Over Thanksgiving holidays, I had this conversation with Phillip, who did not know that green bean casserole contained onions (of course, I’m not sure if french fried onions count).
Me: Phillip, you left a few onions on your plate.
Phillip: From what?
Me: From the green bean casserole.
Phillip: What?! I ate onions?! I guess I like onions then!
We discovered a little over a month ago that our current van has transmission trouble. We immediately started shopping on craigslist for a replacement vehicle, hoping to prevent being stranded without a vehicle. The fact that our inspection sticker on our current van expires in December and can’t be renewed with a bad transmission also helped motivate us in our search.
Because we max out a mini-van, we decided to go with something a little bigger. So, I have now been searching a little over a month for a 12 passenger van. What I found is a 12 passenger if you count the wheelchair it is equipped for. Otherwise, it is an 11 passenger. I’m not sure, but I think this one will be big enough! 
We call it “The Bus.” What do you think?
Thanksgiving 2008 can be marked as the first Thanksgiving I’ve ever had away from my extended family. We were invited to spend Thanksgiving with some friends of ours, and it worked out really well because neither of our families have extended family living nearby. The Kowalczyk’s informed us that, for that day, we were considered part of the family! And boy was being a Kowalczyk fun!
We showed up at their house at around 10 am and jumped right into cooking Thanksgiving dinner. After eating a delicious dinner in which everything tasted so good we weren’t sure what to call our favorite, we spent all day playing games and talking. We played Scrabble, Air Hockey, Rummy-O, and some old Nintendo games! It felt like we had stepped back a decade, and we were young again!
We had so much fun! I know Thanksgiving is all about family, but I learned this Thanksgiving that it is also about friends! And what better celebration of Thanksgiving is there, in the absence of family, than to spend it with friends that love you just the way you are! We feel blessed to be friends with the Kowalczyk’s! I hope they enjoyed themselves as much as we did! God Bless you, Brett and Jessi!
Had on time 2 rewet & style hair this am. Fortunately it is raining! The rain is my friend! 11:39 AM Nov 15th from txt
Straightening up the house for company this evening. Kids are helping and excited to do it! 
1:51 PM Nov 14th from TwitKit
Making hot tea, baking pies, and cooking beans (yes, the same ones I soaked on Wednesday…just a bit behind on that one). 
10:51 AM Nov 14th from TwitKit
Drinking hot tea while blogging (still). 11:30 PM Nov 13th from TwitKit
Reading the Bible with my hubby. 11:02 PM Nov 13th from TwitKit
Can you tell I changed my wording in my last tweet? Was supposed to be “my” son, not “your son,” although if yours is singing, I”ll let him. 9:40 PM Nov 13th from TwitKit
How can I tell your son to be quiet in bed when he is singing scripture? Maybe I’ll just let him sing himself to sleep. 9:35 PM Nov 13th from TwitKit
Maybe it has something to do with missing out on a bath for 3 weeks b/c of a fractured leg. 9:07 PM Nov 13th from TwitKit
Wow! I think my 10 mo old is going to keep me way busier than the others! She was all over the place while I was trying to bathe her! 9:07 PM Nov 13th from TwitKit
Putting my kids to work cleaning in the kitchen while I bake banana bread. Gotta do something with those over ripe bananas, right? 2:21 PM Nov 13th from TwitKit
But that ain’t all. You’d be doing yourself a favor if you read it. 2 Corinthians 3:7-18. 12:48 PM Nov 13th from TwitKit
2 Corinthians 3:17 is especially relevant to the US. “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” 12:47 PM Nov 13th from TwitKit
Great Read: 2 Corinthians 3:7-18. You might have to read it a few times to really understand it. 12:43 PM Nov 13th from TwitKit
Anybody ever heard of 2-knuckle scrolling? That’s what I was doing while eating a juicy orange. 12:32 PM Nov 13th from TwitKit
