So when I look at our schedule, my head spins. And then I remember, the people around me, that I am responsible for, want to eat...more than once a day. And I have to have food here and feed them.
This is how I do it - for now.
Breakfast
Each week I buy ONE kind of specialty breakfast (specialty does not mean special in this case). We either have a few different bags of cereal, some bagels, maybe we make bulk pancakes on Monday). They can eat that every day till its gone and I don't even care....as long as they clean it up. We also always have oatmeal, rice, cream of wheat, toast, eggs, fruit and yogurt. They are not without choices.
I try to make ahead either an egg casserole or something healthy for shane and I to reheat and share all week. Some weeks that goes better than others. HA
Lunch:
My plan here is to K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple stupid). I buy things for sandwiches, fruity lunches (which is what we call homemade lunchables). And I buy ONE frozen convenience something (chick nuggets/fries, frozen ravioli, fish stick/mac n cheese, hot dogs) each week. I don't assign things on certain days....we (I) decide which we'll do in the morning when I see how well the day is going. I also usually have things for tuna or chicken patties, nachos, Quesadillas, as well. There are bags of chips, veggies, salad fixins, fruit, etc etc etc to fill things out.
Shane and I eat leftovers or we prep something. Like breakfast, sometimes this works better than others.
Dinner:
I pick 5 meals each week. Then I make them on the night they sound good to me....or easy. ONce a month (we are starting a cycle) a kid picks a meal to make....and they cook it on Thursday night. Griffin is going first this week. I was surprised when he chose porkburgers, homemade mac n cheese, and roasted veggies. I'm excited about how this is going to work. :)
Snacks.
I like to bake. I would like to bake cookies for the cookie jar each week for the kids....but so far that isn't go well recently. I also enjoy scones and biscuits. I am going to try to figure out how to fit that in again. But we always have things like cheese sticks, crackers, stuff for smoothies, sometimes trail mix.
I have to meal plan. A fridge full of random food stresses me out. Living 40 minutes from my favorite grocery store means a quick trip to grab that one thing just isn't gonna happen.
This is what is working right now. We'll see how long it works
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
Friday, August 31, 2018
Homeschool Week #1
We started school last monday. So we've done 1 full week of classes.
On Monday I was afraid that it was going to be a nightmare. Starting all three boys on a new online program (Monarch from Alpha Omega Publishing) was daunting. Things didn't go great.
Tuesday got worse because we discovered we didn't actually complete all of Monday's assignments. And Lyrick had a total meltdown. She got to do school with Shane Tuesday night. It took till and hour passed bedtime to actually finish those 10 spelling words.
Wednesday, two kids were under the weather. And yet we plugged along. And it went better.
But by today, I feel like this could actually really work for us. The 3 boys may not like school but they are doing well. They get on it on their own to get their work done. I learned how to return poorly done assignments and reassign them within the system. I can even just have them redo the problems they did wrong.
Lyrick and I have time to do school. She loves the biography about Helen Keller that we are reading. And Griffin listens too, by choice. She is actually learning those spelling words that gave her such fits on tuesday. And she read THREE books to me today. She asked why we weren't reading in that big book about ships (the history reader in our curriculum) today....and it was because it wasn't assigned. I feel like she is going to leap ahead this year. And all my worry and fretting will be for nothing. I sure hope it was for nothing.
Last year I really felt at a loss for school. I felt like we were all failing in some way or another. But this year I feel like we could actually get this.
Its only week one but I feel successful. And that is a good feeling!
On Monday I was afraid that it was going to be a nightmare. Starting all three boys on a new online program (Monarch from Alpha Omega Publishing) was daunting. Things didn't go great.
Tuesday got worse because we discovered we didn't actually complete all of Monday's assignments. And Lyrick had a total meltdown. She got to do school with Shane Tuesday night. It took till and hour passed bedtime to actually finish those 10 spelling words.
Wednesday, two kids were under the weather. And yet we plugged along. And it went better.
But by today, I feel like this could actually really work for us. The 3 boys may not like school but they are doing well. They get on it on their own to get their work done. I learned how to return poorly done assignments and reassign them within the system. I can even just have them redo the problems they did wrong.
Lyrick and I have time to do school. She loves the biography about Helen Keller that we are reading. And Griffin listens too, by choice. She is actually learning those spelling words that gave her such fits on tuesday. And she read THREE books to me today. She asked why we weren't reading in that big book about ships (the history reader in our curriculum) today....and it was because it wasn't assigned. I feel like she is going to leap ahead this year. And all my worry and fretting will be for nothing. I sure hope it was for nothing.
Last year I really felt at a loss for school. I felt like we were all failing in some way or another. But this year I feel like we could actually get this.
Its only week one but I feel successful. And that is a good feeling!
Monday, August 13, 2018
1 Corinthians 16:9
A wide door for effective work has opened to me, AND there are many adversaries. (emphasis mine)
This verse covered in yesterday's sermon is stuck in my head as we get ready for the next homeschool year. Paul does not make a great opportunity mutually exclusive from roadblocks. Just because a path is good, doesn't mean its easy. (That's a quote from Tyler not from Paul)
I love that we have chosen homeschooling for our kids. It is good for our family in the "big picture" way. But I'll tell you, sometimes it is hard to remember that in the mundane details and arguments of every. single. day. Our adversaries aren't necessarily people...although all our attitudes get in the waysometimes, more often than I'd like to admit.
My adversaries look like doubt - frustration - a messy house - bad attitudes - teenagers - high school level classes - doubt - frustration - phonics - desire for "me time" - piles of laundry - more messes. Is this what Paul is talking about? Likely not - he wasn't a mom with 4 kids home all day every day. He faced much more dire risks in his life. And yet these are the roadblocks that make me want to throw in the towel some days.
But I have a "wide door for effective work open to me." With God, we CAN do this thing. It is not time to run to another thing....even another good thing. Like Paul needed to stay put, we also need to stay put and just adventure down the path put before us. It is time to pull strength from God, who never runs out and never feels doubt. And tackle high school math and phonics at the same time (obviously with different kids-HA!)
This verse covered in yesterday's sermon is stuck in my head as we get ready for the next homeschool year. Paul does not make a great opportunity mutually exclusive from roadblocks. Just because a path is good, doesn't mean its easy. (That's a quote from Tyler not from Paul)
I love that we have chosen homeschooling for our kids. It is good for our family in the "big picture" way. But I'll tell you, sometimes it is hard to remember that in the mundane details and arguments of every. single. day. Our adversaries aren't necessarily people...although all our attitudes get in the way
My adversaries look like doubt - frustration - a messy house - bad attitudes - teenagers - high school level classes - doubt - frustration - phonics - desire for "me time" - piles of laundry - more messes. Is this what Paul is talking about? Likely not - he wasn't a mom with 4 kids home all day every day. He faced much more dire risks in his life. And yet these are the roadblocks that make me want to throw in the towel some days.
But I have a "wide door for effective work open to me." With God, we CAN do this thing. It is not time to run to another thing....even another good thing. Like Paul needed to stay put, we also need to stay put and just adventure down the path put before us. It is time to pull strength from God, who never runs out and never feels doubt. And tackle high school math and phonics at the same time (obviously with different kids-HA!)
Wednesday, August 8, 2018
Bullet Journal- Busy Mom Style.
So Bullet Journals are a thing now. It's basically a planner that you create yourself. I have never been able to make a planner work. But with 6 schedules to manage a calendar didn't cut it either....Although I have an OUtlander one cause of the pictures :) Anyway....enter Bullet Journal.
