The Great and Random Ramblings of Cannwin

NOT found yesterday. Yesterday was one of those days. One of those tiring, messy, hot, aching, emotional, hormonal days where at the end you fall onto your bed and are out before you can manage to turn off a light (that would be at 7PM for me last night). Today I am determined to have a better one. Except I can't remember what I was going to blog about so I am going to have to wing it once again. One of the things that happened yesterday is that my floor mirror , that I have been 'making' for the last 4 months broke. It's my own darn fault and I could shoot myself for the waste of it. See, what happened is I finally found some wood to put on the back of the thing and frame it, so after the kids went to bed I immediately took the opportunity to liquid nail the mirror onto the wood. I set the mirror face down on the floor and then stood up to grab the screw driver. That's when I lost my balance. My foot instinctively shot out to catch myself... and I st

Yesterday at church one of our speakers talked about some startling statistics concerning my religion. Some of them (that I can remember off the top of my head) were: 1) the majority of people surveyed--around 50%--said they didn't know any one who was Mormon. 2) the majority of people surveyed--above 70%--weren't sure whether Mormon's practiced polygamy or not. Well...if you are reading this blog you know a Mormon. I don't often talk about my faith on this blog, and the only real reason I have for that is because my beliefs are part of who I am, they make up the very fabric of my personality and are therefore inseperable. I don't talk about it as if it is a secondary to who I am, because it isn't. To me that would be like speaking of my arm as if it was not a part of me. It is impossible. But after hearing what was said at church, and being encouraged to help break some of these glaring inaccuracies, I have decided to speak up a little more. First o

Another great story from our one year adventure in Montana concerns Ralexwin and not myself. As far as I can get out of him the story is that on one chilly autumn morning Ralexwin got the kids ready to take Vicbowin to Kindergarten. Since we only lived about 4 blocks from the school it was our habit to walk her there. Albowin, at all of four years old, insisted he didn't need a coat for the walk. Ralexwin said, "Fine, but if you're cold then you deal with it." Off they went... They made it one block. "Dad, I'm coooold!" Albowin exclaimed. Ralexwin was annoyed (as you can imagine). "Alright, go back to the house and I'll be there in a few minutes." Off Albowin trotted back to the warmth and safety of our little abode. While my husband took our oldest child the rest of the way. Upon his return to home he discovered one serious problem with his plans. Albowin wasn't in the house. Albowin wasn't anywhere to be seen!

Last night I had our local missionaries over for dinner, which was crazy--but another story--and afterward we got to talking about funny experiences in life. That's when I remembered this one... Way back when we lived in Montana ( here and here ) and Vicbowin was just in Kindergarten she had this really annoying habit of chewing on pens. I'm sure she'd been doing it for years by then and I'd been nagging her to stop for years as well. Nothing seemed to be working. So this one day I had to drive over to Bozeman, which was 1/2 an hour from where we lived. The kids were in the back (minus Remewin who hadn't been thought of yet) and Vicbowin was gnawing away at a pen. All of a sudden she starts making this obnoxious spitting noise. I turned around to tell her to please stop only to see that the pen had exploded in her mouth! Ink was spilling out of her lips, down her chin and into her lap. She looked as if she were about to vomit. I immediately pulled into

Ten Reasons Why I'm The Best Blog You Follow 1. My kids are so freakin' cute! 2. I'm whitty and know how to dispense my whit evenly throughout any topic. 3. I can be relied upon to post Monday through Friday, without fail (none of that annoying waiting and wondering). 4. I break up my posts so as to not hurt the brain with the non-paragraph. 5. I talk about absolutely anything that catches my fancy. I'm indiscriminate about genre. 6. My blog is easy on the eyes.... and heart. 7. I live in South Dakota, which makes me intriguing. 8. My kids say the darndest things. 9. I comment back! 10. I honestly sacrifice my chores to bring you your daily dose. (That's true devotion).

* I've recently been told that my house and crafts are out of control. I am uncertain if this is true or not. I sure hope not.  So I wanted to tell you all that contrary to popular belief I am not in need of a crafting intervention. I just like to use the things I have lying around my house to make my house better. Perhaps my house is out of control, but I would like to think that I have only improved where I could with what I could. With that disclaimer in mind I wanted to show you what I made last night while Ralexwin enjoyed the evening's studies. I've seen these things on the internet for a while and I really like the idea.  We mark up our walls pretty good keeping track of our kids growth and yet the thought of leaving those marks behind makes me sad. A growth board seemed like a great way to save the markings.  This was a SUPER easy project... I literally did it in only a few hours. I used a permanent marker, mod-podge and some watered down acrylic paint.

