The Simple Woman's Daybook Volume 31

FOR TODAY... November 30, 2009

Outside my window... sun and the promise of warmth today--a high of 58 degrees!! This is Nebraska, folks, it's been unseasonably warm here lately. I love it.

I am thinking... about a funny incident with Morgan this weekend. See the picture at the bottom for more of the story.

I am thankful for... receiving the Eucharist while pregnant. Not only am I nourishing my daughter with meals, I am nourishing her with the very body and blood of Christ. Amen.

I am wearing... maternity jeans, T-shirt, and long sweater, and my daughter around my waist. She's a wiggly little thing this morning.

I am remembering... a fun visit to the Insect Zoo at Kansas State University this weekend. I'll post about it later this week.

I am going... to keep Madeleine home today. I ran her into our doctor this morning with a possible ear infection but instead, her ears are healthy but ... surprise! ... she has a mild fever, possibly a virus. So she's got Monday and Tuesday off of school.

I am currently reading... The Acts of the Apostles

I am hoping... for a healthy LAST trimester, delivery, and recovery. Only 81 days to go. If you're looking at my baby counter and wondering if I can count, I assure you that I can, in spite of my pregnant brain. I get to deliver early.

On my mind... speaking of that, I'm working on a post about what pregnancy does to the mind. It's intended to be funny--it'll be up tomorrow.

Learning at school and at home... I'll be teaching Madeleine at home to keep her up with her class while she's out of school Monday and Tuesday.

Noticing that... the UPS truck takes longer to arrive when you know it is coming. LUSH is shipping some seriously yummy merchandise to me today. What on earth did we do before we could click a link and find out that an order is ... On the truck for delivery? Maybe I'll start pacing.

Pondering these words... A watched pot never boils.

From the kitchen... I hate to say that I haven't thought that far ahead.

Around the house... Christmas things are going up, as Advent has begun!

One of my favorite things... my iPod Touch, which is currently on its way here from Shanghai. No kidding. Shanghai, China. I've been saving for it for awhile and got it online from Apple for a mere $175 on Black Friday with no shipping and free engraving. Yes, I'm watching FedEx, too.

From my picture journal...I found Morgan, my second grader, at the computer like this, saying, "Mom, there is no L. How can I finish my postcard with no L?" Upon further investigation, I found that there is indeed no L on our keyboard. It's been rubbed off with use. Poor Morgan! ::
Be sure to visit Peggy to read her Daybook and those of other Simple Women!

Kolache Recipe

Back by popular demand ... a simple recipe for kolaches.

KOLACHES

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups warm (room temperature) milk

2 (1/4 oz / 7gram) packages dry active yeast--quick rise works well.

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup shortening

1 tablespoon salt (no kidding)

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

6 1/2 + cups of all purpose flour

2-3 cans of pie filling (cherries, apricots, apples, blueberries, etc.)

DIRECTIONS

1. Move oven racks to the lowest 2 positions.

2. Put a cookie sheet of warm water on the bottom rack.

3. Heat oven to "warm" setting (less than 200) and turn off.

4. Warm milk to room temperature and add yeast. Stir and then let sit.

5. Beat together sugar, shortening, salt, eggs, and egg yolks.

6. Add milk/yeast mixture and beat together.

7. Mix flour with other ingredients until it is smooth but a little sticky. You may need up to a cup of extra flour.

8. Grease a large bowl and pour/scape dough into it.

9. Put the bowl of dough above the cookie sheet into the oven.

10. Let it rise until it's doubled in size, about an hour.

11. Grease baking sheets

12. When the dough has risen, remove it from the oven and punch it down.

13. Turn oven to 375.

14. Using a tablespoon, make balls slightly larger than a golf ball with the dough, dip in flour and shape into smooth balls with your hands. Place balls on baking sheets several inches apart. Spray balls with cooking spray or brush with melted crisco to keep the dough from cracking. Allow balls to rise to about double in size, not too much. I find that by the time I get the last ball rolled, the first ones have usually risen enough to start working the next steps with.

