we went and we stayed

Mon, 8 Aug 2011 22:26:52 -0700

Ahhh. Two absolutely fabulous days at Arizona Grand- we staycationed til the cows came home. We arrived Friday, checked out Sunday, gave Gabbs a nap, and went back again to play at the water park almost til bedtime. It was a blast! Too bad we couldn’t take pictures on the Lazy river or in the wave pool. Here’s pretty much all the photos we got.

how do you say?

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 21:32:05 -0700

how on earth do you put a year of kindergarten into one single blog entry? bear with me as I explain a year long experience that sped past my very eyes, the dust is still settling.   I’ll start with a year ago. It was ‘meet the teacher’ day at school, and I was looking forward to see what the new year held. tenth avenue north’s song ‘healing begins’ was on the radio as we exited the freeway, and Isaiah shouted from the back seat “I love this song”. it has a great melody in the chorus, and I thought it sounded grown up for him to like. he tried singing along, but mostly just hummed the tune.
a few days later school started, and on the way home from his second day of kindergarten ‘healing begins’ started up again, this time he sang along. in a few short days, isaiah had picked up the whole chorus and at least half the lines in the song. and tears caught in my throat, because i knew that’s how the year would be. one day? no idea what his address is. before i knew it, he was singing it as he rode his bike. which reminds me of another- one day- no bike riding, the next day- off speeding away on two wheels (away- right jennifer?).
I don’t mean to say he caught on to every concept. in fact, i was waiting all year for his reading to click like i’d watched for so many other children, and it just didn’t. he entered the year knowing all the letter sounds and understanding how to blend them, but left not really a reader. that is one example of the expectations I held, and an example of just one that needed to flex under the weight of it all.
i was surprised at my bad attitude towards homework, and felt like I was once again in junior high, shooting darts from across the room at the assignment packet, angel on one shoulder and demon on the other “doooon’t doooo it... maaaake diiiiner... let him plaaaay” was the red devil’s chant. Aaah. I KNOW they’re just sight words. But they got me every time.
I envisioned play dates and taking only two kids to the grocery store (which, by the way, is not all that’s cracked up to be, since sometimes a kindergartener is the best thing to have around when you’re doing something like getting groceries), and instead most of our heart investing was on staying home, enjoying each other, and shepherding brothers and sisters hearts to care about one another.
it was a true joy to watch him in class. the Lord unfolded a little more of ‘isaiah’, extending the things I know about him into classroom life: he is caring, fun loving, compassionate, energetic, scatterbrained, sweet. he adores writing, where the sky’s the limit. he writes notes, letters, and books nearly every day.
i started off liking and grew to truly appreciate his teacher, mrs. kenyon. i am thankful to God for His provision in this area. she cheerfully and kindly and positively and faithfully taught those kids, but best of all LOVED them. she welled up any time she started talking about her class, they were so dear to her.
in the carpool lane when she gave Isaiah his final hug of his kindergarten year, she reminded isaiah how much she cared about him. she called him his nickname she used for him outside of class- ‘smartie martie’, and after that she couldn’t look him in the eye. “See you later, first grader!” she said, teary eyed, which did me in.
as we turned to get back in the car i could smell her perfume. i have no idea what it is, but i know i’ll smell it again someday and it will take me right back to that carpool lane. the windows were open and what was floating through the air with that lovely scent? you guessed it, no kidding, the opening notes of tenth avenue north.
we drove away, the boys belting it out in the back, me too full of thankfulness and tears to join in.

So long, sweet pet

Sun, 3 Apr 2011 15:22:58 -0700

In December my brother Mike was working and a praying mantis made its way onto his baseball hat. His first thought was that my boys would like to keep it as a pet. He brought it to us in an empty orange juice container, and from there her homes became more and more permanent- 3 others.

This morning I realized that, after slowing down over the last few days and just ‘not seeming right’, she died. I knew the day would come and I knew the boys would be sad, but I didn’t think I’d be sad too. She was more entertaining than a fish, quieter than most other pets, and never shed fur. Other than one small quirk, I’d say she’s top of the list of small pets.

My boys are sad. We’ll have a goodbye service soon and bury her. I’m thankful I will be here to comfort them and we’ll say so long together.

More Pictures HERE

a telling tale...

