A Beautiful Work In Progress

Important Information from our Katie

2011-09-21T09:10:00.000-04:00

Yes..... Goop is goopy. I'll never forget it.

Annas Favorite Game

2011-09-21T09:04:00.000-04:00

Anna just loves crawling along side or after anyone who is willing to crawl on the floor with her. She giggles the whole way and often has to stop just to finish getting the laughter out. She especially loves to play this game with Sarah, who will crawl past her down the hall and then turn around and zoom right back the other way. Anna happily does her best to catch her, and she never gets frustrated that she doesn't.

It is simply adorable to watch, as she crawls her fastest, sometimes throwing her head back in fits of laughter, sometimes tucking her head down, catching her breath between giggles.

Oh. And she's a breath away from walking, too! Yesterday, while I was cooking dinner, Katie yelled out for me.
"Mommy!" she yelled, excitedly. "You're really gonna wanna come and see Anna and I!" (yes, she used the correct pronoun and everything!)
"What's up?" I called back, stirring at the stove.
"Just come and look!"
So I peaked around the corner and do you know what I saw? There was my oldest daughter holding the hand of my youngest daughter as the walked up the hall towards me, huge smiles on both their faces. I scooped them up in a big snuggly hug when they got to me, much to both their delights. I'm not sure how much a mother's heart can hold, but I tell you, mine was feeling pretty full!

My Very-Nearly-Almost-Gonna-Be-One-Year-Old

2011-09-20T21:17:00.002-04:00

or Don't Blink Or You'll Miss It!

or Don't Blink Or You'll Miss It!

2011-09-20T21:16:00.000-04:00

A Quick Shot Of Our First Day Of School

2011-09-15T16:23:00.001-04:00

And, um... Yes. Sarah did her own hair...

Sarah's Joy

2011-09-15T16:20:00.000-04:00

I just love this picture.

For the Dads In Our Lives

2011-07-27T21:22:00.002-04:00

Because it's in my head and I love this song

Enjoy!

Anna, in pictures....

2011-07-15T05:00:00.000-04:00

Not much to say about Anna, today. Other than the fact that we are lucky to have her in our family! She is a delight, and cute too! :)

These were taken a few weeks ago and you can actually see her tooth really well in this picture. As of today, she has two bottom teeth and nearly one top tooth!

Katie in pictures

2011-07-14T05:00:00.000-04:00

Hello, Katie!

Katie is often much more serious than her sisters.

She's an inquisitive observer, soaking in everything she can and asking incredibly deep questions about the world. And she's rarely satisfied with a childish answer, so I have to either really know my stuff or at least know where to find the information for her. It's all quite fun and all of us learn a lot.

That isn't to say that she doesn't know how to be silly, though.

Because believe me.... she does!

Sarah in pictures....

2011-07-13T05:00:00.000-04:00

Hello, Sarah!

I'm not going to say too much in these pictures. I'm just going to tell you that Sarah is a clown. She lives to make people laugh. And she usually succeeds too, especially where her sisters are concerned. Here she is, in all her tongue wagging glory.

Even with her tongue out, I think she's absolutely beautiful.

Josie in pictures....

2011-07-12T05:00:00.000-04:00

Here's our Josie.

She, like her sisters, loves the camera. She gets quite silly sometimes when she sees me take it out. I love to get pictures of them smiling, but I also love the serious pictures, often from when they don't know I've got a camera. So I told her not to smile and this is what I got:

Kinda creepy, don't you think? So I told her to relax and just look at me with a relaxed face.

Much better. She couldn't stop herself from smiling just a bit though.

I thanked her and told her she could do whatever she wanted now. First (and I'm sparing you the pictures) she stuck her nose at the camera so we could see what was up there. Then she did this:

And when I showed her the above picture, she burst into fits of giggles which I managed to capture as well.

And don't you love her hair do? She did it herself ;)

A quick Anna picture

2011-07-11T23:30:00.001-04:00

I just love this picture.

Thanks for letting me share! :)

Not the most perfect picture....

2011-07-11T15:14:00.004-04:00

On our way down to Surfside Beach two weeks ago, we stopped in Virginia to visit Sam's long lost Aunt and Uncle. Sweet people. Truly! We all felt easily welcomed into their home and the children were instant friends with their (second?) cousin, who is also named Anna! :) She's a darling little girl that we all fell in love with. (She's Sam's aunts granddaughter. So what does that make her to our daughters?)

While running about in their back yard, the cameras came out and I can only hope that the shot they got is better than this one. But here's the kids and I.

And here is a shot of the new family members we met... (Sam, of course, grew up with them, but hadn't seen or spoken with them in about 15 years!)

Sam's sister Shelly is in the pink shirt. Next to her is Uncle Scott with 'big' Anna (She called our Anna 'mini-me'). Next to them, in the green, is Kelly. She is Sam's cousin, daughter to Aunt Mary and Uncle Scott and mother to 'big' Anna. Last, but certainly not least, is Aunt Mary.

On our way back home, we stopped in on them again, because our visit on the way down was simply not enough time! Aunt Mary made sure she had out family pictures for Sam to see and many included his father. She also had some personal items for him from his father, which mean more to Sam than we can express. (Thank you SO much, Aunt Mary!)

We are looking forward to making a dedicated trip to visit with them a little longer (we only had a few hours each visit.)

Thank you, Aunt Mary and Uncle Scott, for your warm hospitality and for welcoming us into your home! We each enjoyed our visits with you and the kids are still telling stories about you. I hope we can see you all again soon!

Sarah Being The Black Stallion

2011-07-01T23:32:00.000-04:00

Katie at the Beach

2011-07-01T23:31:00.000-04:00

For far away Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles...

2011-06-07T12:34:00.002-04:00

Anna has learned to move herself in a forward direction. I can't call it crawling because, well, it isn't exactly. But here she is...

Oh... And she got her first tooth today! :)

Hi!

2011-05-20T16:00:00.002-04:00

A Favorite Recipe

2011-03-07T17:25:00.003-05:00

Oddly enough, my kids really love this recipe. It's Linguine in White Clam Sauce. The don't like it with regular clam sauce (which is nearly the same except for the milk!) but this one they devour!

Maybe your kids will like it too! (Oh, and my kids don't like clams in other things like chowder, but they love them in this. Strange!)

This is excellent on a busy day, too. It only takes as much time as it takes to boil pasta! Pretty awesome.

Linguine In White Clam Sauce: (Serves our two adults and 3 big kids)

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons of Butter
1/3 Cup Flour
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Cups Clam Juice (or the juice from 4 cans of clams)
2/3 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Parsley, Chopped (I used dried just fine)
1 Cup Clams, Canned (4 cans of clams.... how convenient!)
1/4 Tsp Salt (or to taste. We don't use much)
1 Pound Cooked Linguine (angel hair works nicely too!)
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese (Optional)

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan. Stir in the flour to blend and cook over moderate heat for 2 minutes.
Add garlic and clam juice and continue stirring as sauce thickens. Cook two minutes more.
Add milk, parsley and salt and cook 2 more minutes.
Add clams just 2 minutes before you are ready to serve. Let them heat through.
Toss pasta with sauce when you are ready to serve. Serve immediately. Pass the cheese at the table to sprinkle on top.
Yum!

I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

The End

2011-02-28T00:27:00.002-05:00

Inspired by Jennie and her use of Google Reader, I set myself up with their handy little NEXT button. I love it! It's a really great way to keep up with all the blogs I love without spending hours doing it.

This evening, as I clicked through, I reached the end. According to Google Reader, I didn't just reach the end of the blogs I liked. I reached the end of "this internet"! Then it asked me if I'd like to find another. Curious, I clicked. It brought me to a page about a theoretical interplanetary internet... Huh.

I told my husband. He told me to close my computer and go to bed. Obviously I've been spending far too much time on this thing lately!

