home

There's no place like home...

We're coming home for a visit!!

(The kids and I arrive Friday. Jared will come up for Columbus Day weekend.)

Yippee!

weekend wandering, pt2

And so here we sat, wondering what to do next.

We decided to go fishing in Twin Butte Reservoir.

How good it feels to get out of the city. We found pretty rocks, shells, fish heads, trash treasures, and snake skins...

BIG snake skins. From the size of it, this had to have been from a 5-inch-diameter snake.

Trying to find beautiful in the ugly.

Here's a link to what I mean by ugly-beautiful.

After an hour of fishing, Carly exclaimed, "Hey, look at that pretty sunset!" I didn't think that kids even noticed the greatness of God. I guess I was wrong.

And here was our biggest (only) catch of the night!

Yeah. Even the kids were impressed.

weekend wandering, pt1

We woke up Saturday on a mission: to experience no boredom. We decided to take a road trip. We packed a sack lunch and started out around 10:00 a.m. As we started driving down the road, I asked Jared, "Okay, what direction are we going?" He said, "Oh, I don't know. How about south?" I said, "Okay." It was a pleasant day for driving. A few miles down the road, we heard a song request from the backseat. The kids wanted to hear "Man of Constant Sorrow." Miles later, you could hear yodeling from our car as we all sang the chorus of "In the Jailhouse Now" together while driving past skinny goats grazing on stubbles of grass in a Mesquite-filled "pasture."

After we passed the town of Christoval, I asked Jared, "Where are we going?" We looked at the atlas and realized that our road was leading to nowhere, so we turned around and went another way. I suggested we go to Mexico; it was only 2.5 hours away. An hour later, the kids told us, "We wanna go back to our apartment." We wondered where their sense of adventure was. We were exploring!!

We finally settled for the Caverns of Sonora 90 miles south of San Angelo. A quiet, hilly place it was, and we were excited to see some real caverns. At the visitor's center, Jared discovered that it cost $20/adult and $16/kid (age 4+) to see the caverns. Instead of paying $56 for a tour of these beautiful caverns, we decided to walk on a short trail and return home. What an excursion it was.

Back at the apartment the clock read 2:30 p.m. We sat on the couch and asked each other, "Now what are we going to do?" It was all in good humor.

at play

Carly used to fit on just one cushion.

Now she takes up the whole couch.

She refuses to look at the camera!

Coloring posters from the clearance aisle at Wal-Mart proved to be quite a time-consuming project.

The kids made a train out of chairs and pillows.

Isaac takes his role as conductor seriously.

This turned out to be quite interesting play.

I was just a silent bystander.

gingerbread boys

When I was a little girl, Mom made gingerbread boys. It was simply amazing how these gingerbread boys would run away and hide in the kitchen somewhere. Somehow, these unreal cookies would just up and run away! I remember how we'd go to our rooms and wait and then come back to find them hiding AGAIN! It was pure magic!! Even as an older girl, I'd probe Mom, asking her if she was SURE she didn't hide them herself. She assured me that they must've just run away.

We made gingerbread boys here for the first time today. When the kids weren't looking, these gingerbread boys amazingly RAN AWAY! When I exclaimed in a wild voice, "KIDS! SOMETHING HAPPENED TO YOUR GINGERBREAD BOYS!!!" they came running. Carly's first thought was, "How can they move if they're pretend!" What a fun game it became.

The kids decided to camp out on their kitchen chairs to make sure the gingerbread boys didn't run away again. That didn't last long, so they got up, scolded their cookies, shaking their fingers, saying, "Gingerbread Man, you obey me! You stay here!" Alas, these naughty gingerbread men would move AGAIN! Isaac even gave his a spankin'. (In all good fun, of course, because it would break if the spankin' was too hard.)

When the kids finally started eating the body parts, especially the legs, the poor gingerbread boys just couldn't move as quickly. So, they gobbled them all up. Isaac reminisced, "I was watching them the whole time, and they ran away!" Carly asked me, "Mommy, were you hiding them?" I answered, "No, they must've run away!!" And Carly excitedly concluded, "They could run away, even though they're pretend! They can run away!"

My mom fibbed to me. Don't you suppose it's okay that I fib to Carly?!?