You can get a plethora of ideas on Pinterest or Instagram....but if you are like me you don't give 2 hoots if your "bujo" (that's what the cool kids call them) is pretty or has art. I need to know where my people are, where they are going, and make sure I can feed them. I also LOVE making (and checking things off of) lists...to-do lists, goal lists, packing lists, lists of daydreams, Lists of blessings, lists of lists, and the list goes on. (I'm so clever). So if you don't care if April is decorated with an "april showers" theme so you can have "May flowers" in may I would recommend searching for "Men's bullet journal" or "minimalist bullet journal" on pinterest. Otherwise the cute-ness may overwhelm and sicken you. If you like art and drawing things....then by all means have at it. That is not my style.
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| These are my high tech tools. This is my favorite ruler for my bujo because it is thin enough to be a bookmark and it has centimeters. The grid book I got has 1/2 cm boxes and it helps me to measure them with metric. pencil, white out and whatever pens I have handy. |
BASIC PAGES
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| Page 1! Year at a glance....just like you get in a checkbook register. Except I like my weeks to start on Monday....so they do! :D Look at my pretty block letters at the start of the year. Such a high achiever! HA |
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| Future Log- this faces the year at a glance page....it is essentially a box for each month. So when the dentist schedules appts 6 months in advance or we register for church camp or whatever, I just stick the date in the correct month box with a short description of that event. |
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| This is the June box on that page...it was busy. :) |
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| At the start of the year I set some goals....these are reading and crafty goals. I didn't take a picture of the exercise and BIble Study goal page cause they are embarrassing. :( I need to fill in several books here and some knitting projects.... |
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| Each month I take time to make a monthly calendar. Again my weeks run monday -sunday so my calendar reflects that. I move things from the "Future Log" to this page. I have space on one side each month so I try to list blessings. I'm not as regular about that as I wish I was. |
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| This was my first weekly spread. it lasted one week. I did not like it much. So I tried some others.... |
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| This is this weeks pages. I've been using this weekly spread for a while. At the top of each day in Orange I put the classes I teach for VIPkid then I have space for appts or to-do lists on that day. At the bottom is what I plan to make for supper in its own box. On the left/bottom I plan breakfast and lunches both for the kids and I and for shane to take to work. The ideas are very flexible but its where I start my grocery list (the ONLY list I don't put in this notebook) On the bottom, right I list weekly goals....or break down to-do lists from. For example, today I needed to clean my kitchen. Its on wednesday in red. But in red on the bottom right are all the things that entailed for me today. I got to check them all off as I went. |
EXTRA PAGES
So the deal is, I always have this notebook. I know where it is as much as I know where anything is. So if I want to keep track of something it goes IN THIS NOTEBOOK. I don't use post-its or scratch bits of paper. I know a lot of people use their phone. tried that. didn't like it.
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| I've been in the middle of multiple book series this year. Its part of a goal to read only books I've never read before this year. I was losing track of which book I was ready for in each series....so I made myself a "library" page of all the series I was going on. I highlight the book when I finish it. |
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| Im starting to brainstorm breakfast/lunch/snack ideas for as we roll into school time. So I grabbed my notebook and the closest pen and started writing things down. |
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| So this is the "map" of my garden. We tried some new varieties this year and I wanted to know where each was. Also, in the upper corner is some sparkly tape that I got at dollar tree. I wrap it around the corner of pages I want to find again easily, weeks or months after I made them-also found on the library page.. |
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| My notebook went to homeschool convention with me (of course)....and I used it for notes in session. If I took these elsewhere I'd never find them again. :D (If I were good at this blogging thing I would turn this picture right side up but I'm not and you likely couldn't read my handwriting anyway). |
The thing I like about a bullet journal is that it can be whatever I want it to be. And that can change week to week or month to month.
Two things I do not use my bullet journal for. grocery lists. And school planning (no lesson plans or record keeping in it)....just calendar planning of school activities and events like any other activities and events.
Plain. Simple. Even a little ugly. Or Color coded (I tried that at first but I could never find the right pen). Artsy. And a beautiful keepsake. It can easily go either way. But that's the cool thing.....its all just how you want to make it! :D
Two things I do not use my bullet journal for. grocery lists. And school planning (no lesson plans or record keeping in it)....just calendar planning of school activities and events like any other activities and events.
Plain. Simple. Even a little ugly. Or Color coded (I tried that at first but I could never find the right pen). Artsy. And a beautiful keepsake. It can easily go either way. But that's the cool thing.....its all just how you want to make it! :D
Saturday, March 3, 2018
Trim Healthy Mama menu #2
So my first menu went great. Because of life, it actually lasted 2 weeks. And we had leftovers or something simple (and still on plan for me) several times. We also had family visiting so we ate out a few times and I did the best I could....sometimes better than others. That's ok though. I am feeling great and ready to keep on plugging along. We've actually STILL not used recipes I planned to use on week 1....but this is what week 3 (menu 2) looks like on paper.
In my first week I found I do MUCH better with a good satisfying breakfast. Instead of a carb laden breakfast. I feel better all day. One of my breakfasts is a fuel pull which is intentional since that day I will be having an early (likely at least slightly off plan) crossover lunch at a coffee shop. So I'm keeping it simple and low all round to "prep" for that lunch.
BREAKFASTS
In my first week I found I do MUCH better with a good satisfying breakfast. Instead of a carb laden breakfast. I feel better all day. One of my breakfasts is a fuel pull which is intentional since that day I will be having an early (likely at least slightly off plan) crossover lunch at a coffee shop. So I'm keeping it simple and low all round to "prep" for that lunch.
BREAKFASTS
- Big Bowl Egg Scramble (tht 331) (I love this one)
- Egg over easy, zuchinni fritters (tht235), and yogurt
- 000 yogurt, berries, egg whites
- Breakfast Casserole (cb 238) -Family breakfast on Saturday
- Mocha Secret Big Boy smoothie - before church on sunday
LUNCH
Going to try to keep lunches simple this week.
Meal Prep Sunday
- IP chicken
- Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower Soup
I can have soup with a piece of chicken breast and a slice of sprouted bread with laughing cow cheese for an energizing lunch. Or I can have a chicken leg and thigh with a salad and ranch dressing for a satisfying lunch. I know one day I'll be eating a crossover at my favorite coffee shop while the kids are at art class. I am planning for that and comfortable with it. :)
- hot dogs/burgers with deviled eggs and leftover broccoli salad (saturday family lunch)
SUPPER
- Beans (tht 111) and cornbread (tht246)
- IP whole chicken with killer green beans
- Rich and tender stew (cb 38)
- Burger Bombs (tht 212)
- broccoli salad (tht 271)
- Flaky Parmesan Tilapia (tht 227) (I'll be using the fish we catch from our pond)
- zucchini fritters (tht 235)
- deviled eggs
I made several freezer meals before I had surgery and before I read anything about thm. We'll be eating one of those this weekend. I can not let them go to waste. Again, I am making a conscious decision to go "off plan" to use this good food up. One this week will not derail all the other efforts I made for the week. I am fine with that plan. :)
So that's my plan. Im not including the grocery list this time because I just cleaned out my pantry and fridge and there are a lot of things in the recipes I don't need to buy this time. I may try to update the post later on....we shall see
Saturday, February 17, 2018
Jamaica pictures....better late than never.
