Housewife In Town

Just In Case

2012-01-27T20:31:00.000-08:00

Often I'm up at the crack of dawn {mostly because I'm too tired to stay awake past 8 o'clock in the evening}. This is when I get a lot of my blogging done. Once this week, I got so into what I was writing that I forgot to get out the door to Jazzercise. Ooops.

I didn't wash my hair for three days this week. The second day was on purpose. The third day I was so caught up in sewing quilt #2 that I skipped a shower altogether, trying to make as much progress as possible before running Peter off to school.

I finally got back in the kitchen today, reclaiming it as my own after my husband's cooking spree on Sunday. Ya. That took me awhile, eh? We've been eating raisin bread and bagels and pumpkin cookies. And yogurt with granola. And oranges and grapefruit, lest you be afraid. So today I organized the pantry and then made cheater's manicotti and scones. Not sure if the manicotti will be edible, and pretty sure the scones aren't. I really need to stop doubling recipes.

I can't tell you why we have three bottles of lemon juice in the fridge. It might have something to do with sharing my kitchen with a man. Really, this could happen to anyone. We'll laugh about it later.

The kids got glitter all over the floor this morning. I was planning to do a cool bean collage with them -- you know, stick beans to glue or something -- and then the glitter was an afterthought. Really, I'm horrible with crafts. Peter ended up trying to figure out how the sprinkling holes worked and dumped half the glitter on the table. I ought to send my kids over to Brianna's house for arts and crafts. Truly.

Sometimes it takes me a whole week to get a post up, from start to finish. I'll upload and edit the pictures one day, then get them on the blog and formatted the next, then type up the recipe, then work on the wording of it all. I photographed those cookies on Sunday, and the post went up four days later. I like to write and schedule posts in advance, to avoid that unattractive scrambling, but that rarely happens.

The other day, I went back to my sewing machine after dropping Peter off at school. Ezra was dealing with my emotional absence alright...for awhile. Then he started to get obnoxious and began threatening to unplug my machine. So I dropped it all and we played hide and seek.

I desperately need creative expression in the middle of all the monotony of motherhood, but it's difficult to find the correct balance. Something always has to slide, to make room for the new thing.

So there you have it. Just in case you thought I had it all together. Or something. :)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2012-01-26T14:05:00.000-08:00

They have some spice to them. They definitely have a flair of holiday spirit.

But not enough to forsake them for the rest of the year.

Definitely keep a can of pumpkin in the cupboard for these puppies.

And if you buy that big can of pumpkin, well, you'll get a whole lotta cookies outta the deal.

Hope you have hungry neighbors.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
originally gifted us by a dear friend, now made all the time
3 cups unbleached flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
15 oz can of pureed pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

It's very simple. First, you mix the dry ingredients together. Then you mix the wet ingredients together. And then you mix them both together. :) Spoon out the batter and place in little dollops on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Then tell me how much you like them.

My husband doubles this recipe and gets a boat load of cookies, of which more than half go into the freezer or over to a friend's house and then the rest disappear during the middle of the night. Oops.

New Favorite Park

2012-01-25T19:18:00.000-08:00

Read My {Emotional Cues}

2012-01-25T06:51:00.000-08:00

Something high on the parenting list lately has been something we call "reading the cues". It's teaching Peter to watch Ezra's body language to discover how he might be feeling. It's listening to a friend's tone of voice. It's accepting and discussing feelings as they come. It's teaching language that helps in social interactions.

Because getting along with others doesn't always come naturally to a four year old {or a two year old, for that matter}!

Ever heard of Emotional Intelligence {EQ}? Ever wondered what it's all about?

Here's an easy list of how a high EQ can be of great benefit.

Emotional intelligence provides the:
Ability to persist in the face of difficulty
Ability to monitor one's feelings
Ability to read others' feelings
Ability to get along with others
Ability to resist temptation in the service of a higher goal
Ability to take action that considers the needs of self and others

IQ might get you through school with high grades, but EQ will help you keep that great job or that fabulous relationship. And even more important {to me right now}, Emotional Intelligence will help you get along with your two-year-old brother.

Watching Body Language
Ezra's face might turn into a frown. He might lay down on the floor. He might pull back an arm in preparation to hit {not OK with Mom, by the way, but he's still learning that}. Peter needs to know what these non-verbal cues mean, so he can use relational skills to counteract them.

Listening to Voice Tone
It might be mommy using a very firm voice to get the child's attention. It might be a friend using a whiny voice to get what they want. It might be a high pitched "no, no, no" from little bro. Peter needs to learn how to interpret the tone in voices, so he can accept others feelings and work out solutions.

{Mommy to two-year-old}
When you brother says "stop please" you need to stop. Listen to his voice. :)

Accepting and Discussing Feelings
It's important for me to be a good role model here -- totally accepting and then discussing my child's feelings. No stuffing. No criticism. I won't tell him it's not OK to feel that way. The way I deal with his feelings is how he will learn to deal with others.

{Mommy to crying four-year-old}
Please use words to tell me why you are sad and crying. Are you hurt? Are you tired? Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? Do you need to use the bathroom? {sounds like another page from "What's Wrong, Little Pookie?"} How can I help you? How are you feeling?

{Mommy, talking about her own feelings}
Sometimes mommy feels sad -- that's OK. I need a hug. Sometimes mommy feels angry -- that's OK. I just need some space.

Teaching Language
To be equipped with language that helps in social situations is priceless. So I give examples of things he might say. I help him understand what might happen next, if he were to react one way, and then the benefit of reacting another way.

{Mommy to four-year-old}
If you want something that someone else has, you need to say "may I have a turn please?" And if they say no? You say OK. And you work out a sharing solution. "Can I have a turn in two minutes? Or when you finish that project?" You may need an adult to help the other child understand the benefit of taking turns. But always ask nicely, wait patiently, then ask an adult for help.

If you want to stop playing a game, explain to your friend why and present another option.

If someone hurts you, say "please stop, that hurts me". Explain to them what to avoid doing in the future.

When you see someone else crying, please say to them "What's wrong? Are you OK? Can I help you?"

It all seems so simple to us, because we've learned how to be emotionally intelligent over the years. We've learned to accept our feelings and resolve them in positive ways. But a child must be taught. It's one of those things that might be hard today, but will have a huge huge payoff in the future.

Need even more reasons to teach emotional intelligence? There are many. :)

An emotionally intelligent child has:
The ability to socially problem solve.
The ability to see things for how they really are.
The ability to adapt to changing situations and new information.
The ability to tolerate stress and respond appropriately.
The ability to understand your own feelings and how they affect others.
The ability to be assertive and express yourself constructively.
The ability to direct your own behavior independently.
The ability to respect and accept yourself.
The ability to understand and empathize with the feelings of others.
The ability to form and sustain satisfying relationships with others.
The ability to remain optimistic in the face of adversity.

So -- respect and label your child's feelings! Teach empathy! And model the language for healthy problem solving!

Your family will reap the rewards!

Favorite Fabric

2012-01-23T20:01:00.000-08:00

Ok. So I felt my soul come alive this afternoon. You know how important it is for mom to do something she loves every now and again, right? Whether it be a hard run, a night at the symphony, or an afternoon with a sewing machine and gorgeously soft fabric. Oh, the blues and reds had me swooning today. And the finished product? You might have to yank it out of my hands. It's beautiful.

I have a few things to finish up on it. Hopefully tonight. I'll share a final product photo soon!

You really must thank my two dear beautiful children for playing so nicely while I sewed. Ezra even helped me with the pedal -- waiting until I said "GO!" and almost always stopping at the edge of the fabric. He loved it. Peter designed a grocery store in the living room, complete with conveyor belt, scanner, radio {in case of a drive thru customer} and items available for purchase. I think his creative needs were met today too.

Happy. Happy. Happy.

Vegetarian Tamale Pie

2012-01-23T09:00:00.001-08:00

A happy tummy is really quite nice. We are so blessed.

You'd be surprised how easy it is to make this one dish meal. There are a couple steps and it takes some pre-planning, but the actual work involved is minimal. I started by soaking the pinto beans overnight. Then I rinsed and drained them, added more water {about two inches of water on top of the beans when they're in the pot} and salt and cooked them on medium-low for two or three hours {bring to a boil first, then simmer}.

Next I made the polenta -- really so simple. :) You just boil four cups of water and about a teaspoon of salt in a medium saucepan, add one cup of cornmeal while stirring {when the water boils}, and then turn the heat down and continue stirring until thick.

You can leave it at this, or you can add a blend of Mexican cheeses and a dollop of sour cream for love's sake.

Vegetarian Tamale Pie
borrowed gratefully from a favorite blog, A Couple Cooks
1 cup cornmeal for polenta (or prepared polenta, about two 18 ounce tubes)
3 cups pinto beans, cooked (or canned)
1 cup frozen or canned corn, drained
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes {I used fire-roasted diced tomatoes}, drained
1 1/2 cups salsa {you decide how hot you want it!}
2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese {your favorite}
Sour cream, if you wish

Spread the polenta onto the bottom of your chosen baking dish {9x9 works well, or you can use fun individual sizes}. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mash your cooked pinto beans and add corn, tomatoes, salsa, spices, and cilantro. Mix it up good and then slather the beans mixture on top of the polenta. Sprinkle cheese and bake for 20 minutes! Serve warm with sour cream.

Tube Riding with Friends

2012-01-22T14:20:00.001-08:00

Sunset

2012-01-21T20:28:00.001-08:00

Friday Favorites

2012-01-21T04:30:00.000-08:00

I wanted to get this out on Friday, but instead went to bed early with my tired husband. So here we are.

----
God is taking me on a journey. {Philippians 1:6} He brings things for me to read, he brings people into my life, he brings thoughts to my mind at just the right time. Just when I need them.

Emily Freeman inspires me at her blog Chatting at the Sky. Yesterday she spoke of understanding less and less, of releasing control of the future, living in the present moment and leaving the rest to God's grace. Here are some of her words:

"But as each moment weaves itself into the next, as we believe Him in the great right now, His truth becomes a strand woven into the fabric of our minutes. This moment living is sweet. This moment living reminds me of who is in control and who is not. This smallness is to be celebrated, not despised. I dare not trust myself with the next step. A mature faith says I am desperately in need of a source outside of myself. I always have been, but now I know it."

I listened to Andrew Farley while I was doing the dishes this week. I love his message of focusing on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith {Hebrews 12:2}, his illustration of Jesus skiing the impossible mountain, earning the gold medal, bestowing it on us, then saying 'stay off the mountain!', and then, at the end, how he brings it all back to thankfulness. Wow. The practical application, the one task that we have -- thanksgiving to God. For what HE has done. And is currently doing in our lives right now. Watch the 28 minute episode if you have time, or just listen while you work!

This blogger's words about enjoying parenting have made it all over Facebook lately. My friend showed me the article first. I love the lesson -- "Parenting is hard. Just like lots of important jobs are hard." We're not going to enjoy every minute. We don't need to feel guilty for that. I really resonate with Glennon when she says, "I used to worry that not only was I failing to do a good enough job at parenting, but that I wasn’t enjoying it enough. Double failure." Grace, folks, grace. It will be hard. That's totally OK. But there will be so many precious moments {read the bit about Chronos time and Kairos time}.

And earlier this week, I read the simple truth on Kelle's blog -- it's about putting your oxygen mask on, doing what you need to do to feel yourself ALIVE. Because "we cannot make good mamas, good wives, good friends if we don't."

So -- put on your oxygen mask, smile at the well-meaning ladies in the grocery line, thank the Lord for the work He is doing in your life, and release control of the future. Life lessons from this week. Pretty good, eh?

One Thousand Gifts | 1.20

2012-01-20T19:33:00.000-08:00

And as the freezing rain continues to fall, it's obvious I'm thankful that our car is parked inside the garage, that my husband is home and no longer stuck in a hotel far from us, and that we still have heat and power. I'm thankful that my boys pretend played happily long enough for me to cut out all the fabric for my two in-the-works quilts, oh so pretty. And it feels so nice to have a clean kitchen, still-clean-bathrooms-after-two-days {hooray!}, and clean floors. I know it won't last, but I am greatly enjoying it.

Better start counting:

friends that make my boys laugh so hard, so contagiously

Lego, oh such a great hobby

patient two-year-olds who try so hard to help mommy understand what they are saying but she just can't {this time it was "battery"}

new realizations about grace, so needed in my life right now {blogging about this soon}

stuck food on the corners of mouths

singing together at bedtime

texts from friends to go sledding

a warm, safe home during the ice storm of 2012

a toddler that is starting to say "OK mommy" instead of throwing huge fits

newly discovered, faster ways to cut fabric

successfully pushing a very heavy shopping cart through slush to the car and laughing about it

Peter saying "now I'm bored" and then making a funny face and my response -- "making funny faces is a great thing to do when you're bored"

homemade chili

so many good things to read

good sleeps after hard bedtimes

foot rubs

{274-289}

Nights Like This

2012-01-19T19:31:00.000-08:00

It's nights like this when I look in the mirror and think motherhood has ruined me. I used an angry voice to propel them toward their bedtime routine tonight. I'm tired. They're super tired {but they don't look it}. I look worn and depressed and ancient and kind-of mean. Not the ideal mom I had in mind when I would watch my newborn baby sleeping and think about our future together.

Man, it certainly gets harder.

Maybe if I had hand signals, that would smooth things out {if they would look at me}. One finger pointed left means go get your pajamas on and brush teeth. Two fingers in a peace sign pointed down means stop doing whatever it is you are doing that is making your brother cry. Ya, no, it ain't gonna work.

What they really need is sleep.

Back to that bedtime routine...

My biggest gripes, not in any particular order:

They forget {despite my constant nagging} to drink water throughout the day and want to drink right before bed. You can imagine the implications.
They don't seem to see the importance of eating enough at meal times {and have become pickier eaters}, so they wake up hungry very early in the morning.
As they get more and more tired they get considerably more hyper and considerably less cooperative and just all around silly. Hard to put to bed.

Aaaaah well. They really are good kids. But every mom of kids this age has a tough day ~~once in a while~~ about every other day.

I shamelessly asked for a complement this afternoon and Peter replied, "You're a really great wife".
Thanks dude, but I'm not sure you get to decide that. ;p

I hope they remember the fun we've had and not the super difficult bedtime routines. I hope they remember the songs I've sung to them and the prayers we've prayed and not the counting down and swats I've had to administer. I hope they remember the love more than the discipline. But I hope the discipline trains them up to be respectful and attentive.

It's a hard job -- being a mother. Tomorrow I'm gonna look in the mirror and look for all the other things I've become -- wiser, stronger, more grateful, more aware, content, courageous, empathetic. I owe my family for all that. And more.

{RL} Just Braggin'

2012-01-19T11:24:00.001-08:00

Just a proud mama. Proud of my son. You don't mind me bragging a little, do you? ;)

{Guest Post} No Longer Living in Fear

2012-01-19T04:47:00.000-08:00

Since childhood, I’ve been afraid. Afraid of death. Afraid of the stories describing a heavenly measuring rod. Afraid of the judgement. Afraid I wouldn’t ever be good enough to escape the consequences of sin and make it to the better place. Afraid of myself, my inadequacies, me — so quick-to-sin. A child afraid. A teenager afraid. Trying to get good graces and accolades. Wanting so badly to be told I was “good”. Seeking affirmation. Wishing so badly to escape the constant heaviness of realized imperfections.

Funerals made me catch my breath, hollowness in my soul, eyes dry and staring, unable to wrap my mind around the impossible forever of what-comes-next? Unable to understand how someone could ever be ready to die.

My very nature cringes at imperfections. My palms sometimes sweat icy when I realize something is out of my control. When I realize there is something wrong and I can’t fix it.

This holiday season I realized the seriousness of my fear when my throat was getting tight at the sight of burnt out Christmas lights. “They’re dead,” I whisper to my son. Then plaintively — “they’re broken, finished, I can’t fix them”. Stop pointing them out, please.

Please join me at 5 Minutes for Faith to finish reading and realize with me that we don't need to live in fear!

{RL} Snow Surprise

2012-01-18T10:05:00.001-08:00

It snowed last night.

The little one wanted to try out the Jeep.

The big one wanted to build a snow teddy. Without the red and black pieces, it looks a bit like Winnie the Pooh.
He'll be melting soon. The snow has since turned to rain.

But we got out and enjoyed it while we could.

