Kids in the kitchen: Fun-da-middles!

Doesn't the name fun-da-middles sound like so much fun?  My former neighbor has a really fancy blog and she reviewed Betty Crocker's fun-da-middle cupcakes.  You can check her blog out at:  Busy at Home.  We don't just usually make cupcakes just to have around the house, but we were having over Jocelyn's sweet friend Emma over for our co-op...on her birthday...so I thought that would be a fun snack for the morning.

Fun-da-middles are actually really easy to make, however I don't think I would waste my time again making them...they take a little longer than actual cupcakes, they are kind of expensive, and I really didn't care for the taste.  I think my normal cheap no name brand cupcakes are just as good:)

I always try to involve the little ones...the love filling up the cupcake pans.

The little ones squeezing the filling packages

I probably should have had Katelyn wash the pudding off her face...oops.

Jocelyn assembling the mix.

Weston just hangs out with the dog...isn't he so cute!

Jocelyn mixing away.

Adding the middles

Post oven

Post frosting and decorating...ready to enjoy!

Season's of a Mother's Heart: Freedom from Guilt

Thank you for joining me once again as I review the book Season's of a Mother's Heart by Sally Clarkson.  If you would like to read other moms' reviews, check out my friend Erin's website: http://homewiththeboys.net every Friday afternoon as other bloggers link-up.  Erin is also hosting a 31 days of all things women series...very interesting...check it out. 

Chapter 8:  Freedom from Guilt

This chapter posed quiet a few thought provoking questions...

         ~~~The way you think, dress, keep your house, care for your kids, act in public etc....are you doing these things a certain way to keep up with the Joneses'?

         ~~~Did you see a magazine of a beautiful home and perfect family...or a movie....or a friends' house and family that makes you feel like you just aren't keeping up with they way things should be (or what you believe they should be?)

         ~~~Do you feel like your kids aren't the smartest cookies on the block and feel guilty for that...wishing they could be like so and so's "perfect" kids?

         ~~~Does a family member or friend make you feel bad or guilty because your kids are living up to their expectations?

~~~***Do you judge yourself guilty by someone else's standard?***~~~

Whose standard's should we live by?  The world's?  What someone else thinks/says/does?  

Obviously if we are married we should submit to our husbands'.  If our husband says it is important to do something specific...then we are to abide by what he says...some husbands think it is important to have a nice, kept bedroom...a picked up house...a meal ready when they get home from work....

Ephesians 5:22:  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

 Colossians 3:18: Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

Besides our husband's authority....who or what sets the standards...the Bible.  Without the standards set before in the Bible, where do we go, where do we tend to look, how should we live our lives?  The Bible has it all laid out for us.  

2 Corinthians 5:7:  We live by faith, and not by sight.

I couldn't have summed up this chapter better myself, so I will quote it verbatim:  

We lost the burden of our sin and guilt at the cross (you know when Christ died on the cross for our sins--my addition)  Yet even after experiencing the freedom of forgiveness, we seem eager to pick up new burdens of guilt created by ourselves or others.  We try to carry around man-made rules and regulations because we have been told they will enable us to please God.  It is a heavy and unnecessary burden to carry.  God is pleased when we simply live by faith, in the power of the Holy Spirit, in the freedom WE found at the cross. (pg. 161)

A little weekend away!

I love to travel!  and better yet, I love traveling with my hubby!  A few years ago we went to our first Keith Urban concert...we both LOVED seeing him in concert.  He is such a great entertainer and musician.  My husband loves playing his songs on his guitar.  Getting sick of the word LOVE?....ok...anyways...Keith Urban graced Omaha with his presence back in August.  My cousin's wedding was scheduled for that very same day...we were both pretty bummed and really wanted to see him in concert again...so we headed to Chicago to see him! 

Day 1:  The Concert
The concert was held at Allstate Arena outside of Chicago.  We were both surprised at how small the arena was compared to Omaha's.  There was really not a bad seat in the house.
If you have never been to a concert...here are few things, I feel, you should keep in mind.

1.  Don't bring a baby!!  I mean seriously....what goes through some people's heads.  I know babysitters are sometimes hard to come by...but really??  A couple, two rows in front of us brought their sweet little baby with them.  I think they felt prepared...they had ear plugs in his ears and special baby head phones....did they not realize that your body shakes like crazy from the vibrations?  Keith's concerts are EXTREMELY loud.  EXTREMELY.  They made it through the opening act and disappeared.  Poor baby.  I can't imagine what it felt like for him.

2.  If you are concerned about your hearing...bring ear plugs.  My husband was prepared.  I am not a big fan of having something shoved in my ear...therefore I was having a hard time hearing after the concert, but it cleared up within an hour.  Sean has hearing problems...and a constant ringing in his ears already, so he always takes precautions.  So the guy in front of...maybe in his late 50's was not so keen on the sound...he plugged his ears the entire time...his wife rolled up toilet paper and put them in her ears.  What a sight to see.  

3.  Girls...why such skimpy outfits?  Seriously.  Is it to pick up a guy?  Not thinking very many single guys go to see Keith Urban. 

4.  People like to stand for concerts...so be prepared.  I don't mind, but I know some people do:)

Here are some pictures...mostly blurry because of the fog from the humidity and lights.  Awesome concert as usual!!

 Day 2:  Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
We hopped in our car the next day and drove 3 hours to Wisconsin Dells.  Hmmm.  Not really sure why.  It was kind of a long drive for a day trip.  We were hoping to see some really pretty fall scenes...and don't get me wrong we did, but it was a really long drive for what we saw.  It is a summer destination point and the water park capital of the United States.  Water parks on every corner.  So if you are into driving a long, long distance to go to a waterpark, then go for it, but I believe most local (larger) cities have waterparks that are just as fun.  We walked through their autumn festival and window shopped downtown.  It was a cute downtown with touristy little shops...mostly corny things.  We probably will never go back there.

We drove through a state park called Devil's Lake.  It was really pretty and looked like it has some amazing trails to hike on.  It was windy and cold there, so we stayed in our car.

We also visited the Tanger outlet mall...LOVE!   I love outlet malls.

Day 3:  Chicago
So by day three we were really tired from our late nights out...yes we are major party animals...not really, but we stayed out until midnight both nights...if you know me...that is way, way past my bedtime...we had no set plans for sight seeing in Chicago.  There are a million things to do in the city...a million and I would highly recommend visiting at least once in your lifetime...Sean has been there quiet a bit and I have been there more times than I can count (mostly to shop)...so we did a little sight seeing and lots of walking.  I am hoping to take the kids back there some day to go through the museums.  Here are a few pictures from downtown.

And thank you for my mom (and dad...even though he was lucky enough to be working most of the time) for keeping all four little munchkins while we were away!  Weston was coming off of his worst week in his little life...so it was nice have a break....and thanks to my Aunt Nan for giving my mom a little break and sugaring the kids up at the movies:))

Navy Pier

Seasons of a Mother's Heart: A Touch of Sympathy

Thank you for joining me once again, as I review the book I am reading:  A Season's of a Mother's Heart by Sally Clarkson.  You can read other mom's reviews on my friend Erin's website every Friday at http://homewiththeboys.net

Chapter 7:  A Touch of Sympathy

When I first saw the title of this chapter I thought, "Oh how sweet!  She is switching gears and sympathizing with mom's."  You know we need sympathy sometimes when our days seem like they never end or we have battled the grocery store once again with all kids in tow, or you know those nights that never seem to end because a baby has been screaming bloody murder and you can't do anything about it...(my last night...lovely times)....but I was all wrong on what direction she was taking!  Oh well...who needs sympathy anyways, it my job as a mom to endure all of these things!  

"A sympathetic parent does not condemn or try to change a child's personality but rather, accepts each child's personality as a gift from God and guides it." pg 140

This chapter was about sympathizing with your kids.  I have some friends that I believe would completely disagree with sympathizing with their kids.  Yes, disobedience needs to be corrected, but what is wrong understanding and validating your child's thoughts and feelings?  I will be honest with you...I am not the type of person to sit down and talk with my kids about their feelings.  I am not a feelings kind of person.  Most disobedience requires correction....for example, a child throwing a fit because they didn't agree with XYZ...should be corrected.  My opinion....and has worked with us.  But I do believe sympathizing with my kids work in some situations....and I could definitely do better at it in other areas. 

