Upward Basketball

One of my 2012 goals:

Help coach an Upward basketball team at church. Thanks to a dear friend who volunteered to head coach (or perhaps, was dragged kicking and screaming), I am assistant coaching a kindergarten Upward basketball team at WHBC. Yikes.

Last night we had Upward's Awards night.  (Click here for more information on this AWESOME organization.)  After it was over, one of the refs - and a man who has known me since kindergarten - high-fived me and said, "Randi, I'm proud of you for stretching yourself out of your comfort zone. Good work." Out of my comfort zone may have been a bit of an understatement.  You see, I don't do sports.  I have never played organized basketball in my life, but I knew they needed coaches and I really wanted to help. 

So I twisted my friend Lindsey's arm and she signed up as a head coach with me as her assistant. Lindsey volunteered to be in charge of basketball (she, unlike me, knows a bit about the sport), so I handled everything else - emailing parents, snack sign up, and mid-practice devotions.  We had an adorable team of six boys and a girl, and they played their hearts out!  My favorite moment was our last game of the season.  Right before we went out to play the last quarter, Lindsey said, "Kids, let's try to get every person on our team a chance to shoot the ball.  That means we'll have to really watch out for each other and share the ball.  Do you think we can do that?"  The kids nodded enthusiastically, and sure enough, every kid got a chance to shoot the ball that quarter.  It was a great way to end the season.

Take Aways:

• As much as I enjoyed coaching our kids, I could never teach kindergarten.
• There is a lot more to be learned from the game of basketball than just the sport.  Kids were learning how to share, how to look out for each other, and how to work together.  Not every one of our kids had "talent," but I think it was a valuable learning experience for each of them.
• I love that our church does Upward.  It's such a great way to serve the community.  I am planning to do it again next year!

Nook Book #5: The Vow

The Vow by Kim & Krickitt Carpenter

Length: 107 pages

Format: Borrowed Nook Book
Price: $7.65
Author Website: I found this link on their facebook fan page:
http://www.bhpublishinggroup.com/books/products.asp?p=9781433675799 (photo credit)

Basic Premise:  A newlyweds Kim and Krickitt Carpenter embark on their storybook life together only to find themselves in a horrific car accident.  They suffer many painful injuries, but the most devastating is the loss of Krickitt's memory - she has no recollection of her husband at all.


My Take: 7.5 out of 10 (scale here)

This book was fabulous.  It is a true story of one couple's struggle in overcoming unbeatable odds.  There were several things I loved about this book.  The first was the authenticity of the authors.  They were real and honest.  There were times they were ugly and they laid it all out, and I appreciated that.  The second was their resounding faith.  There is no question these people are followers to the hilt of Jesus Christ.  My favorite faith moment from the book was when Krickitt was recovering from her accident and nothing about her mind was intact except her faith.  Her brother explained that the reason her faith was still so clear to her was that it was part of her soul.  The body can be maimed and mutilated, but the soul cannot be harmed by anything in our physical world.  I love love love that.  The thing I didn't love about this book, and the reason I didn't rate it significantly higher than I did, was the writing style.  It was short, choppy, and at times difficult to follow.  There were details I wanted as a reader that were not addressed.  Things like Krickitt's recovery process were glossed over instead of explained.  There was more than one occasion where I found myself flipping back to see if I'd missed something.  Normally this kind of experience would disenchant me with a book altogether, but the story was so strong I found I didn't mind the missing details all that much after all.

Mornings!

I love mornings.  I just do.  When people ask me why, I'm never sure quite what to tell them.  One of my best friends says it's my competitive nature - beating the rest of the world out of bed makes me feel like I've won.  :)

 

I'm not really sure what it is.  I love getting up while the house is still and quiet and knowing my husband and son are still peacefully slumbering away.  I especially love to get up early on weekends because often, I can get a large percentage of my work for the day done before anyone even gets up.

