Boys and Their Toys

Last year for Christmas
I bought Howie and Calvin each a
remote controlled helicopter.
Two.

At the mall.
For a price.

I didn't purchase the
*warranty*.
As it turned out,
that might have been a
good idea!

They broke.
Both of them.
In short order.

Fast forward to this Christmas.
Add another boy (Austin)
who requested one.
Fraser had no interest.

Calvin found them
online through Amazon
for half he price I paid last year.
Three were ordered.

And this year,
they already know how to fly!
B.O.N.U.S. :)

This is what I saw
attached to my computer
over the Christmas break...
Frequently!

Are you an online shopper?
I find that it makes my
life a little simpler ~
With the added bonus of
some great savings.
What a blessing! :)

Have a happy day!
Blessings,
Camille

**One thing to note ~
Amazon's prices fluctuate.
The helicopters I bought were
$10 cheaper than they are listed
for right now.

Got Quinoa?

Quinoa.
(Keen-wah)

A *new* grain that
is touted as a super food.
Even though it is technically
not a grain at all!

Have you tried it?

Quinoa is versatile
and so healthy for you!
There are many ways to prepare and serve it.
A bonus boost of nutrition is
promised each time you do. :)

It can be served as a side dish,
much like rice (and as easy to prepare) ~
Although, it is bland and
not my favourite way to eat it.
In fact, a bag of quinoa
sat in my pantry for ages while
I pondered what to do with it.

Solution.

I just got my hands on
this quinoa cookbook .
And I've already employed it.
I needed some ideas to incorporate
this food into our diet that would
please the taste buds.

One day for lunch last week
I whipped this soup up.
And it was a hit.

The only mistake I made was not
doubling the recipe.

~ Sweet Potato and Coconut Quinoa Soup ~

Slightly adapted from this cookbook ~

Quinoa 365 ~
The Everyday Superfood

2 Large Sweet Potatoes
2 Tbsp Coconut Oil (or Butter)
1/2 cup Onion ~ diced
1/2 cup Quinoa
3 cups Vegetable Stock
400 ml (1 2/3 cup) Coconut Milk
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp Chili powder

Wash and peel the sweet potatoes.
Dice into 2 to 3 inch pieces.
Boil 5 to 6 minutes to soften.
Drain and set aside.

In another pot,
fry the onion in the oil
over medium heat until translucent ~
Do not brown.
Add the quinoa to the pot
and fry for a few minutes until
it begins to smell slightly nutty.


Add the vegetable stock to the
pot with the onions and quinoa,
and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium and cook
for about 15 minutes ~
until the quinoa is cooked.

Add the drained sweet potatoes to the pot.
Puree the mixture with a hand blender
or in a food processor.
Return to pot on low heat and add
in the spices and the coconut milk.

Stir to blend.
Thin with water or stock, if necessary.
Heat slowly.
Taste and correct seasonings.
Serve and enjoy.

This recipe made about 5 good-sized
bowls of soup.
Next time I will make double. :)

Happy Cooking!
Camille

Challenge 3 - Seeing Red

Wow, sorry I'm late today but very hectic at home lately.  I can't believe how many entries we've had for the last challenge.  Here's hoping this weeks theme will prove equally popular.  I thought we'd have a colour challenge this time so our theme is 'Seeing Red'.  Hopefully that ties in with all your valentine projects.

Our sponsor is Letraset

ProMarkers are made by Letraset and are a twin tipped, dye based alcohol marker offering a high quality product at a great price. Avilable in 148 colours, they give incredible tonal range and can be applied to a diverse range of materials, not just paper and card. ProMarkers produce vivid, bright colours right through to the subtlest pastel shades - the translucent inks can also be overlaid and blended, even further extending the range of shades and hues on offer. ProMarker's quality nibs and inks provide flawless colour lay down with consistent coverage and no unsightly streaking. 

Our prize is a six pack of Letraset's flexmarkers

Isn't that fab?  I'll be back later on with the winners of the last two challenges and hope to see you guys entering the current one.  If you need any ideas, our wonderful design team have done it again:

Jen

Michelle

Shirley

Tracy

ALAN:

Sandra's 

Patricia

Finally some rules.

