Family Move Night With Kung Fu Panda 2

Kung Fu Panda 2

I had been waiting patiently to watch Kung Fu Panda 2.  Ever since my hubby had taken the kids to watch the movie, they have counted the days until I could watch it.  They were excited for me to see it because they loved it.  I had been informed that it would be available for rent today (Tuesday) through Redbox.  

I was already in bed, when I shot up.  It was minutes until midnight.  I felt like I was going to bid for something.  I went to the website and saw that it wasn't available yet.  A few minutes later, it became available.  I snatched it up and in it went into my shopping cart.  Then, I had to run our debit card several times until the transaction went through.

One scene of Kung Fu Panda 2

My hubby picked up the movie, Kung Fu Panda 2, from the kiosk just before heading to work.  I let my kids know.  They were so excited.  My younger son had kept wanting to tell me about the movie, but I insisted that he not ruin it for me.  I didn't want him to spill the beans about the movie.  Guess what...he doesn't want me to spill the beans for anyone who hasn't seen it yet.

Wonderful ambiance for movie night

This evening, we ate our delicious dinner and settled down to watch the movie.  We had a warm and loving environment with the glow of the Christmas tree and lights.  My living room area is so tiny we were crowded, but I loved it.  It was wonderful to be surrounded by my loving family.  We became very emotional during some of the scenes, and we laughed at other ones.

I think my children enjoyed our family night.  In fact, the time went by too quickly.  I look forward to more movie nights.  I loved hanging with our family.  It was a great time of bonding and discussing the moral implications of the movie; this one seemed to say that we are not shaped just by our past and we must rise above it.

Well, thanks for reading this entry about our family movie night with Kung Fu Panda 2.  I appreciate it.

How about you, my readers?  Have you ever seen either of the Kung Fu Panda movies?  If so, did your children enjoy learning about the morals of the stories?  Does your family enjoy movie nights?  I think movie nights are a wonderful way to bond and discuss a movie together.

I pray that God gives us all His wisdom and peace.

This has been an entry for the Technology Tuesdays series.  Please visit my Technology Tuesdays webpage for a list of my previous entries.

Importance of Family Gatherings

It's not easy for me.  Family gatherings are difficult for me.  I've lost many family members and friends for one reason or another.  It's a challenge for me to get together with others.  Still, I know that I must interact with people.

Sometimes, I feel I'm being lazy.  I don't call friends or family to see how they are doing.  I also suffer a lot with my skin condition.  I guess I just want to convince myself to reach out.  It's not necessarily that I am afraid to get my feelings hurt.  I know going in that I might get my feelings hurt so I don't have high expectations.

The problem comes when I think of my kids.  They need to have friends.  They need to know their family.  They need to have family and friends that hold them dear.  After all, what if something happened to me, and I couldn't care for them anymore?

That's why I went on an internet search to find articles relating to family gatherings.  One thing you must known about me: I consider my dearest friends as family.  Sometimes, they have stuck with me, through the good times and the bad, like no one else has. 

Enjoy my little list of issues concerning family gatherings--

*Benefits and ways to have a family dinner:

http://children.webmd.com/guide/family-dinners-are-important

*Reconnecting with loved ones:

http://www.sugarhollowretreat.com/benefits-having-family-reunion-smaller-family

*We are social beings:

http://www.enctoday.com/articles/family-318-relationships-families.html

*A documentary of a family gathering:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095130/

*Advice on how to have a successful family gathering:

http://www.gatherings.info/

*Ways to record a special gathering:

http://www.digital-photography-school.com/8-tips-for-capturing-family-gathering-candids

 

 

Well, thanks for reading about my thoughts on family gatherings.  I hope this blog entry helps someone.

How about you, my readers?  Have you had family get-togethers?  Do you enjoy family gatherings?  How did you handle family gatherings?  I encourage you to consider family gatherings.  It's a great opportunity to reconnect and boost your mood.  You might just need a little break from the monotony of life.   

If you need to improve your health, in any form, please ask God to help you; he will, if you pray for His guidance.

This is an entry for Medical Mondays.  For past entries, click here.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints that I discussed here are just my opinions.  Please consult your physician before altering anything relating to your health.  I am only suggesting here to take charge of your health.  Don't just leave your health in the hands of your doctors; become your own advocate.  You know best how your body is doing.

