Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thess. 5:16-18
Monday, September 29, 2008
8 miles!!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
I Survived!
My grandmother (Meme) and my mother are the ladies behind the couch.
Meme recently moved to an apartment in Forest. This is the first time my children have visited her in her new home.
Jimmy, Olivia, Julie, and Clay all ran in a 5K race Saturday morning called the Wing Dang Doodle! The race is part of a fun day of chicken wing cooking competitions and blues music. All of them ran their fastest time ever in a 5K race. Jimmy won 1st in his age group, Olivia was 1st in 14 and under (2nd overall female), Julie was 1st overall female, and Clay was 1st in 14 and under. I listed their times under Race Results in the sidebar.
Clay in is "race day" shirt. He wears this red shirt to EVERY race!
Clay, Olivia, and Julie showing their awards.
All of the children
Pops (my daddy) and Sam
Pops, Sam, and Leah
My parents and all of the children
Sam's favorite picture pose
Finally, a picture where you can see Sam's sweet face!
Recipes
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
1 can chili without beans
1 can tomatoes
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can tomato soup
1 can vegetarian alphabet soup
1 can corn
1 can Veg-All
Put all ingredients in a crock pot. Rinse each can with 1/4 can water. Then add 1 more can of water. Cook on low for a few hours.
Potato Soup
1 30oz. bag frozen hash brown potatoes
3 cans chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
Mix all ingredients except cream cheese in crock pot. Cook on low for 5 hours. Stir in cream cheese and cook 30 more minutes. Stir before serving.
Weekly Menu
Sunday
pig in blankets
pasta salad, fruit salad
cereal (what we always eat on Sunday nights after church)
Monday
homemade waffles
baked potatoes
creamy chicken pasta
Tuesday
self serve (frozen waffles, cereal, granola bars)
sandwiches or leftovers
chicken tacos
Wednesday
ham and cheese eggs, toast
sandwiches or leftovers
7 can soup, bread
Thursday
cinnamon rolls
raviolis
potato soup, bread
Friday
oatmeal, cereal
leftovers
eat out or frozen pizza
Saturday
self serve
grilled cheese sandwiches
grilled chicken, ranch potatoes, peas
Sunday
pig in blankets
homemade pizza
cereal
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Sleeping Sam!
We have changed our plans for the weekend for Jimmy and the children. Instead of keeping them here at home and running in the race in New Albany Saturday with their cross country team, Jimmy is taking them to spend the night at my parents' house (3 hours away). They will run in a 5K race there Saturday morning. My parents are looking forward to cheering them on. Hopefully being at Mims and Pops's house will serve as a pleasant distraction to Sam. We should all arrive home around the same time Saturday afternoon. It won't be a minute too soon.
Can you tell that I am nervous about being gone?
We had a fun, but tiring (for me) cross country practice this afternoon. I ran with some of the kids, and they ran a faster pace than what I usually do. They worked me hard! Jimmy was able to come and run too, and my sweet friend Liesa, and some of the other mothers, watched Leah and Sam for us so we didn't have to push the stroller. After practice the whole team and some of the parents went to the local Mexican restaurant for supper. It was a lot of fun! The children had a fabulous time.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Running
I have two friends who are beginning to run. For them and anyone else out there who is interested, here are a few websites with helpful information.
Beginning Runner's Guide
Hal Higdon's Beginning 5K Training Guide
Jeff Galloway
Runner's World
My advice is to take it slowly, run slowly, and increase your distance/time slowly. I first began running consistently 18 months ago, and most of that was with the double stroller. Commit to sticking with it for 8 weeks before you decide that running isn't for you. I promise you, you will be hooked! Remember, each mile burns about 100 calories! (That's walking or running).
One more thing, once you are committed to running regularly, invest in a good pair of running shoes and some decent running socks (not thick 100% cotton ones).
Happy Running!
Running, Sam, and Books
I am leaving Sam overnight for the first time in his life (he will be 3 in January) this Friday night. I will be gone a little over 24 hours. Lynn and I are going to a Christian Women's Retreat about 1.5 hours away from home. Sam has never gone to sleep at bedtime without me and my hair. I can count on one hand the times he has not gotten in our bed during the night. He wakes up calling, "Mama, Mama!" I get him, he grabs my hair, and he is back asleep within a minute. I am not sure that I can sleep without his little hands pulling my hair! We'll see!
