Love In Every Stitch - Hats Available

I have been knitting hats on a circle loom in memory of a beloved little guy who tragically has drown. His mama has always been a very inspiring woman to me, and my heart was broken when I heard of her loss. I cried, I prayed, but until my fingers reached for my yarn stash, I felt so helpless.

Elijah's mama loves the color red. She wears it often, and it was her favorite color to dress little Elijah in. The color red has a special meaning to me as well. When I visualize God comforting me, he wraps me up in a red blanket of love.

I decided to turn my grief to action and knit hats with red pom poms. My hope is people will buy them from me, and I can donate 100% of the money to the Elijah Rainbow Memorial Fund. Click here to see the Facebook page. There is a Mycause site where you are able to donate as well, click here.

I have no experience with Etsy or with selling anything ever online. I have no idea how I will be able to sell my hats, but I'm hoping and praying those details will work themselves out, and I will soon be able to bless this family who has suffered such a terrible loss.

I know what it feels like to not be able to hold your little one in your arms because they're in heaven. I also know the love and support we can share with each other will help us through, until we can once again wrap our arms around those we love in heaven.

If you are interested in purchasing a hat, please contact me. I have infant, child and adult sizes and a few other colors if you'd like something other than turquoise & navy. Each hat will have a red pom pom in memory of Eljiah Rainbow, but that can be removed if you prefer not to have a pom pom.

(I'd also appreciate anyone who can advise me on how, and where I can sell my Elijah Rainbow hats.)

Thank you.  


 

Food For Fines time once again at the library. I love this! Living as autodidacts, its a given we very often have library late fees. Usually I tell myself to think of overdue fines as "library donations." When they have the Food For Fines drive, I feel better dropping off jars of peanut butter and tuna for needy families in my town. It actually may cost me more, but without the free school breakfast & lunch programs for many of our town's kids during the summer, I can't help but feel better about this opportunity to help out.

My Dirty Girl Experience June 30,2012

The Dirty Girl Run is a 5K mud run obstacle course. I had such a wonderful time! It was awesome to be supported by most of my family and having all my sisters there either participating with me or supporting me made it even more special. I can't wait to do it again!

We signed up last March and decided to name our team, The Mudtinis Skaken Not Stirred. I built up my endurance, walking up to 3+ miles several times a week. I knew I could go the distance, but I was worried about our extreme hot weather. Turns out all that mud really does keep you cooled off. Elephants really are smart.

The Course:

The first obstacle was the hay bales. They were stacked up maybe 15-20 feet high. Climbing over them was a little unnerving because they were starting to fall apart. Depending on where you stepped, you could find yourself sinking in. When we were on the course, it was late morning. I don't think those bales made it through the day.

Next came several muddy water pits. These were cool and refreshing but my knees got scraped up. Little bits of gravel from the mud had settled on the bottom. Next time, I'm wearing knee pads.

The one obstacle I didn't do was the wall. There was a huge line of women, waiting for their turn to try and get over it. None of my sisters wanted to wait so we walked around it.

They had several water stations throughout the course and given the temperature was in the 90's with a heat index around 100, I made a point to drink at every water station whether I thought I needed it or not. I covered my head with a bandana so my scalp wouldn't burn and my skin was covered by several layers of sunscreen.

The walk itself we took slow and steady. The ground was very hard and dry with ruts all over. I have no idea how anyone could run without turning an ankle. Most everyone doing the "run" was actually walking.

There was a huge dirt hill with a steep way up and down. They had ropes to help you climb up and repel down with. I wasn't sure I could do it, but I did! When I got to the top, it didn't feel so difficult after all. Repelling down went smooth as well. It was really mind over matter.

We ran through tires both on the ground and another obstacle where they were hanging up.

We climbed through stretchy ropes that had you feeling you were going to get stuck as if some giant spider was waiting for a meal.

There were sandy, dirty hills a dirt bike would love, but your human knees, not so much. The last hill was pretty steep, and just as I thought I wouldn't make it, another event participant, a complete stranger, turned and offered me her hand. This event had that girl power spirit. We were all there to help each other through it.

I had made up my mind I was going to master the cargo net climb. I have a fear of heights and this obstacle was pretty high, but after the steep hill with the ropes, I decided this course was mostly mental, not physical. I attacked it focusing on grabbing securely with each hand and really planting my foot on each step. The cargo net was covered in mud, and I didn't want to slip. I never thought about how high I was, and I made it up and over. The entire time I could hear my niece, Raven, cheering me on. It was emotional and awesome! DH said he was proud of how I just kept going and never stopped. He said he was worried if I did stop, I would freeze up. I know focusing on each hand grip and foot plant, never stopping to actually think about where I was, helped me get through this obstacle so smoothly.

My least favorite obstacle was the sticky mud army crawl. This mud obstacle didn't have much water. The mud was thick and sticky. The kind that would pull off your shoe. The cargo net was so low, you had no choice but to crawl through on your belly, like a snake. The mud was so slippery it was difficult to grab a hold and move forward. Afterward, I heard another woman had rolled across. I wish I had known about that technique. I slithered like a snake, trying really hard not to have to put my face it in. For a brief moment, my claustrophobia kicked in, but I quieted my fear by just telling myself, Keep Going! You will get through this and not be stuck. The mud was so thick, it tore off my race bib. I was grateful my shirt didn't rip.

When we were through the entire course. I felt like I could have done it a second time right then and there. I wasn't as tired as I thought I would be. I didn't even feel hot. Covered in all the mud really helped.

The uncomfortable experiences for me came afterward. The rinse off stations were pumping out ice cold water that took your breath away. I couldn't stand in them for more than a few seconds or I was going to hyperventilate trying to breathe. It was very difficult to try and get all the mud off.

The changing area was so crowded, there was no room. I decided to change in a handicap sized Port O Potty. Yuck! I did my best to remove as much mud as I could with the towels I had brought. Next time, I'm bringing an old sheet to wrap up in and just driving home to clean up.

When I do this again, I'm bringing baby wipes or camping wipes. I'm also not wearing a t-shirt. A sports bra and tank top would have been much more easy to pull over my head. I'm putting conditioner in my hair and letting it stay there to help my hair absorb less mud. I'll also be scheduling a manicure and pedicure for the day after. After 3 rinse off/showers my feet still have dirt around my toe nails. But it was all so worth it!  I had a fantastic time with my sisters and my family cheering us on!

Beware Vampires! I've harvested my organic garlic.

It seemed to be too early, only 6/19/12, but the outward signs made be believe it was time I harvest our garlic bed, which I had planted last October. This was my first year growing garlic. I tried Spanish Roja, German Porcelain, Musik and Elephant garlic.

The Spanish Roja seemed to take a beat down. It was on the south end of the bed, and I think we had one too many wind storms. It was completely blown over. I didn't expect to have anything, but to my surprise, I was able to dig up bulbs. They're smaller, with red skins.

The German Porcelain came out great. It's really white. I will plant this variety again.

The Musik also looked really good. I wish I had planted more of it. I had only planted 6. Next season, I will definitely plant more!

The Elephant was fun to watch growing. It was so much larger than the others. It resembled corn plants. (I threw my toes in the photo for scale.) It has little, fresh looking cloves on the bottom so perhaps I harvested these plants too soon. I will have to taste it after it cures before I decide whether I grow Elephant again. It was fun, but it does take up a lot of space.

I will cure the garlic in our garage for a week, remove some of the stalks and roots and cure for another 2 weeks before moving into storage. It will be difficult to save some bulbs for replanting this fall. I will want to eat them all!

For my records, I purchased these starter bulbs at Jung Garden Center.
From left to right: 2 rows of Spanish Roja (looks dead), 2 rows of German Porcelain, 1 row of Musik, 2 Elephant garlics

Decompressing

I'm in decompress mode. I've been so busy, and I seem to be having more days where I end up lacking energy. I'm reaching the point where I need to STOP and CHILL before I over stress and make myself sick.

People were bringing me down. That's another sign I know I need to STOP and find my inner peace. A customer was really rude to me. I recognized she was stealing my joy, but I also realized, I'd rather she yell at me than have her treat someone else so poorly. I can eventually shake off her negative energy when I turn my focus elsewhere. Maybe this was why she was placed on my path? Because God knew I could rise above her brokenness and see past it.

I've been trying to get ready for the Dirty Girl Run, or as I prefer to call it, the Dirty Girl Hike. My sister has been a tremendous support for me. Others have not been so supportive. I've been told flat out, "You can't do this." I suppose this is because they look at my body and see only fat. They don't know this fat girl can walk over 3 miles, no problem. Thankfully my sister reminds me we are in it together, and we'll take as much time as we need to finish, and then I feel more encouraged. I will never be a runner. I'm just too well endowed. I can hike though, and I can hike for longer distances now.

The garden has been a good stress reliever. I probably should be weeding a little more, but I have been faithfully watering and picking off harmful bugs. My baby spinach bolted almost immediately, but I am still being rewarded with my favorite garden candy, Sugar Snap Peas. For some reason the Swiss Chard is really slow to grow this year, but my spaghetti squash is looking fabulous. Hard to believe after buying those sad looking plants at the nursery. The melons all look really good too. The potatoes have me wanting to keep building the raised bed even higher. Maybe I'll just try the straw cover at this point. The last time we raised the sides of the potato bed it took so much dirt to fill it. I cut the scapes off of the garlic and the leaves are turning brown. I think I will harvest it in 2 weeks time.

