The True Meaning of Christmas

After reading Shanna's blog tonight, I too wonder why Santa? I can't remember him being a big part of my childhood. I don't remember finding out about him or seeing him at the mall. I don't really know what the big deal is. And it's A LOT of work to be Santa! So we half-heartedly did Santa this year and I have my doubts for the next year. With my kids being homeschooled, the emphasis on Santa just isn't there unless I do it. And I don't really want to. I want Christmas to be about giving. I want my kids to be "santa" for someone else. I love the spirit of Santa, I just don't need the letters to him, the cookies, the reindeer...ya know? I want Christ to be the center of Christmas and the santa idea to be what we do for someone else. Does this ruin the magic of Christmas? Does this detract from my kids' childhood happiness? Am I depriving them of something? It's just so much easier to focus on the true meaning of Christmas...I mean, that's where we all get eventually, isn't it?

PS Funny note: this was the very first "fight" Geo and I had while we were engaged. He said he wouldn't lie to the kids about the existence of Santa and I told him to send them to me...I had no problems lying! :) But now, my tune has changed. Hmmm, just like before I had kids when I said I would never be one of those parents that let my kids run wild at a church function....ha.

Sick

I was sick over the weekend with the flu and now my whole Christmas momentum is thrown off! I can't get back in the Christmas groove. Argh! I guess I need to slow down and remember what Christmas is all about! It truly is the best time of year!

Making Gingerbread Houses

This was fun and oh, so messy! If you want a peaked roof, I guess you have to shell out the money for the pre-cut kit. Luckily, my kids weren't picky. They were thrilled they got to taste all the "junk", nothing else mattered really. :) This was the final Christmas project for Becca before Meghan...she went to the hospital that night.

PS I didn't get a picture of Natalie or Seth, but they were there! I got a movie of Natalie, but don't have time to let it upload. Geo needs the computer!

Belts

So, I have this belt that I love that has been with me through quite a few weight gains and losses (I am telling you, 4 pregnancies in 5 years...I have seem a lot of weight come and go!). I love this belt! There is a flower design that is cut into the belt at intervals. Anyway! Last week, I felt pretty good about myself. The belt was feeling quite loose though it was on the same belt hole. I was telling George about this and was pretty proud of myself! Until I looked at the belt. The top and bottom stitching had come out and there was about a 1.5 inch gap...no belt, just the top and bottom threads hanging in there. Dang! And I thought it was weight loss. :) I bought a new belt and needless to say, it fits just the same as the other one did before it was "hanging by a thread". Perhaps even a little tight after 2 Thanksgiving dinners last week. Dang!

My husband!

He is the greatest! A few nights ago, I was lamenting that the battery of my electric toothbrush was dying and I knew that I would NEVER remember to change it. Yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised that the battery had resurrected itself and was going strong as ever...and then I noticed Geo's face. He had been super sneaky and changed the battery for me! It's the little things that make me love him the most!

Fall is pretty much over...

but here are some great leaf pictures! Hee, hee! Isn't fun to play in the leaves and watch your kids (and husband) jump in? Emily was here for the occasion too! Fun stuff! Now on to snow...

Natalie is 4!

She has a silly look on her face and her face is also covered in spaghetti sauce. What a cutie!

Presents from Grandma!

And here is the cake made by me:) It was fun and luckily, she really liked the bunny shape because it was the easiest of the themed cakes to make! I am not that creative or talented when it comes to cooking. She was easily pleased! Happy Birthday, Natalie! We love you!

Seth Laughs!

This is cutie little video of Seth making himself laugh. Of course, for the full 5 minutes before I got the camera out, he was laughing his head off. He's making a clicking noise with his tongue that makes him laugh. He was getting a kick out of the Pez dispenser, too. What a kid.

I am trying out this new "compact movie" function on my camera. It's not great, I guess, but I can never get my other videos posted. They are just too big! So anyway, here it is:)

The Opening of Twilight!

Finally, something to blog about!! I loved it! I think that they did a great job using most of the big events in the book. I wasn't thrilled about Bella, but I didn't like her character in the book either. Not until book 4. My other qualm was that Edward wasn't suave enough for me. I guess that I just have George in my head as the perfect Edward and this guy doesn't hold a candle to him :)

I loved actors and actresses that played all the vampires. I liked Emmet, Victoria, and Alice especially. My favorite scene was the one where he climbs the trees with her and they just chat. It was so sweet.

