Meandering

Last week was a crazy week (as are many weeks in our home). So on Saturday afternoon, my hubby said, "Why don't you take off and go have some mommy time." (Have I mentioned I have the best man in the world!) For two hours, I wandered thru an antique mall. I savored the blessed quietness, and I delighted in the carefreeness of it all. Some people can't stand antiques, but there's something about the faded patinas, worn edges and gently (or sometimes harshly) used quality of these pieces that speak to me. Maybe it's because they remind me that life used to be simple, that people worked hard for what they had and they took care of their things.

I came home with two tiny treasures: a small jar of Mother-of-pearl buttons and three wooden spools. I have ideas for both of these. I'll show you when I'm done.

Handful of bottons - $4

Wooden Spools - $1.50

Meandering - Priceless!

Birth Blocks

Sometimes, the need to create something with my hands is all consuming. I can't explain it. I'm not an artist or anything, and I'm not especially creative. (I steal all my ideas.) Still, somehow even the smallest project gives me great satisfaction. Maybe it's because it takes me out of the ordinary routine of the day and takes me to another place. (Is that escapism?) Anyway, I've been working on a little present for a niece for months now, and I finally finished it. The baby will be two-years-old before I ever get it to her at the rate I'm going. The block includes a photo, birth facts, and a fitting quote. I sanded & painted the block. Then I used 6 coordinating papers and distressed the edges. Here's the final product.

And here's one I did for my son's room.

Too Much Testosterone cont...

I couldn't believe what came out of my children's mouths today.

While picking up my oldest from school, we learned from another mother that there had been an unidentified driver in a certain vehicle driving near the school where my twins go offering children candy. When we arrived at their school to pick them up, we did not see them right away. As we were looking for them, I hear the oldest mumble under his breath in a spooky voice, "They've been taken." I immediately launched into the "That's not funny and I better never hear you joke like that again" speech.

Later, while having dinner, one of the younger boys asked, "If you swallowed a squeaky boot and then had the hiccups, would the hiccups have a squeak?"

I saved the best for last. Also at the dinner table, my sweet, sweet third child asked with a smile on his face, "Mom, if you toot, would you see a bubble if you pulled down your pants?" I almost choked!

Where do they get this stuff? I'm sure the younger two were searching for some scientific explanation for sound waves and gasses. As for the oldest, being a middle schooler pretty much sums it up (that and an occasional desire to be an only child).

Just to make sure I hadn't forgotten that I'm destined for a lifetime of boy humor, my oldest informed me just before bed that he knows how to do the "butt" hop. (I prefer 'bottom". It's more polite.) He then proceeded to do it.

Somebody help me, PLEASE!

Here is more proof that my boys are all boy!

Stomping in puddles

Wrestling, always wrestling
Turning anything into a weapon

Strawberry Pickin'?????

Too Much Testosterone

The other day, I walked into my bathroom and found this in my tub. I just started to laugh. I am surrounded by boys! There will never be sweet girly things in my bathtub unless I put them there. My dear friends, if you have daughters, this is for you!

Why My House Will Never Look Like Yours

1. While you are playing dolls and teaching your girls to be loving and nurturing, I'll be explaining why superheroes have to learn to share, too.


2. In your washing machine, you'll find things like barbie shoes, melted lip gloss, earrings and barretts. I'll find things like marbles, Hot Wheel cars, melted bubble gum, and things that used to be alive.


3. While you are teaching your girls how to put on makeup, I'll be trying to figure out how to remove mud, blood, and grass stains.


4. While you are teaching your girls that ladies need to always wear the appropriate under garments, I'll be teaching my boys that underwear really should only be worn once.


5. You'll be able to offer a loving shoulder when a favorite Barbie breaks an arm, and you'll probably create your own little hospital complete with bandages and pretend medicine to make everyone feel better. I'll be rushing someone to the hospital because someone dared someone to do something to someone and something got broken.


6. You'll hear yourself saying things like: "Keep your dress down." "Act like a lady." and "What time is he bringing you home?" I'll be saying things like "Keep your hands to yourself." "Stop looking at him." "Those noises aren't funny." and "Who left the lid up?"


7. As our kids grow, somewhere down the line, you'll probably hear words like slim down, diet, low-fat, or less calories. I'll probably hear words like bulk up, sale, two-for-the-price-of-one, stock up now, and I'm still hungry.


8. Your life will be filled with mermaids, music, mascara, manicures, museums, menstral cycles, moodiness and maturity. Mine will be filled with marbles, magic, mud, millipeedes, motorcycles, monsters, muscles, mowing, martial arts, mischief, and migraines (mine!).

Some Perspective Please

I am the kind of person who needs order in my home and sufficient time to think and dream and undo the chaos in my head - by myself! And when interuptions, irritations and the unexpected prevent that from happening, I get cranky. I admit it.

