My parents went out this week and bought themselves a Jewish refrigerator.
It all started on Christmas day.
We have an absurd and frightening tradition of burning the sweet potatoes for major holidays. Not every year, no. That would be too predictable. Yet on a fairly regular basis, the potatoes come out blazing.
This Christmas was like every other. The kids were happily curled up with a movie while final dinner preparations were being made. Some of us were visiting in the living room, when suddenly the loudest noise I've ever heard came out of my mom's kitchen.
I'll be honest. It scared the crap out of me.
We raced out there to find my dad staring at the oven with an incredulous look on his face.
"What happened?!" we asked.
"An electric current just shot out of the oven," my brother answered, as he casually sat at the counter.
And it had. Electricity had shot out, hit the door of the oven, and returned to it's fiery lair.
My dad still hadn't spoken. I examined his face carefully. He appeared to still have both eyebrows and all of the remaining hair. My heart slowed.
Apparently the oven had shorted while it was doing what, you may ask? Broiling the topping on the SWEET POTATOES. Of course.
After the circuit was shut down, someone reached in and gingerly removed the pan. The marshmallow-y topping quivered, unscorched.
It was a Christmas miracle.
The rest of the day was fairly non-explosive, which was good. Fast-forward to Wednesday, when my popped by while she was in town.
"Did I tell you Dad and I found a new oven?"
"Mmm, that's nice."
"And while we were there we decided to buy a new fridge too."
"Hmm."
"It's all stainless steel, and we're thinking it's not going to match the microwave so we may have to replace that."
"Right. Makes sense."
"Did I mention that my fridge is Jewish?"
"Your WHAT is WHAT?"
Now she had my attention. My mom can be goofy, but she had hit a new height of bizarreness.
"My refrigerator is Jewish. It has settings for the Sabbath."
And she wasn't kidding. It turns out that they can flip a "Sabbath" switch anytime they decide to. It will turn off certain parts of the fridge in observance of Jewish law. I mulled this over for a minute, before speaking.
"I'm guessing it's not circumcised?"
"KIMBERLY!"
"Sorry, I couldn't resist."
Friday, December 30, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Indoor Date Night
Fast-forward to tonight. We arranged earlier today for a friend to come over for a little bit tonight so we could go run an errand and have a mini-date. She ended up not being able to come out, so we set the kids up with a movie and started playing again. (This time with a clear floor!) I haven't laughed so hard in a while. I can't say that either of us is particularly skilled with this game, but it didn't matter.
Hope you feel inspired to try something new for your next date night!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
My Smile of the Day
We made rice crispy treats last week. These two goofies got it in their heads that the only suitable place to eat the snacks was inside the dog's kennel. Not sure why, but they had a blast doing it!
Monday, December 26, 2011
Christmas Gifts!
In the above pictures I am modeling this season's garage wear, a 15-year-old ski coat my hubby so graciously let me borrow to stay warm while making Christmas presents.
We basically gave the same gift to everyone in our family this year. Ethan and I made these adorable welcome signs to put in front of the house. And because we're brilliant, we started making them one week before Christmas. Yep, that's right. I learned to use a power sander and sanded at least 50 pieces of wood. I also used a radial arm saw . . . whoo-hoo! But I only used it once (under careful supervision), because as a person who has flooded the bathroom by leaving water running (twice), I can be a little distracted. Power tools and distracted girls do not a happy pair make.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
The 12 Days of Christmas
Our family just took up a new tradition that is absolutely fantastic. We are doing the 12 Days of Christmas with two other families. How does it work? Well, we chose a family to bless that has been through a really tough time the past several months. Every evening this family gets a surprise gift. The first day they got 1 tin of caramel popcorn, the second day they got 2 bottles of cidar, the third day (today) they got 3 Christmas ornaments. It's so much fun. Our kids love the sneakiness of it all; creeping up to the door, knocking on it, and dashing away. They may end up catching one of us before this is over, but it's still a blast. Gotta love new traditions!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
No Room At the Inn
This blog post has been on my heart for a long time. I've struggled with the decision to write it, but feel that it's too important to stay quiet.
Several weeks ago our family made the difficult decision to leave our church. I've only attended and have been the member of two churches in my life; the one I grew up in and the one I found after moving away for college. This was the church where I met my husband, where our babies were dedicated, and where new aquaintences became family for life.
Since we left, Sunday mornings have been a mix of hope and discouragement. We've attended several churches throughout the valley. The girls usually jump right in with the other kids their age, no problem. But when we try to drop Bubba off, it's another story. Usually he won't let go of us. We've taken him into the main sanctuary before but he makes strange noises and the looks we get tell us it's not acceptable. When we attempt to drop him at the classroom, we make sure to inform the teacher that he's autistic and explain a little bit of what that means. Sadly, the most common response is the "deer in the headlights" expression. You can tell they absolutely do NOT want him in there.
Today we happened to arrive at a church on the day of their Christmas program. We took Bubba and the girls to the sanctuary first. He was holding still but making a continuous sound like he was clearing his throat. After some obvious looks our direction, I took him out to try the children's ministry. After struggling to hold him while typing our information into the check-in center, a man told us that the kids would be going up on stage and that our son needed to stay with us. I understood, but wasn't quite sure what to do next. So I settled for taking him into the foyer and sitting on the couch. I tried to keep him busy with songs and stories. After a few minutes Ethan came out to check on us and we switched places. While I was in the sanctuary, Ryan pulled a Christmas ornament off the tree and it bounced across the room, but that was the worst that happened. I went out spell Ethan for a few minutes. By this time Bubs was getting pretty antsy. He started alternately rolling on the couch and running around the small area. I thought about taking him outside but our coats were in the sanctuary. A couple of ladies sat down to talk in the same area and gave us encouraging smiles. They seemed nice, but I felt completely humiliated when one of them leaned over to Bubba and said (in a syrupy sweet voice), "We don't run in church!" Seriously. I was trying my hardest to keep him well-behaved, but he is five! He was actually doing a good job, considering.
I know this church we visited is a great church. In fact, all of the churches we have visited have been great churches. But I'm starting to feel like the unwanted family! I feel that this needs to be said: if we were going to church for my first time, we would NEVER return. Parents of children with special needs must feel that they are welcome! If you are in the ministry in any capacity, do you know there are families like us out there? Would they come back to your church after one visit?
As a side note, the church we have left was fantastic with our little boy. (Not the reason we left.) One of the best ways they helped us was just by asking how they could do better; what we needed. I will always love those people for the love they showed all of our kids. Thank you!
Please know that we have not harbored bitterness in our hearts towards any one person or church. We understand the place those people are coming from. In fact, I'm ashamed to say that once I was one of them. I didn't really know (or particularly care) how to help those children or families. I didn't look past their "church face" to see their hurting hearts, and I'm ashamed of that. But now that we are on the other side I feel that it's important that someone advocate for those families. It's hard to take your family anywhere when you have a child with special needs. But the place you should never have to feel unwelcome is in God's house.
Several weeks ago our family made the difficult decision to leave our church. I've only attended and have been the member of two churches in my life; the one I grew up in and the one I found after moving away for college. This was the church where I met my husband, where our babies were dedicated, and where new aquaintences became family for life.
Since we left, Sunday mornings have been a mix of hope and discouragement. We've attended several churches throughout the valley. The girls usually jump right in with the other kids their age, no problem. But when we try to drop Bubba off, it's another story. Usually he won't let go of us. We've taken him into the main sanctuary before but he makes strange noises and the looks we get tell us it's not acceptable. When we attempt to drop him at the classroom, we make sure to inform the teacher that he's autistic and explain a little bit of what that means. Sadly, the most common response is the "deer in the headlights" expression. You can tell they absolutely do NOT want him in there.
Today we happened to arrive at a church on the day of their Christmas program. We took Bubba and the girls to the sanctuary first. He was holding still but making a continuous sound like he was clearing his throat. After some obvious looks our direction, I took him out to try the children's ministry. After struggling to hold him while typing our information into the check-in center, a man told us that the kids would be going up on stage and that our son needed to stay with us. I understood, but wasn't quite sure what to do next. So I settled for taking him into the foyer and sitting on the couch. I tried to keep him busy with songs and stories. After a few minutes Ethan came out to check on us and we switched places. While I was in the sanctuary, Ryan pulled a Christmas ornament off the tree and it bounced across the room, but that was the worst that happened. I went out spell Ethan for a few minutes. By this time Bubs was getting pretty antsy. He started alternately rolling on the couch and running around the small area. I thought about taking him outside but our coats were in the sanctuary. A couple of ladies sat down to talk in the same area and gave us encouraging smiles. They seemed nice, but I felt completely humiliated when one of them leaned over to Bubba and said (in a syrupy sweet voice), "We don't run in church!" Seriously. I was trying my hardest to keep him well-behaved, but he is five! He was actually doing a good job, considering.
I know this church we visited is a great church. In fact, all of the churches we have visited have been great churches. But I'm starting to feel like the unwanted family! I feel that this needs to be said: if we were going to church for my first time, we would NEVER return. Parents of children with special needs must feel that they are welcome! If you are in the ministry in any capacity, do you know there are families like us out there? Would they come back to your church after one visit?
As a side note, the church we have left was fantastic with our little boy. (Not the reason we left.) One of the best ways they helped us was just by asking how they could do better; what we needed. I will always love those people for the love they showed all of our kids. Thank you!
Please know that we have not harbored bitterness in our hearts towards any one person or church. We understand the place those people are coming from. In fact, I'm ashamed to say that once I was one of them. I didn't really know (or particularly care) how to help those children or families. I didn't look past their "church face" to see their hurting hearts, and I'm ashamed of that. But now that we are on the other side I feel that it's important that someone advocate for those families. It's hard to take your family anywhere when you have a child with special needs. But the place you should never have to feel unwelcome is in God's house.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Copycat!
