Me and Sophia.
Genevieve holding a squirmy Sophia.
Blessings,
Lisa
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Menu
My Menu for this week came from TamInAz's blog over on Xanga. She has some great menu's and I'm tired this week.LOL
Breakfast
Egg and Cheese Sandwiches
Blueberry Pancakes and sausage
Smoothie and Granola Bars
Eggs and Bacon
Granola, yogurt, and fruit
Bacon-Hash roll-ups
Lunch
Roastbeef Sandwiches
Fish Sticks, tater tots
Sandwich Loaf (recipe follows)
Grilled Veggie wraps
Tuna or chicken salad
Dinner
Roast Chicken, potatoes, salad
Hamburgers, mac and cheese, beans, salad
Swedish Meatballs, noodles, carrots
Beef tenderloin, spring veggies, rolls
California Porkchops, rice
Chicken Soup, french bread
Baked Ziti, garlic bread, salad
This weekend has gone by quickly. The older kids went skating yesterday and Eric took the littles to a church fair. They all had a really good time. I pulled a muscle in my shoulder carrying the giant baby around and decided to stay home and rest. I'm actually glad that I stayed home. The forest fires in Georgia are sooo bad that the smoke is filtering throughout the whole house. I thought I was catching a horrible cold last night so I stayed home from church only to realize it was the smoke playing with my allergies. I missed all the fun!lol Oh, well, Sophia and I are getting a lot of time to get to know each other. I can't say it's helping me to understand her any better but at least I get all the baby snuggles.lol
I'm looking for some computer games for Evie. She's just about worn out all the ones she has. We haven't bought any new ones for her ever.lol She's just been playing the ones that lasted from Allison and Jon. If you all know of any good ones, I'd love to hear of them.
I finally found a history curriculum that like.lol Well, that the kids like. www.dianawaring.com It's got a little of something for all learning styles. We are going to start with Ancient Civ. I like that it has hands-on, auditory, visual, everything! Now we have all the main subjects for the year. Finally.lol
I'm also trying a new schedule from Large Family Logistics. I need to figure out how to get everything done in a week's time. I really hope this helps.
I guess that's it!
Here's the recipe for the sandwich loaf, this is from Tam's web-site...
Sandwich Loaf
It is made by using a favorite bread dough recipe. It's great with either white or wheat. You use about 1/2-loaf worth of dough, and spread it out to measure about 16" X 10" on a floured surface.
Melt 1/2 stick butter and mix with 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Spread this mixture over the bread dough.
Down the center third "longways", layer desired lunch meats (i.e. ham or beef or turkey).
Over the lunch meat, sprinkle about 1 cup of grated cheese or lay slices of cheese.
From there, you can roll up the dough over the meat/cheese layers or cut the sides (outer 2/3s of the dough) and braid them over the meat and cheese.
Transfer the roll to a pan.
Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, until golden brown.
Brush with butter.
Slice and serve warm.
Enjoy!
Lisa
Breakfast
Egg and Cheese Sandwiches
Blueberry Pancakes and sausage
Smoothie and Granola Bars
Eggs and Bacon
Granola, yogurt, and fruit
Bacon-Hash roll-ups
Lunch
Roastbeef Sandwiches
Fish Sticks, tater tots
Sandwich Loaf (recipe follows)
Grilled Veggie wraps
Tuna or chicken salad
Dinner
Roast Chicken, potatoes, salad
Hamburgers, mac and cheese, beans, salad
Swedish Meatballs, noodles, carrots
Beef tenderloin, spring veggies, rolls
California Porkchops, rice
Chicken Soup, french bread
Baked Ziti, garlic bread, salad
This weekend has gone by quickly. The older kids went skating yesterday and Eric took the littles to a church fair. They all had a really good time. I pulled a muscle in my shoulder carrying the giant baby around and decided to stay home and rest. I'm actually glad that I stayed home. The forest fires in Georgia are sooo bad that the smoke is filtering throughout the whole house. I thought I was catching a horrible cold last night so I stayed home from church only to realize it was the smoke playing with my allergies. I missed all the fun!lol Oh, well, Sophia and I are getting a lot of time to get to know each other. I can't say it's helping me to understand her any better but at least I get all the baby snuggles.lol
I'm looking for some computer games for Evie. She's just about worn out all the ones she has. We haven't bought any new ones for her ever.lol She's just been playing the ones that lasted from Allison and Jon. If you all know of any good ones, I'd love to hear of them.
I finally found a history curriculum that like.lol Well, that the kids like. www.dianawaring.com It's got a little of something for all learning styles. We are going to start with Ancient Civ. I like that it has hands-on, auditory, visual, everything! Now we have all the main subjects for the year. Finally.lol
I'm also trying a new schedule from Large Family Logistics. I need to figure out how to get everything done in a week's time. I really hope this helps.
I guess that's it!
Here's the recipe for the sandwich loaf, this is from Tam's web-site...
Sandwich Loaf
It is made by using a favorite bread dough recipe. It's great with either white or wheat. You use about 1/2-loaf worth of dough, and spread it out to measure about 16" X 10" on a floured surface.
Melt 1/2 stick butter and mix with 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Spread this mixture over the bread dough.
Down the center third "longways", layer desired lunch meats (i.e. ham or beef or turkey).
Over the lunch meat, sprinkle about 1 cup of grated cheese or lay slices of cheese.
