The ones about the Rothacher Home Archives - Page 106 of 107

Afternoon Snack

June 3, 2011 by Jules Leave a Comment

It's odd how bi-polar 2 days in the same week can be with a preschooler.

We are attempting to train our 3-year-old (on the 22nd- tear) to stay in her bed for naps. We have tried lots of methods but are currently weaning her off of the "parent sit in the room 'til she's alseep" method. My husband is about to leave for Super Summer AR for a week, I will be trying to anchor the ship while he's gone a week (I need my suitable helper!), and it will be impossible for me to sit for ~30 leaving the other babes (1.5-years-old and 5-6 months old) unattended. Ugg.
With that being said, yesterday went GREAT! She got up with a couple minor excuses but stayed in bed and went to sleep! Our afternoon was Be-A-U-tiful! Yummy shared snack of crackers, cheese, juice and DP (for me of course-we want her to sleep at night too ;O). Veggie Tale movie topped it off. Singing, bob'n heads, more crazy dancing, smiles, giggles, munch munch munch, and good old fashion goofiness- awe the Life!
TODAY- (pouty face) Not So Much! She slowly but surely lost all privileges for each sorry attempt at getting out of bed. This was supposed to be the funner day. My middle child was having a "Nanna Day" leaving me with just 2 sanely spaced in age children for the day. NOPE! Man, I don't get it. She finally passed out from excessive energy exertion she was putting forth in the battle of wills. WHY?
Well, we ended up having a lovely evening with a couple of friends because God's cool like that and there is always tomorrow... oh no, my hubs is gone all day tomorrow. Maybe it won't be all that bad. Practice for the week of Super Summer I guess.

*insert disclaimer: we have sought out, heard, and considered tons of advice from tons of source on this manner and as a couple, my hubs and I have decided she Does still Need a nap and we will work at making sure she gets one for her own good. It's not for my sanity; it would be a lot simpler to just let her run 'til she drops or something because it doesn't really give me a break. It's actually a little harder. She has a younger sister still taking 2 naps so they alternate awake time and the youngest is still working out his routine.

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: cheese, crackers, DP, juice, snack, veggie tales

Teaching Character to Toddlers/Preschoolers

June 2, 2011 by Jules Leave a Comment

I truly believe teaching Jesus and the character He desires us to have is the MOST important thing we could be teaching our children; especially at such a young age! What better time to start instilling these foundational truths?
curriculum for those of us just learning to learn so we can share with our kiddos:

https://www.thelearningparent.com/products.asp?cat=58
http://raisinghomemakers.com/2011/anniversary-day-4-who-wants-some-character-concepts-for-their-babes/comment-page-9/#comment-22450
http://www.10millionmiles.com/

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: character, contest, preschoolers, teaching, toddlers

Taco Soup

May 31, 2011 by Jules 5 Comments

Hubs walks in at 4:15 from work. We usually eat around 5ish. I have not started dinner...TACO SOUP!

2 lbs hamburger meat (we use lean ground beef)
2 cans whole kernel corn (we use 1 large family size can)
2 cans rotel diced tomatoes
1 pkg dry taco seasoning
1 pkg dry hidden valley ranch dressing mix
1 small chopped onion (we use ~3 tsp of onion pwd- don't like the texture of actual onions)

Brown meat with onions and then drain. Combine all ingredients (can add water if you want it soupier), bring to boil, then walk away and let it simmer about 30 minutes. Make a bed of fritos, pile on the taco soup, and top with shredded cheese!

There is always more than enough for a couple rounds of left overs and this reheats fabulous!!! I didn't say it was healthy but it sure is quick and YUMMY! Enjoy!
*Thanks to Sally Hudson for this amazing receipt!

Do you have any favorite receipts you can share. Love to hear'm!

Filed Under: Baking and Cooking, Being a Help-Meet Tagged With: fast, feeding, grocery list, home, julie rothacher, kid friendly, little time, meals, taco soup, yummy

The “Monica” Closet

May 31, 2011 by Jules 2 Comments

{reference for the title}

I am an admitted, recovering, HOARDER!