Big brothers are awesome. At least, that's what our sweet little Calico thinks. Bubba is her favorite playmate and role model. This picture shows how good he's got it; the big five-year-old making the baby push him around in his Tonka truck. But she loves it.
Now the funny thing is, Calico has picked up some of Bubba's habits. For example, when Bubba apologizes he swipes his hand down your face. Now the baby has picked up on this. It's all I can do to keep a straight face when I watch her pat down her sister's face while saying "I sawwee". He also makes strange sounds in the car sometimes, and sure enough, she chimes in to make it a duet.
It's not often that a kiddo with autism has the admiration of another child; I'm so grateful my little boy does!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Advent Calendar 2011
The kids are super excited that it's almost December 1st, and I've decided to share our list of activities on here to help anyone who may want it. :) So, without further adieu . . .
1. Go to the library to check out Christmas books.
2. Write a letter to Santa.
3. Play a board game as a family.
4. Read the Christmas story from the Bible.
5. Make ornaments with our friends.
6. Study the names of Jesus.
7. Make paper snowflakes.
8. Bake bread to give to friends.
9. Family Movie Night! (The Santa Claus)
10. Make Christmas cookies.
11. Build a fort and have dinner in it.
12. Deliver cookies to the hospital and daddy's work.
13. Learn about the real St. Nicholas.
14. Create a nativity together from scraps and craft supplies.
15. Go to the dollar store for the kids to buy gifts.
16. Family Movie Night. (It's a Wonderful Life)
17. Go out to look at Christmas lights.
18. Make a Gingerbread House.
19. Playdate with friends.
20. Go caroling.
21.
22.
23. Fireplace/guitar/hot chocolate
24. Nana and Grandad's house with the cousins!
We're still missing a couple of days, any suggestions?
1. Go to the library to check out Christmas books.
2. Write a letter to Santa.
3. Play a board game as a family.
4. Read the Christmas story from the Bible.
5. Make ornaments with our friends.
6. Study the names of Jesus.
7. Make paper snowflakes.
8. Bake bread to give to friends.
9. Family Movie Night! (The Santa Claus)
10. Make Christmas cookies.
11. Build a fort and have dinner in it.
12. Deliver cookies to the hospital and daddy's work.
13. Learn about the real St. Nicholas.
14. Create a nativity together from scraps and craft supplies.
15. Go to the dollar store for the kids to buy gifts.
16. Family Movie Night. (It's a Wonderful Life)
17. Go out to look at Christmas lights.
18. Make a Gingerbread House.
19. Playdate with friends.
20. Go caroling.
21.
22.
23. Fireplace/guitar/hot chocolate
24. Nana and Grandad's house with the cousins!
We're still missing a couple of days, any suggestions?
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Thankful
Last weekend I got the opportunity to remember the number one material possession I am thankful for; my mattress. It happened like this. . .
Ethan's company does work with a variety and commercial customers. One recent customer was a local hotel. As part of the payment they traded for some free nights. We were blessed with one of those nights and decided immediately we should use it for Giggles 7th birthday. She is such a big fan of swimming, which is unfortunate when your birthday is in the winter. She has always wanted to go swimming for her birthday, so she and Spunky and I had a mom and daughter overnighter at the hotel!
Walking in we quickly noticed a variety of oddly dressed college age people. And I mean REALLY oddly dressed. Bright colored wigs, fake weapons, tails, make-up. It was wild. We later learned they were there for an Anime Convention. I don't know a single person who's into anime, but they were all quite nice.
There was a lot of swimming, but there was also a good eight hours of sleeping. Or maybe I should say eight hours of trying to sleep. The beds were soft and looked inviting, but man did my back hurt in the morning! It reminded me of how much I'm spoiled by our wonderful bed.
About four or five years ago we desperately needed to replace the mattress we'd had since we got married. We researched, because that's what my man does, and settled on the Intellibed. It was expensive, but we fortunately had saved up for a while to buy it. I don't have a whole lot of brand loyalty to anything else, but I won't ever buy another brand of mattress as long as I live. It was worth every penny!
Ethan's company does work with a variety and commercial customers. One recent customer was a local hotel. As part of the payment they traded for some free nights. We were blessed with one of those nights and decided immediately we should use it for Giggles 7th birthday. She is such a big fan of swimming, which is unfortunate when your birthday is in the winter. She has always wanted to go swimming for her birthday, so she and Spunky and I had a mom and daughter overnighter at the hotel!
Walking in we quickly noticed a variety of oddly dressed college age people. And I mean REALLY oddly dressed. Bright colored wigs, fake weapons, tails, make-up. It was wild. We later learned they were there for an Anime Convention. I don't know a single person who's into anime, but they were all quite nice.
There was a lot of swimming, but there was also a good eight hours of sleeping. Or maybe I should say eight hours of trying to sleep. The beds were soft and looked inviting, but man did my back hurt in the morning! It reminded me of how much I'm spoiled by our wonderful bed.
About four or five years ago we desperately needed to replace the mattress we'd had since we got married. We researched, because that's what my man does, and settled on the Intellibed. It was expensive, but we fortunately had saved up for a while to buy it. I don't have a whole lot of brand loyalty to anything else, but I won't ever buy another brand of mattress as long as I live. It was worth every penny!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Why the Heck Do I Even Try?
This was my "To Do" list for this week, in no particular order.
Scrub master bathroom from top to bottom. Take the car to the carwash and vacuum completely. Make homemade bread. Make lentil soup. Make sweet potato soup. Teach the dog something. Take the dog on walks. Hand-wash the kitchen floor. Hand-wash the entry floor. Organize the master bedroom. Organize the baby's bedroom. Paint a picture. Paint more pictures. Write descriptions for upcoming classes at the academy. Clean and organize the bonus room. Make Ethan's Christmas gifts. Get ahead on curriculum planning.
Here's what I've actually done.
Painted a wall. Cleaned the master bathroom. (Okay, 1 point for following through on that.) Cleaned up 15 or 20 puppy accidents. Started a Christmas gift-buying list. Made bread and lentil soup. (2 points.) Thought about planning our advent calendar activities. Talked to hubby on the phone. Went coupon grocery shopping with Bubba.
I did mention that the girls are gone for three days, right? I figured going from four kids down to one would somehow magically make me superwoman. Sigh. Well, there's still tomorrow. :)
Scrub master bathroom from top to bottom. Take the car to the carwash and vacuum completely. Make homemade bread. Make lentil soup. Make sweet potato soup. Teach the dog something. Take the dog on walks. Hand-wash the kitchen floor. Hand-wash the entry floor. Organize the master bedroom. Organize the baby's bedroom. Paint a picture. Paint more pictures. Write descriptions for upcoming classes at the academy. Clean and organize the bonus room. Make Ethan's Christmas gifts. Get ahead on curriculum planning.
Here's what I've actually done.
Painted a wall. Cleaned the master bathroom. (Okay, 1 point for following through on that.) Cleaned up 15 or 20 puppy accidents. Started a Christmas gift-buying list. Made bread and lentil soup. (2 points.) Thought about planning our advent calendar activities. Talked to hubby on the phone. Went coupon grocery shopping with Bubba.
I did mention that the girls are gone for three days, right? I figured going from four kids down to one would somehow magically make me superwoman. Sigh. Well, there's still tomorrow. :)
Saturday, November 12, 2011
In The Last Month . . .
* We adopted a puppy. His name is Archer.
Baby boxers have funny shaped heads. His is already starting to look more normal. I've forgotten what having a puppy means. It's like having another child, only this time we can keep him in a kennel when we need a break.
* The girls went to their first slumber party. I love how my friend planned it out. They were tired the next day, but not excessively so. They watched "Soul Surfer" and really liked it.
* Read the book "1001 Ideas for Teaching and Raising Your Child with Autism". One thing that stood out to me was about respect. Even though Bubba doesn't talk much, he does understand us. It's important for me to remember that and not always talk about him like he's not there. (Harder than you might think.)
* Had a harvest party with some friends. Highlight of the night, in my opinion, was the dance contest. All the kids and several adults participated. We had two judges. There really was no contest. The winner was a four-year-old boy that could get down! He was hilarious to watch.
* Started thinking about the next semester in co-op. I will be teaching a dance class for grades 2-5. Really looking forward to it!
* Preparing for the hubby to go to Dallas next week. So thankful that my parents are going to take the girls part of the time so it will just be Bubba and I. We have one morning that his aide will be here and I am going to CLEAN. (I feel the word must be in all caps to show how serious I am.) I may even skip meals or eat as I go to make the most of the time. I'm more excited to get some deep-cleaning done than I would be if I won a trip to Europe. (Well, maybe.)
* Calico has gotten into reading, big-time. She'll be seven in a couple weeks and has been devouring chapter books. It's kind of like a dream come true for me, because I adore reading and know that it has helped me to learn so much. She's reminding me of myself when I was a little girl.
* The girls went to their first slumber party. I love how my friend planned it out. They were tired the next day, but not excessively so. They watched "Soul Surfer" and really liked it.
* Read the book "1001 Ideas for Teaching and Raising Your Child with Autism". One thing that stood out to me was about respect. Even though Bubba doesn't talk much, he does understand us. It's important for me to remember that and not always talk about him like he's not there. (Harder than you might think.)
* Had a harvest party with some friends. Highlight of the night, in my opinion, was the dance contest. All the kids and several adults participated. We had two judges. There really was no contest. The winner was a four-year-old boy that could get down! He was hilarious to watch.
* Started thinking about the next semester in co-op. I will be teaching a dance class for grades 2-5. Really looking forward to it!
* Preparing for the hubby to go to Dallas next week. So thankful that my parents are going to take the girls part of the time so it will just be Bubba and I. We have one morning that his aide will be here and I am going to CLEAN. (I feel the word must be in all caps to show how serious I am.) I may even skip meals or eat as I go to make the most of the time. I'm more excited to get some deep-cleaning done than I would be if I won a trip to Europe. (Well, maybe.)
