International Book Giving Day--February 14, 2013

So Valentines is RIGHT around the corner...and you've "pinned" some fun ideas on Pinterest but are looking for a way to celebrate in a way with a little more "meat" to it....how about celebrating International Book Giving Day?!?!

Back story: Finn's best friend in D-town came up with this neat idea of having friends and family share books on Feb. 14th. (Smart kid, no?) AND his great idea has blossomed into a real thing...INTERNATIONAL BOOK GIVING DAY!!! What a neat initiative to share books with kids who may not have access. PLEASE check out their website to find out more about how you and your little readers can share the love on Feb. 14th. :)

Leave a comment and share some ideas!

Another Year Older...

So, it was my Birthday yesterday...34 years...

It was a good day...my kids brought me breakfast in bed. My husband made me a fruit breakfast and juice in my favorite cup. Anne and her family sent me beautiful flowers. Lots of people wished me well on Facebook. I got several cards in the mail. Some sweet texts. A few emails. My Mom called. We had supper out as a family. Otherwise, it was a normal day filled with changing diapers, school, naps, making lunch, running kids to activities, etc.  A good, happy day.

I did note however, that my girls were kinda bummed with it. They wanted MORE...a fun activity, a cake, something SPECIAL. I, suppose, something closer to what they are accustomed to for their Birthdays. I assured them that I was okay.

Because, really, it WAS okay. I don't know how you handle Birthdays...maybe you love them? Maybe not? Maybe it bums you out to be a year older? In the past I've always wanted to make a big deal of my Birthday. I liked the big fuss because it made me focus more on my friends and family that were near me instead of having to deal with the fact that I am another year older. This year was different.

We were in D-town. It was the middle of the week. No friends were near. This year I faced the fact that I had grown a year older head on. No games. No distractions. I'm 34 and what do I have to show?I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I let myself get a little negative....there's a lot I THOUGHT I'd have done by now.

In the afternoon I drove the kids over to swim team practice...and the song "Blessings" by Laura Story came on...and I REALLY listened. And pulled the car over. And bawled. It's not the first time that song has reduced me to tears. But on the day of my birth, I heard it in a different way.

What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise
What if your blessings fall through raindrops?
What if your healing comes through tears?
What if thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know you're near?
What if the trials of this life are your mercies in disguise? **

Some areas where I feel discouraged or disappointed:

We have had to leave communities we've loved; friends who had become our family.
    We've also been brought to new communities with new individuals to love and serve. We've been blessed to maintain many of those important relationships.

I have not made any huge contributions to those in need. I have not started a non-profit or adopted any children. I have not eradicated a disease or abuse.
   I do the best I can to help those around me when I see a need.

I don't have a Masters in Education.
    I DO have a business that I am proud of and that allows me to be home and raise my children.

My business is not as large or successful as I would like it to be.
   I am blessed to be able to homeschool my children and focus on their growth for now. All things in their season.

I not received any sort of award or honor for my career.
    I have been blessed to be Mom of the Year to 4 really amazing kiddos...and my husband thinks I'm pretty cool too. :)

I am not as thin or fit as I wish I were.
    I have birthed four children. I have enjoyed my meals and have been blessed with adequate food. I have also found a path for my eating and health that steadily is giving me results and making me feel healthier and stronger than I have ever been.

My home is not as clean or organized as I would like it to be.
   I enjoy my days within my home. I create, play, and relax with my family. We work together to make it a comfortable place to live. I have learned that keeping the sort of house I desire comes at a price and the person I become is not kind, patient, or grace-filled. I have let it go.

I have not done as much with my photography, crafting, writing, other creative pursuits as I would like to.
   I HAVE had opportunities to be creative and as I still breath on this earth I have future possibilities. All things in their season.

I am sad beyond words at so many things that have happened in my life and in the lives of those I care about.
  I am beyond thrilled to know that this is not it. There IS another place where contentment, happiness, and joy will be the only emotions we know. My task until then it to be faithful, steadfast, and love those around me.

