Our version of Sherwood

We went for a walk in the forest: 82 acres of State woods that flow up to our property.  We like to pretend it's all ours and on days like this one it's pretty easy to do.

Nothing to be heard but children's laughter, jingling dog collars and the call of the red winged blackbird.  Pine leading to maple leading to a birch-filled swamp.  Our beloved marker: a downed log cushioned by snow and moss.

To describe our journey we use words like forest and knoll, hollow and sunburst and it all feels so idyllic, almost Sherwoodian.  I take it in as the children giggle gallop from tree to tree.  The dogs cavort, smiling the old dog smile, grinning the young dog grin.

There's no rhyme or reason why I'm telling you of our walk; you weren't there, but it remains memorable to me for this:

a mother, her charges, wandering the snow-chilled forest.  Released in to nature; breathing clarity in to the mind and a prayer in to the heart.

It seems I'm no longer seething about others' magnificent cherry blossoms blooming or the quickly approaching snow storm.  I live in Vermont with a Northern forest in my backyard: I can live with cold and snow even in April.  

Comment Contract

Attention all you Pats, Michelles, Steves and Tracies out there (also, every other possible name) it's time I set the record straight on an important blog matter and I need you to be either on board or ready to read this and weep.  Look alive, folks 'cuz I'm laying my comment contract out there today!  I'll go first:

I the blogger, promise to love and cherish each and every word you might leave me.  I promise to read each comment and be thankful for it's existence.  I will obey the laws of REAL LIFE and not feel guilty at the fact many comments will go unanswered, even neglected, but never unappreciated. 

Now it's your turn:

You, the reader promise to continue to enjoy reading "Any Given Moment" and to only feel the need to leave a comment if the spirit moves you.  You agree to be content in the knowledge that no comment is required from you to ensure a warm place in my heart.  Furthermore, you are entitled to go weeks, even months without commenting; especially if you notice I am not keeping up the pace over at your blog.

Agreed?  Good!  I'll consider you signed on.  Here, I'll sign too...

motorists may think...

that Champ and I are overprotective parents

but they are totally wrong.  Clearly this boy is a "jet fighter guy".

The variety who like to wear their air mask (or H1N1, paint fumes, influenza... preventor mask) and helmet just about wherever they go.  It's great- if I want some entertainment for the day, I just drive my jet fighter guy to the nearest intersection and check out the expressive faces of fellow drivers.

This might all stem from an event a few weeks back.  We were having the rare occurance of watching T.V.  Rarer still, "Top Gun" was on and in the middle of one of it's famous flight scenes.  Champ and I took the opportunity to introduce Bear to a classic motion picture. We turned it off a few minutes later when the scene went south (love you, Goose), but for those stunning moments (and now for days after) Bear has been enchanted. 

I have "The Princess Bride" and "Tombstone" slated for the weekend.  I mean, a kid should know top notch cinema.


enjoy your weekend everybody!!

toilets in the bedroom

This morning as Bear and I were getting ready for the day, I pondered 2 sudden thoughts:

Do other mothers happily find a Bjorn toilet full of urine in their child's bedroom each morning?  Whether or not they do, would this be a wise thing to share with my blog readers?

I wouldn't call myself wise, but I am spontaneous.  You've been warned.

Back when I was toilet trained, there were no blogs.  There weren't even digital cameras.  Perhaps somewhere my parents wrote down a few tips and tricks on how training me went, but I've never seen them and honestly, most people wouldn't care to record THAT.  I know all about my first curl, bath, even kindergarten bus ride, but first independent pee?  No idea.  Times have changed, the world can keep a record of EVERYTHING and "Mommy Bloggers" are especially good at writing out the tiniest details of their child's life for all the world to see. 

As I mentioned, I'm not wise and I don't truly consider myself a Mommy blogger, but Bear, honey?  don't you worry, I recorded all your bathroom memories right here in the Written History of Bear's Toilet Training and you (your friends, your coach, your possible
in-laws...) will be able to access this for many, many years to come.  Your Welcome.

Let me just add this final, quirky installment and we will be all set.

So, when last we left off, Bear was well on his way to being toilet trained.  At this point, I would officially say my 2.5 year old is officially "trained"; we just have a few interesting details to go along with this announcement.

-He wears underwear through the night and on longish trips of 2-3 hours.
-If we travel longer than that and it's during evening hours, he's in a diaper, but he typically keeps it dry and tells us when he needs to use a bathroom.
- he uses the household toilet 90% of the time, but has his own in his bedroom.  He uses this when he needs to toilet during his sleep.  And this is where my joy in finding urine each morning comes in to play.

I have yet to find this exact toileting suggestion in any of my books, but that's not going to stop us.  We are going with what works and what gives us parents a good laugh Bear the most independence.

You know that saying, "Well, you've never seen a high schooler still nursing, have you?"  I'd like to introduce a similar saying:

"Well, you've never seen a college student in need of his own Bjorn, have you?"  I think it's kind of catchy.

