INSPIRED FUN

Family Goals 2011

2011-01-03T15:43:00.000-08:00

Family Goals for 2011

As the New Year approached, we talked with the kids about what things they would like to achieve this next year. We explained that a good goal is picking an area in your life that you want to improve. Here is what the boys came up with:

Alex (71/2)- he first said to improve his time on the new car racing game he got for Christmas. Then seriously said: to work on completing my math homework on time!

Evan (5 1/2) - to have Papa teach him soccer so he can become a better player and maybe win a trophy when he gets older. (This was a shock since Alex is the soccer fanatic and Evan only likes to pretend to play!)

Rachel (2 1/2)- our goal for her: to learn the alphabet

We also thought it would be good to think of some spiritual goals for them. We will be sitting down with each of them individually and discussing these. They will each work on a memory verse related to their goal. We hope that, by God's grace, their hearts will be softened to His word and grow in love for Him this year.

Alex- grow in his desire to hear God's word and apply it to his life. Lately he doesn't want to hear Bible stories and complains about having to go to church.

"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Mark 12:30

Evan-living peaceably (he seems to find joy in provoking his brother or sister.)

"Do unto others what you would have them do to you." Matt. 7:12

Rachel: controlling her reactions. She wants her way and lets you know it. We will definitely be focusing on learning self-control and responding in love.

"A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Proverbs 15:1

Mykhaylo and I thought of some for ourselves as well.

Myself: not being self-reliant and thinking I can get through the day on my own strength.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

Also, I want to apply God's word to the situation and recall it to mind before I react.

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." James 1:22

Mykhaylo: wants to be more of a servant.

"And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, "If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all."" Mark 9:25

Of course, we can't accomplish any of this on our own strength but by His grace. Our desire to cultivate meek and gentle spirits will only develop through daily quiet time with God.

EC The Beginning

2010-12-29T14:07:00.000-08:00

I first heard about EC when I read The Diaper Free Baby. I had a vague idea that this practice was used since my husband is from Ukraine and a friend of his explained that they "cue" their babies to use the potty. She did not explain anything further. I tried to "cue" my two boys when they were babies and by 18 months they each were wanting to use the potty on their own. However, I did not know how to proceed- do they wear underwear when going out or put them in a pull-up? What if they don't want to wear a diaper but I'm not willing to clean up another miss? Should I insist they use the potty even when they don't want to go?

I had a lot of questions and didn't know where to turn. Many of my friends warned me that teaching boys to use the potty too early would actually cause delays later. I unfortunately gave in and kept them in diapers. My oldest had bowel problems through kindergarten and finally turned a new leaf in 1st grade. My second child was potty trained and out of diapers even at night when he turned 4. He was a challenge because he would only poop in his diaper when he went in for his afternoon quiet time. My parents finally promised him a week at their house only if he was potty trained. That did it!

Finally, when my third child was 6 months old, I discovered the above book at the library. I started applying the principles off and on. By the time she was 13 months she was using the potty regularly and at 2 she goes on her own. With such exciting results I new I wanted to try it with a newborn but was unsure it would be as easy since we had a boy. I started EC with my 4th child on December 13th and he was just about 5 weeks old.

The first time I held him over the toilet, I cued him by say "psss" and he peed all over his feet! It seemed to come so naturally aside from the discomfort of wet feet. But this wasn't ideal and it was very uncomfortable for both of us!

The next day I cradled him over the little potty after his naps, and he went again. I noticed after I fed and burped him he would try to wiggle up my shoulder and seemed uncomfortable. I would put him on the potty and he would pee.

What has surprised me so far is how much my little guy can go! Even if we wakes up with a wet diaper, he will pee on the potty then a short time later have another wet diaper! What is a challenge is determining when he has to poop versus having to burp. Many times he will be struggling while sitting on the potty and finally has a big burp.

For me there has been a lot of second guessing at the beginning. Is he crying because of x, y, or z? There are also times when I'm just too tired to get down with him next to the potty and sit while he tries to go. Sometimes he is fussing in the middle of the night because he wants to go potty yet at 2 am I'm opting for some extra sleep. However, I have seen a great improvement in his sleeping habits since going on the potty. He is less fussy at night and when he goes on the potty in the middle of the night he goes back to sleep quickly.

So far, this has been a real bonding experience. Just like understanding when he is hungry, overstimulated or needs to burp, noticing when he has to pee is just as natural. Watching his big sister cue him and then he immediately goes is also a lot of fun. And not having to wipe up a big blow out is a big plus!! I have saved on diapers and wipes but I'm not really counting.

I'll be posting more as the time progresses to keep a record of how it's going. Please feel free to ask any questions or leave a comment if you have done this before. I'd love to hear from others!

New Year prep!

2010-12-29T13:24:00.000-08:00

The New Year is fast approaching. I love welcoming in another year. For me it is a chance to evaluate my routines, challenge myself and start fresh again. I know people have mixed feelings about making resolutions, but I find them helpful. I think of it as setting goals. If I don't put any thought to how I live, things will probably stay the same and I won't be living to my fullest potential. Some people don't like to stick to a list. They feel it doesn't allow for spontaneity. Well, I know from experience, even with things like menu planning, if I don't plan, we eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch every day. How boring is that? (Don't get me wrong, I do love a good Pb&J sandwich!) My point is, without a plan, you are less likely to see your progress in a certain area and less likely to change.

This week I stumbled across a blog that is providing challenging questions for various areas in our lives. There are a lot of good suggestions which I am going to apply to my own life. You can check it out here: http://groceryshrink.com/blog. I would love to hear what resolutions/goals you make for the New Year. One of my first will be posting more regularly on my blog!

Happy New Year!

Menu Plan Dec 29-Jan 7

2010-12-29T10:29:00.000-08:00

Monday

Cheesy ham and pasta bake

http://joyinmykitchen.blogspot.com/2010/04/cheesy-ham-and-pasta-bake.html

Verdict:

I added roasted red peppers and marinated artichokes. Next time I'll leave them out.

Kids liked the ham and pasta the most.

Tuesday

Asian Shrimp and Edamame over rice

Stir fry green onions & garlic with edamame. Add shrimp and cook until done. For sauce mix 2 tbsp cornstarch with 4 tbsp soy sauce and add to shrimp. Sprinkle 2 tsp brown sugar, mix and serve.

Verdict:

This was a great impromptu meal! It had good flavor, a nice thick sauce and best of all my 2 year old gobbled up 7 shrimp!

Wednesday

South Beach diet Turkey meatloaf with mushrooms and beans

http://www.southbeachdiet.com/sbd/publicsite/dailydish/dd_20080611.aspx

Baked potato and corn

Verdict:

Good, hearty dish. My kids liked the ground turkey and beans and didn't mind the mustard sauce.

Thursday

Ground beef Fajitas with rice and homemade salsa

Verdict: frying the tortillas before adding the filler gives them a great taste and enables me to fold them closed with the filling inside for the kids. Family favorite!

Friday

Pizza Hut Pizza

Using my son's book-it coupons and preparing for the New Year!

Verdict: note to self- don't order pepperoni even if all the kids say they love it (they don't!)

Saturday

Pork spareribs - new recipe

http://www.food.com/recipe/oven-baked-pork-ribs-84892

Spanish rice, corn

Sunday

Orange Chicken over rice, broccoli

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/asian-orange-chicken/Detail.aspx

Monday

Breakfast for dinner- scrambled eggs & cheese bagels with bacon

Tuesday

Ham Bean Soup with biscuits

Wednesday

Spaghetti and vegetables

pizza dough twists stuffed with cheese

Thursday

Ground turkey stuffed red peppers

Friday:

Homemade Pizza and Salad
baking:

Pumpkin pie chocolate chip muffins

http://alli-n-son.com/2010/10/03/pumpkin-pie-chocolate-chip-muffins/

Menu Plan Monday

2010-08-30T11:06:00.000-07:00

With school beginning next week I'm trying to get back on track with meal planning.
This week's plan:
Sunday:
Caesar Chicken Salad
Fruit

Monday:

Grilled Lemon Chicken

Rice

Corn

Tuesday:
South Beach Dijon Ginger Pork
Mashed Potatoes

Carrots and Broccoli

Strawberries with whipped cream

Wednesday:

Chinese Beef Stir Fry with Noodles

Melon

Thursday:

Leftovers

Friday-Monday

End of Summer getaway!

