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

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services 

mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I 

only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 

I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: 

"Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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

A few things I learned today..

We've all heard the saying "We learn something new everyday", and I am proof of that, no matter how small each tidbit may be.

One thing I learned: mini vans require three different windshield wipers, three sizes, each sold separately..
so, I went to buy windshield wipers for my van,which is usually left to Hubby,
but I wanted to do it to save him the time.
 I made sure I looked up the right size, chose a good brand,etc.
  when I got home and handed him the box, he said,'where's the other one?'
 what other one? isn't there one box for the set? he looked at me with a smile.
 'Didn't you notice it showed different sizes for the blades?' 
yes, but I didn't know they were sold separately. 

Note to self: BUY TWO WIPERS!

He sighed and put the one on, which was the one that was ripped and needed replacing any way.

Lesson two: ask what is in a sandwich you're ordering if you never had it before:
I stopped at a  restaurant on the way to class and ordered a stir fry chicken quesadilla.sounded yummy. What i failed to consider is what they use for stir fry. 
I sometimes like bell peppers and onion, but not right before a three hour class. 
I'd end up hiccuping the entire time.

yummy,just not a good choice before class

What I ended up doing is taking most of the veggies off, including mushrooms, and ate the very tasty chicken with cheese. 
 Two very simple, yet important lessons I'll remember. some may consider mistakes to be stupid inconveniences, but, as an educator I love using everything as a way to learn and grow.


Have you learned anything new lately?
Blessings,
Lori LC

New Pureflix movie released in a few days!!

If you like family friendly media, you'll love this :

Apostle Peter And The Last Supper

http://pureflix.com/blog/

http://youtu.be/GVjyIcZupIk


written by Pure Flix:

"

Pure Flix is a Christian movie studio that produces, distributes, and acquires Christ
centered movies for the sole purpose of changing our culture for Christ, one heart at
a time. Our mission since day one has remained the same and we continue to strive
to make a difference for His name.

THE PURE FLIX CHALLENGE
Hollywood has played a major role in shaping our current culture by controlling
most of the media we experience today.
We challenge you to stand up for Christ and share these heart-felt movies with your
families, friends, communities and church to impact our world for Christ.
We hope you enjoy our morning devotionals as well as our behind the scenes videos
and blogs, live from the set of our new movies.
We want to thank you personally, if not for your support, prayers, and purchases of
our DVD’s, Pure Flix would be unable to continue making Christ centered films with
positive messages that share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
On behalf of the Pure Flix Family, God bless.
Our best regards,
-Pure Flix
Pure Flix Entertainment, LLC"


check it out and let me know what you think :)
Blessings,
~Lori

When a Teen Gets Their License..

From the time they are young, kids are always talking about when they get their license, what kind of car they'll drive and where they want to go when they do. it seems when they are about to turn 16, they think they'll magically get a license and take the parent's car every time they want to go somewhere.
  Both my daughters took driver's ed at 16, but then waited until they were 18 to take the driving test. My eldest is a very calm person, very nonchalant and was a breeze to teach how to follow the rules of the road. She has been on the road since then, or so it seems because she now lives in SC instead of NH.
  My second kid is a bit more high strung. I wasn't as enthused about driving with her, but it had to be done. After 2 years, she finally said she was ready to go. She passed the written test, then took the driving portion. The instructor said it usually takes about 15-20 minutes. When they hadn't returned by 25, I was getting a bit antsy. What could possibly be taking so long?! 30 minutes passed. Were they ok? crashed? stopping for a snack? What?! They finally got back and she was smiling. He had her drive around town and park a few times. She actually passed her driving test the first time!

 I didn't realize it, but I was holding my breath. I let out a deep sigh and took my keys back. I knew I was going to be the one driving home.
  Now we have 'discussions' on why can't she use my van to pick her friends up or get her hair done. We told her she can get a car when she has a job to support it. I hope it's soon ..

~a week later: and a peek at my own early driving days..
It's not easy handing over the keys to my mini van. My source of transportation and mobile freedom.
Thoughts of my own years as a young driver pass through my mind. I wasn't exactly careful with my Mom's Chevy Chevette.  It was a standard and we lived in a city built on hills, so the clutch got quite a workout. My van is an automatic and there are fewer hills, but I still think about my immature thought process, which was not helped when there were friends with me. I can't believe I let them drive her car and how reckless I acted then. My friends, Michelle and Kathy, weren't even close to having a license, but that didn't stop me from thinking it would be all right. Michelle was about 14 or so and I was dating her brother. I guess I was trying to gain brownie points or something. They both did fine and my mother never knew, but couldn't understand why her clutch seemed to not work well on some days.

