The Brewers

Christmas 2011

2011-12-28T21:31:00.000-06:00

I love Christmas time! It's my favorite! It has come and gone for 2011. As usual, I probably didn't take enough pictures. I guess it's a good thing that I have this super awesome blog to record all of my memories on to!

Friday school ended before Thanksgiving. For our Christmas and end of semester celebration, they held a cookie decorating party at the ice skating rink. The kids had a blast! Although Crystara isn't in our co-op, she is at the skating rink 24-7...so, we got to hang out with her for a little while too!

Austin, Abi, and Crystara

Chasing the spot light

Don't be fooled by those winter clothes and ice in the pictures above, outside of the rink the days are pretty much like spring!! We took bread to our local duck park and fed the ducks. Then the kids played at the park for a little bit. One of their favorite things to do. And on days like this, I don't mind so much either!

Abi

Austin

Because my mom is the manager of the store she walks in, getting off for the a few days around Christmas is difficult to do. Last year we had Christmas at her house, but this year we stayed home. So, we had to have Christmas early with Grammy and Papa. The kids were not upset about hat at all!! Austin received some of the kinex building toys...he was determined to finish one of them before he went to bed. In fact, his eyes were so sleepy they were bloodshot when we finally coaxed him to go to bed!!

Austin working hard!

Austin no longer plays baseball with the Texas Terrors. They just weren't a good fit for our family, no hard feelings. But we haven't stopped playing baseball...NO WAY! Austin was invited to try out for a tournament team that just so happened to be partially coached by one of his coaches from the Vipers! YAY! His first game to play with his new team, Team Airline, was a toy drive held at Baseball USA. If you've never been to Baseball USA, you're missing out!! That place is SO cool!! After that tournament, the following weekend, Team Airline played another tournament for Toys for Tots in Pasadena. His team played all elite teams and though we lost, they held their own!

Warming up the pitching arm

At Austin's tournament in Pasadena, Abi took her tent to help keep the wind from chilling her to the bone. This little dog wandered up and hung out with Abi all day. She was pretty bummed when it was time to leave and the puppy couldn't come with us. Ironically, the pup bears a striking resemblance to Abi's dog, Peach!

Even thought we were on break the week of Christmas, I snuck in a lesson. An unusual lesson, and that is probably how the kids let me get away with it! I taught Austin and Abi a basic sewing stitch. I cut pieces of felt for them to piece together and sew a nativity set. Surprisingly, Austin was more into it than Abi! About half way through, Abi decided it was boring and she didn't want to do it anymore. Austin-never-say-quit-Brewer HAD to finish his!!

Austin sewing his nativity scene

Concentrate, concentrate...Abi sewing her nativity scene

Austin's finished product! He did such a good job, his stitching work is pretty good for the first time!!

PS This is another brilliant project I found on Pinterest!!!

Because I'm a lame-o, I forgot to snap ANY pictures when my cousin, Courtney, and her boyfriend, Chad came for dinner. I kick myself for missing that photo op because I very rarely get to see her!!! Well, at least I have the memory recorded here!

On Christmas Eve we helped out with one service and then attended the following one. We were super excited this year because it was rumored that Copperfield Church would have SNOW!!! Since Houston rarely gets anything close to snow, I had to see it for myself! Sure enough, there was a little snowfall in the front rows of the service! One of our Christmas traditions is to have soup for Christmas eve dinner. Weird tradition, I know...but a tasty one! This year we had Mark's sister, Elizabeth, Mark's dad and step mom, Tom and Wendy, and Wendy's son's girlfriend and son, Melissa and Jaydon over for soup and salad. It was a time of good company and sharing memories!

Christmas Eve 2011

Christmas Day 2011

We went to Tom and Wendy's for Christmas dinner and gift exchange. As usual, we had lots of laughs!!!

Austin received an excavating kit. He was able to chisel his way to a whole dinosaur skeleton!!

It's a tradition on the Kellum side of the family (my side) to wake up as early as possible to see what Santa has brought. Even though Austin and Abi do not believe in Santa, they were up at 1:30 that morning to see what was waiting for them! Mark thought it was crazy to be up so early, but it was normal to me!

Austin and Abi snuggled up together playing on their Santa present!!

It's Christmas Time...again...

2011-12-07T13:08:00.000-06:00

It's already Christmas time again. This year Christmas time has snuck up on me! Time seems to be flying by, even when it's not! Before I get carried away with Christmas details, let's take a look at Thanksgiving 2011 a.k.a Turkey Day:

Mark and Me, Thanksgiving Day 2011

Abi cleaning up the pine needles at Grandpa and Grandma Tink's house

Abi, chilling with grandma Tink's turkey and pilgrims

What's Thanksgiving without a little front yard football? Austin kicking the ball.

After- Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving at Grammy and Papa's

Abi and a friends playing on Papa's rope swing

Baby Jacalynn and Abi playing Grammy's piano

Pumpkin whoopie pies for the Texas vs. A&M party we went to at the Taylors'

Mark, the Lone Longhorn...lost in a sea of aggies!

Last, but not least...Black Friday shopping!!! As usual, Naomi and I met at Target to get some deals!!! I did NOT like this year's Black Friday operations....midnight just doesn't work for me. Mainly because I'm tired from the hustle and bustle of running around all day. Standing in line for a couple of hours at the end of the day when I am exhausted is not my idea of fun. And BF is usually a lot of fun for me! It's a lot of fun because it's just like coffee shop girl time...the only difference is that you're standing in line with a Starbucks in hand instead of sitting in the coffee shop with Starbucks in hand. Not this year. Our plans were to meet at Target at 10:30pm to get in line for the doors to open at midnight. The first person to the areas springs for the coffee. Naomi made it there before I did, so she got in the drive thru for Starbucks. As cars lined up behind her, she pulled up to the menu...only to be told that they closed at 10:30!!!!! And that she could return at midnight when they reopened. Not cool. So, our hour and a half wait was without coffee...bummer!

In all the chaos, we have managed to get quite far in the kids' school work. Abi has been working on double digit addition and counting money (which she loves!) in math. Journal, grammar, reading and spelling are going pretty smooth for her as well. Austin is working on long division in math and poetry in English. Spelling is a breeze for him, too! This past week in English, Austin learned how to write a diamante poem. The two opposing nouns he chose were Veggies and Candy. When I asked him for a describing word for candy....his response was high fructose corn syrup!! He is such a funny guy!!

Abi learned about cartligneous fish in science. She made models out of crayola modeling clay.

Ausitn learned about screws in science...

And how the space between the threads determined how difficult it was to screw the screw in.

He also learned about levers.

This year for the Christmas season, we have began a new tradition. I was invited to a 'Jesse tree party' along with 24 other women. We drew numbers to determine which day of Advent we would make an ornament for. I drew day 6, a ladder. I made 26 little ladder ornaments. All the other women did the same. Then we exchanged all that we made so that each of us would have an ornament for each day. We made an extra set for a family in need. It was a fun and crafty thing to do. It was right up my alley! We have a devotional that we read together as a family each night and then open the wrapped ornament to hang on our tree. The devotion is meant to prepare our hearts for this season, the season of celebrating the birth of Jesus, the Savior of the World.

The tree

This year's Women's banquet has come and gone as well. The theme of the banquet was 'Holly Jolly Christmas' with the comedy from Michelle Thomas. I shared many laughs with close friends. I also decorated a table again this year. In the planning of how I was going to decorate it, I became mesmerized by peacocks!! Funny, I know...but really, the peacock is such a beautiful creation. The color of the bird from feathers to it's breast are so breath taking! So, you guessed it! I decorated my table in peacock feathers! Although I broke the perfect vase for this table the day before the banquet, I was still pretty happy with the out come!

I couldn't find any plates that I saw fit to go with the idea in my head. So, I purchased plain clear glass plates, painted the backs of the plates with metallic acrylic paint, and then sealed the paint with polyurethane.

Slackers R Us!!

2011-11-17T23:57:00.000-06:00

It's true! I have been slacking in the blogging department, but not in the living life department! If you're wondering what we've been up to the last month, take a peep:

First, a couple weeks ago, I walked out of my room into the kitchen to find this note and flower from my favorite little boy! I love that sweet boy!

This year our church's fall festival fell on Sunday before Halloween. We entered our trunk into the trunk or treat as a mouth this year. Mark was a toothbrush and I dressed up as a tube of toothpaste.

Jack Sparrow and Silvermist

The real Jack Sparrow...or is it?

Silvermist has several different costume options. This is the costume that I copied.

This year we carved pumpkins with the Bender family.

Luke and Abi had their game faces on!

Our co-op, Friday school, had a scarecrow contest. This is the Brewer family scarecrow:

Even Barbie needs a scarecrow in her corn fields!

In October, the kids and I had two field trips. The first was to the Houston Zoo, which is free on the first Tuesday of each month. We like to take advantage of anything free. To top the deal off, the weather was absolutely BEAUTIFUL! We packed a picnic to have in the park before we went into the zoo. We rode the train around Herman Park where we found a picnic table near one of the playgrounds. One of the memories I will cherish from that excursion is feeding the squirrels. When we first sat down, one squirrel approached us. Austin tossed a Cheetos out to it and it sat there staring at us as it munched! Before we knew it, 3 more squirrels has surrounded us!! The kids and I were laughing so hard. I have a mental picture of both of them laughing uncontrollably! That is the memory I will remember forever!

First time to ride the train at the Houston Zoo

Our second field trip was to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, which also happens to be free on EVERY Tuesday! We, again, packed a picnic and headed for Herman Park. We chose a different section of the park this time. And it was breath taking beautiful! The kids had so much fun running around, climbing on vines, and watching the birds fly around.

At the Miller Outdoor Theater, the kids rolled down the HUGE hill!

We did eventually make it into the Museum, but my camera died just after I snapped a couple of the kids riding the space simulator. Abi was really afraid to ride it. She even made the guy stop it so she could get off about 10 seconds after it started!

Austin's face is priceless here!!!

We took a third field trip in November with our co-op to the Annual Renaissance Festival. We checked out some books about the Renaissance Era fromt the library before going to give the kids an idea of what the festival would be like. Both Austin and Abi had a blast. Abi said a couple times, "This is the best day of my life!"

Radio Disney got us pumped be fore going in! Austin, in the yellow sweater, entered a hula hooping contest.

The jousting exhibition

We saw and learned about "Birds of Prey", This was one of the vultures on show.

So, as you can see, we have been VERY busy...and I didn't even include all of the pictures! This semester has been so much fun! I'm looking forward to the holidays now!!!!

Abi on the Map

2011-10-19T21:39:00.000-05:00

This is another awesome project that I found on Pinterest.com!!!! I know all of you are probably tired of hearing about it, but it is such a cool website! You have to check it out!

The direct link to the project is here. It's called 'Me on the Map' and involves a bit of craftiness...but not too much. A perfect project for Abi! Here goes:

The finished product

We live on the planet Earth

On the continent of North America

In the United States of America

In the state of Texas

Our city

Our street

Our home

Abi and I were both very happy with the finished product!!!

Make Your Own Fabric Storage Boards Tutorial

2011-10-12T17:19:00.000-05:00

Most of you will probably read this and think..."what took this chick so long to get with the program?" But I'm hoping to inspire those of you that have fabric stashes that look like mine did look!!! I have only been sewing for about 9 years now. I learned by watching my mom sew while growing up. I used to also help her pin quilts. I got up the courage to actually use a machine when my mom passed down one of her older, very basic models. Thanks mom, I owe my desire to sew to you! Since I first started sewing, I have never really been sure about what I should do with left over and unused fabric (unused because sometimes I'll see a print that I fall in love with, but am not quite sure what I should do with it!) So, they all have been thrown into a big storage bin...where it has been collecting ever since!

Storage bin 1

storage bin 2

Once upon a time, I did go through these and do my best to sort by color of fabrics. And once upon a time, you could actually stack them neatly in the bottom of my sewing room closet. But those days are long since gone. I decided that the closer I could get to a fabric store fabric bolt and the thriftier I could be would be the best option to go with. This is what I settled on:

Supplies needed

Foam Poster board ( 1 board makes 3 large bolts and 3 small bolts)
A rotary mat
A rotary cutter (I used a blade that was due to be replaced anyway, and just picked up a new one when I picked up my boards)

One board measures 30in x 20in

So, I cut three 10in pieces (giving you three 10in X 20in pieces)

Set two of the boards aside, and measure 14 in on the remaining board.