* Calico has gotten into reading, big-time. She'll be seven in a couple weeks and has been devouring chapter books. It's kind of like a dream come true for me, because I adore reading and know that it has helped me to learn so much. She's reminding me of myself when I was a little girl.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Some Women Are Dripping With Diamonds
If you've ever seen the Annie movie, you may remember a song that Miss Hanigan sings.
Some women are dripping with diamonds
Some women are dripping with pearls
Lucky me, lucky me
Look at what I'm dripping with . . .
Little girls
I feel a little like Miss Hanigan this week. Our dear friends R. and T. had a getaway for a few days and we get to take care of their daughters who are seven and five. They are GREAT kiddos! However, I've learned that jumping from four to six kids is a bit challenging. We keep running out of kid plates and have had to separate the older two from the younger two at night due to too much giggling. :) The nice part is that the girls are also homeschooled, so they fit right into our routine. And their mama packed three meals for everyone plus daily schoolwork for them, so it helped quite a bit.
One funny moment: last week Spunky told me that she had figured out glue works really well to stick things to the fridge. We had to have a big talk about why we don't do that, of course. So yesterday we had a Mad Hatter Tea Party and the two big girls wanted to surprise me. Bright and early in the morning they tidied up the downstairs and put up little teacup decorations that they made. It was so sweet! . . . until I figured out they had GLUED the teacups to the walls! And the cupboards. My eyes must have gotten really big when I discovered it, because Spunky was quick to point out "But don't worry mom; we didn't glue ANYTHING to the fridge!!"
Sometimes there just aren't words. :)
Some women are dripping with diamonds
Some women are dripping with pearls
Lucky me, lucky me
Look at what I'm dripping with . . .
Little girls
I feel a little like Miss Hanigan this week. Our dear friends R. and T. had a getaway for a few days and we get to take care of their daughters who are seven and five. They are GREAT kiddos! However, I've learned that jumping from four to six kids is a bit challenging. We keep running out of kid plates and have had to separate the older two from the younger two at night due to too much giggling. :) The nice part is that the girls are also homeschooled, so they fit right into our routine. And their mama packed three meals for everyone plus daily schoolwork for them, so it helped quite a bit.
One funny moment: last week Spunky told me that she had figured out glue works really well to stick things to the fridge. We had to have a big talk about why we don't do that, of course. So yesterday we had a Mad Hatter Tea Party and the two big girls wanted to surprise me. Bright and early in the morning they tidied up the downstairs and put up little teacup decorations that they made. It was so sweet! . . . until I figured out they had GLUED the teacups to the walls! And the cupboards. My eyes must have gotten really big when I discovered it, because Spunky was quick to point out "But don't worry mom; we didn't glue ANYTHING to the fridge!!"
Sometimes there just aren't words. :)
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Faith and Doubt
Yesterday morning I woke up, made breakfast for the kids, and ate a bagel. Then I started cleaning the house and moping. Why? It was supposed to be the first half-marathon in a series of four I was going to do this month. I was training with a great team and was so excited to raise money for hurting families in India.
Sigh. A while back I mentioned having bursitis in my hip. I was under the impression it would be a couple of weeks to heal, but the last word from the chiropracter (and later a physical therapist) was that it takes more like six months.
I had no idea how this would hit me emotionally. This morning I finally ended up talking to Ethan about it and it all became clear. I realized that I've been doubting God for letting this happen to me. That came as a total shock. When our little boy died I didn't doubt God. It was horrible; the worst thing I could imagine for anyone, yet I had complete faith in His plan for our lives and Isaac's life. I had total peace. When Bubba was diagnosed as autistic I was upset, but never doubted God or the direction our lives would take. When I was hospitalized for three months with the pregnancy I didn't ask God why. I didn't have to understand the details because I trusted in Him.
Now, however, I'm having a crisis of faith over a running injury? It seems a little ridiculous. But it's so unfair. I've never really been athletic, unless you count dancing. To actually enjoy running, and not have given up the thousand times I wanted to roll back over and go to sleep again . . . it was something special.
I realized that in the other difficulties we've gone through we've been covered in prayer by hundreds of people. No wonder we had peace! And yet during a struggle with this I feel like I'm going through it alone. I can just hear my non-running friends thinking, Oh yeah . . . poor girl doesn't get to torture herself anymore. :) I get that! I would have said the same thing a couple of years ago.
I've realized that I'm blessed. Lucky. I've had the good fortune of having people love me and my family enough to pray for us. What a gift! And now that I've talked to Ethan, I realize that I need to be the one praying about peace. About my attitude. And hopefully the hip will heal while I learn this lesson.
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
-- Romans 15: 12-14
Sigh. A while back I mentioned having bursitis in my hip. I was under the impression it would be a couple of weeks to heal, but the last word from the chiropracter (and later a physical therapist) was that it takes more like six months.
I had no idea how this would hit me emotionally. This morning I finally ended up talking to Ethan about it and it all became clear. I realized that I've been doubting God for letting this happen to me. That came as a total shock. When our little boy died I didn't doubt God. It was horrible; the worst thing I could imagine for anyone, yet I had complete faith in His plan for our lives and Isaac's life. I had total peace. When Bubba was diagnosed as autistic I was upset, but never doubted God or the direction our lives would take. When I was hospitalized for three months with the pregnancy I didn't ask God why. I didn't have to understand the details because I trusted in Him.
Now, however, I'm having a crisis of faith over a running injury? It seems a little ridiculous. But it's so unfair. I've never really been athletic, unless you count dancing. To actually enjoy running, and not have given up the thousand times I wanted to roll back over and go to sleep again . . . it was something special.
I've realized that I'm blessed. Lucky. I've had the good fortune of having people love me and my family enough to pray for us. What a gift! And now that I've talked to Ethan, I realize that I need to be the one praying about peace. About my attitude. And hopefully the hip will heal while I learn this lesson.
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
-- Romans 15: 12-14
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Thoughts on Our Boy
This is an old picture of Bubba, but with all the changes I've been going through with computers I haven't downloaded much from the camera lately.
I've wanted to write down some of the developments we've been seeing in him lately, if only for my records. I can't say how many times in the last few weeks Ethan or I have said something to the effect of what a joy he is to raise. This is the same kiddo that has brought me to tears of frustration many times in the past. I don't know what's going on, only that my heart has never felt more full. We've noticed that he's showing first-time obedience most of the time. (Shocking!) Although he's not a perfect gentleman to his baby sister, for the most part I can trust him to play nicely with her. He'll ask her to go outside with him or push him in his tonka truck. He also LOVES to have her chase him and tickle him. It's adorable.
After finding out he would be having a very inconsistent schedule in public school this year, we decided to keep him home. He's following a preschool curriculum that I write to his ability level. A lot of the ideas for preschoolers aren't even something he can do because of the language, but we've found some creative ways to work around it. One game he likes involves hiding his favorite blanket. When it's time for him to find it, he has to listen to directional clues like "under, to the left, inside" and so on. He laughs like a hyena when he finds it. :) He's done "bowling" with paper bags, where he has to knock down the paper bag with the right letter taped to it. And of course, there's so much we can do that appeals to his need for sensory stimulation. Making letters in a pan of rice or feeling sandpaper numbers is great fun. Of course, I'd have much more trouble doing this if it wasn't for his aide being here every day to help him. Makes life far easier!
Here's a funny thing he's been up to lately. He'll look me (or Daddy) in the eyes really sweetly and say, "Mommy want an owie?" His little fingers are always at the ready to pinch if we say yes!
I know our lives with autism in them have been so hard, but the joys are so rich. Every little triumph is cause for great celebration. I'm thankful to God that He blessed us in this way!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
If You Give A Mom A Muffin
If you give a mom a muffin, she'll want a cup of coffee to go with it. She'll pour herself some. Her three-year-old will spill the coffee. She'll wipe it up. Wiping the floor, she will find dirty socks. She'll remember she has to do laundry. When she puts the laundry in the washer, she'll trip over boots and bump into the freezer. Bumping into the freezer will remind her that she has to plan supper. She will get out a pound of hamburger. She'll look for her cookbook. (101 Things to Do With a Pound of Hamburger). The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail. She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow. She will look for her checkbook. The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old. She'll smell something funny. She'll change the two-year-old. While she is changing the two-year-old the phone will ring. Her five-year-old will answer and hang up. She'll remember that she wants to phone a friend to come for coffee. Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup. She will pour herself some and chances are, if she has a cup of coffee, her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.
- Kathy Fictorie
- Kathy Fictorie
Thursday, September 15, 2011
My Running . . . Derailed
So I'm averaging one post a month this summer. Fantastic!
Sometimes you know that God is trying to tell you something. For me it seems to be "STOP RUNNING". Maybe I should explain . . .
A few weeks ago I started noticing a nagging pain in my hip. It happened shortly after Ethan and I ran 13.1 miles. That was my longest distance yet. I tried to back off on miles a little bit and went in to see a sports chiropractor. He recommended icing it and getting treatment. Well, ice is basically free so I went with that. I had just about decided to to call him for treatment yesterday because the pain wasn't improving (although I have not run in 1 week). Instead, our night went as follows:
I made stir-fry for dinner. Ethan had a late meeting so I was preparing to sit down and eat with the kids.
Bubba got super angry over something, who knows what, and threw a glass at the table.
I picked up all the pieces of the glass, getting a small shard in my thumb. Was totally annoyed about that.
Put the broken glass in the trash bag and sat down for dinner.
Ate dinner.
Started clearing the table and decided to take the trash out. Picked up the trash bag and went to cinch the top.
Broken glass falls over in the bag, breaks through, and falls on the top of my foot.
So there I was, staring at my foot and thinking Why can I see white?!
And then it hit me, I was looking at my bone. (Eeeeww.) I started feeling sick to my stomach and asked Spunky to grab my cell phone. Then I told the kids, "If mama passes out, it's totally okay. It's just because I'm looking at blood."