Lots of photos here peeps. Enjoy! I'll caption
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Ready to fly! |
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| Our room was so bright and white and clean and nice! :D |
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| It also had this....free. Refilled every 2 days. WE didn't even make a dent. I don't know how people could drink this much in such a short time. We enjoyed the 2 on the left |
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| The resort courtyard area. Very nice! |
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| Beach knitting totally happened. And I made a new friend because of it. One of the girls who worked there was learning to knit. Kush pulled up a chair and we had a nice long chat. She's checking out ravelry now. :D |
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| resort views before it was all full of people for the day. |
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| That time you were napping on the beach and all of a sudden it starts raining....hard....and cold. |
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| Beach! And more beach! |
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| The ruins of an 18th century windmill |
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| This right here is why you don't drink all that liquor in your room in 2 days. well, one reason anyway. ;) We randomly ran into Mary and Lonnie waiting for dinner. Mary is Shane's college roommate's mom. They live 45 minutes from where we live...And we never see them. Till we go to Jamaica. You just never know who you might run into |
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| Bambo boat ride. So relaxing! And fun! |
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| The ride came with a mud "facial" on my feet and legs! Very nice! |
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| Noel (our boat guide) picked us a coconut. And made us bamboo straws. YUMMY! |
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| They call the inside of the coconut "jelly meat" and it is good. |
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| This is HARD! I would not be a very good banana picker. |
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| Shane did much better! He's got a bigger head hehe |
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| I love trying new foods. Here we have sugar cane (top)-chewy but sweet, soursop (middle) slimy and not my favorite at all and Jamaican Apple (bottom). So good. Tastes like a peony smells. YUM! |
Such a fun and relaxing trip! :D
Friday, February 16, 2018
A HEALTHY FOOD adventure! Trim Healthy Mama style
So I've decided to try something. In my younger years, I could eat all I wanted and maintain a healthy weight and energy level. But things have changed. I've tried several different options but none have worked well for me or been manageable long term. Several friends of mine have found great success with Trim Healthy Mama. So I got the book. And Trim Healthy Table and next week is my first week "on plan."
One of the things I like about this plan is that, apart from sugar and white flour, nothing is really forbidden. And there are substitutions for sugar and white flour that I can use. The main idea of the plan is that you separate fuels (healthy carbs and fat) and anchor both with good protein. So I spent a large part of yesterday afternoon creating next weeks menu and grocery list- I am looking forward to that going much faster soon. And I want to be able to easily find this one to use it again (no need to reinvent the wheel every single week) So here we go.
Breakfast:
Big Bowl Egg Scram (THT 331) -S
Big Bowl Cinnamon Oatmeal (THT 354) -E
Cream of Treat ( THT 353) -S
Pint Jar Oats (THT 343) -E (makes 3 servings)
Cinnamon Pecan Bake Pancake (THT 338) - S
LUNCH:
I will have either veggies or a salad with my lunch each day. I am going to instant pot a turkey breast at the start of the week because I don't like turkey lunchmeat and use that for sandwiches/protein.
Sprouted Bread Sandwich (E) (2 days at least) -freshy bowl (leftovers) (FP) Apple (E)
Tuna Pepper Poppers (THT 313) - S
finger food lunch (for packing for a day out) Turkey, cheese, S veggies, Dark choc pieces
leftovers to fill in any extra days
SUPPER
- Barbacoa Beef (THT 108) -S
Freshy Bowl (THT 265) -FP (leftover of this will help with lunches)
With taco salad toppings....kids will get chips/wraps
-Taco Cornbread Bake (THT 139) - S
salad
- Save my Sanity Chili (THT 81) - E
- grilled burgers (toppings- buns for kids) -S
Amish Broccoli Salad (THT 271) - S
Hubby Loving Chicken (THT 218) - S
Killer Green Beans (THT 261) - S
-Tuscan Cream Chicken - (THT 72) - S
kids will get noodles. I'll have a salad or leftover veggies.
-Salad Bar Night (I think this will become our sunday night event- perhaps rotating with soup night. Its fast and easy and well liked and it gives me a chance to prep salad veggies for the whole week).
Snack/Sipper?Other
- Reeses pieces shake (pinterest)
- Raspberry GGMS
-Dump Ranch Dressing/dip -S (to go on salads or veggies with an S meal
Now I don't expect my kids to follow this plan through breakfast and lunch....so I'm buying them some WAY off plan options. I may try to slide them into some plan options as I get more experience and learn....So there's that. :)
Now on to the grocery list. There are several things I consider staples and won't be found on this list....onions, garlic, spices, baking powder, etc etc etc. So use it to start but check recipes and add what you need. :)
Produce:
spinach-2
mushrooms (for my salads/egg bowl)
cherry tomatoes
rainbow peppers
ginger
garlic
mini peppers
lettuce 2
tomatoes (roma)
broccoli-2
cucumber (salad)
avocado
Canned:
tuna
tomato sauce
diced tomatoes 2
rotel
pinto beans - 2
great northern beans 2
applesauce (UNsweetened)
sun dried tomatoes
Packaged:
Pyure
Nutritional Yeast
coconut flour
golden flax meal
pecans
xanthum gum
Dairy:
almond milk
egg whites
cheddar cheese
skim milk (for making yogurt)
eggs - 2
heavy cream
1% cottage cheese
Frozen:
Raspberries
Fish/Meat:
turkey breast
bacon
chicken legs
chicken breast
Other:
85% cacao chocolate bar
One of the things I like about this plan is that, apart from sugar and white flour, nothing is really forbidden. And there are substitutions for sugar and white flour that I can use. The main idea of the plan is that you separate fuels (healthy carbs and fat) and anchor both with good protein. So I spent a large part of yesterday afternoon creating next weeks menu and grocery list- I am looking forward to that going much faster soon. And I want to be able to easily find this one to use it again (no need to reinvent the wheel every single week) So here we go.
Breakfast:
Big Bowl Egg Scram (THT 331) -S
Big Bowl Cinnamon Oatmeal (THT 354) -E
Cream of Treat ( THT 353) -S
Pint Jar Oats (THT 343) -E (makes 3 servings)
Cinnamon Pecan Bake Pancake (THT 338) - S
LUNCH:
I will have either veggies or a salad with my lunch each day. I am going to instant pot a turkey breast at the start of the week because I don't like turkey lunchmeat and use that for sandwiches/protein.
Sprouted Bread Sandwich (E) (2 days at least) -freshy bowl (leftovers) (FP) Apple (E)
Tuna Pepper Poppers (THT 313) - S
finger food lunch (for packing for a day out) Turkey, cheese, S veggies, Dark choc pieces
leftovers to fill in any extra days
SUPPER
- Barbacoa Beef (THT 108) -S
Freshy Bowl (THT 265) -FP (leftover of this will help with lunches)
With taco salad toppings....kids will get chips/wraps
-Taco Cornbread Bake (THT 139) - S
salad
- Save my Sanity Chili (THT 81) - E
- grilled burgers (toppings- buns for kids) -S
Amish Broccoli Salad (THT 271) - S
Hubby Loving Chicken (THT 218) - S
Killer Green Beans (THT 261) - S
-Tuscan Cream Chicken - (THT 72) - S
kids will get noodles. I'll have a salad or leftover veggies.
-Salad Bar Night (I think this will become our sunday night event- perhaps rotating with soup night. Its fast and easy and well liked and it gives me a chance to prep salad veggies for the whole week).
