It's snowing, perfect time for me to catch up on reading and reviews.
* * *
Author Julie Powell was a judge a week or so ago on my favorite program, Iron Chef America, and I requested her book Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen from my library. I started reading this morning. It's okay. It was rather funny that she started writing her story on a blog. Before I knew this, I'd already been thinking that some of my blogging buddies are better writers. I wish I'd read the amazon reviews first, because then I never would have bothered with the book. It's autobiographical; she's bored with her life and lack of a career so decides to work through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. There's a lot of crass language, and it seemed that she wasn't comfortable with the "f" word but felt she should insert it every couple of pages. If I didn't have anything better to read, I'd probably stick with it.
I've never been a Julia Child fan (and certainly not a fan of French cooking either) but I recently read the autobiography, My Life in France. It was an excellent read about her life in general, her wonderful relationship with her husband, her early training, cooking, and co-authorship of her first few books, and of course, her life in France.
Recommendation: Don't choose this poor substitute. If you want to read a good book or if you have any interest in Julia Child, read My Life in France instead.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Book Review - Sister Freaks by Rebecca St. James
Wow, Rebecca St. James is everywhere. She's a popular Christian music artist, and I recently caught her on a "infomercial" for Compassion International. I noticed Sister Freaks: Stories of Women Who Gave Up Everything for God on DeEtta's blog. This is a compilation of individual stories about women who take up the cause for Christ, often at great cost.
The book is intended as a devotional study, with twelve weeks of stories, five stories per week. It'd be more beneficial to read that way. I read it in a week or two. I can't commit to twelve weeks, and it's a library book. I'd definitely recommend it as a long term project, and I wish I could have focused more on each individual story.
From the introduction, "We all love Jesus; I just wonder sometimes if we're accomplishing something great for His kingdom." Take up the cause.
The book is intended as a devotional study, with twelve weeks of stories, five stories per week. It'd be more beneficial to read that way. I read it in a week or two. I can't commit to twelve weeks, and it's a library book. I'd definitely recommend it as a long term project, and I wish I could have focused more on each individual story.
From the introduction, "We all love Jesus; I just wonder sometimes if we're accomplishing something great for His kingdom." Take up the cause.
Book Review - The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution by Fredrick Hahn
The complete title of this book is The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution: The Slow Motion Exercise That Will Change Your Body in 30 Minutes a Week. It's very similar to Power of 10: The Once-A-Week Slow Motion Fitness Revolution by Adam Zickerman. The premise of both books is that you can build strength and muscle more easily by doing slow motion exercises that don't take much time--30 mins. a week.
Sound unbelievable? It worked for me, and quickly. I've been following Power of 10 for 2.5 years. I noticed a huge difference within three weeks. The ideas might not work for everyone, obviously, but here's a few reasons why it made a big difference for me.
--Prior to exercising this way, I didn't exercise at all.
--My eating habits were horrible, eating virtually nothing until mid-afternoon, when, starving, I'd gobble a bunch of candy.
--While I'm no longer stick-skinny, neither am I overweight.
What about aerobics? Aerobic exercise doesn't improve your heart or lungs. It strengthens your muscles. "Stronger muscles working more efficiently to draw oxygen from the blood reduce the demand on the heart and lungs, which gives the impression of improved cardiovascular or cardiopulmonary fitness." "You don't need to strengthen your heart and lungs; in fact, you can't." A chapter of the book is dedicated to explaining this in more detail.
I prefer the Power of 10 book. In addition to slow motion exercise, it goes into much more detail about diet and the effect of eating protein and healthy carbs. Both books include several exercises that can be done inside your house without any weights, but overall, I prefer Power of 10's exercises.
Within a few weeks of beginning Power of 10, the differences were drastic. I could go on walks with my kids and not be out of breath. I needed less sleep, no longer woke up with a headache or felt drowsy in the afternoons. I didn't worry that I'd lose my balance on the stairs. My body looks better, a lot better. And I lost about 8 lbs., which wasn't even a goal. I exercise once a week, and it takes less than 30 minutes. I found the program easy to stick to.
On its own, I wouldn't recommend The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution, but it's a great complement to Power of 10.
Sound unbelievable? It worked for me, and quickly. I've been following Power of 10 for 2.5 years. I noticed a huge difference within three weeks. The ideas might not work for everyone, obviously, but here's a few reasons why it made a big difference for me.
--Prior to exercising this way, I didn't exercise at all.
--My eating habits were horrible, eating virtually nothing until mid-afternoon, when, starving, I'd gobble a bunch of candy.
--While I'm no longer stick-skinny, neither am I overweight.
What about aerobics? Aerobic exercise doesn't improve your heart or lungs. It strengthens your muscles. "Stronger muscles working more efficiently to draw oxygen from the blood reduce the demand on the heart and lungs, which gives the impression of improved cardiovascular or cardiopulmonary fitness." "You don't need to strengthen your heart and lungs; in fact, you can't." A chapter of the book is dedicated to explaining this in more detail.
I prefer the Power of 10 book. In addition to slow motion exercise, it goes into much more detail about diet and the effect of eating protein and healthy carbs. Both books include several exercises that can be done inside your house without any weights, but overall, I prefer Power of 10's exercises.
Within a few weeks of beginning Power of 10, the differences were drastic. I could go on walks with my kids and not be out of breath. I needed less sleep, no longer woke up with a headache or felt drowsy in the afternoons. I didn't worry that I'd lose my balance on the stairs. My body looks better, a lot better. And I lost about 8 lbs., which wasn't even a goal. I exercise once a week, and it takes less than 30 minutes. I found the program easy to stick to.
On its own, I wouldn't recommend The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution, but it's a great complement to Power of 10.
Super Saturday
I heard on the radio that this is the fifth Saturday in a row that it's snowed. I don't know if that's true or not, but it started around 6:00 a.m. Isn't this pretty? It's a park near our house.
I took Trevor to basketball, and by the time we came home, the roads weren't too bad. He had a better time. The pastor of this church began this basketball program as a ministry back in Michigan. When he moved to this church, he put it together again. It's grown a lot over the past few years apparently. He really has a gift for it. I've seen a lot of similar programs, even ones that cost a lot of money, and they are almost always much more chaotic than this. The group this year is so big that they've broken them apart differently, and now Trevor is playing with 3rd/4th graders, 35-40 kids in all. They were broken down into groups of five, and everyone got a lot of drill time in without a lot of time spent waiting for others.
I did have a hard time getting up my driveway, and I had to back up, start in the middle of the street and gun it. We have two separate garage doors, and I only have a few inches on either side of my mirrors. As I'm making it up the driveway, I almost have to close my eyes and hope I make it safely into the garage. I'm getting used to it with all this snow! Trevor, what a peach, decided to shovel.