Since we will be in a condo with a full kitchen, I am planning on bringing foods easy to prepare:

Salmon & tuna cakes, Spaghetti with sauce and pre-made pancake mix for breakfasts.

Does anyone else have easy to travel meals they can recommend? For other great meal planning ideas head over to Organizing Junkie.

What a week!

2010-06-18T17:21:00.000-07:00

Hi Company Girls!

It's been a tough week around here. Our septic system backed up and our finished basement was flooded. After painstakingly trying to mop up the overflow from the bathroom that reached the living room we called the insurance and they sent a cleaning crew. Praise God for companies that clean these messes professionally! Today they ripped out all the contaminated areas which included gutting out the small kitchen, part of the wood floor in the hallway and living room and taking out the vanity and sink in the bathroom. WOW! Now we have to get the insurance adjuster to realize how much of a disaster this was. At least now I can walk down there without gagging!

Ironically, when we went into our side of the basement which was untouched it smelled worse than the clean side! We soon realized that the couch had a very bad odor and discovered a small hole underneath that we assume a mouse crawled in and never made it out. Now that couch is joining all the other items waiting to be thrown out. What a day!

But it is not without some major blessings-

My 5 yr old son, seeing how distraught I was through dealing with the above mess said "Mom, I love you!" And gave me a big hug!

I had my 20 week ultrasound and saw a beautiful little baby moving all around oblivious to all the chaos. We are waiting to find out the sex and want to be surprised for the first time!

Yesterday, a gal from church invited us over and fed the kids and I lunch providing a much needed haven of rest away.

And, today, another gal from church called and asked if she could bring dinner over tonight! We loved the food, especially the kids, and were so thankful for her love for us.

My husband keeps asking "What is God trying to teach us through all this?" I'm not totally sure, but I do know that He proved Himself faithful in sustaining me, helping me clean up an unbearable mess, provided timely cleaners, and wonderful sisters in Christ to build us up and display God's love. We do serve a loving God who does take care of us!

To hear what other gals did this week check out Company Girl Coffee. Have a great weekend!

What's your response?

2010-06-17T01:02:00.000-07:00

I have been convicted lately of how little patience I have toward my children. This was made more clear when a friend sharing prayer requests asked that she would not have a reactionary response in dealing with her children. That phrase "reactionary response" made me think of how quickly I blow things out of proportion when handling situations between my kids. I respond based on my emotions and not on biblical truth. What is worse, I am undermining my own instruction for them to be kind when I lose my temper or raise my voice.

In Romans 2:1-5 Paul addresses this very same attitude.

"Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man- you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself- that you will escape the judgement of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed."

I love that God's kindness is meant to lead us to repentance. If we ask God to forgive us, He will! What is more astonishing is that we can pray "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." Ps. 51:10 So you and I don't have to be burdened down under our sin but can start anew each moment. What a wonderful truth!

Hair we go!

2010-05-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

Good morning Company Girls. I thought I'd join in on Rachel Anne's discussion on hair.

If you would like to hear what she and other gals have to say on the matter head over to Company Girl Coffee.

It's funny, my mom and I were discussing hair issues this afternoon before I had a chance to read Rachel's post. Our topic was the "ex-hairstylist guilt" because she just switched from using her neighbor who cut her hair for five years to another salon stylist. She was thrilled with her new "stacked" hairstyle, even learning some new terminology, but had a sense of guilt for dropping her neighbor. I shared similar thoughts even though I haven't been using my stylist that long. My husband and I use the same gal. He gets a great cut but I get hit or miss. Last time it was a BIG miss and now I'm thinking of switching to another hairstylist in the same salon. I would feel bad if I see my old stylist since I don't want to hurt her feelings. I guess I could always schedule my cut on her day off.

So, that leads me to wonder- what is the proper etiquette when leaving your hairstylist? Anyone have thoughts or suggestions? I would love to hear it!

Do Everything unto the Lord

2010-05-27T09:06:00.000-07:00

We chose to play outside first thing this morning since it looked like a scorcher was headed our way by afternoon. My two youngest were in the sandbox, playing or arguing over the sand and throwing it at each other. I talked to them again and they agreed on how to play "nicely".

So I finally pulled on my weeding gloves, pulled out the hedge trimmer and went to work. After getting the extension cord pulled out and plugged in I start on one side of the grass when I look at both kids crying with fistfuls of sand, faces and hair covered! I think to myself "Am I not going to get any work done around here?"

That's when it hit me. Training and teaching these little ones how to respond and act IS my work! Sure, I may like the visual satisfaction of a trimmed lawn and weeded garden so I can say "see what I accomplished today!" But the daily heart issues that need to be "pruned" in my kids' heart is so much more important.

Nicole, over at Girltalk, quotes John Piper's book on Ruth which I think is so to the point.

"Everything we do in obedience to God, no matter how small, is significant. It is part of a cosmic mosaic that God is painting to display the greatness of his powers and kingdom to the world and to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places (Ephesians 3:10). A deep satisfaction of the Christian life is that we are not given over to trifles. Serving a widowed mother in law, gleaning in a field, falling in love, having a baby—for the Christian these things are connected to eternity. They are part of something so much bigger than they seem" (p. 121).

We read in Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

So whatever you are facing today, remember that God has ordained your path. Look for the opportunities He is giving you to show grace, truth, obedience and joy through the way you interact with others.

Sunday Thanks

2010-05-23T14:23:00.001-07:00

I thought it would be good to recall some of the things I'm thankful for from the past week.

Women's bible study: the group of women I meet with each Wed. are so encouraging and the study of God's word is so edifying, I'm grateful to be a part of it!

Parent's Visit: my Dad hauled away a lot of fallen branches and my mom raked the driveway! Always a big help!

Healthy and safe children: especially since my 2 yo ran out into a busy parking lot before I could grab her.

Healthy 16 week check-up: pregnancy is going along smoothly!

Cool weather: our AC has been broken and won't be replaced until June 4th

Restful times: it has been nice to get naps in the afternoon and have more energy

Happy moments: I've been trying to recognize the fun things my kids do more often rather than focus so much on the things they do wrong

Encouraging testimony: my husband shared his testimony at church this morning and I am so thankful for God's work in his heart

What things are you thankful for?

Who is in Charge?

2010-05-22T00:17:00.000-07:00

After a long absence (I'm pregnant and the first trimester is over giving me a bit more energy and no morning sickness!) I'm jumping back in to some of my favorite blogging connections. So hello Company Girls!

Friday was one of those days when I thought "Who is in charge around here?" Without realizing it, I let my kids run the show for most of the day. It wasn't the blatant attitude "I don't care what you do" but rather "Sure we can do this instead" rather than facing their reaction if I said "No".

Scene 1 The Grocery Store
I had a few things to pick up and took my two younger children in the morning to the store. My 4 yr old spies the cute green little cart "Child in Training" and wants to push it around. I agree but didn't anticipate my 2 yr old's insistence on wanting to push it too and immediately I have two major tantrums over who can push. We decide to share the pushing and I was glad to hear my youngest saying "Your turn". I thought "Great! This will be a good sharing opportunity" But in the midst of focusing on how far each can push and making sure they don't run into people I forgot sandwich bags and tissues AGAIN! So I will have to make another trip because NO WAY am I folding things in saran wrap and using toilet paper for another whole week!

Lesson learned: I should have determined what mode of "transportation" we were using inside the store before going in and set down the guidelines with the kids before getting out of the van.

