Over the weekend, Mr. Barefoot and I packed up the kids and a mountain of stuff and headed up north for a night away from home with my parents. We spent Saturday night at one of our favorite places: Black Bear Resort and Casino. We didn't go for the gambling, we went for... wait for it.... the pool!
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we do have pools much closer to our little town. Pools that would have been less crowded. Pools that do not lack in size or cleanliness or wetness or any other thing you may be looking for in a pool. Yet we drove north, trapped in the car with chattering, fighting Sprouts for... well, way too long, in order to spend an evening and a morning in a pool far away from home.
It was nice to get away from the house for a day. We swam, we ate at the buffet (good eats!), we took the kids to the arcade, we slept, we swam some more. It wasn't an eventful trip - just a bunch of Barefoot crazies hanging in chlorinated water till their skin and eyes burned, and their fingers and toes were all pruny - but it was incredibly nice.
The best part was that Little Sprout, who has a deathly fear of being in water deeper than her belly button, actually left the pool steps and doggy paddled her way around the pool for hours! I was so proud of my little one for taking this big step! Now I just have to work on getting her to learn to float without the life jacket. Well, everything in it's own time, I guess, right?
Sometimes it's good to get a change of scenery. We get bogged down in the day-to-dayness of life. So this was a bit of a breather for this Barefoot Family. We spent time together with no distractions, no impending sense that something or other needed to be done. It was time spent completely in the now, with no worries about what comes next, or where we had to be. I'm so glad we had this opportunity, and I look forward to doing it again next year....
~ And that's all I have to say about that ~
Monday, February 06, 2012
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Purging
We here at Barefoot Manor are "keepers". We like to hang on to things just in case they come in handy... someday.
On the one hand, there have been plenty of times when things really DO come in handy after over a year of sitting on a shelf or in a box. On the other hand... well, the things that sit and sit and sit FAR outweigh the things that actually do get used.
So I'm purging. It's a painful process, letting go of things that have so much potential. I am realizing, though, that my dreams are so much bigger than my abilities right now. Between working two jobs and trying to keep up with the Sprouts, I just don't have the time to put into DIY and craft projects the way I would like. Getting rid of all the extra stuff makes cleaning faster, and easier. Getting rid of all the stuff makes room in my life for the things I really want to do.
It's a good thing....
On the one hand, there have been plenty of times when things really DO come in handy after over a year of sitting on a shelf or in a box. On the other hand... well, the things that sit and sit and sit FAR outweigh the things that actually do get used.
So I'm purging. It's a painful process, letting go of things that have so much potential. I am realizing, though, that my dreams are so much bigger than my abilities right now. Between working two jobs and trying to keep up with the Sprouts, I just don't have the time to put into DIY and craft projects the way I would like. Getting rid of all the extra stuff makes cleaning faster, and easier. Getting rid of all the stuff makes room in my life for the things I really want to do.
It's a good thing....
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Another Beautiful Moment
Big Sprout has been talking more about her life. It's a wonderful thing. She is not a child that naturally talks about what happens during her day, so I am very much enjoying that she wants to share with me.
The other day, she was sharing with me that her friends at school like to get together and complain about their lives. Because, you know, the lives of 12 year olds are so incredibly hard. She laughed, and said:
"I feel bad, cuz I have nothing to contribute. My life is pretty great, ya know."
*sniff, sniff* I always worry that I am not able to give my Sprouts... enough. Enough attention, enough things, enough experiences, enough love. To hear my big baby girl say that she really likes her life was the most wonderful thing! I'm gonna hang on to that memory, and take it out when I'm beating myself up for not being SuperMom.
Love you, Big Sprout
The other day, she was sharing with me that her friends at school like to get together and complain about their lives. Because, you know, the lives of 12 year olds are so incredibly hard. She laughed, and said:
"I feel bad, cuz I have nothing to contribute. My life is pretty great, ya know."
*sniff, sniff* I always worry that I am not able to give my Sprouts... enough. Enough attention, enough things, enough experiences, enough love. To hear my big baby girl say that she really likes her life was the most wonderful thing! I'm gonna hang on to that memory, and take it out when I'm beating myself up for not being SuperMom.
Love you, Big Sprout
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Beautiful Morning
I only wake at home 7 mornings out of every 14. One of my biggest pet peeves is waking up every single one of those "at home" mornings to Little Sprout screaming from her room:
"It's MOOOORRRRning, mommy! Time to wake UP!"
This morning, I woke to find that Little Sprout had chosen to let herself into my room and crawl into bed with me instead of screaming. She was lying there next to me, calmly waiting for me to wake on my own. And her first words were "Hi, Mommy" instead of "I want...".
Really? That was the best moment of mommy-hood. Ever.
"It's MOOOORRRRning, mommy! Time to wake UP!"
This morning, I woke to find that Little Sprout had chosen to let herself into my room and crawl into bed with me instead of screaming. She was lying there next to me, calmly waiting for me to wake on my own. And her first words were "Hi, Mommy" instead of "I want...".
