Gratitude

220.  Little girls playing and giggling again

221.  Viruses that run their course

222.  Taking more stuff to Goodwill.  Less to take care of!

223.  Organizing

224.  Friends to share the Pox with.

225.  I have a love/hate relationship with the TV, but when the girls are sick, I sure am thankful for it.  It's all the withdraw afterwards that I hate.

226.  Listening to Barbie church through the baby monitor that is upstairs.  Ken can preach a mean sermon!

227.  Callie making lunch, with no help!

228.  Sewing day.  I'm hoping for several this week.  I'm only assigning independent school work and we are having super simple meals, so I'm hoping to get a lot accomplished.

229.  Planning for a little vacation

230.  The girls getting the chicken pox at the same time.  If they had gotten it separately, that would have been a long quarantine and a lot of missed ballet.  Praying for a couple of friends who have way more children than me.  They could be quarantined a looong time if the virus goes through their family one by one.

231.  The most beautiful daffodils I've ever had in my own yard,

232.  And the sweet daughter who takes the pictures.

233.  The fact that we gave Callie a camera for her birthday.  Ours got dropped at the skating rink and now won't work.  Hopefully it will be fixable, but at least we can borrow Callie's in the meantime.


234.  Her list.  Completely her idea.

Our Current Curriculum

On Tuesday, the girls were both diagnosed with chicken pox.

Here is what our schooling has looked like for the last couple of days.

*Diagnosed with chicken pox--science

*Math games with Callie while Kate is in an "oakmol" bath--math, health and considering this is the only time Kate is happy--family relations

*Watched Secretariat--history

*Hiding Kate's medicine in her vitamin C drink--health, family relations, parenting 101

*Kate's watching a lot of PBS--kindergarten

Callie has a pretty mild case, so she is getting some official school work done, just not as much as normal.  Kate has it worse and is pretty miserable.  When your little, if you are miserable, so is everyone else. :)  Unless you're in the tub with a sock full of oatmeal, lavender, and jojoba oil.

this was her expression most of Thursday

Here is our poetry lesson today.  Written by one of our good friends.  We believe in sharing everything!

Ode to the Pox

There once was a virus called pox

Which came to the family of Cox

Two sweet little girls,

One with lots of blond curls,

Became swiftly inflamed with red dots.

Their mother, who took most things in stride,

Didn’t run, didn’t scream, didn’t hide

But calmly and cheerfully tended to itches

While she lotioned an arm or a side.

Across town, in a similar home

Lived a friend with whom often she roamed

Whose 5 little girls had been over of late

And shared apples right off the same plate.

Now it’s hard to say why,

And I wouldn’t imply,

But the pox also came to their house

The first victim it stained with a bumpy red rash.

Was the 5 little girls’ biggest brother

He didn’t complain

or scratch it in vain

To the great relief of his mother.

But our tale isn’t finished

For this pox is not diminished

There are several still within reach

But what can we do?

Just wait and see who

Will begin to develop the itch.

But thanks be to God

It won’t last for long

The red bumps and their itching will fade

And the memories of pink lotion

And family devotion

And friends who share laughter – and pain

Will be a reminder for all of us later

That through it all, God kept us sane!

And one last little gem which the Bible assures

In every trial,

There is great gain.



The Garden

In the beginning of Spring I am always so excited about our garden.  I have grand goals and visions of a beautiful vegetable garden lined with flowers around the borders, like something out of my old Martha   Stewart magazines.

Last year, just before leaving for a week long vacation, we planted all kinds of seeds.  We were so excited.  We had arranged for someone to come and feed the cat and I had asked if they would kindly water the garden too.  Well, they didn't need to water the garden!  There were storms and rain all that week and we came home to our garden being under water.  A dedicated gardener, like Martha Stewart, would have gotten right out there and replanted.  Me?  My excitement and motivation was GONE!  The weather was now hot and I had inside projects that didn't require lots of sweat.  We did plant a few plants and we got a handful of three or four different veggies, but that was about it.

This year, I am determined to have a different outcome!  Yesterday we were able to get one small bed planted with radishes, lettuce and snap peas.  Cameron had the great idea to make a new bed close to the house for herbs, so he got that ready, but I haven't planted anything there yet.  Hopefully I can do that today.  One thing is for sure, Kate will be glad to help me and Callie would rather read a book or take pictures until the harvest.  When it's time for picking and eating, Callie will be glad to help.  :)

Spring Thanksgivings

The Heavens declare the glory of God.

212.  The first day of spring

213.  Friends who enjoy Indian food with us

214.  Taking walks together

215.  Actual spring like weather on the first day of spring.  Never mind that it will be back in the 30's this weekend!

216.  Looking up from the cash register at the antique mall and seeing my family

217.  Beautiful sunsets

218.  Celebrating and learning together

219.  An evening at the park

St. Patrick and Ireland

Our St. Patrick's day ended up being quite busy.  Callie and Kate had their classes offered by our local home school group, but we were still able to enjoy learning about St. Patrick and the country of Ireland.  Our geography studies have been focusing on the middle east for several weeks and it was time to move on.  What better direction to go in March than Ireland!  This was also "P" week for Kate, so it worked out perfectly.

