School Days

Today is the first day of school for Maxwell Elementary, where my boys would normally be attending.  This, however, is not a normal year.  This year we are embarking on the adventure of homeschooling.  While many students are just heading back to school today, this in our eighth day of school here at the Young Men's Academy (I have to come up with a better name).

My guys are working hard and we fit some fun in there as well.  We are planning many trips to the library, museums, and even a trip to Washington DC with the principal of our school!

Have a great year everyone!

Book Review: NKJV Greatest Stories of the Bible.

I have a book I would like to tell you all about: "The Greatest Stories of the Bible".  It is a New King James Version abridged Bible for parents to read to your kids.  The cover of the book reminds me of an old fashioned storybook.  It is not the whole Bible, but it catches the "high points" so to speak.  Each chapter could be read as a bedtime story and your kids will have a wonderful overview of the whole Bible by the time you are finished reading it.  Each chapter gives reference to the verses being used so that you may go to your full Bible and look up the completed, unabridged version.

Just like the full version, this book is filled with love, war, good, and evil.  Life lessons abound.  I, as a Christian, see the Bible as an instruction book for life.  "The Greatest Stories of the Bible" will help you open up discussion about different topics that every child will go through.  It may also generate questions that will require more research and questions that may not have a black and white, clear cut answer.

This book is a great gift for parents who want to give their children Biblical knowledge in an easier format than the full Bible.  This book does not replace the Bible.  It is a stepping stone for understanding.

In a Pickle

Back in May, I got to be a chaperon for the littlest M's field trip to a farm.  After a very wet and rainy tour, he was given a garden in a glove.  Four seeds and a strawberry plant.  We planted them all in giant flower pots on the back deck.

The sunflower never came out to look at the sun. The beans didn't show up.  The peas made an attempt, but when the scorching sun arrived this summer, the one pod shriveled and there was no saving it.  We were told the strawberry plant would take a couple of years to have any berries, but it is still alive and growing.

Our plant winner for the garden in a glove is:  The Cucumber!  We picked 6 large cucumbers off the vine that took over a fourth of our deck.  I think animals and heat hindered the number, but 6 from one seed is a good number.

My little M also discovered pickles this summer.  Bread and butter pickles mind you, he does not like dill (takes after his momma).

So we called our pickle expert (Thanks Granny), found a recipe, and let the fun begin.

This is a small store bought cucumber we used to supplement the three home grown ones we had left.

Slice the cucumber into 1/4 inch slices (give or take a few millimeters).

Have your helper put them in a crock. If you don't have a crock, I suppose a glass dish will work, but this is how Granny always made hers ( and hers are the best!)

While you put dishes away from the dishwasher, have your helper add salt and water to cover the pickles in a saltwater bath for 3 hours.

I forgot to mention, fill it to the brim and place a heavy plate on the top to hold the cucumbers under the water.

After the three hour wait, mix water, sugar, vinegar, celery seed, and mustard seed in a large pot and bring to a three minute boil on the stove.  While this is boiling, drain and rinse the slices with clear water.

Add the clean slices to the pot and stir.

Bring to a boil, but don't let it keep boiling (your pickles will get soggy).

Then place your pickles in jars and fill the jars with the juice left in the pot.

We ended up with three quarts (I didn't have pint jars) of wonderful bread and butter pickles!

We will open the first jar on Monday for the taste test. I'll let you know how it goes.

My Wonderful Husband

Last week was BUSY (but that is another post).  This week is slightly less busy, but full all the same.  Today I got up and forced myself to meet my friend on my front porch so we could do our two mile morning "what are we doing this for again at this time" walk. I am proud to say that we can accomplish this task in our VERY hilly neighborhood in about 30 minutes.  We aren't strolling here, people!

Once that chore was over and we had congratulated ourselves, I headed back inside to wake the troops (both boys) and get the day started.  The oldest little M had karate at 9:30 and needed breakfast before hand.  Both guys needed activities to keep them occupied while I and my wonderful husband took our class at 11:15. So breakfast was completed, bags were packed and the car left with drive with time to spare.

Once karate classes were complete, we decided to head out to my favorite lunch place for a bite to eat before our appointment with our realtor to look at property (again, another post for another time).  So we converged on Chick-fil-A and gobbled down our chicken (in various forms) and climbed back into the car.

Once at the property, the boys happily playing their DSi games, we walked around and talked possibilities.  Yep, definite possibilities.  Then we headed home after about an hour of talking things over.

Thinking my man was returning to work, I was wonderfully surprised to discover he was going to work from home this afternoon.  So he went into his office and I set to my own work of cleaning and laundry and a few computer things that needed done.

As I was sitting at my son's desk my wonderful husband walked around the corner and says, "Do you know what today is?"

Thoughts quickly poured through my head.  It was mid-July.  The 14th, I think.  No one's birthday. Our anniversary was last month.  Wait!  The 14 of July.

"The day we met." I replied.

"Yes," he said. "Fifteen years ago today. I love you."

I love you too, my wonderful husband!!

