tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58398665881181663152024-02-02T14:49:34.141-08:00A Large RoomLiving, Loving, Laughing and Learning TogetherPaulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.comBlogger308125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-29533407355740328172012-05-12T11:03:00.001-07:002012-05-12T11:03:48.942-07:00Future Architect<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCDNZQrVm0YdxF3fK2En8EhaUMh0OMyZGz3_grMJlVNeDo5yCTh7Ukp0OfIbvpnXZBZCQs4AbzBYAImsD1M2nyz7MKhRIm40xjk4FjfWeMbTjJSaO2JlPCJWhRoGvMmTWBItQFwLzrn4/s1600/IMG_0285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCDNZQrVm0YdxF3fK2En8EhaUMh0OMyZGz3_grMJlVNeDo5yCTh7Ukp0OfIbvpnXZBZCQs4AbzBYAImsD1M2nyz7MKhRIm40xjk4FjfWeMbTjJSaO2JlPCJWhRoGvMmTWBItQFwLzrn4/s400/IMG_0285.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
Luke loves building with whatever he can get his hands on. In addition to legos, k'nects, and blocks, favorite materials include couch cushions, broomsticks, blankets--and cans. He was very proud of this tower of black bean cans that almost touched the kitchen ceiling!Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-378635774049029102011-12-23T18:04:00.000-08:002011-12-23T18:05:48.996-08:00Practical PrayersWe had cake with dinner tonight. I greatly appreciated Lily's request in her dinner prayer for a blessing the "the cake will not make the children too hyper for mom and dad to control at bedtime tonight" :-)Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-23150056370267463222011-10-12T07:47:00.000-07:002011-10-12T07:50:56.049-07:00Keeping up with these kids......makes me laugh and cry<br /><br />Lily quote (when I told her breakfast would be done in half and hour): "When you reflect that half an hour is really only thirty minutes, it doesn't seem that long."<br /><br />Mark's shenanigans: You always know there's trouble when the toddler is being TOO quiet. I walked into the bathroom and found him with the toilet lid half lifted, a wet washcloth in his hand, and a distinctly guilty look on his face. He had apparently been dipping the washcloth in the toilet then sucking the water out of it. Hopefully my theory that we're already immune to all the germs in the house is true...and it's a really good thing my older kids have learned to flush!Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-74595377003045215252011-08-18T18:55:00.000-07:002011-08-18T18:55:37.807-07:00Lily's new dresses<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_W8_0ZyoSjVU_hBpF4l5rA1JAlBip50K7xQ_7IE45GcUpMDqrh83rQ0_BzVzc32zCWnWI-DZGKVFnc0UfSjGaAeFH0PFGMvJGeHo08PVfYlWg8kyx6eGRnTWyrQHn9PjNhWoW6dX_Uo/s1600/IMG_8946.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_W8_0ZyoSjVU_hBpF4l5rA1JAlBip50K7xQ_7IE45GcUpMDqrh83rQ0_BzVzc32zCWnWI-DZGKVFnc0UfSjGaAeFH0PFGMvJGeHo08PVfYlWg8kyx6eGRnTWyrQHn9PjNhWoW6dX_Uo/s400/IMG_8946.JPG" /></a> </div>
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<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6AjwXvEd1XzVLwbTMi4_txdC7_RukDQ1plENXfjs7SS8i5EOJR3e4SKnXez0oG6fHcd-FqfUX8ZRFP45l8Jp5sLTJcEpnktJ3z5_WFtqWj-BxN7R9C5iLV5tN8so8L3BGFfH5axYS28o/s1600/IMG_8950.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6AjwXvEd1XzVLwbTMi4_txdC7_RukDQ1plENXfjs7SS8i5EOJR3e4SKnXez0oG6fHcd-FqfUX8ZRFP45l8Jp5sLTJcEpnktJ3z5_WFtqWj-BxN7R9C5iLV5tN8so8L3BGFfH5axYS28o/s400/IMG_8950.JPG" /></a> </div>
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<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotj_4TFjsIOcJfigiZjwlDRMbeSaHfqQUiZaT6xSuFHP0PWymKmDFIKCxkFPn9S4rtBfXfL4xud-NHSRZ4AoPrpuA_JyhNowHfb9CpK7aZWr_NpCqFk5eIKKk4f4R1x8f9qHAQLEIftI/s1600/IMG_8962.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotj_4TFjsIOcJfigiZjwlDRMbeSaHfqQUiZaT6xSuFHP0PWymKmDFIKCxkFPn9S4rtBfXfL4xud-NHSRZ4AoPrpuA_JyhNowHfb9CpK7aZWr_NpCqFk5eIKKk4f4R1x8f9qHAQLEIftI/s400/IMG_8962.JPG" /></a> </div>Lily recently received several cute dresses as hand-me-downs from a friend. She wanted me to take photos of her modeling the dresses for grandma and grandpa to see. Here she is!