Scene 2 The Library
We had to return DVDs to the library before it closed in 1/2 hr. I had all 3 kiddos and explained our game plan before we left. Of course I forgot to tell them no walking on the 3 ft high brick wall near the entrance ramp which is what they want to do first thing. I get them off and try to corral them aside when my 4 yr old runs in ahead. So off to the bathroom we go for more instruction and setting down the first consequence. All is good and we head to the return section. My oldest is doing a great job of putting the books and videos in the right slot when my 2 yr old spots her book she wants to put it in after it's already gone. She screams at the top of her lungs, tries to bite my shoulder, spits and is downright out of control. Every eye is on ME! I apologize and couldn't find the exit fast enough. I'm trying to control Little Missy, when you guessed it, my boys climb up that 3 ft wall and want to walk AGAIN! I get my 4 yr old down who has a total melt down because he wanted to JUMP down and while tending to him my 2 yr old runs down the ramp right toward the parking lot. AGHH! I couldn't get them into the van fast enough. Could things be any more out of control? Since we still had to pick up my husband from work I informed them of their consequences that they would have when they got home.

Lesson Learned: Although I did have a game plan ahead of time I can see a lack of consistent obedience especially with the boys when told to stop. They push the envelope and I need to be better at addressing that when they are home and are not in the midst of the "battle". My little girl obviously gets her way far more regularly than I realized. I think I'll need to establish firmer boundaries at home and help her deal with "no" in a more controlled way.

A glimmer of hope: After returning home with my husband right at dinner time, I forgot to address my little girl's outburst. (The other area I need to be more consistent in!) She comes into the kitchen and motions for me to discipline her! When I went through our little routine she says "Thanks Mommy!" and runs along as happy as can be!

I'm still digesting everything from the course of the day and am sure there will be other things I'll realize need improvement. But the biggies: having a plan, being clear with the boundaries, not being afraid to say "no" and following through, give me enough to work on right now.

I'd love to hear any lessons you've learned this week!

If you would like to catch up on what other gals did this week head over to Company Girl Coffee.

Recipes May 14th-21st

2010-05-14T05:59:00.000-07:00

Friday

Alfredo with Shrimp and Peas- my oldest son saw this and requested it immediately!

Saturday

Sausage and Bean Soup

Sunday

Afternoon: Black Bean sliders

Dinner: out

Monday

Kung Pao Chicken w/ broccoli and rice

Tuesday

Corn Crusted Salmon

Soy beans, Fries

Wednesday

Pasta and Turkey Meatballs

Thursday

Turkey Meatball Subs

Coleslaw

Friday

Mango Chicken Quinoa

First Swim Lesson

2010-05-10T15:11:00.000-07:00

Evan started swim lessons today! He has 6 30 min. classes with other 3-5 year olds to teach them how to get in and out of the water, blow bubbles and float on their fronts and backs. The basics. He loves water but both boys hate getting their face wet. So I'm hoping this will be a good introduction.

The class only has 3 kids! The instructor, (Mike) starts off having them play ring-around-the-rosie and then tells them when they fall down into the water to start blowing bubbles! Evan likes the falling down but doesn't blow bubbles. Then, without any explanation of how to hold your breath, Mike tells Evan to find the rings at the bottom of the pool and get his face wet! I'm thinking "Doesn't this guy know they are only beginners!". So far, Evan is having a blast and manages to get the rings without going under. Then he gives them noodles and tells them to start swimming around. Evan is splashing and kicking and gulping tons of water. This is not so much fun. I explained to the instructor he doesn't know how to get his face wet. He ignores me. He notices Evan's noodles slips so he twists it behind his back to secure it and then gives him a BIG shove into the water. Evan's head goes completely UNDER the water and comes up nearly gagging. He's crying, coughing and immediately wants nothing to do with swimming. I yelled at the guy "Are you trying to drown him?!!" He simply replies "Buddy that was your best attempt yet!"

To my surprise and after my coaxing, Evan goes back in and finishes the class but does not like it anymore. I immediately complained to the Rec's supervisor. She informed me that this guy was a sub filling in for the normal teacher. What a relief! Another older teacher overheard me and said she would take Evan in and teach him herself for a while. Evan reluctantly agreed. She was GREAT! She showed him how to blow bubbles, how far to go into the pool by himself, how to bounce up and down like a bunny if he's a little too deep and swim like a crocodile. Evan was smiling, having a blast and was so excited! What a blessing this woman, Mary, was!

I assured Evan that Mike will never teach his class again since he was such a bad teacher and that he will have a great new teacher next week. Thankfully he is looking forward to another class and watching his brother's first swim lesson on Saturday. Let's hope he doesn't have Mike as a teacher too!

Menu Plan Monday

2010-04-05T11:26:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow menu planners! This is my first time participating. Usually I end up blogging about the meals I made after the fact since things always change once I get to the store. Sometimes my main ingredient looks terrible in the store, is sold out or I forgot to buy something! Then I have to rethink a meal or two. Do others ever have this problem? Should I plan extra back-up meals each week to rely on in the pantry? I would love any suggestions!

Menus this week April 5th-11th

Monday

Leftover Ham dinner

Tuesday

Hamburg&Turkey Meatballs over pasta, Salad, bread

Wednesday

Seasoned Cod , broccoli, brown rice

Thursday

Calico Bean Soup w/ leftover ham , biscuits

Friday (my parents arrive!)

Homemade Pizza (hubby & I date night)

Saturday (my early birthday celebration dinner!)

Baked Teriyaki Chicken, roasted potatoes, corn, Chocolate Mousse Frosting Angel Food Cake

Simple Sunday (Birthday lunch out!)

Cheese ravioli w/ roasted eggplant, onion & peppers mixed with tomatoes, feta & basil

French Bread

Easter Dinner

2010-03-31T12:36:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a wonderful Easter with some friends from church. After an egg hunt which included candy filled eggs and Resurrection Eggs we had dinner. Next time I think I'll turn the Resurrection Eggs it into a treasure hunt and talk about the significance of each item during dinner.

The menu included:

Slow-Cooked Ham- had good flavor but tended to dry out since I had to cut it down to fit

Twice Baked Potatoes- very yummy

Glazed Carrots- simmered in orange juice w/ honey drizzled on top

Spinach, cranberry & pecan salad w/ lemon vinaigrette (I added a clove of garlic)

Amish Biscuits

Coconut Angel Squares- absolutely delicious (I didn't mix coconut into the pudding only 3/4 c on top)

Menus

2010-03-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

Menus for this week

I'm trying to

Breakfast
Sundays, Tuesdays- Yogurt & Muffins

Mondays, Thursdays, Saturday- Cereal w/ toast
Wednesdays- Irish Oatmeal w/ dried apricots
Fridays- Pancakes w/ choc. chips & sausage

Muffins I'm trying: Carrot Muffins w/ cream centers, Pecan Sticky Muffins

Things I'm hoping to try: Apple Fritters, Yummy Apricot Breakfast Bars

Lunch Choices (Kids & Mine)
Egg salad Sandwich , Chicken Salad Sandwich w/apples, PB & honey roll-ups, Ham & cheese roll-ups, roasted chicken strips w/ cubed cheese, chef-salad, pine-nut orzo salad, Couscous w/ artichokes, feta & sun-dried tomatoes

Sides:

cheese sticks, carrot, apple slices, dates, wheat crackers

Dinner

Friday- Spaghetti w/ meatballs, bread & salad (hubby & I date night!)

Saturday- cheese pizza for kids, spinach, mushroom, goat cheese pizza for adults

Simple Sunday- Meatball sandwiches w/ salad

Monday- Roasted Veggies Salad (eggplant, red onion & tri-color peppers) mixed w/ fresh diced tomato, moz. cheese & fresh basil w/ olive oil over frozen cheese raviolis, bread & salad Tuesday- Roasted chicken, Baked potatoes, glazed carrots

Wed.- Rice, Bean & Cheese Casserole w/ Chicken in roll-ups

Thur.- Baked Ham, Mac&Cheese, broccoli

Fri.- Baked fish, rice & zuchini & tomato

Company Girl

2010-03-05T12:07:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon ladies! I have some leftover chocolate chip pancakes and tea if anyone is still hungry.

This week has slowly progressed. Each day it seemed like I was taking two steps backwards with little forward movement. I think feeling slightly under the weather on top of frequent nights of interrupted sleep has its effects.

But now I'm shouting for joy because I was finally able to cross off my to-do list- searching for a new insurance carrier! I've been putting it off but this morning hubby took the kids so I could actually think while I'm comparing quotes with an agent. And boy did it pay off. We were trying to switch since our primary ins. company was raising rates because of two little offenses. While I was losing hope of finding a competitive rate GEICO came through actually SAVING us $400!

