Starting To Homeschool

Blogging is definitely not one of my strong points,  but I would like to start up AGAIN. So many different topics and ideas floating through my head these days.  Trying to catch a dream and follow it to success.

Started working with Jabin on homeschooling this past week. We are following the Charlotte Mason education idea,  with seeming success.  He seems to enjoy it so far,  as long as it doesn't take too long with each subject, especially writing/word building. ;) I'll post a schedule in a later post.

The internet is really a very helpful tool.  So many great posts,  videos,  how-to's, etc.  I can look through people's homeschool schedules to get ideas and print my own from others' experience of what has worked for them. I'm hoping to get a few things from Simply Charlotte Mason to use with Jabin this fall.  I've already started using Delightful Reading, so we are using that and a few other resources from here and there.

Delicious Apple Pie Filling

 
This year we went apple picking at the orchard with some friends on Labor Day. I decided to make apple pie filling with the apples. I usually try to make applesauce, but we still have some left from last year, so I thought, why not try something new? Here's the recipe, and steps, that I used to make this delicious apple pie filling:

Heat water in a large canner-sized pot, or a canner. You will use this to process the jars.
Rinse jars with warm water.

To make approximately 7 quarts, you'll need about 6 pounds of apples. You may or may not get 7 quarts, depending on the size of the apples. I am not sure how many pounds of apples I had, so I just guessed. I got about 6 quarts, due to not having enough syrup, so I probably had more than 6 pounds cut up.

Peel, core, and slice apples. Put them in a bowl of cool water with some lemon juice, so they don't brown, while waiting to get all of the apples cut.

Mix together:

4 1/2 c sugar
1 c cornstarch
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 nutmeg

Add:
2 tsp salt
10 c water

Put this mixture in a cooking pot and bring this to a boil. Cook until bubbly and thick. Remove from heat.

Add: 3 Tbsp lemon juice

Pack the apples into warm jars.

Pour syrup over the apples, leaving about 1 in. - 1/2 in. headspace in the jar.
Remove air bubbles, by using a small spatula along the sides of the jar.

Put lids and rings on jars and put them in the large pot or canner and let them sit in the water bath for 20 minutes.

Remove jars and let sit on the counter. The jars should start sealing after starting to cool. If they haven't sealed after 24 hours, you can reprocess them with new lids.

Enjoy your delicious apple pie filling in apple pies, over ice cream, in turnovers, apple crisp, and other tasty desserts. Each quart makes enough filling for one pie. Enjoy!!!

Diary of My Trip to PNG #6

April 22nd
Monday  (21st) we went to town and stocked up on groceries. Then we drove to Tambul area again. This time it was to support Kuglu, as he gave two different tribes demands for wrecking his son's PMV (public motor vehicle- like a bus). It was wrecked due to careless driving, while drunk. Each tribe will pay, to fix the vehicle; one 42,000K and the other 65,000K. From there, we saw Ivan and Joel's place, as well as Rex. (These are different guys that are currently here in the states.) It's been raining a lot, so it gets very muddy and slippery. I can hardly walk up the hill to the house without falling when it's so wet. I have to hold someone's hand or they hold onto my arms. Sometimes it gets quite humorous. :)
Sunday, (April 20th) we went to the youth camp for the morning service. It was super muddy, like the fairground parking sometimes, only much worse. The truck kept getting stuck. I sat with Joanna Poning and her daughters. James Poning preached. He was studying here in the states, and came to our house and saw his first snow. The announcements during the service were VERY long. Church started at 9, but the preaching didn't start until at least 12. The tent was packed, with everyone sitting cross-legged, or however, but with no room between.The tent was huge, but was completely packed and they had another tent set up where people were sitting and listening. Then we came home and Tres (Win's cousin) muumuu-ed some pork that Joseph Kera gave us. (His daughter is here studying.) That was very delicious. We had greens and cacao (sweet potatoes) too.
Saturday, we planned to go to the youth camp morning service, but just as we were getting ready to leave Roger (Jr.) and Naomi came up. So we stayed back and talked with them. Then later, we tried to do the shopping but everything was already closed. They close early, like 4 or 5. So then we got come boiled eggs and scones and ate that. They have Pineapple Fanta, which I like better than the orange. It's very good. When we finally got to the service it was the evening meeting and it was packed. They set up some plastic chairs for us by the stage. The service was long and I kept feeling so tired so I finally went and got in the truck to try to sleep. Then we went home using a "short-cut" road. Never again... It was raining and foggy and the road wasn't paved (all this happened in the dark). There was a river and a big, muddy, rocky hill, plus Win was having trouble with the 4-wheel drive and clutch. I was really scared. I don't get scared that easy, but this was very scary. I prayed and closed my eyes because I couldn't watch. We finally made it out- alive!!
Friday, some of the people went to Tambul where they gave the tribe 5 pigs, some for the family who lost their loved one, one for us, and some for some other things. I stayed home because Jabin had food poisoning. We took him to the clinic and the nurse gave us some medicines. They seemed to help him.
Today, (Tuesday) I stayed home while Win, Bill, and Clara, went back to where Jeffery's mom and dad live to get a pig. Win was going to straighten out our tickets, but I think he'll have to do it tomorrow.