Cut on the 14in mark. Congratulations, you now have a large and small bolt!!

On the large bolt, I measured a 1in crevice so that I could do this after wrapping my fabric:

Use a rubber band to secure the fabric onto the bolt!

On the smaller bolt, I cut a crevice on the 2in mark

Again, to secure the fabric with a rubber band

In case you're wondering, YES, it is a lot of work. Yes, after cutting 9 foam boards, I have barely made a dent in my fabric collection. And Yes, Mark is going to have to build me shelves to store these now. But I think it is going to well worth it in the end!!!!

Putting It Together

2011-10-07T19:27:00.000-05:00

It is a difficult task to come up with creative ways to teach. So, for all of you teachers out there. KUDOS to you!!!! Luckily, I have a trusty new website that I frequent called Pinterest.com...you may have heard of it! I have already tried 2 recipes that I have found there. And next week I plan to use at least 5 different homeschooling resources/ideas that I've found. One of the ideas that I will be using is linked to this blog. It is a great way to practice contractions! I couldn't find cupcakes so I went with bees:

I introduced these to Abi by telling her that the words on their wings were too heavy. She needed to match it to the contraction, or the shorter way to write the word. Then the bees could fly easier!

Abi was very excited to play this "game" and got them all correct the first try!

One of the recipes that I tried out (from Pinterest) was nothing short of delightful! Here's the link to the official website. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the finished product and by the time I retrieved my dish from the Friday school break room...you guessed it...none were left! But I made sure to snap a pic of recipe number two. Pumpkin cream cheese whoopies, or better known to me as, a little taste of heaven!! Here's the direct link for that website. Just to give an example of how yummy these things are, I made them TWICE this week!!!

Check back next week to see the other fun things I've collected from Pinterest!!!!!!

Finish Line

2011-10-01T22:45:00.000-05:00

I am embarrassed to say that my latest sewing project I actually started at the end of July! I had very little motivation when it came to working on the project because I wasn't really a big fan of the fabric that I had to use for it! I made it for a girl that works with my little sister. Even though the fabric was YUCK! I still managed to complete the whole order last week. FINALLY!

I like the fabrics separately, but I don't think they go well together

Lots of pieces

Around the Clock

2011-09-24T23:08:00.000-05:00

The last couple of weeks have flown by! I can't believe that we have been back to school for 3 weeks now! We have been so busy that our time passes so quickly!

First, Abi started ice skating lessons, her sport of choice for this year. So far, she is really excited each Saturday morning. Though, I won't count my chickens before they hatch because last year when she started gymnastics she was pumped about it for the first couple of months. It was downhill after that. So, we will see!

On her way to her first lesson

Crystara, an awesome skater and friend, helped Abi find her way around.

My cutie pie

On the ice

Last Friday, September 16, the kids and I started Friday school. Friday school is what we call our co-op through First Class Ministries. We're off to a great start!

First day of school pics

Austin's 1st day of Destruction! class- taking apart a dishwasher

Sorry this pic is blurry, but the kid's were moving while leading worship

Austin had his first official baseball game with his new team this week. His colors this season are navy blue, silver, and white. That's a big change from red, black, and silver! Kid pitch is also a LOT different from coach pitch...the games move a LOT slower!

We lost. It was a polar opposite type of game than we are used to...we'll chalk it up to the new team trying to mesh.

What a daddy's girl

My little ball player

Brazos, here with Austin, played on the Vipers with Austin and is now on his new team

Number 23 like his name sake (Austin Jordan after Michael Jordan)

We got to hang out with a cutie-patootie, Miss Pacey, a couple of times this week. While we were with her, we took a trip to visit her big brother, Luke. Luke is also Abi's best buddy, so it was really a treat for her!

Luke and Abi

Abi had a birthday party to attend today for Becca, one of her sweet friends. She was on top of the world!!! The party was at 'Sweet and Sassy'.

After her haid and makeup

Singing on stage

Austin sent a very special, thoughtful gift for Becca.

He gave her a rock

When you lifted the rock up, he had a special little treat

The card read: "You never know what you'll find when you look under a rock!" SO SWEET!

Becca recently got an American Girl doll. It only seemed fitting to give her a bed for her new pal. Mark and I made her this farmhouse bed (plans from http://www.annawhite.com/) and I made the bedding from my fabric stash. I was quite excited when it all came together...I like pretty things!

Keepsake and Why Marbles Matter

2011-09-17T21:21:00.000-05:00

This week I have a keepsake that I want to record. Hopefully, one day, the kids will look back over this blog and laugh at the incredibly silly stuff they did and said!!

On Wednesday, both Austin and Abi finished their work in record speed! But the rule we have in place is that the TV does not come on until 2:30pm. Even then they are only allowed an hour of TV. It's okay though, because Austin and Abi are pros at breaking out the imagination! On this day, they were using Bakugans to rule over their own lands. As I cleaned, I noticed that they had gone to the garage and borrowed the painters tape to mark off each of their own territories on the living room floor (which I didn't think to snap a picture of!) They each had some of the Bakugan and were making them interact. Austin, being 100% boy, wanted tot battle Abi's Bakugan and insisted that they go to war. Austin repetitively threatened to invade her territory and take it over. Abi, being Abi, refused Austin at each offer. Eventually, in frustration she blurted out, "Austin, why do we have to battle? Why can't we just live in peace? If you plan to come over her to my territory, you're gonna have to sign a peace treaty first!" I laughed out loud that she knew and used the term 'peace treaty' in the correct context!!! That was a keepsake moment!

If you're reading this than you probably know my Abi is a firecracker! Last year's homeschooling brought many challenges, as our personalities constantly collided! This year has been refreshing (so far)! I can tell that as she gets older she is easier to work with. Or maybe it's that she has learned that throwing a fit gets her nothing but further behind in her work. Or maybe it's that we've found curriculum that keeps her interest at a peak. Whatever it is...I am thankful! This week in science, Abi learned about mammals and the 5 characteristics that qualify an being as a mammal. Her lesson included:

A fact finding scavenger hunt!

Abi had a list of questions that paired with the 18 cards that I hid around the house.

and a picture poster (I though I had more magazines for her to find pictures, but I guess I recycled them!! oops!)

I'm still waiting for Austin's supplement for his science book to come in the mail. Luckily, his book has a few activities to do in the meantime! This week he learned about conservation of momentum in moving masses. His activity gave him the opportunity to observe momentum in different ways. Here, he lined marbles up in the crease of a hardcover book. He then rolled one of the marbles into the other and was able to see that the energy of the marble just transferred through the line of marbles and knocked the ending one away. He was very excited to see how it worked. It didn't hurt that the explanation in his book of how momentum works was about hitting a baseball!!

He also used dominoes to observe

After Austin's project, the kids kept the marbles out and played old fashioned marbles just like on Charlie Brown!!! Well, almost old fashioned...this is the indoor-because-it's-way-to-hot-outside version!

We Survived Week One!!!

2011-09-09T21:08:00.000-05:00

It was a short week, but long at the same time! Short because we only had school for four days being that Monday was Labor Day. Long because each morning getting Abi to be motivated to compete her work took motivation on my part. Motivation that I didn't think I had,but somehow seemed to dig it up! Nevertheless, here we are! Abi's and Austin's favorite subject has to be science. Abi actually had a couple of projects to do this week. (I'm waiting on the supplements that go with Austin's science book in the mail.)

The first of Abi's projects was to determine which criteria belong to plants, animals or both.

Her favorite of the two projects: Make a cell using Jello

The baggie: the cell membrane; the green grape: the nucleus; the raisins: vacuoles; the peanuts: mitochondria

So proud of her work!!

In between subjects, the AJBs like to go in the backyard and practice their art. Austin made all of these drawings with their endless supply of sidewalk chalk that Grammy got them this summer.

2nd and 5th

2011-09-06T22:07:00.000-05:00

Today was Austin's and Abi's first day of school. Austin is beginning the 5th grade (give or take) and Abi is picking up somewhere in the middle of 2nd grade. I know, 'give or take' and 'in the middle' makes it sound complicated! It is! Nevertheless, last night before bed, Mark and I had two VERY excited kid-o's. We attended a swimming party most of the day yesterday; so, not only were they excited, they were also sleepy! A good combination, if you ask me! Before they drifted off to sleep, they chose clothes for the first day of school. Austin chose "something nice" and Abi chose "a dress"!

Austin, night before 5th grade

Abi, night before 2nd grade

Before Mark goes to bed, he checks on the AJBs every night. This is how he found Abi!!

When Mark tried to put her back on her pillow, her eyes popped open and she started grunting at him! It was too funny not to add to this update!

This morning I woke this kids up a few minutes earlier than our schedule call for because I wanted to surprise them with breakfast at IHOP. When I woke them, they popped right out of bed and got dressed as quickly as possible. They even let me snap of 'First day of school' pictures!

Abi, still has sleepy eyes!

Austin, sporting a pull-over on this tid-bit-chilly morning

Both Austin and Abi ordered hot chocolate to drink. They LOVE the fall like their mother. They repetitively say they can't wait for 'pumpkins, hot chocolate, and the Christmas season'!

Who need cafeteria food when there is IHOP?

Abi was so excited about hers that she ended up burning her mouth!

My original plan had me going to the Y to workout after breakfast, and that might happen someday, but today when we walked in they had no childcare for the AJBs age group until 9AM. I was a little disappointed because I had mentally prepared myself for a week! Instead of working out, we went home and got straight to work. Abi got off to a rough start. I honestly think she just got up too early and was still a little bit tired. After an 'attitude adjustment' she bounced back and the rest of the day was a piece of cake!

We rotate around the house doing different work. Mostly we are at the kitchen table, though. My little stinkers hard at work!

Our curriculum this year is similar to that of last year.

Abi is using:

Reading and Phonics, 2nd grade, book 1

Harcort Spelling Skills, 2nd grade

Bob Jones Math 2nd grade

Easy Grammar 2nd grade

Answers In Genesis, God's Design for Life- The Animal Kingdom

A Devotional for Girls

I will be adding in Social Studies later in the year. For the time being, she is taking 'Galloping the Globe' in Friday school, along with 'Discovering Art' and a class of Dinosaurs.

She will be taking ice skating lessons in place of P.E.

Austin is using:

Bob Jones English, 5th grade

Harcort Spelling Skills, 5th grade

Bob Jones Math 5th grade

Answers in Genesis, God's Design for the Physical World- Machines and Motion

A Devotional for Boys

He is currently finishing his 4th grade Heritage Studies book. He will be taking 'Colonial America', 'Distruction!' and 'Computer Basics' in Friday school.

Austin will be playing baseball again this fall with the Texas Terrors.

A few of our school books

The Excel spreadsheet that I mentioned in my last post

Lunch time! Fish sticks, mac n cheese and sugar snap peas!

Lucky for us, the neighbors across the street are homeschooled too. Which means that Austin and Abi will have someone to play with during 'recess'!

Well, Day 1 was quite successful. Now, if I could just have everyday be like today!

A Little More Structure

2011-09-01T11:20:00.001-05:00

I have never been the type of person who "just wings it". I've always made lists and plans. So, these past couple of years have been nerve wrecking!! When I quit working in July 2007 I made a decision to start "going with the flow" and to stop making so many plans. Well, that decision leaves me with too much anxiety! I HATE being unorganized and never knowing what I should be doing! It's too messy! So, this year for homeschooling we are making a new approach! In preparation of our school year starting September 6th, I have been working diligently to make it as organized as I possibly can. First, I received a magnet in the mail a few months ago and the more I stood there reading it on the fridge while waiting for my glass to fill with water, the more I began to imagine sitting down and having a conversation about them with the kids! The magnet came from the Children at Heart Ministries and is titled 'Home Rules'. It has 12 Biblical based "rules" listed with scripture references. The kids and I sat down and discussed each one in detail as we made these posters to hang in the kitchen:

Aren't they decorated so nicely! We used supplies that I already had at home: markers, poster board, and stickers. To hang it I used two command hooks, a hole punch, and some paper clips linked together.

I've also been thinking about how long it sometimes took Abi to complete her assignments during the day, and how sometimes both Austin and Abi would need my help at the same time. I'm hoping that I came up with a decent solution:

3 out of our 5 days have the same schedule. On the appropriate day I will hang the correct schedule for the AJBs to follow. Each subject is allotted a certain time and are staggered according to the kid so that I may be available to help one at a time. I'm hoping that with giving each subject a certain amount of time it will (a) help Abi with her time telling abilities and (b) help her stay on track while doing her school work ridding her of the overwhelming feelings of what to do!! I used colorful scrapbooking paper backed with cardstock to make it more durable. I used command hooks to hang it on the foam board so that schedules can be changed.

