Little update..

Well Elijah's arm has fully healed, and the cast is off. I am glad, and so is he. Thow he has kept the cast. and it has found its way back on a culpa of times..
Wyatt is now 17lb.. Pretty good for a completely breastfed baby at 5 1/2 months. I expect he he will slow down in a month, and become an average sized SC...

We are preparing for Christmas, we have the little tree up and the nativity out with Buddha looking on. It makes for a very zin mantelpiece. All is well in the SC experience.. We will see How I feel next week.. Kids will be home... ;0

Elijah broke his arm.

Elijah broke his arm this past week. He is sporting a red half cast on his right arm. He is doing really well, and so are the rest of us when he does not hit us with it.

For Halloween Elijah was a seclton, so his costume also had a broken arm. Alissa was a witch and Wyatt was a baby dino. We had a great time this year, doing all kinds of actives. We went trick or treating at CSI, an retirement home, and around the neighborhood. We also attended a party at Marel Arts and Lissy's school carnavil. It all added up to a very fun weekend.

Now on to November and planing and working on crafts for gifts.
Much love and peace to you.

H1N1

The flue came and went throw our home, and we are fine. I found that the extra vitamin D, yarrow, and C really helped us stay afloat.
Also I make a tea for colds and flue that works well..

I a quart jar
Wash and slice in rounds one lemon
2 tbsp Raw Honey
1/4" piece of ginger minced
2 cloves of garlic Minces
1/3 cup Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 tsp Cayenne

Fill the jar with boiling water and let step for 15 mints. Drink and make more..

One thing that lost of people do not think about when you are sick is that Sugar shuts down you bodies immune system when it is processing, so you body is not fighting the infection. So it is a good deal to not eat any sugar and processed crabs when fighting illness.
Drink lost of water, and if you feel you need an sports drink to replenish electrolytes uses the tea above.

Snow

It snowed to day for the frist time of the seasion. Much fun to descover that Elijah loves the snow, and his very tight to small snow sute. He also is excited to go sking, Alissa convenced him it is wicked.

The two of them spent all afternoon wrighting a book about an elafant, bunny and a bath tub. And on every page of the book was a fly strip to chech files. It is a wonderfill story with a suprise mean hineena as the protaganest.

It brings me the greatest joy to see them as such good frinds. And that was the frist day of snow in our little Idaho town. At least in our experinces.

Driving with my Eyes Open

Yesterday as I sped to preschool, running late I hastily pulled in to an intersection and slam on my brakes just nearly missing a car. Nysous flew from the front seat to the floor broad, and my hot cup of tea went flying. From the back seat I heard "Mom pleas drive with your eyes open next time, you almost broke my Lego".

It is true, I did almost brake us all. But that was not the thought that stayed with me. Besides "Slow down LeAnne before you kill your family".

The thought that cought me and began to grow in my mind was "How as humans in our very rushed lives we often drive with our eyes shut." I know I am often passing my days occupied by my "to do list" or what ever is coming next, taking kids to and from there actives I miss them. I miss playing endlessly, exploring, and experiencing the new in the mundane. That is the wonder in childhood, and when we loss that as adults, we loos our since of adventure, but more so our compassion.

Speeding throw life I have not time to see the pain in another eyes, or worse I ignore it. I am overly focused on things that do not matter. The bills, what I will cook for dinner etc... That the beauty of an afternoon or the pain of another is easy to ignore. More work for me right.

I guess the question I pose is "How do you drive with your eyes open? And teach that too your kids?"

