Kandid Katie

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge 1/27/12: Hope

2012-01-27T13:58:00.001-07:00

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge 5/13/11: Red

2012-01-20T21:39:00.001-07:00

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge 12/30/11: Winter

2012-01-20T20:34:00.000-07:00

I couldn't choose one, so since I'm about four weeks too late on this one anyway, I just shared 'em all...

(Yes, some are duplicates from this post, which is one of my favorites)

These next three should be a series all their own

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge 1/20/12: Simple

2012-01-20T16:37:00.003-07:00

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge 1/6/12: Launch

2012-01-15T19:14:00.000-07:00

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge 1/13/12: Peaceful

2012-01-15T19:01:00.000-07:00

Menu Plan Monday 1/16/12-1/29/12

2012-01-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

Monday 1/16: Benihana for Mike's birthday

Tuesday 1/17: Brinner for Ellie's birthday (she LOVES pancakes!) - sausage, bacon, pancakes, scrambled eggs for Mike, hard-boiled eggs for me (this is how I do it), fresh fruit

Wednesday 1/18: Slow Cooker Pasta Sauce Chicken, pasta (sauce loaded with veggies)

Thursday 1/19: Slow Cooker French Dip, sweet potato fries

Friday 1/20: Oven Roasted BBQ Chicken (only I'm going to throw it in the slow cooker), still trying to think of a dairy-free veggie side...SUGGESTIONS WELCOME!

Saturday 1/21: Crock Pot Hawaiian BBQ Chicken, rice, Sesame Green Beans

Sunday 1/22: Still deciding...may eat out or order in

Monday 1/23: Sprite roast (beef roast, packet of onion soup mix, can of cream of whatever soup, can of lemon-lime soda...cook on low 8 hours), mashed potatoes (to catch the gravy), roasted parsnips

Tuesday 1/24: Baked chicken (breaded in whatever crackers I have on hand with whatever spices inspire me at the moment), baked potatoes, onion broccoli (like this green bean recipe)

Wednesday 1/25: Brinner - sausage, bacon, pancakes, scrambled eggs for Mike, hard-boiled eggs for me, fresh fruit

Thursday 1/26: Spaghetti with meat sauce loaded with veggies, garlic bread

Friday 1/27: Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala, sweet peas (from one of my cookbooks), naan

Saturday 1/28: Simple Slow Cooker Picante Chicken, rice, roasted broccoli

Sunday 1/29: Morton's Tri Tip Steak from Costco, Sesame Green Beans, roasted potatoes

Candy Canes and Christmas Trees...Fine Motor Crafting

2012-01-08T16:20:00.000-07:00

This post has been sitting unfinished for a few weeks. I had a hard time remembering to take pictures of our candy-cane chaos (below). Anyway, here are some ideas for next year...

I've been wanting to have the kids do ribbon Christmas trees, like this, and paper candy canes, like this. With a few minutes of down time today, I whipped up the materials for whenever the kids and I had the chance to start crafting.

Thinking about the candy canes, I knew that gluing the stripes onto the cane would be a challenge for Mikey, so I decided we'd glue the stripes on the paper and then cut out the cane shape. My next thought was I needed a cane-shaped stencil, but I remembered I have a couple dozen stencils in the pantry. ;o) In this craft, I used the following skills: gluing, placing, tracing and cutting.

First, I glued the white stripes on the red paper. You could, of course, do this the other way around. Make sure you fully coat the stripes so you don't have any separation after you cut out the canes.

Second, I turned over the paper and traced the candy cane several times. I recommend laying the cane on an angle so you get diagonal stripes across your cut-out canes. Also, be sure to leave generous tracing borders, especially if you're using skinny candy canes, to make them easier to cut out.

Third, cut out the candy canes.

I haven't decided what to do with ours yet. I thought about gluing them onto paper as a candy-cane collage, maybe sponge painting the paper first. I also thought about hanging them on yarn as garland. I decided to wad up newspaper and use watered-down white paint to make snow. When the kids' snowstorms were dry, they glued on the candy canes. I think it's obvious which one was done by the two-year-old ad which was done by the four-year-old.

When I decided to do the ribbon trees, I knew I didn't have any ribbon (yes, I know this is a theme with me), so I cut strips of paper in varying lengths. Since I wanted the trees to have a little sparkle, I threw shiny star stickers into the mix. As I started the project, I decided our trees need stars on top, so I pulled out the glitter glue. In this craft, I used the following skills: ordering, gluing, peeling and placing, and glue drawing.

First, give the strips to the child in a pile so that they have to order them from longest to shortest or shortest to longest. Then glue the strips to the paper with the longest at the bottom and the shortest at the top. Second, decorate the tree with the stickers. Finally, use glitter glue to create a star on top of the tree. (I'm sorry I don't have a better picture. I always wait until nighttime to take these pictures, and the lighting just doesn't work.)

Ellie decided hers needed "branches" at the top

Mikey needed surprisingly little direction for this!

A place for everything 1/3/12

2012-01-03T12:10:00.000-07:00

Last year, in 2011, I'm an Organizing Junkie did a 52-week organizing link up. I somehow missed this (or I conveniently blocked it out), but it has inspired me for 2012. I can't promise something blog worthy for every week of 2012, but I will show you my proud moments. I spent all of 2011 decluttering, rather unintentionally, and I've finally reached a stopping point where I can't move forward without getting things organized and put away in a few-major-projects kind of way. I find the timing to be fatefully aligned with the change of the year.

As fate would once again have it, as part of his Christmas giving, Mike took me to IKEA this week to get an EXPEDIT bookcase that I long ago determined was the best solution for our mess of children's books in the family room. We currently have a toy bin rack like this for board books and a cheap, shallow-shelf small bookcase for paper-page books. Of course, the books never stay with their respective furniture, and all both pieces allow for is books sliding everywhere, including the floor. I knew the cubby-style shelving of the EXPEDIT piece would minimize the sliding, and it's big enough for all the books. Additionally, there's room for DVDs and other things, like games, on top.

I neglected to take before pictures, but here's a picture of our first organization project of the new year, built New Year's Eve eve and filled over the next few days. Happy New Year!

Sorry for the weird angle...the Christmas tree was in my way.
Oh, and you rest assured it is anchored to the wall for safety!

A Tale of Disillusionment: Baby Showers

2012-01-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

A friend made a suggestion to me on facebook. Her innocent statement open the floodgates for a river of disillusionment that has had me restless for the last few years. No, this topic is not a deep, life-changing one, but it's important to me, and I believe it's a good reflection of our society's changing attitude toward life and community.

All my life, and I do mean even as a small child, I thought a baby shower was thrown for the purpose of "showering" the mother-to-be with love as she approached the day she would meet her baby and her life would be forever changed. At some point shortly before or after my first child was born, I got into a heated discussion online about the appropriateness of baby showers for subsequent pregnancies. Someone told me that I was wrong; baby showers are to shower gifts on the mother-to-be. Yes, it makes sense. It also explains the graphics on many baby shower cards I've seen throughout my life. Still, I didn't believe it. I started to ask around. The response was unanimous: she was exactly right.

Semantics aside, I stand by my point. I believe that EVERY baby should be honored, if the mother wishes it. In some parts of our country, it is customary to have a full-blown shower for every pregnancy. They're often big events with lots of food and lots of people and lots of celebration. In other parts of our country, it is considered completely inappropriate to have any sort of baby-related party before the baby comes. In these parts, it is usually customary to have a baby open house for people to come see the baby, or at least that is seen as the only acceptable baby party in these situations.

Etiquette gives two conditions, at least one of which must be met, for having a baby shower for a subsequent pregnancy. The first is that the new baby and the next oldest child will be at least five years apart. The second is that the new sibling is a different sex than the other child or children (e.g. this is the first girl for this mother).

Jumping back to what "shower" means for a minute, I don't like that ANY baby shower is focused on the gifts. Sure, a new mom probably needs a lot of stuff. (The "probably" is another discussion for another day.) I think it's great to use the opportunity to supply her with that. But isn't the party about her becoming a mother? Isn't it the time to really get excited about the baby who is about to enter this world? For this reason, I don't like the term "sprinkle," either, which is the compromise often made in our society for second pregnancies (though not usually third, fourth and so on). Changing the name from "baby shower" to "baby sprinkle" just emphasizes that the party is about the presents.

I have no argument against a first baby being a totally unique life-changing event that should be celebrated. But I have a question for those who do not believe in having baby parties beyond the first pregnancy: Is the first baby the only miracle? Furthermore, is the mother not going to be changed by EVERY life she brings into this world or into her home (in the case of adoption)? What happened to the women of the tribe coming together to support the mother-to-be in whatever way she needs?

Wordless Wednesday Meets Thankful Thursday - I Love You, Grandma

2011-12-28T19:28:00.000-07:00

I've had a lot of dreams about my late grandmother recently. They are very vivid, and the first thing I always do is grab her hand and hug and kiss her, because I'm always aware in the dream that she's no longer with us, and this is a rare opportunity. I can feel her soft, cool skin in my hand and on my lips and her bony shoulders in my arms. (She was average weight, but her shoulders were always strangely bony.) She often looks back at me with a knowing look when I do this. I'm never sad in the dreams, even though I recognize how much I've missed her and how I'll miss her again when I wake up. (Of course, I'm bawling as I write this...)

I've been thinking about her more this Christmas than in Christmases past, and I don't know if that's feeding the dreams or if that's because of the dreams. I just feel strangely connected to her right now. Whatever the situation, I'm thankful to have these moments with her, in whatever form they come.

I love you, Grandma.

30 Days of Thankful - Wrap up

2011-12-18T21:50:00.001-07:00

We went on vacation, and I slacked off. Then I brought home a souvenir of the microbial variety, and I just haven't been up to thinking. Now that that's all in the past, let me ramble about everything for which I was thankful on vacation.

I am thankful for the excitement of first experiences. Mikey got his first taste of rides at the state fair in October, but he got to go on some all by himself at Busch Gardens. We couldn't get him out of there! The poor thing cried at Disney every time someone went on a ride without him. It's hard to be little.

My children never ceased to be fascinated by the Epcot ball

Ellie got her first taste of big-people rides...and she's hooked
Here they're headed to Splash Mountain, which is now her favorite ride

I am thankful for deepening passions.

Both kids are fascinated by space, so playing astronaut was a highlight of our trip

Ellie was too scared to feed the dolphins just a few months ago. This time she couldn't have had enough fish to throw!

It's one thing to see wildlife that we've read about in books. It's another thing to see that wildlife really does start out as a baby, just like us.

I'm thankful for the wonders of nature.

Beautiful Spanish moss

I'm thankful for play.

Waiting in line for Winnie the Pooh

Finally, I'm thankful for childlike enthusiasm. My children were so excited to see their favorite characters in person. We met June and Handy Manny at breakfast, Ellie and I searched for Mickey and Pooh, we waited patiently (yes, really!) for Woody and Buzz, and Mikey found every Christmas tree in Florida. (Okay, that's a slight exaggeration.) Ellie learned the difference between Mickey and Minnie (and has a new favorite character), and Mikey learned there are characters other than Mickey, Pooh and Elmo. Both kids ran excitedly up to, well, pretty much everything. They were thrilled to meet Santa Shamu. I was a little disappointed to be unable to ride most of the rides, but seeing our trip through my kids' eyes made it so exciting I almost forgot about the rides. Almost.

30 Days Of Thankful 11/24/11

2011-11-24T19:58:00.001-07:00

Today I'll let the Bible speak for me:

"The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reapsparingly, and whoever sows bountifullywill also reap bountifully. Each onemust give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion,for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toyou, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may aboundin every good work. As it is written, "He has distributed freely, he hasgiven to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." He who suppliesseed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed forsowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched inevery way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgivingto God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of thesaints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approvalof this service, they will glorify God because of your submission flowing fromyour confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of yourcontribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray foryou, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for hisinexpressible gift!"

~2 Corinthians 9:6-15~

30 Days Of Thankful 11/23/11

2011-11-23T19:50:00.001-07:00

This week sure has gone fast. I've missed three more days of blogging!

Today I'm thankful for inspiration. My very evil friend ;o) likes to raise the bar for mothers everywhere. She does all the things I want to do but don't feel brave enough. Eventually she gets so far down my to-do list that I have to try to catch up. I will admit that she has, however unintentionally, challenged me and stretched me to success beyond my own belief. Another mother who inspires me is Michelle Duggar. Her faith, strength, devotion, discipline, hearing ear and willing feet help me overcome my own faith struggles, especially where parenting is concerned. Finally, I'd like to mention another mother who inspires me to be faithful and trust God. She is faithful to pray for me and trusts me to pray for her. She works very hard to repair weaknesses in her walk, and she does it very publicly, for which I am very grateful. There are many other people from whom I draw inspiration for the different areas of my life. I am so grateful to God for putting these people in my path.

Fly, Monarch! Fly!

2011-11-19T19:52:00.001-07:00

Let me start by saying how we came to read this book tonight, a story that illustrates what I love about unschooling.

Ellie was playing with one of her ladybug pillows when she started asking questions: "What do ladybugs turn into? What are they before they turn into ladybugs?" Well, as it happens, I have a book about the life cycle of a ladybug that I picked up on a recent trip to the library in search of butterfly books, another of Ellie's requests. I thought this book was wonderful. Here is more information about it, including my review.

After we finished that book, Ellie insisted on reading a few more library books, including Fly, Monarch! Fly! I really liked this book as well - I linked my review, but I like the extras the book contained, like a butterfly sandwich recipe and a craft. Ellie, of course, was all about the craft, so we did it after dinner.

It was a simple craft: Sketch a butterfly on orange paper, color and cut out, cut out and affix antennae, and affix dots and magnet. The sketch part was too hard for Ellie, so I outlined her butterfly, but she did the rest, short of cutting out the antennae.

Ellie's is a bit more abstract

I decided mine needed eyes

30 Days Of Thankful 11/19/11

2011-11-19T19:35:00.001-07:00

Yes, I missed a few days. I've been a little sleepy lately thanks to a growing baby, and nighttime posts are the first to be forgotten. Appropriately, what I've been most thankful for lately is said baby's movement. Besides reassuring me, Angela's movement is helping her already bond with her brother and sister. She kicks like mad when they are on my lap, and they can feel it. They think it's hilarious. Mikey, 2, said, "Don't get me, Baby Angela!" I think it's great that she starts to kick when she hears them get close and stops when they are clearly out of her range. I've also been experiencing the alien-in-the-belly movements, which are always entertaining, especially when they knock something off my lap.

