Whoops! You're out of space!

Ack! So, I'm uploading photos for another post tonight (yes, twice in one week, can you believe it? I'm getting my groove back!) -- when I'm suddenly informed by Google that I cannot upload even one more picture; my photo storage is full.

Shoot. Or, don't bother, since I can't upload the pics anyway.

Actually, I'm kind of surprised my free storage has lasted this long, considering I've been blogging for nearly seven years! A gigabyte goes a long way, baby.

I debated whether or not to buy more storage... for about 10 seconds. But now I have to wait for my transaction to be processed. So, you'll have to wait another day to see pictures of our field trip to the bowling alley. I know, you can hardly stand it.

In the meantime, I've been thinking about making The Big Move. Maybe this is the right time. I've gotten a little too comfortable here, despite being irritated by it nearly every time I post. I feel like I did in 2002 when I still didn't have a cell phone.

What do you think? Have you thought about moving, or have you been at Wordpress or Typepad forever already? Do you like where you are? Any advice for this blogging dinosaur? And if you love Blogger, will you follow me if I move?!

Sun, sand and old friends

We spent a lovely three days in Laguna last week, visiting friends who moved away from our hometown a year ago. Isn't it funny how you can pick up right where you left off with good friends even after a long time apart?

They took us to the beach, where the big boys got to try boogie-boarding for the first time. It was a gorgeous day, just warm enough to dry off those getting soaked in the sea.

Eldest and Middlest were so happy to finally be in the water, since our last beach trip was too cold for real water play. Littlest was happy to stay on the beach blanket eating popcorn and avoiding the feeling of sand between his toes. I have to admit, he gets that from me.

When we were finished with the sand, the sun and the crowds of the beach, we headed to Fashion Island.

If you know Southern California, you probably know of Fashion Island. It's your quintessential SoCal open-air luxury mall. We went for the carousel rides, the gorgeous koi pond, and the gelato, rather than the shopping. I just wish I hadn't forgotten my camera in the car!

We also spent a fair amount of time at the pool in their complex, and just enjoying hanging out together again.

Now we're back at home, drowning in laundry once again, and getting ready for one last weekend trip and the back-to-school season at the same time. Scott heads back to work on Monday, and we haven't quite completed our summer to-do list.

I'm avoiding the mess around me by browsing homeschooling blogs, making lists and plans for fall, and trying to catch up on my vitamins, which I, unfortunately, neglected to take with me on the last two trips. Yikes.

I've got several posts in the works, and I'll try to pop in here and finish them, but I can't make any promises. I completely forgot about World Breastfeeding Week. Duh. Anyone need any breastfeeding books?

My Five Year Blogiversary!

So funny, I thought it had been only three years since I last painted that bedroom. But looking back at my first few posts, I realize how much has changed -- and how much has stayed the same! -- in the last five years.

I am still a hypoglycemic parent all too often. And my eldest child is still a sensitive, persistent soul with a lot of strong feelings, and a unique love for all of God's creatures.

I began this blog five years ago today, just a few months after Scott's dad passed away. Just a month before a good friend of mine filed for divorce and moved in with us with her two-year-old. Now, we're just a few months past the loss of Scott's paternal grandmother. And, sadly, another close friend's marriage is ending. So much of life is circular, isn't it? With its many endings...

And beginnings! How many baby showers have I been a part of in the last five years? Countless! So many sweet babies born and already walking, talking, playing at the park with us. And two more new little lives are expected to join our circle of friends very soon!

Speaking of birthdays, I have several friends and family members celebrating this week -- funny how the ones we love so often have certain things in common. Happy birthday to Melinda, Harvest, Jamie, Claudia, Carla, Patti, Penny, and Emily!

And happy 5th blogiversary to yours truly.

Life is good. God is good. All the time.

Something to celebrate!

Wow, I just noticed that my last post was my 400th!! Now, that's a milestone!

Though it doesn't explain where I disappeared to for the last two weeks... Sorry about that. We've been having too much fun around here, I guess!

Anyhow, how about to celebrate I actually POST this week? Say, like, every day? Otherwise, I could just write one really long, random post about everything we've been doing.

Nah.

COMING SOON! to A Homegrown Life... The 7-Hour Fast -- just ask your dentist! Fun Fall Field trips. Before and after: Living room makeover photos! Anglican Life: Incense or Horse manure? PLUS! How to kill your sweet pea seedlings in 12 hours flat. And... Homemade playdough: How much is too much for your toddler's tummy?