Diary of My Trip to PNG #5

April 11th (Friday)
Wednesday, late afternoon, we left the village and headed to Madang. On our way, we stopped and saw Win's high school, Fatima Secondary. It was nice-looking. It seemed like there were a lot of students there. I went and used the bathroom there, and found that the water wasn't working so they were using buckets to flush the toilets. :( We stopped and saw Jeffrey's mom and dad. They were very sweet. The ride was very bumpy. Jenny, Andrew, Bras, Joel, and Amos all came along for the trip. We all took turns holding the boys, since it was so bumpy, without seat belts. I had trouble staying on the seat; it was so bumpy. We put one bench seat up and slept on the floor part of the time. It wasn't the best part of the trip. We finally made it to Madang at about 8 AM, after driving all night. We found a guest house (a hotel) and I, Jenny, and the 2 boys stayed there for several hours. We ate breakfast, showered, and waited for the guys to come back. After they came back, we went looking around the town a little bit. We went to a resort and swam at the beach. That was very nice. The water was clear and blue, just like you would see in pictures. I don't think the guys really knew the place well, because the beach was tiny and they didn't seem to know where any other ones were. It was ok though, because we were the only ones there.

April 13th (Sunday)
Friday, Win went to see Jeffrey's parents. They gave us lots of foods.

Today, Sunday, we went to Tambul to church.We visited Grandpa Okie's brother and sister. They were both very sweet. I didn't want to leave the sister. She was one of the first to know Pidgin. I probably won't see them again. She cried and was happy to see us and said the next time we meet we'll be in heaven. We went to the Tambul mission station. We also saw Kenneth Galua and his children. Our family all came in the truck; Joseph (brother-in-law)and Salome (niece), Shadrach (nephew), Robert and Moni (in-laws), Jordan, Benadiah (nephews), Matthew (in-law), Carl, Stephen, Andrew (nephews), Bill and Clara (in-laws) and all of us. Then on the way back, Bill's cousin came along. It was quite packed!!

April 17th
Monday- Wednesday we stayed at home, going out once or twice. Win went to town to find out about our tickets and to meet with some people. The counselor's brother passed away (after we had just met him on our way back from Madang), so they have been having a funeral gathering all this week. Tuesday, I went for a little bit. I've met lots of people. Everyone seems so happy to see me. The older ones cry tears of joy. It's been raining a lot the last few days so we've had to keep the boys inside. Yesterday we washed more laundry, then it started raining hard, so we had to get back. Jenny finished up the laundry this morning. Life here seems simple, but hard.

 I've seen lots of things; some good, some I don't like, or understand. Today was the actual funeral service. It was, honestly, kind of scary. I didn't like it at all. I didn't feel much hope or encouragement for the family. The man passed away in another part of the country, so they brought the body in and the family saw it the first time right then, during the service, with all the tribesmen there. As people would come into the funeral they would cry and moan from the road and then those who were already there, seated at the service would begin the funeral cry, a song that they sing for this time. Everyone cried when they brought the casket down from the road. Several of the family members were in deep anguish and were rolling on the ground, pulling the grass and dirt up on themselves. As different people would come, they would stand and cry and people would go up and cry with them, then bring them into the area where everyone was sitting. It was very sad. The people are very emotional to begin with, so the sadness is just another expression, but it was very overwhelming. They will continue to have the funeral until they bury the body.

Tomorrow we will go up to Tambul and they will give some food for our farewell feast/mumu. It will be hard to leave everyone.