I called our neighbor, who is a former nurse, and she came over and advised me to go get stitches. (She probably would have stitched my foot herself but she's pretty advanced in age and doesn't have the best eyesight.) So, while Bubba ran around the house pulling off his sister's diaper and generally wreaking havoc I sat on the couch and waited for Ethan to get home. It wasn't a long wait, thankfully!
The doctor said it may be a few days before I'll want to run. Or a week or so. Maybe it's for the best; it will give the hip some time to heal. :)
Here Comes the School Year
I am getting so excited for our upcoming school year. This is our 5th year of homeschooling . . . can you believe it? Spunky will be in third grade, Giggles in second, and Bubba in Pre-K. I've always used Sonlight as our curriculum but am adding some additional resources this year. We're using Math-U-See which we did last year and loved. We have this amazing history wall chart from Konos that is like 4 ft by 6 ft. Our little history characters (that will stick to the chart) are coming in the mail next week. Still not sure where we're going to put such an immense teaching aid . . . the ceiling, maybe? :)
I've been researching different spelling programs to see what's best for us. One that I'm intrigued with is called "Spell to Write and Read". But I'm not super interested in it because while reviewers speak highly of the results, they also say that mom has to put in serious hours to learn it. (One reviewer claimed to have spent 100 hours learning it before she felt prepared to teach.) Yikes! So I'm still looking.
There are several homeschool co-ops here in this area. We've actually been on a waiting list for 2 separate ones in the past few years, but a new one is opening up and I think we'll be a part of it. I'm not sure what to teach or assist with yet . . . maybe dance or music? The girls think their baby sister needs to teach drama. :) Some classes available for my kids to take would include Spanish, public speaking, and zoology.
If you could teach a class on anything, what would you choose?
FINALLY!
If you've wondered why I've been mysteriously absent from the blogging world it is because something was broken on my blog. Yes, that's actually true. I had to switch over to the new editor from the old, an answer I only found by going to "Help".
It feels so good to be back!
Now if I only had something significant to say.
Darn.
It feels so good to be back!
Now if I only had something significant to say.
Darn.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Hello, July
It has been three weeks. I haven't taken a blogging break like that in quite some time. Right now . . .
- Calico is sitting next to me, saying "hi-low!" to my phone, over and over again.
- Bubba is loving on his cars in the playroom
- Giggles and Spunky are fixing their hair, preparing for our family "July birthdays" get-together at Nana and Grandad's
And I am taking a break from cleaning. Not any spectacular cleaning; just the daily stuff. For the first time this month I made a crock pot meal and feel like it's not a bad time for a break. Yay for no dinner prep!!
This week I decided to REALLY start couponing. I actually bought the binder and the baseball-card-organizing sheets. Oh yeah. On Tuesday I made my first purchase with coupons and felt a little giddy. It wasn't much, just 10 boxes of cereal for $10, but it was fun!
Our new non-profit has kept us incredibly busy. We have a logo.
We had a benefit yardsale that raised over $1000. LONGEST day of my life! :) But well worth the time and effort. It paid for our 501c3 application and the logo design. We also had a booth at the God and Country Festival, where we ended up getting about 150 people on our contact list. Another long day that was well worth it.
The girls and I (plus two neighbor girls) have been reading through the Little House on the Prairie Series. I just adored those books growing up! We've attempted some get-togethers with some other homeschooling families to do related crafts, but it's tough in the summertime with schedules. We're doing things like cloved apples, nightcaps, butter (from scratch), button necklaces, and jackrabbit stew.
Bubba has been turning some corners with his speech. It almost makes me cry every time he says something new because it's SO difficult for him. We had a breakthrough the other day. His aide and the kids and I were all out going to the library and she wanted to stop at Little Caesar's. So we parked in front and she went in with Spunky, who'd asked for permission. Bubba clearly said, "I want to get out of the car." Thrilled, I replied, "No, Miss Julie and sissy will be back in just a minute with the pizzas. We're staying in the car." And that was that. He went back to playing with his car.
Why was that such a big deal? The normal scenario would consist of this:
People get out of the car. Bubba starts screaming. I say, "Are you hungry, honey? What's the matter? Are you tired? We're going home right after this." Etc. He continues to scream, maybe bites himself for good measure. I feel stressed and frustrated and worried. The baby starts to cry.
So, that not happening was a good thing.
We've also had some relapses in the pottying department. He's had several accidents a week at naptime and bedtime. Unfortunately he's back to smearing #2 again. I try to catch him but it's difficult. I'm considering getting a camera in there. And replacing his carpet with a concrete drain. ;)
Time to get dinner on, but I'll be back soon to give some more updates!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
I Knew It Was Coming . . .
Ever since I held my wonderful little netbook in my hands (which, for the record, was at the beginning of my 3-month hospital stay when I HAD to have contact with the outside world!) I knew this day was coming. Someday it would die, or be destroyed. And in our house, something is much more likely to be destroyed with Bubba around.
Yesterday he was having a great day. He was mellow and played by himself after nap. But something, and I have no earthly idea what, upset him. And when that boy gets upset . . . watch out! He was in the bathroom and he just started screaming. I could hear the situation escalating but by the time I got to him it was too late. He took the toilet plunger, ran out of the bathroom, and started hitting everything in sight. One of those things, unfortunately, was my netbook. (Moment of silence, please.) He hit the screen and it shattered on the inside. I never would have left it open like that but I was following a recipe for dinner. Sigh.
One of the lessons I feel that God has tried to teach me since having Bubba is to not hold too tightly to my possessions. And I really never thought of myself as someone who struggled with that. But my son has moved me to tears on more than one occasion by breaking and destroying things -- my Scentsy candle, Spunky's tennis trophy, a special room decoration that was given to Calico. I know . . . it's just stuff. But it's still a challenge for me. I thank God that he has prepared a place for me that neither moth or rust or little boys can destroy!
Yesterday he was having a great day. He was mellow and played by himself after nap. But something, and I have no earthly idea what, upset him. And when that boy gets upset . . . watch out! He was in the bathroom and he just started screaming. I could hear the situation escalating but by the time I got to him it was too late. He took the toilet plunger, ran out of the bathroom, and started hitting everything in sight. One of those things, unfortunately, was my netbook. (Moment of silence, please.) He hit the screen and it shattered on the inside. I never would have left it open like that but I was following a recipe for dinner. Sigh.
One of the lessons I feel that God has tried to teach me since having Bubba is to not hold too tightly to my possessions. And I really never thought of myself as someone who struggled with that. But my son has moved me to tears on more than one occasion by breaking and destroying things -- my Scentsy candle, Spunky's tennis trophy, a special room decoration that was given to Calico. I know . . . it's just stuff. But it's still a challenge for me. I thank God that he has prepared a place for me that neither moth or rust or little boys can destroy!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Sad Goodbyes
Our little exchange student flew home yesterday morning and we are so SAD. She was such a great addition to our family.
Introducing her to street hockey was a must.
She already loved badmitton so we played a few times.
Rollerskating!
What a view. :)
Inside "the car".
Fun with games on the phone.
Banana splits!
Introducing her to street hockey was a must.
She already loved badmitton so we played a few times.
Rollerskating!
What a view. :)
Inside "the car".
Fun with games on the phone.
Banana splits!So we hosted last summer and while it was okay, we definitely didn't bond with our student. This year was incredibly different. Mary is fun-loving and very polite. What cracked me up was how quickly she assumed the role of big sister. I heard her correcting the little ones (but it was always appropriate). Before we knew it she was unbuckling Calico from the car and taking her inside each day and playing in the backyard with Bubba.
We are going to miss our student but at least we have an email address for her. And who knows? Maybe someday we'll go to Korea!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
What to Do?
The girls have been attending vacation Bible school this week and it has been so different around the house. They're gone from 9 a.m. 12 p.m. During that time Bubba's aide works with him and Calico takes a nap, so I have been getting a lot done! It's very strange. I also have a break this week from the little neighbor girl I homeschooled during the year, so it almost feels like I don't have kids for a couple of hours. I can't imagine if this was the norm. Stay-at-home moms who have their kids in school must get so much accomplished every day. I'm a little jealous. ;)
I've been doing smaller organizing projects around the house, leading up to the mother of all projects: our master bedroom. When we bought our house I was okay with having a huge bedroom, but also kind of wondering what we'd put in it. So we turned half of the room into a library/craft room. I hate to admit it, but it has become a craft dumping ground. Occasionally I wade in, grab some scrapbook papers or ribbon, and make my way out. Carefully.
Anyway, Ethan and I talked about it and decided we had to do something to make it better in there. So waaaaay back in February my mom and I went shopping for something to organize my craft materials. We lucked out big-time at a scrapbook store that was selling off their floor displays. This huge twirling display was only $25. (Actually free to me because it ended up being my birthday gift!) Anyway, from the first picture you can see that it even opens up for storage. And guess how much I've organized in that room so far? Um . . . . well, I threw enough stuff in to take a picture. That's it. So tomorrow and Friday IT IS GETTING ORGANIZED! I have no excuses now, no kids interrupting or lessons to plan. You blogging friends can hold me accountable, okay? Guess I better go get to work!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Life
Baby's first trip to the dentist! She doesn't look too upset in this picture but she did end up shedding some tears.
By the time she got to the treasure box and was allowed to pick out a toy she was all smiles again. She chose a pair of bright pink sunglasses.
Spunky and Giggles entered their first race. They did awesome and loved the medals they received.
A moment of joy - Bubba is extremely happy when he's buckled into his car seat. I'm not sure why his car seat ended up in the backyard but he took full advantage of the moment. He stayed out there for probably a good hour reading a book and cuddling with his blanket.