  Good morning my fine feathered friends... today I had an early appointment with an orthopedic surgeon to assess my aching knee . I have run the gamut of doctors when it comes to my knee (okay maybe not the ENTIRE gamut, but at least three) and have had zero results. So I went in today thinking that I was finally going to get an answer to why it's been hurting me for the last four years. Guess what? Nothing's wrong. At least that's what the doctor said. So I'd like to know how nothing can be wrong with the knee that bothers me every time I kneel down and every time the weather changes. He recommended I go to Physical Therapy. I've decided I'm never seeing a doctor again in my life (other than my OB-Gyn) because evidently there is no point. They take all their pictures and bombard my body with radiation only to tell me there's nothing wrong. Can someone please commiserate with me about this? Because I'm going to be dwelling on it for the rest

This morning as I was taking my much needed shower, and had just finished soaping up my hair, I looked down to see a tiny 1 year old hand reach past the shower curtain and pull down on the knob of the cold water. The ensuing screech that resounded around the walls of the bathroom startled Remewin into tears. I wasn't feeling a lot of remorse for her at that point since I was trying to get some cold water back, but the thought did cross my mind that it would have been a perfect picture to take of her little arm. There was no body, there was no head... just this tiny arm slowly moving toward it's mark. What a kid she is! Everyday brings me such joy and delight in this home. * * * Recently we've been struggling with a rather nasty case of diaper rash. Remewin has not been able to kick it. When she went in for her one year appointment in July I told the doctor about it... again. We've been through two prescription diaper rash creams, at least four tubes of over the coun

This is what my kiddo's looked like on the first day of school this year... Mischievite included.

Instructor Vicbowin was excited to interview Cannwin this week. So today she will be asking the questions. We are discussing modesty. How do you know when you're being modest? I try to remember the phrase--head, shoulder's, knee's and toes. It goes like this: Raise your hands above your head. Does your shirt lift up and your belly show? Put your hands on your shoulders. Can you see your shoulders? Put your hands on your knees. Are your clothes above the knee? Touch your toes. Does the back of your shirt lift up and show your skin? If you said yes to any of these then you are in need of a wardrobe change. Is it possible to be immodest with your makeup? I think so. Sometimes people use makeup to do more than just look pretty. Sometimes they use it to attract boys to them or to tell boys that they are willing to do things they shouldn't be doing. This is when makeup becomes immodest. Makeup should be about accentuating your simple beauty--or for fun on Hallowe

The ' Best Blog to Follow ' poll closed today and boy am I proud of the ten of you who voted! Thanks for participating. But I have some bad news... it's a tie. And I'm not really in the mood for ties. I think we can do better, so I'm going to call those the semi-finals and give you the weekend to vote for the top three, whoever wins this one will get the reward of having us as their crazy followers. Our finalists are: PTSD: A Love Story The Rowdy Stroudy's Hanging by a Silver Lining <br /> <a href="http://polldaddy.com/poll/3649115/">Final Round: Favorite Blog</a><span style="font-size:9px;">&

My Irish Twins have gone off to school once again. I thought that I was excited but I'm not really. I miss them desperately, and not just because I have to do their day-time chores now.... I miss the sounds of their voices bouncing off the walls. I miss their smiles and laughter and love. They grow so fast and it absolutely kills me. I want to stop the clock and just enjoy them for a little while longer, but I don't get too. I don't get that luxury so I guess I'll just have to take lots of pictures and give them lots of love and hope that one day they'll let me babysit my grandchildren. :)

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this ongoing project on here before--since I remember my sisters shocked comment, and how she called me a Philistine--but I don't know where, so I'll pretend no one knows what I'm talking about. :) A friend of mine came over the other day and was looking through a book I have out for display in my living room. "Have you blogged about this?" She asked. Well, the truth is I'm pretty sure I haven't... so today I'm going to show you my 'Mom Book.' The cover sports my first attempt at a fabric corsage. I got this idea from another blog, somewhere (I'm on a roll today!), and just loved it! So, naturally, I had to have one for myself. At first I tore through new pages like an old pro. Each one being unique and exciting. The book I destroyed is "Life, the Universe and Everything" by Douglas Adams... I figured I wasn't destroying the only remaining copy. I 'interviewed'

It is 8AM, I have been awake since 7AM. Currently Albowin is telling his father what a horrible dad he is for making him do chores. Well, he's not really 'telling' him so much as yelling at him. The Mischievite is sitting at the kitchen table with a bowl of his favorite cereal (Just Bunches) and a glass of his 'special' milk (whole milk). Ralexwin, between dealing with grouchy Albowin is giving me anti-computer vibes. Vicbowin has her radio on and is supposedly cleaning her room while listening to the morning show. Remewin is wandering around bouncing from happy to sad depending on who has just walked past her. And so our day begins. Today I have lots to do. *I have to round up all the library books--a chore in and of itself--and return them before any more fee's accrue. *I have to manicure our hedge, that runs the length of our extremely long driveway. *I have to clean out the sewing room before my friend Meaghan comes for her stuff (that

Off camping with the family. Hope you all have a good day and keep your bite count down. :) -Cannwin

Today Instructor Vicbowin is going to give us the definition of a little lady. But first, as always, lets learn a little about her. Vicbowin has lived in 3 states. She has participated in two years of ballet, two years of gymnastics and one year of softball. Her favorite sport is softball. Q: When you think 'little lady' what is the first image that comes to mind? A: Sitting up straight and being polite. She wears nice, clean clothes and has a pretty bed. Basically, I think of a princess when I think of a little lady. Q: So, if a little lady is a princess, how do you act like a princess? A: When I act like a princess I tell my friends not to say bad words. I don't keep secrets and I follow the rules. Q: Do little ladies burp loudly? A: No, because it's not very lady/ princess like. Q: Who is your favorite princess? A: My favorite princess is me. Q: Why? A: Because I'm polite and I'm responsible and I'm clean. Q: Can you spot another

ood morning! It is a rainy 8:30 AM here in the great state of South Dakota. The kids are up and starting their chores, I am showered and ready for the day and breakfast is on the stove. What a wonderful start to a day! Even if it is Friday the 13th. This morning Ralexwin informed me that he has already bought my birthday present AND my anniversary present (both of which are next month). So now I have a problem.... I don't know what to get him. Even worse, it's our tenth anniversary. I need something creative, fun and special. Here are some of the things that haven't worked in the past: *clothes--he's pickier than I am *shoes--traded them to his brother for a pellet gun *ties and socks--so NOT fun *$300 watches--ungrateful little !&#$--  ;) *electric razor's *coats--he got four coats for christmas that year... he gave mine away *iPod--never uses it So I need some serious help here. What do you get a man for a present!? I'm dying here! Some sug

With Ralexwin puttering around the house waiting for school to start I've been finding it hard to get my blogging done. READ: He keeps giving me the 'don't you have something better to do than stare at a computer screen' look. But I can't go a day without popping in and telling you all how much I love blogging. It is so fulfilling to me and adds a dimension to my life that I think I would go crazy without. When I was a teenager I wrote and wrote and wrote... then I got married. For the longest time I associated writing with venting my emotions, which made it pretty hard to pick up a pen. However! I've grown out of that now and find myself craving all things journalistic. Hence I love my blog. I also love books... and libraries like this one: Source Absolute bliss. -- P.S. Speaking of books, I'm reading a really good one-- The Maze Runner . It's a definite page turner. P.P.S. Don't forget about my new blog askcannwin.blogspot.com I'm s

...the finest memories that side of the Rocky Mountains. *                   *                    *  I have a major love/hate relationship with Phoenix, but that's not very hard to achieve. Phoenix is...  ... ... undefinable. It is merely a rush of emotion and memory built one atop the other until I am overwhelmed with thoughts and feelings. Phoenix is >The first place I lived as a married woman >My first child >My second child >My first home >Family >Best friends >Girl's Night Out Phoenix is >115* F in the summer >Traffic >Brown >Monsoon's >Traffic >Operation Iraqi Freedom >Dust Storms >Traffic I have a lot I miss about that Valley of the Sun. Several brother-in-laws live there (with accompanying spouses and children) as well as some of my dearest friends. It's where I first experienced adult life and therefore cannot be easily separated into good/bad, pr

Today is the last blog swap with Evelyn @ Hanging by a Silver Lining . For our last we chose a topic near and dear to both of us... Arizona. One of the surprising things about Evelyn and I is that our lives have had parallel paths. We were raised in Idaho and both ended up in Phoenix. After your done with her post, be sure to hop on over to Hanging Silver to read mine. And don't forget to leave some comment love while you're at it! ----- Two and a half years ago I crossed the Utah/Arizona border in a moving van that was driving south. My face was wet and aching from crying and trying not to cry. Those efforts were only stunted by the hormones coursing through my pregnant body. I was trying to be strong. For my husband, for my two small children, for myself. But I failed...miserably. Every mile that brought the Valley of the Sun closer only took me that much farther from my beloveds: family, friends, mountains, trees, green, cold, snow, familiarity. I tried to think of

