tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120241052024-03-07T03:01:51.464-06:00Melodie's LifeMelodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.comBlogger320125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-33053031475122786072010-10-22T13:17:00.001-05:002010-10-22T13:17:43.549-05:00Wedding last weekendAnne and I went to a wedding last weekend. My good friend Steph Wilson was shooting the wedding and wanted to "borrow" Anne for a few pictures. What kind of crazy would I be to say no?!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGZpyYtJ1p0Xec56ZK9bgQ3jPoA2jKhw3Qh29LAe9ul_vj2dhGf2cgm6pG559RPo1djOGoJgoeq_iy0Zz4lF_lAQLHbKpzPQtIQpuEQ3-6G4SXk3sYHN6pZ4rkJBGTFVhSKX6/s1600/Little+Lady+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGZpyYtJ1p0Xec56ZK9bgQ3jPoA2jKhw3Qh29LAe9ul_vj2dhGf2cgm6pG559RPo1djOGoJgoeq_iy0Zz4lF_lAQLHbKpzPQtIQpuEQ3-6G4SXk3sYHN6pZ4rkJBGTFVhSKX6/s640/Little+Lady+2.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo6l-dzqdw4g9cXSke2MgxeOyy0umyswmhh31Qj2MEH-vmNzy5G70divQgbyxDbPfMIN9t6-TwewuIvanYjY7k-Svrc1oz4d4JWoMKcFZLlGrCBEGI3jG18i0q_zDSnUdpqTdV/s1600/In+the+Grove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo6l-dzqdw4g9cXSke2MgxeOyy0umyswmhh31Qj2MEH-vmNzy5G70divQgbyxDbPfMIN9t6-TwewuIvanYjY7k-Svrc1oz4d4JWoMKcFZLlGrCBEGI3jG18i0q_zDSnUdpqTdV/s640/In+the+Grove.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-17809741984372796852010-10-20T13:17:00.000-05:002010-10-20T13:17:41.959-05:00Fall picturesI tried this Sunday to take pictures of Anne. I always like to take pictures this time of year, because it's her birthday, but also because the views are so pretty. :) <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaOGo12hRABdPNe_Ks1Y44pgT3MVeDSEde1nWUhTbXSY0_xwcsud6XTQo6BFJqA-T9UwoOuQ9gNb1e_A063Hb7Z2fV9tn4Pl4CS0nVWhL2NJTbXiGJdcnnbXNwb6f4NUhOcVO/s1600/None" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaOGo12hRABdPNe_Ks1Y44pgT3MVeDSEde1nWUhTbXSY0_xwcsud6XTQo6BFJqA-T9UwoOuQ9gNb1e_A063Hb7Z2fV9tn4Pl4CS0nVWhL2NJTbXiGJdcnnbXNwb6f4NUhOcVO/s640/None" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSEJriojcXA_GcmbkDQUMQaBnvQEkopMG0LWjkjUcsE6PcEv5aJm7gfmsd85figuqbGbI_CXzR2V8wAwZKBaUg8ZrvP9hWeaBMjAU1nYdZ2GODH0-Q3kVojEM6eycqxY2mdgKt/s1600/IMG_9092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSEJriojcXA_GcmbkDQUMQaBnvQEkopMG0LWjkjUcsE6PcEv5aJm7gfmsd85figuqbGbI_CXzR2V8wAwZKBaUg8ZrvP9hWeaBMjAU1nYdZ2GODH0-Q3kVojEM6eycqxY2mdgKt/s320/IMG_9092.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-JpAqyP0Kv2bUW3s7p1O3lDVpvwJvN1OCdI5bwbd4stUPZOlK-XpIxrp0mCYcLBa-5KkvM9hGTdDxe2dqgSRVoWsmulny9RmteDanKUkZFV2JI29YeEpgWyRniNdQVoU5DfQH/s1600/IMG_9085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-JpAqyP0Kv2bUW3s7p1O3lDVpvwJvN1OCdI5bwbd4stUPZOlK-XpIxrp0mCYcLBa-5KkvM9hGTdDxe2dqgSRVoWsmulny9RmteDanKUkZFV2JI29YeEpgWyRniNdQVoU5DfQH/s320/IMG_9085.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXM9CzS63jsjMPqcEHpCMVEn6Z_9OaQ1CHRmGrGJ_RHOcrewlv470n8AygIWe-8VJ8prSfZ2fRK3b9sdKV3CXAepBz7HXgqP5hpVXR35GD_oV4aeH5Vqs3LtkxFfDkIoCYEwD_/s1600/IMG_9095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXM9CzS63jsjMPqcEHpCMVEn6Z_9OaQ1CHRmGrGJ_RHOcrewlv470n8AygIWe-8VJ8prSfZ2fRK3b9sdKV3CXAepBz7HXgqP5hpVXR35GD_oV4aeH5Vqs3LtkxFfDkIoCYEwD_/s320/IMG_9095.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-68025229989824605052010-10-20T12:55:00.000-05:002010-10-20T12:55:08.836-05:00Fall!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've been trying to be more intentional with learning/creating activities with Anne. Last week, the leaves were just beautiful, so we had to do something with them. Here's what we came up with. One day we picked up leaves. The next we made the garland. She even helped iron the waxed paper together. She felt very "big."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2ihwICRMS-PA8CPOqCgRQ1IzoR3nh-zekofim5OWGw168DMk1hI7CgQ6uOFEars_IgFrmz4QLxqsVnR7p5trCLOe6QfEUDpkS4ZIO8wkKBmBnYeKlTSgMAIxXkyesJIuJpoP/s1600/IMG_9063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2ihwICRMS-PA8CPOqCgRQ1IzoR3nh-zekofim5OWGw168DMk1hI7CgQ6uOFEars_IgFrmz4QLxqsVnR7p5trCLOe6QfEUDpkS4ZIO8wkKBmBnYeKlTSgMAIxXkyesJIuJpoP/s640/IMG_9063.