Train Table

I'm just entering my 3rd trimester and the nesting instinct has kicked my lazy butt into high gear. I'm cleaning, rearranging, and in every way trying to clear things out of my house that cause clutter and affect my peace. And this brings me to the train table...

In November the mother of a friend offered us a hand-me-down train table for our boys. At the time, Charlie had a limited number of trains and tracks, but played with them frequently. We jumped at the offer, and gave him the table and some new trains and tracks for Christmas. He initially loved them all, but soon lost interest.

While the table has gotten some very limited use during playdates, overall, it sits idle, taking up precious space in our living room. The trains have been used very rarely, if at all, since January. I had begun to think that Charlie just didn't care that much about his trains, until this past weekend. At the request of one of our children, Mr. Red put a new battery in one of the engine trains. He then brought all the trains into the kitchen area. All 3 children played happily with the trains for hours! Augustine (18 months) and Charlie (3.5) have returned to the trains as their toy of choice all weekend. On the kitchen floor, the children have built an extensive track. In the past, the train table severely limited their options for using bridges and switch tracks. It was only with our assistance that they could design these sorts of track schemes within the table confines. But on the floor, the sky is the limit.

And so all of this has left me ready to post our train table on freecycle. At present, it's only justifiable use seems to be the storage bins beneath the table. Am I being hasty here? Besides storage, is there another reason that I should keep the table?

Ode to Sleep

Blinds drawn 'til eight, I can scarcely believe it
Mom slept through the night with nary a fit
Ten hours of sleep... continuous!
A feat that's truly and really stupendous.


One preschooler, one toddler, one small prego belly
This is a rare sleep-beneficial combination, woah nelly!
Soon I will enter the dreaded 3rd trimester
Less sleep I will get than a college semester

So I pause here today and I render thanks
A blink of my lifespan to arise with no cranks.

Happy Fourth of July!

O beautiful for heroes proved

In liberating strife,

Who more than self their country loved,

And mercy more than life!

America! America!

May God thy gold refine,

Till all success be nobleness,

And every gain divine.

O beautiful for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years

Thine alabaster cities gleam,

Undimmed by human tears!

America! America!

God mend thine every flaw,

Confirm thy soul in self control,

Thy liberty in law.

Here's hoping you have a WONDERFUL day of celebration with family and friends. What a blessing to have one day set aside each year to reinvigorate our patriotism and to thank God for our country.

Vatican Visit to US Religious Sisters

This is a link to a New York Times article which I thought that it was worthing knowing/thinking/praying about.

Sources for Skirts?

Okay, so I know that we have closed the comments on the modesty/jumper issue, and I am not re-opening the debate here. I am a Land's End (on sale) shopper for most of my everyday clothing, and (like B-Mama) I like to save up and splurge for special occasion wear (I have a great go-to suit from Ann Taylor, it looks great, fits well and I have worn it so many times it has more than justified the price).

However, I do like to wear skirts (or slightly dressier slacks, even) to church, it makes it feel like I am setting the day apart. My kids notice, too, that I require them to dress up for church, and for my girls that means little dresses, so they ask why I am not wearing a dress.

I loved the comment from Anon4 about stopping wearing make-up while at Yale, because long before I was a homeschooler I had some hippie-chick tendencies and back then my summer staples were broomstick skirts, or tied Balinese sarongs, and birks. In the winter time I wore my mom's old kilts with thick dark tights and boiled wool clogs, so I associate these things with rather a liberal look, actually!

Lately, I have been thinking that those skirts would be cooler and more practical, my khakis are killing me in the heat and humidity and I have never really felt comfortable in shorts outside of the athletic field.

So, anyone have good luck finding nice mid-priced skirts or church attire lately?

A Boy's Perspective

After I ran over a curb at the bank, Dash said excitedly: "Mommy, are we off-roading?!?"

After I (exasperatedly) asked Dash what he was doing as he hacked away at a golf ball in the flower bed he exclaimed, "What! I'm using my sand wedge!"
He thought I was criticizing his club choice :-)

Berry Books

Red posted last week on her families berry picking adventure. The Incredible family did the same as well and we just finished making a batch of homemade blackberry jam this morning.

Like Red, I think great books are a must to go with most family activities!

Since many people enjoy berry picking over the 4th of July weekend, here are a few posts I ran across with some of our favorite berry books:

Strawberry books at Melissa Wiley's blog (at bottom of post)

Blueberry books at Dawn's blog (also at bottom of post).

One not mentioned: Jamberry by Bruce Degen.