November 2021 – Abby's Conundrum

Field Trip Fridays Continue

The money we get from our selling our eggs has become our Field Trip Friday Fund and it has really been a fun learning tool. The kids are always eager to count out the money and work with me on budgeting for the different museum fees and treats we have lined up for each Friday.
Last weekend we went to the Tacoma Art Museum and really enjoyed the western themed art. One artist even grew up in Ellensburg! One of his paintings is below.

I will say that we took Husband on this field trip, so it was moved to a Saturday. Boy, am I glad we did. This was not a museum that would have been easy to do with Pickle by myself. With Husband on Pickle duty I got to explore the art and exhibits with the big kids in-depth. It worked out for the budget too because kids are free and we had a AAA discount. Those AAA discounts are everywhere! Make sure to always ask about them if you have AAA.
The newest exhibit at the TAM is a collection of African American Art and History and there were some very powerful things to see there. I highly recommend going particularly if you are studying American history like us.

C enjoyed the bronze sculptures the most and A liked the Georgia O’Keefe painting. The painting itself wasn’t super interesting, but she enjoyed seeing a painting by an artist we just finished learning about. Sculpture is next in our art history so it was handy and fun to get some inspiration there.

Both big kids earned a Field Trip Coupon this week and A cashed her coupon in by going to the Children’s Museum in Tacoma. This has got to be the best children’s museum on the west side of the mountains, and yes, I’ve been to all of them from Olympia to Issaquah. Haha! The Tacoma one is free which is a huge plus and parking is only two dollars (we usually make a small donation to the museum which is optional). What I like about this museum over others is that your kiddo can’t get lost. There is only one floor, but multiple sections that cater to all different types of fun. Your kiddo can’t wander off far enough for you not to be able to locate them in about two minutes. I can even see all three kids at one given time most of the time- a real stress saver.

Anthem Coffee opened a new location right down the street, so we were able to budget a treat from our fund because of the affordability of the trip. It was Pickle’s first time at the Children’s Museum and she LOVED IT! 😁

Field Trip Fridays are crucial for our homeschool development and I am grateful for so many places to explore with my kiddos. They are my adventure crew and bestest lil buds. These outings are also important for me, to get out there with the kids even if it seems like a hassle and I have to wear something other than sweat pants, haha. I am reminded that I can do hard things and most of the time, our adventures end up going really well and we all enjoy it. It’s all a matter of perspective and it’s good for me to exercise that positive thinking. Let me know if you want to join us on a field trip!

We are very excited for Thanksgiving break, and we have several fun activities planned, so stay tuned!

“Mom! You have so many lines on your face! They are everywhere when you smile. Your face crinkles all over. Woah!”
“Yep. Aren’t I lucky to have so many? I’ve must have spent a lot of my life smiling.”

Energy Bites

We’ve wrapped up soccer season 2021! C and A both ended on a great note. C made an epic diving save as keeper and scored a goal.

Miss A made several saves as keeper and got to play against some of her good friends which was a fun surprise. We survived the downpours and frigid weather that really set in. Pickle was such a good sport with the crazy schedule and long days.

Soccer has ended for the year but we are still busy with all our other activities and we need all the energy we can get these days. I’m ready for the cozy slow down of the holidays! In the mean time, I’m making an extra effort to keep nourishing fuel on hand.

When I was little we made “dandy candy” and it was my favorite snack! It was simple enough for me to make as an 8 year old, so I’m hoping that this healthier twist is something one of the big kids can start making on the regular. This recipe is also a great way to get some extra organ supplements in- I promise you can’t even taste it! Still not sold? Read about the benefits of eating kidneys in the link below.

Energy Bites

Tools: mixing bowl, mixing spoon, freezer safe plate

Ingredients

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 1/2 scoops of collagen peptides

2 TBS chia seeds

2 TBS raw honey

1/4 cup Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips

1 TBS maca powder

3-4 TBS coconut flour

6 capsules of Grass Fed kidney supplements ( I like this brand)

Directions

Mix all ingredients together until well combined. To add the kidney, open the capsules into the bowl. Discard the capsules.
Roll into kiddo sized balls and freeze or refrigerate until firm.
Enjoy!

I like to keep these frozen in a Tupperware, ready for whenever my energy levels start dropping in the afternoon, or for when I hear the midday, “Mom! I’m hungry!” 😊

Friday Night Fish Tacos

It’s always satisfying to come up with a new but simple recipe. I pretty much always buy the same groceries for several reasons: we have a variance of food allergies and food needs due to medical issues, I know our stores carry these items year round, they are cost effective, and I know my whole family will eat said food, haha!
When I do get hankering for something new, I try and come up a twist on some dish we eat on the regular, because who has time to do anything more elaborate, honestly? Friday is our pasta or fish day. Sometimes it’s salmon, sometimes it’s cod, and I have to admit, my cod recipes are… limited. And by limited I mean I usually just bake it and call it good 😬. Until now!

Fish Tacos

Taco filling

5 medium cod fillets (I get mine from Costco in the frozen section)

1 cup diced mango

1 large avocado diced

1 medium white onion diced

Wraps

1 head organic iceberg lettuce

Sauce

3 TBS Dijon mustard

2 TBS plain coconut yogurt

Splash of lemon juice

Pinch of salt

Directions:

Thaw the cod in the fridge for a few hours, then bake on a rimmed cookie sheet at 350 until flaky.