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHnI-OS_gHh_BwuPYIpMaOK177k2qjrlASygmpwLPcU0Pp3r9bNTJfbZVH38t5HftdSZVQdQ4frgaiS5E4-hUE2NgbCsZTKTn_3pGG5C3BBi2Wz4o3kICycIRY04dxITNmJwwE/s1600/IMG_9069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHnI-OS_gHh_BwuPYIpMaOK177k2qjrlASygmpwLPcU0Pp3r9bNTJfbZVH38t5HftdSZVQdQ4frgaiS5E4-hUE2NgbCsZTKTn_3pGG5C3BBi2Wz4o3kICycIRY04dxITNmJwwE/s640/IMG_9069.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-4063770681481109072010-10-20T12:46:00.001-05:002010-10-20T12:51:16.772-05:00Summer 2010So I guess I was on a blogging vacation for the summer. lol Anyway, I'll post some pictures to catch up.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAd4BEQPtId8_2Vm2fOBK3FXvqYsl-UwXT89PGRU7HJx9TIs7UX0dSN1nofprgCGPHneNncvRTR98so-xHgmGdA4-OrcmDJjOBTzLK14rRY7HU5_4ORi8uJo1R-RMXw-86g50/s1600/IMG_8834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAd4BEQPtId8_2Vm2fOBK3FXvqYsl-UwXT89PGRU7HJx9TIs7UX0dSN1nofprgCGPHneNncvRTR98so-xHgmGdA4-OrcmDJjOBTzLK14rRY7HU5_4ORi8uJo1R-RMXw-86g50/s640/IMG_8834.JPG" width="480" /></a></div> She's decided she likes to play pretend. Her favorite pretend at playgrounds is restaurant. We take turns making and serving food. :)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2MUvhPb1UGrME7NPqhN9Zoaw02J54Bir_WniXWyuMMqsu2aE-2hmOdz_UeFrCgB3W-nEusM3medEOq16drCOwwMarfCrcrzNdyKWGupJhXqPpjcCkBZ8ma_RTloGxk-DBNSri/s1600/IMG_8835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2MUvhPb1UGrME7NPqhN9Zoaw02J54Bir_WniXWyuMMqsu2aE-2hmOdz_UeFrCgB3W-nEusM3medEOq16drCOwwMarfCrcrzNdyKWGupJhXqPpjcCkBZ8ma_RTloGxk-DBNSri/s640/IMG_8835.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggqQQt_KqyYM4NmvPdRwW8YeQgFkbKrDgu8e8jQ_Vzu19LKbKWJg33d5xerhGlW9TqgzwDg1HzRcKS8JFoIco9gnhMF0h_Mi6UP4ZVv8M8YHlvyh0Op6mNHp7moSwSrUfLvn2s/s1600/None" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggqQQt_KqyYM4NmvPdRwW8YeQgFkbKrDgu8e8jQ_Vzu19LKbKWJg33d5xerhGlW9TqgzwDg1HzRcKS8JFoIco9gnhMF0h_Mi6UP4ZVv8M8YHlvyh0Op6mNHp7moSwSrUfLvn2s/s640/None" width="640" /></a></div> And we went to a Royals baseball game. She loved it. :) I thought she might be bored, but she totally wasn't. She was interested in what was going on and cheered when they hit the ball. It was great!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUWRZToM7AAsTxIskSYp-QwR0yIkjunq5gzXQXeVECuHx5-43D92gsWtvY-_QZFZubm8JxKwdnIJZ-qrCBt3dX4_4Yuk8uWtSSRQarkcPXFrfHoKpXMbe6EYrxR0a1VcTm4WRJ/s1600/None" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUWRZToM7AAsTxIskSYp-QwR0yIkjunq5gzXQXeVECuHx5-43D92gsWtvY-_QZFZubm8JxKwdnIJZ-qrCBt3dX4_4Yuk8uWtSSRQarkcPXFrfHoKpXMbe6EYrxR0a1VcTm4WRJ/s640/None" width="640" /></a></div> I put her hair back in her baseball cap. Her hair was made for it. :) She looked so cute. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EsZuoD57GMRgyagxKARZVZJLJXpIxuag0i01GCOXCtSVmt0RodPipbXGfVOZUGiXPDdy9EZ9P3Btp1_FSm-R94GBd_8XLtnr-1Km9tRt0gG_oLasTKgm7RGG7DExadlevYH4/s1600/IMG_9030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EsZuoD57GMRgyagxKARZVZJLJXpIxuag0i01GCOXCtSVmt0RodPipbXGfVOZUGiXPDdy9EZ9P3Btp1_FSm-R94GBd_8XLtnr-1Km9tRt0gG_oLasTKgm7RGG7DExadlevYH4/s640/IMG_9030.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfyS-iH7pYsPaU9ymUr-wE7BPPb6kAvGIFDKUOqs3_S6KoxeIKx5ppplhwIvXgCFtnreDSDWRlTT_kDgKIWL19kfftc2Fpa4xm3T2wGc1hG194j1LO0xN0d3H99AhefUxcPgY/s1600/IMG_8989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfyS-iH7pYsPaU9ymUr-wE7BPPb6kAvGIFDKUOqs3_S6KoxeIKx5ppplhwIvXgCFtnreDSDWRlTT_kDgKIWL19kfftc2Fpa4xm3T2wGc1hG194j1LO0xN0d3H99AhefUxcPgY/s640/IMG_8989.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>The summer was great fun. We spent so much time outside learning and playing. She's talking so much more and it's been so great getting to talk to her and figure out what's going on in her head. Next up: Fall!Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-58375535038965301282010-05-21T14:54:00.000-05:002010-05-21T14:54:31.482-05:00Un-professional, here I comeLet's start with this - I love my job. I love being able to take my daughter to work with me. I love that I don't have to dress up. I love having flexible hours. But sometimes all of those things backfire!<br />
