The Heart Check Sheet

Here's a post about a practical tool that I use to help me and my kiddos stay on the same page as it relates to my expectations and their actions and attitudes. In raising our children it is easy to get enraptured in getting them to "do" the right thing or "behave" the right way and all the while miss making sure that their hearts are in the right place at the same time.

I had been finding it difficult to communicate with my teenager about my standards without nagging and I really want to avoid nagging as much as possible. Why it is so difficult for parents not to preach...I don't know but...it is. I knew I had communicated clearly about my standards but found that there was just real measuring stick on a daily basis other than my boiling point.

I had heard many times about people with smaller children having some kind of reward system but my Gracie is a little too old for tokens and stuff :) I was really searching for something that would allow her to know when she had a good day and also to help her to see exactly what had caused an upset on any given day.

I didn't want to make my communication with her only punitive in nature. My daughter is overall...REALLY a good kid but she is a young woman and consequently learning how to continue in her childhood obedience as well as handle her emotions and attitude. My desire was to encourage and reward her good efforts at controlling outward expressions of inward feelings. However, I didn't want to slip into the pattern of holding a carrot on a stick just to get her through the day with a good attitude. So...the tool that has helped us was born.

The system is simple. For each character area that I have determined to be one worth refining, she can earn a point each day if she does well, if she does poorly, she can lose a point, and if it's a draw, she earns nothing. According to the number of areas we had most recently, Gracie could earn a total of 7 daily points. That is a possible 49 points a week. The reward is the key. Gracie likes one on one time with me. So, I agreed that I would take her out to eat for every 50 points she earns. At increments of 50, 100, 150, etc., I have agreed to treat her. I explained that it probably won't be an expensive restaurant or anything, just a simple cheap dinner out for just the two of us.

Using this chart has made life easier. Not only is there a communication tool besides my nagging and fussing, there is also way for her to feel like her efforts are noticed. This little point system makes life easier in spots that would normally been major points of contention. I have a spot for comments at the bottom so this way I can tell her in detail (in a defined space) what I noticed (good or bad) about her day.

So here is the Heart Check Sheet for your perusal. It is in Word format so you can edit and personalize it. Hope it helps someone!

Back On U.S. Soil!

After flying for about 16 hours, we are not back in the U.S., laying over in New York, waiting on our flight home. I'm sitting in the Admiral's Club (a wonderful perk when flying with my frequent-flyer husband), grateful for internet access. My laptop is dead and is charging so I still can't send any pictures but I do have something to post today about homelife and kiddos. Can you tell what's on my mind!

Getting home to see my chillun'!

As much as I miss them, I am enjoying every long flight and every lay over. A Mommy's job is a hard and taxing one. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be still, be with my husband, enjoy some "me time", and live life without another human being on my hip or on my lap or in my bed or in my hair or....well you get the picture.

In all seriousness, the trip was a wonderful break! I was able to rest when I wanted to (a luxury), finish two books (never a possibility at home), watch four movies (on the airplane), sit and be served hot meals that I didn't have to share, and hold my husband's hand in the middle of the day...whenever I wanted to.

There's so much to tell...I can't wait.

As a matter of fact, I'll have a lot to share in the coming weeks anyway. As soon as we get home tonight, we are packing up the kids, getting the housesitter straight, then pulling off in the morning on our RV for a two week roadtrip.

Hope to see you along for the ride!

Great Reads!

I'm still in South Africa and have tried again to access the hotel's wireless internet but to no avail. I have some great pictures to share, but I guess I'll just wait until I get back in the states. The hotel does have a business center with internet access but when I tell you the computers are S-L-O-W....It's murder to try and use Blogger with a slow connection so I'm posting by sending "email posts" to my blog which is slow but not as bad as using the blogsite.

Since I am at the computer anyway trying to blog about my trip, I thought I'd blog about something else instead and remembered that I mentioned a few days ago I would share about some recent books I've read that are worthy of others checking out. I have a few bloggy friends that keep up a current list of their books read during the year with their reviews and opinions included. Maybe I'll add that to my list to do for next year but I'm just not that organized yet. The two books I'd like to mention today though couldn't wait until next year :)

A couple of weeks ago, I had a chance to complete two books in one week! Although I love to read, and would definitely consider myself to be a voracious reader, my time these days just doesn't allow me the luxury to get as much reading as I would like done. Getting these two books down was a real treat!

The first is A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver Van DeMille. This book is written to teachers, students, parents, educators, legislators, leaders - any person interested in making sure that kids get an education worthy of propelling them to greatness and to a life of purpose. I purchased this book at a homeschool conference as I had heard many people over time mention this book to me as a must-read. It definitely will help homeschool parents to help solidify their goals and direction in homeschooling their children, but it isn't just for the homeschooling family. The goal of the book is to pull from what made past leaders, world changers, and great thinkers in the past and show how we can implement those same educational experiences for our children today.

I'm never amazed, especially as I homeschool Gracie, how much I DIDN'T learn in school. There are many times that I feel inept as a homeschool Mom, wondering how in the world I'm going to make sure she comes away with the knowledge she needs to have in this life. This book encouraged me that life and learning is a journey and that goal of educating my children (whether I am in charge of that or a school) cannot be met unless I, myself, ensure that it happens. The cry here is for education that leads learners to greatness and beyond basic literacy and job skills. The main thrust of the book deals with the tenets of an quality education and some practical tips for how to get started with implementing those tenets.

Now I said I was only going to mention two books, but just writing that review made me think of another that I think every person should read regarding the education of our children, how we think about it, and how we can make a real difference in the quality of education that our children receive - The Art of Education by Linda Dobson. I initially read this book by getting it from my library and then after finishing it bought it to read again. This is one of those books that makes you think and call into question assumptions that you have about the educational system in America and what makes it work or not work. I assure you, if you pick up this book you WILL be challenged and you will wonder..."how come no one every told this to me before?"