1. The card must be new for this challenge and follow the theme set.
2. There must be a link in your post back to Cards for Men.
3. The card must be for a boy/man.

The challenge will run from now until midnight on 12 February 2012.  Leave a link to your card (not just your blog) in the list below.  If the link list is not there for some reason, leave a comment and I'll add you in before the draw.  Good luck

Underneath are the Everlasting Arms

Counting.
Numbering.
Giving Thanks.

A way of thinking.
A way of living.
A way of praising.

God is Good.
All the time.

We often forget when
we are in the midst of trials.
Difficulties.
The storms of life.

But, God never changes.
He is always the same.
And He always cares.
Always guides.
Always gives grace.

"And underneath are the everlasting arms..."
~ Deuteronomy 33:27a ~

The list of thanks grows.
Marches on.
Through the storms.
Through the valleys.
On the Mountain.

Through it all
there is J.O.Y.

Lasting.
Never ending.
Abiding.

J.O.Y.

Because of the LORD ~
Only in HIM can it truly be found.

In an effort to remind
myself of this amazing Truth ~
I purpose to count.
I purpose to number.
I purpose to record.

1551. Tin grins are "in" ~
Calvin is the third of our children to wear braces.

1552. Clean sheets and boys
who know what to do with them :)

1553. First *real* snow (January 14,2012)
and the joy it brings

1554. A system for the wetness

1555. Fraser's love of languages

1556. Hebrew sticky notes...

1557. ...All over the place!

1558. Everywhere! :)

1559. And that I said *yes* ~
At first, to my shame, I didn't

1560. Coffee with cream and sugar!

1561. That the two boxes of
Purdy's
for Christmas are GONE! :)

1562. Pen Pals for Emma

1563. Friendship bracelets ~
One from me and three from her

1564. The way she hums "How Firm A Foundation"
while she works on more bracelets ~
P.R.E.C.I.O.U.S.

1565. It won't always be like this ~
Capturing the moments!

1566. Bracing breeze at the beach
and how good it feels to have made the effort to go!

1567. Hot chocolate instead of coffee

1568. Listening to our very own composer
do some composing

1569. Unexpected deep clean ~
To find my ring

1570. Getting things DONE!

My journal sits on my counter.

I list as events unfold.
Sometimes many all at once,
and other times in a trickle.

Would you like to begin?
Just grab a pen and a journal,
set them out on the counter,
and list out your blessings.
Find the joy in the moments ~
As they arrive.

Enjoy the journey!

Many Blessings,
Camille


**I'm taking a little bloggy break until
next week ~ if you should choose to leave
a comment it will appear at that time.
Thank you for understanding ~
Happy Weekend! :)

Me...In a Nutshell

This is a randomly random post.  I am sorry I have been MIA lately, but we are in the process of searching for a new house! Yay!  {Don't worry, parents, I'm not going anywhere--if anything, we will be even closer to the school!}

As I was beginning to clean out our closets and organize like a mad, crazy woman--I came across an idea I had years ago, and completely forgot about it--until now.  Although it might be a better idea for a beginning of the year activity, I think it could still be used at anytime throughout the year in order to learn more about your students.

So, I present to you the "Me...in a Nutshell" bag.

I am going to use it as a student of the week sharing bag, challenging my students to find items to place in the bag that will tell us things that we do not already know about them!  

So, here are some things you don't know about me..."In a Nutshell":

1.  I was on T.V.

When I was little, I was on a science experiment show with the awesome STEVE SPANGLER! {Mentos rockets, anyone?  He makes all kinds of crazy science toys, and is a downright GENIUS.} He is on Ellen all the time now, y'all!  Anyway,  I was one of the kids who did the experiments on his weekly show for our local news station for several weeks in a row.  I thought it was fantastic.  I also told all the kids in my class I was famous. {Ha!}  It is my ultimate goal to go to one of Steve's teacher workshops.  I just have to go do some cool science experiments with this guy!  



2.  I lived in Colorado.

I lived in Aurora, Colorado with my mom until I was in the 4th grade--when we moved to Birmingham to be near my older brother and sister-in-law who was having my mom's first grandchild, and my very first niece!  {That sweet little niece of mine is graduating high school this year.  I CAN'T believe it!!!}  On a side note, I have NEVER been skiing, even though we lived in the Rockies.  WHAT?!  So, I really want to ski one day, just to say I have done it!

