tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14727703029793527552024-02-01T23:37:49.887-05:00Pancake ChroniclesThe continuing saga of the Tennessee Butterworths...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.comBlogger491125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-78214616926514064852015-08-25T19:42:00.000-04:002015-08-25T19:52:42.938-04:00word cards for reading helpHomeschooling is always an adventure. You get into a rhythm and figure out where one child's sweet spot is and how they learn...and then you have to start all over again with subsequent children.<br />
<br />
Like I said, an adventure.<br />
<br />
Sarah learned to read quickly and fairly easily. It was like one day a switch just flipped in her brain, and she got it. She took off and has been reading fluently ever since.<br />
<br />
It's been more of a process with Natalie. We've tried a few different things, and none of them really "clicked."<br />
<br />
We're making progress now--slow progress, but progress nonetheless.<br />
<br />
These cards are helping.<br />
<br />
My grandmother found them at a yard sale years and years ago.<br />
<br />
These are old and musty, and I doubt you can still find them (except at yard sales). But they'd be fairly easy to make, I'd think.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitaGihNEQpvUiv0o7Mkeg5r0EBJZXQAazn9L9bn-tzganDSsuDdfIJfrGVCU0iyiCZ8_-DL5qg8QBukziPtkgouIJPZkqI-CA9QRO58Av_GLNR6D9Dl0kdTqgVTG69uhBzcvXw7LxYp8QG/s640/blogger-image-1977117210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitaGihNEQpvUiv0o7Mkeg5r0EBJZXQAazn9L9bn-tzganDSsuDdfIJfrGVCU0iyiCZ8_-DL5qg8QBukziPtkgouIJPZkqI-CA9QRO58Av_GLNR6D9Dl0kdTqgVTG69uhBzcvXw7LxYp8QG/s640/blogger-image-1977117210.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7u4iSKw7BjKY7D1cpygGDYJpp3mRxhyphenhyphenaN8QgoXi3JydCioVv_MQJJrZMQIcTGtgTL79iiLOkk6SS82CohU57EHIZoUDAVbx9GbmYDkenFu11ovN5gLdSu-uczgckyX94cMz2uK13MV9H/s640/blogger-image-562250618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7u4iSKw7BjKY7D1cpygGDYJpp3mRxhyphenhyphenaN8QgoXi3JydCioVv_MQJJrZMQIcTGtgTL79iiLOkk6SS82CohU57EHIZoUDAVbx9GbmYDkenFu11ovN5gLdSu-uczgckyX94cMz2uK13MV9H/s640/blogger-image-562250618.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
The initial consonant sound just folds over to make each word.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaaMnZUd4Gqh9Tyi-4SPAbh49vzTXTrQcQN3XB0_b0Gyazm_FQ0eI7g8S4W4UMBM0FwwzzOudWOxIixG5Eo-5HtMh8z_sSbL3kIsTI5nh8WHGto_K66VHFoJTg1gDbxoOueiXUms1enJSr/s640/blogger-image-1895040774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaaMnZUd4Gqh9Tyi-4SPAbh49vzTXTrQcQN3XB0_b0Gyazm_FQ0eI7g8S4W4UMBM0FwwzzOudWOxIixG5Eo-5HtMh8z_sSbL3kIsTI5nh8WHGto_K66VHFoJTg1gDbxoOueiXUms1enJSr/s640/blogger-image-1895040774.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
You can make them very simple with just easy sounds like "m" or "b," or you could get more complex with blends like "sw" or "ch."
These cards do a bit of both. Natalie is doing well with both so far.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8B5TySB2MgVHXvFC4IuzwA5BMyRxORdrB1jBlJNMGPJPpz3_EElqmWHKCWRlsVM2N2SZI4eAC1qnRdsQsl6mewlnxkufZoW0SksHsQP34sWmKlT3ODoON44clEGQG_LBYBHQWithbEbi8/s640/blogger-image--1838273505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8B5TySB2MgVHXvFC4IuzwA5BMyRxORdrB1jBlJNMGPJPpz3_EElqmWHKCWRlsVM2N2SZI4eAC1qnRdsQsl6mewlnxkufZoW0SksHsQP34sWmKlT3ODoON44clEGQG_LBYBHQWithbEbi8/s640/blogger-image--1838273505.jpg" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-35442411508440455672015-07-21T21:21:00.000-04:002015-07-21T21:21:06.204-04:00Kids Central and Splash DanceFor some reason my iPod didn't want to give up my photos. I've been trying for days to get the rest of the Fun Fest posts up, and I just couldn't get the pictures to upload properly.<br />
<br />
But everything seems to be working finally, so hopefully better late than never. :)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXnpXt3S_GONL6RMsptvcc9zMSs8er5jQuSVjd8z5emu2Mg5cLtbADECn3A2d2xRuMkVvQiEC0eCfzoMt1uW41wPi6HWQau463xj2sAH92NezN1jnwyOlTFVrlaXqKOp_DwDlIgEnXs71/s1600/IMG_0703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXnpXt3S_GONL6RMsptvcc9zMSs8er5jQuSVjd8z5emu2Mg5cLtbADECn3A2d2xRuMkVvQiEC0eCfzoMt1uW41wPi6HWQau463xj2sAH92NezN1jnwyOlTFVrlaXqKOp_DwDlIgEnXs71/s320/IMG_0703.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Natalie climbed up to the top and then was too scared to slide down the other side. Sarah had to go rescue her.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0eyEBtmuppQDhvBuckMfp0Eofna3kvA-ynDng-8HMdeI2rYIHgJBwus8Dr062cW7d1i547Qldp5yoJR6xUbMHibnCM6wwlhy9oAFCn1UQ9hOs3pX_69xeq9KTIA2f9DWOPZRYHZ9Ajxky/s1600/IMG_0704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0eyEBtmuppQDhvBuckMfp0Eofna3kvA-ynDng-8HMdeI2rYIHgJBwus8Dr062cW7d1i547Qldp5yoJR6xUbMHibnCM6wwlhy9oAFCn1UQ9hOs3pX_69xeq9KTIA2f9DWOPZRYHZ9Ajxky/s320/IMG_0704.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bouncy castles are always fun!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSb5QJ2LlE_Smiq4zo_FGOol3-bvVQCZR-Yr3paI_3os5zGXIG4UCrVbeoA8VnNltSyQeVBvFnkniJETkgPpClEBV4EucL_L0_ALU9ayf3KE5-faweyuuxACXXuxjGqd-6FmIWzF_TeAd6/s1600/IMG_0706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSb5QJ2LlE_Smiq4zo_FGOol3-bvVQCZR-Yr3paI_3os5zGXIG4UCrVbeoA8VnNltSyQeVBvFnkniJETkgPpClEBV4EucL_L0_ALU9ayf3KE5-faweyuuxACXXuxjGqd-6FmIWzF_TeAd6/s320/IMG_0706.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4889gkY1e_tU-d_uRQZEJAbvVafwfEFO8652qydH7kkScAV1So0u06fQiyh-PrOA1ohDSAfItNvjCVRtPRYIjkFhJIqngKKxiOAj7BhDRt0NSbT1flCbawdiaKQpxhoFyMdzpg2ls5Zdy/s1600/IMG_0712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4889gkY1e_tU-d_uRQZEJAbvVafwfEFO8652qydH7kkScAV1So0u06fQiyh-PrOA1ohDSAfItNvjCVRtPRYIjkFhJIqngKKxiOAj7BhDRt0NSbT1flCbawdiaKQpxhoFyMdzpg2ls5Zdy/s320/IMG_0712.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZ9zFNb6RwSO5QB5CsFj_cJ9RWvzdqdn1tBg4C6KlXArUvOU_JWh-z0HepVSR4eOEcFI8bVLAXcQZNBEyOvUaU6QlaXYYZgvzc6buwYdwjGTA3qgv96tTGuN57xfI2G1P9avAasHRnAI6/s1600/IMG_0716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZ9zFNb6RwSO5QB5CsFj_cJ9RWvzdqdn1tBg4C6KlXArUvOU_JWh-z0HepVSR4eOEcFI8bVLAXcQZNBEyOvUaU6QlaXYYZgvzc6buwYdwjGTA3qgv96tTGuN57xfI2G1P9avAasHRnAI6/s320/IMG_0716.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifIatw_gr6-4EFDyarvqZUb924TXZWZ6pH7sXLO80C_mDQYW0zUYpgMMVTPiXnzf1YQDCCZos05xoqakS-MLHk1Ym5UGoGiGlGj2k3W85O4sKi-Td4Vfd2wW6XM6W78zshHvaEpnZu8Rrk/s1600/IMG_0717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifIatw_gr6-4EFDyarvqZUb924TXZWZ6pH7sXLO80C_mDQYW0zUYpgMMVTPiXnzf1YQDCCZos05xoqakS-MLHk1Ym5UGoGiGlGj2k3W85O4sKi-Td4Vfd2wW6XM6W78zshHvaEpnZu8Rrk/s320/IMG_0717.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikN_GwUiPNL17G0EWTetnk5H4JOzUODeKZieAj8lxW3QJKGhN6DtkjQaPa_hcMMc8paYuMh16kItUGQ3EEXAsC7yHJpMqNvCerIGfPJMjQBFYLBL9vkW5R5Ne6bWYFVRVJird3EKKBXWLJ/s1600/IMG_0720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikN_GwUiPNL17G0EWTetnk5H4JOzUODeKZieAj8lxW3QJKGhN6DtkjQaPa_hcMMc8paYuMh16kItUGQ3EEXAsC7yHJpMqNvCerIGfPJMjQBFYLBL9vkW5R5Ne6bWYFVRVJird3EKKBXWLJ/s320/IMG_0720.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Legos are always a hit.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXa1xat6bNeNTiCa2DZm-zPTZNggfIIbBzhahWjZYASlHCiL3ik8XnEVv5rZokMO0tE00kSKkMOGWyEIEtg9gDFT9NZWrVSF-miszmvo3bUAzhZn0rvJGssVxAD4FMcaybLGTCMGi6eoVd/s1600/IMG_0723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXa1xat6bNeNTiCa2DZm-zPTZNggfIIbBzhahWjZYASlHCiL3ik8XnEVv5rZokMO0tE00kSKkMOGWyEIEtg9gDFT9NZWrVSF-miszmvo3bUAzhZn0rvJGssVxAD4FMcaybLGTCMGi6eoVd/s320/IMG_0723.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She liked this slide better.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KrmLRGyH8lo15LxTWUyug1Hisyq4pOjWv_mSVdnBUfWMmUOw9g_c85QOCmr7NQ1b1A3NCDJ0RtbCaDMl5lvQFJcAsOVLLXoNUqZGn6sqqUNd5yrpqRzxc6J9hEm562-dR9LQMmwR-Yu7/s1600/IMG_0730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KrmLRGyH8lo15LxTWUyug1Hisyq4pOjWv_mSVdnBUfWMmUOw9g_c85QOCmr7NQ1b1A3NCDJ0RtbCaDMl5lvQFJcAsOVLLXoNUqZGn6sqqUNd5yrpqRzxc6J9hEm562-dR9LQMmwR-Yu7/s320/IMG_0730.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The slip 'n' slides at the Splash Dance</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatXNWR1oBj7aXHNjL1MJB7BrEpU1d-1uoXNHtqnByeOTvbagNlUTOLTkd3jHfL_4eLJ6MuOtN6OrxXTpyk0b0Nqdk4GylBSDVGe_xHcx9njsRAAP5q6KsRuUchjUEqAthIAtumI6FGx8N/s1600/IMG_0737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatXNWR1oBj7aXHNjL1MJB7BrEpU1d-1uoXNHtqnByeOTvbagNlUTOLTkd3jHfL_4eLJ6MuOtN6OrxXTpyk0b0Nqdk4GylBSDVGe_xHcx9njsRAAP5q6KsRuUchjUEqAthIAtumI6FGx8N/s320/IMG_0737.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soooo much spray</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSdhNDRsu9sTXc-poOLWytcRKKTtUa1ReNh2u_KSXc23idJAYxzW2TGXJdceSfnc1HWS8GG3VSStK057UpT5MdzFn8Ao6IT3hb1zdt0moaSWx1Jym8obBZbgSsCQHSH9xyxe8s_m6242Sw/s1600/IMG_0739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSdhNDRsu9sTXc-poOLWytcRKKTtUa1ReNh2u_KSXc23idJAYxzW2TGXJdceSfnc1HWS8GG3VSStK057UpT5MdzFn8Ao6IT3hb1zdt0moaSWx1Jym8obBZbgSsCQHSH9xyxe8s_m6242Sw/s320/IMG_0739.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOtCB-0O7mz04utzUfWDANSbdYfsUvViEwkPL6KGcjF6Uuh6TYw6UoQVRnawFjBYGQ9x1ebs6duo6bmu0GlgbAzFbV4dSnCOh5NjniCUkM5oQNgg9m-1KNznIz-15wC2aX647-aRdeIEc/s1600/IMG_0742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOtCB-0O7mz04utzUfWDANSbdYfsUvViEwkPL6KGcjF6Uuh6TYw6UoQVRnawFjBYGQ9x1ebs6duo6bmu0GlgbAzFbV4dSnCOh5NjniCUkM5oQNgg9m-1KNznIz-15wC2aX647-aRdeIEc/s320/IMG_0742.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHXm0KHURMh0ahb8yLM3QnQhOCPiWHdGS3XWIlDDkv0vj1OP2adIf4VS-3DgMAX4ynYTzYlfz8vj6NlCia6OtiLFKUOFsQbDwscd5Y4ZseUbwjYvMzRhxDQOw6oxdWMI01WZTowmtQgoQN/s1600/IMG_0738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHXm0KHURMh0ahb8yLM3QnQhOCPiWHdGS3XWIlDDkv0vj1OP2adIf4VS-3DgMAX4ynYTzYlfz8vj6NlCia6OtiLFKUOFsQbDwscd5Y4ZseUbwjYvMzRhxDQOw6oxdWMI01WZTowmtQgoQN/s320/IMG_0738.