Nov. 10, 2009 - Just Passing These Along...
Some Thanksgiving Crafts
Turkey Apple
Corn Collage
Pilgrim Hat
Turkey Handprint crafts
Nov. 10, 2009 - Old Windows: Using the Past To Decorate the Present
First of all, a preacher friend of my mama and daddy's used some of the windows to build this conservatory. Now I WANT one too!
Now, here's another idea that I got from Angie over at The Happy Homebody.
After scraping off excess peeling paint, I stained one of the windows with a nice Italian sage green, backed it with burlap, and propped it over my mantel. Then I used some ribbon to coordinate with my living room colors and hung a nice 'Home Is Where Our Story Begins' sign in front. When I decorate for Christmas, I plan on changing the sign out with a wreath.
Do any of you use old windows in your decorating?
Nov. 9, 2009 - Still Here!!
Martina Carrying Breakfast on a Tray, 1904
"She did not know anything about a great many things,
but she knew a great deal about loving and cooking
and a woman can go far on that."
From A Tangled Web by L.M. Montgomery
I love that quote! It's so true! Loving and cooking(which go hand in hand) wraps up what we as moms do every day!
Nothing else is as important.
And if I have any readers left out there,
I am still around, occasionally. Life is full this year and blogging seems to have taken a back seat.
I always have many, many ideas for blogging, but alas, at the end of the day I cannot bear to sit in front of my computer screen.
I make no promises to be here more frequently, that would be in vain.
But I will post when the Lord gives me something to say and I can snatch away a few moments of time(like now as I'm waiting for the lasagne to defrost).
As for the goings on around here:
- A couple of weeks ago Hubby(who did most of it) and I did some bulk cooking and have 30 meals in our freezer! Yeah!
- My sweet Baby has turned one and learned to walk. Fun times!(Busy times!)
- We are well into school, although not moving as fast through our Canada studies as I hoped. I may also need to re-evaluated my son's science curriculum as it seems to be quite challenging.
- The kids have been enjoying a homeschoolers ice-skating group on Fridays.
- Dd just finished a session of horseback riding lessons and the instructor said she was a 'natural'.
- The boys continue to make 'stop-motion' Lego movies with the camera and I have to weed through their hundreds of pictures to find the ones that I took!
.
- I'm reading Bleak House by Charles Dickens, it's incredibly thick and I'll need to renew it a few times before I'm done!
- Hubby and I celebrated 15 years of wedded bliss in September!
- God continues to provide for us in the way of hand-me-down clothing. He is so faithful!
Blessings!
Nov. 8, 2009 - brother sister love
Just thinking today about how much I love being a mom! I remember when we first brought Charity home, and Harrison was just 7 months old, there were times when I was concerned that someone wasn't going to get all they needed. I wanted to make sure that they both had enough to eat, enough holding and loving (not like that was ever a problem), and that the other would never resent the other for any reason. My time was divided and my energies were divided, and sometimes it seemed like there might not be enough to go around. But, surprise surprise...here they are the very best of friends. Harrison watches out for Charity - he's the ever protective brother. Charity smiles for him and looks for Harrison, enjoying his company because he belongs to her...here were a few moments that I caught on film during the past week..
Nov. 7, 2009 - Picture Book Pleasures: Delicious Picks for Fall
Children’s picture books are a staple in the homes of most families. They have long been the first choice for bedtime stories or just for when someone needs a cuddle on the couch. Well-loved stories have stood the test of time and bring back good memories from our childhoods, and we all need that special reminder from time to time—no matter how old we are. Moreover, we are always discovering new favorites as we share them with our children, ever adding to the cherished cache.
Picture books can also help us celebrate the changing seasons as we read beloved classics concentrating on winter, spring, summer, or, as we are enjoying now, autumn. In fact, this delightful segment of the year brings us colorful falling leaves, cooler days, cozy quilts, and comforting smells of good things baking in the oven. Autumn also means pumpkins and APPLES and the many delicious possibilities they contain. Below are a few book suggestions and several ideas for using these stories as a ‘jumping off’ point for some yummy autumn fun for everyone!
How To Make An Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman is a wonderful story about what happens when it’s time to bake an apple pie, but the market is closed. Of course, this situation requires you to take a trip around the world to gather all the fresh ingredients, right at their sources. For example, you’ll need semolina wheat from Italy, a French chicken to lay a fresh egg, an English cow to give the richest milk, the bark of a kurundu tree from Sri Lanka that will be ground into cinnamon, seawater to evaporate for salt, and rosy apples from Vermont. No problem, right?
This delicious tale by Ms. Priceman is perfect for fall! There is a recipe for apple pie at the end of the book which would make a perfect finish! While eating a slice of your pie and a drinking a glass of milk, you might even want to explore a globe or map to locate the places mentioned in the story—a great geography lesson to go along with a delectable culinary creation!
The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall is another great ‘pick’! Two young sisters follow the cycle of an apple tree and how the apples are formed—from the bud to the fruit. The story includes the role of weather and bees in the production of the fruit, as well as a little side story about the robins who build their nest in the tree. The tale concludes with the apple harvest, and of course another recipe for apple pie is included.
