read aloud revolution

If you are a longtime reader, then you know me pretty darn well. You know that I'm a wee bit odd, I adore my children, and that I'm trying to make sense of this fanciful job of mothering and life with a big dose of love and laughter. But I have confession to make. 

I've been holding out on you. 

I have hardly even mentioned one of the absolute most important things in our family life. I never felt that I could just touch on it. There was too much to say. We swear by it. We consider it the very core of our children's education and have done it every day for thirteen years now.

It's a consuming passion for the whole family.

Bearing in mind, that this is very much a work in progress, please go check out my 'other baby'.

Read Aloud Revolution

It is all about reading aloud to your older children.

We plan to read aloud to our children until the day they leave for college.

The potential that lies therein gives me goosebumps.

This site explains why.

And how.

And what.

It's all there.

So now you know me a little better!

p.s. it really is a work in progress, and will eventually offer a subscription curriculum for this incredible reading journey. any input is so very appreciated and needed!

www.readaloudrevolution.wordpress.com

A word from my sponsors

in their words:

Make the Scene at the Beehive Spring Open House! 

Saturday, May 26th at 6:30

Beehive

128 Grand Ave.

Mancos, Colorado

Beehive is your spot for all natural skincare, unique home decor, and hip baby stuff will be celebrating Spring with a major throwdown! 

Take a sneak peek at our new mineral makeup, shop books, candles, scents, tees, toys and hand made soaps all at low prices,

AND

did I mention the surprise musical guest?

Surprise - musical - guest!

***
New from Cartwheel Clothing!!!

Cartwheel Clothing is featuring hip new leather belts with buckles that
"pop!"  The Leather belts are available in dark brown, pink and lime green.
The buckles are each unique and interchangeable. Come visit us at the
Durango Farmer's Market June 2nd, 16th and 23rd from 8am until noon. Mention
"durangomom.com'" and get 15% off of our new belt design.

hello and goodbye

Will you forgive me if I check out for a few weeks?

I have several scheduled posts, but will be radio silent, otherwise.

There is the end of school, swim meets, a camp to plan and prepare for, a child leaving for sleepover camp, a river trip, another camping trip, a house and yard that need to be tamed, a garden that needs planting and two very special birthdays. 

I will be back on June 5 with a summer full of ideas and inspiration.

Until then!

thrifty thursday and more

In the fall of 1985, my parents packed my considerable belongings and dropped me off at Brumby Hall, my freshman dorm, at the University of Georgia.*

That makes it sound spontaneous, but believe you me, it was not. 

My roommate was pre-arranged. 

(Mom, how did you find this chick? Did you know that we were soul sisters? Did you know that she was insane and chain smoked and spent most of the day in her panties? Oh, Tricia, I love you, still!)

My sorority was basically pre-arranged.

My outfits? Holy Mother of Christ, you can't know the time and effort and money that went into my clothing! We could even call it a 'wardrobe' I believe.

All fabulously calculated and coordinated. 

I'm from South Georgia, remember.

So, of course it would follow, that my mother and the mother of my soon to be room mate and partner in crime, would have arranged that we have matching monogrammed bedding.

Hell yes they did.

And in the deep south, everyone is nodding in unison, a collective approval, while my western friends are thinking that a sleeping bag would have done the trick.  

And while I no longer have a wardrobe, you can bet that my mom saved my freshman year bedspread and Della is cozy under it every night.

How's that for thrifty?

The other day I was at the thrift store and saw this darling embroidered pillow case. The D loves it. 

"Can we fluff my bed?" she asked.

That's Patton speak for 'prettify and make fresh and cozy.'

We pulled off her wintry covers and went with feminine, and crisp, and pretty. 

My boys like for their beds to be fluffed too. 

Evidence of other thriftiness?

The lamp I got as a teenager.

The shelves....roadside.

The Della doll...I made.

The Wonder Jar...all those little toys that drive you crazy scattered hither and yon take on cult status when put in a jar.

I also saved that face numbing laughter that I shared with my freshman roomie.  I try to dole it out as appropriate.

We did. not. stop. We were our own circus. Nothing was spared. Nothing was sacred. We could have ended up in jail, certainly a psych ward. 

We would drive the half block to our favorite restaurant every night, and she would put in ZZ Top at TOP volume, open the moon roof, light a cigarette, easily hit 180 mph in her silver Monte Carlo with red interior, and yell heinous expletives at anyone within earshot out the open window. This was a half block....imagine a road trip. I remember my legs being weak with laughter.

Life is funny. Thank goodness. 

Go forth 

and be thrifty! 

