Stromboli

I wonder if I should be flattered that at supper tonight Liana told me proudly that she "didn't even gag yet."

I added some mushrooms to the stromboli tonight. It didn't go over too well, I guess. ;O)

Awol again, sorry!

I've been asked where I am, so here I go with a much belated blogpost... Sorry guys!

Thanks everyone for the emails and posts about my dad... What an emotional rollercoaster ride it has been on our whole family. He's actually feeling pretty good right now, I think, and his pneumonia is clearing up pretty well. His regular hemotologist came back from his vacation this week, and Dad got right in to see him his first day back, and was able to hear some good news about the bloodwork that had been worked up... He had been told that he had leukemia and myeloma just a few weeks ago... further testing has shown that to be false. *whew* His hemoglobin, platelets, etc are still horrible, but at least the other two "biggies" aren't going to have to be dealt with too. There isn't a whole lot they can do for him, however, to improve his health other than to make him comfortable and careful about not getting injured etc. He's been talking more and more about heaven and seeing Mom though, and while I am sooooo happy that he has that peace, it is hard to know that my Little Fish isn't probably going to know Grandpa like the other grandchildren in the family, especially since Grandma will also be "just pictures" to him/her as well.

Speaking of the baby, lets just say I'm getting to the "uncomfortable" stage of things with only 3 weeks left before my due date. Not sleeping well these days, and am feeling like I'm a whale. I'm DEFINITELY "Big Fish" right now! lol!

The kiddos are doing fine and dandy. Not a whole lot to report... Um. Hmm. Nope, not a lot happening there. They're all wonderful. Most days. ;O)

Prayer Request

Asking for prayer here... My dad went back to the hospital today to get two blood transfusions (his hemoglobin is like flat-lined)... when his body freaked out on him. He didn't even get one of the units of blood in him when his pulse and bp went out of whack, temp spiked, and he couldn't breathe. It wasn't a pretty sight. They had to "call in a team" to get things back under control, and kept him in the ER for closer observation until things stablized.

Plus, this week the doctors found some Leukemia and Myeloma cells in his blood. Just what a man with hemophilia and hepatitis C doesn't need. They took 14 vials of blood and we will get some more definitive results when his hemotologist gets back from Ireland on the 22nd.

Very hard for me to be so far away being 8 months pregnant. I'd love to hop in the car right now and see how he is for myself.... *sigh* Please pray for my dad, and also for us kids who are worried about him and wishing there were more we could do...

Eeek!

You know you're the mother of an impulsive pre-teen son when you get to the bottom of your ice water, notice something strange inside your ice cube, fish it out, and see that there is a big ole SPIDER frozen inside it.

Can you say, "EEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!"

Shower!

It has been such a busy weekend! Fun, stressful, more fun, less stress....

My big sis threw me (and John!) a baby shower on Saturday! Husbands were invited, so I got to see my brothers AND sisters at this one. And three aunts and two cousins. It was really, really, really nice. Got a ton of loot, and had a great time. It was truly a day I'll never forget. John's mom and sister had a shower for me a few weeks ago which was really nice too. Little Fish sure has a lot of people out there who are excited for his/her arrival!

The stressful part came in as we all watched my dad barely be able to breathe... He had just gotten out of the hospital on Wednesday after a three-day stay for a scare with bleeding from his intestines, and had developed pneumonia. He didn't want to go back in to the hospital, though, until after my shower. So. The poor man slept in a chair most of the afternoon. After the shower, John and I hauled him to emergency where they took one look at him and admitted him. John and I finally left the hospital after 11:00pm!

The good news is, that with the antibiotics and iv fluids they pumped into him, he was looking much more like himself by the next morning. He still stayed Sunday night though... I hope they keep him until he is good and well!

