Kids Say the Funniest Things . . .

And it can especially be funny when taken out of context. I've heard these comments lately:


"Birds can't be people's brothers!"

Isaac to Aaron, while playing with Legos, and Aaron wanted his Lego parrot and Isaac's Lego man to be brothers.


"Mom, is there anywhere in the house that I don't know about?"

Isaac to me, wanting to "explore" in our house - which is SO large that of course there are places in the house that he's never been before!? (also inspired by a Boxcar Children book we had just read in which the children explore their aunt's large house)


"Aaron, I'm gonna destroy some people; wanna watch?"

Isaac to Aaron, just before starting to play Runescape on the computer (an on-line video game set in Medieval times, which, by the way, my oldest 2 boys love and I have found to be harmless and surprisingly sometimes educational! - so it's not as bad as it sounds!)


They all say funny and interesting things, but Isaac sure has filled his quota lately!

Hummus Recipe

This recipe came from an American woman who lived for a few years in Bahrain, where my husband is from. I have yet to meet a hummus, other than this one, that I like.

In many restaurants, hummus often has more of a Lebanese/Mediterranean taste, which I think has more lemon in it, and less or no Tahini. And if you've ever bought prepared hummus from the grocery store, it's like comparing fresh vegetables with canned (in my opinion!)

We eat it with pita bread, pita chips, or raw vegetables as a snack, or as a side to a couple middle eastern dishes we like. (I'll try to post those recipes some time.)


Hummus

1 (15 - 16 oz.) can chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained & rinsed
1/2 c. tahini (sesame paste)
3/4 Tb. lemon juice
3/4 tsp. salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tb. olive oil
approx. 1/2 c. water

In food processor, blend all ingredients except water until smooth. Then stream in water until it's the right consistency - not too thick, but not watery (it will get a little thicker after chilling). Chill in refrigerator for at least one hour; will taste better if chilled for 4 or more hours.

Serving options: sprinkle with paprika, parsley, and drizzle with olive oil.

3 Peas in a Pod

Here's a couple pictures of a crochet project I just finished. Isn't it cute?

Each pea is about 1 1/2" diameter.

Just a fun little project. This would be a great gift for a juggler!

Who Do You Put Your Faith In?

Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, made history yesterday.

It was exciting to watch some of the Inauguration Day events on TV with my boys. My brother and sister-in-law were there in DC, which made it even more interesting for the boys. I can't wait to hear some of their stories and see their pictures.

Whether or not you voted for him, or agree with him on different issues or policies, I don't think anyone can deny that he has a charismatic and positive personality that draws people.

But it's my hope and prayer that the strong and optimistic emotions that filled people yesterday will result in strong and optimistic actions in the days and weeks to come.

I hope that people will realize that each person, each family, each household, needs to do their part. Whether a company CEO or a stay-at-home mom, whether a teacher or a nurse or a builder, whether a college student or a retiree, each and every individual needs to live responsibly to make our country stronger and better.

I hope that people don't assume that a new president will automatically make their personal lives better. It's dangerous to put too much hope and faith in just one human person, even if he does hold the highest position in the country.

The only person who walked on this earth that is deserving of our complete faith and trust is Jesus. If we all lived even closely to how Jesus lived, what a country this could be!

He Thinks He Needs More Toys

This morning, just a few minutes after getting up, Aaron came out from his bedroom, holding his money jar, and asked, "Can we go to Toys 'R Us?" :)

Views of Winter

Last week, when we had some very rare sunshine, the boys went outside and attacked the snow "mountain" in our back yard. Rashed had made it back in December when we had tons and tons of snow, with the snow blower. After a few days of warmer temperatures, it melted some and condensed down into a hard pile of snow. So the boys had a great time digging and picking at it with some shovels and tools.





Earlier that same day, Noah sighted a beautiful cardinal perched in our front tree.







And yesterday, I captured a few pictures of icicles on our house, and in the evergreen tree that gets dripped on by the front corner of our house.

If we must put up with winter here in Michigan, I'm glad it's often pretty.

Chester

Meet our dog Chester.



He's a 3 1/2 year old Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie).

