30 degrees and October

  So yesterday was cozy and fallish...just long sleeve shirts and leggings and cozy sweaters. I put together a little spot in the dining room for Trinity to express what she's thankful for this season. The cost? 1 dollar. Yes siree, I'm super impressed with the Dollar Tree here - they had that lovely brown paper that comes in rolls, which i will NOW be using to gift wrap presents this year. It worked really well as a type of "bulletin board" for us - we're going to add green construction paper leafs with words written out on them of what she's thankful for - maybe Brady will join in too. I know I know, I should be a teacher....oh yah - I am. :)

  Then we monkeyed around outside for a bit while our landlord came and *blew out* the sprinklers. Brady translated this as "blow up" and was a little freaked out - he thought they were going to bomb our back yard or something. Still - sweater weather and bare feet...a great combo.

  My lovely felted acorns came yesterday as well - a lovely little surprise for me and they look so cute in our nature cubby on the bookshelf. They are definitely a little treasure.

  And then this morning...waking up to snow. Gee, they weren't kidding when they said fall around here is gone in a blink!

  Tristan was quite taken with the snow...still in barefeet.

  This evening it's mostly melted but supposedly there is going to be another dusting this evening.

 And before grandmothers have a heart attack...I did dress him warmly for the rest of the day and made a rule they had to wear shoes to go outside - they thought I was nuts.

Domestic...Is Back

My friends....the domestic Alyssa is back - in a big way. In a *cleaning with vinegar, digging out the percolator coffee pot, cooking up meals from scratch, and head swimming with craft ideas* type way. Yes indeed....I think I'm me again. Maybe it's the month of September that has given me this *burst* of energy (Lord knows I'm not getting any more sleep thanks to my night owl named Finn) - maybe God has given me another dose of hope....but I'm just feeling happy.
Today I did just a few things -
~planted our seasonal mums with the two middle kids (can you have two middle?!)
~washed a load of laundry
~cooked two meals
~gathered kindling for our outdoor fireplace
~chopped wood for our outdoor fireplace( okay, okay...just a few pieces but still....I did use an axe)
~did a hour of school with Brady and Trin

~played hide and go seek
~played Snow White (once again I had to be the evil queen...I never get to play the heroine)
~changed 8 diapers...cleaned up 3 pee messes
~ gave two kids bubble baths
~dug the percolator out of the shed (I'm craving REAL coffee...none of this coffee maker jazz)
~played Duck Duck Goose with three kids that found the game very complicated. ???
~trimmed Trin's hair
...and the list goes on - but I'll stop for now



Ah, just writing down all of my tasks (and there as some things missing from that list yall) makes me feel so good...so productive. I think it's just the thought that fall is on it's way...the season of giving is just around the corner...children's birthdays are coming up - just a lot to look forward to. I got some of the things out of our shed that I had packed up (for the move that didn't happen) and it was kind of like opening up a Christmas package or something. I just kept thinking to myself "wow, I forgot we had this book" or "oh yah, that picture use to hang in the living room." Hanging my pictures up again and taking pride in my little home just felt so good...it's nice to be content.

And speaking of packages....take a peek at my new earrings my good friend Danyelle sent to me. I'm loving them...and can't believe that a friend that lives all the way in Canada...and hasn't seen me for about 13 years or so - has such a good sense of "Alyssa taste." It was such a nice little "pick me up" to open my mail box and find some fall clothes for the kids and chocolate for me(I HAVE been sharing) ....such a blessing (thanks dear Tulip...you are a gem).

During craft time today (wow...this post is really ALL OVER THE PLACE isn't it?) I came up with the idea...literally in 2 minutes. It was like this "here kids, everyone grab a piece of wood. Hmmmm...we can stick these little jewel flowers I have on them (thanks Grandma Grace) and then...oh, we can draw stems. Oh wow...you know what? Lets tape on some cotton balls for clouds!" Yes..that's the way I "school" my kids. But in the end...we had craft time, reading and writing and a math page with Brady, Bible songs and ABC's with Tristan, Trin learned to write the letter C and D and then she did an alphabet game on the computer. All in all...everyone learned something (except Brady...he already knew all of it.)

