December Recap

What a busy, busy, busy month this has been!
So busy, in fact, that I just struggled to keep up with everything.
Several things fell through the cracks:

1. The Laundry

2.  Eating healthy and walking regularly

3.  Managing our Type 1 Diabetic's blood sugars well

4.  My blog

I'm already getting plans in place to get back on track with all of these things!!

The laundry issue will prove to be more of a struggle though as my dryer decided to completely "give-up-the-ghost" two days before Christmas.  Grrrr.....

Instead of trying to journal with words all that we enjoyed throughout the Christmas season, I've chosen to use pictures to chronicle our December.

Warning!

Lots of pictures ahead....

Every year we go to a wonderful "living nativity" called "Bethlehem Revisited."

This year some very dear friends went with us!!  Twice the blessing!!

Christmas Parade 2012

Our Abby is on the right and sings the second verse of this pretty Christmas piece
during the Junior Choir Christmas program at our church.

This year, I had the awesome (frightening) opportunity to direct the drama for our church's

Christmas program.  My husband has always been involved in the choir.

This is from the adult choir Christmas celebration after the Cantata.

Our church family is such a gift to us!

Click on this picture above to see a better view of the lovely, large Nativity scene they had on the upper balcony.

We added something new this year to our family Christmas traditions that was just so much fun.

After all the parties were over, the Christmas programs were done, the rush was past.....

 one evening late in the month,

we loaded everyone in our giant van, turned on the Christmas music, and drove

to the fancy part of Dallas where all the big houses are professionally decorated.

It was such fun to hear all the "ooh's and ahh's" from the children

as we saw how differently and beautifully each home was lit up!

Then we treated everyone to some McDonald's french fries as we continued to enjoy

watching the scenes of Christmas in a big city!

What a lovely time of simply enjoying each other's company during the holiday season!

Terrific Tuesday: Family Pictures 2013

As we turned the calendar page to the last month of this year, December, our lives were swept into warp speed!

I can hardly remember a December that has been this busy, and yes, even overwhelming.

There have been moments already when I felt as if I were standing up, pulling back hard on the reins, to hold onto the horses just bolting ahead and threatening to tip this entire wagon over.

And this year, just to make things more interesting, we have multiple activities overlapping.

I've told several people that I can feel myself developing a nervous tic just trying to keep it all the bases covered.

Anyway, on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, we scheduled a wonderful afternoon with a dear, dear friend (our youth pastor's wife from our church) who is also a fabulous photographer.

Here are just a few of my favorites:

If you're interested in seeing this photo shoot in it's entirety, go here.

Women's Wellness Wednesday: Avoiding MSG

Several years ago, two of my children were professionally diagnosed with ADHD.

I was quickly overwhelmed.

Overwhelmed with the conflicting suggestions to help manage the disruptive behaviors

that accompany this learning difference.

The one suggestion that made the most sense for the long-term was to examine what we were eating

and how it affected their ability to focus and control themselves.

In researching this, a couple things kept coming up:

1. Food preservatives

2.  Food coloring

3.  High Fructose Corn Syrup

There were other things that came up as well, but today I want to address

the preservative MSG.

(Click on the above image to make it larger!)

For more information on processed foods and their affects on children's behavior, read......

Hyper Kids?  Cut out Preservatives

Top 10 Scariest Food Additives

MSG and ADHD

Thanksgiving at my house.....the rest of the story

I'm reposting this from a couple years ago just because it still applies to life in my house!!

And the article is right....Martha Stewart won't be showing up this year, either!!!

"Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. I’m telling you in advance, so don’t act surprised.

Since Ms. Stewart won’t be coming, I’ve made a few small changes: Our sidewalk will not be lined with homemade, paper bag luminaries. After a trial run, it was decided that no matter how cleverly done, rows of flaming lunch sacks do not have the desired welcoming effect. Once inside, our guests will note that the entry hall is not decorated with the swags of Indian corn and fall foliage I had planned to make. Instead, I’ve gotten the kids involved in the decorating by having them track in colorful autumn leaves from the front yard. The mud was their idea.

The dining table will not be covered with expensive linens, fancy china, or crystal goblets. If possible, we will use dishes that match and everyone will get a fork. Since this IS Thanksgiving, we will refrain from using the plastic Peter Rabbit plate and the Santa napkins from last Christmas. Our centerpiece will not be the tower of fresh fruit and flowers that I promised. Instead we will be displaying a hedgehog-like decoration hand-crafted from the finest construction paper. The artist assures me it is a turkey.

We will be dining fashionably late. The children will entertain you while you wait. I’m sure they will be happy to share every choice comment I have made regarding Thanksgiving, pilgrims and the turkey hotline. Please remember that most of these comments were made at 5:00 a.m. upon discovering that the turkey was still hard enough to cut diamonds. As accompaniment to the children’s recital, I will play a recording of tribal drumming. If the children should mention that I don’t own a recording of tribal drumming, or that tribal drumming sounds suspiciously like a frozen turkey in a clothes dryer, ignore them. They are lying.

