Morning Smoothie

This morning I was in the mood for a smoothie with only fruit.  I really liked how this turned out.

Ready to blend

Blended

Ready to enjoy!

Morning Smoothie

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup almond milk

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1 cup pineapple

1 cup strawberries

1 cup frozen cantaloupe

1 orange

1 cup ice

Blend and enjoy!

Super Green Smoothie

I got this idea yesterday that I wanted to make a super green smoothie.  So, this morning I tried it and it actually turned out pretty good.  It wasn't too sweet, which is how we prefer our smoothies.  

Here are the ingredients (I fogot to add the ice before I took this picture).

All blended

It made a lot!  

Super Green Smoothie 

(ingredients listed in order that they go into our Vitamix)

1/2 cup apple juice

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (you could also use vanilla)

1/4 cup oats

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1-2 cups greens (of your choice)

1 Granny Smith apple

1/2 cup green grapes

1 kiwi

1/2 cup cucumber

1 stalk celery

1/2 banana

1-2 tsp agave nectar

2 cups ice

Enjoy!

Super OJ Fruit Smoothie

Lee bought us a Vitamix Blender for our anniversary.  Best present EVER!  For the most part we have followed recipes, but we have also experimented a little. I forgot to write down the first one we tried, but tonight I made one with the kids and decided to take pictures and write it down.  No one else may ever try it, but I want to make sure I remember what we did.  Lee and I always like to add almonds, a little bit of oatmeal, and/or protein powder when we make our smoothies, but since this was just me and the kids, we went simple.  Ian also requested no greens or carrots.  LOL  

Here is some of it in my glass.  Yummy!

This was after I had poured three cups for us.  It made a lot!

Super OJ Fruit Smoothie

1 cup oj

1 cup papaya

1 banana

1 orange

3/4-1 cup pineapple

1/2-1 cup strawberries

2 cups ice

Enjoy!

The Ridiculousness of Renewing a Teaching License

Today has been one of those days where I feel like I can't win for losing.  Almost four years ago I graduated with my MA in teaching and got my teaching license in CA and KS.  In those four years, I have had only a handful of interviews and those were mostly last summer.  I was told by the few principals I asked that my interviews were great, but they offered the job to other candidates who didn't cost as much.  In other words, someone with a BA and no experience.  So, I have been substitute teaching for four years.  My license is due to expire in July.  To renew it, I will have to: RETAKE two tests that I had to take to get my license in the first place.  OR I can pay $800-$1000 to take 8 credits (which I don't need because then I would cost even more to employ), OR pay the same amount to get 120 professional development points.  

IN OTHER WORDS: To continue to work as a sub or to get hired, I have to pay $250 to retake tests I have already taken but don't remember the content of so will have to study for weeks to remember.  Had I been hired before this, the district would have helped me get the professional development points I needed.  I also would have gotten the experience I needed to move from an initial license to a professional license, making much of this a moot point!  How do other subs keep current????  Maybe they are all ex-teachers and so it is easier to keep their license current.  All I know is that this is crazy!  I can't seem to get a job because I "cost too much," but in the long run I am more experienced than many new teachers because of all the sub work, and because I am a mom.  And to stay licensed I have to take these dumb tests.  To take them, I will have to study, which means not subbing as much.  

Yes, I am frustrated and annoyed.  I will take the tests and continue to hope that I get hired this summer.  If not . . . . I am not sure I even want to think about it.

Guns

Another shooting on a military base and the media is having a field day.  "How could he have gotten a gun if he was mentally ill?"  "How did he get on base with a gun if you can't have guns on base?"  How about the obvious question?  Why aren't guns allowed on base so that these military men and women can protect themselves?  These men and women go through weeks of training and know how to use firearms, and yet we tell them they cannot carry a gun to protect themselves.  Then, when someone who has evil intentions brings a gun on base and starts shooting, they have to wait until the military police show up.  By then, people are dead and injured!  When will we learn?  Preventing law-abiding citizens from carrying a gun will not stop criminals from carrying a gun.  The criminal will still carry out their crime, and the law-abiding citizen will have no recourse.  

