MommaNotes

I'm moving!

2010-07-15T19:50:00.000-07:00

Come find me at my new blog, Living Love.

be like a tree

2010-06-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

"...he shall be like a tree, planted by the rivers of water; that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper." from Psalm 1

We are in the gorgeous season of plump berries, rapidly growing squash, tomatoes that seemingly ripen overnight. Still enjoying from the freezer the sweet strawberries, and looking forward to the juicy peaches that are coming soon.

Fruitfulness that just asks to be enjoyed. Abundance delights and fills us with its beauty and flavor.

And this is exactly what I've come to realize is, perhaps, the greatest gift I can ever give my children.

Since having our first baby, I've gotten excited about a lot of things that I thought were really important for our children. Not to say that these things aren't at all valuable....but as I've weeded through them all, had another child, and gone through a few moves, I think I've had an opportunity to evaluate, over and over, what is important. What's important for me, what's important for our family, what's actually important for our children.

It has never been so clear to me how simple it all is.

"Parenting" is not a divorced area of life that you can read books about, study-up on, get your ducks lined up and check off. It is not a separate series of lessons you must conquer before earning the badge: "effective parent". It is not a bag of tricks which must be memorized and applied at appropriate times.

It's all about growing. And, I'm not talking about the children. I'm talking about me.

It's not what I can give them, do for them, prove to them, teach them, impress upon them, or expound for them.

In so many ways, it comes down to: me. That's it. The most profound impact I will have in my children's lives will be the life I live out in front of them.

Because growth is contagious. Abundance is enticing. The man God calls "blessed" is a verdant tree, planted by a cool, rushing stream; that bears delicious fruit. As my children view the grace of God flowing into my sinner's heart, they will thirst for it. As they watch me change because of the love of Jesus applied to my spirit, they will long to know Him, too.

God doesn't call me to be perfect, to know-it-all, to have eyes in the back of my head, or to exhaust myself trying to be the super-mom that my kids don't need.

Take all that stuff away that we Mamas pressure ourselves over (whatever are your areas - I have mine!)...all the time I can devote to reading books about whatever (crafts, parenting, discipline, health, routines....) That stuff won't be worth much in the story of our family.

I am just so thankful that God continues to call out to me to seek after that which He knows is most desirable.

He calls me to sit at His feet, to come to Him for rest, to seek after His wisdom, to learn from His humble heart and find peace. And in that living as His child, I will give my children the most precious gift I could ever imagine.

"seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33

Our little family: soon-to-be FIVE!

2010-05-02T18:09:00.001-07:00

That's right! There will soon be five in our family. We're expecting baby #3 to arrive sometime in January of 2011! As Graeme said when we told him: "Mama, God gave us another baby!!"

I am feeling fine so far. I am often ready to fall asleep at 8:30 and finding myself craving protein and vegetables. I think I'm around 6 weeks, but an ultrasound in a few weeks will hopefully help pinpoint a more precise timetable. Then we can safely add on 2 weeks to that and get a pretty accurate idea of when the baby will arrive. Wouldn't it be something if I were actually early this time? Not holding my breath.....

Boy or Girl, I cannot wait to meet our new baby! Graeme thinks the baby is a girl...I just know it will be as precious as these two:

a poem and some news

2010-04-17T10:40:00.001-07:00

The News:

I'll be moving blogs in the very near future. I've done a lot of thinking about blogging, and have a different direction I'd like to go, which will be reflected in the new blog. I enjoy writing and journaling a lot, and this blog is kind of stuck in a rut. So I'm going to go more towards the journaling side of blogging, though I'll be including plenty of pictures and recipes still - it's unavoidable ;-)

So stick with me. Stay tuned. I've already got the new blog up, but have some tweaking to do before I'm ready to announce it.

And the Poem:
Trust me, not the greatest. It's been awhile since Poem Composition 101. But I literally composed this one day while taking a shower, and thought it fairly quaint and descriptive. It made me laugh as I made it up - hope it makes you laugh, too!

An Ode to Laundry

Laundry, will you never end?
I'd really like to be your friend!
To you I ever try to be
faithful; but, as you can see,
I fail in that - most miserably.

I guess I could see this as my chance
(while ironing shirt and folding pants)
to learn lessons of patience, discipline, grace;
of everything having its own place;
of making sure my house isn't a disgrace.

All of these, sure, are possibilities.
But, Laundry, I don't mind saying: "Please,
(and I pause, with a bright, persausive smile)
"Could you, just every once-in-a-while
go rest in someone else's pile?"

days with my boys

2010-02-19T19:29:00.001-08:00

we're moving this weekend...but since I'm sore and tired from all the boxing and lifting and painting and such, and not up for much blogging, I thought I'd post some pictures of some of our favorite moments - probably the two things my boys love to do best are:

read

and play outside!

my heart is full with love of these two munchkins! Cole is talking up a storm these days - will try to post some soon =)

Daybook

2010-01-25T17:55:00.000-08:00

Outside my window::
:: a very still night after a lovely, nippy, sunny day.

I am listening to::
:: pages turn as my husband studies here in the office. This counts as "together time" right now. Flight school has begun, and the first 4 weeks are the most intense (and most crucial). So I get a chance for more time on the computer while he studies aeronautics and weather patterns and the basics of physics.

I am wearing::
:: not-so-stylish black velour pants with an apple-green shirt. and sneaker ankle socks.

I am thankful for::
:: spontaneity (and spell check because I couldn't spell it). A bit of out-of-the-ordinary can turn a long day into a full day. Big difference.

I am pondering::
:: living a faithful story. Making the hard choice when no one except God would know. Being kind, loving, gentle and purposeful, even though only my children see it. Read the whole post here, but here is the inspiring summary:

...don't resist the trials--they will be the making of your character, the galvanizing of your integrity, the defining of a great story of your king working on your behalf in the history of His redeeming the world back to himself. Your opportunity to show forth your true love for Him.

I am reading::
:: Time magazine and Teaching your Children Values

from the Kitchen::
:: baking day tomorrow! Meatloaf and mashed potatoes tonight. Four more days until grocery day, so a week of freezer/pantry cooking ahead.

I am thinking::
:: that no day is risk-free in my husband's line of work (or anybodys, I realize)...a T-34 crashed last night in New Orleans, killing the instructor. The student pilot was okay, thankfully...but made me realize that what my husband does is full of risk. Thankful that a Sovereign God knows exactly how many days each of us have; my husband will be with us as long as my Father ordains. Praying that is a long time =)

around the House::
:: going through the boxes and piles again, in anticipation of our upcoming in-town move. Is it possible to get addicted to this? My favorite part of moving is going through all of our stuff and weeding out the unused things; discovering something that I'd forgotten about; reminding myself of a project that really does need to be started (or finished).

I am creating::
:: a picture prayer journal for our family. Been on my mind for awhile to do, but put it on the top priority for my week. A journal full of pictures of family and friends for us to pray through after dinner. Gives a face for the children to know who we're praying for, and also gives us a opportunity to track how God works in their lives. Can't wait to get it done and USE it!

one of my Favorite Things::
:: nursing my babies at night. pure peace and trust.

from our day::

:: We took a spontaneous trip to the Riverwalk here in Milton for a picnic lunch. After sitting on a blanket (for all of 4 minutes - I thought that was pretty good!) and mostly wandering around while eating crackers and pasta salad and yogurt, we bundled up for a jaunt along the river. The seagulls seemed interested in us; no less interested than my boys were in them. I think Cole tried to verbalize "sea. gull." and Graeme laughed every time they flew away when we got too close. Then we stopped by the Milton bakery for a chocolate chip cookie (and a donut as a treat for Daddy). It was so much fun.

One of my favorite authors...

2010-01-12T16:23:00.001-08:00

...is releasing her new book, Dancing with my Father, today.

I can't wait to read it! I recently finished Sally Clarkson's Mission of Motherhood. It came at a wonderful time for me, and changed my perspective on what this Mothering business is all about. It is the best book on Motherhood out there (at least, I should say, from what I've read and seen, which is a good bit.)

If you can find her book at the library, order it from Amazon or from wholeheartpress (the Clarkson's website), I highly recommend that you do.

I'd like to find the time to right up a post about both Sally's book, and Clay's (Heartfelt Discipline). Meanwhile, just go read it! =)

three words. the computer. and my story

2010-01-11T20:28:00.001-08:00

Proverbs 4:7 says "Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding."

inspiration. information. insight (i.e. wisdom).

How are these three words related? More specifically, what do they have to do with the computer? =)

Well, as you may have noticed, I haven't been as bloggy lately. In fact, I think I've had one or two posts per month for the past several months. For awhile, I was working to be more consistent so that people would keep reading...so it's pretty "bad" to neglect my blog so thoroughly! Who wants to visit if I only pop-in once a month?

However, it hasn't been just my blog that I've been spending less time on. It's been the computer in general. Could I chalk it up to this season of life? New baby, crazy life for awhile, moving, settling in...sure, that's a lot. But plenty of folks manage to keep up with blogs through crazier times, no?

So there must be something else. Yes, there is. My relationship with my computer has changed. A lot.

It began gradually. Before Graeme's birth, the computer opened up a whole new world to me. I discovered a whole sister-hood of women who did parenting differently than the mainstream. Wow, was it fascinating! I spent hours perusing websites, jotting notes, printing articles...trying to figure out cloth-diapering, whether to vaccinate, how long to breastfeed, when to introduce solids. And after Graeme was born, that didn't change. Not only was the whole Momma thing new - so much of what I was trying to do was "weird" and I knew no one "in real life" who did it: cloth diapering, breastfeeding, attachment parenting, delaying solids, green cleaning, mama cloth, holistic medicine, naturally treating common childhood illnesses, not vaccinating. And I spent a lot of time with the computer.

Too much. I'd let Graeme watch "one more" video, or wait just an extra minute to go get him when he woke up from his nap so that I could finish a particular train of research or a post on a forum. Granted, I gleaned a heap of information from this period of time. Indeed, I was greatly helped by many a forum post or chat with another Mama who gave me helpful information...sometimes even critical information, as Graeme went through a series of ear infections. But we all know how easy it is for one-thing-to-lead-to-another in the world of the Web. You can start by looking up one thing and an hour goes by, seemingly without a blink. Boy, did I become informed, though!

While Mark was gone for OCS, the computer was my friend. I formed some fairly close relationships with other women with common interests on a forum, and blog-hopped late into the evening many times. I had a little knitting business that kept me busy online, and I started running co-ops (going in with other folks to buy things at reduced prices). My time on the computer increased. I often strived to balance it better - trying not to spend gobs of time on it while Graeme was awake. But much of my time and energy away from the computer involved things that needed to be taken care of online.

I knew it was taking up too much, so I cut back on some things. I spent less time on the forums. We were moving and in a new place, and I was pregnant, so a lot of my time online was spent in practical matters (finding new doctors, researching pregnancy-related tests and birth stuff)...

until I got bit by the blog bug.

Oh, can you be inspired by blogs! Friend blogs. Food blogs. Craft blogs. Kid blogs. Mom blogs. Marriage blogs. Green blogs. Simple blogs. Sewing blogs. Reading blogs. Picture blogs. Fashion blogs. Um, yeah.

I have to put a disclaimer out there that I got to know some pretty amazing women, read some incredible stories, discovered a great wealth of material to use in my kitchen and in my home, and learned a lot from reading blogs. Nothing at all wrong with them. Thanks to all of you who invest so much in your blog!

So I feel a little bad to say this, but I learned that I really had to cut back on the inspiration. It could gobble up time just as bad as anything I'd done before.

Not to mention the aspirations that filled my head about my own little blog. Should I rename it? How can I generate more traffic? Could I actually make money through my blog? And I invested mental energy on and off the computer: creating posts as I took my shower...my menu plans were fodder for a great blog post. How could I encourage my readers? How could I get more people to read me?

Fortunately, this phase was short-lived for me. I don't stick to things very well, and I quickly realized this was a downhill slope for me. Too much. Again.

God was working on my heart. After Cole's birth, the pressures of TBS started taking their tole on our family. Newborn baby-life can be tiring, but add to that my husband's schedule (3am mornings anyone?) and the fact that we were with one car after January '09. In D.C. (traffic makes everything more stressful). Trying to train a toddler to sleep in his own bed. Trying to minister to a husband you only see an hour every few days (it seemed). Realizing that when you join the military, whether you're the one that signed up or not, you're giving away parts of your life. It was a tough time, for sure.

For my sanity, and the sanity of my household, I had to give more of my time and attention to them. I started cutting back on anything that wasn't directly related to tangibly being with my children, caring for my home, thinking about how I can serve my husband and my family. Me and the kids kind of clung to each other. It just became less important, this relationship between me and the computer. The knitting business went bye-bye. I stopped doing co-ops. I still blogged. But I began to realize, I didn't need any more inspiration. I needed to live it.

I needed wisdom. Insight.

After all, it's not about the first two words that Solomon tells us to GET, though it cost *all* that you have.

It's about the last one. Seek after wisdom; search for her as for a hidden treasure, Proverbs 2 says. All the information and inspiration in the world cannot serve-up wisdom for you. It is something you must seek after. It is something you must give-up for.

Finally, me and the computer started figuring out where each of us needed to be. I needed to be away from it more. It needed to be a tool, not a master. A resource, not a relationship. Don't get me wrong - I'm grateful for its information. I still utilize search engines and forums occasionally to find out something I need to know. I learn about new things. I glean much inspiration from well-written blogs. I like to check in on my friends, see their pictures, keep up with their lives.

But I do all this with a greater degree of insight. I don't really care whether I keep up with my blog or not. That's just how it needs to be for me right now. I am not very active on forums or in blog carnivals and such. Hey, we don't even have cable and I often don't know about disasters or votes or important things like that until I hear it on the radio or see posts about it on facebook =)

I love not feeling obligated to check in on the computer. I love not needing to check my e-mail, even being okay with skipping a day...there's nothing that important going on.

Please don't take from this post that you ought to feel guilty if you keep up with your blog faithfully (thank you for doing that!). Don't take away that you should spend less time on your computer (unless, um, you should). Don't think that I find the internet, blogs, or forums evil (they are not).

Just take from it that technology and me are finally at a comfortable spot. I am the happiest I've been in years about it. Maybe in the future I'll be able to be more faithful posting on my blog. I'd love to get to that spot. Maybe not, though.

Meanwhile, thanks for reading! I hope this post is helpful. For some reason, it's been on my heart to share. Speaking of balance and wisdom...it's high time for me to head to bed. =)

A Picture Party

2010-01-01T06:30:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd share our last month or so in pictures (since I haven't blogged at all since before Thanksgiving!) This is actually from Thanksgiving, as that was Cole's first birthday.

We had homemade cinnamon rolls for Cole's birthday "cake" - yum!

Happy Birthday, sweet boy! This guy is almost always smiling.

The "hit" birthday present - a pounding tower. He took it very seriously

Our other boy, growing up so fast. He'll be 3 in March.

The "boys" and their beanies. I knit Cole's and Graeme's.

An impromptu hat that made Graeme the drummer boy (he loves the song)

Some of our Christmas shots:

Cole and cousin Noah (only a month younger)

We had a very special time having my grandparents with us for Christmas Day at my parents' house. Nana, the boy's great-grandmother, quilted each of them a blanket. Hard to put into words how wonderful it was to spend Christmas with four generations. We took pictures, but it was on my Mom's camera - once I get those, I'll share.

Nana

Graeme's quilt - the teddy bears are just up his ally - he loved feeling each one. I'm sure, eventually, they'll all have names and personalities =)

A sweet blanket for baby Cole. Cuddly, just like him.

Plates the boys made for my parents (little reindeer, the antlers are the boys' hands and the face is one of their feet.)

Funny how the simplest/least expensive gifts are sometimes the most fun. This little puppy from Walgreens gave hours of giggles and silly antics. Graeme especially found it hilarious.

Just loved this shot. Looks like he's trying to catch snowflakes or dancing with the lights...ah, to be one year old.

There were many other moments, and I left out some of the "family" shots (especially those with people in pajamas ha!)...but that has been our last month. Full of special memories, some sickness and down-time, lots of being at home, preparing our special gifts, talking about birthdays and Jesus and gifts and balloons (Graeme's gift of choice for Jesus and baby Cole).

We did something neat this year, a Jesse Tree, that I will post about in the next few days. Happy New Year, everyone.

I am here to meet your needs

2009-11-18T13:00:00.001-08:00

Often, when my children wake up in the night, I rush to their side and murmur, "Mama's here, mama's here". Often with tenderness; other times with exhaustion; and sometimes, I'm sad to say, with frustration at yet another hour of sleep interrupted.

As I whispered it to Cole this afternoon, waking from his nap rather violently, I took delight in being there for him...gently nursing him back into slumber so that he could later wake with renewed energy for life again.

To me, the phrase "I am here to meet your needs" describes the essence of mothering young ones. God designed Mothers to be the lifegivers for their young. We see it throughout His creation; and most eloquently in His image-bearers, humankind.

Without a supplement (formula, a wet nurse...), infants would literally die without the sustenance their Mother's milk provides. Without touch, infants will not thrive. Without someone to listen to and respond to their needs, babies are helpless! By design, their cry demands an answer.

And God's answer was Mama. The person He created to constantly care for a baby. To nourish him; cradle him; smile at him; talk to him; care for him...to love him by meeting his every need, no matter what.

It is a truly noble calling.

At the same time, it often seems to be this precise round-the-clock neediness that can feel totally overwhelming, can't it? I recall sitting on my bed in the wee hours of the morning a few days after Graeme's birth. His was a c-section, so I was dealing with surgery recovery, which I found to be much worse, hormonally, than my natural birth with Cole. Anyhow, I sat on my bed, nursing Graeme for what seemed like the fourth time already that night, and I just started weeping as it struck me: I would never be an independent human being again. Yes, marriage is a dependent-relationship...my husband definitely needs me =) But nothing like a baby needs me, especially a nursing baby. I realized that, for the foreseeable future, I would be tied to a needy little one who would demand my attention, whether direct or indirect, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There would be no "recess", no "lunch break" - no "vacation" from parenting.