We began reading about Ireland last week and then Thursday we enjoyed some Irish food.  We started out the day with Irish oatmeal (the only way I can make myself eat it), Irish breakfast tea, shamrock smoothies for lunch, then corned beef and cabbage for supper.  As far as the food goes, I'd rather be in the Middle East. :)

We also had a special treat for Kate.  I loved this idea when I saw it and thought it would be great for Kate.  The best part is, I didn't have to buy a thing.  Between scraps of fabric and other supplies that I already had and toys that at we already owned, this project was free!  Instead of sewing the little bag like in the original idea, I just tied it all up in a little bundle.  Kate enjoyed acting it all out while I read Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie dePaola and even thought of other animals that we had that were in the story.

We can't have geography without our favorite travel videos!  The Globe Trekker videos that we can get at the library are so much fun.  Even Kate enjoys them, although last night she was worn out and fell asleep in the middle of the show.

The weather was beautiful and we had a wonderful time celebrating and learning.  Now if only we could have that much fun learning math!  

{This Moment}

My mother used to stand on this same stool to wash dishes at her grandmother's house

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.


If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments at Soule Mama's for all to find and see.

Shamrock Day

photo by Callie

We've been getting ready for St. Patrick's Day this week.  We bought a potted shamrock at Trader Joe's and so Kate has been calling the holiday "Shamrock Day".

Growing up, the only thing I remember knowing about this holiday was that if I didn't wear green I was sure to get pinched!  Maybe that's why I don't like the color green now. 

It's amazing the things I have learned or maybe been reminded of, while homeschooling Callie.  There really was a St. Patrick.  He was kidnapped from Britain, and was the first person to teach the Irish about Christianity.  My favorite thing we learned about him was that he used the shamrock to help explain the Trinity.

Anyway, we always have a little bit of fun learning about St. Patrick and eating some special foods on this day.  One thing we have enjoyed for the last couple of years is our own version of Shamrock Shakes.  Ours are healthy, but your kids won't know it and we don't have to go to McD's to get them.

Here is the recipe if you are interested:

4 ripe bananas, sliced and frozen (do this the night before or even days)
1/3 c. peanut or almond butter
1 T. flax oil
1 c. milk (can use water or other types of milk--sometimes we use almond milk)
1  handful of fresh spinach (don't let them see you do this) :)
**updated--put the spinach in the blender first, then everthing else
Blend all together in blender until smooth.  We like ours thick, like a Frosty, but you may add more liquid if you want them thinner.  You could also hide other healthy things in here too if you wanted.  Smoothies are great for that.  When it's not St. Patrick's day we add a couple of tablespoons of cocoa to make chocolate shakes.  Don't add the cocoa and the spinach.  It does not look pretty!

Kate has no idea she is eating/drinking spinach and Callie only knows because I got busted last year. 

We have some other things planned to, so hopefully all will go as planned and we can share those pictures later too.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

One Thousand Gifts with Kate

I invited Kate to join me tonight for One Thousand Gifts.  Here is her list.  Notice who got top billing.

191.  Lilly (dog)

192.  Money

193.  Everything is safe

194.  I love everything and Jesus

195.  We got some money (I have no idea where all this money is!)

196.  For Callie getting my puppy Huggapug (her stuffed puppy that Callie picked out for her before going to get her in China)

197.  China

198.  Our house

199.  I'm glad Kate got from China and we got her.  I love Kate.

200.  A crate for Lilly

201.  A computer

202.  Edmond  (a baby belonging to some good friends of ours)

203.  I love Jesus a lot.  And God.

204.  I'm thankful for what we got and I true love Lilly a lot.

205.  My picture from China

206.  Polly pockets from "Katie" (Callie's friend)

{mine}
207.  I am thankful for several hours at the library ALONE on Saturday and the awesome husband who made that possible. 

208.  Friends with great kids who we enjoy watching and who are willing to watch ours.

209.  An immersion blender that turns black bean soup into "Mexican soup" that Kate will eat because she doesn't know there are beans in there!  HA!!  I won!  This time.

210.  His Mercies.  Thankful that they are indeed new every morning.

211.  The gift of adoption. 

Cookbook Fun

I had been in a rut in the kitchen.  Not that anyone else was complaining, except Kate, and that doesn't count :), but I was getting bored and not very motivated to cook.  Since I'm usually making three meals a day and Cameron is here for most of those, not cooking is not an option!

