Spring

Around here, there's one sure way to tell it's Spring.

Beans!  Sadly, these beans didn't last too long.  Our tall, glass drinking glasses are still packed...somewhere.  I had to use a small juice glass and the bean stalk didn't have enough support.  We'll try again once the glasses are discovered.

The kids love watching their beans grow.  Here's what we did:
1.  Buy some beans!  We used the little white ones (navy, or Great Northern Beans...I think they're the same thing)
2.  Soak the beans in water overnight (do not skip this step!)
3.  Assemble a tall drinking glass made of clear glass, paper towels, a sheet of copy paper, and water
4.  Bend the copy paper into a tube shape (like you're making a telescope) and place it inside the glass.
5.  Loosely crumple up several paper towels, and stuff the paper-lined glass with them.
6.  Sandwich your beans (2 or 3 work well) between the rolled-up copy paper and the drinking glass.  Stuff the beans about 3-inches from the bottom of the glass, and position them evenly around the glass (they will need room to grow)
7.  Moisten the paper towels with tap water.  It's ok if the copy paper gets wet.  We're not going for soaking wet, but it does need to be quite damp.
8.  Place glass on window sill and wait for sprouts!  This will likely happen the very next day.
9.  Check daily to make sure the paper towels stay moist.

If you decide to plant the bean outdoors, you should expose it to the outdoor environment over several days.  Leave it outside for a few hours at a time, then bring it back indoors.  After a few days of that, plant it in the soil.  We haven't had much luck with the outdoor bean-growing because we're just not that patient.

The Bunnies

We love the bunnies.  Liam got a 1.5 oz one all to himself.  He was thrilled.

The ears are always the best part.

Here's a peek at the baskets.  Declan's just had a Peep and a rattle.  (No, he didn't get to eat the Peep!)

St. Patrick!

Green "eggs" in honor of St. Patrick.
I'm sure the great bishop of Ireland had a sense of humor...right?

Wall Demo

Today at long last, the wall between the dining room and kitchen is down and dust is (mostly) cleared and ready for new paint.  I'm not ready to paint, however.  Too much going on!
Before:

There was a cabinet above a roll top desk, which Patrick intends to refurbish and install in one of the kids' rooms.  (Holly gets dibs.)  The carpet in the dining room was torn out the very day we bought the house.  That was also the day we discovered major floor damage due to rain and ants.  I will post about that later.
Patrick had to remove a bunch of electrical wires, plus a phone jack and a light switch.  Our friend did the heavy-duty stuff.
 
Current:

Hardwood floor, new sliding door, cheery light green paint and no wall!  A beam was installed over the opening, but no columns were necessary.

Crown moulding or no crown moulding, that is the current question...and also whether or not to keep the dinette.

The Hiding Place

It's Lent, and I am resolved to do more reading and less "screen watching".  I recently finished The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom.  This is a moving account of two Christian sisters' experience at a Nazi concentration camp.

Read the book to discover why Corrie was eventually able to thank God, "even for the fleas" that were ever-present and relentless in the sleeping area at Ravensbruck.  Borrow it, or buy it.  You won't be able to put it down.

That anyone survived the horrible conditions described in this book is remarkable.  What happens after the war is even more unbelievable--Corrie explains how she was able to forgive her persecutors.  The book has reminded me to thank God for every precious moment, and to strive always to remain "in the center of His will".

Valentines

We are getting ready for a homeschooling party.  Lots of fun stuff going on in the kitchen.
Lollipops, for one.

A whole crew of helpers!
Note the baby in the jumper :)

Yes, I still have my Christmas cards up.  I love Christmas cards sooo much!  I keep them forever.  Usually I don't display them quite this long though.  ahem.


Ready to give away.

 

Now for the chocolate goodies.  My fave.

Chocolate-covered Oreos.  Easy, peasy with these ingenious things.

Chocolate brownies.  So much work, but so very cute.   

I want to make these again right NOW!  I baked them in a 9x9 pan, cut out heart shapes using a small heart-shaped cookie cutter, then dipped each one in chocolate glaze before sprinkling decorations on top.  Delicious.

 

  

For the glaze:  4 oz chocolate + 1/4 cup butter (no substitutes!) + 1 TBS honey or corn syrup.  Melt together and stir til smooth.

Let the party begin!

One Down

January is OVER at midnight tonight.  How the heck did that happen? 

My babies are growing up too fast.  The boxes are getting unpacked too slowly.  It's all a blur.  I'm waiting eagerly to unpack the rubberstamps!  My beloved art supplies are packed away in the cold and dark.  sniff.  Not that I have time to use them...

Progress on the basement has begun!  Unlike the other house, this time we're using sound-deadening insulation in the basement ceiling and walls.  "Soon" I will have a sewing/stamping room and a brand new classroom--with a sink!  Very exciting.

January in Pictures
Waffle-making helpers.  Liam pulls up a step-stool nearly every time I'm working in the kitchen.

Patrick got another year older.  This is the sorriest looking cake I've ever made.  We referred to it as the "Dr. Suess Cake".  Wow.  Embarrassing.  But it was tasty.  He requested "chocolate, non-ganache icing".  I used the recipe on the Hershey's Cocoa container.  Very yummy. It had four layers.  Four very crooked layers.

Laurel also had a birthday.  She requested ganache--good girl!  She also requested "oreos".  Note the birthday plate--a new family tradition begins this year.  We cut the oreos in two and placed them cut-side down around the top of the cake.  They soaked up the ganache and were so delicious!  See those packing boxes?...full of art supplies.  sniff...

Holly performed an eight-minute long concerto with her teacher at the biannual piano recital.  She did very well!  Laurel and Sean also performed and did great.

 

Progress on the basement whine cellar.  This place will not be finished for some time, but it will be far enough along soon so that the kids can play--and keep their whining away from me ;)
This view is from the future sewing room looking into the future classroom.

 

...and a Declan photo, for good measure!