All is well

1. Sarah's night night has been found after being MIA for 24 hours.

2. The hermit crab is not dead, just molting. Or at least we think that is what's happening. Our more active crab has been sitting in the exact same spot for days. When I came downstairs tonight after getting everyone tucked in, Steve had it in a plastic baggie with several broken off pieces? legs? He said, "It's dead." When I presented the possibility that it might be molting he decided to put it back in the tank and we called Benjamin and Rachel down to assess the situation. Since we don't smell any "stink" yet we're going with the molting thing. Benjamin, our resident hermit crab expert, says we need to move it to an isolation tank and put the "pieces" of legs and whatnot with it so it can eat it and regain calcium or something like that. In the words of Benjamin, "This is a great day!"

God is Good

All the time.

ISO Salamanders

We had hoped to see hundreds of these little beauties wriggling across the road to their ancestral breeding ponds. The conditions need to be just right for it to happen: 1. temperature above 40-45 degrees, 2. wet/rainy, 3. dark, 4. usually first or second week of April.
It was 52 degrees and it had rained on and off all day. So we headed out around 8:00 pm. A friend from our homeschool group had seen a few migrating a week or so ago so we thought we'd check it out. The rangers close the roads to cars and people come armed with umbrellas, flashlights and cameras. It's pretty cool to be walking down the middle of the road in the Metroparks after dark. We heard a lovely chorus of spring peepers and wood frogs. They sounded like they were having quite the party out there in the woods. We ventured "off road" just a bit to see what we could see. And, lo and behold, I spotted some spots! This poor little guy was lucky to be alive because Steve, Benjamin and Rachel had already walked through this very spot. (I'm trying not to think about the unfortunate ones we didn't see in time under the leaves.) A few minutes later Steve saw another one that quickly darted away. Unfortunately, we didn't see any other action except for the several deer we saw on the way home. But it was great fun to get out "after dark" for some exercise and fresh air in the lungs and hear the sounds of nature in action!

Stellan

Through my somewhat new hobby of surfing blogs, I have found an incredible circle of women. You can follow the links to their blogs to the right of my posts. They are funny, honest, positive moms who have strong Christian values and share openly as they are learning and walking with God. I feel connections with these women for different reasons: our kids are similar in age, some of them homeschool, their sense of humor, they love Jesus and some of them also have a child in heaven with Joshua. They share God moments, insights and prayer requests. One of these ladies, Mckmama, is currently in the picu with her son Stellan, as he is very ill. This is one of her recent posts regarding God and prayer. It is beautiful and so well said. The power and love of God is simply incredible. To have a child who is fighting for his life, and still be able to share thoughts like this - that's God speaking through Mckmama. God wants us to be in prayer with him. He wants us to be in a relationship with him. He desires for us to be close to him. No, that's not why this is happening to Stellan. On this side of heaven, we won't understand why. But I have no doubt God's loving arms are wrapped around Stellan and his family right now and they are experiencing a peace that only He can provide. God Bless You, baby Stellan!

Shelby and Jasmine

It was 12 years ago that one of my 3rd grade students approached me with an offer I just couldn't refuse. She had heard that my new husband (of 4 months) and I were looking to start a family, a fur-family that is. All my years growing up we had kitties sharing our home, making life interesting. It was just too quiet in our new house. I knew just what we needed and so began the search for 2 female kittens from the same litter. We checked the Animal Protective League and Stay-A-While Cat Shelter but no such luck. One day a little girl in my class told me her mom had found two kittens behind their garage, shivering in the cold and snow, and she wanted to know if I would like to adopt them. I called her mom to ask if they were male or female. I didn't want a male, even though they are extremely affectionate, they seem to have issues in the potty department, if you know what I mean. Unfortunately, one was a girl and the other a boy. I told her no thank you, we were looking for 2 females. She called me back a day or so later to see if I had changed my mind. She said she had offers from people willing to take one or the other but not both. She was hoping they could stay together and wanted to know if I would just stop by to "take a look" at them. I called Steve and told him I was stopping by to just "take a look" on my way home from school. We both knew that meant I was coming home with 2 adorable balls of fur that night. Jasmine is the quiet, gentle, shy, dark, female tabby. She LOVES to have her belly rubbed and cuddle in your lap if the noisy people aren't around. Shelby is the blond male who is the exact opposite of his sister. He hates to have his belly or feet touched but LOVES to get 'toe-love'. That means he likes to lay by your feet and have you pet him with your feet. Every night when everyone is in bed and just about asleep he starts this awful howl that sounds like something is terribly wrong. But not to worry, he's just capturing and delivering all of his toys to my bedside. He's such a good hunter and provider:)
I'm so glad Mrs. Moriarty called me back and asked me to come over and just take a look at them. It would have been very sad if they had been separated. They love each other and still play and snuggle up together. I must say that Shelby will definitely be the last male pet we ever have. He does have his potty issues, as I knew he would. But I love them anyways and couldn't imagine the last 12 years without them. Spoiled little kitties...