<3 My girls circa 1994 <3

I don't encourage this, and even warn against it, but I'm just saying I know how young drivers sometimes forget to engage their brains and may cause problems with their mother's vehicles.
I let my daughter drive it to her friend's, at night. she has to be back by ten, which is in about 20 minutes. I want to text her to casually ask how it's going, but she'd know right away i was checking up on her. She's 18 and becoming independent. It's time I stop being a helicopter parent and let her live for a change.( as long as my van gets back as it was when she left :)
 The apron string is nearly snapped,and my fingers are chaffed from holding on so long and hard. I think I'm really ready to let her grow up now and become the confident woman I know she can be..
She'll always be my little Daisy girl <3

February 6,2012

February 6th has always been a day I celebrate, personally and occasionally,a little selfishly. I was born on this day in 1966. My parents and family were always big on celebrating events, and birthdays were no exception. I felt special when my Mom put together a party for each of us on our day, and my dad and his family celebrated events in their home as well. They let us choose what cake we wanted, I often chose Carvel with the chocolate crumb middle, or the cream cake from the bakery on Front St.
As I got older, we still made note of it, but my own kids took center stage when it came to parties. There was the one embarrassing party that included a giddy clown on a sweltering July afternoon, (the first and last clown party)

Me on 2/6/12

But, lately, I've been reconsidering this day to mean more than doing something for myself. One idea I read about was Will Smith and his family donating to a charity on their birthdays, which is something I am looking into. Donating clean water to impoverished areas is one way they help that I am interested in being involved in.
 This year was a little hard for me to enjoy because someone special lost their courageous battle with cancer. I didn't know her in person, but know her family and have read her blog, called Baldie's Blog.
She wrote about her treatments and the hopes she would beat it so her son would have a mom to grow up with. My heart felt heavy when we heard she had liver failure. In a way, I felt privileged that her passing from this life to the eternal was on this day. It sounds kinda weird, but I'll always remember her and do something special for someone else in memory of Hillary. I felt guilty from feeling relief that she isn't in pain anymore, and I hope it doesn't offend anyone. I'm not glad in any way but knowing she's not fighting for her life any more <3
 Her blogs helped many cope with their own life battles and her strength and warmth will be her lasting legacy. We can only hope we have a positive influence on others and be remembered with a smile.

Hillary's blog  can be found at
http://baldiesblog.blogspot.com/

Hillary the Courageous!

Reach out to someone and let them know you care!
Love and blessings,
~Lori

Movie review: A Mile In His Shoes

 

 A Mile In His Shoes  Is a movie based on the story of Mickey Tussler, a boy with Asperger's who was discovered by a coach who saw him pitching apples to the pigs, and decided to give him a chance at playing for the River Rats.

 I enjoyed seeing Mickey gain confidence in his pitching skills, as well as finding friendship in his team mates. 

 

 I watched this movie with an 18 year old young lady and 21 year old young man, and they both said they thought the movie was "Amazing!" and "Inspiring!"

The father tried sheltering Mickey from getting hurt by the world, but it was just as bad for him to not have a life outside of what the father demanded. The coach, played by Dean Cain, saw potential in not only Mickey's pitching, but also as someone who needed to grow in life. The coach's own loss in life made him distant in life, but Mickey's faith helped him face it and come to terms with it.

I recommend this as a film to those who enjoy a good family movie; there is a fight scene and some yelling, so it's not for little children.

Thank you!

Blessings,

~Lori LC

*Each purchase of A Mile In His Shoes includes

a custom 4x6 painting from Thomas Kinkade Paintings.

 For more info on this movie, visit these sites:

Website: http://www.watchgmctv.com/video/mile-his-shoes#biography

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Mile-In-His-Shoes/270101973014772?sk=wall

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev2T0BFetH4

Dove Foundation Review: http://www.dove.org/reviewmasterframe.asp

 “Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or

services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it 

on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally 

and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance 

with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the 

Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”