30 Days Of Thankful 11/15/11

2011-11-15T23:00:00.001-07:00

Today I'm thankful for marriage. God has not only given me the gift of a husband to be my partner in life, but He has worked in our lives to make our marriage better and better. As of today, our 8th wedding anniversary, we are the closest we've ever been. Over these eight years, we've been tested in ways we couldn't have imagined, and we survived, by the grace of God. God has changed us, allowed our hearts to break, healed them to be even stronger than before, shown us our strength and stamina...and He put us through it all together. God is good, and everything He creates is good, and we will experience that goodness as long as we let Him have control. I pray that Mike and I will continue to give God more and more control of our lives so that our marriage and our family can be rich beyond our dreams.

30 Days Of Thankful 11/14/11

2011-11-14T22:29:00.001-07:00

Today I am thankful for having an open mind. My new OB (at a birth center) went through a laundry list of concerns/questions/homework for me, and I was able to say I've already done or I'm already doing most of it because I've been exploring all my healthcare options for years. I have a complete box of tools covering mind, body, soul and any combination thereof that we easily pinpointed specific areas to tackle next. I thank God for putting these wonderful care providers in my path.

30 Days Of Thankful 11/13/11

2011-11-14T22:11:00.001-07:00

Today I am thankful for insomnia...sometimes. Not only could I not sleep last night, I had bundles of energy. I stayed up until 7am completing a project (emptying the toy box and making decisions) that had been put on hold for days because I couldn't do it with little eyes watching. I still got almost four hours of sleep, and I wasn't even tired all day! These pregnancy hormones are cuh-ra-Z.

For the love of writing

2011-11-12T20:57:00.001-07:00

I didn't enjoy writing as a child. I hated it, actually. Thank you notes, paragraph-long stories, what-I-want-for-Christmas compositions, every essay in school...they were agony. I never enjoyed writing until my senior year of high school when we had mandatory free writing every day in English class. Something about writing anything I wanted until a timer went off appealed to me.

I'm glad writing and I finally became friends, but I'd love for my children to enjoy writing from the beginning. Tonight I read a fantastic article with great ideas for inspiring children to write. Journaling, letter writing, emailing and postcard exchanging are ways she inspires her little girl to write.

On a related note, I believe in making children write thank you notes. I do, however, do what I can to make them enjoyable to write so that my children don't come to resent the task. I also keep the note writing age appropriate. For example, for a first birthday, I might trace their hand and let them scribble a bit with a crayon. For the second birthday, I might let them go crazy with stickers. Actually, that's exactly what I've done with my two so far, but the next child could have different likes and skills.

Mikey just finished his thank you notes for his second birthday. He enjoyed making them, so much so that Ellie got a little jealous, so I handed her a pile of Christmas cards, thanks to Daddy's genius. Mikey had to get in on the Christmas card madness, too. The only downside to all this was Ellie's disappointment that the cards we mail don't come back to us. Somebody send this poor girl some mail! :o)

She colored ornaments on the tree and added a star

Ellie noticed that the trees on the cards were triangles, so I gave her a bunch of foam triangle stickers and let her go to town

30 Days Of Thankful 11/12/11

2011-11-12T20:30:00.001-07:00

I just read that Baby Anaya may soon go to Heaven. Someone commented that between this sad reality and the recent loss of a loved one in her life, she was beginning to question God. I thought back to those times before Mikey's surgeries when I questioned God. But I questioned God directly, and He answered with a peace I couldn't have imagined.

Today I'm thankful for my relationship with God, the kind that allows me to be brutally honest AND get a healing answer.

30 Days Of Thankful 11/11/11

2011-11-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

Today I'm thankful for all the men and women who have served our country in the Armed Forces. I'm proud to have a number of family members who have served. I definitely do not want to miss the opportunity to tell my favorite veteran that I'm thinking about him today. I love you, Pampa!

Click for more information about Veteran's Day

Hand trees and thumbprint leaves

2011-11-11T11:33:00.001-07:00

I saw this craft on Pinterest, or at least I saw each part of it in other crafts. We had a lot of fun, although the kids' didn't turn out quite like my vision.

Inspired by a rogue print on Ellie's, I added falling leaves to mine

Ellie was so happy when I pointed out her falling leaf that she decided they should all be falling

Poor Mikey's looks like the victim of a forest fire

30 Days Of Thankful 11/10/11

2011-11-10T23:15:00.001-07:00

Today I'm thankful for curiosity. Ellie may ask 5000 questions a day, but if she didn't, I wouldn't experience the joy of hearing how her mind works and how much she's learning every day.

30 Days Of Thankful 11/9/11

2011-11-09T21:02:00.000-07:00

Today I am thankful for my hair. No, it's not shallow. I recently chopped off my hair for Locks of Love, so I can now wear it down all the time and allow my children to brush it. I used to feel bad always telling my children "No!" whenever they tried to brush my hair, but even if it was down, it tangled painfully. They got so much enjoyment tonight out of brushing my hair with tiny play brushes, and I got a free head massage out of the deal.

30 Days Of Thankful 11/8/11

2011-11-08T20:37:00.002-07:00

Today I am thankful for one-on-one time with my oldest. I've had lots of time with my son because of his many appointments. (I made the best of the situation by making that our time.) Ellie kinda got the short end of the stick, and there aren't many opportunities for us to be alone. I forgot how much fun we can have together, just the two of us.

Spontaneous Fall Crafts

2011-11-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

To get Ellie to eat finish her dinner, I told her I'd teach her how to use stencils when she was done. She's already been tracing her own hand, so I knew she was ready. She did well, but she bored with the stencil use quickly, as is her style with any craft not including glue, so I gave her stamps. Still, we had fun.

That's an upside-down Liberty Bell and a star to the left and an upside-down steaming pie to the right.

Ellie asked to do another craft, so I gave her paper to tear and figured we'd do some sort of hand-print tree/fall leaf craft. I rummaged through my paper pile and found some packing paper that was perfect for a tree trunk. I traced our hands and forearms on the paper and applied glue to the hand area of the opposite side on which I traced, and we stuck away. Then I cut out the hands and arm and glued them onto paper of our choice. An older or more practiced child could have applied the glue and done the tracing and cutting as well.

30 Days Of Thankful 11/7/11

2011-11-08T10:49:00.002-07:00

Today I'm thankful for clearsightedness, especially when it comes to decluttering. I left my house with no idea what I could purge and came back with an extensive list, with nobody's help but God's! Sometimes it's the simple things...

Menu Plan Monday 11/7/11-11/13/11

2011-11-08T10:42:00.001-07:00

Review of last week:

Meaty Monday: Slow Cooker French Dip with fresh fruit and veggies
Delicious as always! I forgot to mention we butter and toast the rolls and then add caramelized onions and provolone cheese for those who want it...I prefer no cheese.

Tasty Tuesday: Simple Slow Cooker Picante Chicken (I always add extra veggies to the slow cooker) over rice with fresh fruit
Hit with the big one and hubby as always. I didn't feel like chopping veggies, so I cooked up garlic green beans as a side.

Wild Card Wednesday: Mommy and Daddy are eating out before Bradley class with theBowmans; kiddos are eating organic chicken nuggets, green beans and fruit
Ended up sharing the nuggets. They were good! I love Earth's Best Organic.

Spaghetti Night: Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter only with green beans, since hubby doesn't like asparagus, and without Parmesan, since the big one (Ellie) and I aren't supposed to have dairy
Pretty good. I added a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end because it wasn't strong enough for me. Hubby ate the huge plate I served him and said we could keep it on the menu. I decided to add browned, cubed chicken breast, and I'm glad I did because that's all the big one ate. The wee one loved the green beans.

Free-for-all Friday: Leftovers if we have any, freezer raid if we don't
The neighbor kids were touting their tacos, and Ellie and I thought that sounded good, so I made some.

Now for this week:

Wild Card Monday: Organic Chicken Nuggets and fresh fruit for the kiddos while Daddy and I eat out before our Bradley class

Tasty Tuesday: Eating out after Ellie's swim class

Meaty Wednesday: Sprite roast (beef roast, packet of onion soup mix, can of cream of mushroom soup, can of Sprite, slow cooker low all day), mashed potatoes and cauliflower

Spaghetti Thursday: Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta (recommended by Jessie), honey butter green beans (saute beans in butter until just browning, remove from heat and stir in honey) and fresh fruit

Free-for-all Friday: Yummy leftovers!

30 Days Of Thankful 11/6/11

2011-11-06T21:20:00.002-07:00

Today I'm thankful for the majesty and vastness of the night sky. As we were loading the kids in the car to head out to Mikey's birthday dinner (gourmet...KFC), I spotted a very bright and clear satellite overhead. I had time to run in and get my camera and catch this shot of the International Space Station at 6pm tonight 11/6/11 (to the right in the picture)! Want to see it for yourself? Look here for times. I was also lucky enough to spot either Venus or Mercury to the west (there were so many clouds I only saw one, and I don't know which one) and Jupiter to the east. It was a magical evening!

30 Days Of Thankful 11/5/11

2011-11-06T10:46:00.000-07:00

Today I am thankful that Mikey is still with us. As he slept in my arms this morning, snoring in my face, I though about how, at his first birthday, we didn't know if he'd making it to his second birthday because he was facing open heart surgery. I didn't remember having that thought until I held him this morning, and I thanked God that He let him not only live but thrive. We had a great party today, too!

30 Days Of Thankful 11/4/11

2011-11-06T10:39:00.003-07:00

Oh, dear. I am so forgetful.

Today I'm thankful for time together for our little family. We don't get to see my husband during the day very often, so it is such a treat to meet him for lunch. The kids are always excited to see him, and they always need their "kiss and a hug" before he goes back to work. It has to be a pick me up for him. It's such a nice way to break up the day and have nothing to do but focus on spending time together.

30 Days Of Thankful 11/3/11

2011-11-04T16:13:00.003-07:00

I forgot to publish again!

Today I am thankful for feeling my baby move. With all the stories about babies who never take their first breath, I thank God He allows me to feel Angela move, and so much! She is a very busy baby. Every time I get a little nervous, I pray to feel her move, and she does!

30 Days Of Thankful 11/2/11

2011-11-03T15:26:00.001-07:00

I was so tired when I got home last night that I completely forgot to post this!

Today I am thankful God led me to Dr. Kevin Ross. He got me hooked up with Juice Plus, KST and the Bowman's Bradley Method of Childbirth classes and the Brewer diet that is a huge part of that. All of them have not only helped me be optimally healthy physiologically during this pregnancy, they are all helping me deal with many strong emotions so I can heal physically, mentally and (aha!) emotionally.

30 Days Of Thankful 11/1/11

2011-11-01T21:17:00.000-07:00

Today my dear friend Jessie posted about a facebook page she'd been hearing about all day. I hadn't heard about it before her post, but I like her take on it. Instead of posting a status update each day, she wants to really reflect on her blessings each day. Now you all know how reliable I am, but I'm going to give this a good try. It's only 30 days, right?

The blessing I thought of first today sounds a little silly, so read my whole thought process. I am grateful for my nesting drive. I've been asking God for years to help me get it together. He finally told me outright to get my house together, so I knew He'd help me get it soon. Since then, He's been giving me little bursts of motivation, helping me to get in better and better habits and get more and more organized. He's also been changing my heart. My attitude about stuff and routines and everything has changed dramatically. Now that my hormones are helping out, years of disorganization are vanishing in hours! It's magic like only God can work.

Menu Plan Monday 10/31/11-11/6/11

2011-10-30T22:34:00.000-07:00

Meaty Monday: Slow Cooker French Dip with fresh fruit and veggies

Tasty Tuesday: Simple Slow Cooker Picante Chicken (I always add extra veggies to the slow cooker) over rice with fresh fruit

Wild Card Wednesday: Mommy and Daddy are eating out before Bradley class with the Bowmans; kiddos are eating organic chicken nuggets, green beans and fruit

Spaghetti Night: Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter only with green beans, since hubby doesn't like asparagus, and without Parmesan, since the big one (Ellie) and I aren't supposed to have dairy

Free-for-all Friday: Leftovers if we have any, freezer raid if we don't

Spider Web Weaving

2011-10-27T20:33:00.000-07:00

Today we wove our own spider webs. I would have preferred paper plates and yarn, but I don't have paper plates, and string was handier, so our webs aren't so fancy. I cut notches in the cardboard, making them triangular to make them easier for small hands to control. Ellie got frustrated pretty quickly because she thinks there's a right and wrong way to do everything. Mikey doesn't quite have the skills to do this, so I had him point to where he wanted the string to go.

For the spiders, I frantically grabbed whatever was near (pom poms) because the kids were getting antsy. Apparently I need to stock up on spider-making supplies. Eh, well...we made fuzzy jumping spiders apparently. At least I found the small googly eyes before bed; the kids were about to riot.

I didn't wait for the glue to dry before taking pictures, so ignore the extra white around the eyes.

Ellie's I'm-done-with-this web and color-controlled spider (so unlike her)

Mikey's I-prefer-red-orange-and-pink spider that we accidentally glued on the wrong side

My rainbow spider with different color eyes

5-a-day books

2011-10-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

A preschool blog I follow and love introduced me to the 5-a-day book plan. When I found out about the 5-a-day book plan, where you read the same five books every day for at least a week, I knew it was perfect for our family. I love themed story times, and anyone who's ever had a toddler or preschooler knows that children love to read the same books over and over and over and over and over...

Since Ellie is obsessed with spiders of late, I choose books about spiders this week. I also had to include books containing spiders, since our library is surprisingly light on children's stories about spiders.

The three story books in this picture are The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle, Itsy Bitsy Spider (my kids love books that can be sung and songs made into books) and Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin, which is very entertaining. I'm also reading "Little Miss Muffet" from a treasury of stories and poems. I added Fuzzy Bee and Friends to get to five books. Yes, I'm desperately in need of more spiders in our home library. The three books featuring pictures of real spiders are just reference books we picked up while seeking out stories.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-26T20:37:00.000-07:00

Handprint Spider and Crayon Resist Web

2011-10-26T20:31:00.000-07:00

Ellie has been obsessed with spiders lately, probably because spider decor is everywhere this time of year. She has been asking many questions, so I decided to focus on spiders this week.

