The Winner!

I would like to announce that I have cliched my second Fantasy sports championship of the year as I stomped all over my husband in our Jr. High Fantasy Football league. I'm trying not to gloat at home because I also beat him out in our youth group Fantasy Baseball league. So I will allow myself to gloat where he won't know it. Now it's time for the real playoffs so, "Go Steelers!!!"

It's Definately Christmas!

I've been terrible neglectful of writing lately, not that I haven't thought about it. In my hurried attempts to do all the Christmas stuff of gifts, cards, food and church on top of my regular responsibilities, I decided that something had to give. Unfortunately, this was the thing that "gave". One line of the Bible runs through my head; the verse that impacted me most last Christmas as well. Luke 2:19 says, "but Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."

There is so much kerfuffle surrounding Christmas; so much exhaustion. I decided to push to finish everything early so I could take time to "ponder" this week. Exhaustion still reigns, thanks to the massive amount of snow we've been shoveling. The pondering has been good. The still reflection, the wondering, the awe, the realization of what Christmas really is.

God offers us so much but my wish for you is that you accept his peace in your soul this Christmas. If you don't know of God's peace, search for John 3:16 - that's it in a nutshell. Wishing you a truly joyful Christmas!

Anyone for Coffee?

I'm sure all parents have "that one thing" they worry about each particular child in addition to the one child they worry about more than the others. This video provides me the proof I need that my son will indeed be Ok. He is quick to frustration, likes to play alone and is not as coordinated as other kids his age. On the other hand, he has a fabulous memory (helpful when I forget the grocery list...), is articulate and loving, and likes to run, run, run. When I have observed him with other children, he tends to play alone, approaching other children for the toy rather than for the interaction with the child. I think these two were well matched as she is sensitive to others, well-spoken, low-key, likes personal space and is just a few months younger than he. Their little play was charming. Of course, I missed the best interaction but managed to capture this one with a little patience. I would be remiss if I failed to mention that the object used was our white elephant gift - a "old fashioned" coffee thermos that has logged waaaayyy to many hours in refineries. Thanks Uncle Harry!

P.S. My computer's sound system seems to have failed. Someone please comment to let me know if the Christmas music plays when you open the blog and if you can hear the audio on the clip above. Thanks!

Special Time

Our son is now 32 months old. He seems to have hit the terrible twos about six months late and has been giving us loads of fits, crying, tantrums and backtalk. We have really been struggling with the behavior, what sparks it, how to calm him and then how to teach him to handle his emotions more appropriately.

God knew exactly what I needed on Sunday and I had a wonderful opportunity to be with Thing One, just the two of us, doing something special. We are fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers. We have the Terrible Towel and a variety of infant and toddler clothing emblazened with the Steeler's logo. And... if there is a game on network TV, you can be your last dollar we are watching it! Sunday night, FOX aired the 4:00 game between Pittsburgh and Dallas.

My timing was perfect. I buzzed the kids out of youth group promptly at 6 and by 6:30 we were watching Big Ben attempt to break through the Dallas defense and Troy "Polamu" tackle anything moving. I went so far as to prepare Thing Two for bed downstairs so we could continue watching the game. [There.. I admitted it. I threw routine to the wind for a football game!!!!] After she was in bed (during a commercial break, of course), I had 30 minutes of solo time with my boy! We snuggled on the couch, cheering and booing each play as appropriate and even got to do a touchdown dance.

I had so much fun with him and I discovered that was what I was longing for - something special to share with just him; a positive and fun experience that I cannot replicate. Rarely does a 4:00 game last until 7:30; sometimes we leave youth group in a timely fashion; occasionally Thing One actually stays in one place for more than 10 minutes; and hardly have we gotten though 90 minutes without "a terrible incident". Sunday night has given me the enthusiasm and motivation to work harder at my parenting, to be more patient and slower to anger. I don't expect my son to remember that night as he grow up but this is one of those times I want to treasure.

Very Full

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with both sides of my family. I still dream about the mashed potatoes... Today I had a very "full" feeling. "The fullness of life" came into being through three avenues:

1 - Even though is hasn't been easy nor always fun, looking back over the past year has showed me how I've become closer to God by allowing him to change what needed to be changed in me.
2 - A man from our church gave me "a little gift" from he and his wife as a way to show their thanks and support for my husband's ministry. I believe this is the second largest "little gift" I have received in my life.
3 - I was reflecting on the previous two items while driving home from grocery shopping. Every branch, twig, leaf, blade, roof, rock and particle was coated with fresh, white show. It was a breath-taking sight.

