Thursday TOPS

Brian Regan has a funny act where he talks about how there are some things that only a parent can say. Hence, I will occasionally have "Thursday Things Only Parents Say" (Thursday TOPS). Same concept as my TGIF's, only this will be a collection of those sentences throughout my week that I can't believe I had to say to my children. They may not seem so funny at first glance, but if you REALLY thing about it... you'll realize that only a parent is blessed enough to say them. :-) I've also realized that TOPS will be comprised of negative statements -- just shows that TOPS occur solely because kids will be curious kids!

Stop playing with the toilet handle. It's not a toy.

Stop banging on the washer. I don't care if it sounds like thunder. Don't do it!

It's probably not a good idea to stand on that balloon (could also read "car carrier").

Don't vroom your cars into your little sister.

Would you please stop dancing around naked?

It's rude to sniff other people's bottoms.

Take that diaper off your head.

You may only bring cars that don't fit under the oven into the kitchen.

Monday Meditations: Ways vs. Steps

Wow. Do you ever have one of those days where you knew it would be full, but you felt that it would run smoothly under control? And then it ends up being NOTHING like what you expected. You planned your ways, but someone (or Someone) else was directing your steps?

My day today was like that.

I expected a couple loads of laundry, at least one packed box, a shower, school for the boys, and the regular meals and kids thing.

Status update 12+ hours later? One full basket of clean/folded clothes upstairs on my bedroom floor. One overstuffed basket of clean clothes on my kitchen floor, half folded and the rest shoved on top (since it's two loads in one basket). A load of towels drying in the dyer -- to be left until morning, no, tomorrow afternoon. One half-packed box creating a narrow passageway with Matt's closet to our master bathroom. Two meager worksheets done with the boys. No shower. But we're all fed and still alive.

So what on earth happened in between that prevented me from finishimg what seemed to be a very accomplish-able To Do List? A lot. Much of which was unexpected. Here's a list:

-::thinking:: Ok, so I can't really remember my morning. All I know is that whatever happened, I ended up not getting Eden out of her crib until 11:30 for lunch. I usually get her at 10:45 or 11:00. :-P

-Quick jaunt to take some cookies to a dear friend (to give her the cookies AND to get us out of the house)

-"Naptime" which ended up being two hours of persistent disobedience including talking, whispering, laughing, sneaking out of bed, nakedness, overturned water bottles, silver permanent marker scribbles on my desk... Naturally mingled with not-so-perfect responses from me as I tried to hang on to loving discipline.

-Oh, and don't let me forget to mention that DURING naptime, a neighbor lady who is from Ivory Coast (and speaks very cool French) needed to use my phone/internet because hers was down, so she was here for about a half hour. Which only fueled the boys' disobedience since they thrive on being social (especially the oldest). And I had to battle my own dumb imaginations of what happens in the movies when you let someone you are only acquainted with into your home. Go away, Satan. I WILL be hospitable -- especially to a woman I have taken to Safeway a couple times, spoken with occasionally, and truly believe she is at least religious and moral.

-An phone call at 4:00pm from Lender Lady 2 saying we need this info NOW in order to keep an impossible timeline for closing within reach. An email at 4:06 from Lender Lady 1 "freaking out" about not having said information 5 days ago and shedding serious pessimism on our already twice extended close date. "Oh, and we need this info by 5pm." (It is incredible the amount of communication that has to happen between multiple parties when buying a home -- sheesh! It's no wonder we're confused about who needs what info, when, and how final!) So mucho phone calls to Lender Ladies and Contractor as well as a string of emails later, things were finalized at 5pm. Or was it 5:02?

-Meanwhile, once again, sweet happy Eden was left in her crib 30+ minutes longer than her usual afternoon nap. Picked up, put in her highchair, and given some juice so mommy could keep working on the real estate stuff. And break up the fight over the coloring book with a lecture to Eldest Son about his latest streak of selfishness. Not a perfectly delivered lecture either.

-A phone call at the start of the Coloring Book Fight from dear cookie friend thanking me for the cookies and asking if I could watch her son so she and her Hubby could go visit some friends with new babies. Of course! I would never say no to that unless I was seriously impeded! (Cookie Friend, you'd better NOT feel bad for asking after reading about my day. If I didn't want to or couldn't, I would have said no. I promise!)