I love handprint crafts because their little hands grow so quickly. I got some inspiration from the many handprint spiders I've seen on Pinterest, and I gave the spiders and webs my own spin, no pun intended, based on the supplies I have on hand.

I have construction paper, googly eyes and glitter glue, along with crayons and watercolors, so our spiders are festive and our webs rectangular. First, we drew the webs on white paper with white crayon and then painted over them with lots and lots of very wet watercolor. The paint doesn't stick to the crayon, and Ellie sure tried to prove the physics wrong. Mikey needed more help with drawing the web, so you see a giant asterisk on his that I drew holding his hand. Neither child cared much for looking at one color for too long, so their webs are - well - what's another word for festive? Ellie seemed to feel sorry for me when she saw that mine was not "rainbow." The wet construction paper takes hours to dry, by the way.

While the webs were drying, I traced the four fingers and palm of one hand for each child on black paper. I folded the paper and cut out the hand, yielding eight finger-shaped legs. I then cut out ovals for the bodies. I helped the children apply glue to one of the palms and press the other palm onto it. Then I helped them apply glue to the other palm and place the body. I applied the glue for the eyes because they aren't quite good enough with the glue yet. They very capably affixed the eyes, though, both kids! I let them go to town with the glitter glue, but - thankfully - the glues were low and hard to get out. Mikey wanted to affix eyes to all his glue marks, but I convinced him he wanted to be able to see the colors and glitter. When we got home from swimming class and dinner, I helped them glue the spiders to the webs. I placed books on the spiders so they would dry flat. Ellie insisted on hanging the spiders in the family room first thing this morning.

Appreciating the Red-tailed Hawk

2011-10-09T22:14:00.001-07:00

We see Red-tailed Hawks almost daily because they prefer deserts and agricultural areas, in both of which we live. They are easy to confuse with Common Ravens when they are silhouettes soaring above, but if you can get a good look at the shape of the wings, you can tell the difference. This website has good pictures of both that will show you the difference.

I get a kick out of these raptors because they are actually very goofy. Not only do they look goofy when they sit on street lights like pigeons, they like to yell at people in whose yards they are trying to hunt. My parents had a juvenile that sat in their trees screaming at anyone who came outside, usually in the morning. As it got older, it would squawk at us while waiting for bunnies and mice to put down their guard. We were even lucky enough to see it dive for a mouse 20 feet from us, catch the mouse and then, lucky for the mouse, drop the uninjured mouse from its talons.

The monogamous Red-tailed Hawk may breed for life. The last link below talks a lot about their courting and breeding. Mating season is in the spring, so I'll try to keep my eyes open in a few months and see if I can catch any images of their dance.

Fun trivia: When you hear a raptor's cry on television, regardless of which bird is depicted, the call is usually that of a Red-tailed Hawk.

The first picture you saw in my post about the Baylands. The second was also taken at the Baylands and represents well how I usually see these birds: sitting and waiting. The others I took at Veterans Oasis Park, about which I will post another day. One flew not ten feet above my head, but my silly camera wouldn't focus, so I missed the shot. Still, we could see every feather. It was really cool. Below the pictures I've included some links if you'd like to learn more about this wonderful bird and see some great photos.

Update: These last three pictures have been called into question because they look like a Turkey Vulture. While I admit they do, I also admit to a great deal of confusion. At first glance in person, these birds looked different than Red-tailed Hawks, but I honestly couldn't see them well because of the sun. The sun was above them, and every bird that flew over me, including the White-winged Dove, looked like a black silhouette. The reason I concluded this particular bird was a Red-tailed Hawk was because he did a fly by. He is the one who flew right over my head and was most definitely a Red-tailed Hawk. Now, I have done some research into Turkey Vultures, and these pictures do appear to be of a Turkey Vulture. So I will say this: if this is a Turkey Vulture, he and the hawk are masters of illusion. My eyes never left this bird as he circled and eventually flew over my head. So take it however you want. It may be a tricky Turkey Vulture; it may be a poorly-lit Red-tailed Hawk. This birding business is all about learning more about God's winged creations, anyway, right?

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk/id
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/red-tailed-hawk/
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk/lifehistory
http://www.peregrinefund.org/subsites/explore-raptors-2001/hawks/redtail.html
http://www.desertusa.com/aug96/du_hawk.html
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-red_tailed_hawk.html
http://www.hawkmountain.org/raptorpedia/hawks-at-hawk-mountain/hawk-species-at-hawk-mountain/red-tailed-hawk/page.aspx?id=460

Backyard Birding

2011-10-09T20:18:00.000-07:00

I recently signed up to "Celebrate Urban Birds" through The Cornell Lab of Ornithology in an effort to learn and teach my children more about our winged neighbors. We enjoy backyard birding because the birds become so familiar. We have yet to make our yard appealing to a variety of birds, but we are not wanting for variety if we venture out our front door. We have, in fact, a resident Greater Roadrunner who occasionally runs alongside us on walks and often perches like a pigeon on less-than-dignified objects. One day I found him on a storm drain.

Bounding through the Baylands

2011-10-09T19:33:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to spend a couple days with my very best friend who I haven't seen in two and a half years. Since she and I (and our husbands and children) are tremendous geeks, and proudly so, we knew a trip to the Baylands Nature Preserve in Palo Alto, California, would be perfect for our families. Although we didn't get to see the Golden Eagles and Burrowing Owls we'd hoped we would, we still got a nice show. I don't have much to say other than we'd be there every week if we lived there. I will share some of my pictures. The trip completely rekindled my love of birding that I'd abandoned in high school. If you are in the area, be sure to stop by and give yourself a couple of hours, at least, to explore.

Red-Tailed Hawk
Needs no words

Gorgeous White Pelicans preening and stretching

and fishing

Before we made the drive to Palo Alto, we spent a few days in the San Diego area. Even though my obsession with birding had not yet been rekindled, my love of photographing nature was alive and kicking (wow, that's a lot of metaphors), and I got a couple of shots of birds I don't see every day, if ever.

These first two are a Brandt's Cormorant that was diving and resurfacing so much and so fast that I had a hard time getting a good closeup, but it did stop to rest on a buoy.

If you've never seen a pelican up close, you don't realize how big they really are. The Brown Pelican has a wingspan of over six feet. This one made the loudest splashes every time it landed!

At first glance, thanks to the light, this Rough-legged Hawk appeared to be a Golden Eagle. Another birder, who drew my attention to it in the first place, thought so, too. Even though I was slightly disappointed to find out it wasn't when I blew up the picture, I was still excited to find out I saw a bird I've never seen before.

P.S. I gave picture captions a good test today (I normally just type them manually under the picture), so let me know what you think of the format.

Update: God's gift to me (and the surfers) this morning

2011-09-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

The dolphins came back while I was brushing my teeth. I thought I'd seen four fins by the pier before, but I only saw three going to and from the pier. This time I saw three go to the pier but four go back. I also got a good view of the dolphins (more than just the dorsal fins), and I discovered that they were Common Dolphins. I got a couple pictures showing the light markings on their sides. This is probably the best, though I admit it's still not that good. :o)

God's gift to me (and the surfers) this morning

2011-09-25T09:27:00.001-07:00

I woke up early and couldn't fall back asleep. I looked out and saw a lifeguard vessel hanging out by the pier, and I worried they were looking for someone, so then I really couldn't sleep. I got out of bed with my camera and started to take pictures of the pier, the ocean and the many other sights that define the character of Oceanside.

The lifeguards, as it turns out, were getting in place for a triathlon. I've never seen the swimming part before, so it was fun to watch all the green-capped swimmers jump in and fight the waves. It was even more fun to watch the stragglers decide if they really wanted to do that to themselves (it's a bit chilly this morning). I spent a good hour outside, taking pictures, feeling like a slug next to the swimmers, giggling at the beachcombers with their metal detectors, and smiling the children.

After an hour outside, and more time sitting inside looking out, I was not in a hurry to go back outside when Mikey got up and started asking. He finally begged, very sweetly and manipulatively, and I couldn't resist. We went out, and I took a couple of pictures of Mikey and then I saw it: a black dorsal fin arching out of the water, not 200 yards from shore. I got my camera ready and, for about 20 minutes, I captured the dorsal fins of three happy dolphins, leisurely swimming along shore and playfully catching fish by the pier. (Sadly, I missed the one fluke slap.) The surfers all stopped and watch along with me. I was sad about how many people just walked by not noticing these rare visitors.

God gave us a great gift this morning. We got to see some of the world's most magnificent creatures right where we surf and swim and boat and play every day without happening. If Mikey hadn't been so insistent, I would have missed it. I thank God for small wonder that leads us to discover great wonders.

I am a sheep

2011-09-22T19:04:00.002-07:00

Over the years I have been guilty of impersonalizing thecross, the death of Christ. When Iremember that Christ died for me, some small voice inside (probably not fromme, if you know what I mean) points out that He didn't die JUST for me but foreveryone. Thankfully, another smallvoice has started to speak up and say, “But if it had been just you, He stillwould have died for you.” I know thatvoice is not my own, either, and that’s the voice that is welcome.

At our wonderful new church (well, the Spirit flowingthrough it), we are doing a church-wide Bible study on revival: Seeking Him. Our inspired worship leaderspoke one day about His reflection on the study to date. He said he was going to ask his small-groupstudy mates when they felt closest to God. Evidently his wife made some unfiltered commentary about the question,and they agreed it was a silly question because they’ve never felt closer toGod than during this study. Well, I haveto argue that it’s not a silly question.

I’m sure I’m not alone. This may become the time in my life so far that I draw nearest to God,but it’s not that time yet. The truth isI’ve been pretty far from God of late. Infact, I’ve been asking myself over and over why I can’t seem to find thatrelationship I had before. Here’s ahint: I’ve been asking myself. I’ve beenrelying on myself, what I do, what I make time for. You’re only as strong as your weakest link,and in the relationship between you and God, you will ALWAYS be the weakestlink, so remove yourself from the equation. Give yourself entirely to God.

So when was I closest to God?

Most of you are not surprised to hear that time was Mikey’sfirst year of life. I wrote time andtime again of the lessons God was teaching me about giving everything to Him,leaning not on my understanding and most definitely not relying on my ownstrength. What was different betweenthen and now? I had no choice but tolean on God. Isn’t that when many of usrealize what the cross was all about?

James MacDonald, from Walk in the Word, thinks so. He thinks we are sheep, and, in his words,sheep are “stubborn, stupid and selfish.” I know I am. Rarely is a personmore stubborn, stupid and selfish than after they overcome a huge crisis andforget what (or Who) got them through. Yep, I actually patted myself on the back after getting through allthat. Wow. That confession leads perfectly to my nextpoint. God is busy in my heart and mindtoday.

Pride. Referring backto the study on revival, the first lesson is pride and its manyinnocent-looking forms. I don’t thinkanyone in our congregation has not been convicted of some form of pride theydidn’t even realize was pride. I knowI’m blind to pride because I see passion or information or something elsevaluable. More often than not, God usesthose around me to intellectually or emotionally bludgeon me when I make thiserror. For a while, the lesson islearned. Then the bruises go away and I(stubbornly, stupidly, often selfishly) act blindly out of pride again. New bruises.

Only recently, with the power of God flowing through theSeeking Him study, have I put this all together. Have I stopped acting out of pride? No. Istill lie to myself (or something else lies to me) and post or speak withoutchecking with God first, even when I have reservations. Eh…we live, we learn. When we know better, we do better. I’m not perfect; I’m a sinner. I’m okay with that, as long as I continue todraw closer to God and act accordingly.

So what do we do about being sheep?

Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, andthey follow me.” (John 10:27 ESV) How do I know His voice if I don’t listen toit on a regular basis, take it in, commit it to memory? How can I follow Him if I don’t know Hisvoice? How can I learn His voice?

Guess what? Nothingyou haven’t heard before, even from me. You have to talk to God and spend ‘real’ time in the Word, taking it toheart. Actively committing a verse at atime to memory doesn’t hurt either (not that I take my own advice there…yet).

If this seems a little abrasive, know that I’m talking tomyself and sharing that conversation with you. I believe that sharing some of the ways God convicts me can helpothers. God has certainly used others’ experiencesto guide me. As I type, I pray thatthese words are authorized by – if not authored by – Him.

I took quite the journey in this post, covering a number ofareas of opportunity in my heart. (NoticeI say “opportunity” instead of “weakness.” That’s a trick I learned in my Human Resource Management studies. Doesn’t it change your emotionalresponse? I feel positive and motivatedto improve rather than beaten down and powerless.) My point was not to lecture anyone on thosespecific issues, though I always find it good practice to see if others’opportunities might also be my own. Iwant to point out that we have tools always available to us to improve ourselvesand identify sin before we step in it.

Remember that we are all sheep. We are all stubborn, stupid and selfish, butwe have a Shepherd. His name isJesus. If we learn His voice and listenfor it (keep the lines of communication open and check in regularly), we willnot be led astray.

How littles learn

2011-09-22T11:40:00.001-07:00

Mikey found a dried leaf and set out to break it into as many pieces as possible

What experiments have your littles conducted?

Newton Family Update 9/21/11

2011-09-21T16:40:00.000-07:00

I just posted Mikey's update.

I don't even know what to say about Ellie. She is three and a half going on 15. She is smart as a whip and painfully strong willed and asks about a thousand questions a day, though only about 400 of them are unique. She loves pretty much anything nature and science and she loves to pretend to read. She can finally run and climb and kick a ball. Yeah...Mikey beat her to most of that. She is my daughter for sure. She is in swimming and loves it, though listening to the teacher sometimes proves to be a challenge. Right now, though, listening to anyone is often a challenge. These fall months are always rough thanks to her January birthday.

As most of you know, Mike and I are expecting our third child. I am almost 17 weeks along (that's just under four months for those of you who prefer not to do math...and before you argue, there are 4.3 weeks in a month, not 4). We are 'officially' due 3/3/12. No, we don't know what it is, and no, I don't know if we'll find out. We will have a fetal echo on 10/19 to find out if this one has any heart issues. Pray s/he doesn't!

