tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52613639675093996182024-03-19T07:23:11.199-05:00Drops in a BucketThe meanderings of a cluttered mind...Milwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-90741475985111949902014-05-10T14:12:00.000-05:002014-05-10T14:12:09.653-05:00Wading through a FogI'm tired.
My eyes are heavy.
My arms and feet and shoulders feel as though they are dragging sandbags.
A few tears, but not many. I think tears would be better. More freeing than this heaviness that just pushes me to succumb to numbing sleep.
Grandpa died one year ago today. The day he died I couldn't even remember my phone number. I had to be strong, for my family, Milwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-32467662782776926562013-10-23T02:02:00.001-05:002013-10-23T02:02:38.948-05:00All About Reading, Level 1 - REVIEWWe've been scrambling to keep up with Baby Bird recently. It seems she's ready to start reading... NOW. She's 3 1/2. Didn't really think we'd be needing phonics resources when our kid was still wearing pullups, but hey, kids are quirky.
I've sought the advice of many much more experienced homeschooling mamas, pored over curricula reviews, prayed, talked it over with hubby, Milwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-11939662576102042352013-06-24T18:57:00.000-05:002013-06-24T18:57:09.450-05:00American Flag WorktraysMilwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-29786227849342201332013-06-12T22:42:00.000-05:002013-06-12T22:53:58.348-05:00DIY Science Kits
DIY Science Kit Experiments (pdf)
Milwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-60982797744078174212013-06-09T01:05:00.001-05:002013-06-09T01:10:04.785-05:00Newby Thoughts on Preschool Homeschool MaterialsI've spent countless hours - way too many hours really - poring over homeschool materials. I think we've figured out what we want to do for now, which is really not that much. Well, not structured learning anyway. Kids learn whether you want them to or not. Any materials we choose to purchase or utilize at this time will be for our benefit as the parents and used mostly toMilwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-15873618735993294052013-06-09T00:27:00.000-05:002013-06-15T19:07:18.039-05:00SUMMER Topics of InterestWe went to see Disney's The Lion King on stage this afternoon - INCREDIBLE! My jaw hit the floor in the first minute of the production and I was as wide-eyed as our three-year-old all the way to the final curtain. Amazing. Gorgeous. Breathtaking. Intriguing. Go buy tickets. Now.
This show piqued both my and our daughter's interest in so many areas; we Milwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-59527612642735645602013-06-07T16:55:00.001-05:002013-06-09T00:28:23.499-05:00Favorite Books about... BEESEventually I suppose I'll get my act together and start logging our homeschool adventures in a portfolio or something of the kind. However, for now I need a place to stash pictures and thoughts before I simply forget them!
We read... a LOT. Generally I watch to see what's piqued Baby Bird's interest for the moment and just run with that for awhile. We choose books from our homeMilwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-82409643913993516132013-01-19T17:42:00.002-06:002013-01-19T17:43:19.179-06:00Healthy Changes?It's been 1 week since I decided my life needs a change. I'm turning 30 this year (eek!) and am in the worst shape of my life - overweight, out of breath going up the stairs, chronic pain and fatigue, and the worst part is I just plain can't keep up with our daughter. She's two. There are no excuses.
After receiving some great encouragement and advice from friends and family I Milwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-39765596758007729172013-01-01T20:15:00.003-06:002013-01-01T20:15:51.867-06:00Oops, sorry.Well, that was fun. In an effort to make this blog address easier to type and remember I decided to change the web address. It didn't occur to me till AFTER I'd already changed the address and entered a new post for 2013 that it would mess with my followers' blog feeds. Sorry!
I've changed the web address back to the original:
meanderingsofaclutteredmind.blogspot.com
I will Milwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-72163442350767928252012-12-31T23:52:00.001-06:002013-01-01T04:36:40.254-06:00Home Preschool JournalMerry Christmas and Happy New Year!
2013 is starting with a bang for our family. It seems every year we've experienced big change of one kind or another, but this year may take the cake. My husband's enlistment runs up in just a few weeks and we still have no certain plans for where we're going or what we're doing. We know God has only good plans for us and we're trying our Milwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-11741779492836361492012-12-13T23:47:00.000-06:002012-12-13T23:47:23.667-06:00"The Princess and the Kiss: Three Gifts of Christmas" Book Review
I purchased this book because our nearly-three-year-old daughter has taken a sudden interest in princesses. I'm a tomboy through and through so this is all new territory for me. I was seeking a Christmas story that would interest our daughter and this one caught my eye. A princess book I might actually be able to stomach AND it's about Christmas? I figured Milwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-27977060306648416912012-07-20T20:56:00.000-05:002012-07-20T20:56:09.661-05:00Why you should never trust your GPS in JapanDistance to Destination: 13 km (8.1 miles)
Estimated Travel Time: 37 minutes
LIES!!!!!
Actual Travel Time: 61 minutes.
With a cranky two year-old. In the rain.
This is normal people. As in everyday occurrence, not unusual, par for the course, expected.
And family and friends ask why we don't travel much...Milwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-56527663487995344442012-05-22T05:58:00.000-05:002012-05-22T05:58:45.904-05:00On Colds and Nursing
I've been battling a nasty cold for 3 weeks and it's kicking my tail. Unfortunately Baby Bird and Daddy have it too.