-Throw some eggs and waffles on... knowing Hubz won't be home until 7:15 anyway.

-Feed Eden and myself quickly, leaving the boys to finish their dinner and Eden in the high chair while I go upstairs to wash the makeup (from yesterday) off my face and change out of my pjs (yes, at 5:50pm...they could pass as lounge clothes...) for Cookie Friend's arrival to drop off Cute Kid.

-Leave table uncleared and just GO OUTSIDE, get some fresh air, let the boys run a-muck, and wait for Cute Kid to arrive.

After that, things seemed to calm down a bit. Especially when Hubz got home and I pretty much washed my hands of my disobedient boys for the day. Praise the Lord for him! Three kids in bed, and some sweet time spent building Trios with Cute Kid. Why am I still up? Because I just finished scanning about 20 pages of real estate documents we had to sign and send back tonight. And I needed to debrief my brain with a Monday Mediations. Which is...

A man may plan his ways, but the Lord directs his steps.

The day is over (literally in 11 minutes). It was entirely imperfect both in how it did NOT go according to my plans and in how I responded to a few of the situations contained herein. But the day is over. God knew everything that would happen and how it would all happen in just a few short afternoon hours. From an earthly perspective, my day was out of control. But from a heavenly perspective, God was in total control of my day. Reminds me of an awesome quote my pastor gave yesterday:

It's not "Let go and let God." Grab hold and let God!

So if you ever have a day like mine, remember that God is in full control and knows the exact purposes He has for you in each situation that comes your way. Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. -Proverbs 19:21 Your responsibility is to trust Him and keep taking steps of faith. Grab hold of Him and let Him lead you through it all!

I've heard a Word that we'll come out on the other side mature and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1). I'd say that's worth the fight...just gotta remember that in the moment!

So now that I've finished scanning and had my therapeutic debreifng while listening to old school All For One...GOODNIGHT!

T.G.I.F.

Judah & I, at lunch...

Where's Matt? Map? No, Matt. Mah? No, MATT. Matt? Yes. Matt who? Your HUSBAND! (with a roll of his eyes) You mean, DADDY? Yes. He's at work. Where's Matthew? Matthew who? You know. (with a glimmer in his eye) Your daddy? Yes! At work, silly boy!

Judah started talking about a "raspberry cup" when we were talking about what kinds of fruits make different kinds of jelly. I asked him what a raspberry cup is. "It's raspberries all connected together with chocolate cake in the middle and icing on top and candles in it that you blow out for your birthday." Sounds yummy to me!!

Elijah came to snuggle in bed with Eden and I one morning when it was time to get up. Noticing a missing person, he asked, "Where's Daddy?" At work already. "Oh, before I even smelled the coffee on him." I guess Daddy's morning coffee is now a permanent part of the boys' day. :-)

Tippy Tuesday: Get Your Fix...At Home

I "forced" Matt to help me with this week's menu because, well, I wanted help. It gets tiring to come up with menu after menu -- lots of brain work, even with all the menus I've got stored up. One meal he came up with was to try chicken sandwiches of the Chick-fil-A type with waffle fries from the freezer section. So, we tried it! WOW! Not the exact recipe or anything, but it was close enough to definitely get our Chick-fil-A fix at home. And my best guestimate is that I fed four mouths and had 2 leftover servings for what one single combo meal would cost.

All I did was fillet boneless, skinless chicken breasts down to sandwich size. I cut several into nugget pieces for the boys. In one shallow dish, beat one egg with a tablespoon of milk. In another shallow dish, combine unseasoned bread crumbs, salt, pepper, paprika, and a touch of garlic powder to suit your fancy. (Sorry, I didn't measure!) Heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Egg 'n bread the chicken and place it in the hot oil for a few minutes on each side. Drain on a paper towel. Then all you have to do is add in the bun, pickles, mayo, lettuce, and tomato. Ta da! Oh, and the waffle fries from the oven. :-) A bona fide Chick-fil-A fix...at home.

Now, for another fix at home, I bring you another Hubz In the Kitchen moment. :-) Matt has occasionally gotten a crazy notion to combine cranberry juice with ice cream. But he's never really done it (nor have I been on board). Until tonight. WOWSERS! Talk about a Sonic fix...at home. I used my fav cran-pomegranate and he used cran-cherry. A couple scoops of vanilla ice cream with a splash of juice. To borrow from Blue's Clues, "Stir it up, stir it up, stir it up tasty..." Mmmm! Seriously. Try it.

