Some weeks are better than others!

Sometimes the best laid plans just aren't gonna happen.  This has been a challenging week and so some of our plans didn't pan out.  One child was throwing up on Tuesday, and another one was throwing up this morning.  In between Tuesday and Friday I was really not feeling well.  Hopefully we have gotten it out of our system.  I am writing this to encourage you in case you've had a challenging week too!  Make sure you are making time for yourself so that you are equipped to deal with the days that are a bit harder.  As my sweet friend Jamey put it, bein a momma aint for sissies!  That is sooooo true and I hear that advice in my head constantly.   

However, we did explode sandwich bags (it is a very fast experiement but they loved it), make lava lamps (they loved that one too), visit the library for a magic show, get Father's Day stuff ready (each child got to pick a place to get a $5 gift card to go spend a date with dad), have a play date, and go to football camp.  So the week wasn't half bad with all of its challenges.  We were planning on going on the Grapevine Friday Fun Train today but we will save that for another day.  :) 

Finally, set your kids up to entertain themselves well for the days when you are just exhausted or not feeling well.  We have lots of books at the ready, many workbooks for them to go through (they love workbooks), a few computer games that we all like to play together, sports equipment galore outside, and a table with all kinds of paper, markers, and crayons for them to create beautiful pieces of work :).  Between all of those things, the kids have gotten pretty good at entertaining themselves when we are having a slower day. 

Have a Fantastic weekend!!!

Candy Strawberries and Lava Lamps

This morning my oldest is at a flag football camp at our local community center, and while he is away the rest of us will be going grocery shopping.  Exciting!  We will be getting a few things for fun activities this afternoon.  It is going to be 100 today, so I've got a few indoor activities up my sleeve. 

Before I go into the details of the afternoon, can I just encourage you to get up early and exercise this summer?  It makes such a difference in my attitude, and my guess is it's the same for most.  I decided about a month ago that I was going to commit to continuing my exercise routine (I have a 3.8 mile route that I adore and that I walk/run) during these hot summer months by getting up at 6 and getting it done.  It is still soooo nice in the mornings (70ish), there is a cool breeze, and no one is out so it is incredibly peaceful.  If that's the only time of day I get to myself I am definitely going to take it!  I have to share the early mornings with my hubs (he likes to exercise early as well) and today was my day to get out of the house.  So, I feel especially ready to take on the day! 

This morning in addition to grocery shopping I will be putting together a meatloaf for dinner tonight.  I can stick it in the fridge and when we are about an hour away from dinner I can just stick it in the oven and I don't have to worry about it.  I also make 2 at a time so that next week (or in 2 weeks) I have a dinner already made.  You can find the recipe here if you are interested:  http://www.momma-smith.blogspot.com/search/label/Recipes

This afternoon while the little one is napping, we will be making candy strawberries and lava lamps.  Here is the link for making the lava lamps (so easy - we will be getting the water bottles - since we are out - and alka seltzer antacid tablets today at the store):  http://www.momma-smith.blogspot.com/2012/05/summer-arts-and-crafts.html.  Here is the link for the candy strawberries:  http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/recipes/dried-strawberries-ruscalleda/.  I'll let you know if they are a success!

Flying Monsters & Magic School Bus

Dad left at 5:30 this morning for an all day disc golf tourney and so this morning I was scrambling trying to figure out how I was going to entertain the crew for the day.  My initial plan was nixed by my 7 year old, which included a visit to the Museum of Nature and Science in dallas to see an IMAX movie and go to a temporary exhibit there called the Magic School Bus.  His request was to stay home all day and be lazy.  I was pretty certain that was going to result in a lot of fighting and yelling, and so I asked him to figure out a plan with his brother (who liked my proposed plan) and my only request was that the plan included getting out of the house.  They decided they wanted to go to the museum and see the movie, but not go to the exhibit.  That's a long drive for a 40 minute movie, but I accepted this plan for 2 reasons:  1.  when the kids are in the car they are quiet.  That's 80 minutes of silence and happiness for all.  Yes, please.  2.  I kinda wanted to see flying monsters too, so off we went.  We brought a lunch to eat afterward outside.  The movie was great, and was primarily about the Terasaurus (spelling?), and a proposed explanation for how they became extinct.  They are basically flying lizards of sorts.  The boys of course loved it.  Clara wasn't too certain whether she was going to like it so I got snuggles from her the whole time.  Turns out there was live music outside, so we got to eat our picnic lunch in the shade and listen to great music.  Great outing and highly recommend it.  Later this summer we will be heading back to check out the magic school bus exhibit and I will keep you posted about it!

One last sidenote - there is another IMAX movie about Whales, and if you go to the Museum website and click on the exhibit, there is curriculum and activities that you can do with the kids after they see the movie.  I checked it out and I think the kids would have loved it, but they wanted to see Flying Dinosaurs instead. 

