The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

{family} This Weekend with my Memere

Well, what a weekend. If I could, I’d have you over for coffee (or in my case, a Diet Coke or two!) and share with you all the emotions of the past few days.

See, my sweet 91-year-old grandmother just arrived this week to spend the winter at my parents’ home. It is a far cry from her quaint little apartment in New England and the transition period has been a little hard. 

I haven’t seen my Memere (pronounced “Mem-ay” for all you non-Frenchies) in about a year and she has definitely aged since then. It breaks my heart to see her in so much pain.

But I have to say…I feel like this weekend, I’ve been in a sacred place. So many people lose loved ones suddenly, without any notice or time to say goodbye. So I feel so blessed…and so honored to be able to spend this time with her now.  I love being able to serve her, to see her needs and be just one step ahead. That way she won’t have to ask for help, which I know is so hard for her.  I love the opportunity to teach service to my boys in a personal way.  I love that they adore her and warmed up almost immediately.  I am just savoring every moment, because I know that when she does go one day, I will treasure this time forever.

So that was my weekend.  If you were here, I’d thank you for listening and offer you a refill… and maybe a slice of the banana chocolate chip bread I made this weekend (it was yummy!).  And then I’d stop rambling and ask you: How was YOUR weekend?

{learning} Papa Piccolo (and a little Italy too…)

Another country traveled and two more weeks under our belt.  While I had high hopes for our Italy unit, well…I guess it was a good lesson in rolling with the punches.  Nothing seemed to go as planned: I didn’t get a book I wanted to read in time, I discovered that I was out of a critical ingredient for a project, the boys didn’t listen to directions and totally ruined the science experiment…sigh!  But life’s too short to get all bent out of shape about trivial things like those.  So I kept rollin’ and I think the boys still learned a lot.

The books we used were:

Our Art Gallery for Papa Piccolo
    Not really related to any of our themes, but the boys LOVED this I Spy sheet I found online.
    ROY G BIV puppets – M and D totally didn’t get ROY G BIV and insisted they call him “Rainbow Hair Man”.
    Learning about mixing colors
    Pete the Cat puppets.  I saw this book mentioned on many teacher blogs, so bought it blindly.  But it’s so great!  The message is that no matter what happens, “just keep walking along and singing your song, because it’s all good.”  It’s the perfect book for a kid like M, who tends to freak out unexpectedly. 
    Making gondolas out of Legos.  What?  You can’t tell that’s a gondola?  haha  Me neither…another one of the “roll with it” episodes.
    This was supposed to be a really cool experiment.  You have a pie plate of milk and add a few drops of food coloring.  Then after dipping a Q-Tip in dishsoap, you are supposed to insert into the milk and hold it there.  Key word: hold.  The colors are supposed to swirl away from the soap, making a really cool effect.  Instead, in casa “I don’t listen to Mamma’s directions”, he started in on making his own swirl, making everything brown and just…gross.  Oh well, it’s only PreK right?

    

    A peek into our lapbook…
    We are taking a break from Five in a Row for the next two weeks to do a little seasonal unit on Fall!  Pumpkins, leaves, and squirrels are on the list with lots of baking and crafts.  I’m excited for a little change of pace and I think M and D will love it too.  Wish me luck!

{deals} Have you Heard of One Kings Lane?

Have you heard of One Kings Lane?  There are so many “flash deal” sites out there, and while the draw is usually enticing, I rarely find something I just have to have.  NOT true with One Kings Lane! 

OKL is sort of like a sample sale of home furnishings online.  They are deeply discounted (like up to 70% off discounted!) and some of the best deals go fast.  And while many items are still much too expensive for this stay-at-home-mamma-with-three-children-with-a-limited-budget (sigh), there are plenty of finds if you look for them!  Here are a few I’m loving right now:

Eccolo Fireri Wrap Journal $25 – This leather journal is just gorgeous and would make an awesome Christmas gift.

Town & Country Balloon Cover, Matted and Framed! $159 – This would be so darling in a little girl’s room (love that pop of yellow!)  I’d love it in a living room too.  And I love that it’s already matted and framed, it’s 20″x24″…such a great price!

Set of Four Floral Wall Plaques $39 – Aren’t these plaques so sweet for a little girl’s nursery?  So shabby chic and delicate.

White Half Moon Mirror $119 – I love architectural details and this mirror is so cool.  I can picture it over a sideboard in a dining room or maybe even over the mantel. 

Small Serving Tray $9 – This is one of those decor pieces that you can use in a billion ways.  Right now, I think I’d fill it with mini pumpkins and put it on my kitchen table!

  
This is just a small sampling of the things you’ll find at One Kings Lane.  You definitely have to check it out!  And let me know what you see!       

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{chit chat} Mamma Related Links

Today I’d like to share a few blog posts I’ve found recently that were really thought provoking:

Being Home.  Definitely a must read.  I love the wisdom from this mom and this post couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.  I recently was talking with someone I didn’t really know.  When she asked if my oldest had gone to preschool (to which I replied no), she was just incredulous and pretty much made me feel like a freak mother.  This post put into words everything in my heart.  Lonely road sometimes, but so worth it.

A Letter.  Very timely post for me and one that I need to remember more.  Instead of resentment, I want to replace it with gratitude.

Boys & Guns.  Another good one from Dee about maintaining the true essence of boyhood and how her family deals with “playing guns”.  
 
Stay-at-Home Moms Need Help.  One more interesting read.  I’d love to hear your thoughts about this one.

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