Like A Child

Before I had kids, I had all the answers. I'm a smart girl--how hard could it be to raise a child? Keep them clean, fed and happy. Anyone can do that. Right? 

For the first few months after our oldest was born, I was convinced that I had earned the Mother of the Year Award, complete with the trophy and tiara. She was clean, fed and (for the most part) happy. This parenting thing was easy. Next time, I'll take twins. And then her personality began to emerge. It was a personality that I wasn't expecting. She was high-strung and demanding. We butted heads. My husband said she was just like me. I plead the 5th. The more demanding she became, the more determined I was that she was not going to be a brat. And then her sister arrived, and then a brother. We (finally) began to think about who we wanted them to be and the characteristics we wanted to emphasize in them. The bratty bit had to go. But how do you convince your kids that the world does not revolve around them? 

For so long we had focused on giving our kids the very best of everything, making sure they had everything they wanted. We had fed their desires for bigger, better and more. What did we have to show for that? Boxes and boxes of toys and games that they never played with, designer jeans that they outgrew too fast, too many things they didn't appreciate. Something had to change and my husband and I knew that change had to start with us. We began to emphasize giving of ourselves instead of giving to ourselves. 

And then it happened. It wasn't a sudden, conscious change, but a gradual shift that came from inside. Things were changing so I decided to rock the boat in a drastic way...

Several weeks ago I announced that for Christmas this year, Santa would still visit but there would be no gifts from Mom and Dad. Instead, they would each be able to pick out something from the World Vision catalog and we would give to others instead of buying gifts for them. I expected that they would eventually embrace this idea after some initial protest. I was wrong. They argued over who got to look at the catalog first! After much discussion, they settled on seeds, fishing kits, and medicine. Hannah (the 9 year old) started asking questions about sponsoring a child instead of one-time giving. Do we get to pick the child? Where will he/she live? Can we get one my age? We went online to the World Vision site and began to search for a child to sponsor. We found a little boy from the Dominican Republic who shared her exact birthday. She made the decision to sponsor him and convinced her siblings to go along with her plan. They are truly excited to be giving instead of receiving this year.

In her letter to Santa, Hannah wrote "All I really want for Christmas is to spend time with my family." She has a generous and beautiful spirit. We introduced her to the greatest gift of all and she has taken what we have taught her and multiplied it. Her love of Jesus radiates to everyone she knows. I have a lot to learn from her.

Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. Matthew 18:2-5 NKJV

Goalsetting 101: What Not to Do

I'm a bit of a 3 in 30 failure this month. Okay well that's not entirely true.

I am a *complete* 3 in 30 failure this month.

I have tons of excuses why but really, they're not good ones. I got a little off kilter at the end of November and actually had a couple of goals in mind for December but I never shared them and didn't feel sufficiently motivated to act on them. Big mistake...huge. {Quick, name that movie}

I have participated in the challenge for only 2 months. I knew that I was making progress but I didn't realize the goals were preserving my sanity. I'm slowly coming to understand that I need reachable, short-term goals if I ever want to escape the natural chaos that follows me. 

Saving you the trouble of learning this the hard way, here is the easy button version of what not to do...{In quotes, because I'm feeling random and inspired today. Mostly random.}

1. Never, never, never, never give up. (Winston Churchill)
2. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
3. If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.
4. Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another. (Walter Elliot)
5. Good ideas are not adopted automatically. They must be driven into practice with  
    courageous patience. (Admiral Hyman Rickover)
6. If I can't be a good example, I will just have to be a terrible warning.

Something else that definitely warrants mentioning...I've missed the fellowship of the other 3 in 30 participants. I didn't realize how much I thrived on the community part of it--encouraging others and being encouraged. I can't do it alone, and I'm not going to try!

Even though it's the middle of the month, I'm going to jump in and participate. I'm lost without it. But since I'm late, I'm going to make just 1 goal... 

This stack of magazines doesn't look 2 feet tall but it is. And there's a box full to go along with it. I have all these old magazines that I either haven't read or I have read and didn't recycle. By the end of December, my goal is to annihilate this huge pile of magazines. Doesn't that sound like fun?! Remind me next month to organize all the recipes and ideas I pull out of these magazines!

