Our little world...

So what's been going on with us? Well, summer has definitely arrived. The sun is shining and it's been rather hot. Actually broke down and turned on the air conditioner for one night, but have been making do with open windows and fans since. We had a very quiet Memorial Day (our original plans were nixed due to lousy weather) - but it was quite nice to have a day with just our family. Flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping loudly, and the kids are swinging, sliding, and making even more noise than the birds!

In family news, our daughter's 2 year molars are popping through, and she's been absolutely miserable. It doesn't matter whether she can't find the right color crayon or she has suffered major head trauma: each will result in the same screech and wail. It doesn't help that I've been fighting headaches and sinus stuff for the past few days. (I've never had issues with allergies before, but supposedly the pollen counts have been higher than ever this year, so I'm chalking it up to that). Needless to say I haven't been an exemplary mother; we've watched too much TV and eaten too much "freezer food" (a/k/a chicken nuggets and fish sticks) To top it off, the dishwasher is broken. Picked up the part yesterday, but it turned out to be the wrong one; the right one will be in tomorrow morning after 9:00, but in the meantime the machine is being used as a large drying rack for all the dishes I'm washing by hand. Yes, I am a lazy whiner. My hubby has been chasing around a lot tying up loose ends on the church roofing job this weekend, plus helping a good friend repair his radiator. I think next week will be a bit quieter and I look forward to actually seeing him! :)

On the plus side, we've gone for five days now without a nose picking or cookie eating incident - I'm NOT sorry that I can't regale you with more tales of the kids' antics. Our funniest happening from the past few days is that our son has decided he just adores the fuzzy rug in our bathroom, and must lay on it buck naked to take in its softness before getting in the bathtub. No, you won't be seeing pictures of that.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever...

Let them give thanks for his unfailing love, and his wonderful deeds for men...

Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the Lord."

Psalm 107:1,8,43

Just want to take a moment and remind myself what's truly important. Unfailing love. Something we as humans can't even comprehend. The kind of love that made it possible to sacrifice a son to offer redemption. Thank you, Lord!!

Raspberry Muffins, take 2

I made another batch of these muffins, and wanted to share the results. The "healthier" version is a bit more filling, too, so would be great for breakfast on the go. More muffin like as opposed to cakey, but still very tasty.

So here's my new version:

Streusel Raspberry Muffins

Muffins:

1 c white whole wheat flour*

1/2 c oat bran

1/3 c sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 c milk

1/2 c unsweetened applesauce

1 Tb olive oil

1 egg

1 c fresh or frozen raspberries (unsweetened)

Streusel:
1/4 each of chopped pecans, packed brown sugar, and flour. Blend together, then stir in 2 Tb melted butter

Stir together milk, applesauce, olive oil and egg. Mix well, then add flour, oat bran, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Stir together until fully blended. Spoon 1/2 of the batter into the bottoms of greased/paper lined muffin cups, then place 3-4 raspberries in the center of each muffin. Top with remaining batter, then sprinkle streusel over top. Bake at 375 (preheated) for 30-35 minutes.

*King Arthur is one manufacturer, and it's available at the grocery store

The pool is going up!!

...And remember, even if there are only a few inches of water, you can never have too many toys :)

Friday Funny

Top Twelve Responses When Someone Knocks on Your Bathroom Stall Door

12. (Loud whisper) Quiet! They might hear us!

11. Is that you?

10. How-deeeee! (Minnie Pearl style)

9. Ommmmmmmmm. Ommmmmmmmmmmm.

8. My meter time hasn't run out yet.

7. Don't light a match!

6. OK, who ordered pizza?

5. I've been waiting for you (sultry voice recommended)

4. Trust me, you don't wanna come in here!

3. Can I help you?

2. Please back away slo-o-o-owly...

1. Come right in, there's plenty of room!

A Tale of Dinner Time Preparations

Twas nigh unto dinner, and I was busy in the kitchen.
The rest of the house? Let’s not talk about condition…
Busy chopping up broccoli, onions and more
Must provide healthy meals, with fiber galore!
Earlier in the day, we had run all about
“Playdate at the park!” our son said with a shout
While out with the car, trying to be thrifty
I stopped at the store to pick up food that was nifty
You see, I am making a yummy dessert for the weekend
Involving chocolate cookies, so healthy rules will be bent
But while at the stove, stirring up the great dinner
The sneaky young kids had a plan, a sure winner
“Let’s grab the cookies and run, we surely can trick her -
We’ll chomp them right down, and lick the cream centers”
So what to the angry mommy’s eyes did appear?
Two little thieves, whose faces soon filled with fear…
For they knew they’d been found and their feast was all through
As for Monday’s dessert? Well, who knows what I’ll do!

