Whispers of Grace

Remembering the Mountain

2011-02-08T22:27:00.003-05:00

Been really trying to focus on my own spiritual walk, privately, because quite frankly, there have been struggles. There! I said it! :) I know we all struggle from time to time, but I don't like it when I am the one struggling. God can definitely use these struggles to strengthen us and to draw us into closer intimacy with him, it's true. Oh, but don't we always want to feel like we are already right there? Don't we just really want to camp out on the mountain top... forever?

I have a tendency to compare every part of my walk with the Lord with the two years I spent in Bible College, 20 years ago. That really felt like the pinnacle in so many ways. It's probably as close as a person can be to Heaven while still here on earth. Everything seemed to revolve around God or the Bible... classes, conversations, devotions, mealtimes, and even the all-important thought life. It was really life-altering for me, and I wanted to be there forever... wanted to soak in the living, breathing Word of God.

It's not really fair to compare my current life with those days... I was single. I was living with other singles. I had 4 hours of Bible classes 4 (or was it 5?) days a week, a couple of hours of Bible reading every day. I mean I was SATURATED with the Word of God! It was really nice! :) I had few real grown up responsibilities tugging at me. And everyone I talked to seemed to have an encouraging or inspirational word.

Twenty years later, I have two boys and a husband, a house to look after, homeschool classes to prepare and teach, four times (at least) as many clothes to clean, fold and put away, and don't even talk to me about cooking. Time is definitely at a premium. And the inspirational and encouraging words? Those can be hard to come by.

So this is what I'm getting at... I'm really trying to regain the disciplines that I once lived by, and it's hard, because I'm tired and I feel isolated much of the time. Yes, we are involved in gym classes and church and a homeschool co-op, but these things are more for the kids and less for me. And so there is a sense of emptiness at times, and a questioning as to what will really, really count for eternity....

He is Risen

2010-04-04T21:23:00.001-04:00

We did a craft yesterday where we took a half sphere of florist's foam, carved out a little tomb in the "rock", and put 3 crosses of craft sticks up on the hill.

We left the stone over the tomb last night and I wondered if one of the boys would want to roll the stone away this morning... I didn't say anything. Then this morning Ian says at breakfast, "Mom, can I roll away the stone?" :) It was so cool... and of course our tomb was empty.

Family Feasts for $75

2009-10-17T23:05:00.003-04:00

Briefly popping in to mention that Mary over at Owlhaven is having a contest to give away 3 sets of 3 copies of her latest book, Family Feasts for $75. I already requested a copy from my library, because I really need to do better with keeping a lid on the family grocery bills... like NOW. If you're interested, head on over to her site.

Reading & Writing...

2009-09-30T22:33:00.004-04:00

The Grace Whisperer has been eerily silent on this blog lately. But that is because she has been focusing on homeschool craziness for the last 4 months or so. There was much to read, much to research, much to decide, and much to organize. Oh, the organization!! It continues on, believe me!

So, I haven't been writing a whole lot lately, but I've been reading, and reading and reading. Reading about curriculum. Reading about teaching styles. Reading about learning styles. Reading about organization. You get the point, I'm sure.

But some of my reading has been for pure joy, and that is what prompted me to write. If you are in the mood for some really uplifting and praiseworthy blogging, please take a moment to visit "A long way from the Theta House". This lady just blows me away with her entries. She is racking up treasures in Heaven, and so are her kids.

And then, if you are interested, why not check out my other blog, "Homeschool Digression". You see, I've been doing a little writing too. :)

Ode to February

2009-02-09T21:33:00.002-05:00

Ah, February!

How I love thee,

O month that seems to last forever.

Thou are unyielding in thy coldness.

Unquenchable as the dry, dry air

in my dry, dry home,

cracking my dry, dry hands.

Your winds are biting,

Your sun shines bright

You bring the viruses

both day and night.

My children are puking.

My husband is moaning

My spirit is desperate

for my flesh to stop groaning.

Quiet Time for kids

2009-01-26T21:04:00.009-05:00

Today I'm really excited... well, giddy almost. :) I finally got my hands on Word of Life's "Gopher Buddies Quiet Tiime", a devotional aimed at children 4-6. I had heard about it, here and there, but was never able to actually lay my eyes on it. So a couple of weeks ago, I finally asked at my local Christian bookstore about it. The next time they ordered it they held onto a copy for me to look at. Today was the day that I finally held it in my hands and paged through it. Definitely worth the wait!!

After dinner, while still at the table, I started telling my soon-to-be 5 year old son about it, and he HAD TO SEE IT himself.... Oh yes, and then he HAD TO get his hands on it! (So like his mom, this one!) And he HAD TO "DO IT" IMMEDIATELY!! Can't get much better of a testimonial than that, I'd say. The graphics are awesome. Each devotional page has an activity, like a coloring and activity book, that ties into the verse and "lesson". It's quick. It's easy. And we both love it.

Today's lesson consisted of

a reading from Psalm 59:2: "I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints."
a key idea: "David makes a promise in this Psalm to praise God forever for what he had done."
a coloring activity, during which Ian was directed to sing a song of praise and thank God for something special that He's done.
a prayer suggestion.

The front of the spiral bound book also has several pages that have blocked out space for kids to "draw pictures or write words" to remind them of special people or things they want to pray for. As soon as Ian finished his activity section, he flipped to the prayer pages and drew pictures of three of his friends from school last year.

So I'm hoping to work this in to our homeschooling day. :)

Oh yeah, and did I mention that I bought a Word of Life Quiet Time Diary for me too? I did! But I bought the adult one, even though I jealously regard Ian's. :) I have other devotionals and Study guides, but I love the Word of Life Quiet Time. I used it for years and I miss not having it.

The Singing Bible

2009-01-22T22:34:00.000-05:00

One of the best things that might have come out of our homeschooling experiment has been "The Singing Bible". It's from Focus on the Family, and was recommended by a book called "Little Hands to Heaven", which I am planning on using with my younger son next year.

The Singing Bible has over 50 songs on 4 CD's, and basically goes thru all the major themes of the Bible in a kid friendly format. The tunes are all catchy and educational while being fun. Love this one and so do the kids. If you are looking for a new way to teach your kids the Bible, you should definitely check it out. :) We got our copy from Amazon.com at a very reasonable price. I like to keep it in the car and pop it in when we're just driving around.

The Homeschooling Experiment

2009-01-18T22:19:00.002-05:00

Last Fall I began what I am affectionately calling "our homeschooling experiment". I've loved the idea of homeschooling for years! Long before I had children. Long before I had a husband or a boyfriend or even a degree. I'm talking a long time, people. :) What really piqued my interest initially was the children that were homeschooled. These kids were intelligent. They were eloquent. They weren't half as annoying as most kids I encountered. LOL. And they had actual interests that they pursued with passion.... And they had great relationships with their parents.

