Our Weekend ... What a Bite!

Actually we had a very fun, yet tiring, weekend! So, why the title? Because everywhere we went required a food item, or two, so I spent a good deal of my weekend cooking.

Friday
We actually didn't go anywhere on Friday. I am typically so wiped out on Friday evenings that I can't even think about going anywhere. I laid around and watched t.v. and went to bed early.

Saturday
The fun began. I got up that morning and intended on cleaning the whole house. I put some brownie bites in the oven to take to our Co-op party later in the evening, and then remembered that we have severe peanut allergies in our group and my brownie bites have a Reese's cup pushed down into the middle of it. Crud. So, I decided we would take those to the OSU/A&M game party we were going to at 2:00 p.m. I threw in a load of laundry and went to Plan B. I had some pizza ingredients laying around (because of the cell project from Friday) so made pepperoni pizza bites. All of the cooking put me behind on house cleaning, so only the bathrooms and some laundry got done. And, the kitchen was a disaster!

We gave the kids showers and Rick took them to the football party. I ran into town to get my nails done (much needed!) then met him at the party. The kids and I left the party early to go home and get ready for the Co-op swim party. Rick met us there later so that he could finish the nail-biting football game ... Go Pokes!

We had a great time with our Co-op families. I loved chatting it up with the moms and Rick gets to know more and more dads at every event. It's great to have that kind of community!

Brynne had a great time swimming with her friends ...

And Eli is finally tall enough to go down the big slide!

We came home and gave Round 2 of baths for the day and hit the sack.

Sunday
Our church's 12th anniversary potluck dinner was after church, so I was up early cooking again. I had slow-cooked a roast all day Saturday, so got it out to make beef stroganoff. I also made blue cheese bites. We went to church and then stayed after for the potluck and talent show "So You Think You Can New Heights?" It was so funny! We had a great time!

We came home after the talent show and I got the rest of the house cleaned. Then I had lesson plans to prepare and grades to enter.

Needless-to-say, I am looking forward to next weekend, when we have nothing planned. But, we had a really fun time this weekend and I was glad to get out and about seeing friends. And, all the food wasn't bad either!

This morning reminds me why I exercise ...

I don't do hard-core exercise, but I need something! This morning reminded me exactly why.

For starters, I have arthritis. With the weather changes we have been having, my hips, back, and knees have been throbbing. When I walk in the mornings, those are the places I feel it most. It's important to keep those joints moving. I always feel better when I do.

It gets me out of bed in the morning and moving. If I sleep in, I feel behind all day.

And here is the big one ... it gives me time to think, when I need to think. I have a situation with one of my kids right now that is causing me some stress. I am not exactly sure how to handle it sometimes. This morning when I was walking, it was a crisp morning. Breathing in the air caused my mind to feel clear. I was praying about this situation and I felt God SPEAK! When I am home, it is rarely quiet enough for me to hear God when He is trying to speak to me. But when it's just me, and Crusoe, and the crisp, dark morning, I can hear clearly.

I was given direct answers for how I should be handling something. I felt such peace and gratitude.

What I heard is opposite of how I have been reacting.

I didn't want to get up this morning and get out there to walk, but I am so glad I did. The physical benefits of exercise are obvious. But it's the mental ones that we tend to forget.

Women in the Word Wednesday

I have joined up with the Good Morning Girls to do a SOAP (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer) study of the book of 1 John. What I have been doing is getting up and reading the assigned scripture for the day, and then meditating on it while I do my morning walk with Crusoe.

So far we have covered 1 John 1:1-3.

 ¹ That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. ² The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. ³ We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

Really, what I have taken from the text so far is JESUS.

He is it. He is the reason. He is eternal life. He is what all of the excitement is about.

With verses 2-3, it got me thinking about when Rick and I go on vacation. Like when we went to Hawaii. It was bea.u.ti.ful. Everything about it was magical. We saw amazing waterfalls, hiked through a bamboo forest, risked our lives climbing through a cave to get to a swimming hole on the other side, ziplined, drove up to the peak of a crater, etc.

When we got back from vacation, we were excited about what we had seen and done and wanted EVERYONE to experience what we experienced, even though they weren't there. We told vivid stories, animated and exciting, doing everything we could to draw others into Hawaii with us. We showed pictures.