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously, a lot of spray. There are no spectators here--adults standing off to the side still get wet. Fire hoses mean business.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-57274452176884745462015-07-12T21:33:00.000-04:002015-07-12T21:33:41.458-04:00Farm FestToday was Farm Fest, and it's always one of the girls' favorite Fun Fest activities. We missed it last year because we had all come down with hand, foot, and mouth, so we were especially glad to get back to it this year. We thought at first the weather might render us unable to go, but the rain stopped just in time.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://funfest.net/index.php/events/schedules/43-hamlett-dobson-farm-fest" target="_blank">Farm Fest</a> takes place at the <a href="http://www.exchangeplace.info/" target="_blank">Exchange Place</a>, a "living history farm." Some of the activities are the same from year to year (touring the historic home, walking through the garden, etc.) Some change--there wasn't a dulcimer this year or as many animals. But it's always good fun. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPnyVxSMMNdyZN9ayBeCeug1IbvkKFtvMlNKYeOoUyhhSxGOHp4VpcO7PcKcG_Pe1ZsxCoNqieBXSB7p9Zv71_1yjpXHtNsZYFCTLNlN73s7vQRsaXSgPC6p9znWpaAnmST97AKiDjHKL/s640/blogger-image-649270686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPnyVxSMMNdyZN9ayBeCeug1IbvkKFtvMlNKYeOoUyhhSxGOHp4VpcO7PcKcG_Pe1ZsxCoNqieBXSB7p9Zv71_1yjpXHtNsZYFCTLNlN73s7vQRsaXSgPC6p9znWpaAnmST97AKiDjHKL/s200/blogger-image-649270686.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JAyAOHF6DJTad7XHLsWNQiU6bqzo_Z0zsGHOugzBW2-DEENRK6UY2NSC18Za4QnRuxlhust_z3kwwaWYdEqFcBAobB36gdGQCml7kbF9XKtXp74ZSi0SYNeTgEel-U2Imn0CMn1bOAgP/s1600/IMG_0658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JAyAOHF6DJTad7XHLsWNQiU6bqzo_Z0zsGHOugzBW2-DEENRK6UY2NSC18Za4QnRuxlhust_z3kwwaWYdEqFcBAobB36gdGQCml7kbF9XKtXp74ZSi0SYNeTgEel-U2Imn0CMn1bOAgP/s320/IMG_0658.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUNmiGWitg2anqj8MemHs-ebq453qpQPHBlnlcPPt5L14_dmDUvtoFgoFKmAb_o3XqiWxqU7af3cDvAUi01vD8q2UzIRGlNY5jU9fepXDZByPeYTu6dGvXcF_TtXxaOAGKVC4iupu_GaVj/s1600/IMG_0665.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUNmiGWitg2anqj8MemHs-ebq453qpQPHBlnlcPPt5L14_dmDUvtoFgoFKmAb_o3XqiWxqU7af3cDvAUi01vD8q2UzIRGlNY5jU9fepXDZByPeYTu6dGvXcF_TtXxaOAGKVC4iupu_GaVj/s320/IMG_0665.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1brqqRFENfDyNt_Q8Ccx18qetKvvy8Td-_h6SMH3wV4hEWK6SLi25IgFnYuNKyHrp2JJvaAeFGc7C23mDty6oeT_ZP7tkaShexP9qsxv_ZGKEr_B3v3ovfl2gXuC3qpx_dwBtjbt2ZU5/s1600/IMG_0664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1brqqRFENfDyNt_Q8Ccx18qetKvvy8Td-_h6SMH3wV4hEWK6SLi25IgFnYuNKyHrp2JJvaAeFGc7C23mDty6oeT_ZP7tkaShexP9qsxv_ZGKEr_B3v3ovfl2gXuC3qpx_dwBtjbt2ZU5/s320/IMG_0664.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgulzRdg6m2jJzf6mumJA60eysKw0FouZxrNZwjv2yWcgOfEdqSUYp6HK1Nb4Fn2CSXwX2xQ2UFY7OiRJbPsBN1z4TxsJydJ46XNL1btGnMXb7H3dE-zPUyvs0XFte-gKIOeFcqncaYJ4TF/s1600/IMG_0671.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgulzRdg6m2jJzf6mumJA60eysKw0FouZxrNZwjv2yWcgOfEdqSUYp6HK1Nb4Fn2CSXwX2xQ2UFY7OiRJbPsBN1z4TxsJydJ46XNL1btGnMXb7H3dE-zPUyvs0XFte-gKIOeFcqncaYJ4TF/s320/IMG_0671.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqLOiZvSQFkcd_6P6QyC5wzuJwoQzvC49Wk3JOj6Z_zbFwaY8hx_ZN_xoBcKngUUmE66LgIiZ3Cp2q10m6Js8loUjWXruq9uWZ8Vwyj8pNZ_hgiy0Bknf4YENJ3rSrLkM4AjkZV_svWDKp/s1600/IMG_0672.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqLOiZvSQFkcd_6P6QyC5wzuJwoQzvC49Wk3JOj6Z_zbFwaY8hx_ZN_xoBcKngUUmE66LgIiZ3Cp2q10m6Js8loUjWXruq9uWZ8Vwyj8pNZ_hgiy0Bknf4YENJ3rSrLkM4AjkZV_svWDKp/s320/IMG_0672.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dRAB-Uuq6GC9U_5PSVGffzpbjcGMkbEao_8sIc3BUsgDMhrBNbebisdif83J7c5HF1kDM8mn6Ee_PbiW6PDUzxoUujbeuy3SZPWGmrqydSK_W4NQjYcm1eFe0HxXRqXJcA_fUo5wy39N/s1600/IMG_0675.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dRAB-Uuq6GC9U_5PSVGffzpbjcGMkbEao_8sIc3BUsgDMhrBNbebisdif83J7c5HF1kDM8mn6Ee_PbiW6PDUzxoUujbeuy3SZPWGmrqydSK_W4NQjYcm1eFe0HxXRqXJcA_fUo5wy39N/s320/IMG_0675.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5g5g4Qdk-HIEi46opAx49HssQH57o_E9atgDkSwiTLfcDFJIWvU7UtTy9lZqpXhdH6yz8sItMZBLd9A36XL41512OsRkFQZa_VGYgXv5cAIQdxELi15_XpPQt6oTWOUInde2j6N12ZqF/s1600/IMG_0679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5g5g4Qdk-HIEi46opAx49HssQH57o_E9atgDkSwiTLfcDFJIWvU7UtTy9lZqpXhdH6yz8sItMZBLd9A36XL41512OsRkFQZa_VGYgXv5cAIQdxELi15_XpPQt6oTWOUInde2j6N12ZqF/s320/IMG_0679.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9nADfLZ0sFSHmCDFjNnWiRg2KiNHiGdddqWKeOVfgKpzEKYJotEsu7siFzbzjmjtTcdNdgJBZNlZw3fTQ39tXL1pO4NBwZ8T4PxWvZV3WyKsXl-eWnYWs0xSTHNehd9fs3eAMZhSTqMPi/s1600/IMG_0681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9nADfLZ0sFSHmCDFjNnWiRg2KiNHiGdddqWKeOVfgKpzEKYJotEsu7siFzbzjmjtTcdNdgJBZNlZw3fTQ39tXL1pO4NBwZ8T4PxWvZV3WyKsXl-eWnYWs0xSTHNehd9fs3eAMZhSTqMPi/s320/IMG_0681.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCCFYEh9lssx0VCuREwAH87r1Tud7gfihIqKlKuR_-bMIpmKm3Jpi-oYj90VyHa2lrxFLq7Ge5MipXddgmeBS7I1USflnqgo5ZbGBk27QHTOOEF__pYu_cvBwSng24u-NAe_fUNFGJuX5Y/s1600/IMG_0683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCCFYEh9lssx0VCuREwAH87r1Tud7gfihIqKlKuR_-bMIpmKm3Jpi-oYj90VyHa2lrxFLq7Ge5MipXddgmeBS7I1USflnqgo5ZbGBk27QHTOOEF__pYu_cvBwSng24u-NAe_fUNFGJuX5Y/s320/IMG_0683.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTFMVcnpzDgff0XZf2a7b6WvTZiK3hsIGpBb_pAHs7rREbTneUmWVnSXy9aZRqMSoXCM0hMFLUNgsthTBvE4tXuDHgYYjCWJF-RSQ85Ri8PboaR4oWeGOnxCjytR4Karz2u17lybQdz38/s1600/IMG_0685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTFMVcnpzDgff0XZf2a7b6WvTZiK3hsIGpBb_pAHs7rREbTneUmWVnSXy9aZRqMSoXCM0hMFLUNgsthTBvE4tXuDHgYYjCWJF-RSQ85Ri8PboaR4oWeGOnxCjytR4Karz2u17lybQdz38/s320/IMG_0685.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIoDJocUINNiHnNfuXMRCRGJ-XsNtrjT4dN_dNGGm3wu93zsqfBOA9bXKkz2Dbu58VTUWapvTZ_xtnPx6dUzRcJfCzf3mVbNEOf8IJ6BNr-StNg6nxNghBmUtNk2ysaRySM_yPhr2ghR_/s1600/IMG_0689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIoDJocUINNiHnNfuXMRCRGJ-XsNtrjT4dN_dNGGm3wu93zsqfBOA9bXKkz2Dbu58VTUWapvTZ_xtnPx6dUzRcJfCzf3mVbNEOf8IJ6BNr-StNg6nxNghBmUtNk2ysaRySM_yPhr2ghR_/s320/IMG_0689.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw7j95nak0NEFh8huhrTFvD-RjiezKmLKNp-ZwaMWG53rXDy8q7nuJjR9dLSeaPQXTAh0mVPKit8aScGUScXFBDjAYtJuFTrKpG6Cf2a_50HLKd9QxJp0v9xEc3nuwQ_2VwC8hUmGOKBg2/s1600/IMG_0690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw7j95nak0NEFh8huhrTFvD-RjiezKmLKNp-ZwaMWG53rXDy8q7nuJjR9dLSeaPQXTAh0mVPKit8aScGUScXFBDjAYtJuFTrKpG6Cf2a_50HLKd9QxJp0v9xEc3nuwQ_2VwC8hUmGOKBg2/s320/IMG_0690.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-iS07BpG4EdvyCA2zoNtRDXoS416Z4gtrrod1Fd62hFW8rdOrh0GB4esvsVfJwlIR_5UxSAkggU6Cium-TJfF24AyN5cbBk9oIPbwczVfgGqyQhGJcuLGNCqQid-q9GtpDkXoNiLRZyX/s1600/IMG_0692.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-iS07BpG4EdvyCA2zoNtRDXoS416Z4gtrrod1Fd62hFW8rdOrh0GB4esvsVfJwlIR_5UxSAkggU6Cium-TJfF24AyN5cbBk9oIPbwczVfgGqyQhGJcuLGNCqQid-q9GtpDkXoNiLRZyX/s320/IMG_0692.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDaRLbxtuxzptZO81ROS7OgEsv0-kbkJGgdlo_NkPFddJl1rjQbW3uqzdJwX0d1lPMTpdMTWbpvBTolODKXH9qArMTn-2JqxW7eu7SWtfJB8_mzySWlabz4Efs83uzloYFwwqiSmoS_KP1/s1600/IMG_0693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDaRLbxtuxzptZO81ROS7OgEsv0-kbkJGgdlo_NkPFddJl1rjQbW3uqzdJwX0d1lPMTpdMTWbpvBTolODKXH9qArMTn-2JqxW7eu7SWtfJB8_mzySWlabz4Efs83uzloYFwwqiSmoS_KP1/s320/IMG_0693.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxVC66dCOj0XsPtTgv0W-XZO7MX5wgK3tv3hrIlz86mJrrtkab24nk4w0nx3yoZ2WOMwp-GjTNVZb7296dzzaNOnU5T4I4aElAdEQP_al9f5WRV4fb4c_56Sdhm6EjkZbX8iuTny6QpjE/s1600/IMG_0694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxVC66dCOj0XsPtTgv0W-XZO7MX5wgK3tv3hrIlz86mJrrtkab24nk4w0nx3yoZ2WOMwp-GjTNVZb7296dzzaNOnU5T4I4aElAdEQP_al9f5WRV4fb4c_56Sdhm6EjkZbX8iuTny6QpjE/s320/IMG_0694.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOavsbSg44ah1vYVFIB9_lkz3F2C_nab01Ooq2td73xFBlfhPSpP3DxLf_emC_XVrA2Db-w7nDoajLdikGaWrxFJW0CNPYU9sUuZPNdevfiGcCH-zqLTD4f24rIdJuyHMa_ODGECWmgDTv/s1600/IMG_0696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOavsbSg44ah1vYVFIB9_lkz3F2C_nab01Ooq2td73xFBlfhPSpP3DxLf_emC_XVrA2Db-w7nDoajLdikGaWrxFJW0CNPYU9sUuZPNdevfiGcCH-zqLTD4f24rIdJuyHMa_ODGECWmgDTv/s320/IMG_0696.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmnW9oWcePrI-q_YWyVHW_zHwhqVCLPmAKmvRDA0zR2drj1oNiRzTFnlo-wiiKNl9NkglTv4GrQG7h8vmBCXS3yeXX8TNL6nFRuZO0RhqQ5uiwn0Sg9KaAdDkhXhNasidbsf7f_BP2Kkg/s1600/IMG_0697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmnW9oWcePrI-q_YWyVHW_zHwhqVCLPmAKmvRDA0zR2drj1oNiRzTFnlo-wiiKNl9NkglTv4GrQG7h8vmBCXS3yeXX8TNL6nFRuZO0RhqQ5uiwn0Sg9KaAdDkhXhNasidbsf7f_BP2Kkg/s320/IMG_0697.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGi71Rc7vqOB9dBynAPgApOIczkIsxX0_Jw7m2HpoGhxAMumjO4DMLQYexwuJ7CkfcREpCkDDhBUUvYDI2AnCjKpqpPlD4o596vC0WvfQekEf8G2ZXoU_ltTNOCneRLJ5LA63jsDtr_Mf1/s1600/IMG_0699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGi71Rc7vqOB9dBynAPgApOIczkIsxX0_Jw7m2HpoGhxAMumjO4DMLQYexwuJ7CkfcREpCkDDhBUUvYDI2AnCjKpqpPlD4o596vC0WvfQekEf8G2ZXoU_ltTNOCneRLJ5LA63jsDtr_Mf1/s320/IMG_0699.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-79160650834664421882015-07-11T20:28:00.000-04:002015-07-12T21:34:08.506-04:00Fun FestYesterday was the official kickoff for this year's Fun Fest, but we didn't start our participation until today. Today we headed to the "<a href="http://funfest.net/index.php/events/29-kid-s-fest" target="_blank">Paleorific Kids Fest</a>" at the mall. <br />
<br />
