For the past couple of Sundays, I've made up a batch of these No-Bake Energy Bites. They are perfect for a quick breakfast or as an afternoon snack. And as the name says, they really do give me an energy "pick me up." They look like a cross between a Cliff bar and a piece of cookie dough. When I feel like I need something sweet, I pretend they ARE cookie dough. I also tried to trick the kids, but that didn't work. I altered the recipe to my preference (more chocolate!). Here it is:

No-Bake Energy Bites

1/2 cup of almond or peanut butter 
1/3 cup of honey
1 cup of Old Fashioned Oats, toasted at 350-degrees for 10 minutes
1/4 cup of flaxseed meal
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup of chocolate chips*

1) Toast oats.
2) Combine all ingredients. *I use mini chocolate chips and let them melt on the warm oats. Or you can use bigger chocolate chips and not let them melt. 
3) Roll into a tablespoon-sized balls.
4) Store in an air-tight container and keep them in the fridge. 
5) Enjoy!
 

Homeschool Confession

I’ve decided to homeschool. There, I said it. (I can see your shocked faces!) Can you believe it?! Me?! It’s like Saul’s conversion to Paul! Although I may not have thrown actual stones at homeschoolers, I have thrown mental “stones” at homeschoolers (mean words like “antisocial” and “weird” and “sheltered”). My thought on homeschooling has always been (face scrunched up), “Why on Earth would you want to do that?!” and “Good luck with that... Hope your kids don’t turn into freaks.” Situations like this is exactly when God starts working on my heart, in the sneaky way that only God can do, and then one morning I wake up and think “I’m going to start homeschooling.” I’m shocked and surprised by it all, but I imagine that God is giggling up in heaven. He always knows what He’s up to! And He's so, so patient.

So, I officially decided about a month ago but, looking back, I know God began the thaw on my heart about a year ago. It was about a year ago that Sienna started asking to be homeschooled, too. Of course, the decision comes with reasons and it’s not mainly because we're Christian, but more because we’re military. As a Christian, I feel almost an obligation to be out in world, being a light, and I think one of the best mission fields is in the public schools. But as a military family, facing another move this year, the thought of moving schools –again – can produce a lot of stress in me and the kids. I have no guarantees on where we’ll be living and what the school system will look like at our new home. Add in the challenges of being the new kid at school. Stress, stress and more stress.

Also, I do have some real concerns about standardized tests. Sienna will start standardized testing next year and she and her friends are already coming home saying how stressed they are about the test and they don’t think they’re going to do very well. There is a time to be worried about tests, say the SATs, but it isn’t in the 2^nd Grade! This is when kids should be cultivating a love for learning that will help them float through the stresses of test taking when they are older. The goal is learning, not test taking skills. I also read this article a few months ago about test taking and it made me think about the affects of standardized testing on our kids.

As I started researching homeschool curriculum, I was completely blown away by the options and quality. We're going to be able to cover so much more but working almost half the time she's at school now, all while weaving in Christian themes and character builders. Unfortunately, Sienna comes home from school with such a terrible attitude. She talks back, bobs her head at me, and says mean things. I think she struggles with back talk anyway (ahem, genetics) but being around it all day reinforces the behavior. As a lady told me, “I actually started liking my kids again once we started homeschooling.” Wow.

I think this blog also addressed many of my homeschooling concerns and truly inspired me. I love her words: “As a mama-teacher, I approach all the readings as a co-discoverer with an insatiable appetite to learn more. I’m exploring with the kids and I’m excited every day about we’re finding out together!  It’s not perfect — but it is contagious! I really believe that a curious mother and a library card can offer a stellar education.”

To be honest, I can’t wait to see what ALL of us learn next year!

The things kids (and Mom) say...

If you were a fly on the wall at our house recently, you would have overheard these funny conversations:

Grant, walking around the house sniffing: “It stinks in here….oh wait, it’s just my breath.”

Sienna: “Wow, Mom, you look pretty good for not having on any makeup.”

Me: “I am wearing makeup.”

Sienna: “Oh.”

Sienna: “And guess what, Grant? I almost had to take antibiotics!”

Me: “That pink stuff was antibiotics”

Sienna: “Really? Oh. Guess what, Grant? I had to take antibiotics! Oh, and I had a pink eye!”

Grant, deadpan: “Better than a black eye.”