15. Flatten balls with hands and, with your thumbs, press and stretch the dough in the center to make the indents. Do not tear the dough.

16. Add the filling. (Wal-Mart brand fruit filling is mostly gel and very little fruit. Get something else.)

17. Bake for 9-11 minutes, checking regularly, until barely brown. If your oven heats unevenly, you may need to rotate the trays while baking.

18. If desired, drizzle with home made frosting which is made out of a lot of powdered sugar, a little vanilla, lots of butter, and just a tiny bit of milk. Canned frosting ruins the kolaches, folks. Yuck.

This recipe yields 35 to 40 rolls.

*Remember to store in airtight containers soon after baking.

*They'll stay fresh for 2-3 days.

*Jessica M. says that you can freeze them.

*To add moisture if they've dried out a little, warm in the microwave on a damp paper towel.

*The recipe yields a lot, but remember that they're fun to give away!

Thirsting for Life

It doesn't matter that this is our fifth pregnancy, our fifth child, our fifth trip to the hospital, our third daughter. I'm mesmerized by her already. As I key this post, I can feel her strong kicks right above my belly button. I stopped to put my hands there and enjoy it. Rather than just twitches in my tummy, I can feel hard spots now, a head or bottom, and she's comfortable with her trunk on my right side. When she kicks and I feel it, I feel the body part that is kicking, perhaps a knee, foot, or elbow. There is no less novelty in this pregnancy than there was in the previous four.

A family in our parish recently had their seventh child. This may seem routine to the world, seeing a new "Jones" baby, but it's not routine to this mother. The look on her face and the way she holds her son shows that his new little life is a pleasure to her, that it is new to her, not routine in the least.

Wanting this child is intense. It is comparable to aching with thirst a mile from home on foot without water. I think of what it will be like in the delivery room the morning she is born. I think that the moment that Jeremy hands her to me will be like taking a long cold drink after a long hot hike. Every part of me will feel relieved. She will truly fill me up.

I am already in love.

Thanksgiving at the Farm

Jeremy's mother is one of thirteen children. Most of the siblings are married. There are 35 first cousins, a number of second cousins, and even some third cousins. Jeremy's grandparents farmed when they were alive and now Uncle Emil farms on the same land. Every year, the extended family gathers at the farm at least three times: Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve. It's always good for the kids, as Uncle Emil usually has cows and calves, plenty to do outdoors, cats, and sometimes corn to play with after harvest. No cows today, but corn took center stage and the kids were busy scooping, tossing, throwing, collecting, and playing with it.

There is food enough for a Czech army, Uncle Steve's pickles and ribs, kolaches, homemade noodles, and an assortment of delicious things to eat. But most of all, there is family time with brothers, sisters, grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles.
Post harvest farm yard
Madeleine carried around this docile farm cat all afternoon.
Jeremy scoops corn with the boys.
The harvest
Isaiah tosses corn.
Jeremy tossed corn into the gravity wagon and it came out the open bottom. Kids are easily amused on a farm--click on the video at the bottom of the post but turn your volume down first.

Grandma supports the wheelbarrow while Isaiah attempts to climb in.
In the farmyard, this is where you take a time out.
We took five pictures of everyone in the wheelbarrow. At least one person was off each time. *sigh*.

Noah plays in the corn.
Noah sits with his cousin Alex.
Note the leaves in the boy's hood. He was playing with another cousin in the leaf pile.
See that itty bitty boy climbing the combine? No fear. Maybe next year he can help with harvest.
Now he's going to drive the combine. Heaven help us.
These are the future farmers of Nebraska.
Grandma helps the kids down from the combine.
Noah continues to play in the corn.
The sun sets over (or near) the Bohemian Alps.
Jillian, this last one's for you--Jeremy's grandparents raised 13 children in this house with two bedrooms and an attic. You can do it! ;)

Here are our children beneath the gravity wagon experiencing ... gravity. Turn your volume down!