Having a baby makes you unselfish, whether you're willing to be or not!

It was a process, for me, though, to accept my design. Then it took awhile more for me to embrace it. I think that will be a story I share another day, as (speaking of meeting needs) it's time to finish dinner preparations and help my boys share the tape measure. Ha!

Some pictures from our last few weeks...

My "bumper sticker" for these baby-years

2009-11-07T04:55:00.000-08:00

Or, I should say, one of the many I could share. Do you ever think of a phrase that would look really good as a bumper sticker?
I can't say I think of one very often, but yesterday I did.

It was just a long day, and I felt like I was cleaning up mess after mess after mess. My toddler had an accident; I did like countless sinks of dishes, as I was cooking all day; working with a laundry pile that seemed to multiply as the day went on, the blueberry that spilled on the seat that I had to feverishly try to get out before it stained....and so on - you get the idea.

On days like that, I can find myself weary with the seemingly endless demand on my energies for these messes we all make. That can disintegrate to complaining and "whining" (even if only in my head!) about these repetitive chores that come with a home with small children (and a momma who tends toward the messy, I mean, artistic side of things).

As I prayed for the Lord to change my viewpoint, I realized this: that Life is worth the Messes.

Living comes with demands, yes; but it comes with rewards as well. In fact, the living we do day-in and day-out is full of so much LIFE - learning, giving, trying, falling, getting back up; creating, exploring; resting, worshipping, eating; loving, hugging, laughing, crying.

So, yes, my young ones make extra laundry because they are learning: how to go potty in the big potty, how to hold a spoon or a cup.

I make lots of dishes cooking healthy, nourishing food.

We spill paint, milk, water, juice, markers, glue....but we spill them because we are using them to create, refresh and explore.

The glass is either half-full or half-empty. The choice - which way to view it - lies entirely with me.

17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.

26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

Proverbs 31:17

Vegetables = Comfort Food?

2009-10-26T07:37:00.000-07:00

Well, in these two recipes, veggies meet comfort food! =) We really enjoyed these this weekend.

Pasta Primavera
Apparently, a signature dish from a world-famous restaurant. I followed the recipe almost exactly, though I sub'd regular tomatoes for the plum and didn't have pine nuts this time around. A few tips from my experience: if you can chop up all the veggies ahead of time, it would make for a fairly quick meal - with the chopping and cooking together, it took maybe 40 minutes to prepare. I used two pans: a medium saute pan for all the sauteeing, and then a large stockpot to cook the spaghetti. At the final step, instead of putting the spaghetti in the saute pan to mix with the cream sauce, I put the cream sauce in the stockpot and mixed everything together in that. Cuts down on a few dishes ;-)

I've never even had asparagus (that I can recall) and have always been rather afraid of it, I guess. It was wonderful in this dish. I don't imagine I'd love it by itself, but in a dish like this, you don't taste any one vegetable flavor over another...they just all blend together in lovely pasta creaminess!

Turkey Cheese Casserole, or, Cheesy Pie (from Healthiest Kid by the Sears)

With this much cheese how can you go wrong? This was perfect for a dinner-breakfast (we had pancakes with it). Might also be good with some bread crumbs...there are lots of breakfast casseroles out there, but I did like that this one used turkey and cream cheese - hadn't seen those two before.

Serves 6-8

1lb ground turkey
3 medium zucchini, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt (or, to taste)
4 eggs (used local, free-range)
1/3 cup milk (next time I might try cream)
4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup mozzerella, grated
1/2 cup cheddar, grated

Preheat oven to 425. Brown the meat, and season as you cook with 1 tsp. basil and salt/pepper to taste. Cover the bottom of a large pie pan/casserole dish with browned meat. Layer on the zucchini and green onions. Add the Italian seasoning and salt to taste. Whisk the eggs and milk together and pour into the dish. Sprinkle all three cheeses on top. Bake for 30 minutes (mine took about 40 minutes b/c I used a deeper casserole dish).

Blogging Block

2009-09-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks, I've had quite the time coming up with the desire to blog. Not that I don't have ample subject matter, just not so much the "want-to" to write about it.

Most of my friends and family are now on Facebook, which somewhat eliminates part of the original purpose of this blog. Namely, to share pictures and updates with friends and family.

So, while I am a bit slow on posting, I just wanted to explain myself for anyone who is not on said-facebook ;) I'm still here, and will post as I have the time, desire, and sufficient interesting subject matter LOL!

I also have come to a humble conclusion about my own opinion. I've often been tempted to use my blog to share my political, spiritual, parenting or marriage or birthing or ___________ opinion......but frankly, I don't see the value in shouting from my little soap box when there are so many others who share their opinions quite better than I probably could. It is not either my mission or my purpose in life to convince the general "you" out there on the internet about things that are near and dear to my heart. It *is* my mission and purpose to love my husband, teach my sweet babies, care for our home, minister to my family, neighbors, friends, draw near to God....

As a wonderful prayer on the wall in my Mother's guest bathroom states:

Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occasion. Release me from craving to straighten out everybody's affairs...With my vast store of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it all, but Thou knowest Lord that I want a few friends at the end.
17th Century Nun's Prayer

so blogging is taking a bit of a back-seat for me at this season of life. I'll be sure to post as I have time and energy towards it. Just be patient as I am slow these days :-) Blessings to you and yours.

Summer Album 09

2009-09-17T07:48:00.001-07:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

a visual aid for my toddler

2009-09-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

I am a visual learner. I'm wondering if my son is, as well.

Graeme is a helpful boy - I'm convinced it's in a child's makeup to enjoy helping. There's nothing like being productive while spending time with someone you love to make one just feel good, right?

Since laundry is a daily task around here, I've been brainstorming to find ways to let Graeme help. Tried letting him "help" sort and fold. That didn't go over extremely well, though we will continue to work on it :-) He much preferred jumping on top of the pile of laundry, and climbing the "mountain, Mama!"

So then I thought of this:

Each drawer is assigned a picture of what goes in it. As we (ahem...I) fold the laundry, we pile Graeme's clothes into these categories. Then I ask him to take ______ to the drawer it goes in.

And it's working wonderfully! Graeme finds delight in locating the correct picture, opening the drawer, throwing (I mean, setting) his clothes in and running back to report the job accomplished.

It does help me, as it's one less pile to put away.

But it helps him a great deal more. It's giving him a sense of ownership, pride in accomplishment, and teaching him the pleasure of each thing being in its own home.

Delicious, Real Food!

2009-08-29T05:39:00.000-07:00

Snapped a picture of all the food I bought Thursday on our trip to the Farmer's Market and Publix to re-fill our refrigerator. I felt so...GOOD, knowing that our family will be eating all this nourishing food. I'm really working to fill our pantry and fridge with whole foods as much as possible - though, certainly, we buy our fair share of ketchup, the occasional bag of chips or cookies, and canned or staple items. I try to get those at the Commissary once a month, as it's a good hour trip there.

This just looks good, doesn't it? :) I think we'll have a bowl of peaches for breakfast...Happy weekend-ing!

Cole at 9 months

2009-08-26T17:26:00.000-07:00

Ah, how the time flies! I conceived Cole around the time that Graeme was 9 months (random fact, I know) - why that stands out, for me, is how fast pregnancy goes, and infancy...before I know it, Cole will be Graeme's age! I can't even remember Graeme being as small as Cole is now.

Four words to describe Cole at 9 months: sweet, snuggly, busy, and determined.

Truly, Cole is the sweetest little baby I've ever known. I realize I'm quite prejudiced, but I think I can say that neutrally, because it's true!

While I look forward to seeing Cole's personality develop (talk, walk, all that fun stuff), I will miss Cole as a baby. He is just such an enjoyable baby to be around.

Snuggly! Oh my, Cole is affectionate! Lately, when Mark gets home, Cole will crawl as fast as his little legs will carry him to pull himself up on Mark's boots to get a welcome snuggle. :-)

Busy. Cole is usually on to the next thing before I can keep track of where he's been.

Determined. This boy gets his sights set on something and there is no stopping him or dissuading him from his purpose. He is Mr. Destructo - he likes to dump everything, destroy it, conquer it, throw it over, and move on LOL!

However, once he's ready to sleep, he'll snuggle up (no going to sleep without rocking for this boy!) and be gone in a few minutes.

Favorite vocalizations: tongue roll, "da-da", na-na
Favorite place to be: with Momma, but Daddy takes a close second :)
What makes you laugh: Graeme's antics (especially when he chases you or makes funny noises with you), tickles in your neck, arms and tummy, Daddy playing "boy play" with you
Favorite food: Momma milk, avocado, oatmeal, banana (just started solids a month or so ago)

We love you, Cole!

Home Management Notebook, Part 1

2009-08-26T10:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I decided it was time to create my own Home Management Notebook. A fancy term for a notebook full of lists, charts, paper, and graphs to assist me in managing my home. This is not a task that comes naturally to me. I am the "free spirit", not the "nerd" of the house (aka Dave Ramsey)....If I were completely on my own, I'd be perfectly happy with clutter, piles, stacks, a full sink, etc. I count it progress that I'm willing to make such a dreadful confession ;-)

So here's my notebook:

I found a picture on Flickr's "Creative Commons" that I liked, printed it out, then put my text in.

Resources I used were:
1. SimpleMom.net
2. ListPlanIt.com (you can sign up for a free week-long trial!)
3. Flickr's Creative Commons

The idea for the "Home Management Notebook" came from SimpleMom. She describes her notebook here, and you can download (for free) all of the sheets used here.

In my notebook:
1. The Daily Docket - simple a daily planner. I may not use it everyday, honestly, but for busier days/weeks, it would sure be helpful - at the least, I love SimpleMom's idea of making 3 "Most Important Things" on your list of 10 to-dos for the day. In other words, if *only* those three things happen, you'll consider the day a success. What a relief for a perfectionist like me!

2. Master Chore Chart - can't decide whether to use SimpleMoms, or the one I downloaded from ListPlanIt's Home Management section.

3. Grocery List and Monthly Meal Plan, as well as several menu charts from ListPlanIt. I chose one that lists menus by day of the week (which I'll use for breakfast), and another that is a "master list" of meals in different categories (meat, vegetarian, pasta, soups, etc)...Once I fill that up, I can easily scan it for menu ideas, pick a few new recipes that I want to try, and have my menu for 2 weeks done in a snap.

4. Financial Worksheets (budget for each half of the month, Christmas gift planning chart, Home Improvement Savings List to save for all the things we'd eventually like to have in the house) - all of these were from ListPLanIt.

5. Growth Charts and Notes about activities/memories I want to keep for the children. Since I'm terrible at scrapbooking, I figure at least if I have a place to jot down little things that they do or how big they are, maybe I'll have them all in one place for someday when I have nothing to do and want to create a little memory book (ha ha).

I call it "Part 1" because I'll have to update how it works. Or, to be honest, whether I end up using all of the stuff inside, and what I add to it over time. What I like about this is that it is a visual, tangible thing that I can carry around with me. I'm very tactile, so having something to look at, thumb through, write in, and create is rewarding in itself. .

Finally, a video of Graeme from this morning. We were working in the garage during Cole's naptime, and Graeme was "helping" Mark fix the Volvo (nope, still not working!).

Video of Cole at the beach

2009-08-25T07:16:00.001-07:00

We had a marvelous visit with my sister this past week. On Saturday, we spent the whole afternoon at the beach! I'll post some more pictures later today, but for now, here's a video of Cole. He's got a great pincer grasp and is loving his new discovery of Toasty-Os :-) He'll be nine months in a few days, so I'll have a little post about him up.

(Forgive me for forgetting - again- to turn the camera horizontal...I'll try to remember next time!)

Fun Friday Favorite

2009-08-07T08:22:00.000-07:00

Just for fun, I thought I'd share one of our favorite books. Maybe we could make this a tradition on Fridays...we'll see how good I am at keeping it up, though ;-)

"There's a House Inside my Mommy" by Giles Andreae is a book about a little boy whose Mommy is pregnant. Here's the review I wrote on Amazon:

This is the sweetest book about expecting a new sibling. My 2 year old son loves it, and as another reviewer said, loves the pictures that he can name all the items. The descriptions the little boy uses to explain parts of pregnancy were cute, and easy-to-understand for my son. It's just a charming book! We have two boys, so the genders worked perfectly for us. I like how it makes a story out of pregnancy...it doesn't focus on how the boy feels about the new child, and there's no obvious "moral" like many of the new-sibling books I've come across. It portrays the father, mother, little boy and coming baby with respect and tenderness.

Some of my favorite quotes...

The house must have a kitchen
So he doesn't get too thin,
And I think the food my mommy eats
Can find its way to him.

He seems to want such funny things
But Mommy's very kind,
So she eats all sorts of crazy stuff
And doesn't seem to mind.

Best definition of pregnancy cravings I've ever heard!! ;-)

Sometimes Mommy feels so sick
I don't know what to do,
But if I had a house in me
I'd feel all yucky too.

Isn't that adorable? This was a random thrift store find, but we're so glad to own a copy now! It's hard to find a book about pregnancy that is simply wholesome, not "politically correct" or too moral-ish - this one is a gem, that's for sure.

Earth's Best/Garden of Eatin' Deal

2009-08-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

I guess the theme today is deals! Here's a link for a redemption form - if you purchase $15 in Earth's Best snacks, Garden of Eatin', MaraNatha peanut butter, Healthy Valley cereals/snack foods, you will receive a $5 Barnes 'N Noble gift card...purchase $25 worth, and you get $10 gift card. Pretty good deal, if you would use this stuff. I love the Garden of Eatin' corn chips (made with organic corn) and the Earth's Best snacks are pretty good - depends on if you get them on sale or not.

Here's the link:
http://www.takeahealthybite.com/gift-card/index.html

Enjoy!

Awesome Sale at Children's Place!

2009-08-06T06:02:00.000-07:00

Children's Place is holding their seasonal "Monster Sale" where all sale items are an additional 50% off (price is reflected in the online price). But then I did a search for coupon codes and came up with one for an addt'l 15% off your purchase! That code is "family79".

I got 7 shorts (including some of those adjustable waist ones, which my skinny-minny oldest son needs!) and 10 polo shirts (don't you love Children's Place polo shirts?!) for $63 bucks (plus $5 flat rate shipping and $5 tax). Now THAT is a great deal. I shoulda got more LOL! This will be the foundational pieces for next summer for my boys.

Go quick, a lot of the nice stuff is on "low inventory"!

5 Dangerous Things You Should Let your Kids Do

2009-08-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law, Laura, posted a few months ago about something that made me really think about how often I say "Be Careful" to my oldest son. Additionally, my dear husband often has to instruct me about what to expect with my boys - the first time he told me he wants our older boys (like 8+) to know how to use a firearm, I loudly (okay, shockingly and insistently) objected! So the more I think on this topic, the more humble I become in realizing how important, indeed, vital it is that our children (boys AND girls) become confident using even "dangerous" items, because it is inherent in the human make-up to rule over the laws of this universe - to discover them, figure them out and then utilize them.

Take, for example, all forms of transportation - the inventors had to know all sides of the laws of motion (including the effects of falling down and, say, breaking an arm ACK!) in order to create the objects we use today, whether the skateboard or the automobile.

Granted, when I watched Graeme, my two year old, climbing up the park ladder for the first time (you know, those ones with the big holes that go up high and he could FALL OFF AND BREAK HIS LEG!), I was hovering like a mother chicken and telling him to be careful. Sigh. Hopefully I can get over that, step back, and rest in the confidence that my children know their own limits and are capable of such things. Gradually, I am.

At least I was cheering him on! :-)

Tweaking my Menu Planning: Part 2

2009-08-03T07:13:00.001-07:00

The second part of my menu-plan tweaking is switching to a two-week rotation (shopping and planning) instead of weekly.

Honestly, it's happening naturally, so I figure I ought to "get the clue" and go with the flow!

1. We go through staples in about a two-week time-frame (cream, butter, milk, flour, juice, eggs). All of these items keep for at least two weeks.

2. We're switching to using all-cash as a budget method (Dave Ramsey), and Mark gets paid on the 15 and 31 of the month, so it would fit perfectly to go ahead and alot all of the money at the beginning of each pay check.

3. I'm locating local sources for eggs, milk and produce, and if I end up driving to purchase those, it would obviously be wise to limit the trips, so I'm thinking every 2 weeks would work well.

4. If I enforce this for myself and the family, it would encourage both careful planning and frugality. For example, if there are yet 3 days until the next grocery trip, we must make-do with what we have, as opposed to an extra trip to get the things for what we *want*, not necessarily what we need.

Do any of you shop/plan by a 2 week schedule?

Tweaking my Menu Planning

2009-08-01T12:28:00.001-07:00

I'm sitting here finishing up my grocery list for shopping this afternoon while the boys take naps ("bap" as Graeme says).

I've come up with something that has been working for me for a few months now, so I think it's been tested enough to share it. I often have great ideas that don't pan out after giving them a good testing for a few weeks, but this one seems to be a "keeper".
We've been married for almost 5 years, and I've never gotten into a real groove when it comes to menu planning. It's probably because I get bored easily, and I always think the grass is greener - always trying a new thing!

So this plan gives me some flexibility, but here's what I love about it: It gives me a place to start. Procrastination is one of my top-three flaws, I'd say, and so many times I'll sit down to make my grocery list/menu plan and feel lost, alone, and afraid! (Sounds exaggerated, but not by much!)

