Only two screws left over... hmmm... wonder where they were supposed to go!

They don't change much...

Our 3 oldest spent the week at the place where our church convention is held, helping to get it ready for the annual convention which will be happening in a few weeks.  They had a great time - working during the day and playing volleyball and other games in the evening.

We have a joke around here (since our first five kids are girls with 2 boys following) that boys are a completely different breed than girls.  One of our girls was telling me that at meal time whichever girl ended up sitting closest to the boys' end of the table got to listen in on the "all boy" conversation - they spent the meal laughing involuntarily.  I asked if Lincoln and Garrett were on track to be normal boys.  Her reply... "They don't change much..."

The 'lil cowboy

Garrett came in from playing outside (driving his pickup truck around - taking care of the farm) this morning and said to Abigail...



"I don't know how to be a cowboy. I am going to go to where the resting chair is (whatever that is... I wasn't aware that we had one of those... maybe the rocking chair?) Someone is going to come sit in the resting chair and teach me how to be a cowboy." He then came to me and said, "Mommy, I don't know how to be a cowboy... can you teach me how to be a cowboy?" I replied that I didn't really know how to be a cowboy either. "Who can teach me?" he asked. I recommended that he go ask Laura, because she reads a lot of books and maybe she had learned how to be a cowboy from one of them. So he went and found Laura. "Laura, I really don't know how to be a cowboy. Would you please teach me how to be a cowboy?" "They wear cowboy boots and cowboy hats. They ride horses and move the cows around. They have lassos. They yodel and play the guitar. Their favorite foods are beans and bacon and coffee." His next step was to come to me with a cute little smile and ask for some coffee. So after his coffee* he headed downstairs with his cowboy hat and cowboy boots to ride his horse.

* Yes, he really did drink some coffee. He has been enjoying coffee since he was a few days old when his sisters dipped their fingers in coffee and let him suck it off of their fingers.

Get your animals straight...

Emily was just talking about the "bull" we took in to the butcher last week.  Garrett said, "It's NOT a bull, it's a TEER!!!"

(Then to me:  "Emily doesn't know what a "teer" is...")

(Teer = steer)

Finally - a menu - Week of 7/1/12

Sunday

• Breakfast -  Skillet potatoes with scrambled eggs, English Muffins
• Lunch - Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Green Beans, Salad
• Supper - ?

Monday

• Breakfast - Overnight Blueberry Oven Pancake
• Snack - Grapefruit
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Snack - Granola Bars
• Supper - Chicken Drumsticks, Sweet Potatoes, Corn Bread, Salad

Tuesday

• Breakfast - English Muffins, Baked Eggs
• Snack - Yogurt, Granola
• Lunch - Cream of Broccoli Soup, Cheese Slices, Rolls
• Snack - Watermelon
• Supper - L/O Roast Beef, Potatoes, Gravy, Corn

Wednesday

• Breakfast - Biscuits & Gravy, Fried Eggs
• Snack - Banana Bars
• Lunch - Steak, Baked Potatoes, Peas & Carrots
• Snack - Peanuts & Raisins
• Supper - Hamburgers & Hot Dogs

Thursday

• Breakfast - Scrambled Eggs, Toast
• Snack - Fruit Bars
• Lunch - Sandwiches
• Snack - Chips & Salsa
• Supper - Black Bean Enchiladas

Friday

• Breakfast - Steel Cut Oats, Fruit, Granola, Toast, Peanut Butter
• Snack - Cheese & Crackers
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Snack - Popcorn
• Supper - Pasta Salad

Saturday

• Breakfast - Breakfast Rollups
• Lunch - Sandwiches, Chips
• Supper - Leftovers

Our family picture book

This is the book we are having printed out for prospective birth moms to view.

Our Mixbook

As if our life isn't busy enough...

For several years, it has been in our hearts to adopt someday.  It hadn't seemed to be the right time, though, until recently.  Maybe it is because our youngest is three now and we've gotten some rest from the more intensive physical care that newborns, infants and toddlers take. :)  Anyway, a few weeks ago we spent a few hours with an adoption lawyer learning about the costs and legal aspects of adoption.  So... we don't know who, we don't know when and we don't even know if it will be our privilege to bring another child into our family through adoption, but we do know that our hearts and thoughts are going that direction.