I know, I know...my creativity is inspiring. The "stems" are made from a black permanent marker and a green crayon. If I had actually thought it all out beforehand, I could have painted the board blue for contrast and to create a "sky." I'm sure that would have added so much more "drama" here (sarcasm is GREATLY implied if you're wondering.)

The kids thought they were amazingly beautiful though....I'm just wondering how long I'll need to keep them around before "donating" them somewhere. I'm not really serious (yes I am.)

Curly locks, Curly locks

Wilt thou be mine?

Thou shalt not was dishes

Nor yet feed the swine,

But sit on a cushion

And sew a fine seam,

And feed upon strawberries,

Sugar and cream.

Well, she probably won't be feeding swine anytime soon, but she'll definitely be washing a few dishes in her day.

And now, my head is swimming with ideas for our rainy day tomorrow. I have cinnamon rolls in the fridge ready to bake in the morning (recipe from Moneysavingmom.com) and the coffee set up on the stove. The babies are all asleep and I'm HOPING that I will get some rest myself. i calculated that I haven't slept through the night for at least 7 months now....since Finn has been born I've been up every 2-3 hours STILL. It's okay though...some days are rough without the sleep...but honestly, sometimes i just love the extra snuggle time with my littlest.

God is good...even in times of "wandering" and "forgetting"...times of feeling insecure and times of questioning - God's love remains the same. His gifts remain the same....love, forgiveness, and beauty - these things are always constant and available for anyone that wants them...and sometimes if you don't.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Labor Day weekend,

hugs,

Alyssa

Babies, Breakfast Bars, and Blessings

Note to self : when previously saying in a post "...there will also be hard days where I will WISH that I was home with screaming babies and not going through whatever crisis that life will throw at us in the future (it's inevitable...hard days WILL come.Not trying to be pessimistic...just realistic) "
....expect a crisis to be JUST around the corner. I wrote those words at about 9 pm that night and at 1 am I woke up to the most horrible stomach flu ever. To make a long story short, I kept absolutely no fluids down for over 24 hours....I couldn't even have a sip of water without throwing it up....I was pretty much miserable. However, in the midst of crawling to the bathroom, the shakes that took over my whole body...the low grade fever...in the back of my head I just kept thinking "I wrote that I needed to be content with where I am, I need to not take this out on anyone or anything but just go with the flow." And so...the flow took me threw a whole day of sleep (day after the before mentioned* purging*), a nice natural body detox, my husband cleaning my entire house, and me with a tired body but coming out with a pretty joyful spirit. Success!!!
This last week has been a *soup week* - tortilla soup to be exact. Divinity if you like Mexican food. Recipe to come in my next post...

The kids have had several lazy days full of hot tea and fruit, books and just a little fresh air..the movie Fox and the Hound (that movie is SOOO cute and I always get a good cry while watching it-I'm thrilled I splurged.) So far just the boys have gotten the dreaded flu...Trinity so far has come out of this ordeal unscathed.

Poor little Brady has been quite...serene. Yes, serene is how I would describe him - when he is sick he is just totally quiet and calm. He has a lot of questions, but generally a very good "sick child" to have, if you will.

Today Zac went to work for the WHOLE weekend (WAHHHHHH I want my love back!!!) but despite his absence I still was productive and enjoyed myself even though a bit lonely. The weather was glorious so I let the kids go out and play (notice Trinity STILL in her pjs on at 4 pm.) I love the crispness in the air mixed with warm sunshine and NO wind. The BEST weather ever - storybook weather. Tomorrow will be raining but I choose not to focus on that gloomy fact just now...

Brady was able to sit in the doorway to soak in some good ol' vitamin D too. My kids are obsessed with vitamins right now...always wanting to know which foods contain which vitamins. I need to brush up on my general nutrition knowledge. In highschool I kept a journal where I categorized foods with all of their vitamins listed beside the food...and then beside the vitamin I would list what it did for the human body. Fascinating ,I know,....just another little fun tidbit about my obsessive nature.