The Fishers also had some gifts from folks at our old church... John and I were at the hospital with Dad Sunday morning, so we didn't get them ourselves. John's mom also gave us a rocking chair that had been theirs from when she was pregnant with John. Very nice. She also gave me ice cream cake. Well, kinda. John's sister's birthday was Thursday, so we went to the Olive Garden for dinner and afterwards, we had ice cream cake. I only had a tiny sliver, and my blood behaved itself afterwards, but I did take a brisk walk after dinner and before cake time just in case! ;O)

But anyhow! We got home with all our loot, and there was a package on our doorstep from TULSA with yet another baby gift for us! (Laurel! How adorable! Thank you!!!)

After the kids went to bed, I spread alllll the loot allllll over the livingroom. Had to sort it you know. *wink* It is still quite a disaster in here, but it's a blissful one! :O)

Speaking of disasters! lol! After leaving the shower on Saturday, we were asking the kids how they enjoyed the day, etc., and Liana told us that she was talking to one of the twins (you remember my twin nieces I've mentioned?) Liana told us that Annie or Katie had told her that after the baby is born, that she was going to come and visit us. Liana told her, "Oh, ok. I'll try to make sure the house is clean."

She keeps me humble, doesn't she? lol!

Snack-time Issues

Well, I think the baby stuff is getting squared away. Finally! Just a few more things to do (Still need a dresser up there), and we'll be all set for Little Fish's arrival.

My dad has been in the hospital this week - been pretty stressful over here. He's ok, but it's rough to be so far away sometimes. Sniff, sniff.

Snack-time is an issue around here. If the kids see me eating something, they deserve it too you know. Even if they have something even yummier awaiting them, they still need what I've got. Drives me BATTY because I CAN'T have theirs, and now I have to feed them MY snacks, some of which are rather expensive. Yes, I have been saying no to them. Not always, but I have. And yes, we've had bad attitudes about it at times.

None of my kids are real "pudding" eaters. They just don't like it. So, I figured if I had some for my snacks, it wouldn't be an issue. Liana informed me that when pudding comes in a plastic cup from the store, that it tastes different, and that she likes those. (What. Ever.)

The other day we made two apple pies. (Early, for those of you who know we usually do that on Columbus Day). The kids still ate up all the peelings and cores. Fine. I half-expected them to. It's kind of a tradition by now, right? But after we were finished, I sat down with my snack of cottage cheese and cherries (How 'bout that, those frozen cherries have come in handy!), and of COURSE the kids were instantly starving. Starving for cottage cheese and cherries. Even though they had JUST finished off the cores and peels of at least 16 apples. Very frustrating to this mama. There is just plain no way they were starving for anything. They just didn't like that I had something that they didn't.

I just cannot comprehend the hunger these kids have known... Very hard for me to wrap my mind around.

Connie's Recipes

Thought I'd share these... Thanks again, Connie!!!


Old Fashioned Applesauce Cake

1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger
1/2 c. reduced calorie margarine (25% less fat and calories)
1/4 c. molasses
1/2 c. egg substitute (she used 2 eggs)
1 t. vanilla
1 c. Splenda
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce

Preheat oven to 350*.

Spray an 8x8 metal cake pan with veg. cooking spray.

In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, cinnaomon, and ginger. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat margarine and molasses with an electric mixer on high speed for approx. 30 seconds. Mixture will be very liquid. Add Splenda and beat on medium speed until smooth, approx. 1 1/2 min.

Add flour mixture and applesauce and beat on low speed until mixed, approx. 45 seconds.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes at 350*.

Serves 8

Serving size 2.3 oz.
Calories 170, Carbohydrates: 24 g., Protein: 4 g., Dietary Fiber: 1 g., Saturated Fat 6 g., Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 310 mg

----------

Apricot Oatmeal Bars

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 oatmeal quick or old-fashioned oats, uncooked
1/2 c. Equal Spoonful (or splenda)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 c. cold stick butter
2 Tbs. water
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup apricot or peach spreadable fruit

1. Combine flour, oats, Equal, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is vey fine in texture and begins to stick together slightly. Stir in water and vanilla until well blended.

2. Reserve 3/4 cup flour mixture. Press remaining mixture firmly and evenly onto bottom of lightly sprayed 8-inch square baking pan. Bake in preheated 375* oven 12 to 15 minutes or until mixture is lightly browned at edge.

