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wednesday.

November 14, 2012 Filed in birthdays,charity,parenting

 

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(i had my settings off on my camera so lets all pretend this is….a newspaper photo…ha!)

she had a great birthday.
so grateful and sweet.
she wanted ice cream sundaes but i had to get at least one cupcake.  
we watched one of her favorite movies after dinner.
i like that kid a whole bunch.

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we had a girls day just the two of us yesterday.

she used her birthday money (and her allowance…she is a saver) for some cute clothes.
i loved watching her pick stuff out.
she and i are finding our way.
me saying "it's ok to not like what i like" when we disagree.
or when she says "do you like it?" with a big smile then OF COURSE i like it.
i want her to form her own opinions…have confidence in herself and her choices.
i am so proud of her when she does.

and she is pretty darn cute. 

 

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i got out my electric mattress pad for the winter.

oh yeahhhh.

my toes are nice and warm now.  :)

 

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so…i got to see Flight on monday.

holy cows.

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it is definitely rated R.
it was… hard to watch?  very real?  very grown up?  intense?  but seriously… SOOOOO good.

ha ha ha

it stuck with me.

but i can't quite figure out why….

and no spoilers in the comment section.
i don't want people getting mad at me! 

the couple sitting next to us…they were talkers.
"oh no he didn't"    "oh no…don't do it"    "GASP!!!"

AND she sang the words to a whole song that was on the movie!

seriously. 

and the school called craig at the very last 4 minutes of the movie.
so he missed the ending.
craaaaazy.

 

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have you filled your boxes for  Operation Christmas Child?

OCC-tiff

i usually post about it but time got away from me.

my kids loooooove to do this project.
i hope you do it too.

and i saw that if you drop off your shoe box at Chick-fil-a… YOU GET A FREE SANDWICH!

bonus!

 

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here is somehting happy for you this morning….

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i am off to run errands.
walmart…the bank…the post office.
so exciting eh?

what to make for dinner?
the question of my life… 

 

 

 

 

add a comment

melissa@joyineveryseason - I had a chance to see a movie but didn’t know anything that was out … so went to see Flight after reading your recommendation … John Goodman was SO FUNNY … and that scene in the stairwell was luminous. It’s stayed with me, too. Glad for your thumbs up … so glad I saw it :o)

Michele - I want to see Flight, but my husband, the commercial airline pilot, does not! lol So I guess it might have to be a girl’s night out!

amy - HaPpy BiRtHdAy to your sweet girl!!!!
girls days are the best! I have “kenzie dates” with my middle daughter. love that one on one time.
~amy

colleen sullivan - I love the black and white photo.. almost as much as the gumballs? That Talby appears to be a joy to raise… helpful post as I have an eleven year old girl child as well!
Dinner… not for tonite but in the future…my hometown has a dish called spiedies… you can get the original there (or even order the meat online and they will send) or make a the next best thing by ordering the sauce, marinating cubed boneless chicken, placing on skewers and grilling. Best served on soft white italian bread that u use to pull the chicken off the skewers. For a healthier version (sans white bread)i serve the meat next to orzo pasta and broccoli and dip them in any extra marinade that might be floating off the chicken. I grill all winter long… but I guess you could do inside under the broiler if you really have to. So quick, so easy, I usually buy the gallon jug! http://www.spiedies.com/original-endicott-style-spiedie-marinade-p-1750.html

Flower Patch Farmgirl - Thank you for loving rated R movies.
Here’s a question: Lars and the Real Girl. Have you seen it?
I have no idea why this just came to mind, but I think you might love it. I am a movie freak. I could go on and on….

Tiffany - Happy Birthday to Talby! She has SUCH a cool mom! 🙂 YES, we do OCC shoeboxes too! My family filled our boxes a few weeks ago so I could share them with my class. I get the whole 5th grade involved in bringing them in!

Amy@littleforalittlewhile - I think that gumball maching may just be my favorite thing in your house. So colorful and happy 🙂

kate - Talby is soooo pretty!!! happy birthday to her!

Lori H - Talby has grown up so much since i started following your blog…a long while ago. She is just beautiful. We already filled our shoeboxes – our church is a relay station so gathers from many churches and takes them to NC. I am making a no-recipe cajun thing…a “what’s in the fridge that I can use” kind of thing. So far, it looks yummy!

Tanya - My sister was always the saver ~ never me 🙂
My kiddos are out tonight – I had an English muffin with peanut butter for dinner. Need the recipe?…lol.

monica - my mom and i fought alot over clothes when i was growing up. and now that my daughter is 11, i know that the clothes she wears is an expression of who she is. i love watching her make her own decisions and watching her grow into herself.
and, the supper situation is always a battle for us ! that sassy 11 year old daughter of mine is also a vegan. so its lots of fun trying to figure out what to fix. Good luck !

Sara Torbett - I loved reading about Talby’s birthday and your relationship. I am about to be a mom to another girl (my second) so I like reading/”watching” how you interact with your girls. 🙂 So glad someone mentioned Parenthood in the comments! I didn’t get to watch last night and will have to catch up. Makes me tear up every single time. Such a good show. We’re having enchiladas for dinner… 🙂

Becky - what to make for dinner is the question of my life too:/

Robin Canter - We saw Skyfall – the new James Bond movie. Really good and you could actually follow the story line on this one. I won’t give it away, but someone dies in it.

Kate - I love that you wrote about shopping with your daughter…I’m already learning to deal with differences in opinions when it comes to clothes, and my daughter is only 4! I loved shopping with my mom, and I’m thankful for the time shared, regardless of our differing styles. Happy birthday to Talby. She’s blessed to have you for a mom!

Jacci in Ohio - I love it when you get really random. The randomer the better 🙂

alicia @ la famille - i want to see that movie too!! glad talby had a great day. she is growing up so much. love her smile 🙂

Kelly - Actually… your enchiladas are on the menu at my casa tonight for the first time… with some black beans….

KirstenP - Happy Birthday to Talby! I love the ‘newspapery’ photo.
Meg, did you watch Parenthood last night? If not, then watch it online
as soon as you can, and then watch this youtube video about one part of the
show.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU4pE6Vme3k

Shannon - I’ve been wanting to the operation Christmas child for the past few years but always miss the dates, I’ll be picking up my girl from school and heading straight to Walmart today so we can do this!! So glad you mentioned it and I’m looking forward to chickfila for dinner later this week too 😉
Have a great week Meg!

Tiffany - No way he missed the last 4 minutes. No way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think its awesome that your daughter is finding her own style, me too! If it makes you smiiiile, it sounds perfect 🙂

Beth Ann - What’s for dinner? I am making Ranch Chicken tonight for dinner. Easy-Peasy and everyone loves it.
I have no idea where the original recipe came from (I wish I could site it), I have made it so often I have it memorized:
In a large baggie shake together:
1 cup crushed corn flakes (could use rice krispies, bread crumbs etc)
1/4-1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese (I shred mine fresh)
1/2-1 packet dry ranch (1 full packet makes it pretty ‘ranchy’)
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I pound mine out to be the same thickness so they cook at the same time)
dip chicken breasts in melted butter and then into the corn flake – ranch – parmesan cheese mixed and into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.
Bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes.
Easy and yummy.

Su@TheIntentionalHome - I want a rusted gumball machine. . .I love your happy pics. . .I am actually a little addicted to your happy pics. I can’t wait for your blog posts to come ot my email (they always come a day late) so I check in periodically to see if you have posted something new. 🙂
We are having crockpot vegetable soup (with sausage in it). Recipe on my blog if you want to check it out. . .you can freeze the leftovers too. My kids love this and I love that it gets veggies in them. Serve it with Saltines and a block of cheese sliced. Here’s the recipe: http://www.susoutter.com/2009/10/crock-pot-vegetable-beef-soup.html

Tracy - Happy Birthday , Talby!! You’re one lucky girl!
Seriously, “what’s for dinner” is the story of my life, too. But SERIOUSLY, what’s for dinner at your house?? I need inspiration!

Southern Gal - This reminds me. This summer we were standing in line getting movie tickets to see Brave. There were three women ahead of us in line with a boy who was about 12. He wanted a ticket to see Teddy which was rated R. They wouldn’t sell it to him, of course. The women were going to see Magic Mike, so he had to go with them since none of them would give up Magic Mike. I nearly fainted. I wanted so badly to invite him to go watch our movie.

Southern Gal - Happy birthday to her! You have close birthdays with those girls!
I’m posting about OCC tomorrow. It did slip up on us this year.
Crock pot black eyed peas with sausage – it’s a good one to put in the pot and forget.

JulianneB - I saw “Flight” this weekend with my hubby for my birthday…Yes definitely R, wasn’t it. We had some talkers around us, and then about halfway through the movie, we hear a kid crying. Next we see his Grandma taking him out of the movie and saying, “Well you got to see what you wanted”. He looked to be about 5….wonder what he wanted to see…unreal. Near the end of the movie, two boys that looked to be about 6 and 9 came in because their movie was over and they watched the rest of the movie with the parents???

sarah j - Pulled pork tacos! Yum!

Jenna@CallHerHappy - Happy Birthday, Talby!
You know, I remember the point in my life where I was trying to figure out what I liked and wanting confirmation from my mom. It’s difficult for a girl, for sure. You’re doing the best thing for her 🙂
Also, gotta love Chick-fil-a!
And, for dinner? I don’t know how you feel about meal plans, but I made a monthly one on my blog, and I couldn’t be happier about it 🙂

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cluck.

October 11, 2012 Filed in parenting,the farm

summer got SO hot that we quit going over to see the chickens.
it was just not fun to be outside for long…the grass was crunchy & dead.
it was just gross by the end of summer.
now that it has cooled off we strolled over with old bread and said hello.
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chickens move really fast…

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it is actually really hard to catch the brown ones….way to go talby.
🙂

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we got some free eggs because annie said "CAN WE HAVE THESE EGGS FOR FREEEEEEEEE???" 
people have a hard time saying no to annie.

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she was able to catch three of the orangey ones.
she would pet their backs and say "ahhh….do you like this massage?"
but i wish you could hear the way she says massage…. it's like Ma-shaaaug…it's so cute. 

i am still thinking about getting our own chickens.
spring time?
isn't that when farm people do stuff like that?
baby chicks and all that?

at least i have a few months to make some decisions.
we need to research what kinds we would want.
(by WE i mean me and my little girls only…no one else would want to be a part of the chicken adventure) 

and we would need some good names of course.

SIDE NOTE:

i have very rarely even bought halloween costumes…
and if i did it was on clearance after halloween a size up for the next year.
well….i just ordered my girls costumes from walmart.
i didn't even go in the store.
they have free shipping.
i feel like i have given up in some way… BLAaaaaH.
but you gotta do what works and this year THIS works.
i am feeling like it was the easiest way to go… no kids begging for other stuff at the store…no pouting.
and i only have to get a few costumes instead of four or five now since my kids are older now so buying didn't seem so painful this time.

what do you do?
do you buy from the store?  do you make your own? do you use the old ones you have already?

 

 

add a comment

Lori - This is totally changing the subject but over a year ago I learned about the musician Marcia Ball on this site. I am so excited that she is going to be performing this Saturday in Newton,KS. I wonder if Meg had anything to do with her coming to this area??? If so, Thank you!!!

Juanita Johnson - We’ve had a variety of chicken breeds over the years, and my favorite breed is the Barred Rock. They have black and white stripes and are very calm and will follow you around like a shadow, and easy to catch. They are good layers, too, nice brown eggs. Ameraucana’s have beautiful blue/green eggs, but are a bit more suspicious of people and other animals. A rooster is good to have if the chickens will free-range, but they will terrorize anything and everyone that enters their ‘zone of patrol’. Roosters have made for lots of funny memories for my girls, but they still tell the stories with a tremble in their voice! NEVER more than one rooster, just sayin’. Chickens do something for the soul, you should totally get some in the spring, but order from a hatchery or get from a mom and pop feed store, that will order for you. Can’t wait to hear the adventures!

Elizabeth - Oh if only you lived next door to me. Then your lil Annie could have all the fresh eggs her lil heart desired 🙂
I highly recommend getting chickens if you can. We currently have 30+. We are now getting 25+ eggs A.DAY.
We are a family of four for crying out loud…lol. But like someone else mentioned above, Tractor Supply sells pullets in the spring. My hubby may have went nuts 🙂
Now onto costumes: New ones. Every year. Some our handmade and some our bought. I tend to like the handmade best and that’s usually what my costume is. Yes, the hubs and I dress up every year from my mom’s annual Adult Halloween Party. This year we are Mr. & Mrs. Howell from Gilligan’s Island. My favorite to date is when I was JB Fletcher from Murder She Wrote and he was Columbo 🙂

Prairie Jenn - Yay for chickens! You can get pullets at Tractor Supply Company in the spring (March and April) if you have one around there. That way you are sure to get chicks that are female…plus you can get just a few to start. The red sex link hens (which are actually orange-ish) are good layers that give those pretty brown eggs. Chickens are so easy, and my girls think they are the best pets;)
Costumes here are usually homemade, but last year we found a tiny local costume shop where this older lady creates costumes from things she finds at yard sales and thrift stores:) She comes up with some amazing creations and themes! Last year, we left with a pirate costume for me, a gypsy costume for my oldest, and a fifties costume for my youngest. Too fun!

Jennifer F. - I mix it up with costumes. Before I really used my sewing machine, I bought the costumes. Once I got the sewing bug, though, I have made all of them. Snow White and a Dwarf, Butterfly, etc. This year, my son wants to be Iron Man and we will buy it. My daughter will be a peacock and I am making it. She said, “Mom, I want YOU to make it, because you make the BEST clothes!”. I have about 5 seconds of that attitude left and I am going to soak it all up. ( : I love making the costumes, but am not going to stress over it. It isn’t worth it for one hour, half of which is dark.
I have bought costumes after Halloween and given them to my kids as Christmas presents for dress-up. They loved it and play with them all of the time.

Kelly - My sil and I were just talking about the costume thing. I really thought I would be a make the costumes get all creative kind of mom. I loved to help make my Halloween costumes growing up and my mom kindly obliged. I wanted to be all sorts of unique things like an African princess, etc. We would just use things we had on hand, borrow things from my grandma, sometimes buy a thing or two and just make the costumes up.
My son’s first Halloween I bought cheap jeans and an “ugly” plaid shirt at a kids’ consignment sale and then used yarn and raffia and made him a scarecrow. I had a lot of fun with it. Last year we were walking through Marshall’s and there was an adorable monkey costume for (gasp) $20 and he really liked monkeys at the time and I tried it on him and it was all over, we were getting it.
This year he really doesn’t even know what dressing up is still and I think I’ll just have him wear the monkey costume again.
I think I may get more into it when my kids can request to be certain things but right now it feels like a lot of effort for one night for what? Praise for my cute costume making skills? I need to not be addicted to that kind of praise and I know my tendency to care to much so I feel like the pendulum has kind of swung the other way.
It’s good for now and works for us for now. We’ll see what the future brings. Kelly

vonda - We have had chickens for the past 5 years and we LOVE them. McMurray Hatchery is the best. You can go to their website, pick out your baby chicks, and pick a date that you want them sent to you and go to the post office and pick them up. (We buy mostly all girls because roosters can get mean). One breed we love are the Ameraucana’s. They lay big blue eggs!!!!!

Ani G W - This year will be my first year making a costume. I am making my 4 year a raccoon costume because I couldn’t find a kid’s grey raccoon costume! 🙂 So this year my 4 year old will be wearing a homemade costume, my 9 year old will be wearing one he already had (his choice) and my 2 year old will be wearing a new bought costume (which I bought online).

juli - we live in Memphis TN… right in the heart of the city and we have 3 chickens… all of them are the Buff Orpington’s… the “easy” to catch ones ;)…we got them in June as matureish chicks… and they laid their first eggs in August..the VERY LAST day of AUgust. It was the longest 2 months that we had to wait to get eggs…however we used that time to really get to know our pets… Henrietta, Cackle & Yolkie…. They are very tame and come to us to eat out of our hands… they are even comfortable around our 3 dogs. I think that you will be most pleased with chickens as pets… and in return they will give you the BEST eggs you have ever had. ;} Also… we built our coop using left over wood from the home depot & lowes stores SPRING GARDEN shipments… used pallets and stuff like that… got OOPS paint and created our pallet from there. We love our chickens… and if you are ever in town… please stop by. 🙂

Heather - It varies from year to year here. Some years I make them. Some years I buy at full price. Some years I find them second hand. And I’m okay with that.
One Halloween I was totally stressed about the pumpkin carving. I was in the habit of getting five or six and intricately stencil carving all of them. I was tired that year and bitchy, to be honest, and regretting getting so many.
My husband and kids asked if they could do them. I went into full panic. They’ll look like heck, they won’t be at all photoshoot ready, what would Martha think? Then I thought, if I don’t want to do them, why make myself. And I let go. And they did them. And they were beautifully imperfect pumpkins. And they had FUN (pumpkin carving with me is NOT fun, I’m far too intense about it). I got to cross something off my list.
So, the way I’d look at this is that you might have spent more than normal BUT it’s done weeks ahead of time. The kids are happy. It’s crossed off your list.
It’s all good.

