Our Somewhat Life

My New Camera: Wordless Wednesday

2013-04-09T21:11:00.000-07:00

My March Azure Standard Order

2013-03-17T18:37:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of years ago, I would never have seen myself buying some of the things I buy now. Many of the items I want are not even carried in our local stores. If I want to buy specialty items, I would have to travel 30 minutes away, and even then, the selection is limited.

A natural food coop is a great way to get specialty items at a decent price, without having to travel all around town (or to other towns) just to find all of the items you may want. Not only that, but I've found some great prices on bulk nuts, dried fruits, and organic produce.

Azure is not the first natural food coop I've participated in, but after only three orders, it's definitely my favorite.

How Azure Works

Some of Azure's items can be shipped right to your door, but many cannot. Azure works by setting up "drop points" in different areas of the country.

Once a month, coop members for that drop point place their order of $50 or more. Their drop point leader will keep them updated on when the truck is due to arrive. On the day and time the truck arrives, members will meet at the drop point to pick up their items. For us, this drop point is in our town, in a parking lot at the edge of town.

You can contact Azure to see if there is a drop point near you. You will then need to contact the drop point leader to get added to their email list and get info for ordering through that coop.

If you don't have a drop point near you, maybe it's time to gather up your natural foodie friends and start one!

What I Like About Azure

Azure allows you to order from their website or catalog. Their website it surprisingly easy to use, with a simple login, a "my favorites" list that allows you to save all of your favorite products for future orders. You can search the online catalog by keyword, category, or specials.

So far, pickup of my Azure order has been very seamless. I have participated in another natural food coop where all members had to arrive and sort through all items together. It took a large amount of everyone's time each week, and was difficult if you had children or other commitments.

With Azure, all of my items are already boxed up and ready when I get there. All I need to do is show up when the truck arrives and make sure I get the number of boxes on my order sheet.

Azure's customer service has been awesome. They always apologize for any inconveniences and try to fix things quickly.

Prices and selection on Azure have been pretty average. They have some great deals from month to month on a large variety of products, and awesome deals on organic produce.

My March Order

The first thing I do when putting together my Azure order is to look over the specials. Then, I check my "favorites" list for any items that we might be running low on.

This month I was on the hunt for a natural shampoo that does not contain chemicals.

Nature's Paradise Organics Shampoo, Moisturizing, Organic Pro Formula: 16oz - $9.55

So far, this is the only shampoo that I have found on Azure that contains NO chemicals or additives. You can find it on Amazon here (though it costs less on Azure): Nature's Paradise Organics Shampoo.

Here is a breakdown of the rest of my order:

Newman's Own Fig Newmans, Wheat Free - 6 packages, 10 oz each - $14.60
Newman's Own Dark Chocolate Bar, 54 % Cacoa, Organic - 3.25 oz bar - $2.15
Blue Diamond Almond Nut Thins, Country Ranch - 3 packages, 4.25 oz each - $6.85
Crofter's Concord Grape Premium Spread - Organic - 10 oz - $2.75
Wholesome Sweeteners Cane Sugar, Raw, Fair Trade - 24oz - $3.70
Fresh Produce Potatoes, Yellow, Organic - 5 lbs - $4.00
Fresh Produce Apples, Braeburn, Organic - 20 lbs - $20.75

Shipping: $5.47
Total: $69.82

Their produce is very good quality, and we've been enjoying the apples and potatoes more than the usual ones we buy at the store (we are an apple loving family!)

I hope this answers some questions for those who are curious about ordering from Azure.

Let me know in the comments:

Have you ever ordered from Azure? Are you planning to? Not in your area yet?

Ham Crockpot Hashbrown Casserole: Dairy Optional

2013-03-10T22:42:00.000-07:00

Do you need breakfast ready when you wake up in the morning? How about a quick and easy Sunday lunch that will be ready for you when you get home from church?

This recipe is simple, but it tastes great. You can throw all of the ingredients in the crockpot in minutes, and it it's something the whole family can appreciate.

Ham Crockpot Hashbrown Casserole: Dairy Optional

I like to experiment, so my dairy version includes sour cream in the egg mixture. However, you can take all of the dairy out, and this will still work great. Just mix up the eggs and pour them in.

Since I'm dairy free right now, my husband and kids just sprinkle the cheese on top of their casserole while it's still hot.

You can also use a substitute milk if you wish. I recommend unflavored rice milk.

Ingredients:

1 package frozen hashbrowns or potatoes (check ingredients)
6-8 ounces diced ham, crumbled cooked bacon, or ground beef crumbles
1/2 cup diced onions or peppers
12 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
1/2 cup milk or milk substitute (optional)
12 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:

Add the hashbrowns, meat, onion or peppers, and half of the shredded cheese (if desired) to the crockpot, and stir together. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and sour cream (if desired). Pour the egg mixture over the other ingredients in the crockpot.

Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 6-8 hours. The sides may brown or burn a little bit, but do not be alarmed. The rest of the casserole should be fine and taste great!

If desired, when you are ready to eat, sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheese over the casserole in the warm crockpot, allowing it to melt. Season individually with salt and pepper to taste.

~

As you can see, this is an easy and versatile dish that is perfect as a busy morning breakfast that you can prepare the night before, or put together quickly in the morning for Sunday lunch. Of course, it makes a great supper, too.

Co-Parenting: Sharing Our Struggles

2013-03-09T21:12:00.000-08:00

Are you at odds with your spouse's parenting style? Or are you a team?

When I first made the official "switch" to an attachment parenting style, I got a little prideful about my new mindset and took it out on my husband.

Then I realized what a hypocrite I was being...

Read about my journey to humility and partnering with my spouse over at APtly Said, the official blog of Attachment Parenting International: Co-Parenting: Sharing Our Struggles

Discovering Milk Protein Intolerance

2013-03-06T20:48:00.001-08:00

Our littlest one Sebastian (who is now 4 months old) was born a happy baby. Other than a little spitting up, we felt very blessed with such an “easy” baby. Until he was about 1 month old.