Monkey Kids :)

2011-02-05T01:19:00.000-05:00

My First Subscriber

2011-02-04T14:21:00.004-05:00

Did you know I have another blog? I do. It's all about our schooling and I share printable activities for little ones there. Lots of fun. And today, I got my first subscriber over there! How cool is that?

If you want to check it out, you certainly can. Here's the web address:

www.LittleLearningLovies.com

:)

Daddy

2011-02-04T14:19:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note here to let you know that Daddy is doing alright. If you need info, please feel free to give me a call and I'll be happy to give you a fuller update.

I Feel Pretty . . .

2011-02-02T10:28:00.001-05:00

I made breakfast this morning while wearing a tiara. To make it more fun, and add to the giggles coming from my little girls, I spoke with a really bad English accent, too. ;)

Happy Wednesday!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-23T19:24:00.000-05:00

I just had to share the cuteness.... :)

For Grandmas, Aunts and Far Away Cousins...

2010-12-08T13:56:00.002-05:00

Poor Pumpkins

2010-11-03T14:51:00.003-04:00

We, um, forgot to carve or paint any of our Halloween pumpkins this year. Well, forgot isn't exactly the right word. We just plumb ran out of time! So now we have these lovely pumpkins sitting around here, completely intact, just begging for some use, other than pumpkin pie.

So we're going to do this, and enjoy our Halloween pumpkins for Thanksgiving, instead. I think they will be a lovely thing to bring to Grandma's house to help make the table more festive. I hope she agrees!

Braving It

2010-11-03T14:29:00.002-04:00

I did it.

I cut my childrens hair.

They didn't come out too badly, either!

It all started with Sam saying "Wow, Sarah. You need a hair cut!" She jumped up and down with excitement at the idea.

Finances being what they are, we can't afford to bring them to a salon, so I decided to give it a whirl. And now, Sarah has bangs and we cut a good six inches or so off her length. When I finished with her, she was so pleased that she was beaming. Katie said "My turn!"

Well, I wasn't planning on doing much to her hair, but she asked to have it cut short. So I took a deep breath and did it for her. And Josie asked for the same as Katie except just a little bit longer. So I did it.

We can no longer put Katie or Josie's hair up in a pony tail, but pig tails just barely work. Headbands are lovely, as are barrettes. And I'm pretty sure I just cut our hair washing time in half. I'll let you know later. And maybe, if I can figure out how to get them off the big camera, I'll even post a few pictures of them for you :)

Now, does anyone have any recommendations on how or where to learn more about cutting my childrens hair? This might become a common thing around here and I'd really like to feel like I have a clue!

Feeding Frenzy?

2010-10-27T12:22:00.000-04:00

My dear little Anna seems to wanted to eat every hour or so yesterday . . . We somehow managed to accomplish school time, but I managed precious little else. How, I wonder, will I be able to complete the girls costumes in time for Sunday if I can't manage to put the baby down for more than a few minutes at a time? I do hope she's just trying to increase my milk supply and we'll move on in a day or so.

In other, but related, news: Anna can smile! And she's been doing it for a couple of weeks now. Our pediatrician is great and he trusts me just as much as I trust him, but I knew he wouldn't believe she was already smiling at us. Fortunately for us, and much to our doctors delight, she smiled at him when she had a weight check last week.

She has also just started to try to talk to us. She's only done it twice so far, but her little legs get wiggling and her arms start flailing and she makes a whole bunch of funny faces and finally, out comes that little "Ah!" She makes us all giggle, of course, and then she smiles at us.

Well, right now the baby is actually sleeping. I suspect she'll be up in a moment or two so I really should be doing something more around the house. Or napping with her! :)

Anna and Her Daddy

2010-10-18T19:29:00.000-04:00

Sisters

2010-10-18T19:26:00.000-04:00

Our Twins

2010-10-18T19:17:00.000-04:00

Aren't they amazingly big? Where did the last 5 years go?

Pictures & Stuff :)

2010-10-18T14:08:00.006-04:00

Well, by now I'm pretty sure the whole world knows that Anna is here! And I'm finally taking a few much needed moments to share a few pictures with you.

So, here you go:

Scenes from the hospital:

And this is Anna today!

Well, I'd spend a little time telling you about the delivery and how awesome she is, but you'll have to wait until later. She's hungry. Again! lol

:)

Fried

2010-09-19T10:31:00.002-04:00

We smelled it yesterday, but didn't know what it was. And then, this morning, I discovered it.

That hot electrical burned plastic smell was my coffee pot. :(

Fortunately, I have a french press and an espresso machine to back me up! :)

Quiet Time

2010-09-16T16:46:00.003-04:00

After spending an evening straightening out the childrens book shelf (which I had ignored for far too long) it has become a favorite spot in our home. Right now, there are three little children each with a lovely book in their hands. They have all found a comfortable spot to settle and they are enjoying their books in their own way, some actually reading, some making up stories to go with the pictures.

And my home is currently quite peaceful!

What a perfect incentive for me to keep up with our book shelf rules.

Yuck!

2010-09-16T16:37:00.003-04:00

There's a skunk somewhere nearby. I think it's using the space under our deck to hide from the thunderstorm. It has certainly made us switch from enjoying the cool breeze through the house to quickly shutting everything tight again!

. . .

2010-09-13T00:38:00.002-04:00

The baby in my belly gets hiccups a lot. It's kind of fun! And it's neat that Baby has such rhythmic movements that others can reliably feel. It's always frustrating when I try to get my dear hubby to feel the crazy kicking going on, only to have Baby stop as soon as he puts a hand on my belly. But hiccups? He can feel those every time!

We're down to about a week and a half before we welcome this new little one to the world, if the baby doesn't decide to make an earlier debut. It seems like so far away and yet so soon at the same time! :)

Fast Pork Tenderloin Recipe

2010-09-07T08:46:00.000-04:00

This one is a family favorite, and it's really lovely to serve to guests, too. Best of all: this amazingly delicious meal, fancy enough to serve at a party, doesn't cost very much at all.

We buy our pork tenderloin from our local warehouse club. They sell a package of two boneless tenderloins for around $6.00. This amount is enough to feed our family of 5 with just enough left over for Mommy to enjoy as a snack the next day, cold from the refrigerator. ;) Keep in mind, our kids love this recipe and always have seconds, sometimes thirds.

1. Place the pork in a bowl with some good olive oil and coat well. Let sit while you prepare the next step.

2. In a shallow dish (I use one of my large rectangular Pyrex dishes) sprinkle a fine layer of salt, coating the bottom of the dish. (To your taste, of course) Top that with a fine layer of freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle a little garlic powder over that and then finely chop up some fresh rosemary (dried works too) and sprinkle that over your other spices. Make sure each spice is evenly spread over the whole bottom of your dish.

3. Roll one of the pork tenderloins through the spices, generously coating it as you go. Sop up every last bit of those spices, and don't forget the very ends!

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each pork tenderloin. (I have found that this is the best way to make sure you have an even and heavy coating of spices on your meat!)

5. Lay the meat on a dish to rest while you heat up a skillet.

6. Put a few tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of your largest cast iron pan. Let it heat up over medium heat for a few minutes, just until you start to really smell that oil, but before it starts to smoke.

7. Lay two pieces of meat in the skillet and set your timer for 4 minutes. Don't touch them! They'll get a beautiful sear on the outside and the flavor of the rosemary will actually begin to penetrate the meat.

8. When the timer goes off, roll the tenderloins just a quarter turn and set the timer for 4 minutes again.

9. Roll another quarter turn and leave alone for 4 more minutes.

10. Roll the last quarter and leave alone for just 3 minutes if you like medium, 4-5 minutes if you like well done. (We like medium!)

11. Let rest for about 6-8 minutes and you are ready to eat! To serve, slice in 1/2" thick rounds and layer on a plate next to a salad and some rice, or mashed potatoes. If you'd like a grave, the pan drippings will make a delicious sauce!

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do!

Getting There . . .

2010-09-06T13:36:00.002-04:00

We're closing in on Baby Day. My house is a mess, but it's less of a mess each day. Someday soon I hope to be able to say "There! We're done!" but I know housework is never really done. At least it will be easier to maintain once all this STUFF is out!