When we woke up this morning barely able to talk, my husband announced "We're going to Sick Call." Yay for family togetherness.
3 doctor appointments, 4 hours, and 5 new meds later, we dragged ourselves in the door and flopped into bed. Well, Baby Bird and I Milwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-20544413913830706432012-05-20T21:24:00.000-05:002012-05-20T21:24:31.337-05:00Solar EclipseHubby woke me up this morning with "Eclipse time!" A bit groggy, I followed him to the back porch and we were treated to this:
He had the brilliant idea to line up several sunglass lenses so we could actually look at the eclipsed sun.
I remember seeing the last solar eclipse as a kid, so this was pretty spectacular! Baby Bird was a little less enthused:
She Milwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-79215998359386851322012-02-01T03:42:00.000-06:002012-02-01T03:42:52.924-06:00Japanese AdviceOne of the many reasons I love living in Japan. This is an email snippet from our church choir director, who is Japanese:
Please don't catch cold, stay warm and healthy
(drink ginger tea or ginger soup is helpful these days....)
Make a good ginger drink;
Cut couple ginger slice, honey(or brown sugar), lemon(if you like) and add hot water.
Make good ginger soup;
Grated ginger, Milwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-2667262208036290372012-01-30T21:40:00.000-06:002012-01-30T21:40:53.658-06:00Reset ButtonI am terrible at time management. Always have been. It's not so much that I don't know how to plan my time, it's that I have virtually no feeling of its passing. When I was a kid it drove my mom and teachers nuts. As an adult? Let's just say it can become a major problem.
Enter The Internet.
The internet has most recently become my biggest time suck. As in Milwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-12539054387923892432011-10-14T01:54:00.000-05:002011-10-14T01:54:15.455-05:00I'm Still AliveSo just a quick update, since I appear to have fallen off the face of the planet:
Life's been busy, or not, depending on how you look at it.
I LOVE staying home with Baby Bird and she's been tickling us left and right with the funny things she does and says. She's entered the age of cute and silly but hasn't quite gotten to the defiant stage. We're hoping to skirt around that one asMilwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-21868897859160016702011-09-09T20:21:00.001-05:002011-09-09T20:22:30.485-05:00On Jesus and Peace in the Midst of LifeI think I needed this right now. Hope it helps someone else too.
Peace!
Finding Peace within ChaosMilwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-83198653360688743082011-09-08T06:48:00.000-05:002011-09-08T06:48:39.466-05:00Nothin' Like New Books
New Bible study for this year:
I'm giddy as a schoolchild opening up brand new books on the first day of school! Or wait, was I the only kid that got excited about that...? I don't know - I just love the smell, look, feel, unexplored territory of brand new books!
With all the internet chatter about the first day of school, especially the first day of homeschool, I Milwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-27875064181146635532011-08-17T03:48:00.000-05:002011-08-17T03:48:07.880-05:00Well that was short-lived.Nurse-in was canceled. And not in a good way. More details to follow. By the way, anyone with experience with breastfeeding in the military, please speak up, we could really use some words of wisdom about now.Milwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-11143234118434176022011-08-08T08:50:00.000-05:002011-08-08T08:50:33.319-05:00First Nurse-InIs it silly that I'm ridiculously excited about attending my first nurse-in?
Background:
A mother nursing her child at our base's E-Club was asked to cover up or leave. Hmm... yeah... you can't actually require a nursing woman to do either.
Result:
We're staging a simple, quiet nurse-in at the same location. The idea is for people to come, eat lunch at the restaurant, nurse ifMilwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-81374878287538447022011-07-11T11:55:00.000-05:002011-07-11T11:55:19.250-05:00Co-SchoolingHere's a term I'd not yet heard till this evening (umm, actually morning... it's nearly 2 - eep!). While I'm sure this would require some serious "clicking" together to be successful, it sounds simply wonderful. I sighed aloud reading the post :).
http://arlinghaus.typepad.com/blog/2010/05/coschooling-5-greeting-rituals.htmlMilwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-18993740228774436242011-07-05T09:00:00.000-05:002011-07-05T09:00:37.004-05:00Empty Cupboard RoundupHere's your chance y'all - send in a link to your own empty-cupboard meal post and share the oh-crap-what's-for-dinner wisdom!
Okay, let's get that empty cupboard round-up onMilwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-41667747358540247052011-07-05T07:28:00.000-05:002011-07-05T07:28:12.337-05:00Lego Maniac's DreamCan I just say? THIS IS AWESOME.
My Little Gems: DIY Lego Table {from an old Coffee or End Table}Milwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261363967509399618.post-76091083476134396482011-07-05T02:44:00.002-05:002011-07-05T09:14:29.031-05:00Eating on Empty: Pizza Party!This post has been written for inclusion in the Empty Cupboard Meals recipe roundup hosted by Bearing Blog.
Our family has a few go-to meals for when we've run out of food, ideas, or gumption. One of my favorites is homemade pizza! Even when our cupboards are otherwise quite bare, we always have flour, yeast, and salt on hand. Well, and water. But water's free. I Milwife Mama of Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02744563413794653168noreply@blogger.com1