Andrea - I made a lot of the girls costumes when they were small – using a Wal-mart cheapy sweat pants/shirt as a base (don’t think I sewed princess dresses or anything because I can’t even hem straight). As they got older they built their own – the middle one was “Flo” from the Progressive commercials last year and that was all white clothes (Goodwill) and her hair done the same as Flo, bright red lipstick. I LOVE those kinds of costumes.
My little boy wants storebought, TV/comic character costumes. By this third kid I’m tired, I set a price limit, I buy online.

Valerie @ Chateau A La Mode - I actually made costumes for my oldest two for a couple of years and since then we always bought costumes. Of course my youngest reminds me that I never made her a costume…ouch! No more costumes now though cuz they are older.
Good luck on the big chicken adventure. Can’t wait to follow that. I toy with the idea of having chickens too. I think I would like that, fresh eggs and all, but chickens are a little creepy. I’m not sure I really want to commit to raising chickens. I have a feeling I’d be a little like Lucy when she raises chickens on I Love Lucy 🙂

Tiffany - I’m excited for your chicken adventure! I bet you’ll love it. I always loved harvesting the eggs from my parents’ chickens as a kid. Now it’s fun getting my kids involved when we visit Grandma and Papa’s place. For Halloween this year my kids are going as the princess and the frog. My 4 year old daughter’s idea… She has plenty of princess stuff, so no purchases needed there. I’m just mixing green clothing for my boy, and will be making him a green hat with eyes on top. That’s this weekend’s project!

Aby - My niece used to have a chicken named Percy. I have always LOVED that name for a chicken!! lol

tiffany gardner - So funny. Sure… I let my kids pick who they want to be… THE YEAR BEFORE ON MAJOR CLEARANCE! Seriously.. go there two weeks after halloween and say … whatever you would like. They have never seemed to mind!

Routhie - I buy my girls costumes every year because they play with them until they don’t fit and the older girl’s costume is happily accepted (for now) as a hand-me-down to our younger girl. We don’t always buy the pre-packaged costumes, though. We have a great church thrift store nearby to sift through for inspiration and, sometimes, we are even able to pull something together from what we’ve already got. It’s our yearly indulgence, along with Christmas dresses. 🙂

Pat - THRIFT STORE EVERYBODY!!!!

jen - i just discovered that our neighbour has chickens! i couldn’t figure out what the noise was and he other day i went peeking through the hedge and saw them!! i was hearing the clucking. i would love to get chickens but i am terribly nervous around birds so i don’t know if it would work.
for costumes we have lucked out on great deals {my mom picked up every disney princess dress for $5 each one year – those have been in rotation for 4 years} last year my daughter wanted to be the Bride of Frankenstein and after everything i went through it would have been cheaper to buy something :s. this year i bought some at costco. i have too many other things i want to make – like decorations – that they were happy with them – ariel & iron man. suits me fine!! check!

Kim - Whatever works is right, my daughter is 4 this year and I asked her what she wanted to be, this was our conversation:
“What do you want to be for Halloween?”
“A Pig.”
“Like last year, you want to be Olivia again?”
“Yes, I like Pigs.”
“Ok!”
My thoughts, YES!!!!! I dont have to do anything for this years costume because the other ones still fits her!!!
She dresses up ALOT, we have a whole corner of her room full of dress up clothing, but the one thing she has not dressed up as all year is a pig. I guess everything else is just to “everyday” for her. 🙂

stephanie - Oh! We moved to this subdivision and they said we couldn’t keep chickens. I am thinking about doing it anyway. 😛 My kids and I want them so bad! They like Buff Orpingtons and I like Copper Marans. Beautiful eggs!

shelly - check out http://www.mypetchicken.com a couple of my friends have chickens and they live in town..total golf course subdivision in the front, chicken coop in the back lol. One of them has a hen that lays the prettiest pale blue-green eggs (they’re my fav ;)) I know that one of them got their chicks from 4H kids too.

Lisa - I use to buy new costumes but once we added child 3 and 4 it got too expensive. Now I buy clearance after Halloween or they have to figure out a costume from what we have. We go to goodwill sometimes too. And if they need an accessory for 5$ or less I might help with that. My 11yr old spent her own money to buy what she wanted for this year! Every years been a little different. 🙂

Lisa - The colors of that chicken against Talby’s coat…my favorite combo! Great photos. My kids are wearing costumes I picked up at garage sales over the summer. Thankfully they were both thrilled with the things I brought home. I doubt it will work that way too much longer!

Rachel Spin - Miz Booshay has a picture on her blog today that you would really love. I thought of you immediately when I saw it. It’s the very first one. http://booshay.blogspot.com/2012/10/nest.html
Cute chickens! Cuter girls.

Lisa - Meg
What kind of personalities do chickens have (silly question?). Are they cuddly? Do they like Annie’s massage or being petted? I have no idea, but so many people seem to be getting chickens lately. Just curious.

Michelle Whitlow - I have made costumes & bought them. Last year I made my 2 older kids’ costumes. The 3 went as Alice in Wonderland, The Mad Hatter & the baby was the White Rabbit. I made the Alice costume, for my son I made the pants, found a jacket at a thrift shop, the hat & wig at a Halloween store & decorated with a scarf I made & made the big bow tie. For the baby I bought the rabbit ears but then bought a pink tutu & pink & white striped shirt at Target, easy peasy. I have pics on my old blog: http://meandmyscraps.blogspot.com/2011/11/halloween-in-new-town.html
This year I bought costumes…one of which was bought last on clearance. Love doing that! Usually I just do that for dress up clothes but it ended up working out well for the little one’s costume. My oldest is going to be an 80s girl (fun!) and my son is a werewolf. We’re going easy this year! The little one is going to be Dorothy from Wizard of Oz so I’m going to be the scarecrow (from some thrift store clothes) and I bought some fur to make a lion’s mane for my lab. And maybe I’ll make my hubby be the tin man 🙂

lauren - always homemade costumes….actually two days ago on msn.com they featured over 30 photos of costume ideas and a photo from my blog of our son as a penny was #4! freaky.
i hope you get chickens because we can’t. township ordinance or some-reason-or-other. but if i COULD get a variance to have the ordinance changed i would get a miniature horse 🙂
take care my yellow-boot-wearing blog friend!

Jennifer - A friend of mine has chickens and she named them all after the Desperate Housewives! So funny. Bree, Lynette, etc. :o)

Jenny B. - Love the cooler fall weather! I read a blog post recently that made me want to never have chickens. It had to do with a hen coop and a murderous raccoon. Yuck. Anyway… I always buy Halloween costumes at Walmart. It’s just too easy. And I kinda feel about Halloween the way you feel about Valentine’s Day. So, yeah. Easy is good. 🙂

mama lola - yum, fresh farm eggs! we are an egg free family now as my eldest is allergic, but i do love a good chicken n’ egg picture!
as for costumes… never buy new. always borrow from friends or buy second hand or on the clearance rack!

Lisa M. - This is my son’s eighth trick or treat and I have purchased every one of his costumes. Every year (aside from the first two or three) he has know exactly what he wants to be months ahead of time (lion, fireman, Navy Seal, Yoda…). And although a more creative, sewing-kinda mom would make the costumes herself, I choose to purchase. Otherwise, my child would go trick or treating in what he had on for school that day 🙂
Great pictures!

jackie grandy - Your photos of the chickens are awesome! I love how kids just blurt things out. They speak with their hearts and not always their minds, but I love it. We should remember as adults to do that more often, you never know what it could bring. My brother in-law is raising chickens and he lives in MN. He is so into it and he installed this tree branch for them to hang out on, I guess chickens love hanging on branches, go figure. Anyway the eggs that they produced, were the best eggs I have ever eaten. I would love to raise some chickens, but we don’t have a big enough yard.
We’re still undecided about Halloween costumes over here. We always buy part of the costume and then throw together the rest ourselves. My daughter is going to be the 10th doctor from Dr. Who, for any of you Dr. Who fans out there, you will know who that is. My son wants to be a ninja. He makes these organimi ninja stars out of paper all the time so that is where he got the idea. We haven’t gotten his costume yet, of course.
I don’t make costumes from scratch because I’m not the craftiest person (per my daughter). I wish I was better at sewing etc. Maybe I will just have to sign up for one of your craft weekends and learn a few things!
xoxo,
Jackie

Amber - If you decide to get them my offer to build you a coop is still on the table. I’m serious. My route to visit my brother and sister-in-law goes right past Marion.
My daughter is only 4 months old so Halloween costumes haven’t been an issue yet, but based on a blog post my friend Lindsey wrote (http://www.mom2momkc.com/?a=profile&u=19245&t=blog&blog_id=4886) I think buying them is a great option.

Lauren - I can’t even imagine the fun you’d have with chickens!!! So exciting!

Kate - Yes – You have to what works! That’s the rules.

Pamela Fitzgerald - Hi Meg,
I have 3 kids and I always am on the hunt for discounted costumes or something at the local thrift store. When I was growing up we made our costumes from things we had around the house…it was soo much fun. It is really expensive to buy costumes….I feel your pain!!…Pamela

Alice H - I am lucky that my mom has made a lot of my kids costumes. My favorites that she has made so far are: Jessie from Toy Story, Scarecrow and Dorothy, and Tin Man.
My daugther Emilee (13) was Jessie and Dorothy. She has also been a bee that was homemade as well.
My son Zack (12) has been a bat, Scarecrow, Bob the Builder, a magician, and Michael Jackson and they were all homemade too.
My youngest son (3) was a race car driver and Tin Man. Both homemade. This year he wants to be a baseball player this year and I am ordering his jersey off Etsy.

Leah - I’m with you on the costumes. I usually create something from scratch. Or I will buy costumes at resale and Goodwill stores. That’s how we found Cinderella last year. This year I told my daughter she can only wear one of the many dress-up outfits she has at home. And believe me, there is no shortage!

Dani - I hate to buy costumes! It seems like such a waste of money. I give my kids $5 and take them to the Dollar Tree. They buy what they need and can come up with some pretty awesome ideas. One year Tyler bought a bunch of gauze and went as a wreck. He used face paint to paint bruises on his face and a little blood coming from his mouth. I love to let my kids get creative!

Kelly Henderson - I made costumes with the first three kids… always. And then number four came along. Thrift stores became my go to Halloween costume place. Two years ago, I caved and bought the expensive costumes from the catalog costume for youngest child… I have been defeated now 🙂 This year the youngest (girl) wants to go as a Smore… planning to make a costume again with a large brown cardboard box and pillows. Hah! This should be interesting… don’t stress or feel like you’ve caved…it’s no biggie.

amanda - This is the first year I’ve ever bought a costume. I only bought for my youngest (2) because he wanted to be a power ranger and I didn’t have the energy to try and make that, so I got it at K-Mart. It was painfully expensive. My older two (6 and 11) are piecing together costumes from stuff we already own.

Wendy @ Ramblings from the Sunshine State - We usually get new babies in spring. Rhode Island Reds are great hens, and I love Araucanas with their blue eggs.

Terrie - First…LOVE those chickens!!
I just talked with my friends about all the costumes I used
to make for the kids.
I still have all of them…
maybe my grandone will wear them one day.
Have you seen the pic of Pinterest of the little boy
who is a shark on the beach?
I’d love to make that for the grandone!
And I say…you gotta do what works for you!
I do have an egg costume…would be pretty cute
while carrying one of those chickens!! 🙂

Michelle - I made Tate’s costume this year, she’s going to be a peacock and even I was slightly impressed with myself. It turned out much better than this non-sewing, only slightly crafty Mama thought. Finn wants to be Hulk and has ZERO interest in me making something for him, so we’ll buy that one.
So what are the girls going as?

Amy K. - I can’t believe I forgot Jacket Man, which I jokingly suggested the year my son couldn’t think what he wanted to be, and he went for it!

Dana - I would love to have chickens, but live in a suburb and they don’t allow it.
I’ve always bought Halloween costumes for my now 11 year old, but in the last few years Halloween has become less of a big deal. Since I have an 11 year old and 1 year old this year only bought the baby a costume. I’m also 4 months pregnant and this baby will probably wear hand me downs. I hope it’s a girl or we may have to die the hot pink zebra costume.

Amy K. - We spend a ton of time discussing, planning & making costumes here, with the occasional store-bought one thrown in as time requires! I’ve had a firefighter, a pig, Bob the builder and Thomas the train, an awesome robot that my husband stayed up nearly all night making, Perry & Doofenschmirtz, a dog-cyborg (I don’t get it either, and I made th costume!), and a lego guy.

got2havefaith - This year Halloween is even more of a pain. My daughter whined that she really, really wanted to be a zombie bride, then we go to the thift sore to “make” the costume before October 1st (way too early), now she whines some more that maybe she doesn’t want to be that anymore! Ugh. I will not buy another costume! {repeat} I put a $20 limit on costumes. Thankfully my 6 year old was super easy this year. But the 10 year old is killing with the whining to go to a big name Halloween store with over priced costumes.

Tanya - I would get chickens stat!… if I lived in the country 🙂
We change things up every year and I try not to go down the guilt road.
Sometimes my mom makes elaborate costumes for them, sometimes I buy them, sometimes we use older cousins’ ones. This year I bought one at the grocery story (a unicorn that’s super warm cause it’ll be COLD here) and my little guy wants to wear his racecar driver one from last year again.
The end 🙂

Anne - I vary from year to year. Last year I created and this year I purchased. I just have to do what my schedule allows and this year I just didn’t have time to get anything created.

April R - yes do get chickens 🙂 so we can vicariously have chickens too!
We don’t think about halloween much beforehand bc we don’t do witches, gore, scary stuff, etc and don’t feel comfortable endorsing that aspect of it all. It’s kinda hard to avoid but we don’t cruise the costume/Halloween section of a store much.
It’s just tough bc we do love kids and candy and dressin’ up and goofing around (and run-on sentences…). So usually what happens is we decide at the last minute – “oh yes, we would like to dress up and give/get candy with friends!” We make a mad dash around the house to find something to wear or go get something family friendly and under $20 at the store. Then I tell myself that next year I’ll just order online ahead of time and that’ll be so much better and then I put it off and we do it all over again. yeah CANDY! 🙂

Melinda - When our girls will little, we made costumes, usually out of sweats, felt, and yarn. Now they are 16, 13, and 10. Five years ago we got invited to a huge Halloween bash, given by some clients who are now friends (and they’ve spent a LOT of money with us). We feel a little obligated to do up the costumes in a big way, since they’ve done so much for us. It’s always a family theme. Two years we were a wild west saloon scene. This year we are all going to be pirates. But the best year was when we ALL went as witches (hubby included). He was an extremely disturbing female witch, and everyone loved it! Not usually a fan of Halloween, but this makes it fun for us.

Jen - I think I’d have a hard time saying no to Annie, too. We buy our girls’ costumes. I’d like to make them, but all the ones I suggest they don’t like. Princess Leia came from Target this year (I knew that’s what my 8-year-old wanted to be so I bought it on my own one wonderful day while I was at Target by myself), and I bought my 5-year-old daughter’s pirate costume online from Kohl’s. I love both of them. My daughters and the costumes. Their costumes are so stinkin’ cute this year.

Heather S. - I would totally have chickens if we could. We live in a neighborhood where everyone has a little land (like 3+ acres), but the rules state NO LIVESTOCK! Pooey!

