God Bless America

For my birthday, Donny got me The American Patriot's Bible, which is so cool in so many ways! Today I ready an excerpt about Irving Berlin, the writer of the song "God Bless America". He was born in a poor Jewish ghetto in Russia, and his parents moved to New York when he was five. He wrote the song in 1918, and revised it in 1938 in response to WWII when the Nazis were threatening Europe. The song is a prayer for God's blessings and peace in his new home: America!

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,

Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,

Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,

As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer.

God bless America, land that I love

Stand beside her and guide her

Through the night with the light from above

From the mountains, to the prairies,

to the ocean white with foam

God bless America, my home sweet home.

Sibling Rivalry

With all the thoughts on homeschooling the children, I got a book called "Preschool at Home: What do I do with my Child before Kindergarten?" by Debbie Feely. Well I read it today (it's less than 50 pages and a super easy read), and the paragraph on sibling rivalry was really interesting, so I thought I'd share!

"Sibling rivalry is a concern for many families. My mother's tried and true method for dealing with five fussing children was to require us to sit together on the sofa until we were ready to be friends. I had Jeffrey and Robby (her two sons) sit on the entryway step. It rarely took more than three minutes for them to be laughing together. Timeout together is far more effective than separation. A child may fuss and squabble because he is hungry, tired, or just because he needs some loving attention. A snuggle on the sofa with a story, or a quiet time for him to share his heart are ways to restore your child to good humor."

What a different approach! Something for me to keep in mind as little Ronni is growing up and testing her brother:o)

Already Thinking about School...

Lately schooling for our kiddos has really been on my mind. The public schools in the bay area are TERRIBLE; I mean they are really really bad. Of the students at the local high school, less than a third scored "proficient" on the state wide test. How sad is that? Furthermore, this week on the news there was a story of a kid who got in trouble at school because he drew a picture of an American flag that said "God bless America" on it. You're kidding me right??? How can I tell my kids that they need to go to school, and that it's important if they are so terrible?

Then there are two other options: private school or home school. Private school is really really expensive; I would be working just to pay for school. And if we were to send them to a private school, we are not really in control of what they are learning. I also think that kids who go to private school are too sheltered; that they do not get a real picture of the real world.

So that leaves homeschooling, which I have always been against. I think that kids who are homeschooled are super sheltered and come out socially retarded because they don't learn how to interact with other kids. Also I don't think that it's good for all kids. On the other hand, we would have complete control of what they are learning, and can teach them the truth! Donny assures me that our kids would not be sheltered because we are not those parents, and we would have them in other activities.

But would they feel left out? What about that social interaction that you get in a classroom, and the other activities in school? What about Prom?

I'm so torn. It's a good thing that we've got a few years to make a decision!

Quint-o-mom

Just in time for Mother's Day, Liberty had her puppies today! I spent the morning delivering five pups while taking care of my own kiddos. You could say it was pretty hectic! There are three girls and two boys, three yellows and one black. They are totally cute and will be ready to take home in July... hint hint:o) Liberty did great, although she refuses to let Lateegra anywhere near them.

 As a side note, I decided to be done with the cleanse today! I'm not going all the way to Sunday, which is fine:o) I only lost four pounds, which is disappointing.  I need a treadmill...

Think Envelope

There is an older SNL making fun of Calista Flockhart where the actress playing Calista says, "I want to fit inside of an envelope." Does anyone know it? I've been trying to find the episode with no luck...

To (jokingly) encourage each other on our cleanse, Donny and I tell each other to "think envelope".

Cleanse update: I've lost over 2.5 libbies (or lbs for those of you who don't watch Glee, the best show on TV).

The Cleanse!!!

Donny and I started our cleanse yesterday and will last until May 9. My starting weight as of yesterday was 116.4, and I'm hoping to lose 10 pounds, which is realistic because I lose an average of a pound per day on it.

For all those who don't know, the cleanse consists of:
no carbs
no sugar (even natural sugar found in fruit)
low salt b/c you can't possibly eliminate all salt content)
no booze.

The toughest part is not being able to have a glass of wine after a rough day! The second toughest part is not sampling whatever yummyness Matthew is eating!

So what the heck do I eat???
Veggies, veggies, veggies
Meats, especially chicken and turkey
low/no fat cheeses and milk
almonds and seeds (unsalted)
natural peanut butter (very limited though)
low carb (blue can) Monster Energy Drink (or black coffee if that's your choice, but creamers are off limits)
>>>I also watch salt content in seasoning, cooking, and dressing! Mrs. Dash seasoning is great because there is no salt added. Remember that anything in a can will have a ton of sodium in it.

Additionally, we drink whey protein drinks and take a few supplements:
A Super Cleanse dietary supplement
Thermo CLA
A good multivitamin

Donny lost six pounds yesterday, and I lost almost a pound.

Wish me luck:o)

Greatest Chicken Tortilla Soup Ever

I made this great Chicken Tortilla soup last night and thought I'd share:o)


Ingredients

* 2 teaspoons olive oil
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 medium jalapeno pepper, chopped
* 1/2 medium green pepper
* 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
* 2 cups frozen corn
* 1/2 cup dry white wine or water
* 2 teaspoons cumin
* 1 teaspoon chili powder
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 4 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
* 2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes

* 2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce

Topping

* 1 cup non-fat tortilla chips (optional)

Directions

1. Sauté onion, garlic, jalapeño and green pepper with olive oil in a large pot until soft.
2. Add all the rest of the ingredients to the large pot and bring to a boil.
3. After about 15 minutes, remove the chicken breasts and shred.
4. (Two forks work well to pull the chicken apart!).
5. Return shredded chicken to the pot and simmer an additional 45 minutes.
6. Serve, topped with crushed tortilla chips if desired.

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Amazing-Chicken-Tortilla-Soup-108231

Check it out. It's pretty easy and we loved it!