Thank you to all of you that have purchased items or donated!
We need $505.00…and we’re at almost $300.00 right now. Two more days to raise $200.00…we can do it…God is SO good. 
If you’re still interested in donating, comment here or email me: Roamschooler@yahoo.com Becca…(Nice to hear from you!) please email me…I cant seem to get access to email you….
Thank you all for everything you’ve done. You are all such a blessing to me.
I’m a leader for our church’s Missionette’s program. Our little group is full of talented, sweet little girls from age 3-12. We are scheduled to perform at a talent focus in June, and we just found out today that we need over $500.00….IN A WEEK. Our ministry has fundraisers coming up, but none are before our deadline. The girls EARNED THIS by scoring a “superior” in their category(ies)…it would crush me to tell them we cant go.
Soo…
I’m starting a fundraiser here to earn as much as possible in the next 7 days.
The following items are/will be available.
Challah bread: $5.00
Honey butter, made from scratch..the butter too! $4.00 for one pound.
Pillowcase dresses, size 6 mo- 4T $15.00 each. I have a few fabrics available, if you’re interested, comment here and I’ll get back to you on what I have.
Baby slings: $22.00
Matching dolly slings (or just the dolly sling!) $6.00
Lil’ girls aprons $5.00. You tell what color you prefer, I pick fabric.
Homemade Laundry soap: 2 gallons, (32 loads) Five dollars.
Lemme know if you’re interested in anything!! 
My doxie got Hyacinth, my silver laced chick.
It happened in front of the girls. 
She was in the temp pen outside, must have stuck her head through, and he grabbed her. He apparently broke her neck, then yanked her through the fencing.
It’s just such a bummer.
I’d say there’s a difference.
I’ve been told lately that I’m overcomplicating my life. I briefly touched on this in a recent post, but I thought I’d elaborate here.
I’ve said before that I buy very, very few convenience foods. Many have told me that I would simplify my life if I’d cave in and purchase more boxed items. I prefer to think that simple living is more easily achieved when things are created from natural, whole, or simple ingredients. Is it more *convenient* to open up a pack of cookies rather than bake some with stuff you have on hand? Of course it is. Is it complicated to make them from scratch? I dont think so. There’s a certain *simple* pleasure that comes from creating something from ingredients you have at home…and sharing that experience with your children.
Does my lifestyle take more effort? Yes. Is it, at times, inconvenient? Sure. That said, there is a certain simplicity that comes from not having to deal with brands, elevated prices on “crap food”, and not being a slave to unnecessary foods. The fact that its also so gratifying to *create* something also makes any inconvenience worth the effort.
Am I against convenience foods? No. I simply choose to avoid purchasing them whenever possible. If I can do it myself, for a cheaper price, why wouldn’t I? The other side of that coin is, if I CANT make it cheaper, I wont bother trying. I’d rather spend 1.88 on a box of 12 packs of austin cheese cracker sandwiches than try to figure out how to make a similar snack for my children. At rougly $.16 a pack, I cant complain. Nevermind the fact that I dont know how to make cheese crackers (nor do I have a desire to figure it out!)
On occasion, I will purchase a box of eggo waffles. 24 of them are rougly 2.98 at the store. I will purchase them if I know we’ve got a busy week ahead of us, or if, frankly, one of us is really wanting them. I wouldn’t ever buy them if I had a waffle iron, but I’m working on that. I keep hoping I’ll find one second hand. 
If I can make a $1.09 box of pancake batter last a week, why wouldnt I take the extra 10 minutes to mix it and put them on my griddle? It seems like a small savings at only about $2.00 a week, but thats how we save money around here…one small bit at a time. The money I save each week on waffles works out to about $104.00 a year. That’s an annual zoo membership and the gas to get there six or seven times.
I also save about $1.00 a week on syrup. I make my own from sugar, water, a couple tbsp of brown sugar, some maple extract and a bit of butter extract as well. One sack of sugar, a sack of brown sugar, and the extracts works out to roughly $8.00. The extracts will last me at LEAST six months, and thats if I make syrup every 2 weeks. The sugar will give me about six or seven bottles of the stuff, and the brown sugar even more. I could easily spend $3.00 every time I go to the store on two bottles of syrup. that’s $6.00 a month on syrup. I spend about $12.00 on supplies every six months. That’s $24.00 saved every six months, or $48.00 a year. That’s enough money for all the fabric I need to make an entire summer wardrobe for BOTH girls combined.
