Three kids and a dog

Yummy Things I Made This Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T08:06:00.002-05:00

Paula Deen's Corn Casserole: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/corn-casserole-recipe/index.html

Pioneer Woman's Sweet Potatoes (hubby called them best ever!): http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/10/soul-sweet-taters-step-by-step-recipe/

Pecan Pie: http://www.cookinglight.com/entertaining/holidays-occasions/thanksgiving-pies-00412000073405/page2.html

I loved all these recipes. They really should be made whenever and not just at Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T07:55:00.003-05:00

Dear Mrs. T,

Thanks for being such a loyal blog reader. This Thanksgiving I just want you to know I am thankful for you. You make me laugh. I realize you think this is possibly ironic, like a clown with a tear, but your sense of humor really tickles my funny bone. I can't believe you even emailed to apologize about your phone, I am still cracking up at your joke.

I've been praying for your trip lots! Yesterday I tried to imagine you in the kitchen up there in Ohio and I was having a hard time trying to imagine what Buckeyes whip up at Thanksgiving.* First, I thought about you guys rolling out biscuits, but then I guessed that was probably a Southern thang, that even Southerners don't make anymore. My next guess was shrimp cocktail, I have no idea why. Finally, I came to the conclusion people in Ohio probably eat turkey and mashed potatoes like the rest of us. Heck, even my friend from Hungary eats turkey and mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving.

Anyhoo, I'm glad I got to see you Monday, it had been too long. And it is WAY easier to blog when I think about you as the audience. Enjoy yourself best you can and just remember to choose to live in the light of the Resurrection.

* Are all people from Ohio referred to as Buckeyes?

Well, hello stranger.

2011-11-13T08:47:00.002-05:00

My computer has been broken for a long time. My amazing father-in-law repaired it and my amazing hubby fixed the last issue, getting me back on the World Wide Web. My hands are so happy to be typing on a normal keyboard again! I have been using my cell for checking email, but typing or reading blogs on a cell phone is for the birds...so I am so happy to have my laptop back!

I have not downloaded Picassa on my computer yet, so no pics today, but I just wanted to put up a little post to say hello. In some ways I LOVED not having a computer, but now that I have had my unintentional fast from the internet, I am glad to be back.

Off to read some blogs...

Anne Marie's and Colin's Wedding

2011-09-20T09:34:00.001-04:00

2011-09-14T12:58:00.000-04:00

2011-09-12T15:03:00.002-04:00

2011-09-11T11:42:00.001-04:00

Asher wrote his first word!!!!!

2011-08-26T10:36:00.003-04:00

You can see in this picture a songsheet I had been using to teach Asher some letters. We would sing these songs each day while pointing to the letters printed on the sheet.

On his own today he got this sheet and copied it. I couldn't believe. We have not done any writing together at all!!

He has attempted his name a few times, but I am tickled that the first word he wrote was "Bible".

One proud mama over here!

Foot on the accelerator, eyes in the rear-view mirror

2011-08-02T20:31:00.011-04:00

When I uploaded pictures from my camera yesterday, I realized I had a ton of cute pictures from this summer just sitting on my memory card. So I thought I'd share a few of my favorites from our happy summer memories.

We had a picnic planned with cousins, but some terrible storms moved us into my step-mom's office. We waited the storms out for an hour or so, and while it was very cramped we still had a great time. My dad is great at making a stressful situation hilarious.

We visited Aaron at work.

We had a super fun 4th of July.

The girls spent a ton of time making things out of Perler beads.

We enjoyed the Laser Show at Stone Mountain.

And Asher was in awe of the fireworks.

And then, there was tons of sibling bonding this summer. Sure, there were plenty of fights, too...but we will try to forget those. :)

Now, after a nice walk down memory lane, it's back to class!

One Down, 179 to go

2011-08-01T18:18:00.003-04:00

School started today at my house. Since it is 217 degrees down in Hotlanta*,I thought we should sit in the cool air conditioner and start our studies. I am a big fan of ending school in early May, so we start in early August to make that possible.

This year we are traveling to Ancient Rome for history, so I started the school year teaching in a toga.

My costume is historically accurate, which is why I haven't taken a shower and I am not wearing make-up, lol!

I am also starting Asher in Kindergarten, so this will be my first year officially juggling three kids' school schedules. Whew!!

We ended our first day of school by enjoying gyros at the mall. We had a great day, overall. I hope the momentum continues and "si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes."

*hyperbole

The Stocking of the Pantry

2011-06-22T09:37:00.004-04:00

A certain friend of mine (ahem, Kara) has a beeeeuuuteeeful pantry. Her pantry was built by her super talented husband, and then stocked with gorgeous rows and rows of mason jars sealed with homegrown veggies. Kara has always been great at planning ahead and preparing for what her food needs will be in the future. Which is why she raises chickens, buys in bulk and grows yummy stuff in her garden.

I am the exact opposite. I never have anything in my non-existent pantry, cannot keep a plant alive to save my life and have a small secret fear of chickens. But I'm sure I have other qualities Kara likes about me, you know, like how I can change all the clocks in my house without my kids realizing it, so they go to bed an hour earlier....

Anyhoo.

As an effort to become a better person, I decided to try and stock my pantry some this summer. Actually it is more like an effort to crack down on the number of trips I take to the grocery store. I like going to the store everyday, but now that I can't confine a single one of my children to the car cart, I realized I don't necessarily like taking three kids to the store with me. The employees at the store are not too fond either.

So, here are ten things I am going to try and always have in the house:

1)canned tomatoes -diced, sauce and paste

2)cereal

3)beans-dried and canned; black beans, black-eyed, pinto and chickpeas

4)rice-brown, wild and instant white (side note: I LOVE Trader Joe's frozen boxes of microwavable rice)

5)olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic and onions-Every good meal starts with these, right?

6)peanut butter and jelly

7)pasta

8)canned veggies -I loathe canned veggies, but there are a few worthy of keeping around-canned corn and canned olives are good drained and added to salads or quesadillas. (Another side note: if you know me, you know the one food I can't stand is olives. But I do realize that is not a universal feeling.)

9) nuts-especially walnuts and cashews

10) spices-cumin, Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute, cinnamon, rosemary and dill are my faves.

Recent Pics

2011-06-10T09:42:00.003-04:00

Aaron and I celebrated our 12th anniversary on May 23rd.

And on June 3rd we celebrated National Doughnut Day!

And this week I have been teaching at Vacation Bible School.

As you can see our summer has been busy and fun!! I am looking forward to some downtime soon, but I love the go, go, go of a life with kids!

How's your Summer?

2011-05-31T09:25:00.000-04:00

At a recent homeschool meeting I went to, we had a discussion of books that ladies had read this year and enjoyed. I have not read most of the books on this list, so this is not an endorsement, but a list of things I may like to read in the future. If you have read any of these, or have read any good books this year, let me know!

Castleberry Farms: http://www.castleberryfarmspress.com/index.html

Homeschooling With a Meek and Quiet Spirit and the Moody family series: http://www.titus2.com/

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less: amazon.com

Little Fur: amazon.com

Organized Simplicity: http://simplemom.net/

What the Bible Says About Healthy Living: amazon.com

Bartholomew's Passage and Tabitha's Travels: http://www.jothamsjourney.com/

Family Driven Faith: Voddie Baucham

The Wisdom of Fenelon http://www.lamplighterpublishing.com/

Teddy's Button and The Basket of Flowers: http://www.lamplighterpublishing.com/

When You Rise Up: http://www.ligonier.org/

It Came From Within!: amazon.com

Bringing up Girls: http://www.bringingupgirls.com/

Patricia St. John books: http://www.kingsleypress.com/patricia-st-john.html

One Thousand Gifts: http://www.aholyexperience.com/

E.B. White: amazon.com

Rosie Turned Eight!!

2011-05-28T07:36:00.006-04:00

I can't believe it's almost been a week since her birthday, but Monday my little girl turned 8. How time flies when you're a mom.

We had a fun, low-key, pleasant day. I decided not to do a big party this year for her, and instead just do some special things throughout the day.

I started the morning by taking her to breakfast at Cracker Barrell. Rosie shares her birthday with Jennifer's son Ethan, and this year it totally worked out that we could get together for breakfast at one of our favorite places.

After breakfast we came home and my mom came over to visit. While the girls watched a Tinkerbell movie, my mom and I set up a tea party lunch. It turned out cute! We made (or bought) heart shaped pb&j, chocolate dipped pretzels, fruit, petit fours, chocolate dipped strawberries and a cupcake for the birthday girl. My sister-in-law got to join us and it was lovely.

Rosie has been saving up for awhile to get a new bike, and after she opened one of her birthday cards she had enough. We went to the store right after lunch to get her new bike!

We finished the day by eating dinner at Steak & Shake and having cake and ice cream at the house with grandparents.

When Rosie woke up on her birthday, we spent some time together praying and reading the Bible. I prayed this passage over her, knowing that she is a light in my world. I pray that she always walks with the Lord and that her life is a testament to his goodness.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

Matthew 5:14-16

Happy Birthday, Rosie!!

Passover pics from last weekend. Words not necessary since it's Wednesday.

2011-04-27T15:07:00.005-04:00

Dog Tales

2011-04-07T09:19:00.003-04:00

After years of being a no-pet family, we adopted a dog in March of 2009. Out of my 3 kids, only one still likes the dog. (I adore the dog by the way.) My youngest, Asher-4, asked me yesterday if we could take this one back and get a different dog. I told him no, that I liked Radar. Then he asked if we could just have 2 pets. I told him probably not, but if anyone was going to get a 2nd animal it would not be him.

I realized this had all stemmed from the fact that the love of his life had been over to play the day before. The beautiful blond 7 year-old that likes to have tea parties with Rosie is scared to death of our dog. And Asher did not like his hopeful future girlfriend to be uneasy. He wanted to do something about the "scary" dog ASAP.

After realizing Radar was not going away, I could see the little wheels turning in his brain. We went down a couple of hypothetical scenarios which would not abode well for him getting rid of the dog. Finally he said, "When Radar dies can I get a new dog?" After the long conversation I quickly replied, "Sure buddy."

I immediately regretted my answer. I could actually see him figuring out a way to annihilate our pet. "But Asher, you are not allowed to hurt Radar!"

Needless to say we have now instituted a Dog Protection Program over here at our house.

On another totally random side note: The other day I came home and our dog had a new toy. He had been out back while we were gone and someone had obviously given him a very nice present. Not sure who, but I am fairly positive it was not Asher.

So I'm going to brag on my kids for a second....

2011-04-05T12:29:00.002-04:00

My husband just forwarded me this email:

Hey Aaron,

Just wanted to let you know... your kids were AWESOME last night! I was so impressed. I had nabbed a few cookies from the other room... they didn't want any. They started building train tracks, and my toddler kept wrecking it... they were happy to include her. My babies were being noisy... they just quietly sat and watched their movie. Not even a hint of a single fight or argument or outburst between them. Aaron, if my kids turn out to be half as good as I saw your kids being last night, I'll be a happy woman. Just thought I should let you know.

My kids were at church entertaining themselves while Aaron was in a meeting. This was another mom who brought her kids to the room they were in. This compliment literally brought tears to my eyes. As moms, we don't often get accolades for our work.

Are my kids perfect? Far from it! But this little moment in time when someone else recognized sweetness and goodness in my little monsters will keep my going for awhile. And the fact that God has given me grace to parent at all is a miracle.

So I had an idea. If you are a mom take a moment today to tell another mom that she inspires you, that she is doing a good job, that her kiddos are lovely. Pray that God shows you exactly which mom out there needs a word of encouragement today.

Now excuse me. I'm off to write an email....

Last Kids on the Block...

2011-03-30T17:24:00.003-04:00

...to see Tangled. I know this is so, because my kids remind me of it ALL the time. We didn't go to see it at the theater because $10 tickets times five family members is quite expensive.

Enter Amazon. Oh, my friends, Amazon is such an awesome homeschooling resource, and since I often order books from them we sometimes get good deals. And a few days ago they had a deal for the Tangled DVD combo pack with the Beauty and the Beast DVD combo pack for ridicoulsly cheap. Way cheaper than we would have spent at the movies. Rosie and I had just seen a theater production of Beauty and the Beast and that was one of the princess movies that wasn't available when my girls were younger. So without telling the kids I ordered both movies, and today it came in the mail. I took some pics as the kids opened the packages. They were ecstatic!!!

Just goes to show, the longer you wait for something the more you appreciate it. Now, off to watch some animated fun! Popcorn, anyone?

For Real??

2011-03-29T22:06:00.002-04:00

I just stumbled upon this site....http://www.spoonflower.com/welcome

I'll be spending some time over there now. I think I may be dreaming....

Pretty New Curtain

2011-03-25T09:55:00.003-04:00

Totally made this yesterday. I love it! Thought I'd share.

What are you making these days?

My Little Cowboy Turned 4!

2011-02-27T21:28:00.002-05:00

Valentine's

2011-02-13T18:21:00.002-05:00

Years ago I decided that Valentine's was no longer going to be a "romantic" holiday. I wanted to celebrate the kiddos that all that romance got us into in the first place. I didn't want to hire a sitter to eat in a crowded restaurant. Now we always spend it as a family. Sometimes we have gone out to eat, but many years we have just stayed home and had a fun meal. We make cards for each other and eat a special dessert. It's always so much more fun and relaxed that way.

I was thinking about what I could make tomorrow and I decided on Spaghetti and Meatballs. I'll make the Basic Marinara from Cooking Light and my meatballs from The Mitford Cookbook. I'm going to attempt to make heart-shaped meatballs, but I imagine they won't turn out. Maybe we will even watch Lady and the Tramp.

My real excitement when I think about Valentine's is Watson. I have a date with him at 7:30 tomorrow night, and I am a little giddy about it. I even have my outfit planned out- my hubby's IBM shirt and pajama bottoms.

So to all my friends, family, blog readers and robots out there- Happy Valentine's!!!

It was against the rules to wear the Bud shirt to school

2011-02-10T22:04:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow is my dad's last day as a grocery store manager. He has worked for Kroger for 25+ years. He is finally retiring and I am so excited for him. He will still work somewhere (not sure where yet), but hopefully not the same insane hours.

This may seem like rambling, but I wanted to write down some memories while they are fresh in my head.

I remember when my dad was laid off from his job at an oil company. I was in elementary school and I had no idea what he did, but I remember we bought an answering machine in case someone called with a job interview and we were not home. The next thing I knew he was working at the grocery store. I would go after school sometimes and do my homework in his office. It was upstairs and there was a window to look out over the whole store. It was so cool to watch the shoppers and employees from above.

