Teens

Hello out there! Didn't realize how long it has been since I blogged? Haven't thought much about blogging since my last post....until recently when so many words and thoughts have been swirling around in my head...and I realized that I write these thoughts down more for myself than my readers and I need to blog!  So many things happening...you better sit down and grab some coffee....

I'm enduring deployment no. 2.  Not fun single parenting teenagers...I've learned alot about myself and my teens.  Number 1...just because you raise them right and talk to them endlessly, doesn't mean their always gonna make the right choices...they do need accountability and supervision...even the "good" kids.  Sometimes, I think because they are older they don't need me as much....quite wrong...they need me MORE!  I keep thinking of that verse in the Bible, "A child left to himself, bringeth his mother to shame."  I need to pay attention to the influences around them...someone or something 24/7 is having an influence on them; their music, their friends, their books, the tv, my friends, their coaches, teachers, ect.  See what I mean? 

Number 2 Teens need EXTRA love and positive encouragement.  In a world that condems you for what your wear, where you live, how you act, ect. It's important for me to encourage them in a positive way to be true to themselves, and not let people dictate who they are.  Instead of critising what they aren't doing, they need verbal appreciation for what they are doing. You want them to talk to you about the big stuff? Then talk and laugh with them about the little stuff...the stuff that is important to them! Those that rule with an iron fist and constant condemnation never amounted to anything. Fear will keep a person from moving forward and producing good fruit.  Rule with love, kindness, forgiveness, long-suffering, and gentleness...and you will win their heart and see them thrive and be happy in life.  I've read these similar words many times, but I see in my teens that it is so true. 

Can I expect my teen to wake up in a good mood and love life when I wake him up barking orders about cleaning his room, open the window cuz your room smells, you got five minutes to get to the table for breakfast so we can have our devotions and start school! wow! Even if I was a morning person...that would've have totally ruined my day.  What is this a concentration camp?  How about Good Morning?????   I'm NOT a morning person, but I'm working on waking up more cheerfully and starting my day with greetings, smiles and music....yes I really do put in music...it brings a cheerful mood to the house in the morning and everyone is hopeful for a good day! More is caught then taught.....if mom has a smile and a joyful spirit, chances are so will your kids. If you complain, expect your kids to complain...if you whine expect your kids to whine...if you see your life dark and depressing, so do your kids. 

I did not intend one bit to write a whole paper on teens....I was going to update you on all the happenings here in Germany...I guess I will save that for next time.

Aubrey xo

Chicken bones in the sock drawer ect ect

I hate kids!!

I'm Kidding......

"They" say this too shall pass and one day we will miss these awful things they do to us!

I just wonder if "they" ever had kids...or more than one at least.

Anyway, I sighed, took a picture... and today I'm googling how to pull molasses-like tar out of stuff and....... looking for the tea fairy that will magically fill up the tea jug if you put away empty, and wondering if a chicken really did crawl up in the drawer and die, or if they REALLY did put a chicken leg in their sock drawer!!

Found empty cereal box...common. I guess there is a cereal fairy too!!

My husband asked why in the world I was taking pictures in the kitchen while mumbling under my breath. I told him he wouldn't understand seeing as how he wants another one of them two little legged creatures.

Can you tell I had a long day yesterday...hahaha...I went to a ladies meeting at church and came home to a spotlessly clean house, laundry done(albeit my silk blouse was washed with white towels), and my shoes all in a neat row in my closet.....awww...he's AMAZING!!!!

No wonder people say I have a wonderful sense of humor....if I didn't ...well I'll just leave it at that.

It's not so hard to deal with all the chaos and imperfections a big family can bring, when there are sooooo many other things about them that are such a blessing and make your life so incredible!!

Aubrey xo

My little men

My little men....I feel so blessed to have these two guys in my life. In a few months I will have two teenagers (they are 13 months apart) and I can honestly say that they bring great joy to me. They have such good attitudes and carry a positive outlook on life. They help me out so much, I rarely have to ask ...they have really helped to lessen the load of caring for so much with their dad away. He would be very proud of them.

I'm bragging on them because the past year their dad has been gone, they have had to take on extra responsibility and they haven't complained one time!! They take each day as it comes happy and cheerful.....and I marvel that teens CAN actually be happy and helpful afterall :P
Ive felt bad for having to ask so much of them...they are just willing and obedient and do it!!!



They are dressed for church in the pic above...they sang with their little sisters that night. It was funny because we had practiced a song that week just in case they are ever asked. I told them they should always be ready as the Lord may call on them to share His Word in song...well, there was no special singing that evening, so the song leader asked if the kids could sing.....wished you could've seen their faces!!! (mom is right once in awhile)

I'm praying they keep their sweet spirit of joy and happiness as they continue grow in their teen years! I plan to have lots of fun with my teens!!