Before we headed to the dinosaur-themed activities, we stopped by Auntie Anne's table. They were letting kids roll out pretzel dough and attempt to shape it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBFTebJVyBwgWqrt97rWdYuQIq3BKK7zbss3N-Rl6N55Aby8oc9u7eOcqacFFylWd013lR4uzCqRCAKYMkA95rTwDcyLAawqO2fDVd_T15vLZ6sPCz9Uetn736A6TyYJzyflHArcScw9o/s640/blogger-image-1972919062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBFTebJVyBwgWqrt97rWdYuQIq3BKK7zbss3N-Rl6N55Aby8oc9u7eOcqacFFylWd013lR4uzCqRCAKYMkA95rTwDcyLAawqO2fDVd_T15vLZ6sPCz9Uetn736A6TyYJzyflHArcScw9o/s640/blogger-image-1972919062.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicF660RwDxyGJ28Eyph5bUXJE9iiw8Gs-42B8KYXj9AKkBr6BMOmli9W5ezUpSi6yECiNEfk4LVFdd9Uoe_WBmTuMynxScnAk0GGsmZ6ThZ6B__Y6YHrnRgHLCYvj21jO3xz8QmLfuxheP/s640/blogger-image-768642710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicF660RwDxyGJ28Eyph5bUXJE9iiw8Gs-42B8KYXj9AKkBr6BMOmli9W5ezUpSi6yECiNEfk4LVFdd9Uoe_WBmTuMynxScnAk0GGsmZ6ThZ6B__Y6YHrnRgHLCYvj21jO3xz8QmLfuxheP/s640/blogger-image-768642710.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhot50JFLOj-23vsvgYPWx9sOECLPVQts-xuwXoJA-Gc9lwroLwiXq_R6QuTdZSENs7o8jqOGWLOLaCF6gS7QKedV2LvpTW8tmGCe973JjKnOO56AgcbOrTdJM1II8plpT-HXCf1iwPfDk/s640/blogger-image--293702553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhot50JFLOj-23vsvgYPWx9sOECLPVQts-xuwXoJA-Gc9lwroLwiXq_R6QuTdZSENs7o8jqOGWLOLaCF6gS7QKedV2LvpTW8tmGCe973JjKnOO56AgcbOrTdJM1II8plpT-HXCf1iwPfDk/s640/blogger-image--293702553.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijAmzJFWIxd2UI_1QmaEpYUqczoabpVIq80xgnkBr8KpcGzp7pvLm0zK2hQV_tGVtEY8qrHx3gtXnOjQ66n-IhUAVIIvzS9mOHMnUM9k6tFfbJxjvdXuRxTjritGLvXeJj-XpxzNtnch3M/s640/blogger-image-1225913150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijAmzJFWIxd2UI_1QmaEpYUqczoabpVIq80xgnkBr8KpcGzp7pvLm0zK2hQV_tGVtEY8qrHx3gtXnOjQ66n-IhUAVIIvzS9mOHMnUM9k6tFfbJxjvdXuRxTjritGLvXeJj-XpxzNtnch3M/s640/blogger-image-1225913150.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJJJ84-9DAUEYwxmnsstcifJNYPMcj9ghHmVrhWwWfbATam1HiCxCcYB1e41saL9Lru0CSJVUc-uXYTc6CFa2U43mdhekhgrv2QQySe7JE_umcw0fcuyW4IOEByiGiE994sVXco2DmO-A/s640/blogger-image--877699784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJJJ84-9DAUEYwxmnsstcifJNYPMcj9ghHmVrhWwWfbATam1HiCxCcYB1e41saL9Lru0CSJVUc-uXYTc6CFa2U43mdhekhgrv2QQySe7JE_umcw0fcuyW4IOEByiGiE994sVXco2DmO-A/s640/blogger-image--877699784.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarah can shape a pretzel FAR better than I can</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Then we headed to the game section they had set up.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCb88_mP6ft6hqoB2X9Yc-8a5ZY2CUFV4UxStdJQXAAOVDyJqrBCyIbOp15T2oH7pJfUeHxjxlr-OnhWm5lhJ5GwMwm9jyXnktK3YcXyEzES-fl4ovP-mbqTChuWtDLmO177IrfDup-NH/s1600/IMG_0618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCb88_mP6ft6hqoB2X9Yc-8a5ZY2CUFV4UxStdJQXAAOVDyJqrBCyIbOp15T2oH7pJfUeHxjxlr-OnhWm5lhJ5GwMwm9jyXnktK3YcXyEzES-fl4ovP-mbqTChuWtDLmO177IrfDup-NH/s320/IMG_0618.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silliness while waiting in line</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9B9c6PFBkAD_MnbZLkF7xNqNr_wB9GW0Ky-5ToF8E62C9zIyQXtoRcTebCvq4q2qkXeRh00yqReW9BAgqmKHoOlrmRqDNd8B2Oz_SQg1wtfqEWbGt5t4TpWDWPqJNWiTDFVUrut-Ne-he/s1600/IMG_0619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9B9c6PFBkAD_MnbZLkF7xNqNr_wB9GW0Ky-5ToF8E62C9zIyQXtoRcTebCvq4q2qkXeRh00yqReW9BAgqmKHoOlrmRqDNd8B2Oz_SQg1wtfqEWbGt5t4TpWDWPqJNWiTDFVUrut-Ne-he/s320/IMG_0619.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As close as I'll ever come to having Instagram probably</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
For the games they tied kids' arms to their sides. This was to emulate the shortish arms dinosaurs have and make it a bit more challenging and fun.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJuGNx16eGAFQsVg3Zb92oYc9OqUgyr-5pvtjPpdPnYfcLYNga0RLujZRYFO_zvukXDn0uWL0tGjmMX-TZg3FyHTdIvNs6_D_7i8n8r_2kEsg3oPxoWSKX8kZ5vQjZuH19qtmhVSQt_crc/s1600/IMG_0620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJuGNx16eGAFQsVg3Zb92oYc9OqUgyr-5pvtjPpdPnYfcLYNga0RLujZRYFO_zvukXDn0uWL0tGjmMX-TZg3FyHTdIvNs6_D_7i8n8r_2kEsg3oPxoWSKX8kZ5vQjZuH19qtmhVSQt_crc/s320/IMG_0620.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaaP6YBfo_2VvPAqtOiRen8m6Ug2iws-z4ziGfcbl2k7YSU9om66nlE6dCiunJMnKEKpBqNZ-6iJxxmllrH1SDqXyTkzlcux54GDMivmDddTaAt2GVZ_apC54fdJYoUGnG50rB1cznNFmN/s1600/IMG_0621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaaP6YBfo_2VvPAqtOiRen8m6Ug2iws-z4ziGfcbl2k7YSU9om66nlE6dCiunJMnKEKpBqNZ-6iJxxmllrH1SDqXyTkzlcux54GDMivmDddTaAt2GVZ_apC54fdJYoUGnG50rB1cznNFmN/s320/IMG_0621.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Natalie actually got a ball in one of the cups</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5_M45I1rIhzvvmj48AJ9gfE4vftCf63FgCluIBkhU9crMRpK1ApY25XnPQDAWnhFvxukM2BSUif-k1L9wj62mkdmPdChr5v-3QSgkECj2IObWkiFIl9PgmQy2kq6oXpnvVvK6eW7xT0T/s1600/IMG_0625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5_M45I1rIhzvvmj48AJ9gfE4vftCf63FgCluIBkhU9crMRpK1ApY25XnPQDAWnhFvxukM2BSUif-k1L9wj62mkdmPdChr5v-3QSgkECj2IObWkiFIl9PgmQy2kq6oXpnvVvK6eW7xT0T/s320/IMG_0625.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarah's shot went completely wild</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Next came a bowling game.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfflc7mCWEbjWd5PO20bODEiJb15bDKzLcGPVGNPhmlxhnQK9lN6_NaSXgF2piR-zD0BBpKcndq9EqriHdXiQKjASFQWMTFLfiqHhTAbA9vXlqQR35kXB2NeJ1ogcfYeDkcGvlasRFUXz/s1600/IMG_0628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfflc7mCWEbjWd5PO20bODEiJb15bDKzLcGPVGNPhmlxhnQK9lN6_NaSXgF2piR-zD0BBpKcndq9EqriHdXiQKjASFQWMTFLfiqHhTAbA9vXlqQR35kXB2NeJ1ogcfYeDkcGvlasRFUXz/s320/IMG_0628.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wk8YkYTnyTwrd8D2XnfPI0lRYnhr_YY_3MD2i0Fc5A40NX_Wm6h445dncv5SDwpT6NxYqXIQUQ_2UHoGWUozDEBdDtcqZ8ipiIGQnh4eQDArncni6q2PCMiUXNEvfdFnC66VN39jgNgs/s1600/IMG_0630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wk8YkYTnyTwrd8D2XnfPI0lRYnhr_YY_3MD2i0Fc5A40NX_Wm6h445dncv5SDwpT6NxYqXIQUQ_2UHoGWUozDEBdDtcqZ8ipiIGQnh4eQDArncni6q2PCMiUXNEvfdFnC66VN39jgNgs/s320/IMG_0630.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAhzsCRPYD1Q_lbS0UfIyj_M-4UwK0CGNx_hBM-uUMxtwNGlFiu5omCL_2VUiqEQq7AK3UA0bCuJBTfgNa7MTJSibmhTcgHMtjCbJ0Gl_0Dl4Fhm1Q5nZ5g-pePSdpHdcVAd6Zm2jRFAYX/s1600/IMG_0632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAhzsCRPYD1Q_lbS0UfIyj_M-4UwK0CGNx_hBM-uUMxtwNGlFiu5omCL_2VUiqEQq7AK3UA0bCuJBTfgNa7MTJSibmhTcgHMtjCbJ0Gl_0Dl4Fhm1Q5nZ5g-pePSdpHdcVAd6Zm2jRFAYX/s320/IMG_0632.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And a bean bag toss.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgss3AATUPp1XtZw3Ji_UBpiMspEj0UaBf3txOUm5pwx_wqEAiBSbVAsoOQuClviJn66eb38BaCCoLrPwsgJxXni1jnQLYtpszNMNB-99xwe_FWMUXZyoJEHR5HzodirdX453e0BxNcsO/s1600/IMG_0634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgss3AATUPp1XtZw3Ji_UBpiMspEj0UaBf3txOUm5pwx_wqEAiBSbVAsoOQuClviJn66eb38BaCCoLrPwsgJxXni1jnQLYtpszNMNB-99xwe_FWMUXZyoJEHR5HzodirdX453e0BxNcsO/s320/IMG_0634.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2PwagRKjlLBGHlBefvVLihKDkv2MrfpYen_lydahSTXCFKewdwjV4BiJJY69vPvWeE7CH8d-ye5IyVIS-fyxiJpR1ChDqGKKC1x4xzrFaFclsZu16hifDhnshPG_iYcNKHYB4JXTioLcp/s1600/IMG_0637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2PwagRKjlLBGHlBefvVLihKDkv2MrfpYen_lydahSTXCFKewdwjV4BiJJY69vPvWeE7CH8d-ye5IyVIS-fyxiJpR1ChDqGKKC1x4xzrFaFclsZu16hifDhnshPG_iYcNKHYB4JXTioLcp/s320/IMG_0637.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Okay, allow me just a bit of a proud mama moment. This was a large dinosaur puppet type thing. The line to see it was long. The girls had no interest in standing in line to see a fake dinosaur.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRCZJczNapdfuGHY5BIscLFCsV2j_qb9LSpgzLJHEtUvto6o2PpDizqVmO1AL0vVsgVaxf_0IOVExS4EyIxgYTKCmm-ishhh_bjUEYe72aZGMLdXsuy574RcEynaMpxXGUcGPFuhC9JZk1/s1600/IMG_0641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRCZJczNapdfuGHY5BIscLFCsV2j_qb9LSpgzLJHEtUvto6o2PpDizqVmO1AL0vVsgVaxf_0IOVExS4EyIxgYTKCmm-ishhh_bjUEYe72aZGMLdXsuy574RcEynaMpxXGUcGPFuhC9JZk1/s320/IMG_0641.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
But they spent several minutes at the display set up by the <a href="http://www.etsu.edu/naturalhistorymuseum/default.aspx" target="_blank">Natural History Museum</a> with <i>real </i>dinosaur items. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjODLPr_ocsOo9BrQ_sodS0doBBz7IVvW9-mhQCuZg6U-etbDQjaaObp2I9FWZPis1nrVBV1ypNAzuqwLWCvh2UpUVMBhCvWPC1Wyl7k0A396pkrSM_aTFQMNGFYAmsDKl63_7ewP-lR5/s1600/IMG_0642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjODLPr_ocsOo9BrQ_sodS0doBBz7IVvW9-mhQCuZg6U-etbDQjaaObp2I9FWZPis1nrVBV1ypNAzuqwLWCvh2UpUVMBhCvWPC1Wyl7k0A396pkrSM_aTFQMNGFYAmsDKl63_7ewP-lR5/s320/IMG_0642.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHJmw4Cz9LUi1SU6E5Lq7pET5qTrk39w3XbVLLFASgam7VXwxIqs-jyxZJI2LJOITvXBBZeU8WSXsA7shnZne1X0RTHC4uA4UOoCkH0AgwpVUYQAWNOv-NpdMp61Wv2V09iDTHQA0GeEM/s1600/IMG_0648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHJmw4Cz9LUi1SU6E5Lq7pET5qTrk39w3XbVLLFASgam7VXwxIqs-jyxZJI2LJOITvXBBZeU8WSXsA7shnZne1X0RTHC4uA4UOoCkH0AgwpVUYQAWNOv-NpdMp61Wv2V09iDTHQA0GeEM/s320/IMG_0648.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8LK-WR2OHglZIBtPh56Ig8hyPivKqqxp_yIJel1hdveP24kLjQB7jdLznd_odNhzdnFXk9tXVM78hXHMLGYcIo3bW2cl8MbK-loB53MRJdgbTnJDX-rN-tkCxhbHBnrlr-ZSvOWiuW9A/s1600/IMG_0649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8LK-WR2OHglZIBtPh56Ig8hyPivKqqxp_yIJel1hdveP24kLjQB7jdLznd_odNhzdnFXk9tXVM78hXHMLGYcIo3bW2cl8MbK-loB53MRJdgbTnJDX-rN-tkCxhbHBnrlr-ZSvOWiuW9A/s320/IMG_0649.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzh7UDpKiJ7qA5Rr2ObFDIx1MZjwGm5iFP_pHqTp91LSawicifhI6VN44b5isoFRaUbxLrvGNLPSvgBCPr328eacMBMMGKLMacuA46FyFDWxdO1djrQaHTBDhqyHStSV7tcz3FgpDvvfCN/s1600/IMG_0643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzh7UDpKiJ7qA5Rr2ObFDIx1MZjwGm5iFP_pHqTp91LSawicifhI6VN44b5isoFRaUbxLrvGNLPSvgBCPr328eacMBMMGKLMacuA46FyFDWxdO1djrQaHTBDhqyHStSV7tcz3FgpDvvfCN/s320/IMG_0643.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
