cloth diapering

a little over a month ago I finally gave in to my inner environmentalist

i have always felt as if I should cloth diaper

so I took the leap

the only thing I was worried about was

CLEANING POOPY DIAPERS

i don't know if worried is the right word...

scared

grossed out

disgusted

..etc.

I know this is going to sound crazy..but it really isn't that bad

here is how I work the diapering:

first I didn't buy the fancy fancy diapers

walmart 11 buck for 12 diapers suits me just fine

plastic pants walmart as well i think they were 6 bucks for 6

and diaper pins 1 dollar for 4

1/2 yard of fleece

( I just lay a strip of fleece across the diaper to keep the little bum dry)

to sum it up

I bought 3 packages

prefold diapers

4 packs of diaper pins

1/2 yard of white fleece

and one pack of plastic pants

now the niddy griddy

I keep a wet diaper pail ( big bucket filled with water and baking soda) atop my dryer

with wet dyps I just throw 'em in the baking soda cuts the smell

with the messy nappies I take them too the toilet and with a little bit of work and a few flushes

the nappy is ready for the wet diaper pail

Each night while the boss is in the tub

I put all the diapers into the wash

and

Voila

REALLY REALLY REALLY

it isn't as hard or yucky as I thought it would be

and we have the satisfaction of feeling self sufficient

I really love knowing that if there isn't money...stores...shipments we will not be in need of the very basics

THIS IS WHY I WANT A FARM...Please MR. Carvajal...BUY ME a FARM ( a bit off the subject..i know)

A crowd pleaser for your next gathering...

This recipe has been going around my ward because it is SO GOOD. Everyone who tries it wants the recipe so I thought I should do my part and pass it on.

sweet veggie dip (from "A Thyme to Entertain" -JLA Cookbook)
serve with tortilla scooper chips

1 can black eyed peas (drained)
1 can shoe peg corn (drained)
1 large green pepper (chopped)
1 medium onion (chopped)
1 jar chopped pimentos (drained)

mix above ingredients and set aside.

marinade-

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbs teriyaki sauce

mix marinade ingredients together and then add to above ingredients, blending well. refrigerate for several hours and serve w/ tortilla chips. drain excess marinade off before serving.

enjoy.

For Your Valentine

Just wanted to pass on my favorite link for famous love quotes. And here is a little sampling:

"LOVE: The irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired."

- Mark Twain (1835-1910) [Samuel Clemens] American Author, Humorist

"Marrying for love may be a bit risky,

but it is so honest that God can't help but smile on it."
- Josh Billings (1818-1885) [Henry Wheeler Shaw] American Humorist

"To love someone is to see a miracle invisible to others."

- Francois Mauriac (1885-1970) French Novelist, Essayist, Poet, Playwright

Want to visit? Go HERE.

I promised in my personal blog to expand upon the thrilling day we had last week, our first official week of homeschooling. I heaved a contented sigh of relief that evening that it was possible to be satisfied with job I'm doing with these crazies.

So here's a rundown of our day (I'm not going to even try to put it into a timeline. Who knows when this all happened, but it happened)...


First, we (Liv, George and I), prepared and ate (all) breakfast and I sent the kids to shower and dress (except little George, who is forced into bad personal hygiene habits by her eczema)...meanwhile I did breakfast dishes and some laundry and general cleanup.

After that, we had a devotional time. We said a prayer, recited the first 4 Articles of Faith and learned the fifth, and read from the B of M. (Which at this point is scaring my kids because they think Springville might go down like Jerusalem).

I showed Liv a website I found that would help us potty train Chloe. She sat on my lap while I read her the facts.

Then I got Isaac and Liv into some sort of "game" (don't tell them it's for their own good) or building something, I can't remember this far out. Meanwhile, I pulled Georgia downstairs for a lesson on writing the number 1, and a review of counting.

Next, Liv and I sat down while Georgia and Isaac "played" (they think it's playing, I know it's learning hehehe), and created addition flashcards. We made the Montessori type with pictures (we used little circles) representing the numbers, Liv writing the actual numbers, addition sign, and equal sign, and then the answer on the back. *(I've read some books that speak contrary to teaching abstract math (using symbols and writing the numerals), before age 8, but I'm just still antsy enough to have to push it)

Isaac read me a book or two about Max and I had to promise him I'd help him make his own flashcards the following day.

Finally, we sat down and looked at an awesome Can You See What I See? book that entranced us for at least 30 minutes. I had the kids read the words I knew they'd be successful at.

At last, it was time for a little r&r, a walk with the dog, quiet reading, a little wii time, etc.

Sounds simple? Too abbreviated? Not filled enough with learning?

We all read every day. Today we read about the moon, couple days ago it was about the planets, because Isaac got a solar system model for Christmas. Wonka is almost finished (because it's funny). Olivia wants to read about how to train her dog (because she's tired of me reminding her to take the dog out). The kids have some reading flashcards to do in the car (just because).

We are beginning a letter-writing campaign (watch your mailboxes), but for now some Christmas thank-you's are going out. Occasionally, if it feels right I just challenge the kids to a little spelling quiz. We've gone back to writing in cursive. It's just nicer looking, but they read in print or cursive. We are also starting a daily journal thanks to Homeschooling for Excellence. We write when we need to write. I'm able to teach singular and plural, and "every sentence must begin with a capital and end with punctuation", etc., while we are writing.

Math is a bit tougher. We are working on addition facts. I've gotten through with I and Liv the concept and now it's all memorization. They're feeling a bit overwhelmed though, I can tell, so we may slow down a bit. Who knows, it's sometimes hard to read between misunderstanding and laziness/boredom. Our curriculum is also a good resource, reminding me to teach concepts like left/right and what a pair is. George, like I said is starting to write numbers.

I guess my point is that it worked so well that day because it was all pretty natural, and it's getting more natural as we progress. The kids help me measure and stir while I cook (boy is that saving some $$), they do chores that involve sorting, counting, etc, we talk about what we see or read about. They tell me what they'd like to learn about and we head to the library to get some books on the subject. That's what you do when you want to know something!

We've had some tense moments, like when Liv could not stop saying, "1+4 is equals", and I could not get over (pea-brain) that Liv was saying, "1+4 is equals". Still just enough ridiculous left in me to get frustrated over something like that. But, we are well on our way!

Wish us Luck!

One simple game to play with the kids at Family Home Evening to show them that you are interested in what they have to say!

Likes and Dislikes:

Each family member takes a turn listing 3 things they like (about life, or their day) and then 3 things they dislike.

Really- that's all there is to it, but it's so important to give your children a chance on the soapbox every now and then.

Remember the Savior

"The spirit of giving gifts has been present in the mind of each Christian as he or she commemorates the Christmas season. Our Heavenly Father gave to us His Son, Jesus Christ. That precious Son gave to us His life, the Atonement, and victory over the grave.

"What will you and I give for Christmas this year? Let us in our lives give to our Lord and Savior the gift of gratitude by living His teachings and following in His footsteps.

It was said of Him that He 'went about doing good.' As we do likewise, the Christmas spirit will be ours."

Thomas S. Monson, "What Is Christmas?" Ensign, Dec. 1998, 5

the highchair {reclaimed}

so....many of you know my affinity for all things {used} recycled,

well i was recently in the market for a highchair because of well

*click here*

...so i hunted craigslist..the goodwill.. othermothers(storename)

..then value village delivered a perfectly wonderful piece of retro heaven

complete with stainless tray, folding action and completely recoverable cushions

and this morning it became

one of my favorite pieces of furniture in the home