This idea came from another blog that I frequent: Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers It is a chore card system that gives the AJBs their chores for each day without me having to remind them everyday what needs to be done. I used clip art in a Word document to make each card, they are laminated in Scotch self-sealing laminating pouches. I used scrapbooking paper to make the card holding pouches. Then I added some scrapbooking stickers just for the fun of it!

This might be my favorite idea that I've borrowed. I found it at...wait for it...another homeschooling blog, Confessions of a Homeschooler! While her chart is directed to smaller kids, I took the idea and curtailed it to our needs. When the AJBs need help and they notice that I am busy (helping the other AJB, on the phone, etc) they take the clothespin with their name on it and clip it to my shirt. The pin will remind me that they need help. And while they wait for my help this chart gives them things to do: Put together a puzzle, practice their spelling words, or read a book. This idea is exciting in theory and I have HIGH hopes that it will work!!!!

The last organizational tool that I will be using this school year we uses last year. It is probably what kept me sane!! At the beginning of the school year I collect all of the kids' school books and sort through them. I divide the book into assignments based on how many days we will be in school. At the beginning of each week I make an Excel spreadsheet for each child. The spreadsheet is labeled Monday through Friday across the top and then has each subject listed in the far left column. I list each assignment per day. I punch holes and place it in the front of their school binders. The binders have dividers per subject. I place each assignment into the appropriate divider. So, hypothetically speaking, on Monday morning Austin can open his binder to his assignment sheet and see that he needs to complete pages 62-64 in his math book. Then he will flip to his math divider and find all of his work for math that week, complete the assignment on his list and then check it off when he is done. This worked VERY well for us last year!! It also gave the kids a good look at the work that needed to be completed for the week.

I am getting more and more excited about our school year starting! I can't wait to see the exciting things we will accomplish and learn...together!!!!

Missed

2011-08-26T16:16:00.001-05:00

We miss the cool weather! A LOT! The kids and I made a trip to Hobby Lobby the other day. When we got out of the car, Abi said, "It's so hot out here, I just got out of the car and I'm already sweating!" We made the decision then that when we return home, we would do our first experiment since the school year. We cracked an egg on the cement to see how long it would take to cook!! It took longer than we anticipated, but by the next morning it was totally cooked!!

The Beginning

30 minutes after cracking

This past weekend we had visitors. Since they have gone, we miss them TREMENDOUSLY!!! Mark's brother, sister-in-law and nephews, Aaron, Georgiet, Xavier and Sebastian, visited Thursday night through Monday morning. We had a blast and can't wait until they come back to Houston!

Mark having some summer fun!

Sluz, Georgiet, Kenzie and Bastian

Bastian and Uncle Mark

Austin and Uncle Aaron

Air surfing?

Alex and Cooper wanted to join the fun!

Zay!

Abi AKA Snowflake the hugging dolphin

Love of my life!

After dark gathering for live music, Georgiet and Kenzie

Aaron and Tom played their guitars and sang for us

Papa, still kickin'!!!

Grandma Tink, Bastian and Cooper...the music was very relaxing!

I miss the cooler weather. To usher it in, I have already broken out my fall decor!!! (You hear that God, bring that cold weather please...we are ready!!!)

I don't care how silly this looks on my door in the middle of August in Houston!

Most of all, I miss Mark when he's not around! This past Sunday he was on a plane headed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for work. He said it was absolutely beautiful and the weather was worth being jealous over!

One last hoorah, we had date night Friday night at Shogun's before skipped town

While Mark was gone, a HUGE thunder/lightening storm pass through. We lost power for about 30 minutes, which isn't too bad considering how big the storm was! To entertain themselves, the kids collected my battery-operated tea light candles and used them for fire bending. (It's okay if you don't know what that is, chances are if you have a little boy, it won't be long before you find out!!! If you just can't wait until they're older and want to know now, you can find a video here.)

My little fire benders

It wasn't too long that Mark was gone before the kids began making his 'Welcome Home' sign along with many, MANY other craft projects! My favorite is this one that Austin and Abi made together:

Mark is the stick figure guy on the boat and both of the kids are at the top of the lighthouse. The boat is connected to a clothespin that sails to the lighthouse.

Once the boat arrives at the lighthouse, the stick figure kids flip over a 'welcome home' sign and the Daddy stick figure climbs to the top of the lighthouse!

Austin showing Mark how their masterpiece works!

You can follow this link to see pictures that Mark took in Pennsylvania.

What's New

2011-08-17T11:26:00.000-05:00

We have a few things going on lately. First, I forgot to post this back with the updates about our cruise. A couple of nights after we returned, we had a 'fancy' dinner with the kids just like the formal night on the boat. So excited about the experience, Austin ran upstairs before we started dinner to grab his book, "The Boys Book: How to Be the Best at Everything". Apparently, the book discusses proper etiquette at a dinner table. The tips include Do's and Don't. Do:Put your napkin on your knees right away.
Start with the outer silverware and work your way in each course.
Finish your mouthful and wipe your mouth with your napkin before sipping water.
Say, "Excuse me" if you need to leave the table.
Don't:
Lean your elbow on the table.
Eat french fries with your fingers.
Eat with your mouth open.
Yell at the waiter.
Say, "YUCK!" if you don't like something.
Mark and I thought that was really cute! As I browse through this book, I find that it covers quite a few VERY cool topics!! Some examples of other articles are: How to get out of quick sand, How to read a compass, and How to get an egg into a bottle. Needless to say, it's a pretty neat book! Austin has informed me that they have one for girls, and we should by that one for Abi! And our dinner was quite nice, in case you were wondering how it turned out!

Austin posted this sign

Austin and Abi enjoying themselves!

The Brewer house in the summertime is always full of new adventures! It's amazing what the kids can come up with when the TV is turned off! A few weeks ago, the AJBs decided to do crafts during their downtime and Austin built this really cool dog for Abi out of scraps of paper.

Paper Pup

My mom, also known as Grammy, came into to town to get her air conditioner fixed in her car. It was an overnight trip, so we got to see her for almost a whole day (she stayed with my sister on the other side of town). We went to our FAVORITE restaurant, Chuy's, for lunch. As usual, absolutely delicious! While waiting for your meal to arrive, you can request dough for the kids to play with. The AJBs love it! Just before we left, Austin came over to me and started speaking in an Italian accent...and looked like this:

Mario and Luigi...and Abi couldn't leave Rebecca out!

The new school year is quickly approaching. That also means that sports will be starting soon, too. Sadly, Austin's baseball team from the previous two seasons is not staying together for this fall. We started last fall as a Metro team. We signed Austin up through the Cy-fair sports website and he was placed on a team with other kids nearby. The team wanted to stay together for this past Spring, so they formed a Friendship team; which means that they played in the Metro league but brought back all the same players . Or in our case, some of the same players. After a team plays in the Friendship league, in order to stay together, they must move up to the next level. The next level is Select and it is more competitive. The Vipers originally planned to stay together and move up to Select this fall, but things fell apart at the last minute. We had the option of signing Austin up to play in the regular Metro league or letting him try out for another Select team. Austin is a competitive athlete by nature. I remember when he was three he played soccer. All the other kids would be playing in the grass, or standing in the middle of the field crying because they didn't want to play. Not Austin, there were times when he would be the only kid running with the ball...from either team! So, the logical choice for baseball was to let him try out for another team. We are now on the 'Texas Terrors'! Also, one of his teammates from the Vipers will be playing with him this fall! Everyone in the family is stoked about baseball starting back up. Everyone but Abi! She was actually wondering why baseball was ever created the other day!!! With her, she doesn't want to do anything that requires her to sweat! But with them homeschooling, I want to make sure they get proper exercise since they do not have a PE class. This year Abi has been trying to decide what sport she wants to try. She narrowed it down to Jiu-Jitzu (with her best pal, Luke) or ice skating (where she could request an ice skating outfit for her American Girl doll). Ultimately, she has chosen ice skating. At the beginning of September she will take a 7 week class for beginners. We also will be starting our co-op soon!!! I'm teaching possibly two classes this semester, which I am excited about! The classes that I anticipate signing the kids up for are:

Austin- Computer Basics using Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; Destruction!, they will learn the mechanics of small appliances by taking them apart (which is REALLY awesome because Austin's science for this year is on machines!!); and Colonial America through a pocket storybook.

Abi- Galloping the Globe, learning about new countries and map/atlas skills; Discover Art, learning the colors of the color wheel and different techniques with oil pastels and watercolors; and American Girl Felicity, reading about the historical character, Felicity.

All of us Brewers are really excited to get school started!!!

Austin, practicing pitching

Austin, practicing catching

Last, but not least, I have been doing a little sewing. Our family doesn't really celebrate Halloween, but I found some really cute fabric and decided to make Abi a Halloween skirt. I also made her a coordinating bow. It all turned out super cute!!!

Special As Can Be

2011-08-06T17:20:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite and most special possessions ever given to me is a pillow that my grandmother, my Memaw, made for me when I was 4. I was very close to my Memaw. She was my mother's mom. I was born in Odessa, Texas where my family lived until I was 7. I saw my Memaw frequently there because she lived within minutes. Right before I started 2nd grade, my family moved to Houston. When we moved here, we left my Memaw behind. I didn't see her much after that. On November 5th, a couple months into my 3rd grade year, my Memaw's car was hit by a train as she tried to cross some railroad tracks that lacked guard rails on a foggy morning. When the train hit, my Memaw was killed on impact.
This post has taken a turn for sad, but that was not my intention at all! Back to my pillow! I still sleep with my pillow every night. Aside from being special, it is really comfy! Mark teased me about sleeping with my pillow when we first got married. I had my mom make him his very own pillow and now he understands just how comfy the pillow really is!!! He sleeps with his pillow every night now too! When Abi saw just how special my pillow was, she requested one of her own from her Grammy. Austin followed suit! It only took a couple of years, but Grammy finally finished their pillows this summer!! And now they both sleep with their pillows every night as well.

Mine and Mark's pillows

Austin's and Abi's pillows

Back to Life, Back to Reality

2011-08-02T10:33:00.001-05:00

I'm not gonna lie. I think about this...

and this...

and especially this...

A LOT!!!

Life after a cruise is not as much fun as life before the cruise. So many great memories leave you longing to just get in your car and start driving just to see the beautiful world that God has given us! I have always said that I do not want to leave Texas. I take it back. I want to see the world and spend time admiring all of God's creation!!!

But my reality is life as usual and dreaming of the next vacation!!! I am blessed that I have a family to spend each day with. Last weekend Mark and I took the kids to the drive-in movie theater to see a double feature of Transformers 3 and Captain America. It started out very hot, but by 2AM when the movies were finally over, it was pretty chilly outside! We had to get there very early because we knew with those two movies, the good spots at the theater would fill up fast! Both movies were just so-so for me. Austin even mentioned his disappointment for Captain America! Abi talked (as usual!!) through both movies.

Abi, waiting for the movie to start

One of my favorite things to do is have lunch at a restaraunt with Austin and Abi. It's a chance for us to just sit and chat...and I don't have to make lunch! A few days ago, the kids opted for TGI Fridays. They had never eaten there before, but the gorilla from 'Zookeeper' sturred up some curiosity!

Ready to eat

Me and Abi

We spend a good chunk of our time at the swimming pool. We have the selection of our neighborhood pool or the YMCA pool. Now we have an additional choice, Mark's dad and Wendy had a salt water pool installed in their backyard. After much anticpation, we got to break it in!!

Abi

Mark, Abi, and Sluz

Abi and Mark

Austin and Mark

I have been feeling my sewing itch lately too. We took a trip to Joann's recently and bougth material to make a few projects. I completed one project this past week, Abi's tutu. She proudly wore it to church on Sunday, excited to see some of the glitter mark her spot anywhere she sat!! It actually didn't require much sewing. I measured her waist and cut a 1inch thick piece of elastic the same size. I sewed the elastice together and that was all the sewing required. The rest of the tutu making was cutting and tying. I followed the directions in this video (I substituted the elastic for the ribbon):

http://www.youtube.com/embed/B7aSPMEn7S0?fs=1</a>" frameborder="0" width="425" allowfullscreen="">

Here was the finished product:

Abi's tutu

I have some more projects lined up in the weeks to come. I will be making another cowboy vest and chaps this week for an order in my Etsy shop. I also will be making a Halloween skirt for Abi as well as a pair of pajama pants for Austin. I am working on a few bows too. Busy, busy...but I wouldn't want it any other way!!

