Banquet tables

The kids and I put these tables together for our Thanksgiving Banquet at church last week.

Last year the kids made the Pilgrim and Indian candle holders. I made the ship from a basket and some burlap. It was fun and so I kept all of it to use over again. This year we added the corn to the table and printed out vintage Thanksgiving greeting card pictures and tied them to the corn with gold cord.












I know this is totally a mom thing, but I just love the Pilgrims and Indians, simply because my kids made them.
















We use a brown table cloth and a burlap runner.













This idea came from BH&G or Country Living or some magazine like that. Yellow apples wrapped in gold tulle. It was pretty cute, although it took longer to do than I anticipated.










I had no idea how to core an apple without my Pampered Chef tool, isn't that ridiculous? One of the ladies who was at the church cooking came to my rescue, and I am pretty sure she was laughing on the inside! But it did hold the candles better because I was able to make them just the right size for the tapers.

Family Friday

That is silly putty on Jeremiah's forehead. Dad thought it was funny, the kids thought it was hilarious, and I...well, I did too!

This is the best babysitter in the whole wide world. Ms. Chris has been our babysitter for almost 3 years now and has never, not a single time disappointed us in any possible way. She plays with the kids, not just put a movie on and watch with them play, but build forts, bake cakes, kind of play. She remembers their birthdays, she remembers my birthday, mother's day, father's day. Several times we accidentally paid her too much and she brought the cash back to us...amazing...she gives me hope for the next generation. The kids love her. Sadly, Wednesday was the last time she will babysit for us. I cried.

Ella Rosey was dedicated last Sunday at church. We don't do infant baptism, and we usually save the dedication and combine it with a first birthday party. But we wanted Pastor Lee to do it for us so we did it early this time. She was kind of fidgety the whole time, like she was gonna break out into big embarrassing screams any second. Until Pastor Lee took her, then she calmed down and finished it out just fine.

Insert catchy title about shrinky dinks here

Did you know that you can use #6 recyclable plastic to make shrinky dinks with? I combined this post with this post and came up with this...

#6 recyclable plastic is the stuff you get in the deli dept for sandwiches. Or the lid for those disposable baking tins. Pretty common, and cheaper than actual shrinky dink material. It is clear though, not opaque like shrinky dink and that does make a difference in the finished product.

What you need:
#6 recyclable plastic
sharpies
straight pins
mini flower pot
small square of fabric
350 degree preheated oven
tin foil

I am no sketch artist so I also had to print out some cute little flowers I found through google images to trace onto my plastic.

Trace or sketch your design, color it in and then cut them out. Stick the pins in before you put it in the oven.

I forgot to take a picture of the flowers with the pins before they went in the oven, so this is the other project I did today, guitar pics. Make a little foil tray and place your designs on top, with the sharpie side up. Some of my flowers got messed up in the oven because the color melted onto the foil.

Now stick them in the oven and watch closely through the door. It took less than a minute for my designs to be completed. They shriveled up and got really curly then flattened back out. When it looked like they were done shrinking I took them out. If your design is bigger, it will take longer, you just have to watch it.



Good gift for the guitar player in your life? Stocking stuffer for your favorite seamstress? Fun project to waste some time with the kids.

I hate to tell you this...

Because I know it means my chances will be slimmer, but La Petite Chic is giving away a Wii console, a Wii Fit "game" and a balance board. Good luck!

Fun stuff to do with kids

make Christmas presents
make Christmas wrapping paper
make Christmas gift tags
make picture frames from twigs glued on cardboard
crochet, knit, or sew something
make up an obstacle course or run relay races
rest together
feed birds or squirrels
paint t-shirts
read a book and make a bookmark for it
bathe a pet
watch clouds
organize one dresser drawer
clean under the bed
empty the dishwasher (my kids love this...why?!)
clean under the couch cushions and let them keep the change

Prayers for my family

Micah 6:8
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

I am still working on what all of this looks like, especially the act justly party. My prayer is for each one of us, Michael, me, Mikey, Haley, Jeremiah and Ella to love mercy because we have received mercy untold. And for each of us to walk humbly, because we are in the presence of our God who is sovereign, and so much greater than us, who has forgiven and given immeasurably more than we deserve. I pray for God to open our eyes to glimpse His holiness compared to our sinfulness, which will produce in us these qualities.