What's not to love? In many ways it seems like the best of all worlds. And it can be quite rewarding. But make no mistake... it's a sacrifice on many levels as well. Most worthwhile things in life do require a sacrifice. Maybe that's what makes them sweeter in the end.... Don't know. Just thinking out loud.

So this year we began the experiment. Ian just missed the cutoff for kindergarten, but was ready to learn. He wants to learn to read. He has a great interest in letters and he loves all manner of arts and crafts. Most recently, he's fascinated by what the body is made of. I felt lead to capitalize on this interest and to see if I could pull off homeschooling for a year. If so, perhaps the experiment will continue.

So that's a big part of why I haven't been blogging much this Fall. I really felt like I needed to focus on "The Experiment". In retrospect, I wish I had started a new blog about "The Experiment". Maybe I still will. I'll keep ya posted. :)

Happy New Year!

2009-01-04T21:57:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year. We've been enjoying a bit of a respite from our normal routine, and it's been nice. Normally, we are constantly on the go with Bible Study, YMCA, and MOPs, shopping and so forth. We love our routine, but with the holidays crushing in we got out of the routine, and are having a hard time returning to it. Seems we've developed a new routine, and we're pretty content with it. :) And, hey, we're actually getting things done! Now that's a new thing. We are not at all unhappy about that.... organization, decoration, playdates, shopping... N.I.C.E. :)

But it's all about to end, yes it is, because we need to get back to the Y... You see, with all that we are accomplishing, we are definitely not exercising, and that just won't do.

Normalcy

2008-09-24T14:11:00.002-04:00

Well as predicted... or at least anticipated, with the Fall season and a return to my preferred routine comes a return to normalcy for me. I'm so thankful and relieved to be on the upswing again. And that's all I really want to say, I guess. Just enjoying life, enjoying my friends, enjoying my family and getting back to really doing what I was created for... enjoying God. :)

Grace Wrestler

2008-08-08T20:11:00.002-04:00

The Grace Whisperer hasn't been blogging here recently. That's not to say that she hasn't been very active elsewhere, though! :) But not here.... So many reasons why, really, but the bottom line has really been that the Grace Whisperer has been struggling... struggling with herself, struggling with God and struggling with the struggling, quite honestly. As Thumper would say, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." So I have chosen silence.

Experience has taught me that it's during these times that my faith grows, and I grow as a person. So I don't worry about it so much. I just don't talk about it much either, because I've also found that there's typically two reactions to such revelations. Either I am chastised for my lack of faith (not true!) or people worry about me (not necessary!).

In my christian walk, I have often found myself identifying closely with Jacob, who wrestled with God. As soon as I heard the account about him, I thought, "that is so like me!" I particularly like the part where it describes how God touched Jacob's hip causing him to limp. I am so fond of it because my hip is messed up too!! LOL!! Maybe that's why! :)

At any rate, I do sense myself coming out of the deep funk.... Certain things in life seem to be forcing me out, really, and thank God for those things... the things that keep me from focusing solely on myself... not the least of which is my two little blessings from God Himself.

Dirty hands

2008-04-14T21:04:00.003-04:00

You ever have one of those "Aha!" moments while you're sitting there in church, or listening to a sermon on the radio or in a Bible study? I LOVE those. I love that after 24 years of reading the Bible, walking the Christian life, and after two-plus years of total immmersion studying the Bible in College... I love that it's still fresh and new. I love that there are even moments where some little in depth tidbit surprises me and amazes me.

Yesterday, I had two of those moments, maybe more. It was just one of those days. God seemed to be speaking right to me. So here's an illustration that I want to share with you. See if it touches you the way it touched me...

"...My 3 year old son loves to fingerpaint. Nothing is better than fingerpainting in his whole world. The other day, I came home from work and there he was, at his little table, pots of primary colors close at hand. In his hands he had more fingerpaint than any child should be allowed to have; in one hand a big glob of blue, in the other, a big glob of yellow. At that precise moment, he thought it would be a good idea to clap his hands.... a LOT!! Green paint went flying everywhere.... I said, "What were you thinking? Even your face has paint on it." To this, his son reached up with his paint covered right hand and tried to wipe his face clean...."

Pastor went on to ask, (as do I) how much is this like us, as we stand before a holy God, trying to clean ourselves up for Him? We see a small spot on our face, and try to clean it up with dirty hands, but all we really succeed in doing is smearing it.

While his son wasn't able to clean himself, what he needed was someone who was already clean to come alongside of him and help him. This loving father did exactly that, and in the process he found that some of his son's paint ended up on himself. How much is this a picture of Jesus who comes alongside of us in our sin, cleans us up by taking our sin upon himself?

I sat there, thinking of my four year old's winter boots and spring shoes. I can't think of anything more gross that I have to do as a mom than remove my son's muddy, sandy dirty, wet shoes after he's been out playing in the yard. I really cringe everytime I have to touch them, especially if I have to help him get them back on after a potty break!! Inevitably all the crud ends up on me, my hands, my clothes... UCK!! And here I was... all clean....

I doubt I'll ever be able to handle that job or see fingerpaints without thinking of all that Jesus has done.

A Little Rant And One Rave

2008-03-11T21:47:00.003-04:00

First, The Rave.... I haven't been on the blogosphere much recently and that's because I've been taking an online class called, "Speed Spanish". It was a six week class and they weren't kidding when they named it!! It was fast!! :) I LOVED it, and can't wait till I can take the next session. This class deals with what the instructor calls "recipes"... basically how to put together sentences to converse with someone in Spanish. I can't believe all I've learned so far and am anxious to see how much I can use when I go to ALTECO in a couple of weeks. There will be delegates there from many South American countries and indigenous tribes, all speaking espanol! :) All just waiting for me to say something profound like "No hay agua! La agua no funciona!"

Oh, and by the way.... Pity the poor hostess on The Biggest Loser! I do! Poor Alison Sweeney. She clearly tries to make for compelling conversation, ala Jeff Probst on Survivor or even Julie Chen on Big Brother. Alas she fails!! People keep attacking her!! Is it because she's skinny? Beautiful? Annoying? All the above? Did you watch it tonight? Did you? I thought Jillian was going to take her out!! Now, I'm not normally one who goes in for cussing, but I just wanted to applaude Jillian for standing up for Brittany.

I should say that I have NOT followed this show religiously, so maybe I'm not getting the whole picture. It just seems to me that Alison has no real rapport with the Losers. They don't seem to enjoy her banter or her commentary during challenges. She just seems a bad fit to me. Is it just me? Tell me people, and I will repent!

And gee, while I'm on my rant.... What happened to Moonlight on CBS' website? I have been in Moonlight withdrawal for weeks. I admit it!! Last week I went online looking to watch a full episode and the only episode offered was "Arrested Development". Not my favorite episode, but I clicked on it anyway and never could get it to run! Now? Watching a full episode isn't even an option!! Geez!

Time Travel Made Easy

2008-03-07T20:02:00.004-05:00

So yesterday I was at my local Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) meeting.