Sometimes I forget that all of my kids have different personalities.  It is harder to tell with my two little ones, but personalities have definitely blossomed in my older two.  I have learned that I have to talk to each of my kids differently and discipline them a bit differently.  For our 4 year, I have to remember her personality is night and day compared to our 6 year old...and oh she isn't 6....sometimes I compare her too much to my older one, thinking...why is she not acting like my older one? For her sometimes holding her and sympathizing with her helps correct her behavior when I know a melt down is about to happen...usually for her it is because she has chosen not to take a nap.  For my 6 year old, she is a pleaser.  One stearn look could correct her behavior.  

Other key points:

~~ Believe in your child's potential~~ 

The more your children sense that you believe in them, that you think they are special, the more they will want to be around you.  Ever notice how if your children have a close relationship with a grandparent, they sometimes want to be around them more than you?  I have noticed that...the grandparents are usually much more tender, aren't stuck in the daily routine, usually have an open kitchen :)....and open heart.  Sometimes we as parents usually dwell in the bad that comes from our kids.  Sometimes we are busy trying to change our child's personality, instead of accepting what God has given us...rather it is a strong willed child, or a child who is over bubbly.

~~Learn the language of sympathy~~

Like I said before I am not a feelings type of person...I don't like talking about feelings, nor do I ask my kids to talk about their feelings, but the author states that if you just agree with their feeling...like "I bet you are frustrated about XYZ...I can understand how you feel, lets try this again later."  Will work.  This will require some work for me.  Again the author states that more stearn correction is needed in some cases,  but depending on your child's personality, they are sometimes just looking for someone to validate their feelings.  It has worked for her, so I might try to work on that a little bit.

~~Make sympathy a way of life~~

The "I'm the parent, that's why" approach is necessary on occasion, but sometimes that type of parenting doesn't reach the heart of the a child.  I definitely want to reach my child's heart, so a good balance of discipline and sympathy is the key to reaching these precious heart's.

Well not the best summary...sorry...I definitely have a lot of work to do.  Maybe  I am not a talker....maybe I am not doing it exactly how the author is suggesting...I really don't know.  We will see how this goes and see if I can implement some of her ideas.

My funny little guy!

I posted these videos on Facebook, but forgot that not everyone has Facebook!  Sorry family and friends!  Anyways, here are a few videos of just about the cutest little guy!

Hayride and bonfire! Loving the fall!

There are quiet a few fall activities that we like to do as a family. Every year our church goes on a hay ride at Santa's Woods in Blair, Nebraska.  Afterwards we have a weanie roast.  It is always a fun time for the kids!  Last year I was gearing up to have Weston so I was pretty big...and uncomfortable.  This year I was looking forward to our entire family getting to enjoy it, however Weston ended up being sick, so my parents kept him for the evening.  We ended up having two racks full of kids and families...luckily we were on the tame rack and not the rack with hay throwers!  Here are a few pictures of our lovely evening!  Should have brought my real camera and not just my phone camera...I know shocking!  Enjoy!

Sean and I:)

Easton enjoying the ride!

 

Easton trying to roast a marshmallow

Discovering he is a bit messy!

Oh well!

Season's of Mother's Heart: Surprised by Joy!

Wooohooooo!  I am caught up! I hate being behind on something that I committed to and today is one of those days where we have nothing planned...except my husband watching football, me making lots of appetizers, and apparently taking our youngest to Emergi-care.  Fun times!

Well if you haven't read my previous posts, I am in a book club with my friend Erin from http://homewiththeboys.net   She is not an online friend...she is a real and true life friend.  She is also another mom/teacher in our home schooling coop.  The book we are reading is called Seasons of a Mother's Heart....and guess what?? the author, Sally Clarkson, has mentioned our little book club on her blog and is giving away a free copy of the book we are reading...super cool!!!!  You can read her blog: HERE.

Chapter 6:  Surprised by Joy!

Romans 12:2  Not to be conformed to this world, but rather, to be transformed by the renewing of our minds in Christ. 

This chapter reminded me about finding the joy in my children and family.  Sometimes I get caught up in the every day mundane tasks of keeping the house in order, making sure everyone is fed, the laundry kept up, the kids schooling done...some days seem like a deja-vu of the day before.  Obviously all of those things I mentioned have to be done, but sometimes these things will distract us from the joys that our children and family have to offer.  Since I started homeschooling, I have heard quiet a few opinions, some not directed at me, others directed right at me...of don't you get sick of your kids?  Wouldn't it be easier just to send them to school so you can get a break?  If you know me...you probably already know my answer.

Mrs. Clarkson gave a good analogy which rings true for me:  I am discovering my role as a painter of memories.  My paints and brushes are all the things I do to build traditions into our home and family life, and my canvas is the minds of my children. The typical classroom is structured to reinforce conformity-- answer questions a certain way, learn the right way, speak only at certain times, write your letters this one way....where is the creativity?  Yes, I am sure they do art projects, but what about those kids who want to think and do things outside of the traditional box?  

"There is nothing quiet like the experience of handing down my children our family's convictions and values about the Christian life.  We want them to believe what we believe about the Bible, marriage, sex, family, femininity and masculinity, leadership, service, temptation, sin, gifts, ministry, and so many more areas."  (pg. 113)

I consider myself lucky.  I know not all families can...or even want to homeschool, but I am glad that Sean and I can be the ones that can teach our kids what we as a family believe...instead of being constantly challenged by others outside of our family.  We are able to train and shape them.  I know some of you are thinking...wow can't your kids decide for themselves and go on their own way...umm...no.  I have seen so many families give up on their kids during the most crucial time (jr. high and high school) and have lost them. Lost them to the world....lost them entirely.  Many have left their Christian faith, that they grew up in.  Yes that seed of salvation was once planted...and you can't lose salvation, but how will they answer the Lord Jesus Christ when they are at his judgment seat?   I don't want to lose our children before they ever have a chance to go out in the world on their own.

Anyways...back to the book I was sharing about...the main focus was finding joy in what you do with your kids.  Don't just think of your kids and family as this stage in life that you HAVE to get through. When the are 18...I am done!  (a common thing I hear) If you know me....I LOVE...LOVE...LOVE going out and doing things with my kids.  It would drive me crazy...and I am sure them as well, if we just sat around doing school all day and twirling our thumbs at each other.  I do think I have finally found the joy in my kids...maybe it is because they are getting older and easier in general.  I don't know what it is, but I have this feeling of contentment this school year...and I am really finding the joy in our every day adventures!

PS....I realize I am a horrible writer...and really don't spend time editing my work...so please look past all of the mistakes:)