Kiwanis "Terrific Kid" Award

The local Kiwanis club goes out to the elementary schools in town each month and hands out "Terrific Kids" Awards and my Youngest son received the award for March. They do them differently at each school, but at my son's school they take a letter from "Terrific" each month and put and attribute with it and hand out the award for the kid in each class that best represents that attribute. March is the award for the "FRIENDLY" child and my Youngest, who is extremely friendly with everyone (even strangers on the street), received the award.
These are all the kids that received the "Friendly" Award...one from each class.

My son woke up not wanting to go to school this morning, but after receiving the award, which his brother, his brother's friend and I all got to see, he said "It's a happy day, MOM!"

Congratulations Son!!!!

Family Story Time

My family has started a new tradition of story time this winter, where I read to them and they sit around and listen. I can see us as a 19th century pioneer family, sitting in front of the fireplace in the evenings, having one of the parents, or if old enough one of the kids reading to the rest. It's fun.
I read to my husband at bedtime most nights...he says my voice relaxes him and I usually get to choose the books I read to him (most of them old favorites of mine that I want to share with him). Moon Called by Patricia Briggs is a fluff piece, but fun. My fun reading materials almost always deal with the supernatural and this one is about a "skinwalker" trying to survive in a world of werewolves, vampires, and fae.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riorden caught my Husband's and Oldest son's interests when they saw the movie previews and I brought home the book from the library so I read this one to them in the early evenings, after school work is done, but before I have to make supper. My Oldest isn't a big reader, but I think he's really enjoying having me read to him like I used to when he was so much younger. He will actually go and get the books in the evenings and ask me to read to them. I love that.

One of my Oldest son's best friends and a good friend of the family started cleaning out his bookshelves and found a collection of Scooby-Doo and You books. These are neat little books, because they give the kids the suspects and the clues and they get to try and solve the mystery before the Scooby Gang does! The first book we read was Scooby-Doo and You and the Case of the Haunted Hound. These will help with his comprehension later, since they ask questions after each chapter like "Who is the suspect?", "What do they do for a living?", "What is the Clue?", or "Why is the Clue important?" Then we discuss what we've just read before reading the next chapter. He's also having problems recognizing his letters, so I will choose 2-3 a week to concentrate on and I will have him pick them out in the book. He really seems to enjoy it. I usually sit down with him and read after lunch, and before his bath. Again he will go and get the book and bring it too me to read.

If you haven't tried doing this in your house, I would recommend it to everyone...even those without kids (the dogs will listen too!)

1st Day of March and Signs of Spring!

This first day of March brings the first signs that Spring may be just around the corner! I went out into the swamp I call a backyard and I just happened to look over the fence and saw these jonquils, which are the 1st flowers of the season. I love jonquils! Next will be the hyacinth and crocus and soon the tulips...I love spring flowers.

My menu plans for the next 2 weeks have been simplified a bit. I've had a tendency to try recipes with fancy things done to the meat, so I'm trying to go back to simply, but Yummy! This weekend my Husband and Oldest are off to a camp-out with their Scout Troop, so my Youngest and I will be at home and I try to spoil him when they are gone. He's asked me out on a date to McDonald's so I told him I would take him this week.

Menu for March 1-7:

Monday---Sloppy Joes w/Fried Potatoes and Peas w/Mushrooms

Tuesday---Sweet-n-Spicy Bacon wrapped Chicken w/Rice and Green beans

Wednesday---Beef Fajitas w/Onions, Refried beans and Spanish Rice

Thursday---Chili Dogs w/Tater tots and Coleslaw

Friday---Pizza

Saturday---McDonald's

Sunday---BBQ Beef Ribs w/Baked Beans and Potato Salad

Menu for March 8-14

Monday---Italian Sausage w/Pasta Salad

Tuesday---Ravioli w/Meatballs, Garlic Bread and Butter-fried Green beans

Wednesday---Pepperoni and Bacon Pizza w/Salad

Thursday---Balsamic-Honey Glazed Pork Chops w/Creamy Loaded Mashed Potatoes and Zucchini Cakes.

Friday---Herb and Wine Seasoned Chicken w/Parmesan Noodles and Peas

Saturday---Picante Egg Rolls w/Bacon-Nacho Salad

Sunday---Chicken Fried Steak w/Mashed Potato and Butter Corn

Saturday's weather was beautiful and it's just the beginning of a week of 50's weather and possibly even 60's by the weekend. My Husband took the boy's to a nearby school so they could practice their baseball and t-ball on the black top since the ground is saturated from the recent rain and/or snow we've had the last 2 weeks. My Oldest is looking forward to ball starting up soon and my Youngest has been ready to start his 1st year of t-ball instead of watching his brother's games. There's going to be a lot of schedule juggling come April and May and June!