Jennifer Davis Wood - My Kids begin to harass me for Halloween costumes about 1 month after Halloween LOL. I love it, I hate it… No full covering masks this year though, last year my son insisted on a morph suit. He fell into a ditch, don’t worry he was okay just a scratch and rip in the knee. I’ve promised a trip to party city this weekend. Why do I do these things and make these promises. Ugh. 🙂

elma - Oh do get chickens!!! We only got six and one rooster and we just love them. They are so fun to watch and the kids ge so excited each day to get the eggs!! Soooo much fun!!!

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a few answers.

October 1, 2012 Filed in awesome bloggers,me me me,parenting,photography,q&a,random,things i love

well…i got up today with a plan in my head.
i would go running, take a nice hot relaxing bath at the craft house
and then make Vlog answering some of your questions.
i did go for my run but then the school called and said Scott was throwing up.
so…i am stuck at home still in my stinky running clothes and i will be writing and not vlogging today. 

you guys ask great questions. 

let's see….

1. Did you ever convert the attic in the craft house?  

nope.
we just never had the energy and the money at the same time.  :)
who knows what will happen though….we may still do it.
i have dreams for it.  Maybe a store? Maybe more work space? Maybe more bunk space? Maybe a little apartment? My running buddies suggested making it a full gym so we could workout together all year long. 
and i am LOVING that idea.

2. Are you on Pinterest?

ummm….i am.  
but it's the only place online that i am private….i have a fake name.
i just like having all the ideas i like in one place but not sharing what i love with everyone.
that may seem weird but… it's what i am doing and i like it that way.  

3. which is your favorite camera and lens?

i have a canon 50D and the 24-70 f/2.8 Canon lens.
and that is all.
i own one lens.  :)
it works for my needs…i dream of the 70 – 200 and the 35mm….and a 5D camera body.
but for now and the past two years….just that.
nothing else.
so that is what is in my camera bag.
and by camera bag i mean my purse.  HA!

4.  How do you edit your photos?

i upload my photos into LightRoom and i use their settings to edit.
i usually bump up the exposure…the vibrance….the fill light….sharpen and that's it.

5.  what settings do you use on your camera?

i almost always shoot in AV mode.  i shoot at an ISO of 200 and at 2.8 or 3.5.  does that help?
someome asked about my settings for indoor shots in the evening…well i just try not to shoot indoors in the evening.  because i think those pictures are always bad.  So i have no settings to share for that.
 
i love wendy&tyler from blue lily and they have helped me immensely with understanding my camera. they have workshops where YOU can learn about your camera too. you should go.
and Ashley from Under the Sycamore has an AWESOME online class that you can learn about photography…her next course is coming up soon.  

i have never felt great at explaining cameras or putting it into words but both of those blogs do it well!

6. Will you come to Washington?  

yes.  :)
i would love to do that sometime…. 

also i was worried it was going to be raining for my run this morning and your quote went through my head Leann "once you're wet, you're wet" and had decided i was going anyway.  thankfully… it stopped before i ran.

7. where are the glasses from in the post with the happy things to look at?  And the afgans?

i found that pic of the glasses on pinterest….and it linked to martha stewart…who else? but the link was not for the pic…but i think it probably came from her site.

and the afgans linked to flikr….just plain old flikr.

that is the downside of pinterest…messed up links and not getting a real source.

8.  does having a GOOD dlsr camera make that much difference?

well… 
i think i wouldn't want to go without my dslr.  But getting a dlsr won't make you take good pictures.  there is a lot more that goes into getting good photos than the camera.  instagram is great example of that.  it's figuring out the lighting, composition and your angle.  and that is where having a nice dslr camera comes in…and makes the shot clear and crisp.  where a point and shoot may have a grainier shot? possibly.
if you just want snapshots to keep your memories then a point and shoot is fine.
if you have an interest in photography…any desire to learn more….i think you need a dslr.  

9. Can i get a top ten book list of your favorite books?

this is a funny question mommyjulia.
because i don't know that i have read ten books in the last ten years!
but i will share again what i have read the past few months…

i read 7 and then Interrupted….loved.
Now i am reading "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years"  and this book is making me think in ways i never have!!! it's challenging me.  it's making me do hard things.  it's so good.

i love the book Crazy Love.
i loved Calm My Anxious Heart….good for a mom.
Long Way Gone was a book to prepare for africa and it was so good.

i don't read very much….i get so distracted and i don't make time for it.

i definitely don't read fiction.
IF i am reading a book it's going to be about something that i want to learn about…change in myself…get a new direction.
and thankfully i got glasses so at least i don't fall asleep as soon as i start reading.

10. can i have your pattern for the apron? can you tell me how make all the stuff you make at craft weekend?  can you do tutorials on all those things that the craft weekenders paid for?  (i am paraphrasing here)

nope…sorry.  :)
that would not be fair to all those Craft Weekend girls at all.
but i will be selling these things in my shop someday.
and i can't wait for you girls to get your hands on them… everything takes time.
i have five kids and i am running a business so things take a long time to get done.
i wish i could snap my fingers and have my shop filled and everything done…but i just cant.

i am grateful you are patient.

11. tell us about Lauren….you never do…she is ignored….why don't you talk about her…WHY?!?
(again…paraphrasing)

lauren is 17…almost 18.  She requested quite a few years ago for me to not blog about her.
so i don't.
i love her.  she is crazy smart.  she works on the weekends.  she is an awesome volleyball player.  she wants to be a doctor. 

maybe someday i will be able to talk more about what it's been like raising our first teenager but for now she doesn't want me to talk about her here.  

and that is that.

12. Kirsten J asked all these at once:  do you make lists?  yes…very messy lists   Do you ever ask for help?  yes. a lot. YOU HAVE TO or you will drown.  Do you ever future trip?  i don't what that is…dreaming about the future? not much i guess.  Will Lauren go away to college?  yes she will.  we don't where yet but she will.  Did you ever have a penpal? YES! i used to write letters constantly.  when craig got home from one year of college he had TONS of letters from me.  i had two from him.  ha ha haaa.  also my sister got letters from me constantly. My grandpa and i wrote too.  i always signed my letters to him Love,  Megan the GREAT!! i would tell him my grades and about my boyfriends and my dance recitals and he would send me money for good grades and call me out on my bad ones.   my 101 year great aunt and i wrote for my entire marriage until she passed away this year. i love writing letters.  Do you ever just veg out in front of the tv? Reality tv? Or talk shows? NCIS? i do occasionally veg with tv… Parenthood of course, Office, Modern Family, Grey's Anatomy and Saturday Night Live.  NO reality tv.  i can't take it.  NO singing shows…or dancing shows…or dating shows. it makes me want to poke my eyes out.  i did like Amazing Race and Survivor…in the beginning…but not anymore. AND i miss Oprah…really really miss her show.  What blogs do you read regularly?  Julie,  Ashley, Kimberlee, Shauna, Jess, Megan, Leslie, amy, shannon, sarah, lisa and michelle just to name a few….i have over 50 more in my reader.  :)

———————————————————————————————————————–

i wish there were some pictures to go along with this post.
how about some george?

George
 
yes…i did just take 15 minutes and made a george collage in picmonkey.
don't judge.
just enjoy….it's easy….

 

there over 100 comments on that post so it will take me awhile to get through them all.

hope you made it through all those answers.

ok…i am going to make all the appointments i have been putting off forever since i am stuck at home.
you know what i mean…. dentist, eye doctor, exterminator, ob/gyn, sewing machine guy, specialist and anything else i can think of.
the part i hate more than making the appointment….GOING to the appointments! 

wish me luck.

 

add a comment

Penny Smith - You handed me your camera and asked me if I “back focused” and I froze… then I read this-I too shoot in AV (and do the “focus and shift” (that made me think of “bend and snap” from legally blonde. Ha!)… though I also have the 50mm f1.8 (it’s $100) for those inside shots you speak of! 🙂 I have a Tamron lenses when the reviews had little difference (yet hundreds of dollars less) so that is how I have more than one. (28-75 f2.8, 17-50 f2.8, and 70-300 (but that came with the camera-and isn’t a fixed f). I think I used the 50mm and dialed the AV for my first couple years of my rebel, and even a lot at first with my 50D a couple years back (Karen Russel influenced-but I am still in LOVE with this lens!!)
OK-I’m babbling… I was happy to hear you edit with lightroom… cuz I was thinking that Blue Lily only uses photoshop and would basically expect everyone should too (regarding the workshop), so I would be lost on it from the get go)… good to know…
🙂

amber reece - HAHAHAHA! Loved all your responses and the collage of George! FUN! Your blog always brightens my day! Thanks for posting about Jen Hatmaker too, just got finished reading both the interrupted and 7 books and LOVED them! God Bless You and your Sweet Family!!!! xoxoxo

Michael Kors Monogram - Via artikolo estas bone skribita Yeah,

Tere - To think, you answered some of my questions when I didn’t even ask any. And you are coming to Washington? This “Washington” is coming to see you soon!!

shauna - i really love adam too.
but, is my marriage stable?
i’ll have to think about that….

shauna - get out.
you bragger.

shauna - oh gosh! good call on the george collage. that is a real gift.

megan@contentedsparrow - my only comment…..
george.
i die.

Kim Barlow - I love you…thanks for sharing!

cassidynoga - I read “A Million Miles…” a while back. It sticks with you, for always. It was a wonderful book and I have hit many of my friends over the head with it so they would read it. They always do and then we gush about how great it was and how it relates to our lives. I’m a writer so it was twice as rewarding.
I just wanted to share that you won’t forget this book easily! (:

Jeannine - Haha love the George collage. You’re awesome!
Thanks for answering some of our questions! And I think it’s wonderful you’re respecting Lauren’s wishes about her privacy.
If you go to Washington State, I’ll drive down from Vancouver to buy you a cup of coffee and maybe go for a run 🙂

Su@TheIntentionalHome - Oh I never thought of having a fake name on Pinterest. You are brillant!!! I so wanted Pinterest to create a way to have some boards private. . .you know for research I am doing, future blog posts, etc. But now I know how to do that. Oh, thanks for sharing that!!!

Su@TheIntentionalHome - Me too. . plus I am a faster reader than I am a video watcher 🙂

Karen - For those asking about the flower glasses, they are old sour cream jars found fairly easily in antique stores (I have no idea where your picture is from 🙂 ). I have lots of them. They are really fun! Well, except for the fact that you should really wash by hand and not by dishwasher to preserve the integrity of the flowers!

Amy - Hey Meg, regarding Question #7…the afgans…I totally knew those afgans the second I saw them! I have pinned them, swooned over them and even hooked up a couple of her patterns for my own collection. They are part of a beautiful handcrafted and well loved collection by Lucy of Attic24. She is a sweet bloggy friend from England. If you or any of your readers are “happy hookers” {as in CROCHETERS}! Check out her Attic24 blog! Just wanted to help give credit where credit is due.

Kori - So I had a fake name on Facebook in the beginning and then my friend made fun of me. I TOTALLY wanted a fake on on Pinterest because I also wanted to be private with the things I loved. I went ahead with my real name and it’s still weird to me when my friends start following me there. Not such a big deal with strangers, though. Go figure. Maybe I worry my friends will think me crazy for having as many pins as I do. 😉
I LOVE GEORGE. In fact I’m watching “Out of Sight” right now. 🙂 And I don’t think twice about you spending 15 minutes making a collage. In fact it doesn’t sound like very much time to peruse pics of him.
HA!

Leslie @topofthepage - I always think of you now when I watch Parenthood since last year you threw down for Team Adam. As you know, I’m on Team Crosby. Which is maybe why you have a stable marriage and mine, well, keeps me on my toes :). Somehow, I know that’s just where God wants us too…

Jenn - LOVE the fake name! I so am going to do this too! Thanks for the idea!!!

mommyjulia - You answered my question!!! Yay! Thanks, Meg! 6 books is better than 10, anyway 😉 Loved your answer about Lauren- she seems like a pretty awesome young lady. Anywho, I need to go purchase some books and get reading. Thanks again for taking the time to answer me!

Tiffany - Oh Meg, you crack me up. Your “It makes me want to poke my eyes out” comment was so true! Nice little Q&A… It’s fun getting to know you better!

Andrea - Thank you for sharing!! And thanks for the eye candy. I have another question- do you think you will ever stop blogging? I love reading about your life. You’re so real and honest too. Love that. I would be sad if you did, because I am not attached to you and your family! Is that weird? Please dont ever stop!

Kelly - Go you with a fake name on pinterest!! LOVE IT! I like my privacy from time to time too. Is it funny that my pinterest “fake name” is totally tied to my blog and I don’t care about that but I didn’t want to put my real name? hmm . . . have a great one! Oh and do you ever go see what people have pinned from your blog? I’ll bet there is a lot. I know I myself have pinned stuff from your craft room (before it became the whole craft house) as inspiration as I continue to create my craft room and the whole reason I came to your blog right now is to look back at bathroom pics and pin as a bathroom remodel just *might* get to be in the works soon. Trying not to get my hopes up and remember to the upheaval that would come with it. Kelly

Amy - Thanks for the George…what a wonderful way to end Monday!!!

ginny - Thank you for typing it out, and not vlogging it. (even though you maybe seemed a tad annoyed with some of the questions lol). I don’t like to watch videos. I’m usually on the couch with laptop while hubby watches tv. He doesn’t want to listen to what I’m doing. So I would so much rather read that watch videos. 🙂 JMO 🙂

Lisa - Its funny to me that people would think Lauren is ignored or question you not sharing much about her here. Anyone who knows teens would understand that most of them want their privacy and space. From your blog you seem like a great mom. Not perfect but loving, purposeful and invested. 🙂 btw this post was fun to read. And keep your pinterest secret. You deserve that!!

Anne - I love/hate that you’ve got a fake name on Pinterest. Completely respect your privacy, and think its quite clever to have a fake name, but its killing me to know you’ve pinned some amazing ideas that I don’t have access to. Ha! 🙂

Jocelyn Pascall - I really loved this post. Great answers and also, the pictures of George made me laugh out loud.

April R - Me too 🙂 Sassy, mysterious, and free
(And I think it’s funny people didn’t guess why you don’t blog about Lauren much)

Kimberlee Jost - Is this a good time for me to mention (again!) that I met George Clooney on my honeymoon? Just checking.
🙂
I love you more than I could ever love George.
For real.

Molly - I love reading your blog. You are a great example and inspiration for me. I really appreciate that you listened to Lauren and don’t blog about her. I need to remember that. Also, I totally get that you have a fake name on pinterest! sometimes you just want to keep those ideas to yourself!!!

Terri Christian - Can you get through one episode of Parenthood without crying…..cause I can’t! Terri

lc - Thank you for answering the question about Lauren. I think a lot of parents overshare on their blogs. Thank you for respecting your almost adult daughter. If Lauren wants her business on the internets, she can start her own blog!

Terrie - I will live in your apt. and clean before and after craft weekends…
of course, I may have to take full advantage of a craft house and craft until dawn each day!
So proud of you for respecting your daughter’s privacy.
Reading Crazy Love now…loving it!
I agree with you on the dslr…loving mine!
Dreaming of the 70-200 lens and the 5D…sigh
although…shooting in av confuses me.
Crazy, right?!
I’ve been shooting in manual ever since I took ashley’s course online
two weeks after I got my camera last year. She was fabulous!!
Totally recommend her online course if you are new to dslr cameras.
And you can never go wrong with a little george! Happy Monday!

SammaMichelle - Hey Meg!!! Loved the answers to the questions but I mostly wanted to tell you that the 15 minutes you spent making a George collage WAS NOT WASTED!! ;0) Love it and him and you!!!! Thanks for always reminding me to be happy!

sara @ it's good to be queen - i think you’re great. 🙂

Lisa M. - Thank you for sharing, Meg!
Love your blog!

seriously sassy mama - My sister has a super big crush on George Clooney. Pinterest is my crack. I am on the computer more than the TV. I cannot stand reality TV. I like the store idea for yur attic. I need a big old house!

happygirl - I like looking at George, I don’t like hearing him talk. 🙂 Thanks for doing a post like this. You remind me it’s the talent that cannot be bought. It has to be developed. Love it.

Angela A - Loved this post. And you should just put pictures of George on here everyday.