Robert was home most of the day, before heading off to work just as more clouds rolled in.
Trevor played with Tucker most of the afternoon. They spent most of the time coloring more Spiderman printouts. Since Holly gets to stay up late anyway on Saturday night, and Robert was coming home late, Trevor got to stay up for the party. :)
However, one thing never changes around here. Really.
Poor Vader. I think Jen enjoys his company, or she enjoys tormenting him. She's not afraid at all!
I took Trevor to basketball, and by the time we came home, the roads weren't too bad. He had a better time. The pastor of this church began this basketball program as a ministry back in Michigan. When he moved to this church, he put it together again. It's grown a lot over the past few years apparently. He really has a gift for it. I've seen a lot of similar programs, even ones that cost a lot of money, and they are almost always much more chaotic than this. The group this year is so big that they've broken them apart differently, and now Trevor is playing with 3rd/4th graders, 35-40 kids in all. They were broken down into groups of five, and everyone got a lot of drill time in without a lot of time spent waiting for others.I did have a hard time getting up my driveway, and I had to back up, start in the middle of the street and gun it. We have two separate garage doors, and I only have a few inches on either side of my mirrors. As I'm making it up the driveway, I almost have to close my eyes and hope I make it safely into the garage. I'm getting used to it with all this snow! Trevor, what a peach, decided to shovel.
Robert was home most of the day, before heading off to work just as more clouds rolled in.
Trevor played with Tucker most of the afternoon. They spent most of the time coloring more Spiderman printouts. Since Holly gets to stay up late anyway on Saturday night, and Robert was coming home late, Trevor got to stay up for the party. :)However, one thing never changes around here. Really.
Poor Vader. I think Jen enjoys his company, or she enjoys tormenting him. She's not afraid at all!
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Fair Friday
This was our morning, although it was cold enough to keep a fire going. We keep our house cold, 64 during the day, 57 at night. Our upstairs is usually warmed by the sun, but we spend most of our time in the kitchen and family room. If I keep the heat down but have a fire, I can usually warm up our area enough to be pleasant. I can't stand the thought of giving the power company that extra money. We've kept our winter utilities lower than our summer bill, when we endlessly pour water on our grass.
My dear neighbor is from Arizona. (Well, Alaska too, but that's beside the point.) Whenever I go to her house, it's like being at the beach, and I mean that in a good way. Her house is so toasty warm. She wears tank tops. When it's 20 out. Really. While I was thawing out in her house the other day, we were discussing our heating bills. Hers is twice what mine is. Just the thought of that makes me shiver. I won't be turning my heat up, but I'm thinking about visiting her every day. :)
The kids raced through most of their school work. We decided at the last minute to get Lucky's vaccinations updated. We drove to the vet and Holly snapped a few pictures on the drive.
Lucky is the worst behaved dog ever in public. He's an embarrassment. There's a reason Robert wasn't anywhere around. Our dog completely goes hyper. He couldn't be any more opposite than the slug he is at home. If he acted like this at home, he wouldn't live here. It's truly mortifying. We know people at the vet's and honestly, I try to avoid them so they don't see my obnoxious dog. We were able to leave him there for the afternoon. I even felt guilty about that, knowing that he'd bark incessantly for the rest of the day, and they'd have to listen to him.
It also meant that Robert would have to bring Lucky home from work. We met up with Robert in the parking lot and traded cars. Eeek! I've only driven his new car once, to the library just a few blocks away. It's much higher and skinnier than my low wide van, and it drives totally differently. I successfully dodged all the nasty potholes, and we went coat shopping (unsuccessfully) for Holly and stopped at the library to trade books. This is the view from the library . . . the parking lot.
When we came home, the kids finished up their Latin and zoology. I later realized they forgot to "candle" their eggs today, so they can catch up on that tomorrow. Trevor's friend Tucker came over, and I printed out oodles of Spiderman coloring pages that I found on the internet.Robert wasn't hungry at all for dinner, since he'd gone out for a big, late lunch. It was a YOYO night, You're On Your Own. Isn't that a cute phrase? I can't take credit, I "stole" it from Diann . . . Trevor had to eat a real meal (which means it included a vegetable), but I let Holly slide by with Carmel Popcorn. It won't kill her once in a while, and she sure thought it was a great treat! She even got to eat in the family room while we watched one of her favorite shows, Nanny 911. My kids are always truly shocked by how naughty the other children are, but they never really like the ending when everyone's behaving nicely again.
Lastly, one of my loopie friends forwarded a video from YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr1qee-bTZI
a terrific clip on some of the math curriculum currently being used in various public schools. Very interesting. Scary.
Friday, January 19, 2007
Thursday
Holly had a riding lesson today. It was COOLLDD, about 20, but clear and warm--in the car. She rides out east, "on the plains." While I wouldn't want to live out there, it has a pretty view. That's Pikes Peak.
Melanie has a great indoor arena just for days like this.
I went to the nearby grocery store and came back near the end of the lesson.
Holly rode a new horse today, one she's admired for a couple of years. Romeo's coloring is striking, and he's a real sweetheart. He wasn't going to make it easy on her though, and she really had to work hard at getting him to do what she wanted.
I thought Romeo sounded just like any regular kid! Of course he wants to do this his way!
While we were gone, Robert took Trevor to get his haircut. I'm not sure what all they did, but Trevor had a hot towel wrapped around his face part of the time, and the whole thing ended up costing about twice as much as usual. LOL.
Holly came home and made brownies for dessert. It was the perfect complement for the chile rellanos that Robert made for dinner.
It seems that everyone's grumbling about the cold weather and the snow that's been on the ground for four weeks. I'm still happy it's been sunny out--but it looks like more snow on both Saturday and Monday, yikes!
Melanie has a great indoor arena just for days like this.
I went to the nearby grocery store and came back near the end of the lesson.
Holly rode a new horse today, one she's admired for a couple of years. Romeo's coloring is striking, and he's a real sweetheart. He wasn't going to make it easy on her though, and she really had to work hard at getting him to do what she wanted.
I thought Romeo sounded just like any regular kid! Of course he wants to do this his way!
While we were gone, Robert took Trevor to get his haircut. I'm not sure what all they did, but Trevor had a hot towel wrapped around his face part of the time, and the whole thing ended up costing about twice as much as usual. LOL.
Holly came home and made brownies for dessert. It was the perfect complement for the chile rellanos that Robert made for dinner.
It seems that everyone's grumbling about the cold weather and the snow that's been on the ground for four weeks. I'm still happy it's been sunny out--but it looks like more snow on both Saturday and Monday, yikes!
