Readng the Bible and the Catechism in 365 days

I have been becoming more familiar with who I am as a Catholic woman and the path God has put me on. I feel in the dark some days but little by little I am learning and changing.

What better way to learn about myself through God than to read and become familiar with the Bible?

I have read the Bible before and of course I hear Scripture every Sunday at mass, but I would like a more personal relationship with the Bible and the teachings it holds.

The Coming Home Network has a great recourse for reading the Bible along with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I printed out the chart with the suggested passage from the Bible and the corresponding paragraphs to the Scripture in the Catechism. Each day for 365 days new passages are given. On the last day I will have completed the whole Bible and the whole Catechism of the Catholic.

Reading the Bible can be overwhelming for me at times. This is perfect because it gives me a plan. All it takes is 20 to 30 minutes of reading a day; I certainly think I can commit to that.

I think this type of plan will also remind me just how much the Catholic Church is in harmony with Sacred Scripture.

Today, Sept 1st, is my start day. If you are interested or would like to join me on the 365-day commitment, you can print out the chart of suggested readings from the Bible and The Catechism here.


“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (NAB)

Super Commenter Award

My first award!
Happy Hearts at Home awarded me with the Super Commenter Award.
Thank you

Belonging

There is something about fitting in that makes me feel comfortable and loved. When I am with family and friends and we agree on issues or support each other’s lives, it gives me a warm cozy feeling of belonging.

When it comes to the Catholic faith within our families, Big D and I are kind of outsiders.
I would love to have get togethers where talking about Feast Days, the homily at Church or political issues would not leave people feeling uncomfortable. I would love to have a devout Catholic family that understands my life and why we choose to live this way.

When I think about this I am wondering if I am being selfish, if my reasons are more for my benefit than the benefit of other’s souls. Sometimes they are selfish and I really don’t mean them to be. But I can’t help finding myself longing for the companionship of like-minded Catholics who are close to me.

I have been blessed to belong to a great homeschool group with women I can relate to. Friends from my parish have also played a major role in my faith and the feeling of belonging. But nothing compares to an everyday relationship you can turn to for advice and understanding.

While doing my daily blog reading I came across a post by Catholic Mom Climbing the Pillars. In her post she gave recognition to Catholic blogs. While I was reading I realized how important Catholic blogs have become to me, especially blogs written by Catholic women and mothers.

Everyday I can go to these blogs and find wisdom, faith teaching, advice, and a sense that these women understand because we all belong to the same community.

I am beginning to know my fellow moms in my homeschool group a little better. I pray that our relationships will grow and we can all benefit from being close Catholic women and mothers.

Never take for granted that you and your mother, grandmother, sister etc…are just alike. Having that connection is what helps bring peace to the soul.

I want to thank Catholic’s who reach out from their blogs. It does not go unnoticed. To some you are a daily connection to belonging and a guide to help on the path of faith.

I greatly appreciate it.

Preschool

My two oldest children Miss and Lil D have never attended preschool. Big D and I taught them the basics at home and then sent them to Kindergarten.

Not sending my children to preschool was a hang up that I had. If I had known more about homeschooling back then I would not have sent them to Kindergarten either. My reason is kind of silly. My heart ached when I put backpacks on my kids. The backpack was so big on their little bodies. All I could say when I looked at them was, "They are still babies!" My hang up with the backpacks kept my children from preschool. I know it's silly but I can't help it.

Now that we are homeschooling I have become adventurous and decided that I will bring my Preschooler Bug into the mix.

When she thought she was going to school in a building away from home she was not happy. When I told her we were going to do school at home she became excited and seems willing, for now.

With my older two we read books and did flash cards. They would do an occasional workbook that I picked up from Target and that was the extent of their preschool education. This worked out fine and both were ready when Kindergarten started.

Now that I am homeschooling I am always on the computer looking for ideas to do with my kids. I was visiting the blog Weird,Unsocialized Homeschoolers and came upon all her great links for preschool.

