"...And Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again...." This song seems to be in my head a lot lately. I wonder why that is....

I'm about ready to put my computer in the dishwasher--I keep getting these INFURIATING popups!!! And that is Chris' domain to fix.

We've been letting Peter Rabbit roam around the house during the day. Can you believe it? His cage is so small, and he looked so bored in there. It's just a matter of cleaning up his small, dry "backfires" from time to time. He hasn't eaten all the electrical cords or torn into the couch, Garfield style. He's surprised us with what he's been interested in devouring, though. I was just finishing up an apple, when somebody brought him over to me . Well, he smelled that apple and went crazy! So I gave him the rest of the core, which he loved. He also nibbled on some dry bagel on the ground and some raw oats. When I brought home the groceries last night, he was in the kitchen checking things out and got very excited over an open bag of tortilla chips in one of the bags. So I gave him one of those! He's also nibbled on the cat's food and enjoys radishes, carrots, and lettuce. Oranges--no.

Last night, on the Christian channel, I actually caught something really good. Often, if it's opulently dressed pastors shouting about prosperity or something, I quickly change the channel....but this was about the reality of Heaven and Hell. There were testimonies by some men who had taken a "break" from their body when they were in the hospital and where they were when they were in limbo. These were not Christian men at the time--they were mostly atheists, actually. One guy, who had been run over by a vehicle driven by the KGB and was pronounced dead and in the morgue's freezer, with collapsed lungs, actually was not quite dead and came to as they were about to do an autopsy on him. His experiences of pressing darkness and terror caused him to turn to the Lord and be saved! One of the weirder ones was of a man who was in the hospital, very sick, and when he went outside his body for quite awhile, he went to stand beside his wife and talk to her. He felt very much alive and actually got mad at her for "ignoring" him! But then he was called away down a long, gray, blurry tunnel by some blurry people, who seemed syrupy nice at first, but then got ruder. Eventually, after walking forever with these people, he got severely abused and injured by large numbers of them for a long time. He said they really derived satisfaction from it, and although it was horrible, he kinda knew that was where he deserved to be. He was finally left alone on the ground, scratched, emotionally and physically battered. He was there for quite a long time, when something told him to "pray to God." He didn't even know how to pray, and struggled to remember the simplest things to say even from being a tot in Sunday School. But whenever he could manage to say anything prayer-like or about God, it was like boiling water on all those horrible people--they couldn't stand it! He drove them all away calling out to God. And Jesus came down and gently lifted him up. All the filth and shame and injuries, inside and outside, evaporated. Jesus hugged him like a Father, patted him on the back, comfortingly. They had a wonderful conversation! They reviewed the man's life, and he learned that whenver he had been kind and good, it made the angels, God, and Jesus happy. But whenever he had been selfish and bad, the opposite. I'm getting a little fuzzy on some of the rest of the details, but the man had to go back to earth. He didn't want to leave at all and wanted to know Jesus and the angels would be with him. Jesus said they always had been and something about the value of repenting, casting our cares on him, and all the good things that matter that are supposed to be coming out of our hearts and mouths towards God and man. The man hosting the show said that there is a dangerous trend afoot, where people who nearly died and experienced a bright light and comfort, will come back and preach comfort and "everyone goes to Heaven, it's all good after this". They try to discourage people from believing in the sin, the Hell, the salvation aspects!! Another atheistic physician, who was dying of some acute illness, barely held on through the night waiting for his Christian friend to show up and show him how to be saved. This man had been witnessing to him about the love of God for 5 years and had endured some arguments and ridicule from this Doctor. But who did he desperately want when he was dying? It was an endless night of hanging on. He kept slipping into horror and coldness and deep darkness, but in the morning,He did pray the sinner's prayer, and experienced God's salvation and peace!! I really love these stories! There are really good to remind us about the realities of Heaven and Hell, sin and salvation, and to pray for those around us!

If you want to check out an amusing website, try iusedtobelieve.com--stuff adults believed as children, like words to songs, what they saw on TV, all sorts of silly things.

An inspirational story from Guideposts: Joel Osteen, a Texas pastor, wrote the story. Among other things, he told about his mother who got very sick with liver cancer in 1981. She was very yellow and lost a lot of weight. The doctors didn't have any hope for her. "But my mother never gave up. She didn't complain about how sick or weak she felt or how hopeless the situation looked. She spoke only positively of her situation. And she filled her mouth with God's words. We'd hear her going through the house speaking aloud, 'I will live and not die. I will declare the works of the Lord.' She was like a walking Bible. Something powerful happened. Her appetite came back, she started gaining weight. Her natural color returned. It has been nearly 25 years since my mother received that death sentence, and today she is completely free of cancer."

Another story from a travel TV show about Germany, I believe: Hundreds of years ago, when the the plagues were raging, one town prayed to God to spare them. They promised Him they'd act out the crucifixion/Passion every ten years if He did. God spared the town, and they have been doing what they promised every ten years, even to the present time! I saw a blurp of it--there was a man up on a cross, and it looked realistic! I guess the men even grow their hair and beards out for months and months beforehand to make it look more authentic!

Things that go bump into the piano!! (RC car) 

Our very own exercise wheel! 

Two dolls! 

Two more dolls! 

We've been very good this year, Santa!! 

Zach's new rabbit, Peter 

Jessica as a Chinese Tea Cup in her class's production of The Nutcracker  

It is Tuesday, 12:48 p.m. The reality? I just finished breakfast, which included gingerbread men snitched from my girls' 7.99 Costco all-ingredients-included (YES!!!) gingerbread house. The gingerbread isn't really top quality, but that didn't stop me!

I felt like I got ran over by a truck this morning, so after dropping off the girls at school, I lay down in front of the heater to sleep some more. Three hours later.....here I am, much more alive. Yesterday, I went to the mall TWICE and did some intense planning and shopping for Christmas. The night before that, I had stayed up till 3:00 a.m. watching too many of my favorite shows on TLC--"What Not to Wear." Zach's doing math, and he is working on finishing up an Alexander the Great book. The girls have a half day tomorrow, and then everybody's off school for awhile! I think I can be done with Christmas shopping tomorrow, if I'm lucky. Anybody out there done? If so, good job! My little fantasy, when I planned this week off, was to bake cookies with the kiddos all week and enjoy the Christmas music, take it easy, etc. Yeah, right!

Anybody watch that relatively new kids show about Lazytown, with the hero in the blue spandex or whatever who tries to get kids moving and eating more fruits and veggies? I read a review about how well the show was doing and how it does affect kids positively. That made me wake up a bit. In winter, kids can happily watch TV all afternoon and evening if they are not stopped. And it seems like a parent has to infuse some of their own precious energy to come up with different indoor active ideas. Since I didn't have to work last night, I took the time to look up "indoor active games for kids" on the internet, and found some neat ideas which kept the girls busy for the rest of the evening! (Zach was at a friends house playing with and wishing for his friend's new rabbit). First, we tried playing variations on tag outside. But William was puzzled and stood at the front door and howled at us. He didn't want to put his shoes on and join us. I also felt kinda silly running around the house outside in public, although the exercise was great while it lasted, and it was exhilarating. So we came in and played "zombie tag." The person who is "it" has to be the zombie--they close their eyes, put their hands out in front of them and groan while they look for their prey. And whenever they groan, the others have to groan back (kinda like Marco Polo). Then it was a treasure hunt. The website (Wizardkids.org or something--no it is not a witchcraft site) had printable clues in pirate language that rhymed. So I hid these clues inside and outside, and they led to a treasure at the end, which happened to be gold candy coins the first time--hid in the cookie jar! My Mom had sent over some stocking stuffer candy, and I ended up using some of that; now I'll just have to replace it. They had SO much fun! After a few times, they took over writing clues to do their own games. But they did need help hiding them, cuz, for example, Zoe would put the clue saying, "Look on the piano" on the piano.