Thanks to Rachel Anne's daily small things to do, I have been able to get a few things done. Cleaning under my kitchen sink has been on my list for a long time. Now I just have to get some containers to put like items together so people other than myself know where things belong. :)

Before After

I also found a fun game for my son to do using dominoes. You can download the template here. He really enjoyed counting the dots and placing them in the correct spot.

My little girl is still adjusting to sleeping in her toddler bed. Wed. I found her asleep during her nap in her hamper! I wish I could fall asleep so easily!

Now I'm preparing for a full weekend with my son attending an indoor soccer practice, a birthday party and then we're having dinner guests coming.

Have a great weekend!

If you would like to catch up on what other gals did this week head over to Company Girl Coffee.

Valentine's Party Fun

2010-02-19T10:05:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BELATED VALENTINES!

Good afternoon Company Girls! Sorry there is nothing yummy to eat today because I'm all chocolate out!

It has been so nice getting back into a routine now that we have dug out of the snow and school is open again. There is something about structure and set times that helps me get so much more done.

Last Sunday night we hosted a Valentine's Parents' Night Out and although most families had to cancel last minute because of various illnesses, one little boy came and my boys were thrilled.

On the agenda for the evening was a Guessing Game which entailed guessing how many little dinosaurs were hidden in bags filled with red tinsel. If they guessed right they could keep them.

My daughter didn't want the red stuff contained so she dumped it out on her blanket.

Then we had a treasure hunt looking for red chocolate hearts. The kids are listening to instructions before the hunt begins.

The kids gave one another Valentine's and then they each made a Valentine card for Mom and Dad. We found the idea for Treat Transmitters in the Family Fun magazine. Although, after making 26 for my son's class, I realized this was way more time consuming than I anticipated! My son agreed so he created his own- Walking Stick Valentine!

After dinner they had a go at a heart pinata I made. This was our girl's first time hitting a pinata and she did not hold back at all! Thankfully my oldest was able to break it!

Overall the evening was a blast and a great way to spend Valentine's. I hope you all had a great Valentine's Day and know that each and every day we are "loved with an everlasting love!". Jer. 31:3

If you would like to catch up on what other gals did this week head over to Company Girl Coffee.

Snowed In!

2010-02-12T13:25:00.001-08:00

We have been hit hard for the last two weeks getting back to back snowstorms producing a record total of @55 inches of snow!!! No school for over a week for the kids and my hubby has had almost the whole week off. The above are some pictures around the house. We not only have the snow keeping us in but menacing icicles hanging down on windows. Just make sure you don't stand under them when they suddenly fall!

This is a view from the back of our house as the sun is rising in the morning. It certainly takes my breath away. I love God's handiwork! The white, clean snow does remind me of how gracious our heavenly Father is and that He renews our hearts and makes us clean again through His Son, Jesus.

A glimpse of the deserted busy street in front of our house. I have really enjoyed the quiet that the snow creates.

I also enjoy baking since we have been stuck inside. I made these Valentine doughnuts the other day. Delicious!

Hopefully next week kids will be back to in school creating bringing us back to normal. Now I have to get ready for Parent's Night Out that we are hosting on Valentine's night so kids can have fun while parents enjoy a romantic night out. Can't wait!

Enjoy your weekend!

If you would like to catch up on what other gals did this week head over to Company Girl Coffee.

Valentine's Doughnuts

2010-02-07T10:36:00.000-08:00

So we are snowed in and I decided what better way to spend a day inside than to have homemade doughnuts! I bought some cookie cutter hearts at the dollar store the other day and tried them out. It was quite fun and I love how the big hearts kept their uniform shape!

I used this simple Cake Doughnuts recipe from my Betty Crocker cookbook.

3 1/4 c all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 beaten eggs

2/3 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2/3 c milk

1/4 c margarine, butter or melted Shortening

In mixing bowl stir together 2 1/4 cups of the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. In a large mixing bowl combine eggs, sugar, and vanilla; beat with an electric mixer till thick. Combine milk and melted butter in a small bowl. Add flour mixture and milk mixture alternatively to egg mixture, beating just till blended after each addition. Stir in remaining 1 cup flour. Cover dough, chill about 2 hours.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/2 " thickness. Cut with doughnut cutter.

Fry 2-3 doughnuts at a time. (I melted 3-4 big spoonfuls of Shortening since I needed to use it up anyway and had plenty.) Heat oil 375 degrees and cook 1 min. on each side.

Remove with slotted spoon and place on paper towels.

I sprinkled a little confectioners sugar and served them hot!

Edible Counting

2010-01-26T12:17:00.000-08:00

I picked up this idea from one of my favorite blogs Chasing Cheerios. Although I didn't have marbles, I did have Skittles, so I improvised. I managed to do 5 different number exercises with my little guy all in one sitting.

1. I numbered small pieces of paper 1-8 (I only had 8 Skittles) and placed them in the tray.

2. I had Eager to Help put the Skittles in ascending order and then return them to the bowl.

3. I then added a 1 in front of the numbers explaining that the numbers now change. I wrote 11-18 on a piece a paper distinguishing 11 and 12 from the remaining teen numbers. I put the numbers in the tray all mixed up. He had to put the Skittles in ascending order naming each number.

4. Now was the fun part. He could pick one Skittle at a time to eat if he said the right number underneath it.

5. After he finished eating, we dumped the numbers out and then he placed them on the number line.

We had fun with this activity and it was very simple to do. It combined numbers that were both easy (1-8) and challenging (11-18) for my little guy and kept him thinking. Of course, it didn't hurt that there was a yummy treat he could enjoy!

Not Me Monday

2010-01-25T05:34:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week. So I thought it would be fun to link up for my first Not Me Monday. But of course, it was a normal, orderly week around here and the following could not have happened.

I did not mismatch my husband's suit giving him dark blue pants and a black jacket on a day he had to appear in court. And he did not call as soon as I walked in from dropping him off asking me to bring in the matching jacket. And of course, I did not have to dress the kids again for another 40 min. drive.

I did not have my daughter sit on a plastic shopping bag because in between the above mentioned trips to my husband's work she had an accident in her car seat.

I did not let my insistent 2 yr old daughter wear her pajama top under her nice outfit to church yesterday.

I didn't take extra trips to the bathroom just so I could finish a great book I was reading without being bothered.

I didn't manage to clean the pile of boxes in our basement only to have the rest of the house get torn apart by the kids.

I didn't discover my husband's lunch cooler which had been sitting around for 4 days with a container that almost made me sick and had to be thrown away.

I'm not the kind of mom who puts the cookies up so high the kids forget about them and I am stuck eating them so they won't go bad.

And I would never put one of our favorite cereals behind all the other cereals so I can enjoy some of it before it's devoured by the kids.

I'd love to hear what you haven't done the past week!

I won!

2010-01-22T12:18:00.000-08:00

I just found out I won my first ever online giveaway- a free workshop on Organizing! Thanks to Laura at Organizing Junkie and Aby Garvey at Simplify 101 for offering this. I can't wait to participate!

Box attack!

2010-01-22T11:14:00.000-08:00

Well after a long absence (my internet was down) I'm trying to get back in the loop. It was great having to go without my daily internet fix while a good friend debugged our computer. I was struck by how much entitled "down time" I give myself each day while I surf the web. I need to exercise constraint - but don't I also need to catch up on what happened on all my favorite blogs during my time off? lol.

So what did I do to occupy my day? I determined to tackle some boxes.

Some people have stacks of paper, (me included) that take over areas of the house. But I also have boxes crawling up my walls!

LAST YEAR we offered part of our basement to a friend who needed a place to stay and was looking for work, so I quickly stored everything in boxes and piled them along the wall of our basement. They have never been touched since and I dreaded going downstairs and seeing this reminder of yet another project. Well, right before our computer failure, I was motivated by girltalk's "pick your spot" contest and knew I had to participate. I had a clear goal in mind and a deadline to meet.

