Family Day

Today is Family Day and I have the day off - my hubby however does not and my son has plans with his girlfriend so my plan is clean my house. Really deep down all the nooks and crannies cleaning! I am quite excited about this chance to just get it all done. When the little ones are here I am almost always on the main level with them and since I can't get much done that is noisy during nap time it is hard to do more than a quick cleaning on the other levels so today is the day!

Here is the list of what I hope to get done today.

Our Room & Hallway

Empty the closet- sort, organize, clean and vac.
Clean under the bed, go through under the bed bags, clean, vac.
Move my dresser- dust, vac., empty and sort.
Empty Hubby's dresser- clean and sort
Dust baseboards
Take down valances and wash
Scrub window sills
Wash windows
Vac.
Dust

Reading Area

Take out all books- dust, sort and organize
Vac.
Dust
Clean
Wash baseboards
Scrub window sills
Wash window
Take down curtain and wash

Bathroom

Clean
Dust
Clean light fixtures
Clean exhaust fan
Sweep
Mop
Wash baseboards
Wash windows
Take down valances and wash

Spare Room

Sweep under bed
Dust
Clean out closet
Vac. area rug
Febreeze rug
Wash floor and baseboards.
Scrub windowsills
Take down valances and wash

Entryway

Take out everything
Shake and air rugs on porch
Sweep
Wash floors
Dust banister and baseboards.
Vac. stairs
Wash boot trays
Febreeze rugs

Living room

Wash afghan
Take out rug
Move furniture and vac. and wash floors
Wash baseboards
Vac. furniture
Febreeze furniture
Dust

Dining Room

Clear out desk - dust, clean, organize
Wash table and chairs
Wash baseboards
Vac.
Dust
Febreeze rug

Kitchen

Clean fridge inside and out
Wash down stove
Clean counters
Wash cupboards
Wash baseboards
Pull out appliances and microwave stand and sweep and mop

Mudroom

Take out everything - sweep, mop, sort and clean
Wash doors
Wash baseboards

Laundry Room

Clear off floors and counter area
Organize pantry
Sweep
Mop
Wash down freezer, washer and dryer

Rec. Room

This room is Andy's domain where all the musical equipment is and where he hangs out with his friends he is in charge of cleaning it and he does but it is passt time for a really deep down Mom cleaning of this area. So....
Clean
Vac.
Organize
Sort
Dust
Wash baseboards
Etc. etc. etc. etc.

And I think that should just abut do it for today!

I didn't put down washing the windows on the main level or downstairs or washing the curtains because I will do that when the weather is warmer. The windows upstairs are the old wooden kind so I will just be doing the inside today. On the main level we have all new windows which pop in so you can clean both sides so I will do those when I won't freeze!

Well, I had best get at it! I will let you know how it goes.

Happy Family Day!

Blessings,
Liisa

Picture from www.allposters.com

Moose Cookies and Other Happenings

Inspired by this recipe I made Moose Cookies today for my son's girlfriend Jessalyn who really likes moose. I think they are cute and will be making them again soon. I also like the fact that they use honey to sweeten them instead of sugar. The little ones who are old enough to eat peanut butter will love these so I am excited to share them with them on Tuesday.

Tomorrow is Family Day here which is our new holiday. I am not sure if this is a holiday in the States too but it is nice to have a long weekend in February. I actually forgot all about it until I looked at my calendar and wondered why I had no little monkeys written in then I went to the store and saw the closed for Family Day signs! So it was a nice surprise! Unfortunately Hubby has to work but I will be able to get a jump start on my spring cleaning - even though spring is still quite a way off for us.~smile~ I plan to get some really deep cleaning and organizing done especially upstairs and in the rec room downstairs since I don't get to spend enough time in these areas when the monkeys are here.

