BOOKS I FINISHED - SEPTEMBER 2015

The Kindness Diaries: One Man's Quest to Ignite Goodwill and Transform Lives Around the World, written by Leon Logothetis

Sometimes I choose books from my TBR list, other times they're random pulls from library shelves. This book was one of the latter and I enjoyed it. Logothetis tells the story of a trip he made around the world depending totally on the kindness of others for food, lodging, and gas. In the process he learns about other people, other places, and himself. He receives kindness and gives it out. While I don't have a burning desire to travel without a plan for where to eat and sleep, I do love it when people look for opportunities to serve others and hold their resources with an open hand.

p. 52, Maybe it's the luxuries of life that make us forget the necessities. I know I forget them time and time again. I get so caught up in the things I want that I forget to honor the things I have.

p. 91, I loved the road less traveled, and yet so much of this world demanded permanence, demanded commitment, demanded valor in order to keep safe the places we call home and the people we call family.

p. 102, And it all comes back to the same flawed idea: that somehow one person is more important than another. < snip > I lived in the lonely belief that my feelings were somehow more important than those around me. And then one day I woke up in so much pain; I realized that the rewards of my selfishness would never outweigh the pain of isolation.

p. 157, In Bhutan, they determine the success of their country by the happiness of their people. It's not about wealth. Or power. Or their GDP. The concept of Gross National Happiness was built on the foundation of how love and kindness are traded between their people, and how that trade - not of money and goods, but of real human connection - bring the one thing you can't trade: joy.

p. 203, Perhaps loneliness is the most fatal disease.We all need to feel acknowledged by those around us. We need to be seen. And we also need to be able to see others.

The Corn Grows Ripe, written by Dorothy Rhoads and illustrated by Jean Charlot
Naomi and I read this book for school. It's the fictional story of a boy coming of age, learning to take responsibility for others and be a hard worker in the wake of a serious injury his dad gets. Good life lessons, even on my third time reading it.

The Five Love Languages of Children, written by Gary Chapman, Ph.D. and Ross Campbell, M.D.
I read this book several years ago, but thought I'd read it again. While the whole book has good information, the chapters dedicated to each love language (quality time, gifts, acts of service, words of affirmation, and physical touch) were my favorite because they give practical ideas on how to show love to your kids in those ways. I also like the chapter on discipline because it helps parents understand how the effectiveness of various forms of discipline will vary according to a child's love language.

A Lion to Guard Us, written by Clyde Robert Bulla and illustrated by Michele Chessare
A father moves from London to America to start a new life for his family, leaving his wife and children behind until he's ready for them. Eventually the kids make a decision to cross the ocean to find him. Naomi enjoyed reading this with me for school, as did Silas and Devon in years past.

Room: A Novel, written by Emma Donoghue
Someone mentioned this book in a Facebook group I'm part of and it intrigued me. The narrator is a five year old boy who has spent his entire life in an 11 x 11-foot  room that he and his mom are held prisoner in. It took me a little while to get used to how he talks, but then I got totally sucked into the story and finished it the same day I started it. While the premise of the story is disturbing, I think it's a great story of creativity, resourcefulness, adjustment, and resiliency. I didn't realize it when I started the book, but there's a movie based on the book coming out October 16th.

p.116, "Scared is what you're feeling," says Ma, "but brave is what you're doing".

Spare Parts, Four Undocumented Teenagers, One Ugly Robot, and the Battle for the American Dream, written by Joshua Davis
This was another random selection from the library and another that I didn't realize had been made into a movie until after I'd started reading. I love true stories of people who beat the odds and that's exactly what this story is. The book make you excited for the success, both small and large, of those who know nothing but hardship and failure, discouraged that smart people who work hard can be trapped in a life they don't want, thankful for people who invest in others, and grateful to be born in a country with opportunities to earn enough money to cover your family's most basic needs.

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A SURPRISE FOR DEVON

I woke up to a voicemail from a friend yesterday morning asking me to return their call. The two of us never chat on the phone, so I wondered what was going on. As it turns out, they had two concert tickets that weren't going to be used and wondered if we wanted them. I said I'd talk to Tim and then let them know.

Normally I'd have been excited for a free date like I was when we got to see Crowder last year, but I've been fighting allergies or something and was so wiped out yesterday that even the chance to go to a free concert didn't make me want to get out of jammies. With one ticket up for grabs and three kids old enough for Tim to take along, we had a choice to make. Which kid would get to go? Any of the bigs would have loved it, but Devon is the one who is the most obsessed with music, bands, knowing who sings what, and so on. We decided Tim would take Devon and told our friend we'd accept the tickets ... but we didn't tell Devon or any of the other little Ws.

