Herding Grasshoppers

One Day

2009-11-14T09:43:00.000-08:00

No kidding, I took all these pics yesterday, out the same window.

~ 9AM

It's windy and wet.

Rain is streaming down the window,

and we can't see many of the hills around the lake.

~1:30PM

It's gorgeous, and cold.

Fresh snow up in the hills.

~4:30PM

Huge clouds have rolled in, bringing early darkness,
thunder and lighting.

And...

... hail and snow, much to the boys' delight!

Our first (little) snow of the year.

Wise Words

2009-11-13T08:39:00.000-08:00

.
From Elizabeth Elliott (Keep A Quiet Heart):

A young woman came in great perplexity to a Scottish preacher, asking how she could resolve the question of her own desires when they seemed to be in such contradiction to the will of God. He took a slip of paper, wrote two words on it, handed it to her with the request that she sit down for ten minutes, ponder the words, cross out one of them, and bring the slip back to him. She sat down and read: No Lord. Which to cross out? It did not take her long to see that if she was saying No she could not say Lord, and if she wanted to call Him Lord, she could not say No.

That woman is a laser.
.

Disney Pics

2009-11-12T21:30:00.000-08:00

Just in, from Aunt Tami...

Wyatt opted not to take his camera, which was fine, as both Tami and Dave had theirs. I told him he must get a picture of himself with Mickey. I know he's 13, but you're never too old for a picture with Mickey!

I think he rode "Grizzly River Rapids" at least five times :0)

The two hams...

... still at it. I love the expressions!

They're Back :0)

2009-11-12T10:44:00.000-08:00

No pics yet, but all are back safe and sound :0) We met them at the airport last night, with great joy. They had a fantastic time, nobody got sick (just tired!) and - at home - Gunnar is improving.

I had hoped to do a bunch of fun things with Tate and Gunanr while Wyatt was gone, but we ended up being home a LOT due to Gunnar being sick and the nasty (cold and rainy) weather. We played a lot of games and did a lot of reading :0) Grandma Grasshopper took us (Tate, Gunnar and me) out to lunch and a movie the day after Tate's b'day, as Gunnar was feeling better by then.

I'll post a few pics when we download them from Aunty Tami :0)

Simple Woman #33

2009-11-09T22:26:00.000-08:00

Simple Woman

FOR TODAY November 9, 2009

Outside my window... dark. It's late. Forgot to post earlier. Oops.

I am thinking... about my boys. One in CA, having a glorious time. One seems to be recovering from a mild illness. And another had a birthday today! Tate is eleven!

I am thankful for... my family. The immediate family, mostly asleep as I type. And the extended family who generously love us :0)

I am praying for... the CA contingent, that they are all healthy and having a blast.

I am wearing... blue jeans, blue shirt, blue sweater.

I am going... to bed, momentarily.

I am reading... music! How's that for variety?

I am hoping... Gunnar is truly well tomorrow so we can take Tate out and do something fun for his b'day. (Postponed from today, to let Gunnar recover.)

I am hearing... beautiful music, in my head. I'm just back from rehearsal.

I am remembering... the amazing inspiring sounds of a 75-voice choir.

From the learning rooms... not much going on this week, with Wyatt gone, Gunnar feeling blah, and Tate having a b'day :0)

From the kitchen... all done for the evening. The dishwasher is gurgling away and the floors look mah-ve-lous, me having spent some time sweeping, mopping and waxing today.

Around the house... blessed quiet. The sound of boys sleeping. Ahhhhhh.....

On my mind... why do little boys' heads sweat when they first go to sleep?

Pondering these words... Gunnar, enjoying creaming me at Monopoly, "I'm the typhoon!" Or the tycoon.

One of my favorite things... sleeping little boys :0)

A few plans for the rest of the week... no soccer! November is our rainiest month and I am gloating with joy, as I curl up in my warm, dry house with my boys and books. We've been playing a lot of games too.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

Rejoice With Those Who Rejoice...

2009-11-08T21:51:00.000-08:00

Wyatt has called on Aunt Tami's cel... from the airport in Seattle, from their hotel room as they watched Disney's fireworks show last night, and then again this evening.