Park Exploration

We have this great feature in our navigation system where you can search for parks nearest you, and so the other morning while the oldest child was in a morning camp, I took the other two park exploring (meaning search for the closest park and find one we haven't been to before).  We stumbled across a great low key park in Flower Mound called Colony Park (http://www.mapquest.com/places/colony-park-flower-mound-tx-265840879/).  They had a playground for both the little ones and big ones, swings, a huge soccer field, and tons of shade.  Sometimes I just want to go to one where I can easily keep an eye on all 3 at the same time (rather than somewhere like Kids Kastle).  Here are some pics:

We also visited Highlands Park (http://local.yahoo.com/info-24454721-highlands-park-lewisville), which is super dooper low key, but was fun for them (ages 2 and 5) for about 20 - 25 minutes before we moved on to the next park.  :)  This one was really great for the 2 year old.  And just an FYI - there is really no shade so you will need a cooler morning.  Here are some pics:



Free Splash Park Alert!

I LOVE finding new places to explore and it's even better when it's free.  A friend of mine visited WJ Thomas Splash Park in Carrollton this morning and said it was great, so you can bet we will be visiting there very soon!  Great for the little ones.  Here is the link!

http://www.cityofcarrollton.com/index.aspx?page=1462

Here is a pic! (from the link)












This morning we paid a visit to Chick Fil A to hang out with friends (mom and kids both), and this afternoon we are going geocaching.  Should be fun! 

Summer Arts and Crafts

Once again I have relied on pinterest for some ideas in the arts
and crafts arena.  Here are some of the things that we will be tackling this summer:


1.  Photo Bookmarks: (since they will be doing more reading this
summer . . . thought this would be a great idea!

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http://www.creativefamilymoments.com/awesome-homemade-bookmarks-with-tassels/

2.  Make lava lamps:



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Supplies:  cooking oil, water, food coloring, an empty water bottle, and alka seltzer antacid tablets

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Fill bottle 2/3 of the way with oil, then fill the rest with water, leaving an inch free at top

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Add several drops of food coloring,

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Take an alka seltzer tab and break it into several pieces and then drop a piece in and watch the magic

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As soon as the tablet hits the water it will start to fizz and the colored water will erupt!

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The bubbles will stop once the tablet dissipates but it will start again when you add a tablet

3.  Make tealight lightning bugs:



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Pop an LED battery powered tealight inside an easter egg and decorate.

4.  Make playdough:


1 1/3 C Flour
2 packets unsweetened KoolAid powder
1/4 C Salt
1/2 t cream of tartar

Mix ingredients in a bowl.  Have an adult help you boil one cup of water
and 1 1/2 T of oil.  Carefully pour the boiling water and oil into the powder. 
Did the color and scent magically appear?  Stir the mixture with a large spoon
until it's mixed and cool enough to handle.  Remove it from the bowl and knead
until completely combined.  If too wet and sticky add some flour.  Have fun playing
with it and store in ziplock bag or container until you want to play with it again.

Summer Outings

What would summer be without a few fun outings?  Here is a summary of where we plan on venturing out to . . . we would love for you to join us!  Let me know if you're interested and we can coordinate dates!

1.  Grapevine Friday Fun Train.  I had my kids make goals for 2012 and one of theirs was to ride a train.  So . .  off we go!  I don't think the Friday fun train actually goes anywhere.  It's just for the experience of riding the train.  I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

2.  Dallas Museum of Nature and Science.  We have season passes, so it goes without saying that we will be finding air conditioning at the free places.  \

3.  Bob Jones Nature Center - we recently discovered geocaching, and this place in Southlake says they have lots of geocaching so it should be fun!

4.  Adventure Landing in Dallas - looked fun and it's something we wouldn't normally do - will keep us in the air conditioning so I'm all for trying it once!  My kids love play places so it seems it like it would be hard to go wrong here.

5.  Scitek Discovery Center in Frisco - someone told me it was great so we plan on trying it out!  My kids are way in to science so seemed like a good idea!

6.  Bowling - In Lewisville AMF kids 15 and under gets 2 free games a week.  Um - yes?  Can you say air conditioning?

7.  Dollar Movies - this is a winner all around.  Yes.

8.  Western Currency Facility in Fort Worth.  They make money here and I'm certain my kids would be fascinated.  Maybe we will try and wrap in a money lesson the week before. 

Of course these are the PLANS - what actually happens is a totally different ballgame.  If the 2 year old is screaming all morning all plans are a no go.  Momma can't deal with the noise when I can't contain it!  (i.e. naptime).  If any of these sound interesting to you let me know!

Science Projects

I am frequently searching pinterest for great ideas for the kids.  I have selected some science projects that I found there to try out this summer.  Here are a couple of the winners:

The Exploding Sandwich Bag
What you will need:
-sandwich sized ziplock bag
-1/4 c warm water
-1/2 c vinegar
-1T baking soda
-toilet paper

