Shoe Prints

wants vs. needs

2011-12-21T13:41:00.000-08:00

It's been a bad year for appliances over here at The Shoe. I posted about Matilda's prolonged bout with illness. I'm not sure if I mentioned that our dryer and dishwasher required repair or that our refrigerator quit (on Thanksgiving Day, no less). One of our freezers, Thing 2, died. I am exceedingly thankful that Thing 1 hasn't noticed all the hubub and decided to complain. Of course, the year isn't over yet.

Our stove showed signs of pyromania this week, so he is outta here.

What I wanted:

What I got (and all that I really need):

I am thankful, truly thankful that I will be able to prepare a hot meal for my family tonight.

overheard

2011-12-16T12:47:00.000-08:00

Gavin was in the bathroom preparing to take a shower when Sirena walked up and pounded on the door.

"Tell me that password or I will run the dishwasher and turn on all the sinks!"

A mumble was heard through the door and she walked away, singing happily.

I think they might just have this communication thing down!

Nose to the grindstone

2011-10-04T09:40:00.000-07:00

Life. Is. Very. Very. Very. Busy. I could search for a few more descriptive words if you insist, but I think you get the point.

Here's the breakdown:

1 yo and 3 yo at home and into everything
1st and 2nd graders attending the local elementary school
7th, 8th and 10th graders attending a web academy, mostly from home
12th grader attending community college and living with my brother and his family

Don't forget Boy Scouts, Venturing, music lessons, various appointments, enrichment classes, library visits, groceries, laundry, dates and everything else that goes into life.

We have made some radical changes to our lifestyle with the goal of a year (or so) of rest for the mama. So far, that ain't happening. I'm tellin' ya- the meaningless busywork is killing me. We have "logs" for everything from read aloud minutes to PE to math practice minutes. Add journals and projects and you get rebellion. From Mommy. The kids are coping much better than I am!

Actually, the mental rebellion started with grammar. When a predicate nominative walked into my kitchen and started giving orders, I pitched a fit. My child was truly trying to get this concept that had not been covered AT ALL in our previous grammar curricula. But understanding was elusive, and she was in tears. Grammar should be a four letter word. Hmph. Since I had never met a predicate nominative before this school year, I felt confidant in claiming that she still had a chance, albeit small, at a successful and meaningful life. Of course, I added that grammar develops character, and we can all use help in that department. I'm not sure she agrees.

Where was I? Oh, yes. The sheer busyness of it all. It is as if we are launched into flight from the deck of an aircraft carrier each morning. From dead sleep to all go in a few beeps of the alarm. The metaphor continues to fit quite nicely in the evenings, as we hook the children back out of busyness and into their beds. All go to all stop. Except, children don't really work that way and bedtime is painfully prolonged each night.

While my body is keeping up, changing diapers, fishing pirates out of toilets, helping with schoolwork, my mind isn't. I recently heard rush hour traffic described as "creep and lurch", a phrase that seems to perfectly describe my mental capacity these days. I'm okay on the basics, but creative or critical thinking don't come as easily. Most days I creep along and occasionally there's a lurch of progress.

That schedule I've been working on? We've been limping along with trial schedule #1. I'm still trying to understand what is keeping us from function. (I suspect there are flaws in both the schedule and its maker.) Here's what it currently looks like:

The chalkboard on our school wall has this motto emblazoned across it:

GOAL: FIND NORMAL

That might be the real problem. Not where the kids are being educated. Not that our schedule needs a complete overhaul. Not that I am living in a fog. We just aren't far enough into our "new normal" yet. The only answer for right now is "Hang in there!"

Hmmm. That's not entirely true...our favorite parenting adage also fits. "Try something, if that doesn't work, try something else. Repeat as needed."

Winners!

2011-09-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Crysmi and EE, the winners of Mystery of History and Story of the World give-aways!

Don't forget to hop over to give-away #3, Switched on Schoolhouse, before it ends Wednesday at ~9 a.m.

Did you read about the pirates? Me thinks that the situation is not entirely resolved. Unnatural things are still happening with nearly every flush. Certainly reminds me of this situation. I'm not sure what I've done to deserve children with an excessive fondness for flushing, well, everything that shouldn't be. Mom? Dad? Anyone? I've never treated toilets with anything but the deference they deserve. I mean, indoor plumbing is a most wonderful thing. So, why me?

There's a pirate

2011-09-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

down my toilet, and I don't think he is looking for treasure.

Evie, Nono and Mason were having a quick scrub before bed when Evie tossed several small bath toys* into the toilet.

Yes, the tub is quite full with three squirmy children in it. But when you have a large family and ordinary water heater, it works.

Bathing Evelyn is like bathing an octopus. She loves the water and starts disrobing at the first mention of a bath. Once she is in the tub...woo eee! She is busier than a one-armed paper hanger (to quote Grandma Dowdel*).

In about 14 seconds, she had dumped bubbles over both her brothers' heads, pitched the pirate and his buddy into the toilet, given herself a bubble beard, drank a cup of soapy water and climbed out of the tub twice.

For the record, I was fishing for pirate #1 when she made her escapes. I was never more than 18" from the little miscreant.

I was just deciding that the pirate's buddy was already too far gone when Madelyn handed me my cell phone. Poor timing, poor Mara. She got an earful.

"Hi, Mommy. Did you get my text?"

"No. I'm a bit busy. Up to my elbow in the toilet fishing for pirates, while supervising a bath, if you want the truth!"

"Gross. Ummmmm, okay. I need a ride. J____ is sick and can't drive me home. Can you pick me up?"

"I think there's another pirate down the toilet that I can't reach; the kids are going bonkers in the tub, and, besides, I am already in my jammies!"

The rest of the earful is best forgotten. I got the details regarding the pick up location and time, hung up and pried the children, dripping bubbles, from the tub.

I wrapped the octopus in a towel and handed her to Madelyn, ordered Gavin to fetch, dry and get Nolan into bed. Mason was wordlessly handed a towel, and Mommy took herself to time out.

I may have shouted something towards my husband about the need to snake the toilet, but I didn't check to see if he heard me. I turned in my mommy card and didn't look back...until...

Sarah came flying out of the bathroom to announce that the toilet was overflowing. The sound of cascading water always has a galvanizing affect on me. Bryan and I arrived on scene at about the same time.

"Didn't you hear me when I asked you to snake this thing?"I asked in what was not the friendliest tone of voice I have ever used as we grabbed dirty towels to sop up the pool of dirty water.

"Nope. Didn't hear that," he looked at the floor, me, his watch , my jammies and grabbed his car keys to go get Mara.

After sopping up the water and ordering Sirena to start a load of towels, I gave myself another short time out.

Coming to my senses, I went in search of the snake. Yes, I do know how to use one. I am a brave girl and have unplugged many a porcelain throne, albeit reluctantly.

Clenching my jaw, I worked it into the depths. Further and further, deaper and deeper. Finally, I tried to pull the thing out hoping that Mr. Pirate would come along for the ride. Nothing doing. The snake was all the way extended and stuck. Nothing was visible except flakes of rust.

Being in no mood to concede to a toilet, I gave it a mighty effort. Triumph! Over the snake, anyhow. I was able to pull the nasty thing back out from around all those bends.

As for Mr. Pirate, he has gone to his final resting place. Our septic tank. Come to think of it, it might not be such a final resting place after all! We are scheduled to have the tanks pumped soon so his chance of making to Davy Jones' Locker* is not entirely out of the question.

Blogging is therapeutic; my sense of humor is restored. Good night.

(*Affiliate links help support my story-telling habit and buy diapers. Thank you.)

Curriculum Clean-Out #3: Switched on Schoolhouse 9th (2008) 2 subjects

2011-09-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

Congratulations,

A (Daily) Woman!

Give-away #3: (closed)

Switched on Schoolhouse, 2008 edition

Science 900

History 900

In Very Good condition. We have used this curriculum for several children but have chosen to enroll our highschoolers in a local web-based charter school. Although this is the 2008 edition, it continues to work even with the 2011 platform. If you don't have SOS installed, this comes with the 2008 installation discs.

I appreciate that SOS is easily customizable. If my season of life doesn't allow for 4 projects and 3 experiments per month, I can adjust the assignments to meet our family's needs. Self-correction is also a fantastic feature for the mother of many.

To enter: Leave a comment! (Is that getting boring yet?) Any burning questions for me as a mom of 8? As a midwife-on-sabatical? As a has-been-homeschooler? Ask away!

You can earn a second entry by subscribing by RSS or email. If you already hang out around here, just say. "I already follow you."

The winner for this give-away will be announced Wednesday, 9/28/11 @ 9 a.m., Pacific time.

Don't forget, I will need a way to contact you if you win. Please respond with shipping information within 24 hours or I will force random.org to draw another winner for me! Free shipping by media mail to US addresses only.

All my other curriculum clean out give-aways:
(1) Mystery of History, Vol. 1, ends 9/26/11 @ 9 am

(2) Story of the World, Vol. 1 with Activity Book, ends 9/26/11 @ 9 am
(3) SOS 2008 Science 900 & History 900, ends 9/28/11 @ 9 am

This give-away post is linked to the Fall 2011 Curriculum Clean-OUT hosted by Jolanthe over at Homeschool Creations. So, comment here then head over to see what other goodness is available!

Curriculum Clean-Out #2: Story of the World, Vol. 1, with Activity Book

2011-09-22T17:41:00.000-07:00

Congratulations!

Ellen

I've emailed for shipping info so I can get this in the mail ASAP. Enjoy!

Give-away #2:

Story of the World, Vol. 1: Ancient Times
Story of the World Activity Book, Vol 1.

by Susan Wise Bauer

In Very Good condition. Our family has listened to the audio version of this curriculum and enjoyed it immensely, but the actual books are not being used. Especially since we aren't homeschooling this year.

To enter: Leave a comment. Are you following a strictly classical approach or something more eclectic? Are you just curious about these books or on your drooled-over wishlist for ages?

You can earn a second entry by subscribing by RSS or email. Just say "I'm now a follower" or "I already follow you."

The winner for this give-away will be announced Monday, 9/26/11 @ 9 a.m., Pacific time.

Don't forget, I will need a way to contact you if you win. Please respond with shipping information within 24 hours or I will force random.org to draw another winner for me! Free shipping by media mail to US addresses only.

All my other curriculum clean out give-aways:
(1) Mystery of History, Vol. 1, ends 9/26/11 @ 9 am

(2) Story of the World, Vol. 1 with Activity Book, ends 9/26/11 @ 9 am
(3) SOS 2008 Science 900 & History 900, ends 9/28/11 @ 9 am

This give-away post is linked to the Fall 2011 Curriculum Clean-OUT hosted by Jolanthe over at Homeschool Creations. So, comment here then head over to see what other goodness is available!

Curriculum Clean-Out #1: Mystery of History, Vol. 1

2011-09-21T07:05:00.000-07:00

Congratulations!

crysmi

I've emailed for shipping info so I can get this in the mail ASAP. Enjoy!

The time has come! Clean(er) shelves are on the horizon. This give-away post is linked to the Fall 2011 Curriculum Clean-OUT hosted by Jolanthe over at Homeschool Creations. So, comment here then head over to see what other goodness is available!

I will try to post other give-aways during the day, however my dear hubby and I are taking an unexpected road trip (350 miles roundtrip) to look at and hopefully purchase a new-to-us van for our family. You can see how that may make posting a challenge!

Give-away #1:

The Mystery of History

by Linda Hobar

In Very Good condition. Our family found this curriculum informative but not truly able to meet the needs of our wide age span. I had to stretch to make it interesting for my junior highers. Since I was also trying to "do" this curriculum while nursing a baby and holding (down) a toddler, it was just a bit much for that seemingly perpetual season of life. I have heard that it works well in a co-op.

To enter: Leave a comment telling what age(s) will be using the curriculum. That's it! Simple as pie.

***Since I entered the wrong link in Mr. Linky, I am leaving the give-away open until Monday, 9am. Thanks for your patience!*** NOW CLOSED.

Don't forget, I will need a way to contact you if you win. Please respond with shipping information within 24 hours or I will force random.org to draw another winner for me!

Free shipping by media mail to US addresses only.

All my other curriculum clean out give-aways:
(1) Mystery of History, Vol. 1, ends 9/26/11 @ 9 am

(2) Story of the World, Vol. 1 with Activity Book, ends 9/26/11 @ 9 am
(3) SOS 2008 Science 900 & History 900, ends 9/28/11 @ 9 am

Curriculum Clean-OUT preview

2011-09-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

I have decided to clean out several shelves of gently used curriculum by giving it away as part of the great Curriculum Clean-out sponsored by Homeschool Creations.

* Story of the World, Vol. 1 and Vol. 1 Activity Book

* Switched on Schoolhouse 9th Grade Science and History, includes 2008 installation discs

* Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons

* Writing Strands, Level 4

* Mystery of History, Vol. 1

As we get closer to launch, each give-away will have its own post. Shipping to US addresses only, sorry.

The rules of the Clean-Out are simple:

Check in throughout the day, Wednesday, Sept 21st.
Comment on the post of the give-away you want to enter.
Using random.org, I will choose a winner and email them for shipping info.
I ship your glorious prize, at no cost to you, to a home where it will be loved and used.

New Friends from Frugal Living Northwest!

2011-09-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

Welcome! Welcome! Come on in and get cozy!

This is the place to find:

* stories about our large family life. We are the Waltons +1. My husband and I, our eight children plus my mother and father-in-law living together at "The Shoe". It has been a wonderful arraignment for almost 14 years now, but I have to say that having "in-loves" instead of "in-laws" has helped immensely.

* recipes and tips for cooking frugally for a large family, including bulk-cooking and freezer meal preparation.

* stories from my family's history. I have a heart to record bit of verbal storytelling where they won't get lost. (I guess I should back up my blog?)

* methods for ~~herding cats~~, assigning chores to your family to BLESS YOUR HOME together.

* honesty. Life is too short to live falsely in order to impress anyone. You will recognize my faults in short order, but I hope that we can strive, together, towards our better selves.

* a bit of silliness, now and then. A merry heart is, after all, good medicine.

* quilting and sewing. I am just an artist in need of an audience!

Regarding our frenzied fall, the perfect schedule still eludes me, but we hammered together a routine to try this week. I am sure that life will point out its weaknesses. Updates will surely follow.

I would love introductions! Please leave comments below. You will find an email subscription box in the right margin.

Coming Soon! Curriculum Clean-OUT!!!

2011-09-15T12:02:00.000-07:00

To find out more, head on over to Homeschool Creations!
Now to decide which of the MANY neglected (but fabulous) items on my shelf will go on the docket!

Changes

2011-09-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

Lots of changes at our house right now. For one thing, I am not homeschooling this year. After prayerfully considering, Bryan and I decided that a change was in order for this season. So, Mason and Sarah are enrolled at the local elementary school for 1st and 2nd grade. Madelyn, Sirena and Gavin are enrolled in a home-based charter school. Mara in enrolling at a local community college.

Honestly, I envisioned this change would be restful for this worn-out mama, but until we figure out this new normal, life is just as crazy as ever. For example, several times a day I panic when I realize that I haven't seen Sarah or Mason in "quite some time" only to further realize that they at school.

First Day of School

The learning curve is steep. We are, for the first time in years, slave to an outside schedule. Getting everyone moving, food packed and kids to the bus on time is a challenge. Oh, I know that many of you have been doing it for years, but it is new to us. My kids are still learning how to put together "school appropriate" outfits. I am still learning to _hear_ my alarm clock. We're getting there, it's just gonna take time for it to feel normal.

Nolan and Evie are adapting. They miss their playmates pretty desperately at times. This morning, Nolan was inconsolable when the school bus pulled away with his sibs. Thankfully, Kipper came to the rescue. As you can see, he is enthralled. You can also see that he prefers the basket where we keep our snuggly blankets to a chair or the couch. At least peace has been restored.