All I could do was just be filled with a sense of care, contentment and revelation that this is what God wants for me - to stand in awe of him and to constantly give up who I am for who he wants me to be. He made me. He knows me better than I know myself, so who better to entrust with this 'self'?

A friend recently wrote a Facebook note about this idea from a different perspective. He and his wife are in the midst of a difficult time in their lives and at a deep point of brokenness, he wrote: "...what if God gives me such a heart for this lost and broken world that I no longer accept the normal paradigms of pastor but instead become the man that He has created me to be, then what..."

How does this look when I take my head out of the clouds and put my feet back on the dog-hair-covered carpet? Over the past two years, I've been taught about faith and true belief in God, I've been taught some about my role as a wife. So now I'm motivated and encouraged to take yet another step towards releasing who I am to who I am intended to be. But it's still hard to take that first step. Does it ever get easier to say, "I'll change"?

Black Black Friday

Every good holiday has an "eve" and often, that is when most of the celebrating is done. Consider: All Saint's Eve (a la Halloween) /All Saint's Day; Christmas Eve / Christmas, New Year's Eve / New Year's Day, Memorial Day Weekend /Memorial Day (same for Labor Day) and, of course, Thanksgiving /Black Friday. I wasn't so sure I wanted to celebrate Black Friday this year, but now that it's over, I'm glad I did. I must admit, I shopped online last night to secure some items from a store that is typically quite crazed.

5:09 - Alarm Rings. I accidentally turn it off.
5:19 - wake up in panic.
5:23 - head downstairs dressed & ready to do
5:25 - head downstairs again after tucking in Thing One (He was crying for me to say "good night" but did say "sank you for bankets momma". How sweet!)
5:31 - pull out of garage with chocolate chip bagel, banana and Diet Coke
5:55 - in line at discount store with familia already in line
6:15 - checked out! Thought that would take a lot longer!
6:30 - leave headquarters (mom and dad's house)
7:00 - in line at warehouse store
8:05 - in warehouse store
8:35 - leave warehouse store with only 33% of desired items : (
9:00 - enjoying traditional Black Friday breakfast with family
10:00 - regroup at HQ2 (our house)
12:22 pm - back home from 4 other locations with success! Well, we did walk out of one store because the checkout lines were too long for our piddly little items.

Hope you had a fun day! The Christmas Tree awaits us!

P.S. The Cran-Apple pie turned out fabulous so says all the female relatives. It's a little scary bringing your first pie to a meal hosted by the best family cooks. I'll share my super easy, do-ahead, super secret recipe if you ask nicely and share a favorite Thanksgiving recipe with me!

Free Parking

No longer do I wonder where the rest of the toy cars went. I found them today in the "parking lot" which appears to have collapsed. Pardon me while I curl up on the cushion lying on the floor...

Since toys are now cleaned up, I can move on to the rest of my to-do list:

1. Bake Cran-Apple Pie (gulp! - have never baked apple pie before).
2. Make Black Friday shopping list. *sigh* "Four a.m. is soooo early." (Said in tired-sounding mommy-martyr voice.)

Or... maybe I'll just go watch Ironman with the hubby. Pie tastes better fresh, anyway.

Generations

Taking a cue from my highly-organized, family-minded cousin, Marcie, I scheduled a photo session at a local mall studio. Lucky for me, I got to practice my winter driving as the snow hit about 15 minutes before we left the house. As I felt my blood pressure and pulse rise, I found myself praying in the car. And then I felt guilty for doing so. The prayer I was praying went along the lines of... "God keep us safe. Just get us there." And you know, it's been a while since I've had good communication with God. But in my time of 'need', I go running off, trying to get God to save me from myself.

While I don't think it's theologically correct to assume that God automatically casts aside all "save me" prayers, I think it is safe to assume that God wants more from us than that. With a shift of attitude, we traveled safely, lowered the blood pressure (mine was 102 / 66 last week) and glorified God all the more. My attitude shift came in the form of Veggie Tales Sunday Morning Sing-A-Long which Thing One insisted on listening to. Fine, fine. I wasn't about to try to change CDs with the roads so slippery. My shift in attitude came in genuinely singing along with the Sing-A-Long and giving God praise for who he is and thanks for what he's done.

