T.G.I.F.

I was doing school with the boys one night, and we got on the subject of the sun and its size.  It was SO much fun to see Judah's speechless amazement when I told him our sun was actually a small star in comparison to the other stars that are out there.  I explained to him that the sun is just big to us because it is the star we are closest to and that there are stars out there way, way, way, way bigger than our sun.  He all of the sudden made the sound of a gun exploding.  I grinned when I realized what he had done.  "Was that the sound of your brain exploding?"  "Yes!"  :-)

As Eden was getting toys for her bath time, she was having to maneuver around the toilet and side of the tub.  I don't think I've ever seen stomach muscles move quite like that as she tried to avoid touching the cold porcelain with her bare tummy.  So cute!  Maybe you just have to have seen it.

Monday Meditations: The Wiles of a Woman

If there's one thing that is fascinating about having children, it's the blatant display of sin nature from birth.  Many say that kids are innocent and such, and perhaps they are to a degree.  But there is no doubt they are sinners waiting for their bodies/minds to catch up so they can follow their own desires.  Has anyone ever had to teach their kids to lie, not share, boast in themselves, hit/bite out of anger, etc.?  I think not.  And if someone did teach their kids how to do things like that, there's a much bigger problem!  :-P

It's always been a sad transition for me when my children have reached that age in toddlerhood where you start seeing WILLFUL disobedience -- as in, contemplation of disobedience, how to do it, how to get away with it, how to smooth things over in order to avoid discipline.  Both my boys hit that phase.  But now my little girl has hit that phase.  And let me tell you...just as there have been many other gender differences in watching my kids grow up, this is another one!

Boys?  They are just outright disobedient.  There might be some mischief mixed in here and there, but neither of my sons has ever tried to schmooze their way out of anything.  They either run away and hide, throw a fit of anger at being disciplined, or they man up and take it, knowing they did wrong.  But my sweet, adorable girl?  Nuh-uh.  I've now seen that no one has to teach a female how to be, well, female.  Let me give you an example.

One of our biggest issues with Snickers lately is that she is very skillful in taking off her pants and diaper, generally at the most inconvenient times like sleeping time or playtime when Mommy has to be doing other things.  We know that she knows it's a no-no.  She's reached a point where we have realized it has to become a discipline issue.  Apparently, she's also reached the point where she knows what we'll do if we find her diaper-less.  Yesterday, I went into her room at naptime after peeking in and seeing a (cute!) bare bottom.  She stood up in her crib, all smiles with sparkly eyes and chatter-boxed away at me.  I had "the talk" with her about her disobedience, and picked her up out of her crib.  In that motion of lifting her out, she immediately gave me a huge smooch on the cheek followed by a heart-melting giggle.  ARGH!  Must fight the warm fuzzies so she'll see disobedience is serious!!  Today?  Yeah.  Caught her naked again.  So what does she do when I walk up to her crib to commence "the talk" again?  She lays there and gives me a coy little wave of the hand with a Mona Lisa grin.  ARGH!  Stop that!  "Did you disobey Mommy and take your diaper off?"  No answer except another wave and a soft, cheerful "Hiii!"  I did follow through with the talk, but boy is she good at trying to melt my heart into a puddle of gooey love!  She's GOT to learn that Mommy has a Rock at the center of my melted heart...and I have to obey that Rock even if the talks aren't fun for either of us.

It's all been very eye opening to me and has made me ponder the wiles of women (a great example of this is in Proverbs 5).  Even at almost 2 years old, my female child knows how to manipulate, look cute, schmooze,  cry big tears, yell at you when she's not getting her way, and speak sweetly to distract you from the truth.  Just this morning, she actually used her finger and voice in a tsk-tsk fashion at her brother for touching her stuffed kitty!  Kinda scary.  Especially knowing that sin unhindered exponentially grows each year it is allowed to keep root in the heart.  Time to don the battle armor and fight for my baby girl, praying that she'll channel her femininity to honor Christ and become His warrior princess!

T.G.I.F.

My sons have both used the term "fast backwards" this week.  As in, rewind.  I love how simple and innocent childhood thinking is.

The other morning, I woke up and had a very gravelly deep voice.  The boys came in my room as is their custom in the mornings.  After saying good morning to them, Judah asked what was wrong with my voice.  I tried to explain something was going on with my lungs and it was causing my voice to sound strange.  So he deepened his own voice and with a silly smile imitated me while saying, "I'm 60 years old..."  Mmmkay.  You can stop now.  Watch it, son!

I'm sure I'll think it's funny some day, but my daughter can make a 2 minute powder/mascara job turn into 10 minutes of chasing her while trying to quickly get ready.  In the span of five minutes this morning, she had found a black sharpie and put a big black spot on her palm (Pirates, anyone?)...then I found her in the dark bathroom trying to clean the toilet.  All by herself, she had gotten into the linen closet and retrieved the toilet brush and a cleaning wipe then headed straight to the bathroom to start cleanin' that potty.  And it's not the first time she's done it.  UGH!  Thank you?  I promise I'll be more grateful for it in a couple years, Sweetie.

