A new LOAD challenge and LSNED rap-up.

Yes, you read it correctly. I have begun a new LOAD challenge and as of day 4 I am going strong. I have a number of "kits" ready to go and look forward to getting some of our memories down on paper. Lain Ehman has started a new website called scraphappy that has a little bit of everything when it comes to scrapbooking - sketches, news, videos, how-tos, challenges and (when you pay the monthly fee which was on for a deal), "free" access to three LOAD challenges for the year. So while the last one didn't go so well (12/31), I'm hoping to do just as well if not better this time around. Mitchell has a bit more of a routine, the kids are in school, what could be the problem? Regardless, I'm sure to get something done and it is more of an incentive to get some scrapbooking done then I seem to do in between challenges.

This time around I am hoping to involve Marlee a little more. she has been showing an interest in scrapping so when I am doing my thing, she is starting to work on some creative things as well. Yesterday she did some painting and the day before some scrapping. I just have to get organized and get some pictures laid out for her to use. We can always use some mother-daughter time - especially these days when I have been so consumed with Mitchell.

As for LSNED rap-up, in case it wasn't noticed, there was a bit of a theme to my posts this last month. I was reminded daily of all the different ways and things that we can learn from and encouraged to be "creative" about how it affects my life. It was all through the class Learn Something New Every Day. There was a theme to my learning this month. It seems to have centered around Mitchell – as much of our lives do these days. I guess that was to be expected Again, this year I am very thankful to have been reminded of all the learning that goes on on a regular basis. We are always learning. Relearning things. Learning from people, from places, from things, from nature and from ourselves. Learning new things. I think what I have learned most from this experience is how quickly we dismiss the importance of keeping learning fresh. We so easily say, "Oh yeah we learn something new everyday" but don’t really focus on what that learning actually is. I like that this let me do that. I did appreciate this experience. As far as creatively speaking, I knew how much I could expect of myself and I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to keep up by blogging about it each day. To go one step further, I made a promise to myself to do one extra step to up the "creativity" with this project. **Hopefully** we'll see this result during the month of LOAD. Off we go!

Learning from the morning can get forgotten by the afternoon...

if I don't write it down.


As with so many other things in my life, if I don't write it down it doesn't get remembered. It doesn't get purchased. It doesn't get emailed. it doesn't get phoned back. it doesn't get DONE.

There are LOTS of opportunities for learning...

you just have to know where to look and how to recognize them. You can actually get lost in the looking it seems.

I guess LSNED isn't the only one that takes the opportunity to focus on learning in September. I've been amazed at the emails and blog posts that are focusing on learning this month. It would be nice to go back to some of them but I will try to be realistic. In particular I hope to get back here for some future reading material.

Learning can be confusing and contradictory...

I think it started with the desire to EC. That led to a book on attachment parenting which led to the desire to co-sleep, baby wear etc. Which has been fine until just recently. Mitchell has been "up" a few more times then necessary the last few nights - and using me more as a soother then actually being hungry. It has made me think that I am going about it a bit backwards. I am no longer getting the best sleep with co-sleeping and am realizing that nursing him to sleep is not the best plan - especially when looking at our goals in the future and having a good sleeper. So I thought I should do some more reading. Some more learning. So I am now on my third parenting book in the last week to see if they have any suggestions. And of course they do! It is only that they are all completely different from each other. And each time I read one I think it might be the one. How did I become so wishy washy? They each have their merits. But bottom line is, I am going to have to learn to make a decision, and make it fast. We are getting deeper and deeper into our [poor] habits and it "ain't lookin good!"

I think I am leaning more towards the Baby Whisperer style from where I am. After reading about one woman's success I started reading Baby Wise - TOTALLY against attachment parenting (almost funny actually) but I am still not into letting him cry it out. And so now I am reading about the baby whisperer who is in between. She has a few pages which (embarrassingly) describe me and how I have come from the two extremes. Yikes. But I will know more after I continue reading. And learning. In the meantime, I remain a little confused.


Hey - look what timely post I just got in my email! Oh and the big point that lept out? Uhhh - pray about it! Why did I need a reminder?

