A Flippin' Good Time

Now my turn...

Quotable Monday's - One of my Favorites

There is more to life
 than increasing it’s speed.

-Ghandi

The Good, Bad & The Ugly

I have been on the run for two days.  First a trip to a National Park with a friend and our gaggle of children.  Yesterday, an appointment for my son and shopping in a larger center an hour and a half away.  Today we are leaving for the lake hoping to get on the boat and catch some sunshine before school starts on Monday.

It has been a week with my van as well.  We own a 2005 Toyota Sienna and though it has never left me stranded mechanically it has when it comes to tires and doors opening properly or even at all.

After a fun filled day of sun, water and the beach I was driving away from the National Park and noticed my van was shaking.  I pulled over at a turn off to another recreation site to take a look.  I got out and realized my tire was going and fast.  I called my husband but where I was the cell coverage was patchy all I could hear was that he was on his way.  My worst fear was being stuck on the side of the road by myself with the kids.  Northern Saskatchewan does not have huge divided highways.  I did not want to risk an accident so I went with my gut and turned back to goto the National Park turn off and my gut was right.  As soon as I pulled into the gas station the tire was gone.

Now for all you ladies out there that are going to read the next bit of my post and leave with a huff laughing and saying to yourself "I can change a tire myself" I suggest you head to another blog now.  I do not consider myself weak or less of a woman in any way allowing my husband to come "rescue" me.

I am a woman.  I believe God created me to be a woman.  Yes I do believe women can change tires.  I am a woman with a van full of sleeping children.  While we waiting for my husband to drive the 50 minutes to come change my tire I sat in a parking lot with a flat tire and my spare tire half way out.  My 7 year old decided he could get the spare tire out and I loved watching him do it.  Seriously he took on such a manly role it was priceless!!

While we sat there for over an hour not one person, and all I saw were men, asked if I needed any help.

Not one.

Gage woke up right away so I had a 20 month old running around and my 7 year old chasing him and now being his typical 7 year old self. 

Many looked, a bylaw officer looked, the workers at the station looked but no one asked if I needed any help or if I had a tow truck coming .....not one person.

I am not bitter, I had help coming so I wasn't angry.  Just disappointed in people a little bit.

After a teenage boy had gone by us a few times getting in and out of a skid steer I asked my oldest a question.  I said "Owen, if you were that boy and saw a Mommy with children stuck with a flat tire what would you do?" 

Owen said "Stop and ask her if she needs help."   And trust me people this little boy would ask if she needed help at the ripe old age of 7.

My husband was disgusted too with the fact that no one even asked if I needed assistance. 

For the record I was going to start trying to change the tire {I will admit it is one thing I have never actually done} before my husband got there but then Gage woke up and I figured it wasn't worth having him scream his lungs out in his car seat while I tried to do something.

We are Canadians.  We are supposed to be the friendliest country in the world.   I cannot change how other people think but I tell you....I was sure proud of one 7 year old boy and the fact that he gets it, that we are here to help each other out.

Wordless Wednesday - I Stand Alone

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Tackle It Tuesday - Getting Ready for School Lunches

School starts next Monday.  I purchased the supplies, backpack, new shoes, a few items of clothing and water bottle.  We are recycling the lunch bag from last year since it looks as good as new and I ran it through the washer with some bleach.

With lunches we need containers.  I would rather use a reusable container than send plastic lunch bags.  I purchased sandwich containers from Tupperware a few years ago.  I am not one to buy prepackaged items.  I would rather buy a huge can of peaches then buy the individual packages.  It is cheaper and better for the environment and having a few different sized containers on hand helps with the speed of lunch making.

My plastic container drawer looked something like this.

We were at Costco on Saturday and I purchased this pack of containers for $9.99.

I had to wash them all so why not do it with the last load of the day.

