argh...back to the drawing board!

I think last week I ate anything that wasn't nailed down, and didn't walk any further to the potty.  Not good, my pants are feeling tight, and I feel like a bloated animal hit on Interstate 5 in July! HUGE!
I just got back from the hardest walk, the one after not walking for a while! I pushed it through, the weather is darn gorgeous, I have no excuse.  So, back to the low carb, pass me another naked hamburger patty life!  It works, I just can't go nuts.
So, good lead in to my parents coming to visit!Cause they are nuts, and I am doing my best to be nuts also, passing down family traditions and all!  My parents (especially my mumbly) are very knowledgeable about birding.  That is identifying birds.  They drove up Monday, and the fog was miserable. So, we just ate.  That is seriously what we do best!!
Yuba City is the middle of the migratory pattern for Canadian Geese and other birds, so I was real excited to spend this time with the kids and my parents.  Good bonding and laughter, while sneaking in learning opportunities.  We are in the middle of biology and studying birds at the moment.
Sunday, before my parents came, I was in Loma Rica, bringing home one of the ladies from church.  I had to stop and take some shots of the birds in the rice fields. 

 

I am ignorant to birds, crops and how much they eat.  I asked Lisa and she found the answer to how can that many birds be on your rice fields and you still have rice? The rice isn't planted yet.  The birds will move on by the time the seeds are planted, and these birds at least don't really eat the rice, but the other little fun things that live in the water! See you get to learn also! I am a sneaky homeschool mom!

See the flocks of geese in the V? I mean, this is stuff I read in books, this is real, and happening.  My mom explained to me why one side of the V is longer.  Her witty response, "Because, there are more birds on that side!" har har har

 

I love this woman! She came all ready to show us birds and hopefully we would see how much she enjoyed it and maybe enjoy it also!  My parents brought books, and binoculars and a zeal for seeing birds.

My kids caught it! The girls were remarkable with the binoculars, looking and asking questions.  I  took pictures like crazy.  They were enjoying it! I was beaming!

Gabriel gave Dad's telescope a try, he looked so cute!

Eric is not at this moment in Biology, but will be next year, and he got into it! I was proud of him!

That is the Feather River behind my mom, we are headed to Mosquito Beach, and we had a find!!

A great Blue Heron!!

 Up close, Canadian Geese! The kids were excited!

We saw, red winged black birds, chickedees, finches, and many others.  It was remarkable how they came out of nowhere! I would never have saw most of these without my parents pointing them out. Not just in look there is a bird, but what kind it was, and more!

There's my mom and her shadow, Anna!

What an awesome time! I have to have at least one pic from the back! lol, Abby who is continuously connected to my Dad!

Ready for a recap!?!?

It's Saturday morning and I need to do a quick recap, so I can post tomorrow on the bird watching adventure!
The month is zooming by, but started with the most hilarious evenings with Monopoly!

Can you tell who won!!?!??! ME! I won! I ripped that money out of their accounts, I laughed at their poverty! I was the winner!! ME! ME!  It was a grueling 4 hours of fun!
I made this layout for our 2011 Book:

Then a night out on the town, the burg of Marysville! A new restaurant!

 Oh yes, that is Panda Express! We are all lovers of Chinese Food and so excitement and joy was overflowing to stuff our gullets with MSG and soy sauce!

 Anna using chopsticks, but look very, very close.  She doesn't take them apart! She just uses it like a big shovel into her mouth.

 Eric caught with a mouthful and chewing, I am the mommarazzi!

 Oh Gabriel, breath hon.  Don't you love Anna's total disgust at her brother's manners?

 oh Eric, is no longer digging Mom and the ever present camera!

 Oopsie, looks like Eric got that look from Tony. I need willing subjects!

 

 There, snuggle up here Abby, lets do a picture together!! We achieved our goal! Stuffed to the gills, and we waddled back to our van, happy  people!

 The rain has been pretty non stop this winter.  We had a taste the last year, but wow, this is the rainy, muddy, foggy, stay inside season in California! The boys have been playing numerous games of monopoly and Risk

The rain made me resort to cleaning my room!! Before:

and AFTER-I can hear my Dad, "Now, if I can just keep it that way!"

A quick dinner or lunch idea!!
I had defrosted chicken, but did not want to make anything fancy! We had rolls left over from Sam's buy and Tony mentioned Chicken Salad.  I roasted the chicken breast with garlic and herb seasoning.  Then we shred it all! I put ample amounts of mayo, a few squirts of mustard, salt and pepper and served on broiled rolls!

 

What pray tell is in that glass? oh that would be pickle juice.  Yes, makes my tummy roll, but my kids, well a few of them enjoy it!

Abby drinks a bit too, but I could not take any more pictures of them drinking the stuff!
Woo Hoo I am up to almost date!! Tomorrow see my parents and experience the bird watching of Mosquito Beach!