My dad was always bringing home old displays. We had a huge Coke cooler on the back deck and in my room was a Fruit Loops display with a big toucan on the top. I hung purses and belts from it. In my first apartment I remember displaying my VHS tapes on a wine shelf from the store. All my dad's jackets, all our pool toys, dishes and even the shelving in the garage had some form of advertising on it.

Every year my dad went to the Food and Grocery Show. This is where new products were released before you could buy them. He always brought the most bizarre things home. Most memorable: Nerds cereal. The box had two openings just like the candy. I think all the neighborhood kids came over to see that one.

If it was going to snow, my dad had to sleep at the store. There was no closing the grocery store in case of inclimate weather, in fact it was always a huge money maker. The day before Thanksgiving was also a late nighter. They did close on Christmas day and that is when me and my brother got to run up and down the aisles of the empty store. You see, my dad had to go "check the refrigeration". If for any reason a freezer or refrigerator stopped working thousands of dollars would be lost, so we would go to the store with Dad to make sure everything was working properly. And Jason and I would act like monkeys since no one was watching.

Since my dad worked tons of nights, weekends and holidays he would often take me out of school during the week for a "date". He always said I should study hard and get good grades, but he also taught me sometimes you had to focus on relationships with family. We would watch Price is Right and eat ice cream and laugh and talk. He probably did this two or three times a year.

Other things I remember: the baler, the vendors who brought tickets to concerts and sporting events, the Valentine's I helped out in floral, Big K cola, snacks in the deli and playing on the intercom.

So here is to the end of an era. Congrats, Dad, on your hard work. As a child it put food on our table, braces on my teeth and clothes (covered in advertising) on my back. I hope you enjoy a relaxing retirement.

Daddy Daughter Dance and other fun...

2011-02-07T09:40:00.004-05:00

I had a really great weekend. Saturday we had some family time in the morning and then I got some stuff done around the house. Then I got my girls ready to go out on a date with their dad. Rachel's dance studio has a "Daddy Daughter Dance" every year around Valentine's. It's something Rachel and Rosie look very much forward to every year. This year was no exception. The girls looked beautiful, of course. Aaron came to pick them up and off they went for a night of dinner and dancing.

After I sent my girls off I went and had a bit of a girls night of my own. I had dinner with some friends and we took a "Spiritual Gifts Quiz". Honestly, the results have had me a little frustrated, but overall I had a great time with lovely, godly women. I also received a present I am ecstatic about!

You know someone loves you when they get you a gift you actually have sitting in your Amazon cart, but you are too practical to buy it for yourself! I have been wanting this book for awhile now, and it does not disappoint! I was crying in chapter 1 and just thanking God for how He has blessed me. Ann Voscamp is an incredible writer and I really think every women should read this! (This is my "thank you" for my wonderful gift, dear friend!)

After an awesome church service on Sunday morning, Aaron vacuumed my car while I went shopping. What a treat! True confession time: it's been almost a year since my car was vacuumed. Yikes. But now the inside is clean, so YEA!

Then we watched the Super Bowl at my friend Kelleigh's house, and honestly- I think this was the most fun I've ever had watching the game. Our kids had a blast, the food was good and the atmosphere was comfortable and fun. I didn't really care about the game this year, but I was so glad to have some down time with church friends.

And now I must get into my Monday! Have a great week, y'all!

2011-02-01T08:51:00.003-05:00

Kaleidoscope
Broken bits of glass, reflected
His light shines in
And creates a beautiful design
Lovely

I'm leaving on a jetplane, don't know when I'll be back again...

2011-01-22T10:42:00.002-05:00

Not really, I'm not going anywhere on a jet plane.

But in school we are exiting Egypt. Or should I say Exodus, lol. I am so excited we are moving on to Greece, as they establish themselves as the new world order in our text and literature books. Egypt has been tough, as I never really studied it myself in school it was difficult to teach.

So my advice- read up as much as you can on subjects you know nothing about BEFORE you try to present them to your kids. Can't tell you how many times I would stop in the middle of a lesson to look up on Wiki how to pronounce a pharaoh's name.

The kids loved Egypt though. And to make it fun for me I made them these cute costumes. When we would read a story they would dress up and act it out. It really helped.

Asher is a pharoah, Rosie is a priest and Rachel is a commoner. Fun times!

But moving on, because as they say in Greek, "Veni, vidi, vici."

It's not Rocket Science

2011-01-11T21:09:00.003-05:00

Well, actually it is.

We have been SNOWED IN the last few days. We are experiencing rare weather in these parts. I can't say I love the cold, in fact it usually makes me pretty miserable. But for some reason this time around it has been kind of enchanting. We have been drinking hot chocolate, sledding, playing games, reading books and yes- even doing a bit of school.

A tiny bit.

My husband has been working from home so I thought maybe we could get a little science done during his lunch break. I don't love science, especially when it comes to setting up experiments. Today we were supposed to make a rocket. Yikes!

I tried to get it started on my own. According to the directions we were to make our first rocket out of balloons, a Styrofoam cup, fishing line and two straws. I didn't get very far before I needed LOTS of help. Aaron quickly fixed everything up and made this:

The next rocket was to be made out of matches and aluminum foil. I would have NEVER done this experiment if he was not home. But since he was having so much fun he jumped on the chance to do it. After 3 failed attempts everyone went outside to play in the snow except him. He stayed in the kitchen and tried to build the rocket 4 more times. It never launched. I thought it was all said and done. Moving on, right? Wrong. I went to get Rachel later on in the day from a neighbor's house and when I came home he was in the kitchen still fiddling with matches and aluminum foil. That guy has some crazy patience! He never could get it to work, but after watching a few youtube videos I think he is going to try again tomorrow.

So what do you do when you are snowed in?

Where did she go?

2011-01-04T15:07:00.002-05:00

The other night I woke up in the middle of the night. Since I have had kids that is not at all unusual. The slightest little noise or slightest movement of the bladder causes all rest and dreamy sleep to cease.

I tiptoed out of bed went to the restroom. I also decide, as I usually do, to peek in on my kiddos. I mean how can I resist to see their sweet, precious faces so peaceful and quiet? Did I mention QUIET?

First stop was Asher's bed. I pulled his Buzz Lightyear blanket over his little body and kissed him on the cheek. I quietly made my way to the girl's room and peeked in Rachel's bed first. She looked snug as a bug, so I continued the two foot journey over to Rosie's bed. Right away I noticed something was wrong. I got closer and realized her bed was empty. The blankets were all the way off and there was not even the slightest sign of her.

I dropped to my hands and knees and searched around on the floor in case she fell. Nothing. I reached under the bed in case she fell and rolled. Nothing. I was slightly freaking out at this point.

My next thought was that maybe she had gone to our room while I was in the bathroom. Maybe our paths had crossed in our middle-of-the-night excursions. I went to our room and found nothing but Mr."Three-kids-and-a-dog".

Now Rosie has never been the best sleeper. Maybe she was having a night of restless sleep and she had made her way to the couch. I have to admit that that thought was competing with some terrible story about a kidnapper in my foggy, sleep deprived brain. I went to the living room to find nothing but more emptiness. The couches were empty, the chair was empty and at this point even my heart had a sinking emptiness. Where was my little girl??

I needed to call in the reinforcements, so I went to my room and turned on every light imaginable to shut out the night. I then explained to my dear husband that our daughter was missing. As he rubbed his eyes and attempted to make his way out of bed I sped out of the room and back into the girl's room. Maybe I had left a stone unturned. And then I found her in the most unlikely of places- her sister's bed. The bug I thought was so snug was actually two bugs holding each other close. What could have possibly caused such sibling kindness? How did this happen?

I made my way back to my husband and told him I had found her. Within a few seconds he was happily dozing back off to sleep. I, on the other hand, lay awake for over an hour pondering the unexpected scene that had just played out.

The next morning I inquired of the girls the meaning of all that had happened. They had been talking and they fell asleep. That was all. Such a sweet moment had caused pure anxiety in this tired mommy. But no need to worry, within a few minutes all was back to normal. The girls were irritated with each other, and loud, and suddenly everything felt normal. As the chaos ensued around me I smiled and let out a deep sigh.

This Week's Menu

2011-01-02T12:55:00.004-05:00

Monday- Roast beef, salad, biscuits with jam

There are 1000's of ways to prepare Pot Roast, and I typically don't like any of them. But last year a friend of mine at church made a roast that was to die for. I asked her for the recipe and she said it was top secret but gave me a copy of it anyway. It's a piece of paper with some random notes from her mom- not really a recipe at all, but a process. I'm going to try it and see how it goes. The biscuits and jam idea came from the four different types of homemade jams and butters we received for Christmas. I can't wait to pick my favorite.

Tuesday- Philly Beef Panini; sweet potatoes; cucumbers, carrots and dip

With the leftover beef I want to try this recipe from Southern Living Cooking School

Prep: 10 min., Cook: 7 min.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
1 (10-ounce) package prebaked thin Italian pizza crust
7-ounce Roast Beef
3 (1-ounce) provolone cheese slices

1. Cook first 3 ingredients in 1 teaspoon hot oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Top half of pizza crust with roast beef. Spoon onion mixture over roast beef; top with cheese slices. Fold crust over filling, and brush both sides of crust with remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil.

3. Cook in a preheated panini press 2 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into 4 wedges, and serve immediately.

Note: If you don't have a panini press, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium, and place sandwich in hot skillet. Place a heavy skillet on top of sandwich, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Wednesday-black beans and rice with tortillas, lettuce and cheese

This recipe came from a blog I have read for awhile Crockpot365.

--1 can of black beans--1 can of pinto beans
--1 cup of rice --1 can (14.5 oz) of diced tomatoes
--1 T olive oil
--1/2 t kosher salt
--1 t Italian seasoning
--1/2 T dried onion flakes

The Directions.

--put the 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the bottom of your crockpot, and add the rice. Swirl the rice around in the olive oil, until it is coated nicely.

--drain and rinse the beans, and add them

--drain the tomatoes, but reserve the liquid in a measuring cup. I got a little under a cup of tomato juice. Add the tomatoes.

--add water to the measuring cup with tomato juice. You need 2 cups of liquid.

--add seasonings stir well, and cover.

Cook on low for about 6 hours, or on high for 3-4. Brown rice or wild rice will take longer to cook than white rice.

Thursday- Poppy Seed Chicken, fruit salad, broccoli

I made Poppy Seed Chicken for a leftover potluck over the holidays and my kids loved it. They requested that one night they get the whole pan to themselves. Basically you take 4cups of chicken, 1 can cream of chicken soup and 8 oz sour cream and mix it up. Pour into a casserole dish and top with 1 sleeve of Ritz crackers mixed with a stick of butter and 1 tbsp of poppy seeds. Cook at 350* until bubbly. No, it's not healthy- but it's good! This is when I say something like, "It's better than Mickey D's."

Friday- Dahl, rice, curried cauliflower, Naan

I made this Indian inspired dinner while my vegetarian sister-in-law was in town over the holidays. It was really good and I wanted to add it to our regular dinner rotation. The Dahl is from Joy of Cooking. Here's the cauliflower recipe:

1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 (10-oz.) packages fresh cauliflower florets
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt

1. Cook curry powder and red pepper in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring often, 1 minute. Add cauliflower, onion, and salt, and cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until onion is crisp-tender. Reduce heat to low; add 6 Tbsp. water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes or just until cauliflower is tender.

Enjoy!

2010-12-31T11:01:00.003-05:00

Jo-Lynne over at Musing of a Housewife created a fun idea to recap 2010. You are to post the first line from the first post of each month. I added just a little commentary too. So here goes:

January- I am one of the few people who likes resolutions. I love the opportunity to examine my life and think of things I want to add or take away to make it better. I mean, I'm not going to beat myself up if I don't succeed. I'm just going to try and learn. And yes, I do this every day of the year. It's just fun to think a little bigger as we watch the calender change.

I looked back over my resolution list last week and I had accomplished 9 out of 10! That's pretty darn good.

February- My computer has been working for a whole 16 hours!

My computer still drives me nuts. Maybe one of my resolutions should be that it is replaced.

March-
Asher handsome, courageous running, playing, laughing makes my heart beat Son

Oh, my sweet baby turned three this year. Here's a virtual pat on the back for those of you who dealt with a three year old in 2010. Or ever.

April- There are so many things I want to blog about! But I am behind in posting to the point I don't know where to start.

My blogging went way down hill in 2010. Another resolution idea is brewing...

May- Today I am old. Well, at least I am older than I was yesterday. I love that my birthday is in May. I love that the weather is almost always gorgeous. I love that the whole nation of Mexico is celebrating me.

I got a bike for my birthday. I'm still scared of it.

June- The last couple weeks have been super busy around here, so I thought I'd post some of the milestones passed.

In the mundane of the day to day this post made me realize how many things changed this year. Rachel is growing so fast, Rosie is now homeschooling and Asher has gained quite a few new social skills. Including, but not limited to, streaking.

July- A certain young boy recently told me he read my blog. I was like, "What?"

There was a point in my blogging career I was desperate for readers. Now that I have some (three) my transparency has taken quite the back seat. So much so I didn't even blog in August. And in September I had one post that was only pictures. I started this blog for me, I need to remind myself of that!

October- Last night we made our way down to the Michael C. Carlos Museum for their "Mummies and Milkshakes" event. I had been wanting to take the kids, since we are studying ancient history this year, and last night worked out great. We had an "Egyptian" picnic, with grape flavored Capri Suns, Ritz crackers, cheese, dried banana chips, cucumbers and yogurt. Then we headed over to the museum where we looked at real mummies! It was pretty cool and gross all at the same time. I was so proud of my girls with their comments like, "That pottery is from the New Kingdom because of the blue on it." It reinforced all that we have been learning.

This was one of my favorite moments from our school year. In some ways I have been struggling through our homeschooling curricula. But it's moments like that field trip that make it worth it.

November- Rachel saw this "skele-cutie" costume months ago and liked it. I made a bony ballerina joke, and that was its name from then on out.

More pictures for November and December. A few recipes, but no real "meat" in blog posts.

So this exercise has taught me that my blog is DULL. If you are still reading- well, thank you loyal reader. I'm sorry I haven't offered more. But I am adding "make my blog better" to my resolution list.

Hope you have a wonderful New Year's!

Our life...as documented by ornaments...