Now, blog post finished and Kipper is over. It must be time to finish my morning chores. Ugh. Chores. Our old system isn't meeting our needs and I don't even know what we need a new system to accomplish yet. More on that to come. Life is surely keeping me humble and prayerful these days.

Miss Matilda is Broken

2011-08-18T09:27:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. My beloved washer is under-the-weather, out-of-comission, BROKEN. She started getting sick about a week ago, making a wretched thumping noise. Her sweet little display looked so sad with a code splashed across the screen. "LF" Sigh.

How thankful I was to remember that we have good insurance for her. I rang Sears to set up a housecall and was put through a rigmarole of non-human menu choices, but I ended the call with a same-day appointment, even though the non-human on the other end insisted that there would be a $75 diagnostic fee.

Trying a different phone number, I finally reached a real, live, native-english-speaking human who informed me that my previous phone call was completely and totally wrong. There would be neither a fee nor a same day appointment. The serviceman had already gone home for the day. "Would Tuesday be convenient?" No, it would not be convenient. Not with 12 people depending on Matilda for clean underwear. BUT, it is certainly better than never and I accepted the first appointment on Tuesday morning.

Sadly, it was not to be. That same serviceman who started his weekend early had the gall, outrageous insolence to call in sick. SICK. When my poor washer and family were suffering. Harrumph. Of course, Sears didn't call to tell me this until 10 am, at which time I had already been waiting for the tech for 2 hours. The informant was not particularly sympathetic when she offered me this morning's first appointment.

Having no better offers, I took it and was pleased to speak to our serviceman at 7:30 a.m. when he called to confirm our 8 a.m. appointment. With great joy, I envisioned a day of washing and folding laundry. Again, sadly not to be. As soon as he took Matilda's lid off, it was apparent what the problem was. Can you guess?

Her counterweight is broken, as you can see. It is a genetic defect and very rare. Our doctor had never seen this ailment before. Because it is so rare, the treatment options are not quick: 9 days. NINE MORE DAYS until the part will be in and Matilda undergoes counterweight replacement surgery.

Get well soon, Matilda. We miss you.

In lieu of cards, send chocolate.

Pandoria

2011-08-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Where have we been? At the Farm. The Farm is my grandparents' house, or was. Grandma Shirley passed into eternity in November 2004; Grandpa Royce followed her in August 2005. Their home became a house and is owned jointly by my mother and her two sisters. A renter has been in residence until recently. Now that he is gone, the house is getting a much needed renovation.

When I first went out to The Farm mid July, it had been about 2 years since I last saw the property. The sight which met my eyes broke my heart. Grandma was an avid gardener, especially prized was her rose garden. All of us "girls" dug roses to bring to our homes the summer after her passing, but a few were considered too old or too large to be safely transplanted and those were left in place. To my horror, I saw that someone had mowed them down. MOWED THEM DOWN TO THE GROUND. With a brush hog. AND AND AND they had run that same brush hog into the flower beds eliminating any surviving plants from Grandma's era. I was angry and hurt and grieved. Someone, who was just trying to mow the yard and bring the weeds under control, had erased Grandma's marks from her land. I wept, hot tears of anger and sorrow coursing down my face, as I called my husband to explain the carnage before me.

The storm passed, thankfully, but the sorrow remains. I really, truly miss my grandparents and love their house/property. Ramshackle is really the only word that describes the place. What started out as a one room house has been added onto by un-handymen through the decades. This is DIY, but not at its finest. The floor slopes. The walls are not plumb. NOTHING is square. In measuring for backsplash I discovered a 1.75" difference in the distance between cabinets and countertops over a 12 foot run. Their is a 2" slope in the entry hall: the 5 foot wide entry hall. A picture begins to form, yes? At one point the roof was patched with a metal folgers can. OY! And yet I am in house love. LOVE. And so we labor to make this heap more homelike.

On the first day, my dear Madelyn was able to find the joy even as we carried oily, filthy, urine-soaked carpets to the dumstper, "Mommy, working together like this is making precious memories."

In the past 5 weeks we have ripped out carpets too nasty to describe, painted, cleaned, scraped up linoleum, heat stripped cabinets, repaired sheetrock, etc. The family, by which I mean extended family, gathers randomly to work on whatever needs doing- yardwork, pressure washing, cabinet painting, toilet cleaning. This weekend it was yardwork, flooring removal and outside painting.

I can say that the project has turned a corner. For weeks, everything we did felt like follow up to Pandora's box incident. Every wall, light, outlet and floor register hid a nasty surprise. We took to calling the house "Pandoria", but hope has finally been released and I can't wait to showcase the before and after photos for you all!

a long-ago birth story

2011-08-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

Some months ago, my grandmother told me the story of her youngest brother's birth. Today, while doing the bills, I came across the paper on which I had feverishly jotted down notes during our conversation.

December 1941 in a farmhouse outside of Topeka, my great-grandma Bessie was laboring to bring forth her 8th child. Dorothy, my grandmother, was 11 and paying close attention. All of the other babies had been born at home, but it was becoming obvious that this baby had a different plan. "Something wasn't quite right. She was having problems," Grandma Dorothy told me. Of course, being a home-birth midwife, I probed for more details, but 70 years of time passed plus her 11 year-old perspective meant that this simple story was all the detail she had to offer. "She needed to go to the hospital but there was snow up the yin-yang. It was much too deep for the truck." The "driveway" such as it was (a 3/4 mile dirt road) was impassable so they had to use the tractor. Great-grandpa hitched up a trailer to that tractor, put a mattress on it and covered Bessie as well as he could before driving off into the night. Snow covered fields and intense cold, in labor on a trailer pulled by a tractor: I can't imagine that traveling to the hospital was a journey that Bessie ever forgot. Phil Jean was born, safely, December 21, 1941 and came home, to his family's great joy on Christmas Day.

midnight reflections & crying babies

2011-07-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

I stand in hallway listening to the teething baby cry. Everything in my power to comfort has been done, but I am not willing to stay up all night and entertain her to distract her from her discomfort. Into bed she went- for the 4th time? or was it the 5th? Leaning wearily against the wall, I wrestled with the situation.

Under consideration:

(1) My husband's alarm is set to go off in 4.5 hours. Since that alarm will mark the beginning of his sixth 10-hour work day this week, he obviously needs his sleep.

(2) Teething makes babies cranky. Erupting molars are NOT our friends. Miss Evie is not normally prone to tantrums, but this week has been spent perfecting the art.

(3) Crying babies make it difficult for anyone and everyone to sleep.

(4) Baby needs to JUST GO TO SLEEP. Heaven help me, I want to have a snooze button installed in her navel. At the same time, I want to sit all night with her fuzzy head nestled under my chin.

(5) This isn't my first go around with this issue, why don't I have "the answer" yet? An answer of complete confidence as an experienced mother. For some unknown reason, my accumulated mama wisdom doesn't include a decisive, perfect answer for tonight.

While I stand listening to her half-hearted cries grow fainter and further apart, I still can't decide if I want to snatch her from her bed for a snuggle or creep quietly by her room towards my bed. It is all too clear to me that babies grow up and eventually neither need or want to snuggle their mamas in the night. The seven other children lying in their beds no longer call for me in the night. While I prize the sleep, and tonight I desperately need it, my heart is achingly aware that she is my last wee one.

Silence reigns at long last. How long? Minutes not hours, although every minute feels like an hour when you are listening to a tired baby fight sleep.

I crept down the hallway, oh-so-carefully so as not to make the boards squeak, and eased my door open, making for bed. It's after midnight and, weekend or not, she'll be awake long before I want to be.

a portrait by mara

2011-07-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Mommy with Evie

Mara drew this picture from a memory of me during my pregnancy with Evelyn. It is a sweet thing to be able to share the mysterious wonders of pregnancy with older daughters and sweeter still when you realize that all the disruption and change pregnancy and new babies bring has not blinded her eyes to the beauty of it all.

Having no drawing ability, I am amazed at the ability of artists,

Mara included, to capture so much with so little.

That's MY girl!

I found this fabulous frame 50% off at Michael's and ordered a custom matte (the drawing is not a standard size). The matte won't be ready for another couple of weeks but I couldn't wait that long to see it framed. Acid free photo corners will do the trick until I have the chance to pick up the matte, hinge tape and foam core backing. With this much talent in the family, I might to learn how to cut my own mattes!

family portrait

2011-07-02T14:21:00.000-07:00

The Shoe Family
as drawn by Sarah in 2010
finally framed by Mama in 2011

(sorry about the crazy reflection...please ignore.)

June 2011 Bulk Cooking Chicken: part 1- Gettin' Ready

2011-06-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

This is the first in a series of long promised, long procrastinated blog posts about my afternoon adventure with 160 lbs of chicken as it was magically transformed into 49 meals for our family of 10.

We arrived home from vacation just a few days before the "chicken event", so I didn't do much planning this time; I was just too tired and too busy, but I felt comfortable just forging ahead because I knew that I just wanted to expand on my last session with a few tweaks.

Tweak #1: I finally bought a kitchen scale*. My baby scale is fine for weighing babies, and many of you have seen your nekkid, cute little babies on my scale. Still, it is not ideal when you want to continue adding before it flashes a total.

Tweak #2: Instead of measuring the sauce recipes into the individual ziploc baggies, I mixed them in $ Tree plastic pitchers that have measurements on the side. I used my handy-dandy Advantage Cooking Software to scale the recipe to x4 and then measured just once for each sauce.

Tweak for next time: smallish sized wood cutting board, like this one, from Ikea. I think the cutting board I was using dulled my knife quite quickly, requiring more time spent sharpening than should be necessary.

Here's how Sirena and I got the job done in 5 hrs 15 min. That does NOT include the time necessary to disinfect the kitchen afterwards but does include many interruptions from visiting neighbors and crying and/or naughty children.

I use Advantage Cooking Software and my previous session was saved as a "Cooking Day" collection of recipes. I swapped out a few recipes and printed out the grocery list. Gotta love software that does the thinking for you! I compared the list to my pantry and made a run to the local Cash-n-Carry. My trip to Winco earlier in the week had included quite a few of the ingredients I knew I would want for this cooking day.

Equipment:
kitchen shears (I prefer the ones that have a spring.)*
gallon-size freezer bags
Sharpie marker
empty #10 can (two would be even better. These are excellent bag-holders.)
several 2-quart plastic pitchers
vinyl gloves (We have 2 sizes here. I wear a medium but some of my helpers wear smalls.)
a sharp knife, for filleting the chicken
knife sharpener *
newspaper or other disposable counter covering
large baking sheet with rim (like this)
bowl to catch the trimmings (fat, gristle, tiny pieces of meat)
recipes in sheet protectors
COMFY, SUPPORTIVE SHOES
extra: good working music or an audiobook

Part 2: "The Process and Results" soon to follow

(All items marked with an * are affililiate links, meaning that making a purchase by clicking through supports this blog and my darling family.)

Disbelief

2011-04-04T21:31:00.000-07:00

Bryan and I were having a quiet, end of day conversation when there was a soft tap on the door. It was so soft that, when I opened the door just to check, I was almost surprised to see Mason standing there in his pajamas.

"Mom," he said, "Nolan just peed on his pillow."

My mouth dropped open and I just stood there, speechless. Mason must have felt that I needed confirmation because he nodded his head briskly, as if to say "Yes. It's true," before pulling the door closed.

To help you understand my complete disbelief, you should know that Nolan was tucked into bed wearing a pull-up under his footie pajamas. The amount of work required to accomplish the stated misdeed would be considerable for a not-quite-three-year-old who can't always get his elastic-waist pants down in time.

Finding my voice, I pointed at Bryan, "Tag. You're it."

He graciously went to investigate the pillow and returned with the report that the pillow was indeed wet, but did not smell of urine. (Bryan has the most sensitive nose on earth.) A upturned cup nearby seemed to justify his theory that the wetness was harmless.

An odor of urine in the room warranted additional sniffing. This further investigation revealed a puddle in an old army helmet. When questioned, each boy pointed to the other, but the circumstances (see aforementioned reference to pull-up, footed pajamas and toddler dexterity) suggest that it was NOT Nolan. Which leaves me wondering, why did the guilty child bring the topic of pee to our attention in the first place?

Cozy Cat Quilt

2011-03-27T21:20:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the quilt for Madelyn's bed. It has been sitting on my sewing table for a LONG time. Because I have a strong sense of order, I didn't think I should let myself work on anything else until it was finished. This meant that I didn't work on any fun projects for the duration. (Yes, I know that's a bit crazy; I'm working on it.)

The real news is that finishing that quilt gave me the mental freedom to start a new quilt. The cats that are the centers of each log cabin block caught my eye some months ago when I realized that leftover strips from a block of the month quilt matched perfectly. A little ingenuity helped me stretched a fat quarter of cute kitties into what will be approximately a 58 x 58 in quilt. I will have to buy batting and backing, but that's why coupons to Joann's are so handy! I think a backing of purple minky would make this the coziest blanket ever for snuggling with my kiddos on our couch.

I thought that I would have the quilt top finished today, but Sirena and I have had a hard time spacing the colors and patterns of the cats so that it felt both scrappy and balanced, if that makes any sense. Scrappy quilts provide a true challenge for my persnickety self and my equally persnickety daughter.

preview of the layout

I also have borders that are partially pieced, refugees from another project.

All in all, this quilt is coming together quickly, using a bunch of fabric from my stash, and I'm very pleased.

John- aka Jack, Johnny, John-boy, Little Dude

2011-03-06T11:44:00.000-08:00

3 days old and SO handsome!

Auntie Meg finally got a snuggle!

It took all my willpower to hand him back to his mama.

Great-grandma Dorothy, John & Elizabeth

Just before Elizabeth leaned over to kiss John, she whispered,

"He's a little pirate, but he's my favorite pirate."

Great-grandma & John

John brings the total of her great-grandchildren to an even dozen- 6 boys and 6 girls.

Gavin wasn't too sure about holding John but seemed to like his new cousin well enough.

Our visit was very multi-purpose last night. It was Grandma Dorothy's first chance to visit the baby and Alli's 3 day postnatal. Plus, I was picking up one daughter, Mara (who has been there since Thursday) and dropping off another, Nina (who will stay for the next week). Madelyn is looking forward to her chance to serve as mother's helper/postpartum doula after Nina comes home. Whew! That's a lotta doing in a short time.

While I was checking Alli & John, Kam came into the bedroom and said, "He's just so cool!" I think it is safe to say that he is enamored with his son. How strange it is for me to see him, my "little" brother with his children. He is, after all, 8.5 years younger than I. I clearly remember the night he was born, and now I have been privileged to witness and support him and his wife at the births of both of their children. The Lord is gracious- our sibling relationships change so much in adulthood; my brothers are now the friends I never thought they could be.

more photos of the boy child

2011-03-02T12:55:00.000-08:00

"I have a boy baby!"

So happy that he is out, healthy and part of the family!

Precious feet!

Holding hands

Daddy's first chance to hold him.

Daddy was easily able to comfort him with a snuggle and a finger.

Auntie Meg's guestimate at his weight was only off by 1.6 oz!

He passed his first exam with perfect marks!

a Wilkinson boy

2011-03-02T07:09:00.000-08:00

My newest nephew

Welcomed joyfully by Kameron and Allison

3/2/11 @ 4:24 a.m.

9 lb 2 oz, 21.5 in

His name is still under deliberation. (3/2/2011, 6:00 a.m.)

NEWSFLASH:

Introducing

John Elias James Wilkinson

Honey Curry Chicken

2011-02-24T14:46:00.000-08:00

The original recipe I have for Honey Curry Chicken was from a lovely midwife named Laurie; it was for roasting a whole chicken with veggies, but I prefer the no-fuss, make-ahead magic that this version provides.