Sigh.  I am proud of my husband who served in the Air Force and for my son who is currently serving in the Air Force.  I believe in the 2nd Amendment and our right to bear arms!

My New Garden Box

Last year Lee and I discussed moving one of my garden boxes from it's location near the house and having it near the back fence instead.  I completed that project a couple weeks ago.  We also discussed building a couple of new garden boxes as well.  Since spring was getting closer I started to think about what I wanted and decided I wanted a U-shaped box.  Lee asked me to draw a design for him.  After looking through some designs online, I made up a very intricate drawing for him of what I wanted.  This is my drawing:

I know, I am quite the artist.   This weekend we went to Home Depot and bought the wood that we needed to build my new garden box.  We made some adjustments to the original design.  One thing that isn't on this drawing is how deep the box will be.  I wanted it to be 18" deep, but Lee had the idea to make the back of the box deeper than the sides.  Also, there is a gate in the middle, which is hard to tell on the drawing.  So, on Saturday we were at the store for a very long time buying supplies.  We spent hours building on Saturday and Sunday.  We also had to return to Home Depot on Sunday because, of course, we needed more wood.  Although it isn't 100% complete, it is almost there.  Here is what my fabulous husband built for me using my oh-so-wonderful drawing.

We are adding chicken wire around the outside, and on the back box, the chicken wire will actually be on panels that are on hinges so I can get access to that part of the box.  The pathway in the middle will have 12"x 12" bricks eventually.  I think next weekend we will get all the dirt we need.  There isn't a huge rush since it is still a little early to start planting my veggies.  Anyway, this is my garden fortress, guaranteed to keep the bunnies out!

Fabulous Friday

It's Friday!  Despite the grey, chilly day outside, I am doing my best to enjoy the day.  It has been a long week and I have been reminded many times that I am blessed.  The news has been full of sad stories of lost lives, and every time I hear them I feel sadness for those families, and thank God for blessing me.  So, today, I hope you will have a fabulous Friday and find the blessings in your life!

Thoughts on a Thursday

It is early afternoon here in Kansas, and I have been busy updating another blog.  The weather here is mild, windy, and rainy.  Typical for a Spring day in Kansas I guess.  As I have been sitting here, though, I have been thinking of so many different things.  Will I get a job teaching next school year?  Where will we go on vacation this summer?  What can I do about Common Core?  Should I read for awhile?

My brain typically has a million things going on at any one time, although I probably only focus on a few.  After getting my teaching credentials in May 2011, I have not been able to get a full-time teaching position.  I am truly hoping this will be the year I get a job.  Unfortunately, education has taken what I believe to be a HUGE step backward with the adoption on Common Core.  It is a cause I am fighting against, and one that I have to be careful about.  I feel that having standards are important for teachers as they help us in developing our daily objectives.  We can then use the curriculum that is available to support those objectives to fulfill the standards.  Common Core is a nationalized set of standards that I do not have any say in, cannot change in any way, and cannot really choose the curriculum.  Many of the standards are very rigid and tell the teacher how to teach the standard--thus making the standards curriculum.  The standards are also developmentally inappropriate for the younger grades, which is what I will be teaching.  I will not go against the school or district policy, but I will continue to try to get Common Core taken out of the state, and try to get new standards written.

So, this is what has been taking up much of my thought process today.  Most days my thoughts revolve around teaching and my kids.  I want what is best for them and I do not believe they are getting the best right now.  I believe they are getting a watered down version of education and they are missing out on so many wonderful things.  I do not blame teachers, as they cannot break away from what the requirements are.  I blame the government, No Child Left Behind, Race To the Top, and so much more.

Just some random thoughts on this Thursday!