It was such a fun girls night out! 2 of us went out to dinner and then met the other 3 girls at the theatre. We just chatted for 2 hours while waiting for the show that started at 12:01. There were many "Twi-hards" in the theatre and it was fun to watch the movie with girls swooning and sighing all over the place. One of our friends in a different theatre said there was a guy behind her snoring during the romantic parts. :) This TOTALLY would have been George! We met another friend at Steak and Shake at about 2:30am and had a blast talking our heads off for an hour about the movie and all the books. Fun!!! Thanks, ladies!

This was my first ever midnight showing of a movie and it was so worth it. Once I got home, I didn't fall asleep until5am and slept until 7am and that was it for me. George did take care of the kids until 8am, but I could only think about how I only had one hour to get some more sleep, so, of course, I couldn't sleep. :) Argh. Maybe I will get a nap in later....maybe! Go see Twilight!

Pretty much nothing!

Bloggy, blog, blog, blog. I got nothing. Nothing to say. Nothing interesting, but I want a new post on my blog, so I WILL think of something!

Is anyone going to see the Twilight movie at midnight on Thursday? Anyone? I am planning on it. Luckily, George and I keep late hours most of the time, so I should be ok.

I got my hair cut on Saturday! Yeah for short hair! It's not as short as I would have liked, but I kept it below my chin just like Geo asked. What is it with guys and long hair? I don't get it. It seems that if they had but one day of long hair (washing it, straightening it, brushing it, pulling it off clothes and out of kids mouths or out of the drain..nasty!) they would understand!

That's all I can think of...sorry it's lame:)

Halloween Fun!

Can I really complain?

Ok, back to sleeping through the night. Seth now sleeps from about 6:30pm until 5:30am, nurses and goes back to sleep until 7am. This is great and I really CAN'T complain. But I am going to. He won't nap very long during the day! I think he is now getting all the sleep he needs (just about) so he takes these 20 minute naps. I can't do school in 20 minutes!!!! I need at least 45 minutes and an hour and a half would be fabulous!! Plus, he is super grumpy around 5pm, I know he needs to sleep, but can I really put him down then? Seems pretty early...or late (if it's a nap.) It's amazing how this is kid#4 and I can't figure him out. Or maybe, I have figured him out and I don't want to admit that he won't take long naps. *Sigh*

Reading with Daddy

Does anyone else have a husband who ad libs when reading kids' books aloud just to make you laugh? I checked out a very multi-cultural, world peace type of book and Geo was reading it yesterday to the kids. I think the passage went something like this,,,

Couldn't we play together? And wouldn't it be fun,
If, to our surprise, no one lost, and Everybody won?

We wouldn't ever have to prove, By race of time or test,
Who's stronger, faster, smarter, A commie or socialist?

It could have spurred a lesson on free enterprise, but the kids didn't really notice the change in the words.

George does this a lot and it just cracks me up! Most of the time, the kids catch him and make him read it right. I just love reading time at our house!!

Politics

Thanks for all of your comments on my last post! I was glad to see that I am not the only one feeling like I do. I have been more involved in this election than any others. I have been to a rally, watched almost all of the debates, visited web sites, and talked about it with anyone that would. I hope I will make a good choice..though I still don't know what it will be. I think Uncle Dew's comment was closest to my frame of mind right now. Be prepared...because it'll probably get worse before it gets better. :) Luckily, we have the gospel which gives us actual hope because we need it!

Convince me!

I am ready to give up...I don't really like either candidate and maybe I will write in Mitt Romney (wouldn't it be nice to have him during this economic crisis?) or Ron Paul (for all of you that knew I was a fan:) But before I do anything rash, I want to know why you think I should vote either way. Advice, please, anyone??

Pictures of my storage room!

Can you believe it!!!!???? Yea!!!!

Food, glorious food!

We did it! We now have a 3 month supply of edible food and some longer term storage. It only took 5 carts packed full! Now, I just have to rotate it!! Our storage room looks like a grocery aisle. Very nostalgic to me..this is what we grew up with in our basement. We feel very prepared...and also we finished our 72 hour kits and got them all packed away until next General Conference when we will change out the clothes and food (if needed). I have been trying to do all of this for years. We finally have the means and the space and we did it!