House Concert Featuring Sarah Sample

We were blessed to host a House Concert last night with Sarah Sample. With her came Paul Jacobsen and Ryan Tanner. Each are independent artists but are traveling together for this series. They played their own songs in turn but played with each other. The blend was absolutely amazing; these artists complement each other very well. It was like sitting in Heaven; I could have listened for hours.

A house concert, if you are not familiar with this, is just what it sounds like. Sarah, Paul, and Ryan brought their equipment in and set it up in our family room. We moved out the larger pieces of furniture and borrowed chairs and stools. My brother took the children downstairs and kept them quiet. We had about 20 guests: family, friends, and even a couple of people whom we did not know. We all enjoyed a concert made up of two 45 minute sets. What a treat!

They played Born to Fly, 4th of July, You're the Song, It's All I've Got, Everytime I Go, Dearest Elaine, Count the Colors, Time, Good Life, Washington Square, At That Day, Mercy Me, My Madeline, and Jesus Savior Pilot Me. Before the official show began, Sarah played Noah for our Noah, who was then the happiest camper in the room. He was so tickled. After the show, Sarah graced us with Sinking Into Sweetness, another favorite of mine.

I can't say enough how great the music was and how kind each of these musicians are. This was my introduction to Ryan's and Paul's music and I very much enjoyed it. I look forward to enjoying the new CDs which we bought and hope to hear them play again someday!

To hear the artists' music and read more about them, please check their websites:
Sarah Sample
Paul Jacobsen
Ryan Tanner (Atherton is the name of his band)
Sarah Sample
Ryan TannerPaul Jacobsen Sarah
Aubrey and Sarah
::::::::::::::::::::::::::
If you happen to be reading this, Sarah, Paul, and Ryan, thank you so much for bringing your gifts into our home and sharing your music with us. We were pleased to have you and would love to have you again!

The Simple Woman's Daybook Volume 30

FOR TODAY... November 16, 2009

Outside my window... it's gray and cold and should be snowing but that system appears on maps to be south of us. The leaves are gone from the trees but the grass is still green.

I am thinking... about how much I'm going to miss the green leaves of trees.

I am thankful for... warm evenings with family and friends. We were blessed last night with the visit of a priest whom Jeremy's family has known for many, many years. Jeremy's parents and siblings joined us for supper. Father prepared Jeremy and me for marriage and baptized our first born. What a pleasure it is to know him.

I am wearing... sweat pants, a T-shirt, socks and a baby around my waist.

I am laughing about... something my son said. The not-so-new state quarters still surprise me and are pleasing to the eye when I receive them as change. But my 5 year old had a quarter the other day and his eyes and mouth opened wide. He exclaimed, "mine has an EAGLE on the back!"

I am going... to work on laundry and read books to my children.

I am reading... Ford County by John Grisham and am trying to start Drowning Ruth but I don't think it's going to happen before it's due back to the library.

I am hoping... for a healthy third trimester.

On my mind... military men and women. The sacrifices they make are amazing and I'm so very grateful that they volunteer to protect us and keep America safe.

Learning at school and at home... Morgan, 7, is beginning to do subtraction with borrowing (grouping) and her class is beginning cursive. Madeleine, 6, is getting better at reading and at math but needs constant practice--more than Morgan needed, which is still a bit of an adjustment for me. But Madeleine's improvement is measurable since she began having time with the resource teacher at our school. I'm so grateful! Noah, 5, is beginning to spell. No more slacking for me--time to really teach him to read. He's ready. Isaiah, 2, is beginning to fill in the blanks when I read him books. For example, "In the light of the MOON a little egg lay on a LEAF...." He will fill in the capitalized words if I pause.

Noticing that... I'm not clear on how to use who vs. whom. Does someone have a simple rule for this? Sometime I can tell and sometimes I cannot. I like my grammar to be correct.