Sleep is a wonderful thing...

Today I learned (or relearned) that sleep is a wonderful thing. I am a much happier person when I get at least 6 hours (not 4.5 like I did last night). I am a much more tolerant person when I have more sleep. I am a much nicer person (I think) when I have more sleep. AND Mitchell would be a lot happier (I think) if he could learn this lesson in the wee hours of the evening.

That is another story but let's put it this way, we both need to work on our evening sleep routine OR LACK THEREOF. Period.

A little science anyone?

We had an interesting day yesterday... (warning - potential grossness factor!)

All in the name of science and learning I thought I'd share two incidents that happened. The first occurred as I went to take out the garbage and recycling to the curb. Oops, in the garage I found the reusable bag that we had stored all of the trash and recycling from the car ride home. We like to bring home anything that can be recycled as we know that the restaurants won't. I usually have a bag for trash, for the green bin and for recycling in the car that we then easily dispose of once we get home. Well, dinner had been Swiss Chalet. And that had been Sunday and it was now Thursday morning. And it had been hot. Very hot over the last few days. So yep - I shrieked. There was a lot of white moving going on let me tell you! So once I had collected myself, I (much more calmly) called the kids to come and take a look. After showing them and explaining what it was I then cleaned out the containers and bag - very quickly and carefully. The wet bucket I dumped down the sewer. I can't believe how many there were. YUCK!

Onto science incident number 2. I've been really disturbed over the last month or so that there have been what appeared to be mouse droppings on our table in the back yard. One of those things that gives you the heeby geebies thinking you have the little critters running over your things. Especially where you eat. There have been no signs of them in the house but still. And it is a nuisance - always disinfecting the table, keeping the kids clear, making sure you aren't dropping the droppings on the deck. You know.

So yesterday I have all the kids (7 of them) ready to go swimming and of course it is warm and there is no shade there. So I go to put up the umbrella. and there are droppings. So I clean it up. Then I open up the umbrella and there are about 3 wasps under the umbrella. I quickly grab the spray and (gasp I know - sorry Sarah) but I sprayed them. I hate them around the kids (and to be honest, me). Anyway, I then notice this dark blob that is not moving. Upon further investigation and then some jumping up and down in spine tingling heeby jeebiness, I realize I have just sprayed a BAT.

About a month ago when I went to open the umbrella a small bat had been hanging in amongst the folds and I obviously disturbed it and although it scared me, I thought oh well and away it flew. I don't really have anything against bats. They are just a little freaky and startling. Usually more scared of us then we are of them. So then I realized that the droppings were from the bat and I had probably just killed it with the spray. By this time the kids were wondering what I was up to and came to investigate. Once I realized it was actually living and was in fact still sleeping (and Drew convinced me to just let it be???) I did just that. But there is something about eating your lunch under a sleeping bat that just didn't sit right so we didn't. And if it continues to make its home there, well... Let's just say I won't be eating there a whole lot. The kids continued to check on it over the course of the day and it was still there until we checked after dinner. There wasn't any sign of it there today.

So there you have it. A few lessons for the kids. A few lessons for me. I tend to startle easily but once I get over it I really do find the animal kingdom rather fascinating. All a part of the circle of life. Shall we sing?

Learn Something New Every Day

I've just joined another scrapbooking challenge for the month. It is Shimelle's class called Learn Something New Every Day. I don't know that I will actually make an album but I will of course attempt - and get some journalling done!

Today's prompt is to consider what I've learned within my home. I thought about talking about the cottage since we are here right now so here goes: I love our cottage and the simple life that we have there. Relatively little responsibility and carefree days. I have learned that it is important to get away for a little bit and the cottage is the perfect place to do it. Iand I love it especially since it doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles. (The internet hook-u pis nice though).

Yesterday's prompt (since it was the first day) was to think of something that we learned over the course of the day. Since I spent the day with Marlee I will attribute my learning to the importance of spending a little 1:1 time with each of the kids as often as we can. It doesn't take much to make them happy and it makes a world of difference in their lives.

I think I am going to like this one! Making a conscious effort to look at the world around me and making note of all that can be learned - each and every day!