Baby Food

The other day I decided to make some baby food for Zachary. I had some extra veggies so I thought I would use them to make him some homemade food. After I was done I thought to myself  "Wow, look at me- just like the pioneer women." I then laughed at how silly that comment was. How I made the baby food:

1. Cut up veggies and put them into microwave safe bowl

2. Steam veggies in Microwave

3. Use emulsion blender to make veggies the correct consistency.

4. Pack veggies into baby size containers and store in refrigerator for later uses.

I don't really think that is quite how the pioneer women prepared food for their little ones. I must say, I am quite spoiled with modern conveniences. Poor Zachary would have found a taste for bark, if it was left up to me to grow our own produce.

Craigslist Ad

I thought this was Hilarious!!!!

Yoga mat for sale. Used once. - $1 (Bellevue)

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Date: 2011-09-13, 10:32PM PDT
Reply to: sale-cbz7z-2597736393@craigslist.org ^{[Errors when replying to ads?]}

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Yoga mat for sale. Used once at lunch hour class in December 2009. Usage timeline as follows:

11:45a
Register for hot yoga class. Infinite wisdom tells me to commit to 5 class package and purchase a yoga mat. I pay $89.74. Money well spent, I smugly confirm to myself.

11:55a
Open door to yoga room. A gush of hot dry air rushes through and past me. It smells of breath, sweat and hot. Take spot on floor in back of room next to cute blonde. We will date.

11:57a
I feel the need to be as near to naked as possible. This is a problem because of the hot blonde to my left and our pending courtship. She will not be pleased to learn that I need to lose 30 pounds before I propose to her.

11:58a
The shirt and sweats have to come off. I throw caution to the wind and decide to rely on my wit and conditioning to overcome any weight issues my fiancée may take issue with. This will take a lot of wit and conditioning.

11:59a
Begin small talk with my bride to be. She pretends to ignore me but I know how she can be. I allow her to concentrate and stare straight ahead and continue to pretend that I don't exist. As we finish sharing our special moment, I am suddenly aware of a sweat moustache that has formed below my nose. This must be from the all the whispering between us.

12:00p
Instructor enters the room and ascends her special podium at the front of the room. She is a slight, agitated Chinese woman. She introduces me to the class and everyone turns around to greet me just as I decide to aggressively adjust my penis and testes packed in my Under Armor. My bride is notably unfazed.

12:02p
Since I do have experience with Hot Yoga (4 sessions just 5 short years ago) I fully consider that I may be so outstanding and skilled that my instructor may call me out and ask me to guide the class. My wife will look on with a sparkle in her eye. We will make love after class.

12:10p
It is now up to 95 degrees in the room. We have been practicing deep breathing exercises for the last 8 minutes. This would not be a problem if we were all breathing actual, you know, oxygen. Instead, we are breathing each other's body odor, expelled carbon dioxide and other unmentionables. (Don't worry, I'll mention them later.)

12:26p
It is now 100 degrees and I take notice of the humidity, which is hovering at about 90%. I feel the familiar adorning stare of my bride and decide to look back at her. She appears to be nauseated. I then realize that I forgot to brush my teeth prior to attending this class. We bond.

12:33p
It is now 110 degrees and 95% humidity. I am now balancing on one leg with the other leg crossed over the other. My arms are intertwined and I am squatting. The last time I was in this position was 44 years ago in the womb, but I'm in this for the long haul. My wife looks slightly weathered dripping sweat and her eyeliner is streaming down her face. Well, "for better or worse" is what we committed to so we press on.

12:40p
The overweight Hispanic man two spots over has sweat running down his legs. At least I think its sweat. He is holding every position and has not had a sip of water since we walked in. He is making me look bad and I hate him.

12:44p
I consider that if anyone in this room farted that we would all certainly perish.

12:52p
It is now 140 degrees and 100% humidity. I am covered from head to toe in sweat. There is not a square millimeter on my body that is not slippery and sweaty. I am so slimy that I feel like a sea lion or a maybe sea eel. Not even a bear trap could hold me. The sweat is stinging my eyeballs and I can no longer see.

12:55p
This room stinks of asparagus, cloves, tuna and tacos. There is no food in the room. I realize that this is an amalgamation of the body odors of 30 people in a 140 degree room for the last 55 minutes. Seriously, enough with the asparagus, ok?