I know I am at my most productive in the mornings, so for the last several weeks I have been following this morning schedule:
5:15 - Alarm clock goes off.  I hit the snooze once or twice.
5:30 - 6:00 - I get showered, dressed and make-uped (and a few times, I've even done my hair!)
6:00 - 6:05ish - I pack my lunch and get my breakfast ready
6:05 - 6:30 - I eat breakfast, journal, pray, and study my Bible (I even started an ISN for this part!)
6:30 - I leave the house for work

In high school and even into college, I was really good at the 6:05 to 6:30 stuff - you know, taking time every day to really reflect on what God is doing in and around me.  As a wife, a mom, a teacher, a home-owner, a cook, a house keeper...the list goes on and on...it is difficult to find time in the day for this.  HOWEVER, I am finding that in investing the first fruits of my day in prayer and Bible study, I am preparing myself to have a "God-ward" heart at the beginning of the day.

So that's my morning routine.  I'm attacking spiritual fitness right now.  Eventually, I would like to fit a workout into the schedule, but one thing at a time. :)

Nook Book #4: War Horse

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo

Length: 120 pages

Format: Nook Book
Price: $4.99
Author Website: http://www.michaelmorpurgo.com/ (photo credit)

Basic Premise:  Set in Europe during World War I, this story is the eyes of Joey, a well-bred and beautiful farm horse who finds himself torn from his family and thrown into the trenches of the war in France.


My Take: 8 out of 10 (scale here)

Our student reading group at school selected this book as an example of historical fiction.  I really enjoyed War Horse.  It was fresh and very heart-warming.  The writing style was sophisticated and consistent, and it was easy to picture the rolling hills and hear the cannon fire in the distance.  I liked that it was set during World War I, as I don't know much about that period of history, and I liked that it was from the perspective of the horse.  It reminded me of The Call of the Wild by Jack London in that regard.  It was a fast and simple read and it made me want to ride a horse!  It's also lendable, so let me know if you want to borrow!

Authentic Indian Fry Bread!

The summer after 10th grade I went on a mission trip with my youth group to Scott's Bluff, Nebraska.  They have a large population of Native Americans in Scott's Bluff and one of the most memorable things about the trip was a little girl named Victoria whose grandmother made our entire group Indian tacos.  They. Were. Delicious.

So when our Potawatomi missionaries offered to show us how to make authentic Indian fry bread, I signed up!  Our instructor learned how to make fry bread from her mother-in-law, an Apache Native American who has been making fry bread her whole life!

To make fry bread, you will need:

• 3 cups flour
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 4 "swirls" of honey
• 3 1/2 c milk
• oil for frying

Since we made the dough together at the church, I don't have pictures of making the dough, but this is how you do it:

1. Mix dry ingredients and make a well with the flour mixture.
2. Swirl the honey in four circles around the outer edge of the well.
3. SLOWLY add milk and mix.

(Note: She was taught to mix with her hands.  I can't do this, as I have texture issues, but she said it would be fine to mix it in a mixer.  Whew!)

The dough should look like a thick gravy or pancake batter.  For best results, cover and let rise for 1-2 hours.

Heat approximately a quarter inch of oil in a skillet over medium heat.  To measure the heat, flick water in the oil.  If it dances, the oil is ready!

Grab a handful (or a spoonfull) of dough and flop it on a floured surface.  Cover with flour and knead until you can flatten the dough and remove without the dough sticking to the surface.

Place the dough (carefully!) in the oil.  Once the bottom has browned (a minute or two, depending on the heat of the oil), use tongs to flip it over in the oil.

Remove from oil and place on a paper towel-covered plate.  Allow to cool and top with your favorite taco toppings!

DELISH!