Rim To Rim 7.5 mile run in Twin Falls Idaho

The Rim to Rim is a off run. Meaning it is not a kilometer run but the distence because of the course. It has been a run in Twin Falls Idaho for 30 years.
The Rim to Rim starts at Bass Lake, on the Blue Lakes Golf Course in the Snake River Canyon, runs up and out of the canyon, on a 38% grad. This is only about a mile of straight up on blacktop, but it this grad that colors the full experience of the run. 30 paces up this hill all sane people question the why they are running up this hill.
At the top of this hill, the rode flattens out to a desert plateau, with sage brush, rock, and a few snakes. (this year I only passed 4, all flattened)This run on the side of a country rode is mile 2 and 3. You turn on to highway 93 and run a hesitate 60 yards to the pull off of the bridge. The least desirable part, because of the cars driving by at 60 mph.
Then the Perrine bridge, a 490+/- drop down to the water of the Snake River, and panoramic views of the Snake River Canyon. It is beautiful, and also the half way mark.
From this point you run the Canyon Rim Trail to Clear Springs rode and back down in to the Canyon. This grad is much steeper (42%), but straight with only tow switchbacks. A favorite ruing spot for locals.
From the bottom of the grad you are on the home stretch, you contuin down the rode truing right into Canyon Spring Golf Course, running down the rode throw the parking lot, to a dirt path across a foot/pipe bridge that cross over the Snake River.
At this point you find your self at a golf cart path, turn left. You run throw some much need shade and across Blue Lakes creek. Just passed the creek the path runs up agenest a chain link fence, you cross throw a gate and continues up another hill. It is a reminder that this is no race for flat launders.
At the top of the hill your turn right and finish the course, you are now on the rode back to Bass Lake.
This is an allsome race, full of changles, and amazing scenery. You are well supported for a short race with 4 water stations, and a great meal at the end.
The proceeds for the race go to Habitat for Humanity in Twin Falls.
The race is the third weekend of September.

Rim to Rim times

I did it, I mostly walked it, and was 24 min. slower than my best. But 12 weeks after having my third child, I walked/ran the 2009 Rim to Rim. Hear are the results.

LeAnne Place 93rd over all, 12th in class (woman 20-29 run)
1:40
13:25 over all pace

I WAS NOT ALONE!!!

Jeremy Place 38th over all, 12th in class (men 30-39 run)
1:14
9:52 over all pace

Kent Place 48th over all, 9th in class (men 50-59 run)
1:21
10:52 mile

LaVon Place 39th over all, 6th in class (woman 50-59 run)
1:15
10:04 pace

Cindy Place 15th over all, 2nd in class (woman over 60 walk)
1:38
13:07 pace

Ya' we rocked it!!
Needless to say LeAnne, Jeremy, and Kent are very sore the day after. Since we did not train, LaVon and Cindy are not since they did. Both Cindy and LaVon competed in half marathons this summer. Lavon will run the Portland marathon in tow weeks.
I love this sport, it is so much a mind over matter experiences. One more step and than another, that is what completes a race.

Need updates

Wyatt James is now 12 weeks old. And it feels as if a year has past in the past there months. As with all my children it is hard to remember what life was like before them now they are here.
We are bulsing a long in the rue-teen of fall. We are still adjusting to a new baby, and all that come with a third child. Jeremy is harvesting a huge garden that we got in before Wyatt was born. And Alissa is now coping with kindergarten. Elijah as am I are along for the ride.
Our little star is now working on her 3rd play, she is Molly in Anny. I hope she can pull it off, since she has around 15 lines, and does not know how to read. But she says "Mom I can do it!" And I have full faith in her.
Wyatt is a joy of all joys to be with. He is a happy baby, that would prefer to give you a smile than cry. Even when he is sad.
We dedicated our kids this morning and Brain Higgins committed to being the kids godfather. It is always a strange feeling to take in the large perspective of raising a human being. And to know your actions, often in imperfect actions are creating these little lives. Oh if love is all we need, than they will be fine.

Labor?

To day is the 25 of June, 2009. I am 39 weeks pregnant with my third child. Sometime past noon to day, as I relaxed with a friend under a shady tree, watching our kids play in the lake, my water broke. Now as the rain comes down on my roof,I wait for contractions to over come my body. There was a bit of a storm, and now there is calm. Much like the rain here in the summer, it comes and goes in spurts. I hope my body listens to the rain, and decides to take to the sea of contractions. We will see. Soon a new baby will be born in the world, with all the hopes and fears a new life brings to it parents.