This week two of the kids were sick all week. My normal daily routines were interrupted. I spent my days holding the baby, wiping noses, getting drinks, trying to get them to eat, taking temperatures, dispensing medicine, etc... It reminded me of when the twins were little. They were so sick for much of their first couple of years. With two babies, there was never time for decluttering the chaos. I remember having to feed two babies, give two babies bottles, bathe two babies, put on two sets of p.j.'s, give two breathing treatments, give two sets of medicine, brush two sets of teeth, and rock two babies at once. Amazingly, morning always came and we'd begin the routines all over again. I don't remember many details from the early years of their life. You could say I just survived. There was never time for thinking, much less dreaming.

Now you might say, "Why can't you multi-task and think while you are doing mommy things?" I haven't figured that one out yet. All I know is that I am not capable of combining those two things. Josiah said recently, "Mom, you always say 'maybe' or 'we'll talk about it later'," to which I replied, "I am only capable of thinking about one thing at a time." (I can't discuss him having friends over for the afternoon while I am trying to navigate my way home or we may never make it home.)

There are days when I grieve the loss of the few small things that make me who I am - the ability to see beauty in the ordinary, the push to see a bigger picture, the drive to create something, the sheer pleasure of making a haven for my family. It's not so much that I've lost these parts of myself. I just can't seem to find them right now. They are buried in the commotion of the day-to-day: the repetitive process of making dinner, the mundane tasks of laundry, cleaning, and homework, the frustrating squabbles of "he said this and he did that", and the constant interludes of "Mommy, mommy, mommy". Just when I stop to enjoy a song at the piano, or put my creative juices to work, or set a nice table for the family, or work on a project, someone manages to steal away the moment. I find myself thinking, "Why bother?"

In her book, Romancing the Ordinary, Sarah Ban Breathnach talks about losses. She tells a story about losing a purse. She found it, after hours of searching, in her daughter's room and talks about how that simple loss managed to wreck her evening. Then she makes this brilliant observation:

"Too often we elevate the inconsequential into the influential - as influencing the quality of our day - by reacting without reflecting. How hard would it be to ride the ripples of inconvenience, acknowledge imposition's presence privately, and dispatch irritation on its way with a self-preserving shrug?"

She goes on to say we need to put "lost purses" into perspective. I know that when my children are grown, these little losses of time, solitude, sanity, etc... will be forgotten. Why? Because they are inconsequential. They don't really matter. What matters to my kids are the moments they have my undivided attention, the times they see my face smile at them (really smile), the chances they get to sit on my lap or hug me good night or tell me the same story and have me respond like it's the first time I've heard it. And what matters to me is that I steward these beautiful gifts from God well. That I see the beauty in their lives, that I look for the best in them, that I create memorable moments for them and that I teach them that God is the haven for their souls.

Twenty years from now, I won't remember the chaos or the interruptions. I'll remember this...

And this...

And this...

Painful Moments and Potato Soup

There are people who have such horrible experiences with food as a child that they never recover. They spend the rest of their lives avoiding those foods because of the smells or tastes or experiences they associate with them. We've probably all done it, written off that perfectly good vegetable or dish, vowing never to let it pass our lips again.

I have two such memories with food that could have shattered my love for fine cuisine. The first traumatic experience was my mom's spaghetti. I remember having to sit at the table until I finished my plate. As someone who didn't care for spaghetti, I agonized over every bite while trying to actually swallow it. For me, spaghetti was torture. The second bad experience happened one day when I came into the kitchen and noticed my mom was eating something that looked like steak. Having an extreme love for a good slab of beef, I asked if I could have a bite. To my horror, what I put in my mouth was liver. Let's just say I've never forgiven my mother for that moment.

Over the years, I have overcome my distaste for spaghetti and have grown to love many wonderful Italian dishes. And despite my mother's incredible cooking, I have never graced these lips with anything resembling liver, EVER! (No one should have to get past that!)

I have a friend who grew up hating Potato Soup. She says she had it so often growing up that she just can't stomach the thought of it. I keep saying, "You just haven't tried my Potato Soup." Well, recently, my husband commented that while my Potato Soup is very tasty, it just doesn't look all that good. So I took it as a challenge to find a better recipe. (I have no problem admitting that I don't create them; I just steal them!)

This week when I had to do a luncheon for some people who work with my husband, I found the perfect recipe for a Loaded Baked Potato Soup to start the meal. The picture on the website looked colorful and so tasty. I tried it out on the fam the night before and it was a hit with my hubby - yummy and beautiful as well. (The kids prefer mommy's old recipe. Bless their little hearts and their undeveloped potato repertoire.)

