6...9...6...Jump!!!

Commotion from the family room... "696 Jump!" Boom! "696 Jump!" Boom! I think to myself for an instant, "Is my toddler counting?" "696 Jump!" Sure enough, he is trying. Finn is quite a talker. He can say multiple sentences and pretty much any word you ask him to say. I think it is very clever that he understands the concept of counting before you JUMP! I managed to click a couple pics and was eventually joined by Gabe. He never wants to miss out on the action. Finn turns 2 in July. Time flies when you are having fun!

Better quick than never.

My parents came for a quick visit. They were only here 3 1/2 days, but it is always bliss when they are here. We LOVE family visits! My dad glued two of my needy chairs and they even helped me in the garden. I just adore and love my parents and are so grateful for them and my family. We are blessed!!

I really want to....

learn how to paddle board. It looks fun.

Oh yea, and I also want to become a bikram yoga devotee, learn to play tennis and run a half marathon!! Exciting huh?!?

A Gabe-ism

Summer has barely started and I am loaded with funny tid bits. Gabe was milling around the kitchen today and asked me this... (yes, another family conversation post! Memories are memories!!) I like to capture what I can. (o;

Gabe: Mom, it the tooth fairy real?

Me: Yes.

Gabe: Are you sure? I just don't get that. If the tooth fairy were real, there would be magic everywhere.

Me: Nothing. I mean, I said NOTHING. He has a point.

Crap.

Chill-axing

A stab of reality

This was our last busy Saturday for a while. I am sooooo glad. Coleman had a late afternoon birthday party to attend. I arranged a carpool with another friend because I was not going to be home at the end of the party time. As we were going to pick up Carter, we had a conversation that went a little like this. (Coleman will kill me for posting this, but one day he will LOVE me so...... I will anyways!) (O;

Me: Coleman, I need to put on a movie because I don't want Finn to fall asleep. (He was on a sleep strike and did not take a nap. I want him to go to bed on time so I can prepare for FATHERS DAY!!!)

Coleman: Nooooo! What will Carter say if we pick him up and I am watching cartoons? (It was Daffy Duck or something like that. It is a bunch of Looney Tunes)

Me: (realizing that Coleman really is growing up and actually caring about what his peers think... this is a first!!) Coleman, I will tell him that the cartoons are for Gabe and that you are forced to have them on. Okay? (feeling a little sad).

Coleman: Okay Mom. Thanks. (He is relieved.)

Carter gets in the car, Coleman apologizes for the cartoons. I say my thing and Carter says, "It's okay with me. I am cool with cartoons." Hooray!! All is well. Finn stayed awake and the boys watched Looney Tunes all the way to the party.

Lately I have noticed many small (but very big to me) examples of Coleman growing up and pulling away. He is becoming more and more independent and mature. He still comes in for a cuddle or two a day and I hope this never changes. I am excited for him to start middle school. I think this will be a better place for him and allow him to grow and flourish. He is an amazing kid with lots to offer. Coleman is going to be a good one to watch grow up.

Life is definitely changing and I am really okay.

Happy Fathers Day to the best!
We love you so!

We heart Mark and Sabrina!!

Eric and I ventured away to see our favorite Mark Jaster and Sabrina Mandell of Happenstance Theater in Prufbox. As usual it was imaginative and a visual feast. Simple yet wonderful. They are so creative and fun. It was a nice date, but we regret not taking the boys. They adore them as well. We promised them we would go to the Renaissance Festival this year to watch their performances. They are also in a film/theater festival in July performing a film-noir piece to which we are very excited. Eric is a huge film-noir fan and I just love Mark and Sabrina. Yea!!!

The class of 2010

The end of school are always filled with fun activities. This school year was particularly filled with fun and memorable events. Coleman is done with elementary school and will enter the wonderful and confusing world of middle school. Tate is my big 4th grader and Gabriel is a big boy in 1st grade. The promotion ceremonies were very sweet and I felt a myriad of emotions. I just love my boys. They make me so happy.

Coleman, my darling 5th grade graduate

Peeking over the crowd to find us... Cute!!

A pomp and circumstance smile of approval! I love Coleman!!

Getting his certificate (he dashed off the stage, darn it!!)

Coleman with my parents, Grandpa John and Grandma Karen. Sooo glad they were here!

Coleman loves his dad!!

Coleman and Jack

Gabe coming in to his promotion ceremony.

My sweet pea!

Mrs. McKenna and Gabe (She is very patient and sweet!!)

Tate went to both promotion ceremonies. He is a sweetie!!

5th grade picnic. Fun day!!

Got to love sack races

3rd grade class party

Tate and his best friend Harout at the recorder concert. He got his black belt and I didn't even know it!! Good for Tate!!

It was a great year for the boys. We like school, but we LOVE the summer! On to the next thing...

LET THE FUN BEGIN!!!!

I am a CSAer!!!

