To Do Lists

Today's agenda for Tim and me basically summed up the kind of people we are:

Tim's List: Fix a computer for a friend, do some work for BIL's business, and relax.

Sarah's List: Get eyebrows waxed, hair cut, pick up bedding for the rat's cage, take Mattie to skating and sign up Jonah for swimming, finish laundry (fold and put away), clean our bedroom and change our sheets, steam clean the carpet in our room, bake for memorial tomorrow, maybe take a walk or hike.

As we were exchanging lists of the "to-do" variety, we realized (for the millionth time) that Tim really likes to relax on the weekends, and I really like to get myself in over my head and then after only completing half of my list, complain I didn't get anything done. I feel like the perpetual Martha. Sometimes I even see sleep as a waste of time because I can't get more things done!
What makes me antagonize myself like this? Is it a woman thing? A mom thing? A Sarah thing?

In any case, by writing it down, I have acknowledged this to be a problem, and realize that I cannot humanly get to everything on my list everyday. I want to say to myself: GIVE ME A BREAK.

Here's to a happy and relaxing weekend to you all!

Sledding!

Fun times! Since most of February was spent either sick or hibernating, we decided today was just the right weather to hit the slopes. And by slopes, I mean sledding hill! Sidenote: Advantages of homeschooling include no traffic on the hills.

Oxymoron

I was perusing the Sunday paper this afternoon and found a good one in the Meijer paper. It said "LENTEN EXTRAVAGANZA!" and was trying to sell more fish with this little advertising ditty. What would a Lenten Extravaganza look like anyway? Now with more crucifixions... Sheesh. People will use anything to sell a product.

At dinner tonight, we talked about Lent with the kids and the topic of sacrificing something we like to remind us of Jesus' sacrifice came up. Mattie suggested we give up Biggby's coffee for Lent, which is probably not a bad idea. Jonah said he would give up candy (but not cookies) and Mattie shot down any suggestions we had for her. She said, "Do we have to give up something?" Hmm, maybe this lesson hasn't soaked in yet.

Hmmm, don't have an idea for a Top Ten list tonight, but I will end with the books I am reading:

-Three Cups of Tea -- this is an awesome book about an American guy who builds schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan...really inspiring and thought-provoking.
-Living More With Less (Longacre) -- this book is written by a Mennonite woman, and the title explains it all. It is a really simple book, but has some profound truths in it about American society and the overwhelming need for more "stuff". Has lots of practical tips too, on how to reduce, reuse, recycle. She also wrote a cookbook called More-With-Less Cookbook that has some simple and inexpensive meals in it.

Sun on the Brain

I must have warmer weather on my mind lately, as in my last blog, I wrote "isle" instead of "aisle" -- silly me.
I have been planning/plotting/scheming a trip for Tim and I (it's not very secret, since I run things by him on a weekly basis). It will be our 10 year wedding anniversary this fall on September 25th. Woohoo! It's hard to believe it's been that long, but it's definitely something we want to celebrate.
I'd like to do something really fun but not too expensive -- we've kicked around ideas like Disney (minus kids) or a bed and breakfast in Key West, or a cruise...
Only problem is that it's totally hurricane season. We lucked out for our honeymoon and never ran into bad weather besides it being cloudy a few days.
So, does anyone have any suggestions? Should I just take my chances and quite worrying about the weather? The nice thing is that in general everything is cheaper during that time of year... :D

Mango Sorbet

I got this recipe out of the Thai cookbook I've been reading lately. It is really great!

6 tblsp. powdered sugar
1/2 scant cup water
3 tablespoons cream of coconut (also called Coco Lopez, and usually found in the alcoholic drink isle -- make sure it's real coconut and it's not an imitation) You can use the rest of the can to make virgin pina coladas for the kids, they'll love you!


Bring these two ingredients to a boil in a small sauce pan. Stir and boil for 2 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off heat, add coconut and stir it in, and let cool.

4 limes
1 large ripe mango

Cut in half and squeeze the limes for the juice. Peel the mango and cut into chunks. Add the lime juice and the mango into a food processor and puree. Add mango puree and the sugar/water/coconut mixture together and place into a freezer safe container with a lid.

Let freeze one hour -- then remove from freezer and stir to break up ice crystals. Let freeze one more hour and repeat. Leave in freezer until it's frozen solid.

It's such a good dish because it's very refreshing, but also creamy and satisfying from the coconut.