So much for being such a great homemaker today. After soaking the beans, I didn’t get them on in time to actually eat them before church! 3:46 PM Nov 12th from TwitKit
Making brown rice for lunch & soaking beans for supper. I’ve got this homemaking down today! Now to get the kids down from the ceiling! 12:34 PM Nov 12th from TwitKit
How is it that my 10 month old can push one key on my laptop and throw the very message I am reading in the trash? 3:09 PM Nov 11th from TwitKit
Somehow mopping the floor led to rearranging the furniture. I know what you men are thinking, “Women!” But I just can’t help it! 3:04 PM Nov 11th from TwitKit
For those of you who didn’t know, 2-finger scroll is way cool! 11:45 AM Nov 11th from TwitKit
Trying to figure out how to shrink a link. 11:24 AM Nov 11th from TwitKit
My 8YO is saying, “Duh!” to my 10 month old to hear her say it back. She almost has the tone down! 7:07 PM Nov 25th from TwitKit
My computer is being taken hostage by my 8YO who needs it for school. 12:22 PM Nov 25th from TwitKit
My 2YO has learned to open doors. Knew it was coming soon. Now I just need to teach her not to go in her room when my 10 mo old is napping. 11:48 AM Nov 25th from TwitKit
I am SO glad that God provides for our needs and does it at the exact right moment!!! 4:30 PM Nov 24th from web
Tabetha Gedeon
giddytab Do people still wear watches? I used to but don’t seem to need it anymore since I have a clock on my phone. 9:17 PM Nov 22nd from TwitKit
Candice just took three steps!! 8:55 PM Nov 21st from TwitKit
My 2 YO just asked to watch Spy Kids? Heh? 4:01 PM Nov 20th from TwitKit
My 10 mo old just took a single step before falling!! 1:57 PM Nov 20th from TwitKit
A yell in the house is more difficult to hear than a whisper. 12:17 PM Nov 20th from TwitKit
Why is it that my 2YO wants to ride my 10 mo old like a horse? 
7:49 PM Nov 18th from TwitKit
My 10 mo old is on a roll today. She has learned to raise the toilet lid. Fortunately I rescued her before she took a potty bath. 6:00 PM Nov 18th from TwitKit
Crushed Ice, I love you!!!!! 9:55 PM Nov 17th from TwitKit
Grumpiest teething 10 month old I’ve ever met…..EVER!! 9:35 PM Nov 17th from TwitKit
My 10 month old has learned how to flush the toilet!! She’s done it twice tonight. Yes, the toilet lid was down! 9:04 PM Nov 17th from TwitKit
Funny. My 8YO always asks if a small meal portion is “too much,” while my 6yo always asks if a humongous one is “enough.” 6:57 PM Nov 17th from TwitKit
My (almost) 3YO has learned to say “NO WAY!” Only problem is, she has no idea what it means or when to say it! 4:30 PM Nov 17th from TwitKit
Just said a thought was “slipping my hind.” Just one wrong consonant, right?
Luke is doing a group writing project reminding us to be thankful this season. Here are seven things I’m thankful for (in no particular order – except the 1st one).
God
I am thankful that God is there with me through thick and thin, and that’s saying a lot! I’ve been through some pretty thick and pretty thin times, and He hasn’t failed me a time!
My Blog
This may sound like a funny thing to be thankful for, but I have always been more comfortable with a pen in my hand than talking. Words just come out better on paper. I don’t know why. I believe people who read my blog probably know me as much as, if not better than, those who only know me in person.
My Husband
The only reason I am thankful for him is because he got my blog going. Just teasing! He is the most awesome guy on the planet! I couldn’t ask for a better husband.
My Children
Being a mother has been a dream of mine for as far back as I can remember. Now I have five little blessings running around. Life would be boring and not complete without them!
Sleep
Can you imagine not ever getting sleep? What a nightmare that would be! Wait a minute! It couldn’t be a nightmare if I never slept. So there’s another reason. What could we say when something was really bad if there were no nightmares! There would also be no one saying their “dream came true.”
