Happy Birthday, Bob

13 already! 13 where did the years go? We missed a few birthdays but thankful that we are able to celebrate this birthday.

Thirteen years ago a little boy was born in another place. Five years ago a family traveled to that place and adopted him. This is the sixth birthday that we are celebrating with him.

Thirteen random things about Bob.

1. Bob loves planes and wants to be a pilot when he grows up.

2. Bob's favorite color is red, his backpack is red.

3. Bob loves Legos and builds all kinds of things with his Legos.

4. Bob has a stamp collection and has spend hours looking at his stamps. That is one thing his misses and can't wait to get in our stuff.

5. Bob loves to travel.

6. Bob loves Nutella but is mother doesn't buy it often.

7. Bob love reading both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

8. He loves World War II books especially if they have something to do with airplanes.

9. His favorite food is fettuccine alfredo. He has learned to make it himself.

10. He has worn that blue sweatshirt most of the year. It was a gift last year for Christmas and he has barely taken it off.

11. He loves fruit -- I can't think of any that he doesn't like.

12. He has talent in drawing.

13. He is loved and a joy to our family.

Happy birthday. He wanted a low-key birthday this year so we will just celebrate as a family.

Time to go make some pancakes. That is a birthday tradition that a friend introduced to me. I make pancakes in the shape of the age.


Beth

Weekly Wrap-up December 13, 2013

I think we have hit that time of the school year where the new school year feeling, motivation, excitement, which isn't much to begin with, is gone. Now we are in the mundane, routine, and my kids might try to slip the word boring in but since they know mom doesn't like them using that word they might keep it out, part of the school year. At the same time there is the excitement of Christmas. So here we almost the middle of December still working along and seeing what we can get done.

Monday evening we went to a lights display at the local botanical garden. My husband said he didn't even know there was a botanical garden here. There is and they decorate it with half a million lights. At the beginning of December they have some free nights.

It was cold but a short walk and we enjoyed the lights there were animals and flowers. Then we came home and had hot chocolate or coffee.

Tuesday evening we had another bridges class. This time the challenge was to build an arch bridge, which did prove to be a bit of a challenge using the K'nex.

I am trying to add some Christmas things to our schedule.

We made it to the Vikings this week in history. I have not done much as far as activities this year as we read through Mystery of History Volume II. The reading is a bit longer and we are also reading another book.

My goals have been diligence, excellence, and no complaining. Bob started the week showing that but as the week went on it was harder.

Miss K finished her Handwriting without Tears My Printing Book and we began Printing Power. We continue to work on spacing and letter proportion.

We had a mechanical problem with our van this week.  God has provided some individuals in the area that are helping us as well as friends who loaned us their extra car.

This weekend we are going to the Nutcracker which is a surprise for the kids. I know Miss K will love it. It is ballet and she still loves ballet.

That is about all that is happening here.

Beth

Weekly Wrap-Up December 6, 2013

I can't believe it is December already. Where has the year gone? Well, let me think about this week and where it has gone.

Two years ago we did Classical Conversations. I loved the memory work that the kids did. I will say that have the community really did help in getting it done. I have Living Memory by Andrew Campbell and had put together a list of things that I wanted the children to work on memorizing this year and somehow that list got lost and the book is in storage. Well, I still think memory work is important but we have not been organized. Last week I found two notebooks at Goodwill for 99 cents. A few weeks ago I had picked up a notebook with insert pages on the free table at co-op so we are beginning to fill our memory work notebooks.

We are continuing with Mystery of History Vol 2. Today we made it to Charles Martel. I love when we learn a bit more details to go with our history timeline. I am reading the Trumpeter of Krakow and today we just had to read one more chapter. I love when you just have to read a bit more.  It is interesting that there are parts of this from Ukraine. I have been looking for and making a list of have to read books for our history.

Miss K was drawing during school this week. I think this picture is entitled "One Hundred Gifts". If you ask her what she wants for Christmas she will say, "toys" and add "everything". That sounds so easy to buy for but actually I think she is difficult to buy for. I don't want anything big because Lord willing we are moving in January. She has so much already that I just don't know what to buy for her. Any fun ideas for a 9 year old?