:)

The States

I know this isn't the most interesting thing to blog about, but it helps me stay on track and keep a record of what we've accomplished in regards to homeschooling. At our co-op, the kids are taking a class about the 50 states, so at home, we are also working on memorizing the capitals of each state. So far, we've gotten capitals for Michigan, Hawaii, Kansas, Oregon, Florida, and Oklahoma down.
This morning Tim and the kids worked on making a small map of the US to scale in order to transfer it on to a big white tablecloth. We'll draw the country and state outlines on that and then add the points of interest to each state as we learn about it.

Potty Humor

I have a close friend who has been hospitalized recently. She is a busy and wonderful mom with three kids. When I found out she was having health problems, my heart went out to her husband and children who were surely feeling the loss of having mom at home. A group of moms immediately started praying, getting meals together, and providing childcare to help them. I had the joy of having her boys at my house for the day today.
My first conversation with her littlest went like this:
Him: I hafta go potty! (he is potty training)
Me: O.K., let me show you where it is...(Leading him to the potty)
Him: Stay with me o.k....sometimes this is scary.
Me: (trying not to smile) O.k.

Silence.

Him: When I go Pee in the potty, I get chocolate chips.
Me: (slightly frantic) Uhhh, I don't have any chocolate chips....but maybe I have M+Ms?

I go out to the cupboard and dig 5 M+Ms out of a bag of trail mix.

Him: Mmmmm, M+Ms are good.

Silence as he munches, still sitting on the potty.

Him: AND....when I go POOP.....(completely serious, not even cracking a smile) I get a BIIIG cookie.

:)
I was laughing so hard, I was crying -- this kid was trying to bilk me out of more treats!

Watching these boys today, I know that God has a plan for them and their mom and dad. Please, God, help her get healthy again, guide the doctors and the treatment, and keep their family ever focused on you. Protect them, comfort them, and give them peace.

Top Ten: Chores

These are my favorite things to do around the house (if I have to do chores around the house):

1. Wash/Fold Laundry
2. Mow the Lawn
3. Vaccum
4. Empty Trash Cans/Take out Trash
5. Cook
6. Clean the kitchen
7. Unload the dishwasher
8. Make the beds
9. Clean the kid's rooms
10. Wash windows

I absolutely HATE to hand-wash dishes and mop floors. I absolutely LOVE to do laundry, cook, and mow the lawn.
What do you all like/dislike to do?

Catch Up

Yikes! It's been a while. We were all sick here, pretty much since last weekend. Mattie is still coughing and Tim is *just now* starting to feel sick. This week was pretty much a bust, school-wise. We went to our co-op on Tuesday, did about a half day's work on Wednesday, and Friday we finally got a whole school day in...so we have some catching up to do. Good news is that we've been to the library 3 times this week, and our TV is in for repairs, so we've gotten a lot of reading done. :D
What our family is reading:
Mom:
-Now You're Cooking by Elaine Corn (in preparation for *possibly* teaching a cooking class at Explorers next year)
-On the Rez by Ian Frazier -- it's a book about the Pine Ridge Reservation, the largest reservation and two poorest counties in the country.
Mattie and Jonah:
-Junie B. Jones "Dumb Bunny" -- this is the only one we haven't read in the series, and our library actually had it in this week, so we snatched it up.
-The Boxcar Children "Mystery in the Snow"
-The Boxcar Children "Finders Keepers Mystery"
Tim:
-Dreamweaver MX and PHP manual (it's about creating websites, and was his Valentine's Day present -- we're so romantic...)

So for Valentine's Day, Mattie and Jonah are going to Grandma's house and Tim and I are making Thai food at home (Shrimp Pad Thai and Corn Fritters with Chili Sauce - Yum!) and then going up town to the Methodist church to watch Fireproof, and have desserts and coffee afterwards.

What is everyone else doing?

Happy Valentine's Day all...spread the LOVE.

:)
Sarah

Top Ten: Places I'd Like to Visit

1. Alaska
2. Finland
3. St. John's VI (this would be a repeat, since we went there on our honeymoon)
4. The Grand Canyon
5. Yosemite National Park
6. England (go on a canal boat)
7. Australia
8. Japan (to visit friends)
9. Galapagos Islands
10. South Manitou Island (we're thinking about hiking and backpacking there this summer)

How about you?
I really love to travel....I would love to spend some time living in another country, maybe going on a mission trip sometime. There;s nothing more fun than anticipating a trip, planning, packing...adventure!

Roasted Veggie and Havarti Panini

This is my new favorite sandwich to make this winter. I found a great recipe for roasted veggies:
3-4 red or orange peppers
3 small zucchini or yellow squash
1 bunch of asparagus
1 large sweet onion

Cut all the veggies up in large strips or chunks (1/2 inch wide or so), depending on the veggie.

Toss veggies in fresh diced garlic, balsamic vinegar, some olive or canola oil (about 1/4 cup) and salt and pepper to taste.

