Our first igloo

The snow was perfect for packing today so here's what we made.  It was our third attempt at an igloo but with the help of a few snow brick molds and you tube demonstrations we finally got it .  It fits three people and is somewhat miss shaped but the process was fun and we hope it with stands the sun and high of 39 degrees tomorrow.

If not we'll make another one because we all know it can snow through April here.  My brother Rob got really good at igloos in WA.

 

Here's how we eat it

This is was a simple 15 minute millet meal that all but one of my children ate.  

I cooked the millet in the pressure cooker which took a total of 15 min (10 min high pressure then quick release) then tossed it with a bit of olive oil, cumin, garlic powder and salt.   It was topped on a pile of fresh baby spinach then I let everyone choose their own toppings.  We had available avocado, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro, shredded cheese, and salsa.  

My sister Cheryl does a Greek version of this with quinoa, red onions, feta, cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, peppers and olives - it is just as satisfying!  We all got pressure cookers last year as part of the "kitchen arms race" and there is no greater group to collaborate with than my sisters.  

As for children (actually it's just one child) not eating what is prepared, that is problem that needs help beyond my sister group.  Any suggestions?   

Name the Grain Game

Last week I was done with the redbox this week I hit my fill of red meat.  

So here is a lovely assortment of grains that I am excited to experiment with.  Can you match them to their number?  The picture is small and I only expect Emily to get them all but here they are:

1. Quinao
2. Kamut
3. Spelt
4. Barley
5. Amaranth
6. Millet
7. Red Quinoa

We've been eating millet and quinoa for about a year now but just yesterday I joined in on Emily's "Dollars and Sense" enrichment meeting where we learned about other grains and how to prepare them.  The dishes that were demonstrated were tasty and filling in addition to being an inexpensive and healthy way to feed a family.  I prefer to use my pressure cooker to prepare them but you can easily do it on the stove top.  Emily posted the flyer from the meeting  and you can find out more ways to prepare the grains from Chef Brad (Suz - I hope I can find one of his books at the library or I just may have to add it to may permanent book collection).

Recent Amazon Order

At the bottom of my stocking I found a coinstar receipt that totaled $30 in Amazon credit.  I put my order in last week and here's what I've been enjoying:

A Midsummer Night's Dream was added just for fun and because my niece Natalie is playing the part of Titania in a school performance. I haven't read any Shakespeare since high school and I never enjoyed it because in the back of my mind was the dreaded essay, exam, and class lecture on the assigned reading.  Back then I had to analyze every word and metaphor but this time around I'm reading it without a care of any deeper meaning, I'm just enjoying the way the words lead me along and with it tell a great story.  This edition is from the Folger Shakespeare Library and provides extensive notes and definitions just opposite the text page and keeps me from getting entirely lost.    

The Dugar's book was added because having grown up in a family with 17 children I was curious.  It was a quick read and I was quite impressed with how they live and raise their children.  I'm still curious though, I want more stories and more details.  My mom always talks of writing her own book about our family and I hope she does.  I don't think we could paint ourselves as perfect and organized as the Duggar family but a book about our family would be full of stories of adventure, chaos and love, certainly enough to keep one laughing even after all the words have been read.  I hope I can raise my own children somewhere between the Duggar family and my own family - my mom would call that "controlled chaos".

 

This last book was just eye candy, I don't think I've even read one page.  Amazon readers gave it 4 1/2 stars but I would maybe give it 3.  I was hoping for more innovative embroidery designs - you know like doodling.  The embroidery featured on the cover is  by far the most interesting piece.  But maybe when I stop looking at and actually read it I will change my  mind.  It just may give me a few new tips that my traditional embroidery books are lacking.

Either way this box of new books really brightened my day and filled both my mind and my soul.  Now I'm thinking of going on a change hunt around the house then taking a little trip to the coinstar so I can make another order. 

Fun with FIMO

Thanks for all the movie recommendations!  I have enough titles to fill our que for several months and may even write a few reviews of our favorites.

But since there were no fresh movies for us to watch today I pulled out the FIMO clay that was originally intended for homemade Christmas ornaments but didn't arrive at our door until Jan. 9.  It's just as well because we had enough activities to keep us busy over the holidays, today was a perfect day for sculpting.

James made the first of many flag magnets, Sweden's for Nanny and Poppy and the Swiss flag is for Oma and Opa .  The other two, U.S.A. and Nigeria, he's keeping for himself.

William made the Weasley's flying car and Whomping Willow from Harry Potter book 2.  

I just discovered the girls love to bead pipe cleaners - it actually keeps them busy.  So I made the beads for them.  I also experimented with a big colorful button and may stick it on that sweater I'm suppose to finish for Henry.

It is not a good project for younger children so the girls did play dough while poor little Peter was sick in bed.  He thought the clay was one of his birthday presents because it arrived just before his birthday party - it will be fun to see what he'll creaate when we try this again. 

