Journals and Family Report Cards.

our family journals-- can you tell what song we were learning that night?

1.  i LOVE family journals.

as the new year started, i invested in new journals for everyone in my family.

we have a morning devotional, most mornings, and it needed some PEP!

new journals were just the thing.

(don't you love office supplies?!)

actually, i bought some new paper, sticky notes, and a bunch of fun colored gel pens.

we take turns giving a spiritual thought and we try to print out something that the kids can tape into their journals.

i LOVE that the little girls are busy coloring in their journals while the big kids are taking notes.

journals have not only added some fun to our morning devotionals, it has also helped a lot with personalizing it.

i love that the kids have a place to write down scriptures they like or quotes they want to remember.

we keep our journals in a small box near our scriptures.

i don't let them take them to their rooms or write in them whenever they want... because i know they will get lost or ruined.

{the family night before i gave the kids their new journals i said we're going to play a Memory game-- i gave half the kids a piece of paper and a pencil, and half nothing.  then i told them to remember the items i was going to say... i started listing random things apple, cat, happy, love, school, coke, etc.  i think i listed about 20 things.  then i asked who could remember what i had said.  the kids who had taken notes of my list could recall all 20 and the other kids didn't think that was fair.  i smiled and asked what they could learn from that example?  then, i asked how that game relates to writing journals.  the kids responded PERFECTLY and i didn't even need to teach them the lesson-- they taught it for me!}

2.  i LOVE family report cards.
for family night i pulled out my famous white board and i asked the kids to name some of the different areas of our life.

we came up with a list that included, scripture time, being kind, doing chores, mornings, bedtime, straightening up, doing fun things, exercise, watching screens, etc.

then i asked them how they thought we had done the past week 1-10, 1 being bad, 10 being good.
i asked the kids to look at the numbers and make some conclusions...
like "we had scripture time each day and were kind to each other.  we watched a lot of tv and didn't do very well with our chores."
we circled the areas where we were the lowest and set two family goals for the week.
i think they are do jobs happily in the morning and no screens after school but do exercise daily... or something like that.
then, i had the kids rate themselves individually 1-10.
they circled their low spots and set a couple personal goals. 

oh how i LOVED hearing them set goals for themselves instead of me encouraging them to be better.

it was SO good. 

give it a try!

life, politics, and homemade dog treats.

 1.VERY, VERY, VERY BAD-- i saw this unfinished email on my computer when i sat down this morning...

Dear Bandera,

This is very, very, very, bad. My sister(Leah) ate a penny!!!!!! She is in the emergency room. she was going to bed, and then she came up and my mom told her to go back down then in like 20 sec. she came back up crying, then said” mom, I swalloed a coin.”

it is true.

leah swallowed a dime last night.

we were going to the ER but ended up at the fire station... she had fallen asleep in the car.

the chief told me she was just fine if she could scream and talk.

she was up a lot last night but is sleeping now.  

we'll see what this day brings.  

she won't willingly take a bite of pasta with spaghetti sauce on it, but i guess coins are different?

2.THE BACHELOR PRIMARIES--  i have the same feeling when i watch the republican debates that i do when i watch the Bachelor.  Sick to my stomach.  Politics remind me of Soap Operas or reality TV shows.  Is this really what our country has come to?

3. I'M MITT-- as i go throughout my day, i ask myself who i am more like?  am i more newt/obama-- very good at convincing people with my words?  not afraid to be blunt?  bold even if i'm wrong?  people like someone who has guts.  sometimes i'm like that.  sometimes i'm not afraid to voice radically different ideas (like Ron Paul) or radically conservative ideas (like Santorum).  But, most of the time i feel like Mitt-- trying to be political and more moderate.  Trying to keep the democrats happy and the republicans happy and really not doing a great job with either side.  hmm.

