All posts in Mama Heart Mushings

And We Made Bread Together!

by admin on February 6, 2010 in Four Little Eggs In My Nest, Mama Heart Mushings with 3 Comments
(Stirring was Little Woman’s first task and she worked really hard at it!)

Making bread has become a big job in our house! It used to be that I could make eight loaves and they would last two weeks but now I pretty much need to make a batch a week! I have been finding it a bit daunting but today decided to get started before the sun was up and before I could talk myself out of the job once again. Little Woman and I kissed her older siblings good by and immediately rolled up our sleeves and got busy!

This was her first time helping me make the bread and I don’t think she realised it took all day because of rising and pounding down again. Little Woman enjoyed helping with this job as much as with dishes. My shadow was full of gusto and always at my heels. She was a life saver when it came time for me to work the dough, she was a pro at adding just a little flour here and there when it was getting stuck to the counter.

(She couldn’t help but pat the dough once we put it in her Great Grandma Smiths bread bowl to rise.)

I had to run out twice today but we managed to make it back just in time to pound down our bread once again. There is something about returning to the bread and pounding it down just in time all through out the day that makes you feel like you have it together!
There is a serious rise in your optimism as you shape the bread and buns and place them in pans to rise! Anticipation hits a climax when you put them into the oven and it is pretty near impossible to let them cool under the damp towels once removed from the oven.
Just before supper we had all the loaves and buns complete and ready to be packaged and frozen, after a few taste tests of course! I am proud of my Little Woman and her interest in all things domestic! I hope she finds the art in it as I have and doesn’t grow to see it as cultural expectation and nothing but labour, as was my view of it in my youth.

The big pay off for all of our work was when the older two returned home. They had barely entered the house, the door was in fact forgotten and open in spite of the winter weather. Exclamations of ‘OH that smells good!’ came out of beaming faces! Little Woman and I where happy to share, we having already reveled in the first fruits!

TTFN

A Grand Change in Cultural Expectations Of Men

by admin on February 5, 2010 in Bits Of My Personality, Do I Call It Parenting Advice?, Life Keeps Changing, Mama Heart Mushings, My Romance with No comments

Reading classic novels is something I truly enjoy. On that note, many classics leave me with a dark frame of mind and today I needed to share a thought that came out of reading a few. I am thankful things have changed, in the area of human rights. I find often, more in books written by male authors, that children and especially babes are seen as of little consequence. One author explained ‘the baby was barely a few days old, certainly not old enough to be given the turn individual’… Oh man… I have a totally different view of the value of life. I suppose the fact that many children didn’t survive into adult hood back then played a part in the often cold written references to children… but… It made me think that the old fashioned habit of men having little to do with babes wasn’t a good thing.

I am so thankful my man has so much to do with our little ones… he works hard to contribute to their basic needs and excels at providing their love and fun needs. When I watch him with my babies I adore him! I am thankful that my Saviour has blessed me with a man who can take MUCH time for his kids and I realise all to many Dad’s just aren’t there…

It also made me think of the true depths love goes down into a woman’s heart, specifically when it comes to her children. They don’t have to be of a specific age, we can learn to claim them in our hearts before they are even born. We feel so vulnerable with them walking around, our heart divided up and openly exposed to the pain and hurt in the world…

I am so thankful it is now okay and ‘in fashion’, if you will, for men in our current age to embrace that same connection with their young children.

TTFN

Bed Time Blessings!

by admin on February 2, 2010 in Dem Kids Sayed WHAT?, Four Little Eggs In My Nest, Mama Heart Mushings with 1 Comment

I love bed time, when it is a relatively calm event, and not just because I am getting kid-less time for a while or because Garnet and I can be alone together, in addition to those reasons I often find it a cozy time jam packed with love and blessings!

Baby Boy picked up the Vaseline jar while Daddy was changing his diaper, put it to his ear and yelled ‘hewo!’