I was caught up in the idea we should have a summer bucket list. I kept asking the boys, "What should we do? What do you want to do to make this summer memorable?" We had a hard time coming up with answers and then one day I decided to stop worrying about it. I spent the day making silly videos with them and had a blast. It dawned on me, this is our summer bucket list goal. Just have fun and don't worry about planning so much.

I'm looking forward to spending the weekend with my family. We'll take DH out for Father's Day. I don't have gifts yet for him. A few things have been ordered, but they won't arrive in time. Instead I will focus on just giving him a good, weekend experience since he works so hard all week. We'll have lunch out on Saturday at "The Lob" as the boys like to call it. (Red Lobster) On Sunday we're planning a hike in the woods in Troll country.

One more thing I want to mention. My sister has inspired me to create a safe, calm, sanctuary spot in my nest. We're both frustrated we're not dropping much weight despite how much walking we've been doing. My doctor said, "Your heart sounds excellent, but after 40, its very difficult for women to lose weight, even if you eat right and exercise. Try add weight training."  I also read about how stress will prevent you from losing weight. Toxins are stored in your fat. When you are stressed, your body already has enough toxins to purge through. It doesn't want you to burn fat releasing more toxins to the mix. My sister and I both plan on making meditation and stress release a daily part of our routines. I also took it as a sign when I opened my Dove chocolate and the wrapper read, "Create A Happy Place."

I hope you all have a great weekend. I'll be doing my best to create one myself.

I'm reading Better Than College, How To Build A Successful Life Without A Four Year Degree by Blake Boles. I love books that make me think. What are you reading this summer?

Why am I so afraid to go and get my haircut?

Strawberry Sorbet

Description:
Ending up with sore stretched legs after all that strawberry picking was well worth it. I'm wishing I would have picked more so I could make several more quarts of this sorbet to get me through the summer.

This was so delicious and easy, I fell in love with my ice cream maker once again.

I've seen recipes for strawberry sorbet where you strain and remove the tiny seeds. I'm too lazy for that. I didn't mind the seeds at all. The texture was still smooth enough for me.

The next time I make this, which I assure you will be very soon, I will try dissolving honey instead of sugar and see how it tastes.

Ingredients:
Fresh strawberries, washed and stems removed, about 4 1/2 cups
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of sugar

Directions:
Bring the water to a simmer and then remove from the heat.

Stir in the sugar until it is dissolved.

Fill your blender with strawberries and the sugar water and puree.

Chill this mixture, or if you're impatient like me, start off with already chilled berries.

Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and let the appliance do its magic.

I have a Cuisinart and had perfectly frozen sorbet in only about 15 minutes. It took all my will power to only enjoy one half cup serving and then freeze the rest in a quart container.

Strawberry Picking June 1st, 2012

Its strawberry picking time here in Southern WI. It arrived a little sooner this year, but I'm up for it. I love fresh picked, local berries!

They are a little smaller this year, but my mom was right. Smaller berries taste better than larger ones. I think the strawberry flavor is more condensed in smaller berries. The larger ones we buy in the supermarket don't taste nearly as good.

If we don't eat them all up immediately, I will freeze some for smoothies. I still have jam left from last year, so there's no need to make jam this year. We will probably go back next week and pick more if I can find storage room.

I've always wanted to grow strawberries, but it seem like a lot of work. The plants in my area aren't cheap either. I tried to grow strawberries from less expensive roots, but they didn't grow. I spent $7 on this 4 quart bucket. I think I'll just keep picking from our local strawberry farm.

What's Been Happening In My Life, May 2012

Our weather has been very summer like and that means I've been outside gardening rather than inside blogging. I do want to take some time to jot down a few notes on what's been going on in my life recently. With my memory, I have to make a point to journal or I will forget.

Mother's Day ~ We spent the day in Kenosha visiting with DMIL. We browsed some interesting antique stores, walked along the lakefront and enjoy a late lunch/early supper at Kaisers. My boys gave me a Lady Antebellum CD and a stability ball. I'm really enjoying both gifts.

The following weekend, DH & I met DMIL at ElkHorn,WI for a morning of antique flea marketing. We found an old soda pop bottle crate for the boys' coke bottle collection. We thought it was cool because it has Kenosha painted on the side. Kenosha is where my husband's family originated from. Most of the other antiques were over priced, but it was still fun to enjoy a stroll in the sun looking at interesting items.

Later that week, my parents arrived for an extended weekend visit through Memorial Day. (Photo is of my dad and DS13.) For our anniversary they gave us a new de-humidifier for our basement. I didn't think our basement was that humid, but the machine is pulling out over a gallon of water every 12 hours. I've been using the water for the garden. We could hook up a hose and drain the appliance, but I like giving the garden the free water.

The garden is coming along nicely. I have planted the following this year: Roma tomatoes, Grape tomatoes, swiss chard, spinach, beets, sugar snap peas, garlic, potatoes, popcorn, cucumbers, zucchini, broccoli, Italian broccoli, sugar baby watermelon, french cantaloupe, and a honey dew melon. I've run out of room for the carrots and more popcorn, but my boss and my neighbor have offered me garden space if I want to use it. Another neighbor shared with me both garlic chives and regular chives. I planted them near the garlic. The garden is keeping me very busy.

My tooth is healing. I had a crown put on. The drilling and sensitivity has really upset my nerves. Dealing with increased grass pollen this year is also not helping me feel any better. It is slowly healing and getting better. I'm now only taking Advil every 12 hours instead of every 6. It has really slowed me down though. I'm looking forward to feeling better soon.

While my parents were here, we had several cookouts and meals with extended family. They also took us out to lunch. Its going to be a challenge to get back on track eating more healthy.

I also need to punch up my exercise routine because the Dirty Girl Run is a little over one month away. My sisters and I are getting excited, but I will admit, I'm starting to get a little nervous. I know I can hike a 5K no problem, but honestly, I've never done so covered in mud. I mentioned to my sister I may just bring a change of dry socks in a zip lock baggie to change into after the first mud hole obstacle and she said if I do that, she will push me back in. LOL! My son will probably shoot video, so I'll be sure to share that.

Speaking of the boys, they are doing great. DS16 has been working on several filming projects, some for fun, some for business. DS13 is learning more and more about bike repair. He's been riding quite a bit and of course, things wear down or break, so he's been learning how to make repairs on his own to save money. I suggested to him if the police officer plan doesn't work out, he could always end up running a bike repair shop. He's still planning on being a police officer.

I've been inspired to begin an Artist journal - not an art journal. An Artist journal has of course art in it, but it also can become a personal journal, noting details of daily life. I've always hated the way I draw and I think I just need to stop thinking that way and start drawing. I will improve over time or learn to love my unique style.

I really have to take the time to stop and journal more frequently. I really can't remember things very well, certainly not dates, so keeping notes really helps me.

My body has confirmed it. Mother Nature is ahead of schedule. Sticky, scratchy eyes, runny nose, aaachoo..aachoo...those white fuzzies floating around in the air usually don't start here until the first week in June, but here I am mid May in full allergy mode. The past few years, it hasn't really bothered me, but this year those white fuzzies are making up it. Curse you Cottonwood tree!

Happy Mother's Day to all Moms! I'm so grateful for my children, who've allowed me to claim this role and my husband who helps and supports me. I can remember being a little girl, dreaming of the day I'd be a real mom. Motherhood is such a blessing! I'm also very grateful to have been given a wonderful mother who has inspired me to love, laugh and be strong.

My Soul One

Its very difficult for me not to miss him terribly today. The calendar date reminds me, we belong together. Our celebration will have to wait for a day/night we don't have to work.

26 years ago today, he picked me up for our first date. I waited for him outside, playing catch with my older brother. I think my brother wanted him to know, I had an older brother. :)

I was a senior in high school and weeks earlier I had decided I was not going to stress over having a boyfriend anymore. I was just going to make friends and have fun with my life. God had other plans for me.

I first saw him years earlier at school, but I always thought he was an upperclassman. At my large high school, you rarely mixed with anyone not in your year. Plus, why would someone so cool want to get to know me?

My senior year rolled around and he was still attending my high school! I figured out he was in the class behind mine. I also discovered my friend worked with him at McDonald's!!

I wrote him a note, "There is something about you," and left it at that. (I was inspired by a song at the time.) He wrote back asking for my phone number.

7 years later, I marry him, on the anniversary of our first date. That was 19 years ago.

It doesn't feel like we've been together 26 years, married for 19. Simultaneously it feels like a quick 26 years, yet also eternal, like time didn't exist until May 8, 1986. I can't explain it. My love for him is eternal and I think this is why it feels timeless. 

We had our growing together pains. I imagine most young adults who stay together go through this. Who you are at 17 is not who you are at 18, and every year you age after that. Just when we'd feel pretty solid, a bump in the road would make us jump. Thankfully, we've always landed together. We're at the point now, having jumped so many bumps, that our kangaroo marriage legs are pretty strong.

I can't feel I had a life before he was brought to me. He woke up my soul, and I found what life was really about, love. He is my Soul One, and I don't want to ever be parted from him.

WPA Homeschooling Conference 2012

Friday we left for Oshkosh, leaving the roofers to make noise without us. We picked up DH from work and headed off on our road trip.