Monday Meditation: 5 D's

Duty & Drudgery. Desire & Daily.

One of the books I'm currently reading is Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges. The women in my small group have just started going through it together, and it's been a book I've wanted to read for quite some time. Yeah for the "requirement" to now read it! :-) Today's meditation comes from one of the introductory chapters.

We are commanded to put sin to death. It is our duty to do so. But duty without desire soon produces drudgery. And it is the truth of the gospel, reaffirmed in our hearts daily, that puts desire into our duty. It is the gospel that stokes the fire of our motivation to deal with our respectable and subtle sins. It is the gospel that motivates us to seek to be in our daily experiences what we are in our standing before God.

(p. 36)

Over the years, I've had opportunity to have a few deep spiritual conversation in which I stepped on one of my soap boxes...that I dearly wish I would remember to stand on for myself every day! Faith is a choice we make each day. It goes along with the oft-heard quote Bridges mentions, "Preach the gospel to yourself every day." Yes, there is the initial step of faith in which salvation is brought to our souls by believing in Jesus Christ as our Savior from sin and death. But then there is the daily choice to have faith that Jesus Christ WILL continue His sanctifying work, ridding your soul's soil of the dead roots of sin.

Following are some questions that convict me -- I wish I thought about them every day!

-How often do I remember that I am not alone in my battle against sin? That I have been FREED from sin and do NOT have to succumb to it? That in my own power, I will fail over and over and over? That if I am led by the Spirit, I will walk by the Spirit? ::ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch:: ...ouch.

-As I move throughout my day, how often do I even think about Christ and what He did on the cross? Do I remind myself of the finality of His death and resurrection? That I am eternally forgiven for sins I haven't even committed yet?

-How often do I remember that He could come back for me in the very next breath I take? Or that I could meet Him in my sleep tonight? Now, think of that answer in light of how sinful I am each day.

-How often do I remember that the Holy Spirit is living WITHIN me, ready and willing to help me overcome the impatience, anger, laziness, selfishness, and pride that well up at a moment's notice?

-When I pray, why do I so often pray as if I'm talking to a God who is "out there" far away in heaven? If the Holy Spirit is within me, God is closer than "near" me! I think it is very unfortunate how many (including myself) are programmed to pray to God, as in God the Father. How often do I pray to God the Son, praising Him for what He did for me? How often do I pray to God the Holy Spirit, thanking Him for His comfort and guidance and asking for increasing conviction and purification?

-If God the Spirit is dwelling within me, why do I not see the ugliness of my sin all the more? Why do I not think this each day and use it to put desire in my duty to dig up and throw out the sin in my soul? The Most Holy of the universe living in an ugly, unkempt garden with unfathomable potential? Get to work, woman!!

Duty is done much more quickly and completely when desire is behind it!!!

Remembering Christ has saved me once for all and the Holy Spirit is walking with me in sanctification SHOULD put desire in my duty to eradicate sin. Battling sin is far to often a drudgery for me...because I don't remember my Savior often enough. It's too easy for life to choke out Life. Husband, kids, meals, laundry, dust, germs, appointments, friends, service, events, TV, email, Facebook, packing, lack of sleep, hormones, SIN... My life is packed. My brain seemingly overloaded. Or is it just not organized properly?

Enter the 5th D.

discipline.

::groooooaaaan:: I loath the word. Only because I know JUST how important it is to life and godliness. And how HARD it is to obtain.

I need to discipline my mind to remember the Gospel each day. Discipline my brain into thinking each day on what God has done for me, that I am already free from sin, that the Holy Spirit within me will help me choose righteousness each time I am tempted to sin, that getting rid of sin should be a daily desirous duty rather than a drudgery.

And I betcha that once I, with the Spirit's help, can discipline myself to remember the Gospel each day and have daily faith that Christ will continue His work in me, sin will fall OUT of place and everything else will fall INTO place. Where sin is absent, holy freedom reigns.

Rather than allowing life to choke out Life, I need to let Life run my life. Daily.