My dear friend Jeni, this one is for you:

Loaded Baked Potato Soup
12 oz Applewood smoked bacon
4 stalks celery finely diced
2 large carrots, peeled, finely diced
1 jalapeno, seeded, membrane removed and finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
½ Cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup thinly sliced ham or Canadian bacon (or mini cubed ham)
32 oz chicken broth (or water & bouillon)
6 oz half and half (I used whole milk)
10 med/lg. potatoes, baked, peeled and mashed
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ Cup milk
4 oz sour cream
1 ½ Cups shredded cheddar cheese

Garnish
½ Cup sour cream
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Cup thinly sliced green onion (green part)

1. Heat large dutch oven over medium heat. Cut bacon into pieces and cook until browned and crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Discard bacon grease, reserving 2 Tablespoons to sauté veggis. Saute celery, carrots, jalapeno, onion and bell pepper in bacon grease for 10 minutes, stirring often until softened. Stir in garlic and ham; cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in chicken broth and half and half.
2. Place mashed potatoes in a stand or electric mixer. Mix on medium speed adding salt, pepper and milk. Stir mashed potatoes into soup until combined. Heat for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in sour cream and cheese until smooth. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low until ready to serve. Top with sour cream, bacon, cheese and green onion.

The recipe came from www.sisterscafe.blogspot.com. Check them out for other tasty recipes.

I'm a Genius

Now that school has started, it is just Bennett and me at home all day. This past week was only the second week of school so the two of us took a few days getting used to each other again. We haven't fallen into a schedule yet, and there were moments when he found himself bored, and I found myself frustrated. Last year it was so easy. He was so little, and he slept alot. Now, he's a talking, energetic little guy who needs a bit more entertaining. Not so easy when the attention span is like 4 1/2 minutes at best!

In one of those moments just before I was about to pull out my hair, I spotted a bag of clothespins I had bought recently for a little project I'm thinking about doing. I thought to myself, "Why not? My other boys thought dried beans were great when they were little! He's too little for that. Why couldn't clothespins be just as fun?" So in a moment of desperation (forgetting that clothespins do break and little springs could find their way into the mouth), I grabbed this...

$3 bag of clothespins from Walmart

and this...

22 year ol' tupperware lettuce keeper (wedding present)

and this is what happenend!

40 minutes of sheer fun!

Thank you God for the little moment of clarity and the 40 minutes of peace & productivity!

Summer Bargains

Here are a few things I've found at garage sales this summer. I do have plans for some of them. I'll show you what I do with them soon.

Entertainment Center

Oar

Ceramic Stick Pin Letters

Roosters

New Beginning

School started yesterday and we made it! Everyone had their clothes on. Everyone's teeth got brushed. Everyone got to school on time with all their belongings, and nobody suffered from first day blues except Mommy. My first baby is now a Middle Schooler and the twins are 2nd graders. I didn't have to hold anyone's hand and nobody gave mom a second thought. I guess independence is a good thing.

I think it's going to be a great year!

I'm Out of My Mind

Yesterday was officially the last day of summer for us. It was the eve of a new school year, so we spent the day getting everyone ready. We started the day with a trip to the eye doctor for Siah which required a new pair of glasses. Next, we shopped for last minute school supplies. Josiah had one last game of football in the yard with neighborhood friends. We made sure everyone had nice new haircuts to start the year (even Bennett)...

...and then we prepared the boys' favorite summer meal for supper (dad's grilled burgers, mom's homemade potato chips from potatoes from our garden, cucumbers from our garden and fresh sweet corn).

After supper we played a rowdy game of Don't Wake Daddy...

...and then we said goodnight to the kids and they said goodnight to us and to the cat! Poor cat!

When Ken and I finally crawled into bed, I was exhausted! It dawned on me, "What would he do if I wasn't around? How would he ever be able to get the kids ready for school." I had searched sales for weeks trying to get everything on the kids lists without going broke. (I'm still not sure why in the world we needed 15 spiral notebooks?) I'd gone through drawers and closets to make sure each child had proper clothes to wear. I'd written names on folders, pencils, markers, gluesticks, scissors, rulers, etc... I'd searched for white shirts for gym and blue shirts for gym and gym shoes for gym and art shirts for - art! I'm out of my mind! It's a full-time job.

I did not sleep well wondering:

• if I got each child's supplies in the correct backpack


• if I told Ellis and Aidan not to wait for Josiah to come get them after school (he's not at their school anymore)


• if I told Josiah where I would pick him up


• if Josiah would be able to get his locker open


• if I had gone over his new Middle School schedule enough for him


• if he would remember his locker number, lock combination, lunch code and homeroom location


• if Aidan would be able to get his gym shoes tied


• if Ellis would find someone to play with at recess since he and Aidan aren't in the same class this year


• if I remembered to tell them their lunch money was in their folders


• if Josiah would do ok with all those 7th and 8th graders around him


• if I've taught them enough to be responsible 2nd and 6th graders

• if Bennett was upstairs freezing because I may have left his window open and it was 45 degrees outside

• if I would oversleep and make everyone late for their first day...

I think next year I'll let Ken do the back to school prep. Maybe then I could be the one sleeping peacefully!!!!