Snack/Sipper?Other
- Reeses pieces shake (pinterest)
- Raspberry GGMS
-Dump Ranch Dressing/dip -S (to go on salads or veggies with an S meal
Now I don't expect my kids to follow this plan through breakfast and lunch....so I'm buying them some WAY off plan options. I may try to slide them into some plan options as I get more experience and learn....So there's that. :)
Now on to the grocery list. There are several things I consider staples and won't be found on this list....onions, garlic, spices, baking powder, etc etc etc. So use it to start but check recipes and add what you need. :)
Produce:
spinach-2
mushrooms (for my salads/egg bowl)
cherry tomatoes
rainbow peppers
ginger
garlic
mini peppers
lettuce 2
tomatoes (roma)
broccoli-2
cucumber (salad)
avocado
Canned:
tuna
tomato sauce
diced tomatoes 2
rotel
pinto beans - 2
great northern beans 2
applesauce (UNsweetened)
sun dried tomatoes
Packaged:
Pyure
Nutritional Yeast
coconut flour
golden flax meal
pecans
xanthum gum
Dairy:
almond milk
egg whites
cheddar cheese
skim milk (for making yogurt)
eggs - 2
heavy cream
1% cottage cheese
Frozen:
Raspberries
Fish/Meat:
turkey breast
bacon
chicken legs
chicken breast
Other:
85% cacao chocolate bar
Monday, February 12, 2018
Blessings Abound and I have full joy!
In the end of January, Shane and I spent a week in Jamaica at an all inclusive resort. It was an amazing and unforgettable trip. Travel always gives me a new perspective on my every day. Sometimes I long to go back because home seems mundane after trekking into the grand canyon on mule-back or having lunch at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Sometimes I come home missing loved ones I visited. Sometimes the hours of travel required to get home and jetlag are exhausting and I'm just trying to recover. Sometimes I feel like I need a second vacation to recover from a family vacation. But as we've gotten back into a home routine, my blessings have been staring me in the face day after day. My healthy family, warm home, and a pantry/fridge/freezer full of good food. Jamaica was an absolutely beautiful place, with an even more beautiful people with beautiful spirits and in my 5 short days there, I hope I learned something.
It has been a rough, hard, moody winter for me. But I had a chance to go stay in a place where my comfort was paramount. Where if I needed anything at all, someone will provide. And then we went outside the resort and saw the countryside where again....things were provided solely for my comfort. In a place where people live without electricity or running water....where planting fruits that will feed your family is the first thing done when setting up a home.....where construction workers fill water bottles in puddles from the street they are working on. And they are happy!
Not just Happy......JOYFUL. We learned a new word from Noel (one of our guides). He asked that we have "full joy" on our river trip. He wanted to make us full joy. We said something about enjoying the trip down the river and he said "No, enjoy is like at a funeral....where joy ends" FULL JOY!
They are also predominantly Christian, 98%. You may disagree but I think American Christians could learn a few things from them. First of all, they weren't shy about it. Before dinner, the waitstaff sang a couple worship songs and prayed the Lords Prayer. It was beautiful. As we were talking to people, they had zero concerns about political correctedness and when they thought something was wrong they called it. They live in a country with no "safe spaces"....there are serious problems. They don't seem to have time or energy to waste on being offended all the time. It was refreshing.
I will be the first to admit, we stayed in safe, controlled areas. The country was on military alert while we were there (our bus was even checked by armed military guards). It was important for us to be smart. I am sure there are people who don't fit in this perception I have of the country. But for the few days we were there and the experiences we had, my overwhelming impression was that of happiness and joy.
We are a whiny and entitled society and it is embarrassing. So I have challenged myself to WRITE DOWN at least one blessing, one thing that gives me "full joy" every day. Not just think about it. WRITE IT DOWN!
I don't really do the "word of the year" that so many of my friends do. But this year, even in my moodiness, blessings just keep popping out all around even in totally unexpected places.. I have so many reasons to have "full joy" every single day. Not to say that I wasn't blessed before (cause that hasn't really changed)....but that I am being made more aware. And it is fantastic.
It has been a rough, hard, moody winter for me. But I had a chance to go stay in a place where my comfort was paramount. Where if I needed anything at all, someone will provide. And then we went outside the resort and saw the countryside where again....things were provided solely for my comfort. In a place where people live without electricity or running water....where planting fruits that will feed your family is the first thing done when setting up a home.....where construction workers fill water bottles in puddles from the street they are working on. And they are happy!
Not just Happy......JOYFUL. We learned a new word from Noel (one of our guides). He asked that we have "full joy" on our river trip. He wanted to make us full joy. We said something about enjoying the trip down the river and he said "No, enjoy is like at a funeral....where joy ends" FULL JOY!
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| Noel was awesome! |
They are also predominantly Christian, 98%. You may disagree but I think American Christians could learn a few things from them. First of all, they weren't shy about it. Before dinner, the waitstaff sang a couple worship songs and prayed the Lords Prayer. It was beautiful. As we were talking to people, they had zero concerns about political correctedness and when they thought something was wrong they called it. They live in a country with no "safe spaces"....there are serious problems. They don't seem to have time or energy to waste on being offended all the time. It was refreshing.
I will be the first to admit, we stayed in safe, controlled areas. The country was on military alert while we were there (our bus was even checked by armed military guards). It was important for us to be smart. I am sure there are people who don't fit in this perception I have of the country. But for the few days we were there and the experiences we had, my overwhelming impression was that of happiness and joy.
We are a whiny and entitled society and it is embarrassing. So I have challenged myself to WRITE DOWN at least one blessing, one thing that gives me "full joy" every day. Not just think about it. WRITE IT DOWN!
I don't really do the "word of the year" that so many of my friends do. But this year, even in my moodiness, blessings just keep popping out all around even in totally unexpected places.. I have so many reasons to have "full joy" every single day. Not to say that I wasn't blessed before (cause that hasn't really changed)....but that I am being made more aware. And it is fantastic.
Thursday, February 1, 2018
Freezer Meal Prep
Sometimes its just nice to have some meals ready made in the freezer. And Stouffer's Lasagna just isn't gonna cut it. The upcoming month is one of those times.....so I've spent the last couple hours making some freezer meals. I'm not done yet....but when I am this is what I'll have in my freezer...
Shepherds Pie
I made 2 of these. I didn't even look at her freezer mashed potatoes and just made mashed potatoes in my instant pot. Also totally lazy and used frozen mixed veggies and skipped cutting up carrots. Who does that? I also forgot to buy allspice. (I clearly struggle with following recipes....you will notice that trend throughout).
Vegetable Beef Soup
So I made one of these. Kinda. The roast will have to be cooked ahead of time....but that can be done from frozen in the instant pot. I think we'll manage that. Everything else got dumped in a gallon bag. Again, I used frozen mixed veggies and just added enough to look about right. I did chop my own onion though. :)
Burrito Bowl
We've had this before and the kids LOVE it. They call it "taco paste" which I think is supposed to be complimentary but totally doesn't feel like it. I think its cute this is 6 servings....so I doubled it. We also use venison roast/backstrap because we have that. It will be plopped in first with this dumped on top. Since we switch to venison I used beef stock and not chicken stock.
