Weekly Dinner Menu

Monday: Mince & root veggies
Tuesday: Chick-pea Tacos
Wednesday: Soup & Grilled Cheese Sandwhiches
Thursday: Falafal & Ratitoui
Friday: BBQ Chicken & BBQ veggies
Saturday: Roast
Sunday: Canadiana Chicken for Pot Luck (one of Grandma's original recipes!)

I've been thinking of participating in a thing called

"5 minute fridays"

Yeah, I know it's Sunday but hey, I need a bit of a break, Baby finally settled and we've been trying to settle her all weekend! (actually in truth all 3.5 months!)

Basically gypsymama tells us the word we'll write about and we are only aloud to write for five minutes.....on your mark, get set, go!

LOUD

Monkey announcing that she found a worm, not just any old worm but a "wiggly slimmy lovely worm". Her words, I promise! Yelled across the back yard for the neighbours and kids at the school behind us to hear, 2 acres away.

Helper's first words (most of the time) when they come inside from playtime outside "Hot Chocolate PLEASE!!!"

Mr. Magoo's "Girls you are so annoying" yup, we've reached that lovely boyhood stage - argh!

Baby's "I'm awake and how dare you not be here hovering over me at every single momment incase I happen to open my eyes!" demands

But you know what I've found the loudest this week? The birds.

The Canada geese are flying North, the Killdeer are back laying in the most pathetic places, the Gold Finches at the feeder fighting over the seed, the Ravens demanding respect (as if), they are all day long announcing in such amazing loud tones that spring is finally here and back and the silence of winter is gone!

The Blue Huron's wings. Flapping. Flying over our house. While we sat outside on the front porch in t-shirts with mugs of hot pipping tea.

THAT was the loudest most magnificent sound of all to me..............this week.

And it is a memory that has imprinted itself on my mind forever.

STOP!

WARNING: Apparently there is hacker software that has attached itself to many blog comment sections, including ours :-(

we'll let you know when it is fixed!

MARCH BREAK

It was such a wodnerful week with all the Monkeys at home :-) On friday they each wrote a list of what they wanted to do over their week off school. Funnily enough it did not include: 7 & 8 multipication tables, spelling words or memorization!

It did include, visits to the library, lunch out, play time with a cousin, sleepovers with 2 friends, easy bake oven afternoon, outside crazy mud covered clothing play time, bike rides, story time, Oreo cookies...............

Well the sleepovers didn't happen. But we made up for it by letting all.........well not the baby..............the Monkeys sleep over in the girls room and they had a riot!

There was a very special morning when a very dear friend & sister in the Truth came over for tea and to say good-bye. Her & her husband are mocing to Alberta. There were tears and poor Helper was so upset because it had been one of her teachers this year. So we went to Wendy's for lunch that day (Helper's choice) and picked out Helper's new runners and Mummy got new everyday shoes as well :-)

we have been so blessed by the beautiful 20C weather the past week and it continues today, picnics outside are so much more fun then on the living room floor. Even though colds and allergies threaten we are planning to spend most of the day outside playing and gardening and doing odd jobs.

Now Mummy is longing for summer break when all the Monkeys are at home every day!

Until next time
Hugs

Slow

oh ever so slow

We have no car. Suffice it to say that the weekend involved Strep throat. Car in the ditch. Weekend crazy gathering.

so this week it seems that every day is going so slowly. Its not that I don't have things to do.

Wash the floors
Bake Bread
Bake Muffins for hungry munchkins
Read that silly book "one more time"
Sort a bazillion loads of laundry
Scrub the toilets
Put away the bazillion loads of laundry
Clean my desk (again for the hundredth time)
Put all the left over stuff from the gathering downstairs
Try to discover my sons bed, or at least open the door!
Set up Crib
Empty all that random stuff out of the playpen

etc

etc

etc

all thrilling and mind stimulating stuff right? Yeah I know there is a huge pity party going on here. So positive focus time.

