Adventure Friday

We adventured out to the MN Zoo today. I say adventure because there were an amazing amount of people there. Minnesotans really come out of the woodwork when it is nice outside.

I got a few really good shots of the girls and thought that I would share. Happy Friday!!

Grace being cute and sweet

Caroline loved the baby animals. (Sorry about the food in the mouth)

It was a busy morning

Heavy Hearted

There are many thoughts today about Virginia Tech. I am so sad for them. For the families, the students, and the faculty. What a hard time for them.

As I write this I am watching the convocation. I am so proud of them for starting the healing process already. My prayer is that they can find their way to a place of peaceful contentment again.

The Lutheran mnister said something that I hope everyone can remember, especially the media. He said (and I will not get all the word right because I did not get my pen fast enough "let us not be drawn in by the seductive temptation to Hate."

The school does not deserve it. The murder is not worth it. And the victims will not be honored by it.

God be with the students and families.

Gardening

I cannot believe that I am dying to get into my gardens. I have never been good at this. And I have really never cared all that much. I used to have pots of flowers that I would put out in the spring and get sick of taking care of by mid summer.

But since we moved here, I really want to get into my flower beds and fix them up. I am even getting into planning them. Seriously, who took over my body??

Our mess of a front Garden

Same garden after we started over

We started with the front and side yards. We did the front but the side was so bad we hired that out. And it is amazing.

The mess of a side yard/patio. Too overwhelming to even relaxing in

The amazing results from Joe at Spectrum Landscaping.

I could be the influence of some really good friends, Annette and Laura, who have dirt running through their veins. They are soooooooo good to help me make the right decisions. They are a full of great knowledge that I take full advantage of.

So this weekend we are going to tackle the back garden and see if we cannot bring it to life. I am honestly looking forward to it.

Our lifeless backyard that should soon be colorful and full of life. (Gee, why get rid of this depressing gray)

End of my rope.

Today is one of those days where I am at the end of my rope.

We have been to the doctors office 2 times for different things. Each kid has their own health issue at the moment but they could not coordinate so that we could just make one visit.

Everyone is short of sleep so that makes the moods around here nice. It is one of those days where I think they want someone else to be here as much as I do.

Not that the whole day is lost, they have been doing some things well. They were dancing together and that was really fun to listen to and watch.

Today is one of those days that you are just getting by until bedtime. There may be some movies. There may be some extra snacks. But that is ok. Because today is about getting by.

And that is ok. Even though I am at the end of my rope, I can still see the big picture. And today is only one day. Tomorrow will be better.

Why do we fight?

I have heard about a new book that has people fighting again. It is call The Feminine Mistake: Are We Giving Up Too Much? by Leslie Bennetts.

It is another book telling moms who stay home that they are making a mistake. She write about how these women have put themselves at a disadvantage by staying home. If anything should happen (divorce, death), the woman does not have any income to fall back from. She has to go out and find a job, probably sell the house and downsize her life a great deal. All of which I think is true.

But on the other hand, I think that even when you are married and have 2 incomes you have the same concerns. If something happened to either one of you, you would face the same problems. Let's face it. As Americans, if we have more money, we spend it. We do not save it. So all of the same problems would pop up.

She also talks about women who stayed home the whole time their kids were in school. She mentions that they felt empty and experienced loss and grief.

I can very much see where that happens. I sometimes stuggle with those feelings when my kids do something new and it just makes them that much more grown up. And what mother (or father for that matter) would not be upset by their kids moving on with their lives apart from them.

My biggest issue with this is why do women have to fight about who is doing it right. We are all doing it right. No two people are the same and there no one solution is right for everyone. Let us just say that my staying home is right for me. And my sister working hard in a law firm is right for her. She would not want to do my job everyday just like I would not like hers.

Life is about choices. Make them, be confident in your decisions. But do not try to make decisions for others. It does not do anyone any good.

Easter

We had a great Easter. It was fun to do all the things that come with it. We hunted for candy, got all dressed up, but more importantly celebrated risen Savior. Here are some pictures.

Caroline with Uncle James and Auntie Chrissy

Caroline with her Easter Basket. Notice the Chocolate around her mouth first thing in the morning

Grace playing around while we were getting ready.

Happy Easter from the Nelsons!!

Caroline posing for pictures. We are to the stage where she has to be silly.

Below: Grace is such a happy kid. This picture just shows it off. Plus isn't she cute!!

Worry or not to Worry

I often wonder as a parent if I am being diligent enough. Am I keeping enough germs away? Am I teaching them enough? Am I making them ready for the future?

But then the other half of my brain says things like let them be kids. Let them explore. Let them fall and get hurt a little so they learn not to fall and get hurt a lot.

I think that parents struggle with these questions all the time. How do we know when enough is enough?

I read a great editorial in Newsweek last week (it is linked to this post). It was from a mother who buys cookies and potato chips, avoids hand sanitizer, and lets her kids run outside in short sleeves in the summer. She asks if kids need to be tutored all year round even in they are succeeding. Do they have to pick just one sport and play it all year. She was not knocking the people who do these things but she wonders about what we are teaching our kids.

Are we fixing everything for them so that they cannot learn how to deal with things? Are they learning to be responsible and reasonable if we are extreme on every measure. Or are they just learning to be obsessive about the things we are obsessive about.

There was not a lot of answers here but it made me think. There is balance in all things. There can be treats balanced with healthy snacks. There can be safety balanced with exploration. There can be activities balanced with quiet time (kids need this too). There can be fun balanced with fun because in the end they are kids.

Are we going to worry as parents? Yes, that is what parents do. Should we try to make things better for our kids? Yes, that is what parents do. But remember the balance. Balance making things better with what you want them to learn. Because no matter what we think we are doing as parents, we are teaching them with everything we do.

Easter Eggs

I remember dying eggs when I was a kid. And I remember enjoying it a lot.

Well, this weekend I experienced it for the first time as a parent. And I have to say, it was close to the best $1.50 that I have ever spent.

Caroline just loved it. She wanted to be a part of everything. Getting the eggs boiled, getting the dying colors ready, putting them in the water, and getting them out. And most of the time, the mess was really minimal.

Grace really wanted to help too. She was grabbing things and trying to get it into her mouth. Dad had to be on his toes to keep her from making a huge mess.

In the end, a fun activity. Plus it has lasted a while too. Caroline needs to go and sit at the table multiple times a day to "visit" with her eggs.

It is fun to be a family.