Birthday Gifts With Meaning.

If you've been with your spouse/partner ever since you started "liking" boys like I have, when birthdays and anniversaries roll around there's not much inspiration for gifts.  While there are definitely lots of things that I want and a never-ending list of supplies I covet, it's just not all that fun to tell your spouse, "get me these shoes."  Especially since the money all comes out of the same pot in this household and I might as well just buy them myself (which I did....  Happy Birthday to me!)

Here's a list of gifts that bring more meaning than something off of an amazon wishlist...  And bonus! They happen to be easy on the budget too!

1.  Do a project for your spouse/partner that they've been meaning to do but can't seem to get done...  For my birthday this year Chris is going to rabbit-proof the garden, a task that I haven't been able to find the time to do.

2.  Fix something that's been broken for a long time...  Two birthdays ago Chris reattached some dresser knobs that had fallen off and had been rattling around in the drawer for years.  I had gotten so used to them not being there that for months I was surprised to see them back in their proper place.

3.  Pick out some books from the library for your spouse...  I got this idea from my friend Vaara.

4.  Replace something that they already have but hate...  My friend Becky sent me a salad spinner one birthday even though I already had one because the one I had was shitty.  I swear at the new salad spinner a lot less than the old one, YAY!

5.  Give the time and space to get something done...  I would love to have a day of uninterrupted sewing.

6.  Get some JPEGs turned into photos...  I lay awake at night thinking about lost files and wishing we could go back to the days of film and shining light through negatives to get prints.  I once saw a billboard that said, "Mothers, don't let your children grow up to be JPEGs" that struck panic in my heart.  And yet, I STILL rarely get prints of my pictures.

So there.  Six things constitutes a list, right?  Add yours to the list if you like!

Grateful List

Dear Boys,

We're grateful for...

::Nature tables instead of TVs...

::Home visits from Joseph's and Matthew's new teachers.  It's really a dream come true to be at a Waldorf school.
::Organized bookshelves...
::Seeing, "Make Pesto and Jam" on the calendar for Sunday...
::SE Michigan Crafter's Meetup...  Tonight!
::This, several times a week...

::Beautiful gifts (This is a turkey feather)...

::This conversation:
Me:  We're going to a dinner.
Mattie:  Who will watch over us???
Me:  I'm going to find a babysitter.
Danny:  NOOOOO!  I don't want a baby to sit on me!!!

::The appearance of these guys first thing this morning...

We got to see the exact moment when this one emerged...

I love their spotted bodies and the shape of their antennae...

No matter how many times we see it, it never gets old...

Monday List on Saturday

We're grateful for:

::Salamander gifts...

::Finding oriole feathers...

::Growing caterpillars...

::Mailed invitations...

All Better!

This week...

Started out with tiny bird tracks...

New yarn shelf...

Ice cream Sundaes!

And then we got the flu.  Even though we had flu shots.  Just like last year.  Bleh.  It was three nights of very hot children  (Temperatures reached 103.8)  Danny learned the word "medicine" and also "No THANK YOU!"  It's very heartbreaking to hear your 23 month old at 3 AM crying, "NO THANK YOU MEDICINE!!!" And all three boys slept for almost two days.

But today...  I was greeted by this smile after nap time...

And it was 65 degrees and windy out today.  Kite flying ensued...

Um, yes, that is a very strange kite-flying outfit Danny is wearing.

And yes, we are feeling MUCH better.  AND, my sweater is coming along nicely, though it's slow-going...

Monday List

Last week...

::Spider Study...

::Chickadees...

::Yarn sale!... (And FINALLY the beginning of the first thing I've ever knitted for m'self)

::Parking garage Sandwich Tower...

::Getting an early start on Easter gifts...

::Breakfast on Dad...

::Super awesome sequin headbands...

::Free skate...  (Ahem, helmets are mandatory, not that I wouldn't make you wear one anyway.)

Love,
Mom.

Thursday's Monday List

Dear Boys,

This week we're grateful for...

::Hand-made gifts...

(this is a hooked rug from my aunt Jane...  my heart melted when I saw it.)

 ::Joe's fantastic violin teacher and the introduction of the 4th finger...

 ::Dinners out with friends...

::The return of all the birds and their songs
::The sounds of melting outside
::Wondering where all the boys went and finding them here...

::Home-made snails...

 ::Watching a coyote run across the frozen river...

Love,
Mom.

Monday List

This week we're grateful for:
::Successful transfer of a sleeping Danny from the car to the crib, and then a 4 hour nap
::Mattie playing with a "family" of measuring cups and an egg carton for an hour
::Joe's interest in pileated woodpeckers
::Clementines
::Hand-me-down home-made knitted sweaters...

::This moment...

::Artisan bread in 5 minutes a day with honey...

::Knitted candycorn from a friend ...

::The courage to brave the cold...

::Mattie's renewed interest in babywearing...

::The chance to go grocery shopping alone at sunset...

::Thrift store Saturday...

::Any little moment I can find for knitting hats...

::And, Danny's new phrase:  "helping, helping!"