Remove the fish and gently break apart the fillets into small pieces in a mixing bowl.

While the fish is baking dice the avocado and sprinkle with lemon or lime juice. Dice the mango and set aside. Dice the onion and set aside.

Wisk the mustard, yogurt, lemon juice, and salt together in a small bowl.

For the wraps, peel off leaves of lettuce, keeping them as whole as possible so they will hold the fillings well.

Serve as a taco bar (the kids love making their own!) and enjoy!

Tropical Smoothie Recipe

Smoothies are a main staple around here mainly because of their popularity, but also because they are simple to fix and I do not like cooking first thing in the morning. Here is a recipe for a smoothie I’ve been making for breakfasts lately. The kids love it! It is packed with nutrients and healthy fats- gotta feed those brains right?

Tropical Smoothie

Servings: Three 8oz glasses

Tools: blender, TBS measuring spoon, measuring cups, knife, cutting board, can opener, grater for carrots

Ingredients:

3 TBS chia seeds

(source of omega3 fatty acids and iron)

1.5 cup of frozen organic mango chunks

(good source of fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin C)

1 organic banana

(source of fiber, potassium, and folate)

2 organic kiwis roughly chopped (don’t peel them)

(high in vitamin C and antioxidants)

1 can organic coconut milk

(source of healthy fats)

4 scoops collagen peptides

(source of protein)

1 cup shredded organic carrot

(binds to endotoxins and estrogen and flushes them through the digestive system. Also antibacterial and anti fungal)

1/2 cup organic apple sauce or chopped apple (keep the skin on!)

(source of flavonoids, protection against oxidative cell damage)

Blend well and enjoy!

Requiem

The leaves are all falling from the trees around us. The glorious burst of vibrant color is fading to the bare black branches and the early dark and shadow of short days mirror our hearts. November seems to bring some herald of sorrow these past few years.

A friend of ours passed away this week. He was just 32 years old and a father of five. He fought a deadly, aggressive cancer heroically. I have no doubt he is in heaven, for all knew him to be a great man. My heart is shattered for his family, his wife, his children, his parents, and his siblings.

The heart cannot comprehend such loss which is why I think grief is felt so bone deep. The ache you feel in your chest is the body and mind struggling with each other to make some sense of it all. The mind says there was a reason, there is reason for everything. But your heart starts to leak from your eyes and reason ceases to exist. There is only sorrow.

This grief cuts deep as this month is also the anniversary of the death of another young father, a co-worker of Chris’s, who passed away in a car accident. He too was a wonderful human being and we still feel his loss deeply. My daughter A just made a drawing of him to put up in church for All Souls Day, all her own idea. My son is asking to write a letter to the daughters of our friend who died this week to tell them how sorry he is for them, in particular he wants to write out the poem he is memorizing for school, “O Captain, My Captain!”, for he said he thought it might help them in some way. Their hearts inspire me to not cowardly push away this grief, but to embrace it, let it come in and stay.

With this season of Thanksgiving tangled in this season of sorrow and loss I am grateful for every single breath. For as we know Life is so utterly fragile. We might be gone with the next leaf that drops from the trees, or worse, someone we love might have said their last words to us on their way out the door.

My heart is heavy while I focus on each day but I also feel gratitude for having known these men who have touched so many lives. In a world with so few good men, the loss of these men is so bitter. But we walk on, stumbling and sorrowful, we walk on.

Blessed repose and eternal memory.

Giving Thanks

I am so full of the Thanksgiving spirit y’all! I have been struggling with my health lately, as my autoimmune condition continues to add more challenges to daily life. But it’s times like these that always makes me acutely aware of how blessed I am. I am abundantly showered with so much. This is how suffering is transformed into something powerful isn’t it? I am so grateful I have a warm home. These rainy nights spent locking up chickens has been really helpful at reminding me how blessed I am to be surrounded by warmth and light.

C and A have started their Thanksgiving trees. Seeing what they put each day makes my heart sing! Just yesterday C put “Life. Life is great” and without knowing what C put, A had written “to be alive”. How amazing is that!? I was touched. I’ve even made the trees twice already so I’m feelin’ pretty special.

We have had two wonderful field trips lately; the first was to the Washington State History Museum where we also peaked at the glass exhibits on the bridge adjacent to the museum. It was amazing! The museum exceeded my expectations and we had the place to ourselves.
We are so blessed to live near so many incredible museums.

We also went geocaching which I can’t recommend enough. It’s been awhile since we’ve gone but just this weekend we were able to hike to two, which was so fun! Geocaching is a great way to start hiking with little kiddos. We’ve always called it “treasure hunting” which proves to be very motivational. I am so thankful for these adventures I get to share with my amazing children .

And how can we forget spooky season?! What a great Halloween we had! We went trick or treating twice. The first was a trunk or treat our city hosted, and the second was around our neighborhood. Confession: we’ve never gone trick or treating in our neighborhood! But it seems that there are more families moving in around us as the retirement age folks leave. We had a blast in the neighborhoods around us and I am so grateful for it!

I hope you are able to find all the things you are grateful for this season friends. It truly does make the difference. Just the other day I was washing dishes and when I looked up I saw this…

Look at that color! I was blown away. What a beautiful world we live in. I’m trying to make sure I see the beauty and enjoy in the little things. We are only here for such a short while that we can’t afford to spend our time not reveling in the wee moments of joy and beauty, right?