Teaching music

Kathryn has been wanting to learn to play the piano for about a year now. Daniel wants to be the one to teach her...and really why not? He is certainly talented enough, not to mention that the lessons would be free. The problem is in finding time to arrange these lessons and being dedicated to it.
The other day at while we were visiting my parents house, Kathryn found a piano lesson book and she was trying to teach herself, and not doing to badly at it. That got me thinking that maybe I need to at least have somethings that she can work on by herself when she is feeling so motivated. I decided that the next time I was at my mom's house, I would see what kind of beginners lesson books she still had. However, today she was sitting at the piano trying to plunk out the beginning to twinkle twinkle little star. She finally plunked it out. At that moment I was doing a little google searching(on an unrelated topic), and a light bulb went off in my head. I am musically inclined enough to teach my daughter music theory. I could at least teach her how to read music and to play some really basic piano. All I need is some material to work with, that is where google comes in. I searched "music theory for beginners" and found a few sights to help get us started.
Free music theory work sheets
Making Music fun
Music Fun
When she...and I are ready to start some basic piano playing I found these sights to assist
Free Piano Music
Music for music teachers-Beginner piano music for kids
I decided that I had to take action, I can not deny her the chance to learn what is naturally in her any longer. So I am doing what I can, it isn't really a lot, but it will at least give her something to work with, and maybe give us all a bit of motivation to make time for some regular sit down lessons with dad.

I've always wondered how this was done...

You gotta see what I just came across while checking out somebody's blog who had checked out mine first.

You take this...

...a regular fitted sheet, and you fold it so it looks like this!

Yeah, I know, I didn't think such a thing was even possible! However if you go over to MarthaStewart.com she'll tell you, with pictures and all, how you too can fold a fitted sheet to perfection. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised...Martha knows how to do everything, right? I can't wait to wash some sheets and try this out!

Yummy Breads

Alright, so I may be in a huge craft funk, but I have been having fun the past few days making delicious bread in my bread maker. About two years ago I picked up this free e-book with hundreds of recipes for all kinds of breads and muffins and such. It was terribly organized...and by that I mean that there was no rhyme or reason to how it was put together. Simply hundreds of recipes in all bread varieties thrown together in a pdf file. I spent hours sorting through and separating recipes so that I could more easily find them. I have a file for bread machine recipes, and every once in awhile I'll try a new recipe. It has been a really long time since I have experimented so the other day I figured it was about time. I decided to make some raisin bread using the following recipe

Whole Wheat Apple-Raisin Bread for bread machine

1/4 cup applesauce
1 1/3 cup Whole wheat flour
1 1/3 cup White flour
1 tbsp dry milk
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp margarine
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup Water
1 tsp dry yeast
3/4 cup raisins

Makes a 2 lb loaf
Add ingredients(except raisins) according to Bread machine directions. For example, me bread machine directions have you put all wet ingredients in first, followed by the dry ingredients and last of all to put the yeast in a little well you make in the flour. Use the regular bake function, when bread machine beeps to add extra ingredients, add the raisins. If your machine doesn't have this function you may add them with all the other ingredients. When done, enjoy!

This bread was so tasty, the girls just ate it up.
Today I am making this tasty treat, it is one that I have made before and love!

Hawaiian Coconut Bread, for bread machine

1 tsp yeast
3 cups flour
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup dry milk
1 egg
1/4 cup margarine
3/4 cup coconut, shredded
3/4 cup macadamia nuts, chopped(or almonds)
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, well drained
1/2 cup pineapple juice(from above)
1/4 cup warm water

makes a 2 lb loaf
Add all ingredients(except macadamia nuts) according to bread machine directions. Use regular bake. When bread machine beeps, add nuts.

I can't wait for this one to be done....my mouth is watering. Hope you enjoy! If you are interested in other fun bread machine recipes, I'd be happy to email you a copy of my file, it was a free e-book, and yes I am aloud to share. Just let me know.

The best massage ever

After I took the garbage out this morning, I decided that it was a  good morning to also take the time to shovel the driveway and sidewalk. When I came in, my back was aching so I decided to lay down on my bed for a bit. Tansley came upstairs looking for and asked why I was laying down. I told her that my back was kinda hurting because I had shoveled the walk and that I was just going to lay down for a little bit and then I would get up and we could do something fun. She said OK and left. A little while later she came back into my room and to ask me a question. Then she saw that the electric massager was laying on the floor and she said to me. "Mom, I could massage your sore back. Do you want me too?" I told her how to turn it on and she moved it slowly and lightly all over my back. While I laid there, we just talked, about all kinds of random things. After quite awhile, she asked if that was good. I told her that if her hands were tired that she could be done. So she turned it off and left the room. She was only gone for a minute or two when she came back and said, "mom, was it fun just talking with me while I massaged your back?" I told her that I had enjoyed it very much. She offered to massage my back again. So, once again we just sat and talked. And then she started to find funny places to massage, like the palm of my hand or the bottom of my foot. She would try it on herself first and then say "mom, you have to feel this it is so funny!" When she was all done, I told her how much I had appreciated the massage, that it had really made my back feel a lot better. What a sweet girl!