We picked up a free bed today that will go in the office/music room/school room/future baby room for Kissie Grandma to sleep in while she's here with us. So I guess we can add guest room to that long list of spare room uses.

School with the kids is going remarkable well. Everything is pretty well planned out and my system for getting the workboxes loaded is paying off nicely. Just 5 minutes the evening before (or afternoon) and we're all set for the next day. It's comforting to know that with a new baby, I'll still be able to get everything set up in just a few moments.

My mission today is to get my scary desk completely cleaned off and ready to move out. No more desk for me! (So I guess we'll be able to take 'office' off that long list of spare room uses . . .) Instead, we'll put a dresser where the desk was and it will make the room feel much bigger. And we'll have a drawer for Kissie Grandma to use while she's here and a place for baby clothes.

We're planning on sleeping the baby in our bedroom for the first month or two, in a cute little comfy basket someone gave us months ago. The basket will sit on our long low dresser and we'll be able to easily handle anything Baby needs at night.

I've realized that I don't have everything I'd like to for when Baby comes. I really should make a list and see about getting these things together. I'm not too stressed though. After all, we still have a little over two weeks! ;)

The kids and I have enjoyed a bunch of field trips these past few weeks. Twice to the Bronx Zoo, once to the NY Aquarium, and this Thursday, if all goes well, we'll be taking a trip to the beach, wrapping up our very enjoyable unit study on the ocean and our summer. After this trip, though, we'll be sticking pretty close to home, preparing for Kissie Grandma's visit, the new baby and keeping up with schooling.

When I started this blog, I did say that life is a work in progress. I like the progress we're making around here and I'm loving the journey. We'll do our best to update about the baby when there's news to tell. In the mean time, thanks for reading, and for loving us! :)

Brenna Baby

2010-09-06T12:53:00.003-04:00

My dear sister Jennie posted some pictures of her adorable children recently. One of them she titled "Brenna Baby".

Here is how I remember our darling Brenna:

You can click here to see her now.

Because . . .

2010-08-23T17:04:00.003-04:00

I have been remiss in my picture posting duties ...

Here's my belly, from a couple of weeks ago. I'm quite a bit bigger now. :)

A photo op with Kissie Grammie just a few weeks before she moved south. We miss you Kissie!! :)

Here's the three girls just after Aunt Beckie put their hair in braids. I can do braids, but not that well. You'll notice their top teeth are sticking out. Can you guess why? Because they are being Laura Ingalls, of course!

And here they all are just before our trip to the Sussex County Fair. They were awfully excited!

Sarah's First Day Of School

2010-08-23T14:08:00.000-04:00

Josie's First Day Of School

2010-08-23T14:07:00.001-04:00

Katie's First Day of School

2010-08-23T14:07:00.000-04:00

Lists

2010-08-17T12:33:00.001-04:00

Sarah loves to list things. I often get a run down of her current thoughts in numbered format. Here's an example from about 45 seconds ago:

"Mommy: I have three things to tell you. Number 1: I accidentally got my shorts dirty while playing outside. Number 2: I really love our bookshelves. Number three: I also really love Kissie Grandma."

Sometimes, she gives me her list using ordinals ("First of all, Mommy . . . and then second of all, . . . thirdly . . . , and fourth of all . . . " This can go on for quite some time!) Often, before I even have a chance to respond to her list, she's off to play. When she sticks around, though, she appreciates it when I wait for her list to be done and then address her thoughts one at a time, in order. She'll sweetly remind me what number 7 was, though, if I miss it or mix it up with number 8.

Soon

2010-08-16T09:42:00.000-04:00

Soon, my children delight in reminding me daily, we will begin our homeschooling adventure officially. Just one week from now, we will begin our Kindergarten year. I am so very excited and so are the children. Sarah especially!

Everyday, they look at the calendar and count how many days until our first real day of school. Oh, we've 'done school' many times before. It's all been practice, though, for this year. Come September, the other children in the neighborhood will get on school buses and leave their parents for too many hours while my children will stay home. More exactly, we'll actually be doing some really fun stuff this September, trying to fit in some great trips before the baby comes. So perhaps I'm not being entirely accurate to say they'll be staying home!

We'll start our school year by having one good field trip each week until the baby comes. Things like the Crayola Factory, the Bronx Zoo (maybe twice), the beach, and I'm not sure what else. Baby is scheduled to join us on September 23rd, so maybe these 4 trips are enough ;)

I've got many of my lessons set up for our first month and I'll be setting up month 2 and maybe even 3 before baby comes, so it will all be easy. Okay, I don't think it's going to be easy at all, but I'm hopeful!

Well, thanks for reading my ramblings. I'm hopeful that I'll be able to keep you updated here as days go by, but I won't promise it. It's a promise to easily broken. But I'll try! :)

Off To The Fair

2010-08-15T09:24:00.001-04:00

We almost didn't make it this year . . . But we are off to the fair today! It's the last day of the Sussex County Fair and, if the weather holds for us, I expect it will be a perfect day, just like last year.

There will be lots of fun things to do and see there today, from the truck and oxen pulls to the crazy swimming pigs! Puppet shows, livestock shows, treats galore and, of course, the rides . . . When we told the kids two days ago that Sunday would be Fair day, they jumped up and down with excitement. I have to say, I'm looking forward to it, too.

Today is also our sixth wedding anniversary and I think spending it enjoying a fair together as a family is a great way to celebrate it.

I hope you have a great day, too! :)

Job Hunt?

2010-03-31T11:52:00.001-04:00

My best friend is back on the job market after being happily situated for the past 5+ years. I was thinking about her today and about my own life and I realized that I've never actually had to go hunting for a job. Any time I've needed work, some opportunity or another has presented itself. There have even been situations where I didn't want the job, but after months of discussing it, I was convinced to take it (which was a great choice, by the way: I had loads of fun in that position).

I'm lucky, that way I guess. I've always managed to know just the right person at just the right moment. I've been reading about all the things my friend has been doing to try to hunt down a good job and I'm amazed at the hoops most people have to go through just to get that next paycheck. I know it's going to be a long road for her and I just keep wishing that she could, amongst all the people she knows, find the right one for her moment of need.

For now, I'm just going to keep thinking good thoughts for my friend while I give thanks for my own happier situation. And I'll hope that I never have to start jumping though those hoops. I'd be lost!

Decision Made

2010-02-12T12:22:00.001-05:00

It's official! We will be homeschooling our children for Kindergarten!

Sam and I made the final decision a couple of nights ago and it has been a big weight off my shoulders. I was dreading having to sign them up for public school this year.

Our deal is that we'll work through Kindergarten and then, if Sam doesn't like how it is all going, we'll put them in public school for first grade (or whatever level they are at by then. . . they are already past most Kindergarten curriculum)

:) I'm a happy momma!

And so far, I'm still feeling pretty good even though I'm only half way through the first trimester of this pregnancy. Some mornings are a little bumpy, but no real sickness. My only real problem is my insatiable need for sleep. A daily nap does get in the way of keeping up with the house, but I'll manage. ;)

Snow

2010-02-10T15:44:00.001-05:00

Suited up in their snow gear, the girls ventured out into our backyard, suddenly transformed into a winter wonderland. The snow was up to Sarah's knees and it was still falling as they took their first few steps onto the back deck. Josie was first. She fearlessly led her sisters to the steps, now barely visible through all that white stuff. She made her way down the steps, blazing the trail for her sisters to follow, and she got just three or four steps into the yard before she succumbed to the giggle that had been building inside her. Pure delight filled her face and the air around her as she allowed herself to free fall backwards, trusting the deep snow to catch her. It did and she was rewarded with a perfect snow angel. Her sisters didn't wait to reach the yard to let their delight be known.

Still, they are playing their games and making their way through the deep, drifting snow with wide open smiles on their faces. This is the deepest snow they've ever played in and it appears they'll be loving it until bedtime.