{RL} Marathon Mode

2012-01-17T15:10:00.000-08:00

One plays Angry Birds on my new phone, while standing on the couch, pantless. The other jumps off the couch with a best friend, saying "I'm one thousand pounds" and "I can jump farther than you!"

We've been in "marathon mode" lately. Cooking marathon on Thursday {two pots of soup, cornbread recipe x5, spanish rice casserole x2, carrot muffin recipe x3}. Noah's Ark marathon last Friday and Sunday and Monday and part of Friday. Vaccinations on Friday. Writing marathon {got my devotional written}. Picaboo marathon yesterday morning {three photobooks!}. And shopping marathons yesterday {REI and TJ Maxx} and today {returns, ooph}.

My last cleaning marathon was too long ago. The bathrooms are the worst.

Maybe my word for the year should have been something about spreading things out, doing a little bit here and a little bit there -- is there a word for that? You know -- doing one load of laundry a day or cleaning one room in the house every day. Eventually the laundry will be done. Eventually the house will be clean. But not all at the same time.

Trouble is, I kinda like the feeling of completion. Actually -- I LOVE it. That's why I'll do whatever is necessary to finish a project. Sometimes at the expense of others. That's tough.

It's definitely time for a kid marathon -- they've been doing without me too much lately. So the scales need to tip in their favor.

And that's that. Real life. Doing my best. Feeling a quilting marathon coming on, but doing my best to squeeze in a game of Chutes and Ladders and get those groceries that I was supposed to buy this morning.

This post needs a picture. Thanks always, Pinterest.

Meals on a Monday

2012-01-16T05:16:00.000-08:00

This week has no theme. We're going for more vegetables and less dairy.

The Coconut Cake looks like the perfect place to try coconut whipped cream.

Vegetarian Split Pea Soup by The Curvy Carrot

Roasted Vegetable Frittata by Barbara Bakes

Caramelized Banana Upside-Down Cake by Willow Bird Baking

Millet Muffins by Two Tarts

Snow Day

2012-01-15T17:05:00.000-08:00

We needed a little trip to breath in fresh mountain air.

And you know, our feet needed to remember what really cold snow feels like.

It's been awhile since our barefoot race in Canada. ;p

Ezra started the adventure wearing this face most of the time.

A little wind. Waaa. A little blowing snow. Waaa. A teasing daddy. WAAaaaaa.

But soon {well, maybe half an hour later} he was feeling more playful.

Peter had a blast in the snow. Digging holes with daddy. Stomping out mazes with daddy. Getting buried in the snow.

We stayed just long enough to have fun, but not turn into ice cubes.

And now the forecast seems to say we'll be getting snow here at home too! Fun fun.

{RL} Food Snatcher

2012-01-14T06:56:00.000-08:00

These guys are playing together so well lately.

I'm loving it. While it lasts.

One Thousand Gifts | 1.13

2012-01-13T04:59:00.000-08:00

Lest you think this has turned into a food blog....no, that's just our lives THIS week. Real life certainly ebbs and flows. I'm hoping we'll have more time for other things soon. For now, we're enjoying the goods in the kitchen.

Reflecting comes naturally in this cold, wintery season. Thinking about lessons learned and our favorite things.

One of my favorites this year has been starting to intentionally count gifts. Something I do much more regularly and thoughtfully some days than others. I really just need a notepad and pen to jot things down when they come to mind. So much of it is thought and forgotten. There's my first resolution -- get a Thousand Gifts Notebook.

{Update -- I've got one and it's on the circle table. Unfortunately, under a pile of other things including my camera and latest book, both not getting much attention lately. Ebb and flow. You wanna know something cool about ebb and flow? I got to hold a brand spanking new baby today. Didn't let that moment pass me by.}

Because the more we consciously savor the blessings of life, the more blessed life becomes.

~thousands of gifts~

the loud rumbling of plasma cars chasing across tile seams

Ezra's expression: "huh?" {always makes me laugh}

how he says so plaintively "please come Petah, please come"

my dear husband who rubs lotion into my weary, cracking, dried-out hands

friends who {although 8 years older} play so well with my Ezra

singing Amazing Grace together at bedtime, all four of us

the help of the dishwasher after a crazy day in the kitchen

listening to inspiration like this while I fold laundry

helpful Joanne's employees
successfully cranking out all three requested recipes {who knew you'd want them all?!}

the magic of watching siblings meet their new baby sister

getting to hold that dear 5 pound bundle of cuteness

having help moving Noah's Ark

piling all the stuffed animals into the ark

enjoying a delicious new muffin recipe

writing limericks with my husband

reading the Jesus Storybook Bible with Peter

remembering this and intentionally planning time to spend together

feeling stronger after a year of Jazzercise

the I-am-so-blessed feeling that comes after pondering life's gifts

{254-273}

Vegetable Pot Pie

2012-01-12T05:14:00.000-08:00

Sauteed-just-right vegetables with this so delicious healthy homemade mushroom soup,

topped with tator tots, and baked until bubbly and crispy on top. Don't you want a plate of it?

The kitchen has been smelling so wonderful lately with all these savory dishes in the oven.

The extra cool part of this recipe is that {when using the homemade mushroom soup recipe}, it's dairy free! Coconut cream works as a fantastic substitute for heavy cream. I'd rather eat my heavy cream perched on top of banana cream pie any day. :)

My kids might eat the tator tots off the top and skip the vegies, but it's a good try right?

Vegetable Pot Pie
a recipe from my own personal archives, improved upon
5 small potatoes, peeled, diced
2 heads of broccoli, cut into small flowerettes
2 carrots, peeled, quartered and cut into lengths
4 mushrooms, sliced
2 cups frozen peas
1 can Cha'i Pow Yu, with juice {looks like this, but without curry}

Make some homemade mushroom soup {recipe below} and set aside.

Prepare vegetables and place all but the peas in a large saucepan to sautee/steam {add just a tiny bit of water, maybe 1/8 cup}. Cook on medium high for a few minutes, stir once or twice, then add Cha'i Pow Yu with its juice and steam for 10 minutes or so, until vegies are just barely tender. Add frozen peas and turn heat to low.

Pour mushroom soup over the steamed vegies, mix tenderly, then put the whole mixture into a 9x13 baking casserole. Cover with tator tots and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

Homemade Mushroom Soup
thank you to Simply Recipes for the inspiration
5 or 6 large mushrooms, cleaned, chopped very fine
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp Smart Balance
5 green onions, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 small bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
2 cans coconut milk, drain the water off
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp chicken seasoning
1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp water

Chop up the mushrooms into very small pieces. Melt Smart Balance in a large saucepan and add green onions, mushrooms and lemon juice. Lightly saute over medium heat. Add thyme and bay leaf and saute for 10-15 minutes or until the liquid that is released from the mushrooms disappears.

Add salt, coconut cream {don't add the liquid in the cans of coconut milk, just the thick white cream} and chicken seasoning mixed with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add cornstarch mixed with water and simmer for 10 more minutes, stirring constantly. Add seasoning to taste, if desired.

Cottage Cheese Patties

2012-01-12T05:00:00.001-08:00

These vegetarian patties are from my Grandma's kitchen and are one of my favorites at holiday time. So savory, just the right texture, covered with bubbly, mush-roomy goodness.

But when I broke out the recipe last month to satisfy a craving, the after-effects were less than stellar. Tummyache. A general feeling of malaise. I made pot pie the same week, also with canned mushroom soup, and after eating it felt the same way. Thus -- my recent mission to create my own mushroom soup, taking out the dairy AND eliminating the MSG {probably the culprit}. These patties originally called for powdered onion soup mix which also contains MSG. So I put together some seasonings, with the help of the Internet, to mimic onion soup mix and VOILA! A fabulous result with no ill effects.

Be sure to notice that when substituting coconut cream for heavy cream, you want to set aside the water from the can and just use the cream. {So open the can slightly, drain out the coconut water, then open the can all the way to get the cream out.}

I'm really impressed with these. The family was too.

Hope you get a chance to try them too! Let me know what you think!

Cottage Cheese Patties
shared from my Grandma's amazing recipe collection and fiddled with {just a bit!}
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup oatmeal
2 eggs
1/4 cup dried onion flakes or 1/2 cup onion, chopped fine
2 T McKays vegan beef seasoning
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/8 teaspoon celery seed
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon chili pepper
1 teaspoon sage
3 tablespoons wheat germ
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes

Combine all ingredients, form patties and fry in just a thin layer of oil. Place in an 8x8 casserole dish and cover with homemade mushroom soup {recipe follows}. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes, until bubbly.

Homemade Mushroom Soup
thank you to Simply Recipes for the inspiration
5 or 6 large mushrooms, cleaned, chopped very fine
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp Smart Balance
5 green onions, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 small bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
2 cans coconut milk, drain the water off
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp chicken seasoning
1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp water

Chop up the mushrooms into very small pieces. Melt Smart Balance in a large saucepan and add green onions, mushrooms and lemon juice. Lightly saute over medium heat. Add thyme and bay leaf and saute for 10-15 minutes or until the liquid that is released from the mushrooms disappears.

Add salt, coconut cream {don't add the liquid in the cans of coconut milk, just the thick white cream} and chicken seasoning mixed with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add cornstarch mixed with water and simmer for 10 more minutes, stirring constantly. Add seasoning to taste, if desired.

Vegan Tofu Salad Spread

2012-01-11T05:06:00.000-08:00

The way I procured this recipe was slightly devious. I noticed it scratched out on a piece of paper at my aunt's house over Christmas {shh, I don't think she's reading}. So I jotted it down on a different piece of paper and brought it home.

So it's a little bit stolen. Stolen food is always sweeter, right?

This spread is not sweet at all -- definitely savory. But extremely delicious.

More than your basic smashed tofu and Veganaise. Think olives. Green onions.

Pickle juice. Chicken seasoning.

So flavorful. Such a treat inside two pieces of whole wheat bread.

And you can consider yourself dairy and egg free. Congratulations.

Vegan Tofu Salad Spread
~~borrowed~~ stolen from my Aunt Cheryl's counter, and tampered with
1 package firm tofu {I use OTA tofu in the water packed containers}
1/2 cup vegenaise
3 Tbsp chicken style seasoning {I use McKay's vegan chicken seasoning}
1 can olives, chopped fine
4 green onions, chopped
1 Tbsp pickle juice {or you could try using 1 tsp lemon juice}
1/2 tsp dill weed
chopped celery or red pepper if desired {I didn't desire}

Mash up the tofu in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Spread on two slabs of homemade bread {or whatever bread happens to be on your counter} and you're set!

Just Some Chatter

2012-01-10T19:48:00.000-08:00

Lest you think I've up and left for Ethiopia already...

Nope. Still here. Just bleary eyed and bone-tired. Really, who knew being a stay at home mom and homemaker would be so back-breaking and emotionally draining? Well -- I've been cutting fabric and setting up Noah's Ark in the kids' division at church and making mushroom soup from scratch too. I'm not watching soaps all afternoon.

Today Peter wrote number sentences -- all the numbers that add up to ten. 5+5, 9+1, 8+2, 7+3, 6+4, and 10+0. And his "us" word family included "plus" and "puss".

He made me laugh out loud at his {I think he was serious} comment this afternoon {I hope laughing didn't offend him...but does he really understand what "misunderstand" means??}. OK, here's what he said, after peeing on his pants instead of into the toilet {poor guy, and he was in the bathroom stall, just pulling down his pants} -- we were walking down the gym hall back to the car to drive home for fresh pants and as he waddles along he says, "Man, I'm going to be misunderstood forever!" Ya. I couldn't help laughing.

I got a good licking from Buzz today. I kept saying "put your tongue away!" {teasing, at first} and he would, with a silly smile. Then it would come out again and go for my face or hands. He didn't seem to think my jeans tasted too bad either...

I spent Monday afternoon with four children zooming around the house, taking turns on the plasma cars.
Have I shown you our new favorite toys??

I have three recipes chomping at the bit, but my photo ops have been less than desirable. Two year old assistants, fading light, and uh, well, no light at all for tonight's cottage cheese patties. But we enjoyed eating them {even the kids!!} and I saved a few in the fridge for tomorrow. Hopefully I can figure out how to dress up those tasty brown blobs for a picture.

I finished all but three items on my to do list from last week {although some of the items need to be done again, you know how it is...} Who knew the floor would need to be swept more than once a week? Seems like we always did that on Fridays growing up....but man, I don't even remember. But what I would really like to do is organize the clothes in my closet and get that desk cleared off. It's not at the top of the list of priorities right now, unfortunately.

Getting outside with my lil' dude is. And giving him tickles when he insists on licking me.

Hoping to be able to blog more faithfully soon...

On the Horizon

2012-01-05T20:26:00.000-08:00

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I feel. It's deep down inside. It's definitely a concoction of scared-excited, the way I felt getting on a plane that would take me across the United States to my freshman year of college. It's when new things happen, new purpose awakens, new challenges await.

I'm so excited to dust off a little ambition and do something I've been hoping to do for a while now.

I have been holding it in, this news. I've been unsure when it would be the right time to share and still feeling a little shy about it all. It seems very surreal. Here goes....

I'm going to Ethiopia in February.

There. I said it. Does that make it real? I just clicked the "Finalize Purchase" button on the screen at KLM's website and the jumpy things in my stomach are, well -- jumpy. Butterflies.

In Ethiopia, I'll be visiting the village we sponsor, meeting the people, taking photos as appropriate, educating the villagers as needed, helping in whatever way I can, building relationships, and basically just loving and caring. It's a compassion trip. We're encouraging sustainability through guidance and coaching. We're trying to meet expressed needs not assumed needs. We're teaching the village "to fish". It's community owned, community led. We're there to become friends and mentors, empowering these villagers to do things that will improve their quality of life and their future.

And I'm oh so excited about this chance to broaden my horizons and shake things up and blog about something I care about. Not that I haven't been...you get me, right? :) It's blogging with purpose -- one of my goals for this year.

So off I go in just not too many weeks...wow. It's still sinking in. Would you share my blog with a friend who might be interested in learning more about Africa? Share my writing with someone who might also have a vision for educating and empowering villagers to live better lives? Would you spread the word about my upcoming trip, to tell your network what GHNI is doing? Maybe you'll follow my blog just to hear my tales of airport security and sleeping under mosquito nets. I'll do my best to keep my sense of humor. With you along, it'll be easier. :) Don't be afraid to comment on posts, respond to Facebook updates. I'll need all the support I can get.

And with that, I'm off to figure out what language is spoken over there and how to say "I need to use the bathroom!"

G'night.

{RL} Park Time

2012-01-04T16:10:00.002-08:00

Playing Angry Birds on my new phone. Ezra likes to lean on his shoulder. "Don't lean so much, Ezra!"

{RL} Chores

2012-01-04T08:03:00.000-08:00

{RL} = Real Life

A very small glimpse into my real life. Which today feels very real. And real messy.

I feel extremely crippled when I have a list this long. A list mostly made up of "extras"...things that don't have a place in our regular schedule. You know -- like organizing the closet. I still have a drawer full of shorts in there. Maybe I should just put it off a few {six} more months.

Where do I start? Just do the next thing.

So in between showering and circle time and playing at the park and making lunch and snacks and changing diapers {hopefully less than yesterday*} and otherwise occupying my two active boys, I'll be cleaning mirrors and toilets and floors and closets and trying to get the laundry done {that IS on the list for today}.
I'll let you know how it goes.

*telling you the reason might be TMI ;)

Butternut Squash Pomegranate Salad

2012-01-04T04:53:00.000-08:00

There's just something about smelling that roasting butternut squash in the oven while pomegranate juice drips down my fingers. It's what relaxing winter afternoons are made of. Except there were the loud sounds of three boys playing with plasma cars in the background {"hey, this is a gate, you can't go this way!! STOP!"}.

I was, however, able to eat my salad in peace. This evening, after the little hooligans were safely in their beds.

I was first introduced to the pomegranate as something to eat and enjoy my senior year in high school {shout out to Larissa, my roommate}. She shared some with me that had been sent to her from California and they were delicious. They are hard to find in our little town, but fortunately Walmart delivered today. So glad I could share this recipe with you. It's definitely at the top of my favorites list right now.

Want some information on how to de-seed a pomegranate? Not too hard.

I get these weeds in the produce section of our local grocer {the best!}. They aren't expensive and they taste fabulous. Super fresh.

And there you have it. A little feta and this blend of sweet maple syrup and sour lemon juice and you are good to go.

