Snacks and more

Turns out that not just our children are always looking for something good to eat!  There is something about watching a movie that brings out the snack attacks.  We are enjoying a lesson review with Nanny McPhee on this Monday evening.  "I have five lessons to teach...what they learn is entirely up to them!" said Nanny.

I like that!  I enjoy hearing the different lessons our children are learning...some specifically taught and others demonstrated...by our example.

Here's a lesson learned by example:

"Mom, having Oreos without milk is just wrong!" said Ashlynn. 

A happy Monday greeting...

comes from the desk of our resident second grader, as he sings,

"A sunbeam, a sunbeam.  Jesus wants me for a sunbeam.  A sunbeam, a sunbeam.  I'll be a sunbeam for Him!"

That's a good way to start off a Monday!  Ours started out a little sleepy and sickly...but as the sun started peeking out...most of us have perked up!  The other of us went back to bed...Ted is either trying to get sick...or trying not to give in to sickness.  The rest of us will do our best to be sunbeams on this last day of February!

Home with Teddy today...

he has been running a fever.  Sundays with sickness in the house...make things seem so...off kilter.  I miss time in God's house with God's people.  After another cup of coffee, I decided to straighten up and put the snowmen away...it is time to encourage all things warm and springy...soon it will be March!  Maybe I shouldn't have done any "extra work this morning on the Lord's day"...in moving the recliner aside to vacuum up the dust and fake pine needles...I rammed my big toe and affected the toe nail greatly!  I can't even tell you...it makes me very nauseous.  I managed to put everything away, put dinner in the oven, and take a shower...but I am feeling a little yuck right now.  Good thing I can sit with Teddy and fold clothes...and rest as I should.  Does anyone have any helpful suggestions how to treat a big toe that has a toenail just barely hanging on....eeewwww?!  Now I'm sick too!

A morning of going through boxes...

of material, notions, and a few patterns.  I feel giddy with the opportunities that are folded and stacked neatly in several boxes.

A dear lady in our church wanted me to go through her collection of material "because I know that you will be able to do something with these things".  She has quilted for years...and we found some treasures that she wants me to finish!  Oh...dear...do I have a "to do" list!!!

Quilt squares!!!  My mind is swirling with the possibilities for such a thoughtful gift...aprons, pillow cases, skirts, table decorations, quilts, curtains, dresses....for church functions, for personal use, for gifts...the possibilities are endless.  Thank you, dear friend, I will do my best to continue what you started!

A Friday Night Baby Shower for a Sweet Little Princess!

My cherry friend had a "mental list" that sparked some ideas.  I added some thoughts.  My girls added their dolly stuff.  And we had a room with pink and fluff!

Lullaby music played.  The gift table filled up.  Ladies arrived...and the baby passing began!  Each lady put their name on an envelope to help the new mommy as she writes thank you notes.

We pulled different items from our home collections and the church collection...and what we had pictured in our head...came together.  A simple dessert table...mini-cupcakes, sugar cookies, dipped pretzels.  We served water bottles and coffee...to cut down on the sugar over-load of the usual punch.

It was a fun night...and that sweet baby girl will be dressed like a little princess.

This is funny...to me...today!

"Those were the days...that made me who I am today!" contemplated Ted.

We were watching the evening news...and there is a big "to do" over school lunch programs in our state.  Um...hello...there are worse problems in our state that need the attention of our senators and representatives!!!  The children will be fine if they eat a few chips every now and then, or have a sandwich made on something other than organic, stone ground wheat flour.  We turned out fine!  We made it through those good old days of school lunches!

Oh...there is nothing worse than a bad lunch!  We agree with that premise!  Good lunches are not always cost effective.  We understand that!  And then Ted started reminicising...and I laughed till I cried...because I had the same issues with my Holly Hobbie lunch box and matching thermos! 

