The Pierce Ponderings - Homeschool Blogger

Contest

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:17:00 -0600

5 Minutes for Mom is hosting an awesome contest! They along with Best Buy are giving away an Insignia Bluetooth MP3 Player. It is very exciting. Pop on over and enter!

What happens when Mom leaves

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 09:12:00 -0500

This is what happens when Mom leaves for a week, leaving behind the animals with the kids and Dad:

Before:

After:

The poor dog is totally mortified. I'm sure of it. If you notice the white spots towards her rear, those are bald spots where they cut a little to close.

I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. She looks like a shorn sheep. My poor Eeyore.

Blowing Kisses

Sat, 15 Sep 2007 06:07:00 -0500

I have a sweet and precocious four year old. She is such a delight to me. One of the things I absolutely love about her, although at times very trying, is that you never have to guess what is on her mind. She’ll let you know. Whether she is upset, sad, happy, or overwhelmed with love she has no qualms about sharing.

I have discovered something recently while watching her. She is such a wonderful example for me in child like faith and my relationship with God. I totally get why God loves the child-like faith. When I watch her and converse with her, sometimes she just melts my heart. I can only imagine how God, the one who created her, feels.

One of her latest quips, that taught me once again a new way to view my heavenly father, happened just yesterday. In the busy-ness of the day, with 5 home schooled kids, trying to get school done, my husband on his day off, plus the extra people coming in and out of our home, it was pretty chaotic. I noticed her coming in from outside. She saw me and she smiled and she said “I was blowing kisses to God.” It stopped me in my tracks. I had to stop and give her a kiss and a hug. What a beautiful child-like example God had just given me. I don’t remember in all of the stuff I had in my life the last time I took the time to “blow kisses” to my creator, my Abba. I wonder if it makes him sad. I know I would be sad if my child stopped giving me kisses. So today I am going to take the time to remember in between the running between games, the taking and the picking up of kids, the making the dinner, the giving baths, and the rubbing the hubby’s back, to blow my kisses to God.

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 06:56:00 -0500

I know I have left my blog sit for awhile. I have been debating about shutting it down. I quite honestly just don't have the time to maintain it. I sit down at my computer and there are days I am on it for 2 hours and it feels like 5 minutes. To a busy mama with 5 kids, homeschooling, trying to maintain a home, and supporting (helping) her husband that is a huge chunk of time. I just don't really have that time I end up neglecting something else, usually my quiet time with the Lord. I do have some blogs that are my favorites and I do read those daily, and I have those I pop in now and again. So I will still leave comments on those, but for right now I believe I'm done. I am going to try and come back this summer when my life isn't quite as busy(or perhaps I should say demanding?).

White Chocolate Fudge Cake

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 11:46:00 -0600

Here is another one for you Julie. I must be feeling better I'm getting things done that have been put on the back burner!

White Chocolate Fudge Cake

1 package (18 1/4 oz) white cake mix
1 1/4 cups water
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
3 squares (1 oz each) white baking chocolate squares, melted

Filling:
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp butter (no substitutes)

Frosting:
1 can (16 oz) vanilla frosting
3 squares (1 oz each) white chocolate baking squares, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 carton (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

In a mixing bowl, combine the dry cake mix, water, egg whites, oil and vanilla. Beat on low for 2 minutes. Stir in white chocolate. Pour into a greased 13 X 9 X 2 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a microwave or heavy saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips and butter; stir until smooth. Carefully spread over warm cake. Cool completely . In a mixing bowl, beat frosting; stir in white chocolate and vanilla. Fold in whipped topping; frost cake. Store in refrigerator.

Tuna Stuffed Jumbo Shells (for Julie)

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 07:59:00 -0600

I don't like tuna much, but this is one of the best tuna salads I have ever had, and it is now one of my all time favorites.