Our big fat Greek feast 

The Champions 

Greco-Roman thumb wrestling 

Yesterday, our family celebrated the end of Zach's 30 days of Greek studies. My parents and Kristi joined us for "Olympics," Zach's recital of Psalm 139, a puppet show, and a Greek dinner. We were supposed to do a big thing for the end of our Egypt studies, a Passover seder, to be precise. But I would rather do that in spring. Zach did a really great job memorizing the Psalm. He didn't think he could do it, but I told him that Olympic champions wouldn't win with that kind of attitude, and that he COULD do it. This is the longest thing he's ever memorized. I am so proud of him! Chris videotaped everything. I talked a bit about the ancient Olympics, and then Zach and I did a little play. We used this little colorful folding stage with a curtain and put it on the piano bench. The play was something Zach had to write based on an ancient Greek myth or legend of his choice. He picked the story of Daedulus and Icarus. We made cardboard characters with popsicle sticks and acted out what he had written. It was fun! Then the kids all came parading out--Zach had a homemade Greek flag, Jessie had a homemade torch. We did "chariot races" where the bigger kids wore this toy jingle bell harness and Will was the rider. They took turns taking off, with Will sitting on his rear on the wood floor and suddenly being RACED forward! They did a javelin throw with a long skinny beef jerky; there was Greco-Roman thumb wrestling, running on the treadmill, and the long jump. They all got "olive leaf crowns" when they were done (small silk ivy wreath).

Dinner was really good--I got three Greek recipes off the internet--stuff I hadn't made before. We had Greek salad, Souvlakia, and Baklava. Different fare, and delicious! It seemed kind of summery cuz Chris barbecued the marinated chicken cubes (the stores didn't have any lamb) and there was plenty of veggies like tomatoes, cukes, green peppers.

After dinner, we watched "A Merry Christmas Bean" movie, which was quite funny. Tonight at 6:00 we'll go to the Christmas program at Church. Tomorow night is Jessie's class program at school, and since I have all week off, we'll all be able to go--yay!

I was examining my mini hot glue gun whilst waiting for it to warm up, and you'll never guess what one of the two warnings says. I am not making this up. "Warning: Nozzle & glue will burn unplug after suing."

"And visions of homework elves danced through their heads." 

Zoe really gets stressed out by the Christmas season. 

This is the charming "choo-choo" that took us to our Christmas tree. 

"Dashing through the house, in a one-William open sleigh...." 

Yes, William fell asleep in this box with a gingerbread cookie in his mouth. 

It's been a long week, and we're only 2 days into it. I have not started my Christmas shopping....but I do have 9 days of vacation time to use up!!! Yay!!!!

My Mom had a Christmas luncheon today at her house. She provided a very nice meal with goodies in her beautiful, Christmasy house. A very neat group of Christian ladies were there, and as is tradition with these get-togethers, my Mom had everybody share what the Lord's been doing in their life. It was such a blessing to hear people share, really such a blessing and a comfort to know I'm so not alone, and that God is so loving and caring and faithful!!

I don't know what the deal is with the "situation under the neighbor's camper." So far, so good....

Elementary homelessness, my dear Watson?

Om, yeah.....I'm posting again 10 hours later.....

The night before last, as I drove into our yard about midnight, my lights shone on the car across the street. There was a guy messing with the tire, like removing it, ya know, with a jack and a tire iron. This car of our neighbor's is quite dented, and they don't seem to use it. And I'm like, "Does this young black man live next door to these people? What's going on?" As I walked into my house, I looked back at him, wondering if I was looking at a tire thief. He was looking at me, too, but then he disappeared. And the tire remained. (And this morning, there is still a tire on that spot, plus one resting on it....?!?!)
Last night, I turned out the lights and headed upstairs to bed at 1:00. And then the next door neighbor's 2 dogs started barking their heads off. They do this from time to time, and being the suspicious night owl that I am, I like to peek out the windows and see if there are any scary dark figures about, causing the dogs to raise an uproar. Well, this guy, I assume, had been waiting for me to put the lights out. I was looking out the front room, and I saw this strange blue light flash onto the front porch ceiling. When I was upstairs "gone to bed" as far as he was concerned, but still peeking, he goes to work on the tire again. I see him use a flashlight, which, before he leaves, switches to a blue light. And the dogs are still barking, and I'm uneasy and feeling very Nancy Drewish. One of the dogs decides to bark in its back yard toward the alley. Apparently, its owners are gone or dead asleep. And they don't have their new shed light on, helping to illuminate the dark back corner of their yard. So, I'm staring into the alley from the laundry room, fully expecting this guy to show up as the cause of the dogs' unease. And my attention is drawn to the dark axle area of this large camper vehicle, parked in the neighbor's yard directly in back of our house across the alley. I stare at this little pin light until my eyes see stars. Surely, that's that guy's blue flashlight, isn't it? I watch for the longest time, and the light moves very slowly, and it looks like someone has a flashlight in their teeth, and they're removing a tire. This is all under the camper. (Can you remove a tire from under a vehicle on the inside?) I stare, wonder, think, fear, pray, and finally call 911. I think that's the first time I have called them. It's 2:something in the morning, my feet are bare and ice cold standing still on the lineoleum of the detached laundry room. The guy on the line hears my story through chattering teeth and tired mind. Within a few minutes, two policemen on foot show up in the alley with their flashlights. Yay! They shine their lights here and there, talk to me, and!!!!!!!! "Don't see anything." They leave, and from my post, I STILL see the stupid light. They shut my back gate for me, though. It had been open(chain link), and so was the shed. But I was too scared to shut either. They certainly didn't spend too much thorough time shining their light under the camper....and even made a comment about how it was probably a homeless person trying to keep warm! I watched a few more minutes after they left, prayed for safety for the umpteenth time, and wearily went to bed at 2:45. It was a few minutes before I could sleep. Not really a satisfying conclusion to my "mystery"! This morning, I looked under the camper, and I saw a tarp under there. It was wedged under at least the tire I had watched, and their was a small mattress with a clean sheet on top.....nothing else...no tire iron, flash light...but the tarp was kind of raised near that tire, and the dirt underneath was disturbed, like this person may have hidden partially under the tarp and maybe a coat or blanket when the cops shone their lights. Argh! What's a girl to do?!

Pots, cups, and thrones

Zach made a reproduction Greek pottery vase today in school. I bought some self hardening "Mexican clay," a few tools, and a small glass bottle with a cork. He then covered it with clay, added Greek style handles, and tried to make it smooth. It was tough to get it smoothwithout a pottery wheel. When the pottery is dry, he'll paint black Greek style figures and/or scenes. He's also working on a play of a Greek myth--Daedulus(sp?) and Icarus.

Jessie is going to be a "Chinese Tea Cup" for her school's production of The Nutcracker on Dec. 20th. It's even going to be held at a different school, and a high school at that!

William got a haircut today, and for the first time in his life, he didn't have to sit in my lap. He didn't cry, nor did I have to wrestle with him to get him to keep his head still! It was a miracle! Usually, I've had to tip pretty nicely cuz I feel so bad for the hair cutter! I guess he decided that now that he's 3, he's going to put childish ways behind him and be a big boy. (Yeah, right!!) He did also accomplish some new goals with his potty chair this week--he learned that it is a GOOD thing to use the mini throne for an **ADDITIONAL PURPOSE**!!!! Yay!!

