TGIF! It has been a fun kinda day :) (long post)

What I saw on the ride home.

   This day started out with me coming home around midnight, happily exhausted from driving close to two hours from a concert in the middle of Vermont. I won a ticket to see the Newsboys in Barre',Vermont, which I didn't realize just how far it was up and down long stretches of highways. (The concert, drive and music experience will be another blog entry :)
   After close to two hours of driving on dark highways, watching out for roaming deer, bear , moose and whatever other creatures like to play chicken on dark roads, I got home. I think I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, which is rare for me.(unlike my husband, who can fall asleep in less than five minutes)
   I woke up to my son having a bad dream, at about 4 am, thankfully, his dad went in to comfort him and help him fall back to sleep. My watch/alarm was downstairs,so I missed the wake up call. I considered calling in  sick, but it was only a half day for me, and it's Friday.(We can only wear jeans on Friday) We rushed to get to school, and I forgot to pack my son a snack. His teacher provided one for him, so it was ok. All morning, I kept thinking how good a nap would feel,but it would have to wait. darn rules, can't sleep in class.lol.
   I had a pretty good day. My husband later took me out to eat, good food and company.we took a short drive around town, it was a lovely sunny Spring day!
  I got home to homework, which is haunting me because the last class is Monday. I need to write a 6-8 page essay on speech, study vocab, and learn three essay answers for the final exam. It will all come to a head in three days.! Pray for me =)

Very similar to mine,minus the horsey

  As I studied, my feet felt cool so I put some fleece socks.  They felt so comfy. sure, you could say it was another way for me to get out of my seat, but my feet felt so happy :)
   I later went to walMart and was really surprised, and annoyed, at how packed it was. I was about to go in, when I realized I was still wearing my fuzzy socks, with my sandals.lol. I considered just going in as is, but there are already enough fashion-don'ts in there, and I didn't want to end up on the People of walMart web site. I left them in the van. I wish I had taken them in with the groceries when I got home because my feet miss them.
 so, it was wicked crowded, and it's not even the first of the month. The peeps display was adorable, as was the candy aisle, and such cute stuffed animals. I didn't feel the slightest urge to buy any. I did,however, pet one of the plushies. It was so soft and fuzzy. I just kept walking..
   ok, so I went to use the bathroom, (it was pretty clean). as I adjusted my body a bit, the auto flusher roared under my behind and scared the bejeebers outta me! yikes! it was unexpected and Loud! I quickly exited because I was so spooked.(yes, I did remember to wash my hands ;p )
   After shopping  and browsing a while, I knew I couldn't put it off any longer. It was time to go home. I always enjoy the inner peace and (relatively) undisturbed quiet time spent when I don't have the kids with me. I linger around departments until the attendant eyeballs me suspiciously. I don't choose the shortest lines, no. I pick a line where someone may engage me in conversation, maybe even a line with interesting items to pretend to be interested in. This doesn't happen every time I shop, just when I have to study for a big test- ok, just kidding(kinda) but, when hubby is home with the kids, I tend to take my time so he can enjoy spending time with them. I'm nice like that <3
   I came home to find him working on his awesome clock project (pic below), my daughter was relaxing on the lawn with her laptop and my son was at the neighbor's. So, I didn't miss too much,anyway. 
   After dinner/supper, I coaxed hubby to take a walk. We used to go on hikes in the White Mountains, climbed trails, even bush-whacked. Now, it takes pleading to get us to walk around the block. I told him my goal is to get back to hiking, maybe start with Arrowhead, Sunapee,or  Monadnock Mt. We need to get back in to shape, it helps keep our marriage and family in shape as well.
   It was a really nice 3/4 mile walk. We saw our son, still at the neighbor's, playing with unloaded Nerf guns. When my girls were young, I had a strict no-guns rule. but my son turns everything from sticks to blocks and anything he gets his hands on, into some type of weapon. It worried  me that he did that, until I talked to other parents and they said their kids did the same thing. I don't condone guns or weapons, but we go over rules with him we hope he will follow when we're not around.
   My son eventually came home, had a bubble bath and then watched the show Gold Rush, his latest obsession.  He plays gold rush around the yard, which explains the random ditches around the yard, and the jars of yellow pebbles. Someday he'll grow out of playing pretend and act grown up,but for now, I'm enjoying every minute of his awesome imagination.

<3 a PMC original <3

 I guess I should get back to studying for my Human Development class. I do want to pass with a good grade. The clock my husband made is striking ten. Time to devote an hour to my work.
  I thank God for this day =) He is awesome!!

I hope you also had a terrific day!
Love and blessings,
Lori LC
 
   ps. this is the first Friday in weeks I didn't sing the Friday song to my daughter. I think I just may have to text her right before bed. ;p

School spirit week = community spirit :)

This week was school spirit week at our elementary school. The fifth graders got together and chose what theme each day would be. Compared to other years, this was rather tame :)
Monday kicked the week off with Crazy hair day. Many students and teachers either put weird and crazy braids,pony tails, colors in their hair. Some spiked it or did other fun ways to show their school spirit. I put in a zig zag band with gel to make mine stand up. My son allowed me to put gel in his to make it stand up like a porcupine, At six,he's not too crazy about standing out,yet.

Crazy Hair Day!!