1:01p
140 degrees and 130% humidity. Look, bitch, I need my space here so don't get all pissy with me if I accidentally sprayed you with sweat as I flipped over. Seriously, is that where this relationship is going? Get over yourself. We need counseling and she needs to be medicated. Stat!

1:09p
150 degrees and cloudy. And hot. I can no longer move my limbs on my own. I have given up on attempting any of the commands this Chinese chick is yelling out at us. I will lay sedentary until the aid unit arrives. I will buy this building and then have it destroyed.
I lose consciousness.

1:15p
I have a headache and my wife is being a selfish bitch. I can't really breathe. All I can think about is holding a cup worth of hot sand in my mouth. I cannot remember what an ice cube is and cannot remember what snow looks like. I consider that my only escape might be a crab walk across 15 bodies and then out of the room. I am paralyzed, and may never walk again so the whole crab walk thing is pretty much out.

1:17p
I cannot move at all and cannot reach my water. Is breathing voluntary or involuntary? If it's voluntary, I am screwed. I stopped participating in the class 20 minutes ago. Hey, lady! I paid for this frickin class, ok?! You work for me! Stop yelling at everyone and just tell us a story or something. It's like juice and cracker time, ok?

1:20p
It is now 165 degrees and moisture is dripping from the ceiling. The towel that I am laying on is no longer providing any wicking or drying properties. It is actually placing additional sweat on me as I touch it. My towel reeks. I cannot identify the smell but no way can it be from me. Did someone spray some stank on my towel or something?

1:30p
Torture session is over. I wish hateful things upon the instructor. She graciously allows us to stay and 'cool down' in the room. It is 175 degrees. Who cools down in 175 degrees? A Komodo Dragon? My wife has left the room. Probably to throw up.

1:34p
My opportunity to escape has arrived. I roll over to my stomach and press up to my knees. It is warmer as I rise up from ground level - probably by 15 degrees. So let's conservatively say it's 190. I muster my final energy and slowly rise. One foot in front of the other. One foot in front of the other. Towards the door. Towards the door.

1:37p
The temperature in the lobby is 72 degrees. Both nipples stiffen to diamond strength and my penis begins to retract into my abdomen from the 100 degree temp swing. I can once again breathe though so I am pleased. I spot my future ex wife in the lobby. We had such a good thing going but I know that no measure of counseling will be able to unravel the day's turmoil and mental scaring.

1:47p
Arrive at Emerald City Smoothie and proceed to order a 32 oz beverage. 402 calories, 0 fat and 14 grams of protein -- effectively negating any caloric burn or benefit from the last 90 minutes. I finish it in 3 minutes and spend the next 2 hours writing this memoir.

3:47p
Create Craigslist ad while burning final 2 grams of protein from Smoothie and before the "shakes" consume my body.

4:29p
Note to self - check car for missing wet yoga towel in am. 

A note

The other day my kids were being such turds - I know it is hard to imagine from those angels. It was one of those days that I just threw my hands in the air and said "That's it, I am done." That evening I had a meeting to go to and was quite relieved to be able to leave the house. When I returned home I had this note on the door from my Sarah, I thought it was very sweet........

Thank you for trusting me to watch Zachary...and the kids.I feel more responible now. I cleaned up abit and Matthias,Jojo and Laurelin helped....
Hopefully tomorrow is a good day and hopefully we all will have a good school day! I will try to have a good attitude! I love you Mom! 
Love, Sarah!
p.s Im laying with Zachary! I didn't want to leave him alone.
Love you lots, love you a whole bunch


I guess I will keep her around. :)

9/11 Remembered

This was the speech that George W. Bush gave that evening after the attack on 9-11-01.

Good evening.

Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes or in their offices: secretaries, business men and women, military and federal workers, moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror. The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge -- huge structures collapsing have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong.

A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining. Today, our nation saw evil -- the very worst of human nature -- and we responded with the best of America. With the daring of our rescue workers, with the caring for strangers and neighbors who came to give blood and help in any way they could.

Tonight, I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened. And I pray they will be comforted by a Power greater than any of us, spoken through the ages in Psalm 23:

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for you are with me.

This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day, yet we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world.

Thank you. Good night. And God bless America.