Ingredients:
4 lbs chicken breast fillets
1 cup honey
1/2 cup yellow mustard
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tsp curry
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp ginger, ground
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (adjust for your family's heat tolerance)

If you are bulk-cooking, measure the ingredients into a labeled, gallon ziploc bag. Add the chicken and squish the bag to evenly distribute the sauce. Squeeze all the air out of the bag, seal and lay flat to freeze.

Defrost overnight in the refrigerator or use the cold water bath method to get the job done more quickly. (As long as you can free the chicken from the bag and get it into the pan, it is okay to stick it in the oven partially frozen; it will just take a little longer to cook. In that case I would wait a bit before adding the veggies.)

Dump the contents of the bag into a roasting pan or large casserole dish. Cook @ 350 for about an hour.

I usually put the lid on my big enamelware roasting pan because it allows me to ignore the chicken without fear of shoe leather for dinner, but if you are the type who remembers to use a timer- uncovered should be just fine.

I prepare this with an assortment of vegetables (yams, carrots, potatoes, brussells sprouts, garlic cloves, onion) cooking alongside the chicken. Occasionally, I will add some granny smith apple quarters to the vegetables, but even if you just served this over rice, it is a tasty, warming dinner perfect for these dreary February days.

Bulk cooking: Chicken

2011-02-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

Several of you already know that I purchased 120 pounds of chicken from Zaycon Foods last week. I find that I love getting chicken this way- when it is fresh, it is so much easier to just get the job done.

Just before the last chicken event, Frugal Living NW hosted a giveaway for the ebook 40 Simple Ways to Use 40 Pounds of Chicken- and I won a copy! It is well laid out and makes "dealing with" so much chicken simple. I am not new to bulk cooking for the freezer, but this e-book and a 40 lb. case of chicken from Zaycon Foods would be a great way to start.

Here is the process I followed this time. (I am already brainstorming ways to streamline even further.)

Wednesday
Finalize menu plan and draft grocery list using Advantage Cooking recipe software.

Thursday
Morning: SHOP

Afternoon: Prepare marinades, measuring ingredients directly into the labeled ziploc baggies. I also prepared the bread crumb mixtures for Almond Chicken and Parmesan Chicken.

Friday
Morning: Make a pot of coffee and wait for my husband to return home with the chicken.

9:30 am Ready, set, GO! Madelyn and I worked as a team. She separated and trimmed the breasts of fat. I filleted them and put them into the waiting ziploc bags.

We immediately put the contents of one 10 lb bag in my covered roasting pan and popped it into a 325 oven. Then we ignored it for several hours while we worked on the dishes requiring raw chicken.

My goal was 4 lbs of meat per meal. I have a baby scale, tray style, that I use in my midwifery practice that occasionally gets dragged into kitchen duty. A kitchen scale is much more flexible because it doesn't lock onto a weight but will keep up with you as you add weight. Since my scale isn't that sophisticated, I had to weigh each bag with marinade before I added any chicken, mentally note the weight, and then check the weight again when I thought I was close to 4 pounds of chicken, then add or subtract as necessary and check again. (Yes, a kitchen scale is on my wish list.)

If you have ever tried filling ziploc bags, you know that they just aren't the most cooperative container out there. I find that an empty #10 can is the perfect bag holder. Just make sure that the edges aren't ragged from your can opener. My children were not sad to be asked to empty a can of peaches just so I could use the can.

For dishes, like Parmesan Chicken, that I don't want to get all smooshed in a bag I used Full Size Foil Steam Table Pans and Formed Steam Table Pan Lids that I purchased from Cash-n-Carry. The cost was less than $2.00 per meal. Our family is now at a size when I have to use several pans to feed us all at once. I don't have enough glass pans to use for freezing and the since I need 2 half size pans, I find this solution almost as economical as buying pans Dollar Tree and certainly easier. Since I bulk cook for convenience as well as frugality, this works for me.

We stopped to clean up at 12:15 since I had to leave for an appointment at 1 pm. At that time, all of the raw chicken was trimmed, sliced, portioned into bags and stacked carefully in the freezer. I took the chicken out of the oven and left it too cool. Upon returning from my appointment, it was simple enough to shred the chicken and portion it into the remaining bags. We're talking 10 minutes, tops.

In the end, Madelyn and I (with a little help from Bryan) put up 30 meals in approximately 3.5 hours, even with interruptions from uncooperative toddlers.

My freezer now holds:

2 Honey Curry Chicken
3 Parmesan Chicken
2 Almond Chicken*
5 BBQ Chicken**
2 Thai Chicken Satay*
2 Soy Thyme*
2 Chipotle Chicken*
4 Teriyaki Chicken**
4 Sweet Salsa Dump Chicken
2 Chicken Fajita Burritos Filling*
2 plain, shredded chicken

* from the 40 Simple Ways to Use 40 Pounds of Chicken ebook from Frugal Living NW.
**not homemade

(The links to the ebook and Amazon are affiliate links. I earn a small commission from each sale. Thank you for supporting my blog and my family!)

If I was Mrs. Rosso

2011-02-15T12:57:00.000-08:00

from the book Ten Kids, No Pets , and I if I had used her very detailed naming system, my children would be named:

Abbie instead of Mara

Baldwin instead of Gavin

Camille instead of Sirena

Damaris instead of Madelyn

Edwina instead of Sarah

Feodor instead of Mason

Garson instead of Nolan

Harriet instead of Evelyn

(Names drawn from my trusty name book "What to name your baby" by Maxwell Nurnberg, 1962, 17th printing 1977.) It is also safe to assume that we would not have had 41 animals parade through our home over the past 13 years. But, alas, I am not Mrs. Rosso and have had many creatures, furry, feathered and scaled, live under my roof.

We are just starting chapter 4, and this book is getting laughs from all the kids. Being a book about a large family with a highly systematic mother makes this a good fit for our family. I may not have as many systems as Mrs. Rosso, but her quirkiness is not so far down the road from my own quirkiness.

While this book doesn't fall into the category of great literature, it is still a cozy way to spend a rainy afternoon or two.

a timeline of my motherhood

2011-02-13T10:09:00.000-08:00

1993 pregnant-
1994 pregnant: MARA, nursing
1995 pregnant: GAVIN, nursing-
1996 nursing
1997 pregnant: SIRENA, nursing-
1998 nursing, pregnant-
1999 pregnant: MADELYN, nursing-
2000 nursing
2001 neither nursing nor pregnant
2002 pregnant
2003 pregnant: SARAH, nursing-
2004 nursing, pregnant-
2005 pregnant: MASON, nursing-
2006 nursing
2007 pregnant
2008 pregnant: NOLAN, nursing-
2009 nursing, pregnant-
2010 pregnant: EVELYN, nursing
2011 nursing

Yes, you are reading this correctly. I have been nursing or pregnant for at least part of every year (except 2001) since 1993- the year Bryan and I married. Since Evelyn is our last, my mind is a bit baffled about what comes next. Personally, I am hoping that it is sleep.

Please, understand that I wouldn't have had it any other way; I love my kids and our large family lifestyle. I am simply reflecting on a stage of life that is ending for me.

Evelyn's first birthday

2011-02-04T17:16:00.000-08:00

EvelynFebruary 4, 2011
one year old!

One year ago today...one YEAR??? ago today...we welcomed little miss Evelyn into our hearts. She is the sunshine for our wintery days; everyone competes for her favor. Her royal highness can get a ride at any time to anywhere she wishes. Except for the occasional fussy night from teething, she is an exceptionally happy little girlie- unless you tell her "No!" Even if you merely suggest "No!" her smile fades and is replaced by consternation and even tears. Apparently, she is the sensitive type.

We tried to have Evie sit alone for photos,

but she kept trying to fall out of the chair.

Thankfully, Madelyn agreed to hold the very, very wiggly baby.

So much silliness!

(Sorry- I couldn't seem to get the right white balance today...)

As you can see, we gave up on sitting all together.

I think that she wanted to show off her amazing walking skills.

Disposable diapers without bankruptcy

2011-01-19T10:17:00.000-08:00

I owe a debt of gratitude to my neighbor Angela. She is THE Angela behind the blog at FrugalLivingNW. While I am not a hardcore couponer, I am cheap. Disposable diapers bother me- both for the money they cost and the environmental impact. (I shudder to think of the mountain of diapers we have used over the past ~17 years.) BUT cloth diapers are a non-negotiable issue with my husband, whose nasal super powers equal those of a bloodhound; so, I silence the thrifty, crunchy eco-mama in favor of marital harmony. Angela has made that silence easier to bear. (If you haven't already started following FrugalLivingNW- you can find her on Facebook or use your favorite RSS reader.)

Months ago, she introduced her followers to a combination deal using Amazon Mom and the Subscribe and Save program. Amazon Mom members get 15% off certain baby products; Subscribe and Save offers another 15% discount. Translation: a box of Huggies diapers now costs ~ $23 instead of $37 at Costco. Of course, I never purchased the Huggies at Costco because the Kirkland brand was always cheaper, but this price blows even Kirkland's out of the water.

Roughly speaking, 1 box = 4 small packages which translates to 1 box @ $23 = 4 packages @ $5.75

If you are accustomed to buying your diapers at the grocery store, you know that even the generic diapers cost more than $5.75 a package!

But wait there's more! (I have always hated those commercials.) It is a sad day when I have to pay even $23 a box for diapers. If you haven't started using Swagbucks, START NOW. Swagbucks are points that you earn for searching the internet. They cost you nothing but the time you would already have spent searching google or bing or whatever search engine you normally use. The difference is that these points can be used to purchase oh, so many things, including Amazon gift cards. Even without referral points, I earn enough points to purchase one $5 gift card per month- which is about how often a box of diapers lasts at our house.

I should also mention that the Amazon deal includes free shipping! Cheap diapers that are delivered to my door? Does it get any better than this? Not unless a chef and maid are delivered with the diapers. If you find that deal, let me know.

Once in a while, an exceptional deal comes along. For example, the magazine "Parenting, The Early Years" has published "20% off one package of diapers at Amazon" codes in several issues this past year. Following FrugalLivingNW helped me find a subscription to that magazine for $2.99 per year; one 20% Amazon diaper coupon more than pays for the subscription.

Today, my trusty friends at FrugalLivingNW alerted me to a fantastic deal at Living Social, a daily deal site, that is going to make my diaper cost this month even lower. Buy a $20 Amazon gift card for $10.

Watch the discounts stack up! For illustration purposes, I am using Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers, Size 4, 140-Count since that is the size Evie wears.

Average month for one child:
Amazon.com price...............................................................$33.59
after Amazon Mom plus Subscribe and Save discount..........$23.51
less my Swagbucks gift card................................................$18.51 or 13.2 cents per diaper

With the occasional Parents magazine discount:

Amazon.com price...............................................................$33.59

after Amazon Mom plus Subscribe and Save discount..........$23.51

less the Parents magazine 20% discount code ($6.72).........$16.79

less my Swagbucks $5 gift card..........................................$11.79 or 8.4 cents per diaper

With the Living Social gift card:

Amazon.com price...............................................................$33.59

after Amazon Mom plus Subscribe and Save discount..........$23.51

less my Living Social ($20 for $10) deal................................$3.51 at Amazon checkout

My true out of pocket cost for a box of diapers.................. $13.51 or 9.7 cents per diaper

(I could also add a filler item ($1.50 to $2.00) to bring the Amazon checkout total to over $5 and then use my Swagbucks card this month.)

If you are new to Living Social, you will receive a $5 credit, enabling you to pay only $5 for the $20 Amazon.com gift card. So your deal could look like this:

Amazon.com price...............................................................$33.59

after Amazon Mom plus Subscribe and Save discount..........$23.51

less your Living Social ($20 for $5) deal...............................$3.51 at Amazon checkout

Your true out of pocket cost for a box of diapers................ $8.51 or 6.1 cents per diaper

homeschooling: forensic science

2011-01-07T13:32:00.000-08:00

Abby Sciuto, look out. Dr. Hodgins, be wary. Today we begin forensic science training at The Shoe!

One of the homeschooling freedoms I love is the ability to choose curriculum based on the interests of my own family. The older kids and I are huge NCIS fans; and mysteries top my list of favorite fiction genres. Being the geeky girl I am, the more science in the show or novel, the bettah. I want to feel smug with understanding as I enjoy the story because I understand not only what those blood spatters, fingerprints, urine analysis results might mean but also HOW they get that data. (My readers have probably guessed that I am as excited about this curriculum as my children. I say, "Why shouldn't I choose curriculum that gets everyone, including the teacher, excited about learning?")

Enter Crime Scene Investigations: Real-Life Science Labs For Grades 6-12. Gavin, Sirena, Madelyn and I are planning to dive into forensics with a passion. With a large family, I am always thankful for curricula that allows me to reach several grades at once.

This book covers an amazing array of investigative techniques: handwriting analysis, chromatography, urinalysis (using an included recipe for fake urine), identifying unknown powders, entomology, soil analysis, mummification...the fabulous list goes on and on. Each lesson is followed by at least one lab so the students can experience the technique they have just read about.

Some of the materials required are a bit unusual. For example, in the Examination of Glass Fractures Lab, you are supposed to provide "window glass containing 3 bullet holes". Lab chemicals (methylene blue) and equipment (beakers, scales, petri dishes) are also required on occasion. This is definitely not an ordinary, household item type curriculum. Normally, I avoid curricula that requires obscure items, but the interest level at our house is high enough to warrant the extra time and expense.

I want my children to know how to learn as much as I want them to learn the presented subject. I want them to delight in exploring new ideas, even if the exploration requires time, money and effort. And I want to build memories of shared exploration with my precious children.

Laundry: thirty loads down the rabbit trail

2010-12-30T22:33:00.000-08:00

"Do you really do 30 loads a week? I think we do 11-12. I have more kids..... lol."

Absolutely. 4 loads a day most days with a 5th load a couple of times per week- easy. To make sure I wasn't exaggerating, I conferred with both my father-in-love and my mother-in-love. (They live in a grandy flat attached to The Shoe.) It took fingers and toes, but we agreed that 30 loads/week was a reasonable estimate.

Still, it started me thinking, "Thirty loads? Where does all that laundry come from?" My brain is tired of crunching numbers for taxes and would like a diversion, so I am going to follow this rabbit trail for the sheer pointlessness pleasure it may bring.

Each bedroom has 1 hamper per person. Ideally, that hamper would hold a week's worth of laundry for its owner.

Ideally.

In a perfect world.

In another universe, but most definitely not here. Oh, it works for the mommy, the mid-sized children and, occasionally, for the tall ones who don't stain things, but the daddy, the stain-prone and the littlest ones will not be constrained to one hamper per week.

A husband who works out of doors makes about 2 loads per week all by his lonesome self. (3 loads if he showers 2x per day. The towels never have a chance to dry!) I was able to quantify this while he was in Arizona. My laundry day was suddenly much easier. Not so easy that I wanted him to stay in AZ but a comfort nonetheless.

Evie is a spitter, which translates to several outfits a day for her and sometimes for me.

Nolan is making extra laundry right now since he is potty training, although we are keeping that to a minimum by forbidding him the privilege of pants. Pants take precious time that make the difference between success and failure. Shirts and undies. Sorry, little man. Someday you'll be allowed to wear pants again, I promise.

There is the "I'm going to wear that again, so why put it away" laundry and the "I changed my mind, I guess I'll hang it on the floor" laundry. Add in the dress-up clothes, doll clothes and even GI Joe clothes that kids throw into their hampers instead of the toy bins, and you end up at some crazy number of loads per week. (Our laundry system is such that the big kids wash the laundry for all the people in their bedroom. This means that I don't always see the ridiculous things that go through the wash until I see something like miniature camo pants on top of a load destined to be folded in the boys' room. I wouldn't want anyone to think that I just throw things into the wash willy-nilly.)

