"Not Me!" Monday

Wishing you had an outlet that would help make your crazy life seem a tad bit normal? Wondering if anyone else's kids enjoy shouting farm animal noises at complete strangers in the grocery store? Looking for a place to vent your frustration at your toddler's propensity for eating squished grapes off of the grocery store floor (when you aren't looking, of course...)? Look no further! "Not Me!" Monday was written just for you! (Well, and for me, because really, I just need to get this stuff out!) This is where I admit my imperfections and the parts of my week that I really wish never happened! It's a little like free therapy - enjoy!

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This Sunday, I had to use the bathroom at church. I know, riveting. I had Callan with me in his car seat, which wouldn't fit in the stall, and he was super fussy. Even so, I never would have dreamed of plopping his seat down right in the doorway and using the bathroom anyway, with the stall door wide open. Not me!

It was not me who was in so much pain from a six-hour flight with a baby who just wouldn't nurse worth beans that frantically began expressing milk by hand into a mostly empty bottle of sweet tea in the front seat of the car on the way home from the airport last Wednesday. (That has to be the longest "Not Me!" run-on ever....)

You know those people who are total germophobes, who get on airplanes and insist on taking like five minutes to retrieve wet wipes and antibacterial gel from their bag, disinfecting every surface before sitting down? Yeah. They need to get a grip. Even though I was traveling with an infant, and was just a teensy bit paranoid about contracting say, piggy flu, it was not me who was just a tad bit OCD about germs and did exactly that. Nope.

Our flights to Texas were direct, but had one stop. We didn't have to change planes, but at least one segment of each flight was completely full. Completely. With the exception of maybe one seat. We fly Southwest most of the time, and on that airline you get to pick your own seat. Nursing a baby on a plane is awkward. Not so much for me anymore, since I've done it so much now, but for the people who have to sit next to you. Particularly if they're men. Even worse if they aren't married, or it they're young. Totally awkward. But, I know the rules, and I know I can't "reserve" a seat with my baby junk just to try and get some extra room. So it totally wasn't me that pulled the "whip-your-breast-and-nursing-cover-out-and-begin-nursing-the-baby-while-everyone-is-boarding-so-they-completely-avoid-taking-the-seat-next-to-you" trick. Okay, I might have done it once, but it surely wasn't me who did it four times, hoping the trick would work and score an extra seat next to us. Nope, not me!

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"Not Me!" Monday is an incredibly fun, blogging carnival started by MckMama. In a nutshell, it's where we all can be open about the ridiculous things that happen in our lives. Join in the "Not Me!" fun and leave a comment about all of the things you didn't do this week!

Made to Love

I was made to love and be loved.

Today, I celebrate "To Write Love On Her Arms" Day:

http://www.twloha.com/vision/

Did you write love on your arms?
Send me your pics! I'd love to hear your stories.

       

So Peaceful

       

So peaceful.

Sweet boy.

He did a lot of this
on the plane home from Texas yesterday.

And a lot of this
as we walked to pick up our bags
and meet Dad and the big boys.

And a lot of this today
after the big boys woke up from their naps.

Not so much of this last night,
or when Mom wanted to nap today.

But how can I be upset with him?

He's just...

Ahhhhhh...

      

So peaceful. 

         

Joyful Giving

A few weeks ago, I blogged about wishing to be more joyful. (You can read about that here.) I am happy to report that overall, although far from being easy, and despite many slip-ups, it's going well. I believe my attitude, my outlook, and my focus are changing for the better as a result of this new disciplined approach to everything. And I find that I am noticing joy in others more often than I did previously. It's really been refreshing.

Every Halloween, our church hosts a "Trunk-or-Treat" event for the children of surrounding communities. Maybe you have something similar in your area? Volunteers park their cars in rows, "fill" their trunks with candy, and provide a safe and concentrated location where children can trick-or-treat. We always have such a great time dressing up and tailgating with friends beforehand, as well. I included pictures here.