In addition to a pie baking activity, this book lends itself very well to the whole scientific aspect of fruit production, pollination, weather patterns, and life cycles in general. Visiting an apple orchard or U-Pick facility would make a great field trip to go along with any of these books.
Applesauce by Shirley Kurtz takes the ‘apple’ idea one step further. This book focuses on a family’s quest to gather enough apples to make enough applesauce to last through the winter. The pictures in the book are very helpful for understanding the process of making applesauce, and easy directions are included. Jars of homemade applesauce would make thoughtful gifts for children to give to family and friends.
Johnny Appleseed by Reeve Lindburgh would make a wonderful wrap-up after baking up so many apple goodies in the kitchen. This poem about John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed) tells the story of one man’s crusade to spread apple seeds from Massachusetts to the Midwest. Can you think up other recipes that use apples as the main ingredient? Search your cookbooks and see what yummy things you can discover. Create your own autumn recipe idea notebook.
There are also quite a few picture books about pumpkins too, and many can be used as a starting point for enjoyable kitchen activities as well. Perhaps a side trip to the pumpkin patch is in order before coming home to bake up some down home goodness. Some suggestions are:
-The Pumpkin Patch by Elizabeth King
-Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie by Jill Esbaum
-Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White
-Biscuit Visits the Pumpkin Patch by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Need more ideas? Here’s an excellent bonus recipe for Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread.
Ingredients:
· 3 cups white sugar
· 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
· 1 cup vegetable oil
· 2/3 cup water
· 4 eggs
· 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
· 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
· 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
· 2 teaspoons baking soda
· 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
· 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
· 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three loaf pans. In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Blend in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Fill pans 1/2 to 3/4 full. Bake for 1 hour, or until a knife comes out clean. Cool on wire racks before removing from pans.
So scan your library bookshelves, ‘pick’ a few great books to share, and pre-heat the oven. Don an apron, bake up some autumn goodness, and enjoy the ‘fruits’ of your labor!
Nov. 6, 2009 - roastin' hot dogs
We may live in the city, but who says that we can't roast our hot dogs on an "open fire"? Tucker is really interested in anything having to do with camping and wilderness. He has a cute little cooking stove and pot. Every now and again, we try to use it. Once we popped popcorn over the flames...Nothing beats roasted hot dogs and good fellowship!
Nov. 4, 2009 - free dinner!
Last night we had a free dinner. I'm not sure why, but my children were really really thrilled about it being free. It isn't even like we normally charge them to eat at our home - well, we never do, actually!
So, on a whim, they entered a harvest time coloring contest at Papa Murphy's Pizza. Everybody but Charity colored a picture. Apparently there were three age categories and with our span of ages, everybody had a chance to win. Harrison ended up being the first place winner in his category. Ellie, Tucker and Chloe were runner's up in their age bracket.
Papa Murphy's called me to let me know that whenever I chose, I could come get my family size pizza (thanks to Harry) and my three side dishes. Tucker and Chloe chose cookie dough, and Ellie chose cheese bread. Everybody carried their prize out to the car and all of the prizes made it into the car, except for the family size pizza. Somehow that flipped upside down in the parking lot, probably since it was nearly as big as the guy who was carrying it!
Pizza and cookie dough - what a combo...
Nov. 3, 2009 - Tha Wise Old Indian
This came through my email and I thought it was grand :)
Nov. 2, 2009 - Vasona Lake Park
We LOVE parks! This past weekend, we visited our favorite park. Los Gatos has a terrific park with a lake, two playgrounds, a train, and lots more fun stuff...
Nov. 2, 2009 - Fall Pics and Baby Feet
Well with Thanksgiving coming up so quickly and Christmas a mere 53 days away I am wondering where time goes. I have days that seem to last forever and months that are gone before I know it. Brayden is already a month old. That just amazes me. School is still moving along and is about to take a turn towards how thankful we are for all God has given us and then on to Christmas to learn about the greatest gift of all. Brayden loves to be held, well what I really mean is that he wants me to hold him a lot or else he screams. I am sure learning how to work with only one arm. lol.
The kids are going outside as much as possible these days. I keep telling them they better enjoy it now, because the freezing weather will be here soon. Today we were blessed with a beautiful day. They were able to play for a couple hours after school.
Last week I finally was able to get some outside pics too. Between forgetting and the rain I wasn't sure I was going to get any before the beautiful leaves were gone. I didn't really capture all the great colors, but hey it's the kids that are the star of the pic anyways. 
We also went to a local church's pumpkin party and the kids had fun searching the dress up containers and their closets for something to wear. They played games and were given prizes like the silly glasses shown below.
Here are a bunch of pictures, since I have a bunch of kids and don't want to leave anyone out.
The kids also made a cool fort with the leaves. It even has a tunnel to get in and out.
And finally I love little baby feet. Here are a few I thought were so precious.
:>Michelle
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