We carried on with our day as usual until Tim told Devs to put on some shoes and head to the car. Devon had no clue what was going on and probably just figured they were running an errand together. He remained clueless until they walked into the venue and he saw all the merchandise tables. He asked Tim if they were at a concert, but Tim just shrugged. Then they walked into the auditorium and he saw the stage set up with banners for the different bands that were playing. Devon's suspicions were confirmed.  Newsboys headlined and both Hawk Nelson and Ryan Stevenson opened.

The guys took some pictures in the lobby. (We incorrectly assumed the concert was outdoors because it was at the fairgrounds, so Devon was carrying extra layers for warmth later in the night. Oops.)

They took some pictures in the auditorium.

And I took some pictures of one very happy boy when they got home.

Such a memorable night and I'm so thankful for the generosity that made it possible!

9/24/15 - THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful that a stranger posted a delicious crockpot bean recipe online and that I found it many years ago.

What is something that you're thankful for?

FIRST DAY OF FALL

I never do anything to celebrate the changing of seasons, but I took the kids on a spontaneous trip to Bauman's for apple cider doughnuts this morning to mark the first day of fall. I think I earned some "cool mom" points with that decision.

AN UNPLANNED VISIT

Dad is headed to my nephew's today and we happen to live right between the two of them. I got a text from him mid-morning asking me to call without the little Ws knowing. We conspired over the phone and about 30 minutes later, having thoroughly deceived my children into thinking I was the spontaneous kind of mom who scraps school to go to the park and then gets even crazier by offering to buy doughnuts first, we walked into Safeway.

As we headed back to the bakery I discreetly turned back and noticed a man in a black hoodie and baseball hat watching us over a half wall, crouched down a bit in an attempt to not be noticed. The kids and I made our way to the doughnut case when the suspicious man pushed his way through them and said in a gruff voice, "I want a maple bar." Devon glanced at the man with a "What's your deal?" kind of expression on his face. Naomi did the same as she  moved out of his way. He kept pushing through and Naomi looked at him again. Then she said, "Papa?!"and we all lived happily ever after. Even the one who had previously been really ticked because I'd ruined their plans to go to the library at the last minute in order to pull this surprise off. 

We spent 20-30 minutes chatting and then Dad had to get back on the road to Hunter's house. I, however, still had four kids who were expecting to go to a park. So, off we went to Centennial.

Naomi and Teebs spent time swinging.

Silas and Devon played basketball.

And I insisted on a group picture or two.

It's not the morning we had planned, but it was a fun one!

9/17/15 - THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for washing machines and that we don't have to wash our clothes by hand. 

What's something you're thankful for?

9/15/15 - TEN ON TUESDAY

Baking - Devon and Naomi busted out a batch of zuke cookies for us. I love all cookies, but those are one of my favorite kinds!

Haircut - Silas has had a braid on the top of his head for a long time, probably three years, and decided to chop it off recently. Of course, we had to document the occasion with pictures and, being Ws, it got a little silly.

Laughter - What are some of your favorite things to read or watch when you want to do a lot of laughing? I'm looking for some books and movies to meet that need. Suggestions?

Niagara Falls - We checked out a book from the library several months ago about Annie Edson Taylor called Queen of the Falls. We knew nothing about her, but the book was by Chris Van Allsburg, an author and illustrator that we enjoy and it was the first non-fiction book of his we'd ever seen. (Sidenote: He wrote Polar Express and Jumanji, in case his name doesn't ring any bells, although my favorite book of his that I've read is Two Bad Ants.) Taylor was the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel and did so on her 63rd birthday in 1901. We hopped on YouTube when we were done with the book and found this video about daredevils who have gone over the falls since then. It's just under eight minutes long and pretty interesting.

Patriot Day - Our homeschool group made cards and filled gift bags for our local police and fire departments last Friday, then split up to deliver them. The kids thought it was pretty neat that the city posted a picture of one of the officers having fun with the basket on their Facebook page.

Relaxing - I opened the back door to find this one day. So cute!

School - The plan was to get four weeks of work done in July and August, a sense of structure on days we needed it and wiggle room for the rest of the school year, but, for a variety of reasons, that didn't happen. We started a couple of weeks ago and things are going well so far. Here's what the start of the year looks like.

I love how neat and tidy it is! We've never had a designated school room and can't image we would even if we had a room to spare, so this is how things are organized in our current home. The top picture is an unused counter in our laundry room where everyone's IGs and books for the day are lined up. The bottom picture is the built-in shelf where we keep all of our books. Unused books were stored in totes in our last two homes, but we have the space to keep them out now.

Swifts - Friends invited us to watch the swifts roost seven years ago and we went back for another round a couple Sundays ago. We spent time playing soccer, sliding down the big hill, and chatting with friends we unexpectedly ran into while we waited for the birds to arrive, then watched them roost as the sun went down. Evidently our kids' propensity for making silly faces hasn't changed since the last time we went.