Love this group for the fellowship, support and the great breakfasts too!! I miss my old MOPS group though. It was awesome on every level and it's hard not to compare the two.

Anyway, at the end of the meeting, we all pulled numbers from a basket for a drawing. My number was 24. As I mosied toward my discussion group, I heard my number being called.

So, with great excitement and much humor, I got to yell, "I'm 24! I'm 24!!" It's been awhile since I've been able to say that!! It made my day even more than the Bath & Body Works Peaberry Moisturizing Hand Soap I picked from the prize basket.

Happy Birthday

2008-01-29T22:13:00.001-05:00

Today the Little Man turned 4. Yeah, Ian!! Happy Birthday, Sweet Pea!"

Since everyone has been passing THE BUG and a cold back and forth for the last three weeks, we've been a bit low key about the birthday this year. I'm exhausted from little boys waking me up 2 hours early and not going back to sleep. The birthday boy has been doing this for two weeks or so. I keep putting him back in his bed and he returns about every 15-30 minutes or so just to let me know that he can't sleep! Since he shares his room with Lumpadump (aka Shane), all this walking back and forth and opening doors has been waking up Shane as well.

In other news, Hubbie & I have started to take a class online called "Speed Spanish". It's really great for me. I know next to NO Spanish, but am regularly meeting Spanish-speaking people! Hubs on the other hand speaks Spanish very well, but hasn't studied it before, so he decided to take the class with me. Unfortunately, we are two lessons behind and this week we get two more lessons! What's the Spanish term for "YIKES!"?

A Wake Up Call

2008-01-16T20:22:00.000-05:00

Today was such a beautiful day: blue sky, bright sunshine, a few clouds. A perfectly crisp, cold winter's day. Perfect for those of us who actually enjoy northern winters! But it wasn't the weather that gave me chills as I drove down the road with Little Man (almost 4!). Nope, it was this comment from the backseat: "Mom, I see a trumpet in the clouds!" Whoa!! I said, "What?!" My mind was racing! Where the heck did that come from?! What's he talking about?! Is this it?! Is Jesus coming back RIGHT NOW?!! Then Ian explained that the cloud he saw was in the shape of a trumpet.... Oh. Kind of a let down. :)

So here's my question, dear reader, when was the last time you thought, "Maybe today...."? Do you know that there is a crown reserved in Heaven for "all who have LOVED His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8c)?

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

Vampire Bugs and Menu Plans

2008-01-14T21:10:00.000-05:00

Here at Whispers of Grace, our family is still fighting the little bug that the Little Men brought home with them. It sure is strange. I'm going to call it the Vampire Bug. Except for a general loss of appetite, this thing only manifests it's symptoms at night! For the first 3 nights that Ian-almost 4 years- was ill, he woke up around 11:45 at night with a fever. The rest of the day he was "fine"! If he hadn't been waking up with a fever and aches, I'd never have known he was really sick. (See previous post!) Since then, he just wants a little extra sleep, but that's about it. The last two nights, just before bed, he's had some other symptoms running thru his body, if you get my meaning. But again, I say, that's it!

So with that lovely segue, I'm contemplating this menu for the week. But I'm not going to be very strict about it, feeling rather blah myself.

Monday: Pasta with vodka sauce
Tuesday: Fish & Potatoes
Wednesday: Teriyaki Pork & Rice
Thursday: Chicken Pot Pie
Friday: Homemade pizza
Saturday: Leftovers
Sunday: Breakfast! :)

Check out what else is cooking at "I'm an organizing junkie"

Plagued by Whining?

2008-01-08T22:40:00.000-05:00

The problem with 3 year olds is that they whine. Some days they whine A LOT! Some days they whine to get out of things. Some days they whine for no reason at all. So when one of them whines at breakfast and tells you that his arm hurts and his leg hurts, you take a look, give it a smooch and then tell him it will feel better when he eats something. Then at lunch, when he whines that his eyes hurt, you kind of roll your eyes privately and then tell him to eat his lunch.

Okay, that was my "full of compassion" mothering moment for the day. Turns out though his eyes really were bothering him. They were red and stingy, so I figured he had rubbed them with his fingers. Dutifully, we washed them. We rinsed them several times over the coarse of an hour. Then we sent the Little Man to preschool with instruction to tell his teacher to call me if he wanted to come home.

They didn't call. He didn't want to come home. Now don't get me wrong. I think it's great that he loves school so much, but when Daddy picked him up, the child looked like he had the plague! All around his eyes and lips, the skin was RED! By the time we got him home and into the bath/shower, we realized he had a fever as well.

So there you have it! First illness of the year! Yay. :P As you may imagine, I am feeling like a "bad" mom today. For not believing the boy in the morning, for not believing the boy at lunch, and for sending him to school (against my better judgment) to infect the whole class. Go Mom!

Brotherly Love

2008-01-04T22:16:00.000-05:00

Little Man (aka Ian-almost 4) and Lumpadump (aka Shane-1yr) were riding in the back of our car this morning. As I pulled into the parking lot of the local Dunkin Donuts, Ian said, for no apparent reason, "I love you, Shane!! You're my BEST friend!" I looked back and saw that they were holding hands between their carseats. Aw!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-04T21:32:00.000-05:00

This year all my resolutions are related to simplifying my life with a goal to become more Christlike. We live in a great age. Everything is at our fingertips. Anything we want to know, research, read or buy is just a click away. I LOVE it. I HATE it!

Meanwhile, I have unfinished (and unstarted) projects filling up cabinets, closets and our pantry! Yes, our pantry!! Some of these were started before our first son was even a glimmer in our eyes. I never found the time to work on things then, but somehow I continue to deceive myself into believing that I will NOW, two kids later, suddenly find some free hours to cross-stitch the Christmas tree skirt, rubberstamp birthday cards and Christmas cards, scrapbook the last 10 years of my life (thousands of pictures), organize and try the new recipes buried in a folder, order wedding pictures (from almost 10 years ago.... Yep, haven't even gotten a wedding album yet). Don't even get me started about all the programming books I have stacked on my bookshelf, half-read.

So the goal this year? SIMPLIFY, Simplify, simplify!! I need to kill the clutter in my home. I need to be ruthless in tossing out the projects gathering dust. I need to focus on my goals, and rid my life of just about everything that does not help me reach them! I find that I can't even THINK at times, as the physical clutter (carefully and tastefully squirreled away, mind you) seems to lead into mental clutter.

To that end, I am determined to Simplify my life, organize the stuff that survives the cut, sell or toss the stuff that doesn't, and beautify my surroundings.

How about you? Any resolutions to share?

Tips?

2007-12-18T22:58:00.000-05:00

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!!

2007-12-17T22:07:00.000-05:00

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

2007-12-07T20:37:00.000-05:00

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?

2007-12-02T20:52:00.001-05:00

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!!