Baby is sleeping (no caffeine=no colic! who knew?)
Monkey is sweet and not annoying today
Kitchen is actually clean
Dinner is half done (its only 2pm!)
We have clothing to wear (the positive to all that laundry)
Kids are healthy (for the first time this winter they are all healthy at the SAME TIME~!)
Antibiotics..............amazing wee yellow & red things..........really
Car only needs a new front grill & tire (huge amount of snow in ditch=nearly no damage)
Nerves are back to normal after said car thingy
Fresh snow falling
Grocery shopping and only forgetting 2 things (last night)
Good Amish book from library (now if only I can find it)
Blackberry caffeine free vanilla tea :-)

Monkey is currently emptying all the books from the lowest shelf in the study.....times up!

Until next random moment
L

Next Week's Menu

Monday: Easy Italian stew (Kraft slow cooker recipe)

Tuesday: Beef (leftovers) & Veggie (Cabbage, Bok Choy, Onions & grated carrots) Stir Fry over brown & wild rice

Wednesday: Veggie Stew

Thursday: BBQ Chicken & Garden Salad & Brown & wild rice

Friday: Mince with Peas & roasted potatoes

Saturday: Dinner at Gathering

Sunday: Orange Chicken Slow Cooker meal

Cabbage

Yes, this post is named "Cabbage". Have you ever given this purple or green veggie much thought? If I told you that they have proven that the group of foods that it belongs to actively discovers and destroys deformed cells, including cancerous ones, would you sit up and take note?

We have.

Starting this week we will be eating one or more veggie from this group (with a fancy name that I can't be bothered to look up in my rush right now) at every lunch and dinner.

Off the top of my head this includes:
broccoli (mainly the stem)
cauliflower
turnip
rutabaga
cabbage
bok choy
Swiss chard
kohlrabi
& a couple I can't remember

so on that note here is our Menu for this week:
Monday: Veggie stew (carrots, 2 potatoes, 2 parsnips, grated purple & green cabbage- 1 C each), zucchini, tomato

Tuesday: Veggie (carrots, purple cabbage, bok choy, broccoli, onion, mushrooms) & chicken stir fry over brown & wild rice mix

Wednesday: Veggie (grated carrots, grated purple cabbage, broccoli, onion & tomato) omelet with maple bacon (oven cooked for less grease) & roasted potatoes

Thursday: Beef roast, roasted root veggies (toss together potatoes, parsnips, carrots with 1 Tbs olive oil and garlic & red pepper seasoning) & broccoli & cauliflower

Friday: Burgers with coleslaw (purple, green cabbage & carrots) and tossed garden salad (lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli & grated carrots)

Saturday: Beef (leftovers) & veggie stir fry (same veggies as Tuesday)

Sunday: Crock pot meal of sausage, green cabbage, carrots & potatoes. Apple Pie

Happy Cooking!

Snow,

Blissful, white , pure snow!

Finally we have our winter snow. True its only a few inches but enough for the monkeys to play in. Yesterday school closed for the afternoon and i was secretly pleased. It is such fun to all curl up together and enjoy the snow day TOGETHER!

Snow people, snow forts, snow tag, snow paths, snow shovelling. It all was happening here yesterday and today will probably prove to be a repeat performance.

Hot coco. This milk free mother was really struggling with all the delicious hot coco flowing around here yesterday, so we played with Cocoa, sugar & almond milk and volia:

3 tsp Cocoa
3 tsp white sugar
1/4C almond milk
fill the rest of the large mug with boiling water

It is as thin as water but ever so yummy!

Magoo needs help with Bible marking. Princess needs help spelling & Monkey is "playing the piano" so I must run.

Until next time!

Organization

is now my favourite word. Another sister commented before our fourth was born that you just had to keep doing everything that you can see needs doing when you have four. I've discovered that this is so very true! It is simply impossible to get too far ahead or to get to much ready ahead of time.

But, it is a mindset that I am so glad she pointed out to me. It has made life a lot easier and our days running smoother.

It sounds and seems so simple. Picking up the extra clothes and taking 10 or so minutes to fold and pop them into their drawers. Keeping the kitchen counters clear and wiped. Loading up the dishwasher with any dishes you find during the day. Switching over the laundry. Packing lunches the afternoon before. Crock Pot dinners.