Harry London (as in chocolate)

Today Benjamin, Rachel, my mom and I journeyed to North Canton to the Harry London Chocolate Factory for a field trip. Oh, how I love homeschooling, especially when it involves chocolate!
I thought it was interesting that Harry London started making chocolates in his basement as gifts for his friends and family. He expanded his business by purchasing the house next door and constructing an underground tunnel to connect the two houses so that he wouldn't have to go outside and risk the chocolate melting. An electrical fire destroyed one of the houses and at that point he built his first building/factory. After 5 years of success he added a second floor to that factory and today they have a 200,000 square foot facility in North Canton.
Yum-deli-cious is about all I have to say about it. Unfortunately for Rachel it's not gluten-free but she was content with the GF chocolate donut and the granola bar I brought along for her. You know what's silly? These chocolates have a shelf life of 6-9 months. As if they're going to be sitting around that long!

Friday Fill-Ins on Saturday

1. When I look to the left, I see pretend kitchen food that is actually put away where it belongs, go figure.

2. The family room is the room that has the best view in my home. From here I can view my tv or my laptop or my kids doing schoolwork or my personal favorite, watching the kids play in the backyard!

3. Let it work for at least two minutes before rinsing. Do you know what I'm referring to?

4. I would like to get my housework done dirt cheap! (no pun intended)

5. Recycling is a responsibility that all qualified citizens must share.

6. If you have any chocolate feel free to share.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to taking Rachel to ballet, going to Giant Eagle for chili ingredients, making chili and finishing up the tax prep for my CM stuff, tomorrow my plans include soccer pictures for Benjamin and Rachel, dance for Rachel, Chili Challenge at church, Target, bank and Sunday, I want to go to church, Marcs and a going away party.

The Magic of Painting

Sarah and Emily share a bedroom and will continue to do so for many years to come. Sarah, however, has better plans. When I was putting them to bed the other night she asked why Emily sleeps in her room. I explained that they 'share' a room because there are no other bedrooms. She asked why I couldn't just paint Emily her own room. I thought she knew of an extra room that I could paint and turn into a bedroom. She pointed to the wall in between Rachel and Benjamin's doors and told me that is where I could paint a room for her. She also told me to paint a TV in Mimi and Papa's car so that she could watch a movie when she rides with them. You want something? You just paint it and voila! There it is! Oh, if only it were that easy!

You're rotten!

When I say to Emily, "You're rotten!", she answers in her sweet baby voice, "No, I precious!"
You decide.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Sarah!

It's hard to believe my little Sarah Bear is 4 years old already. She is so precious to us. She was our answered prayer 16 months after Joshua went to be with Jesus. Sometimes her milestones are bittersweet for me because I think of how Joshua never got to do that particular thing.

Sarah is a lefty, and I've always thought left-handed people were unique. She is our quietest, calmest child - as long as things are going her way that is. She doesn't show her temper often but when she does - WATCH OUT. Run for your life, take cover and most importantly use ear plugs. I joke that she would make a good "only child". She likes for things to be her way and her requests aren't all that unreasonable, it's just that with 4 kids, it can't always be your way.

Sarah is the only one of our kids to have a night-night blankie that rarely leaves her side. I remember how she used to hold her socks or her dirty bib up to her nose and it would comfort her. That's when I knew I needed to get her a special blankie. I would have bought 2 identical blankies had I known just how special it would become. She's also the only one to suck her fingers - the first three fingers on her left hand. Chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. She promised her daddy she would stop sucking her fingers when she turned four. *ahem* That didn't go so well.

Sarah was our earliest and easiest to potty train. I remember physically holding her on the potty chair while she screamed (quite loudly) and cried. I was sure I was going to emotionally scar her for life. However, once she figured it out there was no looking back:) She never needed pullups at night and she can hold it f.o.r.e.v.e.r.

Sarah is sweet, cute, loving, shy, smart and absolutely adores her siblings. She loves to sing, play the piano (thanks to grandma's lessons), play barbies, dolls, house, play dough, read, puzzles and my favorite snuggle. She likes kisses on the cheek, but no lips!!!! (except for the minstrel boy statue in my parent's living room)

Sarah's funny words -> ska-betty, pit, I'll be the mom and you be the swee-T, and milkies.

You are one-in-a-million and I love you to pieces my little Sarah Bear!

ABCDEFG

A while back I was tagged by a fellow blogger. She's a riot and an all around terrific person! Check out her blog... you're guaranteed to laugh and be uplifted! Anyways, thanks for the tag, Beth. Here goes.

ABCDEFG.... are you sick of reading about Me?

