Schools Need to be Good Stewards of Parent's $

To send a child to school without the requested supplies stigmatizes the child with peers and sends a message to the teachers that school is not a priority for a family.  Yet each year the school list seems to get longer, more brand-specific, and more of a test of our family budget.  For example, this year our district has added ear buds to the list of needed supplies and kindergarten needs, not just glue sticks and scissors, BUT 12 sticks of Elmer's purple glue and Fiskar scissors.  When I mentioned this concerning trend to our superintendent a couple years ago, it was suggested that I should talk to the teachers about what I "can" supply.  A friend suggested I go get help from a church that was having a back to school giveaway.  However, what the superintendent and the friend failed to consider is the message that these actions send to my kids.  First it suggests that supporting their schooling is not a top financial responsibility in our family.  Second it teaches my children entitlement and that others should sacrifice and be responsible to meet their need for supplies. 

The superintendent and my friend failed to get the point of my observation.  When I send 7 children back to school this August, some of what they will be taking includes 11 boxes of crayons, 55 glue sticks, 11 boxes of wipes, 16 dry erase markers, 15 boxes of tissue, and 192 sharpened #2 pencils.  Yet I am sure that my cildren will not need or use each of these items during the first week like they might the 23 folders.

Teachers need to consider the following when creating classroom supply lists:
1.  Trust the family to buy good quality items.  There are good scissors, glue, pencils, etc that are not Fiskar, Elmers, Ticonderoga or Crayola. 
2.  Set a year long schedule of when you need which supplies so families don't have to buy a year's worth of supplies at one time.  Plus it will reduce what you have to store in the classroom.
3.  When something new is added to the list, please consider what can be removed.
4.  Please return our child's non-consumable supplies at the end of the year.  Scissors, rulers, and pencil pouches are all easy to clean up and re-use.
5.  Do the math and see how much the supplies on your list costs realistically.  Don't use the 10 cent sale prices that were the week before our family got paid.  Use real prices and if the list costs more than $15 (which is more than 5% of a minimum wage earners weekly pay), then please revisit the list. 
6.  Remember, many of us are needing to use these lowest sale prices to buy our kids much needed backpacks, underwear, shoes, and a few new and/or new-to-us thrift clothing items to make our kids feel personally prepared for a fresh start too.  We also have band rental fees, lunch/snack money, elective course supply fees, and soon school pictures and the first school fundraiser of the year.   The classroom supply list is just the tip of the iceberg of expenses.
7.  Don't forget that our child getting ready for your class, may not be our only child.

Oh, and my husband is a teacher so I know about the out of pocket that teachers pay to get supplies that they need.  However, I STILL believe that more families would provide the requested supplies, if the total costs of the list was within their grasp and aligned with the purchasing values of their family.  Currently, I feel bullied by a list that is out of control and out of touch with what my kids really needs to start the year.  Yet like last year, I feel I must pass this first "test" by my kids' teachers and spend the money to get my first mommy "A" with Avery binders and Expo dry erase markers.

Stay-cation Day Trip #3: St. Louis City Museum

When we plan an outing for our Stay-cation or any other fun day, I usually contact each place that interest us and look into group ticket prices.  I also in my 4-5 sentence introduction email, I explain the age and ability range that we are bringing to their location.  Occasionally, I get an enlightened venue employee who understands that an aquarium is not going to entertain a blind/deaf child like Hannah OR that a host of inaccessible thrill rides are not for Vanessa or Jon OR...well, most of my readers understand.  We do family things as a family, BUT some of our family is NOT impressed by the activity due to physical or mental ability differences.  It is easy to say that the admission cost for those who won't enjoy the activity is "just part of being a family" until the admission fees get high enough that the outing is just wasteful. 

So about a month ago, I contacted St. Louis City Museum and was surprised when they offered for us to come as their guests!  They explained that there is a wide variety of activities and they encouraged us to explore and see what interested us.  We had never been to the City Museum and were not prepared for how huge and diverse its activities were!  It was like 4 Wal-Mart Stores full of fun collections stacked on top of each other with an amusement park on the roof!  Obviously a lot more energy and maturity than our group had would be required to get completely through, but it was well worth the experience to see such a neat reuse of an old industrial shoe factory and found art/treasures!

We were going to St. Louis because Jon and Vanessa had doctor appointments so this gave us the opportunity to divide the kids for a couple hours so Amber and Angela had only the kids who could climb, crawl and jump.  They spent this time doing the activities that might be too hard for Jon, Vanessa and Nate or that might not interest Hannah.  When we were there together, we checked out a hall of mirrors, toddler town, art corner, and several other areas.  Hannah was overwhelmed by the crowds and noises, but she loved an old beat up grand piano on the 2nd floor.  Even though there were keys that did not work and missing pedals, she made it turn out some pretty good tunes!  She had never played a grand piano before and probably could have stayed at that piano a lot longer.  If we had discovered it sooner, I also think she would have LOVED the slide from the 3rd floor to the 1st, but sadly it was closing time when we noticed it.

Grandma and I packed breakfast, lunch and snacks, but we stopped at White Castle for dinner because no trip to St. Louis would be complete without those little burgers!  It was even more fun that Amber and Angela had never ate at a White Castle so we HAD a duty to introduce them. 

It was a crazy, long, tiring day and we didn't make it home until after midnight.  We had planned another day trip to St. Louis around another set of doctor appointments in August, but we may rethink that and see if a two day trip could fit in the budget.