The biggest help is actually so plain and boring. I wish I had done this more often before! Setting our breakfast the night before. Tonight there are bowls full of oats, raisins and even their spoons! So all they need to do is have Magoo pour in the milk and volia, breakfast! Empty plastic glasses wait to be filled with the water from a covered pitcher already on the table. This way I can be feeding Baby and not worry about the others getting fed as well.

Other breakfasts we've done & set out:

Muffins & piece of fruit (just put the fruit bowl on the table and they can help themselves)

Premade & frozen pancakes (to be heated by the kids in the toaster)

Fruit shakes (put out the bag of frozen fruit the night before beside the blender to thaw, add water & a couple bananas and after Mama blends it Magoo can pour it out)

Toast (set out everything, bread, peanut butter, jam, butter, honey, stack of plates & plastic knives BESIDE the toaster on the counter so everything is there for them - major time saver)

Yogurt & fruit salad (make and put in fridge fruit salad in a plastic bowl so that it isn't too heavy for one of the older 2 kids to carry from the fridge to the table)

Of course an equally important part is setting everything you can ahead of time on the table. Everything that the kids or you needs to get out in the morning adds time.

This has saved us so much stress and time in the morning. Instead of having to get up earlier to see to baby we can still stay in bed unit 7:30 and then get everyone going.....thankfully since none of us are morning people!

well, speaking of morning, its time for bed ! ! ! Till next time :-)

Hello again

Oh dear, I though of something to write, but it's flown out of my mind at this second. Which probably has something to do with the fact that currently Magoo is attacking long division outloud, Monkey is "practising" piano and Princess is working on spelling while walking around on tipoes.

Enough said.

We finally have some snow. Not much, the grass is still peeping through, but enough that our winter village that is set up on the hutch no longer looks so hideously ridiculous.

Well, I haven't the foggiest about what I was going to write. Probably something important. Or amazingly brilliant. Or hilariously funny.....

Instead I'll bore you with the details of today. Banana-chocolate chip-peanut chunky waffles for breakfast. Oh wait, that ain't boring! That's delicious! we thought that snow = celebration so since we usually celebrate with food we did. The monkeys are trying to get back into the Friday home schooling routine and so far so good. Princess is nearly done and Magoo will be as soon as the martians land of Pluto!

Or he memorizes his multiplication tables.

Which ever comes first!

Poor boy!

The piano teacher should be arriving any minute and after lunch we have an adventure planned. Since the kids lost out of their holiday (flu twice & the "100 day cough") I'm aiming to do something extra fun every second Friday. Over and above the usual library visit. Of course I love the library and so do they but it's got a bit old hat.

They cannot figure out where we are going! They have guessed everything BUT the surprise. There is a huge pet store in the next big city where they even have sharks! Okay miniature ones but still, very cool. So we're going there to see all the crazy fish, birds & dogs and pick out some new ciclids. We need some more in our tank (a full tank is a happy tank) and I'm hoping they have some nice small ones because those are cheaper. AND if (huge big if) Baby is happy we will stop at Tim Hortons for a snack! Yahoo!

Our weekend is going to be packed. Study day tomorrow for the whole day, meeting & Sunday school on Sunday, and the next thing we know it'll be Monday morning again.

See you then :-)

Hello to anyone still checking this.

My we have been terrible at updating haven't we!

There is hope though, Hubby got me a mini laptop so that I can work while nursing and so now I don't have to wait 10 minutes for the OLD one to boot up and finally maybe perhaps work!

We have indeed been blessed at the beginning of December with another wee girly. She looks just like Princess did as a baby and We'll just call her baby on here for now until she gains a nickname.

Like the last little girl, we have named her after a very special town in Israel which has very important themes attached to it in the Bible. We only knew of one other girl with this name, only to find out that 2 other babies were born that month in Australia that were also given that same name! So funny

Baby is sleeping in her front pouch right now, her favourite place to be other then in Mummy or Daddy's arms. Yes it kills the back after a while, but with three other olive plants to care and tend to it is essential!

So after giving ourselves a month to get used to this new reality, and the flu going through the household TWICE! We are now full of colds and ready to get back to the usual routine. Well, as much as usual is around here!

A wonderful and very special sister is still willing to drive the older to to school most of the week so that is a huge help, I cannot imagine how I would do it otherwise. School starts up again tomorrow and the 2 have enjoyed their new responsibilities of packing their lunches (with supervision) and getting their backpacks & uniforms ready for the morning. I really miss the children when they are at school, but until the day when we are up to homeschooling this is life.