Is it always convenient? No. Complicated? I dont think so.
Here’s my favorite one right now.
I make yogurt. I make 8 cups a week. That’s what, 2 quarts? I use powdered milk, so thats about $2.00 in milk. This makes 2 quarts of yogurt, which usually runs me about $3.00 per quart. I’m paying closer to $1.00 per quart, a $2.00 savings on EACH quart. I go through 2 a week, saving of course four dollars a week, just on yogurt. That’s $208.00 a YEAR. On Yogurt, people! Thats a camping trip, including gas!
Convenient? Not always. Complicated? No way. The crock pot does all the work anyway. 
And here, is probably the most amazing one I have. It’s not a food, but it is a necessary item. I (as I have mentioned) started making laundry soap. (I really need to post directions…)…Anyway, it goes something like this:
One box of borax: 2.69
One box of *washing* soda (Not baking soda) 2.19
One bar of laundry soap $.89
Total? 5.77
The bar will make 3 batches.
Each batch of soap only requires 3/4 cup of both the washing soda and borax. I’m no mathmatic genious, so I’m not going to try and figure that out…but thats about 30 cents for the soap, and lets just say we get 12 batches out of the borax and washing soda. That’s $.18 for the washing soda and about $.25 for the borax. So thats roughly $.70 for right around 2 gallons of soap. This will do at least 32 loads of laundry,(if you use more than recommended) which will last me right around 3 weeks.
I pay about 12.99 every three weeks for laundry soap. that sounds high for someone as frugal as myself, but I did buy tide. I am picky, picky, picky about my soap, so I assure you, the homemade soap actually works.
Ok, so thats a difference of 12.29. I’m saving 12.29 every three weeks! Thats almost 209.00 a year on soap. :O
Convenient? Not always. Complicated? Who cares. That’s 209.00 a year…on soap!
I have about 1/2 of a killer ham I made the other day. It was a gift from my Mama. Get this..she got a 10 lb ham for 8.42! It’s even Farmer John. Man, it was good. (and yes, Mom, I’m still making you beans.)
Anyway, bed of cole slaw mix, chopped ham, cheese, boiled egg slices, whatever other veggies I have in the fridge…some dressing, and ta-daaaaaa….cobb salad.
The hubs is SO excited. Gotta love a man that still appreciates ham-n-eggs. Oh yeah, and cole slaw mix.
And I have a gameplan!
You all read about my 4 week pantry cleanse. Now, I’m finding I need a freezer cleanse.
I’m not going to buy any meat for the next two weeks.
I have a ham, 2 packages of “carne picada” (chopped beef), some leftover turkey from a few weeks ago, a ham hock (mmm…beans!), a pork tenderloin, (thanks Mom!) and 2 chicken breasts.
If I cant make it on that, then we’re eating too much meat.
I also wanted to share with you how easy it is to make fresh corn tortillas. I know I’ve mentioned that Piper makes them at three years old…so you have no excuse.
Go to the “ethnic” or “hispanic” food aisle at your store…look for “Maseca” prepared masa flour. Add water, a bit of salt, (directions are on the bag), get yourself a 10.00 tortilla press, pinch off a golf ball sized hunk of the masa, roll it up, place it between two sheets of plastic (I split a ziplock bag) press a few times and grill. Seriously, they are SUPER easy, and the yummiest things on the planet. I paid 2.29 for my sack of Masa Preparada, it has lasted over 2 weeks, and I probably have another week or two in that sack. Sometimes I need 4 tortillas, sometimes I need 16. Either way, I no longer find myself throwing out half a sack of corn tortillas or spending 3.79 for said sack.