The pets add to the mess by sleeping on things I would rather they didn't. If it is fabric and on the floor, our dog thinks it is his blanket and lays down on it. Yes, even if it is only a washcloth. If he wasn't making such a hairy mess, it might be cute to see a 100 pound chocolate lab trying to curl up on a "blanket" that is 5 inches square. The cats are no better; they manage to shed on every surface, horizontal and vertical, in the house. White cat climbing blue curtains = laundry. Of course, so does 'toddler sitting at window seat, using curtains in place of napkins'.

Speaking of napkins...we still use paper napkins, but don't often buy paper towels. Microfiber cloths are used for cleaning anything that doesn't make me gag. As a veteran mother and midwife, there are few things that make me gag. Our stash of microfiber rags needs washed a couple of times per week, in small loads of their own. (Washing them with the other towels covers them in lint and makes them less effective for cleaning.)

And so it goes. Or so it went. This week was magical. Oh, the same family making all the same laundry still lives here, but now, NOW we have Matilda. Suddenly, our 30ish loads have become our 18ish loads. Bliss, I tell you, BLISS.

Dear, dear Matilda,

This week was a lovely beginning for what I can see will be a happy relationship.

Yours devotedly,

The Mama

a laundry lamentation: death of a washing machine

2010-12-27T21:06:00.000-08:00

The measure of household functionality at our house is laundry. If we are "caught up" with laundry, it is usually a good sign that everything is going smoothly. You've heard the saying "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy"? At our house, it might be said that "if mama ain't happy, the laundry ain't done". The last three weeks have seen a slow but marked decrease in laundry productivity. I am happy to report that it is because our washer is on the blink instead of Mommy.

At first, it was easy enough to compensate. The washer was occasionally stalling at the end of the wash cycle. It was inconvenient to remember to go out to the garage and advance the dial forward a couple of clicks halfway through the cycle, but not impossible.

The weekend before Christmas, we decided that, come Monday, I should call the repairman. And I did. As soon as I remembered- on Wednesday when we reached the multiple intervention stage. Up until this point, we were still managing to get at least 3 or 4 loads done each day. But when each cycle started needing 3 or 4 interventions, we began falling behind sock by shirt by towel. Our trusty repairman promised to visit first thing today, Monday the 27th. In the meantime, Mt. Washmore grew quickly.

I don't know why I bother to call for repairs to washing machines. Ever. Dishwashers, refrigerators and dryers seem to be in a different category for us, but I can't remember one single time that it has been worth my time or money to call for a washing machine repair. This morning was no exception. The timer needs replaced, pricetag: $200. It also "sounds like" the bearings are going out, in which case "we recommend replacement".

There you have it: the death sentence. I am not going to sink $200 into a dying machine. It's not like this particular machine and I have a long, sentimental history. We only go back 2, maybe 2.5 years at most.

A repairman once told me that the average lifespan of a washing machine is estimated to be 7 years at 7 loads per week which comes out to 2100 loads. If we wash approximately 30 loads per week, we have used up that allowance in roughly 70 weeks or 1 year 4 months. If we go with ehow.com's estimation: 400 loads per year for 11 years, we are still using up our load allowance in 2 years 10 months. Since we usually get at least 2 years and sometimes 3 years from our machines, I feel that we are getting reasonable use out of "they don't build 'em like they used to" machines. Still, it leaves us in a laundry dilemma far too often. (I would be interested to compare washing machine morbidity and mortality rates with other large families.)

Matilda, our new washer

We've bought new. We've bought used from dealers on craigslist. We've bought used from private parties. Used doesn't seem to last as long as new, but since I haven't specifically tracked the usage of each machine, I won't make a definitive ruling.

Here's the approach we are trying this time. After several hours of online research (reading reviews and comparison shopping), I bought a scratch-and-dent, new machine plus a 5 year service plan for the cost of the same machine before its scratch-and-dent discount. (Newsflash: our new machine also qualified for a state residential energy tax credit!) I am hoping that this route will end up being at least as cost effective as buying 2 (or 3) used washers in the same time frame but with less stress.

Since I am planning to be in a long term relationship with this particular washer, I felt she needed a name. Don't ask me why or how...it just came to me when I was bringing her home; her name is Matilda, and our relationship is off to a great start. For one thing, she has a "estimated time remaining" screen. Be still my beating heart! And her tub is 4.0 cu ft (our last machine had a 3.5 cu ft tub.) Who knew that half a cubic foot could make such a difference? WoW! Even as we speak, she is finishing her first enormous load. At this rate, we'll be caught up ~~this week~~ ~~tomorrow~~ SOON!

bedpan commando

2010-12-09T10:11:00.000-08:00

Too many family stories die with their tellers. I want to preserve as many as I can by writing them down and sharing them here. I encourage you to do the same. Oh, you needn't blog them, but write them down; write them down!

My grandfather, James Wilkinson, enlisted in the army towards the end of WWII. He was stationed near Ogden, UT as a "bedpan commando" and worked at a hospital that treated injured soldiers returning from the frontlines. (My research suggests that he worked at Bushnell General Military Hospital*.)

The story, at least the way he told it, was relatively short.

The first surgery he attended as a young medic was an amputation. The sights and smells were new and overwhelming. So, he was already pretty green when they handed him the still-warm arm and asked him to dispose of it. He always laughed at his listener's involuntary shudder and then admitted his own feeling of shock as he stood there holding someone's arm, not quite sure what to do. Towards the end of his tale, he would gleefully confess, that he had been sick to his stomach- although now I can't remember if it was before or after he took the arm to be incinerated.

If it had been my story, embarrassment might have prevented me from sharing that particular memory. Maybe Grandpa Jim was embarrassed, too- at first. But he obviously learned that sometimes the best stories are the ones that are uncomfortable for the teller.

Now that I think about it, his story may have influenced one of my mottos:

If you are going to laugh about this in 5 years, you might as well laugh about it now.

*Bushnell General Military Hospital was one of 5 amputation centers in the US during WWII and treated soldiers who had lived in the mountain states when they returned injured from the war.

http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1160&context=etd

sprinkles

2010-12-04T13:57:00.000-08:00

In the deep, dark archives of my "My Documents" folder, I found this piece from September 1999.

_________________________________________________________________

I lingered too long in bed today. While I was quietly contemplating the day’s hectic schedule and trying to summon the courage to face the many chores awaiting me, my three older children managed to scatter half a gallon of cookie sprinkles throughout the living room, dining room and kitchen. When I say older I am speaking relatively; my oldest is five, next is the three and a half-year-old. The youngest of the three miscreants is almost two. I am thankful that the baby, only six months old, is too young to escape her crib.

The shrieks of laughter drew me, reluctantly, from my room. Though I had only dillydallied a few minutes, approximately 400 square feet of floor was now covered with pink, yellow, orange, green and white sprinkles. It looked as if there had been a very festive snowstorm. I paused, so many words to regret just on the tip of my tongue. I swallowed them all and reached for the vacuum.

We have had a trying week, and today is only Thursday. This is only the latest in a series of brilliantly staged attempts to sabotage my sanity. On Monday, the three year old found a pair of scissors and cut holes in one of my favorite sweaters and one of the two pairs of jeans that actually fit post-baby me. Tuesday, this very busy three-year-old drew a smiley face on his father’s white truck in red, permanent marker.

Wednesday the one-year-old drew in my less-than-one-week-old study Bible. I left my study for only a moment and came back to a crayon rainbow in Revelation 2. I slammed the Bible shut, not wanting to see the desecration of what had been a pristine page. I bit my tongue and stormed into the garage to transfer a load of laundry.

“Lord,’ I piously complained as I slammed the lid of the washer, ‘ all I want is to be able to study my Bible in peace for a few minutes. These kids are driving me crazy!” It was then that He gently, yet firmly, reminded me of 1 Corinthians 13:2, 4-5, 7.

2And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove all mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 4Love is patient, love is kind, and love is not jealous and does not brag and is not arrogant, 5does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered…7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (NAS)

I was clinging to the offenses of a week, waking each morning with a growing grudge. I would so much rather be like my Heavenly Father, whose mercies are new every morning. Once again, I cast myself upon his mercy and thankfully receive his forgiveness.

Someday, when confronted by crayon on my couch, I will remember that people are more important than possessions. When my study is interrupted, hopefully I will remember that without love it profits me nothing. My children are blessings from the Lord. I truly treasure them, but it is a deliberate decision to love them the way our Lord loves us. We are their first example of God’s love. It is not easy, but I am reminded of another scripture:

And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will boast about my weakness, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NAS)

_____________________________________________________________

I wish I could say that crayon on my couch no longer sets me off, but that would be a bald-faced lie. Having eight children doesn't make sacrificial love any easier than having four children did. I still need to fall back on His grace. I still need to be reminded that "without love, it profits me nothing."

So, once again, I hide this truth in my heart and press on.

many hands make light work?

2010-11-21T10:32:00.000-08:00

The first weekend of October, Bryan was home for a visit from Arizona. It was to be his last visit, although we didn't know it at the time.

The house, car and family were all in need of desperate attention. The budget dictated that he spend some time fixing Vanilla Bean's brakes. Our savings were dwindling after a week requiring repairs to both Pickle and Vanilla Bean totaling a couple grand.

Thankfully, Bryan is great at working with little helpers and Saturday morning found half our crew watching and "helping" Daddy fix the car.

Madelyn, 11, holding Evelyn, 8 months.

Mason, 5, driving. Nolan, 2 1/2 "working".

Nolan repeatedly tried to push Daddy out of the way, saying "Me do it. My turn."

He is actually quite dexterous for a toddler, operating the torque wrench was no problem. Well, except for exerting enough torque!

In the end, Vanilla Bean was repaired for a budget-friendly $9.97, with the added bonus of building relationships with Daddy-starved kiddos.

Back in the day, Bryan and I watched The Red Green Show, where a common refrain was "If she can't find ya handsome, she should at least find ya handy!" I am exceedingly blessed to have a man who is both. Besides fixing Vanilla Bean, he replaced an electrical outlet that was shorting out and magically fixed the bath tub drain lever in the front bathroom.

Before Arizona, I would have taken all these for granted. The experience of being handy-husbandless for 3 months gave me new eyes to see and appreciate all those little things that I can't take care of, things other people have to hire a professional to fix.

I am not sure that the work was accomplished

more efficiently with these many hands,

but it was accomplished more joyfully.

the dress that got away

2010-10-17T11:35:00.000-07:00

Before I get down to the real topic of this post, I would to finish out my Oraz Bridge series.

Chapters 5

It is very hard with Daddy gone. We don't know when to eat dinner. Nobody wants to go to bed. Nolan keeps trying to tickle Daddy through the phone.

Chapter 6

It is very hard with Daddy gone and I hardly remember my name, let alone how to write a blog post.

Chapters 7 - 93

It is very hard with Daddy gone. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Chapter 94

I am happy to announce that the Oraz Bridge was closed as of October 9th, when Bryan officially moved back to Oregon. Whew. We are all SO glad that he is home. The End.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled blog post:

This weekend Bryan and I celebrated our 17th anniversary with a getaway. The plan was to spend 2 nights at a local hotel practically alone. (Evie, now 8.5 months, was our little tagalong since she is still nursing.) Plus, we had tickets to the Oregon Symphony Pops concert "A Night at the Cotton Club".

As I was packing for the weekend, I realized that my only comfy, pajama, hanging-out, watching movie clothes are either so big they fall off or so old they should be burned. Neither of those options seemed right for a special weekend, so I popped into Ross to find some inexpensive, well fitting and cute "loungewear". I am a fairly decisive shopper, so it didn't take too long to make my decision.

On my way to checkout, I passed the clearance rack and the most amazing dress caught my eye. It was screaming "Look at me! I'm perfect for a night at the symphony!" as I walked past. And it was.

A sleeveless sheath in the most perfect blue shantung fabric,

the V neckline was embellished with elegant ruffles. It was close fitting, without clinging. A lovely band just below the bodice would make me look quite narrow. The skirt was tailored and knee length. I knew I had only three questions to answer before I took it home. Size? MINE! Price? $9.99 = MINE! Fit? I boogied over to the dressing room, my heart pounding as I anticipated surprising my husband with my frugal, fashionable and colorful self.

Evie was getting quite tired of her car seat, so I dug through my purse to find a plaything to keep her occupied while I played dress up. Finally, the moment of truth. I slipped the dress over my head, tugging just the tiniest bit to get past the, ahem, fullest parts of my figure. The zipper gave me no trouble and I was in the dress.

I put on my critical eyes and set to evaluating the details. Hmmm. The neckline is a bit low, but a cami will provide the needed fix for modesty. The armholes are fine. The length is great. As I turned to see my profile, I saw a glimpse of skin in a place I shouldn't have seen skin. The zipper had split about halfway up. It was probably already split when I slid into the dress because my figure wasn't straining the dress at all, if you know what I mean.

Before panicking, before giving up on the dress, I decided to try to reseat the zipper. It was one of those invisible zippers that are set into the side seam. The most reasonable course of action was to take the dress off to work on the zipper, but when I tried to unzip I ran into trouble. The zipper stuck right at that flattering band just below the bodice- the narrowest part of the dress just below my not-narrowest feature. Since the zipper wouldn't move, I tried to haul it over my head while zipped. Not a chance.

After several attempts to free myself, I realized that I would need help. Thankfully, the fitting room attendant was female and willing to lend a hand. It is an awkward thing to have a stranger yanking on a zipper in your armpit. All her yanking was for naught; the dress was unyielding. She went for reinforcements. In less than a minute, two new women were in my dressing stall. They were much more forceful with that zipper but it became clear that the zipper was not going to budge.

"We are going to have to rip you out of that dress."

"I am so sorry! Look, you can see that the dress is the right size; I have plenty of room," mortified, I grabbed the ease in the side of the dress to demonstrate.

"Don't worry about it- it happens, especially with this style of zipper," she said, as she firmly gripped the dress on either side of the zipper.

Tug. Tug, rip. TUG, RRRRRRIP. And that was that. Mission accomplished, my helpers left me alone with the ruined dress.

I sadly slipped that once-perfect dress over my head, carefully arranged it on its hanger and left the store with only my cozy clothes.

The Oraz Bridge, chapter 4

2010-08-01T17:04:00.000-07:00

Long overdue, this chapter has been postponed by chaos and exhaustion.

What a week! We still haven't found any sort of normal around here but are continuing to wander through each day. Of course, summer has a loosey-goosey feeling around here to begin with. Gavin is still in DC with the Scouts, which contributes to the craziness because he is 25% of our trained workforce.

If I could remember Monday, I would share it with you, but it is really just a blur. Tuesday is where memory kicks in again. Great-Grandma Dorothy came for a visit in the morning, bringing treats and magazines and adult company. The kids adore her; Nolan was particularly generous with his kisses.

Tuesday evening, we went over to my parents' house for dinner. Lovely to sit and visit with them. Great-Grandma joined us for dinner, too. So nice to see her twice in a day.

Wednesday, Mason and Sarah wanted to show off the bike skills, so I moved the van down the driveway a bit and grabbed the camera.

Not only does Mason strongly resemble Grandpa Ron's childhood

photos, he inherited the "chews on tongue while concentrating" trait.

Thursday I spent the day scrapbooking at a friend's house. Madelyn, Sarah and Evelyn came along to play with their 4 girls. Another dear friend brought her 5 daughters, so the house rang with the giggles and laughter of a dozen little ladies. I was thoroughly spoiled the host and hostess. In addition to the lively conversation and sweet companionship, I had the the yummiest decaf mocha, a superlative slice of lemon cheesecake, and my daughters were blessed with new friendships. A wonderful way to spend the day!

The evening brought stresses that I won't bore you with here, but the Lord was gracious to supply all the wisdom Bryan and I needed for our first multi-state parenting challenge. Sometimes it is good to be at the end of yourself because then there is no question that is was indeed the Lord who provided. If this time of separation accomplishes nothing else but a new dependence on the Lord, it will have been worth it.