<br /><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-20151242918262724512011-08-18T10:05:00.000-07:002011-08-18T10:05:33.383-07:00Birthday Boy!<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoND5ds5va42Q9JH7w5b6c0O0-TVf1DeJ9UGicbD7pUqIg8sCVtgzKk61Ur8IC12f5-WpzWFAEaPtSNYDXa2-wnjws2AhvL9woAKSkDUHWRfxxRQZBwtztYnoFJLakTsySCHzEIMClYfI/s1600/IMG_2615.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoND5ds5va42Q9JH7w5b6c0O0-TVf1DeJ9UGicbD7pUqIg8sCVtgzKk61Ur8IC12f5-WpzWFAEaPtSNYDXa2-wnjws2AhvL9woAKSkDUHWRfxxRQZBwtztYnoFJLakTsySCHzEIMClYfI/s400/IMG_2615.JPG" /></a> </div>
<br />OK, I'm a couple of months late getting this posted--here's Mark's first birthday, and my first attempt at a gluten-free cake. The strawberries came from our garden. I'm really not sure what he thought of the cake, but he did enjoy climbing on the table and sticking his hands into what was left after everyone was served!<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-69297800506961531802011-06-19T06:15:00.001-07:002011-06-19T06:17:02.979-07:00Diapers...Dan and I ran some rough calculations this morning, and figured that I have probably changed about 24000 diapers over the course of the past 8 years.<br /><br />I think that qualifies me for expert diaper-changer status...Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-36801563458406264092011-06-15T15:00:00.000-07:002011-06-15T15:00:28.853-07:001950's maternity dress<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5WAPL5YHgbPK_-hReJDGV4IBOAACmLZS7ut2LAQ8HFWNnH63DOLmk8ll9rUbUm6Zk1FTZHrFkpe_Dp_Gt5Yz_bvkxlnM5aq95NCNIvXZkKu0lWuFaerD6SuYbPIu3M3oPvzAgRiHBLXA/s1600/IMG.jpg"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5WAPL5YHgbPK_-hReJDGV4IBOAACmLZS7ut2LAQ8HFWNnH63DOLmk8ll9rUbUm6Zk1FTZHrFkpe_Dp_Gt5Yz_bvkxlnM5aq95NCNIvXZkKu0lWuFaerD6SuYbPIu3M3oPvzAgRiHBLXA/s400/IMG.jpg" /></a> </div><br />I've been sorting through books as part of a de-cluttering process. I was looking through a book published in 1952, entitled "Nurse's Handbook of Obstetrics"--something I picked up at a library book sale. I came across this drawing of maternity dress patterns. Um, those women look spectacularly NOT pregnant...<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-3655915471628702942011-06-09T06:57:00.000-07:002011-06-09T07:46:55.573-07:00Lily's Speech and an F-16 flyoverLily has been participating in a Liberty Girls club. Her group has been reading through the Samantha books in the American Girls series, and at each meeting they discuss one book and participate in activities connected with them. Yesterday was their last meeting for this school year, and the girls had each prepared a speech on "Progress in America" (Samantha gave a speech on that topic in one of the books). Lily chose to talk about airplanes and air travel--but right in the middle of the speech an F-16 fighter jet went streaking overhead. She had to wait until the sound of the jet engine died down before finishing her speech. She was upset at first, but after we explained that people go to a lot of trouble to arrange flyovers for special events she thought it was pretty cool. Very appropriate to the topic of the speech!Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-50392447869689487142011-06-01T19:08:00.000-07:002011-06-02T05:34:26.868-07:00Bathroom Remodel Part 2<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHIuru3G06DRuJx2-LQLG86S8fhMIRXv7eB7eCE4FkNX1IgEGJQYs5eAZIwfLU6CYFkcOxsQTa1bGYgUa3bCtj1u75LXdEsyFQisb8-IWiiVHt8i4dqUNHzrzQqta5sS9fl-mK5o4bQ1Y/s1600/IMG_2336.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHIuru3G06DRuJx2-LQLG86S8fhMIRXv7eB7eCE4FkNX1IgEGJQYs5eAZIwfLU6CYFkcOxsQTa1bGYgUa3bCtj1u75LXdEsyFQisb8-IWiiVHt8i4dqUNHzrzQqta5sS9fl-mK5o4bQ1Y/s400/IMG_2336.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>Looking better...