Kids' Activities

First off, a little plug for my other blog Tah Dah! I just posted a "Boredom Busters" jar that I shared at our MOPS group this morning. Our meeting today was all about ideas for things to do with your kids. I shared this project and other ideas to do around the house. How about discussing your family's emergency plan and having a drill? Make your own tangram kit! Make a bowling set from old soda bottle or milk jugs! Let the kids dress themselves and have a photo shoot (digital camera highly recommended so you don't waste film)... The possibilities truly are endless. One other thought - set a timer and have them spend a designated period of time on one activity, so you're also helping to develop their attention span. I know this comes automatically for some kids, but many do need to develop this skill.

We also discussed programs at libraries and city parks, as well as stuff like heading to Chuck E. Cheese (Did you know it opens at 9:30 AM? I didn't! No pressure to buy their overpriced food then, either) or small museums. Lots of great ideas, and I'll definitely be pulling out the handouts later this summer, when I'm going stir crazy.

Time Management

Ah, the ongoing battle. I think it's particularly rough for Moms, though. Here are some great thoughts from The Sparrow's Nest.

The things these kids come up with...

The gem of the day:

I was watching a few other kids today, and when my one friend was dropping her daughter off, she stopped to chat for a few minutes. Little D was digging for some treasure up in his nasal passage, and she asked whether he needed a tissue. His response?

"No, I want to pick it like my Mommy."

Classic. Now my big secret is out (rolling my eyes!)

Parents = Children

Being a parent is tough. And the longer I'm a mom, the truer that seems. Isn't it funny how we used to have all the answers...

I was never a rebel/rule breaker (at least in my mind!). I can remember being a teenager, watching the "bad" kids run throughout the church after the service and thinking to myself that my children would never behave that way. HA!! Let me tell you - I've been humbled in so many ways since giving birth to our little adventurer. The child who never really seemed like an infant to me. He was causing trouble from the minute he was born, grabbing at the doctor and just generally letting the world that he would be doing things on his terms. Never slept much, as he was too busy planning his next escapade. Now child #2 has been a bit "easier," but we deal with a lot more attitude issues with her.

The more I observe parent-child interactions, the more convinced I become that nature is definitely the heavier force in the nature vs. nurture debate. Yep, their little personalities are formed early and their sin nature is very apparent. I really have to watch my tongue around other moms, particularly those who tell me all about the program they follow with their little angels - who were sleeping through the night at four weeks and have never willfully disobeyed. Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back! Now I do appreciate advice from others, and I know their are principles in child-rearing, but I'm also convinced that there isn't a single thing that will work with all children. I'm not making excuses here; we as parents have a huge responsbility to our children, and we need to find out what DOES work with each of them...

My prayer life has exploded since having children, as I seek wisdom and patience. I pray for their characters. I pray for their futures. I pray for their friends' futures. I pray for my friends who are also down in the parenting trenches. And I thank the Lord for entrusting us with these two precious gifts.

But in the meantime, I have renamed the children. Now introducing:

Birth and Control

Great weekend!!

We had a very nice weekend - the weather was on the cool side, but still very nice. It was quite breezy, so we headed off to the park on Saturday morning to fly kites. We had a ball - that is until little A fell into the goose potty. Oh, I mean pond. She really didn't fall in so much as sliding into the muck, but we still had to pack up and come home. (Unfortunately no pictures of either the kite flying or the mucky aftermath) Had a nice back porch BBQ with some friends last evening...

On the agenda for the next few days: general clean-up, prepare for MOPS (we're talking about stuff to do with your kiddos over the summer), clean laundry closet (which I've been putting off for an embarassingly long time), deep clean/purge the bathrooms, and 2 playdates for the kids. Here's to a productive week!

Having one of those days?!

I am - and evidently our daughter is too...

I *soooooo* wish that's what I was doing right now! :)

Friday Funny

Some FAQs on pregnancy

Q: Should I have a baby after 35?

A: No, 35 children are enough.

Q: I'm two months pregnant now. When will my baby move?

A: With any luck, right after he finishes college.

Q: What is the most reliable method to determine a baby's sex?

A: Childbirth.

Q: My childbirth instructor says it's not pain that I'll feel during labor, but pressure. Is she right?

A: Yes, in the same way that a tornado might be called an air current.

Q: When is the best time to get your epidural?

A: Right after you find out you're pregnant.

Q: Is there any reason I have to be in the delivery room while my wife is in labor

A: Are you familiar with the term alimony?

Q: Is there anything I should avoid while recovering from childbirth?

A: Yes, pregnancy.

Q: Our baby was born last week. When will my wife begin to feel and act normal again?

A: When the kids are in college.

