Tips?

I updated my previous post to include the recipe for Garlic Lime Chicken. The link is actually to a page on Flylady, but if you're looking for the recipe you're going to have to scroll down quite a bit to find it. Does anyone know how I can include a link to a Word document in the future? I'm sure there must be a way, but I haven't had the time to really look into it. I'm sure this guy would know! But I'm afraid to ask! :)

No longer dreaming of a white Christmas!!

I know I don't write that often, but since no one complains I'm taking that to mean I write just enough!! Frankly, I enjoy reading more than writing. But that's just because at the end of the day my creative brain cells are all burnt out!!



Anyhoo, Hubby arrived home in one piece last Sunday. Life was GOOD!! Then we got snow on Thursday, and more snow on Saturday... Life was BETTER!! And we even got a tree up and almost decorated! So bring on the Christmas!! We're ready!! (Almost!)


Well, in the spirit of Christmas, I am trying something "new". I've been a lurker over at "I'm an Organizing Junkie", and am working on being inspired by the organizational wizzes over there taking part in "Menu Planning Monday". This is SO not my forte, people, but I'm forever working on growing in this area of my life, so I'm going to give it a shot.



Monday: Mac & Cheese with Broccoli & Hot Dogs

Tuesday: Roast with Potatoes & Carrots, possibly in a crockpot

Wednesday: Garlic-Lime Chicken (a new recipe I want to try! Thank you Flylady!)

Thursday: Lentil Soup, Crusty Bread & Salad

Friday: Mince, Mashed Potatoes & Baked Beans

Saturday: Pizza & Salad

Sunday: Baked Potato Bar

Christmas assemblies

We are coming to the end of 9 days without "Daddy". We are actually doing pretty well. I've been keeping the boys and myself busy, busy, busy all week. Today was the first day of relaxation we have had since last Friday.

After Lumpadump went down for a late morning nap, Little Man asked me to build a stable for his stuffed animals. That was a first!! So, I decided the time was right to bring out the Playmobil Nativity set that I had bought last year (but had not yet given to him). It was our first experience with the Playmobil stuff, and took awhile to assemble everything, but Little Man took to it like crazy!! He played with it all afternoon and every chance he could get in the evening! No sooner had I gotten everything assembled than he quickly disassembled it all... right down to the hair and the beards!! At one point he actually came to me, pieces in hand, and asked for help putting a wiseman's beard on Mary!! Not exactly what I had pictured when I bought it!

Currently the boys are in bed and the Playmobil Nativity site looks very much like it was hit by a hurricane!! Pieces and parts are everywhere... animals and people are lying in disarray. I'd take a picture for you, but Hubby took the digital to Peru.

Amazing Race or Amazing Grace?

Haven't really said much lately. Things have been crazy around here. Hubby has been planning and organizing a missions trip to Peru for about six months. But of course as the trip got closer and closer, more and more of the details demanded our attention. Well... okay... mostly the details demanded Hubby's attention, but my job was to attend to "the little foxes" vying for Daddy's attention!! :)

Hubby left on Friday morning at 3:30, along with 5 other hubbies from our church for 10 days. They carpooled down to LaGuardia, arriving in good time. At check in, Hubby was asked if his passport had been renewed. Hubby says, "yeah, it's on page 21". Nice man says, "Yeah, I see that, but your renewal expired in August!!" DOH!!

So the adventure begins!! It's just not a mission trip 'til something goes wrong. So with this mishap, it became official! Hubby handed over his bags and the team money to the other guys and told them he'd meet up with them, and took off to get the passport renewed. Without much fuss the passport was renewed, but Hubby did not make it back to LaGuardia in time for his flight. Luckily there was another flight leaving at 1:30 and getting on this he'd be able to make his connection in Ft. Lauderdale. Unfortunately the flight was full and his ticket was non-transferable and non-refundable!! Hubby didn't know until the last minute if he would be able to get onto the plane, but he made it and they didn't even charge him!! We are so thankful for the way God poured out his grace!!

Now you may think that's the end of the story, but not so fast!! When he arrived in Ft Lauderdale he arrived with a 10 minute window, instead of the 1 hour window he should've had. and they wouldn't let him on the plane. At this point in the story, I felt like Steve was one of the contestants on The Amazing Race!! Probably should've told the powers that be that he HAD to be on that plane!!

But he did get on another plane that left at midnight, and got to Peru eventually. And really, isn't that all that matters? The rest of the team had already arrived in Lima at midnight. I guess that's important too!