So, on Friday Finn and I spontaneously went strawberry picking at the incredible Holmstead Farm. It is the end of the season so it was more like a treasure hunt, but we managed to fill an entire bucket and eat ourselves sick in the process. Finn could not believe his eyes or tummy. I think he personally emptied my bucket a couple times before I could even make a dent. There is something to be said about eating fresh fruit in the bounteous fields of America. It makes my heart happy. On the way home I passed a beautiful farm which to my surprise had a U-pick, veggies, berries and eggs sign up. A working farm so close to my house I can practically skip there. I love Holmstead Farm, but would love a farm that I can indulge myself more frequently and that has a bigger and better variety of veggies. I looked them up and found that they (Rocklands Farm) has a CSA program. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Here is a good description:

CSA allows residents to have direct access to high quality, fresh produce grown locally by regional farmers. When you become a member of a CSA, you’re purchasing a “share” of vegetables from a regional farmer. Weekly or bi-weekly, from June until October or November, your farmer will deliver that share of produce to a convenient drop-off location in your neighborhood. Many CSAs also offer the option of other produce from local farms. For a few extra dollars a week, in addition to your vegetables, you can add fruit, eggs, meat, and even flowers to your order.

Now we are talking!!!! I emailed them and was told that their 100 spots are filled and they are not looking to add more or have a wait list until.... next year. Sad. I must have charmed farmer Shawn because later that night he emailed me and told me that I could be a weekly CSA participant which works better for my family anyways....... I AM SO HAPPY. We (our family and several others) have a little garden and I will take pics and post that once it looks a little better. It has been sadly neglected for the past couple of years and we really are hoping to get things going and have a productive, healthy, cute garden. We planted late this year, very very late and I think our produce will suffer because of it. Next year will definitely be better and I won't have a toddler nipping at my heals. Life will be easier, right?!?!? I think we will get some yummy tomatoes and we have an herb garden that needs a little work, but has some great stuff growing in it. It will definitely produce something this summer and fall, but my CSA slot allows me good stuff every week without the wait. Oh joy!!!

Anyway, I ran over there today (Saturday) and picked up my first "box". I am so excited and am going to make Baked Kale Chips once the kiddies are asleep. It is funny how some things just fall into place once you are ready. I am making some Thyme vinegar from our garden and will pair it with my cucumbers I got today. I feel skinnier just typing this. Ha ha!!! I took everything out from my box and put it in my cutsie basket. You can't actually tell by the pic, but my basket is filled to the brim. I have three kinds of lettuce, summer squash, a variety of herbs, kale, collard greens, rhubarb (I am making rhubarb banana muffins), and a couple other things which I have no idea are and need to google greens to find out what I have and how to cook them. Next time I will quiz farmer Shawn before driving back down the road to mi casa. Did I mention all for the price of $20.00.

Hopefully this will work for the Martinis family. I want exercise and veggies to be my new best friends (I have given up girls.... they are icky! Kidding!!). I want to be back in the "know-it-all" seat for my family and up our health standards. I made my order with Polyface and am on cloud 9 about my whole day. Next on my gigantic list.... a freezer for the garage. (Eric!!)

If you are curious, here is Rocklands Farm and Holmstead Farm's websites. I have also included a CSA site which you can customize for your area. Love it!!

http://www.homestead-farm.net/

http://www.rocklandsfarmmd.com/Home.html

http://www.localharvest.org

My new farmer friends, Greg, Shawn and Nick.

Pinch pinch!

Look for more fun posts on our journey to better health..... It's going to be fun and I plan to share a thing or two!!

Me me me me me me me...

(check out that eggplant....)

I will quote from my "100 things about me" and say "I am a know-it-all (this can swing both ways)". For those who know me well, you know that I like to know and sometimes even excessively research whatever my heart and mind is set on. I have a wealth of knowledge on many things and enjoy sharing it on occasion. I have, however, decided that people rarely listen to what you have to tell them and need to learn lessons on their own turf, time and through consequences whether good or bad. We have free agency and some people, even people that I love will one day be bit in the butt by their free agency choices. Sad but true. I have experienced this as well and will probably continue to learn lessons the hard way, but I am set with many important issues and for that I am glad. I attribute this to prayer and my habit of research and study.

I want to live a long and healthy life. My recovery robbed my entire body of muscle and replaced it with fat. Being that I have reached the magical age of 40, it is much harder to rid myself of all that fat and build muscle. I will say that I am trying and feel very good. I just wish I looked as good as I feel, but that will come in time. Patience is a virtue and one day I will reach that goal. Not only am I exercising A LOT, but I am trying something that I really love and that is changing the way I look at food and eat. A good friend of mine told me about "clean eating". (something this "know-it-all DIDN'T know about....I love that!!) She has always been very lean and fit but lately she radiates health and I asked her why. She told me about "clean eating" and set me up with a website, book etc. I have been doing the 80/20 version of this and feel WONDERFUL!!! Basically it is giving up processed foods and incorporating all types of healthy substitutions. I am a healthy eater. I eat organic. I eat local. I have never indulged in trans fat yadda yadda. I would have considered myself a good, healthy eater. Wrong... mostly!! I am a healthy eater, BUT I could be better and am currently improving this and am LOVING it sooooo much!!!