Family and Mental Health

The happy couple--Martin and Sylvia (my sis-in-law)--cutting their cake.

This is a tale involving a sweet sister-in-law.  It happened yesterday (Sunday, September 18, 2011).  Sylvia sat while her beau got down on bended knee and proposed.  I thought the story was over, but she presented him with a ring, too.  It was a wonderful moment!

After the sadness of my mother-in-law passing away, we needed a fresh start on life.  I had a feeling last week that something joyful would be happening soon.  Then, I received an invitation to Sylvia's engagement party.  I was a little nervous about the idea of seeing everyone I hadn't seen since seven months prior.

It was time to be there for my sister-in-law.

I mustered up the courage to personally RSVP for the event.  I reached out by making the phone call.  I hadn't done that in a long time.  I had recently been digging myself into a hole like a hermit.  I love my alone time, but like I've told my kids, there is a time for everything.

You must be asking yourselves, what does this have to do with medical and/or health issues?  Well, it has a lot to do with my mental health.  I needed to hang out with family.  I needed to hear the laughter.  I needed to give and receive a few hugs.

Sylvia with her brothers

Sylvia with one sister and sisters-in-law

That's what I love about my in-laws, the Villanuevas.  Even though we spend time apart, when we come together, it is like the separation falls away.  Everyone seems to set aside their quirks and bands together as a family should.  I must admit that the joking around made for a lot of belly laughs, and that's what I love to see--people enjoying themselves.

I received the blessing from the bride-to-be to share her special moment with my beloved readers.

If you want to see what I'm talking about, you are welcome to see the video we shot with our digital camera.  We didn't edit it so please forgive the amateurish attempt to capture the special moment.  It was just a spontaneous decision to record.  I wanted to make the video available for those who weren't able to attend, especially Sylvia's other sister.

Well, thanks for reading about my thoughts on mental health and hanging with family.  I hope this blog entry helps someone to understand the many facets affecting mental health.

How about you, my readers?  Have you visited with family recently?  Did you enjoy yourselves?  How did you feel after your visit?  I encourage you to consider hanging out with family, even if it is only for a few hours.  Refraining from hanging out with your family and friends can make one seem and feel anti-social.  You never know if your spirits might need reviving. 

If you need to improve your health, in any form, please ask God to help you; he will, if you pray for His guidance.

This is an entry for Medical Mondays.  For past entries, click here.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints that I discussed here are just my opinions.  Please consult your physician before altering anything relating to your health.  I am only suggesting here to take charge of your health.  Don't just leave your health in the hands of your doctors; become your own advocate.  You know best how your body is doing.

F is for Facebook & Safety

I'm currently participating in 

an ABC's for homeschooling challenge.  

Since it falls on Tuesdays, 

I am adding a technological slant to the challenge.  

I hope you stay tuned and enjoy my entries.

Facebook is a great place to connect with people.

Facebook often gets a bad rap.  Countless stories and studies tell of the bad side of allowing your children, who are 13 and older, to use Facebook.  There are some advantages to Facebook.  Following are some reasons to allow teens to use Facebook:

1. to connect with people.  Facebook allows one to find connections with family members and existing friends.  You can even make friends with distant relatives.  Facebook is especially helpful in connecting with people who live far from you.  For example, I have friends who live in other countries, like Canada and Britain.  I have friends who live in many states, like New York and Delaware, too.

2. to communicate with family and friends.  Facebook gives one the opportunity to converse and catch up with friends.  I like that Facebook gives its members updates on birthdays.  We then can wish, "a happy birthday," to each other.  We can also give notice about upcoming events like parties and graduations.

3. to make new friends.  With Facebook, you can find new people who share common interests.  This is a chance for teens to meet the children of our friends.  It is wonderful that I, as a homeschooling mother, can connect with other fellow homeschooling parents.  In the same vein, teens who are homeschooled can meet on Facebook.  They can then figure out for themselves if they are compatible.