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Yesterday, since Mindy is out of town, I picked up some donated (free!) onion starters and seed potatoes. And so today I'm in gardening clothes and flimsy washable flip-flops. But I forgot that a representative from a Xerox printing company was coming to meet with me today. And of course he was in a suit & tie. Now, I love my job and I love being a mom and I love that they mix so well, but today I felt like I looked like a "mom." Slouchy clothes, hair not done, not much makeup on. Toys and dolls in the office. And I had to tell him to be quiet so he didn't wake up my sleeping child. <br />
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Maybe the lesson should be check my calendar so I'm more prepared?Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-75080462835525384162010-05-08T15:42:00.000-05:002010-05-08T15:42:35.358-05:00Whole Wheat Soda BreadOkay, so this is the bread I made last week, for those who came to my party on Saturday. It's super easy and tastes great. It's best right out of the oven with butter, in my opinion.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Whole Wheat Soda Bread</span><br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
1 c white flour<br />
2 tbs brown sugar<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
2 tbs cold butter<br />
2 c whole wheat flour<br />
1/2 c old-fashioned oats<br />
1 1/2 c buttermilk (I used soured milk - just add vinegar to sweet milk - but don't be skimpy - the acidity in the milk reacts to the baking soda to make the bread rise)<br />
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Preheat oven to 375 F.<br />
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Combine the first four ingredients and mix well. Cut in butter. Stir in whole wheat flour and oats. Make a well in the middle of the mixture and pour in buttermilk. Mix with a fork just until blended. Knead on well-floured board 1 minute (Not too long - too long will make the texture too tough).<br />
Shape in a ball and set on greased baking sheet. Press into 6 in circle and cut a cross in the top. Bake 40 minutes or until well browned and the loaf sounds hollow.<br />
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I made this on Sunday evening, as well, and that time I gave Anne a small ball of dough to knead herself and shape into a ball. She thought it was pretty cool, but wasn't too excited about the messy hands. I say this to say that you can make the bread the size you want - just adjust the baking time.Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-42560296109048226202010-04-26T21:57:00.000-05:002010-04-26T21:57:02.058-05:00Things to read and a laugh-Reading <a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/2010/04/when-church-isnt-fun.html">this</a> made me laugh more than I have in a couple of days. If you have kids, especially, it's a must read. :)<br />
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-Seeing <a href="http://smallnotebook.org/2009/10/01/city-camping/">this</a> made me want to city camp on our back deck. Ben thinks it would be fun, too!<br />
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Happy Monday!Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-22346148726828310512010-04-26T12:13:00.002-05:002010-04-26T12:13:35.150-05:00A Clean House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://simplehomeschool.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/clean-waste.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://simplehomeschool.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/clean-waste.jpg" /></a></div>I'm all about this!Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-48900674000967915012010-04-25T15:22:00.000-05:002010-04-25T15:22:58.652-05:00I think I'm going for itI'm going to do it. You know, the <a href="http://benandmel.blogspot.com/2010/04/kitchen-organizing.html">jars</a>? I'm so in love with the idea, that I'm determined to try it. But I don't have matching jars, and buying jars would not only require money, which I don't have, but would be beside the point. :) So since I don't have beautiful matching Ball jars, I'm going to repurpose glass jars I empty - spaghetti sauce, salsa, etc. To create some sort of match-y-ness, I think I'm going to paint the jar lids a matching color. That should help, right? And I'm going to store things in them. Cocoa, baking soda, maybe icing sprinkles (they are so colorful!) - I'm sure I can find lots of stuff! Yay! I'm so excited, I've already started taking the labels off a couple of jars. By the way, I'm sure this will be the yuckiest part of the whole process.Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-53507249047086032352010-04-23T14:43:00.004-05:002010-04-23T14:45:02.218-05:00Kitchen Organizing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.simplebites.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/3849406443_4b4d0b48df_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.simplebites.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/3849406443_4b4d0b48df_b.jpg" /></a></div><br />
OMG! I <b>so</b> love this system! It's gorgeous AND functional! Granted, the countertop would have to be clean to be able to see all of that loveliness, but still. I officially have jar-envy now! All of those beautiful Mason jars. I have un-matching glass jars, but it probably wouldn't be as wonderful that way, huh? <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This was a tip on <a href="http://www.simplebites.net/best-kitchen-organizing-tips-via-twitter/">SimpleBites</a> and the picture is from there.</span>Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-11836483471775430082010-04-21T12:01:00.000-05:002010-04-21T12:01:58.368-05:00ConundrumWhy is it that a two-year-old (yes, <i>my</i> two-year-old) girl can spend 2 minutes pouring water out of her cup onto her lap (while I'm working, of course), for unknown reasons, then look up at me holding out her water soaked dress, and say, "Mama, help me." This is just one reason that mamas of toddlers have days they feel <i>just </i>a little bit crazy. <br />
<br />
But I read <a href="http://www.steadymom.com/2010/04/5-strategies-to-help-a-moody-mama.html">this post</a> and <a href="http://infinitelearners.com/mamas-meltdown/">this post</a> today and they made me feel a little better.Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-30950757496125656782010-04-20T22:24:00.000-05:002010-04-20T22:24:34.828-05:00Welcome back!Well, welcome back to me. :) It's been too long! And of course, so many things have contributed. :)<br />
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Anne's been soooo sick with allergies. She's finally getting mostly bit back to normal. Thank goodness. :)<br />
<br />
And Ben took the computer to school with him for a while. But that's okay, because it meant that he passed another test! Yay! Only one more to go. Then he can get a job. Whew!<br />
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And I went to my grandmother's 84th birthday party. It was lots of fun! I'll try to post pictures tomorrow.<br />
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And my mom was here for a week. Lots of fun. But didn't want to spend a lot of time on the computer. I love to have guests, but it's nice to get back to my and Anne's schedule. I never thought I would be one to say that. But I've embraced it!<br />
<br />