Oshkosh, is not our favorite city. Years ago the Wisconsin Parent's Association held their yearly homeschooling conference in Stevens Point, WI. We love Stevens Point and miss it. Oshkosh just doesn't hold the same appeal for us. Its become our family's inside joke, reasons we don't like Oshkosh. Here's this year's list;

1. Road construction - There is always road construction in Oshkosh. They've put in the most dangerous roundabouts ever.

2. Five inches of rain within 24 hours created major flooding the day before we arrived. It also left the town smelling of backed up sewage.

3. Bug swarm - Oshkosh does have a free, cute little lakeside park and zoo but we couldn't leave the car. I'm not sure what kind of bugs they were, but they looked like mosquitoes on steroids.

4. The near deadly Jimmy Johns delivery driver - The conference takes place on the UW Oshkosh campus. As we walked through the parking lot, we were nearly mowed down by a Jimmy Johns delivery man going 90 mph. Yeah, they're freaky fast alright.

We hosted 3 family friendly workshops. Friday night we hosted Apples To Apples for over 40 people. The room they put us in this year was too small for so many people. Saturday morning was Letterboxing, another popular workshop. To save gas, we did not travel to Oshkosh ahead of time to find hiding places. We spent Friday afternoon setting up hiding spots. I think it all worked out. We had several families report back to us that they had a great time. Saturday afternoon we hosted an Artist Trading Card workshop. That went well too, although it seemed to go by too quickly. Many of the kids didn't want to stop creating art cards.

We came home road trip weary but we overall, had a great time. We've volunteered for WPA by hosting workshops at the conference since 2006. WPA has worked very hard to maintain homeschooling freedoms in Wisconsin. Its our way of saying thanks for protecting our family's lifestyle.

 

Choosing A New Roof

Its difficult enough for me to choose paint colors. Choosing a roof color is daunting because unless a tornado rips it off, I won't be changing it for over 30 years!

Our house is a light yellow cream color. I personally like living in a yellow house because it reminds me of a Blind Melon song that also reminds me about homeschooling with my boys. Click Here to hear the song. My husband likes that we live in a yellow house because its his favorite color. We most likely will always keep the house yellow if we upgrade the siding.

Our existing roof is very worn. It was a light brown, reddish color I think, but its so worn its difficult to tell.

At one point I thought a blue roof would be fun, kind of Swedish actually. My husband liked the idea of a green roof with the yellow siding. There are other yellow houses in the neighborhood with green roofs that don't look so hot. I worried about how a colored roof would hold up. Eventually that dye in the shingle will fade from the elements.

I know I didn't want black, but I didn't want to go too light either. A black roof would get too hot in the summer and since snow covers our roof in the winter, it wouldn't help during that season either. Light roofs don't look too attractive to me though.

We decided to try and stay in the gray family, but you wouldn't believe how many different shades of gray there are! We've gone back and forth for weeks now, but I think we've finally found our roof color.

I present to you..... Georgetown Gray. When I look at it closely, I can pick up shades of slate and sage.



I hope it works out, but I suppose until its up there on the roof, we really won't know. There are no other houses in the neighborhood with this roof as far as we can tell, so we're taking a risk, but then again, I like having something different than everyone else. Our subdivision is very cookie cutter.

This is not a photo of my house of course, (I wish!) This is the photo from the shingle manufacturer's website.

Someday I would love to add stone detail to the front of our house. All of the newer homes built in the cornfield next to us have a certain percentage of brick or stone along with siding. If we add this detail, it could help our home blend between the two developments.

I'll be sure to take a photo after the roof is on and you can tell me what you think.

Potatoes are planted. I decided not to build a potato tower but use an existing 4 x 4 bed and add support boards as the plants grow, adding in more soil & compost for more potatoes to grow in. Harvest time, we'll just have to get our hands dirty, but that's part of the fun, right? I wonder how many potatoes we'll end up with.

The Day I Was Suppose To Win A Chevy Sonic

Does this look like tailgate food to you? When I'm invited to a tailgate party, even if its at a modern hotel trying to be swanky, I expect grilled meat patties or links and potato salads.

My name was drawn at my local dealer to be a semi-finalist in the Chevy Sonic Badger giveaway. The deadline date on the entry form was my dad's birthday so it gave me a feeling I was going to be lucky. The car was painted white and red with a big Wisconsin W on the hood and Bucky Badger on the side. I really wanted that car!

Names were drawn all over the state so I was one of 40 some finalists, invited to a tailgate party at the Hotel Red, which is directly across the street from Camp Randall stadium. I had never been in this newer hotel so I was curiously looking forward to this tailgate party.

The party wasn't a tailgate party at all. The hotel design I guess tries to be modern but it comes across feeling like a concrete bus station. The hospitality suite was really just a poorly lit room with too few cocktail tables for the contestants and their guests.

The food was crackers & cheese, a "meatloaf" slider, bacon wrapped scallop, and chicken salad in a stale bite sized crust. The 3 guests I could bring were my teenage boys and manly husband. This food was not the tailgate they were expecting. Where were the brats and dogs? This is Wisconsin after all!

When my name wasn't chosen, my dreams were crushed. DH said he really had a feeling I was going to win and he was disappointed too. We still won an autographed football and tickets to the game. We also were allowed to go on the field for pictures.


The game was fun, but it was cold! Bundled up in winter coats, it didn't feel like a "spring game." I know DS13 had the best time and at one point made eye contact with his favorite Badger player, Montee Ball.

If I would have been a finalist, I wouldn't have won because there was a trivia contest about the coach, Bret Bielema. I would have lost it on the last question, "What is Coach Bielema's favorite type of music?" I never in a million years would have guessed Reggae. 

To the swollen, lumpy, lymph nodes on the back of my neck, I don't have time for you. Settle down! I became aware of a large knot where my head meets my neck last night. Its the size of a walnut. This morning I woke up with several more, not quite as large, spreading out across the back of my neck. I don't have time for this. I cannot get sick. They are sore and itchy at the same time. That can't be normal. I'm tiring more quickly, and I have a slight brain cloud headache, but other than that, no other symptoms. I just need another 24 hours! Come on body! Work with me!

Just spoke to a very sexist man who made my blood boil. Thankfully the next man I spoke to was my husband who restored my respect and trust towards the opposite sex. Truly great men are out there, and I won't allow one bad apple to spoil my day.

What Song Is In Your Heart Today?

Every morning, when I first reach consciousness, there is a different song in my head. Well, that's not exactly true, some songs repeat occasionally.

Before we roll out of the cocoon, my husband and I share which song is with us. Some songs are favorites, but sometimes there are not favorites lingering in our heads as well. Whether they are songs we love or songs we're not too crazy about, there is a purpose having these tunes on our minds.

I'm truly amazed at the power of music. My son yesterday was asking me why I liked certain songs but not others. Some songs speak to your heart and soul and they stay with you. I enjoy a wide variety of music styles, but some songs I share a connection with.

I really don't understand why some traditional schools cut music programs. They don't understand how music strengthens the brain. Music should be a major part of our everyday lives.

This video is worth the 6 minutes it takes to watch it. Its amazing to witness the transformation music has on this man.


I hope you have a song in your heart that is always singing. If you don't, I encourage you take time to bring music to yourself and to others. "The world needs to come into music."

I can't get over how much this cat is shedding. Every time I pet her, I'm left with a kitten in my hand like some sort of magic trick.

Our Easter Weekend

I was playing with the new to me camera and I used the timer function to snap this shot. I'm still having great difficulty using this camera. Outside, in bright light, its impossible to see what you are taking a picture of and the focus seems to work only 50% of the time.

We took an Easter Day stroll through Petrified Springs with G-Ma. Before the hike, we ate out a huge dinner. In retrospect, I wish I could have reversed the order of those events. DH forgot his hat in the car and it was a little too windy for his head so I gave him the hood from my jacket.

The day before we celebrated big too, at my sister's house. I tried to take a little taste of everything but we had so many options, a little here and there quickly added up to quite a bit.

We had a wonderful weekend visiting with family and it was great my parents were able to make the trip and stay with us all week. 

We learned a new board game called Telestrations. Its a mix between telephone and Pictionary and its hilarious. Using dry erase flip boards, you take turns guessing the word or phrase or drawing a picture, continually passing the flip boards around the table to all the players. When everyone has completed drawing or guessing words, you review all the guesses and drawings and it so funny how things get misinterpreted. I think I'm going to have to add this game to our collection someday soon.

Today I need to catch up on errands and laundry before work. Its going to be a busy start of the week. Hope you all have a good one! 

Beautiful sunrise this morning. Happy Easter! Looking forward to seeing even more family today, continuing this wonderful weekend.

Its not fun staying in the cocoon without my cocoon partner. I guess I'll venture out into the world and try to focus on what makes me happy.

I should not have exit the cocoon today. Where's the chocolate?

As I was sleeping, I began dreaming. In the dream I fell asleep and dreamed some more. What an awesome way to sleep! I feel extra rested today.

April Fools!

 I told my family there was a raccoon in the garage. When they opened the door, this is what they saw.

Sorry the image is blurry. I've been trying to use a new to me camera, and I can't get it to focus correctly.

I've been limping along with my broken camera, but lately I'm losing photos. I purchased a new memory card, but it wouldn't work in my broken camera. I broke the camera years ago when I tripped and fell on it. The battery case barely stays closed and the micro setting stopped working. Now that I'm losing photos, I think its time to upgrade.