This year was especially fun because Kayden and Cameron were old enough to help out. I was a proud Momma, watching them pass out candy. They were so excited, and they hadn't even eaten any of the candy. They were pure and simply filled with joy to be giving. It occurred to me: many times when we make our offerings of our time, talents, finances, and resources to God, we do so begrudgingly. As adults, we sometimes have a hard time giving without focusing on what we are losing. Very young children really aren't even aware of that sort of thinking. I don't think it even occurred to Kayden and Cameron that because they were giving away candy, it meant they weren't the ones running around filling up their own bags of the sweet stuff. If it did occur to them, they didn't care, which is even more wonderful.

⁷Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give,

not reluctantly or under compulsion,

for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV

Don't worry, I'm not going to turn this into a blog about tithing. It's related, but I desire this to be more about the joyful aspect, rather than simply the giving aspect.

In my experience, when we give joyfully, we are blessed abundantly. Blessings don't always come in the way we expect, and usually not in a "tit-for-tat" sort of way ("I gave $20 last week, and received an unexpected $20 today," etc.) For me, it's been more like a "when I least expect it" or "when I didn't even know I needed it" sort of thing. For example, Kyler and I once received a $50 bill in the mail just when we needed to pay some bills. Addressed specifically to us, no return address, postmarked from somewhere we didn't know anyone. We had told no one that we were struggling financially. Miraculous timing. Not our timing. Not a coincidence timing. I could give more examples, but maybe that's something for another blog.

I want to make joyful giving something that permeates my family's thinking. Kyler and I started a family tradition the Christmas after Kayden was born. We fill a basket or gift bag with goodies (baked treats, a gift card or two, snacks, etc.) and take them by and surprise the folks who are out having to work on Christmas Day. So far, we've stopped at gas stations two years and a nursing home last year. That first year, someone from our church was scheduled to work and was completely bummed out about it. It was worth every penny we spent, and so much more, to see the joy on his face when he realized we were there to make his Christmas a little brighter. We were blessed purely by the thought that his Christmas was happier because of something simple we did.

My prayer and desire is that I would become a joyful giver in all of my offerings to God: time, talents, finances, and resources. It's definitely not something that's always as easy as sacrificing a few hours to give candy to children. Oftentimes, it requires much more of me. But then, the giving isn't really about me, is it? It isn't about what I am losing, what I am sacrificing, or what I am relinquishing. It's about who is receiving, who is being blessed by my offering, and Who is being glorified through my giving.

And it all comes back to the joy.

"Not Me!" Monday

Welcome! Are you feeling embarrassed this week for allowing your children to eat their fill of animal crackers for breakfast? Or maybe you continuously forgot to mail a baby gift to a friend...for three solid months? Perhaps you're just dying to reveal your utter disgust at your son's inexplicable urge to stand and pee on his brother in the midst of a bath. No worries! "Not Me!" Monday was written just for you. It frees me up to admit my many imperfections, and vent about the absolutely ridiculous things that are my everyday. Enjoy at my expense, and join in the fun by commenting below!

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This Halloween, I dressed up as a pregnant lady. Yep. Pretty mediocre as costumes go. But hey, it was an efficient and financially responsible costume. Took me five minutes to put together and cost absolutely nothing. My clothes still don't fit properly, and I haven't put the maternity clothes away yet anyway, so why not?! I thought it would be a funny little joke, considering I just was pregnant and would be carrying around a two-month-old infant. Guess the joke was on me. It certainly wasn't nearly all of the volunteers at our church "Trunk-or-Treat" event who didn't even notice it was only a costume! Nope. Surely, they didn't see me and think, "Oh, there's Heather. Pregnant as usual. Guess she didn't want to dress up this year." What kind of statement is that, exactly?

Don't answer that.


It was not my sweet middle son who hauled off and peed all over me while I sat down on the floor to change his diaper before nap time this week. Nope. Not my kid. And he certainly didn't do it on purpose, what with his potty training going so successfully and all.

Packing for a trip with an infant is like packing up your whole life. Seriously. And it's challenging enough when you are expecting to take that trip. Throw in an unexpected trip that you have all of 12 hours to prepare for, knowing you are going to see folks, some of which you haven't seen in years, just a few hours after you get off the plane, and it's like an Olympic sport. Nevertheless, as I very quickly threw together a suitcase for myself and Callan this week, I did not for one second take my eyes off of my other children. I absolutely didn't neglect to keep an eye on Cameron, who somehow always finds a way to get into that one thing I left unattended or inadvertently left out. So I did not walk into the kitchen on Friday morning to find him finger painting on our kitchen table with honey. Honey that I'd left out from our cookie baking a few nights back. Loads of honey that he'd squirted out onto the table. Fistfuls of honey. Nope, not my kid!