BUDGET:
$200 of diesel
$    0 admission
$    4.20 post card (to Grace at camp) & souvenir
$  33.00 White Castle
===============
$237.20 TOTAL or $18.25 each

Not your typical househelpers

Since 2000, our family has had many talented housekeepers, babysitters, and househelpers...Many of our great helpers stayed with us for only a year or two and others stayed four or more, but they have all put Alice on the Brady Bunch to shame, making her look unskilled and lazy. 

Each of our kids have been little and considered a different helper to be their special friend.  For Grace it was Sherry Riddle.  Grace worried to death that Sherry wouldn't be at her Kindergarten Birthday Party, but we worked it out where Sherry could come and help me with the party, even though it wasn't her usual time to work.  Grace was thrilled.  Then there was Jane whom we still miss her good cooking, followed by Nina who believed in killing germs by ironing.  We still laugh about our ironed towels, socks, underware and sheets, but we were never sick while she worked for us!  Ms. Pat Pennington was Corrine's pre-school babysitter and our housekeeper.  Corrine took many field trips and little adventures with Ms. Pat that she still remembers all these years later. Plus Ms. Pat would rearrange the furniture in different ways all the time and is probably a huge part of why Hannah is so good with getting around in new environments.  Catherine Valentine was here when David and Vanessa arrived home and when Nate arrived home and when Matt, Mark, Luke & Jon came home.  She was only with us a couple years, but our family sure grew under her care.  We teased her that it was all somehow because of her that we kept adding new blessings.  Catherine is a talented writer and left us to finish her degree at Berea.  After Catherine, Leigha kept things going for a year while she attended the local community college.

Now for the last year, Angela Covington has been using her talents at our home and learning new skills like African hair care and cute styles for Vanessa.  However, Angela is very creative and has lots of awesome photography projects that she does on the side.  Now she and a friend have completed an awesone photo book of the alphabet with a picture for each letter sound and a short poem.  The book is really top notch!  If you would be interested in a visually appealing alphabet book with great poems using lots of literary fun that kids love like consonancy, rhyme, and onomatopoeia, then the link to order and for more information is below.  It is only $10 per book plus shipping/handling.    FOLLOW THIS LINK TO ORDER.

Stay-cation Day Trip #2

Matt, Mark & Luke ready to
lead our group.

Matt has been waiting for today for over three weeks.  We have showed him on the calendar a million times.  Today was the day that we go to Grandma and Poppy's house to show them our bus and then we get to go to the zoo and then to the dentist!  (Okay so he wasn't really excited about the dentist, but he does like to go to the dentist.)

I think Matt was a bit disappointed that Grandma and Poppy didn't want to ride in our bus with us nor did Poppy want to go buy his own bus.  (In Matt's mind, buses are the coolest and everyone should want one.)  However, after donut for breakfast at Grandma's, Matt was ready for the zoo.  Plus our matching shirts had arrived from Creator Designs so the kids were excited to wear them.  (Grace is at camp for 2 weeks so she will have to wait to get her shirt, but at age 16, she thinks my matching Summer T-shirts are out of fashion.)

Jon need Amber to
protect him from the geese.

At the zoo, the boys were running from one cage to the next.  The big spots of interest being feeding the fish, geese and swans AND feeding the goats and cow in the petting zoo AND feeding the giraffes.  Notice the common activity of FEEDING that was the hit.  They also enjoyed riding the train and using the zoo key to get silly songs and facts about each animal.

Hannah LOVED feeding the giraffe.

After the zoo, we went back to grandma's for a late lunch.  Then 7 kiddos headed to the dentist and had excellent check-ups! 
Angela and Amber went along on our outing.  Amber took excellent care of keeping Jon involved in each activity and she kept care of him at grandma's while the other kids were at the dentist because Jon and Hannah go to a specialist dentist. 


Angela on the train with Vanessa and Nate.

Angela helped Ed and I keep track of the rest off the crew at the zoo.  Without Grace, I kept panicking when I counted 9 instead of 10 kids so Angela's extra help with the busy boys was appreciated, especially with the twins potty training and wanting to checkout EVERY restroom.

Before we left Grandma's, she sent us with snacks so the kids snacked and snoozed all the way home.


Matt on the way home.  I think I'm going to need
to make some "bus pillows".

BUDGET:
$96 zoo membership for 1 yr, train, feeding animals & postcard to send to Grace
$70 Diesel
$  0 Eats thanks to Grandma
==========
$166 or $12.77 per person

ALL PHOTOS ABOVE EXCEPT THE 1st ONE ARE BY ANGELA COVINGTON.

Stay-cation Day Trip #1

Today was the first of our Stay-cation Day Trips.  We were to go to Big Brutus and Fort Scott, but due to the heat, we only took in Big Brutus.  We got a bit of a later start than we had expected because Nate had, had some trouble breathing last night.  He was finally resting well this morning so we hated to wake him until he had made up for some of the sleep he had missed. Plus Jon's physical therapist had come unexpectedly so we used the extra time to get everyone extra clothes, snacks, and other things that might make the trip more enjoyable.

Our group watching the movie.

The kids were so excited to be taking a trip in the bus.  On the way to Big Brutus most everyone stayed awake and enjoyed the views out the big windows.  At Big Brutus, the little kids had minimal interest in the museum, but the older kids enjoyed it.  We all watched the movie about Big Brutus.  It is an impressively large and amazing piece of engineering.  We all got a bit of a laugh when the video referenced people getting married on Big Brutus since our helper for Jon is newly engaged and planning a wedding.  I don't think we will convince her that Big Brutus is the perfect place, but we had fun imagining it!

In the operators seat.

After the museum the kids went out to inspect this big machine for themselves.  Mark asked the very smart question, "What is coal for?" I was so proud of his big boy question and for talking so plainly.  He has had a lot of Speech Therapy and it was great to see him using words! 