The Oraz Bridge, chapter 3

2010-07-24T21:18:00.000-07:00

The Shoe is quite empty this weekend. Our family is scattered to the four winds.

North: Sarah & Mason camping with my parents in Trout Lake, WA.

East: Gavin in Washington D.C. with the Boy Scouts

South: Bryan in Arizona for work

West: Mara in Beaverton at my aunt's house & Madelyn camping at the coast with friends.

That leaves me in a quieter house with only Sirena, Nolan and Evelyn. I can only say quieter because, at 2 years old, Nolan is anything but quiet. Still, there have been far more restful hours than usual: nap time is a blessed thing, good for a mother's body and soul. Do you know how much less laundry there is with only 3 children in the house? Amazing! How come it didn't feel like this when we only had 3 kids? Of course, back when we only had 3 kiddos, the eldest was 3.5! That might explain something, yes?

After the littles were in bed last night, Sirena and I had a good time watching reruns and giggling together. Tonight is a little different because Sirena has a friend staying over. They are having a grand time- eating brownies, playing games, splashing in the pool and snuggling the babies.

Nolan has most definitely been outnumbered by females, but from the following photos, it is quite evident that he doesn't mind in the least.

Nono with the green nigh-night he has claimed as his own.

(It was originally Sirena's, but she is generous to a fault and lets him sleep with it.)

Nono with Sirena's sweet friend

Just LOOK at those smiles!

Evie has been hard at work, demanding practice time for a new skill. Today she managed to stay balanced for 5, even 10 seconds before falling over.

Look, mama! I can sit all by myself!

Of course, she has a pretty short attention span and soon moved on to another favorite activity, scooting all around the floor while blowing raspberries.

I spent more than an hour talking with my husband on the phone today. Thank goodness calls between our cell phones don't count against our monthly allowance of minutes! We talked through some parenting challenges, just as we do when he is home. I played tech support and walked him through setting up his email client. We reminisced about our dating days- mostly because we have a lovesick daughter, and, in retrospect, we are grateful our parents allowed us to live. In short, just normal spouse conversational stuff until he sent me a video taken with his web cam. Gulp. How can a video simultaneously make me feel as if he is right here and on the far side of the moon? I miss him.

(Once my vision cleared I noticed that he is growing a goatee- may as well since I am not around to complain about scratchy kisses!)

For those who are wondering why these posts are called The Oraz Bridge, here is a clue:

ORegon AriZona

The Oraz Bridge, chapter 2

2010-07-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

In which I discover how many ways I miss my husband.

Number 42

This little gift from the cats was hiding in my front entry closet. You will no doubt notice the abundance of dog hairs and ants. Dog hair (and cat hair and people hair) happens around here. It is why we fill the dust pan several times a day. I decided that the house needed a really good sweeping, the kind that only a mommy takes the time to do. So, I swept under the couches, under the cabinets and in the entry closet. Finding this bit of putrefying rodent flesh did not make my day. Nay, not one little bit of happiness did it introduce into my life. In fact, I threw a little pity party when I realized that both Bryan and Gavin were gone and that I would have to "man up" and take care of the corpse myself.

Numbers 67, 68 & 69

Does she or does she not have the most magnificent set of brown eyes? These moments with Evie remind me that she is growing and changing so quickly. She is already 5.5 months old and will be closer to a year by the time Bryan is back with us to stay.

I haven't posted nearly enough about Evie, so consider this an update! She is a sunshine in our home, being a mostly content little person. She does wake up way too often in the night to my way of thinking, but I am sure this is building character in me...right? Not crawling yet, she scoots and rolls all around. Now that she has two teeth through and another on its way in, she shoves everything into her mouth to practice her shark attack skills. There is a mutual adoration between Evie and her siblings, and she liberally bestows slobbery kisses on us all.

The Oraz Bridge, chapter 1

2010-07-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

These are the chronicles of our two-state family adventure. I hope to bridge the gap between Oregon and Arizona by sharing the little details that make up family life.

July 6th: Bryan was approached about working at the Chandler, Arizona campus of Intel for 6 months. Even though we knew it would be a stretch for our family, we both felt like the benefits would be worth the sacrifice. We didn't have a firm departure date but had been told it would be mid to late August.

July 13th: Checking his voicemail, Bryan found an early morning message from the supervisor for the Arizona project confirming the late August dates. The time stamp was 6:20 a.m. At 10 a.m., his phone rang with surprising news. He called me immediately.

"I have a date. Do you want to hear it?"

"Yes!"

"Next Monday."

"NO!"

Who knows what changed, but the crew begins training July 22nd. To further complicate our few remaining days together in Oregon, it was church campout weekend. It didn't take us long to decide that camping would provide the perfect opportunity for family time and was, therefore, worth the craziness that packing a family of 10 causes.

July 15th-18th: Family camp with HOFCC Milwaukie at Metzler Park outside of Estacada. A great time was had by all.

July 19th: The alarm sounded at 3:30 a.m. and, unlike most mornings, Bryan jumped out of bed. I don't think he was sleeping too well. Evie was just going back down after a feeding, so I followed him into the bathroom to chat while he showered. A cup of coffee, a hug and kiss and he was gone. I stood in the driveway waving blindly at his headlights as he backed out into the darkness. A few tears trickled slowly down as I turned to close the garage door and stumble back to my lonely bed.

He called with progress reports throughout the day. When he was nearing Mt. Shasta, we pulled it up on Google Earth to show the kids what Daddy was seeing out his car window.

I was his "eye in the sky" helping out with directions and hotel bookings from afar.

July 21st: Gavin left for the Boy Scouts National Jamboree in Washington, DC. We had to be at the airport at 4:30 a.m. Erring on the side of caution and because my van doesn't fit in the parking garage, we left extra early and arrived at 4:10! Oh well. Better early than late!

Bryan drove through Chandler to check out the Intel campus where he is to report for work on Thursday before finding his hotel. We found a corporate housing/extended stay place that is close to a grocery store and a Walmart. He can walk both places- if he feels like frying on the sidewalks. The low last night was 90.

The reality of this separation is starting to set in. He felt it as he was unpacking. This is his temporary home and it is empty. I feel it most around dinnertime. His arrival home from work is the only solid milepost in our days. Whatever else happens, Daddy comes home between 5:30 and 6:30 and then we eat dinner. It is "the event" of the day. Dinner time is feeling a little lost and lonely.

to be continued...

haiku: relief

2010-05-30T11:15:00.001-07:00

After a harried morning, a quiet moment found me thinking poetically.

two babies resting

contentedly in their cribs

mama sighs relief

I think I will just savor the peace for just a moment before I dry the dishes and transfer the laundry, before the rush of busyness and noise returns.

Update: The noise and busyness have returned, but I am still in a fanciful mood.

eight kids-a-leaping

this life is full and busy

we are greatly blessed

where shall I set?

2010-04-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, friends and family gathered to remember my Grandpa Jim, who crossed into eternity February 14, 2010.

The service opened with "The Lodge of Sorrows" ceremony by the Elks. After which my dad and my aunt shared. Before the closing slideshow, they opened the floor to anyone who wanted to share a memory. There were stories about hunting, stories about storms, many stories about working on cars and one extra special story about walking to school. Violet, grandpa's older sister, took the mike and shared this story:

"When Jim was just two-years old, he got diphtheria and was very sick. Afterwards, the doctor told us that he had developed a heart murmur. Mother worried for him. In time, we moved from the city to the country. Now, in the country, children didn't get driven to school, they had to walk. Our walk was a mile and a half. On Jim's first day of school, Mother was worried that the walk might tire him and told me to let him rest along the way. As we were walking, Jim needed to stop and rest. "Where shall I set, Violet?" he asked. I looked around and then answered, "On my feet." So I put my feet together, and he sat down on my shoes. After a while, he was ready to go on and walked the rest of the way to school. And that," she said, in true big sister fashion, "is why I have big feet!"

snuggles & sleep

2010-03-17T09:14:00.001-07:00

There' s a whole lotta sleeping going on at our house- by Evelyn, at least. I really can't complain, though. She's already sleeping one stretch of around 5 1/2 hours most nights.

When Sarah was this age, we didn't sleep. I walked the bedroom for hours each night, nursing and bouncing at the same time. We listened to the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy, unabridged- several times through, which is to say that I know how blessed I am to have a good sleeper this time.

Moments before this photo, we were cozied up together for a nap.

I love squishy, sleepy babies!

Nothing sweeter in this whole wide world than sisters snuggling.

house of chaos and contagion

2010-03-05T10:39:00.000-08:00

Here we are on day 2? 3? 4? of chaos and contagion.

This is the current view in our living room.

The curtains are drawn to enhance the movie theater feeling.

Madelyn holding today's accessory- the cup. The cup is a definite upgrade from yesterday's accessory- the bowl. Yesterday, I barked at any child seen without their bowl buddy.

All of my large, easy-to-hit bowls were pressed into service, starting with the mint-green tupperware barf bowl of yesteryear up to and including my nice, deep pasta pot.

Panning to the right we have Sarah, who has escaped unscathed thus far, eating breakfast.

Continuing the living room tour, Evie in her swing. She loves the swing, a fact that saved my sanity yesterday when it was just Gavin and I tending the puking hoardes.

Mason also wanted breakfast. This may be a rather optimistic move, only time will tell. He is wearing mismatched jammies because everything else he owns is stained with evidence of sickness (from one end or the other).

Gavin, the hero of yesterday, has finally succumbed. Let me tell you- I would be bald and in a straight jacket if not for his noble help yesterday. He changed nasty diapers and dealt with even nastier, sickness-covered loads of laundry. Loads and loads and loads of nastiness. Plus, he got up in the midnight hours many, many times to change Mason's bed linens and empty his bowl. This heroic deed gave his mother a few, precious hours of sanity-saving sleep.

Now that he is one of the sick, we have given him the entire couch plus control of the movie choices. It's only right.

Last stop in our living room tour- Sirena and Nolan cozied up on Sirena's mattress in the middle of the floor. Sirena decided that trying to make urgent, midnight bathroom trips from the top bunk was a hazardous proposition. So, she prudently relocated her bed to a location that allowed for easier and quicker exits. Thankfully, she is on the upswing and may even eat later today.

It all looks so peaceful and cozy, yes? I won't traumatize you by photographing our laundry. I will say that the bathroom has never been so clean.

My routine yesterday went something like this:

1. nurse the baby

2. change the baby

3. change the toddler

4. empty the bowls

5. bathe the child

6. clean the bathroom

7. transfer the laundry

8. clean the carpet/floor/chair

Repeat

Anything else accomplished was a miracle. Today, however, is a brighter day. Only one child is hugging a bowl, and he, most thankfully, has good aim.

conversation with a telemarketer

2010-03-02T16:10:00.000-08:00

Ring-ring. Ring-ring.

Gavin: Hello?...Uhhh...Do you want to talk to my mom?

Me: Hello?

Suave man's voice: "Good morning, ma'am. My name is _________ and I am calling on behalf of D___ Network."

Me, politely: "Good morning. Let me save you some time. We don't watch television."

Suave man: "Well then, it would be a waste of time to try to sell you satellite television services, wouldn't it. " With incredulity, "You don't watch TV at all?"

Me: "Sir, we have 8 children. We watch them instead."

Suave man: "You have 8 children? That's what you get for not watching television!"

Me: "Yep. It's a great hobby."

Suave man, chuckling: "It sure is. Have a nice day, ma'am. Good bye."

all about Evie

2010-02-13T16:58:00.000-08:00

Evelyn Naomi

February 4, 2010

8 lbs 8 oz, 21 in.

born at home

taking in the world, one day old

8 days old and so aware

Pink or Blue?

2010-01-06T11:05:00.000-08:00

Has everyone heard about the "Chinese conception chart" for gender prediction? I have no idea what it is based on but, for our family at least, it has been fairly accurate in predicting gender for our babies.

Here the score thus far:

Mara- I was too young at the time of conception to compare with the chart which is for ages 18 - 45.

Gavin- correct

Sirena- correct

Madelyn- correct

Sarah- correct

Mason- correct

Nolan- INcorrect

That leaves us with an 83% accuracy rate, if I exclude Mara. Before I reveal the charts predictions for this baby, we are taking guesses. I think I will turn it into a preschool craft project and make a paper chain of pink and blue links for each guess.

Leave your guess in the comments. And don't expect me to share my guess. You wouldn't want to side with me anyway; I am wrong almost as often as the chart is right.

Update: 36+1 weeks

2010-01-04T08:55:00.000-08:00

Well, we have crossed many items off "The List" and added others. Truthfully, the house is still gearing up for this baby and birth. I expect that within a week or two, the house will be immaculate all the time because I will be unable to focus on anything but the coming baby. At this point, it still makes me too tired to contemplate pouring that much energy into the preparations. Hopefully, the first semester will be finished by then so I can bring the kids into my madness. (This is not their favorite stage of pregnancy.)

In the meantime, baby is growing well and I am moving more slowly. According to one friend, I "have a nice bump" and "should wear it with pride". Guess I'll keep working on that nice bump.

a bit of religion

2009-11-30T08:45:00.001-08:00

Not discounting Messiah or what he has done for me, but I think sometimes we forget that he is the bridge, the door to fellowship with the Father.

To illustrate my point, here is a simple outline of our relationship with the Divine:

*In the garden, there was perfect harmony between the LORD and Adam.

*Sin entered the world and abolished that harmony.

*Temporary measures were set in place to allow for an imperfect reconciliation between man and Creator.

***Messiah, the perfect sacrifice, came to affect a complete and total reconciliation. Those who accept his sacrifice are now able to come freely before the throne of grace to worship the Father.***

Mission accomplished? Yes, and yet much of our focus in the modern church and, indeed, in Christian life is on the Son, the sacrifice. (I do not discount this glorious gift; truly, I do not.)

It is on my heart to study the attributes of the Father. I am His creation. It was His plan that brought reconciliation. I urge you to consider with me these questions: who is He and how does He differ from His son?

Carmelized Squash Risotto

2009-11-11T09:10:00.001-08:00

Ingredients (for a large batch):

2 butternut squash (peeled, seeded and cut into 1" cubes)
1 large onion, large dice
1 head garlic, peeled and separated into cloves

kosher salt
extra virgin olive oil

3 cups rice
1/2 cup white wine
6-7 cups chicken broth
6 cups cooked, chopped chicken
1 tsp curry
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

We consider the following ingredients optional for our dairy-sensitive family:
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Toss squash, onion and garlic with enough olive oil to lightly coat. Spread on a baking sheet and pop in the oven for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, over medium heat, coat the bottom of a dutch oven with olive oil. Add the rice. Stir to coat the rice with the oil. Add the wine and stir until absorbed. Turn the heat to med-high. Add between 1 and 2 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a fast simmer and stir until the liquid is abosorbed. Add more broth and, again, stir until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Continue until you have 1 cup of broth left to add. With the final addition of broth, add the chicken, curry and pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 min, or until rice is tender. Add milk and parmesan. Salt and pepper to taste.

At the end of the vegetable cooking time, they should be tender and lightly carmelized. Transfer the veggies into the rice mixture, toss gently to distribute them evenly and serve.

Garnish with additional parmesan and sesame seeds.

The Nesting List

2009-10-21T14:07:00.000-07:00

We keep mislaying the Nesting List. I would like to think it is accidental, but the smirks upon my children's faces as I wander about searching for it lead me to believe that it is a well-orchestrated assault on both my plans and my sanity. But, having lived longer, I am much more wily than they and to prove it, I am posting the list here, where it cannot be hidden by malingerers.