Kid Quotes

2010-02-04T17:35:00.003-05:00

The coming baby is a huge topic of discussion around here for our kids and there are a lot of funny things that come out of their almost 4 and almost 5 year old mouths.

The children were wondering, the other day, how many babies were in my tummy. One? Two? They grinned. Maybe there's three or even four babies! They practiced the word 'quadruplet' just in case. Then I asked where we would put them all if we had four more babies to love. Katie thought for a moment and said that two of them could share the extra bunk bed and two of them could sleep on the floor. After a really long and thoughtful pause, where I got to watch her mind work while I wondered what she was trying to figure out, she added, "with pillows!" I guess she thought the floor would be nicer with something soft for your head.

Another big topic here lately has been birthdays, since we are quickly approaching birthday season here. We were discussing details with Sarah about what she'd like for her birthday. "Cake!" she shouted with a big smile. Chocolate with chocolate icing, of course. "What about dinner?" I asked. It is our tradition that the birthday person gets to have their favorite dinner on their birthday, no matter what it is. "Cake!" she shouted at me with a suddenly impish looking grin.

Now as much as I'd love to have cake for dinner, I just can't manage to let nutrition suffer that much. So I tried another tactic. "What's your favorite veggie?" She didn't hesitate when she told me "Carrots!" Great. We're getting somewhere.

"What's your favorite meat?" She looked around, apparently giving this some serious thought. I had high hopes that she might tell me she loved lemon chicken, or pork chops, or I'd even settle for hotdogs. "Well," she began with her eyes sparkling with mischief, "if cake was a meat, we could have cake for dinner!"

Oh well. I've been trying with no success to find out what dinner Sarah loves, but I now know she loves onion rolls, cake, cereal, cake, carrots and cake.

Katie's Good Book

2010-01-26T09:34:00.001-05:00

Katie made a book last week. She cut some typing paper neatly in half and asked me to staple it together along the long edge. Then she wrote her name on the front and drew a big smiley face. She then wrote the names of her sisters, each on their own page, and she even gave Mommy and Daddy a page.

Now, anytime she sees someone do something good, she draws a happy face on that persons page. It has brought a wonderful outlook to her days. Rather than complaining about her sister taking a toy from her, she waits for her sister to do the right thing just so she can draw a happy face for them! Whenever someone does something sweet, she says "That goes in my Good Book!" and she grins as she reminds us all what that next happy face is for. I'll bet that she can tell you what every smiley in that book was given for.

Josie made one this morning and I'm sure Sarah will soon too. They are all delighted by this idea and I'm quite a proud momma. :)

The Waiting Begins

2010-01-20T11:11:00.002-05:00

The first time I was pregnant, I excitedly called my clinic and they immediately gave me an appointment . . . for when I was 10 weeks along! "Really?!" I said. After all, I was pregnant. Didn't they understand? I was frustrated, confused and full of questions that I had to wait another 5 weeks to ask.

This time around, I don't have nearly as many questions. This is, after all, my fourth pregnancy and I'm pretty comfortable with the process. I am, however, still really excited! So when my insurance company required that I confirm my pregnancy with my Primary Care Dr. and then when he said he didn't have an appointment for me until Feb. 1st, I was mildly disappointed, until I realized that February 1st is only 12 days away. That's a lot better than over a month, so I guess I can handle the wait.

In the mean time, I did not feel any illness this morning at all. Cool, huh? I do, however, feel constantly tired. Bring on the naps! lol

The kids, especially Sarah, ask me all the time when the baby is coming. I keep reminding them that we have to wait until after Summer, but it's hard for three little excited kids to figure out how this all works. So, we're all waiting. Excitedly.

Expecting

2010-01-19T23:34:00.002-05:00

I'm sure you've heard by now, we're expecting a new baby! We're all very excited and the kids are loading me down with questions. Many of them I can field all by myself ( like "Will the baby just come out a baby and then when you name it either a boy or a girl name it becomes a boy or a girl or will it come out a boy or a girl and then you have to name it what it wants to be?" - Josie) and for the rest, we go to our lovely book "Your Pregnancy Week By Week".

Sarah has already started talking to the new baby, letting it know there's a whole lot of love out here waiting for him/her. She mostly refers to it as a girl and, to be quite honest, so do I, though I think it's mostly from habit rather than any instinctive knowledge. We were out shopping today and Sarah kept looking at people and then asking me "Can I let them know that there's a brand new baby growing in your tummy?" She finally struck up a conversation with someone while we waited on line and she skillfully worked that bit of information into the conversation, right after she let them know that Mommy let her get Pac-Man cheese. She amazes me, by the way. Everywhere we go, she works her magic and ends up with dozens of people wrapped around her little finger. We've actually had people seek us out again after speaking with her just to spend an extra moment with her. I'm not sure what her life has in store for her, but I have no doubt that her amazing way with people will be one of her great assets.

Back to the new baby: We're due the end of September, which means I'm at the VERY beginning of this journey. I did feel a little sick this morning, but nothing too bad. I'm trying out the Brewer Diet thanks to Jennie and aside from the challenge of eating that much food, I think it has a lot of potential. I'm pretty sure I didn't actually get sick this morning because of my protein intake right before bed.

Well, I think that's probably enough rambling for one night. I'm off to bed now, hoping to stave off the 3:00 pm exhaustion tomorrow. Sweet dreams!

When Shelly Says 'No More Pictures' . . .

2010-01-07T14:15:00.000-05:00

. . . She's not kidding!

A Year With FlyLady

2010-01-04T14:28:00.001-05:00

I've been a member of FlyLady.net for several years, about 4 I think. Sometimes I'm great about following her ideas and other times I'm just so full of "Stinkin' Thinkin'" that I can't see the point. The holidays have left my house in shambles, I'm ashamed to say. But rather than allow the guilt to take over and pull me into depression, I thought I'd blog my journey, admit my chaos to the world and, even more difficult, to the people I know and love. I'll be blogging these entries right here on A Beautiful Work In Progress.

Here's the real question, though. Will I follow through this time, with what I hope to be at least moderate accountability through blogging? Or will I simply fizzle out in two or three weeks or two or three months? Can I make it one whole year? 365 days of baby steps? I'm hoping I can, for the sake of my family, and for my own sanity!

Step one, the shiny sink. Tonight I'll go to bed with a shiny sink. And I will wake up in the morning and let the shiny sink fill me with joy and courage to tackle the clutter scattered everywhere. 15 minutes at a time, of course.

Note: You may find updates in my sidebar, where my tweets are echoed.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T13:24:00.002-05:00

Now, I'm not religious, but I do believe in God. I read this early this morning and felt humbled by it and amazed at how far most of us have come from the original intent of this day.

May you have a wonderful day filled with family and memories, and may you find purpose in the words that follow:

George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful
knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

A First

2009-11-19T22:26:00.000-05:00

My daughter, Josie, took this photo of Nicole and I on our recent trip to see her at her place (Who said I wouldn't make it back within a decade?!) Not a bad photo, huh? We were amazingly well centered and almost completely in focus! I just had to fix a little red eye. Nothing to be done about the glare in my glasses without some photoshop work, which I'm just not up for tonight.

Good job, Josie!

A Moment With Katie

2009-11-19T22:19:00.000-05:00

Josie Loves Her Daddy

2009-11-19T22:17:00.000-05:00

The Recent Tackling of Aunt Niki

2009-11-19T20:13:00.000-05:00

Happy Little Girls

2009-11-19T20:10:00.000-05:00

My Three Little Ones

2009-11-19T20:09:00.001-05:00

Katie:

2009-11-19T20:09:00.000-05:00

. . . Being Woody, from Toy Story, who has just been surprised by a person and has quickly flopped to the floor.

Having Fun With Christmas: Part I

2009-11-16T16:25:00.003-05:00

While the kids played outside in some amazingly warm and sunny weather, I gathered up all of our Christmas-themed books and movies and wrapped them all in the same wrapping paper. They now tantalizingly reside in a big wicker laundry basket, waiting for December 1st, when we get to pick one to open. Each child will get a turn to pick and unwrap a surprise for each day leading up to Christmas.