(but not with laughter)

*I was wearing cut-off Duckhead shorts, a Sea Island T-shirt, and huge cotton socks with my red Tretorns (not my blue or green ones). My bag was Louis Vuitton. I was very tan. Squeeze was my band of choice and I wore lots of gold jewelry. 

valley camp

Here is a sneak peak at a few of the plans in the works for Valley Camp 2012.

dip dying...tie dying
footprint robins
rainbow out of paper plates and streamers
home made chocolate chips... 1,000's of them
local grape ice cream

history in a graveyard

trail tag

the secrets of downtown
fairies in a jar

boat building

water contraptions
'local' terrariums...cactus version and moss version
family crests
family trees ....mobiles
survival bracelets
skirts
wooly booger monsters
diaper races
orienteering
community scavenger hunts
making messenger bags
roxaboxan
andy goldsworthy creations
rock necklaces
shrinky dinks
painted rocks

lanyards...collages

cardboard dollhouses
button rings

backyard ballistics

stink bombs
movie making for the older kids...evidence of aliens, zombie apocalypse, the haunted forest
wrapping sticks with yarn.., patterns...natural mobiles

mileage sign to favorite places
flower pressing
flip book making
new york city
paris
ye olde england
manners made fun

junction creek races
whales, sharks and narwhals...ocean box
femo clay narwhal with scew horns
button pushpins and bulletin boards

calligraphy, quill and ink...
 tree pencils 

dry ice experiments
candle making


field trips to canyon of the ancients...engineer...transfer, 

mushrooming....river rat days, rafting, ultimate, slacklining, bouldering, compass games, planting, overnight camping,.....

If you have not reserved your spot, then hop to it!

Tell a friend!

Don't miss such pure summer fun!

To sign up go here.

rogue salad

Is it just me?

When I read the manual, it said that I was to 'eat what needs eating'. 

Those were the exact words.

I know you saw that part. And I do. I mix together everything that 'needs eating' and put it on a bed of greens and eat it. Dutifully.
hummus
tuna
eggs
beets
coleslaw
{yes, you can put slaw on salad}
steak
refried beans
chili rellenos
cornbread
sausage
quiche
fish
kraut
cheese
whatever
younameit
idothiseveryday.

'Eat what needs eating.'
Your children aren't going to do it and your husband is not going to do it.
If you put it on a salad, if lends the illusion of a fresh healthy first choice.

Sometimes I feel like the compost pile.

A human compost pile.

happy day, girls!

This cup is for you, girls. A double dirty mocha chai. That's left over cocoa from yesterday, a jar of zingy chai, that sweet Rachel brought me the other day, and a stiff coffee all simmered gently till they become one with my universe. It's a lovely thing to wake up to. If you were closer, we'd have one together!
 
On Mother's Day Eve, my middle child shot me square between the eyes from the distance of a hundred feet with a nerf bow and arrow. It smarted. (and scared me, more than anything) I came down on him like a Hollywood super hero.

"You don't aim at people!"

"It was an accident." he pleaded.

He was genuinely alarmed and sorry.

But you must have aimed at me, I maintained.

"I didn't, Mom, I'm a lousy aim." he said with tears.

And then I have to laugh, of course.

Because a momma knows when there is no guile.

My relaxation consisted of my six year year old checking my wild, wooly hair for ticks. For real. I had the tickly feeling that they were on me, and I found two myself. I spent a large part of the day trekking through dense vegetation with a sled, hauling earth worm laden compost. Don't ask, but know that I find this sort of thing thrilling.

I closed my eyes and she picked through my hair like a monkey, and the final verdict was....

'Mom, you have flakes, but I don't see any ticks.'
Matt was nearby and checked for gray hairs. That was fun, too.
You weren't thinking that we are civilized over here, were you?

So I took a shower before dinner. Of course the shampoo was missing, so I dragged my wet, naked self out of the shower to scream at anyone who would hear me, to bring me some dang shampoo. Max responded. It was his shampoo, and he was keeping it in his room and it was made for men, not women. Damn Axe and all their stupid ass products. 

Are you shitting me? Bring me some product. NOW! 

He brings it, and I am back in the shower and I hear a commotion. It's not enough to shoot me in the face, please, let me climb through the bathroom window in my muddy sneakers during your bi-monthly relaxing mother's day shower for no good reason whatsoever.

The highlight was dinner.

I looked at Matt in total and utter awe.

"Do you realize that all three of our children fixed their own baked potato and cut their own steak with absolutely no help from us?!"

None.

He was just as amazed as I.
This is staggering. I've been doing just this sort of thing for thirteen years now and, POOF, inside of one meal, it's all over.

That's bittersweet, actually. It goes so fast, this gift we're given. 

The chance to love at mach speed and feel overwhelmed with the pure beauty that is children. 

It's our little secret, isn't it? We moms have it good. 

The fountain of youth isn't at all what people think.

Or is it?

Love to you all.

thrifty thursday and more

Today I am joining Lady Cordelia again for thrifty Thursday.

Where do we draw the line?

We don't.

Trash by the side of the road is absolutely fair game. 

I have been hankering for new dining room chairs for a long time. I say that like I have dining room, which I don't.  We have had white plastic ikea chairs for many moons, and while they were nicely neutral, they were getting grubby. And they were plastic, let's not forget. 