At one month old, he started to spit up more. A lot more. He also became more fussy and developed a raw eczema rash on his face and parts of his body. It was when he began having crying fits, where he would refuse to nurse and could not be comforted, that I knew something was wrong.

I asked many knowledgeable friends and did hours of research online. The consensus was that it was likely a food allergy or intolerance. And so began the process of cutting out foods and keeping a food diary.

The symptoms of food allergy/intolerance in babies:

Excessive spit up
mucousy stools
gassy
fussy
refusing to nurse and/or take a bottle
eczema or rash

After a couple of weeks of eliminating the major possible culprits and keeping a food diary, I took him into the doctor. She agreed that it was probably a food intolerance and gave me confidence that if I felt it was a certain food, it probably was.

The most common food allergies and intolerance in babies:

Dairy
Soy
Wheat
Eggs
Nuts

It was not easy trying to figure it out. I wanted to give up, except for the fact that if I didn't figure it out my son would suffer with horrible bleeding eczema, itching, reflux, and irritable bowels. Whatever it was in my diet would literally make him draw up his legs in pain as he passed gas or had painful bowel movements.

After a few weeks, I started to notice a pattern with dairy. As I kept dairy out of my diet and introduced other foods back in, it became fairly clear that dairy was indeed the culprit.

"I feel much better mom!" - After eliminating dairy

I love dairy, and I don't keep it out of my diet perfectly. Sometimes I beat myself up over sneaking in some dairy (or just plain forgetting), because he always pay for it, while it doesn't affect me at all. Regardless of my imperfect following of a dairy free diet, the improvement is huge.

We still have to use hydrocortisone cream on occasion and other creams to calm his skin. We often check his body over for hidden eczema spots that need treated. But, he is a very different baby now. I was such a big dairy eater before. It's definitely a struggle for me.

Typically, babies with milk protein intolerance also have soy protein intolerance (called MSPI, or milk soy protein intolerance). However, I have not seen a significant difference when cutting out soy (though I try to keep it to a minimum anyway).

If this sounds like your baby, trust your instincts. And if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment.

The Case For Unlimited Screen Time

2013-01-28T09:24:00.000-08:00

Here is something you may or my not know about my family (though you may have guessed from the title.) We don't limit "screen time" or media usage.

We do limit some of the content our children watch, but we do not limit time.

Even when we limit content, it's not strict. For instance, we wouldn't limit a movie or game based solely on it's rating. We have limited content of games/media on an individual basis, on whether we think a particular child can "handle" particular content.

As with any activity, our children do have natural limits to their media usage. For instance, when we leave the house, decide to play a board game, eat dinner as a family, etc. Breaks from "screen time" are never really an issue for my kids, which I'll explain.

But why unlimited screen time? Isn't too much T.V. and video games bad for kids' brains?

Let's explore that notion.

It'll Rot Their Brains!

We've all had it drilled into our brains by the 'experts' and the media. Too much T.V. and video games is bad for kids. Or is it? Is their really enough research (or common sense) to say that all that screen time is detrimental to kid's development and learning?

In reality, there is very little good research to support that screen time is bad for learning. In fact, there is quite a bit of research to suggest that television viewing and video games actually increase children's cognitive ability:

"According to research at the University of Rochester, people who played action-based games made decisions 25% faster than others,without sacrificing accuracy, and can pay attention to more things at once. The Office of Naval Research has found that games improve the fundamental ability to reason and problem solve in new contexts.

What may be surprising is that kids who play video games scored 23% higher in creative tests involving tasks such as drawing pictures and writing stories, according to Michigan State University." ~ Suzanne Kantra, Yes, Video Games can be Good for Kids

Need more convincing? Studies have also suggested that video games can:

Improve motor skills
Relieve pain
Improve eyesight
Improve decision making skills
Provide therapy for mental illness

Don't believe me? Read for yourself: 5 Reasons Video Games Are Actually Good For You

We've seen firsthand the benefits of allowing television and video games into our home and have embraced them as a valuable tool for learning.

Unlimited Learning

For us, learning happens all the time, even during "screen time". In fact, especially during screen time! Limiting my children's usage would mean I was limiting their learning from that resource.

Video games and media have an unlimited potential for learning. Even schools recognize the learning that happens when kids play video games or watch shows.

Recently, a Swedish school even made Minecraft a requirement as part of the curriculum.

The Non-Hierarchy of Resources

I could never see myself saying to my kids "You've been reading too much today," or "You've been jumping on the trampoline too long, you should do something else for awhile."

Those statements send a message that one learning activity or resource is more important than another.

In our home, there is no hierarchy of resources. Books, music, board games, movies, computer games, google, skyping with friends, and video games are all resources that we can use. They are all at the same level.

I may prefer one resource over another. But for our kids, we wish to demonstrate to them that they can use whatever resource they feel is most useful to gain in their knowledge of the world around them.

Walking Away

Because our children no longer have limits imposed on them, it's much easier for them to walk away and begin another activity.

Back when we set limits for our kids, it was much harder to get them up and out the door, or moved on to something else once they had sat down in front of the screen. Why? Because they were afraid of when it would get taken away again.

Because their time in front of the screen was limited, they felt they had to use up that screen time, and do nothing else during that time, so that they could accomplish everything they wanted to get done. In their young minds, they had no idea when their next opportunity would come.

Now, my kids can take it or leave it. When they are with friends, they want to be with friends, because they trust that when they are done being with friends, they can choose to watch a show or play a game. When we are eating dinner together or playing a board game, they can focus on that, because they are not afraid that they are missing out on valuable screen time.