Here it is: planning by category
Monday - salad (change to soup in the winter)
Tuesday - stir-fry
Wednesday - spaghetti, lasagna or pizza
Thursday - fish
Friday - fun/family (grill-out, hot dogs, have people over...)
Saturday - sandwiches (easy, flexible in case we're low on groceries)
Sunday lunch - crockpot/roast
Sunday dinner - breakfast

Then I have a list of breakfasts and lunches to work off of on a regular basis. This makes stocking my pantry/cupboards simple.

Lunches:
pasta salad/rice salad/green salad (throw in leftover meats if desired)
burritos
quesidillas
PB&J
tuna sandwhiches
mac n cheese

Breakfasts:
smoothies
pancakes/waffles/french toast (great for using up that almost-stale bread!)
oatmeal
bagels
muffins
fruit

There are a couple things that I do weekly/semi-weekly:
Pot of beans to soak Sunday evening - this gives us beans for lunches, snacks, dips or whatever
Roast a chicken on Monday - sometimes use the chicken for a chicken or pasta salad that evening, to use in lunches or my Tues. stir fry, and then I make chicken broth for the week. Read more about the health benefits of broth here.
Baking - Once a month, I'm using this recipe for homemade bread. I'd like to bake a weekly batch of muffins/bagels or whatever, as well as a weekly batch of rolls (potato rolls, french bread, eventually I'm going to experiment with sourdough).

So that's what a week in my kitchen is looking like, and I'm feeling very comfortable with this type of planning. Especially since we are really cutting back on processed/commercial foods, trying to eat locally and healthfully, and working to pay off our debt (Dave Ramsey anyone??!!), careful planning is not a luxury, it's a necessity! The few weeks of our move were crazy, and we were amazed at 1) how expensive it is to eat out, 2) how much we noticed feeling draggy and just tired of eating-out-food, and 3) how generally hard it is to find healthy food at mid-range restaurants and fast food. It's wonderful to get back to real food made by my own hands in my own kitchen! :-)

A question - what do you all do on the weekends to keep meals simple? Do you have a standard Sunday dish you prepare every week?

Soap-Nuts Liquid Giveaway!

2009-08-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking is giving away 20 samples of a new liquid soap-nut detergent. Read all about it in her review here, and learn about soap nuts in her post here. I'm hoping to win, as I've been wanting to try soap nuts out! Go enter!

What we've been up-to

2009-07-30T20:53:00.001-07:00

Several of you have mentioned that you didn't know we were moving...I'm so sorry! I guess in all the hustle and bustle, I just neglected to fill my blog friends in on our happenings. So here we go, I'll fill in the blanks!

Mark finished TBS (The Basic School) in May. Here are some graduation pictures:

After graduation, we packed (whew, we were crazy to do a "self-move"!) All I can say about the drive from Virginia to Florida was that 4 days of 6-hour+ car trips with little ones (we had a few stops to stretch it out)...absolute craziness. Honestly, the boys were troopers! But even the sweetest boys start to go crazy after sitting in the car that long.

We made it, though, and God blessed us with a beautiful rental home within 1/2 mile of Escambia Bay (the bay Pensacola sits on). I do not exaggerate to say that we live in a resort-like community. Our house is big, open, airy...the perfect beach house. We've been to the beach probably 4 times since we moved. The boys love it! So do we - though this last visit is still painfully remembered every time I move my shoulders, as I foolishly neglected putting sunscreen on (sigh!)

We're enjoying this season of Mark's career...he is here for flight school (has a pilot's contract in the USMC) but the wait is looking like it will be April/May before he starts. Meanwhile, he'll have a light job that will bring him home around lunch time/nap time most days, with weekends off and NOTHING like the pressures we experienced during TBS. Truthfully, we are having a time of healing and renewal as a family, it's been wonderful. Cole loves to cuddle, and Graeme is exploring his new surroundings with relish :-)

A few Graeme Funnies

2009-07-30T18:30:00.000-07:00

(Don't ask - it was a catastrophe that we turned into fun ;)

Since my oldest son is talking non-stop these days, he's coming up with some funnies that I thought I'd share.

Moe's is a Subway-style Mexican restaurant. Definitely one of our favorites. Whenever we're headed out to eat at Moe's, we'll tell Graeme we're going to Moe's, and then we all chime in with "Welcome-to-Moes!" (which all the employees holler out when someone enters the restaurant).

Tonight, leaving, Mama says, "Say bye-bye to Moes".

Graeme willingly waves and shouts: "Bye-bye, Welcome-to-Moes!"

We have really been working with Graeme on not pushing/kicking/knocking his brother down lately. Part of the discipline includes Graeme going to Cole, giving him a hug and kiss, and telling him he is sorry for ---. I guess you can see how much we've had to work on this when, this morning, I hear Cole start to cry, come around the corner, and can quickly see what *probably* happened, since Graeme is holding the toy Cole was playing with. Before I can get a word out, though, Graeme starts crying with Cole, rather frantically repeats "Hug, kiss, sorry!"

Then before his nap, I say, "Can you give Cole a night-night hug and kiss?" He goes up to Cole, very sweetly gives him a big hug and a smackaroo...and a very sincere "Sorry"! I wonder if he really understands what "Sorry" means. Ah, well.

Last week I told Graeme it is kind to ask people how they are doing. We practiced a bit. Now I often here a little voice: "Hi Mama, How are you doing?" I have to make sure to respond as we practiced, because I usually forget and just laugh and give him a big hug because it's so cute!

Under Construction

2009-07-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

A fitting title for both the blog and my life right now! My blog is getting a re-vamp (again, I know). We're settling into our house here in FL...and it seems like every area I'd found a balance in the past year is getting re-hauled. Life-changes have a way of doing that, I suppose. We were in quite a groove when it came to our daily routine, meal planning, etc! So while we settle in once more, I'll get back to blogging more frequently - have lots of pictures to share and news to talk about.

Meanwhile, we are loving living within 20 minutes of the beach! Here's one of Graeme's favorite pasttimes:

And, one of Cole's (ha ha!) Aren't they so sweet when they sleep?

Family Photo Shoot!

2009-06-30T18:16:00.000-07:00

We scheduled a photo shoot to get some professional pictures of Mark in his dress blues...then decided to do some casual family pictures too. Am I glad we did!

Mark's Dress pictures still aren't up, but should be in the next few days.

View the "preview" on Theresa's blog, here.

Lovely Blog Award

2009-06-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

My friend, Myra at Happy Housewife Living Life, gave me this award (Thanks, Myra!), and I wanted to pass it on to:

My sister-in-law, Laura at Five Little Arrows, who recently got a fun blog-makeover!

My friend, Ivy at Sweet Tea by the Baltic Sea, whose pictures of her two little girls always make me smile (and my ovaries itch for a girl :)

My friend, Nikki at Nikkis Notes, who recently made a special announcement about an event that will happen in approx. 8 months! Congrats!!

Just gone for a bit :)

2009-06-14T16:38:00.001-07:00

Hi friends,

Just wanted to let you know I hadn't fallen off the face of the earth! My Mom and Dad are here for a week-long visit...so I probably won't be on much this week either, but I may come post pictures for my sister's sake (luv you sis!) since she wasn't able to come visit this time around.

Be back :)

Week of Milestones!

2009-06-05T10:52:00.000-07:00

The classic military joke is that it's only when the husband leaves that the car breaks down and the kids get sick. Thankfully, the car did not break down, but Mark has been gone all week in the field (the last one, yey!), and wouldn't ya know, we've had a busy week! WOW, talk about milestones:

1. Potty Training

Monday morning, Graeme sat down on his potty and peed. Just like that. And he's still doing it! Hasn't gone #2 in the potty yet.

I wasn't "ready"! Kids don't wait for us to be ready, though, do they?

2. First foods

Cole is eating avocado and seems to like it fairly well, don't you think?

3. Adventures of the Toddler Bed

Graeme is experimenting with the wonderful freedom he's discovered: no crib rails! It's been a bit of a trying week at times, for me, as I attempted to discern what was teething issues and what was an issue of the will - as the week went on, I realized this was a battle of wills. Last night and today were better, thankfully!

4. Toddler Molars

Graeme's baby-teething was remarkably "easy", but I think he's making up for it with his toddler molars. Extra fussiness, not wanting to eat as much as usual, more nursing than normal, messed-up sleeping patterns...you get the idea. I think the bottom two are done erupting, but the top two are just beginning (sigh).

He's got a beautiful smile, though, doesn't he? :)

5. Cole's first tooth!

At long last, we have a tooth. One of the bottom front erupted last night. And as is appropriate for my laid-back fellow, he did nothing unusual (let's hope all his teething is that easy LOL!)

You can't see it yet through a picture. But Cole willingly posed for me anyway.

Cloth Diaper Giveaway!

2009-06-05T10:37:00.001-07:00

You need to head over to SimpleMom's giveaway - several great cloth diaper companies are offering giveaways! View her reviews on her favorite diapers, and the giveaway here.

Graeme's first "official" haircut

2009-05-31T18:36:00.000-07:00

Mark and Graeme went on a field trip yesterday. When they came back, my toddler looked like a little boy! (Mark says the whole PX knew that Graeme was getting his haircut...but he did it, and I'm proud of him.) It's not perfect - hey, she did the best she could. It'll be much cooler for the summer, though. Hopefully the next few times will go more easily for him :)

Just had to get a few of my snuggly boy.

Cole at 6 months

2009-05-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe it's been half of a year already! Our littlest man is growing quickly - won't be long before he is sitting up on his own and crawling. His first teeth should be arriving shortly, as well...all this gnawing and drooling. By now, Graeme had 4 teeth!

The pediatrician said he looks great (of course!). He hasn't started solids yet, and she encouraged us to start those (which I knew). I was surprised that she even recommended putting juice in the dry cereal - why do juice before they know enough to want it? Anyhow, I'll probably be experimenting in the next few weeks with making my own rice cereal, if I decide to start with that - I may start with avocado as I did with Graeme. Cole has not been interested in the occasional bit of banana I've been offering.

Cole is at the 75% mark in height (26"), the 45% in head circumference, and the 51% in weight (16lb.12oz). I was surprised at the weight %, as he seems quite chunky to me! The pediatrician shared an interesting fact, that breastfed babies are often in the higher percentiles in weight in the first few months, and then as your breastmilk fat starts to level off, their weight also levels off to more modest numbers, even in the lower percentiles. I find that it is a common myth that breastfed babies are plumper - and she confirmed for me, that it's the great percentage of formula-fed babies that guide these "averages"...so she's not concerned with a breast-fed baby that appears healthy and is eating frequently, though they may be at or below the mid-range of the percentiles.

Cole's personality? Developing, that's for sure! We're getting more demonstrations that he does have a will (which I was wondering about for awhile here - he's been so sweet and laid-back!). When he doesn't like something, he's starting to make himself heard, if ya know what I mean! He loves to interact with big brother, often laughing at his antics. I can't wait to see this develop more in the coming months. He loves people, loves to smile, and loves to cuddle.

The nurse asked if he is grasping, and trying to go get things out of his reach - I had to laugh! Is he, though?!! He gets his sights set on something, and he WILL get to it. He is a very determined mover! I know he is going to crawl early (Ped. said 8-9 months is average, but I cannot imagine him waiting that long.). He seems to me to be a "conqueror" - whereas Graeme was content to explore and study things, Cole's goals seem to be more along the lines of overcoming, conquering, and then moving on to the next conquest :-)

Trip to New Jersey

2009-05-27T12:07:00.000-07:00

We went to NJ over Memorial Day Weekend (Mark got a 4-day weekend!). We've been wanting to get up to see his Grandmother and Aunt&Uncle. It was wonderful to finally spend some time with them. Last time we visited, I was barely pregnant with Graeme (in fact, I didn't know that I was pregnant yet, but kept feeling nauseous and ate like crazy LOL!)

Cole spent several naps like this:

Great Grandmother

Graeme has obviously missed our piano, and gave us several very nice "recitals". (Actually, he really does already have a nice touch - he doesn't bang.)

Went to the park several times

This is one of my all-time favorites of Graeme.

Isn't this too cute?

Graeme, always ready for a comfy lap and a good read.

Aunt and Uncle with the boys

It must be me....

2009-05-27T10:20:00.000-07:00

My sweet husband bought me a Zojirushi Bread Machine for Christmas. I'd been wanting one for awhile, and the Commissary had them for $180 (they retail for $215).

But for the life of me, I seriously cannot get a consistently good loaf from it.

I've concluded that it is not manufacturer error or bad ingredients or anything like that.

It is user incompetence. I think I am just not cut out for a bread machine. From what I've read, each ingredient has to be "just-so" in order for the bread to turn out right...and I've tried being better, I really have. I spooned the flour (instead of scooping - that is very bad, so I've read). I carefully measured the liquids, even adding 2T because the Zoji is notorious for needing just a bit more liquid. I bought dough enhancer, vital wheat gluten.

The only thing I can get to turn out well is pizza dough.

So, I decided to try my hand (again) at making my own bread, and, well. See for yourself.

(This is Lindsay's recipe from Passionate Homemaking. I successfully halved it to make 2 loaves, froze one and we are eating the other.) It worked for me!

What to do with the bread machine is my next dilemma. I'd like to sell it so I can fund one of these.

Had some help in the kitchen :) (Granted, his "helping" wasn't all that helpful, but he sure had fun making bubbles!)

And since Mama was so happy to have finally created some beautiful loaves of bread, we celebrated with our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe (altered with 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour and coconut oil to make them more healthy - at least, it makes me feel less guilty to eat them LOL!)
[prepare to drool]

My front porch

2009-05-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share how lovely my front porch looks these days :)

Remember my post about beautifying our home? This was my first project. It makes me happy every time I open the door! I'm really enjoying being a "gardener" (okay - just to be clear, a very, very humble gardener, like, I shouldn't even call myself that). There's something peaceful about grooming flowers and watering early in the morning.

Extended breastfeeding, Part II

2009-05-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

photo by Serlunar

Did you know...

.....that the WHO recommends breastfeeding continue at least until 2 years?

.....that a woman's risk for osteoporosis and breast cancer goes down significantly the more years she nurses?

.....it takes between 2 and 6 years for a child's immune system to fully mature?

.....that all of the research available (only up to 24 months) shows increasing benefits the longer you breastfeed?

Why I nurse my toddler

1. Nursing provides the most complete nourishment for an infant, and continues to be the best supplemental nourishment for a young child.

In addition to the facts I shared initially, there is a growing body of evidence that supports breastfeeding in general, and extended breastfeeding in particular. You can read more about those studies and facts in the resources I'll list at the end of this post.

Nursing offers me a peace of mind during this picky-toddler-syndrome. My oldest loves most any fruit, spaghetti, breads, mac 'n cheese, yogurt, crackers, dried fruit, etc....but he diligently avoids vegetables. At times, it has driven me crazy. I fear that he will never be a healthful eater, I worry about whether he's getting a sufficient supply of vitamins and minerals, I wonder if he'll develop a sweet tooth, I wish that he wasn't so addicted to dairy, and on and on. For me, nursing answers these dilemmas. While my son learns to eat his vegetables, nursing continues to "fill in the gaps", offering the perfect balance of vitamins and minerals, along with antibodies which boost his yet-immature immune system.

2. Extending the nursing relationship into the emotional toddler years provides both Momma and Child with a needed place of security.

If you're a Mother of a toddler, you know how difficult this period can sometimes be for your little one. I've found nursing to be such a boon - for both of us! There have been several occasions where he was having a meltdown and nursing rescued us. On his trip to the dr. in October, Graeme was horrified by them sticking the thermometer under his armpit. Oh my, he truly was *terrified*! Traumatized by the whole experience, he asked to nurse after the dr. left - in fact, he kept repeating "Mama Do" (which is his word for mama milk) over and over like a mantra to reassure himself.

There have also been moments when *I* was having a meltdown (yep, does happen occasionally!) and nursing helped me recover and gave me a chance to relax and remind myself of what mothering is all about.

Granted, nursing is not the only way to comfort a young one, definitely. However, for us, it has given us opportunities to re-group, re-vive, and the glances we share at these times (Kinda like "Whew, okay, we're going to make it") speak for themselves.

3. Nursing is a "miniature" of Mothering.

It requires all the attributes that Motherhood demands - patience, forgiveness, gentleness, setting boundaries, giving of oneself even when you don't feel like it. And I'd say this is more pronounced the longer you nurse - especially if you nurse through pregnancy and tandem nurse.

4. Nursing my oldest greatly helped with his ease of transition to being a big brother and "sharing" Momma.

I definitely attribute much of that success to his continued access to nursing. Graeme nursed a TON the first week after Cole came home - which, while I did feel like all I did was nurse for awhile, it actually did me a favor when I got engorged!, and, it seemed to be just the ticket to remind Graeme that I'm still the same Momma and I'll still be there for him, now there's just another baby for us to love.

I'll do a separate post on the benefits and fun of tandem nursing!

There you have it, my "top-4". I've got one more post planned on the myths surrounding Extended Breastfeeding...and I'll combine some aspects of Tandem nursing in that one as well.

It works for me!

Resources:
LLI - Breastfeeding Toddlers
LLI - Extended Breastfeeding Resource Page
An interview with Katherine Dettwyler, Ph. D - Extended nursing: The human norm
Peggy O'Mara on the recent "The Case Against Breastfeeding" article in The Atlantic Monthly - Case Closed: Breast is Best
KellyMom - Nursing During Pregnancy/Tandem Nursing
Adventures in Tandem Nursing

Lots of new pics!

2009-05-19T06:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a slideshow with recent pics from our Air and Space Museum trip.

Also is one of our new playroom rug (seen here in our living room surrounded by my attempt to organize our toys).

Graeme was helping me sort the toys, and created the very neat line you'll see of vehicles - notice that they are all facing the same direction. He is quite particular about such things, it makes me laugh!

