VBS – Kickoff Block Party

Well, tomorrow is the kickoff registration block party for vacation bible school.  This year Peace Lutheran Church (where Jay serves) is teaming up with Harvest Community Church and doing a joint VBS for the Lincoln community. 

Today Jay and the kids finished making a few of the decorations which gave me the idea of making a cake.  The VBS has a western theme and a group is coming from Missouri to help orchestrate the week.  So, I pulled out the horseshoe cake pan and made a simple cake . . .

Then I made cupcakes - they will be easier to serve.  I didn’t have any western theme decor so Kenzie helped me roll our some fondant and she used a cross cookie cutter. 

Who needs to shave???

I sent the kids in to clean – not just pick up, but CLEAN – their bathroom which also serves as the hall bath.  Anyway, the next thing I know Mackenzie was all giddy.  First, she was sitting on the floor with the toilet brush stirring it in the toilet bowl like it was a caldron – and she wanted me to see, but I was not allowed to photo.  The next thing I know she is standing in front of me with this . . .

Apparently she had figured out one pump of her body wash mixed with two pumps of the hand soap gave her the best soapy sudsy mix to make herself a beard.

Once Zack realized it wasn’t the bathroom cleaner, he joined in on the fun.  No, not the cleaning of the bathroom, just the facial suds!!

Mackenzie then perfected it with a mustache.  She was so proud of herself.

Since we were Skyping with Cassie, she too decided to join in on the fun.  But the bubble suds just weren’t the same quality.

Camping In

Mackenzie and Zack love making clubhouses and hanging out in them.  They built this clubhouse well over two weeks ago – they make renovations periodically, but they have taken up residence in it.  

They retreat in there to play games, read, and even work on their school work.

They even retire in there every night to find slumber on the floor. 

Foto Friday

A favorite of ours.

Buckeye Delish!!

I forgot to post my ‘tasty tuesday’ so I figure I would go ahead and post this because it was what I intended on sharing.  So enjoy all you Buckeye fans . . .

Ingredients:

1 – 19.5 oz. box of brownie mix

2 c. powder sugar

1/2 c. + 6 T. butter, softened & divided

8 oz. of peanut butter

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Prepare and bake brownies according to the package’s directions in a greased 13x9 baking pan.  Cool.  Mix the powdered sugar, 1/2 c. butter, and the peanut butter until smooth and creamy.  Spread over cooled brownies.  In a small sauce pan, melt the remaining butter and the chocolate chips, stirring occasionally, until smooth.  Spread over the peanut butter mix.  Let set. Cool. Enjoy!!

Old vs. New

It is that time of year . . . transitioning from one grade to the next.  We home school year round so the kids may start a new level of a subject before they transition completely.  It is so hard to believe, that Cassie will be entering her second year of high school – YIKES, she is going to be a sophomore.  Zack is leaving the easy years of elementary ed and heading into a more intense level of study as he becomes a junior high student.  Really – he’s going to be a seventh grader?!  Mackenzie is excited about being a fifth grader this year – don’t want to rush her too much.

As we enter our eighth year of homeschooling, I am reevaluating the curriculum we use, more so for the high school levels.  We have basically used the same curriculum from the beginning, which has been great because the ABeka curriculum provides great supplements, curriculum guides, and easy to follow lesson plans for the early years.  So, if it’s not broke don’t fix it . . .

Unfortunately, we have not found it to be as user friendly for the higher levels.  Cassie and I trudged our way through Abeka’s pre-algebra and are getting through Algebra I – luckily I am recalling some of those “am I ever going to need these skills,” which is hard to believe considering how horrible I was at it in high school (right, Dad).  I also have to give props to the internet for the many resources I have been able to utilize to help explain a concept. 

Anyway, because of the lack of user friendliness we have found the higher levels of ABeka’s curriculum not conducive to our schooling.  So, I have been exploring and investigating other curriculums.  I feel really intimidated by the many options and I’m not sure how to truly decide what will be a best fit.  Being a creature of habit, some of this is very overwhelming! 

For her freshman year, we did switch to Apologia science after it came recommended by a few other home school moms of high schoolers.  She seems to be liking it much better than ABeka’s and the labs are much more user friendly – we don’t need an in-home lab to do them.  I’m still waiting for the student text, but I believe we will switch to Saxon math for the remaining math requirements because they seem to provide a lot of info within and they also have a cd-rom/DVD that has an actual person teaching the lesson on a white board and it is affordable.

