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Simply St Augustine



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The Best Part

Lynda and I have been friends as long as we've been moms.

We have new church families, 3 moves with us following them into a great neighborhood, births, entrepeneurial dreams with our hubbies, huge job changes, and losses a lot of history- and 13 children- between us.

You know how it can be with great friends... total opposites and yet so very much alike. {smile} That's us.

Well every year, when the homeschool convention rolls around, we claim Friday for "our day". We ride together and catch up on 25 missed phone conversations, chat about the sessions we're excited about and hopes for the coming year. Then comes my favorite part. We go to Biscotti's for a delish lunch (and always miss the session we plan to make it back in time for)!

That's the best part!! Shared memories. Shared lives. Real life (running late, not caring, splashing through the rain, walking into signs, questioning frostitution(!?), big decisions (what to have for dessert) and little decisions (which curriculum to buy), sharing concerns, prayers, drinks and hugs).

Laughing with a tried-and-true friend. The best(est) part. :)

Why Smaller is Better

Today is the day! I'm headed to the local homeschool convention.

It's true, it is much much smaller than FPEA in Orlando, but I still go every year. Why? Because sometimes smaller is better!

1. It's local! I can get to know other local homeschoolers by volunteering with HERI, chatting in the hallways, and meeting friends of friends.

2. Networking... it's helpful in homeschooling just like it is in corporate America! I learn who to go to for testing, evaluations, questions about high school, great field trip ideas, and tips on how to homeschool with preschoolers by talking to others who have "been there".

3. Smaller crowds mean I can have "face time" with speakers. If I am fascinated, challenged by, or curious about a speaker's topic, I can follow up with a conversation. The same goes for vendors- if I'm having a hard time teaching a particular concept in Math, I can go to Math-U-See's booth and speak to my rep in person!

4. Convenience. If I don't go local (and my friends & their friends don't go) then I may not have the OPTION to attend my hometown convention next year!

So, if you're undecided, take the time and make the effort to attend, glean from, and support our local convention. See you at HERI!

HERI- Jacksonville Homeschool Convention!

I'm excited for this weekend... tomorrow and Saturday I'm headed to the annual H.E.R.I. Homeschool Convention at the Prime Osborne Convention Center in downtown Jacksonville.

What a blessing to have this helpful resource for current or potential homeschooling families RIGHT HERE in our own area!! The very first contact I had with homeschooling information was a H.E.R.I. (Home Education Resources and Information) convention.

It's not too late to go, here's their website with helpful information. You can pay at the door!

And here is the program with the speaker listing & description of sessions. I'm looking forward to hearing Todd Wilson again, he's an engaging speaker and encouraging Homeschool Dad. (Okay, okay, I should make those lowercase... but sometimes it does take a superhero to fill that role!)

See you there!!

At Your Request

We made these cupcakes for Clara's First Birthday. The recipe (link below) is from Better Homes & Garden's 150 Sweet Recipes Cupcake magazine- Granny bought it for Lauren, our 9-year-old-cupcake expert.

My friend Gini requested this recipe after eating one (or was it two?) cupcake at the beach and taking home the rest "for her hubby". :) Yes, carrot cake fans, they're really that good! It's a nice update of a carrot cake- the cream cheese filling is a nice surprise- and a cupcake is the perfect size to enjoy but not over-indulge. Unless you eat three.

Carrot Pineapple Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting- Link to the original recipe

This Morning's Harvest

Guess what's for dinner tonight? Grilled Eggplant, fresh okra and a salad with cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes and goat cheese! Our harvest this morning is dinner tonight!

Many people think that you can't grow anything in the heat of a Florida summer, but we're still enjoying the bounty of our garden.

We harvested the first of our garlic last week and a few pears are starting to ripen. Our first cantaloupe was almost ready, but a squirrel or raccoon beat us to it. {There is currently a warrant out for this creature, dead or alive.}

It's time to pull the plants that are finished producing- for us, that includes tomatoes and brussel sprouts. I'm going to solarize this patch of garden- cover the ground with plastic & let the sun "cook out" any nematodes and fungi enjoying my garden. {Any experience doing that?} Everything deserves a rest- I'm thinking of God telling the Israelites to give their land a Sabbath Rest in Leviticus 25.