Book Scale

I teach reading, and as a class we read five novels over the course of the school year.  After we finish one of these novels, I have the students give it a rating.  I think there is significant value in reflecting on what you read, and it is particularly beneficial for readers because it helps them determine what kinds of things they liked or didn't like - the genre, the author's style, the characters, etc.  The kids evaluate using the following scale:

I then have the kids average the scores and we give the book an official class rating.  This year, I haven't had a single rating below 5.0, and several have been in the 7s and 8s!  I like to do this with kids because 1) it's an opportunity to integrate math, 2) it provides them with an opportunity to express their opinions (which 7th graders love to do, in case you didn't know) and 3) I really do like to know what they think.

I have been doing quite a bit of this type of evaluation on my own as well, and since I've had my new Nook (did I tell you about my Nook?) I have been reading up a storm!

Nook Book #3: Lovely

Lovely by Allison Liddelle

Length: 136 pages
Format: Nook Book
Price: FREE
Author Website: There doesn't appear to be one, so here's the B&N description (photo credit)

Basic Premise: Young and severely depressed Alice dreams about killing herself constantly.  She somehow gets the chance, time after time, to kill herself in various ways before she realizes that maybe there is something to life that is indeed worth living.


My Take: 2 out of 10
This title is grossly misleading.  I read this book because 1) it was free and 2) the tagline sounded NOTHING like what I wrote above.  By the time I figured out what was really going on, I was 30 or so pages in and figured, "What the heck? It's only another 100 pages.  I might as well read it - maybe it will expand my horizons."  Well, I guess it sort of did.  The tone was DARK DARK DARK (I don't generally do dark) and this girl is seriously depressed.  I think it probably is impossible for people who aren't depressed to understand what it's like to be depressed, but I guess I still find it odd that this girl is constantly dreaming - no, fantasizing - about different ways to end her life.  It's creepy.  It reminded me a little of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, except that I really enjoyed that one. The book is also riddled with profanities and typeos, so much so that I started automatically correcting in my head, much the way I do with my students' writing at school.  Come to find out after I read it, it is a self-published book.  May not have read it if I had realized that to start.

Fail: Research Project

This is the word that comes to mind when I think about my research unit, which concluded last week:

Okay, fail may be a little harsh.  But when I read this post, I want to laugh out loud at how hopeful I was that this year, I would feel differently about this unit.  I don't.  I truly hate this project.  In fact, I joked to my husband that we need to schedule the birth of our next child so that I can be on maternity leave during this unit next year.  I'm tempted to use this post to rant and rave about why, but I'm resisting.  Instead, I'm going to reflect on what went wrong and what I can do net year to make it better.

Take Aways:

• Don't miss a day of school in the middle of research. I was sick a day and it cost my kids, because apparently my sub told them to work and then let them go instead of monitoring their progress.  When I returned and told them they had to have all their research done by the next day, it didn't go over well.
• Do a better job of monitoring their research questions. They were supposed to write three questions about their event before they began their research.  I looked over them before they researched, but I didn't get to bothered about bad questions because I wanted the questions to change as the kids did their research.  What I didn't foresee was that 1) they wouldn't, and 2) they wouldn't know to ask the very basic question "What happened?"  So next year, we will spend more time on writing good questions. 
• Do a better job of explaining that typing "What was the effect of Abraham Lincoln's assassination?" into a google browser will probably not get them the most sound of sources.  Most answers like this would pop up Yahoo! answers or Wiki Answers, and it seemed that no matter how many times I explained that these were not valid sources of information, kids kept using them!

Maybe this unit wasn't really a fail.  The kids did learn how to research, write a works cited page, write a summary paragraph using their questions as main ideas, and do a creative project over their research.  This last one is a new thing and I am really enjoying them.  One student nearly made me cry with her poem about the Holocaust.  Maybe I should think about it from that perspective.  The really good news is that I don't have to worry about it for 11 and a half more months!

