TreasuresInTerraCotta

There is one section in my cook book that does not get much use. The Vegetable section. Not because I don't like vegetables, I do. But because most vegetables can be steamed for about 8 minutes and put on the table. Add your own salt, pepper and butter if you wish. Call me lazy, but that's how most veggies are served in my house. But for Thanksgiving I was looking for something a little fancier for green beans, but without a lot of extra ingredients or prep. Something sorta "fresh." I found Parsleyed Green Beans from Better Homes and Gardens and it is a recipe worth sharing. (I halved the amount of butter.) Did you make any new recipes worth sharing this year?

I have been putting off reading The Hole In Our Gospel. I don't know if I will do a Book Review about it, but maybe I need to confess that I own it and that I have a book mark somewhere in the Forward. Is that accountability? I don't know. Maybe I should also confess that I want to read it, but really I don't want to read it.

I made another floor/reading pillow for the kids. I made two back in the summer, but at that time I purchased four pillow inserts. Here is my third creation. Once again, I only used scraps from my left-over material box. (It really is only one Rubbemaid tote!) Most of the original material was used for quilts. I didn't even need to buy material for the backing. I used one pair of old jeans destined for the garbage. As before I made two overlapping pieces with a one inch hem that allows the pillow to be folded in like an envelope. One pant leg for each half. If If you recognize the colors or pattern in the pillow it's because I made it after I made the vest for Calvin's hobo rat Halloween costume. I had some pieces left over and I just didn't want to stop sewing all those straight lines. Quilting is very relaxing. Have you done anything creative/crafty lately?

For better and for worse my kids show me myself. Today the eldest said to the youngest: I'm not angry at you. I am angry at everybody. Including me. I don't know if I have ever said those words out loud; but they are the cry of my heart more often than I care to admit.

Do your kids have too many things? Too much stuff? Too many toys? Too much to clean up? Mine too! Back in September Calvin received some birthday money. We were trying to be a little more creative with this gift money, so instead of heading to the store we asked him what he wanted to DO. This is what he came up with. What kind of miniature golf course would it be without a windmill. My Utah-raised husband and my Wyoming-born friend call it put-put golf. Andrew at Queen Anne's Doll House. He liked chasing the balls. Especially the ones that go through a slot on a higher green only to pop out on the lower green. Two balls, but no children ended up in the water hazards. It was a good day (back on October 15). Lots of fun! No new "stuff" except pictures and memories. What about you? Do you have a favorite way to spend (save?) gift money? Do you call it miniature golf, put-put golf, goofy golf, something else?

I suspect that homeschooling life, just like life with children in general, will be full of firsts. Of course there are the biggies like first steps and first words; first game of Monopoly and first phonetic spelling. But you can't miss those other big firsts...like the first time the baby manages to spit up on your hair, shirt, arm, pants, shoes AND the floor. Or the first threat of Principle Daddy. This week, for the first time, I spent (a short amount of time) with two kids "doing school." We were studying "Oo for Octopus." Calvin worked on letters, sounds and spelling. Andrew did an ocean puzzle. Andrew can even count with us...every number is "eight." He can identify letters...every letter is "B." And he can even identify colors...every color is "b-ue" I was smart enough, however, to wait for nap time to do blue-for-the-ocean finger painting. And it's a good thing...somehow it turned into face painting!? Another first...