A Patchwork Apron to Inspire Your Work | Simple Mom

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Helping Hands ... Make Spaghetti

Justa Singin' anda Dancin'

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Tweezers and Beans

I tried something new yesterday. I gave Joel a small bowl of split peas, lentils, and rice and a pair of tweezers.

He liked it, but fizzled out fast.

He's got cabin fever I think.

Later he came back and tried it again, then poured the whole bowl onto the glue.

Now he and Bethie, the girls, and Esther have all had a huge amount of fun making pictures with the left over beans and rice. I've found dogs, snowmen, trees, flowers,... and random designs.

Bethie had a blast just running her fingers through it.

I'm going to have to buy more glue though.

How Dr. Spock destroyed America

How Dr. Spock destroyed America: "How Dr. Spock destroyed AmericaPosted: January 27, 20091:00 am EasternBy Reb Bradley © 2009 In the last 50 years, our nation has taken a moral nosedive. Since 1960, the rate of violent crimes has more than tripled. Every day there are news reports of heinous crimes unheard of in America a generation ago. Children murder their playmates, their teachers and their parents. Teenage mothers abandon their newborn babies in trashcans, and every year students commit carnage on their classmates. Our culture has sunk so low that children are no longer safe with their teachers in school or at church – scores of men and women are arrested every year for preying on the children under their care. The sexual revolution that started in the '60s continues with many casualties. Promiscuity has become so rampant that 1 of every 4 teenage girls now has a sexually transmitted infection. In the last five decades, practices have become so deviant that the number of distinct STDs had risen from five to more than 50 – a sudden increase of a thousand percent. Obsession with sexual violence has brought a 318 percent increase in sexual assault. Our nation is in severe moral decline, and the descent is not slowing. The root cause of decline in America is not that difficult to deduce. When a society becomes out of control, it is because its members elevate self-indulgence and lack self-control. It really is that simple."


I could write a whole essay about this ... but the article is much better.

Tree watching?

Shortly after the static electricity experiment - I realized that a small troop of my kids had disappeared.

But I could hear giggles.

I found 4 of them - Avery ran away while I was pulling out the camera.



But Joel joined them.

Alex was carefully explaining things about trees and birdhouses and the sky to Esther, who was happily listening to everything he was saying.

As much as they look alike - there's not one drop of related blood between Esther and Alex. I wish I had PhotoShop and could make the eyes pop!

But I'll have to make due with Picasa.

Stimulus plan - borrowing from Peter to pay Paul (OneNewsNow.com)

Stimulus plan - borrowing from Peter to pay Paul (OneNewsNow.com): "Brian Riedl, an economist at The Heritage Foundation, says Congress is promising a pain-free solution to the recession that does not call for sacrifice. 'People believe that the government has some magic wand to magically pass a stimulus bill and make the economy grow. All this is is really the Obama debt plan,' he contends. 'All Congress is going to do is add $800 billion to the national debt. They're going to borrow $800 billion from one part of the economy, give $800 billion to people in another part of the economy, and then somehow tell us we're richer.' Riedl believes it is important to note that government cannot inject money into the economy without taxing or borrowing it out of the economy first. Some conservative lawmakers are upset that the Democrats' stimulus package includes taxpayer funding for contraceptives and the abortion industry. That prompted House Minority leader John Boehner to ask: 'How can you spend hundreds of millions of dollars on contraceptives? How does that stimulate the economy?'"

Now this makes my blood boil. Supposedly, my family should benefit - because Tim is out of work ... I should be happy.

But I'm not. I majored in math - I loved it. This is just a trick, like the one that divides by 0 using algebra to prove that 1 = 2.



My favorite story book character as a pre-teen was Robin Hood. According to other articles that I've read - they are comparing Obama to Robin Hood.

BIG DIFFERENCE.

Robin Hood took back from those who took too much - the government and bloated "church" system and gave it to the hard working families who had produced the money and food in the first place. Protecting women and children was a high priority. He protected and aided church and government that did not take too much from the poor and instead did their best in the first place to protect and help the poor.

Obama is taking from upper middle class and upper class HARD WORKERS to pay the lazy daisies who just want a free government ride and squall and bawl about how unfair their life is. AND he wants to put the women to work and kill more babies - or prevent them from getting born - they aren't REAL. He and Democrates think that hiring a person because of what they look like or believe is better business that how competent that they can do a job. Tim's sin for being out of work? It started over 20 years ago because he was a single white male.

For Obama to be Robin Hood - he would have to shut down a HUGE portion of the White House and government buildings (and live in the caves in the woods!). Make all of the government officials move into smaller houses and live on $100,000 or LESS a year (most of my family lives on $30K or less a year). I'll be generous here because they do have to travel ... wait, isn't travel paid for by US. And leave the companies producing jobs alone to make more jobs (instead of over regulating and taxing them out the wazoo.) Then let the poeple being taxed to death - have their money to choose what to buy instead of supporting and trying to prop up dying corporations riddled with corruption.

