A calm down basket

I came across the idea of a calm down basket. It includes some reading books, coloring books, a candle, a mind jar, a jar with slips of paper with calming ideas, a rice container (dried rice with lavender bits that they can sift through to find marbles and other "treasures"), a seek-and-find bead bag, soothing music CDs, a puzzle.

The kids will go to it on their own sometimes (or we remind them) when they are upset. The biggest hits right now are the candle (matches) and coloring books.






It has helped.

No joy right now

I am weak. I am worn out. I am tired. I get angry. I yell. I threaten. I can't find it in myself to stop. I know I need to. I want to. I hate the way I react to my children's behaviors. I try to talk to them, see what they need. They shut me out. I walk away.

I can't wait until they go to school each day. I don't look forward to having them home in the afternoon. I anticipate the time when they are in bed, asleep. I stay up late wanting the peace to last and not wanting to go to sleep and wake up to do it again.

Everyday is a challenge. Everyday I fail.

Don't try to fix it. Don't give me advice. Don't tell me it will be okay. Don't mention this post to me at all.

I just want to say this on here for myself. It's my blog and I'll rant if I want to.

Let sleeping cats lie

Taking a cat nap in the warm sunshine.

Eating from the freezer

The freezer was too full. And I didn't even remember what we had in there. I emptied it and identified all but one thing, making a list.








I was surprised that all this came out of that small space.


I picked out some kielbasa and diced green peppers, corn and peas for dinner. I put some beef stew in the frig for Gary's lunch tomorrow.

We will continue to eat from the freezer.

Something Interesting

I don't know if she just likes looking at herself or if she finds the fireplace doors nice to look at. She sits here often. Just staring at the wall.

Asleep

We kept Josh home from school today to make sure everything is out of his system. He's watched some TV. I did dishes and took a shower.

When I came out from my shower, the boy had fallen asleep. He finds the most interesting places to take a nap. I guess he's like his Poppop and his great-grandfather, sleeping anywhere.





This was another time when he was sick.

Here he is taking a break from playing.

Even at a Phillies game, the boy takes a nap.

We decorated

We have our tree up and other decorations. The kids have been asking to decorate. Usually we have Christmas music laying in the background and it's a festive time.

This year we had Ice Age 2 playing instead.





This is the angel I use for the Nativity set. Obviously it didn't come with the set, since it is actually a silver candle snuffer. I noticed that it was tarnished. [It's hard to tell in the photo.]

Here you see it cleaned. [Again, hard to tell.] Next to it is what I cleaned it with. Toothpaste. You can bet your teeth are clean too, I guess.

Turned a corner?

Dare I say, Josh has turned a corner in the potty department. He's used it properly three times today. But he still had to change underwear, because of . . . not making it in time due to intestinal issues. The poor guy.

Better

Turning the kids' beds was a good idea. Instead of the trundle bed being in the way when it's out, it helps.

Before when it was out you couldn't get to the dresser, the other bed and the closet without shifting it and you couldn't shut the door without moving it. It was tiresome.


With the beds turned 90 degrees, we can keep the trundle bed up and it isn't in the way. The dresser, closet, and other bed are all accessible without moving anything. And the door is not blocked. And Ellie and Josh have been sticking to one bed instead of switching back and forth like they were doing.

Plus, we have storage space under the beds now.

Moving sticks

The kids are on a walk with Grammy H. and her friend to the playground. Gary and I have some time alone. And what do we do?

We chopped wood and gathered kindling. You can guess who did which.




I moved some of this . . .

. . . to this bin in the side porch.

Here's Gary's work. Notice the sled. It still works to move wood, even without snow.

He was wrong

After several days of still changing pull-ups, I reminded Josh that he said he was going to use the potty now for all his needs. He considered that and said, "I was wrong."

Five years today

My boy turns five. He seems so small, but yet he is so big. And just plain adorable.

And he told me today that "I think I'm ready to use the potty, now. I understand now. I don't have to be afraid." He's wearing underwear. Please pray that this is for real. It would make my day, my month, even my year!

My rough and tumble boy, who loves dirt and making noises. Who can make anything into a road for his vehicles. Who gives me the bestest hugs, especially when I'm sad. Who can talk your ears off. And then talk some more.

Happy birthday!

A new look, a better feel

The cabin is getting smaller and smaller and smaller. And the Kulp family is getting crankier and crankier and crankier.

I've been wanting to do something about how crowded it felt in here for awhile. I asked my parents about getting rid of a few pieces of furniture. They agreed and out it went. [Trying to actually get rid of it is another matter.]


Don't you feel less crowded? I do!

Next is the kids' room. Since we can't eliminate furniture in there, we thought we'd try moving it around.

A beer bottle

Gary used his very scientific method of using a beer bottle to measure the amount of snow we got. 10 inches.

The second snow

It's been snowing since around 10:00 this morning. The kids wanted to go out to play, so I made a trip to the attic. Coats, boots, and snow pants came down.














The leaves aren't even all down yet.










A little cabin in the snow.






Sledding down the driveway.

Really?

It snowed tonight. Not a lot but still. I had to sweep off the steps. It even started sticking to the ground. Josh asked if it was winter now.

An opossum

While in Honesdale for our CSA pickup, it became clear that the kids weren't going to make it until we got home for dinner. We ate pizza at the local pizza place and brought home the extra.

In not wanting to make extra trips up from the car, I had my hands full, so couldn't stop at the basement to put the pizza box in the fridge down there.

After the kids were in bed, we cleared the table and Gary put the pizza box on the porch for me for when I went down to put it in the fridge.

I didn't go right away. But all of a sudden I heard a scraping sound on the porch and I jumped up and flung the door open. In the dark, I heard a creature started scurrying. I quickly shut the door lest it scurry into the house by mistake. But since I wanted to know what it was, I went back out. The light came on and I saw an opossum lumber down the steps and take off once it hit the ground.

It had passed by the leftover pumpkin head and tried to get at our pizza. We believe it was the pumpkin killer. We also believe it was the one to leave tracks on the porch several nights ago. The little brazen thing.

Note: Not my photo. Ours didn't stick around long enough.


Second note: I did get the applesauce and pie made and both are delicious.

Making applesauce

I think I am finally going to make applesauce today. I've talked about making it for a month now. I've procrastinated because I want to keep the skin on (less work and more nutritious,) but I don't have a mill. I have been trying to think of way without using one. Haven't come up with one. So, no applesauce.

When visiting my parents, I forgot to bring my mom's press back with me.

Today I bought more apples. Today I bought a food press. Today I am going to make applesauce! And I might as well throw together an apple pie while I'm at it.

Just after I take a shower and make a fire.

Poor pumpkin head

When visiting with my parents this past weekend, the kids and my dad carved a pumpkin. Ellie drew the face on, and Poppop cut it out.

Once back at the cabin, we proudly displayed it on the landing of the steps up to the porch. And there it sat for almost two days.



Sometime between 3:30 and 5:15 today, some creature decided to snack on the face of the pumpkin. This is all that's left.









The kids and Gary devised a trap to catch the scoundrel should it come back to finish the job.

New links

I have found three new sites that have transformed the way I want to parent. Teach through Love, Aha! Parenting, and Positive Parenting.

Check them out.