37w contunied

You would think that beaning a person with a disability, that is fully functioning in the everyday world, that this would not phase me. I know that all the clangles that life brings us helps us build strong carter, and make us more resultant. But my heart bleeds as a mother fearing for my child. I know oh to well what it is like being different. And you can not look at me, and know i am different. My disability is hidden from the average interaction. (reading my writing is another story.)I fear not only for the changes that a disability brings, but also for how pears treat you differently.

37 weeks prego. with a sick kid.

To day i am officially full term in my 3rd pregnancy. Yesterday Elijah tested positive with strep, and was placed on drugs for it. Not what i would normaly do, but what do you do.
To day I took Alissa in for her vision and hearing test for Kindergarten, and was surprised. She has hearing loss in her left ear and needs to be retested by the audiologist. She was tested 2 year ago, and it seemed normal, but the test was inconclusive. Well I was siting on the floor of the small room when she was being tested, and heard tones throw the ear phones, that she did not here.

Stove bread and the new puppy..

A good friend of mine often describes our family as people who create a great deal of work for our selves. We do have lost of hobbies, and enjoy a great deal of fun in the experiences.


Jeremy using the wood stove for oven bread.


The oven Bread.


This is Un Deda,(meaning one toe in Spanish). Yes we have a puppy. She is a red healer, with only one toe on her back left paw. We got her from a buggy full of puppy being given away at D&B. She has found her place in our family quite quickly. And seems to enjoy being constantly mangled by the kids. The kids are doing great at taking her out and caring for her. It does help that she is figuring things out very quickly. Her intelligent might prove to be a challenge at a latter date. But so far we are happy to announce our new family member. Well Nusis is a bit annoyed with a little puppy who won't to play.

Garden Seeds

Have you ever considered the place your food comes from? I grew up in a place where is was conman place to stop at rode side stand and buy peaches/collards/eggs/tomatoes what ever from the farmer who grew it on the land it was grown on. I now Live in a place that is primary agriculture based. Only the truth be told buying the local food from the farmer is a largely uncommon. Why? Well I do not know. My own husbands grandfather grows beans, but there never eaten by people in the our state or country.
I could go throw a list of places where you can get food that is grown in our region and buy local food. But that is not rally my point. Nor is it the quality of our food that i am getting to(the closer from the plant the higher the nutrition). But the ability of being able to feed ones family when the trucks don't/can't bring the food from 3,000 miles away. I am fearful that much of our modern society has lost the ability to place a seed in soil and grow food, and then harvest new seed to do it the next year.
Why is this so important? I feel that for us to teach our children to respect life, in all it's shapes and forms we must teach them the value of that which sustains us. Our food sources and the land that it comes from. This is farm land, garden boxes, and wild land that sustains the land we use around it.
So I have ranted and what solution do I propose? Try growing a few plants for food. Not to just feed your family, but to grow your compassion and empathy for what you eat and how it gets to being.
There are a few easy ways to build a small garden that can produce a large amount of food for your family.
http://www.sendacow.org.uk/schools/africangardens/keyholegardens
This is a great way to start.

Octuplits and love

I have been flowing the news of a woman in southern Calforina who just had octuplits. Much of the media coverage has come from her being a signal mother with six kids, now 14. I do not know the true motives of the woman, or the questions raised of the ethics of it all. But one thing that has been repeatedly expressed is "How will there be enuf love for all the kids?" As if love is a resource that is in low supply. Being a mother love is the one thing that I have never ran low on. Manny other things, but love for my children is not. One on one time I do believe will be in low supply, but does a child have to have one on one with mom to grow up healthy? I often hold both of my kids. I think if we look back a few generations at how families worked, we would see that the mother was not expected to do everything, but the children were thought to work along with mom. This teaches a child to be a independent adults, and how to work as a family or what we might call a team now days.