* denotes that the budget will dictate whether this item is completed

Living Room, Entry & Hall

Paint trim
~~Clean cold air returns~~
~~Paint gray cold air return white~~
Vacuum ceiling
Detail dust shelves & display items
Buy heater grates*
Install ceiling light*
Paint light fixtures*
Clean light fixture glass
Purge entry closet, set up with pantry shelving
~~Vacuum lampshades~~
"Dust" curtains using fluff cycle in dryer
Clean window tracks
Purge entertainment center, organize

Kitchen & Dining Room

~~Clean garden window~~
~~Clean behind frig and in cubby~~
~~Wipe ceiling~~
~~Vacuum frig coils~~
Clean under stove plus stove drawer
Clean out silverware drawer
Purge knife drawer, get knife block or mag strip*
~~Clean apron and legs of dining table~~
~~Clean stickers off dining chairs~~
Build drawers for window seat*
~~Wash curtains~~
Trim garden window and paint new trim
Install new valance or blind at garden window*
Wipe down insides of cupboards
Wipe down display shelves
Clean out frig and freezers
Defrost outside freezer
Fix exterior window trim so that window closes correctly
Paint lower cabinets?

Homeschool Room

~~Vacuum computer fan cabinet~~
Purge sewing cabinet by completing projects (this may deserve as list of its own)
~~Decide which clothing boxes go back in storage and which go to charity~~
Hand-mop under cabinets

Front Bathroom

~~Wash curtain (delicate cycle, hang dry) and liner (with towels~~
Purge drawers
Purge cabinets
Paint trim
Clean light fixture glass
Install new fan*

Master Suite

~~Vacuum mattress and flip/rotate~~
Clean carpet
Paint trim
~~Caulk crown~~
~~Vacuum lampshades~~
~~Declutter top of armoire~~
~~Purge pregnancy related books~~
~~Wax /polish armoire~~
Touch up spice-colored paint
Move Nolan's clothes to Boy room
Move changing table to our room
Paint changing table and tighten screws
Buy new changing table pad and covers*

a one minute photo shoot

2009-10-12T07:37:00.000-07:00

Although the weather was cooperative, the children weren't especially interested in sitting still for photos. I snapped these off in just under a minute, without even checking the settings on my camera. Thankfully, there is an angel somewhere who has mercy on frazzled, sandy mothers who *just* want a photo of all their children together.

Mason, Madelyn, Gavin, Mara, Sirena, Sarah, Nolan

All smiles...because this is the last picture!

Thrifty NW Mom: Old Navy Coupon Giveaway

2009-09-07T11:12:00.000-07:00

Check out today's post at Thrifty NW Mom! She is giving away 6 coupons for $45 off a $100 purchase at Old Navy.

the mighty huntress

2009-08-07T08:09:00.000-07:00

I filled my freezer with meat yesterday; a deed that made my husband exceedingly happy. Since the meat was purchased from a wholesaler and at a great savings, my pocketbook and I are also exceedingly happy.

Here's the score:

120 lbs of boneless/skinless chicken breasts @ $1.29 / lb. I ordinarily pay $1.99 / lb, so this was a savings of $84.00 over our everyday prices.

27 lbs of Foster Farms oven browned turkey breast, produced and wrapped for our local warehouse club. The price on their tag was $3.99 / lb. I paid $1.69 / lb. Since I don't ordinarily buy deli meat with a $4 price tag, it seems right to calculate savings from what I would normally pay, which is $1.99 / lb. Savings: $8.10.

10 lbs of all beef, pre-cooked meatballs, also at $1.69 /lb. Warehouse price is $2.16 /lb. Savings: $4.70.

10 lbs all beef, skinless franks at $1.69 / lb. Warehouse price is $2.25 / lb. Savings: $5.60.

30 lbs of steak fries @ $.63 / lb. Safeway price is $1.76 / lb. Savings: $33.90.

Total savings: $136.30

All of these items were "specials", which change every 3 - 4 weeks at this wholesaler. All together, I find that this is a trip I will happily repeat.

wistful

2009-07-31T14:55:00.000-07:00

On a hot, hot day, two very small people contemplate the unfairness of toddlerhood.

Nolan (14.5 mos) and Liza (17.5 mos)

See? Madelyn's having a great time out there...

Nina is clearly having a fabulous time...

Gavin, too.

Cousin, how long does it take to grow up?

a special photo

2009-07-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

A brand new birthday buddy for Madelyn, cousin Liza, cousin Ashton and Uncle Torgan!

Due 1/31/2010

on the Potter's wheel

2009-03-10T21:53:00.000-07:00

Sheesh. It seems that all I do around here is apologize for my absence. I still have the rest of my series on Children and Chores to post, in fact it is practically ready to go but other things have captured my attention and time. Then there are the numerous little stories that come from a full life in a full house, but for now, I am otherwise occupied.

It seems that the Lord is intent on shaping my character just now. He has his hands deep in me, working my heart like clay. The wheel is spinning at a dizzying speed, and I have no choice but to trust that His hands will guide and shape my weak heart into a useful vessel. There are seasons when the wheel is idle, when the clay is ripening- preparing to be worked, shifted, molded, changed; then there are the intense seasons of the shaping itself.

So, if this blog lies idle and you wonder where I am- I am on the Potter's wheel.

Light Painting

2009-01-26T20:45:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you cross Science Friday with a new camera:

Chores & Children part 1: A look in the mirror

2009-01-23T10:03:00.000-08:00

*This is the first in a series on involving children in our housekeeping. I am teaching a class Feb. 18th and want to test drive my ideas here first.*

Those of you who know me in real life, know that my home isn't a model of perfection. I don't pretend that it is always tidy, uncluttered and clean. Quite the contrary! My house is overflowing with evidence that nine imperfect people LIVE here. We are nowhere near perfected, but we press on. What we do have are some habits that help us keep chaos and filth at bay.

We don't watch much TV, but I have seen those commercials with a person sitting or standing on a large red dot saying something along the lines of "You know that place where a house full of children meets I still have to keep things clean? Yeah. I'm there. I'm so there."

Let's look at some of the attitudes that hang out "there". This field guide to the modern housewife uses just a wee bit of exaggeration to make the illustration clearer. So read with a twinkle in your eye...

The Worker: this mom does most of the work around the house, and is more than a little frustrated that everyone takes her hard work for granted. A variation is the mom who assigns chores to her children only to redo them as soon as the kids are out of the room.

The Delegator: this mom gives plenty of orders and then scratches "housework" of her list with a happy sigh. Later, perhaps when her husband comes home or a neighbor pops in, she sees the mess and sighs sadly. It can't possibly be her fault that the house looks like this; she told the children to do their chores.

The Hostess: this mom becomes singularly focused and cracks her whip when company is coming. She might pull off an amazing stash-n-dash or get things in true apple pie order- finishing just as the guests ring the doorbell. Although she greets them with a smile, it's best not to ask her family about the frantic, harsh atmosphere leading up to the guests arrival.

The Decorator: this mom bemoans her outdated carpet or furniture or her inadequate storage, certain that a large remodeling budget would solve everything. She is completely oblivious to the fact that even pea-green shag looks better after vacuuming.

The Planner: this mom just knows that with a better system, another book, another storage tote- all her housecleaning and organization struggles will be solved. She is endlessly optimistic about each new system but her family is becoming jaded.

I don't know about you, but I have been each of these women at one point or another. You can probably relate to at least one. Leave a comment and let me know which mom, if any, you are. If you don't fit under one of these titles, feel free to coin a new phrase! No one is as shallow as these descriptions suggest, but acknowledging your tendencies will help you know which habits need your priority attention.

Keep an eye out for Part 2: A new attitude.

Tomato Soup

2009-01-14T11:26:00.000-08:00

Soup. Ah, soup. The wonderful food of winter months!

I have been working on my recipe for almost-dairy-free "cream" of tomato soup. I think we are getting somewhere, so here is version 1.0 for your enjoyment. Of course, feel free to use milk if you aren't doing the dairy-free thing at your place. In fact, if you eat dairy- consider adding 8 oz cream cheese, cubed, just before serving. Mmm.

You'll notice that I do use butter. That small amount doesn't affect our kids. I will most likely continue tweaking the recipe, watch for possible updates.

Tomato Soup
12 generous servings (We all ate at least a bowl for lunch and there were still 2 servings left.)

1/4 cup butter
1 cup onions
1 TBS garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup flour
1 quart rice milk (or almond, or soy)
1 1/2 quart tomato sauce (1/2 of a #10 can, Costco $2.75)
1/2 tsp salt
dash pepper
2 cups water
1 tsp chicken base (or sub. 2 cup chicken broth for water)

In a dutch oven, saute onions in butter over medium heat. After 2 min., add garlic and red pepper flakes. Once the garlic becomes fragrant, stir in the 1/4 cup flour. Stir quickly until the mixutre appears coated with the butter/flour combination. Slowly add 2 cups of the milk, stirring vigorously the entire time. Once the milk is well combined, remove from heat and allow to cool for approx. 5 min. Transfer mixture to blender and blend until smooth. (If you have an immersion blender, you can skip this step and blend in the pot.) Return to pot and add the tomato sauce, S & P, water and chicken base. Heat through and serve.

Practicing Hospitality

2009-01-14T08:01:00.000-08:00

Have you all been over to Passionate Homemaking? She is giving away copies of the book Practicing Hospitality: The Joy of Serving Others for a new study in the book club!

I find that it is too easy to get caught up in our daily doings and forget to practice hospitality. We have several families on our "hospitality wish list", meaning that the kids keep pestering me to call and set a time for those families to come over.

Ladies, take some time to read through the Passionate Homemaking site and I am sure you will find inspiration (and perhaps a little conviction) on your journey as a wife and mother.

Tools

2008-11-27T09:05:00.000-08:00

I apologize for my prolonged absence from the blog. October was busy with the Holy Days of Rosh Hoshanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. November has been a whirl of sewing. I can't believe it is already Thanksgiving! If I really wanted to bring on the excuses, I could add that I spend my nights with a cranky baby who is cutting 3 teeth and my days with a few cranky children who are cycling and recycling this year's virus. The truth is that while I have several blog ideas a day, I haven't found the time to record them. When someone designs a usb port for my brain, you will see more blog posts. Some of my brain waves are quite brilliant, too bad they never make it into the spoken or written word.

Now that my blogging guilt has been assuaged, I will proceed to today's story.

Mason is now the proud owner of a hard hat. This morning he swaggered into the kitchen wearing his new headgear and announced, "I could really use some real tools, Dad." Well, what is a tool-using daddy to do? GET HIS SON SOME TOOLS!

Sirena Nina Mae

2008-10-07T12:38:00.000-07:00

Eleven is a beautiful age, just ask our Nina.

Young enough to play with blocks and
old enough to help in the childcare at Bible study.

Here's our nature girl with the blasted dog.

(Notice the look of utter absorption on the dog's face? I am holding a ball, an object greatly desired, directly over the camera. He is actually quivering with lust for the ball, but this shot caught him between shivers.)

So pretty.

Sirena is our puzzle girl, she excels at math and all sorts of visual games. She loves plants and has a little plot to call her own and is our most-likely child to play outside. It's fitting that she is barefoot in her birthday photos since she doesn't wear shoes -unless forced- from March through November. Her feet are as tough as Hobbit feet (though hers are not hairy).

This past year has been a big one! Sirena began learning to quilt and has also added breadmaking and cooking to her skill set. I love knowing that I can turn her loose in the kitchen with a recipe and she can make it happen! Dare I confess that she is, even now, baking her own birthday cake? (From mix and it was her idea.)

She has a great sense of humor and a fabulous vocabulary. (Yes, this matters to me. I am a lexophile and, so far, she is the only child who shows any symptoms of catching this disorder.)

Quote du jour

2008-10-05T13:17:00.000-07:00

I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said,
but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.
- Robert McCloskey

Wrap your brain around that one! I had to read it several times before the truth of it penetrated my sleep-deprived fog.

I can't even begin to count the number of times Bryan has said something similar. I am the queen of assumption...yes, I know I need to work on that. Is that a log in your eye?

Sarah, Princess of the Butterflies

2008-10-02T12:02:00.000-07:00

Our own

Sarah Eleanor
is...

FIVE!

Five years ago this moment, I was still recovering from her 4:35 a.m. birth. It was a longish labor and a difficult recovery. Now, the trauma had faded into the mists and what I mostly remember is the joy of looking into her eyes for the first time as we floated together in the birth tub.

She has become a motherly girl who loves to dress fancy and pose for pictures. I had the craziest time trying to get "normal" looking photos this morning. She simpers and poses and twirls and arranges herself as one who is used to being admired and dressed up and posed by 3 older sisters and one doting mama.

Miss Sadie can't wait to grow up and be a "Sadie, Sadie, Married Lady" and a mommy. Her dolls and animals reecive oodles of loving care. Her family receives oodles of drawings and cards and make believe treats and stories and, now that she is learning to read, strings of letters that might-or-might-not-be words. Her generous nature shines.

4.5 months and a TOOTH

2008-09-29T20:05:00.001-07:00

Now we know why the little guy hasn't been sleeping so well! We found a tooth on Saturday. He is such an easy going little guy that I missed some of the cues. There hasn't been any screaming, just a strong desire to be held plus the inability to sleep more than 2 hours at a time. I am tired!

Mara and I took some pics of Nolan in a little sailor suit that my brothers wore, once upon a time- before they grew into Big Friendly Giants.

Handsome boy!

Blue Eyes!

Family news

2008-09-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

Lots of doings here at The Shoe.

- We started school Mon., 9/15. I am mostly pleased with our schedule but we need to figure out how to keep the preschoolers quietly occupied during our hour of family learning time (History, Scripture memory and character studies.) Mason is NOT a quiet child.

Every year I search for the perfect organizational tool to keep us on track for homeschool. This year we are trying the CM Organizer at Simply Charlotte Mason. (You can take a video tour here.) So far, I find it very helpful. It made planning so much easier. As a person who loves checklists, it fills my need for little boxes plus it is the simplest method for record-keeping that I have found. At the end of each schoolday, it is a simple matter to record what has been accomplished. I am looking forward to using the Reports feature at the end of each quarter. Record-keeping has never been my homeschooling strong-point. Paper is my bête noire; I always have multiple stacks of things needing attention so a paper based record-keeping system hasn't worked simply because I can never decide how to keep it tidy and accessible and intact.

-The weekend of the 5th to 7th, we went camping with the Wilkinson side of the family. A good time was had by all until Sunday morning. At our pancake breakfast, Grandma Dorothy, my dad's mom, was holding Nolan. She stood up and started walking across the campsite to bring the baby to my aunt and caught her foot on the rug in front on their motorhome. Her only thought was to protect the baby -and she did. Nolan came through the incident absolutely unscathed. Grandma did not. She fell hard, dislocating her shoulder and breaking it in 3 places. As we were waiting for the ambulance, after the first shock was over, she was very worried about Nolan. (We had hustled all the great-grandkids to another campsite.) After she left for the hospital, my Aunt Colleen had the brilliant idea of taking a picture of Nolan on her camera phone and sending it over to Grandpa's phone for Grandma to see. I say brilliant because once Grandma Dorothy saw the picture, she was able to stop worrying about the baby.

I'd say that he is obviously "fine" in this photo, wouldn't you?

-Yesterday was a very special day as we welcomed Bryan's Aunt Alice, Aunt Dale and Uncle Larry plus Cousin Rick into our home. Aunt Alice is nearly 80, lives in Southern CA and doesn't get around so easily anymore. It was such a blessing to have her here. As each of our children arrived, she put together lovely blankets with panels of embroidery. They have always cherished their "Alice blankets" but had never met Alice. What a delight to spend an entire day with her! When I find the camera, set somewhere during the festivities yesterday, I will upload a picture of the whole crew.

((I let the kids sleep in this morning since we had guests until 10 p.m., but now it is time to roust them out of bed and get this day rolling.))