My tastebuds are still thanking me. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Pomegranate Salad
inspired by Good Life Eats

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon coconut oil {I used LouAnn's}
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6-8 cups mixed baby greens {we call them weeds and buy them in bulk produce}
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds {one pomegranate is more than enough}
4 tablespoons crumbled feta
1 teaspoon pomegranate juice {or cranberry or a mixture of the two}
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons maple syrup

Begin by peeling and cubing the butternut squash. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss squash with coconut oil, sugar, and salt. Spread the pieces evenly in a baking dish and roast for 35 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool.

Toss greens, pomegranate seeds, feta, and cooled squash in a large bowl. Whisk together pomegranate juice, lemon juice, olive oil and maple syrup in a small bowl and drizzle over tossed salad. Serve immediately.

This Time of Year

2012-01-02T14:54:00.000-08:00

Seasons do funny things to my brain. I wonder if I'm the only one?

In the fall, I get jazzed about writing, I start collecting a huge pile of recipes containing butternut squash and pumpkin, and school sounds like the best thing since underarm deodorant. Fall gets me thinking about gratitude and educational philosophies and snuggling by the fire and family togetherness.

Then, not even a week after Christmas wrapping paper has left for the recycling center, the Burpee catalog arrives in the mail. And everyone begins blogging about new beginnings and goals for the future. And so I begin. Planning the contents of the garden beds. Getting excited about road tripping to places near and far. Thinking about all manner of personal and family goals. Resolving to make better lifestyle choices.

Speaking of better lifestyle choices.....

We most certainly did not welcome in the new year with Drive Thru McDonalds ice cream cones for everyone. {ya, we did}
We probably weren't crazy enough to jump in near-ice-temperature water on the first day of the year. {sure thing}
We didn't keep our kids up three whole hours past their bedtime on New Years Eve to play games with friends. {they loved it}

This is the time of year I want to thoroughly clean and organize the whole house. On Sabbath, the sun shone bright through windows, revealing accumulated dirt from the past few years. The sight had me thinking about the Son and Grace for dirty lives. But today I thought seriously about getting out the Windex and the ladder.

You know what though? The windows can wait.

Here's what won't:

Blogging Goals for 2012

Posts about the Kids:
Outdoor Play {snow play, hiking, camping, and more}
Learning Activities {science experiments, favorite books, field trips and more}

Post about my Hobbies:
Devotionals {now that I'm a monthly contributor at 5 Minutes for Faith}
Sabbath Stories {my creative writing project, Bible stories from a new perspective}

Posts about Remembering Gratitude:
One Thousand Gifts

Posts about Ministry:
Compassion and Advocacy Blogging {already planning a trip to ________* later in February}
*surprise country that I'll talk about later this month

Posts that are Helpful:
Meal Inspiration {to guide the month's meal planning and recipe posts}
Recipes
Parenting {tips, advice, book reviews}
Favorite Links

But I don't plan to blog every day. When listing my life's priorities, it's easy to see who comes up to the very top. And as Kelle says, "there is nothing so time critical that you can't stop for ten minutes and play with your kids." There are a lot of things that can wait for the future, while we live in the present.

Speaking of living in the present.....
These people greatly inspire me:

This family of four, spending every day together as they pedal around the continent, doing some serious bicycle bonding.
And the sweet Sara, begging us to not miss out of the life we have. Smell the fresh-cut grass, feel the sun soak, count the gifts.

I'm going to attempt to blog in a conversational style, so my readers will feel more connected and hopefully more interested in what I have to say. I want this space to be informative, fun, and engaging for you, as well as helpful, character-building and inspirational for me.

So. Now you know what to expect for the year. My windows will probably stay dirty {although I might spot clean!}. My husband and I will probably jump in cold water again {although that seriously took my breath away!}. And you know I'm doing my very best to blog for the right reasons and in keeping with my priorities.

Next post -- probably a recipe. Sometime mid-week. Love y'all. Thanks for reading. :)

{Some} Favorite Adventures in 2011

2012-01-02T12:10:00.000-08:00

It's fun to look back over the year on the blog and in my Picaboo albums. We had a lot of adventurous hikes and trips. Plenty of time to explore nature in our corner of the planet. I love that. It definitely shows me how we want to continue spending our time this coming year. Watch for more traveling and outdoor play in 2012!

Foggy day walk closer to home.

Snowshoe adventure with the Chariot up in the mountains.

St. Patrick's Day hike in the hills.

Exploring the Oregon coast in April.

A close-by hike in May.

Favorite birthday present ever!

Playing in Idaho sand.

Tenting in the rain on the Oregon coast.

Soaking in the Challis hot springs.

Exploring hot pools and geysers in YNP.

Annual blueberry picking.

Watching daddy swim across the lake and back.

Playing by the river at the Hurricane Creek trail head.

Cooling off in daddy's homemade car wash.

Building dust piles on a hot summer day.

Exploring the pumpkin patch with Grandma.

Local bird watching.

Chilling together in the dry grasses.

Christmas card photo shoot in the mountains.

Exploring the frost covered terrain.

Goodbye 2011! We enjoyed you. :)

Yesterday

2011-12-30T19:29:00.000-08:00

I took these pictures yesterday, hoping to do a little journalistic-style, here's-what-we-did-today blogging. But yesterday I was working on photos from the previous weekend. I have yet to figure out how to blog in the present and record a kind of play-by-play view of our lives. I guess I could pretend that today was yesterday. Or not.

Yesterday we ate yeast flakes and Vegenaise on Franz Nine Grain bread, toasted.

Yesterday we played with K'NEX and LEGO. Both Peter's creations, without the "map" as he so disdainfully calls it.
Mommy needs the map.

Yesterday we set up our fort building kit in the playroom.

Yesterday we practiced with scissors.

Yesterday we made carrot juice, for the second day in a row. He loves it.

Yesterday was fun. :)

No Power

2011-12-30T17:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had written on my list of things to do -- "turn out all the lights and have a candle-lit evening, pretend there's no power". I have long-ago memories of the candles and the blankets and the feeling of closeness that accompanies doing without. We had to stick together to stay warm, to think of things to do.

So this morning when the lights flickered and the power was out, I smiled. Too bad it was on again before I could get the candles lit and the mood set. But I turned the lights off again and watched my children's faces as they looked thoughtfully into the flickering flames. I thought about their futures and remembered the joys of this year, and then laughed as Ezra blew flame into smoke. That's what candles are for, right?

The Gypsy Mama creates community every Friday with her Five Minute challenge -- write freely for five minutes. Write freely. She chose the perfect word for this season of anticipation.

'Open'

Set the timer. Go.

Closed is the chrysalis holding new life. Closed is the window holding out fresh air. Closed is the door keeping us safe and warm.

But when you say open -- I hear you say new, fresh, opportunity.

Arms must be open to receive embraces. Lips open to kiss.

Presents must be opened.

Eyes open. Hearts open.

I'm starting the new year open to new truths, new experiences, new love. Being open might mean risk.

Stop.
I never was very good at writing fast. But it's a good practice.

More on this risk-taking and new experiences bit soon. Exciting things just around the corner. And I'm open. And super thankful that the events of 2011 have brought me to this point. God has been close and has been teaching me much.

So blow out the candles and open the shades. Embrace the power of being completely open to a future carved out by an all-knowing Father. Open to grace.

Healthier Truffles for the New Year

2011-12-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

The holiday counters laden with the tastiest treats of the year bring me to this point.

Eating carrots and kale like it's going to clean all the butter fat right out of me. Huge plates of salad. Dates and dried mango for dessert. Yep - the pendulum swings. And the fiber might be getting the better of me.

What's the word again? Oh yeah. BALANCE.

So take a bite of these little beauties. I promise you won't need to follow them up with a couple days of carrot juice. They are good for you. Check out the ingredients -- pumpkin seeds, almonds, dates, spices. And there's nothing wrong with a sprinkle of cocoa powder, is there?

I borrowed my mom's food processor for this recipe.

I was certain the VitaMix wouldn't do the trick {past experiences have taught} so this time I didn't even try that.

It's so simple. Put the dates into the processor and blend to a paste. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until combined.

Then you press the mixture into balls and voila. Ready to eat.

The perfect little treat.

They are pretty powerful, especially if you double the cocoa powder {oops!}. One is usually enough.

Spiced Pumpkin Seed Truffles
inspired by A Couple Cooks
1 cup dates (about 8 to 10)
2 tablespoons pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds – plus more to garnish)
2 tablespoons almonds
2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt

I used dates that were pre-pitted, but if you didn't, cut the dates in half and remove the pits. In a food processor, blend the dates until a paste is formed.

Add the remainder of the ingredients above and pulse until everything is combined; the result will look like small crumbles.

Take small spoonfuls of the crumbles, press them together, and roll them into balls (depending on the size, you should get around 8-10). If desired, press a pumpkin seed into the top of each truffle.

Calgary Christmas

2011-12-29T18:59:00.000-08:00

Winter Night by Little & Ashley on Grooveshark

Alberta. Where the roads stretch straight for miles and miles and the cows plod alongside. Where the wind blows fierce, drifting snow over to just one side of the road. Where skies are big and often blue, spread over with sun.

We drove all thirteen hours up to family land, toting marshmallows and pipe shooters, ready for a good time.

And fun was had by all.

How can you not enjoy yourself with crispy, fluffy snow, warm breezes, and friendly family around a crokinole board?

And then. The Ice Rink. I was so looking forward to it. Brought my skates. Brought Peter's skates. Ready to tear it up. I have so many happy memories of skating with my cousins. Shoveling snow off frozen ponds, skating under the stars and moonlit sky. Pleasant memories for sure. And then there were the years we lived just a ten minute trudge through the snow from a little pond, often wind-blown and frozen deep, perfect for games of soda can hockey for two. Just my mom and me. Did we use sticks? Or just kick with our skates?

Pam and Rob taught me how to skate backwards. How to skate circles with a cross-over pattern. How to {attempt to} hockey stop. Or at least stop without falling down. I always wanted to skate as fast and as beautifully as they did.

So here we are, ice beckons. It's like riding a bicycle right? Well, someone gave me a hockey stick and sent me after the puck and that was where I went wrong. Over-extending to reach that silly sliding thing, losing balance, over-correcting -- then the slow-mo flail of arms and legs as I figure out how I'm planning to land. Tim called it "graceful". I landed on the right cheek {not on my face}, part of my weight pressing into the stuck out elbow sent to keep my head from hitting the ice. I really didn't want another Canada Concussion {did I blog about the first one?}. Tail between my legs, I hobble off the ice and didn't don my skates again all weekend. Sad story, I know. I nursed my bruised elbow and very sore neck, wishing for the resilience of youth.

And Peter? Peter. He fell down on his way to the rink, wanted his skates off and didn't try again. We'll keep at it. Right now, he's not too enthused.

But isn't the rink pretty? And the blowing snow?

Perfect for a mid-morning snack.

Of course, the nativity story was popular this weekend. Here we have a very young Mary on a very silly donkey. And baby Nathaniel who kindly removed the dolly and got into the manger himself.

There were iPads and iPods and Macs all over. Not many outlets for the taking.

And now the donkey is a train engine, with two cars loaded down. Even the twelve-year-old rides.

Beautiful family. So nice to see them and interact. Peter and Ezra even smiled {so very briefly} for a great-grandkids photo.

The Canada cousins are very sure-footed on the ice. Even the 18-month-old {in his boots}.

So we skated {briefly} and watched others skate, played games, went on walks, went sledding and caroling, watched the Sound of Music, enjoyed an abundance of delicious food, and played in the snow some more. I wish I had taken pictures of Kaiden's remote controlled helicopter and the group of us playing Dutch Blitz. Two favorites.

We're so blessed to have so many wonderful family members who we love.

The kids now know their "Canada cousins" and hope for more fun times with them soon. : )

Solve Me a Problem

2011-12-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

One of my reasons for blogging is the ability to problem solve. The process of writing out my thoughts and feelings, analyze situations and cause--->effect...it's more than a vent. My blog is a safe place for me to come and work things out. Make things better for my family.

And so after a couple of rough weeks {well, let's face it, things haven't been as I'd like for a few months now}, I'm working hard to figure out what's going on in order to correct it.

I don't always share the solutions I find, but today, recorded live... Answers to Current Problems, Somewhat Untested and Very Freshly Brainstormed.

1) Vitamins.
I ran out of my multi-vitamins sometime during the summer. I didn't buy more. {tut tut} Did I think I was super-woman or something? That I could get everything I nutritionally needed simply by eating food? Ya. I was hoping. Or forgetful. Or lazy. Wow. Can hardly believe myself.

So, on November 30th I ordered more Multi for Her. And I HAVE had more energy and my hair seems to be falling out a *bit* less {going to try some Biotin as well}. I've added Vitamin D to my pill pile and extra calcium/magnesium/zinc. Immune system seems to be functioning much much better {yay!}.

Bottom line: Take your vitamins.

2) Daily and Weekly Checklist.
We have been all over the place here. Lately I've been trying the "go-with-the-flow" method of dealing with daily tasks. It has its high points, but over-all I am feeling like we're doing what we want to do but not necessarily what we should be doing. There's a time for everything.

So -- a loose schedule DOES help. We have our "days of the week" schedule: Monday Hike, Tuesday Groceries, Wednesday Playdate {and Laundry}, Thursday Mad-Clean-Up, and Friday We're-Supposed-to-go-on-a-Field-Trip. Nap or no-nap has made daily planning tough, especially when mom thinks YES nap and kids think NO nap. Then I have to go holler in a different room and re-align my expectations.

The day can become very out of balance {with mom escaping to Facebook and the kids glued to Curious George}, so I've created a daily checklist of sorts to help us stay on track with our goals.

We'll either write down what we'd like to do, before we do it, or write things down as they are accomplished. It's just a framework to help us remember that life is multi-dimensional. If we've already played Starfall and watched Leapfrog, it's probably time for some cooking or outdoor play. This simple {sheet protected so we can write on it and erase} page should help.

Bottom Line: Having a plan helps.

3) Alone Time.
I know I need it. I know I have to schedule it. I don't know exactly how to do that. Getting up at 4am worked for awhile. When the kids go to bed at 5pm and Tim has somewhere to be...then I get some time. But it's REALLY hit and miss. I need something consistent. Something I can count on. I think as the kids get older and need me a bit less, they'll be able to work on a project {Peter can already, so I'm mostly speaking about my two-year-old} for a 30 minute chunk or so and I will be intentional about using that time efficiently. Having a to-do list of alone-time tasks will help. I'll just jump right in.

Bottom Line: Scheduling alone time is crucial to me.

4) Girl's Night Out.
It feels so super nice to talk to another mom {without our kids distracting us} and commiserate with each other. Oh, it helps. :) I felt very refreshed after my evening out with a friend last week, even if we were getting together to plan a baby shower. We managed to fit in lots of stories about our kids and plenty of empathy. I need to be intentional about this.

Bottom Line: Scheduling time with friends is very helpful.

5) Planning Time.
When it comes to homeschooling-by-the-seat-of-my-pants, I'm not flying high. I need time to plan, time to collect materials, time to psyche myself up, [time to learn about what I'm going to teach!!]. I need to plan activities for the week, ahead of time. I need to print off the worksheets, think about when we'll do what -- get ready. When I do this...the day goes better! We're all happier.

Along with the afore-mentioned page listing goal areas for the day, I've put together a binder with other sheet-protected pages -- things for Peter to work on every day. Here's his checklist for morning work:

Just a framework to help bring structure to our lives. Peter likes putting big X's on each box.

I got all these free printables from 1+1+1=1. I'm so thankful for her inspiration and materials! I'm still doing most of the writing for Peter, but he's almost got all his letters and numbers down and soon you'll see his handwriting on all these pages.

Have I mentioned how much he LOVES drawing?

Here is his letter "k" practice page with his drawing of Jack playing kickball with Kate.

Bottom Line: Having systems in place and activities ready to go makes days pass much more smoothly.

So. Five areas to continue to work on. And I may discover more. But for now, I'm thankful I've had time to stop and think and come up with some good solutions to help us have happier days.

Peace is...

2011-12-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

I asked some of you {on Facebook} what you first think of when you hear the word "peace". Your answers follow.

On this most blessed day, due the greatest celebration of all the year, we focus on the peace-giver.

