The Philadelphia Zoo . . . in November.

On one of the kids' days off, we took advantage of out membership to the zoo.

Still blooming.  Beautiful.

Still smiling. Precious.

I love the knobby legs.

I made sure to see the primates.  Missed getting a photo of a new mother gibbon swinging around with her tiny baby holding on to her belly.  But I got this guy having an afternoon snack.

This guy's back end looked a lot like its front end.  When it started walking, I half expected to see eyes on both ends.

Isn't it a bit disturbing? 
(This is a photo I found on the internet.)  

Ellie is posing with an alligator snapping turtle.  She waited and waited for it to snap.  She was disappointed.  

A green frog.  Always need a photo of a frog.

Here's Klondike.  She finally was out after our third trip past her enclosure.

Pay attention.  You might need to be able to identify a cat at some point.

Costumes

I made the munchkins costumes this year.

Ellie's from a bed skirt . . .

 and Josh's from a fleece throw, with a little help from a hoodie and sweat pants.

They are a dragon and a queen turned into bride.

Yard Work and Family Fun

We did some yard work today.  I tackled the compost pile.  It was big enough for the whole block.  I downsized it by half.  It is still bigger than we need.  But it is very much more tidy now. 



I also trimmed up the butterfly bush, because we plan to move the plastic bin thing to the adjacent fence on the left. 

Here you can see the trimmings from the bush laying in the dirt where part of the compost pile used to be.

The white picket fence still needs to be cut to fit around the compost area.

Gary mowed the front yard, dug out a tree trunk and pulled out all the dying pepper and tomato plants, after harvesting the last of the crop. He has asked me several  times to remind him next year we do not need four hot pepper plants.

Josh helped me some and pulled off a lot of the vine from the fence behind the plastic bin. 

Ellie brought us a snack and made brownies.

And after all the work was done, we played.  Josh requested dodge ball.  We also had some spin around and get the kids dizzy time, lay on the ground and flip the kids over my head time, and three-legged race time.

Then we went out for dinner.  Kulp's Spices treated us for all our hard work at the market.

It was a great family day. 

Declares the LORD.

In my Bible study of the Psalms, we looked at Psalm 137.

¹By the waters of Babylon,
    there we sat down and wept,
    when we remembered Zion.
² On the willows there
    we hung up our lyres.
³ For there our captors
    required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
    “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

⁴ How shall we sing the Lord's song
    in a foreign land?
⁵ If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
    let my right hand forget its skill!
⁶ Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
    if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
    above my highest joy! 
⁷ Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites
    the day of Jerusalem,
how they said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare,
    down to its foundations!”
⁸ O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed,
    blessed shall he be who repays you
    with what you have done to us!
⁹ Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones
    and dashes them against the rock!

We discussed the questions and observations we had.  Clearly, the Psalmist is in great distress.  He has been captured and taken to a foreign land.  He wants justice for those who have done this.

This psalm was written after Jerusalem was destroyed and the people were taken into captivity by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.  The people of Jerusalem were warned, repeatedly, by the prophets, especially Jeremiah, to repent of their Godlessness.  All throughout the book of Jeremiah, the prophet speaks God's words, mostly telling Israel to repent and what will happen if they do not.  And they do not repent.  And Babylon destroys and takes into exile the people of Jerusalem.

But starting in Jeremiah 29 God reveals His plan.   

Jeremiah 29:1 (NIV)  These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.

God told the Israelites to live in this new land.  In a way, God answered the Psalmist.  He said to start families, to seek the welfare of the city.  To prosper.  I suggest reading all of Jeremiah 29.  And even more.

Jeremiah 29:10-14 (NIV)  This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

Back to the psalm.  God wants us to come to Him with all our feelings, not just the good ones.  He wants to hear us cry out in our pain, anger, shame, distress.  The psalm is the anguished cry of a heart torn out of his home.  It might even have been an unrepentant heart at the time or one turning back to God.  

There are myriad psalms of anguished crying out to God.  They are the prayers we ourselves can pray.

This psalm also brought up these questions for me.  How am I to be with my children?  Do I let them pour out their feelings to me?  Or do I stifle it?   I want them to feel free to be real with me.  Gary and I are their safe place.  We love them no matter what.  We want them to prosper, to have a hope and a future.

A Treasure Hunt

First, you take a plain piece of paper.
Mine looked like parchment.
 
Than you draw a map.
I used parts of the house and transformed them for on the map.  The couch and chair became hills.  The stairs became mountains.  The bedrooms were caves.

Crinkle it up.
I balled it up with my hands.