Food Bugget info.

Tips and Strategies for Food Budgeting

1. Set a budget …

Write out a budget by listing in two columns your income and expenses, note whether your expenses are fixed (all ways stay the same) or fluctuating.

Example: Income $2750.00

Other $380.00

Total $3130.00

Expenses: Montages/Rent $900.00

Utilities $200.00

Insurance $400.00

Debt $600.00 (use 20% of income to pay off debt till debt free, than add to savings.)

Car $400.00 (gas, maintenance, payment)

Food $280.00

Savings $300.00 (10% of income, always pay your self first)

Total $2880.00 Differences ( $250) to be used for unexpected expenses and adding to savings

2. Now that you have your food budget … lets plan

*Most important, ONLY SHOP WITH CASH!!!!!

$280.00 = $70.00 per week or $2.70 a meal (note that you will not spend the same for breakfast and lunch as you do for dinner). If you take out the $30.00 - $60.00 per month for staples, that leaves you with roughly $62.50 - $55.00 week

1) Inventory your pantry and see how many meals you have most ingredients to, make a list.

2) Make a meal plan, I usually plan 4 meals a week for dinner, 2 nights of leftovers, and one night eating with in-laws. I rotate a set breakfast and lunch plan for ease.

• Making up a “meal plan box” with 15 to 25 of your family’s favorite meals, numbering them and writing down all the ingredients is an easy way to rotate a meal plan painlessly. (Note: you do not need to place the recipes on the card, just write down the page # of where to find it in your cook books.)

• When setting up a meal plan box make a list of staple items you use to cook with. This will become your bulk item list to build a pantry with.

3) Make a list of all the items you need for the week, check the sale adds to see if you can substitute one item on your list for one on sale. Also note if any staple items are on sale.

4) Allocate $30 to $60 a month to your staple items list to buy them in bulk. If you do not use this money one month, save it and roll it over to the next month for sales. In our area case sales are very common in the fall. This money can also be used to buy larger items such as meat for the year from a farmer, or bushels of veggies at harvest time when prices are lowest.

5) Shopping …

• Shop the out side of the grocery store. This is where you will find the greatest nutrition for you buck. Bulk ideas are also much less than their packaged counter parts.

• Grocery outlets can have good bargains, BUT ALWAYS CHECK DATES!!

• Only use coupons for things you would normally buy – do not buy something just because you have a coupon. (Coupons are sometimes for new products with elevated prices. They are also often given on processed/less-healthy foods.)

• Compare similar items by their “ounce price;” that price is stated on the label on the self.

• Do not buy pre-packaged or junk food, it will cost you more in health care and is much more expensive per once of nutrition. This includes pop and juice. Eat the whole fruit if you crave sugar.

• Shop with a list and stick to it.

• Do not shop hungry.

• Shop at off peek hours with well-fed kids, this will help you stay sane.

• Try to go grocery shopping only once per week. You’ll be surprised at how you can get by without one or two ingredients instead of running to the store (and buying more stuff!)

• Try to find out when your store gets their fresh produce and shop that day, not the day before when the produce is less fresh (the produce stock person will tell you – same goes for the meat department).

I hope this is helpful,

LeAnne

Food Buggett info.

Chicken Up Date!!!

So we now have 6 legal chickens in the eyes of the city. After collecting something like 40 households to sine, filling out 3 pages of paper work, paying fees ($2 hen), and an inspection for sanitation. The ladies are legal!!!!!!!!!!!
Jeremy built an amazing passive solar hen house that heats it self and installed a solar panel to run the water heater. We are currently gathering 2-3 eggs a day, I expect this to rise as it gets wormier.

We are only waiting for the ground to thaw so we can sink holes for the yard. Right now the girls have the run of the hole back yard. This will not work for my spring garden, since seedlings look like food to them. But for now it is fine. They get along great with the cat and dog. There only pereadador is Elijah, who "wonts to hold them mama". He has yet to cheach one. Thank goodness for the chicken.
Hoary for Chickens!!

