A Cold Date

Yesterday it was very cold. But we were undeterred. After all, Kendall was free in the afternoon.  So we booked a babysitter and headed out with snowshoes.

We built a fire and roasted marshmallows.  (Well, as close as you can come to roasting marshmallows when the air is way, way below freezing.)

This well-insulated bushman broke the trail. There were lots of trees across the trail from an early snowstorm that pulled trees down. But the snow was so deep, we could walk right over many of them. I was surprised how well we were able to maneuver on the snowshoes. Kendall had a trouble a few times, (things like falling down and floundering with the deep snow and huge snowshoes), but I cheered him on, the faithful wife that I am. (Okay, maybe I laughed hysterically- I don't really remember.)

See how cold it was?!  My breath froze to my hair! 

 

Anyway, lots of fun.  A very good date on a beautiful day.

Cold

Here is the email I received this morning:

Please be advised that the school buses in the Red Lake and Ear Falls area have been cancelled today due to extreme cold. Our reports were indicating -39. As the sun rises, this temperature will continue to drop before it starts to rise again. This is Hutchison Bus Lines and for the Red Lake/Ear Falls area only. Travel safe.

Of course, I didn't check my email until after the boys were bundled up and outside waiting on the bus.  Normally, when they head out to the bus, they run around and play until the bus pulls up.  I should have known it was cold when they stood frozen 10 feet from the door and simply stared at Lydia and I standing inside watching them.  (It would probably be wishful thinking to hope that they were frozen with regret for their horrible behavior over breakfast.)  When the bus was late, I started wondering.  Cancelling buses is what is done here rather than cancelling school.  On those days, school becomes optional. 

We had had a very rough morning.  If I would have checked email before Kendall left for work, I would have sent the boys with him to be dropped off at school.  However, now we're here and I really don't relish the thought of taking Lydia out in this extreme cold.  And maybe we all need a second chance at enjoying life after the horrible morning...

So this is where all 3 kids ended up this morning:

 

Almost an hour later and Eli and Evan are still there.  I hear the shower running and lots of happy playing.  It sound like they are very busy averting some kind of world crisis. 



Homemade Babyfood

Today I was feeling pretty good about myself.  The morning was gorgeous and cold.  My house was lit up with bright sunshine.  And I was getting things done.  Lydia was behaving perfectly.  Seriously, for 45 minutes she was completely entertained by a basket of toys.  Unbelievable!

While Lydia was enjoying her toys, I was whipping up homemade babyfood.  That's right.  I was making healthy, preservative-free babyfood to put in the freezer.  Like I said, I was feeling pretty good about myself.  I cooked everything perfectly and put it in the food processor to bring it to the perfect consistency.

After awhile, Lydia had emptied her basket and was ready for lunch.  I was so excited to serve her my very healthy, freshly-cooked homemade babyfood.  I was SuperMom.

Lydia opened her mouth for the first spoonful.  She made a face.  Then, for what was perhaps the first time ever, she deliberately spit it out!  I gasped!  "Lydia!  Did you just spit out my homemade babyfood?!"  She did.  And when I tricked coaxed her to take another spoonful, she spit that out as well! 

I mean, what could possibly be wrong with green beans?!  With hamburger.  And spinach.  And an apple?  I know, it's a...um...different combination.  But the beef has protein and the spinach has- well, I'm not sure, but it's a superfood.  And the apple, well, it was just lying on my counter, so being the practical woman that I am, it got sliced into the pot too.  (Sorry, Mom.  I know you think serving your grandbaby spinach is close to grandchild abuse and the random apple just adds to that perception.)

I tried again later.  That time, Little Missy made a show out of gagging on my homemade babyfood.  I even tried adding plain yogurt to the mix.  It, by the way, was also homemade.  However, it seems that something went awry with that batch of yogurt.  It's kind of stringy and weird...  Anyway, adding bombed yogurt to the mix probably doesn't help redeem me for serving your granddaughter spinach, does it Mom?

I eventually got Lydia to eat a bit of carrots, which she is used to.  (I'm tired of bright orange poop!)  But she was iffy on eating in general, not really trusting me enough to open her mouth for the spoonfuls I offered her.  So, she mostly had milk for lunch. 