We actually have some sun and blue skies today, praise the Lord! On our way home from Church, we noticed an unusual train going by. It was stopping a lot of traffic, and we had to be careful not to rear end some people who practically just stopped right where they were. It was some kind of old fashioned steam engine. We caught up with it, got out, and looked at it as it went by. It whistled loudly, and we waved at the folks inside. Zach said he has heard it for 3 days. I think it said Mt. Rainier Scenic Tours on the side. Neat!!

Yesterday, I finally did something I've wanted to do for a long time--I took Jessie out for a Mommy and Me day. She had a 2.00 gift certificate for Baskin Robbins I had promised to redeem with her. So we got scoops of ice cream and then went to the dollar store where we got a few things, including cheap coloring books for her and Zoe. Then we went to the library and got some books and movies. She checked out an Apple Dumpling gang flick. Chris and I watched "The Terminal" last night. It was pretty good, mostly because of Tom Hank's character, but kind of hard to watch (if you've seen it, you know what I mean.)

Have you made a dent in your leftover turkey yet?

Alright, I want to hear how everyone is creatively using up their turkey. My mom gave me the carcass, so I'm going to make soup with it; I'll probably add rice and vegetables. Right now, I'm waiting for my lunch to cool down so I can eat it. I boiled up some water and added leftover raw veggies (baby carrots and broccoli flowerets) from Thanksgiving appetizers, then a package of Top Ramen. I threw in some diced turkey, canned mushrooms, and Yoshida's sauce(kind of a sweet, soy sauce/ teriyaki flavored number) . It looks really good.......mmm....tastes good, too!

Thankful pilgrims about to dig in 

Good day, friends! It is 11:30 on Friday. The kids have no school, so we got to sleep in and stay in our jammies! Zach and his friend have been outside in the rain, playing, and just came in again. Will is watching 101 Dalmatians and yammering constantly about the "y" he actually found this morning. That would be his pacifier. Chris had to go in to work after all--not sure it will be a whole day, though. I am doubting whether I'll make it in tonight with this cough.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day yesterday. The morning got a little tense, cuz we were scurrying around trying to get breakfasted, dressed, make a pumpkin pie and a spinach dip and get over to the fam's by 1:00. This was complicated by the fact that Will put both hands on the wood stove and burned them. His scream was heart rending and he was fussy for quite awhile. His hands aren't blistered though, and he seemed to forget them once we got to Grandma's.

Zach and Jessie enjoyed their sleepover. Zach got to get on the roof (his favorite thing in the whole world, he told Grandma) to help put up lights. He also caught a salamander and a frog! He did let them go, later. Jessie enjoyed having a sympathetic Grandma to give her extra attention and a kindly ear for all her chattering. :) Zoe enjoyed getting rid of her siblings for a little while, too. She rather gloated in it! My parents had Zach and Jessie do Thankful lists, and they are very good lists!

We actually got over there by 2:30 and nibbled on some good snacks until dinner was ready. It was a wonderful feast my mom put on, as always. The table looked lovely, and we tried to exercise restraint, but ended up very full anyway. There were delicious pies and coffee, and then we cracked open our traditional 1,000 piece Charles Wysocki pumpkin scene puzzle. And we got it all done!

William watched his new Thomas the Train DVD Kristi got him for his birthday. Chris and Zach played some lively ping pong in the garage for quite a long time. I really enjoyed being able to relax, be myself, and indulge in our strange family funniness that got us really cackling our heads off at times. We also played Trivial Pursuit, and my Mom won! The kids actually took part, and that was gratifying to watch. They had to learn how to answer fast! It was funny, because they'd come up with locally-inspired answers like "Columbia River!!!" for an answer to "What's the longest river in Europe?"

I am thankful for a God who answers prayers; a committed Christian husband; godly, praying parents; healthy, wonderful children; our cozy house; food, clothes, electricity, heat, clean hot water, working vehicles, washing machines, driers, dishwashers, coffee, and friends to keep in touch with via blogging!! :)

Hacker in the house

Zoe went to the doctor today and was told she has pneumonia. Argh! She has been acting just like Chris did when he was sick. The doc gave her an inhaler as well as antibiotics, cuz she's wheezing some. Didn't expect that! William actually came down with hives yesterday; it was really strange. They were gone this morning, and the doctor said it could be a viral thing--he's got a cough. She asked if he had eczema. I said he had when he was a baby. I really had better not get this pneumonia, but if I do, I'll probably get to the Dr. quicker than the other two cuz I'll know what I'm dealing with. She said it's not extremely contagious, but not unusual for a few people in a family to get it. Calgon, take me away (to a warm, lakeside resort).

I tried unsuccessfully for a half hour to post 3 pictures. I always have a hard time, and "Hello" isn't responding. SO IRRITATING!!!!! I was going to show you Jessie's salt dough relief map of Washington state, which is quite good, and of which she is justifiably proud. Also, I was going to show 2 pictures of William at his little family birthday party yesterday. He's turning 3 on Wednesday, and my parents came over for cake and to bring their gifts. I made a German chocolate cake from scratch, and although it was a bit crooked and the icing thinner than I would have liked, it was moist and delicious!

My mom got Will a plastic case that holds 24 cars (Hot Wheel types). HE LOVES LOVES LOVES IT, MOM!!!!! He's been playing with it nonstop!!! To him, a car is a "woe-woe." Tractors are "nay-nays." I don't know where he came up with those names.

We had Chris' mom over for dinner, since we won't be with her on Thanksgiving, but at my Mom's house--yay!! Can't wait!! The kids will have 2 1/2 days off from school next week, and my Mom even invited them over for a sleepover Wednesday night. I'll have Thursday only off, and Chris gets Thursday and Friday off.

Last night, after the 3rd dishwasher load of dishes, I was so exhausted, I felt sick. I had gotten to bed really late Friday night and then gotten up and immediately started working on cooking and cleaning for our guests. Chris and the kids all worked together as well to help, and their rooms even look great! Zach dug up the little Christmas tree and put it on his desk. He also put a string of fake candy and a string of mini lights on his bunk bed. Looks cheerful and makes a great night light! Chris particularly impressed me, cuz he did a lot of delegating and also just chipped in without being asked. Nor did he get grumpy or tense about it. Woo hoo!!! So I lay down at 8:30 p.m. in bed and didn't come to for 4 hours. Then I made the poor choice to eat a quesadilla, which sat very unfriendly-like in my belly. So by about 4:30 a.m., my stomach felt a bit better, and I was tired enough to go to sleep. I was on the couch, with William on me, not enough blankets, watching TV in the middle of the night, feeling icky. Just another day in Paradise. But I did make it to church, since I had to do Sunday School.

A few days ago, our cat, Max, brought in a mouse he was harassing. It was still alive, but I think it was quadriplegic at that point. It was bleeding on the wood floor, so I took it outside. A little while later, William, trying to be helpful, came out with a bandaid opened up, which he earnestly and tenderly wanted to apply to the "mou." :)

Last night, at work, we had our annual "turkey bowling." They set up bowling pins in the traditional format, mark off a line, and then we get to "bowl" with a turkey breast in a cloth bank bag. It's quite awkward, and your hands get kinda gross and slimy afterwards. Most of the guys did pretty well, but some of the women actually flung it up at the wall! Some of the framed pictures received a bit of turkey abuse. Later, I saw a paper sign on a framed picture in that hall that said, "Cheryl was here." :) And I think the guy with the camera near the pins must have had some close shaves. I didn't hit a single pin. Never have been much of a bowling fan, although that was my first date with Chris. :)

Well, what's new....Chris is finally mending from being really, really sick. The doctor said it was either bronchitis or pneumonia. I personally think it was pneumonia--there was blood in his horrible coughings, as well as fevers, and extreme fatigue and sleepiness. And he was that sleepy even without the expensive narcotic they gave him! They also gave him antibiotics, and he seems a lot more alive than he did even days ago, thank God. Would you believe my carnal side was really annoyed seeing him constantly on the couch for over a week coughing like a maniac? I can understand just a smidge what some 60-something women go through--RHS, or retired husband syndrome!! Ha ha!