This summer, we have been working in our basement.  We've been sorting, cleaning, throwing away  - both to make room to build a bedroom or two (it is a walkout basement on two sides so it is more like a first floor, not a dungeon) and to have a sale to help pay for the costs of an adoption if it works out.  It's been a lot of work, but it has also been so much fun for the kids and me to work together. It's been fun to find pictures of when the kids were littler and  to dig out toys and clothes that they had when they were babies.  A friend of ours invited us to bring our stuff over to add to her yard sale next month, and that was (and still is) the plan.  But as we added and added and added to our pile of stuff we realized that it would take several trips to get our stuff to their house and we decided we'd have a pre- yard sale, yard sale here.  So this weekend is the weekend of that sale.  I put up a sign advertising that it was an "adoption benefit sale" thinking that it might encourage people to buy some of our stuff, but it was amazing as one after another people handed us money to pay for their purchases and said "keep the change".

So the thought that has been going through my mind today is that it is "More blessed to give than to receive..." but it is also so humbling - difficult - and beautiful to be on the receiving end of people's kindness and generosity.

(As a side note, the lawyer said the best way to find a child who is need of a family is through the network of friends and family - so... if anyone hears of a child needing adoption, please keep us in mind. At this point we are thinking of a child younger than our youngest who is 3)

Things you don't see growing up in the city...

We had a parade go past our house this afternoon - over 30 tractors riding in memory of a local farmer who passed away a couple of years ago.  We stood on the hillside and waved as they drove by.

We packed a lot into...

...a weekend with a few extra days.

We spent the weekend at the home of some friends a few hours north of us.  These friends happen to have a lot of room at their place and several families were invited to spend Memorial Day weekend there.  What a wonderful time!  We were talking about it this morning and realized that there were children at every age from 18 down to less than an year (with the exception of any 2 or 4 year olds).  The fun thing was that all of the kids from every age group enjoyed playing together.  There was swimming in the pond, softball, hymn singing, instrument playing, bubbles, a car wash, eating, a moonlight hay ride, lots and lots of visiting (including whispering late into the night in the girls' sleeping area), several volleyball games (including a session that lasted until 11:30 one night after most of the kids were in bed) and lots more.  We forgot to take a camera along, so hopefully someone will share some of their pictures with us.

One of the girls there was getting ready to graduate from high school.  She has been home schooled her whole life so we all thought it would be fun to have a little graduation party for her.  Someone got some cake.  Someone printed up an "almost graduated" certificate and a certificate for the "parents of the year" for her parents and someone suggested we sing the song "Dear Lord we Thank Thee for our Youth Today" to her and the rest of the kids there.  It was a really nice little celebration of her (and her parents) accomplishment.

Monday, at lunch time, the kids told us they had something for the parents.  Here is what they sang to us to the same tune as the above hymn.  One of the girls (Laura) had been thinking of this thought for a while and had been putting it together in her head.  After we sang to them, she put this song down on paper with the help of some of her friends. It was beautiful to hear them.

"Dear Lord we thank Thee for those who higher climb

The lowly path that leads to rest sublime

They leave examples all along the way

Helping young feet that from the path would stray

When the oppressing cares of mortal life

Weigh down their feet and hinder in the strife

Help them to see the examples that they make

Showing the youth how to labor for His sake

Chorus:

Dear Savior help them farther go

As Thee their Lord they better learn to know

Doing their best to lead

Strengthening each young seed

As on Thy word they feed

Each day more and more

It was a beautiful ending to a wonderful weekend!

Happy Birthday Lincoln!!!

Our little man is 6 today!!!  He's full of fun.  Loves to tease me with snakes and worms and other creepy creatures.  Still has lots of snuggles and cuddles in him.  Does a great job in school - another little bookworm.  We love him so much and are so glad we have him!  Have a great Birthday, Lincoln Todd!!

Just because I posted this picture and thought it was cute does NOT mean it is OK to climb in the washing machine!  

Well, since the kids let the cat out of the bag...

... that today is my birthday... 