T.G.I.F.

I was reading the boys one of their stories for school.  Elijah felt the call of nature, so he promptly called out, "Mommy, can you pause?!"

We were indulging in some delicious bing cherries after lunch one day.  One of my favorite fruits!  I had pitted them and cut them in half for the boys.  Judah held up one half, cut-side towards me, and said, "You know what this looks like, Mommy?  It looks like a lung!"  Um, eww.

This is more precious than funny.  I've been sick since Tuesday, though now I think it is just the left-over exhaustion that comes from fighting infection and seeing life be so un-normal.  Thank You, Lord, for both the time to increase my reliance on You (though I did fail a few times...) and for the healing process.  This morning, I am doubly exhausted from having to take my daughter to the ER last night after a nasty noggin bump (she's ok!).  Waking up at 6:45 to giggling boys in the same bed was NOT my ideal.  Note About Me: If there is one thing that tempts me to be impatient and angry more than anything else -- and quickly, mind you -- it's disobedience when you're supposed to be still and quite in bed, whether it's naptime or bedtime.  We should probably add the sin of selfishness to that.  I'm sure I get impatient and angry over that because it's "MY" time for peace, quiet, rest, and to do what "I" wish.  ::sigh::  It may be the thorn in my side for life -- but God is faithful to work on thorns!  Anyway...  I was not pleased that the entire last hour of my night's sleep was going to be an interrupted one.  I finally got up at 7:30 to shower so that I wouldn't hear them disobeying.  It was an attempt to remove myself from the situation since Hubz wasn't home to intervene.  Then I was joined in the bathroom with both sons because they were afraid of the rain (enter another irritation).  Then I heard running as they played with their paper airplanes while I was supposed to be having a peaceful morning shower (a rare thing).  Argh!  I was mad.  I was wrong.  The madness continued, and I struggled.  After Hubz had come back from breakfast and gone to work, I pretty much lost it emotionally with my sweet boys explaining to them many things: Mommy's been sick and is tired, I get easily angered when they disobey in bed, they should love God and me and show it by obeying even when they aren't getting to do what they want, etc.  At the end, I told them I loved them and that we were going to watch a movie so I could rest up in order to get a few things done this afternoon.  Time passed.  I prayed.  The sun came out.  I made coffee.  Briefly chatted with a dear friend who always lifts my spirits even in 2 minutes.  Did my neti pot.  And felt the Sonshine inside again.  I told the boys with a smile, "I'm ok now, guys."  And do you know what my precious Judah said?  The one who struggles with anger just like I do?  "God answered my prayer, Mommy!  I prayed [inside my head] that you wouldn't be angry anymore."  Lord, let that resound with Him that You do answer His prayers even about the woman who is his imperfect example!  <3

TOPS - Guest post!

Things only parents say... I think a guest post from my dear Momma is appropriate for today's TOPS.  What she "says" is the story of my birth 30 years ago today!  It was very sweet to read, and I even learned some new things!  Thank you, Momma, for being so incredibly full of love, care, and generosity towards me.  I am who I am today at 30 because of the role the Lord has given you in my life, from then until now.  Your love towards me in all its facets is one of my favorite, most secure loves on this earth.  ::HUG::

