A whole lot of happy

Yesterday afternoon I sat with Isaiah in his Mom's bedroom.  She was not there because she was in the bathroom, or the bathtub more specifically, laboring.  I had never met 4 year old Isaiah before, but in an instant we were friends.  I told him all about the special tools I brought with me to help get ready for his new baby.  He especially liked the "booger" machine (for suctioning baby).  He was nervous, I could tell, and flung around the room chattering on and on.  His sisters were in the front room watching Cinderella waiting for their Grandparents to come by to pick them up before all the action began. Isaiah was very informed.  He know just how the oxygen came out of the tank, what button turned on the "booger machine" and why I was warming baby blankets on a heating pad.  He even explained to me what a contraction was.  I was very impressed. 

Somewhere in the middle of all this discussion, he stopped in mid-sentence and turned towards the doorway.  He could see the TV from where he was sitting and suddenly became transfixed.  He said, "Wait, wait, don't talk.  This is my favorite part."  Being very familiar with the movie myself I asked about what part was playing.  His voice suddenly changed from a very excited, boisterous tone to a soft and dreamy one.  He said the end of the movie was his favorite part, (Cinderella and her Prince were marrying). I asked him why that part was his favorite and he so eloquently put it this way: "Because in the end there is a whole lot of happy".

Well it wasn't long before Isaiah and his sisters were whisked away by their Grandparents and his mother got right down to the business of having a baby.  She was on the bed now and starting to push.  I felt a little ho-hum about all of it and even found myself daydreaming a few times.

The next few minutes were a bit of a blur.   I should leave out most of the details to protect the privacy of the family, but let's just say this baby proceeded to be born in a very unexpected and unconventional way for most home-births.  There were several very tense moments and for a few of them I wanted to run away.  Thankfully, I work beside a wonderful, experienced (25 years) Midwife who handled the situation beautifully.  It was tricky, but the baby came out...and his little cry (after 30 LONG seconds) was music to my ears.  After thorough inspection and without using the "booger machine" the baby was uninjured, pink and snuggling against his mother's warm chest.

 

As I drove home I couldn't help but replay the birth over and over again in my mind. I thanked God for hearing my desperate prayers during the scariest moments.  I also thanked Him for Isaiah and his sweet words that reminded me, "In the end there is a whole lot of happy."  

Homeschooling- Yes!

People often ask me, "So how is the whole homeschool thing going?"  I have to stop for a minute and take inventory to before answering.  Do I briefly grieve each morning for time to go to the gym by myself and drink a cup of coffee in silence?  Yes.  Do I wonder what I was thinking when I made the decision to homeschool when it is 12am and I am lesson planning for the next day?  Yes.  Are there more books, pencils, chewed erasers, and math worksheets floating around here than I ever imagined? Yes.  Has the housework suffered somewhat? Yes.  (Okay maybe more than I let on here.  Carl bailed me out big time over the weekend!)

But then there are a whole lot of other "yes" answers too.  Lots more.

 

Do I like allowing my children to wake up on their own, without having to drag them from their beds at some ungodly hour and stuff them into their half-washed uniforms? Yes.  Do we enjoy relaxed, leisurely breakfasts that taste better than a pop tart eaten cold- straight out of the foil package? Yes.

Do I appreciate having a front-row seat watching my children make exciting discoveries like:

 

an insect's shed exoskeleton,

 

artifacts from ancient Egypt during a make-believe archaeological dig in the front yard,

 

the hunt and acquisition of a first "walking stick"?  Yes!

 

Is my downstairs room filled with more energy, creativity, and vibrancy than ever before? Yes!

 

Are my children's drawings, questions, and understandings about the world around them inspiring?  Uplifting? Yes!

 

(This is Emma's journal...I do not correct spelling here.  It is a place for "free writing")

Does it mean more to me than almost anything else to be present, available, interested, and intimate in the lives of my children? Is there anything more fulfilling than watching them aquire a love of learning?  Am I so entirely grateful for this opportunity that I am willing to take the good and the not-so good things about all of it? MOST DEFINITELY YES! 

And if you looked on their paper...I think you'd find the same answer.

**okay so it is only our3rd week ever of homeschooling, I understand that at some point the honeymoon may be over...but for now I'd say, "It is pretty great."

Zucchini Bread

 

Its a good thing we love zucchini bread because we have plenty of the prime ingredient tucked away for the winter.  Currently, I have 17 bags of shredded zucchini in the freezer. Thats enough for 34 loaves of bread.  Yikes!  I am sure glad that one of my zucchini plants died early in the spring...one plant is plenty. 

I promised to share my Grandma's recipe.  As yummy as it is, sometimes I like to experiment with reducing the fat content, substituting honey for the sugar, and blending in some whole wheat flour (mostly- we eat it just like Grandma makes it). Once you've had it "her" way it is hard to get used to the texture of the "healthy" way. I'll post it in its original version and let you play with it. This recipe makes two loaves which is great because then you have one to give away!

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 C veggie oil

2 t vanilla

1 t grated lemon peel

3 C flour

1 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

1 t salt

1 t cinnamon

2 C shredded zucchini

1/2 c chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour two loaf pans.  Combine eggs and sugar.  Beat in oil, vanilla and lemon peel.  Combine the dry ingredients separately and add to sugar mixture.  Mix well.  Stir in zucchini and nuts.  Divide evenly between two loaf pans.  COVER WITH FOIL.  Bake 30 min and then remove foil- bake additional 15-20 min or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and slice.  Enjoy!

**I always invert my pan and cool the loaf by itself (out of the pan) on a rack- mostly because we are ready to eat it the second it won't burn our mouths anymore :)