 

Net For Catching Days

Guess What?  I'm finally back in action!  Phew. 

AND not only do I have all my programs back (including Neat Image. Yay.), but thanks to the computer fairies, I also have Photoshop 7!  Not like I know quite what to do with it yet, but I'm still super pumped.  Without revealing too much about my fairy connection; as a favor to them, I suggest you go out and buy any product made by Canon.  For sure.

We recently had the chance to congratulate my brother-in-law in person on his new house purchase AND his engagement.  It was a bit grounding for me to hear the boy I adore tell me about wedding plans and house renovations.  The same boy who was so young (9 if I'm not mistaken) when Champ and I were married?!  Say what?

Congratulations, D!!!!! We are thrilled for you!

What else?  Oh, tonight I will unceremoniously turn back on comments.  Thanks for being patient with me, folks.  I have a bit more glamourous post regarding it coming up in the next few days.

Actually, I have all kinds of things I want to post now that I'm back and a few more announcements too, but it's late and bed is calling and I have all the time in the world to get posts up now that my computer is back (double Yay).

For now, I will simply leave you with a little bit more fairy magic... 

It's been a dreamy patch of time with St Patrick's Day and the Spring Solstice.  I like to drag these kind of things out, so here's a short and sweet activity we did today:

After having filled the previous days reading about magic, rainbows, leprechauns, fairies and Spring, today we discovered the wee people had left us a secret package with directions for making their favorite kind of treat.  Nope it wasn't quite Ambrosia, but close.

We opened the package to discover a sweet, white powdery substance (come on now, where are your thoughts?!  It was pistachio pudding mix, gang) and we added it to 2 cups of milk, put it in a Mason jar and gave it a shake.

It turned green right before our very eyes!  We followed the directions and stored it in the fridge until some time had passed and we could enjoy the delicious treat.

Now granted, this kind of activity doesn't model Montessori philosophy, but during special weeks like this, I tend to drop reality for a good heaping dose of imagination.

If you've never tried this technique, you should - it's as refreshing as Pistachio pudding on a snowy Spring day.

can't wait to chat again soon,

A book review- sorta...

First off, the computer is back in my possession!  I picked it up this Saturday; days after I had planned on retrieving it, but a household of stomach bug invalids (myself included this round) can really slow a plan down.


I'm tired of writing about my computer, so you are probably tired of reading all these silly update posts.

I offer a remedy...

No more computer talk from me.  I'm still on a borrowed computer as I try to get all the systems updated and protected on mine, so just know I'll blog when I can and I hope to be back in full soon.   

When I do officially return there will be some changes around here that I know you are gonna love!!!!

While I was back in the dark ages (in between caring for ill family members or being curled in a ball by the toilet) I got all kinds of caught up on things I'd been meaning to do-


Like read! I recently read:


Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
The Reliable Wife  by Robert Goolrick
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff
Lovely Bones by Alice  Sebold


I was all over the place with topics, but I desperately wanted to read each book.  Every single one was a treat to me and if I were to offer notes, I'd say:


"Ethan Frome" was a superb gothic, creepy tale and "the Reliable Wife" fits this category too, except a bit more contemporary.  "Water for Elephants" and "Lovely Bones" were extraordinarily written and the type of books that kept me up reading in to the wee hours of the night (for me that's like 10pm).  As for "The 19th.Wife", it is historical fiction that mesmerized me with it's information about the Mormon faith.  So much so that I am now eagerly devouring "Under the Banner of Heaven" by Jon Krakauer.

Bear got caught up on his reading too and discovered that he really, really likes the book "Stranger in the Woods" by Carl R. Sams II. 


It's a great storybook; detailed with photographs about how on one snowy day, some woodland creatures chance upon a strange snowman in the woods. As we finished the 5th consecutive reading of the book, Bear leaped from my lap and announced we should make our very own stranger in the woods.


So we did.

In the middle of our frozen lake.

While he was a cheery sight from our window

Bear was disappointed that no woodland animals were coming to visit.

Then one day, a fox risked it all to visit the melted snowman in the middle of the open lake

and he feasted on seeds, chestnuts and a carrot to his heart's content

until he discovered the compost pile: a much safer, just as delectable place.  And you know what Bear said about the whole thing?  "But why didn't the deer come like in the book?"  

Almost...

Gotta love media tools, right?  They are wonderful, and helpful and makes us feel so very connected until- the disconnect!!!!!

I will be picking up my computer tomorrow- THANK GOODNESS- and praise the Lord that I will not have to take out a small loan to do so!

I am trying not to think of all the things I have lost on the computer (especially my de-noise program for my photos- the graininess in today's shot makes me want to cry!  sniff. sniff.). At least I will have some programs booted back on my computer soon, right?  And then I will be able to be back in the world of social media and blogging, right? 

And AND then I will be back to regularly visiting with all of you, too, right?  RIGHT ON!

 Hope to be seeing you again soon.

XOXO,