126 cookies deserves special recognition at family council, right?  I mean, now I don't have to think so hard about how we are going to meet our recommended daily butter and sugar requirements.  Phew!

The award should really be entitled "Freezer Filler" but I liked the sound of "Pantry Packer" better.

Anyone want to offer me some free art lessons?  Anyone?

Good job, my darling "Pantry Packer!"

Family Awards

In case you can't tell, Tyjah is PROUD.

He is proud because he got recognized in front of the whole family for something extra special and because he gets to hang his award on his door all week.  But, he is probably proudest that his mom and dad secretly noticed something extraordinary that he did that week.

It was only a few months ago that I read a fantastic post on 71toes about family awards and decided to adapt it for our own family.  

Although we've had some repeats (I save the awards), we try to look for something unique each week and hand out 1-3 awards at family council.  This helps keep the focus on displaying true character rather than acting only in hopes of receiving a known award.  

I'm not exactly an artist, but I kind of like the homemade look of our signs. 

The kids get a kick out of the names we come up with for the awards.  Holey Moley was awarded to both of our boys after they just showed up next to me in the garden and dug two humungous holes for our blueberry bushes. No one asked them to.  They just saw their mom outside working hard to get the new bushes in the ground before dinner.  There was no mention of possibly earning an award at the time.  It doesn't work that way.  

Holey Moley and all of our other awards are given out only for extraordinary service.  In other words, we expect them to be kind and helpful every day.  But there are some times when they really go above and beyond our expectations.  Like the time I came in from working outside to find Halle standing on the counter unloading all the clean dishes into the cabinet.  Not an easy job for my five-year-old Dish Diva!

These two always want their picture taken with their awards.

Before we hand out awards each week, we remind everyone that even if they don't receive an award, they should be excited for those who do.  Brothers and sisters should be each other's best cheerleaders!

We are also quick to tell them that just because they didn't receive an award doesn't mean that they are not appreciated or that we didn't notice something special they did that week. 

Handing out awards every week is a simple way we tell our children "Hey, we notice you and appreciate your contribution to our family."

It's a whole lot of fun, too!

Connecting

Quote of the Day:  May our house always be too small to hold all our friends. Irish Blessing, found on The Tiny Buddha website. Check it out for many words of wisdom, excellent writing on thought-provoking topics. A dear person connected me to this newfound site.  This post is all about connections. Read on.

LAMAA stands for Lakes Area Memory Awareness Advocates. It's a group of health care professionals, caregivers, and concerned citizens whose goal is to connect people who are dealing with Alzheimer's Disease and dementia. We had a Forum last week. Click over to our LAMAA blog for highlights on Living Well with Alzheimer's. I played a bit of music for the opening, and after listening to Dr. Terry Barclay emphasize the need to keep people connected through the arts, felt empowered to continue on my path in the arts as a way of connecting people at all ages and stages.

I have neglected to link you to my latest article in Her Voice, a local publication to which I am a regular contributor, on foster families. I really enjoyed meeting these warm and welcoming people and writing their story. The Miles family in Staples, MN has taken in 22 foster kids over the years and adopted six of them. To read their story go to Her Voice online. My story starts on p. 32, and I encourage you to read more of the great articles in this magazine.

I introduced you to Charmaine Donovan during the A to Z blog challenge with her award-winning poem/book, Tumbled Dry. Here's the latest from her.

“Tumbled Dry” received the 2011 Northeastern Minnesota Book Award for Poetry last night in Duluth. Please let your readers know and if they are interested they can order my book through www.bookinitontheweb.com

Thanks for letting me be a guest blogger. Your readers are awesome and so are you!

Charmaine

You can learn more about Charmaine and her book success at Blue Cottage Agency. She was recently at a poetry conference where she had fun exchanging books with other poets.

Go. Create. Inspire!
and, stay connected.

Journaling Prompt:  What are some of the highlights in your life right now? Any fun summer plans?

Authentic Woman

Quote of the Day:  John Updike's birthday was last week. I found this quote at The Writer's Almanac: I want to write books that unlock the traffic jam in everybody's head. - John Updike

I hope that something in my writing, my plays, do that.I'm offering a post on a Tuesday.  I know, not my usual style, but I have some things to share.  First, the Versatile Blogger award from Jade at Blush of Dawn.

Second, I am a guest writer at Clara's blog on living into your authentic self.

This bright and beautiful sunflower is here to cheer you up.  Here in Minnesota we're getting a whipping from Mother Nature.  She's sending down sleet and snow and a nasty bought of weather.  Go read my "Authentic Woman" post at Clara's and think about what warms you up and makes you shine!