They made me some cute mini angel food cake cupcakes with a strawberry and some whipped cream on top. -Yummy!!
(And yes, they used a match for a candle... )

 

Hacked/Happy Birthday!

Mom said that she wouldn't do a birthday post for herself. Of course, her children refused to think of letting her sneak by that way. 

Happy birthday! These are some random pictures that we scanned to the computer. 

Fourth Grade

Graduation

Cheetos

Love,

Your Children

A bone shaking experience

Poor Garrett was having a rough time playing today.  He got stung by a bee on his toe, he fell down and got hurt, and it seemed like every few minutes I would hear him crying and in he would come for some sympathy and snuggling.

At one point, he was crying and I asked him what happened.  He said through his sobs... "My bones got shaked."  Poor little guy.

Rock-a-bye Baby...

I was singing Rock a bye baby to Garrett while rocking him this morning.  When I got done, he sat up and looked at me and said... "But the mommy will catch him, right?"

Of course, my sweet Garrett, of course!

Back in the olden days...

Heidi was asking me how many days there were until summer.  I guess I was too slow looking it up online and counting the days, so she went into Lincoln's room and came back with the announcement that summer started June 20th.  She said, "I looked it up on the calendar, wasn't that smart?  I guess that is how they found things out like that in the old days..."

I'll spare you the pictures...

of the impromptu dissection  that happened after supper this evening.  The girls went out to take care of the chickens and one of the birds had died... So in they came for a knife.  They had great fun checking it all out while the dogs drooled patiently nearby.  I finally had to go out and check things out when Garrett came in and told me I had to go outside and see something hilarious! (I think that is a new word he is trying out and hasn't quite figured out yet because hilarious isn't exactly the word I would have chosen for the sight)  Some of the comments... "We found a spot inside that when we poked it the beak opened and closed..."  "You should have seen the intestines - they were really long - we gave it to the dog."  "Make its eyeball pop out..."  "Mommy, you have to come see it, it is soooo cool..."

A little later, Lincoln and Garrett were in the pasture.  Lincoln accidentally kicked a cow pie, so Garrett, of course, had to go kick it too.  Lincoln looked down in awe and said, "Garrett, you just dissected a cow pie!"

Sunday

• Breakfast -   Fried Eggs, Sausage, Toast
• Lunch - Pot Roast, Roasted Potatoes, Peas
• Supper - Sandwiches, Chips

Monday

• Breakfast - Scrambled Eggs, Toast
• Snack - Popcorn
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Snack - Granola Bars
• Supper - Chicken Stir Fry, Rice

Tuesday

• Breakfast - Bagels & Cream Cheese, Scrambled Eggs
• Snack - 
• Lunch - Pizza
• Snack - Bananas
• Supper - Chicken Salad Wraps

Wednesday

• Breakfast - Breakfast Burritos
• Snack - Granola Bars
• Lunch - Sandwiches
• Snack - Pretzels
• Supper - Red Beans & Rice, Cornbread

Thursday

• Breakfast - Eggs, English Muffins
• Snack - Apples & Peanut Butter
• Lunch - Sandwiches & Chips
• Snack - Fruit Bars
• Supper - 

Friday

• Breakfast - Steel Cut Oats, Fruit, Granola, Toast Peanut Butter
• Snack - Cheese & Crackers
• Lunch - Baked Potatoes & Toppings (Sour Cream, Bacon, Cheese, Broccoli, etc.)
• Snack - Popcorn
• Supper - Sweet & Sour Meatballs, Rice, Green Beans

Saturday

• Breakfast - Pancakes, Sausage Links
• Lunch - 
• Supper - Shredded Chicken with Salsa, Black Beans, Avocado, Tortilla, Lettuce, etc.