Zach and I are studying ancient Greece now. We're done with Egypt. We also just started with Spongebob Squarepants typing CD ROM. It's fun and motivating for him. He does drills to learn the basics, but if he gets sidetracked by the games, he's still learning! :) We'll start a brand new Math-U-See tomorrow--"Focus on Division." He's learning about Greek myths and the fables of Aesop, how to draw different Greek columns, the various systems of the body, new spelling words, ancient Greek life, and writing exercises. And he's reading a juvenile book about Alexander the Great. As usual, I'm learning right along with him stuff I really never knew.

Tonight, at work, I got 3 balloons and a Milky Way candy bar and a Key pin to commemmorate my 5 years of imprisonment, I mean employment, with Key Bank. I was going to try to start being more careful and mindful of intake and output, cuz my clothes are starting to shrink thanks to Halloween candy and the near impossibility of exercise...but the milky way seems to have forced itself upon me. Just call me WONDER WILLPOWER!!! Surely, TOMORROW will be different than EVERY OTHER DAY, and I will wake up earlier, super energized, and get on the blessed treadmill.

Excuse #37

This morning, I said to Zach, "It's up time, Zach."..............Awhile later, he was still in bed. "Zach, how come you're still in bed?!" "Huh? Wha-? Oh......I was dreaming that I was duct taped to the bed and couldn't get up!" Good one, Zach.

I carved a stenciled headless horseman design into my pumpkin for work, but the judges were blind, and I didn't win even 3rd place, which I feel I should have...honestly! They seemed to favor originality and additions of STUFF and a clean pumpkin interior. So, if I could do it again, I would make the inside of my pumpkin sparkle, light the candles, and put fake blood on the outside near the head or something. Third place was this really lame pumpkin someone had freehandedly designed a key on. It wasn't even the proper key of our logo, they didn't punch out the design, and it was not even symmetrical!!! LAME!!!!!!! There weren't any cash prizes like with the costumes, though. People brought food, and we had fun, until we had to go back to work until late!

Chris took the 3 younger kids trick or treating in the rain, with his sickness, and he came back with a high fever. When I came home tonight, his shirt was soaked from feverishness. He didn't go to work today. Pray that he gets better soon and that I don't get it? I've been careful not to kiss him and to wash my hands religiously before I eat! He's been really sick for days!

Is everybody eating enough candy for an army? William has turned into a demanding candy monster--it's really annoying. Throwing it all away and showing him empty containers sounds good! But he threw his pacifier away (why, I don't know), and he hasn't had it for days! Maybe this is the true end, the true weaning! (It's about time!!!!)

It really feels like winter is upon us--tonight it was 47 degrees and rainy coming home.

headless horseman 

excited munchkins! 

Yesterday was a pretty decent day, weatherwise. Apparently, I really needed to cool my heels, because I got up late. Chris brought me coffee in bed and kept everyone under control. Then I read the paper in bed for another hour. My Dad needed to get out of the house cuz of a baby shower, so he took the 3 older kids to the waterfront for a walk and then out for lunch. I was itching for something to do out of the house, so Chris and I went to this drive through Greek place and then to a nearby park with William. I got a beef and lamb gyro, which was huge and yummy. I couldn't finish it then, but the portion I couldn't eat tasted great late at night. :) Chris got calamari and chips--it was breaded squid or octopus and fries and some marinara sauce to dip the seafood. It was so good! William had a great time running around chasing sea gulls, jumping in puddles, and playing with the fallen leaves. Then my Dad met us there with the other kids, and they played for awhile, too. Chris has been pretty sick, so he crashed on the couch for the rest of the evening, while I made chicken pot pie, cleaned up the kitchen, and kept the kids under control. I started my couch quilt by hand, cuz I just haven't been able to get to my Mom's house to use her machine! Today, the pastor continued to speak about hope. What I took away from it is, "Keep tying knots in that rope, and keep trusting God!"

Wow, it's late. I just got finished reading and commenting on peoples' blogs. I'm eating my cheese sandwich and Halloween chocolate the kids brought me from the church shin-dig. Chris woke up sick this morning, but he had to take them to church this evening, anyway, or else there would have been an uprising. Wish they had done the festival on Saturday....or do I? It's a pretty busy, chaotic event where the kiddos and adults (if they want to) get to dress up, play lots of games, get candy, have fun, and see a puppet show with a message. I took them last year, and it was really draining. I told the girls, " Bring a separate bag, and when you get any chocolate, just drop it in and bring it to me." I was kidding, but when I got home, there was actually a sandwich bag with chocolate in it! Yay!!!
I sent the camera with Chris, but he forgot to bring it in. I'll probably post pics of the kids in their costumes in a few days. Monday, we have a pumpkin carving contest for the different departments at work, and I got arm twisted into contributing. They provide huge pumpkins for us. I bought a stencil kit with skinny saws and patterns at the store. I plan to do a headless horseman design. There's also a costume contest, with cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place! Anybody think I could pass as Napoleon Dynamite if I got a wig, glasses, t-shirt, and moon boots!? Ha ha!! If I won, it would pay for the costume purchases!

I've got a headache, and I'm tired, and I cried on the way home from work about a dozen things!!!!! But only briefly. Life is really hard a lot of the time, gosh dang it!!!! But of course, I am extremely thankful for my many blessings. ANYHOO!!!!! Hey, I don't gripe much here, do I?! My real plan was to share what I made for dinner, cuz I know I have a loyal following just waiting for me to share another fresh idea, right?! Ha ha!!!
I invented this years ago and call it "Bean Pasta Goulash." You can really vary it, but basically, you boil up some pasta (I used half a package). While that's cooking, you saute half an onion and a red pepper and some fresh garlic in a good sized, deep saucepan. Tonight, I added a bunch of shredded sun dried tomatoes, 2 cans of drained, rinsed black beans, a can of sliced olives, a cup of shredded cheddar, and the pasta. It was good with garlic salt. Oh, I also added some broccoli, which I boiled with the pasta. This is a colorful, vegetarian, high fiber, low cost meal. At other times, I have used parmesan, basil, and canned, diced tomatoes.
Bon Apetit! And a festive Friday to all! At least, may the end of it be festive!

I was researching the Passover Seder on the Internet today, cuz Zach and I were going over the Exodus and Passover, etc. I found this quote I thought very rich. I don't know exactly what the author was referring to, but he/she was talking about the different meaningful components of the Seder and the history of the slavery and the freedom of being released from it, etc. (Anyone ever celebrate Passover with the traditional Seder?Looks very appealing!)

"A whole vessel can contain its measure, but a broken one can hold the Infinite."

Have you been broken? Or had your heart broken, maybe more than once even? Well look what you can hold now! :)

How to recycle roast beast

Thought I'd share a way I used up leftover roast beef, potatoes, carrots, and gravy. I made Cornish pasties!!!! All I had to do was make the dough, roll it out, cut into 6 inch circles, put the chopped up leftovers in, bake, and enjoy! I added a little water and worcestershire sauce to the innards first, so they were moist and flavorful, not dry and bland. Here's the dough recipe:

2 c. flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 c. shortening
1/3 c. ice water (slightly more if desired)
Combine flour and salt in bowl. Cut in shortening. Add enough water to form dough that will barely stick together. Knead dough on floured surface 4-5 times. Roll it 1/4 thick; cut into 6 inch circles. In center of each circle, place a moderate spoonful of meat and potatoes, onions, and carrots, or whatever you have. (Make sure it has salt and garlic and any other seasonings you want. And don't put a really dry mixture in--it won't get any moister, and dry pasties are not good.) Fold circle in half over filling. Press edges together to seal and crimp edges. Cut slit in top and bake at 400 for 15 min and then turn down to 350 for 30 min.

