Walking

Today I needed to go to a couple of stores and the library, and I had to do it by myself! {gasp} No help from another adult or an older child with the toddler and baby! So, my husband dug our tandem stroller out of the back of the garage and off we went. Absolutely wonderful! I had totally forgotten how wonderful this set-up is. First of all, it’s a great workout. I’m pushing between 75 and 85 pounds between the children and the stroller. Secondly, with my toddler sitting in the front seat we don’t talk much so I’m just pushing and quietly thinking. Occasionally my little guy would call out “digger” or “truck”, but it doesn’t take much thought to agree with him and go on with my own thoughts. To have that time to just think without interruption was wonderful. I really need to plan on doing this more often.

The shopping wasn’t fun – couldn’t find exactly what I wanted and what I did go with just seemed overpriced (maybe I’m just too picky?). We stopped at the library midway to return something and for a nursing break. The baby was too distracted though so he nursed a little and then quit – at least it was enough to hold him until we got home. I normally don’t shop. My husband does it all – wonderful man that it he is he loves shopping. Today reminded me why I hate shopping so I’m so glad that the walk made up for the disappointment.

If you’re not one for walking you should try my mom’s idea for inspiration (not that she needs motivation herself – I think my love of walking is inherited from my mom). Every time she walks she clocks how far it was. She’s following Google Maps and “walking” to visit my sisters. So far she’s made it to my sister in Illinois. Now she’s on her way to my sister in Wyoming. Check out her blog where she talks about how she does this and how far she is.

On the garden front I still don’t have my veggies in yet.  In my defense it has been cold and rainy quite a bit. However, my oldest son made a compost box for me. We followed this pattern. So I’ve been having fun putting scraps in it. The problem is I want to see it changing now, but this is one of those projects that’s going to take a while. He also made me another garden box which is approximately four feet square. Hopefully this week my plants will go in!

I know it’s been a week since my last post. Hopefully, next week I’ll get back to more posting. I hope you had a fruitful week too.

A Hard Week

This has not been an exactly healthy week for our family. There has been some nasty stomach running the circuit of most of our children. It really hit two of our younger ones quite hard. It is so hard to see your children sad and sick and not be able to do much more than offer them comfort. We do have a “Sore Tummy Tea” that I made but it didn’t seem to help much. Thankfully everyone is better now and eating lots to make up for lost time. 

On another note, I recently started studying about why we should have more gelatin in our diets. I have started to add it to my smoothies. Maybe someday soon I’ll write a post on this subject.

We’ve had much warmer weather recently so I’ve started taking walks again. Let me assure you that taking a walk with a twenty-pound baby in the sling is quite the workout! When my husband isn’t available to walk with me the children enjoy taking turns. It’s some nice one-on-one time with whoever comes with me. And let me just say that none of our children are ever at a loss for words.  We have some great conversations along the way. I always come home feeling refreshed emotionally and physically. Walking is one form of exercise that I really love.

How was your week?

It's Time!

I don’t know about you, but I think it’s time for Spring.

I love looking at snow, watching my sons count up what they’ve earned from shovelling snow and even occasionally walking in snow. I like snuggling under a blanket and reading a book. I love cuddling wiggly bodies that are wearing fuzzy pajamas. I enjoy making hot chocolate for my children the old-fashioned way with milk, cocoa, honey and a little cream. I like the earlier darkness that makes everything feel warm and cozy in the house.

There’s something about knowing it’s cold outside that makes the smell of fresh-baked bread and cookies sweeter. There’s joy in watching your children play in the first deep snow of the season – the snow that reaches up to your toddler’s knees, and you let him go out even though it takes ten minutes to wrestle all his snow clothes on and you know after two minutes he’s going to hate it and want back in. There’s the fun of building snowmen and snow tunnels.

So I like winter until somewhere around February 1st when I magically want all the white stuff to disappear and the temperature to immediately rise to something you can go barefoot in.

But now it’s time for warmer weather, for an entryway not cluttered up by what seems to be 30 pairs give or take of boots and and coats, hats, mittens, scarves to match. It’s time for starting a garden, running around barefoot in the backyard, needing to remind my sons to mow the lawn. It’s time for eating outside, taking long walks after supper with my husband, planning our family vacation.

I’m ready to hang my laundry outside again. Oh, how I love the smell of air-dried laundry, and the sun makes my baby’s diapers so white again!I’m ready to go strawberry and blueberry picking and come home to gorge on the berries and freeze or dehydrate whatever I can manage to keep away from my children. I’m ready to go to the zoo where we have a membership but never seem to go much in the winter.

           So, yes. Winter you’ve been fun, but now it’s time for SPRING!