For Valentine's Day my sweet hubby took me to my favorite Mennonite farm to pick up some eggs and a 50 lb. box of potatoes. I love to go there in the winter because these sweet ladies invite you in while they get what you are looking for and it affords a glimpse into their lives that you just don't normally get since in the mild weather they sell their items from a little building out back. They have the most spotless home I have ever seen! It was so toasty in there and smelled of the wood stove. Wonderful! I would so love to learn the skills these ladies have. I also strive to have the work ethic they do. When we arrived one of the ladies was scrubbing down the walkway to the door, outside....in the cold! Like I said the entire home is just so clean.

Afterwards we went to a pretty little town that is one of my favorite places to visit and shopped a bit. The drive there is just so beautiful and I had a wonderful time.

When we got back home my hubby made his special burgers for me - seriously the best burgers I have ever had! He offered to take me out for dinner but I asked if he would make me these instead and he said he would - so yummy!

All in all it was a perfect day with my sweetheart. ~smile~

Well I had best get a move on here and get things tidied up then I can curl up with my family and just relax this evening!

Happy Sunday!

Blessings,
Liisa

Praise God

In my morning email study I have come across these verses that really struck me...

Hebrews 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

James 1:2,3 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience

It is not always easy to praise God or count it all joy when faced with trials. But so often I can see God's hand in things. In some instances I am going through right now I can see how God's perfect timing will come through in a delay that was really hard for me to take. I can see how another instance has brought us closer as a family, and yet another has opened up new opportunities for us. I can praise God through this and trust that His perfect will will be done in all these trials and I can trust fully in Him.

One thing I have been practicing lately is to praise God for all the little things in my life. I receive so many beautiful and perfect gifts from my Father throughout the day and taking time to acknowledge them and give thanks to God really puts my thoughts on the right track. It is hard to get grumpy or fed up when my mind is on my blessings. From tiny snowflakes catching the sun and sparkling like so many diamonds as they float to the ground to the snuggle of a sleepy little one just up from a peaceful nap. So many reasons to give thanks.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Thank you Father!

Hope you have a happy Friday and a wonderful weekend!

Blessings,
Liisa

Picture form www.allposters.com

Today's Craft for the Littles

Today in honour of Groundhog Day we will be making puppets inspired by this craft.

Since my monkeys are little I cut out all the pieces and I will get them to glue it together. It is hard to tell in the pictures but the top of the green felt is fringed to look like grass. Realistically though I suppose I should have used white felt to look like snow - oh well we'll just have a happy spring groundhog in the grass! ~smile~


I glued the body pieces on to a Popsicle stick and sealed the edges too, then glued on the rest of the pieces as seen. I just folded over the green piece and glued it to form a sleeve for the puppet that is open on both ends.


Then you just slide your groundhog puppet into the grass sleeve and then you can make him pop up and down peeking out of his hole.


Happy Groundhog Day!

Blessings,
Liisa

A Good Day

Yesterday when I came out of church it was near zero degrees Celsius and the sun was shining. It was wonderful! I came home and opened up every window in the house and got some chores done. Nothing perks me up and puts me in the mood to freshen things up like a mild day and fresh air filling the house after it being shut up tight for so long. ~smile~

I also spent part of the afternoon watching the Superbowl pregame show. I love to watch the Superbowl and really enjoy the pregame hoopla....The odd thing is I do not watch football at any other time of the year! I know I am strange.

My hubby came home and cooked me a wonderful fish dinner then he watched the game with me. It was fun - he was cheering for Arizona - I was cheering for Pittsburgh....the Steelers won in the last few seconds and I got to tease him - it was a very good day!

Happy Monday!
Blessings,
Liisa

Picture from www.allposters.com

18!

My son Andy with his girlfriend Jessalyn.



My son Andy turned 18 yesterday. 18! I can't believe it....it seems like the last time I checked he was 3 and suddenly I turn around and he is 18. ~sigh~ Time goes by much, much too fast. I know I say this alot but I hope that any of you who are blessed to have little ones at home that you cherish every moment because before you know it your little boy will be a man.


