To IN And MI We Go!

Tomorrow early AM, Hannah and I fly to Indiana and then later to Michigan to attend a couple of weddings. I am in one and Hannah is in the other.

I hope to blog sporadically but if you don't see me for about two weeks, you'll know why ;)

Tschuss!

Botanical Gardens

Yesterday for Memorial Day we spent the afternoon at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens-a very fun place to visit. It reminded me so much of many places we visited while being in Germany, especially Schwetzingen Gardens.

We had great weather and Hannah had a blast seeing the water fountains, plants, and exhibits.

We kissed the frog.

I told her it was the frog from her "Frog and Toad" book.

Does anyone know what kind of flowers these are? They weren't labeled and I want to plant them behind my hydrangea bushes in my front yard.

Hannah briefly got to use her new umbrella.

She had a blast playing in the water fountain at the beginning of our time and at the end.

My little flower.

This is why we came: to see Mr. McGregor's Garden and the fence Peter Rabbit climbed under to get back home. We have been reading Peter Rabbit before bed (the full version) and she loves this book. All she talked about all morning was the fact that she was going to go and see his garden.

And the pail that Peter jumped in to escape Mr. McGregor in which he got all damp.

Here is Peter's home where all of the bunnies live...

His coat and shoes! His jacket even had only one button on it.

I was so thankful the garden was real so that it made it life like to her.

A picture of the family inside of the bunny home.

The fence that Peter climbed under to get home!

We had a great day together and I can't wait to go back.

Favorite Sayings

My top three favorite sayings Hannah has been saying as of late are:

1. "Abso-loopy, Mamma!" (absolutely, Mamma)
2. While eating lunch outside yesterday and snacking on bunnies (like goldfish) we told Hannah to be careful so as not to drop them on the ground. She said, "Mmm, hmm. That would be terrible! Then I would cry and cry and cry in room!" She was so serious about it too.
3. Whenever Lily barks, she looks at me and says, "What's the deal, Lily?!" or "I just don't know what the deal is!" That's something I say all the time.

The Outdoor Hour

Handbook Of Nature Study is hosting a weekly nature study to do with your children outdoors. Here is lesson #1 for you to read if you want to get started. Beyond that, look to the column to the right to click on individual studies to do throughout the week. Have fun!

PickYourOwn.org

PickYourOwn.org is a great resource of information to find out where you can go and pick fresh fruits and vegetables at a farm near you. They have seasonal charts per state so you know what produce is in and out of season as well as picking tips so you know how to pick certain kinds of fruits and veggies and not come home with duds! Lastly, they have a good deal of information on how to can, freeze, and preserve your produce which is something I am wanting to start doing in the near future.

How To Get A Good, Chemical And 99.9% Decaf Free Cup Of Joe

Man, do I luuvve coffee. Mmm, mmm, good. However, although not definitely proven, caffeine can possibly do harmful effects on a growing baby. Therefore, during my first trimester, I stopped drinking it. Ahh! Then, I relapsed a bit to only about a half a cup or so with milk or I switched to drinking decaf coffee or decaf tea only (did you know Starbucks has decaf espresso?). So, I thought I'd do some research. Here's what I found...

The regular decaf processes (there are several) soak the green coffee beans into a chemical solvent of either methylene chloride or ethyl acetate. They repeat this soaking process anywhere from one to three times until most of the caffeine is removed and some of the flavor. However, there is typically about 1-5 mg of caffeine left behind. Regular coffee has about 60-180 mg in it.

However, there is another method that is uses water only to remove 99.9% of the caffeine and none of the flavor. It's called the SWISS WATER PROCESS. Here's how it works:

This is what is typically inside of a regular green coffee bean:

The beans are placed into a water diffusion process that enables the caffeine to lift out of the bean.

Next, heated, and over about 10 hours, the caffeine molecules are drawn from the bean and captured by a special filter leaving the green beans 99.9% caffeine free with flavor still intact.