Burn it.
I used our clicker and burned it at spots along the edges and made holes around the middle section.

Write a poem about the map on the back.
In your hand you hold a map.
Beware it may lead to a trap!
It will guide you to and fro,
Follow it well, where you go.

Roll it up and tie it.
I carefully rolled it and tied it with natural raffia (I had to look it up too.)

Hide it.
I chose to stash it on the header of a basement window in the darkest section of the basement.  Then I told them a story about how sometimes you can find treasure maps in old houses.  Usually in basements.  I asked them where they thought a map might be hidden.  I suggested to look in the joists, in the darker places.

Then you set the kids free to find the map and treasure.  Josh was very animated.  They both questioned me numerous times about the age of the map.

Ellie is drinking from her treasure.  A collapsible cup, with pill container that contained two quarters, which broke before she even got to hold it.  Josh accidentally dropped it on the hardwood floor.  I think glue will make it good as new.

Smoothie Time

Before.

After.

I think I have a mixture that includes spinach, and we all like.

I am not near death . . .

. . . though the last nine years of my life just flashed before my eyes.

I just looked through nine years of photos (8,748 to be exact, though many were repeats, which tells me I need to get going on my photo sorting project, because it would have been easier and wouldn't have taken so long) looking for a photo to submit for a fall foliage contest.  Surprising to me, I only found two worth entering.  I see that I need to take more fall foliage photos.

Want to help me pick?  [I wrote that question when I thought there would be a bigger selection.]

This one I added because I took it seven years ago, Tuesday.  And I like it.

Finding a job

I have never had so much frustration in finding a job as right now. 

My first job was as a cashier at "I Got it at Gary's," a store like Walgreens, but bigger.  I worked there in high school to earn money for my trip to Europe.  Once I earned what I needed, I quit. 

I believe my second job was my campus events job in college.  Then a cashier at The Green Baron, a garden supply place.  Then JC Penney, working in the stockroom.

Then back to college in campus events.  Then a summer job teaching at science camp.  Then I worked for my dad.  [That was a hard job to get.  ;)   Didn't even have to fill out a stupid application.]  Then my professional job of teaching science.

All during this time I did babysitting jobs. 

I don't recall having any trouble getting these jobs.  I found the ad, applied and was hired.

Then on August 1, 2004, I started my all time best, most fulling, hardest, super fun, most frustrating, keep me guessing job of my life.  I became a mom.  And then again on November 17, 2006.

There are no words to really describe being a mom, because there are so many feelings and emotions rolled into that one.

Aaahhhh.  Hmmm.

Okay, now back to the paycheck job issue.  In the last year, I have filled out so many applications, I can't even count how many.  I detest filling out applications.  Personally, I think there should be a form application that all employers are to use.  Because, really they all ask for the same basic information: Name and address, school history, work history, references.  Why must I fill out a new application each time?  I say, there should be one application to be filled out on the computer and then print it for each job to which I want to apply.  Then if they want more information, I can fill out something else.

Sometimes I even have filled out multiple applications, each asking for basically the same information.  All this for one position.  Very annoying. 

I hear from people. I have interviews.  And then nothing.  No word back.  Not. A. Word.

I have had people reach out to me to work for them.  A few emails back and forth, a phone conversation, and then nothing,  One lady even stood me up on the meeting we were to have.  I went to her house, and nobody was home.  I haven't heard from her.  Not a word of apology.

It's frustrating and discouraging.  And I know I am not the only one. 

Not so much a non-stick pan.

Here is my Orgreenic pan.  Looks lovely and non-sticky like.  But ohhh, looks can be deceiving.  I bought the pan primarily to cook eggs.  Frankly, I greatly dislike eggs sticking to a pan.  So, I jumped up and down when I saw a pan that had no dangerous chemical coating,
could cook an egg and it just slip right out of the pan.


When I had the money, I bought one.  But remember, looks can be deceiving and that includes commercials.  Despite my best efforts and following the instructions, my eggs continue to stick to that blasted Orgreenic pan.  However, sauteing veggies and cooking a grill cheese is like a dream.   

I saw another ceramic pan and wondered about it's non-stick properties.  I might just be at the  beginning of my pursuit.

A Cuboree

 I know.  I didn't really know what one was either until this morning.

A Cuboree is a Cub Scout event, where cub scouts go around to different stations.













At these stations they get to learn about outdoor stuff, practice their archery skills, use catapults, do ropes courses, hold snakes, play games, and much more.  There were 17 stations.













Each station is designed and manned by area Boy Scout Troops, who camped out over the weekend. The older boys teach and direct the younger ones.