So without further delay here is my before picture:

The funny thing is in my mind I thought "most of this stuff is my husband's things" but when I divided the boxes I was stunned to find out my side had more. I should have taken a picture of all my boxes on one side and the few that belonged to my husband on the other :)

Well if you need some good advice on how to tackle a project like this you should turn to Laura's great website- Organizing Junkie for info on the Process. I got my plan into action and sorted, purged, filled many trash bags and now have a bunch of things in a giveaway pile. The most difficult part of this was discovering my Ph. D and graduate papers of a time I dimly remember. Now I love staying home with my kids- do I envision one day needing a file on Early music notation and Byzantine chant? Well enough of that- here is the final after picture:

I love that the boys can play basketball since before they didn't want to come downstairs much either! When they are not doing that and in all my spare time, I created a nook for my sewing projects. We can even use the fireplace without fear of burning the house down from all the papers! I must confess that I didn't go through my husband's boxes but he said he would soon now that his major deadline at work has passed. It has felt so good to be rid of all the extra stuff- I think I even lost a few pounds in the process!

Do you have any areas in your house that have turned into Mt. Vesuvius? I'd love to hear about it!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T18:22:00.000-08:00

Year after year I stay up to welcome in the New Year and find the next morning I feel like I've been run over by a truck! Not the best way to tackle resolutions like: wake-up regularly before the kids to have my quiet time. The yearly New Year's Eve bowling is paying its toll! But after the kids went to bed my hubby and I did have a wonderful time thinking about the last year and discussing our hopes for the year to come. It was the first time we welcomed the New Year with no TV blitz!

For 2010 we want to focus on three big goals:
1. Establish family devotions.
2. Get by with less and enjoy the things we have more.
3. Establish a workable budget and stick to it.

For family devotions we plan to:
1. pray through the Global Prayer Digest each day (it's a great way to introduce missions, and learn about various countries and cultures).
2. sing a hymn or praise song
3. read a portion of scripture and work on our Fighter Verse
4. close in prayer

I love that the Global Prayer Digest focuses on one topic for the whole month rather than one or two days. I hope to carry over the topic into other areas: bedtime reading of missionary biographies of those who served in that country, typical foods you eat and maybe a craft.

I'll be posting in the coming days on how we will tackle the other two goals. If you want some excellent questions to help you think about your own New Year's goals, click on SimpleMom and you can even find a free Pdf worksheet!

Handmade Spinny Speller

2009-12-28T11:38:00.000-08:00

After seeing this Spinny Speller over at Chasing Cheerios, I thought it would be perfect for my boys (ages 4 & 6). The younger one is learning to write and likes to watch his brother take his vocabulary tests. Now with the Spinny Speller they can both work on words together. This item can be purchased at a very cool store: Let's Explore and the owner, Amy, has provided a downloadable worksheet to write the words out. Since my Dad built a garage to house all his woodworking machinery, I thought this would be the perfect project for him! So while we were there at Thanksgiving I showed him the picture and he made them in one afternoon! Way to go Dad! I used different lowercase letters for each. If you want directions on how to make this, I found them at Little Hands, Big Work. My Dad said he used a 5/16th size dowel so adjusted the whole size to fit accordingly.

On Christmas morning I nestled them in the tree. I can't say that my boys passed up their new Star Wars legos to construct 3 letter words, but they have enjoyed using it since!

Down with Santa and other ponderings

2009-12-10T19:21:00.000-08:00

I’ve pulled it together to get another entry on my blog. During the holidays, I really have to be careful about my time and I’m afraid blogging has taken a back seat.

This week started out on a much happier note (going to a birthday party). The previous Monday, my 4 yo son stood on the side of my shopping cart (which had his sister and a cart full of groceries) and tipped it over right on the floor. Thankfully all involved only suffered a few bruises. My emotions didn’t bounce back so quickly but I am so thankful to God that there were no injuries.

We finished making our Advent calendar and have been doing various activities such as making ornaments, baking cookies, eating snowman, and my favorite: picking a family member’s name and doing something special for them until Christmas without them knowing who did it.

We have also focused sometime each day to read passages about Jesus' birth and discuss why we celebrate Christmas. It is important to my husband and I to center the excitement about Christmas on the Savior and not on what kind of gifts they get. If you would like to read a helpful article discussing a Christian's perspective about Santa you can read Thabiti Anyabwile's article entitled: "Down with Santa." I would also love to hear any suggestions you have in teaching children how to respond with grace and kindness when asked "What is Santa bringing you?"

I’ve been encouraged by the various spiritual conversations I have had with our boys recently too. The other day my 4 yo said he wished he was a grown up and the older one said “I don’t because then you die.” When I explained only God knows how long we live and that’s why it’s important to accept Jesus in your heart so you can live with Him forever, he said “Mommy, can you pray that now for us?”

I’ve also been humbled and convicted. My husband graciously offered to put away all the dishes from the dishwasher. When I reached for a glass I realized they were totally all mixed up. Now instead of being grateful for his extra act of kindness, that night as I was putting away his socks and t-shirts, I decided to mix everything up. How would he like to dig under his t-shirts for his underwear or find his socks at the bottom of the drawer? Well this lasted for about 10 minutes until I was reminded of Prov. 31:12 and realized that I am certainly not doing my husband good. So I went back and re-arranged them correctly :)

I am grateful for God’s everlasting love for us and that He is patient with us. "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people." Luke 1:68

Head on over to Home Sanctuary for Company Girl Coffee and some great reading!

Little Helper

2009-11-21T18:22:00.000-08:00

I love that Ready to Go (21 mo) enjoys helping me in the kitchen. Whenever I'm cooking, she grabs her little chair and brings it right next to me so she can stand and help. I was cutting up vegetables to place in the crock pot and she gently placed her hand on top of mine while I cut. Then she placed the items in the pot to cook. I had to cut a little slower but the opportunity to teach her in the moment was worth it!

Quiet play

2009-11-21T03:56:00.001-08:00

I did two quiet activities that the kids really enjoyed.

First, I played "What's Moving" with Ready to Go. I got the idea for this at Chasing Cheerios.
I was surprised at how much she enjoyed playing this game and remembered it the next day! It's very simple- just tie a string around an object and hide it under the blanket and then slowly pull it out. She loved peaking under the blanket to see the object.

The next activity helps develop hand coordination, concentration and exploration. I had a jar of old unused beans so I let Eager to Help and Ready to Go have at them. They sat on a mat (for easy clean-up) and I gave them two small bowls with various spoons to carry the beans from the jar to their cups. They requested a large bowl to make soup in. Eager to Help was calling out measurements! They enjoyed this for at least 30 min. and then we used a fun slotted spoon to pick up the extra beans off the mat.

I hope to post more quiet activities as I find them. I love finding things for them to do that helps them focus and slow down once and a while! If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them!

Welcome!

2009-11-21T03:19:00.000-08:00

In an effort to spruce up our front entrance my son and I put together this pumpkin display. I was afraid the pumpkins would begin to rot before I actually had time to do this. Fortunately we had some warm weather and I finally found all the right size pumpkins. So we went to work!

The idea and tutorial came from one of my favorite blogs girltalk.

I must say the hardest thing about this project was tracking down the various pumpkins! Once I had all my material, Eager to Help and I put it together in about 20 minutes while waiting for Mr. Active to come home from school. My son really had fun helping to saw off the stem, find the little nails and help stack the pumpkins.

Here is the full picture with our friendly scarecrows. I must admit, I'm ready to say goodbye to the scarecrows but it's so fun to see my little girl bend down and say "hi" to them everytime we enter the house! (Note to self- remember to carve our extra pumpkin before doing this project so Eager to Help doesn't remove that stem too!)

Do I need to repeat myself?

2009-11-19T19:57:00.000-08:00

How many times did I say that this week?

I've been paying a lot of attention to my words lately. Psalm 19:14 says "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." I also read a great post here and added to my list Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

Some of the questions that have come to mind as a result are:

How often do I try and communicate with someone in the other room?
Ask a question while looking in the other direction?
Apologize to someone without even facing him/her?
Carry on conversations in my own mind?
Bring up a hot topic conversation at the wrong time?
Choose words that I know will hurt the other person?
Talk more than I need to?

I have been guilty of all of these not just this week, but sadly more often then I care to count.