And Cole is teething - don't you love the classic "ooh, cold!" face? I gave him a cold washcloth, and thankfully had the camera out for once ;-) He's almost able to sit by himself and is scooting all over - no crawling yet, but my guess is before we move!

Have to share...

2009-05-18T11:01:00.001-07:00

this post on mothering, by Sheri of Large Family Mothering:
http://ladyofvirtue.blogspot.com/2009/04/anti-mothering-propaganda.html

It has me tearing up - Sheri writes very provocatively, and this post in particular struck me in an important way. I was just confessing to God that I had not embraced His calling for me today - I've been going about my day kinda on my own terms, and this post brought me back to rejoice in my Creator's creativity and wisdom in making me a Mother.

Do you Delicious?

2009-05-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

If you aren't familiar with Delicious, you should be! It is revolutionizing the way I bookmark. I've just been using my browser bookmark feature, but it gets SO full and quite overwhelming in a very short time. Simple Mom recommended Delicious, so I gave it a shot. Well, I've been using it for a month or so now, and WOW!

Delicious organizes your bookmarks based on tags that YOU assign each link. This adds not only organization to your bookmarks, but puts the power in your hands to make a system that works for you. Registering is free, and they don't bombard you with annoying e-mails or anything like that. Try it, I bet you'll like it!

Celebrate how small

2009-05-15T16:47:00.000-07:00

On our meander through the neighborhood yesterday, we ran into several of the babies that are around Cole's age. The general conversation usually begins by one of us parents commenting on how big the other's baby is getting - "Wow, he's grown so much since I last saw him!" or "How much does she weigh now?" Then we comment on how fast time has flown, that they are already 6 months old or whatever. How big they are getting! How soon they will be riding tricycles or going down the slide!

But tonight, as my son's teeny hand gripped my thumb and he drifted off to sleep, I marveled at how small he is. What an amazing thing God has done to create a being in his image in such a tiny package. How quickly he will be a man - before I can blink, almost - and his hand probably larger than mine will do all sorts of incredible things.

So tonight, son, I celebrate how small you are. Small enough to yet cuddle in my arms, nurse you to sleep, and cradle you close to me.

Blogs 'n things

2009-05-14T07:07:00.001-07:00

I admire you bloggers out there that are able to keep up with posting, faithful and consistent. I've been silent this week, and rather unmotivated to blog anything much. I did promise to post a few more on Extended Breastfeeding, but just haven't taken the time to sit down and write them.

We have been busy! Beautiful weather, no lap-top (so just my upstairs computer - and we are so infrequently upstairs), dinner at the General's house (for TBS wives - it was neat!), a toddler teething (Graeme's molars are making their appearance, but they really bother him during the wee hours of the morning...sigh), and getting ready for a yard sale on Saturday. All these things do not add up for much blogging.

However, I can give much thanks to the Lord for continuing to change my heart and causing me to find joy in my home and ministering to my family during these busy and sometimes tiring times. (Not to say that I'm always joyful about it ;) I've purposed to be better this week about cleaning the kitchen, getting to bed earlier, and in general, allowing my household to have some sort of rhythm. It's been a good week in that way.

I have been reading some of your blogs here and there, just not much posting. And for those that are waiting for new pictures, I've gotten some good ones, and will try to get them up sometime this weekend!

Can you imagine?

2009-05-07T18:37:00.000-07:00

Photo by Margaret Anne Clark

Do you have an imagination?

To digress, the sun finally came out this evening, so we went out for a run, then some tricyle-time for Graeme...after I put the boys down, I got to take a very leisurely shower (with no children awake, no rushing to get done before they wake up...) It was the most relaxing 20 minutes I've had for several days. Okay, maybe a few weeks.

During this time, I was contemplating the imagination, and realizing the importance of having a well-developed one. "Pretend" is not just for children. Consider these three complex qualities.

Empathy.
To care about another, to empathize, one has to be able to enter into another's sorrows. Dictionary.com defines empathy as "a vicarious participation in the emotions, ideas, or opinions of others, the ability to imagine oneself in the condition or predicament of another".

Forgiveness.
When extending forgiveness, it can be really helpful to imagine the circumstances that caused the offender to hurt you. Not that it's a requirement to forgive - we must forgive regardless of whether we understand it or not. But, being able to put yourself in their shoes can surely help, granting you a measure of understanding, and consequently allowing forgiveness to happen more readily.

Hope.
Or we might say "seeing the big picture". Life can be hard. People fail, circumstances turn upside-down, surprises (good or bad) knock us off our feet.

Being able to see beyond today, or beyond this week, or beyond this year, is a key component of hope.

And that requires imagination, doesn't it? Sometimes more than others! Many millionaires had very low periods in their life, when they had lost everything, and now they tell their story - and I've noticed that for many of them, they held on to a vision of a brighter future, even when they were living out of their car with no job and a family of four. Talk about imagination!

What about all the vocations that require imagination? Mothering, for example! :) Art, music, writing, designing, managing...these require the ability to actively see other worlds, and they require a "repertoire" of images and events that a curious mind creates.

Photo by Myk_Crypt

Imagination is not taught, it is innate. However, I believe it can be either encouraged or squelched. I'm thankful that I had parents that encouraged my imagination! (I'm sure they would attest it wasn't always easy! ;-)

The great thing about imagining is that it doesn't require materials, money, or planning. It's a fully-portable game that can be played anywhere, at any time. It engaged the brain and the senses. And it helps prepare our children to face adversity, to be curious, to love and forgive in a truly empathetic way.

So go pretend to be elephants or something with your little ones! Try telling stories. Ask them to imagine a place or a thing, and ask them what it feels like, what it tastes like, smells like, etc. Dress up. Have fun!

Extended breastfeeding - Part 1

2009-05-05T16:55:00.001-07:00

I can't tell you how wonderfully tandem nursing has been working for our family. I understand that not everyone makes the same decisions regarding extended breastfeeding, and I fully respect the need for each Momma to make a decision that is right for your family (and in some cases, the decision is made for you!).

That being said, I love it :-) I decided to continue nursing through pregnancy, figuring Graeme would probably naturally wean as my milk dried up.

Well, he had different ideas! He continued to nurse even once my milk was gone (by around 20 weeks). With Mark leaving for OCS, along with our impending move, it didn't seem like the right time to wean. We both treasured the closeness while Mark was gone.

As I contemplated the concept of weaning, doing much reading and thinking about it, I couldn't really find a reason to stop nursing. If mother and child are both still enjoying the experience, why stop? It is the most natural form of comfort, security, and quiet (all of which are in high demand during the toddler years). Of course, a Mother can still offer those without nursing. But since Graeme continued to want to nurse, and I continued to enjoy it, we kept going.

I kept waiting for him to get tired of nursing and getting no milk. However, I think he knew that surely, eventually, it would come back. And did it! The first week after Cole was born, once my milk came in, Graeme was enthralled with the bounty :-) In fact, that was probably the most challenging period, as Cole was nursing, I was recovering, and Graeme wanted to nurse very frequently - who wouldn't, all that wonderful rich milk that he'd been holding out for all these months!?

We made it through that one challenging week, setting a few boundaries and getting settled with how to handle two nurslings. I tandem nursed several times (nursing one on each breast) - once I got the hang of it, I truly enjoyed it. I would look down at my two little ones contentedly resting their heads close to one another, and I believe that there are few things so sweet as being a Mother at a time like that. I praised God for giving me the opportunity to provide nourishment, both physical and emotional, to both of my children in this way.

So here we are, Graeme is 26 months old, and still nursing! He is showing some signs of weaning independence, as I've read is common between 2-3 years. Up to this point, he has nursed to sleep almost every day of his life. Now, he'll often sit up and want to read a few books before going to bed...I figure, if I get pregnant in the next year and wish to wean, this will be a natural way to do it. We'll continue to cuddle, and gradually shorten the nursing session and lengthen the reading time. (At least, that's what I have in mind...we'll see what actually transpires!)

Yes, I plan on nursing until either Graeme seems ready or I am ready to wean. I believe we will know when it is time.

What is it like? Why do it? What kind of boundaries do you set? Do you make enough milk for both children?
Well, I'm going to do 2 (or 3 :) more parts to this "series" and hope to answer some of those questions, and point you to further resources if you're interested. I'm not trying to convince all of you dear readers that this is the "only way" to go, or make you feel bad if you don't nurse beyond X point - but most of us don't run into tandem nursers every day, so if I can help clear up misunderstandings or misconceptions by sharing my experience, I hope to!

Feel free to leave a comment with any questions you've always wondered about tandem/extended breastfeeding - I won't mind answering, if I can. I'm not an expert, but I've done my share of reading on the topic :)

Do you nurse? How long have you nursed? What do you love about it?

Today's Yard Sale finds

2009-05-02T10:53:00.000-07:00

Here's what $20 got me today:

A bunch of clothes for Cole this summer (12 month sizes, can you believe it? He's wearing 6-9mo. right now)

4 pants in 3T for the fall/winter for Graeme

A shirt for me :)

Handy-Manny roll-along backpack - perfect for taking books to the library!

A huge stack of books from a going-out-of-business sale at the on-base preschool.
I grabbed some of the curriculum books that caught my eye. Is anyone familiar with these?

Found some classics storybooks - 25cents each!

All in all, a very satisfying yard-sale adventure this morning.

Cole at 5 months

2009-05-02T10:44:00.000-07:00

Cole's 5 month marker came and went so quickly, I quite forgot about it until this weekend! Look how much he is growing!

He's almost ready to sit by himself - he'll sit for a few seconds and then topple over. He's not crawling yet, but he sure can scoot and roll himself around quite well. Last week he discovered his screaming voice...it's hilarious, he likes to hear himself screech.

He's awfully handsome, isn't he? :-)

And the winner of my first giveaway...

2009-05-01T17:13:00.000-07:00

...thanks to Random.org, which drew #20 as the winner...

Holly at A Mommy's Blessings!
Congratulations! I hope you get a lot of use out of it and enjoy it as we have :-)

Thanks to everyone for participating! It was fun to read your experiences (or not) with babywearing. I believe every mama should try a carrier - whether you plan on using it extensively or simply occasionally, there are always occasions when you're carrying your baby, right?

Thanks to Laura at Heavenly Homemakers for a fun Spring Giveaway!

A few good links from the week

2009-05-01T04:29:00.001-07:00

Reading Lists (from DiscerningReader) - Lists of Most Influential Books from contemporary men of faith. Great for yourself, but I'm also thinking helpful for Father's Day gifts. There's a nice link at the bottom of 9Marks list of books for laymen (including theology, church history, etc.)

Pantry Talk - deepening the pantry to prepare for times of illness, recessions, and possible emergencies. LOTS of links on the topic in her sidebar.

8 ways to share your opinion (fabulous article on this - I am far too quick to share what *I* think! Nothing wrong with having an opinion - but there can be much wrong in the way I share it.)

The article you should read about the Swine Flu "Pandemic"

Homemade Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup - made it yesterday and it is PERFECT! Finally, a recipe for something I refuse to buy from the can. Now I can make some of those "cream of..." recipes, healthfully!

Make your own Boys Ties - Very interesting website. I would love to have the guts to try to do this. Have you ever made your own boys ties? They are hard to find in the stores...or, at least, at a price I'm willing to pay.

Beautifying my Abode

2009-04-30T18:24:00.000-07:00

I love front doors that say "Welcome", don't you? On our walk yesterday, we passed a door that had beautiful flowers in cute pots on the steps. The window was open and you could see a pretty curtain with a lamp in the window. It was so homey and welcoming. Those little touches always say to me: "Someone lives here who cares about her place and her people".

Ah, to have a knack for such things! Making my home beautiful is not one of my strong points, in my opinion. Not that I can't do it...it just doesn't come naturally to me.

So I've been inspired with the beautiful spring weather. If I only did ONE thing every week to make my home more beautiful - one, intentional project - what lovely things I could accomplish!

Most of the time, I simply don't think about it. What's on my mind from day-to-day is getting the meals ready, doing laundry, reading books, nursing, changing diapers, letting the dog out...you know, things that are pressing and immediate.

I'd love to say that I'll try to blog about it every week, but that might set me up for a big fat failure ;) So I'm going to declare that it is my intention to work on this area. My general goal is to plan one project each week - some of them may overlap or take more than one week, but that's the idea. Here are my criteria:

Simple - bite-sized. If it's too involved, it just doesn't happen.

Inexpensive - we're on a tight budget, but that shouldn't mean I don't do
anything in this area!

Creative - giving me a place to develop my artistic talents

Ministering - if it's not going to minister to our family, it won't fit (for
example, a collection of roosters at this stage in life probably
isn't the best course of action)

There you have it, ladies! If you have any suggestions, stories, or empathy to share, I'd love to hear.

Free stuff!

2009-04-28T07:45:00.000-07:00

It doesn't get better than free, does it? I am so thankful for all the free stuff we got this weekend.

First, one of our neighbors was about to take this stroller to the Goodwill. Instead she gave it to us! It's barely used! We've used it 3 times already :) It's perfect for going to the mall or the library - I have a double jogging stroller, but it's not exactly portable, like this one is. (Graco DuoGlider - ours is gray/black)

Secondly, the Women of the Chapel hold something called "Families Helping Families" every spring/fall here on-base. It's like a consignment sale (people drop stuff off) - but it's all FREE! First-come, first-serve....my neighbor and I went at 7:30am Saturday morning, and here's what I came home with:

One pile is all maternity stuff - name-brand tops like Liz Lange, Motherhood, Pea in a Pod (again, no, not trying to tell you anything ;)

Second pile is clothes for now (minus the shirt I wore yesterday and one I'm wearing today :)

The rest is clothes for the boys! Pjs, shirts, a few bottoms, and a cute 6-9 mo. elephant outfit from Gymboree...all name brand stuff that is in good to great condition.

All in all, we came away from the weekend with probably around $500 worth (full-price) of stuff that we can use immediately. And it was FREE!!! What a blessing!

For more Gratituesday posts, visit Heavenly Homemakers.

Spring Giveaway - Sidecar Sling

2009-04-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

Laura is hosting a fabulous giveaway this week! A perfect excuse for me to host my first giveaway. Be sure to go enter some more great giveaways all week long, and post a link on your blog!

Babywearing is just wonderful, and I think every Mama of babies should own one sling, ringsling and a structured carrier - but that's just my opinion ;) My husband thinks we have a veritable "library" of carriers (two ring slings, a Beco Butterfly, two slings and a bit ago we had a wrap too) In my defense, I've bought all of these either used or on fabulous sales, or traded my knitting skills. See my post on babywearing if you're unfamiliar with the different types of carriers.

The sling I'm giving away is a Sidecar Sling (they recently closed shop to spend more time with their growing families) and I loved it while Graeme was about 6-16mos. I'm only parting with it because I have another sling (remember, our stash?) and I'd love to help someone who does not have one yet and would like to try one.

It is cotton on one side and a cute twill print on the other. There's a nice little zippered pocket to store keys or your debit card/drivers license so you can pop in and out of the store with your little one on your hip. Size is equivalent to a Hotsling 3 (see this chart). I am 5'5" and wear a med. size shirt...but this will fit a wide range of sizes. Even taller women may find they like a shorter pouch, as it keeps the baby closer to them.

You can find directions on how to use pouch slings here and here.

To enter:

1. Post a comment and tell me if you currently babywear, what you like, and what carrier(s) you have.

2. Follow me - become a follower for a second entry, or post a separate comment indicating that you already follow my blog.

3. Be sure to leave either a link to your blog, or a valid e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.

4. This is open to US or Canada addresses only.

P.S. I'll draw a random winner on Friday night :)

Videos!

2009-04-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

Cole is blowing raspberries all the time these days. This isn't the greatest video, but hey, it's something :)

Graeme actually can count from 1-10 and sometimes 11 and 12...I just never have the camera around at "just the right time". I thought this one was funny because he's trying SO hard to make the numbers with his fingers. And for some reason, he really wanted to get to five! :)

Spring Giveaway Carnival

2009-04-23T04:20:00.000-07:00

I've been looking for an excuse to host my first giveaway, and this will be it. I'll post something on Monday, so come visit :) Pop over to Laura's blog to participate! Read the details here.

True Religion is This

2009-04-23T03:30:00.000-07:00

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

Our elders have been preaching through James on Sunday mornings, and so I've been reading through it on my own as well. What a book. I think it's becoming one of my favorite books in the Bible!

I used to be rather confused and disturbed by this verse. "So, he's saying that true religion is looking after orphans and widows, and staying pure? Isn't that missing a few components?!"

However, I believe I'm beginning to understand the power in this verse. He is using a figure of speech that would be similar to my saying, "Really cleaning your house is dusting the cobwebs and flipping the mattresses." Now, am I actually saying that cleaning your house consists of dusting cobwebs and flipping mattresses? (Ah, I wish.) No!

I'm implying, by using those two examples, that if you get to the cobwebs and flipping the mattresses, the rest of your house must be in ship-shape. We all know that you must be quite organized and diligent if you do those two things, so we'd assume that your toilets are shiny and your laundry is done.

So I thought of Christ's summary of what it means to follow God.

The Greatest Commandment
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. 31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

Okay, we can see how James' first summary "look after orphans and widows" relates to the second of Jesus', "Love your neighbor". If I'm really loving my neighbor as myself, people (like orphans and widows) who are truly desperate or needing help will find my hand and heart open to them.

How does James' second 'bottom-line' relate to Christ's greatest commandmant, to Love the Lord our God with all...?

The NLT translates it like this: refusing to let the world corrupt you.

Here's what my mind went to upon reflecting on how these two relate.

