Check out my new site!

My new site is complete. Hallelujah. You can visit is at www.loraelizabethstampedjewelry.com You can also see us on one of my favorite sites for the next few weeks. If you've never been to this site. GO NOW! www.giveawaytoday.com

Lessons in life

Today we got a phone call from the gym the girls take gymnastics from. The lady said that Lizzie was advancing to the next level. Happy. Gracie, however, wasn't quite ready and would need to stay in her current level until she could pass off all the skills. Sad.

When the girls came home from school I told Lizzie the news. She was ecstatic at first, but upon seeing Gracie drop to the floor and sob, her own face fell. She dropped to her knees and hugged her little sis and told her to work hard so they could be together again.

Gracie laid on the floor crying for a while. Nothing we could say or do was helping. She was determined to never go back. We were determined to teach her that we don't just "quit" when we get discouraged. It was so heart-breaking to see her so sad. Having the girls so close has been a blessing in many ways but hard to see the younger compare herself to the older in their school work, activities and whatever else.

How do YOU handle to situation when one sibling achieves and another doesn't and it causes hard feelings? I could use some advice, here.

Funny, funny girls.

Today we were driving down the freeway. Babies were content in the back seat, I was singing along to the music in the front seat and the big girls were talking each other's ears off in the way-back seat. As I turned on the air to cool them off, I overheard their random conversation and turned down my music to eavesdrop a little easier.

Lizzie: "Oooh. That cool air feels so good."

Gracie: "Yeah it does. It is drying my sweaty armpits right up."

Lizzie: "I saw a girl throw-up on the playground today. It looked like peanut butter."

Gracie: "Mmmmm....My armpits smell like hot chicken nuggets."

So happy that those sweaty little girls are mine. Love 'em to pieces.

Life

I can't believe another summer has come and gone. The kids are all a few inches taller and I have a few more gray hairs. I'm always amazed when it hits me....how fleeting childhood is.

Lizzie is now a mature "2nd grader" who keeps giving Gracie pointers on where to go and what to do. My responsible, helpful Lizzie. She amazes me. (Except when she gets a little sassy which she does more lately....I guess that comes with getting older but we're hoping it's a phase that time-outs and chores might help cure.) She is a blessing to us all.

Gracie, an-all-day-going 1st grader. Her first day was so hard. Not for her, but for me. Throughout the day I would think about her and tear up over and over. "What if they forget her enzymes. What if she gets a tummy ache. What if she doesn't eat her lunch...What if...What if?" Seeing her all-consuming smile as she ran through the door that afternoon really helped. She is happy so I will try to be, too.

Still I worry.

So it's me and the twins all day now. Did my big girls get into this many messes?? I can't really remember. All I know is that if I leave the babies out of site for more than 5 minutes, I'm in big trouble! I was on the phone with my sister for 10 minutes a few days ago. In that time they managed to dump a bag of chips and jump up and down in them, shuck a few ears of corn in the corner and leave the mess on the floor and empty an entire container of wipes.

Normal? You tell me. It seems like they've been replaced with "thing 1" and "thing 2."

In all my "spare time" (from napping hours of 1-4pm and evening hours of 9-12) I've decided to start a new business and I'm in LOVE! It began suddenly and I realized how much I loved it and how much my friends and family wanted it and it sort-of evolved into a little business over about 3 weeks time! You can check out my initial website (I will get a real one when I get the moolah) at http://www.loraelizabethstampedjewelry.com/ I will be coming up with new stuff every week or two so check back.

So here's to new beginnings! Back-to-school and mommies letting go....Potty-training and life without binkies.....And hammering away at midnight!

Lora's 5k

I've been running for fun (if you can call brutally punishing yourself by pounding every joint in your body with each step "fun") for a couple of years. This week I decided to sign up and run an official 5K. I did the Draper Days 5K. A few days before the race, Lizzie assured me that "2nd place is 1st LOSER." I assured her right back that I was absolutely fine being a loser.

I had a blast. I was nervous before the race started because I was alone and had no idea what to expect but ended up being pleasantly surprised that the adrenaline made the race so much easier than my usual runs. My husband and 4 kids showed up at the finish line to cheer me on. Happy Day.