There was a fun "dinosaur dig" set up.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZsDhnvOQrKA6EV5pF2xq9Ew0IgluN8WOuDa1OJrAPzZq9vlD1GkYHnvMd6n7wwR22E9FOb9SmpUEdCV-3CD3FskDKhIkyz3ZLxSBj2CbNEegPCYpZyoUXJoWZekNVN0nJdaLNFwPpVSr/s1600/IMG_0655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZsDhnvOQrKA6EV5pF2xq9Ew0IgluN8WOuDa1OJrAPzZq9vlD1GkYHnvMd6n7wwR22E9FOb9SmpUEdCV-3CD3FskDKhIkyz3ZLxSBj2CbNEegPCYpZyoUXJoWZekNVN0nJdaLNFwPpVSr/s320/IMG_0655.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
And finally a scavenger hunt: each girl had a chart with
dinosaurs to find. They were on pictures hidden in various spots around
the mall. Sarah spotted them for us, but I thought it was a great
activity for Natalie, having to match the picture and name of dinosaur
on the wall with the name and picture on her chart. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxx1aJdGbOTg0FXclgVa0BZUJf6Qwp2F3FSTgIUGlBr7nMKYUEyjBHDXq2NOK6InVnmgvQDrhQ_QJ1XGOuriMl5KxOjYlGMTgaYhGs92oG7ZbBJOjoBAto59huobbVG_7Bf45xIImJBtt/s1600/IMG_0656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxx1aJdGbOTg0FXclgVa0BZUJf6Qwp2F3FSTgIUGlBr7nMKYUEyjBHDXq2NOK6InVnmgvQDrhQ_QJ1XGOuriMl5KxOjYlGMTgaYhGs92oG7ZbBJOjoBAto59huobbVG_7Bf45xIImJBtt/s320/IMG_0656.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj40b_3BPXoiP-9Cpd8v3CcLwkiMQDtgSMLkXDrVLlQaO8uC2jPR_NCdjzJE8ZUD1k43M2cF98AchxpZ-2-6XLehnWpbOCDUqIGHNg3azSKuFl3ecBzeilsi3Xm6rOsgGqOqg-PXpdiBdH1/s1600/IMG_0657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj40b_3BPXoiP-9Cpd8v3CcLwkiMQDtgSMLkXDrVLlQaO8uC2jPR_NCdjzJE8ZUD1k43M2cF98AchxpZ-2-6XLehnWpbOCDUqIGHNg3azSKuFl3ecBzeilsi3Xm6rOsgGqOqg-PXpdiBdH1/s320/IMG_0657.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
All in all, a fun day and a great kickoff to the week. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-63466948716827752132015-07-07T21:14:00.000-04:002015-07-07T21:14:50.605-04:00clothes caseI really should have gotten a picture...<br />
<br />
Natalie came upstairs yesterday in her chosen outfit for the day. She beamed at me, so pleased with her choice. <br />
<br />
The jeans didn't go past her knees.<br />
<br />
When I mentioned that <i>maybe</i> the jeans were too short, she said, "They're capris!"<br />
<br />
Fine. They can be capris. Some battles just aren't worth fighting.<br />
<br />
And she did look pretty cute.<br />
<br />
But I knew that the jeans were too small, and I checked the size when I was putting clothes in the laundry. I was expecting them to be 3T--too small now, but worn recently enough that it made sense for her to think they'd still work.<br />
<br />
Um, no. They were sized <i>18 months.</i><br />
<br />
I'm stunned she got them on at all.<br />
<br />
Apparently I need to do a better job of keeping the baby clothes I'm sorting for selling/donating away from the regular clothes. I'd have thought the difference would be obvious, but clearly it's not.<br />
<br />
I do wish I'd gotten a picture though.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-34044346038053991262015-06-24T14:03:00.000-04:002015-06-24T22:59:24.529-04:0015 yearsSo apparently I only update this thing on big occasions. Hmm. Might have to rethink that strategy.<br>
<br>
Today is my wedding anniversary.<br>
<br>
15 years<br>
2 kids<br>5 grandparent deaths<br>
7 job losses, even more job changes<br>
3 moves (thankfully all of them pretty local)<br>
1 college degree <br>
postpartum depression<br>
migraines <br>
Months and days and moments of all the minutiae that make up life.<br>
<br>
We've crammed a lot into fifteen years.<br>
<br>
I'm thankful for the grace, compassion, and understanding that you've shown through all the ups and downs. Happy anniversary to us!<br>
<br>
<br>
<br><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93a1t36-xJI_fnpxtW51WAkMxzHS2PEOMg0ox7bDPPdoCv4IdvS-S127tnnFqVYr2BvawcxybtDpQSknYOlK4ZSu8FbXK9iSSXdUMGBLEh-OM7_guVOGgMzQPq5hGnhycB1FoSjA-IR11/s640/blogger-image-1837821417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93a1t36-xJI_fnpxtW51WAkMxzHS2PEOMg0ox7bDPPdoCv4IdvS-S127tnnFqVYr2BvawcxybtDpQSknYOlK4ZSu8FbXK9iSSXdUMGBLEh-OM7_guVOGgMzQPq5hGnhycB1FoSjA-IR11/s640/blogger-image-1837821417.jpg"></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-73612118001339656172015-03-31T17:26:00.002-04:002015-03-31T17:26:43.832-04:00and now we are six<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
So I'm a day late getting this posted (hopefully not a dollar short). But here are the obligatory birthday pictures from Natalie's birthday weekend extravaganza! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Unfortunately the pictures are not chronological. Sorry about that. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFX2-9ybexAhWUQYHws4hKSHfufPM6-2QQ1oaSzEHAeHZ997rJUMrUoaWvOOwPG6xTrIgp6OyHHMsGmnsZHBCeW1WnboJ34q3KRPLH_ymQ_gz5qmNv9kQhzml7jaWZZzfEeGEz9spCxhGr/s640/blogger-image--2088172071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFX2-9ybexAhWUQYHws4hKSHfufPM6-2QQ1oaSzEHAeHZ997rJUMrUoaWvOOwPG6xTrIgp6OyHHMsGmnsZHBCeW1WnboJ34q3KRPLH_ymQ_gz5qmNv9kQhzml7jaWZZzfEeGEz9spCxhGr/s640/blogger-image--2088172071.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THE CAKE. My parents bought this cake. Natalie wanted a strawberry cake. And she wanted Frozen on top. The bakery at Food City didn't have a strawberry cake with Frozen on top. But...the baker has won some sort of national competition or recognition, and she MADE IT WORK. She took the regular white birthday cake, divided it into layers, and inserted berries between the layers. The result? Exactly what Natalie wanted. It was amazing. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRyhODwYY9XoNupY2UwmoDKS0u9lHIPdcPNKbyeaT2ORKDsU3p7IUjIyVGnspcMZv057ZAzqVCMked-lDF5yWmUA4tH3hSrcjgYCz1Ml2MXscKaBu67QIdfona0VE3hjlQz25LAOnJAwWX/s640/blogger-image--1359947081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRyhODwYY9XoNupY2UwmoDKS0u9lHIPdcPNKbyeaT2ORKDsU3p7IUjIyVGnspcMZv057ZAzqVCMked-lDF5yWmUA4tH3hSrcjgYCz1Ml2MXscKaBu67QIdfona0VE3hjlQz25LAOnJAwWX/s640/blogger-image--1359947081.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This arrived Saturday, from Nelson's parents. This dollhouse is HUGE. This is the kind of dollhouse little girls dream about. We are all in awe of it. Natalie says it's a doll mansion. Beautiful. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2liKh5igCSzm0OqsR83StZEgdYE-rMm_AX2GOkLOiz_oFtzOosoPf0HJEz17yZyHkUUlDSr9VLdx0kJy2NBnReApXIfDGeCNscnXUWIKXaJnFRj0s5IaJ0gkKWxeYTlqPaeJjJ3Vkia4/s640/blogger-image--2091146002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2liKh5igCSzm0OqsR83StZEgdYE-rMm_AX2GOkLOiz_oFtzOosoPf0HJEz17yZyHkUUlDSr9VLdx0kJy2NBnReApXIfDGeCNscnXUWIKXaJnFRj0s5IaJ0gkKWxeYTlqPaeJjJ3Vkia4/s640/blogger-image--2091146002.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saturday evening at my grandmother's house. Natalie loves dresses and tends to wear them on a daily basis. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2_yPw_rI57D1Im-77cNZE42QYVRalQ2_5pStVIX_V_6ld88g049-J1rGlSeR0sBWmJTxSOJISRu2JYy5aL8SciAOXjUgR9x5LR9YM4Op28w00U7uL1Q8KtlRJE6e2k_0mQ5JcNPecXHt/s640/blogger-image--1328617098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2_yPw_rI57D1Im-77cNZE42QYVRalQ2_5pStVIX_V_6ld88g049-J1rGlSeR0sBWmJTxSOJISRu2JYy5aL8SciAOXjUgR9x5LR9YM4Op28w00U7uL1Q8KtlRJE6e2k_0mQ5JcNPecXHt/s640/blogger-image--1328617098.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another picture from Friday at my parents' house. Natalie is modeling a new outfit from them. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96i6XCP5xs_s0bguneWzA5mH2DiIRLJyaNgiKVulB0ND4sbPE7qA-SPLvqFxlhb5VOb__WlDc0ZiejTdP7kgvsCIaSS6d7iU3YqpQ7ATuLbXNxLuqBBEzckhc5t2Jj1rYd7I8NMeU_Skv/s640/blogger-image-1397373146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96i6XCP5xs_s0bguneWzA5mH2DiIRLJyaNgiKVulB0ND4sbPE7qA-SPLvqFxlhb5VOb__WlDc0ZiejTdP7kgvsCIaSS6d7iU3YqpQ7ATuLbXNxLuqBBEzckhc5t2Jj1rYd7I8NMeU_Skv/s640/blogger-image-1397373146.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Again with the modeling.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZXbj4huEl_NCWapQyTjGh9YDIDXixG8XexwWSXmibslx7Rfn69Tv1WjDWmkcAvMEN9hAOG8b74jIKtwJRpc_rzA4If5m-kSnb-wEM2XVYms0U6cAkK6vNgz4dI8YXOI35ayY0XrAYU10/s640/blogger-image--1558899240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZXbj4huEl_NCWapQyTjGh9YDIDXixG8XexwWSXmibslx7Rfn69Tv1WjDWmkcAvMEN9hAOG8b74jIKtwJRpc_rzA4If5m-kSnb-wEM2XVYms0U6cAkK6vNgz4dI8YXOI35ayY0XrAYU10/s640/blogger-image--1558899240.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A birthday ribbon my grandmother had for Natalie. It says "Princess." She's quite pleased with this ribbon. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEincKfinuwDjIve18QhPSG_TXb6JpfL_h8gw0O9_wxGF1O6oYwfuwF5aYGnMxrJZpuQqvSeFrqpsNo0D4Qd71crDKgY9uVlE6LcZ3-32mgqYbrs_qshk80Jkx-BBVwu1hoT_0iUk_R-7oej/s640/blogger-image--437363707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEincKfinuwDjIve18QhPSG_TXb6JpfL_h8gw0O9_wxGF1O6oYwfuwF5aYGnMxrJZpuQqvSeFrqpsNo0D4Qd71crDKgY9uVlE6LcZ3-32mgqYbrs_qshk80Jkx-BBVwu1hoT_0iUk_R-7oej/s640/blogger-image--437363707.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I really should have gotten a better shot of this. The Elsa doll was the ONE thing Natalie asked for when you pressed her for what she wanted for her birthday. She wanted Elsa. She loves her Elsa doll. (And Elsa now has a doll mansion in which to dwell, so Natalie is one happy birthday girl.) She also is quite enamored with the plush Hello Kitty and the little bunny (named Cream Puff). Those were from my aunt and uncle. They went to church with her on Sunday. (The other Hello Kitty is Sarah's, and yes, it also went to church.) </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Tonight we are doing her birthday supper, since circumstances prevented us from being able to do so last night. What's one more day in a multi-day celebration? (And please, someone explain why the spell checker think "multi-day ought to be mufti-day. What does that even mean? Do I want to know?)
