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Thursday, April 30, 2009
One of My Fav Songs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rknVkcGNNJ0&feature=related
Life Is Hard (God Is Good) -- by Pam Thum
You turn the key
Then close the door behind you
Drop your bags on the floor
You reach for the light
But there's darkness deep inside
And you can't take it anymore
'Cause sometimes living takes the life out of you
And sometimes living is all you can do
Life is hard, the world is cold
We're barely young and then we're old
But every falling tear is always understood
Yes, life is hard, but God is good
You start to cry
'Cause you've been strong for so long
And that's not how you feel
You try to pray
But there's nothing left to say
So you just quietly kneel
In the silence of all that you face
God will give you His mercy and grace
Jesus never said
It was an easy road to travel
He only said that you would never be alone
So when your last thread of hope
Begins to come unraveled
Don't give up, He walks beside you
On this journey home and He knows
Life is hard, the world is cold
We're barely young and then we're old
But every falling tear is always understood
Yes, life is hard, but God is good
The Chain Gang and Being Realer Than REAL
We are home now and as I ponder these thoughts I realize I have not been lazy... nor have my kids been. I am just not the SuperMom I have built up the expectation that I try to be. My mother-in-law called me a SuperMom recently and while that is an honor it is just not real. I am just a normal mom trying to make it through. Now, what is it that makes me so hard on myself? Part of it is a high expectation for myself and part of it is not being able to control all that can sometimes change in a blink of an eye. Another part is finding out sad news and not realizing how much it affects you until it manifests itself in a moment of depression. These are a few of my thoughts and "change of schedule" moments this week that threw me into momentary depression and self-pity:
- I ran into a special lady from my former church and the switch has been a recent one. I miss those people!.. and love those people!... and one of those people died and was buried the day before without me knowing!... He had just found out he had leukemia and suddenly died of a heart attack. Obviously, God was ready to see him! This man was a co-worker of my Daddy's years ago and I am reminded of the little toy that is in my car that he purchased upon Sierra's birth. Sahara enjoys it now. He is my Daddy's age. If you follow my blog you may remember that my Daddy had a heart attack recently. He survived. This makes me more aware of the possiblity we could have faced with my own daddy.
- I did not get all my laundry done and I know that will now consume part of my weekend and once again my husband will feel he has to chip in on that. I know he would like to relax some, too.
- I thought I would be running out for some daytime visits with friends, but upon hearing about my plans my husband wanted to go. A great thing, but that changed the plan to evening and weekend visits. I am thankful he wants to be with us and our friends!!! He so desires those getaways more than I do sometimes. He is a "GO-go-goer" and NEEDS to get out of the house. We could not leave him behind. And it looks like some of that weekend visiting might be changing again to avoid a sickness... Hmmmmm... ;) .. not sure, yet.
- Today I was supposed to teach a young girl some sewing and we had to change that. We will do it next week, but I wanted to spend the day sewing with my kids, too. My fault... I did not do it.
- The very appointment that made me realize that I wanted to take the three days off... well, I cancelled that today, also. See, I just do not think that I want to go to the doctor's office with the Swine Flu thing going on. The first U.S. death was in Houston only two hours aways from where we live. That nine month check-up is not gonna happen!! We have never skipped a well check, but I just do not want a well check to turn into a get virus visit.
Is any of it a big deal? No. To me right now everything is a big deal and then, I feel ridiculous. I hate to let people down. And I have hardly been home ... or still long enough to get the things done that I sometimes aspire to do. So, this is me... REAL ... with all my imperfections and crazy thoughts... and crazy depressed moments... and then, sane or somewhat sane, again! :)
He turned the water into wine
Looking back I see the many times
He made the simple things divine
With the touch of your hand
You changed this heart of mine...
Song Reference: Water Into Wine by Kathy Troccoli
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC_uCE5Agxg
Thank you Lord for turning my bad into good!!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Kids Praying and Other Funnies
Savannah -- ".. and for everyone to have a Momma and Daddy."
Sierra -- "... and for no one to be orphans."
They have recently been watching "Annie" (which by the way has some provocative talk that I never noticed before kids... my kids totally don't get it thank God).