So..... if you are interested, there are some good websites and a couple of books that you can also use as a reference. I still want chocolate and Wheat thins, but I am losing my desire for all the other crap I was tempted by. My taste buds are changing and I believe my insides are changing too. This is going to be a life change for me and I hope to bring my family on board by the end of summer. I need to figure it out first and then... WATCH OUT!!! I am happy and excited. This came at a perfect time, summertime when all the earth is covered with yummy fruits and veggies! The possibilities are endless!! Stay tuned for more, because there will be lots. If you don't want to listen, don't. I really don't care!! (O;

http://www.cleaneatingonline.com

http://www.eatcleandiet.com

http://www.thecleaneatingmama.com

http://eatingcleanworks.com/what-is-eating-clean.html (this site has the books etc..)

Every human being is the author of his (or HER) own health and disease.
~Buddah

Sometimes it is just all about ME!!! Life is good!!

Summer summer summertime....

3 1/2 more days of school!

Hallelujah!!

Music to my ears

Coleman and Tate had their recital on Saturday. They played very well. We were also in the same recital time as Nicholas, Natalie, Mitchell, Jamie, Jack and Match. It is such a wonderful experience to be able to see them play as well. We love and adore them and are so happy to see them grow up, develop their talents and be positive influences on our boys. I am very happy that the boys play piano. Their teacher, Jeanne Wernly is amazing and knows how to patiently challenge the boys while still making it all fun. It has added so much joy into our home.

"If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in terms of music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music. I get the most joy out of music."
~Albert Einstein

A pantry problem

Caught... but NOT in trouble!!

The top step is 32 inches so this in not a short ladder.

My happy, brave, climber/problem solver!!

I am short. I realize this is not new nor interesting news, but there is a reason for the season.... My parents bought me a step ladder for my pantry and kitchen help. Being short, I was always having to hop up on counters or move around chairs to get things in a short person's no man's land (that would be anything above 5 feet tall). My parents could see the danger in this reckless behavior (hee hee) and got practical on me. I love them for it and frankly I LOVE my ladder. It is so darn helpful. What was I thinking all these years of not having one?

One cute problem.... Finn. Finn has turned into a grazer and a snacker. I cannot stand this. I am not a fan of grazing and will go to great lengths to eliminate it. While I was recovering, it was anything goes... but now, I must take control.

We have a well stocked pantry. It is pretty organized and has lots o' good stuff. I make the kids' lunches so I have to have snackie food on hand. Finn is VERY independent. He goes in there, gets something, opens it up and eats it.... A HUNDRED TIMES A DAY. He is a good eater, but the excessive snacking is getting in the way of real healthy eating and it is driving me crazy. On Saturday, I began the process of moving things up to a higher level. He is not a climber so I don't need to worry about shelf scaling... Most of the yummy and tempting stuff is up high, almost to high for the short mom (I need a little less tempting too!! Ick!!).

So, problem solved. Wrong. Finn goes in the panty, shuts the door and I can hear moving. I do not fold up my ladder. I just wouldn't use it if I had to constantly fold and unfold it. Call me lazy and I will agree. I peek in there and here is what I find. He certainly solved his problem. Oh boy....

Eric and I constantly talk about how smart Finn is. I think we have another Coleman on our hands and I am happy with that. Finn has an amazing vocabulary for a 22 month old, can say anything you want him to, fixes things, spends a lot of time looking at books by himself, loves to draw.... needless to say he is a well rounded, intelligent toddler. I should have known the height trick would be a no brainer for him.

I am not sure how to proceed other than folding up the darn ladder. It is a three day weekend and I am probably going to give it a whirl. I am sure he will find another way to reach the cookies and goldfish. And that is another day, another post!! It is always nice to have something fun to talk about and I definitely do like to talk about my kiddies!! Until then....

My tree climber

Tate is such a good tree climber. Sometimes he climbs higher than my comfort level, but I think this makes him happy. So I am happy too!! 9 years and no broken bones (knock on wood!! hee hee!!)

Busted

Here is a life lesson... just for me!!

Gabe: Is sh#t a bad word? (he actually says the word.)
Me: Yes it is. It is a cuss word.
Gabe: Then why do you say it?
Me: (feeling very guilty) I don't know. I shouldn't say it. It is bad.
Gabe: No, you shouldn't. You are going to have to go to the bishop. (yikes!!)
Me: (feeling REALLY guilty and scared... we have a new bishop!) I know. I know.

Oops! I think my days of truckdriver, naughty, foul mouth are OVER. I am rethinking myself in so many ways. This has to be a priority and a real change. I don't like to be BUSTED by my 6 year old!!

Shoot!!

The Gramps

Yesterday was Memorial Day and Eric wrote a sweet tribute to the Gramps on his FB wall. I really liked it and wouldn't change a thing so here it is.....

The Gramps....two years on the Korean peninsula in the beloved Corps, riding a Sikorsky helicopter fighting for our free world. Spent six months in an iron lung and came back a service disabled American Veteran. Thanks Gramps.... for your service... and teaching me how to be a real American!!