Losing a Tooth

My very brave and very excited boy just "lost" his first tooth. Growing up . . . It all does so quick.

Elementary Round Up

Sigh . . . I had an Elementary Round Up post written.



But Live Writer had other ideas as to what should happen to my post.

Grrr.

And now everyone is awake in my house!  So that means that my eyes need to be directed at my children and not an impersonal computer screen . . . the ever-present distraction.

I'll try and come back and tell you what we did this week.  But here is your link!

___________________________

What has been going on in your school room? 

If you don’t have a blog to link up with . . . leave a comment and tell us what your family did in the Learning Room!

Guidelines: 

1. Write a blog post about your elementary aged child(ren), first through sixth grade, comprising the activities you did the prior two weeks.  You can include pictures, bullet points, tools used, learning gained, God moments, etc.
2. Be sure to include a link back to my blog.  By doing so, other like-minded readers can hang out in a central location if they are looking for Elementary School ideas.   Publish your post and then head back to my site. 
3. Provide the exact link (URL) of the Elementary Round-UP blog post you wrote, not your blog’s home address, through the provided MckLinky.
4. Optional:   I would love it if you grabbed my blog button over on the side.
5. You can combine this with other meme’s if that helps you to save time (as long as it is OK with the other blog owner). 

BIG IMPORTANT HEART MOMENT:  This isn’t a blog post to WOW other moms . . . the point of this is to help YOU document on YOUR blog what you and your child(ren) are learning.  My link-up is only to provide some accountability.  I won’t come and leave nasty comments on your blog if you don’t link up. 

What's In The Bible DVD Giveaway

I just want to preface this blog post.  If it looks different, it is because it is different.

I normally blog using Live Writer . . . but once again . . . I'm having more computer issues.  So, this blog post is coming from you direct, using Blogger.

I am thankful that no matter what, God's Word doesn't need updated nor does it demand a constant supply of energy in order to be used/read.

You don't need a special degree to understand God's letter to you, compared to the complex and unusual language that I recently discovered when trying to download the new Live Writer Essentials.   I need to install some Windows Vista service pack.  Really?

Sigh.

However, when it comes to the Bible {alls} that you need is the Holy Spirit -- the Helper God left behind when Jesus ascended to begin preparations in Heaven for the people that love Him.

And if you don't have God's Helper, you simply ask God.  If you don't know how to love God, you just ask.  (and then maybe watch the DVD I am giving away, thanks to Tyndale).

That's right, you can just ask God.  You don't have to look around for a computer geek.  (No offense.)

It may go something like this (at least it did for me some 16 years ago),

"God, I'm coming to read your Bible and I simply don't understand it.  I need help.  I'm trying to figure out the whole Jesus-thing in my life . . . and I need You to help me understand that He (and You) love me, that Jesus died for my sins, and that He rose again on the third day.  Will you please help me to learn about you through reading the Bible?  Maybe bring some people in my life who will walk me through the Bible in such a way so as to not make me feel dumb . . . and will you show me how You are in control?  Because giving you my life . . . well, sounds scary and it doesn't make sense.  So, God . . . please help me.  Show me how I need you and help me to want to read your Bible and understand Your Words to me." 

There . . . that's a start.  That was my start many years ago.

And the funny thing . . . before I came to talk with Jesus I could not stand Veggie Tales.

I do have reason for telling you this.

I thought that Veggie Tales was the most annoying cartoon ever put to color.  (For those who haven't heard of Veggie Tales, according to Wikipedia, it is a cartoon created by a man named Phil Vischer.

It conveys "Christian moral themes and teaches Biblical values and lessons. The animated feature involves stories told by a group of recurring vegetable characters who lived on a kitchen countertop.")

But all that changed.

(I asked God to help me because I was doing a pretty terrible job running my life.)

And now, not only do I like Veggie Tales . . . but I have the majority of their songs memorized (thanks to my children), and I am hooked on Phil Vischer's newest project called What's in the Bible?

Why do I like it?

Well, the heart of this:  when it is all said and done, this set of 13 DVDs will walk your children, you, and new believers through the ENTIRE Bible.

To me . . . that kind of entertainment is worth paying for.

My kiddos heart What's in the Bible?  In fact, they like the website almost better because they can interact with the characters.  There are coloring pages and Popsicle stick puppet theaters and videos!

The DVD's are geared to entertain kids, but the reality is that they do an excellent job of teaching any aged human about God's AMAZING plan for His creation . . . US!
Previous episodes of What's in the Bible include:

• In the Beginning
• Let My People Go!
• Wanderin' in the Desert
• Battle for the Promised Land!

Big fan.  Thumbs up. 

Wanna win 

the 5th What's in the Bible? Israel Gets a King! 

 

Mandatory Entry:  Who will be watching this DVD?