During our first Aldi's run, a little old lady said to me, "You must be having a wedding." I said, "No, we just decided that instead of putting money into the stock market, we should invest in food!" She said, "Honey, you may have something there!" It was cute and it reinforced the feeling that we are doing what's right!

PS I tried to post pics but it's not happening so maybe later...oh, and I also cooked our dinner tonight entirely from food storage. Woo hoo! :)

Crying It Out (Beware! This is long!)

Seth is now 6 months old and has started waking up A LOT at night. I would say 4 times on average. It's killing me! I need some continuous sleep. Plus, I have other kids that wake up for various reasons every once and a while and when these all happen on the same night, it's just TOO MUCH! I have been seeing every hour of the night recently. Ugh.

So, after one of these nights, I decided it was time to train this kid to sleep. This is not new to us. I remember going crazy when Levi was this age, reading Becoming Babywise, and deciding to let him cry it out. George and I set a timer for 45 minutes and George had to restrain me so I wouldn't go up to the baby. As soon as the timer went off, I ran upstairs and was almost to the door when....SILENCE! I checked on him and he was sound asleep. It only took a couple of days to get this pattern down and I was converted! We did it with Natalie and Sam (though a little later in his life because we were getting ready to move when he was 6 months).

Before anyone roasts me for letting my kids cry, I must say that my older kids are GOOD sleepers. They go to bed around 8pm, wake up around 8am, and don't usually get up at night. They are good at sleeping anywhere. And they are happy, well-adjusted children (if I do say so myself:) So, I know this method works for us. Which is why it was Seth's turn last night.

I had fed him around 7:30pm and didn't want to nurse him to sleep, so around 8:30, George took him up and put him to bed. He was quiet for about 5 minutes and then began to cry. I knew that he was not hungry or wet (as we had just taken care of that) so we set the timer. And I left the house! This was emotionally hard for me...as it has been for each one. I went and watched a movie. I got back and the 45 minutes were almost up and the monitor was still RED! George and I decided to lengthen the time a bit and he got quiet within 10 minutes. And that was it. He made a couple of noises, but went right back to sleep after each. *I* got up at 7:15 because I had had plenty of sleep and my brain was racing. This is *not* me in the morning. I am SOOO excited. It's liberating! And now, at 8am, he is making happy awake noises in his crib.

So on we go to not nursing him to sleep (that's today's job) and more sleeping at night (hopefully tonight will be as good as last!) Gotta go feed the boy...to relieve the one not so nice side affect of him sleeping through the night! Ouch!

The letter C!

Rules: Leave a message and I will give you a letter, then you have to come up with ten things you like with that letter. Emily gave me the letter "C".


So, here's 10 things that begin with the letter "C":

1. Cookies. Chocolate Chip Cookies, specifically. My dad's are my favorite,
but Carrie's give them a run for their money.

2. Children's books. I am always on the lookout for great Children's books.
Some good ones I have read recently:
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
Hans Brinker
Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Sleep
The George and Martha series
Goodnight, Gorilla

3. Cereal. Growing up, we NEVER had sugared cereal and now that I am the
parent, I feed my kids the Cheerios and I eat the Lucky Charms. Isn't life
grand? But the best was visiting my Nanny White. She had a huge green
Tupperware bowl in which she dumped all the sugared cereal that my
mother would never buy and you would just scoop the mix out with your
bowl. Yea, baby!

4. Children! I have so blessed with my four babies that are growing up so fast!
Levi is my helper. Natalie is the creative one. Sam is adorable especially
when he is trying to communicate. Seth reaches up to pat my face and I
know everything will be alright! I love you guys!

5. Christmas. Not only is this holiday associated with wonderful family
memories, great food, decorations, presents, and the best smells. It is the
day we celebrate the birth of our Savior and nothing is more important than
that.

6. Crayons. I have loved coloring with crayons my whole life and still enjoy it
every once and a while with the kids. It relieves stress!