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Wednesday
It was a regular day all around, beginning with our usual blue and cloudless sky. We went above freezing for the first time in several days.
Although I thought the kids would have a full school day, they were done earlier than expected. When talking with Trevor tonight, it appears that the only school subjects he likes are breakfast read alouds (currently The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) and sometimes Shurley English. (Hah, that was a surprise!). I'm sure if I ask him next week, I'll get entirely different answers--in fact, I KNOW I'll get different answers. :)
I asked Holly the same questions later. I'm still in shock that she said her favorite subject is math. Math has never been a consistently wonderful subject here, and I've never been completely happy for long with our math curriculum choices. Holly's disliked math for a long, long time, and I began seeing that our math program was no longer a good fit. With one of those ironies that shows God's sense of humor, I switched her back to Singapore Math, something I'd previously said I'd NEVER use again (and Trevor's been using for almost a year). It's currently working out beautifully, within such a short time, it was obvious to me that she was thinking differently about the problems. Whatever changes we might make down the road, it's great right now.
Earlier this week, Trevor asked when we'd have quiche for dinner--so we had it tonight. This is a recipe from the Goldy Bear Mystery series by Diane Mott Davidson that I've posted about before.
Crustless Jarlsberg Quiche
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. flour
1-1/2 c. milk (can use fat free)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2-1/2 c. cottage cheese (I use lo-fat)
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
9 eggs
11 oz. cream cheese, softened (I use the light cream cheese)
3/4 lb. Jarlsberg cheese, grated (I use regular Swiss cheese)
1/3 c. parmesan cheese, freshly grated (not canned)
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat, add the flour, and stir just until mixture bubbles. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly. Stir this cream sauce until it thickens. Set aside to cool.
Stir baking powder, mustard and salt into cottage cheese. Beat eggs well, then beat in softened cream cheese and cottage cheese mixture. Slowly beat in cream sauce, then thoroughly incorporate Jarlsberg and Parmesan. Pour into two buttered 10" pie plates. Bake for about 45 minutes or until puffed and browned. Cool at least 10 mins. before serving. Cut each quiche into eight large wedges.
In the past, I've halved the recipe (click link), and it's been enough for the four of us. But after tonight, I'll start making two quiches again. They go fast, and any leftovers heat up very well the next day.
We also had my favorite salad, greens with fresh mozzarella (totally different than the regular stuff!), tomatoes, pine nuts, and Paul Newman's Balsamic Vinaigrette. His salad dressing is the best! The kids had orange slices and bread sticks too.
Nothing new around here, but that's certainly not a bad thing!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
One-Two Tuesday
One Bad: I haven't cleaned house in ages.
Two Good: I did my bare minimum, sweeping the kitchen and vacuuming downstairs. Holly cleaned toilets.
One Bad: I haven't done any personal reading in two days.
Two Good: I'm ahead in my Daily Bible. I'm really flying through my books in general.
One Bad: I apologized to Robert for saying something obnoxious to his friend on the phone the other day. (Well, it was GOOD that I apologized, but I felt bad!)
Two Good: Robert said I could NEVER embarrass him, and that he loves me more than I know. Isn't that SWEET?!
One Bad: I've been going to the grocery store almost every day to buy something for dinner, because I'm not planning ahead. Ugh.
Two Good: I have several grocery stores close by to choose from. I planned ahead slightly today and bought things for dinner to last through this week.
One Bad: My library continues to reject my interlibrary loan request for Children of the Fox, because their computer shows they have it. In reality, their copy is lost and the computer doesn't know it yet.
Two Good: Our library staff is amazing in general and could give lessons to our post office. When I called again to request an ILL, the lady remembered me from last week just from the book title and is working on it.
One Bad: We still have snow all over our yard and street AND it's been below freezing for several days.
Two Good: We had bright blue sky yesterday, and had it again today, AND this is NORMAL!
One Bad: I opened the door into the garage and a mouse ran by. EEEEEEEEEKKKKK!
Two Good: Holly offered to take out the garbage for me. Trevor went along to see if he could spot the mouse.
Definitely Good: Tom Tancredo announces that he's forming an exploratory committee this week for a possible presidential run. YES!!!!!!! Click HERE, he's my pick.
Don't know IF this is good/bad or what. Holly and I have anxiously been awaiting American Idol, which started tonight. I guess our next few weeks are filled with sitting in front of the tv, but at least we are watching something together!
A pretty good Tuesday overall.
Two Good: I did my bare minimum, sweeping the kitchen and vacuuming downstairs. Holly cleaned toilets.
One Bad: I haven't done any personal reading in two days.
Two Good: I'm ahead in my Daily Bible. I'm really flying through my books in general.
One Bad: I apologized to Robert for saying something obnoxious to his friend on the phone the other day. (Well, it was GOOD that I apologized, but I felt bad!)
Two Good: Robert said I could NEVER embarrass him, and that he loves me more than I know. Isn't that SWEET?!
One Bad: I've been going to the grocery store almost every day to buy something for dinner, because I'm not planning ahead. Ugh.
Two Good: I have several grocery stores close by to choose from. I planned ahead slightly today and bought things for dinner to last through this week.
One Bad: My library continues to reject my interlibrary loan request for Children of the Fox, because their computer shows they have it. In reality, their copy is lost and the computer doesn't know it yet.
Two Good: Our library staff is amazing in general and could give lessons to our post office. When I called again to request an ILL, the lady remembered me from last week just from the book title and is working on it.
One Bad: We still have snow all over our yard and street AND it's been below freezing for several days.
Two Good: We had bright blue sky yesterday, and had it again today, AND this is NORMAL!
One Bad: I opened the door into the garage and a mouse ran by. EEEEEEEEEKKKKK!
Two Good: Holly offered to take out the garbage for me. Trevor went along to see if he could spot the mouse.
Definitely Good: Tom Tancredo announces that he's forming an exploratory committee this week for a possible presidential run. YES!!!!!!! Click HERE, he's my pick.
Don't know IF this is good/bad or what. Holly and I have anxiously been awaiting American Idol, which started tonight. I guess our next few weeks are filled with sitting in front of the tv, but at least we are watching something together!
A pretty good Tuesday overall.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Some dead guys
Several years ago, long before we began homeschooling, I was very interested in genealogy. Honestly, I think it began the minute my first computer was hooked up. My maiden name is pretty rare, and one of the first computer things I did was search my maiden name. The internet made it easy; Robert and I both have several unusual surnames in our families. It was also cheap--loads of free websites, contacts and more.
I've amassed over 4000 names of ancestors for my kids, along with some great stories. I've also met and befriended some distant relatives including Adriene, who had a role in changing our lives, and Robert's distant cousin BL who comments here sometimes. My Christmas card list has grown larger too. There have been some nice surprises, and some real doozies.