Extra Entries (please leave one comment per entry)

1. Who is your favorite What's in the Bible character?  Click here to see the cast. Tell me who you picked and if you voted on the WITB website . . . give yourself an extra entry (just let me know).
2. Follow WITB on Twitter.
3. Like WITB on Facebook.
4. Watch a WITB video on YouTube and tell me about it! 
5. Tweet about this giveaway (making sure to include me @GranolaMom4God) or post on Facebook!
6. Become a fan of Granola Mom 4 God on Facebook!

Contest ends May 20, 2011.  The winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond.  I will send you a coupon in the mail to go pick up your video at a local retailer.  (Open to the US only.)

This post is brought to you by Tyndale . . . as part of my involvement with the What's in the Bible Street Team!  I was not paid for this post and was encouraged to give my honest opinion!

Serious Yum Kimchi

The first time I ate kimchi was on an airplane flying towards Seoul.  I didn’t order the kimchi specifically, I ordered a meal called a bibimbap.  I figured that because it was so much fun to say,

bibimbap (link to listen)

. . . . that it had to be as much fun to eat. 

Bibimbap means “mixed meal.”  According to Wikipedia (which we all know is the world’s most trusted source of known facts {grin}) bibimbip is,

served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul (sautéed and seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste). A raw or fried egg and sliced meat (usually beef) are common additions. The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating.  It can be served either cold or hot.

Ours was served cold.

And I pronounced bibimbap wrong. 

The bibimbap was great, despite the fact that at the time I had NO IDEA what I was eating.  It looked like eel and who knows what else. 

I tried the kimchi . . . and we didn’t like each other.  My taste buds were not used to such an acquired taste.  Kind of like vegemite. 

Fast forward six years.  I like to ferment.  I enjoy a satisfying, zesty, and crisp sauerkraut.

Kimchi is my newest and latest fermentation endeavor and love.  It tastes NOTHING like what I had on the noisy airplane.  And yes, I do remember what the nastiness tasted like.  Your taste buds change every 7 years.  It has only been six.  I think.

It has passed the kid test, the teenager test, and the grown up test.  It just might surprise YOU!

Kimchi

Ingredients

• 1 Napa cabbage
• 1 bunch of green onions
• 3 peeled carrots
• 1 bunch of radishes
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 4 chili peppers (mild or spicy – to do it over again, I would go for spicier)
• 4 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon Whey per mason jar (optional)

Directions

For the majority of my chopping, I allowed my Cusiniart to do the work.  I have also found that various sized cheese graters can do the job.  Use a small grater for your carrots and ginger, and a large hole cheese grater for your cabbage (or just chop it finely). 

Mix the vegetables with salt.

Place kimchi mixture into mason jars, pounding down to release juices. 

Add whey over the top (optional), cover with a lid, and set at room temperature to ferment for 2-3 days without opening. 

Transfer to fridge after that and use with food!  I suggest chopped vegetables, chips (if you eat them), chicken, lamb, hamburgers . . . . even plain! 

For more great recipes, click on the piece of blueberry pie!  Cara has got some great Grain Free Meal plans! 

Capturing Mother’s Day

Just in case you didn’t realize it . . .

Mother’s Day is right around the corner.  I feel a little odd mentioning it, seeing as though I am a mother.  But the fact is that Mother’s Day is next weekend. 

What would you like for Mother’s Day? 

The Engineer knows that for me the question is more like, “What would you like to see happen?”

I was thinking about what I would like for Mother’s Day (which involves what we do) . . . and I told the Engineer that I just wanted to be happy.  I wanted a day where everyone got along. 

My request is almost like asking for a miracle.  But miracles do happen.  (I’ve got four of them.)

Yesterday, another miracle nearly occurred . . . the only problem being the timing . . . it wasn’t Mother’s Day or my birthday (which is also occurring this month, the 13th in case you want to send me a present).

The perfect day began with a slow morning.  Coffee.  A quiet time.  Watching my sons mow with the Engineer and . . .

Friends came.  Rejuvenating friends.  A dear friendship created across an ocean almost a lifetime ago and fertilized through the Holy Spirit in the Midwest.

Then, some time alone.  Fermenting.

Followed by the family working together in the garden . . .

building a fence . . .

planting strawberries . . .

smelling the earth . . . getting my garden gloves dirty . . .

and a late night talk with the Engineer while finishing up last minute touches to our rather intimidating fence. 

Ain’t no bunnies Ruth’s getting into our produce.

What do I want for Mother’s Day?

to bottle up yesterday

How can I freeze the perfect day?  How can I recreate it?

Well, what am I always doing?

Taking pictures. The day was so amazing to me that I took a picture of my shoes.  Seriously.

So . . . for someone like me . . . a good gift can be found in a picture.  Like a Shutterfly photobook.  (Big fan of this easy way to scrapbook our life!)

Or on a coffee mug or in a personalized prayer journal or on a very cool and unique notepad.

When I think about a gift for Mother’s Day . . . and not just my Mother’s Day . . . I always want to receive and give a gift that bottles up what I treasure most . . . a gift that will delight the file cabinet of memories. 

P.S. Are you a blogger? Click here to sign up for a chance at 50 free cards from Shutterfly.