"Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart" ~ Psalm 37:4

This verse confuses and hurts me.

BEST MUFFINS EVER!!!

ok... i found this recipe.

Then i altered it. And it is the best ever!!!


Preheat oven to 375
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup oatmeal
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

mix in medium bowl and set aside.

Cream together until fluffy:
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup each brown and white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
add 3 eggs one at a time

alternately add 1/3 cup milk or cream and flour mixture to creamed sugars

fold in 1 cup milk chocolate chips. Scoop into muffin tins, then sprinkle with sugar crystals (chunks).

Bake for 30 mins. (makes 12 muffins)

so very yummy!!!!

Funniest thing that happened today...

wasnt by one of the kids. But instead was done by my husband who was trying to kill a mosquito inside the car by turning on the windshield wipers, on the outside.

I dunno... it really struck me funny.

wow... is he ever cute!!!

(the one with eyes)

I have started an experiment around here this week. It isnt anything exciting, or even necessary in many houses. But the tv plug has been removed and there is no media in this house for one week. This may be extended. I have enjoyed Jul coming out of his shell and the loss of his bad attitude. He was happy to stay home last night from Kung Fu... i think he was just happy to be with us.

I have been reading the book 'Have a New Kid by Friday'. I love some of the ideas, like: Saying something only once, and letting reality be the teacher. But there are things i really dont like... it feels like the relationship is conditional on the childs behaviour. I think i will take somethings from it, and leave others. I will definately take the mentality that if they cant do as i ask, i dont have to do as they ask. I think that is reasonable. If i ask for something to be done once, (saying it more than once implies that they are 'too stupid to understand the first time') we will call this 'A', and it isnt done, they dont get to do 'B'. But i do feel that this approach is lacking unconditional compassion. So i ordered 'Unconditional Parenting' to balance it.

Our garden is doing well... i will post pictures soon.

I sit and read peoples blogs and i'm afraid that life happens outside of Owen Sound. It is as if everyone in growing and moving. And i wish i were too. I wish the walls would fly far from here. I wish it were an easier world to navigate, to come and go between places easier. I wish everyone could see how funny my kids are... like when Oakley puts his ear to the bowl with pretzels saying there is noise coming from them. I wish my sunflower house would grow big and strong. And that my garden would flourish. I wish i could eat slower. I wish my chocolate creme brulee didnt have cayenne pepper in it last night. I wish my friday night get-togethers with my beloved friends could happen tonight!

Two years. How much will everything change? I can only imagine.

I can imagine my garden fragrant and bountiful. I can imagine my children playing and it bringing tears to my eyes because i am so filled with joy. Or times with friends that do the same, and laughing so hard all night that my stomach hurts the next day. I can imagine G*d blessing my family with more little feet running through my home. (I just cant imagine how He plans on doing it.) I can imagine my house being as beautiful everyday. (i think that will require a maid!!)

I love that my day has many hours in it still.

I want to do well

I try hard and think of many fun things for my beloved children to do... as far a schooling goes. Drawing, mathematics, science, english, music... all sorts of things. I become so excited about it. Only to find that my kids arent interested. Not when i try to show them something. I get discouraged by this because i find so many people who can help facilitate wonderful experiences for their children and their children embrace them. My kids dont care. They dont care how much effort or time or love i have put into something. If they arent interested there is no way to get them to focus. At least not on me when i am trying to teach them.


But i also try not to stress too much about this. Or about how i wish my kids would do 'x' or 'y'. I watch them seek these out on their own time. And that is why i do this. That is why my children fascinate me.


Some days are filled with what i feel are great learning experiences. Others i feel my day slipped by with nothing checked off but play. Although i know that play is important, i do still worry someday that my children arent at the right 'level of learning'. I do worry.

Then i watch them play. I watch Jul get a high school on "Brain Quest". And i read things like this. And i feel better.