Ramblings by LauraLee

Last night the children decided they wanted to watch a video we have "The Grand Canyon - Monument to the Flood." It is in VCR format and since we have been borrowing a VCR from Chad's work we were able to watch it.

I had told the children it was "over my head." Perhaps it was just too BORING - too detailed for me. I shouldn't use boring, but I had no interest in watching the video. I might add that Chad and Jared fell asleep, so perhaps I am not alone in my assessment! Or perhaps, it is just because they have the genes that fall asleep when they sit still too long in the evening!

ANYWAY ~ Javan told me this morning that the video last night was "really interesting!"


My boys are passing me up! Now I feel like the child saying "this is boring, can't we do something else?" And they are engrossed in an educational video that I as their teacher should be saying "isn't this sooo interesting!" I can hear MY science teacher, Mrs. Wiita, saying that MANY times!

I think of her often as I am engrossed in some Science that fascinates me and I think "isn't this sooo interesting!" And then I remember that when Mrs. Wiita would say it that I didn't quite agree. Perhaps I just didn't understand the material and I need to be understanding of my children if they aren't finding things interesting, perhaps it's "over their head" and I need to find a way to help them understand better so they can find interest.

I digress ~ My boys are quickly growing up and I'm being left in their dust! I already call Jesse to help with my computer or palm pilot issues! Now Javan tells me something was really interesting that I didn't have the attention span to follow!


It is a pleasure to see them grow up and even pass me by. I look forward to what they can teach me or help me with next!

The Gift that KEEPS on Giving!

Have you ever heard of a Grand~Daughter clock?

It is similar to it’s predecessor the Grand~Father clock that gongs on the hour and often on the quarter of an hour. 

Here’s how it works.

You get Grandpa and Grandma to give their “Grand~Daughter” a watch for her birthday.

Make sure this is a special “Grand~Daughter” that really likes to exercise her vocal chords!

Said “Grand~Daughter” should be quite excited about her first watch.

Throughout the course of the first day you should hear comments that will keep you up to date on the time without even asking!  These comments are not quite so precisely timed as the Grand~Father clock.  Some may be as often as 5 minutes apart, but then there may be times that an hour goes by and you wonder if your new “Grand~Daughter” clock stopped working, but then the interest is renewed and you will be reminded that, YES, your new clock is still working.  I am sure that this new clock will eventually be the kind that you really like, the one that you know is there and ready whenever you should request the time. 

Thank you Grandpa and Grandma for the Gift that KEEPS on Giving ME the time!!! :)

Jolene’s 7th Birthday Blog

 

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On Sunday, Grandpa and Grandma Plattner, Uncle Kyle, and Bruce and Elizabeth Endress and their children were at my birthday party!  Grandma made a horse cake for me.  I liked it!  I like my presents, it was very fun.  And when I blogged it it was 6:06 PM.

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Here I am with my Grandma and Grandpa Plattner.  I am holding up 7 fingers because I am about 7.

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I got a watch for my birthday.  I like to tell the time.

Note from LL ~ The party pictures were taken by Uncle Kyle with my camera.  He wasn’t given any time to play with the settings so most of the pictures are grainy.  I included them anyway because I think he did a great job capturing some of Jolene’s expressions!  Johanna decided to wake up just in time for the party (and she wasn’t in the mood for a party)!

Rubber band Guns

This morning the idea came to my head to make a Rubber band Gun.

So I looked around and found the size board I wanted.

I took some nails for an air powered nail gun, broke them apart,

and used them to fasten a clothespin to the board. I did this by taking the top off the clothespin

and hammering nails in where my fingers are. (Use pliers to put the top back on.)

Then I hammered a nail in diagonally to fire the rubber band off of .

Here is a video of me shooting it. The sound effects in the

background are made by photographer Jesse.

Here is Jesse shooting his gun. On his first shot his hand got in the way. He has a different kind of gun.

And here is Jared shooting his gun

Tuna Salad recipe

When we were in Knockpatrick, Jamaica we had Tuna Salad sandwiches that were AWESOME!  (I would love the recipe, Keri!  We had it in the cafeteria, if the cooks are willing to share.)

Today, I decided to be adventuresome and look for a new recipe online.  I found one that Jesse and I really liked, I didn't even bother telling the others to try it.  Jesse is pretty sure Grandpa Plattner will like it, but I don't know if Grandpa even likes tuna.

It has just the right amount of spice.  I would make a single recipe before you make a big batch to be sure you like it.  I had to make a second batch because I had a half a sandwich and Jesse had the rest!

So, here is the recipe.  I will include the link because I found it online and want to give credit where credit is due!!!  Thank you Mama Shirley!

Tuna Salad recipe

Ingredients:
3 eggs, hard-boiled and chopped
2 Tablespoons dill relish
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 6 1/2 oz can tuna, drained

Directions:
1. Combine eggs and dill relish.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients except tuna, and mix well.
3. Add tuna. If the mixture is dry, add some more mayonnaise.

I was just browsing through some recipes on that web-site and they have some mouth watering recipes on there!  If you like new recipes, go check them out!