7. Crafts. I don't know that I love to do them as much as I appreciate them. I
love homes that are filled with crafty decorations and I could spend forever
at craft fairs (though I cannot bring myself to buy things that I always think I
could do...ha!)

8. Croutons. I am a salad girl and I like croutons on my salad...and not the fat
free ones.

9. Chocolate. (I must be hungry because most of these things are food!) Let's
see. There's M&M's, fudge, buckeyes, ice cream, cookies, milk, hot cocoa,
Charleston Chew bars, cake, brownies and I could go on and on and on....

10. Comics. Every Sunday night, George and I sit down and read the comics
together. I LOVE that part of our week!


I am so brain dead that I had to Google "things that start with the letter C" to get some ideas to go from. This is what having 4 young children does to you:) Leave a comment if you want to play!

PS Sorry this is so dumb looking. I don't want to take the time to fix it, so here I am posting it dumb looking.

Seth is almost 6 months old!

I can't believe it! The older you get, the faster life goes, right? Here are some priceless pictures of his first not really solid meal.

Is this supposed to be yummy?

Don't you wish you were this flexible?

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers

I LOVE children's books! I love reading ones that we just happen to pick up (at the library, at a yard sale, at Grandma's) that surprise me. This book did just that. It's a true story about a tightrope walker who wants to walk between the Twin Towers. At the end, I had a surprising emotional reaction that led to an interesting discussion with my kids about terrorists. It's a great book! Check it out...once I get it back to the library:)

What are your favorite kids books?

30 Reasons I love Geo

George with Seth almost 6 months ago!

The 7th was my husband's birthday! He is now old like me...you know, the big 3-0. We have spent the last 6 of those 30 years together and off and on before that:) He has been the biggest blessing in my life and I admire him so much!

In honor of his 30th birthday, here are 30 reasons why:
1. He is my best friend.
2. He makes me laugh.
3. He reads the comics with me every Sunday night.
4. He comes home from work and picks up whoever is crying (and sometimes it's me:).
5. He devotes Saturdays (when I don't give him extra chores) to the kids.
6. He loves my easy Manicotti.
7. He doesn't mind that some weeks we have frozen pizza multiple times a week.
8. He reads children's books to the kids with lots of different voices.
9. He fulfills his Scout calling.
10. He likes to be with my family.
11. He doesn't mind that I haven't lost that last 20 pounds:)
12. He sets goals for personal improvement.
13. He splits meals with me at restaurants.
14. He cuddles with me while watching movies.
15. He eats ice cream with me.
16. He loves his parents.
17. He admires his siblings.
18. He understands my need to talk.
19. He reads his scriptures.
20. He helps me with all my computer issues.
21. He doesn't get too mad when I complain about all of my computer issues:)
22. He works hard every day.
23. He does the things that I ask him to.
24. He reserves time for me so we can have "porch time" at night.
25. He doesn't mind when I talk until 2 am.
26. He worries about providing for our children so I don't have to.
27. He lets me buy what I need...and sometimes want.
28. He is a great example for our boys.
29. He has the greatest singing voice.
30. He tells me he loves me every day!

Happy Birthday, Baby!

Discussions at the lunch table...

I am afraid that this will become a homeschool blog, and I apologize if that offends anyone. It's just that my life is now tied up in this, I love it, and am amazed at what my children learn. Just know that I am NOT trying to convince anyone to do this and I am NOT condemning anyone for putting their kids in school. That was completely my plan up until 2 months ago:) I simply want to share the blessings that are coming from this with my friends...thanks for listening...uh, reading:)

Today we sat down for lunch and had a discussion about war. It started when I was talking to Levi about what a President does and how is he elected (we were looking at the picture of McCain in the newspaper). My kids don't understand that much about war, so we were talking about killing the bad guys and protecting children. Levi immediately said he wanted to go to war NOW because he would learn how to shoot a gun. He's such a boy:)

But I was amazed at the things that he understood and it led to a great discussion about his Great-Grandma Hazel who served in the army who just passed away. This is why I love homeschooling...you look for opportunities to teach, because if they don't get it from you, they aren't going to get it at all. So I am less likely to just ignore complicated questions or discussions (as I may have done before) and I just jump right in and we learn together. I am finding JOY in teaching my children and I am learning all kinds of things myself. How cool is that:)

Politics...

