2010 reflection (2) in photos

One month from my last post....

Where has the time gone. Needless to say I don't have much to say things are well Christmas was good. Kids are good too. Will be back soon with pictures and more to say.

And it contiunes...

I have been expereincing some bumps latley. But overall things are good.

I started eating gluten free yesterday. Last night I slept better than I have in weeks! I woke up in the same postion that I feel asleep in. I am having issues with absorbtion of my thyroid hormore and also some other minerals. In addtion I have not lost weight and need too!!! NEED TOO!!!

School is hard. I am being challenged and not feeling challenged at the same time. I wish I had more time to get everything done! I wanted to focus on school this year. But my intership has left much to be desired. My supervisor talks about leaving and while part of me wants to graduate and get my hours done, the other part of me wants her to leave so I might have a different experience. It is really hard to be excited when the person that I am working with is not excited about social work. And also asks me questions like " Why did you really enter this profession?" Ummm why....to make a difference in the world, do do meaningful work, to watch people help themselves, i dunno, why did you enter the feild to feel good about yourself? (Which is what she told most people enter social work for) I think in the long run I will learn a lot from this experience but compared to last year it is just very blaise. I need to more than likely dig a little deeper and see where I can get the most from the experience.

The kids....

that will be something to talk to tommrow...

For today

Outside my window... is cold and snow is on the ground.

I am thinking... that I want to knit and not go out to happy hour. That I can't wait for Thanksgiving.

I am thankful for... that my family loves me and my children are happy.

From the kitchen... nothing...tommrow winter vegetable skillet pie.

I am creating... diagnostic assesments....( that is so not sastifing)

I am going... to the gym tommrow to spin!

I am reading... The Untammed Bride

I am hoping... that I will get a big enough purse to stop carrying around my Trader Joe's bag.

I am hearing... typing and chatting

Around the house... need to purgeand clean

Update

Bah! Where has the time gone.....

I have been really busy over the last two weeks with school. I wrote 50 pages in three days. While I have not got any grades back for the 4 papers back I feel good about where is school is going.

Recently went back and updated where I am at on my four goals. I was impressed that I had knocked out 3. Milli's sweater had to be restarted because it was not perfect enough. I am considering changing the yarn, because she is really not a pink girl. So I might change up the yarn and take it a touch darker.

In other news we had a exciting day yesterday with all the snow. A transformer blew right outside our house. We lit a bunch of candles and watched Harry Potter on my laptop (it had battery). The fire dept came as we live on a pretty busy street and Milli and Matias were both quite happy to watch out the window all the action.

We are going to welcome a new baby into our family. My cousin is pregant, which is really exciting! Aww babies.

Luis and I met with our lawyer yesterday. We got some encouraging news! We are excited to move foward with the immgration process. Luis and I have debated as to what the right decsion would be for our family. At this point it looks like moving foward in the process is the best decsion for everyone. I have been praying that God would contiune to provide protection to our family. He has been faithful in providing for us.

I hope you all are well. I am looking forward to a shorten work week and then Thanksgiving!!!

this...

Did you want of these for free......I do! I do!!!

 Go here to link to win a free bike from madsen cycles. Even if my dad thinks they look dangerous.....

* As a possible customer it would be nice to see helmets (just a thought) :)

Window Shopping

An ipad with a wood cover

A comfy bike for the whole family....no trailer needed

11:29am

We parted ways 2.5 hours ago... you are still gone for 1 more.

You hand held mine as we walked as fast as we could towards your school.

Golden sunlight, crisp air and orange trees.
You told me to slow down, " I am soooo tired".

Papa picked you up.

We we get to the brick building with green doors you "wake up"

Kisses and hugs. You are gone in your own place with your own experiences.

Me too. But you will share about friends, books, and animals.

Only if I ask of course.

Marshmellos

As summer slips away so do these...

Here is say until next year to you guys...

1:38 PM The Kitchen

I look at the stove and decide it is time to dig in and clean.
I feel a poke in my leg and see the little one with a big smile

I turn and smile. Quickly become a stove cleaning monster defending her land.

 And the the little one runs out. Seeking refugee. 

But it is not given, because I am having to much fun with the charade chase, catch, tickle and release. 

and acting like a fool.

A fool with a clean stove top.

Forever

How has your September been...mine has been crazy. I have not had time to catch my breath. I am worn out  and a grump....

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Then there are these two and all is well. My dad and Milli are too

Then there is this................mom.....mom don't be a grump be happy!

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Ok little one...just let me tickle you first.



End of school and start of school

I wrote awhile back that the I would write a reflection about my first year of grad school. While I think the time has past for a reflection. I think there are some life lessons that I can atrribute to that first 9 months of school. Simlar to having a baby, the process of cultivating and thinking hard about choices and ethics was the most marked expereince of my first year.

I think the most dramatic part of going back to school was learning that I was person. I was not defined by being a mother, which had consumed me for the last two years. It was scary at first to be my own person. Parenting allows you alot of freedom in the choices that you make, there is no one grading you or saying don't displine that way or this way. When choices that I made were commented and graded it was much more stepping out of my comfort zone. Overall my grades were sucessful and I was proud of the work I did. It was personal and indvidual accomplishments that were the best part of getting to achieve a personal goal.