Tear off a square or two of toilet paper and put a tablespoon of

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baking soda in the middle.  Twist or fold the toilet paper around
the pile of baking soda making a small packet.
Next, open your sandwich bag and pour in 1/2 cup vinegar and
1/4 cup warm water. Zip the bag closed, but not all the way.
You'll want a small opening just large enough to drop in the
packet of baking
soda.  Move the experiment to the sink or outside!  Put the baking
soda packet into the bag and then quickly zip it all the way
closed.  (I found it helpful to carefully put the packet in, then
hold it towards the top away from the liquid so I could zip the
bag all the way closed, then let it drop in)
Once the bag is sealed, give it a quick, gentle shake so the
packet drops into the liquid and set it down.  The reaction will occur
almost immediately and the bag will start to fill with carbon dioxide
It'll get bigger and bigger until it finally POPS! Site I borrowed this from: http://www.cometogetherkids.com/2012/02/exploding-sandwich-bag-experiment.html Swirling Colors Milk What you will need: -milk (whole or half and half - skim won't work) -tray or shallow bowl -food coloring -cotton swabs -liquid dish soap (dawn works well) Pour some milk into your tray.  You'll want it at least 1/4" deep. Add several drops of food coloring near the center of the tray. Dip a cotton swab into the color (don't stir it, just dip!).  Nothing really happens. Now, dip your cotton swab into your liquid dish soap and then dip back into your milk.   (again, don't stir, just dip it in and hold it in place for a few seconds!).  Watch how the colors "jump" away from the soap, and then begin swirling around on their own!

Passports for the Summer

Last summer I got the kids each a notebook to journal about their summer, draw about it, etc., and I think they wrote all of 2 sentences in it.  One of the moms from my son's preschool shared with me her great idea of making passports for the kids to date stamp their activities.  This was a brilliant idea for a few reasons:  1.  they are used to the idea of a passport because with their "Highlights, Top Secret Mission" puzzle book they get it comes with a passport and they get to add a country sticker to their passport every time.  I think this is actually their favorite part of receiving a new puzzle book.  2.  Now they can just date stamp an activity when they do it if they want, or add a little more if they want.  Lynn showed me how she did hers, but I improvised some.  Here are the pictures: 

I took brown cardstock and cut it in half for the cover and back.  I stamped their names and the title on the front with my stamp letters.  I bought the tag on the front from hobby lobby.



Then I thought of what activities we would be doing this summer, and found some clipart.  I printed the clipart, cut it out, and glued it onto black construction paper, like so:  :)

I cut computer paper into the size of the passport and added 2 pages for each activity which includes things like swimming, sports camps, California, Family camp, bowling, etc.  Here is another picture:



Obviously this isn't professional work, but we are talking a 7, 5 and 2 year old here.  They can take a picture of something and add it, date stamp it (I have stamps with each month as well as number stamps but you could get a date stamper or just write it), draw something, write something you liked about the day, etc.  Hopefully they will actually do it and have a little journal of their summer at the end of summer!

Summer plans begin!

OK, so it's been awhile since I've written!  But, I hope with the next few posts to inspire you to take advantage of this summer with your kids.  If you're anything like me, you need to make a plan in order for anything to actually happen!  So much thought has gone into this summer.  With the removal of the daily routines of school and sports, I always have high hopes of re-orienting our family to each other and to use the time to deepen our relationship with God.  Over the next couple of weeks, I plan on sharing with you the scripture reading plan I hope to engage our kids in, some fun science projects, outings we plan to go on, etc. 

Today I ventured out to the local Christian bookstore to find them each (the boys are 5 & 7) their own actual Bible - an upgrade from the picture/preschool Bibles they have been using over the years.  I've been finding the younger one reading his Bible in bed at nighttime, and in the morning as time permits, so I figure the time had come to get him the real deal.  (He was jumping up and down with excitement when we got it - made me so happy)  I also got them a journal to jot their thoughts down on questions they have, or to draw pictures about what they read, etc.

Our church gave us a very helpful resource for the summer that includes all kinds of summer activities to consider.  Included in that resource were recommended weekly readings for the kids.  With each reading were questions to consider reviewing with your children to help provide some clarity to the readings.  I'm so excited to begin this new routine with them.  Here is the link to the Summer Family Activity Book if you are interested:  http://www.thevillagechurch.net/mediafiles/2012-summer-family-activity-book.pdf

I created a calendar for the summer with all the plans that I will be sharing with you, and on that calendar I have included the readings we will be focusing on week by week.  They are all from the book of Mark.  And for the adults, if you didn't read my prior post on the Chronological Bible I have been going through, it has continued to be a great Bible for me.  I highly recommend it.  It separates the readings into a daily reading and provides great summaries of each reading to help prepare you. I like that I don't have to think about what I am going to read and that I can just dive right in as soon as I wake up.

Top Secret Mission - Highlights

We have started receiving in the mail one of the Highlights products - it's called "Top Secret Mission" and it is similar to "Which Way USA" except that you learn about a country instead of a state.  (Just for clarification this is an independent assessment . . . Highlights is not using my help to sell their products) The kids LOVE this activity.  When we received the first one they were beyond excited and literally sat down for 2 hours and finished the whole thing.  The envelope came with a passport and a sheet of stamps that included one stamp for each country.  Each time you finish a country, you put the corresponding country stamp on the passport.  It also came with a keychain I think, a top secret mission letter, a book containing all kinds of facts about the country, and the puzzle book.  When the second one came in the mail, they both yelled loudly with excitement.  Here are some pics of the product:

the envelope it all came in (Egypt was the country this time)

the top secret letter instructing them what to do

the fact book and the puzzle book



This product is kind of expensive, but if you have it in the budget and your child likes this kind of thing, I highly recommend it for about age 6 and up.  It is a great way to learn about another country, and unlike Which Way USA, this one only comes about every month and a half I think.  This coule be a great summer activity, and if you don't like it, just cancel after the summer is over!