Ok...now on to the second book I planned on discussing. I read this book and then passed it along to my husband to review. It is called Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham. I originally heard of this guy from a commenter on an older post - see my left sidebar under "What I Believe - About Children". The comment pointed me to listen to a sermon of Dr. Baucham's online. I was mesmerized by what I heard. Come to find out a family member of his goes to my church and when his book came out, she gave me one. Since my initial introduction to Dr. Baucham, he has been invited to the men's conference at my church and my husband attended his workshop. He called me after hearing his presentation to tell me how much he found Dr. Baucham's message inspiring and life-changing.

In his book, Dr. Bauchum starts out by saying that Christianity is a dying religion unless we, as believers, do something different then we have done in the past regarding the passing on of our legacy of faith. He begins his book with stating the problem of a state of a vanishing Christianity and how this problem has come about. Dr. Baucham discusses 1) the lack of value in the concept of having children with the idea of propagating the Kingdom of God in mind, 2) the lack of value in the necessity of passing along values to our children as evidenced by the number of "Christian" kids who, after being raised in Christian homes, do not choose to live out the "faith of their fathers", and 3) the trend of declining numbers of Christians with every generation that passes. At this juncture, Dr. Baucham then seeks to explain what we are doing wrong. That's where he book gets good.

The primary focus of this work is to explain what we are doing wrong and how to fix it. Dr. Baucham tenatiously outlines what Christians have not been doing that has helped fuel generations of people who do not live effective, on-fire lives for Christ - even after being raised in Christian homes. He discusses his own personal life both as an example of what he had failed to do, the realizations that he has come to in his journey as a husband, father, and pastor, and then on to what he seeks to do now. His platform as he speaks around the country is multi-generational Christianity and what we can do to ensure that we teach our children how to stand in this world.

It is obvious that this man is an intellectual and he is easy to respect because of the way he presents his material - very well-thought out and communicated. At the same time, I felt like I was listening to a big brother tell me his heart and give me guidance as to how to implement the concepts and principles he shares. His simple yet profound purpose of turning on the light bulb in Christians who desire to effectively pass their faith to their children will fan the flame in the heart of a Mom or Dad who are wanting a start at the "how-to-do-it".

Also, Dr. Baucham challenges the idea of age segregation as we know it in the modern day church. With the focus of family as the center of God's means for reaching the next generation, Dr. Baucham presents alternatives to the way we "do church" and suggests a different paradigm for the future if we want to see different results from the past in how we raise our children and how they turn out.

This is one of those books that, whether or not you agree with everything, you will be glad that someone stopped and finally MADE YOU THINK. It's definitely an easy read and worth reading all the way through. I encourage you to pick up a copy. I'll have a link to Amazon here...again...as soon as I get good internet access.

OK...that's enough for the day. I hope to post more about my time in South Africa soon :)

Internet Problems...

They are having serious internet connections issues at this hotel so will post again when I can.

Friday in Durban...

Wow! South Africa is apparently an extremely diverse nation. There are different people of all different colors all over the place. Even within folks of similar skin shades there are varying languages, cultures, and communities. America is a melting pot but South America even moreso. It's amazing to hear 3 or 4 different languages in a span of 5 minutes walking down the street.

Durban is on the coast. We are on the Indian Ocean and the views are breathtaking. Everything I saw today I took in from van...on the way to the mall. Isn't that a mess? But hey, our luggage was lost and we all wanted some....ummmm...clean underwear :)

Here is a map (like anybody cares)

See the words INDIAN OCEAN? Durban is the 3rd city above those words. Its yellow dot is a tad larger then the 1st two.

I have yet to upload actual pics from my camera. I'm downstairs in the hotel to get internet access and I left my camera cord upstairs....So...here are a couple of the things I saw today (from Google images).

This is the view from my hotel room window. Amazing that this is from Google. I have the exact same shot on my camera.

This was our view of Durban City Hall when we stepped out of the hotel to go exchange our dollars for South African Rand.


This was the view from the van on the way to the mall.


This was the view on the way home from the mall. It is called the Durban Golden Mile.

Other than my van ride, I slept in, mosied around the hotel, and even took a nap in the lobby of the hotel. I'm still jet lagged and still trying to catch up on missed Zzzzz's from getting ready for the trip but I slowly feel myself unwinding.

Oh...and our luggage finally got here late tonight. I'll post more later....G'night!

And The Winner Is...

Martha Bishop from not THAT Martha!

My two girls picked the winner. I told them to look through my comments and select the winner based on any criteria they chose as long as they agreed. Because I am away, my two girls picked Martha because they were touched when she said "she loved Kirk Franklin but had never owned one of his cd's".

I've contacted her and hopefully will hear back from her so I can send her the gift!

My Bloggy Give-A-Way

**This post will stay at the top of my blog all week. For new posts, scroll down.**

There is a give-a-way going on this week over at Rocks In My Dryer. I thought it would be great to join in the fun!

If you've come to this blog before, you may have heard one of my favorite songs playing in the background... "Imagine Me". I happen to have an extra CD (still shrink wrapped and everything!) of the album this song was recorded on and I'd love to share this with someone. The album is "Hero" and the artist is Kirk Franklin. He is a Christian Gospel Music Artist who'll either have you singing loud in the shower, crying and thanking God for His grace, or overflowing with renewed energy to clean your house!

If you have no idea who I'm talking about...just listen. I'm featuring Kirk on my playlist this week. The first three songs are from the "give-a-way CD", and then I've included some songs from other albums too. You can also just scroll down to the bottom of this page, locate my jukebox and and click on the specific selections you'd like to hear. You can also go to his website and listen to a sample of all the songs on the current album.


To be entered in the drawing, leave a single comment (duplicates will be deleted) below. You must provide a valid e-mail address, but you do not have to have a blog. I'll close comments at 12:01 a.m. this coming Friday morning, July 27, and I'll draw a random winner from the list. I'll announce the winner sometime on Friday.

Why did I choose music as my give-a-way? Well, I haven't done a whole lot of talking on my blog about music, but it is my passion. Specifically, praise and worship music is a major love of mine. In the past, before marriage and four kids, I directed a choir at my church and led worship. These days it's a lot harder to get everyone out the door and at the church around 6:45 am for soundcheck so....I don't do it as often but I'm still in love with singing praises to the King. In another season of life, I'll do more. For right now, I just hold my own in the pew, lifting my voice and making a joyful noise :)

Enough about yapping about me and my music! Check out my blog if you haven't been here before. Start HERE if you want to read an introductory post.