Mike and I have nothing else to report. I'm finally getting the house organized for real, and Mike has made good progress on the wood floor. Our priorities right now are finally not doctors and therapists - well, unless you count Bradley classes. I have been doing a lot of projects with the kids (check the blog!) and cooking up a storm (the fetus' request). I have been obsessed with Pinterest, so if you are on there, too, check me out! As always, if you're reading this in an email I sent you, you can see the rest on my blog!

http://kandidkatie.blogspot.com/

Mikey Update 9/21/11

2011-09-21T16:12:00.002-07:00

Well, Mikey has come a long way. Not only is he walking competently, he's running. He's kicking a ball. He's climbing everything. His speech improved dramatically after only a few weeks of therapy. He's eating like a champ most days (and like a typical picky toddler the rest). We just decided to stop physical therapy, which puts an end to all therapy for him. Yay! The neurologist, urologist, ophthalmologist and cardiologist don't want to see him for a year!

We had Mikey in swimming this summer. He enjoyed it, but the actual swimming part is a challenge because of his spine. (It's hard for him to hold up his head.) He'll always have to compensate for his spine/neck issue, but he doesn't even know there's a problem. Now we're entering the world of "normal" toddlerdom: Mikey's potty training! Ack!

We thank God for how well he's doing. We are also grateful for all the well wishes and prayers. I often forget how far we've come until I write one of these updates, so thanks for nagging me. :o)

Crayon Art Canvas

2011-09-21T15:28:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my latest obsession, Pinterest, and my ruthless muse, Jen, I have hundreds of new craft ideas I must produce. Among them are - well, were - these wonderful crayon creations:

The rainbow is totally Jen's fault. It's one of the first things she showed me on Pinterest and something she's already done, thus propelling me forward. The flowers are Andrea's fault, again with the help of Pinterest.

Here's the tutorial for the rainbow. You can see where Ellie started talking to me while I was gluing the last of the crayons to the canvas (on the right).

The flowers were a for-sale item on Etsy, so it was up to me to create this one. I attached the crayons with hot glue and melted them with a hair dryer, ensuring I had both long and short drips. I created a template for my flowers, but you could use silk flowers or whatever means of flower making you prefer. In case you are completely without ideas or just in love with my flowers, here's how I made them.

First, I cut them out, being sure to vary the shape a little for each one. Be sure to cut the slit to the middle. I folded the longer side of the slit over the shorter side and used tacky glue to close it, holding it for a minute or so with my fingers until I knew it wouldn't slip. This way your flowers pop out of the canvas.

Finally, I put a dot of gold glitter glue in the center of each one to add dimension. I deposited a generous dollop of hot glue on the canvas and put the point of the flower in it. It dried in no time.

The rainbow will go in Mikey's room, and Ellie requested the flowers go in hers.

Under the Sea

2011-09-11T21:31:00.000-07:00

Inspired by my BFF, as I so often am, I spent a few days working with the kids on this under the sea piece of artwork.

I couldn't find the watercolors anywhere, so I had the kids finger paint on card stock. The Crayola washable finger paint is translucent, so it has a similar look to watercolors.

I shopped the clearance sections of a couple JOANN stores and had the luck of finding some perfect punches: a crab, a seahorse, a snail and a dragonfly. I used the punches on the painted card stock.

After starting another under the sea project, on canvas, which I will show you when it's complete, I let Ellie go to town with the paints and brushes I had out. I gave her a dark-blue piece of card stock, hoping the light paint colors would pop on the dark blue. They did!

Tonight I helped Ellie glue the animals on the background. Ellie's response: "There's crabs everywhere!"

Hand- and Footprint Owls

2011-09-11T15:14:00.001-07:00

I wanted to do something with the kids' prints for Grandparents' Day cards. No doubt because our family has been obsessed with owls for the last year, an owl came to mind. I had to make three: one for each set of grandparents and one for me! Here's how these cute feathered friends came to be. I apologize for forgetting to take pictures of each step.

First, I painted Ellie's feet with brown paint. (I did one foot at a time, assembly-line fashion, to keep the mess at bay.) I pressed her feet on the paper with her toes toward the bottom of the paper. I had the toes, or tail feathers, overlap so the owl's head had enough width, and the blank spot left by the arch of her feet had paint all the way around. You could fill in the blank spot with a brush if you want, but I like multicolored owls. :o)

Next, I painted Mikey's hands with the same brown paint, though you could use a lighter brown for more color. (Again, I did one hand at a time.) I wanted his fingers together to make more wing-like wings, but he's 22 months old and doesn't like paint on his hands. I pressed his hands down with the palms overlapping the owl's body.

The next part could be done by an older child, but neither my 3.5 year old nor my 22 month old would have done well with this. I put white paint just on half the edge of a round sponge brush.

I pressed the sponge into the owl's body to create U-shaped feather accents from neck to feet. Then I pressed it into each wing feather (finger) with the bottom of the U facing the tip of the finger.

Finally, I cut triangles and trapezoids out of card stock for the beaks and feet. I glued on those and googly eyes. I would have had Ellie do the gluing, but she was napping. Oh, and I used gold glitter glue because I couldn't find my craft glue, but I don't think it looks bad.

I finished off the cards with recent photos of the kids.

Mikey Update 5/17/11

2011-05-17T15:38:00.000-07:00

I know I'm way overdue. Not much has happened in the last few months. We've basically been in a holding pattern, hoping another lead pops up. One thing that happened before that I never sent out is we got the official Cerebral Palsy diagnosis. The good news is it's VERY mild and not progressive. It appears only his legs are affected, and you'll see from the video below that the diagnosis is laughable. On to more pressing matters...

He had another modified barium swallow today with views of his esophagus. There are NO problems with his swallowing. While you can see where the vascular ring used to be, but food and liquid pass just fine, so there are no concerns. Basically, all of his issues - vomiting, etc. - are because of his gut. We're going to talk to the GI about the next step.

Nothing is getting in his way, though. He's growing like a weed. He's gained four pounds in the last four months. He's walking all over the place. He actually got away from me today...and refused to come back. This one is trouble.

I still need to do something

2011-04-15T19:34:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, I told you that I needed to do something. I set a goal to spend time in the Word and pray intentionally every day. I know I've missed a day of reading here and there, and my prayers haven't all been the most intentional, but I can feel a huge difference in my life. I did start a few reading plans. For one, I started a 21-day fast timed perfectly with the remainder of Lent. I also resumed reading a Proverb daily, the one that corresponds with the date (e.g. Proverbs 14 on the 14th of every month). Finally, I finally started a plan that I've had bookmarked, literally, for months. I think I read the first day of it but then I forgot, and then I left the bookmarked Bible in Arizona, figuring I could read on my phone, and then I kept forgetting to print out new copies of the bookmarks. As "luck" would have it, that same app that afforded me the 21-day fast also had Professor Horner's reading plan. (Click the link to read about it and print out the bookmarks.) I'm behind on that one, but all that matters is that I do it, even if it's a little slower than planned.

I'm doing better, but I'm still not anywhere near as intentional as I need to be. I'm just happy to see progress. Hopefully the reading will become a habit soon, and then I can focus on my prayer.

Yeah. Whatever. Not listening.

2011-04-11T10:54:00.003-07:00

I forgot to give up something for Lent. When I remembered, I decided, reluctantly, to give up Dr. Pepper. Big surprise, I didn't make it a day. I gave up. (Good attitude, right?)

My mom came up to Oregon with us last week. She did remember to make a sacrifice, and she's being very diligent. Last Sunday, as I drank a Dr. Pepper, I imagined her saying, "You should've given THAT up for Lent." I dismissed it, but my (I thought) imagination had a response: "It's not too late."

Yeah. Whatever. Not listening.

...

I'd been meaning to install a Bible app on my phone. Instead I played Tap Zoo and Tap Zoo Christmas. To get extra stars and snowflakes to buy special things, you can install extra apps. I was getting tired of the two games and installing, using and uninstalling the extra apps, but I just couldn't delete the games. Great, another addiction, I querulously mused.

Still, I added more apps. One was another Bible app. (I'd already installed one because of these games and hadn't even looked at it yet because, if it's being advertised here, it can't be that good.) I finally opened the newest Bible app to complete the star-and-snowflake-earning process. It turned out to be YouVersion, a very reputable Bible I'd used on my old phone for some time, after my old mobile Bible disappeared. Interestingly, after that discovery, I felt at peace with deleting the zoo games.

Excited and grateful for the "luck" (see how out of touch I was?), I got registered and explored the app. I decided to follow a reading plan. They all seemed good, but the one called "21 Day Fast" kept jumping out at me. I figured that was God and signed up. The scripture reading that night , which was the passage from which the plan idea came, was Daniel 10. Daniel gave up dietary luxuries for his 21-day spiritual fast. Okay, God. I get it. It was exactly 21 days until Easter, the end of Lent.

So long, Dr. Pepper.

Hello, self control.

Menu Plan Monday: 4/10/11-4/17/11

2011-04-11T05:00:00.005-07:00

Sunday
Lunch: Tacos, Enchiladas and Refried Beans (Slow Cooker Enchiladas: 1 can enchilada sauce or 1.5-2 cups homemade sauce, 1 package of at least 10 corn tortillas, .5-1 lb cheese, depending on your taste and health concerns. :o) In a 1.5-2qt slow cooker, pour a little enchilada sauce to coat the bottom. Place a corn tortilla (or pieces of corn tortillas if they are not the same shape/size as the crock) on top then a layer of shredded or thinly sliced cheese; I like medium cheddar. Pour more sauce over the cheese, and then add another tortilla layer, compressing everything. Top with more cheese and sauce and tortilla, pressing each layer. Repeat until you use the last of the enchilada sauce. Cook on low for at least a couple of hours. Serves 4-6. Be sure to watch it; the edges will darken too much after a few hours. I've found 2-4 hours works for me.)
Dinner: Chicken Tikka Masala, Aloo Gobi and Brown Basmati Rice

Monday
Lunch: Hopefully lunching with Daddy
Dinner: Slow Cooker French Dip and Cheesy Vegetable Bake (Some combination of frozen veggies and cheese with a Ritz Cracker and butter topping)

Tuesday
Lunch: Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese and Broccoli (We'll just pour the mac-n-cheese over the broccoli)
Dinner: Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce and Toast (Sauce: Brown ground beef with garlic, onion or shallot salt and garlic pepper; then add a jar of pasta sauce and veggies, like frozen spinach and grated carrots, and simmer while the pasta/squash cooks)

Wednesday
Lunch: Hopefully lunching with Daddy
Dinner: Chicken Green Bean Casserole (I skip the croutons and instead add a bag of stuffing mix to the soup/chicken/green bean mixture)

Thursday
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Dining Out

Friday
Lunch: Hopefully lunching with Daddy
Dinner: Frozen Pizza, Salad and Crudites

We don't know what our weekend plans are yet!

Note: We serve fruit with every meal.

Going with us

2011-04-10T15:33:00.001-07:00

The week before last was hard. I was emotionally, physically and spiritually spent. In fact, I was distant from God. As the challenges of the week piled up, I repeatedly fell under the pressure. While I should've fallen on my knees, I instead fell into sin. I finally reached a point where I started crying - very publicly - in a parking lot, where a very nice woman felt compelled to make sure my children and I were alright. (That encounter wasn't significant, outside of the mere kindness of it, but it sticks with me for some reason.) I wasn't embarrassed; I was broken. I decided I couldn't handle any more issues with Mikey. That night, he choked and earned himself an ambulance ride.

As I retold the story to the pastor last Sunday, I said, "We're really aware of Mikey's disabilities righ tnow." Something about that statement seemed profound to me, though I didn't know why. The pastor didn't seem to notice anything, so I continued with the conversation. Even though I've been trying to forget about Mikey's difficulties, I've just been burying everything. I've even been in denial. Perhaps that's why that statement resounded so loudly - I wasn't speaking of this week; I was speaking of life in general, of the last year and a half.

When I got home, I started reading The Power of a Whisper, as I mentioned in a previous post. I read every chance I got all afternoon. That night, I read something that I've often admitted to be true, but I've been using the wrong tense:

"Therefore it should come as no surprise that a certain number of whispers that come our way will drive us to our knees and stretch our faith like nothing else can."

I've long spoken of how Mikey's first 14 months brought us closer to each other and to God and taught us to fully rely on Him. My mistake was thinking God was done with that chapter. I just wanted that to be in the past so badly that I convinced myself that it was. He's not done when we want Him to be; He's done when He says He's done.

I've said we went through these things to help others who are going through them. I was wrong. We are going throught these things... God is putting us through this - going with us through this - for a reason. Whatever that reason is, it is important for us - for me - to remember that God is with us through everything.

Just this morning I was reading this poem - for the thousanth time - during church (it's hanging above the altar...I wasn't slacking off). I found it an especially timely read.

Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.

Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.

Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,

other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed

that during the low periods of my life,

when I was suffering from

anguish, sorrow or defeat,

I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,

"You promised me Lord,

that if I followed you,

you would walk with me always.

But I have noticed that during

the most trying periods of my life

there have only been one

set of footprints in the sand.

Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied,

"The times when you have

seen only one set of footprints,

is when I carried you."

~Mary Stevenson~

Logic of a three year old, applied to Christmas

2011-04-10T14:53:00.000-07:00

This morning on the way to church, I was talking to Ellie about our upcoming visit from Nonni and Poppi (her grandparents) and how they'd be here for Easter. I decided to tell her about the death and resurrection. Evidently she liked the story because she asked me to tell her more Jesus stories. I told her about Christmas. I tried to convey the downsides of being born in a stable by calling it a barn - at which point she confirmed that there were cows present - and I reminded her of how stinky the cows are at the dairies by our house. Then I told her about all of Baby Jesus' visitors and the gifts the kings brought: gold, frankincense and myrrh. I explained that those are things that smell good. Ellie interjected, "To cover up the smell of the cows?" I laughed and agreed that was a possible use for the gifts. She ended the story for me: "And then his Nonni came to visit and...[insert long list of Nonni-Jesus activities]."