It was well put together and fun for the entire family.  At the end, they had ice cream for everyone. 

 

Picture Day

Today was picture day.  I remembered this at 8:25 am, 25 minutes before we were to leave for school.  After the kids were already dressed.  Two days since the kids' last showers.  And before I used the online coupon code to prepay for the pictures.

I started to scramble, to pick the most economical photo package (is there really one?) with the right amount of photo sizes for the appropriate family members, and to let Ellie and Josh pick their choice of backgrounds (they have 4.)

Here is Ellie wearing her shirt.

While doing this I charged the kids with instructions to race upstairs and change into picture taking clothes.  Ellie looked down and asked why her current ensemble wasn't okay.  I thought about it and asked the kids what they wanted to wear.  They both felt they were clothed just fine.  Josh had on a Mater t-shirt.  Ellie had on a shirt with a rainbow and butterflies.  At least both shirts were stain free, a small victory.

Here is Josh wearing his shirt.

I decided to let it be (since going to pick clothes would have taken more time anyway) and went back to picking photo options. 

We got to school on time (another victory) with photo passes in backpacks.

Schedule

We have a white board on the dining room wall, much to Gary's dismay.  I decided it was needed.  When the kids move out, then we can take it down.  But if it continues to help keep them on track, it stays.

If I forget to update it, they will point that out.  Ellie will write on it for me sometimes. 

I currently write the schedule for the day on it.  Josh is okay with the same schedule every day, but I discovered that Ellie would like it switched up now and then.  So now I have two schedules on there for the morning. 

I am wanting to not remind her all the time of what she needs to do, but when I see her not doing the things that need to be done to get ready for school and time to leave is fast approaching, it is hard.  I usually fail.

As you can see Gary contributed a little art work.  The kids made sure to tell me to leave it there.

I have also done an after school schedule, but the face man is currently in the way. 

Dinner

This photo has nothing to do with the post, save for that the recipe is from Myrtle and she misses moss.  And I had a photo of some that I took just for her. 

My dear culinary Myrtle has this handy little blog going.  Myrtle finds recipes, makes them, posts them and talks about making them.  She will also tell me about it and then I get to try something new.  Tonight I am trying the Baked Mustard Lime Chicken. 

To start off, you need to wear a cute little apron.  Mandatory.  [I can make you one for a small fee.]

Here is how I made this meal.  For one, I see no point in ever putting cilantro in anything.  No point.  So that was eliminated.

Next, we don't have Dijon mustard, so I used honey mustard.  Isn't a bit of honey good for you?  And since Gary isn't that big a fan of any kind of mustard, read that as he doesn't let the stuff pass by his lips, I only put in about 1/8 cup.

Side note: I rarely measure exactly when I cook. Drives Gary batty. So I don't really need to put measurements on here, just eyeball it.  Better yet, follow the link, since I didn't mention all the ingredients.

I did follow the recipe when it said to rinse and pat dry the chicken, though it is a step I find rather annoying.  No, I did not use a paper towel.  My home is paper towel free.


Then I discovered we had no more chili powder, so I had to go to the store, aka the attic, to visit Kulp's Spices.  And since the lovely, very organized Mrs. Kulp just recently made a charming little space for the store, I could find it, easy peasy.









Celtic sea salt?  Why so specific?  I used this instead.















Now to sit and wait to bake.  Note, I didn't cover it.  No need to waste and use plastic wrap.

Here it is all cooked. 

What was determined - less lime, less chili powder, less mustard.  If you are under the age of 10, no chili powder.  So that the kids would eat the chicken, I used my colander and rinsed it off.

 Though a work in progress, worth making again.

Second note: Preparing dinner took twice as long since I was documenting it on here while I went.

Doing . . . nothing

Well, maybe not nothing.  I have read up on Ranch life.  Not that I plan to do that any time soon, or ever. 

But I do know more than before about cow-calf ranching.  And burning grasses on the prairie. 

And a little more about photography.  I also realize I will have to wait many many many moons before I can afford a better camera with which to take better photos.  Unless I can fetch a good price from my current camera, which probably won't happen.  Or win the lottery, which also won't happen, since I don't buy tickets.  Or get a job, which isn't happening either.

But I think I take pretty good photos with what I got, anyhow.  Or I could unearth Gary's film camera, but I probably won't do that either, since I am in love with digital photography.

These are two of my current favorites.  And I am not at all partial to the subjects.  Ha, I am silly about those two.

