Tradition! Tradition!

When I wrote that title, I was singing the song from Fiddler on the Roof.  Go back and sing it, just for me, won't you?

Thanks.

New Year's Eve and New Year's Day traditions.  What do you do for these?

New Year's Eve we are total party animals.

We start a 500-1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle and work to finish it by midnight.  (When I say "we," I mean mostly John.  I am ready for bed by 10 pm.) Whomever helps gets to sign the back of the puzzle after we ModPodge it together.  It'll be hung in the basement hallway later.

Party food for New Year's Eve consists of Velveeta-Rotel dip with tortilla chips, stuffed dates (cram a walnut half into a pitted date and then roll it in powdered sugar), popcorn balls (made like Rice Krispie Treats), and sparking grape juice (thanks Welch's, for making me feel guilty as I walk through WalMart with my bottle of bubbly, afraid that someone from church will think I'm buying wine).

 Puzzles from years past:

New Year's Day

We sleep in, because that's what wild and crazy people like us do.

This year for our New Year's Lunch we will have grilled pork chops, four bean salad (one of the beans will be black eyed peas for good luck--here's a recipe that is nearly identical to mine), turnip greens (for money in the new year) and corn bread.  

Do you have special traditions?  I'd love to hear them!

Mother's Day Surprise

I got the very best, ever, letter today. 

Bryan wrote a whole page of letter, saying such sweet things. 

He is my quiet one. He's the one, when he's sick, you never know it--when he mentions he doesn't feel well, call the doctor because it's serious! 

Before we started the Feingold diet, he never said, "I love you" without some prodding (I love you, Bryan, what do you say?). Never. 

He was 7 1/2 when we started Feingold, and after one week this non-demonstrative child climbed up into my lap (CLIMBED UP INTO MY LAP!) and said, "I love you, Mommy." 

I didn't care how hard Feingold was to do, I was in it for the long haul after seeing and hearing that! 

Today he surprised me by giving me that letter full of sweet, sweet words. 

Oh my goodness. 

I love that boy!

Palm Sunday

Luci has such a tender heart.

She can't bear to hear the story of Jesus' crucifixion.  She ends up in tears every time, sometimes running from the room.

The first time Luci did this was in second grade at Sunday school.  She sat at the table, tears streaming down her face as the teacher put up a flannelgraph of Jesus on the cross.  Our children's minister happened to be in the room at the time, and told me all about it.  She had never seen a child react that way. She took Luci out into the hall and talked to her, and calmed her down.

Fast forward twelve months, and it hasn't gotten any easier for Luci.  A few weeks ago during the sermon, the preacher talked about Jesus on the cross, and that was it.  Luci covered her ears and bolted to the classroom in the back of the auditorium.  I grabbed my purse and followed her.  John looked around at the other kids and none of them even looked up...they were going about their drawing or coloring, or whatever, as if nothing was going on.  I told John to be thankful at least one kid in there was listening.  :)

Then there was this morning.

It was hard to get Luci to the table for breakfast.  She was not interested in the bacon:  something was wrong.  I asked her if she felt well.  Are you sick?  I said if you stay home, no video games all day (that usually clears up any fake illness).

Huge tears began to fall.  What is wrong?  Please tell me.  I gathered her up and hugged on her.  She would not speak.  She left me, went into the kitchen and wrote a note.

(please remember that Luci spells phonetically)

Of course, Bryan cracked up and said, He did?   I told him to can it.

Luci stayed home with me.  I knew she'd be a basket case, worrying the whole time that the Sunday school teacher or the preacher would bring up Jesus' death, which of course, they did.

She knows that Jesus came back to life, that He defeated death.

We all should be so tender-hearted.

Susie Homemaker

This has been a busy weekend here at home.  John worked on the deck, replacing boards and the stairs to the deck.

JT taught Luci a new video game.

Bryan went to a friend's house to play video games.

And I baked.

First came meatloaf--three ready-to-go meatloaves in the freezer for days when I am short on time.

Then came meatballs, enough for three dinners of spaghetti and meatballs.  (Yum!)

The remainder of Saturday was spent making (and sampling!) a yummy sugar cinnamon bread.  I made this gluten free and it is so good.

Luci approved of the sugar cinnamon bread!  She looks too grown up in this photo.

 

Strawberries came in this weekend--I bought a flat from a young man at church, who was selling them for his baseball team.  Sunday afternoon was spent making freezer jam: 10 half-pints, plus a little bit more in that plastic container.  Why aren't they just called cups instead of half-pints??

Now to just master making good gluten free biscuits.

Sweet Dream

Luci woke up this morning asking me, "Where is Quay-non?"

I asked her several times to repeat what she said since I didn't understand the last word.

"Quay-non.  My little sister.  Where is she?"

Then wakefulness and realization kicked in and she, so disappointed, said, "It was just a dream."

Almost to the point of tears, she told me that she dreamed we adopted a little girl, Quay-non, when Luci was three years old.  She was playing with Quay-non in the dream when she woke up.

:'(

Resistance is Futile...Except in Art Class

Luci is taking an art class in Huntsville this month.  Thursdays for an hour.  I sit outside the classroom and listen to the hub-bub inside.

Luci has learned about colors, shades, tints, complementary colors and secondary and tertiary colors (although she probably could not tell you what a secondary or tertiary color is).

Here is today's lesson--Color Wash Over a Wax Resist, Using Complementary Colors (if I use capital letters, it sounds more School-y)