The first lemonade stand of the summer! Grand total earned (in 1 1/2 hours): $6
Calico and Fred have a conversation. :) Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Such a Busy Time
Our exchange student from Korea has been with us for 5 days and we all really like her. The picture above is the girls building a volcano for a (home) school project. Her profile described her as shy and very self-reliant. I'd agree with shy, although she seems to be warming up to us a little more each day. And it took her no time to warm up to the kids! She is very polite and well-mannered.
Last weekend the girls had their end of the year recital. As much as I love watching anything my kids do, I must confess that sometimes I find ballet boring. But this year's Cinderella was an exception! The stepsisters really made the show with their jealous antics.
It looks like our Calico is going to take after her daddy and be a tree climber! Ethan was just standing next to the tree and she about leaped out of her arms trying to get into it. Of COURSE I had to capture that on film.
Speaking of Calico, lately we've noticed that she is extremely stubborn and very dramatic. It is so cute but we try to be really careful to not encourage the behaviour. Ethan was cooking here and she wanted to play with him, but when he couldn't she grumpily threw herself down on the floor and held onto his leg. I think it may be an uphill battle to good behaviour with this one!Monday, May 9, 2011
The Cat's Out of the Bag!
BIG NEWS!
Okay, so some of you friends already know about this, but Ethan and I are starting a non-profit organization. We've been working on it for about 14 months now. The name of our non-profit is the Messenger Academy of Worship Arts. What is it? Well, maybe I better give some background.
Ethan works closely with churches as part of his job as an audiovisual design consultant. It's his passion really, helping churches. But over and over again he has talked with worship pastors who are frustrated because they have so many people with the desire and the talents, but there isn't any place they can further their training. (Especially at an affordable price.) There are many secular dance studios, for example, but it's rare to find a place where you can take dance lessons where the emphasis is to bring honor and glory to God. Our dream is to have a place where people of all ages can train in visual arts, drama, dance, writing, and music. They in turn can use the gifts God's given them to bring His message to others in their own churches and the community. Another part of the academy will be training for the technical side of things -- running sound, lighting, video, etc.
If you live locally and are interested in teaching a class or being involved in any aspect, we'd love to talk to you. :)
Okay, so some of you friends already know about this, but Ethan and I are starting a non-profit organization. We've been working on it for about 14 months now. The name of our non-profit is the Messenger Academy of Worship Arts. What is it? Well, maybe I better give some background.
Ethan works closely with churches as part of his job as an audiovisual design consultant. It's his passion really, helping churches. But over and over again he has talked with worship pastors who are frustrated because they have so many people with the desire and the talents, but there isn't any place they can further their training. (Especially at an affordable price.) There are many secular dance studios, for example, but it's rare to find a place where you can take dance lessons where the emphasis is to bring honor and glory to God. Our dream is to have a place where people of all ages can train in visual arts, drama, dance, writing, and music. They in turn can use the gifts God's given them to bring His message to others in their own churches and the community. Another part of the academy will be training for the technical side of things -- running sound, lighting, video, etc.
If you live locally and are interested in teaching a class or being involved in any aspect, we'd love to talk to you. :)
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Two New Reviews
The Overton Window by Glenn Beck
Twenty-something Noah Gardner is pretty happy with his life. He has plenty of money, good looks, and doesn't care or feel convicted about much of anything. One day he meets Betsy Ross, a girl who is passionate about the future of the United States. Betsy, and others like her, feel that there is something dangerous brewing among the powerful and influential. Without even trying Noah gets caught up in her campaign and realizes his company is a key part of the frightening changes that are to come.
This was a good read and definitely gave me something to think about. A big part of this book, although it was fictional, was taking a look at how the truth can be manipulated to accomplish the means of the paying customer.
The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
Living a predictable life as a publishing assistant is what sums up Edie's existence, until a mysterious letter from the past leads her to an ancient castle and the three sisters who live there. She slowly uncovers family secrets and mysteries as she explores the history of the castle and its occupants.
This is an amazing book. There's a little bit of adult subject matter so I wouldn't suggest it for teens, but all in all it's very clean. I felt like the author had the perfect balance of making me look forward to reading it but not staying up all night to finish it.
Twenty-something Noah Gardner is pretty happy with his life. He has plenty of money, good looks, and doesn't care or feel convicted about much of anything. One day he meets Betsy Ross, a girl who is passionate about the future of the United States. Betsy, and others like her, feel that there is something dangerous brewing among the powerful and influential. Without even trying Noah gets caught up in her campaign and realizes his company is a key part of the frightening changes that are to come.
This was a good read and definitely gave me something to think about. A big part of this book, although it was fictional, was taking a look at how the truth can be manipulated to accomplish the means of the paying customer.
The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
Living a predictable life as a publishing assistant is what sums up Edie's existence, until a mysterious letter from the past leads her to an ancient castle and the three sisters who live there. She slowly uncovers family secrets and mysteries as she explores the history of the castle and its occupants.
This is an amazing book. There's a little bit of adult subject matter so I wouldn't suggest it for teens, but all in all it's very clean. I felt like the author had the perfect balance of making me look forward to reading it but not staying up all night to finish it.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Lazy Me
I'm sorry to my friends that I haven't been much of a blogger lately. Not so much for my posts, but for the fact that I haven't even commented or read anyone else's post. I wish I could say I've been busy traveling or doing something exotic, but the truth is it has just been . . . . life. Sickness. Recovery. School. Spring cleaning. Etc.
It looks as if we will be getting a Korean exchange student again! She should be a little older this time; a fifth grader. The girls are really excited.
We have big news to share, but it may have to wait a couple of days. I also have two new book reports to write up. :) So stay tuned!
It looks as if we will be getting a Korean exchange student again! She should be a little older this time; a fifth grader. The girls are really excited.
We have big news to share, but it may have to wait a couple of days. I also have two new book reports to write up. :) So stay tuned!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Whoa.
I kind of just signed myself up to run 4 half marathons in 4 weeks.
I'm a little bit scared and a little bit excited.
See, the longest race I've ever run is a 5k. Yeah. I'm planning to run a 10k next month, but that's a bit shorter than a half.
But the deal is . . . . the races benefit kiddos in India. Kiddos with AIDS. And that breaks my heart. So I kind of think that even if I need to walk, run, or somersault my way through them it needs to happen. Those kids deserve it.
Prayers appreciated. :)
I'm a little bit scared and a little bit excited.
See, the longest race I've ever run is a 5k. Yeah. I'm planning to run a 10k next month, but that's a bit shorter than a half.
But the deal is . . . . the races benefit kiddos in India. Kiddos with AIDS. And that breaks my heart. So I kind of think that even if I need to walk, run, or somersault my way through them it needs to happen. Those kids deserve it.
Prayers appreciated. :)
Monday, April 11, 2011
Our First Break
Last night Spunky and Giggles were messing around, playing in the living room. Spunky heaved Giggles up and accidently dropped her. I was feeding the baby and saw it -- it didn't look good. It looked like she fell on her neck and head. She started crying immediately and saying her shoulder hurt. We put ice on it and gave her some pain medication, but after seeing that both sides of her body didn't match we felt she needed to go into the emergency room. Sure enough, she broke her collar bone. I knew it! They gave her a sling and said her arm needs to stay in it for 4 weeks. (Right. It's going to be a struggle to keep her in it for 4 days!) Her emotions, in order: upset (in pain) scared (about the hospital) curious (after 2 pain relievers) silly (watching Scooby Doo while waiting for results) giggly (today, enjoying extra attention from everyone) Spunky's emotions: guilt guilt guilt Poor girl, I think she's suffering more than her little sister! She already offered to help her pick up eggs at the church Easter egg hunt in 2 weeks. Since neither Ethan or I ever broke a bone, this is new for us. Honestly, I am SO grateful it was just a collar bone. It could have been a lot worse!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Random Thoughts
Hi.
* I have been researching autism therapy dogs. Did you know there was such a thing? I really wish we could get one for Bubba. Here's some of the ways they help: if the child has a problem running away, the dog will retrieve the child to the parent. If the child is self-harming, the dog will interrupt the behaviour. If the child is having a mood swing, the dog will crawl onto the lap and calm the child. Awesome, right? However, the prices for a therapy dog are between $10,000 and $14,000. It's hard to imagine coming up with that kind of money. But it also really intrigues me, because I think of all of the ways it would help us as a family. Imagine camping . . . we've wanted to go before but we are so worried about Bub's safety. It would be nice to have an animal on alert 24/7.
* This one is really random. Ethan had a large bruise on his upper leg this week. When I pointed it out he had no idea where it came from. Then last night after worship team practice was over, he came home and told me he'd figured it out. It was from drumming! Last week's set had so many fast songs that he was using his right hand to play his snare. He hit his leg over and over again in the same place so many times it left a bruise! Made me laugh.
Sometimes the thoughts swirling around in my head need someplace to go, and now is one of those times.
* I have been researching autism therapy dogs. Did you know there was such a thing? I really wish we could get one for Bubba. Here's some of the ways they help: if the child has a problem running away, the dog will retrieve the child to the parent. If the child is self-harming, the dog will interrupt the behaviour. If the child is having a mood swing, the dog will crawl onto the lap and calm the child. Awesome, right? However, the prices for a therapy dog are between $10,000 and $14,000. It's hard to imagine coming up with that kind of money. But it also really intrigues me, because I think of all of the ways it would help us as a family. Imagine camping . . . we've wanted to go before but we are so worried about Bub's safety. It would be nice to have an animal on alert 24/7. * This one is really random. Ethan had a large bruise on his upper leg this week. When I pointed it out he had no idea where it came from. Then last night after worship team practice was over, he came home and told me he'd figured it out. It was from drumming! Last week's set had so many fast songs that he was using his right hand to play his snare. He hit his leg over and over again in the same place so many times it left a bruise! Made me laugh.Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Growing
Our week of spring break has been a time of much growth. Our darling Calico took her first steps! She is just shy of 14 months. With all the children, this may have been the first time that Ethan and I were able to witness it together. And speaking of things growing up, we're starting our very first garden! We started an indoor greenhouse with carrots, tomatoes, pumpkins, and spinach. The entire family has been enjoying watching the seeds break out of the soil. 