I have discovered that with 4 you really need to be organized, so the weekly menu has returned to our household as well.

Monday: Shepherd's Pie
Tuesday: Chicken Burgers and Salad
Wednesday: Chickpea Tacos
Thursday: Quiche & Salad
Friday: Spaghetti with Veggie Sauce
Saturday: Veggie Stew with Herb Scones
Sunday: Sausage Bake

It's bedtime for Monkeys now so I will sign off to go and say prayers, sort laundry & collapse!

Until next time :-)

Monkey leans down to put her face directly in front of my Baby Belly

"Baby Sister, i found a lady bug"

"see?" (holds out said bug at my belly)

"it is redz & black and cute"

"I putting it backz now"

(mother full of joy!)

Weekly Menu
(Hubby will be busy with meetings all week so this is a kid focused menu!)

Monday: Whole Wheat Mac N' Cheese
Tuesday: Veggie & Cheese sandwiches
Wednesday: Eggs on Toast (with cut up fruit)
Thursday: Veggie & Cheese sandwiches
Friday: Corn Roast at a friend's house
Saturday: Chicken & veggie fajitas
Sunday: Roast with all the trimmings (potatoes, carrots, broc, peas, etc...) & Apple Crisp with English Custard sauce (can we say company coming?!?)

The Countdown is On....

In 1 week our 2 oldest will be heading off to school again. As I'm typing we can hear the clanging of backpacks, pencil cases & lunch bags in the washing machine getting their "back to school" bath. I've heard so many mothers gleeful about the fact that soon they will have more free time and less kids bugging them all day. But I never enjoy this time of year. We love, love, LOVE our summers. Endless days spent together in whatever task we decide to do. Lazy days spent reading books & splashing in the kiddie pool. Bible schools. Late nights because after all their is no school. Even though we love their school, and trust the wonderful brethren & sisters that are teaching them there....I would love to have them under our roof just about all day. Magoo will come home to be home schooled in 4 years and his sister's will follow so it isn't really that far away!

Monkey will be so lost without her older brother and sister. So we're going to head into school for a couple hours each Monday to help with marking and such. Some of the local moms wanted to start up a preschool, and while we don't agree with the idea that you need to start schooling your child at such a young age, we've decided (after initially saying no) that it would do Monkey good to have a day set apart in the month to see her friends (on top of play dates). Since it is only once a month it seems manageable.......I think ;-)

But the one good thing is that the beginning of the school year always gets us into the organization mood. Yesterday was the attack of the girls bedroom. OY! it basically took all day, 1 garbage bag to the curb and 3 of clothing that is either too small or too big packed up and thrown down into the basement. Now it looks clean and ready for a crib to be set up (in a few months) on the opposite wall from their bunk beds. Magoo was so wonderful and tidied up his room on his own! Such a big boy! Of course some weeding out needs to be done, but we'll save that for later when he is at school to lessen the trauma.

It's taken a few days but the study looks like it may possibly be done by tonight.......amazingness. After that it is relaxing time!

Why all this cleaning..............? We have no car. Well we have 1 but Hubby must use it to get to work so until the other one is ready (new to us - hurray) we are here at home.

Well the monkeys are playing nicely downstairs so I must be off to get more done.

Signed
the insane nesting one!

Well, well, well!

It has been a while, hasn't it. We are once again connected to the Internet, and life is flying past at an unspeakable rate. Our summer has been, well I think the perfect word to describe it would be: lovely. Simply lovely.

2 Bible schools (tenting it), twice a week library visits, ice cream, splash pad, back yard voyages of imagination, Astrix & Oblix comic books (a bit of Tin Tin as well), cuddles on the very seldom rainy day, old fashioned iced tea, kiddie pool hysterics.

Was there tough times - oh yeah! but we'll ignor them for now.

Now that summer is winding down organizational thoughts seem to keep barging into my brain. Only 3 months to go until we are blessed with another olive plant and ever so much to do! So "the list" has been gutted and cut up and re-organized itself.