A good meme

I've been tagged by Emily!

1. My joys
-Curling up on the couch to cuddle with my kids and/or hubby.
-Watching my chickens be silly and my garden growing.
-Moments when God reminds me how blessed and loved I am.

2. My fears
-Losing someone I love.
-That too many people won't be prepared as our economy, climate and lifestyles change.
-That my sisters might not find their way back to Christ.

3. My goals
-To raise happy, healthy, kind and generous sons who love the Lord.
-For my marriage to get stronger and better every year.
-To be fully Present, cherishing each moment and appreciating each day as a gift.

4. My current obsessions/collections
-Learning skills that will make my family less dependent on the system, and more able to give to others who are.
-My garden and chickens.
-Photos on my harddrive, stacks of laundry on my couch!

5. Random surprising facts about me
-I got dressed for my wedding in the bathroom of a grocery store.
-I'm 6' tall and wear size 11 shoe. (Only surprising if you haven't met me.)
-I laughed out loud during much of my labor with my third baby.

Now I'm going to tag... Bobbi, Marlene (but only if you want to!), Mary, Cassandra, and whoever else actually wants to do it.

Yes, you're at the right blog.

As cute as my old design was, it was almost 3 years old, and just not working for me anymore. I'm still awaiting a new design from the designer who did my first one, but until then, I'll be tinkering with this basic look. I kind of like the simplicity, honestly.

It's hot here.

The problem with not posting frequently is that I never know where to begin when I finally get a chance to catch up.

I'm thinking I should just commit to blogging every day for the next month, even if it's just something dumb, or only a single sentence. Since I do this mainly because I won't remember anything about my life if I don't, at least that'll be something. I know I'm not holding readers' attention at this point. I'm too inconsistent and my funny side seems to have disappeared along with most of the boys' underwear, Puffer's kung fu pants, and my ability to learn new computer software.

I don't remember what we were doing two weeks ago. Did I tell you we put up a tire swing for the boys? Oh, yes, I think I did. They've been playing on that, and jumping on the new trampoline that came a day too late for the birthday party. Haven't managed to take down the old one yet, so the chickens use it for afternoon shade while they're searching the yard for bugs.

Oh, and we got the (stomach) flu again. Baby first, then me, then the big boys. Puffer is the last one holding on a bit, but hopefully it'll be totally out of his system by the weekend. Man, it was a messy one. Knocked me out for three days. We spent a lovely Mother's Day trying to catch up on dishes and pick up all the toys I hadn't been able to bend over and pick up. And UberDad replaced our very leaky kitchen faucet, so that was my present. Oddly enough, I didn't mind. It's much prettier than the old one. I even cleaned the sink. (*sigh* I remember when I used to do that every day, ala FlyLady.)

Basically we spent the last week of really nice spring weather inside retching and stinking up the house. Isn't that lovely? And now that we're feeling better, and the garden needs weeding, and the fruit trees need thinning and pruning -- it's a friggin' 97 degrees outside. Fortunately I had plenty of laundry to do today while I waited for some late afternoon shade.

A lot of the bloggers I've been reading lately are just getting started on their planting, it's barely spring and the snow is finally melting. Here in central CA, summer has ARRIVED. My tomato plants are in bloom, my cilantro is doing FABULOUSLY, and even the pumpkin plants are blooming, which I'm not sure is good this early, but we'll see. The schoolkids have another two weeks of confinement, of course, but we've got the kiddie pool filled and are readjusting our daily routine around the heat.

My goal now is to drag myself out of bed before 7 a.m., so I can actually get some stuff done before I wilt. Despite growing up in this weather, I've never fully adjusted to it. Most summer vacations I spent lying on the sofa reading novels. I was not exactly an outdoorsy kid. Which is why some people who've known me a little too long sometimes look at me funny when I start talking about raising chickens, digging vegetable beds and pruning fruit trees. And then there's my plan to start canning...

Yes, I know people do this all the time, and I'm not starting some new trend. I know that despite my blog name, I'm not the crunchiest (or even the most "Christian," for that matter) mom around. Honestly, I would start a new blog with a different name, if I could just think of something I'll still like in another month.

Anyhow, I'm rambling, and you probably didn't expect to see a post here at all when you stopped by, so I'll spare you more babbling until tomorrow. (Be sure to leave me a comment to hold me accountable, okay?)

Let the new year begin!

