What I am Into Right Now - August 2011

Stuff I am into right now, as summer moves into the school year.

On My Nightstand 

Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew - by Sherrie Eldridge

Are Women Human? by Dorothy Sayer

Playful Parenting by Lawrence Cohen

Yet to crack open - 

Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry - free audio download, until the end of the month!

Spiritual Parenting by Michelle Anthony

Educating the Wholehearted Child by Clay Clarkson

On My TV

We are watching Star Trek Enterprise.  

As often as possible.

My husband is not a trekkie.  But he is.  

I am turning into one.  But I'm not.

In the Movie Theater

Captain America - love it.  
I wish I could see The Help, too.  But I'll wait for DVD, I suppose.

In My Ears

NPR Tiny Desk Concerts

On My Stove

Red Chile Sauce - I won't tell you exactly how I make this.  

I don't follow this recipe really.  It was my original springboard. 

What I actually make I will publish in a cookbook someday.

On My Laptop

Pinterest - gathering school ideas.

Here is a good groups of school boards I discovered. 
Oh, and another one! 

Source: modernparentsmessykids.com via Erin on Pinterest

{In the plan for tomorrow!  Isn't that cool?!!  M is for Magic Milk Paintings}


Do you other Pinsters have links to good early ed home school pin boards?  

Do share.

Here's my kid food board I've been working on.
Do you have any fun food ideas to share with us?

**  I am linking up with Megan - Sorta Crunchy. **

Send our Dossier Across the World

Friends, we have completed our portion of our adoption dossier.
Whew!
What is a dossier, you ask?
It is a stack of papers prepared to be presented to the country from which one is adopting.
A dossier is somewhat of personal history for the family desiring to adopt.
Documents are checked & re-checked, authorized by this person & that person.
It is a relief to have our stuff done.  
I am not a lover of paperwork.


Now we have to raise a remaining $2,000, so we can send our dossier across the world.
Do you want to help us?
Do you drink coffee?  
Buy Just Love coffee from our online store & a check gets sent to our adoption agency.
I am also listing various things for sale on my Everyday Carnival Store.  
Any money brought in there, goes to our adoption fund.
Check it out, if you so desire.
And tell your friends!

Cartoon Love

This isn't me confessing how many cartoons we watch around here.  
I'm not ready to share that with you all.  
Let's just say, too many.
I'm not telling you about all the lame ones I let my kids watch either.  
You don't need to know stuff like that.  
(Why does Netflix bother streaming Hello Kitty & Voltron?)
What I wanted to tell you is, I love Tangled.  I didn't think I would.  
I avoided watching it.  
The preview made it look lame to me.  Really lame.  
As in, it looked as lame as The Road to El Dorado.  
(Which I've only seen the preview for.  Still.  I know this--Lame.) 
Truth is, I love Tangled.  I do.  
And, I found out after seeing it that Rapunzel & I have the same dream.  
I want to see the floating lanterns, too.  So badly.  
I exclaimed my dream aloud a few times while watching the movie.  
Gillian informed me that it was just make believe.  I said it had to be real.  
I googled it
I found out that she was wrong & I was right.
See.

Source: flickr.com via Erin on Pinterest

I have a dream.  To see the floating lanterns of Thailand.
The good news is, my man has a dream of traveling to Thailand, too.
He wants to eat Mangosteen & Durian fruit.


But, there is bad news.  
The festival of the lights is in November.  
The season for Mangosteens & Durians is the summer.


Now we are in deep conflict.
This is more serious than him liking mushrooms & hating English roses.
Hard things.

ten on ten {8-10-11}

take ten photos, one per hour, on the 10th day of each month,
finding beauty in the everyday stuff.

.

1. Kendall in the morning.  2. Girls going for a "drive".
3. Big girl undies for Mo, among all the laundry.
4. Content baby while running errands.
5. Nap time.  6. Quiet time play.
7. Kendall finally asleep for her nap.
8. Finishing the hem of a summer skirt (with barely any summer left...)
9. dinner - they got burnt...  10. Bed time story

Loosing It

Warning:  I am using a faulty keyboard.  A key is out of order.  I found a way to type that letter, If I use the copy & paste function, like I just did.  Bu, ha is edious.  I don' feel like doing ha righ now.  Forgive my laziness.  Or don'.  Don' read on, if you prefer ha.  I is your choice.


I've been losing hings.
1 1/2 weeks ago, I los my car key.  
I had aken he kids swimming & we needed o now ge home for naps.
Couldn' find he key anywhere.  Searched & searched.  Car, ground, bags...
Called Daddy.  He came & helped.  Nowhere.  He drove home for a spare key.  


I found ha key oday.  In a handy nook in he dashboard, direcly nex o he seering wheel.
Oops.


Las week, I ook he kids on a bike ride/walk o buy some groceries.
I pu my phone & debi card in my pocke & walked away, sans purse.  Easier his way.
 Once we were checking ou our groceries, we found my card was no working.
Expired.  As of 2 days ago...


Following day, Sco & I have a movie dae planned.  
We have arranged for 2 nice gals o care for our brood.
I had made cupcakes for he kids & homemade pizzas.
Our house was in clean order, so people could funcion in i.
We leave he house & Sco asks me if I have a $20.  I say, yes, I hink so.
Bu, ayway, we have hese movie passes o use, so we don' need he cash.
We arrive 2 miues early.  2 for Capain America, please! & hand over our passes.
Sorry, hese are no valid here.  
I mumble o Sco abou how hey used o be & look in my purse for cash.
7 dollars.
I walk up o he AM.  Oops.  No debi card.  
(And my husbands doesn' carry one, cuz he can' remember he pin number, ever.)
NOOOOO!
My bank is across he sree.  I do have a check, so I wrie myself a check.  And wai in a LONG line.
We made i ino he movie wihou missing a massive amoun.  (And we loved i, by he way.)


his morning (when I was searching for my misplaced phone...) 
I found he new, waiing o be acivaed debi card, righ here in my purse.
Could've used i a he grocery sore.  Could've used i a he movie eaher.
hankfully, I los my phone his morning, which caused me o search my purse so horoughly.