 Tuesday was School shirt day, when everyone wears a shirt with the school logo on it.  We each wore ours proudly!
Wednesday was Crazy Hat/Wig/Mis-match/Fashion Disaster Day. It is always fun to wear mis-matched outfits because it's something I do without really trying pretty often. I wore a floral print skirt with a non matching shirt, sneakers, knee highs and different color socks. My son wore blue wind pants with a red striped shirt, He was not really into wearing unmatching socks or shoes.
Thursday was almost a competitive day, with Support a Sport day. People wore jerseys of their favorite teams, and some dressed up as an athlete, complete with helmet and knee pads.
 Friday wrapped up the week with Go Green Day. Most wore green shirts,pants, socks, etc. Some wore environmentally friendly items to show Eco-green day. It was fun because tomorrow is St.Patrick's Day,when many will wear green then,too.
 It felt good the school was coordinated and we were connected by doing the same thing at the same time. A mini community that took the time to talk and laugh together. It was a really fun week, and I look forward to doing it next year.  wonder what they'll come up with then? :)

Three Hearts: video review

   The video Three Hearts follows the internship of Cissie Graham at Samaritan’s Purse. She is working with the Children’s Heart Project, which is dedicated to saving the lives of children who have severe heart defects. The team has chosen two kids to receive the life-saving surgery, but Cissie pleads for the life of a third. A little girl named Toggie has captured their hearts :) The three children are from very rural areas in Mongolia and the trip is no small feat for the families to consider. 
   Once the arrangements have been made, they fly together to a whole different way of life, in San Antonio, Texas. They enjoyed seeing the the things we consider part of everyday living, such as refrigerators, dish washers and running water. They also had fun shopping at a thrift store, lots of buys for so little money.
   The tone became more serious when they discussed the impending surgeries. The moms were naturally worried, as there are always risks when doing heart surgery. The kids were also concerned, but knew life would be so much better when it was done. 
   There are a few scenes of the surgeries, but not too graphic. More interesting than anything.
You'll be waiting for the outcome as each child is going through the procedure, and hoping the next call from the operating room is saying "All is well".
   I recommend this video for anyone who is considering becoming a part of Samaritan's purse, or other cultural exchange that effects families. The support they received was awesome and maks me consider becoming more involved.

Three Hearts DVD

Youtube Trailer Links: http://youtu.be/sMUA8lbbkDU 

Youtube Trailer Links: http://youtu.be/1aUxbJd15fk  

Christian Book Distributors Link: http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=320721

Thank you,
Blessings,
Lori LC

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Home made Play dough

After a futile search for my son's box of store bought Doh, I decided to take matters in my own hands, literally, and make our own. I had made a batch many years ago and knew what a potential mess we were in for, and yet, I still opted to make it.

Step 1) re-research ingredients.

 youtube is always me first stop when looking for a hands-on activity, and it didn't disappoint.
I let my son decide which link to click on and he chose  NickosBABYFOOD . (There are many different kids recipes on this site, we may be back soon.)

The recipe calls for:

2 cups plain flour
2 cups water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp cream of tartar
1 cup salt

*(Wear gloves when kneading color into dough. If you have no gloves, use toothpaste to get the stains off your hands.)
 
step 2)  add ingredients into a COLD pan, stir til mixed, THEN put heat on low.







Step 3) Stir Continuously,
 until a large firm ball of dough is formed.
( I needed help stirring toward the end as it got really tough)






 (The pan looked a mess, but that's science for ya)


 The dough ball was warm and very pliable, and a bit sticky!






step 4) Place dough on a clean surface you don't mind getting messy.
Knead dough until it is smooth and firm.








5)Break into smaller balls of the size you want to use.

We got six with ours.

6)Place dough onto baking paper to protect surface from coloring.
Poke holes in center and add coloring, a few drops go a long way.
(Be sure to wear plastic gloves if you don't want perma- stained fingers )
Squish dough to spread color evenly.









7) Play with dough as usual, then store in baggies or other container to keep in moisture,
and keep in a place where it won't get lost, like ours :)

Hope this was helpful and fun to see, we sure enjoyed making it!

Have a fun day=)
Blessings,
Lori LC

My Winter Break vacation

   This week has been the week of winter break for our school district. Since I work for the district (for this reason) I also have the week off. After weeks of being busy, studying for  class I'm taking, and the everyday rush of life, I chose to not plan much at all. I have done a few things around the house, most of the time we have either gone shopping with the kids, played wii, read, done puzzles or or just relaxed with a game or a nap. I really feel refreshed and happy.

    Later today, I'll join my son in playing in the freshly fallen snow. He has already been out to help shovel for the neighbors, such a good boy =)  The trees by my window are bowed down with the weight of the snow, but they'll soon be straightened when it warms to above freezing. There's an analogy of my life  with the cares of the world in there and how Christ makes them slide off when I look up to Him, but my brain is in vacation mode and just doesn't want to muster up the neurons right now :)

   The only thing I really want to do is visit my Grandma in RI. I enjoy spending time with her, and know that at 94 she really wants to go Home to be with the Lord. Her body just keeps holding on. She's still independent, living on her own, just recently gave up her license due to fading eyesight. I will truly miss her when she passes on, but know how much she is ready to go. Since my Dad died in 1999, she has been depressed and has given up wanting to enjoy life. It must be a terrible thing to lose a child, no matter how old they are:(

   I'm going to call her today, and my Mom and talk about the snow we got. Mom lives in Georgia so she'll get a kick out of it and how they haven't had to shovel in years :) and I'll mention that at least I can go outside in the summer and not worry about heatstroke, red ants or venomous snakes!

  Ah, vacation and family. Makes me really happy and thankful <3
Hope you have a great day!
Blessings,
Lori LC