Menu for the week of 4/22/12 (finally)

Sunday

• Breakfast -   Cinnamon Rolls, Scrambled Eggs
• Lunch - Beef Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Corn
• Supper - Sandwiches, Chips

Monday

• Breakfast - Scrambled Eggs, Mashed Potato Patties
• Snack - L/O Cinnamon Rolls
• Lunch - Macaroni & Cheese, Peas
• Snack - Peanuts
• Supper - Chicken Stir Fry, Rice

Tuesday

• Breakfast - Banana Muffins, Scrambled Eggs
• Snack - L/O Muffins
• Lunch - Hamburgers, Toppings, French Fries
• Snack - Raisins & Peanuts
• Supper - Toasted Ham & Cheese Sandwiches, 

Wednesday

• Breakfast - Baked Eggs, Toast
• Snack - Granola Bars
• Lunch - Sandwiches, Popcorn
• Snack - Pretzels
• Supper - Lasagna, Green Beans, Garlic Bread

Thursday

• Breakfast - Steel Cut Oats, Fruit, Toast & Peanut Butter
• Snack - Crackers & Cream Cheese
• Lunch - Chicken Salad Rollups
• Snack - Bananas
• Supper - Sauerkraut & Kielbasa, L/O Mac & Cheese, Applesauce

Friday

• Breakfast - Overnight Blueberry Oven Pancakes
• Snack - Cheese & Crackers
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Snack - Popcorn
• Supper - Leftovers or Pork Chops, Buttered Garlic Pasta, Peas

Saturday

• Breakfast - Dutch Babies
• Lunch - Pizza
• Supper - Sandwiches

When you can't choose...

Whether you'd rather practice your guitar or ride your horse...

Our poor chicken...

was chased by our puppy tonight and it scared her so much she laid an egg before she was done making the outer layer.

Menu for the week of 4/15/12

Sunday

• Breakfast -   Biscuits & Gravy, Fried Eggs
• Lunch - Roasted Chicken, Rice, Sweet Potatoes, Gravy, Pudding
• Supper - Nachos, L/Os 

Monday

• Breakfast - Scrambled Eggs, Toast
• Snack - Granola Bars
• Lunch - Fried Rice, Applesauce, Peas
• Snack - Chips & Salsa
• Supper - Chicken & Noodles, Carrots, 

Tuesday

• Breakfast - Baked Oatmeal
• Snack - Yogurt & Granola
• Lunch - Spaghetti, Green Beans, Garlic Bread
• Snack - Raisins & Peanuts
• Supper - Sandwiches, Chips (in the car)

Wednesday

• Breakfast - Baked Eggs, Toast
• Snack - Granola Bars
• Lunch - Sandwiches, Popcorn
• Snack - Pretzels
• Supper - Hamburgers, Toppings, Chips & Salsa, Strawberry Shortcake

Thursday

• Breakfast - Steel Cut Oats, Fruit, Toast & Peanut Butter
• Snack - Crackers & Cream Cheese
• Lunch - Stir Fry Vegetables & Pork, Rice, Pineapple
• Snack - Graham Crackers & Peanut Butter
• Supper - Sandwiches, Chips (in the car again)

Friday

• Breakfast - Muffins, Poached Eggs
• Snack - Tortilla Roll Ups
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Snack - Popcorn
• Supper - Philly Cheese-steak Sandwich, French Fries, Pickles, Pears (Our Eating Across the USA Meal)

Saturday

• Breakfast - Dutch Babies
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Supper - Pizza

Jersey Guernsey Bull Calf

We found this little fellow in our pasture today

Rosie and Baby

Cleaning him up

The rest of the herd had to come check him out

Mini Vacation

Todd had a class in Springfield, IL all week, so the rest of us decided to ride along with him Thursday morning and spend the night up there so we could have a couple of days of field trips and fun.

We started out by going to Lincoln's New Salem.  It was pretty quiet when we were there - during the summer there are several "interpreters" who describe and act out life during the time Abraham Lincoln would have lived there.  There were a few interpreters there while we were there, but only in a couple of the buildings. We had fun walking around and looking in the buildings and especially having class in the little one room school house.  Then we met some friends at the park for some visiting and playing.  (It looks like I got everyone except Charlotte to stand still for an individual picture... guess I'll get her another day)

Friday, the kids and I spent the morning swimming. 

And spent the afternoon enjoying the Abraham Lincoln Museum.

 Todd was able to spend some time with us in the afternoon after his class finished.  He took Laura and Abigail over to the Lincoln library while the rest of the kids spent some time in Mrs. Lincoln's Attic.