You see, it WAS a good birthday...even with the weird hairs I found that I am told WILL be turning gray soon.
Awesome.
Bring. It. On.
Because this isn't ALL there is....if I never cross things off my 'bucket list', if I never do all the neat things I thought I would...God has a plan for me...and ultimately only when I am with Him will I ever be truly satisfied. Thank you, Jesus!!!

**Please understand that I recognize that my trials are MUCH less serious than others around me and I do not even pretend to compare my situation to those facing much more serious situations. Please respect, however, that my situation is mine to work through and to me it does seem like a trial at times.

Kiki's Cocoa

This evening I got a chance to go on a walk with TJ & Kiki to the Rose Gardens...it is one of our favorite places to go. Sadly, when we arrived today we found that the roses have all been pruned and tied in preparation for winter. Kiki and I talked at length about our sorrow over summer ending. We decided, however, that there is nothing to be done and we'd best focus on the GOOD things about winter, instead of making ourselves sad. #1 on Kiki's list? HOT COCOA!
We're all out at our house, so we made a trip to the grocery store immediately and gathered up the supplies to make our own. Kiki hadn't done this with me before and it was a fun, easy project to do together...plus, if she's goign to be the one drinking it, it gives her ownership. Here's our (super simple) recipe:

SUPPLIES:
24 oz. box of dry/powdered milk (we used a 25.6 oz. box)
1 c. non diary creamer
2 c. powdered sugar
16 oz. instant chocolate drink mix

In a LARGE bowl (in our case, an icecream bucket) mix all the items together.

Getting a little help from TJ!



She was pretty sure it was going to overflow!

Applesauce Season

In W-town we are blessed with one apple tree...normally that wouldn't work in terms of pollination, but, thankfully, the neighbors also have an apple tree so we're good to go.

The interesting thing is that our tree has a cycle of producing every-other-year. Last year we had about 4 apples on the entire tree. This year the tree was so laden with apples that the branches were laying on the ground...a very good problem to have. Many people stopped and asked if we were going to do anything with the apples...I think the for-sale sign made people think we weren't planning to use them; but, trust us, we were! (Of course, we told the people who asked that they were welcome to help themselves...there was PLENTY to go around!) Even with sharing, we still picked around 5 buckets full, plus the hundreds that the kids ate straight from the tree!

The first year we had apples I made apple pies like a crazy-person; even prepping apples and freezing them to make apple pies in the winter! That was a fine way to use them, but, unfortunately, only The Spouse likes apple pie! This year I decided to make something that more of my crew likes...Apple Sauce! I did some researching around on the Internet and also tried to remember what I'd seen my Mom do....she used to make no-sugar-added-applesauce for my kids when they were babies...always helping me save money. Love her!

The link I most often referred to can be found here. It's from Pick Your Own.Org and it has a lot of great info, as well as awesome answers to a lot of FAQ (many of the same questions I had!)
I did NOT have many of the supplies they suggested, however, so I thought it might be helpful to share how I made applesauce using just what I had on hand...I'm willing to bet there are lots of people like me out there. :)

So, here you go:

SUPPLIES
Apples...I just used the ones off of the tree; which are quite tart.
2 large pots (1 for cooking apples. 1 for holding processed apples)
1 super-large pot (for boiling water and putting the jars into to seal them)
Sugar to taste (because of the tartness I used around 1.5 cups per pot...The Spouse kept tasting until we found the right amount)
Cinnamon to taste
Water
Cutting Board
Knife
Tongs
Blender
Slotted spoon
Ladle
Jars with lids
Wire cooling racks
Oven Mitt

STEP 0
Sterilize your jars...you can do that in the dishwasher if you have a 'sterilize' setting or you can clean them and then boil them in a pot of water. Keep them in the dishwasher or in the pot until you actually use them to minimize exposure/germs.

STEP 1
Wash your apples

STEP 2

Cut your apples up; you do NOT want the stem or the seeds. They can be sent to compost.  I left the skins on.

STEP 3
Put the apples into a pot with a little bit of water in the bottom. Cover the pot and turn the burner on "high". Let the apples cook until they are soft and mushy...it took about 8 minutes. Watch to make sure you have enough water to cook the apples. While I was waiting I cut the next group of apples for the next batch.