After a complete inspection, we went back inside to say our good-byes and the clerk remembered Grace from our visit 6 YEARS AGO!  (This was Grace's pick for our Stay-cation because she enjoyed talking to the volunteering retired miners when we went last time....6 years ago!  Grace STILL loves Big Brutus and I think she would consider getting married on it.)

Lower left edge is Vanessa then Daddy to the
right in black and in front of Daddy is Matt
(the really small blue dot).

Big Brutus facts:

• largest electric shovel in the world
• 16 stories tall (160 feet)
• weight is 11 million pounds
• boom is 150 feet long
• shovel capacity 90 cu. yards (up to 150 tons)
• maximum speed .22 MPH
• cost $6.5 million (in 1962)
• required as much electricity to run it as a town of 18,000!

Not so sure about that....

After Big Brutus, we headed to the well air-conditioned Pittsburg, Kansas mall to enjoy a great meal at the original Cafe Del Rio restaurant.  We had not been there in years!  Okay, we hadn't been there in a decade!  Still great Mexican food and still great service!  Since we hadn't planned to need recovery time, we had not called ahead, but Kassandra was our server and handled our group of 14 very efficiently and effectively!  I doubt very many of the servers wanted a sudden table our size with 10 kids!  We appreciated her great attitude and professional skills.  Having a waitress who can anticipate, even the needs of kids, is rare!

Corrine ready to enjoy her meal.

We then headed towards home as the temperature continued to climb.  At one point the rear A/C in the bus started to smell, and we realized that we had frozen up the unit so we opened the window vents for the rest of the trip home and let the A/C unit rest.  Surprisingly the air flow kept the bus very tolerable.  It was not as nice as air conditioned coolness, but it was far from miserable too.

I think we made some good family memories today.  It was so nice to travel together rather than in several cars.  It was even nicer to have every one's wheelchairs.  The bus continues to be a great blessing!

All pictures above, except Big Brutus were taken by Angela Covington.

Budget:
$100 Diesel
$100 Good eats in great air conditioning
$  60 admission (group prices)
$  13.80 in souvenirs
======
$273.80 or $19.56 per person

At Home during planned vacation week

Today would have been the last day in San Antonio if we had gone on vacation as planned, but it turned out to be a good idea to stay close to home. 

On Wednesday last week we got the van back and took it to get washed up.  It looks great!  We were all impressed with how much a good wash improved its appearance.  Then on Thursday we had to take it back in with a coolant leak which turned out to be a hose needing replaced. 

Daddy driving the littlest Workman's around the block.

Finally on Friday night we took the bus on its first outing with all the Workman's aboard.  We all went to Amber and Angela's house to celebrate their surprise birthday party.  The bus rode a lot smoother than I expected and on the return trip we had 6 kids asleep by the time we got home.  The bus has amazingly cool air conditioning and the lift loaded the wheelchairs with no problems.  This bus is truly a huge blessing!  It was worth the two years of waiting and praying.

We didn't go far over the weekend or do too much outside because the heat has been almost unbearable!  On Sunday evening, we went along while Amber & Angela took the balloon ride that we gave them for their birthday.  I was really neat watching the process from start to finish!  The kids were really impressed, except Mark who was worried that they weren't coming back. 

On Monday, I took Hannah to the local nursing home to play piano.  As usual, she did great and she will play for them again next Monday.  Vanessa turned 10 on Monday too so I took the older kids to see the movie "Brave".  Then we came home and enjoyed cake and watching Vanessa open presents. 

Birthday girl Vanessa with her crown.

Today was busy with errands to the post office, Matt's speech therapy, pay bills, send packages, and such.  Angela and I sorted coupons, and I almost have a full box to send my friend from high school  (Amy) in Turkey.  Her husband is in the air force and they can use coupons that are upto 6 months expired.  If you have any that you want to toss in my box to top it off, please let me know.

Tomorrow will hopefully be a bit cooler as we still have lots to finish outside this Summer.

Stay-cation

Our last minute new design for
matching 2012 T-shirts. I got a
great price at Creator Designs!

As you may be aware, our bus is still getting improved upon at the mechanics so we have decided to make the tough adult decision and cancel our trip to Morgan's Wonderland in San Antonio.  It has waited for us for 3 years so it can wait another.  By the time we go next year, the bus will be well tested and ready for the long trip. 

So after getting family input tonight, I changed our matching Texas vacation t-shirts for matching Stay-cation t-shirts and we made a list of activities we wanted to do.  Then Daddy and I packed these around open dates and doctor appointments. 

Right now our Stay-cation schedule is for one-day trips using the following schedule: 

1st week of July:  Big Brutus & Fort Scott
2nd week of July:  Dickerson Park Zoo
3rd week of July:  St. Louis City Museum
4th week of July:  Rutledge Wilson Farm (& maybe zoo again)
1st week of August:  Cousin's Reunion at the farm (& maybe Wilder home & Baker Creek Seed Co)
2nd week of August: Purina Farms & Grant's Farm
3rd week of August: Crown Center in KC

We'll fill in with some trips to the creek; few visits to the park, hook up the sprinkler; do the summer reading program at the library.....and we should all get through this summer with some affordable fun while giving the new bus a good testing within the mileage range of our new AAA tow insurance. 

Want to join us on one of these outing?  Just email us.  I have arranged group ticket prices for the activities that co$t.

Adults with a Bus



Prayed & waited for over 2 years, but it was
worth the wait.  Its a great looking bus!