 

4.  HEALTHY SNACK--  Try these Roasted Garbonzo Beans.

Spicy Crunchy Chickpeas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon allspice (I didn't have so left out)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
I added 1/2-3/4 t chili powder 
2 15 1/2-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed, drained, thoroughly patted dry

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, salt and pepper. Add chickpeas and toss to coat thoroughly. Turn chickpeas out onto baking sheet and roast, stirring or shaking baking sheet often, until chickpeas are browned and crunchy, 45 to 50 minutes (start checking them around 35 minutes...that's all mine took). Transfer to a bowl and let cool before serving, stirring occasionally.

i got the recipe off a blog on my sidebar... and i'm going fast today so i'm not going to find that link.  

(i will tomorrow.)   

i like the concept of this snack.

i'm excited to try it with other things...  like CORN for homemade CORN NUTS.

i also think it would be good with some sugar on it-- my kids would like it better that way.

leah said, "mom, i DO like these.  I think Jesus helped me like them.  They are my very own doggie treats."

5.  LOOSING BUDDHA-- Buddha didn't have seven kids.  i'm going crazy trying to be slower.  (if truth be told.)  i miss my lists.  i miss my fast mornings where i get lots done.  i set a goal to be in bed by 10 and up by 6.  and, last night i rebelled.  i watched a movie till 1:30am.  then leah woke up, then eve woke up- four times.  i took three cleansing breaths and was still tired...  today i have a houseful of friends coming over to make quilts for humanitarian aids.  i'm excited... but have to go straighten up REAL fast.

have a great day.  

eat more Garbonzo Beans.

watch less politics.

take three cleansing breaths.

just say what you think even if you end up offending half the world.

i really LOVED this article on Callista Gingrich.  It's from the New Yorker.  (read to the end- it actually helped me to understand Newt better)

this part made me laugh--

Though Callista is central to Gingrich’s life, her public role in his campaign has been largely ornamental. She accompanies him on the trail, smiling behind him at events; in December, she appeared with him in a Christmas video to ask, “Is there anything more inspiring than American towns and neighborhoods brightly lit for the holidays?” But she does not have a stump speech, and though she’s happy to exchange pleasantries with reporters, she has not been granting interviews, with the exception of a brief on-camera conversation with the Christian Broadcasting Network. The resulting story, which also included interviews with Rick Perry’s wife, Anita, and Jon Huntsman’s wife, Mary Kaye, was called “A Tale of Three Wives.” Until recently, the title appeared on the home page of Gingrich’s campaign Web site, leading many visitors to wonder if they could click through to an explanation of the candidate’s complicated marital history. (hah!)

 

life is good.  

the mundane tasks of life.

months ago i spoke with a friend who is a working mother.

she wanted to quit her job to become a "stay-at-home" mother.

we had many conversations about why i choose to stay at home

and what i do all day.

she said, "I'm NOT going to quit my job and stay at home so i can clean my house all day."

oh how this sentence has echoed in my mind...

it's as i've found myself apologizing for every moment i stay at home and clean.

i've pondered what "great thing" i should be doing INSTEAD of home-work.

why do i choose to stay at home?

what do i do all day?

am i making the most of the time i have been given?

am i blessing my family more by staying at home than i could if i went to work and contributed financially?

i have come to appreciate the fact that i am at home and i can clean my house all day-

if i choose to do that.

there is joy in the mundane tasks of life.

"the humdrum tasks that leave your body occupied and your mind un-fettered"

often as i work, i teach my little ones.

i carry on a running dialog with them about why i'm putting corn starch on the baby's bottom
or how i'm choosing to wash a certain dish.
sometimes leah says, "Why are you telling me this mom?"

then she laughs and says, "Oh, because i'm going to be a mother too someday?"

yes, someday my girls may be mothers. 
mothers like me who stay at home.
they might work.
they might never marry.
they may never be able to have children.
they may choose not to have children.
but whatever life offers them, one thing will be sure.
they WILL always have mundane tasks of life.
eating, cleaning, dressing, washing, bathing...  they are universal.
we can try to avoid these tasks.
we can resent the time they take.
OR
we can learn to find peace in the doing.

i believe that often, mothers who work appreciate the mundane tasks a little bit more.

i have spoken to many who would LOVE to have an afternoon to make cookies with their kids, watch a movie and gently fold laundry.
i feel blessed to choose how i spend my hours each day.
it is a sacred stewardship.

