That is not a good name for these muffins, but I didn't think "The Super-Pooper Morning Muffin" would be as appealing.
I'm in the middle of 28 days of extreme Clean Eating, a venture I'm not facing alone thanks to my sister. We both have the desire to find our most impressive selves, and are following Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Stripped Plan. We did rename this to the "Ripped" plan - as in ripped muscles - as our husbands both raised eager eyebrows at the 'stripped' idea. (TMI - sorry.)
I have discovered several things about myself. One - I love to eat and I'm eating a ton on this plan. Two - I can live without chocolate. Three - it is possible to wake an hour earlier and exercise. Four - every pound that comes off is a hard-won battle. And Five - on day 29, I'm having a beer!
I've also ventured into muffin making. These are not the sugar-crystal, sweetness infused, close your-eyes-and-taste-the-sunshine muffins. These are the "Yep, I'll lose weight and it doesn't taste like crap" muffins. What I love is that every batch is slightly different and there is no measuring beyond the crack of an egg and a tablespoon. These also travel well and keep my satisfied - two very important aspects of eating clean.
Ready?
Get out the oatmeal, the eggs, two bananas and Cinnamon. Heat the oven to 450 F. Got a muffin tin? Don't even try this. There is no oil so these stick like gorilla glue. Use silicon muffin liners.
Place 1 tablespoon oatmeal (or cooked quinoa) in each muffin cup.
Crack on egg, using only the whites, into each cup. If you prefer, buy just the whites at the store and use 2-3 TBSP for cup.
Mash the bananas and plop a portion into each cup until it's all used.
With a fork, mix the contents of each cup.
Sprinkle Cinnamon on top.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Want extra fiber? Replace the eggs with 2 TBSP ground flax seeds that have been soaked in 4 TBSP water for at least 15 minutes. If you up the fiber, remember to drink more water.
Play around with the ingredients. I've tried several different combinations and discovered that these muffins are almost impossible to goof up. Some favorites include: Apples & carrots, blueberries, and grated zucchini sweetened with applesauce.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Ten Things to Do for a Successful Year
I began this list as a list only for homeschoolers, but realized that each suggestion, with some minor tweeking, would work for any family. The goal of this list is to provide some form of organization within the mind of a mother, to encourage parents, and to provide outlets for relaxation. The first part is a suggestion for homeschooling families, the second (in italics) is for all families.
1. Plan meals ahead of time – at least a week. If you know how to successfully plan meals a month at a time, please let me know how! I believe we all will benefit from this.
2. Incorporate the household chores into the school day. Trust me. It will help. And there is nothing as wonderful as a six-year-old who knows how to wash his own clothes. Again, no one loses with this suggestion.
3. Don’t forget to keep the ‘home’ in ‘homeschooling’. There are thousands of great opportunities for homeschoolers. They are all wonderful. What is damaging is the constant flurry of people, schedules, times and paraphernalia. It’s my old rule again: Keep it simple. It's too easy to offer our children every opportunity out there. Remember that 'being home' is the best opportunity because it's a place filled with parents, love, and a place of safety away from the expectations of the outside world. We all need a place to hide. Give kids the time to unwind and be themselves.
4. Plan vacations in the middle of the week and during the non-traditional vacation times. Feeling the February Freeze? Go south then. (South for us is all the way to Northern Indiana were we stay at our favorite lodge – a 2 for 1 special during the winter. It’s a good time and a great bargain.) I remember a friend from high school whose mom would keep her home from school one day a year and they would spend that day together. She was the happiest person I knew.
5. Celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa to the fullest! The public (not just schools, but stores and businesses) is forced to acknowledge all or none of these religious celebrations. As a homeschooling family, we are free to go all out to make these the best days of the year. Do the best you can at home. Bake the cookies, attend the parties, go to church, sing the songs, dress the part. Make it real and beautiful and memorable.
6. Take one day a month to work on a photo album with your children of your homeschooling adventure – this is a great assessment tool for you to see if you are doing everything you want in your school. Use a weekend or a vacation week to do the same. Kids love putting together their own pages and writing about what they've done. Even kids who don't like to write will jot down a few words about a picture. Talk about a family treasury!