Thanks for stopping by! How is your month going? (Hopefully better than mine!)

Funky Cold December

I am completely in a funk. Here we are a full week into December and I can't get motivated to do anything. Anything! My to-do list is several pages long and the longer it gets, the more I avoid it! My laundry is piled up, there are dishes in the sink and boxes in the living room. I have bought exactly 2 gifts and I don't even want to buy the rest! All I really want to do is take a nice long nap! I have allowed myself to get too far behind with everything and when that happens, I usually ignore it and shrink into a pile of emotions. It's a character flaw. The first step is admitting you have a problem, right? 


Well, it's definitely a problem and it's starting to bother the rest of the family too. I yelled at Meg this morning for putting on the same sweater she wore yesterday. Then we had a heated discussion about how looking like a hobo reflects poorly on me, not her. Her explanation of "it's not a shirt, it's a sweater, I can wear it again today" wasn't sitting well with me and I snapped. I will feel guilty and miserable all day because I probably ruined her day. Ethan was supposed to write a letter to Santa last night to be published in the paper next week. It had to be done last night. He didn't want to. He whined and complained and had a mini-meltdown. Then I had a mini-meltdown and told him that I didn't want to be the only 1st grade parent whose kid refused to cooperate. Ugh, I'm going to have to give back my "mother of the year" tiara.


It has been an emotional week to say the least. Meg performed in her 1st community play this weekend, 4 times. She won a role in "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" about 6 weeks ago and we have been shuttling her to rehearsals ever since. Did I mention practice was an hour away? We debated on even letting her tryout for it because of the distance but I really wanted her to have the experience and to channel her natural drama into something productive. Rehearsals were for 5 weeks so I decided that we could do anything for 5 weeks. Most of the time it wasn't bad. Last week she rehearsed 4 nights and then had 4 performances over the weekend. Thankfully, we never felt burdened by it (at least I didn't). The show was great. I even helped backstage once and found it to be very rewarding and fun. Groups of kids never fail to amuse me. On Saturday, as I was getting ready to head to the play, our dear landlady wanted to move some of her stuff (she had some things left in the house when we moved in and we have been living around them). My husband was expecting to help her most of the day but we didn't expect her to bring additional help, in the form of several people from church, who paraded through the house most of the day. My house that wasn't very presentable. I felt like I was being judged because it was painfully obvious that I am not a very good juggler. Really, I should just let it go. I'm working on that. 

Over the weekend, I learned that a lifelong friend had died under suspicious circumstances. There were many questions on top of the grief. We have some answers now and it is a very sad story (that's not mine to tell) and it has really weighed heavily on my heart. As adults, we haven't been close but our families have been friends forever. It is different dealing with the death of someone who really hasn't been in my life for a while but had been such a big part of it before. I know there isn't a *wrong* way to deal with someone's death but I feel like I'm not doing it right. And I know that makes absolutely no sense to anyone else. It doesn't really make sense to me either, it's just a strange emotion. 


On a completely different and much more cheerful note, it has actually snowed here already. In case you're not from the South, December hardly ever means snow. Usually it's more like February before we see any, if at all. And loosely quoting my oh so lovely friend, I'm living in another dimension. Strangeness...



 

November 3 in 30 Wrapup

November is winding down and Christmas will be here soon. Traditionally, this is the hardest time of the year for me to set and keep goals. I think I just get bogged down with the busyness of the holidays and I lose track of me. I think I have been doing pretty well the past couple of months and I hope that December is just as good. I’m keeping my fingers crossed!

The goals I set for November were…

Make something from Pinterest—I did that the very 1^st week (not sure if I was motivated by making something or just crossing it off my list!) It really was fun and I would like to make more things that I have pinned. Right now, it doesn’t really make sense unless I plan to give them away when I’m done. We are crowded in our little house and I must give away tons of stuff so we will be comfortable.