I certainly didn't just shrug and mutter "oh well," continuing to go about my business while he quietly amused himself for another 15 minutes, just to buy me some uninterrupted packing time. Not me!

My husband and I take care of our cars. We really do. It's just, life is a little overwhelming at present. We're still in that "adjustment period" after adding another child to our brood. You know, trying to figure out how to juggle three children with only two arms. Switching from man-to-man to zone defense. Negotiating an infant who can't hold his own head up and two toddlers who have darn nearly perfected the throw-my-body-on-the-floor-and-go-absolutely-limp-so-that-no-living-soul-other-than-maybe-an-American-Gladiator-could-move-it-without-injuring-themselves temper tantrum technique. Even so, we haven't let that put a wrench in the gears of our finely-tuned car maintenance routine. No sir. So that family that you saw begging kind strangers to help them jump their car battery at home that one day, and then again at the grocery store after putting perishable groceries in the trunk, and then again in the Target parking lot on Halloween, in the rain, with the windows stuck down, while the young mother sat trying to nurse her screaming baby....you know that family? Not mine! We can recognize the telltale signs of complete and total car battery death, necessitating the need for a brand new battery. And we'd replace it right away, instead of putting it off for a week or two. We are not procrastinators.

And we didn't have to jump it again on the way to the airport on Friday.

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"Not Me!" Monday is an incredibly fun, blogging carnival started by MckMama. In a nutshell, it's where we all can be open about the ridiculous things that happen in our lives. Join in the "Not Me!" fun and leave a comment about all of the things you didn't do this week!

Unexpected Trip

Later this afternoon, Callan and I are departing on a trip that was unexpected. My great uncle "Buh" died, and we'll be traveling down to Texas to attend his funeral. Thankfully, my dad has an extra "award" airline ticket, and I am able to join my family members for his memorial service tomorrow. Callan gets to go because, well, I don't think he'd be too happy about his milk supply hopping on a plane without him.

I'm sad for the occasion, but am looking forward to seeing family members that I haven't had the opportunity to see for several years in some cases. Isn't that how it always works? Weddings and funerals bring us all together. This also means my dad will get to meet his newest grandson sooner than expected (Christmas).

If you are led, please pray for travel safety for the two of us, and the rest of my family members. I'm also a bit nervous about taking my two-month-old on a plane during this nasty flu season. And, my traveling means I will not be available to lead worship at church this weekend, which will inconvenience our worship pastor and a few other team members. I'll be praying everything goes smoothly as they try and work out substitutes for the portions of the service for which I was responsible.

Uncle Buh was a special person in my life, particularly while I was growing up and spent a lot of time with his family and grandchildren. I'm hoping to post a little tribute to him later next week. I'm staying a few extra days in Texas, but hope to have an opportunity to blog again before we return on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Have a great weekend!

Oatmeal Raisin Goodness

   
YUM.

Just the other day, I hopped online in search of a really great recipe for something the boys could snack on that was relatively healthy. You know, better than fruit snacks and animal crackers. Okay, I admit it, I wanted something I could eat too. Nursing a baby 24/7 gives you the munchies. Boy are you in luck. I found a great recipe here and tweaked it a bit. I included it below, along with the obligatory pictures of my baking assistants, of course.

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Oatmeal Raisin Goodness

1 cup whole wheat flour
1-1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon (or three if your two-year-old is helping...)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 Tbsp flaxseed meal

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 mashed banana (or 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin...yum!)
1 Tbsp molasses (or maple syrup)
1 egg
1 Tbsp vanilla

1/2 cup raisins (or more...I think I used closer to a cup)
handful of dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)
We didn't have chopped walnuts, but I may have included those. Maybe.


You may be wondering if perhaps I left something out of the recipe. No sugar? No butter?

Nope. 

I told you, they're yummy and good for you.

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1. Mix dry ingredients (first group) together in a large mixing bowl.

2. Mix wet ingredients (second group) together in a medium mixing bowl. Coat your measuring spoons with baking spray before measuring the honey and molasses and they will slide right out.