Thirty Years Ago Today

Today is a big day. Today my second daughter turns thirty. When I had Dawn thirty years ago I had no idea what the Lord had in mind. Before I go there I want to review and reflect on her birth story. The day before Dawn was born I became concerned because every time I coughed, laughter or sneezed I would "wet myself". I was mortified that this was happening. I finally said something to my mom the next day. She told me we should go to the doctor and get it checked. Now at this time of my life I was living with my mom and dad up in a leeettle town called Challis. It is in Idaho. Dawn's father was in boot camp. The doctor was out fishing so the physician's assistant, who also went to our church, was there and checked the leakage with litmus paper and it was not what I thought it was, it was amniotic fluid. So I was going to have a baby that day. It was January, obviously, there was snow on the ground. We went to the pastor's house so we could make plans for Autumn to be cared for and how we were going to go to Salmon, the town where the hospital was... about 60 miles from Challis. I remember Pastor Chuck being so tender and caring. He made me sit in their recliner so I could rest for the work I had ahead of me :) This was all sort of silly to me since I didn't feel like I was going to have a baby, no contractions or anything else. There was also talk of how we needed to be careful driving because of the ice/snow on the roads and the windingness (is that a word) of the road. I don't remember the drive much, but I do think Chuck followed us to the hospital to be sure we got there safely. We got there safely. Within a short amount of time I was in a room and hooked up to an IV with pitocin started. My contractions started about 1:00pm. The hospital I had was sort of behind the times and were not really familiar with "natural childbirth". As my labor progressed the nurse, she was pretty old, came in with two little box things and talked about an enema and a shave. Well, I hadn't had either with Autumn so there was no way I was having it with this baby. After a bit of back and forth she realized I was not going to let her do either procedure and she left the room. I would be interested to see what she wrote in my chart :) I was determined to have a drug free labor, except of course for the pitocin. After several hours I was very tired and tired of being in labor. My mom was with me the whole time but Dad would come in periodically to check on me. When I was at my low point, it seemed the labor was slowing. My contractions became farther apart and didn't last as long. I was very frustrated. Dad came in and I told him I just couldn't go on. He told me that he believed the Lord was giving me a break before transition and the birth of the baby. I thought he was nuts. Well, about twenty minutes later the labor kicked up a lot. The nurse had the doctor come in and check me... I was at 5-6 cm.... he said I would be another 2-3 hours. I remember distinctly looking at him and telling him I couldn't do that. He said "well, I'm going to go grab some dinner. I'll check on you when I get back." Well, he left and the next thing I know, I HAD to push. The nurse was there and I told her I had to push. She turned around and told me,"I have to go get the delivery room ready so just pant and hold it." Mom said, "you have to pant" I remember her being right over me and helping me concentrate on panting....It was a strange experience. I sort of pushed at the end of each pant... crazy. Well, I honestly don't know exactly what happened but I do remember telling my mom, "I think the baby is here, what is it." She peeked down on the bed and she said, "yes, I think it is a girl."(I had been convinced I was having a boy, no ultra-sound for proof though) We just sort of stood there not really knowing what to do. Pretty soon the nurse came back in and was in a dither because "the baby was born out of the sterile environment of the delivery room." Oh, also, Dad had run out to get the doctor as he was getting into his car to go eat dinner. I honestly don't remember a lot of what happened the next few minutes, except I remember watching blood going up my IV and wondering if it was okay. The doctor came in and was really angry. He made comments about how he was going to have to spend a long time sewing me up since I was probably horribly torn. Well, God took care of me.... not a tear, not. one. Dad took a couple pics of Dawn as they whisked her off to the nursery, through the unsterile halls of the hospital, I might add. 

So, here we are thirty years later.... really? really thirty years? Could it possibly have been that long? I didn't know it but that day the Lord allowed me to have a precious little girl who has grown into a wonderful, amazing, godly woman. She is my daughter, sister in Christ, mentor and one of my best friends. She is a fantastic wife, mother and servant of her Lord. I'm so grateful to the Lord for knitting that baby together in my womb, allowing her to grow into the woman she is, for choosing her before the foundation of the world and letting us have a close relationship even though we live far apart.

I love you so much! I pray you have the happiest of birthdays. Remember you are celebrating thirty years of God's grace, there is nothing better to celebrate!

Tippy Tuesday: Chocomint Cake

Yeah, that's the working title of the recipe... Devilmint Cake?  Pepperlate Cake? 
Other suggestions welcome.  :-)

I like peppermint.  I like chocolate.  I like cake.  I like experimenting with cake.  I like festive desserts!  Sounds like a great recipe for coming up with a recipe!  After doing some research, I put together the ideas I found to form a really great cake for holiday parties or wintry events.  I made one for post-Christmas caroling and froze the extra layers to make another cake for New Year's Eve.  The best part, other than the taste, is that it's pretty simple but is far from just an ordinary cake!

The first time, I added peppermint extract to canned vanilla frosting per my husband's "refined (sugar)" taste.  The second go-around I made peppermint whipped cream frosting.  Wow.  Do I ever prefer the real whipped cream!  But, you choose whatever suits your fancy, skill level, and time!  That's why I love cake-making.  You can experiment in so many ways!  And by using cake mixes rather than scratch, you save time and money.  You just "kick it up a notch" as Emeril would say.  Make it "semi-homemade" as Sarah would approve.  It's just fun 'n easy!


You'll need...

2-4 round cake pans

parchment paper

butter

1 box white cake mix

3 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 cup buttermilk (1 cup milk, 1 Tbs lemon juice - let sit 5 min)

1 Tbs peppermint extract

Red food gel/coloring

1 box devil's food cake mix

3 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 cups buttermilk (1 cups milk, 1 Tbs lemon juice - let sit 5 min)

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 tsp+ peppermint extract

1/3 cup powdered sugar

*If you don't have four cake pans, prepare each cake flavor at different times.  You can save a layer of each and freeze for the future.*

Cut circles of parchment to fit in bottom of round cake pans.  Using a paper towel, butter paper and sides of pan.  Preheat oven to 350 (325 for dark pans).

For devil's food cake, combine devil's food cake mix, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup oil, and 1 cup buttermilk.  Mix according to package directions.  Pour into 2 prepared cake pans and bake as directed.

For peppermint cake, combine white cake mix, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup oil, and 1 cup buttermilk.  Mix according to package directions.  Add 1 Tbs peppermint extract and mix well.  Divide in half.  Add red food gel/coloring to half and mix well until desired color is achieved.  Pour half of the white batter into each of 2 prepared cake pan.  Dollop red batter on top of each and swirl gently with a butter knife.  Bake as directed.

Cool cakes 10 minutes in pan.  Remove to cooling racks and cool completely.