7. Host Parent-Student Conferences or a Homeschooling Open House – plan an evening when children and parents sit down and have open & honest talks about homeschooling. Begin this evening with some modeling of how to say something that is negative and how to respond to something that is hurting your feelings. Or, invite grandparents or neighbors over to see your homeschooling achievements (or more realistically, works-in-progress). What a better way to squash some homeschooling misconceptions than to show what it really is. This is a built in feature for schooled-kids. Enjoy it. Even if it's a lousy conference with the teacher, love the fact that your kid has a quirk. It will probably serve her well later in life.
8. Attend a homeschooling conference. Get away, spend time with other parents who work endlessly for education and faith formation within the household doldrums. Find a conference for moms (Hearts at Home is a great one!) Or, go on a marriage retreat. Plan a weekend away with girlfriends. Do something that is just for you without any guilt.
9. Create a mission statement for your homeschool and post it, neatly printed, in a beautiful frame in the room where most of the homeschooling takes place. And then remember to read it occasionally to refresh your purpose. I think this idea works well for every family. Knowing what your family stands for will make or break each day. We would never write: "Our purpose is to yell at each other when things are perfect, spreading the knowledge that we only respond well when things are easy."
10. Incorporate Community Service into your homeschool. Volunteering is a requirement in many schools and is a valuable source of learning, socializing and charity. Call the church, find a need, fill it. Hopefully, this is another bulit-in feature for school kids. If it is, join in. If not, find a way to make it a part of your family's life.
Bonus: Take it one day at a time. Even God took six days to create the world. Write a goal for yourself each day and do it. God also rested one day. He knows what is good for us, so follow His example.
If you are a grandparent, get in on these ideas! Perhaps the negative issues of this generation are stemming from the fact that we are no longer inter-generational.
1. Plan meals ahead of time – at least a week. If you know how to successfully plan meals a month at a time, please let me know how! I believe we all will benefit from this.
2. Incorporate the household chores into the school day. Trust me. It will help. And there is nothing as wonderful as a six-year-old who knows how to wash his own clothes. Again, no one loses with this suggestion.
3. Don’t forget to keep the ‘home’ in ‘homeschooling’. There are thousands of great opportunities for homeschoolers. They are all wonderful. What is damaging is the constant flurry of people, schedules, times and paraphernalia. It’s my old rule again: Keep it simple. It's too easy to offer our children every opportunity out there. Remember that 'being home' is the best opportunity because it's a place filled with parents, love, and a place of safety away from the expectations of the outside world. We all need a place to hide. Give kids the time to unwind and be themselves.
4. Plan vacations in the middle of the week and during the non-traditional vacation times. Feeling the February Freeze? Go south then. (South for us is all the way to Northern Indiana were we stay at our favorite lodge – a 2 for 1 special during the winter. It’s a good time and a great bargain.) I remember a friend from high school whose mom would keep her home from school one day a year and they would spend that day together. She was the happiest person I knew.
5. Celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa to the fullest! The public (not just schools, but stores and businesses) is forced to acknowledge all or none of these religious celebrations. As a homeschooling family, we are free to go all out to make these the best days of the year. Do the best you can at home. Bake the cookies, attend the parties, go to church, sing the songs, dress the part. Make it real and beautiful and memorable.
6. Take one day a month to work on a photo album with your children of your homeschooling adventure – this is a great assessment tool for you to see if you are doing everything you want in your school. Use a weekend or a vacation week to do the same. Kids love putting together their own pages and writing about what they've done. Even kids who don't like to write will jot down a few words about a picture. Talk about a family treasury!
7. Host Parent-Student Conferences or a Homeschooling Open House – plan an evening when children and parents sit down and have open & honest talks about homeschooling. Begin this evening with some modeling of how to say something that is negative and how to respond to something that is hurting your feelings. Or, invite grandparents or neighbors over to see your homeschooling achievements (or more realistically, works-in-progress). What a better way to squash some homeschooling misconceptions than to show what it really is. This is a built in feature for schooled-kids. Enjoy it. Even if it's a lousy conference with the teacher, love the fact that your kid has a quirk. It will probably serve her well later in life.
8. Attend a homeschooling conference. Get away, spend time with other parents who work endlessly for education and faith formation within the household doldrums. Find a conference for moms (Hearts at Home is a great one!) Or, go on a marriage retreat. Plan a weekend away with girlfriends. Do something that is just for you without any guilt.
