My Advice and Blogging Complex

I've come to learn that I don't like reading or receiving advice. I don't like parenting books. I really don't like people (I know they mean well) telling me I should or should not do something with my kids. Even when I agree with them, I don't like it! What is my problem? Soon enough, every blogger in the world is going to hate me...or at least be really annoyed. I know I've given advice plenty of times, stankin' hypocrite! You know what? I have a blogging complex too. I really hate it and yet I do it all the time. I just want someone to hang out and drink beer with. None of y'all are over here drinking beer dang it! I blog primarily for my family to keep up with what I'm doing and the fact that I have other readers just makes everything a little more interesting. Well maybe with all my I hate your pretty blogs and parenting advice, I'll have less readers. I read blogs primarily for ideas. Ideas for activities to do with the kids, new pursuits, whatever. However, I keep coming across advice! Telling me not to sign my kids up for planned and guided activities, to let them sleep in my bed, to breastfeed them until their six,....you know. Oh crap. I'm being offensive. And I'm rambling. Well here's a picture.

 

This Moment

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember. Thanks Soulemama.

Doo Bee Doo Bop

We made Dad love bugs as seen at Progressive Pioneer.

Made these matchbox valentines for the girls, but can't remember where I saw them! Anyone know?

Felted wand as seen at A Natural Nester

Mud Pie Kitchen as seen at Let the Children Play. We are planning a major upgrade to our "kitchen."

A valentine for my husband.

After watching A Dolphin Tale, dolphins are Eaden's new obsession.

Craft supplies and fabric

Organized!

Now for the rest of the room....

Daily Snippets

Me: "Lemmings are chubby little animals belonging to the rodent family. Do you know what chubby means?"
Eaden: "It helps you stay warm."
Me: "Yes! It means you have some fat."
Eaden: "You are chubby mom."
Me: "Oh good, you can use it in a sentence."

Me: "Did you know that most sharks are ovoviviparous, with eggs hatching in their wombs, so that young are born alive?"
Eaden: "Duh mom! I already knew that! I saw it on Wild Kratts!" (see t.v. can be educational).

Naia and Taven were playing in the car seats when Naia managed to buckle herself in and then tip over.

Eaden listens to me read about dinosaurs for almost an hour. Then the book moves on to how most extinction happens today (human activity). When I tell her that lemurs in Madagascar are dying because people are cutting down trees she gets mad and throws the book down.
Eaden: "But trees grow!"
Me: "I know but people are not planting new ones for all the trees they cut down and they are cutting too many too fast." 
Eaden: "But I plant acorns!"
Me: "Yes that's good."
(a few minutes later after Eaden uses the bathroom)
Eaden: "Mom, I saved the toilet paper."

Eaden: "What are you eating?"
Me: "It's medicine."
Eaden: "Hmmm. It looks like ice cream. Why does it look like ice cream?"
Me: "I don't know. That's weird."

The girls climbed up on the kitchen counter last night in order to steal candy from the cabinet. However, they weren't smart enough to clean up all their wrappers. They did decide they needed to brush their teeth, but then left out the toothpaste that had been squeezed all over the fireplace. On top of that, they found glue and glued magnets to the fridge! 

Note: We put Eaden in a preschool for about a month while I wasn't blogging (I was feeling sick from the pregnancy). Here are some of her famous quotes.

Eaden: (talking about a girl from school) "Mom at her house they have hash brownies."

Eaden: "A boy from my class is named Luke."
Me: "Oh yeah, is he your friend?"
Eaden: "Yeah, I massaged him"
Me: (lol) "You gave him a massage?"
Eaden: "It was his birthday. He sat by me."

Eaden said she wants a "glitter tooth" like a girl at school. In other words, a gold tooth. Ummm no!

My Thrift Store Addiction

A Homestead Heritage

On Saturday I took Eaden and Taven (Naia didn't want to come because of the loud guns) out to Homestead Heritage Day. Homestead Heritage Day is basically 19th century Texas history come to life.

 

On Sunday, we went over to my parents to try out some of the Texas homestead recipes in a little history/recipe book I bought for $3.

We made butter first and then tried some Johnny cakes.

Let's just say they weren't a huge hit with the girls (I tried to pass them off as pancakes with maple syrup).

Next we made dolls out of corn cobs.

After a fun day with Grandma we headed home so that I could prepare a good ole' pioneer dinner.

Unlike the Johnny Cakes, dinner was a huge success!