We discovered that my grandfather's family had come from Calgary--from Ukraine. (I'd had NO idea.) My uncle casually mentioned that he had a manuscript written by two of my great-grandmother's sisters detailing their lives from the late 1800s through the 1920s, moving between Ukraine and Canada, which the family did a few times. The book is amazing, a treasure. Here's an old photo that someone sent. See Mary, the little girl next to the baby on the bottom row; she's one of the two authors, along with a sister who hadn't been born yet.
Petro, my great-great-grandfather on the far right, is wearing a medal. He was a corporal in the army of Franz Josef I of Austria in the late 1870s, receiving this medal for "efficiency," and Petro learned to speak Romanian and German fluently, along with several Slavic languages. After seven girls, he was pretty pleased that his eighth child was a boy, and this picture from 1901 was taken to "show off" the new boy for the family back home.
Helena, the tall one in the back row, that's my great-grandmother. She stayed in Calgary when the rest of her family returned to Ukraine in 1902. Two years later, at 16 and 14, Katherine and Anne sent a letter to Helena, saying they were coming back to Canada. The girls traveled to Bremen, boarded a ship from Bremen to Montreal, and then were stowed away in a caboose to Calgary. When they arrived, Helena was gone. She'd met and married my great-grandfather, who'd come from Wales hoping to get rich mining gold in Alaska. Instead, they moved to Seattle where he drove a trolley.
I tracked down a woman from a small town in Canada who was big on local genealogy. Turns out she's another distant cousin. She KNEW my great-great grandparents. A few years ago, she sent me a towel embroidered by one of my great-aunts.
Holly and I started reading this book manuscript together a few years ago. And it is a book, 340 typed pages, double spaced. We stopped about 1/3 of the way through, I think she was bored by the descriptions of their farming life, and another book piqued her interest.
She asked today if we could read this again. You bet I said yes. I love reading this tale, I've read it a couple of times myself, furiously taking notes to further piece together their lives. The dedication on the book reads:
When we visited my mom this past summer, my aunt, uncles, cousins and families visited for a day. I think the dedication was right, that this family did add to this lovely world. That's my mom on the left, behind the little girl in pink. I'm in the next group over, standing right behind Holly and Trevor. I must be standing in a hole. I'm not that short!
When I read Chapter 1 to Holly tonight, Trevor was in his bed, listening and asking questions. He's not old enough for it yet. There are some adult themes, and he'd be bored long before that anyway. But this is a great book, and I'll read it to him in a few years if he wants. I'll probably read it myself again in between. After all, as the dedication says, this is "fore our family."
I've amassed over 4000 names of ancestors for my kids, along with some great stories. I've also met and befriended some distant relatives including Adriene, who had a role in changing our lives, and Robert's distant cousin BL who comments here sometimes. My Christmas card list has grown larger too. There have been some nice surprises, and some real doozies.
We discovered that my grandfather's family had come from Calgary--from Ukraine. (I'd had NO idea.) My uncle casually mentioned that he had a manuscript written by two of my great-grandmother's sisters detailing their lives from the late 1800s through the 1920s, moving between Ukraine and Canada, which the family did a few times. The book is amazing, a treasure. Here's an old photo that someone sent. See Mary, the little girl next to the baby on the bottom row; she's one of the two authors, along with a sister who hadn't been born yet.
Petro, my great-great-grandfather on the far right, is wearing a medal. He was a corporal in the army of Franz Josef I of Austria in the late 1870s, receiving this medal for "efficiency," and Petro learned to speak Romanian and German fluently, along with several Slavic languages. After seven girls, he was pretty pleased that his eighth child was a boy, and this picture from 1901 was taken to "show off" the new boy for the family back home.Helena, the tall one in the back row, that's my great-grandmother. She stayed in Calgary when the rest of her family returned to Ukraine in 1902. Two years later, at 16 and 14, Katherine and Anne sent a letter to Helena, saying they were coming back to Canada. The girls traveled to Bremen, boarded a ship from Bremen to Montreal, and then were stowed away in a caboose to Calgary. When they arrived, Helena was gone. She'd met and married my great-grandfather, who'd come from Wales hoping to get rich mining gold in Alaska. Instead, they moved to Seattle where he drove a trolley.
I tracked down a woman from a small town in Canada who was big on local genealogy. Turns out she's another distant cousin. She KNEW my great-great grandparents. A few years ago, she sent me a towel embroidered by one of my great-aunts.
Holly and I started reading this book manuscript together a few years ago. And it is a book, 340 typed pages, double spaced. We stopped about 1/3 of the way through, I think she was bored by the descriptions of their farming life, and another book piqued her interest.
She asked today if we could read this again. You bet I said yes. I love reading this tale, I've read it a couple of times myself, furiously taking notes to further piece together their lives. The dedication on the book reads:
"Fore our family, who braved the unkowin,
allwyase fealing not good enough.
But we know that we procticly
added to this lovely World."
allwyase fealing not good enough.
But we know that we procticly
added to this lovely World."
When we visited my mom this past summer, my aunt, uncles, cousins and families visited for a day. I think the dedication was right, that this family did add to this lovely world. That's my mom on the left, behind the little girl in pink. I'm in the next group over, standing right behind Holly and Trevor. I must be standing in a hole. I'm not that short!
When I read Chapter 1 to Holly tonight, Trevor was in his bed, listening and asking questions. He's not old enough for it yet. There are some adult themes, and he'd be bored long before that anyway. But this is a great book, and I'll read it to him in a few years if he wants. I'll probably read it myself again in between. After all, as the dedication says, this is "fore our family."
Monday, January 15, 2007
Fun with a black light
Trevor
Holly
And Holly's foot
Robert
Me
Black light: noun. Black light causes fluorescent materials to emit visible light and is used to take pictures in the dark. Can provide hours of endless entertainment.
Holly
And Holly's foot
Robert
Me
Black light: noun. Black light causes fluorescent materials to emit visible light and is used to take pictures in the dark. Can provide hours of endless entertainment.
Concerts I remember
My best friend in high school and I went to many concerts over the years. Here are some that I can remember 25 years later.
Van Halen, 4/6 or 7/79, San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. I was 15, and it was shocking at the time to have guys walking around muttering, "Acid for sale. LSD. Acid." The auditorium had a balcony that swayed, and this was the last rock concert there.
Day on the Green, 5/6/79, Oakland Coliseum. Boston, Sammy Hagar, Eddie Money.
Another Day on the Green, 1979. Can't remember bands. Had to be DotG#2 with Journey. We camped overnight in line for fun. (Mom, what were you thinking?)