Sienna, while looking at the overflowing laundry basket: "I guess we're going to have to start acting like Daddy and wear things until they start to smell. Peeeeeeww!"

I don’t know where they get this stuff but it sure cracks me up. And to be fair, here’s something I said that had the kids giggling long after I said it.

Me: “It’s not like I wake up in the morning and say, “Gosh, I can’t wait until Grant yells, “I’m done!” after making a poop.”

These might only be funny to me (happens often!) or maybe “you had to be there.” But for some odd reason these comments make me laugh and I had to share. I guess some days you have to focus on the humor of things and situations...or go crazy! Thankfully, when life is getting too serious, I have two pint-sized goof balls that provide the comic relief I need. 

Easter Tree

We put together our Easter Tree this week. I'm so excited about this new family tradition! I'm using the idea and FREE "Trail to the Tree" devotional from A Holy Experience blog, here. 

First, we gathered our supplies....

I printed the devotional and had it spiral bound at Office Depot. Each devotion has a corresponding artwork. I had those artwork pages printed in color then I laminated and cut them out. We'll hang the artwork on the tree after each devotion. There are 17 devotions total and we'll do about 2-3 a week until Easter. I love the visual reminder! 

Scrapbooking for Jesus! :)

Here is our Easter tree: 

And with our first devotion artwork:

I can't wait to see the tree filled with artwork that represents the story of Jesus and Easter!

 

My Type

I’m participating in my first ever blog link up with “Me and My Soldier Man”! I’m so excited! Why? Because it’s a topic that I love (borderline am obsessed with): personality types!!!

I’m not sure why I love it so much. I guess because I’m curious and I like figuring out puzzles and finding the reasons why people act a certain way. And it’s really helped me be more accepting of others. Honestly. Horrible confession: I spent many years thinking everyone should act like me and feeling very frustrated when they didn’t. You’ll understand why when you see my personality type!

I also like to know why I do certain things. It has helped me be more accepting of myself, too. And it has helped me identify areas where I need to grow and push myself.

I love it!!

I probably missed my calling as a psychologist. Then again, the thought of listening to people whine all day might drive me crazy. Although, it might explain why random strangers are always spilling their guts to me. It happens so often that I’m beginning to wonder….

Anyway, here is the original blog post with a link to the Myers-Briggs personality test that I took. First, here’s a little about the Myers-Briggs’ scale:

Where you focus your attention

Extraversion

People who prefer Extraversion tend to focus their attention on the outer world of people and things.

VS.

Introversion

People who prefer Introversion tend to focus their attention on the inner world of ideas and impressions.

The way you take in information

Sensing

People who prefer Sensing tend to take in information through the five senses and focus on the here and now.

VS

Intuition

People who prefer Intuition tend to take in information from patterns and the big picture and focus on future possibilities.

The way you make decisions

Thinking

People who prefer Thinking tend to make decisions based primarily on logic and on objective analysis of cause and effect.

VS

Feeling

People who prefer Feeling tend to make decisions based primarily on values and on subjective evaluation of person-centered concerns.

How you deal with the outer world

Judging

People who prefer Judging tend to like a planned and organized approach to life and prefer to have things settled.

VS

Perceiving

People who prefer Perceiving tend to like a flexible and spontaneous approach to life and prefer to keep their options open.

Two years ago, I took a Myers-Briggs test and my result was an “ESTJ” – Extrovert, Sensing, Thinking, Judging. When I took the test again a few days ago, I scored as an “ISTJ” but was an almost even 50/50 split on Extrovert/Introvert scale. I also tend to score very low on the Thinking scale (insert blond jokes) so I tend to be a Feeler too. Here’s one category that there’s no doubt about, I’m off-the-scale on Judging. Me likey to be ORGANIZED. That’s not really a surprise, though, huh?

ISTJ – “The Duty Fulfiller”

ISTJs are very loyal, faithful, and dependable.

Your first preference is toward introversion, which means that you get your energy from interacting with your rich inner world. You tend to be reflective and contemplative. You likely prefer to have a few close friends instead of many acquaintances.

Your second preference is for sensation. Sensors are pragmatic, precise people who are very detail oriented. Instead of looking at the big picture first, Sensors concentrate on specifics. They highly value experience and often have an excellent memory.

Your third preference is for thinking. Thinkers prefer to remain objective, concentrating more on facts than subjective factors in a situation. Thinking types are usually very analytical and logical thinking comes easily for them.