I really like the site Brightly Beaming Resources. This site gives you a complete Preschool curriculum that you can print out. It has a beginning curriculum and then you can go into the more advanced curriculum.

Another great site is Kidzone. They have crafts, many printouts, and preschool lesson plans. Core Knowledge also has preschool lesson plans.

When it comes to online games Bug and I like Starfall.com. Especially since I am focusing on teaching her letter recognition and letter sounds.

I have always been interested in the Montessori way of learning, Although I do not intend Montessori to be the only method of teaching Bug. I do hope to add a few of the learning techniques to are curriculum.

Some of the Montessori sites I find helpful are Montessorimom.com. This site gives a lot of Montessori techniques and explains how to do them. They also have lessons and worksheets that you can print out.

If you want to order Montessori materials for your preschooler, Child of the World has a nice catalog.

I prefer not to buy a Preschool curriculum, so I found the sites I mentioned above to be great resources.

I hope teaching preschool will be a good experience for Bug and I. If it goes as smooth as I plan, it will be wonderful, if it doesn't we still have the tried and true books and flash cards.

P.S My post is up over at The Homeschool Classroom. If you are interested you can check it out.

Jesus With Us The Gift of the Eucharist (Book Review)

Lil D will be making his first Communion this year. It is a very exciting time for all of us. We have been reading books and going over how important his First Holy Communion will be.

One of the books we just finished reading is Jesus With Us The Gift of The Holy Eucharist by A.Tarzia and J. Ferri.

Lil D and I both love this book. It is full of information. The book tells how the first Masses were done, Miracles, and the reasons why the Eucharist is so important to Catholics, plus much more.

This book is intended for children ages 7-10 years old. It is an easy but informative read. We read half the book one-night and the other half the next.

Lil D especially liked the story about the miracle of Bolsena. He said he wanted to go to Orvieto Italy so he could actually see the cathedral where they keep the Host and the corporal.

He enjoyed hearing about the masses held in the catacombs, but was not to keen about visiting the underground cemeteries. I told him by the time we were able to take a family trip to Italy he would be much older and the catacombs would not seem so scary. Lil D’s reply to this was if we go to Rome when he is older I will be too old and not know where I am going. He then got up off the couch and acted out how I would be walking through the catacombs, old and senile complete with a hunchback and cane. Thanks Lil D.

If you are looking for a book for the special day of First Communion or would just like to go over the importance of the Eucharist with your children this would be a good book to add to your list.

Wordless Wednesday

How many kids does it take to stir a pitcher of kool-aid?

Wordless Wednesday

I Once Knew a Homeschooled Kid and They Were Weird

I was reading a post over at Conversion Diary (formally known as ‘ET TU”) the post is about how kids use their peers instead of their parents, family and other adults to find their identity, morals, and values. This post had me thinking of the comment I have come to expect from those who wish to express their feelings about homeschool to me.

The statement I sometimes get is, “I once knew a homeschooled kid and they were weird.”

I find it strange that people have known one homeschooled kid and this child was extremely weird.

Then I ask weird in what way? Usually they can’t give me a specific weirdness, so I come to my own conclusions. Are they weird because they respect adults, children, and the elderly? Are they weird because in social situations they want to talk about things that matter and not superficial ideas that society shows our children? Are they weird because some have a deep relationship with God? Unfortunately in today’s world this is weird.

I have not had the privilege to meet that one unique, weird, unsocialized homeschooled child that so many of my acquaintances have met.

I am sure there are traditional “weird” children who are or have been homeschooled. But have you been to a public school or a private school lately? I have known many so called weird kids and I was never homeschooled or even met a homeschooled child until recently. The homeschooled kids and young adults I have met have not had a sense of weirdness to them. They seem petty normal to me.Who knows, maybe I am the weird one.

There are a lot of things that influence children in school, some good and some bad. If teaching my children that the bad parts are in no way cool will make them weird, then they are going to be weird. If loving God and having respect for themselves and for others is weird then so be it. If teaching that family is the most important influence in their life is weird then I would like you to meet my four weird children.