Family Night
It is so cool to end each work week with a fun evening with the family. It gives us all a break and gives us an excuse to have some fun together.
A Phone
We live in New England, and my parents, my sister, and other loved ones live down in Mississippi. There is no way I would be able to communicate with them if I did not have a phone.
Several months ago, I dropped my refill bottle of liquid hand soap, and the lid busted. I was quite disappointed, not only about the mess I had just created, but also about the fact that I could no longer easily refill my soap dispensers. I knew there would be even more mess each time I went to refill them.
Finally the dreaded day arrived, despite the fact that I had only let the kids wash their hands once a day!* It was time to make a mess pouring soap from a big bottle to a small bottle. I was in for a pleasant little surprise. No mess!! The soap poured quickly but quite neatly into the little soap dispenser. I didn’t even have to wait for the air bubbles to come up after each squeeze, like I normally had to!
Now that the refill bottle with the busted lid is long gone, I remove the lid of the refill bottle for every refill. It actually works better! Never have I been so happy to have lost my lid!
*For those of you who didn’t catch my joke, I was kidding about the once a day hand washing. I actually limited it to once a week!
While visiting with friends from Singapore last week, we were introduced to a new game similar to jacks. It is called Five Stones. It is a fun game that can be played with stones or can easily be made. The game would be a cool gift idea this season. It could also save you money to put toward something more useful.
A video really can’t capture the game well because it is done so fast, so watch closely. If you want to try playing, go ahead and read the rules. Have fun!
I realized several years ago that I don’t like going Christmas shopping and maybe not even birthday shopping. I would rather go out and buy something for someone just because I thought of them on a regular day. It makes them feel how special they truly are to you when you present them with a gift for no particular reason.
Forget gifts on their birthday and holidays. They get gifts from plenty of people on those days, and if you are consistently making sure they know how special they are to you, they are probably not going to be upset if you don’t get them something on “that special day.” (Seth Godin’s mom would agree on this point). However, I am sure at least some of them would appreciate a card (especially if you make it yourself) and/or a phone call on that day. Then you can give the money you saved by shopping out of season and spending it on the best gift ever.
According to The Advent Conspiracy, it would take $10 billion to supply the whole world with safe drinking water. Sound like a lot? It actually sounds like a very small amount when compared with the $450 billion Americans spend each year on Christmas purchases!
I did the math. $10 billion is only 2.2% of $450 billion. Do you think you could spend 2.2% less on Christmas purchases this year and give it to a worthy cause? That means buying $9.78 gifts instead of $10 ones; $19.56 gifts instead of $20 ones; $48.90 instead of $50 ones. It means giving less than a quarter for every $10 you spend on Christmas!
It would be easy to make this a family or group project. You can make up a chart for your family and/or church designating $.25 for every $2 spent for Christmas presents. It would be so easy to get children motivated to help out children in other countries. Just take the first step. Reach out to those who so desperately need it.
Thousands of people die yearly because of unsafe drinking water. Let’s give hope to those who could die next year and the year after that! Let’s give a quarter for every $10 spent this Christmas. Go to adventconspiracy.com for more details. If you would like to skip a few steps, click directly on this link to donate.
In part 1 of this series, I talked about Luke’s home school experience and my public school experience with social skills. In part 2, I posted a Luann comic about socialization in public school. Here is my input on homeschooling and how it is actually better at teaching social skills than public school.
According to dictionary.com socialize means “to make social; make fit for life in companionship with others.” Because the definition for “socialize” uses the root word in it, I went ahead and looked up the word “social.” Dictionary.com defines it as “seeking or enjoying the companionship of others; friendly; sociable; gregarious.”
When I think of my public school experience, the definition above does not come to mind. A typical school day consisted of free time before school, class, several minutes to change classes, lunch and recess (in elementary school). In high school there were two 5-10 minute breaks instead of recess. Because students typically were not allowed to talk in class, the time to socialize was before school, a 20 minute lunch (barely time to eat, let along talk), and breaks/recess.
