Tuesday, March 31, 2009

In which the youngest hits a milestone

How many kids do you know {yourself as a child included} Are without a
"sleeping in your food "picture

don't you just love the rice and bean induced coma... the best part is
that the other children tried very hard to keep him from the peace you
see here...each attempt was greeted with a poliet smile full of sleepy
wonder....que RICO{ delish:: for all those non Spanish speakers} !!!!!

in which i try some new things with the homeschoolers

Convinced that the people are the only safe depositories of their own liberty, and that they are not safe unless enlightened to a certain degree.....
--Thomas Jefferson to Littleton Waller Tazewell, 1805.
so each Friday a simple spelling "test" is given to check the students knowledge of the word
then new words are given...unless some of the old words have yet to be learned then a mix of new and old are given
SPELLING gives my kids the perfect opportunity to work on penmanship so each day after our devotional they take their trusty pencils out and write down the spelling words for the week {3 times}
well this week i thought that i would change it up a bit ( you see they are now coping the articles of faith for handwriting)
Friday each child showed they had mastered the weeks words and were allotted new ones in their place
then they were given the option
they could write each word 3 times { as usual) or they could write it...then sew it...then create it with pipe cleaners or magnets
they were eager to get to work Jax's pillow will be on his bed tomorrow next to his previous sewing creation and Liam had a grand time with the pipe cleaners & magnets.......ahh life is grand

even M got into the action during her Phonogram time

gotta love pipecleaners

****note from the author*****

....the pink boa on M's head is her substitute for long hair....she loves this thing & has it in two colors (hooray)....i am actually shocked and a bit surprised it hasn't shown up in more blog pics...guess i got lucky...anyhow there it is in all its glory and should you visit you may be asked to wear the purple one..but only if she really likes you....just a heads up refusals will not be allowed...you should see the Mr.'s face when i am wearing one upon his homecoming...

Monday, March 30, 2009

~~funny monday~~

.......the other day...the Mr. and I were out farm shopping he leaned over
and said " so if we buy this place, could I tell people " I bought the farm" ...hee hee
*************
my man is always devising ways to make others laugh
your turn
now you
come on
go ahead
I just HAD to add
today the boss decided he would remove his diaper....rinse it in the toilet( because that is what you do when you are done with a diaper)...then bring it to me ...three rooms away dripping wet...yet all I could do was rejoice with him...the delight in his face overpowered any cleanly worries i had....... and at that moment he had done the best thing ever...yet when i was cleaning the subsequent mess...his delighted face was nowhere to be found..huh

Saturday, March 28, 2009

In which Monday is nothing short of manic

4 youngster...swimming suited...pool cravin'...water dreaming...

The above is the state we found ourselves in upon arriving at our pool
only to find the pool was closed due to some sort of chemical
imbalance....

A few thoughts later water coloring in the tub seemed to ease the pain
of an evening swim missed

In which the Children become pirates

The kids found this old book gramma gave them... This books comes
complete with general dress-up ideas & instructions...we were lacking
the materials needed to become cow folk...so pirates it was & I must
say I feel it was a good choice considering those who were to wear
them...

Thursday, March 26, 2009

In which the boys learn to sew

If you have not yet checked this blog out you should...she also wrote
a book called the Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections & has a new book called Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures!! One
of the greatest ideas in the book was to have you children draw a
picture, then embroider it!! My boys love it...jaxson spent around 3
hours working and ultimatley finishing his, it will become a pillow
for his bed today....hooray for great ideas!!!! { jaxson says he will
start another picture pillow today}

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

In which we see how the children eat

Lunch was good

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

In which a little peice of organic heaven arrived at my front door

For a mere $30 a week local organic produce will be left on my door
step upon a Tuesday!! Life is good all is well ....the cilantro is in
the process of filling my home with it's divine smell...I am
happy...can the smell of organic produce make my day...oh yes....yes
it can!!

Monday, March 23, 2009

Funny Monday
The thing about my only daughter...the only girl from my gene
pool...the little lady in my life...well I'm am a close third in the
line for here affection...well I'd like to think it's close...see
GRANDMa is most definitely A--#1---Premium--first choice...Daddy
claims all her daily affection---then yours truly...now that we see the
order this funny Monday should make sense....Emme saw Chaucer in the
whilst i prepare dinner back carrying device & decided that she
too needed to be relocated to a position upon her Father...he gladly
accepted and the result was quiet a funny looking three year- old-in-
moby &

the most Joyful duo

and I am embarrassed to admit...a little bruised mommyego...it could have been me...i carried her for 9 months inside and another 9 (at least)externally..huh..this really isn't funny...sorry maybe you have something to add that is indeed FUNNY MONDAY material!!