Pondering these words... Enjoy the journey. This is something that my wonderful husband reminds me to do regularly.

From the kitchen... leftovers ... all week long!

Around the house... it's in pretty good order since we had company yesterday. We'll have company again on Thursday so now I just need to keep it clean and orderly!

One of my favorite things... the shoelaces on my new sneakers which stay tied without a double knot. No double knots are a huge bonus for a pregnant woman! I want to kiss the person who invented these!







From my picture journal... Father B (mentioned above) with Jeremy and me and then with Morgan whom he baptized. He is a chaplain to the Air Force for those of you who noticed his attire. :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::
Be sure to visit Peggy to read her Daybook and those of other Simple Women!

7 Quick Takes Friday Volume 18

1. Dinosaur Train is a new show on PBS. Here, it airs at 8:30 in the morning. It rocks my geologic world. They regularly use words like Cretaceous, Jurassic, and Triassic. The other day, one of the characters said the words Cretaceous Interior Seaway and my knees melted. This is one of my favorite parts of geologic history, as Nebraska was beneath it during the reign of the dinosaurs. Sid the Science Kid, on the other hand, could go the way of the dinosaur and I would be grateful.

2. There is no longer any diet soda in my house. I decided not to keep diet soda here. I became wary of aspartame and decided I was drinking waaaay too much of it. I won't drink regular soda because I don't like the sugary aftertaste (and dread the extra calories). So I'll have it as a treat when we go out but now I find that I'm drinking much more water.

3. One word: Gymboree. Yes, my unborn daughter shall have this overpriced dress for spring (30% off coupon). These pants were just irresistible. And why stop at the first two items when there are sleepers like this? I love roses.

4. Why on earth does my toddler run away from me when I try to change a poopy diaper? Does the squish feel good? I can't imagine that it does. Dave Ramsey compared debt to a toddler with a poopy diaper: it may be uncomfortable and it may stink but it's warm and it's mine.

5. My baby is now about 1.5 pounds and 13 inches long. Grow, baby, grow!

6. The Nebraska Czech-Slovak Queen came to visit my girls' Daisy Troop. She sang in Czech and played an accordion. She also brought cherry kolaches! How fun! The kids are mostly Czech (and I'd estimate myself at half Czech) so it was special for that reason, too.

7. You locals: House concert Thursday! Please contact me or check your evite for more information! Join us! This would be great for a couple-date or a mom's night out.

::

Visit Jennifer over at Conversion Diary for her quick takes and those of other bloggers!

The Simple Woman's Daybook Volume 29

FOR TODAY... November 10, 2009

Outside my window... it is dark, as it is 12:23 a.m. This is why I shouldn't drink Starbucks (even a half-caff) at 9 p.m.

I am thinking... about my hospital stay coming up in February (new baby). Will my children be allowed up to see their new little sister? Our hospital is currently not allowing children up but I don't know yet if siblings might be an exception. I'm not jumping to conclusions yet ... I've got 15 weeks to figure it out.

I am thankful for... a home to live in, food to eat, clothes to wear, transportation, health insurance, and my husband's job.

I am wearing... jeans and a long sleeved shirt, socks and sneakers

I am remembering... what it felt like and smelled like to walk with my aunt down the street toward Puget Sound from her home in Seattle. Those walks have been in my head all day, for some reason.



I am going... to be well prepared for next week, our busiest week of the month.

I am reading... Ford County by John Grisham.

I am hoping... that astrophysicists are becoming high in demand here in Nebraska.

On my mind... my brother the Navy guy is working 100 hour weeks--no holiday leave is expected even though he's stateside yet. I think that's grueling and hope that it all pays off in the end. People who think that the Navy is a military soft option should think again! He says it's the hardest job he's done. Go Navy! I'm grateful to all military men and women for their loyalty and for their sacrifices.

