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The last two days I’ve had a pounding head cold. Coincidentally during that time, my grandma also gave Briones a late b-day present. DRUMS. How’s that for timing..

Thankfully, I am feeling much better now. I wanted to share the awesome recipe that totally got me through the malaise. It’s my friend’s Trader Joe’s meatball soup (the same one I made at the homeschool cookie swap). It’s really delicious, and you can get all the ingredients from Trader Joe’s (although mine doesn’t carry the chicken stock anymore), and literally throw it all in the pot and heat. A hot steaming cup of this stuff makes you feel like it’s snowing outside. (And for all the hubby’s who may be nice enough to do your shopping for you..chicken stock is NOT the same as chicken broth). Heat, eat, and then you can crawl back in bed and feel sorry for yourself.

Sherry’s Meatball Soup

2-3 big boxes of chicken stock
1 jar trader joe’s salsa with the yellow top
1 bag frozen corn
1 bag of frozen meatballs, the party size
2 cans pinto beans
1 cup of uncooked rice

Throw it all in a pot, bring to a boil and simmer it for 20+ minutes. I use the 2 boxes of stock at the get go but after you serve some up, it becomes thick so I usually add one more box. It’s up to you how you like it.

May the force be with us

Next week Paul is going back to school full time for an engineering degree. Yep, it’s going to be a wild ride but I am excited to support him in his endeavor.

Speaking of wild, look at Briones er.. Leah, with that gun. She looks strangely serene. She has mentioned wanting to join the army, although she may change her mind if those cinnamon buns are not part of the uniform.

Lake Tahoe

January Notes

[On vacation ~ sunset in Tahoe]

Some focus for me, today.

+Soak and sleep well.
“A hot bath! I cry, as I sit down in it; and again, as I lie flat, a hot bath! How exquisite a vesperitine pleasure, how luxurious, fervid and flagrant a consolation for the rigours, the austerities, the renunciations of the day.” -Rose Macaulay

+Talk less. Listen more.

+Shoot for cuter packed lunches and fancier breakfasts.
“Cooking is about not cheating yourself of pleasure” -Nigel Slater

+Start a good book.

+Add structure, gently.
“Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.” -Phyllis Diller

+Ask and you shall receive.
“Dear God, please make me the kind of person my dog thinks I am.”
-Anonymous

Presidential

Here are the beginnings of a project that we’ve been working on this week.

These are rocks from the garden, which we painted while discussing the number of our flag’s stars and stripes. Good thing I had my little cheat sheet on hand when Briones asked me what the 13 original colonies were. It never hurts to be prepared.

We painted while listening to famous presidential speeches.

We both sat and wrote letters to the new president. And a thank you card to President Bush for his service.

I liked Briones’ letter the best. We thought that the White House would be a lovely place to home school. Perhaps he would consider it?

And lastly, THIS here..this is when the diorama lover in me squeals with delight. These paper models can be printed out and folded up for free at Paper Toys.

I used the teeny tiny size model here, but it can easily be enlarged on the copy machine to fit the polly pockets a little better. Here is the dog that Obama promised his daughters, wearing what Briones calls the presidential collar. And since Obama will be replacing the white house bowling alley with a basketball court, we threw in the ball for good measure. We’re ready for inauguration night!