Diary of My Trip to PNG #4

April 7th (Monday)
Yesterday, we went to church and then spent the rest of the day at home. The people at church were very welcoming and all came and shook my hand. They were like magnets to the boys. Everywhere the boys went people followed them. We walked quite a distance to church, probably 30-40 minutes. People met us along on the road and shook hands and hugged me. We came home and then Knox came to see us. We ate and then Win took me up the mountain. Some children came up the other side and then they took me up two more mountains tops. The view was very beautiful. It was almost cloud level. We could see for miles. Today (Monday) it is raining. Win went to town to meet with some people and get a few groceries. Saturday, Joseph Kera (Charity's dad) took us out for an all-day drive around. We went to town (Mt. Hagen) and went to the market. We got some fresh foods and then went to a lady's restaurant and got some chicken and chips (french fries). Then we went around to see different places. We went all the way to the Southern Highlands Province, then went to Paprabruk where they have the Pacific Bible College.

The boys are getting lots of exercise and having fun playing with the kids. Jordan and Jonah come and stay and play with the boys. Jonah has a bad sore where he hit his foot with an ax, so he has to stay still, but it's raining now, so we are all inside. They like the cars and little musical phone, lizards, bugs, etc. that we brought the for boys to play with. I gave them some Skittles to try. They made a face because at first they are sour, then sweet. They ate more, so they must have liked them. :)

April 9th (Wednesday)
Yesterday I went with Jenny (my sister-in-law) down to the river to wash our laundry. We took 1/2 of a big rain-barrel and some stain remover and washed them. We filled the barrel with water then put the Omo (stain remover) in and rubbed the clothes together to get the dirt out. The boys clothes were REALLY muddy. It was hard work to get them clean. We put them into the stream to rinse them, turning them inside out to get all the soap out. Later, I saw my fingers were rubbed raw. I had to put bandaids on because it was so painful. (The next time we did the laundry, I rubbed them differently and it was better. That time we used a soap bar and rubbed it against the rock, and then rinsed it. For the really dirty clothes, they use a "tangle" of twines and rub the clothes with that. It's not the best on keeping the colors bright with all the rubbing, but they are clean.)

Diary of My Trip to PNG #3

April 4th (Friday)

We flew up to Mt. Hagen, Wednesday, April 2nd. It is VERY beautiful. The landscape is green with lots of flowers; the air is cool and crisp. It's not humid at all. The sun gets hot during the middle of the day, but it's a little bit chilly other times of the day. We arrived at the airport and I saw a group of people with a sign and I cried. They were all so happy to see me and the two boys (and Win too). The older people cried and even some of the young ones. Tears of joy. We loaded our suitcases into a truck and we rode in a van to Mt. Hagen's shopping area to get a few things. After shopping, we went on about a 11/2-2 hour ride to Win's village. It was so beautiful. The air was so fresh. There were gardens all along the way. We drove on a smooth highway until we reached the turnoff- a dirt road with lots of rocks and ruts. It wasn't too bad in most places, but I had to hold on to the seat or the window so I wouldn't move around too much (no seatbelts, or car seats either).

Charity's mom and dad drove their truck/van for us to go up to the village. We finally got to Win's village and the first group of children saw us, smiled, and squealed with excitement. I was already crying just seeing them. It was so special and is not something that you have probably ever experienced. The people were jumping for joy. They gave us flower leis and had a welcome sign and the walkway was decorated with ferns and flowers. Everyone was lined up to shake my hand and hug me; they were so happy to see me. After going through we were surrounded by the people and some of the leaders spoke, welcoming us. It was raining pretty hard so they had to cut the speeches short. We went up to Bill and Clara's house and got all our things in. It was an overwhelming time and even as I write about it, I cry (even this time, as I type).
Yesterday, we went around and saw Robert and Joseph's (Win's brothers) houses and gardens. Today, we walked to see Wansilin's (Win's sister) gravesite. We went to see Matthew's (Win's brother-in-law) house and his children's homes and gardens. He seems like a very kind, sweet man.

The family said that they were afraid we would be afraid of them, but they feel free now. The boys like to play with them. When they saw me cry, they felt happy to see that I was happy to see them.

Cabbage and greens

Today they made me a shower room. It's made out of the mats that they use for their kunai houses. It's made in a circle with an extra side for the walkway. Bill and Clara have a "kitchen" house with a fire in the middle and benches near the ground all the way around. Their home is very basic; some plastic chairs, trunks (used for storage, tables, or seats), some homemade couches, wood-burning stove, and mattress on the floor. They dug a new outhouse for us. They have two baby pigs up at the kitchen house. Robert keeps one of theirs and some of his own down at his house. Jabin really likes them. The littles ones lay down and want you to scratch them all over when you pet them.

