More and more alert!

I noticed that yesterday our baby reached that more-alert-point where babies (well at least for my babies) can do these things for longer periods of time without crying

- lay on the bed
- sit in the bouncer longer
- and thanks be to God... he can ride in the car longer

We ran an errand this morning and there was no crying in the car at all. Halle -- lujah! My last two babies are not like the typical babies who immediately become quiet and fall asleep when the car begins to stroll. They're often quite the opposite. They've been known to cry and cry and cry until we pull into the garage and stop the car :-)

This is a big big big relief to me because it allows me to get more things done and I can select the times for baby holding and cuddling.

Before this point, if baby was not sleeping, he was either wanting to nurse or wanting to be held. So I would feed him, burp him and cuddle him and he'd sit or lay alone for a very little while, but before long it would be back to feeding or cuddling again until his next nap. I think he figured "as soon I wake up I need to eat" and "to go to sleep I need to eat".

That was fun and cute and I'd love to be able to do that all day but there's lots and lots of work to be done, books to be read, food to be prepared, dishes to be washed, showers and baths to be taken, clothes to be washed, folded and put away, ..... you know the drill. --- reality!

So I'm glad baby is starting to grow up.

This is also making things more fun because he's smiling more and starting to coo. So so cooot! (get it ... cooot :-) LOL )

Easy Fresh Chicken Teriyaki Stir-Fry

from cooks.com

Ingredients:

* 1 pound chicken breasts, cut in strips
* 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 1 cup baby carrots, cut in halves
* 1 cup fresh broccoli, cut in bite-size pieces
* 2 celery stalks, cut up
* 1 cup fresh zucchini, sliced
* 2 cups plus 1/2 cup water
* 1/2 cup soy sauce
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 2 Tbsp flour
* Cooked rice

Method

Cook vegetables in simmering water until crisp-tender. Cook chicken strips in a separate pan in oil, using salt and pepper to season. When chicken is cooked, add 2 cups water, the sugar and soy sauce. Mix until sugar is dissolved. After both chicken and vegetables are cooked, drain vegetables and transfer them to the chicken and soy sauce mixture. Bring to a boil, then simmer. Take 1/2 cup water, add flour and stir until flour is dissolved. Add to the simmering chicken and vegetable mixture. Simmer and stir occasionally for 5-10 minutes. Serve over rice.

Notes: You may need to adjust your sugar and soy sauce to taste. My son absolutely loves this recipe. It's a good way to get the kids to eat their vegetables.
Number of servings: 6

Addition Lapbook

My goal is for us to start some of these of our own this summer and be pros by the beginning of next school year!


Find more videos like this on Lapbook Lessons

Daughter of Stephen Curtis Chapman Killed by Car

I can't imagine the pain he and his family are feeling. Here are a few videos of him and his girls, the song, Cinderella, that he wrote about daddy's and daughters, and the story that was reported by the Associated Press.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The 5-year-old daughter of Grammy-winning Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman was struck and killed Wednesday by a sport utility vehicle driven by her brother, authorities said.

The girl, Maria, was hit in the driveway of the family's home Wednesday afternoon by a Toyota Land Cruiser driven by her teenage brother, said Laura McPherson, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The brother, whose name and exact age weren't available, apparently did not see the girl, McPherson said. No charges are expected.

"It looks like a tragic accident," she said.

Several family members witnessed the accident, which happened in Williamson County just south of Nashville. The girl died later at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, hospital spokeswoman Laurie Holloway said.

A publicist for Chapman's charity organization said the family was expected to release a statement later Wednesday night.

Chapman, who is originally from Paducah, Ky., and his wife have promoted international adoption and have three daughters from China, including Maria. They have three biological children.

The singer's Web site says the couple was persuaded by their oldest daughter to adopt a girl from China. The experience led the family to adopt two more children and create Shaohannah's Hope, a foundation and ministry to financially assist thousands of couples in adoption.

The Chapmans did missionary work at Chinese orphanages in 2006 and 2007, according to the Web site.

"After our first trip to China, my wife and I knew our lives were changing — our eyes and hearts were opening to how big God really is, and we have wanted to experience more of that," Chapman says on the Web site.

"We've really wondered whether or not we should just go to China and stay there. But I don't think so. I believe God is saying, 'I want you to go, get your heart broken, your eyes opened, and then take this story back to the church in America and around the world.'"

The 45-year-old singer also has released a book about being a father entitled "Cinderella: The Love of Daddy and his Princess." He has won five Grammy awards and 51 Dove awards from the Gospel Music Association.

Stephen Curtis Chapman is an incredible songwriter and I've loved his music for many years. Here are the lyrics to one of my favorite songs of his....