I can't quite believe she's six (I'd accept three or four, but six?) My girl is growing up! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-44061242221444715022015-02-24T10:53:00.002-05:002015-02-24T10:53:58.320-05:00snow pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcFvfLjKEG8IFl6tMy6vRr6tpPku78vjo28FwolzFoW3WIAYZfUxL-8DxmUaO-mks1bHeWuDuLDnhRAzyZo0rtOGkipys2pokydz3eBF6oxtXh7dT9hp5LTdGDroChYJT_MdRb6k9xP9B/s640/blogger-image-1190534103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcFvfLjKEG8IFl6tMy6vRr6tpPku78vjo28FwolzFoW3WIAYZfUxL-8DxmUaO-mks1bHeWuDuLDnhRAzyZo0rtOGkipys2pokydz3eBF6oxtXh7dT9hp5LTdGDroChYJT_MdRb6k9xP9B/s640/blogger-image-1190534103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bNpXd-mOCM6YiWJdfsVWlK_QUptrSQF4u5G7RpIkAH1gamtUbjybboRwBk0YPiQx8YLYxxmNY8876WF9aGYkfc3Nm5-Iguq2AXSTYbGcLuek0qEh7XqGv3WgdOtQbUr1h_r-KeiGwY3l/s640/blogger-image--1661302442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
I won't deny being a bit tired of snow and cold. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
But...It's so gorgeous. I stepped out on our deck for a few minutes. It's still and quiet and so peaceful and blanketed in pure white. The snow clinging to the evergreens makes it look like a picture on a postcard. I really wish I could do it justice, but these photos don't begin to capture it. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHM4JKPd1K2q2DUMFSSCvt191xLLDO63CsGCsKVAcbVObix3Sy8Oqjc2E_gu0PhAKFifgPHKFMIbxHWajqIeaYES82JnXGwWaOHvmIuTmmls_VDg_kRC-l53upajJ4fMzy9R-CHjynzgzJ/s640/blogger-image--821040359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHM4JKPd1K2q2DUMFSSCvt191xLLDO63CsGCsKVAcbVObix3Sy8Oqjc2E_gu0PhAKFifgPHKFMIbxHWajqIeaYES82JnXGwWaOHvmIuTmmls_VDg_kRC-l53upajJ4fMzy9R-CHjynzgzJ/s640/blogger-image--821040359.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcFvfLjKEG8IFl6tMy6vRr6tpPku78vjo28FwolzFoW3WIAYZfUxL-8DxmUaO-mks1bHeWuDuLDnhRAzyZo0rtOGkipys2pokydz3eBF6oxtXh7dT9hp5LTdGDroChYJT_MdRb6k9xP9B/s640/blogger-image-1190534103.jpg" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-4005209952630387632015-02-17T12:19:00.001-05:002015-02-17T12:19:11.543-05:00winter wonderland<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFBDn_hyphenhyphencay2tYpwdN1Z6_IFy8Oh65rc_8Z_szgqn0ehOCgx5Fj77uVseP076sG_ABcFfy8AyQlVx8zS3h6r5-7V-JhoTmtxgZcvwuAhCEiqITTKc4VjM6ZREj575irXogZPxCxp__n8se/s640/blogger-image--1155662980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFBDn_hyphenhyphencay2tYpwdN1Z6_IFy8Oh65rc_8Z_szgqn0ehOCgx5Fj77uVseP076sG_ABcFfy8AyQlVx8zS3h6r5-7V-JhoTmtxgZcvwuAhCEiqITTKc4VjM6ZREj575irXogZPxCxp__n8se/s640/blogger-image--1155662980.jpg"></a></div>It started snowing yesterday, and this morning we had a gorgeous white blanket outside. The girls have been hoping for snow all winter, so they were over the moon with excitement that it was finally here. Sarah started building a snow fort and making snow angels. I dug their sled out of the shed.<div><br></div><div>As I type this, Sarah is still outside sledding. Natalie is inside, changing out of her wet clothers. Turns out she likes the <i>idea</i> of snow far more than the <i>reality</i> of snow.</div><div><br></div><div>I remember noticing when she was just an infant that Natalie got cold easily. Even now, she likes lots and lots of blankets piled on her bed at night. The problem she has with snow? It's cold. Within just a few minutes, she wasn't just complaining of the chill but sobbing hysterically. "The cold! It <i>hurts</i>!" </div><div><br></div><div>So now she's in dry clothes and sipping warm milk. I don't think she'll do much more than look out the window at the snow from here on out. Bummer. (Although that's <i>my</i> favorite way to enjoy the snow!) </div><div><br></div><div>But it is awfully pretty just looking at it. Here are some photos taken from out deck. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdlUasW_lKtwAplCsbPA8mp6DmTzOCuLoDjqKTMzwg9vrO15LVRh8Oqu6cVcPf3_1kN_4ID9C3sQjd-VC7MyYaz5l4WDDVVY_KQkgOeiwHklNcKwyaSojf9Ih0poNV-Mq2Ia_8OW84lYH/s640/blogger-image-1786184805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdlUasW_lKtwAplCsbPA8mp6DmTzOCuLoDjqKTMzwg9vrO15LVRh8Oqu6cVcPf3_1kN_4ID9C3sQjd-VC7MyYaz5l4WDDVVY_KQkgOeiwHklNcKwyaSojf9Ih0poNV-Mq2Ia_8OW84lYH/s640/blogger-image-1786184805.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3otEja_duMfOZLQhn-PZ6LMY31qf4GeOEp9WRzOFub4qxgm-fX7_oCJdDxnB_ddwcU12exUAdHM6HDstqX5OOY9WoNTypSNQz2FVxjIdomPhykG4UKLBH-2c_xyMzU8ie7SzCoIbusn6c/s640/blogger-image--1626184781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3otEja_duMfOZLQhn-PZ6LMY31qf4GeOEp9WRzOFub4qxgm-fX7_oCJdDxnB_ddwcU12exUAdHM6HDstqX5OOY9WoNTypSNQz2FVxjIdomPhykG4UKLBH-2c_xyMzU8ie7SzCoIbusn6c/s640/blogger-image--1626184781.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>You can sort of see Sarah preparing to sled down the hill in this one. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-66172956762792131012015-01-10T10:50:00.001-05:002015-01-13T12:45:58.981-05:00post-holiday reflections<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;" id="docs-internal-guid-bff5b218-d487-14b6-98da-5b67ada3c21d"><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>I actually wrote this following Christmas 2013, not 2014. But it never got posted. Perhaps writing it helped, because my perspective was much better this year--and so was my children's!</i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;" id="docs-internal-guid-bff5b218-d487-14b6-98da-5b67ada3c21d"><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline;">Each year, I go into the Christmas season thinking </span><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;">this </span><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline;">will be the year. This will be the year of the perfect holiday experience. I'll procure thoughtful yet inexpensive gifts for everyone on my list. We'll bake cookies and make ornaments and actually finish our Advent study. Also, my children will not fight with each other, will not be selfish and greedy, will not be consumed with the </span><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;">stuff </span><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline;">they're getting rather than the joy of giving and serving. It will be peace on earth and goodwill toward men--a holy season of worship and wonder.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline;">Somehow it never happens. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline;">I </span><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;">plan </span><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline;">it every year. I download the Advent studies. I make the to-do lists and the shopping lists and the budget outline. And it still falls apart. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline;">We made a few ornaments this year but no cookies. My Christmas shopping all took place the weekend before the day itself and was rather uninspired. We spent all of Advent being behind on our study, and we never did finish the whole thing. My daughters longed for nearly every item they saw advertised--and a few other things to boot. I lost my temper a few times, and we never quite achieved holiness or peace or even a whole lot of goodwill.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline;">I am a failure at the whole perfect Christmas thing. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline;">However, I'm coming to see that failure as the most perfect Christmas celebration of all. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline;">For Christians, this holiday is the remembrance of God himself taking on human flesh and coming to this world as a baby. Did he come to perfect people or perfect circumstances? No. His native country was under foreign control. His parents were in a strange town and had no place to stay. A manger subbed as his baby bed. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline;">And why did he come in the first place? Was it because we were all such decent folk? Such a joy to be around? No. He came to save us from our sins. He came to keep the law we could not keep and to be the perfection we could never attain. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline;">Each time I flop and fail and scramble, I am reminded I am not perfect. I will never be perfect. But there is One who is perfect on my behalf. He bestows on me his righteousness (now there's a perfect Christmas gift). And he meets me in all of my shortcomings because this is the very reason he came. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline;">So take heart if your own Christmas was less than perfect. Let it remind you that it doesn't have to be--and even more importantly, </span><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;">you </span><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline;">don't have to be. Even today, the Christ Child comes to dirty feeding troughs and cluttered homes and harried people. When we don't quite get it all right, we can rejoice because he did. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt;"><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline;">And in that, I find peace. Maybe not peace on earth, but peace within my own weary heart. </span></p><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline;">And a heart filled with peace can give goodwill toward men in the year to come. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-946024021225738222014-11-24T19:59:00.001-05:002014-11-24T19:59:40.044-05:00the eyes have itNatalie is in kindergarten this year. We've been working on learning to read. It hasn't been going overly well. But I did finally realize that at least part of the problem was that she couldn't quite see those letters on the page. When I would ask her about a particular sound, she'd say some random thing. "No, look at the page," I'd encourage her. And suddenly she'd have the book practically up to her nose to see just what that letter on the page actually <i>was</i>.<br />
<br />
So Nelson took her to the eye doctor. Sure enough, the poor kid has quite the astigmatism.<br />
<br />
She comes by it honestly. Every time I go to an eye doctor, I have to sit through hearing about just how unusually strong my astigmatism is. Doctors tend to go on and <i>on </i>about it. Apparently Natalie's is about as bad.<br />
<br />
Genetics can really stink sometimes.<br />
<br />
Making glasses astigmatism that strong means a long wait. But today we were finally able to pick them up.
She's extremely excited about them.
She's also excited about being able to see the computer and the letters in books more clearly. I'm pretty excited about that too.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQzSHORn5OfVOR8-NJJ3XVtGjseEEvJCfa0Ac7k-BkBbbGI11nMiyPDMH6-MQR5vBzljdvHxVVE2M6mGrI8cBFpoyNJnC07omvU2bTflpbsYo8OZkICa0Kb0CXEg2MGXHlA960OQTczNiG/s640/blogger-image-129269856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">W<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQzSHORn5OfVOR8-NJJ3XVtGjseEEvJCfa0Ac7k-BkBbbGI11nMiyPDMH6-MQR5vBzljdvHxVVE2M6mGrI8cBFpoyNJnC07omvU2bTflpbsYo8OZkICa0Kb0CXEg2MGXHlA960OQTczNiG/s640/blogger-image-129269856.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Natalie in her new glasses<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-68495177124912898182014-11-09T21:28:00.000-05:002014-11-09T21:28:31.459-05:00blueberry biscuits<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
I need to go grocery shopping. I won't give you the whole list of what I need, but I will say I've run out of eggs. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
This makes breakfast difficult. Most of our favorites require at least one egg. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Thankfully, these blueberry biscuits do not. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrcG3rpfJX1HR-y58YM8CmWxTefMLoEInrVdHV_MM3wOtG5rFeNP-u-3ExbU6FIuiInneH2umvh-K_29G0WSGBWdba16qRYO5UTde6k48pJ7Ynzy7ILU1vIRmNlhlMumlJCY-jmuHxRIm9/s640/blogger-image--1178570895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrcG3rpfJX1HR-y58YM8CmWxTefMLoEInrVdHV_MM3wOtG5rFeNP-u-3ExbU6FIuiInneH2umvh-K_29G0WSGBWdba16qRYO5UTde6k48pJ7Ynzy7ILU1vIRmNlhlMumlJCY-jmuHxRIm9/s640/blogger-image--1178570895.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'll never be a food photographer, will I? </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I guess I depend on berries a lot for breakfast. Strawberry soup. Blueberry pancakes, muffins, biscuits, or scones. Berries of all sorts thrown into smoothies.
We like berries.
We liked these biscuits too.<br />
<br />
The recipe:<br />
2 cups flour (I think I used about 1/2 cup all-purpose, and 1.5 cups white wheat)<br />
2 tsp. baking powder<br />
maybe 1/2 tsp salt (I didn't measure very well) <br />
1/3 cup sugar<br />
1/4 cup butter <br />
1 cup milk (I used vanilla almond milk)<br />
3/4 cup frozen blueberries (I may have used slightly more) <br />
<br />
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut butter into the flour using a pastry blender (or two forks. Or a food processor). Once the mixture resembles those course crumbles you need for biscuits, toss in the blueberries and mix in the milk. You want a soft dough that pulls away from the side of the bowl. <br />
<br />
If you roll and cut biscuits, do that. Roll out on floured surface to about 1/2 inch thickness and cut with a biscuit cutter. I do drop biscuits instead. Drop by spoonfuls on a greased baking sheet.<br />
<br />
Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes. <br />
<br />
The recipe said the yield was 10 biscuits, but I got 12. <br />
<br />
P.S. I started writing this post on Friday. Thankfully, I've been to the grocery store since then. Pickings were getting quite slim. <br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-55645056324703860102014-10-30T09:32:00.001-04:002014-11-01T22:42:44.364-04:00strawberry soupSoup for breakfast? Yes, please!<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-vSaihAZL_644_rrWR28DWhvFjaKC64_1IZE_1vkS2_lMN3d_9WHQBKxB83BaBMVlsS1aP-SaFG2lIm8PPewM3G6LGM7Gitq50JCnT2C-gTbG9Lw5n8SnWdkIPc8HbmZVfUvVZmBCu8f/s640/blogger-image--1623416703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-vSaihAZL_644_rrWR28DWhvFjaKC64_1IZE_1vkS2_lMN3d_9WHQBKxB83BaBMVlsS1aP-SaFG2lIm8PPewM3G6LGM7Gitq50JCnT2C-gTbG9Lw5n8SnWdkIPc8HbmZVfUvVZmBCu8f/s640/blogger-image--1623416703.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>This is ridiculously easy. And pretty. And yummy. If you make it the night before, it can chill in the fridge overnight. I'll confess that I didn't do that. I just made it up in the morning. </div><div><br></div><div>Ingredients:</div><div>2.5-3 cups strawberries (I didn't measure. If you're making it the morning of, frozen berries work best.)</div><div>2 cups vanilla almond milk (or regular milk)</div><div>1 cup strawberry-flavored kefir (or cream)</div><div>0.5 cups vanilla-flavored yogurt (or plain yogurt)</div><div><br></div><div>If you have an immersion blender, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and blend. If you don't have a stick blender, you can use a regular blender. You may have to work in batches though. </div><div><br></div><div>Enjoy! </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-76644185954976721612014-10-20T20:03:00.001-04:002014-10-20T20:03:53.910-04:00bacon cheeseburger pastaI'm not a gourmet chef. I'm a schlep-it-all-in-the-pan and get-the-food-on-the-table sort of cook.<br />
<br />
I'm certainly not a food photographer.<br />
<br />
And I don't Pinterest.<br />
<br />
But I know a lot of people <i>do </i>Pinterest. And I know a recipe needs a picture before it can be pinned.<br />
<br />
So...voila! Bacon cheeseburger pasta!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeoRnuLZpXs_Kn3dPzOYFfSycdJs8FxwxqZmd9JRrNHB_dgQhAYCtMsnzWYJnaJUiPW5H3ZFh_-0upYH3MZFKexSV-mLvLhcXCprbEXGtw3nAXykmivDLDoKenf0hw5NrzBMSgFdYb87m2/s640/blogger-image--847825693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeoRnuLZpXs_Kn3dPzOYFfSycdJs8FxwxqZmd9JRrNHB_dgQhAYCtMsnzWYJnaJUiPW5H3ZFh_-0upYH3MZFKexSV-mLvLhcXCprbEXGtw3nAXykmivDLDoKenf0hw5NrzBMSgFdYb87m2/s640/blogger-image--847825693.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'd already stowed the leftovers in the fridge before I remembered to take a pic--see slightly "frosty" look the container has?</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This is an easy recipe, and everyone ate it (yay!). I saw the original recipe in a magazine years ago, but I've long since lost it. I just recreated it tonight.<br />
<br />
<b>Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta</b><br />
1 lb. ground beef<br />
4 slices bacon<br />
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce<br />
8 oz. spaghetti, cooked<br />
1 cup shredded cheddar (or whatever cheese you like)
seasonings (more on that in a minute)<br />
<br />
Brown ground beef in a skillet. Drain. Cook bacon until crisp, drain off grease, and crumble into beef.