An old favorite

I've had enough of the redbox and am now officially convinced few great movies have been produced in the last several years.  It's time to renew my Netfilx account so I can once again enjoy great movies, old classics and international films.

I found Annie at my Mom's house and it's been a couple of decades since I last saw it.  There was a summer in my childhood where us girls watched it at least everyday - we loved it!  I think what made it so entertaining  for us is we really related to those little girl orphans, not that we were uncared for in the least, we were just scrappy little girls sharing one great big room (there were at least 6 of us in there at a time) and living our own musical the way we use to sing, dance and play together.  In fact, we even coreographed our own version of "It's a Hard Knock Life" complete with gymnastics, flips off the bunk bed, pillow fights, jumping from bed to bed and climbing the hallway walls.  Suz often played Annie, Becca was always Molly, and Mary and I switched between Pepper, Miss Hanagen, and Grace.  Watching this movie again brought back many pleasant memories of my childhood.

Yesterday I showed it to Maryanna for the first time.  She must have liked it because she sat through the whole thing and I heard her belting out the words "tomorrow" while sitting on the potty. 

Except for a movie night once a week and occasional sports events our family doesn't watch T.V.  This next month may have to be the exception though as I get back my strength.  I am in need of movie recommendations beyond recent Disney or Pixar productions to enjoy with the kids, or maybe we'll have to pick up where we left off on Planet Earth from our last road trip.   

He cooks!

I guess it was unrealistic for me to think I'd be "back to full strength in another week". Apparently it can take several weeks and even months to be back to full strength after a blood transfusion. But I'm doing what I can do, resting, taking iron supplements, and eating red meat.

I wasn't kidding when I called to ask my Dad if he had any venison heart or chicken liver in his freezer, I even begged Paul to go to the local Super China Market for a black chicken and accompanying dried herbs and fruit for an iron rich stew but they both just laughed at me. Instead, my Dad cooked me a steak on Sunday and Paul went to Costco yesterday and stocked up on enough steak to feed us throughout the week. I think he is going to enjoy this part of the recovery.

Look what he brought to me in bed last night - it was delicious and the presentation was impressive.  What made it all the more delicious was the sound of dishes being washed and the washer and dryer running full force. There is little room for self-pity when those dearest to you put their love to action.    

I'm not sure if knitting is for me

These little leg warmers were intended to be finished by the end of our road trip last Sept. I then hoped to at least have them completed and wrapped up for Christmas, but it wasn't until this week of redbox DVDs and resting that this very simple project came to a close.

I like the final project but I'm wondering if I actually enjoyed the process.  It may be because I only knit when I'm not feeling well or when I'm forced to sit, something that is hard for me to do.  Maybe it was the size 2 double point needles and the 1x1 rib that was completed in such a small circle that made this project hard to finish.  But I did it and I even started another pair.  The next pair will be for Maryanna and is out of the same yarn, 70% superfine alpaca/30% angora, but in an avocado green.  I'm trying out a 2x2 rib pattern and added 8 extra stitches for ease in working in the round and also just in case I don't finish them until next Christmas.  

I also found a size 12 month hooded cardigan that was intended for Maryanna but still unfinished; it has since passed up Clara as well.  I am glad I invested in a camel color yarn (merino/microfiber/cashmere) because if I finish it, Henry just may be able to pull it off.  

Maybe it is just frustrating that my kids are growing faster than I can knit, maybe I never sit down anymore, or when I am sitting I'm already multi-tasking (reading to a child and feeding a baby), I'm wondering how Soulemama  does it, and also wondering if I should give knitting another chance in 2009.

      

Sewing Therapy

Maybe I should be spending what little energy I have on something more productive but for me sewing is relaxing.

This apron is a gift for a friend and was super quick.  I just traced one of my favorite aprons onto a $.50 garage sale piece of fabric and then finished it with bias tape.  Now I kind of feel like making a new one for myself because this one turned out way cuter than the one I already have.

And Clara's dress is Maryanna's dress from Peter.  She never did grow to like it.  Instead Maryanna said, "it's too small give it to Clara".  

Recovery Week

There's not much to blog about because I haven't been doing much besides resting, reading, and watching movies.  Sunday morning I ended up in the ER because I was experiencing a miscarriage.  I was weak and passed out from loss of blood then rushed to the OR for a D&C.  All is well now and I hope to be back to full strength in just another week.

For now though, life feels a bit out of sync.  But there's no reason for me to gripe or complain about scattered toys, piled up laundry, and activities that we are missing because those don't really matter.  I am just grateful to be surrounded by good friends and family who have taken care of my children and also brought in delicious meals.

I had to blog about it because doing so just may help me heal.  It was hard enough to hold back about all the nausea and fatigue I was feeling over the holidays and I don't think I could post anything this week without writing what really was going on.