And when we get ready to leave the house, the T.V. and games shut off without a fuss. My kids know that it will be right there when we get back, and they won't get a "no" from me when we get home. In fact, they won't have to ask at all.

~

I used to worry when I thought my kids had been "watching too much T.V." or "Playing too many video games." It's then that I would step in and declare "No more for the day!" and the battle would begin.

Since I've changed my thinking about the value of media usage, I no longer think of it as something that is less valuable than other activities that involve learning. And I no longer feel that it has negative affects on their brain.

If I feel that we as a family need time away from electronics, I will come up with an activity or find a place we can go for the day and ask. More often than not, my family is happy to step away and do something else for awhile. In fact, my kids wish I did a lot more with them outside of the house and away from the electronics than I currently do, due to the toddler and baby at home.

How does your family handle screen time?

10 Things that Inspired Me to Unschool

2012-07-30T22:49:00.000-07:00

1. John Taylor Gatto

I will always remember the first book that was given to me about the problems with public school. It was 'Dumbing Us Down' by John Taylor Gatto, and it opened my eyes to the real intentions and issues that have been going on within our public school system from the very beginning.

Even though I was already against much of what was going on in schools, it was reading this book that made me realize that we cannot reform a school system that was founded on misguided principals and underlying governmental agendas.

http://johntaylorgatto.com/

2. My Sister

Since before my own children were old enough for me to worry about school, I have quietly observed my own sister's adventures in homeschooling her oldest daughter. She has experienced the whole range of homeschooling methods, and by the time I began thinking about my oldests' education, her family settled into a very relaxed rhythm of learning.

At about the same time, she was also extensively researching many forms of alternative education, and passed much of this information on to me. I was (and still am) fascinated with her knowledge of alternative educational resources, especially democratic free schools such as the Sudbury Valley School.

Visit her blog at http://thesetemporarytents.com

3. My Own Educational Experiences

School was a very miserable experience for me. Not because it was hard, but because of the environment. I didn't fit the typical educational mold.

I asked too many question, pointed out too many flaws, and was generally too "rebellious" for the school model. I spent more time hating the system than I did actually learning in it.

Read: 5 Things I Had to Unlearn from High School

4. My Own Passion for Learning

My true passions and interests were not those generally supported in school. Some of my interests were far too "advanced" for the rest of the class, and therefore I was told that they could not belong in our classroom.

Even if I was passionate about something in school, there was never enough time within the school model to explore it, or learn what I actually wanted to learn about it.

I want more for my kids. I want to give them as much freedom as I possibly can to explore their passions and interests, and develop them with as much time and resources as we can afford.

5. John Holt

How could I forget the founder of the term "unschooling" in my list of influences on my choices. His book 'Teach Your Own', co-authored with Pat Farenga, was also among the first of my homeschooling library.

Though many today try to pin down a definition of the word unschooling, John Holt knew that it needed to be used broadly; That unschooling would look different for every family and every child, and that new ways of thinking about learning are more important than forming new methods.

All issues of Holt's magazine 'Growing Without Schooling' are now available for free online.

6. The Bible

As I began to embrace the idea of unschooling, I realized that it fit perfectly with how God calls me to raise my children.

Nowhere in the bible does it instruct me to be rigid with my children's learning, but to teach them through personal life instruction, by allowing them to live alongside me in my daily life, teaching them about God and our faith at every opportunity along the way.

7. My Love of Freedom

Some may call it a rebellious spirit, but I have learned to question everything. True learning happens when we are free to ask any and all questions about life; When we are free to challenge authority without disrespecting it.

“Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are going in this ocean of chaos, it has been the authorities, the political, the religious, the educational authorities who attempted to comfort us by giving us order, rules, regulations, informing, forming in our minds their view of reality. To think for yourself you must question authority and learn how to put yourself in a state of vulnerable, open-mindedness; chaotic, confused, vulnerability to inform yourself.”
― Timothy Leary

8. Respect for the Equality of All Learning Experiences

Our society (and most others around the world) have a tendency to put higher emphasis on certain aspects of learning than others. For those who have interests that are entirely different from the norm, public school and even homeschool can be a difficult journey, as they must learn to stuff the interests that they value most in order to make time for the more "respectable" ones.

I want my children to know that all of their passions and interests are worthy of time and attention, both by them and by others. In this way, they can bring their uniqueness into the world, instead of having the world dictate it.

9. Alfie Kohn

Though he focuses mostly on educational reform in schools, Alfie understands at the very core that children learn best without coercion.

He even writes about the effects on children of forcing them to learn how to read before they are ready, something not readily talked about by educational reformers. Look for his article 'How to Create Nonreaders'.

10. Astra Taylor

Of course I worried about our choice to unschool. Would my kids really learn what they need to know to be happy, healthy, AND productive adults? Would they feel that I equipped them for life in the "real world"?

And, just when I was searching for stories of unschooled adults and getting down to the really tough questions, I happened upon a presentation by Astra Taylor. She is an inspiring woman who grew up in an unschooling family. Her and her siblings were given complete educational choice.

Even if you are not unschooling, I encourage you to watch her presentation in the video below. Her life is a wonderful illustration of passion and interest-based learning.

~

What things inspired your educational choices?

Homemade "Real" Nacho Cheese

2012-07-24T22:54:00.004-07:00

Who doesn't love Nachos?!

Well, my husband pointed out that someone who is lactose intolerant may not. But, they may still love nachos. They might not be able to eat them, but still.

My family loves them. But, I don't really love the idea of opening a can of processed who-knows-what to feed my family. So, I developed my own recipe for homemade "real" nacho cheese.

Homemade "Real" Nacho Cheese

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp Butter
4-5 Tbsp Flour or flour substitute
1/2 lb Ground Beef (optional)
1 package all-natural taco or fajita seasoning (we use elRio brand)
1/2 cup mild salsa (or whatever you prefer)
8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
3 1/2 - 4 cups milk
Suggested Garnishes: black olives, all natural sour cream, chopped fresh tomato, etc. Sides: refried beans, side salad.