Cruisin' With the Brewers Day 7, Final Day at Sea

2011-07-14T08:50:00.000-05:00

After Cozumel the atmosphere of the cruise life was a little somber. Maybe from exhaustion, maybe from the weariness of not seeing our kiddos, or maybe from the sadness of realizing that our fun-filled vacation was coming to an end. We were spoiled. Every morning we had breakfast made to order, access to a swimming pool with a whirly slide all day, the option of nap time at our disposal, and my favorite, an intimate and laughter filled dinner time every evening with close friends. Our waiter, Edgar, even joined in the fun and pulled a couple of pranks on Mark and Javi!! One of my favorite memories from this trip are all the new people we met, mainly on the crew. John our room steward was AWESOME, he even knew our names on the first night when he came by to introduce himself. Somehow we were lucky enough to be sat in the same area of the breakfast room every morning with the same waitress, Zarrah. We spent time getting to know Edgar, John, and Zarrah. We asked questions about where they were from and what their culture was like. They were such nice people, each took the time to say hello even when they saw us outside of our usual setting. We also met other couples, young and old. (One thing I admire about Taunya and Javier is that they will spark a conversation with anyone! That characteristic just isn't part of my personality, but I would like it to be! Now that I am aware of it, I can work on it!) It was a bitter sweet ending. That Sunday when we docked (day 8 officially), Javier called us and wished us a "happy kid day" because each of us anticipated seeing our mini-mes!!! What will be missed most is the constant feeling of being in community with fun-loving, positive people. But no worries, we are already planning a family cruise with the Blancos for September 2012!! Another advantage to homeschooling, we will do a unit study on the places we plan to go and then the kids will be able to experience it first hand!

Mark, Jimbo, and Javi

The big kids in line to go down the slide!

Jimbo, Javi, and Mark...Mark and Javi being Mark and Javi!!!!

Rita, me, and Taunya

The crew with our evening waiter, Edgar

Mine and Mark's FAVORITE dessert of the week, chocolate molten cake!!!

Fun times!!!

The crew with our room steward, John. What a cool guy!

Cruisin' With the Brewers Day 6, Cozumel, Mexico

2011-07-12T19:06:00.000-05:00

Cozumel was another adventurous day! We originally scheduled an excursion to zip line. After doing a little research, we decided that it probably wouldn't be as much fun as we were anticipating. We decided to go to a local beach, Paradise beach, that had a lot of activities available. Again, Taunya, Javi, and Mark got to snorkel while I worked on my tan. They found some conch shells to bring home for the kids. The beach had water trampolines, water climbing toys, kayaks, and much more. Too bad it started sprinkling on us and the mosquito's were eating us alive! We changed and took a look around the little shops. In one of the shops, they had a monkey and snake you could hold and take pictures with. I held the monkey, but was no where to be found while everyone else held the snake!!! At one of the shops, we were able to get two of the sitting hammocks and Austin a chess set made of onyx all for $55. Thanks to Javi and his mad haggling skills! As with all the other ports, negotiating a price is always an option not offered in the states. Once we left the beach, we went back close to the ship and had AUTHENTIC Mexican food. It was SOOOOOOO delicious!!! We did some more shopping after that. Then went back to the ship for an afternoon nap!

Fresh off the boat, ready for an adventurous day!

A real coconut tress at Paradise Beach. I'd like one for my backyard please!

Mark and Javi hanging out

Taunya with our new little monkey friend

Some pretty birds, huh? They were just lounging around

Mark's lunch at Pancho's Backyard, best food EVER!!

Chow time

Cruisin' With the Brewers Day 5, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

2011-07-12T11:26:00.000-05:00

Grand Cayman was my favorite port. It was absolutely BEAUTIFUL! The waters were the clearest there, we saw the most sea life there too! Because the boat couldn't dock, they put out the anchor and little boats had to sail out to pick us up from the ship. Once we made it to shore, we found our coordinators for our excursion: Parasailing and snorkeling. Unfortunately, the winds on the sea were too strong and our excursion was cancelled. I wasn't too broken up about it though because that means we would be refunded our money! Our guide lead us to a snorkeling rental shop where there was access to the water. We got our gear on and headed out further into the water when Taunya started yelling 'SHARK'! She saw two fins on top of the water and thought it was a shark! Javier went under the water and saw a HUGE fish swimming toward us and thought it was a barracuda. Neither are people friendly, so we got out of the water as quickly as we could. Javi asked our guide if either type of fish were common in that area. He said no, so ventured out again. The water was bothering my eyes again, so I hung back on the shore. Sitting in the water, a white fish a little smaller than my hand kept swimming around my feet. And a dog that had wandered up was pawing at the water trying to catch a fish. I could feel my skin getting a little toasty, so I went up to some covered picnic tables that overlooked the water. From there I could see 3 of the HUGE fish that we had seen earlier. The water was so clear!!! Visiting Galveston for so many years, I am not used to that! I yelled out to Taunya, Javi and Mark that the fish were heading their way. Luckily, they were close enough to the shore that they could get out of the water. The fish were completely harmless, but they were HUGE...which made them very scary! While snorkeling, Mark, Taunya, and Javi saw the wreckage from a shipwreck and a sea turtle. Afterwards, we explored the town....that's code for: went shopping!!! For lunch, we voted to eat at a local restaurant just to experience a little of the culture. Boy was that a mistake! We waited an hour after placing our order to get our food and the place wasn't even busy! I ordered the coconut shrimp and they were still raw in the middle. So, that was disappointing! Mark enjoyed his meal though, he had a turtle burger!!! We looked in few more shops and then got back on the boat. While we waited in line to get on board, Mark and Javi drank out of a real coconut. There was a local there with a machete cracking them open and sticking a straw in them, for a small fee of course!! It was our second formal night. Sadly, I didn't take any picture that night because the battery in our camera was dead!!! I'll have to see what pictures Taunya took.

Taunya and Javier, patiently waiting for our lunch!

Me and Mark at lunch, beautiful view!!

Mark's turtle burger

The little boat that takes passengers back and forth between the ship and shore

Isn't the water beautiful!!!!

Mark and Javi with their coconuts

My brother and Rita had this cake sent to our room, it was quite tasty!!!

Mark commented a time or two that the water was 'SO BLUE'!

Our bed buddy!

Cruisin' With the Brewers Day 4, Montego Bay, Jamaica

2011-07-12T09:00:00.002-05:00

FINALLY a day at port!! We docked in Montego Bay around 9AM, eager to get off the ship but not really knowing what to expect. To get off the ship, they open doors at the very bottom of the boat. So, we made our way to floor zero and then were herded out like cattle. Of all of the stops we made, Montego Bay was my least favorite. We scheduled an excursion for that day, ride on a catamaran, snorkeling, and a brief stop at Margaritaville. The catamaran was pretty neat, we could sit on the top and watch the water pass under us through cargo nets. I wanted to snorkel SO badly, but unfortunately my skin, particularly the skin around my eyes, does not like salt water!! So, I spent most of the time not being able to open my eyes even above water because my eyes burned so bad! Mark, Taunya, and Javier enjoyed what they did see though. Mark took a few photos with our under water camera, not too many tropical fish swam our way though. We only snorkeled for a few minutes then made our way to Margaritaville. Margaritaville was neat to see, but none of our people are really big drinkers!! I bought my dad a hat. Then Mark, Taunya, and Javier went down the water slide. Then we made our way back to the boat.

The Catamarans

There was a couple 21 year old boys on our catamaran with us. Apparently, Jamaican rum is VERY strong. One of the boys was drinking the "free" rum very quickly and it all caught up with him at once!! He couldn't even stand up on his own. So, if you go to Jamaica, go easy on the rum punch they serve for "free" because you will pay for it later!

Mark and I before we docked...super excited!!!

If you look closely toward the top left area, you can see a blue fish!

The DJ booth at Margaritaville

Big kid toys at Margaritaville!!

Me, Mark, Taunya, and Javier on the catamaran

Taunya and Javier at dinner

Mark and I at dinner

Javier and Mark on the top deck

Our bed buddy

Cruisin' With the Brewers Day 3, Another Day at Sea

2011-07-11T20:13:00.001-05:00

Day 3 is a bit of a blur. I think by this day I was getting pretty antsy because we were unable to REALLY communicate with the kids. Through Carnival, you have access to their main website for free from your room (if you bring a laptop). For whatever reason, we were able to post a message through the 'currently onboard' community forum, but they were unable to respond to our post. So, we hadn't talked to the kids since we left Galveston. I had a hard time with that!! So, we decided to bite the $2.99 per minute bullet ($2.99 per minute with an addition $2.99 per minute to call from our cell phones with an international plan) and call the kids. The call ended up costing about $21.00, but we did find out that the kids would be reading our post every night even if they were unable to respond.

Watching a show, Me and Mark

Bean bag toss competition, Mark, Javier, and Jimmie

Our first formal night, Me and Mark

Javier and Taunya salsa dancing after dinner

Comedy show AGAIN! What can we say, we like to laugh!!!

Jimmie, Rita, and Me

Jimmie, Rita, Me, Mark, Taunya, and Javier

Cruisin' With the Brewers Day 2, Another Day at Sea

2011-07-11T19:49:00.000-05:00

Day 2 of our cruise was the 4th of July. One of the greatest things about cruising is that there is every level of dining. There is a 24 hour pizzeria, fish 'n chips and ice cream bar. For breakfast, you can choose between a buffet or finer dining. For lunch there is a buffet, Mongolian grill, and hamburger/hot dog station. For dinner you schedule a time to dine at the time you book. You can choose between fine dining at your chosen time or sushi, buffet, Mongolian grill, and hamburger/hot dog station. On our cruise, there were also two formal dining nights.

There was a 4th of July party on the main deck in celebration of the 4th. There are three pools on the main deck, the biggest of the pools is in the shadow of a jumbo tron sized TV that shows two movies every night. For the fourth, the jumbo tron showed a firework display along with music and dancing.

They had an American flag hanging in the lobby for the 4th

The jumbo tron above the main pool

Taunya and Javier at lunch day 2

Me and Mark lunch, Day 2

Mark, Me, Javier, and Taunya 4th of July party

Taunya and Javier joining the dance party

Me and Mark getting ready for another comedy show

Me and Taunya at the comedy show

Cruisin' With the Brewers Day 1

2011-07-11T17:45:00.000-05:00

The most amazing week ever has come and gone. Mine and Mark's 10 year anniversary celebration was one of the most fun experiences I've ever had. And if I could have grabbed Austin and Abi and climbed back on the boat for another round of Caribbean, I would have happily done it!!!

We woke up early Sunday, July 3 to finish packing and set sail. Our good friends, Taunya and Javier, and my brother and sister-in-law, Jimmie and Rita, joined us. We all put money in and rented a limo to take and pick us up to save on the stress of driving there.

The Carnival Conquest , it's last sail out of Galveston

Rita, Me, and Taunya in front of our G-ride!!!

Me and Taunya waiting for access to our suites, ready to unpack and get settled

FINALLY! We get to see our suite!!

The Set Sail party on the back of the ship, Me and Mark and the ugly Galveston water!!!

Beautiful sunset somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico

Dinner day 1, Me and Mark

Dinner Day 2, Javier and Taunya

Evening comedy show, Jimmie and Rita

Evening comedy show Taunya and Javier, it was a long day

Our bed buddy

Two Inspire You

2011-06-24T00:01:00.000-05:00

There are two new songs that I have been listening to lately. Maybe not new to you, but new to me. I love the lyrics to them and I wanted to share their inspiration. I've really been in a rut lately. Unable to focus on the things that matter most. Both of these songs have been helpful in helping me get back to where I need to be!

Song #1: Your Love Is a Mystery by Hawk Nelson

God, I messed it up again I seem to do this all the time

Can you forgive me one again or have i finally crossed the line?