RECIPE:

1/2 butter, soft

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. molasses

1 egg

3 c. flour

1/4 t. soda

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. cinnamon

Cream butter and sugar. Add molasses and egg. Add dry ingredients. Chill 2 hours. Roll, cut, and bake at 375 for 6-8 minutes.

mops: first time

The Mothers of Pre-Schoolers group started weekly meetings yesterday. The kids and I stood in line with other moms, waiting to drop our kids off in the appropriate child care rooms. This was an organized system. The computer lady at the front of the line quickly took my name, printed off name tags with barcodes for the kids and receipts for me to pick them up. Room P4 for Isaac. Room P5 for Carly. Separated? The kids were thinking they'd get to stick together. Now, for all of you who know how our kids have done in the nursery at church, you know that this seemed a little intimidating. We dropped Carly off in her room first. She stared at us with you're-gonna-leave-me-here-alone? eyes. She transformed to her quiet self and started to play. Next, I dropped Isaac off in his room. LOTS of kids in there....seemed chaotic with 2-3 girls crying for their mommies. I'm thinking, There's no chance I'm getting out of HERE today! But to my surprise....(Karla, listen to this!)....Isaac started playing, and he didn't cry, and he didn't throw an I-want-my-mommmmmmyyyy fit! In fact, two hours later, they were still playing and having fun! MOPS was a good time of meeting new women. I'll admit, I was watching the clock because two hours of childcare is a while. (I know: Myra, get over it.) But I think Mondays will be good for us. It'll be good for the kids to have interaction with others their age. And it'll be good for the recluse-me to socialize, I suppose. :)

mops: drive to

8:00...take Jared to work

9:10...pick up bread at Wal-Mart

9:12...cell phone rings. It's High Rise stuff. Self-checkout so I can keep talking.

9:13...another cell phone call. Rainbow wants to update High Rise modem.

9:14...kids push on self-checkout scales.

Self-Checkout voice says, "There are unexpected items in bagging area."

No, it's just my kids.

9:15...scold kids, continue talking on the phone.

9:16...pay for bread.

Isaac mimics the machine loudly, "PLEASE take your ITEMS!"

9:18...driving...get on Highway 67...cell phone rings. It's Rainbow again.

Do I want to increase internet speed?

No, not really, but I want to take Highway 67. I wonder what exit to take to get to MOPS.

9:19...Midas calls. Our car is finished and fixed....for now anyway. We can pick it up.

9:21...call High Rise to finalize Rainbow plans. Do I take this exit? Looks familiar.

Oops. Wrong exit. Light's turning yellow. Speed up.

Hang up the phone. Get back on Highway 67.

9:24...Smith Blvd. That's the right exit.

Dumb cell phones. No wonder people have wrecks.

We continue our previous review of what to expect for the morning...

Share toys with other kids.

Be kind.

Be loving.

Play nice.

9:26...arrive at church where MOPS is held.

9:27...get in line to drop kids off at childcare.

Disclaimer: Don't worry. Our mornings and drives are not usually like this. And I usually do not drive while talking on the cell phone.

activities

So many ideas of things to do...

Lisa sent down books filled with activity ideas. Yesterday, we were belly-aching with utter boredom, so we passed our time with an activity using old magazines.

We love you, grandmas and grandpas.....even those unrelated grandmas and grandpas who have treated us like spoiled grandchildren. ;)

And now, for our happy faces...

Carly's

Isaac's

Isaac got a little carried away on the body parts. He thought it was funny to put 4 ears, 2 noses, and 2 mouths on this picture.

Myra's

If Newsweek has no other purpose besides publishing infuriating liberal news articles, at least it has good photography for making faces like these!!

Have a happy Monday!

tornado

Oh. My. A tornado (in the form of two neighbor kids) just visited our apartment. After helping themselves to our outdoor riding toys, they walked right in and made themselves at home. We didn't mind their company; it was good to finally meet them. Carly and Isaac stood staring, open-mouthed as the kids plowed through the apartment like it was a candy factory, wanting to try everything out as quickly as possible. Kade, 5, walked to the fridge and asked, "What's in the fridge?" He opened the pantry and said, "Do you have anything to eat?" I knew they couldn't be hungry because their mom had just brought home Chick-Fil-A. These children come from a split home. The mom told me that the kids spend Mondays and Tuesdays with her, Wednesdays and Thursdays with Dad. And Mom and Dad alternate keeping them on the weekends "to keep it fair." Wow. Kalyn, 7 (big girl), asked me, "Do you have any dessert?" Instead of letting these kids plow ALL of us over, I directed them to an art project at the table. Needy kids needing love or stability or something.