Directions:

Brown ground beef, drain. Mix in taco seasoning and set aside.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Mix in 4 tbsp flour. If all of the butter is not soaked up, mix in the remaining flour. Simmer for 1-2 minutes and reduce heat to low.
Pour in 3 1/2 cups of milk all at once, mixing well to combine with flour. Mix in beef and salsa. Return heat to medium, stirring frequently. When milk is warm, add in the cheese. Stirring frequently and mixing in the cheese as it melts, let simmer for 5-10 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remember, the sauce will thicken as it cools. If you feel the sauce is getting too thick, add the remaining milk, bringing it back to a simmer until slightly thinner than your desired consistency.
Serve warm with tortilla chips.

~

Seriously, if you don't know how to make a basic cheese sauce, you need to learn. It's so easy, and you can improvise a ton of yummy sauces at home!

This one is a hit with the whole family.

You're invited to join me in logging The Dinner Diaries!

All you have to do is create your Dinner Diary post, add the Dinner Diary button and/or a link back to The Dinner Diaries post, then come back over and share your link with us!

Feel free to use this image:

please make sure to include a link back to Our Somewhat Life somewhere in your post.

Listening with Grace

2012-07-19T07:06:00.000-07:00

When we hear of another person struggling in their daily life or their walk of faith, we are so often quick to jump in head first, providing solutions and answers. But, how often do we truly take the time to listen?

How often do we take the time to shut our mouths and pray, and really listen to God and to our troubled family and friends?

It's all too easy to find ourselves in a position where we feel we know more about a subject than someone else. We feel we are more "mature", and dare I say, we think we are a bit superior to them.

And I have found myself caught in that trap, that cycle, of just blurting out advice to anyone and everyone who passed my way with any kind of real issue in their lives, as if human answers were all they needed, and I had them all. In fact, I'm pretty sure I did that very thing today, ugh.

That's called PRIDE. That big, fat, ugly word that none of us wants to label ourselves with, but we all have it.

Listening with Grace

When I take a step back and look at the people in my life who have been the most grace-filled toward me and my family, they are the ones who I can go to with any problem, and I can expect them to really listen to me.

They will not blurt out answers and solutions. They will not treat me as if I am having difficulties because my faith is weak, or my practices are not "godly" enough.

They will just listen and pray with me, and show me grace, and be my friend.

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger." ~ James 1:19

The Source of Wisdom

In pride of our own knowledge and experience, we all have plenty of earthly wisdom to give those around us. In our foolishness, we forget a relationship with Christ is the true source of wisdom and comfort in times of uncertainty and pain.

Instead of pointing others to the grace and peace that passes all understanding, we point them toward tips, techniques, lists, and legalism.

But our own wisdom and advice is useless, if it stands alone. For the true source of wisdom comes from somewhere outside of ourselves.

"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy." ~ James 3:17

Becoming mature in Christ, of wise counsel, is not about gaining in our own understanding, but in gaining in faith and our own reliance on grace to carry us through life.

For only then can we learn to extend that grace to others, bypassing the knowledge and wisdom of the world, and pointing others toward the true source of wisdom, healing, and strength.

And in the process, we get to be humble, and pray with them, show them grace, and be their friend, just as Christ has done for us.

“Just as the sinner’s despair of any hope from himself is the first prerequisite of a sound conversion, so the loss of all confidence in himself is the first essential in the believer’s growth in grace.” ~ A. W. Pink

Saying Yes to Candy

2012-07-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

This week, I said yes to sweets, many times, and I feel no regret.

All in all, we are a fairly "low sugar" family. We don't buy candy or store bought sweets on any kind of a regular basis. Most of our treats are homemade goodies. We don't even drink juice; We're all about water around here.

But, what kid doesn't love candy? So, when we took the boys to a parade downtown this week, guess what they were most excited about? Candy, of course!

We gave them a bag to hold and encouraged them to go to town.

- On a side note, I am impressed with the consideration that older kids in our community still have for younger kids. They shared their candy-getting skills and their overabundance of candy freely with the weaker kids who could not gather all of the candy fast enough. The generations below us do right by others when given the chance. I have hope for the future :)

So, we came home with a sack full of candy. Guess what question I have been getting all week long?

"Mom, can we each have a piece of candy?"

And, I've been saying yes, (pretty much) every time. Sometimes I ask them to stay at the table with suckers, or please sit with candy in their mouths instead of jumping around like jack rabbits. But, I've said yes.

And, they haven't taken advantage of me at all. In fact, they have asked at very decent times and with very reasonable requests. They will even offer to eat their lunch or dinner first.

AND, it hasn't made them more hyper.

We're all happy campers here with our candy. It's running low, so I guess our next lesson will be one in rationing ourselves with limited supply.

~

What have you said yes to this week?

5 Things I Had to Unlearn from High School

2012-07-16T07:24:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Vanessa, and I am a product of public school.

I hated school. I never placed much personal value on it. But, because my parents and culture placed so much value on it, I tried hard. I got good grades. I was a “gifted” student.

Because most of what I “learned” academically in school was cut and paste – remember the correct answer from the textbook and regurgitate it on a test, only to forget it a week later – what I spent most of my time learning were “life lessons,” if you could call them that.

Here are five things I had to unlearn from high school.

Saying Yes Through Compromise

2012-07-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

I strive to say yes to my kids as much as possible. I really do, even though I struggle at times.

There is that silly little parental voice in my head that says "Don't do that because..."

I try to be the mom that pauses. "Because why? You know what.. forget it! Go for it! Be awesome!"

But, I must admit there are times when I struggle, or I just plain CAN'T bring myself to say yes. At least not completely. And I'm learning, that it doesn't mean I have to say no, either. There is this wonderful thing in the middle, and it's name is "compromise".