They say your grace is always with me and you're near me all the time

If that's the case I pray sincerely that your love is truly blind

The people on the outside watching me follow the crowd find a way out

You know something on the inside's pushing me without a doubt

So I'm letting it go

I'm never always right and it's plain to see

You love me Jesus it's a mystery

You know my faults you know my wrongs

And you still love me

God I know that you exist I've been told a thousand times

But my friends they all insist that the truth is just a lie

You see the lives that they all live seems like a party all the time

The temptations i resist because it's You i glorify

Let everything that I do or say reflect you in every way

Your way

Song #2: Change in the Making by Addison Road

There’s a better version of me

That I can’t quite see

But things are gonna change

Right now I’m a total mess and

Right now I’m completely incomplete

But things are gonna change

‘Cause you’re not through with me yet

This is redemption’s story

With every step that I am taking

Every day, you’re chipping away

What I don’t need

This is me under construction

This is my pride being broken

And every day I’m closer to who I’m meant to be

I am a change in the making

Wish I could live more patiently

Wish I could give a little more of me

Without stopping to think twice

Wish I had faith like a little child

Wish I could walk a single mile

Without tripping on my own feet

But you’re not through with me yet

This is redemption’s story

With every step that I am taking

Every day, you’re chipping away

What I don’t need

This is me under construction

This is my pride being broken

And every day I’m closer to who I’m meant to be

From the dawn of history

You make new and you redeem

From a broken world to a broken heart

You finish what you start in everything

Like a river rolls into the sea

We’re not who we’re going to be

But things are going to change

I am living redemption’s story

With every step that I am taking

Every day, you’re chipping away

What I don’t need

This is me under construction

This is my pride being broken

And every day I’m closer to who I’m meant to be

I am a change in the making

I am a change in the making

I am not who I am gonna be

Moving closer to your glory

Where in the World...

2011-06-23T23:32:00.001-05:00

Have I been? Not entirely hiding under a rock! We have been busy since all of our friends are out of school for the summer now!

The weekend of June 10-12, Austin's baseball team played a select tournament here in Houston instead of going to Mesquite to play a metro tournament. In the league that Austin plays, there are 4 levels of baseball teams. The lowest level is the metro level, which is good for players that are just starting out. The metro level is divided into two categories, regular metro teams and friendship teams. Austin was put on a regular metro team when he played in the fall. In order to keep his team together for the spring, they formed a friendship team. Next year if his team wants to stay together, we will have to move up to the next level. Not only is select baseball more expensive, it is also more competitive. They will play more games and their season is longer. It will not only be a more competitive atmosphere, but he will also be playing kid-pitch instead of coach-pitch. That in itself is a HUGE change! We are excited to see how he does though!!!

On our way to the tournament

Notice those rosy red cheeks? That wasn't because he was blushing!! IT WAS SOOOOOO HOT!!!

Firepower!!!

As usual we have made countless trips to the swimming pool already this summer. This is from our first trip, they brought along the turtle...

Ready to swim!!!!

In our downtime, I've been trying to find fun, educational things for the kid-o's to do. I stumbled upon the kids section of the National Geographic website the other night. The kids have fallen in love with it!!! There are tons of games and videos about animals. They can also test their knowledge about certain animals by taking quizzes. It was a big hit for both of them.

coolness!

We met the Benders at Chuck E Cheese for some games and pizza. It's not the crazy, out of control atmosphere in the morning when they first open. So, we usually go around that time and let the kids play for the first couple of hours, and then eat lunch. This is one of their favorite outings! Abi and her best pal, Luke, are also snaggle tooth buddies right now! Don't they look so cute!!!

Abi and Luke

Our swimming pool is closed an extra day this summer and also opens and hour later and closes an hour earlier each day than last year. This is our HOA's attempt to keep costs down. I'm not sure if you noticed or not, but it is HOT outside here in Houston, Texas! Which means I will not be doing any exercise outside and we want to be able to swim A LOT! So, we finally decided it was time to renew our membership at the YMCA. I am determined to get my money's worth also, I have been to workout everyday since we signed up!! We were members back in the day, but I was also a full time mommy of two toddlers, I worked full time, and I was a full time student. Things have slowed down and I will actually get the opportunity to use my membership now. So, I took the kids to swim the other day. They have a winding slide that Austin just couldn't wait to get on. In order to slide on it, the kid has to pass a swim test each visit. A little silly, but those are the rules. They have to swim the length of the pool freestyle. Austin was SO excited when he passed!!!!

Waiting his turn to slide

This isn't meant to be a side note, but since the big celebration hasn't yet come...it kind of ends up that way. This year on June 9th, Mark and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. We will be setting sail for the Caribbean in 9 days!!!! I can't wait!!!!!!!!

He brought me flowers and my favorite chocolate

This week the kids have been attending VBS at our church. They have been having a blast and anxiously await what the next day brings! Each day there is a new theme. I happened to catch Abi breaking in a new pair of my heels while still in her 80's garb!!! Apparently they went well with her outfit!!!

LOVE the leg warmers!!!

Copperfield Church also had a family night, FX Live: Family Experience is like a game show that involve the kids' and parents' participation. Abi kept crawling on Mark's shoulders to try to get picked!!

The highest point in the room above the rest of the crowd

We started out on one side of the room, but Abi insisted that we move to be by Luke!

Best buds!

Mommy has had some time off in between all this crazy fun!

Me, Lizzie, and Naomi

Naomi= best friend ever! Holding my hand again while I got another tattoo!!!

Grow

2011-06-10T10:59:00.000-05:00

This was my garden back when I first planted it. My plants were so tiny.

This is my garden as of yesterday. It is abundant and overflowing...literally! I actually had to pull the pumpkin vine out of the garden because it was taking over the backyard and the bottom of the plant was starting to rot due to moisture.

My first watermelon...doesn't it look YUMMY!

My first cantaloupe.

Some cucumbers...Austin and Abi love these cold, sliced, and in a little vinegar/water mixture

This is a bloom on my okra plant. Isn't it pretty?

This is an okra that I picked this week! IT'S HUGE!!!

Some of my yellow squash. I've picked a LOT of this so far!!!

On the left, green onions. On the right, carrots.

My jalapeno plant, there are currently 3 peppers on it.

So, all in all, my garden is growing nicely! We're enjoying the veggies and fruits we've picked so far.

Which brings me to my next topic. My hair. I have been trying to let it grow out...which is hard for me! Since I was a sophomore in high school, I have kept my hair short, as in above my shoulders! It's so much healthier and easier to take care of that way. In fact, here are some throw back pics from back in the day!

Senior pic

Mom and me at graduation

Me and Mark after basic training graduation

Clay, Ali, Aaron, Brandon, Mark and me on our wedding day

Shortly after we were married...yup, that's my $30 wedding dress, the total cost of our wedding!!!!

My pic from my pharmacy tech school training days

When I was preggers with Austin, his Houston baby shower

Mark has never seen me with long hair before, so I told him that I would try to grow it out. However, the longer it gets, the more I am reminded of why I like it short!!! The longer it gets, the more difficult it is to control the frizz...in Houston humidity, that's not fun! It also is starting to get curly...not in a cute way! My friend, Jenni, shared a website with me that I have taken some tips from: naturally curly.com (Thanks Jenni!) So far, I am loving it! My new hair regiment looks like this: Day 1 wash with conditioner (Herbal Essence featherlight) then wash with a mixture of olive oil, coconut milk, coconut water, and aloe vera juice. Always rinse with cold water. Day 2 same. Day 3 wash with regular shampoo and conditioner. I can already tell a difference in how soft my hair is, and the frizz is almost non existent!!!! I'm undecided if the new wash schedule will stick, but I am happy that it is going well so far.

Recovery

2011-06-08T18:30:00.000-05:00

I had an order through my etsy shop last week. Not a small one mind you, I had to make 2 dresses, a child's apron, and a doll apron. That's a lot of sewing to do in three days. Not to mention, my machine was throwing a HUGE fit! I couldn't get the tension to adjust where I needed it to. Me and my old machine, a hand-me-down from my mom, pushed through and completed the order. It took longer to ship than I would have liked, but nevertheless it did ship! I sat down on Friday and practically spent the entire day adjusting the tension. No luck. So, I see a new sewing machine in my future! (Maybe a sewing machine that also does embroidery?? Wink, wink!!)

Before I knew my machine was going to have a melt down I purchased some cute fabric to make Abi a summer top. I found a cute pair of denim shorts at a resale shop. Not only were they cute, but they were also Gap brand and only $2.00!!! I always LOVE a great deal!!!!

Front

Back

Cute little embroidered butterfly on the front

The cute fabric I found to go with the shorts

The finished product!!!

This year as a homeschooling mom has been a lot of fun. However, there are days when all the AJB's do is fight. ALL. DAY. LONG!!! So, when I catch them getting along, I try to complement them on their behavior and tell them how much I appreciate their kindness to each other. When they are sweet to each other it makes me feel warm and giddy inside. So, you can imagine how Mark and I felt when we went to check on the kids before we went to bed the other night, and found them like this:

A picture is worth a thousand words!

Heartbeat by Remedy Drive

2011-05-31T13:28:00.002-05:00

This is a draught

Been living without

The one thing life requires

What a mess

Passionless

Somewhere I lost the fire

Oh my my

Where has it gone

Can anybody turn this beat back on

My heart is fast asleep

Dreaming it could bleed

For something that´s real

My desperate appeal

God I’m getting tired of the way I feel

When I would rather be alive

I want to wake up

I want to restart

Put the drumbeat back in my heart

I need to be revived

Bring me back to life

Coming on slow head to toe

The pulse is back again

It’s grace in my veins - replacing the pain

Bringing me back from the dead

Oh my my now I can see

You heard me cry emergency

Screaming out for help

You saved me from myself

The fires returned I’m letting it burn

There’s nothing better in the whole wide world

It feels so good to be alive

Champions!!

2011-05-27T21:34:00.000-05:00

This Thursday the Vipers played their final game for their Spring 2011 season. It was the Championship game. Other than one tournament game that we lost this season, the Vipers have been undefeated. The boys have worked so hard this season. In the off season between the fall and spring seasons...yes, when it was FREEEEEEEZZZZING outside...our boys practice at least 3 time a week for their allotted time. All of their hard work paid off. Here's how it went down:

The Vipers came hungry for victory!!!! Especially Austin!!!

They scored the maximum number of runs in each inning, except the 1st inning. The final score was19-8. There were at least two inning that they had three batters up, then three down. It has been an awesome season.

1st Place, trophies await!

Excited for the Victory!!!

Austin Brewer, third baseman...always will let the team know where the next play is!!!

The true nature of our boys!

A two-headed ball player!! Brazos and Austin

Even though our regular season is over, a tournament that we played a couple of weekends ago earned the Vipers a slot in the state championship tournament. The tournament is for 5 days in Mesquite, Texas. The Brewers are pumped, and as far as we can tell, so are the rest of the Vipers!! So, please pray for our trip and for our boys. I hope our next update will be about a victory in the state championship!!

JLB 2011 The Show

2011-05-20T21:45:00.000-05:00

I think I have my sewing fix for the next 6 months. I've really been in a sewing funk lately. It's usually this time of year that I'm making all kinds of spring dress and summer tops. I think it has to do with my preoccupation with mine and Mark's anniversary cruise in July. I FINALLY got my passport...exciting! Why am I so excited about a week long cruise with my Love, you ask? Because this will be our first vacation alone! We were married June 9, 2001. Coincidentally, I was also in Phase III of my pharmacy training school for the Air Force. Phases in training school were meant to help new trainees re adapt to civilian life after basic training. I was allowed to wear civilian clothes, but I had to be back in my dorm room by midnight on the night we got married. I wasn't permitted to leave again until 4am. So...no honeymoon. NOW do you understand my excitement?!

Anyways, I got off topic a little! My sister, Alisha, asked me to make another quilt for another baby shower she is attending. She picked out all of the fabric and showed me what she wanted. I had her draw out a pattern for the lion. I am okay at drawing some things, but animals and people are unrecognizable when I draw them! This is the finished product of our teamwork:

Made of minky and suede

There was a little left over fabric, so I made a taggie to go along

Since I've been on my all organic cooking kick, there have been a few things that I've made that are mouth watering delicious. But none of them compare to dinner tonight!!! I made tacos for dinner. Plain tacos...except that they were organic with FRESH tortillas!! YUMMY!!! I used this recipe, but doubled the butter requirement and used canola oil cooking spray. I also ended up making 1 1/2 of the recipe listed because we needed a few more tortillas. The recipe listed yields about 7-8 tortillas. They turned out great. So, if you can't tell...I'm encouraging all of you to give the recipe a run! Unless there is some kind of tortilla crisis, I will not by store bought tortillas again!

The dough

Before the big smash, I used just enough dough to fit into the palm of my hand and rolled it on a lightly floured surface

I wish I had a bigger skillet so that I could cook more than one at a time

The finished product! SO GOOD!!!