<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqxTe-4yQldZ8vYxUUmLKGkdd-lYDlAQF2g2rWKmoDbrc4H9An3udXTnAlPwgeE4NAHJfYeW68GrPWrjAFxHjjGOEb5Y6Wuj2fvHCfbuhAtCFI0PbWYfNpTaWg3p9L37zSBnDXtFNHodo/s1600/IMG_2355.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqxTe-4yQldZ8vYxUUmLKGkdd-lYDlAQF2g2rWKmoDbrc4H9An3udXTnAlPwgeE4NAHJfYeW68GrPWrjAFxHjjGOEb5Y6Wuj2fvHCfbuhAtCFI0PbWYfNpTaWg3p9L37zSBnDXtFNHodo/s400/IMG_2355.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>And better! The red behind the tub is not our color scheme (though I actually think it's pretty)--it's a special sealant paint that goes under the tile to keep water from seeping through (hopefully preventing a re-do of this whole thing in 5 years!)<br /><br />Too bad I didn't take any photos of the bathroom before we started tearing things out--it was exceptionally ugly--20 year old linoleum, very sloppy amateur tiling (seriously, there was grout all over the tiles), and an aweful looking old jetted tub. Maybe I should be grateful for the rotted subfloor since it gave me an excuse to redo things!<div style="clear:both; text-align:CENTER"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><br /></a></div>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-86035440173888445552011-05-27T18:27:00.000-07:002011-05-27T18:27:48.819-07:00Bathroom Remodel<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9K1kb0dQkOmfplc4hTHeZI_lPK2Xm_8a5MCX3Z5mlKId52qwNB0Q58rxjuZ5YPs_8JFe3rWyyKqNI_T-LqR7bIkGmxJr1y-4Y0HRUAAWg15j-Lj2xwddIWsIHb0vEso7q1P3_92yCpMc/s1600/IMG_2317.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9K1kb0dQkOmfplc4hTHeZI_lPK2Xm_8a5MCX3Z5mlKId52qwNB0Q58rxjuZ5YPs_8JFe3rWyyKqNI_T-LqR7bIkGmxJr1y-4Y0HRUAAWg15j-Lj2xwddIWsIHb0vEso7q1P3_92yCpMc/s400/IMG_2317.JPG" /></a> </div>We had a problem with water damage to our bathroom's subfloor (we knew about the problem, although not it's extent, when we bought the home)--so we're doing some remodeling work. OK, we're not doing most of the work--we've hired a contractor, who has been fabulous to work with. The picture above shows the new tub we ordered--cast iron, because Dan wanted something that will last. It's not ready to be installed yet, so the children haved turned it into a boat in the living room. That hole near one end was obviously designed just to hold a mast!<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRnW_8iQZzEDvCuno5FqTzBgZW4moFiCpt16pYDnYQVgYGOtAVcNWsY4Xamyy3W-FnTCo40QDVzM5QbS_YZwui1K4VbwJjRXyHjrHP1medJf__W6NmPhUl5hg_zeTtfKpCbC5kSxdw93A/s1600/IMG_2319.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRnW_8iQZzEDvCuno5FqTzBgZW4moFiCpt16pYDnYQVgYGOtAVcNWsY4Xamyy3W-FnTCo40QDVzM5QbS_YZwui1K4VbwJjRXyHjrHP1medJf__W6NmPhUl5hg_zeTtfKpCbC5kSxdw93A/s400/IMG_2319.JPG" /></a> </div>Here's the bathroom with the old tub and half the subfloor torn out...We don't have another tub or shower, so anyone who wants to shower this weekend gets to go to the gym!<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-49776603197985204172011-05-25T09:49:00.000-07:002011-05-25T10:00:57.862-07:00So much of the world left to see...<img src="http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?cht=map:fixed=-70,-180,80,180&chs=450x300&chf=bg,s,336699&chco=d0d0d0,cc0000&chd=s:9999999999999999999999999&chld=BE%7CCZ%7CDK%7CFR%7CDE%7CGR%7CIT%7CHU%7CNL%7CAT%7CES%7CSE%7CCH%7CUA%7CGB%7CVA%7CJP%7CJO%7CBO%7CSV%7CGT%7CHN%7CMX%7CNI%7CUS" width="450" height="300" /><br />visited 25 states (11.1%)<br /><a href="http://douweosinga.com/projects/visited?region=world">Create your own visited map of The World</a><br /><br />I saw this on a friend's blog and thought it would be fun. Obviously I'm going to need a couple more lifetimes to see the whole world. Especially given that I've only seen a small portion of each country visited.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-46377136819252454762011-05-17T15:00:00.000-07:002011-05-18T06:20:28.816-07:00New additions to the family<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00CmzylcwDHi8YeoBAzkeKAcCXA1KGe3rFbzLBlEkveEzZxtxKWTypaFXyy4BrWQbG9NZ3Pre5BAL1NdaJ4rB8lpFuuIQGfZx-_usxixky1XlJIXpAYJeqlWvH46cFZqKRS6-UNhE8TI/s1600/IMG_2120.