While it is true that sitting still and being quiet is a social skill, it is only one circumstance that does not change from day to day. Children are taught to be quiet during class, but there are not many other opportunities to learn other social skills. Even when children are allowed to discuss and/or share their viewpoints, only those who already have social skills and are brave enough to speak up raise their hands to answer and share. The others are very likely to sit back and look like they are listening.
Children who are home schooled encounter many different circumstances and opportunities to learn a variety of social skills. They are more likely to go on many different field trips that teach them how to become “fit for life in companionship with others” as listed in the definition above. Different social skills are used to visit a science museum than are used to visit an art museum or the fire station. Not only that, but because home school groups are usually smaller than public school groups, there is more opportunity to speak up and ask questions and actually interact. Because public school groups are so large, it is easy to sit back and listen to what everyone else has to say (like I used to do) instead of interacting.
Socialization at my school was limited to children of my own age, my teachers, and maybe my school bus driver. We lived in a rural area where there were not many children to play with (until Luke’s family moved in), so there was not socializing after school. Just boring ole homework.
Home school students are constantly around children of diverse ages. They work with their parents to learn their lessons and then are able to teach the same concepts to their younger siblings. From the younger sibling’s point of view, they interact with older siblings and also get to learn the same concept taught in multiple ways. In Luke’s family, the younger siblings also got to spend time with their nieces and nephews and children from other home school groups.
Home school groups allow home schooled children, regardless of birth order, to learn to interact with children of various ages and adults. There are home school groups all over the country, and they are usually pretty easy to find. The groups usually have activities for both similar age children and children of all ages. The amazing thing about most home schooled children is that they get along with children of all ages – and actually enjoy it.
When I got together with my home school group last month, three teenage girls took temporary ownership of my 2 year old and enjoyed it thoroughly. I had to do very little for her because these older girls were eager to do it. The whole time the group was together there was a constant game of capture the flag with children ranging in age from 5 to 17! They didn’t just play side by side; they played together. They were “seeking or enjoying the companionship of others;” being “friendly, sociable, and gregarious” as the definition of “social” states.
I feel that it is necessary at this point to say that I do not oppose public schools. Some of my kids’ best friends go to a public school. There are public schooled children who get along with children of all ages. There are those students that make a point to raise their hands and participate and, in so doing, grow up with wonderful social skills. Your child can learn awesome social skills, regardless of whether he/she is in public, private, or home school. The key in any aspect of a child’s learning, including social skills, is the participation of the parents. I will talk more about the role of the parents in teaching social skills in “Are Home Schoolers Socialized Part 4.
Anyone else notice that it is that chilly time of year? In order to celebrate the time of year, we recently ate chili for supper. Bethany got to help cook for the first time, and Candice got to eat chili for the first time. Bethany did a really good job stirring the chili, and Candice did a good job…..well…..eating it (and making a mess)! They both enjoyed themselves thoroughly! Can you tell?
Candice has discovered a new talent that none of our other kids learned to do until at least the age of 2! Hopefully she will remember this one later when she is actually using the potty! If you listen at the beginning, you can hear her say “uh-oh” even though her mouth is full of pacifier!
I have discovered that every Christian has moments when they fail to note that God is in total control. A situation arises that is sometimes sudden and totally unexpected. It is during those times that it is tempting to complain and not allow God to shine. Fortunately on many of those occasions someone comes along who remembers that God is in control and reminds those who have seemingly forgotten.
A few days ago, I had the opportunity to be that person who remembered while Christian acquaintances were struggling. Unfortunately I passed up that opportunity.
It was 15 children ranging in age from 7 months to 12 years plus about 1-10 adults. This may sound like a fairy tale, but we had been dropped off by boat on a secluded beach. It is a great place to take your family or friends swimming because there is no one else around.