What I learned: Only a three year old could make the birth of Jesus seem like any ordinary day.

Now THIS is the power of a whisper!

2011-04-09T23:24:00.000-07:00

Thankful Thursday: The Power of a Whisper

2011-04-08T14:31:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago, I saw that our church women were doing a study around the book The Power of a Whisper by Bill Hybels. Even though I couldn't make it to the study, I planned on picking up the book anyway, hoping to share some of the energy I was sure was present in the study. As goes my life, I never got around to it.

At church on Sunday, Shari, "The Mrs. Pastor," as I call her, shared that the women would be starting a new study, and we can get a book even if we can't participate. I told her I was interested, and she asked if I'd ever read the last book, The Power of a Whisper. I told her that I hadn't, but it is on my short list. She offered to loan me her copy right then and there. I was so excited that I opened it up that afternoon.

I am no stranger to whispers from God, for which I am unspeakably grateful, so this book is a read-and-nod page turner for me. Even the foreword (by another person) had me practically screaming "Yes! I totally get that!" Even still, I was only a little ways in Sunday night when I read some words that stopped me in my tracks:

"And when he calls us into sacrificial roles, it is never without his caring presence or affection."

Every time God asks me to give up something, I get scared. I want to do it, but I often fail because of fear. What I forget is that God is right there by my side as I do it. (Insert light bulb above my head) As I processed this, I got an overwhelming urge to find out what God was setting me up to sacrifice when he sent me this book via Shari. Then I heard God whisper: "Hit your knees."

I got out of bed and prayed, "God, I want to know your direction for my life. I want to hear your voice. Forgive me for turning up the volume on the world and my sinful nature." Fighting to tune out my own mind telling me what I expected to hear ("take care of your house"), I finally quieted, and then He spoke: "First, repent."

I opened my mind and lifted up whatever came into it until I felt calm. Then He spoke again: "Now, get up. Get your house in order." As if anticipating my "but, that will take a long time!" response, He continued: "This may take a while. I promise I will have more for you."

Well, I will admit that I was stunned. I've received a lot of direct messages from God, but that was the clearest, most complete whisper I've ever heard. I was also relieved. God did tell me what I expected to hear, but He sealed His message with a promise. Just. For. Me.

Wow. I'm excited to know what He'll say next!

Commenting on my posts...

2011-03-30T11:02:00.001-07:00

Carol, I changed the settings just for you. :o)

If you've tried to comment on my posts but don't have one of the profiles listed, have no fear! You can now comment without logging in. Just click on the comments link below the post to leave a comment. You have to select "Name/URL" or "Anonymous" (but please don't be anonymous) if you don't have another profile listed.

Practice Practice Practice

2011-03-21T22:55:00.000-07:00

By now you're probably either ignoring or somewhat annoyed by my mostly-short, mostly-shallow WordPress daily posts (especially since I've been posting more than one a day). I know I wrote a brief disclaimer before I got started, but I want to explain a little deeper why I'm doing these exercises.

I love to write. I always have, especially fictional stories and poetry. I've also always had a flair for the dramatic diary entry. (You do NOT want to see the entries from my tween years.) I have never written very much, though, because if I can't do it right, why bother?

Ridiculous, right? Writing isn't about doing it "right" - or even doing it well. Writing is about self expression. Especially where journals and diaries are concerned. Who cares what you write? The catharsis is in the activity.

A friend of mine fancies herself a writer (and she is tremendously well-spoken and entertaining), and she wrote a nice post about the importance of writing practice. Now, I am not aspiring to be published, though I wouldn't turn down the opportunity if it were God's will. To "be a writer" isn't entirely about being published, and it isn't entirely about self expression. All writers fall somewhere on the spectrum, and, as with any talent/skill, practice makes perf...um...better, regardless of ultimate goal.

So...

You may have noticed that I referred to these silly little posts as "exercises." Exercise, or practice, is exactly how I view them. I believe each one has the potential to become something meaningful, or at least something fun, but the practice is in the doing, whatever the result. That said, what I, personally, am practicing is not the writing so much as the unclenching during the copyediting process.

I have written some very good articles, and I tend to hold myself up to those standards every time I publish. That is just not realistic. Additionally, I have standards for how meaningful, clear, long and original (love me some good quotes!) a post 'should' be. That's getting a little specific. If I do decide to post something that doesn't meet my criteria, I wish and I wash over the decision, even though it's in the past. I also have a number of unfinished posts glaring at me, taunting me, telling me that I can't move on until I've finished them. I need to let go and understand that if I'm meant to finish them, I will. If not, who on earth cares?

So...

I am doing these little daily exercises. I'm having fun with them. I'm following them wherever they lead, even if that's nowhere. I'm being okay with that. I'm teaching myself that it's okay to be okay with that.

In the meantime, read them, scan them, skip them. It's up to you. I've clearly labeled them so that you may make that decision without losing any of your life or brain cells to my triviality.

And!

I welcome any topic challenges, though I reserve the right to take your idea in a direction that you do not intend. It's not personal; it's writing!

The #4 Daily Post at WordPress.com

2011-03-20T15:42:00.001-07:00

Share something that makes you smile.

I'm not excited about this post. It seems kinda boring to me. I have plenty of answers, but none of them is interesting enough to write about without a specific story to tell. So I'm going to take this prompt in a different direction than is intended.

In the spirit of City Slickers, I'm going to find my smile. It's not like I'm not smiling, but I've been inspired by my friend, Greg Tidrow, to step outside my comfort zone and try something new, which will bring a new smile!

I have no idea what this will be or when it will happen. I'm going to sit on the idea and pray about it and see where God leads me. Stay tuned...

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The #75 Daily Post at Wordpress.com

2011-03-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

What's the biggest lesson you learned so far this year?

Off the top of my head, the biggest lesson I've learned so far in 2011 is that I am still not giving everything over to God. I think I am - or I convince myself I am, but I have lingering issues and repeated fallbacks that say otherwise. Maybe this is just a symptom of a bigger problem: I'm not staying in constant communication with God. I've set a goal about that already, so hopefully diligence will create a habit of keeping the line of communication open. Here's to what the next three quarters bring!

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The #3 Daily Post at WordPress.com

2011-03-19T08:15:00.001-07:00

What’s the single most important thing you accomplished in 2010?

Getting my son - my family, myself - through his surgeries. I don't think I can say any more about that than I've already said. 2010 was an exhausting year. Phew.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Spring

2011-03-18T22:22:00.003-07:00

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The #2 Daily Post at WordPress.com

2011-03-18T22:14:00.001-07:00

Name someone who deserves more credit than they get. And for bonus points, how to change things so they get more.

I have a dear friend who is immensely talented in many areas. He experienced a serious health issue as a freshman in college, which totally derailed his life plan as it was. (Read his brief mention of this life-changing event here.) He began to explore talents he had his whole life that had always been - from my perspective - just a hobby. He also stepped far out of his shell to try something new and scary (which, as it turns out, he is REALLY REALLY good at). He continues to branch out and stretch his comfort zone and, though he doesn't frequently admit it, become quite good at more and more talents. He has a wonderfully amusing blog (well, it is once you settle into his brand of humor, something with which I have lifelong familiarity). Please check it out, along with his facebook page, which he could stand to update a little more frequently.

Greg Tidrow

Wonderboy

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The #74 Daily Post at WordPress.com

2011-03-18T21:39:00.004-07:00

Read through first - then do.

Close your eyes. Count to ten. Then imagine a beautiful ancient castle (tastefully remodeled to include central heating, kick-ass wi-fi and WordPress.com ready laptops everywhere). Now walk down the endless main hall, a hall filled with amazing rooms of wonder. Go into the 2nd room on the right. What's inside?

The first thing I see is portraits of all shapes and sizes, hung from wainscot to high ceiling. Then I notice floor-to-ceiling built-in bookshelves in dark wood, filled with old hard-bound books. There are two sets of tall, narrow windows on the wall opposite the door with more built-ins between. There are sets of delphinium-blue tub chairs at each set of windows, along with small tables made of dark, glossy wood and topped with small, fishbowl vases the color of the chairs with matching blue flowers. The far wall contains a large, gray brick fireplace. It seems as though the entire wall is brick because of the sheer magnitude of the hearth and chimney. I'm just about to step completely into the room to see what's on the last wall when...

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The #1 Daily Post at WordPress.com

2011-03-17T23:01:00.001-07:00

List three countries you’d like to visit, and why you want to go.

I want to spend a year in Spain. I want to visit the nearly twenty regions, spending real time in each. I want to photograph the landscapes, write about the sights and sounds, taste the flavors, learn the dances.

I want to assimilate the spice of Morocco. The colors, the shapes, the smells, the flavors, the music. The country speaks to me on a native level.

I want to find my roots in Sweden. I may be adopted, but I was raised a Swede, make no mistake. I feel a kindred spirit in any other Swede. My Pampa fed me Swedish culture and language. My cousin, DeAnn, and I loved to hear him read the Swedish storybook kept in the coal bucket it shared with the Pokie Little Puppy Counting Book and the Barrel of Monkeys. We all stole Swedish meatballs out of the CrockPot before Christmas dinner and did a happy dance on the very rare occasion the meatballs were made any other time of year. I have countless Swedish horses that my late Grandma gave me, even though she was only married to a Swede.

Wow. That's unfinished and unbalanced. I'm okay with it.

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The Daily Post at WordPress.com

2011-03-17T21:21:00.001-07:00

It might seem a touch blasphemous to participate in The Daily Post at WordPress.com here, but the exercises are too fun to pass up. Plus, why should I throw out something good out of risk of offending? That's not my style! ;o)

Now, because I am a bit obsessive and quite compulsive, I will feel the need to go back and start from the beginning as well as doing the daily posts from now on. So don't be annoyed to see at least two silly posts every day here for a while.

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I need to do something

2011-03-17T20:40:00.000-07:00

I have fallen away from God. Not completely away... I still talk to Him and listen for Him and have a passion for Him. But I'm not doing what He's telling me to do. I'm not reading His word or spending time in prayer or giving up things He's asking me to give up. I'm queen of the yeahbuts. I've been aware of demon attacks recently that were stopping me from doing what God was asking. (The attacks had stopped being successful when I was vigilantly wearing my armor. Then I was painfully aware that they stopped completely when I got too comfortable.) I told a friend today that I'm just along for the ride, which is pretty much an invitation for Satan.

Sooo...

I'm going to read the Word every day. I can't promise to follow any sort of reading plan. I can't promise to have anything meaningful to say every day. But I will promise to read something every day and pray intentionally every day.

Wordless Wednesday: Don't worry, be happy!

2011-03-17T14:09:00.000-07:00

I know this is supposed to be wordless, but I don't want to misrepresent. I did not modify this image. I snapped the shot (intending to catch the red trees to the right of the happy face) right as a raindrop hit the windshield, making my camera lose focus and capture this cute refaction of the green traffic light.

P.S. I know it's Thursday, but I really thought it was Wednesday all day.

Musical Macaroni and Cheese

2011-03-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

We had musical macaroni and cheese for lunch! What is musical macaroni and cheese, you ask? Let me tell you!

It's when you make fresh mac-n-cheese for the 3yo, who then decides she doesn't want it. Then you reheat some leftover mac-n-cheese that you were so looking forward to and the 3yo sees it, thinks it's the 1yo's and decides she wants some. You give the 3yo the mac-n-cheese you made for her, and she's so excited. You bring your mac-n-cheese to the table, and the 3yo asks for some. You say, "you have mac-n-cheese," but she says, "I just want to taste yours." You ask, "did you even try yours?" to which she very convincingly tells you she did. You give her a bite of your yummy leftover mac-n-cheese, and the 1yo decides he must have some, too. You give him a bite and he goes nuts. You decide to try giving him the 3yo's, since she doesn't want it. He's thrilled. You feed the 1yo, then the 3yo, then the 1yo, then the 3yo... So you put the 3yo's mac-n-cheese on the 1yo's plate and your yummy leftover mac-n-cheese on the 3yo's plate, just grateful everyone's eating. Then you try to eat what's left of your yummy leftover mac-n-cheese, but it's cold and you're just not hungry anymore.

I knew better. I should've done better. (Tough Love Tuesday)

2011-03-08T08:30:00.001-07:00

I negatively labeled someone in a public forum and behind their back. They'd hurt my feelings, and long-held animosity took over.

Something told me not to post the label, but I continued on. I decided to edit out something else, and when the label was all that was left, it didn't seem so bad. A little while later, I decided I needed to delete the post. Unfortunately, I forgot, and then we left the house. By the time I got back, I forgot again.

I remembered the next day when I got a less-than-chipper email calling me on my error in judgment. I felt really bad...until I read the entire email. In return for my misstep, I was insulted in more ways than one, and my label was written off as a schoolyard insult. Since my label is, to me, a pretty serious one, one that affects people I love and one that represents much bigger problems in our society, I saw red.

I managed to write a sincere apology for calling the person out in public and behind their back. But that's where my good judgment ended. Even though I knew I should take the high road and just apologize sincerely and completely, I felt the need to explain the label. So I did, harshly, effectively undermining my apology and ending all chances of discussing my concerns in a civilized manner should I choose to do so.

I know I can't mend this easily, so I just hope that someone else will learn from my hurtful mistakes.

It is never okay to call someone a name, no matter how public or private the setting. How you talk about someone - even to yourself - will inevitably affect how you treat that person in every other way.

It is never okay to defend yourself when you've genuinely hurt someone. Always take the high road and just apologize, sincerely. If anything you said was founded on truth, or at least legitimate concern, the issue needs to be tabled for future review. Either you choose not to address it or you address it in a more respectful way - and in private.

Finally, and this lesson is one I keep trying to learn the hard way over and over and over again, let God lead you. I'm sure my reservations were the Holy Spirit telling me to stop, but I let my emotions do the talking. I was passive aggressive and judgmental. I was a terrible example for my friends and loved ones, especially as a Christian. I did not act out of love. Nothing I did brought about anything positive; it only created a snowball of hurt, on all sides.

I am truly sorry for the public labeling and underhanded insults. I know I was wrong. I hope you'll forgive me.