Be sure to leave a comment if you want to be included in the give-a-way and check out more great give-a-ways over at Rocks In My Dryer!

Four Year Old Fun

OK...I'm awake and my first waking thought goes towards what are my children doing while I'm away. Seeing as how I am 7 hours ahead of them, they are ASLEEP :)

I'm hoping that my big girls are treating my little guys OK. They are the ones who really know what my preschooler and toddler enjoy doing around the house. I'm sure they are doing a good job.

My thoughts of my children drove me to my photo program to just look at them. I smiled at the photos below.

These are some shots that caught my Sumo having a good time just being four. Simple fun is the best! Lazy summer days mean time for lingering over those sheer joys that only belong to childhood. These were good times for Sumo' because I let him play until he told ME he was finished...

Our high chair is way too small for Sumo now, but it's been his spot for fingerpainting since around 18 mths. Although it is Kano's spot for eating now, Sumo still loves to sit her for some of his play, especially artsy stuff.

Today he told me he didn't want to be brown anymore. He was determined to be red...

all the way down to the toes...

Once he had gotten as dirty colorful as he possibly could, he was ready for me to clean him up and make him brown again.

On this day, little Sumo had been begging for playdough (for awhile) and I kept forgetting to grab some when I went to the store. Finally, I just looked up a recipe on the internet and made some.

Here's the recipe I used:

COOKED PLAYDOUGH

1 c. flour
1/2 c. salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 c. water
2 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. food coloring

Combine 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt and 2 teaspoons cream of tartar in a large saucepan. Gradually stir in 1 cup water mixed with 2 tablespoons oil and 1 teaspoon food coloring. Cook over medium to high heat, stirring constantly until a ball forms. Remove from heat, cool and knead until smooth on wax paper. Store in an airtight container. Children will enjoy playing with the playdough!

Making pancakes from scratch one morning (using fresh ground flour) gave Sumo the idea of pretending his car (hidden under the flour) was speeding on the beach. At least, it sounded like he was pretending something along those lines. A little flour on a cookie sheet kept him busy while I made breakfast and cleaned up from cooking.


I hope this inspires some mommies to let your kiddos get dirty! They will love you for it. Take lots of pictures and then slap them in a photo album, or better yet scrapbook them (I'll get around to it one day). They love to look at themselves and reminisce.

Gracie's Blog...

Gracie took a mission trip to Reynosa, Mexico this summer. Anxious to share her photos and videography, over the weekend she figured out how to string them together, add music, create a blog, and then write about her trip. I'm really proud of what's she's done. Check out her spot by clicking on the mission trip picture below.

We have arrived!...

WHEW! After leaving Dallas at 11 am on Wednesday, July 25th and flying for a total of 20 hours, we have finally made it to Durban, South Africa. The time difference is 7 hours ahead of my local time in the U.S. We arrived at 9pm local time so I don't have much to say yet about Durban or what we've done yet.

I love flying, so having that long to sit on a plane and sleep, eat, watch movies, and read was like heaven. I told my husband that if all he did was to fly me to South Africa and back that would still be like a vacation b/c I’d be doing what I wanted to do for two whole days ☺

On the plane, I was able to finish a book and start another. I’ll post tomorrow about that. I haven’t officially started posting my books read and my thoughts on them, but I hope to add that to the things I talk about next year. I'm a voracious reader and would love to share books worth reading with other folks. These last couple of books I've read were just too good not to talk.

Our luggage is lost (bummer), but I’ve procured a toothbrush and my fashion worries for the morrow are absolutely nil. My foray into time off from my day to day normal life will be a breeze 'cuz I just don’t have very many decisions to make. All I have to do is relax and spend with mi amor. It's been nice so far...even just sitting on a plane...to be with him.

I've called home and the kids are doing fine...of course. The few days before my trip I had been hugging and kissing on them because I knew I'd be leaving. They were obviously overjoyed...


When we pulled off on Wednesday morning, Sumo seemed glad. He knew Antie and Granny were coming which means, fun, awesome snack food that Mommy normally doesn't allow, and lots of movies!

Kano w/Antie

I remember spending time with my Aunt and Grandmother during the summer. We ate grilled cheese and drank hot tea all day long as we watched cartoons....it was great fun! I had no idea then how great boredom really was...

Well, I digress from the reminiscing. I'll have more to say tomorrow about my trip.

I will also be announcing the winner of my bloggy contest tomorrow too :)

I Want To Scream!

A couple of weeks ago we went to Pine Cove and enjoyed a week of family camp. On Saturday, we left there and went into the town of Tyler to hang out before camping out at Tyler State Park in the RV. The next day we planned to take our girls to the Pine Cove Camps for their respective age levels. Because we were making a quick turnaround, we needed to wash clothes and repack them for camp. We stopped at a wash-a-teria and laundered all of our clothes, dryed them, and repacked.

A week ago, Bessie told me that was missing a pair of jeans. Last night, as I was packing, I thought it was weird that I couldn't find a favorite pair of khaki shorts. A little while later, it dawned on me that I couldn't find that drawstring extremely comfortable skirt. At that moment, a panic attack set in as I leafed through my closet furiously, looking for a few other pieces of my wardrobe. The agony seeped in as I slowly come to the realization that my clothes weren't in my home. I back peddled and realized that somehow, someway, our clothes had either been left at the laundromat or at the camp.

I called the laundromat this morning only to be told that the longest they would keep clothes is two weeks. We were there two weeks ago Saturday. I told the attendant this and she said that they didn't have any clothes right now....and that she had just thrown some clothes away yesterday. I asked her had the trash been picked up...Yea... you know what she said....

I called the camp and left a message, inquiring about the likelihood of our clothes being left there. I am trying to be hopeful but deep down...I know the truth.

My clothes are gone...some of my favorite pieces...I will never see them again...

I feel physically ill just even typing this post.

You have to understand that I HATE SHOPPING. And when I DO shop and find something that I like, I keep it FOREVER.

You have to understand that I don't really have many nice casual clothes. I have a heap of church clothes (read many old clothes from my office days gone by). I also have a lot of bum around clothes...but those cute, go-to-the-mall-and-be-seen clothes?...I just don't have many.

