Friday, November 28, 2008
Thankful Thanksgiving!
We are still thankful… lots of leftover food and blessings!
The kids and I made it a week-long project to make one thing together each day. They wrote the recipes in their own recipe books, and we took things slow in the kitchen so everyone got a turn to sift, stir, and scallop. Some of our food we made together included pinwheel bread, rainbow jello, French silk pie, deviled eggs, and scalloped potatoes. (This was our "Life School" this week...) This was a lot of fun. I loved it + the kids loved it = SUCCESS!
Bob and I brined the turkey overnight - he wasn't going to get out of cooking something for Thanksgiving. MMM, good! (He had to work all day.)
Jan and Dale came for Thanksgiving, and we loved talking and laughing with them. They are so much fun! We love them, and thank them for making the trip!
At the end of our day we played our favorite bedtime game. Bob has the kids (and Jan caught the spirit of it too!) line up and then he says, “If I tap you on your (insert medical term like ‘patella’) then you will say your prayers in the garage…” He goes through all the kids, rooms in our house, bedtime necessities, and lots of body parts!
We also added to our Thankful-For Tree. Every night with our evening prayers we each say something we are thankful for. During the month of November, I write what everyone says on a leaf for our tree. By now we have an orchard! This is one of my favorite traditions.
The kids and I made it a week-long project to make one thing together each day. They wrote the recipes in their own recipe books, and we took things slow in the kitchen so everyone got a turn to sift, stir, and scallop. Some of our food we made together included pinwheel bread, rainbow jello, French silk pie, deviled eggs, and scalloped potatoes. (This was our "Life School" this week...) This was a lot of fun. I loved it + the kids loved it = SUCCESS!
Bob and I brined the turkey overnight - he wasn't going to get out of cooking something for Thanksgiving. MMM, good! (He had to work all day.)
Jan and Dale came for Thanksgiving, and we loved talking and laughing with them. They are so much fun! We love them, and thank them for making the trip!
At the end of our day we played our favorite bedtime game. Bob has the kids (and Jan caught the spirit of it too!) line up and then he says, “If I tap you on your (insert medical term like ‘patella’) then you will say your prayers in the garage…” He goes through all the kids, rooms in our house, bedtime necessities, and lots of body parts!
We also added to our Thankful-For Tree. Every night with our evening prayers we each say something we are thankful for. During the month of November, I write what everyone says on a leaf for our tree. By now we have an orchard! This is one of my favorite traditions.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Where, oh where
has the tooth fairy gone?
Oh where, oh where can she be?
For she didn't come to pay the boy, (oops!)
And he can't buy a new toy...
Owen lost another tooth!
Oh where, oh where can she be?
For she didn't come to pay the boy, (oops!)
And he can't buy a new toy...
Owen lost another tooth!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Legos by Jonas
Some of you may have heard that I am a Star Wars freak, but not as much as I am a freak about Lego Star Wars. Some of that freakiness has passed down to my younger siblings. We had a Lego mania today. (This is also for Mamma because she gave me my MTT, which is the big brown thing in the pictures) So anyway, thank you Mamma, and I hope you enjoy the pictures!!!
Monday, November 17, 2008
News by Leslie
Last weekend Jonas had his birthday. Dad got home, and Grandma and Grandpa came. According to Jonas, it was the best birthday ever. The theme was STAR WARS. He had a clone trooper cake and he got all the presents he wanted. He turned 11.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Wow! The yummiest donuts ever!
Jonas asked for donuts for his birthday breakfast, and I forgot to get some when we were at the store. Instead of dragging 6 kids back to the store, I decided to make some. I am in trouble. I’ve eaten 3 donut holes. So far.
(I found this recipe in a cookbook by Penny E. Stone)
DOUGH
½ cup sugar
½ cup oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cup milk (scalded)
4 ½ tsp yeast dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water
2 eggs
4-5 cups of flour
GLAZE
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Milk added until you get a glaze consistency
Dissolve yeast in warm water until bubbly and foamy. While waiting, mix sugar, oil, salt, and vanilla. Pour scalded milk over this mixture. Combine yeast mix and milk mix and add eggs. Mix well, and add flour. Knead until well mixed (firm and elastic). Put into greased bowl. Let rise about 1 hour. Punch down and let rise again for 1 hour. Roll out and cut into donuts OR make donut holes (easier!) by rolling dough into balls Let rise again for 20-30 minutes. (Start heating up oil in pot or fryer.) Deep fry until brown on all sides. While hot, dip in glaze mixture and set on a rack to cool. This is the dangerous time… POP! POP! POP! And then they’re gone…
Jonas' birthday theme is Star Wars. I'm going to call them Jabba Donuts...