Sick Days

Jared is the only healthy child in our home right now!

Jolene, on down have runny noses, Jolene and Jubilee both have ear infections, Jesse had a headache all day, and Javan had some kind of stomach thing last night and has been light headed all day.

Jared was disappointed that I wouldn't let anyone go outside with him.  And he was bored inside because noone WANTED to play with him.

We spent the day on the couch.  We watched some Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar family videos on You Tube, listened to some Ranger Bill, and Jesse and Javan watched a couple Dr David Menton videos on Answers in Genesis .org.

It was a good night last night in spite of all the illness, hopefully it will be another good night!

New Years 2010

I was having lots of fun playing with my camera on New Years Eve.  Obviously there are some major parts to photography that I need to learn yet!  For instance, ISO, lighting, and shutter speed!  I was playing around with some ideas I learned in a book and even though these pictures aren’t “I heart faces” quality :).  I did learn a LOT in the process.

What were the boys doing all this time?  Playing with a Christmas gift, that is a whole other post!

We made it till midnight, well, most of us anyway.  Saw in the New Year and said goodnight!

Happy New Year everyone ~ a month late!

Visit with the Hershbergers

We have some Amish friends in Holmes County, Ohio, Sugarcreek to be exact.  Chad met them on a Christian Aid Ministries work team in 1990 and we have been together several times over the years.  On our recent trip home for Christmas we went to their home.  On the way we stopped at Dwight’s shop to see where he and his boys work.  One of the sons agreed to give the children a buggy ride so he rode back with us to their house.

It was a BITTER COLD day, but I was inspired by some photography books and time spent with my sister in law, who is a great photographer, so I decided to brave the cold and take some pictures.  I am a photographer – wanna – be, I wish I could say “budding photographer” but my time is limited to learn more so you can let me know when it appears that I am beginning to bloom! :)   The following comments are from Jubilee!

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Mom: Where are these pictures?

Jubilee: At the Hershbergers

Mom: Where at the Hershbergers?

Jubilee: At their house

Mom: The horse lives in the house?

Jubilee: No, in the barn

Note from LauraLee ~ I asked if they preferred not to be in the pictures and Kendall said “you can take all the pictures you want!”  They are New Order Amish, so not as strict as some other orders.

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Mom:  What are they doing here?

Jubilee: Putting the buggy on the horsey.

 

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Mom: Who did you ride with?

Jubilee: You

Mom: AND?

Jubilee: and Jolene

LL:  Did Mommy drive the buggy?

Jubilee: nooo

LL:  Who did?

Jubilee:  I don’t know!

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LL:  Anything else you’d like to say?

Jubilee:  Yeah

LL:  What would you like to say to all the people in blog-land?

Jubilee:  Don’t know

LL:  Was it a fun trip?

Jubilee:  Yeah

LL:  Would you like to do it again?

Jubilee:  Yeah

Christmas Tea Party by Jolene

 

This is me at a tea party.  Grandma and Aunt Cori, Jubilee, and Johanna, and Mommy.  In this picture I was pouring my hot cocoa.

I ate Macaroni and Cheese, my sister did too. 

 

 

 

 

 

We enjoyed our day with Grandma!

 

 

 

 

 

This is me and Aunt Cori.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  This is me and Jubilee and Mommy.

 

 

 

 

This is me and Mommy.

 

 

 

 

This is Aunt Cori and Grandma Riley

 

 

 

 

This is me after we went to the tea party we went to a shop that we could choose a bear and I got to paint it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is my baby sister while she’s happy.

 

 

 

This is my sister painting a bear that she chose.

 

 

 

 

 

This is Grandma painting Cori’s penguin.  (We need to see a pic of the finished project, Cori ~ LL)

 

 

 

This is me painting my bear.

 

 

 

 

This is when we are almost done with our stuff that we chose.

It was fun.

 

 

 

LL ~ Mom and Cori put their heads together and came up with these fun activities for the children.  While Dad and Chad were bowling with the boys we girls went to a Tea Room for lunch.  The girls drinks were served in a small tea pot and they got to pour it into their little tea cup.  After that we went to a Ceramics store and picked out a craft to paint.  Jolene, Jubilee and I each painted a bear for their room.  We named them Jamie, Jodi, and Judy.  Cori chose a cute penguin but it was a big project so she had to go back another day to complete the project.  It was a lot of fun and relatively inexpensive.  For those of you in Ohio, the Tea Room is in Medina and the Ceramics place was at the Lodi Outlet Mall.

Thanks Mom (Grandma) and Cori for such a fun day!  We’d do it again! :)

 

I’m adding some pictures that Jolene didn’t include and will also share that all of these pictures were from Mom and Cori, my camera was at the bowling alley with the boys.

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Bowling Dec_09

When we were in Ohio Grandpa took The boys to a bowling alley so here are a few pictures 

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Jonas bored as bored can be.

  Javan  Pitching.Javan PitchingJavan Pitching.Jesse waiting Jesse Pitching .Jesse Pitching.Grandpa Pitching Jared Pitching Javan&Jared waiting