In the Hot Seat at VBS

Kid Jedi got put in the "Hot Seat" at his VBS yesterday and answered all 3 questions about the previous day's Bible story. We're having fun. He's thinking here.

Check out more Wordless Wednesday posts at 5MFM.

Grandmom's Ginger{bread}

Ok, so this is more of a modification of Gingerbread than anything. I made this because my Mom had made Tastefully Simple's Ginger Snappy Bread when we were over there last week and my son loved it, to the point that he kept asking for Grandmom's Ginger, so I tried to make it myself, and to say it was a success is really understating the reaction. I don't have a picture of the cake because, well, it got eaten and I wasn't really planning on posting this today until I saw that the MckLinky Blog Hop was for a recipe. So, here's the recipe:

Grandmom's Ginger{bread}

2-1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
3/4 cup HOT water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of 9x9x2 pan with shortening and lightly flour.

2. Beat all ingredients together with electric mixer (the electric mixer helps to break up the shortening) on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.

3. Bake 50 - 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. You can serve this plain or with vanilla pudding, however you like your gingerbread.

Check out 5MFM for Tackle it Tuesdays and MckLinky for other recipes.

Tackle It Tuesday - Getting ready for changes

Well, things they are a changin'. With Kid Jedi going to Kindergarten next year, and our financial situation needing help, it's time for me to look for something to bring in some income. First thing is I got an order for a receiving blanket and some burpies which I will do, maybe I'll make some more to see how I can do with that. I need something that will keep me on Kid Jedi's schedule especially since he had so much trouble at preschool this year, and I enjoy having the summers at home and can't bear the idea of having to put him in camp or hire a babysitter for him for an entire summer.

In preparation for me not having so much free time (or at least not being home as much), and with the realization that I'm probably done having children since being pregnant at 41 doesn't appeal to me too much, it's time to start really de-cluttering and getting ready for a fall yardsale. Everything is in the planning stage this week since Kid Jedi's been sick with a fever and cough since last Wednesday, finally feeling a bit better yesterday and Saturday, I got the fever.

I will be posting my progress on this endeavor. I think I'll start with going through Kid Jedi's toys, I gave him the incentive of whatever money we make with selling his toys he can use it to buy some Legos, now to figure out how to store them.

This is what I'm tackling head on over to 5MFM to see what other Moms are tackling.

Three Things You Didn't Know About Me

Three things you didn't know about me, well I could probably put any 3 random things here since there isn't much you do know about me, but here are 3 things even some of my friends and acquaintances may not know.

1. I can't stand the way sand feels when it sticks to your skin, but I love going to the beach with Kid Jedi and listening to the waves, even going out into the ocean sometimes.

2. I'm afraid to swim because when my father taught me to swim, he did that thing that parents do where they keep walking backwards and I panicked and thought I was going to drown, I've been afraid ever since.

3. When adults mispronounce things, it's like nails on a chalkboard to me, and here in South Jersey, there are some things that people do all the time like instead of pronouncing Acme "Ack-me" they pronounce it "Ack-a-me" or water "wooder" (there isn't a d in water and it's an a, not an o), bad grammar annoys me too but that's another story.

Wordless Wednesday - pool fun

Kid Jedi's a little leery of pools still, he and his buddy were doing a lot of splashing which Kid Jedi doesn't really like, so he's not too sure he should go back into the pool.

Check out more Wordless Wednesdays at 5MFM.

Tackle It Tuesday - More baby gifts *Updated with pictures*

Well, now that I'm home from the free movie at our local United Artist Theater, I'm ready to finish my tackle. My Mom has a baby shower for a friend this weekend and she asked me to make some burpies, I usually make the ones made out of diapers with flannel down the middle and ribbon on either side of the fabric, and I am making them, but I got a pattern from YouCanMakeThis.com for a receiving blanket and one for burpies and I'm making them. Last night I cut everything out and pinned it up, today it will be sewing. Come by tomorrow to check out my pictures of the finished product.

****Update - Pictures****

This is everything I made: 4 burpies in 2 different styles, 1 receiving blanket:

This is the receiving blanket:
These are the burpies I usually make:

These are the burpies that match the receiving blanket:

This is what I'm tackling, let us know what you're tackling and check out other tackles at 5MFM.

I am worth it!

So, I'm a SAHM, one of the most difficult and rewarding jobs I've ever had. On any given day I can usually have my happiest and saddest moments...well, lately the happiest don't seem to be happening. It's not really Kid Jedi's fault, he's still the same child that I've had for the past 5 years, it's mine. We've been going through a lot this year with Kid Jedi and his preschool. To say that he had a few problems in adjusting is putting it mildly. I spent the second half of the year picking him up early on an almost daily basis, keep in mind he only was in school for 2-1/2 hours a day. We wound up going through our district's child study team and in the end found out that he should have been in a preschool that was more structured with smaller classes and more academics. Academically he was beyond what the preschool was teaching and socially he was behind the other kids, the teacher, well, they weren't impressed with her but wouldn't say anything to her about it. They also advised that when other kids act up, he does too but doesn't know how to stop and settle by himself. We are working on getting some coping mechanisms in place for him so next year will be better.

Anyway, like I said the way I've been feeling really isn't his fault, his behavior issues just made how I was feeling worse. Well, I kind of had a meltdown today and my wonderful husband and I discussed a few things that need to change in our home, nothing major, really just superficial things like organizing things, getting rid of clutter, things everyone has to do at sometime, but one thing he said to me, which is prompting this post, is that I need to figure out how to be happy with myself again. I don't really know the last time I was happy with myself and I'm not really sure why either. I'll be working this out here for a while I assume.

One thing I do know is my spiritual life is lacking, I've been looking for a church home, I found a church I really liked but I really wanted something a little closer so Kid Jedi would be able to participate in evening Bible study/AWANA type things...there's a closer church that a little boy from Kid Jedi's preschool class attends and I will be attending there to see what the services are like. But really, I just feel so far removed from God that it hurts.

Another thing I discovered in thinking today is that I really need to get over my perfectionist tendencies and competitiveness. My perfectionism paralyzes me at times, I tend to want things done so perfectly and I know I can't achieve that level so nothing gets done. I also compare myself, and my son and everything else, to everyone else and of course I never measure up, intellectually I know that I'm just as good of a mother and wife as everyone else, but I only see the aspects where I have difficulties and they don't seem to.

Don't get me wrong, I love my life, I love my husband and son more than anything in this world, they are my light. I just don't love me, I'm not happy with my weight, I'm not happy with how I clean house, I'm not happy that I will be going back to work next year. I miss being really happy about things, I used to be that girl that always smiled, now I feel like it's a chore to put on a happy face and the stress of Kid Jedi's issues at school and in certain social situations just makes it worse.

I know it will get better, and I know I need to work through a lot, and that's why I'm here writing at 1:00 in the morning, because I know, deep down, I really do know that I am worth taking care of and I am worth having a pleasant home, and I am worth just as much as anyone else.

Now if I could just move those feelings from my brain to my heart, I'll be good. Please bear with me as I go through all of this.