Good Morning!

It's Saturday morning and I'm feeling all sorts of lazy.  I am loving my new laptop.  I'm in my comfy chair, laptop on my lap, just surfing my favorite blogs.  I have real work to do, lots of it but I'm in no mood to start anything like that.  Here's what I really need to do today--clean out the bunny hutch (fairly big job but kids help), laundry, grocery shopping, check on the yard sale I worked at yesterday but am avoiding this morning, get the family's help to de-clutter the house, clean G and J's room, find someone to work in the toddler class tomorrow and find three helpers for tomorrow, go out on a family adventure.  The family adventure is the only thing I'm looking forward to--we are going to see some art in a hotel that a friend of mine has on display and then to the "big city" to find an Indian grocery store where we can get some Indian food supplies.  Specifically, various types of lentils--red ones, green ones, and black ones.  We are all into Indian food around here, even the kids.  Last night I made Indian Salmon Stir Fry.  It had cumin, mustard seed, onions, turmeric, garlic, tomatoes, and salmon in it and my kids loved it!  Joe had seconds all the while exclaiming how good it was.  The day before that Ollie made a dal (a lentil dish) and flatbread and we ate almost the whole pot.  It's so healthy and tastes really good.  Hannah asked him to always have a pot of dal going so she can have it anytime she wants something to eat.  There are tons of different dals and we are looking forward to getting the supplies to try more.  You can make a really good dal with just the regular lentils you can get at any grocery store.  I can post recipes if anyone is interested.  

We are heading into major healthy mode around here.  I'm signing up for two produce co-ops, looking into where I can find grain fed beef (any ideas), and thinking about getting raw milk again.  I've been reading a book called "The Maker's Diet," that is getting me pumped up and excited that I can overcome my joint pain, psoriasis, and arthritis by drastically changing my diet.  We are also making a rule that we will not keep candy in the house.  My kids eat enough sugar as it is and I get so tired of them asking for a piece of candy all the time.  Once they finish their Easter candy they will join the world of kids who don't get candy regularly (at least not at  home).  I'm excited about the produce, I can't wait for my first delivery.  

And to rapidly change topics--The Office was HILARIOUS this week!  My favorite Michael Scott line--"Green is for go ahead and just shut up about it and orange is for orange you glad you didn't bring that up."  I love it!  

More Awards

So, since I could only pick 10 blogs for my award thing even though I read about 20 or more blogs (almost every face friend I have has a blog in addition to the friends I've met online), and a few of you have called me on the carpet for not being included and now I get to feel guilty...I've decided to make up some of my own awards so that I don't have to exclude anyone.

First (in no particular order!)--

• My real sister in the flesh, Cheryl, also known as Ingle Nook or Aunt Cici--"The Bipolar Blogger award"!  You get this award for going a month or more without posting and then posting about 20 posts and then waiting another month before posting again!
• The other Cheryl who I always think is my sister when she is leaving me a comment, she gets the "Best-Most-Consistent-Always-Make-Me-Feel-Good-Commenter" and the "I can find a Bible verse for anything"!  Cheryl is so good at always leaving a comment on almost every post.  I feel like I have made a friend just through these comments and reading her blog.  We just need to meet in the flesh now!  Next time you come to see Steph.  Cheryl's always got fun Etsy finds on her blog and an appropriate Bible verse, gotta love that!
• Debi--Debi's blog is closed so I won't post a link.  I think Debi has to get the "Cutest Pictures" award.  It helps that she has two adorable little ones who are very photogenic!
• Leisa--She gets the "Bipolar blogger" award too and an award for having that thing on her sidebar that shows me when people have updated.  So, that award is called (wait for it, it's a good one...) "The Great Sidebar" award!  Woohoo  for Leisa! Closed blog=no link
• Marissa--  Marissa gets the "I-miss-you-so-much-and-I'm-so-thankful-you-have-a-blog-and-post-lots-of-pictures-and-write-long-entries-about-your-life" award.  Marissa is also good at making me think and keeping it real as she raises her 4 kids and is pregnant with her fifth.  She's better at me at finding balance and gives good advice.  I won't link to her blog either since it's closed.  Love you Riss!
• Emily--Emily gets the "Great Book Recommender" and the "Funniest Son"  award.  Emily does a homeschool storytime and always has great ideas for books for kids.  And, some of the stories she shares about her son truly make me LOL. 
• Jill gets the "I have a blog but will never post again" award.  I don't think Jill has posted in months.  Hey Jill!  Are you reading this?  Are you ever going to post again or are you too busy reading all those books you bought months ago?  I've known Jill since she was born and I'm older than her so I'm allowed to bully her like this.  
• Jessica gets the "I have also quit blogging but I made sure to make my last post the title to a catchy tune that Tiffany can't get out of her head so every time she checks my blog (daily) to see if I've updated she gets a song about big butts stuck in her head" award.  Enough said.
• Steph and Ann Marie get to share the "I Quit" award.  I miss your blogs!   
• Cris at Peter's Peapod gets the "Great lapbooks, thanks for sharing" award and the "Being green and getting organized" award.  It was hard to nail down an award for Cris.  She posts about a variety of things and her posts are always fun and often insightful.  
• Elizabeth gets the "Praising God in the storm" award.  Elizabeth is the momma of Bella who I've written about before.  She has been through so much in the last few years and she continues to praise God for all her blessings!  

