May 18, 2007
· Filed under Food
Is anyone else out there on Bake Space? It’s kind of like a MySpace/LinkedIn for cooking and baking. I just joined and haven’t quite figured it out. It has the potential to become a vortex that sucks away all my time. So far I’ve created my profile, but haven’t had any time to sort through recipes
I found it while searching for tips on making those cool Pampered Chef Profiterole Puffs that are supposed to look like this:
Mine aren’t even close. But maybe they’ll still taste good. I probably shouldn’t have substituted half the flour with whole wheat flour, right? There’s a reason we all use that refined stuff for baking… Anyhow, I’m loving Bake Space! Check it out when you have a minute. Or 30.
Wanna know what I’m making those darned puffs for? The saga is still going on in my subdivision and we’re having a party this weekend (“we” being the opposition party). For some reason I’ll never understand I volunteered to bring something sweet. Finger-food. Appropriate for hot, outdoor picnics. So I’m nixing the chocolate drizzle and nuts on the puffs. Anyhow, I just thought that cookies were too ordinary. And since I am running for the board, and my lawn is by no means impressive, maybe if I make fantastic (whole wheat) cream puffs people will like me…
Yes, I know. I need therapy.
Edited 5/19: No, they didn’t taste good. I guess we have refined flour for a reason.
May 16, 2007
· Filed under Parenting, Works for Me!
Suburbia. Keeping up with the Jones’. If only’s… It can become so hard to live a happy contented life, and I’d say that living in suburbia makes it even harder. Forget about being judged by where you bought your jeans – your stroller (as a parent) deposits you firmly in one clique or another. And when you look at how many cup holders and storage spaces these new minivans and SUV’s have – think about how much better my life would be if each of my kids had their own cup holder. Or 3. And the new gadgets! Wouldn’t I be a happier mom if my house was decorated with Southern Living things and my kitchen was stocked with Pampered Chef? And wouldn’t my kids be happier and better adjusted if they wore those cute boutique-style clothes? Ah, the curse of suburbia.
To battle that, I’ve begun practicing the art of thankfulness. As a follower of God, I try to thank Him throughout the day for the simple things – thank Him for the green grass when I walk into my front yard. Thank Him that there aren’t any wasps around. Thank Him that the little rosebud is blooming and it looks so pretty. Or when I get into my car – instead of thinking about how hot it is after sitting in the sun, thank Him that my A/C works well. thank Him that my kids are quietly entertained (for now). Thank Him that there isn’t much traffic as I pull out onto the road. Thank Him that I got the green light. You get the picture. The more I consciously think about how thankful I am in the little things, the happier and more contented I become. And the smaller those little things seem. If I’ve just said thank you for a gagillion things when the baby starts to cry because he dropped his pacifier in the backseat, it doesn’t seem like such a big deal to pull over and find it. After all, look at how much is actually going my way!
I’ve been trying to teach this to my toddlers. Instead of screaming and crying that I only let them listen to Jack Johnson’s Breakdown 8 times, I remind them that a better response is to be thankful they listened to it several times already. It takes a while to sink in, but at least I’m being intentional about teaching them thankfulness, rather than just expressing my frustration that they’re whining after hearing their song an outrageous 8 times in a row!
May 13, 2007
· Filed under Family
I think sometimes – even though I tell him I love him all the time – the words lose their meaning. So just to say how much I appreciate him, and that I revel in the little things, here it is. Babe, I love you for all this and more.
- I love that you aren’t really “home” unless you’ve changed into pajama pants and a t-shirt.
- And that you’ve resolved never to spend money on another t-shirt.
- I love that you make sure to turn on the night light in the bathroom every night – just for me.
- I love that you’ve managed to build your career around your family.
- I love that you make me shred nearly everything that comes in the mail.
- I love that you re-adjust the seatbelt for me after you drive my car.
- That you’d rather mow the lawn (or do nearly anything) than answer the phone.
- That there is no ‘five second rule’ in your world.
- That you wash your hands the exact same way your dad does.
- That you kept the very first money you ever made.