2010-12-08T15:57:00.006-05:00

(I totally copied this idea from Jodi.)

Once upon a time there was a funny guy that loved Star Wars and Mexican food.

He met a girl who looked like a mouse and liked to sew.

Wait. I think the author is a little biased against the appearance of the girl in this story. She is now in her thirties and saying goodbye to the youthful look she once had. Let's try again.

A long, long, long time ago, in 1996, boy met girl. They fell in love in 1998. They got married in 1999.

~~Eventually~~ Very soon they had a precious little girl. Her name was Rachel. She started dancing at a young age and hasn't stopped since.

A few years later the most snugly of all their children entered the family. She made them laugh (and sometimes cry.) She brought joy and music to their lives.

And then, after two lovely little girls, God decided it was time for this little family to experience a little man. Asher came to be part of this wonderful family.

In many ways he completed their troupe. They could say "Party of five" when eating out.

But their poor mom was a bit frazzled, and a few years later when they decorated the tree a terrible thing happened.

Asher opened a box and found many ornaments with baby pictures on them. He carefully lifted each one out and asked, "Is this me?" "No, sweetie. Those are all of your sisters," the mom sadly replied. You see, this mom had never had Christmas pictures made of her third born. She had never created an album to document his life. She had been too busy caring for three little kids to remember such important, but non-pressing, matters.

Then, to the rescue, came Super-Grandma. She swooped in with a package from Macy's containing ornaments to remember each precious life.

Fittingly, Asher's ornament was a snowflake. You see, they say no two snowflakes are alike, and the same is true for children. While Asher does not have a special baby picture ornament, he does have a family that loves him dearly. He is a unique gift from above. He shines brightly, not because of what is packed away in a box as hidden treasure, but because he reflects the light of others. He is sensitive and caring, yet strong and creative.

And it is because of the three children that there is so much ~~noise~~ joy in this special home at Christmas time.

Anybody interested-

2010-12-05T13:20:00.005-05:00

In what we are eating this week? Here's my weekly plan. It includes three new recipes, so I thought I'd share. I've never tried these, so I'll let you know.

Monday (with salad and bread)

Roasted Red Pepper and Herb Pasta with Shrimp(from Cooking Light)

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups shrimp and pasta mixture and 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese)

2 red bell peppers
8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons shaved fresh Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 15 minutes or until blackened. Place in a paper bag; fold to close tightly. Let stand 20 minutes. Peel and chop; set aside.

3. Cook fettuccine according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well. Set aside; keep warm.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and garlic to pan, and cook for 4 minutes or until the onion is tender, stirring frequently. Add shrimp to the pan, and cook for 2 minutes. Add bell peppers and 1/4 cup lemon juice to the pan, and cook for 4 minutes or until the shrimp are done and half of the liquid has evaporated. Add chopped parsley and the next 5 ingredients (through 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper) to the shrimp mixture. Remove pan from heat.

5.Combine cooked fettuccine and 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large bowl; toss well. Add shrimp mixture, tossing gently to coat. Top each serving with cheese.

Tuesday (with grilled cheese)

Cannellini Bean Stew (from Real Simple)

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Other Time: 15 minutes
Yield: Makes 6 servings

2 15-ounce cans cannellini or other white beans, drained
1 14.5-ounce can low-sodium chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 bay leaf
6 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 3-inch pieces
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan (optional)

In a Dutch oven, over medium heat, bring the beans, broth, garlic, bay leaf, and carrots to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Add the spinach, salt, and pepper and stir for 1 minute. Spoon the stew into bowls. Drizzle with the oil. If desired, add either some vinegar or Parmesan.

Wednesday (side dishes- green beans and roasted red potatoes)

Lazy Cranberry Chicken(From I'm a Lazy Mom)

(The following is quoted from her site.)

4-5 chicken breasts
1 8oz bottle of french dressing
1 packet of dry onion soup mix
1 16oz can of whole cranberries

Place your breasts (the chicken's, not yours) in a crock pot. I slap mine in there frozen (the chicken's, not mine), but if you have some time (and want this dish to be even better) you can brown your breasts (the chicken's, not yours) on both sides in a pan before putting them in the crock pot. Which is something I've NEVER done, but I do recommend it for those of you who aren't as pathetic as I am. It adds flavor. Or something like that.

Next, pour in the whole bottle of dressing, toss in the soup mix and dump in the cranberries. (Those are all very technical cooking terms in case you were wondering.)

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours or until your breasts are done (the chicken's, not yours).

Serve over a bed of rice, noodles, or just throw it down on a plate like I did.

(I'm going to try this with Fiddle DeeDee's brown rice)

Thursday

Spaghetti and meatballs, salad and bread (Depending on my enthusiasm I may make homemade meatballs from The Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader and marinara from Jennifer's cooking blog and Cooking Light. It makes a ton, so if you use this recipe be prepared to freeze some.)

If you make any of these, let me know how they go!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-01T15:52:00.003-05:00

To you and yours....

2010-11-24T10:42:00.002-05:00

Day 79

2010-11-20T13:15:00.003-05:00

Yea! Thanksgiving break!!

We started school way back in August. We have been chugging along for almost four months, so I thought I would post our progress. This post is really for me, so be prepared for boredom.

I keep the girls together for most subjects. It makes it easier for me! The assignments that go along with the lessons are obviously less for Rosie than for Rachel.

History- We are studying ancient Egypt using My Father's World. I am really impressed with the History notebooks the girls are keeping and their recollection of facts in discussions.

Science- We are using a book called Genesis for Kids. I like it, but don't love it. I have been supplementing with library books and giving Rachel a few short, science writing assignments. I try to relax about science and let my kids develop their curiosity at this age, but since Rachel is just a few short months from middle school (insert panic here) I sometimes wonder if she needs more.

Bible- One thing I love about My Father's World (MFW) is the unit study approach. We are actually basing all of our history studies around what we are studying in the Bible. So, we have been digging deep into Genesis and Exodus. We celebrated the Jewish fall feast and reenacted the plagues. I have to admit, sometimes I just need me some Jesus. I get a little bored in the OT, but I am glad I am being challenged to learn so much and I am glad that my girls just look at it like fun learning.

Art- We are using God and the History of Art. We do about 2 lessons per week, and that is about as much as I can handle from the book. It correlates to our history studies and helps kids learn the fundamentals of art, but the writing style of the author can be a little annoying.

Music- I discovered a fun collection of cd's called Classical Kids. I used Vivaldi and the Ring of Mystery as a launching point on a study of The Four Seasons.

Read Alouds: All of a Kind Family, Star of Light, Trumpet of the Swan, Tanglewood's Secrets

Rachel:
Math-We are using Saxon 6/5 and for the most part Rachel is working independently. She is still doing well in Math and has an A average on tests.

Language Arts- For the most part we are using Learning Language Arts through Literature, purple book. (LLATL) I freaked out at the beginning of the year that it was too light. She likes the book and works well through it, but the lessons are short and the writing assignments are few and far between. With a little hand holding from veteran homeschoolers, I think I made it past that bump. My friend Jenni gave me great advice about creating a rubric for writing assignments, and that helped.

The thing about LLATL is that Rachel is learning, it just takes a bit longer to get there. We have tried other curriculum, and this is really the most successful for her learning style. I have been supplementing some spelling, and adding more writing during science. At some point I know I need to add even more writing, but every time I research the options, I am overwhelmed.

Rosie:
Math- Since I already have all the Saxon books I thought I would go ahead and try Saxon 2nd for Rosie. I thought she may not breeze through it like Rachel, and I was right. She did not breeze through it like Rachel. She went about a million miles faster! I had to test her ahead, and we ended up pretty far in the book. She still gets bored sometimes and will actually shut down if I try to teach her something she already knows, so I have to stay on my toes and keep it creative. Math and candy are a perfect combination in my house!

Language Arts- For grammar we are using Primary Language Lessons. It's an easy open and go book. Sometimes I make Rosie write the lessons out, and sometimes we do it orally. For spelling she is using Spelling by Sound and Structure. She also uses Handwriting Without Tears.

Asher loves doing school. He wants to sit at the table and learn just like his sisters. Right now I am teaching him his numbers.

Sweeter Than Candy

2010-11-01T09:40:00.006-04:00

Rachel saw this "skele-cutie" costume months ago and liked it. I made a bony ballerina joke, and that was it's name from then on out.

This was Asher's original costume. He was wearing it up until a couple minutes before we left. Our friend Wyatt was dressed as Flash, and then his friend Sam came over as a ninja. Wyatt wanted to be a ninja so he ditched Flash.

And just like a true superhero Asher saw an opportunity and sped off with it. I love this picture, a little boy face with big dreams...

Rosie set up this pose, she thought it was pretty funny. That girl cracks me up! This is our friend Jeremy. He is dealing with cancer right now, so if you feel led please pray for him and his family.

A close up of my" scarecrow". She is not scary at all. In fact, that face warms my heart!

Say, I got an uncle in Cairo! He's a chiropractor!

2010-10-30T09:51:00.004-04:00

Last night we made our way down to the Michael C. Carlos Museum for their "Mummies and Milkshakes" event. I had been wanting to take the kids, since we are studying ancient history this year, and last night worked out great. We had an "Egyptian" picnic, with grape flavored Capri Suns, Ritz crackers, cheese, dried banana chips, cucumbers and yogurt. Then we headed over to the museum where we looked at real mummies! It was pretty cool and gross all at the same time. I was so proud of my girls with their comments like, "That pottery is from the New Kingdom because of the blue on it." It reinforced all that we have been learning.

After that we made our way out to the lawn and watched The Three Stooges in We Want Our Mummy. They had milkshakes for purchase, but it was a bit chilly last night so we skipped. Instead we all snuggled on a blanket as my kids were introduced to the comedic genius of Larry, Moe and Curly. Because of all the really old human remains, no pictures were allowed in the museum- but I snapped this shot as we were watching the movie.

Hope you enjoy your weekend!

Angels

2010-10-18T11:39:00.006-04:00

My heroes come with wings, not capes.

Where Did You Come From ?
Where did you come from, Baby dear?
Out of the everywhere into here.
Where did you get your eyes so blue?
Out of the sky as I came through.
What makes the light in them sparkle and spin?
Some of the starry spikes left in.
Where did you get that little tear?
I found it waiting when I got here.
What makes your forehead so smooth and high?
A soft hand stroked it as I went by,
What makes your cheek like a warm white rose?
I saw something better than anyone knows.
Whence that three-comer'd smile of bliss?
Three angels gave me at once a kiss.
Where did you get this pearly ear?
God spoke, and it came out to hear.
Where did you get those arms and bands?
Love made itself into hooks and hands.
Feet, whence did you come, you darling things?
From the same box as the cherubs' wings.
Where did you get that dimple so cute,
God touched my cheek as I came through.
How did they all come just to be you?
God thought of me, and so I grew.
But how did you come to us, you dear?
God thought of you, and so I am here. -- George MacDonald, 1871

Atlanta Botanical Gardens

2010-09-18T09:04:00.003-04:00

Double Digits

2010-07-12T17:01:00.003-04:00

My first born turns 10 today. It's a little surreal. Pray for me.

She is an amazing girl, and I love having her in my life. We have our moments, but I have learned so much from being her mom. I can't wait to see what God has in store for her as she is rapidly growing up.

Today we went to the American Girl store so she could pick out her present. She has been saving up since January for one of these dolls, and her birthday money was enough to get her to her goal.

Happy Birthday, Rachel!

finally inspired...

2010-07-10T13:14:00.003-04:00

A certain young boy recently told me he read my blog. I was like, "What?"

It made me think about "audience." All of us have an audience, and when I first started this blog my audience consisted of one faithful husband. It has now grown quite a bit. I mean, the Today Show isn't knocking down my door for an interview and no one is contacting me with a book deal, but I do know I have some lurkers out there.

So I have been asking myself lately, where do I go from here? I don't know if I have any official answers, but this new template is getting me pretty excited. What do you lurkers out there think?

And in regards to you- my audience: I love to post recipes, homeschool ideas, and general thoughts about my life. Other than that don't expect much and I think we can have a good relationship ;)

Hope you lovely readers are having a lovely day!

Jen

Taking a little break from blogging...

2010-06-29T07:39:00.001-04:00

Enjoy your summer!

A Real Day in the Life...

2010-06-04T20:55:00.003-04:00

So in case you thought I was some model parent, whipping up healthy meals and having smiley, content children, let me share with you a story.

Our story starts on Wednesday night. You know, the night I had yummy breakfast for dinner? Well, it dawned on me that we were out of everything after I made dinner. I mean everything. My house was void of milk, bread, eggs, yogurt, cereal, oatmeal.( My weakness in life is stocking up on staples.) I knew either my hubby or myself needed to run to the store, but by the time he got home we got sucked into playing Wii golf. (Did I mention we got a Wii?) I figured I would just run to the store the next morning. Except the next morning I started to blog. At some point my dear mother-in-law called to see if she could come get the kids. After my kids actually woke up and I stopped blogging, I remembered we had nothing to eat for breakfast. I called her back to see if she could come later or if I could send my kids over hungry, and she kindly offered to stop by the store and bring over milk and cereal. (thank you again!) She asked if Fruit Loops were okay, and since a) I didn't want to make it complicated, b) it was grandma buying and not me, and c) my kids have been eating a lot of veggies I said that was fine.

Okay, all was well and good until last night when I decided to make poached pears with homemade chocolate sauce. The sauce would not thicken and the recipe turned out pretty gross. I was frustrated so I left the saucepan,with a little soap and water, in the sink and went to play Wii. This morning I woke up to find hundreds of ants helping themselves to the edges of the pan. I quickly get on the phone to call the exterminator, and while I was on hold Asher asked me if he could pour his own cereal. "Sure, fine sweetie." When I got off the phone I walked in the kitchen and discovered the above scene. I just laughed and went and got my camera. Such a mommy no-no, right?

After I took a picture I put the extra cereal in a 2nd bowl. Asher ate at it for about 20 minutes and spilled a ton on the floor. He was kind enough to move all the furniture and sweep under the table. When I went to put the table and chairs back he threw himself on the floor kicking and screaming, "Don't move the table!!" I eventually got him calmed down, my table back into it's proper place and immediately started blogging about it. Because every bad day makes for great blog fodder!

Are Ya Jealous?*

2010-06-03T08:37:00.007-04:00

Just wanted to post 2 new farm box ideas.

The first is last night's dinner. I baked some sweet potatoes early in the day, and then mashed them up and made sweet potato pancakes for dinner. I added some grapefruit from our farm box and scrambled some eggs. Can I just say I loved this dinner? It was so delicious!