Your fourth preference is for judging. Judgers are structured and organized, preferring an orderly environment over disorganization. They are decisive planners who like bringing closure to projects. Judgers often feel comfortable with deadlines and can easily work within them.

Here are some descriptions of an ISTJ that are scarily accurate:

“ISTJs tend to believe in laws and traditions, and expect the same from others. They're not comfortable with breaking laws or going against the rules.”

True.

“Being perfectionists themselves, they have a tendency to take other people's efforts for granted, like they take their own efforts for granted. They need to remember to pat people on the back once in a while.” 

Oops.

“ISTJs have tremendous respect for facts. They hold a tremendous store of facts within themselves, which they have gathered through their Sensing preference. They may have difficulty understanding a theory or idea which is different from their own perspective.”

Yep.

“Under stress, ISTJs may fall into "catastrophe mode", where they see nothing but all of the possibilities of what could go wrong. They will berate themselves for things in which they should have done differently, or duties in which they failed to perform. They will lose their ability to see things calmly and reasonably, and will depress themselves with their visions of doom.”

Uh oh.

As a parent: “Traditional and family-minded, they will put forth great amounts of effort at making their homes and families running smoothly. They are responsible parents, taking their parenting roles seriously.”

Definitely.

So, that’s me in a nutshell. The good, the bad and the intensely organized me.

OK, now it’s your turn! Take the test HERE and share your results in the comments!

Lent

Ash Wednesday is tomorrow and it’s the beginning of Lent. It kinda snuck up on me this year – didn’t we just take down the Christmas decorations?! – and yet God made sure I wouldn’t let it pass without notice.

Although my church community doesn’t corporately practice Lent, over the past few years I’ve been inspired to practice my own version of Lent. It usually involves increasing my devotion time, spending more time reading the Bible and praying, and usually some type of fast. I generally decide based on what is put on my heart for that year, and some years I don’t do anything – guilt free! It’s not some legalistic thing I have to do. My version of Lent is about challenging myself in order to grow in my faith, preparing my heart for the Easter season, and mostly, it's a way to provide some sort of meaning to our Easter, above and beyond a new dress, Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies (not that there is anything wrong with those things! I love a new dress and a chocolate bunny as much as anyone!).

This year, these blog posts really inspired me:

40 Ideas For Lent – is FILLED to the brim with ideas for Lent! (this post is actually from last year but I only came across it a few days ago)

Why Doing Lent This Year Is Really What You Need – more inspiration and a free devotional. I think I’ll put together an Easter tree with the kids, it’s a perfect visual reminder.

I hope you find these as inspiring as I did. As Ann at A Holy Experience noted in the above post:

 

It is an irrefutable law: one needs to be dispossessed of the possessions that possess — before one can be possessed of God. Let the things of this world fall away so the soul can fall in love with God.

Our Favorite Books

I love reading with the kids. Due to the cold weather and all the sickness that has been going through our house in the past several weeks, the kids and I have spent many evenings reading. The kids and I recently read through “Matilda” by Roald Dahl. It was one of my favorite books as a kid and I really enjoyed reading it again with my kiddos. It got me thinking about some of our favorite children’s books. These are the books that are regularly picked at bedtime, some are old favorites and some are newer favorites. 

God Gave Us Heaven by Lisa Tawn Bergren – A gentle answer to some difficult questions, with beautiful illustrations.

My Mom is Trying to Ruin My Life by Kate Feiffer – A hilarious story with a fun twist at the end. We all giggle our way through this story.

Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola– We like all the Strega Nona books but the first one is especially fun.

Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney – Also a fan of the Llama Llama series but I especially like this book which explains bedtime from a Momma’s perspective. Over the years, this series has helped the kids work through and process certain emotions and fears.

Olivia Goes to Venice by Ian Falconer  - I love the pictures in this story and Sienna loves the precocious pig. I also like to remind Sienna that she has been to Venice, too.

Hero Dad by Melinda Hardin – This has been a favorite of ours recently, for obvious reasons.

Someday by Alison McGhee and Peter H. Reynolds – The perfect story to read with your daughter…and then cry your eyeballs out.

The True Story of The Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka – A funny twist on a classic story.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce – A melancholy story with amazing pictures.

Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are by Dr. Seuss – A reminder to count your blessings.

What are your favorite books to read with your kids?