Friday, March 20, 2009

Fwd FRIDAY: Simple Economics

i am often forwarded many interesting emails...sometimes they make me cry sometimes they make me laugh those i would like to share here...some i delete upon reciept...i hope you enjoy fwd Friday


Understanding Economic Systems
a simple explanation



Traditional Capitalism
You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull. Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows. You sell the herd and retire on the income.

Socialism
You have two cows. You give one to your neighbor.

Communism
You have two cows. The State takes both and gives you some milk.

Fascism
You have two cows. The State takes both and sells you some milk.

Nazism
You have two cows. The State takes both and shoots you.

Bureaucratism
You have two cows. The State takes both, shoots one, milks the other, and then throws the milk away..

Surrealism
You have two giraffes. The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.

An American corporation
You have two cows. You sell one and force the other to produce the milk of four cows. Later, you hire a consultant to analyze why the cow has dropped dead.

AIG Venture Capitalism
You have two cows. You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters of credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank, then execute a debt/equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax exemption for five cows. The milk rights of the six cows are transferred via an intermediary to a Cayman Island company secretly owned by the majority shareholder. He sells the rights to all seven cows back to your listed company. The annual report says the company owns eight cows, with an option for one more. You sell one cow to buy a new president of the United States, leaving you with nine cows. No balance sheet provided with the release. Then the public buys your bull.

A French corporation
You have two cows. You go on strike, organize a riot, and block the roads, because you want three cows.

A Japanese corporation
You have two cows. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. You then create a clever cow cartoon image called "Cowkimon" and market it worldwide.

A German corporation
You have two cows. You re-engineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month, and milk themselves.

An Italian corporation
You have two cows, but you don't know where they are. You decide to have lunch.

A Swiss corporation
You have 5,000 cows. None of them belong to you. You charge the owners for storage.

A Chinese corporation
You have two cows. You have 300 people milking them. You claim that you have full employment and high bovine productivity. You arrest the newsman who reported the real situation.


A British corporation
You have two cows. Both are mad.


AHH...SO THAT'S HOW IT ALL WORKS...huh



I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs. Thomas Jefferson, (Attributed)3rd president of US (1743 - 1826)


Thursday, March 19, 2009

in which I rejoice in my childrens love of whole grains

Whole Grain & Soy Pancake Recipe

1/4 cup soy flour

1/4 cup cornmeal

1 cup milled whole grain flour

2 Tbls honey

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 egg ( can sub flax seed)

2 cups vanilla yogurt

2 Tbls olive oil

ENJOY !!

my kids think these taste like cookies & will happily eat them without syrup

in which i see a spy

this a.m. it was requested that i make pancakes...the thing i know about the mornings i make pancakes is that the amount of time consumed making them is just too much for the kids to handle...see they awake hungry, no that is too gentle a word i think in this case RAVENOUS is a palabra better suited for my children's A.M. sentiments

after threatening a few times that i would never make pancakes in the morning again if they didn't stop.......{insert anything they know they shouldn't be doing, if you fail to think of anything insert hanging on the ceiling fan.........ugh} I noticed that I was being watched......then the sweetest voice called out PEEK-A-BOO and the shade parted...i took a picture and well i may consider making pancakes again......maybe next time i will provide the natives with an

amuse-bouche

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

In which the Author forgets a green filled holiday.....however thanks to the world wide web is reminded just in time

HAPPY ST PATTIES
i am off to create some kind of celebration for my young
i think i'll start with this


Monday, March 16, 2009

FUNNY...you know the rest....


so this funny Monday may require a bit of a back story
our "home"
came with solely three locking doors
the front door ( as can be expected)
the general bathroom
and the
master bathroom
hmmm....
do you see that there is an important door lacking lockage???
yes the master bedroom door was without the necessary equipage to keep the queen & king of the home safe from unwanted or unexpected visitors in the occasion......well that being said
the Mr. swapped the handle from the master bath to the master bed door
upon our pilgrimage to what we affectionately call " M201"
now we find ourselves in the present
...yesterday
after tucking my babes in for a long Sunday nap
I relieved myself (pardon the full disclosure)
and upon
exiting...well trying to exit
I found that the door would not open
now I know as well as you that the master bath has no lock on the door
so my heart began to race
I tried the door again
nothing
so
I did what any wife in my situation would do
I called out to my beloved to release me from the room to which I found myself confined
no sooner did I call out than the door knob turned
the door flung open
and I found my dashing Husband
rolling on the floor...laughing with such vigor I felt the babes may awake from the slumber to which they had so recently been sent
and then I realized......
in a related incident
I took Jaxson out on a date the other evening, there he informed me that after he is babtized he will no longer tease.....well maybe a little, said he.....just like my Dad!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

The post in which it becomes clear...the repercussions of napping whilst the eldest boys remain awake!