A. Attached or single? Attached
B. Best friend? My husband.
C. Cake or pie? Cake with BIG frosting flowers
D. Day of the week? Friday
E. Essential item? laptop
F. Favorite color? purple
G. Gummi worms or bears? I dont' do gummies
H. Hometown? Parma, OH
I. Favorite Indulgence? long, hot baths
J. January or July? July, can't take the cold and dreary, short days
K. Kids? 3 girls, 1 boy and 2 angels in heaven
L. Life isn't complete without? Jesus
M. Marriage date? November 30, 1996
N. Number of siblings? zero
O. Oranges or apples? fuji apples
P. Phobias? high places and small spaces
Q. Quotes? I just read this one earlier today but not sure who the author is: "Live Simply, Love Generously, Care Deeply, Speak Kindly and Leave the Rest to God"
R. Reasons to smile? my husband's sense of humour and the cuteness of my kids
S. Season of choice? Summer
T. Tag one person. Tracey
U. Unknown fact about me? I HATE wet socks!
V. Vroom Vroom... What kind of car do you drive? Dodge Grand Caravan Sport (2003)
W. Worst habit? falling asleep during movies
X. X-ray or Ultrasound? Ultrasound.
Y. Favorite food? pizza
Z. Zodiac sign? Cancer, but I don't believe that nonsense. Don't even bother reading it.

Bust out the Pink and Red!

Love is in the air... or are those just bubbles?

Party #1 Sarah and Emily at the Gymboree Valentine Party.


Party #2 with the Preschool PTA. Sarah and Emily enjoying some pizza.


Party #3 Emily crashed Sarah's preschool party at Royal Redeemer. It's hard to believe they'll both be in preschool next year!


Benjamin, Rachel and Sarah attended Party #4 with our homeschool group. They each made a Valentine box.

Sarah won for her age group!

Crafts....

good old Musical Chairs....

decorating cookies...

eating cookies...

and the much-anticipated, long-awaited reading of the Valentine's!!!!

Those Carpenter kids love a good party!

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever." Psalms 118:1

Friday Fill-Ins

1. I'd really like for someone to come over and clean my kitchen right now. Any takers?

2. OUCH (with extra emphasis on the CH) is the word you'd most often hear me say if I stubbed my toe.

3. Possession is a word we might hear during that game on Sunday, or is that a different sport?

4.A first grader in my Sunday School class wants to be Captain Jack Sparrow.

5. Marshmallows and fire go together like really well if you've got some chocolate and graham crackers handy.

6.This long, cold and snowy winter just keeps going on and on. Will my feet EVER be warm again?

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to taking Emily and Sarah to a Valentine's Party, tomorrow my plans include cleaning the kitchen (see above) and going to Heinen's to check out their "gluten-free" food section that I've heard so much about and Sunday, I want to go to church and take Rachel to a birthday party while Steve and Benjamin go bowling with the Swamp Rats!

Things are gonna change around here...

As I was pushing my HUGE BJs shopping cart, overflowing with lots of gluten-filled food, Steve called to tell me that the doctor just called and confirmed that Rachel does indeed have Celiac Disease. Wow. We were kind of expecting it but I was still in shock. My sweet little girl can no longer have anything that contains wheat, rye or barley. The part that really gets me is that this is for the rest of her life! She will certainly face many challenges.

On one of the websites I was looking at, it said 97% of people with Celiac Disease are undiagnosed. It will take an average of four years to diagnose them once they start showing symptoms. (It only took us a year and a half.) A child with Celiac Disease will see 8 pediatricians before they are diagnosed! At least we didn't have to go through that many doctors!

We're trying to look at this as a good opportunity to learn a lot about nutrition and make some changes that benefit our whole family. Like it or not, things are gonna change around here!

Don't worry, Benjamin, we'll still have Meatloaf Mondays (just no garlic bread).

I've fallen and I can't get up!

Emily took 2 steps out the garage door and fell face first into the snow. Unable to move she wasn't sure if she should laugh or cry. But of course I had to snap a picture before I helped her up.

These are my 2 little marshmallows before we headed out. Seriously, it took us longer to get dressed in our many layers than the amount of time these two actually spent outside.

My kids don't get snow days from school but they sure do have extra fun at "recess"! I don't know what the official snowfall total is but I know that it was up to my knees and from the picture of the kids' picnic table it looks like at least a foot, probably more.

Now I have to go deal with the huge, wet mess of a mudroom with all the piles of wet clothes, hats, mittens, etc etc. Blech!

God showed up in a BIG way

"Come alive at 11:25" is the name of the new Contemporary service at our church. Last Sunday was one of the most powerful and moving worship experiences I have had in a long time. The drummer of the praise team gave a testimony. He challenged us to go out into the world and make a difference because WE CAN. He said it's cold out there.... but it doesn't have to be. God spoke to me through Russ and I am so thankful. I needed to hear those words, to be challenged to get out of my comfort zone and start sharing the love of Jesus with all those around me - not just my family and friends and people I already know.