Left Alone with 2 Kids and Power Tools!

2011-05-17T23:06:00.001-05:00

In a recent shopping trip, Austin and Abi spotted a Lemonade stand similar to this one:

Although, this looks a LOT bigger in the picture than it actually is in real life. When Austin stood next to it, he towered over the top of it by at least a foot! And the best part? The price tag was marked $49.95!!!! OUTRAGEOUS! The kids really wanted to put together their money and pay the 50 bucks to take the fancy stand home. I told them that if they wanted to put their money together, we would by the wood and then build a stand together. So, off to Home Depot we headed. We priced pre-cut cedar slats first. They were a bit pricey for our project. We cheated and purchased 8 fence posts at $1.66 a piece. A total of less than $15 with a little learning thrown in, you can't beat a deal like that!

Mark has a power saw. Unfortunately for me, it's not attached to a saw table and I refuse to use it! It scares me. I just know I will slip up and cut my hand or something off! So, to be on the safe side, I got to work cutting the boards with a hack saw and a miter box. Our school day today consisted of cutting for several, SEVERAL hours...piecing together all the boards and painting...now, we have a finished lemonade stand, a very patriotic one, mind you!

Austin accurately measured ALL the boards!!!

All of us hard at work

The sides of the stand

Almost there, the main part of the stand

Painted all pretty!

If you want a cup of cold lemonade, be sure to stop by!!

Bye, Bye, Baby Goodbye!

2011-05-17T10:57:00.000-05:00

After storing up the heels of loaves of bread for a few weeks, the kids and I thought it was about time to say goodbye to it. We took a trip to our local duck pond and fed the ducks (and turtles!) This is one of their favorite things to do, it never gets old. I think they would do it everyday if they could!

Beautiful weather outside too! Austin and Abi feeding the ducks

My handsome little man!!

We moved to three different spots around the lake. Each spot we went to when we turned around, this creepy bird was standing there staring at us!!!!

Creepy bird, but pretty bird

From across the lake, we spotted this mommy duck teaching her babies to swim along the edge of the lake. They were so adorable!

Mommy and her two tiny baby ducklings

After a long journey of raising three caterpillars, watching them turn into their chrysalises, and then celebrating as we watched them emerge...it was time to say goodbye to Kitos, Austin jr., and Abi jr. At first Abi was a little excited to watch them fly, but then my animal and insect loving little girl was heart broken once they flew away. I tried explaining that keeping them in the bungalow is not nice for them because they were made to fly and they didn't have any space to do so in the there. She was still sad. I came home from Bunco last night and found her crying on the couch, snuggled up next to Mark. She has such a loving heart for living creatures!

Before the release

When she unzipped the tent, they didn't fly out. So, Abi had to stick her finger in there to get them.

Isn't it pretty! Bye bye butterflies!

Having the butterflies reminds me of a sweet little song that Austin used to sing when he was about 4. It goes like this:

Butterfly, butterfly

What lovely wings

Flutter by, flutter by

Makes my heart sing

When it rains, when it rains

I want to know

Butterfly, butterfly

Where do you go?

This morning Abi woke me up so excited to say that her second front tooth had FINALLY come out!! It has been so loose lately, she would push it forward so that it stuck out a little when her mouth was closed. We gave her the nickname 'Nanny McPhee' because that's who she looked like when she coined her new tooth trick! I didn't get any pictures of her impression, but I did manage to snap one after she pulled it out!

Goodbye baby front teeth

A Sweeeet Mama's day!!!

2011-05-13T22:53:00.001-05:00

This year I celebrated my 9th mother's day...coincidentally, it fell the day after Austin celebrated his 9th birthday =0) We went to church, came home and relaxed a little, and then headed out to have dinner with Mark's dad, Tom and soon-to-be-stepmom, Wendy, Mark's sister, Sluz, Wendy's son, Sion, Sion's girlfriend, Melisa, and Melisa's son, Jaden. We ate at my most favorite restaurant, Chuy's!!! I over-ate as usual...I can't help it, that jalapeno ranch dip is so GOOOOODD!!! Austin also got a few presents. Around here, birthdays sometimes last for a week before the gift period ends!!

Love them so much!

Austin, Me, Mark, and Abi

The little guy that made me a Mommy first

Austin and Me

The princess that made me a Mommy for a 2nd time!

Abi and Me

Me and My Love...isn't he a cutie!?!

Austin opening his gifts, what a blessed kid-o to have so many people that love him!

Tom and Wendy

We are still going strong on the organic diet. I have been soda-free (Diet Dr Pepper free!!!) for 2 weeks now. It hasn't been nearly as tough as I thought it would be. Anyone that knows me knows how I like my soda. Not anymore. I am making a change for the better. Before when I have given up soda, I would make an exception to drink it only when we are out to eat. Not this time. I have only ordered water with lime in the few times out. On that note, the kids have also given up some of their favorite foods. Organic bread that is smooth like regular bread is hard to find. So, the kids have been eating less bread. They do not like seeds in their bread! Also, they have given up the super sugary cereals, not willingly mind you! Since they are struggling to make the change, I've been trying to think of foods I know they love that they can have that are organic as well. Once of their favorite foods to eat is whipped cream! They will eat it frozen like it's ice cream and on top of pretty much anything. So, here is our homemade organic version:

Ingredients needed: 2 tsp organic vanilla extract, 16oz heavy whipping cream, and 2 tbsp organic sugar

Pour all items into a bowl big enough for the cream to double in volume

Using a whisk attachment, mix starting on low and increase speed as the mixture thickens. You can do this with a hand whisk, but it will take forever! You should mix for about 5-10 minutes, until there are soft peaks. Be sure not to over do it, or you will have some vanilla flavored butter on your hands!!

Slice some organic strawberries, and drizzle with chocolate syrup (this was not organic because we are still phasing out some items, but it was sugar free) This whipped cream is better than ANY I've EVER had!!!

The BIG 9

2011-05-07T10:26:00.000-05:00

What a year it's been! It doesn't seem so long since Austin's 8th birthday, but as I look back through pictures from the last year I can see how much he has grown!!

We celebrated Austin's 8th birthday with dinner at the Aquarium

Becca, Abi, and Austin

You lost a LOT of teeth this year, this was the first of many!

Spent summer time with cousins that you don't see very often

Spent some time in Daddy's shoes, or shorts rather...

Celebrated your love of baseball

Probably TRIPLED your knowledge of how the body works

Actually sat still long enough to take a picture with Mommy

Won a trophy in a championship baseball game

Took a LOT of pictures like this (when you grow up, don't think that I love Abi more because I have more pictures of her...)

Put the Angel on top of the tree

Dissected a lot of stuff (GROSS!)

Read a lot of books, making it hard for me to keep up!

Baseball

Baseball with a smile

And more baseball!!!!

Austin, you are such a blessing. You always make me laugh! A mom couldn't ask for a better kid-o with a better sense of humor! You are turning into a gentleman. I pray that you continue to walk closely to God, that you continue to put others before yourself, and that you always realize that 'stuff' isn't what matters in life, people do. You are an amazing little man and I love you so much!

Field Trip to the Children's Museum

2011-05-05T16:34:00.000-05:00

I love field trips! We made a trip to the Houston's Children's Museum, using our member passes for the first time. Member passes that I got for half price through the Houston Chronicle's daily deals. Austin and Abi LOVE the children's museum, I think they would live there if they could.

In the diner

Abi shopping at the HEB

Austin playing cashier

Abi working in the Vet Clinic

Austin working in the bicycle shop

My little bank teller

Is a driver's license really necessary?

In the Crime Lab

This is my favorite feature of the museum, the outdoor 'Flow Works' exhibit! It is a cross between a splash pad and a plumbing masterpiece!! The kids can play in the water while changing the way it flows with pipes, waves, and much more. When the bucket at the top gets full, it tips over soaking the kids below!!

There are three floors of these climbing pads

Abi learning how the heart pumps

In the Science Lab learning about matter and molecules

Ever wonder what happened to that old phone you had in the 80's? It could be part of this Phone Man sculpture!

Ended the day with Tiger face paint

Trip to the Zoo

2011-05-04T09:59:00.001-05:00

I love spring. In Houston, spring weather is almost unheard of! We get about a week a year of actual spring weather, and then it's just hot!

I also love free. Getting things for free is an unbeatable deal! Houston has a whole museum district with tons of things to see. Most of the museums have at least one free event/day each month. If you visit this website, you can see all the days that are available.

Yesterday, we took advantage of the GREAT weather and a FREE zoo day (the first Tuesday of every month)! The kids were SO excited, I think they may have even said a time or two that it was "the best day of their life"!

Before we entered

Abi loves animals, but for whatever reason, she is deathly afraid of being close to fish!! In fact, I asked her to turn around so I could take pictures of them in front of these tanks. She was not happy about it!!

A tube that kids can crawl through to see the piranhas close up

My little monkeys!

See, this confirms my suspicions!

At the children's zoo they get to brush the animals

You can't really tell by the picture, but they were looking at a turtle that was probably bigger than a car tire!!!

The reptile exhibit is always my favorite!

Look at that face!!

It's a VIPER!!!

A First Attempt

2011-05-02T23:05:00.001-05:00

I have to drive at least 45 minutes away to buy a loaf of organic bread. My local grocery stores carried it at one time, but when I looked for it my past visit, I couldn't find any! So, last night I looked for a recipe to make my own organic honey whole wheat bread. I finally found one that was simple enough for me to use and that didn't require a bread machine. I used this recipe, but altered it a little.

This is what I did:
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons of organic sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons of organic butter
2 package active dry yeast (1/2 cup hot water to activate)
2 cups organic whole wheat flour
1 cup organic unbleached flour (added 1/4 cup at a time)
2 heaping tablespoons of organic honey
nonstick cooking spray

I followed all the same cooking steps, except I added the honey after the cups of whole wheat flour. It turned out pretty yummy!!!

Ingredients, plus honey

Forgot to take a picture before we started munching!

Today we had a picnic with Aunt Marie and Sluz. Austin, Abi, and I made 'food art' for everyone. So much FUN!!!

Abi's hot dog bun man

Austin's clam

My Bug

Austin's funny guy

Abi's two pickles in a pod

Sweet sushi (out of Abi's craft magazine)

Strawberry ladybugs

Cookin' It Up!

2011-05-01T19:35:00.000-05:00

We have been cookin' up quite a few things!! The new diet is going well! We are still having to phase out some food that isn't organic. I found this awesome recipe, along with a few other recipes I'll be sharing, on the Whole Foods website:

Sausage on a bun

Applegate chicken & apple chicken sausage is the bomb!! It is quite tasty!

We adapted our ingredients a little, but they were still DELICIOUS!!
Ingredients for relish:
1/4 organic red bell pepper
1/4 organic yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped sweet gherkins (organic)

Add to your favorite version of a ball park hot dog!! On mine I had an organic, whole wheat bun, chicken sausage, the homemade pickle relish, organic mayo, organic ketchup and mustard, and shredded cheese. BOY WAS IT GOOOOOOODDD!!!

I also tried out another recipe from the Whole Foods website:

Shrimp and Eggplant Summer Noodle Bowls

This recipe was pretty tasty too. We had to make it without eggplant because I couldn't find any at the store. Other than that, the only change I will make to the future next time is to use less of the mint.

Turned out pretty yummy!

Austin's baseball team is 7-0 for the season, and entered into a tournament this past weekend. The boys played their hearts out and it paid off because they won 1st place in the Great A Metro tournament!! I guess you could say they cooked up a butt-whoopin' on the other teams! We have 3 more games remaining in the regular season and we will play another tournament the weekend of May 21st.

Top to bottom, left to right: Coach Roy, Coach Newal, Coach Braden, Coach Tray, Coach Ernie, Anthony, Chris, Logon, Austin Hunter, Austin, Isaac, Brazos, Ben, Josh, and Cade

As promised in one of my previous posts, our caterpillars are in their chrysalises. We've moved them into the bungalow tent, and it should take 7-10 days for them to change into butterflies. Abi is especially excited to feed them!! Go figure!!!

