Empty Tomb

Easter is just a few days away. During Bible time this week we have been reading about the last days of Jesus' life. The boys often surprise me with what they remember or want to discuss. Justus wondered aloud early this week why we call it "Good Friday" when it's the day something bad happened to Jesus. Wesley answered him and said something along the lines of "Well, it was good for us!".

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

For Christ died for sins once for all,
the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
1 Peter 3:18

While Good Friday is about Jesus' death, Easter is about His resurrection! He isn't dead anymore! This week we have been singing (off key, but heartily) Low in the Grave He Lay. Here's the chorus:

Up from the grave he arose;
with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;
he arose a victor from the dark domain,
and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

After our reading and singing today we made an Easter visual aid. We made one last year too, but I guess I never posted it to the blog. It's quite easy and if you have little kids they will enjoy it!

Mix up a batch of salt dough (2 cups flour, 1/2 cup salt, 3/4 cup warm water) until smooth. This year I added a few drops of black food coloring to the water to make the dough more rock colored. Last year I just left it.

Place a glass (oven proof) bowl upside down on a cookie sheet. Spray it with non-stick spray. Roll out the dough to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness or so then carefully place the rolled dough on to the bowl to make a tomb. Cut away a door. Reshape the door as more of a rock (or just lay it down on the cookie sheet as is).

Bake in a warm oven (the lowest mine goes is 170) for several hours. The original recipe I saw said two hours but it's never done after only two hours in our oven. When it's dry and cool, remove the tomb from the bowl.

Last year (see below) we made a little salt dough plaque to write a Bible verse on. This year I just wrote it on the piece of cardboard we are using to display the tomb.

He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.
Come and see the place where he lay.
Matthew 28:6

To Infinity!

My blog book came via Blurb last week! It turned out even better than I had hoped! I wasn't sure if I was going to like the "soft" cover, but I do. I think that is what I'll order from here on out. Well, unless I splurge for the most expensive cover.

There are typos here and there, but I am a real person and don't have an editor. :) That kind of thing will give it charm, right? Well, that's what I'm telling myself!

I worked a little harder on the cover this time and I'm glad I did! Here it is:
Here are a few randomly chosen pages:


And here is the page showing the blog post when I showed pictures of my first blog book:


I figure if I take one of these each time and post it so it makes it into the next book it will be like looking into a mirror with a mirror behind you. My blog... to infinity!

Little Things

Life's not always puppies and rainbows over here at Casa de Shown, but we have some pretty good kids if I may say so myself! Sometimes it's the little things that make me thankful for all these boys. This week Wesley left me this sweet note under my pillow:

(click to enlarge)

I'm afraid it's my fault he used the wrong "you're" at the end and not just because I'm his teacher. He had asked me earlier in the day how to spell "your" and I asked him which one. He said, "Like 'you're a cupcake'. To show someone you like them." I had no idea why he was asking at the time! I think it's so funny that he signed his first and last name. He's definitely the only Wesley that leaves me notes under my pillow. No chance for any confusion on that one!

Then one morning this week while I was in the shower he made my bed for me. He did a pretty good job of it too! He likes to do this every once in awhile and he always does it while I'm in the shower. He is super quiet and works quickly so it will be a surprise... and it is every time! (For the record, I am good girl and don't redo his work.)Wesley is not the only sweet son in this house. JD is polite to the extreme. He's the first kid I've had that says "thank you" when I change his diaper! When Roz got home on Friday afternoon everyone came running up the stairs to say hi and give hugs. JD was the last one up the stairs. He walked up to Roz and said: "Hi. I'm JD." It was so funny!

Both JD and Hayden put themselves down to nap in the afternoons. If it's 1pm and I can't find them they are usually in their respective beds awaiting a good nap kiss. We have been very fortunate... all the boys are both good nappers and sleepers, but those two actually love to nap. Guess they take after their daddy. Jerry's super power is napping, at least that's what Justus told him yesterday!

Wesley and Justus have been helping me in the kitchen by unloading the dishwasher a few times a week. They have to work together. Justus hands the dishes to Wesley who sits up on the counter so he can reach to put things away. The other day Eli actually cried because he wanted to help and the other two told him there wasn't room (which there really wasn't). Crying?! Because you can't unload the dishwasher?! Really?