Alicia @ La Famille - lovely stuff! thanks for the share 🙂

Heather S. - I totally wondered if Lauren wasn’t on b/c of a request made by her! I can see that. Totally. And George, while I’m not really a fan, really does just get better and better with age. 🙂

Tiffany - cracking up. loved your answers. you really are human, nooooo? meg on pinterest: private, eh? – good.for.you! lauren wants to be private too – good for her! even stevie wonder could figure this one out. teenagers like their privacy, readers. duh. also hooray for her wanting to be a doctor, luv that – girl power!!! reality shows blow, real actors need jobs, not those clowns. ok that may have been harsh, but man some of those shows stink to high heaven. one day, craft weekend, i need/deserve/want it. i was wondering if maybe you would do a craft weekend “guest” giveaway?! just sayin, consider it, they would have to be a helper of course. i would recommend, say….myself? ha! 🙂 Happy Monday!

danielle - Oh my word! I love that you have a fake pinterest name. I would love one, it would make me feel sassy and mysterious!

Kristin S - This post is yet further proof that you are my favorite blogger! I have about 200 in my reader and am cutting more each day. Yours will only leave when you stop blogging.
Thanks for sharing Meg!
And I love that you are honoring Lauren’s request.

Amy - if you come to Washington State I want to buy you dinner!! 🙂 And go for run and I’ll show you the most beautiful mountains!!!

Kerry - Hey Meg, I’ve checked back onto your blog for most of the day – mainly because I was interested to see if you answered the question about Lauren, I’m so glad you did! My 12 year old daughter has also requested I blog ‘only if I really have to’ about her as her friends are so into Social Media and they click through to my blog posts from there – she gets a little embarrassed 🙂 So I’m so glad I’m not alone!
Great blog list too by the way – I already read Kimberlee’s, Joy’s & Lisa’s on your recommendation – I just signed up to the rest too!
Happy Monday Meg xx

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alright….it’s a new day.

September 18, 2012 Filed in etsy goodness,food,me me me,parenting,random

so i got lots of texts yesterday and emails asking "what's going on??!"
i guess i was making people nervous or being dramatic?

or keep it to myself too often that when i explode people get nervous?
i think people were worried.
it's all ok…it's just HARD….and i wish it wasn't so hard most of the time.  

but i got it all out in writing here yesterday and felt so much better almost immediately.
God gave me another day to try again.
thankful for that.

IMG_6921-5
 
we made chocolate chip cookies.  (best recipe ever)
a double batch.
and it was like yummy therapy.  :)

then i took the four youngest who were off of school to a movie.
and freddys for dinner.

it was good to get out of the house.

IMG_6927-8

still liking this book a lot.
i am about halfway through….it is very interesting writing…i am so curious to see where it leads.

IMG_6924-7
 
i had a happy box on my porch.
it's about time i got on board with this company.
what has taken me so long….seriously?
i am a convert.
love them and want to get some more already.

IMG_6919-4
 
good thing we gave waffle that bath…..

IMG_6900-1

watching talby play volleyball this past weekend made me realize how very tall and grown up she is getting!
right before my eyes.
and she was the only one with out knee pads… #parentfail

IMG_6906-2

speaking of growing up… holy cows.
i don't get the hair but i understand the need to make your choices and have a "style" you like.
i am not sure what that is…but he does and so i am not making a big deal.

he looks good in black and red though.

IMG_6932-9
i am a sucker for good marketing that is visually awesome.
and this is.  
old navy you have great designers.
i want every color.          
(except purple…no thank you)

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this morning i printed out my pdf files from CLEAN MAMA and i am ready to get organized.
i love that she has the jobs written out already.
that was a huge for me.
i get so overwhelmed with chores and cleaning and keeping up at my house.
so becky has all kinds of ways to help me get organized and doing it such a cute and colorful way!!!
thank you Clean Mama for getting my life together! 

okie dokie….
i am off to get my hair did.
and go to the bank
and the walmart.
and high school volleyball games tonight.

thank you for the hundreds of encouraging "you are not alone" comments and emails and texts.
THANK YOU.

i felt lifted up in prayer and in friendship.
i felt heard.
i can be open and honest here and not be attacked.
i am so grateful for that.

and my husband teased me about the mama grizzly.  :)

but it's TRUE!!!

 

 

add a comment

Erin - Just finished Donald Miller’s book. Thanks for the recommendation!!

Kelly Henderson - Thanks for the heads up, girlfriend! 🙂

wesandruthb@gmail.com - Meg,
Love you for being you.
You are real
and that’s why
other blogs come and go with me-but you…
you feel like my friend from Kansas.
Aren’t we grateful our children
will remember our faith, when
the time comes they need their Savior?
Because we all do.
Loves, Ruth

Jessica R - If you’re quick and get to the ball you don’t need knee pads! That was my motto in volleyball ;). I want to see what Toms you picked. I’ll definitely be heading to Old Navy soon – super cute!

julie - Rock Star jeans go on sale tomorrow for $19. For reals. Treat yo’self. To a lot of them.
Happy jeans are cheaper than therapy.

mich - I love this blog so hard. I only have two, and their 5 and 3, so I can’t imagine all the craziness that comes with FIVE, the oldest being in high school. Nuts. Cut yourself some slack, girl.
And I notice that you mention wanting babies a lot on here. 🙂 I get it. I think we might be done at two kiddos, but something I’ve been considering down the road is fostering. Who knows? Maybe that would be a good fit for you guys? You seem to have so much love and fun to share, and those tiny ones in foster care could really use it. Just a thought…

christi - so glad you are having a better day!
if you haven’t already … go now and get the rockstar skinnies! they are AWESOME. no, more than awesome. like infinity awesome! some of the best fitting, most flattering and incredibly comfortable pants i’ve bought in a while. at a whopping 35 bucks! score on sale for $30 right now! the dark purple are fantastic … the green delicious … mustard so totally fall … red/orange energizing. size up. size up. size up. i always have to size down in ON but def. size up in these bad boys. they are ROCKSTARS! can you tell i love them?!

Andrea - Some days – and I read your blog every single day – I leave it feeling envious of you – your skill, your home (the way you make it a home), your craft weekends. Then I remind myself “comparison is the thief of happiness.”
I tell you that to tell you this: Even more inspiring than your home and your craft weekends is the way you honestly parent, the way you honestly share, the way you honestly keep working at your relationship with God.
Thank you so much Meg, I just love you.

Leah - I’m in awe at this Clean Mama stuff! I just want to buy all of her stuff. So before I do, which packets of hers did you get? Thinking about the 2013 starter kit. I’m one of those odd organizing freaks, so the more tools I have, the better!

Anne - You are SO not alone in the “parenting struggles” department! While I felt sad for you, and could totally relate to what a crummy day you had had, it was quite refreshing that you just put it all out there. I love your blog! I love your honesty and the fact that you just typed it out! You are the {real} deal, Meg! Totally legit. No faking from you that everything is all hearts and flowers and rainbows all of the time. Parenting is HARD work! What a blessing to be able to communicate, and make new friendships, and touch so many lives via the Internet. You keep typing, and posting your fabulous photos, and I’ll keep reading! Oh yeah, pull my name for Craft Weekend, and I’ll come to that, too! I’d totally die!!!

Tracy Fisher - I just have one thing to say…. I get it, sister!!! Happy Tuesday. -Tracy

Jennifer - Ok, so maybe no knee pads, but definitely Talby has the most awesome shoes!
I didn’t write yesterday b/c I didn’t know what to say….except I have moments like those…monthly. Times where I want to scream at my girls, “YOU BETTER START APPRECIATING EACH OTHER!” We wanted siblings because of all the love and joy they bring to each others’ lives. So start enriching already dammit! And the days when nobody listens? Or storms out of the room? Or stomps up the steps? Hello 10 and 12 year olds with attitude.
Anyway. The bad times pass, but they are not fun when you are in the throes. Most definitely you are not alone, and I’d be willing to be you handle it a lot better than I do.
<3

Kristin S - Oh, and, now I want those cords in kelly green. I worked at The Gap in college and we had colored cords and denim! That was 1991. It all comes back….

Kristin S - Meg, I’ll say it again, your post was so refreshing! I don’t go to your blog because it is all cherries and rainbows (well, rainbows, yes…) but because you are real and normal and honest and love Jesus.
I linked to your post yesterday at the bottom of a difficult post I had just written before seeing yours. http://kristinwithani.wordpress.com/2012/09/18/weary/ Many readers clicked on that link and I know were blessed by your gut-level honesty.
His mercies are new every morning. Praise the Lord!!!

Valerie @ Chateau Ala Mode - Hi sweet Meg, just caught up on your last two posts…please don’t get too overwhelmed with being a mom, although I totally get it. I hope you realize that being a good mom means we get overwhelmed and we get frustrated and we feel like we’re not enough, yada, yada. A good mom does feel like that…alot because you care and you want so desperately to raise kids that love the Lord, and love you and love their family. You want them to succeed in the world and in their life. Check all of that out…that’s alot that we have to do and think about. I’ve said many times that I really don’t know how I would get through raising kids if I didn’t have God to lean on. If I didn’t have prayer and His word I would have to be heavily medicated to do this job. It’s a heavy load to do by yourself. Glad you’re feeling better today. Chocolate chip cookies help 😉 but so does a big God.
P.S. My son went through the wild hair stage at about that age. We let him do his thing and it lasted about a year and after that he’s kept it short ever since. Sometimes I think letting them do their thing (within reason) is the answer.
Sending you a big hug!
Valerie

Lisa M. - Glad to hear it’s a better day. I sent a little prayer up for ya yesterday 🙂
I thought I made the best ever chocolate chip cookies!! Now I’m going to have to try your recipe. I didn’t see butter listed in the ingredients. Hmm…

Flower Patch Farmgirl - 1. Talby is RIPPED!
2. I always experience the same sort of thing when I let the ugly out. It freaks people the heck out. And I’m always like, why? I’m having a bad day. It happens!
3. But I think you’re right, some of us keep it in and then it takes people off guard.
4. Why do those tight cropped cords look so cute on other people but I feel like a dork in ’em?
5. This is quickly turning the corner to Part II of my rambly comment from yesterday…

Becky-Clean Mama - It’s a new day! Thanks for the feature – you are too sweet 🙂

Kimberly Dial - So glad you are feeling better. Chocolate chip cookies & a trip to the beauty shop … two awesome ideas!

Sarah - I completely understand where you’re coming from with the hair. I let our 6 year old get a real mohawk this summer and even painted it for him every morning after I spiked it up. It made him happy, it was what he needed after our big move so I went with it. And I’m so glad you’re feeling better! We really do all have those days.

northern cottage - what a gift that we get to start all over again each day…each sunshiney – fresh – wonderful day. add coffee to make it even better! xo

Corny - Kids, I raised 4 and they can embarrass you sometimes, BUT as long as they don’t steal, and are drug free they are going to be just like there parents. Just fine!

Beth - It’s good to see that you’re feeling better 🙂
I am cringing at that volleyball picture though… #7 has her fingers interlocked. No, no, noooo…. my old volleyball coaches’ voices are playing in my head. haha.
Btw, those cookies look DELICIOUS! We’re going to make some on Thursday to take to our local police and fire stations… we’ve been talking about it for months. Might have to use your recipe!

Brooke - Those jeans…don’t even go there…at least I couldn’t. They are not like the target version. They are made for talby size girls with no hips. Not that I’m bitter… At least they have great marketing! I think you are doing a great job walking through this honestly….and knowing that all parents walk through the journey of not knowing if you are doing things right. You’re doing a great job. Clinging to your husband and the Lord and just hoping (praying) that you are not screwing anyone up and that everyone will choose wise things SOMEDAY….
And thanks a lot…saw your insta chocolate chip cookies and had to make my own. Thanks for making me LESS likely to fit into any colored jeans anytime soon.

happygirl - You are bouncing back. I’m glad. 🙂

Jocelyn Pascall - Glad you are having a better day. Hang in there…

angela - So glad His mercies are new every morning.
I’m with you on the color purple.
Love me a cookie.
What a great mom to let him rock his own hairstyle. I failed in that dept.
You is kind. You is smart. You is important.
And I love your heart.

Linda@Restyled Home - Hah! I love that you hate purple, too!
I love that you are real and don’t hide the not so nice bits of life.
We all have them!

seriously sassy mama - I need a pair of Toms. I never wear socks and am always wearing either converse or loafers. The would be a nice addition. Love all the colors to organize with. Reminds me I need to update my planner.

Heather S. - You had a “poo” day and then the next day you made cookies, took the kids to a movie, and then hit Freddy’s? You really know how to bounce back! LOL 🙂

sara @ it's good to be queen - i like you. you’re good people. 🙂
p.s. the new rockstar jeans from old navy are awesome. have you bought a pair? not too low rise…not too high. perfect.

Alisha - So glad you’re having a better day! I’m always amazed at how the promise and arrival of a new days gives a whole new perspective to what seems dark and impossible at times. Bless you for sharing.

Kate - You are LOVED. Not judged. Just loved.

Pink and Green Mama MaryLea - I always feel better after I dump out my brain in my journal and cookies sure do help make it better too!! So glad today’s a better day — hugs!

stephany - isn’t it great that a new day always gives a “do over”!
being a momma is hard work…we do the best we can.
have a great day!

Regina - YAY! Glad you were able to “turn that frown upside down”, lol! 🙂 Here’s to many more great days ahead!

elma - Life is hard and you are awesome!!!

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last day of colorado.

August 15, 2012 Filed in family fun,parenting

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more playtime in the streams.

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adventurers.

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brave explorers.

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and after that….WET.  
oops.
we got dry clothes on and headed on towards home.
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a m a z i n g.

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and the very last thing as we headed home…. RAM crossing!

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pretty cool.
up higher on the ledge was the rest of its family.  
yay colorado….thanks so much for the memories!!!

 

OK…. here is where i speak from the heart……………………………………………………………………….

colorado was beautiful and i loved being there together.
even when it's not perfect in my famly…or there is fighting or yelling or things not going as planned.

i can be honest and say that vacations are sometimes overrated.
we put pressure on everything to go just right….fun fun fun…..smiles all around.
and you know what…

it doesn't always go that way.

and that's o-k.

no family is perfect.
and neither are we……not even remotely close.
my kids fight.  
with each other and with me.  
it can get really tiresome.  
it exhausts me greatly.

but i love them deeply.

i say this because it would make me sad if looking through these pictures of our trip someone would say "i wish my family was happy like that" or "they always look like they are having so much fun"
and did not think about the reality.
the reality is that we are normal…sometimes happy, sometimes grumpy, sometimes hyper, sometimes loud, sometimes kind and sometimes mean.
you never know with five kids what will happen in the next minute let alone a 9 hour drive.

i am guessing you can relate to that.

i hope.

 

add a comment

Jan Eitzen - Oh, my gosh! Thank you for posting those beautiful pictures of Colorado. We used to go almost every year, but now it’s been way too long. I’m missing it so badly my heart aches. — I always told my kids, “You just wait!” And that phrase has stuck and been a joke for a long time, altho’ I haven’t heard it lately because the waiting is over. Dean and Amy have four beautiful children and I’d forgotten what it was like. When you’re kids start having your grandkids you’ll remember all over again what it was like, but it will be much more funny, cute, and enjoyable the second time ’round. But now, as you can tell from comments here you’re not alone altho’ it feels like it sometimes. Most of the stories in the Old Testament deal with difficult children–even King David was disobedient to God. Another one of my favorite sayings: “This too shall pass.” (I try not to overuse it, but Amy usually knows when it’s coming) 🙂

julia - I meant “bit”

julia - Thanks for that last big Meg – lately I’ve been thinking, why am I looking at this, when I’m on instagram. Everything looks so perfect. I know things aren’t but it’s so easy to pretend when a picture just shows a tiny little bit of life. anyway, I was thinking also when I saw that lake…I bet there aren’t any alligators in there to worry about. Deep thoughts.

Michelle From Australia - Being Australian, we have a 14 hour flight to get to LA. And another 5+ hours AND a layover or two if we want to go to the East Coast of the USA. Which means by the time we get anywhere, good behaviour has just about disappeared 🙁 But fingers crossed come November magic will happen and we will bounce off our flight at LA looking happy. It won’t happen but a girl can dream can’t she??

christine ishmael - My parents took us to Hawaii for a MONTH, a whole month when I was 13 and I was such a jerk the WHOLE time! My older sister likes to remind me of what a jerk I was…I still feel bad for my selfish behavior…we do our best to make things so picture perfect and I’m sorry, kids are moody lil suckers!

karen gerstenberger - We just came home from vacation, and yes, I can relate to that. Bless you for keeping it real.
I have started a new blog, in case you want to visit:
http://www.abundantlivingaftercatastrophe.wordpress.com
Hugs from Karen (Gberger)

ira lee - you are exactly right about that! and i deeply appreciate your honesty. it is hard to have patience and grace when your kids are fighting about something- again. or. they. just. won’t. listen.!!! i am learning to be more patient, kind, and understanding yet persistant and fair with punishments and -ahem- yelling! lol wish i could keep my cool, but after the hundreth fight and its over sharing the stupid ketchup i can totally loose it!! thanks for reminding us that this is life, and we must always strive to be better mommas!!! and i love the pics, wish i was there right now!!