Season however you like your hamburgers seasoned. Tonight I used salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder, cumin, and a chipotle barbecue spice rub I have. But use what you have and like.
Add tomato sauce and spaghetti noodles. Allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add cheese and allow to melt.<br />
<br />
That's it. Pretty simple.<br />
<br />
(I would have LOVED to add sauteed mushrooms to this. My family would kill me for that. But if yours won't, give it a whirl--and send me some! I'm sure sauteed onions would be great too--but don't send me that.)
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-70752006420619987072014-10-13T18:33:00.001-04:002014-10-13T21:32:27.258-04:00it's fall, y'all <div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
We were sick.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Then it rained. And rained. For <i>days</i>.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
But our reward for surviving all of that? Today!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Today with its absolutely <i>perfect</i> weather.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
I wish I had a better camera. Because it's gorgeous here, and the iPod doesn't do it justice. But here's my best effort to share. (I'll try to post more pics as we move further into the fall season and the colors come out more.) </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6gfFWzUfNUU77p6wTWBobdIVTwCUGZLmzeY422mR5kfe2Mrm9cZAuD3Op0Rl3Yh18g6_Tbpe9pKMe-ytA114JVSiVRvF3u7HrPjmmD5klmm3BegD83atjbOTBxde0XPYH7uxod79Ex6S/s640/blogger-image-434497075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6gfFWzUfNUU77p6wTWBobdIVTwCUGZLmzeY422mR5kfe2Mrm9cZAuD3Op0Rl3Yh18g6_Tbpe9pKMe-ytA114JVSiVRvF3u7HrPjmmD5klmm3BegD83atjbOTBxde0XPYH7uxod79Ex6S/s640/blogger-image-434497075.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTJSfV9bSuD_RiSCtpGB2QnLjHjJF4mD-KqE8qOlD6utPzivZFJpjFQstQki1uVO07nTjY8bEpTS1GNlZO3uSG2kDLEZax1vpwUFwZVgvccLRHPCLHcOhhZ1eVuw82if0rWsyQum78FSu/s640/blogger-image-594311168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTJSfV9bSuD_RiSCtpGB2QnLjHjJF4mD-KqE8qOlD6utPzivZFJpjFQstQki1uVO07nTjY8bEpTS1GNlZO3uSG2kDLEZax1vpwUFwZVgvccLRHPCLHcOhhZ1eVuw82if0rWsyQum78FSu/s640/blogger-image-594311168.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPumFLTfEtpjzkT645ZhXAup6sJdeg5yEGdQXtsQAFJEzh0DKJMdyni9dIXm4Ln7wMrtTGPA9a5ZSJco6WL-UPvWiRRgkF0Wgeyn4XblLbq5_jxzcJAI9kWXTqn77LLVQ8Q1nJTQsJ5yuO/s640/blogger-image--518376600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPumFLTfEtpjzkT645ZhXAup6sJdeg5yEGdQXtsQAFJEzh0DKJMdyni9dIXm4Ln7wMrtTGPA9a5ZSJco6WL-UPvWiRRgkF0Wgeyn4XblLbq5_jxzcJAI9kWXTqn77LLVQ8Q1nJTQsJ5yuO/s640/blogger-image--518376600.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shade of blue the sky turns in autumn is one of my favorite colors on earth</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-17252810454794210812014-10-07T11:46:00.001-04:002014-10-07T11:46:46.455-04:00Sarah's artworkSarah got an art set for her birthday. She was eager to try it out today. <div><br></div><div>She wanted me to share her first picture using the set. </div><div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyp9afkyQwKvl-MhPO1JTqESkr0nbr_89I6Nii9MdqHz97JwpRGfa7nRZ7whT8XQptvlKKwa23b6ktZGezZbAqXGt-cRjVv03lIfyp-qDRMWAgSYyo9T6yUbWUSfmeLDAC4iP3m2LavBPq/s640/blogger-image-1876440604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyp9afkyQwKvl-MhPO1JTqESkr0nbr_89I6Nii9MdqHz97JwpRGfa7nRZ7whT8XQptvlKKwa23b6ktZGezZbAqXGt-cRjVv03lIfyp-qDRMWAgSYyo9T6yUbWUSfmeLDAC4iP3m2LavBPq/s640/blogger-image-1876440604.jpg"></a></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-41385511407437119032014-10-04T15:52:00.000-04:002014-10-05T14:19:36.404-04:00dawning of a new decadeI have a ten-year-old.<br />
<br />
Pause. Deep breath. Let me let that sink in for a minute.<br />
<br />
<i>I have a ten-year-old.</i><br />
<br />
Yeah, it doesn't sound any less weird.<br />
<i> </i><br />
Part of me can't imagine that she could possibly, in any universe, be ten. She was four just ten minutes ago, I swear. Two just a couple of minutes before that. So she was only a baby about half an hour ago, right? <i>Right?!</i><br />
<br />
Okay, so no, I guess not.<br />
<br />
And yet another part of me feels she always been here, always been a part of my life, always been a part of me. It's hard to put into words exactly. <br />
<br />
We had cake and gifts at my parents' house yesterday. We were planning to go to the <a href="http://unicoicounty.org/apple-festival/" target="_blank">Apple Festival </a>today, but she's sick. She's currently sleeping on the couch. (The only good thing about her being sick--she sleeps pretty much constantly when she feels bad. And that seems to help her recover quickly. I'm hoping that will be the case this time.)<br />
<br />
<i> </i><br />
Since I don't have fun Apple Festival pictures to post, I'll just post a few other photos of my girl who is now a decade old (nope, not getting any less weird).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUaEiZSUk0D9Ah9eneS1x1AfsPzzCC0wPeFGs_oZpr5S3Cb3BmIvSQ0fc7O96PE60EkWEsmQg6WexO-embv34jUr-dBBGg3pjeqsR8r61AKv7O4XshZ3PnZXzVXoYf_KJNtsciDdGBKk92/s1600/sarah+newborn+pic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUaEiZSUk0D9Ah9eneS1x1AfsPzzCC0wPeFGs_oZpr5S3Cb3BmIvSQ0fc7O96PE60EkWEsmQg6WexO-embv34jUr-dBBGg3pjeqsR8r61AKv7O4XshZ3PnZXzVXoYf_KJNtsciDdGBKk92/s1600/sarah+newborn+pic.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oct. 4, 2004</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dy83ASG5v9NQJ94om2YSSW_5XiL8IAjWO4XZihjN8ffx2eQDg8SarLl_iuIuDB6f_-Tkh8yeWUX5k-O4H5OgwceutFDVWrKlcU990mLBPbae9ZXXQjoO8QYkzFsUHZOJHbn4F4hH3b1m/s1600/sarah+in+florida.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dy83ASG5v9NQJ94om2YSSW_5XiL8IAjWO4XZihjN8ffx2eQDg8SarLl_iuIuDB6f_-Tkh8yeWUX5k-O4H5OgwceutFDVWrKlcU990mLBPbae9ZXXQjoO8QYkzFsUHZOJHbn4F4hH3b1m/s1600/sarah+in+florida.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sept., 2006</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawJmomJFm47hFIs-IsBDA-oJl_5jfR33q0rf4I6LdXPmDQ4QQHMVLUORse_yHj9jmfTVDPPiI6om-n-ORuI9-3kh6n6YDt9JcjmsHHo25SFsuUg0sG-kA9UTXlJmgYUAl342PquLCbZAw/s1600/sarah+and+her+puzzle+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawJmomJFm47hFIs-IsBDA-oJl_5jfR33q0rf4I6LdXPmDQ4QQHMVLUORse_yHj9jmfTVDPPiI6om-n-ORuI9-3kh6n6YDt9JcjmsHHo25SFsuUg0sG-kA9UTXlJmgYUAl342PquLCbZAw/s1600/sarah+and+her+puzzle+002.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">July, 2008</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6YKNqcJHqJOygRYqgCGPsPOE0HnrTE7VOgzK8MeUClcDvpv-xMPd7oGHeYFCE2OrDaffAGoIS3B3sDnYVpE5tA93_Svnf3MvtO176eqGuqDd-D1fZllBzHG-R3D3i2nzyaJbFTJFa0kz/s1600/099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6YKNqcJHqJOygRYqgCGPsPOE0HnrTE7VOgzK8MeUClcDvpv-xMPd7oGHeYFCE2OrDaffAGoIS3B3sDnYVpE5tA93_Svnf3MvtO176eqGuqDd-D1fZllBzHG-R3D3i2nzyaJbFTJFa0kz/s1600/099.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">December, 2010</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyz3u6T_JR15a-iEjJswSGzgUxizyeREu0sRcMP1Ld4tSsPznG0no6Tt60Zp4js0b3nxJFucQw_F-v_13S-zTAaKmbUCIoZnpsx4orNsu4KUg6ob66MP-WqqOwhgxI5adnlgvkQxWnRtmb/s1600/100_3944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyz3u6T_JR15a-iEjJswSGzgUxizyeREu0sRcMP1Ld4tSsPznG0no6Tt60Zp4js0b3nxJFucQw_F-v_13S-zTAaKmbUCIoZnpsx4orNsu4KUg6ob66MP-WqqOwhgxI5adnlgvkQxWnRtmb/s1600/100_3944.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oct., 2012 </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-_jJJ8fPYdJ4oD2jgwf5XXUnabR2wwUGweU4M52YhfxREC-QWnLpbOlbwN9cOF4sEqNPecpAGm11ZhPi9rVI73JOOfKdAiwL2oL0zA8XvzZwy5Yh9f8c42WhHfKMASN4CpsVDmAl3SZw/s1600/1658498_10153231743269128_193172949730230223_o+sarah+oct+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-_jJJ8fPYdJ4oD2jgwf5XXUnabR2wwUGweU4M52YhfxREC-QWnLpbOlbwN9cOF4sEqNPecpAGm11ZhPi9rVI73JOOfKdAiwL2oL0zA8XvzZwy5Yh9f8c42WhHfKMASN4CpsVDmAl3SZw/s1600/1658498_10153231743269128_193172949730230223_o+sarah+oct+3.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oct. 3, 2014</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i> </i>Happy birthday, Sarah! (And feel better soon!)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-42325619517341801782014-08-30T10:55:00.001-04:002014-08-30T10:55:24.401-04:00water, water everywhere...We've had some hot weather the last few days. Our deck is a lovely way to be outside while being at least a <i>little</i> sheltered from the sun.<br />
<br />
And water play is always a hit in the summer.<br />
<br />
A little tip I picked up from my days teaching preschool: grab some paintbrushes, a bucket of water, and paint the driveway, sidewalk, or (in our case) deck with water. There's no mess, the kids enjoy it, and the worst-case scenario is that everyone gets wet.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjFveUEDJmMgmW2lWGkMsQ5QxL5WabNTX-KC7mhr1ftQZSWhudJBdRZ6v2WjKl-_fDjf4KiEk5KFHnrlXlqf7H4AmVaVy2uD_oRGe3wJv8Iaq52gKKkjcR7KlMQl3PZtJu2j-WN03blPy/s640/blogger-image--1327315460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjFveUEDJmMgmW2lWGkMsQ5QxL5WabNTX-KC7mhr1ftQZSWhudJBdRZ6v2WjKl-_fDjf4KiEk5KFHnrlXlqf7H4AmVaVy2uD_oRGe3wJv8Iaq52gKKkjcR7KlMQl3PZtJu2j-WN03blPy/s640/blogger-image--1327315460.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJ2d_MEDsxm9WIlpiWNv123ZvU-xCS-1O-AZbauhcUTLSHxg9L3zRluhQwmYrgVnUxjO9hcfYdyGn1F-qAVT33fKk8pNF1i3ADIzl0mzB1eGQDruhv3ggncuTgtpq5wRvomXVjBMvIP5x/s640/blogger-image-1951209168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJ2d_MEDsxm9WIlpiWNv123ZvU-xCS-1O-AZbauhcUTLSHxg9L3zRluhQwmYrgVnUxjO9hcfYdyGn1F-qAVT33fKk8pNF1i3ADIzl0mzB1eGQDruhv3ggncuTgtpq5wRvomXVjBMvIP5x/s640/blogger-image-1951209168.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby E didn't really paint much, but he LOVED stirring the paintbrush vigorously in the water. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUCxA-uSHnCQWYc9tq3AXl_fVWzudHr_iUsJvJ08OwqBS0ACWke5tjyvBSHl_iL9npyS5kUZ_IjxnPMVEfX1QpDOGpuWTUSmcA36mSbyVCZCiNAcvs5lI5ttLDZxYGN6Gl-5s4a5rc0zJX/s640/blogger-image-1680617736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUCxA-uSHnCQWYc9tq3AXl_fVWzudHr_iUsJvJ08OwqBS0ACWke5tjyvBSHl_iL9npyS5kUZ_IjxnPMVEfX1QpDOGpuWTUSmcA36mSbyVCZCiNAcvs5lI5ttLDZxYGN6Gl-5s4a5rc0zJX/s640/blogger-image-1680617736.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The deck is very wet now. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRltKEDaOhL9K0OT6lWXAFoP0jSjeWikJJw0b92oz1zKbiHpy5lIyfeTv2Z-q5iflybG-6OaTTc9ZvBMsYAPk3riR6QdCeCCOn1Tl5ABUg-jzEpE15nHYRf6a75TClBwRgynRXrGLk6Nqh/s640/blogger-image--1082289055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRltKEDaOhL9K0OT6lWXAFoP0jSjeWikJJw0b92oz1zKbiHpy5lIyfeTv2Z-q5iflybG-6OaTTc9ZvBMsYAPk3riR6QdCeCCOn1Tl5ABUg-jzEpE15nHYRf6a75TClBwRgynRXrGLk6Nqh/s640/blogger-image--1082289055.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eventually we traded the water and the deck for sidewalk chalk on the driveway. This did not last long; it was too hot.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPt2vo_XX8w0uL1ggrp_V2iRwGR8oe3jkgLFOQ7iEdftP6XhNAJ-vQuCMNP4pC1_G5IrLZ86Z96mVPRUL4QcQt1qZtSPiZ0AwG-UhfSMK2kgaHXnijSHeTeYLWE3uDknypZBr71UZ7tluL/s640/blogger-image--637525401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPt2vo_XX8w0uL1ggrp_V2iRwGR8oe3jkgLFOQ7iEdftP6XhNAJ-vQuCMNP4pC1_G5IrLZ86Z96mVPRUL4QcQt1qZtSPiZ0AwG-UhfSMK2kgaHXnijSHeTeYLWE3uDknypZBr71UZ7tluL/s640/blogger-image--637525401.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigW8mdL6BqMohU9owaXTTWkM3TFHIkLB7Jy1AfnKu7MyIkqoetMpvUZw0eCVcELQiMfWJ_uykxMEfiA886OAZd8i_DHlWRuU1_8IArEKS_hTMUj5GDfjzRkSc8e50EIUBlcipZMxJCpkvD/s640/blogger-image-21025251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigW8mdL6BqMohU9owaXTTWkM3TFHIkLB7Jy1AfnKu7MyIkqoetMpvUZw0eCVcELQiMfWJ_uykxMEfiA886OAZd8i_DHlWRuU1_8IArEKS_hTMUj5GDfjzRkSc8e50EIUBlcipZMxJCpkvD/s640/blogger-image-21025251.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a wet spot. Baby E dumped an entire container of water from the deck. Sarah wanted to try the chalk in there to see if the colors would be brighter. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jYBXMTfslxNuExKDnD64nJnut6SMDDkWe3SXLaPnmLUyTXrSd6wPbTd86tpsNVYS_sRmGUToQMChAzQVqVYGp8SEFti4xLsFJSUAxbzqYqKDdnIfqoBa5z_mlRnjSIhwusoADoflfTqY/s640/blogger-image--973587885.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jYBXMTfslxNuExKDnD64nJnut6SMDDkWe3SXLaPnmLUyTXrSd6wPbTd86tpsNVYS_sRmGUToQMChAzQVqVYGp8SEFti4xLsFJSUAxbzqYqKDdnIfqoBa5z_mlRnjSIhwusoADoflfTqY/s640/blogger-image--973587885.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarah, the good little sci-fi fan, encouraging extra-terrestrial visits</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-71095442660484228942014-08-20T22:47:00.001-04:002014-08-21T09:09:01.460-04:00song and danceSarah loves her ballet class. Even before she started taking it though, she and Natalie have had an interest in ballet. So far, we've attended performances of <i>The Nutcracker</i>, <i>Sleeping Beauty</i>, and a Nativity ballet. Welll, we've attended Sarah's performances too, of course, but you know what I mean. <div><br></div><div>Nelson and I sometimes joke that male ballet dancers are very secure in their manhood (they better be, because in some of those costumes, their manhood is pretty much on display for all to see). But they seriously are some strong dudes, lifting ballerinas on one arm while doing crazy arm flourishs with the other and never missing a step in their fancy footwork. It's really some impressive stuff.