I'm not sure how many times he's been on California Screamin', but the boy is in heaven.

It helps that the temps are in the mid 70's and expected to be even warmer tomorrow.
(Meanwhile, we've had thunderstorms, buckets of rain, and now snow on the hills around the lake...)

When we went as a family in 2007, Splash Mountain was closed.

So he's been making up for lost time, I think :-)

I remember the feeling of free-fall, from riding that 19 years ago...

I can just look at this picture and feel myself leaving my stomach behind!

We are really, really praying for the California crew.

We put them on the airplane yesterday morning, and as of late yesterday afternoon

Gunnar is sick.

Today Is The Day!!!

2009-11-07T11:11:00.000-08:00

It's finally here! We put our oldest on a plane this morning, with his aunt and uncle, headed for "The Happiest Place on Earth" :

I hope Disneyland is ready for him...

Another reason I'm glad we're homeschooling...

2009-11-05T13:46:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken (not by me) last night, at the school Wyatt would be attending if he were in public school. Nobody was hurt, as it happened at night. Don't know the extent of the damage yet, but I doubt anyone will be attending there for the rest of this school year.

Don't think for a moment that I'm gloating about what happened. Many of our good friends are affected.

I am thankful, however, that we're not. :0)

UPDATE:
The school was nearing the end of seismic retrofitting and there is speculation that welders were on the roof until 10:30 the night before, and may have inadvertently caused the fire. I don't know.

Thankfully it was at night and nobody was there, so nobody was hurt. But it was a really windy night and the fire took the whole roof and probably most of the upper floor (library, science classrooms, and I don't know what else.) And, of course, the thousands of gallons of water they needed to put out the fire have flooded the school.

They're looking at options of what to do with the kids - probably send each grade to a different site. In the meantime, they have a one-week unscheduled 'vacation'.

Wa-WAH! - Gunnar

2009-11-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

Gunnar loves to play soccer... because it's fun and he's with his friends, but he doesn't have that competitive fire that drives his brothers. Still, he's made great strides this year in diving right into the action and not being afraid to mix it up a bit with the other boys.

In fact, he's concentrating so hard that (look at his hands) in one game he gave himself a blister... on his thumb! I think he was clenching his fists to make himself go faster!

He described the action here like this:

In this picture one of my teammates and I are tryin' to get a goal. I have the ball. Hayden, like we were trained, is going to run up to the goal so I can pass it to him. But I don't remember if we scored that time or not.

Yes, usually his eyes are open! It was sunny and very windy.

Staying warm on the sidelines.

That's a Wrap - Tate

2009-11-05T12:27:00.000-08:00

After missing the first couple of games this season, due to his appendix, Tate made a fantastic come-back, and has been a joy to watch. He is relentless; he never gives up. And he's becoming much more aware of how the plays develop and is better able to position himself to intercept and disrupt his opponents. He loves playing defense and "mid".

Refueling, with good old water!

One of Tate's coaches started calling him "The Pick-pocket". He has a way of zooming in, out of nowhere, taking the ball away, and moving it upfield almost before his opponents know what has happened!

And win or lose, but especially win (!), Tate has a love for the game that oozes out his very pores.

It Is Finished - Wyatt

2009-11-05T12:14:00.000-08:00

You may recall, from my recent "Soccer Updates" that we were closing in on the end of the season.

Yes, I love watching my boys play soccer. I love what a good experience it is for them to develop skills, teamwork, and sportsmanship. I love that they are usually pretty good about being gracious winners and gracious losers. And I really, really love all the energy they burn off at the practices and the games.

But I also really, really, really love that we're done for awhile. :0)

Having posted very few pictures through the season, let me give you a peek.

Wyatt's league (a combined U13 and U14) didn't have enough teams with enough players to play outdoor, so they had an indoor league. (Less players on the field at a time.) It's very difficult to get good pics in the sportsplex, because the lighting is so dim. I think my sister did a great job, getting these!

The boys sprayed their hair with purple (and orange, for some reason) temporary hair color.

Wyatt, getting the ball out of the area near the goal.

