Anna's Poetry Illustration

Every year the kids learn and memorize poetry. After they have learned a poem they illustrate and even copy it (if ability allows). Well, last year Anna never got around to illustrating or copying her favorite poem. So this week we did some catch up.

Here is her illustration for "The Song of Mr. Toad" by Kenneth Grahame. She's illustrating the third stanza. Ignore the wild, green markings. Unfortunately, she left her notebook out and a certain little brother took a crayon to her fine work. He got in trouble and she eventually stopped crying. I'll fix it with wite-out later. But I digress...... Here is her work:

I think those are supposed to be Toucan birds (ala Froot Loops) on top of the ark! LOL!! The animals are crying and Mr. Toad is on the right.

Click on picture to enlarge. She is illustrating the 3rd stanza.

Laugh of the Day

Today Kolbe had to narrate & illustrate his Bible story. I read to him about the Garden of Eden. The last sentence REALLY stuck out to him. It was something to the effect of: "They were naked without shame."

Kolbe immediately said, "I know what I'm drawing!! I'm going to draw the boy naked with his body tail and the girl naked with her nurses."

I almost choked on my water (which I'm not drinking enough of).

He did draw the woman but thankfully he's a very poor drawer AND he didn't ask me to label any body parts! LOL!!




I know, I know .... he should learn the proper anatomical terms so he doesn't grow up confused and messed up ..... yada... yada ... yada.

Bread Baking: Take Two

My bread looks MUCH improved thanks to Jennie's tips. I had just finished forming it, carefully putting it in the loaf pan and made a nice slit, when I decided to show it to Catherine. Well, my 2 yo is very bright and remembered exactly what to do from yesterday. I meant to show her the nice rising bread. She thought she was supposed to punch it! So, had it not been for Catherine, this loaf would have looked perfect instead of with a small wrinkle on the top. LOL!!

Oh well. It is still much improved from yesterday!! Also, I made some rolls for dinner. I hope they make it until then.

I had to shoo Craig away from them!

Baking Bread

I finally got around to baking bread. I used Jennie's recipe and found it to be incredibly easy AND delicious!! My kids LOVED their lunch sandwiches of either PB&J or tuna. I made two loaves and have 3/4 of a loaf left. So, I think I need to make at least 4 loaves at a time and bake twice a week.

I realize my loaves look a little deformed but they were tasty nonetheless. Again, I can't believe how easy it was. It took me all of 15 minutes!!! I think the last time I baked, I didn't use my Kitchen aid and found it sticky and tiresome to knead. This time it was easy!! And the kids LOVED taking a punch at the bread! LOL!

Also, the slices were nice and thick. No one asked for a second sandwich. YEAH!!! Hopefully, their tummies will stay nice and full for more than a couple of hours. Especially Kolbe's!!

Off to piano we go. If I can bake bread on our busiest day of the week, I can certainly bake bread the rest of the week!!

Lunch: Choice of PB&J or tuna sandwich, carrots & sweet pears.

Pregnant Mommy Moments

These aren't biggies, but I still can't believe how forgetful I've become:

(1) Yesterday, I was making tuna fettuccine casserole. When we sat down, Craig looked at the food with a puzzling look. After taking his first bite he asked me if I had forgotten anything. Of course I hadn't!! How dare he ask. After his second bite he insisted that something was not right.

Turns out I forgot the tuna AND the sauce mix. Basically, I had made fettuccine in butter milk. Not very tasty. He was able to fix my mistake but I just couldn't believe I had forgotten the main ingredients.

(2) Today I made rice to go along with the fajitas and beans Craig made. Craig makes AWESOME beans. His secret ingredient being beer! LOL!

I've been making rice since I was 13/14?? I make it from scratch. No measuring water or rice. I can just tell by how it looks and feels. Anyways, I forgot to add the salt. That's a very big NO-NO in my family. How could I forget the salt?? Very blah! Everybody was able to add salt afterwards but still, how could I have forgotten!?!

This happens with every pregnancy. When I was pregnant with Catherine I made my famous (in my family at least) **Arroz con gandules** which is Puerto Rican rice. The main ingredient being gandules. Guess what I forgot?!? LOL!

I kept telling Craig, "I feel like I'm forgetting something?" When I served the meal Craig started laughing because he saw immediately what I had forgotten even though I was still perplexed.

So, don't invite me to cook for you for the next 8 weeks or so. I might make you cheese enchiladas sans cheese!! LOL!!

**This isn't my recipe. Just thought I'd link to one in case anyone was wondering how it differed from other Latino rice. **

Update on Doggie Status

The decision has been made. I kept going back and forth and took every one's comments to heart. My heart was being pulled towards my children's happiness BUT my mind was rebelling. In the end Craig just decided NO!!