The girls discovered my juicer on the shelf and wanted to give it a try. Now they want to juice everything. I told Giggles we could juice a chicken and her eyes got AWFULLY big. Poor girl halfway believed me. Funny story, when we were first married my favorite kitchen gadget was my juicer; Ethan's favorite was his deep fryer. (This just perfectly represents our eating preferences in a nutshell, by the way.)
One night while putting Calico to bed she was really having a rough time of it. Giggles offered to read her a story and it's become a little routine they share. I l.o.v.e it! Sweet sister time.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
When Opportunity Knocks
Spunky was invited recently to join a girl scout troupe. I have been thinking and thinking on it and can't make up my mind. On one hand, I love the idea. The uniforms, the friendships, the ideals . . . oh, and did I mention they are going to Sea World next year? Yeah. On the other hand, I don't know if I can handle one more activity. Two girls in ballet, two girls in Awana, homeschooling, two girls in art class, one boy doing preschool and occupational therapy. And a baby. Since I did just a brief stint of being a Brownie when I was little, I really have no idea what to expect. Anyone out there want to voice an opinion?
Friday, March 25, 2011
Letting Go
Thank you to those who spoke such encouraging words after my last entry. I never intended to write a "poor me" post, but just to give a glimpse into our lives. As time goes on I am starting to realize that parenthood is just a daily exercise in being poured out. Emptying ourselves of our selfish wants and serving our little ones. All parents do this, it just looks different for each family.
On that note, I recently decided to let go of my desire to learn to sew. You have to understand, I have had this deep-seated need to do this. It's what homeschooling mom do: we sew, we plant gardens, and we raise chickens. And so far I'm zero for three in that. The chickens were flatly opposed recently by the hubby when the subject was raised. Apparently he grew up with them and happy memories they did not make! (My mother-in-law begs to differ, but I digress . . .)
Sewing probably isn't a selfish want, yet there's only so many hours in the day. And there's only so much space in our house. And even if "all the other moms are doing it," this mom has to say no, or at least not now. And I'm okay with that, I think. :)
On that note, I recently decided to let go of my desire to learn to sew. You have to understand, I have had this deep-seated need to do this. It's what homeschooling mom do: we sew, we plant gardens, and we raise chickens. And so far I'm zero for three in that. The chickens were flatly opposed recently by the hubby when the subject was raised. Apparently he grew up with them and happy memories they did not make! (My mother-in-law begs to differ, but I digress . . .)
Sewing probably isn't a selfish want, yet there's only so many hours in the day. And there's only so much space in our house. And even if "all the other moms are doing it," this mom has to say no, or at least not now. And I'm okay with that, I think. :)
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Desperation
It has been one of those days.
Morning. He's in what I think of as his "manic" mode. He goes to the fridge and pulls out the coffee creamer. Pours it into his sister's cup. I take it from him and gently say, "No, that's not for you." As I wipe the spilled creamer off the table and his hand he's angered. He grabs his cereal bowl, partially filled with milk and rice chex. He hurls it, soggy flakes raining down on the carpet and milk washing the table. I give him a firm spank on the bottom and put him in the corner.
Wiping the table and gathering disintegrating cereal from the carpet. Baby has crawled near to him and he's about to strike her. I quickly scoop her up and away to safety. We're late starting school, but first I must clean up this mess.
I read from the book while he crawls into my lap. He's overly affectionate and I feel bad that it bothers me. His head bores into mine and he kisses me repeatedly on the lips, his little hands holding both sides of my face. I. must. focus. on. him. The girls color and wait, as they have done before.
Therapist arrives. Oh happy day.
Naptime. He's in his bed, but strange sounds eminate from his room. Squeals at random moments. He comes close to sleep twice but it doesn't happen.
Bounding from his room, he heads straight for the pantry. "I want peen budr." I give him one spoon of peanut butter and some grapes. The grapes anger him. "I WANT PEEN BUDR."
We head out to the trampoline. The baby goes into her high chair with a treat and watches us from inside. He giggles hysterically as I crawl through the net. He pulls my hands and I start jumping. It's actually fun to jump with him for a while. But eventually I am worn out from being pulled down. Always being pulled down.
The girls want to run races in the house. This is okay. It keeps him happy and this is our goal.
In the kitchen, cooking dinner. He scrambles up to the counter. I really wish he couldn't do that. He's not supposed to come into the kitchen but it's hard to keep him out. He's fascinated with the stovetop, but I worry. "Come to mommy! Let's go out of the kitchen!" I reach under his arms to swing him towards me. He puts an extra oomph into it and his knees crash into my ribcage. The pain is so thick I can feel it in my back. I double over and lean against the fridge. He is laughing, running, screaming.
Dinner time. Sloppy joes, sweet potato fries, corn. Daddy has practice tonight, so he is home very briefly and then gone again before we sit down. We pray and begin to eat. He pokes at the food. Stirs the ketchup with his fries. Leaves the table and wanders away. I go to him. "It's time to eat." Take his hand and lead him back. He takes his fork and begins to flick corn around the table. It's time for a new tactic. I get the cookie sprinkles from the pantry. "Eat a bite and you can have some sprinkles!" I say. He eats one bite and holds out his hand expectantly. Three more bites are consumed before he loses interest.
After dinner, we must get the older girls ready for Awana. I comb hair and button vests. He takes a Little People gas station and throws it at his sister's head. She is sobbing and he is laughing hysterically. He gets a swat on the behind again and has to apologize. He looks completely confused when I tell him that hurt your sister. He is supposed to sit in the corner with his blanket. He sits for less than a minute before he streaks across the house, dumping toy containers. He picks up a hard-bound book and sends it flying through the air. It misses the baby by a fraction of an inch. He gets another spank and sits down. Immediately he gets a worried look. "I nego poddy." I sigh and open the bathroom door, flip on the light. He races in, laughing and pulling down his pants. He squeals and screams happily from the bathroom while I scramble to keep the baby from putting a cord in her mouth. Waiting for our friend to come pick up the girls.
He races from the bathroom, completely naked. He heads straight for the couch. This is normal, and I am expecting it. I race after him before he can plant a naked behind on the fabric. I strap on a diaper as it's getting close to bedtime. Praise the Lord. He pulls my hair and laughs crazily.
It hurts. The baby is crawling quickly toward the open door of the bathroom. I shut it, but not before seeing the urine all over the seat and floor. Why? I grab paper towels. The girls get picked up. I wipe up the mess and find some anti-bacterial wipes. He's found my computer and decided to throw it. He knocks over one dining room chair, then another. I stop him and see baby about to crawl into the bathroom again. I left the door open.
He is in serious need of a "re-set". I scoop him up and carry him up the stairs. Now he's angry. He bites my arm. He doesn't let go. It's so painful and I get angry too. But I know I'm seconds away from freedom. He has a doorknob cover over the inside of his door. I set him on his bed. "You need to have some time by yourself." He screams. I shut the door.
He's instantly fine. The room is a lifesaver. Sometimes I want to put him there more often. Last night I put him in there and he fell asleep before I got a diaper and jammies on. I regret that.
I head downstairs and finish wiping down the bathroom. Change the baby's diaper. Clean the table and put leftovers in containers. Put the baby to bed.
I get him out of his room. He has not fallen asleep; I'm relieved. We take his favorite Cars book and curl up on the couch. He wants to read, yet he's still in his manic mode. He turns pages too quick and rips them. At least he stays in my lap. I'm grateful it's not a library book.
We head back to his room to put jammies on. Taking him anywhere is like herding cats. We finally get to the room and he knows what's coming. "Nooooooooo!" His mood flickers between desperation and joy. It's weird. He bounces into his bed with crazy giggles, then starts screaming.
I do the only thing I know to do. I put most of my weight on him as he lays down and start singing a hymn, quietly. In Christ alone, I place my trust. He is my light, my strength, my song. I don't know who it's supposed to soothe, him or me. He bites at my sweater, more gently as the song goes on. By the end he is still moving erratically, but is calmer. "Goodnight sweetheart." I lean in to give him a kiss on the forehead and he slaps my face. "No!" It's times like this that hurt the most. I guess I'm wanting the overly affectionate boy now. It's time for me to leave.
As I sit in my chair and type this, I think about how much I love my little boy. I pray for him. And I feel desperate.
Morning. He's in what I think of as his "manic" mode. He goes to the fridge and pulls out the coffee creamer. Pours it into his sister's cup. I take it from him and gently say, "No, that's not for you." As I wipe the spilled creamer off the table and his hand he's angered. He grabs his cereal bowl, partially filled with milk and rice chex. He hurls it, soggy flakes raining down on the carpet and milk washing the table. I give him a firm spank on the bottom and put him in the corner.
Wiping the table and gathering disintegrating cereal from the carpet. Baby has crawled near to him and he's about to strike her. I quickly scoop her up and away to safety. We're late starting school, but first I must clean up this mess.
I read from the book while he crawls into my lap. He's overly affectionate and I feel bad that it bothers me. His head bores into mine and he kisses me repeatedly on the lips, his little hands holding both sides of my face. I. must. focus. on. him. The girls color and wait, as they have done before.
Therapist arrives. Oh happy day.
Naptime. He's in his bed, but strange sounds eminate from his room. Squeals at random moments. He comes close to sleep twice but it doesn't happen.
Bounding from his room, he heads straight for the pantry. "I want peen budr." I give him one spoon of peanut butter and some grapes. The grapes anger him. "I WANT PEEN BUDR."
We head out to the trampoline. The baby goes into her high chair with a treat and watches us from inside. He giggles hysterically as I crawl through the net. He pulls my hands and I start jumping. It's actually fun to jump with him for a while. But eventually I am worn out from being pulled down. Always being pulled down.
The girls want to run races in the house. This is okay. It keeps him happy and this is our goal.