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:44:30 -0700

yesterday we went to a park and we were the only ones there. i let isaiah ride his bike from the circular sidewalk at the park into the parking lot.
After a while someone drove up in their car and parked and just sat, which was strange, so I asked Isaiah to stick to the sidewalk.
After a few minutes he said “now can I go in the parking lot?”
Me- “no, I want you to stay by me. I’m not really sure what that car is up to.”
Isaiah- “Oh, well, I think he’s probably just getting a spanking. Or going potty in a cup.”

you will enjoy this recipe

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 10:18:32 -0700

well, we like it at least. i hope you do! it’s one of those super satisfying, nutritious, yummy recipes that is starting to be a go-to for me. most of the ingredients can be kept on hand, but I have to say, the times I’ve made it with fresh italian parsley (vs. dried) have been when it’s turned out the best. I normally do not like garbanzo beans at all, but i eat them in this. I have some modifications that i’ve made down at the bottom.

From “everyday food”
Mediterranean Chicken Stew

If you plan to make the polenta, bring water to a boil while chicken is browning, then add polenta to water when beginning step three of chicken recipe.

Ingredients
Serves 4.
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 4 plum tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons chopped pitted Kalamata olives (about 5)
• 1 teaspoon white-wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Creamy Polenta, for serving
Directions
1. Season chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook, turning occasionally, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low; add remaining teaspoon oil to skillet. Add garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chickpeas and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes; cook over medium heat until starting to break down, 3 to 4 minutes. Add olives, vinegar, and chicken along with any accumulated juices to pan; toss until warmed through, about 1 minute. Stir in parsley. Serve over polenta. [I have also served it over whole wheat pasta and mashed potatoes]
First published

Copyright 2011 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.
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-I use b-less, s-less chicken thighs, not breasts.
-the first time I made this I was headed out the door and knew I would not be back until dinnertime. so instead of doing it on the stovetop, I went out on a limb and put the chicken in a greased casserole dish, then combined all the other ingredients (including a can of chicken broth- i was afraid it would dry out) except the parsley and poured it over the chicken. I topped it with the parsley, then covered it with tinfoil but left a ‘vent’ on each side so some of the liquid would cook down. I cooked it at 400 for about an hour. Very yummy!

happy valentines day to me!

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:35:47 -0700

Click on this video- I don’t need to explain this one :)

belated

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 21:21:09 -0700

I recently realized that I never posted for isaiah’s birthday- which was at the beginning of November! We were passing strep throat back and forth (and back and forth) over that time, so we’ll see how much I remember of the day :)

Isaiah had his first birthday party with friends. Decision making was difficult as to who would attend. Difficult for me- not him! I was traumatized! But I could have told him any one person (anyone) was coming over to celebrate something and he would have been excited. He enjoys people and has fun in pretty much any circumstance. His birthday party was very ‘HIM’- we chose a bug theme.

God has given Isaiah a lighthearted spirit and a sweetness. He is tender, sympathetic, and cheerful when things are tough. He is a precious part of this family.

He is hitting milestone after milestone that happen around the 6th birthday- lost teeth, riding a bike with no training wheels, reading, etc. It is sweet to see how much he is learning and growing every day. The way he grows out of jeans is a testament to that!

I was taking the boys to get haircuts just after Isaiah’s birthday. There was a lady talking to her stylist and said “My son just turned 11!” and my first thought was that 11 sounded big- until I quickly realized that I am closer to 11 with Isaiah than I am to the day he was born. That really caught me off guard-! The years pass so quickly!

I am thankful for each day God gives me with this sweet guy. Such a gift! I Love you, Zay!

superstition farms

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 13:16:53 -0700

we had SUCH a great time at superstition farms today. I highly recommend this place- great staff, friendly animals (their rabbit cracked me up- it just sat on a patio table for over an hour while kids walked up to pet it), and it’s right in town. we really enjoyed it.
Photos HERE

sugarplum fairy

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:05:15 -0700

Ever since... maybe september? October? when we went to Tempe’s Ballet under the stars, Gabbi has been interested in Ballet. So once the Christmas season hit I’d been considering taking her to a small production of the Nutcracker. Last minute (saturday morning) I jumped on it, and she and I had a special night together.
We started off with soup (as per her request) for dinner, just the two of us. Finished the meal with a chocolate chip cookie, made a quick shopping run, and off to the ballet we went. She was SO excited. She did great- we stayed for most of it, which ended well after her bed time. On the way home I asked her her favorite part (“The dancing”). She said “It was beautiful” :) I agreed!

to tell the truth

Tue, 7 Dec 2010 12:38:15 -0700

yes it’s been a month since my last entry- and actually I’m not the one writing this post, either-! But I hope it is an encouragement to those of you who didn’t read it on the girltalk blogs-
part of their current series on fear- “To Tell The Truth”