A Few of My Favorite Things....

These are a few of my favorite things...not necessarily anything that holds super significance, just simple pleasures that make me smile : )

honey-nut cheerios as a finger food (crunchy and yummy!!!)
mud puddles and rubber boots
the sound of a fog horn...even in the middle of the night
pumpkin smelling candles (mmm-ahhh)
homemade chai tea...with honey and cream
big fuzzy slippers
new earings
chubby babies
paper muffin cups and parchment paper (no sticking...and less cleaning-Perfect!)
scarfs
ballroom dancing (Kiely and I have been taking classes....soooo fun)
naked baby bottoms
porch swings
pregnant mommies
baking pies or other goodies...and the way my house smells (so delicious)
really stormy, rainy days
rollerblades
super hero capes (dun-da-duuuuunnnn)
long, dark, eyelashes
my kids playing pretend....

Sooo, what are some of your daily "SIMPLE PLEASURES"??? Do share!!!

Simply Simplify

"Hi, my name is Melody...and I'm a multi-taskaholic". Sadly, I am drawn more toward accomplishing "tasks" than investing in people...and with a husband and three little men-to-be, that certainly isn't the way to go. So, I have been doing a lot of thinking and re-directing of my daily habits and priorities. I seemed to find myself always in a rush, constantly trying to tackle 6 tasks at one time and laying in bed at night feeling like I made very little progress...only to repeat the same routine the next day.

Sooo, I've been simplyfying life... One step at a time. I started by nixing my multitasking. BIG DEAL. One thing at a time...until it's done! Phew! It sounds easy, but what a test of my will. I'm always so tempted to go throw that last load of laundry in the washer, or make the bed real quick while I run to the bathroom and read the mail while I'm at it so I'm not wasting time...and then only to come full circle realizing an hour later I was in the middle of doing dishes that are still sitting on the counter...and by the way, why are the boys being so quiet?? : ) Oy! This last week has been my first test run and what a difference it has made!!! Sure I don't get to all my "extra" projects like sewing and crafting, but "OH" the extra time I've had to sit and read books or play with the blocks on the floor (with my kids of course : ). Just yesterday I had our bed sheets in the wash so our matress was bare and for about 45 minutes we all congregated on the bed and the boys jumped, tumbled and played airplane on my feet(A tradition we just might start for whenever the sheets get washed : ). It seems now, I get into bed and so much more has been accomplished and I was even able to enjoy it along the way!

I have many weak points, many that are so much more evident now that I have children. Being able to build strong relationships is one of them...but certainly not something I want to drown out the time I have been entrusted for raising my boys. What a challenge and wonderful way for my Creator to capture my heart and refine some of the deepest parts of me. Oh, that I would be humble enough to allow Him to search me and give me strength to change...one day, one kiss, one story book at a time.

Well, this ended up being a little more serious than I expected...just to finish it, I wanted to share a quote from an article I recently read. It has challenged me as well as given me determination to make the choices that count. I hope it blesses and encourages.

“Parenting is the most accurate test of one’s true character. It reveals all the secrets and uncovers all that is hidden. Children reflect the soul of their parents; they manifest the heart that may have been formally concealed behind sophisticated screens and carefully crafted public perceptions. We parents can manipulate the public perceptions, leading others to believe we are something quite different from reality. But, it is our children who become windows to our true selves, often opening the windows wider than we want them to go. They find and expose the real you and tap into and follow that reality as their guide…. It is not about doing; it is about being. Get real. Love God until the joy of the Lord fills your cup to overflowing. …Let the Holy Spirit create discipline in you so that you use your time wisely and have more time to be with your children. It is a matter of perspective—of where your heart is actually fixed.
Your children are your legacy, the only one that will endure in future generations. Thankfully, we don’t have to be perfect people, or even especially wise. We don’t have to be thoroughly informed as to all the ins and outs of parenting. We don’t need schooling. We need to be real—consistently real and caring. We need to be there. Everything else will somehow fall into place when our hearts are right. A right heart can make up for a lot of wrong headedness, but great knowledge and understanding can never make up for indifference.”

Yippee for Harvest Time

This is the first year we have played dress up for Harvest...and it was absolutely worth it! I was still contemplating whether or not to have costumes for the boys and waited until about 1 o'clock on Friday to finally decide! Gabriel was easy because we already had the props that we needed, but Justus was totally excited about being SUPER WHY (from PBS kids) and I figured it only required a small amount of fabric and iron-on paper we already had to do the trick. Before I began sewing I printed out the "Super why" logo to iron on to his shirt (juck like the character) and just that alone thrilled him. After seeing it and looking at pictures of Super Why to see that he had the same thing Justus came to me and very thoughtfully said. "Mom....I think that is soo cool you made this for me!" Now THAT made me feel pretty cool....then a minute later he said, a little hesitantly, "But mom, I don't want to wear this paper on my shirt. " (lol) No problem, after it was ironed on he totally got it and had to wear it immediately, and was quite concerned when I asked him to take it off to sew the cape on....to make a long story shorter, he has worn his costume every day since!!! It's great!

Gabriel was my little builder. He wore overalls, a hardhat, and carried around a construction pencil, tape measure and a screw driver. We had a blast!

For my own little Fall treat I indulged myself in some artistic pumpkin carving...when everyone was asleep of course. Sadly, they rotted away quite quickly, but I took some pictures before they were completely gone. I had a blast! Who knew?!