Recipes link

I'm taking some salads and dressings to share and taste for a Relief Society cooking class and just posted some of the salads and dressings I make a lot on my new recipe blog because I can't find my password to the really nice one and the template I used on that one is no longer available. Oh well! Here's the new link:

www.ambersfamilykitchen.blogspot.com

Great Article on Mormons and Satire

This is a masterpiece written by Michael Otterson, the Public Affairs spokesman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-faith/post/why-i-wont-be-seeing-the-book-of-mormon-musical/2011/04/14/AFiEn1fD_blog.html

I quite enjoyed it!

History of Byzantium

I have started to listen to Teaching Company lectures again when I clean at night. I just finished the History of Byzantium. It was fascinating. I understand now so much better what happened to Rome and how the Catholic church and Greek Orthodox church split up. I also understand the crusades better and how the Turks took over. The world and the history I teach my kids is making so much more sense and coming together. I understand better why the people in that area of the world are still fighting. It seems not much really changes. I love learning. Thanks teaching company-- what to listen to next?

www.teach12.com

Twins Update

The twins are just about 15 mos. old now. #7 has been toddling all over the place and is very curious about everything. He finds it fun to play chase and throw. We have to watch him extra careful. Last week both babies were playing on the back deck while I was helping #1 with her math. For some reason I thought they were both inside because I heard #6 playing behind the couch. But when I finished with #1 she asked where #7 was. I realized then that he hadn't come back in but somehow the back door was now closed. I ran outside frantically searching and found him in the front of the house!! I then knew I will have to keep an extra close eye on him.

A couple days ago as I was loading the babies into the van, I set #7 on the driveway while I situated #6 in the van. #7 never stopped walking and I caught him just as he was about to run in the road! Today I knew he had gone out front with some of the kids. I suddenly had a feeling I's better go look for him. I ran out front just in time to see him walk right into the road where he started running faster as soon as he saw me. I'm very grateful we live on a quiet street!

Both babies played outside for a while today. The older kids got pretty muddy so they took baths. I heard #7 playing in the bathroom while #5 was in the tub. I soon heard a splash and crying. I ran in to find #7 in the tub with all his clothes on. He didn't like that!! Never a dull moment with this sweet boy. My other babies have not been this adventurous and curious. They've all stayed pretty close to me and been nervous to try new things. Not #7!

#6 loves to be held. We have to trick him into walking while he holds our hands and sometimes we can trick him into walking while holding only one hand. As soon as he realizes he is standing on his own, he cries and sits down. He is way cute though with long, long eyelashes. He loves to push buttons and often turns off movies and cds. He fell out of the wagon out back today, but didn't cry much. He is very smiley and very cute.

There is never a dull moment around here with these babies. I have to assign older kids to entertain them so I can make dinner, because they are little handfuls. My life is rich. I'm so glad to have all these blessings in my life!

Snap up those Onesies- (kinda gross)

I have definitely had some yucky things to deal with this week. First I had to deal with a breast infection which I never had with any of the other 5 kids. I think it is because nursing twins it is just about impossible to wean them gradually. I had flu like symptons for an evening, but I took a bunch of herbs and a long hot bath and although I was still sore I didn't feel sick anymore. But I did sleep in for a couple days so the house has gotten out of control. My husband took us all out to eat, that helped a little. Tomorrow is Saturday so hopefully we can get caught up and on a good cleaning schedule.

The gross thing was of course the evening I had the flu like symptoms, my husband was gone on church business and we heard the babies crying ready to get up from their late nap. My oldest daughter offered to go get them. She was soon screaming for me. I ran in to find her holding both babies and one of them was covered in poop. I saw that there was an open diaper in his crib and so I started to clean him (#7) first. He had poop in both fists and down his leg and on his clothes. I was very surprised to find that his diaper was in tact. Upon further inspection I found some little bits of poop in #6's crib and a big pile in #7's crib right next to #6's crib. The diaper itself was farther away from #6's crib. #6 was pretty clean although diaperless.

Somehow #7 pulled #6's poopy diaper through the bars of both cribs into his own and curious boy that he is-- examined it thoroughly I think. They both got baths, clean diapers, clean clothes and clean sheets. I know I've cleaned up pretty gross stuff other times, but I don't think I have recorded it. I know these days will end, and I want to have good stories to tell my teenagers and grown children about how much I must have loved them. I think this is a pretty good one-- but I think they'd still know I love them without it.

So-- don't be lazy like I was and leave those onesies unsnapped!! Snap those onesies. It took a while to clean up that mess!!

Nuclear survival handbook

This book has a lot of practical information about radiation and how to protect yourself from it. It really won't be too bad if we do get some as long as we stay underground or surrounded by enough mass to keep the rays out.

www.naturalnews.com has good info too. I go grocery shopping tomorrow. I hope I can get some more seaweed.

We wait-- it may not even get here or even be a problem. But better to err on the side of safety.

Make peace with the Lord!

Radiation from Japan

We need to watch the radiation levels coming from Japan. The radiation will follow the jet stream and if it's high enough it will cover half the Western U.S. 100- 200 rad causes death in 5-6 weeks and it goes up from there. Get supplies-- it takes about 2 weeks for the radiation fallout to dissipate it would only be safe inside and sealed for 2 weeks! Then I'm not sure when we could garden again. Be Prepared-- maybe it won't be that high-- let's watch it!

There's a chart at the bottom of this page of what happens at different radiation levels:
http://www.hss.energy.gov/HealthSafety/ohre/roadmap/achre/chap8_2.html

Here's a map of a possible scenario of radiation following the jet stream: