Stream of Consciousness

The water here makes my hair super shiny!  Actually, I can't remember my hair ever looking this healthy in my whole life.  In fact, Princess's hair is rather shiny too.  I wonder if it's minerals or what?  Which reminds me, my cloth diapers come cleaner faster in this water than in Arizona.  I love that! 

I'm thinking about giving up chocolate for awhile because it is my one sugar downfall.  I normally don't struggle with sugar addiction in the same way most of this country seems to, but I do occassionally go through a chocolate phase where I can hardly resisit chocolate, consuming larger amounts of sugar than is healthy. My latest chocolate phase is lasting so much longer than usual that I think fasting it for month or so may be my only cure!

Since when does Princess put on her own socks, and when did she learn to button buttons!?  I think these are both new this last week, but now that I am a mother or two, things have a way of escaping my attention a little longer than in my previous life.  So I can't say for sure.  Princess's growing independence is both exciting and sad to me.  The first few months of a child's life is spent totally dependent on Mom, and nearly everything after that is a step toward independence.  Steps away from the parents. 

I've been thinking lately about how I want to teach our children to say "no."  Does that sound backwards or what? :-)  In all sincerity, it's important for a child to realize he/she is able to say no to things.  For instance, I will never try to force my daughters to hug and kiss people (aka family) if they don't want to.  It's important for them to understand that they don't owe anyone their affection.  Likewise, they should not let people (playmates, etc.) treat them anyway they like.   I think it is so sad that so many parents (including myself at times!) try to raise respectful, obedient, compliant children who then later turn out to be passive adults who discover they can't make a decision for themselves and are so afraid of doing the wrong thing that they can't do anything.  Then they let people walk all over them, all in the name of being polite and agreeable, but are really agreeable for the wrong reasons and are often bitter with the people for whom they bend over backwards to please.  Not to mention, they lack the resolve to say no to evil.  Oh my!  Not my children. 

All of that to say that I am sad to see how quickly our children grow because I always love exactly where we are today; however, I do not fear their growing independence and eventual separation from us, the parents.   It's just all the more reason to cherish the moment, right?  And to parent on purpose with specific goals in mind like I rambled about here.

Okay, obviously, I'm reading a good book.  I usually don't pull these ideas out of thin air as much as I am inspired. 

Which reminds me, I am crazy about etsy.com.  Oh I've perused the site here and there over the past few years, but lately I have been stopping by find inspiration.  I want to make a Quiet Book, for example, like this one.  Or maybe one that has buttons and zippers and shoelaces to tie.  Maybe both. 

Oh note to self, don't forget to start a journal for each of the girls. I need a place to record some things for them, that's not on the computer.You know, hysterical toddler quotes and the like.

Lately,  I've been "feminizing" the otherwise gender-neutral (nursery) decor of what is now the girls' room.   I can't paint walls since we're in a rental house, but I can make fabric flowers!  I'm sure I'll share pictures later.  :-)

Well I feel better after dumping my random thoughts out onto this "page."  Sometimes I just need to empty my brain out a little bit so the thoughts stop swirling around in such an out-of-control fashion. ;-)

P.S. Where is the spell check button!?