Boy.  And he fac ha I am missing he leer t is making his pos really hard o read.
And compleely no worh reading.
I was going o share somehing super funny wih you all.  I don' recall wha i was now.


Sorry guys.  If you read his far, i was so no worh i.


UPDATE: Something I did forget  - Not super funny.  But, neat, nonetheless.


Do you all Pinterest?  I love it.  If you don't love it, fine, have it your way.
But, if you want an invite, I'll send you one.


We tried this silly idea last nigh.  My kids loved 'em!

Source: None via Tom Katie on Pinterest

We called 'em Squid.  Kids asked for more & more.

What's in Your Fridge (or cupboard or whatever) - Part 2 {Keys to Quick Dinners}

Last night, Kendall woke every single hour to nurse.  What?!  
Guess what else?  I happen to feel really tired today.
Dragging.  Not wanting to grocery shop or cook anything that requires thought.
What to do?  I happen to keep foods around my kitchen, for such a time as this.


There are grocery items that I try to keep around, to aid in "last minute" dinner.
By last minute, I don't mean,
you will literally have everything in your cupboard for a meal in 15 minutes.
I mean, I can be going about my day & not have planned a dinner for that night.
With these items on hand, I can throw something tasty together.
That is, with these items, plus whatever veggies I have from the weekly farm box.


I know not everyone has weekly veggies delivered,
or the ability to keep their kitchen stocked.
I know it is a privilege.
I don't know the best way to run a family kitchen.
These are just some of my things.
Take what you will.


I get most of these things at Costco to easily keep them on hand.

Pasta / Polenta / Rice - 
All items can be combined with a meat & veggies for a simple meal.
Polenta topped with sausage & veggies.
Spaghetti with tomato & ground beef sauce.
Rice with sauteed chicken breasts in light sauce.


Chicken Stock
Soup or Sauce Basic
Use to make Risotto, cook rice in it, or braise potatoes in it.


Canned Tomatoes
Make your own sauce for spaghetti or pizza, 
add tomatoes to sauteed chicken or fish.
Use with chicken stock & add to shredded chicken with olives & saffron, garlic, onion & thyme.
Serve that over polenta or egg noodles.


Bacon
You can add this to most any dinner to make it tastier.
Store it in your freezer.
You can make "breakfast" for breakfast, lunch or dinner.


Chicken Breast Tenders
They thaw faster than the bigger cuts.  
(But, I keep the bigger breasts in my freezer, too.)
I use the tenders for quick curry dishes.
Or maybe cook them up in some store-bought mole sauce.


Coconut Milk
needed for curry sauces - our favorite quick meal.


Ground Beef
Again, meat that thaws quickly.  And cooks quickly, too.
Spaghetti sauce, tacos, meatloaf, chili.


Canned Beans
Quick protein.  
Make a fast chili, serve in salad, serve with tortillas.

Blueberry, Dahlias, Summer

Happy Weekend!

I have a bad key in my key board so my words are few.

(clue: before U, preceded by S)

Help for the Hurting

Someone I care a lot about is going through a very deep sorrow right now.

It can be hard to know what to do.  

How can I help?

What should I say?

I don't have all the answers.  

But, I have some ideas.

Don't be afraid to track down their contact info.

Do you not know their mailing address?  You aren't sure if you should call them?

You aren't sure if they know how much you care, so maybe you shouldn't say anything?

Don't be afraid to put yourself out there.  If you care & tell them that, it will mean a lot.

You & your care matter.  

My friend told me that she was so blessed by everyone who "tracked" her down.

When you are in the midst of life-altering grief, you can't go contact all your friends.

Go to the one who is hurting.  

Tell Them You Care

Write a note.

Tell them how much you care.

Tell them things that you love about them.

Tell them that you are praying.

Give a Hug

I'm not sure if a good hug would ever be the wrong thing to give someone hurting.

It's worth a try!

Give Something Beautiful

flowers maybe?  A beautiful card?

I went back & forth with myself, wondering if the flowers I put together were too cheery.

And in the end, I didn't know.  Maybe they were.  

I didn't know if the card I picked out was perfect or not.

But, I just went with it.  Just do it.  

Just show that you care.

Give Something Nourishing

When someone is going through a deep valley, 

the last thing they may think about is fixing a healthy meal.

But, they need it.  There body is stressed under the pain & grief.

They need good food.  

Do you make a great soup?  Amazing curry?  The perfect lasagna?

Share the love.

Give a Tasty Treat

A favorite coffee drink?  The best ever cookies?

Some ice cream?  These Semi-homemade treats?

Give an Ear

If your friend does want to talk, listen.

Don't try to talk out "solutions" to everything.

Listen.

Don't Know What to Say

Do you not know what to say?

It's okay.  You don't have to say anything.

You could just try, I don't know what to say.  

Or, I am praying for you.

My friend told me that everyone is saying to her, I wish I knew what to say.

She said, it's okay, I don't know what to say.  What can say?

Give a Break

Can you offer to do a little housework while your friend gets out?

Perhaps you can take the children to the park, while your friend has a quiet break at home?

Reach out, say little, listen lots.  I think your friend will feel loved.