This was my first attempt at sweet potato pancakes. I was nervous to try them because I love them so much from Pancake Pantry in Nashville. I thought I would ruin one of my favorite special meals, and then I would have to drive four hours to make up for it. So for years I have hesitated making them myself.

But, last night I was craving breakfast for dinner. It's really much better in the p.m. than the a.m. Sweet foods in the morning give me a belly ache, and things like bacon and sausage are too heavy. So if I am to enjoy breakfast foods it's at night. (Oh, flashbacks to Waffle House at midnight and Marietta Diner at 2 am.) And now I feel confident that I can enjoy my favorite flavor pancakes in GA and TN.

The 2nd farm box recipe I am going to add to my repertoire is Curried Chicken Penne with Mango Chutney. I thought of cheating and just using jarred mango chutney (a sandwich staple at my house) but I am so glad I took the time to make it fresh. Do the chutney early in the day and the recipe seems less labor intensive. Also, you could substitute rice for the penne, but my kids are pasta people. This meal was fabulous. Every single member of my family loved it!

Ingredients

Chutney:
2 cups diced peeled ripe mango (about 2 mangoes)
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt

Chicken:
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup light coconut milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons red curry paste
1 to 2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups cauliflower florets
4 cups hot cooked penne rigate (about 2 cups uncooked tube-shaped pasta)
2 tablespoons chopped green onions (optional)

Preparation: To prepare chutney, combine first 9 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates and mixture is thick, stirring occasionally. To prepare chicken, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and chicken; sauté 5 minutes. Combine coconut milk and next 4 ingredients (coconut milk through fish sauce), stirring with a whisk. Add coconut mixture to pan; bring to a simmer. Add broccoli and cauliflower; cover and cook 7 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in chutney and pasta; toss well to combine. Sprinkle with green onions, if desired. (from Cooking Light)

* This question is directed at my hubby, who chose his spicy chicken sandwich reservation at Chick-fil-a over the delicious sweet potato pancakes. While I love CFA and am equally excited by the new sandwich, I thought he may have had his priorities out of whack,lol! But, I can say that because I had mine Monday.

Weekend Update (sans Dennis Miller)

2010-06-02T08:47:00.004-04:00

The last couple weeks have been super busy around here, so I thought I'd post some of the milestones passed.

Rachel:
Last Thursday Rachel got braces. She looks so cute, and is smiling so much more these days. This weekend she had her dance recital. She danced in the company show (which means she is big) and even had two dances. She looked so beautiful on stage and made her mom and dad very proud. Although we have also gotten to the age where we are now embarrassing her in public, so I couldn't hug her to tell her how proud I was.

Rosie:
Rosie finished up 1st grade and turned seven. She got a piano for her birthday. She is still hilarious and creative, but is not as babyish as she was just a year ago. She is riding her bike way too fast for my heart and still climbs up just about any surface she can.

Asher:
To be honest, he's been the tough one lately. We have had some serious parenting battles this month. There have been tantrums and throwing of things and words that I wish I never heard come out of his mouth. After two kids I felt I could discilpline fairly well, but he has completely humbled me. It has caused me to spend more time on my knees, and I know God is with me through this. And I know it won't be long until he is a big, independent boy. So I try to hug him lots and enjoy what I can of this challenging time.

Rosie's last day of school and last day of disgusting cafeteria lunch.

Rachel's "before" pic without braces.

Rachel at her recital with a very supportive sister. She is wearing stage makeup, (we are not in lipstick mode quite yet) but check out her cute braces.

The kids having a great time on the water slide. This picture screams, "It's summer!!"

So now I'm going to go enjoy the pool. Hope your summer has been fun so far!

Farm Box

2010-05-25T08:24:00.006-04:00

If you are keeping up, one of my New Year's resolutions was to join a CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. The concept is you pay for a subscription to a farmer and share in the crop he produces.

Well, I guess this idea is so popular that third party companies have set up delivery of produce boxes from farmers (local or otherwise) to consumers. I think you can technically call this a CSA, but I'm going to call it Farm Box.

I signed up for one of these delivery services and last week I got my first box of goodies. It was packed full of yummy fruit and vegetables, all organic and all beautiful!

I got creative in my desire to use what I got, although one nice thing about the particular service I signed up for is I can customize my box. But instead of being picky I wanted to be resourceful.

Fruit is never a problem in my house. Between the five of us I think we like every fruit under the sun, at least all the ones we have tried. So it was no problem going through the tasty bananas, apples, oranges and grapefruit.

Veggies are another story. We have some picky veggie eaters, adults included, under our roof. But again, there are a zillion ways to prepare broccoli so if I keep trying maybe I will find a winner. (I personally love broccoli, so insert any random vegetable in that last sentence and you get the idea.)

Last week's box included lettuce and tomatoes, no problem there. The challenging produce was kale, eggplant and cauliflower. I did some internet searching and came up with some recipes that I wanted to try that gave new life to things my kids probably would not eat otherwise.

Hopefully, I can share some delicious new recipes with you this summer.

The first is Grilled Eggplant Sandwich:

The secret to non-bitter eggplant is this: arrange eggplant in a single layer on several layers of heavy-duty paper towels. Sprinkle both sides of eggplant with salt; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 30 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Rinse eggplant with cold water. Drain and pat dry.

Sandwiches:
1 (1-pound) eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
Cooking spray
4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices red onion
8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices Italian bread
8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato
Lettuce (you could use arugula, but bibb came in my box, so we used that)
For the dressing you could use mayo or make an aioli, but we used Beano's original submarine dressing. It's comes in a bottle in the deli at our grocery store, and is a little like Italian dressing.

Prepare grill.

Combine thyme, parsley, and rosemary in a small bowl, stirring well. Lightly coat eggplant slices with cooking spray; sprinkle with herb mixture. Arrange eggplant and onion on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 2 minutes on each side or until vegetables are tender and lightly browned. Remove from heat, and keep warm. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill for 1 minute on each side or until toasted.

Spread about 2 teaspoons dressing over 1 side of 4 bread slices; divide eggplant and onion evenly among bread slices. Place 2 tomato slices on each sandwich; top each serving with 1/2 cup lettuce. Spread about 2 teaspoons of remaining dressing over 1 side of remaining 4 bread slices; place on top of sandwiches. (adapted from Cooking Light)

My husband ate four of theses sandwiches! Rachel and Asher liked them too. Rosie is on detox from public school cafeteria food and end of the year parties, so I think it will take a few weeks for her to like anything not identified as pizza or cupcakes.But overall, we had a winner with this one.

This is a picture of our farm box on delivery day. Do you like how I only show you the cardboard, and none of the stuff we actually ate? I'll try to take pictures of the food next time...

I Wanna Award Night

2010-05-20T16:30:00.005-04:00

This is our first year doing Awanas, which made last night our first award ceremony. This video is Asher's class singing Jesus Loves Me. He's hiding at the beginning, but at about 30 seconds he is the shorter of the two blonde boys that start to dance.

And this is all three of my kids with their awards. Good job, guys!

First Day of "Summer"

2010-05-10T13:41:00.003-04:00

The month of May will totally be a time of transition in my life, but as far as homeschooling we technically had our last day of school on Friday. We celebrated by spending the day at Six Flags. My girls went on roller coasters for the first time and we had such a good time.

Rachel is done with Math, Geography, Science, Art and Music. She is not done with LA, but I'm going to let her work on that at her own pace. She still struggles terribly in LA, so the longer it takes her to do that book, the better.

We had a great year. I'm looking ahead to next year and consuming myself with curriculum thoughts.

Rosie will be in school until May 21 and we still have lessons of all sorts in the afternoons. And it's not really summer till the pool is open.

So what did with my time on my 1st day off from teaching? I played tennis with Rachel, had a 30 minute quiet time, got breakfast dishes done before 10:30 am, washed at least four loads of laundry, went to the grocery store and made freezer meals. All before lunch! It feels good to get caught up on some stuff. But I pray I will not lose motivation. I made a to-do list today and that seemed to help, but sometimes it doesn't. So I wonder, how do you stay on task? What time management tricks do you use?

Great Day.

2010-05-05T20:10:00.003-04:00

Today I am old. Well, at least I am older than I was yesterday. I love that my birthday is in May. I love that the weather is almost always gorgeous. I love that the whole nation of Mexico is celebrating me.

I mostly love that I spent the evening with my kids and hubby. I am so blessed to be a mommy and have such great kids. Although I totally had to bribe them to have dinner with me.

Aaron was wonderfully sweet today. He let me pick anywhere I wanted to go for dinner without any complaining. He also brought home cupcakes from the best cupcake place in the world. He told me I had to wait for my present until tomorrow, but I think I know what it is so that's o.k.

So happy birthday to me. And happy one more year to celebrate life, love, friends and family.

Now if you will excuse me there is a thrilling game of Clue waiting in the other room.

I Am From

2010-04-29T22:54:00.004-04:00

I am in a desperate need to post something slightly cheerful on my blog. Tonight, as I hopped from one stranger's blog to another I discovered an interesting twist on a meme. I found the template and instructions here for an I Am From poem. This is my attempt, I would love to see yours.

I am from azaleas and cedar and Mason Jars. From Coca-Cola cold on a steamy hot day, and those silly games we used to play.

I am from the street right before the cul-de-sac, cutting diagonal with my bike to play with friends. I am from curtains sheer blowing in the breeze and ashtrays made for Mother's Day.

I am from the Weeping Willow and the Georgia Pine, the strawberry patch and the kudzu vine.

I am from Christmas morning and pale white skin, from Jaunita and Druzella and Culbreath.

I am from the world of busy lives moving in and out of the yellow kitchen and do- it-yourself projects all about the house. I am from pickle juice and magnolia trees.

From "do your best", "sticks and stones" and "never second guess." From "you can be the first woman president."

I am from a baptist church where I wore pants and hymns and prayers that grandma chants.

I'm from up north and down south and across the Atlantic. I am from TV dinners enjoyed alone and Lil' Debbie's always at home.

From the Varsity where he skated to the car. She smiled and the rest was burgers and fries. I am from the birds she loved, and the square dance that changed our forever.

I am from a castle, a scrapbook and a memory lost in a flood of tears. I am from an antique ring and quilts that like my history were pieced together so carefully.

Tell Them I Said Hello

2010-04-29T09:11:00.003-04:00

I keep replaying the moment over and over in my head. I saw her just a little over a week ago. She looked happy. She was surrounded by friends. Which is why I didn't say anything. I smiled, that was all. I felt a desperate need to pray for her, but I had no idea it was because of what she would face just one week later.

A young girl's life is changed forever. And my heart just breaks for her.

While I will never understand what she is going through, I do know my own teenage years were filled with hardships and trials . Pain that one really shouldn't have to go through. And every day I say a prayer of thanks to God for my friends that were there for me during that time.

And it wasn't only my friends, but sometimes their parents that loved me like their own. They gave me food to eat and a bed to sleep in when words were not enough.

One particular father always had an encouraging word. He was so kind every time he saw me. And he would always ask, "How are your parents? Tell them I said hello."

He didn't really know my parents, but I realized it was his way to see how I was doing. He knew my home life was a wreck, and yet with all his southern manners he just asked a simple, polite question. And I knew he cared. I often answered, "Oh, fine," in that way we do as humans, totally avoiding anything uncomfortable.

I keep asking myself why I didn't have those polite manners that day. Why didn't I ask her how her mom was doing? Why didn't I send a message of hello? Now I never can.

I wonder why________.

2010-04-26T16:09:00.005-04:00

Sometimes I take to reading excellent literature.

Like the kids meal bag at Chick-Fil-A.

Today, as I looked for four patterned question marks on Asher's CFA bag, I read that question. "I wonder why_______."

The whole bag was encouraging curiosity. I'm sure kids would fill in the blank with things like I wonder why the sky is blue or lemons are sour.

But I got bad news this morning. So I was actually wondering why God allows our hearts to break. Why there is so much pain on earth.

I wanted to fill in the blank with words like war, cancer, infertility, accidents, slavery, disasters, genocide.

Death.

I was praying for comfort and God laid on my heart other words I will never understand.

Grace.

Blessing.

Atonement.

Sacrifice.

Faith.

We want answers. Just like children we will soak up any amount of understanding we can take. But often it is not the gained knowledge that we acquire, but the journey we went on to find it that brings the most satisfaction. And as I sit quiet and sad with friends or keep my nose pressed in the Word, I will try desperately to remember that that is why. This world is not at all easy. But it is necessary if we ever desire to gaze at his face.

"The ransomed of the Lord will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away."

Isaiah 35:10

2010-04-21T12:04:00.004-04:00

So...I took Rosie to the doctor yesterday morning. Diagnosis: strep throat. They told me to go ahead and bring Asher in for a test. Diagnosis: strep throat.

I was seriously praising God for antibiotics last night.

Now if you guys could just pray the rest of us don't get it. I'm blogging instead of washing pillow cases or changing out toothbrushes, so you're prayers are very much appreciated!

While running back and forth between the pediatrician, pharmacy and grocery store I did manage to get a cute little edible craft done with Rachel. We are now "in" Australia and I got this idea from the book Global Art.

Use your imagination on this one, but it's a koala bear made out of peanut butter. It's resting on Eucalyptus leaves (really it's spinach).

Did you know koala bears are very picky eaters? My kids were too when they saw this snack. But they turned out yummy. We didn't eat the spinach, just the sad little koala.

Random

2010-04-19T13:48:00.003-04:00

I'm just way behind on blogging.

I may never posts about anything from my last post.

Two of my three kids are currently running fevers.

I'm pretty sleepy, or maybe not feeling great myself. My kids probably picked up a virus at Sparkles on Friday. The currently healthy kid wasn't there.

I won Laser Tag at Sparkles. Are ya'll proud of me?

Maybe they picked up something at The Big Shanty Festival this past weekend. I was there almost 18 hours. It was fun.

If you ever have a craft booth at an outdoor festival you should seriously consider the wind factor. We broke a mirror in the first 30 minutes because we didn't consider it at all.

I've already been interrupted four times while writing this post. These were the questions:

"How do you find 3/10 of 180?"
"Is this the Joker or Batman?"
"When are we going to the Governor's Mansion?"
"Can I watch the Batman movie?"

And the fifth "Can I give Radar a treat?"

When my kids are sick I started using a notebook to keep track of symptoms they have and medicines they take. I keep it in the medicine cabinet. It helps keep who has what straight in my head. Totally stole that idea from Jennifer.