1) Finish unpacking (a year past the move) and organize the playroom for the winter in the basement
2) Move crib & baby GIRL stuff into the girls room (yes all 3 will be in one room)
3) Do a bit of something in Magoo's room (he is growing up ever so fast)

and that's it. Of course the daily grind stuff will always be there, the meals, laundry & etc.... but if we can get those 3 done I will feel a lot more prepared for the end of November!

It's also time for a new study, and I'm leaning towards Jude. Such a small and overlooked book me thinkest. Anyone care to jump in with me?

Until next time, which I can promise will be more frequent again.

Outside my window...
snow flurries (and its almost May~!)

I am thinking...
of laundry

I am thankful for...
the fourth olive plant growing inside of me

From the Kitchen....
falafal!

I am wearing....
jeans (i still fit them)

I am creating....
bags for the garden sale

I am going...
to hug our children more

I am reading...
God-Governer LIFE in the Psalms by Dennis Gillett

I am hoping....
and praying for a healthy child

I am hearing...
"Even So, Come" CD2

Around the house...
Disaster!!!!

One of my favorite things...
pure, unadulteraed laughter out of the mouth of children

Time for our monthly post,

Oy, I'm pathetic!

Hubby and I spent the most wonderful weekend in Boston a bit ago to celebrate our 10th anniversary. This may sound weird, bizarre, actually it does, but it is the first time I felt like an adult.

Okay, slow down you're thinking! You've been married for 10 yrs and have 3 slightly hyperactive children and only then did you feel like an adult?

Well, um, yeah!

Getting married young is such a blessing from God! When you graduate high school and within a year and a bit are married, you never have any time to just be an adult. And that my friends was a really good thing! No time to mess up!

And life carried on and kids arrived and we've been in 5th gear ever since (and still falling behind)

So to have a weekend where we

a) ate pastry and coffee for lunch when we felt like it
b) had dinner at 7 or 8pm because we weren't hungry until then
c) walked for hours and could actually hold hands
d) sit and TASTE breakfast
e) sleep in.........oh wait that didn't happen, I still woke at 6:30am!
f) shop and actually have time to spend an hour trying on suits until the right one is found (yes, I won super wife points that day)

I think you get the picture. It was refreshing and uplifting and amazing.

And, by the way, Boston is beautiful and perfect! Coffee shops, used book shops, water, history and Ann Taylor Loft......need I say anything more?

So we've been back in reality for a while and had to jump back in with both feet.

But here's what I came back to change

Talk. Just sit and talk about the mundane, it doesn't always have to be "important" topics

SLOW DOWN. I mean, is all this busyness really REALLY important, I think not.

Appreciate the smallest of details in the day

Teach our own kids (hence the photocopying of "learning colours through God's creation" & "Girls of the Bible" workbooks)

Cuddles. I am a cuddle person. Cuddle the kids too.

And for crying out loud why doesn't anyone else hug their kids when they drop them off at school.....sheesh!

Oh and read "holding the head" by bro Michael Ashton....amazing read. I've read it twice and want to read it again!

Time to make dinner.
Hugs

Time for another meal plan

We are being blessed with a lovely and dear sister staying with us for a few days so our usual is getting some special added to it as far as the food goes

Monday: Roast chicken with baked sweet potatoes, peas, gravy. Fruit salad & raisin scones for dessert

Tuesday: Bacon & veggie quiche with garden salad and roasted potatoes. Giant dairy free choc chip cookies

Wednesday: Beef Fajitas (dessert at Bible Lecture)

Thursday: Veggie Stew with homemade bread

Friday: Veggie & leftover chicken stirfry with rice

Saturday: Soup & oven grilled cheese

Sunday: Roast with all the trimmings

Bliss

I haven't had the importunity to teach at CHC for nearly 8 years. Magoo came upon the scene and we disappeared into the background doing the little everyday things that help things "keep on trucking" as my Mom would say.

So it was with some trepidation and some fear of the my own abilities that instead of laying out 2 uniforms last night, I laid out those 2 uniforms and an outfit for Monkey and I. Instead of 3 lunches sealed with a kiss, 5 were prepped and packed. The alarm went off earlier then usual, in other words Monkey woke me up for Mummy cuddles at 6:20am and we whispered to each other and Teddy so as to let Daddy sleep a little while longer. Americano's, fruit salad, teeth cleaned, morning prayers, clothing put on and bags packed we filled the car and off we went to start a new adventure for the day.