So, we were out and about as a family and I jokingly said to someone, "I think we are gonna get shirts that say WE ARE THAT FAMILY. My husband quickly said, "I am getting a shirt that says I DON'T KNOW THAT FAMILY". Shame, shame on him.... Made me think that I truly want a shirt now that says I AM PROUD TO BE THAT FAMILY!!
So, that is my G~I~G~G~L~E to share for the morning... have a wonderfully blessed day!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
How I "Spice It Up" With My Favorite Spice -- Cooking Ahead Series PART 2
(Maybe pepper ought to be on here, but as much as I use it I could probably do without it. It does get a mention, at least, for the fact that it just makes things "taste cooked".)
And the winner is... drumroll, please... Onion Powder! I bet you thought I was gonna say garlic. I L~O~V~E Onion Powder. It started with me not wanting real onions in my tuna. I did not like raw onion no matter what it was in. Oddly, my fifth pregnancy changed that for some reason. Anyway, I wanted that onion taste without the crunchy raw onions. It just kind of grew from there. I tried it in baked beans and omitted the onions.... loved it! Same thing with potato salad. I mean, what is with all the raw onion lovers out there... well, I like them now some. Next was hamburgers! I make the patties and sprinkle with s&p and a heavy dose of onion powder. I also sautee onions to go on my burgers. Moving own to another big thing at our house... Thin pork chops sprinkled with s&p and a heavy dose of onion powder and then, broiled. It doesn't stop there... Chicken chunks sprinkled with s&p and a heavy dose of onion powder and then, broiled. I have to have it in almost every soup I make and even in spaghetti sauce. I almost forgot... I use it in browned ground meat that I use to make meaty cheese dip and Picadillo Quesadillas.... oh yeah, and on my loaded french bread and french bread pizza. Are you getting hungry, yet. Of course, I love it in Roast, also. I now use the onion soup mix to do my roast, but I used to buy the 50 cent spices and use the WHOLE THING in one roast!!
So, does that give you any meal ideas? Or does it just make you hungry?!!!
Cooking Ahead Series -- Round Two
Sunday I cooked a pasta soup that is very common around our home. It does vary depending on what we have on hand. You can use fresh or canned ingredients. Simple variations in the types of pasta can make it fun for the kids or make it seem like a new recipe. Basically, I use ground meat OR chicken breat chunks that I season with salt, pepper, and onion powder (you could use fresh onions or both). I brown this and when it is done I add canned tomatoes (diced, chunky, stewed, whatever) and let them cook mushy. I then squish it up, so my kids do not see "too many" chunks. Beyond that I just add water (4-6 cups) and lots of seasoning. I sometimes add sliced mushrooms and for "those who don't like mushrooms" I mince up some, so they never know they ate it. Shhh.. don't tell! You could add carrots or anything your crew will go for. My seasonings are SALT, pepper, ONION POWDER, garli & garlic powder, 4-5 DRIED BAY LEAVES, PAPRIKA (ONES I THINK ARE A MUST IN CAPS). Seasonings are all personal preference. Cook to rolling boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. DO NOT OVERCOOK OR THE SECOND DAY MEAL WILL NOT BE AS GOOD!! Adding grated parmesan cheese at the end of cooking is yummy, too. I love to add grated mozzarella or croutons, but my crew is not so adventurous.
Now, I would not really call this a recipe (this is not a recipe swap) and I make this SUPER FAST, but my point here is to cook double what you want with the key being stopping it at a stage that it does not get mushy for later. So, I served this with salad and fresh baked rolls the first day. This pasta continues to cook in the hot liquid and absorb the liquid, so it is less of a soup and more of a main entre pasta. The second day (today) I served it with salad, corn, steamed brocolli, sliced cucumbers.
It is not about just "having leftovers". I try to skip a day so we do not have to eat the same thing for two days in a row. Also, I try to vary the sides or make the dish morph into something else (soup becomes a pasta entre). I am currently thawing a HUGE commercial size double pack turkey breast (10 lbs. or so). My mother shared this with me and I had some she cooked at her house, but I plan to do more than JUST roast it. My Momma was saying that she was not sure what to do with it because it is such a HUGE quantity. I said, "Oh, I think I know what I would do with it...." Think outside the norm... everyone ROASTS turkey, but I am gonna treat it like boneless, skinless chicken breast!! I'll let you know later, but I am thinking of:
- Broiled Chicken Chunks (seasoned with salt, pepper, onion powder), Quick Veggie Sides or packaged side dishes
- Gumbo with Rice
- Turkey Parmesan with Pasta, Salad, Homemade Bread
- Turkey Strips w Cream Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Carrots
- Turkey Almost-Chik-Fil-A Nuggets), Quick Veggie Sides or packaged side dishes
I'll post a follow-up to let you know!!! Just writing this helps me plan. One more thing... What is your FAVORITE SEASONING? I have about five must haves, but ONE transforms everything for me. I'll try to post on that tomorrow. Join me and tell me yours and what you do with it!!