From there, you can roll up the dough over the meat/cheese layers or cut the sides (outer 2/3s of the dough) and braid them over the meat and cheese.
Transfer the roll to a pan.
Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, until golden brown.
Brush with butter.
Slice and serve warm.
Enjoy!
Lisa
Thursday, April 26, 2007
When Kristine wrote to me and said that she had linked to my blog, I seriously thought it was a post maybe about how she'd always wanted a lot of kids until she started reading my blog or how my blog gave her inspiration because she knew she could always do better than me.LOLOL But no, it was to give me a "Thinking Award." Well, I'm honored and a little shocked. I certainly never tried to make her think and I'm deeply sorry that I unintentionally made that happen.lolol
So here are my top 5 picks for this prestigious award...lol
1.Liz is my first choice. She makes me laugh, cry, and feel human. I love this woman.LOL I always think, when I grow up I'd love to live at Liz's house.
2.Kimberly and her family live in Nepal as missionaries. I always wanted to be a missionary when I grew up and I love following this family in their work!
3.Jen, I love her blog! She has been doing a lot of research on Autism and all that she has found out really makes me want to change things in my own home.
4.Kathy is a babywearing, sling making women who I love to read about. She also does freezer cooking and that makes her top notch in my book.LOL
5.Bridget is another babywearing mom who I love to visit. She just had a new baby and I'm a sucker for baby pictures.LOL I also love how she is able to manage all of her kids and how organized she is.
Well, whew, I did it. This was hard because I tried to use people who have not already been tagged. These are some great women and I'm happy to inflict this award on them.lolol
Here's the rules, if I can figure out how to get it on here with all the links and such...lol
The participation rules are simple:
1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn't fit your blog).
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
Cream Together
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
Add
2 eggs
Beat in
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp salt
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 cups flour
Spread in a 13X9 greased cookie sheet, if it's a little dry add a drizzle of olive oil and mix. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Cut into squares while warm. Enjoy!
I made these for breakfast this morning and they are REALLY good! I got this recipe off of the Sonlight boards a few years ago and adapted it to my needs.LOL The basic recipe called for oil instead of peanutbutter and raisins and nuts instead of chocolate chips.
Blessings,
Lisa
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
The Art of Leaving the House with a Newborn
Firstly, I recommend not checking the diaper bag for needed items. Assume that everything you need is in the bag. You know what assuming does right? Next, make sure that you leave at just the "right time." Miss cues from your newborn, in your rush to leave the home, that mean that she may be "working on something." Make sure that you bring another small child that is not old enough to walk around on his own and then assign your oldest to watch over him. Now, drive to a nice store so that your oldest can pick out some shorts since she's been lamenting the fact that she outgrew all her old ones. Now you are ready to enjoy your trip!lololol
Here is what happened when I followed the above method...
We were there about 5 minutes before the baby began fussing. I set Allison off to find just the right shorts for the summer and I went off with the baby to get some shorts outfits for Evie and a few outfits for Sophia. I grabbed the first outfits I saw as by now Sophia was not happy. I couldn't understand "why not" since I had fed and changed her before we left. I picked her up and jiggled her while I looked for Allison and as soon as I found her, Sophia had a SUPER MEGA BLOWOUT!!! Up the back, out the sides and all over.lolol I just stick a cloth diaper under her and work my way to the checkout. I'm not worried as of yet, since I know that I have all the supplies to fix this situation in my handy dandy diaper bag, right? I check out and had the most amazingly fast checkout girl I've ever had, must have been the screaming baby with the twenty-seven cloth diapers layered on her.lol I make it to the car to change her and find that I have no wipes just 28 cloth diapers and one of Isaac's giant pull-ups. lolol Basically, at this point I add an extra cloth diaper to her already growing layers and pile everyone back into the car and quickly make it back home while my little stinky princess screamed the whole way. Yes, Allison found 3 pairs of shorts and 4 shirts in the less than 10 minutes we were there. You have to remember she's the oldest and has learned to shop fast over the years.LOL
I did find out that Sophia is 13 1/2 pounds from this trip though! The Publix is right beside the store we went to and so I weighed her. I can't believe she's so big! No wonder my wrists hurt.lol
Blessings,
Lisa
Firstly, I recommend not checking the diaper bag for needed items. Assume that everything you need is in the bag. You know what assuming does right? Next, make sure that you leave at just the "right time." Miss cues from your newborn, in your rush to leave the home, that mean that she may be "working on something." Make sure that you bring another small child that is not old enough to walk around on his own and then assign your oldest to watch over him. Now, drive to a nice store so that your oldest can pick out some shorts since she's been lamenting the fact that she outgrew all her old ones. Now you are ready to enjoy your trip!lololol
Here is what happened when I followed the above method...
