Cheese Muffin Recipe

I mentioned these muffins in a post last week. I'm including the recipe now. These are great eaten by themselves or with a big bowl of chili or taco soup! Really, I think they would be great with just about anything!

Cheese Muffins

1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 t. baking powder

1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup oil

1 cup cheddar cheese

Stir together dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add egg, milk, and oil. Stir just until moistened. Add cheese. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and bake for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees.

Stretching Without Pushing

I'm a big believer in letting children grow at their own pace. I don't mean physically grow, but emotionally. I don't let my babies cry in someone else's arms just so they will get used to others. I don't put my kids in the church nursery when they are more comfortable being with me. I don't make my kids slide down the slide if they feel it is too scary. It is important to me to let my kids outgrow their fears on their own without being pushed. However, now that the kids are getting older, I'm not afraid to help them stretch beyond their comfort zone.

Gavin recently had the opportunity to join a just-for-fun soccer team for homeschoolers. The idea was intriguing to him, but he was extremely uncomfortable with the fact that Daddy and Mama would not be on the field with him. Brian and I decided that we thought soccer would be good for him, and since we knew the people running the program and we would be on the sidelines the entire time, this could be an opportunity of growth for him.

The activity is running for seven weeks, but we told him he had to try it for three before he could make the decision to not go back. The first week was hard. He was the youngest on the team and he didn't feel comfortable running through the warm-ups and drills alone or even telling the coach his name. Brian was able to step in and assist when needed, and we stayed close by as promised. By week two, Gavin ran onto the field hesitantly, but a few smiles eeked out eventually and he participated in all the drills and talked to the coach. Now there is no doubt that he will complete the whole seven weeks.

On his own, Gavin would not have participated in soccer, but with gentle prodding, he is finding a new love.

5 Reasons I Love My Farmhouse Table-- #2

Reason #2

Baking!

What Are You Reading? August Edition

My reading list is pitifully short this month! Between starting our school year and a few projects I've been doing, I haven't been reading much more than the occasional magazine. I have been keeping up with my Bible reading...Revelations.

I've also continued reading to the kids. We are enjoying All of a Kind Family by Sydney Taylor together. In Before Five in a Row, we are doing Blueberries For Sal by Robert McCloskey and in TruthQuest, we are reading various books on Christopher Columbus.

Now it is your turn! Tell me what you've been enjoying lately! In addition, can anyone share an idea for a book to read aloud to the kids? I keep a running list of good "chapter books" to read with them, but my current list is almost exhausted! We also read LOTS of picture books and are always looking for ideas.

5 Reasons I Love My Farmhouse Table-- #1

Reason #1

There is room for everyone to do their schoolwork!

What's For Lunch?

My boys are content to eat the same things day after day after day... For Gavin, it is cereal for breakfast and a peanut butter sandwich for lunch. For Owen, it is waffles or oatmeal for breakfast and cheese and crackers for lunch. I'm okay with this arrangement because they get much more nutritional variety at dinner.

Maddie, however, is not content with such monotony! She is not a picky eater, but she wants variety in her diet. It can be a challenge to please her palette! (On Sunday, she and her Aunt Kati talked about their similar meal-time dilemma and traded a few ideas.)

Between keeping up with the laundry, being pregnant, and homeschooling, I don't want to take the time to cook elaborate breakfasts and lunches. Here is a list of some easy things I've found to serve. I'm including everything in one list because some items could be eaten at any meal.

boiled eggs

yogurt with fruit

baked oatmeal

applesauce with cinnamon

cheese muffins (we have a GREAT recipe if anyone is interested), blueberry muffins, or oatmeal buttermilk muffins

scrambled eggs

toast topped w/ thin apple slices, cinnamon, & cheese (warmed in the microwave)

sweet potato biscuits or whole-wheat biscuits

toast w/ peanut butter & banana slices

soft flour tortilla w/ beans, corn, & cheese

(leftover) meatballs sprinkled with Parmesan cheese

English muffin or bagel pizza

leftover spaghetti, soup, or Mexican casserole

peanut butter on crackers

macaroni and cheese

"ants on a log"-- celery sticks with peanut butter & raisins

refried beans w/ sour cream

toasted cheese sandwich

baked potato

rolled up lunch meat and a slice of cheese (w/ no bread)

tortilla chips w/ salsa and cheese

We'd love to have more ideas if you have any to share!

Wordless Wednesday-- Best Friends!

They may argue over who gets to hold hands with who, but they really are the best of friends!

It's Not Just Academics

There is more to our homeschool than just learning how to read and write. There are also certain habits and behaviors I try to teach all of the kids.

1) Respect for others-- When Mom is giving a sibling instructions, that is not the time to butt in to ask a question of your own!

2) Concentration-- This means sticking to the task at hand as opposed to doing one math problem and then stopping to watch your sister color.

3) Sharing-- If your brother needs the blue colored pencil, wait until he is finished instead of insisting you need it to color the sky in your picture.

4) Diligence to finish a task-- When Mom tells you do finish one page of phonics, work at it in a timely fashion until you are done.

5) Joy in others' accomplishments-- When Baby Brother is excited because he is learning his colors, be happy for him even if the skill seems easy to you!

6) Thinking for yourself-- Think about your question and see if you can figure out the answer on your own without asking someone!

My Failed Attempt

When I first began my blog, I shared about new ventures into cloth diapering here and here. I realized recently that I never followed up with our results: I gave up!

I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but it just was not working out. I'm not sure if I should have given it more time or dug deeper to find solutions to our problems or what, but I'll use the excuse that I was pregnant and not up to the challenge.

The extra laundry was not a problem because I don't mind laundry. I do it everyday anyway and I actually enjoy folding it. Going out with cloth was much easier than I expected so I didn't really find cloth diapering inconvenient. However, I had a smell issue.

No matter how I washed the diaper covers, no matter what temperature water I used or how I rinsed them, I could not get rid of a stinky, stale odor. The diapers themselves (which actually touch the skin and absorb the...well, the body excretions) smelled fine, but the covers got so bad I couldn't get past the gross factor. Add to that the fact that Owen got a bad diaper rash that we still battle off and on (possibly unrelated?)...and I just called it quits.

Hi, my name is Kristin and I use disposables.

28 Reasons To Be Thankful

Since today is my 28th birthday, I thought I would take a few minutes to list a few things I am thankful for (in no particular order)!

1) Air conditioning.
2) Crab cakes, chocolate cake, homemade icecream, Thrasher's fries, pizza...can you tell I'm pregnant?
3) Clean sheets.
4) The opportunity to stay home with my kids.
5) Having a library only a 10 minute drive away.
6) Becoming a follower of Christ at a young age.
7) Mechanical pencils.
8) My minivan.
9) A husband who is a good friend, companion, provider, listener, father...
10) Friends of like-mind and like-faith.
11) God's Word.
12) Fresh eggs and fresh produce from friends.
13) Four daily bursts of sunshine-- my children!
14) Dutch Blitz and Apples to Apples.
15) Our laptop.
16) My parents who shaped me into who I am today.
17) Target.
18) Fall.
19) Yardsales and consignment shops and hand-me-downs.
20) 2 sisters and 3 sisters-in-law who are friends, not just family.
21) Water.
22) My brother who was my playmate growing up, my confidant as a teenager, and the one who taught my kids the "Beans, beans, the musical fruit" song!
23) My sewing basket and its contents.
24) Roller coasters.
25) My red hair.
26) Daisies.
27) Crushed ice.
28) Chick-fil-A.