When cakes are cooled, prepare frosting.  Using a cold bowl and beaters, beat heavy whipping cream until it starts to thicken.  Add 1/3 cup powdered sugar and 1+ tsp peppermint extract.  Beat until stiff peaks form.  Place chocolate layer on platter.  Spread with frosting.  Place peppermint layer upside down on frosting.  Frost entire cake.  Decorate!

You can get the checkered look by cutting a circle out of the middle of each cake layer and swapping them.  You have to frost the sides of the circles to make sure they stay put -- sorta tricky, but worth it if you want the look!  After doing it both ways, I think I personally prefer one layer of peppermint and one of chocolate rather than checkered.

Tippy Tuesday: Colorful White Organization

Sometimes it's the simple things that can have the most profound impact.  Like white boards and dry-erase markers.  I love 'em!  There is always the traditional paper calendar route, which does have its perks.  Or the high tech route of Google calender or Cozi on whatever device you please.  I admit, my dream scheduling device is a flat screen something-or-other attached to my kitchen wall that is a touch-screen calendar linked to whatever devices I use that updates everything I add or change from that one spot.  Better than a limited paper calender you scribble on.  Better than a white board by giving access to whatever date/time whether past, present, or future.  Maybe my Hubz can add that to his "invent someday" list...along with the Transporter.  :-)

Until then, however, I have discovered something that works really well for our family.  One really big calender/notes/cork board, a small square calender white board, and a good set of dry-erase markers (all from Target).  I used a Sharpie to label each marker -- that way I don't have to keep a list somewhere or remember it in my head AND if anyone else uses the calender, they know which color to use.  On the calender/notes/cork board, I have a small "key" line for quick reference to the reader.  I'm sure you can guess that each event is written in it's designated color.  If I have a doctor's appointment, it's purple.  If we have a church event, it's light green.  Birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays are dark green.  Orange shows important things that affect the family as a whole.  And so on.  I have one extra color undesignated to keep some flexibility, and black is used for general items like numbers and simple events.

The small square calender is our newest experiment.  At the beginning of each month, I'll evaluate family life and schedule weekly chores using the colored marker system.  Orange is for chores Hubz and I both can do together, and the rest are in personal colors.  The boys each have one main chore for the month (with assistance) in order to start learning how to care for the home.  We plan to switch those chores for them each month to avoid monotony and to make sure they are well rounded in their chore-learning.  I am toying with the idea of scheduling quarterly and yearly chores to also be written on this calender.  See my friend Kimiko's great home management schedules for ideas!  I don't write down daily chores because those are obvious enough to all that we do them regularly (dishes, straightening, etc.)

Other chores I have on another specific chore white board (also found at Target) that the boys earn money for.  They can earn $0.10 each for putting away folded clothes, helping with gathering and sorting laundry, putting away silverware, setting the table, making their beds, and answering questions about the previous night's reading.  I drew simple pictures so the boys can tell what the chores are.  They earn $0.50 for helping mom and dad with big chores like washing the cars, picking up yard waste, etc.  The one catch is if they are told to do any one of these chores and they are not willing and lack a happy heart, then it becomes an obedience issue and they must do it without payment.  At the end of the week, we count up how many stars they've earned (Judah red, Elijah blue, big jobs yellow) and let them put that amount of money in their banks.  At the end of the month, we open the banks and count up how much they have earned (and write the number down so we can reuse the coins and dollars).  We are still determining a good system for teaching them how to be good stewards of the money -- it's still a new system, but it is working well so far!  (Note: If you are keen enough to observe how much each boy has, the reason Judah's is much less is because he had to learn the hard-but-good lesson of paying for something he was not a good steward of -- otherwise, he'd have $8.00 more!)

T.G.I.F.

I was sitting with my mom and kids eating lunch one day.  PBJ's were on the menu.  I realized after a while that my sons were having a "competition" of sorts.  Judah was counting to 100, and Elijah was trying to finish his sandwich before Judah got to 100.  Boys.  No one has to teach them these kinds of things.  Anyway, my mom noticed Elijah started gagging because he had put too much in his mouth (go figure).  He spit it out on his plate, and we talked to him about what had happened.  A few minutes later after conversation had moved on, Elijah exclaimed, "Hey!  It's like a treat now!  It's like a treat!"  My mom and I looked at him to find that he was using a spoon to eat the PBJ he had spit out.  ::personal gag::  ::musters strength to finish the story::  "It's like a treat, Mommy!"  I (probably shouldn't have) asked if he thought it was more like a treat because it was "smooshy" from being in his mouth already, and he heartily agreed.  "It's like a treat now because it's smooshy!"  I can still picture him holding that green spoon with the biggest grin and sparkly eyes due to his new "recipe."  ::gaaaag::

It's been pretty cold outside lately, and we've had a few pretty flurries with zero accumulation to speak of.  Absolutely nothing to play in, that's for sure.  The family was talking about what we could do after lunch, and the boys were wanting to go outside.  Especially at the prospect of snow.  Kids.  Even a chance of snow gets them giddy!  Despite the pristine sunshine and dry ground outside, Elijah excitedly suggested, "We could get all bundled up and.... do we have skis??"

