Summertime...And the Livin' Is Easy

After a dull spring break, I've been trying to plan ahead for this summer to figure out a way to keep Isaac occupied and to keep me from going crazy with too many unaccounted hours in the day.  One thing I think I'll do is use a portion of the budget that currently goes toward Isaac's preschool to pay for a membership at the YMCA.  That way I can work out while the kids play at a place that's not home, with toys that aren't their toys.  Then there's always the neighborhood swimming pool and visiting Mimi and Boppa, both of which I'm sure we'll do a lot.  But I was recently inspired with a new idea for a long-term project the three of us can do together.

Every time I talk to my cousin Robin about her homeschooling experience, I get inspired.  Not that I actually want to follow through with the discipline of homeschooling my children...but the thought of creatively teaching my kids without being controlled by state tests and principals looking over my shoulder is very appealing.  Plus, it would be great for Isaac to have even more of a background before starting Kindergarten (he'll still be four years old on the first day of school...his birthday is day two!)  So, I think I'm going to try a mini-version of home school.  I guess it could be considered "home summer school."

(Disclaimer, you must keep in mind that I am a HUGE dreamer and we are months from summer...whether or not I actually DO any of this is still to be determined).

Here's how I envision this working for us:  The kids pick a new theme every week.  Then, during the week, we do as many of the following as we can incorporating the topic (let's pretend our topic for this week is "hamsters" because Isaac is really into hamsters right now):

• Check out books at the library (on hamsters)
• Print out coloring pages (or cut out of magazines) to make a thematic poster (about hamsters)
• Keep a journal about what we learn (about hamsters)
• Go on a "field trip" to see one in person (pet store: to see the hamsters)
• Watch a video (pre-screened YouTube video on hamsters maybe?)
• Pretend we are one ("yay, we're hamsters!")
• Print out the word and practice letters and letter sounds (H-A-M-S-T-E-R)
• Use pictures of the topic to do counting and math skills (what's 2 hamsters plus 1 hamster?)

squeak!

Any other ideas?

A Whole Lot of Nothin' Going on

I have not been my usual verbose self lately.  Partly because nothing's really happening around here.  And partly because there's a whole lot going on!  That's confusing, right?  I guess what I mean is, there's not much going on that seems worth writing about, but there's still a lot going on.  So, I'll recap rather than write:

• Spring break was not much fun as I didn't plan anything special and Isaac and I became bored and got into our old pattern of driving each other crazy.  I will NOT make this mistake again!
• We redeemed spring break though, with an awesome weekend spent in the company of our Houston family and my visiting cousins from Lubbock...playing games while the kids played happily, eating to our hearts' content, and a much-appreciated date night thanks to Aunt Teri and Uncle Bill and Mom and Dad.
• Abby is taking some very positive steps toward potty training.  With HEAVY bribery set up by none other than the famous (infamous?) Mimi, Abby has finally made her #1 AND #2 debut on the potty.  (Told you, not much worth writing about!)  What is still lacking is the ability to go "on demand" but just today she showed signs of perhaps starting to understand even that.  I am THRILLED at the thought of not buying diapers any more!  Just must stay patient and not get carried away...daydreaming...about not buying diapers...ever...again!

Daddy helping the kids play video games

• I am waiting/hoping for a phone call from my cousin's MOPs group for a possible speaking gig.  I would LOVE to do that again.  
• I'm making plans for this summer, trying to figure out the best use of our time and money while Isaac is not in school for 3 months (yikes!).  
• I have also been working here and there on planning a first-ever retreat for my women's small group.  We are joining the other women's group that split from ours last year and going to a bed and breakfast for a weekend next month. I am revising devotionals that we found on-line as well as writing some of my own.  If you look at that website, we are using bits of the "apron" devotional as well as bits of the "spa" devotional.  The theme of the weekend is peace and I am so excited to see it come to fruition.  The neatest thing is that I am working with some of my favorite ladies who are helping to plan the activities, devotionals, and even the food (and it's going to be gourmet good!). 