Friday night was a fun one for the kids. The girls got to go to a pizza birthday party and then a sleepover. Zach had a "Royal Rangers" sleepover at the church with his buddies. They got to stay up ALL NIGHT and eat, play video games, play sardines, and other such fun. Most of them really did stay up all night! Zach looked okay, but when the rest of us were ready to go to the park cuz it was such a gorgeous day, we found him on his bed. It was 1:15, and he was dead asleep. I wrote a note telling him what we were doing, with Chris' cell number. I taped it on his shirt, and we left! Had a lovely time at the park. There was this rock jutting out of the water, and there was a gaggle (or whatever) of turtles sunning themselves! It was really cute! Then we got bubble shakes. When we got back 2 hours later, Zach STILL HADN'T WOKEN UP! I went to Walgreen's for a half hour, came back, he was still asleep! That was a four hour nap! One of his buddies went to sleep from 12:00 noon yesterday till 6:00 this morning! Wow! When Zach woke up at twilight yesterday, he thought it was a new day! Glad we took advantage of the nice weather, cuz today is cold and rainy! Argh!

Dear online diary, before I forget for all time, I wanted to record that William calls his strawberry lemonade "jui-ade." His little friend, a toddler also, calls lemonade "emma-lade."
Was watching the Christian channel a bit this evening, and guess who I saw? Mr. T was talking very enthusiastically about what it means to be a Christian. (How many watched the A Team?) One thing he said that I don't want to forget, though it makes me squirm big time, is not to just tell your friends at church you're thinking of them and "praying for them." He's like (in his no nonsense way, if you know what I mean), "HELP 'EM!!!!!! If they're unemployed, help 'em get a job! Are they not able to buy food?! Help 'em!" (I'm paraphrasing a bit). Of course, we can't help EVERYONE, and prayers ARE worth a lot, but he really has a point! Gulp. Get behind me, selfishness!!

GREETINGS, EARTHLINGS,
How goes it? I got to bet incredibly late last night and up incredibly late this "morning." Hmmm...It's pretty wonderful to have such self-sufficient kids who don't self-destruct on their own...although William could have used a diaper change and more calories quite a bit earlier than he got them, heh heh.....made some delicious cinnamon rolls from a tube--yum! Chris went to an early morning men's espresso at church and after that to help with a project there. Yes, our church is modern and has an espresso/book shop inside! It's pretty cool, actually. The money made goes toward the church, it's good experience for the youngsters working there, the books are great (there's music, too), and you can meet a friend in there before or after church for a drop of whatever go go juice you like.
Yesterday it was 72 degrees! Wow!! So unexpectedly balmy! Then, in the evening, it got really windy and rainy. I guess there was lightning, but I missed it, because I was stuck in my stall at work. (Don't really have a stall, but my time there is as thrilling as being a tethered cow--groan).

some of the other quilt squares 

9 patch squares 

What's new

The kiddos have today and tomorrow off from school because of staff meetings. Our van is being repaired right now--there's a leak which is letting out coolant, causing the van to get pretty hot and the heater to not work. Chris has been going through a lot of coolant to keep it topped off. Luckily, Parkland Chevrolet has a shuttle to bring us to and from the place while it's being worked on. I have spent an hour or so there with the kids before, and there isn't much for them to do besides go ga ga over the vending machines.

I had Monday night off because of Columbus Day, but the next night, I worked for seven hours. The banks were actually open Monday, just not the Fed or proof departments! So we pretty much had double work Tuesday. I studied my Medical Transcription course Monday for the first time in weeks. Argh!

I took out the changing table from boys' room--was really sick of it in there. The bottom shelf was collapsed cuz it held books and legos and stuff, and it really irks me to see it collapsed and messy. I sanded my Goodwill find of a dresser and put a coat of paint on it. Also bought some new handles for it. It will go in there once I get the other coat on and hardware on. The boys have been sharing one dresser, and Zach has only had 2 of his own drawers.

Yesterday, I went through my antique 9 patch quilt squares and separated the ones needing patching from the sturdy ones. I ironed the sturdy ones and trimmed them to 3 1/2 inches square. Any that were too small also got rejected. When I put all my good squares together, it looked like a really cute antique doll quilt. If I want to make a twin size quilt, I'll have to repair those other ones, and maybe even add the larger squares from the other set that don't match. Tomorrow, I will go to my Mom's house to do some quilt sewing. I've got the scrap quilt top for couch ready to be sewn together.

Can I brag one second? Zach has amazing aim! He can make bulls eyes no problem with a bow and arrow! Sunday, after church, someone dared him to shoot a clock with his new pistol bb gun. This was a MAN, who thought the bbs were rubber (they're plastic), and he said he'd buy a new clock if it broke! Well, Zach hit the clock and cracked it!

Life with a 2-year-old

I got a few funny things from my Parenting magazine from an article called "Life with a 2-year-old."

"Spending the day with a 2-year-old is like working for a cranky, hormonal , half-drunk boss. At least at work you'd know when a conflict was brewing. You'd have time to prepare for it and write memos in your defense. But a 2-year-old will just suddenly freak out because you won't let him hold your knife, walk into the street, or put his hand in a dog's mouth.....Another child could be holding a piece of belly button lint, but that would be the piece of belly button lint that Zain couldn't live without.
These days, he's practicing for a career as a professional imit tester. I tell him, 'Don't throw the ball inside.' A minute later, he'll roll the ball a little. Then he'll drop it from an inch off the ground. Still not technically a throw. Then a little bounce. A few minutes later, he'll push the ball in midair. A throw? I never know when he's actually crossed the line. By the time I step in, I'm not sure which of us has actually won that round.......
Every night, as I leave Zain's room, I whisper to him, 'I'm so lucky to have you. You're the best boy in the whole world.' And on most nights, I actually mean it."

Are you exhorting daily?

Time for midnight blogging! I've got a tasty snack to chaw on while I post--ciabatta roll with salsa cream cheese dip and a slice of cheese. Love it! (Those items were bought at Costco).

I washed all my filthy quilt squares in Oxyclean in the washing machine. I think it helped. We'll see for sure when they're dry.

Anyone watch King of the Hill? A hilarious animated show set in Texas? Love that show. One of the characters recently said, "I'm so depressed I can't blink." Thought that was pretty funny, and yet not so funny, cuz that's really the way I feel sometimes, including today. But I was majorly cheered up this evening, unexpectedly. On break at work, I was looking at a newspaper, and the front page had an article about a young, local, onfire pastor. The front page!!! He's "hip," and preaches to a young crowd. He tells it like it is--tells them stuff they really need to hear about sin and morality and the evils of abortion. And they are listening!! He's an onfire guy for God, and the positive ripple effect of it has reached me, and he doesn't even know me, nor has he talked to me personally! Our pastor is just like that, too. This got me to thinking about how the Bible says we should exhort one another daily so we don't get hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. It also got me thinking about how in the last days, the increase of wickedness will cause the love of most to grow cold. It seems that righteousness--seeing it, hearing about it, doing it, is one antidote to the cooling effects of iniquity. So if this is the case, then tomorrow, if nobody comes up to exhort me, maybe I should seek it out? Instead of soaking up the negativity around me with no TRUTH AND LIFE to offset? Be exhorted, all ye that love God, God notices those who sigh and cry against wickedness! Right?!
Peace out

Eager beavers, smoky squares, and scorched chickens

It's pretty late, but I feel I must conjure up a new post.....stale blog entries are such eye rolling affairs, aren't they?!