We were sitting around the dinner table when Hubz and I decided to let the boys know we were going to seriously formalize the house rules -- to the point of printing them out and putting them on the fridge.  They know them, but they have trouble obeying consistently.  And having a list on the fridge will help their parents be more consistent in reminding them...  Anyway, as we were telling the boys what the rules are going to be, things just escalated into hilarium in typical E family fashion as the boys started coming up with nonsense rules.  In addition to no running, no yelling, and no throwing things, we also apparently have no eyeballs, no hair, etc.  In the midst of the giggles and rising noise level, Elijah blurted out with utter enthusiasm, "NEITHER NOT NO LAUGHIN'!"  Pure silence followed, then laughter from all.

Wordless Wednesday: Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Tippy Tuesday: Therapeutic Tea

A while back, my lil' Sis told me she likes to put cough drops in her tea when she isn't feeling up to par.  I don't really prefer cough drops, so I tried what I do love: Ricola (original flavor).  Oh my goodness!

Not only does it make for a great tasting tea, but it soothes everything it touches.  And to breathe in the steam from a Ricola cup of tea is just amazing to my sinuses and well-being.  I've found that Lipton tea is a great backdrop, and I let the Ricola drop melt about half-way.  It's easy to adjust the flavor of both tea and Ricola by simply removing each when you desire.  Try it!

T.G.I.F.

During school one morning...
Me: You have a good memory, Elijah.
Elijah: That's because I eat Smarties.
Judah: He's so silly.
Elijah: Guess who else needs to eat Smarties?  The Mommy Miller so she can remember how to build a moth [paper airplane].  I know you taught her once.

The morning after a dinner date Hubz & I had...
Elijah: Did you have fun at your dinner last night?
Me: Yes.
Judah: What did you have for dinner last night?
Me, nervous laugh: Deer, squash soup...
Elijah: You had a killed deer??
Judah: Yes, they ate killed deer for dinner.  Mr. Nye must have bow an arrowed it.
Elijah: That would be yucky.  I don't like deers.  I like for them to be alive and not bow and arrowed.
Me, having trouble connecting the mental picture with what I ate: Ok, can we stop talking about this?

EDIT: Later, when I was telling Hubz about the deer conversation, the boys went crazy (as boys/men do).  "...bow and arrowed...with fuzz...and blood everywhere..."  Oh deer.  I mean...dear.

Tippy Tuesday: Baggings vs. Stockings

Stockings.  Tree Skirt.  Evergreen garland.  Outdoor lights.  There are a few things we still have never had in all our married Christmases.  Oh well.  Maybe someday.  Not this year -- budget won't allow!  And that's ok.  Christmas isn't all about fancy schmancy decor.  ;-)

So, what were we going to do this year?  We actually have a fireplace mantle!  But no stockings.  I could make them, but that requires time and fabric purchase.  We could get them the day after Christmas, and we might.  But that's after Christmas Day.  My Hubz and I talked about how we like the fun of stockings but not how big they are -- then you feel obligated to wrack your brain figuring out what all to put in it to fill the stocking up!  So, why not have smaller stockings (whether purchased or made) that only contain one or two small items each year?  Yes!  We love the idea!  But what about this year?

BAGGINGS!  From paper bags.  Not traditional.  Not the prettiest thing ever.  Disposable.  But cute and meaningful as we try to watch our finances and be good stewards.  One tradition we do have is that each person has their own wrapping paper.  So we came up with the idea to cut out the first initial of each person in their paper to glue onto the bag.  Then we decorated with markers and glitter glue to personalize the bags.  The boys have Cars characters on them because their combined gifts are different paper than their individual gifts (they really might as well be twins -- same size, same gifts...).  Again, not really elegant and they kind of get lost in all the brick, but they are sweet and will serve the purpose of this years one small gift for each bag.  :-)  And they're so cute we might just keep this tradition rather than getting stockings.  Though I might try to use nicer red/green bags next year and get some evergreen garland to help them stand out a little.  The other benefit is that people's wrapping paper and personalities change over time.  If you have an annual Christmas craft of making Baggings, then the bags match the wrapping paper and personalities every year rather than the same stockings year after year.  I dunno -- I might be sold!  Until my kids are old enough to land on a stocking style they will like long-term.  Maybe then we'll finally get stockings to hang from our mantle. :-)

Just trying to be resourceful but have some Christmasy fun, too!

T.G.I.F.