GETTING THE BUS:

I am pleased to report that we are bus owners.  I'm not as pleased to report that the bus is in the shop.  However, we got a great 2003 bus with seating for 14 plus 1-2 wheelchairs and a power wheelchair lift for $3150!  Yes, you read that right $3150.  However, the bus was in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Friday night when Mr. Workman got home from being at the National Debate Tournament in Indiana, we left for Minneapolis to pick up our bus on Saturday morning.  We drove all night long, but 628 miles later, we got there.  The owner had misplaced the bus when we arrived, but in the end it was found with extra detailing working being done and a full tank of gas!  So our trip home with the bus started by driving it in downtown Minneapolis traffic, but Mr. Workman did an awesome job driving the bus in all that traffic and construction.  We had planned to stop in Des Moines for the night, but by the time we crossed the Minnesota-Iowa boarder, the giant coffees were no longer keeping us awake enough to be safe drivers.  We stopped in Clear Lake to eat dinner, and I was trying to fall asleep at the table!  We got a room at the Super 8 and dropped in bed.  The next morning at the complementary breakfast a few people were complaining about hearing the I-35 traffic all night.  We have no idea what they were talking about!  Apparently, they just needed to be more tired!

Okay, so the bus is a little less attractive when
being towed ;)

The trip through Iowa and nothern Missouri seemed to take forever, but we finally reached Kansas City.  Then just south of Kansas City, the bus jerked and the odometer/speedometer quit and the overdrive light started flashing.  We took a break and checked fluids and couldn't find an obvious problem.  Then just north of Nevada (city in Missouri, we weren't on a detour through the West) the vehicle started overheating.  We looked into a tow and discovered that our road and tow doesn't cover anything over a ton.  Then we discovered the tow price.  The tow guy came to check on us and directed us to a small rural diesel mechanic within a miles of where we were stopped.  It was his opinion that we could try to get home.  Well, we made it 8 miles and lost all the transmission fluid.  So $420 cash for a tow, but Phillips Towing did a great job and gave us tips on what road and tow policy to get for the best coverage in the fture.  He towed the bus to our favorite mechanic who works on buses like ours for OATS (Rural Transportation for Senior Citizens) too!

Our mechanic is still looking over the bus but it needed a new emergency break and apparently the transmission may be okay.  After the break is installed then he can tell us more on Monday. 

Mr. Workman and I have decided that we may be getting a bit old for creating "crazy kids" stories, but when we are in our sixties, I guarantee you that the Minneapolis bus trip story will start with, "We were such crazy kids..." Obviously, that bus could have broken down in Minnesota rather than within 80 miles of home, and we NEVER considered that our road and tow wouldn't cover it.  Needless to say this could have been even a more expensive life lesson!

KIDS VISIT THE BUS:

These guys are happy just to sit in it on the
mechanic's parking lot!
Photo by La Marie Photography

On Monday we all went to visit the bus at the mechanic's shop.  The bus was parked out away from the shop so we didn't disturb the mechanics other than possibly for them to snicker about us visiting our bus.  The boys think Mr. Workman is cooler than ever because Daddy owns and drives a bus!  It is so fun to see the kids excited and appreciative of what we were able to get. 

ADULT DECISIONS:

On Monday, we will know how extensive other repairs might be such as we think the air conditioner has a leak.  Needless to say, we are praying that the fixes are affordable.  However, on Wednesday we are supposed to leave for San Antonio.  Mr. Workman and I hate this part of being adults, but we have to decide if we want the bus' second outing to be so far and what if it breaks down again.  We have to consider how much money we have in reserve and decide if going to San Antonio could have the potential to be a "crazy kids" story.  Please pray for the bus and us the "adult" owners as we make tough decisions over the next 5 days.

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God,

and He will give it to you.

He will not rebuke you for asking.~~James 1:15 NIV

¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live

  —not as unwise but as wise,

¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity,  

because the days are evil. ~~Ephesians 5:1-16 NIV

More Cheap Eats!

People frequently ask me for my recipes for inexpensive meals.  I really struggle with this because I don't have very many "standard go to recipes".  I "create" a lot as I go based on what I have or can get cheap or free.  I must say, I've cooked with and tried foods that I had to consult the internet about, and some have become new favorites.  I grow my own herbs and use lots of spices like smoked paparika and rich flavors like balsamic and specialty vinegars, worcestershire sauce, cooking wines and soy sauce.  These let me hide a lot of specifics from my kids! 

We frequently receive donated foods from various sources that are a real blessing. Plus I shop with coupons and ads SO I often feel a bit like the Iron Chef.  Only my challenge sounds more like, "You were given 2 pounds of ox tails, 5 pounds of venison, a case of mustard greens, 2 cases of chick peas and 3 dozen eggs. You bought with a coupon on sale the following: sugar, salad dressing, flour, oranges, bananas, dry egg noodles and potatoes.  You got kohlrabi, green peppers and squash from the garden.  You bought green beans, onions and zucchini at the farmers market. Now cook for the week or longer!"  Obviously, I try to plan menus, but when something gets dropped off as a donation and needs used ASAP...well, I have to be flexible and creative!

So let me share a few low cost "gems" that I've been given, tried and loved along the way.

Venison:  Cube it. Apply a generous sprinkling of apple pie spice and some fresh cracked black pepper to taste (like a teaspoon or more of apple pie spice per pound) and then use it as you would any super lean beef.  Cubed venison is especially good in the crock pot on low with a cup or so of New York Steakhouse A-1 Marinade, which is frequently on sale and has had lots of coupons so I can usually get it for $1.25.  (Yes, you read this right, "a-p-p-l-e pie spice" and sometimes I add a little fresh ground ginger, which is much cheaper at the whole foods store than at the grocery store and it is a favorite of mine.) 