Little Woman was having her turn to pray and she told Daddy she wanted to pray for me… “I pway Mama gives me a glass of water for bed ana kissy… um…um I pway Mama gives me wots of kissys! AMEN!” Obviously I smothered her with kisses tonight!Later Daddy was rocking Baby Boy and singing a song (as he does each night for his boy). I love listening in to this special nightly event. Tonight Daddy started singing ‘Jesus Loves Me’ and Baby Boy joined in with his little sing-y song sounds that mostly come through his nose (so sweet). Big brother started to sing quietly too… quietly because he thinks I might hear him and think he isn’t a tough guy… so adorable! The girls are in the next room and they take up on the second verse and the whole time I sit and listen to this nightly event that is very ordinary and extraordinary all at once.TTFN

On The Ice With My Gentleman

by admin on January 12, 2010 in Bits Of My Personality, Do I Call It Parenting Advice?, Four Little Eggs In My Nest, Mama Heart Mushings with 2 Comments

It was lovely to spend a day on the ice! My boy was invited to a buddy’s birthday and he was more then willing to have me along! We enjoyed the party and running into many friends but for me it was all about Big Boy. I was so thrilled to have a whole day to spend with just him! He has always been the sweetest gentleman when we are alone!

The hardest part of my day was refraining from too much fussing when he would fall and from squeezing him every time I felt an urge to do so (it was a constant urge). He was just so sweet and well behaved, so determined to master skating in spite of all his spills, so handsome and so adorable! Phew, I am letting my mama mush gush now cuz I was trying not to drown him with it that day. He pulls at my heart so much! I love stealing hugs from him when he play fights with me. He thinks I am just doing a lock hold but really I am getting my hug quota! Lacing up our skates and hitting the ice together will be something I will crave to do with my guy for years and years to come! There is such an art to raising boys! Perhaps more difficult for the mother to master but SO WORTH IT!
Where did we skate?…A beautiful outdoor rink that graces our city’s river side. There is a view of the river and its bridges on one side, the Bez hotel towering like a castle on one end and city scape all around the west side. It was romantic and breathtaking! This was my first skate, but not my last, on this rink!

(There’s Big Boy! Only his third time on the ice and he was able to skate two hours with me!)

There is nothing like it! Skating outdoors is so revitalizing! I couldn’t believe it was January! Our -30 and -40 where gone! It was barely below zero and the perfect weather for a long skate. Here’s hoping we have many more sunny skating days!


TTFN

Jingle Baby

by admin on December 23, 2009 in Four Little Eggs In My Nest, Holiday Messages, Mama Heart Mushings with No comments
Many a little jingle bell tree ornament has bit the dust this holiday season.Chubby little hands reach up and snatch a jingle bell ornament.
Chubby little legs run from Mama and Dada as fast as they can go.
Chubby feet pound at the floor as Big Girl, Big Boy and Little Woman take up the chase…
but this little Chub Chub is always caught to late…
Chubby little fingers rip apart the decoration so a chubby Baby Boy can carry just the bell around.
Chubby little cheeks spread in a jolly grin as Baby Boy shake shakes the bells to his hearts content.
He dances and sways as he jingles his little bells and he stashes them away under the couch, where he can collect them when ever he desires to take up his holiday song and dance once again.

P.S. They where our lest expensive tree ornaments and placed near the bottom of the tree for exactly this reason and I think we will be buying dollar store jingle bells each year to carry on this song and dance (wink).

TTFN

A Jolly Jealousy

by admin on December 20, 2009 in Bits Of My Personality, Four Little Eggs In My Nest, Holiday Messages, Mama Heart Mushings, My Romance with 1 Comment

The sun was very warm this winter day.
The snow was coming down slowly in stuffed size snowflakes.
There was no wind and the air was crisp.
We all went outside while Dad pushed the slight snow fall from the drive way. His job more of an excuse to get out and get some fresh air then an actual necessity.
Big Girl and Big Boy spent an hour pulling one another around on the sled, up and down our front lawn’s almost imaginary hill.
Little Woman had found a toddler’s chair and moved it about on the lawn, trying to find the best spot. Once the best spot was found she sat for only a moment and then followed her Daddy around, like a shadow, throwing snow at him while he pushes the drive way.