You can read what another Homeschooler has to say about this topic at Weird,Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

Amish Friendship Bread and Starter Recipes

I received an Amish friendship bread starter from a friend. This is the second time I received one. The first time I forgot all about it and never made the bread. This time I took care of the starter and actually made the bread.

The bread is very good, sweet but not too sweet. I would not use it for sandwiches but it is great for breakfast or a snack. Miss loves this bread, so I kept a starter to make this bread every ten days. I like this recipe because it is all about giving. You give the starter to your friends and family and you can also give the finished product away.

Starter recipe
Reminder: Do not use any metal bowls, spoons or utensils. Nothing metal at all.

Ingredients:

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4-cup warm water (110°F)
1-cup all-purpose flour
1-cup white sugar
1 cup warm milk (110°F)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water for about 10 minutes. Stir well.

2. In a 2-quart glass or plastic container, combine 1 cup sifted flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or the flour will get lumpy when you add the milk.

3. Slowly stir in warm milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Loosely cover the mixture with a lid or plastic wrap. The mixture will get bubbly. Consider this Day 1 of the cycle, or the day you receive the starter.

For the next 10 days handle starter according to the instructions for Amish Friendship Bread below.

Amish Friendship Bread Recipe

Day 1 - receive the starter (recipe for starter is above)

Day 2 - stir

Day 3 - stir

Day 4 - stir

Day 5 - Add 1 cup each flour, sugar and milk.

Day 6 - stir

Day 7 - stir

Day 8 - stir

Day 9 - stir

Day 10 - Add 1 cup flour, 1-cup sugar and 1-cup milk. Divide into 4 containers, with 1 cup each for three of your friends and 1 cup for your own loaves. Give friends the instructions for Day 1 through Day 10 and the following recipe for baking the bread.

After removing the 3 cups of batter, combine the remaining cup of Amish Friendship Bread starter with the following ingredients in a large bowl:

2/3-cup oil
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1-cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Using a fork beat by hand until well blended. You can add 1-cup raisins and 1-cup nuts (optional).


Grease two loaf pans with butter, sprinkle with sugar instead of flour.

Bake at 325 for 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans. Makes two loaves of Amish Friendship Bread.


This recipe can be a learning tool for kids. They can take care of the starter, help you make the bread, and get a lesson is sharing as they give away the starter to others.

Enjoy

Mr.Ingalls

As a girl, Little House on the Prairie was one of my favorite shows to watch. When I was young I pictured myself being Laura Ingalls and living in her modest little house, having adventures and getting into a little mischief now and then. It seemed like an ideal life. Everyone helping each other, Family was the most important thing. I truly wanted to live in Walnut Grove.

As I got older I continued to enjoy the show but my thoughts changed a bit. I came to the understanding that if I were to ever get married it would be to a man that was like the character Mr. Charles Ingalls, Lara’s father. I don’t know when I decided this but it was decided.

Mr. Ingalls character was a hard worker, who came home every night after a long day with a smile and kisses for his family. When ever a neighbor or a friend needed help Mr. Ingalls was always there. He went to Church, he called his daughter half pint (How can you not love that?) and he showed polite love and affection to his wife Mrs. Ingalls

After all the children were put to bed Mr. Ingalls would go sit outside with his pipe and I am guessing ponder life. Then Mrs. Ingalls would come out and they would talk and laugh with each other

Even though Mr. Ingalls was a sweet, loving, and mild tempered man, if you messed with his family you better watch out. When it came to his family and their well being Mr. Ingalls didn’t play around.

I have two daughters, and the way fathers and husbands are portrayed on T.V just does not compare to Mr.Ingalls. Will my daughters be weird like me and find their future husbands character from a T.V show? I don’t think that will be necessary because we have a real live Mr. Ingalls that lives with us in our home, their dad.

