My Future Meteorologist

Meteorologist... Geologist... We are going to have a lot of "ists" in the family.

Thomas decided to invent something that will help him predict the weather at our house.

 He put a stick/branch in the ground in the front yard and hung a fabric "flag" off the top... pretty fancy weather vane. He also will be able to tell if it's been raining depending on how wet the fabric is... How do kids think up these things?

Thomas took this picture too. Very nice.

Storytelling Festival

It's almost the end of the month and I've yet to post anything since March! It's like getting behind in your journaling and then you keep putting it off and it's almost impossible to catch up!

So in other words, get ready for some rapid posting. (I wrote the following 6 weeks ago.)

Holy Schmoly the story telling festival was AMAZING! I had no idea this opportunity would be so incredible. I will go to great lengths in the future to give my kids this opportunity again. If you ever hear of a "storytelling festival" in your area, you should change all your plans and take your kids!

We took all the kids and I'm glad. For one session Mike took the two little girls to the "pre-school session". The "Clipper" reporter obviously thinks they are as cute as I do.



http://www.clippertoday.com/view/full_story/11663038/article-Storytellers-entertain-audiences-of-all-ages?instance=lead_story_left_column

Marisa was amazing!

She told her story in a room full of roughly 200 people.

She was clear and concise and adorably entertaining. I loved hearing the audience laugh in all the perfect places. The microphone was in her way and not set at the correct height. As a mom I found that frustrating since it interfered with her "performance" and the ability of all 200 people to hear her. Also as a mom, I knew it didn't matter. We were on the front row and could hear just fine! She was beautiful, perfect and thrived in this environment, which still surprises me because she doesn't have a need or desire to always be the center of attention.

Because I will never get enough of her sweetness, here is her story... again.

(I guess my camera can only record horizontal & i did this vertically... oops!)

In addition to listening to Marisa we heard some absolutely incredible National Storytellers from across the US. All of the tellers were gracious and kind, especially toward Marisa when they saw she was one of the student storytellers.

Over all the tellers we heard there were four favorites.

Willy Claflin was Marisa's favorite. We bought a CD for her as a "souvenir" which she was able to get signed and a photo taken. Right now, he is her favorite super hero and she has not stopped listening to this album.

Mike and I loved both Bil Lepp and Bill Harley. They were hilarious. It was like attending a stand-up-comedy improv night. My stomach hurt the next day from laughing so hard.

I really want to take my family to the Timpenogas Storytelling Festival in September. That one costs a little money, Marisa's was free. Still, I really want to go. I can tell you we absolutely won't miss next years Weber State festival, so far as we can help it.

We also heard a hilarious bubblegum story told by an amazing "local" storyteller, Debi. She was from the Provo area and she had Thomas almost rolling on the floor with laughter.

I was so inspired by these people. All of them parents, most of them teachers, and supremely talented, sharing their talent with us. Storytelling is such an amazing "teaching tool" as well as being highly entertaining. We already love books at our house and I know this event made impressions on my children that they will remember for the rest of their lives. I anticipate many "story tellings" at our house in the near future.

And just for fun, here's a few shots of the kids getting ready for Marisa's turn.

And to think she didn't believe us when we told her she was not the star of the show today. Is she ever not the star?

I'm not exaggerating when I say this was as still as she held the entire time. (Mike ended up in the hall with her for the other sessions... except the preschool one.)

This is a photo of Thomas using his super hero "super slow" action powers.

Crock Pot Chicken Curry

Here's my favorite curry recipe that I fixed last week. Mike and I love curry! We ate it in Hawaii, a lot. I found this recipe in my favorite crock pot recipe book. It's Better Home and Gardens and looks like a magazine, it's the 2008 edition.

I ordered it online a couple years ago and I haven't fixed a bad recipe yet.
I hope posting the recipe here is not dishonest or breaking any copyright rules. I figure if you try it and like it you'll go buy the book right? So in the end it would benefit not hurt anyone, right?

Chicken Curry page 116.
(Cook: 3-4hrs (low) or 6-8 hrs (high) 8 servings)
3 T Flour
3 T Curry Powder
1 1/2 t Ground Cumin
1 t salt
1 1/2 lbs skinless boneless chicken breast cut into 1 inch pieces
2 c. chopped potato (2 med.)
1 1/2 c. sliced carrots (3 med.)
1 c. apple, chopped (1 med.)
3/4 c. chopped onion (1 med.)
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced (I leave this out)
1 t instant chicken bouillon
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 c water
1 13.5 oz can coconut milk (delicious w/ coconut cream too)
Hot Cooked Rice
Chopped Salted Peanuts
Raisins (we like Craisins)

Combine flour, curry powder, cumin, and salt. Add chicken pieces, a few at a time, shaking to coat.

In a slow cooker, combine chicken, potato, carrot, apple, onion, jalapeno pepper, bouillon and garlic. Pour the water over all in cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. If using low setting turn to high heat setting, stir in coconut milk, cover and cook for last 30 minutes.

Serve chicken mixture over hot cooked rice. Sprinkle each with raisins and peanuts.

It's so yummy even Caitlin eats it.
There was barely enough left for leftovers. Mike and I almost had to fight over it.

There's something about the coconut milk that really makes this dish delicious, so I wouldn't recommend skipping or substituting this particular ingredient... Typing this up has made me hungry for some curry!

Dinner Club - March Week 2

I'm going out of town for a few days this week to "help" Joy. (I'm sure I'll be lots of help sitting in her hot tub and eating the chocolate cake I promised to bake... twice. :) So Mike will be cooking up all those freezer meals I've been slowly stocking up on.

Sunday - FHE at Biggs (Green Salad)
Monday - Taco's
Tuesday - Freezer Meals
Wednesday - Freezer Meals
Thursday - Freezer Meals
Friday - Freezer Meals
Saturday - Leftovers

Dinner Club - March Week 1

Sunday - Cranberry Pork Roast, Roasted Vegetables
Monday - Turkey Meatloaf & Baked Potatoes
Tuesday - Hotdogs & Fruit Salad
Wednesday - Egg "McMuffins" (BLFC pg. )
Thursday - Mexican Casserole
Friday - Veggie Patty Burgers
Saturday - Fend For Yourself

Will Work For Food

It's been a year since we first put Caitlin to work scrubbing floors.



She's graduated from the living room to the kitchen.




If you listen carefully you can hear this:
"There is a castle on a cloud
I like to go there in my sleep
Aren't any floors for me to sweep
Not in my castle on a cloud..."

(She was actually saying "Cheeeese. Mow. Pictue. Mow. Pictue." I wonder if she will hold these photos against us someday...)

Friday Sun

Last week we had some beautiful weather! Warm enough to wear short sleeves and no jacket. 60 degrees with clear blue sky and toasty warm sunshine. It was totally warm enough to do a little of this;

HOME RUN!!

I LOVE this!

And this!

Can't wait for baseball to start up again.