Wordless Wednesday: Kite Flying Festival

2011-03-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

Time for Tea! Product Review: Libre Organic Ming Mei Green Tea

2011-02-24T20:38:00.002-07:00

Earlier this month, I told you about some of my tea faves. Libre was so happy with my review of their product that they sent me some of their new green tea. (Yes, I know they were just trying to get me addicted to another one of their products. But, hey, it's free!)

Here's my immediate reaction that I shared on Libre's facebook page: I got my Organic Ming Mei green tea in the mail yesterday. I just brewed my first cup. It is DELICIOUS! It's fruity and earthy. It tastes a little bit of soy. Yummy!

When I poured the water into my Libre glass n poly original tea glass, the tea slowly rose to the top, piece by piece. It was kinda whimsical.

It seemed like it took forever to brew, but it turns out it's just a pallid green tea. That does NOT mean it has pale flavor. The more I drink this tea, the more I like it. I know that fruity and soy don't sound like they'd be the best combination, but they will surprise your palate. Really, the fruit is first, then you taste the earthiness, and you finish with the soy. The earthiness lends itself well to both the fruit and soy flavors.

Pick my battles? Never!

2011-02-24T17:48:00.000-07:00

Evidently I forgot to publish this post back in September. Forgive me if you were waiting for it after reading this post.

I'm faithful enough to admit when God has corrected me. (And Phil, this is regarding the battle, not the meat. The meat thing is just a coincidence.)

"[T]here are also a slew of peripheral issues that just aren't worth fighting about and damaging people's faith about and alienating people about and upsetting people about and causing division about, even when we ab-so-lutely know the truth about those issues."

http://justthinkingblog.blogspot.com/2006/09/pick-your-battles.html

However...

"There are really no nonessentials in the Christian's life. Our character building will be full of peril while we underrate the importance of the little things."

http://www.whiteestate.org/message/littlethings.asp

Here's how it all went down.

My facebook status, otherwise known as the spark that started the forest fire: Trunk or Treat is not a Christian alternative to Halloween; it's a compromise. We should never compromise God's true word.

JM: Huh?

KT: Halloween is a secular holiday.

Me: your point?

KT: So is the 4th of July. Do you not celebrate it?

Me: halloween is based in very anti-christian practices. it's so many things the bible warns us against participating in.

JH: "Many Christians ascribe no negative significance to Halloween, treating it as a purely secular holiday devoted to celebrating "imaginary spooks" and handing out candy. To these Christians, Halloween holds no threat to the spiritual lives ...of children: being taught about death and mortality, and the ways of the Celtic ancestors actually being a valuable life lesson and a part of many of their parishioners' heritage. In the Roman Catholic Church Halloween is viewed as having a Christian connection, and Halloween celebrations are common in Catholic parochial schools throughout North America and in Ireland. Other Christians feel concerned about Halloween, and reject the holiday because they feel it trivializes - or celebrates - paganism, the occult, or other practices and cultural phenomena deemed incompatible with their beliefs. A response among some fundamentalist and conservative evangelical churches in recent years has been the use of 'Hell houses', themed pamphlets, or comic-style tracts such as those created by Jack T. Chick in order to make use of Halloween's popularity as an opportunity for evangelism. Some consider Halloween to be completely incompatible with the Christian faith because of its origin as a pagan "Festival of the Dead". For example, Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate Halloween because they believe anything that originated from a pagan holiday should not be celebrated by true Christians." Or, if you're a laid-back atheist, you view it as a fun holiday to celebrate as a tradition with your family and neighbors. To each their own.

AB: Actually, one of the foundations of Halloween goes back to Medieval England, when on November First---All Souls Day, the less fortunate would go fron house to house begging for food. The townspeople would be prepared, with fruit and a special bread called a "Soal Cake." The song "A Soalin'" tells the story.

Me: I believe ignoring the occult background of the holiday and just taking away the "fun" parts is deceiving yourself. God tells us explicitly to have nothing to do with the occult. There is no question occult practices are still alive and kicking each and every halloween. For the record, if it were up to me, I wouldn't have a Christmas tree, either.CP: My family has aways had fun with the holiday and I believe myself to be a strong Christian. I'm a firm believer that God can and will turn all things to His Good! I believe it is time for the Christians to reach out to the un-churched and non-believers. I don't believe we should hold ourselves up in our homes with crosses in our hands. We should be out there with the cross in our hearts.

Phil: I'm getting Katie a Ouija board for Christmas!

LE: CH, I loved what you said! Beautifully stated!

CH: We'd have to ditch Christmas and Easter for pagan ties, as well. While I don't think it is wise to go around doing "occult" things like having a tarot reading, consulting the horoscope,etc... (chiefly, because it's a lot of nonsense)...I don't see any harm in Halloween or Dia de los Muertos. These festivities are tied in with All Saints Day and All Souls Day and the month of November which is traditionally a time for remembering the departed. If you want to have a more Christian flare to the holiday, have the kids dress up as little saints or literary characters of good moral fiber. :) Don't like Santa? Tell them about St. Nicholas. It's a better story anyway. My favorite holiday story is Six to Eight Black Men by David Sedaris. But, I suppose that's not the most kid-friendly story. Depending on the kid, their belief or disbelief in the American Santa, and whatnot.
And ewww... did I just see the name Jack Chick mentioned? Ewww... I need a bucket o' brain bleach and an eye-ball scrub, now. Thanks. Ewww.... that fellow is repulsive. I think it is important to note, especially for people who have little experience with Christianity, that there is a big difference between religion (a genuine attempt to relate to the intangible, ineffable reality beyond mundane physical experience and an appreciation of the Divine through contemplation of the overarching spiritual themes found in human existence) and superstition (fear of ghoulies/ghosties/long-legged-beasties/things-that-go-bump based on some ignorant nonsense someone dreamed up). Now, to be fair, these things sometimes intersect, because people tend to do stupid things (i.e. thinking God Almighty showed up in a cheese sandwich and then paying homage to the cheese sandwich). Most sane Christians are genuinely embarrassed by this sort of behavior. That said, I guess, if you're the sort of Christian who feels in danger of being swayed to evil by nonsense and costumes and know yourself to have a penchant for worshiping cheese sandwiches on a whim... you might want to avoid Halloween. Other than that, though, I don't see a problem. I like horror/scifi/fantasy movies/books, but I don't think for a moment that any of it is real. :)

LE: Wow such compelling statements, I found them fascinating! You have very smart FB friends. Way to stir up yet another discussion Katie! LOL!

Me: My original point is that churches shouldn't do trunk or treat to have an alternative for 'their' kids so they don't feel left out. We wouldn't create alternatives for other things our kids shouldn't do. Christianity isn't have whatever you want, do whatever you want. Christianity is sacrificing those things that are off the path for the greater things at the end of the path. Now, CP raises a good point. Christians should be out their representing Christ. However, most Christians who celebrate the holiday aren't out there representing; they're going about the traditions just like everyone else with no mention of Christ or His message. Trunk or treat can be a great outreach tool, if that's how it's designed. The problem is most are just alternatives so our kids have a 'safe' place to do what their friends and classmates are doing. I take issue with churches doing anything to keep their people from feeling left out. We coddle our members and tell them their sins are okay because they're okay, when what we should tell them is they're okay IN SPITE OF their sins. We refuse to tell anyone they are in violation of God's word because we wouldn't want to alienate them or hurt their feelings. As long as correction is done in love, it's what we SHOULD be doing for our brothers and sisters in Christ, with God's leading. Now, I've gotten off track here. I don't want anyone to think I said they're sinning by celebrating halloween. The truth is, I want churches, in particular, to look at their motivation for getting involved in what is an occult holy day, no matter how you paint it.

DE: Ohhh, Katie!!!! :)

Me: Patronize all you want, but this is a strong belief that started forming when I was just a kid. When a kid has a gut feeling something is bad, you take heart.

DM: Many churches began alternate trick or treating for the children, to keep them safe from the crazies who put things in their candy and apples, like razor blades and needles. After that, people had to go to hospitals and have their candy x-rayed. Churches are a safe haven for a fun time. We also provide it in our nursing homes so they can see the little ones all dressed up. They can't wait to see them each year and to give them candy. Actually, the kids learn the art of giving as they bring goodies for my seniors instead and don't ask for anything in return. They learn about the elderly, not to be afraid of them and in turn give back to their community in years to come. They do the same thing at Christmas and sing to my elderly and give them hand-made cards. What a blessing little children are!!! Thank you Jesus for giving them the hearts of innocence and the understanding the gift of giving.

CH: We were involved with a parish that did trunk or treat, but the kids dressed up like saints. Of course, we also had Halloween parties where the kids dressed up like more scandalous things... like Spiderman and Harry Potter and pretty princesses and whatnot. It is what you make it, though. You can turn your Christmas tree and Easter eggs into pagan symbolism if you like. I know it's not PC to say it, but this is the kind of bologna that makes my skin crawl about evangelicals and Jehovah's Witnesses. Each to their own, I guess.
In a world full of real evil (war, murder, abortion, serial monogamy, usury, Monsanto), this kind of thing seems a little silly to me. Especially when I know this is the sort of thing the New Atheists love to trot out as proof that we Christians are a bunch of anal-retentive kooks. Jack Chick, the 700 Club, Bill Donahue and long laments over the War on Christmas probably aid the "conversion" of more atheists per year than Dawkins book sales. Not that Dawkins or Dennett would admit that sort of thing.

Me: I still maintain that Christians are one of the most persecuted, censored group in our country. Followed closely by the breastfeeding community. I will be the first to admit I lose all eloquence where Halloween is concerned. Therefore, let me lead you to people who feel as I do who can form a coherent statement.

CH: I won't disagree with you that people are obnoxious about Christianity and motherhood and most things that require faith, charity, responsibility, etc. There are so many vile things said about Christians and Christianity on a daily basis that doing so almost seems trite. Ask me about the local atheist meetup and their $200 stick figure chicken sometime... There are a lot of Christians that take the whole mess with a lot of grace. I respect that. That people like Msgr. Lorenzo Albacete (and many others) can sit down and respectfully have a chat with someone as vile and repulsive as Christopher Hitchens without thwacking him over the head with something speaks volumes for the Christian faith. Pick your battles, I guess is my opinion on the matter. There are more important battles than Halloween when the very fabric of Western culture is being torn apart. There are people demanding that Free Will is a silly religious notion, that we should take "aggressive action" to reduce the human population, abuses happening on a scale to people in the third world on levels that would make Hitler blush... Christianity has bigger fish to fry than this.

DE: Ohhh, Katie - hear you go again. Gotta give you credit for sticking to your beliefs (guns - lol) at every turn. I am not patronizing you just wondering how you can be so young and full of live and yet so old and dispirited. You know the written word is subject to the readers' interpretations and often misunderstood. I have been on both sides of that misunderstanding so I know. I agree let's call it quits. Sports, breastfeeding, Halloween, etc. just let be and continue to just be FB friends, sharing every day events that pertain to each of you, some will be enjoyed, some will be frowned upon but at least we are communicating. Although a little heated discussion never really hurt anyone!!!

Me: I stand up for those, too, but I have to protect my family first.

CH: Ever heard of the phrase "don't sweat the small stuff"? That's really what comes to mind here. Each to their own, but really. Bigger fish, man. Way bigger fish than this...

Me: I'm not dispirited. I'm looking out for the welfare of children. Rust only needs a tiny scratch to corrode an entire sword. We don't fight only the battles we can win; we fight the battles that need fighting. you guys are posting faster than i am. lol. the small stuff eats away subtly.

DE: OK - OK White flag - I surrender. I do have to agree with CH though ~ way bigger fish...

Me: you know, i get made fun of and challenged on my bigger fish, too, so i'll just keep doing what i'm doing. "There are really no nonessentials in the Christian's life. Our character building will be full of peril while we underrate the importance of the little things." ~E.G.White

JM: I love the arguments on Katie's wall. But I am staying out of this one. :)

DE: This just proves when it comes beliefs and opinions there are no winners

At what point, though, do we acknowledge that it's a slippery slope, and securing only the big boulders does not prevent a landslide? CH said, "Pick your battles... There are more important battles than Halloween when the very fabric of Western culture is being torn apart." I believe that slowly letting go of these little battles is what's causing the little tears in "the very fabric of Western culture" that are allowing it to tear apart.

So, what now? Do we stand on opposite sides of the line as Christians who believe differently, or do some of us cross the line to join the majority and hope we're not compromising something small but important? We only know if we ask God.

"Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps, if you are not willing to move your feet."

- Anonymous

Here are the resources that were mentioned in the discussion:
http://www.answers2pray...er.org/bible_questions/Answers/tradition/halloween.html (this one's a tad dramatic, but many of the points are good)http://www.libertytothecaptives.net/christianity_today_halloween_gusto.html
http://www.albeasley.com/mp3.htm
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art13725.asp

Update: I originally felt like God corrected my position on Halloween. But something still didn't feel right. Now that it has been a few months, I believe God was correcting my approach. I don't want to alienate anyone in the way I discuss controversial issues. I still believe Christians shouldn't celebrate Halloween. I still believe Trunk or Treat is not an acceptable church event. I do believe Christians should be more active in Halloween from an evangelical angle.

Here is a great post from Happy Home Fairy.

What do you think is a good evangelical activity for Halloween?

Thankful Thursday: Late Winter Snow

2011-02-24T17:07:00.000-07:00

We were maybe going to get a possibly heavy winter storm, but as nighttime came without a hint of snow, everyone gave up on the meteorologists' best guess. That didn't stop me...

...from peeking out the window at 5:30am, running downstairs to get my camera, standing at the open back door in my pjs to take pictures of the back yard, then running back upstairs with my camera to take pictures of the view from the aforementioned window.

When Mike's alarm went off at 6:45am, it was snowing again.

Ellie woke up to a winter wonderland.

So we went outside...

...and walked...

...and discovered that snow, like the tears that followed this discovery, is wet.

Then it began to snow...a lot.

Then the sun came out.

Everything glistened.

People in the neighborhood laughed at me, wielding my camera, like the silly Arizonan who's never seen snow. Apparently they've failed to notice that I'm always wielding my camera.

Most of the snow was untouched, just for us.

Thank God for too much enthusiasm for simple things. :o)

Felt Board Food

2011-02-23T18:09:00.001-07:00

After being served some mighty chewy dinosaurs repeatedly over the last few days...

