Life Adventures for Miles

So after a day out (we got some crafting and framing essentials plus some toy fun for the child) the sunny skies were calling us to the out of doors today! My other half brought out the fishing gear that included a net and a Luna fishing pole (paw patrol). As my husband tried his new bait, my child had a blast-and consequently had me holding my breath every time she'd bounce around near the water's edge (and with her energy there was a lot of breath-holding)- with her weighted "bait" and calling out every time she caught a "fish".  As it was more of a kid's training tool than an actual kids fishing pole, it reminded of a little of the fish scene in the first Gnomeo and Juliet movie. :) She continued fishing in the tub when we got home, it was a good one time ploy to bath her, I have found. Yay for so many Luna fishing trips!!!

So this week I want to talk about kiddie books! My child loves books. We are in that transition from board books to paperback, well sort of. We started out with the "baby" books-those that make noise and bright colors and whatnot, usually made out of some cloth or another flexible material so it doesn't fall apart from baby use- and moved into Indestructibles (a brand name that makes colorful picture books with limited or no words) and board books. The board books I have seen are copies or simplified versions of fun picture book stories. Ours are mostly of the Dr. Seuss variety with some other thrown in. My four-year-old is still pretty rough on books so our "paperback" stories are far and few in between, but growing! If you are super crafty I also recommend making books! There are several tutorials on making books from cloth and felt to pop up and paper. If you can, let your kid(s) help by narrating the story or creating/coloring the pictures. not only will it

So this week  I upgraded a hamper. I bought it to sort Luna toys (it originally have 3 cloth sorting bags) and after we moved, it was sitting tucked away in a closet, meanwhile, I was using laundry folding baskets... so I thought I'd convert the three bags to one piece since I don't sort my laundry. The bottom and the outside layer is a soft brown cloth that I recycled from an old couch cover. Luna has claimed it as her bus since I started this process! We will see how it fares...as a laundry hamper, not a bus. :)

So today we had an indoor beach adventure! Luna came with balls and buckets a-plenty! We played catch, pong (trying to throw the ball into the bucket), served "ice cream" and tried three different flavors (green, yellow, and orange/blue). She ended it with a jam session and then some real ice cream, yum yum!

EEEK! So I have been in love with the idea of "multi-functional" items since I realized what a Murphy bed was years and years ago (you have so many options now!!!). Ideas of why (besides ascetic) were formed from sustainable outcomes (the reduction or ration of material for example) and the idea of something that be hidden from view. I believe that it branched out from built-in furniture (which I also enjoy) for small spaces. For me, it also hits that conservationist aspect in which we use (or reuse) all of the pieces so there is no waste. The main problem I see is that in this commercialism world these have been considered organic and essentially hand-made so then, therefore, pricey. However, we are also a growing world of sustainable (and mobile) conscious freedom-minded perspectives, so it is finding it's way into the world of the DIY and mainstream economy. Yay!

So lately I've had lots of conversations and found myself in a...hypocritical?...state of mind. Habits are formed by the environment and thoughts you typically acquire when growing up, the influences that you are attached to (whether that is staying in line or rebelling from the line). [Western] Society is all about appearances. Not just the simple way you dress, but the way you act, the way you talk, your mannerism, body language, etc. We have learned to take it in and adapt it to us and what we want (there has been a lot of  "2 face" fake it till you make it adaptions over the years). The goal is to have that "perfect" civilized proper outlook. This could be the upper crust wealth (that realm of impeccableness in dress, act and manner) or modest "wholesome" vibe of homemade, homegrown, and last but not least, at the end of the spectrum of dignified but poor persons. I am still very literal when I think about things so when I say something I think abo

Today we celebrate Memorial Day in America. Originally called Decoration Day and honoring the civil war soldiers who died, it became a national holiday in the 1960s (or is it early 1970s?) and opened to honor all military deaths. Nowadays it's celebrated with BBQs and beer and a vat of commercialism. However, it was originally a somber day to remember and mourn the dead. It's an interesting thing this mourning of the dead. Western culture finds it a somber event...even with most of its (white spiritual) belief that the dead are going to be in a better place than holds them like kings and queen of old (in reverence) probably due to its roots in Puritan and Quakerism. In contrasting colors, the other cultures (most notably Spanish, Indian, Native, and African American communities) view death as a joyous celebration. They celebrate the life lived and its (possible) afterlife. Cleaning the cemetery (and essentially caring for the dead) are also among the major acts done on this

This week I worked on repurposing some wire rings and gift bags from Amazon (thanks mama!). The brown...fake?...leather came from my stash of recycled fabric too! It is a little messy (I will clean it up at some other point) but I had fun making it (for the most part). Yay me!!!