I was hoping for some wood chairs or some retro cool, awesome colored, vintage Brunswick fiberglass shell chairs.

uh huh.

guess what?

free.

by the side of the road.

10 of them.

I only took five in the coolest possible colors.

can you believe?

....in other news...

We have been busy creating around here. I can't reveal it all right now, but this was a fun project. 

Max and our youth group welded a bench to go in the garden at the local soup kitchen. They were taught the basics and then got to it. 

filing.

excuse me, young man, but who said you could grow up?

These three give me faith in raising a teen! such. nice. kids.

Max wields fiery hot torch, Mike puts his hands in there to guide. Oy.

The finished product was simple and lovely. Thank you to Ellen and Mike for organizing and executing. It takes a village, and I am always grateful for my village, at home and afar.

***
Summer Valley Camp plans are coming along fabulously and if you are thinking of coming, then let me know soon!
I am filling up fast!
Matt will be helping with the older kids on Mondays and I'm so excited.... he is a fountain of enthusiasm and fun. (rhubarb excluded)
***
My next door neighbor dropped this card at my door the other night. It reminded her of me and reminds me of her, which is just so nice. I love it!

And finally, here is the much maligned rhubarb cobbler. Matt went ON AND ON about how awful rhubarb is. I was making it, and he went so far as to make HIS OWN batch of oatmeal, pecan, milk chocolate cookies for dessert. He kept saying that 'if I want to make a dessert out of sauerkraut then go right ahead....'

blah blah blah

The children were nonplussed to try it, to say the least. 

But then the aroma, and the crumble, and the vanilla Ben and Jerry's caused him to cave and try it.
I should have said 'no'. I should have said 'take your little cookies and go eat them in the corner.' But this fellow has a spell on me, and of course, it's always glorious to prove them wrong.

'I must have been thinking of something else', he meekly volunteered after finishing his first bowl.

We polished it off for breakfast.

I used this recipe and added raspberries, oats to the topping, and used a whole stick of butter rather than a quarter.

Happy Thursday!
Go forth and be thrifty (but not with the butter).

A word from my sponsors

Every other Wednesday I will offer my sponsors a chance to update us on their latest and greatest news!

In their words...
 ***

Sparkle Stories launched our first audio book, "How To Be Super"!   It's a joyful (and really funny) look at the superpowers hiding inside us all.

One Saturday morning, a seemingly ordinary husband, father and elementary school teacher learns that he has the "mark" of a superhero.   The moment he decides to rediscover lost superpowers from his youth, his eyes are opened to community of curious local folk who teach him How To Be Super.

Listen to a short sample of the story.  This is a story suitable for children 9 years and older, but parents will especially love it.  Order your copy here!

***


Twist & Twine Yarns are featuring 2 new yarns:
Isabella sock - a lovely British Falkland Merino fingering yarn
Cordelia DK - versatile 4 ply  British Falkland merino DK yarn

Also in my ETSY shop I have so many new and freshly colored yarns.
Please come and take a looksee!

***
(because one my greatest joys is reading an email from scooter at beehive, i'm not editing him at all)
He says...

Dig this promo blather!

Exclusive Beehive Mancos Tee's
Not just for locals anymore! Get a taste for the backwoods bohemia that is Mancos with our new tee styles: first the gentle burro printed on an earthy green tee (US made, of course) and then embrace the distortion of our saucy skeleton in jet black. All original design by Beehive and hand-screened by Rosie Carter with eco-frindly ink. Only at Beehive and beehivelovesyou.com.

really now. i think we all need one.

***
If you put Scooter and Reneata from Beehive and Jill from Pop Art says What? in the same room, something wild and great would happen. I think i'll try it one day.
take it from Matt....

also from Jill....
Louise at the Museum is undergoing a tummy tuck and will be open for all your food truck needs in the near future!

Thank you Sponsors!

500

Holy Toledo. Today marks my 500th post. I just noticed that and it leaves me a little tongue tied. I  really didn't have much to offer you and now I'm really feeling the pressure. 500. That's a bunch. Where do I plan on going with all this? Is this a hobby or a viable avenue for revenue? What is my damn meta tag? 500 posts later, I should at least know that, right? I don't really. I hate to 'summarize' my mission in one concise sentence. I never know what to say. I hate the title 'mommy blogger' and cringe at hanging my hat on cooking or crafting or natural family parenting. I suppose I don't picture myself in any of those neat little shells. I am just me. Which is a singular (and odd) niche. 

 Is that why we blog? 

Perhaps.

What I do know is this. I love you guys. I love the friends and connection and community that I have found. I love that I can look at a big fat map and overlay it with friendly faces of women and families, all so very different, but with the powerful common denominator of huge open hearts and a willingness to express themselves. I feel better knowing that you are all out there. I love our differences. I have faith in a world that's looking sort of shabby from the cover of a newspaper, because of you. 

You are real friends and I am thankful that I know you.