Soft Yet Crispy Sugar Cookies

2011-04-30T22:57:00.000-05:00

I just made some of the YUMMIEST sugar cookies EVER! I have always wondered how to get cookies soft like you buy at the bakery. I read tonight in my cook book these tips for soft cookies: choose a recipe with little butter and a lot of liquid ingredients, substitute brown sugar for part of the sugar requirement, and add an egg. So, while trying to feed Mark's sugar crave, this is the recipe (partially organic!) I used:

1 stick of organic butter, softened
1/2 cup of shortening (I think a good organic substitute would be organic coconut oil, but I haven't looked into it to see)
1 cup of organic sugar
1 cup of organic brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/8 tsp salt
5 organic egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup organic unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4-1/2 organic fat free milk

Cream together shortening and butter. Add sugars and mix well. Add baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar. Blend in egg yolks and then remaining ingredients. Use a large tablespoon to drop cookies onto parchment paper (the key to baking good cookies is parchment paper!!!) Bake at 300 for 12 minutes. Remove and allow to set on pan for 3-5 minutes. Move to cooling rack. These were so yummy!! Hopefully next time I make them will be with all organic ingredients!!!

CH-CH-CHANGES...

2011-04-30T19:06:00.002-05:00

If you know anything about me, then you know that I love Splenda. In fact, this year at our women's annual Christmas dinner at church all the ladies made sure to get to the splenda packs before I did!! But I've heard before that splenda is no good for a person. And until I read this article, I have pretty much been in denial!

We also watched Jamie Oliver: Food Revolution this week. This was an episode where he showed how "bargain meat" is processed. The reason ground beef is so cheap is because of what it is. It's all the nasty leftover meat that no one wants to eat. But yet, they add some chemicals such as ammonia with water (I clean dog urine out of my carpet with ammonia!!!!) and then grind it up and sell it.

Well, after discussing it with Mark and the kids, we decided that it's time for a change. I am very interested in learning more about how we process our food. And after reading, probably one too many articles, we have decided that organic is the way to go. Organic foods are the closest you can get to natural, no chemicals, no food coloring, etc. Also, for me that means no more Diet Dr Pepper or high-fructose-corn syrup-filled coffee creamer. These are staples in my diet...it my be a tough change!!! When I cleaned out the pantry, we donated everything that was unopened. To minimize waste, anything that was already opened and that we go through quickly we will use. The first organic make was inspired by my friend, Sarah. We made creamy yogurt strawberry popsicles.

YUM!!! And that isn't just any ordinary jar of honey (the only food that never goes bad), it's a fresh jar straight from the bees kept on Mark's grandpa's ranch!

The recipe I used I found here:

1 cup of organic strawberries (fresh or frozen)

1 cup of organic yogurt (I used vanilla, low-fat)

2 tablespoons of honey (or organic maple syrup)

puree the strawberries with the honey, and then fold the strawberry mixture into the yogurt

Pour them into your popsicle holders, freeze and enjoy!!!!

They turned out quite yummy!!! While I made them, the kids made costumes out of paper sacks and shoe boxes. They called themselves 'Recycle Robots'!!! They keep me laughing!

Recycle Robots!

This week Abi has been learning about the butterfly lifecycle in science. She takes her caterpillars, Abi jr, Austin jr, and Keetos every where she goes!! The caterpillars are in the process of making their chrysalis, I'll post a picture after they have finished. To wrap up the week on butterflies, Abi and I made these special treats for her friends, the little sisters of Austin's baseball team.

Supplies needed to make the butterfly body: clothespins, assorted colors of acrylic paint, glitter, small googly eyes, pipe cleaners, small snack ziplock baggies, and trailmix

Paint one side of the clip and sprinkle with glitter

Glue on two tiny googly eyes, fill the snack size ziplock bags with trailmix, and clip on a pipe cleaner for the antennae

This magazine also has lots of cool activities that the kids can do on their own!

On Monday, the kids and I are having a picnic with Aunt Marie and Aunt Lala. We will be making food art to make our lunch. One of our 'art' activities will be making another craft out of this magazine: Sweet Sushi, made from pound cake, cake frosting, and assorted candies. I'll post pictures from that activity too!!

Life in the Brewer Bungalow

2011-04-25T22:59:00.001-05:00

Ok, technically we don't live in a bungalow...but it is a fun word to say, right? Even though the local school district still has several weeks to go before summer vacation begins for them, here at our 'school' we are finishing up most of our books. Austin will complete his BJU Math 4 book this week, and had his last A&P class last week (he scored 112% on his final- the 12 point bonus was to label a blank body diagram- and his teacher gave him a certificate of completion). He is over half way done with his Easy Grammar 4 book, which he started after the Christmas break. We also made a trip to Barnes and Noble last week and both Austin and Abi got to pick out new books. Austin is into reading books about baseball, fiction of course. Abi is continuing to read the Junie B. Jones series, she's currently reading book 3. Austin is also close to completing his Heritage Studies 4 book. I gave Austin the 4th grade reading and math and the 5th grade science test from the 2008-2009 released TAKS test just to gage how he is doing. My biggest fear in homeschooling is that Austin and Abi will fall behind in their work. Austin technically should be in the 3ed grade this year; so, if he didn't do so well on the 4th grade tests, it would not worry me too much. He completely missed a couple questions on the science test because he said he didn't see them. I counted them wrong, just like they would have done on the real test. But my smart boy still scored a 90% on all three tests!! This week I am going to give him the writing portion to see how he does.

Abi is half-way through her BJU Math 2, Easy Grammar 2, and Horizons Reading and Phonics 2 books. Technically, Abi should be in first grade, and since she just started these books after the Christmas break, I'm okay with her not completing them before the summer break. Both Austin and Abi will continue to do some work through the summer, it just will not be as much as we do now. Abi has completed her BJU's Science 1 and Heritage Studies 1 books, although I'll admit that they weren't very challenging for her. So, to kind of add to her Science curriculum, I ordered her a butterfly bungalow that comes with a certificate to order your three live caterpillars. Amazon.com had a great price on it (a whopping $10), and I ordered one of Austin's Christmas presents at the same time to get free shipping! Abi has been wanting a butterfly habitat for a while now, which she constantly reminds me of every time she sees a commercial advertising them!! She even names her caterpillars!

The bungalow comes in this box. The caterpillars only come after you use your included certificate to either order them online or send through snail-mail.

We've only had them a couple of days, and already you can tell that they are growing! Not sure which one this is, Abi jr, Austin jr, or Keetos, but Abi knows the difference between them. At least she claims to!

She takes them where ever she goes!

Even on our day off, the TV stays off most of the day. So, the kids are forced to explore and entertain themselves. Today, they practiced drumming on pots and pans. That explains my huge headache at the end of the day! But they sure did have fun!

Abi and her drums

Austin was drumming so hard that he split on of the wooden spoons right down the middle of the spoon!!

Even on days off the kid-o's are encouraged to take some time to read. Austin doesn't need much encouraging, but Abi sometimes requires bribing!!!! She protests until she starts reading, and then she becomes so involved with the story that she giggles out loud when she's reading. That is music to a Mommy's heart! One rule is that they can read where ever they want, as long as they read!

I'm still trying to figure out how stretching and reading fit together, but Abi makes it work!

Austin snuggled on the couch

Easter Part II

2011-04-25T20:49:00.000-05:00

Since we attended the Easter service at church on Saturday evening instead of Sunday, Mark and I were able to sleep in a little. Then we headed to a local park to meet with some of our small group members and with the Bender/Domino group for a picnic and Easter egg hunt. Our group always try to plan a get together for Christmas and Easter that we can include the kids in...and eat!! This year is the first year that we met at a park. It was actually better, I think, because there was really no clean up and the dads took the kids on a search for treasure through the hiking trails in the park using the geocache option on their phone. The kids were SO excited!!! While they did that, moms hid the eggs and chatted! They didn't have enough time to find the treasure before it was time to hunt eggs, but I have a feeling this won't be the last time we hunt treasure!!!

Abi AFTER she ate, that's why she's smiling!!

Pacey warning me not to eyeball her cookie!

Luke and Alicia scarfing down their food so they can go play

Kathryn playing it cool

Mark, super cool!!

Easter 2011, Part I with a Little Extra Thrown In!

2011-04-24T00:41:00.000-05:00

This week I went out to do a little shopping one night, and when I got home, Abi had lost a front tooth!! When the kids found out the truth about Santa Clause, they drew their own conclusions about the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny. So, Abi had thrown her tooth into the garbage after she ripped it out!!!

Snaggle Tooth!

The shopping I did this week was to put together a family Easter basket to be given away after the Easter egg hunt at church. I had a good time putting everything together!

Lots of fun goodies!!!

This morning we made Easter eggs the good old fashioned way!! This is the first time the kids have really ever dyed eggs. Honestly, I don't like to put in the work to dye the eggs.

Vinegar stinks!

The finished product

On the way to the Easter service this afternoon, we stopped by a nearby "lake" to take some pictures of the kid-o's. I was so happy to see how the pictures turned out!!

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That...

2011-04-12T22:42:00.000-05:00

It has been a very random last couple of weeks. First, Austin's spring season of baseball FINALLY started!! Another team mom caught some awesome snap shots of all the boys on the team, but I've posted my favorites ones of my boy!

Baseball ready!

Cool shot of the ball going right into his glove!

Good at bat!

Next, it's been a couple of weeks since Spring Break. When the kids finish their school work before 2:30 they still are not allowed to turn on the TV. So, they have become great at finding things to entertain themselves. Just today, they practiced and put on a rock concert for me that included a song called "Give Us Candy and Sweets"! I'm not sure what this masterpiece is exactly, but it must be a masterpiece because they used UT playing cards to build it!

I don't know about your kids, but mine go through fruit as if it were the only food group! This is one of their favorite snacks. I thought I would share it, just in time for summer.

Sliced strawberries (also sliced bananas) , frozen fat-free whipped cream, sugar-free chocolate syrup, with cherries on top

In one of my sewing frenzies, I scrambled for something to make! I have so much fabric that needs to be made into something!! So, I put some together to make Abi a ruffled summer top. Don't be disappointed, but it lays half finished on my sewing table. I will show you the fabrics it will be made of, and post a picture later.

I love the blues and pinks together.

Our garden is growing nicely. We planted a few more jiffy pots that are blooming beautifully as well. This is a picture of one of our pumpkin plants. We are watching it grow closely. In fact, Austin will be putting together a PowerPoint presentation this week to show the life cycle of a pumpkin. Abi will also be journaling her observations as well as doing a worksheet that labels the parts of the pumpkin plant. After seeing a flower bloom on our plant, we googled to learn some info about our new beauty. There are male and female flowers that flower on the pumpkin plant. The flowers bloom early in the day, at dawn. They only are opened for about 4 hours and then they close forever. The female bud forms into a pumpkin. Austin, Abi, and I found this to be very neat!

Our first bloom.

Today we had a park day, so we didn't have much school "work". The kid-o's broke out their aprons, chef hats, and the easy bake oven. They wanted to "bake Daddy a sweet treat for working so hard for our family!" It melts my heart when they are thoughtful of others...not that they always are, they are kids...So, you can understand why I cherish the times that they work together to do something for someone else!

They read and followed all of the instructions for themselves, with no help from me

They had cinnamon pretzels, sugar cookies, and cupcakes waiting for Mark when he got home today.

Two for Two

2011-04-02T20:21:00.000-05:00

Projects, projects! I have had two projects in the last two days. One small, one bigger. I love projects!! They make me feel useful.So, without further delay...here they are!

Project #1: Small lanterns
I bought two small size tea light candle lanterns for the front yard out of the dollar bin at Target a couple years ago. You can imagine what the weather had done to them!

BEFORE:

A bit rusty, huh?

AFTER:

Nothing a can of spray paint can't fix!!

Project #2: Raised Garden Bed

I was VERY nervous about this one. I found plans on Ana White.com, my new favorite website, but they look kind of hard to do. Especially, if your forte is NOT handyman!!! I figured if I can sew something than I can build something. I will not be quiting my day job though!

BEFORE:

A barren waste land, well kind of...

AFTER:

Fresh veggies will be here before ya know it!!!!

My newest and most favorite hobby, I'm taking on a green thumb!!!

Having the vegetable garden done brings me one step closer to being finished making over the backyard. It's been a long process, but I'm sure it will be worth it in the end!!!

Everything is Better With Chocolate

2011-04-01T13:54:00.000-05:00

It has been an emotionally rough week for me. Highs. Lows. I pretty much feel like the week has been a flop. Something I highly anticipated did not happen leading to disappointment, which I never do well with. School with Abi has been tough. It has been a battle almost everyday (except for Wednesday, oh sweet Wednesday why did you leave me?) Abi loves chocolate, she gets that from me. After some brainstorming with Mark, I came up with this idea: I bought a big bag of Dove chocolates. Abi can choose three pieces of candy at the start of the school day. Each time she complains about having to do schoolwork or says "I can't do it" and I know she clearly can...then a piece of candy gets returned to the candy bin. So far today she still has three pieces. That could change in a split second.