And if this picture isn't the epitome of preciousness I don't know what is. Koala bear is SUCH a joy to our hearts. He is looking so much like his daddy and has the sweetest little spirit. This week I start on turning our laundry room into laundry room/nursery for him and to keep the new baby's things in. He already sleeps in the laundry room in his pack and play but I have plans to divide the small room with a curtain and then decorate it and "cuteify" it if at all possible. Hopefully I score some great thrift store finds because the family budget is tight right now (non existent really.)

Another good thing about my sickness happening is that it gave me time to watch the documentary Foodworks which I found highly interesting. It once again gave me the little boost I needed to get our pantry and fridge back to it's old wholesome state....and hopefully the occupants of the Corley household will follow suit in good health and vitality. :) I would really love to feed us as organically and as minimally processed as possible...and I have finally learned HOW I can do that on our budget.

1. Make a weekly menu with at least three meals that contain rice, quinoa, or beans (cheap cheap cheap...even when you buy the slightly more expensive organic.)

2. When going to the grocery story, know how you want to eat and don't continue to think "well, if I WEREN'T buying organic or the healthier version I would have spent so much less." Decide HOW you want to eat and then make sure you do that as cheaply as you possible.

3. Make soups.

4. Try to spend a little more time in the kitchen. Prepackaged is always slightly more expensive and usually worse for you.

I found these oatmeal fruit bars on Sara Snow's blog and they were SOOOO good. Here is how I made them (I changed some of the ingredients to more commonly used pantry items.)

Alyssa's Breakfast Bars

1) 2 cups whole wheat flour ,1/2 cup of butter, softened

2) 1/3 cup ground flax ,1/2 cup organic cane sugar

3) 1 tsp baking soda ,2 eggs

4) 1 tsp salt ,1/2 cup honey

5) 1 tsp cinnamon ,1/4 cup coconut milk

6) 1/2 tsp nutmeg ,1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup of chopped walnuts

1/2 cup craisins

3 cups rolled oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9X13 baking pan. Combine the first 6 ingredients, set aside. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs, honey, milk, and vanilla. Mix until creamy and then add the dry ingredients. Mix. Add the nuts, craisins, and oats. Spoon batter into prepared pan and spread. Bake for 15 -20 minutes or until golden brown.

*These bars come out chewy and hearty...a very healthy breakfast on the go or you could wrap them individually to have as "granola bars." Yumm -O.

I also got in a bit of sewing today for the first time in a LONG time.

I present to you my little "Fly" pillow. I think I'm going to save it for the nursery. I also hemmed up Trinity's curtains after having let them sweep the floor for about...hmmmm....6 months? Tsk tsk. And I can't wait to make Tristan a little pair of these pants...too cute and supposedly easy. And now my faithful readers, I'm signing off to go watch Little Women and drink a cup of tea...perhaps have a little granola. One thing about eating "clean" is that I get full quickly with all the grains and fresh veggies and nuts, but then I also am eating fewer calories so I eat more often. I feel really good though...the best I've felt in a couple of months.

One last thing to share...the belly officially *popped* this last week! Maybe I can get a belly shot for you soon... I think we get to find out if Sweet Pea is a boy or girl in about 3 weeks....hurrah!

A *Granola Day*

I was *on top of it* today. On what? you may ask. Well - IT....this mountain of life that I have had such a hard time controlling lately. Today, I was in charge of my destiny...my Monday destiny....my "what type of day are you going to have"destiny that has been pushing and clawing against me for weeks. I woke up to a sick baby and needy kids...my body was WRITHING with exhaustion (thank God for Zac putting on the coffee before he left for work.) I was convinced that the day was going to be horrible ...I would try my best to NOT like it. I even texted Zac these words "hard day. Tristan is miserable and Brady just threw a huge tantrum."
Then, something got a hold of my heart...two hands gripped it and then slapped it around a bit...a voice spoke in my ear and I got it....I wasn't in control of the uncomfortable circumstances but I was in charge of my attitude. I don't know how many years I'll have to live before i start to truly understand that I can decide to be happy or miserable...I can choose joy and endurance over shrugging my shoulders at the world and pulling the covers up over my head.
With that decided...i made this a *Granola Day*. A good, wholesome day for the kids and me with lots of baking...lots of quality time - I *climbed* the mountain and reached the top of the laundry pile, the top of the baking...and filled my heart with contentment. So fulfilling.