3. Remove from oven and spread with fruit. Sprinkle with reserved flour mixture, pressing gently into fruit.

4. Bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes or until flour mixture is lightly browned on top. Cool completly on wire rack. Cut into squares.

5. Store in airtight containers at room temperatures.

Makes 16 servings.

Nutritional information:

calories 108, protein 2 g., carbohydrates 14 g., fat 6 g., cholesterol 15 mg., sodium 27 mg.

---------------

Double Chocolate Brownies

6 Tbs. stick butter, softened
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. flour/whole wheat flour
1 c. Equal Spoonful/Splenda
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or mini choc. chips
6 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

1. Beat butter, applesauce,eggs, and vanilla until blended. Stir in combined flour, Equal, chocolate chips, cocoa, baking powder and salt until blended.

2. Spread batter in sprayed 8-inch square baking pan. Bake in a preheated 350* oven 18 to 20 minutes or until top springs back when gently touched. Cool completely on wire rack. Cut into squares.

3. Store in airtight containers at room temperature.

Makes 16 brownies.

Nutrition information per serving:

calories: 105
protein: 2 g.
carbohydrates: 10 g.
fat: 7 g.
cholesterol 38 mg.
sodium 77 mg

-----------------

Almond Granola Bars

1 1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 c. oat bran (or just use more oatmeal)
1/4 c. finely chopped almonds
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbs. veg. oil plus
1 tsp. veg. oil
1/3 c. honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. almond extract

Preheat oven to 350* F. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine remaining ingredients and add to dry mixture. Mix until all ingredients are moistened.

Press mixture into a rectangular shape 7 inches wide and nine inches long. (Wet hands or use one hand and a damp spoon.)

Bake about 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cut into 16 bars using a sharp knife. Separate bars slightly and return to oven for 3 to 5 minutes more. The browner the bottom of the bars, the crisper they will be when cool.

The edges will crumble slightly when cut - set aside for a snack. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

1 bar = 86 calories, 2 grams protein, 4 grams fat, 12 grams carbohydrates, 1 mg sodium, 0 cholesterol, 1 gram fiber.

Dessert!

Ya know what?

There are some really neat people in the world.

Wanna hear about one of 'em?

There's a lady at church whose hubby is diabetic. She's been emailing me recipes links here and there for the last few weeks, but wanna know what she did for me THIS week?

She went through her recipes, and made me FOUR different diabetic desserts. Of course, she kept some for her hubby, but because of the samples, I KNOW which recipes I want to try. I got a heaping plate full of apple spice cake, double-chocolate brownies, granola bars, and oatmeal-apricot bars. Plus their recipes of course. And all of them are LEGAL for me! YAY!!!! (Well, they're prob'ly not legal if I eat the whole plateful at once, but you know what I mean!!)

I have discovered though, that when eating the brownies, that you shouldn't try to sneak them up to the bathroom so the kids don't see you eating them - you should definitely put them on a saucer and eat it with a fork at the table. I got too many crumbles on the bathroom floor, and not only could I not eat 'em up after they fell, but I wound up on my hands and knees trying to pick up the evidence!. If I had been eating at the table, I could have eaten every crumb just fine and no acrobatics by a basketball-belly-lady. (I'm sure I was quite a sight!) LOL!

Awol!

Been awol for a while... sorry about that. I've been up to my eyeballs in school, and then trying to get the house "baby-ized" which means I'm having to rip apart the whole house. Well, at least it appears that way! Our loft area upstairs has been the kids' computer area, plus we have a gazillion books and games up there. It now needs to be the spot for a midnight feeding, so I'm trying to make it a cozy spot for a rocking chair (or whatever), and a bassinet or baby swing. The crib and dresser (which is still-to-be-got) is going to be in our room. That means, everything up there in the loft and in our room has been distributed throughout the house. But in order to put say the games downstairs, the kids' closets needed to be overhauled, which meant we had to pull everything they owned out, sort it, make piles of outgrown clothes (nearly everything!), etc. And for some reason, the overflow winds up in the livingroom. (Ever noticed that whenever your house is like that, the next door neighbor decides to visit? lol!)