Monday, April 27, 2009
We were studying Birds...
Birds... that was the missing word. We were studying birds! We did some W~E~I~R~D stuff to a chicken egg for our Science project. Have you heard of the rubber egg project or the soft shelled egg project? It is so simple because you only need an egg, vinegar, and a bowl/jar. We used a clear jar for observation. I am NOT posting pics of all that, because you should do it and see it yourself. In place of vinegar we did try to use pickle juice in an effort to be frugal, but that did not appear to be working. The following were our OBSERVATIONS:
Savannah = covered in bubbles; starting to float; It looks like and ocean plant.
Sierra = It has a crack.
Savannah = Soft, Slimey
Sierra = Soft, Slimey, Gross
Guess What This Is?
A Great Find... Bargains!
Savannah went on a church outing this weekend, so my husband took Sierra to a yard sale. He thought I might be interested, so he came back to get me. I found some great finds!!
These are foam stamps in the package never used for $1 each. The Alphabet set has Upper and Lowercase plus numbers and more. The other two sets are just for fun!
Fifty cents for this loom set was a steal... I have been wanting to get one of these, but putting it off until we are ready to do this project. It IS old, which I find charming. The mustiness... not so charming, so I will try to wash the fabric and dry it or buy replacement fabric.
I started NOT to buy this book, but I am so glad I did... and for $1 !! This little book alone would make a great Toddler/Pre-K Circle Time starter. Actually, I have been wanting to use something for our schooling and I think it will be fun even for Savannah (8), because she can help "teach" and learn at the same time. The lessons are 1-2 pages and easy reading that Savannah could do and we could all do together for fun. So easy that we can just enjoy it... no pressure here!
I hope you can read the excerpts. If not, see if you can click the pic for it to enlarge. Each page has a short scripture at the top, the topic, poems/fingerplays/songs, adult lead activities, and sometimes more suggestions or illustrations on the next page to go with it. I especially like the one below that encourages music play in the kitchen (BUT SUGGESTS A QUIETER WAY TO BEAT POTS AND PANS ;) They suggest using plastic bowls and plastic spoons.)
These are just a few of my bargains this weekend. The last time I found unopened mini-craft projects, etc.. Remember that old frames can be made new when your child decorates it and other items... Look at the item and think, "What could we do with it?" Look beyond what it is. You will teach your child many valuable lessons this way. They can learn to recycle things, to re-purpose things, to see the artist/creative side of themself. They can learn to be good stewards of their money at yard sales and re-inforce math skills to calculate their total. The list goes on. Well, I am off to bed... 2:45 AM !~!~! The baby had a bit of insomnia tonight!!
Now That's Just U~G~L~Y !!
Savannah's expression speaks volumes. Hurry up and take the picture!! He's sooo uuuugly Momma!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Simple Projects... In Steps
My example is our Planet Study that ... uhm... was supposed to last one day. With a toddler involved it all gets a bit crazy sometimes. So, I a would call this a "phase project".
- Phase 1 = We started with watercolors!! Yippee! My kids ADORE watercolors. I simply printed a coloring page with alll the planets for them. They painted these outside with their painting Tees on and then, we laid them in the sun to dry. Note: While the kids painted their planets I read a mini-book/coloring book to them that had information about the planets, asteroid belts, and meteors.
- Phase 2 = Time for some magic... simple magic!! I used two pages of white cardstock paper per child (use any sturdy paper... if I did it again I would use a file folder and skip having to staple/glue this in later). Back to the magic... you need paper, crayons, black tempera paint, paint brushes in that order... hide the paint untill you are ready for that if you have a Caden... Uh-hem... I mean, a toddler!! Have the kids make stars (which can be squiggles, circles, plus signs, etc.) all over their paper (or inside of file folder). These are going to be your stars for the solar system. After the stars are on, Give the kids the paint and brushes and let them paint over their stars and the whole page. As they paint the crayon wax will repel the paint and like magic their stars will appear!! These can be set in the sun to dry, also.