**EDIT**

Ok, so I wrote this post right after I read the opening quote. Then I finished reading the chapter. I was shocked to read the very same thoughts I had put in this post, especially concerning the Holy Spirit. What a beautiful affirmation of my thought process. See? Proof that He is living within me, helping me to grow. :-)

And one quote that made me laugh outloud...because it's soooo true: "If we are prone to sinful anger, there will be circumstances that trigger our anger." HA! Thanks for the three kids, Lord. ;-) He sure does know exactly what we need to sanctify us where we need sanctifyin' - amen?

T.G.I.F.

One morning as the boys were sitting on the couch, Judah noted that one of the van lights was "on." I checked, and it was simply the sun reflecting off one of the mirrors within the light's compartment -- very bright! I explained what it was and that you shouldn't stare at things that are so bright or it could hurt your eyes. I also told them that we shouldn't stare at the sun either because it could "burn" your eyes and you wouldn't be able to see anymore. Fast forward to after nap time... For some reason, Judah was summarizing my earlier teaching about not staring at the sun. I took the opportunity to to teach the boys that when someone can't see, they are called "blind." Judah said that when he opens his eyes really wide, he is blind. I corrected him and said that was "blurry" and not blind. I had them shut their eyes and said that when you are "blind," you can't see anything but darkness -- no light, shadows, shapes, etc. Judah popped his eyes open and said, "OH! So Daddy must have stared at the sun and gotten blind!" Ha!! Then I had to launch into explaining that, yes, Daddy can't see "anything" without his glasses, but he's not blind.

As I was about to throw away a chicken carcass while cleaning up from dinner, I said aloud what I was doing. The boys were in the kitchen and asked what a "car-ah-cuhs" is. I brought them over to the cutting board and explained that it's basically the skeleton of the chicken we ate for dinner, that it's the bones of a chicken. Judah: "The booooones?? Oh. So chicken comes from a chicken." Congratulations, son! :-)

Most people who know our family know which one of my sons can tend to be mischievous. If you call out for Elijah and he doesn't answer, you'd better find him fast. I went upstairs for maybe five minutes to put a basket of clothes on my bed. Came back down and saw Judah where I'd left the boys, but no sign of Elijah. "Elijah? ..... Elijah, where are you?" Still nothing. It was kind of eerie because usually there are sounds or signs of where he is, but I couldn't figure it out. So I walked around until I got all the way into the kitchen. There he was, hunkered as far into the refrigerator corner as a human can possibly be with the [cutest] big-eyed gasp-she-found-me expression on his face... and a huge chipmunk cheek. "What are you eating?" Silence. "Elijah, WHAT are you eating??" My mind was frantically coursing though what I may have left within reach on the counter -- but there was nothing. All sweets were out of reach. "Elijah, open your mouth." A huge ball of chewed up cheese was inside. "CHEESE??" He shook his head slowly as he continued trying to chew it all. I HAD to smile. Matter of fact, I giggled a little. Here was the classic hand-in-the-cookie-jar moment. And it was cheese. I asked him where he got it from, and he pointed to the meat/cheese drawer. I opened the trash and found the wrapper neatly laid inside. This kid knew exactly what he wanted and how to hide it. At least it was cheese, I guess. Good protein and calcium. :-) I asked him if he was hungry, and he pitifully said yes. "Sweetie, if you're hungry, just ask!"

Monday Meditations: Getting One Thing Straight

I got a very nice message from a dear college friend the other day. She's in a bit of a rough patch with a brood of little Warriors to raise as well as a new pregnancy complete with the fun symptoms. :-P Here's part of what she said...

So, I have a question for you! How do you do it all? I see all of your blog posts, menus, laundry tips, etc. and think...wow, I wish I was as talented as Dawn! I am a pretty organized person, but I just feel like you have it together so much better.

Let's get one thing straight... I. do. NOT. have. it. together. :-)

The problem with the virtual world is that we can pick and choose what we let others see. Granted, you can do that face to face with someone as well. But, ah, with the virtual world, editing of self is endless! Who in their right mind would post "I yelled at my son today just because he wouldn't go up the stairs when I told him to" or "I ate chips the other afternoon when I wasn't truly hungry" or "I was disgruntled when my husband said I couldn't get a new hamper for the boys' room" or "I napped for an hour and a half rather than a quick cat nap and then taking care of responsibilities" (See, four imperfections right off the top of my head...and there's a lot more I could post!) No, most of us, except for a few rare jewels of honesty, choose to post the tips, the funnies, the pictures, the Bible verses, and so on. Sure paints a pretty picture, huh?