He says I shouldn't be making any important decisions like this before the Baby is born. We'll revisit the issue in a year or so. He agrees with Jennie that more work will be added to my load. While the kids would love to have a dog, maybe its just not right for our growing, young family. Maybe if we'd had a dog before the kids? But not right now.

However, he did agree that the situation of knowing something about the dog was ideal. What's not ideal is introducing a pet into our family 9 weeks before Baby is born.

I have to say that I'm relieved. The kids can be mad at Craig!! LOL!

Thank you for all your thoughts. I'm afraid I would have decided based on emotion (which a pregnant lady has lots of!!). Now back to pulling out baby things and getting my home ready. Today is the first day I've started preparing. I'll follow up with pictures later this week.

Coming to a theatre near you ..... Sept. 26

This looks to be a promising Christian film that builds up marriages. And the star, Kirk Cameron, also used to be one of my favorites when I was younger! LOL!! Enjoy the trailer. I think we might go see it.

Fireproof

Saving Money at the Grocery Store

I wish I could say I had good ideas for saving money at the grocery store. While I have read Miserly Moms and occasionally will only spend a set amount of money at the store (thereby watching prices more carefully), for the most part I just want to get my shopping over with!!

However, the subject has been on my mind lately, thanks to Jennie and my dear friend of 11 kids. Both ladies have really opened my eyes and have renewed my thrifty spirit.

So, imagine my surprise when I saw this video!! Enjoy! I'm off to try to save some money this week. Which brings me to a whole host of questions:

1) IF I were to start baking my own bread, is it really cheaper to grind one's own wheat?? I don't have that attachment on my Kitchen aid and I'm also worried about storing grain.

2) How often do you eat meat-ful meals per week?? I'm starting to see that we need to eat more soups, casseroles or meatless dishes to get that dollar farther. I grew up on a BIG chunk of meat, rice & beans for dinner everyday.

3) So far I've thought of the following dishes as being "cheap" for our family:
-meatless lasagna
-chicken noodle soup (made w/ cut up broiler chicken OR bone in chicken breast)
-tuna pasta casserole
-spaghetti
What's your favorite cheap meal that is both delicious and nutritious?

I'm sure there are more recipes I'm just not thinking of. But, for the most part, my meals are not on the cheaper end. ;-) Anyways, I hope you enjoy the video. It reminds me of Jennie's grocery experiment.

Prayers Please

*UPDATED*
I have to go in for a 3 hour glucose test tomorrow morning. I didn't "pass" the 1 hour screen test so now I have to go for the official diagnostic test.

Problems (1) & (2):

(1) I'm very afraid of needles!!
(2) If I don't pass, there's a chance I might not get to stay with the midwives.

So please offer up a little prayer for me. I've never had this problem with my prior pregnancies. I go in tomorrow morning at 8:30am.

** The midwife knew how anxious I was and promised to get me results ASAP. I thought she meant Monday. She called me this evening and said, not only did I pass BUT I passed with very low numbers. She can't figure out why I didn't pass the 1 hour test.

Needless to say, she had to poke more than the required 4 times!! :-/ My veins were hard to find. I didn't enjoy the ordeal BUT I'm glad to have passed!! Thank you so much for your prayers!! Now to celebrate with some decaf coffee and a slice of pie!! LOL!!

Take a Poll

I've always wanted to use the poll feature and now I have an excuse!! Its on my sidebar. Please take it!! Before you take it, though, here is some background information to make a more informed vote:

My children have always wanted a dog. The first time we had one, Sunny was VERY old and lasted a little more than a year. The second time we had Maggie. She was a beautiful rough collie that was well mannered and very ladylike .... EXCEPT when it rained or thundered or there was a drop in pressure. In those instances, she would go berserk and poop everywhere. After 1 1/2 years I couldn't take it and we gave her back to her breeder.

So, now my kids are begging for another dog. And I'm more than hesitant. I wish dogs could come with a guarantee. I don't want them to chew my furniture, pee or poop, shed hair, mess up the back yard or dirty the house! That's all! LOL!!

But, I do want my children to love, feed, walk, cherish and play with a buddy that will be devoted to them. I did not grow up with a dog and always wanted one. But, now that I'm a mom, I can only see all the had work and trouble they will cause me.

We've been thinking about it for 5 months now. About a 1 1/2 months ago at our last homeschooling meeting, the hostess said she had a dog they had found. The dog had been with them for about a week. He was well behaved and didn't seem like he'd grow too big. She already had a family willing to take him but was mourning the fact that she liked him and wanted to keep him except that they already had 2 dogs. I said, "Too bad, we might take him if he's as wonderful as he sounds."

