To Market, to market...

I can breathe. The house is ready for our renters and we are in the basement. I can say that this year, I won the battle. The battle of "just how obsessed with cleaning can you be." I don't know if laziness took over, apathy or just a better perspective came into view. I believe it was the latter. It feels good and satisfactory that I did not have one melt down, one hissy fit, one tense moment with any other member of my family. And yet, the house is nice, orderly, and clean. Twice a year, every hairbow is in its place, legos in their boxes, and bills filed. This year, I was done so early; I actually got some painting done. Not obsessive painting, but painting two repair patches from a towel bar gone awry and a door knob in wall incident. It makes me consider trying my hand at professional organizing...well, maybe not.
Over the past 4 years, I know that in the back of my mind, I have had a little chip on my shoulder, a little grudge about renting our house. It is solely my responsibility to get ready for it and I admit I have harbored some resentment over that fact. However, this time around...nothing. Even adjusting to life in our basement has been a breeze this time around. In fact, I am enjoying it. Therefore, I am completely fine and at peace with this continued agreement. Funny, though, now Jay seems a bit antsier about renting and almost appears to be scrounging around, grasping for a reason for this to be our last market.

I am thankful to God for working through me to release the tension and anxiety that normal encapsulates these 4 weeks out of the year. Baby steps...just one little one at a time.

Spring Has Sprung!

Spring has sprung at the Dumoulin house. The kids are finishing up their week of spring break which has felt so much like summer vacation that I am dreading Monday. The weather has been unbelievably warm and I have really enjoyed having the kids with me.

The kids have taken every advantage of it by playing outside - riding their bikes and scooters, playing in the old chicken coop, on the trampoline and down at the creek. Yes, the creek. You know what that means? Critters!

A baby turtle with a salamander on its back. Now THAT is unusual, slightly bizarre.  The turtle has been with us for several days now.  He has been given a name, Boxer.  The addition of the name is a bit concerning.

To the left of the reflection from my flash is a crayfish.

And finally, this is an example of what has just been added to the endangered species list...MY TUPPERWARE!

I told the kids new tupperware would be coming out of their allowance.

Spring also means market cleaning (boo!) and starting our garden (yay!). Our little patch of goodness is coming along. I am so excited something that has already begun sprouting! SUNFLOWERS! And lots and lots of them.

The seeds were a gift from my Aunt Sue. We planted them in a row beneath our kitchen windows so that we will have this beautiful view of sunshiny, bright yellow flowers sometime in about 2 - 3 months. We will have to weed some of them out, because we overplanted. If anyone wants to come take a few, be my guest!

We still have some maintenance and beautification issues to take care of, but all in all, it is a start.

Elsewhere in the garden, my lettuce is looking a little weak, but I think that is because we had that string of bizarre 90 degree days this week. Tomatoes, green beans, squash, zucchini and a couple of cucumbers. I have a pot with some herbs, another pot with a few strawberry plants and another single rosemary plant. I am still waiting to plant the sugar peas and various peppers. The kids have been an integral part of the process - weeding, watering, etc. I think today they will feed the garden and all the rose bushes in the yard.  We have our first strawberry!

Huh. I just realized that I will need to find someone to watch the dogs and water the garden while we are on our trip in May/June. Add that one to the list.

In a move that can only be describe as self-destructive, I took Sadie to the store that makes me insane yesterday. Yes, Justice. Sadie chose a new scarf and decided she was much better off with her budget to go to Claire's. Good move Sadie! The kids had some money from Valentine's, Easter and from money earned for market cleaning. Let me make a note that my kids have become quite the expert cleaners. For example, Ethan rocked the baseboards in the house and Sadie is a meticulous furniture polisher. Their attitudes have also been that of servanthood for a change and that has made the week wonderful.

Therefore, we have done quite a bit of fun stuff, along with the cleaning. We went to the zoo, the kids had a night with one set of grandparents where they fished and had a bon fire by the creek. The other grandparents took them to lunch and the movies. Two kids have had sleepovers with their cousins and one had a playdate at another friend's house. I failed at getting us to the Civil Rights' Museum or ArtQuest - both things I wanted to do. However, I had to get the house ready for market and we just ran out of time.

This morning my little love rolled over in her sleeping bag. She coughed quite a bit and then looked at me. Her first words of the morning, "I love you, Mommy." What a great way to start the day. If this is any indication of what is to come, I say BRING ON SUMMER!

Friendship means understanding and being understood... Friendship means affirming and being affirmed... Friendship means accepting and being accepted... Friendship means helping and being helped... Friendship means forgiving and being forgiven.

-- David J. Claasen



1 a : one attached to another by affection or esteem b : acquaintance
2 a : one that is not hostile b : one that is of the same nation, party, or group
3 : one that favors or promotes something (as a charity)
4 : a favored companion
1.a person whom one knows well and is fond of; intimate associate; close acquaintance
2.a person on the same side in a struggle; one who is not an enemy or foe; ally
3.a supporter or sympathizer a friend of labor
4.something thought of as like a friend in being helpful, reliable, etc.

