Fun With Kool-Aid Dough

So since there is only two days left until vacation, I have been trying to get the house cleaned up.(Because who wants to come home to a dirty house?) Well, everyone knows when you have kidsit's incredibly difficult to keep them from destroying a freshly cleaned house. So, this afternoon I decided to dig into my "Things I want to make" folder and pulled out a recipe from Beckie at Infarrantly Creative, gathered the kiddos, and got to making. The kids enjoyed getting to help and couldn't wait to play with it once it was cooled. Unfortunately, I realized I had used 1/2 Tablespoon too much oil so it was super sticky! Extra flour and it was ready for use.

They have been playing with it now for over an hour! It's so wonderful to see the creations they come up with. They have made pizza, roasted hot dogs and marshmallows, had sick snakes, baby worms, and balls galore!

 

 

          Chicken and her girl



 



 

      The General and his Optimus Prime

 

El Segundo working on his creation



We had some other fun things show up as well, including a snowman and a herd flock pod group of turtles!










Chicken's Snowman and Turtle

The General's Turtle

El Segundo's Turtle

Overall, I'd say this was a success! The kids had a blast and my house stayed clean for more than ten minutes. ;)

Ready2Read

One of my Goals for 2011 is to teach Chicken to read. Now she can do it, but it is v-e-r-y slow going as she has to sound out almost every word. I came across this FREE Ready2Read program that I'm going to try. Chicken doesn't take instruction from me very well so I am hoping that making it fun will help. I will keep you posted on how it is going.

Today's Thankful Thought

You know, as part of my Goals I was supposed to make sure I was thankful for something everyday yet somehow, like a few other of my Goals, I have not been doing it. So today, I'm going to make sure I do. Today I am thankful for Good Friends.

When I say Good Friends, I mean real friends. You know the kind, the one that you can call at 10 o'clock at night to ask for prayer for your seizing child, or the one that is there for you when no one else is. They've seen you at your best, your worst and everything in between and yet they still call you a friend. Those are few and far between and I am thankful to be blessed with such Good Friends.

So  it has been a good while since writing. I have been in a bit of a funk lately and have not really felt inspired to write. Although I can't pinpoint one specific reason, I think it is a culmunation of a few things.

The biggest has to be reenacting. I have been busily preparing for my first event (which has come and gone), and I know the overwhelming amount of stuff to get ready weighed on me. More than feeling overwhelmed though, I am, for lack of a better word, depressed about my situation. Let me explain. When my husband and I were dating and first married, we talked about getting into reenating because we both liked the Civil War and he had actually gotten to march at Gettysburg for his birthday one year. I was excited because I had wanted to do it for a long time and finding a man who had the same interest as me was awesome! I couldn't wait to get started! However, as with all things in life, nothing went according to plan and we didn't end up getting into it. I would bring it up from time to time, but it would always get pushed off to the side and we would go on with life. Last year, I really felt like God was telling me to get into and so I researched on-line and found the Illiana Civil War Historical Society. I talked with my husband about it and he was reluctant, but when I told him he could shoot the cannon, he agreed. I was ECSTATIC! I went to the meeting, paid my dues and we were in. I instantly started looking up things for us to buy/make and I even bought him a belt and buckle on ebay. We went to meet a nice family with kids our age who would be able to help us and sit in on their unit meeting. It was so cool and I was shaking with excitement.

A few days later, the bottom fell out. All of a sudden my husband didn't want to do it anymore. Plain and simple, he just didn't want to do it. I was so disappointed and kind of in shock. He told me I could still do it, but I wasn't sure I wanted to without him. Afterall, we had always talked about doing it and here was our chance and now he didn't want to. I thought it over and decided that I was going to do what I felt God was leading me to do, so we forged ahead without him.  Everytime I would say something about it or buy something for the hobby he would obviously become irritated, so it became a taboo subject, at least from my perspective.