9. Create a mission statement for your homeschool and post it, neatly printed, in a beautiful frame in the room where most of the homeschooling takes place. And then remember to read it occasionally to refresh your purpose. I think this idea works well for every family. Knowing what your family stands for will make or break each day. We would never write: "Our purpose is to yell at each other when things are perfect, spreading the knowledge that we only respond well when things are easy."
10. Incorporate Community Service into your homeschool. Volunteering is a requirement in many schools and is a valuable source of learning, socializing and charity. Call the church, find a need, fill it. Hopefully, this is another bulit-in feature for school kids. If it is, join in. If not, find a way to make it a part of your family's life.
Bonus: Take it one day at a time. Even God took six days to create the world. Write a goal for yourself each day and do it. God also rested one day. He knows what is good for us, so follow His example.
If you are a grandparent, get in on these ideas! Perhaps the negative issues of this generation are stemming from the fact that we are no longer inter-generational.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Book Recommendation: The Underneath by Kathy Appelt
The Underneath, by Kathy Appelt
Because my children and I read so much, we are often given gift cards to bookstores for birthdays and Christmas. It’s the best present for us. My oldest daughter, using several gift cards at once came home with a stack of books, which were quickly devoured. There was one among this pile that I saw her return to often: The Underneath. I didn’t pay much attention. That was a mistake!
My children have also become the go-to people for book recommendations for other children. A friend of mine asked my oldest daughter if there was a book that she would recommend for her own children that would also be a good read-aloud. I was a little nervous about what my oldest would say – that was a big question! A good read-aloud book must be written in a voice, not on paper. Maybe that doesn’t make sense, let me try to explain. There are some great stories out there that have survived decades of readers: Peter Pan, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and Tom Sawyer to name a few. It’s the visual of the written word that is the essence of hearing these tales. The dialect in Tom Sawyer is easily botched if not practiced well and many homeschooling parents don’t have time to rehearse. The sentence structure in Peter Pan is difficult to translate into a voice that leaps off the page and no matter how much pixie dust is sprinkled, the words fall flat on their crossed t’s and dotted lower-case j’s. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is just plain difficult to read. I’ve tried.
There are other books that are written in voice, a story in which the author has used a fluid pattern of sentences, action and scenery descriptions that are easily interpreted from the book to the reader to the audience. These are the stories that homeschooling parents constantly search. These are the books that all parents should read to their children, whether they are homeschooled or go to school. (If you’ve read any previous posts, you know how I feel about too much television. Books and time together are the answer.)
The Underneath is such a story, and at the risk of sounding cliché, it’s much more than that! After hearing what my oldest said about The Underneath as her first choice for my friend to read to her children, I came right home and started reading. She said: “It’s a story where everyone is underneath someone else. There are some characters that literally live underneath other characters. And there are story lines that are hidden underneath other story lines.” That sounded fascinating to me. As I read The Underneath, I was captivated by the plot structure, the characters and the way the words almost sang - a huge plus when reading aloud! Poetic language like this has never been used before in literature for children and young adults and it was an enriching experience. A bonus: after all my daughters read The Underneath, I noticed a significant improvement in their writing.
It’s true that this is a book written for the young, but if you feel even the slightest bit young at heart, The Underneath will be a ray of sunshine. Read it and let me know what you think.
Because my children and I read so much, we are often given gift cards to bookstores for birthdays and Christmas. It’s the best present for us. My oldest daughter, using several gift cards at once came home with a stack of books, which were quickly devoured. There was one among this pile that I saw her return to often: The Underneath. I didn’t pay much attention. That was a mistake!
My children have also become the go-to people for book recommendations for other children. A friend of mine asked my oldest daughter if there was a book that she would recommend for her own children that would also be a good read-aloud. I was a little nervous about what my oldest would say – that was a big question! A good read-aloud book must be written in a voice, not on paper. Maybe that doesn’t make sense, let me try to explain. There are some great stories out there that have survived decades of readers: Peter Pan, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and Tom Sawyer to name a few. It’s the visual of the written word that is the essence of hearing these tales. The dialect in Tom Sawyer is easily botched if not practiced well and many homeschooling parents don’t have time to rehearse. The sentence structure in Peter Pan is difficult to translate into a voice that leaps off the page and no matter how much pixie dust is sprinkled, the words fall flat on their crossed t’s and dotted lower-case j’s. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is just plain difficult to read. I’ve tried.