I'm happy to give my little garden a rest and am looking forward to mixing in a handfull or two of compost when it's time to put in my fall garden!

Meal Planning Monday

We are enjoying some sweet family time with GeGe this week. I love being in the kitchen with my grandma, but Lauren has mostly replaced me! She and GeGe get in there and whip up some yummy meals. I won't be too jealous. ;)

GeGe is leading the meal planning most days, but I do have a Mexican Black Bean Chili in the Crock Pot this week- it's a new recipe & I'm excited to try it. Vegetarian Crock Pot recipes are often bland & boring, so I'm happy to be building a good collection of tasty ones!

If you have any tried-and-true veggie crock recipes, I'd love you to share them! Email it to me and I'll post on the blog for others to enjoy, too!

OH MY GOSH!!

Okay, I probably should have come up with a more sophisticated title... but I'm in such an amazingly strange state of excited, in awe and totally relaxed that I can't come up with anything better!!!

Homeschooling moms, be very jealous. I was sitting in the same chair Mrs. Tracy Klicka sat in last week! And Bev Bradley not long before that and David & Shirley Quine then Jan Bloom before that... it's like walking through Mount Vernon sitting in the president's chair in the Oval Office!! AAAHHH!!! Now I know how Toni (aka TheHappyHousewife) felt when sleeping in Cinderella's Castle!

Bob & Tina Farewell, our family by a wonderful marriage, are graciously allowing us to stay in their super-awesome Tree House and I'm in heaven!! (Note the plush robe and perfectly large-but-still-pretty teacup!) If you don't know of the Farewells or any of the folks I mentioned above, you really must take the time to peruse their websites, read their books, and listen to any seminars you can find online. As homeschool pioneers, they have years of experience and a true heart for homeschooling our children from the heart. Amazing people, I tell you. (Umm... if you are one of those people I mentioned & you want your name off my blog, I'm happy to do that, too. Sorry. Can I have your autograph?!)

Seriously, though, our family is enjoying some time away in Lake Wales. I love being with my GeGe and the time was made even better by Mom joining us! My sis & her kiddos are coming soon as is Dad! Add our amazing cousins, who live next door to GeGe, and the fact that we get the treat of visiting with the Farewells... I'm sure you'll understand my excitement!

Get to know the folks above. Amazing people. And, what is so encouraging to me, they are just like you and just like me. They love their children. They homeschool(ed), serve, speak, write, encourage out of the abundant goodness of God. I'm inspired to do the same.

ONE, beautiful baby!

You know what I'm going to say- but bear with me... I cannot believe our baby girl is one year old already! {You know you've said it too!}

We celebrated with lots of Daddy time (and lots of time in arms for this teething baby girl) and concluded with a delicious Carrot Pineapple Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting. Yum. She l.o.v.e.d. hers!! And she loved sharing with her brother, too!

Even though Lauren is usually our Cupcake Queen, she just had the treat of baking 60 WICKED awesome cupcakes for our friend Arden (I'll post about those another time). So Timothy had a turn in the kitchen baking Clara's delish Bday cupcakes!

After presents & the Birthday song, we enjoyed our newest tradition: we tucked everyone else in bed and let the Birthday Girl stay up late for some special Mamma & Daddy time! We played with Clara's new baby, read Jan Brett's On Noah's Ark and laughed as little Clara walked back and forth doling out her sweet little kisses to me & her Daddy.

It was a sweet ending to a sweet birthday for ONE sweet baby girl! Happy Birthday, little Clara.

Meal Planning Monday

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!

We're enjoying the 4th- what a perfect summer day to celebrate freedom, family and yummy food! We just finished cleaning up after the neighborhood parade & enjoyed a refreshing glass of Watermelon Lemonade and are kicking back for an easy rest-of-the day.

M- Ravioli with Pesto and a fresh side salad
T- Fresh caught Trout & Flounder with Sweet Potatoes and Pineapple Carrot Cupcakes for Clara's Birthday!!
W- Sweet & Sour Veggie Stir Fry
R- Garden fresh Greens & Cannellini Beans over Polenta (never made it last week...)
F- Pizza with fresh Chevre & Tomatoes from the garden

YUMMY & Easy week this week!