After drying them all I emptied the drawer, wiped it out and matched up my old stash of containers with their lids.  Whatever did not have a lid or a container to match was taken out.  My new pieces look great and it feels good to be ready and prepared.

I must have cleaned out this drawer recently because I was left with only two containers and four lids.  I did not toss the containers because they are great for some crafts such as beading and embossing.

I use the lids for a paint tray when the kids are wanting to use different colors...or glue...they work great for many crafts.

What are you tackling today?

Head on over to 5 Minutes For Mom and be inspired.

Family Management - Home & Property

I was quite excited to dig into the next chapter.  You can read about what I learned regarding managing my time in this post. 

I do see a huge improvement on how I use my time.  The biggest change is in the amount of downtime I seem to get if I am prepared for all that is ahead.  Let's hope this new change in thinking stays with me when I am finished the book.  Now onto Home and Property.

The author once again sets in reality and describes the many different types of homes.  I fit into the toys strewn everywhere category and not the tidy/clean one.  To be honest I want the somewhat tidy but clean and comfortable home.  And that is where you should start off.  Deciding what type of atmosphere you want in your home. 

When deciding this please consider the season of life your in.  I have children ages 7, 4, 4, and 20 months.  This is the reason I stated above I wanted a "somewhat tidy" but clean home.  I know that for the next few years I will not have everything off the floor and that is what having a 20 month old is about.  That is their play and all I can do is when it's time to pick it up that I involve them.  As for the 4 year olds....they know better than to throw things on the floor.  I always ask them..."Does Mme Jara let you leave toys on the floor at school?" I usually get a no.  Therefore I have every right to discipline if they do not pick it up at home where the same rules apply.


Kathy Peel notes that unless you have hired help managing your property and home this job will take up huge chunks of your time.  So if your lucky like me and have four children why not put them to work?  I did and was quite surprised and what they were willing to do.  Of course I had small incentives {a looney or tooney depending on the job, that is a $1 or $2 for my American friends}.

Some jobs suggested for preschoolers.....

make their bed
fold towels and washcloths
put away clothes
dirty clothes to hamper {I had my daughter sort laundry too}
pick up toys
wipe off basebords, blinds, windowsills using an old sock on their hands

{my preschoolers also help unload the dishwasher, clean windows with a microfibre cloth and spray bottle with vinegar/water mixture and wipe the table off after we eat}

Jobs suggested for Younger elementary children....

all of the above suggested for younger kids
sweep
vacumn
empty dishwasher
set and clear table
help with yard work
wash car
pull weeds
shovel snow

{my 7 year old son loves to do "daddy" jobs like washing the van, shovelling snow. I have a harder time getting him to help with jobs Mom does.  I think it's a macho thing!}

There are many suggestions in the book for kindergarteners and teenagers too.

As Dr. Kevin Leman suggests....everyone lives in the household so everyone should be responsible for helping at home.  I put this suggestion to my kids and my oldest understands.  The preschoolers are still at the age that it's fun to help out..ha!  I still get whines and cries but I have stuck to my guns this last month and I think over time it will become a norm.

Next up...SOP's...Standard Operating Procedures.  Defined...."SOP's are routines that can be building blocks of efficiency in your home." {Kathy Peel}

Tips for SOP's..

1.  Identify what you want to change.

2.  Figure out what you want instead and determine the resources you have to work with.

3.  Try a solution.

Do we not preach "trying" to our children?  Why don't we practice what we preach?  I say this because honestly I have a huge fear of failure.  This was eye opening to me and quite liberating at the same time.

The author uses the example of vacuming because the dog is shedding.  Once you have done the job you seem to have to do right away again, so you go a second step.  Get the kids to brush the dog to help the shedding within the house.  You are vacuming less.  So you go a third step and try a solution.  You have the kids take turns brushing the dog every afternoon and if it works you have established a routine.

Launch time saving routines...that is the key!

Since this post is getting long I will end it here.  I hope you found some useful information and feel free to ask questions.

