I’m Here Kinda

I know that I have been a horrible blogger.  My excuse..life is crazy. But I am going to try and get better just as soon as we get back from our vacation. We leave in just 4 days!! Can you believe it?? We leave for Disney in just a few days. I cannot believe it.  It seems like I was just told that we were going yesterday.

I have noticed that one of my blogging buddies has gone. It is always sad to see one of your favorite blogs disappear. If you are reading this, please say hi. Even though I have not been posting, I have been reading your blogs.

Setting the Table

I have always been fascinated by tablescapes. I love the way that they look and feel. I just never remember to do them. LOL. This year we will not be having Thanksgiving at my house. We will once again be at the station. Yes, fire rat is on duty. I think that he has been on duty the past 3 or 4 years.

Anyway, back to our post. Here are some wonderful ideas for your Thanksgiving table this year.

You can choose from 6 different placemats here.

Check out this cool Gourd Turkey. This would be a great centerpiece.

I love these Glowbirds. I might just have to make them even though we will not be home.

How about an edible place card? YUMMY!

How about including everyone in creating your centerpiece? Just create a little “turkey feather station’ and make a turkey table topper.

These are beautiful table covers. I just wish that I had chairs that I could use these on.

I have always wanted to try potato stamping. You can try it here and make Harvest Linens.

If you want to add a little pizazz to your napkins, here are some effortless ideas.

 

Tragedy

 

There are no words to describe the sadness that I feel for those in Fort Hood Texas. My thoughts go out to the victims and their families. I am sure in the next few days we will find out the details. My only hope is that this does not turn into a political battle.

 

animated flag courtesy of The Flag Pole.

Is Routine a 4 letter word?

I have heard that it takes 21 to form a habit. That means that it should take 21 days to get a routine down pat, right? So today is going to be day 1. We are going to get a routine down. Hopefuly we will stick with it. I say hopefully because every fiber in my body rebels against a schedule. Every fiber wants to go with the flow. I have 3 little guys who are completely different when it comes to a routine. Dragon would thrive on a routine, as long as he could set it. Tracker needs a much slower and laid back routine. He needs time to just be there. Squirrel could take it or leave it.  What I am going to do is start with a morning routine. I figure that is a great place to start.

According to zenhabits here are some guideline to establishing a routine:

The key steps to establishing routines are to:

1. Do one habit only. Too many people try to do multiple habits at once, which nearly guarantees failure. You need to choose one for this month, and give it your complete focus. You can always do the others in subsequent challenges.
2. Start small. Many people also try to bite off more than they can chew. That’s natural — people get enthusiastic. What you want to do is to set as your goal something very easily achievable, somthing you know you can do. If you do this, you will be successful. If you get too ambitious, you will likely fail.
3. Report often. Each day, there is a daily check-in thread on the forum for people to report their successes and failures. I suggest you check in daily, or as close to daily as possible, so you are accountable to the group. This is a virtual guarantee of some success, especially coupled with the above two guidelines.

Interested in joining the August Challenge? Sign up on the Zen Habits forums!

I like the idea of using blocks instead of times for scheduling like this.

Do you have a routine in your household? Is it strict or go with the flow type?

 

Creepy Crawlies

We did the Finish-the-Spider-Drawing from Art Projects for Kids. My children found it very challenging.

 

 

A Haunted Mansion or Two

Sour Cream and Carmelized Onion Twice Baked Potato

My family really enjoyed this recipe.  I cannot wait to try it again.

Sour Cream and Onion Twice Baked Potatoes

2 medium-large russet potatoes
1 tbsp. butter
1 cup diced onions
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup sherry
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Chives, parsley, or any other fresh herb
2 tbsp. grated parmesan

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Scrub potatoes, piece with a fork, wrap in foil.
Place potatoes directly on the oven wrack, bake for an hour.
While potatoes bake, heat a skillet over low.
Add butter, onions, salt and pepper.
Sautee for 15 minutes, or until caramelized, add sherry, reduce and turn heat off.
When potatoes are cooled, about 30 minutes, cut off the top 1/3 and scoop out the flesh, add to a mixing bowl.Add onions, sour cream, garlic powder, herbs and parmesan to mixing bowl.
Mix well, taste and adjust seasonings.
If mixture seems dry, add stock or milk to thin.
Place potato shells on a baking sheet.
Spoon mixture back into skins, place back in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, until a golden brown crust forms.
Remove from the oven and plate.

***Changes I made*** I had to almost triple this recipe to feed my family. We used a large onion, red wine instead of sherry(all I had),  shredded cheddar cheese and spinach flakes.

Air & Ground Expo

Last weekend we went the National Guard  Air & Ground Expo. My kids had a blast. I knew that Tracker would enjoy it, but I did not realize just how much Dragon & Squirrel got into it. We were all amazed to see all the planes, tanks, helicopters, tents, and various other military equipment.

Dragon’s favorite thing to see? The Golden Knights. He thought that it was really neat to see them jump out of the plane.

Squirrel’s favorite thing? Helicopters and this plane. What was so neat about this plane?? It was flown by a female pilot.

Tracker’s favorite thing? Tanks, tents, planes, and everything in between. His most favorite thing in the world…. meeting a real life “Cracker“.

Fire Rat’s favorite thing? The Cobra demonstration.

My favorite thing? Seeing my family so happy.

Homeschool Burnout

It is now a couple of months into the new school year and we are re-evaluating everything. I think that every homeschooler does this. We constantly think about what we are doing and if it is working. We have had this week at home. There was no swimming this week.  I have seen just what we can accomplish when we put our minds to it.

If you are starting to get a little burned out, here are some tips to help you out.

~Change it up. Put away the book work and do a unit study or maybe a lapbook.

~Take a mini break. Take a few days off from ‘doing school’ and just hang out. Go to the park and explore the trails. Go to the museum and see what is new, Go camping for a few days. Nature has a way of righting things.

~Take some time for yourself. It is very easy for moms to always put themselves last on the list. Take some time to see that movie that you have been wanting to see. Go to the bookstore and roam the shelves.

~Figure out what is absolutely necessary in your homeschooling day. Are you over scheduling your children? Do you have too many responsibilities outside the home? If possible take a break from a few.

~Talk to your homeschooling friends. They know what you are going through and they might have some wonderful suggestions.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

We woke up to temperatures in the low 40’s. I actually had to turn on the heat last night. I cannot remember the last time that I have had to turn on the heat this early in the year.  I knew that my children would be very cold when they woke up, so oatmeal was in order.

I made Pumpkin Oatmeal for breakfast. This dish received 3 thumbs up from my children. I was told that I had to make it again. I did change the recipe. First I multiplied the recipe to feed my children. I also used 1/2 vanilla soy milk and 1/2 plain soy milk in the place of the milk. I also added a little bit more oatmeal at the end because my children like the texture with some raw oatmeal and some cooked.  I also used raisins instead of cranberries, why? My daughter is not a fan of cranberries.

Pumpkin Oatmeal with Raisins and Pecans

serves 4

1 1/2 cups vanilla soy milk

1 1/2 cups plain soy milk

2 cups old fashion oats

dash of salt

3/4 cup homemade pumpkin puree

dash of cinnamon(to taste)

handful of raisins

1/2 cup chopped pecans

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

a tsp butter

Bring the milk and salt to a boil. Add 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal and cook for 3 minutes. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, raisins and cook for another 2 minutes. I then added about 1/4 c oats, butter, and half the pecans and stirred. I then took it off the heat to get thicker. Once it thicken up, I dished it out and then added more pecans for a topping.