National Hot Chocolate Day

Who knew today was National Hot Chocolate Day???  The girls made a big cup, filled with marshmellaws and we headed out on the back porch to enjoy!  Making hot chocolate has been one of our favorites this winter.  

Date Night with Mags

Tonight Caroline had the youth Bonfire.  There wasn't really enough time for us to go back home so we decided to take Maggie out to eat.  Y'all this might be the first time we have gone out to eat since last March...it felt strange to sit inside and dine in.  We made sure to grab a booth at the very back corner and I was still paranode.  Maggie loved every minute!  Andy and I enjoyed the one on one time with our sweet baby girl!

 

Natural Disaster

 This morning we were working on Maggie's school work before breakfast.  She had to make a list of what she already knows about natural disasters.  She was quick to respond which I was thankful for.  She said "there are messes" and "can happen anywhere."  I was so proud!  I asked her if they had studied about them at school yesterday.  Not missing a beat, she said "NO!  You tell us all the time our house is a disaster!"  Bless it!  I laughed and thought, at least she is listening and applying real life to this situation.  She even told her teacher this very thing...

PS-This picture is her treating me to a yummy snack after work.  

Voting

 Today the girls head back to the school for the first time since before Christmas break.  They were SUPER excited!!  We have a small local election today.  I love to vote early in the morning but wasn't sure if we would make it out the door with enough time to vote.  However, as we were passing the voting building it looked empty and we had plenty of time.  There was one other voter voting when we got there.  As we got back in the car, I asked the girls if they know WHY we vote.  They had good answers that all lead to the fact that WE CAN, that's why.  That lead to Caroline discussing the different forms of government and how they operate. I remember my parents discussing the importance of voting and therefore it made an impact on me.  I pray the same for our girls.  It truly is a privilege to have a voice!

UPDATE: Our guy was 6 votes short of winning by 51%...so back to the polls we go in two weeks!

Cooking

Maggie has really taken an interest in helping me cook these days.  It's been so fun to have her help in the kitchen.  She LOVES a knife, a cutting board. I so appreciate her help!!  Thankful for these girls and the life skills they are learning!

 

Caroline Cooks

Today I was sitting in the den while the girls were in the kitchen.  They were chatting but I couldn't hear what they were saying.  I soon heard the mixer going.  I asked Caroline "What are you doing?"  She said "Baking a cake."  Mercy percy, this kid found a recipe for a while cake mix and she wanted to make it.  Then she found an icing she wanted to make.  Once the cake was finished and had cooled, she was ready to ice it.  She used my Pampered Chef decorating kit to decorate the top.  Y'all this cake was amazing!  We plan to share with neighbors and teachers at my schoool...keeping it in our house isn't a good idea!

I love that Caroline loves to cook!  I love that she quietly goes after what she wants.  Proud of our girl!! I might fail in the teaching her to keep a clean house but at least she will be able to cook!!
 

Seasons

 One of my Daddy's favorite songs was "Hymn of Promise."  Essentially it talks about seasons of life and one thing leads to another.  This week I am subbing in a 4K classroom.  Today while at recess I looked over at the small playground.  Both trees were bare.  Just a few months ago in Fall, they were gorgeous!!  Beautiful orange, red and yellow leaves.  Soon they will have beautiful green leaves once again.  I reminded me that each season of life serves a purpose.  When these trees are filled with beautiful green leaves, they provide shade for the sweet children playing in the warm days of summer.  But in the winter, the lack of leaves allow the sun to fully shine on the children to keep them warm.  How amazing that our God created this world and filled it with such purpose that even the leaves have a specific impact on us.  

It led me to deeper thinking...what is my purpose right now...not what I use to be, who I was but right now, this very moment.  How is God using me?  And...am I using my full potential to be who He wants me to be?  This season of life is busy and hard.  I'm working harder than ever in my job.  I come home to teach my children, well actually just Mags because Caroline taking complete responsibility for her school.  Then my daily household responsibilities still need to happen. That's where I feel like I'm failing.  I lose my cool, get aggravated with my kids and then have to apologize.  Oh how I long to be like this tree...rolling with the punches...standing firm even during trials...making the most of the current season until the next one comes along!