...I decided to cook up something more appetizing for Ellie's pretend play. In a half hour, I whipped up some tasty pizza and a few chocolate chip cookies. I apologize for the poor quality of the pictures; I had small hands quickly advancing on my handiwork.

Pineapple, cheese, sausage, onions, bell peppers and olives

This is why three-year-olds don't make pizza

She's baking it in her "oven"

She spent all afternoon playing with it...toppings on...bake...toppings off...toppings on...bake...toppings off...

She wasn't impressed by my cookies, but I think they're cute

Wordless Wednesday: Fire Station Back Lot

2011-02-23T17:48:00.001-07:00

Wordless Wed...Thursday

2011-02-17T16:51:00.000-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T14:09:00.000-07:00

Well, my house doesn't quite look like Hallmark threw up in it, which disappoints me. ;o) Ellie and Mikey appreciated my hard work.

I took toys they already had and put special Valentine's Day clothes on them

I put up a heart curtain while Ellie was sleeping

It was a hit

"My own placemat!"

(Never mind that she does, in fact, have her own placemat with "Ellie" on it)

He couldn't wait to put on that headband!

New Toy: Round Loom

2011-02-12T22:43:00.000-07:00

I am a sucker for looms. Ever since I was little, making hundreds of nylon-loop potholders, I have loved looms. I'm not very good with looms, but I don't have much chance to use them. Still, when I find a cheap one, I can't pass it up. I used a 50% off coupon to acquire this bad boy for $3.50.

So far I've just used the included directions for baby doll hats. I've made two. I love them. The closure on the first one is messy, and the closure on the second one is open, but the hats serve their purpose.

Ellie's Treasure Box

2011-02-12T18:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my mom and Caillou, Ellie is obsessed with collecting treasures. Note: Treasures typically include rocks (big surprise...that's a genetic mandate), leaves, pine cones, pine needles, sticks, mulch and garbage. Yes, garbage. We do our best to sift through these things and retain only those that can be cleaned or came from a familiar source. Still, we don't exactly want these things on the kitchen counter or the floor, which is where they inevitably end up. I've thought of creating a display box, but I don't think Ellie's quite up to leaving her things on display.

I decided she needed a treasure box. I was envisioning some sort of lunch box, and JoAnn had a few cute ones that just needed some stickers. I wanted to let Ellie pick, though, and she chose a wooden treasure chest. I didn't even tell her that's what it was called. She grabbed it and held it tight. So...the next step was paint. Ellie chose Indian Turquoise, which matches her room perfectly. This kid has an eye for color; this isn't the first time she's chosen a color in the palette of her room. We set out to find a wood piece to attach, but they were all too large. I was going to put her name on it, but they were out of "L." I decided to check out the buttons. Ellie picked some rhinestones, again in the colors of her room. I also found some felt butterfly stickers that matched, so I grabbed them.

Ellie helped me paint, peeled the butterfly stickers and applied glue to the rhinestones. She also insisted we put some rhinestones on the back. Admittedly, I did not paint the bottom, mostly because I didn't want turquoise paint chipping off everywhere. I'm happy with the results, and Ellie is thrilled.

Fecund Friday: Barrette Holder

2011-02-11T08:19:00.002-07:00

I've wanted to make a ribbon barrette holder for Ellie's room for ages, but I kept forgetting to pick up the supplies. (I'd walk into JoAnn, buy a bagful of stuff, get home and then realize I didn't pick up a single thing I went in for. I did this for months.) I finally remembered this week when Mike came downstairs with a handful of barrettes and asked where they go.

I wanted to get a prepainted wood piece or a plaque from which I would hang ribbon. None of the prepainted items were big enough or appropriate for Ellie's room (sailboats and frogs...not so much). The plaques just didn't feel right, either, because I didn't want to spend much time on the painting, and they all had a lot of width for their height. I did come up with many cute ideas for the plaques, though, like attaching one of the precut words, such as "dream," or one of the prepainted butterflies. I also thought of putting her name or a wooden "E," but I'd like to use this holder for girls we may have in the future.

As I was exploring the possibilities of the plaque, I stumbled across the idea of using a large wooden "E" instead of the plaque, but the dimensions just weren't right; it could only hold three ribbons. Plus, I'd only be able to use it for Ellie. Then I saw the letter "I." Only this was a sans serif "I," so it was just a bar with beveled edges. Perfect!

I picked up some pink paint for $1 (Valentine's Day sale!), some half-inch white ribbon on clearance for $0.50, and - score! - two pretty pink butterflies I found for $0.50 each while looking for the ribbon. Counting the paintbrush and tacky glue I had to buy because I didn't have any, I spent $6. If I'd had my regular craft stash, I'd have only spent $3. I did look for rhinestones or buttons to put on the bar, but nothing stuck out. It probably would've been too much. I'll take it as a compliment that my husband thought the finished product was a decoration I made for her room.

Don't want to put a nail in the wall? Use a 3M Command hook like I did!

Supplies:
6" (Wide) Wood plaque, bar or figure
Tacky glue or whatever you have on hand that can hold some weight when dry
Acrylic paint
Paintbrush or sponge
Half-inch ribbon
Lighter, depending on your ribbon
Lightweight ornaments or clips for decoration, if desired

1. Paint the wood piece as necessary, allow to dry completely
2. Cut two (2) 8-inch pieces of ribbon and five (5) 16-inch pieces of ribbon
3. Use the lighter to lightly melt all the ends of the ribbon, as necessary, to prevent fraying
4. Knot the 8-inch pieces together at one end
5. Spread the unknotted ends and glue to either end of the back side of the wood piece, allow to dry completely
6. Using a ruler or gridded cutting mat, lay out your 16-inch pieces of ribbon, figuring out the appropriate spacing
7. Carefully glue one end of each piece of ribbon to the wood piece, allow to dry completely
8. Attach your decorative items and you're done! Ready for barrettes!

(I sewed the butterflies onto the ribbons.)

I'm baaack!

2011-02-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

facebook reinstated me this morning. Supposedly I posted links that violated their terms. Well, they won't tell me what those links are, and I can't figure out which links they deleted. I'm sure they were breastfeeding links. I was down for 23 hours.

Anyway, here's their letter:

Hi Katie,
Your account was suspended because you posted one or more links that violated Facebook's Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. This content has been removed from the site.
After reviewing your situation, we have reactivated your account. You will now be able to log in. For technical and security reasons, Facebook cannot provide you with a description or copy of the removed content.
Please review the guidelines below to prevent your personal account from being disabled in the future:
• Do not post links that contain nudity, graphic or sexually suggestive content; attacks on an individual or group of people; self harm or excessive violence; or drug use.
• Remove any remaining links of this kind that you have posted on the site.
• Do not use the site to harass others or contact people you do not know. You are not allowed to send unwanted friend requests or messages to strangers.
For more information on conduct that is prohibited by Facebook, please read our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, which can be accessed by clicking on the “Terms” link at the bottom of any Facebook page.
We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your cooperation going forward.
Thanks for your understanding,
Betsy
User Operations
Facebook

Thanks for your support!

CHD Awareness Week

2011-02-08T13:19:00.000-07:00

One in one hundred babies is born with a congenital heart defect.

In honor of Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) Week, I'm inviting you to review my son Mikey's heart journey. The posts include his other health struggles, too, but it all started with a murmur.

Posts about Mikey's health struggles

Here's a beautiful poem my dear friend, Christina, wrote for her baby, Elisa

Here are some other useful links:

http://www.childrensheartfoundation.org/
http://tchin.org/ The Children's Heart Information Network
http://mlhphoenix.weebly.com/ Mended Little Hearts of Phoenix
http://www.mendedlittlehearts.org/ Mended Little Hearts National
http://www.achaheart.org/ Adult Congenital Heart Association

facebook censorship stikes again...

2011-02-08T11:29:00.004-07:00

...only this time the offender didn't even post any of those "offensive" breastfeeding pictures.

The "offender" is me.

I was looking through my profile when I was suddenly asked to log in again. When I tried, I was told my account was disabled. I received no warnings. I've never had any content removed from my page.

The only information facebook is willing to supply to me is accusations of violating their terms of service.

That's just a lie.

Hi,

The Facebook Team has received your inquiry. We should get back to you soon. In the meantime, we encourage you to review our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities (http://www.facebook.com/terms.php) for more information.

Thanks for contacting Facebook,

The Facebook Team

My friend, Christina, was kind enough to create a page to get me back.

How messed up is it that the movie Netflix sent us is The Social Network?

It may not be loss in your eyes, but I'm still grieving

2011-02-08T03:02:00.000-07:00

I planned on nursing my daughter until she was one, or when she could ask for it, whichever came first. (Insert eyeroll here) Of course, once she came, my instincts kicked in, and so did hers, and I figured I might start encouraging her to wean when she's four. My friends and family joked that I'd need to wean the boob junkie before she set off for college.

As I prepared for my son's birth, I dreamed of tandem nursing. I was about halfway through the book Adventures in Tandem Nursing, and about halfway through my pregnancy, when my daughter spontaneously weaned over the course of two days. And she was mean about it. The mere suggestion that she nurse made her yell at me. I don't know what happened. I was devastated. I was a complete wreck for a month. You'd have thought I lost a child. The only thing that got me through was knowing I'd have another nursling in a few months.

Mikey arrived a tad "early" after a touch of pitocin and epidural. He had no desire to feed in the delivery room (which I now attribute to the drugs, especially since viewing this video), but I was persistent and I got him latched. He didn't eat well, and, after his third feed, he completely rejected the breast. The lactation consultant in the hospital said he was doing everything right. But he wasn't latching. I thought it might be because of the size difference between his tiny mouth and my generous milkmakers. We got home, and he still wouldn't nurse, so my husband broke out the pump. He took my milk in a bottle with a little coaxing. (Mikey, not my husband.)

I kept trying to breastfeed him over the next ten months. We tried rebirthing, nipple shields, cosleeping, baby wearing, skin-to-skin time, latching as he's falling asleep, craniosacral therapy, chiropractic medicine, homeopathy, Rescue Remedy, everything. By the time he was only a few weeks old, even though he'd ask for the breast (as he still does to this day), he'd scream as soon as it was exposed. He was traumatized. He still likes to sleep as if he's nursing, but I still can't expose my breast or he'll freak.

As it turns out, he has a number of congenital defects and other disabilities that made breastfeeding uncomfortable. I still wonder, though, if I hadn't had the drugs, if I'd given birth in an environment that would have let it be just him and me for as long as I wanted (no tests, no swaddling, no sleeping alone in his bassinet), if I'd been able to delay cord clamping, maybe the disabilities wouldn't have played as large a role. Maybe he would have struggled but not been traumatized. Maybe I would have noticed some of his problems sooner. I don't know if any of that would have made a difference, but I still wonder. And I still grieve for that relationship. The loss of that breastfeeding relationship is magnified by the loss of my daughter's breastfeeding relationship. Every time I think about losing one, I instantly relive losing the other.

It may be my dharma, but sometimes I'd rather be Greg.

2011-02-08T02:06:00.001-07:00

This is a post about menstruation (periods). I do not go into the biology or specifics of it, but if the mere mention of it offends your delicate sensibilities, do not read on.

I recently had a miniphany (that would be mini epiphany, if such a word existed) about my "womanly duty," as my mom called it when I was thirteen and mortified that the subject even came up. This miniphany has its roots in a number of sources, the top two of which include the novel Confessions of a Jane Austin Addict and the television sitcom Dharma & Greg. In the former, the main character, who is a 21st-century woman trapped in a 19th-century-woman's life (and body), muses that perhaps her monthly visit was so short and sweet because she was bedridden for the duration. In the latter, Dharma and her mother are crunchy, earthy women who ceremoniously celebrate every season in a woman's life.

Feeling the onset of my suffering, I set out to find some tools that might help me cope. (Since I can't turn into a man for a week out of every month, I have to accept my fate.) As I read, the two sources kept playing in my head. I started to think that if I just changed the way I viewed my monthly visitor, I might enjoy its company, or at least let it sleep in the guest room instead of on the couch. I read an article that briefly mentioned the biology of the visit, and it made me think of childbirth. I internally pontificated about using birthing coping mechanisms to ease the suffering. Then I thought about the best advice I've ever received about labor and childbirth: listen to your body; do what it tells you.

What does my body really tell me during these days? Does it tell me to run around getting stuff done? Does it tell me to stand at the sink for an hour washing dishes by hand? Does it tell me to eat a large pizza? No. It tells me to rest, drink liquids and relax. Now, life likes to get in the way of that, but is that an excuse to completely ignore my body? No! Can I lay in bed all day? No, but I can still alter my usual activities to include more sitting. I can use the dishwasher. I can definitely work in some meditation or deep breathing or maybe a few yoga poses. And nothing sounds better than relaxing with a hot cup of tea after the kids go to bed.

I recently watched a rerun of Dharma & Greg in which Abby, Dharma's mom, thought she was entering menopause. At the same time, Dharma & Greg were trying to get pregnant, and Abby helped Dharma by giving her a fertility totem and fertility smoothies for both her and Greg. Dharma & Greg were in charge of Abby's crone ceremony (but then Abby found out she was pregnant). While I was watching, I thought of another episode in which Dharma and Abby were part of a rebirthing ceremony in honor of Dharma's birthday. The celebration was as much about Abby as it was about Dharma.

I know a lot of women celebrate a girl becoming a woman. Obviously we celebrate a woman becoming a mother. In some circles, various aspects of the fertility cycle are celebrated, like for women trying to conceive or for surrogates. We celebrate every aspect of a woman's ability to bear children, but we begrudge the monthly symbol of just that. What if we celebrated our womanly duty as our honor? What if we fulfilled the needs of our bodies during this time, the way we would lavish gifts on a loved one on their birthday? This season in our lives is ripe with our dharma, our purpose in life: childbearing. Whether or not we are actively participating in this purpose, by our choice or not, it is the very nature of being a woman.

I vote we celebrate our monthly gift as a gift. Instead of dreading it and stocking up on ibuprofen, let's meditate on the wonders of the human body. Let's listen to our bodies and give them what they need. Let's give ourselves a little ceremony for the arrival of our visitor, something that reminds us how special we are, how special God made us. Buy some special tea and a pretty mug to drink it out of. Learn a few new yoga poses and practice them daily. Treat yourself to some aromatherapy candles and a fluffy robe. Take a meditative stroll somewhere, even if it's just five minutes after the kids are asleep.