I was lucky (blessed) a couple days ago to find Annies Mac and Cheese on sale from $1.20 a box to 49 cents a box. Needless to say...I purchased 8 boxes. I've been trying to get back into our healthy eating this week but sometimes a simple meal like mac and cheese is just becoming a must - I feel better when it's not packed with chemicals.
The kids were excited about helping so I pulled each of them out a chair...handed them a box...and we literally WATCHED water boil. Okay...I forget the saying about watching water boil and how it takes forever when you're wanting it to happen...this is very true. Fascinating though how something like heat can take room temperature water that is completely still and boring...start to pep it up a bit with a little steam, a few minuscule bubbles...next the steam begins to build and billow, the water to bubble and bubble - fascinating.

When we were reading out the instructions about how much milk and butter to add it was funny that I had to teach the kids what "boiling" means. Thus, the reason why the three of us stood there staring at a hot pot.

While the noodles were cooking we took the empty boxes and cut them open to learn about *re purposing.* The kids learned that not only was the packaging good for holding the noodles and learning to read words on the back, but also instead of using a nice piece of paper to color on....we could open up the box and draw on the inside before tossing into the recycling. :)

Trinity with her lovely "book." Why do kids choose to color with just ONE crayon?

Brady illustrating how you can close the box up and it becomes a book...love the intensity in his eyes.

Next we finished off making the mac. The only reason why I'm posting this picture of trin helping is to prove to my kids in 10 years that mom was *laid back* and would let them help over a hot stove. Really people...I'm giving myself a pat on the back here. Anyone that know me understands that "laid back" is probably the LAST word you would ever choosing in describing me...but a girl can try can't she?!

And the finished product was a very fun, yummy lunch of mac and cheese, black olives and orange slices. About the oranges - I totally splurged. I was at Kroger the other day and looked ACROSS the store and could see large orange mesh bags full of delicious fruit. My pregnant brain switched to *on* and I walked over and dropped the 8 pound bag into my buggy...not caring at all about the cost or the quantity...I just wanted them. My body thanks me...and so does Sweet Pea.

Remember how much fun black olives were? I'm reminded by my kids to take enjoyment in food...and play a little before devouring.

Brayden proudly displaying his olives (Aunt Robin...notice the vest? )

And to finish off the day I baked a loaf of bread (actually ground my grain but let the bread machine mix it up.) I really enjoy this recipe...I think I've posted it before. I'll go back and check, and if not I'll share it in a later post.

The one thing I'm not on "top" off would be the dishes....if that darn dish fairy would just show up when she says she is....

I'm ending my day with a delicious bowl of chowder....looking forward to yogurt and granola in the morning. I thank God that He continues to teach me and to give me really good days...days that I can remember WHY it is that I wanted so badly to be a wife and mommy. It's good to have HOURS of fulfillment where I'm content and praising the Lord that I'm so blessed to stay at home. Lately I've been wanting...well, not to be a working mom...but just to be alone. Just to be in my bed and reading...just to be by myself crafting...just to be walking around a store with a cup of coffee. None of those things are wrong...but when they simply can't be - they just can't be. There will be time for reading and shopping and making Christmas ornaments...there will also be hard days where I will WISH that I was home with screaming babies and not going through whatever crisis that life will throw at us in the future (it's inevitable...hard days WILL come.Not trying to be pessimistic...just realistic) The key is to learn to be joyful in all things, especially when it isn't exactly what I would choose. And then, God does this miraculous thing...He turns the circumstance (His desire for me) into my desire.

I'm going to go to bed tonight with the coffee already set up...my stomach full of good soup and bread...and the knowledge that I did my best today and that I am loved and that I love. Is there anything better?

Oh...thought I would share how I made this chowder if anyone would ever like to give it a try.