So.

While trying to manage all this, I'm also trying to keep up the laundry, cooking, etc., with a basketball attached to the front of me. The dusting and floor-scrubbing is just plain not going to be done for another week or two, I'm certain. Yes, you can write your name on the mantle with your finger. No idea how this is all going to straighten out in the eight short weeks I have left before Little Fish arrives on the scene! And the baby stuff keeps pouring in! I had a baby shower this last weekend, and there is another coming up soon... Been having fun, don't get me wrong, but uff, pressure, pressure! Eight weeks! Yikes!

Hence, my absence from Blog Land! :O)

Corn Field Trip!

Went on a corn field trip today.

Well, that's what Aleksa was thinking we were going to do. Last night she told John, "Papa! Tomorrow, we're going to a corn field and then we're going on a train ride instead of doing school!"

And so the wires were a little crossed. We explained to her that we were going on a "Field Trip" and the the trip was a train ride where we'd learn about trains, kinds of trains, see beautiful fall leaves, etc.

I thought she got it. Really.

But half-way through the train ride she said, "Mama, when are we stopping in the corn field?"

Argh!

Ha-ha-ha

And so when John heard my idea about letting the kids in on my "science project" of helping with my blood tracking, etc., he very seriously sat me down and said, "Shelly, most people wait until they're dead to donate their bodies to science."

Hardy-har-har...

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

And so you know I'm on a new diet. Well, not the lose weight kind (better not be anyway!) Been scouring the 'net looking for low-carb recipes and HAVE to share this one...

I have to confess, I'm not much of a fish-eater. I know it is super good for me and all that, but well, it tastes fishy.

I'm desperate to eat right these days, however, so last night I tried a recipe off of AllRecipes.com (don't you LOVE that site?) and I have to say, this was some kind of fish! John said it was as good as anything from Red Lobster. Whoa. And to think it only took a few minutes to throw together! Really!

And don't just take MY word for it, this recipe got 5 stars from over 2,000 reviewers. (That's the only reason I had the nerve to try it in the first place...) Really. Ya gotta try it. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Broiled-Tilapia-Parmesan/Detail.aspx

Ok, enough advertising.

Anyone have any good low-carb/low sugar snack ideas? Sick of carrot sticks...

Feelin' Good!

I am amazed at how different I have felt in the last few days since watching my sugar/carbs... I feel like a million bucks! I haven't been dragging in the afternoons and "NEEDING" my nap, and I haven't needed to get up to use the bathroom 3+ times a night anymore! Just once! Usually on Sundays after dinner I have to catch a two hour nap or feel like garbage, and yesterday I didn't even need one! I still layed down for a bit, but I got antsy and got up. Unheard of for me, truly.

My biggest challenge is going to be coming up with snack ideas that are legal, but hopefully the dietician I talk to on Wednesday will have some good ideas for me.

Been thinking of the finger-poking thing... I'm thinking I'll include all three kiddos in the endeavor (since I have to poke myself four times a day!), and make it into a science project this fall. They can help me track my blood sugar levels and see how food affects them, and which kinds, etc. Great opportunity to learn about the food groups, and what carbs are, etc. (Plus, I have a feeling Liana's microscope will get some extra use - she loves looking at blood and gunk under that thing...) lol!

Rough Week

Been a gruelling week for me. With all the neighbor kids back to school, and us getting back into the "school schedule" the kids threw their usual fits trying to settle into the new routine. We had some major "testing Mama" moments, er, hours, this week. Was ready to hand in my resignation papers on Friday! lol! I find it so interesting that horrible behavior can be predicted so faithfully just by looking at what the calendar says.

Aside from that stress... I found out this week that I flunked my glucose test, and had to do the 3-hour one. Flunked that too. So, guess who has gestational diabetes?

*sigh*

That would be me.