Keeping Garden-Fresh Herbs Fresh

My herb garden is my favorite... but with the heat of summer setting in, I know my precious herbs' days are numbered! Many have already bolted, others I'm constantly clipping to keep them from going to seed.

I love to watch the butterflies visit when they flower, but I'm into gardening to eat fresh and save money, sorry butterflies. Maybe we can compromise... I'm trying something new (thanks to a friend on facebook!) to hopefully accomplish both!

Resa said to clip my basil & store it in a vase to have fresh basil available at my fingertips. She listed a second benefit- the basil will start to root and I can plant another plant!

I'm trying it out. (See my picture? Chris brought me some sweet mini-roses!) I'm wondering... will it work for parsley as well?

Make time for FUN!

I am so serious.

I love to smile and laugh, but my default mode is "get it done and move on to the next thing". I guess that sinful focus on to-do's instead of relationships is affectionately referred to as task-oriented.

Since I'm wired that way, I have to be really intentional about having fun with my children. I could definitely spend the whole day accomplishing tasks and miss out on the privilege I have as a homeschooling mamma to develop relationships with my littles... to truly get to know them.

Enter the glasses.

I bought them in the $1 bin and we took them to the zoo. Everyone took turns wearing them because, well we don't already get enough looks as a family of 8. {hahaha}

It was fun! We laughed and posed and made some silly memories... and didn't see every exhibit. {pat pat pat on the back!} Now I'm brainstorming my next way to lighten up... how do you make time for fun?

Meal Planning Monday

We have family coming in town for the 4th & Clara's Birthday and a special night out at the beach- this week's menu is shaping up to be yummy!

M- Bruschetta (made with tomatoes and basil from my garden!) and a BIG Italian Salad with peppers from the garden, marinated olives, fresh parmesan and a homemade balsamic viniagrette!
T- My VFSITWWW (very favorite soup in the whole wide world) the Sweet Potato Bisque from Biscotti's
W- Dinner & a concert-by-the-sea in St Augustine
R- Greens & Cannellini Beans over Polenta
F- Roasted Potato Salad & Chris' Amazing fish cakes
S- Veggie Pot Pie in individual puff Pastry Bowls
S- 3rd of July COOK OUT!

If anything looks good, come on over! If anything looks great, ask for the recipe!

meet me in the garden

Alex said he hadn't seen me in a while.

I'm on a first-name basis with all the Publix employees- Alex is the solemn Russian in the produce department. I had to confess to him: I don't need to come as often because I'm getting my produce somewhere else... My own backyard!

Chris & I have attempted gardening for all 13 years of our marriage. Some years we have bell peppers, others the tomatoes flow in all summer long... but this is the first year my garden has been bountiful enough to save trips to Publix!

I haven't bought eggplant or collard greens in months, cucumbers are plentiful, the bell peppers and tomatoes are keeping us supplied, and okra is starting to roll in. The green beans and squash were tasty but I didn't plant enough. Oops.

And my herbs... oh, the herb garden is my favorite!! It's a little messy but fruitful beyond imagination... kind of how I view our family! {smile}

There is more, but I won't bore you. Some are ready before I know it (radishes!) and others take their time (onions & garlic). The lemon flaunts it's fruit but strawberries are nestled among large, deep green leaves like jewels in velvet.

My blueberries were trampled by well-meaning children... I need to find them a safer place for next year. The sticks are only a couple of inches above the ground, but I think they'll come back. That's the thing about a garden. With a lot of love and even more work, it'll yield abundantly. Hmm... sounds a lot like the rest of life...

Reinventing the Wheel

Our evaluations & tests are complete for the 2010-2011 school year. It was a successful homeschool year according to the principal (Daddy O) and according to the state.

I'm starting to think about next year and I've realized when addressing challenges, I may need to do more than apply a band-aid.