Oxtails:  Oxtails are BEEF, don't freak out.  They were a staple during the Great Depression because of their high nutritional content (especially high in iron) and their low cost.  Campbell's even used to sell Oxtail Soup! I frankly hate to tell you about oxtails because I might not get them given to me so often if people knew that they make extra tasty stews and soups.  I sear the oxtails first in some olive oil and then slow cook them to get the great flavorful stock!

Ham hocks:  These are awesome in a pot of pinto beans, but my favorite recipe is by the Pioneer Woman. It is Black Bean Chowder.  I've taken this to several school luncheons and to friends in need of some awesome comfort food.  It is a FAVORITE and I've picked up some un-deserved fans of "my" cooking.

Pickled Beets with Hard Boiled Eggs: 
Tasty & Pretty & Cheap!

Beets:  People apparently grow beets, but don't like to eat beets.  When I'm given beets, I love to make Pickled Beets with Hard Boiled Eggs!  Its a big treat.  I make 4 or 6 times the recipe below, but this is a size for typical folks. 

3 pealed and sliced beets that have been boiled
1 red/purple onion thinly sliced
6-8 hard boiled shelled eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp of pickling spice tied in a cheese cloth bag

Place the liquid off the boiled beets (about a cup) in a pan and add sugar, vinegar, and bag of pickling spice.  Bring to a boil and simmer at a low boil for 15 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Layer beet slices onion slices and eggs in a jar.  After the liquid cools so it is just warm, pour it over the layers. Put the pickling bag in the jar too.  Cover the jar.  Shake or stir twice a day to mix the contents.  Let it sit 3 to 5 days before serving.  (BTW-This is an awesome snack or as a side for a salad or mustard greens.)

Garbanzo Beans/Chick Peas:  There are hundreds of ways to use garbanzo beans, but apparently few people in the Mid-West know them.  I get lots of canned garbanzo beans given to us.  Garbanzo beans can be roasted for a highly nutritious snack.  Our kids love hummus which can easily be made if you have two things: 1) food processor and 2) tahini (sesame seed paste).  I can't believe that I used to think that garbanzo beans were just to add to veggie soup!

Mustard Greens & other leafy things:  Mustard greens are much milder than spinach and they can be easily seasoned with sauteed onion and ham hocs.  Kohlrabi leaves, collard greens, mustard green are such are amazing in a hearty veggie soup.  A favorite is Balsamic Reduction-Glazed Garbanzo Beans served over mustard greens or other leafy things like fresh baby spinach with some crumbled feta and seasoned walnuts.  But its all about what's in the house already so if I don't have feta, I might put some other cheese or some drained mandarin oranges or whatever strikes my fancy.  Some of it turns out better than others, but with 12 hungry mouths and visitors, it usually all gets ate!

A favorite low cost "Pioneer Woman"
 dessert is "Prune Cake"

Sometimes I end my blog with a Bible verse or two, but this blog entry would probably be most appropriately ended with a Bible story from Numbers 11.  The food that is given to our family and that is purchased at low prices are seen by my husband and I as gifts from the Lord, much like the manna in Moses time.  While it is true that we could ignore the budget and buy other foods, we feel that would not be acting as good steward of the gifts we are given.  We often share our surplus of gifted and bargain foods with others, but we try to use all that we need with contentment in our hearts.  When I find myself wishing for something else, I remember that my children are being exposed to more variety of wholesome foods than most children and I pray for God to make me content with His generosity.  (Its amazing how often the next few weeks yields something I was secretly hoping for!  I'll never forget wanting to buy steak for Mr. Workman for Father's Day a few months after the we added the 4 boys to our family.  It would have busted the strained budget!  But I prayed for contentment and planned to fix lasagna, but two days before Father's Day some friends started a fast and gave us two huge steaks from their freezer that were tempting them!) 

<$4 Dinners for 12: Beans & Cornbread

I was given Hormel Smoked Pork Chops and wasn't sure what to make with them because my boys generally don't like smoked meats.  So tonight I sauteed an onion and garlic in balsamic vinegar and diced the pre-cooked chops into the onions.  Then I added the sauteed mixture to a bag of 16 bean soup ($2.28) that I had soaked overnight.  Lastly I stirred in some chicken soup starter and thyme.  Then let it cook for 2 hours. 

Then I paired it with a triple batch of Betty Crocker Cornbread ($.25 each on sale) and 2 cans of warmed mustard greens (given to me) with Balsamic Reduction drizzled on top. 

It wasn't the hit that pizza is at our house, but everyone ate something!

Balsamic Reduction
If you haven't tried reducing balsamic vinegar and using it on greens and in dressings, then you really should give it a try.  Mr. Workman and I had it drizzled on bruschetta at a restaurant in St. Louis when we went to see "A Christmas Carol" at the Fox.  Since then I have found out that this flavorful treat is supper easy to make.  However, due to the smell, I cook it on the deck!  I use my crock pot on high and cook the balsamic vinegar until it is 1/2 the volume as when I started.  A hot plate or electric skillet could be used too.  (I use a wooden spoon to check for when it is 1/2 as deep.) BTW-If the vinegar does not naturally sweeten, just add a little sugar.  Then after it cools, I store it in a bottle in the refrigerator to use as a yummy flavor kick on salads, greens, and as a base for salad dressing BUT it doesn't last long!

And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou
hither, and eat of the bread,

and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat
 beside the reapers:

 and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat,

and was sufficed, and left.--Ruth 2:14 

Emergency Preparedness Updated

About a week ago I told you about my less than successful test of our emergency food preparations.  I had previously tried to have a month of food in reserve, but when I tested to see if I did, I discovered I was way off on my expectations.  My new emergency supplies focus more on the first 3 days to a week after a disaster and less on long term food supplies. 