His birthday was a quiet affair with just us, my Mother in law and Jessalyn. We told Andy he could pick anything he wanted for dinner or go anywhere and he picked subs from Subway. This worked out quite well for us as we recently received several two for one coupons in the mail. ~smile~ That was followed up by a birthday cake I made and snacks.

Yesterday was a hard day for me. Andy is our only child since we have not been blessed with any others and now he is legally an adult. ~sigh~ I was just happy and sad at the same time.

I ran into an older couple in the grocery store yesterday with all my little monkeys and they asked if they were all mine. I told them no I just get to look after them and that my son is just turned 18. The gentleman said to me that theirs just turned 50. That put it in a bit of perspective for me!

What a blessing to have a wonderful son who brings joy to my life.

Happy Friday!
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings,
Liisa

Word for 2009

Inspired by this post by Amy at Daily Pleasures I created this to remind me of what I will be working on this year which is to more fully display the characteristics of love as descibed in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.



I found the word love in the scrapbook section. It is made out of thin wood so it gives this picture a nice 3D effect. I glued it onto a piece of scrapbook paper with little flowers on it and then wrote the scripture underneath. I hung it up beside the kitchen so I will see it when I am in there and when I am in the diningroom. When I look at it it makes me smile and immediately calls that verse to mind. What a help when things are getting a bit hairy with little ones everywhere!

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 says Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Isn't that beautiful.

I think that so many key lessons are contained in these few short words and how wonderful to be able to apply them to my life. To be patient and kind and not envying. To never boast or be proud, or rude. To not be self seeking, easily angered or to keep records of wrongs. To not delight in evil but rejoice with truth. To always protect, trust hope and persevere. So many things to work on and a pretty reminder on my wall! ~smile~

Happy Wednesday!
Blessings,
Liisa

Hearty Chicken and Noodle Casserole

I just made this yummy casserole for a friend of mine and her hubby. She is going in for a procedure this morning and I don't expect she will be up to cooking tonight.

You can find the recipe here, though I left out the Parmesan cheese because I didn't have any and I used rotini noodles instead of egg noodles, I also used old white cheddar so you can't really see that melted on the top in the picture. It was really quick and easy and tastes so good! It's an easy recipe to make for someone who could use a meal brought to them whether they are ill, having a rough day or just had a new baby. It was made even easier for me since I had the chicken cooked, cubed and portioned in the freezer already.

Now I had best get on to the rest of my chores for today!

Happy Monday!
Blessings,
Liisa

Pioneering Biblical Femininity in a Post Christian Culture

I just had to post a link to this incredible post by Mrs. June Fuentes at A Wise Woman Builds Her Home. Very well said.

Blessings,
Liisa

Today's Craft for the Littles

Today I have five little monkeys and we will be making a spiral snake craft . It is so cute! I am just loving the Enchanted Learning website. There are so many really neat crafts for children of all ages.

To tie in with the snake theme we will be looking at some snakes online here and reading some stories with snakes to tie into the theme for today. I checked these books out of the library....
Slithery Jake by Rose Marie Provencher Illustrated by Abby Carter. Very cute story, fun to read with wonderful pictures.
Sid's Surprise by Candace Carter Illustrated by Joung Un Kim. This is a story for beginning readers, a cute story with a neat page of questions after each section.
and
The Skipping Rope Snake by Carol Ann Duffy and Lydia Monks. A very silly story, very colorful.

Happy Friday!
Blessings,
Liisa

Fried Rice Croquets Turned Rice Cakes

Well my attempt at making Fried Rice Croquets did not turn out as I had hoped. Bethany's looked so very yummy....mine? Not so much. I could not get the rice mixture to hold together at all. Not at all! I added more liquid...nope....I added another egg....nope. I just kept looking at the mess I was making thinking about how I would hate to waste all that food when I thought about Laine. What would Laine do? She would revamp it, call it by another name and pretend it was supposed to turn out that way all along.

