my favorite treat

Thanks to my friend Rachel for the recipe
and my MIL Brandy for my new smoothy maker, I've enjoyed this

delicious smoothie

every day this year. It is seriously better than dessert.. and so much healthier.

I don't really follow a strict recipe, but this is what I usually do..

◦Orange Juice--8 to 10 ounces

◦Spinach-- fresh is great, but frozen is almost just as good

◦a handful of berries-- (my fav are blueberries, but I have tried a mixed variety as well as just strawberries.)

◦1 banana-- or more if you like. I freeze mine the night before!

◦Ice

Blend well and ENJOY! Honestly, this is just as yummy as Jamba Juice. I am now having to double or triple the recipe everyday because my kids are begging for mine. It is delish and super easy.

** I have substituded the berries for a ripe mango and LOVED it... but I don't usually have mangoes on hand. Oh- and if you've never tried Kale it's great too.. use it instead of the Spinach for an even healthier drink!

my google search for the day-- "animals that live underground"

In my attempt to make 2008 a little more organized and efficient, I decided to make a schedule for weekly activities, specifically for homeschooling. In 2007, Friday in our home was known as "Field Trip Friday" and it made life simple. We all knew that Friday was a day to pack a lunch and head out the door. So, after talking with my kids about what they wanted to learn this year, I asked them to come up with a few things they wanted to focus on and make a weekly calendar with specifics.

Ben was enthusiastic about this idea and quickly made his list..
Monday=Math day.
Tuesday=Geography.
Wednesday=History.
Thursday=Science.
and so forth.

Luke's ideas were so off the wall. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw his categories..
Monday=Underground Animals
Tuesday=State Flags
Wednesday=What's inside animals bodies
Thursdays=Oxygen
EXCUSE ME? I mean, how many underground animals are there, really? When I laughed at what he wrote down, he was annoyed-- because he didn't want to make the list in the first place. I felt bad.. but hello, that's funny!

Luke is really going to struggle if I ever do send him to school. I try to be relaxed about him and just let him join in whenever he wants... because frankly he isn't 5 yet. But a little while ago, I gave him a worksheet of simple math problems.. you know, 2+2. I have no idea what level of math he can comprehend, but he's definitely past the simple addition/subtraction phase, so this would be easy for him. He took one look at the page and started a debate that left me without an argument..

Luke: Why do you want me to fill this out?

Me: To see how well you know your math.

Luke: Well, what are you doing to do with it after I fill it out?

Me: I am going to correct it to see if which ones you got right.

Luke: and then what?

Me: Maybe put a sticker on it or put in on the fridge. (said with lots of enthusiasm!)

Luke: No, I don't really want to do this. There is no story with it.. like 2 elephants are drinking at a lake and 2 more come. This isn't fun.

Me: Um... well, I guess you don't have to do it... ??? (I mean, where do I go from there.)

If he ever goes to school, he might have some major issues with structured learning.. but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Ben, on the other hand, LOVES worksheets and wants me to put a sticker next to every question. So-- I am working on finding a balance between the two of them. I don't have any idea school teachers handle a classroom full of kids who all learn so differently... and here I am struggling with two-- sometimes three.

Anyway, it's Monday morning and I am blogging instead of studying the life of meerkats and groundhogs. better get going....... I have a lot of research to do.

This is for Shannon....

#1 you must know that I am really embarrassed for posting this video.... and it takes a lot to embarrass me. It's not really a big deal, but there is this friend who lives far away who thinks that she can open Starbursts in her mouth faster than me.. and we ALL know that she doesn't have a chance. put your money where your mouth is, girl...

#2 take into consideration that I had no preparation before this video was recorded. Aaron gave me no warning and I didn't get to warm up. That's my excuse for the 4 second unwrapping rather than my record breaking 3 seconds.

breakfast funnies

This morning while eating breakfast, I had a great conversation with my kids. It went a little like this:

Ben: So, what did you and Dad do at your New Year’s Eve party?

Me: We played games and had lots of fun.

Luke: What kind of games did you play?

Me: We played one called The Newlywed Game. Where the dads had to answer questions and the moms tried to guess what the dads said.

Ben: Like what kind of questions?

Me: There was one that Dad had to answer… it said, “What animal does your mother-in-law remind you of?” So we had to pick an animal for Grandma Bev to be.

Ben: Which one did you chose?

Me: I said a deer. But I didn’t guess the same as Dad.

Luke: What did Dad chose?

Me: A camel.

Luke: Was it a one humped camel or two?

Me: I didn't ask him, but if I had to take a wild guess, it would be two.

Ben: Was he trying to be funny or did he really think that?

Me: He really thought that... I think.

Ben: I would guess a cat.

Zack: Meow.

Luke: I pick a goldfish.

Ben: I can’t BELIEVE dad would chose a camel. How would you EVER guess a camel?

Me: That’s why we lost the game… because I never know what Dad is thinking.

happy new year

We had a fun New Years Eve party with friends.. We played games, ate great food, and had some bubbly at midnight!

Ben woke up around 8 am and shouted: "HOLY COW! It's JANUARY FIRST 2008!" Aaron and I just laughed out loud because we didn't do any celebrating with him... he was fast asleep when the fireworks started, but obviously he understands it's time to get a new calendar. Luke just responded with, "Oh cool." which really means, "I have no idea what that means."

I am excited about my new year's resolutions! 2008 is going to be a good year, baby!