Get out and sort through winter clothes—Done! We worked on this over the long holiday weekend and now have 2 giant bags full of giveaway clothes. I finally decided to part with some of my clothes that don’t fit. I was holding on to them hoping that I would magically drop 2 sizes and they would fit again. Reality finally hit me and I caved. I don’t have room to hang on to the “someday” stuff. Besides, maybe it’s like maternity clothes and baby stuff—when you get rid of everything, another baby comes along! Maybe it works the same with outgrown clothes. I’m not holding my breath.

Keep up with Bible in 90 Days reading—I’m a little behind I think. I know I am behind with the Old Testament but I took a Jesus break and skipped to the New Testament. I felt like it was what I needed to do. Of course, that puts my schedule a little out of whack but I am crossing off what I have read in the NT so once I make it there, I will be ahead of myself (how do you like that logic?!)

So that’s how it went in November. If you need accountability or help keeping up with your goals, please join the 3 in 30 Challenge and linkup with us each week. It has helped me tremendously and I am very thankful that I have been able to do this.

Week 3 Already?

It's already the 3rd Friday in November?!  Aaaaaahhhhh!!! The month has gone by so fast and I haven't really made a dent in the things I need to make a dent in. At some point, I'm sure the stress will catch up with me but right now, I denying the fact that I have way too much to do. 

My 3 in 30 momentum has slowed a bit but I'm still hanging in there. 

Drag out, sort through and organize winter clothes--Still not yet. We spent last weekend moving and organizing some things, mainly moving clothes from the laundry room into closets and dressers. By the time we were through, I couldn't imagine sorting through stuff. The good news is that the boy has all his winter stuff out and the girls have a few long sleeve shirts and coats. Most of their winter gear is still in bags and boxes. Ugh, I really need to get on this one. 

Continue with Bible in 90 Days--I'm doing great with this. I spent most of the week in the Psalms and have moved into Proverbs. I have read many of the Psalms before but never in order and straight through. I was surprised at how dark and angry it sounded in several places. That confused me a bit and I asked my husband to help me understand the anger (he's a bigger Bible scholar than me). His comment was that I was reading them with a New Testament perspective. Jesus forgave all our sins and we should forgive each other. These were written before Jesus though--forgiveness isn't much of a theme there. 

Make something crafty that I have pinned on Pinterest--Done. I do get to be crafty again tonight, although not because of Pinterest. My oldest daughter is in a play and the costume director recruited my middle child to help make 10 halos out of pipe cleaners and garland. What this really means is that I will make 9 and she will make 1. It will be a great time of stress bonding for us.

My First Guest Post

During the month of November, Melissa at Beautiful Mommy Feet is celebrating the wonderful works of God by featuring a different blogger each day who will share a testimony of praise. I am honored to be featured today...my post is titled He Knows the Plans. I hope that you are blessed by it.


 

Ups and Downs--3 in 30 Week 2

My progress this week has been minimal, at best. Oddly enough, I don't really feel like I'm behind. Actually it's just the opposite. I feel like I may be getting caught up and can really see the light at the end of the tunnel. Of course, I say that and something will go terribly wrong and I will be back to stress kitty stage. But for now, I think I will enjoy the calm before the storm. So here's the scoop...

Pinterest project--Done. I was considering another one but I can't focus on decorative stuff right now--there's too many functional projects to be done.


Bible in 90 days--I'm proud to say I've done really good this week. I really like my new NLT Bible. It's very readable and the notes are helpful. I have made it to Psalm and that's where I will spend the weekend. I'm looking forward to it.

Winter clothes--Sort of. All the buckets my husband pulled out for me to sort through happened to be Ethan's clothes, our clothes (that mostly don't fit and need to go away), and blankets. The girls' clothes are still mia. According to the One Who Knows Where Everything Is (husband), they are in giant trash bags in the garage. So this weekend, it's girl clothes sorting, I hope. 

I have decided to put my One Bite goals on hold until after Christmas. I don't feel like I could be very productive with even small changes. I really want my goals through the end of the year to focus on getting settled and taking care of things that are really necessary (just ignore the Pinterest goal above!) I need to re-establish the routines I already have before making new ones. I am going to pick it up again after the holidays. I think the small goals there are perfect for New Year's resolutions and I'm looking forward to bettering myself. Until then, I'm just surviving. 