Everyone has to do their fair share around here. Some chores go over better than others. I let Wesley help JD get dressed once recently and he was so proud! He thought it was a special treat! And when we first started our chore system, everyone was jealous because Justus was lucky enough to get the chore of wiping the bathroom counter daily. Using a squirt bottle is more fun than emptying a trash can any day according to my gang!

One of these days I'll write a post about our little chore system. My goal is to train myself out of a job. I can hardly wait! We definitely won't have to mow the lawn or shovel! And if we do, it will be our own fault!

Seasonal Cleaning: The Kitchen

Here's the last post about "seasonal cleaning" (for now anyway!). Time flies! I started writing these posts when it was "fall cleaning" and now it's time to start all over again for "spring cleaning"!! If you want to see the rest of the seasonal cleaning posts click here.

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The kitchen is the only room that may take more than one day to deep clean. It really depends on how dirty your kitchen is and when you cleaned it last. At the same time, the kitchen is the worth the effort. We spend a lot of time there and keeping the kitchen clean will help keep you and your family healthy.

1. Prep--remove any items that go elsewhere and trash.

2. Remove dirty dish towels, rugs, and window treatments. Wash them.

3. Dust and/or wash ceiling and walls.

4. Remove all decorative items from the walls/shelves/tables and clean each item. Wipe surface before returning items. Don't forget the space above your cabinets! If you have any decorative arrangements you want to keep exactly the same, here's a tip for you: grab your camera and take a quick picture. Then when you go to put things back you can look at the picture to jog your memory.

5. Remove parts of light fixture(s) and clean them. Replace any burned out light bulbs.

6. Wash any doors (front and back), frame, and door knob.

7. Wash window(s) inside and out. Brush window screen with a dry, stiff brush. Wipe sill and frame.

8. Here it is the part you've been dreading. This is the hard part: Empty and wipe out each cupboard and drawer. Vacuum crumbs out of drawers before wiping them. Return only items you use frequently that are in good condition. Toss expired food.

If you buy food in bulk
store smaller amounts in handy containers.

Don't keep four cheese graters, if you want to keep a "backup" just in case then pack those items in a box and put the box in storage. Line the shelves if they are in bad shape or you want to protect them. Organize as you put things back. Use baskets or boxes to help keep like things together. It is also recommended that you store items that you use together with each other. (Baking supplies for example.)
If you have a "pantry" in your kitchen, consider it a big cupboard. :) Which means you need to take everything out, wipe the shelves, and organize as you put things back. If you happen to store extra appliances in your pantry, and could use the space for something else, reconsider before you just automatically put them back where they were. If you only use an appliance once a year store it in the basement, if you use an appliance more often but not daily store it somewhere handy (linen closet?) but not in the prime real estate of your kitchen.
I have a fairly small "pantry" in the kitchen so I keep my overflow food and appliances in the basement. I'm not sure I'll ever do a post on organizing your basement... that seems even more daunting than the kitchen!9. Wipe outside and handles of all cupboards and drawers. Take extra care of cupboards above the cooktop. They get greasy and grimy. Don't forget to wipe cupboard sides, fronts, and along the floor.Here's another helpful hint for you: Post a list of substitutions and a few favorite recipes you make frequently on the inside of your cupboard door for handy reference. (I also have an OTC children medication chart there as well.)

10. Clean oven/stovetop. Use the self-clean if you have it. Soak/wash the stove drip pans or replace them, if needed (tip: the black ones are easier to keep looking clean). Remove all knobs and soak them, while you wipe behind them. Don't forget the drawer if you have one. If you are really motivated, pull out the stove and wipe the sides and clean the floor underneath. Clean exhaust fan. Remove and soak the mesh filter, or replace if it is really bad. Wipe down front, door, and handle.11. Clean sink and faucet. Don't forget to clean any sink accessories (sprayer, filter, etc). If your sink is stained use a magic eraser to wipe it down. A paste of baking soda and water will usually remove spots from the faucet. If needed, use an old toothbrush to clean around the fixture base. If you have a dish rack, clean it really well (soak in a bleach solution) before returning it to the sink. Clean the garbage disposal/drain area really well. Run some ice and a few slices of lemon in your disposal if you don't want to reach in there and scrub.

