What I Learned This Week

Happy Wednesday!

The past week I have learned......

* That an almost three year old can sniff out candy from a mile away. There is nowhere I can hide the stuff without John finding it.

* Some cashiers don't like it when my toddler screams "Jingle Bells, Your butthole reaks" to them in the checkout line. I don't know why....

* To trust my mommy-instincts when it comes to my children's health.

* That there is no worse feeling than having a child that's in pain, and not being able to do anything to help her.

* That the advice of wise "older" people is worth more than a million bucks.

* That my 8 year old secretly wore the same socks to school for 4 days. Yuk.

So, what have YOU learned this week??

For more lessons learned this week, go visit Jo-lynne at Musings of a Housewife.

Souper Saturday!

SOUPER SATURDAY!

My friend Janel at Dandelion Dayz is hosting the last Souper Saturday until next fall.

So here is my best, most famous soup for you to enjoy. I've been surprised at how many gals I've met that have never made homemade chicken soup. It's one of my kid's very favorite meals. A slight variation makes it chicken and dumplings, which IS my kids very favorite meal! You can always substitute the dumpling noodles with rice.
Enjoy!

Chicken Soup

1 whole chicken, 3-4 lbs
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1-2 cups baby carrots (or a few large carrots, cut up)
chicken boullion
1 package frozen dumpling noodles (Anne's or Mary B's brand, in freezer section by biscuits)
salt and pepper

Rinse the chicken, put in large stock pot. Cover with water. Add celerey, onion and carrot. Turn on high, boil, then turn heat down. Cook about 1 hour, till chicken is done.
Remove chicken and veggies. Add enough water (and a little boullion if needed) to increase broth so that there's enough to boil the dumplings. Bring to boil, add dumplings, boil a few minutes then simmer for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, debone the chicken.
When noodles are done, add chicken and veggies back to pot. Salt to taste. Simmer a few more minutes all together.

Here is another VERY kid-friendly version...
Chicken and Dumplings
Follow same directions for soup. After dumplings are cooked, add only the chicken back in. Remove a few cups of the broth. Then stir in a large can of cream of chicken soup. Cook for a few minutes all together. This is very yummy - tastes like Cracker Barrel's Chicken 'n Dumplings!

For more yummy soup recipes, go to Dandelion Dayz!

Cleanest Fam on the Block

Kids are always asking for a story. Sometimes it's hard to think of one.
So today, I will tell a tale called "Our First Family Butt-Vacuuming."

Let's assume it happened last night. Not that this ever happened. But, if it did, it would have happened like this.....


"Honey I need the vacuum!" Hubby calls.

WOW! I think, he must want to clean. OR, toddler has spilled crap all over.

So I rush the vacuum in.

"I need to vacuum Emma's butt," Hubby proclaims.

The story unfolds before my eyes...

He pulls out the hose attachment, turns the vacuum on, and dives for Emma on the couch. Emma screams and won't budge. Ryan tries to tackle her off the couch, and shove the hose on her (fully clothed) bottom. Clara and John are both laughing and screaming.

He dives for the other two kids, and starts going after their butts, too. Then he moves on to the toddler's head, and stomach.

I turn away in disbelief, But there is more to come......
When I turn my eyes back to the room, husband is standing in front of a window, vacuuming his own butt. The room is in an uproar.

I can't believe he didn't realize the window isn't covered.......
I start making mental plans to move to another state IMMEDIATELY......

Hubby kneels on floor and tells kids, "Watch the canister to see if anything comes in!" And then sticks the attachment in his belly button.

(Is there possibly even just ONE other man on this planet who thinks he might have enough belly button lint to see it fly into a vacuum cleaner???)

The kids vacuumed their heads and stomachs. Then they went to bed.
There have never been cleaner kids that showed up at school.
Well, at least there wouldn't be if this had ever happened. :)

My 25 Things

Well, I've been "tagged" about 10 times on Facebook to write 25 random things about myself.
So I thought I'd post them on here, too.

Honestly, it was a little weird speding this much time thinking about myself. How often do moms do that???

So here are the awesome things that you didn't even know you don't know about me!

1) Celery is the worst taste I can think of.
2) I used to do competative gymnastics, and I also did ballet, and danced on pointe for a few years before giving it all up in high school to be on the pompon squad. I didn't really enjoy my pompon years.
3) I also played piano. I'm not real good anymore, but still like to play sometimes. My piano used to be my step-grandmother's when she was a child.
4) I've bungee jumped three times. Once I became a mom, fear took over and I've had no desire for dangerous thrills since.
5) I used to perm my hair years ago, but haven't had one in over 8 years. My curl is natural. But I've been straightening it the past few months.
6) I love tea, and collect tea cups, teapots, and tea accessories. My china cabinet is full. I have everything I need to throw an awesome tea party.
7) I love coffee. Since Ryan started roasting his own coffee beans years ago, I can now tell the difference between Colombian, Kenyan, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Guatemala, etc. I am a true coffee snob.
8) I've been a mom for over 1o years, and have 3 kids. The older I get, the more I understand that there is not only one right way to parent, and find myself having little tolerance for people who are judgemental.
9) I believed in God from a very early age, and don't remember ever NOT believing that he was my Saviour.
10) I can't stand noise. If I'm talking with someone, and music is louder than talking level, it will drive me insane. I attribute this to being the oldest of 4 kids, and always having a napping kid in the house.
11) I don't really enjoy watching movies.
12) I love to read. I usually finish a book in one day, and stay up all night. This isn't such a good thing.
13) I hate the scent of vanilla candles.
14) I am not an animal person. I know you think your pet is great, but I can guarantee that I won't like it. This dislike for animals has really come back to bite me in the rear. My girls are animal crazy, and I take them to a horse farm for riding lessons every week.
15) I like to cook, and am really good at it.
16) I like gardening, but haven't put much time into it since we have lived in this new house (3 years...). I grow great herbs and flowers, but don't do so great with most vegetables.
17) My heart is burdened for children who are hungry. Did you know that with just $35 a month, you can sponsor a child, and change their life? Go to http://www.compassion.com/
18) I think one of the biggest mistakes parents can make is giving their child almost everything they want. The last thing our world needs is another generation that expects everything, yet appreciates nothing.
19) I believe that people should give extravagently. If we took care of our true NEEDS first, and then gave till it hurt, imagine what could be accomplished in this world. Unfortunately, lots of people take care of their needs, then all of their wants, and then only give if it's convenient.
20) I sometimes dream of running a tearoom. And Ryan and I have talked about running a bed and breakfast when we retire.
21) There is also part of me that would like to sell everything we have, and move our family to another country to serve people in need. Maybe we will do that one day. Until then, my job is to help right where I am.
22) I am thankful for my good friends. I love girl time, and having friends that know me inside and out.
23) I think everyone needs good friends. Sometimes friendship needs to be pursued. If you find yourself without the friendships you crave, be the one to make the first step.
24) I enjoy visiting big cities, but after one day, I feel clausterphobic and need to get out. I could never ever live in a city.
25) When i'm gone, I want people to remember me as someone who loved God, and loved others.

If you have a link to a "100 things" on your blog, or anything else like that, please leave the link, and I'll read your list!