I see a dietician next week the day before my doctor appointment. I'm such a baby about needles! I've been reading a friend's blog who just finished doing IVF, and hearing how many shots she had to give herself made my stomach churn... She's braver than I am, that's all I have to say! These four finger-pokes a day are gonna take some major inhales and exhales! (I could just let Liana do it for me, but uh, it would go to her head awwwwful fast!) lol!

Anyway, I've been watching my diet like a hawk, and writing everything down to show the dietician and doctor. My mom had diabetes so the drill isn't all-new to me, but wow, have I been tempted with the cookie jar this week! I'm proud to say, I haven't cheated and I've had more energy in the last two days than I have in weeks! I keep saying, "Shelly, you are NOT messing with the health of your baby for a stupid cookie... Do you know how many women would gladly trade places with you and never eat another cookie again in their LIVES if it would mean they could have this baby?" Somehow that reality check is all I need to "just say no."

Since telling my family about my diabetes, both of my sisters and a niece are going on the Little Fish Diet (Yikes, almost used Little Fish's name right there!) right along with me. I HAVE THE COOLEST FAMILY!!! Sharon even passed up a World Class Caramel Apple straight from the orchard this afternoon because it didn't fit the diet. We're checking in with each other every night to see how we each did. Aren't they the sweetest?

It's definitely true that misery loves company! lol! If I can't have my Monster Cookie, it is comforting that some of those closest to me aren't eatin' theirs either!

Money

John has been trying really hard to teach the kids about money, budgeting, saving, etc.

This morning after helping the kids put their money in their appropriate envelopes, Aleksa declared, "Mama, look how much blow-up money I have!"

*blink, blink, blink*

I've been really trying to keep excess "pregnancy stuff" off this blog, and keep a pg journal elsewhere... But. Just this once I have to make a small exception...

The neighbor lady came over today.

She asked me how many weeks along I was, etc., and when I told her I had 11 weeks left, she said...

*drum roll*

"You must be carrying all your extra weight in your butt then."

LOL!

Meal Calendar

I got an email this morning from someone asking me about make-ahead kind of cooking, and since my response turned into a book instead of a quick reply, I thought I'd post it here too in case there is someone else out there who needs some encouragement in this area...

Hi M---! Boy do I feel your pain... It took us a looooong time to get into a healthy groove, and I must say, the cooking department remains my most daunting "homemaker" task. I hate it, really. But, we hafta eat, so whaddawedo? lol! And because we have three kids, we just can't afford to be running to a restaurant every other night as "in the old days."

Truthfully, I've found that what has helped me most wasn't necessarily a pile of recipes, but instead developing a good system. This is what I try to do. I print out a blank calendar, and on each day of the month, (or just two weeks, depending on how I shop), I fill in a different "meal" option. THEN, I make out a shopping list for those meals. When I do this, (which I've been doing a few years now except for some stressful months when my life is chaos!), I am MUCH less inclined to pop in a frozen pizza or ask John to pick up Burger King for everyone. If I have a plan, and know I have the ingredients, I'm not overwhelmed and it takes my decision-making off my stress-pile for the day. I find that no matter how stressed or tired I am, if I can just look at my calendar and pick a meal, then I can just buck up and do it. But if I just shop generically for two weeks and then "hope" I have two weeks worth of groceries in the pantry once I get home, I just flunk out in the meal-making department. I just can't function that way, though that's exactly what I used to do. I'll be eating frozen pizza every night, no matter what ingredients I've brought home for other things. I also spent a gazillion more dollars on groceries in the "old days" since I'd have to keep running to the store for this or that, or else going out all the time. I suggest that you don't start off with exotic meals scheduled every night, or you'll quickly burn out and get discouraged. Mark down meals you KNOW and love and are comfortable making.