"look what game we just bought on the wii Mom" these are the words
which awoke me from my mid-afternoon doze...now the tricky part of
motherhood, you see I love super Mario bro 3...I used to play daily on
this new fangeled contraption they called a Nintendo when I was a wee
lass {a little of the Irish in me is sneaking in...I think it has been
brought on by my failure to dye my red roots back to midnight...but I
digress} so when I awoke my first statement was of course was very
"good mom" ...you know you shouldn't purchase games without asking,
and such... Then I saw what game it was that had ALREADY been
purchased via my visa...and I...well in the interest of full dis closer
I played for a...well let's just say I still got it...it was great..my
young cheering me on ..awed by extensive knowledge of the In's and
outs of each level....I guess what's done is done right...why not
enjoy...(and remove my saved credit card info, just to protect myself
from any more '90's throw back purchases.. You know what I mean;))

Saturday, March 07, 2009

The post in which I profess my love for sushi {land}

Today just the six of us ventured out in our somewhat eratic Seattle
weather to visit a place that will now hold my heart {for family
dinning,that is} Sushi land where sushi is almost all $1 and tastes
pretty good... The kids enjoyed it immensley and the 'rents enjoyed a
meal with the kids that hadn't been prepared next to a vat of bubbling
lard.

We are so happy this establishment has set up camp nearby, you see
until recently the nearest location was about a 1/2 hour away...

Friday, March 06, 2009

the post in which we see that I really am the Queen

sometimes they call me your highness
sometimes they bow when I enter the room
sometimes they line up on either side of me by the front door and wait until I exit
and sometimes I am greeted with a toy lined kitchen in which to prepare dinner
I love it when they treat me like the queen...now about these toys

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

The post in which I bemoan my Mother's leaving the Emerald City and rejoice in the blessing which her visit was

She came....like a fresh breeze with the spring
she gifted the kids until they were properly grammafied
stayed up late to dish with me about....everything and anything we could think of
she accompanied me to a chick flick at 9:40 am...we ate popcorn before breakfast...it was wonderful
she made tutus for close pin dolls
and
light sabers for close pin dolls of the star wars variety
she even rinsed out one of the boss's messy nappies...WOW
she cleaned.....my yucky awful mess of a fridge......gifted again
then......
she told me I was a good MOM and that my friends is the best compliment...especially coming from a women who I strive to emulate, who I admire eternally, who makes me hope it to be said of me.."she's just like her mother!"
I missed her as soon as the door closed behind her...we have had a great week
NOW
BACK to REALITY
pics of the close pin dolls to be posted as soon as I can

Monday, March 02, 2009


I knew you were growing older..I really did and not because

you were getting bigger...'cause your not

not because

you have developed personal style

not because

you sing yourself to sleep..i used to do that

not because

you are able to sling dirty looks at your brothers

not because

you've joined the "old" nursery

and not because

your shoe size finally changed


no I knew it was happening because

i saw the wonder which was you at two

replaced by the

dazzling three year old you have become

you have replaced:

crying with singing

bottles with princess cups

pants with dresses

walking with dancing

rolling over with walking on point

"please carry me" to "I want to hold you"

constant kisses to nail painting

I LOVE YOU

I LOVED YOU AT TWO

I LOVE YOU AT THREE

it will never end

you will change...and I will love the new you..each year..week..day..sometimes even each hour

I love all that you are

and all that you will become

Thank You for blessing my life

my beautiful daughter

you come from a long line of good women

please remember



Thursday, February 26, 2009

buttons



whilst creating my new header i got a wild hair to create a button..use it if you like...i am satisfied to have simply created it {and figured the whole html code thing out...i think}




copy & paste this code to your HTML/Java Script add a gadget:

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Fwd: The invisible Mom... this is beautiful and I thought you'd enjoy it.