Thinking of all the soldiers that have gone on to protect our freedom over these past ten years. Amazing the changes that this one day made.

changes

Well changes are brewing over here in the Ganley house. We recently found out that Derek made Warrant Officer (Go Derek!). Which means we will be experiencing some big changes in the next couple of years. The first of which, we will finally be moving off this rock! Yeah! Although I must say I am very saddened with the thought of saying good bye to the friends we have made here. Secondly, we will be moving to Fort Leonard Wood Missouri come December. I know, I know... moving in winter, aahhh!!! I am looking forward to actual cold weather, and honestly I can't complain since we will most likely be living there for only a year. Third, we might actually get to visit family in December! Has been awhile since we have been to Washington, looking forward to seeing everyone again. Last, we will be driving from Washington down to Missouri, as a family vacation/ picking up Derek's car. Excited/nervous about driving down there in winter. I have always been terrified of driving in snow.  So I have already started praying for an unusually warm winter. Sorry for anyone that is wanting otherwise. Busy months ahead for us!

Three Years

I realized the other day, that we have been stationed on this island for THREE years! That is actually a record for our family. There are a few things I have learned in the three years that we have been here.......

1. The Hawaiian vacation is VERY different then the Hawaiian living.
2. You can have children happy to attend school every year, until they enter a Hawaiian school.
3. You can never say never to homeschooling.
4. It is possible for people to blast their music from 10pm-7am every single weekend.
5. MP's are all for show
6. You can hear a cockroach from another room climbing on the walls.
7. Cockroaches eat their own poop
8. You can have a group of people wanting to be spiritually fed and a Pastor not wanting to do it.
9. A pastor can lie to you.
10. You can attend a church for six months, and still noone knows your name
11. Your kids can be bullied at church
12. You can be the only white person in a crowded restaurant.
13. Japanese women love JoJo
14. Laurelin is a very hard name for Asian people to say.
15. The Army can take out money from your checking account when they think they are owed it.
16. The Army can also never pay you back the amount of money that you are owed
17. A 1st Sgt. could care less about a soldier's family, and never actually help you.
18. You can make an amazing friend Selling Avon
19. Fun Fridays take on a whole new meaning with a great group of friends
20. Jello shots make people very silly
21. Some people vomit when you pretend to mix beer and whiskey
22. God is the most amazing designer of this creation
23. I will always miss Hawaiian beaches
24. Waikiki is so much fun to spend an evening.
25. I enjoy staying at a 4 star hotel
26. You can go to the beach at Christmas.
27. It is possible to wear shorts on almost every day of the year.
28. Sometimes it is nice to be sitting in the middle of the ocean and missing all the drama on the mainland.
29. Derek can come home and tell me he is leaving in 4 hours.
30. My children still cry when their daddy leaves.
31. A doctor can tell you that you have to live with the pain, unless you cry and demand more tests. 
32. You can spend $5 for a gallon of milk
33. Spam burgers are actually pretty good.
34. Li Hing seasoning is amazing on Pineapple
35. You can actually like people in the FRG
36. Too many people have WAY too much time on their hands
37. People will leave their kids with you for hours and hours at a time, and not care
38. It is possible to have 16 kids in your house at once
39. Bathing suits can be considered clothes for the day
40. I have learned many lessons while being here, and can say that I will look back on this time with joy and laughter.

Easter Lapbook

I posted awhile back on facebook about doing a Resurrection Egg lapbook for homeschooling. I kept meaning to take pictures to show people what it was all about, but I forgot. While I was cleaning up the homeschool room and going through all the papers, I found them, and decided to take pictures for all of you to see. I loved this project, and I think we learned more this year about the final week of Jesus' life then I have ever learned before. I especially loved the fact that after we finished this project we went to Mililani Baptist for their Good Friday experience, and you walked through the different rooms experiencing what Jesus went through. The kids kept saying "hey, we learned that. We did that egg!"

Here is the cover to Matthias' folder. I glued two file folders together.

We did an egg each day of school. Each egg represented something from Jesus' final days.
The kids cut out the egg, and the scripture and picture that went along with the egg.

Here the eggs are opened up, and you can see the verse and picture. There was also a little lesson that I read each day about the item.

Better look at all the eggs. This was our first lapbook experience. We all loved it!
  This next school year we are planning on doing more. I found this lapbook at
 www.currclick.com
I believe this cost no more then $3. You order the item and then download it right to your computer, so you can make as many copies as you would like.
In fact that is my new favorite website! A lot of our curriculum we will be using next year came from there.