Happy Birthday E!

I have this big hang-up that what I do for one child I should try to do for the others. Of course it doesn't always work out that way and children need to understand that life's not fair and not everything can be perfectly equal, but if I blog about one child's birthday I definitely need to blog about the other two!

Therefore, this really should be post-dated, but on November 17th E celebrated her big 4 year old birthday. She is my wonderfully strong-willed middle child. She was that way literally before birth- refusing to come on her due date but instead waited a little over a week. When the doctor decided to have me induced and sent me to the hospital, she came before he was able to start the induction- all on her own terms. That's the way it's been ever since, and I wouldn't change a thing.

For her birthday we did a combined party with her brother at the zoo since their birthdays are two weeks apart, and I certainly wasn't going to plan two separate parties with all the craziness that was going on. It was a big hit. They had a little animal show- totally up E's alley since she is the animal lover of the family (rode a full-sized horse with no fear when she was 18 months old.) Her favorite animal was the snake (that's her in the picture with the boa), and she spent the most time petting it. A few weeks later I was at her classroom Thanksgiving party and when I went to retrieve her backpack, much to my surprise there was our stuffed animal snake in there (big thing- about 3 feet long). I was surprised she had left the house with that in tow and my not noticing it. However, her teacher informed me that E had been telling everyone in class she would be bringing a snake to school that week. She really did. At least it wasn't a live one, but I wouldn't put it past her...

Thankful for rest

Can I just say that the month of November has flown by? I've been blessed with family visits (I absolutely cannot get enough of my favorite niece- and my sister and brother-in-law too, of course.) I've also been slowly but surely preparing the house for a wonderful Christmas with my parents and sister's family. It will be the first time all of us have been together since hubby and I were married 11 years ago. (That's what happens with the majority of your family live overseas.) Then there is just life with a husband whose love language is shared time (sigh! football season is tough for me, honestly speaking) and raising and enjoying 3 wonderfully vigorous children.

The biggest "drainer" of my free/ blog time has been my second on-line course for my professional certification in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). This one has been challenging in it's own right, but I have enjoyed it more than my first course (partly due overcoming the learning curve and this one only has one textbook and no 12 page paper- WHEW!) I only have one more course to go in order to get my certification, but I'm going to wait until the summer. It's too much balancing school schedules and being flexible to take a class.

For Thanksgiving we drove 8 1/2 hours (10 + with stops for the kids) to my in-law's house. For various reasons I dreaded the trip- packing for EVERYONE, inclement weather, cleaning the house, classwork deadlines, not being in the comfort of my own home, etc. However, yesterday I realized that I was able to actually relax. When I'm home I can always find something to do- I never just sit. Here I have family to help, and except for cleaning up after the kids who have very few toys here (and this has totally convinced me how little my children really "need" or, better put, that they just have too much at home) I can just enjoy my time with my family. The kids have even slept in past 7 a.m. the last few days, and that is a luxury in itself. This has been a great time to just relax and reflect on what I have to be thankful for.

Perhaps once I get home and finish my final exam next week I will get back to regular blogging...

Pumpkin Pancakes

While there are many things to love about Fall, one of my favorites is the food, namely ANYTHING with pumpkin. Several years ago I was introduced to a fabulous recipe for Pumpkin Pancakes and it instantly became a family favorite. We even have it for supper since pumpkin is technically a vegetable (but if anyone clues my kids in on that fact they will have to deal with my wrath.) In celebration of this season, I thought I would share the recipe.

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup pumpkin puree

4 eggs (my recipe calls for separating them, but I don't do that, too much effort- dirtying more dishes, but if you are a glutton for punishment or a better "cooker" than me beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them into the batter after mixing together all the other ingredients.)

1/4 cup melted butter

Sift together dry ingredients. Combine milk, egg yolks, butter and pumpkin puree. Stir into dry ingredients until just blended. Pour about 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter onto hot, greased griddle. Cook until tops bubble; turn and cook other side. Serve with warm maple syrup, and whipped cream, after all, syrup is a fruit because it comes from a tree (we use the real stuff) and the whipped cream is dairy- I can justify it all.

On a side note, the smallest size of pumpkin puree that I can find is 15 oz. (approx 2 cups). Instead of having half a can of pumpkin puree left over, I just double the recipe. Then I freeze the leftovers and they make a fabulous quick breakfast for those rushed "school mornings."