It would bother me if other people weren't as interested in it as Rick and I were. I was annoyed and a little disappointed. How could you NOT want to know about something so amazing?

That's what the disciples start with in 1 John. "We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us". They tell us these stories of their experiences with Jesus so that we can SHARE in the fellowship they had with Him. It was amazing. It was exciting. It was bea.u.ti.ful. And they want me to feel as if I were there.

Lord, in this study help me to be excited and engaged when I listen to the stories and wisdom of the disciples' time with Jesus, because I can share in something beautiful if I do. Amen.

Nicole's Daybook

Outside my window... So super sunny. It's blinding me, coming in our back windows!

I am thinking... about what our school schedule might look like next year if we decide to bring Eli home. I would love to take off from Thanksgiving until the New Year. That would require some tweaking, however, to the rest of the year.

I am thankful ... for my husband being ever-mindful of me at all times and baling me out when he realizes I need it.

I am wearing... my jammies and robe. Kyndal and Dawson are gone to a funeral, so Brynne and I are having an easy school day.

I am planning... for Brynne and I to take Crusoe for a walk after while. We'll call that "nature study" and "p.e.".

I am creating... a clean house today. My arthritis was bad this weekend, so I didn't get my house cleaned.

I am going... to dinner with our Homeschool Co-op moms tonight.

I am reading...  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Dawson and I are reading this at the same time, so we are passing it back and forth), Yankee Doodle Boy by Joseph Plumb Martin, (Dawson's read-a-loud), lots of books each day with Eli and Brynne, 1 John (as part of the Good Morning Girls Bible study).

I am hoping... that Fall sticks around for a long time this year, instead of our usual two weeks of it before we head straight into winter (although I prefer winter over summer!)

From the learning rooms... happiness.

Noticing that ... Dawson is settling into his schooling so well now that we have made our changes to his curriculum. Stress is gone.

From the kitchen... Although I bought the ingredients for weeks 3 and 4 of our meal rotation, we are jumbling them up a bit depending on what we are in the mood to eat and our schedule.

Around the house... things need cleaned!

One of my favorite things... Are naps on Sunday, and I had one that was amazing! It was the kind where you climb into bed in comfy clothes, with the drapes closed and the fan on and really sleep!

A few plans for the rest of the week... School, evening t.v. premieres, reading, bowling, golf, and our rescheduled Homeschool Co-op Back-to-School bash on Saturday evening.

From my picture journal.

Lots of this going on at our house these days.

Lots of women Daybook. See what they have to say at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Faaaaaannnnccy!

Today, Brynne had the opportunity to go to a Fancy Nancy tea party at our local library. She met some of her friends there and had a Magnifique (that's a fancy way of saying magnificent) time!

Before we went for tea, we spent the morning learning fancy words and doing fancy things.

First, Brynne made fancy paper by using the technique found here.

Spray shaving cream into the bottom of a 9x13 pan and drip food coloring on it in a random fashion.

Spread it with a fork to blend the colors.

Lay a piece of plain white paper into the shaving cream and press it until it soaks in.

Take paper out of the shaving cream and scrape off with a plastic knife. Let dry completely.

They turned out so fun! We then glued a plain piece of white paper to the inside, and folded it to make a card. Brynne made a "thank you" card for the ladies at the library.

She added jewels for an extra, fancy touch.

She added her monogram in glitter and signed it "Merci, Brynne".

We read the books Fancy Nancy Tea Parties and Fancy Nancy's Favorite Fancy Words at home before we left so that we could learn a couple of french words and some rules of etiquette (that's a fancy way of saying manners).

At the tea party the girls decorated crowns ...

and cookies ...

listened to some stories ...

and walked the red carpet.

Here, Brynne was being obstinate (that's a fancy way of saying she was done with me taking pictures).

With all the dressing up, glitter glue, and fun, the tea party was simply Ooh La La (that's a fancy way of saying Ooh. La. La.)

A Typical Date Night

Yesterday at about 4:00 p.m., Rick called and said his sister had two extra tickets to the Oklahoma State vs. University of Tulsa football game. Rick graduated from OSU and played football there. We never go to the games in Stillwater, that's an hour and a half away, but this game was at TU. He was reluctant to ask me because the game didn't start until 9:00 p.m. And I turn into a pumpkin at 8:14 p.m. sharp.

