The Other Name For "Kiwi Bird"

Just be forewarned that this is probably the most crass post that I will write. I do apologize in advance to anyone who takes offense, but I just couldn't pass up posting on the latest "Lincolnism".

School started Monday. This year's science focus is Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day. I am starting Lincoln off with a book about birds--one that I got from Chick-Fil-A a few years ago.

Anyway, each 2 page spread has a topic with many sub-headings. One of the sub-headings at the end of each page is, "Amazing but true". Here, one finds an amazing fact about a bird.

The first "Amazing but true" fact in our book has a drawing of a kiwi bird right above the sub-heading.

So, my little first grader, who still has to phonetically sound out words, must've just glanced at this heading instead of actually reading it.

Okay, Kiwi Bird picture and heading, Amazing but true. Got it?

Here's what Lincoln saw: Kiwi Bird picture and the heading, "Arizona butt turd".

The kind of laugh that starts deep in the belly was instigated, and I am still laughing over it every time I think about it.

Oh, sweet Lincoln, mama will chuckle from now on every time I see a picture of a kiwi bird.

My Very First Harvest

I can't even begin to express how delighted I was to pick my very first yellow squash! I know it sounds silly, but there is just something so amazing about watching food grow. This is my very first garden, and I am absolutely loving it! Thanks to hubs for building it for me. :)
These are my squash and zucchini plants. I have a few carrots and 2 pumpkin plants, too. My cilantro and onion seeds just wouldn't sprout even after planting them twice. Oh well, not too bad for a beginner.


I have been so tickled over the excitement the kids have shown. They helped plant the seeds--even Shiloh helped. Everyday they would watch for sprouts and boy, you can imaging the shouting when the first one emerged!!



Here they are, my first two squash. (Should that be squashes?) Lincoln was so excited about them, and he doesn't even like squash. That is until Sunday when we cooked them.



He helped me saute` them in butter, onion, spices, and cheese. And......he like it!!! But, he says he will only eat squash from the garden not the store. Silly boy.

Chalky Rocks

I just love easy science experiments that are entertaining and cheap!!!!

We are presently studying about rocks and minerals. We live in the perfect place for that!


Anyway, the kids were supposed to find rocks and test to see if they contained chalk. All you have to do is drip vinegar onto the rock and wait to see if it fizzes. EASY and not very messy at all!

With cheeks full of gummies and a dropper filled with vinegar, Lincoln was ready to be a geologist!! He tested a bunch of rocks from his rock collection that he's been building up for the past few years now. Not a one was a chalky rock. But a few days later big brother finally found one and they were so excited. Mullin drew a picture on our back patio with it. Oh, I should have taken a photo. :(

We are planning a summer field trip to expand our rocky horizons. So stay tuned!

C is for Clogging

So I am reading an A-Z book about Tennessee this morning to complement our geography lesson, and we get to "C is for Clogging".

Now, I am assuming that most of us know this is a country style, feet flappin', knee slappin' sort of dance. Before I could even explain this to my sweet, second born, he blurted out, "Yeah, I really know how to clog the toilet!"

Nice. And yes, as the loving parent of this child I have really had to brush up on my plumbing skills.

Even after I read about the sort of clogging that Tennessee was famous for, my son thought he would be funny and perform his own version of "clogging". It looked more like me standing over the toilet with a plunger. Gross as it may sound, it really was funny!

Ya think maybe he will want me to delete this post when he is a teenager? Nah, what am I thinking. Like my kids would actually want to read their mom's blog. Blogs will most likely be so out dated by then. Definitely won't be the cool thing to do. Not that it is now or anything.

In Full Swing

Baseball season is upon us once again!

For just 3 short months our schedule is jam packed with practices and games for our 2 growing boys. This means lots more laundry and picnic dinners!! Night games are very pleasant, weatherly speaking, but it is already pretty toasty during the middle of the day here. We need to buy one of those gigantic umbrellas to shade us from the scorching summer sun!

Shiloh becomes bored easily and doesn't understand why we can't stay at the playground the entire time. Ugh. I want to try and watch as much of their games as possible!!

And here is our star Sidewinder all geared up for some baseball battle!! This is Mullin's first year in kid-pitch league.

Next up is our T-ball playin' Muckdog! He is just a few paces away from scoring a run!!

My Very First Real Coconut

My boys and I thought it would be a fun experience to buy a "real"coconut. I did a little research yesterday on how in the world to cut one. I hope my efforts pay off...
It felt wierd using a screwdriver on a piece of fruit, but it proved to work quite well in poking its "eyes" out.
Mullin is draining the coconut milk into a bowl. Not sure what we are going to use it for. Guess I need to research that now.
Sorry Lincoln, but Mama is going to be the one to hit the coconut and hopefully split it!

I hope this works, and I really hope no one is passing by my garage right now. I am sure I will look very silly!
What do you know-- 2 hits and whammo! I know I am wierd, but I felt so elated after this experience. Trying new things is fun, and since I have no desire to do something really fascinating like, deep sea diving or wrestling alligators, cutting open a coconut was adventurous enough for me.
The meat inside was so smooth and pretty. I wish my teeth were this white!