So to reduce my clothing items in such an insane way is sickening.

Is this just a fluke of life? Is there a lesson I'm supposed to be learning? Did I do something wrong?

OH, THE AGONY!....

And no...there is no great spiritual point that I'm going to make...no wonderful insight or lesson learned...

Right now...I'm just mad.

Another Late Night...

It's dark thirty and I'm still up...trying to get it together to get out of dodge. I knew that motherhood wasn't for the faint of heart but GOLLY!

We are really watching our food budget and so my normal mode of operating would have had me at Walmart in the frozen food section picking up a bunch of convenience, "nuke-ready" foods...but as luck the Lord would have it, my heart has blossomed into that of a mother who actually cares desires to see her children eat well in her absence. Also, eating foods prepared by Mom costs less :)

So last night, I planned out a menu for the next week and a half. I tried to use as much stuff as possible that was already in my pantry so I wouldn't spend unnecessarily. Then I tried to order my meals where I could "bulk cook" and use the resulting food for multiple recipes. Anyway, I left my house for the Walmart 3 minutes down the street at 11pm (I got home at 12:30am...crazy I know). I spent right at $120 for groceries and that included meat (actually 3 chickens on sale and some lunch meat), paper towels, paper plates/cups, and diapers. It also included a large package of frozen corndogs, instant oatmeal, a frozen lasagna, and a couple of other "snacky" items for backup food when Antie or Granny need something quick. I was very proud of myself!. Here's a picture of one of my menu pages...



So here's what I've been working on today.



That's pinto beans soaking in the silver pot. We'll have beans and cornbread for lunch tomorrow and the next day this will become bean burritos for dinner. Chicken Tortilla soup is what's in both the white plastic and clear plastic bowl. Both were cooling but the clear goes into the fridge for the kids to eat in a couple of days and the other will be poured into a plastic storage bag then put into the freezer to help me out when I get back home and don't feel like cooking.

Bessie, my 11 year old, loves to chop and dice and decided to lend a hand. I taught her how to clean a chicken, season, and decorate it for the crockpot.




This bird will help me make chicken enchiladas and a chicken pot pie to put away for my family (and no...I'm not going to make the crust from scratch).

I tell ya...I feel like Proverbs 31 material TONIGHT! Well...I would have felt even better if I had gotten around to making bread for my kids before I left but my husband told me to quit while I was ahead reserve my energy and just pick up a couple of loaves from the store (I hate when I get backed into a corner and have to do this...makes me feel like a failure...can you tell I'm a perfectionist?)

Oh, by the way, I closely follow the recipes linked above...but...I get a little creative at the end making them like I want them to taste. The tortilla soup gets a couple of cans of black beans not called for in the original recipe as well as a tablespoon of cumin versus a teaspoon. I didn't have Cilantro, and I didn't use green chiles or enchilada sauce because of spicyness. I add a can of tomato sauce instead. Confusing enough? Awww come'on...I'm trying to let my inner chef out :)

So I'm off to catch a wink of sleep before I wake up and keep on chugging along. I figure I can go comatose once I get on the plane ...

I'm Off to South Africa!

I'm so excited! I will be going on a seven day trip to South Africa! Can you believe that it will just be me going ALONE with my husband?!?!?!?!? He is going for business and I am tagging along. This will be the first time in awhile we have been on a trip together...alone...with no kiddos (smile)...and an even longer time that I have been away from all four of them for such a long time (can somebody say...ANXIETY ATTACK).

We are blessed to have loving Antie's and Granny's to come to our home and to be with our chillun's. I'm up at this hour doing some food prep for all the precooking I should have been doing last week.... (sigh). That's the only thing about leaving home...It's SO MUCH WORK!

Anyway, I hope to blog a bit this week before we leave but forgive me if it is a bit sketchy due to my head blowing up as I try to remember a million minute details!

I don't know what my internet access will be like over on that side of the world, but if I can get online with my trusty Mac then I'll try to blog a bit about my travels....

I'm....so......EXCITED!!!

Now, if I can just finish deboning this chicken for the three recipes I'm putting it in this week..... (sigh...again....)

If you have any going-out-of-town-and-leaving-your-kids-tips....I'd love to hear them!

Simple Bread Baking By Hand...

I posted a SUPER LONG post a little ways back about my bread baking. In retrospect, it was overwhelming to say the least. Although there are a lot of super great tips, I neglected to make sure I left instructions for those of us who might be just getting started with making bread by hand. The following is a condensed reprint of Marilyn Moll's Bread Recipe from Urban Homemaker. Marilyn's website is WEALTH of information. Be sure to check her out!

Don't worry about the special stuff this recipe calls for if you don't have it. Regular yeast from the store will suffice to get started and so will Vital Wheat Gluten if you don't have Dough Enhancer. The longer you bake bread the fancier you can get! Just get started. If this recipe seems to be too much just get any old recipe and start somewhere! You'll love your own homemade bread!

Hand Method: (yields 2 loaves)

1/3 C honey
1/3 C oil
2 1/2 C Warm Water
1 1/2 TB Saf Instant Yeast
2 1/2 tsp Real Salt
6-7 C Fresh whole wheat flour
1 1/2 TB Dough Enhancer

Combine the warm water, yeast, and 2 Cups of fresh whole wheat flour in a large mixing bowl. Allow to sponge for 15 minutes. Add the honey, oil, dough enhancer, salt and 4-5 C additional flour until the dough begins to clean the sides of the mixing bowl. Do not allow the dough to get too stiff (too dry). Dough should be smooth and elastic. It is a common mistake for the beginning bakers to add too much flour.

Knead the bread by hand 7-10 minutes or until it is very smooth, elastic, and small bubbles or blisters appear beneath the surface of the dough. Six to ten minutes of kneading by electric mixer should be sufficient to develop the gluten if you are using fresh flour. If you are kneading by hand, be sure to add the minimum amount of flour to keep the dough soft and pliable by using a tsp of oil on your hands and kneading surface.

Form the dough into 2 loaves if using the hand method. Place the dough into greased loaf pans. Allow to rise in a slightly warmed oven or other warm place until doubled in size (about 30-60 minutes).