2007-11-06T10:15:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-02T21:33:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-13T22:22:00.000-04:00

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'

2007-10-11T21:31:00.000-04:00

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

2007-09-26T22:16:00.000-04:00

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

2007-09-19T22:30:00.000-04:00

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

2007-09-18T21:47:00.000-04:00

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

2007-09-08T22:25:00.000-04:00

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

2007-09-05T22:24:00.000-04:00

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

2007-08-19T14:52:00.000-04:00

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?

2007-08-17T21:29:00.000-04:00

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

2007-08-16T21:53:00.000-04:00

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!

2007-08-10T23:07:00.000-04:00

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!

2007-07-18T22:33:00.000-04:00

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?!!

Thankful my baby's overdue!

2006-11-23T21:42:00.000-05:00

Yeah, that's right... I'm actually thankful that my Little-Lamb-to-be is overdue. My sister tells me I'm probably the only one in the world that postpones an induction because I can wait a few more days. :) Can this be true?!

Well, yes, I made it through Thanksgiving without going into labor and disrupting everyone's life, so I feel like a "good girl". But the real reason I'm glad I'm overdue right now is because Little Man's cold/virus is probably the worst he's had, and now I've got it too. Oh yeah!!

Now, I realize that life is NOT perfect, and that we don't always have control over circumstances like births and holidays and the like, but let's face it, there are some things we CAN exercise control over.... Like being induced--or NOT-- just as your son comes down with the worst illness he's ever had.

Little Man can't even sleep for more than 4 hours at night, poor little guy. So guess who else isn't getting sleep? You got that right!! I am amazed at how God pours out his grace on days and nights like this, and supernaturally provides me with the appropriate coping skills and maternal instincts! I KNOW, in and of myself, I just don't have it. Even so, I feel like I'm already taxing even the unsearchable depths of God's grace, being sleep deprived for over a month now, 9 months pregnant and ill myself....

So,let's see, should I choose to add a newborn's schedule and fragile immune system to this mix? Are you for real?

On the really positive side, Dear Hubby granted my fondest wish today and took Little Man to the family gathering a half hour away, and left me alone so I could rest!! Halleleujah!! One more thing to be thankful for!! :)

Giving thanks for my hubbie!

2006-11-21T21:48:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had one of those weeks where life seems to conspire against you? I'm having one. I'm actually having a few... in a row. I'm inclined to rant and whine about it, but whenever I'm tempted, I realize even the most frustrating aspects of what I'm going through are nothing compared to what some people are going through.

Tomorrow is my due date to give birth to my second son. My first son, Little Man, was 19 days early. It was quite a surprise at the time. We were TOTALLY unprepared. I was determined that would NOT happen this time around and so I decided THIS TIME we'd be prepared.... by the end of October. I'm telling you... right down to finishing Christmas shopping and birthday shopping.... EVERYTHING had to be done!

Can you see where this is going? I totally psyched myself out... expected the baby by Nov 3rd.... And now here it is, almost 3 weeks later... and I'm still waiting. Waiting is hard enough, with all the physical limitations of being "great with child", but on top of it, Little Man has been consistently sick for about a month and a half. A cold, a sinus infection, a cough that won't quit, a fever and now a virus.

On Monday, we dropped Little Man off with a friend and drove to the hospital thinking the birth of our son was imminent, but after 2 hours, we were sent home. The contractions, while regular were not strong enough to be productive. We were sure we'd be back in a few hours, but we scheduled an appointment to be induced this morning anyway.

In the meantime, the big-brother-to-be came down with a fever/bad cough, and had a really rough night, as we all did. He had about 3 hours of sleep. I had about 4 and the Hubbie had about 5... Little Man heard me getting ready at 5:30, and so he got up. Then, as we were getting ready to leave for the hospital, I saw Little Man all curled up in a fetal position on our rocker-recliner, asleep in front of the news. This NEVER happens!! Sleep? When the "TD" is on? What?!!! He was obviously really sick and it didn't seem right to just drop him off and go have another child. So we decided to cancel the inducement. (My sister tells me I'm the only one she knows that says she can wait to be induced a few more days! LOL!!)

My hubbie is my hero! He made the final call and the actual calls, because I just felt like if I didn't go through with the induction I was letting everyone down. But the bottom line was that I kept thinking that if I had known yesterday what was going to transpire in the next 20 hours, I wouldn't have scheduled the inducement. But this morning I felt like I was over a barrel and that everyone "needed" me to go ahead with it. So now I'm just hoping that I don't ruin someone's Thanksgiving by going into the hospital on Thursday! So I'm praying that the baby waits till Friday, when--hopefully--Little Man will be on the mend, and Hubbie's work schedule will be a little more flexible, and everyone will have had quality family and turkey time!! :)

Great expectations

2006-10-27T01:33:00.000-04:00

So, have I mentioned that we are expecting a new arrival? I confess that this little guy has been keeping me quite busy the last few weeks, and not letting me get much rest in return! He and his big brother are already conspiring against me!! No fair! :)

But I see this sleep deprivation as the good Lord's way of preparing me for the months to come. I already know that sleep will be in short supply, and I am amazed at how well I have been able to function on about 4-6 hours of sleep a night!! Thank you Lord for a husband that works nights and lets me nap in the afternoons. Don't know how I'd do it without the afternoon nap. It's still a far cry from the amount of sleep I got before Ian came into our lives though. I'm hoping that the transition to life with a newborn will be less traumatic this time around, having spent the last 35 months in training and all. Well, we can hope.

At any rate, the little guy is due November 22nd... about 4 weeks away... but since Ian was 2 1/2 weeks early, and caught us quite by surprise, I have been determined NOT to be caught so unprepared this time around. So my goal has been to have everything ready by the end of October, even all the holiday shopping. I'm sure I'm making my poor hubbie crazy. And to be honest, I'm making myself crazy too. Because the fact is, I feel so sure that this kid's arrival is right around the corner that I can't rest. I have over-psyched myself out, friends!!

Even Ian has caught the fever! A few days ago he began saying to me, quite out of the blue, that he was going to have a "bro'r" and that he would be "comin' soon!". Since then, that seems to have become his new mantra. He tells everyone he meets... in church, in stores, you name it... that his "bro'r" is "coming soon!". He seems pretty excited about it. I know it may not last, but it is the first I have seen that he's seeing this baby's arrival as a positive thing, so I find it very encouraging.

On that note, I'm going to head to bed for the second time this evening and hope that this time I can stay there!!

A Parable about reaching

2006-10-10T23:47:00.000-04:00

I think I will always be thankful to my friend Christa who, in her motherly wisdom, shared with me the joy of blowing bubbles at bathtime. For some reason, it had never occured to me. The tub is the PERFECT place for bubbles!! Duh!!

We don't use them every time, but a few times a week, I pull out the bubbles and start blowing them at my delighted son. Lately, he has taken to standing up, and reaching for the singular bubbles just beyond his grasp, even though there are usually neverending clusters of new bubbles surrounding him...