I should just buy a new camera but shopping for one is not something I look forward to. There are so many options to choose from. Budget wise I'm not looking for a huge SLR. On the other hand, I want something a step up from point and shoot.

My son saw a water proof, impact resistant up to 5 feet camera that also shoots video. Its the Nikon Coolpix AX100. It also has GPS. I'm very tempted but I can't pull the trigger. Its a little over what I wanted to spend, and how do I know I'll really like it? Such a purchase is difficult for me without being able to test it out first. Of course having an impact resistant camera could make sense for clumsy me!

Then there's the question of should I buy a photo camera that also has video or a video camera that takes stills? Should I just use my phone or my son's I-Pod touch?

I have to figure something out, because I'm realizing I'm not taking enough photos and time is passing us by.

Got any camera/video advice for me?

We Are Keepers Of Set Lists

Last night's concert was great. We saw Sleeper Agent, a new and upcoming band from Bowling Green, KY. We first saw them perform last December at a Cage The Elephant concert and ever since I've been listening to their album while I work out. Its great music to keep your heart rate up.

Last week we attended The Joy Formidable concert, another band we first saw last December at that same Cage The Elephant concert. That show was amazing as well. I can't get over how big their sound is considering there's only 3 band members.

Somehow we've been fortunate enough to grab set lists from both shows. From the Sleeper Agent show, both myself and my husband received a set list after we asked band members for them. I love how the Sleeper Agent lists are handwritten!

The Joy Formidable set list I was yelled at for taking. The show was over and the band had left the stage. Someone next to my husband reached over and grabbed the list taped to the stage floor. A security guard yelled at him to put it back, and I was surprised the kid did.

I asked my husband to grab it. He did and then passed it to me. The security guy of course then yelled at me to put it back. Fans around me screamed out for me to, "Just put it in your purse!" I completely ignored the security guard and simply walked away with it.

What was he going to do to me? Throw me out? The show was over!!! I guess I'm older and not afraid to be a trouble maker than the first guy who tried to claim it. Or the security guard didn't want to pick on an older woman. LOL!

I'm looking forward to the day we can see these bands perform again.

Strawberry Spinach banana smoothies + Raw garlic + Echinacea tea + Sleep = I'm not getting sick! Yeah!!!

Are You Broccoli?

Note to self - The Black Sharpie is indeed permanent. The Purple Sharpie is not.

I checked on my winter sowing containers and discovered we'll soon be playing, can you identify this plant. Half of my containers I used a black sharpie, the other half purple. The purple has worn off. Most of what I labeled in purple could be veggies I believe. We'll find out eventually right?! LOL!

I am doing my best not to get sick. My husband has been really sick for a week now. He is getting better, but really slowly. I sat by his bedside last weekend trying to help him feel better, and now I can feel something trying to brew in my head. For the past few days now, literally depending on the hour, I go from feeling yes, I'm definitely getting sick, to perhaps not. I'll keep throwing echinacea tea and raw garlic at it and hope for the best. Immune systems need occasional workouts to keep strong right?

I'm not getting to everything I want to, but I also know its important to respect my body's need for rest. It is what it is, and I shouldn't stress out. Hopefully I will not get sick, and I can catch up this weekend.

Date night tonight! We're going to see The Joy Formidable. "There’s something panoramic about The Joy Formidable’s music - their mountainous, fuzzed out riffs and ferocious, earthy rhythms shrouded in ethereal haze."

My Life At The Moment - 3/15/12

I don't need an alarm clock. Osama Bin Robin is not only once again attacking our car windows, he's banging on the kitchen window as well. The boys asked if they could line the crazy bird up in their sites of their airsoft rifles. Very tempting, but I'm still holding my ground on never shoot the living. We'll see how many mornings I can take it though.

I'm so tempted to plant something in the garden. We've been having temps in the 70's which is very odd for southern Wisconsin this time of the year. Will it last? We've had such a mild winter, maybe it will? Usually I wait for Mother's Day to plant directly outside. I think I will throw some spinach in and chance it.

The boys are going to help me build a rain barrel. We've picked up all of the supplies for around $20. I showed them ready to purchase rain barrels for over $100 and we all agree, this should be a project we can pull off.

I want to kidnap my husband away from his work. He's sick and shouldn't be working with a fever. The man has a work ethic that won't stop, and to some degree, that is dangerous. He needs to find balance.

I'm having too much fun on Pinterest. I'm not renewing magazine subscriptions knowing that almost anything I can find online, I can now organize visually on Pinterest.

I've been having fun learning new things at work. I'm taking baby steps learning html coding and practicing updating our website. I'm also setting up more social network marketing and looking forward to attending classes on the subject the next two weeks. There is so much to learn, its exciting!

I was hoping to buy a new camera with some tax refund money, but it's looking like new tires are going to take that dream away. I can't believe how crazy expensive tires are! Its a must have though to keep our car safely drivable.

I'm also kissing goodbye for now, hope to see you later, to my dreams of new furniture. My sister & I found this amazing Amish furniture store on a Amish farm, not a separate furniture reseller, where you buy directly from the Amish family making the furniture. It blew me away the quality of the pieces. Its like nothing you can find in any commercial furniture store. I think they were saving their best work for their own business.  I have my heart set on a glider, swivel chair that would outlast my lifetime and be passed down through the generations, but it cost $750. I'm going to start putting away a little out of every paycheck and maybe next year, for my birthday, I'll see if I can ask the Amish to make me a chair.

Both boys are up now, so I guess I should be going. Hope everything in your world is going great! I'll try to be better at keeping up.

Happy Leap Day! 2012

I'm trying to get in the spirit of Leap Day, but honestly, because today is one of the days we have to spend most of our day apart from each other, I don't feel like celebrating.

Last Leap Day we decided to make it a family tradition to put together a time capsule. I wanted to open this together, but I'm sneaking my peak now, the menfolk can peak at it together later. I don't know if we'll have a chance to put together a new one together today. We may have to pretend tomorrow is Leap Day because we'll have time together to work on it then.

From last Leap Day's time capsule, I'm wishing we would have added photos. This year we will, along with hopefully some video. We did write surveys and those are interesting to reflect on. I also included a piece of mail. Hilary for president, that didn't work out for her did it.

DH's prediction about what he'd be doing 4 years later came true. He no longer works at Inspire Design. My prediction sadly has not. I wanted my own home based business. DS16 is not driving a new car, and DS13 did not finish Super Smash Brother's Brawl. We may have to work at our next Leap Day's predictions.

4 years ago we had a pet, who sadly is no longer with us. RIP Chihiro.

The weather was partly sunny, high of 35, low 13.

We ate supper at Chilis. DH had a bacon cheddar burger, I had a Carribean Salad, DS16 had the grilled chicken platter and DS13 had a plain burger. Our waitress was anti-social and the bill with tip came to $38.52.

The last movie we saw as of Feb 29, 2008 was Michael Clayton. I have no recollection of seeing this movie. The boys' last movie Twilight Zone.

My message to myself, 4 years later was, "Don't worry so much that you are 4 years older. Your family loves you." I'm not upset at all about being 4 years older. Funny I thought I would feel that way.

Here is my multiply blog from 4 years ago, when we began this time capsule.

WPA homeschooling conference

Start:	May 4, '12
End:	May 5, '12
Location:	Oshkosh,WI

Wisconsin Parents Association homeschooling conference

UWG 2013

Start:	Feb 3, '13
End:	Feb 8, '13
Location:	Sandusky,OH

The Unschoolers Waterpark Gathering at the Kalahari.

Winter Sowing

I have finally gotten around to winter sowing. Thankfully winter is not over yet. A few more weeks and I wouldn't officially be winter sowing.

I've never done this before and I have no idea what to expect, but it seemed too simple not to give it a try. Using recycled milk jugs, I've planted seeds and set the jugs outside. The jugs will act like mini-greenhouses and Mother Nature will take care of when the seeds will sprout. My hope is to have plants to transplant in the spring.

The jugs are cut in half horizontally, leaving a small hinge uncut, and closed back up with tape or pipe cleaners. You can open the jugs on warmer days and to water plants, and then close them back up at night.

I don't have space for seed starting indoors, nor do I have southern windows or light tables. Winter sowing seemed to be the perfect answer. We'll see what grows and thrives. I'm gardening in zone 5.

I received over 2 dozen different herb seed packets for Christmas. Many of the herbs I've never heard of before. So far I've winter sown Chamomile, Lemon Balm, Echinacea, Milk Thistle, Peppermint, Feverfew, Burdock, Yarrow, St. John's Wort, and Astragalus. Some of these plants could grow quite large. I'm realizing we're going to have to build a large herb bed in the garden.

Eventually I hope to winter sow veggies as well. I'm not sure how well some of the veggies will transplant, but I have enough seed I can try both methods, winter sowing and direct sowing. I'll keep you posted on how it all works out.

For more information on winter sowing, check out, http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2010/12/winter-sowing-101/

or wintersown.org

About Me

I picked this up from my friend Renee. Thanks Renee!!

~What is your favorite season, and why?

Autumn - I love the fall colors and putting on a cozy jacket. Fall means apple picking and pumpkin patches. Fall is when the public school kids go back to school and we unschoolers have the rest of the world to ourselves! LOL! It never lasts long enough.

~ If you could live in any other time period, when?
I'm staying put. I can't live without the internet! Plus I like knowing I have access to modern medicine. If you force me into the Delorian, I'm setting it for the future.
 