Bake loaves for 25-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Bread is cooked through when it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, and when the top and sides are a golden brown color.

HomeMade Onion Soup Mix

I got this recipe from a friend and we use it just as we would use any package of Lipton Onion. I haven't calculated the cost of making it to verify that it is less expensive BUT...making things kinds of things myself ensures two things: One, they do not include any extra chemicals such as preservatives and flavors; second, I always have an amply supply (no last minute runs to the store for missing ingredients). It takes almost no effort to mix and then it's just sitting in my pantry ready to use!

To Make One Packet's Worth (approx a heaping 1/4 cup)...

8 tsp dried onion flakes
4 tsp beef bouillon granules
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp celery

To Make 6 Packets Worth (approx 2 cups worth)...
This can be stored in a pint-sized mason jar or some other type of airtight container.

2 cups dried onion flakes
1 cup beef bouillon granules
1/4 cup onion powder
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp celery

To Make 12 Packets Worth (approx 4 cups worth)...
This can be stored in a quart-sized mason jar or some other type of airtight container.

1 cups dried onion flakes
1/2 cup beef bouillon granules
2 tbs onion powder
1/2 tbs pepper (or 1 1/2 tsp)
1/2 tbs celery (or 1 1/2 tsp)

When I first started using bulk spices/seasonings for some of my more frequent recipes and mixes, I bought from Whole Foods, Central Market, or my local health foods store. You can purchase in exactly the amount you like in their bulk section rather than the little-bitty containers that are available at regular grocery stores. You can purchase bulk seasoning online for cheap by googling some resources (looks to be supercheap although I have yet to try) or you can purchase organic seasonings in bulk from Mountain Rose or Frontier. I've personally purchased from Frontier for organic spices/herbs/etc.

Slow & Steady Wins the Race...I Hope

This week I'm down 1.5 lbs. For the last few weeks, it has been all I could do not to gain. Family vacation, camping out, being on the road, grilling outside, frozen custard, slushies!!!...I could go on and on...but I won't.

"The Fam" enjoying homemade ice cream at our local Canton Market (monthly flea market)


My goal this week was to put my axe to the grind and see some progress. I made it to the gym 3x before coming down with the cold given to me by Gracie (thank you very much). I intended to make it 5x but that wasn't happening yesterday when my head felt like a brick and my body ached with every sneeze.

Today I feel a bit better. There is a spin class @ 24 around 6pm. I'll see...

I haven't documented foods eaten like I used to. I'll see if I can get back to that next week. I think Friday mornings is going to be my weigh in day going forward. It used to be Saturday but if anything happened on a Friday night (going out, date night w/hubby, parties...), I was just miserable thinking about my Saturday morning weigh in :)

Getting a Job and Goodwill

My friend Nina commented yesterday on my Freecycle post. Take a look at her comment. I was glad she reminded me about Goodwill as an alternative to getting rid of free stuff, not only b/c it benefits my decluttering efforts but also b/c it helps other people stay employed and get vocational training.

Nina has also recently started her own blog. I visited her place for the first time yesterday and her recent post would help someone I'm sure. She is very accomplished in her career, has risen to the top, and, as a result, has hired (and fired I'm sure) a lot of people. She writes about the Do's and Don'ts of Interviewing. Read and and learn or pass along to someone else who could benefit.

Thanks Neen!

Great Preschool Resources

After spending the evening finishing up the last of a three part series, I realized that it was time for Shannon's Works-For-Me Wednesday post. I couldn't be that creative that fast so I'm decided to use a post I wrote earlier this summer that I thought would be a nice addition to my WFMW files. I hope this helps someone!

I have yet to seriously blog about what we do for school at home in terms of schedule, curriculum, and philosophy. There is so much to blog about and so little time! But if you've been reading my blog for even a little while, you've probably picked up that I have a preschoolers and that I homeschool. I've mentioned Letter of the Week in a previous post about setting up a preschool environment. I have used this online curriculum as a guide for two years and love it - especially b/c it's free!

I have a few posts on preschool in our household. You can look at them by clicking HERE.

I've just stumbled upon another awesome resource for Mom's who would like to enjoy the learning journey with their little ones. This post was inspired by my find of Hubbard's Cupboard. Discovering it today has inspired me to start making plans for my littles for the year. Check it out and be sure to come back here to leave a comment and let me know what you think!

I was so excited today about getting ready for learning with my little ones, I decided to post some of my favorite online resources for enjoying these fleeting preschool years.

Paula's Archives

Preschoolers and Peace

Toddler Activities Page

Everything Preschool

Bible Story Coloring Pages

Preschool Coloring Pages

Starfall

First School Preschool Activities and Crafts

Suite 101

If you have favorite sites for ideas for young children feel free to leave a comment that includes the web address. I'm always up for hearing about new things.

As far as official curriculum that we use, below I have listed the ones that made it down to the final cut. I think I love all of them but, I can't do them all (maybe over time and with more babies I will). So for now, here is the list that I had "to-pick-from".

Little Hands to Heaven

My Father's World

Before Five in a Row

Sonlight

Winter Promise

For the upcoming year I plan to use Little Hands to Heaven for my boys along with Letter of the Week. That's the plan for NOW. The plan is always changing. As long as I don't stay stuck in the planning phase and get down on the floor and have fun with my little ones, the curriculum doesn't matter. They won't remember which curriculum was the best. They'll just remember that Mommy was with them, playing with them, reading to them, working alongside them, and snuggling them every chance that I get...

I hope this helps someone to come up with ideas and a plan for making good use of the years with your little ones. Remember, this season only lasts a little while! Make the most of it!

Be sure to check out Rocks in My Dryer for more Works-for-Me Wednesday tips.

My Gardening Experience...

No one in my family is a farmer, gardener, or even really from the country. I have absolutely no experience and have no idea what I'm doing. That said....what I can say is that I tried. I am asked many times why in the world would I try my hand at growing my own veggies. The answer? I really don't know other than the fact that I one day decided that I didn't know how and that I felt I should at least know. So, I went to my local organic gardening place and asked a bunch of questions until I felt confident enough to try.