The best thing about loud kids like them is that it gives you the courage to stand up and say whatever you think needs to be said in your house. When Kalyn said that her grandpa died, I said, "Yeah, it's kinda sad when old people die, but it's okay, because if they know and love Jesus, they can go to heaven to be with Him. And that's a lot better than here anyway." She said, "Yeah, my grandpa went to heaven." I replied, "Oh, good! So he knew Jesus?" She said, "Yep! And so do I! But sometimes I hit my brother." We talked a little more about forgiveness, but she changed the subject. Oh, kids are so vulnerable; their hearts are so moldable. I'm not sure when the hard layers start to grow around the heart to make some adults so unwilling to hear and accept the Truth.

After an hour, I told the kids it was time to start picking up. Kade and Kalyn asked why, and I explained, "It's bedtime for Carly and Isaac, and we always pick up before bedtime. So, who's going to pick up the Lincoln Logs?" Kade offered. When all was clean and it was time for them to leave, Kade wanted a hugs from the kids before he left to walk back to his apartment next door. Our clueless kids think hugs automatically go with kisses, so Isaac walked up to him and gave him a hug and a kiss. Kalyn wanted hugs too. Carly gave her a hug and a kiss on her cheek. Isaac gave her a hug and a kiss on her belly. They shouted, "We'll be back tomorro

w!!" as they ran out the door.

We had an interesting talk with Carly and Isaac afterwards.

An afterthought...

After the tornado kids left, I noticed that Carly, in an attempt to regain order and peace in her bedroom, had straightened her room, turned off the big light, turned on her bed lamp and laid her Bible and chapter book out, getting everything ready for bed. This is normal routine for her after a reminder, but she had it done 15 minutes before the tornado kids left. It made me hope hope HOPE that even as a teenager she will never be afraid to lay out her Bible in front of her peers in preparation of reading it.

the visit

We are SO grateful that we just got to spend 5 days with the grandparents. Instead of us serving them as our "company," they always end up serving us and helping us out more than we deserve. We were all delighted to see them when they arrived on Saturday; the kids, of course, saw them coming and, in their excitement, streaked through the apartment to hide in their rooms a bit before giving hugs and kisses.

They came bearing gifts: care-packages from dear family at home, a sweet, yummy watermelon and a box of juicy tomatoes from our garden, and neat little surprises for the kids, including fruit snacks. (The kids always raid Grandma Sally's desk drawer at the bank because they know she keeps fruit snacks in there.)

Monday morning, we visited Kingdom Park. After getting tired of chasing the kids around this massive park, we crossed the bridge to see the little waterfalls by the Visitor's Center. Here are some fun shots.

Grandpa Alan did a superb job at making the kids smile here. I won't tell you what he did. ;)

I hope Alan and Sally don't mind me putting their picture on here. It's such a good picture that I couldn't pass it up.

On Sunday evening, we spent $12.00 to enter the San Angelo State Park. We hiked one trail but turned around because the sun was setting and we didn't really know where we were going to end up. There were rock mounds on this trail. The kids added to them. There was also talk of rattlesnakes and how this park would be an excellent place for them to live. Following this conversation, I almost died of shock when a 4-foot snake slithered away right beside me. Thank goodness we only saw an armadillo, fireants, and some quail after that. I still listened for rattles, though.

We did a lot of relaxing while they were here. The kids enjoyed the extra attention. We loved the adult company. And our last bit of fun was going to the circus on Wednesday.

After they left this morning, the kids changed their magnetic faces for the day. And here's how they feel now:

We miss them already.

images

Nothing new this week, but here are some pictures from the week anyway.

Umm...I'm not sure what's going on here besides the kids putting bowls on their heads.

our swimming pool landscaping

Family Art Night

We cannot paint, but it was fun acting like we could. Look at Jared's "happy little trees!" He must've learned a lot from...was it Bob Ross? Oh, Jared would go nuts if he knew I posted his painting on here.

I'm not sure what was so funny here, but it was good to hear the kids laugh for a reason other than naughtiness.

And now I'll give you a rest from blog posts for a few days (unless there's something pressing to publish). Alan and Sally are coming down to visit us this weekend! Yippee!

88 days remaining

Mom said it would make us feel better

if we just made a chain.

One link for every day left.

When finished, it measured

over four yards long.

Ugh.

Maybe a better way to look at it is this:

And that's just until Thanksgiving. :)

It's not really that bad here, but I wanted to show Mom that we're laughing at this chain today.

what's cookin

the past two weeks...

(No recipes originated from our house,

but they're good finds, no doubt.)

Peanut Butter Cookies

3/4 c. peanut butter

1/2 c. crisco

1 1/4 c. brown sugar

3 T. milk

1 T. vanilla

1 egg

2 c. flour, scooped

3/4 t. salt

3/4 t. baking soda

Cream first 3 ingredients. Add milk, vanilla and egg; mix well. Add dry ingredients, mixing well. Bake at 375 for 7-8 minutes. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet before removing.