What's new? We had a beautiful day today, thank God, after a rainy weekend. The girls have half days Tuesday through Friday this week cuz of conferences. I went to Jessie's today, and it was pretty gratifying. Even though she struggles some with math and telling time and counting money, she's one of these eager beavers who loves school. (Yessssssss!) She's a great reader and has a good imagination for telling stories. She works hard and wants to do well. God had mercy on me to give me one like her, cuz things are a lot more up hill with Zach. But we're rolling along okay with his homeschooling. I'm still quite deliriously happy with my curriculum choice.

I got my antique quilt squares in the mail yesterday, which I had ordered from ebay. There were 2 sets of 40 quilt squares. They are smoky smelling, dirty, and fragile looking. One set, though, had been sewn together by hand! I was really impressed!!!! Now I'm just trying to figure out how to clean them. Plus, one set has been sewn together quite haphazardly, with really loud color combinations of feed sack pieces. Don't quite know what to do now.....but I did have fun on Saturday turning some old shirts and pants I had been saving into 6 inch squares for a quilt for the couch. I even arranged them on a blanket and pinned them. Now, I just need to sew. So do I make a mad dash a half hour away to Mom's sewing machine, or go old fashioned and sew by hand when I get the chance?

Don't try this at home: Canning pots are not stock pots. I tried making chicken stock with two chickens in a canning pot today, without the wire insert. Well, the part of the chicken touching the bottom of the pan actually scorched!! I still made dinner from this and nobody complained (yay!), but I knew it wasn't 100% okee dokee.

Things to be thankful for on Thursday

Hello, everyone! We actually got some rain! It is like 68 degrees out. I love it! Why do I feel such good energy with this kind of weather? =) Yesterday afternoon, I was standing in the front doorway, waiting for the boys to get to the car so I could pick up the girls at school. It was a golden and crimson kind of afternoon, and the most delicious fall breeze--spicy, cool, apple cidery, was gently blowing. A really delightful moment that I wanted to can in a quart jar so I could open and enjoy in February. I made pumpkin muffins with dinner--'tis time for pumpkiny goodies! I read a quote last night that said something like, "It's better to enjoy each changing season than to be only in love with spring."

My garden beds look pretty spent. I need to cut the raspberries back. I have one giant, towering sunflower in the tomatoes, which is cool looking. The tomato plants themselves look bad, but the fruits continue to ripen. My pathetic pumpkin plants performed like they always do--they look great, grow vigorously, bloom profusely....then in fall, they mildew, and I only get 2 actual pumpkins.

Zach is doing math, and William is watching Nemo for the zillionth time. I exercised on the treadmill for 40 minutes, which I feel good about--2nd time this week! I really have to make a conscious effort to use it cuz of time and things like the sweat issue and the William issue. But of course, I need exercise, and I feel great and proud when I do. William really does NOT tolerate outdoor walks too well. He showed us that recently when I tried walking to school to get the girls and on Saturday, when the kids, my Dad, Kristi, and me went for a walk at their house. William just gives out and cries and cries when he's sick of it, and all you can do is endure till you get home, or speak sternly quite a bit and carry his heavy body home. So, I'm thankful for the treadmill!

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." Colossians3:15

Chris survived the "Wonderland Trail"

Chris returned safely from his camping trip, thank God. I invited him to do a post, but he DOES NOT WRITE, so I'll just say a little. It won't be as good as if HE wrote it , but anywho. It was a super advanced hike--like 8 or 16 miles. (I told you it wouldn't be as good--I can't even remember how many miles). There were 5 or 6 guys, including Chris. They packed everything up they needed. They climbed up to like 5500 feet--this was in the Mt. Rainier vicinity. There was water at the site, but it needed purifying. Everyone had a hefty pack which they had to put clothes, food, small tent, and anything else they would need for 2 nights. I think he said it weighed 65 lbs. Chris borrowed his boss's dad's, and it had one of those fancy water packs with a tube so you can suck water as you walk without the huge inconvenience of lifting a bottle to your mouth (rolling eyes). There was a beautiful lake, Mystic Lake, which was freezing, but they all went in anyway. Chris was not warm enough at night, and he got a wretche sleep both nights. His favorite part was "hanging out with the guys." He came back sunburned, exhausted, sore, almost sick, and very happy. I massaged his back and neck for a few minutes, and boy, was he KNOTTED AND TENSE from carrying the pack! He took care of his stuff, got a shower and dinner, and slept for probably 11 hours Sunday night. I was glad to have him back. I became a bit depressed and apathetic with him gone, which was an unwelcome surprise. Like, he's a motivating, welcome presence, and there's quite a gap when he's gone. I must admit, being more sloppy was kinda cool, but not worth the loneliness.

An easy section of trail 

Wow! 

Mystic Lake 

CRITTERS CHOMPING

I've got the house to myself tonight. The three youngers are at Grandma's, and Zach's at a sleepover. It's just me, the cat, and the neighbor's DANG BARKING DOGS!!!! Why are they barking?!! It always makes me think there's something to be worried about, but whenever I look, I see nothing. Hmph!! They're having a fit about something, and it makes me uneasy.

My mom brought me the most delicious cookies and a small box of chocolates from See's when she came and got the kids. As if she wasn't doing enough! It warmed the cockles of my heart! The cookies are the perfect texture, and they have white chocolate, coconut, dried cranberries, and maybe something I'm forgetting.

When I was heading to my car in the parking lot tonight, there was our resident raccoon under its large tree home, chomping cat food!! One of the guards had just fed it! I got relatively near it, and said "Nice night, huh?". But it didn't have very good manners--it chomped loudly with its mouth open and made a rude hissing kind of face at me.

Hopefully Chris is warm enough tonight, camping somewhere in the vicinity of Mt. Rainier. Hopefully he hasn't been eaten by a bear or fallen into a crevasse.

I had an unusual dream this morning. It was caused by a combination of my chatting last night with Chris while he packed and something I've been worrying about; I dreamt that I was at a cabin in the woods with friends and/or family. I chanced to look down a steep hill near the cabin and saw a bear at the bottom of the hill chewing on something. It looked up at me. I was freaked out and ran back to take precautions. And my ridiculous precautions? Hook chains to orange traffic cones to keep out the bear! Der!!

Tuesday's child plays with foam paint

I've been realizing that William really needs more creative preschool type stuff to do during the day, especially when Zach's doing his school. I recently bought him his own hot wheels cars, which he loves. He wanted to always get into Zach's huge collection kept in a case that closes. Well, Zach REALLY didn't care for that, so now Will is happily playing with his first 6. I've got a vintage Fisher Price garage thing he plays with. Where did I get that?! It's about as old as me, and the elevator only works if you pull outward on this twine my dad attached whilst turning the lever.

Thanks to an idea from Christiancrafters.com, I assisted Will with some "foam painting" a little while ago. I took a dollop of acrylic paint, a dollop of bubble bath, some water, and I whisked them all together to make foam. There was still some liquid at the bottom, but plenty of foam at top. For maybe 15 to 20 minutes, this had him very absorbed. I started him off on printer paper, cuz that's about all I had. I gave him a wide foam brush and then let him at it. He enjoyed pretty much stroking the foam over and over in the same spot, which the paper couldn't really handle. So I got a big piece of foil, which also added crinkle and shine to this "multisensory" activity. He enjoyed mixing the colors, but would sometimes try to lick the bubbles off his hand--not tasty. Now I'm interested in getting him some cheap containers and toys to play with sand and water outside. You can buy tables, but I don't want to pay that much for flimsy plastic. I need to get him some puzzles and things to string beads and some stuff to match and sort. I made a list from some web site that says what 3 year olds like to do--I needed to be reminded! Plus, we've gotten rid of so many toys the others wore out and/or weren't using.