But, I knew he would want to go, so I agreed, and even showered for the occasion. Everyone who found out I was going to the game had some kind of snide comment. I guess I have a reputation.

Anyway, I armed myself with a Grande Toffee Latte and a King Size Almond Joy bar, and we were off.

Here we are just before the game started.

Shortly after this the TU band played and they started introducing the players. As soon as they introduced the TU players, the announcer said, "The National Weather Service has notified the University of Tulsa that severe weather is in the area. Please evacuate to the concourse, the Reynold's building, or your car."

Everyone just sat there. The University of Tulsa's mascot is the Golden Hurricanes. I honestly thought it was some sort of lead-in for the team running out on the field.

Then the announcer said, "Fans. The National Weather Service has notified ..."

They were serious!

Here is the marquee to prove it.

We decided to just go ahead and leave because I wasn't too excited about waiting out the storm for the game to start (that ended up starting at 12:45 a.m. and getting over close to 5:00 a.m.), and I didn't want to sit on wet bleachers when it did start.

As we were leaving the stadium the wind started blowing hard and it started raining. Rick ran me into a QT and took off running to get our car that was about 10 blocks away. By the time he got back the QT was packed and it was pouring! We drove home in the middle of the most amazing lightening storm. It felt like we were in some kind of weird movie.

And we counted this as a date.

Ahhhh, Saturdays ....

I used to hate Saturdays. Saturday used to be my least favorite day of the week. I have always been a Monday Girl. I like schedules, things to do, routine, consistency. Saturdays always felt like a free-for-all, and I felt like we were always on the verge of a battle as a family. We've got lots of different personalities and usually don't do very well if we are couped up together for long periods of time.

But, as a family, we have slipped into a comfortable way of living.

Last night Kyndal and Dawson both had their best friends sleep over. So, they were up half the night and slept until midday today.

Eli and Brynne came and crawled in bed with Rick and I this morning for a bit. Then we got up, had some breakfast, lazed around.

Eli and I were looking forward to a pj day. Eli has a pj day every Saturday. He doesn't want to get dressed. He doesn't want to leave the house. I'm the same way, although I did get into some sweats and a t-shirt. (He was disappointed that I got out of my pjs.)

Rick and Brynne are goers. They get bored easily!!! They like to sit together on the couch and watch cartoons or movies. But that gets old after a while. So, they have got to where they go bowling on Saturdays, then run some errands, then go eat lunch. Today, when they were done with all that, they even went to the movies to see The Lion King in 3D. Eli didn't want to go do any of that. And I didn't either. We love our Saturdays at home.

Kyndal and her friend took off to eat breakfast at IHOP and go get an outfit to wear to the Taylor Swift concert on Wednesday. Dawson is upstairs playing Wii (because his Xbox is broken ... again ... sent off for repairs ... again.)

Eli's been playing the computer, playing with his toys, playing Wii with Dawson, and watching dvr'd episodes of his favorite shows.

I'm watching some Law and Order: SVU episodes, doing some lesson planning, relaxing.

And the weather is beautiful outside today! I have the door open enjoying the nice breeze.

How about you? Do you like Saturdays? BTW, I still looooooove Mondays!!

Old, Fat and Missing Some Teeth

(no, honey, I'm not talking about you!)

I'm talking about him.

This is Clifford the Big Gray Cat. Age 10. Obese. We started noticing that he has become neurotic about his eating, and that he has really been gnawing on his dry food. Then we noticed that his food is wet a lot, and realized that he is taking his paw and splattering water into his dry food bowl to get his food wet.

And then it occurred to Rick that maybe his teeth are bad. We looked at his teeth and they look pearly white and healthy ... many are just missing! Yeah, I never considered that with age he would lose his teeth. Now, he's not missing any meals, as you can tell. I think he is just softening up his food as best he can, gnawing it down with his gums, and then swallowing it whole. I felt sooooo bad! So I went yesterday and got him some Science Diet wet food. So far he has snubbed his nose at it. Hopefully that will change, he'll eat it, and it will make his eating experience more enjoyable. And maybe only eating a couple of designated times a day, he will lose some weight.

Poor kitty, kitty.

