We miss you.
Love,
The Princess Ballerina Soccer Player and her Kitty Kat sister
Monthly Archives: October 2006
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The Sincock Installment of Design on a Dime
October 30, 2006 – 7:43 am
All you need is: cardboard, a paper plate, a cookie cutter (for shaping the leaves), jute, acrylic paints and stamps, and presto, you can make your very own fall wreath,.:)
I think I might be able to pull of one for Christmas, too!
Here’s a closer look, but please don’t notice the painting imperfections (Sarah did her best!) or hot glue hanging out…
Quote of the Day
October 28, 2006 – 6:42 am
I was reading my MOMSense magazine and came across this gem from an article that made me laugh out loud. I think my fellow mommy friends will be able to appreciate this:
"As for me, I stepped away from my career to be at home with my kids, where my sanity is often determined by the length and frequency of their naps."
- excerpt from Reshaping Old Friendships by Alexandra Kuykendall
Flashback Friday: Halloween Edition
October 27, 2006 – 6:36 am
I think there was a challenge here to post a Halloween Costume Flashback this week so I dug out one of my favorites (yes, I scrapped the original)- me as Wonder Woman catching up with the bad guy (yep, that’s my dad). Did you watch Wonder Woman in the late seventies/ early eighties? I was addicted to Lynda Carter’s gorgeous locks and her superheroine powers. I couldn’t wait to dress up like her for Halloween. You have got to love the detail that went into planning this costume- leotards, star stickers, blue socks that go with the cute slip-ons of the early eighties. What a cool mom I have 
One Minute of Complaining
October 26, 2006 – 8:26 am
When I taught, I used to let my students have one-minute of complaining time (not everyday, but as needed). At one time, we would all spew out every whine, gripe, vent and complaint that was irking us. And all at the same time, so noone could actually coherently understand the whining. I believe that this began when I was student teaching. Most student teachers are frustrated with (not in any particular order) things like master teachers, paper work, unfinished lesson plans, not knowing where they’re going to work in the fall, etc.
I have been having some whiny days here, friends, and it reminded me that I have a one minute time of compaining rule when other people do it along with me. So, you have to join me.
One minute, start:
My back hurts, I feel huge, we have two kids with runny noses, it has been cold then hot and I’m an incubator and uncomfortable, husbandly is out of town, can’t sleep, we’re done with- blah.
End one minute.
Apparently I need to learn to type quicker cuz I have some more complainin’ to do.
Tease
October 24, 2006 – 10:22 pm
My latest circle journal entry was into Elizabeth’s journal titled Color Theory.
Like, what color inspires you?
What color do you surround yourself with?
I chose red.
What else?
Here’s a tease:
and one more since I love when other people do this (read, copycat Susie):
Want to see the rest? Go here.
Outtake
October 23, 2006 – 1:07 pm
Further detailed evaluation of the collection of photos we took this past Friday brought this one to my attention. It most definitely gets filed under the category of "Outtakes." It’s a little early for this 18-month-old to be pulling photo tricks like this, dontcha think?
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares
October 22, 2006 – 8:53 am
Quite possibly, this is the perfect fall dessert when you are craving some pumpkin pie and it’s not quite Thanksgiving!
You probably already have most of the ingredients- so pop on over to Albertson’s this afternoon for some pumpkin puree and get baking! You will not be disappointed.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares
2 cups flour
1 T. pumpkin-pie spice OR 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. ginger and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 cups (12 oz.) chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or spray 9" X 13" baking pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt. You can throw it over your shoulder, too if you’d like. Set aside.
With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high sped until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and toothpick inserted in center comes out just a few moist crumbs attached, 35-40 minutes.
** We have been halving the recipe and making ours in a 9" X 9" pan- be sure to use an entire egg and bake at the same time. Enjoy!
Bates Nut Farm aka Pumpkin Patch Excursion :)
October 20, 2006 – 5:32 pm
This was our third year trying to find the perfect pumpkin patch– the first year, we went to one in the city- they did a nice job bringing in pumpkins and squash, but we were right in the middle of a huge intersection on Pacific Coast Highway. Lots of noise, lots of traffic, not a true experience…
The second year, we went to Cal Poly’s Pumpkin Patch- it was late in the season and pumpkins were more of leftovers than fresh pickings and spread out over a large field where we had to search and hunt one down.
This year, a friend told me about Bates Nut Farm out in Valley Center, and I think we have a winner. Just a short 35 minute drive out there and we definitely were in "the country" — large rows of corn fields, ginormous pumpkins with wheelbarrows ready to be filled, goats and chickens in pens, and a charming little country store. Fun, fun, fun. And a many of pumpkins to choose from
Shining Stars
October 18, 2006 – 1:58 pm
Our Women’s Bible Study is going through the Book of Genesis this year and I am two weeks deep into it. I have already been blessed in so many ways- by actually learning new things from scripture (as opposed to just reading and hoping I’m getting something out of it), the group of ladies I get to fellowship with, the amazing worship, and the consistently solid Bible teaching.
The whole precess of Creation is fascinating-it is unfathomable to completely understand how great and mighty our Lord is. After all, He separated the dark from light, the sky from water, the land from the sea- I mean, really, that’s pretty powerful.
Something that I have been reminded of lately happened on the fourth day of Creation Week: When God had decided to put light in the sky- he just placed those illuminating stars up there. Genesis 1: 16 says, "He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness." Yep, our Creator just placed the stars up there. Wa-la. And it is written as simple as that, but I think you will find that God made us to function like those large balls of intensely hot gasses.
Jesus teaches that we should "Let (our) light so shine before men," (Matthew 5:16) and Paul charges Philippians to "shine as lights in the world," (Philippians 2: 15)- both suggesting that we are children of God living in a spiritually dark world. Much like the stars shining in the sky of a clear desert night, I have this mental picture of a large crowd in a dark amphitheater holding up a lighter (or a candle or a cell phone face) — and there are so many burning flames that the darkness is lighter from bits and pieces of flicker here and there. I am reminded that God wants us to be like the stars illuminating and shining His glory and love here.
I think the stars are beautiful up in our night sky where He initially placed them. But I’m pretty sure that God thinks we’re pretty beautiful here. Light up, friends. Let your light so shine.