As we prepare for those grade level transitions, I am trying to find the curriculum that is going to work best for Cassie.  Which also means, Cassie needs to really start thinking about what her aspirations are after high school.  I think we have taken a turn . . .     

thankful thursday

well, i’m a little late – i forgot to post this yesterday . . .

i am very thankful for the friendship & relationship i have with my little sister.  regardless of the eight years and nine months that separate us, we still find a common ground.  oh, i’m sure i didn’t always feel that way – you know when i was 16 and she was 7. when we shared a room.  when she touched my stuff or followed me around.  family is family and we have no choice who our parents are or our siblings are, but we do get to pick and choose who our friends are.  i think sisters share a special bond, but sisters can also sever that bond and just be family.  i am thankful she is my sister, but i am truly thankful that we have chosen to be friends, too!!

much love to my lil’ sis!

Tasty Tuesday

One of our favorite meals has a Mexican theme - Chicken enchiladas with homemade enchilada sauce and Spanish rice.

 

This picture is my plate which has the Spanish rice along with the enchiladas.  Of course, then I top it off with a dollop of sour cream. 

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

½ Rotisserie chicken (white & dark meat) or 1-1 ½ lbs. cooked chicken, shredded

1 - 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 – 15 oz can whole sweet corn, drained

1 – 32 oz jar of your favorite salsa (we prefer Wal-Mart’s Great Value White Corn & Black Bean Salsa

1 – 8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened

1 pkg/envelope of taco seasoning

10-12 tortillas

4 c. Enchilada sauce – homemade (additional recipe) or canned

2-3 c. shredded cheese – sharp or taco flavor

Mix the first six ingredients together. Put ½ c. enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Fill each tortilla with 1/3 – ½ c. of filling, sprinkle with a little of cheese, roll up and place in baking dish side seam down. (You may want to warm tortillas to make them easier to work with). Do this with all tortillas till the dish is full. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over top of enchiladas and then sprinkle with cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 min. or till warmed through and cheese browned. Serve with Spanish rice (additional recipe).

I think what makes the difference with this meal is the homemade enchilada sauce.  So, if you have time to make . . .

Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup diced onion

3 tablespoons chopped garlic

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

5 tablespoons hot chili powder

4 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high high heat. Sauté onion until tender. Stir in garlic, oregano, cumin and cinnamon; sauté for a few minutes.

Stir in flour and chili powder, stirring and brown 3-5 minutes.  Slowly whisk in chicken broth; reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes or until sauce reaches desired consistency. Stir in chocolate until melted and well blended.

This is a great way to use up any leftover chicken!!

Crazy bubbles . . .

Have you seen these??  These are no ordinary bubbles. You know the kind you can make with dish soap and water. 

Mackenzie’s violin teacher likes to reward for practicing and other challenges.  She has a chart to color in, looks like a winding road (snake), and at each 20 days she earns a prize.  Then when she reaches 100 days the prize is even bigger and better.  Once she completes 500 days of practicing then she gets a homemade quilt – another hobby of her violin teacher.  I don’t know how she does it – she teaches, plays in the symphony, and makes these beautiful quilts. 

Anyway, Mackenzie had reached another 20 day increment on her chart so she got to pick a prize.  Now, typically the prizes are wrapped and in a tote (a girl one and a boy one) and then Mackenzie reaches in and picks a surPRIZE.  Well, last week her teacher had two prizes to pick from and they weren’t wrapped so she could see her choices.

A furry puppy book mark or a small wand of these touchable bubbles.  Intrigued by the bubbles package she decided to take the bubbles.  YES, you can catch them and they won’t pop, you can pick them up and they won’t pop, you can stack them and they won’t pop – CRAZY!!

Mackenzie decided to blow them in the house and this one rested on our screen door . . .

for hours!!! 

Later that night while we were watching TV, I noticed one on the wall and Jay noticed a couple on a few knick knack shelves.  They DON’T pop forever!! 

I’m not sure what is in them to make them so stable because the package got thrown away before I thought to look/read.  Now when you catch them on your hand or with your fingers and you pull them or pop them they appear to be slimy, but they are NOT slimy.  I don’t know how to explain it. 

They are just crazy cool and weird all at the same time. 

Healthier vs. Affordable

Jay went to Sam’s Club the other day for a few things on our shopping list, and he told me if I thought of anything else to give him a call.  Well, after showering I decided to weigh myself – no way!! I saw a number on the scale larger than any other number I have ever witnessed (when weighing myself).  WHY?? WHY??

For over a month I have been trying to watch what I eat – no not everything that goes into my mouth.  Seriously, I have increased my water intake (still not what it was 4 years ago when I lost 35#), trying not to snack on bad things, portioning my meals, and even started doing about 30 minutes a day of exercise - Wii Fit or walking. 

Here have been my setbacks – injury and food!  I hurt my lower back, which halted any exercising attempts & now I have been going to the chiropractor for over two weeks.  I have come to the conclusion the food we consume isn’t the healthiest regardless of my portion control. 

Okay, so what does all this have to do with Jay’s trip to Sam’s club . . . well, being a little distraught about the weight gain over the last four weeks, I called him and told him we needed to stock the house with more fresh fruits and vegetables.  So he brought home watermelon, clementines, cherries, blueberries, pineapple, peppers, and onions. 