I had been a bit worried about Monkey. She is now used to having Mummy to herself for 2 days a week, and today she had to share me not only with her sister but three other girls as well.

She shined. It was that simple. I am such a happy mother right now. She read stories, coloured in her worksheets and joined in with the activity centers. The girls in the class carried on as though there was no 2 yr old there....and I smiled all day long! (and an Aunty took her home for the afternoon for some fun)

What a blessing today was. I often miss teaching. Then laugh at myself because since Yhwh has blessed Hubby and I with 3 Olive plants, that is basically all we do all day long is teach. Teach in actions, teach in words and teach in love.

And then I realized that the reason today went so well is because it was blessed by God. There is simply no other way to see it.

Another thing to thank your Heavenly Father for.

A simply wonderful day.

What a month full of blessings!

In counting my blessings I am constantly finding the Husband that God has given me at the very top of the list. This week has been the usual crazy, insane pace of ecclesial life. Sunday school lessons to prepare and do, Bible classes, Memorial, school work to be completed WITH PATIENCE...



"Helper what is this word BIG?"



"um"



"You know this one so let's sound it out"



"DDDDDDDDDDD"



"no, its a B, what does B say?"



"TTTTTTTTTTT"



"No that is a T sound, what does a B say?"



"um"



"B is for Bug"


"B"



"Good now that is the next letter"



"Eh"



"No that is an E sound, what does the I say"



"um,"



"I is for Indian"



"I!"



"okay so lets make the blend"



"BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBeh"


"Try again"


"BBBBBBBBBBBBBB I!"



"okay now well add the last letter, what does G say"



"I know, G says G"



"great! so say the word"


"BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG"



"say it faster"


"PIG!"



Oy!



Hubby on the other hand is so patient and can keep this up for a whole reader, Mummy does pages at a time.



Tangent aside, Hubby has put together our new book shelves. You know us, we hate to have to buy new stuff, but the book shelves we had were not big enough, and they were already double deep on the shelves! So off to Ikea we went and came home and in only 1 week the study is nearly done! YAHOO! 6 Billy (so suitable don't you think) and 1 corner and extensions are all up and are already nearly full.



How many times have we simply stood at the open study door and looked at the books while sipping tea....



Countless!



Well, instead of napping, I hear giggles so I do believe that is my cue to put on the kettle for a tea party. After all it is -22 C and that is without the windchill!

Well, this post nearly did not happen....

When blogger crashes 4 times while trying to load your page you'd think I'd give up but never!

Well actually sometimes I do

Fairly often

but....nevermind all that


So this evening was wonderful! This morning the Monkeys and I were out for 4 hours (packed jam sandwiches & veggie sticks came VERY handy for lunch in the car) and only got to 3 shops. Oy! People are crazy!

Tonight on the other hand was such fun. As we did last year, we took the kids to Dollarama to pick out gifts for each other and the parents. So Daddy took Magoo to buy for the girls and I and I took the girls to buy for Magoo & Daddy....

Watching them pick out their gifts are so cute! It is really amazing what you can get at the dollar store! I think Magoo got a peek of his gift but it will all be good in a couple days.

Then, as tradition dictates, we went out to Tim Hortans for hot choco and donuts. This year's flavour was "double chocolate candy cane" and they were delish! Mummy was good and didn't have a donut, just a teeny tinny taste of Monkey's one.



Then we headed to the "nasty grey box" store for cream and ended up spending $50. That is part of the reason I hate that store. But it was all stuff we needed....except for the 6 suet balls for the birds when all we needed was one....but it was a six pack....and.......um......you get the idea I'm sure.

We managed to find a mini checker board for Magoo's sock and so everything is done.

YAHOO!


WE SHALL REJOICE


oh wait.......slight problem, Hubby's stocking is still half empty.....argh!

That's all for now. OWBS class prep is calling (more like screaming) my name. So if you don't hear from us for a couple weeks don't be surprised. Then again we may pop in....if blogger lets us!

Happy Holiday!