Lost and Found

They may not look like much. They're not the cutest/nicest piece of furniture I have, but they are my Superman of the living room. These three little baskets have brought a bit of sanity back to the chaos of my living room. We call them our Lost and Found baskets.

There are few brilliant ideas I've had, but Lost and Found is way up on the list. Originally purchased at Pier 1 (or maybe it was Linens 'n Things) many years ago, they have performed various functions. For quite a few years, they were our craft baskets- each one holding crayons, paper, play dough. Then, not too long ago, I was finally fed up with random toys scattered through the house and re -purposed the baskets. One for each boy. Now, every night after the boys go to bed, any remaining toys are sifted through and put away in the appropriate basket OUT OF SIGHT! On chore day, the boys are responsible for emptying their baskets and putting their toys away.

Be fearful stray Lego! I will scoop you up and hide you in a dark place, never stepping on you in the middle of the night again.

Reading Time

Between 7:00 and 7:30pm is a magic time in our house. This is the time where we are all in the same room, but everyone is quiet. It's Reading Time, and it's a beautiful thing!




At the beginning of the year, Isaac came home with the task to read independently for 20-30 minutes. Jonas had already been assigned this responsibility three years ago. The trick as parents was to figure out where to fit in another homework assignment. Thus our family reading time was born.




It's a wonderfully quiet way to wind down the day. After a usually boisterous dinner, clothes are changed in favor of comfy jammies, and each person finds a book, magazine, or something quiet to do.






My favorite thing of reading time: being in the presence of my children while not breaking up bickering, and not answering questions. I get to sit and not be preoccupied with what I "should" be doing. Instead, I can get whisked away to another world, while setting a good example of relaxing, reading, and unwinding.

Fast Food - Freezer Style

• Chicken Enchiladas
• Asian Flank Steak
• Stuffed Pork Chops
• Cheesy Chicken Bundles
• Chicken Wellington
• Swiss Chicken
• Flank Steak
• Parmesan Chicken
• Pesto Ravioli
• Pork Loin with Garlic Rub
• Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is the list of meals I have in my freezer right now. They are all home prepared and frozen right away. All they need now is to be cooked up and enjoyed!

Brothers = Best Friends

The other day, Isaac and Elliot were playing with their Bakugan toys. Elliot explained to Isaac that his toys were best friends because they were brothers.

It made me happy to realize that in his world, you can be both friends and brothers. How often I've been worried that my boys will become grown men, and not stay connected. Just as often though, I've been pleased to see how they relate to one another and choose to keep each other company.

I'm sure by next week, they'll be back to bickering. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy every minute that I can get.

Debut

Growing up, I was the girliest of girly girls. I built snowmen while wearing dresses and tights. I went hiking in my black patent leather shoes. I took tap, baton, and ballet.

Now, I am the mother of three boys! With that I've used the phrase, "The caterpillars need to go outside" more than I can count. I've become a master Lego builder, and am fluent in Star Wars and Transformer speak.

Isn't it funny where life leads you? It's taken me a long time to decide to blog. I've often wondered if I had anything worthwhile to say. I've come to the conclusion though, that writing is for me. As much as I love doing laundry, cleaning, picking up random toys, I've decided it's my time and my turn. If in the process, I make someone smile, laugh, or relate in some way, I'll consider it a bonus.