I'd like to share my response to my sweet friend to help paint, not an ugly or pretty picture, but a PROPER picture...

Girl, there are SO many things I need to improve upon. What you see on my blog or FB is by God's grace, whether I learned it through Home Ec, other women or resources, or figured it out along the way.

I fail EVERY day. Misplaced priorities, laziness, anger/impatience with my boys... I could give you a laundry list of failures. I think we're only on week 7 or so of our preschool. And it's been 6 MONTHS since we started. :-P Laundry always piles up. Dusting happens maybe once a month. Bathrooms are cleaned every 2-3 weeks (maybe?). Menu planning is a chore -- ugh. I have good intentions to do things after bedtime, but once I sit to nurse Eden one last time, my body hits the "I'm actually sitting down and now I'm tired" wall.

So now that I've blown holes in how you apparently view me... ;-)

If I may borrow an old adage: Those who fail are those who fail to try.

And to add to that, we can only try and keep trying by God's strength. He's promised not to give us anything He won't also give us the tools and grit to handle. Very humbling to think of all He's blessed us with and then look at the job we are (or aren't) doing. We've been given amazing men to love, support, and aid in this life. We've been charged to raise human beings -- keep them alive and healthy as well as guide them spiritually to the Throne of Salvation. And if that wasn't enough responsibility, tack on home management, meal management, clothes management, cleaning, doc appointments, church stuff, etc. Sheeh! Almost seems like we've been set up to fail.

And yet God gave it all to us. Therefore, we CAN handle it. But only in HIS strength. Can't stress that enough for the both of us. By being His daughters, we're set up for success rather than failure. We just have to choose to take what is already there! (Wow, I think I'm preaching to myself!)

My mom has always told me "Just do the next thing" when I'm having a rough time physically or emotionally. This is definitely just a season for you. One that is well worth it since you're [insert your own personal struggle here]! Do what you can, ask for help, and let go of the rest. As long as your family is alive and healthy, that's what matters! People, including yourself, are more important than folded laundry or clean windows.

Let me raise my glass of lukewarm water while in my wrinkled shirt and spit-up, snotty jeans as I say: "Here's to wives and moms -- may we remember that our Father has set us up for success and not failure. We just have to choose to do it all for Him and that will put success in our grasp!"

T.G.I.F.

Seems like Judah takes the cake for this week's TGIF collection...

While discussing what we were going to do after dinner, Judah came up with his own idea. "We should watch a movie and have something that starts with a 'P'," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "It's made with corn and starts with 'pop'." Gee. I wonder what it could be!! It was quite tickling to Matt & I.

Judah went into the bathroom one morning and closed the door. I heard celebration, then he came dancing out of the bathroom, his footies unzipped. "I have some happy neeeeeeews......I'm DRY!" There's one for your marketing, Huggies Overnights.

When Matt gets in the kitchen, usually good things happen. I had a bad headache one afternoon (I think my eyes are showing more signs of aging and need visual aid more than I care to admit), so he made French toast and eggs. I should add that when he gets in the kitchen, he also usually tries to be creative. Sometimes it works...and, well, you know. There was that bacon disaster on Mother's Day a couple years ago... Anyway, he decided he was going to chop up frozen seasoned French fries and mix them in with the scrambled eggs. I protested several times, not wanting anything to be wasted in what I thought was a crazy idea headed for failure. Ok. It was GOOOD! We called it "French Dinner" - French Eggs and French Toast. Here's the funny part... When Matt put Judah's plate on the table, Judah took one look at it and said, "It looks like a junkyard." ::stunned silence from his parents:: What did you say? "It looks like junkyard eggs." I don't even remember if Judah ate them all. But we're callin' them Junkyard Eggs from now on. :-) (Elijah picked his French frie bits out of his eggs.)