Change

Things look a little different around here. I decided it was time to give this blog a makeover.
It is more personal now, a little more me.
It seems like this blog is not the only change that is happening around here.
One thing going on is changing our house around, an easy change but one that holds meaning for me.

The reason we are changing the house around is to give my oldest child a little space of her own. She will be ten next month and I am watching a tremendous change take place in her. She can be my sweet little girl, playing with her brothers and sisters, still getting into her dress up box. Then there are times where she acts older, times when I can glimpse a different type of maturity in her.

This change is bitter sweet. Soon to come are the teenage years, I hope she will carry a little bit of her child like good nature into the years to come. I will miss the little girl but I look forward to knowing her as a young lady and a teenager.

Then there is the change of my children’s education, homeschooling is only weeks away. I am excited and nervous. Really I can’t wait to get started.

Another thing happening is a change within me. If you read this blog you may have noticed that I have written a couple of posts about women and their role that God has set for us. I have been reading articles, reading books, and talking with intelligent and faithful women about this subject. I would like to have a better understanding of the role women play in the Catholic faith and in society. With that understanding I am hoping to have a different outlook, become comfortable with myself and embrace all the changes happening around me.

“Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become.”
-Unknown

Objectification of Woman

I have just read this article by Helen Alvare from the website catholicwomen.com.
Her point of view on feminism and the consumerism of female sexuality is something I have never thought of before.

I think it is important for Catholic women and all women for that matter to realize our self worth, for ourselves and for the future generations.


You can read the whole article here Female Objectification Not All Fault of Men

Wordless Wednesday

Boys, I'll never understand them.

Wordless Wednesday

Fill It Up

Blaise Pascal wrote: “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person, and it can never be filled by any created thing. It can only be filled by God, made known through Jesus Christ.”

I am sure you have heard a few times that every person has a God shaped hole in their heart that can only be filled by God. What does this mean? I have thought about this for a while and have come to my own opinion to what this statement means to me.

In this world we are bombarded by quick fixes. If you feel empty or alone there are many things that can quickly lift your spirits for the short term.

Going by my own experiences there are people who find all kind of ways to fill these holes. Spending money on “things” that they think will make them happy. Using food as a way to calm their emotions and fill the empty hole. I have fallen into these ways of fulfillment myself and quickly realized that these ways do not fill up the empty feeling, they actually bring more emptiness.

Even relationships can be used to temporarily fill the hole from loneliness, and sadness. Couples that stay together when it is obvious that they are doing harm to one another. There is no care for the other’s spiritual well being. They help the other sin. Yet they stay together because the hole is being temporarily filled although they continue feeling lonely and hurt.

Children used to fill these empty holes in their parents would have to be the saddest example for me.

Then of course there are the addictions, drugs, alcohol, gambling etc…

How do I keep myself from falling into the traps laid out before us? My answer is God. Do people want to hear this answer? I don’t know, but it is the only one I have.

Did God give us this heart with the hole in it and just expect us to figure out how to fill it? When I give my simple answer of God to people with little or no faith how are they supposed to understand what I mean?

That is where the Sacraments and the Catholic Faith come in. I really can’t believe God would leave us wandering around wondering how we are to get Him to fill our empty hearts. What do we do?

As humans we love our senses. We like to see things happening, smell them, hear them, and feel them. God knows this, after all he knows everything and he made himself human, so He knows.

The Sacraments are just that, the real touchable presence of God. He has given us himself in such a way that we can see, feel, taste, and hear. God is not invisible; He can be touched with all your senses in the Catholic Church.

God clearly explained and showed us exactly how to fill up our hearts. It is not a guessing game or supposed to leave us in wonder. God is present in a special way through the Eucharist and in every other Sacrament. He is waiting to be taken into our hearts, to fill us with peace and joy. God waits there for us and always will.

Too Much Stuff

Big things are happening in our house. We are switching everybody’s rooms around. I know real exciting right?

We have six people, three bedrooms and an almost ten year old who has been politely begging me to have her own room. So I gave in and decided everything needs to be rearranged.