- Phase 3 = Time to cut out the watercolor planets! Have the kids cut them out along with cutting out a scrap of yellow construction paper if you want/need to add a sun. Assist smaller children with cutting... Let's just say I have a five year old that can slice and dice some tiny planets!!! I stapled the "night sky" to the inside of a file folder while the kids were cutting. Arrange and glue your Solar System to your night sky. I recommend school glue, because glue sticks might not adhere to the tempera surface. Let your globs of glue dry for several hours!! :)
- Tell them how great their Solar System art is!
We did NOT do this, but some other things that you could add too this would be to cut out numbers for the planets and glue them on to reinforce counting or number writing practice. You could use ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, ...). You could use specific colors with color names. Whatever goes along with the theme.
I PLAN to use the front page of the coloring book for a front on Sierra's file folder (I will print and glue something to cover the words "Coloring Book" etc.. ). I will then use another blank file folder to insert the FOLDED pages of the coloring book like a mini-book. In this folder I will eventually add some other Solar System stuff. Savannah's file folder will become the back of the "book". If we want we will always have the option to add to this... as time allows... or maybe as my other little ones study this topic over the years. So, MAYBE THIS IS LAPBOOKING... I just know we can not do too much off this for time management reasons. It will have to be something that comes together as a "Phase Project".
We also did a Paper Plate craft. We used the Astronaut template and the Space Shuttle template. We changed it up somewhat by using Bingo Markers to dot paint one paper plate with blue and green to be our Earth. While this was drying the girls colored their Astronaut and Space Shuttle with markers and cut the pieces out. I used a point to pierce a tiny hole through their "earth paper plate", the end of the Astronaut and Shuttle templates, and a "blank paper plate". Using tiny brads we joined it all in that order with blank plate facing down. The original instructions do not include the blank plate, but I added it for stability and did not use cardstock fir my template pieces. I will have to try to post a pic of the finished product later.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Controversy Doesn't Scare Me!! :)
Do know this is about passing on the information that could be useful to you. It is not to judge anyone, so don't get all crazy on me with negative comments. I will simply refer you to the small novel that is forming in Bridget's comments, because I am pretty sure that all the controversial issues have been covered there. :) Controversy doesn't scare me, so Don't Blink... you're not gonna want to miss this one!! ( Pardon the pun.. :) I couldn't resist!
Special Note: I took the Pill for nine years (before our first baby) and we have recently considered a vasectomy or an IUD. Did you know that the wife has to sign papers for the vasectomy?! Well, I couldn't get my tubes tied because of my convictions, so guess who could not bring herself to sign that little paper for the vasectomy? Me!! That brought us to considering an IUD, which I have been having feelings of conviction about, too.... uh, now what?! You know we all face these dilemnas sooner or later in life.... and it's hard..... you want and need the best information to make these decisions!!! If you are a Christian, you also will desire to be in the will of God.
God gave us free will to make our own choices. He could have made us all His perfect little followers doing no wrong, but He wanted us to want Him. He wants us to want His ways. Do we always WANT His ways? Maybe or maybe not.... I can't say I WANT to be pregnant twelve times or have a dozen children. I am being real about this... the Bible says that children are a gift from God and happy is the man that has his quiver full. So, does that mean the more you have the happier you will be? Whew!! That is heavy stuff! I don't know where my life will lead, but I know that the IUD will not be an option for me now. Thank you God for putting Bridget in my path before I made a huge mistake!! God is using you Bridget (if you read this), so do not be discouraged. And uh-hem ... I guess we will be back to the ovulation method after breastfeeding ends... until someone shares something convicting about that one. :O
Friday, April 24, 2009
Saying It Forward Friday
Thanks ladies for being loyal commentors on my little blog in my little world. Your friendship is a treasure beyond worldly measure!!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
"I've Got A Wild Hair"
Thank you God for my healthy baby and all my healthy bigger kids. My heart goes out to all of you that are not so blessed!!
Funny Little Tree Monkey !!