Total Opposites

 Today while sitting outside I was looking at these two playing UNO and was reminded how they are complete opposites.  It was a nice day outside.  Maybe upper 50's, low 60's.  I was comfortable in capri length leggings and a long sleeve shirt. Maggie was cozy in shorts, no shoes and a short sleeve shirt.  Caroline was comfy, maybe complaining just a little that it's cool outside, in her fleece jacket, shoes and sweatpants.  This is just one example of how totally opposite they are.  Maggie loves to be the center of attention while Caroline prefers to blend in.  Caroline loves to sit quietly in her own little world where Maggie prefers to have a playmate.  Sometimes their total opposite personally makes things difficult.  It can definitely lead to arguments and disagreements. But it makes our family who we are...we are imperfectly perfect together!  I know that God has created them to be who they are.  I know that He will use each of these characteristics to make them successful in their own way.  I just hope that I live long enough to see it and that THEY will grow to appreciate the differences in each other!

Outside fun with a tent

As part of our 1000 hours outside challenge, I tried to think of something creative we could do at home.  So we pulled out our tent from the attic and set it up in the backyard.  Maggie was THRILLED!  Once we got it set up, Caroline was excited as well.  We played games, read books, had a picnic lunch and I might have even got a little nap while hanging out outside.  Maggie is excited for our next adventure in the tent which she hopes will be tomorrow...

Virtual Art Lesson

 Maggie had to complete a virtual art lesson this week.  She wasn't too thrilled about it.  So I decided that we would work together to create the assignment.  I was absolutely amazed at what we could do with a simple, 20 minute, step by step lesson.  We impressed ourselves!!

Soccer Goal

This past weekend we bought a soccer goal for the backyard.  The girls have absolutely LOVED playing.  Maggie prefers to be the goalie and has become pretty good at blocking.  She has a powerful kick in defense.  Andy and I have also enjoyed playing with them.  We are so thankful for sunny days and a dry backyard!!

 

Hoe cakes and grits

It's that one time a year when I actually buy Crisco!  It's one of our winter favorites and reminds us of our sweet Mema.  It definitely isn't the most healthy but it certainly brings us great joy remembering the sweet lady who taught me how to make these!  These might have been the best I ever made...so yummy!  Mema would be proud!

 

Fun with Magnatiles

After the extremely hard school day, we headed outside to enjoy the beautiful afternoon!  We spent 2 1/2 hours outside and it was heavenly!  I saw my cousin post about using magnatiles on her garage door.  We love magnatiles but have never thought about using them in this way.  The girls were extremely creative and wanted to continue.  However, we were running out of daylight.  I feel certain we will be back outside soon!

Reading Placement testing

Today Maggie had to complete her reading placement test.  This is typically done at school but because we are virtual right now, she did this at home.  Those close to us know that our sweet girl is really struggling to read in first grade.  Like really struggling.  As a former kindergarten teacher who taught kids to read, it is SO HARD not to be able to teach your own.  However, I also KNOW that kids will do it when their little mind is ready.  We have to continue to lay a strong foundation and wait...which is the hardest part.  As with most kids, the light bulb came on during December and I'm really starting to see the next stage of reading emerge.  However, she is by no means a fluent reader, but we are getting there.

This test today was BRUTAL!  It had 34 questions and each question was timed.  Bless her heart, she would sound out the words and by the time she got to the answer choices she was out of time.  Her precious teacher could see her frustration, could see her tears and knew it wasn't going well.  She encouraged Maggie to try her best and reassured her that she was doing great.  Y'all it took us 45 minutes to make it through 34 questions.  I was in tears watching her get so frustrated.  It was horrible.  Especially knowing that she has come so far.

She was the last one in her class to finish.  Her teacher asked her to log back in to Google Meet for a quick second.  When Maggie did so, her teacher had her little boy (who is about 6 months old) on the screen to say "hi."  Maggie adores baby R and loves to hear him in Mrs. K's videos.  Well this just made her day!  She immediately wiped away her tears and waved.  It was precious.

As we sat through this, I reminded myself that God loves Maggie and HE knows exactly what she needs.  I am so thankful for Mrs. K who loves Maggie and encourages her every step of the way.  We will get through this and when we do it will be SO MUCH sweeter because of all the effort that it required to get where she is!