Photography Tips and GOTW

2008-09-05T06:59:00.000-07:00

GOTW: Giveaway of The Week

The GOTW at Life in a Shoe is focusing (har har) on photography this week.

Check out the great photo tips for moms category at Me Re Koh. I appreciate the wisdom in one post I read which encouraged learners to work on one item at a time. It can be a bit overwhelming to absorb a new vocabulary and learn new equipment at the same time. FYI: there are plenty of tips even for the point-and-shoot photographer. (This includes us for now.) So don't pass it by just because you don't own an SLR!

Bryan and I are both trying to improve our photography skills. He needs to be able to take clear, meaningful photos of his completed work projects for his portfolio. I want to take pictures of our family and daily life that catch their essence. Oh, and I want to take stunning pictures of the mamas I serve and the babies I catch. Sigh. I want it ALL. In my spare time. Wait, I don't have any spare time...

Let sleeping boys lie...

2008-08-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

More photo editing.

The little boys were both crashed out on our bed last Saturday night. We had partied hard at an open house to celebrate my brother's wedding and everyone was T I R E D. Well, they were just so cute, lying there asleep, that I HAD to snap some pictures.

Then it occurred to me that Bryan doesn't really like his boys to be associated with anything pink. Aha! GIMP to the rescue! (Have I ever mentioned that I love open source software?)

And so we have...

"Mason and Nolan Sleeping on man-colored sheets"

A little photo editing

2008-08-16T11:48:00.001-07:00

I am trying to learn how to touch up and improve digital images. This is a photo of my Dad and his family from the Spring of 1956. Dad is the adorable one by the fireplace. Here is about 3 1/2 in this picture. Our boy Mason bears a STRONG resemblance to his Grandpa Ron. It is amazingly appropriate Mason has my Dad's middle name.

Before

As you can see, there is quite a bit of "noise" in the original photo. (I think that is the technical term for speckles.) It just looks dusty and old.

After

It's not perfect, but I think I did achieve a good part of my goal!

blog bites

2008-07-18T10:07:00.000-07:00

I wanted to call this post sound bites, but since you are reading instead of listening that didn't seem quite right. And now to the news...

1)Nolan is growing bigger and more delightful each day. Sirena and I weighed and measured him this morning: 14 lb 7 oz and 26 in long. He is not quite 2.5 months.

2)Mason is also growing. He's a big boy now as I had the "diapers are just for sleeping-time" talk with him about a week ago. He gave me a lot of grief the first day but now loves running around in his McQueens (Lightning McQueen underwear). Today he is quite fetching wearing nothing but McQueens and a pair of tap shoes from the dress-up box. He doesn't sound fetching as he stomps around the house, but he looks cute in a crazy sort of way. I would take a picture for future blackmail purposes, but I haven't the least idea where the camera is.

3)It's $5 Quilt class this weekend and, as usual, the girls and I will spend today sewing in order to be ready. At the moment I am procrastinating through blogging. It's a proven method around here.

4)I've read some fascinating books lately and am trying to find time to review them here.
Final Salute, by Jim Scheeler
The Omnivore's Dilemna by Michael Pollan

5)Through an amazing gift, I was introduce to the art of Katie M. Berggren. Her painting, "Love Affair" now hangs in my bedroom. It is perfect for this midwife mama of many. Someday, I would love to hang it in my midwifery office (as in, when I have a midwifery office.) Thank you, Kaley.

That's all the news that's fit to print...or all the time I can justify printing it.

Nolan news

2008-06-30T20:09:00.001-07:00

Nolan the Grublet is turning out to be quite an easy baby so far. Yes, he fusses but mostly because his diaper is full, his tummy is empty or because he is ready for another nap. He is a great sleeper which is all the more a blessing since life just keeps racing on. He is a smiley little guy and occasionally lets out a manly chuckle. The whole family gathers around him, making outrageous faces in the hopes of being the one privileged with a grin or a bit of cooing conversation. Tonight, his forehead is all sparkly from the glittery lip-gloss kisses of his big sister. This is one child who is not at all love or attention deprived!

See how he has grown?
These pictures were taken last week. (6.5 weeks old)

They grow so fast!

2008-06-24T08:14:00.000-07:00

Miss Madelyn then

Miss Madelyn now

quick note

2008-06-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

Nolan is now a month old and life hasn't settled into any sort of normal. Now, that's not because he is a fussy baby but because life has continued at a crazy busy pace. No babymoon this time.

The good news is that baby is thriving! We weighed him this morning and I was mildly surprised to see that he has gained over 2 lbs since his birth, weighing in at 11 lb 12 oz. Only mildly surprised because it is obvious to anyone with eyes that he is filling out quite nicely and should have rolls someday soon. He is my first gourmand baby and takes nursing very seriously.

We have had extra kids, visiting from Alaska, this past week and that has added to the chaos a bit. Nine kids is different than 7, even though the extras were both big kids. The feeling was very reminiscent of a slumber party- lots of laughter, meals at odd hours and too many videos. It ended all too soon. Back to our normally scheduled chaos.

Poor Mason dotes on the new baby and doesn't seem to feel "displaced" but he is having a hard time coping without a schedule. My goal in the next couple of weeks is to hammer out a schedule, because the old one just isn't working. Chores are getting done, but not in a timely manner. Tempers were (are) wearing a bit thin, so this week has included a lot of time curled up with a stack of books. (Henry and Mudge have been good friends!)

In fact, Mr. Putter and Tabby are waiting for us right now...

Mara photo

2008-05-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

A rare photo of the elusive Mara.

Yes, her daddy has plenty of guns. Of course, any contributions to the Daughter Defense Fund would be greatly appreciated. After all, Mara is the eldest of 4 girls. Daddy's collection is going to get a good workout in the next few years.

I am hoping to catch the other kids on camera soon, too. Wish me luck.

from Google quote of the Day

2008-05-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children and no theories.
-John Wilmot

One of my morning compulsions is to read the Quotes of the Day on my Google homepage. I often find a bit of wit or wisdom to brighten my day. Today, surrounded by crying little people while trying to get ready to take the kids on our weekly library trip, this quote seemed only too apropos. This was my morning smile, bolstered by the creamy cuppa decaf at my elbow.

I keep reminding myself that we are still in a period of adjustment and that this too shall pass. In case you were completely unaware, "this too shall pass" is possibly the most useful mantra for the frazzled mother, whether it be 3 a.m. with a fussy newborn or 10 a.m. with a fussy toddler. A lot of love, discipline and patience will also be required, but this too shall pass brings great comfort. Perhaps it is because it has already passed with 6 other children; it passed and I survived to tell about it. Children are a great joy but, to quote James Dobson, "Parenting isn't for cowards."

Nolan pics

2008-05-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

Nolan

Finally getting around to taking some photos. Life is busy with 7 kids. Especially with 7 kids who are recovering from several major events. Everyone is a little bit fussy this week. It feels like we just brought Nolan home, that his first 10 days were some surreal dream.

For those who are wondering, the wedding was lovely. (I will admit that the weekend had it stresses, but I think that dwelling on the positives is definitely recommended.) The sun came out to bless the nuptials in full force. We jokingly said that the reception dinner was going to include Fried Ring Bearer and Toasted Flower Girls. Mason performed surprisingly well for a 3 year old- no amazing stories there. (What a relief!)

This mommy held up pretty well until the evening of the wedding. We had left our trailer at around 1:30 p.m. to get the kids ready for 3 o'clock pictures for the 5 o'clock wedding. I started feeling a little panicky by about 7:30 p.m. We had 2 poopy children and were out of diapers, it was 400 degrees at the reception house and I was feeling both my age and lack of sleep. By 8:15 p.m., I was crying and couldn't stop. Embarrassing. Humiliating. Bryan lovingly took me back to the trailer and gently tucked me into bed.

And now, without further ado, the pictures-

He is a curious little guy and spends several hours
each morning just taking in the scenery.

The Promised Acknowledgement plus a little extra

2008-05-14T16:43:00.000-07:00

Surprisingly enough, only one person placed a guess for May 9th! Perry, our friend over at Just Another Day in Cubeville, guessed 5/9/08 at 11:46 pm. Thank the Lord I didn't have to wait another 9 hours to meet our little guy.

I am almost tempted to break my own rule against sparkly, noisy animations and insert some confetti or applause. Almost, but not quite. Perry, you will have to settle for congratulations!

PLUS-

Nolan is doing well. We had a rough couple of days earlier in the week as breastfeeding wasn't going very smoothly. Thankfully, the problem was fairly easily corrected and we are back on track. He is a mellow baby right up to the moment he feels those pesky hunger pains and then it's apparent that his lung development is more than adequate.

He is fairly well on his way to being spoiled by his siblings. His parents would give it a try if we ever got to hold him.

We are leaving town tomorrow for a 4 day weekend Wedding Festival in Sunriver. My brother, Kam, is the groom and 5 of our kiddos are in the wedding. I can't wait to see Gavin in a tux! We promised to get some "James Bond" type photos in order to reconcile him to the idea of escorting a young lady down the aisle. (He knows all about girls, having 4 sisters, and isn't enamored with the fairer sex at all. Of course, he is only 12. There's still plenty of time for that...)

The girls, as Flowers Ladies, will be fine but my dear readers should expect a good story out of Mason's performance as ring bearer. The big kids have been coaching him, but I have a hard time imagining a smooth performance when it is showtime.

Traveling prayers would be appreciated. This will be our first outing as a family of nine. NINE. 9. Hmmmm, it doesn't matter how I type it, nine is still a crazy big number. This will take some getting used to.

Stories when we return!

little boy blue

2008-05-10T14:03:00.000-07:00

It didn't go exactly as I planned, but the baby is finally here!

Nolan Louis Vowell

May 9th 2:44 p.m.

9 lb 10 oz, 22 in

I have been too tired (and busy) to take many pics,
so Mara took a few. Here is my favorite so far!

He is a sweet little guy with big, manly hands and feet. I have to fight to get a chance to hold him. It's a good thing he is a nursing baby, that assures me a snuggle every couple of hours anyway.

The short story is that after laboring all night Thursday to Friday, my labor was essentially stopping, the baby was in a bad position and his heart rate indicated that he was getting tired. We transported to a local hospital for some intervention. The staff was lovely and it was a positive experience overall, although it wasn't the plan. We checked out a little less than 6 hours after he was born and made it home around 9 p.m. Friday. Sleep was the ONLY item on my mind, after sharing him with his sibs.

Sleep is STILL just about the only thing on my mind, so I will sign off now and go take another nap.

Thank you all for your prayers! They were felt and much appreciated.

Update 41+1; 7 p.m.

2008-05-08T18:56:00.000-07:00

My midwife graciously came by my house today to ~~torture me~~ help me along in the labor process. The good news is that I am now 4 1/2 cm!

I have had breaks from contractions off and on throughout the day and used those breaks to get some sleep. Now that it is evening, things are picking up again and the contractions are much sharper than they were earlier. This might be my last pregnancy update, but then again, I might just repeat last night and "see" you all in the morning, still pregnant.

Update: 41+1; 8:30 am

2008-05-08T08:21:00.000-07:00

After contracting all night, I am tired but happy to be in the early stages of labor. The contractions are anywhere from 8 to 30 minutes apart, strong enough to wake me out of sleep but tolerable. More tolerable if I am standing, but who can sleep standing?

If my past 2 labors are any indication, this could still take a couple of days...

Keep me in your prayers, please. There was a sudden change of plans concerning my birth team yesterday afternoon. I don't like change, let alone sudden change- even though I am happy with the team now on call for me. I just need peace to settle into the rhythm of labor, trusting the Lord that I will have the stamina to get the job done.

Stay tuned!

Update: 41+0

2008-05-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

It's is official. This is the longest I have ever been pregnant. Maybe I need this experience, as a midwife, in order to empathize with future clients. Great Check. Got it. Can we move on now?

On a positive note, I have been having a few contractions this morning that feel more like "it" than anything else I have felt yet these past few weeks. They are few and far between but a hopeful sign nonetheless.

Here's hoping that I am writhing and moaning in pain soon so that I can meet this stubborn little baby sometime before I go stark, raving mad.

Update 40+4

2008-05-04T10:30:00.000-07:00

Still pregnant.

The end.

Nesting update: 40+1 weeks

2008-05-01T15:56:00.000-07:00

As expected, my due date came and went with no sign of baby. Big surprise? No. Not exactly.

Here's my due date history, by category:

Induced labors:

Mara, 1st
due 4/21, began induction the eve of my EDD for doctor's convenience. She was born 4/23.

Sirena, 3rd
due 10/9, health issues prompted induction 10/7; she was born 10/7.

Madelyn, 4th
due 2/26, doctor convinced me that I should be induced a week early, began induction 2/18. She was born early on 2/19.

Spontaneous labors:

Gavin, 2nd
due 10/28, began labor the evening of 10/31; he was born 11/1.

Sarah, 5th
due 9/25, water broke 9/28, labored inconsistently until evening of 10/1, when labor shifted gears. She was [finally] born in the early hours of 10/2. (A malpresentation was probably to blame for the long delay.)

Mason, 6th
due 4/21, signs of labor and regular contractions began on my due date, prodromal labor all day 4/21 through 4/24 with bouts of more intense labor in the evenings. Labor kicked into high gear around 10 pm 4/24, he was born 12:20 an on 4/25.

As you can see, I am not usually "on time". Three to four days after my due date seems to be a reasonable estimate of when labor might begin, but -clearly- there are no guarantees. Sigh. I'll try to keep everyone posted, but you'll get no promises from this cranky, pregnant lady.

I will confess that the universe centers on my belly right now. The birth tub and kit are ready. The layette and cradle are standing by. The freezer is stocked. The bills are paid. The house is clean, although I still manage to find little extra chores for the kids to do each day...today they get to vacuum the popcorn ceiling near the ceiling fan. There are gross cob webs hanging all around. I ask the kids to clean the house - again- and they ask me to go into labor -again.

So we all sit around, staring at my belly, just waiting, waiting for labor.

Anyone wanna place a bet on the delivery date? or the gender? Leave your best guess in the comments. The winner gets...uhm...acknowledged as the winner. Woo hoo! Great prize, huh?

2008-04-23T10:42:00.001-07:00

Happy 14th Birthday to Mara!

Raising a teenager is certainly an education, but we love our girl dearly and are so proud of the woman she is becoming!

(When I get the chance to trap her for a picture, I'll post one here.
She is as camera shy as her mother!)

Concert update

2008-04-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

We had a marvelous time at the concert. It was a full orchestra playing the music of Broadway and Hollywood: translated as MUSICALS. Some of the music was wonderfully familiar, "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning", while some of it was not part of our repertoire, "The Donkey Serenade", but it was all delightful. It was happy music, and so big, if you know what I mean. The sound was full and rich and...and...like a satisfying meal for the soul.

My family looked marvelous, all dressed up in their concert finery. The girls were lovely in dresses and sparkles. My men looked great in slacks with dress shirts; Gavin even wore a tie, which for our humble little family, is almost equivalent to white tie elsewhere. I was so proud to escort them to our seats. I felt as elegant as a woman who is in her 38th week of pregnancy can feel, with sparkles on my sandals, earrings and bracelet. (The pants and blouse were unremarkable except that they accommodated my belly.)

There weren't many children in attendance, I think I saw 3 other kids on the orchesta level where our seats were. This meant that our family, with 4 kids in tow, was slightly conspicuous. (Imagine the gaping mouths if we have brought the littles along!)

Our usher, Warrene, was the sweetest lady and very curious about our group. "Have your children heard this music before?" When I assured her that we enjoy musicals as a family and that Bryan and I have the goal of exposing the children to many musical styles, she was surprised and pleased.

There were a few times that I thought that boredom was creeping in- not that it worried me! My determination to expose the kids to a little culture was definitely worth a little boredom in the second half of the program. (They were singing in French.)