Closely monitored to guarantee 99.9% decaf free this is what the green coffee bean looks like after the Swiss Water Process has taken place.

This results in a better bean, better flavor, and almost all of the caffeine removed. There are several people who use the terms "natural process", "European process", or "water process" to describe the process above but that actually still use chemicals. However, if you are buying your coffee from a micro-roastery, for instance, you can ask what they mean. It's possible they use the real water process but aren't certified by the actual Swiss Water Process company. However, if you are buying from a large retailer and have no way of asking, the only way to know for sure is if you see the Swiss Water Process Logo which, by the way, is also certified organic.

Starbucks used to carry this type of decaf coffee but then got rid of it. The store worker I was talking to said she didn't understand why because it was one of their best sellers and best tasting decaf coffee.

Sunergos Coffee in Louisville uses this process although they don't carry the label. It's by far our most favorite micro roastery and you can order online for this awesome cup of Joe.

If you want to locate others, you can click the link to find out more. I know Whole Foods is supposed to be a carrier of some brands but I haven't had the time to look at my local store. Also, some brands like Caribou Coffee (Mom), Green Mountain Coffee, Seattle's Best, The Coffee Beanery, and Van Houtte Cafe are supposed to be carriers.

Lastly, if you want to watch a video of the process, click below:

Book Of Ruth & Numbers

Here's a good children's video about the book of Ruth. It tells the story and shows the lineage of Ruth to Jesus. The second one is about the book of Numbers-a 40 year time out ;)

Ministry-to-Children.com

and

SojournKids.com

are my two favorite places to go to for children's ministry resources.

Favorite Of The Day

This is my favorite picture of the day.

It was almost a disaster as I caught Hannah getting ready to "go" on the potty seat her baby is sitting in on the floor... Whew! Glad I didn't have to clean that mess up! Her little rear end barely fits on it!

Anyway, she decided that they needed to stick together so she brought her into the bathroom ;)

Geometry, Flour Tray, & Language

Since it had been awhile since we had done any Montessori exercises, I re-introduced the mat and how to roll, un-roll, and carry it.

Next, we did an intermediate language lesson using spoons.

• I did a three period lesson using four different kinds of spoons: soup spoon, dinner spoon, table spoon, and teaspoon. First, recognition of identity, say the names of each of the spoons until you think they are understood. Secondly, recognition of contrasts, ask, "Can you hand me the teaspoon, please?" If correct, great. If not, say, "That is a tablespoon. Could you hand me the teaspoon, please?" Repeat until understood. Thirdly, discrimination between similar objects, ask, "Which one is this?" Listen for answer. Restate if incorrect (don't precede with the word "no") affirm if correct.
• After that, we played a matching game. I had two spoons of each kind. She had to match them together.

Finally, we did something similar to the three period lesson above using our geometry puzzle. Since she is pretty familiar with the objects, some of it was just a refreshing of information. What we added was the flour tray (I didn't have sand and our brown rice was too thick)...

• First, we did the recognition of differing geometric objects.
• Next, I sat behind Hannah and traced her finger inside of a inset, such a the circle and repeated the name.
• Then, I had her close her eyes while I guided her finger inside of the shape.
• Last, we did the same movements as the tracing only inside of the flour tray.

You can see the circle in the picture below.

This was a great sensory exercise, too.

Finally, we used the geometric pieces as stamps to make shapes inside of the flour.

She could have done this for a lot longer and we will use this over and over again, hopefully with some sand next time.

Lacing A Shoe

Oh how we have missed our Montessori mornings together! I have taken a break the past couple of months due to first trimester blues and because I was a little burned out on lesson planning. There were so many mornings where I wish I had a lesson put together because we both were pretty bored and I am pretty uncreative when it comes to being spontaneous. I'm a planner, remember? Well, I am feeling refreshed and will slowly be getting back in to the groove of things...

This "lacing a shoe" inspiration came from Teaching Montessori In The Pre-School Years. I really like this little book and I am excited Hannah is getting to the age where she can do more of the exercises.