Quotable Monday's

Sometimes I lie awake at night and I ask,

 "Why me?",

then a voice answers

 "Nothing personal, your name just happened to come up."

Charlie Brown

A Small Rant

Have you ever realized how complicated we humans make the world?  Stupid question but I had to put it out there.  As technology advances it seems we are losing so much of ourselves.

I am as guilty as the next for becoming addictive to social networking sites and so on but I can still be polite to someone.

I had a moment, or more like a few in the last few weeks.

Maybe I am reading too much into this but seriously I want to yell "You are no better than anyone else Lady!"

Whoops, did I just say that?

I have had many conversations with other Mothers regarding...well...other Mothers.  I was shocked at how many women feel "not good enough" in the eyes of their peers.  It is one thing to feel bad in the wake of a comment thrown out but another to change behaviours and pickup times and destinations so you do not have to see this other person.

Wowsers....

I tried to boost this Mom's self esteem and tell her that pickup at school is about her child not another Mom that may or may not say Hi to her.  The child always has a big smile and a hug for her so why care about whether someone has decided to acknowledge you today.  Your child's acknowledgement should be what makes you feel like the most important person in the world.  And be lucky you get it...my 7 year old maybe nods at me!

Maybe I can say that because I know it is not another human being I need to impress but Someone FAR more important  than any of us.  So all I can do is pray for the Mom that feels less of a Mom because another Mom won't be polite.  Make sense?

Sad...so sad.

We are all in the same boat.  Whether your rich, poor or in between.  We all have experienced the best and worst of Motherhood....so where does the "importance" come in?  The pecking order?  I refuse to take in any part of it except maybe to help change some attitudes.

That being said, the other day I have the same thing happen to me.  My emotions go all wonky, I'm hurt, wondering why people feel it's okay to acknowledge only my children and not me.  I struggle with it on the drive home...is it the way I dressed today?  Is it because of something I had said one time? 

Then I realize what I 'm doing.  I instantly feel a huge relief knowing it doesn't matter.  In the next moment I feel LOVE, seriously it brought me to tears. 

I am who I am because I was created to be me.

Get it?

Meet The New Additions To Our Family

 

Sasha "taught" the kittens tricks.....with a little help from her twin brother.

We will not be keeping both kittens.  Two more female cats could result in many occasions of teaching new kitten's tricks.  One is spoken for by a friend and the other one may goto my Dad's house for a mouser.  I am sure we will see more arrivals in a few months.

This was the first time we have had kittens.  Usually our cats do not survive this:

Wordless Wednesday - High Five

What is going through that little head?

High five Mary!

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Tackle It Tuesday - When The Power Goes Out

We lost power for over four hours the other day.  At about hour two the kids were playing nicely but I was starting to twitch.  I opened a drawer and began to clean.

Oh the things you find!

Four mini tape measures, tape, pictures, playing cards, pencil sharpeners, paper clips, dog's vet records.

A picture of your friend's cat.....

Sticky notes...and more sticky notes.

How many pairs of nail clippers does one household need?

And finally the drawer is clean with office supplies, phone directories and yes I kept the picture of my friend's cat.

What are you tackling today?

Visit 5 Minutes For Mom and be inspired.

If I Could Do It Again...

This would be my wedding song....{even if I don't like mangoes}.


There's no combination of words
I could put on the back of a postcard

No song I could sing

But I can try for your heart

Our dreams, and they are made out of real things

Like a, shoebox of photographs

With sepiatone loving

Love is the answer,

At least for most of the questions in my heart

Like why are we here? and where do we go?

And how come it's so hard?