Taco Rice Casserole
So we've never had this before. I made 2 of them. Its taco flavored....I figure its a pretty safe bet!!! Its also similar to the burrito bowl above. I left out zuchinni cause I forgot to buy it. I made my own black beans in my instant pot and made the rice in the instant pot too. And I left off the cheese, cause there are weirdos in this house who don't like/eat melty cheese. I know I know, I don't know what is wrong with them either.
Minestrone
Im making 2 of these. I may have to actually chop up carrots for this one. And I'll leave out the spinach cause it won't freeze great and kale is gross. I'm also subbing red beans in for canellini beans cause I could find cannelini. The pasta and beans will go in their own little bags to add at appropriate times.
Chili
So this is our favorite chili. I'm making 2 of them but I bet we eat one for supper. I leave out the jalepenos and add 1 chili in adobo sauce instead. Mmmmm And no fish sauce or cocoa for us please. :)
Tuscan Chicken Stew
This one is actually out of a cookbook I bought (The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook-whew that's a mouthfull) So I don't feel good about sharing the recipe here. I'm gonna make 2 of these I think.
I may not have enough canned tomatoes to do chili and the tuscan chicken stew.....I may have to get some more. Now its time to mash some potatoes to finish off these shepherds pies. :)
Shepherds Pie
I made 2 of these. I didn't even look at her freezer mashed potatoes and just made mashed potatoes in my instant pot. Also totally lazy and used frozen mixed veggies and skipped cutting up carrots. Who does that? I also forgot to buy allspice. (I clearly struggle with following recipes....you will notice that trend throughout).
Vegetable Beef Soup
So I made one of these. Kinda. The roast will have to be cooked ahead of time....but that can be done from frozen in the instant pot. I think we'll manage that. Everything else got dumped in a gallon bag. Again, I used frozen mixed veggies and just added enough to look about right. I did chop my own onion though. :)
Burrito Bowl
We've had this before and the kids LOVE it. They call it "taco paste" which I think is supposed to be complimentary but totally doesn't feel like it. I think its cute this is 6 servings....so I doubled it. We also use venison roast/backstrap because we have that. It will be plopped in first with this dumped on top. Since we switch to venison I used beef stock and not chicken stock.
Taco Rice Casserole
So we've never had this before. I made 2 of them. Its taco flavored....I figure its a pretty safe bet!!! Its also similar to the burrito bowl above. I left out zuchinni cause I forgot to buy it. I made my own black beans in my instant pot and made the rice in the instant pot too. And I left off the cheese, cause there are weirdos in this house who don't like/eat melty cheese. I know I know, I don't know what is wrong with them either.
Minestrone
Im making 2 of these. I may have to actually chop up carrots for this one. And I'll leave out the spinach cause it won't freeze great and kale is gross. I'm also subbing red beans in for canellini beans cause I could find cannelini. The pasta and beans will go in their own little bags to add at appropriate times.
Chili
So this is our favorite chili. I'm making 2 of them but I bet we eat one for supper. I leave out the jalepenos and add 1 chili in adobo sauce instead. Mmmmm And no fish sauce or cocoa for us please. :)
Tuscan Chicken Stew
This one is actually out of a cookbook I bought (The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook-whew that's a mouthfull) So I don't feel good about sharing the recipe here. I'm gonna make 2 of these I think.
I may not have enough canned tomatoes to do chili and the tuscan chicken stew.....I may have to get some more. Now its time to mash some potatoes to finish off these shepherds pies. :)
Monday, January 22, 2018
Monday Morning Musing/Dave Ramsey Drop Out
The king and I have taken/taught the dave ramsey fincancial peace class and followed the principals in it. We really like the philosopies presented in it. We followed those rules for several years. We are presenting them to our children as a good financial plan....because it IS!
But then there is life. 2 summers ago, we had a well stocked emergency fund. We had no debt outside our mortgage and we were moving forward to really get things settled and start really chunking money into a retirement fund. Then a deer totaled my van. We had to chose between a car loan and completely depleting our emergency fund and paying cash. We chose to pay cash for the van. And it feels like we've never recovered from that. We've cash flowed everything. But we can't seem to get caught back up.
We live in the country and had a HORRIBLE well. All of us could not shower daily and I had to ration laundry. We have 4 children. One of them a teenage boy and another a soon to be teenage boy. This was causing incredible problems in our house. We started planning to pay to have "city water" brought to our house. We applied and signed contracts. We saved. We almost cash flowed the whole thing. But not quite
M and I had an opportunity to go to Australia. We cash flowed that trip. Maybe we should have put that money in the emergency fund. But it was an opportunity that may never present itself again. And certainly not while he is old enough to take that flight but young enough to not have too many obligations.
One of the "deals" with my Australia adventure was that the King wanted he and I to go on a little getaway this winter for the 2 of us. I thought we'd have a weekend in Nashville, or New Orleans. He picked an all inclusive resort in Jamaica (I'm not complaining). We cash flowed the trip.
.
We've been having trouble with the bedroom layout in our house (one extra little bedcave room shared a wall with the master bedroom -and the child who slept in it stayed up to eavesrop and comment about what she heard-ahem!- and was not big enough to even really qualify as a bedroom). We decided this fall to do the work required to make a big bedroom for 2 kids and tear out the "cave room" We were going to cash flow this project. Not too difficult.
Then I needed a medical procedure. Insurance raised our deductible 2 days before my surgery without good communication and surprised us. Fine. We'll get it paid for. The procedure has a 90% success rate and we wanted to get it done so we could switch to a medical share option for insurance-that we think will work better for us....but needed to do it first because of timing and pre-existing and insurance mumbo jumbo before switching over) Then I discovered I'm in the 10% and the procedure failed and I have to have surgery (and pay the deductible all over again because since the procedure didn't work the new med share timing is even longer than it was before). I am so thankful it is not life-threatening....but it is life altering. We can not pay cash for this.
The remodel job is half done. We have no choice but to move forward on it....which meant buying/charging building supplies. But 2 of the children can't just sleep in the living room till they are grown.
My van started acting really funny. I felt like I could lose control on the interstate. I figured new shocks were in the cards. Nope FOUR new tires! Yeah. More bills.
We've never gotten to the stage in his plan to put money in retirement. We are further from that stage right now than we were 2 years ago. And yet we are getting older. Forget that. Money goes in retirement starting now. Thankfully, we contributed to retirement faithfully before "financial peace". We aren't getting younger and if we want any part of our retirement dreams to become retirement reality we can't keep waiting to save for it.
Technically, we could cancel our trip. Get most of our money back to use for the surgery deductible(s). I could cancel the kids art classes and music lessons....to put toward tires. I do have a job now. We could cancel all our extras. We could go back to a phone in the wall. We could never eat out. But at what point do you say....we are trying our hardest and we are saving and making well thought out decisions. And things are working against us (hello multiple surguries/deductibles and being in an income bracket where we get zero assistance). But although we want to plan for the future, we are only promised RIGHT NOW and there are opportunites to not pass up for later. Later may never come. And we only get one chance to raise our children. A will be grown and theoretically out on his own in 4 years. The others aren't far behind. We don't get a redo on their childhoods.
So I guess we failed at Dave Ramsey....we failed at financial peace. And yet....making the decisions we've made in the last year or so has led to far more peace than being doggedly tied to the DR philosophy. I would still recommend the class. Our church is actually offering it in 2 different time/location options starting tonight (if you are interested contact me). But for us we are much happier with a milder, more balanced lifestyle.
Edited to add: I am very grateful for the principals that we learned and where we have been so that this isn't more of a setback. It is sucky enough as it is. WE only have the bills associated with all the sucker punches of the last few months to contend with....we weren't already in debt. So at least there is that.