Prairie Jenn - Colorado is so beautiful! I could live there if I just didn’t love the wide open space here so much:)
Love your honesty! Families aren’t perfect…vacations aren’t perfect, but sometimes the photos make it look that way.
Yay for keeping it real:)

Su@TheIntentionalHome - Oh yes. . totally can relate. I wrote a blog post called “Are Family Vacations Worth It?” and I read it before every trip we take to remind me, give me perspective. . .if interested, here is the link: http://www.susoutter.com/2012/02/are-family-vacations-worth-it.html
We share similiar heartbeats. . I can relate.
Your pics make me want to take our family to Colorado next. We were there for our honeymoon 20 years ago (backpacked 6 weeks out west) and I so want to take the kids. And that first pic. . are those colors for real? WOW!! Just amazing!!

happygirl - Gorgeous pics and a RAM. I had to climb a mountain to see one of those. You were so blessed. Thanks for the disclaimer on the fam and your normalcy. 🙂 I kinda thought you may be a normal family, but I appreciate the confirmation.

Christy - The pictures are beautiful and it looks like you had a lot of fun. I love the one of Annie that looks like she is in the Karate Kid pose! And the ones of Talby helping Annie. So sweet!

Kat - *Nods* oh yes I can relate!
with four kids there is bound to be someone in a bad/grumpy/sad/difficult mood on any given day.
You just have to roll with it huh?
Thanks for sharing the reality of every day life, even on holidays!
I also find it exhausts me greatly, but like you I love my kids deeply.

jenrobburton - Beautiful pics, and thanks for your honesty! It can be hard to remember that blogs, Facebook, Instagram, etc. are often only showing the good moments and that everyone has bad days, troubled times and things that don’t live up to their expectations.
Great quote I’ve seen floating around … “The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.”
Glad you had a great, if not perfect, trip!

meaghan - HI! so fun to see you in MY state lol 🙂 glad ya’ll had a good time! it’s so gorgeous huh? sigh. i’ve oddly spent summer with my fam in texas. hmmm… hooottttt

Shannon - Beautiful pictures once again! So nice to hear now and then about the reality of family. I already know quite well how family vacations go and I only have 2 young ones so I could only imagine the chaos with 5 growing kids who all have their own personalities.

Elizabeth - I can totally relate! Thanks for such a honest and authentic post.

Jody - Man, I must admit I am tiring of blogs that show us the constant trips they go on, the cute cute homes they have or their outfits for the day – so it is refreshing to read you reminding your readers it’s not all perfect or smiley as the photos lead us to believe. And that there is more to life than showcasing our happiest selves ALL THE TIME – that does not bring any of us any closer…
Thank you!
(I sound like such a cranky pants in this note, Im sorry meg!!)

Michelle B - I love your vacation pictures. Colorado is awesome! We just got back from the Wisconsin Dells – drove there from Northwest Iowa, so a fairly long haul. With three young kids along (almost 8, 6 and 2). And your last comment on this post reminded me of what I wrote on my blog just the other day about our vacation pictures…”And I might have been tired and cranky myself and lost patience with both boys…yup, we are like a real life family and do things like that.” I guess I was feeling like I was showing to much “perfect”. I too get comments from people thinking we are “perfect”. Actually I worry that if people hung out with us in real life – well they might be let down. I try to keep it real on the blog – but I also don’t like to vent or complain about my husband or my kids on the internet. I always figure I have friends and family to vent too if I really need to. My blog is for happy stuff – however people got to know – we are human and a family it isn’t always pretty. So I appreciate you saying what you did in this post. Because I feel you – all so well 🙂

Shar - Expectations, the curse! We all have them and likely as not there will be a glitch. But, that’s okay, we just keep coming back for more. Love your photos and the fact you do keep it real, as mentioned! So, thanks!!

Clementsclan - Ha ha ha, don’t know if you read these comments Meg, but well done you! I could have cried. We haven’t had a stress free family vacation since the kids were little! It seems so much work, for so little reward. But yet we keep on doing it. So it can’t be that bad. Luckily we have short and selective memories! Love the pics, keep ’em coming. Thanks for keeping it real!

jeri - Glad you enjoyed our fine state! I get that you’re a Kansas-girl and not a mountains-girl, but there’s no place I’d rather be than in some sort of mountains.
I agree that vacations are over-rated. I love to travel but not with kids. There is nothing worse than being on a beautiful God-inspiring mountain and have your kids being mean and hateful towards each other. Almost makes me want to throw them off the mountain…aw, not really. Our recent trip to the Great Smoky Mountains was probably the least “painful” trip we have had in a long time.

shiela - just lLllllloooOoovVveEeee the nature n all…gorgeous!

arlene - Loved your post and all of the wonderful pictures. Colorado is beautiful. We have taken many family vacations there through the last 40 plus years…all 1200 mile roadtrips…one way, that is. Would not trade those memories for anything.

jackie grandy - Gorgeous pics Meg. I love the mountains of Colorado. I feel the same way about vacations, especially when you visit family. We’re on vacation now visiting my husband’s family in MN and its great, but trying to coordinate activities that everyone likes is challenging. We have 9 cousins and 4 families to coordinate. It’s almost too much family togetherness. I sometimes feel like my kids are happier at home hanging with their friends and chilling out rather than running around trying to fit everything into a week. To me a vacation is hanging on a beach, sleeping in, being lazy and eating amazing food with family and friends. I want to come home from vacation relaxed and ready for life not get home fatigued and stressed because our trip wore me out. Today I said no to the crazy and packed water park and yes to catching up on my blog posts with an iced tea on the back deck.

Donna R - It’s so easy to look at pictures on a blog and get lost in how perfect someone else’s life is. Thanks for keeping it real! Love that about your posts.

Paula S. - Yes! What is that saying again about don’t compare your blooper reel with other people’s highlight reel? Anywhere there are people there will be problems, but many blessings too!

Lennie - Beautiful pics! So glad u are real and relatable!

Toni :O) - I totally can relate and that’s the reason I love your blog like so many others…your honesty and realness…we all get it. I go through life daily wondering if I’m a good enough mom, a good enough wife and a good enough employee. I look at SO many of my shortcomings but then have to realize I’m doing the best job I can do and I know how to do. When it comes to vacations, man it can totally be exhausting vs. relaxing when taking kids along. I always try to keep in mind I’m creating memories and just go with the flow. Someday though, I look forward to those vacations with just my hubby sitting on the beach somewhere enjoying a good book and listening to the water…that’s it, NO OTHER EXPECTATIONS! Cheers!

Sunny Haynes - Oh vacations! Can you really call them that with kids?! The memories are wonderful and you do things that you don’t do in your normal, everyday life but work, stress and breakdowns seem to increase! We are headed on vacation next month but we are going with 2 kids and 4 adults…maybe the extra set of adults will help with the chaos!

Angela - Girl….if I could record the bickering on vacation, no one would read my blog. The end.

Heather - God, I love you Meg. I am having a bit of a down time right now in my life. Nothing big, just on the down swing rather than the up swing, you know. Bit of strife in the marriage, bit of doubt of whether or not I should have ever become a mom, in a rut with where I’m going. And it can be daunting to read blogs and see how much better others are doing things.
We do need to constantly remind ourselves that what we read on blogs, and Facebook, is a polished version. Nothing wrong with that. Just needs to be remembered or your own life starts to feel like a turd amongst diamonds. 😉

Maureen S. - Love out west so much. Great pics as well. We had our vacation this summer at a cottage in WI and had friends and family up as well. Mid week I was feeling very babyish and put out that no one was helping very much. All i was doing was cooking, cleaning and hanging up wet towels. Thought of our house 3 hours away that was all quiet and clean and thought I would like to drive right home and be by myself, now that would be a vacation. I went out on the screen porch where my husband was reading with a glass of wine, completely oblivious to my martyrish state of mind and vented. Felt much better after he promised that he and the teenagers would help more, and laughed about how I would never have lived it down, if I had left them on vacation in a huff. Most of the time, moms just have to rise above it and adjust our attitudes to have a good time!!

Red - This is so, so true! And this is why I keep coming back to your blog. Thanks for sharing that.
And. Just this thought. Recording the happy moments is part of the reason why I blog! I tend to remember the yelling and the grumpy moments and the negative. When I blog I do package it all a bit more positively (because I don’t like to barf the downer stuff all over the interwebs). And I have noticed that it subtly changes the way I remember our lives for the better! I have more positive, happier memories because of the way I write about my life on my little blog for my friends and family to read. And I think that’s a nice side effect of blogging!

stephany - My parents live near Mt. Evans!
We just returned from a road trip to Idaho with our family.
So true what you say…it’s not always as perfect as the pictures.
It’s all part of being a family.
You’re a good mom…and inspiration.

J.B. - When people marvel about how well my kids get along because they see so many photos of the twins in harmony together – I tell them, “If you have noticed, I do not shoot videos.” tee hee
Thank you for reminding us that the ideal we have in our heads is not real life nor is it developmentally appropriate! I shall embrace the chaos and let my selective memory keep our past vacations serene!

Molly - I really like reading your blog Meg. I discovered it through Crystal’s blog, and her blog through her Etsy shop! I like reading your blog because you do keep it very real. I like that. I am an adoptive mom to one special needs girl with ADHD and her older sister who is ADD. Sometimes you want to see the pictures and see what fun the blog writer is up to, but you also like to know that they have issues, fights,etc. within their family and that sometimes it’s hard, but that you love your children deeply. And you keep it real, but fun. I love your craft ideas (my girls love to craft, I really need to make more time for it, and your Sonic happy hours. 🙂 Glad you had a good vacation. I have been to Durango and Silverton CO once. I loved CO.

jacqui anderson - meg, this is why i love reading your blog because you keep it so real. i would totally have seen those photos and thought wow wish our family vacation was cruisy like that!! thanks again for being honest with us xx

ginger - Thank you for your honesty!!!!! Everytime my family goes on vacay with my husband’s family (cousins, etc.) I always set myself up for disappointment!! We are all flawed people and I only wish our vacations could be as great in real life as in my mind. =P

Lindsey - That is why I love you, Meg! You keep it real for the rest for us!

colleen - love this post…and appreciate the honesty… what a neat vacation as I complain about packing for mine which begins Friday… Thx for this post!

allison - Its true, because I can hardly look at the pictures, because they do make me feel that way. I try not to, but I do. Why are we not that happy, content, etc..It is hard.

sarah - Ugh, I’m missing Colorado so much now. Your pictures are great. I grew up there, but am now firmly planted (yet trying not blow away in all the dust storms) in Arizona.
I miss the green, and the trees and the streams, and the sky. I’m so glad you got to spend time with your family, no matter what moods they are in.

jen smith - it’s so easy to compare our lives to other bloggers. when we go on vacation i always wonder why my kids aren’t perfect like every one else’s and then reality hits and i realize that all families struggle with the same things. every other blogger’s struggles mirror my own. as i look at my own blog and our last extended family vacation no one would know that i wanted to shake my BIL and SIL and tell them to discipline their kids, no one would know that we were frustrated that all of our plans didn’t go as planned, or that that many people trying to make a decision on where to eat could be so complicated. they only see the good and that’s why blogs are so great. they help us to remember the good things and not all the other unimportant details. and as my kids grow up and read this blog sometime down the road that’s what i want them to remember too.

Heather - Yes, vacations can be stressful. The best part about taking pictures is that later on, you can look at them and remember the experience of the place and all the fighting and grumpiness that was going on at the time seems to fade away from memory.

Kirsten J - Can sooo relate to that – it wouldn’t be a trip if I didn’t end up crying in a corner somewhere – I’ve even been known to cry in Downtown Disney and threaten to hop a plane home. Yeah, a little dramatic. But the good outweighs the grumpiness. And we never take pictures of those grumpy times so we mostly remember the happy times 🙂

Taryn - Hey Girl! Just couldn’t help but comment…we loved being with you guys during your time here! We loved seeing your family and love each personality you have “under your wings.” I’m so proud of all your processing and the way you love your family deeply! Can’t wait for the time when we can process together face to face again. Love you!

Dawn Gross - amen

Nicole Q. - Well said.

Amy K. - Some vacation I will take a picture every hour on the hour, no matter who is crabby or fighting, so we will remember it how it *really* was! As a bonus, taking pictures of screaming kids might shock them into NOT screaming. =)

Tiffany - You said, ‘it doesn’t always go that way’ …I’d like to add, it almost never goes that way (for us). But it makes for great pictures and good stories. My cousin once shared that with me, that she explained to her older son, don’t let all your memories with your sister be angry ones (due to fighting). And I thought those were good words to share. Happy Wednesday Mama Duerksen.

EmilyK - Have you read “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin? I’m at work right now and don’t have the text in front of me, but just started to read it last night and one of her points was to make every day count, not just the “special” days. And I think that is something that you actually do! I feel the same way about holidays. I love holidays and think they are important, but so is every other day! (My brother in law gets all upset when things don’t go perfectly on say Thanksgiving…) At any rate, I highly recommend “The Happiness Project.” I’m only into the 2nd chapter and it’s very good!
Thank you for your honesty!

Laine - This is why I love you and your blog. =) Thanks for writing this!

Ashlyn@Pinecone - I can relate for sure! My kids are great on long drives – but lets face it – we all get grumpy and tired. My girls (3 teens) and I took a all girls road trip to Northern MN this summer. It took about 22 hours to get to MN from NY – and we all had our moments. The photos however – make it look like we are happy all the time ; )
Your pics of Colorado are truly gorg! A ram? Crazy!! xo

brooke - unbeleivably beautiful pics. oh my. a trip to colorado is one place i hope to visit. your post was so real. thank you!

Lori Austin - More beautiful pics. Thanks for keeping it real.
Our family can barely make a 4 hour drive…ugh!

Pink and Green Mama MaryLea - Meg — Yes, yes, yes!!! Family vacations are what I call business trips because I’m still “working” and “on call” the whole time as their mom – never get a day off from that one and I wouldn’t trade that for the world. It is exhausting, we do get tired and cranky and we do bicker but we also have fun and laugh together too. The fun part of a trip somewhere new is the experience and memories we make — good and bad. It has helped me a lot to change my attitude about trips and road trips lately to view them as adventures and to EXPECT things to go wrong and to expect things to get ugly sometimes, it’s much easier that way when they do and will…much better than when I used to set off on a trip with my family and expect everything to be sunshine and rainbows the whole time. We also throw in plenty of sugar and junk food — it seems to help if I let the rules bend more on vacation and cut myself some slack. xoxo MaryLea

ingrid lapp - I loved the last part of your post. The thing is, when I look back at our vacation pictures, I forget that our 9 year old was a hot mess at supper e.v.e.r.y. night because he spent the entire day in the ocean. I look at those pics and remember how perfect it was to just be a family and be together. Glad you are honest and open, it’s the reason I love your sweet blog so much.

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a favorite of mine…

February 28, 2012 Filed in my goofball kids,parenting

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i love hearing my children practice piano.
they whine and complain.
they say "WHY DO I HAVE TO TAKE PIANO?!"
and at times….throw themselves on the floor dramatically and kick their legs up and down. 

but when they can play and when they do play….

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i love to listen.

it's like background music for the family.

the soundtrack of life in our home.

and they do love to play once they have figured out the notes.

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she sticks out her tongue quite often when she concentrates.

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she gets silly too….

we got this piano for FREE from the classifieds when we lived in illinois.
in the newspaper…before craigslist existed!
the woman giving it away was going to miss it and she said "it has a sweet sound" several times.
it's been well loved for a long time.

(and i think it needs some white paint on it sooner or later.
i can't believe it's still wood color after all these years!)

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all the kids have taken lessons at some point in their little lives.
right now it's only talby and annie playing.
i wish they all played.
but i am just not that mom.
it takes so much dedication from THE MOM to have all your kids play and keep at it.
so we are down to two kiddos in lessons immediately after school on mondays.