It is such a strange sensation

to be scrolling through your kids pictures on the computer and thinking you are looking at a picture of yourself at that age and realizing that it is actually your daughter...

Our Greek Meal

We hadn't thought about doing our around the world menu yet when I scheduled mock gyros for supper tonight, but we decided to call it a Greek meal anyway.  We made Pita Bread, cooked a pork loin in the crock pot with some Greek seasonings, thinly sliced some onions and tomatoes and made some tzatziki sauce (strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and some salt & pepper).  It tasted pretty authentic, except it is pretty hard  impossible to replicate the spicy, crispy, juicy lamb carved off of the rotisserie like they do in the restaurants.  It was pretty good, anyway, and there were several requests for me to make it often. 

Sometimes it is actually quiet around here

When Garrett realized I had taken a picture of his siblings, he wanted to get in on the fun, so I had to get a picture of him reading too!

Our first batch of next year's school books

By this time of year, when the kids finish up one of their school books, I let them be done with that subject for the year instead of ordering the next level of the book.  Lincoln finished his math book a couple of weeks ago.  He loves math!  In fact, we have a series of math books that we supplement their regular math curriculum with called "Life of Fred" about a 5 year old math professor.  Lincoln read the first "Life of Fred" book the other day and declared that it was the best book he had ever read!  Anyway, back to his regular math book... As soon as he finished it, he asked if I would order his next math book.  Monday, I needed to place an order for some of Laura's next years books so we could look over them and see how we should schedule some of her classes and I went ahead and ordered Lincoln's math book along with her books.  When he realized that the box that UPS dropped off today included his book, he couldn't wait until the box was opened.  As soon as it was opened, he grabbed his math book and a pencil and headed off to get to work on it.  (I think his goal is to catch up to Heidi by next fall, lol)  I didn't quite catch the same level of excitement when Laura saw her math books in the box...  I think she was pretty happy to get her history book, though.

Our trip to the farm store

Today we made a trip to Rural King to get some chickens to eventually put in our freezer.  I'm not sure Todd will let the kids and me go by ourselves again.  We did end up with 75 Cornish Cross chicks (the meat birds) but we also came home with 4 Bantam chicks (for pets for the kids), 3 Araucana chicks (these chickens lay different colored eggs - light blue and green, mostly) and 30 Buff Orpingtons to replace our laying hens next fall. (How can you resist these cute little chicks which also happened to be on a great sale?)

Breakfast and supper

Our sweet little girl with her sweet little chick

So maybe we won't be doing many "Through the ages" recipes...

Here is a recipe I found tonight - I think I'll be sticking to more modern recipes!

Cookery Through the AgesRecipes from the Medieval to the Victorian ages.

---

Roasted Swan, Crane, Pheasant, Heron

Swan:

Cut a swan in the roof of the mouth toward the brain, and let him bleed. Keep the blood for chawdwyn (?entrails) - or else knot a knot on his neck, and so break his neck.

Then scald him. Draw him (gut him) and roast him even as you do a goose in all points, and serve him with chawd-wine.

Crane:

let a crane blood in the mouth as you did a swan, fold up his legs, cut off his wings at the joint next to the body, draw him, wind the neck about the spit, put the bill in his breast, his sauce is to be minced with powder of ginger, vinegar and mustard.

Pheasant:

Let a pheasant blood in the mouth as a crane, and let him bleed to death. Pull him dry, cut away his head and the neck by the body, and the legs by the knee, and put the knees in at the vent, and roast him. His sauce is sugar and mustard.