12. Wipe outside of dishwasher and around the door. If necessary, run your dishwasher with a cup of vinegar or bleach to clean the inside.

13. Clean refrigerator/freezer. Wipe all sides and top. A magic eraser or Soft Scrub will get off scuff marks. Pull fridge out and clean wall/floor under and behind the fridge. Vacuum fridge coils. Clean the inside of the fridge. Empty the whole thing and remove all the shelves, don't forget the shelves in the door. Wipe down inside walls/floor/ceiling. Wipe all shelves and drawers. Return food, tossing anything that is past it's date or gross. Wipe jars for drips, if necessary.Now I know a lot of you won't listen to me on this one but if you keep stuff off your fridge your kitchen will look a lot less cluttered. I know it is full of kids drawings and photos of loved ones, but those things can be displayed elsewhere. If you have to leave an occasional note to a family member on there that is one thing... an added bonus is if there is not a bunch of stuff on there already they might actually get the message! At the very least limit what you put on there to one piece of artwork per kid and a few special pictures.

14. Clean microwave, inside and out. Put a mug of water with a slice of lemon in microwave and heat for 1-2 minutes. Let it sit before wiping down the inside. This will loosen any stuck on food.

15. Clean or wipe any other small appliances that you keep on the counter top (toaster, mixer, coffee maker, etc.)

16. Remove everything from counters and wipe. Don't forget the wall/backsplash. If you feel it is needed wipe with a disinfectant of some kind. Be sure the counter is dry before you replace items. Wipe each item as you put it back. Make sure you only put back things you need or love. A cluttered counter is hard to keep clean!

17. If you don't have a separate dining room then clean your dining area with your kitchen. Wipe down all chairs and the table, including legs and decorative trim. Magic Erasers get scuff marks off of furniture.18. Wash trash can inside and out.

19. Return all clean wall decorations, light fixture, rugs, window treatments.

20. Sweep and scrub floor, wipe baseboards.
Stand back and admire your clean kitchen! Good job!!

Want to keep it looking great?

• Deal with dishes daily
• Wipe counters daily
• Keep your sink empty and clean
• Wipe up spills as they happen
• Sweep as needed, mop weekly

The printable kitchen cleaning checklist can be found here.

Coming to a Bookshelf Near Me!

After working on it on and off for the last few months I finally got my second blog book off to the printer this week! I have yet to receive it in the mail, but anxiously await it's arrival. It's a monster of a book! Twice as long as the first, just under 250 pages, and includes over 800 pictures. After the last book, I decided I wanted to get on a "calendar" year schedule, so this book actually has 18 months worth of blog posts.

I was very pleased with my first book so, once again, I used Blurb. Their "Book Smart" program pulled all my blog posts and put them into book format, one post per page. I was then able to edit and reformat. It is quite time consuming but fun as well. You can re-size the photos and use fonts or backgrounds as decorations.

Blogger now offers a service (Blog2Print) that allows you to turn your blog into a book. I considered this newer option but went with Blurb because they allow a bit more editing and customizing. Both services offer soft or hardcover. Blurb will actually publish anything! So you've written something that you would like to see in print, you might want to check out their site.

The longer the book, the higher the cost so I paid a pretty penny this time! But you can't really put a price tag on something that is so unique and special. I consider this blog my hobby (and my journal!) and printing it is my only cost. Last time I chose the hardcover (with dust jacket) and this time I chose the softcover. They do offer a hardcover with the image on the actual cover, but that is the most expensive option. Maybe next time I'll give that option a try.

The cover is pictured above. I put a little more effort into the front and back covers this time. I didn't really think too much about them the first time I ordered and they were a little bit boring. As I figure things out over time I'm sure each book with get better and better! Just in case you want to check it out, here is the link for info on ordering.

Another Day Older...

We started out our day with donuts for breakfast, per the birthday boy's request. Then Daddy took all five boys to run a few errands while mom wrapped a few gifts and got things ready for the b-day party. On a side note, if you want people to notice you while you are at a store just bring five little boys with you!