{i LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this talk-- Forget Me Not by Elder Uchdorf}

"So many people today are waiting for their own golden ticket—the ticket that they believe holds the key to the happiness they have always dreamed about. For some, the golden ticket may be a perfect marriage; for others, a magazine-cover home or perhaps freedom from stress or worry.

There is nothing wrong with righteous yearnings—we hope and seek after things that are “virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy.” The problem comes when we put our happiness on hold as we wait for some future event—our golden ticket—to appear."  Elder Uchdorf

Someday my home managment will take less of my time.

until then, i am going to EMBRACE THE EXPERIENCE.

to be grateful for the hours i have at home.

to learn while i clean.

to be slow and involve those around me.

Mundane tasks (like cooking, laundry, reading, walking the dog, bathing, straightening, etc) slow life down and help us keep balanced. These tasks are good physical indicators when we are doing too much or too little.


i LOVE this paragraph from a book i'm reading called Buddha Standard Time.
After spending over 10 years in Retreats and Indian Buddhist meditation retreats, the author returned to his life in New York City... He says,
"As I began to adjust to a Western lifestyle after so long in monastic simplicity, what struck me more than anything else was the NEW AVERSION TO THE MUNDANE TASKS OF DAILY LIFE. Thus the ubiquitous time-saving tools-- instant coffee, fast food, ATMs, microwave ovens, personal computers-- as if somehow life would be better if we could speed our way through it. That message has only escalated since then. These days, young people tell me that they don't even have time for cell-phone conversations or e-mails. They prefer to text. The instant response that new technology allows has altered our perception of time. And ironically, most of us seem to feel we have far less time as a result." p.2.

and, i love this quote...
“Some mothers in today's world feel "cumbered" by home duties and are thus attracted by other more "romantic" challenges. Such women could make the same error of perspective that Martha made. The woman, for instance, who deserts the cradle in order to help defend civilization against the barbarians may well later meet, among the barbarians, her own neglected child.”
― Neal A. Maxwell, Wherefore, Ye Must Press Forward

we all work.
some of us are at home more than others...
WHATEVER you do with you daytime hours--
i hope you take a moment to really be grateful for the ever present, repetitive tasks of life that bring you home.
i know there is joy in the mundane tasks of life.
i've learned this through MUCH experience.
and, one of the BEST things about the mundane tasks of life...

they wait for you.

so, if you do not choose to do them today-- they'll be there tomorrow!

life is good.

today, i'm grateful for dishes.

{sort of.}

Corvallis, Oregon Beauty.

"The Wise Fisherman".

"The Man is like a wise fisherman who cast his net into the sea.  

He drew it up from the deep full of small fishes.  

Among them he found a big, marvelous fish.  

That wise fisherman, he threw all the smaller fishes back into the sea.  

He chose the big fish without hesitation.  

Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."

from Buddha Standard Time by lama surya das

as found in the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas

Big Fish-- There is BEAUTY all around.

Note to SELF--

TAKE MORE WALKS.

i know! stick to granola...

i have to.
it's my blog anyway.
i have to say SOMETHING about tonight's debate.
ok, thanks.

first, amber- i did like Ron Paul a little better tonight.
i really don't think he can win the nomination,
but he has some good ideas.
and, i like him.
he's growing on me.
i loved his "what do you wish you could do differently"
where he answered "I need to talk slower and express my opinions more clearly."
honest and heartfelt.
i liked how he handled his 50% pro life voting record--
saying he thinks it's a state decision and that laws can't dictate morals.
the problem is our nations morals not the laws.
GREAT ANSWER.
another great answer-- border control.
when he said we have troops in Afghanistan trying to protect their border and we can't even protect our own.
really- that made sense.
before i would ever vote for Ron Paul he needs to convince me
1.that he won't start a WW3 by disrupting the whole world's military involvement and
2. that he has a CHANCE of winning the nomination.