So back to the photo session. My grandma, her first daughter (my mom), myself (first daughter) and my daughter (a first) had our family history, our generations, our legacy recorded. It was fun. We got some great pictures. I also walked out of the mall with a deep sense of purpose. Somehow looking at the pictures made me realize that 'it all' is worth it. Combining this experience with the previous paragraph, I can't put what I feel into words that make sense. Coming into this Thanksgiving week, I was struggling with what I thought I was thankful for, physical things aside. Today I know.

What are you thanking God for this week?

Monthly Summary

Every month, per government regulations and desire for increased revenue from our administration, most of my co-workers spend way too much time and agony over their Medicare monthly summaries. In honor of them, I bring you this special post of random happening at our house.

First, I'd like to offer [The] Still Life [of Canned Pears] [and unpictured Applesauce]:

Between Oct. 26 and Nov. 8 I canned 21 quarts of pears and 4 batches of spiced pear jam on my own as well as 20 quarts of applesauce with my mom and grandpa. I also froze 4 quarts + 8 oz of pears, 1 batch of spiced pear jam and made 1 freezer cran-apple pie, 1 fresh dish of hot applesauce and 1 fresh pan of apple brownies. I finally finished removing the sticky newspaper from my kitchen counter yesterday. Hurray!

Second I give you "The Jumping Bean":

Upon mention of a "big boy bed" our 2 1/2 year old was so excited to go to bed that there will be no more night time crib sleeping at home. The whole family "helped" daddy put the bed together. No photo documentation exists as proof that indeed, we all helped and it was chaotic. So far, so good! These developmental milestones make a mommy a little nervous. Did I teach him how to sleep well? Will he stay put? What happens if he wakes up at 5:30 am? Last night was flawlessly executed and serves as a reminder that our job as parents is crucial in teaching children the skills they need to be functional adults. Next up.. the ever helpful potty training....

Third, I'd like to present what happens when I try to photograph the children on my own, before church, in our 15 minute cushion (see previous post regarding what happens when I get off schedule):
Note: female child with toy cell phone in hand; 100% of children looking at camera; 0% of children smiling; 50% of children attempting escape

Note: female child holding empty smoothie bottle; 50% of children missing from picture; new backdropNote: female child holding recently procured object; 0% of children looking at camera; 50% of children smiling Note: Success!; 100% of children saying 'cheese'; 50% of children looking at camera. Rejoice! Give Thanks and Sing!

I need shoes!

Todd was out of town this past weekend, as he often is in the late fall. The kids and I had a great weekend and I rented a Gravely to clear up the little people, cars, plastic lids, kitchen utensils, stuffed animals, assorted baking pans, shoes, socks, books and blocks that made their way onto the floor in 24 hours. Actually, I was exhausted from two long days with the kids and Todd suggested renting the Gravley because all the above mentioned items were still on the floor when he got home. Oops. Bad wife. When Todd is gone, I frequently pray for those I know who are single parents - for their energy and stamina, patience, creativity and support of family and friends.

Going to church solo, however, is something I feel I have down to a science. My friend Rachel says her mom (a pastor's wife) always though the Devil was hardest at work on Sunday morning. I'm inclined to agree, which is why we have a strict schedule that has been tweaked for optimum performance.

Somehow, between trying to brush my teeth, apply lipstick and procure my shoes, we got about 7 minutes behind schedule. No problem, I think, think is why we build 15 minutes of "free time" into the schedule. Somehow the extra 8 minutes we should have had turned into -3 minutes and we were late! It is a major pet peeve of mine to be late for church. Major. Major pet peeve.

So in a flurry, I coat-ed X2, hat-ed X2, packed extra diapers and a pair of pants, prepared milk with an ice pack. hat-ed again, let the dog out, hat-ed again, put the dog in his cage, stuffed Thing Two, a purse and a diaper bag into the car and called for Thing One to come and climb into the car. He stood in the door way and I urgently and in frustration called him again to come and obey momma immediately. Then he says, "I need shoes on." Honestly, if I had a nickel every time that child tried to get outside without shoes on, I would go down to 6 hours of work per week! All I could do was laugh. After apologizing profusely and telling him he was a smart boy for remembering shoes, I did actually remember to put the shoes on him. I would have been terribly embarrassed to show up with a stocking-foot boy. God loves it when we laugh and rejoice in him and I thank Him for showing me why he's so much better at being in control.

Sometimes you just have to

I had to go to Meijer on Halloween and they had all their costumes on clearance. Sometimes you just have to splurge (within the budget, of course!). She was the cutest Elmo I have ever seen. But that's not the correct Elmo.