All Purpose Cleaner

I know there are a lot of people who like to make their own cleaning supplies for various reasons.  I have been using this particular All Purpose Cleaner for a couple of years now and love it.  I can't remember where I got the original recipe from, so I am not able to give credit to the person who "created" this cleaner.  You will need a large squirt bottle, white vinegar, ammonia, and baking soda.  I use a funnel to put the ingredients in the bottle just to make it a little easier.  I wrote the recipe on my squirt bottle with a red sharpie so I wouldn't ever lose it. :)  It is 1 Tbsp baking soda, 1/4 cup ammonia, 2 Tbsp vinegar and then you fill the remainder of the bottle with water to the fill line.  If your bottle does not have a fill line, fill it to about an inch from the top.  I use this to clean my bathrooms and always feel they are nice and clean.  And I know it is A LOT cheaper than the stuff I would buy in the store.

Our brand new Queen Size afghan

Lee loves lots of blankets and decided he wanted a new afghan for our bed--one that was made with 100% wool.  So, we bought Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool in Brown Heather.  I used the same pattern for this afghan that I used for Josh's K-State afghan, and again I adjusted the pattern so that it would fit our queen size bed.  We were not looking for it to hang over the sides of the bed, just fit the top.  It measures about 60"x84".  The lighter color in the middle was not intentional, but I am learning to live with the mistake.  I did check the dye lots on most of the yarn, but we had 8 skeins and I guess I missed checking 2 of them. :(  At least the ended up getting crocheted together in the middle, which was totally done by coincidence.  Here is the link to the pattern.  http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/chs-bafg.html

Josh's K-State Afghan

Josh went off to Kansas State University in August and I decided it was time to make him a new afghan.  Since he is just over 6' tall, and he has a habit of wrapping himself in his blankets, I knew it needed to be a long one.  If you know much about afghan patterns, you know it is hard to find one that is bigger than a twin size bed.  So, I found a pattern I liked and adjusted it.  This is a basketweave pattern that is really pretty.  For his afghan I actually used Lion Brand Pound of Love in white and Red Heart Super Saver in Amethyst.  I think the afghan measured about 54" wide and 80" long.  Hopefully he stays at K-State! :)  Here is a link to the pattern that I used.  Remember, I adjusted it so that is ended up being wider and longer.  http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/chs-bafg.html

Here is a close-up of the basketweave pattern.

Life is Short

A horrible tragedy occurred in our town on Thursday. Kade Meyer was crossing the street when he was hit by a car and died. I met Kade's mom, Stormy, in 2005 when our daughter's were in American Heritage Girls together. In October of 2006 I began watching Kade once, sometimes twice, a week while Stormy ran errands. Eventually she got her realtor's license and would work on the days I had Kade. Ian is a year younger than Kade and Kade was his first friend. We used to say things like, "Don't you want to go potty in the big boy potty like Kade?" Ian would ask me every week if it was the day Kade was coming over. I watched Kade for 3 years, until he started first grade.

On Thursday, he was crossing the street like he often did after school. Sadly, he stepped out from between two stopped cars into oncoming traffic. He was struck by an SUV with his older sister watching. Although CPR was performed on the scene and in the ambulance, they were never able to get a pulse. I don't understand why this happened and I have been in shock since hearing the news. Ian took it hard, but bounced back quickly as young kids will do. I visited Stormy and Mark Friday. What can you say? There are no words, but I just hugged them and told them how much they are loved.

The driver was not speeding. She has children of her own and is devastated. Our entire community needs prayers right now. We need to hug our children, tell them we love them. Slow down in school zones and neighborhoods. 25mph may seem slow, but when children are around, they can dart out into the street in a split second. You may not be able to stop, as in this situation, but if you are speeding or not paying attention . . . well the results could be deadly. I know that many lives have been forever changed by this tragic accident. I may never understand why Kade was taken from us at such a young age, but I will continue to trust in God and pray for His peace in this time of grief.

Frugal Friday!