Big D and I are moving downstairs, the two girls will have their own rooms and the boys will share a room. You can imagine the “That’s not fair!” shrieking out of Lil D’s mouth when I told him the news. I could have been like my Mom and used the good old saying, “Well life is not fair, get used to it.” But I didn’t.

We also have a T.V/ playroom in the basement and I told Lil D that since he has to share a room that area of the basement would be his little getaway. He was fine with that and life became a fair place once again.

I had no idea the amount of work that was going to be in store for me. The reason being is we have too much stuff. I am in the process of cleaning out my room and the basement, and all I keep saying is, “Why do we have this?” “We don’t need this.” I want to get rid of it all, I want to simplify our space.

I feel the amount of clutter and “stuff” that is in our home is not good for our well being, well mine at least. It gives me anxiety and a personal cluttered feeling.

I want anything with dust on it gone. Anything that has been shuffled around but never picked up and actually looked at gone. I want to simplify.

I posted a huge amount of our big things on freecycle.org and the items are in the process of being picked up. Now I have to tackle our room. Most of the stuff in our room is Big D’s, getting rid of it will be tricky.

Pray for me that I don’t get lost in this jungle of nick knacks and dusty furniture. And if you need anything let me know I am sure we have one around here somewhere.

Child Psychology and Nonsense by G.K. Chesterton

My dear husband sent me this article by G.K Chesterton.

I found this article to be quite interesting. Chesterton explains why adults can sometimes be caught up in the ways they teach their children and forget that there is a child involved.

I think it is important when educating your child to think of them. What is on their mind, how do they learn? As I start to homeschool it will be beneficial to my children for me to remember this. Yes they need to learn math, English, science and so on. I want to do what I can to teach them the way children learn. I want them to enjoy it.

"In this age of child-psychology nobody pays any attention to the actual psychology of the child. All that seems to matter is the psychology of the psychologist and the particular theory or train of thought that he is maintaining against another psychologist. Most of the art and literature now magnificently manufactured for children is not even honestly meant to please children. The artist would hardly condescend to make a baby laugh if nobody else laughed, or even listened. These things are not meant to please the child. At best they are meant to please the child-lover."

One of the many reasons I decided to homeschool was because I wanted my children to love learning. I think that's why Chesterton's article hits home with me. I want my child's learning to please my child--not just the "child-lover." I think homeschooling allows just that.

Read the full article Child Psychology and Nonsense by G.K Chesterton

Body Mind and Soul

Three days ago I started exercising, eating foods that are good for my body and have used prayer as my focus. I am happy to announce I have lost three pound, and the feeling of wellness is starting to occur

I want to be healthy mind, body and soul, these are not quick easy fixes, but nothing easy has ever worked for me in the long run. If I change the outside but neglect the inside I will never be whole.

A friend of mine has a great blog about weight loss, but it is more than that. It is about real people dealing with food, dieting, body image and spirituality. The blog is called In God’s Image. The writers on the blog have inspired me to take my whole being along on my spiritual journey through this life.

With God as my focus anything can be accomplished and for all the right reasons.

Wordless Wednesday

I love these moments, even if the peace and quiet only lasts for a minute or two.

Wordless Wednesday

And Baby Makes Seven

We had a lot going on this past week. Big D took a vacation, we went camping, we took the kids to the Exhibit Museum of Natural History, and we attended Big D’s work picnic. We ended the week by having a little visitor stay with us for the weekend. Baby B my little niece.

The kids loved having Baby B around. Everyone wanted to hold her and feed her. She received lots of kisses during her stay here. Miss and Bug were all about Baby B. They were constantly taking care of her and remarking about how cute and cuddly she is.

Lil D also thought she was a little cutie, he would come and look at her periodically and remark about her cuteness and then take off again. One time Lil D announced that this place is a zoo, but I am sure he said it out of love.

Oney gave Baby B lots of kisses at first. Poking Baby B’s head seemed like his favorite thing to do. After a while when Oney realized Baby B was staying for a while, he was not happy that my attention was directed at her. We had a few meltdowns.