</div><div><br></div><div>A young man we know who plays football was informed by his coach that ballet would do wonders for his game. Upon hearing this, Sarah immediately quipped, "That's why male ballet dancers are so strong! They're all football players!" </div><div><br></div><div>###</div><div><br></div><div>Natalie will never simply say the name of a TV show she's watching or asking to watch. She sings the title in tune with the show's theme song. </div><div><br></div><div>###</div><div><br></div><div>Tying together singing and ballet--Sarah's class on Tuesday was practicing a new dance. This dance was set to <i>Frozen's</i> "Let It Go." </div><div><br></div><div>The girls have watched <i>Frozen </i>approximately 57 times (or so it seems). And they sing "Let It Go" a lot. </div><div><br></div><div>A lot a lot. </div><div><br></div><div>Baby E can also sing a snippet of "Let It Go." The words aren't quite clear (definitely baby talk), but the tune comes through. He bellows "Let it go!" at random points throughout the day (pretty much on pitch, no less). </div><div><br></div><div>Ordinarily Natalie, Baby E, and I hang out in the playroom of the center where Sarah has ballet class. But when the first strains of "Let It Go" began to play, both children immediately perked up. They knew that song! They went out to where the girls were dancing. </div><div><br></div><div>Natalie tried to sing along and grew very frustrated when the teacher kept stopping the CD to teach new steps or go over the previous part again (the nerve, right?). </div><div><br></div><div>Finally the students had enough of the routine down that the song could play out a bit more. It got to the chorus and not only does Baby E sing along at the top of his lungs, he starts twirling with the dancers.</div><div><br></div><div>It was completely hilarious and utterly adorable. </div><div><br></div><div>(The song was playing at Wal-Mart last night too. I swear it's omnipresent.) </div><div><br></div><div>###</div><div><br></div><div>Back before we'd ever seen <i>Frozen</i> but when all those parody versions of "Let It Go" were all over the interwebs, I stumbled across a really funny one by Arthur Darvill. For those not in the know, he played companion Rory Williams on <i>Doctor Who</i>. He sang imploringly to Whovians, "Let it go, let it go, I'm not on <i>Doctor Who</i> anymore..." It was brilliant, the lyrics spot-on.</div><div><br></div><div>But Darvill messed up partway through and said something he shouldn't have. Since the girls weren't familiar with the song yet, when Natalie tried to sing it she included Darvill's bit of language (she thought it was just part of the song). I told her that he shouldn't have said that and she shouldn't either. </div><div><br></div><div>She didn't quite get what I meant. She asked, in all sincerity, if Darvill should have sung "Let it come" instead. </div><div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-4974162728536882692014-08-18T19:04:00.001-04:002014-08-18T19:34:49.275-04:00Day 1<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We started school today! One fourth-grader and one kindergartner and one busy toddler. And we all survived. </span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I can't say the day got off to the best start. My alarm clock malfunctioned, so I overslept. Then as I fumbled around with it after I finally did wake up, I knocked a glass off my nightstand.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Yes, the glass broke.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Yes, I nicked my hand.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Yes, it was my left (dominant) hand. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sigh. What a way to kick off the year, right? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But after that less than ideal beginning, things improved. Natalie was beside herself with excitement over doing "real" school. Sarah did all of her work without complaint (well, she complained once, but she got over it quickly. She declared by the end of the day that "Fourth grade is fun!"). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here's hoping the year continues to go well!<br />
<br />
Some first-day pictures... </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfaJDkjBAOZpECRoepWECvDz64_ZrkkfMbPZQPwW12mTRbrrMo48FhK7Q8p6C16xHHeGCRdF6vVVYYmVqYjXMRBL1-3zPdFa9Jgme53aMetr7Hyvt4uRf4j7t-BRypywkVnpHSp0ZH7W0e/s640/blogger-image-322741341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfaJDkjBAOZpECRoepWECvDz64_ZrkkfMbPZQPwW12mTRbrrMo48FhK7Q8p6C16xHHeGCRdF6vVVYYmVqYjXMRBL1-3zPdFa9Jgme53aMetr7Hyvt4uRf4j7t-BRypywkVnpHSp0ZH7W0e/s640/blogger-image-322741341.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Natalie and Sarah were watching an art video on the laptop. Baby E was digging for a toy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUG3kFMJ-Q2wfhlX-c9MIhE3IHxbx2XqsRcmVqlFJZbxnPa8VHxw82FVBm8CX6SiBnZ7-paTvEvHh2w9YtO3IV0IhKkVLlH2dxFk8CKTzkLie-EAQ8Xtd7za0cwwV5T_2rdGAXVXSNBCUe/s640/blogger-image--232875044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUG3kFMJ-Q2wfhlX-c9MIhE3IHxbx2XqsRcmVqlFJZbxnPa8VHxw82FVBm8CX6SiBnZ7-paTvEvHh2w9YtO3IV0IhKkVLlH2dxFk8CKTzkLie-EAQ8Xtd7za0cwwV5T_2rdGAXVXSNBCUe/s640/blogger-image--232875044.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarah reading her science text. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjdb-FYV7TfpFC0pbb40tgSu3ACRSvhnic8ymK_btSuFc21-nZP2CcpN8NsWOikvezsZOxo-1kMcAzUZulXgYGoRA_M652VM5QVV844DG1b5PLXpYs2cZtubCvD5jy7UL-juEfzxNPVdV/s640/blogger-image-1783500371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjdb-FYV7TfpFC0pbb40tgSu3ACRSvhnic8ymK_btSuFc21-nZP2CcpN8NsWOikvezsZOxo-1kMcAzUZulXgYGoRA_M652VM5QVV844DG1b5PLXpYs2cZtubCvD5jy7UL-juEfzxNPVdV/s640/blogger-image-1783500371.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Natalie was all done by this point. Kindergarten has much less work than fourth grade! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-35020216949260924022014-08-12T19:34:00.002-04:002014-08-12T20:50:25.499-04:00oh captain my captainI don't normally write or comment on news items.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But the death of Robin Williams has hit me hard. So I want to try to process a bit, if I may. (It's my blog, so I guess permission is implied. You also have permission to skip this post if you're more into the lighthearted.) </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Depression is a terrible, oppressive thing. A weight bearing down on you, keeping you trapped, making you feel stuck and helpless and hopeless. I hope the conversation surrounding Williams' depression <i>does</i> lead someone to reach out and get help. Even one. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But it isn't always that simple. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I get the posts begging people to ask for help if they need it. I do. I get the posts reminding people that they would rather have a 3 a.m. phone call than attend a funeral. I get the people who really do <i>want</i> to be there for family and friends who may be hurting and in despair.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But it isn't always that simple. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When you are stuck, when you are lost in the darkness, when everything feels hard and terrible and hopeless, is it really likely you're going to "reach out"? If getting off the couch is difficult, how much more difficult is it to pick up a phone? Start a conversation? Or do something <i>really</i> impossible like talk to a doctor? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I love a tweet I saw in response to people saying "Reach out!" She replied with the fact that reaching out was nearly impossible when one is in the throes of depression. Others have to make the effort to reach <i>in</i>. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
She gets it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But even then, it's not always that simple. Sometimes people try to reach in. Sometimes they want more than anything to help. But sometimes they botch it and makes things worse. People say really idiotic things about depression (and other mental illnesses) sometimes.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And sometimes, even though they don't do anything wrong, it still doesn't help. Depression isn't logical. You can't reason someone out of it. And you can't always fix it, anymore than you can fix someone's diabetes. It's not that simple.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
An episode of<i> Doctor Who</i> actually dealt with it as well as anything I've ever seen. The Doctor and Amy Pond travel back in time to visit Vincent Van Gogh. It gives an honest portrayal of the demons Van Gogh faced. The Doctor and Amy end up being able to show Vincent how beloved he and his art became. Van Gogh is visibly shocked and moved and of course thrilled. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And Amy is thrilled. She is convinced that when she and the Doctor return to the future, there will be more Van Gogh paintings in the museums. They will have prevented his tragic suicide. They've "fixed" him.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
She's wrong. Van Gogh killed himself just the same. And now Amy's crushed. And she goes to the opposite extreme, saying they made no difference at all.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And the Doctor tells her it's not that simple. No, you can't logic someone out of depression. But you <i>can</i> make a difference. Sometimes it's enough. Sometimes it isn't. Sometimes it has nothing to do with you at all. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's still worth it to try. It's always worth it to try. People need you to try. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After all, the fact that you can't "fix" someone's cancer doesn't stop you from being there and supporting loved ones when they face it. It may not even stop you from saying something stupid and insensitive (although hopefully we can learn from past mistakes and stop speaking in cliches and trite platitudes). But you make the effort, right?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This is no different. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And if you're the one suffering? I'll echo the sentiments of so many others: please, <i>please</i> seek help. I know it seems impossible and even pointless. I <i>know</i> that. But I stayed stuck a whole lot longer than necessary, and I don't wish that on anyone. There is help, and there are people who care--people who <i>do </i>want to help, who would love to help. Even imperfectly. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We can all bumble along together while we figure it out.<br />
<br />
This ended up being a very different post than what I had in mind when I started writing. I really intended to go an entirely different direction. Oh, well. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Some articles about depression I liked: <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/2014/08/what-the-church-christians-need-to-know-about-suicide-mental-health/">Ann Voskamp</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AnneLamott/posts/531917520271229?fref=nf" target="_blank">Anne Lamott</a> (I hope this one works. It's a Facebook link, but I'm assuming it's a public Facebook page. I hope it works--I liked the real, rawness of it).<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.muddledmother.org/2014/08/robin-williams-suicide-what-only-those.html?m=1" target="_blank">http://www.muddledmother.org/2014/08/robin-williams-suicide-what-only-those.html?m=1 </a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-74453708501229392662014-08-05T20:00:00.000-04:002014-08-05T20:00:00.522-04:00Twitter talesI haven't posted any <a href="http://fridayphrases.com/" target="_blank">Friday Phrases</a> ficlets here recently. Except for the last two Fridays, I wasn't posting them on Twitter either. In the words of Adrian Monk, here's what happened:<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Friday of the Fourth of July, the prompt was "The quandary of the inebriated mariner" (aka "What shall we do with a drunken sailor?"). This prompt made me laugh very hard. It made me sing the song ("Hooray and up she rises!") over and over. It made me think of "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" ("Water, water everywhere..."). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It did not inspire ficlets. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Then we all got sick. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Then I forgot. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But! I am back it. Here are two weeks' worth of Friday Phrases offerings. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
From this past Friday (prompt: The sky is falling): </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Her personal universe collapsed around her, and she screamed inwardly in rage & grief...and smiled at him and said, "I'm fine, thanks." </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
He felt like Chicken Little, warning of some far-fetched impending doom. And when it all began, he wished he'd been just as wrong. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Operation Get Out Now was a last-ditch emergency plan. It would never be needed</div>
<div>
It went into effect with a text: "The sky's falling."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
They called it the Poison Sky as it rained down its death, disease, and destruction on all of humanity. If only they'd listened...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
From the Friday before that (prompt: reflection):</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Everyone said she was beautiful, kind, funny, smart. She didn't see it. She only saw her flaws, magnified through the lying glass. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