Alyssa's Creamy Potato Chowder

5 cups of diced chopped potatoes

3 diced carrots

24 oz of chicken broth (or 24 oz of water with chicken bullion)

1 tsp of garlic powder

1/2 teas. of black pepper

1 cup of frozen corn

1 cup of either cream of chicken soup or make a white sauce using 1 cup milk, 2 tsp corn starch, salt and pepper (I used the white sauce just because I don't care for a lot of *canned* things )

1.5 cups of egg noodles

4oz of cream cheese

Put first 7 ingredients into slow cooker and turn on high for 4 hours. When potatoes are getting soft add the egg noodles. Let cook on high for 45 minutes. Add cream cheese and let cook another 15 minutes and stir. Turn off crock pot and let sit to make sure cream cheese is totally melted. You could also make this on low but it would take about 8 hours and you need to be around it for the last hour to add the noodles and cream cheese....so if you wanted it ready right when you came home then that wouldn't work so well since you need at LEAST a hour of babysitting it. :)

Mine came out delicious and creamy...hope yours does too.

Starting the Day Off Right

There seems to be only one good way to start the day....just do it. I can give myself gentle nudges at 6:30 am..."Alyssa, be sweet today...it's not that early" - I have a hard time finding the motivation to do anything though. This afternoon I heard someone say that people misunderstand the whole concept of motivation...it's not "get motivated and then act" instead it is "act...and then you'll be motivated." I quite agree. So....I acted on the urge to start my day off with carrot juice...which then motivated me to...

sew some new duds for Sara (the doll...not the girl.) Trin was thrilled to have her sweet doll in a new little dress...sewing enthusiasts -DO NOT EVER -inspect the dress...very poorly done but at least the squirrel was satisfied. This is the doll my Granny Toole bought for me when I was 10...my very last year in "doll days." I'm so glad that it's Trin's favorite.

After reading about some of the new projects for the fall in Rhythm of the Home the kids and I were inspired to try one out this morning. We picked a basket full of flowers and leaves (SO nice to have the kids outdoors before 9 in the morning)....

then we smashed the flitter out of the flowers with hammers- the kids thought this was especially fun....I felt sorry for the flowers and the poor little fairies that will be missing them in the near future.

and then...TA DA...flower prints. Next time I go to the craft store I'm going to pick up some nice paper and let them make note cards.

We then did a hour of school (a big pat on the back to myself) which went over pretty well....except for the math time. A couple of weeks ago Brady was super interested in doing math...today he couldn't put 1+1 together...I grew rather frustrated...and then eventually got a hold of myself and remembered this was suppose to be fun. Needless to say...we put away the books and I let him focus his attention on learning all of the states...he LOVES learning about America right now and I found a great online game for him to play that is all about learning the capitols of every state. We're hoping he'll know all of them by December...ha ha. It IS possible.

I changed things up this afternoon and set up a dish washing station for each of them -I thought that some water play could be therapeutic. I filled a couple of large bowls up with warm soapy water and let them try their hand at washing containers, plastic plates and spoons. Brady was very meticulous and took great pride in his work...Trin tried to see how big of a mess she could possibly create.

Her dish washing costume complete with watercolor smudges on her chest. Lovely.

I baked bread....the thorn in my flesh literally. I just can't QUITE get it right. It always tastes delicious....love the flavor and texture...but it is never sandwich worthy. I will get this right someday...when I'm 40 and there's only me and Zac at home to eat it all.

All in all it was a good morning. The afternoon was a little rough for my Brady boy...lots of general confusion and hyper sensitivity - and then tonight a lot of apologies to him from his mama for her lack of patience and grace. He constantly keeps me in a confused state of mind...one moment he's as sweet as sugar....then witty and sarcastic...then crying over things that just don't make sense....or frustrated because we didn't sing the third verse to Jesus is the Rock of My Salvation (when I say "frustrated" I mean running around clapping in everyone's faces -because he can't hit us) ....then afraid that he will dry up if left in the office alone (there isn't air conditioning in that room but it still isn't SUPER hot.) Then he's sweet again and playing with my newly washed hair...telling me that it is like a vine and that he is going to be a dishwasher when he's ten - and was Grammy born in Texas? He sure does keep life interesting. I wouldn't take anything for my precious 3....hopefully tomorrow I can start the day off right again....and it probably will get a little crazy in the middle...and hopefully (after I apologize to the entire world and give lots of kisses....will end well. Here's hoping.