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one awesome thing about their lessons is they are at a college in the music department.
so when we walk in every week there is music everywhere.
trumpets practicing scales….cellos, violins and yesterday a full choir was singing!
i love that extra something the music dept. brings to our mondays. 

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photo bomber.
and there is that tongue again!

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waffle always has to be right at our feet.
literally.

well since i showed a home video yesterday….
why not one more today?!
it makes the pictures come to life right? 

pretty quickly waffle begins barking and continues throughout the entire song.
i am sure it was at something very important like a leaf falling or a person walking by two blocks away…. 

i hope that one day at least ONE of our kids wants to play an instrument for fun.
but it has to be their choice and it's either in you or it's not.
and it's not in me.
at all.
but i sure do love to listen to them play.

what about you?
do you play?
do your kids? 

 

 

add a comment

Aimee - I hated piano lessons…and practicing. But I loved being in band, as bad as I was at it.
My older son wanted no part of any of it. I “strongly encouraged” him to try band, telling him he could quit after one semester if he hated it. (Then I promptly signed him up for private lessons, so he’d be ahead of the class.) He loves it. He kicks butt. He is a trumpet player in the honor band. He is a musician…something I could never really claim.
Son #2 asked for piano lessons and is plugging away at it…but he’ll do band, too. Our kids just aren’t into sports. I’ll never be a soccer mom; I’ll be a band booster. 🙂

Ashley - Hysterical! I played for a while. I can still sight read and peck, but I moved onto singing. There is always some kind of music or made up songs in my house. Frank Sinatra got my eldest calm, and Michael Franti’s “Say Hey” and Sugarland help the youngest. It’s cute.

Cassandra - As soon as the video started I had to smile, because I took lessons for a year & Ode to Joy is “the” song I can still play, haha! Keep it up Annie!!

deb - I JUST started taking lessons at 58!!!! I wish my parents would have made me when I was younger…its HARD to learn now but I will perservere!! I love your blog….I visit all the time and I saw you at Sugar Rush!!! LOVE that doggie!!!! good luck in the new home!!!

Heidi Jo the Artist - I never learned how to play the piano, always wanted to, we had an organ and I self-taught myself some. Also, learned how to play the flute when I was in band in middle school, I’m rusty though. Rarely play.
We don’t have our kids play piano. I would love to get a piano someday, for me to play around on. We have a lot of music instruments they like to fiddle with though. I’m not that mom either. I’m really not that mom, you are more that mom than me with all the sports your kids are in+piano too. My kids enjoy other things. I enjoy not running around in circles. And I’m fine with whatever they want to do as long as they are happy.
I really love how this whole post was in b&w. 🙂

Lisa - I took piano and violin lessons from age 10 all through high school – disliked practicing, but continued playing violin through college. After college, I even bought my own violin (always played school instruments). Sadly, it sits unplayed beneath my bed now. And I don’t have a piano, though I’m saving money to buy one. My 11 year old has taken up the trombone this year – he’s pretty good and I hope he continues to play. I think he might be interested in playing around on the piano, too, once we get one. I love music and miss playing, and am trying to pass on that love of music to my son.

Lori Austin - Always wanted to learn – never did.
Hubby took lessons for 6 years growing up. From what I hear he was good.
My almost 7 year old just started lessons last month. She is liking it but doesn’t want to practice much either. Love the sound filling our house too. 🙂

Ani G W - I play the piano and have since I was five. I took lessons until I was seventeen. I have been without a piano in my house over a decade until this past month…and it has been heaven to have one in the house again. I hated playing for about a year (when I was around 7 or 8 years old), but I had made a contract with my parents to play for five years and if I wanted to at 10 years old, I could give it up. Needless to say, I didn’t. They did the contract because they actually bought my piano and didn’t want to spend all of that money if I was just going to give it up after a few months. I plan on giving my kids lessons at some point and all of my kids will be in band (at least through middle school). My hubby plays trombone and was really good (he played in the U. S. Navy band for several years)…so at least one of our kids should have some kind of musical talent…I’m hoping so anyway!

Jen Sully - I wish I played so I am making my kids play! 😉 Right now my daughter is taking lessons and it is a struggle to get her to practice but I know it will be worth it in the end! She really wants to play the guitar…I told her she can learn that once she can play the piano. LOL! I want my son to play, as well. He will begin lessons in a year or so.

nicoleigh - I took piano lessons for 8 years, and stopped when I went to high school. I never enjoyed the lessons. But now, I sure wish I would have done more! I absolutely love playing the piano, but wish I was much better at it.
I think that by exposing your kids to all types of music/instruments allows them to see what they could potentially be like. And what a great influence it can have on them. 🙂

Lindsey@ Piecefully Home - my in-laws gave us a piano. it’s older and and ugly brown color, but it plays beautifully…and it was free 🙂 it was the best gift ever. while i took lessons as a child and love to sit down to play for fun, my oldest son who is 11 and is a natural at the piano. i love that he can hear music and just sit down and pick out the melody and then before i know it he’s added in all these beautiful chords. i love that he sits down and composes his own music that sounds great. thanks to that gift, my son is creating the soundtrack of our daily life.

Valerie @ Chateau A La Mode - I want to learn to play piano. It’s on my “To Do” list. I’m either going to learn or just buy myself one of those gorgeous player pianos they sell at Costco sometimes. Have you ever seen those? They are super cool. P.S. I think you should paint your piano turquoise or even red. Now that would be fun! Loved your photos of your little sweetheart and her photo bomber.

Michelle - I have a big old beautiful piano in my living room that I would LOVE to play again! I took lessons when I was little, have since gotten the piano (that desperately needs to be tuned) and would like to take lessons agin now that I’m an adult. Maybe someday, when I have more time. It will wait. My daughter has also shown some interest so maybe together her and I will learn.
I love your blog! Thanks for all of the wonderful things you share!

Tanya - I sure as heck don’t play.
I took lessons as a kid from a lady who’s house always smelled like fish-sticks and she’d whip out a nail clipper and cut your nails if she heard your nails click on the keys. KILL~JOY :S
My kiddos don’t play yet…they’re 3 and 4…but they’re trying really hard to figure out how to whistle 😉

Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - I played when I was younger and Julia plays now. I know exactly what you mean about having the music in the background. I LOVE hearing Julia play!

lelu - We have a piano that was given to us as well. I play and I have seven piano students. My three oldest children also play. So the evening hours in our house are FULL of music. And I love it. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Danielle - Oh I loved watching that video. I remember throwing fits when my mom made me practice, but as with most things, I am grateful today that she made me stick with it. Watching your daughters fingers lifting so high in concentration on the notes brought back so many memories of struggling to remember where my own fingers should go.

Katie Mathieson - Your first paragraph…
I thought you were describing me…
about 15 years ago…
Wow, the memories.
And now I WISH I could still play.

Jenny B. - So funny that she wanted you to take a picture of her with her DS! 😉 We have a piano. It is in desperate need of a tuning. My husband plays. I used to play when I was young. I want my boys to take lessons, but we haven’t thought about starting yet (oldest is 7). So, we’ll see… maybe next year. 🙂

Jeanetta D. - RIght at this moment of reading this blog post I sit listening to my youngest play on the piano that was mine and an aunt’s before me. He too would rather play around on the piano than practice the songs he is supposed to be practicing (right now I am to the threatening point). We too take lessons right after school at the college and I know what you mean by being surrounded by the music when you walk in the building. Last week we strolled by the orchestra and while setting out side of the practice room I hear a bass violin lesson. I feel very cultured.

tara - my oldest took guitar lessons but has put it down for now.
i agree with you….it has to be their choice. 🙁 I’m gonna strongly suggest that he pick up the $400 guitar soon and begin practicing again, though. $400…seriously, he needs to be PLAYING it. :)))
my favorite part of this post was that she wanted you to video her playing her DS after she finished playing the piano. way to be balanced and make me feel normal. :))

Kim - Ha! I just played the Ode to Joy duet with my 7 year old this morning out of that very same book! All my kids take lessons. My oldest son is 12, and has been taking for 7 years. He is a natural and enjoys it most of the time. Our rule for him is, “no piano, no basketball”. Currently he is working on a duet he is playing with the center on his basketball team! They are quiet a site pounding out their parts on the piano together! My daughter is 10 and has been taking for 5 years, she loves to play. fast. If it were a race, she would win. Our youngest son must be on the same pace as Talby, he loves Ode to Joy!

katey - In our school system in 6th grade they have to take choral or band. My boys chose band and now in high school are still at it and love it. One plays tuba and the other tenor saxophone. I love hearing them practice (now, not so much at first). LOVE them being part of it. Thanks for sharing Annie and Waffle.

Alicia - I took piano lessons for a year when I first started high school, then quit because my teacher was pretty hard core- if I wanted her to teach me, then I had to do competitions and recitals and all that. I just wanted to learn for FUN!
So I quit, and I remember my mum coming back from parent teacher interviews and commenting that my music teacher said he stopped taking lessons at this age too, but then started back up again a bit later, and he wouldn’t be surprised if I picked it back up again in adulthood.
Back then I was like “yeah right”, I mean every day we had music class at school and I just whinged and complained that playing simple chords on the guitar made my fingers hurt!
(How I wish I took more advantage of the music curriculum at my high school!!!)
Anyway… fast forward to the year I turned 20. I was volunteering at my old school whilst working on my teaching degree, and I saw in the newsletter that they were advertising for people wanting to take cello or double bass lessons. I wasn’t interested in either of those, but I had started to really like the idea of playing the violin, so I went to my old music teacher’s office, asked him about it, got a violin from the school, found a tutor, and the rest is history!
I now play in the school’s string ensemble (even though school was a loooong time ago for me haha!) and we’re even performing at a wedding in June! I LOVE the violin! And I wish I had kept up with my piano lessons because piano is to music as ballet is to dancing – it gives you the foundation!

amber - I’m bugging you 2 days in a row:}…
She reminds me so much of my little (26 year old) sister. She had the same “style” & did everything a little extra…loud, hard, fast…so funny. She’s adorable. And I can’t believe how big she seems. Sorry…it’s just so crazy. Thanks for sharing!
Oh, & yes, I play the piano. I can still play in my books from when I was a kid! lol Does that even count??? Probably not really. But, my kids love it, so that makes it count!

Heather S. - I adore music and have NO talent for it. My 9.5 year old daughter has been playing since her 8th birthday. I love listening to her. We all enjoy music and going to the symphony is one of our greatest pleasures! LOVE!

Krissy - I took piano up until high school, and then quit to concentrate on my saxophone lessons. I hated practicing and hating playing the piano but I miss playing both now that I’m in the Navy, and wish i still played!! I loved her “now take a picture of me playing my ds” it totally cracked me up. I also very much enjoyed waffle’s accompaniment to her piano playing. :o)

Sarah @ Handbags*N*Pigtails - ALthough Ive always wanted to play(& took a class in college, getting an A) Ive never been able to pick it up easily. Flute, on the other hand, was a breeze for me, and Ive played since 4th grade. Still do weekly in church in our orchestra.
My oldest(8) has been taking violin for 3 years now and its the best. Shes had some amazing teachers along the way but you’re right…its just as hard on the momma. Its dedication to make them practice and get them to the lessons. Im hoping my youngest(6) will want to play piano someday(Ive always wanted one in the house but Eric tells me we dont need one…no one plays!). Whatever!

Kristi Rediske - I took piano many many years ago-but of course quite and I wish now I wouldn’t have. I can play a little but not very good. My daughter took and quit later, her teachers kept leaving so we gave up-now she wishes she could play-my son always asks-why didn’t I make him take piano or guitar! Do not let your kids quit-they will regret it – they will thank you later! It will be hard on you for years though-but I think you can make it. I love the pictures and video-thanks for posting this.

Renee - i teach piano out of my home & i love that you wrote this! when i was little, we were forced to play through 8th grade. i couldn’t bring myself to tell my sweet teacher that i wanted to quit so i stuck with it through high school, barely ever practicing. my mom said that if i kept going, she’d keep playing. i ended up majoring in music ed, teaching public school music and now i teach piano lessons for fun on the side 🙂 ya never know which kid might end up loving it in the future!

Gerri - My daughter plays the violin. She’s 27 now, but she still loves to play. Listening to Annie play Ode to Joy made me smile inside because when Sarah was learning to play the violin I used to make her play Ode to Joy over, and over, and over..she would get so mad at me. But I loved it so much and I LOVED hearing her play…still do 🙂

tina - I wish I could play an instrument. I tried the violin in second grade and the teacher thought it was best if I stopped. I don’t know what she was talking about I played the best version of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star on that thing. So now my 11 year old daughter plays the french horn. Of course she would pick the hardest brass instument to play,lol!! The middle school band teacher told her she’s the best french horn player he’s ever had…. just imagine how good she would be if she would practice like I asked here to!! LOL 🙂

Jody - Keep playin’ Annie!! great job & great concentration!! 🙂 Love it. A dream of mine is to snag a freebie piano off of Craigslist one of these days for our boys – we love to “Rock out” in our house w guitars & drums but Id love a piano!!
Thanks for sharing your love of music!!

Lisa - My daughter is on exactly the same song in the same book! How funny. I agree…it’s sometimes such a fight to get her going but I love it when she’s playing and so does she!

Sarah - I used to play the piano. I was good, too, but when we moved to the U.S. from Canada I didn’t like my new teacher very much (she was a clean freak and made me wash my hands before and after playing her piano…kind of made me feel like she thought I was really dirty or something?) and so I gave it up – oh the regret! Dear Duerksen children, do not give up! It takes practice, but it is SO much easier when you’re little, and you learn so much more when you’re young! I wish I hadn’t stopped, and one day when our house isn’t so titchy, I’ll be getting myself a piano so I can hopefully play again! I hope my little baby girl grows up learning an instrument, but it’ll have to be her choice (although I might make my opinion known…). x

Dana@Strawberrytart! - I have always wanted to play. I took lessons briefly when I was 9, but my mom let me drop out right before the recital – I was very shy and couldn’t handle it.

Jill - My Favorite part of that video was more listening to it while I scrolled up at looked at the pics again. Having the video in the background truly did bring the pics to life! LOVED IT!
I have my mothers old piano, got it when she received my Grandmothers piano after she passed. Mine just sits in my house annoying my husband because literally – it just sits there. 5yrs ago my now 10yr old son took piano lessons for a year. He now plays the French Horn. Since those piano lessons ended tho, no on has played it. I’ve got 3 younger girls and at least one of them would like to try it but other then that it just sits there. It is my dream that some day someone will play it and bring calm to this crazy home. LOL
Shoot, maybe I should be the one to take the lessons – hey – there’s a thought!
I guess for now it will continue to sit there and be the occasional entertainment for my 3yr old as she walks by and tests the keys from time to time.
LOVED hearing Annie on yours! Thank you for sharing!

Southern Gal - My daughter plays piano, my older son plays drums, guitar and piano, and the youngest is studying violin right now. There might be piano in his near future. I would love to play piano, but alas I don’t play anything except a little guitar, very little.

Alice H - My daughter Emilee (almost 13) has played the flute for the last 2 years. I love hearing her play (and practice too!). She can read music and she has played songs by Adele, Taylor Swift, etc on her flute! She is a smartie! She also can play an acoustic guitar.
I would love for my older son Zack (11) to play something…besides football! Haha!
And my 2 year old boy LOVES music. LOVES it. He has all sorts of musical instruments (guitars, drums, that Melissa & Doug box set, a recorder, etc) that he plays with ALL the time.

Lori H - Both my kids took lessons for a while. My reasoning was “what if one of the kids is a musical prodigy? We’ll never know unless they try.” Well, no prodigies in this family! 🙂 I had them take lessons for as long as they showed interest, about 2 years. Growing up, my parents made me take lessons for 7 years! No interest after maybe the first year, and at the end, I still had to count from middle C to read music (haha). Recitals were pure torture. I hear that learning music is good for the math part of your brain. So it’s good for anyone!

Jennifer - I wish my kids played an instrument. I have wanted to get my oldest into piano lessons but there really isn’t much of an opportunity for her to do so. My only option is something like $25 a week and that just seems high. Maybe someday….
I sure would love them to be musicians though.
Have a great day!

Alicia @ La Famille - my oldest boy plays, but when we recently moved our piano wouldn’t fit on the truck 🙁 he’s going to be totally out of practice, but it’s in storage in south dakota and we’ll get all the rest of our stuff one of these days! i want my other two to start soon!