Back to my gameplan: If I’m going to use the meat I have, then that will save me about 30.00 or more this week. I’m going to go ahead and buy a big brick of cheese (about 12.00 at Super Walmart…Tillamook, my favorite!) and use that in other dishes. Those two lonely chicken breasts I have will be just enough meat for some killer chicken quesadillas. Another tip: If you like spicy, go back to that “ethnic food aisle”, grab a bottle of La Sabrozita Tomatillo sauce. It’s about $2.00, which is MUCH cheaper than making it, and its phenominal. I made enchiladas with it the other day and holy smokes it was good! It’s good on eggs, beans, in burritos, and this week, it will be put in those quesadillas I speak of.
Speaking of eggs, they ARE way too expensive these days, (and hopefully I wont have to buy them much longer…come on girls!!) but they are a cheap(er) way to feed the fam. Make a few of those delicious tortillas, add some tomatillo sauce, a little cheese….put some beans on the side, and voila. Mmm..Now I’m getting hungry.
Meals dont have to be so complicated. I’ve been told by many people that I am making life harder for myself by working from scratch…but the truth is, my meals are simple and delicious…and I’m teaching my kids valuable skills. Enjoying things in their simple form (although not necessarily convenient) will make a comeback…you wait and see.
It was eight years ago today that my life was given true perspective. I finally knew what vulnerability was. What complete humility felt like. The sensation of purpose. The ability to grasp the true beauty of the human body, as well as the complete euphoria that one can feel when in the presence of God and his miracles.
It took you 45 hours to come out of there…maybe the longest 2 days of my life, and not because labor=agony, but because I was so ready to meet you that it seemed like a cruel scenario to be in.
The first time I held you was the first time I realized the magnitude of your existance. One would think that this would come during pregnancy, but it didn’t for me. The first time I looked into your eyes, I realized that my happiness now depended on the well being of another human. A human I grew in my womb and nutured for nine months. A little creature that your Daddy and I lovingly called “the dolphin”. The same little creature that kept us up late at night simply because we wanted to sit in silence and watch you move in my belly.
You were named when we were 2 months pregnant. I didn’t need a girls name, I knew you were a boy. It was such a joy to call you by name for months before you were even in our arms.
You and I have grown together in so many ways in the last 8 years. You’ve overcome more than some adults I know, and you may never know how much I admire your strength and character. You inspire me to be a better person, Gavin.
You make waking up in the morning so much easier.
You make the beautiful things in the world so much brighter and more vibrant.
You make me smile.
A lot.
I love you, and I’m proud of what you’re becoming. You’re going to be an amazing man one day…I’m sure it will come sooner than I realize.
All I ask is that you never forget how much I love you, even when you think I’m un-cool, out of touch, and “so totally lame”.
Happy Birthday my sweet baby boy. I’m proud of who you are.
I dont want to clean today.
I dont want to cook.
I dont want to fold a single piece of laundry.
I want to dig out a cave and hide in it…anyone wanna join me?
You ever feel like you’ll never catch up? Like its an endless attempt to reach something that will always dangle before you?
That’s how I feel right now.
This will pass…I’ll be better in a few hours…but at the moment, I’m at my limit.
Off to do everything I dont want to.
That’s what I feel today.
My son was sick all day yesterday, and to see his smiling face with his well-rested eyes and healthy glow just made my day.
My Trinity had a visit from the tooth fairy last night and the look of wonder in her face today was so much fun. She’s lost 7 or 8 teeth now, but the look of amazement never gets old.
Then there’s my wee one, Piper. She’s my mini-me. It’s so funny to watch her pretend play because she mimics me SO much. The way she talks to her baby dolls…the way she pretends to cook…the way she gardens throughout the day. It’s just really interesting to watch. She’s the prime example of “monkey see, monkey do”.
Case in point:
Last night we got home a little late after helping dh’s mom with something. I still had to fix his lunch for today and finish preparing my yogurt for the week. Piper was still awake (of course…she is the amazing sleepless child afterall), and she wanted to help me. I try to encourage the kids to help me in the kitchen, but there are times when I just want to get it done. Like, you know, when it’s already 10pm, and you just want to go to bed, but you’re making tacos instead? Yeah. Like that.