As I sit there, marvelling at the way he turns his back to the abundant supply all around him, and reaches for things that he will never be able to touch, I am reminded of how often I have done the same thing in life... ignoring the blessings God supplies everyday, and always wishing for more.

It reminds me of this song, which has never failed to minister to me. It's called "Reaching" by Carolyn Arends...

There’s a time I can recall
Four years old and three feet tall
Trying to touch the stars and the cookie jar
And both were out of reach
And later on in my high school
It seemed to me a little cruel
How the right words to say always seemed to stay
Just out of reach

Well I should not have thought it strange
That growing causes growing pains
‘Cause the more we learn the more we know
We don’t know anything
But still it seems a tragic fate
Living with this quiet ache
The constant strain for what remains
Just out of reach

Chorus:
We are reaching for the future
We are reaching for the past
And no matter what we have we reach for more
We are desperate to discover
What is just beyond our grasp
But maybe that’s what heaven is for

There are times I can’t forget
Dressed up in my Sunday best
Trying not to squirm and to maybe learn
A bit of what the preacher preached
And later lying in the dark
I felt a stirring in my heart
And though I longed to see what could not be seen
I still believed

I guess I shouldn’t think it odd
Until we see the face of God
The yearning deep within us tells us
There’s more to come
So when we taste of the divine
It leaves us hungry every time
For one more taste of what awaits
When heaven’s gates are reached

Repeat chorus:
We are reaching for the future
We are reaching for the past
And no matter what we have we reach for more
We are desperate to discover
What is just beyond our grasp
But maybe that’s what heaven is for

I believe that’s what heaven is for
There’s a time I can recall
Four years old and three feet tall
Trying to touch the stars and the cookie jar
And both were out of reach

Vacation!

2006-09-15T22:58:00.000-04:00

Well, a little over a month ago we went on vacation where we were at the mercy of someone else's wireless network. It was sort of a forced blogfast. That lasted two weeks and turned out to be a wonderful rest on so many levels. Besides, I was down the Jersey shore, man!! There were lots of other ways to spend my evenings. :)

So now I'm back.... from outerspace... Oh, excuse me, that was just my mental jukebox cuing up Gloria Gainor... Disco flashback!!

After two weeks of a blogfast I came to realize just how much of my time I was dedicating to reading blogs, writing blogs (believe me, I draft more often than I post) and finding new blogs. And I realized how little time I was spending on life!! So, a rearrangement of priorities is certainly in order.

The apostle Paul said that we are slaves to those things that we yield ourselves to obey, and I was sensing that the blogosphere was quickly becoming my master. Hopefully there's another way.... a way of balance! I'm going to give it another try in the hopes that there is a better way, a way that ministers to people's souls, honors the Lord, and has lasting significance. Seems like a tall order. A bit ambitious perhaps, but that's my goal.

Potty Training update, part 2

2006-08-04T23:10:00.000-04:00

Well, by now you may be tired of the potty training topic. Unless, that is, you're in this stage yourself or are about to "go there". But it's a free world, so if you're not interested come back in a few days!

I wanted to share some of the cool things I've been gleaning from all my reading. Seems wrong to keep it to myself.... :)

I've often heard of parent's using stickers or candy to reward their child when he was successful going to the potty. But we weren't quite there. One of the signs of readiness for toilet training is that your child stays dry for a couple of hours at a time, or wakes up dry after naps. Ian had never EVER had that kind of duration of dryness. UGH!! He always seemed to be constantly wet. So first, I wanted to teach him to stay dry!!

When I read Potty Training in a Day, I was intrigued with their reward system. Instead of rewarding just for using the potty, they set a timer to check the child's diaper for dryness. When the diaper was dry, the child got some kind of reward. So I told Ian that we were going to try to stay dry and I began doing the diaper check every half hour. I gave Ian two M&M mini's whenever he was dry. Pretty soon he started telling me himself when when he was dry or wet. Hallelujah!! And miracle of miracles he would go a couple of hours without wetting now it's almost SCARY how long he can stay dry for. Yeah!!

So the verdict seems to be that this practice seems to have raised Ian's awareness of the bladder control mechanism. He's not too anxious to use the potty, but he is able to stay dry for long periods of time and that's half the battle in my mind.

Sundaes on Friday

2006-08-04T23:09:00.000-04:00

Went to my second SAHM Meetup yesterday. It was actually a "Make your own Sundae" social. We had 5 moms and 10 little rugrats under 6 all meeting at our brave hostess' brand new home. :)

Our hostess, Sharon, was pretty smart about it too. She bought the little ice cream cups, all in vanilla, so there were no arguments about how much ice cream and what flavor. Then we each got to add our own toppings... YUMMMY!!

Best of all was that I had been craving ice cream for DAYS! :)

Plunging in to painting

2006-08-02T22:52:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking for awhile now about delving into the fingerpainting realm. Seems so mean to not let my crafty boy dabble in this wonderful medium. But it is with great trepidation that I even pause to consider it.

So I was delighted and intrigued recently when I read one mom's suggestion of using plain old water, a paintbrush and a sheet of construction paper to make-believe paint! WELL!! I was all over that idea. And I'm recommending it to you!

Ian loves using a paintbrush, and when the construction paper gets wet, it changes colors. It's quite a thrill for him! Plus, cleanup is a breeze and once the paper's dry it can be used again!

And the benefit of this is that it taught me that I was not wrong regarding the fingerpainting famine! The first time Ian got the paintbrush wet he stood at the table waving it in the air, sprinkling water hither and yon!! Praise the Lord, no paint, or my curtains would've been spattered with his exuberance!

Potty Training update

2006-08-01T22:21:00.000-04:00

Well, I kind of felt I should give a brief update on "potty training" for any who are interested. After my last post on the subject, I got a few emails and phone calls on the subject saying "let me know what you find".

Aside: Why are people so reluctant to leave comments? Any opinions? Leave a comment! :)

Back to the adventure at hand... Here's some books I've read that were worthwhile:

Toilet Training by Vicki Lanski - By far the easiest to read, with interesting tips from REAL MOMS and suggestions on books and websites to check out. Some of this stuff I would NEVER have thought of in a million years. Well, okay, maybe when it was too late! The tips are what stand out in my mind. The actual advice from the author was okay, but very basic.

Toilet Training in Less Than a Day by Natha Azrin - Interesting book, goes step by step thru their method, and their method is VERY specific. They focus on the importance of independence for the child and the parent. In other words, if my child has to tell ME he has to go to the bathroom, and I have to HELP him, then he's not fully trained. They talk about training the child each step of the way... practicing how to take pants down, practicing walking rapidly to the potty, practicing dumping the "product" in the toilet, flushing, washing, etc. Needless to say, to pull this off in less than a day, you can do nothing else. I won't be using their method, but it really made me think about a lot of things differently, so I have already been incorporating their ideas, and I'm going to mention them below.
Toilet Learning: The picture book technique for Children and Parents by Allison Mack - Interesting concept. The first half of the book is written for parents, the last half is a picture book for kids. I have to confess to not getting very far into the parents' part of the book myself, because Ian discovered the picture book part and LOVES it! The part of it he likes best shows different people on the potty... A fireman, a mailman, a doctor, a babysitter, mommy, daddy, Grandpa and Grandma. Plus it emphasizes that there are bathrooms pretty much anywhere you go, which I imagine is a comforting thought to a child. I know it is to ME!!