Here is the correct Elmo:

My sweet little baby Elmo. Too bad it can't be Halloween more often. And too bad kids grow out of their adorable things. So, we have a nice, gently used Elmo costume size 18 months if anyone wants to borrow it next year. I'll reserve it for the first "dibs". This was a fun "sometimes you just have to".

We also have those things that as Mama, I just dread. And haircuts is one of them. I've been putting this hair cut off for... months now, actually. My former hairdresser moved to Texas. She used to meet us at my mom's and cut One's hair while he watched Elmo. My mom trimmed his bangs and the back but the back was growing out like a cute girl's bob. This would not do. With much prompting from the Tantes, we went to Great Clips with my coupon to get 'er done.

The several months of maturity seems to have helped. Or was it the mirror with mousse to play in? Or the promise of a sucker? The planets aligned and we had a wonderful haircutting experience filled with cooperative behavior, some uncertaintly, no tears, and "can I have a sucker?" every 3 minutes. Oh, and it can't hurt that the stylist had a wonderful, relaxed manor and made sure One was comfortable with each step in the process. Thanks Judith!

What a handsome little boy. Whose still a little itchy. (Yup, that's the purple sucker in hand.)

The Change We Need?

Yesterday was a pretty big deal here in Kent County. And apparently in most of the country. Todd took the kids with him when he voted yesterday. Thing One just about melted down because he really wanted to vote, too. I made him a ballot and he voted for everyone. ahhh.. to be 2 again. I personally walked right in & back out of the voting precinct at about 11:20 am. I stayed up until 10:30pm to watch results come in.

But really, one of the reasons I think it's such a big deal is because change is always hard. Regardless of who you vote for, why you vote for them and what the rest of the nation does, we hang in limbo for the day (and that doesn't count the previous 21 days of campaigning). Uncertainty is always ... uncertain. I agree with what financial counselor Dave Ramsey said today about the election: "I'm glad it's over. Now we can go back to working on what's important." Yes, the decisions our leaders do affect us but they are typically not life-altering. But it's what I do, how I live my life, how I follow God's plan for my life that is life-changing. God is so much bigger than our important elections. And what matters to God is how we as Christians respond to his call in our lives.

The King

When I asked Thing One what he wanted to be for Halloween, he thought for a moment then replied, "a queen." After pausing to collect my thoughts and compose myself, I simply explained that a king and a queen are the same thing, except a king is a boy and a queen is a girl. A few moments later, I asked him again, "What do you want to be for Halloween?". He replied, "a qu- a king." Okay. Last night we went to a very kid-friendly Halloween party. I was going to dress Thing Two as a pumpkin, but her feet were came to the knees of the outfit. So we moved on to plan B. Turns out okay, me thinks.

Photo "tag"

This is the 6th picture from my 6th photo file. It is a picture of the first house we lived in. On 700 acres of property. Which we did not own.

I only have to think for about 3 seconds to remember the feel of the air and the smell of the air on days like this - a mixture of crisp pine and snow blended with the earthy smell of leaves & dirt and a occasional waft of farm. The air would feel dry, fresh, clean and cool. Inside the house had a musty, earthy, mildew-ey smell combined with bleach and whatever candles I happened to be burning.

There have been many days in the past year that I have acutely missed this place. Solitude. Beauty. Rock formations. Clean, fresh air. Little Scrubgrass Creek. Trail-running. Simplicity. This week I don't miss it at all. Because if we were there, I'd be raking. All week and most of next week, too.

I think one of the main reasons I miss this place is because I think I wasted an opportunity to be truly content and trust in God to supply my needs. I am thankful that even in uncertain times now, politically, economically, family-y, I have the opportunity to learn from my mistakes and to be at peace with where God has placed me in this moment.

Ouch!

My parents both have an inner ear disease that effects their balance and hearing. My dad's symptoms have been worsening over the past few months and he is undergoing a new treatment, the first was today. He basically got a cortizone shot in his ear drum & beyond. If you want details, look up intratympanic steroid treatment. For strong stomachs only! He did say it was painful and stung a lot. But the pain was short-lived. So the results remain to be seen. There are three more shots scheduled. Some research suggests that this disease may be genetically linked in some way; after seeing what my parents have been through, I must admit I'm a little concerned for my future. Based on everything I've learned though, I have at least 5 more years before I'd notice any symptoms. So until then...