Why is my blood boiling? Because as hard as my family works to survive and get ahead and be independent of the government - we can't. My dad has 3 jobs, plus a business on the side. A brother-in-law that hasn't had a raise in 3 years because he is at maximum on the pay scale. And somehow we just can't make ends meet. We live in postage stamp size trailers - mine despirately needs a new roof - the walls are rotting out because the desiners didn't extend the roof past the walls. We eat stew as a main dish - not a side dish - and often, because you can always add water and some herbs to make it stretch. No, I don't WANT a hand out. I want to have my rights of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness to not be squelched into a government mandated mold.

I want to stay home with my children, raise them to be Godly, hardworking, adults. I homeschool, homebirth, I love it.

I don't want to have to pay for a "stimulus" package for the rest of my life - we are STILL paying for the New Deal under Roosevelt. More debt never solved anything, any financial planner worth his salt will tell you that. And having fewer babies is just making the problem worse and worse. Just how many young people does it take to take care of an old person ... OH WAIT - I forgot - we're doing drug mixing experiments on the elderly hoping that they will die off too (check out some of the articles at Mercola.com - on the FDA and the meds the doctors push!), they are getting better at that too - they don't die now days until the lawyer/drug/med system has milked them dry and left the dregs and debt for their only child. Once there were 6 - 12 kids to take care of elderly parents, plus 20 - 30 older grandchildren. Now those 4 old people (because they got divorced and remarried) have 1 or 2 kids struggling to make ends meet and if they are lucky, 2-3 grandchildren in high school or college, but more likely in elementary or jr. high. ..... RIGHT. That's going to work.

So - who owns America when the government goes belly up?

This American has no money left for anything other than basic survival - I can't even afford DSL - isn't that a basic right? (I'm kidding.)
So many blogs leave me feeling out of touch with reality. $5 meals? I'm trying to average $2.50 a meal for a family of 5. That's averaging 50 cents a plate. That's a lot of garbage food. Ramen Noodles and stuff like that. .... Organize your house, these bins are a bargin at only $10 each! ... shoot, I cringe at $1 each at the Dollar Tree. .... Check out the remodel of my house, wasn't this before picture yucky .... uh ... WOW, you changed that? I'll take it! ..... Must have pieces of clothing, shoes, make up? .... I don't get the shoe or purse buying.

There is a name for people like me ... I learned it in first grade ... at least once or twice a week, my teacher diligently reminded me of my status in society, "I haven't got time to explain simple things to poor white trash like you." Later, I learned I was a "redneck" too.

Funny, I thought we were happy, church going, hard working, clean, self sufficient, and giving. I look back at my pictures - I was CUTE. What gives?

In Which Esther Demonstrates Static Electricity for her school Science Experiment

1. Wear a hat to get the static started.

2. When you have a good case of hat head - take off the hat.

3. Roll around on a bouncy trampoline.

4. Warning: Don't try this at home. Experts only!

Hazard: Teary eyes as you detangle hair.

Organizing the Cabinets

Thanksgiving 1999 - my parents bought and installed for us - an awsome set of cabinets. May 2000, they came and got them because Tim had lost his job and we were selling the house. They brought them home and put them into their own house.

Last Christmas, my sister decided they must leave her house, they took up too much room, so we took out the pantry and fireplace (which were not being used, since they were falling apart), and I FINALLY got my cabinets back ... a little worse for wear.

Due to sickness/pregnancy/miscarriage/depression ... I never really got them "organized".

So, since that was the NEXT thing along the wall (though I looked up and realized we missed the decorative shelf above the girls desk window!) ... so the cabinets!



Far right - top shelf party items, Middle plastic ware (they were still being sorted), and bottom Vitamins.

Top, Lightbulbs and ?, Middle Crafts Items, Bottom Cookbooks and small appliances.

Still going left

Top Snack foods, Middle Breakfast, Bottom Lunches

And if you look to the far left, there is a tiny cupboard, Tim's snacks are the top shelf, the middle is baking, and the bottom is Toffee snacks.

And looking at the lower cabinet directly below ...

I doubt we are going to starve in the next few weeks. Tim does a fair job of shopping sales.

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They have some of the most awsome tools available daily for free. Today's freebie also includes a PDF file.

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Organizing the Hallway

We got some little baskets at the Dollar Tree. They are not quite what I had in mind ... but they work.

Kendra has become quite a "skilled" fix it girl.
Vannan wants you all to know that she let Kendra borrow HER hammer.

Finished - except for the chalk.

Basket 1 holds the expensive school chalk and erasers.
Basket 2 holds colored chalk.
Basket 3 holds sidewalk chalk for the boys and Bethie to play.