Homemade Scones

There is a wonderful little tea room in town that makes the BEST scones with whipped cream and lemon curd. I enjoy them but hate to spend the extra money to order one.  A friend recommended the lemon curd from Trader Joe's.  So while in town for the zoo on Saturday, we stopped by by TJ's and I bought some.  When we got home, I found a recipe for homemade scones.  It was actually very easy to make.  Lucky for me, we had everything we needed.  Mags and I got to work in the kitchen.  She accidently turned the mixer to high instead of off...opps that was a mess!  We both laughed and hoped it wouldn't effect the recipe too much...cause I sure didn't want to waste what we had already mixed together. I'm happy to report they turned out wonderfully!  They tasted delicious!  The lemon curd didn't disappoint!

 

Don't mind me...

A Sunday tradition in our family to have lazy Sunday afternoon's after church.  A time that you can do whatever you want that is relaxing/refreshing to you.  I worked on a few things around the house and decided to rest on the couch for a few minutes.  Within 2 minutes of laying down, Mags decided to join me.  

I jokingly said "Are you cozy?"  She replied "no" and got situated.

I decided to start reading my book.  Then this sweet little face lifted my book and said "Can I lay with you?"  

 Oh these are the days we will miss...

Zoo Fun

One goal for 2021 is to be intentional with our time as a family.  The girls and I enjoy the zoo most days during the week.  Rarely does Andy get to go with us.  So earlier this week we made a reservation at the zoo.  (Due to COVID, you have to reserve a check in time.)  We made it for 10 am with goals of hoping it wouldn't be too crowded so early.  We were right.  The aquarium is my least favorite part during a normal year but especially with COVID because it is inside.  However, the aquarium is Caroline's FAVORITE part.  So we did it first and it was perfect!  We were the ONLY people in the aquarium for the first half.  Then there was like 2 other families.  

One member of our party wasn't having a very exciting day.  It definitely made the day challenging!  I was thankful to have Andy with us so I didn't lose my mind.  

When we first started going to the zoo, the bird exhibit was open to everyone.  If you wanted to feed the birds, you had to pay.  Otherwise you got to enjoy just being around the birds.  Well now everyone who enters must pay $2 to feed them.  So Caroline and I sat this one out.  Andy and Maggie went in and LOVED it!  My pictures aren't the best but both got to feed the birds up close.  Andy is like a bird magnet!

Of course, a zoo trip isn't complete without a carousel ride.  One member of our party, not the same one having a rough day, wasn't thrilled about the carousel.  Gotta love having a 6 year age gap...

We paid to visit the goat farm.  I am not sure we would pay again ($6) but I'm glad we can say we did it.  The girls enjoyed it!  One of the goats names Elliot liked to eat your shoestrings OR clothes.  He was a tricky little thing!

We packed our lunch and enjoyed taking a break to enjoy!  I'm so thankful they allow us to bring our lunch in.

These are crazy days, hearts aren't always happy and parents don't always get it right, but at the end I am thankful for these 4!  We fight/disagree often (unfortunately) and love big!  

 

Outside Clean UP

The girls and I headed outside this afternoon.  Our yard is covered in leaves...front and back.  The only problem is that it is SO wet!  It's suppose to rain again tomorrow so we decided today would be the best time to get out there.  I wanted to surprise Andy because it was something on his to do list this afternoon.  Due to the amount of leaves, we had only completed the front yard when he got home.  Then we all worked together to complete the back yard.  

A fun side note...when I went to get the lawn mower out, it was a little tricky.  Our garage was in desperate need of organizing.  I said "I guess this will be tomorrow's project because this makes me cra cra."  While I was working on the leaves, the girls were tinkering in the garage.  To my surprise, they weren't just tinkering, they were cleaning!  I was SO impressed!  I told them it was a great example of our family serving each other.  I wanted to bless Daddy and in the process they blessed me!  14 bags later, our yard looks amazing!  Let's see how long it stays that way!

We loaded the bags in the truck and headed to the recycle center.  We surprised the girls with a sweet treat from Chick Fil A.   It was a good afternoon for my momma heart.  They chose to serve our family without being asked or expecting anything in return.  It was a real JOY to be able to reward them.  