It's not always easy and

Sometimes life can be deceiving

I'll tell you one thing its always better when we're together



[Chorus:]

MMM its always better when we're together

Yeah, look at the stars when we're together

Well, it's always better when we're together

Yeah, it's always better when we're together



And all of these moments

Just might find their way into my dreams tonight

But I know that theyll be gone

When the morning light sings

And brings new things

For tomorrow night you see

That theyll be gone too

Too many things I have to do

But if all of these dreams might find their way

Into my day to day scene

I'd be under the impression

I was somewhere in between

With only two

Just me and you

Not so many things we got to do

Or places we got to be

We'll Sit beneath the mango tree now



Its always better when we're together

Mmmm, we're somewhere in between together

Well, it's always better when we're together

Yeah, it's always better when we're together



MMmmmm MMMmmmm Mmmmmm

I believe in memories

They look so, so pretty when I sleep

Hey now, and when I wake up,

You look so pretty sleeping next to me

But there is not enough time,

And there is no song I could sing

And there is no, combination of words I could say

But I will still tell you one thing

We're Better together.

Quotable Monday's

You will come to know that what appears today

to be a sacrifice will prove instead to be

the greatest investment that you will ever make.

- Gorden B. Hinkley

Family Management - Time!

I have been reading this book everyday.

Kathy Peel has some great simple suggestions to help manage your family.  I will admit it took me a bit of time to get used to the idea of being called a Family Manager.  I thought it was too corporate sounding but after thinking about it for awhile I realized that is exactly who I am.  Over the last week or so I have used suggestions from Chapter One: Managing Time and Scheduling and I have seen  a HUGE difference in how this house is running and my anxiety.

First up, A Daily Hit List.  This will be the first week we use this.  What I am loving is the fact that I have NOT had to purchase a bunch of items.  Most of what is suggested I have had on hand.

Second, a wipe off board for items you need to pick up at the grocery store.  This board is small 8 x 12 and is ONLY for grocery items or such items that can be picked up at such a store.  It is on the fridge so everyone in the family {that can read and write} can list the item that they used up and is needing to be replenished.  So far.....working really well and helping me with the many paper lists I had going on and being misplaced when it was time to goto the store.

A bulletin board to place beside the control center.  I had this one up already and it was placed beside where I decided the control center should be.  {It needs a good clean up} Up until now I was using two control centers.  Paper and clutter not too mention chaos when trying to find a stapler, tape or envelopes always happened using my old method.  I am excited to test run the new method.

And last but not least a Control Center!!!   A place where clutter ends before it begins.  Mail can be opened, school papers dealt with etc etc.....Here is the before.

And the after.  This cleanup took me 15 minutes this morning and I had all items on hand which made the job easier...{future post on this subject so watch for it}.

Items you will need for a well stocked control center.

An inbox for papers, a filing system {mine is in the pretty basket}, pens, pencils, highlighters, I also have multi colored sharpies for my family calender {each person has their own color}.  Tape, scissors, your grocery list wipe off board, phone book {in drawer}, letter opener and a trash can close by.  The bulletin board is to the right of my control center, the family calendar and wipe off board are to the left. 

One tip on the family calendar, buy a HUGE magnetic calendar and place on fridge or somewhere everyone in the household would see it.  This has worked for my husband and I.  We were frequently overbooking or scheduling on top of each other until I found this system.  It also helped him see what was going on in the future.

Kathy's biggest tip...we must live in the present and the future at the same time to stay on top of what needs to be done.  Less chaos means a happier parent {at least in my view and my own experiences}.

This was a great project to get done quickly and we will see how it works with school and activities starting up in a few weeks.

Revelations:   I realized now that I need a slotted time to get the motivation to get something accomplished.  I am a slacker and was waiting for the kids to get older to get stuff done or do things I enjoy. With the use of 15 minutes time slots I have been accomplishing much needed household chores as well as time for me to enjoy life, read a book and enjoy a cup of coffee.  The children seem to really respond to such structure as well and I was surprised how willing they were to help to some chores.  My 4 year old cleaned windows the other day, my other 4 year old vacumned the living room...all while I dusted.  It was great.

Stay tuned for more tips and I dig into this book and organize my life!