I know my Heavenly Father Loves me.

Friday morning, was quite dramatic. Kathryn woke up to find her goldfish swimming funny. She came up very concerned, and honestly it didn't sound good. So I went to take a look at Gills, the fish, and sure enough he was swimming funny. We was floating on his side using only one fin and barely breathing. If it had just been up to me I would have flushed the little guy and put him out of his misery, but I had a very sad little girl that I had to think about. I tried to explain how sometimes this just happens to goldfish and yes, it is sad, but that's just how it is. We went up for breakfast, she was devastated and bawling that her poor goldfish was dying. At breakfast it was Tansley's turn and I suggested that she pray for Kathryn and that she won't feel so sad, which she did, but she also prayed that Gills would feel better. I thought "well, that's nice, but he'll be dead by lunch." When Kathryn came home from school at lunch, we went to check on Gills, I took the fish net so that I could scoop him out and send him off to the little fishy heaven. But to my surprise he was still breathing...and still floating on his side. A little thought came to my mind that I should scoop him out and put him in some fresh water, I told myself that this would show Kathryn that I was doing everything that I could to help this poor dying fish. I got a quart jar and put some fresh water and some water conditioner in it and then scooped out Gills and put him in the jar. He swam around funny for a moment and then just laid there floating at the top. It was time for lunch, and Kathryn's turn to say the blessing, at which point she also prayed that Gills would get better. "My poor children", I thought "this fish is not gong to make it, they will be so sad". After lunch Kathryn headed out for a drive to Lethbridge with dad.

Gills, feeling a little better

A few hours after they left, I noticed that Gills was no longer floating at the top, but was sitting upright at the bottom of the jar, and he seemed to be breathing easier. So I dropped in a little bit of food he ate a few bites and then resumed just sitting there. By the time that Kathryn and Daniel returned from Lethbridge at supper time, Gills was kinda swimming around. Kathryn was so excited, after all she believe that Gills was going to be OK. I, however remained skeptical that he would actually survive. But I decided that maybe it was time to clean out his fish tank and put fresh water in it just in case he really was going to live. I promised Kathryn that if he survived the night that we would put him back in his fish tank in the morning. That night, the only thing I prayed for, was that Gills would live.

Gills, happy to be alive in his home

It would be so cruel to give these girls hope, only to take it away in the end.
But honestly, I just wasn't sure. Well, I should have listened to my children. In the morning, Gills was alive and well, and when we put him in his fish tank he swam all around and looked as though nothing had ever happened.
I don't have a picture of him floating at the top, to show just how bad he looked....because what would be the point of taking a picture of a nearly dead fish?
Saturday morning, after we had returned Gills to his fish tank we were all off to Lethbridge for the day. I'm not sure what exactly happened weather Daniel just didn't pay attention to the gas gauge or that he just figured that there would be enough gas to get to Lethbridge, but by the time we were approaching Sterling(which is about 20 minutes outside of Lethbridge), we were not so sure we would have enough gas to get to Lethbridge. Daniel made the turn off the highway and we headed to Sterling to the gas station. But when we pulled up to the gas station, all the lights were off and it did not look open in spite of the store hours sign that said they should be open. Daniel got out to inspect, and as he approached the door, Foster Garrett, a member of the church who lives in Sterling and who we know quite well, opened the door for him. Turns out all of Sterling is without power because of the weather...no power, no gas. However, he said that he had a jerrycan that had some gas in it that we could use, so we followed him to his house. He apologized that it wasn't as much as he thought and offered us some blankets. I told him we had blankets and that we would be fine. After all, I knew that it was not a coincidence that he was at the right place at the right time to help us out, so whatever gas he had to offer would be enough to get us to Lethbridge. And it was.
This month in primary the theme has been "We believe in God the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ" and we have been talking about ways that Heavenly father shows his love for his children on earth. As we were driving to Lethbridge Saturday morning, I had been thinking about what I was going to do for sharing time in primaryon Sunday to help the children really feel that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love them. I recognized right away the answer to my children's  prayer that Gills would get better. I know my Heavenly Father loves me, because he cares enough about my girls to answer their prayer over a silly goldfish...a goldfish that really should have died(you should have seen this fish!). I know my Heavenly Father loves me because He is still teaching me and showing me that all things are possible with faith...the simple faith of a child can heal a goldfish, and although I didn't believe that the fish would make it, He still directed me to know what to do to help save this fish.
As my husband poured the gas from the jerrycan into the van, I recognized, that My Heavenly Father loves me because He placed the right person in the right place at the right time to help us out. I honestly don't know if I would have recognized as such if I hadn't already been in that mind set, thinking about my primary sharing time. I am afraid that I may have just thought, "well that we lucky" or some similar thought. It got me thinking about how many times little things like that happen in our lives, and how frequently we simply say "well that was lucky" and don't acknowledge that it was our Heavenly Father who was looking out for us, showing us just how much he loves us and wants us to succeed.