Today, since I've been up since 5AM & can't seem to find a hair band (therefore making me rather grumpy), I've decided that we're going to start the voting process for my award: So the Nominee's are: PTSD: A Love Story Elle Apparel The House of Sarager Advertising for Love The Rowdy Stroudy's Mean Mommy Academy Hanging by a Silver Lining Memories for Later Serene Is My Name was nominated as well, but since she won the award last time I took her off the list. So the voting will be open until the 20th (ten days). Go check out each blog and then decide which one you think deserves some more followers. Remember at the end of this that ideally we will all go over there and click 'follow.' That makes them feel happy and gives us something more to read. Now go vote! <br /> <a href="http://polldaddy.com/poll/3599217/">Which blog would you follow?</a><span style="font-size:9p

Last night, as per the usual of many years, we enjoyed a friendly game of Settlers of Cataan. If you haven't played this game... don't start now, it'll suck you in and you'll never find your way free of it's grasp. If you are a player then you'll appreciate how, while waiting for our turn, my friend Stephanie and I took pictures of our 'artwork'... and other stuff. We ate entirely too many No-Bake Cookies and stayed up later than we should have. But it was great fun and made me miss all our old Settler's partner's throughout the years. Allison & Daniel Lisa & Jared Josh & Chelsea Steven & Charlotte Kiri & Aaron ::sigh:: P.S. Stephenie won by pulling two Victory Points. I took third with 8 points and Ralexwin was so pulverized he didn't even count his points. Mwahahaha

It's the final day of our first session of the Academy for Little Ladies. Can you believe how fast time flies?! We hope you've all made some great friends here and learned a few fun tips to making yourself a little more lady like.  We know you're excited to hear some more about us so we won't keep you waiting any longer. Vicbowin can read several books at once. Cannwin can only read one book at a time. Vicbowin is 21 years younger than her mother. Cannwin is 38 years younger than hers. Vicbowin will need braces someday, Cannwin has already had them (and still has nightmares about it). Now on to lipstick. Several stages go into making the perfect lips, but first you need to understand the reason we use lipstick. Lipstick is used to make your lips look more red. For any adults reading this it has to do with the birds and the bees and the hormones produced. For any children reading... it makes you look more lady like. When applying lipstick you want your bottom l

To smart for her own good: Vicbowin: Mom, whats your favorite acid? --- Vicbowin: I can sit in your seat because it's a free country! Ralexwin: Well, it's not a free house. Not quite there yet: Albowin and the Mischievite: The rich man built his house upon the rock.                                             The wise man built his house upon the sand. ---- Vicbowin: Way back when they used to put seeds in the ground and water it and the seeds would turn into food! Thank you for that information: Vicbowin: I like sleeping, it's one of my hobbies. -- Vicbowin: But Moooom... the day before yesterday I didn't have lunch. ---- Ralexwin: Why do you think children make parents happy? Albowin: Because they do work so moms and dads don't have to. ---- Mischievite: Mommy, Mommy! Me need to go #3! Don't be rude: Ralexwin: What did we just talk about? Mischievite: No stinking. Ralexwin (ignoring Mischievite): No fighting and... Mis

Orange Rose from the funeral. Last week a friend of mine had to go to a funeral. It wasn't one of those peaceful ones where an elderly person has gone to a better place. It was the funeral of an infant. My friend's sister had been pregnant, around 30 weeks when the baby stopped moving.. The sorrow that reverberated through their family was felt in my own home. I have never lost a baby (God willing I never do), I've never even had a miscarriage, so this topic is one that I approach with hesitation and hope that my sympathy will be felt by all reading. When my friend got home we talked about death and pregnancy while she decompressed. We discussed the realities of such a situation, and the potential emotional repercussions her sister might suffer from. Then my friend said, "I sure wish I could get her to come to church with me." Church. It might as well be a four letter word. It's the 'fantasy of the delusional'. Or is it? Religion is th

At the end of the last school year my 1st grader came home with a 'book' his teacher had made to contain all of my sons important or special papers from the year. The make-up of the book was so simple that I couldn't help but fall in love. Each month had it's own pocket with a corresponding picture of my child (or his class) from that time period. Inside the pocket were tests, school work or art projects that he had done during that month. It was pure genius! In fact I loved it so much that I've decided to implement it's use for all of my children for each year... in the hopes that it will contain the insane amount of papers we receive during the year. It also makes a good post for today's blog swap. So I'm going to teach you how to make your own--super easy--'Back to School Book.' What you need: > At least 5 folders (one pocket for each month your child is in school) > Scissors > Label stickers  > Permanent marke