Taking the pigs to the mud swamp

Right now a lot of the young people are down playing volleyball. I am staying in the house with Ian, while he sleeps. Tata (Grandpa) Okie knows who we are (sometimes), so we are happy about that. He likes the boys. They haven't warmed up to him yet, but hopefully the next few days and weeks we'll spend more time with him. We are eating lots of fresh fruits and different greens and potatoes. Everything is very expensive here.

Diary of My Trip to PNG #2

March 31st (Monday)

Nature Park 

Saturday, we took a trip around the city and stopped at Port Moresby Nature Park where they have native animals that you can look at. It was like a miniature zoo. Win's friend, Kela, went with us and drove us. We went to Vision City, a mall, to get a few things. The mall was very clean, with white tiles that the ladies were mopping. They had electronic stores, a grocery store, pharmacy, little toy stores, knick knacks/ tourist type shops, and even a movie theatre. One interesting thing from there: It cost 1K (kina) to go to the bathroom. The toilet paper was at the doorway, which I found out after going in, and almost all the toilets were missing the seats...LOL!

We are staying at Rogers and Naomi Kuk's home. We came home and had a wonderful traditional dinner of fish (super good!), several types of bananas, broccoli, coconut-creamed rice, pit-pit (a type of vegetable, not my favorite)... the meal was very nice. We've been eating fresh paw-paw (papaya) everyday. The boys are having some trouble with the foods, but they eat rice and noodles. They like
 the watermelon and grapes from the store, too.

Yummy dinner! (Yes, that's a whole fish.)

Sunday, we went to church. It was "mission Sunday," so there were lots of people there. It was very moving to hear them singing together. There were lots of announcements though so it lasted about 31/2-4 hours, I think. I was sore from sitting on the wooden pew. Men and women sit on separate sides. It was so full though, that I sat with the men. After church we met some people from Win's area that live there in POM. Later that day we went back to the Nature Park, where we met lots of Win's tribesmen. It was very touching to see their reaction to me and the boys. They presented me two bilums. Today we straightened our visas and tomorrow we will fly to Mt Hagen (turned out to be Wednesday) . It is extremely hot and humid here. The city is very dusty. There are lots of people everywhere.

Pictures of church, a beautiful beach, and the welcome party they gave us.

The house we are staying in is built up on stilts. It has large windows on almost every wall, which lets in sunlight and any breezes, but also lots of noises... The city is very busy. You hear horns, vehicles driving, dogs barking (there are dogs everywhere), babies crying, music, yelling, etc. most of the time. It's not really loud, just a low hum of activity. The house is very nice- water, electricity. There isn't any hot water, but it's so hot outside that you don't really notice. Once you get out of the shower you are already sweating again. I've seen a couple of small geckos around. Lots of tropical plants and flowers. They are taking very good care of us. Jabin doesn't want to come inside. He is enjoying playing outside with the kids and dogs. Ian is getting spoiled by everyone.

Ela Beach (that's Kela, not Win)

Diary of My Trip to PNG #1

March 29th, (written Saturday in PNG)

Win, trying to keep both boys going in the same direction...

We made it to PNG! Wednesday we were scheduled to fly out at 7, so we left home at around 4:30AM. We got everything ready and boarded the plane and were ready to go, when the pilot said we'd have to get back off due to a flat tire. We ended up leaving at 12:30, which turned out ok, because both boys got some sleep after eating some complimentary pizza while we were waiting for the tire to be flown in from another state!! (Surely there's a better way!) It was a rough wait. The boys were trying to go everywhere and Win's aunt came with us, so we had lots of baggage to carry around with us. At one point, I was ready to go back home and just forget the whole "crazy" idea. (Looking back, it was crazy.) We finally made it to LA and then found our shuttle to go to our car rental. We went around a bit and ate at a buffet. I was glad to get back to the airport and get everything situated.We got there and thought everything was fine, but then they were having trouble with Win's passport and his aunt's transit visa. Then after that was settled they didn't know if our luggage went through to Port Moresby, or if it was there in LA. For some reason the people at baggage weren't answering, so poor Win had to go all the way down past all the terminals to the Delta line and try to see if he could see any of our luggage. He found all his aunt's luggage. By the time he got back with that (he had to take a taxi to make it in time), it was time to board, and we still had to go all the way back down to the terminal with our carry-ons... and the boys... and an elderly lady...

