FYI Friday

This is one of my favorite mid-week

or weekend breakfast meals.

Make it this weekend and tell me what you think?
I'm making it tomorrow morning before
Sydney's baptism. Yummy goodness. Enjoy your weekend!

Top Ten Inspiring Women

1. Barbara, My Mother
2. Lorraine, My Mother-In-Law
3. Jill, My Sister-In-Law
4. Sydney, Daughter
5. Sierra, Daughter
6. Anastasia Jane, Daughter
7. Carla Bruni Sarkozy, Frances First Lady
8. Ann Romney, Wife of Presidental Hopeful
9. Margaret Bourke-White, Photographer 
10. All of my close Girlfriends, you know who you are!

Make Time

To Read!

I couldn't resist putting together

my very own ten top favorite reads for you.

Some of them were so touching that I thought about them for days and weeks after

finishing them.  I'm drawn to memoirs, historical fiction. I'm surprised that two

of my favorites are non-fiction.

Are any of these on your favorite list?

Oh, and just a shout out to all my long time

book club gals, you are all amazing. I'm glad

we share the love of literature .

Digging  into a novel is delicious!

FYI Friday

Allowance

We have decided in our family that allowance is not tied to chores. being a part of our large family requires everyone to work, everyday. Sometimes less is required sometimes more! There are however chores that are harder and can be done for payment. But, here is the run down of how it works at our home. Your allowance is based on your age. We start allowance at age 5. It is given on the first day of the month. Our family is required to pay 10% of that to our church and 10% in a group savings. hey can spend this however they choose. This is the hard part for me. Dillon will waste on candy as will Easton. Ian will by games, videos and songs. Sierra saves. Sydney saves. Anna buys junk from the dollar store.  If I was more organized they would each keep track of their spending with a check registry. But, I'm not that organized...yet. 

I was proud of Easton last week when he gave 18.00 to a charitable cause at school. It pulled at his heart strings. It was so nice that I decided to match his donation. Kids need to see charitable acts in motion.

If this was helpful let me know. How does your family do allowance?

Top Ten Thurs.

Top Ten Words of Wit and Wisdom...

1. Sierra," I love God for making me a fast swimmer".
2. Dillon, "Is Big-foot Real"?
3. Anna, " I will decide what we eat and do today, it's my birthday".
4. Ian, "When will I get a cell phone"?
5. Easton, "Don't you feel good when you do what God wants"?
6. Sydney, " Why does your car have a butt button"? (the rear air button in my car)
7. Ava, Anna's Friend,  " I like your house, can I live here"?
8. The secretary at school, " Would you like to set up all five teacher conferences for next wednesday             night"? (the lady next to me about collapsed) me,"SURE".
9.  Ben, " Easton I am going to charge you a dollar for every time you pee on the toilet seat".
10. Me," I love you all to the moon and back".

A New Level...

Of Shame!

Ben is the youngest of five. He always tells me stories of

going to school in the same clothes for days. Never showering. Smelling real bad and the like.

I thought for a long time that he was surely exaggerating. 

For  my mother-in-laws sake I still hope he is.

Well, today

As I rushed everyone out of the car for school  I noticed Easton was wearing

the same clothes as yesterday.

I was so    

embarrassed!

Then as I was driving down the wrong side of the road deep in thought, It  occurred to me that he had not showered since Saturday night.

Once again, I am embarrassed!

I hope someday he will  forgive me for my  less than perfect mothering!

It's Anastasia's Special Day

She is a beauty. My very own Russian Beauty. When we first laid eyes on each other, "It was love at first sight" we say. She was 10 days away from turning three and spoke only Russian and I was utterly in love the first time I saw her face. She was so beautiful and perfect. That very moment I said a silent prayer of thanks in my heart. God had miraculously put us together.  Our love was a love of the heart, no language was needed.  Anastasia Jane has blessed my days ever since. 
She also has brains. You might be impressed to know that she started to say english words in her sleep after just two weeks. She mastered our language in just three short months. Anna is a math and reading wizard. She is score keeper of every game. You can't get anything past this girl. Happy Birthday Beautiful Girl.