So, when the kids ask to go to the city wading pool, and that day I just happen to be a hot, tired, pregnant, introverted Mommy, I can say, "How about we get a big tote, the baby pool, fill them with water and go to town?"

The excitement over the activities of the day remain the same for both me and my kids, and everyone is happy!

And because we are all in a place of comfort and compromise, we can say "Yes!" freely.

Other Examples of Saying Yes Through Compromise:

Question: "Can we go to the waterpark today?"
Parent: "Or, we could put the sprinkler under the trampoline.."
Kids: "Ya, ya, ya!"

Question: "Can we buy this awesome cake from the bakery?"
Parent: "Or, we could buy our own cake mix, frosting, and decorations, and you and I can bake it together and I"ll let you decorate it..."
Kids: "Ya, that sounds fun!"

Question: "Can I buy a new video game?"
Parent: "We're kinda low on cash, but if you pick a couple of video games you don't play anymore, we'll trade them in and buy the game you want."
Kids: "Okay!"

What have you said yes to recently through compromise?

10 Books My Kids Love

2012-07-09T22:36:00.001-07:00

My kids love it when I read to them. I am always surprised, though, by their book choices. Some of the books that I thought they would love the most, are seldom chosen for a reading session.

We often go in seasons of reading the same books or series of books over and over. It can get tiring reading the same thing, but I am glad that my boys are enjoying the stories they find in books, and their own favorites.

As I was straightening up the book shelf the other night, I determined that these are the most popular books in our children's library during this season of our lives.

1.) Little Animal Adventures - Reader's Digest Young Reader Series

My oldest son especially loves this series by Reader's Digest.

Each book follows the adventure of a different animal and incorporates animal facts into the story. At the end of each story is a section that you can read together with even more animal facts.

2.) The Wind in the Willows

The Wind in the Willows will forever be a favorite in my heart. I loved the books and one particular movie rendition when I was a kid.

And now I will always remember it as the first chapter book that my son wanted me to read to him.

3.) Eddie Gets Stuck

A simple first book for kids, it helps that this is my youngest son's name.

It's a favorite for all of my boys now. They love this short read about a silly bear who finally gets hungry enough to climb down that tree!

4.) Mercer Mayer 'Little Critter' Series

The 'Little Critter' books by Mercer Mayer are a favorite for kids around the globe. I remember them being a favorite of mine as a child.

My kids especially love 'All By Myself', 'I Was So Mad', and 'Just Me and My Dad'.

5.) My Truck is Stuck

A favorite of everyone in our house! This dog is transporting a truck full of bones, but he gets stuck. He needs all the help he can get!

It's easy to see why this book is so fun for kids. The illustrations are exciting and action-packed, and the story is cute, with a twist at the end.

6.) Goodnight Moon

Since my oldest son was just a little guy, the sweet rhymes of Goodnight Moon have calmed him and lulled him to sleep. Even the illustrations are relaxing.

It is a bedtime classic in our home, something we can all curl up and cuddle with.

7.) The Very Hungry Caterpillar

I have not found a children's book by Eric Carle that my kids don't like. But, if we had to pick one of his books that was our favorite, it would be The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

All of my kids love this book, and it has sparked the greatest discussion about caterpillars and butterflies.

8.) Dinosaur Train

This book is just silly. Really, it makes no sense to me, and I can't quite figure out why my boys love it so much.

Probably because they are boys, and it combines dinosaurs and trains. Nuff' said. Either way, the illustrations in Dinosaur Train are vivid and contain lots of action.

9.) Little Blue Truck

Here's another favorite about a truck and a bunch of animals (I am seeing a pattern here.)

The Little Blue Truck is a cute little adventure and it also incorporates plenty of animal sounds, so it's fun for the younger kids, while the story is still interesting enough for the older ones.

10.) The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash

Here's another classic from when I was a kid.

My older two especially love reading The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash, and giggle at all of the trouble that Jimmy's pet boa constrictor causes on their field trip to the farm.

~

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Do your kids love any of these books? What other books do they like?

Crane Migration and Platte River Nature Exploration

2012-07-03T21:42:00.000-07:00

After visiting the nature center at my sister's house a couple of weeks ago, we were ready to check out our own local nature center to see if it was as cool as the one in Kansas.

So, we headed to the Nebraska Nature and Visitor Center along the interstate.

We were a bit disappointed that this nature center did not have much to offer for little kids. At least, it wasn't anything like the one we visited in Kansas, with games, activities, displays, and lots of cool animals to check out inside the center.

But, we made the best of our visit anyway. We were determined to investigate every part of the center.

A couple of years ago, we took the oldest two boys to a church friend's farm land to experience a few crane sightings during the migration season.

So, after checking out a few life sized models of cranes - which was cool, because seeing them in the field is not as impressive as seeing what one looks like up close - they got the chance to operate an interactive migration map that would light up for the different migration patterns.

We learned that some cranes travel from as far as Canada all the way to Mexico, every single year. We also learned that the most common migration pattern is a very small strip that travels through the center of Nebraska. The Platte River Valley is a very central location for the cranes to take a break from their travels.

Although it was incredibly hot out, we did take some time to explore the trail and bridges that take you over and down to the banks of the Platte River.

We got to see two Buffalo lounging lazily in the hot sun. Dad and Gregory had fun spotting Minow and a few Catfish in the river as we walked over the bridge.

We saw many interesting berries, seed pods, and flowers along our walk, including these Wild Elderberries (which we sadly could not pick.)

We enjoyed our visit to the nature center, and will be watching their website for upcoming events and news of the future migration season.

Queso Taco Casserole

2012-06-26T21:25:00.000-07:00

To be honest, I hardly had to cook at all this past week. I have been at my sisters dwelling in her Temporary Tent, and she is an excellent cook.