In the kitchen, cooking dinner. He scrambles up to the counter. I really wish he couldn't do that. He's not supposed to come into the kitchen but it's hard to keep him out. He's fascinated with the stovetop, but I worry. "Come to mommy! Let's go out of the kitchen!" I reach under his arms to swing him towards me. He puts an extra oomph into it and his knees crash into my ribcage. The pain is so thick I can feel it in my back. I double over and lean against the fridge. He is laughing, running, screaming.
Dinner time. Sloppy joes, sweet potato fries, corn. Daddy has practice tonight, so he is home very briefly and then gone again before we sit down. We pray and begin to eat. He pokes at the food. Stirs the ketchup with his fries. Leaves the table and wanders away. I go to him. "It's time to eat." Take his hand and lead him back. He takes his fork and begins to flick corn around the table. It's time for a new tactic. I get the cookie sprinkles from the pantry. "Eat a bite and you can have some sprinkles!" I say. He eats one bite and holds out his hand expectantly. Three more bites are consumed before he loses interest.
After dinner, we must get the older girls ready for Awana. I comb hair and button vests. He takes a Little People gas station and throws it at his sister's head. She is sobbing and he is laughing hysterically. He gets a swat on the behind again and has to apologize. He looks completely confused when I tell him that hurt your sister. He is supposed to sit in the corner with his blanket. He sits for less than a minute before he streaks across the house, dumping toy containers. He picks up a hard-bound book and sends it flying through the air. It misses the baby by a fraction of an inch. He gets another spank and sits down. Immediately he gets a worried look. "I nego poddy." I sigh and open the bathroom door, flip on the light. He races in, laughing and pulling down his pants. He squeals and screams happily from the bathroom while I scramble to keep the baby from putting a cord in her mouth. Waiting for our friend to come pick up the girls.
He races from the bathroom, completely naked. He heads straight for the couch. This is normal, and I am expecting it. I race after him before he can plant a naked behind on the fabric. I strap on a diaper as it's getting close to bedtime. Praise the Lord. He pulls my hair and laughs crazily.
It hurts. The baby is crawling quickly toward the open door of the bathroom. I shut it, but not before seeing the urine all over the seat and floor. Why? I grab paper towels. The girls get picked up. I wipe up the mess and find some anti-bacterial wipes. He's found my computer and decided to throw it. He knocks over one dining room chair, then another. I stop him and see baby about to crawl into the bathroom again. I left the door open.
He is in serious need of a "re-set". I scoop him up and carry him up the stairs. Now he's angry. He bites my arm. He doesn't let go. It's so painful and I get angry too. But I know I'm seconds away from freedom. He has a doorknob cover over the inside of his door. I set him on his bed. "You need to have some time by yourself." He screams. I shut the door.
He's instantly fine. The room is a lifesaver. Sometimes I want to put him there more often. Last night I put him in there and he fell asleep before I got a diaper and jammies on. I regret that.
I head downstairs and finish wiping down the bathroom. Change the baby's diaper. Clean the table and put leftovers in containers. Put the baby to bed.
I get him out of his room. He has not fallen asleep; I'm relieved. We take his favorite Cars book and curl up on the couch. He wants to read, yet he's still in his manic mode. He turns pages too quick and rips them. At least he stays in my lap. I'm grateful it's not a library book.
We head back to his room to put jammies on. Taking him anywhere is like herding cats. We finally get to the room and he knows what's coming. "Nooooooooo!" His mood flickers between desperation and joy. It's weird. He bounces into his bed with crazy giggles, then starts screaming.
I do the only thing I know to do. I put most of my weight on him as he lays down and start singing a hymn, quietly. In Christ alone, I place my trust. He is my light, my strength, my song. I don't know who it's supposed to soothe, him or me. He bites at my sweater, more gently as the song goes on. By the end he is still moving erratically, but is calmer. "Goodnight sweetheart." I lean in to give him a kiss on the forehead and he slaps my face. "No!" It's times like this that hurt the most. I guess I'm wanting the overly affectionate boy now. It's time for me to leave.
As I sit in my chair and type this, I think about how much I love my little boy. I pray for him. And I feel desperate.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Book Reviews
Adult Fiction
"Mossy Creek" by Deborah Smith, Sandra Chastain, Donna Ball, Debra Dixon, Nancy Knight, and Virginia Ellis
A small southern town is full of quirky characters, including a gun-weilding mayor and flying chihuahua.
This book is definitely funny and clean. It reads more like a collection of short stories, so it's ideal to pick up when you may not have a lot of time to read.
"Exposure" by Brandilynn Collins
Someone is stalking newspaper feature writer Kaycee Raye. Disturbing images keep popping up all around her, but the evidence disappears before anyone else can witness it. Is she imagining everything? Or is there something much darker going on?
I love a good suspense novel and Collins didn't disappoint. There was no objectionable content, and I actually jumped at one point. (Embarrasing, but true.) There was twist at the end that caught me off guard. Looking forward to more!
Fiction for Kids
"The Little Riders" by Margaretha Shemin
Eleven-year-old Johanna goes to visit her grandparents in Holland and is forced to stay there during WWII. She regularly helps her grandparents take care of the "little riders," part of the majestic clock that stands above their town. When the occupying German officials announce a new law that spells disaster for their town clock, Johanna shows great bravery in protecting this special treasure.
The kids and I have all enjoyed this quick read so far. There's a lot of excitement that propels the story and the history lesson is great!
"Mossy Creek" by Deborah Smith, Sandra Chastain, Donna Ball, Debra Dixon, Nancy Knight, and Virginia Ellis
A small southern town is full of quirky characters, including a gun-weilding mayor and flying chihuahua.
This book is definitely funny and clean. It reads more like a collection of short stories, so it's ideal to pick up when you may not have a lot of time to read.
"Exposure" by Brandilynn Collins
Someone is stalking newspaper feature writer Kaycee Raye. Disturbing images keep popping up all around her, but the evidence disappears before anyone else can witness it. Is she imagining everything? Or is there something much darker going on?
I love a good suspense novel and Collins didn't disappoint. There was no objectionable content, and I actually jumped at one point. (Embarrasing, but true.) There was twist at the end that caught me off guard. Looking forward to more!
Fiction for Kids
"The Little Riders" by Margaretha Shemin
Eleven-year-old Johanna goes to visit her grandparents in Holland and is forced to stay there during WWII. She regularly helps her grandparents take care of the "little riders," part of the majestic clock that stands above their town. When the occupying German officials announce a new law that spells disaster for their town clock, Johanna shows great bravery in protecting this special treasure.
The kids and I have all enjoyed this quick read so far. There's a lot of excitement that propels the story and the history lesson is great!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Happy Saint Patrick's Day!
Even though this is a day late, I just had to share the funny St. Patrick's Day dip that Spunky made for us yesterday. She REALLY wanted to make a special snack for her sisters and brother after nap. She had absolutely no help from me because I was busy with something else. Here's her recipe:1 part peanut butter
1 part honey
1 part applesauce
1 (large) dose of green food coloring
Serve with carrots. They all loved it!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Quirks
Spunky often wears one sock around the house. Just one. I have no idea why.
Bubba hands out little cards to everyone and says he's giving them a "chocolate treat". Actually it sounds more like "chocut teet?"
Calico is currently trying to clean out her own boogers with the aspirator bulb. It cracks me up.
Giggles has these bizarre theories on things. Yesterday while examining a bruise on her upper thigh, she commented that she hurt her foot on the trampoline and she thought the bruise must have bounced up her leg from her foot. Hmmm . . .
I'm sure Ethan and I have some quirks of our own, but they aren't coming to me at the moment. What funny little things do you observe in your family?
Bubba hands out little cards to everyone and says he's giving them a "chocolate treat". Actually it sounds more like "chocut teet?"
Calico is currently trying to clean out her own boogers with the aspirator bulb. It cracks me up.
Giggles has these bizarre theories on things. Yesterday while examining a bruise on her upper thigh, she commented that she hurt her foot on the trampoline and she thought the bruise must have bounced up her leg from her foot. Hmmm . . .
I'm sure Ethan and I have some quirks of our own, but they aren't coming to me at the moment. What funny little things do you observe in your family?
Good Morning!
Who doesn't love Veggie Tales? Years ago we adapted a song from the episode with the chocolate factory to sing to our kids every morning. I think I've been singing it since Spunky was a baby.
Good morning, Spunky, how are you?
I hope you slept just fine.
Mama's here and I love you very much,
And I'm so glad you're mine!
I wonder how many years I'll get to sing that to them, before they roll their eyes and groan? :)
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Our Foray Into Gluten-Free Eating
I promised a while back to write about the new diet we are trying with Bubba. We've heard from SO MANY parents of autistic children that removing gluten and casein from their child's menu helped them tremendously. His doctor didn't put much stock in it, which is why we haven't tried it up until now. But we needed to do this to see if there is anything we can do to help him and make our life as a family more manageable. I planned to start with a polished, perfect menu that covered all of the appropriate food groups for both him and the rest of the family.
We cooked some gluten-free banana bread last night. I had so much fun hanging out with my little guy. He absolutely loves cooking and baking of any kind. I seriously have to chase him from the kitchen sometimes, but I'm trying to let him help whenever it's possible.
Fail.
Why is it so stinkin' hard? At a friend's recommendation, we bought the Food For Life brand millet bread, because he eats a lot of sandwiches. First attempt: I made a pb & j, and he licked all the peanut butter off and left the bread sitting there. Second attempt: pb & j; he nibbled the sandwich. We also bought Peanut Butter Panda Puffs, which must have tasted like crud because he wouldn't eat a single one (although he fed several to his sisters). We bought gluten-free breakfast bars, which were so hard we could sharpen our knives on them. He has been eating a lot of rice and potatoes, fruits and vegetables. He also likes rice milk, so that's a plus.