3. Mix everything together (I used my KitchenAid mixer. Honey is some tough stuff to mix by hand...) Let your two-year-old help, but expect that this will probably happen:

 

4. Add in the raisins or nuts, or whatever. Add a little more flour if it seems too wet.

5. Stick the mix in the fridge for 20 minutes. Or in our case, long enough to nurse the crying baby and watch an episode of VeggieTales. I recommend "King George and the Ducky."

6. Preheat oven to 325*F. Admire that your infant is now sleeping peacefully, allowing you to enjoy this time with your big boys.

7. Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls (or use a cookie scoop) onto a greased cookie sheet.

8. Press down lightly with a fork (this is easier if you use baking spray on the fork first).

9. Bake for 15 minutes or until bottom is golden brown. To help pass the time, watch another VeggieTales. We watched "Rack, Shack, and Benny."

10. Remove from oven. Use a spatula to transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack. Let cool about 10 minutes. Try not to drool on them while you wait.

This recipe yields...alot.

But you'll still want to make more.  

I did.

 

11. Taste. Yum. Decide these are so delicious and good for you, too. Beware...this recipe may convince you it's okay to allow your children to have cookies for dinner. And maybe some yogurt.

But maybe that's just me.

Sneaky Lasagna

I've recently redoubled my efforts to get some vegetables into my veggie-intolerant boys (husband included). After a little tinkering with a basic recipe, I've come up with one that so far has been very well received. Seriously, the kids shoveled it in. Hooray!

I'm well aware that hiding veggies in other kid-friendly, yummy "staple" dishes is nothing new. And I know of at least two recipe books written - one by a famous comedian's wife - on the subject. But, I'm too cheap to go out and by them. Unfortunately, I am also no chef. Kyler often makes fun of the fact that my palate is significantly less discriminate than his (and yet, I am pickier...go figure).

Despite these obvious roadblocks, I've created a dish I love and my family scarfs down, veggies and all! So, just in case there are any others of you out there who are trying as hard as I am to get more whole foods and veggies into your toddlers/family, I thought I'd share.

Sneaky Meat & Veggie Lasagna

1 medium zucchini
1 medium squash
1 can or package of sliced mushrooms
8-10 baby carrots or 1-2 whole carrots
2 cans of diced tomatoes (seasoned if you wish)
1 jar of spaghetti sauce (I use Classico Florentine spinach and cheese)
1 small handful of wheat germ
1 lb. ground meat (I use venison; it's free and very lean)
1 package lasagna noodles (should be about 20)
4 cups of shredded cheese (I use Sargento Italian blend)
olive oil
13x9 glass baking dish

Note: I usually make two lasagnas at a time so I can freeze one for later.

1. Cut zucchini and yellow squash in half (I use 1/2 of each for one lasagna). Slice carrots length-wise. Dice all into small pieces. You can also dice up the mushrooms if you like.

2. Saute in olive oil with mushrooms until softened...or not, whatever you like.

3. Add diced tomatoes, wheat germ, and spaghetti sauce. Turn heat down, cover and simmer for....awhile.

4. Brown meat in a separate pan. Add garlic and Italian spices (you know, if you like).

5. Boil lasagna noodles as directed on package.

6. Let all cool a bit and assemble:

-- Spoon a small amount of sauce into bottom of dish and spread.
-- Layer 5 lasagna noodles in bottom of dish.
-- Spoon some meat onto noodles.
-- Spoon some sauce onto noodles and meat.
-- Spread evenly with a spatula and press.
-- Sprinkle with a cup of cheese.
-- Repeat twice more. On top layer, just sauce.

Aside: If you made one to freeze, top with remaining cheese (or leave off until you bake it later - I put it on because I never know if I'll have shredded cheese around when I want lasagna). Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and cover dish with plastic lid. If frozen, bake for at least two hours. If thawed in fridge (takes a few days to thaw) bake for an hour or so.

This is about halfway through the layering. If your lasagna is like mine, your baking dish will be full to the brim when you are finished. Yum. Just use the spatula to press in between each layer.

7. Cover dish with foil and bake at 350* for 45 minutes or so.

8. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining cup of cheese and bake for another 10 minutes or until melted.

9. Serve and eat. Yum.

10. Let me know what you think!