Admittedly, 2007 was not my most stellar year for blogging. For whatever reason, most of the thoughts in my head were either spoken aloud, written in my paper journal, or kept inside for good reason. Between my post-partum depression, my grandmother's passing in May, and the ups and downs of life with three kids at home, blogging mostly fell to the bottom of my priority list.

BUT, 2007 was a fabulous year for making new friends, watching Baby Fish go from sitting to scooting to crawling to walking to talking, going fun places with my boys (Oregon, a couple zoos, the beach, local farm, the mountains, local parks), knitting for myself instead of everybody else (socks, scarf, fingerless gloves) and celebrating 10 years of marriage to my best friend.

I don't know what 2008 holds. I'm not even sure what plans I might dream up. I finally took down the Christmas decorations tonight, and the new year has begun. Uberdad goes back to school tomorrow after two weeks of sleeping in. It's supposed to rain all night again, and it's going to be tough to drag ourselves out of bed on time to kiss him goodbye in the morning. But we're sure going to miss him tomorrow. We'll keep ourselves busy running errands so the house won't feel so empty without Daddy in it.

Pure organizing joy!

Before I do any (very overdue) updating, I have to rave about a little something an online friend of mine created -- no, PERFECTED -- for those of us who need a little organization in our lives to stay sane.

It's called The Plan. And while it is an annual planner, it's NOT just any planner. Julie has thought of everything a homeschooling (or unschooling) mom (or dad) might need. From monthly budgeting pages to a page for makes and model numbers, from kids' milestones to medical visits, you'll find a place for it. If you can find something that's missing, go ahead and let her know, she's taking feedback still. But I think you'll find that she really put a lot of thought and effort into creating a beautifully designed planner that will simplify and inspire your life. She has two versions -- one for homeschooling parents who need extra pages to keep curriculum planning organized, and one for unschooling parents with quotes to inspire us on our learning journeys.

I particularly love the Christmas organizing pages -- so if you're in the middle of your holiday preparations and already feeling overwhelmed, go download The Plan! She's even included the Advent readings to keep us focused on what's most important during this busy season. And it'll make a great Christmas gift, too! It's $16.99 for over 180 pages of pure organizing joy -- and three different colorful covers to choose from. Grab a binder and get printing -- you can print out as many or as few of the pages as you find useful.

Darn iPhoto. Again.

Yes, I know it's horribly unfair of me to nag the boys about not being too loud when the baby's sleeping, and then go throw a tantrum myself about this stupid iPhoto program on our new Mac, but I have to tell you, I am SO FRUSTRATED!!! All I want to do is crop a photo, save it where I can find it, and upload it to Blogger. Doesn't sound too hard, does it? Well, I can't figure out how to save the darn thing. iPhoto lets me crop it, but it doesn't have a "save" option anywhere I can see. (I've looked in File, Edit, all over the iPhoto window, done "apple-S, etc.) And it just puts the photo right back to where it started when I click on "done."

Anyone know how to fix this? I'd call Brad, but it's getting late and I know I'll get too loud on the phone and wake up Baby Fish again. Brad? Are you reading?

I'm getting old. That's the problem. I knew how to use Macs way back in the dark ages when the screens were 6 inches wide and in black and white. I even knew how to use them when the screens became big enough for people over 25 to read, but before you could get them in your favorite color. In fact, other reporters used to come ask me for help when they couldn't figure out how to do something. Don't ask me how I knew.

Now. I want things to do what I want them to do. And I don't want to have to relearn how to do things. I'm getting old, stubborn, and crotchety.

Somebody want to trade me their new PC for a new iMac?

The moment you've all been waiting for...

Honestly, I know I overthink things. And take forever to make decisions. But this was really more about the fact that my 15-month-old suddenly needs my attention every waking moment. (Because when I'm NOT paying attention, he unplugs the computer. And that's bad. Very very bad.) He's rather advanced, you know. He doesn't play with toys anymore. He prefers to experiment with knives pulled out of the dishwasher, and containers made of glass. But I'm getting off topic...



SO. Ahem. (Please excuse me, this cold is dragging on forever.) I am excited to present the following Rockin' Girl Blogger Awards to...

Jen at Mama's Magic -- for her commitment to her children and her creative life, and for her efforts to support other creative mamas through weekly profiles on her blog.

Cathryn at Pondering Parenting (formerly Lollymom) -- because she's a fabulous writer, as neurotic about her parenting as I am, and because she REALLY needs something nice to happen after going through THIS.

Girls, you are ROCKIN'!

My first blogging award ever!