Set oven to 400 degrees and cook for 20-30 minutes or until the veggies are roasted through.

Then I buy a loaf of crusty bread (italian or sourdough) and some good havarti cheese.

I make the sandwich like you'd make a grilled cheese with a slice of havarti, then the veggies piled high, then another slice on the other piece of bread (so the veggies don't make the bread soggy). Cook on both sides until the bread is brown and crusty and the cheese is melted...
It would be great in a panini press or in a George Foreman Grill too.

This recipe makes enough veggies to make about 6 sandwiches, and they are good warmed up, so you can make sandwiches all week long, or eat the veggies as a side dish.

:)
YUM.

Budget

Tim and I are really working on tightening our money habits. Sadly (amazingly), after 10 years of marriage, this is the first time we've ever set up and followed a budget! I really find that we are enjoying this process. It's actually fun to talk about the expenses, account for each dollar, and feel like we are getting somewhere instead of spinning our wheels. Of course, as a stay-at-home mom, I have the time to commit to cooking food instead of eating out, clip coupons, search for deals on everything from entertainment to oil changes. And each time I score a deal, I feel really good about contributing to our financial security, even though I am not "making an income".
The thing I'm most happy about last month, spending-wise, is that between coupons, doubled coupons, and store sales, I saved 50 dollars and cut a $116 grocery bill down to $66! I know with a little focus each month, we can really get things in line.
Some of our goals for this year:
1. Save for an emergency fund -- new concept here. We have retirement accounts, but nothing much that we can use in case of an emergency. I don't want to fall back on credit.
2. Start paying and basically deleting our credit lines. Pay for things with cash. If we don't have cash, we don't buy it.
3. Tithe regularly and increase the percentage of our tithe. This is really about creating a habitual routine for us -- check into direct withdrawal.
4. Finalize our wills.
5. Continue to discuss our budget and goals regularly with each other.

Anyone have any great deal ideas?

Explorers

Today was the first day of the winter semester for our homeschooling co-op. It was surprisingly smooth sailing today! We go to St. Luke's on Tuesdays from 9 AM to 3 PM with about 250 other kids ranging in age from 3-18. This semester, Mattie is taking Ballet, Nifty 50 (the 50 states), Multicultural Masterpieces, Seasons of Arts and Crafts, and Fun and Games (board games). Jonah is taking History of Weapons, Nifty 50, Physical Education, and Seasons of Arts and Crafts and Fun and Games. I assist in the Weapons class, do my 1st/2nd grade team leader duties during 2nd and 3rd hour, and then I am teaching General Science for middle school during 3rd and 4th hours. Whew...by the time we get home, I am mentally exhausted and have a totally new appreciation for school teachers.
Explorers is a real blessing to our family -- it is so nice to see our friends, get back into the routine, and have the kids take fun classes from other Christian adults besides mom.

Superbowl Irony

Isn't it just true that people gather at whichever friend's house has the biggest T.V. to watch the Superbowl? So, like the sheeple we are, we headed to my sister-in-laws to eat fattening food, drink too much pop, and stare intently at the TV for 5 hours.
It's not my favorite event.
(Anyone that knows me knows I am not a fan of the television. I watch *maybe* two hours of TV a week, and if the TV's on, I'm usually in another part of the house doing ANYTHING but that. On top of that, there isn't a sport I care about LESS than football. I'd rather watch lumberjack competitions than FOOTBALL!)
I digress.

Anyhow, last night was possibly the best and most fun Supebowl I've ever had.
The TV died.
That's right, at about 6:24, the monster 60 inch TV quit working.
Gave up the ghost.
Went black.
Kicked the bucket. :D
Oh, it was rich. People running around the house, looking for some sort of replacement bulb. What should we do? Move the party? It's a crisis!!!!
In the end, most of the men crowded around an old TV brought out of one of the bedrooms -- and still enjoyed their football.
But for a moment, there was a glimmer of hope.

P.S. As an aside...I really liked the commercial about hating your job where the woman's screaming in the car, then a co-worker walks past the cubicle and tells this guy, "Hey, dummy..." like 10 times, and they punch the koala, and then the guy in the cubicle next door is wearing only underwear. It made me laugh.

Top Ten: Music

These are my all-time-favorite musical artists -- this is unbelievably hard to do!
Please feel free to list yours....
1. Beatles
2. Bare Naked Ladies
3. Counting Crows
4. Indigo Girls
5. Neil Diamond (thanks, Dad!)
6. Maroon 5
7. David Crowder Band
8. No Doubt
9. Van Morrison
10. Simon and Garfunkel

Whew. That was exhausting. Too bad it wasn't Top One Hundred.
:D