Exercise Challenge

I have not exercised in about two weeks.  I've been struggling with a chest-thing.  It's one of those things that if I exercise and get out of breath, I'll end up coughing my guts up.  So.  Until I can get over this thing, keep moving without me!  :-)

The Simple Woman's Daybook

 FOR TODAY
Outside my window...the high will be 63 today.  I feel so cheated with this whole winter thing.

I am thinking...that I hope I can function better than last week.  I had a chest/head thing that really slowed me down.  I’m behind in laundry, school with the kids and just about everything else.

I am thankful for...the laundry I did get done this past weekend.  I don’t think we’ll have to dig through any piles looking for jeans today.

From the learning rooms...working on a History Pockets book with Jack and Lydia…Egypt.  A train lapbook with Henry.  Trying to fit more time in the schedule to meet with Ben and discuss his schoolwork.  Once a week just wasn’t enough.

From the kitchen...oatmeal for breakfast.  I love oatmeal and anything with oatmeal in it.  I thought about starting a blog with only oatmeal recipes on it, until my husband rolled his eyes at me when I told him about it.  He doesn’t like oatmeal like I do.  ;-)

I am creating...I’m not doing the creating these days.  I’ve been enjoying watching Darin develop a new hobby.  He has started editing our movies so the kids can watch.  Jurassic Park, Apollo 13…..there are curse words in those movies.  Why?  It’s really all so unecessary.

I personally would go insane doing the editing thing.  Seems kinda boring to me, but that’s just the kind of sweet, geeky husband I have.  J

I am going...to crack the whip this week.  Bwaaaaaaa-haaa-haaaaaaaaaa!

I am reading...The Cross & the Switchblade.  Ben is supposed to read it for school this year. Anyone have any thoughts on a 13 year old reading this book?  I am only in Chapter 3 so far.

I am hoping...that Sophia is through waking up during the night.  Sleeeeep, Sophia!  Sleeeeeeeeep.

I am hearing...Jack and Henry "shooting" each other.  Henry just died.  Sophia is opening and closing a desk drawer.

Around the house...finish catching up on laundry, make a triple batch of muffins for the freezer, mop the kitchen floor, stay away from the sugar cookies Lydia and I made yesterday!

One of my favorite things...Sugar cookies.

A few plans for the rest of the week: birthday party, thing at church on Saturday night, piano lessons for Lydia, start teaching Jack the recorder, guitar lessons for Ben.

Here is picture thought I am sharing…

To read  more Daybook entries go HERE

Lovely, Love My Family

I'm not a big fan of Yo Gabba Gabba, but I love this song that was on their show.  It's my newest favorite.  :-)

Here are the words:
All we need, all we need. All we need.
Spread the love around, yeah

Sometimes when I am sitting by myself
Those quiet moments when not with no one else
I’m mesmerized by all the many good things in my life
I think about the time when I was younger
And the older that I get the more that I feel wiser
With the love of friends and family
Get stronger and it carries me on through

So I say lovely lovely lovely lovely lovely
lovely lovely lovely love, love my family
So I say lovely lovely lovely lovely lovely
lovely lovely lovely love, love my family
So I say lovely lovely lovely lovely lovely
lovely lovely lovely love, love my family

Sometimes when I am waiting for the bus
The sun shines bright and I feel peace like nowhere else
I know I'm in good health and life keeps going, I keep moving, I’m alright
I go to school and educate my mind, and the way the world is spinning
makes me want to turn around and start all over, hit the reset and go back in time.

Oh baby love me
Oh spread the love around, yeah

So I say lovely lovely lovely lovely lovely
lovely lovely lovely love, love my family
So I say lovely lovely lovely lovely lovely
lovely lovely lovely love, love my family
So I say lovely lovely lovely lovely lovely
lovely lovely lovely love, love my family

Baby Food

I am a total geek.  I love to make baby food.  It all started, of course, with our first, 13 years ago.  After I had Ben, I quit my full-time job and got a part-time job at a bookstore.  Where else could a bookworm like me go? 

As an employee, I got a discount, and as a frugal gal, I scoured the Bargain Book shelves so my discount would go even farther.  One of the books I found was a Baby Food cookbook.  It freaked me out at first.  I mean, didn't babies just eat the food that came in jars from the grocery store?  I can't even remember the name of the book anymore.  I gave it away after our 3rd baby since we weren't going to have anymore kids.......I remember making things like "Tomato and Lentil Medley" (yes, they really ate it).  This book taught me how to puree the food and freeze it in ice cube trays, then store in freezer bags until needed.  Amazing. 

By the time Jack, our 3rd, was born, I was in the middle of starting up a Homeschool Support Group at our church and didn't use the cookbook.  I just pureed a bunch of veges and mixed likely ones together.  Easy.  Poor Jack.  He really has taken the brunt of things, being the 3rd and all.  God bless him.  How Darin and I should repay him for all he's had to deal with is another blog entry....