Sixth: "Mom, I need help with Math again."
Seventh:"Is this a Blue's Clue's shirt?"

The whole time I was at the festival this weekend I didn't eat any of the vendor food. I packed my own to save money and I felt great because I didn't eat a bunch of junk.

I really want to bake a cake today. Since I haven't even washed breakfast dishes yet and it's 2 pm I'm thinking that might not happen.

I've had a cold sore for a week. I need to get a prescription, but I feel stupid bothering the doctor about something so silly.

We have three weeks of school left. WOOHOO!!! I feel pretty awesome that I have successfully taught fourth grade.

I wonder if Aaron might consider getting me a bike for my birthday. The annoying thing is after spending money on the bike I would also have to get a bike rack to put it on. Although I think we may already own one for the small car. I just don't know where it is.

My neighbor puts her bikes in the back of her 15 passenger van. Those things are really useful. I may consider getting one for my next vehicle. Besides bikes it could haul Goodwill furniture, Yard Sale purchases, camping gear, lots and lots of people and gardening stuff.

Asher is very stressed out because he does not have a Batman belt.

When I look at my feet I feel very lazy. I seriously need to paint my toenails, but I'm just not motivated enough. My grandmother would be very disappointed. She always took very good care of her feet.

Asher and Rachel are now making up knock-knock jokes.

I want to watch the Blind Side. I wonder if it's appropriate for the kids.

I got Radar a stuffed squirrel in his Easter basket. I thought the thing was shredded like every other stuffed animal I have ever bought him. However, it appeared out of nowhere yesterday. Ironic?

Okay, I should move on to something like dishes or laundry or helping Rachel with Math.

Oh my...

2010-04-12T21:21:00.003-04:00

There are so many things I want to blog about! But I am behind in posting to the point I don't know where to start. So you guys pick:

1) Russian food
2) bathroom redo
3) golf cart

There are other things floating around this crazy brain, but we will start with one of these. Which one?

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-31T08:12:00.002-04:00

Brown-Eyed Girl

2010-03-21T10:05:00.004-04:00

In the back of my oldest Bible, on the world map, there are two circles connected by a line. One is around California and one is around Guatemala. In the summer of 1995 I was on the West Coast and Jennifer was in Central America. We were both doing mission work and kept in touch through various letters and post cards.

I look at those circles sometimes and wonder what God is up to in those places we committed time and energy into 15 years ago.

Today, Jennifer is flying back to Guatemala to do some work with an organazation called International Justice Mission. (IJM) She will be there until Thursday. She has left her kids and her husband here, so if God puts it on your heart, please say a little prayer for her and her family. I am so excited about this opportunity she has!

This picture has nothing to do with this post, other than her trip is going to rock! And I can't wait till she gets back, so we can "jam."

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

2010-03-20T10:52:00.003-04:00

So...I have a black dog in my possession right now. He's very sweet and loves the kids. The kids named him Midnight. Except Asher, he's calling him Batdog.

There's an orange Post-it note next to my phone with the number for Animal Control. Anyone out there want to save him from that fate?

There is no micro-chip and no collar, so here's my little PSA:

Please micro-chip your pet just in case it wanders into my life and my kids desperately want to keep it, I can find you.

Comment... no don't ...okay you can... hopefully

2010-03-19T08:01:00.003-04:00

When I first started my blog it was ages ago when nobody cared about commenting except people I knew. So I took off that annoying little word verification box.

Lately, however, I have had a ton of spam comments. So I put the annoying box back. Now, my dear loyal readers are emailing me, texting me and writing on my Facebook wall that they can't comment.

I feel loved. You guys are so loyal, and I always love your comments. You win as "Best Blog Readers Ever."

Anyway, trying to fix it, so please comment on this post to tell me how it works. And I would welcome any advice on what you guys do about spam.

Have a great day!

Proud Beyond Words

2010-03-18T15:00:00.002-04:00

But I'm going to blog anyway.

Today Rosie had a "fun-run" at her school. The kids were raising money for a new playground and so they got pledges to do laps around a small track. It was a great event, but what I am most proud of is Rosie's determination. She did 35 laps (the most you could do) and had a smile the whole time. She truly did her best! I loved watching her. I left the school beaming with pride.

When she got home later in the day I was even more excited. I din't even know it but it was report card day. I opened up the envelope and my eyes bugged out of my head. I am literally ecstatic by it.

At her school you receive a grade of 1, 2 or 3. Three is the best and 1 "does not meet standards." At the begining of the school year her report card was filled with ones. Some of you dear ones even lent me your shoulder when we started out first grade. We were pretty discouraged around here.

But today my tears are tears of joy. She was graded in 28 different areas. She has threes all over the place! In fact in everything except spelling, handwriting and P.E. she earned a three. That's awesome. I knew that girl could do it.

I asked her what she wanted to do as a reward and she replied, "Go to the Dollar Store. And Mom, I have two dollars, so I'll buy my own thing and something for Asher."

More pride. I'm taking her for ice cream, too.

China Pics

2010-03-12T11:39:00.004-05:00

It's already been a week since we were "in" China, but before it's been too long I wanted to post some highlights from our two week study.

Books I loved:

The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson. Laugh out loud funny. We listened to this in the car and loved it.

1,2,3 Go. Great picture book with Chinese numbers one through ten. Rachel used Ancient China Treasure Chest and practiced brush painting the numbers from the book.

China in Colors, The Empty Pot and Grandfather Tang's Story were all great books for our China studies.

Movies:
Big Bird Goes to China and Families of China were great DVDs to add. We've actually watched the Families Around the World series for almost every country we've visited. These short films show a typical day in the life of kids from all around the world. I stumbled along the Big Bird movie and checked it out as a way for Asher to get involved in our studies, but all three kids thought it was funny.

Activities:

Rachel had a very incerdible oppurtunity during our China studies. One of her friends from ballet is from China and takes culture classes every week. She invited us to join them, and I am so glad we did. These classes teach the language and culture of China to American children. Most of the families involved are Americans who have adopted children from China or Chinese families living in the US. There were a few families just interested in Chinese culture, too. These kids have the opportunity to keep connected with their heritage through these classes. Rachel was able to get a pretty serious calligraphy lesson with a master artist, sing Chinese songs and participate in a Chinese phonics and grammar lesson. She left loving everything she did and asked if we could go back again soon.

We also spent an afternoon doing tangram puzzles. We used a pattern from the book Global Art, but I'm sure you could find one online with a quick Google search. We cut the shapes out of cardboard. I rolled out brown paper from Home Depot and let the kids create designs all over it with their puzzle pieces.

My goal at the beginning of the year was to have a feast for each country studied. We've done it a few times, but not always. Seven and a half months into the school year and I discovered something amazing. Right in my cookbook collection was Mark Bittman's The Best Recipes in the World. I could kick myself for not thinking about this resource sooner! There is a whole index organized by cuisine, so I picked a couple recipes to try from China. I made Pot Stickers, Soy-Poached Chicken and Chinese Egg Noodles. We had so much fun all working together in the kitchen and our efforts paid off when it was time to chow down. Everything was delicious.

Soy-Poached Chicken

Yep, I made these dumplings! Rachel helped fill them.

I am a member of the clean plate club. Soooo goooood!

Planet Earth

2010-03-11T12:04:00.005-05:00

First off, thank you all you wonderful ladies for your very sweet comments on my last post. I am truly blessed to be surrounded by such faithful friends. You guys make my gray days bright!

Now, for a change of subject. I want to give a plug for a science resource we have absolutely loved this year. And I'm not getting paid to do so. Wish I was.

I don't know if I've mentioned it on the blog before, but this year we are studying World Geography and I've incorporated our science into that. As we travel around the world studying continents, countries and cultures we are also studying the different ecosystems associated with each geographic area. We are using Usbourne's Living World Encyclopedia and AIG's Properties of Ecosystems as our science texts.

At the beginning of the year it connected in my brain that the BBC Planet Earth series was divided into different episodes also based on different ecosystems. Luckily, my dear father-in-law owned the series, so I borrowed it. (I will return it one day.) Whether or not you are homeschooling, you should absolutely invest the time in watching this magnificent series. The beauty that is captured by the producers is breathtaking.

And if you are planning to use it to correlate with your school year, this plan I devised might help. Following is our schedule of what we are studying and what episode from Planet Earth we have watched.* We spend two to three weeks on each topic, studying animals, plants, seasons and weather of each area.

Country- United States/ Science- Forests

Mexico/ Science-Deserts/ Planet Earth episode- Deserts

Canada/ Science-food chains

Brazil/ Science-Rain Forests/ Planet Earth episode-Jungles

Norway/Science- Northern forests/ Planet Earth- Seasonal Forests

France/ Science-Caves/ Planet Earth- Caves

Germany/Science- Rivers and Lakes/Planet Earth-Fresh Water

Kenya/ Science- Grasslands/ Planet Earth- Great Plains

Saudi Arabia/ Science- Conservation/ Planet Earth- Saving Species and Living Together

India/ Science- Mountains/ Planet Earth- Mountains

China/ Science- parasites and bacteria

Japan/ Science- oceans/ Planet Earth- Ocean Deep

Russia/ Science- Arctic Tundra/ Planet Earth- Ice Worlds

Australia/ Science- Coral Reefs/ Planet Earth- Shallow Seas

Antarctica/ Science- Antarctica/ Planet Earth- From Pole to Pole

*The country and science plan comes straight from MFW Exploring Countries and Cultures
Teacher's manual. I highly recommend that also.

Cross-Life

2010-03-10T09:21:00.004-05:00

I think any woman who has decided to stay-at-home with their kids has had the moment at least once or twice where they say, “This is it?!”

My moments are few and far between, but this week it came on strong.

“Why can't I ___________?” Fill in the blank with things like: pee in privacy, buy those expensive shoes, have more quality time with my husband, write this blog post without a toddler climbing up my back.

On top of all those selfish requests often comes the more discouraged prayer.

“God, why can't I __________?” Fill in that blank with things like: be a missionary in in a foreign land, share the gospel with thousands, have a notable ministry, write this blog post without a toddler climbing up my back.

It doesn't help when you read biographies of Christians that changed history with their lives. Or hear stories of present day believers that have a very worthwhile ministry; ministries that get attention for being radical, selfless and people-changing.

Moms don't really get books written about their heroic acts or attention from others about how awesome their day-to-day lives are.

This morning I did not want to read my Bible. Just being honest. That's the moment I know I should absolutely read it! But because the Bible looked so big and overwhelming I picked instead a light, fluffy devotional book. And the page I read was all smiley faces and rainbows. I was so not in the mood for that either.

So I picked up Celebration of Discipline by Robert Foster. This morning it was just what I needed to get me out of my funk.

Foster's book is a must read for anyone wanting to go deeper in their walk with God. This morning I was reading the chapter on submission. I'm going to quote a section I think every mom needs to hear:

"In submission we are at last free to value other people. Their dreams and plans become important to us. We have entered into a new, wonderful, glorious freedom- the freedom to give up our own rights for the good of others. For the first time we can love people unconditionally. We have given up the right to demand that they return our love. No longer do we feel that we have to be treated in a certain way. We rejoice in their successes. We feel genuine sorrow in their failures. It is of little consequence that our plans are frustrated if their plans succeed. We discover that it is far better to serve our neighbor than to have our own way."

And that is what I forget in the trenches of tantrums and attitude problems and mounds of laundry.

Foster goes on to say, "Christ not only died a cross-death, he lived a cross-life. Jesus lived the cross-life in submission to all human beings. He was the servant of all."

So I may never have a biography written about my futile existence. I may never have legions of people speak of my greatness. I may never get more than a toddler climbing on my back saying, "I love you mommy." But I hope today, and everyday, I am able to live a cross-life and please my God.

I no longer have a two-year old

2010-03-01T20:31:00.005-05:00

Asher
handsome, courageous
running, playing, laughing
makes my heart beat
Son

*Bonus points for those of you who know what type of poetry we learned about today*

You never know who you're going to meet....

2010-02-22T13:19:00.003-05:00

Yesterday it was Bill Clinton and George Bush impersonators.

These guys are Christians and did a little comedy routine at our church. Then they shared their amazing testimonies. And I couldn't pass up a photo op.

Etsy Shop

2010-02-19T13:47:00.004-05:00

I'm pretty excited, I just set up an Etsy shop! My mom and I have been getting ready for a craft show in April, and I thought I would dislplay some of the beautiful items we have.

It took me all morning to get the shop set up and one item listed, so there's not much to see yet, but I wanted to let my loyal blog readers know so you can tell me how much you love this cute apron.

Rick Rack Rosie, my new Etsy shop

Chicken Noodle Soup

2010-02-17T15:13:00.002-05:00

and a Pinto Beans recipe if you read till the end...

Tuesdays have become quite the marathon days around here. We run, run, run until the five of us assemble at home around 6:30. At that point it's a little too late to think about dinner. Even if I had a plan it would take me until bedtime to get it on the table.

So I instituted Crockpot Tuesdays. And this week one of my new favorite recipes simmered all day.

In all my years as a soup guru I never liked a single Chicken Noodle Soup recipe. I mean they tasted fine, but they were never worth the effort. If someone else made Chicken Noodle Soup I was all about it, but I just didn't want to make it myself.

Until a couple months ago my new friend Katie made me the most delicious Chicken Noodle Soup I had ever tasted. When I discovered it was a Crockpot recipe I was even more excited. So I beat down her door and held her children ransom until she gave me the recipe. Then I smiled and said in my sweetest Southern voice, "Could I please post this on my blog?"

She agreed, as long as I gave her credit. Fair enough.

So without further ado her is Katie's Chicken Noodle Soup:

Katie’s Crock Pot Chicken Soup

In Crock Pot, combine:

1 can chicken broth

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 1/2 cups water

2 frozen or thawed boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3/4 cup chopped celery

3/4 cup chopped carrots

2 Tbs. parsley, dried or fresh

Cook on Low 6-8 hours (or High ~4hours).

Pull chicken apart with two forks (shred it).

Boil your preferred noodles (we like stars or ABCs the very best!) ~ 2/3 package.

Drain noodles and add to Crock Pot.

Add salt (usually a good bit), pepper, and water to desired taste and consistency.

And if you kept reading this far, here's a bonus Crockpot recipe. I found it online, and I really enjoyed it with some cornbread and hot sauce:

Pinto Beans

1 lb bag dried pinto beans, rinsed
1 sweet onion, chopped
6 c water
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cumin
small piece of salt pork, if desired

Combine all ingredients in Crockpot and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce to low and cook 8 hours. Serve with slotted spoon.