Easter Bunny Project

Yes, we created easter bunnies today.  I had the project idea from my mailbox magazine, and didn't think the kids would really care that we were doing an early easter project, and this way you have an idea for easter if you'd like!  I am including a picture of the instructions below, but if you can't read them, it basically goes like this (in total you will need 2 large white paper plates, 1 small one, glue/stapler, green construction paper, white construction paper, markers, other construction paper for the hanging strip, and your child's shoes).  You will need 2 large paper plates, and one smaller one.  Preferably they would be all white.  Cut one of the larger plates in half and staple one of the halves backwards onto the other large plate.  This creates a pocket for the bunny.  Attach the smaller plate to the top for the head of the bunny.  Have your child trace each of their shoes 2 times, to create the feet and the ears of the bunny, and then cut them out.  Attach the ears and the feet to the body of the bunny.  Your child can then draw in the details and cut up some green construction paper to put in the pocket of the bunny that looks like grass.  If you'd like to hang it, you can cut a strip of construction paper and staple it to the front and back of the bunny.  Here are some pics!

The instructions

Tracing the shoes

putting it all together

Finished project!

Austin Kent Ellis Park

Today we visited Austin Kent Ellis Park and had a great time.  It is a smaller park but there were a variety of things to do there.  I included pictures for you!  We also went geocaching in the park and found a well hidden treasure!  Here are the pix . . . the park is off of cross timbers and old orchard.

Andy Brown Park East - Kid Country

Yesterday we visited Andy Brown Park Easy in Coppell - the actual playground is called Kid Country.  This is a fantastic playground similar to Kids Castle in Highland Village, but there are 2 additional benefits.  There is a pond there with very hungry ducks, and I learned that there is a Mrs. Bairds outlet in Lewisville on Main where you can buy a huge bag of loaves of bread for just 2 bucks.  That's right!  That's crazy talk.  So . . . bring a group and feed the duckies.  The kids really enjoyed watching the ducks battle over each piece of bread we threw to them.  There are also hidden hiking trails behind the pond.  Look for the trail in the brush/bushes.  You'll find it!  It was a blast for the boys (5 & 7) and the 2 year old enjoyed it as well.  These are great activities especially with the fantastic weather we have been having!

Geocaching, Trails and Bicentennial Park (Adventure Alley)!

This week of spring break has been a blast so far.  We went to Southlake to have lunch with my husband today, and after looking for a park through a link my husband sent me and not finding it, we improvised and discovered a new feature on my Honda Odyssey nav.  You can search by places, and then parks, and we found a FANTASTIC park just a couple of miles from his office.  If you've been to Kids Kastle or Andy Brown park, Bicentennial Park in Southlake will look similar!  Here are some pics:

Sorry these pics aren't a bit better, but it should give you the idea!  I really love exploring and finding new parks, so this was great.  While we were there, we got a text from a friend asking if we wanted to go geocaching that afternoon, and I was like - what???  No idea what she was talking about.  My husband looked it up while we were having lunch, and discovered it to be a scavenger hunt of sorts that anyone can participate in at any time.  Is this something that everyone already knows about but me?  Why have I never heard of this?  It is such a great activity for the family!  Here is the skinny:  if you go to http://www.geocaching.com/ and open an account (it's all free), search by zipcode and you will find all kinds of locations you can search where people have hidden treasures for you to find.  Choose a geocache location and you will be given coordinates of where to find it.  That didn't prove very helpful for me because I had no idea how to get to the coordinates.  So . . . I searched for a geocache app and found a free one called Geocache Intro.  This app was fantastic.  It knows where you are, offers 3 geocache options which are close to you, you choose the one you want, and then it shows you where the cache is in relation to where you are.  There is a tab called compass, and when you go to that tab, the red arrow shows you the direction of where the geocache is.  It also tells you how far in miles or feet you are from the treasure.  So, you keep going in the direction of the arrow.  We did one by Central Park in Lewisville today, and the geocache was called Timbercreek Trail Bridge.  There was paved sidewalk the whole way to it, so the boys got on their bikes and had a great time tracking it down.  Once you find the hidden treasure which is usually hidden in a small tube of some sort, you take the treasure that was left there, and leave a different one for the next person.  It needs to be the size of a small rock.  The one we found today was an orange crystal looking thing.  We didn't have an item small enough to trade out so we had to leave the orange crystal there.  7 year old was not happy about that at all since he was the one who made the discovery. 

Behind Central Park are so many trails, some paved and some not paved.  The boys just love getting out there on trails so that was fun as well!  Yesterday we went to Andy Brown park, and behind the pond there are some hidden trails that you can get on.  Perfect for the young ones!