Aubrey

My kid climbed the lamp post today...what did yours do?;)

Last night I finally broke out my knitting needles and started on my afghan for the couch. I love a cozy knitted blanket to read with in the winter. This prompted my girls to get their knitting looms and start on some wool hats for winter. They prefer the looms right now to the needles. Ziggy patiently sat on Genevieve's lap while she knitted!

I don't know what is going on with the weather today, I took my kids to the library and had to turn on the AC! It was actually a bit warm! It cooled down again later this afternoon, but wasn't expecting the warmth. So we took advantage of what could be our last lovely day of fall, as the trees are already looking bare, and strolled down to the park.

Way off the subject~ my daughter does not do anything the conventional way. She has a huge imagination and she uses it everywhere, not just in her writing(she's writing a book) At eight years old, she still loves to climb everything in the park, from the bars that hold the swing to the slide, to the lamp post. It might as well be Mount Everest, she has to tackle all of them and see just how high she can get. {I see a peakbagger in the future :)}

I sit and marvel at her bravery and her imagination (like climbing up the swing set to slide down the pole) when she sits atop the monkey bars while other little girls are swinging from the rings she is imagining she is a pirate on top of the mast of a great vessel spying for enemy ships. Meanwhile another mom is telling her child to quit climbing UP the slide, "that's not how you do it".

While I'm not encouraging disobedience in the least{I expect obedience from her from the first command!} I expect my kids to sometimes think outside the box!!! Not just vacuum their room, but wonder what makes the vacuum suck up stuff...."hmmmm I wonder will it suck up my pj's and underwear?" (it's happened recently) ;) Maybe for the past five years she has always gone down the slide frontwards, now she wants to see what happens when she slides down backwards or on her belly. What does it feel like to swing on my belly?

I imagine that before Thomas Edison ever invented the light bulb, he must have tried at least a ton of different things and methods unconventional to the logic mind. What about the famous 14 yr old that skates all these ridiculous moves and jumps and swirlys in the air, one day he got the bright idea to stack bricks and boards to see high his bike/skate would go and could he land on one wheel?

Many successful inventions and discoveries were spurred on by the freedom to use their imagination and braverly to conquer a feat they set out to accomplish.

Maybe you didn't like hockey when you were little, or rafting, but don't tell the kid standing in line at the library with 15 books on water rafting and how to play hockey, that it's scary and you broke your nose and three legs! He's about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime...let him explore these wonderful opportunities...to enjoy life to it's fullest...Encourage, explore and enjoy and they will love people, life, and an exuberant confidence in themselves driven by all that you supported and encouraged him in!

My .02 :)

Enjoy your week~ Aubrey

rag dolls

Today was craft day at my house...rag dolls. I volunteered my friend's help to sew and we stayed up monday night to get it all ready, cutting and sewing!


I sketched a paper doll pattern...then penned to my fabric to cut and sew.







The rag dolls were a HIT! And the girls really loved putting hair, eyes, stuffing, ect. together.

Table all ready for the girls to put their dollies together.

stuffing the dollies

The crafty girls

Mommies, little girls, and baby dolls

Some lil dollies two of the lil girls made! Aren't they cute?

Fall and Lentils

The world around me is a fury of orange, reds, and yellows. Fall has to be the most gorgeous time of the year in the Adirondacks.



Today is Columbus day{we got a library book about this holiday}. We did some school work and are heading to the Black River for some fall hiking with our friends. I don't normally take off for this holiday, but it is a gorgeous day..cool, crisp, sunny, and it would be plain torture to keep my kids locked inside for school on a day like this{another reason why I homeschool}....And sadly, I will not be here for another Fall season in the beautiful Adirondacks!







Lentil Soup in the crockpot...for supper!





1 cup dried lentils
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups diced cooked ham
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
32 ounces chicken broth
1 cup water
8 teaspoons tomato sauce
Directions
In a 3 1/2 quart or larger slow cooker combine the lentils, celery, carrots, onion, garlic and ham. Season with basil, thyme, oregano, the bay leaf and pepper. Stir in the chicken broth, water and tomato sauce. Cover and cook on Low for 11 hours. Discard the bay leaf before serving.

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 222 Total Fat: 6.1g



Lentils are an excellent source of protein, fiber, and folic acid.



Lentils, like other beans, are rich in dietary fiber, both the soluble and insoluble type. Soluble fiber forms a gel-like substance in the digestive tract that snares bile (which contains cholesterol)and ferries it out of the body. Insoluble fiber not only helps to increase stool bulk and prevent constipation, but also helps prevent digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulosis.