And to think I did it two whole weeks ahead of schedule . . .

A Favorite Recipe

2009-11-12T12:47:00.004-05:00

Fast. Cheap. Healthy. Delicious.

These are the ideal characteristics of a great meal around here. We have a favorite that I adapted from a far (if you can believe it) simpler recipe that was lacking a bit in flavor. My version takes no more time than the original Rice and Beans recipe I had read that fateful day, because all my extras can be done in the time it takes to cook rice. But my version has a whole lot more flavor and it looks beautiful on the plate.

I forgot to take pictures last night as I made it and I didn't think to until the plate was already nearly empty, so I'll update with pictures next week.

Ingredients:

3 cups of water
1 tbs tarragon
1 tsp ground savory
1 tbs chicken base (or enough bouillon for 3 cups water OR replace water with chicken stock)
1 1/2 cups white rice (You can sub in brown rice if you have the time)
One large onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, diced
2 tbs butter
1/4 cup good white wine
1 can black beans
1 can red beans (or sub in any beans you like. Add extras too!)
Fresh parsley, basil or any other lovely herb you might have. Or, in a pinch, dried will work to.

Directions:

Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Turn down heat and cover. Simmer for 12 minutes then turn off the heat. No Peaking ;)
Meanwhile, saute onion and garlic in butter until onion is translucent, but not browning. Pour white wine into onion pan and scrape the bottom vigorously with a spatula (or spootula if you happen to know my children) to get up any delicious bits that might be sticking there. Then dump in the canned beans, juice and all. Heat through.
By now, your rice is done. Choose a pretty serving dish. I like to use a wide shallow bowl for this. Dump your rice in the middle of the dish and flatten out to cover the whole bottom of the dish. Then dump your bean mixture on top, spreading it out to almost cover all the rice (leave a little rice showing around the edge. It's pretty!)
Sprinkle some fresh herbs on top and garnish with a little sprig of parsley if you have it. If not, use dried herbs for garnish. You can also top with a little grated cheese for added flavor. You can serve this up just as it is or with some salsa if your family likes it.
Enjoy!

(Original recipe, if you want to try it, was simply cooked rice with canned beans mixed in. Not sure why that recipe crossed my path or why I found it inspirational for making this recipe, but there you have it!)

On My Mind Tonight

2009-11-08T20:31:00.002-05:00

I'm currently reading a fascinating book about George Washington and, just a few chapters in, I'm already in awe. More than that, I'm struck by how many of his thoughts about the British government at the time can so perfectly be applied to our own time now. The following are three quotes which are weighing on my mind tonight:

Written to a friend shortly after the Boston Tea Party and the subsequent 'Intolerable Acts' imposed by Great Britain:

". . . God only knows what is to become of us . . . while those from whom we have a right to seek protection are endeavoring by every piece of art and despotism to fix the shackles of slavery upon us."

To a correspondent, who had suggested that humble requests to the throne would work better than Washington's plan for the colonies to avoid ordering/importing any British goods on which a tax was imposed, he wrote the following:

"As . . . I observe that government is pursuing a regular plan at the expense of law and justice to overthrow our constitutional rights and liberties, how can I expect any redress from a measure which has been ineffectually tried already? . . . Shall we, after this, whine and cry for relief when we have already tried it in vain? Or shall we supinely sit and see one province after another fall a prey to despotism? . . .
I am convinced, as much as I am of my existence, that there is no relief but in their distress; and I think, at least I hope, that there is public virtue enough left among us to deny ourselves everything but the bare necessaries of life to accomplish this end. This we have a right to do, and no power upon earth can compel us to do otherwise till they have first reduced us to the most abject state of slavery that ever was designed for mankind."

And lastly:

"An innate spirit of freedom first told me that the measures which administration have for some time been and now are most violently pursuing are rebugnant to every principle of natural justice."

I wonder if these ideas resound as much with you as they have within me.

Shower Caps and Bunk Beds

2009-11-03T20:08:00.005-05:00

**UPDATE**
The oil worked like a charm!! I washed every ones hair yesterday morning and apparently most of the bugs just washed out (what could be easier than that?) and the rest (just 2 or 3 ber head) combed out. Best of all, they were dead. All but one who was hiding out in a tiny un-oiled spot in the middle of Josie's head.

By the way, if you ever have this problem, do not waste money on other combs. Just go online to buy the NitFree Terminator. It is, by far, the best comb for the job. It actually does get all the nits, which other combs do not. We tried several different brands, including Rid, with no success.

A side benefit to the oil: Smooth, soft and shiny hair. Our heads have never sported silkier locks than they do right now, though I don't think I'll be doing this again any time soon.

For your reference, here's what to do to get rid of lice:
1)Obtain a NitFree Terminator comb. It is worth the price and the two day wait to get it from Amazon.com.

2) Before bed, put olive oil in hair until it oozes out when you squeeze the hair. Make sure to get every hair, from scalp to tip, especially around ears and the nape of the neck. Put on a shower cap to protect bedding and go to sleep.

2)Shower. Wash hair very well to get oil out (it takes 2 or 3 washings at least). Use conditioner, and rinse. (This makes the fine combing go much better).

3)Brush your hair to get all the tangles out, then run the nit comb through your hair from scalp to tip and rinse comb out after each pass. You'll want to look close at the comb each time too, to feel the satisfaction of spotting those few dead little bugs that remain. You'll also see, if you look carefully, any nits that were in your hair.

4)Continue to comb your hair with the nit comb every day for 7 to 10 days. This will insure that if any nits were left behind, for some reason, you'll get them soon after they hatch and before they can lay more eggs.

5)Comb through hair one more time about 7 days after your last combing from step 4, just to make sure there has been no re-infestation. If there has been, you'll have caught it before it gets bad and can just comb daily to get rid of them.

There. That's about it for this gross lesson. Hope you never have to use the information.

I was itchy for weeks before I realized what was happening. I figured it out completely by accident, too. Sarah walked by me, after playing hard in the leaf pile for about an hour, and I saw a bug crawling through a poof of her hair, so I reached out and grabbed it out before she could notice it. Then I took a look at it. It wasn't a little flying outdoor bug from the leaves like I thought. This bug was different.

I looked it up online and discovered that this bug doesn't enjoy flying, or jumping or even really doing much walking, for that matter. This bug was only happy in hair, human hair, to be specific. And it was the reason we were so itchy lately. It was a louse!

After freaking out for a few minutes and trying to get over the gross factor involved in this situation, I went out a bought lice shampoo, because that's what you do, right? We came home, washed everyone with special shampoo that really stings if you get it in your eyes, and then I started brushing and combing all that hair with those tiny little lice combs. Ugh.

I was under the impression that the shampoo would kill the lice. The reason I was under that impression was because the package said it would. Except it didn't. I was pulling live lice from every head. So what was the point of that shampoo? I have no idea, other than the fact that it cost us a LOT of money per bottle.

So I was able to comb the live lice out and I was very confident that the combing got to every one of them. However, there were eggs on our hair. Lots of them. I spent days picking nits out of our hair and I knew that I wouldn't be able to get them all out. Sure enough, we've got more lice this week. So I did a little more research and learned a new trick. These bugs breath through holes in their sides, tiny, tiny holes. And they have to be at least 7 days old to lay more eggs, so we have a small window here to kill them before they can cause more damage.

So tonight, my children went to bed with their hair soaked in olive oil (which will plug the breathing holes of the little crawlies on their heads and kill them overnight) and some lovely shower caps to keep it all contained.

Don't they just look adorable? Aside from the bugs in their hair? I'll be sporting a pink cap tonight, too. And Daddy, if he elects to join the fun just to be safe, will get to pick white or blue. Then, in the morning, we'll all shower, leave some conditioner in our hair and comb everything out with a super lice comb, which I'm confident will allow us to get all the lice and any left over nits, too. Cross your fingers for me, please. This is such a gross issue and I'm looking forward to it being over!