My poor son Judah.  He's only 5, and he already has a recurrent gray hair upon his head.  I'm his 29 year old mother, and I've only found one on my own head a few months back that has not returned (yet).  So this rogue hair on Judah baffles me.  Either he is stressed by our family, stressed by his own level of energy, or is showing a physical sign of early wisdom.  I hope it's the latter!  Anyway, today, I noticed it is getting quite long and stray compared to the rest of his hair; and I gave a little sigh as I touched it.  Judah pranced away down the hall singing, "I'm turning into a grandpa!"  Makes me giggle.  :-)

You know those moments as a mother when you realize someday or another you're going to have to bite the bullet and teach your kids how to do tasks, knowing they will be messy and fail a lot until you LET THEM practice enough?  Yeah.  Cracking eggs.  I don't know what the books say about the appropriate age to begin teaching children how to crack eggs, but Judah always asks.  Today, I gave in.  How on earth do you teach a child to not squeeze an egg but to poke his thumbs in the crack at the same time??  We parents take for granted how "easy" things are...until we have to actually explain it in words.  :-P  As Judah was trying his hand at cracking the eggs (oh my heavens), Elijah ran up and saw him.  "I wanna hatch a egg, too!!!!"  HA!  So cute.  Then Judah asked, "How does an egg get inside the shell?"  ::stunned::  Praise the Lord for the "God made it that way" answer.  Cuz I don't know how to explain the answer to that question other than referring to the Almighty Creator of chickens!

Tippy Tuesday: Reduce, REUSE, Recycle

I have a love hate relationship with where I live.  But one thing I love is how EASY it is to recycle!  We don't have to sort anything or even remove labels.  Just a quick rinse (to be kind to the workers) and toss it all in one provided recycle barrel.  Who WOULDN'T recycle with that set up?  I'm not a tree-hugger, but it does feel nice to be able to play my part in taking care of this beautiful earth God has allowed us to live in.

One of my favorite challenges in the process is figuring out ways to reuse containers rather than buying new (good for the planet and the budget).  Here are a few things I've done:

GROCERY BAGS:  Use for everything!  Small trash cans, carrying items up and down stairs when straightening your home, carrying small things when you have multiple things to give back to people (staple a paper label to each so you don't even have to go through it), double bag leftovers you have to throw out and tie it up to keep smell/liquids out of your trash....

DIAPER BOXES: Cut the flaps off for easy, sturdy bins.  I use them to collect clothing I plan to pass on, one for girl clothes and one for boy clothes.  Once it's full or the time has come, just give the whole box to your friend.  Much easier to tote around than flimsy (overstuffed) grocery bags.  Then they have a box to use or ditch!  I also recently used one to hold snacks and drinks on our road trip -- it fit perfectly on the van floor between seats!  A diaper box is also good for collecting garage sale or good will items.  Sure, some people get all fancy-nancy and cover them.  Looks cute -- but really adds extra cost and precious time.

SHOE BOXES:  Kid shoe boxes are amazing for organization, especially for crafting and sewing!  Paints, brushes, collecting similar fabrics in one place to create a "quilt kit" over time...  I love watching how shoe boxes fit so nicely together in small spaces.

CREAMER BOTTLES:  So I just discovered that using vinegar in laundry as a pre-wash (especially for towels) does wonders for turning out fresh clothes and linens!  You don't need much.  I pour about a quarter cup or so in the pre-wash section of my detergent loader along with detergent in the detergent section.  Gets smells out and really revives towels.  But the one issue is having to lug around a big bottle of vinegar!  I was contemplating what kind of container I was going to have to buy in order to have a manageable bottle of vinegar in the laundry room and leave the big one in the pantry.  I was rinsing out a creamer bottle to recycle, and bam!  Problem solved.  Peel that label off, wash, and fill with vinegar.  Beautiful!

SALON PUMP BOTTLES:  How lovely they are!  So quick and easy to pump out bathtime products rather than turn slippery bottles over and shake out what you can manage to get... all the while munchkins are squirming around in the tub.  Do you know how easy it is to peel labels off of your empty salon pump bottles?  Super easy!  When one of our Dove shampoo bottles was empty, I couldn't find the right size I wanted with a salon pump.  So rather than just throw it out, I peeled off the label and rinsed it out.  Then I took my kids' Suave coconut shampoo/conditioner and emptied that into the salon pump bottle.  Peeled off the Suave sticker and put it on the Dove bottle.  Viola!  Salon pump kids' hair wash...with the proper label!

ICE CREAM BUCKETS:  I wash out gallon buckets of ice cream and use them to store side walk chalk, bubble accessories, etc.  I also plan to use them to create the previously mentioned "quilt kits."  Now if only I could figure out a time to quilt again...

T.G.I.F.