She no longer recognized herself. Childhood dreams and innocence were long gone. Only brokenness remained--shards of a past strewn about. (This one actually got a "very nice!" from the Friday Phrases Twitter account, which tickled me to no end.) </div>
<div>
<br />
That's all for now. Anybody have a favorite? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-51809387333086683522014-08-04T20:42:00.002-04:002014-08-04T20:42:51.926-04:00school dazeNot really--we're not starting school yet. Public schools have all started here, but I'm just not feeling any need to start this early.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But when we do start school, Natalie will be in kindergarten, and Sarah will be in fourth grade, and Baby E will be...Baby E. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
His mother and I have been discussing options for keeping him occupied while I'm doing lessons. So today was something of a trial run for one idea. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Baby E really likes play dough!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NfUMyQN3CFsdxi704_BZldZmKU3f_7iahwzRN-ID4yNLlcCueru-SKJY8WenijkbbtuRKDApeUt3F-_-yFOfSgu_7u8lu_vrqEYu07g0EbY3tjSvS9yDh5YSqFr39yAyZ2VVrW9w-CRC/s640/blogger-image--1575849873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NfUMyQN3CFsdxi704_BZldZmKU3f_7iahwzRN-ID4yNLlcCueru-SKJY8WenijkbbtuRKDApeUt3F-_-yFOfSgu_7u8lu_vrqEYu07g0EbY3tjSvS9yDh5YSqFr39yAyZ2VVrW9w-CRC/s640/blogger-image--1575849873.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_UBHcVZQCb7pklQ0-MayCPplWhaA0uDhRad6K4xSjoAPB95WfE3QlLxH53QnKK5QVpm1Y42OMIUc8Ie3f08UYFB6dLO-4N8VFs9L_OZTujqzbzYSZIvpDrmvvP2r0RbIAWsI-i09ZBZm1/s640/blogger-image--1159916445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_UBHcVZQCb7pklQ0-MayCPplWhaA0uDhRad6K4xSjoAPB95WfE3QlLxH53QnKK5QVpm1Y42OMIUc8Ie3f08UYFB6dLO-4N8VFs9L_OZTujqzbzYSZIvpDrmvvP2r0RbIAWsI-i09ZBZm1/s640/blogger-image--1159916445.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Sarah is intent on what she's doing. Natalie is hamming it up for the camera! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eBktx6w8cX3quABrguuZ0TdgFSohkJZON1GefEUJ8fSBMNrz27yX2z8rGIddzUoqLE8y4GjBC95EOowzGp3XB1-AbMZ_TDPGQxaohJzFFmy6eEi54hMeiRkH7s8QpRsTS47WmMpTj9Z2/s640/blogger-image--1456989306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eBktx6w8cX3quABrguuZ0TdgFSohkJZON1GefEUJ8fSBMNrz27yX2z8rGIddzUoqLE8y4GjBC95EOowzGp3XB1-AbMZ_TDPGQxaohJzFFmy6eEi54hMeiRkH7s8QpRsTS47WmMpTj9Z2/s640/blogger-image--1456989306.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Now they're both posing. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThn7i8CKY90i6YTUKwtrR4S5yySTBeAOPsH34vjXxf6W9aBrQnGtxk08pNSQ3zFE85onMW_gp6hhPFeRsTVq7y8IcfH_k36qnk1Y-0Y-0YPhSG2Qi_lLY4kmOSbiFZQtdKrzErzhaJ4gA/s640/blogger-image-921771340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThn7i8CKY90i6YTUKwtrR4S5yySTBeAOPsH34vjXxf6W9aBrQnGtxk08pNSQ3zFE85onMW_gp6hhPFeRsTVq7y8IcfH_k36qnk1Y-0Y-0YPhSG2Qi_lLY4kmOSbiFZQtdKrzErzhaJ4gA/s640/blogger-image-921771340.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
I waffle between being nervous about the upcoming year and feeling pretty sure it's going to go well. I guess we'll see. I'll try to post updates throughout the year as to what we're doing and how it's going. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-92109678346412431242014-07-30T21:29:00.001-04:002014-07-30T21:30:17.058-04:00Blueberry biscuit/scone hybridI'm not quite sure what to call our breakfast today other than "yummy." It really isn't anything with a proper name.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I started out intending to make biscuits. We have some homemade jam that Baby E's parents gave us. I have a link to Alton Brown's biscuit recipe saved on my iPod so I can get to it easily in the kitchen. I opened it up then stopped to ponder. The site gives other recipes from that episode, and suddenly I remembered he had made scones that show as well. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Hmm, scones. That had possibilities. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The recipe called for dried fruit, which I didn't have. But I remembered the blueberry biscuits my dad used to buy when I was a kid, and I did have some frozen blueberries. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sarah wanted to help, so I taught her how to cut the butter and coconut oil into the flour. She also helped stir the milk and egg into the flour. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Most people roll and cut both biscuits and scones. I honestly don't have the counter space for that. So I do drop biscuits. Today it was drop scones, which isn't even a thing. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The result wasn't very pretty, but it <i>was </i>tasty. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVpW4o-318b19TIykRWkWXBYiZmft3vq2cBM-huh8swqTS9tHYr6suNrZlQRFUkm4bZyQU-9LrIe-PKmIbtw1LsNkFGfWj5bMjaJepmddX1yECjR61O3O7EMnMnWzXaglR_46b7GxRfc9/s640/blogger-image-737891262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVpW4o-318b19TIykRWkWXBYiZmft3vq2cBM-huh8swqTS9tHYr6suNrZlQRFUkm4bZyQU-9LrIe-PKmIbtw1LsNkFGfWj5bMjaJepmddX1yECjR61O3O7EMnMnWzXaglR_46b7GxRfc9/s640/blogger-image-737891262.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Terrible picture, I know. It was taken with my iPod. I am no food photographer!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div>
Funny story: Baby E would NOT eat the waffle his parents sent this morning. He totally gobbled up a scone. ;) <br />
<br />
Alton Brown's recipe can be found<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/scones-recipe.html" target="_blank"> here</a>. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Money Saving Mom also has a scone recipe I've been <a href="http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/01/glazed-cinnamon-scones-recipe.html" target="_blank">wanting to try</a>. (I might skip the glaze.) Maybe later this week. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1472770302979352755.post-71209428890303261412014-07-26T12:03:00.002-04:002014-07-30T21:09:02.345-04:00Old Mother HubbardActually, the cupboard isn't totally bare, which was a very good thing this week. We'd have been in much worse shape if it had been.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Frugal living bloggers often will write about their "eat from the pantry" challenges. For a specified period of time, one is only allowed to buy fresh produce and possibly dairy. Everything else must come from what you already have. For those with a good stockpile, the challenge is made much easier. They can use up their excess, make room for more stuff, save the money they would have spent grocery shopping for some goal, and so forth. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I don't have a great stockpile. I'm not particularly good at that whole stockpiling thing anyway, but we had a power outage a couple of weeks ago that took out a good portion of our fridge. Thankfully, the chicken in the freezer came through unscathed. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Several major bills came due this week. When all was said and done, I had $25 to spend on groceries for the week. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Yep, eat from the pantry challenge time. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So what did we eat this week?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1. Lentil and rice tacos </div>
<div>
2. Curry chicken pot pie</div>
<div>
3. Macaroni and cheese (from the box--don't judge. Two boxes are under a dollar, and I had a headache that night anyway, so Nelson was cooking.) </div>
<div>
4. Cincinnati chili (to come--part of the $25 went to buying ground beef, a can of tomato sauce, and a can of kidney beans. I have all the other ingredients on hand.) </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Most of these meals yield leftovers for at least one more meal (well, all of them do for us--your mileage may vary). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Breakfast most mornings has been pancakes--cheap and easy, and I always have flour and baking powder. For lunch, it's been mostly sandwiches or tortilla wraps. The girls like peanut butter, and another part of the $25 went to sandwich meat and cheese. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I also made two gallons of chicken stock from the chicken bones, and that is now in the freezer. Some of it may be used to make potato soup later--I still have a few potatoes. And my last batch of potato soup never got eaten because of the power outage killing it. :-p </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Not a gourmet menu, but it keeps us all fed and happy. And I was pleasantly surprised that Nelson was able to get everything we absolutely needed for under $24--plus a bag of potato chips for a fun treat. (Yes, we made the "all that and a bag of chips!" joke. Who could resist?)<br />
<br />
In order to keep this post from just being me all pleased with myself, I'll share a couple of recipes. Maybe that will help someone else in the future if they hit a tight week (although I know tastes vary widely, so maybe everyone else will hate all of these recipes!).<br />
<br />
However, with my picky crew, Cincinnati chili is one of the few dishes that everyone loves and eats without complaint. I got the recipe I used from one of the few cookbooks I actually like called <i>I'll Have What They're Having.</i> It's all about regional cuisine from around the country. It gives stories behind the food as well as a recipe, and it makes for a fabulous, fun read. I've read through it several times, but it falls open to the Cincinnati chili recipe automatically now. ;)<br />
<br />
<u>Cincinnati chili</u><br />
1 large onion, chopped (I can't eat onions and Nelson won't, so I sub onion powder)<br />
1.5 lbs. ground beef<br />
<u> </u>1 clove garlic, minced<br />
1 tbsp. chili powder<br />
1 tsp. ground allspice<br />
1 tsp. ground cinnamon<br />
1 tsp. ground cumin (I have been known to add a bit more--I love cumin)<br />
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper<br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce<br />
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce (unfortunately, I have to skip this. I miss it)<br />
1 tbsp. cider vinegar<br />
1/2 cup water<br />
1 lb. dried spaghetti<br />
<br />
Note: Don't go into it thinking it's going to taste like your normal Southwestern chili. With its spices, it's quite a different flavor. But it's delicious.<br />
<br />
Saute onion, garlic, ground beef, and chili powder until meat is no longer pink. Add all other ingredients (except spaghetti), reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 1.5 hours. Remove from heat. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.<br />
<br />
Here's where this dish is perfect for my family: it's completely customizable when it comes to serving!<br />
<br />
Two-way chili: chili over spaghetti noodles (how Natalie often eats hers)<br />
Three-way chili: chili over spaghetti noodles, topped with shredded cheddar (this is Nelson's)<br />
Four-way chili: chili over noodles, topped with shredded cheese and chopped onions (no one here does this)<br />
Five-way chili: chili, spaghetti, cheese, onions, and kidney beans.<br />
<br />
The book says that spaghetti topped with chili, cheese, and kidney beans cannot legitimately be called four-way in Cincinnati itself, but that's how Sarah and I like ours. We're just rebels. Or maybe some Cincinnati natives can tell us that the book is wrong. ;) <br />
<br />
<u>Curry chicken pot pie</u> (this recipe started life as an Alton Brown recipe, but I've modified it for my crew)<br />
3 tbsp. butter<br />
3 tbsp. flour <br />
1.5 cups chicken stock (can use packaged broth if you don't have homemade stock)<br />
1/2 cup whole milk<br />
2 cups cooked chicken (shredded, chopped, whatever)<br />
3-4 cups mixed vegetables (whatever blend your family likes. The recipe calls for 4 cups, but I just use 3, sometimes 2. Can't get away with too many veggies around here)<br />
1 tsp. curry powder<br />
2 tsp. dried parsley<br />
1 tsp. salt<br />
1/2 tsp. black pepper<br />
onion and garlic powder to taste (I never measure)<br />
<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/southern-biscuits-recipe.html" target="_blank">1 batch Alton's biscuit recipe</a> (I use coconut oil instead of shortening) <br />
<br />
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in flour to make a roux. Add milk and stock to pan and let cook a couple of minutes to thicken. <br />
<br />
Combine chicken, veggies, and spices in a baking dish (recipe recommends 9 x 13, but I've messed with the recipe enough that I've gotten away with slightly smaller sizes. I have these weird rectangular pans that I'm not really sure what size they are, but they're not quite 9 x 13). Pour sauce evenly over over all. Top with spoonfuls of biscuit dough. Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes.<br />
<br />
Obviously, you have to like curry for this recipe to be a hit with your family. For us, it's a different flavor from most things we eat, and it makes a nice change.<br />
<br />
Once I accidentally used just turmeric instead of curry. It made the casserole very pretty. :) And we still liked it. <br />
<u> </u><br />
If you would like the original recipe, <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/curry-chicken-pot-pie-recipe.html" target="_blank">you can find it here</a>. <br />
<br />
<i>Sorry this post is so long!!</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318551837697222145noreply@blogger.com0