Chris is going to go backpack hiking with some buddies from work on Friday and Saturday this weekend. So now he needs to get a backpack. He's really looking forward to this and has wanted to do something like it for a long time. My parents have courageously agreed to watch all 4 kiddos Friday night while I'm at work.

Zach and I started a book for school called The Golden Goblet. What's interesting is that it was kept downstairs at our main library, and someone had to retrieve it for me! It was published in 1961. I'm just wondering how many other old books are down there--especially ones I grew up reading from my old library! You don't see too many old books out. Do they move them all down there to make room for new ones, or sell some of them at their library sales?

Got the kids a bunch of clothes they desperately needed at Goodwill yesterday. Every time I turn around, I see a need for a coat or a sweatshirt, or pants or shorts are too small or worn out, shoes need replacing, and there's a severe sock shortage. How many times have I already mentioned my sprees at Goodwill and Value Village? It seems like I'm going once a week now. Zach also got a brand new, high quality skate board and a Halloween costume. And on my way to the cash register, I spotted some adorable shoes for 3.00 (for me--bonus!) which I snagged. Trips like these are complete doldrum-busters. I know some of you know what I'm talking about. =)

It's good that life doesn't stink all the time

Well, it's late Sunday night. Everyone's in bed asleep, but I'm not quite ready for that yet, so I guess I'll fill this wind-down time by stringing a few words together. Okay, done! Just kidding.

This was a really good, weekend, thank the Lord (following an interminably long, tiring week I didn't think I was going to survive). I got all my peaches canned, cookies made, floor mopped, embroidery worked on, some laundry done. I got in a quick trip to Good Will, where I picked up canning jars ,a toy for William, and a small pink, hand painted lamp shade for the girl's room. Chris did some good yard maintenance--he really tidied up the yard, with Zach's help. They got toys picked up, mowed, weed-ate , swept the concrete slab. Then Chris set up our chairs that are always getting knocked down or used as stepstools for the tree-swing, and we had a fire in our fire pit, aka, Weber. All of us were out pretty late having a relaxed happy family time. Enjoyed the full moon and the clouds giving way to clear sky and the resultant dramatic shadows. We ate popcorn, and burned up maybe the last of our wood. I was eyeing purposefully some trees at church that were cut down and lying there to make room for expansion.

Today, our pastor talked about the value of being interdependent and involved with the people in our church community. Chris and I were socialed out, so we enjoyed the community of family this weekend. The girls did get to go to a birthday party at an indoor pool last night. We had to go to Build a Bear at the mall to get an outfit as a gift. So Jessie was able to purchase an outfit for her own bear at the same time. I 'm pretty dumbfounded by the popularity of these stuffed animals and their outfits. They really don't do a thing for me, but plenty of kids these days seem to go ga ga for them! Stuffed animals were what I liked when I was a kid, too, but I guess mine were nudists.

Our cat, Max, caught a sparrow Saturday. I rescued it, named it Jack, and let Zach play with it for awhile. It even flew to the perch of a birdhouse in his room! Zach also found out, thanks to Max again, that his recently escaped snake lives in a crack in the ground right outside his window!

Chris, William, and I all had naps this afternoon. I made the most delicious dinner, which I found on recipes.com, a real source of inspiration. It's called Sweet and Sour meatballs, but it calls for canned peaches! And it has a rich, complex sauce! You could make your own meatballs, but I gave up on that a long time ago, and use Costco meatballs. Ikea's are the best, but they're too far away. =)

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

1 lb 1 oz ground turkey or beef
1.5 oz oat bran
1 lg egg, slightly beaten
1/4 tsp ground allspice
3 T light brown sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 c. canned peach slices in juice, drained (reserve 1/2 c. juice)
1/4 c. cider vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
1/4 c. ketchup (I used chili sauce)
1 T. soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c. sliced green onions

Preheat broiler. Combine meat, bran, egg, and allspice. Shape into 24 meatballs. Place on rach in pan 4 inches from heat; broil 3 min. on each side.

In 12 inch nonstick skillet, over med. heat, combine sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in reserved peach juice, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce and garlic, stirring until cornstarch dissolves. Bring to boil until thickened, about one minute.

Add meatballs, peaches, green onion, stirring to coat with sauce; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 12-15 min or till meat is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Great over white rice.

It's sprinkling pretty good outside-really feels like fall! Only a few weeks ago, I was wearing capri pants, cuz it still seemed liked summer. Now I'm ready to turn same garment into a quilt. No, really. You should see me when I get hold of some worn out article of clothing that is quiltworthy. I tear into it with my scissors and cut out all usable parts, fold it neatly, and put it into my quilt fabric pile with a satisfied smile. Yesterday, I spent quite a bit of time researching feed sack quilts on the internet, because I am really enamored with them. Then I stumbled on to a surprising number of offerings on ebay, including some vintage feed sack quilt squares, 2 lots, that were found in an attic. I am bidding on both of them. I would just have to sew them together and then add filler, backing, and then quilt it! Also bidding on an "Albers Mill" feed sack, which I would like to make into a couch pillow. Chris and his coworkers actually contributed to the local Albers Mill renovations. It's not a mill anymore, but rather condos on the waterfront. So, it would be meaningful, and its the only Albers feedsack I saw.

Yesterday, I managed to can 5 quarts of peaches--Elbertas. That's a good feeling! I have a lot more to do--must get more sugar and maybe more jars. The only way on the planet to eat canned peaches is to eat the home canned ones. And I add cinnamon to the light syrup. I shudder to think of the "taste" of the storebought ones. They taste like canned green peaches. Lame!

Well, this was an interesting day. William was the world's biggest handful pretty much all day. He woke up a tyrant, demanding cocoa, which, to him, is "the PRECIOUS." His pacifiers are his other "preciouses." He is not easily diverted away from his firm goals. We still haven't gotten a microwave yet, so we have to heat milk or water on the stove. I was trying to rest a few more minutes before stopping the indignant demands and yellings of my terrible two-dler. I don't think he has heard the instruction on "yielding rights" yet. ARGHHHHH!!!!! And he wouldn't take a nap!!!! And I tried several times!!!! Preschool sounds like the most excellent idea ever--especially when I'm trying to teach Zach and Will is wanting to be Mr. Universe--Mr. Center of the Universe, that is.

Since when do squirrels try to steal egg salad sandwiches in the middle of the day through an open window when people are in the next room? That actually happened today!!!! One of these fuzzy, gray fellows scuttled through a kitchen window to steal a quarter sandwich that had been sitting there all of 2 minutes!!! The nerve!!! What was he going to do with it, bury it next to his walnut stash?!