LA highway from the view of the plane

(His phone wasn't working which made things more complicated.) I was already exhausted and we hadn't even gotten to the long flight yet. We had a lot of people praying for us though. The long flight was the best flight we had had so far.We got a large aisle area and the boys slept a lot. (Praise the Lord for that.) We had about a 15 hour flight then landed at Brisbane. We left in the night from LA, then went "through the night," so landed in the morning, which was easier to adjust to, because it was like an extra-long night.We flew out a few hours later and had about a 3 hour flight to POM (Port Moresby). That flight was ok because there weren't a lot of people so we could move around a bit. Jabin slept almost the whole flight. We arrived to a very hot and humid Friday afternoon. Julianne, Lucy, and Jenny came and picked us up at the airport. The airport didn't have air conditioning, which was surprising because I thought it would since it's in the capital city... :)

This little guy sat on our laps almost the entire time...

Jabin, getting a window seat view

First Thoughts About My Trip to the Other Side of the World

It's finally official! We are going to Papua New Guinea for six weeks. We thought and prayed about it for several months, then we got lots of snow, which meant a little extra income for us. It will be my first time out of the country, besides a quick day- trip to Canada. It will also be my first memorable flight. All of these firsts will be shared with my children. I'm looking forward to seeing their reactions to everything, as well as my own. There are a lot of things to prepare for packing- wise, but also in my thoughts and expectations. I've heard so many stories and seen pictures/videos that I feel I know what to expect, but I know seeing things myself, in person, will be different. I'm worried about meeting all the family and tribesmen, but excited to see the people Win talks about and the places. I'm looking forward to it. Someone mentioned that I will be changed when I come home. I hope so. I hope I realize what I have and what I don't need; what makes me truly happy and what just adds stress to my life. I hope I see my real self, away from all the distractions of this Western society. I hope I am a blessing to those I meet and not just a spoiled American. I'm looking forward to six weeks without technology, for all of us.  I'm so thankful for this amazing opportunity. I pray that God uses me during these six weeks and works in my life to bring me closer to Him.

A New Commandment ~Love

John 13:34-35 

A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

This past week at our house church service we talked about church growth. We mentioned the different types of growth (in number and spiritual) that we see, and why, or why not, there may not be more. It has started some thoughts of my own need in this area. We talked about how the love we have for the person that we love the least, is the amount that we actually love Jesus. It's easy to blame other people, or see where they could be doing better, but my actions, or inaction, can't be blamed on anyone else; either I'm doing it, or I'm not. Am I loving the "unlovable" (annoying, unresponsive, or unhelpful) person? Am I taking time to talk with them and see them, or just bypassing them for friends who are like me? Do we see people like Jesus sees them?

In our church situation, some people have taken advantage of us as individuals, without realizing, or respecting, the responsibilities we have in our own lives and expect us to drop everything and help them, when they want it and with what they want, without a real commitment to us or an interest in following God. Some people are just looking for a handout, which is where things get confusing sometimes, in deciding how and who to help. We are finding though, that there are some people who have really started to be faithful and committed to our local church body, but we see that sometimes it is hard to include them now, because we have already built strong connections with those that have been committed. I think this happens in many smaller churches. We always need to be reminded to reach out to people and love them. When we do this, they will see Jesus' love and that is what will draw them, not the church service or anything else; the love. I've heard this all my life, but it is always good to review and remember what my responsibilities are.

Jesus gave so many examples of this love during His life here on earth. Here are just a few of these instances: healing the sick; receiving Zacchaeus (who was hated by the people); forgiving the woman caught in adultery (who was to be stoned); allowing the "sinful" woman to wash his feet; receiving the little children (who were thought unimportant and a bother); and then later, the ultimate picture of real love, dying for unworthy, rebellious people. It makes our little discomfort seems so silly, just thinking about these acts of love. How hard is it to sit down and appreciate someone, for who God made them to be?

I'm so thankful that He loves me so much that He willingly died for me and forgave my sins and now cares for me each day. May God help us to reach out and serve others (love them), the way He wants us to and the way He does for us.  

