A Mother's Day Birthday

I can think of nothing more appropriate than celebrating Charles 8th birthday on Mothers Day, after all, that is what it is all about isn't it?  After celebrating the "best birthday party yet" yesterday, today was the perfect combination of Charles and Mama's day.  A special breakfast, followed by presents to be played with all day long, while mama and dad spent a very productive day in the garden.

We began the first mow, laid out pathways, put down black plastic to kill off weeds in the expanded area, planted the strawberry patch, readied the chicken tractor for the babies transition outside tomorrow, and bought a big flat of marigolds to companion plant in the garden proper.  As we walked the homestead late this afternoon, the kids were playing a very intense game of "spy" on us and came in with bright rosy cheeks and full of winded smiles.

Now we are settling down, basking in our accomplishments, and readying for a birthday/mother's day supper.  Charles is immersed in his new Lego's set, building as much as possible.  Sidney is settled in watching a little television.  B is working his magic in the kitchen.  Me?  Well I am marveling at how fast the Internet can be on a new computer and looking oh so forward to singing Happy Birthday to my little man.

And of course digging into a Mother's Day Birthday cake!

It's Here!

You will have to excuse my limited posting this week, but it is here and I am having loads of fun trying to get it all figured out!  What a difference a decade makes in technology (as if I didn't know that, but it's still fun to find out)!  Now, we need to see if we can get all of our music and photos recovered from the old mac as well as the external hard drive which apparently has had some problems of its own.

I spoiled myself with a trip to the App store and downloaded Aperture, I have only used iPhoto in the past and played a little in picnik, so I am excited to learn more!  I thought this was an easy way to get my feet wet without making the financial commitment to photoshop....at least yet.

I am off this afternoon to my little man's birthday party, he seems to be doing pretty good after our appendicitis scare earlier this week.  Hopefully it is the last we hear of that nonsense!  Then, I will immerse myself back into figuring out my our new toy.

Happy Weekend!

A Typical Spring Day

Each morning now begins dripping with the promise of new life and growth.

Every living thing is still kissed by the last of winter's ice crystals.

Yet, by the end of the day, the warmth prevails and we are all enlivened by Spring.

Teaching Water Off A Ducks Back

Children are such sponges.  Every new experience is an opportunity to learn, expand minds, pretend, play and evolve.  I hope as a parent to tap into their impressionable minds to instill values, morals, and encourage an ability to reason through life's gray areas.

 I remember, as we all do, September eleventh vividly.  I was visiting my family in California, with my then 5 month old baby girl, while B was here in Wisconsin, unable to break away from our newly acquired business.  The following days were a whirlwind of emotion, the nation (world) was glued to their televisions, dad went to donate blood and everyone was trying to figure out this new world we lived in.

I was on one of the first flights out of Los Angeles after the airspace reopened a few days later.  My father had to drop me at remote parking so I could shuttle into the airport because no one could be dropped off within the airport proper.  It was of the utmost importance to national security that you did not let your bags out of your possession. Now picture this: new young mom, infant, stroller, suitcase, diaper bag & stairs on and off of the bus.  This was highly stressful, yet a dear sole on the bus helped me, handled my bags, so that I could get myself and Sidney off of that bus with our way too big, first time mom stroller.   Security lines were immense, but the feeling of camaraderie was amazing and all of the travelers were very patient.  Our country was bound together, person to person, stranger to stranger via this great tragedy in a way that I had never imagined.

Fast forward almost ten years, the "new" way of life has become the norm.  My now two children know about the twin towers falling and last September eleventh, we sat as a family and watched the re-cap.  We discussed with the kids what happened in more detail to answer all of the questions they had from the bits and pieces they had learned at school and heard from friends.

 May 1, 2011 Osama bin Laden is killed in a covert action ten years in the making.  What happens?  The solemn news is announced in a rare nighttime address to the country by our President and the media is a flutter.  I just read that Nielson company tallied that it was the highest viewing of a presidential address, despite the time of evening.  Everything from news organizations to facebook lit up. I read things  reflecting a gamut of emotions from folks damning our president if he even attempted to take credit for any involvement with the action, to vivid pictures posted of those who celebrated our tragedy of 9/11, to prayers for the fallen and people breathing a sigh of relief that this symbol of our changed world was gone.  I support our military and am thankful for their service and sacrifice.  The grave decisions made to "take someone out", no matter how despicable a person they are, should be met with reactions reflective of the gravity of those decisions.  Gratuitous celebrations can only lower us to a level that I am not willing to encourage in my children.

Today, our senators don't stand on the capitol steps singing God Bless America.  No, they spend their time exerting energies on the blame game and jockeying through calculated political moves  in order to make the "other side" look bad, either now or at some intended future date undoubtedly linked to an election.  Such great examples they are.

So what do we teach our children?  Do we teach them that life is like a video game and we can easily get to the next level by "taking out" the bad guy or someone they disagree with?  No repercussions, just finish them off two taps to the temple (literally or figuratively)?  Or do we teach them that there is bad in the world and difficult decisions need to be made.  That right from wrong is not always black and white but shades of gray that we have to navigate.  That we can not listen to the sensationalism around us, rather, take it like water off of a ducks back, and process the information, research what is out there to find the truth, so that they can make informed and conscientious decisions about what is acceptable behavior.  Then, as a parent, I can hope that I have given my children the tools to be thoughtful human beings in this post 9/11 world.

April's Postcards

Well I ended April having taken a ton of pictures, but our ol' trusty (and 9 year old) Mac finally died Friday night.  So the pictures are a captive audience within my Canon.  I plan to be blogging this week, while I wait for my new shiny Mac to arrive, but please excuse what is destined to be a litany of iPhone photos :)

April was wet and cold, yet we made the best of it and it was a memorable one indeed!  Today, the first of May, has greeted us with a gorgeous bright sun that will warm our hearts into a fast approaching summer.  Here is a little bit of what April brought me through my lens.