So the introduction of this book laid out a scene of the author and his wife of exploring Utah's (and Arizona's) public lands. Within this scene he painted the plot of the story and the reason for it's plot: the "land-transfer movement". This concept was not knew to me (think about in a people perspective-groups of people were transferred everywhere and to the highest bidder) however,, I was unaware of how much traction it has gotten for our land. I naively thought that the majority of our population, in this day and age, understood the consequences and the responsibilities of "owning" living and breathing species. The argument that land and animals are different then people...well,  I would point to science with a raised eyebrow and "oh yeah"? Whether one believes in creation or evolution, one cannot ignore the scientific (both social and physical) evidence of our similarities: we all have cycles of birth, life and death, and its species that

 This Friday (to be honest, like most Fridays) was a lazy day. We played blocks, had some screen time, ate some snacky food (yummy popcorn!), watched some YouTube, and played games in our rooms. we even created a drum set out of 2 square foam blocks and 2 chopsticks (a normal occurrence in this house). What I really want to talk about is pizza! Friday night pizzas is the norm in this house. We eat, we talk, sometimes we help, but it became quite a The pizza my husband is so fond of making has 4 basic ingredients: flour, yeast, oil, and water. Sometimes he adds other flavors but usually, the flavor comes from the toppings (meat and veg). As this house is dairy-free, what we DO NOT add (which has so many people aghast...which is I find quite amusing, although I do get quite protective when someone has known us for some time and forgets) is any sort of cheese. When we first got here, we came upon a pizza joint: Monster's pizza-they had to close down there Jacksonville location after t

Luna found great fun in learning and exploring the great outdoors in all its glory. She investigated the spout the itsy-bitsy spider went up, how deep puddles can be, where puddles can be formed, and then decided it would be fun to go on a fishing expedition  On days she couldn't explore the outdoors she explored the inner working of our house, from finding the fuse switches (and making a fool of her mother), over flooding bathrooms and learning what soap can do, and exploring her closet to see what the clothes can do! It is all great fun for my Luna Belle! 

So...I am now falling asleep faster and waking up earlier so these meds seem to be on the right track... I don't tend  to remember if I dream or not unless it in one of 2 categories of realms. Both seem to "scare" me awake to the point of not wanting to sleep again, however one is purely a wizard of oz concept, where its fantasy but has that familiarity with in it. I wake up in terror of uncomfortableness, usually right before or during something or someone attacking. The other category is based on reality (events/activities that could seen in my daily life with faces that are a regular occurrence in my every day life). The height of my emotional response to the scenario usually are the culprits of why I wake up in these types of dreams. I've also noticed a pattern of dejavu and or premonition with these dreams (although the act usually happens later rather then sooner). Alas, I don't recognize it until my initial reactive response has occurred and then usuall

How much do you think people would care when it came to landlords and the impoverished? In a way, it's a worldwide pandemic that started in the time of forever ago and has never left us. We have slowed it down with programs and outreach, laws and regulations, and all the good samaritans making things for them (mats, bags, or shelters) or giving them things (like food or money), but I noticed we don't actually have a place for them. In America is illegal to live in most of the places they live in (street sides, ally ways, bridges, and abandoned buildings). I did see mention...somewhere... a commerce community that is survived by the trade of goods and services (labor) vs the trade of money, and though that seemed like something. So my idea: a dedicated plot of land for such a thing. Society loves some good sustainability and the idea (and or act) of homesteading and helping those who need it (the principal of a good samaritan), why not do all three? Granted today's impoveris

So today has been an...relaxed Monday in this house. On our way the dumpster, my child found some puddles, ran back to get her boots, and proceeded to jump up and down in every puddle she could find. We then proceeded to "hide from the rain" and promptly got distracted with the broken branches on the ground. She had a fun time drawing, writing digging, and pushing around the dirt/soil and comparing every stick (and its mark) to each other, often trading me for one or the other. We ended this impromptu outing with selfie funny faces and some bowtie pasta! Woot woot for a Monday!