I do want to update one of my goals from last month which was to drink more water. I rarely pick up a soda anymore. I have some in the pantry but it's not a habit like it used to be. I've had 2 people tell me I look like I have lost weight. I have no idea if this is actually true--I don't own a scale and I can't tell that my clothes fit any different. My husband's comment was "I've noticed that your belly lays a little different." Gee thanks honey. The belly that has been there since the 1st pregnancy 11 years ago is "laying different." He really did mean it in a good way and I applaud his efforts. The comment was just funny. He's a keeper.

3 in 30 November Week 1

There's something about Friday that just makes me giddy. It is exciting to end my work week and just slow down and decompress. My wonderful husband snagged a pair of tickets to see the Razorbacks play tomorrow night and I was really excited to go with him...for about this long. I don't know what brought the apprehension on but there is a nagging feeling that I need to stay home tomorrow. It's not an impending sense of doom (yet) but I just have things to do this weekend and being away from home most of the day tomorrow isn't going to help. There are soccer games, a baby shower to attend, winter clothes to sort through...and I'm just tired. I know that if I indulge myself at the game I will have a great time, but then the crash will come when I get home and I won't want to do anything that I have to do and will end up being lazy with the kids. So I'm being a sacrificial adult and tending my sheep tomorrow. And I will convince the kids that we need to watch the game on tv so we can see if they see Dad.

It was only a couple of days ago that I planned out my 3 in 30 goals for the month so the progress is minimal, but still worth sharing.

Drag out, sort through and organize winter clothes--Not yet but it's on the agenda for the weekend. As a bonus motivator, the weather has taken a dramatic turn toward winter so if I don't get this done asap, my kids may freeze.

Continue with Bible in 90 Days--Sort of. I misplaced my checklist and actually re-read some parts of 2 Chronicles that I had already read. I knew I had read that before but since 2 Chronicles parallels the books before it, I thought maybe I was just remembering the books before it and I didn't want to not read it, just in case. I did find my checklist last night so I'm back on my schedule. I also ordered a new NLT Study Bible this week and have found it to be very readable and I love the notes and explanations. 

Make something crafty that I have pinned on Pinterest--Done! I made a dry erase calendar last night in about 20 minutes. Cost less than $15 (frame was $10 and paper was $5 for the pack-I only used 8 partial sheets). Forgive the sloppy handwritten days...I'm still experimenting with that. And the beautiful hands belong to my middle child.


So that's it for this week. I did choose a One Bite goal this week but ended up rethinking it and laying off for the week. I hope your weekend is fun and excited.

Happy November!

Today is November 2nd and I am very proud to announce that I have my Thanksgiving menu all planned out! Drumroll please...chicken strips, cheese cubes, fruit/veggies and dip, crackers and spreadable stuff, sliced deli meat--you get the picture. It's our 2nd Annual Finger-Food Thanksgiving Feast! It was such a hit last year that we are repeating it. Honestly, last year was completely an accident. We save our traveling for Christmas so there's just 5 of us to feed. My options are to cook a giant dinner, complete with all the trimmings (can't leave anything out) or go out to eat. I *can* cook a complete dinner with all the trimmings but I just don't want to. It takes forever, gives me stress and is usually gobbled up in about half the time it takes to say the blessing! Meal planning last year was done the night before, walking around the grocery store with the kids picking out random things we wanted to eat. Oddly enough, they were all finger foods. Thanksgiving day was relaxed and casual. I put out the food (not much to cook), and we grazed like cattle all day long, while we watched tv show reruns on dvd. We ate in the living room, on paper plates, with plastic silverware and plastic cups. The biggest stress-maker was keeping the dog away from our plates. It was the best Thanksgiving dinner yet. And since the idea of "normal" is not embraced well by my family, we are making it a tradition. I hope to post pictures and a complete menu/agenda closer to the big event (or shortly after).

