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Just wow, we had so many beautiful Spring photos entered this week!  Thank you everyone for joining up with the challenge!

Here are the two winners this week:

1) Scripted Heart



Cherry blossoms ARE Spring.  This shot is wonderful, I love the delicate, blurred bokeh in the background. 


2) K-Tribe




Birds and Spring, birds of course announce that Spring is here.  This is a great shot of a beautiful bird, I love the bright red!

I really loved seeing all of your entries!  I hope you can join us on Saturday, when the challenge will be:

Labels: Lens winners

Saturday night I tried out Pioneer Woman's
Simple Sesame Noodles recipe.  It was very easy and a big hit here.  Sky grilled up some steak to cut up and add to it, beside the green onions, I also added red bell pepper.  The kids thought it was a bit too spicy, Sky and I didn't think it was spicy enough.  Next time I am going to halve the sauce recipe- using sweet chili sauce for the kids and adding more hot chili sauce for us.


The bloggess writes about fat people on scooters at Disneyland over at Good Mom/Bad Mom-Grr
and her post did not go in the direction you might think it would- it's worth reading.

a tweet in my twitter stream:

Welcome to the LEarning Never Stops Photo Challenge.
This week, the theme is


Please link up your entry post, not your general blog page.  Try to visit around!  Can't wait to see what Spring looks like to you!

Labels: Lens

I struggle with myself sometimes about how much to share on the ole' blawg.  Some stories involve other people.  

I am unsure of how much to reveal, how would they feel if I expose their weaknesses? Would they laugh along with us- as I poke fun at them..or would they feel laughed at? is it fair?


My nemesis: the cat:  Totally open season, I've decided.

• and here: A day (and night) in the life of a homeschool mom

 In a nutshell, if you resisted clicking-we have this routine, the cat & I- of his relentless begging for food all evening>me intending to throw him out when I finally go to bed, and then> I go to turn out the lights and get detoured from putting the cat out, because he will certainly be found curled up in angelic, cozy pose.  I relent, and do not toss him out.

exactly 40 minutes after my head hits my pillow, the cat will begin meowing for me to either let him out or to -yes...feed him [again].

Monday morning- at about 4 a.m. all of Orange County was awakened by crazy/heavy rain and thunder.  Now, we don't get much weather here, so a thunder storm- beside being a novelty, is also a treat.

Sky and I, the dog, and 1 or 2 children rushed to our huge front living room window (I love this window, my favorite thing about my house)  We opened the blinds to watch the huge storm,




There stood our cat, Oliver- pressed against the glass, trying not to get wet..with a terrified look on his face that seemed to say:  "Let me in!!!!!"


He had done his meowing thing again, after I had gone to bed- and I escorted him out and then locked the dog door.  Sky came up with that- it's very logical.  And linear.

I let him in.  After we all laughed at him.




 Here is Oliver, on his cat tree, in front of the same big picture window.

Wet cats shouldn't meow loudly. er, he who meows last will weep wetly...

something like that.

Labels: being mom, family, Jen's world

Thank you so much for joining up with the LEarning Never Stops Photo Challenge! 
Again, it was so hard to choose just two...but here are the 2 entries that jumped out at me:

1)  Janet Rose




2) Our Peculiar Lives

Labels: Lens winners

Welcome to the LEarning Never Stops Photo Challenge


Please link up to your photo entry post, not your main blog page.  Try to visit a round :)

Linky will close 10 pm pacific time Monday.  Can't wait to see your green!

Labels: Lens

 Tuesday we headed out to the park after our studies were done.  It was a beautiful day in So. Ca.
The kids, Emma-the-wonder-labradoodle and I went to the park to enjoy the day, the playground, and to walk.  We picked up Shamrock Shakes on the way.

Shamrock Shakes are a really good memory from my childhood.  I make sure to pass on this special treat to my kids.

Yum :)

  


I decided after this splurge, that maybe we should try making our own at home for St. Patrick's Day.

I tried:


(doubled this to make enough for my crew)
I put a banana in the first batch to make it healthy...but decided you could taste the banana too much.  It was still good, but not the same Shamrock shake taste I was going for. 
 