Pat Benatar, 8/17/80, San Jose Civic Auditorium. (Happy birthday to me!)
Styx, with The Babys, 1/6/80, Cow Palace/San Francisco.
The Babys, San Jose Civic Auditorium.
I'm sure I've seen The Babys one more time, and Styx one more time too.
Marshall Tucker Band, New Years Eve at The Cow Palace, San Francisco.
unknown band, San Jose Civic Auditorium. I fell asleep at this one. Really.
Greg Kihn Band and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, 9/18/81, Concord Pavilion.
Billy Squire, 10/10/81, Warfield Theater, San Francisco.
Greg Kihn Band, 4/21/82, Old Waldorf, San Francisco.
John Mayall or John Fogarty? 1984 or 1985?, Rainbow Music Hall, Denver. This was probably the first one I didn't go to with Debbie.
Bob Dylan and Tom Petty, 7/26 or 27/86, Red Rocks.
* * *
I was in the hospital recovering from an appendectomy and missed Bob Seger. Good thing too. :)
Okay, what am I forgetting?
And no, I'm not counting Tony Orlando & Dawn, The DeFranco Family, and Bucko Sisters (who were my cousins!) in 1974.
Van Halen, 4/6 or 7/79, San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. I was 15, and it was shocking at the time to have guys walking around muttering, "Acid for sale. LSD. Acid." The auditorium had a balcony that swayed, and this was the last rock concert there.
Day on the Green, 5/6/79, Oakland Coliseum. Boston, Sammy Hagar, Eddie Money.
Another Day on the Green, 1979. Can't remember bands. Had to be DotG#2 with Journey. We camped overnight in line for fun. (Mom, what were you thinking?)
Pat Benatar, 8/17/80, San Jose Civic Auditorium. (Happy birthday to me!)
Styx, with The Babys, 1/6/80, Cow Palace/San Francisco.
The Babys, San Jose Civic Auditorium.
I'm sure I've seen The Babys one more time, and Styx one more time too.
Marshall Tucker Band, New Years Eve at The Cow Palace, San Francisco.
unknown band, San Jose Civic Auditorium. I fell asleep at this one. Really.
Greg Kihn Band and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, 9/18/81, Concord Pavilion.
Billy Squire, 10/10/81, Warfield Theater, San Francisco.
Greg Kihn Band, 4/21/82, Old Waldorf, San Francisco.
John Mayall or John Fogarty? 1984 or 1985?, Rainbow Music Hall, Denver. This was probably the first one I didn't go to with Debbie.
Bob Dylan and Tom Petty, 7/26 or 27/86, Red Rocks.
* * *
I was in the hospital recovering from an appendectomy and missed Bob Seger. Good thing too. :)
Okay, what am I forgetting?
And no, I'm not counting Tony Orlando & Dawn, The DeFranco Family, and Bucko Sisters (who were my cousins!) in 1974.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Super Sunny Saturday
It was pretty much a regular day around here, and cold but very pretty! The sun was so bright and warm that it didn't seem like single digits. The snow was melting quite a bit, the roads were steaming, literally, all day, and I think that's why the mountains seemed so hazy.
Trevor started Buddy Basketball this morning, and so far he's not impressed. They were broken up into very small groups, and he didn't like being the biggest kid in his group. Next week, I'll ask if he can be with at least one taller kid. He's tall, but not unusually so. Many of his friends are exactly the same height. But the kids today were up to two years younger, so he was quite a bit taller than some. I think he'll enjoy it but was just a little nervous.
I shoveled the driveway and sidewalk when we got home. I wore gloves, but I didn't even zip up my coat, and I didn't have to work too hard at shoveling. Between the sunshine and the very dry air, the rest of the snow evaporated off the driveway by the end of the day. (I should have taken that "after" picture!)
Robert came home from work early (yippee!). I ran a few more errands by myself. Holly chatted with a couple of friends on the computer (Kathleen, how WAS your camera class? VBG), and Trevor went down the street to play at a friend's house.
Some people have asked if Vader the watchcat is still on guard at Jen's cage. Oh yes, he's quite obsessed. I feel bad for Robert actually. Vader is--was anyway--very much like his old cat O'Mally, so much so that Robert and I will often call Vader by O'Mally's name. Vader was at his usual post tonight, and I could hear Robert talking rather sternly to him, "Go be a normal cat, DO something!" So how do I go about finding a kitty counselor?
Trevor started Buddy Basketball this morning, and so far he's not impressed. They were broken up into very small groups, and he didn't like being the biggest kid in his group. Next week, I'll ask if he can be with at least one taller kid. He's tall, but not unusually so. Many of his friends are exactly the same height. But the kids today were up to two years younger, so he was quite a bit taller than some. I think he'll enjoy it but was just a little nervous.I shoveled the driveway and sidewalk when we got home. I wore gloves, but I didn't even zip up my coat, and I didn't have to work too hard at shoveling. Between the sunshine and the very dry air, the rest of the snow evaporated off the driveway by the end of the day. (I should have taken that "after" picture!)
Robert came home from work early (yippee!). I ran a few more errands by myself. Holly chatted with a couple of friends on the computer (Kathleen, how WAS your camera class? VBG), and Trevor went down the street to play at a friend's house.
Some people have asked if Vader the watchcat is still on guard at Jen's cage. Oh yes, he's quite obsessed. I feel bad for Robert actually. Vader is--was anyway--very much like his old cat O'Mally, so much so that Robert and I will often call Vader by O'Mally's name. Vader was at his usual post tonight, and I could hear Robert talking rather sternly to him, "Go be a normal cat, DO something!" So how do I go about finding a kitty counselor?
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Fabulous Friday
Okay, so it wasn't really THIS fabulous. This picture was from yesterday. We woke up to snow this morning. It hovered around 10 degrees all day. When it's this cold, there's not much moisture in the air, so it usually doesn't snow much.Our happy little birds were out. Robert noticed this girl yesterday. She's blind in that left eye, so she can't see me coming to the window to take pictures. Her other eye doesn't look so well either--but for now, she has plenty of food and other bird friends.
I'd already planned for a cold and maybe snowy day, so we weren't going anywhere. It was perfect for a PAJAMA DAY! Trevor doesn't care so much, but Holly really likes days like this.
Our newspaper just started a children's daily serial by Katherine Paterson. I think Holly will enjoy it.
This is Trevor candling an egg yesterday. Both kids will be checking these out over the next few weeks. The yolk was not as easy to see as I'd expected, but the air sac was clearly visible. I'd assigned Holly an experiment to determine if eggs absorb water (they do absorb air). Trevor was interested, so he's doing one of those too. Hopefully I'll remember to get pictures.