Book Review-the Faith of Ronald Reagan

The Faith of Ronald Reagan

By Mary Beth Brown

 I was listening to the music  of The Police, Phil Collins and was looking forward to that week’s show of “Greatest American Hero” the day President Ronald Reagan had an attempted assignation on his life.  It was shocking, I remember watching the news, but I was a junior in high school, politics was not something that intrigued me.  Fast forward a few years, I was in the Air Force and now Ronald Reagan was now my Commander in Chief!  I hung on his every word! 

The Faith of Ronald Reagan jumped out to me to read. I admit I have read many books on this man.  I wanted to hear more  of the spiritual side to this great leader.   Sadly, this book was not to compelling to read.  Mary Beth Brown compiled a nice book, in my opinion, this was more of a conglomerate of the numerous and previously released books about Mr. Reagan. To be fair, if you had not read other books about Mr. Reagan, this is a good condensed digest to learn about him.  It is a quick read and gives a nice perspective from those around him during his life.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Art Journal Caravan - A Journey in Discovery: Itinerary UP! Please move forward in a orderly fas...

Art Journal Caravan - A Journey in Discovery: Itinerary UP! Please move forward in a orderly fas...: "Are you ready for to keep moving on this journey?? I wonder???? I hope your bags are packed and you are ready to go?? The I..."

My dad is the bomb!

I have learned a lot from my parents.  I giggle now, I call and my Dad has caller ID on his TV, so he always says, Hello Anne Marie! I just love that!  My dad loves to cook, and always has different twist to recipes, and I try and get those fun things from him!  He told me to put lasagna noodles cruched up in my turkey soup. I did it after Thanksgiving and it was heavenly.  The thing is we don't like turkey except for Turkey Soup!

Yesterday, my precious Anna had this horrible scratchy throat and cough.  I said what she needed was Chicken Noodle soup! Her little eyes got all happy.  So I roasted a few chicken breast last night after dinner, and saved the water from boiled new pots and steamed carrots and used that as stock with chicken boulion, and filled up my stock pot!

I put a frozen bag of mixed vegis and the carrots from last night into the pot.  The chicken I shread, cause I love it all textured, some like to cube.  I then add the lasagna noodles!  Crunch them up!

 

It is kinda fun, half the time the noodles are all messed up and broken, so it felt like getting back for all those times the noodles were broke in the past! I put it on to boil then simmered for a few hours! 

 

That is one big pot of soup!  I turned it off, and the noodles soaked up so much moisture, I had to put 6 more  cups of water and 3 bouillons!

 

YUMMY!

My eyes are crossed and I am exhausted!

Three full weeks off from schooling! Three weeks! INSANITY!  I have to admit I enjoyed it alot! I scrapped, I played, we had a relaxing Christmas, said yahoo to the New Year and went to bed.  I did a whole lot of organizing, but not a whole lot of scheduling with the organizing. The organization and matching with scheduling takes actual hands on timing. That is what today was.  Review, or starting new! 

This is my Abby in her robe at 7AM, 26 degrees, ice on the ground letting the chickens out of their little coop! This is the beginning of the day! I wanted to stay in my pj's are finish reading my awesome part two book of the Mitford Chronicles that my dear friend Peggy let me borrow! They are beyond good, they are wholesome and special! I loose myself in Mitford!  I want a dog, I want too paint with watercolors...

Oh no, I am a mom who homeschools.  Back on track, focus, focus......

 

This picture was my plans for the day.  Bible, Bills, Coffee (in large amounts), dye my hair.  I have to digress again, the gray on my head is so white now and fluffy, when I lift the (feathers of the side of my hair, it looks like downy eaglet fluff). The metal tin has our bills awaiting payment, and the looming checkbook to balance!  the screen is the little job I do for Tangie at SBG (scrapbook stuff) and my calendar!!The blue folder imom with smile face) is the SCHEDULE we use for homeschooling, and under it all is our new curriculum.  Nuts and Bolts of Formating - Learning MS Office Word 2007.  

We also jumped into Write Reflections for all 4 today too.  Why? Because each of my children can tell stories that can make you see the things happening, but I need to get them to write things down!  

So it is 4:10pm, my hair is still sporting white fluffs, my computer area looks like it blew up, the floor is covered with now defrosted things from the bottom of my kids shoes.  Three of the four are with dad at archery, Anna is coughing and sick in the backroom playing Oregon Trail.  I am tired.  I am gonna go make some Honey Chicken, new pots, and steamed carrots, and then have one more pot of coffee!! oh I mean cup...or do I??

Back to School

Three weeks off! Egads! We are back today! Hoping for updates on blog today! Stay tuned!!

The One That Stood Out - vision

The journey of the Art Caravan has begun, and I am just in a complete state of amazement.  I can not tell you how much fun it is to just relax and play.  This is not memory scrapping,  I don't have pics of my kids doing hilarious things, it is pages that make me think, ponder and hold on to those thoughts and preponderates so I can ruminate in them later.  Yeah, big words, but this journey makes me think in bigger words, deeper thought.  I very much enjoy it.
My opening page to the 2011:

credits in SBG gallery