Lacing A Shoe: Demonstrate to the child clearly (even slightly exaggeratedly) how to unlace the show and then how to re lace the shoe. Skip tying and focus only on the lacing. This will develop hand-eye coordination, hand muscle movements, and prep for independent dressing. The control of error is if the shoe is laced incorrectly or sloppily. If your child will sit still long enough you can show two demonstrations. The first is a silent demonstration and the second introduces vocabulary words. Be sure to use the words when doing everyday things together as well.

Baby Birdies

We've got baby birdies hanging in our ferns!

I actually didn't know if these little eggs were going to hatch.

I scared the mamma bird away for awhile one day when I took the fern down to water it.

That's when I discovered the nest.

I would have been so sad if she didn't return! But she did!

It's really fun for Hannah to watch the babies (since we talk a lot about babies lately).

I had baby birds to watch when I was little outside of my parents window and I remember thinking how utterly cool and amazing that was to see.

Gallup Poll Out With New Stats

The Gallup Poll is out with new data: "More American's 'Pro-Life' than 'Pro-Choice" for First Time. It's "the first time a majority of U.S. adults have identified themselves as pro-life since Gallup began asking this question in 1995".

I think that this country is definitely going through some major cultural shifts as has been evidenced since January. You should take a look at the poll and the new graphs that are posted. They are very interesting.

WIN A FREE BOOK!

Go on over to One Man Trying... to enter to win this free fantastic book by Bruce A. Ware. Hurry! Deadline is May 24th.

Great Check-Up

Today we had our 16 week check-up and things went great. We heard the heartbeat right away and it was pounding strong. In just one month we hope to be able to determine the sex of our baby which, in my mind, cannot come soon enough! This weekend I doubled in size (which doesn't mean much yet ;) but it was funny to feel my stomach stretching and telling hubs, "I am growing right now!" Also, I have felt some tiny flutters when lying really still and look forward to feeling more soon.

Here's what's going on down below: (From BabyCenter.com)

How your baby's growing:

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop. Last week: She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds.

Hide God's Word In Your Heart

There are two things I have noticed since I've had Hannah. One, is that she remembers so much and is like a sponge memorizing words, phrases, and songs like crazy. Two, is that my memory has flown out of the window. It used to be a struggle for me to memorize things in school, but now, I can't even remember where I put my list that was supposed to be helping me remember to do what needed to be done so I wouldn't forget!

Psalm 119:9-16 tells us to hide God's Word in our heart. Usually, for me, this means that I need to read Scripture, meditate on it, and memorize it so that I can recall God's good promises when I am facing day to day life that comes my way.

9How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.
10I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
11I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
12Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees.
13With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.
14I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.
15I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
16I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.

It seems that I cannot remember much of anything these days unless it is in song or some other pneumonic device to help me recall material. I have learned quite a few old hymns in the past year alone from singing to Hannah each night songs that I had never heard before that have such good truths in them. That being said, here are some various scripture memorization tools that might benefit you if you find yourself in the same boat that I am in with a fleeting mind or just want to spice things up a bit! Plus, we NEED some new car material since I think I have listened to "Old McDonald Had A Farm" about a bazillion times.

Covenant Life Church Scripture Memory Projects from Galatians

Awesome God- scripture memory songs for children ages 7 and up focusing on God's attributes

Five Great Children's Music Resources

Forever Grateful Music--multiple CD's that just put Scripture to music

Listen to two samples here over at Worship Matter's

Seed's Family Worship

National Vaccine Information Center

Want to look at a sight that helps you make an informed decision on vaccinations? Check out the National Vaccine Information Center's website for some helpful information. Maybe I'll do a post someday about vaccines but for now click here to check out who they are and how their foundation was formed.