So what is really going on here?  I'm back to my Leather Leaf List

This is what it may say for tomorrow:
-I need to fold one load of laundry

-I need to get the girls ready to spend the day with my sister

-I need to read books in bed with Peter during quiet time

-I need to write a few thank you notes

-I want Paul to pick up another redbox DVD

-I want to trace one pattern from  this Japanese pattern book

-Don't forget to thank the older boys for all their help with Henry

-Don't forget to take an iron supplement 

Missing Piece

I woke up to this sign posted on my door.  There were also 5 more posted throughout the house in the bathroom, the stairwell, kitchen cabinet, above the fire place, and by the front door.  We haven't found the bionicole arm yet but I'm ready to start my 2009 E.E.E. plan  and I may find it then.  A few of the boys may be willing to help because they are excited for the $0.25 reward "in change". 

The Castle/Lego Party

It was a great success. William was assigned as president of the 2009 birthday party planning committee and carefully wrote up both a schedule of activities and a task list to complete before the party started.  James and him led the party along with ease.

The Cake

3 boxes of cherry chip cake mix, 8 sticks of butter, 2 bags of powdered sugar, 2 tubes of decorative frosting, 5 curly candles, 5 sugar cones, and 4 Schleich knight figures.  In the time it took to change one diaper however, the cooling castle had suffered its first attack.  But all was repaired with help from my very talented sister Cathy (the one who use to decorate cakes for Kroger).  She advised freezing what remained of the cake and rebuilding it with a lot of frosting.  It worked but the excess frosting left a sloppy uneven surface.  So, I just dumped coconut and more powdered sugar on top to make it a snow castle cake.  Good thing I did because the second attack occurred before I woke up and I was able to hide the injuries under a pile of coconut.  The kids said it looked way better than it tasted; I agreed as I gagged on the first bite of excess frosting.

 

The Pinata

A dragon full of Legos was slain with foam swords.  The Legos were dropped off by a kind neighbor and there were plenty to share.  It was also a very nice alternative to candy.  I sewed a little bag for each child to collect their pieces and there was an eerie silence that followed the frantic gathering of pieces.  All fifteen party guests were so quiet and  engrossed in their building that we passed on two of the planned activities.  Paul came home at that point and couldn't understand how our home could be quieter with 5x the amount of children.  I'm just happy we pulled it off.  The other boys are now busy planning their own parties and with 10 & 11 months of planning time they are sure to be as much of a success.   

William's resolution

William's resolution to have better birthdays really caught me off guard; it also made me feel kind of guilty.  So the next day I dragged James to the fabric store (the boys have developed very low tolerance for that place).  He was helpful in picking out all the colors for our banner and stayed up to 10:30 cutting out the letters and ironing them on with wonder-under.  We had it ready just in time for Peter's birthday and will pull it out for each of our birthdays throughout the year.

We also have a castle/knight party planned for the end of this week.  I am busy sewing little favor bags, we have a dragon pinata filled with Legos, a treasure box filled with gold and silver (hershey kisses & rolo's), crowns to decorate, foam swords, and games planned such as "capture the king", and "keep the balloon out of the moat".

Any other ideas?  There will be 15 boys between the ages of 3 and 9 so it promises to be chaotic. Any other birthday traditions our family could adopt?    

Happy 2009!

2009 already seems to be moving quickly for us. We've been busy cleaning up, showing our house, and managing the stomach flu.

On New Year's Day we each traced our hands and wrote 5 resolution, one on each finger. Here they are:

Mommy's
-Meal plan
-Memorize one scripture a week
-Word of the day
-Sew something for myself
-Get more fresh air

James'
-Record dreams
-Be grateful
-Set a record
-Beat Daddy in a game
-Have fun

William's
-Try new foods
-Learn to type
-Learn cursive
-Do fun Birthday parties
-Record my dreams

Peter's
-Read the Book of Mormon
-Prepare for my baptism
-Be more reverent at Church
-Cook new foods
-Ride a two wheeler

Maryanna's
-Dance and sing more
-Play more
-Clean up my toys
-Be reverent for scriptures
-Do more cutting and coloring

Clara's
-Do scriptures
-Do coloring
-Watch shows
-Do dancing
-Go potty

So far so good. I've been especially entertained with the dreams. William often wakes me up early by saying,"Mommy, how do you spell ....." and then proceeds to read me his dream. Maryanna has already colored on the walls, Peter was very reverent in Church yesterday, and Clara decided to wear big girl panties today.

I am busy trying to pull a birthday party together. I don't think I would have if it wasn't it for William's request. We haven't done birthday parties for a few years because to be honest, everyday feels like a birthday party at our house. But there's already a birthday this week and William promised to help me pull off a "home-style" party. We will blog about that later. Meanwhile, I hoping for some free time to start drafting something for myself to sew.