Going At it Alone...for 5 days

The Baby's Dance


~Ann Taylor

Dance, little baby, dance up high,Never mind baby, mother is by;Crow and caper, caper and crow,There little baby, there you go:Up to the ceiling, down to the ground,Backwards and forwards, round and round.Then dance, little baby, and mother shall sing,With the merry gay coral, ding, ding, a-ding, ding.

I've been busy. Very busy. Busy crafting...busy washing...busy dancing...busy singing...busy being a stay at home mom. Zac has been gone for a couple of days now and his schedule for the next few days is not looking "quality time" promising. Basically, it's me and the kids and the house for 5 straight days. I don't ever really relish the idea of being away from Zac (unless the idea includes me and a good friend, coffee and a great conversation) and right now I'm REALLY not relishing it at all. So, says I to myself, "you have to choice. 1) mope around for 5 days and feel bored and sorry for yourself 2) get busy and the time will hopefully fly by and then you can collapse in some type of a coma next Tuesday. I'm choosing the latter.

My first order on the busy agenda is to create a 4 year old Jesus (clothing that is). Brayden is obsessed with Jesus right now...he is constantly trying to recreate Bible stories and talk to me about Him. This makes my heart sing...I love that the Lord is becoming "personal" to my little boy...I'm glad he's interested and always wanting to learn more.
Don't you just love his zoned out expression? This is the look I normally get when I'm taking pictures of him - i think he's trying to figure out how the camera works or something.



Either zoned out or this incredibly cheesy grin. I'm not really sure which one I prefer...it's a toss up.

Trinity is looking so big. I snapped this picture of her while she was standing in the kitchen talking to me just BECAUSE I looked down and didn't see my baby girl anymore and I started getting a little glimpse of what she will look like as a 7 year old. Okay, I know....jumping the gun a few years...but really...with her hair pulled back and the little light blue collar...sigh. My baby girl is long gone.

Speaking of my big girl....she still is small in so many ways. After a nap she always has to cuddle for a good 15 minutes before she's ready to get on with her day. She still asks me to hold her...she still is LOVING her passy (grrrrrrr) and she still has to sleep with all 47 stuffed animals. Okay - 6 animals (you didn't seriously believe that my kids own 47 of anything did you?) Question for all you DIY ers out there....how can make something like this here basket in the above photo stay in a popcorn ceiling?! The ceilings in our house have definitely become a thorn in my side. I hung this basket for Trin to have all her critters in and it fell on her last night...oops. And ALSO yesterday I had a little brawl with one very menacing laundry basket that decided to fall on my head as I was putting together a load of wash (it was hanging over the washing machine and fell on me just as I was pouring in laundry detergent - scared the bajeebers out of me...hurt too.) So...if any of you have any ideas on how to securely hand a hook in our flimsy little ceilings...I'd appreciate it...so would me head.

I'm trying to be more creative with the kids again....it's a little slow in coming. They have a children's cookbook that we've been flipping through and trying to create some of the recipes with what we have on hand. I've been reading more (thanks to my sister in law Kristi and her sharing with me a GENEROUS supply of children's books) and Brady's also been playing a few computer games (educational.) One of them incorporates different nursery rhymes that he LOVES...now every time I'm eating something that would be considered "lean" he comes up to me and says "hmmm...just like Jack Sprat."

Peanut Butter and Jelly hearts with apple slices is a super fun kid's lunch...easy and cheap too.

And just for kicks and to make me the world's best mom (at least for the lunch hour) I allowed the kids to have chocolate milk. I'm doing all sorts of unusual things lately.... I don't know what's going on with me....I'm feeling a future post coming on. :)

If there ever comes a day when we can't be together keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever.

- Quote for Winnie the Pooh Children's Classic

And here's the finished my newest project I just completed for little Izz and her fourth birthday....finished it 4 hours before the party. Whew...close one. Trin is always such a good sport about modeling them for me....

I love the length of this cape because when the child walks it's all flowy and when the run it floats up in the air...so whimsical. I edged this one with color coordinating bias tape and i like the effect...it also just seems sturdier.

Speaking of projects....my last one I completed I never took a picture but, conveniently, the recipient of the little "fall scrap buster pillow" blogged about it. If you want to see it check out Kate's blog. Happy weekend to everybody!