A bride-to-be will tell you that she loves her fiance...she can probably go on and on about how wonderful he is, how fierce and passionate her love for him is. But if she went out and gave herself to another man, would you believe her? No! That would be the epitome of betrayal. She would be revealed as a counterfeit, and no matter how much she protested otherwise, all she said would be empty and meaningless.

This parallels how our relationship to this world reveals whether our faith is real - whether our "religion" is pure. To love God with everything we have will mean some radical changes. To embrace His way is to reject the seducing appeal of what the world has to offer. (By "the world", I'm referring to the elements of man's rebellion against His Creator, and ultimately, self and Satan's rule on this earth.)

You will not find a genuine Christian who can walk in both places. I would submit, in fact, that the real follower of Christ will become increasingly disenchanted with the cheap treasures this world has to offer, as his soul tastes of the intoxicating riches of Heaven.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21

Get-Outta-the-Rut Lunch Ideas

2009-04-22T17:32:00.000-07:00

As promised, my list of ideas for my husband's lunches. I spent an hour or so Saturday thinking about it and looking online for good ideas. I truly appreciate it when people share what they do, because often I either forget about a good idea, or I've never thought about it!

* Veggie Sandwich (I always zero in on whether we have meat...well, a nourishing sandwich doesn't require meat!) Lettuce, sprouts, pickles, cucumber, tomato, cheese, even some beans, wrapped in bread, tortillas or pitas

* Homemade Meatballs - either in a bun or with some pasta. Easy to make in advance and freeze.

* Meal Salads - while these do require preparation, getting more vegetables in my husband's body is worth it! He needs those nutrients! Lettuce w/ or w/out meat (leftover chicken, salmon, tuna) cheese, eggs, nuts, dried fruit, and an assortment of veggies.

* Crackers w/ meat and cheese slices - I hadn't thought of this, but with a big fruit salad, this would be a satisfying lunch.

* Burritos - Beans, cheese, sour cream, salsa and lettuce. These are great b/c I can wrap them the night before and there ya go!

* Leftovers - I find that if I actively think about whether this leftover would work as a lunch helps. That way I can make extra, or go ahead and pack some in containers for the week, or whatever.

* Fruit - My husband won't eat a piece of fruit on its own except a banana, mainly due to time constraints, so I peel the orange for him and slice the apples (add some lemon juice) ahead of time.

What are your favorite lunches to send with your husbands or to pack for on-the-go?

Teaser Tuesday

2009-04-21T05:26:00.001-07:00

This carnival sounded like fun to participate in (especially since I actually have a book I'm reading up here by the computer - I'm so lazy!) Melonie regularly participates, and it's fun to get a glimpse into different books.

From The Natural Pregnancy Book by Aviva Jill Romm (highly recommended!)

Because it is ideal to get your nutrients from foods rather than relying on supplements, I am including a wide variety of food sources from which various nutrients are available. The best way to ensure that you are eating well is to include a wide variety of healthy, natural foods. Your best bets are foods that are as close to a natural state as possible.
pg.61

Romm suggests keeping a diet diary to assist you in establishing healthful eating patterns. She shares 8 women's diaries, along with her assessment of them, which I found very helpful. I plan on doing this during my next pregnancy. I did not eat a good balance of proteins compared to carbohydrates and easily digested sugars with this last pregnancy, though I did avoid ice cream and high fructose corn syrup. Anyhow, I'm learning a lot from this book!

Menu Plan 4/20-4/25

2009-04-20T12:04:00.000-07:00

Here are my goals for the kitchen this week:

1. Use up pantry/freezer stuff. I've accumulated. Now it's time to use all the food I've gotten :)

2. Up our intake of fresh fruits, veggies and whole grains. (I got two HUGE zucchinis in my last Quail Cove order, hence the zucchini recipes :)

3. Special focus on healthful snacks at home and healthful lunches for Mark, as he's in quarters this week with classes, so he needs a lunch every day.

I went to the grocery store this weekend, stocked up on fresh fruits and veggies, milk and eggs (and a few random purchases ;) and here's what's on the menu, using what we have in the freezer, leftovers, or pantry items:

Breads:
Cheese Crackers
Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
Whole-grain bread in the breadmachine (still trying to find a perfect recipe)
Bagels - the recipe I tried last week was o.k., but not "it". We'll try this one this week :)

Meals:
Spaghetti Zucchini Bake
Leftover Chicken Sante Fe Salad
Healthy Bean Soup with Kale Yes, I'm trying to sneak in one more soup before the warm weather hits for good. I can't figure out what else to do with a bunch of kale!
Everyday Italian Rice Salad with fresh bread & maybe an apple crisp for dessert - yum!
Hot dogs, baked beans & a pasta salad w/ fresh strawberries & whipped cream

Mark's lunches:
I'll outline the options I'm going to use in another post (hopefully this evening or tomorrow) I spent some time over the weekend looking through this carnival from NourishingGourmet. Some great ideas, and things I don't tend to think of!

For more menu plan ideas, visit Laura for Menu Plan Monday.

Current Reading Stacks

2009-04-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

Several blogs that I read share their bookstacks (Melonie, Teri hosts a carnival), and since I actually thought about it while I had my camera out and my books in one place, I thought I'd participate :)

Graeme's Library Stack:

Knick Knack Paddy Whack - Judging by the 50x we've listened to this since getting it from the library, I guess Graeme likes it. A fun, upbeat CD goes along with the classic "This Old Man" - each page features a new instrument, and each verse of the song in the CD features that instrument along with. I've loved almost every book I've seen from Barefoot Books (you can order from the link in my sidebar ;)

Snuggle Up, Sleep One - G. sat through this a few times, but it's a little "sleepy-time" for him during the day. I keep forgetting to take it up to read before bed. Beautiful illustrations and a soothing rhyme make this a nice (new to us) sleepy-time book.

All Aboard! - We both love this one! A fun story about Mr. Barnes, the bunny, who takes a trip on a train. Even though there is a substantial amount of text, Graeme sat through the entire thing the first reading, and subsequent readings are fun because of the recurring train chant. Interesting illustrations and descriptions of what one does on a train, woven together by a poetic story line.

The Racecar Alphabet - Anything with cars or trains or firetrucks will keep my son interested. This is an alphabet book, but it doesn't read like one. It's not "A is for...". Each page features one letter of the alphabet, but it's a race, so the words are descriptive and related to the cars. Another interesting feature is the book's timeline through the history of racing cars. This will go on our "would like to own" list.

Thank You, Bear - Simple story line and simple illustrations. Along the lines of a fable. Read about it on Amazon. I liked it, though I think the "moral" was a bit lost on a toddler.

Prayer for a Child - Another one that Graeme didn't really sit through during the day, but again, I need to try it during a quieter time. It's a classic, and an award-winner. Sweet prayer from a child's lips, I like that it demonstrates good things to thank God for. I'd enjoy owning a copy and reading it more frequently.

My current reading "stack" (though they're not in a stack, they're all over the place normally - the stack is only for the picture ;)

As you can see, I am a non-fiction reader. I can't recall the last time I sat down to read a work of fiction. I don't consider that a virtue, and would love any suggestions for a good piece of fiction...I just gravitate towards reading about the things that are interesting me at the moment, or things I want to learn more about.

No, I'm not trying to tell you anything with The Natural Pregnancy Book! I ordered it from PaperBackSwap a few months ago and have been waiting for the opportunity to delve into it. I just read a bit today and can't wait to read more. It will be invaluable for my next pregnancy. It has herbal remedies and nutritional guidelines and is from the perspective that I value highly - midwifery :)

After reading about the FIAR books, I was excited to order Before Five in a Row off Ebay. I do a lot of integration already when we read (numbers, shapes, alphabet, question/answer), so I'm interested to glean from the author's ideas for preschool learning through literature. I'll post more on this in a separate post.

Living the Cross-Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney contains life-changing thoughts on gospel-centered living. It was an easy read, and a wonderful reminder that only by "preaching the gospel to myself" daily can I find the peace that comes through knowing that Christ satisfies God's wrath for me, enabling me to live for Him.

That's all I have time for at the moment! What are you reading, anything to recommend?

A Wise Woman

2009-04-16T03:33:00.000-07:00

A wise woman builds her home,
but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.
Proverbs 14:1(NLT)

Last night, I perused our copy of The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: King Solomon's Secrets to Success, Wealth, and Happiness by Steven Scott while brushing my teeth (talk about multi-tasking!).

This verse stood out to me - as it always does. I mean, what a verse! Honestly, I don't recall what Scott was saying about the verse (I was brushing my teeth, after all), but I meditated on it for awhile before falling asleep.

1. What a powerful influence a woman has on her home! In fact, to use the word "influence" is probably not sufficient. This verse says that a woman will either build her home or destroy it. That's more than influence...I can't even think of a word for it. Destiny? The very destiny of our homes. A sovereign God, in Whose hands is every scheme of man, yet writes that it is possible for the foolishness of a woman to actually tear down her home. Yikes!

2. I'm reminded of the purposeful, intent focus I must have. A wise woman is continually in the process of building her home. The word "build" involves time, materials, planning, counsel, more time, effort, sweat, sacrifice, money, more time.

I am thankful for the progress God's helped me make in my homemaking over the past few months - but I have such a long way to go! As I thought on what I need to do to continue to build my home, I saw so many weak areas. Things I've been lazy about, neglectful, or wasteful. Commitments I'd made that I've let slide again. Areas I've needed to change, yet because I didn't follow through by writing them down or focused some mental energy on them, they are still shoddy.

I realize that no one will be perfect until we are glorified with Christ; I'm not trying to make anyone feel guilty :) When you meditate on verses like this, though, it is impossible not to look in the mirror and take a serious look at how you're using your energy and time.

On our way to drop my husband off at 4:30 this morning (so that we could have the car today), the radio station had a special report on the dilemma the military is facing with the children of deployed troops, specifically female troops. 10% of deployed troops are women, and many of them are single mothers or are married to servicemen, leaving their children with family members or friends when deployed. The military's problem, the reporter shared, is how to help these parents once they return home, as they are dealing with parenting along with post-traumatic stress, injuries, and a host of other issues.

Now, I'm not going to say this to bash our female troops - I really feel for them, and am only beginning to appreciate the sacrifices our troops make for us. And I realize some of my readers may not agree with my following assessment, but it is not intended to argue for or against woman in the military.

But I thought of this verse, and had to wonder - if more of our woman 1)were pursuing wisdom (A wise woman builds her home), and 2) were spending most of their time caring for their homes, not in the workplace or overseas (A wise woman builds her home, not her career or world peace or whatever)..would our homes be in better shape? I believe they would.

While this particular verse doesn't necessarily make the case for woman staying at home vs. working full time, it sure makes the point that it is a wise woman who puts her valuable talents and energy into building her home.

Simple, Delicious Syrup Alternative

2009-04-16T02:58:00.000-07:00

The Nourishing Gourmet is one of my favorite sources for nourishing recipes and cooking tips. I've recently started soaking grains, not all the time but when I remember, and hope to begin including other healthful practices, such as making my own sourdough bread and including more alternative grains in our diet. I'll do a post sometime soon on the benefits of those things, in case you're not familiar with them (I know I wasn't until a few weeks ago).

To participate in her Breakfast Carnival, I'd like to share a recipe I make often as an alternative to maple syrup. Even though we are able to purchase organic maple syrup at the commissary for a great price, it's still quite expensive (plus, it's sugar, even though it is healthier for you than white sugar)....so recently I decided to cut back on how often I give it to Graeme.

But we still need something to go with pancakes :)

Here's my solution:

Fruity Pancake Topping
Serves 2 (double or triple...or quadruple as necessary ;)
Combine your choice of fruits for a delicious variety - raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and peaches are our favorites. Fresh or frozen! I'm sure you could experiment with different oils, but I like the flavor of butter.

1. Melt 2T butter in a small saucepan.
2. Add your choice of fruit, about 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup
3. Add about 1T lemon juice and 2-3T of a sweetener, to taste (honey, maple syrup, or sugar in pinch)
4. Simmer until mixture thickens a bit and the fruit softens to create more of a syrup-y texture.
5. Adjust ingredients to taste - you may desire a bit more sweetener, depends on the sweetness of your fruits.
6. Serve on top of your favorite pancakes!

Homemade Refried Beans

2009-04-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

Finally, I found a homemade refried bean recipe that works for me.
I've tried a few and they were either tasteless, or ended up a mashed, burnt mess.

I plan on freezing in 1-2cup portions for quick lunches and dinners. They would be wonderful as a dip - maybe mix in a jar of salsa and melt a bunch of cheese on top - YUM!

(Recipe from All Recipes, Refried Beans Without the Refry)
*I did soak the beans overnight, though the recipe doesn't mention it.*

Ingredients:
1 onion, peeled and halved
3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
(I simply sliced into 2 quarters and left them whole)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
5 teaspoons salt (I added toward the last hour of cooking, as I've read that adding them before that can create tough beans)
1 3/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin, optional
9 cups water (I used 2 cups chicken broth, and may experiment with 3-4 cups next time...it definitely added to the flavor)

Directions:
1. Place the onion, rinsed beans, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin into a slow cooker. Pour in the water and stir to combine. Cook on High for 8 hours, adding more water as needed. Note: if more than 1 cup of water has evaporated during cooking, then the temperature is too high.

2. Once the beans have cooked, strain them, and reserve the liquid. Mash the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.

What have we given up?

2009-04-14T17:31:00.000-07:00

A post worth reading by Stephanie.

The Aroma of Warm Bread Rising and Other Things We'd Miss Out On

Prayer: how God changes my mind

2009-04-13T07:21:00.000-07:00

God answered a prayer for me this weekend! It was a small, personal request that God had laid on my heart to pray about. In the process of praying for this - indeed, in order for God to work - I had to lay aside "my way" and submit to His.

When He answered my prayer, I found myself reflecting on what exactly the purpose of prayer is.

Prayer is more than a "honey-do list" for God...more than a mere submission of everything I want to happen. While Scripture does teach that God delights, as a Father, to answer our requests and give us good things, prayer is also more than that. It goes beyond a "wish-list".

It is an opportunity for our thoughts line up with God's.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

Even as we submit our requests, we are seeking to have our thoughts changed.

When we take the time to talk to God, the Spirit has an opportunity to work in us. Have you ever prayed when you're angry? You either have to repent of the anger, or you choose to hold on to the anger, and in the process, reject the work of the Spirit of God (a dangerous choice!). As the song says, there are just two choices on the shelf: pleasing God, or pleasing self...prayer doesn't allow us to hang on to our desires - we have to surrender them!

Prayer is a chance for the Spirit to mold our desires into His own. Perhaps we begin by praying that God would remove our sickness. As we continue to beseech Him, going to His Word, praying with our Bibles open...He actually begins to change our desires. We see that sometimes God allows sickness because that IS our "good thing".

For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.

And maybe our prayer changes from "God, please heal me" to "God, please show me how this is your good thing for me."

So this weekend, when God answered my prayer, I sat and smiled at the irony. Had I chosen my way in that moment, He could not have answered the very prayer I'd prayed for several weeks. But when I, by the Holy Spirit's work in my heart, followed His way...He worked.

My kids are super cute.

2009-04-07T17:26:00.001-07:00

Family News:

Cole is over 4 months old! Sitting in the Bumbo now for a good stretch of time, he enjoys watching his big brother, blowing bubbles with his lips, giggling (we found tickles last week!), sitting in Momma's sling, and he's enjoying his exersaucer now, too. Busy boy the past few weeks!

Speaking of busy boys, Graeme's language is TAKING OFF!!!! It's absolutely amazing. He's trying pretty much any word I say that he hasn't said yet...AND, he's forming phrases and short sentences. "Basketball hoop", "silly mama", "poco potty?", and my favorite, "Daddy, Mama, Graeme, baby, poco"...he'll often chant that, as though he enjoys that he can recite our entire family :)

He can count, too - 1 to 10, he not only recognizes the numbers (he has for a few months now) but just this last week, he recites all of them! When we go check the mailbox (they are numbered from 1-20) he likes to stop and recite 1-10.

Mark is busy blowing up things and writing orders. Sorry this video is sideways, but we can't figure out how to get it upright. We had a wonderful long-weekend with him home (with no orders to write), which was just delightful.

I am busy cooking, learning, cleaning the house, lovin' on the boys, and researching some things I want to work on over the next few weeks (sourdough starter, soaking grains, handmade gifts for Mother's Day, more real-food-based recipes). I don't know if it's the warm weather or what, but I've been feeling so motivated to be productive. I believe part of it is due to the process I've experienced over the past few months of embracing my calling to be the keeper of my home...I've had a huge shift in mindset and focus. The not-having-a-car for 4 weeks only fueled that fire, and caused me to learn to be content by staying busy caring for my home and family in a way I haven't focused on for awhile.

Oh, and we have one car now! We actually decided to fix the Acura - meaning, we replaced the engine ($3500 - there went that tax refund.) - but it's driving like a young car again (the engine only had 67,000 miles on it). The Volvo is still in the shop. Mark's motorcycle is now running again, but he can't take it every day, depending on weather and timing...we get the car tomorrow. It's amazing how thrilling such a simple thing can be :-D

Easy-Peasy Mac 'N Cheesy

2009-04-03T07:34:00.000-07:00

You really can make homemade macaroni 'n cheese for an every-day lunch! You don't have to settle for the boxed stuff. Wanting to participate in the Food Renegade's Fight Back Friday, I thought I'd share this real food recipe classic, in a way that shows you how easy it can be to put a bowl of real mac 'n cheese on the table!