Soooo.....

The rice cake was born. I dumped the seasoned bread crumbs into the rice mixture and it at last became sticky and held together. I formed it into little patties and fried them. My guys loved them so much they even ate them cold! ~smile~

Sometimes even a complete disaster can become something wonderful. Isn't that how it is with God as well. Even someone who feels they are a complete disaster and beyond saving can become something wonderful when they accept salvation. Thank you Lord for seeing the possibilities in even me and not tossing me away as beyond hope.

Happy Thursday!

Blessings,
Liisa

Picture from www.allposters.com

Right Now

Right now I am cooking macaroni and cheese for the monkeys lunch which I then just have to reheat when we get home from playgroup. I am also cooking some rice to make these for dinner tonight. To go with it I am making stromboli. Right now I am cooking the filling which will be ground beef, onions, green peppers (still from our freezer) and garlic. Before baking I will sprinkle on some of the chipotle that my hubby made. I already grated the cheddar and have set it aside in the fridge until I assemble it this afternoon. For the dough I will be making this Pizza dough in the bread machine....

Pizza Dough
(makes 2 - 12" pizza crusts)

1 cup water
2 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. oil
3 cups flour
3 tsp. wheat gluten
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. yeast

Put in order in bread machine.
Select dough cycle.

I can't remember where I found this recipe so if it is yours please let me know so I can give you credit for it.

Yesterday I found a bag full of Polly Pocket toys, a large house with furniture, playground equipment, lots of little dolls, a horse and carriage and a mermaid play set with castle for $1.99 at the second hand store so I picked it up for the "big girls" One of them has been playing with it all morning!

Right now though she is "reading" some train books to the littles. So cute! I love, love, love our library! I can go online and select the books I would like from all of the branches in our county and they call me when they are there. It is a great source for movies as well and so very easy.

I have a white bread going in the bread machine right now, it is a rapid cycle one that is very good and I love that it is ready in half the time it normally takes.
You can find the recipe here.

Well I think the rice is done so I better finish that up. I still need to grate the dry bread for the bread crumbs I will be needing. Then it is off to playgroup!

Happy Wednesday!
Blessings,
Liisa

Busy Day!

Today I have had five little monkeys here and they have been playing really well together which is so nice, especially since I wanted to get so much done today. For craft today we made these cute frog puppets which they just loved especially when we sang the five little speckled frogs and they acted it out with their puppets.

I made tortillas again today because my hubby and son wanted Tortilla Roll ups for a snack tonight to use up a package of cream cheese we had. To make the roll ups I just softened the cream cheese then blended in about 2 tbsp. of mayonnaise, some shredded cheddar and enough salsa to make it a good consistency then spread it on tortillas rolled them up. Then I wrapped them in plastic wrap and popped them in the fridge - they need to sit in there for at least 2 hours. I have enough salsa left over to serve with the roll ups for dipping. That is the last of the salsa I made this summer. Normally we would have salsa into the late spring early summer but our tomato crop did not do well so I am looking forward to this summer and hopefully a better tomato harvest.

Since I had made tortillas I made bologna cheese whiz rolls for the littles for lunch. They LOVED them. I have learned even the ones who are super picky, will eat almost anything if I roll it up in a tortilla! ~smile~

I just finished making a blueberry pie - hubby's favorite. You can find the recipe I use here.

For dinner tonight I am making Sausage and Potato Casserole this is one of our family's favorite meals. I found the recipe years ago in a Country Woman magazine I believe. Here it is in case you would like to make it - very yummy!

Sausage Potato Casserole

1 lb. bulk sausage (I use normal sausage, I just cook it like normally would then when it is cool I cut it into slices.)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 cups sliced potatoes ( I have always had trouble getting the potatoes to cook soft in the casserole so I pre cook them either by boiling them whole or microwaving them then I peel and slice them when they have cooled.)
2 cups shredded cheese

Brown sausage, drain and set aside.
Combine soup, milk, onion, salt and pepper
In a greased 2 qt. casserole dish layer 1/2 of the potatoes, 1/2 the soup mixture and 1/2 the sausage. Repeat ending with sausage.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until potatoes are done.
Sprinkle with cheese and return to oven until cheese melts.