Knock Knock!!

This may be really wrong of me, I don't know, but right now I'm just so thankful that Little Man hasn't gotten on the knock-knock joke bandwagon! I shudder to think of that day!

I was just walking thru the local Subway shop where a mother and her tot were sitting there exchanging knock-knock jokes. Ummm... yeah. People, there is only so much a 3-year old can do with Knock-Knock jokes.

"Knock-knock" Who's there? "Good!" Good who? "Good-bye!" Heh! Yeah that's a killer, Son!

The Skinny on Survivor

So last night, while watching Survivor: China, I pondered one of the really deep questions of life. I'm sure you have asked yourself this too, at least once this season.... Do the Survivor producers ever turn a contestant away for being too skinny?

I mean really... We all know that whoever goes on the Survivor diet loses about 30 pounds. Shouldn't there be a minimum weight requirement?!! Have you seen Courtney lately? Yikes!

A Reason To Smile

Take the 100 Acre Personality Quiz!

Well, there you have it! Out of all the possible characters in Winnie The Pooh's neighborhood I am most like Kanga. This made me chuckle. What are the chances that I would be the most like the ONLY motherly figure in the Hundred Acre wood?! Sure, I'm a mom. But this quiz asked me nothing about mothering. AND if you'd asked some of the people that knew me best BEFORE I had kids, they would've told you--flat out--that I'm not very maternal! Heh!!

I'm just going to attribute this to the grace of God in my life. Honestly, I fully expected to be Eeyore, or maybe Piglet, because that is who I am in the flesh!! And in my own mind!! But, apparently not in reality. :) That just makes me smile.

Buggin'

Well! The family has been battling the dreaded stomach bug for the last week. First Lumpadump-10mos, then me, then DH, and finally Little Man-3 1/2yrs. Could've been worse, but it's never much fun, is it? Little Man never had a bug till last Spring, so dealing with Lumpadump's illness was a growing experience. Specifically, I learned that when you KNOW your infant has "THE BUG", don't use afghans in his bed!! Little carrot pieces really don't readily come out of afghans. Bleah!!

Works For Me Wednesday:Bible Study

Since I'm in Bible study mode.. or at least I should be and will be in a few minutes.. my Tip O' the Day is a Bible study tip. Some of my best studies have actually been word studies. I will pick a word in the Bible that I'm interested in (eg: grace or cleave), and will track it through a chapter, a book or even through the whole Bible. These studies really stick in my mind for some reason.

Anyway, for this reason, I always read my Bible with pens and dry highlighters in hand. When I am reading through a particular book or chapter where a key word or phrase is repeated I highlight it in some way. It keeps me alert to the subject matter, helps me to remember what I read and where I found it. Plus years later whenever I come across a highlighted page, I can tell what the main ideas are at a glance .

Well, that's what works for me!! Do you have a Bible study tip that works for you? I'd love to hear it! :) To see even more tips, go visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer!

Works For Me Wednesday:The Best Teether Ever

As usual, I should really be doing something else, but once again I'm drawn to the computer. And do I feel bad about it? Not at all!! LOL!

Tomorrow morning the boys and I have a playdate at our friends' house. We have been there once before about 5 months ago. DH drove that evening, so I am almost clueless as to how to get there. I need to get directions!! I need to obsessively write down the schedule for tomorrow so I don't forget anything....

Ah, but I am rebelling against my inner obsessor to bring you this handy little "Works For Me Wednesday" tip...

I don't know if this is a really bad idea, and I just haven't figured out why yet, but when both of my boys have been teething both boys have REALLY LOVED going to town on the rubber bulb of the Tylenol bottle. (Yes, of course it has been tightly closed! And no, they do not like teethers or pacifiers.) Is it the feel? Is it the nifty rubbery squeaky sound it makes in their drooly mouths? Beats me! I keep thinking that I need to make a "teether" that is basically the same in shape, size and material, patent it and put it on the market. Can't believe no one's done that yet! Well that's what works for me!

To see even more tips, go visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer!

Delayed Gratification

I have been searching in vain for a Precept Bible Study group in my area for years. I even went to Precept Ministries website to search it out. Found nothing. So I actually thought I'd start one myself! Not as easy as you might think!! And perhaps rightly so. Precept Bible studies are pretty intense, with hours of homework every week. There's quite a few classes that you have to attend to become an official leader, and none of them are in my area. Harumph!