• On the down side, my dog was attacked by a neighbor's dog yesterday.  This is the second time this dog has been aggressive to mine. Thankfully Bitsy was unharmed, but it was very very scary.  I thought it was the end for my little pup many times in those few seconds but the big dog finally got bored of toying with her and "allowed" his teenage "owner" to pull him home.  After I composed myself I went and talked to the girl's parents.  And today I made a call to the animal safety department of the police to register a complaint.  If anything like this happens again, I will ask them to step in.  Just one more argument for dog owners to be smarter about knowing, understanding, and training the types of dogs they chose to adopt.
• I have set up with my mom, my aunt, and my sister to make April a month of eating better.  I have been letting some bad habits creep in like weeds and I'd like to start fresh.  So, for the month of April, I'm going to trade my unhealthy habits for some healthy ones.  I started the lunch trade today.  I have been eating quesadillas for lunch pretty much every day since I was pregnant with Abby and craving them big-time (yum).  But, I'm bored of that now and it's a good time to make a healthy switch.  My new lunch is going to be spinach salad topped with apple, swiss, walnuts, cranberries, and a raspberry vinaigrette.  It's quite good and since I eat a healthy snack before and after lunch, I'm not so starving that I just want a big fat cheeseburger.

So, that's my whole lot of nothin' going on!  Coming this weekend: our second camping trip with the kids and my sister's family.  Looking forward to having a little something going on!

New Recipe #4: Greek Pitas

It's like "taco night" gone Greek: a great, healthy, casual family meal.  We combined two recipes (from Family Circle Magazine and Better Homes and Gardens:20 minute Super Suppers) to make Greek pitas last night.  We (okay I) actually messed up (not surprising) and put 1/4 of a red onion (equivalent to about one cup chopped) in the creamy salad instead of 1/4 cup red onion!  Our breath was baaaaaaaad.   So with the adjustments we agreed to make, here's what we came up with that we will do again:

• 1 cup creamy cucumber and onion salad from the deli, add 1/2 cup chopped plum tomatoes and 1 tsp snipped fresh dill (Or, combine 1 cup fat-free plain yogurt with 1/2 chopped seeded cucumber, 1/4 cup chopped red onion, and 1 tsp fresh dill)
• 4 wheat pita bread rounds
• 12 oz thinly sliced cooked deli roast beef (Or, 2 cups sliced rotisserie chicken mixed with 1 tbsp Greek seasoning and 2 tbsp lemon juice)
• 3 cups chopped lettuce

Heat meat in foil in the oven at 350 degrees. Line pita halves with meat and fill with lettuce, tomatoes, and creamy cucumber salad mix.

Our scores:

Adel: 9 out of 10 (with the onion adjustment!)

Megan 9 out of 10 (with the onion adjustment!)

Abby: 7 out of 10 

Isaac: 7 out of 10 (both kids ate the parts but not the whole, as usual, and neither one went for the creamy cucumber salad...at least they didn't have onion breath!)

My Review:
I will for sure make this again.  Even with making the creamy cucumber salad ourselves, it wasn't too much work (and I loved that there was no actual cooking other than heating the roast beef).  I will also for SURE watch the amount of onion I add...1 cup was waaaaaaaay too much!  I want to try the rotisserie chicken version too.  Either way, it was an easy, yummy, healthy meal (minus our onion overload).

My First Speaking Gig

This Thursday I went to my mom and dad's church, Windwood Presbyterian Church and followed up a wonderful Beth Moore study on wisdom for mothers with a short talk about my book (EveryMom).  Of course I was nervous but the small group of ladies I spoke to were extremely gracious.  They laughed at all the right moments and I felt most welcome.

And how did I feel about my talk when it was all said and done?  Overall I was extremely pleased with the whole experience.  Of course, I could list a dozen things I plan to change should I get another similar opportunity, but this was a great first run and wonderful learning opportunity.  I also had several ladies take my business cards and brochures to pass on to other women's groups so I am hopeful that I will get the chance to do this again, Lord willing!

I think what made this experience the sweetest is that the ladies of my Houston-based family all came out to support me that morning.  I invited them rather last minute with the thought that, "Hey, this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I may never get to experience again.  Why not make the most of it and celebrate with the ladies I love most of all?"  And so they came: my cousin's wife (expecting #2), my sister, my mom, my grandma, and my aunt.