A few minutes after finishing we were standing off the side of the finishing area. I was holding CJ and he became whimpery and whiny. I couldn't figure out what was wrong until a volcano of orange juice and donuts came spewing out of his mouth and onto my chest, arms, legs...you name it. Whatever pride from my current accomplishment I was feeling at the time, he brought me right back down to earth to my first and foremost hobby.

Life is good.

Long time no blog

I haven't been a very good blog-owner. I go throughout my days laughing at things the kids say, thinking up great ideas for the future, cleaning up mess after mess after mess or just being lazy and soaking it all in. Not a day goes by that I don't think "I should really write that down on our blog." But I never do. Things happen, words are spoken, and I forget. I'm beginning to realize that this is the way life is. All the adorable things our children do and say that we try to commit to permanent memory slowly fade away with the boxed up bibs and bottles and the tucked away report cards. If I focus on it too much it makes me extremely sad... how fleeting childhood is. But when I realize how "cool" (for lack of a better word) my children are becoming, everything gets better. I enjoy hanging out with my big girls even when bedtime was 2 hours ago! Their sense of humor is refreshing and enlightening. Their vision of the world opens up a new, more vibrant dimension for me. Suddenly sitting on the sidewalk playing with roley-poley's for a half hour becomes fascinating. (You really don't want to see the pile of laundry in my bedroom right now.) But today it doesn't bother me. Today I have enjoyed life and let the details fly out the window. I am blessed.

Deliciousness for Grandpa

I found the most adorable blog today. I've been thinking of all the wonderful gifts I could give our Grandpa's if only that money tree in the back yard would produce...today I found a gift that I think any Grandpa would just love.

This idea is from http://conversationswithacupcake.blogspot.com

Hope you enjoy this idea as much as I did!

Grand Dad's Granola
Looking for a baked good that can be custom-created to your dear old dad's palate, yet still offer a tasty, healthful treat? This granola is quick, simple and supremely fun to play around with. I've offered several flavor options below, but truly the options are endless. Add whatever you think your papa would love, pop it all in a paint tin (those pictured were purchased from Jo-Ann), then pass it all onto him with a kiss and a hug. From your heart to his.
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GLAZE:
1/2 c. pure maple syrup
3/4 c. honey
1 tsp. molasses
1/4 c. granulated splenda or sugar
1/4 c. oil
In a large saucepan, combine above ingredients together and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 1 1/2 minutes, then remove from heat.
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ADD:
1 tsp. flavoring
Try vanilla, orange, butter, nut & butter, or cinnamon flavors.
I added almond flavoring and was afraid it would be overpowering.
Indeed, it was delicious.
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1-3 tsp. spices
Cinnamon, Cloves, Lemon or Orange Rind, Allspice, Ginger
Seeing as how my obsession with nutmeg rages on, I dabbed in 1 tsp of nutmeg & a pinch of cinnamon and didn't regret it at all.
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COMBINE:
Pour glaze slowly over a LARGE bowl filled with following mixed ingredients.
(While pouring the glaze, don't forget to stir obsessively to ensure even glazing.)
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13 oz. box of bran flakes or Wheaties
4 c. old-fashioned oats
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2 c. additional dry ingredients
Add in wheat germ or flax, chopped walnuts, pecans, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds or pepitas.
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PLUS:
2 c. additional sweet ingredients (optional)
I've recently rediscovered the joy of chopped dates. In the oven, they melt and combine with the granola to create lovely sweet bunches. Consider adding dried banana's, mangoe's or pineapple. If you would like to add dried cranberries, blueberries, or golden raisins, don't include them in the mix. Just toss them in when the granola is pulled from the oven to keep them from hardening.
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COOK:
Spread coated granola mixture evenly across two cookie sheets. In an oven preheated to 225 degrees for 50 minutes. Stir every 10-15 minutes to make sure granola is evenly cooked. Just before removing from oven, turn heat up to 300 degrees and allow to cook for 5-7 minutes, or until mixture sizzles (but keep your sniffer on. You don't want it to burn). Remove from heat, allow to cool before sealing in bags. Stores up to 2 weeks.
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