"I remember the year I got the yellow Peanuts lunchbox.  I was mad.  You can get beat up in second grade for that!  I took my scissors at school and scratched off part of the picture...I think I got in trouble for that.  Stupid thermos leaked!  I don't ever remember a good sandwich in elementary school.  Maybe that is my problem today!  You know...the thermos tipped over and smashed the sandwich and then leaked all over.  That was when we had the sandwich bags that only folded over...and the kool-aid ran right in.  If your thermos didn't leak, then the jelly bled through making it a soggy mess.  Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are not good lunchbox sandwiches.  We couldn't afford to buy lunch.  I never remember buying...oh, unless grandma came and stayed.  Grandma didn't do lunches.
And why should someone who doesn't buy milk have to have the job of going to get the milk.  I watched everyone else drink the chocolate milk...me...I had half a thermos of kool-aid left...if I was lucky.  And those stupid latches on those plastic lunchboxes were worthless!   Halfway through the year, the latch didn't latch anymore and there you are standing in line and there goes your pancaked sandwich, chips, apple, and cookie on the floor...with the kool-aid that had leaked inside your lunchbox is dripping on the pile of what was left of your lunch.  The trail of kool-aid led to you...there was no hiding who made the mess!
And don't get me started on the years that mom started accommodating the different tastes.  She did the best she could keeping it all straight...but when you lay out five lunch boxes to fill every day...you get what you get!  But when you get to lunch...and you get the wrong sandwich...it is rough!  I hated finding out that I got the bologne sandwich that was supposed to be Sara's.   As if school isn't hard enough on a little kid...and then you open your lunch..."
Sometimes...reminicising is good for the soul!  Not good for eye make-up and feminine-type laughter...but good for the soul!  Thanks, honey!  I promise...lunch will be good tomorrow!
**Our lunch boxes are now collector's items!!!  Starting price on Ebay...$24.99 and higher...WITH THE THERMOS!"**

As I cut...I fight feelings of regret...

knowing that in a month or two...he will have grown some more!  Teddy is growing taller and filling out.  Teddy and Daddy went shopping and found two pairs of NICE jeans at the thrift store...but they were too long.  I can bide some time by hemming...but having to cut some of the length off was hard...

knowing that it isn't cool to sew it back on later!  I am thankful for healthy, growing children...more thankful now than ever before.  When we are healthy...we take it for granted!  I am thankful for my sewing machine.  I am thankful for my mother and Home-Ec teachers who taught me to sew and take care of my machine...

'cause when you sew jeans...you really should change the needle...before it breaks mid-stitch!!!

I love girl themed events!

We have the parts and the pieces...and we will put it all together for Friday night.  We are celebrating the arrival of one of God's little jewels...a little princess.

Jewels, flowers, and fluff with a little twist.

However...we will not be serving the cake pops!  First of all...I don't like them!  Second...I don't want to have to call 911 due to a sugar overdose!  Funny thing...our kids like them...Ted said they were ok...I wanted to spit it out.  The chocolate coating ruined the cake/icing flavor for me and pushed the sweetness over the edge.  I tried to balance it out with a little vanilla ice cream...and even a swig of milk...ugh!  I think dipped pretzels with sprinkles will stand in just fine!!!

The "oh so good" factor...in my opinion...a negative 15 on a scale of 1- 10!

Experimenting...

by baking a white cake with confetti sprinkles...crumbling it up...and mixing in some frosting...

roll the cake/frosting mixture into balls and place in the freezer for a few minutes...

dip a stick in chocolate, return to freezer to harden for a short time, and then dip the cake ball in chocolate...add sprinkles!  Cake pops are what are for dessert tonight...we shall see what the verdict is!  Sugar rush on a stick...compliments to bakerella (the link is under "sweets" on the side bar).

Flowers...that survive another snowstorm!

"Thank goodness for fake flowers of all sorts!"  This was a fun little addition to my collection...given to me as the icy-rain began to fall.  Supper with a friend=blessing.  Husband to care for our children=blessing.  Not falling on the way to the car=blessing.  Cheery flowers that add color to the newly fallen snow=blessing.

The words "I thought you would be gone much longer."=blessing!  "I don't want to use up all my blessings!  I'm saving up time for the next time!"

To celebrate 100th day...we all played with M&Ms...

Minute to Win It style!

60 seconds to sort M&Ms into colors one by one with one hand.

Teddy's count...56 

Ashlynn's count...64

Dad was the official counter and time keeper.

Alisa's count...62

Mom and Dad got in on the fun too. 

Mom's count...64

Dad's count...62

And then we got to eat our counts! 

We are roughly 2/3 of the way through our school year...now that is a sweet thought!

FaMiLy FuN oN SatUrdAy nIgHt

The little chair fillers at our house thought it "not fair" that the adults got to have the chocolate fountain last week at the banquet.  "We never get to do the chocolate fountain." they have whined over and over.  It takes alot of chocolate.  It is alot of clean-up.  "We will do it for a special occasion!  I promise!" I told them...now to find a special occasion!  Hmmmm...