I am not usually interested in political banter, but I did watch both conventions and saw good things on both sides. Well, at least good promises. We'll see what happens. But I, like Abbey, am amazed at the history that will be made coming in November. A black man or a woman in the White House. It really is a wonderful thing that so many changes have been made for the better in a relatively short period of time. Amazing!

I do support Republicans (only because Ron Paul is not on the ticket:) and was very impressed with Sarah Palin, who I know nothing about. She seems to really have it all together. I think she will make a wonderful role model while she serves our country. Out of curiousity, my question to you is:

Do you think that, as a mother, her most important role should be in her home? Is she "deserting" her family at this point where a couple of her kids are very young and will need very much attention because one is special needs? Is this a smart choice and do you agree with her choice enough to vote for her?

My personal thoughts were that we need women role models everywhere. And having a woman in the White House can only help the cases of women everywhere who need help. I do think that her family is most important and hope that she can balance it all out somehow. But I appreciate the example that she is setting for my daughter, that women can do anything.

If we are going to make history soon, I hope it is with a woman! :)

72-hour Kits...check!

Today was the day...today was the day we got everything together and purchased for our 72 hour kits.

It's been very interesting to do this. The first thing we thought about was why would we need these? We came up with a few different situations, some lots scarier than others. And they were all so different!

Then the question was, will we walk with these packs or drive with them? After packing those bags, I am hoping and praying that we will get to drive! If we would have to walk somewhere George would backpack Sam and would pull the rolling duffel bag that is ridiculously heavy. I would frontpack Seth and wear the backpack holding all the food which has to weigh 100 pounds...or maybe closer to 30:) On top of that, Levi and Natalie won't keep their backpacks on...you know, because they are just too tired (can't you just hear your 5 year old saying that!), so we will end up holding their little packs. And we haven't even added water to our kits yet! Ahhh!

But the point is that we have been obedient and they are ready to be assembled in the next few weeks and put somewhere very convenient. So, as we taught our kids today, "If we are prepared, we don't have to fear!"

PS We also taught about fire safety and made a fire plan for our home. We stressed the point that the kids are not to try to get any toys out of the house if there is a fire. Levi's eyes welled up with tears and he came over and whispered in my ear, "But mom, I will be soooo bored if I can't save the Wii!!" Anyone else have that same sentiment? :)

Jones Family Christmas Music

George here. Last Christmas we had a really fun experience going to a music studio here in Fort Wayne. We got to play, sing, and edit our own music, and then we got CD copies to take home with us. As things like this can get lost or broken, I finally got around to ripping the tracks to our computer, and have included them here for anybody that would like to listen:

• Baby - 1
• Baby - 2
• Lo, How a Rose Ere Blooming
• Away in a Manger
• Sleigh Bells
• Close Every Door
• Can't Help Lovin That Man
• The Broken Road
• Can You Feel The Love Tonight?
• Where Can I Turn for Peace?
• Danny Boy
• We're All Together Again
  

Name that Tune

Updated 8/28
See if you can figure out which songs these lyrics come from. It makes me laugh so hard when the kids sing what it sounds like instead of what the words really are so I don't ever want to correct them:)

Natalie-
"Sinks by the wayside" (Tell Me the Stories of Jesus)
"Onward never onward" (Called to Serve)
"It's too late to go to John's" (Too Late to Apologize-New Republic)

Levi-
"Stanky Doodle went to London" (Yankee Doodle)
"If I can button door" (I Am a Child of God-4th verse)

We made it through the week!

We finished our 5th day of school...only 175 to go:) Really, I am not counting, it's just that attendance is the only thing I have to keep track of (Indiana's rules) so I know the number. It's been a crazy learning experience... and fun and hard and trying and tiring and I could go on and on. The hardest parts being Seth and Sam not cooperating (you know, being awake instead of napping...argh:) and the fact that 5 year olds just shut down.

The naps...ah, what can you do, really? I cannot convince Seth he wants to sleep during that time. It's unfortunate since I cannot even think when the boy is crying! Luckily, Natalie is the greatest big sister and will play with him and try to keep him happy.

Trying to get Levi not to shut down is rough. He is going along great and then, all of sudden, the floppy body language sets in and he starts saying, "I'm so tired" and doing these fake yawns. I am trying to be "teacher" and find ways to motivate him. We will get it!