Another thing that helped me was that when I fill out my meals on the calendar, I keep a guideline written for myself on the bottom. It changes with the season, but it says something like, "Pizza twice monthly, 3 new recipes monthly, vegetarian meal once per week, dessert twice monthly, soup once a week, (or in the summer "grill out once a week"), roast or chicken every Sunday, etc." John also has a favorite meal or two that have to make it on the menu once a month. :O) Ask your hubby what he'd like to see on the menu, and then make sure to follow through. Makes you happier those nights to be in the kitchen, and it warms his heart to know you're going out of your way to please him. Actually, as I made my "guideline" I really consulted John a lot as to what he'd like to see on the menu; took some of the work out of it for me, plus it made me feel all nicey-wifey. ;O) You can also make sure you're inviting people over more regularly because you just fill it in on the calendar instead of constantly thinking, "Oh, I really should invite so-and-so over, but I wouldn't know what to serve, and I don't know when to plan for it..." You may be better at this than we are, but I'm not naturally very hospitable. When it happens it's great, but I just don't think to plan for it like I should.

Also, save those calendars! I have over two years' worth of them that I consult heavily especially when there is a season change to get my mind thinking "summer meals" again, or whatever. I can either reuse the calendars, or just steal the ideas from off of them. I have a special "yellow" folder that holds my calendars from previous months. This month's calendar is actually on my kitchen table under a thick table cloth of clear vinyl plastic that I got at Walmart. I stick all kinds of notes and things under that table cloth, and they are right there for me to be able to consult whenever I'm seated at the table. I've put verses, notes about appointments, recipes, etc. under there, along with a world map for the kids (we homeschool)... And when we have company, all I do is throw a cloth table cloth over the top of everything to hide my housewife stuff. :o)

Another thing I do on my calendar is that on the days I have "special" recipes that I want to try, I write the name of the cookbook and page number right under the name of it. Or, I'll just write, "in recipe file" or whatever. It saves me a lot of headache that way wondering where the recipe is. For some recipes, I'll even flip the calendar over and write it out right there. I just have to make sure I don't trash my calendar when I make the recipe. (Done that!) I just heard a tip the other day that when someone is cooking, they'll put their recipe on the range hood with a magnet up and out of the mess and then their recipe card stays nice. Fabulous idea! If they are loose recipes, I'll just stick them inside my yellow "meal calendar" folder.

You asked about "make ahead" kind of meals. Well, I honestly only really do that occasionally anymore, and for my dad's meals. But! I do cook a lot of meat ahead of time, which is my biggest "hangup" for wanting to cook... If I have a burger recipe, I'll cook double the meat (usually with onions), and freeze half of it for the next time. It takes about the same amount of time to brown four pounds of meat as two, so I like to get a little ahead for my next meal. I'm much less inclined to pop in a pizza if my "burger recipe" meal already has the burger cooked up and ready for me in the freezer! (Actually, I use venison burger). Same goes for chicken. I'll roast a whole bird, and then de-bone the leftovers for another meal, and throw the bones/carcass in a big ziploc bag to make soup later on.

Hope that helps! Let me know how it goes! If you need some accountability on this project, let me know that too... I'd love to help, as I TOTALLY understand that desire to throw up my hands after poking around the fridge and pantry and say, "Let's go out tonight!"

Three Years Home

Three Years Home. Unbelievable.

I feel horrible that it has taken me so long AFTER "The 17th" to write this up, and truthfully, I'm not even sure if I'll finish it before the troops start requiring my full attention for the morning, but my conscience is bothering me, and I've gotta take a stab at it!

Three big years for these guys. They are completely different kids now than who we brought home. Well, same kids, just not such "exaggerated" personalities anymore. Older, wiser, more settled, calm, and attached than ever before.

Adam. Well, aside from the fact that the boy is towering me now, and has a foot bigger (and smellier! Uff!) than John's... he has really grown in other areas too. He no longer breaks Everything he owns. Well, he still loves to dismantle things, don't get me wrong, but it used to be that we couldn't give him ANYTHING without it being broken five minutes later. And that really isn't too bad of an exaggeration. I remember handing Adam a toy and as I was still standing there, he'd proceed to try to break it. First reflex was to break and destroy. Not so any longer, thankfully.