The recipe ingredients below yield about 4 servings (depending on how big you make those servings ;) Recipe adapted from Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld

1. Put your pot of water to boil - add macaroni when ready and cook according to package directions.

2. Prepare the Bechamel Sauce: Put 1T. olive oil in a large saucepan. Add 1T. flour and cook, stirring, until it resembles a thick paste, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the milk and cook, stirring, until the mixture begins to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Add milk (1/2cup), any desired vegetable purees (I used butternut squash, 1/2cup), and your cheeses (a soft cheese, like cream cheese -4oz-, and a nice hard cheese/combo of cheeses, about 1 1/2cups worth, or to taste - I like white or yellow sharp, colby jack, parmesan...whatever I have on hand!)

4. Season (this recipe called for 1/2tsp salt, 1/8 tsp. each of paprika and pepper). I like a dash of tabasco sauce.

Voila! See, it's not hard!

In fact, it's very versatile - you can use pretty much ANY combination of cheeses. You could probably even use some sour cream or yogurt with milk; if you have a random can of evaporated milk, you could use that up...you can add bread crumbs for a special pizazz and broil it briefly in the oven to give it more of a "baked" taste.

Mac 'n Cheese is also a great base for adding vegetables and meats. My toddler will eat broccoli if it is with something like mac 'n cheese. My husband likes to take a container of this to work, sometimes along with a sandwich, sometimes on its own with some fresh veggies.

For more real-food recipes, and to join in the campaign to help America get back to wholesome, whole foods, head over to the Food Renegade.

Why I don't use The Pill

2009-04-01T18:38:00.000-07:00

Birth Control Pill Causes Abortions

I didn't know this until several months after we were married...I actually started doing a bit of research after experiencing several negative side effects of the Pill. I read this little book by Sam and Bethany Torode. (To note, there are some controversial aspects they bring up in their book, but it's worth reading, regardless of whether you end up necessarily agreeing with everything or not). That was the beginning of a long journey (yes, and two children later LOL ;) that the Lord has been taking us on towards embracing His will regarding our conception.

"Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions?"

Here's what 11 physicians and medical professionals are saying about the book Randy Alcorn published in 1998:

1. "From medical textbooks and pharmacy references, to statements from the Pill-manufacturers themselves, this book proves, beyond any doubt, the abortion-causing action of birth control pills. This book should be read by everyone interested in knowing the truth."

~ Paul L. Hayes, M.D., Board Certified Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians/Gynecologists

2. "Does the birth control pill cause abortions? Using research results from medical literature, Randy Alcorn has convincingly shown that the answer is `yes.' He has, with care and compassion, given us the truth. The question for us as Christians is how we will respond now that we know."

~ Linda Martin, M.D., Pediatrician

4. "In this challenging book Randy Alcorn has the honesty to face a tough and uncomfortable question. This compelling evidence will make you rethink the question of birth control pills."

~ John Brose, M.D., Surgeon

5. "In this impeccably researched book, Randy Alcorn takes an unblinking look at what medical experts know about how birth control pills work. I painfully agree that birth control pills do in fact cause abortions. Our individual and collective Christian response to this heretofore varnished-over information will have profound consequences for time and eternity. This is a disturbing must-read for all who profess to be prolife."

~ Beverly A. McMillan, M.D., Ob/Gyn

7. "No prolife physician can rightly prescribe BCPs [birth control pills] after reviewing this data. I have started circulating this information."

~ Randall Martin, M.D., Chairman, Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia Willamette Valley Medical Center

8. "Scientific papers suggest that escape ovulation occurs 4-15% of all cycles in patients taking birth control pills. Thus, as this booklet points out, early chemical abortions are a real and significant concern."

~ Paddy Jim Baggot, M.D., Ob/Gyn, Fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics

I can elaborate on what we believe, etc, in another post, but I wanted to put this information out there, in my own "little corner" of the blogging sphere...I was so thankful to become informed on this. The Body of Christ is surprisingly silent on this issue, at least the churches and groups that I've been a part of. We are extremely vocal about abortion. Why not about The Pill?

Gratituesday: smells

2009-03-31T07:36:00.000-07:00

Smells? That's a funny thing to be thankful for. But I'm sitting here smelling a few things that cause me to be grateful to my Heavenly Father.

Brown rice is cooking on the stove for some homemade bread. I'm so thankful for the grains I was able to get a few weeks ago from Quail Cove Farms, and I'm thankful for all that I've learned in the past few years about making healthy, homemade bread for my family.

Baby head is such a sweet smell. I put a bit of coconut oil on Cole's head every day to help with cradle cap (the only thing I've found that works at all, by the way!) - and his head is so soft and has that sweet-baby smell. Mmm. When I need to be reminded to be content, I just cuddle my baby and smell him!

Diapers stink. And I won't get too graphic on that smell that I'm smelling right now (Graeme needs a diaper change after I'm done with this!). However, it reminds me how grateful I am to be cloth-diapering. I'm glad we're starting to really see the savings, now that Cole is using the diapers I had for Graeme.

My new dryer balls smell like lavender-vanilla. If you're not familiar with dryer balls, they help cut-down on drying time, and so far in my experience with them, they also seem to make the clothes softer and have fewer wrinkles. We can't use dryer sheets (they leave a residue that causes diapers to repel liquid - not a good thing), so these have been a neat thing to use. I'm thankful for them.

Are there any smells that you love around your house?

For more Gratituesday posts, visit Heavenly Homemakers.

Happy Birthday, Graeme!

2009-03-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

My oldest son turns two today! Two years ago right about now I was just getting to the hospital (read Graeme's birth story)....wow, how much has happened in two years, it's hard to believe!

We celebrated with a "birthday dinner" last night. Daddy and Graeme grilled hamburgers, Mama made a lemon-raspberry cake (with yellow squash as a secret ingredient;) with cream cheese icing.

We're hoping to find a tricycle for Graeme's "big present" from us (and with some money from family)...meanwhile, we gave him some new markers, a huge thing of bubbles, and 8 balloons were hung up this morning, which I then took down so he could throw them in the air and play with them. It's amazing how those very small birthday treasures gave him so much pleasure.

Mama cooked the birthday boy his favorite breakfast: pancakes!!!! Macaroni n cheese was for lunch (another favorite), and he is now taking a refreshing snooze so we can go to the park this afternoon. What a day!

Indulge me for a moment as I write a brief note to my son on his 2nd birthday:

Graeme, you are a delight to have as a son. You are so loving - not a day goes by without your hugs, kisses, "lo - u" - filling our hearts with joy. You love to help. Don't ever stop running to turn on lights, pick up the broom, give your brother his toys...you have a true servant's heart, which is a blessing from God. Your motor skills, both large and fine, are advanced; while your language skills are slower, every day it seems you are trying a new word, and I am looking forward to having wonderful conversations with you this year. You know your colors, shapes and numbers already, and you even recognize "Mama" and "Graeme" when I write them down. Your favorite things to do are reading, helping, playing outside, and being with Mama, Daddy and Cole.

A Prayer For My Son

Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory.

Build me a son whose wishes will not take the place of deeds; a son who will know Thee -- and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.

Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail.

Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goals will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.

And after all these things are his, give him, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, and the meekness of true strength.

Then I, his mother, will dare to whisper, "I have not lived in vain."
by Douglas MacArthur (edited by me to read "mother")

Rainy Day Thoughts

2009-03-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why, but I just haven't felt like posting on the blog this week. Not because we haven't been busy - we have. Not because I haven't had a lot on my mind - I have. So, here's what we've been doing, and here's what I've been thinking about, in no particular order!

We walked to the library yesterday. I think it's about 2 miles one-way. It was a long walk, but boy, was it fun to have a trip for the afternoon. Hey, when the car doesn't work, use your feet!

I really struggled with feeling down during the first half of this week...maybe because Mark spent the whole weekend writing an order, so we kinda had to hang out on our own.

I'm so thankful God doesn't leave us in our sin for long - He awakened me to my inward focus and turned me to the Cross, where I saw that Jesus suffered in my place so that I might have life, and have it more abundantly in Him.

We made a card for Grandma and Grandpa (their birthdays are this weekend). Used lots of glue and stamps (Graeme loves stamps these days).

God knocked on the door of my heart last night, to remind me about what I am doing and why it is so important. While reading the introduction online to the Hughes' book, Disciplines of a Godly Family, I saw again that I am about a "great business" each day. Though there are certainly a multitude of mundane tasks, I have the delightful privilege to teach my children about God, whether we sweep the floors, read books, or empty the dishwasher. As Robert Dabney wrote long ago:

The education of children for God is the most important business
done on earth. It is the one business for which the earth
exists. To it all politics, all war, all literature, all money making
ought to be subordinated; and every parent especially ought to
feel, every hour of the day, that next to making his own calling
and election sure, this is the end for which he is kept alive by
God — this is his task on earth.

After reading this post by Kelly, I listened to the series of messages on YouTube by Mary Kassian. What an excellent, timely overview of what's happened to woman over the past century. It gave me fresh hope and a desire to embrace God's design for my life.

So that's a bit of what's been on my mind and what we've been up to. How are you doing? What's going on in your lives this week, readers?

Menu Plan 3/23 - 3/29

2009-03-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

Monday - Slow cooker Spaghetti, rolls from freezer, fresh salad

Tuesday - Halibut, veggies, rolls

Wednesday - Chicken Biscuit Casserole (Chicken in the slow cooker all day, use leftovers to make homemade chicken stock)

Thursday - Pizza (dough in bread machine, use spinach, red bell pepper, onion, pepperoni)

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday - Breakfast for Dinner!

Sunday - no plan yet, Graeme's birthday celebration!

For more menu plans, visit I'm an Organizaing Junkie!

***Special Recipes for the week****
Easiest, Healthiest, most Scrumptious Fudge ever
Sweet Potato Bread (I'll post the recipe if it's any good :)
Blender Pancakes

Just when you think it can't get any worse....

2009-03-20T09:50:00.001-07:00

It gets worse. We are officially a no-car family as of today! The Acura, our faithful car that we drove away from our wedding in, is dead. The head gasket blew. Fortunately, Mark was able to make it to the stop sign right in front of TBS this morning before it died (Thank you, Lord!)

So, the Volvo is still in the shop, the Acura is dead and not worth the $$ to have a shop fix it, Mark doesn't have the time to fix it (he could, but it's very time consuming, and guess what he doesn't have a lot of these days?)

We'll have to get a rental for a bit. Hopefully they'll be able to fix the Volvo (and we'll have the $$ to get it out of hock) by then, and with Mark's motorcycle and the warmer weather, we'll be in business, at least for awhile.

I've had a fever the past two days as well (my husband shared with me :). Yesterday was really rough, but God truly gave me the grace to make it through, and I'm feeling better today.

Whew! I praise God for His faithfulness to us. I know He's giving us all of these things at once because He loves us.

Keep me safe, O God,
for in you I take refuge.
I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Gratituesday: No car for three weeks!

2009-03-16T19:26:00.000-07:00

That's right, my trusty Volvo has been in the shop for three weeks. My husband is gone from 5:30am to 6:00-7:00pm every day. I've been house-bound with a toddler and an infant for going-on three weeks.

So, you probably figure this post is going to be about how grateful I am for having a car, since I've discovered how much we rely on it. Wrong! :-D

These few weeks without a vehicle have taught me some really important lessons about myself. The first being that I actually can "make it" without a car all week, if necessary. I got creative with my meal plan a few times because I didn't have a particular ingredient; I kept a pile going of things that needed to go to the post office. I put a list on the fridge of miscellaneous things I needed to get or do.

Secondly, I spent a less money! Always a good thing. Besides the obvious (not using gas), there's also the afore-mentioned creativity in regards to stretching the meals. There were a few times I would have otherwise popped out to grab a craft item, or a spur-of-the-moment trip for entertainment (be that PetsMart or Target). Well, all of that adds up, so if I'm not going, I'm not spending!

Most revealing for me was the revelation that my car can be a crutch for me. Sometimes, I run to the car for comfort and rescue. Life can get hairy with two little ones under two, you know!, and being able to load us up in the car, if only to go to Target for a few hours, can be just the ticket for me on a long rainy afternoon. (Before you start to feel guilty for anything, I'm not trying to say that it's wrong to go out when everyone needs a change of pace, or that a mama doesn't need a trip sometimes - I'm all for it, and we'll have some fun once we get our vehicle back!)

But is it healthy for me to use the car as a means of escape from realities that I'd rather not face-up to? To "get me through" a particularly difficult day. Instead of facing my sinfulness, fighting off my despondency with the Gospel, looking to the Holy Spirit for comfort and calm, I would hop in the car to be distracted by a trip somewhere. It's just been really revealing NOT to have the car, so I'm forced to deal with the long hours and rough days.

Okay, so how's it been without that crutch? Honestly? Some days I've given in to my sinfulness. I can't go anywhere in the car, and the weather has been cold/rainy/snowy a good bit...so I'm stuck. I get impatient with Graeme. I poke around aimlessly. I tune Cole out when he's fussing more than I normally would, just because I don't have the kindness, the patience, to put aside my selfishness to care for his needs. Yep, it's been ugly some days.

So as I've "weaned off" of the car LOL - I've been working on filling that need with good things. With Christ-honoring things. Where I would have looked to the car for distraction, instead I'm looking for ways to fill my thoughts with the Gospel, and redirect my attention to those things God has called me to fulfill today. I stop my selfish thoughts, I turn to the Spirit, and I ask for strength. I quote some Scripture in my head. I turn on a CD that brings my gaze away from myself.

I am seeing more vividly how when God calls, He also provides. He's called me to be a wife, mother, and keeper at home...and He is the water from which I drink to be FULL so that I can give myself to that calling with a FULL heart.

Who knew? What lessons a broken Volvo could teach.

For more Gratituesday posts, visit Laura at Heavenly Homemakers.

Slideshow!

2009-03-16T12:46:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd post a slideshow instead of pictures, because I have so many stored up to share! I feel so technologically advanced - this is my first slideshow LOL!

The first two pictures are an example of Graeme's creative playing: he turned our stacking blocks into a choo-choo train, which he then pushed across the room to our table, which became the tunnel!

Then we have Mark reading books to the boys...it was cute!

After that are pictures of the boys with their Nana (my grandma!)

Graeme is helping Nonnie (my mom) drive - one of his all-time favorite activities.

And Cole does so many cute things - laughing, cooing, rolling over, trying to "eat" his feet...

Oh, and the one strange picture of food is my first order from Quail Cove Farms, a northern Virginia organic farm. Chicken, grains, butter, organic potatoes and turnips...I was so excited to get it all, I had to take a picture :-D

Enjoy!

Spotlight Series: How to teach sharing to little ones

2009-03-15T06:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Sunday morning! So, typically, I do not post on Sunday mornings because we are usually at church...but the whole lot of us are sick, and Mark has it the worst. He was out in the field all week (yes, including sleeping on the ground), had a cold the whole week, and started a fever Wednesday. Needless to say, he is sleeping right now. Me and the boys are hanging out and about to make pancakes :)

We're running into "the sharing issue", now that Cole is old enough to play with some baby toys. On one hand, most of our baby toys were Graemes just a few years ago. On the other hand, he has more than enough toys to play with of his own (that Cole cannot play with).

I've done a good bit of studying in early childhood education, and it is generally agreed that the concept of sharing isn't grasped until well towards 3 years old. However, I'm not willing to simply not teach sharing until he can understand it.

Here's a common scenario in our house lately:

Cole has one of Graeme's baby toys.
Graeme takes it from Cole.
Graeme says "no, no" to himself as he walks away, carrying "his" toy.

I read an excellent article on sharing, with even more excellent responses, on Kelly's blog. There were wonderful ideas, but most seemed to apply to older children. However, I gathered that the main idea is to maintain a balance between responsible possession and willing generosity. The goal is for our children to want to be generous with what God's given them. (Goodness, some of us adults don't even have that down yet!)

What does that look like for the toddler? What are some ways I can instruct my son about sharing while having reasonable expectations appropriate to his level of understanding?

1. Role-play
As often as I can during the day, I'm trying to demonstrate sharing - and point it out verbally to my son. Whether in books, during mealtime, or while playing, we have to show them how to share, as well as point out the benefits of sharing.

2. Praise
Graeme is quite generous, actually. He's more than willing to share his food with Mama, and I often catch him bringing a toy to Cole for him. When he does those things, it's a wonderful opportunity for me to praise his generosity, saying "That was very kind" or "Thank you for sharing with Mama!" I'm labeling what he is doing for him, so that when I ask him to share or to be kind, he knows what that "looks" like.

3. Respect prior ownership
Now here's something I hadn't been doing. Once our children are older, I plan on letting them have their own toys (not sure how we'll delineate that yet). The other children will know that they must ask to play with those toys before taking them. I believe this will teach responsible possession - giving the owner a chance to make the choice to share, and respecting his ownership.

Just because the baby toys are simply "baby toys" to me, doesn't mean Graeme feels that way. I brought out all these toys before Cole arrived, and Graeme re-bonded with them. Now I'm telling him they are Cole's? That doesn't make sense.

For the toys that Graeme distinctly feels a sense of ownership towards, I'm calling them "his toys" and have started asking if he'd share them with Cole. So far, I've liked the results. Several times, I've seen the wheels in Graeme's head turning as he goes through the process of deciding to share, then watched as he took a special toy over to Cole. I love it when that happens!

For toys that were specifically given to Cole, they are Coles, so if Graeme picks it up, I'll say "Can you give Cole his bear?" Trying to teach him that his brother has ownership, too. Just because Graeme is the bigger and more capable child doesn't automatically grant him any-toy access.

4. Honor current possession

Now, that being said about ownership, there is also the issue of possession. That is where we have the most trouble. When Cole has a toy, it's not acceptable for Graeme to take it. Once they are both older, I will instruct them to ask to play with a toy, or wait until the current possessor is done. Obviously, Cole can't grant Graeme permission to have the toy right now. So I'm struggling with how to handle this one. If I tell Graeme that he must ask me for permission, he'll end up coming to me all the time, saying "pease, pease"! And Cole won't have a chance with a toy lol! Plus, Graeme certainly doesn't need to get focused on Cole's toys (covetousness) - he has plenty of his own that Cole can't even play with right now.