After a quick lunch we finished our party preparations and made little vegetable "wagons". Wesley saw the recipe in a magazine and wanted to try them. They turned out pretty cute, but I don't think the assemblers sampled their own work at dinner, except for maybe Eli.
Grandma and Pa came and we visited with them for awhile before the rest of the gang (Abby and family) arrived. We opened gifts, then ate our fill of pizza (again per the birthday boy's request), and then finished it all off with cake.
As we were putting the boys to bed, I told Wesley that he couldn't have any more birthdays. He had to stay 8 forever because I don't want him to keep growing up! He thought that was pretty funny, and we both know it's not possible, but sometimes I do wish I could slow time down! Happy Birthday Wesley!!

Happy 8th Birthday Wesley!!

Birth Day! (birth story here)

Age One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six (post here)

Seven (post here)

Eight (post here)

"Laying Their Final Bricks" Article

Today's local paper has a nice article about my Grandma and the end of the family business. Click here if you would like to read the article.

Are you wearing green?

May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!
~ An Old Irish Blessing~

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Wesley wanted me to remind you all to wear green!! Speaking of Wesley, his birthday is Saturday. He will be 8! Do you know where I was 8 years ago today? I was in New London (renamed New Dublin just for the day) at a little St. Patty's Day festival with Jer and Roz. We went to go hear Gaelic Storm and watch people drink Guinness. We were not disappointed.

Gaelic Storm is an Irish band that we happen to like. If you are not familiar with them, you still may have heard at least one of their songs... they played the music for the dance scene down in third class (aka steerage) in the movie Titanic.

When I think about it now, I wonder... what we were thinking?! I was 38 weeks pregnant for crying out loud! What a crazy birth story that would have been! Of course, I thought I still had two weeks to go and I had no idea my labor would be a mere 2 hours. Thankfully, it wasn't meant to be. Despite the fact that I have been pregnant five times, that is the only time I've ever been 38 weeks pregnant. I never made it that far again, so I have fond memories of that day.

They say smells can affect memory. Well, so can music... enjoy!

The Eyes Have It

Pink eye that is! Ugh! We missed church on Sunday because we took a red-eyed Hayden to an early morning "sick" visit. The doctor said he did, in fact, have pink eye. But he also said it was "viral" which means no drops and it will just have to run it's course.

How he knows it's viral and not bacterial without a culture is beyond me. He said viral pink eye is contagious, just like the bacterial variety, but one would have to basically touch the infected eye and then their own. Apparently, my boys can't keep their fingers to themselves (or this is some mighty contagious virus) because it is slowly moving through the ranks. Hayden was first, then Eli, then Wesley, followed by Justus, and just tonight little JD.

The doctor gave Jerry an article he wrote about the different types of conjunctivitis and told him that if he read it he would know more about pink eye then most pediatricians in town. Ouch! Apparently, day cares and schools are needlessly freaked out by pink eye but since our gang doesn't go to either we shouldn't worry and just let it run it's course. And by "run it's course" he must have meant in the household, not the infected child.

It doesn't seem to bother them that much, thankfully. It does make them look extra tired though, poor kids. Since Hayden was first, his eyes are already starting to look better. I just hope it doesn't go around again!

March Menu

Here is the March menu. As a reminder we have two week rotating lunch menu, one planned big weekend breakfast, and usually something in the crockpot for lunch after church on Sunday. I don't really plan veggies and side dishes ahead. We usually have a nightly salad and then some kind of frozen veggies. Side dishes are usually whatever sounds good and what I have on hand (potatoes, rice, breads, etc.). If you want any recipes let me know.


Click to enlarge above menu. Or to easily view the current monthly menu, click the "Monthly Menu" tab above.

Get Organized Presentation

Well, I am happy to report that my presentation to the MoMs club went well! I am not fond of public speaking. Before I got started I was nervous as all get out and my hands were cold and clammy, but once I got going I was okay. It helps to be talking about something that you're excited about!

Part of my organizing/cleaning skills are nature (thanks Mom and Grandma!) and part are nurture (years of reading books and blogs for new ideas). People already think we're weird (large family, homeschool, frugal, etc.) and I'm afraid I didn't help the cause much with my presentation last night. :) If they didn't think I was weird before I'm sure they do now that they've seen pictures of my closets and drawers!

