And what’s not to like? You make a ball and then smash it down. It’s a lot like playing with play-doh. That’s probably why the kids like using the press.

Homemade corn tortillas are worth it!

1. They are so easy to make.

2. There are only two ingredients: Masa Harina & water.

3. I like the texture of the dough. It holds together very well.

4. They are cheap and accessible. You don’t have to go far, just your pantry shelf.

5. And holy mackerel, they taste amazing. They taste nothing like those you’d find at a grocery store.

Yippie!

If you know me at all, you know that I am a very trendy person. I am all about what is and what is not hot.

Just foolin’. I had you going there for a sec didn’t I?

I am, however, superbly keen on some of the newest trends that are ridiculous, dumb, hideous, and nonsensical. The kind that make you laugh out loud or perhaps you hear a slight whimper and realize that it escaped from your own lips.

For example, when traveling a couple of years ago from Athens to Frankfurt, I actually saw a woman wearing “Hammer pants.” Let me refresh your memory “Du du du du, du du, du du. Can’t touch this!” Apparently M.C. Hammer’s pants made a small comeback in Europe that year. I saw them several times.

Pegged Leg Jeans? I didn’t even know these had a name. An informant close to this source made the confirmation. I cannot divulge my source for fear of spontaneous, hysterical laughter. In an effort to warn others, I have spotted this phenomenon in Germany.

Jellies? Those rubbery, plastic shoes. Yep. I’ve seen them here too. Not just on babies or small kids either. On grown people.

The point of my message today is not focused on fashion. Or rather, what others think fashion is. I really want to tell you about this new trend I have witnessed. Actually, I think Matt brought it to my attention first.

Here it is: Drivers wearing earbuds when driving. I know, you thought I was going to tell you something funny. In fact, I think quite the opposite. This is very disturbing.

What this means is, that drivers really want to listen to their favorite music. I totally understand. The radio stations here are . . . special. At first, I thought drivers just wore an ear piece for hands-free cell use. It is against the law to drive and use your cell (handy) while it is in your hand. This is good. A very good law. That is why I thought, that the ear piece was phone related. However, under more scrutiny (I was just paying more attention by this time), I realized that I was wrong. Wait a second. That’s not possible. I mean, I was not completely correct. Matt was correct and I was not completely correct. Understand?

This is the newest fad. Driving and not paying any attention to what is going on around you. It doesn’t sound so chic when you say it that way. I can hardly walk and listen, let alone drive and listen. I practically fall into a trance whenever I pop in the ol’ headphones.

There is just something about taking the surrounding music and putting it directly into your ear. Focused attention vs. background noise. It’s just kind of scary to think that drivers are doing this more often.

And for the record, I wear jeans and t-shirts everyday.

One thing I found distracting was the frequent back-and-forth between Earth and Heaven (and sometimes Hell). This was the most noticeable in the the first book, Deadline. I felt these “side-trips” really distracted from the main story. While I did enjoy reading these parts, they tended to drag on for way too long, leaving me with the desire to get back to the main story.

Other than those two issues, I really enjoyed this series. Not only was in enjoyable from a crime-suspense perspective, but it also got me thinking about the real life issues each character is forced to tackle – AIDS, abortion, racism, gang violence, etc. I really enjoyed reading about these issues through the eyes of each of the characters. All of this helped me to better reflect on my own thoughts of these issues and how I continue to see all of them through the eyes of my own culture and experience – which definitely is not “all of the story.”

Overall, a great read that I would recommend to anybody.

For the content itself, we found it a little bit lacking. While I really liked the layout of each devotion, I did wish there was a little more for the “Main Course.” Obviously the scripture readings are very important, but I had hoped for a bit more “story” to go along with it to really help our kids understand what the scripture is talking about – in a way they could understand. That was something I would have expected with it coming out of “Whit’s End.”

Overall, not something we would have picked off the shelf at a bookstore if we had been able to look through it beforehand. Would I recommend it to others? Possibly. I am sure there are plenty of people out there that would really enjoy using this around their dinner table. For us, it just wasn’t a good fit.

If so, this is the recipe for you. I couldn’t pass this one up. It is as healthy as you are going to get, when indulging in a candy bar. It even has the Matt stamp of approval. So, you just know they rock!

These are so easy that I also made these for Cookie Wednesday, along with those yummy Chocolate Crispy Bars.

The right kind of coconut is key here – finely shredded, unsweetened. I could not find this type and had to substitute it with shredded, sweetened coconut. It worked, but not well, as they photo clearly shows. This recipe yields 12 bundles of joy. However, I only produced 9. Mine were a little larger due to the coconut problem. But they still taste amazing!

The kids and I (okay, Matt too) decide what to make. Since summer break tends to be long, everyone gets to have his or her cookie and eat it too. Typically, we all run out of ideas before the end of summer. I know. It’s a cryin’ shame.

Why Wednesdays and not Tuesdays or Thursdays? Well, simply because Wednesdays are mid-week and I was really trying hard to cope with those long summer days. The great thing about these days are that the kids are involved in the cookie making process. However, they usually are anyway, so this really isn’t breaking news.