We found some lights in the house and so we are decorating with the lights and some balls that a friend gave us to use.

Bob lost his math test this week and so he had to do it again. That was not the highlight of his week. I will say that I know he did better when he did it the second time. We continue to have math struggles. He wants me to sit next to him and be ready to help him when he wants. That is not my idea of helping him.

We did have a culture learning time this afternoon when I found Abbott and Costello and Who's on First. Bob just sat and laughed and laughed. I love to hear him laugh.

Miss K is continuing to impress me with her math skills. She is getting the skip counting by 2, 5, and 10 down and is beginning to know more of her math facts. The other year her goal was to count to 100 and you know what that is still a goal. I decided that she just wasn't ready for that and we were going to keep working and come back to that later.

I have begun to write sentences and have her fill in one word. Partially because I want her to write words and to begin to work on writing sentences.

A special treat for her was going to Build-A-Bear. A friend took her to celebrate her birthday and she loved it. She asked to go again. She made a bear and had to take the bear with her to swim today. Don't worry the bear didn't go in the pool. We were watching swim practice.

I have not begun to bake Christmas cookies. I did make a yummy lemon lentil soup. It was so good I am dreaming about making it again. Just in case anyone wants to know we have about 2 pounds of lentils remaining from the 10 pound bag and so far my family had not gotten tired of lentils.

That is about all the excitement here. We are still waiting and praying that we get our visa soon. The swim team all met today at a yogurt place to say good-bye. We made a list of the things we want to do here before we leave. We are trusting that in God's time.


Beth

Mexican Fried Rice

Fried Rice is a favorite around here for lunch. It uses up leftovers and gives us a nice lunch. I shared my recipe here. We eat quite a bit of rice and so we often have leftovers through sometimes I make extra rice so we will have leftovers.

Remember the bag of black beans that my friend shared with me. We have been eating them making black bean soup, black bean pumpkin soup, black bean lasagna, black bean enchiladas, and Mexican fried rice. The black bean lasagna was a hit here -- Miss K ate three servings. I am still working on the sauce for my black bean enchiladas.

Tonight I made Mexican Fried Rice. Just like fried rice this is best made with leftover rice. Again, just like Chinese Fried Rice this recipe does have exact proportions.

Leftover cooked rice
black beans
onion (I like red onion)
corn (I didn't have any)
diced tomato
cilantro
pepper (I didn't use any)

Sauce
1/4 cup more or less olive oil
juice of 1 lime
2 to 3 cloves of garlic minced
some chili powder


I added a bit of olive oil to a pan. I don't have a wok but this pan works fine.

I cut some red onion to add to that. Most times when I cook I use brown/yellow onion but in this I do like the red onion.

Then add the black beans. You just want a nice balance of rice and beans.

I cook this till it is hot. The onion might not cook but since it is red onion that is fine. Then add a diced tomato. Again this is all about balance. You could also add pepper, and corn.

Then add the sauce and still. I love the flavor that the lime gives it.

We add a bit of cheese and some avocado.

Miss K said this was her favorite. It does make you feel great knowing that you just made her favorite meal except she says that about just about every meal. She loves life and is excited about so food.

It really is a simple recipe. My whole family loves it.

What is a simple lunch for you?

Beth

Lentil Challenge - Lemon Lentil Soup

"Oh my word. This is delicious." Those were the words I heard at dinner when I made this soup.

When I saw the recipe with lemon in it, it sounded a bit Mediterranean. Add some feta cheese and you have a Mediterranean dish.

You know you still have a few pounds of lentils and are on the lookout for new recipes when you visit someone's home and see a lentil recipe hanging on the bulletin board and ask for a copy. (I am an introvert and that is just not something that I do. I am still shocked that I did it but after making the recipe I am so glad that I did.)

I have no idea what cookbook this came out of remember I just saw it pinned to a bulletin board and asked for a copy.