As I was speaking to the group, I realized it's the little things that make a big difference! I am sure some of the moms saw my pictures and thought I must spend hours and hours keeping up my house. But I really don't!! I promise you, I don't... ask Jerry.

I told the group that I didn't want to hear any excuses because I had an answer for every single one! Don't tell me about small houses, I've lived in one. Don't tell me you have lots of kids, so do I! Don't tell me you work full time, my house was still clean/organized when I worked. The only "excuse" mentioned that I didn't really have an answer for was being just plain old "lazy".

The more I thought about this, the more I thought that's not an excuse... that's exactly why you should get organized!! I'm pretty lazy myself. I would much rather spend my time reading or surfing the internet than doing just about any household chore. My "system" frees up my time so I have more time to do the fun things (like blog) not less. I like to say "I'm not lazy, I'm efficient" but the truth is I'm efficient so I can be lazy!

I'm not saying "my way" is the best way. It works for me, but each household manager has to find their own "system". I can only share what works for me. There are literally hundreds of books about cleaning and organizing. Check out a few from the library and try a few of the suggestions. If they don't work out for you, move on and try something different. If you don't know where to start... start small! One drawer or cupboard or closet at a time. But definitely do something... "a penny saved is a penny earned" and "a stitch in time saves nine"... and that "stitch you save"... well, it will give you more time to do the things you want, no matter what it is!

In the next couple weeks, I'll be sharing some of my notes from the presentation. If you want to see the handout click here, some of it might not make sense but most of it will and it does include all the seasonal cleaning checklists from my blog posts just in time for "spring cleaning" plus a great resource list. Happy Organizing!!

Bits and Pieces

Here are a few random Shown family tidbits...

Tonight I will be giving a short presentation on organizing and cleaning at the twins club meeting. I am not really a fan of public speaking, so if you feel like saying a little prayer for me about 7pm tonight, I would appreciate it. I think I have everything in order and am ready... at least I hope so.

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We went on a family walk last night, the first in a long time. Spring is just around the corner and the days are getting longer... but we're not quite there yet. Everyone was freezing cold by the time we got home.

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Wesley and I have been reading a few of Thorton W. Burgess' books about animals. I picked up a copy of Lightfoot the Deer somewhere (thrift store maybe?) and Wesley really enjoyed it. No surprise there, he has always been fond of animals and nature stories.

So after we finished Lightfoot, I thought I'd try to find us another book from the series about the creatures of the Green Forrest. Since the books are older, they are in the public domain and available free from various sources. After reading through the list of available books, Wesley chose Blacky the Crow.

So, here we are reading a book old enough to be in the public domain on my iPod touch! Old meets new... crazy! [On a side note, I highly recommend the "Stanza" app for downloading and reading books in the public domain.]

Anyway, here is quote from yesterday's reading that I really loved:

As black is black and white is white,
So wrong is wrong and right is right.

There isn’t any half way about it. A thing is wrong or it is right, and that is all there is to it. But most people have hard work to see this when they want very much to do a thing that the still small voice way down inside tells them isn’t right. They try to compromise. To compromise is to do neither one thing nor the other but a little of both. But you can’t do that with right and wrong. It is a queer thing, but a half right never is as good as a whole right, while a half wrong often, very often, is as bad as a whole wrong.

Amen! They just don't write books like that anymore! Speaking of reading, Wesley is slowly turning into a book worm. He has been requesting weekly trips to the library for more Boxcar Children books. He enjoys the kiddie mysteries, although he admits to reading ahead sometimes because he can't stand the suspense! He is setting a good example for the twins, who have taken to carrying around chapter books that they can't quite read. They even tell me how many pages they have "left" in the chapter just like Wesley does.

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Most of you who also read Jerry's blog know he re-posted the "Why We Homeschool" post I wrote on his blog. He gets a lot more hits per day than I do so it was kind of fun knowing a few additional people read what I wrote. Another blogger "shared" the link on Facebook and Jer got a few extra clicks yesterday. I got a kick out of someone wanting to "share" it! Thank you to those of you who left such nice comments on that post. We did have one person ask about the reasons I didn't mention (#1, #2, and #8). If you want to see all ten reasons head over to the original article I quoted.

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This concludes the most random post ever written by yours truly!