Some examples:
I’m trying to teach my 4 yo to listen to others.
Me: Sweetie, you just interrupted me.
4 yo: MOM, that’s because I was still talking!
Me- thinking to myself- well, he never stops!

Me: I’m telling my son something I think is very important.
Son: MOM, can you please be quiet because I’m trying to think!

Now shift gears- two conversations this week with hubby, right before going to bed.
Hubby- where do we stand on our finances? Did we pay that bill? How much do we have left?
Me: what? I’m falling asleep. Can we talk about this when I’m coherent?

So the next day we reviewed the bedtime guidelines- especially the rule- NO talking finances while in bed trying to sleep! (Well, we don’t have any bedtime guidelines, but if we did this rule would be right up there!)

NEXT night while lying in bed trying to sleep
Hubby: One thing we need to get together for taxes this year are those Home Depot receipts. Do you know where they are?
Me: What? Didn’t we just agree NO talking finances?
Hubby: Yeah, but this is tax related.
Me: Ok, no talking finances or TAXES while lying in bed.

Now, I had a few of those timely conversations with him too. He calls and lets me know he's leaving work to come home and I decide this is the best time to unload the "do you know what happened today?" or "guess what our son did?" Now I don't have time to give him a full story but just enough to raise his blood pressure all the ride home. How helpful!

I’ve also noticed how much time I waste rehearsing, thinking and retelling scenarios in my mind. I play out whole conversations thinking I can predict how the other person will respond.

It's no wonder the Bible tells us to "take every thought captive" 2 Cor. 10:5. So, first we must equip ourselves with God's word and meditate on it. Then we must guard our hearts and minds on what we think and say. And, finally, be intentional about saying things that will build up and give grace.

What better way to head into Thanksgiving than by building others up, saying encouraging words, and giving thanks!

Check out Company Girl Coffee over at Rachel Anne's Home Sanctuary. Have a great weekend!

Week in Review

2009-10-30T05:54:00.000-07:00

Hello Company Girls and good afternoon!

We had an early start this morning with Mr. Active waking up at 6 am ready to eat breakfast. He must be going through a growth spurt because he is constantly hungry! I gave him 1/2 pb sandwich to take back to his room while I finished my quiet time. Our new routines have helped out a lot with our early morning risers and reminding them when they can come for breakfast. Today was the first time that he has come out THAT early. I think he was excited to prepare his hair for "whacky hair day" at school. Hopefully I can post pictures later.

The biggest change this week has been establishing our evening routines. I love that God is faithful to answer our prayers and we can have confidence in His watchfulness over our lives. For about 4 months, little Ms. Ready to Go (19 months) has had her own way when it came to bedtime. Whenever I put her in the crib she would say "ssss" for potty. So I would take her out and she would sit, then get up & play and occasionally go. Finally I just let her sit until I finished with the boys and then addressed her issues. But it was getting later each night until it was 9:30 pm and my hubby and I said "this has got to change!" So we have implemented a much more structured evening time infused with grace :) and have seen an amazing difference. She is no longer screaming for 45 min. and goes down within 10 min. by 7:30! Hallelujah! I'm glad that even in the trivial things we serve a BIG God who cares for us!

The other exciting thing happened yesterday and you can read about here. I have not investigated whether the snake is still in the bucket this morning- we will see!

I hope you all have a great weekend. We don't celebrate Halloween but will be joining friends for fun & fellowship at Chuck E Cheese! I don't imagine it will be too busy :)

Twas the Night Before another Day of Raking Leaves!

2009-10-29T19:56:00.000-07:00

The leaves continue falling on the ground below
our endless efforts raking- when will they go?
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a little tan snake, all coiled up in fear.

I thought, “Oh, it’s dead!” poking it with a stick,
Then before I could blink it was gone oh so quick,
When my boys heard what happened, running they came,
with a bucket and shovel, a new pet to tame!

Searching the leaves we tossed them to the sky.
It was like trying to play a game of “I Spy.”
Not knowing where this little snake withdrew,
I suddenly saw him looking frightful again too!

One scoop of the shovel he was finally caught,
I ran for my camera to get a good shot.
Now the question remains do we put him back?
What if he is poisonous and soon would attack?

Lying under a leaf, in his bucket he will rest
We’ll call the Nature Center, they know what’s best!
As for me, I’ll think twice before jumping in leaves,
Or catching a snake for boys, just to appease!

This little incident happened this afternoon. It is the second snake we have seen around in less than a month after discovering a long, dead, skin in our garage! Hopefully we will find some remedy soon. Any suggestions? We will keep you posted as the saga continues!

Start Small, Think BIG!

2009-10-25T19:20:00.000-07:00

Our new family theme: Start Small, Think Big

This week we are focusing on the little tasks that can become habits that fit into our daily routine.

I must admit, I always think Big and then try to accomplish the end goal all at once. The end result? An unfinished task and an overwhelmed and frustrated Mama!

So I have thought about some of my goals and have broken them down into smaller ones.

For example: I am trying to manage my home better and not be the only one who does everything for everyone. The latter may produce the results that I want but it is not helpful in equipping my kids or helping me focus on other things that interest me.

So my goal: to equip the kids & hubby to be responsible for various jobs around the home

Smaller goals: identifying specific areas that need attention
1. Entrance: keep shoes orderly, pick-up clutter, sort incoming mail
2. Dining Room- meal prep- silverware, plates, napkins, drinks, meal, sweep floor
3. Hallway Bathroom- wash around the toilet, wash down the sink, straigthen towels
4. Kitchen- dishes loaded & unloaded, sweep floor, mop floor
5. Living Room- pick up clutter
6. Boys Bedroom- clean up, maintaining individual routines

Now that I have narrowed down some main problem areas, I pick one area to focus on and assign jobs to various people. They own that job and I teach them if necessary how to do it. Then I follow through with the most important part: Inspection. They have to know I'm serious and that consequences will follow.

So for this week:
6. Boys Bedroom-
7:30 am- the boys understand that they need to be dressed w/bedroom picked-up for breakfast. If they do this everyday they get 1 minute added on to their 10 min. video game playing on Friday.
7:30 pm - the boys understand that they need to have brushed teeth, use potty & in pjs for a story before bed. If they do this everyday they get 10 minutes added on to their 30 min. video watching on Saturday.

Now if they are not ready or they get out of bed after saying goodnight (except maybe to use the potty), then the consequence is subtracting the appropriate amount to their overall time.

Bedtimes have been such a struggle since school started we are focusing on this one first in terms of applying consequences.

2. Dining Room- we are also giving each child a little job to help prepare dinner. There are no consequences at this point since we are teaching this idea (although I did share the story about a mom who served food directly on the table since the child responsible for plate setting was watching TV and the other kids quickly got his attention and made him do his job!) The kids loved this!

The tasks:
Ready to Go (almost 2) - puts her plastic plate and her brothers on the table
Eager to Help (four) - puts the napkins out
Mr. Active (six) - sets the table with silverware
Hubby- gets drinks & side dish
Me- all things food related

It has been so helpful just to think through this! I must admit it requires me to let go of the "control" factor that I like to depend on but it is SO freeing knowing that I can delegate and expect results. We will see how this week goes!

Do you have any helpful routines or tips on including the kids in getting the job done? I'd love to hear them!

Routine Catch-up

2009-10-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Company Girls and anyone else who has stopped by my blog. Two months in and I am really having fun with this blog even though I'm still trying to figure things out- like where do I enter the code for the Company Girl button to show up on my site?

Week in review: we are finally back on track after all the kids' colds. My oldest had some strange fever with terrible aches for 2 days, then it was gone, leaving behind a barking cough. Although this morning my hubby has a temp, aches and nausea (oh no!). I'm thankful that I was able to attend Bible study after missing it two weeks in a row. How refreshing to study God's word and be encouraged and spurred on by others!

My husband and I have been motivated this week to clear out the clutter, organize and work on our family routine. When school started for my oldest, I stuck an acronym to help with his morning routine on his door. It went: GUM & GO = Get up, Use potty, wash hands, brush teeth, Make bed, Get dressed, Out for breakfast. He followed it ok but it was new and a bit much to get used to all at once. So this week we dropped making the bed and brushing teeth before breakfast and explained that breakfast was served at 7:30 then he must brush teeth and be ready for the bus. Having a set time is the biggest help because that gives my morning structure. I know that my responsibilities must be completed before that time in order for breakfast to run smoothly.