Notice the boxes in the background of this picture? Those are the new bunk-beds for the kids. I'll tell you that fun roller coaster ride next time. The kids are so excited with their surprise and we'll be having fun putting these up tomorrow.

I really hope this oil thing works.

In The Spirit

2009-11-02T13:04:00.004-05:00

It seems that the moment I finished making ghost costumes for the kids to use on Halloween, my mind made the leap to the next holidays coming just around the corner. Never mind that Halloween was still two weeks away, and never mind that I usually don't want to think about Christmas until Thanksgiving is over. This year, I've caught the spirit early and I'm sharing it with my children.

We had a lovely planning meeting this morning over breakfast (a delicious blueberry coffee cake that I was testing out for Christmas morning) during which we made some excellent decisions about what the children would like to give for Christmas. They came up with several amazing ideas that I would never have thought of. And it was very gratifying to hear them list the people they love with whom they'd like to share the holiday joy. Their gifts and recipients are completely their idea with no embellishment from Mommy (except for telling them the name of the gift they described). Even better, their ideas are largely items they can make, with only a little help from Mommy.

I credit my strict no-advertisements rule for the beautiful and sweet ideas the children can come up with. We watch very little television and what we do watch is mostly on DVD or pre-recorded so I can skip the ads. Their ideas aren't tainted by commercialism, and I'm proud of them for it.

Now, my question for you: What are your traditions leading up to Thanksgiving and/or Christmas? We have a few things we do every year, but my lack of planning keeps things hectic and traditions to a minimum. This year, I'd love to add some special things to the weeks leading up to these two special days. I'd love to hear what you do!

A New Blog to Enjoy

2009-11-02T01:03:00.002-05:00

Such lovely ideas and inspirations for frugal holiday celebrations that put the focus on family rather than commercialism and lots of great ideas for everyday too. That's what you'll find in the upbeat and beautiful posts by Molly.

Go check her out soon. She's doing a lovely '30 Days to Thanksgiving' thing right now. Even though I'm not hosting that particular celebration, I still like to create a beautiful climate for my family through the days leading up to the big day and I have found her encouragement to be quite uplifting and inspiring.

Enjoy!

Sweet Surprise

2009-09-25T16:18:00.002-04:00

It's cool today. Windy, too. The cooler temperatures have brought a few things back to our daily life that had been in hiding for many months. Among the highlights for the kids are their jackets (they just adore those hoods) and the fact that we can leave the back door open all they want (no more reminders to close the door to keep the air conditioning in).

They were truly delighted, however, when they saw me bring out one more of their 'friends' from cold weather: The chocolate pot!

Yes. We have a tea pot, glazed a rich, deep brown, that we have designated as our chocolate pot. When they see me carry that out, they know they are about to enjoy some sweet, warm, chocolaty goodness. The only sad part of it is when we pour the last drop!

A Treasure to Share

2009-09-22T17:18:00.005-04:00

I just happened upon this delightful book which, I'm happy to say, is free for all of you to download! It's an old book created for children about 12 years old, filled with little rhymes to remember cooking rules, wonderful recipes from long ago, and a very sweet, motherly tone. I fell in love with this book the moment I read the following poem:

The Witch's Test

Put eggs in cold water to test them for food.
If they float they are bad, if they sink they are good.
And some people say that an egg is all right
If you hold it up close to a flame that is bright
And look through it endwise and still see a light.

There are many of these types of poems sprinkled throughout the book and each recipe not only tells the child what ingredients to have on hand, but also what hardware they'll need to gather! Recipes include gentle reminders, such as to make sure you don't let any eggshells get into your scrambled eggs.

I do hope you click on the title (it links right to it) then click the download button, towards the right side at the top of the page the link brings you to. I'm printing a copy, and I hope to enjoy this book with my children in the years to come.

Enjoy!

I'm A Homeschooler

2009-09-20T11:38:00.003-04:00

It's official, though not necessarily permanent. I am homeschooling my children! My dear husband even told a friend of his that I was homeschooling, "for now," he qualified it. Still, it's a big step for him and a big step for me, too!

We're using a version of workboxes that takes up far less space that the original design. I have a crate with large envelopes into which I put our activities for the following day. We've been through just one week of 'school' but I can see how well this idea will carry us through the year. And, because all the materials are laid out and ready for us in the morning, we get far more done in a morning than we ever did during my experiments early in the summer.

One day, last week, we had done 10 of our 12 envelopes before lunch. We enjoyed our meal together and then went outside to play in the sunshine. About a half an hour later, Katie came to me and said "Can we go inside now to finish our envelopes? Please?" As soon as they heard her request, her sisters quickly came over to add their voices to the cause!

They love the routine of it all and they were sad when Saturday came and I said "No school today." I might go ahead and put together a couple of envelopes for weekends, just to keep them happy. Nothing required, of course, but they certainly do love to 'do school'. They even told a friend that they get to go to school "right in our own house!"

I'm sure I'll have more to write about this in a week or two. I'll be sure to keep you updated on our successes and failures. And thank you in advance for forgiving the rambling nature of this post. My excitement doesn't seem to allow me to be terribly coherent!

Convoluted

2009-09-06T00:27:00.000-04:00

Isn't this a really amazing looking tree?

It lives happily just outside a house we're thinking of buying. It's a weeping cherry and it's one of the coolest trees I've ever met.

You gotta try this!

2009-08-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

If you've never seen this toy, you are missing out on some very serious family fun. We were given these sets by a local family that had out grown it and we have had such a great time with it!

There are sturdy bars and flexible bars, connectors and bases. They all snap together magnetically, so it's very easy for the kids to do. Then there are fabric pieces that clip on to the bars to make walls.

What could be more cool than building your own kid-sized castle right in your living room?

Sarah certainly had a great time crawling through the maze we made for her.

The sets included some carnival pieces and Katie and Josie enjoyed being part of the zoo.

Even their Daddy couldn't keep his hands off this fun, creative toy! He built them a helicopter when it was time to pull down the castle.

I highly recommend this toy to keep aside for rainy days. It's a great way to have some at-home family fun.

Cuteness Part Two

2009-08-20T13:04:00.002-04:00

Last night, while saying goodnight to Josie, I started to tickle her, as I often do. She giggled a bit and then told me

"That's enough tickling, Mommy. But I could use some back scratching . . . " I laughed and dutifully scratched her back.

"A little more," she said.

"A little more," she said again.

"Too much!" She leaned away and smiled at me. Then she held my laughing face in her hands, kissed me square on the nose and hopped down to kiss her daddy.

Cuteness Part One

2009-08-20T12:58:00.003-04:00

We were visiting Aunt Eileen yesterday and she had a joke to tell the kids.

"What goes snap, crackle, squeek?"

The children, having no idea about rice crispies or what on earth their crazy Aunt Eileen was talking about, said "You do!"

(See the comments for the real answer)

Fun in the Sun

2009-08-20T12:43:00.000-04:00

The kids just adore this pool and they get so excited when they see me pull it out and fill it up with air. The giraffe spits water at the slide, making it super fast. It's a bit small, but the kiddos don't seem to mind it one bit!

A Bad Taste In My Mouth

2009-08-17T11:00:00.002-04:00

I love coffee. I don't mean that I just enjoy my morning cup, I mean I love it. I love the act of making it, from grinding to pouring. I find great joy in tasting the many different varieties and detecting the differences between them. And I enjoy taking each of the varieties and making them in different ways, sometimes straight through the coffee pot, sometimes espresso, cappuccino, iced, latte . . . oh, there are so very many delicious choices!

So I was very intrigued by the trial offer sent to me from a company called Seattle Coffee Direct. For just $15 they would send me two bags of any of their coffees I would like, plus a few little extras like travel mugs etc. I ordered it and waited for my coffee. I waited two weeks, which was alright with me. They micro process each batch, so I was willing to wait a little to taste the difference that might make in the coffee. When it finally arrived, I happily made my first cup of their coffee late in the evening just to try it and I was fairly pleased with the results.