Babies need to eat all the time. At least that is what it seems like. I am used to giving the little ones some crackers and sending them on their way. I forgot what a production feeding a baby is. But it was a happy reminder when I had Baby B in my arms as she ate, her little eyes looking into mine as she dozed in and out of sleep.

The first night Baby B slept well for a newborn, Oney did not. Every time I would get Baby B to sleep, Oney would wake up. It was at 3am the first night that I remembered what sleep deprivation felt like.

The next night went better. Everyone slept properly and I could actually function in the morning. It was nice to have Baby B around. Her little smiles can melt any heart.

Newborns need a lot of care and attention, it was a little overwhelming at first, but it got easier as the weekend progressed.

My favorite time was when all the kids were asleep and Baby B and I had our quiet alone time snuggled on the couch. I think we bonded.

The week is over, Big D is back to work, and Baby B is home with her mom and dad. It was a fabulous week. Now it’s time to get a little rest, I have about 48 hours of sleep to catch up on.

Baby B


Little Mommas


A moment when Oney was happy to have the baby around.


Baby B and her favorite Aunt.

The New Feminism

Last night I read an article in my husbands Columbia Magazine. Susan Binkmann titles the article A Renaissance for Catholic Woman. The article is a reflection on Pope John Paul’s Apostolic Letter; Mulieris Dignitatem (On the Dignity and Vocation of Women on the Occasion of the Marian Year) issued Aug 15th 1998.

What does the new feminism mean to Catholic women? Is our late Holy Father trying to tell Catholic women to be weak and dependent? Is the Catholic Church saying all women are good for is bearing children and keeping quiet? As a Catholic woman I have never felt this from the Church. I have only felt it from societies misconception of the Church and the misunderstanding of Gods plan for women.

”Men and women were not created to compete with each other, but to complete one another. They were not meant for separation, but for union. True liberation is not found in imitating what a man can do, but in doing what only a woman can do.” –Susan Brinkmann

This is such a powerful message to me. Who is more powerful than God? Society seems to think their image of a powerful woman is above the image God has created. Society tells us there is power in giving up our fertility, there is power in manipulation, and there is power in a women’s “right” to their body even if it means the death of another. That is not power that is called surrender.

“The women is imbued by her creator with gifts all her own, and they lie in the very femininity that the radical feminist want to discard. This femininity informs everything she does: the way she loves, works, and thinks, whether at home or in the public square. Far from being a weakness, John Paul II said this is woman “genius.” –Susan Brinkmann

Feminine Genius, I love the sound of that. To me it means that all women are called and trusted by God and I, as Catholic woman, need to embrace and trust in this calling. Does this mean that women who work outside the home or those who are unmarried or infertile do not have a calling or are missing the “feminine genius” John Paul the Great speaks of? Of course not, the late Holy Father tells us that no matter where the women is in her life the trust and calling of God, if embraced, will radiate that woman’s femininity and make her the powerful being God has meant for her to be.

When I say power I don’t mean a prideful power that women are expected to have. I mean the silent power of God within. The power and the trust God has given to women. The femininity God gives us is not shameful, degrading, nor does it make us less of a human. What God gives us is always good and when embraced helps our soul and society.

The article goes on to say “no government, no culture has placed as much trust and confidence in women as God has.”

God put His trust in Eve, He put His trust in Mary. Eve believed the lies told to her by the Devil, Mary embraced the trust God put in her and unconditionally accepted His will. Who do we want to model as Catholic women? What would better our society and our world?

As for my daughters I don’t know what their path will be. They may be called to be mothers, religious, or doctors and scientists. No matter what they are called to do I will teach them that the way God planned women to be will never fail them if they embrace it. In the home or in the workplace their trust in God and the feminist power God has created in them will shine. I hope they will model the new Eve and celebrate their femininity, their feminine genius.

Thursday Thirteen

13 things I could live without but thankful that I don't.