But then there is life. 2 summers ago, we had a well stocked emergency fund. We had no debt outside our mortgage and we were moving forward to really get things settled and start really chunking money into a retirement fund. Then a deer totaled my van. We had to chose between a car loan and completely depleting our emergency fund and paying cash. We chose to pay cash for the van. And it feels like we've never recovered from that. We've cash flowed everything. But we can't seem to get caught back up.
We live in the country and had a HORRIBLE well. All of us could not shower daily and I had to ration laundry. We have 4 children. One of them a teenage boy and another a soon to be teenage boy. This was causing incredible problems in our house. We started planning to pay to have "city water" brought to our house. We applied and signed contracts. We saved. We almost cash flowed the whole thing. But not quite
M and I had an opportunity to go to Australia. We cash flowed that trip. Maybe we should have put that money in the emergency fund. But it was an opportunity that may never present itself again. And certainly not while he is old enough to take that flight but young enough to not have too many obligations.
One of the "deals" with my Australia adventure was that the King wanted he and I to go on a little getaway this winter for the 2 of us. I thought we'd have a weekend in Nashville, or New Orleans. He picked an all inclusive resort in Jamaica (I'm not complaining). We cash flowed the trip.
.
We've been having trouble with the bedroom layout in our house (one extra little bedcave room shared a wall with the master bedroom -and the child who slept in it stayed up to eavesrop and comment about what she heard-ahem!- and was not big enough to even really qualify as a bedroom). We decided this fall to do the work required to make a big bedroom for 2 kids and tear out the "cave room" We were going to cash flow this project. Not too difficult.
Then I needed a medical procedure. Insurance raised our deductible 2 days before my surgery without good communication and surprised us. Fine. We'll get it paid for. The procedure has a 90% success rate and we wanted to get it done so we could switch to a medical share option for insurance-that we think will work better for us....but needed to do it first because of timing and pre-existing and insurance mumbo jumbo before switching over) Then I discovered I'm in the 10% and the procedure failed and I have to have surgery (and pay the deductible all over again because since the procedure didn't work the new med share timing is even longer than it was before). I am so thankful it is not life-threatening....but it is life altering. We can not pay cash for this.
The remodel job is half done. We have no choice but to move forward on it....which meant buying/charging building supplies. But 2 of the children can't just sleep in the living room till they are grown.
My van started acting really funny. I felt like I could lose control on the interstate. I figured new shocks were in the cards. Nope FOUR new tires! Yeah. More bills.
We've never gotten to the stage in his plan to put money in retirement. We are further from that stage right now than we were 2 years ago. And yet we are getting older. Forget that. Money goes in retirement starting now. Thankfully, we contributed to retirement faithfully before "financial peace". We aren't getting younger and if we want any part of our retirement dreams to become retirement reality we can't keep waiting to save for it.
Technically, we could cancel our trip. Get most of our money back to use for the surgery deductible(s). I could cancel the kids art classes and music lessons....to put toward tires. I do have a job now. We could cancel all our extras. We could go back to a phone in the wall. We could never eat out. But at what point do you say....we are trying our hardest and we are saving and making well thought out decisions. And things are working against us (hello multiple surguries/deductibles and being in an income bracket where we get zero assistance). But although we want to plan for the future, we are only promised RIGHT NOW and there are opportunites to not pass up for later. Later may never come. And we only get one chance to raise our children. A will be grown and theoretically out on his own in 4 years. The others aren't far behind. We don't get a redo on their childhoods.
So I guess we failed at Dave Ramsey....we failed at financial peace. And yet....making the decisions we've made in the last year or so has led to far more peace than being doggedly tied to the DR philosophy. I would still recommend the class. Our church is actually offering it in 2 different time/location options starting tonight (if you are interested contact me). But for us we are much happier with a milder, more balanced lifestyle.
Edited to add: I am very grateful for the principals that we learned and where we have been so that this isn't more of a setback. It is sucky enough as it is. WE only have the bills associated with all the sucker punches of the last few months to contend with....we weren't already in debt. So at least there is that.
Friday, January 19, 2018
Friday Facepalms #2
More funny things that happened this week.
After church:
After church:
G: Two of my friends were fighting over who got to sit by me in class today. I told them "ladies ladies, there is enough of me to go around"
Me: which friends were they?
G. (both BOY names) But when I said it they stopped fighting.
Me: which friends were they?
G. (both BOY names) But when I said it they stopped fighting.
that's a peacemaker. HA!
M: There is no such thing as a toy weiner dog.
S: Are you sure?
M: Yes. There are toy poodle. Muffin (my mom's dog) was one.
S: What if a toy poodle and a weiner dog had a baby. That would be a toy weiner dog. WAIT! Maybe it would be a woodle.
M or a pienir. NO no not that.
S: maybe not
G: Lets pretend this conversation never happened
All: Agreed.
G: let me tell the story. I was an eye-witness. I wish I wasn't. it was gross.
A: I witness my eyes every day.
By the end of this week, I don't really have a sense of humor and I just want to banish them all to their beds so they will STOP FIGHTING!
G: let me tell the story. I was an eye-witness. I wish I wasn't. it was gross.
A: I witness my eyes every day.
By the end of this week, I don't really have a sense of humor and I just want to banish them all to their beds so they will STOP FIGHTING!
"The Girl on the Train"
You know when there is an accident on the highway and traffic slows WAY down because everyone is slowing down to stare at the mess it caused.....this is book is 11 hours of that. Well, if the accident is really one accident after another accident after another, and every one of them makes you cringe and think WHAT happened here and WHY but for some reason you can't turn away, then you have decent description of this book.
Switching from the first person perspective of 3 female characters, we get to experience all their emotions and thoughts and get to know them. And then wonder if you really want to know anyone quite that well.
I don't like reading reviews that give too much away....but there is maybe 1 character in this book who is NOT a hot mess. Rachel, the main character who is the "girl on the train" lives in a fantasy world and doesn't seem to be able to escape. Unfortunately, the fantasy involves other real life people. One of them, Meghan, appears to be a woman whose life is perfect (through the eyes of Rachel) but we learn she has some demons of her own. And then there is Anna, who just wants to have her happily ever after. We learn all the thoughts and dreams and fears of all 3 of these women.
If you like feel good books with happy endings, then I would avoid this one all together although everything is tied up nicely and we aren't left wondering what happened to someone. If topics like alcoholism, adultery, infant loss, murder, abuse, or gaslighting trigger you in some way, or if the use of cuss words is offensive, this book is also not for you. But if you like a fairly twisted mystery that really keeps you on your toes and in the dark for most of the book then I would recommend it. Although a lot of horrible things happen, none of them are explicitly described (although there are some descriptions).
Switching from the first person perspective of 3 female characters, we get to experience all their emotions and thoughts and get to know them. And then wonder if you really want to know anyone quite that well.
I don't like reading reviews that give too much away....but there is maybe 1 character in this book who is NOT a hot mess. Rachel, the main character who is the "girl on the train" lives in a fantasy world and doesn't seem to be able to escape. Unfortunately, the fantasy involves other real life people. One of them, Meghan, appears to be a woman whose life is perfect (through the eyes of Rachel) but we learn she has some demons of her own. And then there is Anna, who just wants to have her happily ever after. We learn all the thoughts and dreams and fears of all 3 of these women.