On-Line Pictorial Recipes for Kids

I found this super fun link today and thought I would share.  It's http://www.makinglearningfun.com/ and on part of the site there is a tab with recipes where the kids can totally do it themselves (there are also recipes where they can help an adult).  The recipes include pictures to help them understand what to do!  I am definitely going to be trying this out and will be including some of these in my summer plan for the kiddos!  Here is the link to the recipes:

http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/RecipesPictorialDirections.htm

Also, if you share my love for Jesus, I just listened to a short podcast by Jen Wilkins, our women's Bible study leader at The Village church.  It was so good and had so much truth in it for the ladies.  Here is the link in case you are interested in a little you time today where you feed your soul a bit:

http://jenwilkin.podbean.com/2012/03/07/robe-your-minds-for-action/

Spring Break Plan

Spring Break is upon us!  For our family it is next week, and we aren't going out of town, and I don't want to spend a bunch of  money.  So . . . I thought I would share our plan for next week and encourage you to make a plan as well!  They don't stay little for long and if you are anything like me it is much more fun to spend time together when you have a plan (even if you need to change the plan!).  It's also going to be raining next week, so my original plan of visiting a different park every day is a no go!  So . . .

Yesterday I visited Teacher's Tools (or teaching tools?) for the first time which is Lewisville off of Business 121.  I've been meaning to go there for quite some time and was expecting a small store.  This store was HUGE and there was so much fun stuff for the kids.  I of course hit up the 75% off section first which is way back in the right corner of the store.  There I found some great finds!  Ever heard of the Mailbox magazines?  They are for teachers and are full of activities, worksheets, and craft projects.  In this section they had one for each month of the year and so I bought April and May.  Now I am thinking I want to go back and get the rest because they were about $4 each (regularly 15), and I got so many ideas from it.  I also got a couple of workbooks for .73 each - GREAT deal.  I also got a few things that weren't on sale, including those dot painting thingies that you see your child using in preschool, and a few workbooks that were $3 each.  So . . . here is our plan!

Monday:  it is going to be sunny, so we are hitting up Andy Brown park in Coppell, playing, feeding the ducks, and having a picnic lunch.  In the afternoon while the 2 year old is napping away, the boys will be having fun with a couple of art projects and other educational fun from my mailbox magazine.  After she is done napping, off to the cul-de-sac we go to ride bikes and enjoy the sunshine.

Tuesday:  no rain on Tuesday, so it is off to Cortadera park we go where we will play, practice some baseball, have a picnic lunch, and go to our favorite yogurt place for dessert.  More art fun during naptime, and then it is time for a walk/bike ride around the neighborhood.

Wednesday:  Rain!  We have a membership to the Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas so we will be headed there.  The kids LOVE it.   If you are reading this and want to come with us, I have a couple of free passes!  (KARLIE/KIM?).  :)  When we return from the museum, there were some fun rain art projects from the book so it only seemed right that we do these on a rainy day!  After naptime, I have some fun stampers that I got for the 2 year old, so she will be having fun with that while the boys work in some of their new workbooks.

Thursday:  Rain!  Starting out the morning with a craft/game from Mailbox magazine, and then heading out to either Chick fil a or McDonalds to play and then have lunch.  Join us!  :)  During naptime, the boys and I will be having Sorry, War, and Farkle tournaments, and I have a prize basket for the winners!  (The prize basket is always present in our house and is where the toys from kids meals go and other random things they get from parties, etc.)  After naptime they are making some fun bunny baskets (not too early for Easter stuff right?)

Friday:  Cloudy, but no rain.  Off to Austin Kent Ellis Park we go to play and have a picnic lunch.  Frog craft during naptime, and winkids free time from 3:30 - 5.  My kids go crazy over WinKids so they will be very excited.

If you are following this blog, in a couple of months I will be sharing my summer plan with you!  Last summer I had a plan for every day of summer before it started, and it made all of us so much more excited about our precious time together.  Anticipating is half the fun!

On-line puzzle of the United States

I love on-line learning for my kids.  There are so many sites that can make learning extra fun.  I found one this morning that was all about puzzles and geography.  Here is a link where your child can put together an on-line puzzle of the United States!

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/mappuzzle/us-puzzle.html

There is also an option on this link where you can choose for them to do the puzzle based on the capitals instead of the states.  If your child is learning state capitals in school right now, this is a great learning tool.  This same link has available a Europe puzzle, Africa, China Provinces, World continents, Asia, Canada, and several others.  Don't be afraid to allow your child to get on the computer!  There is so much learning to be done there!  Have fun!

Needing Some Serious Inspiration?