Thanks be to that babe born to be all we'll ever need. Merry Christmas.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27

"The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever." Isaiah 32:17

"The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace." Psalm 29:11

"And he awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still.

And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." Mark 4:39

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

Nativity Favorites

2011-12-23T05:43:00.000-08:00

For Unto Us A Child Is Born by VeggieTales on Grooveshark

While you listen to my favorite song of the season, would you like to read about some of our favorite books to enjoy this time of year? They all focus on the Savior's birth. Something we are doing our best to teach to the little minds entrusted to us.

Two from Galilee is a piece of fiction, written quite a while ago really {reprinted in 1982}, but completely engaging to read. Marjorie Holmes includes culturally appropriate details and heart-tugging emotions that make this story come alive. Without a lot of Biblical documentation, we really don't know what Mary and Joseph would have been like, how they must have felt about each other, or how their parents enter into the picture, but we can certainly imagine. Marjorie does just that. And her work has me staying up just a bit past my bedtime...

The Little Shepherd Girl is a gem, with an interesting tale and beautiful illustrations. The little girl, oldest of a family of sisters, begs her father to be allowed out with the others, to tend the flocks by night. He finally says yes and it is that night that the angels come. She is somehow first to see the baby Jesus. The night is beautiful, surrounded by animals and adoring shepherds. The fictional story sends the message that all children, boys and girls, are invited to see Jesus. All are special to Him.

Humphrey's First Christmas is hilarious. The story line, the illustrations showing that camel's silly face... But then, as the wise men discover the baby Jesus, the mood softens and Humphrey kneels, giving up his newly-acquired carpet blanket and feeling a sense of awe and wonder at this Savior-babe. Fun story. :)

The Crippled Lamb is a sweet sweet story about a little lamb who can't go out with the rest of the sheep to new meadows. He feels so alone and sad. But then, one night he is awakened by sounds of a baby in the manger and seeing that the babe is cold, curls up beside to warm Him up. A story of Jesus' care and concern for all.

Come and See is a lyrical, somewhat repetitive, but yet very pleasing invitation to all to come and see the babe lying in the manger. Shepherds, wise men, townspeople, visitors -- all are invited to feast and dance and celebrate the boy child's birth.
Lovely illustrations. Beautiful book.

Book Review | Raising Happiness

2011-12-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

When I chose my topic for October's 31 Days series, I hadn't heard of Christine Carter or the Greater Good Institute or the book, Raising Happiness. All of these gems I discovered while doing Internet searches on topics I had outlined, like giving your child specific praise and teaching gratitude. I stumbled across Christine's videos and blog posts and then, her book.

And it couldn't have been more helpful, appropriate to my writing, and just plain interesting.

Today I'm telling you about her book. I've finally finished it, but I plan to go back and read from start to finish again, this time with my pen in hand. It's a book I'll be coming back to again and again and I want the really good stuff to stand out when I flip through it in a panic. ;p

Like this:

"Practicing mindfulness, playing and savoring -- stopping to notice something that feels good--are all ways of practicing the growth mindset. They make life about the process and not the end result. Enjoying the present moment teaches kids not to postpone happiness." {emphasis mine} Raising Happiness pg. 145

Good stuff. And you can times that by one hundred as you read through her almost two hundred pages of science-based, tried-it-at-home, makes-sense material. With chapter titles like "Expect Effort and Enjoyment, Not Perfection", "Raise Their Emotional Intelligence" and "Form Happiness Habits" you know you have good things coming.

Christine is human. She's made plenty of mistakes raising her two kids. She talks about that too. There are sections of the book that I didn't feel applied to me. There are places where she rambles just a bit. But the book's quality and content over-all, from beginning to end, is above and beyond what most books offer. You will come away feeling like you have learned a hundred things and have new ideas and parenting techniques to implement.

Her book made me think. Her book made me optimistic. Her book made me happy. Really.

Now I just need to read it again. Cause forming happy habits can take time and some of my not-so-happy-habits go pretty deep. It's a life-long process. But I hope to help my kiddos get an early start.

Bokeh and Beasts

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

I got a new lens for Christmas. The Canon 50mm that goes down to an f-stop of 1.8. I'm so amateur still, but it's fun to have more options. I'm not sure if I'll use this lens all the time, or just for special situations. I'm still experimenting with it. But I was able to get some bokeh! Help me out here, could I have changed my settings at all to get an even better photo?

ISO speed: 800, focal length: 50mm, aperture: f/3.5, shutter speed: 1/80th of a second

With such a low f-stop number, it can be really hard to get the right things in focus. I might have to try manual focus a time or two. But seriously -- I have kids! That typically don't stay this still.

Thank you honey for my fun new toy. :)

And thanks for capturing my starring role as donkey in The Friendly Beasts. The kids laughed and laughed.

Chicken Soup for the Soul

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

The soul needs warmth this time of year. Hot salty broth to fill tummies and hearts.

It's chicken soup for the soul.

I just love the addition of garbanzos and scrambled eggs in this recipe. Great sources of protein for a vegetarian like me.

Chicken broth is thanks to McKay's Seasonings -- an MSG-free, gluten-free, vegan broth alternative.

I definitely put too many {large chunks of} potatoes in this batch. I was in a hurry. ;) Next time, fewer taters and smaller chunks.

Garbanzo Noodle Soup
a personal creation, inspired by mom and grandma
1 large potato, diced {small chunks}
5 cups water
1 tablespoon McKay's chicken seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups egg noodles
3 eggs, scrambled {seasoned as you wish} {fried tofu works well here too}
2 cups garbanzos, soaked and cooked {or canned}
parsley, either fresh or dried, to taste

Place potatoes in water, with chicken seasoning and salt and bring to a boil. Add egg noodles. Scramble your eggs however you prefer and add these to the soup along with the garbanzos and parsley. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through.

It's simple! Change it as you like {some like it saltier, some like it thicker}. Enjoy!
And may your soul be comforted.

Meals on a Monday | Coconut

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

Coconut Cream Cupcakes from The Pastry Affair
Bars of Gold from Heart Via Stomach
Coconut Pancakes from Cookie and Kate
Coconut Scones from Baking Bites

Coconut, to me, embodies relaxation and peace to the highest degree. Can you envision that tropical beach? A young coconut with the top hacked off and a straw? Eating coconut is a guilt-free, pleasurable experience. So this is my gift for you today.
Coconut inspiration for the holidays.

Someone's in the Kitchen

2011-12-18T07:28:00.001-08:00

someone's in the kitchen with peter

someone's in the kitchen I know

someone's in the kitchen with peter

juicing carrot, apple and kale

and then we crushed some candy canes

had some fun with the ha-am-mer-r

making cookies for caroling

because it's christmastime

fee fi fiddleio

fee fi fiddleio-o-o-o

Friday Finds

2011-12-16T20:57:00.000-08:00

Tonight's theme -- simple. peace. joy. It's time for me to slow down, think, read, ponder, and find truth after a harried week of struggling just to get physical rest.

Steady Mom writes, "Choose peace over productivity." I'm there. Ready to write only one thing on my to do list. And it might be [take a nap]. Seriously. I want to learn how to get the essentials accomplished without getting into that unpeaceful "gotta-get-er-done" mode.

Kyce at Old Recipe for a New World writes, speaking of embracing the short days this time of year, "To not turn away too quickly from the darkness, but to give thanks for it, for the way it turns us inward and brightens our spirits." Mmm...yes. It is a thoughtful time of year. Time to re-assess priorities and systems and look deep for simple truths to direct us.

Leilani shares their simple and small this year and all of it just sounds so nice. Singing carols, reading together. Joyous. Family.

Renee sends me on that inner truth journey saying things like "I fear the inevitable loss of joy" and "I also hold back from releasing myself with abandon to joy-filled living because I'm insecure". I resonate. I especially love that she hears from God in the snowy wilderness while skiing.

And a quick reminder to be OK with imperfect. Oh how I need to hear that. Everyday. Tsh says, "Christmas isn’t about perfection. It’s celebrating the One who saved us from our impossible need to be perfect." Wow. I'll be thinking on that tonight. Thank you Jesus.

Greatest Gift | Guest Posting at Five Minutes for Faith

2011-12-16T07:15:00.000-08:00

My kids don’t know who Santa Claus is.

They watched all the children running to get in the “sit-on-Santa’s-lap” line at the Christmas tree lighting. They saw him at Walmart. To them, he’s a large funny looking older man with a white beard and red coat. They don’t get it.

My husband, thinking it might be wise to do a little explaining, tells the “legend of Santa Claus” — that kind old man who brings toys to boys and girls. He leaves out the bit about the elves and the reindeer. Still, their interest in the man in the red suit lasts only a few seconds. Christmas lights are much more entertaining to them.

And the thought crosses my mind — these kids, the ones pressing closer, clutching their wish lists…they’ve been hyped up on Santa. They’ve been taught to seek him, they’ve been coming to sit on his lap since they were infants, they are beginning to think maybe he CAN fit down the chimney. They’re being taught to believe in him.
{...}

Click here to read the rest over at 5 Minutes for Faith!

Decompressing {Quickly}

2011-12-14T16:08:00.002-08:00

I'm having a genuine melt-down
I want to seem like I have it together, no one likes feeling vulnerable
but I really need support in this hard stage in life

so many of you won't understand
you might not be like me
I think a lot of the struggles we have as parents have everything to do with our personality

I'm supposed to schedule alone time
so I can function better as a mom
it's a happy habit that I have to be intentional about

nearly impossible right now
with a two year old who will only nap in the car
and has been fighting bedtime and demanding so much attention

I've had to be very firm with him
that is so hard for me
I hate using my big mama voice

I don't have time for blogging
I don't have time to lesson plan
I don't have time for myself

part of all that is simply poor planning
and a big share of exhaustion
when I do get done with my day I'm too tired to be productive

my husband and I had an interesting conversation about role reversal the other night
he sees the benefits of planning ahead now
I have started going with the flow {plans that go awry can make a person cynical about planning}

that's so not how we used to be
parenting changes you
I'm more introverted than I ever was in high school or college

I need more sleep
I want more enthusiasm for life
I need to love being a mom

if only they still slept 15 hours a day

Winter Wonderland

2011-12-13T20:04:00.001-08:00

Playing with Marbles

2011-12-11T20:15:00.000-08:00

Peter challenged me to use all the pieces in our marble run -- to see how high I could build it.

I had to get on an adult-sized chair to put the marbles in.

He just puts them in wherever he can reach.

We've lost so many marbles -- I think most of them are under the piano.

I held the camera out above my head to get this shot. This is the tallest marble run I've ever built.

Just an example of something we do when the weather is gnarly.

Build a very tall marble run and then go jump on couches.

One Thousand Gifts | 12.10

2011-12-10T14:47:00.000-08:00

Today feels like a Chris Rice day. I'm heart-weary. I'm searching for the gifts, but they come hard. I'm seeing all the sadness and feeling all the hurt instead. I look for blessing in water messes and third time disobedience but get bogged down in what-am-I-doing-wrong and I'm-not-a-good-mother.

I'm folding up and putting away clothes two days late. I'm fussing over the clean house. I'm saying no more than yes. I brush away tears of imperfection.

Pastor talks about getting away by yourself...you know, taking that time in quietness to hear God speak. It's been a long time since I had that much quietness. I'm turning up my hearing aid...does God speak louder than the boisterous noise of children? Can He hear my aloneness, among all this bustle? Does he understand why I keep trying to do it all, by myself? That relationships are hardest to maintain during this season of life? Does he understand how I yearn for quiet? For connection?

The children's teacher says to them -- "Jesus loves you!" He was born for you, just you. She points at all the children, one by one. I want her to point at me. I want to be rid of the never-good-enough-for-love that I've worn for so long. I want so badly to be the one He came for. I want to feel that kind of love, down deep. Put aside the doing and the being and the searching and the trying. I just want to rest in that I-love-you-anyway, I-love-you-always kind of love.

How to give that gift to my children? How to share that incredible undying love with them when it's not often in my own heart? How to pass on an ache for heaven, a belief in a Messiah, a spilling over love for mankind? When I doubt. When I feel empty. Worn from life's sleep-deprivation, worn from setting boundaries, worn from not having any time to ponder. Worn from not meeting with God.

Smile by Chris Rice on Grooveshark

And so I type down a few gifts, wiping the tears, reaching out in praise for the little things, things that echo love:

making new friends

brothers holding hands and jumping together

little one so excited about the grapefruit in his bowl

trees all dressed in white

songs of hallelujah

almond butter and honey mixed

a warm home nestled in this frozen frosty world

{246-253}

See? Told ya.

2011-12-09T16:03:00.001-08:00

Sunshine in our Hearts

2011-12-09T09:33:00.000-08:00

We haven't been complaining about the weather lately. It's been too cold for snow but we've had sunshine every day so far this month! Until today. Now we've got fog and a white frosty layer on everything -- very festive looking.

Earlier this week, we took a hike in the sun. Nothing better than breathing in crisp air and feeling the warmth on our shoulders. We may not see the sun again until March, but in the spirit of every-day-blessing-counting, we'll smile as we remember this fun on the trail and then look out the window and smile at the fog.

Cause after resting in dry grasses under brilliant blue sky, you can be thankful for almost anything.

{This was the hike where the little one had a poopy diaper...and we kept marching on. Peter kept saying, "smell the grass, mommy...doesn't it smell good?" He was up ahead. My nose wasn't smelling the same things as his.}

Doesn't this make you want to think about the meaning of life? Aaaah. Resting in the security of Jesus' love.

Looking forward with anticipation and faith in the plans He has for us.

See the contentment? See the happy smiles?

I just love the time we spend outside. It bonds us so much closer to each other -- a shared experience with such benefits.

We feel a sense of freedom -- freedom to explore, to play, to run, to laugh.

A beautiful day. A beautiful life. We're thankful. And from now on, watch for us hiking in the fog. :)

Pumpkin Cranberry Apple Pecan Bread

2011-12-07T08:56:00.000-08:00

I had high hopes for this quick bread. When I first saw the recipe, my heart rate jumped significantly. So many of my favorite ingredients, all in one place? And the recipe already healthy, with some whole wheat flour and no eggs? Pretty exciting.

You know cranberries make me a little giddy. Oh, they are right at home here.

I was hoping for more than a couple slices, but this bread virtually vaporized. I left it on a cooling rack in the kitchen and poof.
It was gone. At one point, I caught Ezra with half the loaf in his hands, biting into it like a little mouse.

Pumpkin Cranberry Apple Pecan Bread
shared by the totally cool Joy @ Joy the Baker {love her!}

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup light brown sugar {I bet you could reduce this a bit and not hurt feelings}
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil {I used olive oil and wow, the flavor!}
3 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons water
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup fresh cranberries, heaping
1 small apple, peeled and cored and cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place a rack in the center of the oven. Grease and flour your loaf pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

In a medium bowl, carefully whisk together pumpkin puree, oil, maple syrup and water.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and use a spatula to fold all of the ingredients together. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl well, finding any stray flour bits to mix in. Fold in the chopped pecans, cranberries and apple chunks.

Put the dough into your loaf pan and bake for just over an hour or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven. Let rest in the pans for 20 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing. Slice into thick pieces and serve.

On The Fifth Day of Advent...

2011-12-06T11:15:00.000-08:00

my true love gave to me

an all for others sho-o-pping spree

you should have seen their faces

the cute little old ladies also shopping for gifts

I can't remember what they said

but they sure laughed when Peter excitedly put four boxes of K'Nex in the cart

choosing gifts for others was fun for all of us

it made me giggle to watch my husband picking out a doll

retail therapy at its best

I hope the kids remember the joy of giving

this year and always

Not Me Monday

2011-12-05T14:59:00.001-08:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday, where we can share a few of our secrets, maybe a couple things we've done that we’d rather forget. Or maybe they're just hilarious. Why share? Because it’s therapeutic and makes us all feel less alone. Remember -- no means yes. Every smart four year old knows that. ;)

You wouldn't catch me changing a very poopy diaper out on the grass using water from my Nalgene to wet kleenexes as substitutes for wipes. You wouldn't see me huffing and puffing and saying "hold still" as the wet tissues disintegrate, leaving me with many wet and dirty pieces. I didn't finally resort to pouring water directly onto his bottom, legs up in the air, hoping that would help things soak up a bit. He had, after all, been hiking with a messy diaper for a while. I would never have suggested we keep going and change the diaper later, despite the stench. Not me.