Now it's time to go to bed.Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-26604237338993787602010-03-22T20:30:00.000-05:002010-03-22T20:30:47.225-05:00Poo-Free UpdateRead the first installment <a href="http://benandmel.blogspot.com/2010/02/one-week-no-shampoo.html">here</a>. It's going great! I'm totally over the transition period now and am very happy! Anyone that's going to try it, my suggestion is to not be afraid to use shampoo in the transition. I got my hair cut after two weeks and so I washed my hair with shampoo that day. (I didn't want to be the one she talked about for the next couple of days- the one that came in with dirty hair.) So then it was go progressively icky-er for about another week. Then, almost miraculously, everything was great. It was kind of weird, actually. It took me a couple of days to realize that it felt clean. And in fact, I'm having to cut back on the percentage of baking soda to water because my hair's a little dry. I'd say I'm pretty happy with the results. I still have to use some smoothing creme when I wear my hair curly (but so much less than when I shampoo'ed), but I'm not noticing any buildup, so whatever works. :) So I'd say the experiment was successful and I'll continue doing this.Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-1229535771505273512010-03-18T22:13:00.001-05:002010-03-18T22:17:11.698-05:00Happy Spring - Finally!<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc9Dsb0FAH9TgoPc5-Yd9SM6-buGlqK-ILCDDbw7FK1J1lDGyC1exVNCt0n_OUv-GcEMsIZXPzMVU6h60UttQQ1tIAlbLUIiYwLnjjUKPFc2wkY3qYPM4CV6QXsbWVihsyW1WN/s640/IMG_8350.JPG" width="640" /> </div>It was such a glorious day! And even though it meant dinner was late - actually <i>very</i> late - Anne and I had to celebrate the sun with our first trip to the park. She loved it! This was a new park for us; I found it in January. The benefit of this one is that it is just around the block from our favorite grocery store. Oh, and she didn't make it all the way up the "stairs" that she's standing on. She got to this spot and then looked down - uh-oh! She wanted down right away!<br />
<br />
And yes, snow is coming tomorrow night. Crazy! (This is the other reason I was desperate to be outside today!) I hope you were able to take advantage of the wonderful weather today, too.<br />
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; border: 0px none; padding: 0px;" /></a></div>Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-80076353479334729352010-03-18T21:09:00.000-05:002010-03-18T21:09:52.970-05:00And work is my liturgy...Ann at Holy Experience is a poet. And her <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/2010/03/what-you-always-need-to-remember-when.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HolyExperience+%28Holy+Experience%29">post last Friday about work is great</a>. <span style="color: #ff8243; float: left; font-family: times; font-size: 100px; line-height: 80px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 1px;"></span><br />
<blockquote> All work is good work. The work of our hands is always making the world a better place. </blockquote><blockquote> <b>And work is my liturgy, motions of worship to Him, who from, and to, and through, are all things.</b>...</blockquote><blockquote><b>Simple acts of cleaning are my humble, conquering efforts in the quotidian struggle between chaos and order, creation and disintegration, God and Death.</b> And I frame this cleaning as my monastic beauty, my daily wrestle, to create, in imperfect ways, a world for these loved ones... like You created so perfectly for humanity when the world began....</blockquote>"To lift up the hands in prayer gives God glory,<br />
but a man with a dungfork in his hand, <br />
<b>a woman with a slop pail,<br />
give Him glory <br />
too</b>.<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
<br />
</span> God is so great that all things give Him glory, if you mean that they should."<br />
<br />
<i>~St. Ignatius Loyola</i><br />
<br />
If you have ever thought your life is not important (and isn't that all of us?!), you should<i> </i>definitely read it. <i><br />
</i>Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-39366535516095318552010-03-17T17:02:00.001-05:002010-03-18T22:18:36.436-05:00Stickers!<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfWN1V5Bgv-6y7srTaLyiyHugMNzr-dwj6csqx7_ZnMgMuKbmBhscNPGZ-pjT0th_jt-YBnbyVUsHlDQ1iTv6pCmQyknvEzILnBKnClMxBVh5-x1tUAB1zA9LX3X7BrAFFfQY/s640/IMG_8334.JPG" width="640" /> </div>Anne loves stickers! She really likes to put stickers on our noses.<br />