I've been named a Rockin' Girl Blogger! I'm so excited! Thanks, bliss -- I'm honored to share the title with you! You TOTALLY rock!

Thanks to Roberta of Blogging Made Devilishly Simple for creating this award! I'll be stopping by her site as I work on some changes around here. (Nothing like positive feedback to inspire reflection and improvement!)

Now I must decide where to share the love...

Writer, Interrupted

I don't mention it here very often, but my friends know that before I was a mom I was a professional writer for a few years. Not long enough to get good at it, but long enough to be published and to identify myself as a writer. Actually, I identified as a writer long before that.

So, it surprised even me when I dropped that identity quickly after becoming a mother. I did attempt to freelance for a few months after my first son was born. But since he knew from the earliest age that when Mommy gets on the phone it's time to really need her, the freelancing didn't last long. And even though we could have used the money, it didn't seem worth it. I'd wanted to become a mom for a long time, and I didn't want anything to prevent me from focusing on my child.

Eventually I discovered blogging, and that helped fill the void. But while blogging kept me from completely giving up the craft, it also let me be lazy. Every once in a while I'd put some effort into it, but most of the time I just spewed my thoughts into a post as I would a journal, not planning or editing much.

Some part of me believed that because I was planning to homeschool, focusing seriously on my writing wouldn't be possible. The kids would need me just as much as when they were babies.

As it turns out, if I could draw myself away from other scattered interests and just make writing a priority, I could do it. My kids will not suffer. They are happy. I can meet their needs AND write in between. There are inspiring moms doing just that everywhere I look -- online and in publications.

I could make this post ridiculously long attempting to explain why this is important to me, but Amy Hollingsworth has already done it in her article here.

I'm ba-ack.

Well, it seems you just aren't going to let me forget that I have a blog! And, for that, I am grateful. Fortunately, after two months of almost constant World of Warcrafting, the boys are finally interested in doing something OFF the computer. Right now they're currently playing Castella, this cool little castle-building game made out of bamboo that my friend Megan gave them for Christmas.

Okay, so it's not like they've done NOTHING but play computer games. We spent three days at the beach with my parents. We've had friends over. We've gone to the park. We've gone swimming. We've gone to the library. We've read stories. We've played in the backyard. The big boys had their first Vacation Bible School experience, and they liked it. Baby Fish and I missed them, though.

Overall it's been a really wonderful summer. UberDad is off, so we've had lots of plain-ol' family time at home. Getting things done around the house, catching up on Harry Potter before the next movie and book come out in July, hanging out with friends, watching Baby Fish scoot himself around the house on his bum chasing his ball. He turned ONE three weeks ago! I can hardly believe it.

And now... my uninterrupted computer time is over already. Someone wants on Neopets.

The Ultimate Blog Party

The Ultimate Blog Party starts today! Head over to 5 Minutes for Mom to add your blog to the list of party locales! I haven't been getting much traffic lately, and I'm ready for some fresh inspiration. In the meantime, I'll join Laura's blogging meme...

Five Reasons Why I Blog...

1. Because I love to write, and it's always nicer if someone's there to read it.
2. Because I can't seem to remember anything unless it's written down.
3. Because I like sharing my faith and what I'm learning with other people.
4. Because it's fun to meet like-minded moms online.
5. Because it makes feel like a rock star to know strangers are reading about my life.

Now, go join the party! And don't forget to leave me a comment to let me know you were here. :)

Poor neglected blog.

It's been so long since I've posted I'm sure everyone's given up on me. I've almost given up on myself. Why don't I feel like writing? I don't know. Been busy. Been knitting a little. Been doing laundry as usual. The baby goes to sleep before 8 and stays in bed until 7. I have NO EXCUSES!!!! I'm helping my mom out still, but not THAT much.

Oh, yeah, I guess I've been on Diaper Swappers a lot again. Crabcakes, who isn't nearly as crabby as he was the first three months, is already growing out of his medium cloth diapers and into larges. I tried to buy a lot of one-size diapers, and those are still working. I've sold a couple that are too small. Been going to the post office a lot. I used to HATE going to the post office. Now I'm getting used to it. I always forget to bring a pen, and the postal worker always gives the boys lollypops.

There's an opening at Midnight Oil on the Hyena Cart. I'm thinking about joining the WAHM crowd and putting some of my yarns and knits up for sale. You know, the ones I haven't actually made yet.
I DO have ideas! It's just, the yarn is still wet.