Note - I double the recipe and use a 9x13" pan. There are rarely leftovers!

Things have been quite stressful for my hubby lately since he just found out last week that his plant will be closing in the spring so I have been doing what I can to ease his stress - making sure things are running smoothly at home, making his favorite foods etc. I have also been trying harder to save money. I have been employing the old depression adage of use it up, wear it out, make do or do with out. I have repaired a skirt that I love by folding up and sewing a frayed hem and patching a tear in the back at the top of the slit and adding buttons to make the patch look like a buttoned on strap....kind of hard to explain but it ended up looking quite cute. I did not want to have to pay for a new skirt and hadn't been able to find one second hand so I made due however today I was blessed to find a long denim skirt in my size in like new condition at the second hand store for only $2.99. I was just thrilled! God is good and I have often found if I just wait I will be able to get what we need for a very good price.

We are not worried about the plant closing as we fully trust in the Lord and know that He will provide for our needs as we seek Him first. He is good!

Happy Monday!
Blessings,
Liisa

Chewy Granola Bars

This morning I made another of our favorite recipes from Laines Letters - Chewy Granola Bars. They are so easy and so yummy! Here is a link to the recipe.

You can add whatever extras you like....this morning I added in some chopped dates and flax seeds.


You just mix all the ingredients together, spread into a pan and bake.


When they are done you cut them while they are warm. when they are cooled completely I remove them from the pan and wrap them individually in plastic wrap. They are even better than store bought granola bars and just as easy to pop in a lunch or take along for a snack.



Blessings,
Liisa

So Cold But So Beautiful

Today it is -20 degrees Celsius with a high today of -11 degrees, however there is a windchill of -28 degrees and a snow squall warning. This means that the little ones and I are house bound again today and likely tomorrow as well. There are upsides to this though...First it is very beautiful outside. Everything is crisp and clear and fresh.
This is the view out my kitchen window right now (the picture does not do it justice) so many shades of white - breathtaking.


The other upside is that I am home. I am really enjoying the forced time inside, I have been able to get alot done and spend some real quality time with the littles as well as being more creative with ways to keep them busy. They miss going out though. Children love routine so when we cannot get out for our daily walk it can really throw them off. But so far so good!

Hope you are enjoying your day too!

Blessings,
Liisa

Older Women

In my morning study I was reading Titus 2 and I couldn't help but see the tie in to the post I wrote yesterday.

Titus 2:3-5 says -
...the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

We need to help and encourage younger women to love their husbands, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, and obedient to their own husbands. What a contrast this is to the advice found in the world. We need to do this so the word of God may not be blasphemed.

Let's uplift and encourage each other not tear down and discourage.

How I love the teachings found in the Bible. When my sister had her shop she carried a t-shirt with a picture of a Bible on the front and underneath it said Life's Instruction Manual. How true! If only everyone would read the manual life would be so much easier!

Happy Thursday!
Blessings,
Liisa

Picture from www.allposters.com

Marriage - Sticking With It

Note - Right at the outset of this post I would like to say if your husband is abusing you or your children find help. Do not stay in a situation that will endanger you or your children.


I think one of the biggest causes of divorce in our day is the failure to just stick with it. Everywhere we look we are told that it is all about us, it is all about our happiness, life is too short to waste being unhappy, kick him or her to the curb etc. But what happens if things in your marriage hit a rough patch and you choose not to listen to all that "advice" from TV, celebrities, friends etc.? What happens when you choose to stick with it? When you choose to believe that you took sacred vows and you will honour them until death you do part?

You stick with it and things do improve.