I've already shared his bike story this summer, how he worked so hard to earn the money for one, and wow, if that doesn't speak volumes of how much Adam has changed!!! He would never have had the stick-to-it-iveness necessary for such an endeavor even last summer. He would have just gone without a bike.

He still has very impulsive hands, especially when he is wound up. I still cringe when I see him getting wound up because *anything* can happen when he does. I still think of when my brother was visiting this summer and he was "way excited" over the visit. I stepped into the livingroom in time to see Adam yanking on my brother's leg... who wasn't playing with him, or even standing. But, Adam got excited, and just started acting on impulse. His hands have also gotten him in other kinds of trouble, and while he isn't malicious about what happens with them, he does find himself in alllll kinds of hot water over them. We're really praying that he'll outgrow a lot of that, but I know that his disabilities have a lot to do with his impulsiveness, and that worries this Mama.

School has gotten a lot easier for Adam, and I have no reason for it other than he is emotionally settling enough that his brain isn't fighting emotional stress on top of just trying to absorb new material. He occasionally has a hard time concentrating though, and when he does, he might as well throw in the towel for the day. Yesterday, for example, he had to write words that rhyme with knight. He came up with the word kite, though he spelled it wrong. The "ight" was throwing him. I told him how to spell it. He sat down, and promptly forgot what I'd said. I spelled it again. He got the "k" on the paper and forgot again. I spelled it one more time. He still couldn't get it. Then I told him he needed to figure it out himself because it was an easy word, I'd already told him three times, and he needed to remember to TRY to remember what people tell him when they tell him things. The boy sat there a half hour. He spaced off and threw up a wall in front of him.

Math, however, is coming a lot easier for him than ever before. He is still way behind his peers in math (hence the year-round math regime!), but thankfully, it is sinking in faster than ever, and better than ever. Big relief to not have to fight for every mastered concept anymore.

Food is still big to him, though in a different way maybe. In the morning, Adam will be the one to set the breakfast table -without being asked... He'll also wash up any dishes left from the day before without being asked. He loves to help bake... he'll help cook too, but he loves baking treats. He can make a mean carrot cake, brownies, muffins, bars, you name it. I'm lucky to have so many extra hands around. For some reason, my incredible NEEEED to snack and snack and snack ended with my first trimester, and while I do have "regular" snacktimes with everyone else, my constant grazing isn't grating Adam anymore. He will often still ask for seconds, thirds, etc. until he doesn't see anymore food left, but frankly, he's been growing so much, that I'm sure he needs it! It still means a LOT to him to see me in that kitchen cookin' and bakin' things up for everyone. Even if I have some major flops in there, it means a lot to his security that I'm trying to fill his belly somehow.

Liana is really getting to be the right age to be super-helpful without me having to watch her like a hawk. She's been enjoying helping out in the kitchen quite a bit, and I'm so thankful that this stuff is fun to her, instead of a drudgery. She loves it when I hand her a recipe and she gets to decipher it. She has her own set of measuring cups and spoons and you'd think I'd given her the Keys to the Kitchen! lol! Liana is a baby magnet... She loves them to pieces and is willing to mother anyones' baby who will let her. She loves to hang out outside the nursery at church, and it isn't uncommon to see her lugging around one of them, or feeding them. She has always been a little mama. She'll be really handy to have around this November, let me just say!

She's doing great in school too... She is finishing up the Little House on the Prairie series this summer. I think she's on the last book right now, just in time to start the new school year. I'm so proud of her efforts! She has really taken off. She has also been enjoying American Girl books that she got for her birthday from Uncle Jared. She loved the Addy books especially.

Aleksa. She's really shot up this year too. She's quite the little reader also, and is only five units away from finishing the math book she started late this spring. (That's a whole year's worth of math!)

Leks still has a hard time staying on task though. We'll ask her to do something, and she still gets side-tracked and finds herself playing instead of finishing what we asked her. She enjoys her own little world too much at times! She loves pretending she's on that Magic Carpet, or that she's a princess, a horse, or whatever. She can just flip off the real world and go visit these wonderful places too easily! She'll be making her bed in the morning, and find herself sidetracked by having to fold a blanket- it becomes a picnic spread with royal guests seated all around. She needs constant reminding of what "her job" is. Love that imagination though - there is no doubt she'll excell in writing, acting, speech-giving, etc. She also loves to sing made-up songs at the top of her lungs. John likes to joke that she needs to write an opera!