I decided to make this Frugal Friday--a day I will share my way of saving some money.  I have been wondering if it really is cheaper for me to pack a lunch for the kids every day, or would it be cheaper for them to buy lunch.  School lunch for them is $1.80 (Ian), $1.95 (Emily), and $2.10 (Josh).  So, I broke down the cost of what they usually have in their lunches.  These prices may vary slightly depending on little things, but they won't change by much.  Here's what I found:
Bread: $.22 per sandwich (2 slices)
Peanut Butter: $.05 per Tbsp
Jelly: $.08 per serving (not quite a Tbsp but almost)
Honey: $.09 per tsp
Turkey (or other meat): $.21 per slice
Cheese: $.12 per slice
Apple Sauce: $.24 per pre-packaged cup, or about $.10 to put 1/4 in a Tupperware container
Fruit cup: $.44 per pre-packaged cup
Granola bar: $.16 each
Lemonade or other juice: $.03 per 6 ounces (the size of the bottle I put it in)

Now, they do not use all of this each day. :)  The most expensive sandwich is the meat and cheese, but even if I make that I'm still saving.  Also, Ian usually has the apple sauce, Emily and Josh like the fruit cups.  Ian and Emily both have the 6 ounce juice bottles that I can fill every day which is cheaper than buying juice boxes (and more environmentally friendly).  Yes, there is a cost for zip lock bags, but since I buy them in bulk at Sams, it is like $.01 per bag.  Plus, Emily and Ian both have the sandwich size containers to use for their sandwiches.  Making the most expensive sandwich for Ian makes his lunch cost about $1.15.  For Emily's most expensive lunch (since she only likes one piece of cheese) it costs $1.39.  Josh typically makes pg&j, although he sometimes makes 2 sandwiches.  It is still only around $1.32 for him to make a lunch.  Total savings???

Ian: $.65/day, $3.25/week

Emily: $.56/day, $2.80/week

Josh: $.78/day, $3.90/week

Please note, again, that this is an average.  There may be days I put more in their lunch, but this gives you an idea of the savings.  Since they are in school about 32 weeks a year, we save an average of $100 per kid if they pack a lunch every day.  Granted, we allow them to buy lunch a couple times a week, but we still save a lot of money!

There you have it.  Proof that it is cheaper to pack a lunch.  Yes, it takes more time, but I think I spend all of 5 minutes making Emily and Ian's lunch in the morning.  Soon, Emily will make her own.  Hope this was helpful!  Have a great Friday!!

Tuesday Ramblings

I can't believe it is already Tuesday night!  The weekend went by so fast!  We had such a good time hanging out with the Morse family, and then with the Mochries.  Sadly, the Mochries are leaving us to move "home" to England.  I've never been a big fan of change, and this isn't helping any!  The good thing is that we now have a really good reason to go to England. :)  

The weather turned cooler today, which was a nice change.  I know it will warm up again before summer is over, but I love the cool breezes that come in the windows.  I wish I could have gone outside more today, but I just have too much to get done for my classes.  Maybe tomorrow I will take a break to garden.  I will definitely ride bikes with Ian to school.

Random thought for the day:Why does the cat insist on leaving her nasty hairballs in the middle of the hallway on the carpet?

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Stormy Night

It is a stormy night here in Kansas.  The clouds came in fast, as they often do.  There is a ton of lightening and thunder, although it seems a little bit far off right now.  I love stormy nights.  I wish our dog wasn't so scared!  Poor guy walks around with his Kong and eventually goes under the bed to hide.  I think the cat thinks he's a big baby. :)  

I had a full day today, although most of it was spent doing homework.  My life seems to revolve around homework, kids, and the house.  Tomorrow I have to do laundry, continue reading, submit my paper, work on the 2 papers due next Sunday, get Emily to her birthday party, and then go to a friend's house for a cookout.  It will be another full, busy day.  I'm hoping it won't be too terribly hot for the cookout, but I know it will be fun.  

I got thinking today that I could make my Friday posts be Frugal Fridays.  Problem is I don't always have a new idea.  So, I will do my best to come up with something next week, and give credit to anyone I borrow an idea from.  I've also thought about posting some articles related to education, but will hold off for now.  So many things I could post, but I just don't always have time to comment.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Made it through another Thursday!

I made it through another Thursday!  I even contributed to the discussion in class today.  Only 2 more classes to go and we move on to the next set of classes.  I can do this!  This evening we got to meet Emily's teachers, which was really nice.  My one complaint is the lack of challenging work offered.  They have an advanced math class, but not an advanced language arts class.  Why?  Emily is bored out of her mind and there is nothing we can do.  It just seems wrong to lump all 5th graders into one class regardless of ability.  What ever happened to challenging the students who are more advanced?  Oh that's right, No Child Left Behind.  :(  I did talk to her teacher about it, but I doubt much will change.  At least she has the higher math and then goes to enrichment once a week. 