Ode to my husband

Apparently I gush about my husband on my blog? Seriously, if you were married to him, you would too! Recently, after gushing about my husband to a friend, the friend said to me "Save it for your blog, you can call it, Ode to my Husband!" I took it as a challenge! Here you go Matt...
You should google "how to write and ode" and see what comes up! Who has ever heard of iambic pentameter and abacdeblahblahblah rhythm? Maybe in one of my college English classes at some point (10 years ago) there was mention of this stuff, but right now the poetry I read is mostly mother goose...anyway, here is my cheesy attempt...definitely not in my comfort zone!

Ode to my handsome husband Michael D.
If you only knew how much I love you
Is it because you wash dishes for me?
Is it because you help me fold laundry?
Is it because you mow and weed the lawn?
Or because you are such a hard worker?
Yes, but more, so much more than even those.
It is because we make the cutest kids!
It is because you make me laugh out loud!
And because you always kiss me goodnight.

Ode to my patient husband Michael D.
True, you are known as "virtuous since birth"
this quality is quite easy to see
in the way you deal with little ol' me
attentive, not unconcerned with my needs
available, not self-centered with your time
cautious decisions, family in mind
enduring every word, though bountiful
dependable and help to those who need
though I am not wise you are that indeed

Ode to my family man, Michael D.
diligent and a hard worker each day
you provide above and beyond our needs
you provide a place to be safe, secure
you provide the ways to live our hopes, dreams
you provide me with washing in the word
self-proclaimed a simple man, I say not
I couldn't find a more good-looking guy
I couldn't catch a more patient man
I couldn't choose, for me there's only you

Now here is my challenge to all of you, write one stanza of an ode to something you love.

B.A.R.F. Night

I wish I had pictures from B.A.R.F. Night, it was HILARIOUS! B.A.R.F. stands for Be A Real Friend, Bring A Real Friend, and we did it for AWANA this year. Keeping true to the name, the kids bring their friends and then we make them do some gross stuff. This year we had the mud/worms/dirt pudding cups, chocolate pudding with crushed up OREO crumbs on top and then some gummy worms coming out of it. I thought I would share the games with you, as they were so fun, maybe you can use them somehow.

We had them dig through bowls of alphabet soup with their bare hands to find letters and spell words like snot, and puke, and barf.

They had to do a baby food relay. Each player had to run to the end of the square and take a bite of baby food then run back and tag the next person. I was so surprised at how much the kids resisted this game!

There was another one with chocolate sauce and marshmallows, one person stood on a chair and tried to drop the dipped marshmallows into the players mouth who was laying on the ground under the chair.

And finally we sent them home with B.A.R.F. bags full of candy. This was the Wednesday before Halloween so it tied in well with the season, without having to deal with costumes and stuff.

Family Friday

Oh, this boy! I should have known right then that Jeremiah would be our class clown! He will do anything for a laugh! This kid has such a jovial personality, happy all the time.

Jeremiah turned two at the beginning of this month. We had a little family party for him in Kennewick. It is a rare occasion when he isn't dragging his blanket around, he likes the minky stuff, and sucks on it. Then the blanket gets all stinky and we have to wash it. Fortunately, we have two to rotate! He is pretty attached so recently we had to limit the "wubby" (Mr. Mom anyone?) to bedtime only.

He picks up on stuff very quickly, I think it is from watching his older sibs. When we are doing chores or cooking or playing in the backyard, he just joins right in. He also likes to help mommy, and takes instruction so well.

Jeremiah is also our cautious one. Really, he is afraid of everything, cats, dogs, airplanes, new noises, new people. We pray often that as he grows he will depend on the spirit of courage that God has given us.

He is a great kid, I am so thankful for him!

I done did read these

Laura finally becomes a school teacher and gets married in this book! I love how she writes, I can see every word, every detail, feel what she is feeling. These are phenomenal books, you should read them!