My Youngest son is getting a Kiwanis "Terrific Kids" award at school this week. He's being recognized for his "Friendliness!" Everyone agrees...he is a very friendly child!
Off to do some more laundry...I never seem to get caught up on the laundry!

Goofiness!

This is what you can do with camping equipment when you are not camping!
My Husband and Oldest son were preparing to go on a campout in February.

My Youngest decided to wear the bedrolls as legs! (Using Daddy to hold himself up). My Oldest got into them too, but unfortunately I didn't get those pictures!

Our tour of Sweden is almost over...

Well our study of Sweden for the month of February is almost over! Although our study is starting to focus more on the foods of the country rather than the culture. This month was an example of that...other than watching a 15 minute DVD about the country, we haven't discussed anything else of interest. Although, my husband has started really getting interested in what we are going to make each month for our meal. He helped me research this meal, which was funny...I was exploring meals online at home and he was doing it at work and we were on the phone with each other asking how this dish or that dish looked. We've come to the realization that they are a meat and potato (and fish) country!...we had a lot of difficulty finding vegetable recipes.
Can't study Sweden without making Swedish meatballs: 1 lb. ground pork, 1 lb. ground beef, 3/4 c. bread crumbs, 1/4 c. milk, 1 egg, 1 small onion, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Mix and make 1-inch meatballs. This recipe says to bake them at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, but I fried mine. Take meatballs out and with 3 tablespoons of drippings make a rue by stirring in 3 tbsp. flour. Cook over low heat until smooth and bubbly then add 1 c. half-and-half, 1 tsp. instant beef bouillon, 1/2 tsp salt and boil 1 min. Boil 1 min., take off heat and add meatballs, and stir and top with minced parsley.

Hasselbeck Potatoes (okay, but not my favorite, would have been just as good if I'd boiled them): peel 6 potatoes and cut in slices without cutting through the potato forming a fan shape. Brush with butter and salt and pepper, bake in 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. Mix together 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese and 2 tbsp dry bread crumbs, sprinkle over potatoes, sprinkle with paprika and bake another 20-30 minutes.

The Swedish have access to the fruits of the sea, which I do not here in the middle of the US, so I had to make substitutions and guesses. On the right you see the wheat bread, smoked salmon and Havarti cheese I put out.

On the left I have dill pickles, sweet pickles, lingonberry jam. And on it's own little plate is the Herring that was canned in oil.

Our local Homeland has a nice International foods section so I was happy to be able to find Lingonberry Jam! It was good, different...but not bad!

We have a very scientific method of choosing which country we will choose next (I've put 30-40 countries on little sheets of paper and placed them in a brown lunch bag to be drawn each month!). My husband got the honor for this month so it looks like we are off to France for March!

Percy Jackson Mania!

I discover new reading material everywhere, even when I'm not looking. I check out amazon.com, the local library's website, or I might see a synopsis of a book in a magazine or on a blog or at the end of another book. Sometimes I even get ideas from the TV and that is how I discovered the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series (can't get away from the commercials for the new movie!). I thought the movie looked interesting and in my 36 years of experience if I like the movie, I usually love the book so I picked up Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief after a brief wait on the waiting list at the Library (I also put in a request for the 2nd book!), which I just finished.

I loved both books! Rick Riorden did an excellent job incorporating Greek mythology into the modern age and Percy is a well thought out character (he reminds me of my 12 yr. old!), who is drug into the world of Gods and Goddess' and Mythical Beasts kicking a screaming. It's especially fun when a character is introduced, but they are not named...then I get to try and remember the mythology I learned in Highschool to name that character before Percy figures it out!

In the afternoons, after school, but before supper I usually sit down and read a chapter to my Husband, and 12 & 5 yr old sons! It's the quietest I see them all day as they sit a listen to the story. My Husband and Oldest also try to figure out the characters before Percy (my Husband is usually right, although my Oldest has figured out several beforehand!)

February is Sweden Month

We are really starting to get into and look forward to our study of a different country each month. We're studying Sweden in February after studying Russia in January. We had fun with Russia and now Sweden looks equally fun.

January---Russia Month

---We watched a video about Russia, colored the flag, learned about their schools, and ate Russian food including: Chicken Kiev, Vinegret Salad (carrots, potatoes, and beets), Pirozhki and Deviled Eggs. It was delicious.

February---Sweden Month

---We've begun our journey with a video (our library has a bunch of these about different countries. They are from the viewpoint of a child from that country and my boys are really enjoying them)

---We've discussed the flag, but we still need to color it

---Swedish Menu---not sure yet, but husband is pushing for a Swedish smorgasbord! A little bit of everything.

---Schools and Everyday life of a Swedish child---have books to read about these and the Internet is an excellent source of info.

---This time we are also going to read a short biography of Queen Christine (I hope I spelled this correctly).

---And of course with the Olympics this month we plan on keeping track of not only the US, but the 3 countries we've already studied: Germany, Russia and Sweden! This is going to be fun.