So I think the best course is simply that if Cole is playing with a toy, Graeme must wait until Cole is done with it. Or I may intervene at times and wait until Cole drops the toy to offer it to Graeme.

There are probably more simply ways to deal with this. But simplicity is not always the greatest good! The whole concept of sharing is such a rich opportunity to instruct with Scripture, whether it be kindness, respect, compassion, generosity, self-lessness, coveting, giving...the Bible is full of wonderful verses to use during these episodes.

The challenge is to USE those opportunities for good, instead of focusing simply on getting everyone happy (so that you can get back to cooking dinner or whatever). That's what I tend to lose sight of!

What is your "sharing policy"? What has worked in your house? Has it changed as the children got older? Please share! If you post about it on your blog, tell me in a comment, or you can just comment here :)

Hiatus

2009-03-10T12:10:00.001-07:00

My mother and grandmother are here for a visit until Thursday, so I may not get much posting in, but I haven't fallen off the face of the earth :) Blessing to you and yours this week.

More Grace

2009-03-07T17:52:00.000-08:00

Have you ever looked ahead at some bend-in-the-road (another child, a move, a difficult situation) and thought, "There's no way I can handle that."

I thought that about having child #1. I thought it about the 10 weeks my husband was gone for OCS. And whenever I imagined having two children under 2yrs, I wondered how I was going to do it.

Well, I'm here to testify that "He giveth more grace", as the old hymn says. Those things I thought impossibly challenging just a few months ago have proved to be not-only not impossible, but DO-able. Why? Because they had to be done, and I was the one to do them.

For a Momma, there is no "get free" card (i.e. Monopoly). There is no "free pass" on certain chores or duties. Many times, there is literally no one else who can accomplish a task besides you. (Not to digress, but there is no one else who gets the joys of Motherhood like you, either :)

But as I peacefully got one boy ready for bed while the other lay on the floor rolling around, then nursed boy #1 while singing lullabies to keep them both calm...all the while thinking ahead to what I needed to do in the kitchen for tomorrow's meals...I realized that God's given me the grace I needed to accomplish what He's called me to do. Something I could have never imagined "handling" has become routine.

Recently, a single woman, my age, commented (as she witnessed boy #1 running around the room while I bounced boy #2 to keep him happy) - "I don't know how you do it". And the only thing I could tell her is that God gives us grace for right where we are at. My situation is hardly difficult. However, four months ago, I felt fearful of what lay ahead...and whether I could "handle it".

Well, while the challenges ahead of us may seem awfully big, it's comforting to rest in the greatness of God and His perfect plan for us.

He giveth more grace
when the burdens grow greater;
He sendeth more strength,
when the labors increase....

His grace has no measure...

Cole is 3 months!

2009-03-04T18:57:00.000-08:00

And now, a feast for sore eyes! I know our grandparents, parents, and other family stop by now and again to see if we have any new pictures. So, family, these are especially for you! :) I have to make myself remember to take pictures. Now if I could only be better at getting them printed out...we have literally almost 1,000 pictures stored on the computer/CDs, but no hard copies.

Cole is 3 months already, it's hard to believe. He's smiling a lot, laughing some - his daddy can really get him going - and cooing/burb-ling all the time. He's more verbal than I remember Graeme being at this age. He is quite persistent. He really focused on learning how to grasp things with his hands, and seems to enjoy making "projects" for himself (spending 10 minutes working on bringing his hands together, for example). He's rolling all over, and sometimes I leave him on the floor for a moment and come back to find his head over where his feet were...he manages to scoot himself around somehow. He's such a happy baby, especially if you talk to him and "listen" to him. He's very social!

Look at those chunky thighs!

Hands taste good - he's already drooling a lot and gnawing things.

Not to be outdone, his almost-2-year-old big brother is awfully cute, too :) Wow, Graeme is talking SO much. Most of it is still in some other language, but he said his first two-word phrase today: "Big Ball"! His play-time is becoming more boy-like, to me, than toddler. I'm not sure how to explain it, but maybe I'm just in mourning because my first sweet little baby is about to turn TWO YEARS OLD! ACK! Where has the time gone?

My Laundry Solution

2009-03-04T18:43:00.000-08:00

After thinking through your excellent tips, dear readers :), and contemplating much what my family needs, this is what I'm going to try for the next three weeks (at least). (I say three weeks b/c I tend to give up easily if something doesn't work instantaneously, so I'm striving to try things for a longer period...)

Monday - Sheets
Tuesday - Towels
Wednesday - Children Laundry (usually 2 loads)
Thursday - Mama & Daddy Laundry (usually 2 loads)
Friday - Kitchen & "Katch-up" (my load of kitchen towels/misc. household laundry, and any extra loads)
**Diapers - MWF**

So, ideally, no laundry over the weekends. My goals in creating this schedule were:

1. Focus on tangible categories (lights/darks doesn't work for me!)
2. Focus on the over-all goal: no laundry over the weekends - we have precious little time with Mark home as it is.
3. Scheduled - so that all the laundry gets done
4. Feasible - doing it all in one day just doesn't work at this stage of my life

I hope this works, because I'm really excited about it! Hopefully by having this blocked off in these segments, it will be easier to fold and put away the laundry, because I'm only focusing on ONE area each day. I considered keeping it as it is right now - simply perpetual laundry - but felt that something more organized would help me...I'm so scatterbrained! Either I do so much laundry in one day that I then have mountains to fold (and I hate folding), or I neglect it for just a day or two, and all of a sudden, the children are naked, the diapers are overflowing the pail, and all of my jeans are dirty (and I discover this AFTER I take a shower LOL!).

Thanks for sharing your stories. Ivy's response made me so thankful for what I do have - the laundry room right in the middle of our house. And it was great to know other mamas like me have the same struggle with the ever-present, ever-growing Pile.

Graeme's Birth Story

2009-03-02T21:00:00.000-08:00

I have time to myself this evening, as Mark has to stay at the barracks tonight. I sat down to write Cole's birth story, and, well...I ended up finally putting Graeme's down!

This is supposed to be a birth story, but to explain how he came out, I really have to go all the way back to how he came to be. So bear with me.

I chose to go off "the pill" the summer after we got married. I don't recall exactly how I started researching it, but I experienced many side effects, including weight gain, vision problems, extreme mood swings. I started reading books and discovered that the Protestant church is strangely silent on the issue of hormonal birth control...the Catholic church is firmly opposed to it, and upon reading much and praying much, I also became convinced that I could not continue to use hormonal birth control.

We successfully used Natural Family Planning to avoid pregnancy for a year. Graeme is the result of a high-stress month that caused my cycle to go wonky...and behold, God blessed us with Graeme! The stress, oddly enough, was an audition to get into the School of Music at the University of South Carolina to pursue a Master's degree in piano performance. I received the confirmation letter on July 1, and took the first pregnancy test on July 2. Talk about a bend in the road!

Needless to say, God drastically changed our plans. Graeme, I think of Psalm 139...from the moment of conception, God was planning your existence, writing your story already by forming you even when we hadn't "planned" to have you. After being completely surprised (we were in disbelief for a few days - I bought 3 pregnancy tests!), it is a precious memory for me that once I knew what God had done, He enabled me to embrace it with all my heart, and I was thrilled to become a mother. I never "mourned" that I didn't get a chance to pursue my masters' degree. I can see now the wonderful journey God's brought me on, being a mother, and I've never looked back.

Fast forward through my pregnancy (mild morning sickness for 14 weeks - I really enjoyed popsicles that summer!)...we moved in August to a one-bedroom apartment...and then we moved again in October to a three bedroom house with a fenced yard! God literally dropped that into our laps, and it was a wonderful place to prepare for our new baby. We found out "it" was a "he" in October, as well!

Into my second trimester, I started exploring other options for birth. I pursued an in-hospital midwife group. I liked them okay, but the more I researched and anticipated this wonderful experience of birthing a baby, the more I wanted to birth at home, or in a home-like environment. The thought of the sterile hopsital with cold floors, hard beds, needles, doctors, etc. just didn't fit the feelings I had about bringing our child into the world. Upon researching, I discovered that home birth is, statistically, safer than hospital birth, which encouraged me to pursue it. The catch for us was that the state of GA does not recognize midwives as qualified to attend homebirths (although there is an "underground" homebirth movement...we weren't quite comfortable with that at the time).

God led us to Amy at Blessed Births in Greenville, SC. It was a 2 hour drive. I think we were crazy, but at the time, it seemed like the best option. And, honestly, God had a plan for us there. Our plan was to give birth there at the birthing center. Amy had two rooms, both beautiful and restful, and I felt such a sense of peace with her caring for me during that last trimester. I anticipated laboring in the large jacuzzi tub she had, and giving birth in one of her serene rooms, with a warm, caring midwife cleaning my baby and driving home the following day.

Then I went 2 weeks past my due date. By law, Amy could only keep us up to 42 weeks, and then she was required to tell us to go see a physician. We discussed my due date (Feb. 28) and decided that it was probably off quite a bit (due to my cycle's strangeness that month), and adjusted it to March 10. Well, 2 weeks went by with nothing happening. I was really big.

I recall the discomfort of not wanting to go anywhere (because everyone asked the rather thoughtless question - "Haven't you had the baby yet?" - umm, obviously not.)...but on the other hand, I had to keep myself busy! It was discouraging.

And let me tell you, we tried everything there is known to mankind to try to get a baby out. I did dozens of internet searches for natural induction methods...we did it all. From consuming a whole pineapple in one day to castor oil to evening primrose oil to eggplant parmesan. My least favorite was black and blue cohosh. I did as many doses of that as Amy felt comfortable giving me. And walked. and walked. and walked. I'd start contracting, but it would always die off after an hour or so. We spent two weekends at Amy's center, sure that eventually labor would happen.

The last weekend she could keep me came and went. She sent us home with the plan to birth at home. Either she or a midwife friend of hers in Columbia would come and deliver the baby for us. We were disheartened, but changed gears to plan for a birth at home.

That Wednesday, I woke up with steady contractions. We called Amy - she'd sent us home with a doppler and a blood pressure monitor, and had Mark listening to the baby and checking my blood pressure. Everything was going great. Finally, we were going to have this baby!

Except the contractions didn't stop. For two days. They'd get intense and then back off to 10 min. apart. I couldn't sleep. I should have tried harder, had I known what a battle I'd be in for! I actually downed a shot of vodka in an attempt to get me a few hours of much-needed rest. It worked, thankfully! I'd sit in the bathtub for awhile. Mark was so sweet, he set up candles and music to help me relax. He got me any food that sounded good. He didn't sleep much, either, bless his heart.

Amy's midwife friend came in on Thursday, monitored me for awhile, and was confident we'd be calling her Thursday night with me ready to push. Finally, Friday morning around 4am, I felt the need to push, and started pushing around 6am. We were sure Graeme would be here soon. But by noon things weren't looking good. I got to 10cm dilated, but there was a lip of cervix that his head just would not push past. I did probably the hardest thing I've ever done, which was to stop pushing for an hour. She had me lay on my side and then switch sides, all the while refusing to let me push every time my body was screaming "PUSH!" It was awful. I was focused on getting through the next contractoin...never once considering that what was happening (the long labor, back pain, and difficult extended pushing) is the classic sign of occiput posterior position, which can cause, well, everything that happened! Ah, well, hindsight.

Around lunchtime, the midwife (who had told us she'd never had to transfer a patient to the hospital) told us that in this case, it would be best for me to transfer. Maybe if I got an epidural, I could get a bit of rest and that would help give me the strength to push past the lip. We'd not seriously considered the possibility until that point, so Mark scurried around getting things together while my body continued to contract along with the urge to push. This wasn't exactly what we had thought this would be like, to say the least.

The drive to the hospital was the second worst thing I've ever done. Ouch. Once we got there, we simply told them that I'd been at home pushing and wanted to come in for an epidural. They probably figured out what we'd been trying to do (homebirth). But when they checked me, they said, "Oh honey, you're at 8cm, this baby will be out in an hour!" Ha. I firmly told them I wanted an epidural. Now. So they gave me one. It was a bad one. They hit a nerve and sent me spinning with my ears ringing and the room twirling and my blood pressure spiking crazy high. That was the first time in this experience that I considered that I might die. I recall the sensation of wondering if I was going to die or not, as they hurried to get the epirual needle out to re-do it. I was so emotionally and physicially exhausted by then. They wanted me to try pushing some more. I did. Almost two more hours. The nurses were great, I'll say, they really wanted me to have this baby vaginally. They kept putting the somewhat-rude doctor off - he had come in, took one look, and said I should "just have a c-section".

After pushing that long, the Dr. came in and told us he could try forceps, or we could do a c-section. He wasn't comfortable with forceps, due to my being an unfamiliar patient as well as the fact that the baby was posterior. (Aha!) What a hard moment that was. We told him we needed to talk it over, but we didn't. We knew that the best decision was a c-section at this point. We both teared up...this was not the "climax" we'd anticipated over these past few months. Mark squeezed my hand, and then I started signing all the paperwork and consent forms.

I'd like to digress and mention that about a month prior, we decided to apply for Medicare to cover any potential costs. We just barely qualified, but did, so I applied. The day before I went into labor, we received the confirmation letter in the mail. Talk about Providential timing. Had we not had that, we would have faced $10,000+ in medical bills, which would have added a lot of stress to an already difficult situation. "What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows" (Matthew 10:29-31)

The epidural kicked in as they got me ready for surgery, and I think I was half-way between sleep and wakefulness. I don't remember much exept a flurry of activity and answering questions. The next thing I recall is being in the surgical room. The anesthesiologist was so nice, very light-hearted...he kept me from getting too worked up about the whole surgery experience. I remember feeling pulls and tugs and all I could see was a blue sheet. Then, I heard my baby crying, and at that sound, my whole body yearned to see him and hold my baby. It was a minute or so while they cleaned him up, and that felt like hours to me. I could hear my baby crying, but could do nothing about it! Mark was holding my hand and telling me we had a beautiful healthy son. They brought him over and Mark could hold him. I touched him with my eyes. He was beautiful. Such a strong boy! We'd been through so much, and finally, now here was our new little boy.

I think we were both quite anxious for the next hour or so as they had to stitch me up and took Graeme away. The next thing I remember is being in the recovery room and they brought Graeme in, and were doing things to him (footprint, vit. k shot, etc.) and I just wanted to tell them to stop everything and let me be with my baby! Mark was there taking videos of him, and I called my parents. Finally, I got to hold Graeme. And honestly, I kept holding him and holding him. I think sometime early the next morning the nurse persuaded me to put him down in his little bassinet, but I just couldn't stop cuddling with him. He was so tiny, and needy. And tired! Well, no wonder! He slept a ton the first 24 hours. We both did.

Recovering from a c-section wasn't a breeze, but it wasn't terrible. All told, we were thankful to have a healthy baby and a healthy Momma. Amy got to meet Graeme a few weeks later. He liked her :)

Marcus Graeme was 9lb 10oz, 22 1/2 in long. He was born at 7:30pm on Friday, March 30, a full month and two days later than my first due date. I wouldn't trade his birth experience for a different one. We don't regret our decisions through the whole process. We learned much! Most of all, Graeme's story is a reflection of God's faithfulness - in spite of our weakness, in disregard to our "plans"...God's plans are not ours, and His ways are truly amazing.

Isaiah 25:1
O LORD, you are my God;
I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
you have done marvelous things,
things planned long ago.

Spotlight Series - Lighten your Load (Laundry!)

2009-03-02T12:01:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about blogging and the internet is how much wisdom you can take advantage of! I love reading fresh ideas from women who are (or have been) in the same place I'm at right now. I enjoy knowing I'm not alone!

So I thought I'd start a weekly "Spotlight" to give me a chance to glean from those who read my blog, as well as to organize the ideas I've come across, and chat about it with you all.

Today's is our very favorite chore of all, right? LAUNDRY! I don't know about you, but laundry seems to multiply around here. We cloth-diaper and use un-paper towels, which definitely adds to it - mix in a Marine husband who often comes home with wet or dirty uniforms, a 3month old who spits up on occasion, and a toddler whose favorite words include "sticky" and "paint" and "poke"...you get the picture, I'm sure.

I've tried a few ways of organizing my laundry routine. However, I have yet to settle into one that seems to work. Here are some of the ideas I've come across or tried.

1. Organized by days of the week - Here's how one mom does it.
For me, it might look like this:
Monday - diapers, darks
Tuesday - folding
Wednesday - diapers, lights
Thursday - folding
Friday - diapers, misc. (towels, sheets, kitchen towels)

Pros: simple, has one whole day to focus on folding
Cons: doing laundry all week, stacks of clothes at the end of MWF to fold

2. Perpetual Laundry - keep laundry going all the time. In the washer, out the dryer, fold it as you go.

Pros: practical, no "system" to worry about, convenient (throw in as you pass)
Cons: you start dreaming in laundry lol, one or all of the steps can get back-logged (for example, a mountainous pile of unfolded laundry accumulating on your playroom floor)

3. Once-a-week Laundry - one day of the week, that's all you do! Laundry, laundry, laundry.

Pros: get it done so you don't have to think about it the other 6 days
Cons: not feasible at this season in my life - diapers have to be done every other day, and then there's my husband's uniforms, babies miscellaneous dirties (bibs, onesies, towels, the sheet they wet on, etc.)

Part of my problem is the aftermath - not so much the washing and drying...but the folding and putting away. Often, I end up with piles on the floor of the playroom (where the washer/dryer are). Or piles on the landing to the third floor, where our master bedroom is.

How about you? Do you struggle with your laundry, or is it generally in its place? Is it one of the specific steps that is your nemesis? What works for you?