Google Reader

Well, I finally made the switch to view all of my blogs and RSS's through google reader. It was another New Year's Resolution of mine to simplify my emailing/blogging/web viewing. Currently, after sifting through many, I have 81 blogs that I am subscribed to and read on a regular basis. It's WAAAAYYY better than a newspaper any day! Google reader allows me to put all of my blogs on one page, read the latest posts, classify them into individual folders for later reference (I can make a cooking folder, for example), and share posts that I liked with other friends and comment on them. You need to have a gmail account to have reader. If you do, it's super duper easy to set up your blogs and RSS's on reader. Also, if you do already have an email account, feel free to read my shared items.

What does google reader do? Here's what the quick tour says:

Keep track of your favorite websites

Stay up to date
Google Reader constantly checks your favorite news sites and blogs for new content. Whether a site updates daily or monthly, you can be sure that you won't miss a thing.

Simplify your reading experience
Google Reader shows you all of your favorite sites in one convenient place. It's like a personalized inbox for the entire web.

Discover new content
Millions of sites publish feeds with their latest updates, and our integrated feed search makes it easy to find new content that interests you.

Share with your friends

Recommend articles to your friends
With your Google Reader public page, you can share your favorite items with your friends, simply by sending them to relevant links.

Share with just one click
Click the sharing icon on any item and it will instantly appear on your public page.

Spice up your site
Do you have a website or a blog? Add a customizable clip that displays your latest shared items in your site's sidebar.

Read anywhere, anytime

Add Google Reader to iGoogle
Add a Google Reader gadget to iGoogle to see updates at a glance.

Read on the go
Google Reader works on any mobile phone browser. Whether you're waiting in line or riding the train, Google Reader keeps you connected.

Use Google Reader on any computer
You can access your Google Reader account from any computer with online access. Whether you're at home, at work or abroad, your subscriptions stay with you.

Lunches Outside

We absolutely love our front and back yard patios.

It has been so fun to eat out back and to listen to the birds.

Here is Hannah banana during lunch a few days ago...

Do You Fondu?

One of our favorite parts of having grandparents come to visit is that they always kick us out to go on a date! The past two times we have gone out we have had SUCH GOOD FOOD! I like to eat good food, don't you?! We used our free $16 chocolate fondu (that you can get too at their website) at The Melting Pot to celebrate the fact that we were out by ourselves! If you are going to go, use the coupon. It's a little expensive to do four courses, but if you are celebrating something, you won't be disappointed. Plus, it was a super duper ooper fun experience. If you wanted to go for just a nicer meal split the cheese fondu and get a salad and you will leave feeling quite satisfied and will have paid only slightly more for REAL food with FRESH veggies (who would of thought of such a concept?!). We ate paid for three courses and had a free desert worth $16. Seriously, you gotta go just once.

Cheese. You have a menu of cheeses to select from that all come with fresh bread, veggies, and apples. We went for the spinach and artichoke cheese fondue that had fontina and butterkase cheeses in it. YUM. Next, we had salads: I picked the california salad that had fresh greens, Roma tomatoes, walnuts, gorgonzola cheese, and raspberry black walnut vinaigrette dressing. My stomach is now officially growling.

The main course: pick from all kinds but we had the entree for two signature selection that came with filet, shrimp, sirloin, chicken, and salmon. They serve it raw and you cook it in your own pot of either a wine based broth, chicken, or veggie broth. Sooooooooo good.

Who loves me!~ This waiter brought me a bunch of lemons (thickly sliced-such a pet peeve of mine to have a useless thin lemon to try to somehow squeeze into your water) with a skewer in each one to pick them up individually! Ingenious! I love it, I love it, I love it!

Lastly, the liquid gold. Choose from 9 different deserts. Ours: flaming turtle. Milk chocolate, caramel, and chopped pecans set to fire to melt and then dipped with various strawberries, bananas, brownies, marshmallows, and other goodies.

Can you say decadent? Can you say full? Can you say extremely happy pregnant woman? Oh, I can! It's too bad that we can't eat there every night! Thanks Grandpa & Grandma for the chance to go out to such a fabulous place!