The second thing about school is a lesson about myself and professionalism. Ealry on in the year, I became close friends with someone. When she confided something in me, I was shocked by the infomration and brought it up to a support group that was "confindental". Well one of the members brought it out into public and it became a huge deal. Everything recoved and the indvidual and I are still are friends. (Which is a testment to her and how cool she is) What that situation taught me was to take people face value with a little bit of skepism. I guess I should not have over reacted, but I am defensive about social work and the standards we should be held up too. Let me make this clear on this here blog. Particpating in illegal activity is wrong, but I am not going to be a tattletale on people. As a social worker it is impartive that we meet people where they are at inculding social workers. I think that I would have step back and listen to this advice I might have acted differently.

The third thing about school last year was, how I am really glad that Seward Co-op is close by....they have the best hot bar ever. I love the food it is really yummy. Oh and I liked learning... ;)

Well, school starts in less than a week and I have to go buy my books.

Annoyed

Grrr....
This past week has been madness.

1. My internship changed.... which ended up with less flexibility and much juggling of schedules and childcare. It almost all sorted out and ready for school to begin in a week....


2. I have not had a good work out. This is entirely my own fault and I am having some mental blockage getting though my work outs. So here is to a better week. I did get in some yoga this morning, but I hardly consider that something that gets my blood pumping.

3.Details. I hate details....that is what I am swimming in right now.


4. Purging... I have got ridden of 4 clothing articles of my own and 4 of Matias's so 8 items total! I am celebrating that, because it is all I have. :)

5. We are going to a wedding this weekend and that should be great! We mailed off a package to a sweet friend who is having a baby girl. Dropped off a meal to a family that just had a sweet baby boy #4 and are ready for a different friend to welcome a baby by labor day#3. There are babies EVERYWHERE....(which oddly makes me not want to have more, must be the constant reminders of labor and pregnancy)


That is all I have right now....I hope to get some more thoughts down soon.

4 simple goals

Elsie via a Beautiful Mess who's blog is amazing btw. Put up a little inspiration for us who were interested and I responded to the simple idea of 4 goals before 2011...awk. Can you believe it will be 2011? (My ten year high school reunion is next year).

I need some motivation at the moment I feel a little burned out. Which is strange because I have been up to nothing as of late beside being a mom and working. I like to be busy so when that internship, job, and school start up again after labor day I tend to do better when that level of activity is going on....

Here we go:

1. Make time for myself to take care of my needs. -Schedule in times to workout 3 times a week and time to concentrate on "adult things" versus making due during mom time.- Done! I joined a gym and have been seeing friends going to church regualry!

2. Be a better parent -Number one should help significantly with this. I need to be calmer, more organized and sensitive to what the kids need and be there 100% for them-

3. Finish the knitting the cardigan for Milli.

4. Get ride of some things....-long board that never gets rode, books that are ripped, books never read, clothing to small, stained, or not worn-Doing better than not on this! 11/8/2010

Vacation Part 1-Duluth

We just a entire week away from our house. By golly it was amazing!!!  In truth camping with a preschooler and a toddler was hard. I think the kids had a great time. They were troopers and made me laugh alot.
So here is our vacation part one

Luis views the tall ships.

We watched these cool people exchange vows.

First we headed up to Duluth for some aquarium and tall ship viewing. Here are the row of tall ships in the Duluth Harbor. They were tall and impressive.

Matias and Milli playing at the aquarium.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't put the TV in the closet....

I think the heat has gotten to me. I followed through on a threat. Which end's in the phase " Mom, don't put the TV in the closet." Matias has been asserting his independence in a variety of ways this summer. Most are positive and make me really proud as a mom.

However the refusal to go into the woman's bathroom and screaming in parking lots  that " your breaking me" (as I gently hold his hand) has taken over all of time out in public.


So let's keep this short and say the tv is in the closet....and it might never come out.


I sent Luis this article and it makes sense. Our home right now feels crowed and full. I feel like there are things that I don't need around every corner and the amount of things we have leads to disarray. Now I do admit to not being the cleanest person around but how would eliminating things feel and contribute to our happiness. And why not try it and see how it feels? As I read that article I thought....what happens if she has company over, where would she get plates from? Then I realized that we have only once in the 2.5 years that we have lived here had a "dinner party". So really do I have a need for extra plates?

I also have given some thought to things that are important and I want to be a part of lives and how ridding out life of things could make and impact on us. So therefor the next month is clear out 2010.

Birch Trees

Something I really love is birch trees.

this is a painting that I want. The print is 100.00. It is beautiful and lovely and completed by one of my favorite mama artisits out there. One ms. K Barteski. This work sums up life for me. And it screams home!

I wanted to wallpaper our kitchen with the cole and sons wall paper that is $100.00 $198.00a roll. But it is a $100.00 $198.00 a roll people!

But what I do have that was not a 100.00 or 198.00 is a painting by my grandmother. It is actually the only thing I received after her death. Mostly because family members of mine put post it notes on everything, while the poor woman was lying on her death bed....but that is an entirely different story...

Recently it came to live in the living room. Which honestly I was upset when my husband put it there. But now it feels quite at home. Even in it's 1970's frame.


Until then I will keep searching for my cole and son's wall paper.

From my garden today!

Today I picked my first cucumber!!! Can you find it in all that bounty! With this a yummy salad for lunch is in order. We have been regular salads from the garden and they are really amazing! The kids get excited to eat the veggies and Matias even ate some kale the  other day.

Here is what in the simple garden salad:

Baby romaine
Swiss Chard(baby leaves)
Grape tomatoes
Basil
Today-cucumber!!!

Top with dressing, I like Annie's Cowgirl rance or this sweet onion dressing from sam's club :)


Enjoy!