We had our first big (and close) thunders of this year a few moments ago. I told the boys that they could get in my bed with me for a few minutes until it passed and then they could finish their nap. I had left my computer open with the radar up, so when they came to my bed they saw it. Having grown up in a Southern state, I'm used to the drill of watching the skies and checking the radar. I think my boys, in their short little lives, have already learned that drill. "Oh, the radar is up!" I was showing them how the storm was moving and where we were. One of them asked where it was moving, and I motioned up the USA coast. Judah said with a hand gesture, "Is it moving northeast?" ::stunned:: Uh...I...uh...well, yes. HOW did you know that?? "Because they say it on the news." Whew, ok. I was about to be very afraid of his smarts if he knew the direction just because. ;-)

Back to nap time!

Life Ring

This is the poem my hubby wrote, referenced in the previous Tippy Tuesday post...

When the towels are needin' foldin',

And there's kiddies runnin' round,

I'll toss me wife a life ring,

To ensure she doesn't drown.

But who would get a life ring,

In the middle of the sea,

Throw it back onto the ship

And say "You didn't toss like me?"

Tippy Tuesday: Hubz in the Kitchen

My Hubby once wrote a really cute poem for me that was a call for me to accept his help even in things I want done my own way. It's been in the back of my brain on several occasions since then, and my own mother has brought it up to me when I needed to be reminded of the principle. The push of the poem is for me to accept a life ring -- help -- when it is offered, whether it is thrown my way or his. I'll post the poem when I can find it...

I know for stay-at-home-moms (and even most working moms), one of our "realms" is meal management and our main office is the kitchen. Some husbands are 5-star chefs, others don't know what a spatula is used for -- or even what it might look like. Then there are those husbands that are Renaissance men. These men can be taught just about anything or are just creative enough to at least semi-successfully do what they put their minds to. My Hubz is that kind of a man. I know that if he had more experience in the kitchen and learned a few things, he would be a great chef (including the creative bent he has). Actually, there are a few dishes he's been better at than I. Usually the simple things like a fried egg. It must have taken me a year or more to figure out how to do it just right! Quite frustrating to one who holds a Home Ec degree. :-P Anyway, what happens when Chef Mom is unable to cook dinner? Some use it as an opportunity (or excuse) to have pizza, Chick-fil-A, or whatever. But for those who are trying to watch the budget carefully (and trying to buy a house), Hubz has to step up to the plate.

And Chef Mom needs to let go and take that life ring.

Good things happen when my Hubby gets in the kitchen. And I'd never know it if I didn't "let" him every once in a while. (Be sure to check out this weeks T.G.I.F.)

So my tip for today is to remember that you and your husband are partners in life. Yes, we each have our roles in the family -- bread winner, home manager, etc. But marriage is a partnership in which the roles have the ability to be fluid. So let it flow! Help your husband in his "roles" when he is unable; learn from him how to do his jobs. And let your husband help you in your roles...and be willing to teach him how to do it. To that I will add... be patient. ;-) And, in the end, be willing to let the t-shirts be folded "wrong" until you do the laundry again or to let your kids eat scrambled eggs made without milk for once.

Take that life ring when it's thrown to you...and say "Thank you!"

TGIF

The boys have been hungrier lately. Breakfast this morning consisted of cheerios with banana, more cheerios, then scrambled eggs. While I was trying to finish cooking mine and Matt's eggs/toast, Judah said, "Mommy, you are a good cook. Since you're a good cook, you should work at a restaurant... like Chick-fil-A!" Wow, thanks for having such high aspirations for your mother. ;-)

Tippy Tuesday: Cheating the Foaming Soap Dispenser

It has irked me for a while that you have to use "special" soap with the [Brand Name] foaming soap dispensers. Not cost effective! And yet, those pumps are so perfect for little hands because the lather gets into the nooks and crannies better than regular soap that has to be foamed up manually (which takes time that little boys are not always willing to give). Plus, foam is so much more fun for kids (and adults?!) than regular soap. So, with yet another dispenser emptied, I thought I'd try something. Never know unless you try, huh?

I mixed our bulk handsoap with water, maybe 1/3 soap to 2/3 water. Or close to half and half. Somewhere in there. Shook it a little to distribute. We're going on day 3 of perfect use! Woo hoo!

T.G.I.F.

Oh boy. We've come to the little kid stage of hilarium. Judah has recently discovered his comedic skills with knock-knock jokes. Here's a few I've heard (I'm sensing a theme...and I have no idea where it's coming from):

Knock, knock. Who's there? Banana. Banana who? Banana, why are you painting your toes when you're too close to the fire with a big fan? It will hurt you and spit you up.