This recipe is something I made the week before. It is one of my husband's favorites, and you can dress it up however you like with your favorite taco fixings.

Queso Taco Casserole
Ingredients:

1 lb Ground Beef
1 Small Onion, chopped
1 8oz Bottle Taco Sauce
3/4 cup water
1 pkg. Taco Seasoning
1 pkg. Corn Taco Shells, broken OR Tortilla Chips
2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Garnish Suggestions: Chopped tomatoes, sliced green onions, sour cream, black olives.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 13x5 inch baking dish.

Cook beef and onion in large skillet. Stir in taco sauce, water, and seasoning mix; Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Layer half of the broken shells on bottom of baking dish. Cover with half of the meat mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Garnish as desired.

I also baked peanut butter cookies for my son's birthday treat (one of many.)

And because I was in such a baking mood that week, I tried this recipe from Valley Ridge Recipes

for 1 Hour Cinnamon Rolls, and they turned out great!

I found the recipe thanks to Pinterest.

What did you make this week?

You're invited to join me in logging The Dinner Diaries!

The Dinner Diaries is all about wrapping up what you've been making in the kitchen for your family for the week, and sharing it with us all.

Your Dinner Diary can be about a specific recipe you tried, or just a peek at what you whipped up in the kitchen. Don't forget to link to any recipes from the internet that you used!

All you have to do is create your Dinner Diary post, add the Dinner Diary button and/or a link back to The Dinner Diaries post of the week here, then come back over and share your link with us in the comments!

Feel free to use this image:

please make sure to include a link back to OurSomewhatLife somewhere in your post.

I'd also love to feature you on The Dinner Diaries facebook page. "Like" it to get some great inspiration right on your facebook newsfeed!

10 Things People Ask Me About Raising Boys

2012-06-25T23:40:00.008-07:00

There is just something about having 3 boys tagging along that brings questions about our lifestyle out of the woodwork. Any other mom of boys will understand. The more boys you have, the more unfathomable it seems to become to the public.

Raising boys is fun. Really, it is! I'm hoping to answer a few of these questions here, and take the unknown out of raising a pack of boys.

1.) How Do You Do It?

I must admit, in the beginning, this one stumped me. How do I do it? Why does it seem so hard to other people?

When I had just ONE boy, I often felt like I couldn't do it. Getting used to having a child, let alone a very active little boy, was exhausting. If anything, things seem much easier now with three, believe it or not.

The short answer: I just do it. No seriously. I don't think about it that much. I just survive.

I develop systems, mini routines, find out what works for our family, let the small things go, etc. You really have to learn to be laid back about a lot of things.

On the other hand, you have to put your foot down in certain areas and realize that, without this factor, I would go insane. Like, the person who makes the mess cleans it up. If you pee on the toilet seat, you have to wipe it up, not me. That kinda thing.

2.) Aren't You Exhausted?

Why yes, some days I am! On those days, we have "lazy days". I drink coffee. We graze on food and I don't cook. I also couldn't do it without my husband, who I rely on heavily as co-parent. He's awesome, and I don't know what I would do without him.

I know that some women don't have that in their husbands, or their husbands are away. It makes me even more grateful that I have mine around.

3.) You Have Your Hands Full, Don't You?

Yes I do! And I wouldn't have it any other way. I love having my hands full and my heart full of love. I choose to focus on the fact that I have 3 boys who wake up in the morning and think of me as the most beautiful woman in the world.

Who wouldn't want 3 extra knights in shining armor?

4.) Do They Ever Stop Eating?

Not really. Boys love to eat. The more they grow, the more they are like bottomless pits. But, isn't that most kids?

We offer lots of healthy snacks, especially fruit, that they can grab pretty much whenever they want. We encourage them to try new things and eat a variety of foods. I try to bake homemade snacks, make a menu and grocery list, and cook as much food as I can as cost effectively as possible.

5.) Do You Let Them Play With Dolls?

We have never placed limits on what our boys can play with, or what color they can like, or any other cultural gender bias. In fact, my oldest son's favorite color has always been pink, and I encourage his expression by buying him pink shirts!

Still, there is just something about boys and their cars, trucks, trains, and tools. They have never been interested in dolls. Plenty of testosterone in this house to go around.

6.) Do You Have Any Regrets?

I wish that I could say that I don't have any regrets. But, I do. And, I believe it's what we do with those regrets that matters most.

Mostly, I regret making a big deal about things that were not. I also regret trying to "fix" and "escape" problems instead of just enjoying life. I wouldn't have gotten as mad about coloring on the walls. I would have spent less time worrying about keeping them busy, and more time being busy with them.

7.) Are You Hoping For a Girl?

I would love to welcome a girl into our family. But, another boy would fit in nicely as well. We are praying for a healthy baby. Our goal is to happily accept what God gives us. It is not our personal goal to keep having babies until we get a girl.

Honestly, I don't know the first thing about raising a girl!

My husband is the oldest of four, the youngest being the only girl. I have heard lots of stories. All I have to say is, if we have a girl, please pray for her. She's gonna need it.

8.) How Do You Teach Them Respect?

The more my boys grow, the more I am learning that most things in life are not taught. They are modeled. That goes doubly for respect.

Respect is learned by the example of the most influential people in their lives. That's you, Mom and Dad!

Boys will learn how to treat others by the way they are treated. Or, by the way they see others treated. If dad does not respect mom, how will he learn to respect women? If mom and dad are bullies to him, he will turn that anger around and use it against someone smaller or weaker than himself.

Boys really thrive when they are actively given chances to do right by other people and show respect and compassion. If you are compassionate, caring, and respectful of others, your children will follow suit.

Zeke with his best buddy Samuel, our former exchange student from Nigeria (2010)

9.) How Do You Feel About Weapons?