Subject: FW: Invisible Mother 

>
>      It  all began to make sense, the blank stares, the
> lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the
> room while I'm on the phone  and ask me a question.  
>    
>      In side  I'm thinking, 'Can't you see
> I'm on the phone?'  
>    
>     Obviously,  not.  
>    
>      No one  can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking,
> or sweeping the floor,or  even standing on my head in the
> corner, because no one can see me at all.  
>    
>     I'm  invisible. The  invisible Mom. Some days I
> am only a pair of hands, nothing more:  Can you fix this?
> Can you  tie this?  Can you open this?
>    
>     Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not
> even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What
> time is it?'  I'm a satellite guide to answer,

   'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm
>  a car to order, 'Right around5:30,  please.'
>    
>     I was certain that these were the hands that once
>  held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind
> that  graduated sum a cum laude - but now they had
> disappeared into the  peanut butter, never to be seen
> again. She's going; she's going; she is gone!
>    
>     One night, a group of us were having dinner,
> celebrating the return of a friend from England   ..  
>    
>     Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip,
> and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in.
>  
>    
>    I was  sitting there, looking around at the others
> all put together so well.    It was hard not to compare
> and feel sorry for myself.  
>    
>     I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned
> to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I
> brought you this.'  
>    
>     It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe  
> .  
>    
>     I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to
> me until I read herinscription:  
>    
>     'To Charlotte, with admiration for the
> greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'
>    
>     In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the
> book.  And I would discover what would become for me, four
> life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:  
>
>    
>     No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we
> have no record of their names.
>    
>     These builders gave their whole lives for a work
> they would never see finished.  
>    
>     They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.
>  
>    
>     The passion of their building was fueled by their
> faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
>    
>     A legendary story in the book told of a rich man
> who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built,
> and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of
> a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you
> spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that
> will be covered by the roof?  No one will ever see
> it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God
> sees.'
>    
>     I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall
> into place.  
>    
>     It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me,
> 'I see you, Charlotte.  I see the sacrifices you make
> every day, even when no one around you does.  No act of
> kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on,
> no cupcake you've  baked, is too small for me to notice
> and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you
> can't see right now what it will
> become.'
>    
>     At  times, my invisibility feels like an affliction.
> But it is not a disease that is erasing my life.  It
> is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It
> is  the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
>    
>     I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a
> great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job
> that they will never see finished, to work on something
> that their name will never be on.  
>    
>     The  writer of the book went so far as to say that
> no cathedrals could ever be built in our life time because
> there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
>
>    
>     When I really think about it, I don't want my
> son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college
> for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning
> and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey
> for three hours and presses all the linens for the
> table.'  That would mean I'd built a shrine or a
> monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home.
> And then, if there is anything more to say to his
> friend, to add, 'you're gonna love it there.'
>    
>     As  mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We
> cannot be seen if we're doing it right.  
>      
>     And one day, it is very possible that the world
> will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the
> beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices
> of invisible women.
>    
>     Great Job, MOM!  
>     Share this with all the Invisible Moms you know...I
> just did.  
>    
>     Hope this encourages you when the going gets tough
> as it sometimes does.  We never  know what our finished
> products will turn out to be because of our  perseverance.
>  
>




Windows Live™: Discover 10 secrets about the new Windows Live. View post.

The post in which I reveal myself as a true "only" child

Sometimes {like when I'm preparing lunch}...I feel that sharing as
well as turn taking is way over rated....ahhh to prepare a meal minus
the war over starfall....

Thursday, February 19, 2009

The post in which I vent....and wish for SERENITY now(if you know where that quip is from, you rock btw)

So...verizon came.... And went...without internet...but with the
promise to come again tomorrow morning....serenity now!!

So...the boss had his first time out...I simply cannot keep him off
the table...and said time__didn't work.... of course not you are
thinking ... But I felt it may be worth a try....serenity now!!

So...my bread didn't rise....yes I make this bread 2-3 times a
week...never had this happen before...serenity now!!

So...there is nothing in the fridge that will please my
palate...serenity now!!

So..I ought to get over it...okay I choose serenity now... Okay...
Forgive my rant...it's all in the way you look at it right?..

*****************
redo

So, I will have the www tomorrow....hooray!!!

So, my baby is growing and learning.... This is actually a great sign
of health ...he is a fully functioning well developed 13 month
old....hooray!!!

So, I am not a perfect baker... I always love a challenge...It hasn't
happened since I began baking it so chances are I have a good year
before I happens again...hooray !!!

So...I am lucky enough to have book club tonight ... And there are
always treats...good ones too....it will definatley make up for a sub
par dinner...hooray !!

{ poor baby he hated that time out.. Then I took a pic...I vow not to
take a pic of such sadness again}

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

The post in which I describe how I will justify my actions this day



I spent the day devouring this book...yes I called my own type of "snow day"

This book was worth one day education-less, as it were...Liam was very put out to be missing school today.. but he relaxed a bit when I explained school would commence as usual tomorrow morning.