I have a third thing:  If you'll look to the right, I have the 2011 Scriptfrenzy badge up.  Yep, I'm doing it again.  I can't decide where to start.  I have THREE ideas brewing.  Choir Loft Confessions, Kitchen Table Confessions, and Piano Bench Confessions.  April 1, I'll sit down at a local coffee shop and begin.  I'll let you know then which one brings the cream to the top of my creative coffee cup.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  What warms you up on a cold day (phyically or spiritually)?  When you're feeling down in the dumps (because of nasty weather, the worlds' crises, or your own), what lifts you up?

Warmth on a Winter's Day

Quote of the Day: 














Mmmm, doesn't Frankie sing it best?  I've been thinking of this song ever since temps here in Minnesota fell well below zero.  Since I don't have my own crooner warming me up from the ears down, I put the flannel sheets on my bed and made hot tea.  I may not have romantic love right now, but I do have my boys who are full of sweetness now and then, even hugs from those growing sons.  And, I've felt lots of friendship and blog love.  So, I offer you a sip of warmth, two blog awards, and a good read for a cold winter's night.

I received this cheerful award from Kittie Howard at The Block.  I have raved about her before, and I'll do it again.  I enjoy reading her stories so much.  They're full of wisdom and humor and good Southern storytelling.  She's in essence writing her memoir - and what an interesting life she's led.  Thank you, Kittie, for honoring me with this award, and for sharing your stories.  It's the blog I might save to read at a time when I can savor the words.  Kittie, it's like we're sittin' on the porch together in the Bayou, sippin' iced tea and enjoying your Cajun cuisine.

The following blogs bring cheer to my days:

Jade at Blush of Dawn.  We just started following each other's blogs this year, and she really does bring that ray of sunshine into perspective.

My friend JeMA and her family are on an adventure in an RV, traveling around the country, two parents, four kids, a cat, a dog, a fish, art and technology.  Read all about it at Hair in the Air!

Keats the Sunshine Girl - the title says it all.  She gives us warm and colorful images from Malaysia.  A treat for the eyes when you're living in the cold tundra of the North like I am right now.

I also like reading glimpses of life in Guatemala from a young woman from our area.  Brianna.

Laurel G. at Laurel's Leaves gave me this prestigious award.  The award asks writers to share where they get good writerly advice.  I like The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, On Writing by  Stephen King, and anything by Maya Angelou.  The blogs I follow that make me think more about writing are:

Missed Periods - a humorous look at grammar and other things.
Mystery Writing is Murder, which many of you follow.  Elizabeth gives us both writing advice and a glimpse into a writer's life. And,
Tess Hilmo, whose blog is fun to follow right now because her debut novel is coming out this year.  I like reading about her publishing journey.

These are just a few of the blogs I follow and enjoy.  The internet can bring good or evil into your home.  These blogs bring sunshine, wisdom, real life, caring, and joy to mine.

I mentioned passing on a good read.  I read Still Alice by Lisa Genova this week and wept my way through it.  Before you dismiss it as a sad book, I say, why not read it?  Ms. Genova is able to create a character that seems so real that we weep for her loss and for her family.  She gives us an idea of what it could be like to have Alzheimer's.  I have a strong need to learn about Alzheimer's, maybe there's a story in there, maybe I'm feeling called to use my gifts of music and writing for the cause, or maybe I'm being prepared for something else.  Either way, I am profoundly affected by this disease and how devastating it is to families.  I hope to write an article about it in our local women's magazine.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Name some of your favorite blogs or what you like to read on or off line.

Rewarding Weekend

Quote of the Day:  Rich man, poor man, come away.  Come to dance the Macabray. from The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

This is an excellent book to be reading the week before Halloween.  I was inspired to pick it up by this sweet, young thing...

She was reading The Graveyard Book and learned of the song Danse Macabre which I happened to find in a classical book, level 4, challenging, yet accessible to her.  We looked it up on Wikipedia and heard a chilling recording.  Click here for the link.  I get excited about connections between the arts and our lives and when it brings out creativity in my students, and myself.

Besides reading a spooky Halloween book, I have taken a bit of a blog break to spend some school-free days with my boys.  It was teacher convention time, so we visited a corn maze...

Off they run!

They're out there somewhere!

Even big girls like to slide.

 

That was a lovely walk between the corn stalks, talking to my friend about art and artist dreams, and losing and finding our kids.

The next night, the boys dragged me to The Haunted Trail at the Arboretum.  Yikes!  One of the first guys got a real scream out of me because he was dressed in camoflage and popped out of the rustling leaves.  After that, I linked my arm in my 12-year-old and grabbed onto one of the twins.  As they say in my next of the woods, Uff-da!  Of course, the boys LOVED it.