Think Past Yourself - I recently decided to work my way through the alphabet, spending two weeks on each letter, and looking for ways to bless someone whose first name starts with whichever letter I'm on. The little Ws are also in on it and I've posted about it on Facebook, so other friends have been taking the challenge as well. It's fun!

To Be - I love this thought-provoking post at Money Saving Mom, If Our To-DO List Was a To-BE List. I love making lists and find them helpful, but I think it's important to put more thought into who we are than into what we accomplish.

MENU: 9/10/15 - 9/16/15

We tried two new recipes that we liked enough to make again, but that we need to tweak a bit before sharing, and one that was a hit. We also made two unplanned recipes, a double batch of zuke bread (ate one as a snack, froze one for later) and sour cream pancakes for breakfast one morning.

NEW RECIPES
* toasted coconut pound cake - I love coconut and this cake was delicious!

ADVANCED COOKING (These aren't always planned, so they'll often be things I did the previous week.)
* Grate and freeze more zukes.
* Roast, puree, and freeze pumpkin.
* Make peanut butter and crockpot beans, just like we do once or twice every week.

BREAKFASTS
* egg & veggie scramble
* yogurt streusel muffins/smoothies
* doughnuts at church
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, homemade peanut butter, maple almond butter, raisins, dried cranberries, fresh or frozen fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and/or energy mix as optional toppings x4

DINNERS
* sweet & sour meatballs (make-ahead meatballs from the freezer)/mashed potatoes
* tomato, feta, and barley salad over spinach
* crockpot beans & rice
* French bread pizza/orange & raisin green salad
* do-it-all salmon (Silas & Tim's catch)/rice/balsamic roasted brussels sprouts
* tacos - seasoned meat from the freezer, crockpot beans, and some other toppings served in a tortilla or bowl, as a salad over a pile of greens, or with mound of rice
* leftovers

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* cupcakes from a boxed mix
* produce
* popcorn with seasoned salt (kernels from the WinCo bulk department that get popped in my Lodge Dutch oven, but you can see my thoughts on both the wonderful Dutch oven and the fantastic West Bend Stir Crazy in this post. )

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9/10/15 - THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for the warm days and cool nights of fall (or the edge of fall, as the case may be).

What is one thing that you're thankful for?

FUN WITH THE PSEUDO-INLAWS

Two Sundays ago we spent all afternoon at Max Patterson in Gladstone with our bonus family. It rained all morning, but stopped in time for our picnic and was sunny by the time we left four hours later. It was great to eat, play games, visit, and goof off on the playground with each other for a while!

MENU: 9/3/15 - 9/9/15

Oh, we tried so many new recipes last week! Plus Devon and Naomi made an unplanned batch of zuke cookies and I made cucumber sunomono, chocolate chip peanut butter bars, and apple & cranberry green salad for a potluck with extended family. We'll start things off with links to the new things we tried, then jump into the things we'll be eating over the next week.

NEW RECIPES
* Holden veggies - A rainbow of seasoned veggies that can be served over rice, on haystacks, or eaten plain.
* peach & chicken green salad - I used some Zaycon chicken from our freezer stash, peaches from a local orchard, and a few other things we had on hand for this salad. I thought it was tasty!
* eggplant parmesan - I hate eggplant. Always have. And then a friend's kid snuck some in one of my garden harvest bags, another friend suggested trying this recipe ... and I liked it enough to have seconds! Miraculous.
* coconut peach cobbler - We used more of the peaches I mentioned earlier to make this delicious dessert.

ADVANCED COOKING (These aren't always planned, so they'll often be things I did the previous week.)
* I stemmed a ton of kale, sent it through the food processor, and popped it in the freezer.
* I'll be grating and freezing a bunch of zukes.
* We'll make peanut butter and crockpot beans, just like we do once or twice every week.

BREAKFASTS
* egg & veggie scramble
* nutty fruity granola
* doughnuts at church
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, homemade peanut butter, maple almond butter, raisins, dried cranberries, fresh or frozen fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and/or energy mix as optional toppings x4

DINNERS
* spicy pesto chicken/corn on the cob/roasted broccoli
* rice, kale, & eggs
* lentils & rice
* new recipe/rice/garlic green beans
* beef eldorado/apple & cranberry green salad
* tacos - seasoned meat from the freezer, crockpot beans, and some other toppings served in a tortilla or bowl, as a salad over a pile of greens, or with mound of rice
* leftovers

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* new recipe
* produce
* popcorn with seasoned salt (kernels from the WinCo bulk department that get popped in my Lodge Dutch oven, but you can see my thoughts on both the wonderful Dutch oven and the fantastic West Bend Stir Crazy in this post. )

** This post contains affiliate links and we're grateful when people use them. ** 

9/3/15 - THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful to live in a time and place with so many options for school, allowing people to choose the best fit for their child(ren), family, and season of life.

What's one thing that you're thankful for?