Now I am tired and thinking I should go to bed.  So what that it's only 9:20.  Tomorrow will be a day full of writing papers--I have three to work on, one due Sunday!  Hope everyone has had a great week so far.  Looking forward to Friday!!

The art of Procrastination

Lately I have been mastering the fine art of procrastination.  It really is a terrible thing to do when you have children that you are trying to set an example for.  But, when faced with a paper to write, I tend to find many things that just have to get done.  For instance, tonight I decided that the lawn just must get mowed . . .NOW.  Of course, that meant picking up after the dog first (yuck), and then mowing.  This was followed by a shower, as it is about 85 degrees with 1000% humidity.  And then after the shower I had to make cookies because we didn't have anything for dessert.  I can't let my children go hungry!  Now, I am writing this, but in just a couple minutes I have to get the kids in bed.  When all is said and done, a good 2-3 hours will have gone by since I first sat down to start writing my paper.  I have one sentence done.  ONE SENTENCE of a 4-5 page paper!  Hmmmm . . . . do you think that I could use a really big font?  In all seriousness, I will get this paper done just as I have gotten all my other papers done.  I just enjoy taking breaks; lots and lots of breaks.  If you have a favorite form of procrastination, I would love to hear it!  Just post a comment.

Rainy Tuesday

I can't believe I am saying this in the middle of August, but it is an absolutely beautiful day!  We've had nice rain, cool temperatures, and no big winds.  After the 100 degree days last week, we needed this!  It has been a bit quiet though--the birds didn't come out to play like yesterday.  So, I have the windows open and just finished my class and lunch.  Now, I really need to get more of my reading done.  I'd much rather relax and watch my cat sleep.  She is curled up on the window sill--she loves when the windows are open. :)  Oh well, off to read I go.  Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Back to School

Emily had her first day of middle school on Thursday and Josh started his senior year of high school on Friday.  Ian should have started 1st grade on Thursday, but he was still on vacation with his Grammy and Grandpa, so he started today.  Emily seems to like 5th grade so far, but wasn't as eager to wake up this morning.  I walked with her to the bus stop, since today was her first day riding the bus, and when another girl she knows came to the stop, she told me I could leave.  Sigh.  They grow up so fast.  Ian was very nervous about school.  He told me I needed to go in with him since he didn't know where to go.  Poor guy seemed more nervous today than he did on his first day of kindergarten.  He is so shy that it is hard for him to interact with the teacher.  He'll be fine as time goes by, and I'm sure he will have a great day.  So, I am sitting in a very quiet house with the dog and cat.  There are lots of birds flitting around outside my window.  The barn swallows that built a nest by our front door love to fly around; all 5 babies and the parents!  Plus there are some other chickadees, or something, that are flying into the rain gutter eating something.  It sounds funny, and I can't figure out what they are getting in there.  Silly birds!  I guess I should get back to school as well--got a lot of writing to do with four papers due in the next three weeks.  Happy Monday!

Monthly Menu

So, a friend of mine recently asked me to share how I plan my monthly menu. This is not a secret and it isn't something I made up on my own. I figured I would share here what I shared with her so others can benefit from some of the research I have done. It is a big task to plan a months worth of meals, but it is worth it. Here are the links I shared with her:

* The Pioneer Woman has some really yummy recipes that are NOT low cal. :) http://thepioneerwoman.com/
* Another site she started, but anyone can contribute to is http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/
* Just a great all around site http://allrecipes.com/
* Another great site, especially with kids http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/main.aspx
* Great site for monthly meal planning. I don't like all the recipes, but some good ones and great help! http://www.monthlymenuplanner.com/
* Although this site does cost money, it is well worth it for what you get. http://www.e-mealz.com/

We do one big shopping trip per month and smaller trips each week for things like milk, eggs, produce, etc. Feel free to ask any questions or make comments. Good luck!