There are other books that are written in voice, a story in which the author has used a fluid pattern of sentences, action and scenery descriptions that are easily interpreted from the book to the reader to the audience. These are the stories that homeschooling parents constantly search. These are the books that all parents should read to their children, whether they are homeschooled or go to school. (If you’ve read any previous posts, you know how I feel about too much television. Books and time together are the answer.)
The Underneath is such a story, and at the risk of sounding cliché, it’s much more than that! After hearing what my oldest said about The Underneath as her first choice for my friend to read to her children, I came right home and started reading. She said: “It’s a story where everyone is underneath someone else. There are some characters that literally live underneath other characters. And there are story lines that are hidden underneath other story lines.” That sounded fascinating to me. As I read The Underneath, I was captivated by the plot structure, the characters and the way the words almost sang - a huge plus when reading aloud! Poetic language like this has never been used before in literature for children and young adults and it was an enriching experience. A bonus: after all my daughters read The Underneath, I noticed a significant improvement in their writing.
It’s true that this is a book written for the young, but if you feel even the slightest bit young at heart, The Underneath will be a ray of sunshine. Read it and let me know what you think.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Lessons from Family Fun Nights
A few years ago, our family camped in Indiana at our favorite park (Pokagon State Park just north of Angola, if you’re interested). It was a Friday night, our normal evening of a board game followed by a movie. My youngest daughter lamented the fact that we couldn’t watch a movie while we were camping. I immediately launched into a wordy lecture about the beauty of nature and how great it is to watch the stars or just sit around the campfire. “Yeah, but a movie would be funner,” the youngest sighed.
My goofy husband, with a spitty-lisp, shouted, “Inconceivable!” I responded with, “I do not think that word means what you think it means,” in a rich Spanish accent. Our oldest daughter laughed, “The Princess Bride!”
And the Movie Game was born. We each took a turn to say a line from a movie and the others guess which movie it is from.
“As you wish.” Princess Bride!
“Take your issues off the road!” Ice Age
“Oh, no…Oh, yes!” Spirit
This game continues in the car during long rides, around the dinner table and has now spread to family friends. The beauty of the Movie Game is that it’s spontaneous and can include the entire family. It’s fun and silly and keeps us talking with one another.
Another favorite is the Map Game. On our dining room wall, we have the National Geographic mural map, a 10’x 7’ map of the world. Not only is it a great conversation piece, but an invaluable tool for homeschooling and the only tool needed for the Map Game. The idea is simple in that “I Spy” kind of way. We take turns finding a country or city, name it, and the others search the world to find it. Whoever finds it takes a turn. While our map is ridiculously huge, friends of ours have a map on their dining room table covered with clear plastic to keep it safe.
I invented Laundry Ball a few years ago out of pure desperation for help folding socks on laundry day (which, at our house, is every day). Because folding socks is such a drag, I set up an empty basket. When someone finds matching socks, they fold them together, earning one point, and then toss them into a basket for another point. If they miss the basket, they just pick it up and drop it in, hopefully happy with one point. The person with the most points doesn’t have to put the laundry away in the drawers.
Sometimes, it is within the game that we can find our happiest memories. That’s one reason why the game companies promote a Family Fun Night once a week; sure they do it to sell games, but there is value in the concept. We have all the basic board games, but it isn’t always convenient to play them, especially with a baby in the house who eats everything!
What amazes me most are the valuable lessons I have gleaned from Family Fun Nights that carry over into everyday life. First, the simpler the better. Life with too much stuff, too many rules, and too many expectations just wears me out. Secondly, how we treat each other, the gracious words, taking turns, sympathizing with the loser and not gloating over our win (or vice versa…learning how to lose gracefully), that all matters every day. Thirdly, the time I put in with my kids today determines how they respond to me tomorrow. I like to be treated with respect. I like to be listened to and smiled at. If I make a mistake, I prefer people laugh with me instead of shouting or laughing at me. Through games and time well spent, I can create relationships with my family that will build a strong foundation and pave the way to those deeper conversations that just around the corner. Yes! All that can be established through play!
But this isn’t a definitive list. If you have games or traditions from your family, please share!