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00CmzylcwDHi8YeoBAzkeKAcCXA1KGe3rFbzLBlEkveEzZxtxKWTypaFXyy4BrWQbG9NZ3Pre5BAL1NdaJ4rB8lpFuuIQGfZx-_usxixky1XlJIXpAYJeqlWvH46cFZqKRS6-UNhE8TI/s400/IMG_2120.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />These sweet girls (we think) joined our family a couple of weeks ago. They're beautiful kittens and very tolerant of all the love they get from the kids.<br />After a drizzly morning the <s>rain</s> sun is shining. I love springtime! Luke and Esther are fighting, I think I'll send them outside.<br /></div>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-77882124001330599312011-05-07T15:42:00.000-07:002011-05-07T16:06:31.716-07:00Walking<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz5SH0qVEzzgzQtT_sGQc6hoFhdFAhml_53ysezAfvf3gxM7KiiiHQdsIMe-T7NkgoK5iAJThCyLU2P0TZB3g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwYsXIEpvowEGGOUgqEL9CGWpUY7ZT9faXTuFG9xAmtV0qjSn-KH6w3LwmOQ0eFuFxdHrxM5ROR1ZxfI1gCwQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-83891131273889624312011-05-06T07:05:00.000-07:002011-05-06T07:08:06.660-07:00Give me more!Esther caught me sneaking a bite of ice cream while I was fixing breakfast this morning. I decided it was only fair to share what was left in the carton (it wasn't much) so I got out three bowls--one for each of my older children. When she saw me dividing the ice cream into the bowls, Esther protested "I don't think Lily and Luke want ice cream!"<br />"Oh, I think they do," I replied.<br />"Well, make sure you give me more!" came the response.<br /><br />I guess sharing doesn't come naturally at age 3...Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-35820103321040394522011-05-02T15:14:00.000-07:002011-05-02T15:14:31.358-07:00Cookie Making<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yha4KoeMT1oWku0HSr8-rnf1y31IOnk6AzRZGvPdBJL2DXYef5rd4SuGjMw7V5QW6p2m5UGOMvsX9nQ20TG7auj_Zz7CUBmsXtzo_rGN9rAUOC_jDh_GZLJgF2Icp6U_Az-xl7j2Wcg/s1600/cookie+making+april+2011+003.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yha4KoeMT1oWku0HSr8-rnf1y31IOnk6AzRZGvPdBJL2DXYef5rd4SuGjMw7V5QW6p2m5UGOMvsX9nQ20TG7auj_Zz7CUBmsXtzo_rGN9rAUOC_jDh_GZLJgF2Icp6U_Az-xl7j2Wcg/s400/cookie+making+april+2011+003.JPG" /></a> <br />Growing up, my family had a rule traditionally honored in the breach: No Babies On The Table. as you can see, I have continued the tradition.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7crDsEMJIkBKkINTaKf_Y5xTfnX4DwvgNxNR68OuS0sLwImJRs7uRZjK8dn4zvi1RAJBVwGu24dbqHQ5fvyXKg9dWwLOz27luR6og2l6dH0wj-tJAofhvMzREhEoGsngU74XDDKWhXjA/s1600/cookie+making+april+2011+006.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7crDsEMJIkBKkINTaKf_Y5xTfnX4DwvgNxNR68OuS0sLwImJRs7uRZjK8dn4zvi1RAJBVwGu24dbqHQ5fvyXKg9dWwLOz27luR6og2l6dH0wj-tJAofhvMzREhEoGsngU74XDDKWhXjA/s400/cookie+making+april+2011+006.JPG" /></a> <br />We were making cookies for a cub scout pack meeting last Thursday. I had plenty of volunteers to help.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiov9n9kFFfST-kT6dqv2DDHHQU9Nm3Pyg4uPDzi1xdUSOlA9LfPSpXwd8B7JjqpC2yH_QO0JxGzV9dkJCqX2SVBL6RceuEE4uO-5khDN3wKdN1sFAXmTtA0sIafY196dR-fg32Va5PL3w/s1600/cookie+making+april+2011+010.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiov9n9kFFfST-kT6dqv2DDHHQU9Nm3Pyg4uPDzi1xdUSOlA9LfPSpXwd8B7JjqpC2yH_QO0JxGzV9dkJCqX2SVBL6RceuEE4uO-5khDN3wKdN1sFAXmTtA0sIafY196dR-fg32Va5PL3w/s400/cookie+making+april+2011+010.JPG" /></a> <br />Some of the volunteers were actually helpful!<div style='clear:both; text-align:NONE'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-9797259059407501202011-04-17T12:39:00.000-07:002011-04-17T12:39:46.511-07:00Mark, 10 months<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/nRRxLQFMdk" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_nW8hV6lojUE/TanBnyWLc8I/AAAAAAAAHj8/vN3Q2UjX1jE/s512/photo.