Guess What??

2010-02-15T14:59:00.002-05:00

My computer has been working for a whole 16 hours!

It's kind of a ridiculous story, but my computer has been working and not working since the week of Thanksgiving. Last Friday I finally told Aaron my patience was up, I needed a computer!

And that made me think about my life and computers...

I saw my first computer in third grade. There was an Apple set up in the library at my elementary school. Each class took turns going to see it and each student got to type on row on it. I thought it was cool only because of the piece of fruit at the top of the monitor.

But it did not at all change my life.

In high school we had a computer lab. About twice a semester our English class would go to the lab to type papers. I hated those computers. They constantly lost my work or would freeze up in the middle of formatting. Many headaches were caused by those computers.

Around that time I had a friend go to another state for college. He really wanted us to keep in touch through email. I had no idea what that was, and when he explained it to me I couldn't grasp how that would work. I kept writing letters on stationary.

One day I was at Jennifer's house and her brother Jeff asked us if we wanted to see the internet. We didn't really know what that was, so he explained how it was a place to store and share files.

"What kind of files?", we asked.

And being the immature, goofy teenagers that we were we spent the next half hour listening to different types of farts. Oh yes, we were totally intrigued by the internet.

Once I made it to college I was kind of getting the hang of all this technology. My roommate got a PC and we split the $21 a month AOL subscription fee. I found out how great email really was and was introduced to the wonderful world of instant messaging, or IM as we called it. In fact, I found out my future husband liked me through IM. At this point I think computers had made a pretty big impact on my life.

When Aaron and I did get married (thank you IM) his wonderful parents gave us our own PC. My first year as a stay-at-home mom I mastered the art of online bingo. It really got me through those stressful moments of listening to a colicky baby.

But, eventually that computer was pretty outdated. And I thought it was so cool how some of my friends sat on the couch and checked their email. For the first time I wanted a laptop. So for my birthday in 2005 I got one. And Aaron put a wireless network in the house so I could comfortably sit on the couch and, well, I don't know what I really did- but it was fun.

Eventually Aaron got his own laptop so we could sit on the couch next to each other and IM. How romantic, right? I eventually started this blog and the world was positively changed forever.

(Just a side note, I actually started this blog in 2004 but it wasn't until I started homeschooling in 2007 that I posted regularly.)

Fast foward to 2009 and do a quick recap. We have two laptops. Aaron also had his work computer, but I'm totally not counting that. Aaron decided his laptop wasn't really being used for anythig, so he connected it to our T.V. in October. It was out of commision for anything that didn't have to do with Hulu or Netflix. I mean, I could check my email on it, but I had to crouch down and squint my eyes since it had found it's home inside our entertainment center.

But that's what I did starting in November when my computer broke. Aaron said he would fix it, but it was the holidays and he was busy and honestly, he didn't know what was wrong with it. So after about a month I asked my father-in -law if he would take a look at it. And he miracoulously fixed it. And since it worked so well after he was through with it, Aaron even put new memory in it. (I have no idea what that means, but it sounds impressive, right?)

But after a week it started acting up again. And I wasn't too stressed about it because I got so much done when I wasn't distracted by the internet. I mean I analyzed television, read fabulous literature and contimplated the human condition. (translated: I made a chart about who I thought would win The Bachelor, checked out an article about how to apply eye makeup, and watched my two-year-old throw multiple tantrums.)

And after a month and a half I wanted my computer back. Desperately. So Aaron called my mom's hubby and he suggested taking out the battery.

And voila, here I am. And now mom and mom (mine and Aaron's) you can stop all your fussing about how I don't blog or send photos. I say that in jest, because I seriously think you are the only two people in the universe affected by my disappearance from the internet. It's so good to know I'm loved by someone. lol.

So thank you moms for making your husbands figure out what was wrong with my computer. Obviously, the world is now a better place because of this thought provoking post. again, lol.

Tooth Ache

2010-01-21T11:11:00.002-05:00

When my kids were little I wrote down all their milestones in a scrapbook. Now I just write them in my checkbook.

Today, my precious Rachel had four teeth removed. FOUR! The dentist got through the first three and asked if she wanted to keep going. She bravely said yes in order to avoid two separate visits. I waited in the waiting room, as I'm typically not allowed to watch such bloody events. Three people came out to update me and all said Rachel was doing much better than I was.

This was all in preperation for orthodontics. That starts in March.

Needless to say, the Tooth Fairy is pretty broke. But she's also pretty proud of the super tough nine-year old.

We stocked up on 99 cent family rentals from Blockbuster. School today will be all about changing gauze pads and figuring out what flavor milkshake to get.

Bless her heart. And her mommy's too.

10 for '10

2010-01-02T09:22:00.004-05:00

I am one of the few people who likes resolutions. I love the opportunity to examine my life and think of things I want to add or take away to make it better. I mean, I'm not going to beat myself up if I don't succeed. I'm just going to try and learn. And yes, I do this every day of the year. It's just fun to think a little bigger as we watch the calender change.

So here is my 10 for 2010 list:

1) Make biscuits from scratch a couple times a week.

2) Add getrichslowly.org to my Google reader.

3) Vacuum my car out. I was actually going to do this today, but it is 24 freaking freezing degrees around here.

4) Do a craft show with my mom.

5) Ride a bike.

6) Spend a lot of money on a pencil sharpener. I'm really tired of cheap pencil sharpeners ruining a school day.

7) Go Christmas shopping on Black Friday. I missed out on some incredible deals this year.

8) Get my dogs nails trimmed. And order his meds online so I make less trips to the vet.

9) Work on a plan for a Community Garden. Visit one.

10) Join a CSA.

Pretty exciting, huh?

What about you, big or small, anything you want to change in your life?

Some New Year's Recipes and Memories

2009-12-31T09:11:00.004-05:00

Well, Asher finally slept! No nap yesterday, but I noticed he was chewing on his zipper of his hoodie all afternoon. It dawned on me that maybe he was teething. Quick check of the molars confirmed my suspicion. Tough boy wasn't acting like he was in pain, but man, one Tylenol last night did the trick.

So today is the last day of 2009! In celebration I thought I'd share some recipes and memories.

*Baked Brie with Blueberry-Ginger Topping* (from Southern Living)

If you need an appetizer tonight, this is simple and absolutely delicious. I've made this quite a bit in 2009 and it is always a hit. Make the topping this afternoon and chill it until you're ready to serve.

Prep: 10 min., Cook: 5 min., Chill: 1 hr., Bake: 10 min.

Makes 8 to 10 appetizer servings

1 cup blueberries (I use frozen right now, because it's winter)
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons diced onion
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (8-ounce) Brie round
Assorted crackers

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook 1 minute. Remove and discard cinnamon stick. Cover and chill blueberry mixture at least 1 hour.

Place Brie round on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is soft. Transfer to a serving plate, and top evenly with chilled blueberry topping. Serve with crackers.

*Black-Eyed Pea Stew* (from Cooking Light)

This is a great New Year's Day recipe that is yummy and warm. Serve with hot sauce and cornbread.

8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

2 cups dried black-eyed peas
1 tablespoon peanut oil
3/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
8 ounces turkey kielbasa, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 (10-ounce) bag prewashed mustard greens

Sort and wash peas; set aside.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 3 minutes or until tender. Add sausage; cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned.

Stir in broth; bring to a simmer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in peas, salt, peppers, and bay leaves. Cover and simmer 45 minutes or until peas begin to soften. Uncover and cook 15 minutes or until liquid begins to thicken.

Stir in vinegar, tomatoes, and mustard greens; simmer 10 minutes or until peas are tender, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves.

Now a quick recap of highlights of 2009:

January- started training for a 5K

February-Asher potty trained

March- Big month for us. Asher turned two and we canceled his party because it snowed. I loved playing in the snow with him. That month I also ran my 5k and got a dog.

April- Had a pretty memorable date with Rosie. We went to dinner and when we walked out of the restaurant there was a tornado and hail. The power went off all over the city. She was a miserable mess, and I was pretty scared. We got home safely and found out the next day our roof was damaged.

May- Took a weekend trip to Chattanooga with my hubby. It's always a nice reminder that I love being with him.

June- Had a great trip to the lake with the Adams. Rode a jet ski for the first time.

July-planned the best birthday party ever for Rachel. Watched my little girl turn nine. Shed a few tears.

August-Sent Rosie off to school. Shed a few tears.

September- Watched as my backyard filled with water. Watched as the city filled with water. Watched as the county filled with water. The flood of 09 will not soon be forgotten.

October- Got settled in a homeschool group for the first time. Really enjoyed the ladies!

November- Went to Star Wars in Concert for my hubby's birthday. Enjoyed a "heavy on the Chevy" sibling night. Saw my favorite Aunt Tracie and Uncle Alan for the first time in years. Read the best book, Too Small to Ignore.

December- Spent time with my brother. Got Asher a skateboard for Christmas. Watched Rachel make an ornament out of a juice-box. Watched Rosie awe the crowd with her singing debut. Watched my girls get baptized. Walked in my first parade.

Looking back it was a wonderful year. I mean seriously, the weather is the main thing I can complain about! I pray that you had a good year, and if it was a tough one I pray 2010 will bring you great joy and blessings! Happy New Year!

Toddler Mayhem

2009-12-30T12:46:00.003-05:00

I have very little to complain about. My life has been one blessing after another these past few months. But a couple nights of interrupted sleep, well that changes everything.

Asher is the boss of the house. He is the pack leader. He calls the shots. He can be beautiful and sweet and snuggly all while creating pure chaos. I seriously need to tighten the reins.

But how? Nothing is getting to this guy these days. His new thing is sleeping in our bed. I am NOT a co-sleeper. More power to you mommies out there who do this, but I cannot sleep with a kid kicking me and taking my covers. But Asher has decided the only place he wants to be in the middle of the night is my bed. And he takes my covers. Arghhh. We have constantly got up and put him back in his bed, but as soon as sleep has taken over again he is back. Over and over this cycle happens every night. And I have tried all of my discipline tricks. Nothings working on that kid.

Last night was even worse, because not only was he constantly coming in my room, he was also gabbing on and on. "Mom, I want cereal. Mom, can I watch a movie. Mom, can we go park?" ARGHHH!

So I was all prepared to put the kid down around 10 am for a nap, when he decided to put every toy in a huge mound in his room. I wish I had taken a picture, because words can't describe. Let's just say he couldn't physically get over it, and that boy can climb.

So after an hour of telling him to clean up I went in and packed up everything that was on the floor. Everything.

I fed him an early lunch and put him down. And guess what? He's still not sleeping. And since he no longer has toys or stuffed animals to play with he is singing and playing drums on his wall and creatively arranging his blanket like a tent. And every few minutes he comes out to tell me something. And I carry him right back to his room and try again. I mean how long is a healthy amount of time for a child not to sleep? We're going on a couple days here, folks!

Fun times with two-year old, eh?

Guess What?

2009-12-29T12:35:00.002-05:00

I'm back!!

If you missed my blog at all, be sure to thank my amazing father-in-law for bringing my dead computer back to life. It crashed the week of Thanksgiving. It's all fixed up now!

I'll be blogging more soon, but I just wanted to quickly drop in and say, "Hello, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!"

Gobble, gobble, gobble,gobble...quack, quack, quack, quack

2009-11-25T13:23:00.002-05:00

Oyster stuffing. Pecan pie. Corn casserole. Pecan pie. Pumpkin pie. In that order.

Now I just have to brave the grocery store rodeo and get to baking!

This is absolutely my favorite holiday, even if the grocery store is crazy.

Enjoy your holiday and hug the one (or ones) your with.

Jen

Impression: homeschool

2009-11-20T14:53:00.005-05:00

I was planning on doing a little mini unit on the Impressionists during our time in France, but I stole an added idea from Joy.

Today I took Asher and Rachel to one of my favorite spots to paint en pleine air.

Before we went we looked at some great art books. Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists is a fantastic series for elementary students. We picked up Monet and Renoir in the series, and throughly enjoyed the stories and illustrations. Picture This by Joyce Raimondo is a fun book chocked full of activities to add to your Impressionism studies. Rachel was most excited by a book about Degas. She absolutely loved his work, being that his subject was her favorite thing:ballet. And my personal favorite was a book my sister-in-law Meghan picked up for the girls called Katie Meets the Impressionists.

Then it was off to paint. The weather was as close to perfect as I can imagine, and the sky was the brightest blue. And as for the company, parfait.

Right back at ya

2009-11-14T19:25:00.002-05:00

Jennifer blogged total randomness tonight, so I thought I'd reply...

I love blogs. I love keeping up with friends through blogs. They are so much more real than Facebook or Twitter. We used to write letters to each other, now we publish a blog post.

That Pepper Cheese Chowder needs a new name. I always get confused about the ingredients. Isn't it called "Pepper" because of a habenero or something? I made spaghetti tonight. I had leftover sauce from Aaron's lasagna birthday dinner, so I threw it on some noodles I bought earlier today.

When I went to the store today I had to pick up something for a baby shower. I bought chips and salsa and picked up noodles for tonight. When I got to the shower I realized I left the noodles in the grocery bag I brought in. So I put the noodles in my new very big purse because I was being lazy and didn't want to walk to the car. A little while later I told Skyler I had a book for her in my purse and she pulled out the noodles and said, "No book, but you got some spaghetti!" Then when I came home I told Aaron I got noodles and I went to the bathroom. When I came out he was standing there with my purse in one hand and the noodles in the other. He said, "Did you steal them?"

I hate blowing leaves, but only because the extension cord thing. Aren't there leaf blowers you don't have to plug in? I also get pretty annoyed with floors. Aaron loves doing floors, don't ask me why. Maybe it's because I cleaned the house today, but I can't think of any chores I like.

I, too, wore a Debbie Gibson hat. I think I look pretty cute in hats. When I'm old I totally plan on wearing really big ones to church every Sunday.

35 is not old, but tell David I said Happy Birthday. And your parents Happy Anniversery. Do you remember it was Williams b-day too? And the anniversary of my dad's near fatal car crash?

I want to have a movie night and watch Mama Mia and Julie and Julia. And all involved will dance.

If I had another boy I think his name should start with a "J". We've got two A's, two R's and only one J. But then, if I had another boy, we couldn't pull a chair up to the end of a booth in a restaurant. We'd have to wait for them to put two tables together. And I couldn't say "Party of Five" and sing "Everybody wants to love, like they need to love..."