4. to learn about the world.  Through Facebook, a teenager can begin to explore the world.  This is a brilliant way to use technology.  People share all kinds of information and websites on Facebook.  For example, just today, I shared a website having to do with World War II with my teenage son because I know that he likes to learn about World War II.  Someone had shared the same website with me on my Facebook.   

I didn't even know that Facebook had a safety center.  You can find it here:

Facebook's Family Safety Center

I would recommend sending your teens to this webpage for learning about safety:

Tips for Teens on Facebook

Well, thanks for reading this entry.  I hope I have provided some practical advice on how to use Facebook safely.  Facebook can be a useful tool for teens.

How about you, my readers?  Do you allow your children to get on Facebook?  Do your children have a Facebook account?  Are you "friends" with your teens on Facebook?  I encourage you to consider being "friends" with your children if they are on Facebook.  You should know what your children are up to on Facebook.  You can monitor their online activities that way.

I pray that God gives you all, my beloveds, His wisdom and peace.

This has been an entry for the Technology Tuesdays series.  

Gardening Vegetables and Fruit

Bell pepper and tomato plants needed replanting.

We had a busy day.  I usually like to post as early as possible, but I wanted to blog about our garden which was not ready.  Days ago, my hubby had placed cinder blocks in the shape of a rectangle in the area that we had chosen.  We had even put some garden soil inside the rectangle yesterday.  We just needed a few bags of extra ingredients to finish it up.

Before: Garden soil was bought at Keller Material.

In the afternoon, we went to Home Depot to buy 3 bags of  cow manure, 2 large bags of Miracle Gro organic garden mix, and 1 large bag of cedar mulch.  I also thought to buy 3 pairs of neon green gardening gloves for the three older kids.  Kaelyn had small red gloves. The lonely plant is sage that lived on from last year's planting.  The plant survived freezing and hot temperatures!

Cow manure mixed in the garden soil.

Miracle Gro mixed in the soil.

The kids and hubby mixed in the cow manure and Miracle Gro.  They used rakes and shovels.  I asked them to put on their gloves.  (I don't like the idea of the kids touching manure with their bare hands.)  Then, it was time to plant the bell pepper and tomato plants.

I tapped those baby plants out of their small container.

I estimated where I wanted the plants.  They have to be about a foot apart.  I used empty pots to plot the locations.  I pushed the pots into the ground to "stencil" where the plants were to go.  The kids then dug the hole in those spots.

I placed each baby plant in the hole and the kids did the rest.

I turned the plants upside down and tapped hard at the bottom of the small containers to tease them out.  I placed each plant in the holes that the kids made.  The kids then buried the plant.  We've been through this before so they know to tamp down the soil.  After that, came the mulch.

Cedar mulch keeps the moisture from evaporating.

The kids, hubby, and I mulched the plants.  I asked the kids to first surround the plants.  We started with handfuls of mulch.  Hubby shoveled mulch into the garden bed.  Then, he dumped the remainder of the bag.  We finished by spreading the mulch with shovels and rakes.

After: Mulch surrounds the tomato and bell pepper plants.  

The last ingredient was the water.  Thirsty plants require water.  Water makes the tomatoes plump.  With mulch, you don't have to worry about the plants going too dry in the heat.  We need to mulch for the Texas heat.

Hubby watered the plants.

 

  

We made sure to put our tools and gloves away.  It's important to teach the kids to put away the shovels and rakes.  It's not enough to teach them how to garden.  Little details like that can help to know where the tools are next time.  We will be using the tools again for another vegetable garden.   

Gloves go into a hanging shoe organizer.

I'm so proud of my kids and hubby.

Lastly, we had a little treat because the kids did such a good job.  I had bought some badminton gear.  We played until we got tuckered out.  Not even the darkness could dissuade us from playing.  We enjoyed our family time together.

Badminton gear--some I bought today, as a special treat.

Well, I hope you liked this blog entry.  I wanted to show how easy it is as a family to garden.  Gardening is good for your health because of the good foods you get out of it.  You exercise and get to shop in your own backyard.  Later, I hope to show how to tend and harvest the garden.

How about you, my dear readers?  Do you like gardening?  Are you gardening?  If so, what?    I would highly encourage those who haven't to start small.  Container gardening is possible for those with limited space.

God bless you all with His peace and wisdom, my beloveds.