Yeah, so I've let my childbirth education certification lapse. Haven't taught a class in 10 months. Haven't written anything for paid publication in five years. Why shouldn't I try something new? If it doesn't work out, it doesn't. It's $20 start-up for the congo and the knitting pattern, and if I don't sell anything, I'll just use it for my own kids!

The boys dyed their own yarn with Kool-Aid today! They picked out all the colors they wanted at the grocery store, and after lunch I set them up on the kitchen floor with some pyrex bowls and a turkey baster. I would load those photos, but I've already been on the computer too long, and UberDad's trying to sleep on the couch. He has a cold and didn't want to keep me awake with his coughing. Hmm.

late nights

So, I've been wanting to blog all week, and I even wrote down some themes, but I just haven't had the time, energy or focus. Excuses, excuses.

The boys didn't get to sleep until 10 tonight (or last night or the night before), so that's when I dragged myself out of bed to finally talk to my husband, who'd been at a school/work function all evening. We need to be up early tomorrow to go to our friends' for a work party, and I should probably have followed him back to bed an hour ago. But sometimes, late at night -- when the house is finally quiet and I've had time to just read e-mail for a while and veg out -- is the best time for new thoughts and ideas to emerge. Thus, the insistence of radical unschoolers that parent-enforced bedtimes for children are anathema to creativity and learning in freedom.

Monday night Scott and I went to hear and meet some unschooling gurus (experienced unschooling moms) speak. The time we spent was interesting, but I wished I could have stayed into the wee hours, when the non-unschoolers were done asking about the basics and we could really discuss the philosophy of living and learning with our children more freely.

The punk rock family on Wife Swap this week was a good example of that. They didn't call themselves unschoolers per se, but they lived in joy and freedom with each other, and the teen-aged children "homeschooled themselves." I don't think I've mentioned my obsession with Wife Swap. I haven't had a favorite TV show in years. And I know some people think Wife Swap is annoying. But I find it fascinating how differently people can live, and how they react when put in a totally new environment. I would love to do it just to see what kind of family they would send me to, but obviously the boys couldn't handle me leaving for that long this young, and I wouldn't want to subject them to the coercion of a stranger at any age.

But just for fun, I've thought about what my opposite would be like. My mom says it would be someone with a nanny and a housekeeper who gets weekly manicures and pedicures. My sister says it would be a family who is isolated from relatives and close friends. Whoever it was would certainly have to adjust to frequent knocks on the door from unplanned visitors!

For example -- and not an unusual one -- within a period of 15 minutes yesterday morning, we opened to the door to my neighbor and her kids, who promptly entered and tripled the volume of noise in the house, then my sister, who I think was looking for food, and then Carla (the only expected visitor of the three), who needed a ride to work. I took my secondborn with me, and left the rest of the kids and my neighbor friend to the chaos.

Maybe I'd get a family where the dad did all the cleaning, or maybe the dad would be a nit-picky perfectionist who only supervised -- since Scott neither cleans nor cares, for the most part.

I'd probably get a family where the parents micro-manage the children, expect obedience without question, enforce a strict schedule, and depend on outsiders to determine what their children should be learning. I wouldn't have to go far.

What do you think would be my opposite?

Life is what happens when Mommy's blogging. (Shot taken Wednesday)

Who's who

In my effort to maintain some privacy for my children, I'm finding that inventing new "names" for them in each post is getting to be a bit cumbersome.  Tried "Green-Eyes" and "Blue-Eyes" because it's fairly easy for those who know us to tell them apart that way.  But I haven't posted any clear photos showing their eye color. And it often seems irrelevent.
 
So, I'm going to simplify like the sign above my kitchen sink says to do.  My firstborn's name starts with an F. So I'm going to refer to him as F, as boring as that may be. And my secondborn's name starts with G.  If you get confused, remember that the letter F comes before the letter G, so they were named alphabetically by birth order.
 
F is 3 years old. G is 20 months. F has green eyes. G has blue eyes. F likes all animals, especially dinosaurs. G likes horses best at the moment. F likes doing puzzles and building castles out of megablocks. G likes throwing balls and tearing down F's castles. F is learning his numbers (he can count to 13 so far). G is learning his colors (red and yellow are his favorite so far).
 
That should do for now.

It's almost 10:30 and I'm still messing with this...

Trying to think up a more interesting blog title than the above, I asked Scott (the dh) to come up with three words to describe me.

As always, he gave a brilliant answer: "Hot. Smart. Quirky."

I consider "quirky" a compliment, of course. If I believed in rewarding good behavior, he'd be getting more than a gold star tonight...