My husband and I are also tackling our basement with its mountain of boxes that have accumulated over the years. It's amazing how we weigh ourselves down with stuff we don't even remember having! I love the recent challenge that Amy gave herself to Reduce Clutter in Your Home and it has inspired us to take a brutal look at all our stuff!

Now I'm going to relax with some fresh molasses cookies and a glass of cold milk (sorry, no coffee since it has been enabling me to stay up too late) and wait for my hubby to call so I can pick him up from work early- he still had to go in :( Have a great weekend!

Saturday Super Cleaning Fun

2009-10-18T16:57:00.000-07:00

I came across a great idea to encourage kids to clean from organizer Sandra Felton. I combined two of her suggestions: using a timer and categorizing, we looked for all the white things we could pick up within 15 minutes. If the job was done before the buzzer, we would enjoy a white treat (ice cream) afterwards. Bonus: any other items needing to be picked up would earn sprinkles on top! We all pitched in and I was surprised just how many white things they found and the other items were picked up too!

Fake it Home Baking

2009-10-16T13:09:00.000-07:00

The crisp fall weather brings back memories of homemade apple pie and hot apple cider. I love how the aroma fills the air and makes the house feel warm and inviting. Now I usually don't have the luxury to bake apple pies everyday but I have found one quick and easy way to make it seem like I did.
Fill a pot halfway with water, add a cinnamon stick, 1 tbsp whole cloves, 2 tsp whole allspice and let simmer on the stove. You can also throw in orange peel or lemon peel for a bit of a twist!

Hall Closet Redo

2009-10-16T10:53:00.001-07:00

Inspired and motivated by this week's challenge over at Home Sanctuary, I tackled my hall closet. It was turning into a junk drawer gone wild and needed some serious attention! Since my original gift center was simply a small drawer with wrapping paper somewhere else waiting to be found, I was excited to see Rachel's closet idea and that got me thinking. I cleaned everything out, covered the shelves, and put the gift center on the top shelf. I was amazed at what had found its way into this closet and SO glad to have organized it. I made a shelf for household tools, all the light bulbs and flashlights, and paper towels & toilet paper. I even have a shelf leftover!

The best thing, after having this completed, was handling the unexpected power outrage that we woke up to the next day. I was able to go into the closet, press the newly installed battery powered light I put on the wall and find my flashlight and extra lights we needed to function in the dark! I am still figuring out what to do with the extra long wrapping paper that didn't fit up on top. Any suggestions would be welcomed! Thanks Rachel and hello to any Company Girls that have stopped over to check out my blog!

Before

After:

Fall Nature Table

2009-10-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

I've seen this idea on several blogs and have wanted to do something with my playroom table instead of collecting junk. So, I'm even offering my before and after pictures. Brace yourselves!

Before: a cluttered mess where items get dropped.

After: a collection of our Fall and Apple Themes

Books about Johnny Appleseed
and 10 Apples Up on Top
Cut & Paste Apple Tree
Fall tree using colored egg shells

Another fall collage using colored egg shells

Display of pumpkins from farm field trip

Items collected from nature walk, corn milled at Farm Day, books on the Harvest Moon

It was hard to get a full picture where you could visualize everything. The kids were very excited to see the transformation! Much nicer than the cluttered table. I'm hoping to change it regularly depending on the season- so check back later!

Natural Girl

2009-10-14T18:30:00.000-07:00

I love watching my girl grow and learn. I'm amazed at how naturally she cares for her babies (any stuffed animal). She wraps them, lays them down for naps, feeds them in her high chair,

teaches them to use the potty, gives them her bottle and takes them for rides on her ice-cream truck. This is certainly a girl thing and it's so fun! My boys NEVER did this. They were not even interested! Here are some pictures of her laying the baby down for a nap.

Fall Foliage Collage

2009-10-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

I found this great idea for our fall theme theme at Ten kids and a Dog. We had some white egg shells just ready to use so we put them in vinegar and food coloring in the morning. At lunch the boys and I set them out to dry and in the afternoon, when little Ready to Go was sleeping, we went to work. At first we did a leaf print but then I thought it would be perfect on a large tree. Here are the results.

Mr. Active's fall tree.

Eager to Help's tree with leaves
falling down.

Menu Plan Sunday

2009-10-02T19:47:00.000-07:00

Colder weather = homemade soups! Here are the meals I'm going to try:

Breakfast: - Bacon, cheese & egg biscuit cups

Sunday: Loaded Baked Potato Soup, homemade bread

Monday: Cheese-Stuffed Meatloaf, egg noodles, corn
Tuesday: Crock-pot Vietnemese Pho Soup w/ bean sprouts, basil and cilantro
Wed: Salmon Cakes, carrot sticks and Parmesan Couscous
Thursday: Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup, buttermilk biscuits

Friday: Homemade Pizza (kids-plain cheese, adults-spinach, fresh tomato, garlic)
Saturday: Apple Smoked Chicken Sauage with Zuchini, Red peppers and Orzo

Results:
Egg biscuits-makes a quick breakfast for kids and nice snack too. I used sausage and found that it burned when I cooked it in the oven. Next time I'll try it with bacon.

Baked Potato Soup- my picky eater's new favorite! The second time I made this I substituted a sweet potato for one white and it still tasted delicious.

Stuffed meatloaf- I also stuffed mine with spinach and the chopped onion. My husband would have preferred it served with mashed potatoes instead of egg noodles.

Crock-pot Vietnemese Pho Soup- I didn't have time to get it into the crock-pot but the stove worked fine and was faster. I used Chinese 5 spice since I didn't have any of the seasonings. The only problem was the broth was not clear but had all the spices floating in it. I also had to add some red pepper flakes to jazz it up a bit.

Rustic Tortellini Italian Soup- my picky eater's next new favorite. Very simple and hearty.

Apple, smoked chicken sauage- not a repeat

Pottying

2009-10-01T17:26:00.000-07:00

I have been doing EC with my girl, "Ready to Go", beginning around 6 months. At first I put her on the potty occasionally and would make a "ssss" sound encouraging her to go. She did once and a while and we just continued from there. When she was 12 months I found the book Diaper Free Baby at the library, read it, and decided we would start doing this more seriously.

Once she was weaned around 13 months I discovered that the main reason she was waking up during the night was because she was wet and not because she wanted to be fed. I just assumed she was always hungry and never considered that she was only uncomfortable. So I began letting her use the potty when she woke at night and then put her right back to bed.

During the summer I let her run around in undies and so I could track her routine. I primarily wanted her to learn for herself when she had to go. The interesting trend I noticed was that if she had a poo she may start to pee a little, but then indicate right away and would then poo on the potty. I also paid close attention to her body movements and facial expressions. I could tell while she was sitting in the high chair and focused her attention on something, getting a bit flushed that she was about to go. I quickly took her and she was much happier eating after that!

One challenging thing that has been happening since around 16 months is her manipulating her signal for pee "ssss". She would use it to get down from the high chair or the more clever tactic of delaying going to bed. If I put her in her crib she would say "ssss" and I would take her out and sit her on the potty, read books or do a puzzle. After a while she may pass a drip or two and then say "all done!" I'd put her in the crib and the same thing would happen all over again.

At 19 months she is still doing this and it has become a very big obstacle in getting our two other boys in bed. She is really manipulating the situation. Two EC gals recommended having a strict bedtime routine where she uses the potty, reads 2 books, sings a song, brushes teeth and is offered potty again before getting dressed and put to bed. Lately, we have been doing this for her naps and bedtime routines. At first she resisted trying to pull the same act but after a few days she is going to bed closer to her normal time and with less fuss.

It's amazing to me how much little ones can control the situation if you let them. She was determined to go to bed when she felt like it. She would even go pee in her diaper while I was putting it on if she didn't want to go to bed. I hesistate putting her to sleep without one since she hasn't made it through the night dry and would probably wet herself just to avoid going to sleep.

So I'm excited that we seem to be making marked progress and I feel a lot less stress over the situation because I have a plan!