After we had been there about an hour, we started feeling rain drops. Shortly after that, we started hearing thunder, and eventually the lightning began. So, we pulled all the kids out of the water and wrapped them up to keep them warm. (In RI, when it gets cloudy on the beach, it also gets cold). We tried to call our boat man to have him pick us up, but we could not get him on the phone.
So, we sat crowded on a single blanket on the ground with everyone huddled together complaining about our situation. I would like to say that I spoke up to encourage everyone, and that we had a wonderful worshipful experience, despite the fact that we were wet and sitting on the beach vulnerable to the storm around us. Unfortunately, I cannot say that.
I thought about the fact that God would protect us from the storm. While God does not want us to do something dumb like sitting around on a wet beach in a thunderstorm expecting Him to deliver us from our own stupidity, He will protect us when we are stuck out in a situation that is beyond our control. He will not let anything happen to us until He is ready for it to happen.
If I had said all these things, the situation could have been totally different. We could have prayed for protection together as a group and then sang worshipful songs to God while stranded on a secluded beach in a thunderstorm!
I am very ashamed of myself for not speaking up. In fact, I am so ashamed that I don’t know how to put it into words.
The only way I know to get something positive from my fear of speaking up is to (hopefully) keep my readers from making the same mistake I did. When God lays something on your heart, listen and obey. It may make you feel dumb, it may sound stupid to your ears, and yes, your bold declaration could be rejected, but there is also a good chance that you can be an inspiration or a witness to others. It is worth the rejection of 10 people just to get one acceptance. Besides, who would you rather please: people or God?
About two weeks ago, Candice cast her cast aside and has been running (okay, crawling fast) ever since. I am not really surprised since the cast itself did not slow her down for long! I told you that she was able to crawl and pull up while wearing her cast. Today I have proof!
I am sure many of you know about Motrin’s ad targeting baby wearing moms and portraying them in a negative way. If you haven’t heard anything of it, Susan at Marketing Roadmaps and Susie at babywearing.com give pretty good summaries.
This new ad really upset a lot of moms who wear their babies. I believe those moms had reason to be upset, and I am glad they spoke out and eventually convinced McNeal Consumer healthcare to take down the advertisement for Motrin (their product).
My goal today is not to bash Motrin any more. Instead, it is about the amazing influence of twitter and personal blogs.
I came across a twitter search today named #motrinmoms. Motrinmoms was a response from twittering and blogging moms across America, who are against the ad by Motrin. There were thousands of responses from Moms!
I was amazed at the response. Something happened that many Americans did not agree with, and through twitter and blogs, those Americans had the power to convince Motrin not only to remove the ad from their site, but to also remove it from all printed sources! What an impact!! Do you get the full meaning of that?
As an American and as a child of God, I am not happy about some of the things going on in America. I am sure Christians across America are not happy about some things in our country, whether it be the content on television and internet or laws that are passed.
Correct me if I am wrong, but it appears that if Christians and moral people across America stood up and spoke out for or against those things they want to change, there is a possibility that they would be heard and that there there could be a lasting impression.
Of course the trick is to be prepared to spread what is going on. If someone twitters for a change you agree with or blogs against something that you also are against, twitter about it too! Blog about it. Don’t think you are being redundant by twittering or blogging about something that has already been addressed. You have a different audience! Get the word out to them that you are ready to stand up for what you believe in!! Maybe they’ll do the same!
I have mentioned it before, but I will say it again just in case some of you don’t know. I am a Christian. I do not agree with several things that are going on in our beloved nation (because they are not scriptural), and I am ready to speak out about it. What good does it do to sit back and complain about it to my friends and then go on with life like I don’t care? I have recently learned that it does no good whatsoever!
I am ready to speak up to both those who agree with me and those who don’t and lovingly say, “I don’t like it!” I don’t hate those who push the things I disagree with. I just want to lift up my voice to declare my thoughts, jus like they did, while I still have the right to speak up.