He LOVES (LOVES!) being outside. We have a fenced-in backyard, so he's outside much of the day during good weather. He has designated himself as Official Guard of the Backyard. As soon as we let him out, he tears around the perimeter of the yard at least once, checking for any new scents or sights that he needs to be aware of.

If there's anything moving in the yard he goes crazy! I think it's usual for dogs to try to chase squirrels or birds, which Chester, in fact, does. But that's not enough for Chester. He also chases and barks at falling or blowing leaves, falling snow, rain drops, water dripping off our trampoline, even the sound of the wind. He gets very intense and obsessed about it, like he's on an important mission.

He also does this funny leaping and pouncing thing. First he cocks his head and stares at the ground like he hears something. Then he leaps up into the air and pounces back down toward the ground as if attacking whatever it is that he "heard". He does this the most in the snow. It's hilarious, especially when he leaps several times in a row - he looks like he's bouncing across the yard. (makes me think of Tigger!)



He's a great dog and a great addition to our family.

Meet the "Fam"

Besides me, our crazy household is made up of Rashed, my wonderful husband of 19 years, and our 3 sons, Noah (13), Isaac (10), and Aaron (5).

Rashed is fun, entertaining, outgoing, laid back, kind-hearted, and also does dishes and laundry. He spends lots of time with the kids when he's home. He's known for making up crazy games and activities for the boys, and doing odd "science" experiments with them.

Noah, our oldest one, is talkative, detailed, creative, a perfectionist, and determined (when he wants to be!) He loves video games, his Ipod, computers, and anything "techy". He's growing into a responsible young man, and is especially helpful to have around when something goes wrong with our computer and us old folks don't know what to do. He likes Weasels because they're clever, vicious, and sneaky.

Next is Isaac, our middle man. His name in Hebrew means "laughter" and for that he is so well named. He can be very funny and makes us laugh. He's also easy-going, caring, helpful, independent, creative, and interestingly clever. He loves video games, burning things in the fireplace, making strange noises, and Koalas.

And finally, there's Aaron, our little guy. He's a very busy, curious, confident preschooler. He is amazingly good at puzzles (even "regular" puzzles, not just children's puzzles) and likes swords, pirates, playing computer games, and loves to watch Nick Jr. And oh yeah, he still loves his blanket, a lot.

All 3 of the boys LOVE Legos. We have literally thousands of Legos in our house, and lots of time is spent, every single day, building and playing with them.

And before you think they're always as cute and clever and creative as I've made them sound, they're also known to be loud, stubborn, fight, argue, and misbehave from time to time, like any other normal kids. :) But hopefully I won't spend too much time dwelling on those situations on this blog!

There's also plenty of pets to go around - 1 dog, 2 cats, and 1 leopard gecko.

Yes, sometimes with all the noise and activity and animals, I feel like I'm in a zoo or at the circus. But it's home, and it's what God has given me to enjoy.

My First Post!

Well, I discovered the blogging world about 3 years ago, and now regularly read many blogs about things like family life, homeschooling, crafting, and homemaking. Since I am at home a lot, reading blogs helps me feel a little more connected to the world outside of my own four walls.

I've contemplated starting my own blog for quite a while, but wasn't sure that I would know what to do with it! I finally decided that this could be a way for me to keep family and friends updated on some of the things going on in our little household. I think it will be fun to keep this type of journal, as I do enjoy journaling. There's so many things that happen, especially when children are young, that you think you'll always remember, but you don't. I want to document some of the funny and creative things that my boys say and do. Raising 3 boys, especially when they're home all the time, can be exhausting and frustrating at times; but it's rarely boring, always interesting, and often hilarious.

I've read many blog posts that encouraged me in my own life as a mom and wife. Maybe I'll be able to encourage someone else some day as I share about things I've learned along the way.

I also plan to write posts about good books I've read (I read mostly Christian fiction); sewing, knitting, or crocheting project that I've finished (which is never as many as I'd like); and post some of my favorite photos with my new camera (I'm also a photographer-want-to-be).

Now I just have to figure out HOW to post photos; and how to write concisely and conversationally - without feeling like my high school English teacher is looking over my shoulder!

This should be fun!