Sierra, 5, had been playing outside all day today in this beautiful weather we are having. Today she discovered how to get up in our magnolia tree by herself ... no boosting required! She spent much off the morning climbing around in the tree like a little monkey and walking the limbs like they were a tightrope. And, YES, I was holding my breath and trying not to watch too much. After much fun I insisted the kids come inside for a late lunch and Caden, 2, fell asleep at the table. I nursed and rocked the baby and she also fell asleep. Now if you are homeschooling you know this can be a great time to do some school while the little ones are snoozing away. So, I told Sierra not to go back out. Have you already guessed what she did?! She came running through the house like a wild child, flung the door open, and in moments was up in that tree climbing to her hearts delight. You have to now that Sierra is a sly little thing, so when I came out the door she was perched on a limb grinning at me. She was wearing a sly little grin and had a sparkle in her eyes.
I said, "Sierra Faith I told you not to come back outside." I admit I was grinning myself. ;)
She said, "Are you gonna whip my butt?"... still grinning.
I said with a laugh, "Well, I can hardly get to you can I?" As if I am going to climb a tree... and she did look really cute!! ... and, uh, yeah... I know I should not allow her to say butt, but it is short for buttocks. I have never gotten why that is so bad a word. My kids think hate is a "bad" word. They do no even comprehend "four letter words" or notice the words are being said, since they do not hear them in our home.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
I can say I love having my kids with me. I love being with them. I do not love feeling ill equipped and I wonder why our fore fathers/mothers ever allowed the world to change the way it has. Why did they not continue passing on family values and a knowledge of how to do things!? It baffles me! I want to pass on all the knowledge I can to my children... I am talking about family values and Godly wisdom, not worldly knowledge. I want them to be able to do simple things like make bread or sew a baby blanket. Yes, I said "simple". A couple of years ago I thought rolls were hard to make. Seriously, if you can read the box to make Hamburger Helper you can make rolls. The world and advertising have convinced us that everything is too hard.
And this really does tie in with homeschooling. You see I thought it was also too hard to do, because I have been programmed that way. The very system that "educates" us will turn around and tell us we are not "educated enough" to teach our own children. I find the irony in that a bit comical. ;) And they are right in some aspects. I have to say the first thing I had to do when we began homeschooling is teach my kids what to do when they are around each other most of the day now. They are still adjusting. LOL! I remember feeling lost when my first daughter went away to school. I wanted to have her near me all the time and never miss a moment. Sadly, it became easier to drop them off. So, now I find myself stumbling through how to teach my kids and make it fun. School was not fun growing up and we have to break away from that example that has been set for those of us that have been through public school. I read something recently that said, "I survived public school and that is why I homeschool my kids".
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Quoting Me & Keeping It Real
Refashion: Added "Detail"
Strange Things Are Happening
Saturday, April 18, 2009
It's Raining, It's Pouring .... Refashioned Dress?!
The chopsticks in her hair were to get her hair out of the way for try-ons, but she thinks she is Chinese when they are in her hair. Even strangers have said that she looks like a little China doll (especially as a baby), so it is very fitting for her to have chopsticks in her hair. I find it interesting that some things are the way they are .... oddly... Her favorite animal has always been a Panda and she is drawn to Chinese types of things and even speaks Chinese some thanks to Chik-Fil-A and cartoons on TV.
So, you see I just serged the edge and folded it down to where I wanted... Nothing perfect. When I sew for my kids we sew for it to work and get through with sturdy seaming, but as long as it looks good on the outside I don't care too much about the details inside. When I sew to sell I do all that details stuff... even used to add my own hang tag. Anyway, I think using topstiching is my secret to no one knowing all that when my kids wear it. I can't say enough about how much simple topstitching adds to the quality of clothing.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Idea Sharing for Sewing Frugal Sewing
Now for sharing.... this is for those sewing people.... I am one of those, but for now am just the idea sharer... Aren't you glad I'm not stingey!!! Here gos:
man's long sleeve turned into a dress
http://vermillionrules.blogspot.com/2009/04/another-easter-dress.html
man's shirt into dress
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=170402.0
baby shoes
http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=699#comment-89703
Rockin' infant gowns
http://thismamamakesstuff.blogspot.com/2008/08/tutorial-t-shirt-to-newborn-gown.html
page down to the onesie cut-up transformed into dress and bloomer set
http://dana-made-it.blogspot.com/search/label/Refashioning%20Ideas
various girl clothes ideas
http://dana-made-it.blogspot.com/search/label/Girl%27s%20Clothing
Caden My Diaper Man
Sahara and Caden awoke at the same time, so they both needed their morning diaper changes. This is the part where you pray the two year will be dry .... and then, laugh because he is not! As I am removing Caden's diaper he says, "I want Cars." He is referring to Pull-Ups.