STEP 4
Use your slotted spoon to scoop the cooked apples into your blender...you want to leave as much of the water behind as you can. I kept using the same water for each batch; it got appley goo in it and I felt like I wasn't wasting that way!

STEP 5
Blend your apples to your desired consistency...because the peelings are still in there, you might want to blend longer than normal.

STEP 6
Pour your blended apple into the 2nd large pot.
I did not have enough at that point to fill my pot, so I did another batch.

STEP 7
Add the sugar and cinnamon to the mixture, making sure to stir it completely. This is where you need some extra clean spoons so you can taste test your mixture. I liked it plain, so I canned some jars that way. The Spouse liked it plenty sweet, so we did some that way too.

STEP 8
Using your ladle, put the applesauce into your jars.
Leave about a 1/4" of space.

STEP 9
Put the lid and ring on your jars.












STEP 10
Put the closed jars in your Super Large Pot of boiling water. For pint jars you want to let them boil for 15 minutes; quarts for 20.

STEP 11
Use your tongs and oven mitt to take them out. I found that if I lifted them out with the tongs and set them on the cutting board that was right next to the pot, I didn't have to worry so much about the hold the tongs had. Once they were out, I used my oven mitt to pick up the jars and place them on the wire cooling racks.

STEP 12
Let the jars cool. In the cooling process, they will seal themselves; you'll be able to hear them "pop" when they do and you'll see that the center of the jar is pulled down. I finished this project right before bed and got several starts while I was falling asleep as the jars "popped"!

STEP 13
Unscrew the outer ring of the jar to let the water that is trapped dry. If you don't do this it will rust, which would be a bummer. I let mine dry and then put them back on; I've read that you could leave them off, but I figured why have to remember where I stuck the rings?! I'll just keep everything together until I use the applesauce and THEN put the jars and rings back into the box they came in.



NOTE: In reading I found out that the inner part that goes on top of the jar is NOT reusable. Once it has done a seal it should be discarded; you can purchase JUST that part for future canning.

Happy Applesauce Season!
Stacy


My little helper who woke up in the middle of the night to cook with me. :)

Vinyl Cutting Simple and Easy

Have you seen all the neat projects you can do with a Silhouette or the Cameo? Yup, me too. Do you have a Silhouette or Cameo? Me neither. (If you do...lucky you!)  ;)  I decided to figure out how to make neat things without one...and without the fancy supplies. Tonight's project was a little gift for a friend who is very passionate about a certain vote happening in Minnesota.

Here's the steps:
1. Find a logo or design you want to create.
2. I put mine into a word document and printed as a "mirror".

3. You hear a lot about "vinyl"...essentially? It's CONTACT paper. For reals. You can get it at the Dollar Tree...and in a lot of really neat prints...I chose to use a "stainless steel" I'd picked up awhile ago.

4. Cut your vinyl to the right size and feed it into your printer.

5. Print the image

6. Using an Exacto Knife, cut out your design. Depending on the size of your design, your steadiness of hand, and your desires you can decide if you're cutting out each letter to peel and stick on the item or if you're cutting away the letters from the overall design.

 7. Clean the item you plan to adhere your vinyl to. In my case, I cleaned the glass with rubbing alcohol to give the image the best possible chance of sticking. A more common location to stick your vinyl might be pieces of wood, or even right to a wall.

8. Adhere your item.

   *Obviously your item is not water-proof and the vinyl should only be wiped gently if cleaning is needed. This jar is from the Dollar Tree.

OPTIONAL step 9:
I *finally* used my 40% off coupon for some etching cream at Michael's....I LOVE IT!! I still have 1/2 a bottle and have done a TON of projects...showing that despite the high cost, you do get a lot of miles out of it.

To finish the project I washed the design one last time with rubbing alcohol, then gooped on the etching cream. I left it to set for around 10 minutes; I like to let the cream get to a nearly dry state before I rinse it off with warm water.