Happy Birthday D!

Although this picture is a bit blurred, it totally captures my "baby" who just turned 2. He's always on the go, a whirl of energy, and only stops when he's being read to or asleep. He's 100% boy, getting into anything and everything, and yet he is sweet and tender until his sisters bug him, then he retaliates. However, his sweet, mischievous smile melts my heart even after he's pulled his sisters' hair, drawn on the wall, thrown something, climbed onto the table, locked the bathroom door... Fun times! Happy birthday, D!

So what was she thinking?

So long summer

Okay, so I know summer ended a little over a week ago, but I just had to share this.

This past March I decided to be ambitious and plant my own, home-grown flowers.

I went to Wal-Mart and bought seeds and two flats that would act as "mini greenhouses" for the seedlings. I planted Forget-me-Nots, Marigolds, Shasta Daisies, Dahlias, Sunflowers, Zinnias and Cone Flowers.
My girls even got in on the action, although they got bored after planting a few seeds, plus it was hard to work with such small seeds.
A little less than two months later most of the seeds that I had planted had sprouted. It was fun for the kids to see the plants grow. Some of the seeds didn't do so well, namely the Cone Flowers and Marigolds, but it was rather painless. When the seedlings were ready and the weather had warmed up enough I transplanted them into our yard.

Out of all the flowers, the Zinnias did best although they were a lot taller than I had expected. My landscaping skills would certainly not get me on the pages of Better Homes and Gardens, but it was the learning experience that counts.

I wasn't thrilled with the way the Shasta Daisy's did, but since they are perennials I'm hoping they'll come back fuller next year.

The Dahlias also did very well and I loved the colors- many different kinds. Next year I think I'll move these to the backyard (since they are perennials also).

I also love how these flowers have made great arrangements in the house. It was a very fun, worthwhile family project.

I Remember

I remember September 11, 2001. I had gone to school early that morning to teach my 3rd grade class in Norcross, GA. My husband had gone to work at 3rd Army in Ft. McPherson, GA. My parents were in town visiting and were going to the airport that morning to pick up my sister and her husband who were flying in from Washington D.C.

I remember a fellow teacher coming into my room and telling me that two planes had hit the World Trade Centers in New York City. I remember the shock and horror I felt, knowing this was no accident and wondering who could be that evil. I couldn’t begin to imagine the number of lives that were lost.

I remember hearing about the plane that had crashed into the Pentagon and knowing that my sister and her husband were flying out from D.C. that very morning. I remember the guilty relief I felt when I saw that their flight had landed in Atlanta but knowing that many other families were learning that their loved ones had not been so fortunate. I remember my sister later telling me that they had seen the Pentagon as they flew out of the city, just 30 minutes before it was attacked.

I remember trying very hard not to let my students know that something so horrible had occurred that day. During my lunch break I called my husband, and that was when I first cried because his job primarily dealt with the Middle East. I remember being afraid that he would have to go to war.

I remember the days, weeks and months that followed. My students came with so many questions. “Why had this happened?” “Who did this?” “Why didn’t they like us?” Too many of them had seen the images on T.V., burning buildings, people jumping, and they needed assurance that they were safe. I remember hearing so many stories on the news of acts of heroism and an increased sense of patriotism.

I remember holding my newborn daughter in my arms and watching as we went to war. I remember the mixed emotions that I had and how I selfishly prayed that my husband wouldn’t have to go.

I remember my husband telling me that with his new job assignment would be a deployment. I remember watching him hold our 5 month old son and praying that he would come home alive. I remember the sense of pride mixed with fear and an unexplainable God-given peace as I watched him walk away, knowing it would be a long time before I saw him again.

I remember the year without my husband. Relying on God’s strength for each day, and anticipating my husband’s phone calls, letters, and e-mails, and praying for his and the other soldiers’ safety. I remember feeling God’s hand through the hugs and support of friends and family, offers of help, the simple “Thank you’s.”

I remember him finally coming home, our children running towards him and holding on tightly to their daddy. I remember his strong arms holding me; it was as if no time had passed by at all.

I remember those who lost their lives on September 11th. I remember those in the military who endure time away from their family and friends and who have given their lives to defend our freedom. I remember those who anticipate the phone calls and letters from their loved ones who are far away, and I remember those who will never see their loved one again. I remember and pray for them all.

I remember. I will not forget.