Learning at school and at home... Morgan's class is starting cursive this week! Madeleine has greatly improved her reading skills and is getting better at math. Noah absorbs everything like a sponge and is demonstrating interest in how words are put together. Isaiah is two (and those of you who have or have had a two year old know that about sums it up).

Noticing that... it feels much better not to procrastinate.

Pondering these words... I read in Reader's Digest that, "financial experts advise carrying a [credit card] balance of no higher than 8% of your gross household income...." Holy moly. How about don't carry any at all? We used credit when we first started out but saw the light, paid the balances, and currently have only a mortgage and student loans as debt to manage. I can't wait until we make those disappear! It is scary that people must declare bankruptcy from credit card debt. Then there are those nasty cash advance places....

From the kitchen... tacos, beef stew, and a few quick things with salad to get us through the week.

Around the house... we're tidying up and preparing for next week when we'll have company.

One of my favorite things... holding a sleeping baby/child.

From my picture journal... This is my father-in-law and me over the weekend. His jacket is stuffed but my tummy really is that big. 24 weeks down, 15 to go!Visit Peggy to read her Daybook and those of other Simple Women.

Indian Cave

Since I was a baby, my family has had an annual day at a state park called Indian Cave which is along the Missouri River in southeastern Nebraska. We try to go when the leaves have changed because the park is heavily wooded and also has some great views of the Missouri River Valley, which is just amazing in all of its autumn glory. Here's the story in pictures.

Note: I must give my sister Brianna credit for at least 1/2 of these pictures, maybe more. When we have a family gathering, I pass my camera to her in hopes that there will be some good shots on it. There always are!We begin with lunch at our lunch spot. Grandpa grilled hamburgers (were they deer burgers or hamburgers?) and Grandma had the sides all ready. Jeremy and Sue start picking burrs off of Morgan's pants. Isaiah picks burrs off of Eli's shorts. Are you beginning to see a pattern? Noah "helps" (Great) Grandpa with the fire. This is Morgan's caterpillar Sophia. This is the pile of kolaches and the container of dried bananas that we ate! Seth, this picture of lunch is for you. These coals are perfect for ... ...roasting marshmallows! Maddie runs around. Jake pushes Isaiah on the swings. Noah looks down on Grandpa from the top of the slide. Jake spins Eli on the swing. Grandma helps Noah fill his pockets with rocks. Noah slides. Isaiah rides the merry-go-round with Uncle Jake. Maddie smiles. Dad and Eli goof off. Sophie and Brianna goof off. Isaiah catches a ride to St. Deroin Village on Grandpa's shoulders. The blacksmith lets Maddie ring the dinner bell/triangle. Jake, Eli, Brianna Morgan is fascinated with the candles made with ribbons. Morgan and I watch the candlemaker. This is the best grandma a girl could hope for! Grandma, Leighton, and Grandpa watch Jeremy and Isaiah and the blacksmiths. Those are poison. Uncle Leighton makes Noah dizzy.Jake
Left to right: (background) Grandpa, Dad, Sue, Madeleine Leighton, Eli, Grandma, Me O Say, does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave ... o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!Jeremy, Isaiah, Brianna, Dad, Sophie, Grandpa, Noah, and Morgan are on the merry-go-round outside of the school. Shame, shame, shame ... I know your name!Jake, Dad, and Grandpa talk at the cave area. Morgan runs by the river. Dad and I visit by the river. It's the Missouri River and the state of Missouri that you're looking at. My dad and I are standing in Nebraska. Morgan holds a beetle. Aubrey, Leighton, Eli, Grandpa, and Grandma have a snack. Jake, Brie, Sophie, Eli, and Leighton head off to explore. We arrived at the supper spot, the best spot in the park to catch the sunset. Dad made CHILI. Holy cow, wish I had room for seven bowls. That was the best chili ever (sorry, Seth). Noah finishes a cookie bar that Grandma made. This is across from our supper shelter. Jake and Isaiah, Leighton, and Eli watch the sun disappear. Until next year....