Family Home Evening

Grandma Malm gave us a gingerbread house to decorate. Decorate we did! Can you tell which one is the box and which one we created? Neither can I!

Saturday

Mike instigated the kids to rub off the crayon in the upstairs hall- even the main offenders Adam and Mary used elbow grease.

Kelly baked a cake, Adam wants to eat.

Megan holds the flashlight while Mike installs a new light fixture in both upstairs bathrooms. Goodbye bare bulbs!

Kenny eats curried coconut chicken on rice with his hands. He refuses to be fed by anybody but himself.

Mike had his once a year spurt of wanting to do house projects... and of course I just want to lay on the couch because I am sick!

We had strep throat for Thanksgiving

The kids always make "marshmallow turkeys" on Thanksgiving. Being that I have strep throat and a couple of the children are throwing up this was as close as we got to turkey today. Oh well.

What's for dinner?

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fantastic-Black-Bean-Chili/Detail.aspx

Food storage dinner, I did soak the beans last night and boiled them until they were soft this morning instead of using canned from the store. I hate to brag- but this was pretty fantastic.

and start the drum roll...

Kelly is the Spirit of the West!!

The top honor of the school, the exclusive good kid club, the best of the best and Kelly won it.

Lost and found

Patrick was emptying his spit into the trash bag from his trombone when he realized the cork on the spit valve flew into the trash. He and I took the trash out of the bag piece by disgusting piece. Here's the cookies we threw away, mac and cheese, cereal that was mush... We got to the "soup" on the bottom and I gave up- it's not here. But he persisted and found it!

Hungry Hungry Hippo

Beep, Beep someone left the fridge open. It's just Kenny getting a snack?

Thursday

Lily came over to play with Mary Jane. Mike and I heard Mary talk more than she ever has. We thought she could only say "sure."

Kenny likes to be up-but if he keeps pulling Jon's hair he going to have to be on the floor so much more.

Megan had to do her baking soda, vinegar experiment at home because she got to go to the honor roll ice cream social during science.

Recipe

This was so easy! I baked the potatoes in the oven for an hour at 425 degrees earlier in the day so all I had to do was scoop them from the skins, cut and put it all together. It was even yummier for breakfast this morning.

Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients:
6 medium baking potatoes, baked or microwaved
1 stick butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
4 Tbs Cornstarch
2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 cans (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
Cooked and crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, sliced green onions (optional)

Directions:MELT butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes or until tender. Stir in cornstarch. Gradually stir in broth and evaporated milk. Scoop potato pulp from 1 potato; mash. Add pulp to broth mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes just to a boil. Dice remaining potatoes; add to soup. Heat through. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Top each serving with bacon, cheese and green onions, if desired.
VARIATION: For a different twist to this recipe, omit the bacon, cheddar cheese and green onions. Cook 2 tablespoons shredded carrot with the onion and add 1/4 teaspoon dried dill to the soup when adding the broth. Proceed as above.

Soup for dinner

We're having soup at enrichment tonight. I'm bringing Baked Potato Soup. Yum. I hope there are lots of different soups to try and dessert! The kids are staying home- Meg and Jon are the trusty babysitters.

The picture is the soup in the crockpot!

So you think you can fill my shoes?

Jonathan came running in from taking the trash out and he kicked my shoes off and said, "Too tight." Then everyone had to try my shoes on. Here's Patrick. The shoes were too big. Great.

Sunday Nap?

Destination, determination, deliberation

Destination Megan!

Dotesie

The children had today off. Megan and Kelly dressed Mary up like a doll.

Tagged and quirky

Quirkiness? I was tagged by Jennyhttp://www.thebarnhartbunch.blogspot.com/ to list six of my quirky habits.


1. I really enjoyed reading Harry Potter, so much that I started reading fanfiction about Harry Potter. After I had a miscarriage in 2006 I had to lay down for a couple of weeks and I read hundreds of these stories on our laptop. Other people's Harry Potter writing strayed my thoughts away from my hurt. Today, I tend to only read once in a while. Mike hates that I have read romance pairings like Hermione and Severus which weren't in the book. Oh well.

2. I have been wearing crocs for over two years. Quirky- but justifiable when my feet swell horribly when I'm pregnant. Lately people notice when I wear other shoes. I think I need to put the pink crocs away. (all three pairs.) This picture assures me how great I look in them- not.

3. I love to make lists. I don't follow them mostly, but I'll have my planner out and I'll make a list about what I think the kids want for Christmas, a list of what repairs need to be done around the house, food storage meals, shopping lists among many others.

4. According to Taylor Hartman's personality survey I am a white. I have almost all white. That means I am a very boring person, I am passive aggressive, I am the wallpaper in the room. In a ward a few years ago I was the Sunday school teacher for 15,16 year-olds. I was the teacher for over a year before we moved to another home (in a different ward). On my last Sunday, the Sunday school president asked me if I was new to the ward and introduced himself. Yep- wallpaper.

5. I love boxes. I still have my jewelry box from when I was kid. (and the stuff that I loved when I was 9 like Mickey Mouse watch, shells, rainbow pin, thumbtack.) I have pretty boxes with the letters that Mike wrote me on his mission. I have pretty boxes with lots of other stuff.

6. I had my ears pierced when I was 11. The holes were put in too low. It may be because the person thought my ears would grow or something. I then had them double pierced when I was 18. Those look in the wrong place because of the first. So I have not worn earrings for more than 10 years and all the holes are closed up. I don't like clip-ons because they hurt- so I don't wear earrings- sad.

I'm suppose to tag others. Oh, Mom- I know you're out there.

Kenny walks dramatically

Home work

No one thought it could be done- all the laundry from Monday has been washed and dried. Plus, most of it is put away.

House Work

Wash the mirrors.

Clean the kitchen.

Laundry happens.

Fix the toilet seat.

Scrub the sink.

FHE

We had cake for family home evening dessert. Mary really liked her chocolate!

Spider Boy

Adam has a new suit. I wonder when the day will come that he doesn't want to wear his Spiderwear. I wonder how many suits he will own then?

Twins

Kelly and Mary like to pretend they are twins (apparently fraternal.)

Mr. Green Jeans

Kenneth was donned in his green shirt and green sweatpants and became Mr. Green Jeans. Kenny loves to

dump his food and grab at anything he can get his fingers on- or mouth on.

The Princess night

Aunt Chrystal's Princess Party was immediately a hit when the stretch limo pulled into the cul-de-sac. The girls began to scream when they realized it was their ride. They were going to go out to dinner and then to a slumber party at Jim and Chrystal's house. The girls have been talking all about how they are going to take a bath in their giant tub and do their nails and everything.

Adam went outside and told the limo driver that would be what he would want to drive- not like Mom's minivan. The driver told him to get rich so he could have someone else to drive it for him. The rest of us had pizza at home.

Concert in the gym

Jonathan and Megan had their band concert tonight. Jon had a solo and did a great job. Megan looked pretty, (I'm sure she sounded super too).

While band 3 was playing I noticed that Jon had taken apart his trumpet and was cleaning it with his tie- not one to waste time?

Oooompa Looneys

On Monday, Megan gave me a list of Ooompa Loompa costume accessories to go and buy. I felt I should start right away because I didn't know where a brown turtleneck would be available or the green hair. Relentless in the search through 50 percent off items I found everything- Target had the turtleneck! I'm sure they will send another list home for fun- I should be happy she doesn't play football- the cleats cost more than all the costume parts.