3.  I am afraid of clowns.

Seriously...terrified.  I have no idea why.  If I get near a clown, even a friendly one, I break out in a sweat and feel like I can't breathe. {I have got to get over this so I can take my child to the circus one day!}

4.  I want to write and publish a children's book.

This has been my dream since first grade!  Writing in my journal was my absolute favorite thing to do in school.  I have written one story that I want to send to a publisher, but just haven't done it.  I might be scared.  But how COOL would it be to read my students a book I have written myself?  I would LOVE to say,  "Oh, and by the way, the author of this story is...ME!"

5.  I have been to Hawaii.

I went in the 5th grade because older brother played football for the Air Force Academy (Go Falcons!), and they played Hawaii!  So, our family went for the game and had a fantastic vacation, too!  I really want to go back there one day!  It was amazing!

6.  My first major wasn't education.

I would like to say that I had always wanted to be a teacher, but when I started college, I actually wanted to go into advertising.  I had an advertising internship that was great, but the experience revealed to me that I didn't have a passion for it.  I was led into teaching when I found out that I loved working with students at vacation bible school at my church!  I can't imagine doing anything else.  I LOVE my job.  {But y'all know that already.}

7.  Favorite movie of all time:  Father of the Bride.

{Steve Martin edition.}  I think I know every word of the movie, and watched it every day of the week leading up to my wedding.  I even had the theme song from the movie played after we were pronounced husband and wife!  {Um, I'm kind of cheesy, and I'm okay with that!}  I cry every single time I watch the part when it is the night before the wedding and the dad and his daughter play basketball together in the snow, and they share their special moment of saying goodbye to her childhood.  It is just too sweet! I cry even harder now, when I picture my sweet Emma getting married one day!

8.  I can't sing.

At all.  It's really kind of embarrassing.

9.  I wish there was a show called, "Dancing with the Regular People".

I'm not a star, and will never be one, but I sure wish I could be on that show!  I may not be able to sing, but I *might* be able to dance!!!

10.  My husband was a White House intern

Yes, I know, that has nothing to do with me, but when he went to work at the White House, it was a huge part of both of our lives.  He had to leave for D.C. only a week after we got engaged. I was broken hearted that he had to leave for months-- but so, so proud of him at the same time!  I went to D.C. several times while he was there and was able to tour some of the cool places that most people don't get to see!  We both will have a special place in our hearts for that city!

So, that's "Me...in a Nutshell"!  

*Teachers...click HERE to get your FREE "Me...in a Nutshell" cover page!

Quick and Easy Thai Soup

Thai food is a favourite
in our home.
Since coconut milk is
often found in the recipes,
dessert is optional.

A good thing.

I gave this soup a
try last night.
And tonight, I made it again.
It is that good.
Rave reviews all around.

SO yummy!

I had roasted chicken
meat in the freezer.
Please tell me you have
some too?


Coconut milk
and thai curry paste
are necessary ingredients.
Run out and get them
if they are not already in
your pantry.

Now you are set!

Click Here
to find the original recipe.

The way I made it
is as follows.

First, I used roasted
and cut up chicken meat instead
of the tofu.
I am not a tofu-lovin' girl.
That's just me.
If you love tofu...go for it!

~ Creamy Thai Chicken Soup ~
(Doubled from the original)

2 Leeks ~
cleaned and finely chopped...
white part only
(You could also use a
medium-large sized onion)

1 Tbsp coconut oil for frying

1 Package Thai Curry Paste
(50g size) ~ Use two for more *kick* ~
I think I may just do that next time!


2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger

6 cups chicken stock

2 cans coconut milk (400 ml size)

2 Tbsp Sugar ~
I use organic dehydrated cane juice


4 cups chopped roasted chicken meat

8 cups stir fry veggies ~ chopped into bite-sized pieces
(You could use the frozen variety, but I chose to use fresh.
My mix included mushrooms, broccoli, and sweet peppers)

Melt coconut oil (or other type of cooking oil)
in heavy pot and stir fry leeks, ginger,
and curry paste for a few minutes until the
leeks become limp.

Add chicken stock,
coconut milk, and sugar.
Bring to a boil.