I say, "You have to go potty on the potty chair to get Cars."
I take him to the potty and he refuses, because he is not feeling very awake (not like him). He then proceeds to get and try to put on his own "Cars". I take the Pull-Up away and tell him that he can only wear the Cars if he goes potty on the potty.
So, I say, "What is it? Mickey Mouse or Cars?"
Caden says, "Mickus Mouse!"
In "the fine print" she comments that the Easter dresses have worked for three years.
My comment: "And I must say the dresses look beautiful. One of my first thoughts was how nice they all looked in their Easter attire. I am a SAHM mom, my husband is a teacher, and we have four kids (8, 5, 2, 8 mos). Our cup always runneth over on clothing. I hear others that do not seem to "get" the clothes we do and I am amazed. We always have givers or I find bargains via Goodwill, resale shops, & clearance sales. We rarely have a need other than shoes and many times that is met. Really it is always met!!! God provides! We live on $34K a year with 6 in the house. Imagine what we could do with a 3 figure income! :) I feel blessed and others are in awe of how we make it. We don't MAKE it, God MAKES it! Most people gawk and say, "and on a teacher's salary". They do not understand it is worth the summer and breaks off alone to live on a "teacher's salary". I grew up with my daddy working shift work and I rarely saw him. I never wanted that life... even with all the money it came with."
Anyway, I hope this touches you in some small way. And if you are thinking how poor we are... think again! We live at what is considered "poverty level", but not when God is multiplying it! We have and have always had a life of excess in my eyes. I actually get embarassed sometimes because I know people assume that we are wealthy. My niece was here shortly after we moved in our house and looked at her mother and said, "Are Uncle Cody and Aunt Shannon rich?" Her mother said, "Yes, yes they are (in blessings)." I pulled her aside later and told her that we are not wealthy only because I want her to understand the difference. When I ponder it like this, I think we are "rich", too.... but, I am human and I do not always "see" my blessings even though they are all around me. I wish and pray that God will make me aware of my blessings constantly!! It is easy to overlook even what is right before your eyes.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Great Grandma Is A Poet!
ClustrMaps is cool!
Okay, so click here and you can see my map close-up and the statistics. I am soooo impressed... I have had 224 hits on my site: United States (US)=214,Canada (CA)=4, Netherlands (NL)=1, France (FR)=1, Finland (FI)=1, Japan (JP)=1, India (IN)=1, Australia (AU)=1
Hmmm.... I am gaining popularity (LOL) in Canada or someone keeps mistakenly dropping by... Who are you? What about OK or KS? Anyway, hope you find my "little things" interesting and a big Thank You for dropping by! Come back often!!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Sharing some PAIRS...
So, if you are counting that is four pairs, plus Michelle has two older boys. "Everybuddy" should have some pairs! It makes for some great fun! (Easter 2009)
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Catching Up
Romans 12:2 / KJV
Monday, April 13, 2009
Fun-FILLED Easter Weekend and some Tips
The day got away from us quickly (time flies somehow) and I did a necessary store run and then we jumped into the weekend with a bang by meeting up with friends and going to the Last Days of Christ presentation in Beaumont, Texas. As expected it was awesome and a wonderful way to bring the story of Easter to life. I know kids have vivid imaginations anyway and probably don't HAVE to have this type of presentation for it to seem real to them, but you can't go wrong by giving them a visual. After the presentation we came back to our house and enjoyed visiting.