I love that size really doesn't matter very much in soccer. Even though Wyatt is one of the oldest kids in this league, he's still one of the smallest. I love watching him swoop in and out from around the bigger, slower boys.

"Excuse me, while I take this ball from you."

Looking pretty happy and just a bit proud of himself. :0)

Simple Woman #32

2009-11-02T07:34:00.000-08:00

Simple Woman

FOR TODAY     November 2, 2009

Outside my window... bare branches, leaves all over the yard, and busy busy squirrels.

I am thinking... about the Ordination Service at church, yesterday. Very impressive, for all the right reasons.

I am thankful for... only five more days until Wyatt goes to Disneyland!

I am praying for... my family to stay healthy, especially Wyatt!

I am wearing... Duh.

I am creating... I got a good idea for Christmas gifts.

I am going... to stay home A LOT this week.

I am reading... still Little House books, with the boys. We're all enjoying it.

I am hearing...   boys playing, the laundry sloshing around, and tappety-tappety-tappety.

I am remembering... a year ago I was recovering from having my tonsils out. No strep throat in a year!

From the learning rooms... classifying triangles, "Miller Time", Louis XIV, and science experiments with toothpaste and deodorant.

From the kitchen... Kerry is on duty tonight, and the next few Monday evenings :0)

Around the house... clutter is creeping up on us. Time to beat it back into submission.

On my mind... I love this time of year. I love the cozy feeling of NOT having to take anyone to soccer practice, and having all my kiddos home under one roof during the evening. I don't mind it getting dark early when we can light candles and sit around together and read.

Noticing that... we just went off Daylight Savings Time and WOW is it dark early!

Pondering these words... Men and melons are hard to know. Benjamin Franklin

One of my favorite things... turkey pot pie.

A few plans for the rest of the week...   let's see... Moms In Touch is here, then there's a rehearsal, a piano lesson, and AWANA. And that's about it. YIPPEEE!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

Looking up at my office windows... before the wind.

Public Service Announcement

2009-11-01T18:13:00.000-08:00

Christmas is next month.

NEXT.

MONTH.

That will be all.

Soccer Update

2009-10-30T21:47:00.000-07:00

It's the night before the last day.

The boys are all tucked into bed and - presumably - sleeping, in anticipation of being out the door by 7:10am, on our way to the first soccer game of the last day.

It's cold.

It's pouring.

And it's really, really windy.

And if I think of anything else to whine about, you'll be the first to know.

Lord Have Mercy

2009-10-30T08:42:00.000-07:00

I gave the boys a few caramels for dessert.

Wyatt stuck his together, put one end in his mouth, and began chewing slowly with the other end sticking out of his lips.

Tate immediately began to snort and giggle. I think tears were actually coming out of his eyes.

Wyatt! It looks like you have a turd in your mouth!

Wyatt jumped up and ran from the table... to the bathroom, to look in the mirror.

Because, really, who could pass up the chance to see what you look like with a turd in your mouth.

*eyes roll*

Last. Soccer. Practice.

2009-10-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

Yes. The last soccer practice of the year. (Yippee!)

Why am I celebrating? I mean, I'm not the one that has to go run around for an hour and a half, when it's 42F and raining.

Exhibit A: Wyatt, before practice.

Exhibit B: Wyatt after practice.

From the front...

... and from the back.

He got the "Muddiest Boy at Practice" award -

a candy bar from the coach.

I'm living in a Tide commercial.

That will be all.

Storm Clouds

2009-10-27T22:18:00.000-07:00

First snow on the hills around the lake.

The days are shorter and the nights darker.

Summer nights, here, never seem to get completely dark. A little bit of bluish twilight seems to hang on all night. But no more.

A storm rolled in yesterday. Well, it had been raining on and off all day, but around 5pm it got dark. Really dark. Rain, hail, thunder and lightning. Tate's 5:30 soccer practice was - thankfully - cancelled. Even if there hadn't been lightning, it was getting too dark to see.

As I drove several miles north, to a rehearsal, I finally got out from under it. I didn't take the photo below, but it was a dramatic difference, like this:

But here's the weird thing... the bottom of the cloud looked kind of like this:

Only a lot darker and nastier. Yes, I turned that photo upside down on purpose!