Nook Book #2: Stuck in the Middle

 Stuck in the Middle by Virginia Smith

Length: 245 pages
Format: Nook Book
Price: FREE!
Author Website: http://www.virginiasmith.org/contempromance.html (photo credit)

Basic Premise: Joan Sanderson is stuck in the middle of dealing with her recent break-up, her sister drama, her lame, boring job, and her ever-increasing feeling that there simply has to be more to life.  When an attractive young doctor moves in next door, Joan is swept off her feet by his good looks and charm, but his deep commitment to his faith causes her more than a moment's pause about her own.


My Take: 7.5 out of 10
This is my second Nook book, but I picked it because, well, it was free. It was the first book on the list that looked interesting to me, so I downloaded it, having no idea (and being pleasantly surprised) that it was a faith-based book.  I liked the simple writing style and the loveable little community of Danville, Kentucky.  I also loved the friendly banter between Joan, her two sisters, her mother, and her OCD grandmother.  Joan's struggles and questions about faith were approached in an honest, realistic manner and God was aptly portrayed as a near and personal God.  I felt a little like the book glossed over the significance of Jesus, but overall I was pleasantly surprised with this free read!

Projects I Would Love to Try

1. Vintage Wall Map - I LOVE this idea! My friend who blogs at Savoring the Sweet Stuff published this tutorial (photo credit) on how she made this map that visually documents their travels together as a married couple. My husband loves maps and I've found a few vintage ones at yard sales, but I have had no idea what to do with them.  This would be great, and it looks so easy!

2. ABC Crayon Art - I found this on Pinterest and clicked until I found this tutorial (photo credit). I love this idea for a child's name, provided it is relatively short. I am thinking this would be a great gift for my new niece/nephew who will be arriving this fall!

3. Make This Scarf - Okay, so it's not likely I will make this. After cruising this tutorial (photo credit) the ability level looks far beyond that of which I am capable.  But I do love the look. I really like the look and feel of scarves but I'm not super comfortable tying or wearing them yet.

Nook Book #1: Blank Slate Kate

I finished my first book on the Nook!  Here are some of my thoughts on:

Blank Slate Kate by Heather Wardell

Length: 560 pages
Format: Nook Book
Price: $.99
Author Website: http://www.heatherwardell.com/blank-slate-kate.shtml (photo credit)

Basic Premise: Kate Anderson goes to bed as a 17-year-old and wakes up 15 years later with a strange man in a strange city.  In trying to recover from her drastic memory loss, she finds herself caught up in a love-triangle with the man who found her and the man from a past she doesn't remember.  An internal conflict ensues, beginning a journey of self-discovery and reinvention, hence the title.


My Take: 7 out of 10
I read this book because our newly-formed teacher book club at school selected it. I don't normally read adult fiction (is that what I call it? That sounds...dirty) but I was surprised to find I really enjoyed this book. Part of it was the magic of my new Nook, but most of it was the originality of the story. I found myself really wanting to know what happened to Kate's last 15 years. There was a little more adult content than I am used to (I read young adult literature almost exclusively), but nothing excessive.  My main complaint about the book is its slow start.  After the initial description of her immediate circumstance when she wakes, the book drags its feet for almost 200 pages before picking up.  But once it did, it was very good.  If you have a Nook, let me know and I'll lend it to you!

MY NEW NOOK!

My husband is the best.  Ever.  I have always known this, but today, he gave me yet another piece of evidence to add to my ever-growing list of reasons why.  I have been wanting a Nook for, well, ever.  But we are so cheap that I knew the only way I would get one would be to ask for it as a gift for my birthday, which is still a few months off.  I don't feel bad about wanting one, either.  I am a reader.  If I were someone who only read books occasionally, I would probably not be able to justify owning one.

So today at school, everyone was talking about their Nooks, and I was feeling particularly left out.  I mentioned it to my husband, who immediately offered to buy me one with some bonus money he had received for his hard work last semester.  Is that not the most selfless thing ever?  And he didn't get the cheapest one, either.  He got me the Nook Color!  I can't wait to try this new thing out tonight after Charlie goes to bed!