The one with Josh is a little less becoming because it isn't just him, like with Ellie.  That larger shirt-less man kind of messes it up.  I think I just might try to photo shop those other people out.

Check back later to see my handy work.

Attic cleaning

Here is Kulp's Spices' new attic space.  I cleaned out the area, put stuff aside for our yard sale (seen in the boxes by the table,) fashioned shelves from things we already had, and alphabetized the spices.  Once all that was done, I remembered I wanted to staple the sheet to the ceiling to make it more room-like (and to keep any parts of the ceiling from falling on the  spices.)  So I carefully moved the shelves out of the way and contorted my body to staple the sheet to the joists. 

Now everything is back in its place and ready for spice bag production.  Tomorrow, we will have hot mulled apple cider at the Lansdale Farmers' Market.   Yum! 

Parenting

Parenting is almost always foremost in my thoughts.  I want to listen to them and hear them.  I want them to know that the way they feel is okay.  I want to connect with them.  I want to pray for them and with them.  I want to be their safe place.  I want to be a source of their comfort.  I want to stay calm.

But a lot of the time, I am constantly frustrated at their complete inability to be perfect little obeying children.  "Yes, Mommy, I would love to eat my vegetables."  "No, Mommy, I never want to watch TV."  Yes, Mommy, I will go do my homework."  "Yes, Mommy, I will go do all my jobs."  Which of course is absurd on my part to expect them to be such. 

Too often I wait for them to take a breathe and start explaining why my way is the right way.  More often than not, my anger eventually flares when their emotions do.  I usually end up saying something to drive us apart.  Days sometimes go by when not a prayer is heard.  I sometimes see a look of fear on their face when they look at me.  "Calm" is not my middle name.

The start of school has been my "New Year's Resolution" time.

Some of my goals for this school year:
Be a better scheduler.  (My children do better with a schedule.)
Exercise at least three times a week.
Read God's word everyday.
Pray specifically each day for my children, using the Power of a Praying Parent as my guide.
Pray specifically each day for my husband, using the Power of a Praying Wife as my guide.
Volunteer.
Find a job.
Change the way I speak.
Learn about my camera and do more with my photography.
Learn to play the guitar.

So far I am mostly off to a good start.

What to do

I have my days free, at least for now.  My children are in school.  All day.  I have thought and thought about what I shall do with my days now.

I can make a schedule.  Laundry and grocery-shopping-list making on Monday.  Shopping on Tuesday.  Vacuuming and steam mopping on Wednesday.  Baking, ironing and TV watching here and there, and so on.

Yesterday I was reminded that I could join a Bible study.  I was late, but I joined a study of the book of Psalms.  My friend, Myrtle, who in her own words "loves the Psalter like a loon," finds great comfort and peace in its pages.  Knows them inside out and upside down.  She knows which ones pray comfort to a trembling soul, which ones pray rejoicing with one full of praise.  I have learned from her the importance of praying the Psalter.

Today I was reminded of how I can use my time to help others.  In volunteer work at the kids' school, I enjoyed re-shelving books last year.  I got to know the Dewey decimal system better.  I haven't quite mastered it yet, so I need to keep volunteering.  I was also blessed to see my kids on the days they had library.  They love me being there.  I have other volunteering options and helping others ideas in mind.

I am trying to find employment, even in its smallest measurement.  I would like to work some of the days that the kids are in school, but there isn't much out there for that time slot.  I have applied, I've interviewed, I haven't heard back.  Or I have applied and I've never heard back.  Very frustrating.  We are also trying to do more with Kulp's Spices.  Right now we have a stand at the Lansdale Farmer's Market.  We hope to put some of our products in local stores and start an Internet store.  To do these, we need to get the attic in shape.  To do that we need to clean it out.  Right now I have been ignoring the attic and barely glance at the door as I pass it.

Giardino Burgers

Last week, Ellie informed me she knew what we could have for dinner.  She even printed out a recipe.  I took a look.  She wanted to have Chef Pisghetti's Giardino Burgers.

Now for those of you who don't have anyone in your life who watches Curious George, you probably don't know who this chef is.  He is George's chef friend.  And he apparently inspired Ellie.

Ellie isn't usually the one to help me cook, so I made sure to follow through with her idea.  We even went shopping for ingredients.  She was very into it.  She took the recipe and mentally checked off the items as we found them and informed me of the ones we had at home that did not need to be purchased.  She also relayed the extra comments she heard from Chef Pisghetti himself from the website where she found the recipe.