This time doesn't have to be a burden. It's part of life. It's part of being a woman. It's a gift.

Oh, you meant me?

2011-02-06T23:08:00.000-07:00

I get asked, on almost a daily basis, how everything is going. I usually talk about Mikey for a bit and then throw in some facts or stories about Ellie. If someone probes further and asks about me, I say "fine." I might qualify it with "tired but good" or "stressed but managing." I never give much more than that. I don't really know why. Part of me thinks I'll seem dramatic or boring telling more than that. Part of me thinks the person asking doesn't really care to know; they're just being polite. Part of me thinks I'm not important enough to talk about.

I have no idea where that last part comes from. I don't think it comes from a bad place. Mikey's been through so much, through major surgeries and such, whereas I have been merely a bystander. Most days I don't think about how much I go through to take care of him. Sure, I grumble about all the therapy appointments, but that's just about the driving and the fact that they take over the whole day because of when they're scheduled.

I think people assume it's really hard on me because it could be really hard on a person to go through all of this. I've definitely had my breakdowns and other *special* moments. I know it's been hard on my husband. We, as humans, want to be in control and know what's coming. Our animal nature makes us fear for our survival, and that of our young.

What separates animals from humans is spirituality. What separates some humans from others is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I firmly believe that God uses everything for good. I believe that he answers prayers. I believe that God can do anything. Thanks to God's sacrifice of His only son, Jesus Christ, to pay for my sins, I no longer have to go through a priest to speak to God; I can speak to Him directly. Thanks to the miraculous resurrection of Jesus Christ, I have hope in all things.

Basically, when I'm feeling overwhelmed - by my emotions, my calendar, my physical obligations, I tell God, and He provides whatever I need. Sometimes He frees up my calendar. Sometimes He gives me a second wind. Sometimes He tells me it's okay to cry...or yell. Sometimes He tells me to blog. No joke. I've learned a lot while typing blog posts like these. He's even told me to turn on the television or radio; there's always a message waiting for me. Often, He tells me to be still and know that He's God. I couldn't ask for anything more reassuring.

So...back to not feeling important. Maybe, in a struggle to find words to describe my subconscious, I chose the wrong word. I don't feel unimportant or even less important. I feel like a fraud. If I say it's been hard, it feels like a lie because turning to God erases those negative feelings. If I say how wonderful God is, the listener might not believe I'm doing so well and think I'm lying.

I don't know why I'm so worried about others thinking I'm lying about doing well. My faith should be visible in how I live my life. If I'm doing well in spite of my troubles, it serves God to show that to people!

So, to answer your question: How are things? They are wonderful! God is so good. He is healing Mikey and using our struggles to encourage others going through these same struggles. He has brought us closer to each other and - more importantly - to Him by forcing us to stop leaning on our own understanding and instead lean entirely on Him. He has shown us the true value of family and time together. He has also forced us - well, me - to stop placing my focus and energy on issues that do not serve Him. He has culled much of the worldly and idealistic fluff out of my life. At the least, he's started the ball rolling.

Do I have hard days? Yes. But I have hope. I have faith. I have a good God who watches out for me.

Time for Tea

2011-02-06T17:08:00.002-07:00

I love tea. I have always loved tea. I was the only seven-year-old I knew who ordered iced tea at dinner. I felt like I was special. I felt then, as I do now, connected to other tea drinkers. Let's face it:

Tea brings people together.

My taste in tea has changed over the years. I used to love LOVE love Nestea instant tea. I went through it by the jarful. When I stayed home sick as a tween, all my mom needed to do was make up the pull-out and leave the remote and the Nestea on the end table, and I was set for the day.

As the years went on, I discovered the wonders of green tea, said wonders being that it existed. Working in the mall, I fell in love with the Blackberry Jasmine green tea at the various Asian restaurants in the food court. I'm not a flavored tea person, but if it's not sweet, I can appreciate it. This leads me to a tea-drinking quirk of mine. While I do enjoy a rich, full-bodied tea, hot or cold, I prefer my tea weak, more like tea-flavored water. (I better not see any comments about how tea is, in fact, tea-flavored water.) My loved ones have joked about misplaced drinks, saying that if it looks like pee, it must be my tea. Now there's a visual for you.

My wonderful husband, who normally does not indulge my addictions, introduced me to Jasmine Pearls. These are full green tea leaves rolled into balls with jasmine. They bloom when you add hot water. The jasmine flavor is flowery, but it's so subtle and soft that it's not too much. A lot of people who do not like flowery teas like jasmine. I like to add a little lavender to my Jasmine Pearls. Sometimes I mix them with white tea. Sometimes I mix my white tea with lavender. Tea is fun. If you want to discover new flavors of tea, the best way is to find a bulk loose-leaf section and grab a few pinches of each flavor that interests you, not in one bag, of course.

I must interject here with some tea-care instructions. Be sure to store your tea in a cool, dry, dark place...metal canisters are great for this. Do not display your tea on the counter in a clear-glass canister or jar! Not only does light degrade the tea quality and flavor, it decreases the amount of antioxidants.

I also feel the need to throw in some brewing tips here. Remember: you can always add water to tea that is too strong, so be sure not to use too little! Alton Brown gives his guidelines here. (Note: He likes both tea and coffee very strong.) He also tells you proper brewing temperatures and times. To paraphrase Mr. Brown's comments in his tea episode, when your kettle whistles... For black tea, bring the tea to the kettle (it brews hottest). For green tea, bring the kettle to the tea (so it cools just a touch). For white tea, remove the kettle from the heat for a couple of minutes before pouring (white tea is delicate).

I enjoy drinking my tea in another nifty and thoughtful gift from my hubby, my Libre Tea glass. I can brew my tea on the go, I don't have to change containers, and I don't need an infusion ball because the filter's built in! The glass is insulated, so I don't burn my hand, and my tea stays hot. Hubby actually got me two: a glass one and a plastic one. The plastic one still has glass on the inside, but it's not as fragile as the all-glass one. Those of you who know me can guess that's the one I use.

I recently had a new tea experience. The yummy Japanese restaurant Le Hana near the base of the Portland Aerial Tram serves a wonderful green tea, nutty and smokey. I asked the hostess/server about it, and she said the brand was Miyako. Unwilling to wait for an Internet order and knowing I've seen this type of tea, green tea with toasted brown rice, from other brands in the past, I looked for the tea in the bulk loose-leaf section of New Seasons Market (thank you for your vast selection of bulk loose-leaf tea!). I found it made by The Republic of Tea. Yay! Yum! Introducing the Tea of Inquiry. [Ooohhh...Aaahhh...]

Don't be surprised or disturbed if your preschooler points out the "bugs" in your tea.

The excitement is building!

I wish I could have gotten a better picture of the beautiful swirling motion of the leaves as I poured in the water. Maybe next time.

For some strange reason, the tea separates into two groups: floats and sinks.

Suddenly, the floats group starts to fall.

I know my tea is ready when all the tea is at the bottom. Neat, huh?

Ahhh...ready to drink. And the next cup is already brewing!

I love drinking tea. It relaxes me and makes me happy. I love sharing tea with my friends and loved ones. I feel like I'm part of a big family when I connect with other tea drinkers online, in stores, in coffee houses, in tea houses... We're everywhere! (That was a little more ominous than I intended.)

What is your favorite tea? Where do you like to drink your tea?

My way-overdue resolution to Mikey's DOC Band journey

2011-02-06T16:24:00.001-07:00

Mikey got his DOC Band at the end of July. The DOC Band people quoted us 3-4 months. Mikey progressed very quickly, which isn't too surprising since we followed the rules to the letter, but is a little surprising since he was already almost nine months old. He also made good progress because he started growing more quickly around the time he got the helmet because of some other health issues being resolved. He got his helmet off at his 12-week appointment.

He didn't have any regression, thankfully. We were a little worried about that because his head had been changing all the way up to the end, and he sleeps on his back. If you know what you're looking for, you can still see some asymmetry, but his head is beautiful.

There is one negative in this whole thing. His face changed a little while he was in the band. This isn't bad, since much of that change was problems (that we didn't know were problems, but whatever) going away. BUT, his little face aged months and months in that 12 weeks. Instead of being an adorable little baby with some wisdom in his eyes, he's a handsome a little man. I guess I don't have room to complain. Besides, he's still tiny, so I can tell myself he's still a baby. :o)

I'll try to add pictures to this post, but don't hold your breath.

I love CARROTS!

2011-02-06T13:56:00.000-07:00

A friend had this as her facebook status today. It reminded me that I, too, love carrots! I love them raw. I love them steamed with butter and maybe some tarragon. I love them roasted, maybe with honey and almonds, or maple syrup. I love them pureed into a curry soup or a cream soup or a ginger soup! I love carrots tempura, carrot cake, carrot muffins (I put shredded carrots into most of my muffins)... The list goes on.

For me, winter is an awesome time for cooked carrots. They contain so many nutrients, including harder-to-come-by copper. They, and other root vegetables, provide so much comfort and health benefits.

So...

I want your carrot recipes!

Foraging for Scraps

2011-02-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

Andrea Tidrow's blog reminded me of a yummy recipe I created with stuff I found in my refrigerator.

I used leftover slow cooker chicken, but rotisserie would be very yummy, even grilled. Shred it. Combine Vegannaise or an oil-blend mayo with a garlic vinaigrette, like Annie's Naturals Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette, to create a yogurt-like texture. Quarter red grapes. Combine chicken, dressing and grapes, roll in a tortilla and enjoy!

I wish I had a picture for you, but I was so excited that I ate it without thinking. I've made it since, and every time I'm too excited to eat it. Maybe next time...

Now, be sure to check out Andrea Tidrow's blog for other inspired dishes of desperation.

Thankful Thursday

2011-02-03T23:52:00.000-07:00

Tonight I overheard my husband singing "Twinkle Twinkle" to our one-year-old son.

Earlier today, my son informed me that the birdies were saying "dada."

This afternoon, my three-year-old daughter learned, much to her fascination, that bats eat broccoli.

Last night, my son stood up by himself for the longest yet.

Yesterday morning, my daughter discovered that Japanese food is wonderful and eating it is even more wonderful when you use chopsticks.

This week, my son learned to hold up one finger when asked how old he is.

This week, my daughter became obsessed with making paper snowflakes, or "snow flags," as she calls them.

Wordless Wednesday...on Thursday

2011-02-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

(I spent so much time redoing my site that I neglected to actually post anything.)

Menu Plan Monday...on Thursday

2011-02-03T10:07:00.000-07:00

So I'm a space cadet. I'm sure you just didn't know what you were going to do without my meal plan this week.

Monday - Leftovers
Tuesday - French Dip Tacos (Leftovers of Slow Cooker French Dip served on fresh flour tortillas, with au jus, of course) with sauteed green beans. Seriously, buy the raw tortillas in the refrigerator section and cook them yourself. It's worth it.
Wednesday - Picante Chicken that I didn't make last week served over rice, as always...gotta catch that juice!
Thursday - Dining Out
Friday - Leftover Buffet

Marriage Monday: One Thing

2011-01-31T23:59:00.000-07:00

I think a lot about my marriage: what I can do to improve it, what I'd like my husband to do, what its strengths are, its areas of opportunity, and so on. I think a lot. I pray some. I do...well...not a lot.

I read books on marriage. I listen to Bible teachings about marriage. I talk with my friends about our concerns and we exchange ideas. I even - gasp - talk to my husband about our marriage, when he let's me. (He's not much of a talker.) I have tons of lists of and ideas for small changes I can make that might make a big difference.

Let me break here to clarify something. Our marriage is good. We are happy and - usually - on the same page. However, I believe if you're not growing, you're dying. A marriage cannot thrive without constant care.

Dr. Randy Carlson of Intentional Living tells you to find one thing you can do for the next thirty days to be intentional in your marriage.

This is where this post is being redirected by God. I was about to go into some ramblings about the things I've thought to do. As it happened, however, I sighed up for the marriage newsletter while I was getting the link for Intentional Living. (The link is on the right side of their page, a little bit down, if you're interested) The first email came immediately. I now feel compelled to share the highlights of this email, The Five Pillars for a Successful Marriage, as the jumping-off point for my marriage.

Pillar #1: Be able to communicate well and often

As I addressed earlier, I'm all for the often, but Mike, not so much. As for the well, well, it depends on the situation. We could both definitely spend some more time in this area.

Pillar #2: Be able to confront problems early and resolve them

Eh...I'm not really sure how we'd rate here. Because of the communication issue, we're not always aware of problems right away. And, since Mike doesn't like to talk, he doesn't bring up issues much, or he waits until it's stewed for a while. I tend to be afraid to bring things up because I don't want the poor communication to make everything worse. I think #1 will take care of #2.

Pillar #3: Be best friends

Got this.

Pillar #4: Be spontaneous

Getting better here.

Pillar #5: Be a "visioncaster" (Set goals and make plans)

Eh...here's another question mark. We like to talk about the future and set vague, superficial goals. Then our partnership takes an ugly turn. I like to plan everything out to the last detail; Mike likes to wait and see. I'm never satisfied, so Mike doesn't participate. I can't really blame him. I'm smelling an opportunity for compromise.

So, what's the one thing I can do intentionally for my marriage for the next thirty days? I will work on communicating lovingly. I'm sure I'll fail at times, when the kids have worn me down or the house is a mess or Mike's grouchy. But, as Meredith, author of the blog The Positive Parenting Challenge, says, "Fulfillment is in the process, not the product."

Caterpillar Cuddly

2011-01-28T16:38:00.004-07:00

Okay, so he's not that cuddly, but he is a plush toy, and the name went with "Butterfly Buddy."

I actually thought through my stuffing process before starting this time. I also had the sense to attach my colored pieces to a single backer instead of trying to assemble them midair. Both sides are the same, and other than the slightly fish-like head resulting from after-market eyes, he's slightly reminiscent of Eric Carle. I had to add eyes to the original design because Ellie was disturbed by the lack of eyes on the dinosaurs. After seeing them on the caterpillar, she asked me to put them on the butterfly.