Happy Birthday! Again!

What a fun party this was! I just love the internet for inspiration!! Atira decided she wanted to do a spa sleepover party for her and a few of her girlfriends. As each young lady showed up they signed into "Petite Dame Spa" at the front desk....of course having to give their names as this was a very exclusive event! First on the agenda was a foot soak in a wonderful bath tea! The ladies enjoyed the warm water and delicious fragrance of herbs in the air! After drying their feet and using an incredible lotion bar to moisturize with, they were moved to the parlor for a facial and of course it would not be complete without cucumbers for the eyes! All of the products we used on the girls were all natural and made by EdensHerbs, a fellow homeschooling mommy and creator of luscious herbal products for body and face! (Check her out, you won't be sorry!) We then moved into a highlight of our evening, fingernail painting. Fun, yes, highlight? Not usually. Ah, but tonight was quite different! We found a wonderful game online, something like musical chairs except nobody "is out" and everyone wins! I put in the soundtrack to "The Sound of Music", and each girl started with one color of fingernail polish, as the music played they passed the polish to the next girl, when it stopped, they took the color in their hand and painted one toe nail with it! It was WONDERFUL!! The girls were singing along with all the songs, having such a wonderful time! I thoroughly enjoyed watching this one, had me singing and giggling right along with them! We then moved on to dinner, on the menu was cucumber, cream cheese sandwiches, pbj's, strawberries, bananas and a melted chocolate pot, cheese cubes on toothpicks. I had only planned on the fruit being dipped into the chocolate, oh how wrong I was!! They dipped everything in there! SANDWICHES TOO!! I couldn't believe it. So, little note to all of you , if you want the food at your next party to be a BIG hit, just get a chocolate pot and let them dip it all, doesn't appear to matter what you serve! They had so much fun! After dinner, they moved into the cinema room to watch A Little Princess, sadly we had technical difficulties and had to put in our backup showing of The Sound of Music. As they watched they created fluffy flip flops with strips of fabric being tied to the straps of the shoes, so cute. They then had popcorn, cake, and finally painted their fingernails. Oh, and we must not forget presents, that did come before the movie....and she had a blast opening all of her gifts. I could not be more blessed with the wonderful group of girls my daughter is surrounded by. Oh, and one more little note, the girls watched this video: More Beautiful You, and we had a lovely chat about how our beauty is given to us by God and our reflection of Him in this world. We also discussed Proverbs 31:30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but the Young Lady who fears Adonai, she shall be praised! And as much fun as these girls had frilling up with the girly stuff, they are true beauties in their hearts! So, this is the close of the 10th birthday of Atira...it was a fun time and I do believe she was thoroughly spoiled and very blessed!

I can feel the sugar surging through my veins....

We made it! Atira had her spa birthday party sleepover last night! Whew! It was a wonderful evening...of which I will share more later. However this morning I got up and made these wonderful cinnamon rolls for breakfast! Thought I would share the recipe in case you would like to try it...it is by FAR my favorite cinnamon rolls!! Now, the above picture does not have the cream cheese frosting on these yet, which is definitely what makes these CRAZY GOOD!! So, enjoy!

Clone of Cinnabon

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
2. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
3. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

I made it!

WOO HOO! I tried out for The Old Schoolhouse homeschool review crew and they approved me for boarding! So, this upcoming homeschool year the kids and I will be reviewing products we receive and I will be sharing those reviews here on my blog! We are looking forward to all the many new things we will have the opportunity to experience and can't wait to share them. In addition, my good friend Denise is my firstmate (mentor) to help me through this whole experience. So, be watching for the additional review posts that I will be adding very soon!

a night at the observatory

How to get a great picture of a group:
1. Go to the observatory and get some of these nifty glasses and ask all of your subjects to put them on
2. Have a camera with a flash at the ready
3. Point that camera, with a flash at your peeps
4. Watch them smile and shout with joy over the beautiful rainbow colors shooting all around their eyeballs!!

I was in the second shot which is the top picture in this post, I was expecting the cool colors but was still so surprised when they happened, which was twice since I have a preflash (for redeye) and then the real flash, I thoroughly enjoyed them both. What a crack up. Truthfully I wish I had video of this moment because after I was just cracking up over all the comments and sounds that everyone made once the picture was over.