Languages are used for all sorts of reasons and purposes. Probably the most important would be communication. Growing up with a mother that spoke (at least) one other language, I didn't realize how lucky I was to have such a resource at my disposal until it was too late. Trying to catch up and learn has been...more downs than ups but I found a language app called Duolingo that seems to be working (ish). 5 minutes a day at the minimum and it combines comprehension with reading, speaking, and writing. It is also based on a reward system, the more lessons you complete, the more rewards...the simplicity of it reminds me more of a kids app, actually. Luna is still working on learning (American) English -the language of our house, nation, and business. Thus far, her parents seemed to be the only ones to truly understand her...most of the time...but she is having a lot of fun learning it! Songs, Apps, constant conversations, reading, writing, all in a days work for my Luna Belle!

To be honest I had trouble with this book. I would recommend it only because of the habits it inhabited (ha!). The foot traffic of this book was either study/technical jargon or examples of the problems he would come across... However, the 7 habits he talks about are pretty good for life, I think. It's all based on a natural law principle system. Habit 1, 2, and 3 are private victories (freedom of deciding what to do, how to do it, and the physical act of doing it): habit 1 is being proactive (choosing to do it), habit 2, is begin with the end in mind (visualizing the end result) and habit 3 is putting first (important) things first (rather than last). The next 3 habits reflect public victories (respect, understanding, and the actual creating). Habit 4 thinks in win/win terms for all things (how can both "sides" benefit). Habit 5 is seeking to first understand (the other "side") and then to be understood (emphatic listening) and habit 6 is putting it all toget

Growing up was mostly outside of school. My mother was passionate about teaching and the functionality of being an independent person that still contributes to the household and its community. My father grew up a farm boy and never really outgrew it, he found his calling through landscaping so...the house seemed like the heart of the home but also mostly for us to sleep and clean. The arts of music and dance were (as most things in life, in our day and age) outsourced through school and other such programs. While there has been and is music on all sides of my family...it never seemed to be one of those things we picked up in any length of time besides the schooling time frame. My husband's family, on the other hand, a lot more musical, even has an heirloom piano tucked away and 2 of his siblings enjoyed it so much, they acquired degrees in it.  Living and knowing all this still did not prepare me for my child and her enthusiasm in this particular field of interest. Everything and e

Today's craft...was not really crafting so much as mending/alterations...with stuffed animals. As I was organizing I found a couple stuffed animals that were put up for doctoring...and then forgotten about. My child found them and so the doctoring became a reality, Nothing fancy just a broken leg and nose (they both needed stitches, haha). Also, for the heck of it, I made a stuffed doll out of a rejected project-all the pieces were there, I just had to sew em together! But look! All fixed...and all stuffed with fluff (teehee! gotta love Winnie-the-Pooh!)                                                                                             

So...it is apparently proven fact that exercising helps with life: physically, emotionally, and mentally. I've always felt more "allergic" to working out (especially running) than anything else (especially in adulthood). As I've mentioned many times in this blog, my growing up was a lot more active than those who had free time to play in the neighborhood park after school. Sports gave mama more time to work and us...learning the proven life helpfulness thing. While I agree that my energy depleted (somewhat) which helped the balance of my mental/emotional and physical state, toting me around to follow my sisters in their sports (especially in the later years) giving me time just enough to glean the basics...was, in hindsight, probably, not all that great...while it did give me a basic preview of all different types of sports (most notably the need to be flexible kind), and it helped my mother (or whoever picked us up and/or dropped us off) not need to travel far to gra

So when I was a kid I was told I was the best cleaner...which was probably part positive reinforcement and part because I was the only kid in the house who did the cleaning without any true fuss. As my mother re-cleaned everything (or most everything) after I did it, I am not real sure about that title. When I was first married, I made a deal with my husband that I cleaned (especially the toilets) and he cooked. This deal naturally progressed into him taking over the kitchen...and us living more like roommates in the cleaning department (we each clean up after ourselves with the occasionally shared chores). With a child in the mix...the cleaning has become secondary to anything we do (mostly because we just cannot deal with it when the day is done). Luckily, the years of direct strict cleaning regiments we acquired sometime before marrying led us to be...more of a messy sort rather than a dirty sort. We also have different thinkings for cleaning. his white glove is my deep clean (those