Okay, I still have not covered everyone so we'll have to have another awards day around here sometime soon.  I wish I had fun pictures for each of these awards and if I had time I would find (or take) some great ones.  But--duty calls and I must go do "stuff."  Always stuff to do.  

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The Sisterhood Award

My friend Sarah over at Coffee at the Cabin has blessed my day by giving me the Sisterhood Award! Sarah and I met through the Simple Woman's Daybook and I think she is one of the only readers of my blog that also doesn't know me in real life. I love having a new blogger friend. :0)
I now get to bestow this award to up to 10 blogs. This won't be easy because I read so many great blogs. Here are the rules...
The rules:
1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate up to 10 blogs which show great attitude and/or gratitude!
3. Be sure to link your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Remember to link the person from whom you received your award.

In no particular order...

• Kirsten at Sonlight Garden--Kirsten has 7 kids, homeschools, gardens, milks cows, raises chickens, and lets her light shine wherever she goes and that shows through on her blog as well.
  
• Cindy at Monkey Boy Adventures--Cindy never fails to post every day which always makes me happy! Her blog is diverse and fun to read.
• Amy at One Blessed Mamma--love the pictures on Amy's blog, she's got a great eye for photography. Right now she's got some awesome picture of her kittens!
• Julie at Winchester Academy--Julie likes to keep it real as she shares her life as a homeschooler, wife, mom, and all the other hats we wear as women! Keeping it real is always a blessing.
• Lisa at Finding Noah--Lisa inspires and amuses as she writes about her crazy life as a Pastor's wife, mom to one super sweet boy with autism and one crazy, red headed fireball, not to mention that she's a bit of a looney tune herself. Just sayin'.
• Lori at Tree Climbing Adventures--Lori is a relatively new blogger but is making her mark on the blog world. She's so funny, real, and loves God!
• Kris at The Knitting Wannabe--I love her stories about her daughter, she is quite the character. Kris also has her own online yarn shop, if you are a knitter, check her out!
• Melissa at 5 Kiwis in Florida--Melissa is fast becoming Caroline Ingalls and that's fun to read about. I also love her bunny pics.
• Randi Sue at Embracing the Paradox--Randi Sue is humble, wise, and godly. I love reading what she has to say. She's got cute kids too.
• Stephanie at Enduring with Grace--her blog is always an interesting read, she has some great ideas and some great recipes!

Okay, I have to stop there but there are quite a few more I wish I could mention. I am a rule follower though.
Thank you to Sarah for my award!

Ramblings

So, does anything seem different?  Can you tell? Can you tell?  Can you tell?  

I'm typing this from my new-to-me-hand-me-down-laptop!  I just set up my e-mail all by myself.  Yes, I did.  My goal with this new computer is to really make it mine and learn how to do things that I've always relied on my computer savvy hubby to do.  Setting up my own e-mail was step one.  I have never had my very own computer.  We've had two computers for a while but I share with the kids.  I'm excited to have something all my own.  Once you get married and become a wife and then a mom you don't get too many things that are all your own.  My panties are all my own and that's about it.  Well, I guess my toothbrush is all my own.  My girls have already discovered that it's fun to wear mom's clothes and I can never find a hairbrush.  I just bought two new ones and have threatened my children with their life to take them.  I may be able to hold on to them for a week or two, maybe even a whole month.  I could buy stock in Goody.  Anyway...

I've been reading a book called "The Maker's Diet."  It's really given me a lot to think about.  He has a whole chapter on all the  things that we do that make us sick.  One of them is staying too clean.  I think I have finally discovered why my kids have such strong immune systems.  Because they are so dirty!!!  I have never been good at reminding them to wash their hands and we (by we I mean they)  have never bathed every day.  I shoot for a bath twice a week--sometime around Wed. and again on Saturday.  Apparently all  that dirt is good for them.  Only two of them have  been on antibiotics ever.  I can't remember which two.  How bad is that?  Hannah has been once for sure and then it's a toss up between Grace and Joe, I really don't know.  I had three kids in three and a half years and then that third one was a doozy.  It took me years to recover and anything that happened during those years is just a blur.  The moral of this is keep your kids dirty and that will keep them healthy! :0)

We managed to get in a solid day of school today even with Ollie home.  He has been very busy with all sorts of projects so it wasn't too hard.  Tomorrow is a new day though, can we keep it up?  I think so.  I'm pretty motivated and when I'm motivated everybody better watch out.  We will get it done come h#$% or high water.  