You should adopt.

Old school Third Day. We really need to get us one of those chairs at the Strand.

When I was little my dad always did this thing where he asked me if I've ever seen a crow land on a fence post. Then he would make his hand like a bird and make caw sounds. Then the "bird" would land on me and tickle me. I do this to my kids all the time.

In response to the rave...my MIL reads this blog.

I got an email today about two female calico cats available. Do you want one?

I hate the phone. I'd much rather hang out with people in person.

I'm terrible at googling things. You know that commercial where the wife asks if the husband booked tickets to Hawaii and his response is a little shady? Yea, that's me and google. But I almost always have less than 50 emails in my inbox. Except right now, I have 130. It's totally stressing me out.

I was just thinking today how people don't generally think about the poor in America, because of how rich our poor are. But there are extremely miserable people out there, and money is not going to change that. Only the love of Christ.

Fantasy Football is not as fun as I thought it would be. In fact, I'm really not enjoying football at all this season. Probably because I'm terrible at Fantasy Football, and I want to be the best.

We're having family game night and I'm over here typing on my blog. Needless to say Aaron and the kids are annoyed.

I have a secret desire to live on a farm. Aaron really doesn't share that dream.

Rachel won Monopoly! Only because I sold her all my property for $5, just to insure Aaron wouldn't win.

Eye Key /u/

2009-11-12T15:00:00.003-05:00

So... the last couple weeks we have been imaginary visiting Norway and Scandinavia.

For those of you just joining us we are going around the world in 180 days, studying World Geography and cultures.

Norway has been fun. Today we took a little field trip to Ikea. Bet you didn't know that some of the largest forests in the world occupy Norway, Sweden and Finland. Hence, furniture is a major export. Hence, Ikea. Plus, they have a Swedish market so I could pick up some authentic eats.

The other day we did some Rosemaling, which basically means painting roses. I found a great pattern and instructions at Teach art at Home.

We spent two days studying Lapland and reindeer herders. I got two great books, Welcome Back Sun and Far North, to compliment our studies. We also made a Lapland felt square from the book Global Art.

Next week it's on to France...so stay tuned.

This is the kids painting their rosemaling projects. Except Asher is painting a crocodile he calls a lizard, and I promise there are no roses on it.

Rachel's Lapland felt square. The clothing in Lapland is bright and has many patterns. This way they are very visible against the white snow.

Nothing like a big plate of Swedish meatballs! Yum!

Star Wars in Concert

2009-11-04T07:44:00.003-05:00

Here's a riddle:

Where can you go to find thousands of dorks , a few Jedi and a triangle player?

Well, Star Wars in Concert- of course.

You say you don't know what that is? Neither did I until last night.

If you want to find out more about this incredible experience go here: http://www.starwarsinconcert.com/#_theshow

I'm Gonna Dress You Up In My Love

2009-11-01T07:55:00.003-05:00

My boy is the "ruler" of the world!

Darth Asher

Rachel is the American Girl Felicity. My mom whipped up this beautiful dress for her. Gorgeous.

Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your hair! I made this costume. The white fabric is from the curtains I had in my first apartment when I got married.

What was your favorite costume as a kid?

*Bonus points if you get my post title*

Break an Egg

2009-10-26T16:32:00.003-04:00

I have to admit, I've fallen in a bit of a homeschool mama bad habit. This year it has been so easy to skip science experiments. I heard other homeschoolers do this in years past and honestly, I gawked at the thought.

But this year I have fallen into the trap. I don't know if it's our science book or what, but I am always skipping science expriments. Sometimes I'm determined to do them, only to find I don't have the necessary materials. Other times they take way too long. And then there are the days where I'm just plain lazy.

So today's experiment called for eggs. Simple enough. Until I opened the fridge to discover I was out of eggs. I was starting to think I was just over science expriments forever, but changed my mind and headed out to the store. I mean, it's really not that hard to buy a dozen eggs. Especially in the name of science.

Our experiment was all about the arc shape and how strong it is. First we tried to squeeze the egg to break it, over the sink of course. I squeezed as hard as I could with no luck. The egg was still in one piece!

Then we were to take the small tip off four eggs and stand them up like domes. We each guessed how many books we could stack on the egg shells. I guessed three and Rachel guessed four.

At this point I'm thinking, "Oh... Rachel was right." But the eggs still were not broken so we just started grabbing all the books around us.

The next book after this picture was taken actually broke the eggs. I forgot to take a picture of that because I was frantic to clean up egg shells. But I couldn't believe this many books stood on four fragile egg shells!

This was an egg-cellent experiment. Skipping science is not all that it's cracked up to be. I won't scramble anymore for an excuse to get out of it.

Good Link

2009-10-23T09:04:00.003-04:00

Laugh out loud funny:

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

Weekend Update

2009-10-19T08:31:00.004-04:00

I am going to clean my house today. I usually clean on Saturday, but not this weekend. It was crazy busy. But I had fun. Friday night we had dinner and watched Survivor with friends. Saturday we headed out to visit my mom. We were going to leave at 1 p.m. and about 12:40 Aaron asked, "What are we going to do about the dog while we are gone?"

I seriously had not thought about it. Oops. In the summer I think we had a few quick overnight trips and we just left the dog outside. I mean 24 hours or less and my thinking is that he was once homeless. He can handle one night on my covered deck in his favorite patio chair. But I totally forgot about the fact it is freaking freezing cold around here. So I called my mom and asked if we could "board" him in her garage. She agreed. So in addition to three kids, overnight bags and my wedding dress* we also had to get Radar's HUGE crate and Radar in the Honda CRV. I think we have hit capacity in our car. I'm pushing the limit on my mini-van stubbornness.

So we were off, looking just like the 2009 version of The Beverly Hillbillies. We had a great time with my mom. The kids painted pumpkins and I made a big pot of chili. We watched Bait Car and opened our presents from their recent trip to Disney World.

And every few hours we took the dog out for a walk.

Sunday morning we got up and went to visit the church my mom and her husband have been going to for awhile. We very rarely visit other churches, so it was pretty fun to check out other Christian digs. Nice church, but it made me miss mine.

After reloading the car we were off. We made it about two miles before Rosie had to go to the bathroom. Another 15 and the gas light came on. Did I mention we were trying desperately to make it to Aaron's dad's 60th birthday? The usual 1 hour trek took almost two and we had to stop off at home to drop the dog off. Things take so much more time when multiplied by six.

But we made it. We had a great day celebrating my wonderful father-in-law. Then it was off to celebrate Kara's birthday. We ate tapas and laughed and listened to live music and ate delicious cake. Wonderful.

I got home to find a large box on my doorstep. I had lent my maternity clothes out almost two years ago and they had been returned. On my doorstep. Finding your maternity clothes on your doorstep is almost as nerve racking as finding a baby on your doorstep. I quickly deposited the box as far out of sight as possible, with the intention of putting them in storage today.

Now I'm not saying kids aren't great. But go back and read the 2nd paragraph of this post. Nothing else is fitting in our car!

So recap of today's to-do list:
1) Clean house
2) Get maternity clothes far, far away.

*After the recent flooding I thought I should move my wedding dress from my MIL's basement to my mom's attic.

Have a great Monday!

Jen

Atlanta Botanical Gardens

2009-10-12T08:52:00.003-04:00

8 Week Review

2009-10-05T09:10:00.002-04:00

So...it's Monday morning and that means I get to set up the "airplane". We are traveling the globe this year for Geography and we start by "flying" to our next destination. I set up some chairs in rows in the living room and give Rachel her passport along with $20 play money. I have her pack a bag and I kiss her goodbye. Then I put on my stewardess hat and welcome her aboard Oceanic Flight 815 (my own little joke that flies right over her head). I give her instructions on the imaginary mask above her head and tell her the beverage cart will be around shortly. Then we land and I stamp her passport. I send her to the exchange office where I have her exchange her American money for the money of the country we are studying. I make sure to have ethnic music in the background and I let her check in to her hotel(her room) and unpack her stuff. Then we get down to business and start our in depth two or three week study of that country. Rachel thinks this whole process is "ridiculous", but I think it's hilarious and great fun.

So here's a quick rundown of what we've done so far:

We started in the United States. We went to an Atlanta Braves baseball game at Turner Field. We also went hiking at Red Top Mountain in order to identify trees in an American Forest. To conclude our studies we had an All-American BBQ, complete with grilled cheeseburgers, homemade lemonade and New England pumpkin cake.

Then we caught a flight to Mexico. We created a clay sun and Rachel painted it beautifully. We visited the International Farmers market to pick up some different types of cactus, brought them home and cut them open to study what was inside. We had lunch one day at Don Pablo's. Finally, we made tissue paper flowers to decorate for our own fiesta where we ate enchiladas and drank Pineapple Fanta.

Then it was off to Canada. Our pretend trip was a little disrupted by very real flash flooding, but I thought what a great science and life lesson. However, we did find time to identify a Maple Tree and make a maple leaf print. We also had lunch at Bugaboo Creek and read Anne of Green Gables, one of my all time faves. Another great book we read was called Becoming Caribou, a real treasure.

Now it's off to Brazil...so Tchau.

Guest Writer

2009-09-28T15:24:00.004-04:00

This week I would like to introduce you to one of my favorite people in the universe, my daughter Rachel.

For Language Arts we are doing a journaling unit and I thought it would be fun to share some of her work.

So without further ado, here is Rachel's first post:

September 28, 2009

Yesterday we went to the zoo. We saw the elephants, goralas and the naked mole rats. We also saw the pandas. We went to the panda gift shop. My little brother got a panda cup and I got a panda necklace with the letter R on it.

Not too bad for her first try! And that picture of us may be the last time you ever see us smiling together because I'm kind of posting this against her will. Kind of. She'll thank me later, right?

A Different Kind of Storm

2009-09-26T10:09:00.004-04:00

I am really behind in posting about some of the fun stuff we have been doing for school this year. I try my best to get most of our school done in four days so we can go on Field Trip Fridays. That also helps when our schedule is messed up because of flash floods or things like that.

By the way, our little section of the world is almost completely back to normal. I am inconvenienced by road closings, but I can't really complain. Still praying for the many who have lost homes and loved ones.

Before Noah-part 2 almost happened, my mom took us to see Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs. This was my favorite book when I was a kid. I remember it's exact location on the library shelf and I read it every chance I got. I would check it out and renew it as many times as they would let me. I don't know why I liked it so much. There's just something hilarious to me about gigantic food.

It was one of the first books I bought for my own kids. However, I don't know anyone else who knows about the book. So I was pretty shocked when I heard they were making a movie.

Of course I was first in line.

This was the first time since the 1980's I experienced a movie in 3-D. It made the giant pancakes and hamburgers even better!

Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs is super cheesy. But it also has some meaty parts. You'll fall in love when things get saucy, and cringe when things turn sour.

But overall, if you're like me, you'll leave the theater saying, "Hot Dog, that was grrr-eat!!"

48 hour review

2009-09-23T09:22:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been a little crazy around here. Still processing it all. Here's what has happened over the last few days.

Monday morning, 7:15 am- I took Rosie to school in the pouring rain. I remember thinking to myself it had been raining for a long time. Five and a half days to be exact. I came home and crawled back in bed with Asher and Rachel. Each time it would thunder or lightning we would go under the covers and scream, "We're safe in the cave, we're safe in the cave!" Asher would laugh and laugh and we'd come out of the covers only to repeat this series of actions over and over. The storm was bad. When we finally did get out of bed we stared out the window every time we passed one. The morning lingered on, the water continued to pour out of the sky.

9:45- My neighbor texted me and asked, "Should we start looking for animals in pairs?" I took a good look again out the windows. The street had water flowing quickly down. It wasn't flooded, but I couldn't imagine where all that water was going. At a low point it had to be collecting. The backyard was the most shocking. The left half was literally a pond. It looked to be about 3 feet up the fence. And the rain continued to come down.

Around 10 am the phone started ringing. My mother-in-law's street was flooded. She couldn't leave her house. Kennesaw State University was shut down. My friend Jodi's 3 ft creek had turned into a 15 foot raging river. Trees down everywhere. And the rain continued to come down.

At lunch time another neighbor called to say they were closing her daughter's school. She was leaving the house to go pick her up. I said a prayer for her safety. I called Aaron and told him what was going on. "It's not raining here at the office," he said. I couldn't believe it.

At some point the list of roads that were impassable was too long to keep up with. Our church was flooded. I took some soup out of the freezer and prayed for the safety of our friends and family. I remember thinking at that point how thankful I was for food in the house. I didn't know if we were stuck, and how long it would continue to rain.

I had to pick up Rosie from school at 2:15. I hadn't heard from her school, so I assumed it was still open. To get there I had to drive on my road and a small section of a main road. So far, they were still open. And then a miracle happened. The rain stopped. We went up to the school. The roads were soaked, but still functioning. The school was pure chaos. Very few school buses were there and I found out later it was because they were taking kids back to other schools because of the number of shut down roads. It was then I heard of a school in our county that was unreachable. I couldn't have been happier when Rosie came out and got in the car. We got home and settled just in time for the next round of showers.

Aaron made it safely home, even though at that point many interstates in Atlanta had flooded. I counted my blessings over and over, especially when I heard on the news that the weather had in fact been deadly. The rain stopped again sometime after dinner.

It wasn't milk or bread that got me out of the house that evening. It was ice cream. We were out, and my husband loves ice cream. Besides, the dog needed to get out of the house and he always loves going on a drive. I knew that many of the roads in the couple mile radius of my house were open, so I decided to drive through DQ. It was closed. Bruster's- closed. In fact many stores were black. It was like a snow day, except it was in the 80's and I wanted ice cream. Finally I found Sonic open and I waited in a very long line to get a Sonic blast.

Priorities, right?

Tuesday was the day to take it all in. I praised God over and over that it still wasn't raining. Our roof is damaged, but it is nothing compared to people who have lost their homes and family members. There were signs of normalcy and signs of craziness. One neighbor mowing his grass while another throws away many of their damaged possessions. I went to Home depot to buy a tarp for the roof and I saw every other costumer buying a shop vac to get water out of basements and garages. But there were the few buying things that had nothing to do with the storm. "We're fine, just taking advantage of a day off to shop for a new refrigerator," I heard one couple say.

Schools are closed and MANY roads are shut down or just completly gone. People will be cleaning up from this flood for months to come. The images are unbelievable, and many I saw with my own two eyes.