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />I owe the photo to my brother, I really need to find my camera...Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-86783518253166451492011-03-16T14:45:00.000-07:002011-03-16T14:48:33.965-07:00Missing the sunUtah gets a lot of sun, even in the winter, but it's gloomy and rainy today. I'm ready for spring! I'm itching to get out into the garden--I planted 10 fruit trees, and I've been building some square foot garden boxes for the kids. And we've got tomato and bell pepper seedlings started. But I want to get outside and get my hands into the dirt!Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-44260878292004418302011-03-03T07:40:00.000-08:002011-03-03T07:47:14.161-08:00I have the sweetest husband in the worldYesterday evening I was telling my husband how frustrated I felt--baby Mark has been super clingy lately, he wants me to carry him everywhere (all 30 lbs of him), and won't nap for more than 15 minutes at a stretch. I know it's because he's going through a rough patch of teething right now, but I can't get anything done. My house is a mess, I'm still not unpacked, and I'm trying hard not to neglect the children's need for my attention. I'm not prone to depression, but I admit I've been feeling a bit down--I really hate the feeling of not being able to get ANYTHING done because whatever I start is interrupted, and there is so very much that needs to be done...<br /><br />Dan's response was to tell me to call a friend and go shopping, get out of the house, he would watch the kids. So I did. I spent some happy time (and money too) in a bookstore, picked up some groceries I needed, and came home at bedtime.<br /><br />I felt so much better, and so very grateful for a husband who was willing to sacrifice his own need for rest after a long day to let me get out.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-20724117685476583442011-02-09T11:38:00.001-08:002011-02-09T11:46:43.469-08:00Esther's snackEsther is 3, and she likes to do things by herself. She also likes to report her activities to me. Here is her report from a minute ago:<br /><br />E: I was putting honey on raisins (pause) for a snack.<br />mom: hmm<br />E: Because I was hungry.<br />mom: that sounds like a nice snack.<br /><br />This is where I get in trouble with my housekeeping. Instead of thinking: "uh-oh, what kind of a mess is my child making in the kitchen?" I think: "how nice, my child is being self-reliant and fixing her own snack!"<br />Unfortunately, self-reliance and messes tend to go together where children are involved...Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-52283068677877059352011-02-09T08:47:00.001-08:002011-02-09T09:10:05.043-08:00Getting SettledWe're in our new home, busy unpacking (yes, we've been here a couple of weeks--but unpacking is an ongoing process) and organizing. There is so much more to moving than just going to a new place and being in a new house. Here's my partial list of things that go in to "getting settled":<br /><br />--finding a home<br />--working out the finances of the move<br />--learning your way around<br />--registering cars<br />--getting new driver's licenses<br />--homeschool registration (and learning the laws of the new state)<br />--finding new doctors--family practice, pediatrician, specialists...<br />--finding and choosing activities and classes for the kids--music teachers, sports, etc.