While shopping for a birthday gift today, I saw Karen Kingsbury's newest and last book in the beloved Baxter family series. I bought it! I want to stay up all night and read the whole thing (I won't)! But I am still reading two other books. I am going to make myself finish the other books, and then read this last book, Sunset at a slow, enjoyable pace. I have never read a book without skipping ahead to see what happens. I am going to TRY to read this book, page by page, in order!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Creamy Italian Chicken
4-6 frozen chicken breasts
1 package dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 can chicken broth
8 oz. cream cheese
12-16 oz. pasta (I use angel hair because it cooks quickly)
Place chicken in crock pot and sprinkle dry mix on top. Add the can of broth and cook on high for 4 hours. Add the cubed cream cheese, shred the chicken a little with two forks or some scissors, and stir well. Continue to cook for 30 minutes or until cream cheese is melted. Stir. While the cream cheese is melting, cook the pasta. You can either spoon the chicken and sauce on each plate of pasta, or mix the whole thing together in a big bowl (or the pot you cooked the pasta in). Enjoy!
Menu Monday
- Monday: leftovers (we have grilled hamburgers and chicken)
- Tuesday: Crock Pot--roast with carrots, potatoes and onions, green beans
- Wednesday: Crock Pot--Creamy Italian chicken served over pasta
- Thursday--eat out with the cross country team after practice
- Friday: spaghetti (thawed and heated from the freezer)
- Saturday: frozen pizza
- Sunday: Crock Pot--Mexican chicken--to be used for nachos or soft tacos
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Saltillo Invitational
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Preschool Activities List
- cut lines drawn on strips of paper
- wooden ABC puzzle
- matching socks
- buttons
- flower arranging
- Lauri puzzles
- stencils and paper
- woodkin dolls
- popsicle sticks, paper, and glue
- pom poms, muffins tins, bowls, and clothespins
- dominoes
- fun noodles
- wedgits
- felt board
- play-doh
- magnet paper dolls
- lacing pets
- beans
- fit-a-space (Lauri product)
- dry erase board
- cut coupons
- pipe cleaners and beads
- bears and cups
- clock puzzle
- abacus
- ABC floor puzzle
- tongs and objects to pick up
- wooden beads
- plastic animals
- gears
- school bus (cloth ABC toy)
- form fitters (Lauri product)
- stamps
- egg carton counting
- magnet boards
- rice
- beginner pattern blocks
- water, bowls, droppers
- letter magnets
- see and spell
- soft beads
- plastic buttons
- Familiar Things puzzle (Lauri)
- Leap Pad
- animal lacing cards
- toothpick art
- Dress the Bear puzzle
- water doodle mats
- ring builders
- lace and link letters (Lauri)
- chalk art
- geo blocks
- Cuisenaire rods
- Discovery Toy Farm puzzle
- number peg puzzle (Lauri)
- cubes
- Little People
- soft blocks
- Fisher Price ABC animals
- water, bowls, sponges
- Lauri stacking pegs
I did not buy or gather these supplies overnight! I have had a preschooler since the beginning of my homeschooling career, and I have collected these items over 10 years. I like to give the younger children items that can be used during school time for birthday and Christmas gifts.
Time For God
How much of our time does God want? 30 minutes of Bible reading and prayer first thing in the morning so you can check it off your "to do list"? Or a few minutes of prayer right before you go to bed at night so you won't feel guilty? Is reading your Bible in order to complete your lessons for Bible class enough? What about praying when life gets stressful?
Obviously God wants way more than this. Consider these few verses (all from the NIV).
Romans 12:1 "Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer yourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship."
Remember those sacrifices that God demanded daily for various sins in the OT? Do you remember that the animals for sacrifice had to be without blemish? God's people had to put some thought into choosing their animals for sacrifice....on a daily basis. Today WE are living sacrifices. I think God wants us to put a good deal of thought into presenting ourselves holy and pleasing to God. Of course we are not without blemish (thank you Lord for Jesus's blood), but we must make choices all day every day that reflect that we are sacrificing ourselves for God. Choose to spend much time in prayer and Bible reading. Choose to memorize Scripture. Choose to give a gentle answer instead of displaying your anger. Pray, pray, and pray some more for the Lord to help you be the living sacrifice he wants. This takes lots of time.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 "Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
We are commanded to pray continually. Throughout the day. Prayers of praise and thankfulness, and prayers of help and for wisdom.
Colossians 3:17 "And whaterever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."