Books and Videos Ian has really liked:

Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi - Going to a baby shower anytime soon? Get this book!! It's hysterical and kind of gross, but kids love it
Toilet Learning by Alison Mack
The Potty Book for Boys by Alyssa Satin Capucilli - Just got this from the libray, but Ian seems to like it already. It shows a boy (and his teddy) learning about going potty.
Winston's Potty - By far the most requested video he had for the week we had it. It was in rough shape though, so I need to get it from a different library. Again, I thought it was lacking, but he LOVED it and it was definitely registering.
Once Upon a Potty For Him by Alona Frankel - Theres a video and a book. He likes the video, doesn't care for the book too much. Go figure!

I also found an activity book about going potty that we just started using. It's called My Potty Activity Book +45 Potty Training Tips by Tracy Foote. I bought it because the reviews were overwhelmingly positive, but I'm a bit unimpressed by it. It's basically a coloring book for the kids that explains the whole potty training process. I guess the true test is whether it helps Ian get from point A to point B.

What's cooking?!!

2006-07-26T22:27:00.000-04:00

I have often thought how cool it would be to have a little item on the right sidebar called, "What's cooking?!" And there I would just post what we had for dinner. I haven't really looked into doing that, time being what it is, so I thought I'd just post for now.

I am not especially gifted in the area of cooking. Oh, I TRY, but even the recipes I have tried seem to rarely succeed! So when I (or more likely, my wonderful hubby) find something that works, I like to make a note of it. I am also constantly wondering what others are making for dinner, because I am constantly looking for new things to try. :)

Tonight Steve made Pierogies, fried with kielbasa and shallots. We accompanied this with a yummy cheddar cheese sauce (I CAN make a nice cheese sauce!) and peas. It was a hit!! YUMMMM! Kudos to my dear hubby for coming up with this combo. I would've been happy to eat the Pierogies plain with sour cream, but that's not exactly a balanced meal.

So, what did YOU have for dinner?! :)

Marking Time

2006-07-18T23:08:00.000-04:00

Believe it or not, I'm in the middle of a long, involved blog about our potty training adventure... Heh! But being a perfectionist, I need to kind of fine tune it. So I thought I would just share a great idea I was reading about the other day in our paper. The lady in the story was being deployed to Iraq. Her 6 year old son asked her, "How long is a year?" So she made him a paper chain, with a link for each day, and each week is color coded. Every day her son can rip one of the links off to tick off the days.

I thought it was especially great, because Steve will be taking a trip to Peru next month for about 9 days. (Yeah, nine days alone with a toddler!! Anyone want to grab some coffee with me?! :) The last time Steve went to Peru, I made a little calendar for Ian and he got to put stickers on it every day Daddy was gone. But I like the chain idea, especially because I started thinking about putting prayer requests on each link, so we could pray for something specific to that day. But what a great way to mark the passing of time in general!!

Three hours one Thursday

2006-07-13T23:12:00.000-04:00

Today, I departed from my usual "frenzied" morning schedule, which if I was to disclose it would probably not seem very frenzied to you at all, so I'm not going to describe my normal activities. :) But today it was raining and last night I had gotten frustrated with the state of our home, so I decided that this morning would be dedicated to staying at home and trying to create order out of the CHAOS! (Flylady describes this as Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome, which I think is sheer genious!)

And so rather than run errands or take the Little Man to the park, Little Man and I stayed home. For three hours I tidied up the kitchen, the dining area, did laundry and tidied up the living room and when it was over I thought... "Why doesn't it look like I did anything?" In the old days, when I was a professional housecleaner, I could clean a 3 or 4 bedroom house in 3 hours!! Shazam!! Today, I barely made a dent in 2 rooms. Very discouraging. But then I have a 2 1/2 year old boy in the house! And he must be kept well occupied in productive, constructive activities! Plus, ya need to take the occasional tickle or snack break, don't ya?!

So if you walked in to my house this afternoon, 5 minutes after Little Man went down for his nap, you'd be pretty unimpressed with my progress. I'm fairly sure, my new role model's house never looks this way. And yes, I was disheartened, but then I spent another half hour or so picking up toys and putting up a border of plates in my kitchen and things were looking up! :) What a difference a toddler-free 30 minutes can make! And as I reasoned to myself, I still got 3 hours of housework in that I would've had to do at another time, so it was worth it.

My Imaginary Closet

2006-07-05T00:09:00.000-04:00

Some privileged few who know me THAT WELL know all about my imaginary closet. I'm not so much a purchaser as I am a browser. Some people purchase on impulse. I am one of those that will argue myself out of the things I really want, writing them off as unpractical, not really ME or just too expensive to justify.

Don't feel sorry for me, though, because I will take that "thing" along with me in my imagination as I leave the store.... technically not really shoplifting! :) I will hang that item up in my imaginary closet and enjoy it there for weeks, months and years to come and never once regret not buying it. It's a gift!! I base this on the law of diminishing marginal returns which states (basically) that at some point, the more you have of something, the less you appreciate that thing.

Well, my imaginary closet works for me!! But my beloved mother-in-law, who was a shopper and purchaser to the core, could never understand this. She loved me in spite of it, but when we went shopping together, I made her crazy... which in reality only increased the pleasure of the item in my imaginary closet. Ahhh! The memories!!

"If you like it, why didn't you buy it?!", she'd say with exasperation.
"I don't need it.", I'd reply with a smile.
"Ah, GUFFF!!", she'd exclaim. (This favorite saying of hers was the combined sounds of frustration and disappointment, and always made me smile.)

Anyway, I say all this only by way of explanation....Can you make this jump?.... I have caught myself recently making mental notes on places that would be fun to visit without a child... you know, on a date!! Yes, yes, it's true. I am starting to take imaginary dates. The most recent place I happened upon through and ad in the paper. It's called "The Whistling Kettle". Just checking out their website sent me on an imaginary date. :) So much fun!! I mean, just look at their menu! Yummy! Makes me feel like I'm back in Scotland. I really do need to get out more.

Why I love being a Mommy....