My goofy husband, with a spitty-lisp, shouted, “Inconceivable!” I responded with, “I do not think that word means what you think it means,” in a rich Spanish accent. Our oldest daughter laughed, “The Princess Bride!”
And the Movie Game was born. We each took a turn to say a line from a movie and the others guess which movie it is from.
“As you wish.” Princess Bride!
“Take your issues off the road!” Ice Age
“Oh, no…Oh, yes!” Spirit
This game continues in the car during long rides, around the dinner table and has now spread to family friends. The beauty of the Movie Game is that it’s spontaneous and can include the entire family. It’s fun and silly and keeps us talking with one another.
Another favorite is the Map Game. On our dining room wall, we have the National Geographic mural map, a 10’x 7’ map of the world. Not only is it a great conversation piece, but an invaluable tool for homeschooling and the only tool needed for the Map Game. The idea is simple in that “I Spy” kind of way. We take turns finding a country or city, name it, and the others search the world to find it. Whoever finds it takes a turn. While our map is ridiculously huge, friends of ours have a map on their dining room table covered with clear plastic to keep it safe.
I invented Laundry Ball a few years ago out of pure desperation for help folding socks on laundry day (which, at our house, is every day). Because folding socks is such a drag, I set up an empty basket. When someone finds matching socks, they fold them together, earning one point, and then toss them into a basket for another point. If they miss the basket, they just pick it up and drop it in, hopefully happy with one point. The person with the most points doesn’t have to put the laundry away in the drawers.
Sometimes, it is within the game that we can find our happiest memories. That’s one reason why the game companies promote a Family Fun Night once a week; sure they do it to sell games, but there is value in the concept. We have all the basic board games, but it isn’t always convenient to play them, especially with a baby in the house who eats everything!
What amazes me most are the valuable lessons I have gleaned from Family Fun Nights that carry over into everyday life. First, the simpler the better. Life with too much stuff, too many rules, and too many expectations just wears me out. Secondly, how we treat each other, the gracious words, taking turns, sympathizing with the loser and not gloating over our win (or vice versa…learning how to lose gracefully), that all matters every day. Thirdly, the time I put in with my kids today determines how they respond to me tomorrow. I like to be treated with respect. I like to be listened to and smiled at. If I make a mistake, I prefer people laugh with me instead of shouting or laughing at me. Through games and time well spent, I can create relationships with my family that will build a strong foundation and pave the way to those deeper conversations that just around the corner. Yes! All that can be established through play!
But this isn’t a definitive list. If you have games or traditions from your family, please share!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Book Review: Savvy by Ingrid Law
This is what I hope will be the first of many book reviews for this blog. Savvy, by Ingrid Law is a gem! Whether you are 8 or 88 years old, there are jewels to behold, treasures to discover and a genuine sigh of satisfaction as the last words are read.
A quick summary:
Feeling accepted by others at age 13 is hard enough, but imagine the extra layer of having fantastic skills - skills you might not necessarily like. Everyone has Savvy, that quirky behavior or skill that makes us stand out from the others. In certain families, however, this savvy shows up in full force on the thirteenth birthday. What could be worse than calling down a tornado when you are angry, or knocking out the power in the whole city when your dad is in the hospital. Grandpa can make mountains and valleys form if he isn't careful and Grandma had the uncanny skill of capturing radio songs and broadcast in canning jars. This recipe includes: a thirteenth birthday party with catastrophic potential, a dash of teen-age girl rebelling against her minister-father, a lightly whipped family steeped in love, all baked in a pink school bus converted into a bible-selling machine.
The greatest appeal of this book are the characters; kids who meet and become friends and discover respect for others although they are as different from each other as clouds are different from lizards.
My two older daughter devoured this book, and so did I, staying up until the darkest hours in the morning. We actually screamed with delight at the book store the following week when we found Scumble, the second book which follows another Savvy family.
On top of a great story, Ingrid Law wrote with flitting delight, creating lovable traits by using language that almost sings off the page. I will be looking for more from Ingrid Law!