We were there about 5 minutes before the baby began fussing. I set Allison off to find just the right shorts for the summer and I went off with the baby to get some shorts outfits for Evie and a few outfits for Sophia. I grabbed the first outfits I saw as by now Sophia was not happy. I couldn't understand "why not" since I had fed and changed her before we left. I picked her up and jiggled her while I looked for Allison and as soon as I found her, Sophia had a SUPER MEGA BLOWOUT!!! Up the back, out the sides and all over.lolol I just stick a cloth diaper under her and work my way to the checkout. I'm not worried as of yet, since I know that I have all the supplies to fix this situation in my handy dandy diaper bag, right? I check out and had the most amazingly fast checkout girl I've ever had, must have been the screaming baby with the twenty-seven cloth diapers layered on her.lol I make it to the car to change her and find that I have no wipes just 28 cloth diapers and one of Isaac's giant pull-ups. lolol Basically, at this point I add an extra cloth diaper to her already growing layers and pile everyone back into the car and quickly make it back home while my little stinky princess screamed the whole way. Yes, Allison found 3 pairs of shorts and 4 shirts in the less than 10 minutes we were there. You have to remember she's the oldest and has learned to shop fast over the years.LOL
I did find out that Sophia is 13 1/2 pounds from this trip though! The Publix is right beside the store we went to and so I weighed her. I can't believe she's so big! No wonder my wrists hurt.lol
Blessings,
Lisa
Monday, April 23, 2007
Menu
My Menu for this week,
Breakfast
Pancakes
Waffles
Eggs and bacon
biscuits and gravy
All served with fruit or smoothies.
Lunch
Sandwiches
Pizza
Salad
Tuna or chicken salad
Dinner
Beef Stew, biscuits, and salad
Baked Chicken, rice, and Asparagus
Taco Stuff
Pasta Carbonara, salad
Salisbury Steak, mashed potatoes, salad
Grilled chicken, noodles, and salad
Enjoy!
Lisa
Breakfast
Pancakes
Waffles
Eggs and bacon
biscuits and gravy
All served with fruit or smoothies.
Lunch
Sandwiches
Pizza
Salad
Tuna or chicken salad
Dinner
Beef Stew, biscuits, and salad
Baked Chicken, rice, and Asparagus
Taco Stuff
Pasta Carbonara, salad
Salisbury Steak, mashed potatoes, salad
Grilled chicken, noodles, and salad
Enjoy!
Lisa
Today has been a good day. The baby hasn't been sleeping too well but God has been so good to help me feel ready for the day anyway. I woke to Evie tip-toeing through my room and got up quickly and shooed her out. I was able to fix everyone breakfast before the baby woke and then get the wash sorted. I've been doing wash ever since and it's almost done.
Because of the gates, I was able to straighten and clean all the kid-areas quickly and vacuum them. I think it only took 15 minutes! Afterwards, I got Evie started in some preschool and Jon started in his MUS. It went much better today! I'm thinking it was just Friday inattentiveness that caused the problems. I did find that he really wasn't understanding Algebra at all and basically is starting over again. What a waste of time the other program was! I'm glad that he is finally getting this. We need to move on!LOL
Once the baby went down for her nap, Allison started her math. Now this is the biggest improvement to me. She really understands and likes this program! Her biggest problem now is trying to make the problems harder than they really are.LOL I'm proud of her!
While she worked, I cleaned my bathroom and then took Isaac to the grocery store with me. I asked Allison to finish her math, then clean her bathroom unless the baby woke up. Everything was done when I got home and Jon did some of the Ancient Egypt kit from Handsnhearts.com with Evie while I was gone. Publix had whole chickens on sale for $.79 a pound so that's what's for dinner tonight. I bought 4 of them for the freezer too. I have a few more loads of laundry and need to clean the kitchen floor but basically I'm done!
Who knew that something as simple as two gates would make such a difference! The kids are starting to get some school work done and I'm thinking in a week or two, we'll be up to a full course load day. I'm going to take it slow though, I don't want to crash and burn by taking on too much, too soon.
Blessings,
Lisa
Because of the gates, I was able to straighten and clean all the kid-areas quickly and vacuum them. I think it only took 15 minutes! Afterwards, I got Evie started in some preschool and Jon started in his MUS. It went much better today! I'm thinking it was just Friday inattentiveness that caused the problems. I did find that he really wasn't understanding Algebra at all and basically is starting over again. What a waste of time the other program was! I'm glad that he is finally getting this. We need to move on!LOL
Once the baby went down for her nap, Allison started her math. Now this is the biggest improvement to me. She really understands and likes this program! Her biggest problem now is trying to make the problems harder than they really are.LOL I'm proud of her!
While she worked, I cleaned my bathroom and then took Isaac to the grocery store with me. I asked Allison to finish her math, then clean her bathroom unless the baby woke up. Everything was done when I got home and Jon did some of the Ancient Egypt kit from Handsnhearts.com with Evie while I was gone. Publix had whole chickens on sale for $.79 a pound so that's what's for dinner tonight. I bought 4 of them for the freezer too. I have a few more loads of laundry and need to clean the kitchen floor but basically I'm done!
Who knew that something as simple as two gates would make such a difference! The kids are starting to get some school work done and I'm thinking in a week or two, we'll be up to a full course load day. I'm going to take it slow though, I don't want to crash and burn by taking on too much, too soon.
Blessings,
Lisa
Saturday, April 21, 2007
My Mom and Sophia
My mom came over today and took the littles to her house for a little while. It was really nice to only have the baby for those few hours. Mom said the two littles fought the whole time. I'm not surprised. Isaac is going through the twos and Evie is good at pushing just the right buttons. Mom has decided to only take one each weekend for the next few weeks. Boy, do I know how she feels, too bad I can't do the same.LOL Really, things have been better since I've gated half the house off. The messes have been manageable and the littles haven't been able to find as much to destroy. It does take more work to keep them busy but it's a good busy instead of the kind that costs me money.lolol If little Sophia says happy, I may not need a helper! A good schedule and a lot of flexability and things might just work out. Although, if God sends just the right person along, an extra hand would be a blessing.lol
Well, I think I'll be attempting church again tomorrow so I better get to bed!