We wrapped up our week as usual, and Holly wrote a few paragraphs for history. She took minimal notes at the beginning of the week. I can't believe the things she remembers several days later. She much prefers to write fiction, but she typed this up in about 20 minutes. Because I have nothing else to post, here's Holly's writing:* * * *
Nebuchadnezzar was one of the most famous kings in Babylon. He rebuilt his city so it was beautiful again and made a very tall and wide gate named after the Babylonian goddess Ishtar. Because of this, the people called Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar the great. One day, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, a dream about a giant statue of himself, built of gold, silver and bronze. When he woke up the next morning, he ordered the statue built. After a long time the statue was finished. He ordered every Babylonian to bow down to it and worship like a god. Soon Nebuchadnezzar thought himself as God himself. God became angry at this and sent an angel to visit him.
"Nebuchadnezzar," the angel said, "because you think yourself to be better and stronger then God, you will live as a wild animal in the forest, until you admit that God is better and stronger." So at once Nebuchadnezzar lost his mind and ran into the forest, where he lived like a wild animal. His hair became long and tangled and he walked on his hands and knees, which made his knees as tough as hooves. People gathered around and asked each other what was wrong with their king, Nebuchadnezzar the great. Soon Nebuchadnezzar lifted his face to the sky and yelled; "God! You are better and stronger then I ever will be!" And just like that, he became sane again.
Later, Nebuchadnezzar was sitting on his throne, worrying about being attacked by Persia. Then he had an idea. "I know!" He thought to himself, "I'll marry the Persian princess, Amytis. The king of Persia would never attack his own son-in-law!". At once the king of Persia agreed, for he too was worried about being attacked by Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar made Princess Amytis beautiful rooms to live in, but Amytis wasn't happy. She was used to beautiful Persia, not dry ugly Babylon. So Nebuchadnezzar made her a huge garden called the Hanging Gardens. Now over 2500 years later, the Hanging Gardens is one of the seven great wonders of the ancient world.
* * * *
Book Review - Praying God's Will for Your Life by Stormie Omartian
I've checked out Praying God's Will for Your Life several times over the past few months, but I've never finished it. I wanted to; but other things came up, I couldn't renew, etc. I finally bought this copy for myself. It didn't get as much personally as her Power of a Praying ________ series, but there's a lot to glean from this book.
Recommended.
From the book:
Fifteen Reasons to Pray
1. To seek the face of the Lord and know Him better (Ps 27:8)
2. To get your eyes off your problems and onto the Lord (Ps 121:1)
3. To speak to God (1 Peter 3:12)
4. To unburden your heart (Ps 142:1-2)
5. To make your requests known to God (Matt 21:22)
6. To hear God (Prov 8:34)
7. To be free of suffering (James 5:13)
8. To resist temptation (Matt 26:41)
9. To be rescued from distress (Ps 107:19)
10. To receive God's reward (Matt 6:6)
11. To withstand evil (Eph 6:13)
12. To have joy (Jhn 16:24)
13. To get close to God (Isa 64:7)
14. To be healed emotionally (James 5:13)
15. To have peace (Phil 4:6-7)
Recommended.
From the book:
Fifteen Reasons to Pray
1. To seek the face of the Lord and know Him better (Ps 27:8)
2. To get your eyes off your problems and onto the Lord (Ps 121:1)
3. To speak to God (1 Peter 3:12)
4. To unburden your heart (Ps 142:1-2)
5. To make your requests known to God (Matt 21:22)
6. To hear God (Prov 8:34)
7. To be free of suffering (James 5:13)
8. To resist temptation (Matt 26:41)
9. To be rescued from distress (Ps 107:19)
10. To receive God's reward (Matt 6:6)
11. To withstand evil (Eph 6:13)
12. To have joy (Jhn 16:24)
13. To get close to God (Isa 64:7)
14. To be healed emotionally (James 5:13)
15. To have peace (Phil 4:6-7)
Friday, January 12, 2007
The cat and the reptile
About a year ago, we acquired a white line gecko. It was sort of for Trevor, something to live in his room. I've always had a bit of an attachment to it. It stays in its cage ALL the time; I am grateful that it bit someone the very first day, because no one's ever wanted to hold it. Trevor, for whatever reason, chose the name Tom for the gecko.
Several months ago, Tom began laying eggs. Yes, geckos will lay unfertilized eggs, right on the side of the cage, which deteriorate within a few days. Since this was not any type of miracle, Tom was immediately renamed Jen.
Once I found Jen was a girl, I began liking her even more. I feel a little sorry for this thing that will forever lay eggs for no reason. Jen happily lives on crickets and has a heat lamp to keep warm.
When the weather's really warm, Jen will run around the sides of her glass cage. It began bothering Trevor at night when he was trying to go to sleep. THUMP! as Jen would jump on the side. thumpthumpthumpthump! as she'd run around the glass. She ended up being banished to the basement. I didn't like this at all. It's cold down there, and it's not like I would frequently check in on her. (She wasn't forgotten; Robert checked on her daily to make sure she had water.)
I was very happy last month when Jen was moved into my bedroom, right beneath our fish tank. Unfortunately, it's not been a good move for our cat, Vader. Vader used to be a normal cat. He and his sister Pumpkin are almost two years old. For fun, Vader used to hang out with Pumpkin.
He used to come to us when he wanted attention.
If he was up early in the morning, he would play before we got up.
When Jen lived in Trevor's room, Vader totally ignored her, although Pumpkin was very interested. I don't know what's changed, but Vader spends his days sitting or laying in front of Jen's tank, always on the alert. I'm not totally sure if he wants Jen or the crickets that roam her cage. He sits there all day long. He stays on the watch at night, even when Jen's light and our bedroom light is off. At first it seemed like a joke, but I'm starting to worry that he'll never be like a normal cat again. He's totally obsessed.
If I think about it too much, it's rather like me on the computer. Poor cat.
Several months ago, Tom began laying eggs. Yes, geckos will lay unfertilized eggs, right on the side of the cage, which deteriorate within a few days. Since this was not any type of miracle, Tom was immediately renamed Jen.
Once I found Jen was a girl, I began liking her even more. I feel a little sorry for this thing that will forever lay eggs for no reason. Jen happily lives on crickets and has a heat lamp to keep warm.
When the weather's really warm, Jen will run around the sides of her glass cage. It began bothering Trevor at night when he was trying to go to sleep. THUMP! as Jen would jump on the side. thumpthumpthumpthump! as she'd run around the glass. She ended up being banished to the basement. I didn't like this at all. It's cold down there, and it's not like I would frequently check in on her. (She wasn't forgotten; Robert checked on her daily to make sure she had water.)