This was the beginning of an amazing evening. It began with a very cloudy and rainy day. I had been praying since the day before this trip that the skies would clear so we could behold the majesty of the heavens that God created...and you would not believe it but it was cloudy all the way down and when we reached Seattle, specifically the U of W campus, it was COMPLETELY CLEAR for us! I felt in awe as we reached there because we would be able to see the heavens! WOO HOO! We were treated to a funducational (as my kids say it) talk on Einstein and the imagination by a sophomore psychology student. As the darkness moved in we were moved outside and into the observatory. There were a couple of students with telescopes set up outside and since the line was long inside that is where we headed first. What an incredible moment, looking through that lens and seeing SATURN!!! So beautiful, so awesome, so much better than a photo in a book. I cannot explain why, but it filled me with awe of my creator, how He hung this beautiful gem in the sky for our enjoyment. We had an opportunity to also go up to the observatory and see the planet again. This is something we definitely plan to do more through the summer, it was a wonderful outing and a joy that we went with friends and family!

Adventures with Grandpa Curt

Grandpa Curt is the bomb. Need I say more?

Locks of Love

What an amazing girl we have! She decided to donate her beautiful long red locks to Locks of Love. A couple of years ago Atira had a friend who has alopecia and that was when she first learned about the company that makes wigs for children who have lost their hair for various reasons. She did not grow her hair out with the intent of donating it but rather she wanted to be able to flip her head over and have her hair cover her face to look something like Cousin It.
Although to be honest that is not where she got the idea from it originated with the show Full House where DJ puts her hair over her face because she has a zit on her nose and she is trying to cover it. Ah, the places we find inspiration! Anyway, it led to several years of growing out that beautiful head of hair and after hearing about one of our friends plans to donate hair, Atira decided it was what she wanted to do. (But just prior to that, she had heard of being able to sell hair and tossed that idea around a bit too). So, in the end the hair is being sent off to LOL and we all love her new short hairstyle!

Happy 10th Birthday to our Princess!

WOW!! Our baby is 10! What a fun weekend this has been celebrating her life. Her actual birthday was on Saturday, so that was spent with our home fellowship where Atira had a nice big chocolate Costco cake, YUM! She also was treated to breakfast sandwiches (per her request) that her dad made and her favorite soup for lunch....chicken meatball w/ dumplings (which my kids loving call "Booger Soup"). That next morning she got up in her new birthday jammies and had her family party. She decorated her own cake as you can see in the picture above. She was thoroughly spoiled with both gifts and love and it was a memorable day she will cherish for a long time.

I LOVA DA MEATBALL!

Let me take you back about a week ago...as Scott and I headed into Macy's dish department to order some replacement pieces for our set, the sales clerk alerted us of an incredible bargain on a pasta set that was available. My husband, who loves a bargain and has cried out many times, but it won't be here later! was just jumping on this one. Really? We need a pasta set? He thought so...so it is now apart of our collection of Italian Countryside dinnerware, beautiful pieces, although I am not sure where they will fit in the cupboards. But I am glad to have them. Anyway, I decided we should break them in properly, so last Friday night I decided to make Scott's grandma Connies' spaghetti sauce and meatballs. He came home and started hollering, "I LOVA DA MEATBALL!" He would add in "I LOVA DA SAUSAGE" too, but I did not get sausage so there was only meatballs, but hey, he was having a good time. I finished the pasta, made a french bread challah, put the pasta, sauce and meatballs in the serving bowl, which as you can see, he quickly snatched up and put in his place on the table....I kept thinking "Baby Huey" by the size of that bowl sitting in front of him. Thankfully, he shared, we all had a delicious and memory filled meal as we talked about Gran. And I made 4 pounds of meatballs that night...so we can hopefully repeat this scene again very soon, it was a lot of fun and quite delicious!