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; border: 0px none; padding: 0px;" /></a></div>Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-76479009611159574062010-03-17T16:16:00.000-05:002010-03-17T16:16:40.825-05:00First warm day of spring<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJO-JJZBLM76DXoU9TSr4vzSupx3jff9c9M978UEImJt6S6IgHCWIB3p422ANjQ2kcMeYfNgLR_IBJXilHwOzrDhJfoYJzs00VnlzSC017JV-rjSH4t7Ww9W97Tkv6EWz1xa9e/s1600-h/IMG_8289.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJO-JJZBLM76DXoU9TSr4vzSupx3jff9c9M978UEImJt6S6IgHCWIB3p422ANjQ2kcMeYfNgLR_IBJXilHwOzrDhJfoYJzs00VnlzSC017JV-rjSH4t7Ww9W97Tkv6EWz1xa9e/s400/IMG_8289.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br />The first warm day of spring! We were outside for several glorious hours.<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-84537931494554854202010-03-17T16:08:00.000-05:002010-03-17T16:09:09.622-05:00First green!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lXm_IVrAwaW86BOZj26RnPrN2fI4PiOUYaopJKFHGtjIzJWJOos0fR5GOEKQcpIhUv4DpRHKI9Q3flJXKfiGyEFSAz99yvIMIyD-ll6Mmz8BgkkS6inJm1GUm126l2w_iJYK/s1600-h/IMG_8320.JPG"><img style="CLEAR: both; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lXm_IVrAwaW86BOZj26RnPrN2fI4PiOUYaopJKFHGtjIzJWJOos0fR5GOEKQcpIhUv4DpRHKI9Q3flJXKfiGyEFSAz99yvIMIyD-ll6Mmz8BgkkS6inJm1GUm126l2w_iJYK/s400/IMG_8320.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Anne and I found the first bit of rosemary growing in our neighbor's garden. The first green bit always deserves to be photographed. :)<div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-3047170810166623252010-03-03T16:23:00.000-06:002010-03-03T16:23:38.021-06:00Walking tour of Columbia, Missouri<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZl0pSWJrST29wJiWkIs0afiFwKx9mHz8vCSgvhH-liPe2pL4F7kkym8YG8aptLxzXHkd_tNO3BllWa-l7wzjdmlmOi3pOKsZXeE1PArZZSe6PPoxmwkUrfEF0jPmoNSvRJpXz/s1600-h/IMG_8250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZl0pSWJrST29wJiWkIs0afiFwKx9mHz8vCSgvhH-liPe2pL4F7kkym8YG8aptLxzXHkd_tNO3BllWa-l7wzjdmlmOi3pOKsZXeE1PArZZSe6PPoxmwkUrfEF0jPmoNSvRJpXz/s400/IMG_8250.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Monday, Ben and I went to Columbia, Missouri. I got free bus tickets, so we rode a double-decker bus there and then walked around. They have a really cute downtown district. We went in lots of little shops- free trade, handmade, crafty, art galleries. It was definitely a college town- lots of bars! Then we walked to the University of Missouri. It was a nice campus, even if it did make us feel a little old. :) I took more pictures, but my internet (or computer) is going really slowly right now, so there's no time to wait for the pictures to upload. We'd never been there before, so it was a fun day! A little cold, but no snow, so not too bad. It was fun to walk around with no agenda, just seeing what there was to see.Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-75931671456234557502010-02-26T13:49:00.000-06:002010-02-26T13:49:52.163-06:00One week, No-Shampoo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6LpzsiBSFDMsqHQdVFWIPc9AWXBfFSpjywTm6NSL1lKTq7V6BXBXIcAiLq6NzZ_FcSNNyeJrmsNeUfMzYmcmb0DsU8VOF0D81LDIgCVEApftZpjNlQ_xopg_OyXpxyEWH3YtO/s1600-h/IMG_8247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6LpzsiBSFDMsqHQdVFWIPc9AWXBfFSpjywTm6NSL1lKTq7V6BXBXIcAiLq6NzZ_FcSNNyeJrmsNeUfMzYmcmb0DsU8VOF0D81LDIgCVEApftZpjNlQ_xopg_OyXpxyEWH3YtO/s400/IMG_8247.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Okay, so it's been a week now since I went shampoo free. Ben still thinks I'm crazy, but I figure why not. If you follow "natural" type blogs, I'm sure you've heard of it. And really, the first time I read it, I thought those people were crazy, too! But I kept hearing about it and it seemed like a lot of people were doing it. And it's super cheap, so I figured I needed to try it before spending more money on shampoo.<br />
<br />
