It's Still Life...

around here.  Just the usual things going on:  dishes, laundry, vacuuming, homework, cooking, chickens getting into the garden, rats making a mess, kids making a mess, me not wanting to clean up the mess, more laundry, etc.

Right now I'm making bread, doing laundry and running the dishwasher.  I've already vacuumed half of the upstairs.  The kids are at school and Bryan is at work.  And I'm listening to music.

I need to put more of my items up in my Etsy store.  I have about 8 rugs to list.  And doilies and purses.  I've almost finished another afghan.

Tomorrow afternoon I get to officially help with my first radKIDS simulation.  I'm quite excited for that.

We got another set of bunkbeds.  This set went in the little girls' room.  It's a small room and they really need the extra space a bunkbed provides.  We got it used from the KSL classifieds.  Now we just need to organize the rest of the bedroom.

We also got a new couch for the family room downstairs.  We had had the two very gross, falling apart used couches for several years and it was time to move them to the garbage.  On Saturday we took them apart and are slowly disposing of them on garbage days.  We got a put-together sectional and ottoman and it is so much better.  Now to paint and finish the rest of the room.  I'll add that to my list...

Life

It's snowing again.

I'm almost done teaching radKIDS at my kids' elementary school.  It's been since the end of October that I've been teaching 4 or more classes a week most weeks.  It's been a lot of fun and my teaching sure has improved since the beginning classes.  I'm also helping my sis teach at her kids' school for the next month or so.  I really enjoy teaching with her.  It's fun to be silly together.

Our hens haven't laid any eggs for a while.  Between the cold weather and molting, it might be a while yet.

I tried a cleaning recipe on Pinterest yesterday.  It's equal parts hot white vinegar and blue Dawn dish soap mixed in a spray bottle.  I sprayed it on both bathtubs and let it sit a bit.  After scrubbing the tubs with a magic eraser and the soap mixture, both tubs have never been so white.  It was awesome.  I heartily recommend trying it.

My son joined the track team.  I'm impressed and pleased that he decided to do that with no prodding from his parents.  Yesterday was his first day to run after school.  They ran 4.2 miles.  He was tired when he got home.

Sugar and carbs are hard to stay away from.

It's still snowing.

Stake Conference

Last weekend we had our Stake Conference.  Elder Richard G. Scott was the visiting general authority.  He spoke at all three sessions.  My son and I were in the stake choir and sang at both the adult session on Saturday night and the main session on Sunday morning.  All the talks were excellent and and it was neat to sit on the stand during the sessions.  It gave me a different perspective.  After such inspiring talks, we went over our family rules and changed up a few things.  They have been working quite well.

In other news,  I had another sale in my Etsy shop today.  A lady in California bought my Chevron Table Runner.  Very exciting!!!!!

Possible?

How is it possible that in February my youngest child will turn eight and be baptized shortly after and my oldest child will receive his patriarchal blessing?  Can I really be old enough for this?

New Year

This year I am focusing on a phrase: Don't overthink it.  Just do it.

It's already helped.  I replaced a shower curtain liner today.  I'd had the new liner for 6 months at least.  It was time.

I finally watched The Letter Writer.  I recommend it.  I cried, of course.

My husband got put into the Nursery at church.  He will teach in there with 2 other men.  Should be interesting.

I got another owl for the front room with a gift card from Christmas.  It's so cute.  You can never have too many owls in your house.

Or books.  I've run out of bookshelf space.  I may have a book problem. (right, sisters?)

I taught radKIDS yesterday for the first time in 3 weeks.  I was a bit rusty.  And the kids were antsy and talkative.  The 1st grade class was rough, so we ended early and they played with the giant parachute for the rest of the time.  They needed to run and move.

I know how to make a great fire in our fireplace.  We've enjoyed several this winter so far.  Not with the inversion, which is when we want a fire because it's colder than normal.  We can wait.

I heard a great quote from one of the Discovery Channel shows I was watching.  "Survival is not fun.  If it's fun, it's camping."

We're really focused on getting our 72-hour kits completed.  We just need to not overthink it and just do it.

That's enough rambling for now.

Our Christmas...

snow

books

toys

orange rolls

coconut bread

music

It's a Wonderful Life

stockings

more books

crocheting

cross stitch

giving

cousins

lots of food

laughter

tickling

weirdness

games

fevers

staying up late

thank yous

gratitude

love

craft supplies

Legos

carbonated water

colorful socks

Zinkies

science kits

nativities

Luke 2

carols

even more books

family

warm blankies

 

radKIDS tidbit

One thing I've learned while teaching radKIDS at the school is that with the 1st graders, you have to be very specific as to what you want them to do.  We were practicing peppering to the eyes and then turn and run in place as if you were running away and I said "and then run" and forgot to say "in place", so of course 32 kids go running across the gym.  Only 4 kids stayed put.  Running in place is not a new concept.  We use this all the time.  But they heard what I said and not what I meant, so they ran.  I'm still learning to be a good teacher.