Lemon Cranberry Bread

2/3 c. butter, softened

1 1/2 c. sugar

3 T. lemon juice

2 T. grated lemon peel, optional

4 eggs

3 c. all-purpose flour

2 t. baking powder

2 t. salt

1 c. milk

2 c. craisins

1 c. chopped pecans

Glaze: 1/4 c. sugar and 1/4 c. lemon juice (Stir together)

In a mixing bowl, cream first 4 ingredients. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir in craisins and nuts. Pour into 5 greased and floured mini loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing. Poke holes in loaves with toothpick and drizzle glaze over the tops. Cool completely before slicing.

Macadamia Nut Cookies (NEW RECIPE)

(I'm on the lookout for a good Macadamia Nut Cookie recipe.)

1 c. butter

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 t. vanilla

3 1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

12 oz. white chocolate chips

6 oz. macadamia nuts

Cream butter and sugar. Stir in eggs and vanilla, beating well. Add dry ingredients, mixing well. Stir in chips and nuts. Drop with cookie scoop and flatten slightly. Bake 8-10 minutes at 375.

Disclaimer: You probably see these cookie recipes on here and think that all my cookies turn out the same. That's because I have a preconceived notion that cookies coming out of my kitchen need to be a certain thickness. A half-inch thick is good. All recipes above and previously posted have been altered from the original recipe, because I add more flour to make the dough feel thick enough to make a half-inch-thick cookie. I really enjoy eating cookies that are that thick AND are 3" in diameter. Unfortunately, I've not found a way to do that unless I make the cookies 2" in diameter, using my small cookie dough scoop. Make sense?

You all have a nice day. I am now going to go eat a handful of cookies with a glass of cold milk.

activity list

A long-lost list. So glad to have found it again!