Blessings,
Lisa
Yesterday was good too! I've been trying extremely hard to eat only baby approved food the past week and it's really made a difference in Sophia's demeanor.
We had some extra time yesterday and decided to jump right into the MUS program. I watched Allison's preAlgebra video first with her and then helped her get started with the practice. She REALLY liked the program and couldn't believe how easy the work was with the manipulatives. She ended up getting a 100% on the page and decided to go for honors credit. She worked on the honors problems for the rest of her time and was able to finish half of them before it was dinner time. I'm really impressed! This is my "I'm not good at math" kid, so if she's happy we're all happy.lol
I then started Jon on his Algebra video but the littles became a distraction so left him to watch on his own. He had some trouble with the problem work because he wasn't carefully reading and writing down the problems. Also, the first lesson didn't show how to use the blocks and so I'm guessing it was review of preAlgebra and since I haven't gotten that far, I couldn't help him. It was a little frustrating but I think I'll just work on this today and see if I can be more prepared for Monday.
Even Evie got in on the new math day! She is very smart and I'm wondering if I got the correct program for her. I went with the primer since I haven't really worked with her yet but she whipped right through many pages without any problems and didn't want to quit well past quitting time.lol I'm seeing that she has been way under challenged around here and I'm going to need to work with her more, you know, in my "spare time."lolol
Today the kids will be skating and Eric and I will be running some errands. We are supposed to make a banner for Allison's confirmation day and will need felt and other things. I have to admit I'm not looking forward to a craft right now. I kind of wish he'd have given us a little warning so that I could have worked on this before the baby arrived but I'll do my best. So we'll go to JoAnn's fabrics and since we'll be close, to Babies R Us.LOL
Blessings,
Lisa
We had some extra time yesterday and decided to jump right into the MUS program. I watched Allison's preAlgebra video first with her and then helped her get started with the practice. She REALLY liked the program and couldn't believe how easy the work was with the manipulatives. She ended up getting a 100% on the page and decided to go for honors credit. She worked on the honors problems for the rest of her time and was able to finish half of them before it was dinner time. I'm really impressed! This is my "I'm not good at math" kid, so if she's happy we're all happy.lol
I then started Jon on his Algebra video but the littles became a distraction so left him to watch on his own. He had some trouble with the problem work because he wasn't carefully reading and writing down the problems. Also, the first lesson didn't show how to use the blocks and so I'm guessing it was review of preAlgebra and since I haven't gotten that far, I couldn't help him. It was a little frustrating but I think I'll just work on this today and see if I can be more prepared for Monday.
Even Evie got in on the new math day! She is very smart and I'm wondering if I got the correct program for her. I went with the primer since I haven't really worked with her yet but she whipped right through many pages without any problems and didn't want to quit well past quitting time.lol I'm seeing that she has been way under challenged around here and I'm going to need to work with her more, you know, in my "spare time."lolol
Today the kids will be skating and Eric and I will be running some errands. We are supposed to make a banner for Allison's confirmation day and will need felt and other things. I have to admit I'm not looking forward to a craft right now. I kind of wish he'd have given us a little warning so that I could have worked on this before the baby arrived but I'll do my best. So we'll go to JoAnn's fabrics and since we'll be close, to Babies R Us.LOL
Blessings,
Lisa
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Today was a good day.lol The baby was good. No screaming like a miniature Wookie for hours on end. (Think Star Wars...lol)
My two that we call Mischief and Mayhem were unable to do "either."
The house is clean and tidy even as I type this.lol And everyone little is asleep. What a blessing a good day can be to a tired, worn-out woman!lolol I NEEDED a day like today.
I was able to look through the math curriculum and I'm impressed. We will start it on Monday and hopefully the kids will take off with it. We need to make some headway in this subject.
I made the casserole and forgot to put salt in it.lol Needless to say it really didn't go over too well. That's what they get for making a sleep deprived mom make them food.lol I think that they would all agree that if I'd remembered the seasonings, it would have been edible.lolol
Let's see, I guess this week has been pretty boring. Allison went ballroom dancing tonight. Eric was so sweet and took EVERYONE with him, even the screaming wookie baby, to drop her off and I got a break. Not only that but it seems to have interrupted the screaming session and the baby decided to sleep instead.lol I think I see many car rides in her future...lol
I took Jon to get gas for the lawn mower this afternoon. He's hoping to drum up some business this summer mowing lawns. He's saving up for a Nintendo Wii. I think it'll be good for him to earn his own money. We already pay him to do our lawn, which he did today and he does a good job. He's very excited. He's always been an entrepreneur at heart and I'm sure that this will be just the start of his business making ideas. I'm proud of him for wanting to work for what he wants.
Well, I'm going to take advantage of the early night and go to bed.lol Boy, I'm just a barrel of fun aren't I?lolol
Blessings,
Lisa
My two that we call Mischief and Mayhem were unable to do "either."
The house is clean and tidy even as I type this.lol And everyone little is asleep. What a blessing a good day can be to a tired, worn-out woman!lolol I NEEDED a day like today.
I was able to look through the math curriculum and I'm impressed. We will start it on Monday and hopefully the kids will take off with it. We need to make some headway in this subject.