Add chicken meat and veggies.
Return to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, covered,
until veggies are cooked ~
About ten minutes.

Taste and season with salt,
if necessary.

I served ours over a scoop of
rice in each bowl.
We ate it like soup with a spoon.
It would be lovely without the rice.
I served it that way to
make it go further.

With my children,
it was necessary. :)

ENJOY!

Blessings,
Camille

A Life Imperfect

Escape.

We all, it seems,

at one time or another,
want to escape.

Get away from it all.

Leave behind all our responsibilities ~
For a month, a week, a day.

But, will that really fulfill?
Will that really be enough?
More importantly, is it godly?

We ought to go about living our lives ~
In the Moment. In the Midst of it all.
The Trials. The Chaos.
The Noise. The Mess.

Is it possible to glorify
God with a Life Imperfect?

YES!

By HIS Grace. With HIS Mercy.
In HIS Strength. For HIS Glory.
Look to HIM.
HE has all the answers.
HE is not a difficult task-master.
HE delights to give us all we need.

Moment by moment.

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God,
that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not;
and it shall be given him."
~ James 1:5 ~

When I assess my life, more often than not ~
I find that I am the one who is
the difficult one.
I expect too much. Demand too much.
For my own glory.

Pride.

Ultimately, that is the reason!
Ugly as it is.
How wonderful that our
Precious Saviour forgives.
And forgives.
And forgives again.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness."
~ I John 1:9 ~

Look to HIM. He never will fail you.
And take life one step at a time.
In His strength. For His Glory.
That is where true fulfillment
and joy are to be found.

Only in HIM. He alone is Perfect.
And one day, if we are HIS,
we will be eternally perfect too!

What a thought!

"I can do all things through Christ
which strengtheneth me."

~ Philippians 4:13 ~

Many Blessings to
each one of you, kind friends.
In His Love,
Camille

**All photos in this post courtesy
of our little Emma ~
Thank you Sweetie Pie! XO

Burnaby Village Museum

Burnaby Village Museum
is a local family favourite.
Especially at Christmas.
Decorated and lit up for the Season,
it is magical.

A re-created early 1900's
town with authentic buildings
and volunteers in period costume ~
It's a little like
stepping back in time.

In the evenings leading
up to Christmas, there are activities
and extra special things for families to enjoy.

We found ourselves there
one evening a few days before Christmas.

Our first stop?
The Carousel. :)
Calvin was my photographer ~
he chose not to ride.

A recent addition to the museum is
a beautiful, completely restored
Interurban Tram Car ~
From the era before most owned their
own transportation.
My Dad rode on one of these
as a young boy growing up in Vancouver.
(A little slice of personal history).

Did they look as nice as this back then Dad? :)

Here's a portion of the *main street*
with Howie and Fraser facing the camera.
I'm at the far left in this shot and
Emma is running toward me...
we're a little blurred ~
See us? :)

My Sweetie and me! :)


Thank you Calvin for taking
the photos!
It's tempting to stop
bringing my camera along with
me to things like this.
But then I remember that
it's necessary.
Often the photographer
gets left out of the pictures! :(

Next time it's my turn Calvin. XO

What are some of your family favourites?
Do you have special places you like
to visit during Christmas?

Please share!

Many Blessings,
Camille

Spelling Worries?

Spelling a struggle?
A Worry?

Having trouble remembering
all those *rules*
to teach to your children?
Looking for a program that
will cover all your bases?

The Phonetic Zoo
is a wonderful resource.
It has been a great program
for our family.

There are three levels ~
A, B, and C.
Level A begins with words such as either,
neither, and peacock.
Not really *beginner* words,
but it is where this program starts.

Emma is currently in grade four
and is working on the first list.

The third list is considered
high school level.

One of the greatest things about it
(in my opinion),
is that it is student-directed.
The student listens to a CD.
The words are given.
They write them down.
The correct spelling is dictated
to them as they mark their own work.
The rule of the program is
that they do not advance to the
next lesson until 100% is achieved.

It really works!
And it is not something
I have to worry about any more.
Yippee! :)
I hope you enjoy it as
much as we do.

Click Here
to get to the Phonetic Zoo website.

