learn with joy

Today was our first day of school. Yes indeed, we completed a very successful first day. I am not really sure how my babies have grown into a first grader and a third grader, but somehow the time flew. It is nice to have a routine again. The new chore chart was implemented and eagerly worked through. New school supplies were oohed over and quickly broken in. Lessons were completed with much excitement and ease. Our theme for the year is LEARN WITH JOY. I like it. It was easy today to learn with joy...we began with decorating our work boxes and much of what we covered in math and language was review. The thing is, our goal is to learn with joy even when it's not easy, when it's downright difficult. That's the great thing about homeschooling. When it's easy we can celebrate and when it's challenging we can take our time and make sure new and unfamiliar things are understood. A school bus drove by this morning, the girls did their morning chores while I made fresh laundry detergent. Some kids had a moment of silence this morning, the girls and I read a Bible story and studied Proverbs 15, then focused on verse 15b "a cheerful heart has a continual feast." Some kids had recess today, my girls had a healthy snack and a bit of recess while I hung the laundry on the clothesline. Some kids sat in desks in a beautiful classroom while they learned, my girls sat at the table to write, laid on the floor to read, and lounged on the deck outside to have a science lesson on magnets that somehow meandered into a lesson on germs, tomato worms, moths, and the purple tongues of giraffes. I'd say today was a success. Now, I must retrieve the laundry off the clothesline, start dinner prep, and take my girls for a walk.
xo ANG choose joy

{this moment}

Inspired by Amanda, I share this picture. It's not great. The dusk lighting and poor camera settings captured my children as a mere blur. A perfect representation of how quickly summer has passed us by and how quickly my little girls are growing into big kids.

I need to focus more on today, every day. Clear, intentional focus so when they're grown it's not all a blur. Happy Weekend. xoANG

water::proof

Here is a quick video of the progress made in the swimming department this summer. At the beginning of swimming lessons they didn't want to jump in...they didn't want to get water in their ears...they insisted on holding their noses...they were too rigid to float. Now look at them! Two weeks of swimming lessons plus one long day at the pool with friends each week after lessons were over (friends that can swim and are fearless) and I've got two kids that can swim. It's just the beginning, my friends. The beginning of swimming. There is so much more to learn and enjoy. Summer days are winding down as we prepare for a new year of school. But, what a wonderful summer it has been. Happy Tuesday! xo ANG

gluten free parmesan rosemary nuggets

This week's You Capture theme was perfect...in the kitchen. I made something for dinner that my gluten free kiddos haven't had in a really long time...chicken nuggets! I know, not too exciting for most and probably avoided by many, but for kids that haven't had nuggets in years, this was a big deal. First of all, have you ever tasted a prepackaged gluten free chicken nugget? Um, not so good, so I decided to make my own. And, of course, I used real chicken breast cut into pieces, not some weird, minced, mutilated, chicken-tasting substance pressed into a nugget shape. Anyway, here's what I used. Glutino cheddar crackers (kind of like Ritz but not), parmesan cheese, and fresh rosemary right out of my yard. My little helper did the crushing of the crackers with a rolling pin in a zipper bag. Next, we added the parmesan (a 1/4 cup or so) and gave it a good shake. I finely chopped the rosemary and added that, too. After I cut the chicken breast into nugget sized pieces we added them to the bag and shook it all up. Shaking is the fun part so the kiddos did that for me. I did not add salt or pepper because the crackers and parmesan were plenty salty. Oh, I added a smidge of garlic powder as well. Everything is better with some garlic, right? Then we just dumped the entire contents of the bag into a baking dish and threw very gently put it in the oven which, by the way, was preheated to 425 degrees. 18-20 minutes later and it was done.

The smell was heavenly and the sight? Well, the sight of these nuggets and all of their golden brown goodness was just wonderful. Add a side of steamed broccoli and oven-roasted potatoes and you've got a meal that everyone will love. And the leftover nuggets were fabulous chopped up and added to a salad the next day for lunch.

So there you have it...in the kitchen. I should have taken a picture of the girls enjoying the meal, but it was all devoured very quickly so there was nothing left but crumbs. Happy Thursday xoANG

and then it was time for school

We have been enjoying every ounce of summer.

Every hot, humid day. Every play date. Every rain shower. Every read-aloud book. Every bike ride. Every morning walk. Every squirt gun fight. Every dip in the pool. Everything...even house and yard work.

There hasn't been a dull moment. No time to sew. No time to crochet. No time to blog. We have been absorbing summer, every wonderful day of it.

I know the time is coming. Time for school. I'm excited. I'm prepared. All books have been purchased. Planning has been done. School supplies have been collected. Things have been organized. A regular morning routine is being established so as not to shock the system when it's time to start. The girls are excited and ready. Ready for a new school year, a routine. But, wonderfully, there is still a little bit of summer left to enjoy . A few more trips to the pool, a few more play dates, a few more spontaneous days. We will absorb it all...every last drop.