Obeying these verses will pretty much take up all of our time! Whatever you do, do it ALL in the name of the Lord Jesus---so as you are working today, serving your family, working outside your home, taking care of a sick or elderly relative, cleaning up from the children's stomach virus, whatever you do today, think of serving the Lord while doing it.
God wants ALL of our time.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Happy Birthday to Me!
Here is Sam enjoying his waffle while making his "picture face".
This is what the kitchen looked like after the cooking session.
As soon as Jimmy came home tonight I had one last surprise--birthday brownies complete with homemade icing and candles! I was shocked. My first question was, "When did you cook this?" The answer was even more surprising. My sweet Olivia and Julie got up at 5 O'CLOCK THIS MORNING! They cooked the brownies, made the homemade icing, hid the brownies in the basement, and cleaned up all the evidence! All before I woke up at 7:00. How wonderful was that??
I have the sweetest, kindest, most thoughtful husband and children. I thank them so much for all they did to celebrate my birthday. I had a lovely day!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Sherman Day 5K
Friday, September 12, 2008
Back to School Picnic
Fun
Thursday, September 11, 2008
A Typical School Day
Here is Sam playing with a fun activity on the schoolroom floor. For the first hour of our school time, Sam plays upstairs with different siblings. Then I let him come to the schoolroom either to sit in my lap or play with the activities of the day. This day he was playing with plastic buttons.
Olivia does all of her schoolwork independently. She is doing quite well in 8th grade Apologia Physical Science. This is her first year to use a textbook for science (or any subject), and I am so pleased with how she has adapted.
Julie does all of her schoolwork independently too. She has a different science curriculum than Olivia, but she is doing it all alone too. She is also using Teaching Textbooks Math for the first time, and she seems to enjoy it more than the Horizons we used in the past. I still plan to use Horizons math through the 5th grade for the younger children.
Here is Leah playing with the "arranging the flowers" activity. I rotate about 50 activities for Leah and Sam to do each day. I usually put out 3-4 different activities each day. Leah is loving preschool! We are counting the school days to 100. Every day she asks if it is the 100th day. I told her we would have a big celebration on the 100th day, and she is really looking forward to it.
Storage and Ribbon
When I paint the chalkboard paint on the front, they will look nicer.
Also in my storage room, which is also my gift wrap and scrapbooking room, I have the neatest ribbon holder that Jimmy built me. I have more ribbon ordered, because we were out of several colors. Here are the two sites where I order ribbon and gift wrap. Paper Mart and Superior Gift Wrap. At Superior Gift Wrap, I order the Splendorette ribbon. They sell the best lime green color--it's called citrus. At Paper Mart, I order the poly ribbon. At both sites, I also order their curling ribbon. The prices may seem high, but the quantity is huge! It really is more economical to buy these large rolls. The gift wrap and the ribbon both last a long time. I bought only one roll of Christmas gift wrap when I ordered my ribbon. I wanted more!! but I think that the one new roll along with what I have left from years past will be enough for this year.
I just slide the metal rods up and out of the end to hang a new roll of ribbon. Some of the holes in the center of the rolls are not large enough to fit on the rods, so Jimmy drills them out a little bigger. Isn't this the neatest thing?
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Reading
Leah likes to "read" to Sam. On this particular occasion, she was reading to him about the animals in this book, quizzing him to see if he knew their names. They also discussed whether each animal was "scary"! They sat here for quite a while, and Sam even "read" some books aloud too. I love my little readers!
Menus
Breakfast
Week 1
pancakes
sausage muffins
egg sandwiches
frozen waffles
muffins
cinnamon rolls
ham and cheese eggs, toast
Week 2
eggs, bacon, biscuits
pig in the blankets
oatmeal, cereal
toast—PB, cinnamon, cheese
repeat above menu
Lunch
Week 1
chicken strips, mac and cheese
sandwiches, chips
frozen pizza
baked potatoes
chicken quesadillas
frozen raviolies with spaghetti sauce
leftovers, PBJ
Week 2
repeat week 1
Supper
Week 1
poppy seed chicken, brown rice, peas
homemade pizza
pork roast, baked beans, slaw, potato salad or stuffed eggs
chicken and dumplings, butterbeans
baked fish, steamed broccoli, baked sweet potatoes
spaghetti, salad
pasta salad, fruit salad
Week 2
chicken tetrazinni, green beans
roast, carrots, potatoes, peas
BBQ chicken salad
chicken tacos and nachos
shrimp scampi, salad
crescent roll chicken, green beans
grilled chicken, ranch potatoes, green peas