second, NEWT GINGRICH...
ugh.  BLECH.
did you hear that his ex-wife did an interview (which she was not paid for) and explained that newt asked her for an "open marriage".  He wanted to continue his affair with callista (his current wife) while remaining married to his former wife.  Blech.  puke.  she had just been diagnosed with MS at the time.
when Newt was asked about the recent interview he said he was disgusted at the question.
i HATED his "anti-media"
"how could you ask me that question"
"this is a political debate"
"that was 20 years ago"
answer.
standing ovation-- oh please.
all the post-debate analysts think newt scored big on that answer.
WHATEVER.
Newt is scummy.
he was leading the accusations against Clinton while at the same time having an affair with one of his staffers.
it IS relevant to this campaign.
JUST as relevant as Mitt Romney's Bain Corporation...
honestly, i don't care if Mitt had to cut jobs when he was trying to save a bankrupt company.
but i DO CARE that Gingrich was speaking on Family Values days after ditching his wife for his mistress.
and newt has the NERVE to say "i have come to God and repented."
Please.
This is not a question about Newt's standing before the Lord.
it's like Santorum was saying about illegal immigrants-- it's not just that they broke a law once.
that they broke into the US and they continue to break laws...
and that is the issue with Gingrich.
it's not whether or not he is forgivable or forgiven.
he lied and he cheated CONTINUALLY on his wife.
while at the SAME time condemning Clinton for his affair.
he's a hypocrite.  he is not honest.  SIX YEARS he had an affair.
SIX YEARS he lied to the person closest to him.
and now you TRUST that he isn't lying to America?
i would NEVER vote for him.
Honestly, as a MAN, i would rather have Obama.
don't make me choose between Gingrich and Obama... please.

third, Santorum.
he did well, i thought.
it was the first time that i saw him standing up straight and really voicing his beliefs.
i do think he is a good, conservative man.
i liked him more tonight too...
i liked his bold, "i'm different, i'm your man"
BUT, i'm still not convinced that he is man enough to run for president.
he still seems little boy to me.
i did LOVE his tax answer--
will you publish your taxes?
sure, but i do my own and i'm not home to print them out.
i make a heck of a lot less than the other guys and i pay more taxes.
true.  and sad.  and it made me like him a little bit more.

and, what is up with IOWA?
have you heard about IOWA?
first they say that Mitt won by 8 votes.
now they say Santorum won by 34 votes but that they LOST 8 precincts so they are calling it a tie.
WHAT??
how the heck hard it is to COUNT votes?
seriously??
i don't get this vote counting crap.
(sheesh, you're turning me into a cussing woman.)
i just don't get it... why is it so hard to have people vote and tell us what the vote results were??
it's been TWO weeks since Iowa.

Now fourth, on to MITT.
i have one thing to explain to you about Mitt.
He is getting hammered about not releasing his tax forms... and i didn't understand it.
his answers sound squirrel-ly.
he said he was an honest man and i KNOW he is.
i know it.
so, why else would he not want to release his taxes?
Bill O'Reilley thinks it's because he only pays a 15% tax bracket because most of his income is investments.
NOPE.
that's not it.
ready, i'll spill the SECRET.
i bet it has to do with his RELIGION.
seriously.
Us Mormons pay A LOT of money to our church.
we do.
it's part of who we are.
most pay 10% tithing.
plus we fast once a month and donate money called "fast offering" to help the poor.
we have many welfare programs, international education funds, temple building funds, and Proposition 8 in California.
I'm sure Mitt contributed to Prop 8.
seriously.
once mitt releases his tax forms he will not only be defending the amount of money he has, the amount of taxes he pays, but he will be defending the whole Mormon church.
and, the guy wants 12 years... how long ago was prop 8?
this tax release thing-- it's not republicans who want it... it's democrats.
and, Newt knows it too.
that's why he said, "if there is something in there that we are going to have to deal with, lets deal with now in the primary."  he knows.
and Newt's acting all "I released my forms, where are yours?"
yeah. he released them today.  one hour before the debate.
ron paul hasn't released his and he won't.
and rick santorum hasn't released his.