Spaghetti Braid

A friend of mine sent me this link and recommended I try it. I did that very night and am happy to report that we have a new, easy, delicious recipe to add to our collection!

You will need these ingredients (mine are varied slightly from the original to make use of what I had in the pantry and avoid a trip to the store).  I made the dough using this recipe from Everyday Home Cook.  (We use this recipe weekly at our house.  LOVE IT!)

•  bread dough
• 1 pkg pasta
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce
• 8 oz mozzarella
• Parmesan cheese
• 1 lb ground beef (not pictured)
• Egg white from one egg (not pictured)
• Garlic powder (not pictured
• Parsley (not pictured)

(I gotta get better at this taking pictures thing!)

Brown the beef, boil and drain the noodles, and combine with sauce: 

Roll out the dough on a floured surface.

 Spoon one layer of the the pasta mixture into the center of the dough and layer with cheese. Repeat until you have used all the pasta mixture, or in my case, until the bread is full.  (I had some extra pasta left over, which I ate for lunch the following day.) Use a pizza roller to cut slits in the dough on each side (forgot to take a picture of that) and braid it up as seen below.

Beat the egg whites from one egg and brush over the top. Sprinkle with garlic and parsley and bake at 350º for half an hour.  When you remove it from the oven, it looks like this:

And when you eat half of it, it looks like this:

Take Aways:

• My husband is an easy-on-the-sauce guy, but I think I went a little too easy. I didn't use the entire jar of spaghetti sauce, but I will next time. And more cheese. This rule can be applied to most dishes, at least at our house. :)
• We ate half and wrapped the other half in foil for freezing - a quick meal next time!
• The braid approach is AMAZING and oh-so-versatile. We make bierocks and ham and cheese rolls several times a month using this recipe (also from Everyday Home Cook), but it is quite time-consuming to individually wrap each roll. This weekend I made the bierocks recipe this way and it worked great.  It is quick, and it looks cool too!

Being Cheap

I am the world's cheapest person - it's a fact. With only 1.25 incomes and one of us a full-time student, being cheap has become a way of life.  Here are some of the things we do to save money:

• NO CREDIT CARDS. And actually, no plastic period. We only use debit cards for gas, so we do cash only. This makes budgeting easy because if you don't have the cash, guess what? You don't spend it. Saves us AT LEAST $50+/mo.
•  NO CABLE. We have actually done this for the past five years and it has been great for our marriage. Whenever we go on trips, we just sit in the hotel room and watch cable. Imagine what we'd do if we had it at our house!  Saves us $40+/mo
•  NO GIFTS. We don't do gifts for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries - nada.  Our son doesn't know the difference, and we certainly don't care! Saves us $200-300+/year.
•  NO NEW CLOTHES/SHOES. We don't buy clothes retail unless we have gift cards.  We get everything we need second-hand. Saves us $200+/year.

There are other things we scrimp on, but as my son gets older, I am making a conscious effort to set the example of generosity in our home.  As a result, my new thing this year is to try to give generously, beyond our regular tithe.  We are passionate about missions and are blessed to be in a church that not only shares that passion, but regularly creates opportunities to go and provides us opportunities to give.  So, here are a few things we are doing this year:

• BURRITOS. I am now the happy owner of five dozen frozen burritos. They make easy, fast lunches for me and even though I shelled out what I would have normally considered an exorbitant amount of money, the proceeds combined to make nearly $2000 for our youth kids!
• BABY-SITTING. We are beyond blessed with family in town who are generous and helpful with our son. However, we decided to hire a girl who is going to Brazil to watch our son for us once a week for an hour. We're doing $15, which seemed steep at first, but we know he's well-taken care of, we can count on her, we're giving our families a break, AND we are supporting missions.  Win-win-win-win.

These are things I want to become better at this year and in the coming year. It's a work in progress.  Hopefully we will get to redesign our budget when my husband graduates in May!