I do not believe that letting boys play with weapons makes them more prone to violence. If anything, I fully believe that not allowing them to express themselves in ways that come naturally to them, brings about more violence through suppression.

Too often these days, boys interests and natural curiosity for weapons, hunting, protection, and survival, are discouraged if not banned altogether. This is a breeding ground for anger and aggression, having a part of who you are attacked and taken away.

We have a lot of toy weapons. My husband is also very serious about weapon safety and talks about it often with the boys. They know that real weapons are dangerous and powerful tools that need to be respected.

10.) Do Boys Cry?

Okay, I know this is a completely ridiculous question that people don't really ask. But, it's a very common thing for fathers to pass on to their boys that has literally messed up entire generations of men.

"Boys don't cry" should never be in a parent's vocabulary. Boys do cry, and their feelings should be respected and validated, sometimes with even more effort than girls, just to counteract the societal misconception that boys should be tougher and bottle their emotions.

Do you have anything to add to my list?

Do you have a top ten list for the week? Link it up over at Many Little Blessings!

Civil War Legislative Reenactment

2012-06-23T22:06:00.000-07:00

We have spent the last week at my sister's house, attending Vacation Bible School with cousins and just spending time together.

The boys have had fun with their cousins, learning about God all week. But, today was a blast. VBS ended yesterday, so today we had the entire day to fill.

My sister Aadel took us on quite the adventure!

First, she found out that their would be a Civil War Reenactment on the military base where they are stationed, that would demonstrate the one and only legislative meeting held at the First Territorial Capitol of Kansas Territory in 1855.

Entering the First Territorial Capitol of Kansas

We got to experience the meeting in the original building it was held, which was held to determine whether Kansas would become a Slave State or a Free State.

Supporters of Slavery Praying That God Would Allow Them to Keep Slaves for a Bountiful Land

We also got to experience:

Firing of a Cannon
Basket Weaving
Fur Tradesman
Civil War Soldiers
Period Music
'Birds of Prey' Exhibit

Zeke at the Fur Trader

Gregory with cousins at the 'Birds of Prey' Exhibit

Just the first half of the day sparked a myriad of questions about slavery past and present, morals, and law.

I couldn't help but think, as we walked around, how amazing it was that my biracial son was walking free and without prejudice in that very same area where slavery was defended.

And we still made it to the nature center. We visited rescued eagles and owls, strolled through a butterfly house and fish hatchery, saw countless little creatures such as turtles, lizards, snakes, tadpoles, and prairie dogs, and learned about terrains.

I'm quite impressed with all of the free educational activities in Kansas!

Everyone returned home tired and hungry like wolves. As always, I am amazed at the information that kids suck in like sponges.

There was no pressure to learn; If a child was "done" with a particular area or activity, we moved on.

We all learned anyways.

Mission Accomplished.

Earth Mama Angel Baby: Organic Third Trimester Tea Review and Giveaway

2012-06-07T07:11:00.003-07:00

Read my review and enter to win.

Earth Mama Angel Baby Organics is giving away one box of their Organic Third Trimester Tea to one lucky reader of Natural Family Today!

Enter for your chance to win!

ends June 11th

How Will They Learn the Basics?

2012-04-30T21:25:00.002-07:00

Making the decision to begin unschooling can be scary for many parents who have been taught to believe that learning the “boring” subjects is something that children must be forced to do.

Though I had my own small fears about unschooling, my husband carried most of the skepticism. He worried mostly about how our children would learn the basics. By default, he believed that structure was needed for children to learn the skills essential for adult life.

He didn’t doubt that they would learn, but he did doubt that they would learn enough to function well as adults. I and most other parents can sympathize with his concerns. None of us want to see our children grow up and struggle with life because of the decisions that we made (or let them make).

Unschooling Ourselves: The Search for Joy and Fulfillment

2012-04-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

Below is an excerpt of my newest post on ChristianUnschooling.com, click through to read more!

My journey to unschooling started off when I was very young. It’s impossible to explain my own philosophy of unschooling without taking you through a brief history of my own schooling. It has shaped how I view education for myself and for my children more than any book or influential speaker.

Apart from the occasional alphabet lesson I gave to my oldest son, under pressure to begin “schooling,” I have never really liked the idea of school-at-home models. They always seemed to interfere with the natural progression of our lives, of fun, of freedom, and of true fulfillment through passions.

Not only would school-at-home steal time away from my children’s interests, it would also steal time away from my own interests. Curriculum seemed to hunker down children and parents in a monotony of schedules and textbooks, work pages, and artificial learning.

Minimizing The Toy Stash

2012-04-15T18:56:00.001-07:00

As part of my 2012 focus word, I have just finished my project of decluttering and minimizing my boys' toy stash. To be honest, it was getting quite ridiculous.

Just part of the mess :o

We were storing their massive amount of toys in two huge totes. Somehow, the totes would always get dumped and create an instant disaster area in the toy room. On top of that, pieces of certain play sets would get lost. I could tell that finding and putting together things like train pieces and blocks was an overwhelming task for the boys.

As I readied myself for this project, I read a lot of minimalist blogs. I found lots of inspiration to cut down on our toy clutter.

Nancy at Family on Bikes shares her thoughts about kids and toys in Enjoying Life With Less
Minimum shares the Top 10 Toys for a Minimalist Family
Learn why Fewer Toys Will Benefit Your Kids at Becoming Minimalist
Check out this Minimalist Playspace at Childhood 101
Minimalist At Home gives some great tips in Minimalist Target: The Toy Room

My Top Tips For Minimizing the Toy Stash

There are a few things I learned along the way. Here's what helped me to cut through the mound of toys and find what we really use.

1. Make a list of the most played-with toys.
Don't just think in terms of the last few weeks or months, but overall. If there is something that your kids consistently go back to, you can consider these a classic that would be worth keeping around.