I also received a great blog award for literary excellence from Laura over at Pray for Rain.  Her blog has history and writing tips and I really like reading it.

We are asked to name five of our favorite words, and name three favorite bloggers.

Words:

Phantasmagoric (usually found in the works of Poe)

Adventure (as in, Let's go on an adventure!)

Rhythm (life, music, my heart, my passion)

Fabulous! (It's just fun to say, especially when it's true.)

Extraordinary (however you pronounce it, that's what I strive to be.)

And, now for the Literary Bloggers that I follow:
Roxane, at Peace Garden Mama for building up readers and writers.
Shannon, at Book Dreaming because she believes that picture books have something for kids of all ages.
And, Kittie, at The Block, for her post on passing books along to people in other countries and cultures in a mission to bring hope and education.

Thanks for reading about all my recent adventures!

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  What adventures have you been on lately?

I am Loved, and so are YOU!

Quote of the Day: (from a song I learned very young) I am loved.  You are loved.  I can risk loving you.  For the One who knows me best, loves me most.

Over the past week, I have been gifted with more blog-friend awards, and several new followers.  I do feel loved.  Even as my confidence was slipping, I could feel that lifting up.  I clicked over to YouTube to have a listen to Josh Groban singing, You Raise Me Up.  That did raise up my spirits.  The video is beautiful.  YouTube popped up more by J. Groban.  This one is called You are Loved (Don't Give Up).  It's also great.  So, have a listen.  Read about my supportive bloggies below, and follow your passions today with reckless abandon!  Thanks for reading my words.

This one is from Sarahjayne Smith whose blog, Writing in the Wilderness is full of good news and sunshine.  We are fairly new bloggies and enjoy each other's posts.  Thanks, Sarahjayne!

I'll pass the Sunshine award on to Kristin Torres-Toro at Write in the Way.  Her blog is full of beautiful pictures from her travels, and words of honest wisdom on her writing and life journey.

This award comes with a request for a list of what you, Like, Hate, and Love. I'm just going with one of each.

I like coffee with friends.

I hate being alone so much.

I love my boys.

That pretty much sums it up!

This one come from Charmaine Clancy whose blog Wagging Tales is much fun.  She's writing from Down Under.  I think it is so cool to connect with someone on the other end of the globe.  It makes the world seem smaller and filled with many people all over who could be my friend.  She's writing YA mysteries and offers great writing advice and resources.  She also has a contest going right now.

I'll pass this award along to Kim at Kim's Ponderings Beyond Breast Cancer.  Do you know anyone who could use encouragement?  Kim is a strong survivor who wants to help.

Jen Daiker at Unedited gave me this one.  She has a great spirit.  I sense her enthusiasm for writing and connecting wherever I see her name.  She comments at many of the blog homes that I also visit. 

Laurel Garver at Laurel's Leaves also gave me this award.  She is busy editing and connecting.  She offers so much to us writer.  When she writes about characters, I feel myself thinking about real life characters, too, and the connections we make along the journey.  So happy to connect with you, Laurel!

And, Prolific bloggers?  Wow.  Most of you who read this blog are prolific.  Go ahead and take this award and feel blessed.  I'll post our connection.  And, to get the blog rolling, I'll mention Elana Johnson (huge blog, just take a peak), Journaling Woman who has two blogs (the other one is Ruralhood), and my best writer-mama-pal Roxane.  I feel like I should share the love a little more, but this post has already taken too long.  Love you all!

Journaling Prompt: What do you do when you need a lift?  What music boosts your mood?  Who do you call?  What do you read?

Sunny Day Awards

Quote of the Day: from the poem

Such Singing in the Wild Branches

by Mary Oliver

 

Listen, everyone has a chance.

Is it spring, is it morning?

Are there trees near you,

and does your own soul need comforting?

Quick, then - open the door and fly on your heavy feet;

the song may already be drifting away.

 

 

This lovely award is from a new bloggie friend, Jen Daiker at Unedited.  The flowers and the color are bright and cheerful, like this beautiful spring Sunday in Minnesota.  After a week of grey skies, rain, and foggy mornings, the sun is out today.  Glorious morning! I can smell spring. 

And, this great award is from Kittie Howard at The Block.  Kittie has the most interesting stories.  Whenever you need something fascinating and inspirational, go to The Block.  Read about "What Seven Remarkable People Wanted. You can find the series archived between November and February."  She also has great stories of life in the Bayou.