So today I repacked in four containers.

Container 1:  65 gallon trash can

• 36 bottles of water plus 3 gallons
• 1 L canola oil
• Shortening
• 2.5 gallon bleach
• Big Dawn dish soap
• 6 Sponges
• BIG trash bags
• 2 Rain ponchos
• 16 oz rubbing alcohol
• Small First Aid kit
• Work gloves
• Rubber gloves
• Medical gloves
• Bungee chords
• Big tarp & a small tarp
• Tent stakes
• Rope
• Mallet
• Duck tape
• Flash light
• 2 boxes baby wipes
• 1 tub of sanitizing wipes
• 2 cans of ham
• 2 cans of chicken
• 1 box chewy granola
• can opener
• powdered electrolyte mix
• vitamins
• Diapers
• Medications
• Extra feeding tube
• Few of Jon & Nate's formula cans
• Beef jerky with cheese
• Sunflower seeds
• Emergency candy & gum
• Ziploc baggies
• and I still need to add a small radio

Container 2: 5 gallon bucket

• 15 pounds of sugar
• 20 pounds of beans
• 3 pouches of tuna
• applesauce
• cooking fuel

Container 3:  5 gallon bucket

• 25 pounds of flour
• salt
• baking powder
• baking soda
• Paper plates & plastic forks

Container 4:  Plastic tote

• 50 pounds of rice
• #5 can of ravioli
• cooking pot
• Serving spoon
• Peanuts
• Evaporated milk
• Mac N cheese
• Powdered whole milk

Hubby adding reflectors to the tubs to make them
easier to find during an emergency.

First Aid bag also got refilled and updated to be ready for our summer outings and the ouches that happen on the go!

If you see anything that I forgot or have a suggestion please let me know.  Obviously I hope we never need any of it, but if I missed something, I'd like to know now and not when we need it.

 The ants [are] a people not strong,

yet they prepare their meat in the

summer; ~~Proverbs 30:25

Transportation Prayers

PART 1
Please join us in praying for an affordable vehicle with a lift that can hold 2-3 wheelchairs (my power chair is optional, but Jon and Vanessa need their wheelchairs to best enjoy activities).  The vehicle needs to seat at least 14 including the driver so we can take Amber and Angela along too.  Extra seats beyond 14 would be a bonus for friends who might be crazy enough to want to go somewhere with us and for luggage and medical equipment that travels with us if we are gone more than a few hours.  Several people have asked if it can be a yellow mini school bus...yes!  The kids would love it!  It can be any shape, age, color, etc as long as it runs and has the items listed. 

We have found out that we can even install seat belts so please pray for the following:

1. Affordable
2. Wheelchair lift
3. 2-3 wheelchair spaces
4. Seats at least 14 including the driver
5. An automatic transmission is preferred so I can drive it too (Something about a driver with just one good leg driving a standard makes the Department of Motor Vehicles nervous.)

The school bus provides our
kids the only opportunity that they
have to take their power wheelchairs
in public.

PART 2
Please be praying that we will have the right amount of resources to pay cash for the vehicle when we find it.  We have passed on several vehicles because we would need to take a loan to cover the purchase.  As many of you know, we started on a path to be debt free in 2006 and our home is our final debt that we have yet to have eliminated. (You can join us in praying about wisdom in eliminating that debt too.)  We have made due without transportation for over 2 years, but now the situation is getting tougher as the kids grow.  Please pray for us to continue to be patient too.

EXPLANATION:
I know some of you are saying that there is nothing wrong with debt if you can pay it, and I agree that responsible debt is not sinful.  In fact the Bible gives us guidance on being responsible debt holders.  However, we feel that God has called is to another standard of financial freedom and responsibility so we can be available to His direction for our lives.  For example, within 6 months between October 2009 and February 2010, God grew our family from 5 to 10 children and one of the boys spent 2 months in the hospital having open heart surgery and other medical problems!   We had no way of knowing that we would be given these awesome opportunities to expand our family and to help 5 little boys who needed a home.  What if we had previously made financial commitments to use the money that we needed to get them home?  To buy beds? To pay immigration fees? To buy shoes? To get lab tests for parasites? To get post placement reports?  We had to depend on God's provision to help us through that time, but if we had also had other debt, then we could not have met the financial requirements. 

INTRIGUED?  Our family specifically follows Dave Ramsey's advice for financial freedom and when the boys added to our family, we had just reached Step 4.  It took almost our entire emergency fund to get the boys settled, medically treated and deal with the legalities.  In fact we are still on Step 3, rebuilding our emergency fund over 2 years later, but we have no stress of debt on our cars, no credit card payments, no student loans left....It is a great way to live and be available for whatever happens next in life.  If your interested, check out http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-steps/?gclid=CPHfnqz0prACFUZeTAodOwR9DA

Owe no one anything except to love one another,

for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

~~Romans 13:8

Blogging Chicks

Corrine reminded me today that we had not blogged about her quickly growing chickens.  So here is a photo from farmer Corrine for those of you interested in their progress.

Their farmer Corrine is having a bit of a crisis that we are going to be
gone 2 days.  She is having a hard time picking someone she
trusts with her chickens.

Emergency Prep Test

Haitian beans & rice are a
favorite at our house.

On Monday April 16th, I started an unofficial test of my emergency preparations.  I knew going into the test that I had some deficencies such as not enough bottled water.  However, this month long test taught me several things and sent me to the store 2 to 3 times a week filling in gaps. This is a brief summary of what I learned.