Together

I love watching this video after a less "loving" day. You know, the days where there is more yelling, biting, shoving than laughing, hugging, cooperating.

Which comes First?

How do you prioritize when your family is sick? My answer depends completely on the situation.

For example, if your loving 2 1/2 year old says, "Mommy, I need a hug," climbs onto your lap then pukes all down your shirt (yes, inside, too), what is the first thing you do?

a) tell child you love him and your sorry he feels yucky?
b) call husband?
c) calmly assess the situation and devise a plan for action
d) puke on the child?

Yup, that's a toughie. I decided to go with a then c which resulted in b.

OR... You are just not sure what order to do things:
List: get dehydrated hubby some liquid, change poopy diaper, provide tummy-safe snack for hunger-cranky child, pee, feed dog.
This situation definitely gets resolved by addressing most annoying issues first:
Snack, liquid, dog, diaper, pee (if no one else needs anything - btw, maybe this is why women are prone to bladder and urinary tract infections?).

but alas, I still have time to sit here and blog as everyone in the house is asleep and I already did my Clorox wipe-down of the day. Now, here is a question to which I have no good answer: what do you feed your sick family and yourself for supper? Be careful, now. I don't want to eat anything major until I am sure I'm not going to see it again. But I can't live on crackers for a week, either. Help!

A Little Heavy

I am concerned that this topic of grief is a bit heavy, but given the past few months, I just need to get this out somewhere.

Tears are falling and I haven't even started... Friends from Pennsylvania had a baby in July - stillborn. Their first. Healthy 36 hours prior. I pray frequently for our friends and I cry every time I do.

Our sermon on Sunday ("Good Grief") was about grief from the passage with the well known verse, "Jesus wept." (John 11:35). Dominie began by stating that grief is an emotional response to loss. In conclusion, Christians have hope even in our grief. He contrasted performing a funeral for a Christian family versus a family who does not believe in Jesus Christ, noting despair as the common feeling of unbelieving families.

A family friend from high school lost her husband to Cystic Fibrosis in June. My sister and her husband separated in August. My grandpa's Alzheimer's disease is progressed to the point of difficulty with daily routine as per family report last week. My mom is having a biopsy Wednesday.

I feel the loss, the sadness around me. As I was giving Two her bottle last night I was praying and just overcome with sadness for our friends who should know the joy and delight a child brings into the home. All their hopes and dreams for this little boy were shattered. They never got to know their son. They grieve for their loss and I grieve their loss because they don't fully know everything they are missing.

Dominie is right. If it weren't for my faith in Jesus Christ, the hope of resurrection and the promise of eternally dwelling in the House of the Lord, I would be filled with despair. But it's still so sad! So I get to cry and hug my babies a little tighter. But not too tight. Their lives and mine are entrusted into the care of my Heavenly Father. While I don't understand, I don't have to. I just have to trust.

#1

My first issue was how on earth to spell "Conundrum". How handy that internet is! I'll be flagging this online dictionary for future reference.

But really, my main issue of the week is what to do with all the cotton-pickin' tomatoes! Or are they tomato-pickin' tomatoes? And we don't even have a garden! My mother is touring London and Paris this week (*sigh*) so my dad keeps bringing over the bounty as he certainly isn't going to eat them all. The problem is, as creative as I am, I am sick of tomatoes, my husband is sick of tomatoes (and he's much more tolerant than I!) and if I'm really lucky, I can sneak a few cherry tomatoes into the baby. Thing One thinks he likes them but just holds them in his mouth or spits them out in no particular direction.

So, here's my tomato list for the past month:
1) Tomato Salad (my own adapted version that's really nothing like this recipe which used among other things, a leftover "string cheese" stick no one liked the texture of)
2) Bruschetta (x2)
3) Bruschetta Chicken Bake (x2)
4) White Bean Chicken Chili
5) Cincinnati Style Chili
6) Chicken Catchatorre (oops... let me check my dictionary....) try Cacciatore

And... I just found out the in-laws are bringing me some nice, fresh, Western Pennsylvania tomatoes from their garden. They'll be here tomorrow. So what's a wife to do? The answer, my friend, is from my dad. I'm freezing them whole! So this winter my family can enjoy fresh Bruschetta chicken, Chili, Chicken Cacciatore... If you have any good tomato recipes I think I need them.

NOTE: Every instance of the word "tomato" was originally misspelled in this post. All these years I've been improperly spelling the plural of "tomato".