This has been a Saturday Spreads entry.

Our Favorite Dinnertime Meals

My favorite meals involves beans and rice.

What does my family love to eat?

It is difficult at times to make a meal that all of the family will enjoy.  One person may want something different from the others.  I often have to make a meal that has different components to it.  Then, one person can leave out or add any ingredient if they like. A mother and/or her helpers often have to tweak the meals to accommodate everyone.

For example, when I make spaghetti, I leave out the sauce from the ground meat.  My younger son and I love the sauce on our pasta, but the others sometimes do and sometimes don't.  I don't bother to make meatballs, either; they're too time-consuming to make.  Then, we made some toast, adding butter.  For mine, I add a sprinkling of garlic.

My children also like to eat tacos of various kinds.  I like that they are versatile.  The kids can add any ingredients they like.  One daughter likes lettuce.  The other daughter likes tomatoes.  My youngest son likes a cheese taco, while the older one likes ground meat with the shredded mild cheddar in it.  My husband and I like to add avocado, to which I add a few drops of lemon.

Some of them like cheeseburgers.  Two of my children--the oldest ones--like cheeseburgers.  All of them seem to like chicken nuggets.  Some of us like the nuggets with or without barbeque sauce.  Of course, we need our fries, and again, some like ketchup and some don't.

What about you, my readers?  What do your children like?  What does your significant other love to eat?  Can you see the value of making your meals with choices?  I just love the challenge of having everyone eat a meal together, one that everyone can enjoy.

Peace to you, my beloveds.

Five Reasons to Eat Dinner As a Family

Hubby and daughter eating dinner together.

There are many reasons a family should eat dinner together.  When we first started our little family, I made it a priority to eat together.  There have been many benefits to this wonderful family practice.  Here are a few:

1. You get to share stories with each other.

When my husband gets home after work, he gets to hear about how our home schooling day went.  He gets to tell us how his work day went, too.  There are often hilarious things to talk about.  The children like to explain about what they learned.  My husband likes to talk about the lunchtime antics of his co-workers.

2. You get to socialize with each other.

The children are able to hang out with the adults.  It is important for the children to know how to communicate with adults.  We parents get to visit with our children.  I believe that we parents need to spend time with them to show them that we care and love them.  How else can we show the children about how much we appreciate them than to spend time with them.

3. You get to have family meetings.

There are times when some major issue comes up like Christmas or the illness of a family member.  We need to have a special time when we come together to discuss those situations that arise.  Taking the time to actually hash out the problems is necessary to have a successful family life.  Finding solutions to those problems is essential for the household to run smoothly.  This is the perfect time to talk about financial circumstances and/or the balancing of the chores.

4. You get to show gratitude for each other.

Sometimes for Thanksgiving and/or birthdays, I like for each one of us to show our gratitude.  It can be a few words.  These positive words that show how we appreciate one another goes a long way to building our children's self-esteem.  It also shows each child that they are valuable to the family.  Each member pulls his share of the responsibilities.

5. You get to see your family grow together.

I love that we can come together and learn something new from one another.  The children often have something new to share from their learning.  It could be something that they read in their history studies.  It could be about how fascinated they are about the latest gadget from the technological world.  This is the perfect opportunity to laugh at the funny things that happen throughout the day, too.

Thanks for reading this blog entry.  I hope you have enjoyed my short list of reasons why families should eat together.  Of course these are not the only benefits to eating together, but I have found, through experience, that the family is much stronger.  If you don't already do it, please consider making it a priority to eat a meal together at the same time.  It would be a great blessing for all family members involved.

My peace I send to you, my beloveds.

Bittersweet Moment

Welcome! I am new to formal blogging.  I am a Christian mother who home schools her four talented, loving children.  I just launched this website so it is a little bare.  Please bear with me.  I hope to bring some wonderful opportunities and blessings to my friends and family.

Right now, while I am excited about creating this new blog, I am saddened because my husband's family is going through a rough time.  You see, my mother-in-law has been battling many ailments.  She's in her seventies and has been tough as nails.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  Leave me a note, if you can, to let me know that you have visited.

May God bless you all with much peace.

Rebecca Garcia

aka biblealpha 

aka Rebagv 

aka christianbookworm