It's hereditary. Everyone's trash is my families treasure. Don't get me wrong, we don't save things like banana peels or something...well, unless we can come up with a great use for them. We are organized in our clutter. We have piles of scrap metal, appliances, clothes, non-perishable food, movies, furniture, cars, decorations for every holiday. The list goes on and on. We share our piles when someone is in need, it just might take a little digging.

I digress...as a RECOVERING hoarder- God Does call us to be a good steward of the things he blesses us with and I am NOT slamming my family or the billions of people who life this way but I believe He has called me, in my life, to live like the birds, depending on Him day-to-day to provide our needs.

This is our attempting to live a hoard-free life of "poverty", according to most of American standards, so that we may (Matthew 28:19 NIV) ^"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we have abundantly basic needs and even wants for our entire family."

The "Monica" closet may be under control right now but my next task it the guest room closet where I am storing all our things we intend to "get rid of" via giving to friends/family, a yard sale, consignment sale, and ultimately the good will.

These are just a few scriptures and or websites with godly insight that I've refered to before in our journey.

Abraham's Promise: Genesis 21:1-7, Genesis 22:1-19, Hebrews 6:15

Joseph's Preparation: Genesis 41:41-57

Rich Man's Store House: Luke 12:13-21

David Platt's Radical, the book

Gospel Poverty mentality

That being said...I now attempt to organize every space in my home to make it comfortable and super functional as well as keep my heart in check and out of the "stuff mart". Because of the physical goal, just like in the '90s sitcom "Friends" Season 8 Episode 14 "The One with the Secret Closet", I have over organized and this closet is where all the stuff goes that doesn't fit into an already existing category. Just another area I fail in my life as I am trying to fix things my own. I will praise God in these times to because when I am weak He is strong. When I have the false sense that I am somehow "handling" things without Him the destruction and fall come as a result of my pride and haughty spirit (Proverbs 16:18).

~Confessions of a Recovering hoarder~

*To see the newest attempt at this challenge click to see the original post.

**Friend me on Facebook to see the 1st attempt at the "Monica" closet.

***Insight in to the life of true Hoaders

Filed Under: Being a Help-Meet, Cleaning, The Ones about...Stuff Tagged With: 31 days to clean, calling, clean, gospel poverty, hoarders, julie rothacher, organize, Radical

Our Town

May 25, 2011 by Jules 3 Comments

Last Year's "1st Time Around the Block"

Last year around this time we were living in a different town, in a different house, with only 2 babies instead of 3. This was my original idea for something fun to activity play with my (then) almost 2-year-old. Masking tape on carpet + big blocks= roads and buildings. I mapped out the town while she was down for nap, using the tape as an outline for the roads and the Xed out sections where of course going to be the city blocks where building were. Silliness. Although it was a good exercise in sorting by color and then stacking/building blocks, it was not practical, especially for her age. She could care less about the "buildings" and it only made sense to drive ON the tape...not in between.

We did have fun though. "We" even used other toys in our town:

Curious George by the YELLOW buildings of course

Our King Kong on a tall tower

And every town needs a flying Superman!

My perfectionist self did finally let my kid play...hehe

A year later we tried this fun activity again.

This is NOT our "1st Time Around the Block"

- Stress - Expectation - Details - mom-input + a sibling= FUN!

bahaha Roads, roads, and more roads for all of our cars and little people. This is a product of a rainy day, 2 energetic toddlers, a desperate mom (who was trying to make lunch), and 1/2 a roll of painters tape. *Bonus: it's Still on the floor~ covered by the playroom area rug. I'm love'n it!

My 3-year-old (in June, as she'd tell you) daughter, Mags kept coming to the kitchen to tell me, "the cars keep 'getting' the little people." She had to help each, individual, little person go to bed so they'd be safe from the cars "getting" them (yeah, I know...I don't get it either). and Yes...entering the kitchen each and Every time she successfully helped a little person make safely to bed to announce her accomplishment. That's a LOT of little people to help in one morning.