As we passed by Toys R Us while running errands, Elijah yelled out, "Look, Mommy!  There's Toys For Us!"  Indeed, son.  Appropriately named.  :-)

On that same day, we went to the post office.  I've never left my kids in the car alone, so I was surprised when Elijah said he wanted to stay in the van.  I was quite hesitant.  But the more I thought about it, the more I saw that it would be ok.  It was a very small post office, and I would not be long at all.  Hesitation still remained a little, so I asked Elijah if he was sure.  "Are you really sure you want to stay here?  You have to stay in your seat and not touch anything."  He was sure.  "You REALLY wanna stay in the van?"  He said, "Yes, because I will disobey if I go in there."  ::heart melts::  My son, in his own way, was fleeing temptation!  'Nough said.  I let him stay in the van.  As I was paying for my stamps, it finally dawned on me that I heard a car alarm.  I looked out the door...sure enough.  It was my van.  I clicked the remote to make it stop (had to push a few buttons until I figured it out), and sweetly told the Postman that I had never heard my alarm before.  He said it was probably good then since I now know what it sounds like.  I smiled, thanked him, and went on my way... not informing him WHY the alarm had gone off.  Because I certainly knew why.  I'm just glad Elijah didn't freak out when it went off (because he had tried to open the door with his foot...and he thought HE had turned it off because apparently he touched the handle again when I clicked the remote).  ;-)

I was sitting with Elijah beginning at 3:30 am one morning as he started his round of the stomach bug that has rune its course through our house.  After 4 "session" and a brewing fever, he all of the sudden woke up at 4:53 and seemed in great spirits!  Still a fever, but very chipper.  He started talking about how he was done throwing-up so we could still go to Memaw's house but that he didn't want to get her sick.  I said, "Well, maybe she can help take care of all of us."  Elijah happily agreed, "Yeah, because she's a girl!"  Hmm, I guess he thinks that girls are the ones who take care of sick people.  :-)

T.G.I.F.

At dinner, we were all discussing our ages.  I asked the boys, "If I will be 30 on my birthday in January, what am I now?"  Without pause, Elijah firmly announced, "OLD."

Judah saw a picture of Newt Gingrich with hands outstretched.  He pretended to have a deep, manly voice and said, "I am the KING!"

The boys were commenting on a bird they saw sitting on the fence.  It was puffed up due to the cold weather, but they kept talking about how it must have babies in its tummy.  I explained to them the reason why "she" was all puffed up, that birds lay eggs rather than carry babies in their tummies.  Judah, smart kid that he is, asked, "But don't they carry the eggs in their tummies?"  Uh, actually, I don't know how that works, Judah!  "We could look it up online.  Computers know everything."  :-)

And here's a TGIF where I myself am the subject of the hilarity (read: embarrassment).  Several weeks ago, the kids and I went to a farm to do the traditional fall field trip of hayride and pumpkin patch.  It had rained the entire day before, so the ground was a bit soggy in places.  Another mom and her daughter arrived at the same time my friend Shannon and I did (with our 7 kids...brave, yes?).  So we parked all together in what I thought to be a stupendous spot compared to last year when we arrived AFTER busloads of kids rather than before.  We enjoyed our time for a couple hours and then got ready to leave.  Upon walking back to our vans, including the other mom and her daughter who finished at the same time, we discovered our spot was not as great as originally thought.  There was a big yellow bus parked right behind all three of us.  With two buses in front of it.  Just sitting there.  We waited a few minutes.  Still nothing.  So we asked Lady Busdriver if they were waiting to leave or waiting for their kids to get off.  She said they were waiting to unload but she wasn't sure what was going on that was preventing them from unloading.  Still longer we waited.  Finally, someone else found a way to drive around one particular farm building to get around the buses to the one exit road off the farm. Shannon was able to back up JUST enough to be able to pull forward and drive around the building.  Once she had moved, I had room to back up JUST enough to pull forward as well.  I put my van in reverse, slowly pressed the gas pedal, rolled back a little..... and then went nowhere.  I pressed a little harder on the gas, and my ears were met with spinning tire sound.  But if I pressed harder, what if I went too fast and hit the bus?  What to do, what to do.  I pressed gently again.  Spinning tires.  For real?

I was stuck in the muck.  I pressed the pedal even harder... and created an even louder spinning tire sound and felt the van sink just a touch.  Lost cause.  Shannon had stopped by that time, wondering why I wasn't following.  I looked to the lady in the van next to me and mouthed, "I'm stuck."  She gave an "oh no" with a pitying laugh and got out to help assess the situation.  I gunned the pedal again but to no avail.  They saw just how stuck I was.  Lady Busdriver was viewing the whole thing from her perch.  She attempted to direct me with which way to turn my wheel and to gun it, "HARDER!".  Still nothing.  I realized there was no one behind Lady Busdriver; and if she moved back, I could feel free to do whatever to get unstuck without hitting her bus.  I asked her if she could back up, and she said sure.  So with fiddle faddle in hand, she backed that thang up!  (Bus drivers sure do know their stuff!)  She went slowly so as not to hit the line of cars we were in.  Old Gentleman walked up and started helping her ease backwards.  She finally cleared the back of my van, so we tried again to press hard on the pedal and turn the van wheel correctly.  I was demonstrating the phrase "going nowhere fast" perfectly.  Older Gentleman decided he would try to push while I gunned; and by this time, Older Gentleman 2 had walked up to help.  So with two kind men behind me pushing and Lady Busdriver telling me how to operate my vehicle, we tried again. Nope.  Older Gentleman came to my window and told me to put my van in first gear and walked back to push again.  I looked down at my gear shifter... and there was no number 1 to indicate first gear.  All these years of knowing cars have different gears used for different situations, and I had no idea which number meant which gear!  Enter Phase 1 of embarrassment.  So I called out to him to ask which number was first gear.  "All the way to the bottom," he said.  So I looked down again and shifted to first gear (number 2, by the way... makes perfect sense, right?)  As I lifted my eyes back towards my windshield, a little red light on my dash caught my eye.