I was, and am still confused as to why God would have me doing something that would cause friction between me and my husband. And I know this is what I'm supposed to do because I am constantly checking with Him to make sure and everytime I do another door opens. What I don't undertand, too, is why of all the things my husband had to grow out of did it have to be reenacting? Why couldn't it have been like his army men, or Legos, or even firecrackers?! Why did it have to be one of the things we enjoyed together?

Because of my feeling down about all of that I have been slacking in the housemaker department, which makes me feel even more down. You see, I am one of those people that eats because she's depressed and is then depressed because she's eating. Well as you can imagine things start piling up quickly in a family of five. Dishes, laundry, overall clutter. I have to admit that I at least wash the laundry, but the clean stuff piles up. And I do clean, don't get me wrong. It's just that for a while I was on top of it, being a good wife and mother keeping my kids happy, my house cleaned and my husband satisfied. But I have slowly begun to fall away from all of that which makes me sad. However, I can't seem to get the motivation to get back into it which bums me out. I'm sure you can see where this is going. It's a cycle and I hate it.

I must admit that my biggest "fall away" has been from reading my Bible. I know that doing that will help to lift my spirits and get me back into the swing of things. And I have been trying. But have you ever been in a place where you feel like God just isn't talking to you right now? That's where I am. Prayer has been high on my list and I try, but I can't even seem to focus enough to do that!  I know that Satan won't win this, and I will come out on top. It's just a long climb. But with the Lord showing me the way, holding my hand on the tough spots, and pushing me when I can't go any farther I know I'll make it.


***This has been edited to say that  I did not write this to make my husband look like the bad guy. I wrote it because I am in a funk and writing makes me feel better. In fact, I cried when writing this post because of my saddness of not being with him. My husband is a wonderful and supportive man and I thank God every day for him. Without him I would be lost.***

Thoughts of being a "Good Wife"

Wow, has it really been almost a month since I sat down to capture some of my thoughts??? It's easy how life gets away from us like that, isn't it?

Well over the last month a lot has rolled around in this head of mine, some good, some not so good and still others that really just kinda rolled on through and waved as they passed. The one that has been in the forefront of my mind as of late (besides reenacting) is my role as wife and mother. I know that in my Goals for 2011, numbers 1 & 2 are concerning this very subject and I have made a substantial effort to being better in both areas. I have been trying several different ideas on how to keep up with the housework and off Facebook and out of the sewing station a bit more. I'm still tweaking the system, but it's getting there. However, over this past month I have really been striving to do more. I continuously think of June Cleaver and how I wish I could be her. It's really hard to explain the drive behind my emotions and thoughts on the whole subject so just go with me. I was doing a little research on housewives of the 1950's and came across this blog post. It lists an excerpt from another woman's blog who was talking of an article written in 1955 about how to be a "good housewife". As I read through the list I began to feel empowered. True, there were some things on the list I didn't quite agree with, such as this one

Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first -remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.

but I realize, unlike a few of the commentors on the post, that the idea behind the entire list is love. I love and respect my husband and want to do all that I can to show him that. I really feel drawn to the idea of being more domestic and desire very much to learn the trade. However, as with most things, I am having a hard time staying on track. There are days (like today) where I set out with good intentions then find that I have spent the entire day (not really but it feels like it) sitting and reading through the Sewing Academy forums. But I guess that's what it's like when you are trying to change you ways of thinking and behaving as well as attitude.

A couple of weeks ago my husband and I were talking about how some groups of faith wear skirts and dresses. I personally don't agree with the practice, but that's another topic for another day. Anyway, during our conversation I stopped and asked him what he thought. He said that women should dress up when they go out with their husbands. I questioned him a bit more and he got frustrated and said that I put him on the spot and "[didn't] know" I tried to tell him that I wasn't trying to trap him, as I think that's what he thought, rather I was just trying to figure out what he wanted so that I could please him in one more area. Now I know that sounds a bit absurd to most people, especially in today's feminist world, but it's how I feel. I want to meet the expectations of my husband, just as every wife does, but I want to make sure that I am meeting as many as possible. If he thinks that I need a dress/skirt with hair and makeup when we go grocery shopping, then that's what I want to do for him, because I love him. Now I'm not saying that every time we go I am going to be able to pull that off, but if that's what he desires, then that's what I want to do.