My marriage has hit it's rough patches too, every one's has, especially in the first few years we were married. But you know what, even though I was told to just give up and move on and I know my hubby separately received that same advice we stuck with it and how grateful I am because my marriage is wonderful and I cannot imagine my life without my hubby. I love him so much and he is the husband I always dreamed I would have. If I had given up I would have missed out on this.

When I think of all the couples who have had marriages that have lasted for 40, 50 even 75 years I can't help but wonder what kind of advice they received through their marriages. When they married they married for life. I am sure they hit rough patches too but they worked through them together. When you do not see divorce as an option then you are more willing to work together to make your marriage happy and move past difficulties.

I would urge you if you are having trouble in your marriage don't give up. Stick with it. Seek solid Christian counselling for issues you feel you can't resolve on your own. You may be surprised to come out the other side of the difficulty even more in love than before and with your bond strengthened.

Blessings,
Liisa

Picture from www.allposters.com

Recovering

Well, everyone here seems to be recovering at last from the nasty icky stomach virus that went through here. Two monkeys came down with it Thursday night, my son got it Friday afternoon, I had it Friday night through Saturday. So far my hubby has not gotten it yet and neither has one little monkey. I hope they skip it. It was awful as all viruses are.

So I had alot to catch up on yesterday since I wasn't able to get much done over the weekend.

However we were feeling well Sunday morning and the weather finally co-operated enough that we were able to make it out to church! I was so happy - I really do miss it when we can't get there. The sermon was given by a man in our congregation since our pastor was away and it was wonderful. My son really enjoyed it as well and could really relate to him as he is a young man and used references my son really got.

He spoke on John 3 and Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus and being born again, what that means and the importance of reaching out to others. Inspirational!

This morning I have been busy with little monkeys, we colored some pictures of ducks and sang the Five Little Ducks song using a glove with pompom ducks with Velcro on the back that stick to the fingers to act it out. They really enjoyed it.

I also spent some time baking chocolate chips bars. After Christmas and especially at this time of year stores dramatically reduce their Christmas chocolate and candy. When this happens I buy solid chocolate balls, bells, figures etc. and chop them up to use for baking. It works really well and saves so much money. The bells I used for the bars today cost 40 cents!

After that I made some flour tortillas to use for lunch. The little ones had cream cheese roll ups and the rest I will use to make chicken ranch wraps for my hubby's lunch. I am thankful every time I make the tortillas for Laine's Letters. We have saved so much money by making our own.

The weather here is taking another crazy turn....more snow and high winds.....~sigh~ It doesn't make for very safe travel. My hubby said there is a big accident that has shut down the highway he takes coming home and he has to take another route. I am praying for those involved and those who are helping and I am so thankful that my hubby left work a little later. I am always worried when he goes to work and back but trust God to see him home safely at the end of each day.

Hope you are having a Happy Tuesday!

Blessings,
Liisa

Today's Craft for the Littles

This is actually yesterday's craft project. I didn't get a chance to post yesterday as one of my little monkeys woke up early from nap time and then proceeded to fall asleep on me - which was actually really nice just snuggling with a little one and listening to his soft little snores. Then another little one came down with a violent stomach virus. The poor little thing - fortunately her parents were close by and able to pick her up. I am just hoping no one else gets it.

Anyway, on to the craft project...

We had a pig themed day. I bought some little kits at the dollar store. Each one had three porcelain pig heads, paint and a brush.


I decided that we should take turns doing this one so we could avoid a paint disaster. The monkeys loved this project!

After they were finished and the pigs were drying we read some pig themed books I picked up at the library. I do wish I had pre read The Three Little Pigs book though.
The story I remember from childhood had the straw and twig house pigs run and join the brick house pig and the wolf couldn't get them. In this version the wolf eats the first two pigs and the third pig ends up eating the wolf after he comes down the chimney into a pot of boiling water and the pig slams the lid down and cooks him alive! I took the liberty of "editing" the story for young ears as we went along.