I have heard five-year-olds say it and 85-year-olds say it. "We have never seen anything like it."

Go to this....

2009-09-14T16:10:00.005-04:00

because it is AWESOME!!

Aaron and I went last weekend and loved it. It was so much fun and a very well executed stage production.

Besides that it is in the newly renovated Strand Theater, and that in and of itself was pretty entertaining. I remember so much about that building, it is so beautiful now!

Sept 18-20 will be your last chance, so make plans NOW! It's totally worth it.

I'm being a bit bossy here, aren't I?

But since you love me and read my blog you totally don't mind, do you?

Well, I love you too.

Now click here and get more information and your tickets: http://atlantalyrictheatre.com/

And you too can look this happy.

Schedule

2009-09-06T18:24:00.003-04:00

We are about to start our fifth week of school, so I thought I'd go ahead and post my schedule. The afternoons are still kind of crazy and unpredictable, but our mornings are pretty routine.

6:15- Up and exercise (not quite 100 % consistent, but at least I'm trying)
7:00- Help Rosie get ready for school
7:15- Shower and Bible study (more on that below)
8:00- Throw a load in the wash, make my bed and get Asher fed and dressed.
9:00- Bible
Rachel is expected to be at the kitchen table ready to start school. She can be in p.j.s, but must be awake enough to learn. This year she is also expected to make her own breakfast before we start school. I'm a little more strict on this from last year because we really need to be done before I pick Rosie up from school at 2:15.
9:15- Language Arts
I'm using Learning Language Arts through Literature, and so far it's everything I hoped it would be.
After I get Rachel situated on her LA assignment I spend 30 minutes straightening the house. I wash dishes, sweep the kitchen and wipe down the bathroom. I literally set the timer for 30 minutes and straighten until it goes off. I do this every day.
10:00-Math
11:00-Geography
11:30- Science
12:00- Art or Music
12:30- Lunch
1:00- errands
2:00 get in carpool line to pick up Rosie

What happens next is pretty much chaos and varied depending on day. But around 5 or 6 o'clock I do the "tornado". I forgot what book I read this in, but basically you set the timer for 15 minutes and spin around the house as fast as you can picking up everything in sight. This gets the home ready for hubby.

Then I put a ribbon in my hair and some lipstick on and perfectly time getting the roast out of the oven as Aaron walks in.

I'm kidding about the ribbon, roast and lipstick, but I swear by the tornado.

I'm really excited about a little discovery I made on Skyler's blog. She started doing a Woman's Bible study from bible.org. I started one of my own on Friday, and I'm super excited!

I have really gotten in a good habit of daily Bible reading and I didn't want to lose that. But I just didn't know if this season of my life was a good one to sign up for a weekly meeting. I also have to admit, after finishing Beth Moore's Daniel last spring, I longed for more in depth studies. I picked a study on the book of Acts, and I've only done one day so far, but I'm excited about it!

So there's our nifty, little schedule. We make adjustments when needed, and fly by the seats of our pants the rest of the time.

Now that I've bored you to tears, I'll end with a random question.

We are about to start studying Mexico this week. Any good field trip ideas or authentic Mexican restaurants you know of? How about facts, stories or recipes I should include in my lesson plans?

Soup and Sandwich

2009-09-03T13:03:00.005-04:00

Meal planning has been a bit easier lately in my house. Two things have made a difference in how much time I spend or don't spend in the kitchen. One is meal swaps and the other is e-mealz.com.

e-mealz.com is a fantastic website that customizes a grocery list for you and your family. My favorite thing about it is that they use current sales at the store you most frequently shop to create your recipes. I'm a Publix gal, so they scour the flyer to see what I should stock up on each week. You can choose from Kroger, Publix, Walmart, Aldi or any store. You can also decide on diet options and family size. It does cost $15 for a three month subscription, but I saved that much on my first trip alone. I will say the recipes use more convince items then I usually do, but I just adapt for my family. I don't mind the cooking, it's the planning that drives me crazy. So once they pick a recipe I just pull out my more nutritious version. It's been a great time saver.

Another great kitchen help came from the brain of my dear friend Kara. She had the great idea to do a meal swap. Meal swaps go something like this- Get a few friends together and each person makes a dinner times four. Then you trade and come home with all the dinners everyone else made.

I don't think I said that very clearly. So let me give you an example. Let's say you decide to make lasagna. You are doing a meal swap with three other friends, so you make four lasagnas. You get to keep one, and you give the others away. In return you take home three totally different meals. It's a very convenient way to fill your freezer.

Last week I did a soup swap. I made Pepper-Cheese Chowder (I use bell pepper) and I came home with Lentil Soup, Tomato Soup, Vegetable Soup and Coconut-Chicken Corn Chowder. All homemade! Yummy.

So today I just pulled soup out of the freezer to thaw and dinner is almost done. While I was warming the soup on the stove I realized it was lunch time. I decided to make a sandwich. Every so often I have a craving for a childhood favorite, peanut-butter-honey-banana-chocolate chip. I know it sounds weird, and I can only eat it a few times a year, but it is truly delicious.

My nana used to make these for me when I was a little girl. I sat in her long, galley kitchen in the black vinyl, swivel chair watching her spread the peanut butter and slice the bananas. I would stretch my toes as far as possible to make my chair spin while I waited. She would place the sandwich in front of me on the octagon table with, of course, a Coca-Cola. It was always one of my favorite things she made. I was feeling quite nostalgic as I enjoyed the simple creation again.

What sandwich makes you think of your childhood? Who made it for you? Do you still enjoy it today?

And because Friends quotes make me laugh...
Joey: Hey, Rach, you want some sandwich?
Rachel [disgusted]: OH! what is in that?
Joey: Olive loaf and ham spread. No mayo.
Rachel: No, because mayo would make it gross.

50 States

2009-09-01T13:04:00.004-04:00

For the last ten days Rachel has been trying to memorize the 50 states. I found a great game over at Kaboose that has basically helped her memorize all the states. At some point we're going to put Anamaniacs in the DVD player, another great school resource, right?

Skyler reminded me on Sunday of the Friends episode where no one could write all 50 states from memory. Today, even after studying for the last week, we could only write down 49.

So, I wondered...how many of you guys can write all 50 states from memory. No cheating or helping. Is the pop culture reference true? Is it impossible to remember all 50?

BTW, did you know there are five oceans now? There were only four back when I was in school. Guess that makes up for the fact we lost a planet!

** How is New England not a state? Huh? They have a sports team!** -Joey

2009-08-23T13:16:00.003-04:00

Found this one over at Fiddledeedee-

The Movie Meme:

(please list up to 3 per genre)

Favorite Comedy Film:

Anchorman
Happy Gilmore
Nacho Libre

Favorite Romance Film:

Pride and Prejudice
Ever After
Untamed Heart

Favorite Sci-Fi Movie:

Star Wars Episode 2
Gatica
Labyrinth

Favorite Animated Movie:

Lion King
Monsters Inc
Sleeping Beauty

Favorite Disaster Movie:

Titanic
Saving Private Ryan
Home Fries

Favorite Christmas Movie:

Elf
Christmas Story
Emmit Otter's Jugband Christmas

Favorite Horror Movie:

Psycho
The Village
Scream

Movies With Music:

Mama Mia
High School Musical II
The Sound of Music

Favorite Book to Movie:

Gone with the Wind
Lord of the Rings trilogy
Devil Wears Prada

Favorite Classic:

State Fair
Princess Bride
Wizard of Oz

Favorite Chick Flick:

Pretty in Pink
Stranger than Fiction
My Best Friend's wedding

Movie You Could Watch Ad Nauseam:

From Justin To Kelly
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Napoleon Dynamite

Worst Movie of All Time:

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Tag, you're it!

Quick Post

2009-08-21T17:49:00.003-04:00

Okay, here goes....

School's going well for all involved. We are finally getting into a schedule, and as soon as it's tweaked I'll post.

Been training the dog. We have gone through the choke chain and the Gentle Leader to no avail. I've given up on running with the dog.

However, I have been mighty successful at teaching him fetch with a Frisbee.

I've been running or doing yoga at 6:15 am. I am pretty proud of myself, and I seriously hope it sticks.

One of Rachel's American Girl dolls lost a leg. We sent it to the "hospital" and they fixed it.

And because that was a super condensed version, here are some pics:

This is Asher playing Rock Band. The guys in the game wear masks, so Asher fashioned this out of his helmet.

And here is Rosie on her first day of school.

Public School, take two

2009-08-07T12:14:00.002-04:00

Yesterday afternoon I got a very nice phone call from Mrs. T.

This morning we went up to the school to meet her.

So far, I think she is wonderful! She was so sweet to Rosie, and very engaging. She has been teaching 30 years and has her masters degree. I hope this first impression sticks!

Rosie also made a friend, not in the same class, but across the hall.

We all left with big smiles, and went down to get pancakes at a local restaurant. It was a sit down, wait for your food place and my three kids were so good! It always amazes me when I am able to go to a public place and not leave red in the face. We finished our morning with a quick stop at a church consignment sale. All in all, great morning.

We'll spend the rest of the day enjoying summer, because in three short days life will drastically change!

Public School, take one

2009-08-06T09:17:00.003-04:00

So...awhile back Aaron and I made the decision to send Rosie, our middle child, to school this year. Rosie begged us to go, and we decided that would be best for her.

Yes, I'm still homeschooling Rachel.

Anyway, July 21 was new student registration, so I had spent the first half of the summer getting the large stack of paperwork in order. We went up to the school on said date and filled out more paperwork. Then they set up an appointment to evaluate her, and make a decision about which class would be the best fit. The appointment was set for 10 am on July 27, and I waited 45 minutes for them to test her.

This morning was "Meet and Greet". We arrived at the school with throngs of people. Thankfully, Aaron and I are tall, so we were able to stretch our necks over the other parents to try and read the class list. We both scanned and scanned, but nowhere did I see "C_____".

This is always the point where I look to the heavens, wondering what God is up to.

So we trek into the school, find the nice lady with the walkie-talkie and explain our daughter is not on the list. She types the name into her computer and politely says, "Looks like shes not registered. You'll want to go in the office and find out if there is some missing paperwork."

Sigh.

More crowds to struggle through. A line in the office to wait in. Angry parents, patient but tense office workers. My turn.

"My daughter is not on the class list."

"Did you register her?"

I tell myself to smile. "Yes, on new student Registration Day, in the cafeteria."

You know, in case Rosie's file is still sitting on the cafeteria table where I left it with an administrator 3 weeks ago.

The next few moments three ladies spent looking through various files, continually asking if C____ is her first name or last name. Then, "Could she have a different last name?"

"Nope." I tell myself to smile.

And then,"Where did she go to school last year?"

"She was homeschooled, which is looking pretty good right now."

I have to admit, it was a cruel jab. I meant to get their attention. But what happened next honestly surprised me. The ladies in the office all stopped and broke out into a good hearted laugh. They looked me in the eyes with kindness and smiled. Then the head honcho of the three walked over to me and spoke very quietly.

"I see what happened on her form, there was a little misunderstanding if she was in Kindergarten or First. I see now she is in First. We will place her with a teacher this afternoon and call you."

"So we can't meet her teacher right now?"

"No, I am sooo sorry. This is completly our fault. Let me talk to the Principal this afternoon and call you."

Now, some of you out there may not have much experience dealing with the public school system, but it never their fault. Ever. My jaw dropped a little as I turned to Rosie.

We walked out into the beautiful August sunshine. I guess we will meet her teacher later.

I don't really know what happened this morning, but I do know "all things work together for good." I just pray that this little holdup has something to do with Rosie being in the best situation possible for the next 180 days.

I'll keep you updated.

July 17, 2009

2009-07-17T17:29:00.002-04:00

Somebody is following a little too closely in his mother's footsteps.

Okay, so I have done a horrible job of updating my blog in July, but we've had a ton going on. Rachel turned nine, my brother visited from Philadelphia, Rosie lost her first tooth and spent her first week at camp ever, we tried camping in our back yard (and failed), I had a good visit with Laura, my dog ran away (he's back) and I've spent some time trying to get all my curriculum decisions made for August. Are you exhausted? I am!

Anyway, you can see some pics of my life over at Skyler's blog. (check out Asher and Fourth of July.)

I also thought that Deedee over at Fiddledeedee did a much better job telling the story of the tooth fairy visiting their house then I ever could, so check it out.

Hope you're having a wonderful summer!

Summer Bridge

2009-07-01T10:19:00.004-04:00

On a homeschooling note, this summer I'm having Rachel go through the Summer Bridge workbook. She's also supposed to read 30 minutes a day.

I was talking to Jennifer and she mentioned how Ethan is hating this workbook. I remembered last year doing Bob Jones summer workbook, and Rachel hated it. So we just didn't do it.

But for some reason this year Rachel really got into it. I think a great thing was setting a goal at the beginning. She decided for June, if she finished 15 pages and read for thirty minutes a day she would earn a trip to Bruster's.

So on Monday we took our earned trip for some ice cream. We had our friend Sophia and her mom Carol join us for the fun!

June 28

2009-07-01T10:01:00.002-04:00

ONE,

TWO,

THREE,

JUMP!!

And so on Saturday..

2009-07-01T09:40:00.003-04:00

we made it to my mom's. I was feeling much better. And I was adequately prepared if anymore carsickness should arise.

My mom and her new husband, Charlie, bought a house last week. I went to see their new home and help unpack some boxes. My mom did not want to work when the grandkids were around so after just a few boxes, we played in her new pool.

One of those days....

2009-07-01T09:23:00.002-04:00

I don't have a picture to post from Friday, June 26.

You probably don't want to see me running a fever and trying to load up the car to visit my mom.

It wasn't a pretty picture when I pulled over on the side of Interstate 75 to retrieve Asher's stuffed animal out of the door jam during Friday morning traffic.

You probably don't want to watch when Asher starts throwing up all over the car. All over the car.

It really wasn't a photo-op when I pulled over at the gas station and realized I had not packed any clothes, underwear or wipes for a two year-old boy who had just thrown up all over himself.

And Asher has to go "poddy".

Can you take a buck naked kid into a Chevron? I'm thinking, "no."

So I took my son around the car and let him pee on a concrete wall. Good times.

Luckily, I found a lone bathing suit in the back of the car to put on him.

Then we drove home and I cleaned up the gross car.

While running a fever.

Next move was to make two phone calls.

The first: "Sorry mom, it's just not going to happen today."

The second, "Aaron..."

He came home, and let me rest. He also got me Chick-fil-A chicken soup. I love him.