Stay at home mom.

I am proud to be a stay-at-home mom (SAHM).  I have been very blessed to be able to stay at home full time since the oldest little M came to be.  I love the freedom to set my own schedule and plan activities and be able to help friends and family when they need an extra hand or meal.

A few years ago, while out running errands with my boys, we were listening to Focus On The Family on the car radio.  Three SAHMs were being interviewed.  Mikey, who was four at the time, asked, "Mommy, what is a Stay at Home Mom?"

Trying to get just the right answer, I replied, "A stay-at-home mom is a mommy who does not go to an office to work.  She stays at home to take care of the house and family."

"Oh," he replied.  I could hear the wheels in his head turning while he thought over this idea. "You're not a stay-at-home mom 'cause you shop!"

The WeekEnd Retreat

This weekend is a divide and conquer weekend.

I have been asked to speak on freezer cooking at the regional Alliance Women's Retreat in a town about an hour away on Saturday.

Both boys have ball games and one has a birthday party to attend - all on Saturday.

I must pack my bags and leave Friday morning.  I will handle the retreat duties and my wonderful husband will handle the ball games and the party.  I have already supervised the gift purchase and will have it wrapped and ready to go before the party begins.

Today is prep day for all above activities.  Wash the uniforms. Check. Wash my clothes for the trip. Check. Pack bags.  Later tonight. Get overhead projector films printed. Headed there now. Finish the outline for my talk. Almost done.  Gather supplies for the show and tell portion of said talk. I know where everything is I just need to get it in the car.

Oh yeah, Sunday is Father's Day...so, I need to add picking up another gift to the list and cleaning the house for the fathers that are coming.  AND Tuesday is the oldest little m's birthday, add bake and decorate a cake to the ever growing list.  Might as well add another gift or two as well.

Did I mention the oldest and my wonderful husband are going to Dad and Lad camp on Wednesday.  And the youngest will be going to Camp Grandma and Poppy's.  Add more laundry, packing, and organizing to the list.

I think my list just reached the same length as Santa's.  At least he has elves that help.

Week on the Run

I am sorry to report this will be another post without pictures.  Once you read about my week maybe you will understand why.

Let's start with Saturday: Matt - Tball game at 8:30am and since we all know how important  warming up is to a true athlete, we were supposed to be at the field by 8:00am.  We made it on time, almost.
Mikey - coach pitch game at 10:00.  Thankfully this game was at the same place (different field) as Matt's game.  So Mikey made it to warm-ups as soon as the coach arrived.

At this point I should mention the weather.  For most of the month of May is has been raining here.  Practices have been cancelled, games rescheduled and the ground has been soggy, even the tops of hills were squishy.
Saturday, the sun made an appearance!  I wore shorts and sunglasses to the games.  Now the sunglasses were not for the rays of the sun, but for the glare off of my winter white legs.  Sunblock, I know.  I had left it in the car.
For the first time in my fair skinned life, I burned my knee-caps and shins.

Anyway, we made it home around noon, I fed the ball players and coach lunch and packed a bag for Matt and myself for a weekend in the country.  We headed to WV.

Sunday -Monday: After two nights at my mom and dad's house watching my nieces and grandmother so my parents could go to a piano recital, Matt and I headed and hour down the road to Morgantown to get Matt new orthodics for his shoes.  That is another story for another time.

Once that appointment was done we headed back home.  Arriving in the familiar 'burg, we watched the big M finish a karate class. After picking Mikey up from school at days end, we ate supper and I headed to karate to get my classes in.  After that I met the fam at the church to set up tables and chairs for the Moms 24/7 meeting the next morning.

Tuesday: Knowing the day ahead, the wonderful Big M, offered to take the boys to school so I could get a jump on the day.  After swinging by the store for snacks, I headed to the church for the Moms meeting.  I am in charge of making the coffee, so you know I had to get there first!

After the wonderful meeting with friends, and lots of laughter, I headed to the school to fulfill my duties at library volunteer.  As I finished up in the library, I grabbed the guys who were finished with school and headed home for dinner then each parent took a little m to their different ball responsibilities.  We all returned home about 8:30 to fall in bed.

Wednesday: My day was filled with a field trip to PNC Park to watch a Pirates game with my son's 3rd grade class.  Again, I wore shorts, but I remembered the sunblock.  I slathered it on several kids including my own and covered my legs.  I did, however, forget my arms.  We returned to the school about 5:00pm.  I pulled supper together then made a store run for my cake baking weekend.

Thursday: Parent Helper for the last time in my son's kindergarten class in the morning.  After grabbing lunch and letting the dog out, I headed downtown for my book club.  At the end of book club I headed to pick up the little m's.  Now I am baking cakes.  I have been "hired" to make two cakes this weekend.  One is a baby shower cake and the other is a "Tangled" birthday cake.

These cakes will fill tomorrow and Saturday afternoon. Saturday morning will be filled with two more ballgames (and sunblock).

Once the cakes are finished and delivered, I think I am going to take a nap until next weekend!