Children

Todays comment or rambling is on the odd changes of our children. One day they are these smart, sweet, loving, obedient children and the next they are stupidly piercing body parts, smoking, lying, stealing, having sex, and generally being stupid teenagers. I have studied this phenomena for several years and have come to the conclusion that some hormonal thing happens during puberty to make them stupid. The good news is they do outgrow the stupidity if you can make it for a few years without beating them or driving yourself off a bridge at sunrise. Todays comment: Love your kids...they are only stupid for a few years. Besides..... they are YOURS!! (Bright side: Stupidity = being in trouble which = a clean house for you!)

Still December

It is still December and yet Christmas is over. However, I have been too lazy to remove one bulb from the tree or wrap up one decorational item. Wow.......the older I get the less joy the days after Christmas bring. No more playing with new toys or driving my parents crazy as they cleaned.....I have become the cleaner and the one picking up all the dropped toys as one after one they are used and discarded to the side for the next toy. 3's are so weird....one toy one second and another the next. Never settling on one for long. All the while I have cooked and cleaned. I am helping with a lunch before a memorial service for a member of our church. Her brother passed away yesterday morning. Sad and melancholy tradgedy during a joyful season. So cook I have done......as my way to help them grieve. Food...a warm comfort for sadness. I will set up and serve the family before the service.

Comment of the Day: Love all those around you as long and as hard as you can for their time is short and you may regret not loving someone who needed you to the most.

Sickness and Christmas

Everyone but toddler has been sick with head colds and such. Sorry no new pics or stories. Feel yucky and will catch up after Christmas.

Christmas Crafts and Fun

Today we made salt dough ornaments for gifts and had some fun. The kids decorated some and I finished up our applesauce cinnamon ornaments. I am working on containers for cookies and will start cookie making tomorrow. I took some pictures of their work and some pics for fun. Enjoy!!



Mine and 3's Ornaments




16 yr old son's




15 yr old daughter's




3 hiding under table




Hiding in closet




Finally caught her!!!!




Rocky




Mia



Son in bed sleeping hehehe



15 yr old daughter




applesauce cinna ornaments



Christmas Vacation

Two of my children who are teens go to public school.....note: this is for their as well as my safety(seriously). Today they get out half a day for Christmas break.Yah!(sarcasticly done). So in order to keep them busy(and out of trouble) I have only slept four hours so I can get things ready at home. I have made applesauce cinnamon ornaments for them to ribbon and decorate, I am making salt dough ornaments for them to decorate to give as gifts to relatives, and I have some other gift projects for them to do. We will also make and decorate cookies and cakes. Being teens, they are not so thrilled by this.....I however relish the opportunity to bestow the torture of doing crafts with mom and baby sister(who is 3). Paybacks!!!! No I am not above getting them back, especially my girls. However, I do hope it will be fun and a way to bond and chat as well. I am making them make gifts to show them the joy in giving and the pride you get from having made the gift yourself. (Not sure it will work). Kids nowdays are spoiled by technology and they don't know how to give or enjoy the simple things. Mine still laugh at the idea of cassette tapes and VHS. And they would just die if they didn't have a cell phone or mp3 player. This year, I am making a point........small useful presents that I paid up front for not on credit, newish things bought at thrift stores, yard sales, and at my Curriculum Share group, homemade items, lots of baking and family time, bonfire nights, and some old fashioned hanging out at home. I am done with my Christmas shopping and have groceries to last till after Christmas. I may have to go to town one more time for milk....hope not.Our tree is small this year and money is short, but I am home where my children need me. And....where my husband needs me. Being home has advantages not only for my kids but my spouse as well......he hunts, fishes, and stuff. He couldn't do all that if I were working too as we have a 3 year old. Plus he gets a home cooked meal and clean laundry. He likes knowing I am here for the kids.....mainly the big girls and their drama. It has been a year of major change for us, but it has been for the better. We thank God everyday for all the blessings and support we have recieved. I will post pics of their crafts as we finish them!! Over and out

A New Day

Feeling better today. Sinuses just kill me this time of year. Plus, I have probably been doing too much. I made a cake from scratch.......tastes more like a pancake and my buttercream frosting turned into chocolate glaze. I don't think I let the sugar and water boil long enough. I tried to do professional buttercream.......oh well I'll try again. Good new is that my kids have been eating it for breakfast....odd. But it does taste like a pancake. At least it is not going to waste. I think I misread some instructions when substituting cake flour and using all-purpose instead. Hmmmmmmm. My bad. I also made buttermilk buscuits.....wow was that interesting. Three recipes later, I found a winner....Alton Brown's on Food Network. They came out just like my grandma's. And I made peanutbutter cookies...with the fork imprint. Turned out soft and golden. Husband is eating them like crazy.....and he is picky. He says I am getting better with every try. When we first got married I couldn't cook much besides fried chicken and couldn't make a thing from scratch. My mother was not a cook....she would burn toast. Seriously. It was sad. Luckily, I did not inherit her inability to cook. The more I try and play around with recipes the better I get. I use cookbooks and substitute and change recipes to suit my family. With breads....I follow a recipe exactly!!! I am still learning breads and rolls. Long and painful process, but the end results are worth it!! I shall bake some more and do some more activities to share with the blogging world. Check back soon!!

