Saturday, November 30, 2013

Washing Machines

I may not have an indoor laundry room, but I am very thankful for my washing machine
(and my mother's, in this case).
 
 
The kids had an acute case of cabin fever so I sent them outside.
I completely forgot that the lot was also a construction site and there was melted snow,
the combination of which equals MUD.
 
Josie often looks like a ragamuffin anyway, but stuck in the mud, she looked downright pitiful.
 
 
She was extricated and my dear father washed her boots clean.
 
And speaking of stuck?

 
While the hinterlands may have bowling, there is no cable so the guys were forced to get the games on Wi-Fi.  The iPhone was a couple of minutes behind which proved beneficial as we got to see the end of the Alabama-Auburn game twice.  Even this lukewarm fan was excited.

Friday, November 29, 2013

Bowling

We have to travel to the hinterlands to afford to go bowling.
 


 
Apparently someone got bored while waiting for their turn and got crazy with my phone!

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Turkey Day

So much to be thankful for including
 

Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownie Turkeys!

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Plumbing

We may have 18 people sharing 1.5 baths, but at least we don't have to use an outhouse in the snow.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Stranger Friends

There's lots to be said about the health effects of online activity.  I do have strong feelings about allowing my children time with anything electronic, and I recognize that I have a sometimes unhealthy habit of being connected to the internet.

That said, however, I am thankful for the handful of blogs that I read on a regular basis.  The ones that inspire rather point out my inadequacy.  The ones that reconnect me to old friends.  The ones that push me in good ways.

So here's two great reads for today: dreaming and pseudo-decorating.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Bounty

Simply, we don't just have what we need; we have an abundance to enjoy and share. 

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Game Time

I am thankful to have a child who will play Scrabble with me.  My husband won't.
 
 
It used to be that my parents would play if they were here or we were there, but we've all been so brain-dead by the end of the day that for the last year or so no one has had the capability of spelling anything.


Once again we were quarantined from small group due to random vomiting; but we made the most of it.


Here's to the joy of games!

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Quiet

It's ten o'clock on Saturday morning, and I'm savoring the quiet.

It may be only a brief spell, but it's magical to hear nothing but the clock.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Dining Out

We don't get to eat out very often
 
 
so it was quite a treat for Jonathan to take me to visit our local dining establishment for a very merry unbirthday today.
 
 
There was  table for 2 but we chose a larger table
 
 
for our party of 3.
 
 
Being quite the gentleman, he placed our order.
 
 
 "I would like Fish on a Dish."
 
Not available.
  

"Then I will have Steak and Kidney Pie."
 
All out.
 
 
 "Then I will just have Roast Beef and three beers."
 
 
Stephen carefully took the order and passed it to the Chef.
 
 
We even got to eat by candlelight.
 
 
Unfortunately, the restaurant was short-lived.   The business was quickly shut down after the server body-slammed a patron for peering into the kitchen.
 
 
and the Chef/Owner was concerned about the cost of the lighting.
 
So thankful I took the time to play today.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Sweet Slumber


While sleep may be elusive for me, I am thankful for the moment's when I see this little one resting.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Labor of Love

It's time for our co-op's annual Pie Feast, a celebration of the end of the first semester.
 
The first year I was really excited and agonized over choosing a pie.  Turns out most other mothers opt for ease and convenience, and the selections weren't that tempting.  Apparently people are intimidated with pie-making, unfamiliar with the phrase "easy as pie."
 

Convenience isn't really an option for our family due to food allergies and sensitivities, and most anything involved with food becomes very complicated.  Like the request this year for an Oreo pie that needed to be gluten/egg/nut free.

In a conversation with a friend, I explained my dilemma: I could buy faux-Oreos but they are terribly expensive.  Then she pointed out the time and labor involved, and it looked a lot more appealing.  "My voice of reason!" I called her.

A trip to the store with six kids in tow, and I realized faux was not the way to go: aside from the expense, there were cross-contamination issues.  Homemade it would have to be.

I followed this recipe with the help of Stephen, and I am anxious to see how the rest of the crew will like it. 

So I am thankful that I know my kids have allergies; that most food items are labeled; that there are alternatives to common ingredients; that I have the extra time to make something special so my kiddos aren't left out of celebrations.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

"Red Skies at Night"


So thankful for the end of the day; for a hard-working husband coming home; for hot food on the table; for kiddos in bed.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Open

I don't know if there have been any official studies done on the effects of air-conditioning on human health, but I feel like it's another aspect of life to be practiced in moderation.


I feel like there is a cleansing effect from fresh air - it soothes the soul and blows away germs (and we sure are needing that!).  The "store-bought" air is stale and unnaturally cold.

There is usually a battle of wills here, the air-conditioning vs. non-air-conditioning camp (which I find interesting seeing as one of us grew up with it in MS and the other without in VA).  Nevertheless, come summer we wait until the very last moment to turn it on.  Heat is dealt with in the same way. 

Therefore, I am very thankful that it is mid-November, the temperatures are in the mid-70s and we can fling the doors open, enlarging the house and cheering our hearts.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Vignettes

There is a point that you reach as a mother of six young kids
 when you realize that you will never have a clean home.
 

But today I am thankful for those quiet places for the eyes to land.  Those scenes which distract from the piles of laundry on the couch or scattered toys on the floor.  (And doesn't the name just sound charming?)

Saturday, November 16, 2013

A Homebody

I am a self-professed homebody. 
I like to stay put; I like routine; I like to be surrounded by the familiar.


And while it's far from easy (and there are those days when I threaten to run away), I am so thankful for the opportunity to stay at home with my children; to teach and be taught; to learn and grow with them; to be a homemaker and all it involves.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Saying Yes

It was a far from ideal situation: errands to run, kids who needed naps, and rain.
 
 
I'm thankful I could say "yes" to a couple of rides on the escalator just for fun.  Didn't cost a dime, didn't take much time, and just made the day for five special kids (Katherine couldn't care less).

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Katherine at Four Months

Darling baby.


A year ago you were only a secret.
 
 
A tiny life.
 
 
A dream.
 

A sweet swelling of my heart.


And all the dreaming


and longing


and wondering is over


for we hold the real thing in our arms.


So thankful for you, little one! 

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Melted Butter

Ah, that glorious sight is gone!
 
 
A chilling wind stripped her bare overnight leaving only a few straggling leaves.
 

But the melted puddle of butter left behind became it's own playground.

 
Butter angels and battles.
 





 
 
So thankful for sunny afternoons, warm jackets/gloves/hats,
 and energetic children who enjoy playing together.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Jewish Penicillin

So thankful to find a couple of chickens in my freezer
that were magically transformed into soup by the end of the day.
 

We've had a nasty bug (or combination of several illnesses) for nearly two weeks.  As the pediatrician's nurse said, "Just when you think it's done, it comes back for another round."  Here's to kicking the germs to the curb!

Monday, November 11, 2013

Glowing

If "no one can be uncheered with a balloon,"
then certainly no one can be uncheered by this loveliness.
 
 


I am so thankful for this beautiful sight outside my bedroom window.