2. Think in terms of sets.

Don't focus too much on the random toy items. Focus most on keeping play sets that can be categorized together and stored together.

For instance, we focused on toy cars, train set, wooden blocks, duplo blocks, and trio blocks.

3. Set hard limits.

This was the hardest part of the process for me and my boys, but it's essential for making yourself say no to what is more than you should have. Define your toy space, and then define what will fit in that space. I bought durable storage containers for our play sets, so I knew that each play set would have to fit in that container.

Toy cars was our biggest obstacle. The boys were given the container, and had to decide together which toy cars to keep that would it in that space. After a bit of decision making, we finally sorted out which cars we would keep, and which would not fit, and therefore would be given away.

We also set limits on other items. We decided that each boy could choose 3 stuffed animals to keep, and these would "live" mostly in their beds. We kept 3 musical instruments, and one tote of miscellaneous items that they were not ready to part with yet.

4. Involve your kids.

It didn't make much sense to go through this process of getting rid of many of my children's toys if they weren't involved in the process. I figured, at worst they would resent my decisions. At least, they would not understand the need for fewer toys, and would contribute to filling the space and creating the toy disaster scenario all over again.

Before we began, I explained to my boys what we would be doing and why. They were on board once they realized that minimizing the toy stash would lead to a much more organized space, allowing them to easily find the toys they wanted to play with.

This is what's left!

I have a feeling that our toy stash will get even smaller in the future. For now, I am pleased with the work we have done. We got rid of many large play items, such as a play kitchen that was used infrequently.

Finding and using the toys the boys want has become a simple task, and cleanup is much easier. I actually notice that my boys are playing with their play sets more than before. The boys and I are both happy with our decision to minimize the toys!

My Focus Word for 2012: Declutter

2012-04-15T17:49:00.000-07:00

It was the beginning of the year. I was sitting in a waiting room, when I picked up a magazine. In it, I found an article by a Christian writer explaining how she approaches the new year.

Each year, she would pick a word to focus on. To paraphrase, she said that "sometimes it takes awhile to find your focus word, sometimes it's immediately apparent, and sometimes your focus word pick you." I thought it was a great idea, but didn't necessarily intend on picking my own.

A few days later, I was in the shower when it hit me. My word, that is. I realized that my focus word for the year would be "Declutter". It was general, but it fit so well with my life at the moment.

I would declutter my time, my commitments, my mind, my home, my car, my internet. I would focus on decluttering... my life.

Has your life become cluttered? Do you feel like you are drowning in a sea of stuff, or a sea of responsibilities?

This is an invitation to join me on my mission to declutter my life. To come to and maintain a clutter-free and simple life.

What the Kids are Reading Dec 25-31

2011-12-27T11:04:00.000-08:00

Technically, this week has been filled with new video games and toys from Christmas. But, there are a few things that my boys and I have been reading together in the last two weeks.

This year, in anticipation of the season, my husband purchased a book from Voice of Martyrs about the real St. Nicholas, who was persecuted and imprisoned for his faith. It's called The Story of St. Nicholas: More Than Reindeer and a Red Suit.

It's a great book to teach kids about the OTHER side of St. Nicholas' story. He is known for many things, giving gifts and helping the poor is only a small portion of the lessons that can be learned from his life.

We've also been enjoying stories of the birth of Jesus, and talking about what that means for us. 5yo tells me "Jesus died on the cross, but he's still allive! He's in Heaven!"

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-16T17:29:00.001-08:00

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

Joseph's Coat, Indians, Signs, and Board Games

2011-11-27T20:58:00.000-08:00

I wanted to write down a few things that we did today, because it was a particularly interesting day full of learning. Some days, I am surprised by how little we get done. On others, I am surprised by just how much we an do in one day. Today was one of the latter.

We managed the small miracle, as we do most Sundays, of me getting all three boys ready and out the door in time for church. This is a small miracle because we drive 30 miles to church, and we leave the house at about 8:30am. I tend to roll out of bed around 7-7:30am. You do the math.

This happens every other Sunday. On the other Sundays, my husband gets to come with us. Thank goodness.

It always proves to be a blessing. Some days, we come out of there knowing nothing more about the scriptures than we came in (not because of the teaching, but just because of tiredness, or whatever else,) but we always come out encouraged and full of the love and support of the body of Christ.

But today, we learned things. Gregory learned about Joseph's coat of many colors in Sunday School, and he got to see all of his church friends of all ages, which he loves the most. I was uplifted and encouraged in my Sunday School as well. I felt as if the message was truly for me, and God was speaking to what I really needed to hear today. We watched part of the series "Walking with God in the Desert" by Roy Vander Laan. It's a very informative and encouraging series.

On the way home, my son was asking when his favorite museum (Stuhr Museam, a living history museum) would open again after winter. We were just passing by it at that moment, and I pointed out the earth-built Indian home that they have.

That got us into a discussion about Indians and what the plains of Nebraska used to be like, before our ancestors (the settlers) came. We discussed that there were no roads, towns, or stores. We talked about the food they would kill and eat, how they killed it, that they ran or had horses, that they grew crops and foraged for berries and other foods.

At home we had some afternoon "down time" and then went on a walk to Grandma's house in the brisk cold air. It was so nice. We saw a sign on the way that warns drivers that there is a traffic light ahead, and discussed that. Gregory pretended that each round or gold colored object on the ground was a "gold coin", like he was in a video game. I think he was counting them, too. "I found another gold coin!" he'd say.

Dad picked us up at Grandmas and we grabbed some fast food for supper (shhh!) At some point, Dad and Gregory played Halo. When dad left, Gregory and Zeke played. Then watched a show.

After Zeke and Eddie went to bed, Gregory and I played one game of Candy Land and a few games of Connect 4. He's getting really good at Connect 4. It was so much fun laughing and joking with him during the games, teaching him some strategy. He's such a funny, smart kid.