She is also really spreading her wings in regard to her older siblings. She is a smart girl, and she doesn't mind correcting her brother and sister if they say or read something not the "right way." She'll also scold them for doing something wrong. They tend to get rather annoyed over Baby Sis trying to be their teacher/mother!

She's still the happy-go-lucky one though. She has the most consistant demeanor, and it is usually very sunny and happy. She just has a way of making everyone feel like every day is the best day of the year. Wish I were more like that!

The thing I admire most about all three kids, though, is their ability to make friends so easily. They see someone new, and they bee-line right over to them to talk to and play with them. They've never felt an ounce of fear, hesitancy, etc., over meeting anyone new. They are all three very naturally hospitable. I love that. I wish I were more like that. I'm such an introvert at times! It makes me CRAZY how scared I am of new faces. I'm working on it. And I'm learning a lot from my kids. They just so easily think of the OTHER person and how to make them feel loved and liked and wanted, and my own default is to think of MY discomfort. I'm really wondering how Little Fish will wind up. John and I are both introverts, but if he/she (thought I was gonna slip there, didn't ya?!) is hanging around his/her siblings all the time, won't some of that extrovertedness rub off? I sure hope so. It is so much nicer to be a people person than a self-person. (Read: selfish).

It will be very interesting to see what the changes in our household this year will "do" to and for the children. Little Fish is going to be a lot of fun, but I'm hoping that my energy stays steady so I can still be the mom to my older crew that I need to be. But looking back instead of ahead, this has been a really good year!

Whaddayado?

I'm fairly certain our social worker did NOT cover this one in our homestudy conversations, but uh, I just had a first, and frankly, I'm rather stumped as to what to do about it.

Liana just told me that Adam "licked her nose." He just leaned over and licked her on the nose.

This was Definitely not a topic in the parenting strategy books I've read.

Why would he do that? I dunno. It was there? She was in his space? He felt an urge to gross her out? Who could possibly ever know?

All I can think to say is, "OY."


Edited to add "The rest of the story..."

And so, after sitting here perplexed as to "what to do" I called Adam back out from his room, and held The Questioning. lol.

Found out that Liana had asked him what he had in his mouth, and when she wasn't satisfied with the answer she got, she proceeded to STICK HER NOSE IN HIS MOUTH to smell for herself what it was.

And since that's pretty annoying, he licked it. (This mama would have been tempted to BITE, and not lick.) ;O)

So.

We have a bossy-pants little sister who Must Know things that don't concern her, and then tried to get her brother in trouble when she found her nose wet. Talk about backfiring! lol!

Thankfully Mama wasn't hasty in doling out lectures or consequences this time.. *whew*

Canning Resumed

Fridge and freezer now all cleaned out, and everyone is still alive. ;O)

Back to the pear-canning business. Haven't gotten much done with all the chaos around here this week, but I'm hoping to really crank out a bunch of quart jars today.

By the way, Kate, canning is a pretty straight-forward process- just a lot of backache. You buy some glass canning jars, lids and rings for around the lids, a water-bath canning pot, a few odds and ends, and then a whole ton of fruit. The magic ticket though, is buying the book called "Ball Blue Book of Preserving." It tells you how to can or preserve just about anything you can think of. Jams, fruits, veggies, meat, soups, etc. Plus how to dry, freeze, etc. Preserving your own food is a great way of knowing what you are eating, getting delicious food stored up for the family, and having the satisfaction of seeing all the jars all lined up and "pretty" on your shelf. Makes ya feel all domestical and wholesome somehow! lol! Some day I want to try tomatoes, but I need a garden first! I can totally see you getting into this stuff, Kate... ya gotta look into to it for when you bring your babies home. ;O)