the biggest hit on Romney came from the debate mediator NOT from the other candidates.
want to talk about "liberal media"?

that's all i have to say.
i don't like Mitt best because he is Mormon.
i don't.  i'm not sure who i like best yet...
BUT, BUT i do HATE that his Mormonism could keep him from being the nominee when Newt Gingrich is an alternative.
when Barack Obama is PRESIDENT and he went to a white-hating, America-hating very weird church but he was ok because that church was considered to be "Christian."
come on?!

i am Mormon.
i consecrate my life to Christ and i give money to my church because i believe that money will be used for good.
my church has given my family money, when we were more needy... and i considered it a gift from God.
this may not ever be an issue...
but i bet i'm right.
i bet mitt is more nervous about showing his charitable contribution than he is about showing his taxes.
we'll see if i'm right.

now, time to put my kids to bed and clean up dinner.
oh... this political debate is starting to raise my blood pressure.
and really, it's ok to write a comment and disagree with me.
i have MANY friends and family that love Obama or hate Mitt or like Ron Paul or Santorum... fine.
disagree.
actually, MOST of my family AND my husband's family are democrats.
If you think Mitt is scummy or too moderate... don't vote for him.
there are scummy Mormons- just like any religion.
but, if you really wouldn't vote for someone because they are Mormon... that kills me.
Us Mormons are good people.
really, really good people.
not ALL Mormons are good-- but there is much goodness in Mormonism.
we are Christian.
we are committed.
we are conservative.
we have integrity.
most of us are normal.  :)
most of us are pretty smart.
Really, Mormons are good people.
and, personally i think a Mormon would make a great President.
if not Mitt than who??!!  Newt Gingrich??
oh, gag me.

and, guess what?
i think most baptists are good people too.
and, i would vote for a good Jew.
i would.
(i liked Lieberman)
i love immigrants-- many of my friends have immigrated from other countries.
i believe a man should be judged by his character NOT by stereo-types.
and, maybe i'm wrong.
maybe this isn't all about religion.
we'll see.
(i just bet that the same people who have NO PROBLEM with bashing Mormonism are yelling "racist" at every mention of "poor people" or "welfare"...)
the end for now....

{do you know that i STINK at basketball?  why you ask?  because i'm not skilled at basketball and i'm VERY competitive.  i foul out quickly.  dang it.  i kinda feel like that in politics.  i don't know as much as i wish i knew, but dang it, i am pretty opinionated at the little i think i know.  hah!  insert barking chihuahua here.}

making granola!!

i am not a vegan green smoothie holistic eater.

we do eat healthy- just not super, super healthy.

but, boxed/bagged cereal bugs me.

it just seems so unhealthy and processed.

i LOVE homemade granola.

it tastes good.

it feels healthy.

it seems REAL.

i am happy every time i pour a bowl for me or my kids.

what you need to buy:

oats-- regular not quick (but i use quick if that's all i have)

coconut-- (if you go to a health food store you can get really small un-sweetened coconut- good if your kids don't like coconut.  i just use regular from the bulk section because it seems the freshest to me.)

nuts-- i like to put in almond pieces or cashews or pecans.

seeds-- i like to get pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, etc.

brown sugar-- my favorite comes from the bulk foods section, it tastes more like molasses

real maple syrup-- i like pure maple syrup or molasses or honey to sweeten it with.

think about the granola you buy-- sometimes i do cinnamon raisin or craisin almond or french vanilla or i add cut up dried apricots or apples or strawberries...  actually, my kids don't like fruit in it, so i buy it and we add it separately.

I started with this recipe from Kelsey's Granola here... thanks Melissa.

and i stole it made it my own.