This is working our very well!

First Try at Menu Plan Monday

This falls under being organized.

Sunday - I was all prepared for church, but ended up in the nursery. There were only 3 preschoolers, so SUPER EASY.

So I pulled out my brand new dayplanner - and made up a menu. I use to do this ALL the time. I even tried putting up erasable magnet boards to put them on the frig - but they would be erased before the second day... now what DID I put on for Wednesday?

Some things to know.

1. 3 of us cannot have dairy - so their isn't much on the menu - only Tim and Joel eat the REAL stuff .... though we seem to tolerate stuff we ferment ourselves - Yogurt and Kefir. (WIC gives a LOT of milk - I have to do something with it! and Joel does NOT like plain milk!)

2. Tim isn't working - so I try to use up what is on hand, and keep the prices WAY down.

3. Homeschooled kids eat 3 meals a day. "You knew that?"

4. Tim does all the shopping - I can't drive

Monday

Breakfast: Eggs and Yogurt (we make our own)

Lunch: Ramen Noodles (Vannan added a bag of broccoli and a handful of turkey)

Supper: Turkey Stew (cooked a turkey Saturday - lots of leftovers in the stew)

Tuesday

Malt-O-Meal

Sandwiches and Salad

Tacos

Wednesday

Oatmeal

Leftovers (or at a friends house)

AWANA night - so eat at friends house or else no ride to AWANA

Thursday

Yogurt and Cereal

Sandwiches and Salad (else on Friday - depends on which days we do preschool)

Stew (left over turkey or beef)

Friday

Eggs

Beans and Wienies

Pizza (homemade)

Saturday

Malt-o-Meal (unless somebody gets up early to make pancakes from scratch)

Sandwich Wraps (meat, and lettuce in flour taco shell)

Leftovers

Sunday

Oatmeal

OUT (no time to come home after church - so we eat cheap and then hit the library)

Best Friend's House (we go home after supper after church, Joel bathed and ready for bed)

Shopping List

Black Olives

Pepperoni

Salad Stuff (Tim looks for Sales - RomaineLettuce and Greens)

Sliced Green Olives

Mushrooms

Eggs

Milk

Sandwich Meat

Chocolate (I'm allowed 1 vice? Yes?)

Snack Bars (Tim's Lunch)

Apples

Bananas

Bacon

5lb Ground Meat Chub

Hamberger Patties

Pudding boxes (made with kefir - afternoon snack)

Picante Sauce

Wienies

I Spy Someting Different

Kendra borrowed this game from Blue's Clues.

You close your eyes and the person who is it gets to change something in the room or about themselves and the one's not it have to guess what they changed.

Bethie and Joel loved it.



Joel has a newspaper.

Joel had a toy.

What is different now?

No peaking - it's Bethie's turn now!

Bethie Loves Toffee

"Leash on Toffee?" she asks.

"No, you can do it."

"I did it!" "Look!"

"Come On, Toffee."


Putting the leash on Toffee is not easy for Bethie. So I was very proud that she kept trying until she got it done.

Bethie has some learning difficulties - motor skills and verbal skills - a rather abrupt change after receiving the flu shot when she was just past 1 with all of ther other vaccines.

Until then, she was hitting and passing milestones with ease and trying to take steps.

From the day she got the shots and for the next 4 months, she stopped all progress and cried day and night. She didn't walk until she was well past 18 months, and didn't talk until she was past 3 and Matthew and Joel started talking. She tries very hard to keep up with them.

She is very smart and very loving otherwise.

The rest of the story....

A week or so ago, I posted this picture...

Nobody replied with any comments to explain it.

So the story goes like this...

Every night, before I went to bed, I fixed up bottles for Kendra for the next day. She wasn't yet 2.

I would fix 1 bottle of milk, 1 bottle of juice, and 3 bottles of water.

OF course her favorites were juice and milk, so she grabbed both every morning and went around like this most of the morning.

Some days she got 2 bottles of juice - one apple and one orange. Then she had 3 bottles in her mouth at the same time.

And she DID drink all of the water too.

I have a few other pictures like this ...
but this was back in the days when I budgeted the cost of 1 ROLL of film (24 pictures) per month and I didn't have a camcorder either.

I LOVE my digital camera!

Hand Me Downs Are Great

Bethie and Esther last week. Ages 6 and 18 months.

Kendra (age almost 4) and Vannan (19 months)
I think... should be around those ages here.

Kendra was a chunk - and Bethie as thin as they come. It's a bit short at ankles and wrists, but fits great otherwise. Of course the little girls are the same age - but Vannan was the super tiny one (15 lb or less) and Esther is ... well, bigger. She's not a chunk - but bigger than Vannan was by quite a bit.

I love sharing!