Well, a year and a half ago, at my local MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meeting, I heard someone mention attending a local Precept Bible Study at a local church. Hmmm... But I was in the (very nauseating) first trimester of my pregnancy with Lumpadump(9mos) and the study was about to end. So I decided to wait until it started up again in the Fall. But you know how it goes. In the Fall, Lumpadump's entrance into the world was imminent and it just seemed crazy to take on anything new. So I waited.

Now here it is, a year later!! And I am finally starting a Precept study on the book of Hebrews!! I am so excited!! I can't think of a better book to be studying and the teacher is awesome. I don't know how it is that she's flying below the Precept Ministry radar. I'm just glad she's there!

Very likely, the little nuggets that I take away from the study will be showing up, here and there.

Pachelbel bedtime

This one's for you, Naptime Stamper!! Turn up those speakers.



Not exactly a lullabye, but gosh it made us laugh, and cry and say "AWWWW!" in our household!

Turning a Corner

Well, Little Man turned a corner a week or so ago. I don't know what happened, but he's suddenly all grown up and Mr. Thoughtful and Independent. I like it, but it's all I can do to conceal my wide-eyed amazement as he dresses himself from head to toe without being asked, feeds himself willingly at all three meals, and clears of the table without EVER having been asked!

Hmmm... doesn't sound so amazing to you, does it? Well, he's been dragging his heels in the independence area for probably over a year. I had chalked it up to the new baby that was coming, and then the new baby that was competing with him for our attention, but boy was it getting old! Making it worse has been that Little Man is actually quite tall for his age, so he appears to be about five, instead of his actual age of three and a half. So he LOOKS like he should be doing a LOT more than he has been doing...

I'll tell ya what I think the catalyst was... One night when he was going to bed, he just kept insisting that he didn't need to go to the bathroom. (For months he's been potty-trained -- mostly -- but each morning he would move his bowels while he was still wearing the nightly diaper. Occasionally at night he would hold out until after he was in bed.) So a few weeks ago after being met with MUCH resistance to the nightly potty ritual, I told him if he went in his diaper after he was in bed I would NOT put him back into another diaper. (Yes, it was a threat and I had hoped that he would have a change of heart!) Sure enough, about five minutes after he was in bed, he appeared on the stairs, wanting to be changed. I had to follow through on my "threat"... right?! So I put him in vinyl training pants for the night. When he woke up dry, he was genuinely gleeming! So we decided right then that we would do away with the diapers. Ever since then he has been TRULY potty-trained.

And NOW he's about to start Preschool! My generally shy, quiet boy is SO excited and not at all apprehensive. Wish I could say the same for his mother. :)

Bible Action Figures

How many times have we heard that children learn through play? If you have kids, or have been around kids for any length of time then you've seen this played out (no pun actually intended, but I'm thrilled it just popped out!) Little Man has been into role playing now for almost a year, usually by himself while playing with his toys.

About a month ago he even played "Daddy" while my husband played the part of the son. We were actually amazed at what a good Daddy he was, putting his "son" to bed, tucking him in, saying prayers and singing a "lullabye"!! I was impressed he actually knew the words to the lullabye I started singing him a few months ago... Taps! (Note to self: Learn the other verses to that song!)

So, this being said, why does the idea of "Biblical action figures" make me squeamish? Oh, David is okay, even Moses and Noah.... But Jesus? I like to think that if Little Man had a Jesus doll, that he would act out all the stuff he learns at church. Maybe all of Jesus' teachings would get reinforced through this kind of role play.

I certainly would like to think that the Jesus doll would always act appropriately, and never attack Little Man's baby brother, Lumpadump. Jesus Doll would always be clothed, never stand on the kitchen table, and never hurt other dolls or fly carelessly through the air. But come on!!! Let's get real!

We are told in the Bible not to make any "idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above".... Yet how often have you seen pictures of Jesus in church? Or in people's homes? Or in cards? Or in the Bible? Is this idolatry? How can we reconcile this? I confess, I've just never felt comfortable with these images of Jesus that pop up from time to time. And now there's a doll with (supposedly) his image. Ick!

I'm not even going to discuss what kind of future therapy younger siblings might need after they get beat up by big brother's Jesus Doll... That's a whole 'nother post!

Persuasive words?

I've been reading thru First Corinthians recently in my devotions. Last night I asked the Lord to really help me to see it anew and to give me some nuggets that I can pass on to my son, my husband and my friends. So as I looked into Chapter 2, and reread the previous night's verses, I was suddenly struck by Paul's words.