Can I just say the stuff that is good for you – lean red meats, fish, fresh fruits, and vegetables are EXPENSIVE!!  No wonder why America has the most obese population because what we can afford to eat is horrifically bad for us!! 

For example, we don’t eat sausage all the time, but when a pound of sausage cost $3.86 or $1.98 of course my bank account is only big enough for the $1.98 sausage.  BUT the other day I looked at the labels – you know that wonderful thing the government requires food to have so people can see what they are consuming -

Let’s compare sausages:

sausage      $ 3.86               $ 1.98

Calories:        180                   250

Total Fat:        16                     23

Cholesterol:     40                     60

So those of us that are on a tight budget are destined to be fat because the food we can afford is hampering our well being.  Plus, we can’t afford expensive exercise equipment or fancy gym memberships – the Y is even pretty expensive for a family membership!!

I guess my gripe here is why are the good things too expensive?  Maybe if they made the good things more affordable then more people could eat better and take advantage of healthier choices. 

Comfortable???

The other day while we were doing some school I happened to glance over and see Chloe trying to rest in her corner.  REALLY???  How comfortable or uncomfortable can she be??

Fun with cupcakes

Cassie and I found this really cool cupcake book - Hello Cupcake!  I have made some spaghetti and meatballs cupcakes . . .

and today I made the corn on the cob cupcakes . . .

Still need a little practice with placing the jelly beans.

foto friday

today’s foto friday features a before and after.

 

before his much dreaded haircut . . .

when he arrived home he hid his new do,

after his haircut. 

isn’t he handsome!!!

thankful thursday

today has been one of those days – a good one and one that reminds me about the joys of being a parent and how thankful i am to have been picked to raise the ones entrusted to me.  it is hard to believe our youngest isn’t so young anymore and our oldest is almost driving age – they grow up so fast.  i am thankful that i get to be a part of and witness their youth, their innocence, their curiosity, their ups, their downs, their successes, and their failures.  i look forward to what it will be like to parent them into their teens and let go when they are ready (i might not be, but when the time is right for them) . . . i am thankful i get to be their mom.

Tasty Tuesday

One of our favorite sweets is this so delicious banana bread, but it is not just any ordinary banana bread.  It reminds me of a banana split with its multitude of flavors.  I found the recipe in one of my mom’s cookbooks years ago, and I jotted it down on a piece of scrap paper.

It is a simple recipe and one of the best ways to use up those over ripe bananas . . . in a big mixing bowl with potato masher mash 3-4 bananas, add 3/4 c. soft butter and mash together, 1 1/2 c. sugar, 3 eggs mash together then add 3 c. flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1-10 oz jar of cherries drained and using 1/4 c. of the cherry juice, and then 6 oz chocolate chips.  Stir it all together so it is mixed well.  Then divide between two greased bread pans and bake for 45-60 min. in a 350 degree oven. 

  

An Unexpected Visitor

We have had finch feeders that attract these beautiful gold finches, but the wind has destroyed our feeders – finch and wild bird.  So, we got one of those pre-filled sock looking things, but the wind was still able to whip it around and knock a lot of the seed out.  Well, we haven’t replaced any of our finch feeders because we figure why bother with this wind.

Well, the other day I noticed this beautiful fellow at our platform feeder, which really surprised me.

He keeps coming back for more,

even eating off the deck, and it is not thistle seed –

we watched him crack open this sunflower seed and eat the seed.

Making a blanket

Mackenzie has been inspired by her sister.  Cassie is crocheting a new blanket so Mackenzie thought it was a good time to work on some of her projects. 

ND Heritage Center

While Aunt Janet was here for her short visit, we had one day to do something.  That one day was full of things – first we started off at Sertoga Park for Mackenzie’s tennis lesson, back to the house for homemade pizzas, and then we headed over to the  . . .

We’ve been wanting to visit the heritage center and figured what better time to take a tour ourselves.  The center is part of the North Dakota Historical Society, and best of all – it was free admission.  

Zack and Mackenzie with the statue of – we know her as Sacajawea, but around here she is called Sakakawea. 

We entered the main gallery which was 20,000 square feet of millions of years of history from as early as the late Cretaceous period and up to and about the settlement of the state.  We saw fossils, even ones found here in North Dakota. 

The kids had fun cranking the start of the car’s engine.

 

Saw this little memento from home in the drug store/soda shop.

 

Okay, kid you not, to the right of these magnificent animals (you can see the edge of it) there is this little cabinet/storage display with a a cover that slides to expose a hole and from the hole one could experience first hand the aroma of buffalo chips.

There was so much information and so many different things to look at.  I’m thinking a couple more visits to spend more specific time in areas to learn a little more.  We only spent a couple of hours there because we had to head home so Jay & I could prepare our Asian cuisine for dinner.