I would say that the evening was a glowing success, one that we hope to repeat regularly. Although the next evening probably won't be a foray into elegance; we would like to take the kids to ComedySportz.

excited

2008-04-18T09:09:00.000-07:00

I am just about bouncing with excitement. Bryan and I are taking the four older kids to a concert tomorrow night. Not a rock concert, but a "get dressed up and go to the symphony" concert.

In October, my parent's blessed Bry and I with tickets to see this same conductor at his 90th Birthday Bash. It was a magical evening. One of the special elements of the evening was the collection of such wisdom and experience in one large hall. Many of the other concert attendees were elderly and I have never seen so many gray heads gathered in one place. I wanted to just sit and eavesdrop as they reminisced about "the good old days" when both they and the music were young.

And that doesn't even address the music itself. As conductor, Norman Leyden was spectacular. For a nonagenarian, he is full of energy and sparkle. The band and music were equally marvelous. There just isn't anything quite equal to hearing great music live in a beautiful concert hall. As we descended in the jammed elevator with other concert goers, we remarked that our kids would have enjoyed the music. Several gray heads turned in surprise, "Your children like this music?" We assured them that Big Band was alive and well at The Shoe.

After scrimping and saving and catching a sale to email subscribers, we were able to purchase tickets for tomorrow's concert. So, today we are making sure that everyone has the necessary clothing to attend the event. I am polishing shoes and cutting hair.

One other necessary item- finding downtown parking for our 15 passenger van. Bryan feels confident that he can find street parking. It is too tall to fit in a garage and we'll have to pay for 2 spots in the open lots. Doable, but not my preference.

I'll update again after the concert. I wish we could take all of you!

we've got trouble, right here in river city

2008-04-12T18:24:00.000-07:00

*The management begs your pardon for the indelicacy of this post.*

We have had trouble all week with the... well, the toilet- to be blunt. It has repeatedly backed up, spilling its nasty contents all over the floor of the front bathroom. No amount of plunging or snaking has been able to clear the problem, and there was a rumor among the children that the situation wasn't due to "natural causes," if you know what I mean.

Today was the designated "deal with the problem" day. Bry bought a new wax seal last night in preparation. This morning, I confessed that this was one of those moments when I am glad I am a woman, happily ignorant of toilet mechanics and lacking the strength needed to muscle the porcelain throne off its pedestal. Bryan confessed that he would rather cozy up to a plugged toilet than face labor. We ended the conversation pleased with our respective gender roles.

So he drained the thing. Unbolted it from the floor and began investigating the depths.

He snaked it. He shook it. He prayed and pryed and finally retrieved this:

a ballpoint pen

It would appear that the rumors were true.
Ballpoint pens are not a naturally occurring phenomenon in toilets.

This leads us to the culprit:

He has apologized, but I am not convinced that he won't try again soon.

As I type, a sense of triumph prevails.

The plug is cleared. The throne reinstalled.
Three cheers for Daddy!
Hip hip hurrah!
Hip hip hurrah!
Hip hip hurrah!

I do so love being married to a man who can fix almost anything!

Nesting update- 37+2 weeks

2008-04-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

Today is my first day thinking again after a marathon freezer meal party last weekend.

I shopped on Friday, spending more in one trip than I ordinarily spend in a month. (I've been saving up for quite awhile.) Gavin came along as my "lifter."

Saturday, Bryan and I precooked and cut the meat.

15 lbs of ground beef
20 lbs of stew meat that became shredded beef
20 lbs of chicken breasts that became chicken breast filets
10 lbs of chicken that we simply cooked, cooled and chopped

Sunday, the girls and I cleaned the house and prepared a buffet of tea, salads, fruit & brie and sandwiches in preparation for "THE PARTY." Shortly after 1 p.m., my mom and 2 sisters-in-law arrived. We ate our lunches, chatted and I went over the plans for the afternoon.

Then we rolled up our sleeves and got to work. In 4.5 hours we packaged up 53 meals for my family to enjoy after the baby is born. Amazing, yes? Wonderful, if you ask me. I am incredibly grateful for the loving hands that helped me get this all done.

Sewing on a deadline

2008-03-30T08:57:00.000-07:00

Roberta asked about my sewing projects. I wish I could delegate some of these to my very-efficient mother-in-love!

Here is my sewing list:

1. Finish Maddy's quilt (pin and baste the top to the back, with the batting between and then "quilt" it by stitching in the ditch.) Sirena's matching quilt has been finished for at least 6 months.

2. Stay on top of our quilt class homework. We have 16 log cabin squares (each) this month. My April assignment is done, but I need to supervise/assist the Mara and Sirena. Here is the quilt we are working on. The next assignment will be given out at the April 19th class, 11 days before I am due. So we will need to get that done ASAP as well.

3. Sew 2 simple dresses for Maddy and Nina to wear to Kam's wedding, which is 2.5 weeks after baby is due. The dresses will be sewn from white on white muslin with crimson sashes. (In the pattern photo, it is the white dress in the upper right hand corner.) I am sure my girls will look lovely. I figure each dress will take 2.5 to 3 hours total- including cutting out and hemming. Zippers aren't my favorite, but I prefer them to buttons. I think I will delegate the cutting out of the pattern and fabric to my daughters and/or mother-in-love. I can't really see myself crawling about on the floor with 5 yards of fabric right now.

4. Help my mom finish recovering the family bassinet so that baby Elizabeth has a chance to at least have a photo in it before she outgrows it. My mom can sew the pieces together, but since there is no pattern, I am helping to cut the pieces out and come up with instructions. All the babies for 4 generations have used this bassinet. I will try to post before and after photos.

5. I would LIKE to sew some bedding for the cradle we are using at our house. I keep envisioning something that will match our bedroom...but this in an optional item. I may have to settle for purchasing a pair of king size pillowcases that match my room. Those would cover the cradle mattress and the changing table pad.

It's official

2008-03-24T08:03:00.000-07:00

I am nesting.

With 5 weeks until I am due, the hormones have kicked things up to the next notch. My family thinks I am going for "suicide by housework."

"Not so," I insist, looking up from the floor while scrubbing the kitchen cabinets.

"Absolutely not," spoken emphatically while I wrestle the refrigerator into the center of the room, or paint the bedroom, or clean the ceiling fan, or rearrange the cupboards.

Of course, the reality of it all sets in after dinner each night. I am extraordinarily sore, more than a little grumpy and exhausted. This is not as easy at 30+ with baby #7 as it was at 18 with #1.

The house is looking good. That list is getting shorter, but the "sewing to be accomplished before the baby arrives" list is still quite long. Can someone tell me how to funnel these blasted hormones towards material productivity?

saved!

2008-02-18T13:24:00.000-08:00

Just when I was beginning to be convinced we would all die from cabin fever, the Lord sends a glorious glimpse of spring.

The weather here has been in the 50's over this long weekend, and the children have taken their energy outside. Whew. Our house is not tiny, but neither is it huge. After months of indoor rowdies, our 2000 square feet feels like 100.

My daylilies are sending up shoots of that perfect spring green and I am daily checking their progress, anxiously awaiting longer days and more chances for outdoor living. I need to take a trip around the yard and do some serious garden dreaming.

things that don't clean themselves

2008-02-17T12:07:00.000-08:00

Just popping in to say that I am enjoying a glorious few days of some early spring cleaning and I have noticed a few things.

1. Peanut butter and jelly jars need wiped off every time they are used. Salad dressings frequently need to be cleaned before reentering the frig. The worst offender in this category is honey. The kids need to be constantly reminded on this one, otherwise we end up with sticky cupboards and frig shelves. Nothing like the sound of stickily breaking suction as you pull the honey out to add a dollop to your tea. Shudder.

2. Appliances also have to be wiped after use. The blender base gets gross quickly without attention. This rule applies to everything from mixers to vacuums. Children do not naturally know this rule. Neither do husbands. I shared this concept with my dh last week and he gave me a look of shocked revelation. He wasn't purposefully neglecting this task, it just didn't occur to him that white appliances don't stay white and shiny on their own.

3. Window tracks or slides are particularly nasty after a long muddy winter. Especially if you have a dog who like to put his filthy paws on the back window and look longingly inside. Even the windows without doggy debris are dusty and perhaps a bit mildewy at this time of year. Clorox wipes or similar and a butter knife make this task much easier. And my white vinyl windows look so much nicer after some detailing.

I don't remember my mother instructing me to clean these items, but as a homemaker I have definitely noticed that they don't take care of themselves. My kids are getting a detail oriented, control freak version of homemaker training. Not that I am a great housekeeper, but the lessons I have accumulated are GOING to be passed on to the next generation.

Elizabeth

2008-02-10T09:46:00.001-08:00

sweeter than sugar

triumphant (and relieved) mama!

Kameron's first moment holding his daughter.

the new family

first bath
This was just about the only peaceful bit, she didn't exactly love the tub.

good sized
(but way smaller than her mama was at birth!)

Kameron snuggling with his baby

resting after a long day

My first niece!

2008-02-09T20:06:00.001-08:00

Born to my brother Kameron and his lovely lady, Allison

more to follow...after I
~~speel~~, um, ~~sliip~~ , hmmm.....S L E E P...

Dream Time

2007-11-30T09:57:00.001-08:00

I don't plan to analyze this dream, it would probably put me in therapy for years. . .

The dream began in a nicely appointed waiting area. Several groups were standing around chatting quietly. Looking up I saw the extended family from my mom's side was all present- aunts, uncles, parents, cousins, siblings plus my own family.

"Of course, I thought. Today's the day for our annual holiday brunch cruise."

A woman dressed in slack with a smart looking twin set accented by a lovely string of pearls was walking briskly about with her clipboard. She was clearly the event planner. Evidently the family had signed up for an unusual brunch cruise on our nearby Willamette River.

We were all dressed nicely for the occasion and there was an air of excitement as the event planner asked us to form groups of 6 to 8 so that seating could take place efficiently when it was time to board the, uh, vessels.

Boarding time finally arrived just as the kids were ready to eat the waiting room furniture. We lined up in our groups and filed to the boarding area. Each group was carefully situated at their table. By carefully situated, I mean, in chairs ON TOP OF THE TABLE. The tables were the vessels for our river cruise. As each table was boarded and launched, the next group moved into place.

Finally, our entire family group had boarded. It takes time with many people! Before the cruise was released to float downriver, the planner gave some final instructions. As she was speaking, I took in the scenery and realized that the river was brown and, um, chunky.

As my dreaming brain tried to make sense of this, I tuned in for the concluding part of the planner's speech, "Please don't let your children dip their hands in the river. The bacteria count is particularly high on Fridays."

Yes, folks. That is correct. The bacteria count. My family had signed up for a brunch cruise on a sewage filled river.

Addendum

2007-11-27T09:55:00.000-08:00

While I was buttoning my oh-so-comfy denim maternity shirt over my burgeoning belly, Sarah came skidding around the corner into my dressing room (aka walk-in closet).

"The boys are trying to eat me!"

"That's because you are so sweet and tasty," I reassured her.

"I'm not tasty," she stated matter-of-factly. "Sometimes I lick myself, and I'm NOT tasty."

Now what, I ask you, is the appropriate response to that? I only managed a stunned "Oh? Um..." before she ran off to join the fray once again.

Stuck

2007-11-27T08:43:00.000-08:00

With six children, I am only surprised it hasn't happened before now. We've had broken bones, good sized lacerations, head wounds- all the normal stuff except the foreign object up the nose. Until last night, that is.

Shortly before 9 o'clock last night, an hour after she had been tucked in, crying commenced in the farthest bedroom. This isn't really an abnormal happening. It can mean that a shadow flickered on the wall, that a precious blanket has fallen off her bed, or that she just realized she didn't get a last drink of water before her nightly imprisonment. In other words, no one jumped to her rescue, poor thing.

Bryan and I sent an older child to recon the situation. The report came back, "Mom, Sadie really needs you." Which I interpreted to mean, "Only Mom can banish the feared shadow, retrieve the lost blanket or deliver the desired drink." Rolling my eyes, as only loving mothers do, I walked down the long hall to play restorer of the peace.

I was surprised, dismayed and just a little bit annoyed to hear, "There's a bead stuck in my nose." Why? Why would anyone at any time stick a hard object into their nasal passage? Aargh.

She climbed out of bed while I mentally prepared for the worst that the evening might offer. Get the child dressed, find my coat, book and checkbook. I hate hanging out in emergency rooms in the middle of the night. Is urgent care still open? Would I be a terrible mother if I waited until morning?

I sent for Daddy and headed for our bathroom, where a small hemostat (clamp) lives. Investigation found a clearly visible yellow bead in the right nostril. Palpating it externally caused pain but no movement. I washed the hemostat, preparatory to trying to grab the blasted thing when Daddy walked in and suggested the farmer napkin trick first.

So I helped her plug the open nostril and instructed her to blow her nose hard...

...and the little yellow bead, lubricated by the effects of an autumn cold, came flying out of that little nose as easy as can be. Whew.

This morning I asked her why she put the bead up her nose. "I wanted to see if it would fit." Gotta love curiosity.

Soup Day

2007-11-13T18:30:00.000-08:00

After reading this post at my friend's blog, I thought I would share a new-to-me soup recipe.

Soup is a staple of our winter mealtimes. We might eat soup three or more times each week. Casseroles were a mainstay before we cut dairy from our diets. Casseroles and anything with cheese. I miss cheese. After we cut dairy, we became a meat and salad family. The downfall there is that meat is expensive, not to mention full of nasty hormones and chemicals. (Organic meat isn't really in the budget right now.) Salad is all very fine, but it does tend to grow slimy in the refrigerator. Enter soup. The miracle food.

From the most mundane ingredients in my pantry, I can whip up delicious, dairy free soups of almost infinite variety. Here is a list of our favorites:

"Cream" of Tomato (I use almond milk.)

Sweet Potato Peanut Butter

Split Pea (without ham. Gavin can make this one from scratch!)

Dal Shorva (Indian lentil soup)

White Bean with Sausage (I make "kosher" sausage out of ground poultry.)

Mara's Famous Cauliflower Soup (I think it is clear who makes this soup! She adapted this into her very own recipe.)

You see? Lots of variety here! The kids know that soup means comfort and love. Tonight our soup was like a dose of winter sunshine. I learned this recipe from my pal Kaley. Before watching her prepare this soup, I would have written it off as "too labor intensive". Nothing could be farther from the truth. There are many steps listed here, but each one is easy and quick. There is a bunch of wait time, though, so plan ahead. You'll need to start this an hour and a half before you want to eat.

Winter Sunshine Soup

1 butternut squash (acorn would work perfectly fine)
3 onions, sliced
2 TBS vegetable oil (I used olive.)
2 TBS brown sugar
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp curry (adjust for personal preference or use nutmeg)
6 small potatoes, diced
6 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
1 can (14 oz) coconut milk

1. Turn oven to 350. Rinse the squash. Stick it in the oven for a hour and forget about it.

2. In a dutch oven, heat oil over med. heat. Add onions, sugar, pepper and curry. Reduce heat and cook for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice. The goal is to caramelize the onions.

3. Add the diced potatoes to the onion mixture and cover.

4. Remove the squash from the oven. Slice off each end. Cut into 2 halves and scoop the seedy pulp out. Turn onto the cut sides, then peel the rind from the squash. It should come away easily.

5. Chop the squash into 1 - 2" cubes. Add to the onion and potato mixture.

6. Add the broth and coconut milk. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

7. Turn heat off. Let stand for a couple of minutes to cool slightly. Process the soup through the blender in batches. (It takes 3 batches to get this recipe through my blender.) Have a large bowl ready to catch the blended soup that comes out of your blender.

8. Eat and enjoy! Tonight we served the soup with whole wheat bread squares. (Simply slices of bread cut into bit size squares. Sprinkle a handful on top of the soup and VOILA- toddler-spoon friendly soup!