The next day, however, I saw a charge on my card for nearly $40. I was a little displeased at the timing of this, since I had barely had time to try their coffee and decide if I wanted to continue getting it, nor had I had a chance, had I made a decision, to contact the company to cancel! Just 4 days later there was coffee on my front step. Two bags for $40. Not the four bags I was expecting.

I called the customer service number. When the phone was answered the woman asked me what she could do for me today. I told her to cancel the account. She requested my information to locate my account, sent me a confirmation email and said it was all done. She did not want to know why I wanted to cancel, nor did she care when I tried to explain. It wasn't information the company wanted to have.

Any company that refuses customer feedback and does not deliver what they promise will quickly disappear, but if you have occasion to try this company out before they go out of business, I highly recommend you skip it.

What Comes Next?

2009-07-14T14:24:00.004-04:00

What comes after a hundred? - A thousand.
What comes after a thousand? - A million.
What comes after a million? - A billion.

So began our conversation last night at dinner.

"And what comes after a billion, Mommy?"
"A trillion," I replied.

"And do you know what comes after a gazillion?" Sarah exclaimed.
We all looked at her with anticipation, because her face told us she had the answer:
Her eyes bright with excitement, her mouth curved in that way she does when she knows she has everyone's attention, Sarah let us in on the answer.
"A Vowzand!"

I've never heard of that one, but it sure sounds good to me. I'm sure I've read her that book a vowzand times, and I'm certain I've reminded her to use her napkin instead of her shirt a vowsand times, and I'm pretty sure that, despite my admonishments to use less, she has probably gone through a vowsand sheets of toilet paper this week. What's more, she's probably given me a vowsand kisses today and reminded me that she loves me a vowsand times and she's probably told me how much she loves that something-or-other I gave her or the things hanging on the wall or the way the birds land on our bird feeder or the chipmunk that visits to eat what they drop or the way the wind blows her hair along her back or, well, a vowsand other things.

Aunt Sugars Bread and Butter Pickles

2009-07-09T12:31:00.003-04:00

Mix the following three ingredients together in a big bowl:

8 Cups thinly sliced cucumbers
2 Cups thinly sliced onions
1/4 Cup salt

Let stand 6 hours or overnight. Drain very well! Then place them in a pan.
Then add:

2 Cups vinegar (5)
3 Cups granular sugar (7 1/2)
2 Tsp. celery seeds (5)
2 Sticks cinnamon (5)
2 Tsp. white mustard seeds (5)
2 Tsp. turmeric (5)

Toss cukes to mix well. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. DO NOT LET IT BOIL.

Add a few small pieces of lump alum to each jar before adding pickles. Seal hot.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The above recipe was written by Aunt Sugar. I had the benefit of talking to her about it too. She said she only used pickling cucumbers when they looked great and were inexpensive. Otherwise, she just used regular cucumbers. It takes about 8 or 9 pickling cucumbers to make this recipe. I got three pint jars out of it.

The numbers in parentheses, I think, are for doubling the recipe. I remember her saying she liked it sweeter than the regular recipe called for, which leads me to this conclusion, since she asks for an extra cup and a half of sugar in the doubled version.

One final note: There is no need to water bath process these. Just seal them while they are hot with fresh, hot lids and they will seal up and the pickles will keep a better texture for you.

If anyone knows why the recipe calls for lump alum, I'd love to know. I found some and used it, but I don't know why.

Photo Of The Day: At The Car Show

2009-07-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

The kids really did have fun, even though they look tired in this picture. Josie was taking the picture (not bad, huh?) because the car was her favorite color: PINK!

Here's Sarah next to her favorite car in the show. A bright orange truck which she did her best not to touch. She really wanted to, though.

Vocabulary Fun

2009-07-01T18:29:00.002-04:00

"5!" Sarah shouted authoritatively.

"4!" She had two pieces of a marble run game stacked together in her hands, resting on the floor.

"3!" Her face was very serious as she made sure her ship was ready for launch.

"2!" A glimmer of a smile

"1 . . . Ick Nitchen!"

Her ship took off, rumbling and roaring as it mounted as high as her hands could carry it. The details of the mission beyond that appear to be classified, but one thing is clear. We did have ick nitchen.

Sharing The Joy!

2009-06-30T21:22:00.002-04:00

While there is nothing quite as delicious as enjoying the fruits of your own labor, there is also nothing that feels quite so good as sharing the joy. We've already shared quite a bit of what I put up yesterday and, after having a dessert tonight of fresh bread, honey butter and blueberry jam, I'm a little sad that we only have two dozen little jars left. I'll be making an extra batch of blueberry jam tomorrow simply so we can spread the love without feeling too deprived.

Who knows. Maybe some of it will find it's way to you!

Photo Of The Day: Aunt Lois

2009-06-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

Isn't she lovely?!

Berries

2009-06-29T18:00:00.000-04:00

Funny that we should be doing about the same thing at about the same time, hundreds of miles away from each other, but Jennie and I have been enjoying some similar pass times lately.

The most striking? We've both gone berry picking for blueberries, and we've both been canning! What fun.

This past week, the kids and I picked up Aunt Lois for a trip to a lovely farm where they grow acres and acres of delicious fruits and berries. We met Beckie with her children there and enjoyed a long, hot day in the sun, which had been hiding for several weeks. And we came home with BERRIES. Lots of berries. I'd show you pictures, but Beckie has them! *hint - hint*

It was a very enjoyable and memorable day spent with our dear Aunt Lois, who the children are sorely missing this week!

Photo Of The Day: Nothing Like Family

2009-06-29T13:00:00.000-04:00

Photo Of The Day: At The Farm

2009-06-29T11:48:00.000-04:00

There is a farm near us that we love to go to for fresh eggs. To make the 15 minute ride even more worth while, they have a lovely area for the children to enjoy some barnyard animals including chickens and turkeys, goats and sheep, and sometimes even baby pigs! They have this display in the center which they change every few months. It's a lovely place.

That's How They Make It

2009-05-14T15:26:00.002-04:00

"First," Katie said, her eyes wide and her face long with a serious sort of excitement, "they take ketchup and they mix it."

"Yeah," Josie chimed in, "and they add some juice to make it good and messy."

"Then they cook it!" Sarah added. It was as if they had rehearsed this. I raised my eyebrows, wondering what might come next. Katie supplied the answer.

"And out comes a tomato!"

I should tell you, lest you think my children completely idiotic, that we had just discussed several ways that grocery stores do not get their produce. They don't, for instance, have a greenhouse in the back room. And there is certainly not a garden behind the parking lot. So, rather than grow them, the children surmised that they must make tomatoes by some artificial means. Quite frankly, with the way they usually taste, I'm left wondering if the children aren't at least partially correct!

We'll be growing lots of tomatoes this year so I have no doubt that the children will learn, through their own hands-on experience, how a tomato grows. No ketchup required. (Though we just might make some!)

About Time

2009-04-29T23:45:00.002-04:00

I started cleaning up my yard this spring and I discovered exactly how big it is.

I've lived here for 5 years, now and I'm just now realizing that there is a pretty big space behind the shed!

Strange? Yes. But let me tell you why it has taken this long. The people who owned this home before our landlords did not really care much about the property. The front was so overgrown that almost no sunlight made it through the big bay windows in the living room. Our dear landlords purchased this house and we moved in less than 24 hours after their closing. No kidding! Even they didn't realize at first that the shed was on the property.

This place has a pretty square back yard, bordered by bushes on two sides and the shed at the back. To one side, past the raised bed which holds some thorny plants that insist on grabbing at my children when they run by, there's what appears to be a brush pile. At least that's what I assumed when we moved in, so I've just been throwing odd branches and plant life that way for the past 5 years. At my gentle prodding, our landlord has asked a crew to come in and clean up that area this weekend. So I've been cleaning out other areas and throwing more brush on the pile, hoping to clear away as much as possible.