SO.  We now have Henry (#4) and Sophia (#5).   I've been giddy over the new baby food recipes I've come across.  Really, for the most part, I'm cooking smarter these days.  I'll put something like Chicken Pot Pie on the menu, double the recipe, then puree the leftovers for Sophia.  Voila!  Baby food.  It's funny....I'll feed Sophia her Chicken Pot Pie and the older kids will walk by and say, "eeeeeew!  Baby food!"  That's when I say, "You ate this for dinner last night."  ;-)

So Chicken Pot Pie, Beef Stew, Homemade Applesauce, leftover Spaghetti - those are a few things I've made work double duty.  I also steam and puree veges on their own to freeze.  And I have a new cookbook.  It's Top 100 Baby Purees.  It's a pretty good book.  I've had to make baby food for a longer amount of time with Sophia because even at 13 months, the girl only has 5 teeth.  Here's one of the latest recipes I tried from my newest book.  Sophia loves it.  If you decide to make it for your babe, double, or even triple it.  I don't know about you, but I cook for the long-term.  ;-)

Creamy Chicken and Vegetables

1 T. vegetable oil
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 med. carrots, peeled and chopped
3/4 c. sliced mushrooms
1 T. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. chicken stock
1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. chopped cooked chicken
1/4 c. grated cheddar cheese

Heat the oil in a saucepan and saute the onion and carrots for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the mushrooms and saute for 3 minutes.  Stir in the flour and continue to cook for 1 minute.  Gradually stir in the stock and the milk.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes.  Stir in the chicken and cook for 1 more minute.  Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese until melted.  Either chop into small pieces or puree for your baby. 
Makes 3 servings.

 

Roller Coaster Madness

I think of this scene from Parenthood all the time. I am like Steve Martin's character, but I like to think I'm like Mary Steenbergen's character.  Probably the worse type of parent there could be.  I guess the good news is that I can acknowledge my issue and work at overcoming it. 

Today I totally discouraged my two year old.  He loves to "do school."  So I've been going to Homeschool Share and downloading all the fun and free preschool lapbooks and we've been doing them together.  He LOVES it.  He wants to do it.  And he really LOVES it.

The problem is that for a little over four years I was a Home School support group leader and I spent a ton of my time telling all the first-time mommies with 3 year olds to quit trying to teach their kids to read and do math until later.  MUCH later.  I would say, "Have fun with them!  Explore, cook, make playdough, go to the park."  This advice is burned in my brain.  I believe it.  Except for my own temporary insanity with MY first, I've followed my own advice to a "T."

Because of that, I've been a little uncomfortable with Henry's fascination for creating paperwork.  There have been times when I've tried to read a book to the boy that's related to our lapbooking, but in the middle of the book, he has interupted me to request that we "do school."  WHAT?  We were reading a LIVING BOOK together.  sigh.  So in the last month or so, I've tried to skirt the whole school issue with him and have worked extra, extra hard at making sure he has been busy with crafts, blocks, going outside & etc.  He has never given up asking me to do school.  I've been side-stepping his question with "let's go outside & etc."

Today he was having nothing to do with it.  He asked me and I said, "Do you want to help me make some Chicken Pot Pie?"  No.  He didn't.  He had a recorder in his hand and threw it as hard as he could into the living room and walked away, shaking his head.

WAAAAAAH.  I ran to him and begged him to forgive me and promised that we would do school tomorrow.  Daggone it, we will!

No more white-knuckling the roller coaster car.  I've got to let go and enjoy the ride with my kids and quit trying to make them follow patterns that I think should be followed.  Sometimes they might just lead me down a fun hill.......

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY
Outside my window...chilly and rain.  Just the way I like it in the winter.  I hate it when it’s warm outside when it’s supposed to be winter.  I like my seasons to be consistent…it was 81 here on Saturday!

I am thinking...that I’ve missed blogging regularly.  I’ve got so many things rolling around my head that I want to post, but don’t know if I’ll ever get to everything!  And as if I am loaded down with spare minutes, I joined Facebook at the end of last week.  Oyve.  That has taken up my blogging time this weekend.  ;-)  But it’s been fun finding friends from high school, college, my neighbors!, and even some of my bloggy pals.  If you are on Facebook, let me know!

I am thankful for...all the time that Darin just had off from work.  He was here at home with us for THIRTEEN DAYS.  Sigh.  So nice.

From the learning rooms...groans and sighs from all of us.  No one is ready to get back to work!

From the kitchen...I took a major cooking hiatus this past week and it was great.  By the end of the week Darin and the kids were asking when I was going to cook again!  I guess that would be today.  Got stew in the crockpot for lunch, and will puree the leftovers for baby food for Sophia.  She’s a year, but only has five teeth!  For dinner tonight, I’m going to make Chicken Potpie.  I’ll puree those leftovers for Sophia as well.

I am creating...order – seems I’m always doing that with something in the house, though.  ;-)  Over the holidays I finally got my new bookshelves moved into the house and ooooooooooh – it added just what I needed in the way of getting more organized for school and babies.

I am going...to try really hard to keep a smile on my face and a grin in my heart as we work our way back into the groove.  Help me, Lord!

I am reading..."When Children Love to Learn” by Elaine Cooper and Vol. 5 of the Charlotte Mason series.  Misc. other books with Darin and the kids.

I am hoping...to be more consistent this year (yes, I’m sneaking in a New Year’s Resolution).  I don’t want to get sidetracked with fun/hobby type stuff when I should be doing things to be ready for the next day, next week, or next month!

I am hearing...computers humming, rain on the window.

Around the house...I would really like to get the huge pile of clothes that is on my dresser sorted and put away this week.

One of my favorite things...a schedule.  I missed our routine during the holidays.

A few plans for the rest of the week:  Nothing.  We’re just gonna hunker down and get happy with school and chores again.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...
Something that was so fun in December.  Doesn't it just make you want to gag at the thought of it now?

To read other Daybook entries, go HERE.