If you like feel good books with happy endings, then I would avoid this one all together although everything is tied up nicely and we aren't left wondering what happened to someone. If topics like alcoholism, adultery, infant loss, murder, abuse, or gaslighting trigger you in some way, or if the use of cuss words is offensive, this book is also not for you. But if you like a fairly twisted mystery that really keeps you on your toes and in the dark for most of the book then I would recommend it. Although a lot of horrible things happen, none of them are explicitly described (although there are some descriptions).
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
"The Historian"
by: Elizabeth Kostova
Intrigue! Mystery! Quests! Travel! Immortality! Vampires!
For someone who enjoys something a little out of the ordinary and yet tied seamlessly into real world places and events this book was a fantastic adventure.
Written from a few different first person perspectives it was easy to jump over the line between reality and fantasy........ of course the fantasy world included a realer than real, immortal Vlad the Impaler/Dracula and several of his undead minions. And yet, the writing makes it all seem perfectly feasible, in a darker more secretive world.
The book ties relatively modern day into history by switching from perspectives in the form of written diaries, oral stories, and historic documents with fantasy woven into every nook and cranny. It explores relationships between father and daughter, colleagues, lovers, and others.
This is a book I'd recommend if you are comfortable with vampires and a darker edge to reality. It was fast pased and interesting. I enjoy historic fiction and sci-fi and this book had both in perfect balance. The characters and relationships were well done and believable. The writing was spot on. And if you are into audiobooks (honestly, if you aren't you should be) the narrators are fantastic. Dracula's voice was....well, you'd need to listen to find out! :D
Intrigue! Mystery! Quests! Travel! Immortality! Vampires!
For someone who enjoys something a little out of the ordinary and yet tied seamlessly into real world places and events this book was a fantastic adventure.
Written from a few different first person perspectives it was easy to jump over the line between reality and fantasy........ of course the fantasy world included a realer than real, immortal Vlad the Impaler/Dracula and several of his undead minions. And yet, the writing makes it all seem perfectly feasible, in a darker more secretive world.
The book ties relatively modern day into history by switching from perspectives in the form of written diaries, oral stories, and historic documents with fantasy woven into every nook and cranny. It explores relationships between father and daughter, colleagues, lovers, and others.
This is a book I'd recommend if you are comfortable with vampires and a darker edge to reality. It was fast pased and interesting. I enjoy historic fiction and sci-fi and this book had both in perfect balance. The characters and relationships were well done and believable. The writing was spot on. And if you are into audiobooks (honestly, if you aren't you should be) the narrators are fantastic. Dracula's voice was....well, you'd need to listen to find out! :D
Monday, January 15, 2018
Monday Morning Musings!!
That resume I posted last week?...it was apparently enough. I taught my first private ESL class to a student in China last week. Seriously. I taught a child on the other side of the world. That thought still is just hard to wrap my mind around. The world continues to shrink and I can reach people on the other side of the world in real time while I'm sitting in the corner of my bedroom (my current "classrom" location) and still wearing pajama pants. :)
Sometimes being a stay at home, homeschooling mom feels like a fairly thankless job. My children certainly are not thanking me for making them do school every day. That battle is one I feel like I fight continually. Of course, Shane is thankful and rockstar level supportive. My family is supportive and proud, I think. I love my homeschool friends. I *know* my worth is not tied in any way to what I can earn. But I am so proud and thankful for the ability to earn even a little something while I'm still doing what I know God wants me to do, homeschool my kids.
I currently have 3 more classes this week. One is a 2nd booking from the student last week....talk about positive affirmation!! I have to get up very early for me. But I was more productive and not less. I feel energized. I'm more patient with the kids IN my house. It has given me a push of energy. I am so thankful. Except when I fell asleep on the couch during a family movie at 7....but I woke up for the end. I'll get it figured out.
I really didn't think I had much to offer a company. I thought if I wanted a job I would be working at at a fast food place or waitressing.....which I still think I would enjoy on some levels (talking to other adults) and really not like on other levels (talking to other adults-HA!). But this is an answered prayer because I set MY own schedule. It doesn't effect my homeschool day. And if I am unavailable I leave those squares blank.
It is so nice to feel like I have some control over something in my life. I have a GREAT life. I realize I am very lucky. I know all this. I get it. But recently, I've found myself in a rut. I'm still there a little bit. I'm frustrated by things out of my control. I am so thankful for the opportunity to get out of my head, and out of my house regularly (if only virtually), and do something that makes me feel useful (I know I'm useful but feeling it and knowing aren't the same thing). And the opportunity to earn a little, even if its only enough to support my crafting habit, makes me feel very thankful.
Just in case you are interested in an opportunity like this one...here is my referral link. I would gladly help you get started. :)
Sometimes being a stay at home, homeschooling mom feels like a fairly thankless job. My children certainly are not thanking me for making them do school every day. That battle is one I feel like I fight continually. Of course, Shane is thankful and rockstar level supportive. My family is supportive and proud, I think. I love my homeschool friends. I *know* my worth is not tied in any way to what I can earn. But I am so proud and thankful for the ability to earn even a little something while I'm still doing what I know God wants me to do, homeschool my kids.
I currently have 3 more classes this week. One is a 2nd booking from the student last week....talk about positive affirmation!! I have to get up very early for me. But I was more productive and not less. I feel energized. I'm more patient with the kids IN my house. It has given me a push of energy. I am so thankful. Except when I fell asleep on the couch during a family movie at 7....but I woke up for the end. I'll get it figured out.
I really didn't think I had much to offer a company. I thought if I wanted a job I would be working at at a fast food place or waitressing.....which I still think I would enjoy on some levels (talking to other adults) and really not like on other levels (talking to other adults-HA!). But this is an answered prayer because I set MY own schedule. It doesn't effect my homeschool day. And if I am unavailable I leave those squares blank.
It is so nice to feel like I have some control over something in my life. I have a GREAT life. I realize I am very lucky. I know all this. I get it. But recently, I've found myself in a rut. I'm still there a little bit. I'm frustrated by things out of my control. I am so thankful for the opportunity to get out of my head, and out of my house regularly (if only virtually), and do something that makes me feel useful (I know I'm useful but feeling it and knowing aren't the same thing). And the opportunity to earn a little, even if its only enough to support my crafting habit, makes me feel very thankful.
Just in case you are interested in an opportunity like this one...here is my referral link. I would gladly help you get started. :)
Friday, January 12, 2018
Friday Facepalms!
Since I'm a stay at home mom, you may assume my life gets a little dull....however, you would be wrong....So I'm going to try to keep a little log of facepalm moments each week.
One of M's spelling words was "wieners" Seriously, they couldn't come up with ANY other -er word to pluralize. Apparently, we both have the sense of humor of 12 year old boys.
L can read the word "Ann" but she can not read the word "an"
Me: M you need to clean your shower
M; YES!!!
Me: A you can clean your bathroom sink
A: ok. can I go down to pappy's instead?
Me: Um No (weirdo)
Me: G you can clean either my shower, sink or toilet
G: I'll do your shower
L: I GET TO DO THE TOILET!
Me: A you can clean your bathroom sink
A: ok. can I go down to pappy's instead?
Me: Um No (weirdo)
Me: G you can clean either my shower, sink or toilet
G: I'll do your shower
L: I GET TO DO THE TOILET!