It was so good. I just wanted to taste it.

I forgot to take a photo before I began eating. 

I think I should have diced my carrots a bit smaller. 

Lemon Lentil Soup

1 tbsp Olive (or cooking) oil
1 1/2 cups diced onion
1 cup diced carrot
1 1/2 tbsp 1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
3 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp  chopped fresh rosemary (1/4 tsp dried crushed)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dried crushed chillies
1 bay leaf
6 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups dried red split lentils or brown lentils

6 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/8 tsp pepper

crumbled feta cheese
chopped fresh parsley
to top the bowls of soup

Heat olive oil in large saucepan or medium-high. Add onion. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until onion starts to brown.

Add next 8 ingredients. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring often, until carrot is tender-crisp.

Add chicken stock and lentils. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, partially covered, for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are very soft. Discard bay leaf. If using brown lentils it will take longer.

228 Calories 
4.3 g Total fat (1.8 g Mono; 0.5 g Poly; 1.7 g Sat)
5 mg Cholesterol
35 g Carbohydrate
6 g Fiber
15 g Protein
995 mg Sodium

Here are my other posts regarding the Lentil challenge.

Lentil Challenge
Lentil Challenge - More-With-Less
Lentil Challenge - Lentils & Rice Taco Style
Lentil Challenge - Lentil Soup

Beth

Finishing Well

I have a list of projects to finish. 

I have a stack of books to finish reading.

I have a meal to finish making.

I have a pile of laundry to finish folding.

I have a sink of dishes to finish washing.

I have a letter to finish writing.

I have a bathroom to finish cleaning.

It doesn't take long to have a list of things that need to be finished. I start things and get distracted. I begin to work on something that get interrupted. I move to something else because is more urgent.

I think if I only had more time. If only life would slow down a bit, I could finish things. Life is fast-paced. It is December already wasn't yesterday January. I have limited time, just 24 hours in a day. The weeks go quickly, then the months and years.

In some ways I know I can't finish all the I begin. So I must ask myself am I doing today what God wants me to do? Am I listening to his voice to hear what He is saying? Am I willing to adjust as he leads and guides through my day?

I might not finish everything but I will finish well when I obey and do what God is asking me to do that day.

I need to endure to finish. To finish I cannot quit. I need to keep going each day.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us," Hebrews 12:1

I can finish well when I am listening to God and doing what he wants me to do each day. That is my prayer and desire.

What is God asking you to finish today?


Beth

Quaker Meeting - Memory of my Grandmother

I grew up in eastern Pennsylvania where there was quite a bit of Quaker influence.  My grandmother and her family had been in that part of the country since the late 1700's. I remember spending time with my grandparents and my cousins. We had cousin camp, sleepovers in my grandmother's bedroom, we played in the "store" and loved the attic. I remember climbing the apple tree down near the garden. My grandmother always made the pies for holiday gatherings. She would also remind my mom to start the sweet potatoes. It has been two years since she left this earth and went to meet her Savior.

When we were young and a number of cousins were together especially in the car, my grandmother had a way of getting us quiet. It was a bit of a game with a little rhyme.

"Quaker Meeting has begun,

no more talking, no more fun

no more chewing chewing gum

starting now. . ."

There would be a pause before the "starting now" and during that pause you would get out all of noises, sounds, and words and then as soon as now was spoken you would be quiet and the first person to speak or make a sound would lose. My grandmother would win a few minutes of silence. We might keep quiet for a few minutes.

At various times I have looked for information about this online and have not really found much. I found this rhyme and another variation online.

"Quaker meeting has begun.

No more laughing, no more fun.

If you show your teeth or tongue,

you must pay a forfeit."

I don't know any other history for this. I think it would be interesting to know where it began and even when. I did teach this to a friend's children years ago and they still remember me for that. I tried it with my children the other night and Miss K just kept right on talking. Some days I try to remember those days when we thought she would never speak.

Have you ever heard of this rhyme? Do you have a quiet game that you play?

Beth