Friday Funnies

2009-02-27T19:00:00.000-08:00

Friday Funnies (girltalk)

I found this quite funny....and (ahem) it reminded me of someone I knew.

I had a more thoughtful post planned this evening, but I'm afraid my brain is rather fried tonight. Maybe tomorrow :-)

Homemade Ketchup

2009-02-26T07:38:00.000-08:00

We are working to cut out foods with HFCS (see my post about it here). Add to that my desire to be frugal in the kitchen...and it makes sense for me to try some recipes for homemade condiments! On my list? Mayonnaise, ketchup, salad dressing, kefir, yogurt, and seasoning mixes.

Today, we are going to make Homemade Ketchup!

I'm using this recipe from HealthyHillbillyHousewife. I will LYK how it tastes!

Excellent Homemade Ketchup

* 6 ounce can no-salt-added tomato paste
* 1/3 cup tap water
* 2 tablespoons vinegar
* 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
* 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 pinch cloves
* 1 pinch allspice
* 1/8 cayenne pepper
* 1/3 cup brown sugar

This is simplicity itself. In a medium bowl combine all of the ingredients with a wire whisk. Blend well. Scrape the mixture into a pint-sized, resealable container. Chill overnight, to blend the flavors. Use wherever ketchup is desired.

Please advise me - 2yr. old Napping

2009-02-24T11:21:00.000-08:00

This is my first time, so I'm just looking for what is typical with other people's children. Graeme - he'll be two years old on March 30 - is increasingly more-often-than-not staying awake for his nap. I leave him in there for upwards of 2 hours, and sometimes (yesterday) he falls asleep...sometimes (today) not. He's been in his crib talking now for almost two hours!!!

He did this a few weeks ago, then seemed to go back to taking naps...now, I'd say over the past week or so, he's taken a ration of 60/40 (60% awake, 40% took a nap).

When did your child stop taking naps? I plan on enforcing a "quiet time" up through the early elementary years with our children, but not sure whether I need to start offering books for him to look at quietly in his room or what. Sometimes he complains (cries) for attention, and I ignore it, so usually he just ends up sitting in his bed and talking.

Please share, tell me what your toddler/pre-schooler does, and if you have talked to other mommas about what their children do, I'm all ears!

Vision Forum Giveaway

2009-02-23T21:00:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law, Laura, is hosting a giveaway on her blog. It's for a choice between two products from Vision Forum. Be sure to go enter and post about a product you'd be interested in reading from VF. I did some browsing tonight, and considering I'm realizing that in 2-3 short years, my oldest will be "school-age", I'd like to read "When you Rise Up: A Covenantal Approach to Homeschooling". I've never read a book in-favor of homeschooling, so I think this is a must-read for me!
From the VF website:

One of the up-and-coming heroes of the home-school movement in America is R.C. Sproul, Jr., whose practical, family-centered vision for discipleship is as fresh as it is rooted in historical, biblical Christianity. When it comes to education, R.C. doesn’t hesitate in dealing with the real issues. Who should teach our children? What should they be taught? What teaching methods should be employed? In this powerful primer on child training, R.C. cuts through the haze surrounding the educational debate by offering a biblical approach that is elegantly simple without being simplistic. Not everyone will love this book. Christians who embrace an education methodology of neutrality will either squirm with discomfort or convert. R.C. clearly and emphatically makes the case for parents as God’s chosen teachers. He writes with verve, with heart, with transparency, and with humility. He systematically goes through all of the typical objections raised against home schooling and provides meaningful and definitive answers. On the other hand, parents who, with humility before the Lord, are seeking His best for their families will be deeply touched and motivated by this simple, biblical message of covenantal home education.

Menu Plan 2/23 - 3/1

2009-02-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

Baked Items: Raspberry Muffins, Light Whole-wheat bread (bread machine), whole-wheat rolls (try a new recipe for bread machine!)

Monday - Lemon & garlic Roast Chicken

Tuesday - Chicken Nachos (leftover chx) & Crock Pot Refried Beans

Wednesday - Stir-Fried Beef and Vegetables

Thursday - Chili (this is my standard Chili recipe, and I love it! I double it and make one, freeze one), cornbread (my first time trying soaked grains. I'll probably do a post about this soon, as I plan on experimenting with this nutritious tradition)

Friday - waffles, fruit, frittata

Saturday/Sunday (we have a busy weekend) - Leftovers and/or Grilled cheese/tomato soup

"P" is for "Playing"

2009-02-21T06:27:00.000-08:00

Playing is a child's work - well, my son works very hard ;-) I've been blessed with a boy who entertains himself very well...it doesn't take much to keep him bouncing around! Which actually creates a unique challenge for me - making sure I take the time to interact with him in meaningful ways during the day. Not that we don't interact, but it's easy for me to spend an entire morning doing "my" stuff (cleaning, straightening, laundry, nursing Cole, etc.) and not spend purposeful, one-on-one time with Graeme.

So, as part of that, and also to incorporate some "learning time", a recent goal of mine has been spending time each day doing craft/table play. We fingerpainted one day, colored in his coloring books...and yesterday, we tackled our first "letter of the week" from No Time for Flash Cards. I LOVE her blog. What was so fun is that I'm not officially teaching Graeme his alphabet (hey, he's not even 2!) but this kind of an activity is showing him that we can have FUN with letters. He'll be experiencing letters and numbers before we ever do "school". That is the best kind of learning - experience followed by instruction.

Here's our "P" (see these instructions here):

As you can see, I took the activity one step further, because I kept thinking of many "p" words he knows. Pancakes, our dog's name (Poco), and one of his favorite activities lately is Poke-ing. As you can see in the picture, he had lots of fun poke-ing the marker on the paper!

These types of things are quite simple to do (they don't take elaborate planning) but the rewards are many. Graeme spent the next 1/2 hour or so playing with a pile of pennies, coloring some more, and talking about his creations. Simple, but meaningful. For more living simply ideas, visit Stephanie's blog.

And some more pictures of my littlest man, who is learning to laugh! Isn't 3 months a fun age?!

Mac n Cheese recipe

2009-02-20T04:05:00.000-08:00

Mmmmmm! I've been intimidated by homemade mac n cheese for awhile...not sure why, as I discovered last night: It's easy! And the results are definitely worth it. God has blessed me with a husband who is easy-to-please when it comes to cooking - he'll eat anything I make without a complaint, and he's not picky. He also doesn't tend to get very excited about food, but he commented last night on how good this recipe was, so I know it was pretty yummy :-D He requested it for his lunch today, also, so I think it's a winner.

Here's the recipe: Home Style Macaroni and Cheese
with these modifications:

The whole box of macaroni (12 oz.)

1 3/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup cream

2 cups sharp white Cheddar, with 3/4 cup mixed cheese (the shredded, 6-cheese blend from Sargento, but you could use whatever sounds good/whatever is on-hand) sprinkled on top

1/2 package (8-10 crackers) Ritz crushed and sprinkled on top instead of the breadcrumbs

While this is definitely not "low-fat", I believe that, in moderation, good fat is important in our diets, so if you use quality ingredients (organic, if you like), this is a great dish that you can use as a main OR side dish.

valentines day treats - beets & avocados!

2009-02-14T11:11:00.000-08:00

"What?!" You might be thinking I'm crazy. Nope! This Momma tries not to pass up an opportunity to add healthiness to otherwise "sweet treats". These are two recipes from Deceptively Delicious that have become staples in our house. I do not "sneak" these - I show Graeme exactly what is going in the recipe, but since he wouldn't dream of eating an avocado or a beet on its own (honestly, I'm not a big fan, either), the fact that he's getting them in a "treat" makes me happy, so I say, why not?! The pudding is delicious! You truly cannot taste the avocado! I felt great that while I enjoyed a chocolate fix, I was nourishing my body as well. As a nursing mother, I am constantly looking for ways to up my intake of healthy fats.

Pink Pancakes
In a blender/food processor, combine

3/4 c. water
1/4 c. beet puree
1/2 c. ricotta cheese
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Dump in a bowl. Add 1 cup pancake mix and 1/4 cup grated apple (or carrot, as I was out of apple today). Stir until combined.

If it seems a little thick, just add water until a good consistency.

Pink Pancake Batter - I never guessed you could create the color magenta w/out artificial coloring!

Served with strawberries and maple syrup - yummy! Graeme will eat these as an afternoon snack, which is great, as they have ricotta cheese, which is high in good fat and protein.

Chocolate Pudding
1/4 c. butter
1 c. avocado puree (about 1 whole avocado)
1 c. powdered sugar (next time, I'd like to try a healthier sugar)
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. cornstarch

Melt butter over low heat, stir in the avocado, sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, mashing out any lumps. Remove from heat, gradually stir in cornstarch. Serve warm.

(I haven't figured out if this will be good as a leftover. I wonder if the avocado, when cooked, will stay good for a day or two...does anyone have a guess?)

This isn't a glorious picture, but here it is anyway. I did add some milk to adjust the thickness to my taste.

Momma & Daddy's Valentine breakfast (wheat pancakes with strawberry/raspberry homemade syrup)

And, since you can't get enough of cute babies, here's Cole talking to his bear and smiling at his Momma :)

Gotta love trucks!

2009-02-13T05:56:00.000-08:00

After breakfast this morning, I wanted to do a craft, and happened to see this post, so we decided to give it a try!

Graeme enjoyed coloring with the markers (as you can see LOL!) He loves hearts. It was great fun to watch Momma cut them out - "BEEEG" and small.

The black part is an envelope, so there's a pocket that we cut out "beeg" hearts to put in...but Graeme preferred to carry them around with him :-)

All in all, this was a fun way to do a bit of "Valentines" with a 22 month old.

Sweetness

2009-02-11T20:11:00.000-08:00

How can you be a momma of such sweetness and not be full of joy? Besides the peace and joy that my Savior brings, there is nothing like my boys' faces to fill me with contentment!

Cole is interacting a lot these days. He grabbed onto a rattle yesterday and looked so surprised at himself. Sometimes he cries just because he wants me to talk to him! After all, what could I possibly have to do that is more pressing than goo-ing and ah-ing with my sweet peanut? (partly true, for sure.)

Babywearing 101: why every momma should try it, and resources to help

2009-02-11T09:56:00.000-08:00

I didn't start using a baby carrier with my first son until he was 4 months old, simply because I didn't know about them. Rather quickly, I discovered what an asset they were! Our first trip through an airport was actually enjoyable. We could "pop in" to the store quickly and conveniently. Teaching piano lessons while soothing a fussy infant became possible.

I'm here to tell you that, regardless of your "style" of parenting, babywearing has something to offer you. I thought I'd share a few resources to help you along.

Why try it?
There is a nice chart here, and a concise 10 reasons here.

My reason is simple: it's a two-fur ("two for the price of one")! My baby is soothed while I get things done.

What kind do I get?
Almost anyone who wears their baby for awhile ends up getting more than one type of carrier, so don't sweat it too much. Peppermint.com has a wonderful summary to walk you through the different types.

I have discovered that I like different carriers for different purposes. I would suggest going to the Peppermint link, look at the differences, assess what (outings, around the house) and who (baby or toddler) you will use the carrier for, and once you've narrowed it down, go with what you gravitate towards.

Right now, I own a Maya Ringsling, a linen Kalea Ringsling (I like ringslings right now!), a New Native pouch (like these for older babies), a Beco Butterfly (comfy for longer outings, especially once they get beyond 20lbs or so), and I had a Moby Wrap with my first son.

Wow, they are expensive!
Yes! You may be hesitant to invest in a carrier if you have not used one before. What if you decide you don't like it?

Fortunately, baby carriers have a great resale value. You can buy/sell/trade on several forums including:

TheBabyWearer
Diaperswappers
Ebay

Many of my carriers were purchased (and sold LOL!) through the forums on TBW and DS. You do have to have a minimum # of posts in order to list things for sale, but you can purchase items regardless, though it helps to have links to positive feedback on Ebay or some other b/s/t place.

As I finish writing this post, my son is laying in my lap in a ringsling. Yesterday I got an hour's worth of cleaning and picking-up while the baby slept in the Beco. When I was pregnant with baby #2, my toddler would ride on my hip (yes, preggo belly and all!) while we popped in to the grocery store for milk.

I'm so glad babywearing has come such a long way in the past 10 years or so. It's "hip" to wear your baby! But more importantly, it's a wonderful way to bond while having your hands free to do what you need to get done. It works for me!

Menu Plan 2/9 - 2/14 (Homemade Chicken Stock Week!)

2009-02-09T07:03:00.000-08:00

I just put my Homemade Chicken Stock in the crockpot, and several of my meals will be based on that. I'm using a 4.5lb whole chicken (as opposed to the half in the recipe) that will last us for 3-4 meals. I couldn't pay $16 for a free-range chicken at the grocery store, so I settled for the regular $5 - soon, I hope to have located a farm to get free-range chickens from :)

Monday - Chicken and Biscuit Casserole (w/ corn instead of peas) and fresh fruit salad

Tuesday - Stuffed Green Peppers (with 1/2 sausage to replace 1/2 grd. beef)

Wednesday - Chicken Chow Mein

Thursday - Spaghetti with homemade foccacia and salad

Friday - Chicken and Turkey Sausage soup with homemade whole wheat bread

Saturday - leftovers (and then I'm fixing a surprise for Mark for Valentine's Day...more on that in a future post!)

For more menu planning ideas, visit Laura@OrganizingJunkie.

Sickness is a reminder...

2009-02-07T08:49:00.000-08:00

....that we are needy.

Psalm 70:5
But as for me, I am poor and needy;
please hurry to my aid, O God.
You are my helper and my savior;
O Lord, do not delay.

....that we aren't self-sufficient (as I tend to behave, often!)

2 Corinthians 3:5:
Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God

....that health and life come from God.

Psalm 3:5
I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.

....that I want to increase our eating of whole-foods, fresh foods, grass-fed beef. Anytime we are sick I am reminded that healthful eating is the essence of healthful living. Sickness is part of life on a fallen planet. But it only makes sense that to be healthy, we need to seek out the most healthful choices for our sustenance. Here are a few things I'm looking into:

Joining a co-op for grains/bulk natural foods, looking at the Bread Beckers group

Incorporating a weekly or bi-weekly visit to a local farmer's market for fresh produce

Locating a source for grass-fed beef

Creating ways to save on other groceries and be creative in meal-planning in order to afford these changes in our grocery budget

I'd love to hear how you make healthier eating part of your life!

And for more thoughts on living simply, visit Keeper of the Home.

I can't believe it!

2009-02-07T08:41:00.000-08:00

I won something! Lindsay from Passionate Homemaking, held a giveaway that I posted about several days ago. Well, I won the Hand Commands: The Ten Commandments for Little Ones. I cannot wait to get the book! Thank you, Lindsay!

We are slowly on the mend. Graeme is on Day #6 of this stomach virus and actually ate something this morning for the first time. Praise God, Cole has not shown any symptoms yet! Mark got it on Thursday :( And I have felt sick since Wednesday, but thankfully have not been sick yet...so maybe God is giving my immune system an extra boost so that I can take care of all my sick "boys".

Since I needed the reminder that children are what it's all about...

2009-02-02T17:12:00.000-08:00

..God gave me:

the stomachbug! Well, not me (yet), but Graeme is very sick :( Apparently there's a week-long bug going around that we caught at the dr.s office. Gotta love going to the dr. for a "well" visit only to return sick!

Prayerfully Cole will not catch it! Or Mark! Or me!

Mission Minded Family book giveaway

2009-02-01T16:45:00.001-08:00

I stumbled across another neat blog, Passionate Homemaking, this evening, and found a giveaway that I wanted to share! Check it out here...all three of these books look worth a read. While you're there, check out some of her other posts. including this recipe.

Speaking of reading, here are pictures from this afternoon. Graeme is currently quite entranced with my shelf of "books for when he gets older"....hmm, I guess he's gotten "older" on me LOL! He's ignoring his board books and spending 20-30 minutes at a pop just sitting, browsing through these picture/story books. He knows several of his numbers by recognition (like, he sees a 5 and says "five") and can count with me to 3 already! I'm so impressed by his learning, I think he's a genius :-) He inspires me every day to find learning as interesting as he does.

And my sweet Cole likes to look at himself :-D In the picture, he's staring at a little mirror on his playmat. He finds himself quite fascinating, I think.

Living Simply Saturdays - Scheduling

2009-01-31T10:15:00.001-08:00

It is really exciting when you realize, all of a sudden, that God is truly changing you. I'm not sure where it began (though I think it's related to having 2 children now...that'll change you one way or another!), but I have started a journey with the Holy Spirit to make some changes in my living, my mothering, my wife-ing (not a word, I know), and my being.

So my latest sources of encouragement and inspiration have been other woman's blogs! Keeper of the Home is one that I only started reading a few days ago, but I am avidly reading and finding a kindred spirit :)

Here are some changes that I am making that have really helped me:

1. Getting up earlier.

I will admit that there have been days I've fallen behind on this one, but overall, I am slowly adjusting my body clock. I find that the days I rise before both children sets the tone for that day, even if all I manage to accomplish is taking a shower. A few days this last week I even got a cup of coffee, read some Scripture, put in a load of laundry...it's motivating me to try to rise even earlier! I love feeling prepared for the day.

2. Following some sort of cleaning schedule ON PAPER!

I'm using Motivated Moms Printable Chore List again. For a mom with two little ones, I definitely have not gotten every single thing done every day, but the KEY is that it gives me a goal. I consult the refrigerator when I am ready to do something, and there it is on the chore list - the things I need to do. I am a very scatter-brained individual, so I need that sort-of 'accountability' to keep my brain on-task.

It's funny, isn't it, that being *more* organized actually simplifies life?! Now, I need prayers that my motivation will continue, even when my enthusiasm wears off :-)