Me: (sighing) Ok, I guess you can
That leaves me my bathroom sink. Worked out pretty well PS-I cleaned their toilet yesterday so it didn't need done today (and I threw away the toilet brush)
That leaves me my bathroom sink. Worked out pretty well PS-I cleaned their toilet yesterday so it didn't need done today (and I threw away the toilet brush)
Me: You need to get ready for Awana
L: What do I wear?
Me: leggings and a shirt
L: Can I wear this? (holding up some clothes)
Me: well those are both shirts so you need some pants.
L: Oh
I also said these words....."Pants are a requirement when packing for a trip." Sometimes I feel like I'm really failing. Why are my children struggling with the necessity for pants this week?!?!?!
Monday, January 8, 2018
MY RESUME
As the last year ended, we decided I would try to find a ligit work-from-home job. In doing this, it has made me think of what my "work experience" on a resume actually looks like. It is both full and empty all at the same time.
I have a Bachelors degree but in my field of study (all those years ago) I would have needed to continue on and get a masters in order to work in that field (thankfully it is valuable outside that field)...Instead I got married and started a family and now my skill set looks something like this....
I have a Bachelors degree but in my field of study (all those years ago) I would have needed to continue on and get a masters in order to work in that field (thankfully it is valuable outside that field)...Instead I got married and started a family and now my skill set looks something like this....
- story reader
- teacher to 4 grades at one time
- referee
- personal driver
- minor plumbing (as in using plunger or plumbing in a sink and drain)
- minor electrical (wiring outlets, switches, and light fixtures)
- basic construction and demolition
- interior design
- organizer
- laundry master
- dishwasher
- cook/baker
- balance/reconcile a checkbook
- gardener
- preserver of food
- menu planner
- penny pincher
- detective (cause "Nobody" couldn't have dumped all the toys on the floor)
- vet duties (including giving shots, jamming pills down throats and goat OB)
- knitter
- sewist (which is a term I'm not incredibly comfortable with but prefer over sewer-not to be confused with sewer-English is so much fun)....PS why don't we say seamstress anymore?)
I don't think any of those things will land me a job....but I feel pretty stinkin accomplished anyway. And a few of them might actually help.
I may not have a corner office (although my office is technically in a corner). I have learned SO much as "just" a stay at home mom. I also still have MUCH to learn. As my kids grow I have to grow right along with them. So I may not wear business casual every day....I may spend more time than I should admit in my pajamas....but I've got skills!!
Oh, and I can also catch vomit that is not my own in my hands. Not even joking. So I guess college wasn't a total waste of time. (Kidding!)
Monday, January 1, 2018
New Year, New Goals, New Start!
So it is pretty safe to say that this blog had effectively died. I haven't posted in a year and a half and that's ridiculous. But as life ebbs and flows, some things stop and start and stop and start again. As the kids have gotten older, I am finding myself with more "free time**", more creative outlets, more personal goals, and just more. So I decided to pop back in here and see if I can write about it regularly. I make no promises but I would like to try.
** free time is the time when my kids are entertaining themselves and I should be cleaning....but I'm probably not. :)
So whats better for a new year than Goal Setting!
I've always got goals....Even goals for what I'm going to clean each week. But I am setting some bigger goals for the year. Sometimes they get done and sometimes they don't....and I'm ok with that.
1) Bible - I've got the plan loaded on my phone to read each day for the entire year. And finish the whole book in the year.
2) Reading! I'd like to read 24 books this year. That's 2/month and audiobooks totally count. Within this goal, I plan to primarily read books I've never read before. I am open to suggestions. I am going to have to chose carefully though because sometimes I pick books that are REALLY long (Outlander I'm talking to you- and Game of Thrones, you too) {If you have suggestions I like historical fiction a lot, a little sci-fi is cool. I don't like romance without a bigger plot line, and I don't like thrillers. YA is fine.}
3) Knitting! I am trying to knit with more intention this year. I have so many (SO MANY!) things I'd like to make...but I jump from one shiny thing to another....So these are my subcategories.
4) Sewing! So I started a new thing in the last 6 months. Clothes making. And it is fantastic. I absolutely love it. And because I just can't do something a little bit I have also joined a thing for 2018. It is a sewing challenge to sew one item each week for the entire year. It is a very loose challenge but I'm going to go for it. I plan/hope to track progress here.
5) Fitness - the last 6 months have been rough. I took the semester of taekwondo off. I traveled for a month. Then I had an outpatient medical procedure. I'm going back to Taekwondo with the family in January. I feel weak and soft and like the first night might just kill me. But it won't and I'll be back in it full swing in no time. I would like to start Bikini Body Mommy but I am unsure if the procedure from November was really all that successful (current signs point to no) so I may be having another surgery in February....so that will wait.
So, watch for updates....but maybe dont hold your breath....sometimes things get put on the back burner around here and I don't get it all done. Personally, I will be using my handy dandy bullet journal (AKA my brain book) to track my personal goals. A new year is always such a fresh feeling. I'm looking forward to 2018 being fantastic from start to finish! :D
Kelli
** free time is the time when my kids are entertaining themselves and I should be cleaning....but I'm probably not. :)
So whats better for a new year than Goal Setting!
I've always got goals....Even goals for what I'm going to clean each week. But I am setting some bigger goals for the year. Sometimes they get done and sometimes they don't....and I'm ok with that.
1) Bible - I've got the plan loaded on my phone to read each day for the entire year. And finish the whole book in the year.
2) Reading! I'd like to read 24 books this year. That's 2/month and audiobooks totally count. Within this goal, I plan to primarily read books I've never read before. I am open to suggestions. I am going to have to chose carefully though because sometimes I pick books that are REALLY long (Outlander I'm talking to you- and Game of Thrones, you too) {If you have suggestions I like historical fiction a lot, a little sci-fi is cool. I don't like romance without a bigger plot line, and I don't like thrillers. YA is fine.}
3) Knitting! I am trying to knit with more intention this year. I have so many (SO MANY!) things I'd like to make...but I jump from one shiny thing to another....So these are my subcategories.
- Socks - 6 pair for me and 6 pair for Shane (1 pair/month)
- Shawls- 3 total (I have patterns for 2 picked out)
- Sweaters - 3 total (but depending on how well the first one fits I may scrap the last 2-I'm really struggling with gauge and fit on sweaters and its frustrating)
- Other - It is ridiculous to assume I won't make ANY other things. I have a girls trip to Chicago to Yarncon in the early spring so who knows what will strike me there. But these are my primary things.
4) Sewing! So I started a new thing in the last 6 months. Clothes making. And it is fantastic. I absolutely love it. And because I just can't do something a little bit I have also joined a thing for 2018. It is a sewing challenge to sew one item each week for the entire year. It is a very loose challenge but I'm going to go for it. I plan/hope to track progress here.
5) Fitness - the last 6 months have been rough. I took the semester of taekwondo off. I traveled for a month. Then I had an outpatient medical procedure. I'm going back to Taekwondo with the family in January. I feel weak and soft and like the first night might just kill me. But it won't and I'll be back in it full swing in no time. I would like to start Bikini Body Mommy but I am unsure if the procedure from November was really all that successful (current signs point to no) so I may be having another surgery in February....so that will wait.
So, watch for updates....but maybe dont hold your breath....sometimes things get put on the back burner around here and I don't get it all done. Personally, I will be using my handy dandy bullet journal (AKA my brain book) to track my personal goals. A new year is always such a fresh feeling. I'm looking forward to 2018 being fantastic from start to finish! :D
Kelli
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