- That you chase down your heritage and hold on to it like the treasure it is.
- That you keep the boarding pass from every flight you’ve been on – and that I’ve been on with you.
- That your passwords are more varied than my shoe and purse collection combined.
- I love that even though you collect things that are expensive, your most prized possessions are photographs, memories, and items of nostalgia.
- You can peel a potato better than anyone I’ve ever met.
- If, heaven forbid, a mosquito or fly should get into the house, you’ll hunt it down mercilessly and kill it before anyone notices it’s there.
- I love that you faithfully floss multiple times daily.
- You generously share your breakfast or whatever you may have with the kids – and with me – even if it means that you don’t get any.
- I love that you go to sleep when I do – almost every night.
- That you read the news daily – in 3 different languages! And keep me up to speed on all of them.
- But you still don’t laugh at me when I’m clueless about what’s going on.
- That you’d rather buy an original painting than a new TV.
- I love that you’d graciously give the shirt off your back to whoever needs it – even if you don’t know them.
- That you are wise beyond your years.
- And gifted with discernment.
- That you know everything – yes, everything. No matter how obscure.
- I love that there is nothing you can’t learn.
- And that you’re willing to go out of your comfort zone for the sake of those you love.
- I love that you can always find the *perfect* parking spot, with the sun shining just right on the car.
- But when I try to find the *perfect* spot you just laugh – because it’s guaranteed that I’ll fail.
- And that you always check your meat – no matter who cooked it – to make sure it’s done right.
- I love that you’d rather suffer a bad meal than complain to a waitress.
- And that you preach really well.
- And that you check on our kids every night before you come to bed.
- That you love to hug me.
- I love that even though you disagree with my color preferences, you let me paint the walls the color of my choice.
- And that you try really hard to multitask.
- I love that you’re my best friend.
- And that you love me unconditionally.
- And there’s nothing in the world that I wouldn’t trust you with.
There’s a lot more to it than that. But for now, that’s what comes to mind. Thank you for a wonderful mothers day, and for making every day special. I love you more than you know.
May 11, 2007
· Filed under Faith, Parenting
Bean woke up in the middle of the night last night with tummy problems. I sat down with her and we prayed that Jesus would make her feel better.
This morning I asked if Jesus helped her feel better. Her answer?
“Yeah. And he stayed with me too. It was dark in my room. But Jesus was with me all night.”
May 10, 2007
· Filed under Faith
“So, Bean, we had some fun today, right?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“We celebrated Tata’s birthday, we made the cake, you helped him open his presents… What was your favorite part of the day?”
“Umm… Jesus.”
Speechless.
May 9, 2007
· Filed under Parenting, Works for Me!
My 3 year old uses crying and whining to manipulate us. Knowing that she’s an emotional child, I usually have a little more patience with her than I probably should. But I’m always careful not to discipline her for being emotional – since that’s how she’s hard-wired.
So I tried a new tactic this morning. As she collapsed on the floor in mid-whine because we ran out of toast and I was substituting toast, I told her that she was being disrespectful. And I said the Bible tells us to respect and honor our mother and father, and she’s not doing that. And that makes me sad and it makes God sad. That provoked her to thought. Then she straightened up and started playing.
At that point (eureka!) I told her how much it makes me happy when she gives me respect and honor, and it makes God even happier. Her response? “And Jesus is happy too!” I don’t know how long this tactic will work, but I’ve used it twice this morning, and it worked perfectly both times. I was just told at a parenting conference this weekend that it isn’t enough to teach your children the Bible verses about respect – you have to teach them what it looks like by reinforcing when they’re doing it and correcting when they’re not. So here’s to showing them what it looks like!
For more works for me Wednesday tips, head over to Shannon’s place at Rocks in My Dryer.
May 8, 2007
· Filed under Trivialities
Well, being able to run 4 whole minutes without stopping does not put me in contention for marathon hopes. As it turns out, I’m not very good at running. And historically, I’ve always stopped doing something when it became clear that I’m not good at it. Yes, I’m very adept at quiting when it seems that hard work will be required.