<br />--finding and getting involved with local homeschool groups<br />--learning where to shop--where to find what and who has the best prices<br />--finding service providers for whatever the family's needs are--hair cuts, plumbers, repairmen, auto shop, piano tuner...honestly the list is endless<br />--updating mailing addresses and subscriptions<br />--adjusting and getting involved in a new church<br />--making friends (we all need them)<br />--Oh yea, unpacking and organizing<br /><br />I'm sure others could chime in, the list is far from finished. For those with children in school, substitute the homeschooling items for new school registration and adjustment issues. And of course I haven't had to deal with any of the myriad issues that arise when a move is to another country--I have no idea how my mother managed to navigate through 8 different international moves. It's hard enough finding my way around the local grocery store when I don't know the lay-out, at least I don't have to rely on the pictures on cans to figure out what is inside! Of course, the real challenge is that regular life has to go on while all this is happening--meals have to be fixed, children need to be taken care of, people get sick...<br /><br />Growing up, I always felt like it took me 18 months to feel settled in a place. Of course, we were dealing with all of the living overseas, needing to learn a new language issues on top of regular moving issues; even so, it just takes a long time for the dust and chaos of moving to settle down, and for a place to really start feeling like home.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-66751928151471285962011-02-09T08:46:00.001-08:002011-02-09T09:07:48.049-08:00Parable of the Grocery StoreAnother homeschooler posted this, and I liked the analogy so I am reposting. Her information is at the bottom.<br /><br />Let's say the government made a law that we are assigned our closest<br />grocery store to shop at. We can only shop at our assigned store unless<br />we want a boundary exception, which are scarce. At first, we think, "OK,<br />I like my local Albertson's so I'm happy with this new law."<br />A few weeks later, you discover that a couple miles down the road, your<br />friends tell you that Wal-mart has cheaper canned goods than<br />Albertson's. You are frustrated that there is a difference in what you<br />are getting. Shouldn't they all be the same if they are operated by the<br />government?<br />Two months later, you realize the produce at your Albertson's is rancid<br />all the time. You can never get good, fresh produce. At the Fry's<br />however, everyone boasts of the best, freshest produce they have ever<br />had! You LOVE fresh produce and would rather drive a distance and pay<br />more to shop at Fry's for the fresh produce than at Albertson's. You<br />apply for a boundary exception and you are told there is a two year<br />waiting list. What? Two years to wait until you can get good produce?<br />But, your family needs good produce now.<br />You want to sell your house and move closer to Fry's so that it would be<br />your assigned store, but you cannot afford any of the houses in that<br />area.<br />You are discouraged, but your neighbors seem fine with not having fresh<br />produce. They accept canned vegetables in place of fresh produce and<br />make the best of the situation. They apply their time towards trying to<br />help Albertson's acquire better produce. They volunteer to help and see<br />some improvements at times. They encourage all of their neighbors to not<br />go anywhere else, but to stay with Albertson's so that they can improve<br />their situation.<br />A woman next door is frustrated and decides not to even bother with<br />boundary exceptions or the assigned grocery store. She decides to grow<br />her own food and plants a garden. She raises chickens and a pig. She<br />works all day long on raising her own food. You and your neighbors are<br />stunned. The work she puts into her own food seems ludicrous to you. You<br />would never put in that time and effort for your own food. The grocery<br />store saves you a lot of time and effort. Plus, almost everyone you<br />know, except the woman next door, uses the grocery store.