I didn't get a pretend ticket for speeding this morning from Peter, the police officer. I would never have ignored his notice {to go buy a car} and thereby receive another ticket for not following directions.

The cap is his sheriff's hat.

I wouldn't consider eating the pile of dumped yogurt off the floor, the yogurt I just put in his bowl for his snack. I didn't consider justifying the idea because the top part of the pile wasn't even touching the floor.

My child would never go to a different bathroom {after just being reprimanded for making a water mess} and begin filling a cup with water and dumping it directly onto the bathroom floor. Not my child!

I would never pass on one of my Pinterest-inspired projects to my husband, thinking he'd probably do a better job than me anyway. I don't give him endless projects to work on in his spare time. No way. Not me.

I'm not the kind of mother who would lock a room after cleaning it, to keep the kids out. I would never laugh out loud when my poor child has to pee and can't get to either of our toilets because the doors are all locked.

You know I wouldn't fail to read the soup recipe until after I had diced up five potatoes instead of one.

I wouldn't be silly enough to let my kids try out the gifts we bought for needy children in town. I wouldn't see how much fun they are having and consider buying two more. So they could each have one. I'm more rational than that.

My child, when asked "what word am I looking for" would never have quickly answered "poop". Not my child. And when I replied "no, the word was rational" he didn't instantly rhyme back "passional". Not him.

Have anything you need to share? Anything you didn't do today? Tell me in the comments or on Facebook!

Random and Meaningful

2011-12-03T20:36:00.000-08:00

Can I be random and meaningful at the same time? Let's find out.

I've been grasping, searching, feeling uncertain and confused. Ever since the let down of "31 days is over" and no more daily intensive writing projects and no more vision and clarity and purpose for my blog. I've been wondering what to write about. I've been getting more page views than ever before, more followers, more comments. Which is making me even more insecure about my content and wondering what people would like to read. I've been dabbling in other people's deals, like 5 Minute Friday and Tuesday's Unwrapped and Not Me Monday, hoping maybe that would bring structure and maybe jump start my creativity.

But I have felt like my writing and photography is a bit forced lately. It's not flowing with the freedom I would like. I've realized, as with other things in my life, that a blank page is sometimes best. More room to find out what's really on my mind. More room to uncover real meaning. Maybe I don't do so good with prompts.

You can't always plan a good sunset, but when you're there and it's brilliant, and you brought your camera, and the battery still has life -- it's a blessed moment.

We're missing the Christmas Lights Parade tonight -- kids are sleeping. So far, the advent calendar was a cool idea, but we've only hit one of three. The candles were fun for the boys to douse with water and practice blowing out. "Come light them again, mommy!" Not the atmosphere I had envisioned -- anyone for some candle-lit acapella Silent Night? -- but I bet they'll remember.

If you asked me why I blog, my answers wouldn't come as easily as they did a year ago. I seemed so carefree back then, so easy-going, so sure of myself. Now I'm tired. Don't have much time by myself. Don't have much time to write. Many of my initial reasons for blogging still hold true {creative release, document and share my life, connection, problem solving}. Absolutely. But it comes harder these days.

[insert rant about connection] It's so hard to feel connected when you're a stay-at-home-mom who only talks on the phone when it's absolutely necessary, texts three people, and can't seem to conjure up any communication on Facebook. [end of rant]

We all seriously miss this guy when he's gone all week. No, I haven't been out much.

The pastor talked about the nearness of Jesus in today's sermon -- that he's right there, with his arm around our shoulders, so close. Ready to come to our aid, ready to provide us with wisdom, patience, grace. If we'll just ask for it. He wants to breath through us, give us words to speak, change our body language and tone of voice. We're the temple, He indwells. I want to think about this all the time. I don't want to forget and fall back into a do-it-all-by-myself-cause-I'm-cool-that-way method of living. God with us. God inside us. I want that. When I'm too tired to do anything valuable, I want to think about Jesus. If only that came naturally to me.

We gave gifts in shoe boxes this year. Peter wanted to actually put the boxes onto the conveyor belt and watch the forklifts put them into the airplane. He wanted to deliver them to the needy children himself. Ya, me too. We do what we can -- we give money, food, coats -- but we don't often see the faces of the receivers. We don't get to see their grateful smiles. I read blog posts about people meeting their sponsored child in faraway countries, I read posts like this one full of amazing photographs, telling stories of God's love being told and change and progress and growth. I see and hear and I really want to take my little camera and go. I want to smell and touch and see for myself. I relate to "Doubting Thomas". I'm a five senses kinda gal. And for my blog? I want to tell their stories. It's a dream. I think about it a lot.

See? I told you this post would be random.

This guy draws mazes for himself now.

So. Where should my blog go from here? I love the way Kelle blogs -- but I don't live near the beach. Or have her amazing ability to capture all of life's small moments digitally. And I'm just not that crafty or energetic {seriously -- is it because she has girls??}. I love the way Hill blogs -- short, sweet, meaningful, always with a Bible verse and gifts -- and her photographs. Mmm. So nice. But it's her unique style, not mine. I enjoy reading Shaun Groves' writing, I always learn something from Ann, and I can stimulate my senses and get picture-inspired over with Carlotta. Each has their own special way of blogging, I love them all. But I'm searching to find my own way.

More photos? More words? More stories? More real life? Tell it like a memoir? Share advice? Ask for feedback? Just be random?

I'm itching to try this Pumpkin Cranberry Apple Pecan Bread and I really wish I knew what hairstyle looked best on me.

And I'll end with a quote that really made me think this week. Cause thinking is cool. I do a lot of it. ;)

"It’s a mistake to appraise the value of a created thing on the basis of my ability to appreciate it rather than God’s ability to use it." Shaun Groves in his post "Fan Mail"

One Thousand Gifts | 12.3

2011-12-03T07:02:00.000-08:00

the happy sounds of hide and seek -- loud counting and squeals

friends riding bikes together

cries of "carrot juice time!"

how excited they were to see daddy after missing him all week

the sun, just over the horizon, sharp rays of warmth, bringing a new day

watching him create mazes for me

how he says "oitmeal"

S+'s on his progress report

boys collaborating as they pretend play -- "you take this to the fire house, I'll drive the truck"

Peter admitting that he hid that piece of candy...in his tummy

invented games called "rocky rock" that both brothers enjoy

handled disappointment when brother breaks Lego toys or pretend fish hatcheries "oh well, let's build it again"

slide racing

my tomato cage Christmas trees lighting the room

Peter riding as passenger in the Jeep

high school band Christmas concerts

sitting really close to the fire

photos like this that remind me of warmer seasons

{229-246}

Five Minute Friday | Tired

2011-12-02T06:27:00.000-08:00

Tired. A common adjective word used to describe mothers, fathers, well -- really anyone. Ask someone how they're doing and you're hear either "fine", "tired", or "busy".

"...busy becomes this black hole that mysteriously abducts us away from the humble land of availability." --Kelle Hampton

I'm all three. But how am I really? Hard to smash it into one word. Hard to say it in one sentence even. Real life has so many layers.

The Great Physician? He's not tired. He's not too busy. And I doubt He's "fine". His heart breaks for humanity.

Isaiah 40:28 NIV
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

I'm up early again. I'm looking for renewed strength in His word. I'm looking to define myself with different adjectives.

The Hardest Thing

2011-12-01T20:24:00.000-08:00

For me, it's one of the hardest things about parenting.

Getting them to take me seriously. Using that firm, I'm-not-going-to-ask-you-again voice. Being confident and clear when discipline is necessary.

I'm a "nice girl". I don't like to be mean. I don't like conflict. I don't always understand sarcasm and can take things too personally. I'm sensitive. And in my early years of parenting, sometimes a pushover.

But parenting is not for pushovers.

Happy children need boundaries that they can count on. They need people that give them rules and routines.
They need consistency.

I can do that. But the hard thing, the very hardest thing is when they push the boundaries...they give me that look that says "I'll do it when I feel like it" and play sassy lassie...and I need to use my MAMA voice.

It's evolved -- that mama voice of you-betta-do-as-I-say. Started out kinda frantic and frustrated. Like "how could you?" and "haven't I said?" Lately it's more of a sigh and a calmer "I'm going to ask you one more time and I expect you to make the right choice". It's working a lot better. There are less tears, all around. But even with the higher success rate, I still just don't like having to be firm.

I have a memory of student teaching in a sixth grade classroom and having to send a troublemaker to the principal's office. The hand holding the phone was shaking, I didn't know what to say, I was afraid he wouldn't go. I didn't know how to deal with his misbehavior.

Every morning I get up and try to avoid conflict for as long as I can. It usually ends right around bath time. Sometimes we're still tranquil up until time-to-get-in-the-car time. Someone needs a boundary, my tone of voice changes, and my spirit instantly feels deflated.

I just feel so weary, so soul-tired from the firmness required in parenting. It goes against my grain. It saps my energy completely. I'm getting better at it, loving them is part discipline of course, but my oh my it puts a strain on my heart.

I don't like the creases in my forehead. The furrows of my brow. I really don't like using my big mama voice.

Baked Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal

2011-11-29T18:32:00.000-08:00

Oh winter. Thou cold dark winter. How I love thy twinkling Christmas lights. That is thine only redeeming factor.

Thou art cold. Thou art so dark. Thou makest photography ever harder. Thou art a menace.

But I will accept your apologies. As long as you send them with cinnamon and maple syrup. And a handful of raisins.

Baked Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal
inspired by the Dainty Chef
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 tsp baking powder
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 cups milk
2 eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 apples (any kind), peeled, cored, and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup raisins

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss together the oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, milk, egg, the melted butter, and the vanilla.

Place the diced apples in a single layer in the bottom of a medium casserole dish. Sprinkle about two-thirds of the raisins over the top of the apples, then cover the fruit with the oat mixture. Drizzle the milk mixture over the oats, making sure to distribute the milk as evenly as possible. Sprinkle the remaining raisins over the top of the oats.

Bake the oatmeal for 35-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the oats have set. Remove the oatmeal from the oven and serve warm. Serves 4-6. Enjoy!

I'm certain this would work with Smart Balance or oil, if you choose. I used butter cause I had it on hand.

Things We Do

2011-11-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

We get places more than half an hour early to soak in the morning sun and chilly air.

We might show up to the Thanksgiving 5K with feathers on our backsides.

We gobble while we're passing other runners. We take pictures while we run.

We play footsies with our friends while wearing chef hats and plaid.

We laugh. We eat. We might laugh while we eat. We enjoy delicious new recipes.

We play together. Sometimes very happily.

We "pause and celebrate the moment."
"Not what will be or what is to come, but what is real and true this day:
the messy, the lovely, and the unexpected."
--Emily Freeman--

Join Emily of Chatting at the Sky to see more posts about the sometimes hidden, yet beautiful moments in life.

Advent Calendar Activities

2011-11-28T16:31:00.000-08:00

To be perfectly honest, I feel pretty burnt out on life. I get a little flicker of "oh that was cute" or "love that sky" or "that sure smells good" every once in a while...and it feels real nice. But I'm not dancing around the room and making delicious treats every day and singing my socks off like I wish I was.

I'm lying on the couch with my toddler, while the big one blows his whistle to stop traffic. I'm staring blankly at the computer screen, searching desperately for inspiration. I know. It comes and goes.

So, in the practice of intention, I write out a list. A list of fun things for us to do together, a list of things we can do to help others, a list of holiday mood setting. Cause I'd love my kids to remember the festive season for its joys. Now for the energy to make that happen.

We're gonna need a few naps to do some of these evening things {hear that kiddos?}...

Here's my makeshift, made it in stages, hid the glue stick and put away the paper cutter before anything bad happened, without fancy numbering, just my sharpie scrawl. Course I wish it was nicer, but I'm doing what I can here. :) And that's enough.

candle lit bubble bath

parade of lights

wrap gifts for needy children

use puppets for interactive bedtime story

go out for frozen yogurt

take gifts to teachers

carol in our neighborhood

sing at the nursing home

attend Handel's Messiah concert

make cookie cutter cookies

take silly pictures wearing santa hats

take treats to friends

popcorn and movie {Charlie Brown}

ice skating

Christmas brunch with friends

gingerbread houses with Gma/Gpa

Christmas smoothie {spinach & cranberry swirl}

drive around town to see the lights

hot chocolate on road trip

snowball fight

The activities are on sticky notes affixed to the back of these papers

{they used to be little boxes...I cut them into two of these}

and after each day, we'll turn it around to show the pretty paper I glued onto the back.

Are you planning to do any of these activities next month? What are your holiday countdown traditions?

Dearest Housewife

2011-11-27T18:35:00.000-08:00

How would you describe yourself today?
Organizing junkie, rushed crafter, silly monkey puppeteer.

What are you thankful for?
Thankful that my husband did plenty of cooking and cleaning today. Happy watching the kids play hide and seek with daddy. Happy in the Christmas light glow.

What are you doing right now?
Wishing I had more time to read, catching up on email, cleaning off my desktop, thinking about future blog content, looking forward to an episode of Survivor, getting ready to hit my pillow.

What have you learned this week?
That balance is so so so so important. That I need to let my husband do things his way and micro-manage less. That my internal dialogue is internal...so they didn't hear me say that. That giving the children plenty of warning and giving them a say in making decisions helps them obey so much more readily. That I really need to give myself a break. That making conversation is still really hard for me and maybe making a list of nice things to ask people might help. That I only need two meals this time of year {yikes}. That I like things with pumpkin a lot more than my husband.

What do you love love love about this time of the year?
The glow of white Christmas lights {not LED}. The smell of butternut squash roasting. The smell of pretty much anything roasting. The intention people put toward being kind and being thankful. The long dark quiet evenings. The brisk air. The candlelight. The concerts. The children singing Christmas carols. The anticipation.

What makes your eyelids twitch?
The fact that I don't have a plethora of photographs to share right now. The sad state of my weary body, still sore from the Thanksgiving 5K. Thinking about the coming week.

Friday Finds

2011-11-25T15:37:00.000-08:00

Not much time to jot this down, but I wanted to share a few of my favorites with you this Friday. :)

Ann's beautiful and hard words speaking to thanksgiving for it all, even the difficult...because He knows. "To thank God in all is to bend the knee in allegiance to God Who alone knows all."

Kelle's words reminding me that we can make holidays meaningful, even if they aren't what we thought they would be like. Cause now I feel like I have to be the holiday matriarch. And it's not always like Grandma does it. But I'm baking a pie and throwing up some lights. Doing my best.

Thinking about going out on the road in a few weeks and what help these ideas might be. I like the car/road and the crayon idea the best.

You know I always answer "fine" when asked how I'm doing. But I like how the Gypsy Mama turns it all around..."[She] gives me friendship instead of fine. She gives me freedom to share my washer-packed-up, toilet-backed-up, kids-all-been-sick-all-week, sometimes-I-think-I’m-losing-my-mind, opposite-of-fine answers too."

I hope you're fine. I hope your pie turned out tasty. I hope you praise God even if you're not and it didn't.

I hope I remember that too. Because look what beauty He created for us!

Crocheted Owl Hat | GIVEAWAY

2011-11-24T11:35:00.000-08:00

My husband likes to prank me with plastic spiders. This morning the big black one was hiding under my washcloth, in the shower.

But this post isn't a prank. And it's not about spiders. I like owls a whole bunch more than spiders.

So bring on a cute owl hat giveaway!!

This might seem like deja vu if you've been following my blog for awhile. We gave away one of these before. But they're my favorite, so I'm fine with a repeat performance. Are you fine? ;)

These crocheted owl hats are top quality, super comfy {no complaints of itchiness} and you get to choose the colors.

We have a pink one too {for photo shoots} and I've given a few as gifts.

You should have one too. She even makes them adult size. =D

So -- Happy Thanksgiving and Black Friday and National Cake Day {if you celebrate that}. Now it's time to win a hat!

-------

Here are the ways you can enter this giveaway:

#1. Leave a comment below telling me what three colors you would put together to make your own beautiful owl hat. It'll be fun. Let out your inner matchy matchy.

#2. Share this giveaway {Twitter, Facebook, email, snail mail, flying pigeon, message in a turkey} and leave a comment telling how you shared.

And if you can't wait until November 30th to see if you win, you can go visit her shop today and order yourself a custom owl hat! Use this code -- HOUSEWIFEINTOWN {all caps} for 20% off your order!