Knock, knock. Who's there? Banana. Banana who? Banana, why are you going to paint an ear when you are going to be jailed on a sailed while you're on a furnace?

Knock, knock. Who's there? Boo hoo. Boo hoo who? Boo hoo, why are you going to light a candle on the furnace?

Just a cute little thing Eden did: I had just eaten a small brownie before I picked her up. As soon as she smelled my breath, she whipped her head around and just stared at my mouth. And stared and stared, contemplating. Hmm. Perhaps the female love of chocolate is a predisposition we are born with? ;-)

The Wonderful World of Homemade Babyfood

My dear friend Jaclyn is about to enter that amazing stage of feeding her Lil' Love solids, so she is seeking ideas from those who have gone before. She had the great idea for me to just make a post out of the email I sent to her! I feel as though I've come a long way from my first couple posts on making Eden's babyfood. This third crack I've had at doing homemade babyfood has by far been the easiest and smoothest and at the same time has been full of variety and freshness. I feel sorry for my boys! Momma just had to live and learn -- you just happened to come before the "third time's a charm" success! :-P

Most Helpful Book (you MUST get! ...in my opinion, anyway): Top 100 Baby Purees

Food Mills:

KidCo Manual Food Mill - I have found this one to be a breeze and like the consistency it produces better than the electric. It does take some elbow grease for larger batches of food; but, hey, a little muscle tone is always a good thing! It can travel anywhere and do a single serving all the way up to a big batch.

KidCo Electric Food Mill - I used this with both my boys. It was great (but now I know the manual is even greater!). Whips up babyfood in a jiffy but doesn't strain out hulls and such like the manual mill can. It lasted through both boys and a friend who borrowed it for her child, but it shorted out the first time I tried to use it for Eden's food. Hence my discovery of the manual mill thanks to a friend who loaned it. :-)

Storage:

Reusable Baby Food Containers - So nice to have for grab 'n go! Freezer and microwave safe. I'm sure other similar containers work well, but these are what I have and know. I like how they stack together both for freezer storage and storing empty. You do need to be sure to screw the lid on well and leave a little room for expansion during freezing. Earlier on when Eden's food was pretty thin, I'd put it in a little ziploc with her spoon to transport in order to make sure no mess was made if it happened to leak.

Covered ice cube or food tray - Really, any will do. I have some ice cube trays that have lids that slide on and of. You could go with no covers, but they help prevent freezer burn as well as protect the food from contaminants and odors.

Ziploc bags & Sharpie - Label bag with food and date. Fill with frozen cubes!

Feeding Time:

Gerber Bowls - Oh my WORD! These are also must-haves, in my opinion. They are so multi-purpose, last a long time, and are just plain great. I even use them for my own snacks! Serving baby food, kids' snacks, adult snacks, snacks or babyfood on-the-go since they have lids, etc. We have two sets simply because they are SO useful!

Take & Toss Infant Spoons - SUCH an investment! Forget the fancy infant spoons with metal handles and rubber-coated bowls that change color. Or any other fancy spoon. These are so cheap that if you have to throw one away, who cares! But the secret is that they are incredibly durable! I think I've only purchased one, maybe two, sets in the entire life of our family. They are perfectly sized for infant mouths and very smooth around the edges.

T.G.I.F.

Judah asked me if I would race them after dinner. I said we'd see. He said, "Well, nevermind. Mommies can't run after they have babies." I tried to clarify to see if he meant mommies can't run while they have babies inside their tummies. "No, they just can't run after they have babies." Why, Judah? Because we're out of shape? "No, just because they can't. Boys can run whenever they want to..." And off he went into a tangent.

Elijah, innocently, at breakfast: "Can I have more banana butt cheerios and bananas?"

T.G.I.F.

Seems like a lot of funnies happen at the table...

While eating dinner, Elijah and I started having one of those typical "I love you more" conversations. Very cute. But he beat me. When I said, "I love you even more!", he followed with a supremely adorable and definitive voice saying, "I love you even mucher!" Ok. I'll take that. :-)

The other day, the boys and I were discussing facial hair. I was explaining that Eden and Mommy don't grow hair on our faces. Daddy does because he is a man. And someday, Judah & Elijah will. After some thought, Elijah asked enthusiastically, "Will I be Santa Claus??"