Let there be joy in my heart today, Lord!
Fill it to the brim, burst it with adoration for You.
Let my spirit be humble
Let my eyes see nothing but You.

Video Enjoyment of Another Parent's Oops!

This is so hilarious to me, only because this is being a parent.  An innocent little statement of fact can totally temporarily destroy your child.  The attempts of the parents to try to "make it all better" followed by the Dad's last statement is just classic.

The Evil Empire Has Won

I was afraid to turn on the news today, so I didn't.  Fearful, afraid, wishing so much that a Cinderella story ended with a happy ending and that the evil stepmother did not win.  And yet, here it is.  Downcast and forlorn I am today.

I read this on one of my often frequented blogs:

"But I'll just keep it simple: I hate those (bleeps) because I hate them. Every time they win, a kitten in my heart is strangled. The only thing that could possibly lessen last year's national championship was botching the next season and then having Dook win it. My grapes are sour, my earth is scorched..."

Maybe the icing on the cake was hearing the news from my friend of some 35 years, who I love dearly, but made a terrible case in judgment when we were seniors in high school...the decision to attend the school in question.  Coincidently, her daughter had an appointment at the same orthodontist's office this morning where Sadie had her first consult.  Why did I ask her, of all people?

And so, I wait.  Wait for next year.  Revenge will be ours.

Easter 2010

Another family fantastic, Jesus celebrating Easter is in the books.  We have never done much for Easter in terms of the "bunny" route.  In fact, I don't think the kids even know to consider that their little piles of goodies come from anywhere other than from us.  And, when I mean little, I mean little. The kids usually get a chocolate bunny and 3-4 other small pieces of candies (surprise, they are often my favorites), and then some clothing item that they needed for the season.  This year, Sadie and Lily got flip flops which I have to return for larger sizes and Ethan got pajamas. For their little fun thing, the girls got little garden aprons because we have started our garden and Ethan received what might be the smallest lego set ever manufactured. I had forwarned the kids that we were going to start downplaying Easter as a gift-giving season because that portion of it has nothing to do with Jesus. If someone knows differently, let me know.  Imagine tonight, when Ethan donned his new pajamas how appreciative he was of them.  "Mom, I love them. They are so soft.  Thanks!"  I just wasn't expecting that from a 9 year old boy.  It was nice to go very simply and think next year we might try to pare down even more.

We had the usual spats over what to wear with Sadie.  This, despite carefully preplanning and discussing it the day before.  It all revolved around her dress.  I told her that Easter would be my choice and Sundays after would be hers. Yeah, I know.  Probably a bad decision on my part.  The only area where we agreed was her shoes.  We had purchased her first pair of "heels" the day before.  When I say heels, I am talking about an inch.  That child tip-tapped her way through the entire day with the happiest, danciest feet I have ever seen.  Oh, and let me say "thanks" to her swim team, because nothing says "Easter's finest" like a temporary tattoo on your arm sporting the Star logo. 

Church was especially uplifting.  Our church became command central for the tornado recovery efforts that effected the surrounding neighborhoods.  We fed some 1,800 people over this past week.  Crazy.  I don't know how all that food and all those people came, got fed, coordinated, organized, etc.  But, it did!  As our pastor said today, "What a real way to put into practice service.  What an incredible opportunity God provided for us to love our community."  The music just rocked and well, it was teary for me.

Lunch was at my mom's and then the kids had an egg hunt.  They were limited to "29" eggs.  Yes.  Not the 4 or 5 I was always limited to, but 29.  They were all empty, but the kids had a lot of fun trying to find them all.  I loved having my niece and nephew with us, too.  Sadie wrote letters and drew pictures for everyone on that side of the family.  That is definitely her gift - encouragement.  Her letter to Gray was so sweet that it brought tears to my eyes.  It made me realize how precious that relationship is to her.  Praise God it appears there will be more time for that now.

After arriving home, Jay and I decided we would take a nap.  The kids went outside to play.  About an hour later, I got up.  Ethan and Sadie had changed into bathing suits and were playing with the hose.  Sadie found the biggest mud puddle, of course, and I am sure the bathing suit she was sporting is ruined.  I looked around for Lily and didn't see her.  I started to get a little concerned when I saw her asleep on the trampoline, or champoline as she calls it.  Ahhh, the joys of living on 10 acres and not having to worry about neighbors who think you have abandoned your kids and who might call DSS.

Dinner was spent with my dad and stepmom.  It was a little challenging as the kids were still pretty hyped up on sugar.  However, nothing beats being able to sit outside for dinner in April when your kids are climbing the walls, spilling their waters and trying to show off their moves for an upcoming Grandparent's Day program at school.

My beautiful blessings! 

Oh! Happy Day!

The greatest day in history, Death is beaten

You have rescued me

Sing it out, Jesus is alive

The empty cross, The empty grave

Life eternal You have won the day

Shout it out Jesus is alive

He's alive!