November also begins month 2 of my participation in the 3 in 30 Challenge. Last month I picked goals that weren't really hard, but they just needed my attention and a bit of motivation. This month, the goals I chose are different in that one of them is purely selfish, one is going to happen with or without me, and the other is something I'm way behind with. 

1. Make 1 thing that I have pinned on Pinterest (selfish)--I'm a compulsive pinner. I have only ever made 1 thing that I have pinned (a battery box) and if I were to be completely honest, my husband made it, I just told him how to do it. So this month, I'm going to get crafty and make something--food doesn't count. 

I'm considering this:

Source: fey-next2heaven.blogspot.com via Melanie on Pinterest

or this:

Source: manditremayne.blogspot.com via Melanie on Pinterest

2. Drag out and organize winter clothes (with or without me)--It's that crazy time of year in the South where you will be wearing shorts one day and a heavy coat the next. I turn on the heat at night and a/c during the day. My closet is great. I don't rotate clothes based on the seasons. What's in there is in there all year, or until I outgrow it, stain it, or wear it out. My children, however, need me to get out their winter clothes and sort, toss, donate, etc. This is going to happen with our without me. If I want it done right, I may as well do it myself. So by the end of the month, the kids' closets will be winterized. Can I just say in advance that I HATE THIS GOAL! But it must be done. All dreading aside, it *will* be done.

3. Get back on track with Bible in 90 Days and finish before the end of the year--I started this challenge long enough ago that I should already be finished. I thought it would be easy...what's 12 pages a day? It's not easy and I'm ashamed to admit that I have let life get in the way. I have made excuses...I don't have time (yes I do), I can't focus (try prayer and coffee), I will make it up tomorrow (no I won't). So no more excuses. I'm picking up where I left off (2 Chronicles) and just moving on. I won't finish in 90 days, more like 150 days. But I will finish, and that's what is most important.

So there you have it. My 3 in 30 November goals, out here for the world to see. Thanks for stopping by! What are your goals for November?

Moving Right Along

October has been a pretty good month for me. When I started the month making goals, I wasn't sure what to expect. I like goals, but I've never been very successful at reaching them. In the past, they have been more like targets--really big targets that I usually don't even come close to reaching. This time was different. The support has been wonderful. I like linking up with the groups and knowing that even though our goals are different, we are on the same schedule. I think blogging my progress has been very motivating too. My successes and failures are forever enshrined in internet land, good, bad or ugly. It's scary but it works. 

October 3 in 30 Goals

1. Drink more water--still doing really good with this goal! In the interest of full disclosure, there is a soda on my desk right now--my co-worker brought it to me and I didn't have the heart to tell her I'm cutting back. It's good, but not as good as it was a month ago. 

2. Keep up with laundry--My washer was fixed late last Friday night and was going strong Saturday. By Sunday evening, I was all caught up and soooo thankful that it was done. The kids are finally putting it together that if they will bring me the dirty clothes from their rooms, I will wash them. Apparently that's a novel concept to them. 

3. Sunday morning meals--We had Sausage, Egg and Cheese Quiche for breakfast and Taco Soup for lunch/dinner. Planning ahead really works well.


One Bite At A Time

This week, I did not tackle the paperless kitchen challenge like I thought I was going to do. I just wasn't sufficiently motivated for that. I did manage to cut down my magazine clutter by quite a bit. The challenge was really magazine and book clutter but most of my books are still in boxes. In fact, I know I have a box of magazines somewhere too but I couldn't find them fast. I tackled just what I had in my living room and kitchen, and managed to toss about 30 back issues after pulling out a few recipes and decorating ideas. I will most likely revisit this challenge when I find my box of magazines, if the husband didn't toss them when I wasn't looking.

Next week, I have no idea what my goals should be. It's time to think about November and I'm not ready for that yet. 

How did your week go? Have you made plans for November yet?

You Win Some...