I didn't bring out the fountain, but I supplied everybody  with a chance to dip some treats into chocolate!  I forgot about the rice krispie treats...ooops!  Sorry, honey!  Thankfully, Woodman's had strawberries for a good price and nicely, yellowed bananas!

We tried out our new game...Outburst!  We have been trying to come up with different game ideas to use in junior church and kid's club...using the same thing week after week is dull and kills the spirit and attention of children!  In Outburst...there are 10 answers on the card that you want to try and match in 60 seconds...even if there are many more possibilities.  If you can think outside the normal "pat answers"...you just might win!  In Bible Outburst...can you think of 10 names of people that begin with the letter "P"?

It's that time of year again...

A week ago Friday, Teddy played in the snow while waiting for Grammy and Grampy to arrive.

This week we watched the snow melt.

Yesterday, Friday, this is what was left of all that snow!  We now have visible dog piles and mud puddles...which leave a mess all over the floor every time the dog or kids walk through the door.  And thus begins the new season...

Not what we expected to find today...and I still have the "willies"!

The kids came screaming up the stairs before lunch.  The girls thought Teddy was trying to play a trick on them.  Teddy "promised" he didn't do anything.  Ashlynn threw a glove...then another glove at this invader...and it didn't move...so she took the swiffer mop and poked at it...and the tail moved...

 "SHHHHH! Go to your rooms." Ted instructed as he stepped out the back door to grab the shovel.  He gingerly went down the stairs in order to take care of the snake...hoping it wouldn't slither away to hide...again!  "How did it get in?  Are there more?" were just some of the questions that were fired at us.

Thankfully...snakes are reptiles...reptiles are cold-blooded...the cement floor is cold.  We all decided from now on we will not be turning the heat on downstairs in the schoolroom...if it is cold...then snakes won't come in that room.  AHHHYYAYAAHHH!  A snake was in our basement...in the winter!  Where did it come from?  Are there more?  Ted....quit laughing...it is NOT funny!  EEEEWWW!!!

Have I said lately that it is nice having Daddy around?

It is wonderful! 

He has been such a wonderful principal and substitute teacher!

He has the best ways of keeping everyone in line!  And countering those stressful moments in parenting!  We can laugh and/or cry together!

I thought I was done with research papers!

I have a degree that sealed the deal!  Or so I thought! 

Then Ted started taking classes...and he needed a typist...and I am faster at typing than he is...and I work for free!  Of course, he substitue taught our school day...so he works for free too.

Now I have a headache...and we still have a long way to go.  The next phase...the main paper.  Maybe I'll start charging...to cover the various costs of caffinated drinks...or whatever will dull the pain of...

my not being done with research papers.

This idiom uses basic laws of gravity to convey the point that you can't always be on the up and up, no matter who you are or what you are doing. Eventually you will fall back to the ground.

What goes up...must come down.  What goes in...must come out.  After a high...comes a low.  After the snow...comes mud.  You get the picture...right?  Well, here is a picture to help you understand what I am trying to convey.

After all the planning, excitement, and fun surrounding a special event...there is the coming back to reality!  Sometimes...reality sneaks back in quietly.  Other times...you trip over it and fall face first into it!

That is how today has been.  Oh...it has been productive...but not always fun and exciting.

The sun is shining and I am finding the humor in the slippery slope back to reality...I knew it would come...it always does!  And I even had a picture on file to go with the post.

God has brought to mind the song...as I hear the birds chirping outside...

"Oh...the source of my song is the Savior...it does not depend upon my circumstances...for Jesus is the source of my song..."

I truly believe satan is at work to try to take away the blessings that come from serving my Savior.  Because my goal isn't to have fingers pointing my way...but to the Savior...I can focus on doing what God wants me to do...over and over again.  Satan is a roaring lion...seeking whom he may devour...and he sometimes uses "Christians" to do his dirty work.  Sad to say...he prefers to use them...and also sad to say...he has many willing subjects.

After the mountaintop experiences come the descents to the valley, I am finding there are blessings to be found in each place...and I choose to be thankful for them.  And I will continue to pray for opportunities to serve...and for the joy stealers.

"He started it!"

Our children requested the dessert for Valentine's Day be ice cream sundaes.  It was a good idea!  As we sat around the table talking...Teddy decided to play with the whipped cream..."Go ahead...thaaat's enough!!!"

Then the girls wanted a chance...

Grammy stopped giggling long enough to take a shot.

Grandma was game too!

Uncle Kenny stopped by with special Valentines for his favorite little buddies and got in on the fun too!  Our Valentine's Day was filled with lots of sweets and love.