10. Once rinsed off I took the vinyl off.

Ready for sending. :)

TJ Is On His Way

For posterity's sake I need to make it known:
TJ jumped with both feet today. (Read why it matters here.)
Totally got air.
He is full-on ready to be trained; no holding back now.
To be honest...we've been working on it all week and he's doing really well.
The best was when he was playing with Leve and sudden ran screaming from the room, "AHAHAHAHAH!!!" to the bathroom where he proceeded to take care of business. LOL!

I am proud of him. In theory I'm excited about having NO ONE in diapers for the first time in NINE years, but I'm also sad that he's THERE.

 Along with the jumping has come WORDS...lots and LOTS of WORDS....and a desire to sleep in his big-boy bed (aka Quinn's bed). I've got a little MAN on my hands and since he is our 'baby', I get a little weepy when no one is looking. Alas, I shall try to buck-up and remember that God's timing is perfect; including how long He allows little ones to be little.

My on-his-way-to-being-a-big-boy-as-quickly-as-he-can in a hammock while camping last week.

Potty Training

I'm going tell you something that might come off as a little harsh, but it's absolutely true.
In terms of developmental milestones, my kids aren't breaking any records.
Now, before you TOTALLY take away my status as Mother of the Year, hear me out.

Finn walked at 16 mo.
He potty trained initially at 18 mo...and then decided it wasn't worth the hassle, gave it up, and was finally fully potty trained at 3.5 years.

Kiki walked at 15 mo.
She was fully potty trained at 3.

Leve walked at 17 mo.
She was fully potty trained at 3.5.

TJ walked at 21 mo.
At 2.5, he's not potty trained.

I admit to having a pretty "go with the flow" attitude toward parenting. My philosophy is that they're only little for such a short while, why rush the process? It's worked alright for me. Don't get me wrong, I've TRIED to get the kids to walk. We've stood with them between us. We've held their fingers. We've encouraged. Nothing. I've spent time trying to toilet train each of them when I felt they were showing interest. Nothing. I refuse to bash myself over the head with it and have just let it happen. Not so surprisingly, they all figured it out and with minimal muss and fuss.

After getting his hair cut very short and being told what a big boy he looked like, Finn asked me for a pair of underwear one day and "training" was over. Kiki wanted a particular doll. "Get potty trained and I'll buy it for you", I said. Done. 2 days later she had it locked in and was playing with the doll. Leve decided that she couldn't possibly go to the Fair with diapers on and trained herself with a little help from Daddy and her siblings.

I've been introducing the potty and encouraging TJ for the last month or so. He seems to "get" what it's all about, but hasn't done much about it. Until last week.

I was laying him down for a nap and he said, "I pooped."
"No you didn't, I just changed you."
"I poop my butt."
"Do you need to go potty?"
"Yes."
I take him and set him down. He says, "I get a treat?"
"Of course. If you go potty you get a treat."
"Shut the door."

Now, I'm not sure what was funnier...that he negotiated the treat BEFORE going to the bathroom, or the fact that he demanded privacy, but I giggled pretty hard outside the bathroom regardless. And he did a nice number in the potty, so it was a good thing.  He got lots of praise from me, but the biggest high fives came from his siblings. Why?

THEY GET A TREAT TOO.

I started it with Leve. At the time Kiki was 6 and Finn was 8...old enough to be potty-experts. I decided instead of making potty training a Mom/Kid thing we were going to make it a family thing. With the lure of a treat, I suddenly have 3 people asking if Leve needed to go to the bathroom instead of just me doing it. PERFECT!

I'm doing the same with TJ...and it's going well. Leve is especially helpful, even asking and helping him at church! (Note to self; Bring treats WITH for jobs well done outside the house. Leve was NOT impressed that there was no treat until we got home. Oops.)

He is not breaking any records, but we're definitely on the right path. We seem to have #2 taken care of, so it's just to make sure #1 always happens. 

I have noticed that he cannot jump with both feet yet, and, according to a Mom of 7 that I used to give piano lessons to, that is a key developmental milestone for being prepared to do #1 on the potty...something about brain/body connections...hey, she's trained 7 kids, I figured I'd trust her! ;) So, we'll give it time.

In the mean time I get to see this cute mug more and more. :)