UUUUGGGHHHHH

Well, I have another sinus infection and feel horrible. No blogging for me for a few days. Advent chain still being done. Over and out.

Just Rambling...Because I Can!!!

Well, today I took my 18 yr old and my grandson shopping for groceries. Yeah.......she doesn't have a job and lives with friends. She got her lip pierced and has about 7 piercings in each ear. She decided since her other sisters haven't damaged me for life that she is now unsure of who my grandson's father is. Actually...she said" I ain't sure if guy #1 or guy #2 is my baby daddy". I was paralyzed. My sweet, cute , smart little girl had turned into this pierced, tatooed, redneck woman. Weird. Oh well, gotta love your kids. The irony almost strikes me as funny and I let out a snicker. She is appalled I would snicker and I am appalled she doesn't know who her baby daddy be. (note the sarcasm). Then, I come home to my 15 yr old who was sexting two guys a couple days ago, my son bashing his ex on Facebook, and my 3 yr old telling me she demands candy. Weird.....I didn't scream. I simply took the 15 yr olds phone......yet again, unfortunantly her dad gave it back, told my son to not be such a monkey butt and gave my 3 yr old a candy cane. Then I went outside......alone. I later made my son start me a bonfire, dressed the toddler and took her outside. Gave the toddler some marshmallows and enjoyed the fire and the peace. At least for 20 minutes.... Now I am making campouts for toddler in her room, supervising phone time, and waiting for husband to go to work.....so I can end this day!!!!

Cupcake Birthday Party

The Princess!!

These are pics from my toddler's 3rd birthday in October. I made sure it was fun and messy.....real messy. I ended up with icing everywhere and toppings everywhere......but lots of smiles and laughs!! Well worth the hours of baking and cleaning.





Lots and lots of cupcakes to decorate....even for the little ones!!





Instead of a cake we did cupcakes! She loved it!

Happy Birthday Princess!!!!



Advent Crafts and My Bonfire Pit







These are my 3 year olds crafts...done with mom's help of course. She likes to do the gluing and glitter. I just put it together for her....she helped alot more on the angels than the manger. The pinecone was all her...no help from me.

This is our homemade bonfire pit. We just used old bricks and rocks and pieces of concrete we found around the dam and stuff. Not beautiful, but it works. Kids love it. We had a nice fire a couple nights ago and roasted marshmallows. My son does the wood and fire....I am terrible at it.

The Cinnamon Bread and the Morning After

Well, the bread was ok. It could have used more brown sugar and cinnamon. Great reheated with butter and a hot cup of coffee. MMMMMM. My dear husband is hunting after working all night, teens in school and suprisingly toddler is still asleep. I guess we will skip nap time today. Have to get some school in though. Preschool is alot more difficult than I thought it would be. Plus we have our Advent craft to do. We made an Advent chain and you pull a ring off and read the scripture and do the craft. My friend's blog (Birbittt thinks) explains it way better!!! Anyways off to enjoy my coffee in quiet...........

Baking with Toddlers

Not as simple or quit as fun as I envisioned. More like a tornado and a hurricane...mixed with some insanity in your kitchen. Not to mention my teens who are whining that I didn't bake with them when they were little. Now we know why. Plus, I was not a cook back then. I am not much better now, but we eat more than Hamburger Helper nowadays. Being a stay at home, homeschooling homemaker is not as "relaxing" and "unjob like" as most precieve. Try shopping at Walmart during the holidays with a cranky 3 year old and 2 obnoxious teens. I cook, clean, teach, referee, and iron uniforms among other chores. Baking has become my escape. Mind you...I did not say I was very good at it...at least not yet. Back to baking with the toddler.....I let her stir....bad decision on my part. Toddlers stir with happiness and energy....hence sticky walls. I then let her pretend bake while I finished my cinnamon bread. I can smell it now. I hope it tastes as good as it smells. I made my first yeast rolls during Thanksgiving. I learned the hard way that hot liquids kill yeast. Really. After 4 more hours I finally had edible rolls. Good enough in fact that my mil said they were delicious and she took some home!! Bread is about ready....let ya in on that tomorrow!