Today at lunch, Judah said he was five and then asked me how old I am. I explained that I'm 28 now but will be 29 in a few days. His eyes got huge and he exclaimed, "WOW! That's more than I can count... that's... that's higher than ONE HUNDRED!" Yes, son, you can because I've heard you count higher than 29 -- and thanks for making feel old. ;-)

Tippy Tuesday

Today's tip is short and sweet. And will give part of the reason I haven't posted in a bit. Holidays and then ill health. Yum.

Things I've found that dramatically help a really sore throat:

-Campbells old fashioned chicken noodle soup (not the new chunky kind) and saltine crackers. Oh, the warmth and the salt!
-Chamomile tea. Feels so warm and soothing going down, almost like it lubricates your throat. Too bad I ran out of my high quality straight-from-England tea bags. Matt said he can get me more soon... ;-)
-Ricola's honey herb cough drops. Tasty and quite soothing, also a lubricating feeling.

Turns out, the natural ways do work. Chicken noodle soup, hot tea (esp herbal), and honey/herbs. God knew what He was creating back in the day! But if I do end up needing meds, I'm thankful He gave man the knowledge to come up with them. :-)

T.G.I.F.

I've recently started letting the boys have a whole small apple rather than slices. Elijah bit into his apple this week but not all the way. His teeth marks were left in the skin. After looking it over quizzically and discovering the "smile," he exclaimed, "Look, Mommy! It's a apple punkin'!" Guess he thought it looked like a jack-o-lantern!

Having had a few very windy days lately, it gave Judah opportunity to ponder wind. "Mommy, where does wind come from?" Ah, an age old question, my son. We don't know, sweetie, and even the Bible says that we do not know where it comes from or where it is going. He quietly and solemnley added, "Maybe it's God's breath." So beautiful to watch his mind work.

The other night at dinner I told Matt that Eden is now up to about three cubes of food. Such a witty man I have. He replied: "One cube, two cubes, three cubes....game cube, cube-icle... We live a squared life."

Judah and Elijah were discussing what fireworks were at lunch.

J: Do you know what fireworks are?

E: No.

J: They're things that pop in the sky.

Later on, I heard them still talking about fireworks, the sounds they make, and how they work.

J: When the balloons go up and pop, it's a firework. Red balloons make red fireworks.

E: And purple balloons make purple fire trucks... I mean fireworks.

J: Green balloons make green fireworks...

And on and on they went about which balloon color made which firework color. Sometimes it's so cute to hear the perspective of kids.

I was feeding Eden her first cut-up pears rather than pear babyfood. For the life of me, I don't know what her problem is. It's perhaps the most grimaces I've seen from her when it comes to food. She'll eat pear babyfood mixed with infant cereal. Texture, maybe? Anyway, I told the boys I had no idea why she didn't like it. Without a beat, Judah assured me, "Maybe when she grows up." Yes, thank you, my son of four years. ;-)

T.G.I.F.

When Elijah was going downstairs to get a car to play with, I said, "Make sure to be shy...err...quiet." Where did that come from?

As the boys were playing, I heard them singing a medley of Christmas songs: "JingleS bells, jingleS bells, aaaall the way..." and "Go tell it on duh moooount-uhn dat Jesus Christ is born..." I should get video.

The other day, we learned about the sense of smell. I asked the boys what smells good: cakes, cookies, candles, Mommy's perfume. I asked what smells bad. Boys will be boys. ;-) However, after having fits of laughter over what boys think smells hilariously awful, Judah stopped to think for a moment. Finally, he said, "Atural gas. That smells bad. And if we smell it, we should get away." He means natural gas. And lest you think kids don't remember things you tell them... Matt had the boys sniff this scratch 'n paper that came in the mail explaining what to do if you smell natural gas. I thought it was pretty clever of the gas company -- and now we have more than just adult noses on the look out for "atural gas."

Instead of yelling, "Eden has a runny nose" or "She needs a tissue," Elijah just frantically yells "SICK! SICK! Eden has SICK!" Hilarious! Until I see just how icky the "sick" is...

Wordless Wednesday: Letting Go of Perfection + Toys = Creative Fun