So today I am musing (speaking as a western-ed white female hermit)...responsibilities and adulting is hard to do. The universe has seen fit to share with me lots of choice advice/avenues, especially after I chose to ask non-partial 3rd party help (which...have factors of their own within and because of...) and because I can't help but be on repeat. All the talk about has given me some musings. The evolution of society has given way to lots of things. Thinking has changed, mostly for the better (most, if not all that felt oppressed have expressed their displeasure with legal success...). I have to say, looking at some of the histories, I kind of miss it. While, yes, societal acceptance of certain superiority is and has been problematic (because we all like to feel equal, especially nowadays), their routine and habits were essential and actually taught, whether they were staying home or not and they were and could be creative if they didn't have things. As the world turned and w

You wanted to see me, my king?” the young knight asked bowing low. “Yes, my daughter.” The knight slowly rose, keeping quiet. “Have you knowledge of the other clans? Of the jewels, our fair kingdom is named from?” The knight thought a minute, finding her gaze landing on the queen. “Legends, sir. Of mythics residing low and high to...guard its treasure. The jewels of great power that provided means for our great clans in wealth...and destruction.” “Hmm, it is true, power can corrupt the greatest of us. There is a quest if you'll have it? You will meet with adventure and danger to be sure, as well as those rascal cousins of yours!” “My cousin's, grandfather?” the knight questioned, dropping all formality. “What would I want to do with those bloody goons!?!” “Luna!” The queen gasped. “ Those bloody goons, as you call them, have means and motive for this quest. Research, maps, muscle, and brains to match!” “Aye,” the king replied, “ and if the stories are true, you'll need thei

I am not sure why I chose this week's book(s) as such. In the emotional stress of this week, reading about the struggle and survival of the WW2  occupants (even if it was fiction) seemed a bit counterproductive to my mental health. However, I truly enjoyed these books and highly recommend them...  So today's book post is from Jean Grainger. I read the first book and while it had an ending that you could leave with, I wanted to see the overall ending (that's the sequel). Reading the back of the book, I had a sense that The star and the shamrock were about 2 women that dealt with WW2 and the kindertransport. I came to find that while it starts out with these 2 women (cousins by marriage), the real meat of the story is, in fact, a "whodunit" type of story with a dose of romance in between. The key factor (the Jewish German mother who sends her kids to the cousin by marriage) only shows up in the beginning and at the very end of the first book while the second book is

So this week was a week of doctor visits (really only 2 but each needed a day of recovery). Doctor visits were always for functionality (vaccines, braces, glasses) or for when we were truly ill (when we found ourselves in dangerous situations, bleeding out, vomiting, etc.). Being raised by a strong-willed woman who was a force of nature in her own right...and a dad who...couldn't compete...being tough and sticking it out ("all you need to do is..."), especially when it came to mental health (unless it affected school) was the way she raised 3 growing strong-willed (ish,), in their own right, girls, in the 90s. Mind you, the name of the game, back then, was divorce; so she went from working in Germany, to stay at home mom of 5 in America, to a single working mom of 3...that stayed in America all in the span of 17 years...which factors in somewhere in that attitude as well. So this week's outing of peopling on top of possible bad news (if you take it that way), trussed

I have been a fan and fascinated with pictures since I was a young gal. I even had an actual camera that I created a stair collage from one summer. You take pictures to commemorate and/or remember life. I have a lot, A LOT, of pictures/videos since I have married and had my kid. I take pictures of everything, sleeping, sights I see, selfies (although they are usually 2-person selfies), activities, events, animals/people, inanimate objects. I learned it helps cement the act of whatever is going on in my life-also it can be good fodder down the line. *laughs evilly* The other day my child got in on the action (she started out wanting to see herself in videos) and took great delight in snapping video/or pictures that I have now started an album of Luna pics, lol. Who knows maybe it's become something down the line-or not! (Luna pics)