I got a late start and so I realize that I'm not gonna get high yield or anything (the Texas heat is just too much for a blooming tomato plant to take), but I am proud of myself for making the effort and I've realized exactly how rewarding gardening can be. I can see how gardening can be addicting. Problem is, I don't have much more room in my life for addictions. Between food, blogging, and home and family, I'm all tapped out!

Now for those of you who are experienced gardeners. Don't laugh at me. I have to start somewhere :)

Here is what I began with. My plan was to make a whole in the ground big enough for one plant and then add room a little at a time and add one plant at a time. Digging up grass is HARD WORK and this project was done all by my lonesome. Oh well, it the effort all went towards my calorie burn for the day!


After a few weeks, here's what it looked like. As you can see I lengthened the bed a bit. The tomato cages were free from my local Freecycle and the bricks were leftover from our house building materials. I spent about $20 on compost to add to my existing soil. One day I might get adventurous enough to start my own compost bin.


Here's how things looked last week:


The biggest tomato plant is so large and heavy that I've had to do all kind of weird things to get it to stand upright but it's still hanging in there. Now for the fruit of my labor - it's beginning to show itself! Here are some of my cherry tomatoes (some still green and couple ripe). Me, my boys and my nephews had a blast the other day just popping them all the other red ones off the plant and into our mouths.




My larger plants aren't ripe yet but they are looking good! I can't wait to slice 'em and serve 'em. I've always heard homegrown tomatoes turn out to taste much better then the ones I would normally get...




This is one that the boys picked while we were out the other day. They just got picking happy and picked the wrong plant. So...this one is not gonna make it to the table.


So there you have it folks! I've tried it and had a little success. Maybe next planting season I'll venture into different veggies. I hear bell peppers grow pretty good in the Texas heat...

WFMW: Freecycle!

If you've never heard of Freecycle you need to know! I have been able to declutter and get rid of things that I no one would want. I've also been able to benefit from something another person had they were dying to get rid of.

You go the Freecycle website to find a local group. You join the email list and just watch for things that might interest you. Items that are offered are given away on a first request basis so the early bird gets the worm. Whenever, you have anything that you want to get rid of, you just author a post and it is usually gone in no time. You can even et on the list to ASK for something that someone might want to give away. That is what I did with the tomato cages for my veggie garden. I just asked and someone had them and didn't need them.

I've given away half-working printers, an old diaper pail, cookbooks, old office supplies, and much more.

I've gotten free scrapbook materials, mason jars, video games for my kids, old magazines for art projects, DIRT, extra plants, and an aquarium for fish for my kiddos. It's the coolest thing.

As the Matthew 7:7-8 says...Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Be sure to check out Rocks in My Dryer for more Works-for-Me Wednesday tips.

About Chrystal..

Welcome to my BLOG!

I'm Chrystal, and I believe I am a daughter of the King and yet a sinner saved by grace, a recipient of continual grace and in turn a conduit of blessing. I believe that Christ lives in me but that I continue to be a benefactor of second chances. I am a work in progress but yet a diamond in the rough.

I am learning everyday what I believe about my past, present, and future as I life my life. I believe that journaling is a way of keeping track of those things I've learned and the experiences I've had. I believe that blogging allows some of those lessons and experiences to be an encouragement to others who are walking out the days of their own lives.

I'm a "used-to-be" corporate, career-minded, on-the-path-to big-bucks, single gal - now turned homeschooling, bread-baking, family-minded woman, seeking after God's will for my life and that of my family. I am journeying into the unknown everyday and learning how exciting life can be as I listen to His voice and stay open to thinking outside the box God's way! I believe that as He leads the way, my life can be an encouragement to others.

I pray that you would be blessed as you share my journey!


So now that you know something about me...let me tell you a little more!...

I'm blogging from deep in the heart of Texas. I'm married to one a giant of a man (inside and out) and I am the proud homeschooling mother of four!

The photo below is a year old but it will have to suffice for now :)

This is my EVERYTHING BLOG. I am blogging about my life, which at times is all over the place. I'm enjoying my journey and I welcome you to come along for the ride!

If you want to learn a little more about me you can start with reading some posts on the ins and outs of my daily life. So far, I've talked a little about weird things, weight gain and weight loss, homeschooling, recipes, and homemaking.

Feel free to sample some of the lessons I've learned from parenting, cooking, motherhood, being a natural, and my personal quiet time. Every now and again I may sneak in a thought or two on current events. My ramblings do run the gamut. I've talked about everything from my faith to my "falls".

I consider myself blessed to have awesome friends and awesome family. Sometimes, I think I keep up with this blog because every other member of my family (see left side bar) has a presence on the web for their line of work. Well, motherhood and growing people is my line of work, and I think that's worthy of web presence too!

OK...OK...The reason given above is just a smoke screen. Really and truly, I started my blog because I was tired of mumbling under my breath over the kitchen sink.

OK....OK....I blog because everyone else does it ...

I used to have two blogs. Inspiration was the jist of one and motherhood the theme of the other. I finally decided that I didn't live a fragmented life so I shouldn't have a fragmented blog! I'm currently still working on moving over the posts from my old blog so feel free to check the '07 posts there if you won't want to miss anything.

I've learned, little by little, how to add things to my site like photos and music. Now, I've also learned how to post videos! As thanks for taking the time to read this post all the way through, I hope you get a few good laughs out of this video showing, Sumo, my 4yo, enjoying bathtime! ... And thanks for stopping by!

Once Again...I'm Proud...

of my "seester", Priscilla. She forwarded me a link to Beth Moore's Living Proof Ministries Blog where Beth posted an encouraging note today about Priscilla and her ministry. Check it out by clicking HERE.

Do You Know How To Back Up Your Blog?

For a long time I didn't know how to backup my blog. When I finally found out, I was glad to be able to share the info with others. Click HERE to read the explanation.

Believe it or not I'm still moving over posts from my old blog at homeschool blogger. Little by little it's coming together. In doing this project, every now and then I run across a blog that deserves a reprint. This post is one of them.