Thoughts of Frugality

I stumbled onto this blog entry and thought I'd share:

The Art of Being Frugal

Sweet Little Girl

I swear, the kids must think I'm the paparazzi sometimes. But our little girl was just looking so dadgum cute this morning!!

These are a few of my favorite things...

Three things that are making me smile today:

1. Kids playing together nicely - nothing better than the sound of their giggles!

2. My Mary Jane Crocs - fun and comfy

3. "Pear Illusion" deodorant - yes, your pits really can smell good :)

Another thought on HAPPINESS vs. HOLINESS

That ongoing struggle (see my previous post here) showed up in yesterday's sermon. As it was Mother's Day, our pastor took a week off from our journey through Acts and talked about Hannah and Samuel (read the story here). What a contrast to Eli and his rebellious sons! Just because you're around the things of God doesn't mean that godliness automatically follows.

I know I've heard other parents make the statement that, "I just want my kids to be happy." That's a sad statement, and frankly is going to lead to a lifetime of hurt. Or when asked about their future, there's always the popular, "I just want them to follow their hearts..." Even more scary, when you consider that the heart is "desperately wicked." (Jeremiah 17:9) A poor choice, with eternal ramifications.

So as we raise our children - a difficult task under any circumstances - what are working toward? Do we want them to be good or godly? Which is more important, their happiness or their holiness?

Weekend Recap

Another busy weekend at our house... We had a neighborhood yard sale on Saturday, so we decided to put some things out. The weather was beautiful, so it was a very pleasant morning (even though I forgot to put on sunscreen so scored my first sunburn of the year) We didn't sell nearly as much as I had hoped, but we still made nearly $100. Not too bad! We used some of our proceeds toward dinner on Saturday evening - Chinese takeout on the back patio. And we avoided the Mother's Day crowds by eating leftovers for lunch on Sunday :) Our day was pretty low-key: church, then a quiet day at home. I even managed to grab a nap, which is truly the best gift for a mom with young kids!!

As for presents... My hubby and I are sort of weird about gifts for one another, as we really don't exchange them all that often. We do buy one another things, but it's very rarely a surprise. I'd been wanting some flowers for the back of the piano, so rather than a bouquet of fresh flowers that we'd only enjoy for a couple days, I found these flowers at Michael's last week. They're peach blossoms, and were half off to boot, so total cost (including the pitcher) was under $7. Whoopee! So, yes, I'm a crazy lady who bought my own Mother's Day gift, but it was exactly what I wanted, so we didn't waste money on anything, and I don't have to worry about exchanging it...

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But hey, I do like real flowers, too - and our azaleas are absolutely gorgeous right now!

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And on a side note, any other Survivor fans out there? I've always been fascinated by the group dynamics (probably part of that psych major coming out) and this season certainly didn't disappoint. I was really surprised by Boo's statments to Dreamz, along the lines of "I hope that someday you can be a mature Christian, and that the Devil dangling money in your face won't make a difference." Well put...

Mother's Day Giveaway

I adore a good bargain, and it doesn't get better than free! Check it out for yourself - they're giving away a 4GB ipod, with more goodies to come...

Friday Funny

You Know You're a Mom When...

• You automatically double-knot everything you tie.
• You find yourself humming "Sesame Street" as you do the dishes.
• You hear a baby cry in the grocery store, and you start to gently sway back and forth, back and forth. However, your children are at school!
• You actually start to like the smell of strained carrots mixed with applesauce.
• You weep through the scene in Dumbo when his mom is taken away, not to mention what Bambi does to you.
• You get soooo into crafts you contemplate writing a book called 101 Fun Crafts to do with Dryer Lint and Eggshells.
• You are out for a nice romantic meal with your husband, enjoying some real adult conversation, when suddenly you realize that you've reached over and started to cut up his steak.

Things Your Mother Wouldn't Say

"Be good and for your birthday I'll buy you a motorcycle!"
"How on earth can you see the TV sitting so far back?"
"Don't bother wearing a jacket--it's quite warm out."
"Let me smell that shirt--yeah, it's good for another week."
"I think a cluttered bedroom is a sign of creativity."
"Yeah, I used to skip school, too."
"Just leave all the lights on...it makes the house more cheery."
"Could you turn the music up louder so I can enjoy it, too?"
"Run and bring me the scissors! Hurry!"
"Aw, just turn these undies inside out. No one will ever know."
"I don't have a tissue with me--just use your sleeve."
"Well, if Timmy's Mom says it's okay, that's good enough for me."
"Of course you should walk to school and back. What's the big deal about having to cross a few main streets?"