Life with Chickns?

A close friend of mine just committed that Jeremy and I create a great deal of extra work for our selves. So the new on that front, is by Friday afternoon we will have 8... yeas eight chickens. I love fresh eggs, who doesn't? And now we have an endless supply of chicken poop for my garden. Witch is a good thing, if you were wondering.
So you are probably asking what does this have to do with feeding a family of 4 for $200 bucks a month? Well i am slightly procrastinating, doing the step i hate.. Meal planing takes time, and organization. Tow areas of life i can improve in. Having chickens on the other hand demonstrate a well devolved trate of our family (Jeremy is included in this), compulsiveness. Once we decied to do something, we do... And figer it out as we go, I should add that it is raley rashional. We did check the city codes, and we can have chickens.
I will contuen witht the meal plaing soon.
-LeAnne

The basic

So to start the month, before you ever set foot in the grocery there are a few steps that are a must.
1) Make a meal plan (I personally hate this part, due to the fact that it takes planning.) But it is a must. step on e in the meal planning, go throw the pantry and freezer and wright down all the meals you have or have most of the ingredients to.
This month I have all the ingredients for 14 meals. I was a little shocked, this is all food in my cabinets, not my food storage. (o.k. I have not kept up with this step) The side benefit is that food in the freezer is rotated on a regular biases. No eating frozen gazpacho from June 07'.
This also helps with meal planing for the month
Here is the list of what I have.
- Spaghetti with salad
-Cheese Ravioli with salad
-Veggy Burgers x2, one meal with sweet potaot fires and one with parsnip fries
-Chilly and cornbread
-Been burritos with salad
-Black been soup with rice (dinner to night, but we made broatos for lunch out of it also)
-Black eye pees with rice and steamed kale
-Butter nut squash soup
-Mac' N' Cheese with veggies x3 ( I always add frozen veggies and a hand full of whole wheat macaroni noodles to each box of Annie's Mac' N' Cheese.) Each box has left overs for the kids lunch the next day if served with salad.
-Spaghetti Alfredo with broccoli and fake meat

Step 2)
Plan out your meal plane for the month. I rotate a set number of breakfast and lunches, keeping in mind what leftovers anticipated having. Than I work from this point planing the meals. I only plan 4-5 meals a week. I know we eat at my in-laws on Sunday night and will probably have a leftover night as well.
From here I make my list, with the ability to change it if say spinach is on sale, instead of a different green.
I do have a list of set things I buy every month, cheese, pea nut butter and so on.
I am going to try to brake down the budget by food group on what I spend each week.
I will post my meal plan and shopping list tomorrow, and than off to the store. We will see how well i do. Wish me luck.

Eat our diet on $200 or less?

Christmas is passed and the new year is upon us. So is the time for new year resolutions. Or in my case a challenge. I have been asked by my Moms Club of Twin/Jorme to speak in February on food bugeting. Something i have tryed to keep at $280 a month for some time now, and also eat very well. I mean well not just tasty to the pallet, but also healthy. So I am changling my self to walk the walk, and see if in Twin it is posable to feed a family of 4 (as defined as one adult male, one prgo. adult female, and two kids 5 & 3. )
I am starting this blog to keep recored of how and what I do throw the month to reach this gaol. Pulse I plan on field reshurch for the prices of the food we eat, and some for the food I know that are more comely eaten by my club mates. Ya' I plan to see what you are paying for a lb. of meet and a gal. of milk.
I am a bit intimidated by the process but I won't to bring the best info. to the club, and hopefully improve my current budget.

The rules of the game I intend to use are
1) $200 in cash, to spend on food and hose hold needs
2) I plan to buy all food from stores and or co-ops/farmers in Twin
3) I will use a meal plan for 30 days
4) My meal plan will use pantree supplies on hand
5) I will post up dates every 2-3 days.

So here we go...

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