A hate/hate relationship

I hate my hair. A more truthful statement is that I hate wasting time fussing with my hair. And yes it is a waste of time. I have stupid hair. It won't hold a curl of any size or shape for more than say, 20 minutes, on a good day. As soon as I am done fussing with it and walk out the door, it's gone flat and straight. Not to mention that the only time my hair will even be some what reasonable is when I first get out of the shower and put a fresh handful of some sticky crap in and blow dry it. I don't have time to jump in the shower and wash my hair every time I want to leave the house. As a result, my hair looks blah most of the time. I look at some of the other mom's picking up their pre-school kids and wish that I had their ambition to make my hair look that decent every time I stepped out of the house. But the truth is, I just don't care and I just really don't know how. I like to try to make it look nice when I go out with my husband and every Sunday for church, but it always seems to be a failure. I've tried all kinds of hair styles. Right now it's kind of a short inverted bob thingy(that's what the hair dresser called it), it looked great when it was first cut and with a simple blow dry it looked half decent and it was fairly easy to make look pretty good....but only for about the first two weeks. My hair grows ridiculously fast on a normal day...and now that I am pregnant, you can multiply that speed by at least two. I think my husband might be on to something when he says I should grow my hair long again. Sure it is hot and heavy, and doesn't have very much body because I have SO much hair, not to mention that in between stage is a real pain in the butt. But at least when it is long I can pull it up in a pony tail or a nifty bun and feel some what put together.

Off with their heads!

Headless

We seem to have an issue, as of late, of toys losing their heads...Kymberly is always the one to bring me the headless toy, though I am not completely sure if she is the culprit or just a concerned citizen.

We might be a bit anxious for the real thing.

It was warm this afternoon with out any wind. The girls and I were all out side. I was cleaning stuff up off the lawn that was left there before the snow came...like one of our snow shovels, and now since the chinook has melted nearly all of the snow away these items could be found and put in their proper place. As I was thus employed, a brilliant idea came to me, "We should have a fire" I thought, "Ooh, and roast hot dogs too!". And so it was. I went to the grocery store and bought some hotdogs and hotdog buns. Then I collected some fire wood and newspaper and began building a fire. The girls were ecstatic about the idea. We sat around our fire and ate hotdogs and drank hot chocolate until our toshies were cold. It was a great lunch...much better than boring peanut butter sandwiches in our boring kitchen. Though the weather may have some elements of spring...I can assure you, it is still very much winter.

hanging out by the fire

Roasting hotdogs

eating hotdogs

Kindness

I just walked around the corner to find this...

cozy kitty

Apparently some kind hearted child thought Ranford needed a little extra warmth...cuz he ain't fat enough.

Praying for Uncle "Barf"

My little brother, Garth, is serving a mission in the Denver South area. We routinely pray for Uncle Garth on his mission. Today at supper I asked Tansley to say the prayer and blessing on the food. As soon as amen was said, Kymberly piped up and said "what about uncle Barf?". I'm not sure why exactly, I found this so funny, but I had to laugh.Yes, Tansley had forgotten to mention Uncle Garth. I guess I had never noticed before that she had trouble saying "Garth". Of course because I laughed both Kathryn and Tansley couldn't let it go, and every time they asked Kymberly to say "Uncle Garth" it always came back "Uncle Barf".

She gets it from her grandpa

Every once in awhile, Kathryn makes me smile by the things she notices in her grade one math homework. Before Christmas one of her assignments was to choose a number between 30 and 100 and then tell two ways that it was different from 50. Her first observation was an obvious one, "31 is different from 50 because 50 is more than 31". She had to think for a bit. She started to count to 31 in every way that she could think of. Counting by twos didn't work, counting by fives didn't work and neither did counting by tens. Her conclusion "the only way to get to 31 is to count by ones".

The number 31

Today she noticed that she could make a new number sentence out of the answers from her addition questions. You can see that she has added the symbols on the last row of questions to complete the new number sentence.

5+3+3=11

She also noticed that the first column of answers were counting by twos on the even numbers and that the second column is counting by twos on the odd numbers. A simple observation, but it's just the kind of thing she notices when it comes to numbers. I remember always enjoying math as a kid too, I still enjoy a good number puzzle over any word puzzle. I'll have to get her some beginner number puzzle books.