"And I'll never know how much it cost to see my sins upon that cross" That's a line from one of the praise songs we did on Sunday. I know the song, I've sung it many times along with the radio, but, WOW! When I heard those words and saw them on the screen it brought tears to my eyes. I never thought of it like that before. We'll never truly be able to understand the price He paid for our sins. And to picture my sins up on the cross.

It's the least I can do to try to reach out to those around me with the love of Jesus. I just LOVE IT when I go to church and worship breaks out!

Trash Talk

Friday was another field trip day. This time we headed to the Medina County Solid Waste Central Processing Facility. It wasn't nearly as stinky as I expected it to be. They hand sort tons (literally) of garbage each and every day! Billy Joe Bob who is ALWAYS at the front of the line in Room 1 has some tales to tell! Like the time he found $1200 rubber banded together or $2000 inside a McDonald's bag in a freezer. And guess what? Finder's Keepers!!!! That's right, if no one calls to claim it, the person who finds it gets to keep it! Except in the case of weapons which must be turned over to the police. They do pull out wallets and purses and keys and set them aside while making a reasonable attempt to contact the owner. Billy Joe Bob has recovered jewelery, toys and countless other treasures. I guess the saying, "One man's trash is another man's treasure," is true!
It was fascinating to see the process of sorting the recyclables from the trash. The bags of trash travel on a conveyor belt through Room 1 where large items are pulled. Then to the trumbler which is a huge drum that continuously rotates. Inside the trumbler are huge blades that slice open the trash bags. Any cans (and smaller trash) fall through holes on the sides. This smaller trash and cans travel on a conveyor belt that goes past 2 very strong magnets. The first magnet pulls out the steel and the second magnet pulls out the aluminum. I think the second magnet was called the Eddy Currant Separator. The trash continues along the conveyor belt and rejoins the large trash from the trumbler. Next, it goes through Room 2 where another team of people pull out and sort any remaining items that can be recycled. Sometimes things get past them but for the most part they do an amazing job! Last year they were able to divert almost 50% of what was headed to a landfill. That's incredible!
I hope the kids enjoy these field trips as much as I do. I just love the behind-the-scenes look at how things work. The process of how different things work is always intriguing, or maybe I'm just nosey.

Friday Fill-Ins

1. Oh, I am so happy that Benjamin FINALLY got to go outside and play in the snow!

2. In Cleveland, the weather always changes, big and little.

3. During Rachel's ballet class, I went grocery shopping ALL BY MYSELF (woohoo).

4. That's how much lint was in the hose leading from the dryer to the outside? Are you kidding me???

5. Right now I'd like to be soaking in a hot bath.

6. My laptop is my favorite gadget.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _watching a funny movie that makes me laugh until I cry, tomorrow my plans include laundry, cleaning and maybe a little decluttering and Sunday, I want to go to church and get everyone organized and ready for the new week ahead!

Social Studies at its finest!

Social studies was a breeze on Tuesday. Turn on the TV, sit on the couch and watch history in the making. My kids watched their first presidential inauguration and they were SO excited you would have thought we actually voted for this dude!



Steve said Emily must be a Republican!

Sugar Gliders, safety pins and undie pants

We went to West Park Animal Hospital and Rehabilitation Center with our homeschool group for a tour today. This is a state of the art facility and some pets even come from out of state to be treated here. We got to see the operating room, the "ICU", x-ray, ultrasound, cat ward, dog ward, isolation, etc etc. I had no idea there were so many different rooms back there behind the exam rooms. We even got to see a little puppy that was under anesthesia having some stubborn baby teeth removed and then was going to be spayed. We saw an x-ray of a dog that had eaten an open safety pin. The pin had traveled all the way through the digestive system without causing any damage - a miracle to be sure. It was at the very end of the colon and the owner "found it" the next day, if you know what I mean. That's one treasure hunt I wouldn't want to be on! We also got to see an endoscope and heard the story of the Mastiff that had eaten six pairs of his owner's undie pants. They were able to pull them out, still intact, before it caused any real damage (to the dog or the undies)! Rachel thought it was pretty cool that animals have procedures with endoscopes too! Benjamin asked some good questions like, "What's the most unusual animal you have treated?" Answer: Sugar Glider. He also asked some operating room questions. Gotta love those field trip days! Even if the temperature is well below zero. It was -11 when we got up this morning but it had climbed to 3 degrees by this afternoon when we were out and about. Steve stayed home with Sarah and Emily but he will get to go see the animal hospital tomorrow when he goes to pick up Benjamin's new gloves that got left behind:)