Pools and Pianos

Now that soccer is over till the fall, we have decided to spend our free time at the pool. The Country Club near our house has recently offered a Pool Only membership at a significantly cheaper price than the typical membership which also includes 18 hole golf course, tennis courts, etc. Our family friends also belong to this pool along with about 1/2 of Anton's Cub Scout Pack. So it has proven to be a good social and fun place to meet and not intrude on each others houses. I know I made the post before about money, and this was an expense, but we purchased our membership about a month ago. I figured with the stepping back from our usual school activity expenses of soccer, gymnastics, and horseback riding, we are pretty much even in costs for physical activity for the children with Karl and I getting to use the pool also. It is also cheaper than swim lessons when Karl gives the kids a lesson on form on Sundays and then I make them do at least two laps when we go during the week to practise his instructions.

So if you can not find us at home, we are probably at the pool and this is a good thing. Just this past week, the weather advisory has issued their second air quality alert due to the unusually high humidity and heat indexes for this time of the season. By going to the pool, we can still get exercise without getting overheated. I just have children pleading for ice cream from the snack bar.


Pianos - about 4 months ago the kids Piano Instructor gave me a 6-8 month warning of needing to upgrade from our keyboard to either a full size keyboard or piano. Anton has progressed enough to need more than the 5 octaves of the keyboard in the coming future. It just so happens friends of ours sat on the board of a small private school that was closing it's doors. In the chaos of vacating the building, the question came up if the board knew of anyone in need of a piano. Our friends pointed the piano towards us. It was delivered and set up in our living room at no cost to us. The piano needs some minor tuning, it is driving Anton crazy to the ever so slightly off tune of the E key closest to middle C, and some beautifying but it was free!

When time and money allow, I will find myself sanding off a brown and a black paint layer to find the dark cherry stain underneath, something I found from the inside of the piano bench. I doubt I will just re-stain it because I do not intend to move it from my living room and stain is very potent, so I will probably just paint it black.

When you know you are loved...

Karl and I have been reading the book, The Five Love Languages. We each read the chapter then discuss what we think of the main points of the particular chapter. It is a good book at trying to discover what both you and your loved one understands to be an expression of love. It works on the premise of speaking a particular language to tell others you love them. For example, if a spouse feels loved when their significant others praises their efforts but that person thinks by doing things for that person is a sign of love, they can both be doings these things and their spouse might not ever feel loved because they are not speaking in each others love language.

So Karl and I have almost finished the book. We have discovered which languages make each of us feel the most loved. It was very enlightening even though some of the things we felt were intuitive. So now we know what works and what does not work at expressing love to each other. It is a fun and easy read to do with your spouse to encourage a book study to do together, especially if you need a break from discussing deeper, more intellectual topics.

Last night Karl and I discovered by happenstance what our children perceive as being loved. The discussion of Diary of a Wimpy Kid,

a series of books and now a movie about an average skinny boy in public school,

was our lead in for the conversation.

Karl and I asked how old Greg, the Wimpy Kid, was in the books.

Anton felt strongly that he was a high schooler because "he is trying to get a girl."

"Get a girl?" Karl and I asked what does it mean to "Get a Girl".

Anton, suddenly embarrassed

(to which I traveled back in my memory to the day my parents wanted clarification when

I made a comment about people "going together" and empathetically smiled)

said it is when a girl likes you and you do nice things for her.

Feeling a little satisfied with his answer, Karl and I were prepared to drop the topic for discussions of swimming and soccer, when Isabella had to interject her two cents.

"Nope!

You know a girl like you when

she doesn't tell her friends that you are a dope!"

Humm, I wonder what Isabella's love language is??

No Camera yet!

I realize how many of you are missing the pictures I usually post with our activities. There are times when the right pictures prompts the postings from my head. Sometimes you just want to see how the children, projects, etc. are progressing. But I have no camera!


Since we have placed the CT house back on the market with no renters to pay the mortgage, we are a bit tight with the finances. Two mortgages takes a lot out of our finances making superfluous unnecessary purchases be placed on hold.


But you can help! You can pray that our house sells quickly or donate to the Karissa's blog needs a camera fund! OK, I am just kidding about the fund, but having the house sell quickly would help us out in both finances and spirit!

How Boys Enjoy Geography

Recently I was keeping a friend's children for the day.

Her two older boys are at and near Anton's age.

I was busy prepping something when I heard this thumping noise followed buy low cheers. Quietly, so as to try to see what they were doing but not feeling like it was an alarming moment, I crept up the stairs towards Anton's room.

There I spied the boys lined up on the far side of the room from Anton's "Wall of the World".

Justin put the challenge forwards, "OK, Can you hit Mongolia?"

Anton tossed a sticky ball,

a ball with little suction cups for sticking to walls,

at the world map.

Dominic, "No, that's China! You Loose! My turn!"

This proceeded for about 10-15 minutes with giggles, laughs and cheers.

The Pot of Gold!

After a long, hot, stifling humid day on the soccer field for tournaments, we made a dash to the pool. We jumped out and headed home just as a storm came upon us. When almost home we spotted a huge rainbow. Immediately we all said "Hey that's not a pot of gold!" which is a reference to a picture Karl had shown the kiddos several times from his email.

To which Isabella replied,

"Maybe it is the beginning of an adventure

because everyone know a trip starts with going to the potty!"

Granola Bars

Here it is! The recipe people are asking for these days from me. One of my girlfriends stumbled upon a wholesome, natural recipe for granola bars and we have been tweaking it since then. Karl loves these things! On his early days, he grabs a cup of coffee and two of these to hold him over till he has time for something else. With is long commute and being prepared for the meetings, that can be a long time!

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup wheat germ

1 cup all-purpose flour

optional ingredients

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup honey

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup vegetable or nut oil

2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F for crunchy or 325 degrees F for Chewy. Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

2. In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl mix all wet ingredients then add to the dry ingredients. Press evenly into baking pan.

3. Bake for 30 minutes for crunchy, 35 -45 minutes for chewier until bars turn golden brown on the edges. Cool for 5 minutes then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting or they will be too hard to cut.

Optional ingredients:

3/4 - 1 cup of the following: nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, etc.

1/2 cup nut butter - decrease oil in recipe to 1/4 cup, however keeping it to 1/2 cup will make the bars more cookie in texture.

Favorite combinations we have tried:

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 3/4 cup raisins;

1/2 cup nut butter and 3/4 - 1 cup chocolate chips;

3/4 cup dark chocolate chips and 3/4 cup chopped walnuts with walnut oil sometimes with 1/2 tsp of cinnamon.