 

Field Trip

Yesterday I was walking outside to put trash in the trash can and noticed that they were releasing water from the hire hydrant.  I called the girls to take a look.  They immediately put on their rain boots and asked to go outside.  They had a blast playing in the water.  As you might imagine, the pressure was very strong.  Both girls got water inside their boots.  When Maggie took her boots off, she poured at least 1/4 cup of water out of each one.  My nephew Jared is a firefighter.  So I sent him a text and asked why they do this.  He said to flush the hydrant to make sure nothing is clogging it.  So with his knowledge and the hands on experience, we called it a field trip!

 

Grace...

Virtual learning days are hard...some days like today are SUPER hard. Lots of tears on everyone's part...mine included.  I can't determine if Maggie is struggling because she missed 3 months of 5K and is only going every other day...I don't know if it's because she is stubborn and just not trying...or if she has some learning struggles that are preventing her from being able to do the work.  Only a few more weeks until report cards.  At that point, I will compare her first 9 weeks report card and then I plan to conference with her teacher to see what she thinks.

Thankfully we plugged along and made it happen.  We finished a little before lunch.  I knew I needed to remove myself and regroup.  I took a shower and a 10 minute powernap.  When I walked out of my room, the girls had this waiting for me.  They said "We know you are having a rough day...we thought this would make you feel better."  Caroline found a recipe in her cookbook for a cake in a mug.  They made me a delicious, ooey gooey, yummy warm chocolate cake toped with whip cream and fresh strawberries.  It made me smile and also made me teary once again.

You see I didn't deserve this kindness.  I had been rude to both girls.  I had already asked for their forgiveness because of my rotten attitude.  Instead they extended grace to me.  I didn't deserve their love, instead I should have gotten the yucky attitude that I had given them.  Thank you girls for pointing me to CHRIST! Thank you for loving me when I don't deserve it!  

Dust if you must...

 I found this great poem on Instagram today.  I can so relate...I feel like I could spend every free minute cleaning only for it to need to be cleaned again tomorrow! I wanted to record the poem here so that I wouldn't forget it.

"Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better, To paint a picture or write a letter, Bake a cake or plant a seed, Ponder the difference between want and need?"

"Dust if you must, but there's not much time, With rivers to swim and mountains to climb, Music to hear and books to read, Friends to cherish and life to lead."

"Dust if you must, but the world's out there, With sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair, A flutter of snow, a shower of rain, This day will not come round again."

"Dust if you must, but bear in mind, Old age will come and it's not always kind, And when you go and go you must, You, yourself will make more dust."

~Rose Milligan

Thanks Andy~

 I walked into the kitchen this morning and found Andy loading this dishwasher before going to work.  By 8 AM the sink was full once again with dishes.  And while the sink didn't stay empty long, I was SO thankful that Andy took the time to load the dishwasher and get it starter for us.  It didn't take much effort or time but it was a REAL blessing to me!  The last year has been extremely stressful and I'm so grateful that Andy has been there to walk this crazy journey with me.  He's a real gift to me and definitely a keeper!  

This is the day!

 

This is the day!  This is the day!  This is the day that the Lord has made!  I will rejoice!  I will rejoice and be glad in it!

May we ALL find the excitement in life that Maggie does!

A Country Sunset

 Tonight we were at a friends house in the country.  I looked over and saw this amazing sunset.  There is something so special about a sunset in the wide open.  Reminded me of growing up in the country...something I never take for granted.  To think when God was creating this world, he thought to create beautiful sunsets! AMAZING!

Winter Scavenger Hunt

We are following an account on Instagram that promotes outside time...like 1000 hours in 2021.  That averages about 3 hours per day which I know won't happen BUT we are gonna try.  We are looking for lots of opportunities to spend little pockets of time outside.  Today's high is only 41 and it's damp and expected to rain later but we headed out in an attempt to soak up a few minutes.  I found this Winter Scavenger Hunt online and looked for these specific things in one of our local parks.  Unfortunately it was super wet and we were only able to walk through about half of the park.  However, it was a good excuse to do something outside. Charlie enjoyed the adventure as well.