(I found this recipe in a cookbook by Penny E. Stone)
DOUGH
½ cup sugar
½ cup oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cup milk (scalded)
4 ½ tsp yeast dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water
2 eggs
4-5 cups of flour
GLAZE
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Milk added until you get a glaze consistency
Dissolve yeast in warm water until bubbly and foamy. While waiting, mix sugar, oil, salt, and vanilla. Pour scalded milk over this mixture. Combine yeast mix and milk mix and add eggs. Mix well, and add flour. Knead until well mixed (firm and elastic). Put into greased bowl. Let rise about 1 hour. Punch down and let rise again for 1 hour. Roll out and cut into donuts OR make donut holes (easier!) by rolling dough into balls Let rise again for 20-30 minutes. (Start heating up oil in pot or fryer.) Deep fry until brown on all sides. While hot, dip in glaze mixture and set on a rack to cool. This is the dangerous time… POP! POP! POP! And then they’re gone…
Jonas' birthday theme is Star Wars. I'm going to call them Jabba Donuts...
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Happy Veterans Day (from Jonas)
Minute Men
by Jonas Bush
Johnny was a minute man. A minute man was a man who was ready, at any second of the day, every day of the week, every week of the month, every month of the year, to defend their town. At a moment’s notice, they could get up, put their boots on, grab their musket and report to duty, all in a split second.
It was a cold morning in November. It was 1:30 a.m. Johnny was still in a deep slumber.
“Dong! Dong! Dong!” went the church bell. It was not Sunday, and even if it had been, it was much too early for church to start. That could only mean…
In a flash, Johnny was out of bed, putting on a shirt and trousers. He put a belt on and a jacket to keep warm. He kissed his groggy wife and grabbed his musket. On his way through the kitchen, he wolfed down a slice of bread. He then sprinted out the door.
The captain, William, was already there. So were Benjamin, Jack, and Luck with his brother, Peter. Including Johnny that was six men. After waiting a bit more, five men raced up, muskets in hand. William explained to all ten what was going on.
“This is not a drill,” he said. “The English are marching to attack. We must force them back. They are coming down Fairview Road.” He gestured towards the woods and a stone wall. “That means we take our positions behind the wall or in the woods. Any questions?”
No one spoke a word. William handed them ammunition. “Let’s go then!” he said.
Johnny went to a tall stump about 10-12 feet in front of the 3 ½ foot tall stone wall. He loaded a ball into his musket, cocked the hammer back, and held his musket in position. He waited and listened while the other men whispered jokes to each other. It was 2:30 a.m.
Then he heard something. It sounded like a whinny of a horse. The horses usually weren’t up and awake at this hour… what could it be?
Then Johnny saw a flash of red. His eyes widened. Could it be? His friends had been too busy whispering jokes to see. As he looked closer, he saw that it was a British spy! He aimed, checked again, and then fired. The Englishman went down.
Instantly, all the whispered jokes stopped as Captain William walked over and glared at Johnny.
“What was that for?!” He was almost yelling. “You just gave away our position!”
“No,” Johnny retorted. “I was shooting an English spy.”
At that second, a hail of musket fire took down Peter and Jack. William dropped to the ground and pulled out a pistol.
Johnny reloaded and fired repeatedly at the red mass charging into sight. Soon Johnny’s stump was filled with musket balls, but when one splintered the wood in front of Johnny’s face, he fell back to the wall to continue fighting.
The battle went on until 7:00 a.m. The British seemed to have endless men, but the patriots had an advantage. They had cover and the English did not. Eventually, the British retreated and five of the original eleven, (including Johnny and William) were the only ones alive.
Johnny grinned sadly. “My wife and children will be glad to know I survived,” he said.
The captain looked around, surveying the carnage, and silently agreed in his mind, “Oh, that more could appreciate freedom and come to loathe war.”
by Jonas Bush
Johnny was a minute man. A minute man was a man who was ready, at any second of the day, every day of the week, every week of the month, every month of the year, to defend their town. At a moment’s notice, they could get up, put their boots on, grab their musket and report to duty, all in a split second.