I made the casserole and forgot to put salt in it.lol Needless to say it really didn't go over too well. That's what they get for making a sleep deprived mom make them food.lol I think that they would all agree that if I'd remembered the seasonings, it would have been edible.lolol
Let's see, I guess this week has been pretty boring. Allison went ballroom dancing tonight. Eric was so sweet and took EVERYONE with him, even the screaming wookie baby, to drop her off and I got a break. Not only that but it seems to have interrupted the screaming session and the baby decided to sleep instead.lol I think I see many car rides in her future...lol
I took Jon to get gas for the lawn mower this afternoon. He's hoping to drum up some business this summer mowing lawns. He's saving up for a Nintendo Wii. I think it'll be good for him to earn his own money. We already pay him to do our lawn, which he did today and he does a good job. He's very excited. He's always been an entrepreneur at heart and I'm sure that this will be just the start of his business making ideas. I'm proud of him for wanting to work for what he wants.
Well, I'm going to take advantage of the early night and go to bed.lol Boy, I'm just a barrel of fun aren't I?lolol
Blessings,
Lisa
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Oatmeal-Brown Sugar Muffins
3 cups flour
2 cups oats
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp baking powder
mix.
2 cups milk
1 cup oil
3 eggs
Blend in blender.
Add wet to dry and mix until just combined. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Enjoy!
We had these this morning and they were really good! For once, everyone liked them, although Allison said that they would be better with chocolate chips.lol (really, isn't everything?)
The baby's being a real doll today and I've been able to get a lot of stuff done. I went ahead and gated off most of the house today and thoroughly cleaned it.
The neighbors next door are getting their house painted today and it's just about killing me! I have asthma and the odor from the paint is somehow getting into the house and it's pretty stinky. We are also getting all the smoke from a forest fire in Georgia and so we've been stuck in the house. Smoke outside and paint fumes inside. Yuck!
I called my pastor's office yesterday to put in an ad for a Mother's helper. I'm hoping that if I'm supposed to have help that just the right person answers the ad. In the meantime, I'm trying to minimize the mess making abilities of my little ones by the liberal use of gates and by tying their closets shut.lolol Eric is buying locks for the closets this weekend but until then, I'm hoping my improvisation will work.lol
I ordered and received Math U See in the mail today. I was not going to buy another math curriculum but I heard a lot of good reviews about it, ordered the sample DVD and was very impressed! Last week, I tested both kids and found holes in their understanding of advanced math so I ordered PreAlgebra for Allison and Algebra 1 for Jon. I also decided to buy the Primer for Evie because for once I'd like to stick with ONE curricula from beginning to end.lolol I have three more kids to use this with so I figured the cost was worth it. Allison just needs to review some of PreAlgebra before moving to Algebra and Jon will probably only need the second half of the book but I'll have him review the first half since it's so visual and hands-on. I love the concrete way Mr.Demme explains Algebra. I am hoping that we will all come away with real understanding of this subject as opposed to rote memorization.
Blessings,
Lisa
3 cups flour
2 cups oats
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp baking powder
mix.
2 cups milk
1 cup oil
3 eggs
Blend in blender.
Add wet to dry and mix until just combined. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Enjoy!
We had these this morning and they were really good! For once, everyone liked them, although Allison said that they would be better with chocolate chips.lol (really, isn't everything?)
The baby's being a real doll today and I've been able to get a lot of stuff done. I went ahead and gated off most of the house today and thoroughly cleaned it.
The neighbors next door are getting their house painted today and it's just about killing me! I have asthma and the odor from the paint is somehow getting into the house and it's pretty stinky. We are also getting all the smoke from a forest fire in Georgia and so we've been stuck in the house. Smoke outside and paint fumes inside. Yuck!
I called my pastor's office yesterday to put in an ad for a Mother's helper. I'm hoping that if I'm supposed to have help that just the right person answers the ad. In the meantime, I'm trying to minimize the mess making abilities of my little ones by the liberal use of gates and by tying their closets shut.lolol Eric is buying locks for the closets this weekend but until then, I'm hoping my improvisation will work.lol
I ordered and received Math U See in the mail today. I was not going to buy another math curriculum but I heard a lot of good reviews about it, ordered the sample DVD and was very impressed! Last week, I tested both kids and found holes in their understanding of advanced math so I ordered PreAlgebra for Allison and Algebra 1 for Jon. I also decided to buy the Primer for Evie because for once I'd like to stick with ONE curricula from beginning to end.lolol I have three more kids to use this with so I figured the cost was worth it. Allison just needs to review some of PreAlgebra before moving to Algebra and Jon will probably only need the second half of the book but I'll have him review the first half since it's so visual and hands-on. I love the concrete way Mr.Demme explains Algebra. I am hoping that we will all come away with real understanding of this subject as opposed to rote memorization.
Blessings,
Lisa
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Monday, April 16, 2007
My Menu for this week...
Breakfast
Eggs, Bacon, and Fruit
Pancakes, sausage, fruit
Casserole (recipe follows)
Oatmeal-brown sugar Muffins and fruit
Lunch
Chicken salad and fruit
grilled cheese and soup
Pizza and fruit
Sandwiches and veggies
Mac and cheese, veggies
Dinner
Rotisserie chicken, rice, and salad
Ham, greenbeans, and potatoes
Hash, salad
Black beans and rice, bread, and salad
Nachos
Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, salad
Tuna Noodle Casserole
I'm trying a new breakfast item from the show Everyday Italian. It's called Chicken and Orzo Frittata. I think it'll be good.
Chicken and Orzo Frittata
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
See this recipe on air Saturday Apr. 21 at 7:30 AM ET/PT.