This week's craft will be a Luna step stool as she keeps stealing every pillow to give her height so she can reach things. The plan, Stan, is taking an old project that I never really got started (sorry, fabric duffel diaper bag) and filling it with rubber mulch (taken from an old punching bag). The outer layer is fleece so it should be nice and soft, the inner layers are a canvas (to hold the mulch), 2 foam pads, and old clean dishcloths...and cotton and fabric scraps in between the canvas and fleece to extra filler. :)

Happy Cinco De Mayo!! Here are some fun facts about the fifth of May: (Facts Sourced from  history.com ) It Celebrates Mexico's Victory over France on May 5, 1862 (Battle of Puebla), not to be confused with Mexico's Independence Day remembrance of September 16, 1810. Small holiday in Mexico but HUGE in America as they took this battle victory in great cheer to celebrate  the Mexican culture Newly appointed President Benito Juárez came into office when the Mexican land was in financial ruin. It's debt collectors came to a calling and while Britain and Spain settled negotiations but, good ol' Napolean of France thought it the perfect opportunity to acquire his Empire (he lost) In Mexico  is primarily celebrated with reenactments and such in the place of the unlikely victory A good century later (the 1960s) Mexican Americans felt a kinship with its indigenous ancestors over this plight and celebrate with music parties, parades, folk dancing, and tra

It's my child's birthday! wot woot! Today's celebration, an intense start to (another round) of potty training. 15 intervals of sitting on the toilet...all day long...then chocolate cake from scratch!!!!  Today we had a pretty normal day for her bday. I try to do/have something to do (usually somewhere to go) for her bdays, however...well I guess the torture of the toileting was it, lol. She got to segment her day by playing with her toys and watching g her shows (it seems to be the way to keep her from fussing on the pot). Her daddy came home with a special surprise (pink sugar cookies!) And made hit dogs (one of her favorite foods) and got busy with some chocolate! Nom nom nom!!!

So this a book a week thing is harder then I was thinking it would be. Finding books that aren't my normal and slowing down to be able to think and write about it...it takes some effort and time I didn't realize was needed. Also spending all day on a book makes my husband (who gets frustrated with my book reading anyway) a bit grumpy, lol. So This book was based on English women in history between the 1570s and the 1770s. Maids (the young unmarried women) seemed to have the most freedom in terms of how they were thought of. Wives seemed to have most of the work, and widows seemed to be kind of stuck, to be honest (they paid their dues as a wife but couldn't do much with them). The book kept referring to this time as the early modern-day, which I can see, sort of. This time frame had a lot of modern-day thinking, they relied on the medical/science (of the day) and church for all their new and improved, from the home and its housewifely and chide rearing, to the health and

They say its good to have routines. They provide structure and a sense of control when the world is revolving day in and day out. They also say focusing on doing something in repetition is less stressful as the mind and body don't need to work hard when there are so many other things that will challenge them. Morning routines or bedtime routines are not only supposed to rejuvenate you (that whole proper sleep and hygiene thing) but also teach you good habits and responsibilities. It teaches one to be a sustainable adult. Growing up structure and routines were what kept me sane. Dealing with change (even the slighted minute shift) that required me to adapt set off to a spiral of that fearful panicky anxious uncertainty, I didn't know what to do with.  I seem to be a (the?) person who does purely for functionality/physiological sake. The other day I cam out of the shower was asked about how the shower made me feel (apparently the act of knowing and feeling clean is enjoyable to s

So...today has been a loooooong day to the start of the new month (yay it's May!) and it's only...almost noon. Yesterday I had a doctor's appointment and thus we all trooped into the (...unknown Into the unnnnkooooown!- Frozen 2 anyone?!? Yeah? No? No? Anyone?) outside world (it went fine and I got what I went in for...sort of). In preview to this, I walked from bathroom-ing to a sight of Benadryl capsules all over the dinner table (look, mommy, it's pink!) and thus began the Luna watch and Luna adventure. She is 100% okay and back to normal but lemme tell you, if it wasn't so scary and, it would have been hilarious. On top of that long watch (how is she this active on 3 hours of sleep!?!) and the movement of the medicine cabinet (again), the emotions from leaving the house that we don't really leave anymore (except for the outdoor walking); the peopling without actually peopling took its toll. Suffice it to say, my husband will take over the child while I crash