Have you ever read a book that just sets you on fire and not only inspires you beyond where you thought you could be inspired, but that changes the course of your life?  I cannot say enough about "Kisses from Katie" and I'm not even done reading it.  It is truly an incredible book.  Imagine at 16 getting an inkling to go to Africa, and then a few years later going there for 6 weeks with your mom, and then going back for a year, and then at 19 wanting to make it your home and going back for good?  Oh and by the way, adopting 14 daughters along the way and providing schooling to hundreds that otherwise would have no means to get it?  Meet Katie Davis.  This girl is legit and just released this book last year.  Her journey started in 2007 so it is still fresh for her and she is still in the thick of it.  This girl had the American dream going for her, but she felt a strong calling to Africa and landed in Uganda where poverty is extremely thick.  She simply couldn't turn away when she found children dying in straw huts because both parents had passed away from HIV, finding the children with no food, no clothes, no one to take care of them.  So she took them in and made them her own.  And then those daughters caught on and kept finding more girls in the exact same situation they were in, and begged Katie to adopt them too.  She couldn't say no.  Even though they had scabies and ringworm, both highly contacgious, she couldn't say no.  And remember - SHE IS 19!!!  This book gives you an inside,detailed, daily look of what it means to answer the call and go. I could go on and on but I don't want to spoil it for you.  I highly recommend this book. I think I may be getting closer to a dream my husband and I have always had but haven't felt led to act on yet - international adoption.  You can't read this book and not feel moved.  LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!

2 Recipes, Crafts, and Kids in the Kitchen!

2 easy meals - one of them naturally gluten free and one used gluten free bread crumbs to make it GF, so you can just use real bread crumbs if gluten doesn't make you feel CRUMMY!  Ha!  Get it?  :)

Meatloaf- Kids Loved It!: (I made the meatloaf prior to dinner and stuck it in the fridge til I was ready to cook it - you could do this in the morning before leaving for work)

Ingredients:  1 lb ground beef, 1/2 cup GF bread crumbs, 2 T dried minced onions, 1 T dijon mustard, 1 T worcestershire sauce, 1 large egg, 1/2 dried basil, 1/2 t salt, 1/4 t pepper

Glaze: 1 8 oz can tomato sauce, 1 T brown sugar, 1 T worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease meatloaf (loaf) pan.  Using hands combine all ingredients except glaze in bowl.  Combine all glaze ingredients and add half of mixture to meatloaf and mix in.  Press meatloaf mix in pan.  Add other half of glaze to top of meatloaf.  Bake 45 minutes to an hour.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Ham

Ingredients:  1 4 lb bone in ham, 1/4 C dijon mustard, 1/4 C maple syrup, 8 garlic cloves.

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly score surface of ham using a sharp knife and place on rack in a baking pan.  Whisk mustard into maple syrup until blended.  Brush ham with mixture.  Press garlic cloves into top and side of ham.  Bake 60 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 140 when inserted into center of ham without touching bone.  Remove and let stand covered with foil 30 minutes.  Slice thinly. 

This is such an easy recipe.  I made it with steamed green beans.  I melted butter (microwave - fast!) and mixed it with chopped garlic and poured that over the green beans.  I also baked sweet potatoes.  Literally poke holes in potatoes and stick them in the oven.  They come out so amazing.  And salad - mixed greens, toasted pine nuts, sliced strawberries, and a little balsamic vinagrette.  YUM.

So . . . do you have this steamer?  We steam all of our veggies and it is so easy.  I am including a picture and if you don't already have one I highly recommend it!  Just stick it in a pot.  It will almost reach the bottom, and fill the gap between the pot and the steamer with water.  Put the veggies in the steamer, and cover the pot.  Boil the water and veggies will be steamed within 10 minutes.  Piece of cake!  Here is the pic:

Craft Time!
OK so enough about cooking.  I made a couple of things this week that I was excited about . . . so I had to show you the pics.  :)  You can find all of the instructions for these on pinterest, but if you'd like instructions let me know!  Here are the pics!

Valentines Time!
I did this little baking project with my 5 and 2 year old yesterday and they could both do it.  Fantastic!  I don't know about you but it is hard to find ways for my 2 year old to help in the kitchen.  There are onlyt 3 ingredients needed . . . square pretzels (made some for myeslf with delicious gluten free pretzels), hersheys hugs, and valentines m&ms.  Place hugs on pretzels, place on baking sheet, and bake at 200 for 3 - 4 minutes.  Then add m&m.  The 2 year old could unwrap hugs, place on pretzels, and place m&ms on top.  If you need an activity today on this chilly day - there you go!  The m&ms are probably at a discount today!  I got this idea off pinterest (of course), and here are pics of my kids making them:

Easy Garlic Chicken and Some Meal Tips!

One of the things that I have been searching pinterest for is easy (but delicious of course) recipes!  I found one the other day called Easy Garlic Chicken and tried it last week.  None of my meals are gourmet because it seems the fancier it is, the more my children complain about it, and this one is about as basic as you get.  Ingredients:  4 boneless chicken breasts, 4 garlic cloves- minced, 4 T brown sugar, and 3 t olive oil. 

Preheat oven to 500 and grease a baking dish. Saute garlic with oil til tender.  Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar.  Place chicken breasts in prepared dish and cover with garlic and brown sugar mixture.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Bake 15 - 30 minutes.

Several of you asked for recipes your children will actually eat.  Here are a few principles I live by in my home where there are 3 children ages 7, 5 and 2.  (In full disclosure these were not the same principles when we had 1 child.)