But this time is different. I’m a bad runner. I may never be a good runner. But I love the way I feel when I finish a run (however short it is). And I love that I fit into my clothes better already after just 3 days. So, I’ve picked out my new running shoes. I’m going to invest in them – even though I’m not good at this. I’m actually going to try to do something that doesn’t come naturally to me. I’m going to work at it. This is really hard for me. I hate defeat. And I hate doing things that aren’t easy. The truth is, I’ve accomplished quite a lot in my life. Dean’s list, learning languages, all-state orchestra – but all of it came easily to me. I head for the hills at the first sign that I might not succeed.
But I’m turning over a new leaf. I’m going to register for a 5K. I may still be a terrible runner when the time comes to run it. But I’m doing it anyway. And at least I know that when I finish it – and I will finish it, even if I’m crawling on all fours – I’ll have a great sense of accomplishment. And that’s worth it, right? Well, I’m doing it for me, really.
May 5, 2007
· Filed under Health
I’ve been thinking… Wouldn’t I feel better, have more energy, and be more able to keep up with my kids if I were getting more exercise? And wouldn’t I be more apt to stick with it if I had a goal in mind? So I’m thinkin… why don’t I register for a 5K? After I’ve successfully completed that, I can do a 10K, and if I’m still going strong I can start training for a half-marathon and maybe eventually take on a marathon. My aunt did a marathon when she was in her early 50s. Oprah ran a marathon. Wouldn’t that be a cool thing to do?
It’s been oh, say, 12 years since I’ve done any running. But it’s like riding a bike, right? Well, more accurately it’s about muscles. Building up the cardiovascular muscles and leg muscles and all that jazz. But if I start gradually there’s no reason I couldn’t do it. Right? Well, the marathon part might be a bit ambitious. But surely I can do a 5K. I guess I should look into buying myself a pair of running shoes. And maybe a jogging stroller. Any of you out there in bloggy land (similar to Candy Land, right?) ever done this? Taken up running after a dozen years hiatus?
May 5, 2007
· Filed under Current events
Life in the ‘burbs. White picket fences. 2.5 kids. An SUV in the driveway. Perfectly manicured lawn. Bunko. Soccer games. Trips to the mall. A Pottery Barn catalog waiting in the mailbox. Spring-time barbeque on the deck. A hanging planter of peonies on the front porch. Neighborhood picnics. A sex offender down the street. Homeowners Association dues paying for a lawyer to protect the sex offender. Oh! wait! those last two are just a part of my world, not the ‘ideal’ suburban community.
Yes, that’s right, my subdivision is now embroiled in a vicious battle between the sex-offender supporting board of directors and a resident who takes care of 3 neighborhood children during the day along with 3 other children who live nearby. Technically, she runs a family day care home. And a sex offender can’t live within 1000 feet of it. But he does. So one of them has to go. The board chose to keep the sex offender. The residents chose to keep the day care. 67% of the residents signed a petition. There are other things at issue, but it was the sex offender trying to bully the sweet child care worker that pushed us homeowners over the edge. So now, there’s a special meeting impending. At that meeting we’ll try to oust the arguably corrupt board members who we think have been pocketing a chunk of change from our dues. We’ll also be able to reverse the law suit and fines they’ve levied on this nice woman who meant no harm to anyone.
And who’s running for the new board of directors? Yours truly. Maybe I’m crazy. The press has been all over this, and the last thing I need is to be publicly scrutinized. But, there are very few people willing to undertake the task of putting this neighborhood back on clear footing, reducing the annual dues, and making it a nicer place to live. So, for the sake of improving my community, I’m putting myself out there, and hoping that the current board members don’t retaliate before we can get rid of them. I saw their mob squad pause in front of my house the other day. I’m expecting a ‘love note’ in the mail any day now – it will probably say something like I need to repaint my house or clean my gutters or plant some flowers or something. And as a final notice (they never send out first notices), they’ll levy a fine of $25/day until I make it happen. Nice, huh?
Links to the media coverage of what’s going on in our quiet little town:
May 5, 2007
· Filed under Family