Labels: family, homeschool

Balancing Acts by Zoe Fishman is about 4 old college friends who re-connect over yoga class.

Charlie has given up her high-powered Wall Street life to open a yoga studio, she is athletic, confident and pursuing a rewarding career that she loves- but she can't quite put a past hurt behind her.  Sabine and Bess are both writers, but stuck in the entry-level jobs they thought they would have long left behind for serious writing.  Naomi is a beautiful ex-model/photographer and a single mom.

These friends re-connect over yoga- a class Charlie offers hoping to boost her new studio, Bess joins up for less than admirable reasons and the others join up hoping yoga will help their stuck lives. 

Balancing Acts is a nice read about the positive power yoga can have on life.  Reading about these womens' deepening friendships and the changes in their personal and professional lives was enjoyable- the characters were all interesting enough to keep me reading and I liked the blend of friendship/empowerment/ and change.

A warm/fuzzy story that is positive and easy to relate to.  Makes you kind of want to get your yoga mat out too, a plus. :)

Labels: 52books/52weeks, book review

This challenge was a bit more challenging, funny how as moms- we are taking the photos, but not in many of them!  Here are my two picks of the week!:

1)  Skees Family Blog


I love this shot!  So outside of the box, wonderful!



2)  Songs Kate Sang



Kate's photo is the more typical 'mom in the middle' photo I was thinking of- I love how she is indeed, right in the middle, and I like how the camera tilt adds a little something to the shot.

Congratulations, winners! 

I hope you will join us this coming Saturday when the challenge will be:

Green

Labels: Lens winners

In my life this week...



I'm really struggling with getting it all done.  Our home, my life, my desk-is cluttered.  I need to get a handle on things, but I just don't have the energy.  I feel like I move from one event to the next.


In our homeschool this week...

I am excited that we will be starting A Child's Geography with my 3 youngest students.  Josie might be sitting in, if she is interested. 

Places we're going and people we're seeing...

Karate lessons, fencing lessons, Irish dance lessons, piano & violin lessons, Meg's highschool classes. Whew, I'm tired already!  We traditionally go out for shamrock shakes for St. Patrick's day..I'm debating if we should try home-made this year.  The shamrock shake thing is something I remember from my childhood, I love to share this with my kids :) 

My favorite thing this week was...

watching Sky and the kids prepare the garden for a new season, and filling up the bird-feeders again. 

What's working/not working for us...

I am really liking Writing with Ease with the 4 youngest students.  I am a bit frustrated working through Story of the World 4 on our own, we decided not to spend money on another Sonlight Core for Josie, and I am already frustrated with myself and my stumbling with finding books at the library to supplement.  I was really spoiled with Sonlight, having all the books I need on my shelf. Sigh.

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...


 I just need to get better organized, no surprise there, but oh how I struggle with this.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...




*you can join up with the Homeschool Mother's Journal here at the Homeschool Chick!

Labels: homeschool

Welcome to the LEarning Never Stops Photo Challenge.

This week, the challenge is

*Mom in the middle /or [Photographer in the middle]
-hand someone else the camera and share a photo of you out in the middle of the action.

linky closes 10 p.m. pacific time, Monday.  Please link to your entry, not your main page. 2 winners will be displayed & linked to on Tuesday night.

Labels: Lens

 I held my son and was instantly smitten.  He was different from the start.  I watched a show once about boys and girls, I remember the point being made that if you dressed a baby in different clothes, you would not be able to tell which gender.  True, maybe if you do not have a baby, or it’s been years since you’ve held one; but my boy was instantly different.  I could see the difference in his hands, his forearms, his little sweet baby-boy head.  He was special, our bond was special, and I knew I was set on a road of new things...

I am writing today over at The Mothers of Boys Society, click over to read about how

Everyday is an adventure

Labels: being mom, guest posts

I walk for exercise almost everyday.  My route is about a mile and a half.  I go at a good pace, but I don't run.  I don't run, even though I ordered some cool running shoes a year ago. (they were on sale, I can't resist a good sale..)  Most days I set out, telling myself that today I will pick up the pace and run.  Running would probably burn more calories, which is really what I am after.  I walk a bit to warm up, and then I think about running..but I just don't want to.  I nix it and walk.