Heron:

Take a heron, and let him blood as a crane. And serve him iin all points as a crane, in scalding, drawing, and cuttiing the bone of the neck away. And let the skin be on, and roast and sauce him as the crane. Break away the bone from the knee to the foot, and let the skin be on (or one or in, the manuscript was not clear)

Expanding our menu

A few years ago, I realized that we hardly ever ate beans - not the green variety, but, you know, the musical ones.  Since they are quite nutritious and cheap, I decided that we really should eat them more.  The problem was that we really didn't like them all that well.  Kidney beans in chili or taco salad, re-fried beans with Mexican food and an occasional pot of ham and beans with cornbread was about all we ever had.  So, Thursdays became our bean day.  We would have beans of some kind every, or at least most, Thursdays.  The first week, nobody was too excited about their bowl of lentils, but Todd told them they all had to eat as many bites as they were old and proceeded to eat his 37 spoonfuls.  By the 3rd week, the kids were asking for beans more than once a week.  One of their favorite meals was split pea soup.  So now, we have some form of beans quite often, although we do still try to have them on Thursdays even if we have them other days. (This week we ended up without a bean day because of some scheduling and needing to use up some ingredients in the fridge.)

Today, the kids asked if we could start having meals from different parts of the country, world and ages.  So we decided that we'd do that on Monday or Tuesday.  There are a couple of books that I'd like to look at for this - one of them is called "Eat Your Way Through the USA", the other one is "Eat Your Way Around the World". I've found some websites with recipes from different times in history that I'll be looking at.  To accompany these meals, we will have each of the children write a five-page minimum essay on the history, making, etc. of these foods. A few titles will be "An Extensive History of the Use of Grecian Herbs as Seasonings", "The Development of the Unique French Tastes" "Why do Germans eat Braunschweiger? An Analysis of Why Different Peoples Eat Different Foods and the Effects of Them on Their Cultures, Decisions, and Natures." (The blue text is what was on the screen when I came back after stepping away for a little bit - I hadn't actually thought of doing that, but now that you mention it, Laura, that sounds like a great idea!)

So if you have any great ethnic or regional recipes, we'd love for you to share them.  You can e-mail them to toddandtamara @ gmail . com and I'll put them on my crittersinthekitchen.blogspot.com blog to add to the menu someday.

Menu for the week of 4/1/12

Sunday

• Breakfast -   Breakfast Burritos
• Lunch - Potluck
• Supper - BBQ Pork Sandwiches, Chips, Mushrooms 

Monday

• Breakfast - Pancakes, Fried Eggs 
• Snack - Cookies, Milk
• Lunch - L/O Pizza
• Snack - Ice Cream Cones
• Supper - Ground Beef Sandwiches (Browned Ground Beef in the crockpot seasoned with onions, garlic salt, steak sauce & whatever else sounds good and served on buns with toppings), Cole Slaw, French Fries, Applesauce

Tuesday

• Breakfast - Eggs in a hole
• Snack - Crackers with lunch meat
• Lunch -  Spaghetti Casserole, Green Beans, Bread Sticks
• Snack - Peanuts
• Supper - Tuna Sandwiches, Popcorn

Wednesday

• Breakfast - Baked Eggs, Toast
• Snack - Fruit Snacks
• Lunch - Sandwiches or leftovers
• Snack - Goldfish
• Supper - Turkey gravy & Biscuits, Cottage Cheese, Sweet Potatoes

Thursday

• Breakfast - Overnight Potatoes & Sausage; Scrambled Eggs
• Snack - Crackers with cheese
• Lunch - Shepherds Pie, Corn, Celery Sticks
• Snack - Bananas
• Supper - Toasted Subs, Chips

Friday

• Breakfast - Steel Cut Oats, Fruit, Toast & Peanut Butter
• Snack -  Homemade corn tortilla chips with Salsa
• Lunch - Egg Salad Sandwiches, Popcorn or leftovers
• Snack - Snack Mix
• Supper - Pitas filled with Greek seasoned pork and  tzatziki sauce, Potato salad

Saturday

• Breakfast - Blueberry Bars
• Lunch - Chicken and Noodles
• Supper - Pizza, Fruit Salad or Leftovers

The first of April

Coffee in my chocolate milk, reports of spiders and snakes and bugs where none really were, rocks under pillows, short sheeted beds, rearranged rooms, blue milk, rubber bands in sandwiches, "broken" phone screens, hangers in beds, rubber bands around sink sprayers, pillows under beds... and more.

I think I'm glad April 1st only comes once a year!

It's kind of hard to see in this picture, but the chair is backwards, the desk is pulled out from the wall, the pillows are on the wrong end of the bed, the bedside table is turned sideways... funny kids... :)