Summer Chili

2009-10-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

I'm not on a mission to use my crock-pot everyday, (like Crockpot 365), but it does seem to be getting a work-out at my house lately.

I think soccer madness has a lot to do with it. Take Thursday... Gunnar had practice at 4:30, Wyatt at 5:00, and Tate at 5:30. By the time we got them all back home it was going on 7! And it's not like I have a lot of time to make dinner in the evening, with three drop-offs and three pick-ups.

So... I made Summer Chili. Here's what you do:

1 small-to-average onion - chop
1 or 2 cloves garlic - mince
1 to 2 t olive oil

Cook the onion and garlic in the oil on the stove-top until it's all tender. I like the onion just starting to brown. Add

1 - 2 cups chicken broth

Except, I cooked a turkey last week, so I used turkey broth. Whatever.
It will probably look kind of like this.

Season with

2 t chili powder
1 t cumin
pinch black pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
1 T honey

Okay, for my ultra-non-spicy family we adjust this. Do what you like.
While that simmers, prepare...

1 to 2 C dark red kidney beans - I used canned; drain and rinse.
2 - 3 stalks celery - chop
2 -3 carrots - chop
2 -3 C summer squash and zucchini - chop
1 red or green pepper (or both) - chop
2 C mushrooms - slice
1/2 - 1 C tomato - chop or crushed
1 can tomato sauce - small can for thicker chili, large can for more "soupy" chili

Put it all in the crock-pot. It will look something like this. (The beans are underneath.)

Pour in (carefully!) the onion/garlic/broth/seasoning mixture and stir it all up.

Turn on the crock-pot and forget about it until dinner.

* I put mine together in the morning and left it on low for about 8 hours. You could probably half that and cook it on high. Or cook it on the stove-top (higher heat) for a couple hours.

* I used lots of broth and a large can of tomato sauce to make mine more soupy, and served it with cornbread. We love to throw the cornbread right into the bowl of soup. Because we're classy, like that.

* Now that I look at the pictures, I think I added corn, too.

* I used a large (5Qt) crock-pot. If you have a smaller one, adjust the amounts of veggies.

Yes, the recipe is rather vague. I've used winter squash in the winter and varied the amounts of just about everything. Sometimes I add meat (cook it with the onion and garlic). You can't go far wrong. :0)

Simple Woman #31

2009-10-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

Simple Woman

FOR TODAY October 26, 2009

Outside my window... Good thing I took those leaf pictures last week because after the wind and rain we've had, the dogwood is nearly bare. Sometimes the branches shake and catch my eye, and I see a squirrel or a blue jay. (Okay, if you're a purist, they're really stellar jays, but they're blue and they're jays, so we call them blue jays.)

I am thinking... soon, soon, turkeys will go on sale, and I will buy two. Or three. At least. And fill my freezer with turkey pot pies.

I am thankful for... work keeps trickling in for Kerry,( and we keep praying for more.) To God be the glory.

I am praying for... Wyatt and my brother and sister to stay healthy for their trip, and my Aunt Myrna, recovering from pneumonia.

I am wearing... well, duh... my "winter uniform"... blue jeans, t-shirt, sweater, wool socks.

I am going... in circles?

I am reading... still reading "Little House on the Prairie" with the boys, and reviewing a book that a friend of mine is writing. Exciting!

I am hoping... for one more Saturday without rain. Pleeeeaaaaaase!

I am hearing... clothes flopping around in the dryer. Too cold and damp for the clothesline. Darn.

I am remembering... sweating in our summer heat wave and wishing for cool fall days.

From the learning rooms... King Charles I lost his head, working with ratios and rates in math, two eggs soaking in vinegar - testing the effects of flouride toothpaste, spider-webs going up on the walls, and the famous (Leutze) painting of Washington Crossing the Delaware to discuss for art.

Around the house... lots of leftovers in the kitchen (which is good), piles of clean laundry in the laundry-room (which is half good... when they're put away, then it'll be all good), and in the living room, a basket full of fall books, like The Spider and the Fly, One Dark Night, and a perpetual family favorite, The Runaway Pumpkin, because we all like to say, "Thumpety-bumpety, thumpin' bumpin', round and roly, runaway pumpkin!"

