process

Posted on September 27, 2012 by BeSquirrely

It’s important to me that my birdies enjoy the process of creating something as much–or perhaps even more–than the end result. This is such a great life lesson that can be applied to almost anything. Slow down, enjoy the process, be here now. This is easier said than done, but having children underfoot helps to keep this in perspective. It also helps that we do a lot of messy things and I don’t shy away from creating messes wherever I go. Chris could easily vouch for that one…

I’ve also been seeking out opportunities to show the birdies the process of making other kinds of things and Wren absolutely loves this: from the peanut (butter) grinder to the coffee bean grinder to the homemade marshmallows we made this summer. Some might ask “why?” because you can just buy marshmallows, peanut butter and coffee and be done with the shopping trip and moving on to other things. Process.

Process.

If you’re wondering what this process was all about, it’s marbling using shaving cream and paint. And it is SO fun and SO easy to focus on the process of creativity. You can read more about it over on The Artful Parent.

school picture day

Posted on September 27, 2012 by BeSquirrely

Today was school picture day, when your child is dressed in a super cute outfit, but the picture only shows the upper quarter. Of course, it’s the smile that counts anyway. I can’t wait to see Wren’s real school picture because she showed me what smile she was going to use… anyway, here are a few shots of the other three quarters. Thanks to Salon Shook who did Wren’s braids this morning as I have almost zero hair skills. My poor beautiful daughters got stuck with a Mom with almost zero fashion sense and hair skills. But they seem to be pulling off their own personal style just fine! Drama helps.

a few apples

Posted on September 25, 2012 by BeSquirrely

To kick off my favorite season, I took the girls apple-picking one day after school. Turned out to be a great activity for little hands and short attention spans because it didn’t take long to pick about a peck of apples and be on our way! Like the cherries in our area, the apples are in short supply this year because of the crazy spring (hot then cold) and are really expensive. U-pick was a great way to get them on the cheap. We took them home and within a few hours had eaten two fresh and eight more in an apple pie. Yum. Happy fall!

joy overcomes grief

Posted on September 20, 2012 by BeSquirrely

It’s been just over five years now since we lost our first daughter. There was a time I didn’t think we’d be able to have a family or even want to try and have a family. I am at a point now where I can reflect on that time and not fall apart, but instead be filled with so much gratitude for all that we have. The joy (and craziness!) in our midst has overcome the grief. Sometimes I see children who are about to turn five and I think of how I almost had a daughter just that age, but then I am reminded that if I had, I wouldn’t have my Wren and my Phoebe. They haven’t been in our lives very long, but it’s hard to imagine a life without them. So many blessings have come from such a dark time. Oh life, you continue to amaze me.

super silly spaghetti night

Posted on September 12, 2012 by BeSquirrely

The first week of school went really well, but some of the novelty has since worn off and it’s not been quite as easy to get going this week. Still no tears or tantrums (yes!), but some of the enthusiasm for something new and exciting has waned. So I thought it would be fun to celebrate this “back to school” time with a new tradition to break up some of the new routine a little bit. Enter the Super Silly Spaghetti Night! I stole this idea from a friend so I can’t take the credit for it. Feel free to steal it too. It’s too fun and easy not to pass on.

All you do is cook up a batch of spaghetti noodles, sauce and we added meatballs too. Put a throwaway plastic tablecloth down on the table and then you dump the food directly on the table in a big pile. No plates or utensils allowed! Go for it. Only rule: no throwing food. When you’re all done eating and getting messy, throw the kids (and husband) directly in the tub and roll up the tablecloth with any food scraps and throw in the garbage. It’s really not as messy as you would first think. Fun!

Everyone liked it, even those too young for “back to school” traditions.

What kind of “back to school” traditions do you have, lovelies? I would love to hear!

impromptu

Posted on September 10, 2012 by BeSquirrely

After a great night’s sleep, Wren woke up at 5:30 this morning. This is rare for our birdies so I almost didn’t know what to do with her so early. I pushed her in the Chariot for an early morning run and then she bopped around the house for a while after breakfast. She started whining about wanting to watch a movie, which I almost caved to, but then she started talking about wanting to go on an adventure to Sand Mountain. Again. At first I said “no, not today,” but then I thought “why not?” because we’ve got HOURS until she has to go to school. Let’s do it!

We brought some snacks and we kidnapped our good friend, Heidi, for part of the fun. It was a perfect morning. Warm sun, cool breezes, hardly a cloud in the sky. Thanks, Wren, for the great idea! And here’s to impromptu adventures, lovelies. I’m going to try and do more this fall. You?

first day of Primary

Posted on September 6, 2012 by BeSquirrely

Big week! Wren started her first week of Primary at our public Montessori school. It’s mostly been full of smiles, but a few chants of “I want to stay home with you!” come out half-heartedly every morning. She says it like she thinks she’s supposed to say it, but not like it’s 100% what she thinks and feels. There have been no tears. Yet. Bittersweet!

We’re slowly getting into our new routine and I think it’s going to be great for us. We have every morning together before she goes to school in the afternoon for a few hours. Because I know our time is limited and we don’t have the entire day stretching out ahead of us, we’ve been having fun-filled, unrushed, messy, creative mornings. Plus lots of time for snuggles and books upon waking up. I’m not ready to give up my mornings to school yet!

The afternoons are a little crazy with either a late nap that pushes the bedtime into the late evening or no nap that makes for a long evening with the tasmanian devil sometimes making her appearance… Ahem. We’ll get there and the darkness at 8:30 is helping to push the bedtime up a bit and for this I am very thankful.

It sure is quiet around here in the afternoons though and I think Phoebe is really missing Wren’s energy… and so am I.

secret summer

Posted on September 5, 2012 by BeSquirrely

Although the city took out the swimming area buoys and we saw the bottom of our sunscreen and popsicle box earlier this week, it’s the beginning of our secret summer in northern Michigan. Shhhh. September is one of my favorite times of year with its golden light, unexpected beach days, changing colors, hints of a colorful fall to come and bounty from the garden. But most of the tourists are gone!

Here’s to a beautiful September.

Happy Labor Day!

Posted on September 3, 2012 by BeSquirrely

Labor Day has me thinking about all the different jobs I’ve had, businesses I’ve run, opportunities had… so here goes:

letterpress printer
graphic designer, several different jobs
high school art and english teacher
dorm parent
burger flipper
art history slide filer
pizza joint waitress
banquet hall waitress
camp health officer
camp counselor
retail associate – several places: Old Navy, Pier One, Cherry Republic
order processing manager
Body Shop independent sales rep
coffee barista
ice cream scooper, twice
ice cream/coffee shop owner
consignment shop owner
freelance writer | designer | marketing specialist
online communications specialist/project manager
green consultant
summer activities coordinator, summer school
babysitter
gift wrapper for Dad and brother
Mama

I’m probably forgetting several too! My favorite so far? Mama.

Be Squirrely

creating a nest worth sharing

Monthly Archives: September 2012