2006-06-28T22:20:00.000-04:00

I recently read a MOPS newsletter, and the author had been encouraged, after a discouraging day, to make a list about why she loved being a mommy. I thought that was a great idea, so here is my list:

Snuggling
Toddler smoochies
Giggles and smiles
Reading books
Having an excuse to play at the playground
Seeing the world through new eyes
New insights into God's love, patience and grace
The sounds of my husband and son laughing and playing together
Newfound discipline and self-sacrifice
Built in activity during otherwise uncomfortable gatherings! :)
Pushing myself to be more social and more active
Seemingly miraculous powers to heal and to comfort
Cool toys to play with
The joy of blowing bubbles during bath and play time

Stay At Home Mom Site

2006-06-23T22:20:00.000-04:00

I found an interesting ad for a SAHM website at a library I was visiting last week. I took the little tear-off strip, and brought it home to check it out. Now I'm going to share it with you.

The site I saw was for Stay At Home Moms to meet up with others in their area, but there are other groups, based on interest. So if you're looking for scrapbooking or web design groups in your area you might like to check it out too.

I found and joined four groups in our area. Even though I haven't met any of the women personally, I've been able to browse the area message boards. So far I have found tips on maternity consignment shops, fun places to bring kids, and the local going rates for babysitters. Pretty cool. Wish I knew about this a year ago!

Scrambling at McDonald's

2006-06-21T21:55:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we decided, as a treat, to hit the local McDonald's for dinner. It's got a GREAT play area that is about two stories tall, with shelf-like platforms for climbing, little plastic tunnels, net tunnels and a two-story high corkscrew slide. We had never gone in before and DH thought DS would really enjoy it. DS was very excited, but there were a lot of "big kids" there, scrambling around, playing hide and seek, being loud and just enjoying themselves.

DS started scrambling up the "shelves" and quickly staggered back down in tears. He was totally intimidated!! Poor kid. And this was the start of our "dinner", so what's a parent to do? No amount of cajoling could get DS into the action. Of course, just ignoring the big play area was out of the question. Whose idea were these things? Are eating greasy food and playing in tight spaces really a good idea?

Well, being the compassionate mom that she is, SheWhoIs18WeeksPregnant thought that if she just went up once, that would reassure DS and he would be able to continue on without her. LOL!! Yeah, that's funny! Let me tell ya, those little tunnels are NOT made for blossoming bellies. Surprise, surprise. And yet, knowing this I continued to go up another 5 times over the course of our time there.

On the bright side, you can see that my back is in much better shape! I believe it just passed the ultimate test.

Keeping an eye on eBay

2006-06-10T22:24:00.000-04:00

I need to stop going on rants and saving them as drafts. In my head, I've posted a blog, but as I look back at the dates I actually posted something, I realize I haven't posted in a week!! Too sad!

Well, our paper recently put a local lady on the front page because she was selling the right to change her last name on eBay. Must have been a slow news day. You can read the story yourself if you're interested, but the gist of it was that she is auctioning off her last name for a starting bid of $25,000!

Part of me is impressed by her creativity and her desire to supplement her husband's salary, while staying home with the kids. The other part of me is amazed at someone being so willing to hand over control of something so personal as her name!! I'm not sure I could ever do that. (Kind of reminds me of the Friends episode where Phoebe changed her married name to Princess Consuela Banna Hammock!)

Anyway, I guess I have eBay on the brain, because I've been watching quite a few items this week. After all this devouring of all things related to potty training, I started looking online for deals on training pants. Yep!! No Huggies or Pampers Pull-up pants for us. I've tried them. They haven't worked for our little guy. They just keep him too dry. Although, I see that Huggies just came out with a "cool alert" pull-up that I just might try to get the ball rolling or for when we are travelling.

I was just over at MommyLife and Barb Curtis seemed to know I had eBay on the brain and sent me here to hear the eBay song by Weird Al Yankovic. :) I've always loved that man, and I actually saw a bit of myself in this song, so it gave me a good chuckle!

Potty Training

2006-05-31T22:19:00.000-04:00

It is with some measure of anxiety and intrepidation that I have been thinking about potty training my dear unsuspecting boy. Actually, I have been thinking about it since we bought his potty seat in December, but I allowed myself to be "convinced" by more experienced moms that it was really too soon to start for one reason or another. When the morning sickness and exhaustion hit in March, I decided to wait till I was in my second trimester and had a little more life in me.

But now, the dear boy is not as compliant as he was about 6 months ago, so I'm wondering... Did I wait too long? I'm anticipating a battle, but I think I can use his loathing of all types of stickiness to my advantage!! (Even while this child is eating french fries, he is fussing about his fingers being "sticky" at every bite.)

I've had it in my head that I would begin this craziness in June, since the weather was warmer and since we didn't have much travel planned for that month. He is about 28 months now, and is talking up a storm and is much more aware of his body processes. So today I picked up three books on potty training from the library. The one I'm reading first is called "Toilet training in less than a day". I mean, if that was possible, why futz around with the other two books? I can't say I hold out much hope for this method, but I give the authors credit for their optimism. According to them, in their studies this method worked within 2 1/2 HOURS for children over 26 months!! Whaaa-aat?!! Anyone out there think this is realistic?

Personally, I had considered switching to cloth diapers for this phase, initially and then move quickly to cloth trainers. We've already tried the Pull-ups that are supposed to help the child learn when he was wet. These things just don't work. So I'm thinking the way to go, until my books tell me otherwise, is the "shock and awe method" of switching to cloth one day and letting the boy get the feel for what we're trying to accomplish. :)

I have also recently read of a product called "PODS discreet strips" which can supposedly be attached like a mini-pad in a child's underpants to absorb and neutralize accidents. They also give a cool wet sensation to the child. The claim is that the child is potty-trained by the time you get to the end of the box... Sounds nice, doesn't it?

Family Traditions

2006-05-29T23:16:00.000-04:00

Just got back from a weekend at my sister's. It was a combination of my niece's 3rd birthday, our Dad's birthday and our Annual Family Christmas Exchange. Yes... we are a bit out of season. I won't say whether we're early for this year or late for last year. That will be our little family secret.

Now, you may be wondering just why it is that our celebration is so untimely.... I think that we are often wondering the same thing. It's complicated.... Dad is a snowbird and is often way out of the area at that "Most Wonderful Time of the Year". This year, one of my sisters was "great with child" during the aforementioned wonderful time, and so travel was out of the question, naturally. The rest of us? Well, we do have lives too, ya know!

But May is nice. We don't usually do anything for Memorial Day anyway, so it actually worked out well. :)

The latest news

2006-05-24T21:49:00.000-04:00

The back has been slowly improving over the last week or so and I'm sooooo thankful. I barely notice any pain these days, which is nothing sort of miraculous to my mind. I know a lot of people have been praying for me, so if you were one of them, Thanks!! The last time my back was in that kind of shape it took months to recover and only with the constant wearing of a back brace. Let me tell ya, in my current state that would NOT have been pretty!!

The other update, now that I feel safe in letting the cat out of the bag, is that we are expecting a new addition to the family in November. I have taken to calling him (or her) Tater for the time being. So this, in short, helps to explain the back pain and also my dread at what the future held if things did not improve.