~ Do you love a particular planet or constellation?
I love planet Earth and my favorite constellation is Cassiopeia.

~ If you believe in heaven, what does it look like?
 Heaven for me, will be a garden. I see heaven as the perfect place to be an autodidact with full access to all of life's answers.

~ You are burying a personal time capsule to be opened in 100 years. What goes in?
Seeds, chocolate, music, books, Birkenstocks, Badger balms, honey oatmeal soap, photographs, artwork, recipes
 

~ If you could come back as an animal, what would you want to be and why?
I love big and small cats, but the carnivore only diet doesn't appeal to me. I'd probably be a bird. I like having a nest, yet it would be fun to migrate.
 

~ The fantasy dinner party – you get 12 guests, dead or alive, famous or not. Who are they?
They'll all not born yet. 12 of my future descendants (grandchildren, great grandchildren) 

~ What do you want to be doing when you die?
Smiling

Random Thoughts - Valentine's 2012

DS13's teeth are starting to feel less sore. He may try to chew today.

I'm hoping to celebrate Valentines and take my boys out for lunch. We're planning on going to Famous Daves. It feels strange eating out without Dad, but he has to work first shift and I work second.

I did make DH a peanut butter sandwich with love today. I also baked him banana bread for breakfast and we'll have brownies when we finally have a chance to see each other late tonight.

DH & I have been doing our best to try and not catch the cold the boys have had. So far so good. I believe in the power of veg!

I have to get my winter sowing done. My husband is so wonderful to put up with me storing empty milk jugs all over the kitchen floor.

Discovered yesterday I have way more herb seeds than I realized. I must build a bigger herb bed this spring.

They also must drink more milk so I can winter sow more seeds! (I don't drink it.)

We bought two new chairs for the game cave - inexpensive recliners we found at Menards, but so much nicer than the beaten to death couch we threw out a few weeks ago. Perfect for man style gaming all night.

Now I need to plan a Mom Cave. DH suggested we pick up another inexpensive recliner, but I passed. I want something more fitting for a Queen of the castle, not the King and his Princes. Unless its patio furniture, I don't want something purchased at a home improvement store.

We saw Chronicle last weekend. I wasn't sure I wanted to see it, but my family insisted. It turned out to be entertaining, and I was glad I went.

Battery is about to go on the laptop. I better wrap this up and plug back in.

Have a Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope everyone has a chance to feel loved today and to share that love with others.

Braces

DS13 doesn't want us to take any photos of him with his braces, so I'm using this model photo. He choose black elastics. I actually think they look pretty cool, although next time I suggested he go with rainbow, or do they have glow in the dark?

He's in a lot of discomfort, because not only are his teeth really sore, he has a head cold, poor dude. Last night's supper was vanilla milkshake and yogurt.

Its been a long time since I've purchased a milkshake from McDonalds. Even though the shake wasn't for me, I was disappointed. It was served in a clear plastic frappe style cup, and I thought vanilla usually meant white, not tan. Maybe that was due to vanilla extract being added, but I couldn't help but think this was going to taste like coffee. DS13 assured me it tasted good, but next time, I'll plan on making him a vanilla shake at home.

I was trying to reconcile the expense this will cost us, even with some insurance kicking in. I'm grateful we are in a financial position to make this happen for our son, but the price sticker on this project is still coming in around $4,000 after insurance. Its wire, metal, elastics and practiced people choosing to make the correct pressure points. Yes, it will take almost 2 years to complete, but material wise, I can see this expense is boiling down to labor costs. Although I will share, the waiting room/office at the ortho is pretty posh. The bathroom too has a designer glass sink bowl and faucet.

Of course there isn't anything we wouldn't do for the comfort and safety of our children. I knew he had an overbite, but when I actually saw the 3D molded cast of his "before" teeth, I had no idea how uncomfortable my son must be. His bottom teeth were really biting into the roof of his mouth.

My heart still aches for the pain he will have to endure for the next two years. I wore braces myself at his age. I wish I could do this for him, but he'll get through this. Maybe he will even learn to enjoy different soft foods?

He loves biting into hard, crunchy apples and loves popcorn. I'm sorry he will have to miss this.

So far his list of soft foods is very short; yogurt, scrambled eggs, spaghetti, ice cream. He's never been into soups, but I hope that will change.

He's not suppose to drink soda pop, but he's never liked carbonation, so that's not a sacrifice. He's never really been into candy either.

I was actually surprised when the receptionist told me to have him chew gum, not bubble gum. She said it will help with the soreness. I don't know if he'll be willing to give this a try.

He has more of a salt tooth than sweet tooth. He's been told to be careful with chips. This surprised me. I don't see taco chips as being too hard. Maybe a cheetoe, but a taco chip? We'll have to figure this out.

I Love Tooth Soap!!

I went this past weekend to a wellness fair with my sister and with my new interest in soap making, I naturally gravitated over to a vendor selling homemade soaps. They also offered tooth soap, which is something I had never heard of before. It's made up of a mixture of coconut, olive, peppermint oils and stevia. You place a few drops on a wet toothbrush and brush away as usual. To my surprise, it works wonderfully!! I won't be going back to regular toothpaste.

I could never use tartar control toothpaste. It would chemically burn my gums and even hours after brushing, I would have gum tissue peeling off. Yuck!

I was using regular, no frills paste, but until brushing with the tooth soap, I had no idea how uncomfortable the regular paste was. The gentleman at the soap booth told me people who complain about sensitive teeth often don't realize its the tooth paste that is causing it. I guess I had become accustomed to the discomfort, being used to the pain.

After brushing with the tooth soap, my teeth and gums feel really clean and smooth, without any discomfort. I was surprised how the oil lathered up similar to tooth paste too. With the peppermint oil and stevia, it tastes pleasant as well. I've noticed that even upon waking up in the morning, after brushing with tooth soap the night before, my mouth is cleaner compared to using tooth paste.

*I want to add I have NOT been paid to endorse Soap For Teeth. In fact I paid $15 for the product, but given you only use a few drops each time, I think 4 ounces is going to last me a very long time. If anyone is interested, I do believe you can order online, from Nature Made Heaven Scent Soap.

Sandusky UWG January 2012

Our UWG/Birthday celebration trip January 22- January 26th

Winter Road Trip To The UWG Sandusky

We're back from our winter road trip! I'm so thankful the weather cooperated. We drove out and back in somewhat foggy, wet conditions, but the temperature held and things didn't freeze up.

We arrived at the Kalahari last Sunday for the Unschoolers Waterpark Gathering. We reserved a suite so we had room to stretch out and use of a full kitchen. My favorite park of the room, the gas fireplace! I also realized how much I miss having a dish washer.

The first official night of the unschooling conference, they had a cake meet and greet. We made a pizza cake. The cheese is really shaved white chocolate, the pepperoni, fruit rollup.

Other than attending a few Yu-Gi-Oh tournaments, we didn't participate much in the official UWG "funshops" because DS13 preferred water park fun. We all came home with sore bodies and feet from spending most of our time going down water slides and swimming in the wave pool. My son recorded video of me being flushed down the twister. I'll have to post that later.

My favorite part of the park is the outdoor hot tubs. It must be my Scandinavian blood, but I love that feeling of breathing cold, fresh air, yet still staying toasty warm.

Yes, DS12 is now officially DS13!! We had a great time celebrating his birthday while at the Kalahari. He chose to eat out at "the Lob", our traditional birthday lunch spot, and did consume mass quantities of cheddar biscuits.

DS16 taped short clips of himself dancing all during our trip and has created a hilarious video. I helped him tape some of it, and it was too funny watching people wonder why this kid was dancing around without music. I think this is my favorite souvenir of our trip.

Of course we ate lots of goodies, including enjoying ice cream at Toft's Dairy. I never made it to the fitness center, but with the swimming and stair climbing required to ride the slides, I hope I burned off some of it. G-Ma also used her pedometer and found out the distance from our room to the water park was 1/2 a mile. When you consider we made two round trips a day to the water park, I feel I did get at least 2 miles a day of walking in. Its crazy how big the Kalahari resort is.

Our 5 days away went by so quickly. I didn't do everything I had planned to do while on vacation, but our days were very full. We miss the Kalahari but it feels good to be back home too.

Yesterday I sweated out 3 miles on the dreadmill. Today's exercise was chasing dust bunnies. I can honestly say I prefer the dreadmill.

Tomorrow may bring 7 inches of snow. Today I'm going for an extra long walk outside since it may be awhile before I'll get another chance to do so.

50+ degrees, sunny... I keep looking at the calendar and a map wondering where am I.

Cinnamon Bread

Description:
My husband loves cinnamon bread, but without the raisins. Its not always easy to find good cinnamon bread without raisins in stores and bakeries, so this weekend I decided to make him one from scratch. It came out very yummy!

Ingredients:
1 packet of yeast (I used Bob's Red Mill brand) or 2 t dry yeast
3 1/2 to 4 C of flour
1 C milk
1/4 C butter
1/4 C sugar (white)
1 t salt
1 egg

1/4 C brown sugar
2 t cinnamon

Directions:
Mix the yeast with 1 1/2 C of flour in a large mixing bowl

Place the milk, butter, sugar and salt into a small stove top pan and warm gently, stirring to melt the butter. Heat this mixture to 115-120 degrees.

Mix together the warm milk mixture with the flour/yeast mixture and add in the egg. Allow the mixture to sit and rest for 15 minutes.