<br />The woman next door toils all day long on her food production. Sometimes<br />her carrots are small, her tomatoes eaten by worms, and her lettuce<br />wilts before she can use it all. The neighborhood laughs saying, "You<br />should just stop wasting your time! The grocery store is so much more<br />convenient." The woman next door is saddened that no one encourages her<br />in her efforts. She feels lonely and judged for being different.<br />Over time as you get by with canned produce even though you would prefer<br />fresh, the woman next door has perfected her food production skills. Her<br />tomatoes are getting plumper and wormless, her carrots are turning out<br />better, even though they are still smaller than the ones at the grocery<br />store. Sometimes, she even has extra zucchini to share with her<br />neighbors. Her zucchini is really the best you've ever seen.<br />This is the same as education. One family may value a certain sports<br />program (canned food) or academic program (produce) than what is offered<br />at your school. Some may even choose to grow their own (educate their<br />children at home).<br />Shouldn't we have the choice? Shouldn't we stop judging each other for<br />their choices and uplift and encourage each other?<br />I do not want anyone's choice taken away. I want all to have what they<br />feel is best for their family. I hope everyone will respect the need for<br />choice and support boundary exception, open enrollment, charter school<br />and homeschool laws that allow these freedoms.<br />By Celeste Batchelor -- February 8,<br />2011<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://batchelorfam.blogspot.comhttp//springfieldtjed.blogspot.com">http://batchelorfam .blogspot. comhttp:/ /springfieldtjed .blogspot. com</a>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-46793147881487770572010-12-24T08:07:00.000-08:002010-12-24T08:07:34.440-08:00Joy to the World!<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCi4zBAc_rhJdGEkqGvD6i50n_pplByTk-tDaa3Bk4aMr5Ox4Tb62GDc3oCiKlTQJV5LP1FnBJ-T9wsQPPFyCuZ65NfJFgK-Ve8psWlBwQj0qaKH0WCZOz9I6dhmMxAJuaxevaefWofx4/s1600/IMG_8334.jpg"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCi4zBAc_rhJdGEkqGvD6i50n_pplByTk-tDaa3Bk4aMr5Ox4Tb62GDc3oCiKlTQJV5LP1FnBJ-T9wsQPPFyCuZ65NfJFgK-Ve8psWlBwQj0qaKH0WCZOz9I6dhmMxAJuaxevaefWofx4/s400/IMG_8334.jpg" /></a> </div><br />A very merry Christmas from our family to yours!<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-60085896445496795062010-11-19T07:05:00.000-08:002010-12-15T14:50:53.509-08:00Music at our houseI thought I should clarify my last post regarding all the musical instruments. Yes, we currently have a lot more instruments than we have musicians. Actually, the only one of my children who has taken music lessons out of the home is Lily, who has taken violin, piano, and cello lessons (although not all at the same time, I was trying to give her a feel for both string instruments so she could choose herself what she wants to study; I would like all my children to have some basic piano competency.) I tried to start Luke in violin lessons last fall, but he wasn't quite ready to stay still and pay attention. I play violin and viola, and especially enjoy playing in groups when the opportunity arises. Most of the instruments in my house are not in current use--I basically have one in each child's size, and one in each future size because I found instruments I liked at a good price. And yes, I have duplicates of a couple--because I found something better later! I'm working on finding new homes for the duplicate sizes, though I sometimes loan an instrument to a friend to help them get their child started--I think the whole world benefits when more children are exposed to music.