Toddler Play Day

This week I had a toddler get-together with a couple of friends. We all wanted to let our kids play together and also have the company ourselves. I invited several people to come, but this time only two other ladies were able to come. They both have little girls (22 months and 18 months). We started with letting the kids explore and play "together," which wasn't really together, but in the same area, and then ate lunch. We had all the littles sitting together; they were so cute! After we got done eating, I brought in a tub of snow and we were going to attempt to paint the snow.  The kids were so curious as to why I was bringing it inside. My boys immediately started trying to get their hands in it. :) We got some medicine droppers and used colored water to paint the snow. It was neat, but very challenging because the children were still so young, they didn't quite understand how to do it and what they were doing. So they wanted to dump it, or spill the water, etc. Ian just wanted to eat it, which was fine, except it got all over the floor. Jabin tried to do it fast and squirted it straight across the snow onto another girl's shirt... etc. Whew! I'm not sure how the teachers of toddler classes do anything with so many children!! We only had 4 toddlers and it got a little crazy.  Jabin loved to dig in the snow with his little shovel and tried to make a snowman with it. I should have brought some in before, when it was too cold to go out. Now it is getting warmer outside, so the snow is melting... which is GREAT!!

 I brought out a little farm sensory box, but they didn't really play with that. The little ones just threw it all out. Hahaha. So much for trying to plan something fun to do. Jabin liked it, but the little ones just wanted to go, go, go. No sitting down for them! So, overall it was fun, but I think my expectations were too high. :) They just wanted to do their own thing! Maybe next time I'll have some older ones come and try again. :)

Encourage One Another... Build Each Other Up

These past few weeks I have been feeling very alone. I have been "stuck" at home since we've been sick and the weather hasn't been good. We've pretty much been doing the same general things everyday. Sometimes I just need a break from the routine. I have also been feeling like Jabin needs to be able to play with other children and needs to make some friends. That's a little bit hard when you live in a big city and don't know many people. Recently, we had family pictures taken. The lady who took them has 2 children, a toddler and a newborn. She lives a few streets over from us and so with doing that we've had some contact. So I went to pick up my pictures and so we decided to let the boys play together awhile. It was so nice to just be able to sit and talk. It was nice to give and take advice and encouragement. Sometimes it's just nice to hear someone is going through the same things that you are, without pretending to have all the answers or being "super mom." It was so refreshing! Talking about the challenges, but also the joys of being a mom. I'm so glad to have had this time to make a new friend and hopefully we'll be able to get together again. (The boys played together too, so that was good... haha!)

1 Thessalonians 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,  just as in fact you are doing."

Potty-Training 101 ~No Turning Back

Yesterday was a BIG day for our family... Jabin officially started using the toilet! He's used it before but not regularly. We aren't turning back now. No more diapers!!! I wasn't ready to take the plunge, despite him being ready, or seemingly ready, for awhile, but finally got the energy and determination I needed. It is definitely as time consuming as I thought it would be, but it is going pretty well. I used the techniques of the book "Toilet Training in Less Than a Day" by Nathan Azrin. The general idea is to allow and teach the child to do each step themselves. I don't think I fully followed the process, because he hasn't quite gotten that he needs to go to the toilet by himself when he feels the urge, but he is learning and has had a really good day today, with actually going when I take him to the toilet. He used his potty chair yesterday and spent a lot of time sitting. This morning when he woke up, I set him on the toilet and he went right away, so we just used the toilet the rest of the day. He usually goes if we go out of the bathroom, otherwise sometimes we are distracting. We are using training pants and plain underwear with a plastic cover over it. It has been working well. The training pants absorb more liquid when he does have an accident vs. the plain underwear. So far we haven't had any really messy accidents... crossing my fingers and hoping I can stay focused... :) I'm sure it will happen. I try to take him about every 30-35 minutes, but sometimes I am busy doing something and forget. You really have to think about how much he's eating and drinking and try to gauge when he may need to go. I will probably use pull-ups when we go out somewhere, just so it will be easier to change if he goes without letting us know. The method starts with teaching a doll or bear how to use the potty. You do that several times, praising them for dry pants and showing disapproval for wet pants. After your child understands the steps, you practice with them several times and several consecutive hours you spend with them, giving them drinks and helping them learn to go in the potty. When they have an accident they have to go for practice runs, again. Practice, practice, practice! That's what we are doing now. I am hoping to be able to spend another morning doing it, because our session yesterday was probably not quite enough. It is hard when there are other people around, like an 18-month old... :)