These make fabulous Christmas gifts, stocking stuffers, you know....let's get Bri's crochet hook moving. =)

Winner will be chosen at random and announced on this blog on Thursday, December 1st.

Orange, Cranberry and Pistachio Scones

2011-11-23T16:12:00.000-08:00

We're revisiting the land of scones, somewhere we visited often last spring.

We've been boosting our immune systems with lots of grapefruit and oranges lately.
It was time for a treat, but something not too sweet. Scones = perfect.

With orange zest and fresh cranberries and pistachios? Beyond perfect. And you know how much I like perfection. :p

I made these scones twice -- wasn't super happy with the first version, but didn't want to give up on a recipe with such promise. I shifted the measurements a bit...less flour, more cranberries, added orange juice to the milk. It was a bit risky, but the results were phenomenal. This baker is happy. ;)

Moist. Just a bit of crunch. Zesty. Sour pockets. PERFECT.

Orange, Cranberry and Pistachio Scones
inspired by Two Peas and Their Pod and Drizzle and Drip
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, cut into small pieces
zest of one orange + 1 T juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 milk
1 egg
3/4 cup cranberries
1/4 cup pistachios

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, rub the sugar and orange zest together with your fingers. Whisk into the flour mixture. Add cold butter pieces to the flour mixture. Cut in butter using a pastry blender, fork, or your hands.

In a small glass measuring cup, whisk the milk, orange juice and egg together. Pour over dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until moist. Gently stir in the fresh cranberries and pistachios. Transfer dough to a floured counter top and knead until dough comes together. The dough should be moist, but not sticky.

Shape dough into a large circle. Use a floured rolling pin to roll out the scone dough. Cut dough into wedges and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until scones are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Makes 10 medium triangles.

Hope you like them!

Meals on a Monday: Thanksgiving

2011-11-21T20:49:00.000-08:00

things were upside down in our house today

it might be the cold windy weather that keeps us inside

or the mommy with a "short string"

nevertheless we all hope tomorrow goes better

and the day after that

and especially the day after that

it's a holiday week

time for lots of eating and celebrating

we just have to convince the kids that they should eat the food and feel happy

maybe I should show them some of these pictures

think that would help?

tomorrow we might make a pie together

sweet potato dinner rolls from good life eats

vegan green bean casserole from sunny vegan

pomegranate roasted butternut squash salad from good life eats

carrots with maple syrup from gourmand recipes

sweet potato buttermilk pie from smitten kitchen

pumpkin challah from simple bites

pecan pie from simple bites

molasses praline muffins from family fun magazine

Wishing all of you a very happy week with lots of intentional family time and fun memories made together!

We Found Some White Stuff

2011-11-20T17:32:00.001-08:00

Everyone has been talking about snow on Facebook. Either they have it already, or they don't want it to come, or they do.
We don't {have any yet}. So we went up about _____ ft in elevation {really, I have no clue}, and found some.

More than we expected to find! Good thing we brought the big kid's snowshoes.

Our first priority was photo shoot -- getting some fun shots for our Christmas card this year. We set up the tripod and got right to it, numb fingers trying to work the working-half-the-time remote, amping the kids up for smiles, trying to hold the garland just right.

It would have been cool with just white behind the ~~red~~ pink{?} letters, but seriously? You can't ask for much better with a two year old. We got the shot.

And then we tried the whole >hold-your-kids-upside-down thing that I saw on Pinterest. And managed to get both kids crying. Well, Ezra was crying already, cause his gloves got wet and thrown into the snow and his hands were now a deep shade of cold purpley red.

Maybe next year.

Phase Two: Put Ezra in the warming car to heat up. Phase Three: Toss Peter into the snow and do our level best to make a crazy snow-lover out of him.

Check and check.

Time flew, we got some more fun pictures. We played "snow olympics" {run as fast as you can through three feet of snow without falling}. We tossed snow in cute faces. We watched the snow plow.

And then we got back on the road, headed home. Fun drive, great fluffy snow, nice day trip. We'll work on the glove thing for Ezra and go back up soon.

This Moment

2011-11-19T21:30:00.001-08:00

Well, earlier today, that is.

He's In The Temple

2011-11-19T07:03:00.001-08:00

The sun cast its sharp rays down like heated daggers, making them bow their heads and wipe their brows as they walked. It was bright. She squinted as she picked her way across the rocky path. The journey home would take four days, maybe more. They timed their stops carefully, making sure there was water available and shelter from the sun.

The group was stopping up ahead -- time to rest and replenish her water supply. She looked around at the sweaty, tired faces. She hadn't seen her friend, Jesus, all day. He didn't seem to be with his parents, which was unusual. She wondered which part of the group he was traveling with.

But now she saw Mary and Joseph, worry etched on their foreheads, asking -- "have you seen our son?" "have you seen Jesus?"

"No...no, I haven't seen him all day. I haven't talked with him since before we left the city," she replied.

They dreaded the thought of retracing their steps, losing the company of friends and family, and adding another two days of walking to their cross-country trek. But if their son was missing....

They would do anything to find him.

So, after asking and asking and realizing that no one had seen him that day, they turned back to face the golden city and began walking, quickly this time, anxious to find the missing one.

The one they were to guard and protect. The one they were entrusted by God himself to raise.

Missing.

They ran at times, stopping to rest and catch their breath. It was a very hot day and they mustn't use up their water too quickly. So they paced themselves, wiping tears, trying not to blame each other.

"Oh Joseph, how could I have gone so far without him?"

Finally, they neared the city gates. With renewed energy, they began asking, asking -- "have you seen a twelve-year-old boy?" "have you seen our son?" Nobody.

They are discouraged. Distraught.

So Mary and Joseph sit down in the street together, thinking over the past few days of Passover, trying to piece together something, anything, that might lead them to Jesus.

And all their memories lead to one place. They look at each other and mouth the words -- "He's in the temple". New hope in their steps, they hurry past vendors and beggars, race up the temple steps, then slow to show respect and to listen. And they hear his still-childlike voice in the distance. They hear his voice.

Following the sound, they soon find him, seated in front of the teachers of the temple, face upturned and radiant. They don't wait to hear the conversation, but barge in, spilling feelings of frustration and hurt.

“Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” Luke 2:48 NIV

And he turns to look at them, eyes wide, mind wiser for the last two days of learning. He sees them -- grasping, aching. Their faces all happy and sad. They reach out to him, seeking reunification. He speaks softly. "Didn't you know I would be here? Why search for me? I'm learning about my Father." {my own translation}

He doesn't run to them. His eyes speak maturity and growth. His body hesitates as if facing a difficult decision. He turns to thank the teachers. Then walks toward his parents. Clasping their hands, one on each side, he looks first at Joseph, then at Mary. "Let's go," he says.

And they walk down the temple steps, hand in hand, but worlds apart.

Jesus. Taking on humanity. Choosing to be WITH US. Again.

Learning about Fall and Night in the Country

2011-11-18T17:02:00.000-08:00

Hibernation. Frosty windows. Bare tree branches. Cold moonlit nights.

It's all part of this time of year, this season we call Autumn.

whispers of snow

young laughter echo

first lights glow

candle smoke blow

And what we all want to know {well, at least my shivering four year old sure does} -- why do we have this season of cold and darkness? What happened to summer? Many people really don't know!

One of our favorite books to read this time of year is "In November" by Cynthia Rylant.

It's dreamy. Sensory-stimulating.

Thought provoking. She makes the best analogies.

Nature makes a bed with blankets of snow for animals to cozy up under,

trees without leaves are like dancers, and the "sun is a sometime friend..."

Anticipating: A backyard campfire roasting hot dogs on sticks. A trip to the snow for pictures! Peter's half birthday.

Listening: Selah's album Rose of Bethlehem

Considering: Making some crocheted Christmas socks/stockings.

Happy weekend. :)

5 Minute Friday [Grow]

2011-11-18T08:22:00.001-08:00

{five minutes to free write -- GO} I've grown. Grown as a person, grown as a mother. Five years ago I wouldn't have imagined myself with two children, writing, taking pictures, working out. I didn't really know what I would be like.

Relationships have helped me grow. Marriage is probably the hardest place to learn how to get along with someone else, but boy howdy, it works. It smooths our rough edges, it forces us to think about things from another perspective.

Children will stretch you in ways you never thought possible. Sometimes I feel like a piece of joint grass -- I've done all the growing I can...then well, there's another joint and some more growth. Another stage. Another battle of wills. Another place to grow.

And we certainly do. Who knows what we'll be like in twenty years {boy that seems far off right now!}, but like a tree, we'll have new rings of understanding and new heights of knowledge. And we'll be beautiful. {stop}

Coconut Chick Pea Curry with Yams

2011-11-17T15:19:00.000-08:00

This morning, while putting together this quick, easy little recipe, I listened to Lisa Byrne chatting with Tsh about foods that are great to eat in the winter. Yams were on the list! They are high in omega-3 fatty acids and they moisturize and lubricate our bodies with healthy fat, reducing inflammation and increasing the fluidity of our blood.

So I got even more excited about eating one of my favorite meals -- Coconut Chick Pea Curry with lots of yams on top of Jasmine rice with Cha'i Pow Yu on the side.

Chai Pow what? you say! Gluten. In a can. With some pretty tasty seasoning. ;) The kids LOVE it. Not a day goes by that Ezra doesn't open the pantry cupboard and find a can of it and carry it around the house, asking me for some. Repeatedly.

So today he was happy. Although he left behind the bed of rice and curry, eating only the "Yu". Oops.

This is more than simple to make, especially if you use canned garbanzos...

Just start by peeling and dicing up your yam...and away you go.

Coconut Chick Pea Curry
my very smart husband designed it
1 1/2 cups garbanzo beans, rinsed and sorted, soaked overnight {or two cans, drained and rinsed}
1 can coconut milk with about 1/2 can of water {depending on how thick you like it}
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large yam, diced
1 cup tomatoes, chopped {or one can of diced tomatoes with juice}
1 T curry powder
salt to taste

Combine all of these ingredients and cook! Pressure cooker -- 18 minutes. Slow Cooker -- 6 hours. Medium pot on the stove -- bring to a boil, then simmer for 45 minutes or so. Longer if you used uncooked garbanzos. You know the drill.

Many garnishes may apply: cilantro, basil, soy sauce, the aforementioned Cha'i Pow Yu...I'm sure you can think of more. Enjoy!

Today

2011-11-17T14:32:00.001-08:00

Today we read a couple books about pumpkins. And leaves.

Today we painted a couple pumpkins in our favorite pastels.

Today Peter designed his own version of a tree in fall.

Today Ezra looked as cute as ever.

Christmas Card Time

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

It's raining. The kids are taking a nap. I feel like a mama bear tucked inside my warm den.

The leaves have almost finished falling, leaving bare twigs and branches. I don't remember seasons ever passing as quickly as they have this year. Spring, no summer, no fall, no...I think it's winter again already. Will life slow down again or does this ride only race on faster and faster?

Racing right on toward Christmas, which is looking to be very exciting and full of fun times...and you know what the holiday season brings? Christmas cards! Oh yes. Oh boy.

This year, we hope to take pictures in the snow again. Remember last year's photo shoot? Wowie. Maybe that has been awhile.

November 2010

This year I have some great ideas for photo shoots {thank you Pinterest}. Want to see??

Thank you Meadowbrook Farm and A Bryan Photo for the inspiration!

A couple candy canes and a garland, a trusty tripod and a trip to the mountains, and then we get to choose which design will showcase our photos best. Which of these three would you choose?? Tiny Prints has so many options -- I didn't even look at them all. I love the new circle ornament design. Cool, right? If everyone did that, we'd have a tree full of friendly smiles! But I'm leaning toward the last design, only because it allows for six photos instead of one. :)

Click on any of these cards to see the design on the Tiny Prints website and personalize with your own photos!

Maybe I'll even have a moment to get my header in the right season -- can't have half naked babies up there anymore... ;)

Happy holidays everyone!!

Pumpkin Chili and Cornbread

2011-11-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

More often than I'd like to admit, I'll take the easy road and open up a can of Worthington Chili to feed the hungry pulling-on-my-sleeve chilluns. {We're seriously working on that...yeah. The whole "have patience while I cook for you" bit.} But the fact is -- they'd rather eat it cold from the can anyway.

And sometimes I do too. {shh} But we are a sophisticated family {hah} and sometimes we eat chili warm, with green peppers and onions and tomatoes and pureed pumpkin. See?

And sometimes, when the stars align, we have cornbread too. Fresh out of the oven. Made with the freshest pumpkin you can find {in a can}.

Yes, I bought those cute little sugar pumpkins for baking. Yes, I baked one. Yes, it's still in the fridge. Why can something so presumably easy be so hard to finish up? Kinda like the last few seams on a sewing project. There it sits.

We'd rather eat it cold from the can anyway. {I guess.}

But see this delicious cornbread? Quick, easy to make, and steaming with pumpkin spice goodness.

It even has molasses in it. Enough that I could taste it. Mmmm.

So pumpkin, it is. A two for one deal.

{And please don't read the food reviews from my two year old

who turned his bowl of chili upside down onto the table and then

tossed his spoon onto the floor, splattering the wall and baseboard.

He really doesn't know up from down yet. Give him a few years.}

Pumpkin Chili
inspired by Whole Foods Market, but "vegetarianized"

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped {optional, in my opinion}
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can Worthington Chili {or you could use TVP -- textured vegetable protein}
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their liquid
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée {or about 1 1/2 cups if using a larger can}
1 cup water
1 tablespoon chili powder {more if you omit jalapeños}
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
salt to taste

Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, jalapeños and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add can of chili, tomatoes, pumpkin, water, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and add beans. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes more.

Pumpkin Cornbread
borrowed from Two Peas and Their Pod, showcased at Tasty Kitchen, changed not a bit

1 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup cornmeal
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon molasses

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and grease an 8×8″ baking dish.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, spices, brown sugar, and cornmeal.
In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs, and then stir in the pumpkin, oil, and molasses.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined, and then pour the batter into the pan, smoothing out the top as much as possible.
Bake 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Not Me Monday

2011-11-15T18:58:00.001-08:00

Ya, I know. It's Tuesday. I seem to be getting everything done a day late these days. Good thing Tim is in charge of getting the garbage out. This was supposed to be a "Not Me Monday" post, but it's too late to link up and sometimes my brain can't quite work through the double negatives, so let's just do a simple "It's Me, ~~Monday~~ Tuesday" post. How's that?

I have this problem with opening a can of pureed pumpkin and then feeling obligated to make a double batch of whatever it is I'm baking, or maybe three other recipes that call for pumpkin. And then I'll be in the middle of my fourth recipe and need another half cup of pumpkin after emptying that first can. So I open another. And it can get a little out of hand.

I get excited about new seasons and start dreaming and pinning and come up with ~~amazing~~ crazy ideas for parties and invite ~~all~~ some of my friends and then realize I've bitten off WAY more than I can chew and I have to scale back to everyone-bring-a-pizza-and-we'll-paint-pumpkins and then the kids spend about five minutes painting and the rest of the evening tearing around the house like little undirected hoodlums. Which is obviously normal.
But I pictured them quietly painting and listening to me read stories.

I latch onto ideas like Operation Christmas Child and think about how great it will be for my kids to think about others and lose their ego-centrism for even a moment and we spend a ~~blissful~~ hairy two hours shopping for toys, school supplies and personal hygiene items and just barely make it home for bedtime, without supper. And I'm not sure the idea of gift-giving got across, but I'm pretty sure the idea of stay-in-the-shopping-cart did. And the tears may or may not have been worth it.
But I just wanted to make a fun memory and teach them to be generous.

I am trying to create a gift list for the holidays, all the items handmade, of course, some sewn with the sewing machine I gave away in a moment of frustrated "I'm-never-going-to-have-time-to-do-anything-fun-by-myself-ever-again" and each perfect for the recipient, even though I don't even know their favorite colors. #hardtohavedeeprelationshipswithfarawayrelatives I just want to be the best, genuinest gift-giver ever, and this happens every holiday season and I get super overwhelmed and typically give up, with not much to show for all my mental agony. My love language is not gifts. But I wish I could do better!

I feel so depressed that I can't keep my kids happy all the time. I don't like being the "mean mom". I hate it when they cry. I know I have to be firm, but it's the hardest thing about this job. I get so weary.

I argue with my child about how many stickers should go on the OCC shoe box. He wants only one on each. I think more would be pretty. #whocares?

