Veronica Boulden

Adele turned four on Saturday. Her dad and I knew that we wanted to take her to Build-a-Bear. (We did that for her sister Avril on her forth or fifth birthday and, at that age, it's just the right thing to do for a little girl.)  Build-a-Bear is not the sort of thing we just go and do when we are at the mall and we hardly ever even go to the mall to begin with. So we knew that for Adele, it would be the greatest thing ever. We also decided to go out to lunch to The Cheesecake Factory, since it is right there at that mall. We asked Adele and she said she wanted cheesecake instead of cupcakes for her birthday dessert. There's no way we'd do both, not now that we look at food so differently.  If she had wanted cupcakes, we would have had to leave The Cheesecake Factory without actually eating cheesecake, and I am just glad we didn't have to face that reality. We hardly ever go out to a restaurant like The Cheesecake Factory with the kids, the kind where you sit, o

Grass fed beef burger on sprouted toast  Chicken salad on homemade flax buns Ground turkey with red peppers and squash Grass fed beef taco salad with "chips" made from sprouted tortillas Applewood turkey and veggie wraps Grass fed gyros  Protein pancakes Spicy stir fry over brown rice Grass fed steak and veggies Eggs and veggies Egg whites and veggies Fish and "lazy guacamole" (avocado, onion, garlic, etc.) More veggies and eggs and sprouted toast More veggies and eggs And more Spicy lentils and eggs Grass fed meatloaf Chicken stir fry over cabbage Chopped fresh veggie wraps with hummus Salad with hummus instead of dressing Chicken curry made with coconut and served over quinoa Chicken chilli Another veggie and egg dish Spinach, eggs and one slice of provolone Tomato, eggs and pesto over toast Yep. More eggs and vegetables. Grass fed beef

I finished this book in only a few hours. It is full of truth and inspiration on many interesting topics. And there are at least two portions I plan to share with friends, because I thought of them as I read and I know they will be encouraged or enlightened by the words. I will include just a few of my favorite quotes below: "Christianity is a revealed religion, not a human invention." "The Bible knows no such thing as truth that is merely theoretical; in the Bible the truth is linked to the deed." "As we under God educate the children, we must be allowing Him to re-educate us." A good teacher is a "hinge upon which discussion may turn." Note: This quote is relevant and inspirational to me as I am going to be a Challenge A tutor next year, learning to lead Socratic discussions, etc. About Jesus, the author says, "The reason those three brief years spent in teaching men, ministering to their needs, and finally dying for t

I have three certifications that require me to learn choreography- Bodypump, Bodycombat, and Group Power. I've grown wise in my old age and I have learned that any large task like learning choreography is better done in small chunks. So I usually work on a least one track everyday. I'll watch the video, read the notes, script it, and/or practice it. This is actually really fun to me and it's one of my favorite ways to spend my free time.

Group Power was launched at the Greater Waterbury YMCA yesterday. There were three full Group Power classes with over seventy participants and over ten instructors working! Each class had at least three instructors teaching a few tracks, so it was like a big exercise party- a very intense, but fun day! I have been given the opportunity to teach Group Power twice a week already, every Monday at 5:30am before the kids are even out of bed, and every Saturday at 9am. These are two times that work great for me as a home educator. Note: Group Power is very similar to Bodypump which I also teach when I can. They are both sixty minutes, high-rep muscle training, pre choreographed, ten tracks, every muscle group totally fatigued, etc. so I know I love the format already.

If love is like light, And I think it is, Then you are my sun, Providing warmth and energy. If love is like water, And I think it is, Then you are the rain: Consistent, gentle, sometimes fierce,  Ever satisfying. If love is like earth, And I think it is, You are soil  Nourishing my growth. So fortunately situated, I am,  Roots deep in the heart of a virtuous man. The strength in my frame, The life in my limbs, The fruit that I bear and have to give, All testify to your great love for me. Dear you are to me.  And dear you are to God, too,  I believe.  For He tells husbands to love wives As their own flesh. And so you do. Therefore, God and I both,  Adore and honor you.    -Veronica Boulden