<br />I have a hard time explaining why music is so important to me. I am far from being the most musically accomplished of my own family, and am definitely not professional musician caliber! I always loved music, but lacked the discipline to practice consistently. I still love music, and still lack discipline--I guess some things never change! I especially enjoy ensemble playing. From the time I was 7 or 8 my siblings and I played trio and quartet music together, especially at Christmastime. As more children joined in (I am third of ten children) the ensemble grew. At home we stuck to violin, viola, and cello, although in high school I enjoyed playing flute in the band (we had a really awful band, but it was fun anyway). In college I played in a couple of orchestras and for one semester in a small celtic ensemble. I have since found opportunities to play in community and church orchestras, and very much enjoy them.<br />So when I think of music for my own family, I imagine a whole family enjoying making music together. I suppose that is why all the various sizes of small instruments have been so tempting for me--somehow I feel that if I at least provide an instrument (yes, even for the baby...) I can make that vision a reality. If any of my children become serious musician that will have to be through their own drive and ambition--if that is their calling they will know it. What I want to do is make music a part of our lives, part of our family, something that we can share with each other and with those around us.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-9257836125781702872010-12-05T07:56:00.000-08:002010-12-05T08:06:29.795-08:00Update--we're in UtahQuick update for those who want to know what's going on in our lives! We're in Utah, staying in temporary lodging on Hill Air Force Base while we look for a permanent home. I'm getting anxious to be settled, but since we may be buying a home that could take awhile. I found a home I like--the house isn't large, but it has a big yard that lends itself nicely to my grandiose gardening visions. And it has a nice treehouse in the back yard, which lends itself to the children's grandiose adventure visions. It's a foreclosure, so needs a little work--mostly cosmetic, the paint and carpet aren't looking too good. If we get a good deal on it we can afford to replace those. We're attending church today in the local LDS ward, so we'll get a better feel for the neighborhood.<br />I'm super excited to have a new nephew, six days old today--we haven't been down to visit yet, but will get to see him soon. This is my sister's first baby, and we were so happy to hear everything went well with the birth.<br />So--there's my update, prayers for us to find a good home and get settled quickly would be welcome! Christmas is coming, and a reunion with almost all of my family, gathering from around the world. We feel very blessed, and wish the same for all of you.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839866588118166315.post-65939063922277327122010-11-19T16:40:00.001-08:002010-11-19T16:44:49.593-08:00How does a homeschooler change a light bulb?<div class="storycontent"> <p>I'm not sure where this originated, but I've seen it a couple of places and got a laugh out of it--soooo true. We can make a unit study out of anything...<br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Q: How does a homeschooler change a light bulb?</p> <p>A: First, mom checks out three books on electricity out of the library, then the kids make models of light bulbs, read a biography of Thomas Edison and do a skit based on his life.</p> <p>Next, everyone studies the history of lighting methods, wrapping up with dipping their own candles.</p> <p>Next, everyone takes a trip to the store where they compare types of bulbs as well as prices and figure out how much change they’ll get if they buy two bulbs for $1.99 and pay with a five dollar bill.</p> <p>On the way home, a discussion develops over the history of money and also Abraham Lincoln, as his picture is on the five dollar bill.</p> <p>Finally, after building a homemade ladder out of branches dragged from the woods, the light bulb is installed.</p> <p>And there is light.</p> </div>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409740378011990132noreply@blogger.com3