I hover, picking up the sticky pieces of rice off my children's clothes and up from the floor as they drop. I entreat my children to lean over the table, to try very hard not to make messes. I might be slightly annoying.

I'm a day late. I'm trying to kick this perfectionism thing. I'm consistently disappointed in myself.
And yet I'm always trying so hard.

I feel like this post needs a happy ending. A great quote. Something!

Aha. Perfect. {thanks for pinning this, Sarah!!!}

{guilty as charged. don't look so shocked, mom!}

Linking up with Hill at Capturing Motherhood who tries to do too much too *heart*

I Heart Faces: Autumn Splendor

2011-11-15T07:32:00.001-08:00

a hard cold night

and down they come yellow and golden

piles of joy

their last hurrah

being thrown with glee and pleasure

best ending ever

One Thousand Gifts: 11.13

2011-11-13T06:26:00.001-08:00

"Make me blessing, God of Grace, and make me Bread, Bread of Heaven and I will not let go of you until you make me a blessing, God who is a river of blessings and calls all the blessings to flow on and on, never running out."

~Ann Voskamp in Ecuador

~thousands of gifts~

the giggles amid popping packing bubbles

moonlit walks with my husband

piles of husband-made bagels on kitchen counters

long family stroller walks, with cries of "Christmas lights!"

such creative drawings and other Peter creations

leaf throwing

kids enjoying bath time together

visiting Ecuador vicariously

seeing an owl in early morning light

inspirational sermons

snuggles with my sleepy two-year-old

cleaning helpers, he now vacuums and cleans mirrors!

time to relax

seeing faraway grandparents on the computer screen

watching parades with friends

three day weekends

my loving husband

that we have more than enough

{211-228}

Friday Finds

2011-11-11T17:00:00.000-08:00

A quick share of my favorite things this week. Think of it as a "pinning" to my blog, if you will. Because not all of these links are "pinnable". Oh the things we have concocted in this day and age. {I love Pinterest, but I imagine my grandparents might shake their heads...}

So. Want to bake an apple pie? This is a comprehensive tutorial -- very easy for us beginners in the kitchen to follow. I haven't tried the recipe yet, but it looks promising. I like the idea of using maple syrup as a natural sweetener. Want to see if it works and let me know? :)

Let's Bake an Apple Pie from Simple Bites

Next up is a list -- 40 outdoor activities to do even when it's cold outside. No hibernating allowed this winter. :)

40 Things to Do Outside With Your Family Rather Than Hibernate from 4Tunate

Have you been following the Compassion bloggers who are in Ecuador right now? I just love seeing their pictures and hearing their stories and getting that glimpse of life outside our small town/state/country/hemisphere. It's inspirational. Ann Voskamp is there, with her husband, writing {of course} powerful words that speak truth to me. I love how she tells the story of her husband, the pig farmer, meeting a soul mate in Ecuador.

Because God Really Knows How to Meet Needs from A Holy Experience

It's a fun time of year for gift-giving and spreading happiness. I'd love to jump on this bandwagon...read all about the Happy Day Project and get inspired with her cute printables and terrific ideas to spread joy.

The Happy Day Project from Joy's Hope

My home would look much more rustic if I were able to handpick and decorate to my heart's content. Did you see the tree branch curtain rod on Pinterest? Yeah. That's me. With lots of white and blue. And wood. So naturally, these milk crates caught my eye for toy or clothes storage.

Lovely Milk Crates from Life Chasers

I've done this a couple times with Peter, but not hardly often enough. Please remind me, k? It's called dictating their stories. They talk, you write. Seems like Peter told a story about a donkey and a motorcycle...a long long time ago. :) So yes, more of this soon.

Taking Dictation: Crafting Stories With Young Kids from Simple Kids

I've been loving the comments from new readers, coming to read my 31 Days to Happier Children series. Welcome! And just in case you wanted one more great article to read... ;)

10 Little Things Good Parents Do from Todays Parent

I can relate to Kelle Hampton as she talks about her childhood -- homeschooled, not a huge posse of friends... And I really appreciate and will be referring back to her friendship tips, like remembering the little details. I'm still learning how to be a friend.

Friend I Want to Be from Enjoying the Small Things

And how many times have I prayed very general prayers, like "be with my family" or "help my kids to understand your love". But my blogger friend Hill helped me understand the purpose of specific prayer. She says "I think that He wants us to pray specifically so that when He answers that request, we know that it is from Him. And nothing else. And no one else. But from Him. And Him alone. So that He may get the glory. Because He gives specifically and He gives generously." That makes sense to me. Read the rest of her post...

Praying Specifically from Capturing Motherhood

And just in case some of you are craftier than I and have an excess of paper cups...check out this elegant {I think!} looking wreath! From far away I bet you couldn't tell what it is made of!

Paper Cup Wreath from Twig and Thistle

And last up, a video {yay I made a list of eleven things on 11/11/11!!} -- I love her voice and this version of her song.

Book Review: Raised Right

2011-11-10T19:12:00.000-08:00

This book is not what you'd typically find on my window-sill for right-before-bed-reading. Politics? Not something I'd really like to discuss. Mostly because I feel ignorant, partly because I don't like arguing, and a big slice of genetic avoidance {that's my own big word description of "my dad talked about politics all the time so I don't want to"}.
And reason number one is directly related to numbers two and three. I avoid controversial topics, thus, I am ignorant. I don't even listen to the news {so please Facebook me if anything big happens!}.

So. Why did I pick up this book and give it a cursory look over? Because it's written by a young girl {my age} and because on the cover she plainly suggests that the book is about separation of church and state.

Not all Christians are Republican. Not all Democrats believe in abortion. Not all. Less generalizing, people.
More awareness and acceptance.

It's an easy read only because of the stories and personal experiences Alisa shares. It's not easy material. She grew up picketing abortion clinics and attending political rallies. She has seen political intensity.

One of my favorite quotes is this, in reference to her experience as a news reporter watching a heated protest against homosexuality:

"Perhaps they believed their rebukes communicated love, just as a caring parent rebukes a child. That the child sees the chastising as cruel doesn't change the fact that the parent has the child's best interests at heart."

"Then I realized why these efforts at love sounded hollow--because this love was not the way I experienced love every day. Even setting aside the arrogance suggested by viewing all other sinners as children and saved sinners as the world's in loco parentis, I know my parents love me because they sacrifice to feed and clothe me every day. In the end that burden of labor and sacrifice is what gives them any right to be heard or believed when they say 'I love you' after they say, 'You're wrong.'"

It's a real book. Alisa writes from her heart. She shares how her politics have shifted from childhood to young adulthood and shares how her faith has become more tangible and action-oriented.

What matters most to her now? What will she pass on to her children?
To care -- battling the cynicism and despair and continuing to care.
To love -- not just with words, but with actions.
To take heart -- retaining optimism with the ultimate redemption of the world in mind.

"As Jesus urged His followers, 'Take heart! I have overcome the world'--not through a show of power but a picture of love." ~Alisa Harris

-----

This book was provided by Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.
If you enjoyed reading my review, please click below to give me some stars! Thanks!

We Have Much, We Have Enough

2011-11-10T16:31:00.000-08:00

This time of year there's a lot of talk about gratitude. I totally love the concept. I think it's a great practice that we should teach our children. We should be intentional about it.

But I'm so often not.

I cry when my husband leaves for work early and comes home late. Then I remind myself that I HAVE a husband. Who will be home all weekend.

I complain about my "overwhelming" and "busy" life. Then I read about the grandmother in Ecuador who works fourteen hour days, six days out of the week, to support her grandchildren.

I sweat and grunt over the long-left chunks of sticky on my white tile floor. Many live in homes with floors of swept dirt.

Aaah. It seems right to stuff my feelings in guilt for others who have different, most likely harder life circumstances than mine. I should stop the tears, remembering the moms who won't see their husband for months. I should push through the business, doing more, without complaint, because that's what so many others have to do. Maybe I shouldn't even clean my floor. I might become overwhelmed with the unfair "easiness" of my life and grow cynical.

But I'm guessing they would say -- "it's OK, cry for a minute as he says goodbye...it reminds you how dear he is...it's OK to want more time".

And "time is a tricky thing, we all want more, but then we realize what we have is just enough".

And "clean those floors, enjoy the feeling of fulfillment -- every mother loves the gift of a clean house, dirt floor or not".

You see -- the other 96% of the population is grateful too. Because they have enough. Because God gives us just what we need, whether we believe it or not.

Counting my gifts has been a helpful practice, although sporadic at times. I want to see joy in the smallest moments, in the bluest of skies, in the crispest air. I want to recognize and accept God's gifts to me.

But what I've learned today is that my praise needs to go deeper. Down to the deepest parts of my life -- all the things I take for granted. It sounds trivial or even kind of cheesy to say "thank you for my husband" but really. Thank you. Thank you for my husband. Thank you for my warm home. Thank you for my children, beautiful and healthy. Thank you for the ability to save money, extra after the month's expenses. Thank you for friends and community. Thank you for family.

I'm a perfectionist. I hold myself to an impossible standard. I have high standards for everyone else too. But when I'm not satisfied in a relationship with another person, when I'm holding back my thanksgiving for them because they aren't meeting my needs or reaching my standards, I am blind to the gift that they are.

I am thankful that I have four living grandparents. I am thankful that my parents live in town. I am thankful that my boys have such good friends. I am thankful for my pastor and thriving church family. I am thankful for you, reading this.

I want to be thankful for the things I take for granted. And I want to think about that more. So I'm writing about it. I'd love to hear what you think too.

I'll not be guilty over my clean floor, or over my relaxing, productive day, or because my husband will be home soon to spend the weekend with us. I'll be grateful. Super grateful.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-09T20:48:00.000-08:00

Enthusiasm, or not.

2011-11-08T04:50:00.000-08:00

Somebody forgot to tell my eldest this morning that his mother blogs about happy kids. And how much we love outdoor adventures. He was neither happy nor enjoying the outdoors this morning. Wrong hat. Itchy foot. Too cold. Tired legs.

And I wasn't super sympathetic. More peeved. You will enjoy this! This is good for us! Outdoor play will make us happier!

The younger one had plenty of smiles and giggles, finding sticks to pretend with and playing hide and seek in the tall grasses. Eventually Peter caught some of his enthusiasm as we listened for birds and tried to mimic the chickadee.

We won't always want to do the things that are for our good. It might take some trying.
It's usually the last half of a workout that feels the best.

The effort is always worthwhile, even when we sometimes feel like giving up. We won't give up. We'll keep doing what we know makes us happy. Even when it's not instantly gratifying. Even when the cold nips our noses.

And eventually, at least one of us will have a screamin' good time.

We're currently in that in-between stage -- somewhere between "can't-believe-summer-is-already-gone" and "why-were-we-wishing-for-winter?" Peter might want to take back all his yearnings for cooler weather. I told him today that he'll need to learn to adjust to the temps...cause we won't be staying inside all winter. No siree. Gotta embrace what we get.

What are you going to do today, that you know is for your good, but might take some trying? Just do it!

Meals on a Monday: Apple Inspiration

2011-11-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

Food blogging makes me a little giddy.

If I had more time on my hands, I'd be trying all these recipes,

photographing my process, and sharing the goods with friends.

Don't these pictures make you want to put on your apron and do some bakin'?

Apple Oatmeal Cookies by Joseph's Grainery

Baked Apple Pancake with Apple Cider Syrup by Pinch of Yum

Apple Cake with Crumb Topping by Pham Fatale

Apple Cake Muffins by Kohler Created

Homemade Applesauce by The Family Kitchen

Apple Cider Glazed Donuts by Cherry Tea Cakes

Appledoodles by Gimme Some Oven

Apple Cinnamon Cake by The Pastry Affair

For now, I'll just work on remembering to add important ingredients like sugar {oops, y'all} and hopefully find some time to learn more about food photography, which is a completely amazing art in itself. Not enough to make a fabulous recipe, now we have to display it in a well-lit but not overly sunny environment and snap a crispy clear photograph. A challenge I want to eventually achieve.

So -- happy apple days to all. It's still going to be pretty pumpkiney around here...but soon, soon, there will be apple treats too. With cinnamon. And caramel. Oh yum. :)

Gonna Miss This: Chocolatey Fingers

2011-11-06T06:09:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin chocolate muffins

were a special treat

licking off all the chocolate

is an impossible feat

----
So often we think of parenting as a messy job -- poop, tantrums, and screaming.
You bet. But you know what? There are a thousand things we will miss. A Thousand.
So take a picture, write a poem or prose, share an anecdote -- remind yourself of the things you don't want to forget.
And then blog about it. Inspire yourself, inspire others.
Share with us this week, because we're all gonna miss this.

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Falling

2011-11-05T15:40:00.002-07:00

Coping with an overwhelming life.
Re-evaluating priorities.
Detoxing after writing for 31 days in a row.
Drinking in fall beauty.
Playing in the leaves.
Failing miserably in the kitchen.
Spending more time with my husband.
Planning learning activities and family time for the coming week.

And now trying to fit writing back in there somewhere.

I wonder if a spider ever hurries while spinning its web. Because it really doesn't have time. Because it really needs to be in two other places doing a thousand different things. I wonder if a spider needs to analyze his priorities.

Probably not. Mr. {Mrs?} Spider probably doesn't have nearly the choices, nearly the options of things to do with his time. Most likely a simpler, easier way to live life.

But there is blessing in having choice in the way I spend my time. I simply wish there was more of it.

Every minute spent here in the warm sunshine and crisp fall air, piling up and tossing leaves...every one of these moments is joy-filled. And time slows as I forget about the beans on the stove and the posts I want to write and the crumbs on the floor. Time slows as I enjoy the precious moments.

For us -- we're learning that it's about doing the things we love. Not saying yes to everything and everyone. Not doing the things that other people love. Or want us to love. It's doing what we love.

So we do have to say no to things. Which is very hard for me. I want to go to everyone's parties, I want to make food for everyone who needs it, I want to schedule play dates with everyone. Well, I *want* to....to make you happy. {ya know?} But it might compromise our families happiness, which no -- that's not what I want. It's really tough.

I might need another few minutes in the leaves to sort it all out.

Bottom line: We are here on this planet for a purpose. We need to live with purpose. We only have so much time. We need to prioritize with this in mind. It's all about stewardship. And probably goal-setting too. Aaaaah...I feel my brain taking a little trip toward Family Mission Statement writing.

Because in everything we choose to do, we should ask -- "Does this activity line up with what we want for our family?" "Is my time spent here helping me reach my personal goals?"

I think when the kids wake up {oh blessed long-forsaken Sabbath afternoon nap}, I'll play some piano and we'll make some music to praise Jesus. Because the answer to those two questions would be YES and YES.

And then we'll probably bundle up and go back outside. Because we're still falling in love with fall.

Spiced Pumpkin Granola

2011-11-02T08:23:00.001-07:00

Sometimes life just gets too full. Mom wants to do it all. She needs to sit down and figure out what the most important things are.

Have you ever made a list of things you think you should do? As mother/wife/friend/daughter/teacher {...}? Daunting. Then add the things you want to do personally...just for you. Then add the list of values you want to teach your children. And the 31 other things that will make everyone happier.

Did I mention answering the hundred very important questions of a four-year-old? Like where is my balloon, mommy? Because certainly you are watching his every movement and know where everything is in the house at all times.

And did you forget to put the bucket of beads out of reach after spending twenty minutes picking them all up and encouraging your child to learn the fine are of helping? Because now you get to do it all over again.

And the demands -- the big one often cries "mommy can I have a piece of bread? how about a bowl of granola?" and the little one can say "yogurt" and "crackers" very well now. And they are both very good at the "can-I-eat-that-plate-of-whatever-that-is-that-you-just-fixed-for-yourself?" trick. Unless it's curry or enchiladas or one of the ten other things that I just slaved over in the kitchen that they no longer find appetizing.

To say that it's overwhelming would be an understatement.

Sorry. That might have been a tangent. We're here to talk about granola! And pumpkin.

But in thinking about granola this morning, it made me think about life.
All its ingredients, some little, some big. All the chunks we want to enjoy in each day.

It's a lot like raisins and pistachios in granola.

So I made a little list, just for fun.

3/4 cup couple time
1/2 cup writing
2 Tbsp. reading
1 Tbsp. party planning
2 tsp. emailing family and friends
1 tsp. chocolate
1 tsp. travel planning
3 cups healthy meals
1 cup outdoor play
1 cup circle time
1 cup prayer walking
1 cup jazzercise
{you know it's not all-inclusive...I shower too}

See -- life is just like granola. Oh, you wanted the real recipe? With raisins, cranberries, and pumpkin puree?