So I mix up the Masa for the tortillas…start frying up the meat in tomatillo sauce, and do the final step of my yogurt prep while I’m at it. Meanwhile I’m rotating laundry, putting the animals “to bed”, laying out the hubs’ clothes, and all the while thinking about how I need to change the catbox. So as I’m cooking the meat, and I’ve put the first pressed tortilla on the comal, I hear P scoot a chair up to the counter behind me. I watch her as she makes a ball of dough, places it between two sheets of plastic, and presses down hard. She lifts it, inspects the thickness, and presses again. She does this two or three times, peels it off of the plastic, and hands it to me to heat. I was sort of astounded that my 3 year old just made a tortilla. Imagine my shock and excitement though when she proceeded to make ten of them. We were a well oiled machine. As I pulled one fresh off the heat, I turned around to find her holding the next one in her hand.
I had never taught her…except by example. Goes to show how important our example is. How much of an impact it has…and that it really can and does “stick” in their minds. I can tell my children over and over what to do, how to do it, why they should do it, and when its appropriate to do so…but unless I’m showing them, it’s really a waste of my time, and theirs.
Sharing a special, simple pleasure with Piper last night really became so much more than making tortillas.
It was a reminder to me that actions truly speak louder than words.
It has become more and more evident lately that the kids are growing up WAY too fast.
Trinity helped me make corn tortillas to go w/breakfast this morning. I was pleasantly surprised that she actually has it down pretty well. She’s very cautious around the comal (the griddle we make our torts on), very respectful of heat in other words. She’s pretty good with the press, and even makes the perfect masa ball. It’s fun to watch her bloom in the kitchen.
She also rec’d her first sewing lesson from me today. She’s making a skirt for a sewing contest on Saturday, and her stitches were fairly straight!! I think the power behind the machine scared her a little, but she adjusted to it pretty quickly. It’s really just such a joy to watch her turn into a little lady.
I made the observation this morning that Piper takes up half the length of the bed now. Yeah, that means she’s still tiny, but my “baby” will be four next month, and she’s growing like a weed. She also has chores, which is a sure sign of a “big kid”. For what its worth, an almost four year old is fully capable of removing clothes from the dryer, putting away most dishes, feeding and watering a cat, watering house plants, and setting the table. ;) Reading the little house books really puts into perspective what children are capable of doing, if its simply expected of them.
And Gavin. *sigh*…my boy.
He’ll be eight years old in exactly a week. He’s picking out his own clothes, passing on the stuff mom picks out. He’s reading chapter books, using a hammer, and has decided to grow his hair out. What I think is most amazing at this point, however, is the fact that he can apparently catch fish. Mom gifted the Hubs and I w/a fishing boat that was owned by my Aunt and Uncle in Oregon. Nifty boat, I might add. Took it out on the lake last weekend, and had a complete BLAST. Took the boat to the far end of the lake, and anchored ourselves under a powerline because the hubs’ best friend said he read in a fishing mag that fish are drawn to living beneath them. Not sure if its true or not, but it sure worked for us!! We were only out for about 3 hours, and we caught four fish. Gavin caught the first two, Trin the second, and I caught the last (but we told Piper it was her catch. Funny, too, because she didnt help pull it in, but for some reason believed it was her glory to be had.) I was shocked that we had such luck as I’ve been fishing countless times in the last 13 years, but its the first fish I have caught since I was 15. We brought home our catch(es), parked our behinds in the front yard, and began to clean them. I thought for sure Gavin would be completely grossed out, but I was wrong. Not only was he fascinated, but OFFERED to clean his fish. :O
So there he was, cleaning his catch, and doing it well I might add. He thought finding the ball of power bait within the stomach of the fish was an added bonus.
I sat and watched him and actually teared up. He’s my baby. My first born. My sweet, sweet boy that is growing up right before my eyes. He’s turning into a man, slowly but surely, and if his ability to prepare a fish is any indication of his future abilities as a full grown “hunter gatherer”, then he’s going to be just fine.
There are times when it is hard to watch them grow…but I must remind myself that *this* is what its all about. Preparing them for life so that I can send them out…them becoming more self-sufficient is only an affirmation that we’re doin’ *something* right.