This book has a strong recomendation from yours truly

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

The post in which I divolge the romantic evening the Mr. & I shared this VALINETINE's day

We laughed....at our lack of preperation{ however we were amply
prepared to celebrate our love for our children} as we hunted for good
sushi around 8 pm

We cried....that verizon could not be courtous enough to give us the
correct installation information

We dined....On scrumptious sushi, in bed after delivering our children
to dreamland{as is our babysitter-less date custom}

We dreamed....of the day that will come all too soon,when babysitter-
less will mean nothing & we will instead be longing to be the
babysitter's { that is after our world travel plans have been satisfied}

Monday, February 16, 2009

Funny Monday {the post in which I try to justify the older children's baby graffiti for humors sake}

No soup for you...

I had thought of making a fresh batch of my best chocolate chip
cookies for the verizon man....however since he has yet to show.... I
think not

A bit of good news however is that my iPhone rocks!!! I am getting the
hang of blogging from it!


Sent from my iPhone

Thursday, February 12, 2009

The post in which I proliferate events of note {for my clan} this week

**The verizion man{his sweetness now in question} will not be here until Saturday
**The boss has overcome his fear of the vacuum cleaner & now desires to take said cleaner apart
**The diapers in our home have been swapped for the cloth variety
**The boss has become the best bear hugged___ever
**The Emme no longer walks flat footed___anywhere.. Always on point
**The Liam is finally getting it__as far as handwritting is concerned
**The Jaxson now writes hate{ this may be too strong a word,they are more like get away, keep out,or this is how you look when you are mad} notes as well as the love type
**MY DEAREST FRIEND SWEPT THROUGH The Emerald city{her Mr. & the four in toe}
**The Mr. {my love} has dined with top exec's of Mortenson...including Mort Mortenson himself
******my father has gifted his Mrs. One round trip ticket to my lovely State...to be redeemed later this month...yipeeeeee

Monday, February 09, 2009

Amend {ed}

So here is thejollyporter.blogspot.com/2008/03/weekly-goal-setting.HTML the link
I am blogging from my Iphone whilst we wait for the nice people at verizon to send our new modem!
Because of the above mentioned waiting....we are without Internet....so please forgive the lack of photo representation & ill working links...

After the comments I recieved from my last post I wanted to clarify my position on my new mysterious personality....I will remain less than a women of mystery as far as my blog is concerned...my basis for this decision is that if you are reading my blog, I figure you want to know what I am thinking..feeling...& any other linear details I feel inclined to share...

If I could just show you the funny Monday post right now......you'd be laughing in you boots...so sorry you'll have to wait until Wednesday...I will tell you however "the boss' bottom & star wars stickers are involved!

Until wednesday then......

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Shrouded in mystery

This is one of those posts....you know the kind...
It has been nagging me for quiet some time...in fact ever since I read
This post {feel free to check it now...I'll wait}
okay now that we are on the same page

I have given a great deal of thought on how I can incorporate a bit of mystery into my personality
I feel a small pain even typing it...you see I am one of those...yup I truly feel that every person I meet is dying to know each and every detail of my existence ! The up side of this personality trait is that my beliefs and values are never a secret... The down side is of course that I don't simply share my beliefs and values.. In fact I am pretty sure the women behind me at grocery store the other day knows my shoe size....why, I wish I knew! This need I have to share must be part of me for a purpose...one that I am sure doesn't involve strangers knowing the linear detials of my feet. So here is my resolution...I resolve to share my thoughts and feelings reguarding; my faith, my love for my children, my love for my husband, knowledge I have obtained( only if applicable ), & recipes(only if asked, or on my blog of course ). I will remain mysterious reguarding the following topics; my measurements, any disagreements that have taken place in our home (involving anyone who lives here), my thoughts (if not pertenent to the conversation ).
By saying all this I realize that I am leaving little mystery....old habits you know

Monday, February 02, 2009

tears...hysterics...FUNNY MONDAY

if you have yet to see the pelicula ( movie)
Nacho Libre
then this funny Monday may not tickle your funny bone the way
it well
lets be honest I was laughing so hard I started crying......then when he began to wrestle me to the ground........I lost it
this guy is soooooooooooooo funny
so we have a new pet name
Chancho
(it's okay you can call people pig....or even fat for that matter in Spanish it isn't offensive....in fact it is endearing)
oh lets begin at the beginning .......A funny thing happened the other day...........
we dressed the boss up in his Chancho Libre get up and he wrestled anyone & everyone who got near him
Wrestling with the El Chancho consist of mostly of him sitting on your face and jumping up and down.......with a cape this is priceless.
YOUR TURN
YOUR TURN
YOUR TURN
YOUR TURN
YOUR TURN
YOUR TURN