Kelsey's Jen's Favorite Granola

6 cups oats (regular work better than quick)
3/4 cup honey or pure maple syrup or a smaller amount of molasses
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 Tbs cinnamon (depending on your preference- i like less)
2 Tbs vanilla
1 cup coconut 
1 cup craisins, raisins, or other dried fruit (my kids pick out the raisins so we just add them when we eat it.)
1/2 cup brown sugar (or less!)
1/2 cup almonds (or any other nuts you have-- i get the crushed up kinds and really just throw whatever i have in my pantry into it.)
1/2 cup flax seed or wheat germ or pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds or sesame seeds...

Combine all ingredients in a LARGE bowl. 

Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and bake at 375 for 10-30 minutes, or until golden brown. 

I never follow that recipe exactly...

i just wing it...

granola is a good DUMP for a lot of the nuts/seeds that you have lying around.

granola is VERY forgiving.

i do always add the oil and i always add some sugar (not always what the recipe calls for).

i like pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds more than flax and wheat germ.

and that's it...

i always double the recipe.

spread it out on two cookie sheets and bake it.

i like my granola CRISP-- so i bake it longer (until it gets a little bit brownish).

i want it crisp because later we add it to yogurt or milk and i don't want it soggy too fast.

i always worry that it's burnt and then when i eat it i think it's perfect. 

NOTE-- you know me by now.

i am ridiculous at making decisions.

i read HUNDREDS of granola recipes before i tried to make it the first time.

i even loved this recipe and still tried a few more labor intensive recipes because they promised to be the "best ever".

Nope.

this simple, easy recipe really is PERFECT every time.

i love it.

just try it-- you'll be so glad you did.

i just saw this recipe for Granola cookies-- yes please!!

this recipe is from The Brown Eyed Baker... 

i just copied and pasted it on my blog so it would be easier for you to find.  

hope i'm not going to go to copyright jail after this post.

 Granola Cookies

Yield: 24 cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Bake Time: 12 minutes

3 cups granola, without the fruit or nuts
¾ cup raisins (regular or golden)
½ cup peanuts
½ cup slivered almonds
½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup wheat germ
14 tablespoons (7 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats; set aside.

2. Put the granola in a large bowl and break up any clumps with your fingers. Add the raisins, peanuts, almonds, coconut and wheat germ and mix together.

3. With an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the sugars and beat for another 3 minutes, or until creamy. Add the egg and salt and beat until well blended. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, mixing only until it is incorporated, then steadily add the granola mixture. Stop the mixer when most of the granola mixture is blended into the batter and finish the job with a sturdy rubber spatula, making sure to get up any bits of dry ingredients left in the bottom of the bowl.

4. Scoop out about two tablespoonfuls of dough, pack the scoops between your palms and arrange the mounds on the baking sheets. Flatten the mounds lightly with your fingertips.

5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies should be golden brown but not firm. Allow them to rest on the sheets for 1 to 2 minutes before transferring them to racks to cool to room temperature. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

i'm totally making them.

homemade granola is one of my FAVORITE things in the whole world.

i know.  simple pleasures for simple people.

um.  i would also find joy in a really cute rain jacket...

like this.

just saying.

so good.

i've got laundry.

1.  On my Political Post--

ugh.  after i pushed "post" yesterday i cringed.  i KNEW my shallow post on the debate would make me seem, well, shallow.  there was a time in my life where i was very political savvy... i invested time and effort into knowing and understanding the major issues of the day.  today i am a bit more "consigned"... sometimes when i hear presidential nominees i think of middle school election promises "I'm going to get soda machines in the cafeteria and ban homework."  everyone cheers and deep down we all know that the president doesn't really have power to get soda machines...  saying that, i was surprised that mitt won iowa by 8 votes.  that's not very much-- and i still don't know when Oregon's primary is but i have a feeling that the nominee will have already been chosen by then.  AND, i wrote this in the comments, but it's important.  I DON'T VOTE for candidates based on the cuteness of their families.  yesterday, i read a comment about Santorum's daughter who was dying and i got interested... so i looked up a few links to see all the potential families... just because it interested me... I also looked up the best and worst dressed of the Globes.  and, i read fox news about Turkey's reaction to Perry's comment-  ugh.  i did not read Ron Paul's steps to a better America.  I am shallow like that.  but, i am also a continual learner... and so, this is just the beginning of election season... i'm baby stepping  myself back into political savvy-ness.  i hear it's like riding a bike...