Show:
Everyday Italian
Episode:
Everyday Lunches
3/4 cup orzo pasta
6 eggs
1/3 cup whole milk ricotta (I'm using cottage cheese)
1/4 cup creme fraiche (I'm using sour cream)
2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed (about 2 cups)
4 scallions, chopped (I'm skipping these)
1/4 cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup diced roasted red bell peppers (I'm skipping these also.)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.
In a large bowl combine the eggs, ricotta, and creme fraiche and stir until the eggs are beaten and the ingredients are combined. Add the cooked orzo, chicken, scallions, parsley, red bell peppers, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
Pour the mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes. Turn on the broiler. Place the pan under the broiler until golden on top, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let set for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with a side salad.
Yesterday, Allison read her paper to the congregation during service. It went well and she got quite the introduction from the pastor. We found out that most kids have to rewrite their paper a few times before it's accepted but Allison's didn't even have one red mark on it. He was most impressed and told everyone it was the best paper he's ever read, so everyone was especially quiet in order to hear this wonderful paper and Allison was mortified.LOL She was so quiet that I'm sure most everyone didn't hear her at all.
I'm on my new computer! Now we just need to finish getting Jon's room ready for the old one. Everything that I try to do takes at least twice as long as what I expect it to. I ended up with a horrible tummy bug last night so I have no idea what this week is going to be like. I'm praying that I start to feel better today and I hope that no one else gets this. Right now, I feel yucky and I'm trying hard to keep up with everyone.
De'Etta was saying on her blog that once you've had 3 kids, any others aren't so hard to handle and I kept wondering about that because ever since we added Sophia I've been having a really hard time keeping up with everyone and I've been feeling overwhelmed and out numbered. Well, I've realized that this is actually the first time I've ever had three little ones at one time. I just feel like EVERYONE NEEDS ME and I can't do it all. Evie's been acting out, Isaac's been having temper tantrums all the time, Sophia has horrible gassy colic.ugh. I know that things will get better, I'm just trying to figure how to make things a bit better now. I want to quit REACTING and start being PROACTIVE. Those of you who have had three in a row, what did or have you done to be more proactive in your parenting? How can I manage the three without a major disaster each and everyday?lolol
Well, the baby's done eating so my typing with one hand has come to an end.lol
Blessings,
Lisa
Breakfast
Eggs, Bacon, and Fruit
Pancakes, sausage, fruit
Casserole (recipe follows)
Oatmeal-brown sugar Muffins and fruit
Lunch
Chicken salad and fruit
grilled cheese and soup
Pizza and fruit
Sandwiches and veggies
Mac and cheese, veggies
Dinner
Rotisserie chicken, rice, and salad
Ham, greenbeans, and potatoes
Hash, salad
Black beans and rice, bread, and salad
Nachos
Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, salad
Tuna Noodle Casserole
I'm trying a new breakfast item from the show Everyday Italian. It's called Chicken and Orzo Frittata. I think it'll be good.
Chicken and Orzo Frittata
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
See this recipe on air Saturday Apr. 21 at 7:30 AM ET/PT.
Show:
Everyday Italian
Episode:
Everyday Lunches
3/4 cup orzo pasta
6 eggs
1/3 cup whole milk ricotta (I'm using cottage cheese)
1/4 cup creme fraiche (I'm using sour cream)
2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed (about 2 cups)
4 scallions, chopped (I'm skipping these)
1/4 cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup diced roasted red bell peppers (I'm skipping these also.)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.
In a large bowl combine the eggs, ricotta, and creme fraiche and stir until the eggs are beaten and the ingredients are combined. Add the cooked orzo, chicken, scallions, parsley, red bell peppers, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
Pour the mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes. Turn on the broiler. Place the pan under the broiler until golden on top, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let set for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with a side salad.
Yesterday, Allison read her paper to the congregation during service. It went well and she got quite the introduction from the pastor. We found out that most kids have to rewrite their paper a few times before it's accepted but Allison's didn't even have one red mark on it. He was most impressed and told everyone it was the best paper he's ever read, so everyone was especially quiet in order to hear this wonderful paper and Allison was mortified.LOL She was so quiet that I'm sure most everyone didn't hear her at all.
I'm on my new computer! Now we just need to finish getting Jon's room ready for the old one. Everything that I try to do takes at least twice as long as what I expect it to. I ended up with a horrible tummy bug last night so I have no idea what this week is going to be like. I'm praying that I start to feel better today and I hope that no one else gets this. Right now, I feel yucky and I'm trying hard to keep up with everyone.
De'Etta was saying on her blog that once you've had 3 kids, any others aren't so hard to handle and I kept wondering about that because ever since we added Sophia I've been having a really hard time keeping up with everyone and I've been feeling overwhelmed and out numbered. Well, I've realized that this is actually the first time I've ever had three little ones at one time. I just feel like EVERYONE NEEDS ME and I can't do it all. Evie's been acting out, Isaac's been having temper tantrums all the time, Sophia has horrible gassy colic.ugh. I know that things will get better, I'm just trying to figure how to make things a bit better now. I want to quit REACTING and start being PROACTIVE. Those of you who have had three in a row, what did or have you done to be more proactive in your parenting? How can I manage the three without a major disaster each and everyday?lolol
Well, the baby's done eating so my typing with one hand has come to an end.lol
Blessings,
Lisa
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Friday, April 13, 2007
Does God really only give you no more than you can handle?