This week, I chose Chocolate Crispy Bars. They turned out to be delightful.

Decadent.

Delicious.

Dreamy.

Downright Delectable.

I’m done.

If, for some reason, you can’t see the video, be sure to click here and check it out.

Tristan is still working on his country report. He wasn’t even assigned a report, but I thought he should do one. Aren’t you glad I’m not your teacher? Anyway, I got him started a little late. So, he will be working on the report during what is commonly known as “Summer Break”. I’m just looking out for his well-being. I don’t want him being bored all summer you know.

Since their Spring Break was sort of a bust, I decided to give them an entire week off from school. Next week, there will be absolutely no schooling taking place. However, I cannot guarantee that no learning will happen, of course. Then I think we’ll get back to a semi-school or half-day schedule for the summer. Nothing back breaking, just something to keep their brains intact and sharp for the next school year. Mostly, I want to prevent that “Mommmm! I’m bored” thing from occurring, keep them off the television as much as possible, and help them retain what they spent all year learning. Tristan’s next math is pre-Algebra and I want to give him a great start, not have to relearn concepts again.

We finished! And, we all survived. How cool is that?

Matt and I were blessed with having the option of choosing what the boys studied this year. They each had some input in the decision making process. I decided that among other subjects, Spanish would be beneficial for them both. Given that we hope to someday return to our native land and speaking Spanish is incredibly useful, we thought this selection was wise. Plus, Gavin had some Spanish last year and I was impressed with what he learned.

Fast forward from July to March . . . okay stop. I’m going to be honest here. Brutally honest. It may have seemed “wise”, but it was not a good fit. Ever try to force a puzzle piece into a puzzle shaped hole? Yeah. No.

At first, things seemed to be a normal part of learning. Keep in mind that Gavin likes to moan and groan a lot, so I had to develop the right ears for this homeschool gig. As you can imagine, things sort of went downhill with Spanish. Not in a fast and fun sort of way. More like waking up to find that the cat has peed in your bed kind of way. Not a pretty picture is it?

Gavin (and I) dreaded Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Those are the days that both boys worked on their Spanish. The days that Gavin had to speak into the microphone were the bad days. Some days there were absolutely no problems and life was enjoyable and cheerful. But other days? I would have to linger around the kitchen/living room area to make sure everything was okay. Somedays, I would hear him groaning and crying in frustration. He had a lot of help from me on these days. He did learn how to stop, write down troublesome words on some notepaper, and practice over and over. However, it was just too difficult for him. He would speak and the program would not accept his answer. You either get it 100% correct or you are WRONG. Not great for someone still struggling with his Rs. Girl, grill, gull – all sound the same. He tried so hard. It made me very sad to see his answers continually rejected (even when he said it correctly).

And it may be, that the Rosetta Spanish is too advanced for him. I’ve always known that languages aren’t his thing. He sort of has a history with not speaking any other language but English. I have a feeling there are little boys all over Europe who have learned English from him though.

I just thought if he persevered, he could push through the barrier. It did not happen.

Let’s make a change.

Matt asked, “Gavin, do you want to learn to play the guitar?”

A resounding YES! from the One and Only Gavin Barker.

Back to the drawing board. We put Spanish on hold, or rather, ditched it. Tristan is still continuing with it and he enjoys it.

The school year is practically over, but guitar practice can certainly continue. Right now, I’m just winging it. I’m teaching him basic chords and easy strum patterns. I decided to start him out with the electric. Yes, it’s quite a lot heavier, but it is easier for little fingers to manipulate. Plus, since it’s mine, it is small enough for him to handle.

We are now four weeks into guitar practice and so far Gavin loves it. He looks forward to Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. He practices for 20 minutes and gets to have some “free play”.

I am teaching him the guitar. I really, really, really do not want to be the music teacher. I doubt my ability in the music teaching area. I’m simply teaching him from my own experiences, which are scant. I taught myself to play – end of story. One day, when I’m actually in a store, I may be able to select a guitar book that is great for him. For now, he’s reading some notepaper that I’ve scribbled on. Primitive, I know. I’m sure there is a better method out there somewhere.

In case you are wondering, music lessons were offered earlier in the year. No one was interested. No one. Matt & I nearly begged them to learn something musical. All I heard from them was “No. no. no.” I certainly did not want to waste money and time driving around for lessons that they are not interested in. Anyway, I’m not entirely sure we could have found lessons for them here. Things are a change ‘un round these parts.

Live & Learn

I learned that it’s important to keep evaluating your kids, offer them opportunities (if such exist), and listen to them. This does not mean that Gavin is going to get out of writing. However, it does mean that we can compromise when it’s appropriate.

Will he ever learn another language? Probably. Maybe. Not sure. Let’s revisit this in ten more years. He knows more German, Greek, and Spanish than he thinks he knows. But I’m not concerned about it right now. I can speak a little bit of those languages and I still can’t find my car when leaving the grocery store. No big whoop.

His talents and gifts are what I am really interested in working with right now. Thankfully, I’m in a position to nurture those.