I'm pretty much using the same method as <a href="http://simplemom.net/how-to-clean-your-hair-without-shampoo/">Tsh at Simple Mom</a>. Baking soda with water, pour it on, scrub it in, rinse it out. Then spray on some apple cider vinegar. And rinse. It's super easy - I definitely like that! Some people say their hair was miraculously better from the first time they did it. Mine wasn't. Lots of people talk about a transition period where your hair could be yucky. And I'm not into dirty hair. :) Well, even after a week, my hair doesn't look dirty, I don't think. However, it <i>feels </i>a little dirty. I'm not sure whether that's the transition or that's what it's going to feel like as long as I'm doing this. But I'm hanging on. I will say, I used to use lots of "product", as salon people say. Because my hair is frizzy and curly and thick and long. Anyway, I think I need a haircut (It's been at least a year - have I mentioned our tiny budget? LOL) and that would make it better, but I'm not sure. But I've done the completely natural thing since I started this method - no additional products. And my hair's not very frizzy. It is, however, over the top static-y! I don't know why, but I've just been wearing it back to manage the static.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I'm hanging on. I told myself when I started, I could do it for two weeks and if I hated it, I would stop. But I don't hate it. I just don't love it yet. Jury's still out. I'll keep you updated.<br />
<br />
Oh, another thing - I've been doing it with Anne, too. And for her, I do love it! There are more tangles, so that's not great, but the washing part is good. It rinses out <b>so easily</b>. It has almost ended the tears in the bathtub. (She hates having shampoo rinsed out of her hair.) That alone is reason enough to keep doing it with Anne. :)<br />
<br />
Gotta go get some rest in before Anne wakes up from her nap! Happy reading. Happy Friday!Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-7040607425924053692010-02-26T13:00:00.001-06:002010-02-27T11:49:58.134-06:00Friday Quick Post<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt12xqZgbScgdXTSfbwulDYg64V5ZF-RZmmT4B3l3JVQio2JwaLmNDPO5EDErb5r5TH1ie7xYVja_kG7-qu3XJfV1N8P5E6rLTddUJQX8N-aMS_YBCvmbOUiCHhrIdFtMjjC-s/s1600-h/IMG_8233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt12xqZgbScgdXTSfbwulDYg64V5ZF-RZmmT4B3l3JVQio2JwaLmNDPO5EDErb5r5TH1ie7xYVja_kG7-qu3XJfV1N8P5E6rLTddUJQX8N-aMS_YBCvmbOUiCHhrIdFtMjjC-s/s320/IMG_8233.JPG" /></a></div>So I made a necklace for my sister yesterday morning. It was my first try on beading with Anne around. It wasn't bad. She had some of the same beads in front of her and she was stringing them on her own cord. There were some pretty specific design requirements since she wants her baby to be able to play with it while she's nursing, but I think I like it. It's longer than I like (due to the nursing), but I think I'd like a shorter one.<br />
<br />
I also made myself a new necklace last night that I love, but I haven't taken pictures of it yet. So you'll have to wait. Sorry!Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-16717135003186785052010-02-26T12:52:00.000-06:002010-02-26T12:52:03.539-06:00The Best Muffins Ever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.simplebites.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/muffin2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.simplebites.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/muffin2.jpg" /></a></div>So Simple Bites posted earlier this week <a href="http://www.simplebites.net/how-to-make-the-best-muffins/">How to Make the Best Muffins Ever</a>. And I have to say, I was pretty skeptical. I mean, I've made some pretty good muffins before. But I used her recipe yesterday (a basic oatmeal muffin) and added in white chocolate chips and frozen blueberries (one of her suggestions). Oh my goodness. Best. Muffins. Ever. Really! You've got to try them. Oh, and I liked that they weren't that sweet. If I wasn't adding in something fairly sweet, I might even want to add some sugar, but the recipe only has 1/4 c of brown sugar. And I'm thinking of trying Agave nectar next time and see how that tastes. But really. Try them. You'll love them!Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-1588631781823220222010-02-25T13:29:00.002-06:002010-02-25T14:06:22.265-06:00Shape CollageI found this fun site. <a href="http://www.shapecollage.com/">Shape Collage</a> Here's the collage I made really quickly this morning.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgQ2binLNVD6yGi3uO9UhgdMHlJoFLWNM3Z4uPZb6c5kr5A4KuDsolB3aOUJZ7Do8LUFlkKQ-JM19vJLXntKs_z5Q60LcHaDJe8p4VDPX7NXNiMxe0p5fClFwgOWNt53k_gLZ/s1600-h/Anne+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgQ2binLNVD6yGi3uO9UhgdMHlJoFLWNM3Z4uPZb6c5kr5A4KuDsolB3aOUJZ7Do8LUFlkKQ-JM19vJLXntKs_z5Q60LcHaDJe8p4VDPX7NXNiMxe0p5fClFwgOWNt53k_gLZ/s640/Anne+Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-45615864130748474102010-02-22T22:24:00.000-06:002010-02-22T22:24:43.133-06:00Lent<a href="http://www.csjalbany.org/cms-images/purple%20cross_-lent.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://www.csjalbany.org/cms-images/purple%20cross_-lent.gif" width="212" /></a>Lent seems a little surreal this year. Mostly because I have a two-year-old daughter, I didn't get to attend our church's Ash Wednesday service. And this past week, as I have been trying to live into the Lenten season, I've realized how important that service has been to me in the past. Kind of like how important they say a funeral is for mental closure with a death. Next year, I'm definitely going to go to a Ash Wednesday service. Anne will be three, so I'm sure things like this will be easier.<br />
<br />
Speaking of which, I'm really struggling with how to observe Lent with Anne. I've looked at lots of sites online and gotten some great ideas (like <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/2010/02/family-activity-for-lent-box-of.html">this one</a> and <a href="http://www.modernsacredfamily.com/lent-chain/">this one</a>) but they just seem a little old for her. But I'm really enjoying the way our pastors are leading us this Lent. Okay, it's only been one Sunday, but Mindy's sermon was great. Essentially, the idea is that Lent is about love and joy. Only through understanding God's sacrificial love for us, can we begin to know ourselves and live into God's kingdom here on earth. (Mindy, forgive me if this is not the point you were trying to make! I miss pieces here and there while caring for Anne.) Anyway, so to connect those two points - I've decided to just try to find new and creative ways to help Anne understand how much God loves her. What could be a better way to understand Easter, right? It doesn't get any more basic than that. God loves us.<br />
<br />
It's too late now, but tomorrow I promise to update you on my <a href="http://simplemom.net/how-to-clean-your-hair-without-shampoo/">no-poo adventure</a>.Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12024105.post-19704957378637799542010-02-22T21:44:00.000-06:002010-02-22T21:44:36.598-06:00A Classic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiozjt8asPDtYX_iETazNS7YbtZMJBwCUa1CMuJDsIzE5I5fQSnhGKHDkWgN-mW_1-qAAlaDdLkrB7DPdcHvR37brK0tjMJBFw39BLrJagz5siiruaWbADtVei7wvm2INieX7a/s1600-h/goodnight-moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiozjt8asPDtYX_iETazNS7YbtZMJBwCUa1CMuJDsIzE5I5fQSnhGKHDkWgN-mW_1-qAAlaDdLkrB7DPdcHvR37brK0tjMJBFw39BLrJagz5siiruaWbADtVei7wvm2INieX7a/s320/goodnight-moon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Until Anne got this book for Christmas, I did not understand people's fascination with it. How could it really be <i>that</i> cool?! But it is. Really. It is. Anne loves it and we read it just about every night. I've decided it's the words. I fully admit that I love words and can randomly love or hate a word just because of how it sounds. The phonemes she puts together are soothing. They really are. The repetitive "oo" and "sh" sounds are so calming. Anyway, it's just what I've been thinking about.</div>Melodie Bootonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17248665367765242852noreply@blogger.com2