Tuna Stuffed Jumbo Shells

10 Jumbo pasta shells (I just use egg noodles and serve the tuna over the top)
1/2 C Mayo
2 Tbsp sugar
1 can (12 oz) tuna, drained
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced green onions
1/2 cup diced green peppers
1/2 cup shredded carrots
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

Creamy Celery Dressing:
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 Tbsp mayo
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp onion powder

Cook pasta according to package directions; rinse in cold water and drain. In a bowl, combine mayo and sugar. Stir in tuna, celery, onions, green pepper, carrot and parsley. Spoon into pasta shells; cover and refrigerate. For the dressing, combine sour cream, sugar, vinegar, mayo, celery seed and onion powder. Arrange shells on plate and drizzle with dressing.

More snow and the stomach flu

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 10:37:00 -0600

We had more snow this weekend. Blah! It isn't horrible it was just snow this time and not the ice. It is also melting quickly. The kids are loving it. Kaitlyn, Tyler and Kylee spent several hours outdoors yesterday and they rolled 3 VERY LARGE snowballs for a snowman, but could never figure out how to stack them. So we have these large snowballs in my yard. It was cute to watch them. Something I can't figure out with my kids and playing in the snow. We have 2.5 acres our house is right in the middle. My kids have lots and lots of yard to play in, but where do they choose to play? Right by the road. As I was watching them yesterday I had images of a car coming down the hill around the corner with no way to stop on the slippery road and plow into my children. This is playing in my mind as our ever faithful old "Nana" type dog is watching her children while standing in the middle of the road. So I made them leave their large snowballs to go and roll some new ones in the backyard.
Today has been a mixed blessing. I woke up with a touch of some stomach bug. Not horrible enough to keep me in bed, but I don't want to wonder far from certain rooms of my house. So my teens make plans to go watch movies with friends (because when the ps have snow days we should too!) My husband took them and the 3 smaller kids to see some of their friends. So I have the house to MYSELF! I am so excited. To top it off I really can't move much without running, so I get to sit and lounge and enjoy the QUIET. I am surfing the net without interuption, and I think I will go read that book that has been sitting collecting dust, or I could put a puzzle together, or watch a movie I want to watch, or.... God is so good.

Reading Aloud

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 12:26:00 -0600

My family just finished reading Witch of Blackbird Pond, by Elizabeth George Speare, today. I read this when I was younger and then I read it again a few years ago when my teens were younger. I have forgotten how much I really liked this book.
I think the funnest part about it this time around was that my whole family got involved. I started reading it to my 10 yo, with my 7 and 4 yo listening in for a few minutes here and there, but then gradually I noticed that everytime I sat down my teens joined us, and even requested that we let them know when we were reading. Then about half way through the book my husband started joining us. It was so much fun! We got so involved with it that they begged me to read until my voice was hoarse.
The next book we are going to read is Johnny Tremain, by Esther Forbes, which was one of my husband's favorite books as a boy.

ARGGG!

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 02:44:00 -0600

I have CABIN FEVER! But the crazy thing is I don't want to go anywhere. I don't want to do anything, necessarily. I just want the snow and ice to go AWAY! I am ready for spring, flowers, sunshine, the smell of warm sunshine and new grass, and even bugs! For the last couple of days we have had above freezing temps and I have literally been passing back and forth in my house from the front door to the back door watching the snow SLOWLY melt. And by slow I mean SLOW.

This is so crazy! I was raised in the Northwest where it is winter from early November to May, and really the air doesn't get real warm until late June. Now I live in the Mid-Atlantic and I can hardly stand a couple of weeks of winter. Really we had a very mild winter up until the beginning of Feb. In fact we had a day or two of near 70 temps in January. We have had a couple of snow storms and this last one dumped quite a bit of snow and ice and it has lasted a whole week and I'm going crazy. I am ready to move to Florida (or TEXAS!)

No camera

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 07:32:00 -0600

I am so SAD! My camera has died. I don't take a ton of pictures. In fact I don't usually think about it and I'm so very proud of myself when I DO remember. But now that I don't have a camera I have had several times I think I need to grab it and take some pictures. Like the trip we just took to Monticello and then the following snow storm and my cute adorable children all dressed in their snowpants, hats and mittens sliding down the hill with their grandpa. Sigh.