I look back over the past few years of surgeries, broken arms, health crisis', a move, and a new baby and I can without a doubt say that God gave me way more than I could handle. Did I make it through everything? Yes, but not without completely and totally relying on the mercy and grace of God. I did not make it on my own, it was not me who could handle these insurmountable odds, it was my Lord and Savior who carried me through to the other side. I learned that God will and does give me more than I can handle but that He will be there with me, even when I stumble and fall. Even when I cry out and say I can't do it anymore! God will comfort me, but that doesn't mean that He will take me out of that place. Am I without hope? No! I have come to understand that even when placed in hard times, I have an amazing Father who is with me and will help me to learn and help others during these trials that we all must go through. I have found myself, in the middle of hardships, learning to lean on Him and seeing for the first time the struggles of others. Once, when Isaac was quite young, the hospital scheduled his surgery for late in the morning. I was screaming out to God, this is not fair! He is so young! Why does he have to suffer this way? I cried and prayed for God to change his time, to make it a mix up and for him to be taken earlier. When we got to the hospital that day, it was a struggle for me. I wanted to take my little boy home and forget his surgery. I was ANGRY and HEARTBROKEN.
Then I saw him.
The tiny 2 month old baby who had taken Isaac's early surgery spot. He was soooo small and frail. His parents were so worried and anguish was written on their faces. Their eyes were red from tears and the grandmother couldn't stop crying. When that little boy went back with his parents to surgery, I held that grandmother while she cried. I sat with her in the recovery room after the surgery and told her that God was here and He was with her little grandchild.
It was then that I realized that it isn't always about me, sometimes we are put where we are, for others, who really need us.
Blessings, Lisa
I look back over the past few years of surgeries, broken arms, health crisis', a move, and a new baby and I can without a doubt say that God gave me way more than I could handle. Did I make it through everything? Yes, but not without completely and totally relying on the mercy and grace of God. I did not make it on my own, it was not me who could handle these insurmountable odds, it was my Lord and Savior who carried me through to the other side. I learned that God will and does give me more than I can handle but that He will be there with me, even when I stumble and fall. Even when I cry out and say I can't do it anymore! God will comfort me, but that doesn't mean that He will take me out of that place. Am I without hope? No! I have come to understand that even when placed in hard times, I have an amazing Father who is with me and will help me to learn and help others during these trials that we all must go through. I have found myself, in the middle of hardships, learning to lean on Him and seeing for the first time the struggles of others. Once, when Isaac was quite young, the hospital scheduled his surgery for late in the morning. I was screaming out to God, this is not fair! He is so young! Why does he have to suffer this way? I cried and prayed for God to change his time, to make it a mix up and for him to be taken earlier. When we got to the hospital that day, it was a struggle for me. I wanted to take my little boy home and forget his surgery. I was ANGRY and HEARTBROKEN.
Then I saw him.
The tiny 2 month old baby who had taken Isaac's early surgery spot. He was soooo small and frail. His parents were so worried and anguish was written on their faces. Their eyes were red from tears and the grandmother couldn't stop crying. When that little boy went back with his parents to surgery, I held that grandmother while she cried. I sat with her in the recovery room after the surgery and told her that God was here and He was with her little grandchild.
It was then that I realized that it isn't always about me, sometimes we are put where we are, for others, who really need us.
Blessings, Lisa
Thursday, April 12, 2007
What does one do with a sandbox?
Someone on the SHS list asked this question today and it made me chuckle.lol I know what MY kids do with their sandbox.....
they make a MESS!lolol My two little ones spend at least an hour a day playing in their sandbox and the surrounding areas. They build, create roads, make sand angels, dig, and imagine. I wouldn't have it any other way.LOL Just don't ever buy BLUE sand, and no, you don't want to ask why.lololol
Blessings,
Lisa
they make a MESS!lolol My two little ones spend at least an hour a day playing in their sandbox and the surrounding areas. They build, create roads, make sand angels, dig, and imagine. I wouldn't have it any other way.LOL Just don't ever buy BLUE sand, and no, you don't want to ask why.lololol
Blessings,
Lisa
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Whoohoo! I finished the toy room! This was a huge undertaking, especially with a new baby. Moving the littles into Isaac's room and then putting all their toys into Evie's old room took us a little less than 3 weeks. Here are some photos of the new room...
Here are the new cabinets and desk, not quite finished.
My next project is to set up the new computer and then get the older kids study area set up. I'm really hoping that I can get this done a little quicker because the older kids have a hard time studying with the littles around them. I REALLY don't know why.lol
Blessings,
Lisa
Here is the closet and store.
Here are the new cabinets and desk, not quite finished.
Here is the table and kitchen area.
I arranged all the toys into separate bins, all the kitchen stuff into different zippered bags, and we are going to purchase childlocks for the cabinets and closet so that I can manage the toys without getting the chaos of them dumping all the bins out when no one is watching.lol Now the littles have a really nice area for play. I love order out of chaos!LOL
My next project is to set up the new computer and then get the older kids study area set up. I'm really hoping that I can get this done a little quicker because the older kids have a hard time studying with the littles around them. I REALLY don't know why.lol
Blessings,
Lisa
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Happy 13th Birthday JONATHAN!!!
I can't believe that my little boy is now a young man! He is a terrific person and I'm so happy that I get to spend this time with him and see who he becomes. We didn't do much today but we are waiting for his cake to cool so that we can eat it.LOL He got a total room makeover for his birthday and a few smaller gifts.