Wait til she sees what's for supper!

Failure?

It’s funny, actually, how little it takes to remind me that I’m a Failure.

The unfinished nativity calendar hanging on the wall.  (The stable scene was all ready, but Baby Jesus never came!)

A forgotten “Baby’s 1^st Nativity” book pulled out from under the couch.  (I should be reading to my daughter!  While I’m at it, I should be singing with her and doing the motions too.)

A dusty guitar forgotten in the corner of the living room.  (The Christmas present I requested and received a year ago.  Where is my motivation to sit down and learn?  I know I would enjoy it and it would be good for me.) 

A pile of library books on the floor.  (Oh yes, we’ve lost one.  Why haven’t I taken the time to search under couches and cushions?)

The boys’ messy room.  (I try to tell them to keep it picked up- it’s easier to do a little bit every day.  But how can I teach them when I myself have so much trouble with that?)

The long list of baby gifts we received.  (It’s still on a page in my trusty notebook.  I was so grateful- how hard can it be to sit down and write thank you notes?  By the way, “Thank you” if your name is on that list!)

The kitchen counter cluttered with random things.  An unpacked box of random things from our Christmas trip.  A pile of random things on the bedroom floor.  The family room in the basement that slowly fills with random things that need a proper place in the storage room.  (I hate putting things away and finding places for random things!  That just might be my most despised job as household manager- The Putter-Awayer!)

The undecorated bathroom.  Dusty curtains.  The leftover Christmas wreath on the front window.  Photos that need to be printed.  Phone messages that need to be returned.  Kids that need baths.  Unwritten letters.  People to invite.  Parenting books to read.  Appointments to schedule.  Blog entries to write.  Extra income to find.

Ahhhh!!!  I’d rather have a cup of coffee and a novel and my couch, please. 

I know, I know.  If someone else had written all of this and I was sitting here reading it, I would say, “Relax.  Let go of the ‘shoulds.’  You don’t have to be perfect.  Sometimes you need that beautiful trio of the coffee, novel and couch.   You’re fine.”

I normally think of myself as someone who is comfortable being imperfect.  I don’t think I have to be perfect.  I give myself room to be less.

I think.

Then days like today I suddenly see clearly the nagging thoughts that have been eating away at me for the past week.  “Get it right!  You have so much you should be doing!  Why are you tired?  Bad!  Bad!  Bad!  FAIL!”  Somehow the thoughts sneak in and trick me!  I end up feeling overwhelmed and oh so tired.

Whew!  Now that I’ve discovered the trickery of this inner slave driver, maybe I can let it go.  Maybe I can let go of these burdens of failure.  It really is okay to be imperfect.  I'm not perfect, but I'm not a Failure.

And by the way, though I was disappointed that Jesus never got around to coming to our advent calendar before we left for Christmas, Eli and Evan made sure He and his parents found their places after we got home.  So Jesus did come after all.  He came when I wasn’t paying attention.  He slipped in via my sons when I was too distracted to make sure we had that ‘meaningful discussion’ about his appearance.  He came even when I didn’t make my best intentions materialize.  And He’s hanging around today when the threat of company tonight finally pushes me to take the abandoned advent calendar off the wall and stash it in the basement with all of the other random things waiting to find their proper place.

I’m glad He’s here.

Lydie in the Laundry

The laundry basket is currently Lydia's favorite place to hang out.  She has gotten bored with lying down.  In the basket, she doesn't fall over and she doesn't push her toys out of reach.  Works well!  I'd say she seems quite happy with the set-up!

Lydia has started "dancing" when music is playing or someone is singing.  And the head-bobbing thing...Well, does it look dangerous?  It gets a little out of control when she's excited.  I just don't want her to get whip-lash or anything... :)

Snow Day

Today the buses were cancelled because of bad roads. The boys stayed at home with Lydia and me.  They found some...um....creative ways to play in the snow.
Enjoy:

And here, Evan battles an unseen assailant.  Eli gives the commentary:

 

Lydia and I pulled up a lawn chair and enjoyed the show:

 

The Annual Christmas Tree Expedition

A free ride

Happy girl

Timberrrrrrr!