In so doing, I've discovered that there is a very nice rock border all around the property. There is a lovely rock retaining wall with steps cut through it so you can get up to the shed (this I knew about already!). And there is a triangle of space behind the shed, difficult to see for all the overgrowth, which also needs to be cleared out.

My first thought when I saw it today? "What a perfect place to raise some chickens!"

I don't think I'm meant for this suburban life. I'm quite certain the landlords would never allow chickens, we have a picky neighbor who would complain in an instant and I have no idea if my town would even permit us to have a few hens. But it would be oh, so grand to sink my teeth into a little farm life.

Jennie, I'm thinking about you!

Suddenly

2009-04-23T21:22:00.003-04:00

Since we began paying more serious attention to reading, my children have become insatiable readers. They are not satisfied if a sign catches their eye and I'm not quick enough to read it for them. Book after book is paraded around the house until a willing adult can be found to read it once, twice, ten times or more. The time we spend reading during our days has at least tripled and the stack of books that left the library with us this week was, to say the least, impressive. Even more impressive is that we've already been through all but two of them and we still have three whole days left until library day!

A new world has been opened up for them. They are, as always, curious about everything around them, from how the human ear works and what bats eat to how an airplane is built and where thunderstorms come from, and their new battle cry is "Lets put that on the library list!" Suddenly, their world is wider, filled with more possibility than they had ever imagined before.

It's an exciting ride to take with three eager little girls determined to make sense of their world.

Doing School

2009-04-19T15:03:00.002-04:00

I've been reading. A lot. I've devoured several books that have given me the confidence and the tools to help my children reach their amazing potential, or at least get them started towards it.

I had planned on beginning our new activities on Monday, but when I told the children of my plan, their excitement filled the house and I thought, "No time like the present!"

Though our Saturday was already filled with plans, I delayed them a bit to make sure we could fit in a few extras. At the end of breakfast, while the children were still seated, we reviewed some of the trickier shapes, for Sarah's benefit, and we went through some number flash cards to help them all recognize double digit numbers, which has been a bit of a sticking point for us once we get past 12.

Then, after we cleaned up from breakfast and the children had a little free time, I took them one at a time for just 5 minutes each and we started in on the BOB Books that Beckie gave us.

Josie took just 2 minutes to figure out all the words in the first book.

Katie was not nearly so confident. She questioned me at every word, but she read it. And she felt proud!

Sarah and I read the first of the Alphabet books together. Then, she went through and retold the little story to me. She really enjoyed the time and I have no doubt that she will fly through these!

Today, we learned a few sight words and we went through another book each. I am amazed and awed by how quickly they are learning to really read.

I really do love this job!

Kid Quote

2009-03-13T18:20:00.003-04:00

Josie came to me this evening with a disgusted look on her face.

"Mommy, Katie bless-yood on me."

Smart Girl

2009-02-25T10:19:00.002-05:00

While Sam drove us around yesterday, Katie was full of questions. One of which was regarding the pedals we use to operate our cars.

"Daddy," she said, "Do you have pedals in your car?"

"Yes!" he said, "I have three pedals and your Mommy has two pedals in her car."

She thought for a minute before she said, "Is the third pedal the fast pedal?"

Melted Mommy

2009-01-15T09:50:00.002-05:00

Katie came in to snuggle me before the first rays of the morning sun had begun to sneak in around the curtains. She whispered excitedly in my ear, trying not to wake her Daddy.

"Mommy! I had a wonderful dream!"

"Really?" I said. "What about?"

"Santa!" She paused for a moment. "I really love Santa, Mommy."

"Yes." I replied, smiling. "Santa is a wonderful person."

I began to doze, snuggled in her loving warmth while she laid there, thinking. A few minutes later she touched my cheek.

"Mommy!"

"Yes sweetie?"

"You know, I love you more than I love Santa." She had such a smile on her face. She gave me a hug and nuzzled herself into my neck, and we enjoyed the rest of those precious early hours, whispering back and forth and loving each other, until it was time to wake Daddy.

Speaking Of Growing Up

2008-12-14T16:56:00.003-05:00

Jennie's children are growing more and more beautiful everyday.

We've had some growing here too.

Today, my children went to their room, opened their drawers and picked out all their own clothes.

Strange I should consider that a milestone when my children are all more than old enough to handle that task? Well, only if you think I'm talking about a kid milestone.

Really, this is a mommy milestone. Nearly all of the children's clothes were clean, folded and put away in the right spot, rather than in a basket somewhere, and, even more than that, the children knew where to find them and expected them to be there, which means I've managed to keep their drawers full of clean clothes long enough to make a habit of it.

Not bad. A little late, but better late than never, right?

I'm Here

2008-12-12T11:17:00.003-05:00

And I've been doing more than just making bread dough.

Sam and I have been working hard to diversify our company to try to ride out the construction slump. We've got a pretty full schedule right now (we have to write smaller on our white board to fit it all in!) and, though the projects are mostly small ones, they are the difference between sticking with it and giving up.

I've been working on two major things these past several weeks. The first is a completely new website for our company (this is version 3) which will be a much better face for first time visitors as well as a great place for homeowners to visit regularly, even if they aren't quite ready to purchase our services yet. A "do it yourself" section will help homeowners learn how to do some projects themselves to help them save money and it will be a place where clients can submit photos of their projects and let us know what they were able to do on their own. We will also be reviewing suppliers and getting feedback from visitors to help us choose companies we'd like to endorse and link to. There's more, but I'll let you discover it all when the new site goes live.

The other thing is Christmas presents. I've been making and planning and sewing and crocheting and baking and . . . well, I'm not telling what else. I've been going to sleep at 2:00 in the morning and waking with the kids at 7:00. It seems that 5 hours of sleep is enough to get me through the next day. I'm looking forward to finishing the website, though. Programming sure does eat up a lot of time. I find myself working though a problem while I'm playing with the kids or making dinner or sitting with my honey. Sometimes I'd like to just think about kids and dinner and my honey, ya know?

I'll try to write more often, but no real promises.

I made the dough.

2008-12-11T00:38:00.003-05:00

And I put it in a container that looked far more than adequate for the meager amount of wet sticky stuff I was instructed to put in it by the cool new recipe I mentioned before. I set it on the counter for several hours, as instructed. I went about making our dinner and remembered to take a peak at it before we sat down to eat, just about an hour after I made that sticky dough.

It was overflowing. More than that, it was a breathing, living, writhing thing that was none to happy with it's containment. It didn't reach all the way down the sides of the container. It sort of clung to the edges, reaching, determined, but never making it all the way to the bottom. I kept it in check by piling it back up again every half hour or so. Finally, when I went to battle it one more time, it had given up the fight and collapsed back in on itself.

This was the sign the directions told me to look for. I put it in the refrigerator, covered, but not airtight. Tomorrow I will try to make some kind of bread with it. Maybe breakfast.

This might be worth it, as long as I get a larger container next time. The only fault I find is that this recipe makes enough for 4 loaves of bread. There is another that makes enough for 8 but I know I don't have a container big enough for that one!

More rambling another time. I'm sleepy. And need to sleep.

G'night

Sounding Good To Me

2008-12-07T22:43:00.003-05:00

I just got a great recipe which I'm excited to try. It's bread. But not just bread. It's bread dough that you can make and keep in your refrigerator for weeks. As it sits, it develops tangy flavors, just like sourdough. You can cut a chunk of dough off, set it on your counter for half an hour and then put it in your oven to bake. You've got bread in a matter of moments of hands on work.

Even better, there are lots of other recipes to make with this same dough. Everything from breakfast to dessert. Gotta love that!

Me thinks I'll be trying it out this week. I'll let you know how it goes and if it's worth the fridge space!

G'night

Hi, Santa!

2008-12-06T23:35:00.000-05:00

This is a test!

2008-11-12T21:52:00.003-05:00

Hello!

I'm trying something out to see how it works. If you're reading this, I guess it worked just fine!

Thanks for playing . . .