Yes, I know I spelled pony incorrectly...for those of you who remember, Atira used to call "My Little Ponies" - "Ponties". And her hair had "ponty tails" in it...loved that...still do. So I say it when I can so I can relive it a bit. So today was all about the ponties. (OH and you pronounce it po as in the word so) We went on a fantabulous field trip today and Atira said it was just the best day ever. The kids were able to brush, pet, feed and visit with these lovely little ponies for about an hour. Then for another hour they took turns riding them. Well, except Jordan of course, he is a bit big for a ponty. However the owner gave him a bit of training and had Jordan leading the kids around on "Spike" the ponty. He was a bossy guy with plenty of attitude. He bit Jordan (gently enough) on the leg just to show him who was boss. Spike also snotted up his shirt pretty good as he kept nudging him and pushing him around. Very cute...and very funny. Atira had many turns riding around the arena and ran up to me regularly sharing with me how she is no longer wanting ice skating lessons but rather horse riding lessons, oh and while she was at it, she also mentioned she doesn't think she wants that swimming party anymore...can you guess what she would rather do? Oh how the desires of a 9 year old heart change so quickly! Scott ran out of work a bit early today so we were blessed to have him join us for the last half of our day there. It was fun and very memorable.

A little update

 OH YUM! So, it is the week of unleavened bread...so get it? No leaven. Scott was havin' a hankerin' for burgers...so this is what I came up with! HAD TO SHARE! Onion egg matzah, sprinkled with gouda for the boys and cheddar for me, tossed under the broiler until it melted. Topped that baby with a hamburger patty from the grill, a few slices of facon (ya know, veggie bacon?) and a slather of chili. It was quite delightful!  We were not missing our leaven today!

 Arms, legs, giggling....I cannot tell where one person ends and the other  begins! The two of them together make quite the force against there dad these days! WATCH OUT!!

 So, we wanted to redo the main bathroom...as a homeschool project we decided to give them a budget and allow them, with guidance to redecorate the bathroom. The parameters consisted of keeping with the feel of our home. Nothing wild and crazy and unexpected. They had to keep in mind this is not just their bathroom but the guest bath as well. Be budget conscience. They had to purchase paint, shower curtain, towels, new rug, garbage can, soap dispenser and a few accessories. Scott and I added new towel bars, backsplash and light fixture..that way WE could pick the pieces that won't be changed again for a very long time!  The day in this photo we were peeling wallpaper and washing the walls. We have the walls nearly all painted, the towel bars are up and so is the shower curtain. Just a few accessories to buy and it will be ready to go! (Oh and the light fixture....that has become quite the hunt....) I will post more pics when the room is complete!

 The kids are taking Jiu Jitsu and really enjoying themselves. On this particular day they were learning how to throw each other, something very important that all siblings should learn. The grin is what gets me. Jordan smiles nearly the whole time he is either throwing or being thrown, while he wrestles, when he taps someone out or if he is being tapped...glad he is such a happy kid! :)

Homeschooling High School

Last summer was an unsettling time for me, I realized I would be homeschooling a high schooler in the coming fall. I felt completely unprepared, afraid I was not capable and I was not sure what would be expected of me. Now, I had never once considered any other option but homeschool, so there was no backup plan, I was just uncertain of what to do next. Thankfully, half way through that summer I found peace. Some of that came through the Lord from good friends and some of that came through Him when we attended a conference and spoke with others that have gone on before us on this path. My confidence was renewed and I was prepared for the future! I am very much reminded and encouraged again as I read through the stories of "Help Lord, I’m Getting Ready to Start Homeschooling My High Schooler!". The individual family accounts contained within this book are exactly the type of confidence building information we need as we face this time in our homeschool career. Seeing pictures and reading about children that have gone on to graduate and find amazing places in the world helps me see how much God is truly in control of our children's lives and how we need to be there to help guide them in the talents He has instilled in them already. The stories were real, and not perfect. They reflected struggles we all face in our homeschool and how those struggles were handled and the outcomes. I very much enjoyed having the opportunity to read through these families journeys. If you are looking at high school looming in your future and need a bit of a pick me up, or some inspiration, look to the veterans who have "been there done that" to share their ups and downs. This book contains 122 pages which can be a bit much for reading online (and I don't feel it is cost effective to print it at home),  so I took it a bite at a time, however I think I would enjoy having this in hard copy to sit in a comfy chair and savor the stories, but at this time it is not currently available in that format. This little bit of encouragement can be found at www.theoldschoolhousestore.com under e-books for $12.45 for the downloadable e-book. Happy Homeschooling!