Of course, they all had nothing but encouragement and positive feedback to offer me afterward.  You've never heard such an outpouring of "I'm proud of you" or "It was perfect."  And it struck me how blessed I am to be held up by such an amazing group of loving women.  

There was a moment, just after leaving my small high school for the great big world, when I actually resented the people in my life who had poured so much praise into me.  It happened right around the time when I started realizing maybe I wasn't quite as amazing as they made me feel.  At least the rest of the world didn't seem to think so!  And, oh, how could they build me up so high only to set me loose in a world that could have cared less?!  Cruel and unusual punishment indeed. 

But, not to worry, it didn't take long before I realized the value of the love that my family has to offer.  They fill me with praise, not because what I accomplish is any better than the next gal out there.  They think I am beautiful, not because I deserve to grace the cover of magazines.  They love and encourage me even when I try and fail simply because they see and love me just for me.  That explains why my precious Aunt Teri insisted on keeping that horrid picture of me on her refrigerator (you know the one, Aunt Teri, where I was 15 pounds overweight after having Abby and experiencing some trouble with hormonal acne).  She did not see the extra weight or the blotched face (until I pointed it out!).  She simply saw the face of one she knew and loved. 

As a mom, you bet I get that now!  There's not a thing my kids could accomplish that would make me love them more.  And not a thing they could do to take an ounce of my love away.  I am so, so thankful for the women in my life who love me just because they love me.  And I am so thankful that my kids will grow up to know this kind of love too.

Oh how

I love

these

beautiful

women!

Best Playdough Recipe Ever

The secret's out!  I got Isaac's preschool teachers to share the "secret" recipe that they use for playdough.  It's the best homemade playdough I've ever seen...much better than the chunky, dry stuff I made last year!

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
1 tbsp oil
2 tsp cream of tarter
food coloring

Combine flour, salt, and cream of tarter. Set aside.  Bring water, oil, and coloring to a boil.  Pour into dry mixture.  Mix until it is cool enough to knead.  Store in air tight container. (For a special touch, add scented oil, Kool-aid, or glitter.)

Measuring

Mixing

Adding the colored liquid ingredients

Playing

Creating

Final touches

Happy little monsters and their maker

Dog Days

I'm not saying I'm as dumb as my dog.  I'm just saying I have the potential to be as dumb as my dog.  Don't get me wrong, she's smart for a dog.  She just, well, she's a dog.

We've been walking and jogging together regularly since she was a puppy eight years ago and she still doesn't quite get it.  She stops to investigate every plant we pass, not noticing I've kept going until she's yanked ahead by the extended leash.  She just doesn't have the same priorities that I do.  The dog tries to drink from every stagnant puddle.  Again, I pull her on ahead not wanting her to catch some parasite from the dirty water.  She just doesn't know what I know about these things.  She also repeatedly fails to realize that I have a good source of pure water to offer her once we get home.  At other times, the opposite occurs: I stop at a street corner to wait for oncoming traffic to clear while the dog continues to enthusiastically run ahead until I stop her with the leash. And all the while we're running, I'm giving her little signals, tugs, and whistles.  If she only heeded them, she would avoid so much of the trouble she gets into!

I was considering my dog's stupidity on my jog this afternoon (the upteenth time one of these infractions occurred) when I realized that sadly, I'm not so different.  I've been running with the Lord for over ten years now and yet I often still fail to notice His signals.  He may be building momentum while I'm lagging behind with my own set of priorities.  I strain for something that it seems like I need, just like my dog thinks she needs that drink of water. Yet He knows the source that I'm seeking is ultimately not what's best for me.  And if I were to simply wait on Him, He would be able to provide a better blessing for me than I could even imagine in my own strained attempts.  Sometimes, after running enthusiastically with Him in one direction, I continue to barge ahead, not realizing that He's stopped to wait or even to change directions.  If only I would constantly pay attention to His signals, I could avoid so much of the trouble I get into!

Just one more reminder to stay in the Word and in the habit of praying and asking for direction.  Not sure I care for the analogy, but I'm glad for the reminder to always listen for His guidance.