Money Vs. Time

 Lately I've heard several friends talking about wishing that they had a clothesline outside. I have a clothesline in the backyard. I've used it multiple times, but not every time I do laundry. Today was a nice day, so I decided to use it as I won't have many more opportunities this year. As I hung each piece of clothing, I thought about the time and money that I was using and saving. I like to hang my laundry sometimes, just to feel like I can survive without something (the dryer); to try to experience the workload of the women who have gone before me; to prepare for a lifestyle I may soon face by living in another part of the world. I don't come anywhere near the workload of the pioneer women, but I wonder did they have things that they wanted to spend time doing that they couldn't because they were busy doing the everyday chores? ? For those of us living in the Western world, where things are very easy, it really seems to be a matter of priorities in some of these areas. Do you spend extra time hanging each piece of clothing to dry and then take each one down, or throw them in the dryer for a few dollars a month and have time to do other things? I love making things cheaply and think that it is a wiser use of the money that God has given. For instance, sometimes I make my own wipe solution and laundry soap. I feel like I really save a lot of money by doing those things, so I spend the time to do them. However, in one way or another, something is being spent. I know the balance of time and money will be different for each person, but I wonder if anyone else has wondered, is it really worth it to save a few pennies here and there, for the time that I am spending on a job?

Cabbage Rolls

This recipe is an adaptation of the recipe from Trim Healthy Mama. It's super good!!! I don't have much experience with cabbage, so when I made this I was so surprised at how good was. I ended up eating the whole batch over the next couple of days. It is a Satisfying (S) meal. It will be something I make over and over again.

 Cabbage Rolls

Step1: Blanch 14(+/-) large cabbage leaves in boiling water for about 5 minutes to soften.

Step 2: Cook 1-2 lbs. of ground beef. Drain, then return to pan and add chopped peppers and onions. Season with salt and pepper and whatever other seasonings you like (chili powder, onion, garlic, etc.). Cook until everything is cooked well.

Step 3: Plop a little filling in the middle of each cabbage leaf and roll it up, tucking the sides in as you roll so you end up with an enclosed cylindrical shape.

Step 4: Put rolls in a 9x13 baking dish and cover with 1 (8 oz.) can of tomato sauce.

 Step 5: Bake covered in oven at 350 for 30-35 minutes until steaming hot.

Step 6: Enjoy!!! :)

The original recipe is for a crockpot, which I haven't tried yet, but here are the differences:

Step 2: Mix ground beef with 2 eggs, 1 finely chopped onion, and one finely diced green pepper. Season. (without cooking)

Step 5: Put rolls in crockpot and cover with above sauce, or diced tomatoes seasoned with Worchester sauce, salt, and pepper.

Step 6: Cook on med/high in crockpot for 7-9 hours.

*Another idea if you are doing THM is to add quinoa to the meat mixture (which would make it an S Helper).*    

My Beginnings of "Tot School"

Since Jabin turned 2 years old, I have been very interested in starting some kind of educational program with him. I've looked online at some ideas, but there are so many ideas it was easy to feel overwhelmed. I found one site, though, that had a lot of good ideas that I am hoping to start implementing to some degree.

I will be making "trays" with different activities that he will play with for set periods of time (10-20 minutes) depending on his interest level. Each of the trays will have a different theme. Themes would be things like pouring, spoons, matching, sorting, beads, strings, stacking, stickers, cutting, gluing, etc. Activities would be pouring beans, rice, etc. from different containers into other containers; using different sized spoons to move rice, beans from different containers to others; stacking blocks, lining them up; using play dough and cookie cutters; gluing papers, etc.

Another idea that I liked is making "sensory boxes." These are boxes that are filled with different things to explore and find. For instance, I may make a wood-themed box, filled with bark, grass, plants, acorns, plastic forest animals; or a dinosaur-themed box filled with beans or sand with plastic dinosaurs, rocks, and other things that could go along with that. They can be filled with anything that you have around the house, for instance, cotton balls, rice, beans, then put other little things in the box to find and play with. At the time of using the sensory box, I could also read books that would go along with the theme.

My goal is to have three planned activities each day, Monday-Friday. (Of course, some days I may not be able to when I have other plans or unexpected changes in plans, which is almost expected lately. :) ) These activities would include using a tray activity, sensory box, reading together, playing/working outside, working in the garden, bath time play, going to the park, or coloring, etc. Later this year, it may include learning some letter sounds and numbers. For now, though, I just want to enjoy life together with him and let him explore the world by experiencing different things and learning how things work.

(Jabin playing, and trying to eat, his first sensory box.)