 As a homeschool family we frequently find ourselves in need of frugal inspiration! When you live on one income, stretching a budget can be a challenge, but it can also be fun when you have great resources to glean from. I really enjoyed the variety of money saving ideas I found in Molly's Money Saving Digest. The articles were enjoyable to read, I felt like the author was speaking to me as a friend rather than writing an article for a publication. I am inspired to try out her recipes for pie crusts (which I have never really attempted before even though I love to bake) and perhaps I will bake a pie for my family in the very near future....I'm thinking apple, my hubbies favorite.

There were articles as well on money management for not only the adults, but one that specifically interested me would be great for my teenage son. He is at a point in life where he should be learning about checking accounts, and the article gave step by step instructions on how to open one as well as offering information on registering checks. The lessons will continue in the next issue of the ezine.

Menu planning. Ugh. Something I am not a huge fan of, but I know when I do it, it saves me not only money but time. I really enjoyed that a weeks worth of menus were included as well as a complete shopping list! This is a real time saver not to mention, new recipes are a great way to break up a monotonous menu in my home!

Another wonderful bonus of Molly's Money Saving Digest were the printable pages for everything from money management to home organization. Personally, I do keep a journal filled with forms, calendars, homeschool planning etc. I love to find wonderful forms such as these to help streamline my life and my home. And to be honest, it just makes some of these chores just a little more fun.

 So, I found Molly's Money Saving Digest to be a great value for just $4.95, it can be found at www.econobusters.com, where you will find additional articles, ezines and great ideas for "busting free from this economy!" I would say this little ezine has something for everyone!

Our December adventures

It has been a fun month. First we watched our final episode of Monk, as you see Scott dressed up as Monk, Atira is Natalie handing over a wipe. You will only understand this if you follow the show, and if you don't get it, well, you should have been watching the show! We all dressed up for dinner that night and even had chicken pot pie. This was such a fun night. We also celebrated Hanukkah this month. We enjoyed a night out at our friends lighting candles, eating well and doing a bit of bible study. We are ending the month with a bit of home improvement. Scott is off of work for the week (they close his shop down),  so we decided to be productive with the time. Scott started tiling today and he is doing an amazing job. I had no doubt he would. (Please refer to comment one in this blog, he is Monk, after all.) I cannot wait to see it all done. But of course it is giving me the itch to get rid of my current kitchen accessories and put up completely different ones. See what kind of trouble this kind of thing causes? The kids are doing great. We are going swimming with friends once a month, Jordan is in a homeschool club at our local GamesWorkshop where he gets to paint and play Lord of the Rings. Both the kids are in Brazilian Jiujitsu and they love it. Jordan is a true teenager, he went over his allotted texting minutes last month by $14.60. I will probably never forget that number as Scott has renamed Jordan $14.60. He also says it everytime he gets a chance. (It is actually very hilarious). So, Jordan is  now working on a plan for a regular income over and above his current allowance, he wants to upgrade his texting plan, and it will cost him. But for now, he is checking regularly how many he has left. As of today he has 18 and he does not renew until the 7th, it has turned into quite a comedy around here with all of this texting drama. Atira is enjoying a new quilt on her bed these days. We made her a deal quite some time ago that if she kept her room clean for a period of time she would be rewarded with a new quilt. She did a great job and we were happy to buy it for her. I just completed new curtains for her to match, she is very happy with her bright pretty room. It feels good to get some things updated around the house. We have been here 9 yeras now, and it is time for a bit of polishing. The kids bathroom is next on the list...I think. We have a cool plan, we are going to let them redecorate it, on a budget and with our approval. But they will be in charge of pulling down the wallpaper, prepping the walls, picking paint and painting (with help), purchasing a new shower curtain, towels and rugs as well as any accessories. I will be sure to keep you all posted as that project progresses. It may be a while, it all depends on what happens in the work world when Scott returns...praying for plenty to do!! So, there is our current update....will be posting more when the kitchen is done.