Daddy!
I posted previously about parentalrights.org and their goal to prevent the government from interfering with parental rights. I would like to point out that the phrase “parental rights” is not about putting the rights of the parent above the rights of the child. It is actually about giving parents the rights over the government to train their children in a way beneficial to the child.
I discovered today that parentalrights.org gives you the opportunity to get the word out about their site and their important truths. They have a banner to post on your blog or website. To me it is a worthy cause that people need to know about. You will see my banner on the top right part of my blog. You can also see an example below.
If you are interested in adding this banner to the sidebar of your blog or site, go to this page and scroll down a bit. You will see four different options for your banner. If you have a WordPress blog, you can copy and paste the html code into a text widget. If you want your banner centered, use this code around the code for parentalrights.com.
<div align="center">
.
.
</div>
If you are not quite sure how to do this contact my husband Luke for help.
When I was 12 years old our church got a new pastor who had seven children. I had never met a family with that many kids, but something else about them was even more intriguing than the number of people in the family. This family was home schooled. (If this story sounds familiar, you probably read about it in a previous post.
My parents and many others showed concern that this family was not getting “socialized” like public schooled kids so naturally I wondered too. I became best friends with the two oldest girls and went to their house regularly (like once or twice a week minimum). It didn’t take long for me to totally forget the question of socialization. I had more fun at their house than anywhere, including public school.
These seven kids, including the little ones, had great manners among other children and adults. They knew when to be quiet and when to speak up (for the most part – they were still kids). They had social opportunities when they visited friends’ families and when friends visited theirs and also when they were at church.
Interestingly, I did not become “socialized” until after my first year in college. The change in me was due to a summer mission trip to California. On that trip, I was forced to speak to people I did not know and to work with partners that I had only known a week. I guess you could say I learned to swim by being tossed into the water.
By comparison, the oldest child in the new pastoring family at the age of twelve loved (and still does) talking to people of all ages. He was able to talk to an adult and almost seem like one himself, yet he could also keep the attention of a two year old for amazing amounts of time. He was able to handle himself in a social situation without a problem. His 10 year old sister had the same capability.
Of course, I ended up marrying that twelve year old boy, and we continued the family tradition by home schooling our children.
Believe it or not, this was just my introduction. I have a lot more to say on this topic, but it is bed time, and this is a good stopping place. Stay tuned on Saturday for more.
On Wednesday nights, most of our little charges are usually asleep when we get home. Phillip was hilarious tonight! I am amazed not only that he slept through being moved, but also that he was able to sleep in the position he was in!
Go ahead. Look closer.
Closer……
This is one tired little boy!
Mom Unplugged wrote a post about a cornstarch and water mixture that has a wet, yet very solid consistency. She called it “oobleck” from Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss.
I have to admit that when I saw the mess made with this project on Mom UnPlug’s post, I didn’t think it was worth it. But then I clicked on the link to watch this video and was quite impressed. Maybe it’s worth the mess!
Today I received an email from the parentalrights.org blog about an issue that I had just barely been introduced to in the past. I was introduced to a threat to all parents across America that got my full attention and caused me to be afraid in a way that I have never feared in my life. This fear is caused by the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child. Please read the article. Please. Here is an excerpt.
Since its adoption by the United Nations in 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) has become the most widely accepted international agreement in history, ratified by every nation of the world except for the United States and Somalia. All signatories pledge to protect children’s rights, foster their development, and uphold their best interests by re-writing their national laws to conform to the standards set forth in the treaty.
While all this may sound harmless and even commendable, the reality is that the Convention allows and even demands that national governments interfere in the decisions of individual families and parents. By invoking the “best interests of the child ,” policymakers and government agents have the authority to substitute their own decisions for those of the child or parent. In short, parents lose their rights to be parents, and become merely caregivers. The result, as parents across the globe are now discovering, is that the family is being steadily undermined, often with tragic and devastating results for the very children who are supposed to be protected.