I worry that he's not getting enough food, and wonder if this is really worth it. They say it can take six months for gluten to leave the body. Can we last that long?
We cooked some gluten-free banana bread last night. I had so much fun hanging out with my little guy. He absolutely loves cooking and baking of any kind. I seriously have to chase him from the kitchen sometimes, but I'm trying to let him help whenever it's possible. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. :)
Have a happy weekend!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
A Glimpse of Our Week
Silly: Me chasing after the kids with the oversized teeth we are borrowing from a non-profit dental organization. Who is the adult? Sometimes it's nice to forget . . .
Sober: Studying the Spanish Inquisition. What would we do? How would we react? Giggles reflects upon the the fear that reformers must have felt and seriously declares that in the same situation she would "ask God what I should do". Wise words, babe.
Bittersweet: Dearest Calico has roseola. As I cuddle her I gaze at her round cheeks. Remember. The thumb in the mouth and blanket clutched up close. Remember. I'm not ready for my precious baby to grow up. Just a little longer to hold her, please?
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
For Added Safety
For a long time I have considered not using the real names of our kids on my blog because it's public. I've hesitated to make the change because I know it means a couple hours of editing old posts. But I've decided to start today. If you know us please don't use their real names in comments. Thanks!
New names are as follows:
Our 8-year-old girl is Spunky.
Our 6-year-old girl is Giggles.
Our 4-year-old boy is Bubba.
Our 1-year-old girl is Calico.
What do you think about blog privacy? Any stories or thoughts?
New names are as follows:
Our 8-year-old girl is Spunky.
Our 6-year-old girl is Giggles.
Our 4-year-old boy is Bubba.
Our 1-year-old girl is Calico.
What do you think about blog privacy? Any stories or thoughts?
Monday, March 7, 2011
Saluton!
I have wanted to start a foreign language with the kids for quite a while. As I am not well-versed in any particular language, I've had a hard time deciding. Spanish seemed like the obvious choice and we also have a friend who is fluent in sign language, yet neither of those appealed to me. So, after much research, we've decided to learn Esperanto as a family.
Never heard of Esperanto? From wikipedia, it's "the most widely constructed international auxilary language". It doesn't belong to one people or country; there are speakers in every country in the world. The structure is much easier to master than other foreign languages.
The kids are loving it already and I've found we can incorporate it into other parts of our school day. For example, the kindergartner who's practicing addition can be asked, "What is kvar plus ses? (Answer: dek)
Since I don't know how to say "Have a great day!" in our new language, for reading this post I say
Dankon!
Never heard of Esperanto? From wikipedia, it's "the most widely constructed international auxilary language". It doesn't belong to one people or country; there are speakers in every country in the world. The structure is much easier to master than other foreign languages.
The kids are loving it already and I've found we can incorporate it into other parts of our school day. For example, the kindergartner who's practicing addition can be asked, "What is kvar plus ses? (Answer: dek)
Since I don't know how to say "Have a great day!" in our new language, for reading this post I say
Dankon!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Book Recommendations!
I have been reading a couple of great books lately; here they are in no particular order . . .
Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp
The main difference between this book and many other parenting books I have read is that this one really focuses on your child's heart, rather than the outward behaviour. The author maintains that it is imperative that you look past the symptoms to the cause. A verse quoted in the book comes from Luke 6:45, "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks."
This is my second time through this book and I enjoy that it doesn't just tell you what the problem is, but gives practical examples and steps to correct it.
The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois
A trip by hot-air balloon is the beginning of a giant adventure for Professor William Waterman Sherman. Along the way he meets some delightful characters on the island of Krakatoa and finds himself a part of their magical world.
We probably wouldn't have picked up this book except it is part of our curriculum, and we would have greatly missed out. I usually enjoy all the Newberry Award books but have LOVED this. The kids like it too, and I have a sneaking suspicion that Ethan was getting into the story the night we caught up on a couple chapters. :)
Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp
The main difference between this book and many other parenting books I have read is that this one really focuses on your child's heart, rather than the outward behaviour. The author maintains that it is imperative that you look past the symptoms to the cause. A verse quoted in the book comes from Luke 6:45, "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks."
This is my second time through this book and I enjoy that it doesn't just tell you what the problem is, but gives practical examples and steps to correct it.
The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois
A trip by hot-air balloon is the beginning of a giant adventure for Professor William Waterman Sherman. Along the way he meets some delightful characters on the island of Krakatoa and finds himself a part of their magical world.
We probably wouldn't have picked up this book except it is part of our curriculum, and we would have greatly missed out. I usually enjoy all the Newberry Award books but have LOVED this. The kids like it too, and I have a sneaking suspicion that Ethan was getting into the story the night we caught up on a couple chapters. :)
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Time and Money Saver?
I found out about a new option for groceries that we may have to try. It's called Angel Food Ministries. I've had a couple of friends try a business called Bountiful Baskets recently, and I believe that is mostly fruits and vegetables. Angel Food boxes contain meat, soups, desserts, you name it. You don't get to choose exactly what goes in the box, but I think that could be helpful to us. It would force us to eat new things. :) The claim is that it is about $65 worth of food for $30. Sounds good to me! You order online and pick up your box or boxes once a month. They also offer a gluten-free box, and that stuff is expensive. Any of you ever try this before?
Monday, February 21, 2011
Pioneer Woman Photography Contest
The last week has been strange in that I have started several posts but haven't finished one yet. I don't know what my problem is, maybe being busy or tired. That does seem to happen to us mamas!
Anyway, I just wanted to post a little note of congratulations to my awesome cousin Alisa, who was a finalist in the Pioneer Woman's photography contest. She entered a very sweet photo of her parents. I know a lot of people who read that blog, if you want to see her entry go here and look for number 10. The winning shot brought tears to my eyes; really they are all good. Have fun looking!
Anyway, I just wanted to post a little note of congratulations to my awesome cousin Alisa, who was a finalist in the Pioneer Woman's photography contest. She entered a very sweet photo of her parents. I know a lot of people who read that blog, if you want to see her entry go here and look for number 10. The winning shot brought tears to my eyes; really they are all good. Have fun looking!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
How I Love Them
From the title of this post you may assume that I'm speaking of how I love my sweet babes. And yes I do love them. But I also LOVE my neighbors. Most all of them.
When we bought our house a little over two years ago, I was a little bit worried. Worried because we don't live in a high-end neighborhood. Worried my neighbors would turn out to be trashy or unfriendly. But I couldn't have been more wrong. We have a master gardener next-door, who brings us fresh vegetables. The couple across the street is always out and friendly; they were the first ones to welcome us when we moved in. Another sweet lady who went to Hawaii last week brought us back some cookies. She is such a joy to talk with whenever I have the opportunity. When the weather is nice Ethan plays hockey with a bunch of the guys at the neighborhood park, while the moms chat and the kids play. Last winter when I thought for sure little Miss Calico was going to make an early appearance, one of our neighbors came over to stay with our kids at like 3:30 in the morning so Ethan could race to the hospital. I could go on and on.
The first house we ever owned was in a very nice neighborhood. I lived there alone before we got married. One night there was a peeping tom on the skylight of the bathroom. (To this day I am not into skylights.) After we had been married a couple of years, there was a shooting out in the street in front of our house. The police arrived before anyone was actually hurt, but it was still kind of crazy. We knew . . . let's see, I think we knew about three families in the entire time we lived there. People drove straight home and into their garages. It appeared on the surface to be such a idyllic neighborhood, but looks aren't everything.
A new mom to our neighborhood recently commented that she was nervous that maybe they had moved onto a "Stepford wives" street. After I finished laughing (because let's face it, I wear jeans every day and my clothes usually have some combination of peanut butter and baby drool on them), I assured her we're all just friends who like to take care of each other. And isn't that the way life should be?
When we bought our house a little over two years ago, I was a little bit worried. Worried because we don't live in a high-end neighborhood. Worried my neighbors would turn out to be trashy or unfriendly. But I couldn't have been more wrong. We have a master gardener next-door, who brings us fresh vegetables. The couple across the street is always out and friendly; they were the first ones to welcome us when we moved in. Another sweet lady who went to Hawaii last week brought us back some cookies. She is such a joy to talk with whenever I have the opportunity. When the weather is nice Ethan plays hockey with a bunch of the guys at the neighborhood park, while the moms chat and the kids play. Last winter when I thought for sure little Miss Calico was going to make an early appearance, one of our neighbors came over to stay with our kids at like 3:30 in the morning so Ethan could race to the hospital. I could go on and on.
The first house we ever owned was in a very nice neighborhood. I lived there alone before we got married. One night there was a peeping tom on the skylight of the bathroom. (To this day I am not into skylights.) After we had been married a couple of years, there was a shooting out in the street in front of our house. The police arrived before anyone was actually hurt, but it was still kind of crazy. We knew . . . let's see, I think we knew about three families in the entire time we lived there. People drove straight home and into their garages. It appeared on the surface to be such a idyllic neighborhood, but looks aren't everything.
A new mom to our neighborhood recently commented that she was nervous that maybe they had moved onto a "Stepford wives" street. After I finished laughing (because let's face it, I wear jeans every day and my clothes usually have some combination of peanut butter and baby drool on them), I assured her we're all just friends who like to take care of each other. And isn't that the way life should be?
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Happy Birthday Calico!
Our sweet girl turned one last week and we had a little get-together for her last night. I decided to make the theme "The Birds and the Bees," totally as a joke, but you should have seen the look my mother-in-law gave me. It was too funny. (Good thing I know she likes me!)I didn't have a cake stand, hence the lovely homemade one. Think cardboard, tinfoil, scrapbook paper, baby formula containers, and feathers. Oh yes.
Stitched up some little birdies for decoration.
Pictures of our sweet girl on display; from newborn to 12 months. We posed her next to the same doll to measure her growth.
And the dessert table. The bird in the middle wouldn't cooperate.
Hooray for our one-year-old!
Hooray for our one-year-old!
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