Saturday morning I dragged myself out of bed to make a marathon run to the lakes area (Sam Rayburn) for family visits with each set of grandparents. What a day of SUGAR it turned out to be!! We had a quick cereal breakfast here, but by the time we got out the door there were screams of hunger... sad starving children that they are. :) We made a quick run to the Donut Palace for kolaches and donuts/donut holes (the best around.,..yum). We went to the in-laws first... in the boonies... think I am kidding?!... it is FIVE miles back in the woods and you see NOTHING but woods until you get there!! Strangely, they have two other neighbors right beside them that think this seclusion is normal, also. :) Anyway, there we visited with MeMe, Poppa, Uncle W, Aunt D, Cousins E, H, & B. All the kids played "hopscotch" on the new checkerboard sod that was freshly put down. I am sure my girls thought that hopscotch was the reason for the sod (as opposed to my in-laws desperate attempt to have grass rather than dust for a front yard). It was cute watching them hop around on their new hopscotch grid. We had early Easter dinner, hid and hunted eggs, played some more and ate lots of sweets and after about four hours headed to my parents.... Shhhh! It was a suprise! I did not tell them we were coming because I did not want them fretting about doing anything special. My Daddy just happened to be outside when we were driving up and he was suprised. Kinda funny to see that look on his face. He is supposed to be relaxing and taking it easy after his recent heart attack, but he thinks he can "do it all" still. He really has me worrying, but what do you do?! So, we visited with Nana and PaPa and, of course, my Momma (Nana) thought we all needed to be fed. She whipped up some chili and hot dogs/frito pies and then, the kiddos went for a golf cart ride with PaPa and their daddy to visit some other kids in the neighborhood. Momma and I stuck around while Sahara cuaght a much needed nap and chit-chatted. We were supposed to stay there for about two hours to avoid tiring them out, but ended up being there about four hours, also. We headed home, so we could attend church on Sunday morning... Whew! Would have loved to stay and REST... oh no.. we don't dare do that, though. I told Cody that if he loved me at all and I was to survive this weekend he was going to have to let me try to sleep on the way home. A miracle happened and I DID... at least, some! We Got home around midnight and crashed for the night... well, somewhat. There is not really much sleep to be had here, but we try. :)
We awoke with approximately 1 1/2 hours to bathe, dress, feed, and get all six of us out the door for church!! We were moving and grooving and we made it. After church we we went to Michelle's parent's house for an Easter/birthday celebration (one year for miss Marowynn, Michelle's youngest) where we spent the afternoon eating, visiting, egg hiding/hunting. It was a great time to spend with lifelong friends. That evening we came home and I made a quick dinner. I put together a family Easter basket for my kids while they were playing. They came to dinner with this big basket as a suprise in the middle of the dining room table. Now, I have to say I did not go all nuts with the "Easter stuff". It was simple and I encourage others to follow a "less is more" policy for Easter (etc). I have had the basket for over 15 years and when I realized it would hold the stuff I had I grabbed it up and it became "the" basket. So, you see there was no great planning here. Keep it simple... use what you have even if you use it in a different way than normal. This basket normally holds cloth dinner napkins and sits in the floor of the dining room. I just moved the dinner napkins out temporarily. In my effort to give the kids a "gift" without it being too much I purchased sand buckets for each of the ($1 at WM) as their treat which I stacked together and placed altogether in the big basket. I then tossed in a few bags of candy, some Peeps, and a small chocolate bunny for each of them along with a book (The Easter Story) that we ALREADY HAD. After eating dinner they were allowed to dive into the basket and I handed Cody the little book to read to the kids. That pretty much brought us up to bedtime, so off they were to brush teeth and all that jazz. Whew! What a whirlwind weekend!
TIPS: Okay, this is random... some on the topic of Easter and some not... just what is on my mind:
*1st* About that basket in the dining room... Want to save some money and some trees on paper towel usage? I have some fabric napkins that I just use and wash. The ones in my basket or nice, but only because I just happened to have them. I also, use my kitchen hand towels for the same purpose. Change to this and you will be suprised to see that you can almost stop buying paper towels. I only buy the cheapest paper towels and those I use for draining greasy food. Occasionally I grab a paper towel in a hurry, but usually I use something I can wash and re-use.
*2nd* A new book is great to have, but if you do not have time to go shopping the kids don't care. The GIFT OF READING ANY BOOK will do for them. Now, our book was not brand new and I had read it to them a couple of times this week, BUT Daddy had not. That was a wonderful gift and having Daddy talk to them about their salvation and baptism is PRICELESS.
*3rd* Gifts that you know they will actually use over and over are much better than all those little trinkety things that fall apart or just junk up your house. Those that add clutter and stress to your house or better never to enter in! Somewhere out there there is a landfill of party favors that we are ALL contributing to... I am guilty, too.