So, when we went to the library, I got four or five cookbooks.  I have plenty and I like the ones I have, but we were there anyway so I grabbed a few.  Some went right back into the library bag after I looked through them, but one had some interesting things in it that we have since tried.  Nigella Bites by Nigella Lawson.  It's an interesting cookbook.  There are things like Thai Yellow Pumpkin and Seafood Curry, which I would love to try.  A few pages later there's Elvis Presley's Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich.  We are big peanut butter lovers here so we had to try this.  It was a big hit with everyone! Certainly not a low fat meal, but the bread was homemade and the peanut butter all natural so it wasn't too bad. :)  The little girls in this house could use a little more fat on their bones anyway!

If you try them, make sure you have plenty of napkins handy!

{This Moment}

Eleven going on 20

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.


If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments at Soule Mama's for all to find and see.

Out of the Mouth of Kate II

I'm thinking maybe this will be a regular thing.  These days will be over before I know it.

We had taken some boxed, gluten free macaroni and cheese to our friend's house in case we needed it for Kate.  We didn't need it so it was still in the snack bag on the way home.  She said, "Why did we take it?  For decoration?"

On the way home from church she was asking all kinds of questions about God and church.  She wanted to know if Jesus could hear us and we said that yes, He can.  She said, "How, with a magic ear or something?"  What's funny is that we had been watching Bionic Woman DVDs from the library while we were sick.  Remember her bionic ear?

Callie still has some good ones every now and then.  Tonight we finished a book that we have been reading and I was starting to read the "About the Author" page.  It said that her father was a "naval officer".  She interrupted and said, "A NAVAL officer?!  Do they go around inspecting people's navels or something?"  She was serious.  I haven't laughed that hard in a while!!

Yarn Along

I'm going to join Jenny of Small Things in Yarn Along.  I hesitate to even do this.  I would not really call myself a knitter yet.  Not compared to some of the women I know and some whose blogs I read, who make amazing things.  I thought I had finally finished this hat, but after putting it on, I realized it still wasn't as long as I would like it to be so a friend showed me how to add to the length from the bottom and I'm working on that.  This project of making a hat has been down right ridiculous!  First, I tried a pattern that was way over my head and after a few rows I ripped it all out and found an easier pattern, then the 2nd time I got several rows into it and realized it was twisted on the needles.  I was not happy!  I'm think there may have even been a third ripping out, but I finally, finally got it!

I got a copy of Elizabeth's book for Christmas.  More accurately, I called my husband one day and told him I had just ordered the book and he could give it to me for Christmas if he wanted. ;)  I don't normally do that sort of thing, but I was very concerned that it was going to sell out and I was going to miss my chance to read this book. 

I have wanted to read this book for years.  Literally.  You see, not being Catholic, I wasn't sure how much I would get out of the book.  I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to use that much of it and so I didn't want to spend any money on it.  I looked and looked for it at used book stores and libraries but I never did find a copy.  I met a Catholic, homeschooling mom and asked her about it, but she hadn't read it either.  So when Elizabeth said on her blog that it was sold out again on Amazon, I panicked!  I had to get it and if it wasn't something I could use I figured I could sell it. 

First I read rather quickly and only made the lightest pencil marks, "just in case".  When I finished it, I went right back to the beginning and began again.  This time slowly and with a highlighter!  There's no way I'm selling it.  It's so good!!  Anyone interested in homeschooling could benefit from this book, even if they don't end up using the Charlotte Mason method of education and even if they are not Catholic.  I should have realized that if I love her blog as much as I do, I would've loved the book.

One Thousand Gifts

180.  The encouraging words of friends

181.  Sleepovers and long friendships.  Hers and mine.

182.  Grace and Mercy

183.  My husband.  Who else would drive to town simply (and happily) to get his wife a Dr. Pepper.  Maybe he just wanted an excuse to get out of the house. :)

184.  Snuggling in bed with my almond eyed beauty on Sunday afternoon.

185.  Watching my 11 yo still enjoying her imagination.  I don't know how much longer this kind of play will last.  It sure has been a joy to watch and listen in these past years.  I think my favorite memory is when she was around 5 years old and I walked in the living room to find her in her panties, lying on the floor with her arms out wide.  "I'm pretending to be Jesus"  Although as I'm typing this so many other memories are coming to mind, I'm laughing out loud.

186.  Gluten free chocolate donuts.  YUMMY!!  From Cooking for Isaiah by Silvana Nardone.  I checked this book out from the library, but it is one I would like to own.  Everything we have tried so far has been really good.  These donuts are delicious!  You would never know they were gluten free.  We are enjoying our donut pan every Sunday morning.  Actually Cameron is baking them on Saturday night and them I'm putting on the icing on Sunday morning.

187.  Signs of spring coming up

188.  Homemade bread that turns out right

189.  Patience.  I don't always have it, but I'm thankful when I do.  And so thankful that God and others have it with me.

190.  The amazing libraries that we have access to.  I can't imagine homeschooling, or keeping my bookworm happy, without the library.

{This Moment}

Uniforms and accessories for housework.

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments at Soule Mama's for all to find and see.