Driving Me Crazy & Just Another Day in PAradise

My 17 yo is driving my husband's standard car very well. Bravo Peaches!

I have had a crazy day best summed up in Phil Vassar's Just Another Day in Paradise. This is one of my favorite songs EVAR. Watch it-- that's my life! LOL

I am talking about a lack of money here-- don't think I am whining. This is life with a big family and it seems that all the kids are shooting up in size! Accommodation, adaptation, and ultimately thriving is what matters to me. If I were a flower-- I hope I would be like a nasturtium! The soil doesn't need to be rich for amazing results!

We can afford nothing but variations of chili right now so it's good that we are in Lent. With my car having had issues last week, my husband's car last month needing new everything and still having bills on top of that-- we are broke. On the good side, I am really good at making chili! One of my sons has asked me if we are rich. I was baffled and he said that one of his friends said I am a very good chili maker and he has it every day for lunch and that when he zaps it, everyone comments on how good it smells! I got a note from his teacher today asking if I can do a demonstration on making chili as part of their nutrition "special." Cool! I called her and told her our circumstances and that it's a necessity. She offered to bring in the beans if I couldn't afford them. That was so nice! I have a huge crock pot to make a feast for his class. My daughters and I make huge pans of vegan cornmeal bread. I use real butter-- it's not part of the fast, but margarine makes me gag. Butter is better for you and the cows need a reason to be, right?

We are doing well on the vegan eating-- no meat for two or three weeks now and we've really not missed it. I made hummus the other night with homemade pita. I had Peaches make Indian Naan the other day and she did well but she'd never made it before. We are essentially using the same ingredients for everything but in different ways. My husband made a Thai vegetable soup over the weekend. I like how we are doing this. My 10 year old son asked if he gets to make something since it seems the thing that we are doing now-- everyone had to make something then we sit around and rave over it!

My 10 year old son shot up a full pant size over spring break. He was an average size eight two weeks ago and now he is a good fit for his size ten pants! Gosh-- he'll be taller than his 12 yo sister before the summer is up and she is already tall for her age.

We're planning the garden for this year. I can't afford a lot, but I can't afford not to! This morning my four year old put back four BIG bowls of oatmeal with raisins and brown sugar. (I eat one bowl.) These kids just eat and eat! I have them raising broccoli and Brussels Sprouts, then some lettuces and sunflowers. I want to grow some tomatoes as well-- I want to raise them to grow green tomatoes for verde salsa. We also do an assortment of local berries. I am so ready to get my hands muddy!

These are my hands making Blessed Bread for church. We call it posphora. It means offering!