Happy Spelling!
Camille

**Disclaimer ~ I just share what
works for us and what we like.
I am not compensated in any way.

Challenge 2 - Boys and their toys

Welcome to our second challenge of the year.  We had some fab entries into our recycling chalenge.  I'll be back later on with the winner and top3 post.

This challenge is sponsored by one of our first ever sponsors, Hope Jacare.

"I'm a SAHM with three young children. I trained in Textile Design at the Glasgw School of Art and I love all things handmade, but especially papercrafts.  I love to doodle ... and my doodles are available to purchase as digital images through Stitchy Bear Stamps" 

The theme is 'Boys & Their Toys' and we have a prize of 3 digis from Hope Jacare to give away.  If you're in need of some inspiration, here's what our team came up with:

Michelle

Shirley

Tracy

Sandra

Alan:

Patricia

Jen

Mandy

Donna

I hope you're all fired up and ready to go. We love seeing all the entries.  Now for some rules:

1.  The card must be new for this challenge and follow the theme set.
2.  There must be a link in your post back to Cards for Men
3.  Your card must be for a boy/man.

The challenge will run from now until midnight GMT on 29 January 2012.  Leave a link to your card (not just your blog) in the link list below.  If the link list is not there for some reason, leave a comment and I'll add you in before the draw.  Good luck

Framework

I need a plan.
It's how I'm wired.

Framework.

I used to be opposed to the
alarm clock.
I would wake up at a reasonable
hour on my own.
Usually 7 AM.

But, not always.

Sometimes I slept in.
It was easy to let our schedule
fly out the window on those days.
The structure was gone.
Yes, we still got things done.
But, no one knew what to expect.

It felt horrible.

Hence, the need to revamp the system.
Revamp *the plan*.
My plan includes the alarm.
It has really been helpful.

It keeps me accountable.
Starting and ending
at the same time every day
is a BIG part of *the plan*.

Keeping it simple and
structured is imperative.

It's what works.
For me.

We homeschool.
Structure to our day is
so important.

Day after day.
The same.

My plan allows for flexibility.
Life happens.
I get that.
And there are seasons.
I get that, too.

But, as much as is possible,
*the plan* must be adhered to.

A time for rising.
A time for schooling.
Times for eating.
Times for exercise and worship.
Time for scheduled appointments,
work and play.
A time for resting.

A framework for the day.
Each day.

For me,
teaching is best done in the morning.
I have a block of time set aside for that.
Nothing is to interfere.
No chatting on the phone.
No computer work.
No appointments.

I need to be home.
And my mind must be too.

Afternoons are available
for appointments,
shopping and playing.

Liberty.
Freedom.
Peace.

We are all in various seasons.
My plan may not be what works for you.
Your *best* time to school might
be the exact opposite of mine.
(If you homeschool, that is).
Our days will be different from yours.
But, the principle is the same.

A plan is necessary to accomplish
what is necessary.

The goal?

A peaceful home.
Where we all know what to expect.
That we might bring Glory to God.
Each day.

By HIS Grace.

If you desire to implement a *plan*,
I would encourage you to pray.
Ask the LORD what HE would have you
keep and what HE would have you
eliminate from your schedule.
Ask your husband what his vision
for your home life is.
Together, make a plan.

And then,
be flexible.
Enjoy the life God has given you!
And live for HIS Glory!
Each day.

"But ye, brethren,
be not weary in well doing."
~ II Thessalonians 3:13 ~

Many Blessings,
Camille

Hot Fudge Sauce

Easy to make.  Yummy to eat.
Never ever need to buy
ready made again!

What are you waiting for?
This sauce will work well on any ice cream ~
I'm sure of it.  Actually...I know it.

First hand.

Here is the recipe ~

As found in the Tenth Edition of the

"Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book"

For your convenience

(not to mention your eyes)

the ingredients are listed below.

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup butter

2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup evaporated milk (5 oz can)

In small heavy saucepan

melt chocolate pieces and butter

over low heat.

Add sugar and gradually stir

in the milk.

Boil gently over low heat for

about 8 minutes ~ stir often.

Remove from heat and serve

warm over ice cream.

Makes about 1 & 1/2 cups

of pure yumminess.

Store leftovers in the fridge.

And try not to eat it

by the spoonful!

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Enjoy!

Camille