On my mind... we found a chair for the desk :0) Well, it almost fits. It's about a quarter of an inch too wide. But that's nothing Kerry can't fix with a saw and sandpaper.

Noticing that... the days are getting really short. Still dark when we have breakfast at 7am, and dark again by about 6pm. I love changing seasons.

Pondering these words... A friend (who?) of Hudson Taylor's encouraged him with these words. "Not a striving to have faith or to increase our faith, but a looking at the Faithful One seems all we need." Trying to keep my focus in the right place :0)

One of my favorite things... Handel's Messiah.

A few plans for the rest of the week... the last soccer practices of the season. Hallelujah!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

The sunrise, Sunday morning, taken from the boys' bedroom window.

New Vocabulary

2009-10-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

Oh my.

I think Gunnar learned a bad word.

At least he thinks he did.

I could hear him arguing with Wyatt and then Gunnar came stomping out into the living room with storm-clouds over his head and gave me stink-eye. With all the self-righteous anger he could summon, he announced:

Wyatt is a BUSTER!

Me - Um, Gunnar, what is a buster?

A really mean person who never keeps his word!

I'm trying not to laugh, because I'm sure there are at least two little savages who need some wise parental discipline.

And I'm wondering if he made that up himself, or if he actually did hear a bad word and he's mispronouncing it.

But I don't want to ask.

Two Weeks

2009-10-24T16:29:00.001-07:00

Two weeks. From today.

My oldest will be going on a trip.

Without me.

You may, or may not, have noticed little Stitch relentlessly marching across the Pirates of the Caribbean 'ticker', on the sidebar.

We've been counting down since he found out.

And here's the thing:

Swine Flu is everywhere. At church, in the soccer teams, at the grocery store.

And I'm not paranoid about it. We've probably all been exposed, and we may get it. And we're generally healthy so I'm not all freaked.

But, please do me a favor.

Please pray for Wyatt, and my brother and sister, that they'll all be healthy for their trip.

'Kay?

Thanks.

Morning Thoughts

2009-10-21T08:45:00.000-07:00

The boys are allowed to come into our bedroom in the morning for a snuggle, if they want. It's kind of a little boy thing, although Wyatt will occasionally come sit on the foot of the bed if he wants to talk about something.

Gunnar comes almost every morning. He wiggles down under the covers and is like a little furnace. He'll lay (lie?) there quietly for a few moments, and then he'll say something. The first thing out of his mouth in the morning could be anything. I love this about little boys.

These are actual "first words" of the morning:

Mom, want to hear three amazing things about the octopus?

Mom, where do potatoes grow?

Mom, mornings are the bestest times! (Me, feeling all warm and cozy, thinking this boy is referring to the snuggle time, but no... he continues...) Because I get to have Grape-Nuts, milk, and brown sugar! I love Grape-Nuts, milk, and brown sugar!

Mom! Veggie Tales are all food! Talkin' food! (Yes, well, hence the name.)

Mom, do you know how flies taste? (Fear and disgust fill my mind.) With their feet!

Catching Spiderwebs

2009-10-19T17:06:00.000-07:00

Dewy, foggy fall mornings are the best time to capture spiderwebs, because the dew makes them visible and easier to find.

Here we are with our materials.
You will need:
dark construction paper
white flour
something to spray

We've usually just used a mister with water, but hair-spray (sticky!) or white spray-paint (also sticky) works great. Watch the overspray...

When you find a web you want to collect, spray it. If you're not using something sticky, be sure to get it thoroughly wet.

Carefully slide a piece of construction paper behind the spiderweb and slowly pull it toward you.
It helps to bow the paper a bit, toward the web, so the web drapes over the paper.

Quickly, while the web is still wet, sprinkle a little bit of flour on it, and gently shake it around.

Here are some of our finished products!

Simple Woman #30

2009-10-19T08:46:00.000-07:00

Simple Woman

FOR TODAY October 19, 2009

Outside my window... still beautiful fall leaves, but there are less and less of them. The grass is green again (after going brown for the summer), and covered with red and yellow leaves. Foggy this morning... might be a good day to go collect spider webs.