I was very happy last month when Jen was moved into my bedroom, right beneath our fish tank. Unfortunately, it's not been a good move for our cat, Vader. Vader used to be a normal cat. He and his sister Pumpkin are almost two years old. For fun, Vader used to hang out with Pumpkin.
He used to come to us when he wanted attention.
If he was up early in the morning, he would play before we got up.
When Jen lived in Trevor's room, Vader totally ignored her, although Pumpkin was very interested. I don't know what's changed, but Vader spends his days sitting or laying in front of Jen's tank, always on the alert. I'm not totally sure if he wants Jen or the crickets that roam her cage. He sits there all day long. He stays on the watch at night, even when Jen's light and our bedroom light is off. At first it seemed like a joke, but I'm starting to worry that he'll never be like a normal cat again. He's totally obsessed.
If I think about it too much, it's rather like me on the computer. Poor cat.
Book Review - The Unusual Suspect by Stephen Baldwin
Someone on my hs list mentioned Stephen Baldwin's The Unusual Suspect, an autobiography detailing his conversion to Christianity. At the same time, I saw him featured on Nightline and was intrigued by the reviews on amazon, so I checked the book out from my library. It's in high demand, and I had to wait a few months to finally get it.
I don't know what the hype is about. (Maybe I'm spoiled by reading well written books?) Apparently, the Baldwin brothers are big in Hollywood, really big. Bigger than I'd guessed. I know this now because Stephen reminded me every couple of pages in his book. But I am sure he's a better actor than a writer. He has a horribly annoying habit of referring to himself in the third person as "Stevie B" and posing fake questions to himself, which he then answers. I got the impression that he was paid to write a certain number of pages and would write anything to meet the original goal. His book would have been much better read if he'd stopped at 100. Instead, he filled 300. I did like the beginning, but the more I read, the more bored I became.
Not recommended, unless you are a Stevie B fan. On second thought, if you want to remain a fan, you might skip the book.
I don't know what the hype is about. (Maybe I'm spoiled by reading well written books?) Apparently, the Baldwin brothers are big in Hollywood, really big. Bigger than I'd guessed. I know this now because Stephen reminded me every couple of pages in his book. But I am sure he's a better actor than a writer. He has a horribly annoying habit of referring to himself in the third person as "Stevie B" and posing fake questions to himself, which he then answers. I got the impression that he was paid to write a certain number of pages and would write anything to meet the original goal. His book would have been much better read if he'd stopped at 100. Instead, he filled 300. I did like the beginning, but the more I read, the more bored I became.
Not recommended, unless you are a Stevie B fan. On second thought, if you want to remain a fan, you might skip the book.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Heat wave!
Well, "heat wave" for us it seems. We were in the 50s today, more melting snow, and all that stuff. Unfortunately, we didn't have a chance to enjoy it. We had co-op registration this morning. The classes fill up fast, and I was able to get two great classes for each of the kids. They've only each had one before at a time, and these will be spread out over two afternoons. It will be a bit of a change, but it's only for a couple of months. It should be FUN!
In the afternoon, I volunteered. It was just proofreading, a little tedious, but the company makes it rather pleasant.
Holly and Trevor were the ones who suffered. They stayed in the main room where all the action was swirling nearby. They sat at a table on nasty folding chairs for THREE hours. The only time they got up was to get something out of the car. They were ANGELS. Here's a view on our way home, yes, all real colors.
We made dinner plans without knowing how nice it would be, and it was the perfect choice. Robert bbq'ed bratwurst and vegetables--green and yellow peppers, and red onion. My sister made this suggestion a dozen years ago, and it's been a favorite of ours ever since. I'm wondering how she came up with the combination. She does NOT cook, I can't imagine her eating at restaurants that serve this sort of food, and she probably only has Evian, diet soda, soy milk, one food item from Whole Foods, and a bottle of fancy mustard in her fridge. (Okay, Lori, how close am I?) I also fixed our favorite--Dijon Pasta Salad--it's easy and doesn't need to chill before eating.
DIJON PASTA SALAD
1 lb. rotini, tricolor (I use plain elbows or shells)
2/3 cup oil
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons mustard, Dijon
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 large celery stalks, chopped
6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
2 hard cooked eggs, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
Paprika
Cook pasta in boiling water just until done, usually 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to stop the cooking process.
In a large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard and mayonnaise. Add the pasta, celery, bacon, eggs, scallion, salt, and paprika to the dressing and mix carefully.
That's it!
It was one of several recipes I've found in Diane Mott Davidson's Goldy Bear's Culinary Mysteries series. While I'm not a mystery fan, these books are very light and put an equal emphasis on food--definitely a winner for me! The stories take place in a fictional mountain town west of Denver, and it's always fun for me to recognize places in the books. It's a fun series, one I've followed from the beginning, about ten years ago. As I was doing the last minute rush to get the salad made and the house at least vacuumed before Robert came home, the volunteer coordinator called to tell me everything will finish early and I'm FREE tomorrow afternoon. Yippee, I am pretty happy about that! Robert's off tomorrow. We have a light school day planned. Another storm coming Friday. No comment on that yet!
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Quick Tuesday
Another school day flew by, we are already back in our routine. Trevor was thrilled that he had three drawing activities today--he illustrated and then labeled each of his spelling words; he drew his own version of The Hanging Gardens of Babylon as he learned more about Nebuchadnezzar and The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World; and his science assignment was to draw a comic strip about the life of a bird.
He had his allergy testing today. Ugh, poor kid. He was nervous to begin with, and the testing was not pleasant. The allergens are on little needles attached to strips, six needles to a strip. Each strip has a handle on it, and the nurse does two at a time, ZIP, ZIP, into his back, until she did all six strips. It took about three seconds. While he was still dazed from that, the itching began. He was a trooper through it all, and I'm glad we don't have to do that again any time soon. His allergies were indicated by itchy welts on his back. He's allergic to several trees, pollen and weeds--things present in the spring, summer and fall. On the plus side, he's not allergic to molds or foods (surprising), and there's no indication of asthma. He's also allergic to cats--we have two. If he were a baby, we might consider getting rid of the cats, but I don't think it's necessary at this point now.
By the time I left the dr.'s office, I was loaded down with two prescriptions, an inhaler in case of emergency, a blower to measure his breathing abilities, several free samples, and a folder full of information. I'm overwhelmed with medical garbage right now. Ugh. Our choices at this point are: 90 allergy shots over the next three years; daily meds; nothing. Right now, the meds are looking good. I think he'll be amazed at what it really feels like to be able to breathe like most people.
This was the perfect excuse to head to Chili's for dinner. It's a long time favorite place (except for Robert), and we haven't been there in awhile!