"Once we've decided to go somewhere, it's too late to ask the question: 'Should we really go there?' Too often we are too busy trying to keep the car running, the spare tire patched and the clothes washed to ask the question: 'Should we really be taking this trip in the first place?" -Joel Salatin, Salad Bar Beef

What does my school day need to look like? What subjects do I need to cover? Do they have to be "taught" as "subjects"? To borrow from Mr. Salatin, perhaps I shouldn't "be taking that trip in the first place."

Perhaps learning should be integrated into lifestyle instead of making room for compartmentalized, school-style education in our life. I'm gonna ask my Abba for some direction before I start planning this year. I'm looking forward to seeing where 2011-2012 school year takes us!

One Proud Mamma

Be still, my Mamma's heart... Benjamin went with Mr. Seth & Dad today to buy his first guitar!

He's been saving up for a while and waiting patiently until he had the money and the time with our expert consultant. When he got home, Mr. Eric taught him a couple of chords and leant him a book. And with that, he's on his way!

Clara thought he was doing a mighty fine job. She clapped for him from Daddy's lap (everybody loves a captive audience) and then fell asleep to her brother's strums. My little man... {happy sigh}

timers are this mom's best friend

My sweetest, snuggliest boy reminds me of Ferdinand the Bull- always stopping to smell the flowers.

I love how he savors life... but when it comes to cleaning his room or doing his math, he needs some help learning how to stay on task.

Using a timer- whether this counting-down Time Tracker or the timer on the kitchen stove- helps him learn to use his time wisely. It's almost as motivating as the promise of a snack when he's finished!

When Mamma's Sick...

When Mamma is sick, all kinds of things happen.

Note the shorts and undies in the bread machine. They're Andrew's. Enough said. ;)

The vacuum cleaner head is missing. Not the vac, just the attachment we need to clean the wood floors. Hmm...

Most of my magazines have corners (or whole pages) chewed off... really, Clara? I'm sure Daddy fed you and I *know* I nursed you plenty!

Of course, some pretty wonderful things happened, as well. Lauren cooked several meals. (Ben cooked one, but we put him back on kid duty after that one... Lauren's kitchen skills are, shall we say, more honed?) Ben played with Andrew, Georgia and Clara so I could rest. Georgia took a nap yesterday (a miracle, I tell you!)

And, most importantly, I've been reminded of what matters most. Laying in the backyard together, listening to Timothy's stories about ninjas, sharing favorite parts of movies... The Lord has reminded me of what matters most, and that right now is *real life* time spent with my sweet little ones. Thanks, Abba.

A Happy {sick} Day

What makes a sick day a happy {sick} day?

1~ No more fever for Mamma. 98.4 baby, yeah!

2~ My new, funky, fun Birthday Turtle. My sis got it for me and it makes me smile.

3~ Gorgeous weather. Breezy enough to enjoy being outside under the shade of the crepe myrtle, beside my funky turtle.

4~ A snuggly, warm baby who wants to nurse and snuggle a lot but is well enough to still play and be happy!

5~ A baby book (thanks, Jadi & Aunt Terrie!) for Clara and time to make it perfect.

6~ A hubby who cares for me (us) so well, makes yummy food, keeps the house running so I can rest.

7~ Time to read magazines Mamma gave me months ago and learn about gardening in the state I love.

8~ A nice phone chat with that same, sweet Mamma.

9~ Friends who pick up my sick-slack without a thought.

10~ The ding-dong of my doorbell and the blessing of a happy neighbor delivering freshly picked strawberries with a gorgeous smile.


Today was a happy {sick} day!!

I'm so grateful for the Lord's kindness in these ways and so many more...

of Sunflower Houses and housekeeping

The weather is beautiful and I'd rather be pittering in the yard than keeping house inside. So I've decided to accomplish both by planting a Sunflower House!

We have a corner of the yard that has no grass growing and I think instead of sodding it this weekend, we just may create a perfect playspace for the kiddos. We'll sow sunflower seeds for the four walls, leave a doorway open and allow morning glories to climb to fill in the magical little hut. (See my amazing sunflowers I made in Paint?)

Here's a helpful link if you want to try one, too.

I don't have hubby approval yet (he was going to lay sod this Saturday) so we'll have to wait to see for sure but I think it could be a fun spring project! Any other sunflower house builders out there?