Today, in the Brainerd lakes area, the temps are in the upper 50's! I took my first bike ride of the season around the little lake in town, then around the middle school and back home.  I'm tired.  Still, when a friend/neighbor called and asked if I want to walk with her and the dog, I couldn't resist.  Spring in Minnesota in the middle of March is irresistible.

The "walk" was more of a stroll about the neighborhood, greeting the folks we haven't seen since October.  The theme of the day was "Everything with Wheels".  People were either wearing them, riding them, or washing them.

Came home, whipped up a batch of brownies and took a long bath.  Ahh, that's what good Sundays are made of. (And, yes, I did remember to spring ahead with my clocks and made it to church on time with two of my boys!)

Journaling Prompt: What signs of spring do you see in your life?

Affirmations Abound, Plus a Recipe

Dear Bloggies, and Bloggie Readers,
Just when I was pulling back to retreat, you called me back to the front line.  No time to rest in camp, Mary, we want you to come Play (off the Page) with us.  More awards and affirmations keep coming in.  Well, thank you.  I'm feeling unworthy, but happy.

Quillfeathers Rooster, from Roxy at A Woman's Write, fun blog name! She has a great sense of humor.  We've recently found each other, and I think she's a "keeper."

I think this is the one where you tell the world how you like your eggs. Need to mention again that I'm a farm girl, and the rooster doesn't lay the eggs, he's the guy who wakes you up in the morning (sort of like your unruly children or noisy pets or the phone).  What I really like is when my eggs are in an egg bake, prepared the night before, so that all I have to do is stumble down to the kitchen in my jammies and put it in the oven, start my coffee, grab a book and go back to bed.

Here's my favorite egg bake recipe.  I got it from my sister.

Ham & Egg Bake
Cover bottom of (cake) pan with onion and garlic croutons
Cube ham and layer it on top of the croutons
Sprinkle with about 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
(Add a layer of onions and green peppers if you like them.)

In a small bowl mix 4 eggs, 2 cups milk, 3/4 tsp. dry mustard, pour this over the layered ingredients, cover and set in fridge overnight.

In the morning, combine one can cream o' mushroom soup and 1/2 cup milk, pour over egg bake, top with hashed-browns (put the frozen package in the fridge the night before so they're thawed a bit), cover and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour, then uncover it, sprinkle more cheese on top and bake another 1/2 hour, or so.

Humane Award, from Shannon at Book Dreaming, kindest people I know award.  Here's what she wrote about me:  * Mary @ Play Off the Page - Mary has a heart that expands in proportion to the needs of others. I love her.


That is kindness at the top of the ladder.  I'm going to humbly believe that is true because I've felt the stretching pains of trying to make it bigger.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Journaling Prompt:  Write out a favorite recipe, where you got it, who shared it with you, when you served, how it turned out.  Good or bad - comfort or disaster - for better or worse.  Recipes and shared food are the ingredients of great stories!

Awards and Affirmations

Quote of the Day:  Hebrews 12:1 (New International Reader's Version)
1 A huge cloud of witnesses is all around us. So let us throw off everything that stands in our way. Let us throw off any sin that holds on to us so tightly. Let us keep on running the race marked out for us.

Received from Charmaine, Wagging Tales, blogger, Down-under.  So glad to know you!  Thanks for honoring me!!

The Honest Scrap Award asks for 10 Things about me:  This will be 10 more things about me.

1.  I grew up on a farm.

2.  My favorite food is chocolate covered strawberries.

3.  I make yummy stir-fry and even try new ingredients.

4.  My kids hate stir-fry.

5.  I think spring is both exciting and dangerous.

6.  Fall is my favorite season.

7.  I get excited about planning music for worship.

8.  I think I might have something that still needs to be picked up from the dry-cleaning.

9.  I'd rather be surrounded by too many people, than none at all.

10. The ingredients to a Good Morning include coffee, journals, music and/or poetry, grapefruit, and a cheerful "Good Morning" greeting from a loved one.

This one is from Laurel's Leaves.  She brings out the creative writer in ME.

I felt myself pulling back last week.  I was trying to get out of groups and activities.  I was retreating.  It's hard to tell, sometimes, are you retreating because you're tired and need a rest, or are you retreating because you don't feel up to the task?  Are you saying to yourself:  I'm not good enough?

I have a few people in my camp who won't let me say, "But, I'm not good enough." or "Who am I to....whatever - write, get published, play music, teach?" (fill in your own art/insecurities here).

Instead, these people say, "Of course you can, Silly.  Now, get out there and DO it.  The world is waiting.  Quit talking that crazy talk."

Thank you.

Journaling Prompt:  Name the people who are in your camp of confidence.  Write them a thank-you.  Write about a time when you felt lifted up.