1.  I had the wrong balance of food.  I needed more flour and more powdered/canned milk.  My milk supplies did not last a week!
2.  My kids would probably choose death over eating any of the tuna or spam stash. As Corrine pointed out, "I thought you had those in case the neighbors needed food during an emergency."
3.  Peanut butter is not my kid's favorite food without bread and jelly.
4.  Cereal without milk is not a good plan...no matter how good the cereal.
5.  Locating my emergency supplies was more difficult than I thought. 
     Grace: "Mom, where is the rice?"
     Me:  "In one of these 8 big boxes".
6.  Paper towels are less desirable in an emergency than wet wipes or toilet paper.  Make the best use of storage space, fill it with wipes and toilet paper!
7.  Day 7 of using up the emergency supplies will cause everyone to crave chicken nuggets, even the parents.
8.  Diapers!  A month long emergency plan can NEVER have too many diapers.  (A few cloth ones and plastic pants are going into my new improved kit because the "old way" is better than the "new nude way" when the diaper supplies are gone.)
9.  Treats for everyone!  Okay so treats may not be essential, but 30 days living with a teenager who is going without chocolate can have its own challenges.
10.  Having a 100 pounds of rice and 50 pounds of beans as part of the emergency plans, means one must be prepared to eat a 100 pounds of rice and 50 pounds of beans without it deminishing anyones will to live.

I'm starting the restocking plans now and I'm developing a more organized way to store and track the items so we can eat the old before it expires.  So far new items include the following:  multi vitamins, pediasure/boost, canned ham, canned Chef Boyardee, canned prepared baked beans, shelf stable cheese like parmesean and more focus on things the kids eat well like pudding, fruit (dried and canned) and yes, maybe even chicken nuggets!  (I'm so glad this past month way just a test and I could go to the store to fill gaps.  Hopefully, I'll now be better prepared for if there were a real emergency.)

Neosho Master Gardeners Tamed My Jungle

March 2012 before the jungle "leafed out".

I REALLY wish I had taken a recent before picture, but all I have is this photo from March before everything leafed out and started taking over the front of my house. It had truly gotten out of control and too much for Grace and I to manage alone.  The ornamental grass had spread and blocked the down stairs door, hostas needed divided, and vinca vines were out of control.  A healthy size crop of polk was growing in the beds, not to mention Elm tree starts and dandelions.  It was so overgrown that the retaining walls could not be seen!

Today after a BIG cleanup!

Then a very nice lady from the Neosho Master Gardeners contacted me to see if I could use any volunteer help.  She had NO IDEA!  She came over and looked at my jungle last week, and today she returned with a fabulous group of gardeners who tamed the area in less than 4 hours!  Such a blessing!  They sized the beds down to a portion that I have a shot at controlling.  The out of control bushes were removed and the area in front can be seeded back to lawn.  Plus  I can open the downstairs door to my office without having to part and sort my way through the decorative grass to get in/out. 

I can open the office door and get in/out!

A BIG thank you to the Neosho Master Gardeners!  I am so pleased with how it looks.  I REALLY appreciate your help. 

For the earth [is] the Lord's,

and the fulness thereof.

~~I Corinthians 10:26

Tahiti & Chickens



Corrine has been working on improvements to the chickens' country cottage.  She went to the dollar store and bought a lot of the "Tahiti Collection" to properly outfit her cottage.  She got bamboo roosts and shallow bowls for nest boxes and place mats to keep the bowls in place.  She even bought the hens a mirror so they would be less bored.  Yes, Corrine is concerned that her chickens might get bored. (I can assure you, my grandmother NEVER considered if her hens were bored and they still laid good eggs.)  These chickens just need a disco ball and we will be approaching having scenes like out of "Shaun the Sheep"!  (BUT I'm glad Corrine is enjoying her chickens.)  Below are some pictures from the cottage. 

I find the toy phone on the wall to be a bit surreal
in a fabulously funny way!

Nesting boxes:  Tahiti Collection bowls and place mats
on a shoe organizer.

David is 9!

Today we celebrated David's 9th birthday. 

This is the 4th birthday that David has celebrated since he became a part of our family.  It is amazing to me to see how much and how fast he has grown.  I really miss 5 year old David who would sneak in our room and slept by our bed; AND 6 year old David who was frightened by his big new school; AND 7 year old David who worried I would die like his birth mom; AND 8 year old David who told me that I love him "too much", but I'm glad 9 year old David is able to start this year confident of himself, his place in the world and as fearless as his peers.  We have been through many milestones in 4 years and I look forward to many more while wishing we had lived his first 5 years together too.



I think Grandma picked out
 the right gift.

Birthdays of our adopted children are often bittersweet to me because it reminds me of the time my children spent outside of the loving protection of a family.  I will never understand how the citizens of this planet can allow kids to have such rough starts to life, but I'm very blessed that God set us and David on a path to be family forever.  Many adoption critics would point out that this post's first paragraph fails to recognize that David's life story started before age 5.  To those critics, I would say David lives with good memories and his healing emotional scars everyday.  They have become a part of his future as these have helped shape who he has become.  Below is a photo of a worried David, sitting on a table about to receive lifesaving nutrition, medicine and LOTS of love from Children of the Promise.  Many kids like David were close to their life story ending too soon, but were sustained by the efforts of groups like Children of the Promise. 