For more information on sensory boxes and learning tray ideas go to: http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.com/

5 "Easy" Ways to Help Keep a Tidy House

     Here are just some simple ways that may help you as you go about your daily tasks as a housewife. We all know there are up and downs on keeping our homes looking nice. Whether you're having a new baby, or going on a trip, or having people over, there will be times when you can't always have a neat home. But there are some ways that may help you to not have such a huge task when you are trying get things "back to normal." Hopefully, we can use these steps and keep our homes looking neat and tidy!

Step One: Put your WHOLE heart into your work. When we work in our homes, we are fulfilling a God-given task. When we clean up messes, vacuum, wash laundry, etc. we do it as working for the Lord. We don't want to be lazy or half-hearted. Proverbs 31:17 says, "She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks" (emphasis added).

Step Two: Make a schedule. I love lists and schedules but I think that even people that aren't "natural" organizers can benefit from having a basic schedule. Depending on where you are in this category, this may be harder or easier. But despite whether you like schedules, you have to plan ahead on what you are going to do, in order for things to run smoothly. For instance, maybe you want to have certain days for certain jobs. I like to do laundry on Mondays that way I have clean clothes for the rest of the week. Some people like to do their laundry throughout the week as they get a load. Having that idea though will save you from getting to an event and not having clothes to wear because you didn't plan ahead. Things are more likely to get done if you plan to do it, even if you don't get it done the specific day you planned.

Step Three: Put things in a specific place. Let everything have a home. If you can't find a home for it, ask yourself whether it's something you really need or want to keep. If it is, find a place to keep it; if not, find a new home for it- Goodwill, garage sale, give it away, sell it online, etc. This will make things much easier for you in the long run as you will know where everything is and won't spend valuable time trying to find it (unless you have small children who move it). Have a place for incoming mail and bills so they don't get lost, then once they've been taken care of, have a place to keep them for your records.

Step Four: Pick up after yourself. This goes back to the previous step, in putting things away. Try to put things back where they belong after you use them or when you see that they are out of place. Even young children can put things away when they get them out; I know because I have a 22-month old. If you are there with them, have them put away their toys after playing with them instead of getting everything out and having a huge job of putting everything back at once. This also helps them not to feel overwhelmed with a huge task. You won't feel as overwhelmed either, if you put away a few things here and there, before it becomes a huge looming pile.  :)

Step Five: Do "light" cleaning. Sweep the floor if it needs it, vacuum, etc. Clean the dishes up and wipe up spills or other messes. Clean up as you go about your day. These are besides doing your main scheduled "event" (laundry, bathrooms, organizing, grocery shopping, etc.).

These tips are all "easier said, than done" at times, but just remember that your work is done for the Lord and He will help you with them.

Home-made Playdough :)

Today I made home-made playdough for Jabin to play with. We made 4 different colors and then used animal cookie cutters to make cows, chickens, pigs, geese, and sheep. :) Jabin did pretty well for his first time. He licked it a couple of times, but it was made with salt, so he didn't really want to eat it.

Here's the recipe:

No-Cook Playdough Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup salt
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons oil
A few drops of food coloring

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients very well and store in plastic bag or covered jar.

Christmas Miracle

Christmas is the time of year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, born in a manger so many years ago. We celebrate, not because Jesus was a baby, but because He willingly humbled Himself and came to earth to save us from our sins, by taking every single one of them on His perfect self.

Jesus' birth was filled with many miracles: a virgin birth; an angel announcing the birth and then a choir of angels telling the shepherds in the fields; a census at the right time to lead them to Bethlehem, as foretold;  Elizabeth and John knowing the significance, even in the womb; a special star leading wisemen from a faraway place; Joseph's dreams; plus, fulfillment of prophesies made hundreds of years before. 

Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

This Christmas, let's try to really think about the birth of Jesus as if we were there, seeing the miracles happening before us. How would we have responded? Would we have been like so many of the people of the day, not realizing the majesty of the babe in the swaddling clothes? Would we have come to worship with the wisemen or shepherds? Would we have prepared a room for Him or pushed Him out to the stable? The people of the day weren't prepared to welcome the King of Kings, Savior of the world, at His birth; but are we ready to welcome Him when He comes again? Let's take time to prepare Him room in our hearts this season.

God's Mercies

Today I'm thankful that every day God's mercies are new. Several mistakes happened today, due to my lack of forethought and planning, which could have been avoided. I'm glad that despite my failings, God is still the same God and shows us mercy. I'm thankful that He already knows everything about our circumstances before we tell Him. I'm praying for wisdom for the life that I live now. I'm so glad that God has it, and wants to share it with me.

Lamentations 3:22-23

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.