I am thinking... how much I love this time of year.

I am thankful for... two more weeks of soccer, two more weeks of soccer, two more weeks of soccer... and a warm, dry house that doesn't leak, so I can sit smugly inside and watch the rain - bucket-loads of rain. Rain so loud we woke up in the night to listen to it. So much rain falling we couldn't see across the lake. Which may help you understand why I'm so thankful we have just two more weeks of soccer. :0)

I am praying for... friends in Africa (missionaries) with flu in the house.

From the learning rooms... we've just started our "All Saint's Day" devotions, leading up to ~~Halloween~~ All Saint's Day. We're studying India this week, and the Taj Mahal, as well as all the usual... What a great coincidence that one of our saints/missionaries is Amy Carmichael, who served in India.

From the kitchen... Ha! Kerry is making dinner tonight, for himself and the boys, as I will be OUT. I'm guessing the menu will probably feature something from the "Top Ramen" family.

I am wearing... jeans, purple hoody, thick socks

I am creating... more science experiments.

I am going... to Moms In Touch today.

I am reading... "Little House on the Prairie" with the boys. They love it, even though it's about girls. Gunnar said, "Mom. It's okay because they're not girly-girls, and adventures happen to them." Like traveling in a covered wagon, and being surrounded by enormous wolves, and almost being washed away while crossing a creek that was more of a river. So that's all okay.

I am hoping... to find a chair for the desk I got for the boys' room. Looking for a small chair, probably wood (ie "paint-able") that will fit into a 16" opening.

I am hearing... Wyatt blowing into a piece of PVC pipe. He claims that he and a neighbor boy are communicating with Morse Code. Right.

I am remembering... Still need to get some craft projects organized and moving forward.

Around the house... New batches of books from the library, and a basketful of seasonal books I set out for the boys, (mostly) clean bedrooms and bathrooms, and my "pumpkin spice" candle, half burned.

On my mind... we are getting closer to Wyatt's Disneyland trip. Excitement is building!

Noticing that... if you don't know us IRL, let me remind you that Wyatt is oldest, then Tate, and then Gunnar. Wyatt is barely taller than Tate and for the last couple of years Tate has out-weighed him, much to his chagrin. Well, with Wyatt's recent gains and Tate losing (I think about 8 pounds!) in the hospital... I weighed them the other day and Wyatt is a good five pounds heavier than Tate.

Oh my.

I think in his (Wyatt's) view, the world is now back on its axis.

Pondering these words... "Having boys is just God's opinion that your house is too neat." *sigh*

One of my favorite things... autumn evenings, after dinner, reading stories together in the living room.

A few plans for the rest of the week... oh heavens... Wyatt and Tate both have Dr appointments and ortho appointments, MIT, soccer practices, soccer games, AWANA, piano lesson... and I need to get to WalMart. Don't hate me, I love WalMart.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

Yes, I posted a picture of this same tree, just down a few posts. But the lighting was so dramatic, I had to take another one.

We had rain, yesterday. Buckets and buckets of rain. It was a monsoon.

And, of course, it was soccer day...

Company!

2009-10-18T16:37:00.000-07:00

You would think my boys lived in isolation if you saw how excited they get when company is coming. Good grief. It could be someone we see frequently... or not. Doesn't matter. And we have company pretty regularly, so I don't know why they get so giddy.

Maybe it's because they have a fresh audience for all their silliness. (There's something to be said for the old, "children should be seen but not heard"...)

So we had company last night. Actually, overnight. Two missionaries - young guys, therefore "cool" in the eyes of the boys. By the time they arrived I had already put the boys to bed. Gunnar and Tate have little resistance to the warm comfort of their bunks, but Wyatt - I suspect - kept himself awake, listening for their arrival.

And as he waited, squirreling around and looking out his window, he noticed some other visitors...

One was resting on a branch, like a fat little bear,

and these two were trying to decide whether to go up higher to find a sleeping place, or if all the lights being shined on them were just too annoying...

Our human visitors...

arrived just in time to see the wildlife and take the photos for us :0)