Lentils are excellent in lowering cholesterol, they are of special benefit in managing blood-sugar disorders since their high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal.Lentils also provide good to excellent amounts of six important minerals, two B-vitamins, and protein-all with virtually no fat.

History:
Lentils are believed to have originated in central Asia. They are one of the first foods to have ever been cultivated. Lentil seeds dating back thousands of years have been found at archeological sites in the Middle East. Lentils were mentioned in the Bible both as the item that Jacob traded to Esau for his birthright and as a part of a bread that was made during the Babylonian captivity of the Jewish people.

I think I would LOVE to try this:
Moroccan lentil soup is easy to make. After cooking lentils, add diced vegetables of your choice and season with tamari{soy sauce}, coriander, cumin, turmeric and cayenne.

Off to go hiking~

Aubrey

Dear Diary...hobby stores, museums and photos

Headed to Syracuse today....found an awesome hobby store...dad bought me my first model to put together...vintage model airplane. Whoo-hoo...and a woodburning kit...to make my vintage jewelry with...yep going to start working on my jewelry again. Can't wait to show you my first piece. :)

Went to Museum of Science and Techonology...and saw an Imax film. I definitely recommend this museum...most.org if you're interested in finding info on it. We really enjoyed it! Then we had fun shooting photos...of course.












City made of toothpics....3 million to be exact!!! Pretty cool!



At the IMAX with papa!


Fall maybe here, but these roses were still blooming downtown!



Off to drink a hot cup of apple cider~ Army wife

Dear Diary...Cider Mill and vintage clothes

The weather promised sunshine and warm temperatures! It was cold, wet, and miserable out! That didn't stop us from heading to the cider mill outside of town in anticipation of some of those delicious cider donuts and sweet apple cider. I was not disappointed....it was delicious and we got to whatch them use the cider press, sort the apples, and pour the cider!





Next we headed around the corner to get a photoshoot of mom and dad. Dad does not like have his pictures taken...I had to move swiftly and not mushy posing...:)






Now for modeling vintage/anthropologie style(my version) :) What do you think?






Next~ we headed to the hobby store that was closed yesterday...my dad bought the kids some vintage model airplanes to put together. We they came home it was hobby class and dad was teaching! :) Can't wait to hang these from the boy's ceiling! I LOVE vintage war planes! I know ...I'm weird...I love history and anything vintage...so yes that would include antique war planes! I'll post pics when they are hung in place.




We skipped a tour of Sacketts Harbor today as it was raining really hard. We came home to relax, but not before mom decided a stop at the post thrift store was in order ( it's only open on tues and thurs) Aha...then we stopped at the post museum to read a little history...came home to crash....had popcorn while watching an old pearl harbor movie. Awesome day!

Oh...did you know today marks the day on the calender we honor and remember our POW's and MIA's. "You will never be forgotten" RIP!!!

Army wife saying goodnight for now~

Dear Diary....school in session

Yep, that's me and that's pretty much been my life since school started four weeks ago...I have soooo much reading to do, it's almost overwhelming. I do read a lot outside...it's easier to focus and consume what I'm reading. My nutrition class can sometimes consists of 10 lectures a week PLUS book reading...ugh..I'm dying. Wondering if I'm actually processing this and will I really remember all this information. :P dear daughter who is aspiring photographer took this. :)



Remember my chickpea sprouts? Well, these are lentil sprouts, because the chickpeas rotted... and stunk to high heaven. I did not rinse them as often I should've. So the lentils I have rinsed about three times a day and as you can see we were successful! So I'm making tacos tonight with lentil sprouts. I will probably cook mine a little and substitute the meat for my sprout with all the yummy fixin's like avocado, homemade salsa, homemade tortillas,cheese and sour cream. Yummo!

Homeschool project: Make mom some cool art for kitchen wall behind sink...where the builders forgot to add window! I like my new art.


Put a few things out for fall, glass jar from Ikea, mossy rocks, leaves, moss from Dollar Tree, candle clearance at walmart.


I think I was actually on the phone, a little bored, and feeling creative. Scrawled our initial on my lampshade with CHALK.


Finally got around to hanging my beloved vintage and milk glass plate on dining room wall. I love it when I find odd pieces here and there. They come home to a big happy family! :)


Getting ready this week for my parents to come visit!! They'll be here about a week or so. I'm sure I'll have lots of pictures to post. I hope the weather will be nice and it won't be too chilly...if so we'll cuddle up and eat chilli! :)

Army Wife~