(Maybe it was this kind of neglect that caused our other cat, Spike, his brother, to abandon us three years ago and move three doors down to live with our neighbors. He'd rather brave the elements and live outdoors, than to live with us. Hmmmm .... )

Where in the World is Nicole?

That may be a question you are asking if you are a follower of this blog. I do, seriously, sit and try to come up with something to post on here. But, really, I got nothin'.

This is what my day looks like, now that school is back in session:

6:00 a.m. ~ Out of bed, make Kyndal's lunch, have a cup of coffee, get dressed and take Crusoe for a walk.

7:00 a.m. ~ Grab my Bible, more coffee, my computer and sit in my favorite chair for "my time".

8:00 a.m. ~ Get Dawson and Eli up to get ready for school, and hope I don't wake up Brynne. Get Eli's breakfast, lunch packed and take him to school.

9:00 a.m. ~ Feed the dogs, feed Brynne (if she's up), get her occupied and start school with Dawson. Sometimes I am able to fit in a shower.

until about 2:30 p.m. ~ We are doing school.

2:30 p.m. ~ I have got to where I go lay down on my bed for about 30 minutes and read or power nap or catch up on e-mails and blog reading.

3:15 p.m. ~ Go pick Eli up from school, come home and read with him and practice his spelling words and do any other homework with him.

4:00 p.m. ~ Start dinner preparation.

5:00 p.m. ~ Feed the kids, then eat with Rick when he gets home, then clean the kitchen.

7:00 p.m. ish ~ Give the kids a bath and get their beds ready, coffee pot set for the next day, clothes out for the next day, etc.

8:30 p.m. ~ Get kids to bed, sit on the couch and watch a bit of t.v.

9:00 p.m. or a little after ~ To bed.

On the weekends, I clean the house, get laundry caught up, input grades, do lesson plans, blog and sleep.

And that's pretty much my life.

I am boring. Sorry. I am in that season of my life where I am taking care of the needs of my family and my kids' education. This arrangement bodes well for a total homebody. Seriously, I could go weeks without leaving my house. I am actually looking forward to having  a snow storm that closes us in for a couple of weeks.

So, like I've said in the past, most of what I am doing these days can be found at Journey to Excellence. If you care about what we are learning, you can check over there. If not, I'll see you here if and when I actually have something interesting to say.

Nicole's Daybook

Outside my window... Sunny. Cheery. Hopefully not too hot.

I am thinking... about scriptures I can pray over a selfish one in our home who is causing me stress.

I am thankful ... for wisdom of other women, even women I've never even met, and God providing me with what I need, when I need it.

I am wearing... jeans, yellow t-shirt and Rocket Dog slip-on shoes.

I am planning... this week's Co-op study on China.

I am creating... a care package to send to my grandma in the nursing home.

I am going... to have Brynne color a picture for my Aunt Rhonda who will be having  a mastectomy on September 30th.

I am reading...  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Winter of Red Snow by Kristiana Gregory, (Dawson's read-a-loud), lots of books each day with Eli and Brynne,  More Faith in My Day by Emilie Barnes (daily devotional).

I am hoping... that Rick doesn't get too worn out. He's been doing some extra contracted jobs, so staying up late and working hard.

From the learning rooms... It's a much-better week! First of all, I am on the ball and prepared. Second, I feel much better about the curriculum choices we have switched to for Dawson's biology and algebra. Third, he has such a great attitude, which is rare in teenagers today. Brynne and I are focusing on science this week because we didn't get to it last week. She did a beautiful job in her nature journal yesterday. Eli is reading a lot and working on math facts. Kyndal has been nominated president of her Cosmo class, so she feels very honored.

Noticing that ... it is possible to love someone and dislike someone all at the same time.

From the kitchen... Week two of our new four-week meal rotation.

Around the house... It's clean. It's organized (or as organized as it's going to get).

One of my favorite things... Parenthood starts back up tonight! Love that show!

A few plans for the rest of the week... A very normal week. School during the day. Eli and Rick bowling tonight. Kyndal working a couple nights this week. Nothing much else in the evenings. Church on Sunday.

From my picture journal.

I had to copy this from my friend Cheryl's Daybook today. So funny!

Lots of women Daybook. See what they have to say at The Simple Woman's Daybook.