Without research and/or understanding of what “The Rights of the Child” refers to, the idea sounds like a great one. Everyone wants their children to have rights. Unfortunately the idea that the United Nations is pushing allows parents to take care of the physical needs of their children but takes away any other influence that the parents may have on their children. The children are expected to learn what the UN approves of and nothing else (including morals)!
Parentalrights.org is taking it upon themselves to keep track of countries who have already accepted this proposal of the United Nations and post about it every 2 weeks. Please go to their site regularly or put their posts in your RSS feed. Also, go to the site of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights site and read the declaration for the Convention for the Rights of the Child. The second statement in Article 2 was most disturbing to me. It states that
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the child is protected against all forms of discrimination or punishment on the basis of the status, activities, expressed opinions, or beliefs of the child’s parents, legal guardians, or family members.
Read that again and think about it. Think hard about it. It says that parents have no influence on the thoughts, activities, opinions or beliefs of their children. Is that what you want for your children? It most definitely is not what I want for mine. According to “Imagine If…” by parental rights.org, the Unites States is only one of two countries that have not accepted this. If you disagree with the things written in “the Rights of the children” please do yourself and everyone around you a favor and do everything you can to discourage America’s agreement to it. You might want to start by signing a petition showing that you are against the interference of government on your right to parent your children. Then you might want to consider getting down on your knees and having a long talk with the Person most able to prevent this intrusion on our parental rights.
Update (1/3/09): I now know that this convention was signed by president Clinton but was stopped by congress. Now president Obama is planning to get it passed. This is very urgent! Go here to do all you can to help.
Note: Although it was not my original intent when writing this post and it is a bit late, this post has a lot to do with the government. If Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings is willing, please consider this my submission for this month’s “What I Learned From” project.
Luke worked really hard to make this pinata look like a real turkey. He did a good enough job that he convinced a friend’s chocolate lab hunting dog that it was real. We had quite a battle with the dog while getting these pictures. If you look close on the second picture, you will see her.
Note: Not only was this posted with permission from my hubby, but he actually suggested the title. What a sport!
If you haven’t read parts 1, 2, or 3 yet, feel free to go catch up before (or after) you continue. If you don’t like ketchup with your blogs, just continue reading.
When we were making the pinatas, we put on many many layers because we were afraid the home made pinatas might not be as tough as the store bought ones. They were, after all, only put together with flour and water. We went light on the one the little kids would be hitting, though.
Let me tell you, the strength of those pinatas was a big surprise! The kids had a hard time with the one we went easy on! When we got up to the next age group and saw how hard they were hitting the pinata and only making dents, we decided to let a few adults try. Three different men whacked the pinata with all they had and still only left dents!
For the toughest pinata (for the oldest kids), the guys finally gave in and cut slits in it. Even then, the pinata still held strong. Finally, they raised it all the way to the ceiling and let it hit the concrete. That worked! The only downfall was that some of the candy took quite a beating (but it still tasted good, I’m sure)! Needless to say, we were quite pleased with the strength of our pinatas! I must say, though, I am now curious what flour does to our bodies when we eat it if it is that sticky!
And now for the moment you have all been waiting for! The finished pinatas!! I will tell you ahead of time that they are a turkey, a pie, and 2 pumpkins.
Ten years ago today I declared my love to a man for the first time in my life! We were sitting at a picnic table in the grove at the University of Mississippi. He was obviously in love with me and told me so several weeks before I discovered that I felt the same about him!
On November, 1998, I was able to say and genuinely mean those wonderful words to the man that would very soon become my husband! Interestingly it happened on the reverse date of my birthday – 11/7 versus 7/11. Because of that, the date is easy to remember for both of us.
I love you, Luke!
While my children were playing, I heard this conversation:
“He has the chicken pops.”
“No, he’s not a chicken. He’s a dog.”
“Oh, he has doggie pops.”