Q&A - Daily Schedule & Toys for Tots

Nikki left this comment in response to Summer Days At A Glance:

Wow - I just checked out your schedule (I am also a chronic 'lister' and planner, and always curious about what works for others...). You get up at 4AM?!! Are you serious? And don't go to bed until 11pm? I would love to manage that - do you feel ok energywise?? Wow....

OK Nikki, you got me! That has actually happened like...twice. Let me tell you what actually happens. I stay up until midnight of 1am and get up at 5am or 6am. Realistically this can only work for about 3 or 4 days and then I go to bed early or take a nap. I'm working on consistency in this area. Consistency for me in anything is a real struggle and serves as an area of reflection for me as I think about getting older. I'm having to learn to live my life like a marathoner and not a sprinter.

The problem is that I can get so much DONE at night when the house is quiet. I have LONG stretches of time to complete tasks from my To Do List and that frankly is addicting :)

I'm almost done with our working schedule for the summer. It's more realistic. The schedule you looked at was just super-Type-A-little-me taking my first crack at making a family schedule and I was a bit zealous. I can proudly say that the meat of the day (like from breakfast on) was fairly realistic. Also remember, my schedule serves as merely a GUIDE for my day, not a blueprint. I reserve the right change this up at any moment. Hope that helps!


Holly left this comment in response to this WFMW post:

Isn't it bad for the people who have to buy your "used" toy? I could see if your buying them, but to play with and mess around with a brand new item for 45 minutes, only to put it back on the shelf seems selfish and rude to others, doesn't it? I know I hate to want a certain item, and there is only one on the shelf, and it's obviously been tampered with/chewed on/dead battery or what have you, it ticks me off. Would you appreciate that? Not trying to be rude, but think about it for a sec....

Well Holly,

You have a point! I have to admit that your comment gave me pause. I took a day to think about your note and have come to the following conclusion. I don't think it's a big deal. I figure if I was completely inconsiderate, your point would be well taken. If I let a drooling toddler knaw for 45 minutes on a toy that somebody's else kid would receive, then yes. If I let my boys, tear the boxes or packaging, then yes. But I think that if a toy has been so packaged by a manufacturing to obviously encourage a child shopping with Mom to WANT to touch and play with it (especially the ones that say "TRY ME") then I don't think that it's a huge catastrophe.

When I buy toys from the store, I do not expect that it has never been touched by another. I'm not surprised when the batteries run out faster. I'm pretty positive that the toy manufacturers don't put batteries in those toys that were designed to last anyway.

If I carried this mentality further, then I should be offended when I go shopping for clothes and other people have tried them on or worse, they have bought them, decided they didn't like them, and brought them back....and Lord have mercy when we buy shoes or worse end up with shoes somebody else returned! Maybe store should not be able to resell used merchandise?

I'm not offended because it is all a part of buying things from stores that have goods available to all.

Like you I'm sure, I will opt for the box or packaging that looks the most untouched by others. I think most people go for the newest looking item, but I have a choice as to what I decide to take home - so it's not a big deal either way.

Just my 2cts. Thanks for visiting my blog :)

Another comment from Holly...

I think you are a coward for not publishing my comment. I think you know I am right. Whatever.....

Ouch Holly!...I thought you said you weren't trying to be rude! In all sincerity, I read your comment and took time to think about it. I thought it was a question worth considering and responding to. I would have loved to respond to you directly but didn't have a link to your blog or an email address, hence, the response on my blog. The opinion you gave in your comment did give me pause and will probably make me even more conscious about how my kids treat the toys they play with. However, we are all entitled to our opinions and my opinion is as stated above.

Togetherness

Time spend with loved ones is a precious commodity. There are some relationships that are so rare, they are especially treasured and valued. There are other relationships that we tend to take for granted either b/c of the proximity of the loved one or the frequency of their availability in our lives.

Either way human relationship and the heart strings that come with them are fragile, unique, and therefore unrepeatable in their raw form.

The relationship that I have with my mother cannot be repeated.

The relationship that I have with my only sister cannot be reborn.

The relationship that I have with my children cannot be reproduced.

The relationship that I have with my college roommate cannot be replicated.

They are all unique and therefore they should all be treasured. All of the opportunities to interact with special people in my life should be relished. I should be all there.

Sometimes the moments that we spend with special people are mundane and we just figure out how to get through them.

Sometimes we are in a moment that is so rare, that we just bask in the reality that the event or occurence is special and we just soak up every moment. When moments happen - especially unrepeatable moments - they should be captured and written in our minds and on our hearts to treasure forever.

This was one of those moments.

On this ordinary day, my grandmother knew she was enjoying a one-of-a-kind moment. On this day she relished the opportunity she got to hold on to a high energy preschooler who hardly ever chooses to hang out in one spot. She soaked it up.

One day, little Sumo will know that this moment he shared with his great-grandmother was unique, unrepeatable, and so every special. One day, he will have this photo to remind him that he soaked it all in - even if it was for just a moment.

Who do you need to spend time with today? Find time for the important people. Make memorable moments. Enjoy the uniqueness of the relationships God has blessed you with. Bask in the opportunities you have to be together with the people you cherish.

WFMW: No Fuss Shopping w/Kids

As much as I would love to schedule a regular shopping day or time to go myself minus the kiddos (specifically the littles), my husband's work schedule is sporatic and inconsistent so many times I do take my children with me. Normally all the kiddos will go and my big girls help me with the little ones but at times (like this week b/c my girls are at camp), it's just me and my boys.

Wally World and Target are our favorite places to shop on a regular basis and about a year ago, I figured out a way to make the trip fuss-free.

For either shopping trip, the first section we go to is the toy section...YES...the toy section. Each boy gets a toy that he can play with while we shop. Because these toys are new to them and therefore they are in awe, this can give me at least 30 - 45 minutes of preoccupied kiddo shopping time.

When we go to Super Target it's even easier. We go straight to the food section and order a popcorn/drink combo all for the grand total of $1.08. This holds them for another 30-45 minutes at which point if I need more time, I can then head to the toy section!

Now, I know someone is wondering what in the world I do when it's time to leave the store and the kiddos have to put those toys back. Well, the first time that Sumo (the 4yo) whined about having to leave his toy, I told him the Buzz Lightyear couldn't come home with us because his home was the store and he had to sleep there. When he started to whine a little louder, I bent down and said in his ear, "if you don't stop crying and put Buzz Lightyear down then we won't be able to get a toy the next time we come to the store". This did the trick.