Whitney - ahhh, I love the ending! Too funny! I want to learn so bad! It’s on my bucket list!!!

Kristin - love this post! my granny taught piano so i began taking when i was 3. i know my mom battled me on many occasions about practicing, and eventually i started taking from a teacher in our small town. i kept taking all through high school and i am so glad! when my gran downsized about 4 years ago, i was blessed to get one of her pianos. it’s now in our small home, and takes up good “space” – but i love having it! i am now 34 and i waited a long time to live in a home with a piano again. my favorite thing – playing Christmas carols and kid songs. my 3 year old son just started fiddle class last october and i it’s something he sticks with – but like you mentioned, it’s no good if it’s forced. oh, and there’s my husband… he bought himself a pawn shop guitar in college and taught himself to play. he says it was because it helped attract girls. 🙂 i guess it worked on me!

lisa - Such special pictures. I grew up playing (14 years of lessons) and my parents gave me the piano I used growing up when our first daughter was born. They said, “Every child should have a piano in their home.” She is now four so we haven’t started lessons, but I do hope all three of our girls play. We are building a house right now and were just talking about where to put the piano in our new home and my husband suggested the basement, to free up space in the living room. But I told him it had to be in the main room so I could listen to the girls practice. This post proves my point. 🙂

Leah - I really want to get my daughter started on piano lessons. We have a keyboard and she has really taken to it. I think she’s actually trying to make music too. One day, I will get a nice piano for the house. I love musical instruments. Only wish I could play one myself.

Kimberly Dial - I love that your two little girls are taking piano. Annie’s playing was magnificient! Good job! I take lessons too … I quit when I was in the 7th grade & have always regretted it so here I am at 50 doing it again. I’m with you, I can only imagine a walk thru the Music Dept. is a wonderful thing to hear.

Erin @ The Speckled Palate - I was a violin player as a kid, and today, I am really happy that my parents got me into it. (At first, my sister and I wanted to play because our cousins did, but soon, whining won out. However, I stuck with it and my sister dropped, and then, I loved it again.)
And our dog used to HOWL when we were playing. 😉 Makes Waffle’s barks seem cute, no?

Terrie - Loved both your videos the past two days!!
My kids both took piano lessons…then one moved onto flute, the other trumpet.
He actually played with the KSU Marching Band…I was so proud!!
I’ve always wanted to take piano lessons…my mom wouldn’t let me.
Maybe someday….

Janine - Don’t force them to play if they really hate it. They will run in the opposite direction. I wouldn’t even look at the piano after being forced to play it. It was only after it sat there for years that I went back to it on my own. My husband was also forced to take lessons for a year as a kid and I think he still glares at it as he walks by! Also, I am going to say this in the kindest way possible. DON’T YOU DARE PAINT THAT PIANO!! My heart hurts to think of a lovely aged wooden piano with ugly white paint all over it. An old wooden piano with scratches and dings has character, but the white paint will ruin the charm and just make it look cheap and junky and like it was a free piano.

Kiki Dee - I have been playing the piano since I was 7, and after a 12 year hiatus recently began taking lessons again at 29! I figured I am thisclose to getting my Royal Conservatory of Music degree (only 1 more year to go!), I might as well go for it! I quit lessons when I was in high school (because there were just SO many cooler things I could have been doing with my time, right?) and have regretted it ever since. My daughter is now taking lessons too, and I told her that is the ONE thing that I will not let her quit (if she ever asks to quit, which thankfully, she has not… yet). Yes, I am THAT Mom. Ha. Luckily for me, she really enjoys it. I love to listen to her practice… it’s so wonderful to hear a beautiful song being played and it’s sweet notes resonating through the house! I love it!

Laura D - I took piano lessons for 10 years and I’m so thankful my parents stayed on me about practicing. I also cheered in middle and high school and so many times I asked my parents if I could quit piano lessons to spend more time cheering/taking gymnastics. My mom always told me, “You won’t be able to cheer when you’re 80, but you’ll sure be able to play the piano.” That phrase has always stuck with me and I’m so thankful for sticking with playing the piano.

Mindy W - Dear Annie,
Wow! What enthusiasm you play Ode to Joy with! How exciting that you’ve practiced and gotten yourself this far! Can you think back to when you couldn’t play that piece? When you couldn’t even read the notes on the page?!!! You’re really learning how to play the piano! Be sure to do everything your teacher tells you to do- things like always starting with the right fingers and sitting up nice and tall and lots of other things. Why? Because even though they don’t seem like they are a lot of fun right now, they will help you look and sound even more beautiful than you already do!!! Keep up the hard work!!
P.S. I also like Waffle barking and howling to your music. Did you know Beethoven would go on long walks almost everyday? I’m sure he had lots of dogs barking while he listened to the music forming inside his head.
Sincerely,
A mom, piano teacher, and a kid who also used to hate practicing but I kept practicing and practicing and now I’m so glad I never quit!

Kathryn Goertzen - My “kid” was one those choir members you heard singing on Monday!
Friday and Saturday night @ 7:30 p.m. “The Tender Land”

Marianne - I wasn’t always a terribly willing participant in my own piano career… the rule in our house was that we had to take lessons until grade 8 and then could stop if we wanted to. I didn’t stop. 🙂 Now I teach piano though I wish I played more for my own enjoyment.

Heidi Durant - growing up, I always wanted to play the piano. All of my cousins played, but being a military family, we moved a lot, and one of the heaviest things to move is a piano, so we never had one. Last year, a friend of mine inherited a baby grand (life must be rough) I had mentioned to her, that I have always wanted to learn to play. My husband and I celebrated our ten year anniversary in Vegas and when we came home, a piano was in our living room. She gave us her old one! It is beautiful, and I cherish it. My 7-year old daughter, Emmah, and I started taking lessons. I love to plunk out the music just as much as she does. Piano lessons was on my bucket list, and at age 30, I am happy to say, I can cross that off. I love it. It is good to know, that even in my older years, I can still learn a new skill and develop a talent that was hiding!!! Happy Tuesday!

Sarah Wolfe - Love seeing your piano and being able to picture where it is in your house 🙂 We make our boys take piano. Not sure what we’ll do in the future. They don’t always like the practicing, but I think they assume everyone has to do it. I tell them girls love boys who play. Sometimes that helps 🙂

Ellen - “Now take a picture of my playing the DS.” LOVE it!!
Each of my 3 kids have taken various lessons but 2 didn’t stick with it too long. I’m not great at making them practice. My oldest took cornet when she was little… kind of loved it, kind of torture for us all. Then she got trumpetlessons from a laid back, patient jazz musician and still wasn’t much of a practicer, but really started to love it. Now she’s in college to be a music teacher/euphonium player, gets to hang out in the music department every day, practices all the time, and LOVES LOVES LOVES it. The background music when she’s home is sooo awesome.
I think the neighbors might even miss it now that she’s away at school 🙂

Jennifer - I played the piano as did my husband. Neither of my kids want to. My 6th grader just started violin this year and I had ZERO faith in her ability to remain interested. She’s going out for CHAMBER next year (a huge honor if she gets in) and is very good. My little one (soon to be 10) has become obsessed with the recorder. And I laughed at you talking about filling the house with music, because sometimes I have to squelch the need to snap her instrument in half when she gets frustrated and blows it as loud as she can. I’ve told her that if she doesn’t choose an instrument in middle school, she will have to take piano lessons for at least two years. I think that is fair and I won’t feel bad!

Laura Phelps - remember when we tried to get Sean to teach Luke how to play your piano so we could sit outside and drink our margaritas???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wish I played the piano.
maybe Sean can teach me?

Dana @ Bungalow'56 - Such a change to see all your pictures in black and white. It was beautiful. We only have youngest in piano. And It is tough I tell you. Real tough. Lots of tears, but yet she wants to continue. I have to blame the great teacher we have. She doesn’t want to quite because she can’t imagine not going to her every week, yet she hates practicing. I’m not that mom either.
Dana

Krista - OMG hysterical– I am guessing you don’t have to fight w/ her to get her to play with the DS! Love the piano playing, love that she clapped for herself, her face showing such relief to be done! We have a piano, no one takes lessons YET…. hoping they will want to learn to play some day…. I cannot read music but can play by ear. I can still hear my clarinet instructor calling me stupid because I couldn’t read the music– but that was in the 70’s, when teachers were allowed to talk that way to their students!!

Jen Brandt - What sweet pictures! Thank you, Meg. No, I don’t play and neither do my children. My grandma wanted me to play SO badly (I know she still wants me to learn), but I just never wanted to. I would encourage my children to play, but neither has shown an interest. I hope that they each take up playing a musical instrument. Note to self: be more encouraging of this. Talk about music more. I hope you’re having a great Tuesday!

bread and jam - My son played the trumpet for 5 years – his choice. I’m still sad he decided to quit – I loved hearing him practice too. One really neat thing that happened was that the elderly lady that lives next door told him he loved it when he had his window open because she could hear him play. From then on, he would open his window when he practiced.

Kelly Ann - I’ve played since a very young age… not by reading music, but by ear. My brother took lessons and would spend hours learning a new piece. I’d watch and listen to him daily and then I’d sit down and figure out how to play it, myself. Drove him NUTS! My youngest, who is 7 years, enjoys playing. He doesn’t take lessons… he just has a book and a really long strip of tape I’ve put on his keyboard so he know’s what key goes with which note. His favoirte is Jingle Bells. We hear it year round!

Lindsey - Love it! My mom made my sisters and I take lessons for years. There was a lot of crying, whining and gnashing of the teeth at practice time. Now we enjoy playing!

asnipofgoodness - Oh my goodness, she is terrific!! I can’t believe you feel bad because only 2 of your children can play!!!!! We have a big ol piano that we have moved 4, count them 4, times and guess how many of us play?????? big ol fat zero, that’s how many! One son can pick out a few, but he has never had lessons. Of course, all that moving kinda sorta explains the lack of lessons. Well, at least that’s my story 🙂 and I’m sticking to it!!

Kirsten J - I wish!!! My mom has our piano – my sister was the one who took lessons – and she offered it to us, but my husband (who is not musically inclined at all…) said we don’t have room, which is true, I guess. But. My daughter decided to take up flute this year, in 6th grade. I figured, “fine, okay, we’ll give it a go”. And I took her for at 30 minute “getting to know your flute” lesson. ummm….the guy came out with her and pulled me aside and told me he’d never, in 15 years of doing this, had a kid pick up the flute and get it like that. I’m kinda scared!

tiffany gardner - love it. my 8 year old son is taking piano right now. he struggles with the practicing part too. i took as a little girl and remember the timer on the oven for my practice time. life in full circle. life is beautiful.

Sarah P - I’ve played since the 2nd grade. I am now 33 and still play for fun and in my church. I absolutely love it. All three of us girls took lessons growing up. I remember all of us going through a phase where we HATED practicing. I think that’s completely normal. My mom always loved hearing us play when she was working around the house or cooking dinner. I plan on teaching my little ones how to play. Then we’ll see if they want to continue. I figure it doesn’t hurt to expose them to it!
By the way, love her little tongue sticking out in concentration! She’s adorable.

Kimberly - BUT, can she play ‘Ode to Joy’ on the DS?

Jacci - “you’re so versatile” 🙂 love it.
I think it’s WONDERFUL they’re taking lessons. I’ve always planned on mine taking… well, maybe planned is the wrong word. Because, we still haven’t bought a piano, ha ha. My oldest is 11. It’s kind of now or never time. I’m hoping maybe Christmas this year.
I saw the piano in some craft weekend pics and thought, “Hey, I didn’t know they have a piano” and wondered if anyone ever played it. Cute, cute, cute. And very fun.

Kelly - My kids don’t play yet. My middle boy has been wanting to take guitar lessons for a long time now. We were just talking about it again last night. We were also just talking about photo bombing last night. Weird.

Kim Elks - Oh thank Goodness! I thought I was the only one dealing with a child who dreads practicing piano!! Its a struggle every week. We love listening to her play and when you said it fills the house…that is sooo true!

Meg's Mom - I want you to know that when we went to Brandon Woods Macy, Talby and Annie played a song or two on the piano in the foyer. They all had a song memorized and played well. It was nice. A couple of people came out of their apartments to listen.

sara @ it's good to be queen - now take a picture of me playing my ds! ha ha ha!!! that’s exactly something one of mine would say. 🙂 i have two in piano right now. one likes it and practices on his own. the other throws himself on the floor and throws an ever lovin fit about it. but i still make him do it…at least for now……we’ll see. it is so much work for the mom!!

Jill - I am with you! I want my children to play and play well but…maybe just learning to read a little music is aspiration enough? Mine all play an instrument…a couple of them rather well..and a couple of them…well…you KNOW.
I took piano as a child… HATED IT THEN…but have said to my mother many times since…THANK YOU!
Love that tongue!! ADORABLE!

sarah - We have been blessed with a free piano too. It was my uncles and he didn’t want to move it. We have yet to be blessed with the money for piano lessons, but that will come soon.
I’ve taught the kids what little I remember. They can play Heart and Soul together wich does melt me just a bit.

Shairee - I love your pictures! Sometimes I just forget to take pictures of the everyday things!! My 13 year old plays the flute & piano. My 11 yr old plays the guitar (classical) & piano, my 9 & 6 year old play the violin and I am learning how to play the cello!!! The coolest thing about being able to do this (bc I totally hear you – it’s THE mom…) is that I found an aaaaamazing lady that plays 22 instruments!!!!! She teaches 7. So it’s a “one stop shop” for us. I love the music in our life and all that we are learning from it!! What an amazing blessing!!

Seriously Sassy Mama - My daughter got a guitar for Christmas from her papa, and I cannot wait to get her lessons. I have fond memories of my dad playing and my sister and I dancing in the kitchen. He still plays, but it is my girls that are dancing in the kitchen now!

Jenny Joy - Annie: “Now, take a picture of me playing my DS.”
You: “You are so versatile.”
Me: “BWWWWAAAAAHAAAA…”
You are such a good momma.

Han - I stick my tongue out when I concentrate – I get it from my Grandma who used to do it as well 🙂

Linda - Love your family video’s they are so fun to watch. Yesterday my 2 year old daughter watched your girls sing “baby” like 10 times. Its her favorite song. it so true that the piano is like the family soundtrack. Music is so important in our live. My husband and I both play. And felt that are kids needed to at least try. I think its important that they learn to appreciate it even if its not their thing. So 2 of my 4 kids play with one still to get her opportunity! Thanks again for sharing your life with us readers.

Rebecca - I love how you described the kids playing piano in the background of the other daily activities as a soundtrack of your life. How true that is! Our oldest plays piano and I LOVE to listen to him practice and play. And I love to listen to our 2 youngest bang out a song here and there too.

colleen from Alabama - I do play the piano. My mom was a piano teacher for over 40 years but of course i didn’t take from her:) I took for 10 years and i am so glad i did. I play for the 4 & 5 yr old choir at church and it is my JOY! My kids (9 & 11) are taking and it is painful most days to get them to practice. My girl(11) just started playing the saxophone this year in band and she says the piano has really helped her with a new instrument! She just made cheerleading and is trying out for volleyball so piano may be on the out for her next year:( My boy(9)just wants to play the drums and guitar so we are probably going to quit piano altogether next year. I am thankful that they have that foundation though!

Niki - I wish someone played piano in our house. The soundtrack to our life most of the time is the theme music from Mario Brothers wafting from a Nintendo DS someone was playing and left running after they went on to the next thing!
My daughter is picking up the guitar, so maybe that sound will someday take over as the music of our lives! 😉

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stuff i saw this week…..

May 20, 2011 Filed in parenting,random,things i love

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this was not my breakfast but i wish it was.
this looks DELISH.

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this laundry room makes me happy.
the yellow is perfection.
…………………………………………… 

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blowing my mind!!!
in every way. 
i LOVE this shark watermelon.    
i think maybe this would be a rad way to start the summer….carving a shark head.  YES! 

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Breakfastbuffet2-2
does this make you smile???
it does for me.
i am going to make these too!

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AcR5m
i can't believe that this is her real hair…..but i love it.
i wonder what her profession is that allows this hair??
something that is free spirited for sure.
it's pretty amazing…i think it's because of the pink that i love it so much.

……………………………………………

i forgot to tell you that as of spring break this year my kids have been doing
all of their own laundry.