We toyed with the idea of ringing a dainty silver bell to announce the start of our feast. In the end, we chose to keep our traditional method. We’ve also decided against a formal seating arrangement. When the smoke alarm sounds, please gather around the table and sit where you like. In the spirit of harmony, we will ask the children to sit at a separate table. In a separate room. Next door. Now, I know you have all seen pictures of one person carving a turkey in front of a crowd of appreciative onlookers. This will not be happening at our dinner. For safety reasons, the turkey will be carved in a private ceremony. I stress "private" meaning: Do not, under any circumstances, enter the kitchen to laugh at me. Do not send small, unsuspecting children to check on my progress. I have an electric knife. The turkey is unarmed. It stands to reason that I will eventually win. When I do, we will eat.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind my young diners that "passing the rolls" is not a football play. Nor is it a request to bean your sister in the head with warm tasty bread. Oh, and one reminder for the adults: For the duration of the meal, and especially while in the presence of you diners, we will refer to the giblet gravy by its lesser-known name: Cheese Sauce. If a young diner questions you regarding the origins or type of Cheese Sauce, plead ignorance. Cheese Sauce stains. Before I forget, there is one last change. Instead of offering a choice between 12 different scrumptious desserts, we will be serving the traditional pumpkin pie, garnished with whipped cream and small fingerprints. You will still have a choice; take it or leave it.

Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. She probably won’t come next year either. I am thankful."

SOURCE: By Barbara A. Tyler (as Printed in Today’s Woman, November 2000).

Thanksgiving for children: Whimsy

Thanksgiving week is upon us.

Are you getting ready?

I've spent some time today getting my head wrapped around

the busyness that will be our life for the next 

7 weeks.

For now, I'm just trying to get ready for what is going on THIS week.

(Simple little place-cards that the girls made for us to place 
at each family member's spot at the dinner table.)

In years past we've had a difficult time making it through the ENTIRE day of Thanksgiving without the children ending up bored and looking for something to do.  It has been a challenge to keep them happily engaged and occupied while I'm in the kitchen preparing the meal.  By the time the meal is over, the parades are done, and the football games have started......the children are beginning to squabble and wander because they've run out of things to do.  We don't have the luxury of family members coming to join us who will entertain and play with the children.  So in addition to planning a menu and shopping for every ingredient beforehand so that you don't have to run to the store (which operates on a limited time on Thanksgiving Day) because you've run out of eggs, there has to be some forethought and planning involved in activities for the children.

I just fell in love with the ideas found over at "The Homespun Heart" this year.  She is having a Thanksgiving Party for her children, and has all sorts of lovely activities that are very meaningful, educational, and simple to put together.  Check out her Homespun Thanksgiving for Children!!  What a fun way to keep the children occupied during the first part of the day (or even after your meal when Mom and Dad are ready to nap a little, but the children are still gung-ho!!)  I LOVE the idea of the pumpkin play-dough!!!

If you're looking for some simple, fun decorations and crafts to do with your children, be sure to check all the free!! printable downloads from Vision Forum!!  There are 6 different downloads available and you could easily incorporate several of their ideas even now!!  It's not too late!!

I hope you're reading to your children too!!  There are a plethora of books available at your local library that can become part of your Thanksgiving tradition, as well as just good memories for your children.

Women's Wellness Wednesday: Parabens

Exactly why I now make my own deodorant (which I LOVE by the way),

and only use other hygiene products that are paraben free.

Make-up is a culprit as well, and I'm still trying some paraben-free cosmetics 

that are affordable for my budget.

(click on the image above to make it larger)

The instructions that I use for making my deodorant can be found here.

Another Gift (Series Finale!!)......Betsy Ross House

What fun my cousin and sister and I were having on our walking tour of historic downtown Philadelphia!!

We had experienced so many things and were about ready to head back

to where we had started to grab some dinner before jumping on the train back to our hotel.

But there was just one more thing I HAD to see.

It was just 2 more blocks from Ben Franklin's grave!

In a unit study of 18th century history I did with my children, we touched on the amazing Betsy Ross.

What an inspiration this lady is to me.

She was married 3 times (all of whom she outlived)

and had 7 girls between the last two husbands.

She was a fantastic textile artist and entrepreneur who talked George Washington into a better design

for our first American Flag!!!

She was a lady of faith (Free Quaker) who supported our new country's fight for freedom!!  

I loved seeing this place!

Her grave site (and that of her final husband) are right there in the courtyard

of her home.

This building is directly across the street from the Betsy Ross home and I loved

their patriotic spirit.  

Can you see the rows of flags hung in each window?

After spending a few minutes here, we all agreed that we were wiped out!

We tried catching a cab (epic fail!), but ended up riding the bus (best 2 bucks of the whole day)

right back to the front door of the Reading Terminal Market.

While in Philadelphia, you must try a hoagie.

Some people think that it's just a Philly version of a sub sandwich.

But true Philadelphians (and Bill Cosby!) know different.

There is just something about the crustiness of the bread and how much

oil or sauce is put on it to make it juicy and oh, so heavenly.

So that's what my sister and I split at the hoagie counter there.

OR, you could go for what my cousin ate.....

Philly Cheesesteak..Baby!!

Thank you, Philadelphia, for your wonderful hospitality,

careful preservation of American history,

and loads of fun!!