Next add in the rest of the flour and knead to make a soft dough, adding flour as needed, just to make the dough not sticky. When I use my kitchenaid mixer with the dough hook, I add flour until I see the dough pull away from the sides of the bowl and ball up around the dough hook. Knead for about 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.

Move the dough to a lightly greased bowl and loosely cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise for one hour or until doubled.

Punch down the down and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.

Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon.

Press out the dough to 15 X 7 inch rectangle. Brush the dough lightly with water. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon over the dough.

Roll up the dough, jelly roll style and pinch the end seam closed. Place the dough into a greased loaf pan and allow to rise for 35-45 minutes in a warm place, loosely covered.

Preheat oven to 375

Sprinkle the top of the bread with more cinnamon sugar if you like and bake for 35-40 minutes, covering the top of the bread with foil the last 15 minutes of baking.

If you like, ice the bread after it cools a bit. Mix together 1/2 C powdered sugar with 1/4 t vanilla, 2 T milk. Drizzle over the warm bread.

Eggies

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Other

I normally don't fall prey to "as seen on TV" items, but I had a Walmart gift card, and I do hate peeling eggs. I thought I give these a try.

My husband likes hard boiled eggs and rarely has time for breakfast. I thought a supply of ready to go hard boiled eggs would be a good option for him, but I hate peeling. The egg always comes off with the shell. I've tried the different tricks, using salt water, cracking and running under cold water after they are cooked, etc. but I always end up with sticky shells.

As you can see, Eggies did hard boil the egg successfully without me having to peel any shell off. I'm happy about that, but here are my cons.

1. There are several pieces. Each Eggie has at least 4 parts that have to be assembled together, not including the tiny rubber gasket.

2. You have to oil lightly each Eggie or your egg will stick. You can't spray non-stick spray directly into the Eggie. I used a paper towel dipped in olive oil and oiled up each one.

3. Its not a quick process. You are trading the time you would have spent peeling, assembling your Eggies and greasing them up. For hard boiled large eggs you have to boil them for 15-18 minutes.

Lastly, this isn't really a con, but your egg does not come out egg shaped due to gravity. It ends up looking more like half an egg. So visually, you feel like you are not getting an entire hard boiled egg.

Overall, I like this product. I would rather assemble and oil up the Eggies than peel shells. Plus if I'm careful, I can make a small hole in the shell, pour the egg into the Eggies and keep the mostly intact shell for an Easter craft project.

I think a better product would be to make these out of silicon so you wouldn't have to grease up the cups.

I Can't Label This

Next time someone asks, I'm very tempted to say we "out" school. Most people don't understand what unschooling really means because the "un" leads them to believe its negative. They probably haven't read anything by John Holt either.

Our educational pursuits often take us away from home so "home" schooling isn't entirely accurate.

I could tell people we are autodidacts, but you'd be surprised how many people have no idea what that means. "What is an autodidact?" I enjoy suggesting they look it up on their own, knowing they become one executing that task.

I've heard the term "Life Learner", thrown around in unschooling circles, but that sounds too obvious to me. Isn't everyone always learning from their life experiences?

"Interest based" -again, so obvious to me.

"Free learning" - It has a hippie vibe I could love, but at the same time it alienates anyone outside our lifestyle.

The more I ponder this, I don't like using the word "school" at all, but that word is the bridge between my world and theirs. Anyone educated traditionally equates "school" to education.

So what about "Alternative schooling"? - I could warm up to this label, but that's probably because it reminds me of "alternative music". (Am I letting my Generation X show?) Plus I admit, I'd like a little more oomph.

I'm inspired by other "Outs"; Outside, Out And About, Out Of The Closet, Out Of The Box, Out Sourced, Out Wit - Out Play - Out Last, (Thank you Survivor). Out Schooling creates a message we are educating ourselves away from the mainstream, but does it have an air of superiority?

Its my intent to express we're more about being unconfined. (There's "un" sneaking in there again.) We want to express we feel its important and more meaningful to us if we choose our own paths.

Choosing a label to allow for a good first impression is very difficult. Can't I just invite you to hang out with us and maybe then you'll understand?

Hey, did you catch that? How about Hang Out Schooling? Hmmm... no, that sounds like we're doing nothing important.

Maybe I should simply find it entertaining watching jaws drop when I say, "My children don't attend school."

Out is not In. Out feels better to me than In because I'm not looking for inclusion, but rather the chance to go anywhere we want to. I'm not trying to get In because there is so much more to go Out and play with! In may feel safe, but its really not.

The people who truly want to understand, will seek a more clear definition. The people who only want to judge won't. I've reached the point where I know our lifestyle works very well for us and is exactly how we were meant to live.

How will I decide to define it after all of this contemplation? I think it will depend on how I'm asked. 



 

My Multiply home page appears to be messed up but not the other pages. Hmmm...???

Rocking My Domestic Powers

The past few days, the boys have asked me, "Do you have to go to work today?"

I've loved that I've been able to say no! I could really get used to this, but as it is, I'll be missing the paycheck I would have received these past two weeks. Why didn't I buy a lotto ticket at Christmas?

Before heading back to the routine next week, I'm enjoying spending extra time exercising my autodidact.

I have plans to make soap. I've been wanting to do this for awhile now and just never got around to it. For Christmas I received a handmade bar of honey oatmeal soap, and I'm more motivated than ever to start making our own. I have sensitive skin and can feel immediately when I'm exposed to natural versus artificial.

The boys say they will help me in this soap making endeavor. We've collected several books with recipes and today we scored a stick blender at the resale shop for $4. If we make enough soap that we can begin selling it this spring, I will split the profits with them. If we aren't able to set up a home soap business, at least we'll have fun exploring a bit of chemistry.

Bird report - We had swarms hanging out in our bushes and enjoying our feeders, then one day I saw the hawk perched on the deck rail. On the north side of our garden the feathers on the ground prove the hawk has been successfully filling her belly. Now we rarely see the juncos, sparrows and finches hanging around. I suppose once the hawk moves on, the birds will return.

I've also been enjoying being home to cook for my family. Tonight I'm going to try making Giada's parmesan potato pancakes.

I Have A Few Minutes...

The boys are busy enjoying their Christmas gifts.

We're all having a wonderful holiday season. I didn't get full blown sick! My defense of Emergen-C, Echinacea tea, veggies, vitamin D and rest seems to have given me an edge.

Despite what you see in the photo, I could have done better nutritionally. As expected the goodies were everywhere, and even though I kept trying to give them away, they kept ricocheting back into my Sleepyhouse. I've stuck some of it in the freezer, and the gingerbread tin I've told DS16 to keep in his room. I'm setting up to begin 2012 with less temptation laying around in front of me. I'll be trying to keep more veggies like this on hand.

One of my Christmas gifts was a giant herbal book along with seeds to grow herbs, along with herbs to make infusions. Can you guess what's next on my autodidact list?? Actually I've been having garden dreams in my sleep, and these first few days with added daylight have me craving to make garden plans. The fact we have no snow on the ground isn't helping.

I'm basically off from work this week, but I'm trying to take that extra time to complete some projects around the house. I feel so much better when the nest is in order. You could say I've started my spring cleaning early.

For New Year's we'll probably stay put. I know there aren't too many years left we'll have with the boys. There is a concert DH & I would love to go to, but it doesn't feel right beginning the new year not together as a family. I also know I need this week of down time because January's schedule is filling up.

Have I made any New Year's resolutions? Sort of. Its not that I really want to focus on changing anything as much as I want to focus on recognizing my talents and improving upon them. I know I have a pretty good foundation. Its just time to start building that up now. 2012 is not going to be about what I need to change, but rather, embracing my positive attributes and using them wisely. I am going to be who I am and love myself regardless.

I remember last year I told myself I was going to chillaxx in 2011. I know I'm better at doing this than I was before, but I also understand my true self. I am better at not allowing it to become a weakness, and I can choose to use my worry trait differently.

Well, I don't feel like sitting still any longer. I'll check back in when I can.

Today I witnessed my sons' generosity and Christmas spirit and realized how truly blessed I am to have these wonderful young men in my life.

Maybe I Shouldn't Have Kissed Him?

Of course I should have! He warned me he thought he was getting a sore throat, but aren't you suppose to share everything in a marriage?

Needless to say, I'm drinking Echinacia tea, eating plenty of clementines and raw veggies and just trying to relax about it all. It is what it is.

I do seem to spend more Christmases under the weather rather than above it. I think that's just because of the stress of the season and the increased opportunities to run into germies. I just need to focus on not stressing out over it and trust my immune system to do its job.

I woke up and began wrapping presents trying to be more proactive with this task this year. I really don't like wrapping. I usually find myself forced to stay up really late on Christmas Eve because I haven't wrapped anything. One of these years, I want to make decorative draw string bags we can re-use every year, I just haven't gotten around to it.

12/22/11
I didn't finish this post yesterday. DS12.11 wanted me to take him Christmas shopping. With his own money he bought gifts for all of us. When it came time to buy mine, he took me to a jewelry counter, had me show him what I liked and then asked me to walk away. :) So cute! I think I know what I'm getting, but my real gift was watching his generosity and Christmas spirit. When we returned home, he wrapped them all by himself.

Today DS16 wants a ride to the mall. I'm sure he was motivated by knowing what his younger brother had just done. The only thing I'd change is next year, I need to explain to these two how shopping earlier means less crowds.