Then we went home and made some burgers.  I enjoyed cooking with her, even though I figured that these burgers would probably not get eaten.  For these burgers were chick pea burgers, and I already knew Gary wouldn't like them.  The kids were not put off by the look of them, which surprised me.  Upon Gary's arrival home, I touted Ellie's efforts in dinner planning, prep and cooking, showed him the recipe, and told him he was eating one whether he liked it or not. 

I thought they were okay and even better if eaten with something else.  Josh liked them, Ellie took one bite and didn't want anymore.  And Gary ate it with a smile, not disliking it as much as he thought he would. 

A year

This evening we were discussing what day we bought our house.  We knew it was the beginning of July.  Turns out it was today.  One year of owning our third home. 

Tea to drink

My kombucha is now ready.  It is actually a little past ready.  It is rather vinegary.  Ellie likes it plain, Josh says it's too bland.  I have made two more batches to try out.  This time I will check it at 7 days instead of 9.   Gary doesn't like it.  At all.

Kombucha

I have had a small, hmm, obsession is too strong a word, interest in kombucha (I pronounce it kŏm’bū’chah) since I first heard about it.

To start with, it is a fermented tea that contains antioxidants and boosts the immune system.  It's also fizzy!  Bonus! 

But please do not get hung up on it's looks.  It can be off putting.

You can buy it at Whole Foods or Giant for over $3.00 a bottle.  Or you can make your own.  But first you need a SCOBY.  What is that you wonder?  It's an acronym for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast.  It is what ferments the tea.  And you either buy one, make one, or get one from a friend.  It's the thing floating on the top there.

Short on funds here, so I made one.  Lovely, isn't it?  I have read that homemade ones don't make as good kombucha as bought ones from specialty sites.  Oh well, I won't know the difference until I buy one and make some.

Click here for the How To!  It really isn't hard, just a lot of waiting.  You brew tea, cool, add starter kombucha, and the scoby, and wait.  And wait and wait and wait.  7 to 14 days of waiting. 

 All ready to wait.

We'll see you in week!

My imagination

I have this ability to make worse case scenarios with situations in which I find myself.  Take Gary not being home at his usual time.  I picture he's had an accident and is being rushed to the hospital and I am going to receive a call or visit from police telling me to get to the hospital, or a call that he's been killed in an accident and now I am a widow.  And now what am am I going to do?

It happened the day Josh was hit by a car.  While I was gathering the stuff we needed for our outing and hearing the kids play outside, I imagined Ellie running in to tell me Josh was hit by a car.  And I had to call Gary to tell him I was taking Josh to the ER. 

That time my scenario came true.

Right now my brain is at it again.  I am home with Ellie because she is has a fever.  It started Thursday night.  She was really hot, but I thought it was just from the heat.  But then Friday she was saying she didn't feel well, had a headache, and around dinner we took her temperature.  It was 102.8.  When we checked her before we went to bed, she felt much cooler and she was sweaty.  Saturday, still a headache and fever, though down two degrees.  And today, still she has a fever and doesn't feel well.

So where does my imagination run?  To cancer.  I imagine I will be taking her to the doctor's, they'll take blood, run tests and tell me she has stage 4 leukemia and not much time left.  She'll die and I'll feel like I failed her as a mother.  That I didn't get the chance to really be the mom she needed and I want to be.

I think I let my mind go there sometimes to prepare myself if ever they come true.  I wasn't a wreck when Ellie actually came running telling me that Josh was hit by a car. 

My friend

Here she is, my friend.  I have known her since 1995.  And yes, it's been a grand adventure!

Here we are in Atlantic City for a Sugarland concert.

Her beloved Italian GREEN moss.

 Sporting our Italian scarves in Fiesole, Italy.

We both love pizza.  We had all manner of pizzas in Italy.  And we did not think it possible, but one can get tired of eating pizza.

And in case you are wondering, pizza in Italy is different than American pizza.  The closest here I've encountered is a margharite pizza.  It has fresh mozzarella and basil.  One place we watched the chef make the pizza.  He had a bin of water next to him with the mozzarella in it.  The shredded kind you find in the grocery store . . . not at all the same.

I went with her when she got her tattoo.  I am still waiting to get mine.

We both love milk.  But we have different ideas of when it should be consumed.  I couldn't imagine not having milk with pasta.  She finds it disgusting.  The loving friend that I am, I made sure to send her this photo.

Josh and Ellie with Aunt Myrtle.  She adores these two.  And they love her back.

Her beloved Amos, the white fluff.  This is before he became the white fluff beast.  He is suppose to be a small dog, but he is twice the size of his parents.  He can reach onto counter tops.  His stretching ability is impressive. 

 

My sister friend.