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i am so happy about this.
they are in charge of it.
if they want clean socks then they need to think about it….
if they need their uniform clean….they had better make sure it's clean.
LIFE SKILLS baby.
they also benefit because we don't have to have family folding nights.
if you wash your own clothes then you only have to fold your own clothes!
 
one of you blog readers were the one who said that you do this and i would love it.
well YOU WERE RIGHT! 

i help annie by putting it in the dryer for her because she is too short.
but otherwise even annie brings it downstairs, washes, folds and puts it away on her own.

 

……………………………………………

annie came into my dark bedroom to my bed and woke me up to ask if she could have oatmeal.
i sleepily said yes.
"mom….i can't remember how to make it."
i said "yes you do….2 of the 1/3 measuring cups of water and microwave for one-five-zero."

"please can you help me mom?"

"ok….i will be right there"

IMG_2272-1
 i am glad i went.

it's not oatmeal.

HA.

 

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IMG_2284-2

here are our babies this morning….in one day they grew SO much…and have teeny feathers too.
sadly the day that the third was hatching was the last we've seen of it.
there is no third baby any where to be found. 
bummer.

i found this sweet short video on youtube of a robin hatching.
you can pretend it's our robin because it looks the same.
it was interesting to see the mama take the shell after they hatch….where?  where does it go? 
i am going to find out these facts.
and we are going to craft about it for sure!

 

 

happy friday!

add a comment

elisa - You have been on pinterest- I marked that shark watermelon too. Love it!

Jennifer Rubeck - I love this shark watermelon!!! My son is a huuuuge sea life/shark fan. He is going to love this. Thanks for posting it.

ashley jensen - First I have to tell you my husband took me to Target to buy a new purse and I picked up this cute yellow bag. When we got home with it I thought it looked familiar and sure enough it is the same one you got from The Pleated Poppy (only without the cute flowers)! Second, my inlaws have a birds nest that had 7 eggs (3 blue and 4 brown) and now there are just 3 babies. No sign of the brown eggs or birds. It makes me wonder if there were 2 different birds going to the same nest.

Jessica Jackson - Are you on Pinterest? I would love to follow you if you are. 🙂 I’ve seen that rainbow braid on there is why I ask. And oh lordy, when my babies are old enough for laundry it.is.on!

Karen Lehmann - YOU MAKE MY DAYS HAPPY 🙂 that is all. oh..except…. Can a person who is not crafty but wants to learn to be crafty come to the craft weekend? just checking. {insert giggle}

mandi@herbanhomestead - Wow! that video is awesome! The mama taking the egg shells- that explains why I sometimes find robin’s eggs in random places, with no trees about! I think they must just dump them wherever to keep the nest clean.
Oh- and french toast kabobs! Genius! That is going on my birthday breakfast list for my little buddy!

Christie-Childhood 101 - That shark is awesome! My three year old loves watermelon and would love a shark like that 🙂

Erica - So, I clicked on the picture of the french toast, then clicked on the picture again, then clicked on the link in that post, then read the original author’s post, but she never says exactly how she made those french toast kabobs. I assume she just made regular french toast and then cut it up and stuck it on. They must have been cold by the time she served them. The bridal shower she made them for looked awesome, though!
I love seeing what people link to in their blogs. The bloggy world is getting so big; there are so many fun things I would never see otherwise. Thanks for sharing, Meg!

Rachel Newswanger - The laundry room–awesome! The rainbow hair–eww. Tell me how a mother robin can just bop around the nest & poke & prod & her baby thrives, but whenever bb birds were discovered in my childhood we could never keep’em alive, even the best of efforts. Must be God.

Molly - In case you wanted to see more of the rainbow hair, here is her photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wisely-chosen/

x♥x♥, gina - LOVE the laundry idea – the best part would be the no mountains of laundry to fold!!! And I bet it would cut down on number of outfit changes per day – I have four girls -the number is RIDICULOUSLY high!!!

lindsey - Hello Meg,
I just wanted to let you know how much your blog means to my wife, Lindsey. Our entire family, including 4 foster children we love as our own, has been through a lot in this past year. Nobody has bore more of the burden than my wife. She is the glue that holds our entire immediate and extended family together, a true example of a “salt of the earth” woman who exudes love to everyone. We lost a very beloved brother in law to a long, tough battle with cancer. He was 22 and only married to my sister in law for 6 months. My wife is/was the main person taking care of her sister in this very tragic situation. Her sisters situation continues to be a struggle. We then found out our babies (then our 5th foster child) mother was murdered, and after caring for him for nearly a year he went back to an uneasy situation, to put it best. We continue to struggle with that reality. Lindsey’s very beloved grandmother also died amidst this mess. All of this while opening a new business. But God is Love, and God is good, and he continues to be with our family. You just never know how big of an impact your blog, or any other act of random kindness, can have. You have been a friend without knowing it, thank you for that. I have a story for you, from page 262 of The Hole in The Gospel, by Richard Stearns. But it won’t fit here, so i am not going to type it. But it is about the conversion of Billy Graham. Please read it sometime.
Thanks for Everything and May God bless you and yours,
Dan

Danielle - I love the french toast kabobs! We did those for my husband on Father’s Day a few years ago and were a big hit:) I saw a lady at the grocery store today that had rainbow hair and it looked totally cute! I think you should still do the pink:)

Stephanie - We did that exact shark watermelon about 2 years ago, I saw it in the newspaper and my husband said he could do it. We made it for a party and had to transport it (that was kinda hard). It sat on my lap the whole drive to the friends house!! Hit of the party though!!

Natasha - Thought you might like to make these for your robin-inspired crafty thing… your nest photos reminded me of them. http://oakhillsacademy.wordpress.com/2011/04/08/im-nesting/

Michele - That laundry room could be my happy place, for real. The watermelon shark is rad. I don’t think I’ve used the word rad in 10 yrs. I may just need to bring it back to my vocab. If Annie accidentally ate the onion soup instead of oatmeal she may have never ever wanted oatmeal again. That experience just might ruin a person. Glad you stopped that from happening. Have a great weekend, Meg!

Karmen - In response to Quinn’s post… It is amazing to see (although it’s poop)… they position their little bottoms toward the outside of the nest! Then when mom (or dad) comes to feed – they clean the nest too!! These birds are fantastic!

Quinn - I found your answer… unless someone else already posted it hhahahah.
“The female robin could not have moved the chicks to a different location. However,
adult robins will try to detour predators from their nest site if they can by using
a fake injury behavior as if the females wing was broken, or make a lot of noise
and lead the animal away from the nest. Females will even remove the egg shells
after hatching to a far away location and collect the fecal pouches the young
deposit and drop them far from the nest site. Both of these behaviors are to
avoid detection of the nest site. Yes, the young birds deposit their waste in
little pouches! ”
(via. http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/zoo00/zoo00904.htm)

Amy Petz - I can only go from personal experience with our pet chickens, but I think the mama ate the shell. Our chickens do it all the time, but maybe robins are more sophisticated than that.

Mrs. - I know it’s weird but we have a collection of robin’s eggs in my family. When we are out for a walk or anything, if we see them, we pick them up. I will e-mail you a photo.

Karmen - The mother (and father) clean the nest! Crazy! Not only do they take away the eggs once they’ve hatched… they clean the poo too! I included our story in the link with my name, we just saw our first 2 babies leave the nest successfully!

Cassie - I totally saw that rainbow hair on Pinterest a few days ago and thought of you! 🙂
Cassie
lifethroughthislens.blogspot.com

Jenna - Hello Meg!
I am new to your blog, and I’m lovin’ the oatmeal story! Can’t wait to read more 🙂
Jenna
momofmanyhats.blogspot.com

becky@oursweetpeas - “did I ever tell you you’re my hero”
kids doing laundry LOVE LOVE LOVE it
mine are 10 months, 4 years and 4 years but they help me as much as I can stand (not the 10 month old) 🙂
seriously meg, that is “wind beneath my wings” stuff, sister!!!!
amen!

Dawn - I love the food. So creative and fun. Also I have loved looking at all the bird photos. Thanks for those.

katie - just watched that video (and saw annie doing her OWN laundry) with my 5 year old. we were both very impressed by both. i was explaining to her what “instinct” means…like how the mommy bird knows to take the shell out of the nest. too bad it doesn’t mean that kids automatically know how to do/want to do laundry.

erica - omgoodness! i am so trying to make that shark for the last day of school party!
thankyou:)
you’re the bomb for the laundry!
laughing about the oatmeal:)

Holly - My kids are starting their own laundry also. Its good.
That first picture with the fruit and yogurt….yummo!

Su@The Intentional Home - an older mom of 6 told me the secret of each kid keeping their laundry basket in their own room. .and then each doing their own clothes. . .it has transformed my life!!! We used to all just throw our clothes down this laundry shoot and a mountain would grow in the basement. . not anymore. I sometimes will do a load for a kid as a special way to love up on them. . .but even that is way easier cause you do not have to sort and try to figure out whose socks are whose. . .I love this laundry system!!! And yes, our kids will leave the house knowing how to do laundry!! Thanks for your regular posts. . I stop in almost daily. . .love the inspiration and happiness.

julia - So, when are you going to do your hair like that?? It would probably make a hair dresser cry.
What do you think happened to the third baby? Sad and strange.

Valerie @ Chateau A La Mode - I don’t think it was me that gave you the idea of having your kids do their own laundry, but mine do too. I used to feel guilty, like I’m a bad mom for making them do their own, but it really is a great thing. Not only do I not have the burden of making sure it gets all done and keeping track of what they need when they need it, i.e. baseball uniforms, etc., it does give them life skills and responsibility. I think we are actually good moms for having them learn to do their own. Yay for you Meg, good mom award! P.S. that is a really fun watermelon monster…might have to try that one!

Terrie - P.S. – Thanks for stopping by! Sorry it made you cry…if it’s any consolation…I cry every time I read it too, and I wrote the darn thing! LOL!! I’ll say it again…you are easy to be kind to! I LOVE your blog…I can’t tell you how many days you have perked me up with your pictures and words. I went back and got ‘caught up’ so to speak. It’s a little sad, your blog was my before bed read. My husband is probably glad though…’cause now I don’t wake him up with my laughing out loud!! Seriously…thanks for your kind words! hugs!

sara @ it's good to be queen - wow, i’m impressed with how independent your kids are. i’m thinking i need to give my kids some more responsibility. thanks!

Tam - HI Meg, I believe Kate S. (above) is right about the egg shells. We have a robin family nesting on my truck tire and I found the egg shells in my melon patch about 50 feet away from the nest.
I love the colored hair, for the last three months I’ve had some of my hair dyed (teal and now purple, next hot pink) it’s fun and unexpected! I love it.
You are an awesome, inspring Mama-I’m going to teach my boys laundry this weekend!
The food looks delicious, thanks for sharing! 🙂
Have a great weekend.

alamama - Meg, I know I don’t comment here much but I read your blog ALL of the time. Anyway, the kids and I just made silhouettes, inspired by you. Here’s the blog post: http://pressedpetals.blogspot.com/2011/05/profile-of-inspiration.html
Have a great day!

Jenny B. - The laundry. Wow. I am in awe. I have hope for the future! Too funny about the “oatmeal.” I didn’t even notice the words on the package until you said it wasn’t oatmeal. 🙂 Oh, and I’m pinning that laundry room!

Karen - Oh how funny (the onion packet)! And just today I was thinking (while dealing with mounds of laundry), this is silly – one person taking care of 5 people’s laundry. Not silly… INSANE! So I will be training my troops this weekend!!! Yay for me!!! I think I will be making the French toast kabobs this weekend too! Thanks for sharing! Have a happy weekend!

Heather R. - Love the rainbow hair. I let our girls get a couple of strands of colored hair put in for the summer only. They think they are cool. I’m glad you went and checked out the oatmeal situation. LOL. AND I’m so all over the do your own laundry. Great idea. Are you doin’ your summer list this year? Love the shark head, and birdies, too. 🙂

Mandy - Oh how I wish we werent STILL having those family laundry folding nights! I also have five kids, so I know the amount of clothes we’re talking about here. Ahhh, maybe this summer they can begin to learn this task, only two weeks of school left, hooray!

Esther Dee - what a great Friday post!!!! little bits of everything from food to decor to baby birds!!! Happy Friday Meg <3

happygirl - Love the post. Awesome mom teaching of life skills. Laundry on their own. Perfection. And now, all I can think of is mango.

elisa - Great post…..you sure saw a lot of stuff this week.
Love the video, can’t wait for the kids to get out of school so I can show them.

Kate S. - We have a bird garden and the birds greatly appreciate it. Every year robins nest in the Silver Maple there, above a large stone birdbath. And, every year, I find the cracked robin’s eggs in the birdbath . . . a sweet little sign the chicks have hatched: ) Supposedly, the robins are supposed to carry the eggshells and fecal matter far away from the nest to help deter predators from finding their hatchlings, but ours seem to figure the birdbath below is far enough.

Jodi @ The Un-Soccermom Blog - Okay… that video freaks me out a bit.
And now… I MUST paint my laundry room walls yellow.
Hurray for your kids doing their own laundry!!! It’s high time I teach Christen, she’s a senior in HS and will be moving out next summer to attend college. She needs to learn. :o)

Jemm - That hair is amazing! I would love to have the kabob recipe too. Yum! And I think I’m going to make granola and buy some clementines and mangoes to have on my yogurt!! 🙂 Fun random post.

Leah - That’s great about the laundry! My daughter is only 3, but I’ve started getting her involved by having her bring her laundry down and she puts it in the washer. We make it a fun thing to do. Hopefully she’ll still think it’s fun when she gets older!

Sarah @ Handbags*N*Pigtails - What a great post- F.T.Kebabs(gotta try em!), rainbow hair(I flippin LOVE it but would never do it), that laundry room(I have it pinned in Pinterest myself…total LR envy here), the shark watermelon(so fun, esp for a pool party!), Annie doing her own laundry(go Mama Meg!), the birdies( I almost cried when you said the 3rd one is nowhere to be found…sniff sniff) and the onion soup mix/oatmeal story…awesome.
Have a wonderful weekend!
xo,
Sarah

shelly - Ok…if little Annie can do it, my boys sure the heck can…but what happens when they wash a crayon…or toilet paper (don’t ask…I don’t even want to know)
Love the shark watermelon!! Just need an excuse to make one 🙂

sarah - i used to wake my mom up to ask what the weather was going to be like. i know one day my payback will come… hopefully it has a funny ending like your “oatmeal” story

Cindy - The “oatmeal” CRACKED ME UP!!!

Lelia - So, I was hungry when I first started reading this post …. then I watched the hatching video – yikes!!! That was kind of … weird – for lack of a better word! I don’t like birds much though, but I am intrigued – where does the mama take the egg shells??? Happy weekend!

kerry - These pics have all made me smile 😉
Meg you have added happiness to my day ! Thank you so o o much. Happy Friday to you too x

Sarah Wolfe - Wow. Love that shark head too. Maybe for a beach party??!!
Love the laundry idea for my boys as they get older.

Terrie - My nephews are with me this weekend and I was leaning towards chocolate chip pancakes….but man those french toast kabobs look awesome! And what’s up with baby #3? Seriously gone?? Strange and sad…

Christine - When I read there was no third baby, I really was sad. I’m curious too where she takes the shells?
And the watermelon shark is too cool. 🙂

Oberheu.wordpress.com - Ok! I think I’m gonna try it…the laundry thing, not the rainbow hair:). I don’t think I’m a rainbow hair kind of girl.
I have three teenage boys and LOTS of laundry! The oldest does his own sometimes because he hates his clothes being lost in the abyss that is our laundry piles. Once clothes go in they can be lost for weeks! It is the biggest source of my frustration in our home. I think one of my boys may go everywhere in the same outfit…for a while. Or, maybe it will be me with no clothes to wear?! That would awful. And would probably make my guys laugh:).
Thanks for the motivation!

Jen - Hi Meg!
I wondered if you could tell me where you found the “french toast kebob” recipie….my daughter is
graduating from high school next week and we are having some family stay with us. This would be
perfect for breakfast.
Thanks,
Jen

Carla G - Thank you for the new birdie picture. And for finding the video! Very thoughtful, Mrs. D.! School children everywhere will appreciate it! 🙂

amy b. - ok,so now I’m craving french toast…and rainbow hair! And we are outta bread!Dang it!

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