You bet. You'll like it. :)

Unless you are independently wealthy -- this may not be your daily fare. The ingredient list would break the bank. But for a seasonal treat -- definitely. :) This recipe makes one small pan of granola. I would estimate that it's about ten-twelve servings.

Spiced Pumpkin Granola
thanks to Oprah for this one
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp. canola oil or olive oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. kosher salt
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup roughly chopped pecans
1 cup pistachios
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 325°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar, oil, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, cardamom, and salt. Add oats, pecans, and pistachios (if using), and toss to coat. Spread evenly on prepared baking sheet and bake 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Stir in raisins and cranberries (if using), and continue baking until oats are just crisp, about 15 minutes more. Stir one last time, then set aside to cool completely.

School Room Reveal

2011-11-01T07:47:00.000-07:00

This room has been in progress for a LONG time. It started out as Peter's nursery when we first moved to town.

Then it was the "piano room". Then Ezra's nursery. Then Peter's room again.

And now, finally, with both boys sleeping on their respective bunks in one room, we have a school/play room and I'm excited. :)

My husband put up the shelves yesterday {thank you honey!}. Here you can see pipe cleaners and beads, scrabble tiles, crayons, and flash cards on shelves. The silly twine/clothes pins deal is what I call the "word wall". I pin sight words up there for us to review {haven't done much of this yet, but we will}. And after my scary spilled-water-on-laptop experience, I am happy to start using this on-the-wall screen for Curious George viewing and hopefully {with the addition of a keyboard and mouse} Starfall.

On the other shelf we have art materials -- stamps, pens, pom-poms, paper punches, watercolor paints, and stickers, as well as some learning supplies -- cuisenaire rods and dominoes. My husband and I made these fabulous pallet bookshelves....which of course don't hold even half of our books...but they look cool. :)

I made the paper chain quite a while back...it's held together OK. With a few staple repairs here and there.

Just don't hang on it, please.

See -- there are the dominoes. Currently being used for building projects. And demolition.

Goodwill curtains that I LOVE. Puppet theater that I made and the kids have yet to get interested in.

And musical instruments on the right.

And the toys!! Lego, pretend food and kitchen supplies, cars, magneatos, letter tiles, and more.

Like it? I think it'll work for us. =)

Model It | Day Thirty-One

2011-10-31T06:25:00.000-07:00

"What you teach your own children is what you really believe in."

--Cathy Warner Weatherford

And now, all these things that we've talked about over the past thirty days -- do them. Model them. Teach your child by example. Show them what you believe in.

Get enough sleep, serve others, spend quality time with your friends, be spontaneous, enjoy playing outside, love in many languages, show empathy, eat your vegetables, be organized, laugh, be polite, pray.

You are your child's best teacher.

Your child watches how you interact with your friends, how you fight with your spouse, and what foods you eat. They listen much better when we'd rather they didn't.

We need to be real, but we also need to be careful.

We should practice what we preach, ask forgiveness when we've messed up, and give plenty of hugs. We need to demonstrate happy habits -- positive stress-management, self-respect and self-discipline, financial smarts, and a strong work ethic.

If we want our children to value reading, we read our own books while they play. If we want our children to be healthy, we drink spinach in our smoothies {and hide in the garage when eating chocolate}. :p If we want our children to be independent thinkers and not follow every trend, we might want to change our buying habits.

Whatever your values, whatever your greatest wishes for your children, whatever the lessons you want to teach, remember that children learn best by example. And you are their first and finest teacher.

Happy children have the best role models -- their parents.

Click here to read the rest of the posts in the series, 31 Days to Happier Children.

Gonna Miss This: Jeeping

2011-10-30T07:31:00.000-07:00

Little brother driving

Big brother calling out orders

Big brother gets out to fill the tank with gas

Little brother drives off

Big brother yells and chases

And reunited, they drive off into the sunset

I'll miss this. For sure.

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Adventure Together | Day Thirty

2011-10-30T06:36:00.000-07:00

Teach your child to love nature and crave adventure.

Family adventures promote values we want to instill in our kids -- simplicity, peace, and the absence of materialism.

Travel helps children to see the big picture -- to grow in their knowledge and understanding of the world they live in.

Road tripping has been memorable for us. As I express in my "Travel With Us" tab, I'm usually a pretty organized mom -- it's all about the schedule and the routine. And kids need that. But kids also need a break from the everyday. They need to experience new situations and be part of interesting adventures. Taking our lives on the road for awhile was freeing and certainly helped us connect and make memories together.

Want to read about our trip down the Oregon Coast?
Want to see fun pictures from our trip to Yellowstone National Park?

Happy children want to explore and see the world.

And for help with travel planning, food on the road, and destination inspiration, check out Road Trips for Families.

Click here to read the rest of the posts in the series, 31 Days to Happier Children.

One Thousand Gifts: 10.29

2011-10-29T20:34:00.000-07:00

"Dear God, thanks for this beautiful life and forgive me if I don't love it enough."

~thousands of gifts~

the amazing colors and beauty this time of year, especially in our little neighborhood
the warm goodness of biscuits coming out of the oven
Peter saying {while cleaning up shoes and UNO cards that had been thrown all around the room} -- "man, this is hard work".
the anticipation for the last line of one of his favorite books "and we'll rock and rock and rock to sleep" and his rocking in my lap
Peter saying with purpose -- "one day I'll find a really good wife who has hair like daddy, and takes good showers."
Peter hard questions: "How do the planets know how to orbit around the sun? Do they have a radio inside them?"
"Will it be warm in heaven? Will there be electricity in heaven?"
the almost frosty air coming in my bedroom window matched with the warmth of my down comforter
Peter calling out -- "it's time to start the day!" at just after five o'clock
listening to the kids reading together in their room
finding crumpled up leaves in your underwear {a reminder of earlier leaf play}
feeling inspired to cook and bake and listening to fun new music
finding such joy in photography and getting just the right settings using manual mode
hearing Ezra's soft and so genuine "thank you"
the smell of wood smoke

{196-210}

Something Good

2011-10-29T19:48:00.000-07:00

I made the mistake of getting mentally prepared to solo parent for the week...just for the week.
Until Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock. I could do it.

And I did. We survived a week without daddy. We've done it before {tough couple of months} and we'll do it again {jury duty}. But it's not fun. The kids miss the teasing and the roughhousing. They miss the silly parent. They miss their dad.

We got into a pretty great routine. Things were smooth, consistent. We were doing well together, just the three of us.
Cause we had to. You know how it is.

Friday -- two very excited boys watched the sky for his jet. They are bouncing up and down, yelling "daddy daddy!!" We got plenty of looks. Mostly smiles. :) After-all, the little one was sporting his shirt/diaper/socks combo -- totally cute, right? So. Daddy returns, lots of hugs and tickles and upside-down elevator rides. "Here's your big welcome home pear muffin and green drink, daddy!" And after picking up four little pumpkins at the farm, we head home.

And the transition phase begins. I call it "re-entry". You know...the point where you better have your heat shields up?

I just don't know how y'all do it -- those of you who only see your spouse on the weekends, or even worse once a month or less. Maybe it's just me, but the "on and off" stuff in relationships is very hard for me to cope with. I want you here with me. I want you to conversate with me. Lots. About meaningful things. I want your attention, your complements, your love. I disconnect when you're away.

Can anyone relate to that? I think that might be called high maintenance. But I don't expect lots of gifts -- you can keep your flowers, chocolate and romantic cards. Strange, I know.

Ezra tried to pour himself some milk today {probably because both parents thought it was the weekend} and instead dumped it all over the floor. And it was figuratively the last straw for me. I didn't want to clean up any more messes. I didn't want to fulfill any more demands. I didn't want to be the solo parent, anymore. I was done. Exhausted.

But parenting never stops. And co-parenting requires one of the biggest feats of communication known to....well, me. I'm sure there are other crisis situations where clear, efficient communication is vital. I just so badly wish we could data share electronically sometimes -- share brain files instantly. No talking required. {Yes, I just said I want to talk a lot...but just the pleasant talk, ya know? Never been a big fan of crisis. Or misunderstandings.}

But we have to re-enter. We'll have to talk it out. We want to team parent. We want to enjoy family time, all together. But we also have personal needs and very opposite personalities that don't always make sense to the other person. And we parent differently, so the children are dealing with the initial inconsistencies and confusion. The first day of all-together-again can be pretty rough.

And knowing that we'll have to do it all over again soon -- super duper rough.

I have to muster every remaining ounce of emotional energy to try to maximize the time we do have together. And to focus on positive connection -- not giving up the fight because "he'll be gone again soon anyway".

My eyes are dry. My head hurts. My husband works very hard. I appreciate him. Parenting is very hard work. Marriage can be even harder.

It was a hard day. But sandwiched in between all that hard conversation and tears was an hour of blissful happy outdoor play. All together. Tossing and jumping in leaves. It was very good. And I appreciated those moments all the more because of the contrast, I think.

Being real,

October Favorite

2011-10-29T18:47:00.001-07:00

I like the composition of this photo.
The depth of field {intentionally focusing on the kiddo}, the expressions on both their faces, the pile of hay, the bright blue sky.
Gotta love the red hair and scrunched up nose. Does the kid know he's so stinkin' cute? ;p

Pray Together | Day Twenty-Nine

2011-10-29T06:48:00.000-07:00

"You know what the sweetest time of day is? It is when you pray. Why?

Because you are talking to the one who loves you most."

Prayer can be a tricky thing. After all, you're praying to someone you can't see. It's hard for young children to wrap their minds around something so intangible. Well -- it's hard for me too. But the most important message we can send to our children is that God LOVES them and wants to communicate with them.

And one of the best ways to send that message is to pray with our child. Thanking for meals, remembering blessings of the day, asking for safety and sweet dreams, praising together.

Susan Taylor Brown, children's author, shares some things children should know about prayer:

Prayer is communication.
It can be spoken or silent. It can be a song or a story. It can be a picture or a dance.

Prayer can be done as often as you like.
Every week. Every day. Every hour.

Prayer can be shared, but doesn't have to be.
It can be done alone or with a favorite toy. It can be done with friends, family or pets.

Prayer can be done in any mood.
You can be happy, sad, angry, scared or confused when you pray.

Prayer doesn't need a special occasion.
There are certain prayers appropriate to special occasions
but you don't need to wait for a special time to pray.

Prayer doesn't have to be a request.
It can also be used to give thanks for what you have already received.
"Thank you," is a perfect prayer.

Author Beth Vogt encourages moms to model prayer and to pray for our children in her article, "Teaching Your Child to Pray: Show, Don't Tell".

And a list of things to pray for -- for our children, that they will understand the power of forgiveness, that they will honor the Creator, that love with define them.

Because happy children realize the value of prayer.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,

with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

Philippians 46:7

Click here to read the rest of the posts in the series, 31 Days to Happier Children.

Teach Values, Respect, Politeness | Day Twenty-Eight

2011-10-28T07:23:00.000-07:00

Peter came home the other day, telling me how his teachers thanked him for using his manners. "What are manners, mom?"

Funny. I'm glad he knows them, even if he doesn't know what they're called. :)

Did you know -- a child with good manners, respect for others, thoughtfulness, politeness and just general social skills will be more well-liked and have a higher rate of success in school, relationships, career, and life? It's huge.

Psychologists call it "social intelligence" and if you can wrap your brain around this, give yourself a pat on the back:
"Social awareness refers to a spectrum that runs from primal empathy (instantaneously sensing another’s inner state) to empathic accuracy (understanding her feelings and thoughts) to social cognition (“getting” complicated social situations)."
taken from this article by Daniel Goleman, Ph.D., studier and book writer of all things relating to emotional and social intelligence

Yes, this would be a nice skill to have. We all want "smooth, effective interactions." Of course we want that for our children.

There's not a five-step formula, unfortunately. Not that I know of. A lot of this learned social awareness comes from watching parents interact with others. Some of it from watching positive {we can hope!} peer interactions.

Emotional intelligence provides a nice foundation -- teaching children to be aware and accepting of their feelings and the feelings of others. Next, we teach how to watch others' body language and facial expressions to be more aware of their feelings and learn how to empathize with their situation.

Then we give them relational words -- words that will help reduce conflict, words that will heal friendships. "I understand how left out you must feel...and I'll try to think of something we can do that would be fun for both of us."

We model and teach polite words -- please, thank-you, no thank-you, excuse me, I'm sorry.
We respect one another's wishes and needs, modeling and teaching kindness.
We make sure there is time for conversations about our family values, like honesty, compassion, helpfulness and self-control.
We don't rescue our children from situations where they need to learn consequences. It's about developing perseverance and responsibility.
We limit media viewing that could potentially teach values we don't subscribe to.

There are many many ways to teach values -- more ideas here.

Social skills like learning manners, respect, and positive conflict resolution typically aren't taught at school. However, one particular school in South Carolina has a program called WINGS -- teaching social and emotional skills after school. I read through their 30 learning objectives and found things like "identify blessings" and "develop the ability to be patient and delay gratification". This list of objectives will stay with us long-term. A very valuable resource.

And here's a book I'd like to read for more knowledge on the topic -- Raise Your Child's Social IQ by Cathi Cohen

Social skills are a huge predictor of success, many would say more important than a high IQ. After all -- most of life's challenges are socially dependent. School, work, family, hobbies...

According to a 2008 survey on nearly 1000 parents, "90 percent of parents consider social skills vital to their children's happiness and confidence. A full 98 percent of parents consider it important for their child to be able to share, listen well and have good manners - and nearly eight out of 10 parents consider these social skills more important than academic skills when it comes to their child's overall happiness.

Happy children have social skills!

Click here to read the rest of the posts in the series, 31 Days to Happier Children.

Focus on Your Marriage | Day Twenty-Seven

2011-10-27T06:02:00.000-07:00

Happy children need parents who invest time in their relationship with each other.

It's a no-brainer, really, but I think we'd all agree -- it is one of the hardest things to do for our children. We go right back to Day Twelve {get your oxygen mask on first} for this discussion, with more of a focus on spouses. Whether you are married or not, it is important to realize that children really need us to focus on our other relationships too -- taking time for our friends, family and significant other.

It's easy to become all-consuming parents, but we hazard training them to be little suns, with all planets revolving around them.

Children need to realize that they are not the center of the universe.

Elizabeth Pantley writes an article on the importance of putting time and effort into your marriage relationship. She writes, "If your marriage is strong, your whole family will be strong; your life will be more peaceful, you'll be a better parent, and you'll, quite simply, have more fun in your life." Children need to feel the security of a stable home.

There are so many reasons to put effort into healthy relationships:
They are watching us -- they need to see public displays of affection -- we want them to grow up to have positive relationships -- we can set a good example for conflict resolution.

I can definitely relate to David's words in his interview with Today's Parent about putting your marriage first. It's counter-intuitive. The pendulum is swinging. We want to protect our kids from all suffering. We think we need to play with them all the time. We can focus on our marriage later, after we've given our children their perfect childhood.

"In many families, it almost seems like we’re marrying our kids instead of our spouses. We think it’s a child-friendly, great way to go. But what we’re doing is escaping our relationships; relationships are hard, and it’s so easy to throw yourself into parenting instead." David Code, author of "To Raise Happy Kids, Put Your Marriage First".

"It’s about building habits in your child that lead to self-reliance," David says. When you put your spouse first, giving your marriage relationship the time it needs to thrive, you are giving your child a gift -- they just might not realize it in the short term. They'll have to entertain themselves for a few minutes.

So, be creative. Maximize weekend nap time by spending quality time with your spouse. Enjoy each other's company while pushing the stroller around the block. Get an overnight babysitter and enjoy a night away together.

Spend time. Fight productively. Talk to each other. A lot. Show your children you love each other.

Because happy children need happy parents.

Have time to read more?? Here are some of the most helpful articles I have discovered:
10 Habits of Healthy Couples
5 Relationship Hurdles New Parents Face
5 Simple Sex Tips for Parents
How to Fight
Save Your Marriage While Raising a Compassionate Child
Surprising Findings on What Makes a Happy Stable Marriage

Click here to read the rest of the posts in the series, 31 Days to Happier Children.

Thought I'd link up at Thought Provoking Thursday -- I think this counts. :)