The Latest Rocket Launch

On Friday, we went out to the field with 3 new rockets to launch.  The first (the purple one) had 2 motors, and the launcher didn't have enough "juice" to make it go.  The other 2 were launched and retrieved, the yellow one (I think) in need of a fin repair, which has been completed, the white one - a test of a new chute design, survived quite well and only needs a slight revision to the parachute (or so I'm told). 

Baby Sling(s)

Hannah sent me a link to a babydoll sling a couple weeks ago.  I finally got one made - two actually.  I didn't have a pattern, just a couple pictures from someone's etsy account.  I made the first one for Isabele.  It was a hit.  So, that night, I made one for Titus.  I like the way I made Titus' better, and need to make a couple more.  Great gift idea for girls and even boys.  Titus carries airplanes and action figures in his, though in the picture, I did stuff Brian's old doll (in much need of some repairs), Herbie, in just to see if design number 2 would work better for larger dolls.  (It does). 

The kids were not very excited about posing for pictures on this occasion.  But you get the idea at least.
When I make the next one, hopefully this afternoon, I'll pay attention to how I did it so I can stick it in my ideas/instructions book.  if anyone is interested in one, or the instructions, let me know.

Clipity Clop

I just got a 3 minute dissertation from Titus about how to sing "Clipity Clop"  Clipity Clop.  Hear the sound of the donkey walk.  Apparently this is a song that the "big lady" at my Friday Bible study has taught the kids.  Titus included a volume demonstration as to how loud I was to tell my class to sing it.  He did say he would tell my class how to sing it, so maybe I'll just leave that to him.

Today

Titus told his teachers at mom's group that they could come to heaven too, after a story about candycanes symbolizing Jesus' death and resurrection.  He apparently correctly answered their question about where you go when you die. 

I made Isabele a sling carrier for her baby doll(s).  She asked me if she could wear it "for ever and ever and ever".  I told her yes, just not in the bathtub or in her bed.  When she spilled my tea on it, she promptly removed it for dinner.  She had to have it back on as soon as she was done eating.  And she wandered around after her bath (while I was getting her PJ's) stark naked, save for the baby sling and a baby. 

Upon reading a new book (to the kids) that I got as a gift at mom's group, "The legend of the CandyCane", we had a very long and interesting conversation about why the soldiers beat Jesus and made him bleed and what happened to them and about heaven.  Made all the more interesting by my attempting to find words and rationale to explain all of this to Titus and Isabele at ages 3 3/4 and 2.  And Titus' best question was, "For real, how does Jesus get into your heart?" (while patting his chest).  So I explained that Jesus is kind of like air, he's everywhere but we can't touch or see him, and that it is His spirit that is really cool and just gets into our heart when we ask him to.  He then said, "oh yeah, he is really cool and always does good things."

I think there was something else of interest today, but after the bedtime discussion, I honestly can't remember what it is.  If you remember, Hannah, comment and maybe it will trigger my memory.

It is amazing to watch God working in my kids and to watch their brains try to put it all together and come up with something that they can kind of understand.

Biscuits Supreme

I've made biscuits a lot.  I have used the recipe my mother always used.  I have used the recipe that my father-in-law uses.  I have used this recipe.  All to yield mediocre biscuits.  Then, a couple days ago, I once again made biscuits to go with my beef stew.  I used the Biscuits Supreme recipe (it's the best of the three, for me) that I got out of my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.
This time they were all flaky and light - just the way they should be.  What did I do differently??  Was it repeatable?? 
I made them again today, just to make sure that it wasn't a fluke, and they turned out even better!!  Tall and light and flaky.  Wow!! 
Here's what I did differently.  I used unbleached flour (I don't think that really made a difference).  I cut up my stick of butter, fresh out of the fridge, into 16 or so pieces and stirred them into the dry ingredients (so they weren't all stuck together) and then let it sit on the counter for 20-30 minutes while I worked on the rest of dinner prep.  Then I cut the butter in, like normal and added the milk.  I stirred it up until the milk wasn't all soupy and sticky, but there was still lots of loose flour/butter mixture.  Then it all got dumped on the counter and "kneaded" (really folded over and pressed together for the 8-10 times the recipe instructs.  Then I pressed the dough out with my hands (no rolling pin) and cut them out. 

And the recipe:
Biscuits Supreme
450 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
Yield 10-12 biscuits
Time start to finish: 45 minutes to 1 hour

2 cups flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t cream of tartar
1/4 t salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2/3 c milk

Here are the instructions from the recipe.  What I did differently is above.
Combine the dry, then cut in butter till coarse crumbs.  Add 2/3 c milk.  Stir till moist.  Knead 10-12 strokes.  Pat out to 1/2 inch think.  Cut with 2 1/2 inch cutter.  Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet.

For My Sister (Christmas Stockings)

Just for my sister, who wants to put a link to pictures of my Christmas stockings on her blog.  My Grandma Bolinger made my stocking for me years and years ago.  Brian didn't have one like mine, so when I decided that Titus needed a stocking for his first Christmas, I also ordered a kit to make one for Brian.  Titus' has lights on the tree that used to light up, but they never worked very well, and don't light up any more.  Brian's has a musical thing in the toe that chirps a Christmas song.  I ordered a kit in 2009 for Isabele's 2nd Christmas (no way I was going to get one done for her first Christmas - she was born October 30th).  I had the best of intentions, but didn't get it done for 2009.  It was almost done, and I got tired of it.  I couldn't work on it while the kids were awake as they both wanted to play with the sequins and beads, so it got put away.  Luckily, I remembered it wasn't done about a month ago and got it finished in just a couple of evenings.  I did do all of the embroidery and appliqué on Titus, Isabele and Brian's stockings.  I did not, however, create the design.  I just followed the pattern and instructions.

Outside Garlands

We did our tree a little differently this year, kind of.  We have an inside tree that is about 5 feet tall, and we got a matching one to put outside for the birds and squirrels in the front yard.  Then I got some cranberries and nuts in the shell and made some popcorn.  Then we made garlands for the outside animals.  I drilled holes in the nuts and then the kids helped me string everything to make garlands.  We had probably 20 feet of edible garlands.  I tied the tree to the birdfeeder pole in the front yard, and then put the garlands on.  I was hoping that the outside critters would eventually eat them.  I didn't get a picture of it on day one, as I expected the decorations to stay on the tree.  I forgot, however, the true nature of squirrels.  I did all of this Friday evening.  I did not look closely at the tree on Saturday.  When we got home from church this morning, I noticed that the tree looked a little bare.  All that is left is a few cranberries on the ground.  My friends, the squirrels, must have taken the garlands somewhere.  There are no shells on the ground around the tree.  I do have some more supplies, so I will make some more and take a couple pictures right away.  But here are a couple pictures of the kids working on our project.

 Titus and Isabele got to share a coke and eat all the popcorn they wanted to while helping me string cranberries, nuts, and popcorn.

 Isabele concentrating on getting her needle in and out of the nuts.  She used a relatively blunt, thin yarn needle.  She preferred to string the nuts as she needed help piercing the cranberries.

 Titus swinging his second garland.  He was able to string everything, all on his own with his sharp needle!

Concentrate!