See, these are the kinds of things that I have been struggling with lately. And I say struggling not because I don't want to do them, but because I want to and just haven't figured out how yet. I'm sure in time and with God's help, I will get it all down. Good thing we've got lots more years of being married for me to figure it all out!! :)

Sickness and Sweetness

This was a rough week for my husband. He had step throat and when he gets it, it knocks him down flat which meant that I had to add Nurse to my list of duties for the day. Not that I minded at all, I love getting to tend to my husband when he's sick. I don't really know why, but I enjoy it. He spent from Sunday morning when he got home from work until Tuesday late morning in bed sleeping. Monday the only reason he left bed was to go to the doctor and then later in the evening he came out for about 30 mins or so, but then went right back to bed. I think he lost ten pounds and I was saying "Hey make me sick, I want to lose ten pounds!" Thankfully he is all better now and due to his schedule, only had to miss two days of work then had three more to fully recover.

Also this week, I got to go to the ladies meeting at church. I really do like going to those. I am not much of a social person and I have social anxiety in the worse way most of the time, but I am finding myself more and more able to attend events like this one and not feel so nervous. Anyway, my "team" was supposed to bring a dessert for the evening's meeting and I, having little in the way of available funds, went for something cheap. This is what I ended up with

And I shall call them "indoor s'mores"

They were really yummy, but oh so rich!  I think the next time I do them, I will only dip them half way so there is not so much chocolate. They were super easy to make too which is good for me since a baker I am not!

And instead of a thankful thought today, in light of the natural disaster in Japan, I will say a prayer for those affected.

Lord, please be with those who have been affected by this earthquake and subsequent tsunamis. I pray that those who have died knew you and are with you now. I ask that you be with those who are still missing, and bring comfort to the families of the dead and missing.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Today's Thankful Thought

Today, amid all the articles and videos that I have been bombarded with recently, I am thankful for 

MY COUNTRY.

Now I know that seems a bit odd considering all that this country is going through at the moment. But you know what? Now matter what is happening, I still believe that the United States is the greatest country in the world! We may have our problems, but hands down there is no other place I would rather live. I am so thankful to God that he put me in this country. I can't imagine living where I have to worry day in and day out about bullets and bombs and my family's safety, or if we have enough food, or where we can get clean water, or if someone is going to come in the middle of the night and take my children away and force them to join some military group. I can lay down at night and know that we are safe. That if we run out of food we can drive down the road to a store and buy more. That if I turn on the faucet, and have paid my water bill, that clean, potable water is going to come out of the spout.

There are seemingly so many people nowadays that want only to complain about our great country, about it's leaders and it's policies and the like. And there are those who would poop on the flag (yes it really has happend) or say they aren't American's or that Obama isn't their president, but I have news for all of them and those like them. If they live in this country, they ARE Amercians, Obama IS their president, and that flag is THEIR flag, and if they don't like it then they can leave the country!! I know that sounds harsh, but it's the way I feel.

Far too many people have bled and died for that beautiful flag, and although I'm not brave enough to do it, I am thankful to all that have. It represents a place where you can be what you want to be, say what you want to say, and if you feel so inclined, protest at a fallen soldier's funeral. I just wish that people who speak against the country and it's fallen heros would remember that this country gives them that right. If they were to speak or act that way in some countries, they would be dead before their video hit YouTube. 

Somehow this Thankful Thought turned into a bit of a soapbox rant about people who are against our country and I appologize. I just want to say thank you to God for giving me such a wonderful place to call home. I truly am PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!