I just discovered this hilarious post… someone is trying to sell a van…… I think.
Hi All,
96 White Chevy Astro Van; Many NEW parts. Please come by and ask for Joesph anytime after 12:30pm, if interested. Asking $500.00 Firm. Come by and talk and he may go lower. The van runs good, but tends to overheat if go long distances. Just needs a tune up/oil change, and its a great vehicle. Great vehicle for flea markets and or anything else, as their is approx. 7ft. of cargo space. Please do not respond to this ad as I am helping him post this ad and know nothing about the van. Thank you
Here is a short video I took while the family was working on pinatas. Peter really enjoyed the newspaper strips while Phillip liked just standing there cutting up newspaper. Anna was very hands on. At different times she tore newspaper, wet strips with flour paste, and placed the wet pieces on the balloons.
Even though, the other kids were involved in several parts of the pinata making, Anna is probably the only one old enough to have a full knowledge of the process. The others will probably refer to it as that time when they had permission to make a big mess in the floor and then play in it!
Today I will show you pictures of the newspaper strips, wetting the strips with a paste of flour & water, and putting the strips on the balloon. The kids seemed to have a blast with every step of the pinata-making, but it was most obvious with the newspaper strips!
If you missed Making Pinatas Part 1, feel free to take a moment to catch up.
Each year at our church’s harvest party, the kids break pinatas full of candy. This year we decided to make our own pinatas and decided to share the process and results with you. Maybe in the process you will learn how to make one for your next birthday party! Stay tuned tomorrow for pictures!
Since it is close to Halloween, toilet paper seems like a good topic to post on. I had totally forgotten that yard rolling happens at this time of year and was not reminded until Halloween was over with. So, since it does you no good this year, maybe I can help you decide how to get the most for your money next year. I know you are all going yard rolling next year, right? (Believe it or not, I have never rolled a yard).
When I first visited Rhode Island, I noticed that everybody was using 1-ply toilet paper. I began to wonder if they even sold 2-ply toilet paper up here! After moving here, I have discovered that they do indeed sell 2-ply. For some reason that I did not understand, everyone seemed to prefer 1-ply over 2-ply.
I grew up thinking that 1-ply was used in stores and schools, but nobody used it at home. Because my parents always used 2-ply and considered 1-ply “cheap,” I always thought it was not worth anything. It seemed like a waste of money to me because everyone knows that you have to use twice as much 1-ply as 2-ply, right?
Just out of curiosity, I checked the prices here and discovered that 1-ply is cheaper per 100 squares, but that didn’t seem to make it cheaper to use because of the extra amount of 1-ply used. I was not convinced that it was a better deal.
One day about a year ago, because I had plenty of practice using 1-ply here in RI, I realized that I do not use twice as much 1-ply as 2-ply. I used a maximum of 50% more 1-ply squares (I counted each and every square – just teasing). Another thing that ultimately swayed me to the other side was the fact that young children tend to waste toilet paper (at least mine do). Either they roll it off onto the floor or, even worse, throw as much as possible into the toilet. I have decided that I might actually save money with the 1-ply.
Because I was so strongly against 1-ply all my life, I had to do a little test before I was convinced. I went ahead and bought a 4 pack of 1-ply to test. I was amazed at how long that four pack lasted. It lasted twice as long as a 2-ply 4 pack. I was convinced. I have used 1-ply ever since, only now that it has passed my inspection, I buy the 12 pack.
So, now I don’t even notice when Wal-Mart has 1-ply toilet paper in their bathrooms. I believe that, at least here in Rhode Island, 1-ply is the best frugal choice. Then again, maybe it is the best deal because that is what everyone here prefers.But, hey, it never hurts to check out the price and compare, right?
You never knew there was such a science to something as simple as toilet paper, did you?
Every year a local homeschooling family in the area offers free hayrides on their farm. This was our second year to go, and it is always fun! Here are a few pictures I took before and during the hayride.