1.Coffee
I did not take any coffee camping with us, I figured I could go with out. Lets just say I am thankful there was a store that had coffee close by.

2. Water pressure
There is nothing worse than a slow trickle of water coming out of the shower head when you really need to take a shower.

3.Computer
Oh computer how I love thee. You help me find information so easily. You keep all my cyber friends in touch. Friends are hard to come by for people who write bad poems to their computer and how they are loved so much.

4.Music
Music soothes my soul and puts me in a good mood. I guess it would be my family who is really thankful I have my music.

5.Books
I love books. A good story to escape to is something I treasure. Books that about other people's life journeys and inspirations. Books give me hope and free my mind. I love my books.

6.Running Water
Running water is the best. When I have to keep the kids and myself clean using a bottle of water or a water pump, I really am thankful for those little knobs that say hot and cold.

7.Baby Wipes
I know some think using washcloths and more organic alternatives to baby wipes are better. Maybe they are but I am thankful to have sweet smelling cloths at my disposable. From cleaning up the kids to the fast dusting I have to do when unexpected company is coming over. I am thankful for baby wipes.

8.Crocs
There may be a few people who have a dislike for these rubber like shoes. I think they are the best kid shoes ever invented. The kids can wear them anywhere. Kids can get them wet, muddy, or slop them through swamp water, these shoes will come clean. Crocs dry in an instant. They never rip. Sure Uncle Bob may not be a pillar of fashion as he wears his red Crocs with black socks and plaid shorts to the family BBQ, but for kids they are the best.

9.Mom Blogs
Since I became enthralled with the blogging world I have really come to enjoy Mom Blogs. I have learned so much about being a mom and raising a family. I have learned how to make the coolest crafts and projects, frugal meal ideas, and a lot of humor. I enjoy the journeys of faith, life tips, and the adventures of Mommy hood.

10.Ethnic Food
I love ethnic food. Arabic,Mexican,Chinese,Greek, the list goes on. I am thankful to live in an area where all these food choices are readily available.

11.Sweat Pants
I really don't care about fashion when it comes to sweat pants. I love them. You can't beat a well worn soft pair of sweat pants. Especially after you have eaten a mountain of ethnic food. (see #10)

12.My Camera
I love memories. I save anything that may have good memories attached. I take tons of pictures. If you look through my photos for instance you will see many pictures of my kids on Halloween. Same poses same backgrounds just different costumes. I cannot bear the thought of not capturing the moment even though I have a box filled with basically 400 of the same pictures.

13.Plastic Drinking Cups
When I was a kid I had a problem drinking out of drinking glasses because of the lip marks that were left on the glass after I took a drink. I insisted on always drinking out of plastic cups. This weird quirk has followed me into adult hood. I must have my plastic drinking cup.

Thursday Thirteen

Wordless Wednesday

Lil D-"Hey Mom I roasted you a marshmallow."

Me-'Ummm thanks honey."



Wordless Wednesday

Camping Trip

We just returned from our family camping trip and it was a lot of fun. Much to my surprise it was relaxing as well.

Big D and the kids did all the cooking, and I had no dishes or laundry to do, what could be better.

Sleeping was an adventure. Oney had the Croup during the night. We didn’t have any steam from a shower to relive it so Big D slept with him in the van with the AC turned on. It relived the croup, but I don’t think Big D slept.

The beach was great. I haven’t gone swimming in a lake for a long time.

Now we are home, showered and sleepy. I enjoy camping but nothing beats the comforts of my home.


We need a bigger van. There are two more kids in there somewhere.


Lets see who can win the bean bag toss.


Kids making their own dinner. That's what I like to see.


Dirt is fun


The more gooey the better.


The kids found a frog. I actually had to say these words, "Why are you kissing the frog?" "Please don't do that."

I shall return

We are getting ready to go on a camping trip. I will return on Wednesday.

I will leave on a funny note. Check out the joke posted by professio, it made me chuckle and I think you will too.

Have a wonderful weekend.