Well, yesterday I got an email saying this family has changed its mind. They were in the process of moving and she was holding onto the dog until they were ready. She says he doesn't chew on furniture, is very nice to her girls, has never peed in the house, and is just a sweetheart. But they can't have 3 dogs.

Is this the one????

Also, in addition to the above, I can't factor out how he looks. And I think he's rather ugly!! But my kids think he's cute (of course). Am I just too old to get used to having a dog?? Am I just not a dog person?

Vote on the right. But please feel free to leave comments, too. If we did get a dog, I would hope he could be an indoor dog with nice manners and just be part of our family. Also, any suggestions on any specific type of dog, if not this one?? I was leaning toward either a chocolate or yellow lab.

Public Service Announcement

Does your child get up to look at the pictures when you're reading to them?? Does he or she get VERY close to the book and in front of the other children (setting off a stream of complaints)?

Do you have a child that sits on the floor for watching videos while everyone sits back on the sofas?

When you send your child to find something, do they always come back empty handed? If you go WITH them to show them where the object is and see the object in OPEN.PLAIN.SIGHT, have you ever heard yourself say, "My goodness!! It's right there!!! Are you blind???"

Chances are, they might be pretty darn close!!!

Once again, I will not be on the short list for "Mommy of the Year" award. Turns out one of my little ducklings is very near sighted ... like -250 strength prescription.

So, all those times she was breathing down my neck to see my blog, or coming back empty handed, it was my fault, not hers.

But all's well that ends well. Now to take the rest of the kids. Hmmmmm ..... maybe I should get their ears checked because I suspect they can't hear me!!

Before & After Haircuts

Well, last Saturday I took the kids for their annual back-to-school haircuts. While it wasn't the same without Craig, it all managed to go fairly smooth. In fact, somehow, when we arrived, ALL the stylists were doing nothing and I was able to get all 5 kids cut at the same time!!! Woohoo!!


Well, every time they get their hair cut, somebody always wants to go real short. And I can't seem to let them. This time I said, "Go for it." But I had to keep telling myself, "It will grow back. It will grow back."


They turned out cute. Much shorter than I was expecting , but cute nonetheless.


The first picture is with their choir teacher the day before:

Just For Me

We are starting to wither around here and missing Craig dearly!! Since my blog is also my homepage, I need to be greeted by this lovely face. He made it to the Taj Mahal and had a grand time. Just a few more days to go!!

Laugh of the Day!!!

The girls have been singing their folk music around the house. One of their favorites is Old Dan Tucker. Well, Kolbe's been listening to them and last night he started singing and made us howl with laughter. Here is his rendition.

Kolbe: Get out the way for Old Damn Sucker! You're too late to eat your supper!!

And just let me just say its an honest mistake!! LOL!! It sure was funny and had me laughing (as well as his grandma!!)

Music Camp: Part 2

Girls singing Sweet Betsy from Pike

One of their favorite songs, I've Been Workin' on the Railroad

We interrupt this blog ......

Just wanted to quickly point out that I've held my tongue and have managed to stay out of the latest debate all over the blogosphere regarding NFP and Providentialism. I haven't commented ANYWHERE!! I'm staying out of this one this time!! Craig would be sooooo proud of me. I will give him an earful when he gets back. But he shall be the only one privy to my thoughts. Back to my regular posts about my kiddos. ;-)

** In case you don't know what I'm talking about, you can go here and here and here and here and here and here and here and probably a million more places. But not me. I'm done reading about it. Back to posting more video clips and dreaming about cinnamon rolls for breakfast. And dreaming about my sweetheart.

Its at times like this that I could quit reading blogs all together!!! Well, except for a few. ;-)

FOR CRAIG: Part 1

Today was the final day of a weeklong music camp at our church. The kids performed during mass and later held a mini concert for the parents. The theme was American Folk Music. Here are a *few* video clips (because I have TONS!!!). Craig, they were darling! ENJOY!

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This first one is Kolbe's class singing Hush Little Baby. Notice Kolbe's big toothless grin!!

Next is Kolbe singing his favorite song ... something Barnyard? I didn't quite catch the name.

Finally, Kolbe NOT singing She'll Be Going 'Round the Mountain. He was busy trying to give his Cousin J the 'Gig 'Em sign everytime he came around. That's about the extent of his attention span. Thankfully, it was also the last song.

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The girls were in the regular choir and sang over a dozen songs. I selected a few clips (i.e. those that I wasn't whispering threats to Kolbe or wobbling the camera too much. LOL!) to feature. I'll admit I had to use a little muscle (and some bribery associated w/ a book trip to B&N) to get Anna to participate. She finally conceded and did a GREAT job!! These clips are in order of length, not in order of performance.