The next few days are going to be crazy, as we have co-op registration, and I'll also be putting in much volunteer time. But the week's been good so far, and I'm sure it will continue!
He had his allergy testing today. Ugh, poor kid. He was nervous to begin with, and the testing was not pleasant. The allergens are on little needles attached to strips, six needles to a strip. Each strip has a handle on it, and the nurse does two at a time, ZIP, ZIP, into his back, until she did all six strips. It took about three seconds. While he was still dazed from that, the itching began. He was a trooper through it all, and I'm glad we don't have to do that again any time soon. His allergies were indicated by itchy welts on his back. He's allergic to several trees, pollen and weeds--things present in the spring, summer and fall. On the plus side, he's not allergic to molds or foods (surprising), and there's no indication of asthma. He's also allergic to cats--we have two. If he were a baby, we might consider getting rid of the cats, but I don't think it's necessary at this point now.
By the time I left the dr.'s office, I was loaded down with two prescriptions, an inhaler in case of emergency, a blower to measure his breathing abilities, several free samples, and a folder full of information. I'm overwhelmed with medical garbage right now. Ugh. Our choices at this point are: 90 allergy shots over the next three years; daily meds; nothing. Right now, the meds are looking good. I think he'll be amazed at what it really feels like to be able to breathe like most people.
This was the perfect excuse to head to Chili's for dinner. It's a long time favorite place (except for Robert), and we haven't been there in awhile!
The next few days are going to be crazy, as we have co-op registration, and I'll also be putting in much volunteer time. But the week's been good so far, and I'm sure it will continue!
Book Review - Creation in Time by Dr. Hugh Ross
I've read Dr. Hugh Ross's Creation in Time before. I re-read it because of an ongoing discussion between Robert and a friend on the topic. In general, I find books on young earth/old earth very interesting, and this is one of the few old earth Creationism books that I've read. Personally, I like this book, although I'm very biased. It fits with everything I believe. We use Apologia's elementary science at home, and this would be a great book for me to have on hand when the young earth/old earth discussions come up in science.
But no matter what you believe, if you like reading on this subject, this book is recommended.
But no matter what you believe, if you like reading on this subject, this book is recommended.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Back to school
I was a little worried about starting back to school today, but it went just fine! For starters, we woke up to warm weather. The high yesterday was 28, and the wind blew all night. When I woke up this a.m., it was already 38 degrees outside.
Nice for melting some of the snow too. :)
Holly and Trevor had no problem getting back into the routine. Poor Holly had a very long math review to start off her day. Math isn't her favorite subject, and we recently switched her from Saxon to Singapore a few months ago. I have been very pleased with the way the new math curriculum is making her think. It's like night and day, she's much more engaged, and she understands what she's doing. Her attitude about it has also improved considerably.
Trevor chose to read Charlotte's Web on his own instead of me reading it out loud. We'll see if his motivation lasts. I'd prefer he read easier and shorter books on his own, plus I was kind of looking forward to reading this book. On the other hand, if he reads it himself, *I* won't cry at the end.
The kids were so "on" today that they even were disappointed when I stopped after one of the Seven Wonders. Hey, that was all that was on my schedule. They can wait for tomorrow to learn about two more. I'd rather keep them guessing anyway.
Every time I pulled out my camera, Trevor protested. He thought this was a protest face. Hah, that'll teach him that I'll post any picture of him that I can!
I spent some time tonight adding some links and photos of our curriculum on the sidebar. I think I still have to figure out a few details.
Trevor had a friend stay for dinner, and it was a hit. Of course, it helps when everyone is really hungry, but tonight they were all quiet when eating, and I think all of dinner took nine minutes. I made Pork Chops with Lemon Caper Sauce. The recipe calls for sliced pork tenderloin, but I had boneless chops on hand and Holly requested this recipe. Clearly, it's a favorite.
PORK MEDALLIONS WITH LEMON CAPER SAUCE
1 T. coarse ground pepper (use less)
1-1/2 lbs. pork tenderloin, cut to 1: thick medallions
4 T. butter
1 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
2 T. capers, drained
Press pepper in both sides of pork pieces. Heat 1 T. butter in large skillet or medium heat. Cook until just done, 4 mins. per side. Transfer to plate and keep warm. Add broth and lemon juice to skillet. Boil until only ½ c. left, about 7 mins. Whisk in remaining butter. Add capers, salt and pepper to taste. Pour over medallions. Serves 4.
* * * *
It was an overall great day, and it was the day I was expecting to be the toughest this week. Life is great!
Nice for melting some of the snow too. :)
Holly and Trevor had no problem getting back into the routine. Poor Holly had a very long math review to start off her day. Math isn't her favorite subject, and we recently switched her from Saxon to Singapore a few months ago. I have been very pleased with the way the new math curriculum is making her think. It's like night and day, she's much more engaged, and she understands what she's doing. Her attitude about it has also improved considerably.
Trevor chose to read Charlotte's Web on his own instead of me reading it out loud. We'll see if his motivation lasts. I'd prefer he read easier and shorter books on his own, plus I was kind of looking forward to reading this book. On the other hand, if he reads it himself, *I* won't cry at the end.
The kids were so "on" today that they even were disappointed when I stopped after one of the Seven Wonders. Hey, that was all that was on my schedule. They can wait for tomorrow to learn about two more. I'd rather keep them guessing anyway.
Every time I pulled out my camera, Trevor protested. He thought this was a protest face. Hah, that'll teach him that I'll post any picture of him that I can!
I spent some time tonight adding some links and photos of our curriculum on the sidebar. I think I still have to figure out a few details.
Trevor had a friend stay for dinner, and it was a hit. Of course, it helps when everyone is really hungry, but tonight they were all quiet when eating, and I think all of dinner took nine minutes. I made Pork Chops with Lemon Caper Sauce. The recipe calls for sliced pork tenderloin, but I had boneless chops on hand and Holly requested this recipe. Clearly, it's a favorite.
PORK MEDALLIONS WITH LEMON CAPER SAUCE
1 T. coarse ground pepper (use less)
1-1/2 lbs. pork tenderloin, cut to 1: thick medallions
4 T. butter
1 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
2 T. capers, drained
Press pepper in both sides of pork pieces. Heat 1 T. butter in large skillet or medium heat. Cook until just done, 4 mins. per side. Transfer to plate and keep warm. Add broth and lemon juice to skillet. Boil until only ½ c. left, about 7 mins. Whisk in remaining butter. Add capers, salt and pepper to taste. Pour over medallions. Serves 4.
* * * *
It was an overall great day, and it was the day I was expecting to be the toughest this week. Life is great!
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