Friday Family Fun Day

2009-09-18T21:52:00.000-07:00

Yeah, it's Friday!

Around here, Fridays are a big deal. Well, at least to my boys. They know that sometime during the day we will have fun since it is officially known as Friday Fun Day! However, I have been dragging myself along all morning since Eager to Help fell out of bed at 3:30 this morning and I didn't return back to sleep. I did, however, get up, have a good quiet time, prepare the breakfast table, clean the dishes I didn't get to, load the dishwasher, exercised and took a shower all before the kids heard me moving around 6:40. Whew!

No wonder the room or maybe I was spinning by 10:00 am! Thankfully my little girl was exhausted too so I gave her an early nap and let her brother play with legos while I slept an hour! Wow- do I feel great! Could this be the start of a new routine? I don't think so! But I am glad to have a some things done and didn't just sit in bed letting the hours go by wishing I were asleep.

The week did fly by and we are gradually getting used to a new school routine. My oldest is in first grade and has a full day, which was very hard for him the first week. Now his system is adjusting and I am realizing my own mornig schedule needs rethinking too in order for the mornings to go smoothly (but that will have to be another post!).

So, tonight's fun will be homemade pizza which the boys are eager to help make and a game of Sequence. My husband plays this game with them and I keep little Ready to Go out of the way in the process, usually playing with extra game pieces. Since they are usually exhausted by the end of the week, we keep bed routines pretty similar so they can get some extra sleep on Saturday.

Whose who

2009-09-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be fun to describe the crew whom I'm blessed to be around. I've thought of fun titles that seem to fit their personalities (so far!).

Hubby- (Go to Man) whenever kids/I have questions or problems we go directly to him. He has the level head and usually sees through whatever is manipulating or confusing. I love his diverse interests- sports, travel, good literature, food and politics. Age- undisclosed! If he were a book he would probably be an Encyclopedia!

My oldest son, (Mr. Active) loves anything sports related. He brings the energy to our house and fills it with action. When he is not around he is noticeably missed. He is 6. If he were a book he would be an Adventure Story.

My middle son, (Eager to Help) whenever I'm cooking I hear "Mom, I can help with that." He enjoys quiet activites but has a sneaky side which keeps you on your toes. He is 4. If he were a book he would be a Mystery Novel/DIY handbook.

My youngest girl, (Ready to Go) bubbles with personality and a quick "hi" to everyone. She has a daring side to her that makes my heart skip a beat. She is 18 months. She would be a Thriller!

Week 1 All about Me

2009-09-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

General week's schedule:
Songs: Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes, BINGO w/ child's name
Key Verse: Ps. 139:14 I am fearfully and wonderfully made
Books: A House for Birdie by Stuart Murphy, Hands, Hands, Fingers, Thumb by Al Perkins and The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss

Monday
Favorite Things: discussed favorite: toy, book, snack, color, sport, game and ask what they want to be when they grow up. Record answers to save for later activity.
Review letters in his name and talk about other things that begin with each letter.

Tuesday
Preschool Day Activities:
Songs: Head, Shoulder, knees and toes and BINGO using child's name:

There was a mom who had a boy

and Evan was his name-o

EVAN, EVAN, EVAN

and Evan was his name-o

What's in a Name: write child's name in large block letters on cardstock. Have them glue beans, pasta and rice inside.
Outlines: child lays down on butcher paper and is outlined. Then he gets to decorate it using whatever materials you have around the house.
Favorite things: discussed above answers
Family Tree: draw a picture of a tree with branches signifying each member of the family. Cut out apples for each family member labeling each with the first letter of their name and glue them onto the tree. Have the child glue pictures next to the correct apples.

Wednesday
Talk about who is in our family
Name game: write family members' names on index cards two times and then make an additional card with just the first letter of each name (could be upper or lowercase). Have child pick a single letter and then find names that begin with that letter. You could also do it reverse and match names first then find the correct beginning letter.

Thursday
Make hand prints with poem - see All about Me theme from preschoolexpress.com
Favorite Books: find pictures of favorite items and glue them onto white paper, staple them together to create a small book. Have the child color his self-portrait on front.

Friday
Label body parts
Computer: complete facial jig-saw puzzles found at: http://www.dltk-kids.com/puzzles/theme.asp?tid=32 Great exercise and you can adjust the puzzle difficulty

Play Balloon Tap by calling out certain body parts (ex. elbow, finger, head) to hit the balloon without letting it fall on the ground

Preschool

2009-09-14T17:54:00.000-07:00

This week we are starting a co-op preschool in which two other moms and myself will alternate teaching, helping, and caring for younger siblings. The book we are working from is Kitchen Table Play & Learn by Tara Copley & Andrea Custer.

The units are based on various themes with lots of hands on activities and a bit of preparation for the teacher. It will be great for "Eager to Help" to have some other boys his age to work and play with. I will also supplement throughout the week with various activities related to that week's theme. This is another reason I was eager to set-up this website so that I can keep track of all the things we do.

Please feel free to leave a comment if you have any other fun ideas related to the theme of the week.

remembering 9/11

2009-09-11T11:34:00.000-07:00

At the time of 9/11 I lived in Arlington, not too far from the Pentagon. I remember teaching an adult piano student in my home that morning and hearing a distant but strange sound from outside. We looked out and seeing nothing, resumed the lesson. Then we started to hear a lot of commotion (sirens and police) more than usual and turned on the TV. We couldn't believe our eyes. It was unthinkable. My heart ached as we watched the horror unfold on TV. We both tried to reach our husbands who worked in downtown DC. No chance. The phones were busy.

We stopped watching the TV and began praying together for all those involved. My student then left for home so she could be there for her son. I resumed watch over the situation on TV.

I was so relieved when my husband came home. We embraced and he shared how downtown was just a nightmare. Traffic jams and police everywhere- it was chaos. We continued to pray and found it very hard to function without knowing what was happening on TV. In a very real way I remember sensing for the first time that our time here on earth is truly in God's hands.

We are here for a short time to live for Him, to glorify Him and honor Him with our lives. We are not to live in fear of what man will do to us, what others' will think of us or how others will judge us. I pray that each day I grow more and more in awe and fear of the Almighty God who orders my steps and fills me with joy and hope even in the most difficult circumstances. May you also find His peace that passes all understanding, give you strength for whatever you are facing.

Sunshine Pancakes

2009-09-01T19:21:00.001-07:00

I came across this idea from Skip to My Lou and loved it! It gets the kids smiling, even in the morning!

First I put the faces on the grill, flip them, and then add the remaining batter around it to create the face. Then I flip the whole pancake once more to cook it through.

This way they eyes and mouth "pop" and it looks like a carved pumpkin. The kids also enjoy adding blueberry or chocolate chip eyes and a strawberry nose.

From the Beginning

2009-09-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

Hello! I'm glad you've stopped by. As you can tell, I've just started this blog and honestly have no idea what I'm doing, so you'll see me learn through the process. When I read blogs out in the cyberworld, I am very impressed with how folks put it all together and hopefully I'll pick up some tips.

The reason for this blog:
The beginning of summer, 2009, I was so excited. My kindergartner was going to be home during the day to enjoy time with his two younger siblings. I had ordered Hooked on Phonics to keep him motivated in reading for the summer, the teacher sent home workbooks to complete, he had his journal to write in and Math U See blocks ready. By the end of July he was soaring with HOP, however, completing the workbooks was like pulling teeth, the journal was thought of occasionally and his younger brother decided to use the blocks for building things.

One day was particularly hard. They were overtired from going to bed later than usual and I had my “agenda” to complete with them. As I thought over the day and browsed various blogs for ideas, I stumbled across Skip to My Lou blogspot and saw “Start your day off with a smile! Pancakes”. It dawned on me that what was missing was planned fun. I plan the essentials (discussed above) and let the rest of the day fall as it may, praying they just get along. I was focused on him completing the workbook, learning to read, counting by 10’s that I missed the joy of them having fun together. I needed to plan and think of creative things to do!

I do come up with fun, creative ideas and crafts with a bit of effort, but more often I find what really gets me motivated is seeing what others have done and then I get inspired to go from there. Hopefully this website will do the same for you!