50 ways to beat boredom

1. Create a grouping of noise-makers. You can use traditional instruments (i.e. kids' instruments you might have in the house) or look for things that make unique noises in your house (pan "drums," etc.). Turn on marching music and march around the house. Go under and over unusual things as you march (i.e. under the desk/chair/table, over a big pillow, etc.).
2. Pull up a chair, don aprons and make these easy muffins together. Eat them outside or in a fort or on the floor... Somewhere different.
3. Draw a big bubble bath at an unexpected time of the day. Dump in loads of plastic containers from your Tupperware/re-use drawer and see what the play brings.
4. Find seasonal items, string them together on yarn and create a fantastic, nature mobile.
5. Make oobleck.
6. Create some activity centers together (start with one, make a new one the next day... pretty soon you'll be set!
7. Collect art supplies (paint, crayons, paper, index cards etc.) and let go of everything you had planned. Mail this artistic bounty off the next day to grandparents and the like.
8. Grab a snack you don't often have (i.e. here it's graham crackers and juice) or stop by the bakery for a cookie. Go to a park, sit on a blanket and eat, then play a bit in a different space.
9. Depending on the weather: water plants outside, fill a spray bottle with water and experiment with different sprays, run in the sprinkler, etc. Is it raining? Dress appropriately and go out any way. See if you can stomp in twenty puddles. Watch how different objects splash in different ways (rock vs. leaf vs. pine cone, etc.). Do #3 when you return, if necessary!
10. Use chalk to draw a huge train track or road system all around your house, leading to your front door. Walk or ride all along it, draw lots of trains/cars or bring out your own small vehicles to enjoy the new pathways.
11. Crank up the music (stuff you like too) and dance, boogy, shake, wiggle. If you need a little wiggle guidance the tried and true preschool Greg & Steve CDs are favorites for many young kids (check them out from your library-- a little scary, but a worthy sacrifice to improve the direction of your day together).
12. Grab a big tote and visit the library. Find lots and lots and lots of books. Return home to cuddle and read on the couch (or on the grass outside as weather permits!).
13. Create a fort or pop up a tent in the middle of your living room. Stock it with snacks, water, books, stuffed animal friends...
14. Make colored pasta noodles (step one, step two) together.
15. Make play dough together and then smush, build, roll, squeeze... create.
16. Wander through your yard or neighborhood and create a seasonal display.
17. Scroll through the Kids Craft Weekly newsletters for a topic you both enjoy. Find an activity and just do it!
18. Fill the kitchen sink (or a big, plastic tub) with dish soap and warm water. Collect small creatures (Little People, our Schleich animals, etc.) and a washcloth and scrub everyone clean (any water play requires you to be very close, but you knew that).
19. Move some toys around. Never underestimate the power of toys in a new location (i.e. the play kitchen in the middle of the living room, toys from the closet front and center for an afternoon, etc.).
20. Play dress-up! If you don't have specific dress up clothes, dress up like Mama or Daddy or Grandma... Find winter hats and gloves in the summer. Dig deep for crazy shoes. Be silly.
21. Make colorful maraca shakers.
22. Turn some old socks into puppets. You can draw on them with markers, or get fancy and sew on button eyes. Glue yarn for hair. A curtain rod in a doorway can become a magical puppet theater with a few cuts of an old sheet, or even just with draped fabric. Use a hot glue gun to create a pocket in the fabric for the rod, if you don't want to sew, or you can even just pin it in place. Just make sure you can open and close the theater curtains (that's the only really important part!).
23. Throw a reading party for all of your stuffed animal friends (and dolls and anyone else who wants to join in the fun). Place them all around the living room, give them each a book and then read a few yourselves. When everyone's done you can all take a nap (requiring a blanket for each) or give them all a drink (imaginary, of course) of water (requiring a cup for each). Multiples. It's more fun than you'd think.
24. Call someone to play with you. They likely won't care if the house is a mess. If it's too bad, go outside to play or meet at a playground. Just adding other people to the mix can change a mood (throw in a snack or two and you're set).
25. Make a life-size body outline and color it in. Hang it on the wall.
26. Clean out the refrigerator together. Exhausting. Distracting.
27. Cut (or tear) out fun pics from old magazines.
28. Create glue art (lots o' Elmer's, cotton balls, cake sprinkles, etc.).
29. If you have a peanut-friendly house (as in, everyone's already tried it and is not allergic), collect pine cones, tie string around them and smear with peanut butter for the birds. Hang outside.
30. Head outside to putter with a camera. The adult focuses on getting fantastic pics of the child without interrupting play, and the kid gets to explore. It's interesting for both (parallel play).
31. Print some kid pics and staple them (or tie through hole punches) together to make a mini-book. Talk about what the child is doing in each picture and write a simple sentence below. Read it together.
32. Sort through buttons together. Categorize in different ways. Look for special things. Count holes. Talk about big, small, bright, bumpy, smooth...
33. Use paint and make apple prints on paper (or try other fruits and veggies... Star fruit is fun!).
34. Just find a way to get out of the house. Find a shopping cart and browse. This is when you're really desperate. Get coffee while you're at it.
35. Take everything out of a closet, from under a bed, etc. and sort through it together.
36. Paint hands and make hand prints. You can later add details to turn these into flowers (stem and leaves), turkeys, etc. (seasonal fun).
37. Create an obstacle course in the house or yard (with pillows, small stools, etc.).
38. Go through the house or yard or neighborhood and collect items to make a texture book/wall/gallery (focusing on touch...).
39. Make crowns for the family out of paper, newsprint, felt and/or tin foil.
40. Decorate the dinner table together to make an ordinary meal special. Streamers, flowers from the garden, maybe a tablecloth or special place mats, fold the napkins in a fancy way... Do it all together to make something routine special.
41. Play hide and seek. Start with stuffed animals and find them together, then work up to each other.
42. String fruity-o cereal (or the pasta from #14) together to make necklaces (always keep a close eye on little kids with necklaces, but you knew that).
43. Finger (or foot) paint.
44. Make a terrarium (you can keep it super-easy with moss, sticks and a figure). If you use fancy plants make sure they're safe.
45. Try stacking different types of objects. See how high you can go with blocks, books, thread spools, magazines, pillows, etc.
46. Plant some bean seeds in clear, plastic cups or glass baby food jars. Avocado seeds are fun too.
47. Make popsicles, a snack food in an ice cube tray and/or jello jigglers together.
48. Glue a favorite magazine picture onto cardboard, then punch holes (use an office-style three hole punch for bigger pieces, and randomly place holes). Use a child's plastic needle with yarn (or tape the end to make it firm) and practice lacing.
49. Make your own matching game with photos. The best photos for this have only one, clear, well-loved person/object in them. Print out two of each (for maybe a total of six to eight to start?) and lay them out, face up to start out. It's early "Memory."
50. Set up various pouring activities in an OK-to-be-messy place. Collect various pitchers, cups, bowls and measuring spoon sets and use either water, lentils, beans or rice (or combinations). A smaller plastic tub set inside a bigger plastic tub can contain some of the spillage.