7 Minutes

I told the kids they had to get ready for bed at 7:30.  That gives me 7 minutes to blog.

• We just go home from Family Camp at Covey Valley.  We had a great weekend.
• Todd Wilson (FamilyMan) was the speaker.  He was hilarious and very encouraging. 
• We stayed at Jeremy's parents house instead of staying at the camp.  We were too lazy to camp in a tent.  It we nice to be in a familiar place to sleep.
• The kids are EXHAUSTED but had so much fun.  
• I am sitting on the couch.  Behind me, on top of the couch, are clean and folded clothes I didn't get a chance to put away before we rushed out the door on Friday.  Beside me is a bike helmet with dirty underwear in it?!?
• I should note here that because we didn't stay at the camp we didn't have a room so the kids changed for swimming in the van.  What a mess!
• I haven't even opened the suitcase yet. There's always tomorrow
• Tomorrow night our church starts a week of VBS
• Neither Angela or Kate had their babies over the weekend. :(  (Angela, I'm much more excited about your baby than Kate's, but I only have 2 minutes left so I didn't want to use up to bullet points:))
• Zachary is sleeping and can't wake up.  He did great at camp, but didn't get very many long naps. Now he's catching up. 
• I pulled out our Sonlight instructors guide for this year (instead of unpacking!) I'm excited about this coming school year. 
• It's now 7:31.  Time for bed.
• One more, my cousin and her husband just loaned us their treadmill.  Now I have no excuse!
• Maybe tomorrow. 

Can you feel it?

Here is comes!

Ahhcooo!

So much better!
(4 months)

Blogging, facebook style

I love facebook.  I strongly dislike facebook.  I'll keep my reasons to myself.  I often think of posting something, but then I figure it would only be interesting to my mom and 3 friends so I decide not to bother the rest of my "friends" with it.  However, this is my blog and I can do what I want.  So, here is a running list of things I could post on facebook, but decided not to.

-Should children be allowed to say hate?  Or should they say "strongly dislike"?

-Isaiah and Nate started swimming lessons yesterday.  Isaiah had a hard time yesterday, but today was much better.  God's does answer prayers!

-Me: "Callie, where did you learn that?" C: From my friend online.  Isaiah: Probably on pinterest.  Me: dumbfounded

-Callie loves watching "baking movies" (full episodes of cooking shows) on foodnetwork.com Proof that she probably watches to many:  While eating a lollipop, "This lollipop gives me texture in my mouth", while choosing which show to watch, "Not the man man one"  I finally figured out that she meant not GUY Fieri.  Guy, man, get it?  The Pioneer Woman is one of her favorites.  Callie calls her "The Pineapple Woman".

-Zachary had his 4 month check up on Friday.  He weighs 17.6 lbs.  We call him chubs. :)

-Why do kids decide they want to learn AFTER school is finished for the year?

-We are finished with school for the year! We were a few days short of the 180 we'll have to have when we start recording days, but we finished the goals I had so I am pleased.  We did a lot of reading.  I figured we read somewhere over 2800 pages and that didn't include any extra books we read that were not related to school.

-My house needs cleaned.  I might go on strike until summer is over.

-I found $20 in a pair of pants that I hadn't worn for awhile.  I of course was very delighted.  Jeremy just shook his head.  I figure we're up $20.  He doesn't understand how I didn't realize we were down $20.  Now to decide if it was grocery money or "my" piano money.

-Quote from somewhere "Organized people are too lazy to look for things"

-Jeremy does not have a lazy wife. See previous post.

-Is it possible to organize and back up digital pictures and still have a sound mind?

-twentytwowords.com is a very interesting web site. They have all kinds of useless information that I find very interesting.  I'm not sure what that says about me.

-I'm very sad to not have a bigger garden this year.  A walnut tree on our neighbors property (bad for tomatoes I'm told) and ground hogs are the reason.

-We just found out that one of our neighbors is FEEDING the groundhogs. :(

-Isaiah is missing his two front teeth.  Someone mentioned that he looks older.  I think he looks younger and I secretly love it.  Sometimes he is way too serious for a 7 year old.  Seeing him with no front teeth helps me to remember that he is just a kid.

-Zachary is one of the most kissed on and loved babies in the world I'm sure.  He brings us so much joy.  He "talks" so much.

I love using " "'s

-Nathan: "Being a lifeguard would be boring.  Not many people drown.  It would be really sweaty".  ?

-And since this is facebook style blogging I end with "What a day!  I'm off to bed".

-Here is a great recipe for bran muffins.  (because no one should ever go to bed without first checking pinterest)

Homeschooling

Yes, we homeschool.  I realize I don't mention it much on this blog.  The thing I dislike (can I say hate?) the most about homschooling is the division that is felt between those who homeschool and those who do not.  Jeremy and I feel educating our children at home is right for our family, for now.  I realize some will read this and think we are some amazing, got-it-all-together parents and some will instantly judge us for this decision.  It just goes with homeschooling.

I hesitate to say much here because I don't want to paint a false picture of a perfect home with perfect kids getting a college degree at age 5.  Nope, you should see us most days.  We're learning a lot everyday.  Many times what we're learning has more to do with building relationships and getting a long with each other than learning the sum of 2 +2.  We're not perfect.  Homeschooling is an option and we're using it.  As we finish up our second year I'm happy with what the boys are learning.  There is much more I could say, but my main reason for posting was to link to this article by Ann Voskamp.   "The Pros and Cons of Homeschooling."  

So very well said.