1.  Don't make a separate meal for them.  Put a little of everything on their plate.
2.  Don't allow complaining about the food.  Make it a house rule.  They don't have to eat it, but they aren't allowed to complain about it either.  If they need to step away from the table until they are ready to stop complaining then do that. 
3.  Give them the choice of whether they want to eat it.  In our house, if they don't eat it, they don't get dessert (offer an easy dessert that they really like - in my house one likes popsicles and the other M&Ms), but no biggy if they choose not to eat the food.  So important to create a positive experience around food, and let them have as much control as possible as it makes sense.
4.  Have meals that they really like often.  We have tacos every week.  It is one night I really look forward to because everyone is happy, there is no frowning, and everyone gets dessert.  Happy!!
5.  Find sides that they tend to like and have it often.  A favorite in our house is chopped up, peeled, russet potatoes sauteed in just a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil with a little salt mixed in.  (A 10 pound bag is 3 dollars and it lasts for at least 6 meals!)  It takes about 45 minutes to get them nice and brown, but I just do a bunch of other things while they are cooking.  The kids get extremely excited when they see this on their plate.
6.  Be consistent and persistent, but not overly aggressive about what you are asking them to eat.  My 7 year old wouldn't eat anything up to about 3 or 4, and now will pretty much eat anything, even if he doesn't like it.  There is hope!
7.  Don't stress too much over getting them their veggies, fruits, etc.  One of the best pieces of advice my mother-in-law gave me was just that.  She never ate veggies growing up because she didn't like them, and didn't make her kids eat them either.  Today everyone is totally healthy.  There is only so much you can do!
8.  Keep the meals as basic as possible.  I don't eat dairy so we don't do casseroles or things with lots of ingredients.  We usually have a meat (tons of variations for preparing stand alone meant so we don't get bored).  Then I usually add a stand alone fruit to the plate - like grapes, apples, raspberries, etc.  There is some side with it that is easy, like rice or potatoes or risotto or black beans.  I keep these sides on hand so they are always accessible.  Finally we will have a veggie - usually corn or green beans since they are the most likely to be eaten. 
9.  Finally, don't feed them later when they are hungry because they didn't eat their food.  This will teach them that it's fine not to eat because they will just get something else later. 

I hope this is helpful!  Our menu for this week:  Monday - leftover superbowl food with risotto; Tuesday - Chicken tacos and black beans; Wednesday - breakfast - YAY; Thursday - meatloaf with broiled cauliflour (is that how you spell that?), salad and potatoes.  I don't plan for Friday through Sunday because we are usually out and about. 

Update on Weekly Readings

So last week I wrote that we would be trying to tackle 3 days at a time from the chronological Bible that we are going through (it's a daily reading Bible), but we (the small group reading together) blew past that and we got through 6 days, which means today we started on October 24.  If you are reading with us, I'd really like to encourage you to get the same Bible we are reading from - "The Daily Bible, In Chronological Order 365 Daily Readings, NIV".  Today I added the verses we are reading from October 24th, but after today I will type the day and then any insights I had.  If you'd like to continue just getting the verses because you don't have that particular Bible, let me know and I'd be happy to include verses!  I just don't want to type them if no one is using them.  Here is a picture of the Bible:

Teaching conflict resolution, character building, and the truth about Jesus

Continuing on from the renewed focus  post, I also have a renewed focus for how I am spending time with my children.  I am a stay at home mom now, and I want to make sure I am using this time wisely.  That definitely isn't going to happen for me if I don't make a plan.  One of the things I asked for for Christmas were a number of books that you will find on the "Book Recommendations by Martha" tab at the top of the blog.  I added the whole list to my Amazon Wish List, and I received "The Young Peacemakers", "Bubbles, Balloons and Chocolate", and "Character Building".  I was really excited to get these books, but the next challenge was determining when and how I was going to use these.  So one morning while all 3 kids were in school and I had 3 hours to myself, I built a plan for the entire year of how we were going to go through all of these.  I tend to be lazy and undisciplined in many regards, but if I have made a plan, I'm usually good to go.  I'd like to share our plan with you in case it might inspire you to do some of the same if you feel like it my be valuable in your home. 

On Tuesday afternoons, at 1pm my middle child comes home from preschool (my youngest also comes home from preschool at that time, but this is her naptime so perfect time for me to sit one on one with the 5 year old).  This is the time I set aside to do the Young Peacemaker teaching with him, and so far it is going very well.  Also on Tuesdays, when my 7 year old gets home from school at 3, we also go through it.  It's 30 minutes to an hour, depending on their attention span and what I am teaching that day.  They have been loving it, and I scheduled out the whole year so by the end of the year we will have gone through the whole book.

On Wednesday evenings, instead of our normal daily devotional that we do together, we are going through the Character Building book.  There are 12 character traits in the book, and 4 sections per character trait, which works out perfect for one a week, and one trait per month.  It's quick and has generated some great questions and conversations.

My 7 year old has daily reading that he has to do for school.  He gets to choose what he reads, so on Wednesday afternoons, we read "The Case for Christ for Kids" during that time.  This is a fantastic book that will teach more of the logic and evidence behind Jesus.  We read for the 15 minute time period and then stop.  Again - GREAT questions are being asked and conversation is happening about it outside of the reading time.  My 7 year old really thinks through things, and I want him to have an intellectual understanding of his beliefs so that he is grounded in his faith. 