I told him "I can't believe that you're 13 already!" And he said, "Hey, it took me 13 years to get this far!"lololol He's got such a great sense of humor.lol
Blessings,
Lisa
I can't believe that my little boy is now a young man! He is a terrific person and I'm so happy that I get to spend this time with him and see who he becomes. We didn't do much today but we are waiting for his cake to cool so that we can eat it.LOL He got a total room makeover for his birthday and a few smaller gifts.
I told him "I can't believe that you're 13 already!" And he said, "Hey, it took me 13 years to get this far!"lololol He's got such a great sense of humor.lol
Blessings,
Lisa
Monday, April 09, 2007
My Menu for this week...
Lunch
Pizza
Turkey
Chicken salad
Mac & cheese
Fish sticks
Dinner
Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes, salad
Steak, rice, salad
Ham, potatoes, fresh greenbeans
Split pea soup, fresh baked bread
grilled chicken, rice, salad
Hamburgers, fries, salad
Leftovers
First off, Happy Easter everyone! I know I'm late but yesterday was a very busy day and I'm running low on energy.lol
This week is going to be very busy! We are going to ease into school this week because some of the things we need are still on their way here.lol We are starting Movies As Literature tonight starting with the first movie, Shane. Pretty exciting!
I'm still organizing the house, mainly the new toy room. It's a real mess. My dh put some new cabinets together over the weekend and the last one had some screws missing (don't we all?lol)so we're waiting for those in the mail also.
I'm going to teach Jon how to make grilled food this week along with french bread. He's made our usual breads and rolls but we need to move on to some new kinds. He's also made chicken on the grill but we're going to try steak and hamburgers this week also.
Well, I guess I'll get back to work...lol
Blessings,
Lisa
Lunch
Pizza
Turkey
Chicken salad
Mac & cheese
Fish sticks
Dinner
Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes, salad
Steak, rice, salad
Ham, potatoes, fresh greenbeans
Split pea soup, fresh baked bread
grilled chicken, rice, salad
Hamburgers, fries, salad
Leftovers
First off, Happy Easter everyone! I know I'm late but yesterday was a very busy day and I'm running low on energy.lol
This week is going to be very busy! We are going to ease into school this week because some of the things we need are still on their way here.lol We are starting Movies As Literature tonight starting with the first movie, Shane. Pretty exciting!
I'm still organizing the house, mainly the new toy room. It's a real mess. My dh put some new cabinets together over the weekend and the last one had some screws missing (don't we all?lol)so we're waiting for those in the mail also.
I'm going to teach Jon how to make grilled food this week along with french bread. He's made our usual breads and rolls but we need to move on to some new kinds. He's also made chicken on the grill but we're going to try steak and hamburgers this week also.
Well, I guess I'll get back to work...lol
Blessings,
Lisa
Friday, April 06, 2007
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Here's the latest photo of Sophia. She is starting to heal up from her acne but still looks rough.lol
This is her favorite position. Too bad we can't figure out how to put her down in this position.LOL It's been one very long day starting on Sunday and it's still going on. I'm beginning to resent my happy, well-rested morning person dh, who cheerfully greets Sophia and I at dawn every morning right before he leaves for work. I bet if he took the night shift he wouldn't be so cheery. lol Really, it should be against the law to be that cheerful in the morning. So there.lol
I'm beginning to feel like I'll never be able to get this house in order. I get a room clean, go to feed Sophia, come back and the littles have crumbled playdough into the carpet, knocked a drink over, sprinkled toys like some kind of toy fairies all over for good measure and when I ask who made the mess they all deny even going into that room today.LOLOL I think I need about 100 more gates. I could gate off every single room and put one kid in each room.lol
Blessings,
Lisa
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
I know I haven't written for a couple of days. Let's just say I'm tired.lol Sophia is being a baby. Isaac is using markers on any surface closest to wherever he finds a marker. Genevieve has been needing a little extra mommy time lately and so I've been working on Sing, Spell, Read and Write with her. I've been working on what the older kids will be studying starting next week and trying to keep the house in order. Oh, yeah, and I've been trying to get some sleep each day.lol I've also been trying to declutter each room so that when the kids start school next week I'll be able to easily keep the house together. Ok., maybe not easily but at least to a point where I won't be embarrassed if someone comes over.lol I also gave Isaac a buzz cut for the summer.
Here's my two critters hamming it up for the camera.
Here's Genevieve being serious.
Here's my boy with his new do.
Here's my two critters hamming it up for the camera.
Here's Genevieve being serious.
So far the older kids will be using most of the same books as before our break. I've decided to add in a few new things though. Here's their schedule..
These are the subjects we hope to finish within the next few months...
Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1
SL 5 (for Jon)
SL 200 (for Allison)
Apologia Biology
New subjects...
Movies as Literature
Life Prep for Homeschooled Teens
Electives...
Ballroom dancing (Allison)
Guitar (Allison)
Home Economics (Allison)
Culinary Arts (Jon)
Computer programming/gaming (Jon)
Confirmation classes (Jon and Allison)
Jon's birthday is next Tuesday and he'll be 13! I can't believe how old my kids are.lol I know we are all looking forward to beginning school again and getting back to some kind of schedule. It's been a little crazy with everyone just doing whatever for the past few weeks. It seems that more messes get made when we aren't busy. I just hope that I can keep up with everyone. lol
Blessings,
Lisa
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