I definitely have a head cold. I slept in really late this morning and my nose is starting to run a little bit more. I hope it doesn't get too bad and I can keep this from getting ugly.

I better get moving. Hope the mall isn't too crazy.

Fat Cat or Bald Cat?

Would you rather have a fat cat or a bald cat?

I know its winter not by the calendar, not by the position of the sun, but by the fact Yumi now is sporting several bald patches on her back. She yanks out her fur this time of year, I think because of dry, itchy skin. She does not have fleas.

I've decided to begin adding fish oil to her kibble once again. I did this last year and it seemed to help

She will not eat wet food, (unless its the expensive smoked salmon I bought for my husband to enjoy.) She prefers to eat dry kibble and due to her previous food allergies, I always try to give her grain free cat food. She's currently eating Taste Of The Wild, but because its a dry kibble food, I don't think it gives her enough fat to keep her skin from drying out this time of year.

She's already over weight. We always measure her food so she doesn't get more than she's suppose to have, but this grain free food is not exactly low calorie. Plus, this time of year she wants more, to keep warm I believe. (We keep our thermostat set to 64 and use lots of blankets.) She's currently being fed 1/4 cup in the morning and 1/4 cup at night.

I hope the added fish oil helps her. She's also been taking hairball treatment fish oil weekly. Her fur is nice and bunny soft, but she does have dry skin dander, especially on her back. I brush her regularly to help oils distribute. I don't know what else to try. Hopefully she'll stop yanking out her fur.

You Have To Watch Out For Tomten

My son's latest video. I'm really hoping he makes more soon! Tomten can be so mischievous, especially if you don't feed them rice pudding!

Want A Cookie?

These are some of the delicious cookies we made yesterday at our weekly homeschool posse hang out. We have double chocolate chip, molasses, date pinwheels and the hearts are the Swedish Pepparkakor I made.

I have to give a big thank you to my friend who hosted, allowing me to use her granite counter-top. It made rolling out the Pepparkakor so much easier!! The secret to good Pepparkakor is rolling them really thin. I have never been able to roll them as thin as my mormor did until yesterday! I can't afford to redo my kitchen, but I think I'll start looking for a scrap piece of marble or granite I can turn into a dough board.

The Cage The Elephant show last night was amazing. Everything just fell into place perfectly. We found free parking and the best seats in the house. My favorite part was when I noticed DH truly relaxing and he put his arm around me.

I'm going to head out today to finish up some Christmas shopping. I hope it goes well, and I can continue to ride this life high into the weekend.

Enjoy your cookie and have a great weekend!

Not Just Lurking, Actually Updating You...

Am I actually taking a few moments to journal what's been going on?

I'm finding it difficult to comprehend there are just two weeks left before we begin a new year. Seems like Thanksgiving was yesterday, literally.

The weather hasn't helped. Its been warmer than usual so we have no snow on the ground. It feels like I should be gardening, but then I look at the calendar and know the snow and ice will come any day now. I don't have any cold frames or a greenhouse so nothing really will grow.

I'm anxiously anticipating date night tonight. DH and I are going to see Cage The Elephant. They always put on a super high energy show. I know its going to be incredible. I'm really hoping it helps DH's mood. I think the stress from work and our days of less sunlight have been bringing him down.

This afternoon I'm bringing Pepparkakor cookie dough over to a friend's house with the hope she can help me roll out the cookies very thin. I haven't enjoyed good Pepparkakor cookies since my grandmother had made them. The store bought version doesn't compare.

I decided not to do much baking this Christmas knowing there will be plenty of goodies around. Its always a challenge to get through this season without over doing the sugar quota. I'm focusing on raw veggie appetizers I can bring to the parties we'll attend instead. I will probably bake a batch of soft gingerbread reindeer cookies for the boys.

I got my haircut and now its not growing. She cut it too short. I warn them every time, as soon as you snip my longer hair, it will spring up and appear much shorter. I wanted shoulder length and ended up with chin length. I'm getting used to it and people tell me it looks cute, but I really hate not being able to pull it back into a pony. I swear it just looks shorter everyday too. It doesn't seem to be growing out.

After almost 4 years, I took the boys in for a wellness checkup. I couldn't believe it had really been 4 years, but honestly, they've never been sick in all that time and with all of the changes in our health insurance coverage, I never scheduled wellness checkups. As luck would have it, our current insurance meant the boys could see their original physician, which they were happy about. It went better than I had expected.

Our doctor hasn't always been homeschooling friendly. I've tried over the years to educate and enlighten him. I was surprised he didn't make an issue out of it this time, and I actually found a homeschooling magazine in his waiting room!!

I was also surprised they didn't fight me at all when I asked they NOT give the boys the flu and HPV shots. These are two I definitely think they can do without.

Of course after visiting the office, I'm in full out germaphobe mode. I always feel like we get sick AFTER we visit a clinic for the obvious reasons. I did try to schedule earlier morning appointments hoping our exposure would be less. It would be more healthy if doctors still made house calls don't you think?

My parents will be here this weekend and we'll celebrate at my sister's house. Next weekend there's another party at my sister's with more of my family attending. I like being able to celebrate in smaller gatherings. Its less overwhelming and you actually get to spend time visiting with people rather than touching base for a few minutes.

Christmas Day we'll be home, in the nest. I plan to wear yoga pants all day.

I most likely will not have to drive in to work much the next two weeks. I have projects to work on from home, but we'll have no lessons now until after the new year. Another perk to my job, semester breaks!

I'm going to try filming customer service videos with my son, who's really taken an interest in film making. I've told him it would be good practice experience to help me write, film and edit these clips for my workplace. Maybe someday he'll make a living doing what he loves to do!

I didn't get any Christmas cards written, and I won't have all the perfect gifts for everyone, but I do feel like I'm managing to not become overwhelmed. As they say, "Martha Stewart doesn't live here and that is a good thing!"  I'm having enough of a challenge trying to maintain healthy habits.

Sleep has been difficult, but I think that's midlife hormones. I can go to bed at 11:30pm and wake up wide awake at 5:00am. Of course the crash comes later!! Some nights, I just can't fall asleep no matter how hard I try. I seem to go two days without sleep and then be able to sleep one or two nights. I'm trying not to stress over it. I think it will all balance out eventually. Unfortunately, I'm always ready for a nap when I have to leave for work!

From desperation to inspiration ~ today's unschooling included overcoming the virus attacking DS's computer and learning everything is fixable as long as you don't give up. Every stressful event is an opportunity to learn and grow as long as you keep rolling with the changes.

Day 30 ~ I was so very grateful to come home, after a semi-stressful work evening, to a loving family who saved Chinese take out for me!

Throw Cans At Me

Today I was privileged to assist my son work on a film project. He has found a mentor, a film maker who has offered free film school lessons online. For his first project he needed to film a short, one take, stationary shot that was "compelling." This is what he came up with.




My part was to simply push the record button on the camera. DS16 set up the shot and came up with the idea. The part I find hilarious is he asked his soon to be 13 year old brother to throw cans at him. Is that not a dream come true for a little brother??!!! An invitation to throw something at your big brother??!!

I'm excited DS16 has found this learning opportunity and I hope he enjoys the process. I know DS12.10 had fun!!!

Day 29 ~ I am grateful for the relationship I have with my children. Everything I do, every choice I make, I ask myself, how will this effect my relationship with them. I will only follow a path that strengthens my bond with my boys.

Day 28 ~ I'm grateful hair grows. I'm also grateful for people who listen well.

Day 26 ~ Couldn't sleep and with my nervous energy, I started moving furniture around at 3:00am. I couldn't make it work. I'm grateful for my understanding husband who helped me fix it. My nest now feels right. Day 27 ~ I'm grateful for sleep. 10+ hours and I'm back to mental health!

Day 25 ~ I'm grateful for such a perfect weather day for cutting down our Christmas tree and for the strong boys rocking the tree saw.

Day 24 ~ I am so blessed with a wonderful family! My favorite part of Thanksgiving, the laughter!!

Day 23 ~ I was grateful he was half dressed and I promise, promise, promise to ALWAYS knock before I close down the men's locker room.

Getting Ready For Thanksgiving

What's been keeping me so busy?

I'm learning HTML coding along with a list of 24 other projects I want to complete before the end of the year for work. I'm trying to convince myself I'm not biting off more than I can chew, but rather all true geniuses have several unfinished projects going on at one time. Wasn't this true of DaVinci? 

I'm also reading several books, one of which is a work of fiction! GASP! Dawn is reading FICTION?!! I'm reading, Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindquist. I'm reading this because the movie was so well done, but mostly I'm reading this because DH just read it. I thought it would be nice if I actually read a book he has read so we can discuss it. The man only reads fiction and well, I rarely do. I thought I'd make the effort because I love him so.

We're getting ready for turkey feast. Since the bird was free, I picked out a 22 pound beast with our Piggly Wiggly points. I took him out last Friday night, but today he still seems icy. I hope he thaws in time. I made the cranberry sauce and brownies, (my crew doesn't really like pie), and tomorrow I'll cook the sweet potatoes and stuffing. On the big day, I'll get up at 6:00am to prepare the bird for the oven and throw the stuffing in the slow cooker. I'll take the rolls out to rise and bake them when the turkey comes out. Lastly, on the stove top we'll cook up garlic mashed potatoes and sweet corn. I just hope people show up to eat it all! 