I always find it curious that Paul says that he

....did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.
2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
3 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling,
4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

Is it just me, or is it really hard to imagine Paul this way? Weakness? Fear? And what about this: "...not in persuasive words of wisdom..." Paul, surely you jest!! When I read his letters, I am often struck by the depth and the wisdom of his writings. So hard to imagine that he took another route with the Corinthians. But I digress!

Verses 4 and 5 were what popped out to me last night. As a mom, I have always been concerned about whether or not I've been imparting spiritual truths and values to my son in a way that he understands. There have been days when I was sure he wasn't "getting it", which made me try to explain, explain, explain things to him. On these days Little Man says, "Mom, it's taking to long!" or he tunes me out... Yes! He tunes ME out! Hard to believe, huh?

And so last night I sensed the Lord speaking to me and encouraging me not to overly rely on "persuasive words of wisdom" with my kids, but rather in DEMONSTRATION of the Spirit and power of God! Why? So that their faith would rest in the power of God when they mature, and not on my words, or even my own faith. They need to see the power of God for themselves. They need to see God answering prayers, providing for us, comforting us, changing our hearts for themselves.

Paul goes on to say in the next verse that "we do speak wisdom among those who are mature" so certainly there is a place for that. But for a 3 year old boy, words are not that impressive. It's the action. It's the demonstration. It's the day to day living out of the gospel that will matter in the long run.

The latest buzz

Tuesday Little Man & I were out playing wiffle ball--which, when played with a 3 year old boy is a lot like playing by yourself. Little Man stole the ball and ran off with it into our side yard. I went and chased him back to the front, and on the way back myself, I spotted a nice sized rock at the edge of our woods. (Now, I have been on the lookout for some good sized rocks to put under our roof, because the rain is washing away our soil. But this rock was on the large side, about half the size of a bowling ball.)

I was going to pick it up, but instead I (absent-mindedly) decided to flip it over with my teva-clad feet. I looked down and saw something flying around by my legs. Something inside of me just said, "RUN!!" So I took off towards the house sensing that I was about to get really badly stung! About this time I did get stung on my leg, and that is when I realized that YES, I did indeed have a swarm of wasps after me!

I made a the split second decision to run into our home, and I was "okay", and then realized that Little Man was still outside on the lawn! :P Bad Mommy!! So I called him in too, and held the door open for him, but in doing so, let two or 3 more wasps in the house.

By God's grace I was only stung twice!! I attribute that totally to the still smallish voice that told me to look down (to see the wasps... yes, my vision is beyond pitiful) and to RUN! Because if I had waited till I was sure the bugs flying around my legs were wasps, I would've really been in sorry shape. But the even greater protection was that Little Man didn't get stung once, and that he never moved that rock himself in all the times he has been playing over there. Can you imagine? Ugh! The stuff of nightmares!

So I bet you're wondering right about now, "What is the best remedy for a bee sting?" Oh! So GLAD you asked!! My dear hubbie found this site while I was waiting for the adrenaline rush to subside. I am very thankful that someone posted this on the internet, but let's just say the author needs a new hobbie.

These stones cry out!

I love when people come up with innovative ways to provoke spiritual thoughts and conversation. Here is a nifty article about an idea so awesome and simple that I am jealous I didn't think of it!

http://www.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=11229&PN=1&TPN=1

So what do you think? Does this inspire you?

I'm Baaa-aaack.... I think!

Oh, I crack myself up!! I laugh when I read my previous post... partly because I was so ignorant of what the next week would hold for me, and partly because... well... that was 8 months ago. LOL!! Well, did ya miss me?!

The story in a nutshell is this: Wee Fella was born on the 28th, following inducement. He just was NOT going to come out on his own. Hard to believe as I look back, because today I just can't get him to sit still!! Heh!

Two days before Wee Fella was born, I was admitted to the hospital with possible pneumonia... I couldn't catch my breath between coughs and began to hyperventilate. Don't think we ever really nailed down what was causing the awful coughing fits that I had, but suffice it to say the doctors pumped me full of antibiotics, tylenol, codeine and fluids, trying to get me healthy enough to deliver Wee Fella... Who at 9 lbs, 10 oz, should really be called "Lumpadump", as his Grandmother would no doubt have called him, had she lived to see the day.

Perhaps needless to say, being the mom of two boys under four has kept me busy, tired and convicted. I know there are some amazing blogging moms out there who probably could run rings around me daily. They are truly an inspiration. Where, O WHERE, do they find the energy and/or the time?!!