7 Quick Takes Friday

Jules here-

Another week (or two) has gone by in which I have collection of random quick takes from the week...

-1-

Summer is fantastic for wildlife in NH.

Though we moved to a more "city" setting, we are surround by lakes on our little peninsula.  We often take walks after dinner, and one evening we watched a family of beavers practicing swimming in our little inlet area. We watched in delight as the baby beavers swam proudly in front of us!

Aerial view of beaver

Up at my parents home, we were greeted one afternoon with a mama moose and her calf grazing on the corner of their lawn.  We followed them from the windows as they sauntered around the home.

After looking this up, I have found that this isn't necessarily a "wild" bird in NH, but this Guinea Hen must have escaped its owner because he followed me along the road for quite some time.

-2-

Fourth of July is more than Red, White, and Blue.

Thanks for posting this on Facebook, Miss Chrissy!

 With the "Live, Free, or Die" motto, New Hampshire seems the perfect place to celebrate our nation's first patriotic holiday.  From parades to fairs, we have dozens of options to have a fantastic Fourth!  This year all three children stayed up to see the fireworks over the lake-- it was so much fun.... and yet, during Sunday Mass I regretted allowing my three year old son so little sleep....

My house all decked out!

Girls ready for a pre-Fourth Barbecue!

White chocolate & sprinkled pretzels for the Fourth!

-3-

It's berry picking time!

We went strawberry picking towards the end of the season- which meant slim pickings, but also fewer crowds. And by fewer, I mean NO ONE! We drove to a farm in NH, there was a sign with a scale, and we saw no one for the entire visit!  I love that in New Hampshire there is still an "honor code" when it comes to farm stands and you-pick locations.  It really shows that there are more "good" people than bad in the world.  We plan on going raspberry picking to the Smith Family Farm this weekend! Mmm....

-4-

Summer rainy days can be appreciated too.

We have been blessed with quite a bit of sunshine this spring and early summer- but we recently have had a few rainy days thrown in.  At first, my kids missed the beach, biking, and our walks- but they also appreciated a puzzles I set up, playing extra Mario, and re-starting our board game nights.  

-5-
Dealing with the Terrible Threes

James is going through his tantrum stage- a little later than the terrible twos, but I hear that mother's of young boys often lament the "threes"....  Unlike my girls, James has proven to be a bit more challenging at this age.  From putting on his shoes to sitting still during Mass, he is testing my patience. Through prayer and the occasional swearing, I am coping.  I have noticed that when I take the time to spend 10-15 minutes a day solely doing a "James" activity his behavior does improve.  Am I going to drop my chores to play golf all day as he would like? No... but I am trying to make an effort to participate in a daily sport/game with him. After he has made his bed everyday without me asking for 2 weeks- we go to go to mini golf tonight! He LOVED it~ he could have played all night!

-6- 
Looking back, how did you do it?

For the past seven years, I think I have slept a straight 8 hours (without a bathroom break OR child interruption) maybe once... The second I hear a floor board creak in my bedroom, I am awake and cognitively functioning.  When there's an illness, accident, or bad dream, I am instantly handling the crisis until everyone is safely snuggled asleep.  Am I complaining? Nope. I am just thinking back to college and how I slept in a dormitory with students staying up all hours: talking in the halls, slamming doors, playing music, etc. How the heck did I sleep through all that? That seems like a much WORSE living situation than I'm in!  

On the topic of looking back, I look back to last year and think about packing up my home, showing my house to potential homebuyers, and trying to find a new home for us-- AAAAH! How did I do all that? I cringe thinking about three months ago with unpacking, painting, moving, etc....  

One of the messes from the past...

The point is-- even when your life may seem as if it has insurmountable obstacles- you can handle it one day at a time.  Instead of looking at the whole mountain, make a smaller goal to achieve first. You will look back one day and say to yourself, "How the heck did I do that?!?"  You never know what you are capable of!

-7-

Check your summer "bucket list"! It's going quickly

Summer seems to be slipping by this year- as I went to Wal-Mart yesterday and found the Crayola Back-to-School Sales in full swing! (I have a problem with the 97 cent markers).  Time to check our "to do" list for the summer! We still need to hike another mountain, visit with our cousins in a few weeks, try a few new playgrounds, and make our own ice cream!

Storyland, NH Off checklist!

Easy Rule #717144- It's summer! Don't forget to appreciate the warm weather, break from school, and long days!

Easy Rule #334334- When your child is in a difficult stage, love them more. Pray more. It can help.