We got a new couch today, hallelujah!! I did a Labor Day sale, pay nothing for 18 months deal. Yes, I am evil for buying on credit. Our other couch was great, except for the glaring hideous cracks all over the vinyl seats!! My dad helped us get this couch for a song from one of his old neighbors. It had like 2 small slits in it when we got it. Well, Chris diligently repaired the slits with a special kit--twice--but it just weakened the vinyl and caused it to explode in cracks!!! NOT COOL!! So now we have a lovely brown leather couch. Chris and I pretty much killed ourselves getting the old one out and the new one in!! It was right before dinner, and all the kids and one of the obnoxious neighbor girls (bless her heart), were hanging around gawking. Chris and I got just a teensy bit testy with all of them after I collapsed to my knees with our old 3,000 lb behemoth. It sounds bad, and it looked bad, but amazingly, I didn't really get hurt. I dropped onto the grass, not the cement walkway. What had happened was, I tripped on a cord coming from the couch and just sank to the ground with the couch still in my hands! We both really had to wrestle it out, down the stairs, and out the picket fence. We both hurt our hands, and I dropped one or both of the couches, several times. I didn't drop them hard, but my hands and arms just kinda gave out. I thought I was strong--but that was a challenge. Only a few more years until my strapping 11-year old son will be strapping enough to take over this kind of thing--Lord, haste the day--but I do treasure these last few prepubescent years with him, believe me. So we put the old one next to the street with a "FREE" sign. And guess what, within hours, it was gone!!!! For people who don't mind living with blankets covering the seat, it is a great couch with lots of life, and very comfortable. It even had reclining seats. Too bad it wasn't leather, or it wouldn't have gotten all stupidly cracked.

William learned what else can go in a potty chair this evening, for the first time. Apparently, he thought it was something to finger paint with, because Chris had to do a lot of cleanup afterwards. And I was at work and had to miss all that fun--poor me!

My mom made this Dorothy costume for Zoe--isn't it adorable?! A neighbor girl gave her the red sparkly shoes first, and then Zoe wanted a costume to go with it. =)

There's no place like home! 

Jill, the name of our curriculum is Learning Adventures. Dorian Holt, wife of John Holt (big in home education), created it. The website is Learning-Adventures.org. We started it today, and I have a really good feeling about this. We're starting with Egypt. What we did today was, we read Genesis 37:1-36 about Joseph. Then I asked Zach a bunch of comprehension questions, which were written out. He had just one vocabulary word to write on a 3x5 card, and his writing assignment was copying the events we had just read about Joseph in chronological order. His vocabulary word was chronos. Then we looked at and read some of our library books. For social studies, we read about the people of Egypt--what they look like, wear, eat, etc. For science, he read about deserts. One of Dorian's big things is the connectedness in real life of things and how when you're curious or interested and have freedom to do a lot of your own research and reading, you can learn SO MUCH. For example, if you're interested in taking pictures, you would get a camera. You'd probably research what kind you wanted, and that might lead you to a photography class, and that might lead you to learning to develop your own photos, and that might lead you to entering a contest or cutting your own mats....when you're interested, not FORCED TO READ THIS TEXTBOOK FOR THIS LONG--NOW STOP--NOW STUDY FOR THE TEST--NOW THE NEXT CHAPTER--AND YOU DIDN'T RETAIN IT NOR DID YOU GET TO DO ANY PERSONAL RESEARCHING OR HANDS ON PROJECTS BECAUSE WE HAVE A SCHEDULE TO KEEP, DANG IT..... Learning Adventures is the opposite. And I don't just get to throw the lessons and books at Zach and head to the mall ( actually a bed would be the more tempting choice). She has me reading out loud to him and being pretty involved. And there is a lot of flexibility about what books you can get, although she gives you lots of specific ideas, including some required literature. So, I personally learned a lot more about Egypt today, in 1 day, "teaching" my son, than I ever knew before!! And I thought it would be fun to make some Egyptian food for dinner, so I looked up on the internet how to make Egyptian bread and lentil stew. Zach helped me with the bread, and we wove a bit of math in there, since I was doubling the recipe. For math, he did math-u-see. He's almost done with the focus on multiplication book--it's one of those Greek letters, can't remember which. I'm looking forward to tomorrow's learning--and that feels really good to say that, rather than, " I hope I can make sense of this complicated lesson plan and COVER and FORCE down his throat these 79 subjects, so I can check off the boxes!" Of course, today I didn't have any errands to do, so on days where there are errands, we will have to be more flexible. Yes, I know it's REALLY EASY to be elated at the beginning of something, and 1 month later be crying in your latte cuz you're behind or sick of it, or whatever. NEVERTHELESS!!!!! I still think I'm on to something!

I made a SUPER cake Sunday. It's rich and sweet and moist and comforting. Good for a near fall weekend. Try it! Or invite yourself over and ask me to make it. We'll have a little party for all the kind people who comment on my blog! So if you are one of those lazy people who only READ blogs ( and CRRRRRRITicize like the old rich Aunt? from the Anne books)......THEN NO CAKE FOR YOU!!!!

CARAMEL APPLE COFFEE CAKE

3 eggs
2 c. sugar
1.5 c. oil
2 tsp vanilla
3 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp bs
3 c. chopped, peeled apples
1 c. chopped pecans

TOPPING

1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. milk
1 c. packed brown sugar

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs until foamy; gradually add sugar. Blend in oil and vanilla. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda; add to egg mixture. Stir in apples and pecans. Pour into a greased 10-inch tube pan; bake at 350 for 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove cake to a serving platter. For topping, combine all ingredients in a saucepan; boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly pour over warm cake. (It does seem like a lot, but it soaks in some).

We have too many @#$%^&* flies in our house!!!!! And no, I don't keep a litter box in my house. The neighbors do have chickens, though. I'm really tired of flying, buzzing, impertinent, ugly flies. In summer, they do their stunt flying in the middle of the rooms, but now that it's cooler, they're all mellow and languid. You might look at the ceiling and see 7 of them trying to do charades of constellations. There are 2 flies in this computer area right now just ambling about drunkenly over my screen. This is not Amityville, ya wee beasties!!!

Okay, if I have to retype quite a few of my words, it's obscenely past my bed time. Goodnight, sleep tight, and don't let the bed bugs bite! Or those really big spiders that come out at night and run REALLLLLLYYYY fast.

This is not officially our cat, but it thinks it is. The neighbors, whose cat it "really" is, unless we want to spring for vet bills for its shots etc., named it Solito. I call him Mr. Cacklings or Mr. Cacks. He's quite calm and cute, gets along well with our other cat, Max, and has a high-pitched, cute meow. He hangs out at our house a lot, eats our food, sleeps here!

I got my curriculum today and spent some time looking at it and coming up with some lists of what I need. Then I went to the library to get some books I need. It's based on the Bible and books you check out or buy. I'm really looking forward to this, and so is Zach. I need to get him his own NIV Bible. We'll be starting out learning stuff about Egypt, deserts, Joseph, with all sorts of related goodies and language arts and science woven in. There will be some cooking, like lentil stew and even some kind of Jewish feast or something at the end of the section! He'll be doing a diorama of the layout of Egypt. Each section gets 30 days. He'll also be studying Rome, Greece, the Explorers, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Reformation! I have a strong feeling I'm going to be learning a ton along with him.

My parents had the three older kids overnight and then took them out to play miniature golf and to lunch! My kids' grandparents are better than your kids' grandparents!! =) It doesn't look like the kiddos will be swimming in Gma's pool anymore--the thrill is gone, don't cha know. I guess they went in for just a wee bit this morning, and then spent a LONG time soaking in Gma's deep soaker tub FULL of hot water!

I picked some blackberries today, over by a nearby school. But they were mostly overripe, and I didn't get enough to make the jelly I wanted to. Plus, William was with me, and he thought I had taken him into a man-eating forest. He was no help and quite fussy. So I froze my berries--they say jam actually tastes better when the fruit has been frozen first. Now, I'll just need to find some more, maybe on Monday.

I'm very happy it's a three day weekend. I was completely sleep deprived for the last 3 days, and we got out at 1:00 from work this morning! Tuesday, when we go back, it will also be a long one.

God bless you, each one!

Mr. Cacklings