Pumpkin Pie

I get asked for this recipe so often that I decided to share it here.  I got it from Mom, but I think she got it from the Mennonite Community Cookbook.  I've never made a different pumpkin pie so I don't know what makes this one better than any other recipe.  Possibly the spices.  Anyway, it's very easy and everyone enjoys it. 

I use Pioneer Woman's The Perfect Pie Crust recipe.  I use half butter, half Crisco and I mix it in my food processor.  

Pumpkin Pie

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 teas salt

2 teas. cornstarch

1/4 teas. ginger

1/4 teas. cloves

1 teas. cinnamon

1 15 oz can pumpkin

3 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 c. milk, scaled

Preheat oven to 425.  I usually put an empty cookie sheet in the oven at this point so it is hot when I am ready to bake the pie.  I also back pies on a lower rack than other things because sometimes the crust doesn't brown right even with the cookie sheet.  Any suggestions?

Mix brown sugar, salt, cornstarch, ginger, cloves and cinnamon together.  Stir in pumpkin. Add beaten eggs and stir.  Added scalded milk and stir.  (I usually add the milk a little at a time so it doesn't mess up the eggs -that could happen right?)  Mix well and pour into unbaked pie crust. Then (this is important!) sprinkle more of the spices over the top of the pie and swirl with a fork.  

Back at 425 for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 and continue baking for 30 minutes (longer in my oven, but my oven is weird) or until crust is browned and pumpkin is stiff in the middle and does not move when you move the pan.  

Easter 2013

Pictures from our Easter celebrations this year.  

I love Zach's face on this one. :)  By the way, this was taking AFTER church.  Easter pictures before church didn't happen.

This might be my favorite picture from the whole weekend. 

 A highlight of our weekend was meeting our newest nephew Joshua, he's just 5 weeks younger than Zachary.   He's a sweetie!

We have high hopes of Zachary and Joshua being great friends someday.  Maybe next year. :) 

Isaiah at his great-grandma's yearly brunch and Easter egg hunt

Callie loved the hunt too. 

Nate posed for this picture.

My cousin's beautiful daughter 

Another cousin and her beautiful daughter. 

Zachary getting to know one of his great-uncles. 

The oldest holding the youngest.  Zachary with his Great-Grandma L. (Mom's mom)

So sweet

Life

Life just keeps rolling along.  I try to constantly remind myself to hold on to each day, but often I forget.  Pictures are one of the best ways to slap myself in the face and remember to enjoy each moment, craziness and all.  So in celebration of life being lived here in our little house here are some favorites from the last few weeks. Or maybe months, I've lost track

I wonder if there has ever been a baby loved more than this little guy.  I am constantly reminding the kids not to wake him up when he's sleeping.  When he is awake they try to give him toys and play with him and make him laugh.  He loves being held and having people talk to him.  As of Tuesday the 2nd he's two months old!

Painting Easter eggs.

We tried a new recipe this year.  Mix food coloring with 1 T. oil and 1 T. vinegar than fill the cup with enough water to cover the egg.  This gives a lovely marbled look to the egg. 

This month we're celebrating Jeremy's good health.  I'm so thankful to be laughing and enjoying life with him.  One year ago this week we met with the doctor that said "80% chance it's cancer".  Several weeks ago Jeremy spoke with the surgeon from Johns Hopkins about a follow up CT scan he had done.  All is completely clear.  

Isaiah hard at work.  Or something like that.  He's an excellent reader even though he doesn't enjoy phonics.  He loves math, history, geography and history.  

Always a princess.  I was folding laundry the other day and realized Callie's pile of folded laundry was very small.  It's because she lives in her dress up cloths.  She's always pretending something or other.  Often she's getting ready for a wedding, or taking care of "her kids" or talking about "her husband".  I love watching and listening to her.

These beads have provided Callie with hours of fun.  Here they are smoothies and strawberries I think.  She's also been playing a lot with dried beans.  They make a mess to clean up, but it's worth it for the entertainment it gives her.  She also LOVES to play at the sink washing dishes.  So far I've been fairly successful at keeping the beans and water separate.  Sprouting beans all over the house is just what I need! 

Just to prove that he has a mother. :)

Nate's fort.  This is the second fort built.  The first one had the pillows directly on top of Zach's face.  I didn't respond real well when I found it. :(  Nate was very proud of himself for finding a way to build a fort that kept Zach's face free to breath.  I felt a little sorry for Zachary, but I had to take a picture.  I wish I had a picture of all the ways this baby's siblings love on him.  The pretzel up the nose was another moments I didn't respond real well to. :(  On this picture Zachary looks so much like Isaiah did as a baby.

"Look Mom, he's sleeping in his fort!"

Love this face

He loves his daddy and he loves to snuggle. 

We fought through a week of sickness a few weeks ago.  I was about at my wits end by the end of the week.  The kids were feeling better, but weren't well enough to go anywhere and it was too cold to force them outside to play.  I did force them onto the porch for a few minutes though.  Believe me, those smiles were not in place when I sent them out.  For the record, Isaiah is wearing pj's and my crocs.  Nate is wearing his church loafers without socks (I find him at church like this sometimes.  I always feel like I should look to make sure his shirt is fully buttoned and he's not wearing a gold necklace.  sorry) 

Matt and Heather and their girls came to meet Zachary a few weeks ago.  Sadly, most of my pictures weren't very good. :(  However, this one did turn out.  Chloe knitted this hat for Zachary!  I was so impressed.  She does NOT  get her knitting skills from her aunt!  Thank you Chloe!

P.S. Mom, the Easter pictures will be posted soon. :)