It was a cold morning in November. It was 1:30 a.m. Johnny was still in a deep slumber.
“Dong! Dong! Dong!” went the church bell. It was not Sunday, and even if it had been, it was much too early for church to start. That could only mean…
In a flash, Johnny was out of bed, putting on a shirt and trousers. He put a belt on and a jacket to keep warm. He kissed his groggy wife and grabbed his musket. On his way through the kitchen, he wolfed down a slice of bread. He then sprinted out the door.
The captain, William, was already there. So were Benjamin, Jack, and Luck with his brother, Peter. Including Johnny that was six men. After waiting a bit more, five men raced up, muskets in hand. William explained to all ten what was going on.
“This is not a drill,” he said. “The English are marching to attack. We must force them back. They are coming down Fairview Road.” He gestured towards the woods and a stone wall. “That means we take our positions behind the wall or in the woods. Any questions?”
No one spoke a word. William handed them ammunition. “Let’s go then!” he said.
Johnny went to a tall stump about 10-12 feet in front of the 3 ½ foot tall stone wall. He loaded a ball into his musket, cocked the hammer back, and held his musket in position. He waited and listened while the other men whispered jokes to each other. It was 2:30 a.m.
Then he heard something. It sounded like a whinny of a horse. The horses usually weren’t up and awake at this hour… what could it be?
Then Johnny saw a flash of red. His eyes widened. Could it be? His friends had been too busy whispering jokes to see. As he looked closer, he saw that it was a British spy! He aimed, checked again, and then fired. The Englishman went down.
Instantly, all the whispered jokes stopped as Captain William walked over and glared at Johnny.
“What was that for?!” He was almost yelling. “You just gave away our position!”
“No,” Johnny retorted. “I was shooting an English spy.”
At that second, a hail of musket fire took down Peter and Jack. William dropped to the ground and pulled out a pistol.
Johnny reloaded and fired repeatedly at the red mass charging into sight. Soon Johnny’s stump was filled with musket balls, but when one splintered the wood in front of Johnny’s face, he fell back to the wall to continue fighting.
The battle went on until 7:00 a.m. The British seemed to have endless men, but the patriots had an advantage. They had cover and the English did not. Eventually, the British retreated and five of the original eleven, (including Johnny and William) were the only ones alive.
Johnny grinned sadly. “My wife and children will be glad to know I survived,” he said.
The captain looked around, surveying the carnage, and silently agreed in his mind, “Oh, that more could appreciate freedom and come to loathe war.”
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Cool Man
This moment was too cute to pass up. Thank goodness he kept dancing when he saw the camera. “Mr. Micah Micah Moo Moo” has told me he has a new nickname. He prefers “Cool Man” now. This video captures both!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Votes tallied…
And Baked Spaghetti wins!
After a hard day of mudslinging and promises - I mean campaigning - for a dinner menu, the Bush family voted today. After we cast our ballots and tallied them up, we hugged one another as winners (and some very sad losers). Tonight, we’ll be having baked spaghetti, corn, and ice cream with candy on top. Luckily, for the sad losers, we’ll have their meals during the next week too…
This morning we had “life school”… the kind of school where we get out of our house and vote and talk about the world around us. We learned about our government, the voting process, and how opinions and differences are okay, as long as we all try to get along and do what is best. To help relate this to my kids’ world we voted on what kind of food and candy we each like best. Food trumps politics.
Go Butterfingers and Baked Spaghetti!
After a hard day of mudslinging and promises - I mean campaigning - for a dinner menu, the Bush family voted today. After we cast our ballots and tallied them up, we hugged one another as winners (and some very sad losers). Tonight, we’ll be having baked spaghetti, corn, and ice cream with candy on top. Luckily, for the sad losers, we’ll have their meals during the next week too…
This morning we had “life school”… the kind of school where we get out of our house and vote and talk about the world around us. We learned about our government, the voting process, and how opinions and differences are okay, as long as we all try to get along and do what is best. To help relate this to my kids’ world we voted on what kind of food and candy we each like best. Food trumps politics.
Go Butterfingers and Baked Spaghetti!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Phinizy Swamp
Last week we hiked around Phinizy Swamp. It was a great family activity. The kids lasted for an hour and a half, and would have walked longer but it was getting dark. It was also pretty cold...
We saw a lot of birds, a blue heron, and a lake with circling fish. We were thrilled, and will visit again!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)