David's 1st picture

The "orphanage" as we often call it, has become a resource center for families in Haiti.  Children of the Promise is building for a future that lets them provide kids with the security of a family from the minute that they enter into care.  This will let kids like David learn how to function as an individual that is part of a family from the beginning, rather than having them function as a group within a group.  We are excited for what this will mean for kids who have a family to return to, as well as for kids who are waiting to be adopted.  If you are looking for a ministry to support, I would strongly recommend Children of the Promise.  I've been there and I've seen the needs AND most importantly I've seen the difference that they are making for infants and toddlers in Haiti.  As David would tell me right after he came home, "Babies under the mango tree need a mom like you."  I'm so happy that Children of the Promise is moving to a new method of service that will give these babies the moms that they need right away while they are in the care of Children of the Promise.  I'm so pleased that we can be a small part of making these changes happen! 

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,

I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,

I was a stranger and you invited me in,

I needed clothes and you clothed me,

I was sick and you looked after me,

I was in prison and you came to visit me.

~~Matthew 25:35-36

Matt is 5!

 My petite bundle of song and dance energy turned 5 today! 

Due to the severity of malnutrition in his first years in Haiti, Matt is still so small and is so far behind his peers.  Malnutrition in infancy has such a cruel fate on its small helpless victims.  It can cause trust issues and food issues and learning/self-control issues from the underdevelopment of the brain during those critical months.  Matt has been home almost as long as he lived in Haiti.  He has grown.  He has developed tons of new skills, but he continues to lag behind his peers.  Fortunately, Matt is unaware and mostly unaffected by his small size and his struggles to master language and early academics.   Although he gets frustrated with his tendency to stutter.

Next week I meet with the school about the transition to kindergarten.  He is just not ready and I'm really not ready for him. I know that if there is a time that he will discover his challenges, it will be with the help of his Kindergarten classmates.  I would rather he remain oblivious to how he compares to his peers.

However, tonight there was no worries.  As Matt says there was "just fun,fun, fun!"  Matt fell asleep on the couch after school and we had to woke him up at 7:20pm to get him to finish celebrating with cake and ice cream!  Not to mention presents!

BTW-A birthday money $aving tip:  Matt's cake below was a plain ready made bakery cake with green edging and a ribbon.  I purchased the $2.89 toys on top and kept them in their plastic packaging to keep them clean.  The names of the trucks were cut off the cardboard box and added along with the candles.  The result was a cake plus 3 toys (rather than a cake topper figurine) for under $20.  I would have paid $24+ for a character cake from the bakery and the cake topper would have been a waste. 

Jon's Big Day

If you are a mom or a dad, you have probably had something that you knew your kid could do or learn to do, but others may have had doubts and maybe even your child had doubts.  You may have prayed with and for that child, but you had not doubts.  You prayed for God to strengthen them or maybe to give you the right words of encouragement, BUT you knew your kid COULD do it, make it or achieve it.

Well, I have STRONGLY believed since I first met Jon in Haiti in 2008 that with proper therapy, practice & encouragement, Jon could drive a power wheelchair.  HOWEVER, our insurance company and some of our (previous) therapists had doubts. 

I had no doubts.  I knew Jon had never moved beyond creeping 2-3 feet on the floor and that took over an hour.  I KNEW Jon needed independent motion.  He needed to get to his location without waiting for us to guess and offer to move him.

So with our new amazing home health aid for Jon, I knew it was time.  I had the therapists that I needed AND I resized an old power chair, private paid for a few improvements AND we put Jon in it. 

Yesterday he really didn't even want to sit in his new chair.  We pushed the chair manually AND only turned it on to show him the horn AND he still cried easily when he was not distracted with a movie or bubbles.

Today he wanted in the new power wheelchair this morning.  Amber took him on his usual tour of the neighborhood and she egaged the chair, dared to turn it on and drove the chair slowly around the neighborhood.  Then she showed him that he could push the button himself...at first he was scared!  Then within 30 minutes he was able to chase Matt with minimal assistance.  Jon was thrilled, but was soon very tired from all the thinking!  He could make shallow turns and go forward by the time the therapist arrived around noon.

Just think, this day was the equivalent of any other child rolling, crawling & taking first steps...rolled into one BIG day!  Jon had never had to think about his body in relation to others.  He has never had to consider if it was a space he could fit through or if it was something he could crawl over.  He had NEVER put his own body in moion beyond just a few slow inches at a time.  It must have felt like the wind was whistling through his hair at the speed he was now able to achieve. 

One thing for sure, it brought out the onrey little boy that I knew lived trapped in his brain.  He was highly motivated to try to "run down" his brothers.  He giggled with delight as he ran into furniture and it scooted as he "pushed".  Today was my warning from Jon.  He clearly showed me and the therapists that if we give him the opportunities, he'll be just as onry as his brothers.  Too bad insurance isn't interested in letting little boys have the chance to be everything that they dream in their heads. 

We had some more changes to make to the wheelchair and hopefully after I get those parts, Jon will be able to drive in reverse too and be better with sharper turns too.  Then on to getting a workable communication device and developing reading skills....yeap, I know....some teachers have doubts...thats okay because I don't.  I continue praying for the wisdom and resources, but I have no doubts.

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,

 “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you

 hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and

 pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and

find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be

found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you

back from captivity.~~Jeremiah 29:11-14a

Chicken Run

Well, the little chicks started trying to fly last week so they moved into their Country Cottage House both night & day. (and OUT of my bathroom!) With their move, the need for a place for the chickens to "play" outside was quickly upon us.  Mr. Workman had state debate tournament on Friday & Saturday in Topeka.  So our already busy Sunday, now had the request that we build a chicken run. 

Mr. Workman & I looked through the garages for what we might already have to aid in building a quick & temporary run.  An old broken folding table from my office, an old sliding screen door, some scrap lumber and some chicken wire AND about 60 minutes with the staple gun AND the chicken run was complete.  Granted it is not beautiful (and may violate our neighborhood covenant), but it is functional.  Most importantly the chickens seem to like it!