A quick summary:
Feeling accepted by others at age 13 is hard enough, but imagine the extra layer of having fantastic skills - skills you might not necessarily like. Everyone has Savvy, that quirky behavior or skill that makes us stand out from the others. In certain families, however, this savvy shows up in full force on the thirteenth birthday. What could be worse than calling down a tornado when you are angry, or knocking out the power in the whole city when your dad is in the hospital. Grandpa can make mountains and valleys form if he isn't careful and Grandma had the uncanny skill of capturing radio songs and broadcast in canning jars. This recipe includes: a thirteenth birthday party with catastrophic potential, a dash of teen-age girl rebelling against her minister-father, a lightly whipped family steeped in love, all baked in a pink school bus converted into a bible-selling machine.
The greatest appeal of this book are the characters; kids who meet and become friends and discover respect for others although they are as different from each other as clouds are different from lizards.
My two older daughter devoured this book, and so did I, staying up until the darkest hours in the morning. We actually screamed with delight at the book store the following week when we found Scumble, the second book which follows another Savvy family.
On top of a great story, Ingrid Law wrote with flitting delight, creating lovable traits by using language that almost sings off the page. I will be looking for more from Ingrid Law!
Monday, August 22, 2011
My Day Off
In the spirit of summer vacation, I took the entire month of July off of writing on the computer. Yes, many said I couldn't do it, that I would fold under the pressure of pen and paper and sneak downstairs in the middle of the night to tap away briskly on the keys. But I made it.
Over the next few days, kids and schedule willing, I hope to take the notes from my notebooks and put together several more posts. But today is all about my day off. And for any mom (or dad, for that matter) who has packed for a camping trip, you will appreciate my day off.
For five days, we camped at Interlochen State Park. As a diabetic, I have to eat a certain diet and eat quite often, which means that before we go anywhere, I prepare all my meals. For days before we left I cooked quinoa, beans, ground beef, washed lettuce, sliced carrots and celery, made salad dressing...you get the idea. But it was all worth it because of what we did on Monday.
We left the campground and went to Good Harbor Beach, had a picnic lunch, went to a winery, then went swimming again. For me, it was a day away from household chores, writing and being a mom. On this day, I said "yes" to everything. I loved watching the girls grow bolder with each "yes":
Can we go swimming?
Yes.
Can we have a picnic?
Why not.
Can we go out for ice cream?
Yes!
Can we buy this?
I think we can.
Can we go swimming again?
I'd love to!
I want to carry that feeling into everyday, but chores must be done and being a mom takes energy and time and loads of patience (and laundry). But I can say "Yes" to my children when they ask me to play. I can make special moments throughout or weeks; perhaps not a full day of sunny-sunny fun, but when my kids ask me to be with them, I don't want to put anything else before them. I foresee dinners being a little late (or bowls of cereal for dinner - I know you do it too!), the laundry taking longer to complete, and perhaps my writing will be put on the back burner for a while.
My kids will always be my kids, but they are growing faster than I thought they would. Soon they will be adults. Someday they won't hold my hand when we cross the street or cuddle on the couch with me in the evening while we read together. So I'm leaving this post a little incomplete so I can go play with my son, then rock with him in the chair and enjoy listening to him breathe and dream in my arms.
Over the next few days, kids and schedule willing, I hope to take the notes from my notebooks and put together several more posts. But today is all about my day off. And for any mom (or dad, for that matter) who has packed for a camping trip, you will appreciate my day off.
For five days, we camped at Interlochen State Park. As a diabetic, I have to eat a certain diet and eat quite often, which means that before we go anywhere, I prepare all my meals. For days before we left I cooked quinoa, beans, ground beef, washed lettuce, sliced carrots and celery, made salad dressing...you get the idea. But it was all worth it because of what we did on Monday.
We left the campground and went to Good Harbor Beach, had a picnic lunch, went to a winery, then went swimming again. For me, it was a day away from household chores, writing and being a mom. On this day, I said "yes" to everything. I loved watching the girls grow bolder with each "yes":
Can we go swimming?
Yes.
Can we have a picnic?
Why not.
Can we go out for ice cream?
Yes!
Can we buy this?
I think we can.
Can we go swimming again?
I'd love to!
I want to carry that feeling into everyday, but chores must be done and being a mom takes energy and time and loads of patience (and laundry). But I can say "Yes" to my children when they ask me to play. I can make special moments throughout or weeks; perhaps not a full day of sunny-sunny fun, but when my kids ask me to be with them, I don't want to put anything else before them. I foresee dinners being a little late (or bowls of cereal for dinner - I know you do it too!), the laundry taking longer to complete, and perhaps my writing will be put on the back burner for a while.