After all that work I ate a healthy snack of banana, coconut, raw almonds, and local honey. Yum.
My boys weren't so impressed with the taste, but they had a fun time with it.



I must add that I never thought anything could be more difficult and time consuming than cutting open a pomegranate! Acorn squash can be a bit tricky, too, but nothing compares to the coconut! As I was trying my darndest to cut and scrape away at the pearly white meat, I had a lot of time to just think.

As I was scraping away, I thought about how easy it was to get to the milk. Getting to the "meat" on the other hand was taking time, dedication, hard work, and patience. Then, in the quietness of my mind, the Holy Spirit began drawing a mental picture for me, relating the milk and meat of the coconut to the milk and meat of God's holy Word.

As baby Christians, drinking the milk of the Word that is so easily accessible is vital, but we were never meant to be sustained on milk alone. It is just as important to move on to the meat of the Word growing up in the wisdom and knowledge of God and becoming cross bearing servants in His Body, the Church. So many are content to just sit back and sip on milk without ever moving on to the meat. It requires time, dedication, hard work, and patience. It requires sacrificing one's own desires, and that never seems fun at the time.

I am glad I bought a coconut today! Blessings to you and yours--it is time for me to wake my sleeping beauty.

**I know with this many words and my spell check not working, there are bound to be some misspelled words, but I just don't have enough time to proofread. Gotta wake my girl or she won't want to go to bed tonight!

Flexible Friday: Painting Footballs

We work really hard Mon.-Thurs. on our home school lessons here at Rivendell Academy, so that we can be more flexible with our time on Friday, doing other things besides keeping our noses stuffed in books.

So after a few tests, a trip to the store, lunch and rest time, the boys pumped up their footballs that they got for Christmas and started painting away.

Oh no, I don't think my spell check has been working the past few posts. I really hate to reveal my knack for making a mess of the English language. Please be kind and overlook. I've even pulled out the dictionary a couple of times!

6 Years Ago

Six years ago I gave birth to a chubby, little, red-headed, blue-eyed boy. Couldn't have looked more different than his 2 1/2 yr. old big brother. Couldn't act more different, either!!! Happy Birthday, Lincoln!!! Mama loves you with all her heart and soul!!

Here's the cutie when he turned a big 2. So hard to believe he's six now! Time just won't stand still even for a moment.

Here's the birthday boy today. Looks so grown up.

He just wanted a simple celebration this year, not a big party. This morning Grandma and Grandpa D. kept Shiloh while we took the boys to see The Water Horse. GREAT movie!! Shiloh brought the grandparents back to our house for dinner and of course cake and ice cream.


Lincoln got a few remote controlled cars, Lego's, crocks, art supplies, army toys, and $!

Lincoln, I hope this birthday will be a very fond memory for you! I love you!

In Which My Son Thinks I am Suffering From "A Pinch of a Turd"

For the past couple of days my body has ached like I have the flu or something. I do not have a fever nor do I have any other symptoms, except I have felt a little chilly off and on. I am extremely thankful that I don't have a fever as I am able to continue with school and chores etc., but I still don't feel very good. My body hurts!!

Anyway, last night after Daddy prayed for Mommy to feel better, Lincoln in all seriousness said,

"Mommy, maybe you have a pinch of a turd."

"A what????"

"A pinch of a turd."

"I have no idea what you mean!" (I am trying to keep from laughing)

"You know, like Grandma has."

"Oh!!!!!! A pinched nerve!!!!" Of course, after that revelation we all just died laughing!!


Kids are funny. :)

Holiday Cheer Photo Contest

Write From Karen is hosting a Holiday Cheer photo contest! Stop by her blog between 5pm central time on Dec. 14-8pm central time on Dec. 17 to vote for me!!!!

Choosing from the gazillions of Christmas photos we have was tough, but I finally settled on this one of my 2 precious boys taken back in 2005. I had several really cute ones picked out, especially one of my sweet, little girl, but this one just felt right for the moment.

Now, not then, it makes me laugh every time I look at it. Stockings are hung by the fire, Christmas tree is all aglow, gifts galore are piled beneath the tree--it truly is beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and this is the best they can give me. It is what I call one of those "Mom moments". All because I made them put on their Christmasy looking sweaters and pose together for the camera. By the looks of it, you would have thought the Grinch had paid us a visit! Yes, Mama was gettin' frustrated!

In a matter of moments it went from Holiday Cheer to Scrooge is Here. Again, I look at this picture, and a huge smile spreads across my face. It's one of those moments that I will never forget as long as I am here to celebrate Christmas!

I love you boys!

Christmas Past

Christmas 2003--First Christmas to have a digital camera. Look at how tiny our Memory tree is!! Now our Memory tree is bursting full at 7 and 1/2 ft. Have I mentioned how much we adore ornaments?? I love gazing at the tree and soaking up all of the memories!