2.  ON SNOW--

it is BEAUTIFUL

and yet... I HATE, HATE, HATE getting my kids dressed and undressed to go play outside where i know they are going to freeze.

(as i'm dressing them i think of the video by NieNie-- and how much harder it is for her to dress her kids-- and i TRY not to think complaining thoughts...)

i hate being cold.

i hate the thought of my babies being cold.

we are from Texas, we do not have good snow clothes.

their fingers are cold, their toes are cold, their noses are red, and i hate that.

but, they love it.

and it is pretty... so whatever.
Oregon snow doesn't last more than a few days.
PERFECT.
PERFECT!!
i loved the rain this morning that gently washed all my freezing snow back down the mountain.
{someday soon i'm going to buy good gloves and boots and snow clothes... and then i may like it better.}

3.  ON BASKETBALL SHOES--

jakob had middle school basketball tryouts yesterday.

he wrote in his journal about how nervous he was.

i was nervous for him-- poor guy.

even though they don't cut anyone, they just all practice together and before the game they tell you if you are A team or B team.

i do feel bad that he isn't on a league team this year and that he rarely even plays basketball- we don't have a place around our house for him to practice.
he doesn't have basketball shoes and wanted some for his birthday (feb 4)
all day i wanted to run to the store and buy him some to surprise him at his tryouts.
some in my family thought that was a dumb idea, because he's too young, and doesn't need basketball shoes.
anyway.
the tryouts were at the elementary school (a 10 minute walk from the middle school).
i told jakob to find me in the car before he went to tryouts, but he was nervous he'd be late and so he ran with a group of kids, in the POURING rain, to tryouts.
i had stopped at a bakery to get him a special treat and everything...
when i finally found him at the elementary school he was sopping wet.

i gave him the treat and left.

i found out later that he had to SIT OUT the whole tryout because the coach wouldn't let him play with wet shoes.

he was sitting by the kids who didn't have their forms filled out.

all the other boys who ran had basketball shoes to change into.

AND, the coach told the boys they needed basketball shoes by the end of the week or they couldn't play--

unless they had an extreme financial situation that they should talk to him about.

UGHHH!!!

i was SO MAD.

so mad.

at that dumb coach.  at the fact that i didn't do what i wanted to do.  and at my sweet husband who insisted "he's too young, he doesn't need special shoes."
BLAH.
last night we went to the store.
jakob picked out a pair of Nike Turbo whatever... expensive ones, that all his friends have.
BECAUSE- he's a GREAT kid, and he hardly EVER asks for ANYTHING.
and, i'm not going to have my kids sitting on the sidelines because he doesn't have the right shoes.

ever again.

that coach is lucky we were carpooling, because i would have given him a piece of my mind last night.

jakob told me that when he was thinking about walking to tryouts he remembered that i wanted him to come to the car.
he said that thought came to his mind four different times, but he ignored it.
i told him that was the Holy Ghost and that if he had listened he wouldn't have had wet shoes.
all around it was a good learning experience for all of us.
sometimes, kids need to learn to be content with what they have.
and sometimes, sometimes all of us are JUST FINE getting something a little bit special.
i went to bed with my checking account a little bit lighter and my heart much happier.

4.  my baby is ready for her morning nap.  lily is running around naked- make that leah and lily.  i just heard leah say "lily, let's be spies."  and, i have LOTS of laundry to fold.
this is another one of those posts that i wasn't going to write in 2012... humph.
(I even had a great post on how to make granola-- with pictures, that i sat down to write... but i just HAD to grumble a little bit...  such it is.  granola tomorrow.)

life is good.