Well, I have a headache so I think it's off to bed for me.  

A Simple Woman's Daybook

A Simple Woman's Daybook for today...the eve of April 13, 2009
Outside my window...it's dark but there is a bit of a cool breeze blowing in. It's already pretty warm in FL so a cool breeze is much appreciated.
I am thinking...about the week ahead, my husband is a teacher and on Spring Break but our little homeschool isn't getting a spring break. So, we have to try to somehow at least loosely stick to our routine which will not be easy. I'm very easily distracted.
I am thankful for...a blessed day with friends and family, celebrating Easter. And for my new-to-me-hand-me-down-laptop that I should be getting this week!
From the kitchen...wow, hadn't thought about that yet this week. We still have enough leftovers to get us through tomorrow. Leftover homemade lasagna that Ollie's mom made that was amazingly good.
From the learning rooms...hoping to wrap up Africa in ECC with Hannah. Grace and Joe will be learning about owls for their unit on Night Creatures. Reading lessons, math, language arts, etc. The norm.
I am creating...absolutely nothing!
I am wearing...jeans and my children's ministry t-shirt--my Sunday morning uniform
I am reading...The Maker's Diet and a book about teaching reading using children's book. I have a new fiction book on my nightstand waiting for me. I can't remember the title though.
I am hoping...for healing.
I am hearing...the crickets outside.
Around the house...we did a quick pick up of the FL room tonight, I tried a new method--take everything that doesn't belong in the room and dump it all in the living room floor and have the kids take it where it goes from there. I got the room picked up to my satisfaction a lot faster. Now we can start school in a clean space tomorrow. Hubby is home this week and has a few projects he's taking on. Maybe I should let him teach school for a day.
One of my favorite things...ice cream in a mug with milk poured over it.
I am going...to Target to try to return the flip flops that we just bought earlier this week. All the stars on one side fell off tonight.
A few plans for the rest of the week...out to coffee with a new friend, swimming at one of the Disney hotels, rest, relax, read.
A picture thought I'm sharing...

My aunt and uncle just got back from a cruise and brought the kids back some island fashion.

Picture post

Happy Resurrection Day!

He is Risen! (Now you say, "He is risen, indeed!")
I am excited about going to church this morning. There's always a joyous energy on Easter Sunday. We were saved from our sin by Jesus' death and we have a living God because of His resurrection. Praise God!

I can't believe I'm saying this but I could actually get used to having a dog. At least a dog as calm and sweet as Kiwi. She has been such a joy for all of us to have around. The thing is with dogs, you never know if you will get a good one or not. Some turn out to be well behaved and easygoing and sweet. Others turn out to be maniacs and you just don't know. I know you can train them and turn them into good dogs but every once in a while there is one that is still wild. My parents had a jack russell like that. He never did stop peeing to mark his territory or barking like crazy at the littlest thing. I think that little guy had been overbred. I grew up with boxers and I don't think we ever had a bad boxer (am I right, mom?). Well, there was Dottie. She wasn't exactly bad, just overbred and maybe mentally disabled? :0) Anyway, I doubt we will ever get a dog but babysitting is kind of fun.
Grace and I had the whole day together yesterday. The rest of the fam went out for a day trip. We had been invited to two different events and I had thought we would attend both. But, in the end, after talking to Grace I decided not to go to either one. She had a lot of things she wanted to do with just me. After she spent most of the morning parked in front of the tv we went out to lunch and to Target. Our afternoon and evening went by fast--we took care of bunnies, the dog, the cats, folded laundry, stuffed easter eggs for an egg hunt, played cards, Mastermind, watched a movie, and read books. I LOVED the time I had with Grace and I am so thankful I didn't pack our time with running here, there, and everywhere. I just mostly did whatever she wanted to do and just enjoyed hanging out with her and letting her talk all day with no one to interrupt her. It was a good day.
The fam got back late and happy. They had a good day visiting with some other family and then went to a little Greek town on the coast for dinner. Hannah was thrilled because she got to have octopus for dinner. Joe had "fire cheese." That would be Saganaki--they serve it to you on fire. I asked him if he liked it and he said, "not really, it was too strong." They came home with souvenirs and were thrilled about that too. Joe got a big conch shell and is quite proud of it. Hannah got a pretty thing for her hair and they brought Grace a shell jewelry box sort of thing and I got a sponge. A from-the-ocean-sponge. Pretty neat.
I just looked at the time and I'm going to be late if I don't start getting ready!