Lincoln is such a great big brother. He loves to play with his baby sister. He is such a big helper when he entertains her. This is what I saw when he came downstairs the other day. I asked him if I could take his picture, and he said okay. As I was pressing the camera button, Mullin blurted out, "She's gonna put it on her blog, Lincoln!"

So this is the face the camera captured!!

Too funny!

Lincoln's First Missing Tooth

Lincoln lost his tooth on Friday night, November 9th. Usually he is the first one asleep, but he came out of his room after 9pm holding his tooth in his hand. We had no idea that he'd been working on it that whole time. He was quite proud. My kids just keep on growin' up right before my very eyes.

Booger Bandits

We did another "Disgusting Science" project today.

Boogers are great as long as they don't end up on the wall! The boys learned that we need mucus to keep dust and other junk from clogging up our lungs. Hopefully they will still understand the importance of cleaning out their noses before going out in public!!!

Mullin did not want to pose with a "booger", so Lincoln gladly took the opportunity!

Trick-or-Treat!

As part of a home school lesson this year I decided to do a study on the origins of Halloween. As a Christian parent, I want to instill in my children a desire to seek TRUTH on all matters and to test all things in light of Scripture.

Personally, I have never felt that is was blatantly wrong to dress up, carve pumpkins, and go door to door to receive candy. In fact, I really like that last part. Dressing up is so much fun, and if I had the extra $, I would even want to participate. I have always wanted to pretend to be Arwen, the Elven Princess! And pumpkins, well, I just think they are so beautiful! The carving part is a lot of work, but seeing the result with the candle glowing inside is fun. The pumpkin squeezed in between my boys was carved in honor of my love of M&Ms!

In all of my research on Halloween, I found out some very interesting things. Trick-or-treating for example, is an American activity that originated around the 1930's. It was created by local city clubs, such as the Boy Scouts, in an effort to control and displace mischievous pranks. Well, to me it is a good thing to provide alternative to bad things. So my views on this activity remain the same.

I did find out that the celebration of Halloween can be traced all the way back to the ancient Celtic Fire Festival, Samhain. Since November 1 was the beginning of their New Year, October 31st was to them as December 31st is to us. And yes, they did make animal sacrifices and crop sacrifices to their god/gods on this night. God knows my heart. When we dress up, trick-or-treat, and carve pumpkins, I am in no way honoring anyone but God alone. I am personally not going to get caught up in the "origin" thing, b/c then I wouldn't be able to celebrate Christmas or watch the Olympics, etc, etc...

Many things that have been practiced on Halloween have been nothing but pure evil, so don't get me wrong, I am not trying to promote this holiday as some holy event. I just think it is great, though, when Christians go to the trouble to provide wholesome alternatives to worldly activities!

For anyone interested in further research, I found a few interesting sites on the subject.

http://www.new-life.net/halowen1.htm

http://www.new-life.net/halowen2.htm

http://www.thercg.org/articles/totuh.html


I am sure there are plenty of other wonderful sites, but I just didn't have the time or energy to go any further!! Let me know what you think.

Halloween Flashbacks

2003--my two cute, little puppies

2004--a very disgruntled conductor, and a brave soldier

2005--Mullin battles the evil wizards
2005--Lincoln kicks some shell!

2006--Finally a sweet little, cuddly Care Bear enters the picture.

Crazy Sock Night

Our kids have joined the Calvary Kids Club at our church, and this past Wednesday they had to wear crazy socks! Aren't they just a hoot!!

Palm Sunday

After a couple of months of endless spiritual questions by our second son, Lincoln, and hopefully wise answers from his parents, he decided to surrender his heart to Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior. He was excited and determined to follow with baptism at our new church in Queen Creek. He bravely told the pastor about his conversion, and for the rest of the following week we practiced baptizing in the tub so he wouldn't be afraid. On Palm Sunday he was baptized in the frigid waters at Calvary Chapel. We were all very happy and celebrated with family at Barro's Pizza!

Lincoln's First Birthday in Arizona

We held Lincoln's big 5th Birthday Bash at Chuck
E. Cheese! His cousins and Grandparents helped him celebrate his special day.



I am so proud of my big 5 year old!



Eating pizza was quite the messy event!



How cool, a photo with Chuck E. himself.


Happy Birthday to you!

Of course, ending the celebration with the opening of presents is always fun!
Thank you all for coming and making his day wonderful.

Lincoln misses his very own special birthday dinner at Pawpaw and Grandma's! Lincoln loved all the gift cards--he bought lots of Star Wars stuff!!

Lincoln thanks everyone for all the cool gifts that are keeping him very occupied!!

I Love You This Much

Lincoln is fascinated with numbers, so instead of holding out his arms while proclaiming his love to us, he always assigns each family member with a number. Sometimes he says he loves me 242,000, but sometimes the number goes only as high as 1, 248. I guess our numbers change depending on how he is feeling on any given day. If he doesn't get his way, I think that affects our numbers as well. Shiloh always seems to score pretty high, though, even after she bangs him in the head with a car. Not fair, I am the one that does everything for him!! Anyway, I am just thankful that he always gives God the highest number and Satan always scores a big fat zero!