Mind you I have read some children's books myself from the thirties and forties and they were like little horror novels and yet the children from that generation turned out fine. I turned out fine too with Bugs Bunny cartoons where characters get blown up, eaten, run over, squished and fell off cliffs. Do you think we sugar coat things too much for children these days? I don't know but I do know that I just couldn't read what the story really said when I looked into those innocent little faces.

The other three books were wonderful though. They were....
Puppies and Piggies by Cynthia Rylant and Illustrated by Ivan Bates - a very sweet story.
Grandpa Loves by Rebecca Kai Dotlich and Illustrated by Kathryn Brown - so cute!
and
Goodnight Sweet Pig by Linda Bailey and Josee Masse - quite silly ~smile~


The finished product...


Blessings,
Liisa

Really Cute Book for Children

The other day when I was at the library getting some books for our pig themed day I came across this book.....


It is so cute! My sister and I read it in the library - I am sure people thought we were crazy as we couldn't help but laugh out loud at this story.

Here is one of the pages.....


Too cute! If you get a chance pick up Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend.

Happy Thursday!
Blessings,
Liisa

Today's Craft for the Littles

Today we are making dinosaur hands. I made these like mittens for the monkeys to wear on their hands. These could have been much more elaborate but I was a bit rushed and basically just wanted something they could draw on. I taped the edges rather than glued them because I figured that would stand up better to the little ones taking them on and off. I may make some sets out of felt to have whenever we act out this song.

This morning I will let them draw and color on the hands. When they are finished we will sing this little song and act it out. ( I found this song at Preschool Rainbow)

I'm a Mean Old Dinosaur (Tune: I'm a little Tea Pot)

I'm a mean old Dinosaur
(Make a mean face, the kids make the cutest mean faces)
Big and Tall
(Gesture hands big and tall )
Here is my tail, here is my claw.
(Gesture hands behind your back for tail and make claw hands)
When I get all hungry
(rub your tummy)
I just growl
(have the kids exaggerate the grrroooowwwlll)
Look out kids I'm on the prowl.
(Here I tickle each one of the tummy and they all giggle)

I wrote this song on one of the hands of each set so that they can do this at home with Mommy and Daddy too.

Blessings,
Liisa

Beatitudes for Housewives

I came across this is one of the cookbooks I went through the other day and thought I would share it with you...

Beatitudes for Housewives

Blessed is she whose daily tasks are a labour of love; for her willing hands and happy heart translate duty into privilege and her labor becomes a service to God.

Blessed is she who opens her door to welcome both stranger and friends; for gracious hospitality is a test of brotherly love.

Blessed is she who mends stockings and toys and broken hearts; for her understanding is a balm to humanity.

Blessed is she who scours and scrubs; for well she knows that cleanliness is one expression of godliness.

Blessed is she whom children love; for the love of a child is more to be valued than fortune or fame.

Blessed is she who sings while she works; for music lightens the heaviest load and brightens the dullest chore.

Blessed is she who dusts away doubt and fear and sweeps out the cobwebs of confusions; for her faith will triumph over all adversity.

Blessed is she who serves laughter and smiles with every meal; for her buoyancy of spirit is an aid to mental and physical digestion.

Blessed is she who preserves the sanctity of the Christian home; for hers is a sacred trust that crowns her with dignity.

Don't you just love that.

Happy Tuesday!

Blessings,
Liisa

Picture from www.allposters.com

Just Because.....

He's cute!



Blessings,
Liisa

Today's Craft for the Littles

Today we made tambourines. The little ones really enjoyed this. I was blessed with a set of Tadoodles by Crayola this morning from one of the parents. It was a duplicate gift so they thought they would send one over here. I thought that was so nice and the children really loved using them. They are so neat and easy for even the littlest one to use. Fortunately they are completely washable since the markers were very messy! ~smile~

Here are some pictures of how we made them.....

You will need two paper plates and some rice.



I glued all around the edge, stuck on the top plate and stapled them together as well to be sure the rice did not spill out.