I also tend to get kind of lazy about play dates, and both boys love spending time with their friends.  So, we set aside each Thursday for playdates.  Guerin has his at 1, and Noah has his at 3.  It has been working great. 

Finally, both boys are into science, and so every other Friday is science day.  When Noah gets home from school, we do a science project.  They really look forward to those.

There are many other things I have scheduled in, but I don't want to bore you.  This is more an example of how setting a plan in place can really allow you to build so much more purpose into your conversations with your children, and provide more peace and structure in your home.  Just make sure you build in a lot of breaks so that they can absorb what you are trying to teach them.  I'll keep you posted on how it is all going!

A New Year . . . A Renewed Focus

I've been thinking a lot about the comments I have received, and whether I want to continue this blog and if so what changes I want to make.  Most moms of young children share similar struggles . . . what to feed our kids, engaging them, developing them spiritually, emotionally, and socially, feelings of guilt because of things we are doing or aren't doing, and the list goes on and on and on.  We have to take care of ourselves in order to take proper care of our families.  We don't always do a great job of this (okay much of the time we don't), but I'd like to encourage you to stop and think about what it is that truly renews and refreshes you.  Not what other people think will refresh you, but what it is for YOU.  There is a lot of advice out there, and much of the time too much and it often results in feelings of insecurities, guilt . . .

One of the things that I have really been realizing and coming to an understanding is that as I draw closer to God and spend time talking with him and in his word, I feel better and more at peace with who I am and how he is growing me.  The less I do this, the more I see the worst parts of me coming out.  But it is sooooo hard to find that time and focus to spend with him.  A few things, for me, will make this much more likely to happen - planning (HUGE), and starting the day not by turning on the TV to watch news, but by turning on a Pandora station that is going to get me started in the right direction.  Music inspires me and then moves me to spend my time more wisely.  For me, I built a station off of Third Day and I love the songs that come on.  I often wake up to immediate duties of taking care of children, but if I carry that phone around with me with that music playing, at some point I will have a small break, whether it is while I eat breakfast or later.  And if I've been preparing my heart through song, I find myself getting excited to find out what God has to share with me that day. 

I am so excited because I am nearing the end of reading through the whole Bible.  It took me 2 years, but I have finally accomplished a goal that has been sitting there for a very long time!  I have been getting worried that once I finished I will lose my focus and get back into old habits of laziness.  I started thinking that now that I have read through the content of the Bible, and been inspired by its word on many occasions, that I might find greater understanding if I read it chronilogically.  AND - even better, I have found a friend that is going to do it with me.  It is so great if you can find a friend to talk about what you've read with.  Things you were inspired by, confused by, and weirded out by.  So, I am going to start adding the readings to the blog, and if I feel so inspired, my thoughts on what I've read.  Should be fun!  I'll add a tab at the top of the blog with what I am reading on a weekly basis.  I would be so encouraged if you replied and let me know you want to read with me!  The more accountability the better.    I went to Lifeway yesterday and bought "The Daily Bible - In Chronological Order 365 Daily Readings NIV".  Don't freak out!  I am fully aware that I am not going to finish this in a year, but it was the only chronological Bible I could find.  I find that if I put too much pressure on myself to do it a certain way or in a certain timeframe that I get discouraged and stop.  So I am setting out to continue enjoying his Word and it's never ceasing inspiration, with hopefully a little added insight into the big picture. 

Also, I have received several comments about what you would like to see on the blog - thank you for your comments!  Food is a common theme, and I am going to spend some time thinking about that.  I am already dairy free, and am currently testing a GF diet to see if I feel better (constant headaches), and so meals have become even more of a challenge lately.  In a couple of weeks I will have a better feel for whether there is an allergy there, and if so I will overhauling our meal plan.  YIKES!  Love you guys!

DIY Craft

OK moms - I need your help!  I know there are a handful of you reading this blog, and maybe more, but I simply can't tell.  And . . . this blog was never intended to be for me.  I started it because I truly have a passion for moms of young children and the unique and challenging phase of life that it is.  So . . . if you are reading this, I would truly love your input.  What kinds of topics are you most interested in?  I'm willing to put time into just about anything if I believe it is helping someone, so even if I don't have my own experiences to rely on and share with you, I'll look into and offer any info I can to help.  Some ideas:  recipes, keep kids engaged, toy/game reviews, education . . . I'm sure you have more ideas.  And if you don't have any feedback/ideas, and you are following/enjoying the blog, please let me know that too.  I don't know how much I will continue it if I don't feel it is really helping anyone.  Thank you!

But for now, I will tell you that one of the primary ways I keep my sanity is through crafts.  For awhile I was scrapbooking, but I have sort of fizzled out on that and have (as many of you have) discovered pinterest.  I love it!!!  My amazing friend Sarah has been teaching me so many basics that should keep me occupied for a very long time.  I am including a picture of something I made today, and if you are reading this blog, and your last name starts with E, you may have a gift coming your way . . . :)  Here is a pic:

I borrowed the idea from pinterest and then put my own twist on it.  If you are interested in the details of how to put this together, let me know!