Really? That was the best moment of mommy-hood. Ever.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
There's A Hole In My Bucket
Good Gracious!
After some storm damage this past summer, we found ourselves a roofer. Unfortunately, he didn't really want to work, and after months of trying to pin him down on when we were going to get our roof done we ended up hiring someone else.
The new guy is great. Really great. The job? Not so great. Not that our roof guy isn't doing the work, or doing it correctly, it's that every time he turns around he finds one more thing that the previous owners just covered up. A job that was supposed to take just a few days has now stretched into it's second week, with more work to come.
Today's find? We have a big ol' hole in our wall. Under the siding (don't ask how we ended up replacing siding when the job was for the roof. Really, don't ask). That the previous owners just put siding over.
Really.
No insulation on that wall, evidently, either. *sigh*
I am immensely grateful that we are financially able to handle these things as we find them, and even more grateful that the guy we have working is so good about fixing it instead of covering it back up. I have to admit, though, that I am a little miffed. We have the roof off our house during November. In Minnesota. And Xmas is coming. Doesn't the Universe know that there is shopping to be done, and I can't do it when all our $$ is going to fixing problems with the house?! Of course, I'm sure I could wrap a big ol' bow around the house, and give THAT to the kids on Xmas morning, but I'm guessing they would be less than excited about that turn of events.
So the plan is hatched, and Mr. Barefoot is fully on board. Over the next year or 10, we will take the house one room at a time, and get all the messes fixed. Here's hoping that we're done with the nasty surprises!
After some storm damage this past summer, we found ourselves a roofer. Unfortunately, he didn't really want to work, and after months of trying to pin him down on when we were going to get our roof done we ended up hiring someone else.
The new guy is great. Really great. The job? Not so great. Not that our roof guy isn't doing the work, or doing it correctly, it's that every time he turns around he finds one more thing that the previous owners just covered up. A job that was supposed to take just a few days has now stretched into it's second week, with more work to come.
Today's find? We have a big ol' hole in our wall. Under the siding (don't ask how we ended up replacing siding when the job was for the roof. Really, don't ask). That the previous owners just put siding over.
Really.
No insulation on that wall, evidently, either. *sigh*
I am immensely grateful that we are financially able to handle these things as we find them, and even more grateful that the guy we have working is so good about fixing it instead of covering it back up. I have to admit, though, that I am a little miffed. We have the roof off our house during November. In Minnesota. And Xmas is coming. Doesn't the Universe know that there is shopping to be done, and I can't do it when all our $$ is going to fixing problems with the house?! Of course, I'm sure I could wrap a big ol' bow around the house, and give THAT to the kids on Xmas morning, but I'm guessing they would be less than excited about that turn of events.
So the plan is hatched, and Mr. Barefoot is fully on board. Over the next year or 10, we will take the house one room at a time, and get all the messes fixed. Here's hoping that we're done with the nasty surprises!
Friday, November 25, 2011
The Day After
Black Friday. The big shopping day. The day when we begin the Christmas season, and all the chaos that goes with it.
I slept in.
Yesterday was a big day. Family here, taking Big Sprout to her other family, getting the Christmas decorations up after all our guests left, out to a movie... yeah, I was busy.
I did look at the Early Bird shoppers parked at the Walmart parking lot as we drove by last night. I couldn't believe that many people were crammed into the store. Mr. Barefoot asked if I wanted to stop. I told him no.
My brain isn't working. That's okay, because the decorations are up, the twinkle lights are on, and it takes almost no brain power to heat up T-day leftovers. This girl is not cooking again till Monday.
I slept in.
Yesterday was a big day. Family here, taking Big Sprout to her other family, getting the Christmas decorations up after all our guests left, out to a movie... yeah, I was busy.
I did look at the Early Bird shoppers parked at the Walmart parking lot as we drove by last night. I couldn't believe that many people were crammed into the store. Mr. Barefoot asked if I wanted to stop. I told him no.
My brain isn't working. That's okay, because the decorations are up, the twinkle lights are on, and it takes almost no brain power to heat up T-day leftovers. This girl is not cooking again till Monday.
Friday, November 11, 2011
The Ants Are Lookin' Good!
Too often, I allow my hurry (or my exhaustion) to keep me from really enjoying my time with the Sprouts. They are young (and annoying) right now, but they won't be forever. The days will fly by, turning into weeks and years while I am busy taking care of other things, and before I know it they will be grown and gone.
Today, a chance comment while out with Grandpa revealed that Little Sprout had never had Ants on a Log. Oh, the horror! To live your whole life ~ all five years of it ~ and never taste that marvelous childhood treat is just.... awful. As a mother, I could not let the situation continue. So....
On the way home, we swung by the grocery store. I gave Little Sprout some money, and she bought her very own package of raisins. Then we hurried back to Barefoot Manor, and I let her have at it.
It was a blast! She ended up with peanut butter all over her hands, face, and hair. She sang while she worked (I didn't recognize the song). She licked peanut butter off her fingers, then stuck them back on the celery and raisins with no concern that mommy might want just one without the slobber.
I loved it. And so did she.
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