Small group, I love my small group peeps. They are near and dear to my heart! A running joke for one of our members is that he loves bacon. Bacon with everything. So, after another one of our members posted a recipe for bacon chocolate chip cookies, I decided to make them. I do not eat beef or pork so I can't tell you if they were good or not. I can tell you that Abi LOVED them and probably ate at least 5 of them!!!

Shaker Shaker Noise Maker

2011-03-30T22:50:00.000-05:00

We don't do nearly as many art projects in school as we should. My fault. I lack the patients it requires to pick up the millions of pieces of scraps kids somehow create, and I still can't seem to get the "washable" marker off of my kitchen table! But the kids and I came up with the idea to make noise makers for Austin's first baseball game. Here's what we did:

grabbed a few empty plastic bottles from the recycling bin

washed and dried them (I stuck the paper towel in there to help snatch the moisture. I learned this neat trick somewhere, can't remember where. I also fold one and put it in the bottom of the garbage can after I wash the can to prevent that old wet plastic smell!)

We went on a nature walk and collected pebbles, and Abi started a rock collection

I already had red spray paint on hand, although I can't remember what I used it for before!!!

Then we sprayed!

I forgot to get a picture of the finished product, but they were a hit at the game!!! Austin would remind us from the dugout box to shake them when he gets up to bat!!!

It was an awesome game to open the season! If I remember correctly, Austin had 3 RBIs and hit a double. He also scored once. His team, the Vipers, beat the D-Backs (which coincidentally was his teams name from the fall season) 25-7.

Warming up

The 3rd baseman

BATTER UP!

Abi even had a little fun with the other little sisters! They happened to find a toad deep in a hole...poor little toad!

The girls watching the toad, I think they were trying to get it out of the hole!

Oh look, they succeeded!!!

Back to the Basics

2011-03-29T21:35:00.002-05:00

It's days like yesterday that make me want to have a LOT of alone time. Full of arguing kids, dirty clothes,and grocery lists. But then there are nights like tonight that make me remember with gratefulness why I love being a mom and having a family to call my own.

This morning started with fussing at Austin and Abi because they weren't happy about doing there school work. I asked them to make sure that they were fully dressed to include a good brushing, the living room free of any of their toys and all the blankets and pillows returned to their rightful place by the time I got out of the shower. They were so engrossed in the cartoon that they were watching that they only got dressed without brushing teeth. That's it. I won't lie, I was pretty upset! The consequence is that they lost TV for the rest of today and tomorrow. I told them that since the cartoon had been their distraction from doing what I asked, then they would have to lose that privilege for a while. It didn't end there. Once Austin got started he was fine, but it was a battle with Abi almost all day. She was so against doing her school work that she still had quite a bit to do when we returned home after her dance class.

When we returned home Mark was already home. I don't know about you guys, but the TV is a 'must' in our house. I actually enjoy the silence when home alone, but Mark can not stand to not have the TV just ON for the sake of having it ON! I was surprised to see that when I came in the house the TV was off. Austin immediately ran out to play soccer with his friends. I got started cooking dinner and Mark and Abi giggled together on the couch. I love seeing Mark interact with our kid-o's. He's such an AWESOME dad!! He can make them laugh like no other! I thought to myself, as I watched and listened to them, that I am so blessed. THIS is my life, and how amazing it is!!!

After dinner and baths, Abi still was working on her school work. She was camped out next to me while I played a few games of UNO with Austin; which he totally beat me at!!! Mark was watching us while he worked on some stuff for work. The dogs laid practically on top of Austin. We were laughing and trash talking. I love my family. I love laughing with them. I love spending time playing cards with them. I love laughing at them when the dog sneezes all over them.

The night wouldn't be complete without tucking the kids in at bedtime. We pray with each of them, I laughed some more with Austin and then read some Junie B. Jones with Abi. When I came downstairs Mark played this song for me:

All around it was a night to make me remember and want to return to the basics of what it takes to be a good mom and have great family time!!

What a Sweet Treat!

2011-03-26T17:28:00.000-05:00

Earlier in the year Abi said she wanted a birthday party with 'lots of sweets'! Knowing how much she loves to cook, I asked her if a baking party would do. She agreed to it and had a short guest list of just 4 other children. (I'm not super woman, baking with 5 kids that do not know measurements and a couple that are just getting good at reading is about the best I can do!) She anxiously awaited the arrival of her guests, asking just about every 5 minutes if it was time for her party yet!!!
\

THE SET UP

Girlie cupcake liners

5 stations, 5 recipes

Ingredients galore!!!

Make sure the bitter and cream cheese is softened!

This has been my project for the past week or so. I made each guest an apron with either a matching apron for their doll or a chef's hat.

Can you tell which one is for Luke?

A baker needs their tools! Spoons and spatulas

Abi and Rebecca waiting for their guests to arrive

Let the party begin!!

Alicia, Sofi, Abi and Luke

While waiting for their cupcakes to bake, Abi opened gifts. Luke gave her a charm bracelet with a little puppy dog on it! Sofi and Alicia brought her a barbie and a blank book set that allows her to create her own book. I think the best present she received was getting to do her favorite things, eat and cook, with some of her favorite friends!

Luke giving Abi her bracelet

The finished product! Top to bottom, left to right: Orange dreamcicle, chocolate, strawberry, carrot cake, and mint chocolate chip

A Break to Remember!

2011-03-20T22:38:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure who had more fun this spring break...me or the kids! We were off to a slow start on Monday, but by Tuesday, our week was full of fun things to do! Tuesday we went to the park and played outside a lot. Wednesday we met Naomi, Grace and Meredith at Telge Park to play and have a picnic. Thursday we used a couple of free passes we had been saving for jumping at Pump It Up. Friday we met Sarah, Micah, Caleb, Lizzie, Luke, Kelly, and Pacey at Chuck E Cheese for playing and pizza! After CEC, Alisha dropped by to pick up Austin and Abi to go to Grammy's for the weekend. Saturday we woke up bright and early and headed to the Benders. Then, we hit the road to go to Conroe for my first ever Warrior Dash. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!! Okay, the run was not that much fun, but my friends are AWESOME! My allergies had been acting up for a few days, progressively getting worse even with meds and vitamins. So, that made my run challenging. Luckily, Lizzie stayed with me the entire time. Even when I had to walk! Otherwise, they may have had to send a search party after me!! I'm not sure how we ended up with friends that are so much fun, but I am thankful for them!!!

Chuck E Cheese bound!

Sarah and Pacey, the cutie pa-tootie!

Mark getting us to Warrior Dash

Sluz, excited about the run!!!!

On the shuttle, Sluz and me

Some REAL WARRIORS! The Avatar, Air-Bender, and Warren as a wrestler...though I have no idea which one!!!

Dani- yes, she ran 3.1 miles in FLANNEL pajamas!!! Lizzie, cute socks!

Before, aren't we clean?

back row, left to right: Steve, Jared, Sluz,Rupert. Javier, Javier's friend, Warren, Me, Justin, Matt (not sure if that was his name) Lizzie, Dani

Rupert, Justin, Warren

Lizzie's friend, Bridgett, Lizzie, Dani, Sluz, Me

Sluz and Dani...playing in the mud?

Me and Sluz!!!!

After the race, not so clean anymore!!!!

A couple of stories from the kids' adventure to Grammy and Papa's house:

Alisha, Austin, Abi, and Alisha's dog, Hunny Bun (a tiny yorkie) went down to look at the pond. Abi asked Alisha if Hunny Bun swims. Alisha told Abi, "not willingly". Abi then asked how Alisha got her to swim then? Alisha told her that she throws her in the water. Abi asked, "won't she drown then?" Alisha said, "No, dogs just know how to swim." So, Abi proceeded to pick Hunny Bun up and chunk her out into the pond!!! As Hunny Bun swam back to shore and walked out of the water, Abi laughed hysterically and said she looked like a wet squirrel!

Mom and Alisha took Austin and Abi down to the pond to fish. They didn't have any bait, so mom grabbed 2 cans of vienna sausages and a couple of slices of bread to use for bait. By the time they finished baiting the first hook, Abi had eaten both cans of vienna sausages!! Mom then sent Austin back to the house to get some of the leftover fried chicken (which is what the kids ask Mom to make every time they visit) from the night before. They caught their first fish with the chicken, and Austin said, "even fish like Grammy's fried chicken!!"

They had so much fun at their Grammy and Papa;s house!!!!

All in a Good Day's Work

2011-03-16T22:49:00.000-05:00

This morning, my day started of much like that of June Cleaver, except not. I woke up around 4AM in much need of some sinus relief. After taking a mixture of 4 medications, I managed to doze back off. Only to wake again at 8AM feeling like someone hit me in the head with a shovel! I once again took a medi cocktail, and relief set in...for a couple of hours. Allergies are kicking my butt this spring. So, during some of my finer moments today, I managed to get a few things done. We started the day with a picnic at Telge Park, which coincidentally, was also the MOPS picnic day as well! I saw lots of fellow moms that I knew!

I was up late last night finishing a quilt for Alisha, my little sis, that she plans to gift at a baby shower. I ran short on trim, so we stopped on our way home from the park to pick some up. While we were at my second home, JoAnn's, I fell IN LOVE with some fabric (nothing out of the ordinary) and decided that it would make an adorable summer top for Abi. I picked up a yard of it and then we headed home. I put the finishing touches on the quilt for my sister, and then made Abi's top. I couldn't stop there, she needed a bow to match! Somewhere in between my sewing and bow making, we played outside for a couple of hours, had dinner together, and my yuckness sent me to my room for a cat nap.

Dinosaur Quilt- tough one to make!!!

LOVE this fabric, I can't wait until she gets to wear it! I didn't make the shorts, if you were wondering!!

So pretty, I could look at it all day!

We've been up to a couple of other things this spring break. Abi started the break with Jedi training with her best buddy Luke! Oddly enough, as the only girl, she got to play the part of Princess Leia!

Princess Leia hair

Austin started his break with baseball practice! The season opens next Saturday, the 26th. I can't wait to see my little man get up to bat, grinning ear to ear!!! Now that warms a Mommy's heart!!!

Warming up with Dad

Mark playing catch with Austin

This past Sunday on our way out of church, Austin and Abi ran and sat on this bench and insisted that I snap a pic of them...I love their goofiness! I have no idea where they get it from!

Another Year in the Books

2011-03-11T13:34:00.000-06:00

I remember thinking when Austin was tiny, I have so much time before he's big! Not true at all. Time flies. Here it is now, a year from Abi's 6th birthday! Today my baby turns 7. SEVEN! How did that happen??? In this post I would like to reflect back over the year:

Last year's celebration: face paint, lunch at the Rainforest cafe, and a movie

Austin, Abi, and Luke

Best friend for a best birthday!

Luke and Abi

Easter 2010

Abi and Austin

Met some new friends

Abi and Alex

Had some girl time, first manicure!

Abi

Celebrated Austin's birthday with lunch at the Aquarium

Becca, Abi, Huge Fish, and Austin

Wrote Mommy some sweet letters

Cut your hair short for the first time!

(if you're anything like Mommy, it won't be the last!)

Austin taught you how to play Chess, coincidentally, you won you're first game!

Austin and Abi

Spent a week at Grammy's and Papa's house over the summer

Abi, Grammy, and Austin

Two adult teeth pushed your first baby tooth right out, lost your first tooth!

Worked on your fashion sense!

Got to hang out with your cousins

Zay, Abi, Austin, and Bastian

Finished Kindergarten, started first and then second in Homeschool.

Started Gymnastics

Spent time being goofy!

Met your new cousin for the first time

Abi and Jacalynn

Halloween 2010

Luke, Iron Man and Abi, Black Widow

Hung around with Daddy!

More new friends

Rebecca and Abi

Had an American Girl tea party

Sofi, Abi, and Alicia

Did some science experiments

Did some baking

Started reading your first chapter book

Had Mermaid hair courtesy of Ms Wendy

Fashion Foot Fives with Daddy, last one as a 6 year old!

You're growing into a beautiful young lady

Happy Birthday my Princess!

Even if it means blowing out the candles at 6AM

And chocolate cake for breakfast ...and presents too!

We are so blessed to call you our daughter!