I love this! Wednesday was by far our best day...the boys both napped and Levi was on. I felt so fulfilled, like I am doing just what the Lord wants me to. Homeschooling is not for everyone, but I strongly believe that anyone can do it. You just have to decide that it's the right choice for your child. There are a million different curriculum choices and you can find what fits you and your child. I NEVER thought I was cut out for this, but once I decided to do it, it fell into place. I am where I am supposed to be.

PS George made our cool school logo up at the top of the page and came up with our name. He also wants to teach the kids Chinese. We'll see if that happens, but it would be pretty cool:)

Cute pics and the start of Polaris Academy

Sunday best...they do clean up nicely:)

Here's Sam's "more" sign

And our cutie, smiley Seth!

So, the Polaris Academy started this week. What is the Polaris Academy, you ask? It's the official name of our homeschool. We have had 2 days and it's been fun...well, it's been ok. It's going to take Levi and I some time to get used to the teacher/student relationship. And Natalie really wants to participate, but she's a bit young to sit still, be quiet for very long, and she has this humming noise she does whenever she is concentrating that is not good for the school environment. Seth has been really crabby both days, but our dear boy Sam has slept right through.

I think the hardest part is not trying to over teach. I see the material and the potential and I want him to do it all, right now! I wish I knew more about his progression and what teaching methods will best suit him. I believe these are things that I will learn over time. I know that teachers are way better qualified for this kind of thing, but I think that I am keeping Levi home to instill in him that he is a son of God and there are things that are expected of him. I want to establish our home as a place of love, thinking, respect, honesty, and all those other things that seem to go out the window at "real school". Maybe I am just overprotective:) But, this is a good thing, so I am going to keep at it.

Other projects that I would like to accomplish soon:

3 month food supply
Rice and beans year supply
72 hour kits
Selling stamping stuff on Ebay
Weeding our flower garden
Deep clean all bathrooms
Make chore charts and assignments

Fun stuff! I am really enjoying myself! Happy "beginning of school" to you all!!

Camping!

I was born into a camping family and loved it! I was thrilled when the ward set up a ward camp-out. George...not so much. Has anyone ever BEEN camping with 4 children under 5? It just not as relaxing as I pictured it...but still fun!

The kids help me pack the car on Friday as the rain poured down. Geo called and said, "I am getting severe weather updates on my desktop. Are we still going?" By then, the car was packed and I informed him we are GOING! Like Emily said, we packed half of our house for less than 24 hours:)

When we got there, it was still pouring, but a few people were setting up as the rain gradually stopped so we decided to at least stay for dinner. We hadn't decided to stay yet, but if we did, we would use 2 tents. Well, turned out that a couple in our ward brought a tent with no stakes so we lent them our little tent. Our decision was made. Geo would stay with Levi and Nat and I would go home with the babies. We had a blast! I left around 10:15pm and got a good night's sleep and headed back.

Much to my surprise, Geo did not have a good night's sleep. They had a huge storm hit them at 12:30-lightening, thunder and hail. He was so worried. And they didn't even have a car to sit in safely. They just toughed it out. What little troopers!

The next day was beautiful! We hiked, cooked smores, and finished at the beach. Good times! Here are some pictures. Enjoy!

We let Sam play in the car so we didn't loose him. Smart!

Are all boys pyros?

Sam was happy!

Natalie was dirty:)

Everyone loved the fire pit!

Seth was a hit:)

And this was the trip home...we were all exhausted!

Why was the lettuce embarassed?

Has anyone else discovered these? I know, they have been around for a while, but I bought a couple this week to try to save some calories. Unless you are one of those people that needs a crazy amount of salad dressing (yes, Becca, I am talking about you), this really works! And only 15 calories for 10 sprays!!! What will they think of next? :)

PS Did anyone get the joke? Because he saw the salad dressing! hee, hee

Food Storage Progress

My food storage is in the works! I have cleaned out my storage room, made a menu for my 3 month supply, taken inventory of what I have, and made a shopping list for what I need. Today, I went price shopping at Aldi's and will soon do Wal-Mart and compare it to the church prices. Yippee! This is a good thing. I will be so glad to have it done. Then on to the 72-hour kits and the long term storage. I wonder if something is going to happen soon because I (and it seems like many others) feel prompted to get this done. Or is this just happening because I am old and feel the need to provide for my family. :)

Keep Your Keys In Your Pocket

It was Monday afternoon. The kids were bored and Sam had just awakened from a nap that was too short. They all needed to be entertained and so what better way to entertain kids than to go the Zoo! So we decide to go.