Part of me would like to start running and get all fit and maybe even run a 1/2 marathon or something worthy of a bucket list-thing.  And yet...I don't want to.  I don't like to run.  I don't like stuff bouncing and the feeling of not being able to breathe.  I used to run quite a bit in high school, but even then, I didn't really enjoy it.

I can't decide if I should push myself or not.  Remember my Irish dance class adventure? -go ahead and click over, I'll wait... Well, I did go back to the class for several more months.  Sky was just so impressed I was in it, and so encouraging of me doing a new thing, that I tried to stick it out.  I even competed at a feis.  Shudder.  Yeah, Irish dance mom on stage.  I try not to remember.

My point, well- at one point I just realized that I felt like Mr. Collins at the ball..."the other way, Mr. Collins!..." and I decided that I am to many years to have to put up with things that stress me out, or things that are more pain than enjoyment.  So I gave myself permission to quit.  I realized I am more yoga-mom than clogging mom.

So, is running in the same category?  Have I earned the right to decide I just would rather not?

How about you, what do you do for exercise?

Labels: Jen's world

Thank you for joining up with the L.E.N.S. Challenge this week.  Every week I have a difficult time choosing just two photos- this week it was really tough to choose.  (that's why I pick two winners, I couldn't ever just pick one..)

Here are the two photos that just grabbed me this week:

1)  Our Peculiar Lives


a heartwarming sight, as a parent :)  Wonderful moment to capture!

2) Madder in Mada



Robin had several wonderful shots in this post, I had a hard time choosing just one.  I also asked myself if it was his superior photography skills that made his photos so vibrant, or his drool-worthy camera?  I concluded it was his skill.  I've learned that having a fancy camera doesn't help you much when you cannot use all its features! 

Thank you everyone for joining up!  Come back on Saturday when the theme will be:

Mom in the Middle 
(or for the guys- Photographer in the middle) I just love the alliteration...

Labels: Lens winners

Welcome to the LEarning Never Stops Photo Challenge.  This week, post a photo that captures a moment your heart would like to remember, a photo that captures the ordinary of your ordinary, or anything that says to you,


Linky will close 10p.m. Pacific time, Monday night.  Winners will be announced displayed Tuesday night.  Link up!

Labels: Lens

Labels: Wordless Wednesday

I have to admit, I have a thing for red.  We really had some wonderful entries, with some wonderful red!  thank you everyone for linking up! :)

Here are this week's winners:

1) Our Peculiar Lives


Jennifer wrote that she just got a new lens and was learning to use it.  She captured some wonderful perspectives.



2) Rachel's Reflections



Rachel would have been the 5th red-head in this photo, isn't this wonderful!  Loove it!


Thanks for playing, everyone:)
I hope you will join us on Saturday when the theme will be:


the following week's challenge will be:

Mom in the middle  -get out there and hand someone else the camera, let's see you in the middle of life!

Labels: Lens winners

Links of note:

•  watch Food Inc.  Sky and I finally viewed this.  Honestly, I was intrigued but put off watching it because I was wary of being inflicted with a vigilante docu-horror filled with lots of footage of cow lots.  This movie was not like that at all.  The best explanation I found- was given in a review of the book The Omnivore's Dilemma- which I am reading next..- here's the description,  

"approaches his mission not as an activist but as a naturalist"

 Perfectly summed up the approach of this movie.  It really made us think about making healthy food choices.  I really recommend this movie.  You can watch it on instant download on netflix.

• Let's make apple cinnamon chips from kiboomu.com  lately we've been all about banana chips at our house, we can buy them in bulk at the local health food store.  We've been so into them that I was thinking of buying a food dehydrator.  This recipe is done with an oven..simple, I like simple.

• This recipe *Johnny Marzetti with cheesy noodles over at Once a Month Mom.  I've been rock'n this recipe lately, which is quite a feat, since I am not really a good cook.  The best part? -it gets easier and quicker after the first time :)

• Daisy Stitched Card Pattern from Make and Takes.  I remember doing something like this when I was in Pre-K.