Once in side with Baby Boy I warmed up in no time. I watched the rest of my little family trudge off to the park to see if the tobogganing hill might have just have enough snow to sled on. As they marched down the back alley, in an adorable straight line, Little Woman sitting upon one of the sleds, pulled by her beloved Daddy, I felt a pinch of jealousy… if Baby Boy wasn’t so sleepy, and so pron to lung issues, I would have been out there in a split second… instead I watched from the window and waved with a very cheerful Baby Boy… he was completely unaware of my jealousy… ‘Bye Bye’ he chirped and smiled over and over…

I sought to take in the romantic scene before me. My oldest three and my wonderful husband walking down a breathtakingly quiet and still back alley, trees covered in thick horror frost, white fences covered in the same stuffed sized snowflakes that cover the ground and the hats and shoulders of my parting loved ones… it was a warm and chilly moment all in one. It was a beautiful and disappointing moment (only for me) all in one.

I realized how wonderful it is that I could be so in love with this family of mine that I would be like an ill child stuck inside on a snow day, terribly jealous and filled with longing to be out and about on this snowy day with my persons!

I sat down on the floor and Baby Boy walked over to me with a swagger in his step and a grin on his face. He took the ball from my hand, that I had picked up pretty much unaware due to a head full of thoughts. ‘DAT’ he blurted out in a big jolly voice, threw the ball across the room and pointed with an eager ‘fetch mama’ kinda look on his face… I grinned in return… as much as I was wishing to be at the toboggan hill I was also thankful I just took part in a teeny tiny moment with my baby!TTFN

His Bamboo Chair

by admin on December 1, 2009 in Four Little Eggs In My Nest, Mama Heart Mushings with No comments

(Baby Boy managed to find a bowl and spoon, he immediately ran to his favorite chair and pretended to eat contently for about an hour. This is where he escapes to when he has something he isn’t supposed to have and enjoys alone time with his spoils.)

I sure have to watch you when you climb up your favorite chair. A couple times you have tried to kill my plant that is on the side table next to the chair… if you find a fork you like to dig in the poor plants soil… and the other day you climbed up on the table again. Usually you climb up the chair and sit there like a gentleman but every now and then you venture to the couches side table… and do a little jig, momentarily because Mom moves pretty quick when I see you on there! Last week you managed to climb on undetected (you have gotten pretty quiet since you realised your crazy hyper giggles give you away). I was laying on the couch next to the table and looked up just in time to see your big grin and body fly over my head and into my out stretched arms. Guess you wanted to body slam Mommy… I wasn’t really impressed!

TTFN

One Calm Evening

by admin on November 23, 2009 in Bits Of My Personality, Mama Heart Mushings with 1 Comment
One calm evening I looked to see,
all the gentle blessings surrounding me.

Outside a peach glowing sky,
warms my heart till it wants to cry.A rarity this house full of children so quiet and kind,

Peaceful enough to ease my mind.
Inside a collection of sweet beauties all mine!
An eldest daughter reading wisely and fine!

At my table a boy who has always been my joy,
Filled with passion for art he loves coloring more then any toy.Finally I find two babies at play,
In and out of a Costco box they would spend their whole day!

I was so eager to get pictures of the sky and glowing apples I ran out in bare feet. As I ran across the yard I stepped on one of the apples and it instantly mushed beneath my feet, YUCK… but capturing the moment was worth it! This gorgeous sky was the perfect reflection of how warm my family and home felt that evening! I had barely taken all the indoor and outdoor pictures when the peach sky died away into night! It had been so pretty it looked edible!

Next to the peachy light, and how it sets nature aglow, my favorite is mocha light and how it changes the look and feel of everything it touches. Here is a photo of mocha light on my old neighborhood… This photo doesn’t get the color perfectly correct… Mocha light is worth drinking! One day I hope to really capture the peach and the mocha but these pictures are a start:)

TTFN

Every Now And Then Was Today

by admin on November 15, 2009 in Bits Of My Personality, Mama Heart Mushings, My Listening Year, My Romance with 8 Comments

HOPE!