Also a good book, with lots of eye opening statistics. The book goes a mile wide and an inch deep with most of the topics covered. Some of the chapters are: Trust the United Nations to protect us and our security. Make it unlawful to worship God or even to show images of the Ten Commandments. Convert our universities into fortresses of anti-Americanism, hatred of freedom, and centers of confusion and ignorance. Encourage contempt for the family and for the community. If you are old-fashioned, or patriotic, you will love this book.







This book was much better than I expected it to be. I picked it up off the shelf in our church library because I struggle with grace in my parenting. If I were alive when Jesus was, I am pretty sure I would be a pharisee! I like rules, you obey, good job. You break them, you get a punishment, easy enough. God has used my kids to shape and mold many areas of my life, and this is no exception. There is lots of very practical advice in here for parents, no matter what stage/age your kids are.

Free photo book from Snapfish

My sister called this morning to tell me that Snapfish is giving away a free photo book to Oprah viewers! Click here to take advantage. It has to be done TODAY, so get busy. We are going to make a "color" book for Jeremiah for Christmas. Well, I should say that we might make a book...here's hoping we can find the time today! Am I Oprahfied? No, but I will take a free photo book, which normally costs $30!

**Edited to say**
This offer is only good for one standard 20-page 8" x 11" custom cover photo book per household. Coupon dispersal ends on Friday, November 14, 2008 at 11:59pm PST. Free photo book must be redeemed by Sunday, November 16, 2008 at 11:59pm PST. Offer does not include customary shipping & handling charges or additional pages. Offer applies only to US customer accounts and mail-order delivery to U.S. customers. Offer cannot be combined with other coupon codes. Coupon cannot be resold or otherwise transferred, and is void on the earlier of redemption or the offer end date.

**I copied and pasted the above "fine print" from the Snapfish website. I reserve the right not to be responsible if you misunderstand the "fine print" and don't get your book!**

GrosgrainStore.com Grand Opening & Giftcard Giveaway!!!!!!!!

GrosgrainStore.com Grand Opening & Giftcard Giveaway!!!!!!!!

GrosgrainStore.com Grand Opening & Giftcard Giveaway!!!!!!!!

GrosgrainStore.com Grand Opening & Giftcard Giveaway!!!!!!!!

Handwriting practice for kids

Zaner-Bloser has a great resource for handwriting practice. It is for any grade level and you basically make your own practice sheets. When you get to the link, click on "get started."

Family Friday

I am headed to Seattle this weekend with my friend Heather. She bought me a ticket (generous, I know!) to go see Dr. Laura's One Woman Show. Michael and the kids are bound for Papa and Grammy's house. Here are just a few pics of the kids from the last couple of weeks. Hope things are wonderful in your neck of the woods! Click on the pictures to make them bigger, they might be hard to see this time.

Fun stuff to do with kids

In previous posts you have heard of our "fun jar." When there is nothing else to do, we choose a slip of paper from our fun jar and do whatever it says. Often times this is not something that mom wants to do, but I made a commitment to myself that I would ALWAYS do it anyway, and am always glad I did! The jar itself is not picture worthy, as it is an old pickle jar with no decorations except the little pieces of glue and paper still clinging to it from the label. It even smells like pickles when you open it. If you are a good mom, you will decorate it and run it through the dishwasher more than once.

We have been collecting ideas for a looooong time so we have loads of them...here are a few, with more to follow in later posts!

• have a teddy bear picnic
• play with cars
• play with dolls
• play house
• chase butterflies/bugs/ants/ leaves
• collect caterpillars and bugs
• plant something in the garden/flowerbeds/ flowerpots
• hunt for 4 leaf clovers
• learn magic tricks to show dad when he comes home
• decorate some sock or paper bag puppets for your favorite story and then act it out
• hide toys in a dark room and go search for them with the flashlight
• write a silly story together
• twirl in circles
• play a board game together
• turn on some music and dance for a while
• and my personal favorite from this list...tell your kids a story from when you were little
  

GO VOTE!!