Streusel Raspberry Muffins

We had a Lunch Swap this week at MOPS, so I made up a big batch of pasta salad, and wanted to have a nice little dessert, too. I dug out a muffin cookbook that we'd received as a wedding gift, and made these Stresel Raspberry Muffins. They were very yummy!! Unfortunately I didn't think to snap a picture before they all disappeared...

STREUSEL: 1/4 each of chopped pecans, packed brown sugar, and flour. Blend together, then stir in 2 Tb melted butter or margarine

MUFFINS:
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 c milk
1/2 c butter or margarine, melted
1 egg, beaten
1 c fresh or frozen raspberries, unsweetened

Preheat oven to 375. Grease or paper-line 12 standard muffin cups. Prepare streusel topping and set aside.

In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder. In small bowl, combine milk, butter and egg until blended. Stir into flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon 1/2 of the batter into muffin cups. Divide raspberries among cups, then top with remaining batter. Sprinkle streusel over tops. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan.

---

My spin: I mixed the liquid ingredients together in the bottom of a bowl, dumped the dry ingredients on top, then stirred together. I used frozen raspberries (quite reasonable at Save-A-Lot, and I like to use them with frozen bananas to make smoothies for the kids), and just placed three in the center of each muffin. Very tasty, and not overly sweet. I did add about 1/2 tsp of cinnamon to the batter, and next time I'll substitute a mix of applesauce and olive oil for the butter, and probably sub out half of the flour for either ground oat bran or whole wheat flour.

Bubble Girl

And so ends another day of playing VERY hard...

Monday Memory - Turning 30

Another fun topic - I turned 30 in December of 2003. Not that long ago, but here's a quick look back...

Iraq was invaded in March, Baghdad fell in April, and Saddam Hussein was captured in December. The American Soldier was names the "Person of the Year" by Time magazine. The Space Shuttle Columbia exploded on Feb 1, killing all 7 astronauts aboard. SARS killed over 700 worldwide.

Norah Jones picked up five grammies, Beyoncé went solo with her "Dangerously in Love" album, and I think we all got tired of hearing "Hey Ya!" by Outkast. Johnny Cash and his beloved June Carter Cash both passed away, as well as Katharine Hepburn, Bob Hope,and Mr. (Fred) Rogers. Pirates of the Caribbean was a smashing success, as well as Finding Nemo and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The Bennifer pic Gigli didn't do quite so well...

Ugg boots. Monogrammed bags, necklaces, sweaters, etc.

The San Antonio Spurs won the NBA Championship. Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl. The Williams sisters met up for the Wimbledon final (Serena ultimately winning). Matt Kenseth took home NASCAR's Winston Cup (the last one, as Nextel took over sponsorship in '04 and the points system was overhauled, too).

A first-class postage stamp was 37 cents.

Ah, for the good old days :)

Join in the fun and share your memory here.

(Most info from http://www.infoplease.com/year/2003.html and http://www.fimoculous.com/year-review-2003.cfm)

Hallelujah!!

There really are no words to express the excitement of yesterday, but this seems to come the closest. It was our first Sunday in our facility. And not only is there a church building, but also places to house mission teams. WOW. The full reality still hasn't sunk in. We didn't have a sermon per se, but our pastor spoke on Deuteronomy 6:4-12. The Lord has given us a home that we did not build, but we need to make sure that we remember that is not us, but HIM. The church has grown so much in the past few years, and it was opened up for people to share. I think we all had wiped away a few tears by the end of the service. Yes, God is Good. Can't wait to see what the years ahead hold!

And on a funny side note, the building currently has pews, which will be replaced with chairs when finances allow. I think that will be a good thing for our kids, as our son discovered yesterday that pews have hard corners!

Friday Funny

Knock knock!
Who's there?
Honeydew!
Honeydew who?
Honeydew you wanna hear some garden jokes?

Q: What kind of flowers do you find between your nose and your chin?
A: Two lips (tulips)

Q:Why couldn't the flower ride a bike?
A: Its petals (pedals) were too short!

Q: What kind of flowers do you give to King Tut?
A: Chrysanthemummies

The research assistant couldn't experiment with plants because he hadn't botany.

Old gardeners never die, they just vegetate.

Gardening Rule: When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.

It's Not About Happiness

I want to share this article from Marriage Partnership, a great follow-up to "Three Secrets that Victoria Will Never Understand."

"I struggle to obey the apostle Peter's words: 'Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing' (1 Peter 3:9). Becoming holy hurts, because I see how unlike Jesus I really am." -Elaine Creasman

So who do I look like?

I saw this on someone's blog several months ago and played around with it a bit - used a couple different photos, and had some interesting results (Kofi Annan, Dolly Parton, Magic Johnson, Wynonna Judd, and Drew Barrymore among others). I thought I'd give you all a good laugh, showing my "celebrity heritage" based on a photo from last summer.