Every now and then a woman has a perfectly lovely day for no particular reason. Nothing out of the ordinary, in fact the day is usually completely ordinary!

Today was such a day.

Just days ago I felt like writing a play by play ‘day in the life of ME’ type thing because it all felt so ridiculously difficult. I wake up assuming I will keep it together and more often then not I have sunk like a stone lately…

Hope held me back and I didn’t blog…

Time to focus on the victory in my life and the blessings and Jesus. With little steps I went from a dark valley to the hill… stayed there looking at that monster hill for a while but then the little steps took me slowly up… I am pretty sure I am still on my way up but ‘I’ve come a long way baby’.

I think my senses are hungry lately… my ears really want to hear… my eyes really want to take it in… my hands to grasp, clasp, feel…

I want to taste and see that the Lord is good! Forgive me if I don’t mention smell for I have no experience with this sense (wink).

Woke up late (yahoo for sleeping in) and savored a cup of tea drowned in cream and honey toast smothered in cinnamon.
Took a brisk walk down my fall drenched street to the salon at the community mini mall.
Meet a wonderful person and she did my hair! Discovered how small the world was as we talked and realised all the mutual people we know.
Walked home, very slowly, tickled pink at an excellent hair cut.
Burst in the door and snuggled my baby, then snuggled my three year old daughter, then hugged my man!
Chased my older two around and around the kitchen and living room as I cleaned up and they pretended to be spy’s following me.

The afternoon was largely spent NAPPING!

The evening was spent grocery shopping. It was just me and my half sweet gingerbread latte filling the cart. I was singing and humming the song Daddy and I had sang to Baby Boy just before I left. He stopped our hearts by singing back to us in his own language and I couldn’t stop thinking about his little song and head sway… I checked myself out with the self serve check out machine and had no problems! Happy, I puttered home.. Eagerly I unpacked the groceries so I could dig into the fresh fruit!

I was welcomed home to a warm house and soft worship music on the stereo. My man greeted me with the magical news that all four kids where in bed! I am now eagerly waiting for our evening tea time together!

What was so different about today, what was so special, why can’t I trap such days in a bottle and save them for later when I am wigging out?

Thank you Jesus for all the blessings in my life! Thank you for the every now and then days!

TTFN

Counting It A Big Blessing!

by admin on November 12, 2009 in Do I Call It Parenting Advice?, Four Little Eggs In My Nest, Mama Heart Mushings, My Listening Year with 1 Comment

I find at a young age all children posses the heart of a helper and if parents calm down enough about perfection the child learns how to be good at helping. I am learning to be this parent.

Big Girl used to play ‘Cinderella’ when she was little. I would give her a damp cloth and she would, well, smudge everything in her path but with an earnest heart and desire to help Mommy. Big Boy was my little tidy up ‘Prince Charming’ and still is. He loves helping Mommy clean up the clutter in no time at all.

Little Woman is now entering that stage and partly because she like to feel like a minny mom. For the last couple weeks she has insisted on drying the dishes. I was very nervous about it at first and tried to deter her but, as many of you may no, three year olds are amazingly susceptible to ‘reverse psychology’ so this back fired for me.

Turns out she is quick, very careful and dedicated! I thought the fun would wear off right away but she is still drawn to me like a magnet when the sink starts filling up with suds and hot water! I clearly see one reason she really enjoys this is because she has me pinned down and can talk my ear off. I often get a little tired and just start doing the ‘uh hu‘, ‘oh yah‘, ‘yes dear’ but more often I really enjoy listening to her describe her crazy ‘Little Woman world’.

And please don’t offer to help! Oh she gets mad if I suggest she not worry about the last few dishes or try to dry them for her! And Mommy better get out of the way when it is time to wipe down the sinks at the end, this too is HER JOB! Truth is, if you can’t already tell, I appreciate the help GREATLY and adore the company while washing the dishes. It has made this miserable job something to look forward to!

I can count my blessings! I have been hoping for a dish washer and while I haven’t gotten that yet the Lord sent me company, conversation and a loving littler helper to make my burden lighter:)

TTFN

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