As for the pregnancy, I am in the lovely stage where my regular clothes no longer really fit comfortabley and the pregnancy clothes in the closet just remind me how much further I still have to go. Yeah!! I call this the warm-up stage, because that's pretty much all I can wear: warm up pants and t-shirts. Very sexy.

Survivor

2006-05-15T22:09:00.000-04:00

Don't know if you've been following the latest round of Survivor Panama.... I have, to an almost embarassing degree. Well, last night I subjected my poor husband to the three hour finale. Keep in mind the man hasn't seen a single episode leading up to the finale. You can imagine how thrilled he was!! :) (Actually, he kind of seemed to get into it.)

It's very hard for me to watch these kinds of shows and not get all emotionally entangled in the political process, the mind-games, the physical challenges. At the beginning of the season, I don't know these people and I don't much care about them, but at some point, I become invested. I want certain people out!! Shane and Courtney for example! I want certain people to win.... Cirie or Terry, even when I realize the deck may be stacked against them.

Last night... what an upset!! Who would've thought Danielle would win the immunity challenge? Who would've thought she'd take Aras with her? Who would have thought Aras would win the whole deal?!! I tell you what.... I was NOT happy. If ever anyone probably deserved to win it was Terry. Like him or not, I've never seen anyone else Outwit, Outplay and Outlast anyone like he did. Too bad when he lost the immunity idol he failed to win the only immunity challenge he needed to win.

A Tender Heart for My Aching Back

2006-05-08T21:09:00.000-04:00

About 15 years ago, as I crossed my legs at the table of my college cafeteria, my back suddenly "went out" with out any warning. The pain was so great that all I could do was rest all my weight on my elbows at the table while friends went for help and a car. What the heck happened?!!

It was a pivotal moment in my life when I realized how quickly my health could leave me. The recovery from that episode was long and at times excruciating. If you've ever had REAL back pain, it's something you will never forget. You can't do anything without pain if your back doesn't work right.... Walking, sitting, sleeping, sneezing, even laughing!

Although the initial pain dissipated over a course of 6 months, I became accustomed to living with a nagging sort of pain for several years after that. Thankfully, one day I realized that the pain was gone. Sure now and again there were revisitations of some pain, but those have been nowhere near as intense.

I had lived with the concern though, that pregnancy would cause the pain to reappear. By God's grace, my back actually fared quite well during my last pregnancy, and actually seemed a little better than usual. Go figure.

But today, we had an awful scare, as I had been doing a craft on the floor with Ian and had gotten up and felt the familiar sciatic nerve pinch. No biggie. I've had it before. It comes. It goes. But today, it escalated rapidly, and like 15 years ago, completely without warning. As I tried to find a comfortable (read: less painful) position, I ended up on the floor, lying on my back and in tears. Not so much for the pain, but for the fear that the old enemy had returned, as I had long feared it would.

Steve grabbed an icepack and a blanket and helped me get comfortable on the floor, and tried to encourage Ian to let me rest. Poor Ian! He was very concerned at seeing Mommy in tears. He patted my chest as if to say, "there, there". "I help", he said, and he grabbed a damp washcloth off our crafting table and wiped my face. Then he grabbed his sippy cup with orange kool-aid in it and tried to give me a drink!! :) Too bad he has a cold, and he was jamming it between my lips, pursed in defense of the cold germs!

But it's the thought that counts, and his thoughts were all very kind. Unfortunately, the irony of the situation, and the weirdness of it (to be on the receiving end of a toddler's attempts at compassion) made me giggle a bit, which made my back hurt and made me cry in pain. It was a vicious circle. The more Ian tried to help, the more tickled I became, and the more pain I was ultimately in. But I will always treasure his care and concern, and thank God for his tender heart.

Winnie the Pooh and Jesus

2006-05-04T22:31:00.000-04:00

Recently, Ian began attending a "real" sunday school class--one that is not only dedicated to playing for the full hour he is there. He actually makes things and colors pictures about some Bible passage that (I assume) has been read to the class.

It's interesting to me that the coloring sheets they give him also come with stickers or some other "crafty" thing for him to add. When he gets home and we put up the picture, inevitably he tries to remove the stickers, because he likes repositioning stickers all around the house and his body until they are no longer sticky. Post-it note makers take note: Repositionable stickers would be a toddler goldmine!

Well, the last few weeks Ian has also gotten the idea that he can add his own stickers to his Sunday school papers. Why not? One day as a reward he got a couple of Elmo stickers. I put them on his shirt and he removed them and added them to the picture of Jesus healing the lady with an issue of blood!! I gotta say that freaked me out for just a second.

After Easter, he got a couple of Pooh stickers and added them to his picture about Jesus' resurrection! So here's Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and Eeyore, floating in the air, next to Jesus... It's just wrong!! But I have to admit that it makes me smile...

Where Ya Been?

2006-04-22T21:09:00.000-04:00

Well, no quote today, just a little post. The whole family has been under the weather for over a week. Lots of fun!! The previous quote about my being a walking napkin turns out to have been prophetic! :0 I'll need to be more careful about my quotes in the future!! :P

In spite of this, life goes on. A close friend of mine from college and I have been discussing the concept of an online "small group". I haven't found much out there in cyberspace that claims to be a small group, except for those run by churches for their congregants, which I kind of find surprising, actually.

Well, dear friend lives about 13 hours away, so we thought this blog might be the perfect place for the occasional biblical discussion. We're looking into some topics and books now. Don't really know how it's going to work, but we're going to give it a shot. If you happen upon one of these discussions, you are free to join in with questions or comments. :)

A Walking Napkin

2006-04-05T14:14:00.000-04:00

When I was in my 30's, I called it the wiping decade, becase I was always wiping something: tears, bottoms, runny noses, countertops. I felt like a walking napkin. - Stasi Eldredge

I can relate to this right now. Last week my two year old came down with a stomach virus. You don't want to know the details, trust me, but there was a lot of wiping going on. Poor thing.

That storm is quickly behind us, but he has discovered a new phrase, "I cyin", which translated means, "I'm crying." At some point last week, Ian became frustrated when he did not get his own way. And so he was crying... or fussing, as I call it at those times. I didn't know exactly what the problem was so I kept saying, "what's wrong?" and he responded with this brand new phrase... "I cyin". "Your car?" "Your crayon?" It took a few minutes for me to figure out that the poor sad boy was saying "I'm crying". And he was saying it in such a way that I could tell he thought I should do something to make it stop. So there were tissues and hugs and kisses and all was right with the world. The magic of a walking napkin! :)

The ideal mother

2006-03-27T13:48:00.000-05:00

I'd like to be the ideal mother, but I'm too busy raising my kids.
-Unknown

I just read this quote today and it made me laugh...and heave a sigh of relief!! I feel like this most days. I'm sure that I'm not the ideal mother. If I was would I be blogging instead of doing laundry, cleaning up extraneous toys and planning a scrumptious 5 course meal? But I'm happy and content and so is my son, so why worry? :)

2006-03-22T22:27:00.000-05:00

The first post!! Ta-Da!