"Dive"

The long awaited rains
Have fallen hard upon the thirsty ground
And carved their way to where
The wild and rushing river can be found
And like the rains
I have been carried here to where the river flows, yeah
My heart is racing and my knees are weak
As I walk to the edge
I know there is no turning back
Once my feet have left the ledge
And in the rush I hear a voice
That's telling me it's time to take the leap of faith, So here I go

I'm diving in, I'm going deep in over my head, I want to be
Caught in the rush, lost in the flow, in over my head, I want to go
The river's deep, the river's wide, the river's water is alive
So sink or swim, I'm diving in

There is a supernatural power
In this mighty river's flow
It can bring the dead to life
And it can fill an empty soul
And give a heart the only thing
Worth living and worth dying for, yeah
But we will never know the awesome power Of the grace of God
Until we let ourselves get swept away into this holy flood
So if you'll take my hand
We'll close our eyes and count to three
And take the leap of faith
Come on let's go

Book of the Week

40 Unforgettable Dates with Your Mate

Past Books of the Week
The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
The Birth Order Book by Kevin Leman
Teaching the Trivium by Harvey & Laurie Bluedorn

Lemon Pepper Round Steak

Ingredients:
2 pounds round steak
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/3 cup water
1 can cream of celery soup
Turn this recipe into a puzzle! [click]

Directions:

Cut steak into cubes. I usually do 1x2", or so. Mix flour & seasonings. Coat meat thoroughly. Heat oil in skillet and brown meat.

Place browned meat in crockpot. Combine water & soup. Pour over meat.

Shake on additional lemon pepper and seasoned salt if desired. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Serve over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

Rotel Chicken (I forgot the original name)

This is a recipe from Beth Moore. A friend sent it to me and it's directly from Beth's blog I believe.

I modify this recipe according to what I have at home and I sometimes stir fry it, instead of baking it in the oven.

Ingredients:
*1/4 cup butter
*1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
*1 medium onion, chopped
*1 can cream of mushroom soup
*1 can cream of chicken soup
*1 can (10 oz) RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies (This is a staple in
every Texas cupboard and critical to this dish but I'm worried that some of
you far from the Lone Star State won't be able to find it. Look for it near
the cans of whole tomatoes. If there's only one RO*TEL on the shelf, God put
it there and is equipping you for every good work. Believe it or not, Keith
uses two cans instead of one but don't try that at home. We're
professionals.)
*2 cups cubed cooked chicken. (If you don't boil your own, please don't tell
Keith. He thinks that's sacrilegious. You're supposed to always do your own
so that you have fresh broth on hand for whatever recipe you come up with
next. Gosh. This is boring me to tears.)
*12 corn tortillas, cut in halves or fourths
*2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese (If you don't grate your own and,
instead, get the kind that's already prepared in the bag like I do, don't
tell Keith that either.)

Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cook pepper and onion in melted
butter until tender. (5 or so minutes. Like anyone cares.) Add soups, RO*TEL
and chicken, stirring until well blended. In a 13X9X2-inch (that dimension
took me ten solid minutes to type. This is more than I can take) baking pan,
alternately layer tortillas, soup mixture and cheeses, repeating for three
layers. Bake 40 minutes or until hot and bubbling. (Good grief. I can't
believe I just wrote that. Hot and bubbling. How stupid is that? This whole
recipe thing is bringing out my insecurities.) Serves 8. Or at my house, 3,
because we eat like pigs.

Kindergarten Lesson Plan - Help with the Morning Routine

Since baby was born it has been even harder to get up and get the other kids going for the morning. After four weeks of struggling with it, I decided to print out a copy of the morning routine for Kitty (the Kindergartener) and let her read it the night before.

Thank God the next morning (this morning) I rolled over when she came in my room, list in hand. She told me that she had already started on the list and they (she and her little brother and sister) were ready to move on to the next thing. I heard her excitedly reading the next items on the list.

Not only is this teaching them responsibility but it's also helping me to get on out of bed! Because by number 3, 4 or 5 on the list they definitely need supervision (#3 & #4) and assistance (#5).

I'm sure I'll make adjustments to their list as we tweak and add to it but here it is so far:

1. Pray.
2. Get clothes and underwear for the day, take them to Mommy & Daddy's room.
3. Get wash cloths & wash faces; put cloths in white bag (for towels).
4. Brush teeth (& help Lamby brush hers).
5. Clean sink and put toothbrush/toothpaste away.
6. Take a shower / bath (put dirty clothes in green bag, for kid clothes).
7. Apply lotion.
8. Put on clothes for the day.
9. Sit down at table for breakfast.

I wrote out the list in sentences because Kitty has a love for details, and of course because she is 6 now. And since she loves reading sentences now, the more words the better.

It also helps prepare her for writing her own sentences and helps her learn the spelling, punctuation, capitalization and grammar. The Bluedorns suggest teaching grammar, spelling, etc. through reading and writing (copywork), instead of formal books on those subjects, at this age.

So her list is about routine... and it's also a lesson plan ...for learning reading, writing, grammar, spelling and more!

My Vote for AI This Year - David Archuletta