Quiddler

We spend a lot of time playing games with our kids.  We started teaching them to play UNO when they are 3.  It is a very simple game that they can play with help that teaches them colors and numbers.

As the kids get older we move onto more challenging games.  My favortie games are the ones that are fun to play as well as educational.  Quiddler has become a favorite to play after we put the little boys to bed and have some peace and quiet in the house (Ok that is all relative - the big 4 kids make plenty of noise).  It takes a bit of concentration but is a great spelling and vocabulary reinforcement.

One of the funnest parts is seeing the silly/gross/unusual words that get spelled.  Here are the kids with their winner hands.

 

 

Jim generally spends the game helping the kids with their hands and then having to play his own. He is a great father - and I am not saying that because I am a bit biased.

Follow this link to Amazon to read a full review of the game.  So much fun.

What games do you like to play with your family?

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What Motivates Me

I am always coming up with a mile long list of things I need to change in my life and while
I could ignore that list it gets a little hard because every time I turn around I see one of my kids.

I have Tim who when I announce what is for dinner (if he is excited about it) give me a hug and tells me he loves me - food is the way to that boys heart.

Then there is Andrew who although a total goof ball can be so sweet and loves to snuggle.

Allison is full of creativity and is learning to sew.  A small compliment and she is beaming for the rest of the day.

Kathryn wants so much to participate in whatever I am doing.  She wants to be helpful and takes joy in being of service.   I am hard pressed to start working in the kitchen and she is not there asking to help.

Then there are the little boys - Peter and Jacob.  They are just a bundle of trouble and yet I can't help but smile every time I see them.

Recently I have been thinking a lot about my health.  I have come to the point in my life where I realize clearly that I am not getting any younger.  Not that I am old but I am squarely in my mid 30's.  I am about 50 lbs overweight and I need to loose those extra pounds.  I need to do it for my children so they can have a healthy and active mother who can keep up with them for years and years to come.  Yeah and I want to be thin so I can feel good about myself and look great in the latest fashions but really it is about my kids. 

My children are my motivation.  I need to put a photo of them on my fridge and pantry so when I am tempted to make a not so healthy food choice I will remember why I shouldn't. 

What motivates you?

Week in Review

Highlights from my week.

Jacob is teething - such a sad little boy.

Jim and I have an agreement.  He is the potato peeler and I am the potato cutter.  It sure makes cooking with potatoes go so much faster.  Plus we get to visit while we work in the kitchen.  Not a bad deal at all.

Our wheat is stored in 5 gallon buckets with containers of sulphur in them to hep preserve the wheat.  I don't entirely understand the whole sulphur thing  (the wheat came from my parents).  Well to make a long story short the sulphur container spilled into the wheat and we had a disaster of a batch of bread.  The entire house smelled like rotten eggs.  It was nasty!

 

 The bread from the bad sulphur contaminated wheat was supposed to be for lunch.  I didn't have much else on hand for a quick lunch so I had to get creative.  I sauteed squash, broccoli, carrots, cabbage and green onions on some bacon grease (I always save it in the fridge) tossed in leftover black beans and rice.  I seasoned it with fish sauce and Thai curry paste.  The kids loved it so much we had it again for lunch 2 days latter.  I love that my kids will eat veggies.

 

Tim is camping with the young men in the ward tonight.  He is a good sport to let me take his photo on the way out the door.  He needs a hair cut.  It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't so curly.

School started this week.  That means that I once again have 4 math lessons to correct every day.  The kids do it sometimes but I like to do it to keep better tabs on their progress.  Andrew has terrible handwriting.  He has this thing about using as little of his paper as possible.  It makes it so hard to correct.

Allison was hungry and went scavenging in the kitchen.  She thought that Peppermint extract sounded good.  She was surprised by the flavor and will never do that again.