*4th* Making memories... Attending events together, such as, plays, a movie, presentations (Last Days of Christ), McD's for ice cream, free local events like firework shows, flying a kite, or going on a quick picnic are so much better than anything you could purchase. Watch a home video, view photos, etc. If we all stopped buying so much "stuff" for our kids we would see their world change. Trade an expensive "thing" for special time together and see the difference... I DARE YOU!!! We have even told our kids that less stuff will mean a chance at better fun things this summer will we are on vacation.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Natural Prayer
I have to say it gets quite noisy and sometimes a little disorderly at our house when it is prayer time. It is not always what it should be, but over time we have been coaching them and we are seeing improvement. See, we do not have them recite a simple memorized prayer. We have them pray what is on their hearts. With an eight year old, five year old, and a two year old they do not understand taking turns or one may get upset because "their prayer" was said already. Actually, as I sit here typing this I am realizing that that very issue is diminishing. Yippee! As they get older they will learn and we will learn how to guide them in praying and they will grow up in a home where it is only natural to pray.
I can't finish this post without adding that when someone is on their heart they pray diligently for that person. A dear friend of ours was on dialysis and later had a kidney transplant and Savannah would always remember to pray for him even when we did not. Over the years they each have done this and most recently it has been for a friend whose mother had a massive stroke and Michelle's husband, Marion as he recently underwent back surgery. Hmmm... and my daddy for a heart attack, Cody's dad for cancer, and his mom for a stomach issue. They have been busy lately... much to pray for. I am always so impressed that in their innocence they remember everyone and I am humbled. I wish I could remember as well as they do. I know God hears their prayers. Not only do they pray to God with a request, they also thank God for the beautiful day or the day they have had so far (at 8:00 am this one is sometimes comical). Sometimes they tank God for making someone better or letting a visitor stop by, etc.. I am so proud of them and so thankful that even though we are not experts God is guiding us in teaching them in such a way that they can learn to pray and it will just feel natural to them as they grow up.
A Nurturing Father
So, tonight they are playing dolls and we hear some squabbling (nothing major), but it turns out that it is over "babies". I can't count all the baby dolls they have for options, but you know how little ones are. The ONE that is being played with is all they can imagine and they all want the ONE. The others are simply out of sight out of mind. No big deal, so I grab another one from the baby doll pile and hand it to Caden and all is well. They all have a baby of their own. Michelle and I continue talking and then she says, "Look he's feeding his baby!" I look at Caden and my sweet little man has his baby's head pressed into his chest! He is breastfeeding his baby!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Daddy's Shirt Is A Dress.... What?!
Follow this link for a tutorial. http://amazingmae.blogspot.com/ Then, page down for all sorts of cool skirts and dresses.... You won't run out of ideas all Spring!!! "SEW" ADORABLE!!!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Cooking Ahead Series
By the way, my final tally for the brisket is 7 family size portions of prepared brisket and 1 meal portion and approximately 5 individual portions of chopped BBQ for sandwiches. Cost was right at $30 (at $1 lb.), so less than $4 a meal. That will save me from impulsive eating out on busy days.
Trying To Make Sense
I'm So Proud of ME !!
I watched this clip on YouTube about a million times while rocking Sahara and about a million more times as I was trying to knit.... just absorbing it all. I started really sloppy and would get about 15 stitches on the needle and then, remove it and start again until it started feeling more natural. Also, at first I had to use my fingers to help it along, but that got better, too. Improvement was quite quick, so that was not frustrating and before long I was rocking right along. I even did some of it while rocking Sahara. As is the rule she awoke twice and had to be cuddled and rocked back out.... ya know, they seem to know when you are trying to accomplish something... Hehehe! As you can see above even "rocking right along" you don't get a lot for the work very quickly. BUT I do feel w~o~n~d~e~r~f~u~l just knowing that I FINALLY DID IT! I learned and will continue to play around with it and learn more. And a big thanks to http://www.youtube.com/ and http://www.cyberseams.com/ for having this stuff on the internet as tool for L~E~A~R~N~I~N~G ! If you have ever wanted to learn to knit, I encourage you to try it. For under $5 you can get a pair of needles and skein of yarn and the feeling of accomplishment is... PRICELESS ! I can't wait to teach my kids!