*NOTE* I don't actually know the names of some of these songs.

Singing the Rio Grande.

Singing the Erie Canal

So Isabelle is a wonderful whistler. Unfortunately, I find whistling to be VERY annoying. I am often asking her to take her talent to another room or outside. Well, this week her whistling came in very handy!! She was only one of a handful of kids who could. Who knew her whistling would one day be needed!! LOL!! She was very proud!

Singing Old Dan Tucker and Turkey & the Straw ???

More clips to come, including the girls dancing the Virginia Reel ...... that's if its not too long and Blogger allows it.

Where's Craig?

Guess where my sweetheart will be visiting soon?




Have I ever mentioned that in another life (that I chose not to have) I would have traveled the world? I would have traveled to all the historic sites I could squeeze into a life time.




Except I wouldn't have this life. And I LOVE this life!!

Most of the time! LOL!

Anyways, while I can't go, I'm overjoyed Craig will be there to take lots of pictures for me. And that he will be able to relive the experience for me when he gets home.

Ready???

He'll be here!!!!

How exciting!!!!!!!!!!!

Random Thoughts

So much for my daily posts!! Turns out I have access to my sweetheart every morning and evening. During the in-between hours I'm on survival mode and NOT in the mood for blogging.

Its not that I'm dying of loneliness or that its too much to parent alone. Nope. Seems this summer is my summer to just stay sick. UGH!! I've got some yucky stomach virus now. So, while the girls are at music camp, I've been using all my daytime hours laying on the sofa or hanging out in the bathroom.

The only good to come out of this is that Kolbe has found a new love for legos. And seeing as how I'm not going anywhere, I play along as best as I can.

But the laundry is piling up ..... QUICKLY!

Hopefully this is a 48 hour thing (my hopes of it being a 24 hour bug have been defeated).

Maybe if we get all this sickness out of the way, we'll all be healthy come October. One can only hope.

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As for Craig, this has been an eye opening experience for him. I'll write more about it later. He's amazed at how beautiful hotels & research facilities exist side-by-side to the "poorest of the poor."

Keep the people of India in your prayers.

Here are some pictures he took as well as some of his thoughts:

"Right in front of the hotel, a new building was going up. The laborers in this country build shacks and live in shacks made from left over building debris. In some cases I even saw families living here."

The last picture is of a boy wearing a South Padre Island t-shirt.

"Of all the shirts I could have seen - I saw this one. I know God was talking to me."

1 Down / 12 Days to Go

My sweetie left yesterday. I promised to try to blog daily. I would like to include pics but need to find the camera!! ;-)

Instead of boring everyone with details, I'll just highlight my days w/ funny (or embarrassing) antics the kids have been up to.

Here it goes:

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The kids started music camp at our church today. Kolbe was supposed to go the entire day. I stayed for the first 40 minute session to make sure he would be okay. Wanting to be the supermom, I got up early and made them breakfast of potato & eggs. I wanted to make sure everyone got their protein & carb to survive until noon. Imagine my surprise when Kolbe whined during the ENTIRE preschool session. He was SO hungry. Catherine participated more than he did.

I eventually had him sit down to have a "snack" from his lunch bag. He ended up eating his ENTIRE lunch at 10am!!!! Suffice it to say, I brought him home. He wasn't ready to stay.

He ended up eating a snack of yogurt before eating lunch. Do boys start eating this much at age 5????

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After Kolbe's session, he remarked in a rather loud voice (around all the other mothers):

"Mom, I thought you said this was going to be fun!! This was boring!!"

Did I mention that I brought him home with me???

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For dinner we had Chicken Spaghetti Alfredo. During dinner Isabelle remarked:

"I wish Daddy was home so I could thank him for buying the sauce."

Yeah, it wasn't homemade sauce. Craig told me to institute Operation Simplify. I thought it was sweet that they thought of him while eating their dinner.

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I received an email from India saying to call back. OOPS! I thought they were 14 hours ahead, not 10 hours. So I thought I was calling Craig at 8am. Turns out I called him at 4am. I got it now. Sorry sweetie!! Enjoy your jet lag!! We miss you!!

Love,
Lillian

New Look

I'll be messing around with my blog. Bear with me. I'm one of those gals that has to take a few dozen outfits into a dressing room before settling for one outfit. I've also been known to buy an outfit, think it over, and then return it. I'm guessing it will be the same with my blog! LOL! So don't be surprised if I keep changing my mind.

UPDATE: Boohoo! I lost most of my links and have to start all over. I don't like starting over. If you remember something I had on my sidebar, and I forget to include it, please remind me!!