Now, to go anywhere with 4 kids, it takes time and lots of trips to and from the car. First trip, Sam in his seat (if not, he will run outside and it's murder to get him back in). Second trip (made by the kids who had already gotten buckled in the car), potty stop. On her way back out to the car, Natalie pulls the door shut. I finish getting Sam in and head back inside to get the keys, diaper bag and Seth. I go to open the door and nothing. The door is locked. I have nothing. No keys, no phone, nothing. And then I realize, we don't even have keys to this door. George would have to come home and let us in the front door. And then I remember that the storm door was deadbolted from the inside (again, to keep Sam from running outside) and we don't have keys to that door. We have a very back door and guess what? We don't have keys to that door!

Luckily, Seth had just fallen asleep and was buckled in his carseat so he would be safe, but grumpy as soon as he woke up. So I head out the garage door to see if any of my neighbors are home. First 3 (the ones that I actually know), no luck. So I met a new neighbor, Bill, who came back to my house (with the guy working on his house) to see if we could break-in. Couldn't do it.

Long story short (too late, I know) an hour and $70 later, I am in my house scooping up my screaming baby and begging him to forgive me. What does he do? Calms down immediately and just starts smiling. I held him for the next hour.

I learned that when you have children, you should always carry your keys in your pocket. And you should have keys to all of your doors:) And if I ever find out which kid locked the door, that $70 is coming out of their college fund!

Random thoughts about important things

My food storage prep is well underway! I am excited to have my storage room cleaned out and lined with shelves ready to be filled with food! I am now in the process of making menu plans and then shopping lists. I am loving the Food Storage site that is in my List of Blogs on the sidebar. If you need to get started in emergency preparedness, this is the place to go!! These 2 ladies have made a plan to accumulate 72 hour kits, 3 month supply, long-term food storage and car emergency kits in 1 year. They suggest things to buy week by week. Also, they have entries about making jam, granola bars and every Friday they make a meal completely from food storage items. Impressive!

I also am beginning to think about Homeschooling. Does anyone have any opinions about this? Can a normal parent do this? School is a scary place these days and I have really enjoyed being with all of my children this summer. There are so many programs for Homeschoolers (ie: YMCA, library, Parks and Rec) that the whole "socialization" thing is not an issue. Plus, this quote I read about homeschooling said something like, "Since when did we think 13 year-olds being with and learning from 13 year-olds was a good idea?" :) This morning, I asked Levi what he thought about me teaching him school at home. He said, "That sounds good to me!" We'll see if I am ready for this...it's quite the commitment. But I do LOVE not having to run around to drop off and pick-up!

Last thing, guess who is rolling all over the room these days? My 3.5 month old, Seth! Isn't this kind of early? I have been so grateful that all of my kids have been late movers. It makes life easier:) He is such a cutie!

Food Storage

I have finally decided that the time is now to do my food storage. We had a talk in church recently and someone said, "Get rid of the excuses and just do it!" Or at least that's how it sounded to me.

I got on the church website and things are very different from when I got married and was calculating how much of what I needed. The church now says store a 3 month supply of what we use daily and then for a longer-term supply, store wheat (or rice or other grains) and beans. That's it! It did say on the Provident Living site that you could also supplement your storage with dried milk, baking powder, salt, oil and something else. This sure is different than the list that I have been looking at for years with tons of stuff on it that I don't use in my cooking.

Does anyone have any good suggestions of meals that can be stored easily? Or tips on how to keep your food in good order?

This is an exciting thing for me. I finally feel like I am doing something about food storage! And it seems do-able! Yipee! Now, who's gonna watch my 4 kids while I do some serious grocery shopping?

Patriotic Seth

Am I cool or what?

Daddy's tickling me!

Is that Levi's finger in my armpit?

Cheese!