Now lest you think that I always have it that easy, there have been a couple of times where we left the store with a crying child BUT...the next time we came to the store, I followed through and didn't go to the toy section. I actually planned a trip to the store specifically for that purpose....to show him that I meant what I said.

You could always bring a toy from home but I've found that the trip is so much more exciting for the kiddos when they look forward to playing with something they don't have all the time.

The favorite toys for my boys are toys from the movie "Cars" or "Toy Story". Sumo is starting to get into "Diego". Kano (the 2yo) just goes for anything. He tires out much faster than Sumo so I may put a couple of other things under the basket for later.

I have other tricks for shopping too. When we go the health food store, there are no toys there but there is raw honey. I fill up the little container and let each boy dip their finger in (ummm...). I might also go straight to the bananas, take two to the register pay the whopping 40 - 50 cts, and let them eat while I shop. Toys or food, the key is preoccupation :) We rarely buy cereal (at least the sugery kinds) but even a cereal box will hold the attention of a young 'un for while.

It's amazing what this little practice has done for my sons. They have definitely grasped the concept that just because I want it now, doesn't mean I get it now!

Believe it or not, the bribery doesn't last forever, somewhere in there, they learn that Mommy will go the store and they will have to go to and BEHAVE. I do go shopping at times when I either don't feel like toys or don't have time. Children are wonderful, they can learn to do anything. I just tell them, "no, not today...we are not getting toys".

Anywho, it works for me!

Be sure to check out Rocks in My Dryer for more Works-for-Me Wednesday tips.

Happy Birthday To Me!

Many of you Moms know that when you reach a certain period in your life...age is only a number. Today I got many phone calls and well wishes. My girls gave me some thoughtful gifts. My hubby catered to me throughout the day and my little boys gave me hugs, wished me Happy Birthday and wondered where "their" cake was.

What can I say, I'm thankful to be alive and well. I'm thankful that my husband and children are well. I'm thankful that I get to see one more year. I'm not very sentimental about another year gone by, but I have this nagging feeling in the back of my head that I will be soon. Probably, in the very near future, I'll start thinking deep thoughts about the my time on this earth, how much has passed, and what I want to do with the time I have left. Some tears, prayer, and talking to girlfriends are all sure to be in order.

There are certain battles that we will all fight FOR LIFE. My long-time battles with consistency in my quiet time, consistency with good eating habits, and consistency in BEING TRUE TO MYSELF are on my mind. Sometimes I just get tired of looking in the mirror and not seeing the changes that I yearn for. I'm not depressed about it or anything today; today was a very light and happy day. I just know that because today WAS a landmark day, I'll be looking in the mirror tomorrow and wondering what I can do to live the next half of my life (or more) differently...no BETTER...than I've lived the first half. But tomorrow will come soon enough...

Tonight, I'm with my family, enjoying some quality time with everybody and relishing in the end to a great day. It no longer takes a birthday bash or a slew full of gifts to make my heart feel full on the 7th of July. When you boil things all the way down, there just aren't that many things that truly matter in life anyway. I'm reflecting on my contribution to this earth and relaxing with my husband and kids. Really...truly....what else is there?

And if finding contentment in a birthday simply spent weren't enough, I glanced over my shoulder and noticed that God decided to bless me with a birthday gift too.

After a week of rain, rain, rain - deep in the heart of Texas...He gave me a respite to remind me that even HE thought of me today...

It just doesn't get any better than that...

Summer Days At A Glance

Summers are always difficult for me because I'm a routine gal. As much as I want to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants-person...I'm just not.

A friend once told me that people who are naturally organized don't need charts and schedules and routines written down and posted all over the place, but that those who are naturally chaotic need things written down and planned in order to get anything done. This made sense to me.

People always think I'm organized because they see my with a planner, with a chore chart, and with a routine for my days with kiddos at home. SHHHHHH....don't tell anybody - I'm one of the most random and chaotic people you will ever meet. Here's how I keep things under control though - I plan. I plan myself silly. I have a plan for everything. I plan so much that I struggle to stop planning and get to doing.

Truth be told, I'm a perfectionist and perfectionist don't like to fail. If I stop planning and actually start doing, I open myself up to failing miserably. At least, if all I do is plan than I can succeed at just that...planning :)

Ok...enough self analysis. Here's what I do: I take my schedule from the school year and tweak it to allow for more T-I-M-E. Time for what you ask? Well, time to just be. One of the lost arts these days is knowing how to exist without something to do. It's a skill to be still and master the art of quietness. Plus....boredom is the mother of invention. Kids have wonderful imaginations. They just sometimes don't know it until they are bored :)

The other thing I make sure to allow is plenty of time for taking care of our home. Summer is where I do the bulk of my training because life is slower and I can take all the time I want to make sure that the clothes are folded the right way or that the bathroom clean is done as expected. I try my best not to be "Mommy-dearest" but I do have high standards. I can't help it. I'm a perfectionist. I figure my kids will have something about me to discuss in counseling anyway.

I also put up a summer calender to take care of the "big stuff" - you know - the stuff that the kids really look forward to like family vacation, swimming lessons, summer outings, etc.



I also use the calendar to purposefully plan to do some of the things from our list of Summer Activities. OK...back to the point of this post...our daily summer routine....

AGGGGGGHHHHH... I just got a pop-up message telling me that I'm about to run out of batteries. I'm sitting at Barnes & Noble, getting a little R&R (can you say BY MYSELF) and I can't seem to find an outlet.

So....I will add the daily routine in a subsequent post so that I can at least have a post for today! More to come later...

Curiousity @ It's Finest

There is nothing like the raw curiosity that children seem to have an endless supply of. Everything is new and is something to be understood and experienced.

Sizing up the competition

Going in for the challenge

Oh "taste and see" ...


... that it's not all it was cracked up to be!

... and for my grandmother who is probably appalled at the idea that I'd let my son eat dog food - he really didn't eat any. He just wanted to play pretend. I am a good mother...really I am!