I didn't manage to post or link up with my 3 in 30 or One Bite progress last week :/ It's been a crazy busy week. Maybe I should make a goal next month to actually keep up with my progress reports!  The past 2 weeks, I have been partly successful with my goals:


3 in 30 Challenge

1. Laundry--My goal this month was to not get behind with my laundry. I don't mind doing it if I can keep up but when the Laundry Fairy doesn't visit everyday, I get overwhelmed and ignore it until we run out of underwear. I have to say that I'm doing very well with this challenge and I *love* having a clean laundry room.  Of course, Murphy's Law says that when the routine is going well, something will disrupt it. My something was a broken washer. The agitator broke last weekend and we had to order parts for it. They should arrive today and thanks to my handyman husband, it will be working like new very soon. Unfortunately, I have a pile of laundry waiting for me when it gets fixed. On the bright side, my "one load per day" goal has spoiled me and I can't wait to get back into my routine. 

Just a side note, if you ever need parts to keep an appliance running long past it's life expectancy, I highly recommend PartSelect. Their website allows you to select your appliance by model number, then it gives you a diagram of the parts. You pick out what's broken and order what you need. If you don't know what is broken, they can help with that too. A word of caution, my bank card does not like to let me order from them (I believe they are Canada based). It declined my card several times before I had to verify with the bank that yes, I was indeed ordering washing machine parts from Canada. So if that happens to you, just call the bank and get them to manually authorize the charge (at least that's what works with my bank).

2. Water--Not only am I replacing my afternoon soda with water, I have almost completely cut out soda altogether and kicked my artificial sweetener habit. I am reviewing a book by Beth Aldrich called Real Moms Love To Eat and one of the things she is really adamant about is cutting out artificial sweeteners. Normally I wouldn't give that much thought but this time I did. I switched to 1 cup of coffee every morning (with real sugar) and I can count on one hand the number of sodas I have had in the past 2 weeks--most of them non-diet. 

3.  Sunday Meals--There have been 2 Sundays since I started this challenge and I am 50/50. The first Sunday, I made Blueberry Soup and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins for breakfast, and Beef Stroganoff for lunch. It really did smooth the process. It was a fair amount of extra work but it was worth it. The 2nd Sunday we went out of town so we had cereal for breakfast and a late lunch at a cafe. 


One Bite At A Time

So I had big plans to make some homemade staples...didn't happen. I still have plans but I really want several hours (in a row) of free time to dig in. When that happens, I will let you know how it goes. Until then, I am going to move on to another challenge for next week. It seems senseless to hang on to this one just waiting for a few free hours. Next week, I'm going for "Paperless Kitchen."

How did you do with your goals this week? 

(Mostly) Wordless Wednesday (or Why the TP is Gone)

Do not be fooled by my beauty and charm...

I have anger issues.

Blueberry Soup and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Last Sunday, I made breakfast before church--which never happens. I had planned to prepare everything before morning but a late night on Saturday kept me out way past my bedtime and I didn't want to cook when I got home!  On Sunday morning, I made Blueberry Soup and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. Both were delicious and had the husband and kids asking for seconds. The recipes are below.





Blueberry Soup


1 pound frozen blueberries
1 1/4 cups vanilla yogurt
3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons orange juice concentrate
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
canned whipped topping


In a blender, combine all ingredients except whipped topping. Blend until pureed. Pour into bowls and serve with whipped topping. **My whipped topping can was defective so the topping was runny--same flavor, it just didn't look as pretty**


This recipe was adapted from a Strawberry Soup recipe from Taste of Home. You can find the original recipe here.


Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 cups canned pumpkin
5 eggs
1/2 cup apple butter
2 1/2 cups + 2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 Tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 bag semisweet chocolate chips


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 muffin tins (24 muffins). In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin, eggs, apple butter, 2 1/2 cups sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and salt until well mixed. Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add into the wet ingredients and mix well. Add chocolate chips and mix in. Divide the batter between the muffin tins. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining sugar. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. 


I adapted this recipe from a recipe I found online at In Erika's Kitchen. I didn't intend to alter the original recipe so much but I found myself lacking some essential ingredients like cooking oil and various spices. I had to make several substitutions but they still turned out good. You can find the unedited version here.


If you make either one of these (or both!), I would love to know what you think of them!