"Emergency Brake."

You know those moments in film when everything goes dark and the camera zooms in on a speechless, stunned actress as she realizes something monumental?  Yeah.  That happened to me.  Phase 2 of embarrassment.  I quietly and quickly turned off the emergency brake, and I tell you my van JUMPED forward with glee that its driver had finally gotten a clue.  Cheering ensued from my dear helpers -- and the audience that had grown -- as they had "succeeded" in freeing me from the muck.  I stuck my hand out the window with as regal a wave as I could muster and with a sparkling grin loudly thanked everyone as I drove off to skirt the building to the exit road.  I did NOT have the heart or courage to inform them all of my incredible oversight.  "Let them feel as though they've done a good deed... just slink away and let them believe... let them tell the legend of how they helped a poor mother stuck in the muck get free..."

(For the record, I never use my emergency brake.  I only used it that day because I knew I was parked on a slight incline that was a touch soggy.  Heaven forbid my van should slide backward while we were enjoying the farm.  Never used emergency brake means brain not used to checking if it's on or not...)   ;-)

T.G.I.F.

Elijah, in response to a toy ambulance that kept making sound: "That's drivin' me coconuts, Mom!"

I finished the last sip of my root beer float while holding Eden.  I put the cup on the kitchen counter and looked back at her hugely-grinning face.  That girl lunged forward, tongue sticking waaaay out, to LICK MY LIPS.  Naturally, I recoiled quickly saying "Eww!" with a smile.  Then I looked back at her.  She did it AGAIN.  This time, she was fast enough to really lick me!  Think she likes her sweets?  :-P

While driving in the car, I asked the boys if they wanted to listen to music or news (thinking they would of course say music).  "NEWS!" they both said.  Well, ok then.

Wordless Wednesday

Sometimes prayer and a handful is what gets you through the day.

Tippy Tuesday: Homeschool File System

Last week, I showed you my notebook system for keeping track of all the paper stuff homeschooling throws at you (which I'm sure I've only seen the tip of that iceberg...).  This week, I'll show you the beginning of what I hope is a filing system that will work for years to come.

As I took time to thank my Home Ec professors for instilling in me a love of (read: dependence upon) notebooks, I need to take time to thank the Engineering Department at Union University for the opportunity to learn what a good filing system looks like.  When you are the secretary of a department that is working towards accreditation, you work with files.  Lots of files.  Engineering had 13 areas in which it wanted to document achievement.  So each student had to have a file for each of the 13 areas in which various copies of their work could be stowed away for the people who were to come view the department for accreditation approval.  The entire back wall of my closet-office was file cabinets!  It was hard work to set that kind of a filing system up; but once it was finished, it ran seamlessly and served its purpose well.  The department received accreditation!

So, fast-forward from newlywed secretary to homeschool mom of three.  I have one big independent file box for homeschooling.  Thank you, Crayola, for providing colored markers -- because I'm a woman of color!  :-)  (See previous post...)

The first set of files are for adult purposes.  There is an unlabeled file in front to hold labels for notebook divider tabs and Sonlight's sticker label sheets (see previous post...).  Legal for things dealing with state requirements.  Hope Academy for our church's oversight group and Co-op information.  Sonlight to archive information, receipts, and such from them.  Archway Academy -- because that's the name Matt and I chose for our home school!  In each of these folders, I paperclip together all the information for one year and put a labeled post-it on the front.  Tips & Advice for random information I receive that will help us in our homeschooling endeavor.

Adult Files

Labeled post-its for each year, including which student was in which grade.

The second set of files are for archiving purposes.  I could easily be a pack rat when it comes to things my children do...if space allowed.  But then, I really don't like a lot of excess either.  Makes me feel cluttered.  So I've decided this is how it will work.  Throughout the year, each student's completed work will be kept in that year's notebook (again, see previous post...).  At the end of that year, Matt & I will go through the notebook with each student and choose several worksheets and projects that were favorites.  Those will then be placed in the "archive" file for that student in that grade.  Enter color!  Judah's favorite is red.  Elijah's blue.  Eden's purple (well, her mom's fav...).  So I used that color to label their files so it's more at-a-glance friendly.  I started with the Toddler folders because there are things I like to keep from the toddler years -- especially the first time they used a crayon, etc.

All this not to say "I will never change the system" or find ways it could be improved... But for our family, I really think this will work for many years!

Thursday TOPS

Things Only Parents Say


There's a stealth bomber in the living room corner.

Don't put my underwear on your head.

Those aren't sunbeams.  That's your spit.  (Now stop.)

Eww, don't lick the clock!

You like the taste of your muffin dipped in WATER?

The plane just crashed into my leg.