The monkeys colored them, stuck on stickers and chose ribbons which I stapled on.


The finished product.


Blessings,
Liisa

End of the Holidays

Today officially marks the end of our holidays. My hubby is back at work, my son is back at school and my little monkeys are back.

I really enjoyed the time off and time spent with my family but it is somehow nice to get back to routine. I missed the little ones and our regular daily schedule.

During my two weeks off I was able to get so much done though. It is amazing how quickly you can clean a house and how much better the job is when you don't have three to five little monkeys "helping" you and following you around.

One project I was quite happy to have done is sorting out all my recipes and cookbooks. A year or two ago I purchased a box for holding index cards at the second hand shop and put my recipe cards in it. It is a long metal one and would hold hundreds of cards. It has long been my desire to go through my cookbooks, recipe magazines, binders full of recipes I wrote out years ago etc. and write down the recipes I wanted to keep on cards and file them in this box. Well, job done! I am so pleased with how much room this gives me and how much easier it will be to find recipes without having to search through everything. I wish I had remembered to take pictures! I have four cookbooks and several small recipe books for the yard sale box and I had a whole shopping bag full of papers and recipes for the recycling!

I took some time to go through and declutter as well as deep clean the whole house. I was also able to do some planning for meals and activities for the monkeys.

It is so nice to start the year off on the right foot with a fresh clean house, organized and ready to go.

Blessings,
Liisa


Picture from www.allposters.com

Our Adventure

On Monday my hubby took me to Midland with our friends. It is a lovely town. The guys were hoping to go ice fishing but due to our crazy weather there was no ice to fish on! That was o.k. since we took our time driving there, stopping along the way at some really cute little towns and doing some shopping in Barrie.


We stayed at the Best Western which was lovely. The room was very nice and our room came with a complimentary continental breakfast which ended up being a really wonderful buffet with tons of food. In fact I made a note to remember what was served as it would be nice the next time I have company. They had English muffins, bagels and two kinds of bread set out next to a toaster. Jams, jellies, butter, honey, peanut butter were in a basket next to that. They also had fresh fruit salad, cottage cheese, hard boiled eggs, cereals and milk, oatmeal packets next to a microwave, granola bars, yogurt, muffins and danish.

The next day we took our time coming home heading back another way and stopping at the German deli that my hubby's family has shopped at since he was little. Hubby was like a little boy in a candy store! ~smile~ We then visited a really cute little town filled with the nicest shops and went for lunch.

It was a wonderful trip and just that one night away really felt like a vacation. ~smile~

If you are ever in Midland Ontario you must visit The Crow's Nest, Simply Country and Homecoming. They are lovely shops located on King street. There were many others I would have liked to visit but we were running a bit late and many were already closed for the day.

Blessings,
Liisa

Crazy Weather

We had so much snow before Christmas this year that I just had to take pictures....




It is hard to tell just how much we had from these pictures but it was more than we have ever had before Christmas. Unfortunately this was followed by temperatures above zero, heavy rains and winds gusting to 90 km. an hour. It was pretty wild in our area and almost everyone in our town had water in their basements from the melting snow and rains. We were very fortunate that we only had water, some we know on the other side of town had three feet of sewage in their basements. EEWWWW!

Some towns declared a state of emergnecy due to flooding. One town had to evacuate 30 families and roads were closed all over due to being washed out. Add to this the high winds which widely knocked out power and it was quite a mess. We were very blessed to only have had a short outage, many were out for much longer.

North of here lots of trees were snapped off near the top. It looked like spikes sticking out of the ground in forested areas. Other larger trees were uprooted.

So now things have gotten colder and it's been snowing but by Sunday we are supossed to reach above zero again with more rain - fortunately the majority of the snow is gone so we shouldn't have anymore difficulties.

How has the weather been where you are?

Blessings,
Liisa

Happy New Year!

Wishing you every happiness for 2009!

Blessings,
Liisa