I did something to my ankle, but have no clue what it was. For a few days it felt like I was recovering from a twisted ankle only I didn't twist it. Now I'll be walking and all of a sudden it will give out on me and it feels like I've shattered it. It almost feels like if I could just snap or crack it back to where it should be, it would be okay. I think its a nerve thing. Or my feet are missing my birkies!!! (I wonder if Birkenstock make boots for winter? Hmmm...)

Hopefully my ankle begins to cooperate since Turkey day looks like it will be perfect outside. I'd love to walk off some of the feast. We'll probably hike out to chop down the Christmas tree too.

If I don't get another chance, Happy Thanksgiving! 

Catching up!! Day 20 - I'm grateful for music! Its my drug of choice. Day 21 - I may have said this before, but I'm truly grateful to be an autodidact. I love to learn! Day 22- The tickle in my throat is telling me I need to eat raw today. I'm thankful for broccoli slaw and smoothies!

Day 19 ~ I'm thankful to have strong men to carry stuff for me. :)

Day 18 - Its so wonderful to have an 88 degree swimming pool all to yourself. I'm grateful for work perks!

Catching up with my thankful list ~ Day 16 I was grateful to receive a just because I love you call. He had been thinking of me all day and called as soon as he could. :) Day 17 - Today I am grateful I can stay home and take care of those I love.

Day 15 of 30 days of thankfulness ~ I'm grateful today was a beautiful day to walk to the library and the book I requested, Four Season Harvest by Eliot Coleman was ready for me to check out. Now I'm dreaming about building cold frames or even a mobile greenhouse next year!

Day 14 of 30 Days of thankfulness ~ Opportunities to learn new things, an appreciative boss, a chance to hold an itty bitty baby in my arms, free Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies, I have the best job ever! I'm grateful to work where I do!!

Day 10 of 30 days of thankfulness ~ I'm grateful we live close to a Piggly Wiggly, especially since I burned supper in the slow cooker today. Hoping the burnt taco smell doesn't stick around long. :)

Day 9 of 30 days of thankfulness ~ As I watch the rain change over to snow, I'm grateful for this quilt covering me and the hands who sewed it. Think I'll give my mom a call today because I'm so grateful I can still do so.

MW 3 Midnight Release Party 11/7/11

I finished my shift which usually signals the start of the end of my day, however on this night, I had a promise to keep. He had worked so hard, and saved his money. He waited for this night to come, counting down the days for weeks now.

I stopped in at Game Stop before my shift and paid off his game. I asked the clerk honestly, what time should we show up for this midnight release shin dig.

"We are expecting over 300. You can start lining up at 6:00pm to get your wristband."

Seriously?

We left the Sleepyhouse around 11:30pm, driving through the dark, hoping to avoid the jumpy deer. Arriving back in the city we saw the line at Toys R Us and the line at Best Buy, and I was a little surprised to see a few dozen lined up. When we pulled past the parking lot of Game Stop, my jaw dropped. Yes, 300 is about the correct number. I'm such a mom.

We had to park at Target and walk over through the dropped evidence of a serious tailgate party, Mountain Dew cans, bags of Chilpolte. The ratio of male to female, 297 to 3. The 3 included myself and two other moms.

We took our place at the back of the line just about at midnight, but were told we first needed to go inside and pick up our wrist bands. This turned out to be a lucky break because we were actually inside the store at the stroke of midnight to catch sight of the few lucky gamers who had indeed been waiting since 6:00pm.

DS16 brought the video camera. I'm hoping soon, when they decide to stop playing, he will upload the video and I can share it here. There were people dressed up in costume. The crew from Raven, a local video game design company, were there too. I don't know why. This wasn't a game they had designed.

Wristband in hand, we went back outside to wait our turn back in. The line did move quickly and we had our game in hand around 12:30am.

Walking back to the car, we had to avoid a few crazy ones, peeling out to race home and play, but several groups remained to party on. My favorite group were the air horns. They kept blasting their air horn to show their excitement. I couldn't resist. I shouted out, "We need more air horn!" Of course they obliged.

Driving back home to our sleepy bedroom community, we came across a pair of moronic raccoons. (Maybe all raccoons are morons?) I slowed down and one ran off, but the other turned and tried to scamper off directly in front of us for several yards. We also witnessed several deer backsides, but thankfully, their timing was much better than the raccoons and we didn't hit any.

DS16 made it to 2:00am, DS12 made it to 3:00am. They were both awake again by 8:30am, plugged back in. They are taking breaks to eat. That is good.

Day 8 of 30 days of thankfulness ~ I'm grateful for the few hours of sleep I did get, but mostly I'm grateful my children are happy.

Swedish Style Pancakes - Dawn's version

Description:
I adapted my grandmother's recipe, trying to make it more healthy. My mother would make these for us rolling them up with plenty of butter and maple syrup or jam. My sister taught me to roll them with vanilla pudding and whipped cream - YUM!

Getting back to trying to be healthy - I used whole grain flour, almond milk and rolled them with plain non fat yogurt mixed with homemade applesauce. Another great filling is left over sweet potato!

These pancakes, which are like crepes, cook up very quickly, so have your fillings and/or toppings ready to go. I prepare and warm up my fillings/toppings before making the pancakes so everything rolls up warm and toasty.

Recipe easily doubles if you have a crowd.

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 1/2 C almond milk
1/2 t vanilla
1 T brown sugar
2 T melted butter
1 1/4 C whole grain flour

Filling/topping ideas (some healthy, some not) - applesauce, yogurt, sweet potato, jam/jelly, maple syrup, pudding/custard, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, banana, chopped dried fruits, nuts.

Directions:
1. Mix together your pancake batter by whisking together the egg, milk, vanilla, sugar and melted butter. Stir in the flour until mixed.

2. Prepare your fillings, warming them if necessary.

3. Heat a non-stick pan with a little pat of butter or non-stick spray.

4. Pour in a few tablespoons of batter and swirl the pan around, spreading out the batter. Swedish pancakes are very thin and cook quickly!

5. After about a minute or so, using a non stick spatula, flip the pancake/crepe over and quickly cook the other side for a few moments.

6. Remove the pancake to a waiting plate, add fillings and roll up.

7. ENJOY!

Day 7 of 30 days of thankfulness ~ I'm grateful I can walk to the library, have the sun shine on me, fresh air fill my lungs, and all the inspiration my backpack can carry.

Day 6 of 30 days of Thankfulness ~ I'm grateful for my wonderful husband, who is always willing to pitch in around the house even though he works 40+ hours a week away from it.

Day 5 of 30 days of thankfulness ~ I'm grateful to have an entire weekend free, to enjoy with my family.

Day 4 of 30 days of thankfulness ~ I'm grateful for the hug I received from DS12 just because he was feeling happy. Unsolicited hugs when you least expect them are wonderful. :)

Day 3 of 30 Days Of Thankfulness ~ Today I'm grateful I'm tuned in and listening to my song.

Day 2 of 30 days of thankfulness ~ I'm grateful rest restores. A new day, a new chance for change.

Day 1 of 30 days of Thankfulness - Today I'm grateful the mortgage comes out on the 5th not the 1st. Making it to payday is a huge blessing!

Its Tuesday, not Monday, And We've Made It To November

I think because it was Halloween yesterday, and I had someone cover for me at work, this is why I feel like today is a Monday. I will be telling myself its Tuesday all day long.

DS12 enjoyed his last year of trick or treat, even though his Al Capone belly pillow fell out only a block away.

I'm thinking next year we throw a party and ask everyone to bring a different bag of candy. Then Christmas cookie exchange style, all the guests can put together an assortment to take home.

We watched several episodes of R.L. Stine's the Haunting Hour we had recorded and had a nice evening. I tried to make a healthy supper, salad with chicken breast and roasted potatoes, but we still probably ate too much sugar.

Another plan for next year, DS16 says we should get many more pumpkins and carve a pumpkin a day leading up to Halloween. How I will fit all those pumpkins into our tiny composter after Halloween, I don't know, but I like the idea of lining the driveway with pumpkins.

I had an interesting conversation with DS12 yesterday while he was carving his pumpkin. I thought he was being too hard on himself and he said back to me, "Mom, being hard on myself is what motivates me to do better."  Whoa.

We talked about the importance of knowing when you cross that line. We also discussed how every person creates their art differently and what's important is that you stay true to your individual style.

After he had finished carving, he did say he was pleased and it came out better than he had expected. I guess I shouldn't worry so much.

I can't believe it's November already. We've made it to November without putting on our heat!! Last night we got close to putting it on, but I had this goal to try and make it to November. It's only in the 50's on average during the day, and the evening temperatures drop down to the 30's, but with all the living we do in our Sleepyhouse, it somehow naturally stays warm enough. Our house temperature has maintained around 65. I joke its the heat from all of our glowing electronic rectangles!

On my agenda for November, organize my closet. I would have more room if I store way the summer gear.

I also hope to accomplish Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving. I say this every year, and never quite reach that goal. I would like for the shopping to be done, so I can completely enjoy the season without the stress come December.

My last goal for November, stay healthy! So far so good, but November brings the serious start of cold and flu season. At work I'm constantly exposed, although at home I try to keep the bottle of Lysol on hand. I think if I have DS12 hide away all of his Halloween candy, that will help me keep the sugar intact down. I know sugar and stress are what weaken me.

On that note, I suppose I should get moving here to help me reach that "be healthy" goal. Have a great TUESDAY!