My kids will always be my kids, but they are growing faster than I thought they would. Soon they will be adults. Someday they won't hold my hand when we cross the street or cuddle on the couch with me in the evening while we read together. So I'm leaving this post a little incomplete so I can go play with my son, then rock with him in the chair and enjoy listening to him breathe and dream in my arms.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
A Wallet, a Stroller, and a Butterfly
The title of this post sounds like the beginning of a bad joke. Instead, it was the beginning of my Saturday morning. With my husband and three older daughters away camping, it's just me and the baby. My plan was to go to visit with my illustrator for a few hours in Grand Rapids - an hour away. Sounds simple. Until I realized that my wallet wasn't in my purse.
I had no idea where my wallet was. Completely stumped, I stared at my purse, thinking that maybe the mere power of my angry eyes could make it appear. Once again, I accepted the fact that I have no supernatural powers. What I did have this morning was a temper-fuse of a half-inch leading to some pretty seriously unstable TNT.
Over the phone, my husband checked my daughters purses and my mother offered helpful but maddeningly unsuccessful suggestions. The baby decided that crying and crawling after me like a lost puppy in need of a bottle was a good choice and the cat, enjoying the scene of the baby constantly under my feet, joined in, tripping my at every turn. I'm not proud, but I was crying. OK, I was sobbing. (At least you will know are not the only mom who suffers from extreme emotions!)
My mom prayed with me over the phone, asking every saint in heaven, especially St. Anthony to help her unfortunate daughter find her sanity and her wallet. Mom prayed to our Holy Mother, Mary, for a shred of patience and wisdom that would set my eyes on what I sought. And then I heard a whisper in my ear and I knew exactly where my wallet was.
The stroller.
I went for a walk yesterday and tucked my wallet in the back of the stroller in case I should be creamed by a truck and needed to be identified. (Yes, my mind thinks like that.)
My mom whooped and hollered for joy that what had been lost (my sanity) was now found. My frustration-sobs were replaced by tears of relief. I thanked God and St. Anthony and Mary for their tolerance of me and felt unworthy but relieved that God really does listen to every little prayer. But He had more in store for me. As if to remind me that He fills my cup to overflowing, another and greater prize than my wallet awaited ...a butterfly in our little butterfly garden had emerged. (You can insert your own symbolism here.)
Out of great struggles come greater rewards. God whispered in my ear today and then blessed me further by allowing me the opportunity to watch the first flight of a Swallow-tail butterfly.
All that before 10:00 AM.
I had no idea where my wallet was. Completely stumped, I stared at my purse, thinking that maybe the mere power of my angry eyes could make it appear. Once again, I accepted the fact that I have no supernatural powers. What I did have this morning was a temper-fuse of a half-inch leading to some pretty seriously unstable TNT.
Over the phone, my husband checked my daughters purses and my mother offered helpful but maddeningly unsuccessful suggestions. The baby decided that crying and crawling after me like a lost puppy in need of a bottle was a good choice and the cat, enjoying the scene of the baby constantly under my feet, joined in, tripping my at every turn. I'm not proud, but I was crying. OK, I was sobbing. (At least you will know are not the only mom who suffers from extreme emotions!)
My mom prayed with me over the phone, asking every saint in heaven, especially St. Anthony to help her unfortunate daughter find her sanity and her wallet. Mom prayed to our Holy Mother, Mary, for a shred of patience and wisdom that would set my eyes on what I sought. And then I heard a whisper in my ear and I knew exactly where my wallet was.
The stroller.
I went for a walk yesterday and tucked my wallet in the back of the stroller in case I should be creamed by a truck and needed to be identified. (Yes, my mind thinks like that.)
My mom whooped and hollered for joy that what had been lost (my sanity) was now found. My frustration-sobs were replaced by tears of relief. I thanked God and St. Anthony and Mary for their tolerance of me and felt unworthy but relieved that God really does listen to every little prayer. But He had more in store for me. As if to remind me that He fills my cup to overflowing, another and greater prize than my wallet awaited ...a butterfly in our little butterfly garden had emerged. (You can insert your own symbolism here.)
Out of great struggles come greater rewards. God whispered in my ear today and then blessed me further by allowing me the opportunity to watch the first flight of a Swallow-tail butterfly.
All that before 10:00 AM.
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