Clover Lane

We've had a long run of fun events and I am reminded once again, of what "settling in" means to me and the kids and what I need to do to make that happen.  I've heard too many requests lately to watch TV or invite a friend over or go to a friend's house.  They have grown accustomed to being entertained, instead of finding their own entertainment.

Today I started to clean out the craft/homework area, (long overdue, plus school supplies are out and I freshened our markers and crayons) and moved into the family room to simplify things a bit.  Boy I used to be good at this-I could pitch things, put them in the Goodwill bin, move them upstairs into the "holding area" (otherwise known as linen closet repurposed into toy cabinet) with ease.  Now I find myself getting stuck by sentimentalism in a major paralyzing way.  For instance, Patrick doesn't play with his "guys" anymore.  That hurts my heart, because I won't have any other little boys to hand those guys down to and he's growing up so quickly.  I won't/can't/don't part with them, he doesn't want to either. We moved them up in his drawer under his bed.

When it comes to having kids who can entertain themselves, sometimes all it takes is a stern "quiet day" rule (nothing going on today, don't ask) and for me to sit down and re-engage them in activities. If I sit and draw with them, start them out on little things like this whatever it is, I reawaken the interest.  This takes:

1. having things organized and accessible to them.
2. simplifying their things so they aren't overwhelmed.
3. a little instruction or just sitting with them and playing along.

Janey had too many toys out, and when I moved a lot of things up to a high shelf in her closet (they will feel new when I switch them out in a few months), and I set up a little area with just three dolls and a basket of clothes, one purse and a backpack she played for hours with them.  I am on to her kitchen area to weed out there.

All of these things, (except the deep sentimental feelings which make me want to bawl), help me feel more settled also.  I know what we have in our home, I can easily help straighten the family areas (or do it myself, which is most likely the case), it looks visually appealing to me and I can reconnect with the kids.  I have learned this about myself and my kids over the years-we need this pull-back time, and need to take the time to settle in and reestablish some semblance of order.

Four down, one to go, and the last one is all mine, all day, and we are going to have some fun.  Fun meaning: quiet walks, books, cleaning, laundry, organization, meal making, and routine, routine, routine.  Because Janey and I both need it!
 And off Andrew and Patrick go:


I have four different schools this year, four different start dates.  Highschoolers first.  Abbey has saved up so many electives she told me, "Mom don't ever ask me if I have my homework finished OK?  I don't have any!"  I am happy for her, she has worked hard the last three years.  She is taking a piano class, teaching herself to play.  Matt is playing soccer and loving it and working hard and loves high school.

That's enough for now-I have to make good use of nap time and put this house back together after all the wear and tear of summer days.

P.S. Thank you for all your birthday gift ideas for Janey!

Janey has been cracking us up lately with her funny faces.  I tried pigtails the other day-I don't think she or her hair is ready for that next step. She sure looked cute though-but a little too old-Isaac texted me the last time I posted a pic of Janey and said, "She looks like she is five!"  She is such a sweetie and so content and happy.  I finally was able to find some boots for her little feet and we can get outside in the mud.  And the teeth-finally in!  We are both relieved.

Matthew made his Confirmation last week and Abbey stood in for Isaac as his sponsor.  In the rush of making sure everyone was ready and looking nice and able to endure the long ceremony (i.e. had full tummies) I forgot to grab my camera battery on the way out.  Darn.

Happy Spring!  It has arrived!  The boys played outside all day Sunday and what a difference it makes.

I'm making slow headway on the 40 Bags in 40 Days spring cleaning process.  I think I should take a photo of the area I cleaned out, and then a picture of how Janey "helped" me just for fun.  (Like as I am cleaning the bathroom closet, the toilet paper magically unrolls itself all over the floor.  There is nothing to do but laugh, 18 months is the cutest age ever-she wants to be stuck like next to me at all times and copies everything I do. :)

But this Lenten process gets easier and easier for me each  year, I have to admit, because I am so much more careful about what comes into this house, and I find myself doing little purges all year long.  I hope to whiz through rooms quickly, although I anticipate coming to a screeching halt when I get to the attic.

I've realized that I have dropped the ball on my weekly menu posts.  As soon as I think I can handle a small blogging obligation with ease, some how my life here at home fills up, something more important eases its way in, and I have to rearrange priorities.  I mean to continue, but can't count on the time to do that yet.  I laughed that I wrote on my sleep post 'Part Two coming soon', because it is most definitely not coming soon....it is coming most indefinitely later.   As we start up here with the busy season of spring (yeah!), things seem to come at me so fast, that I have to clear brain space in order to strive to have a peaceful mind instead of a harried one.

I am off to catch up on laundry and write out that menu (boy I dread that sometimes!), and get things in order for the busy weekend.  Hope you have a good one!

 Well, it is a balmy 35 degrees outside today and I felt like after our morning chores were finished and lunch was eaten, we needed to fill our lungs with some fresh air.  It felt good!

I just had Janey's photo taken.  I've always gone to Target with a coupon and a baby that's around nine months old and asked for plain white background and then ordered a few 8x10's.

Here are all my babies, about the same age.  All I know is that Patrick and Janey do look a lot alike, and Andrew...well...that child inherited 100% of his father's genes.
 Some things are meant to be remembered.  Abbey went to the mall after school on the last day, and then came home and said, "I think I am allergic to the mall, and I think I hate shopping."  Talk about inherited traits!  I laughed so hard and wrote it down to remember it forever (and remind her often)...I had wished that non-shopping gene would rear it's lovely head soon!



 I don't think he really understood the "race" part back then.  And his legs didn't seem to be co-ordinated to bump it up a notch.  The next year he improved a tiny bit-he started to notice that a lot of the kids finished before him, and that frustrated him, but he didn't give up, he worked harder.  Every year he got a little better, those legs started working a little more gracefully and now in third grade he is an excellent runner.  We are so proud of him!

This week I really felt like finding a good, happy easy read.  I knew I needed to find the latest Maeve Binchy.  There is something about her sweet story-telling that picks up my spirits.  She just had the art for weaving together all these characters, didn't she?   I always think of that saying "everybody has a story to tell".  Each of her characters has had their own struggles and triumphs and the underling theme in each of her books is kindness and compassion.  I'm so sad she is gone-I was looking forward to many more books.  I will have to go back and re-read some when I need my "it all works out in the end" fix.

I haven't really ever made a photo book before, but I had this little idea in my head for awhile and finally had some time to do it.

I made Patrick an ABC book...just simple letters with one of my photos that start with that letter.  It's probably a little late for this age-wise, but it helps him with his sounds and he loves it.  And it helped me get the hang of whipping something like this together.  I am hooked!  (Much easier than my cookbook and so much less time-consuming!)

I chose a soft cover, 8x8 size, and made the cover page in Picasa.  (If interested, you can see my scrapbook tutorials on how to do that.)

It's nice to get back on a routine.  I love January-not the cold weather of course, but the quietness and the coziness in our warm home.  Here are some things that are keeping us busy: